Follow Gadget, a changeling who is actually a human, as he sets out on a quest to live his new life in Equestria to it's fullest.
Gadget is a human from earth that has been dumped into Equestria due to a cosmic entity. Now he has to live out the rest of his life in the body of a Changeling. With no knowledge of what he is or how to get home he will have to embark on a long and difficult journey to find his place in this strange new world.
Rated Teen For Gore, Violence, Some Strong Language and Slight Sexual References.
Axle drove down the lonely desert highway with only one thought on his mind.
Home. I can't wait to get home to mom and pop's.
Axle continued on his drive down Interstate 19 toward Tucson, his radio was the only companion he had. Turns out blasting 102.1 Kfma was a good way to stay awake on long treks like this. Right now he was running on several hours of sleep and a few gallon's of coffee. His eye's were still glued sharply to the road as he starred ahead.
2:00 p.m. and this highway is like the mall on a sunday. Not a soul in sight.
He looked into his rear view mirror and saw only darkness. A sudden flash brought his eye's back to the road in front of him. He didn't see anything but he was even more awake now, on the look out for anything on the road ahead.
Can't keep making these nonstop trip's like this. Starting to see..
His thought's were forcefully interrupted by the sound of his tire's grinding to a screeching halt upon the black asphalt. Good thing to because not 10 feet in front of him was a deer. His heart threatening to burst out of his chest like an alien as he took in deep breath's to calm himself down. As he was coming down from his adrenaline rush he saw why the deer was in the middle of the road. A small fawn came scampering after it's mom.
"Damn that was way to close." Axle rested his head on his steering wheel, his heart getting back to normal. He simply sat there his feet on both the brake and clutch. He put the little Subaru Baja in park in order to give his twitching leg's a rest from his adrenaline high. His rest was short lived tho because his car suddenly gave a soft sputter before it went dead.
"The hell?" He tried to start the ignition but all he got was the sound of silence. He tried starting his car but got nothing. Fed up with his new situation he undid his seat belt, got out of his car flash light in hand, and popped the hood. He looked at the gut's of his vehicle. Nothing appeared out of place. He checked his oil.
"Full." He checked his battery. He got a zap of approval from his battery telling him that it was still working. He sucked on his finger and pondered his dilemma.
OK so everything appears to be in working order but the car won't start? What kind of crazy shit is this?
He double checked his car's engine and everything checked out. He closed his hood and was about to get back into his car when his flashlight began to go berserk.
"OK now what?" He hit the demented strobe light with his palm a few time's before it to went dead.
"Well that's just--" His speech was cut off as he began to see something that frightened him to no end. His car or more precisely the road underneath his car was glowing an ominous green color.
What the fu---!?
His uncouth language was cut short as he jumped back a few feet as the color suddenly flared up. He then starred in utter horror as his car was set ablaze in a flash of light.
THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE??!!! His brain shouted in anger. He didn't have much time to ponder any answer's to his own question's. As suddenly as it come the dull green light was gone.
"What the fuck just happened?" He starred at the flaming wreckage that was once his car, now a twisted metal inferno tinging the darkened highway a sick green color. His face was the very definition of the word downcast. His normally cheery feature's were cast in sadness at the loss of his most prized possession.
"Oh man. I don't think the insurance agency is going to cover spontaneous vehicle combustion." Numb from grief he sat down, put his head in his hands and sat there thinking of what to do. He sat there for awhile but his brooding was interrupted by the sight his tormentor coming back. His covered with his hand but he saw a faint green light outline his hand's.
He sighed, "What now." He unclasped his head and paled at what was happening literally right underneath his nose. The green light was back except now it was circling him tracing an outline in the very asphalt he was now sitting upon.
Oh great how could this possibly get any worse. His brain shouted, sarcasm oozing through his vein's. Axle got up looked around for a way out of this green ring. He only saw the faint green outline in the ground. Cautiously he inched his foot towards the edge of the circle. He jerked it back as pain surged through his toe's.
"OK what kind of weird ass twilight zone did i get sucked into?" As if to answer his question the circle suddenly flared to life. Green flame's erupted from the ground creating a curtain of fire that Axle would not survive if he tried to jump through them.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He shouted in surprise as the flame's roared all around him.
YOU. The voice snapped Axle out of his fear induced stupor and he quickly spun around hunting for the voice's owner.
"Hello! Is anybody out there?" He shouted trying to project his voice through the flames.
You will be perfect for my plans. The voice continued seemingly oblivious to Axle current situation.
"Wha--p-plans? What the hell are you talking about?!" He shouted back.
Yes you will do just fine.
"Who are you!?" The voice didn't respond. Instead the only answer he got was the circle heating up. Axle looked around frantically searching for a way out of his situation. He was so preoccupied with escaping he didn't notice the circle closing in on him.
"AHHH!" He screamed pulling his hand in close to his body. His eye's lit up in horror as he finally saw what was going to happen.
Oh no! His mind did not want to admit defeat but seeing as there was nothing to be done Axle just broke down. He curled into a little ball and cried as the flames got closer. His childhood flashed before his eye's. His first birthday, His first pet, His first crush. He could feel the heat on his skin now. Then his teen's were next down memory lane. His first bike. His first after 8:P.M. Party. His first ki--.
His memories were swept away with the surge of pain now cursing through his body as the flames now engulfed his form. His scream's of agony filled the night as his flesh began to burn, the water in his body began to boil and his blood began to cauterize in his vein's. Before his eye's burst from the pressure and heat the last thing he saw on this earth was green flame's.
I have to admit I never imagined in all of my years I would end up burning to death. But apparently death is not some grand release from my torment because i can still feel the flames licking at my body. And to top things off i can also feel the sensation of wind rushing past me.
Wait? What! My brain somehow manage's to reboot amidst the chaos of pain and overwhelming sensation of feeling returning to my body. My eye's snap open to a sight that i really don't want to see. The ground. Oh and more fire. Green fire. All around me.
What the hell is happening to me? That is the first thought that go's through my mind. Not oh hey the ground is getting closer. Not how in the hell am i still alive after very literally going through the fire and the flames of possibly hell itself. No my first sane, thought is what in the hell is happening to me.
WAY TO GO BRAIN!!
As i continue to fall to my second death in the span of oh lets say all of two seconds i begin to wander if god hates me.
What did i possibly do to deserve this. As my brain continues to analyze my situation my eye's scan the ever growing ground, flying at me at 200 MPH. I can see a forest below me.
OH GREAT!! My brain shouts.
As if getting set om fire wasn't bad enough. Now i get to crash into the ground at terminal velocity.
My eyes scan the area around me rapidly looking for any thing that could help. Though the sheath of flame around me i can make out what look's like a small town to the east.
Well that helps. At least someone will hear my screams of pain and agony.
Meanwhile at ground level a unicorn couple was having a night time picnic under the stars. They were in a small clearing out in White Tail Woods, telescope pointed towards the darkening night sky. There was supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, the last one for the next 20 some odd years. And the newlywed couple had front row seat's. Ones were there view wouldn't be obstructed by other pony's or by the light's from the many house's that made up the small town of ponyville.
"Oh honey come and look at this!" Sky Diver said to his wife. "Quick i think it's starting!"
Ruby Rose trotted to her husband's side as the first star blazed to life, streaking across the horizon, a vivid green aura trailing behind it.
"Oh wow sky. This is so beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you." Sky said looking into his wife's hazel eye's.
She looked away from her husband trying and failing to hide her blush which briefly tinged her normally brown furred cheeks a deep scarlet color.
"Oh sky." Ruby said looking her husband in the eyes.
"You are suck a flatterer you know that?" She said roping her foreleg around his shaggy blond mane.
As the couple continued there back and forth banter with one another the failed to notice the green comet getting closer to the ground, until...
"Sweetey? Do you hear something?" Rose said to her husband who was busy peppering his wife's neck with kiss's.
"Hum? No honey. The only thing i hear is the sound of sweet love calling my name."
"No honey, i'm serious. I really hear something."
Grunting in disapproval Sky left his wife's neck alone and swiveled his ear's so he could hear the noises surrounding them in the forest. His ears only picked up the faint sound of various animal life.
"Honey buns the only thing i hear is that stupid frog from four hours ago and some crickets chir----"
The rest of his sentence was cut off by the one thing can make the most hardened stallion cringe in fear. The cry of a foal in distress, and form the sounds of it incredible agony. The sound got closer to the couple who looked all over the clearing to locate the source of the noise. They both stopped when they heard a high pitched sound like that of a jet pass over head. Both looked up in time to see the green comet from before go sailing by and from the boom a few seconds later, crash into the forest floor.
The screaming foal was heard no more and the silence did not sit well with the two adults.
"H-h-honey? you don't think?" Sky spoke to his wife who just stood there, shock etched onto her face. With out a second thought Ruby Rose bolted towards the sound of were she thought the object had crashed.
Oh please! Oh please! Sweet Celestia please let the foal be OK!
I awoke to two things i had become very antiquated with recently. The first was white hot fire, rippling through my body with each beat of my heart, which i was quite frankly surprised it was even still beating. The second was a headache that could rival my greatest hangover for shear amount of brain splitting, mind numbing, pain. I could do nothing but lie there in my crater, which was still on fire, and wait for whatever fate had in store for me. Luckily i didn't have to wait long. Unluckily fate had a sick sense of humor.
I could't see what it was but something was growling at me. And it was getting closer. I opened my eye's to nothing but darkness surrounding me. My eyes roamed around my surrounding's to see dirt, rocks, and tree limbs.
Oh god! Oh god! Please don't do this to me. I tried moving a limb but stopped when the growling got more intense. What ever it was it must have been right next to my little hiding hole. I could hear the sound of sniffing around the edge's of my crater. Dirt began to fall down on top of me as whatever it was finally found me. My eye's opened this time to see something that i had not expected. It looked like a wolf.
But it's made of wood? Then it started to growl and my blood ran cold in my vein's. I could do nothing but lie there and watch as the creature descended the craters dirt wall. It stopped directly in front of me. I feebly raised my head to look at the being that would claim my life. I saw nothing but cold hunger in those bright green eye's. I did the only thing my fear crazed brain could think of doing. I screamed.
The foals screams cut through the air like a knife spurring the to adults on, even more adrenaline flooding there systems. A second later they found the trail of debris and followed it. When they go to the scene of the accident they were horrified at what they saw. There in the middle of a huge crater was a small colt, badly burnt from the looks of his jet black fur. The two adults took all of this in in a matter of seconds however as there attention was drawn to the instigator of the colts scream's.
A giant timber wolf was hulking over the colt, its mouth dripping with saliva, the promise of an easy meal blinding it to the danger of two full grown pony's poised to tear it to shreds if it dared to lay a claw on the little colt. Ruby Rose's screams of rage drew the creature's attention away from the colt but it was to slow to react to the mare's magic. Ruby focused a powerful magic projectile at the end of her horn. She towards the timber wolf and got between it and the colt. When she was right in front of the wolf she let her rose colored magic missile fly catching the wolf right in its open mouth.
The wolf was pushed back by the force of the spell and slammed into a tree. The wolf however never had a chance to recover, seeing as on impact with said tree its body was blasted to bits. But its remains were not sparred as they were incinerated as the magic ball continued to grind the wolf's rapidly disintegrating body into dust against the tree. The only thing left of the timber wolf was a giant burn mark in the tree were its body was pulverized into ash's. Sky Diver came up to his wife, a slight twinge of fear upon his face at seeing her kill another living creature like that.
"Uh sweetum's are y-you ok ?" He asked his voice dripping with hesitation at asking.
"I'm fine deary." She replied in a neutral voice. Her eye's were darting around looking for more wolfs while her ear's were listening for anything trying to sneak up on them. Her husband was doing the same. They both heard a rustling in the bushes to there left and spun around to face this new threat. As if peeling from the very wood of the tree's themselves three more timber wolfs melted from the confines of the forest to challenge the adults for the chance of a meal.
I awoke, not to the harsh cold earth, but to the soft warm embrace of fabric beneath my charred body. Funny i figured with all of the burns to my body i'd ether feel nothing or be in pain from what i was sure to be forth degree burns all over my body. I opened my eye's to see nothing but white light.
"Gahhh!"
And quickly shut them as stinging pain shot through my head.
"Oh your awake!" Came a voice to my right.
"Hello? Who's there!" I said trying to grope for anything to defend myself with. Instead i felt a soft warm sensation envelop my-- "Wait!" Were are my hand's!? I practically jumped out of the bed and probably would have if i wasn't suddenly held down by a soft, cool force of some kind. My eye's were now open and starring around the small room i was in. I have to be dreaming. I saw what looked to be horse's. Lots of multi-colored horse's. The small white room had at least six of them, and all of them were sitting in chairs next to bed's. Hospital bed's. So i'm in a hospital.
With all of this new information my brain began to hurt. I brought my hands up to it to try and message away the pain but then i saw that i had no hand's.
"What the hay is going on here?"
"Young colt!"
I almost jumped out of my bed, again. And once more i was enveloped in that strange feeling of a cool breeze. This time however i noticed my vision being tinged a soft rosy color.
"What was that?" I asked in a low voice.
"Young colt!" That voice again.
"Yes?" I asked a bit timidly. Hey my voice! It's different! It sounds like a-
"You Sr-." The voice continued. I looked over to see a one of those horse's, a white one with a pink mane and a strange tattoo on its butt. The tattoo caught my interest. -"or i will personally wash"-It was a picture of a red heart with what liked sun rays radiating outward from within it. I was so focused on the tattoo that i didn't realize the horse was talking to me until i saw a hoof in front of my face.
"Son were you even listening?"
"Huh w-w-what?" The horse looked at me with a stern look on its face. How is that even possible? Regardless of the horses look i could some how feel that it was genuinely concerned for my well being. Funny how can i know that? Then almost like magic the horse's face softened from one of sternness to one of compassion and sympathy.
"Look sweety i know you've had a hard couple of night's. But-" All sympathy was gone and replaced with what i would personally call "mommy mode"
"That does not give you the right to have a potty mouth. Do i make myself clear?"
We both looked at each other for awhile. My brain was struggling to comprehend this new information but my mouth decided to help out.
"Yes mam."
"Good. Now lets get you tucked back into bed. You need to be nice and well mannered for your parents tomorrow when they come to pick you up."
WHAT PARENTS!?!?
I just sighed and shook my head and shuddered. This all just felt so wrong.
"Nurse?" I asked in my little voice.
"Yes honey?"
"C-c-can i have a mirror?"
The nurse looked puzzled at this request.
"Sure thing sweety." She trotted off to go and fetch one. I meanwhile wandered what i looked like. The pain was so real. The fire. It felt like it went on forever. I was surprised i felt as good as i did despite the fact that i no longer had my hand's. They must have been amputated. Curious i looked at the foot of my bed to see if my feet had been sparred. Nope. Just two stumps were they once were.
"Here you go little one." Why does she keep calling me that?
She carried the mirror in her mouth. Huh. So that's how they get stuff. Then she broke the laws of physic's. She grabbed the mirror with her hoof, It literally just stuck to her hoof like a magnet, and handed it to me. I looked at the mirror and then to her.
"Here you go." She said nudging the mirror in my direction.
"Um...how?" Was all i could say in response.
"Oh i'm sorry i forgot. You'r parents said you would have some memory issue's. Here let me get that for you." Mirror still in hoof? I guess. Any way, she leaned her hoof in so i could get a better look at myself. But just like a little kid i closed my eyes so as not to see the burnt out husk i had become.
"Come now sweety open your eye's theirs nothing to be scarred of." The nurse's soothing voice did the trick. Slowly i opened my eye's.
"What the buck!" I screamed out loud. I quickly clasped my hoof's? over my mouth looking from the nurse, who was giving another stern look, to the mirror, my eyes wide from shock. Starring back at me in the mirror is not my face. Or at least not my human one. Instead of a human starring back at me there was a horse, just like one the many others in this room.
I had jet black coat of fur, some of which was covered over with bandage's, from the fire i presumed. My once hazel eyes were now a sapphire blue and my usually black hair was now a deep golden color. Still shaggy and wild tho. Then i looked closer and saw something completely new to me. I have a ponytail? Just below my shaggy mane there was a ponytail sticking out of my hair. I rubbed it with my hoof tracing its way down my shoulder's, seeing that it was braided up and tied off at the end into two little pigtail's that had a small red ribbon around both of them. Well that actually looks really pretty.
I heard some one snickering and looked to see the nurse holding her hoof up to her mouth, failing to stifle a few breaths of laughter from escaping into the air.
"I'm so sorry but you just look so cute admiring your self like a little school filly about to go on her first date." My face felt hot for a few seconds. I just went back to looking at myself in the mirror and noticed something sticking out of my hair. I squinted to get a closer look and rubbed the spot with a hoof. I felt a little pointy object sticking out of my head by about two inch's.
"What is this?" I asked the nurse. Looked at me and then chuckled a little bit.
"That my little pony." She said touching my head with her hoof. Wait pony? "Is your horn."
"Horn?" i repeated.
"Yes. You are a unicorn." What?
"What?" I said more to myself than the nurse.
The nurse didn't seem to notice. She was already on her way out of the room.
"Uh nurse wait please!" i pleaded like the little colt that i was now. Gosh that is going to take some getting used to.
"I'm sorry little one but i do have other patents to attend to." She replied in a sweet voice.
I couldn't quite remember what i wanted to ask her so i made something up on the spot.
"Um can i have your name?" I asked sheepishly.
Her face lit up a little with a smile.
"Of course little one. My name is Bright Heart."
"Oh ok. Thanks miss Bright Heart."
She chuckled again and a soft kiss on my head she left the room.
Outside the nurse let out a soft sigh, "Good night little one." She went down the hall to a small room entitled Family.
"So nurse how is he?" Ruby Rose asked as the door closed behind Nurse Bright Heart. She looked at the couple with a soft face and a smile.
"Well medically speaking he's doing fine. Hay, it's a miracle he even woke up. With all of those injury's he did have when you three got here a few days ago i thought for he was a goner for sure." She sat down in one of the small chairs in the room rubbing her head with her hoof.
"So what exactly happened to you three out there in white tail woods?"
The couple looked at one another before they slumped down into there chairs.
"Well nurse." Sky started. "That is a strange story for multiple reason's."
"Well how much stranger can it get? You came in with a colt barely alive covered in burn's and on the verge of death." She said.
"Here he is not five day's later and he looks practically as healthy as the day he was born. Minus o few missing patches of fur of course but those should grow back in a few weeks." She looked at the couple and sighed.
"Look if you don't want to tell me that's fine but i have to put down something for the record's."
"Lets just say that we found him lost in the woods covered in wound's. Will that suffice?" Ruby asked, weariness evident in her voice. The nurse had to admit that she was tired as well. The trio had been working non stop to keep the colt alive for the past five day's. Now that it was all over they were all exhausted and wanting to get some rest. The nurse mulled the idea over in her head.
"Ya i guess that will work. It wouldn't be the first time someone has picked up a little one."
Satisfied that everything was going to work out the nurse got up to leave.
"Wait, nurse?" Bright Heart stopped at the door an cocked her ear's back.
"Can, can we see him?"
The nurse thought about it. Technically visiting hours were over but the couple had been sleeping in the hospital's maternity ward for the past five days. She knew she was taking a big risk.
"Ok but if you want to see him you will have to be very quite." The young couple shook there heads enthusiastically at her answer. The nurse led the way down the deserted hallway to the room the little colt was in. Carefully they all made there way in to the room so as not to disturb any of the other patents. When the couple saw him they gasped. The nurse was right. The little colt did look as healthy as ever.
Then a thought crossed everyone minds.
"Hey honey?" Sky asked his wife.
"Let me guess what are we going to name him?"
"My thought exactly." The nurse chimed in. They group pondered this for awhile. There minds were interrupted by a soft mumbling. They looked around and found the colt was tossing in his sleep. Ruby swiftly went to his bed side and began to rub his forehead.
"Shh, shh little one it's OK." His fit seemed to lessen and soon he was resting peacefully. Pretty soon the other two adults were gathered around the colts bed.
"So any idea's?" sky asked. They all looked at one another but once again they were interrupted by the little colt.
"Gadget.." He mumbled.
"What was that?" Sky asked. Ruby pressed her ear up to the colts mouth. She repeated what he had said.
"Gadget?" The adults all thought about that name. Then Sky shook his head letting out a quite chuckle. "Well i guess we have our answer there." He looked at the co--Gadget and sighed.
"Well, looks like we're going to have to get better job's." He said looking at Ruby Rose. She looked at him with a smile on her face. The nurse meanwhile had a inquisitive expression on her face.
"I'm going to go and file this paper work before my shift end's." Nurse Bright heart bid the new family farewell and left for her office.
Ruby Rose had a soft smile on her face. "You know honey i think i have the answer to our money issue's."
Gadget was scarred stiff. No matter how hard he tried to he just couldn't move. He was back in that clearing surrounded by timber wolves all of them ready to take bite out of him. He closed his eye's waiting for the end. But it didn't come.
Instead he heard a roar of anger and saw a flash of light. One of the wolves was vaporized right there on the spot. The other tree backed up a little bit but held there ground. Before any of the other's could react one of them was crushed by a giant blue hammer that fell from the sky. Gadget looked up to see his father above the wolf that had just been force fed a hammer and a smile of hope adorned his face.
Just as the dream was going so well he was suddenly ripped from this dream into another of his nightmare's. This one involved him being trapped inside of a cave with no way out. He used his horn to illuminate his surrounding's in an emerald green glow but the darkness was to much. It just kept coming, sucking in all of the light around him like a possessed beast. Just as darkness threatened to consume him he awoke.
I Awoke once more to the sound of my own screaming. Mom and pops came into the room with a start and ran to my bedside. My new life in this strange body and new world was all a whirlwind of new sensations and experience's. Luckily i had an awesome set of parents that made everything seem, almost normal. I used my magic to turn on the light sitting on my night stand next to my bed.
"Oh honey it it the nightmare's again?" mom asked.
"Ya."
"The same one's?" Dad asked.
"Somewhat."
"Huh?" They both asked at the same time.
I took my time calming myself down enough to talk.
"Well these were different."
"How so?"
"Well for one thing there were no big green eye's starring at me."
That sent a chill down the family's spine's. For year's Gadget was tormented by a strange being in his sleep. He could never see it but he knew it was there thanks to its dark green eye's, filled with malice and hatred borrowing into him like a drill. He shook the image out of his brain and continued his story.
"No these one's were different. Instead i was in a forest surrounded by timber wolves--" "I told you we shouldn't have let him stay up and watch that documentary!" Ruby accused Sky thrusting a hoof in his direction. He put his two front hoofs up in defense. "Now honey bun's we agreed--" "Oh don't "honey buns" me. I knew he would get nightmare's from watching that show. Did you listen to me no. You insisted that it would be fine he--" Ruby was cut off mid rant by Gadget loudly clearing his throat.
"Sorry to interrupt." He said sheepishly. "But that wasn't the end of the dream."
"Oh." Ruby sat down on her haunch's her face flushing red through her coat.
"Please continue." Sky beckoned with a hoof.
"Well anyway, you and dad were there!" This got the adult's undivided attention.
"Really?" Sky asked trying to keep his blue coat from going purple.
"Now son what were we doing in this dream of yours? It wouldn't happen to have involved your mother and i "Being Extra Friendly" with each other would it?"
Gadget starred at his dad for a sec. He thought about it then his face went from black to bright red.
"Eww dad! No you and mom weren't having sex!" He tried to get the image's that popped into his brain out but they were stuck there with mental grade crazy glue.
"Oh now i'm going to need more therapy." Gadget wined.
"Wait one second." Ruby piped up. She gave me a questioning look.
"How do you know what sex is? What is that teacher over at the academy teaching you!?"
I just looked at both of them with a deadpan.
"Really? We live in Canterlot, The most educated city in equestria and i have the honors of going to one of the best schools ever. And i have access to the biggest library in the history of ever! That and i have all of the knowledge that came with me from earth. So ya i'm pretty sure i'm one of the smartest pony's around." I looked at them with a smug look on my face, my nightmares long gone from my mind.
Ruby looked at Sky and then they both starred at me. There looks went from one of worry to one of happiness. They both came and nuzzled me in affection.
"You know honey." Ruby spoke to me still clinging to my side.
"We often forget that you are somepony that has been down the road of life before." She turned her head and looked into my eye's, her's brimming with tear's. Now i felt guilty for making her cry. I nuzzled her back in an attempt to repair my words hurt.
"But remember this." She continued holding me in her warm embrace.
"You will always be our baby boy. No matter how old you may be or where you come from. When you fell from the stars into our live's it was like the heaven's had opened up and granted us the one thing we would need to make our little family complete."
"Your mother is right." Sky added as he embraced us both. Even tho he was a unicorn like us he was still huge by most pony's standard's.
"You may have been a grown up were you came from but now you are here, with us and you'r a little colt again. So that mean's you have to grow up all over again." I thought about there words and let them sink in.
"Ya you guys are right. I may have been an adult then. But now i'm just a child and I still have a lot to learn."
I looked at my new family and sighed.
"You know that no matter what i will always love you two right?"
The family stayed there for awhile until gadgets parents brought the main reason for them being there back into the forefront of my mind.
"So son back to your dream's." Sky said.
"Oh ya those. They were nothing special. Just more weird dream's of nothingness and darkness."
"And what about the one with us in it?" Sky said, a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face.
"Uh Blah." I stuck my hoof in my mouth and pretended to gag.
"Goof all you want son. But one day you are going to meet some mare that will sweep you off your hoof's." Dad said.
"And when you do your not going to know what to say and end up looking like a complete goof in front of all of your friends." Rose interjected.
I thought about how my parents met but decided that we had all been side tracked enough tonight.
"Well anyway the dream was about the night you found me." Both adult's went quite at this.
"Really?" Sky said.
"And what were we doing in this dream of your's?" Rose asked this time.
"Oh it was awesome!" I said sounding every bit like the foal that i was at the time. "I was surrounded my timberwolves about to be there next meal and you two came charging in all like YAAAAA!!! Screaming in anger and you both demolished the wolves in like 10 seconds flat. I meen i wish i had a stopwatch to time you two." Both parents flashed a knowing look at the other.
"I meen ya it was a dream but still i could see you two doing that if i was in danger, right?" I looked at my parents. Both just looked at me and smiled.
"Of course my little spark of light." Mom said.
"We would fight the very hounds of tartarus for you." My dad added. I looked up at my family. Even tho some part of me missed earth, my friends and family, i knew that i had gotten them all back. Even if we weren't related by blood our bond would never be broken.
"Gaah!" Gadget grumbled as he worked away on his latest project.
He had been busy in the past 10 years. He scoured practically every book, tome, and old manuscript in equestria. He often went with his parents on there dig's seeing as how they were now a full fledged family of explorers and adventurer's, and along the way he picked up any scrap of information he could on changeling's. Even then he had very little to go on. He found out that they were supposed to have wing's and a horn just like the princess.
However it appeared that his wings had gotten burned up in the fiery crash that brought him here. So right now he was hard at work perfecting a device, well more of a suit, that would allow him to eventually fly like his normal brethren. Speaking of which he had absolutely zero luck at tracking down any other changeling's. Some stuff he had read about them stated that they were master's of disguise. If his own ability to shape shift was any indicator then he could see why they would be hard to track down. He set his tool's down and looked at his cutie mark. It brought back lots of memory's.
He chuckled as a fond memory crossed his mind. One day on April fool's he and mom had pranked dad by having Gadget shift into another Ruby Rose and entice him into a three way. It did not end well. His dad nearly had a heart attack and the two pranksters were on the floor laughing the flanks off. The look on his face when he found out about me and mom! Oh i wish i had a camera! He remembered the design he had for one. Speaking of technology, he had found out that equestria's tech level was far more advanced than earth's, in some areas. It boggled his mind to comprehend it. Here in ponyville they had a steam powered train. In Canterlot they had magically powered airships and other fancy contraption's. And just a few years ago Gadgets mom and dad had found an ancient civilization in the frozen north that had even more advanced tech than anything elsewhere.
The funny thing is that the advanced tech of the frozen north had been popping up all over equestria in some form or another for the last century. It became such a big deal that Princess Celestia had created several schools dedicated exclusively to it's study, manufacturer, and usage in both everyday life and warfare. Gadget himself was a prodigy in its invention and use. As he thought about his cutie mark he began to think about how he got it. He got it in the hospital, this time was do to a head injury he suffered from a rock colliding with his horn at super sonic speed's.
June, 10th, 987, The Fields Outside of Canterlot.
Gadget was curious. In his spare time between the constant trip's with his parents and his study's he had come to the realization that he liked to build thing's. A little over a year after he came home he had built a little device that resembled a small box with a handle sticking out of the top. The box had a small glass window with a needle to one side. Below the glass was a small L.E.D. screen that would show several different thing's depending on what setting was active at the moment.
Right now Gadget had it set to the Search setting. In this setting the L.E.D. screen became a small scale with number's on it. Starting off on the left was the number zero. All the way to the right was a ten. In short he had created a magical detecting Geiger Counter.
Right now he was following a signal that was going all over the place. It would spike every few second's then die down.
"Is this thing even working?" He hit it with a hoof and it went dead. "Oh pony feather's." He set the device on the ground and pulled out his small tool kit from his saddle bag. "Ha never leave home without it!" He set to work on fixing his Geiger Counter. He sat there in the fields tweaking this or screwing in that stubborn bolt. He finally got it all put back together after fixing a loose screw.
OK lets see if this things works. He flipped the switch on the side and it buzzed to life.
"YES!" He said trusting a hoof into the air. He waved it around to see if he could get an accurate reading. He spotted cloudsdale off in the distance and pointed it there. He suddenly got a spike as the needle went haywire. He waved it around to get it to stop but it kept on going crazy.
He hit it with a hoof, then it stopped. He looked at it and then he set his eye's to cloudsdale to see--BOOM!!!! A giant Rainbow exploding with the power of a nuke. He had could see the shock wave as it came closer and closer. The wave began to appear over the hill's and it was picking up stick's and stone's as it went. You know that old saying about sticks and stone, well whoever came up with it should be shot, stabbed, and quite plainly killed in the most brutal manner possible. The last things he felt out in the fields was the shock wave hitting his body, then he felt an immense amount of pain surge through his head.
He awoke in the hospital a few day's later to see that his horn was shattered. The doctor's said that he would never be able to preform magic again with his horn being this badly damaged. He simply didn't take no for an answer. A few year's later he had not only been able to get into Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorn's he had done so with the help of his own invention. It was basically a crystalline sheath that covered up his horn. He had his parent's enchant it so that way he could store magic inside of the crystal's structure and use it for later.
Then he got an idea. If he could do this with this simple little piece of crystal why not do it with other's. Pretty soon he was going to a specialized school specifically meant for advancements in the field of Crystal Technology. He met other's prodigy's like him at Celestia's Crystal Technology Center and soon he was making even more complex gadget's and gizmo's. He finally graduated in the field of Crystal Prosthetic's a field dedicated to helping the impaired in any way possible.
With his life going pretty well so far he was now focused on getting his magic back. The Crystal Horn helped out but it still had it's limit's. It could only work for as long as he put magic into it which was a slow steady process. So he came up with a blueprint for a suit of armor that would allow him to store enough magical energy to do practically anything he wanted... at least in theory it should.
Back in ponyville Gadget was putting the final touch's on his suit's power supply. He had scavenged an old suit of pony armor from a junk yard taken it back to his workshop in ponyville and begun working on turning it into the basis for his other bit's of technology he had in mind. And now here he was just a few day's away from the summer sun celebration. He had something special planned for this celebration. He wanted to surprise the princess.
He was going to dawn his suit on the morning of the celebration and when the princess came to ponyville he would make sure to give her a show she would never forget. He had to do something to show his appreciation of her and her school's. If not for them he would never be were he was today. Well that and whatever had caused the rainbow explosion.
"OK! Tomorrow is the big day!" Gadget said to himself as he strapped on his armor. He double checked his list of items.
"Lets see? The leg actuator's are good." He said flexing his legs.
All four of them hissed as he bent and the suit mimicked his movements perfectly, the small crystal battery pack on his back providing the suit with all of the power he would need for this test run. With his legs working he put a check mark next to them.
"OK lets see, mobility?" He trotted around his small room in his current resident's, the ponyville clock tower. The suit fit like a glove. The armor plating didn't feel heavy at all which prompted Gadget to open his door and go for a jog.
"Ok." He said after he got to the outskirts of ponyville.
"Mobility. Check. Next is the H.U.D and the Horn. His helmet was strapped to his head. It consisted of a basic helmet with a crystal horn, to cover his broken one, it was then connected up to his suit via a power cable running from the back of the helmet to the battery on the suits back. He used his magic to dictate the flow of the energy through out the suit channeling some of it to his helmet. His crystalline visor flicked down over his eye's and was illuminated by his Heads Up Display.
"OK so H.U.D. Works. Now lets see if my magic can be amplified." He closed his eye's and concentrated on diverting the power from the suit to his horn. Slowly he began to feel the familiar sensation of his magic at work. He opened his eye's to see a little bar on his H.U.D. indicating that his magical power level's were stable. He let out a breath that he was holding and continued. "OK now lets see if i can use it." He scanned around his surrounding's until his eye's caught site of a rock laying on the ground. He focused on that rock and let his magic flow through his horn. Slowly the rock began to move. Soon it was engulfed by his magic's green glow. He peeked an eye open and let out a triumphed squeal.
"Yes!" He shouted to the open air. He was so busy trotting in circles being excited for a successful test he didn't notice a small cloud make its way over to him.
"So what's gotten you so excited?" Came a raspy voice. Gadget spun around so fast he was sure if his suit wasn't on he would have gave himself ether whiplash or a concussion. He looked at the unexpected visitor with both embarrassment and enthusiasm.
"O-oh h-hey t-there r-rainbow d-dash." No! Stupid stammering! Gadget looked down at the ground thankful for the helmet hiding his blush, and finding an ant very interesting at the moment as his H.U.D. zoomed in on the insect, cataloging it for later use. He then thought that she would probably think he was being rude and quickly brought his head back up to her. She was sitting there on her cloud an eyebrow hiked up on her face as she studied his attire. Her look might has well as said, Dude what is your deal?
Not wanting to appear rude rainbow asked, "So...what is all?" She said pointing a hoof at Gadget. "Of this?"
Gadget looked himself over now feeling very self aware right now. He definitely didn't want to look like a dork in front of Rainbow dash of all pony's but that fear just sneaked up on him with a hatchet and buried it in his back.
Come on feather brain. Say something!
"Uh..nice weather were having today?" He said with a sheepish grin on his face. He shrank back a little as Rainbow's gaze went from surprised to confused.
Smooth one. Shut up, like you can do any better. I know i could. Oh shove it up your-- His thought were interrupted by rainbow's response.
"Uh ya nice weather." She said back. Then her eye's roamed from him to the sky to the ground and back to him.
"Oh um ya back to your question." Gadget said rubbing his head with a hoof, his armor making a grating noise as the two pieces of metal ground against each other. He cleared his throat as if making a formal announcement.
"This!" He said gesturing to himself. "Is the latest and greatest piece of technology to ever come--"
"Ya now i'm out."
"Wait what!?"
"I don't know if you've noticed but techno babel isn't my thing." Rainbow said as she began to depart with her cloud.
No! Come on now this is your chance to really impress her! THINK! Gadget's mind went over his long list of invention's he had created over the year's. Then his brain stopped on MK 6. MK 6 was a very experimental piece of tech. Hay it was barely out of the prototype stage of its development. But it might be just the thing he could need to catch the fast Pegasus's attention. And maybe, just maybe get him a shot at a date.
"Hey Rainbow wait up!" He called out to the pegasus.
"Look i know your a nice guy and all but i have place's to go and cloud's to nap on."
"Ya i know."
"What?" Rainbow looked at Gadget with a look of suspicion on her face.
"You haven't been following me have you?"
"What no. Of course not." Gadget said an innocent look on his face. Judging from Rainbow's deadpan look on her's she wasn't buying his answer.
"Look look i know i'm just a nerdy unicorn." Gadget said trying to keep the conversation on track. "And you are the fastest mare in equestria." He said feeding her ego.
" And you probably have better things to do." Gadget said looking away from rainbow. "But" He said hoping rainbow would take the bait. "I was just wandering if you could help me out?" Now rainbow was intrigued. She had wandered just what this unicorn was up to ever since he moved to ponyville several years ago. Now here he was asking her for her help. She would probably end up regretting this later but she decided to bite the bullet.
"OK egghead lets hear it." She said a slightly bored look on her face. She floated down to ground level and sat down in the dirt next to gadget. He in turn cleared his throat, more to get rid of any remaining doubt in his mind for what he was about to do. OK lets do this! He thought siccing himself up. He looked at dash who looked equal part's curious and sort of like she wanted to be anywhere but here.
"I Gadget hereby challenge you rainbow dash to a race." His face was a mask of false confidence and sure hoofed determination. It seemed that Rainbow was not expecting that however as her face was one of utter confusion and shock.
"So what kind of race we tal'kn about?" She said even more curious than before.
"A flying race." Gadget answered his face still as solid as steel. Rainbow meanwhile was processing this information. Then her face went into a wide smile.
"Ok what kind of joke is this?" Gadget's confidence faltered for a little bit but he held his head high as he answered her accusation.
"This is no joke rainbow dash. I need help with an invention of mine and you are the best pony to help me out with it." This stopped rainbows thought's of this whole thing being a joke. Then her face took on a look of suspicion once more.
"So what's the catch?" She said eyeing Gadget, studying his face for any form of deceit. He still held on to his confidence.
"I am going to be testing out a device of mine that will hopefully allow me to fly like any other pegasus out there." Rainbow's face scrunched up in thought.
"The only catch is that this device will run off of battery's and magic." Gadget said pointing to his suit of powerd armor. Rainbow looked him up and down. He was a small unicorn by most standards. But the look in his eye's was something she could relate to. She had seen it so often in her own when she would give herself pep talks in her mirror. She thought about it and then made her decision.
"OK so when and were are we going to do this?" She said relaxing her pent up excitement at the prospect of leaving this egghead of a unicorn in the dust.
"No, no. no. no! no! no! no! uh! Spike." twilight shouted as she sent her menagerie of floating books flying in all direction's. Spike was looking through the top shelf of one of there many bookshelves when his face lit up.
"Ah! Here it is Twilight!" He said waving the book around on top of the ladder he was precariously balanced on. The book was forcefully pulled to the ground carrying spike with it. As her dragon assistant rubbed his head in pain, twilight went about her frantic search for any mention of the elements of harmony throughout her book. Oh great. Another mess to clean. Spike thought to himself as he began to pick up the books scattered about the room.
Twilight flicked through the glossary in the back of the book.
"Come on, come on E, E, E, Ah ha! The Elements of Harmony. See Mare in The Moon."
"The Mare in the moon?" Spike had heard of that tale. It gave him nightmares as a baby, but now naaa no way was he scarred of an old pony's tale.
"Hey Twilight isn't that just an old pony tale?" Twilight stopped as she was flipping through the book lost in though for a sec. What if this is just another freak out moment?
"Yes spike it is." Her determination however outweighed her self doubt. "But i can't take that chance." She continued to flip through the book and found what she was looking for. Her face paled as she read the story.
"If this section of the book is real then that means we only have until the day after tomorrow before Nightmare Moon return's. And the elements of harmony are the only thing that can stop her!"
Oh this is bad. Twilight thought as she began to prance around in circles. According to the History of Equestria, The Elements of Harmony have been missing for at least as long as Nightmare----
"THATS IT!" She shouted startling spike as he put the last book back on the top shelf. Spike who was on yet another ladder lost his footing and fell of said ladder.
"wow! wow! wow!" Smack! "Oh..." Spike groaned as he picked himself up of the floor.
"Spike quick take a letter!" She said completely oblivious to the pain her assistant was in.
"Sure thing Twi." He said in a nazely voice. "Just let me go get a roll of tissue first." He said as he held his nose which was now bleeding.
"Oh." Twilight said as she looked at spike with sympathy in her voice and shame on her face.
"Ya you go and take care of that. I'll get the letter going and you can just send in when i'm done."
Spike nodded and went to the bathroom to go and find some dragon proof tissue. Meanwhile Twilight began her letter.
Dear Princess Celestia......
Dec, 31st, 999, C.E. Ponyville, Equestria.
The next day Twilight and Spike were on there way to ponyville via royal decree of the Princess. While spike was thrilled to finally be out of Canterlot Twilight was less than enthused.
"Come on Twilight this won't be all that bad." Spike said trying to cheer up his surrogate sister. Twilight tried to see the silver lining in this particular situation but every time her mind thought of a reason to be happy that thought was imminently crushed by the fact that Nightmare Moon was going to return tomorrow. And she still had no idea were the elements of harmony were. She sighed as she looked out of her golden chariot at the town of ponyville as it came into view.
This is such a peaceful looking town. No wander Princess Celestia decided to have this years Summer Sun Celebration here.
"So Twi what's the first thing were going to go and do when we get to ponyville?" Spike asked. He had sent the letter that Twilight had written but his nose had started to bleed when he belched out the return letter. He didn't even get to read it before there bag were packed and they were out the door to the castle. They spent the night in one of the guests bedrooms. Early this mourning they were whisked away into a chariot and off to ponyville.
"Well spike first we're going to track down the nearest library and see if we can't find some hint as to were the elements of harmony are. Then were going to find them and stop nightmare moons return." She said with such a conviction that spike was momentarily speechless. He got his composer under control.
"Is that what the princess said in her letter?" Twilight looked at spike, a guilty look on her face said it all. Spike however was not amused, his face had a deadpan look.
"Seriously." He said.
"Look spike I know this will sound wrong but i don't have time to make friends and watch over the celebration." Spike looked like Twilight had slapped him.
"Is that what Celestia Wants us to do?" He said in confusion. Twilight handed spike the letter. After he got through reading it he looked from the letter to Twilight. He sighed and shook his head.
"You know Twi i'm certain that if the princess think's that this is important enough to send us to oversee it then there has to be a good reason." He said as he to now looked towards the town.
Twilight mulled his words over as they descended to the town below.
After His run in with Rainbow Dash, the two of them had set up the date for the race. It was to be two weeks from tomorrow. Gadget just couldn't hold in his excitement. He had a goofy grin on his face ever since the two had parted way's. He was so eager to go back home and work on MK 6 that he almost missed the royal chariot flying over head. Huh wander who's coming to town. He trotted over to get a better look at the new pony but somepony else had beaten him to the punch.
"Oh hay pink---" The rest of his sentence was cut off as the wind was knocked out of him as Pinky ran into and then over him.
He was really wishing he had kept his armor on. That mare was insanely strong and hyperactive to boot. That was a bad combo on any given day, but for pinky it meant that she could do some really crazy stuff. Impossible stuff. Stuff not explainable by any form of science. Gadget's own tool could hardly keep up with the strange mare. So eventually he just stopped trying to scan her for anything. Life moved on. The world was bright and cheery.
Gadget was brought out of his blunt force induced day dream by a lavender hoof in front of his face.
"I'm sorry about that. Are you OK?" came a soft voice from above gadget. He followed the lavender hoof to it's owner and saw a what Pink's problem was. A new pony in town usually meant a big extravagant party. He got up off of the ground, dusted himself off and introduced himself to this new pony.
"Hello there miss. My name is Gadget." He said holding out his hoof.
The new mare in town introduced herself as Twilight Sparkle, Official Overseer of The Preparation's for The Summer Sun Celebration. He had to admit he thought the title was pretentious as all hay, but to each there own.
"Hey gadget i have a question?" Twilight said as the two started trotting through town.
"Fire away princess." This comment took twilight by surprise.
"What?" Gadget said. Twilight shook her head.
"Um.. so anyway i have a favor to ask of you."
"I don't do window's or dry cleaning." Gadget said a smug grin spreading across his face. Twilight was not amused with his attempted humor.
"OK, OK, sorry. In all seriousness what do you need help with?" He said his face now neutral.
"I was wandering if you or anypony else could help me find my way around ponyville. I would have asked that pink mare but she just up and bolted out of nowhere." Gadget chuckled, evilly rubbing his hoof's together. Then he began to cackle menacingly. That eventually grew into a full blown evil guffaw that led to twilight and spike backing up a little. Gadget got control of himself and cleared out his throat.
"Uh hum. Sorry. Anyway that 'Pink mare' is named Pinky Pie and she does that from time to time."
"Really?" Twilight questioned as she looked gadget up and down. Strange. His mental state seems fine, but after what just happened i'd better keep a closer eye' on him.
"Ya don't worry. you'll be getting to know her and just about every other pony in ponyville soon enough." He said with a knowing smirk.
"Spike." Twilight whispered to her assistant. "Ya twi?"
"Make a note of everything we do just in case there's any funny business." Spike gave her a thumbs up and whipped out a spare quill and piece of parchment.
"So miss sparkle you were wandering if anypony could help you around town?"
"Oh yes!" Twilight said a she came back to her dilemma.
"Well i'm free until this afternoon? Care to have my company?" He asked, a smile on his face.
A few minutes later and they were in there way to Twilight's first destination.
"Sweet Apple Acre's." Gadget announced as they came up to the pictures farm, with its isle's of apple's as far as the eye could see. Twilight was taken aback by the shear amount of tree's that were contained on this one property alone. On the way down the road she noticed several acre's with nothing but seedlings just beginning to bloom.
"Wow."
"Ya i know. Took me by surprise when i first saw it to."
"This one family own's all of this land?"
"Yup. The Apple Clan is the biggest clans in ponyville and its also one of the founding family's." Gadget said.
Twilight had stopped in her track's, her brain digesting this new found information.
"Wow!" Was all Twilight could say at this.
"Ya. So you'll want to talk to Apple Jack about the food preparations."
"YE HA!!!" Came a shout from a nearby field of tree's.
"Speaking of which." Gadget said a soft chuckle escaping his mouth. Both unicorns looked over to the nearby field to see a stout, orange earth pony mare buck a huge apple tree. All at once the apples began to rain down into baskets carefully placed underneath the tree to gather them. A few apples however didn't land on the mark and began to role away from AJ.
"And just were do y'all think your gett'n to?"AJ Said as she trotted after the wayward apples.
"Hear AJ Let me help." Gadget called out to the farm mare. AJ looked up from her quest for the apples to see both a familiar face and a new one.
"Well howdy there Gadget." She said addressing the charcoal stallion She then turned to address the new comer.
"An' you are?" AJ said a smile on her face.
As Gadget struggled to get his magic working Twilight introduced herself to Apple Jack.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet ya, Twilight." AJ extended her hoof for a shake. Twilight not wanting to be rude excepted the hoof. She was jarred from any thought she had as her leg was almost wrenched from its socket by the strength of this mare. Gadget appeared a little while later sweating profusely and looking ragged.
"Uh Gadget what did you do?" Twilight had a look of concern.
"Now sugar cube." AJ said as she began to lecture the full grown stallion like a little colt.
"I don told ya not to over exert your'self have i not?"
"Well ya but--."
"Ah no 'buts'. Now look at you. You look like you don run a marathon." She shook her head.
"Come on back to the house. We'll get you fixed up with some grub."
"Oh no AJ That's fine really i don't want to be a bother. You all have your hooves full with all of the food for the celebration."
"Nonsense Gadget." The orange mare had made up her mind. And everyone knew that once Apple Jack made up her mind on something there was nothing to be done about it.
" I'm not gona let you go on looking like your gona just drop dead at the slightest touch." With the final word she turned around and led the way to her farm house. Gadget just shrugged his shoulder's and trotted up to fallow AJ. Twilight fallowed with him not wanting to be left standing out in a field.
"Oh..." Twilight grumbled as she and Gadget made there way back to ponyville.
"Well... I... Think .... She ...Has... The... Food... Covered." Twilight said between breaths.
"Ya i would say so." Gadget chuckled at his aquatints misfortune. He thought about all of those relative's AJ had over. That mountain of food. He drooled at the thought. Beside him Twilight made her discomfort known.
"Well i told ya to pace yourself." He said a small smirk adorning his face.
"How can you say that when you were wolfing down pie after pie like that?" She said, as a look of annoyance crossing her face. Spike meanwhile was riding on Gadget's back, "So Twilight can have a brake." He didn't mind. The poor overseer looked like she could use a nap after all of that food.
"Hey i was the one who was exhausted." He said as a chuckle made its way from his throat.
"Ya?" Twilight said losing all of her previous discomfort. Her face now confused.
"Speaking of which what was up with that?" She asked. Gadget looked away a, blush making its way across his visage.
"Oh..so you noticed that huh?" he hung his head. Twilight was now hoping she didn't hurt Gadget's feeling's.
"Well let's just say that i'm not a normal unicorn and leave it at that." This did nothing to ease Twilight's mind of her questions but she let the matter drop for now. Back to business!
"So spike whats next on the list?" Spike pulled out his scroll and quill.
"Let's see." He scanned it looking for the next task for them to oversee.
"Ah here we go. It looks like a pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash is supposed to be clearing up the cloud's." At the mention of her name Gadget stopped dead in his track's.
"O-o-h. A-a-are w-we g-going t-to s-see R-Rainbow d-d-dash?" He stuttered.
Twilight looked at him for a sec and eyebrow held high.
"Yes? Is that a problem?"
"N-n-no. J-j-just uh n-n-never m-m-mind."
Well that was weird.
"So anyway." Twilight continued. "Were is she?" She asked looking around. The sky had several cloud's still drifting about.
"It doesn't look like she's doing a good job of keeping them clear." Gadget had to bite his tongue from saying something not very gentalcolt like at that statement. Instead he thought about were she could be.
"W-w-well s-she s-said earlier this mourning that she had---" As Gadget got his shudder under control he got the distinct feeling that he should move. He stepped back a little bit.
"What was that for?" Twilight asked.
"I don't quite know." Gadget said pondering the answer to that question as well. Then they both got there answer.
"LOOK OUT BELOW!" Both pony's on the ground looked up to see a rainbow streak towards them. Before anypony could react Twilight was smashed into a puddle of mud with Rainbow Dash lying on top of her in a heap also covered in mud.
"Um.. excuse me?" Rainbow said sheepishly getting off of Twilight and shaking the mud out of her fur. She then looked at the new pony with a sheepish grin on her face. Twilight how ever was not amused, a look of shock plastered on her face, much like the mud stuck in her coat.
"Uh hear let me help you." With that Rainbow Took off and came back a few seconds later, a dark cloud in tow. She put the cloud over twilight and then hopped on top of it producing a downpour of water. Now instead of being muddy and annoyed, Twilight was wet and annoyed.
"Well that's an improvement." Gadget said to spike who snickered. The two were silenced however as Twilight glared daggers at them.
"OH! Hold on let me try something else." Rainbow then spun around Twilight creating a miniature tornado that made quick work of her wet fur. When the dust had settled Twilight was now dry...and still annoyed. Her mane and tail looked like a poofy mess. The three bystander's could only hold in there laughter for so long before they all fell to the ground in a fit of gut busting guffaws.
"So let me guess." Twilight said not trying to hide the annoyance in her voice.
"You must be Rainbow Dash?" She looked as Rainbow Dash went from on the ground laughing to in the air looking like a million bits were being thrown her way.
"The One and Only!" Rainbow boasted punching the air in excitement.
"So let me guess after palling around with Egghead here-." She said pointing a hoof at Gadget,-"HEY!" He whined,- "He couldn't stop talking about how awesome i am and you just had to find out for your self?" Rainbow said basking in the light of her own ego.
"Actually i was told that you."-She said pointing a hoof at Dash.-"Were supposed to be clearing the sky for the celebration." Twilight replied, really not liking this pony's over inflated opinion of herself.
"Oh that." Rainbow said now adopting a bored expression on her face. She shrugged her shoulder's and then sat down on the now white and fluffy cloud from before.
"I can do that in no time at all." She said then her eye's grew wide from more excitement.
"Beside's i really need to practice for the Wonder Bolts!" She flew into air faster than Gadget thought possible. He had to admit the if he wanted to have a chance at beating her there race he would have to work on MK6 the moment he was through showing Twilight around town.
"The wonder bolts?" Twilight questioned.
"You mean the Wonder Bolts? The fastest and most talented flyer's in all of Equestria?"
"Yup." Rainbow said her face the pinnacle of pride.
"Ya good luck with that." Twilight said her face had a deadpan look on it. Rainbow Gasped at Twilight's blatant dismissal of her skill's.
"Hey!" She shouted getting real into Twilight's face.
"I can get into the wonder bolts, no problem." She folded her hooves her point seemingly made.Twilight just rolled her eye's.
"Please they'ed never except a pony that can't keep the sky's clear for one whole day." Twilight said goading rainbow dash on.
"Hey i could clear those clouds in ten seconds flat."
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Then prove it." Rainbow smirked at Twilight's challenge.
Ten Seconds Later.
The group of three made there way to there next destination a look of shock still on each of there face's. Twilight was the first to recover and got spikes attention.
"Oook so whats next on the list?" She asked. Spike looked though the list until he came across,
"Lets see, Decoration's at the town hall."
"Ok spike. Gadget can you lead us to town hall?" She didn't get an answer and turned around to see gadget still in shock, and it looked like he was drooling a little bit? Gross
"Hey Gadget!" Twilight shouted flailing her hoof in front of his face. He came out of his overdose of awesomeness and looked a little sheepish at the smirks on Twilight and spikes face's.
"Um yes?" He asked trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere. Twilight chuckled.
"Did i interrupt something?"
"No. no. no. So what you want?"
"Well i was wandering if you could lead me to town hall?" Gadget got his bearing's straight and motioned for Twilight to fallow him.
A few moments later they were inside the town hall, there breaths caught in the open air. The place looked nothing like Gadget had remembered. he had been there for a few other special functions but it never looked this good. There were great banners hung upon the wall's and giant streamer's hung from the rafters cascading down the wall's and trailing through the air above them like and eccentric web of color.
"So beautiful." The words escaped spikes mouth before he could think of them. Gadget had to agree with him.
"You could say that again spike."
"What?" Gadget looked down at the young drake with a curious look. Then he saw who spike was looking at. On the stage taking care of the decorations was Rarity, ponyvilles one and only fashionista. Gadget whistled as he looked back down at the drake.
"Well bud you have high tastes that is for sure." The drake looked a little downcast at that remark so he quickly added,
"But who am i to talk. I've got my eye's set on a pony who's head is so high in the sky i don't think she would even give me the time of day." Now both guys looked a little forlorn. Twilight meanwhile was not around to hear any of this as she was up on stage talking to Rarity.
"So Rarity?"
"Yes darling i'll be right with you. I am in the zone right now."
Twilight happy to have a break from running all over the place sat down on the stage.
"Don't worry. Take your time." Twilight was and yet wasn't in a rush all at once. A few moments later and Rarity was done putting the last touches up in the town hall.
"Now darling." Rarity said as she turned to her guests.
"What can i --- OH SWEET CELESTIA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR MANE!!"
"Oh...That." Twilight sighed. "Its a long story."
"Well darling we will have to hear all about it while i fix you up." Rarity then began to nudge Twilight to the entrance of town hall.
"Ah a little help here?" She asked the boy's. They were snickering and shaking there head's, 'Nope'.
A little while later in Rarity's Shop.
"So darling what brings you here to our quint little town?" Rarity said as she tightened the strings to a saddle she was fitting around Twilight. Twilight was having a hard time breathing however so her words were starved for air.
"I..m..from..canterlot!" She squeaked through the restrictive clothing. Her lungs were set free from Rarity's torture device a moment later as Twilight went flying headfirst into a ponykin. Gadget helped her off of the floor and they both saw why she had went flying in the first place. Rarity was starring off into space day dreaming about living in canterlot. In fact she was so lost in thought that she had let go of twilights dress strings. The group made there way to the door while the fashionista drooled at the thought of living in canterlot.
"OK." Twilight said her voice not hiding her tiredness.
"Spike who's next on the list?" She was exhausted now and just wanted to go home. He looked through the list and found them.
"OK Twilight this is the last pony on the list." He said reassuring his sis with a back rub. She perked up at both the good news and the message from spike.
"Oh thanks spike. i needed that." She gave him a soft nuzzle. Gadget let out a soft, "Dawww!" at the sight. Twilight got him with a glear and he pretended to whistle a tune.
"So spike you were saying?"
"Oh yes. It says here that her name is Fluttershy and she's in charge of the music."
"Well that's great." Twilight looked around her. The trio was in the middle of town.
"How are we going to--"
"Shh!" Gadget cut her off.
"Wha--?" Twilight was about to ask but she was cut off again. This time with a long,
"SHHHHHHHHHHHH!"- Meanwhile Gadget gently brought a hoof up and then into her mouth.- Twilight looked like she was about to beat the snot out of Gadget, but then she heard a soft singing coming from nearby. She smacked Gadgets hoof from her mouth, spit a few times to get the taste of dirt from her lips and then fixing Gadget with stern glare, set off to find the music.
The Trio found the source of the music. It was coming from the park just over the bridge. They fallowed it all the way to were Fluttershy was. They saw her in the park surrounded by birds of all kinds. Twilight and Spike that the singing wasn't just Fluttershy. It was both her and the birds. She would start to sing and then stop and the birds would continue the song from there. However it sounded like one of the birds was off key a little.
"Oh.. oh my.. um please stop a sec." She squeaked. She then flew up to the birds that were all arranged in a tree. Specifically she came to a stop in front of a small blue jay.
"Um excuse me Sr," she addressed the bird who paid very close attention to her every word.
"Sorry to tell you this but your rhythm is a teeny bit off." She smiled. The bird understood and shook his head in compliance.
"OK." She sailed to the ground.
"Now on three." She put her hooves up like a conductor with a wand.
"One..Two..Thr--"
"Hello!"
"EEK!" Fluttershy screamed and ran to hide behind a the nearest tree. Her birds, having been frightened by the loud noise, flew off.
"Oh no wait please." She feebly pleaded, but to no avail. The birds were gone. She turned around to see who it was that had scarred off her bird's and she came face to face with Gadget and a pony she didn't know. Gadget was giving Twilight a glare now but she didn't care at the moment. She was tired.
"Hey Flutter's." Gadget softly said, getting down on his knees to get at eye level with Fluttershy. She looked at him with a soft look before she looked at the new pony with big eye's full of shyness.
"This is Twilight Sparkle." Gadget said introducing Twilight to Fluttershy who relaxed a little bit.
"Hello Twilight." She said in a low voice.
"Hello Fluttershy." She said rubbing the back of her head with a hoof.
"Uh listen i'm really sorry about your bird's." She said not really sure what to do about this mare's shyness. Even tho she was relaxed by Gadget's presence it didn't seem to be doing much to calm her nerves.
"Oh that's fine they'll be back."
"I'm sorry what was that?" Twilight was having a hard time hearing this this mare do to her shyness and the fact that she was cowering on the ground. Gadget decided to intervene on Twilights behalf.
"Listen Flutter's?"- He pointed a hoof at Twilight and Spike who was now off of his back and on the ground.-"These two are here from Canterlot--" He never got the rest of his sentence out. As soon as Fluttershy saw the little dragon standing there she went into 'Mommy Mode'. She zipped past both Gadget and Twilight scooped up spike in her hooves and cooed at him.
"Oh he is so cute!" She said now more excited than Gadget had ever seen her.
"Wow." He whispered to Twilight.
"I've never seen her this happy about much of anything." Twilight could only stare at the mare who not five seconds ago was trembling like a leaf. And now she was acting like a little filly playing with a puppy. This was the last straw. She had been all over this town doing what the princess had asked now it was time to go to her library look for anything she could on the element's of harmony and then take a long well deserved rest form all of this weirdness back in Canterlot.
"Hey Fluttershy?" She called out to the happy pegasus. Fluttershy stopped rubbing spike tummy and looked at Twilight with big eye's.
"Yes Twilight?" She called out softly landing on the ground.
"Listen i hate to break up your cuddle time with spike but we really have to be going."
"Ahh but Twilight--"
"No buts. We have other errands to run before we go back to canterlot tomorrow remember spike?" She said whisking him away from Fluttershy and setting him on her back.
"Oh ok then see you all later." Fluttershy called out to the trio as they left.
"Gee Twilight rude much?" Gadget said once they were far enough away? She gave him a look that simply said don't push it. He grunted and said,
"Well i hope your other errands go smoothly." He said a tired look in his eye's.
"Because this is were i leave you." They had made there way to the library and the trio was standing at its front door.
Twilight looked from the door to Gadget who looked back with a small smile. She to felt herself smiling and genuinely feeling both happy and sad. Happy that she was finally going to get into the library and hopefully find out more about the elements of harmony. But then she felt sad that Gadget had to go. He was someone she could relate to on some level. He was a great guide through ponyville and after spending the whole day with him it felt a little awkward to just up and leave.
"So." Gadget said taking the awkward tension away.
"I'll see you later on tonight for the party." With that last little bit of info Gadget spun around and walked away. Twilight sighed, turned around opened the door to the Golden Oaks Library and went inside. It was only when she had gotten up the stirs to her comfy, warm bed that she had asked herself one question.
Gadget made his way home from twilights temporary residence and sighed. He knew pinky was going to throw her a party so he was on his way home to get cleaned up and looking nice. He walked down the dirt road that lead to Fluttershy's cottage and then hung a left at the fork in the road. His own home, The ponyville Clock Tower, stood out like a beacon amid the tree's of the nearby everfree forest. He still didn't know how fluttershy of all pony's could live so close to that place.
As the tower came closer into his view gadget had one thing on his mind. I wander if Rainbow Dash will notice me? He had been trying to get up the nerve to talk to her for years now. Now that he finally had her attention albeit in a competitive way he wandered if there could ever be something more between the two. He made his to the front door, took out his key and entered his home.
He was greeted with the sight of his uncle running around with his mane on fire. This did not even faze gadget as he simply danced around his uncles flailing hooves, and got today's mail from the basket he had installed. It was a simple thing really. It consisted of a an opening at the top of the clock tower that the mail mare could then drop the mail into. It was then caught in a small basket that was attached to a pulley system that lowered the mail down to ground level thanks to an auto adjusting counter balance. The mail was then picked up by hoof and distributed to the proper pony's.
OK lets see. An invitation to Pinky's "Welcome to Ponyville" Party. A letter to uncle about those adult movies he had yet to return to the movie store and--- Gadget nearly dropped all of the mail right then and there. In his hooves was a small box addressed to him. From Mom and Dad. His hooves quickly set the other bit of mail down on the small desk next to the door and he tore open the box with gusto.
His hooves were shaking to much to hold onto the small object inside the box and the letter that came with it so he opened the letter with careful application of his magic. He slid the letter out of its envelope and read it to himself.
Dear Gadget, Your mom and i hope that this little gift of our's finds you well. We really wanted to be there with you for this years summer sun celebration but i'm afraid that will not be possible at the moment. Your mom and i have stumbled across a great discovery hear in the frozen north. One that will hopefully revolutionize the Crystal Tech Community. But enough about that. Your gift is something very special. We found it while on assignment out here and had to ask special permission from the princess to get this to you. We hope that whenever you feel lonely you look at this gift and know that you are never alone. Our love will always be there to guide you home and warm you on cold night's, just as your's has always been there for us.
Love Mom & Dad.
Gadget set the letter down and with trembling hooves he opened the box. He nearly broke into tears when he saw what it was. Nestled inside the box on a bed of golden wrapping paper was a silver amulet. Both it and the milky white crystal in the center of it was molded into the shape of a heart. He lifted the gift out of the box with care and herd a soft noise of metal on metal. He looked at the amulet again to see a long silver chain dangling at the top. Then it dawned on him. Its a necklace.
He had to admit that he had a soft spot for jewelry. Even if most stallions thought it was to 'girly' to even think about wearing it Gadget didn't much care about other's opinions. As far as he was concerned he was a stallion that was not afraid of his feminine side at all. He actually had a pair of male earring's he wore from time to time. They were a deep ruby red color and reminded him of his mom every time he saw them.
He had to sit down on the couch and catch his breath for a little while. He starred at the necklace and chuckled. His parents were always giving him gifts from there dig's but this was the best gift they had ever given him by far. He set the box down and took a closer look at the amulet. he turned it around in his hooves and saw an inscription on the back.
For the love and light of our life,
Let your light be shinning example,
That no matter how deep the darkness,
There will always be a light at the end of the road,
Let your light guide other's to the truth,
Let your love set the world free,
For the angel in our life,
Who fell from heaven,
And became a blessing,
Let your light shine on for eternity.
Gadget broke down in tears. This was the best gift anyone had ever gotten him. Even the gift's he got on earth paled in comparison to this. He could feel the love that went into this gift and right now that love was overwhelming him. He sat there for awhile and let all of the love out of his system. He sat for a little while afterwards and calmed down even more.
"So what's got you all worked up?" The voice made Gadget jump out off the couch with a squeak of surprise. He scrambled to hold onto his gift and as he caught it his uncle let out a chuckle and trotted over to the couch. When Gadget got settled back onto the couch he gave the letter and amulet to his uncle. He read the letter and the inscription on the necklace and chuckled.
"So let me guess?" He asked Gadget.
"Emotion overload?" Gadget nodded his head in conformation.
Apparently changelings were more susceptible to emotional mood swings than normal pony's. This wasn't the first time that this had happened to Gadget. It used to happen a lot when he was in public school. With his strange anatomy he could feel and feed off of the emotions of other's. That wasn't always a good thing.
Especially when he would come home angry for no reason or depressed enough to want to kill himself. It got so bad his parents withdrew him from public school and home schooled him for the next ten year's of his life. He was eventually able to control his mood swings but some times the emotion's would be to strong and he would have to let them out. Thinking back to his young days had calmed him down enough to were he could speech again.
"So why were you on fire?" He asked through teary eye's and a sore throat. His uncle chuckled at the sudden change of subject.
"Well i was in the kitchen..."
Meanwhile Across Town At Twilight's Residence.
"SURPRISE!!!!!"
"GAAAHHHH!!!!"
Twilight's scream echoed throughout the library as she jumped back in fright. She had just woken up to get a glass of water. She had been up in her room with a few books looking for anything about the elements of harmony but she couldn't find anything. So she went to sleep. Now she that she was rested a little bit she wanted to hit the books and see what she could find. At least that was her plan. Now here she was on the floor of her temporary home, and soaked thanks to her water spilling all over her.
"PINKY PIE WHAT ARE YOU DOING HEAR?" She screamed.
"Well duh silly. I'm throwing you a WELCOME TO PONYVILLE party!" She said as she through confetti into the air. Twilight would have thrown the intruding mare out the front door, but then to her horror she noticed that pinky wasn't alone.
"What in celestias name is going on here!?" She said through a clenched jaw.
"Well it wouldn't be a party without a few guest's right?" Pinky said with a smile. Twilight was steaming.
"A.. few.. guest's!? A FEW GUEST'S! Pinky this more than 'A Few Guest's.' This is practically the whole town!" Twilight was not impressed, amused, or excited in the least. She was angry to say the least. She had gotten to bed at around 5 P.M. Here it was now-, She looked at the clock on the wall.- 8 P.M. She had only gotten three hours of sleep. She was not in the mood to handle this right now. Her bad mood made her more tired now than before. The fatigue of the day was catching up to her.
"Look fine do whatever you want." Twilight said to pinky. "But Keep! It! Down!" She said punctuating each word with a hoof in the air.
"Now were is my water glass?" She asked herself. Pinky appeared out of thin air, glass of water in hoof.
"Here ya go!" She said excitedly. Twilight jumped about a foot in the air and looked around her.
"We--Ho--What!?" She stammered for a little while but her head began to hurt. I can't take this right now. She took the glass of water from Pinky, tentatively, and wen't back to up the stirs. She opened her door went to her balcony and starred at the moon.
"I hope the princess was right." She sighed "I hope the legend was just and old mare's tale." She gulped down her water and went back to bed. Over head in the night sky the stars began to move closer to the moon.
Nine Hour's Later.
"pssss." Shake..shake...
"Twilight..." Nudge...nudge...
"Hey.. Twilight.. It's time to wake up." Spike said as he shook his sister again. Twilight meanwhile was on the edge of being awake and the land of dreams. She was still grumpy from last night however.
"Go away pinky." She had grasped a broom in her sleep and was now trying to beat up spike with the cleaning implement. Smack!
"Oh." Spike began to run around the room trying to avoid the impending beat down from the now animate object.
'Ah Twilight!" He screamed.
"Wake up!" Twilight began to stir in her sleep. But this wasn't fast enough for spike who was now being hit repeatedly with the bristle's. It didn't hurt so much as it made his trying to talk difficult. So he did the one thing he could think of. He jumped onto twilight's bed and pulled off the cover's. then he opened the balcony doors to let the cold night air in. As soon as the cool breeze reached twilights exposed fur she shot out of the bed like a bolt of electricity had hit her.
She was wide awake now frantically looking for the source of the cold. She spotted the open balcony and went to go close it. Huh? I don't remember leaving those doors open? Her pondering of the open doors was brought to a halt as she heard somepony wheezing heavily. She looked around the rood and her eye's fell on spike leaning against a bookshelf, a broom in hand.
"Uh spike what is going on?" She asked confusion in her voice.
"Well lets see?" He said sarcastically looking deep in thought.
"Oh ya. I know." He said chuckling.
"I tried to wake you up so we wouldn't miss the summer sun celebration and what do i get for my effort's?" He let that hang in the air for a little while.
:A broom to the face." He said with an angry deadpan look. Twilight stood there thinking. Then it all clicked into place and she felt terrible.
"Oh spike." She said grabbing the little dragon and hugging him.
"I am so sorry." She said now on the verge of tear's. She calmed down tho as she took stalk of her situation. She still had to go to the summer sun celebration to make sure that everything went off without a hitch.
"Hey Twilight?" Spike said his voice sounding sad.
"I'm sorry for getting upset." His voice now sounding like he was going to cry to. Twilight just hugged him tighter.
"No spike if anyone should apologize its me. I haven't been myself lately. I've been to busy doing everything else but be nice to you or even spend time with you." She sighed Her face and voice full of sadness.
"I haven't been a very good big sister to you." She said. The silence in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Then Twilight's face went from one of hurt to one of conviction.
"Well that stop's today. From now on i'm going to be the best big sister that i can be." She said hugging the drake tighter.
"Uh.. Twilight.. Can't,,, Breath...."
"Oh.. Sorry." she said letting the dragon go.
"So LBBFF. Shall we go to this Celebration we spent all day yesterday overseeing?"
"Why yes we shall BSBFF." With a laugh the two set off from Twilights Library to town hall.
The two siblings made there way to the Town Hall and got in in record time. The mayor was up on stage and about to start her speech.
"Psss. Twilight." She looked around for the source of the voice and didn't have to look long. In fact she was surprised no pony else was looking at this strange stallion. He was decked out from head to hoof in what looked like old pony armor. Except instead of the traditional black guard armor his was white with lots of mechanical looking devices attached to it. He was defiantly eccentric looking to say the least. There was no doubt in her mind who the pony was however. His black coat made that quite obvious.
"Hey?" She said starring at Gadget some more.
"What in the wide wide world of Equestria are you wearing?" She asked.
"Oh this?" Gadget said pointing hoof to his armor.
"This is my latest invention. I call it the---"
"SHHHH!" Gadget was interrupted by a random pony from the crowd. He quickly shrank back his ear's flat from embarrassment.
"i-I'll t-tell y-you l-later T-T-Twilight." He whispered to her. Then he was gone. The Mayor began her speech.
"Good dawn to all of you gathered here on this very early mourning." The mayor had to stop for a sec as her speech was briefly put on hold due to the crowds rowdy applause. When all was said and done the cleared her throat and continued her speech.
"Now as we all know in a we are only a few moments away from the start of this years Summer Sun Celebration!" More applause fallowed.
Twilight began to feel uneasy. She was getting twitchy and her coat fur was standing on end. She looked around to see if anyone else was not feeling right. She saw lots of pony's but only six of them stood out in the crowd.
Pinky Pie was shuddering like crazy in a corner all by herself, several pony's regarding her with looks of fear on there face. Apple Jack was leaning against a wall looking all around, scanning her surroundings with stout eye's. Rainbow Dash was in the air, her eye's darting from the stage to the crowd. Rarity was messaging her head, almost like she had a headache. Fluttershy was looking more nervous than ever, her eye's darting around like crazy, searching for some out of place object. And Finally Gadget was fiddling with one of his piece's of equipment. Judging from his constant 'percussion maintenance' the device was not working right at all.
Then Twilight looked to the moon and saw four stars circling it before the group of star's and the moon disappeared all together. Even tho none of them knew it all seven of the pony's had the same thought. I have a bad feeling about this night.
Jan, 1st, The 1000th Year of the Celestial Era. Canterlot, Equestria. 5:45, A.M. Canterlot's Royal Throne Room.
Princess Celestia sat upon her royal throne, an air of calmness about her regal feature's. Dawn was fast approaching outside her castle windows. But she remained firm. Firm in the face of what was to come. She knew that no matter what her faithful student would succeed.
She had already been given new's of an archaeological research team finding the seventh element in the frozen north's. She immediately had it shipped to ponyville. Now all that was left was to give her pony's the time they needed to find the remaining six.
"AHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" The evil laughter bounced all through out the throne room, bouncing off of the high vaulted ceilings and archway's making the villain seem more menacing than she was. Celestia still held her composure, not even batting so much as an eyelash.
"Oh come now Tia, is that anyway to welcome your sister?" Nightmares voice seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"After all its only been a thousand year's since we last saw each other." Celestia still did not want to respond but she knew she had to give twilight and the other elements more time.
"What do you want Nightmare Moon?" She said her voice calm and level.
"Want? What i want Celestia!" Her voice continued to project itself louder and louder as a dark cloud began to form in the middle of throne room.
"Is to rule equestria under eternal night as it's queen!" BOOM. As Nightmare Moon finished her sentence a loud explosion ripped through the castle blowing out all the window's within.
The shock wave rippled through the throne room shaking the last few shard's of glass loose from the blown out stained glass window's. Nightmare Moon now stood in the middle of the room, a small dark cloud wafting around her like a demonic aura. She slowly trotted up to Celestia, a devious grin on her face.
"Oh how long its been Tia!"
"You shall refer to me as Celestia, Villain." Celestia's face hardened into a scowl. "Only my sister may call be by that name."
"Oh boo hoo, Celestia. Cry me a river." Nightmare snorted in disgust.
"You are just as weak as the last time we fought, big sis." Celestia remained upon her throne glaring at Nightmare.
"In fact if i remember correctly the only reason you won our last battle was with the help of those silly little necklace's of yours." Nightmare stopped and looked around the throne room. It had changed little in the last thousand year's. But one thing did stand out. In fact at seeing the one thing not present Nightmare's face twisted into the last thing Celestia expected to see, a smile.
"Well, well, we have been busy haven't we Princess!" Nightmare's smile got wider.
"So tell me were are those little trinket's?" Celestia's glare faltered, but a second later it was back.
"There are hidden Nightmare. Somewhere where only there true wielder's may find them."
"Really?" Nightmare pondered this while Celestia continued to stall for time.
"Face it Nightmare you will never rule equestria as queen."-Celestia stood from her throne, her horn burning with the fire of a thousand sun's. -"For even if you were to take the throne from me here and now there would be pony's out there with the power to stop you." Celestia Stood tall, intimidating and ready for a fight.
Nightmare stood in the middle of the throne room contemplating her option's. Then something clicked in her brain. And she began to laugh, an evil, maniacal laugh that pierced one to the bone and beyond.
"Oh Celestia. For all of you'r years and wisdom you are hardly superior in intellect to me." This didn't faze Celestia.
"You see Tia. I am Nightmare Moon. And i am Princess Luna." This caused Celestia's confidence to falter.
"Don't." The Princess's mane started to glow a golden color.
"Do you know what that mean's sister?"
"Don't." Celestia's purple eyes flashed a brief orange.
"That mean's that i know every one of your little trick's big sis."
"I SAID DON'T!" Celestia couldn't take it anymore. Her very fur burst into flame's as hot as the sun itself. Her throne was vaporized, leaving behind nothing but a pool of molten gold. What little liquid remained flashed into plasma as it spilled down the stone step's coming into contact with Celestia's solar infused hooves. All composure was gone as Princess Celestia addressed Nightmare Moon.
"Don't you dare call yourself Princess Luna!." Celestia's Royal Canterlot Voice boomed through out the castle.
"You are Nothing like her monster! You are a parasite! And like all parasite's you can be purged from the body!" Celestia was done talking.
She lowered her horn and sent a bolt of white hot plasma flying towards Nightmare. Nightmare deftly dodged the solar projectile, becoming a cloud of smoke. She circled around The Solar Princess and re materialized, her horn at the ready to cast a spell. She got a shot of her own off sending a dark ball of lightning and shadow at celestia's exposed back. Celestia however was not as defenseless as Nightmare thought. For only a feet away from Celestia Nightmare's spell hit a shield of solar energy and magic.
"You still have a lot to learn Nightmare." Celestia responded to Nightmare's attack by disappearing in a flash of light. Nightmare was momentarily blinded by the sudden flash. She shook her head to get rid of the sun spot's. When she opened them the throne room was empty. She chuckled.
"Is the great and powerful Celestia scarred of me!?" Silence fallowed Nightmare's taunt.
"Oh come now Celestia. Surly you can do better than that!?" Nightmare stomped a hoof into the ground cracking the stone floor.
Her answer came in the form of a bright light above her head. As she looked up she got a face full of solar energy. She screamed and reeled back from the attack. However the assault did not stop there. Celestia continued to blast Nightmare with her solar ray's.
Then she unfurled her wing's and began to fen then towards Nightmare. With the tips of her Primary feathers engulfed in solar fire and the continuous flapping Celestia soon had tendril's of white hot fire extending from her feather tip's. She used these new appendages to lash out at Nightmare. Under this combined attack Nightmare could not move an inch. Soon Nightmare's power began to fade.
She was loosing control of her vessel. She could not let this happen. She had to think. There must be a way to stop her attack even for a little while. Her face grew into a wicked smile underneath Celestia's barrage.
Celestia continued her attack, not ceasing to deal out swift justice to the being that had both her and her sister so much heartache. But then she heard something that made her heart freeze. She heard crying. Specifically the sound of her sister crying in pain. She ceased her attack instantly, letting her flames, and furry die down. As her vision cleared of her anger, she could have sworn that her eye's were playing trick's on her.
"No. no. no it cannot be!" She wailed. There on the ground in a heap covered in burn's and bruises was her sister. Celestia had lost all rational control of her body. She ran to her sister's side and began to hug her uncontrollably.
"Sister!" She cried. As she looked upon her form Celestia could see the damage from her attack on her sister.
"Oh Luna i'm so sorry!" She wailed.
"Don't be." Her sister calmly said.
"Wha--But sister are you not hurt?" Celestia looked into her sister's eye's and only saw blackness. Then she realized her mistake to late. Luna brought a hoof down upon Celestia's forehead knocking her to the cold marble floor. Celestia was now dazed, confused and in pain. Princess Luna stood up panting from the exertion of weathering her sister's solar power. Her form changed into that of Nightmare Moon once more.
"AHAHAHAHAHAH!!! You Fool. How could you possibly fall for such a ruse!? Has time addled your mind sister!? HAHA!" Nightmare stood over Celestia,, who was having a hard time getting off of the floor.
"Oh Stay down there!" Nightmare punctuated her statement with a hoof to celestia's face.
Celestia flinched from the strike and began to gag as she tasted copper in her mouth. Nightmare stood over her sister, pure hatred in her eye's. As Celestia looked at her sister, Nightmare saw something in her eye's that sent her over the edge. She saw pity.
Nightmare's lunar aura flared to life. She used her telekinesis to pick up her sister and throw her across the room. Then she picked her up and slammed her into the ground, then a pillar, then the wall. She continued this unrelenting beat down until Celestia stopped Twitching from each impact. Finally Nightmare slammed her sister onto the ground and she was still. With her greatest foe defeated Nightmare began to chuckle, then laugh. Finally she stood over her sister's broken body in triumph. But she still had one more thing to do. Slowly she bent down beside Celestia so she could hear what she Nightmare had to say.
"You know sis i would love to stay and chat some more but i have plan's for equestria." Slowly Nightmare began to cast a spell, one that would delve into her sister's memory's. Once she had what she was after she lifted herself up.
"And what better place to start than ponyville." As she turned to leave Nightmare sparred her sister one last look. And then a single tear escaped her eye's before she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Jan, 1st, The 1000th Year of the Celestial Era. Ponyville, Equestria. 6:00, A.M. Ponyville Town Hall.
The mayor had finally ended her speech. There was a glorious round of applause and then the mayor had one last piece of new's.
"And now i am happy to announce the very pony that give's us the sun and moon every day. The the wise and powerful bringer of harmony to the land of equestria, Princess Celestia!" The curtain's were pulled back, the birds and royal band began to sing. But there was nopony on stage. The crowd began to talk amongst themselves. Meanwhile Twilight was panicking.
OH NO! WHERES THE PRINCESS!! Her six acquaintance's noticed her distress and went to her aid.
"Hey Twilight?" Gadget asked the frazzled mare.
"What's wrong?" Rainbow dash asked. Before Twilight could give an answer the whole town hall stopped as an evil laugh cut through the air.
"AHAHAHAHAHAH!!!" Twilight's eye's shrunk to the size of pinprick's.
"Oh No!" She wailed holding, her face with her hooves.
"Well hello my subject's." Nightmare's voice projected through out the silent town hall.
"It has been so long since I've set eye's upon your precious little sun loving face's." The entire town hall was in shock but murmurs still circulated amongst the crowd.
"Who is that?"
"Were's The Princess?"
"Why does she look so evil?"
All of these were silenced as Nightmare let out another blood curdling laugh.
"AHAHAHAH!! You little fool's! I can sense your fear! It fill's your hearts and possessions your mind's----"
"What have you done with the princess!" Rainbow's voice cut the mad pony's rant off. Nightmare looked throughout the town hall.
"WHO DARE'S TO INTERRUPT THERE QUEEN!?"
"I DO!" Gadget shouted as he made his way through the crowd to the front of the stage, now preoccupied by the Alicorn.
Rainbow what were you thinking! He knew who this mare was. This was Nightmare moon. He hear about her in the various book he read as a colt.
All the while Twilight was mouthing, N!O NO! NO! NO! But Gadget couldn't see her. He was to focused on this very big threat to not only Rainbow and his friends but also ponyville, his home.
"So what have you done with our princess?" Gadget repeated getting to the front of the stage. While most would think he was foolish, he knew at least he hoped, he knew what he was doing. She looked like the princess but she was radiating the raw emotion of hate. He new she was powerful that much was obvious. So he decided to her her focus all of her attention on him. He figured that if he got hurt he could heal faster than a normal pony. Oh how wrong he was. Nightmare regarded this strange pony, garbed in electronics and armor.
"Just who do you think you are little fool!" Nightmare shouted in gadgets face. He filched back a little. He then turned his head back to the crowd and winked.
Twilight saw the smirk on his face. No! No! No! repeated the mantra in her head. Gadget meanwhile was wandering why no pony was running.
"You know Queen you could really use a breath mint." He calmly said to Nightmare's face.Nightmare did not appreciate this lowly pony insulting her. Her face was a masks of stone as her mind raced with thought. How is this fool still alive!
Five of his acquaintances were shocked at his brashness with this mysterious mare. Twilight was livid with fear. You stupid idiot. Stop it!
"So i'll ask again seeing as you forgot---" Nightmare brought her hoofs up.
"SILENCE YOU LITTLE WHELP! I AM NIGHTMARE MOON! I SHALL NOT BE TALKED TO LIKE A COMMON THRALL" Nightmare said stomping her hoof onto the ground splitting the stage in two. Gadget backed up a few feet. Now everypony was scarred now, trying to get out of the town hall, pushing and shoving. The mayor however kept her cool. She looked at the few royal guard's stationed in ponyville.
"Seize her!" She shouted, a hoof pointed at Nightmare moon. "Only she knows were the princess is!" The royal guards took the air, intent on capturing this interloper.
"You fools really think you can defeat, ME!" Nightmares magic flared to life as she conjured up a lightning storm. Bolt's of lightning cracked through out the town hall. The guards managed to evade a few stray bolt's but eventually the flurry of lightning was to much. With a flash and a bang the two royal guards fell to earth, there fur smoking and there body's twitching uncontrollably.
Gadget meanwhile was back peddling from the stage as fast as he could.
OH CRAP! OH CRAP! WHAT WAS I THINKING!!! Then he remembered. He did this to save rainbow's hide. That thought brought him little comfort. Mostly because there was now a very mad alicorn threatening to blast the town hall back to the stone age. Gadget looked around. The town hall was mostly empty now. The girls were gone. In fact only a few straggler's remained including the royal guard's who were now coming out of there daze.
As for Nightmare, well she was loosing what little bit of sanity she had left. Her storm while it started out small was getting bigger and bigger.
"You all dare to defy your queen! I SHALL SHOW YOU THE TRUE EXTENT OF MY POWER!" Nightmare began to feed more magic into her dark storm and more lightning and thunder began to rumble through the building shaking the very ground they stood upon. Gadget could see were this was going. He looked around. All of the pony's were gone except for the guards and Mayor Mare who was now trying to help the two grown stallions get out of the building. Gadget ran over to them and using his magic and his armor he was able to haul one of the injured Pegasus onto his back.
"RUN!" The group hauled tail out of the building just as there fur began to stand on end. They ran through the hall's, taking corner's at brake neck speed's and running through the atrium to the front door's. YES!
"AHAHAHAHAHAH NO ONE ESCAPES MY FURY!" NO! Gadget blew the doors off there hinge's with a magic missile. Outside was chaos incarnate. There were pony's running all over the place. He had little time to stop and star tho because the sensor's in his suit were going haywire. He stopped and looked back to see that the mayor was struggling to keep up. So he made a snap decision. He ran over to a dumpster in a nearby ally and place the guard down gently.
"Stay here. I'll be back." He then ran back into the atrium to retrieve the mayor and the other guard. He hauled both of them up with his magic and ran for the entrance. however the sensor's in his suit were in the red. Oh no. He got to the entrance when his instrument's suddenly went dead. What! With no power his suit stopped moving. He was jarred and lost concentration on his spell. The mayor and the guard fell to the ground right in front of the town hall. They looked at gadget. Then the trembling got worse. Soon the very ground was splitting around them.
"Listen just go there isn't any time." He said his voice not betraying his fear at the prospect of dying at the hooves of a very angry demi-god. The mayor and guard looked at Gadget blank stare's on their scarred face's. He just gave them a smile. The building was beginning to fall apart around them. A small window burst above the group showering them with glass. Then the roof collapsed blocking off the exit and leaving Gadget trapped in the building.
Gadget could see the Mayor and the guard pick themselves up off of the ground through a small opening in the debris. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." He said his smile getting bigger. The mayor looked at him and nodded.
"Come on High Flyer." She said looking to the guard.
"We have to go and get the town under control." She ran off into the chaos. High Flyer looked at gadget one last time before he ran after the mayor. Gadget meanwhile was trying to figure out a way out of his situation. If he could get to the emergency release button on his chest then he might be able to find another way out. Before he could think of moving a muscle there was a loud boom followed by his world going black.
Jan, 1st, The 1000th Year of the Celestial Era. Ponyville, Equestria. 6:05, A.M. Twilight's Library.
Twilight was in her library looking through her books for anything she could to find out were the elements of harmony were. But she wasn't alone. Her five acquaintances were with her also looking. She couldn't stop them either. Their home town was under attack from a mad god hay bent on taking over the world. As they all skimmed through a book they were jolted from there research by a huge explosion in the distance. The shock wave passed through the tree house shaking book's from there shelve's and even toppling a few shelve's in the process.
"Come on! Come on! Were are they!" Twilight shouted as she went through book after book. The other's were also frantically looking now for any mention of the elements of harmony.
"So just what are the elements of harmony?" Rainbow asked as she flipped through page after page of a book that turned out to be a book on stallion anatomy. Her cheeks burned as she tossed the book over her shoulder and grabbed a different one.
"That's kind of hard to explain." Twilight answered going through a book on thermodynamics and discarding it. She was suddenly pulled from grabbing another book by a hoof on her shoulder. She was flipped around coming face to face with an irritated rainbow dash.
"Listen you better start explaining." A loud Boom! Shook the library again. "Because right now there is a power mad pony destroying our town!" Twilight was shocked at how rainbow was acting right now. She wasn't the only one. Apple Jack came up and rested a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder.
"Simmer down there rainbow." AJ Said fixing the mare with astern look. That look was then directed at Twilight.
"So care to explain why our town is be'en attacked by a creature from an old mare's tale? An were here looking for some trinkets?"
Twilight shook her head. "Ok." She looked out the window at the destruction unfolding.
"The Element's of Harmony are more than 'just trinket's'." She looked at the group. "There supposed to be powerful object's from a bygone era. And there the only thing's that can stop nightmare moon."
"Well then what are we waiting for lets go!" Pinky said as she bounced up and down.
"It's not that simple Pinky." Twilight said her ear's laying flat.
"While i know of the elements of harmony i don't know where they are." Twilight sat on her hunches, shame etched onto her face.
"Well don't you fret none."
"Ya we'll help you out." Rainbow said. "Right girl's?" She asked the rest of the group. They all gave there conformation's.
"Of course darling."
"Uh..uh..um..yes."
"Yeperuny!"
Twilight looked at the group with great admiration and surprise. She never suspected this small group of pony's would grow on her but they did. Just then her brain clicked. Somepony was missing from there little group. Her gasp brought all the attention of the mare's to her once more.
"OH CRAP!"
"Darling whats wrong?" Rarity asked.
"We forgot Gadget at the town hall!"
"But i thought he was trying to distract Nightmare?" Fluttershy said her voice full of worry. Now that she mentioned it Twilight did remember him winking at her. Did he really want them all to escape while he distracted Nightmare? He was ether really brave or really stupid.
"Yes i suppose your right." Twilight said a sad look on her face. "From what little i know of him he does strike me as the pony that would do that." Her face went from sad to mad. "OK then. Lets not squander the time he gave us. Lets find something in this library that can point us to the elements of harmony."
"Found it!"
"WHAT!!" Five mare's screamed. Pinky was face deep into a red leather back book. Twilight ran over, shoved pinky out of the way and began to read the book out loud.
"The Elements of Harmony. A Reference Guide?" Twilight gawked at the audacity of the title, as if it was mocking her.
"Pinky were did you find this?"
"It was under EEE!" Twilight gave her a deadpan look. Really! She shrugged off her bad temper and continued to read the book out loud.
"OK according to the book there are six elements of harmony." She look off into the distance for a sec. That's...Convenient.
"But, of the six only five are known. The first is Kindness. Next is Laughter. Then there's generosity. After that comes Honesty. And lastly Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery even to this day." Unbeknownst to the group of pony's Nightmare moon was outside listening to there every word. After delving through her sister's memory's Nightmare discovered that Celestia was telling the truth. She really had no idea were the elements of harmony where because she had wiped her mind of there location to keep them safe.
"It is said that the last known location of the elements of harmony was the ancient castle of the royal pony sister's."
Sister you sentimental old fool!
"Which is located in what is now known as the everfree forest!" Twilight dropped the book at that part her eye's wide with shock. Meanwhile Nightmare zoomed to her and her sister's old castle. The group of mare's all looked from one to another.
Ponyville, Equestria. 6:15, A.M. Ponyville Park.
Gadget was dazed and confused. He awoke to absolute silence. His eye's couldn't focus on anything because the world was spinning. He closed them and tried to focus on his breathing. However that proved fruitless as each breath he took felt like he was having a nail driven into his chest.
Great i must have broken a rib or two. Gadget barely got to his feet, the amount of pain he was going through would have knocked out a normal pony, but thanks to his power's of emotion he was able to mask the pain. He extended his senses to feel what emotions were out there. He found fear, lots and lots of fear. It wasn't the best emotion but he would take it. He slowed down his breathing to match his heart rate.
Then all at once he let the emotion's flood over his body. Fear instantly gripped him like a vice. Thankfully he had had year's of practice separating his emotions from everypony else. Soon he was siphoning up all of the fear around him, replacing it with calm. At least someponys will get to sleep better tonight.
With his body brimming with all the emotion he could take Gadget transformed all of the fear into love. He thought of a few things that genuinely made him happy. His parents, spending time with dash, working on his inventions. His wounds began to heal themselves and he was feeling much better than before. He managed to stop shaking and finally inspected were he was. He looked around to find himself in a crater, in the park.
"Wow. She wasn't kidding about being powerful." He inspected his armor, or rather what was left of it. His helmet was busted beyond repair but it did its job. The crystal horn was a complete lost cause. The spinal column for the armor was severed in several area's. No fixing that without a torch and some electrical wire. He was missing an entire piece of leg armor. Man i have to get home and get this off. I won't be of any help to anypony with this junk hanging onto me. Gadget got his bearing's and headed towards the clock tower. He caught the faint sound of jingling and looked down to see his Amulet. It was glowing softly. He shrugged it off and headed home.
6:20 A.M.
Gadget hobbled up to his home, barged through the door and fell out on the floor. Come on almost there. He forced himself to his hooves and walked to the basement door. He wrenched open the door and rapidly descended the stairs via falling down them. He picked himself up once more. OK maybe i'm not as healed up as i thought. He caught his breath, and looked around his basement. His workshop was more or less intact. Only a few things were out of place.
He used his horn to turn on a light but the effort left him woozy. With the light on he found what he was looking for a box simply marked MK 6.
"Well Rainbow looks like i'll have to cancel our race." He said as he trotted over to the box. He grabbed a crowbar from a desk nearby and jammed it into the lid. He jumped up and put all of his weight onto the bar. The lid flew off the box and Gadget threw the crowbar over his shoulder. He looked inside the box for the first time in year's.
"Wow. Still look's as good as ever."
6:30 A.M. Deep Within The Everfree Forest.
"Come on girl's!" Twilight shouted to the other's.
"I can see the castle from here! WOW!!!" Twilight was not watching were she was going and slipped off a cliff. She scrambled to get her footing back, but a strong force managed to pull her back just in time. She heaved out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She looked back to see dash spit out her tail.
"You know you should avoid cliff's from now on." She joked. Twilight managed a weak smile but then she looked ahead and saw why she nearly fell to her death.
"The bridge is out? Now what are we going to do?"
"Ah hum." Twilight looked back to see Rainbow posing like a star. Twilight looked at Dash-- Oh right her wing's. Without further ado Rainbow jumped into the air and sailed down into the misty canyon separating the group from there goal. After a little while of searching for the end of the bridge Rainbow came back up with it and tied it off at the other side.
"OK girls come on over!" She shouted back.
6:30 A.M.
"OK." Gadget said as he twisted the last nut into place on the MK 6. He tossed the wrench behind him and looked back on his work. Took him 10 minutes to get it all together but he finally got it completed.
"Now to take this baby for the test drive of its life." He slipped the exoskeleton over his frame and pushed the start button.
His world went dark for a second, the only light came from his amulet which was glowing brighter now. Soon the exo-suit encased his body first in a layer of soft rubber like substance then in a layer of chrome colored metal. His H.U.D sprang to life illuminating his surroundings. He felt the soft mono-molecular mesh covering his whole body give a soft shutter as the suit calibrated itself to his body. It tightened up in loose area's and depressed other's to better fit the wearer. The metal plates shifted into the proper place's encasing his mesh under skin in hard metal. Magic channeling vain's flared to life pulsating throughout the suits surface giving off a blue glow.
"Ok Systems check initiate." The voice command brought up a list on Gadgets H.U.D. Five swift beep's sounded.
"OK All systems green." With his new suit on he galloped up the stairs and ran out the door.
"OK Now the final test." Gadget gave the mental command to start up his suits engine's. His metal wing's flared out with a metallic shink!
"Awesome!" He exclaimed. His rocket began to fire up and he braced himself again the ground. He reared back tinting forward. His engine light registered as green. He was good to go. All at one he diverted a little power to his legs and arched his body forward while pushing off with his front hooves, allowing him leap high into the air with his back hooves. Then a second later he diverted all power to his engine's blasting off into the night sky. When he was a good few hundred feet above the ground he began to scan for Nightmare Moon. He got a ping from deep within the Everfree Forest. He set a way point on his H.U.D.s map and followed the projected path.
The six mare's entered the old decrepit castle, cautious as ever of what might lurk in the old ruin's. As the group entered the atrium they saw something that made there heart's soar with joy. Right there in front of them on a swiveling solar system podium was the elements of harmony.
"I-is t-that t-them?" Fluttershy whispered to the group. Twilight took out her book and studied the drawings of the elements. She compared the ones in the book with the ones she was looking at in front of her.
"Yes girl's. I-i think this is it! We found them!" She said letting out a deep breath.
"AHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! Yes, yes you did my little subject's." Nightmare's voice rang throughout the castle, shaking it to its very foundation's.
"No!" Twilight screamed as Nightmare materialized in front of the group, standing between them and the elements. Nightmare began to laugh in triumph as her victory was close at hand. But then she stopped. Every pony's ear's perked as they all heard a high pitched whining noise. It started off very faint at first, but then it got louder and louder. Then the group all heard somepony screaming.
"AHHHHHHH!!!"
The whining noise rose to a crescendo and then it was cut off by the sound of shattering glass as a flying metal object came crashing through a window above the girls. The object continued its path and plowed right into Nightmare Moon, sending her flying through the castle and crashing through a wall. She did not get back up. The chrome object then tuned towards the girl's who were stunned at what just happened.
"Are you all just going to stand there or are you going to tell me why you all are here in the first place?" The voice said in an electronically distorted voice. It startled the girls out of there stupor and they all looked at the new pony with suspicion.
"That depend's?" Twilight said stepping forward to confront the new comer. "Who's asking?"
"Girl's it's me." The voice said. This just confused the girl's. The metal pony cut off its engine's and landed on the ground. All of the girls came to Twilights aid now. Then the metal covering up the pony's face began to peel away revealing a surprise.
"Gadget!?" They all screamed at once.
"Hey girl's. I'm back." He said giving them an encouraging smile.
6:35 A.M. Everfree Forest, Castle of The Royal Pony Sister's.
"So that's what you all are doing here." Gadget said as he waved a hoof to the elements of harmony.
"You've been searching for these fossilized rock's?" He said rubbing his hoof on his chin. "I'd have figured the elements of harmony would be a little more...shiny." He said poking one of them with a hoof. He got a zap for his prodding. He yelped and began to nurse his shocked appendage. The girls shared a snicker at this. Then they all heard some pony groaning.
"OH CRAP!" Gadget got into a fighting stance as his face mask clamped shut with a metal clang. His H.U.D flared to life giving his suits eye's a creepy blue glow.
"Girls you get the elements and go. I'll hold off Nightmare Moon." The girls looked from the hole in the wall that nightmare was wobbling from out of.
"Are you sure?" Twilight asked. Gadget chuckled.
"She tried to blow me up and that failed." He said. Inside his suit he smiled. The girls were horrified at this thought.
"So yes i think i can take her. Or at least give you girls enough time to find a way to use those old fossils." He said pointing a metal clad hoof at the elements. Nightmare moon began to let out a loud roar in anger as she made her way into the atrium, her coat was ruffled, and covered in dust dirt and blood.
"YOU!" She boomed at Gadget.
"Me!" He shouted throwing up his fore hooves and dancing a little jig on his hind leg's, shaking his flank at nightmare moon while waving his for hooves around in little circle's. The girls just starred at Gadget like he had a death wish.
"What? Are you going to do? Stare at me all day or--" SMASH!!! Nightmare Moon wasn't pulling any punch's this time around. She took full advantage of Gadget's folly. She tackled him with her shoulder slamming him into and through a crumbling wall. The girls stood there until Twilight got everyponys attention.
"Come on girls lets go!" Twilight grabbed one of the elements with her magic, so did Rarity. Rainbow grabbed one as well and so did Fluttershy. Apple Jack took the last one on her back. The group carried the element's away from Nightmare through the hallway's of the old castle eventually ending up in what looked like the throne room.
"Do...you..think...Gadget...will...be..OK?" Fluttershy asked through deep breath's. Twilight looked at the other girls and shook her head.
"I don't know Fluttershy. He seemed confident in his ability to handle the situation. But with Nightmare moon being an alicorn?" She shuddered at the thought.
"II just don't know." She pulled out her book and began to study it's page's looking for any kind of answer to there current dilemma.
"You must be either a brave knight or a stupid fool!" Nightmare shouted as Gadget picked himself up and dislodged his body from the ruble. He chuckled.
"I would like to think i'm in the middle of those two extremes." Nightmare snarled at his jest and charged up her horn. A warning popped up on Gadget's H.U.D and he barely dodged the incoming blast. He revved his engine's and leaped to the left just as the beam of magic arced over the spot his head had been a few seconds ago. Just as he got his footing on solid ground another blast came his way. He jumped into the air and hovered there for a second. OK I think i can do this. Just gotta keep her at bay. He lit his own horn and sent a green blast of magic at nightmare. She nimbly dodged the attack and scanned the sky for her foe.
Gadget look advantage of her momentary distraction to fly out of the ruins. She looked around for him but found nothing. He set his engine's for silent and hovered around to a nearby window.
"OK suit systems check, No. 2." He whispered. A full suit diagnostics's check came up listing all available tech installed. The list began to rattle off on his H.U.D. He scanned it with fast eye's and stooped at one that looked promising.
"OK. So if i cut the suit's overall power consumption down to 3/4th i can use that to give her a nasty surprise." He chuckled to himself. He kept his engine's on silent and lowered his altitude to just above ground level. He then cut back on the magic flow to his limbs keeping just enough power in them to get around quickly and quietly. He then looked at his power meter. His suit was at 90%. With his power cuts he was able to get overall power consumption to 60%.
"Perfect." He wen't back to his list and picked the 'Active Camo' function. His suit shimmered in the air then faded out of existence. He then wen't through the list again and picked out the 'Mana Shield' and placed it on standby. His suit hummed as it stored the power necessary for the spell in the very plate's of metal that comprised it.
"OK now to take it to the evil queen." Gadget looked through the castle with his infra vision. He saw Nightmare looking through the castle for him or the girls he didn't know but he saw were she was now. She was just underneath a section of ceiling in a hallway that was being supported by only a few pillars. He flew up to the roof and slipped in the hallway just a hairs breath in front of Nightmare. He made his way to one of the pillars and then targeted the other across from him. He then set a timer. Just as Nightmares hoof touched the holographic line of his H.U.D. Gadget fired off his spell.
Nightmare was furious not only had the metal clad cowered tricked Nightmare he had apparently used the opportunity to run away. Humf. Simple minded low birthed-WAH Nightmares thought's were interrupted by a green bolt flying past her head. She saw were it came from but not who had cast it. She targeted the pillar that had hid the coward and blasted it to oblivion.
"You hoo!" She spin around to see.... nothing? She felt a sting of pain on her back as another bolt of energy lanced out at her from above. She pointed her horn up and fired. Her magic sailed through the air and went on as it hit nothing. Now she was getting angry.
"COME OUT AND FACE ME COWARD!" She Screamed. Rage consumed her. Gadget could feel it without his senses he was certain he could have felt it. OK last one. Silently he crept along the floor to the last pillar and set up his shot. He aimed it at Nightmare's head. His targeting reticule glowed green when he had a shot. He took it nailing the tyrant right in the face. She spun around, eye's now burning with fury, and sent out a concussive shock wave of power. Gadget's shield flared to life keeping him from being pushed back. Then he saw something that made him wanna scream. Oh Poo.
That wave had knocked out his Active Camo. And now he was starring down an angry Nightmare Moon with a twisted smile upon her face.
"Uh..hu..hu. Hey there?" He said waving at her timidly. Her smile grew wider as she sensed his fear. Both pony's attention was distracted however by the sound of crumbling stone. They both looked up to see the roof begin to crack. Gadget used this new opportunity to spin around and blast the last pillar to dust. The whole Roof now came collapsing in on the two. Gadgets shield flared to life once more.
"UHH THEIRS NOTHING HERE!!" Twilight screamed as she hurled the book at the stone wall. The group all flinched as they heard a huge crash fallowed by a silence. There hearts all stopped.
"Y-Y-You don't think?" Fluttershy managed to squeak out before she choked up from tear's. They all left that statement unanswered.
"Why!" Twilight screamed bringing the group back to the present.
"Why get this far if we can't even use these thing's!" She said hitting one of the element's. She was zapped and flinched away. Then her anger exploded.
"AHG STUPID ELEMENT'S! COME ON WORK!!!!" She said punctuating every word with a hit. Each hit earned her a zap of disapproval but she didn't care at the moment. One of her friends was possibly going to die and then the whole world was next. Finally she was exhausted and she slumped down in defeat.
"Why?"
"Why what sugar cube?"
"Why did Celestia send me here?"
The group all pondered the question. Then Rarity spoke up.
"Well darling. I'm sure there was a good reason for sending you hear."
"Ya i mean look at all of us!" Pinky chimed in.
"Pinks is right. Were all here." Rainbow said.
"That's right." AJ added. "Were all here for a reason."
"E-e-even i-if w-we don't know what that reason is. Were all here together and that has to count for something right?" Fluttershy Said. Twilight thought about there situation. They all had a point. They were all here for a reason. Even Gadget was here for a purpose. That thought brought about new feeling's Feelings she never really considered as important before. She realized then and there that she had friend's. Friends that were willing to do whatever it took to help her out no matter what. She realized that no matter what she wouldn't trade in this feeling for anything. As she realized this she suddenly got an idea. She had no idea where it came from but it hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Girls!" All of the group looked at her now.
"I think i know how to activate the Element's of Harmony!" All of there face's lit up with joy.
6:40 A.M. Everfree Forest, Castle of The Royal Pony Sister's.
As the dust settled into the now thoroughly demolished hallway Gadget coughed a little and not because of the dust. He got to his legs a little wobbly from having a giant stone slab dropped on him. The shield held out for as long as it could but eventually it fizzled out letting the giant hunks collapse on him. He worked his way out of the ruble and flopped onto the floor resting a little bit.
"Well That ought to slow her down." He whispered to himself. As if the universe was doing its best to kill him, which for all he knew it was, Nightmare moon burst from the ruble sending bits of broken roof and rock hurdling in all directions including at Gadget. He leaped out of the way as a huge piece of roof slammed into the spot he occupied moments ago.
"You Know I have to compliment you pony." Nightmare said as she strolled out of the ruble a dark blue Aura surrounding her visage. Gadget could only chuckle in response.
"Well i'm really surprised i lasted even this long to be honest."
"That makes two of us." A smirk adorning her face once more.
"So in commemoration of your valor i shall grant you one request." She said, "Ether a quick death at my hooves." Her smile widened, just a fraction.
"Or one last duel to the death."
"Those my only option's?" Gadget asked forlorn. Nightmare starred at him.
"OK. Fine i can live with that." He chuckled at his own bad joke. Then with some effort he got to his feet and paid Nightmare the first bit of respect she ever got. He bowed to her. Not a stupid joke or even a ruse. He got down on both knees and bowed to her like a royal subject.
"Well Princess if it's all the same with you i would like to have a glorious death in battle." He stated his whole body beginning to shake with fear.
She chuckled at this.
"Very well knight. Prepare yourself." She leaped at Gadget her horn flaring to life once more.
6:40 A.M. Everfree Forest, Castle of The Royal Pony Sister's.
"Warning! Power Level at 50%" The Suits voice chimed into Gadget's ears. Oh Great. Blocking all of that debris must have taken a toll on the battery Gadget managed to dodge another barrage of magic projectiles Nightmare had aimed at him. Despite him having the edge in technology he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. Thankfully it looked like Nightmare was tired out as well. Gerrrr!! How is this simpleton able to keep up with me! I am Nightmare Moon, Lunar Fury incarnate! She dodged a bolt of magic from Gadget and deflected another into a wall. I will not be beaten by a peasant in fancy armor! Nightmare's aura flashed into existence once more.
"Well my little knight it has been fun playing games with you but this is were our fight ends!" Nightmare used her magic to conjure up a storm overhead. With the amount of power she had at her disposal the storm grew so large it soon filled the hallway with wind and lightning. It did not stop there however. Soon it drifted outside into the open air were its form began to change. Gadget looked on in horror as the storm became a raging tornado, one full of lighting and thunder.
"That's not fare." Gadget wined out loud. He nimbly dodged a bolt of lightning but soon more of them came raining down. He was using his jet pack to boost his jumping and maneuvering ability's to there absolute limit, swerving, somersaulting, and sliding around the battlefield doing whatever he could to escape the deadly bolt's of light.
"HAhahaha!!!! Yes my knight fight! Fight with everything you have left! It will make victory all the sweater when i finally kill you!" Nightmare screamed as she directed the storms fury upon her foe. Gadget however was running out of options, time, and energy, both magical and electrical. I.. have... to find... a way.. to end ..this. He looked around his surrounding's. There wasn't much he could use. The hallway was almost completely non-existent now. But his mind always had a trick up its sleeve. He spotted an opening in the roof. There's my chance. He revved his engine and gunned it for the sky's.
"And just were do you think your going!?" Nightmare shot into the air after him. Gadget looked around for any signs of the girl's. He spotted some light coming from a nearby window and he dived for it.
"Not so fast my knight!" Gadget looked back to see Nightmare hot on his tail. CRAP!! Girls you better have those ancient relics activated!!! Gadget put all of his remaining power into the engine's and he rocketed off to the light. Nightmare had had enough play time. Using the full extent of her magical powers she focused her storm from a tornado and turned it into a single bolt of lightning.
She roared in triumph as the bolt hit home. Gadget screamed as he was struck with the full fury of the bolt. His engine was overloaded and blew up sending him hurdling through the window and smashing him into a pillar. Really of all the things to hit. His suits circuits were fried beyond repair. The only part of the suit intact was his helmet. He got to his feet and with a hit to the emergency release the suit was discarded. He felt like crap. He was covered in bruises, and blood. He reached of sweat. I need to take a shower.
Nightmare moon sailed gracefully through the window to see gadget still standing if barely. They both stopped however when they heard somepony speaking. They both knew who it was. Gadget turned to the source of the voice's. They were coming from behind a thick door. The throne room. Sluggishly he made his way over to block the entrance.
"And so my knight it ends."
"Ya i guess it does."
"Any last word's?"
"No. Not word's." Gadget looked to the door leading to the other's. Then back to Nightmare moon.
"Just one last ditch effort to stop you." He smiled. Surprisingly Nightmare did as well. This one wasn't evil, malicious or vile. It was a genuine heart felt smile of compassion. It made him pause for a second. But then his steel face came back.
"By all means. Give it your best shot." Nightmare stood there ready to met him head on.
And so Gadget used the last bit of magical energy he had to charge up his horn once more. Then he broke out into a gallop. Nightmare was puzzled at this, but stood her ground. Gadget let out a fierce cry as he sprinted towards Nightmare Moon determined to stop her before she could hurt his friends. He was only a few meters from Nightmare now. Then he let his spell go to work. He lowered his head as if to charge her.
"Huhuhu you must be joking?" Nightmare stood her ground looking at the pony as if he had lost his mind. For all she knew he had. Then Gadget's spell flared to life. His horn was engulfed with all of the magic he had left. He then shaped this magic into a spear using the force of his charge to add to the damage it could do. That part would not have worried Nightmare had she thrown up a shield. But his magical lance was to long and to close for her to counter. Gadget's blazing lance of magic struck home hitting the Alicorn right in the chest. Instead of piercing her flesh however the attack passed though her very being. Nightmare was confused. What was the attack supposed to do?
Gadget ran headlong into Nightmare and when his head connected with her body she was thrown back violently smashing onto the hard marble stone.
"Now...it...is...over." Gadget slumped down onto the floor exhausted beyond all measure. His gaze never left Nightmare. She was still for a second and then she began to stir once more. She got her feet which were shaking uncontrollably. Her face was twisted into a wide range of emotions from fear, to pain, to anger, and even confusion.
"W---What have you done to me?" She asked her high and mighty voice gone. Gadget chuckled feebly.
"As i battled you i sensed your emotional state." He sucked in a lungful of air and continued. "When i did so i brushed up against two very distinct emotional body's within you." He got up to his hooves. "And so that attack that i did just now gave the good side of you all of the love i had left infused with my magic." He chuckled and then fell to the floor to week to hold himself up any more.
Nightmare screamed in anger. She then tried to use her magic on Gadget but found that she couldn't. Something was holding her back. She searched her mind and found to her horror that Princess Luna was regaining control. No! This cannot be! How could i outwitted by fool! She snarled at Gadget, her hatred building by the second. From her hatred she drew strength.
Soon she had enough magic left to ensure he would not make out of this castle alive. But there was still the problem with her other half. Reluctantly she made the choice to take this chance to kill her foe her and now. Wrenching up the last bits of anger she had she used her telekinesis on Gadget's now defenseless and frail body. She picked him up and brought him forcefully down to the ground. He let out a scream of pain as his body impacted the hard cold surface. She then repeated this several time's each one causing Gadget to moan in pain. Then she spotted some pillar's. Those will do nicely. She took aim and ruthlessly shot Gadget at the nearest pillar. There was a sickening SNAP and Gadget fell to the ground writhing in agony.
Nightmare walked over to the fallen stallion and looked him in the eye's as he wheezed for breath. "You have fought and lost oh noble knight. Now you die" Nightmare's horn illuminated as she charged up a powerful spell to kill Gadget. "Fer thy well oh knight" Nightmare began to laugh. But then SMASH!!! Nightmare was blindsided by a powerful hit to her head. The attack sent her sailing through the air before she once again found herself antiquated with the cold stone floor. Her body was at it's limit now. She couldn't take much more of this. She looked up to see that last group of pony's she expected.
"Your rain of terror ends her Nightmare Moon." The Main Six stood there proud as they could with the elements of harmony around there neck's.
6:50 A.M.
"Well you all took your sweat time!" Gadget wheezed out in pain. He looked over to see the girls in all there glory. Well all except for Rainbow Dash who was reeling back to punch Nightmare Moon again.
"Well we ran into some trouble along the way." Twilight replied. Gadget just laid there trying not to move. He was curtain that his ribs were broken now. As he looked on at the rest of the girls trotted up to Nightmare Moon.
"It's over for you Nightmare Moon." Twilight said.
"Hahahaha and just who are you to stop me?" She said pulling herself up to her hooves. She was visibly shaking now. Gadget judged that she did not much energy left. Good. Hopefully those element's can end this.
"Were the bearers of the element's of harmony." Rainbow said smugly. She decided to not hit Nightmare again and joined her friends who were advancing towards Gadget.
"Girls i'm not in the best of shape. Just take care of Nightmare and come get me later." Twilight stopped in her track's.
"But-" "No but's. alright i'll be fine just hurry up and take care of Nightmare." Twilight looked to Nightmare. She really did not look good. She was wobbling and her eye's were becoming unfocused. Honestly she looked like she was about to pass out from fatigue at any moment.
"All right." Twilight said as she and the girls readied there element's.
"OK girls lets do this!" The group all nodded in approval. Gadget meanwhile was trying not think about his impending death. He had lied when he said he was not in the best of shape. In truth he couldn't feel his leg's and his lungs were punctured. He would drown in his own blood before the girls could get him back to ponyville. But hey he gave them the chance he needed to defeat Nightmare Moon. That was worth dying for. As his life's flashed before his eye's he was reminded of his parent's. He hoped that they would be proud of him. He remembered the last thing they gave him. The amulet.
It was still around his neck. He reached for it with a heavy hoof and brought it up to his face, one last time. He read the inscription on the back again and his heart swelled with the love they felt for him. Yes this is ok. He could die in peace. He began to cry, out of hope, fear, love, and happiness. He was barely conscious now but he was able to see the light of the elements as they charged up there power to defeat Nightmare Moon. Then he felt a worm feeling in his chest. He new what it was. His love for them, for rainbow, for his parent's and his town. He would miss them and they in turn would miss him.
"I really wish i didn't have to go." He mumbled to himself. He cried. With the elements all charged up they released there magic upon Nightmare Moon. As the literal rainbow of power washed over her Gadget felt something odd. He felt Nightmare's emotion's. They were a storm of confusion. Everything from sadness to anger and even happiness was mixed up and blended all together. This isn't right. He had no idea were that thought came from but he felt it as well as thought it.
The rainbow swirl almost engulfed Nightmare now. And he felt more raw emotion from her. This time he felt fear and helplessness. This isn't right! Then he felt something else. A new sensation began to flood through him like a river. He opened his eye's. He hadn't even realized he shut them. He tried to look around but found himself blinded by a light directly in front of his face. As he shielded his eyes from the light he saw the amulet around his neck was the source of this new disturbance. What in the hey is going on? He did not have much time to ponder this as his amulet suddenly fired off a beam of white light that joined that instead of joining the rainbow of the elements it circumvented them altogether. It made a beeline right for Nightmare Moon. As the white light engulfed her the rainbow wrapped around the now white cocoon Nightmare found herself in.
Then there was only a bright flash of light and everything went dark.
7:00 A.M.
Princess Celestia made it to the old castle in the everfree forest with only one thought in mind. Did they defeat her? She entered the old ruins from the broken ceiling and made her way to the throne room. She could feel the residual magic left over from the elements of harmony and she used that to find the girl's. Well them and Gadget. She walked through the now broken door's of the royal chamber's and her breath was taken away. Laying there before her was her sister, Princess Luna. She wanted so badly to go and envelop her sister in a hug but she heard somepony groaning. She looked around and saw a black unicorn, laying a a pool of his own blood. OH NO!
She ran to his aid and began to scan him with her magic. She saw that he had multiple broken bones and even a punctured lung. He was inch's from death's door, but if she hurried she could heal him. She began to cast the spell and she heard some more moans. She concentrated on her spell first. As her horn lit up she began to weave the magic though out Gadget's body healing any wound she came across. As she heeled his wounds she felt something off about him. She couldn't put her hoof on it but something was not right about this unicorn. His eye's began to open and he was breathing normally again.
"P-p-princess?" He asked. She looked at him with a friendly smile. He gave it right back and slumped down resting his body while his mind processed his situation. He was not dead. he came very very close to death. But he was alive. All thanks to the Princess. His eye's shot open and he leaped up stifling a scream of pain.
His sudden action startled the princess out of her spell. Gadget felt very weak but he had other issue's to attend to. Namely to see if his friends were OK. He scanned the room for them and saw them all in a heap. They were awakening from there slumber. He breathed a sigh of relief and slumped down the the floor. His coat felt sticky and when he felt what is was with a hoof he knew he would have to go and take a nice hot shower.
"Great blood. That'll take awhile to get out of my coat. Thank's a lot Nightmare." He spoke.
"Don't...thank...me...just...yet!" Gadget spun around looking for the voice that most defiantly belonged to Nightmare. But all he saw was a pony that looked liked it had her color scheme but it was shorter than he. He looked at the pony and just could not fathom what he was looking at. WHAT THE HAY IS GOING ON HERE? His thought's were interrupted by the sound of a lot of hooves moving all at once and very fast.
He was soon joined in his study of the strange pony by all of the other pony's present including Princess Luna, who looked like she had seen better day's.
"What is she still doing here!?" Twilight exclaimed. The whole group was wandering the same thing. How was Nightmare moon still alive.
"I just don't get it?" Celestia said.
"She should have been destroyed when the element's hit her." All of the pony's present were lost, all except three.
"Uh Princess." Gadget said raising his hoof in the air. "Yes little one?"
"I think i might know what happened."
"Please do tell."
"Well as i was passing out from blood loss--"
"What!?" The girls all screamed at once. They gave Gadget a look of both worry and anger.
"I'll get to that later but right now." He said pointing a hoof at Nightmare who growled at him. He retracted hoof instantly.
"Any way the last thing i remember seeing was a white light." He snickered at this.
"I-i-i'm sorry. I know its poor take to joke about death but i can't help it." He said chuckling. After he calmed down he continued his explanation.
"Well that light came from this." He said pointing to the amulet around his neck. The girls were stunned. Twilight was the first to speak.
"B-b-b-but i thought there were only six? The book only said that there were six elements of harmony?" She pointed to Gadget's amulet. He cradled it in his hooves like she was about to steal it from his neck and stomp on it.
"How it this possible?"
"My little pony's this is all something for another time." Princess Celestia addressed the group.
"For now we should figure out what to do with Nightmare Moon." She said directing her gaze to the little dark blue pony who was scowling at all of them.
"You will do nothing with me!" She barked.
"You are in no position to threaten anyone Nightmare!" Celestia shouted. The little tyrant shrank back visibly shaking from the loud voice. A thought then came to Celestia.
"You will accompany my sister and I back to canterlot were you will be judged according to your crime's." Celestia's stern look silenced any opposition Nightmare had. She stood there looking like some pony had slapped her.
"Now my little pony's shall we get back to ponyville?" Celestia asked the group. They all nodded.
When all was said and done the group had went home for a much needed rest. Gadget went home to his clock tower. Pinky went back to her bakery. Rarity went back to her boutique. Apple Jack went back to her farm. Rainbow went back to her Cloud Home. And Nightmare went back to Canterlot With the Royal Pony Sister's.
Gadget was summoned to canterlot at the request of the princess's. For what he had no idea. He was at home resting up from a hard days work on helping to fix up the town. After he got home he went to work on fixing up the clock tower. It's gears were thrown out of alignment with all of the explosions and earthquakes Nightmare had caused. After that he went to bed. The next day he declared to himself that he would take a break. However he looked at his mail. There in the stack of papers was an official summons from the princess, well princess's now. He griped it with his magic, he was getting better at using it now, tore it open and read it.
Dear Gadget,
We the princess's of equestria would like to seek a special audience with you about a troubling matter of great importance. We would like to request you presence in our royal chamber's in canterlot no later than the 25th of January.
Your Loving Princess's Celestia & Luna.
Gadget was puzzled. Why would they need my help? With anything? He sat the letter down and sighed.
"When am i ever going to have a normal day?" He mumbled to himself. He sat there and thought about it. He could take the 9:00 A.M. train to Canterlot and depending on the urgency of the "troubling matter" he could hopefully get back home by midnight. He got up from his couch and went upstairs to pack a few things. The next day he got up early had a quick breakfast and made his way to the train. An hour later and he was stepping onto the platform to Canterlot.
"Sister doth thou think this is wise?" Luna asked Celestia as they walked through the castle to the throne room were they were to meet Gadget. Celestia looked at her sister as they passed by some construction pony's putting in the new stain glass windows. Her look was one of compassion but at the same time she was conflicted. She shook her head.
"Truly Luna i do not know." She looked off in the distance. She used her magic to open the side door to the throne room as they came closer to there destination.
"But this is something that i believe he should be apart of. After all he did have the most contact with her out of you or any other pony." She hung her head with guilt as she sat on a plush cushion. Her throne had to be specialty ordered and that would take awhile.
"And i am afraid that i am to biased to make an honest decision in this particular matter." She said sadness choking her voice. Luna went and nuzzled her sister sitting next to her on an equally plushy cushion.
"This we understand sister." She said her face full of sadness and joy.
"After our banishment we had plenty of time to realize our mistake and think of many ways to rectify it." She looked away in shame, as she remembered being nearly all alone on the moon.
"Sadly when the time came for us to return we have yet again how do you say 'botched it'?" The strange words felt odd to Luna's tongue. Celestia chuckled at her sisters attempt to use the current vernacular of the era.
"Well non-the less Luna i am deeply glad to have you back." Celestia sat there cuddling her sister like a like she would a doll. The two sister's sat there for awhile in silence. Until there little escape from the days stress was interrupted by a certain black unicorn busting through the big double door's clearly out of breath. He wobbled up to the throne and fell out onto the floor, his armor making a soft clang as it impacted the ground. He lifted up a hoof to signal that he needed a moment. The two sister's laughed at the poor stallion but soon he caught his breath and got up from the floor.
"Your majesty's." He said bowing to the diarchy. They in return bowed there head's and all raised at once.
"So whatcha need Princess's?" Gadget asked all sense of formality gone. He was certain that if Rarity was her she would have knocked him upside the head. He snickered at the thought but soon gave his attention back to the princess's. Celestia had a soft smile on her face while Luna was bewildered.
"Um sister doth he not know how to address thee?" She asked her sister who was stifling her own laughter at Gadget's informality.
"No dear sister he know's. He just doesn't care to much for being formal." While Celestia would never admit it out loud to anyone but her close friends and her sister, she rather enjoyed when pony's weren't so formal. It made life more interesting and lent it a feeling of normality.
"Now Gadget." Celestia said catching his undivided attention. "The reason we have called you hear is to address an issue which we ourselves could not come to an agreement on." She said her face turning serious now.
"For this situation we needed the help of someone with your unique talent's and insight's." She looked at him and he starred at them. Gadget was usually one to take risk's when it came to just about anything but pissing off the princess's by refusing whatever it was they needed help on was not a risk he was willing to take.
"Of course your majesty's." He said with a bow. Now he was a little nervous. What could they possibly need my help with? He was glad he brought his armor with him. If this was going were he thought it was going he was going to need it by the end of the day.
A little while later the trio was trotting down the steps of a staircase to one of the castle's many underground dungeons. Gadget stuck close by the princess for fear of getting lost down there. He had heard tales of pony's getting lost in the dark confines of the castle walls never to be heard from again. Then he thought about it. If no pony ever got out then how were there any tale's to begin with?
He was brought back to the present by the sound of some pony screaming. "Get away from me you cur! I am a queen i will not be forced to---!" Gadget had a feeling he knew who that was and he was now really confused.
"Um Princess's?" He asked. The diarch's arced there ear's back to signal they were listening.
"Is that who i think it is?"
They both nodded there head's.
"Yes Sr Gadget. That is exactly who you think it is." Princess Luna said. He pondered that for awhile. Sr?
"She is the reason we called you here." Princess Celestia added. Gadget was both confused and afraid now. As the group got closer to Nightmare's cell her screaming got louder.
"How dare you! Get your filthy hooves off of me!" She shouted. Gadget did not know why but that made him go just a little bit faster than he would have liked. As eager as he was to just get this over with he could not help but be concerned for both Nightmare and whoever was with her. As they rounded the corner they saw a group of guard's all gathered around a cell door. That in and of itself was strange. Why is the door open? Gadget voiced his thought's.
"I do not know?" Celestia responded her face looking flushed with anger. The group of guard's was so focused on whatever was going on that they didn't notice the Princess approaching. Judging by what the group was hearing as they went down the hall the guards were not going to get out of this unscathed.
"Come on Search Light you can do this!" One guard egged on.
"Ya that's it! Just pin her down and force her!" That got the small group's blood boiling but Gadget was furious. He rushed ahead of the princess's cutting them off as he went around them. Dear god please forgive me princess's. he thought.
"HEY KNOCK IT OFF!" He shouted at the group. The princess's were shocked, at both the guards and Gadget.
"Sister,-" Celestia whispered to Luna.-"Let us see how this play's out." Luna looked from her sister to Gadget and then to the guard's. She then noticed a field around them.
"When didst thou cast this?"
"When you have a thousand years to rule you pick up a few tricks along the way." Celestia winked at her sister. There attention was brought back to Gadget as the group of guard's all began to laugh at him.
"And just what do we have here?" A big earth pony stallion said as he made his way to the front of the 'pack'.
Gadget looked at the guards then behind him. The Princess's were nowhere to be found. His blood ran cold for a sec but his confidence built itself up. Well that just means i get to cut loose. He was certain that they were still there but he focused on the task at hand. He looked back at the group. There were six guards in front of him that he could see. The same earth pony looked at Gadget with a critical eye.
"Ain't it a little early to be playing dress up?" He asked Gadget, a snare appearing on his face as his little group began to laugh. Gadget began to laugh as well. This confused the guards who stopped laughing. Gadget did as well.
"What?" He said a smile on his face. He had his suit on standby so his vizier wasn't shut. "I thought we all laughing at his bad taste in joke's? I mean really? He's one to talk about dress up when i can smell his perfume from here." He smirked. The guards all gawked at there leader who was red in the face. "Just what are you saying?" He shouted.
"Well i can see the panties your wearing from here bud." Gadget said as he pointed to the head guard. The earth pony however looked back and saw that he was indeed wearing pantie's.
"How in the hey did--" He was fuming now. His eye's blazed with hatred at this stupid unicorns magic.
"You little shit! I'm going to rip your horn off and shove it up your plot!" He said walking toward Gadget. He just yawned.
"Eh you can try all you want." He said motioning egging the stallion on with a hoof. His horn flared to life and his armor snapped shut. With his now blue glowing eye's on set on the stallion he could feel a twinge of fear roll off of him. But the stallion's men soon fallowed there commander down the small two pony hallway. Well time to end this before it even begin's. With the patience of a monk Gadget waited until all of the guards were in the hallway, and away from Nightmare's cell. And 3..2..1! Revving his engine's Gadget's wing's sprang out, barley clearing the width of the hallway. This made the guards stop in there track's.
"what in Celestia's green earth is that?" One of the guards shouted. Some of them turned to run away. Oh No you don't! Gadget slammed a hoof into the ground. when he pulled it up a piece of his leg armor detached from his fore hoof and was firmly planted into the ground. He then leapt into the air and darted foreword to cut off the guards escape. He landed just in front of them. They all stumbled over one another as they all tried to stop. As he landed Gadget brought his magic to bare. His horn lit up and then turned into a lance of pure light. He then waved his lance downward splitting the group of guards down the middle. They all evaded the attack by clinging to the side's of the wall's. Then the leader of the group pipped up.
"Huh you missed!" He screamed in triumph. Gadget just smiled. He brought his lance down to the floor and touched the piece of armor he had left embedded into the ground. As soon as his horn touched the object a screen of green light formed around the walls of the hallway sealing off any chance of escape. The guards saw this and turned to face Gadget.
"Sister what kind of magic is this?" Luna asked. Celestia just stared at Gadget's equipment in wander.
"That my dear sister is more than magic. It is the future of our guard in the making."
Gadget saw the group of guards looking around in terror. He smiled at there fear. Now the grand finally. With a flash gadget's horn went from being a lance of magic to a wall of green light. He then charged up his engines to full power and roared towards the group of guard's. He sandwiched them between the two solid walls of force and with a satisfying crunch he stopped his engines and land to the ground dissipating his magic. The guards all fell in a tangled heap in to much to to do anything else but lay there. With the main force of guards taken care of Gadget ran to Nightmare's cell. He go to the end of the sell block and found her, standing over the beaten body of the guard known as Search Light.
"Nightmare?" Gadget called out to the weary looking mare. She did not respond. Gadget opened the cell door which let out an eerie creaking noise. He stepped into the cell and went over to Nightmare. He could feel her anger, fear and confusion.
"Nightmare?" He asked again. This caused the mare to flinch and look at him with teary eye's.
"K-k-knight?" She trembled a little at the sight of Gadget.
"H-h-he - - t--tried -t-t-to." Gadget looked at the incapacitated pegasus on the floor. He was out cold a huge welt on his head and bruises marking his body. He then lent a wing to Nightmare. She looked at it, then to him.
"It's ok." He said a look of grim confidence on his face. Tentatively Nightmare grasped his wing in her own and together the two trotted out of the cell, but not before Nightmare kicked Search Light in his nether region's. He let out a pained grown from his blunt force induced coma.
The two made there way down the hall were they found Princess's Celestia and Luna waiting for them.
"Princess? What just happened?" Gadget asked in both anger and confusion.
"It would seem that not even my own royal guard is immune to corruption." Celestia shook her head. Then she looked at Nightmare. she looked like she was in a trance, like nothing was real and she was trying to figure out a way back to reality. Gadget was having a hard time digesting what had just transpired as well. He was coping better than Nightmare was but he was still shocked that Celestia's own guard would stoop so low as to try and rape a prisoner. Even one as evil as Nightmare moon. However right now Gadget could not bring himself to say anything about her past. Not even she deserved to have this done to her.
Gadget looked up to the princess's.
"Princess what exactly was the reason for me being here?" Celestia and Luna thought back to the reason they wanted him here and sighed.
"It is best that we discuss this in a more private location." Celestia said. Gadget held up a hoof.
"What about them?" He said venom very evident in his voice as he pointed to the group of passed out guard's. Celestia looked upon them in disgust.
"They will be severely punished for there transgressions. You have my word on that." She gave gadget a stern look. One that he repaid with a nod of approval. With a wave of her horn the guard's were quickly locked away in a group of cell's off down the hall. Then with another wave and a flash of light the group now including Nightmare Moon was teleported to Celestia's Royal chamber's. Gadget looked around the room and saw thing he thought would better fit into a foals nursery. He saw little plushy s of the sun and moon as well as a big fluffy cloud bed.
He went to go and sit down on a group of pillow's but was weighed down by something on clinging to him. He looked to his left to see that Nightmare had fallen asleep. Using his telekinesis he levitated the disheveled alicorn to a group of pillow's strewn about on the floor and gently laid her down on them to rest.
After Nightmare was soundly asleep Gadget turned to the Princess's who both had smile's on there face's.
"What?" Gadget asked a nervous look on his face.
"You handle her well for all the effort she put into trying to kill you." Celestia said. Gadget looked from her to Nightmare. He smiled.
"Yah well i just can't really bring myself to hate her. That's just not the per-pony that i am." He was glad he caught his slip up. He just hoped the princess's hadn't. If ether of them noticed they did not say word. They just continued about there business. Celestia cleared her throat.
"Well now that all of that is taken care of i think it is time we get down to why you are here." Gadget was all ear's. Princess Luna scooched closer to her sister.
"Both Princess Luna and i have been discussing just what to do with Nightmare Moon these past few week's since her return here seems to be permanent." Celestia sighed.
"I just never thought my own guard's would stoop to that level of savagery." she hissed through clenched teeth. She looked at Nightmare and continued.
"How ever in light of your recent heroic's."-Gadget blushed at this.-" I will still ask of you what we have proposed." She then looked at Gadget. "You of all pony's can tell us what Nightmare Moon is like." Gadget was taken back by this.
"ME?" He shouted then clamped his hooves over his mouth. He looked to Nightmare Moon and saw that she was still asleep.
"Uh um i mean why me princess?" He asked. Celestia's face hardened and she continued her explanation.
"I will not lie young one. When i healed you i felt something different bout you." That made Gadget's blood freeze.
"Something different?" He asked. Please don't be what i think it is.
"In all honesty i cannot tell what is is that is different about you but you have demonstrated a remarkable skill set."
"Well i-"
"Including the ability to read body language like know one else i have ever come across."
"Oh that." Celestia perched an eyebrow but moved on.
"Yes that. That is what we want you to help us with." She looked at Nightmare once more.
"We need you to see if Nightmare moon is still a threat to our little pony's." Princess Luna chimed in. Gadget looked from princess to princess.
"So that's it?" He asked.
"There may well be some other detail's we would like to discuss with you, but those can wait for another time."
"So as for now will thou help us?" Gadget looked from the Princess's to Nightmare.
"OK what have i got to loose." He said with a shrug.
! week later.
Gadget was laying down taking a break from working on his latest little gizmo when he heard a knock on his door. Well who could that be? He went to the door and opened it to find himself staring at two wooden box's one quite large as big as him in fact. The other was small only four feet long and about five inches across. OK? He went and grabbed a magic amplifying crystal ring and slid it over his horn. He then lifted both box's into his home and put them on the ground in front of his couch. Wander whats inside of them? He looked all over the box's and finally found a note affixed to the small one. He yanked it off and began to read it.
Dear, Sr Gadget.
What is with the Sr?
My sister and i would like to thank you on with your help in fixing our little dilemma. In order to show our gratitude we have commissioned a smith to forge you a gift of the highest praise we can afford. It is packaged inside the crate with which this note is affixed to. And in order to double the fun we have enclosed an additional surprise to arrive in anther box to be sent to you with this one.
Your Princess of The Night, Luna.
Gadget looked at the back of the note and saw more writing.
P.S. Be sure to play gently.
OK what does that mean?
Gadget looked at the box that the letter had come with. He shrugged his shoulder's and went down to the basement to grab a crowbar. He came back and jammed the crowbar into the box and with a heave he ripped the wooden lid off. As he looked inside the box his excitement went up a few notch's. After he had grabbed the object with his magic he slid it out of the box in astonishment.
It was a sword. And a nice looking one at that. He had seen some of them at a few of the fair's his parent's had taken him to as a child but he had rarely ever held one. This one was by far the best looking piece of art he had ever seen. It was a simple long sword, a three foot double edged blade with a broad fuller tapering just an inch before the point. The cross guard was a single strait piece of steel coated in a layer of copper. The handle was a foot long and wrapped in black leather. Man he really wished he was a human now so he could feel the weapon with his hand's.
Then an idea hit him. He thought about it really hard and use his magic... Nothing. Not even a spark. Oh well it was worth a shot. As cool as this was he was curious as to what the other gift was. So he got his crowbar and jimmied the big crate open. And was shocked to have a pony fall out on top of him.
"What the hay?" He shouted. He struggled to get the other pony off of him and when he finally caught his breath he looked at the new arrival with dread and confusion.
"Nightmare?" upon hearing her name her eye's shot open and looked around. As they settled upon Gadget her look went from one of confusion to one of anger.
"YOU!" She screamed.
"ME?" Gadget squeaked. Nightmare got to her hooves and grabbed the discarded crowbar from the floor. Gadget was to shocked to do anything but scream and run she ran after him with the improvised weapon.
Gadget briskly walked down the street to his new favorite hangout, Sugar Cube Corner. It had been 3 whole days since the princess's had sent nightmare moon to ponyville. To say that she had a warm welcome was an....understatement.
Jan, 29, 1000, C.E. 3:00 P.M. Ponyville.
After Nightmare had passed out from running around Gadget's tower trying to give him a concussion he had taken her upstairs and put her to bed. He went back down stairs and sat on his couch. OH Great. JUST GREAT!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!?! Gadget was stuck in a huge pickle. OH God Princess's what were you thinking! Gadget sat there wondering just what to do. He sat there and came up empty. Then he heard a knock on his door. Just who could that be? He got up and trotted to the peephole. Bouncing outside of his door, with a gift basket and, no doubt a party invitation, was Pinky Pie. What is she---- CRAP!!!!!
Gadget was having a mini mental breakdown right now. NO! NO! NOOOOOOO! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!!!
"OH Gadget!!!!" Pinky's voice cut through the air like a knife. And that knife had just embedded itself into Gadget's brain. He calmed down, took a deep breath,-"Smmmm in, whoooooo out."- and approached the door. He opened it just a crack and peeked outside. He saw nothing? He then opened it all the way and even looked around outside. Where the hay did she go? He looked around but the party pony was gone. he shut the door slowly and--
"HELLO!!!"
"AAHHHHH!!!" Let out the most unstallion scream he had ever heard. Right as he turned around to go back to his couch he came face to face with pinky pie. While Gadget was getting over his heart attack, pinky was sitting there on the floor twiddling her hooves around.
"So whatcha do'in tonight?" She asked a wide smile plastered on her face. Gadget just looked at her with a face that could kill. His breathing had finally calmed down and he was looking up to the second story. Good she isn't awake. His eye's roamed back to Pinky who was still looking for an answer.
"Not much, Why?" He asked in an angry, stern voice. Somehow Pinky's smile got even bigger. That really freaked Gadget out. So much so that he inched back into the couch.
"Well, according to my pinky sense there's a new pony in town!" She said excitedly bouncing around Gadget's living room.
"Ya about that." Gadget said rubbing the back of his head. Pinky stopped bouncing and began to give Gadget a stern look of her own.
"Whaaaat?" Pinky said stretching her face towards Gadget's own. He was very visibly freaked out about this. His eye's were as big as dinner plate's and he was sweating profusely.
"Uhh--uhhh-uum n-n-n-nothing p-p-p-pinky. i-i-i-i'll b-b-b-be t-t-there." He said putting on a fake smile. Slowly Pinky withdrew her face back to its proper location on her shoulder's and she backed out of Gadget's house. He went to go shut the door when Pinky's head popped back in. He flinched away from the door and stared at her. She took her front hoof, pointed at her eye and then at him. He vigorously nodded his head and her's slowly slipped back out the door. He just stood there shocked at what just happened. He finally got up the courage to just use his magic on the door. Screw the inevitable headache. That mare needs to go to a mental hospital. And i need a drink!
Gadget unstuck himself from the door mat and went into his kitchen. He opened the fridge and found what he was looking for. Ah good old Apple Family's Hard Apple Cider. Just what i need. He grabbed the beverage in his hoof and trotted back to his couch. He sat there drinking his Cider until his uncle came down stairs.
"Wow champ what's got you so worked up now?" His uncle went and sat next to him. Gadget looked at his uncle and shook his head.
"If i had just one word to some it all up it would be Pinky." His uncle shuddered. He remembered when he had first met the mare. He had assumed she was having a sugar rush and left it at that. Then he went to her party she had thrown for him. By the end of the night he was puking his gut's out in the ally way behind sugar cube corner. The next mourning he had a sugar induced hanger over so bad he couldn't speak properly. He ended up in bed for two whole day's and even after those two day's he was sure his sugar levels would never be the same again.
His uncle nodded his head in sympathy.
"Ya nephew i can understand that."
"But that's not even the worst part if you can believe that." He nodded his head to upstairs.
"The party is for her." His uncle raised an eyebrow.
"So have you finally decided to settle down and give your mom and dad those grandchildren they oh so despratly want?" Gadget face went from black to red in a second.
"I--wha--no--it's---" Gadget stammered as his uncle laughed his head off. He finally caught on and stopped stammering. When his uncle was done he picked himself up off of the floor and rejoined Gadget on the couch, a smirk on his face.
"So all joking aside." His uncle said with a straight face. "Who is she?" Gadget looked from his uncle to the stairs.
"She's ahh she's oh boy." He explained the situation to his uncle not leaving out a single detail. His uncle just sat there not moving a muscle through out the whole story. When Gadget was over he just had one question.
"So what do you think i should do? Should we go to the party and try to act like nothing ever happened or do you think it would be best to just call the whole thing off?"
His uncle rubbed a hoof on his chin. Gadget knew he was deep in thought when ever he did this.
"Well." His uncle went back to his normal cheery self. "I think you should just go. You might be surprised just how forgiving some pony's can be." Gadget was now thinking up a plan to get nightmare to the party without her suspecting a thing.
"Ah ha I've got it.!"
6:30 P.M. Gadget's Tower.
"So tell me again Knight what shall i have to expect at this this Ceremony of Joy?"Nightmare asked as she and Gadget made there way down the road to the bakery. Gadget had told Nightmare that there was going to be a Ceremony to commemorate a special pony in town. He had also said that they were both invited as guest's. At first she objected stating that a, "A Queens place is not with her subjects above them." Gadget stared at her for a sec. Then he came up with a clever ruse.
"Well my queen."-He snickered to himself.-"Shall we go amongst the subjects and delight in the festivity's of the millennium?" He said hoping to appeal to her vanity. Her face was not easy to read but her emotions were an open book. She was contemplating his words carefully. She was feeling a bit of joy, fear, pride, and uncertainty. Finally her expression went from confusion to one of acceptance.
"All right then Knight, we shall depart from your tower hence forth at the appropriate time. We shall not be late for our first audience with the public." With her piece said and done she went back to the second floor to prepare herself for the "party". Gadget breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was to close." He to went to prepare for his role in this whole charade. In the end Gadget was decked out in his MK6 Armor, but now he had his sword strapped to his back in a custom sheath of his own invention. He had to replace his jet pack but he did not feel like flying much today anyway. He was at the door waiting for Nightmare wondering what was taking her so long.
"Mare's and there look's." He mumbled to himself. He heard a sound of hoof steps descending the stairs and turned to look at his guest. And he was still looking as she made it to the ground floor. She looked so different from her other more scary self. Now that she was the same size as any other pony she was easier to approach. Now that she was dressed up for a part or a Ceremony as she had put it she was absolutely stunning.
"What?" She asked him as she glided across the floor to the door, Gadgets eye's still glued to her impressive figure. Gadget could not look away. The once fierce looking Nightmare moon was completely gone. Her normally black as night coat of fur was replaced with a Cerulean colored coat, her mane was a pale shade of Fuchsia that fell over her now normal looking goldenrod toned eye's in two bangs. Her mane was cut short coming up to shoulder length.
"You look beautiful." He said softly. Nightmare blushed at his remark but she held her head high.
"Thank you Knight." Her face suddenly broke into a devious grin. "So shall we go forth and become the envy of the town?" Gadget opened the door for her and together the two departed for the party. A few Minutes before the two made it to sugar cube corner.
"So Tell me Knight. What shall we expect at this Ceremony of Joy?" Nightmare said as she held her head high, ignoring the stare's from all of the stallion's walking through town. Gadget was kind of glad Nightmare was so pretty-- cute--hot-sexy- beautif-.. He held his head for a little while trying to get the pictures of her out of his head and focus. on her question.
"Knight are you OK?" Gadget looked up to see Nightmare looking at him with concern on her face?
"Um ya Nightmare. I am. Thank's." He said giving her a reassuring smile. She extended her hoof and he took it as he got up from the ground. When he got his mind together he answered her question.
"Well at this event you should expect a lot of attention." He said rubbing the back of his head.
"Well that is obvious." Nightmare remarked as she looked around to see the sight's of the town. She made a mental note of a nearby park she wanted to go and explore later.
"And you should probably be prepared to take a lot of flack for your last appearance here." He made as an off handed comment. Nightmare looked at him for a second and then she realized what he meant. She shook her head.
"The townsfolk will have nothing to fear from me." Gadget smiled at this.
"Because now i shall rule over this world not with an iron hoof but with a soft smile and a dagger in hand." Gadget's smile vanished as he looked at Nightmare who was looking back at him, a stern look on her face.
"Wh--ho--no--yo--" Gadget was cut off by Nightmare's Laughter which was shocking coming from well her. Gadget just stared at Nightmare. He was confused but also quit relieved.
"Oh the look on your face was priceless!" Nightmare laughed as Gadget's face relaxed into a soft smirk. He shook his head and chuckled at his jumping to conclusion's.
"Well i should go and change my armor." Gadget said to himself.
"What? Why?" Nightmare said as she puzzled the answer to this strange choice of words. Gadget was looking at nightmare with an are you serious look. Then he remembered why she would not know that phrase.
"Nothing." Gadget said as he continued to walk to there destination. The two walked in silence for a time, Nightmare still looking around from time to time letting out a soft "ooh" or "aww" at some random everyday thing that Gadget came into contact with every time he came to town. In all honesty he found it cute and funny how fascinated she seemed with everything around her. Both pony's were so enthralled with thought's of the party that they did not notice they were being fallowed.
6:30 Just as Gadget and Nightmare leave his home.
From the shadows of the forest a lone pony watched as his target left there residence.
"This is Fleet Wing to, control, come in control."
"Fleet Wing this is control, report, over." Fleet Wing watched as his targets made there way into town.
"Target's are on the move. I repeat. Target's are on the move. Moving to follow."
"Control copy's all. Over and Out."
7:00 P.M. Sugar Cube Corner.
As soon as Nightmare stepped a hoof into Sugar Cube Corner she knew something was not right. Just what is going on hear? There was a sudden explosion of sound and the a bright flash of light blinded Nightmare to the threat of whoever was attacking the alicorn and her Knight.
While Princess Nightmare and Gadget were having the living daylight's scared out of them by Pinky Pie's party planning preparation's, Princess Celestia was residing over a very important event of her own. The Trial of her "sister's" would be violator's. She shuddered both at the thought of what they going to do to her and the thought of Nightmare now being her sister. That was something she would have to get used to. That was the main reason for sending her to ponyville. To give Celestia the time to get adjusted to the thought of Nightmare as a sister. She had hoped this trial would be the first step toward's that process. Kneeling before her was the ring leader of the the group Commander Vice Grip.
"Well Commander, do you have anything to say about you or your troop's despicable action's?" The commander nodded his head. No.
"Very well then. In that case the date for both you and your squad's sentence's shall be carried out on the 3rd of March." She motioned for the guard's but the commander looked up.
"Your majesty a moment?" He inquired. She looked at him fury. He shrank back a little bowing his head in submission. "Your majesty i know after what i and my squad have done there is no way we can be forgiven. But could you please find it within your heart to show a little mercy?" Celestia thought for all of a second.
"No." She said coolly. Then she got up motioned for her guards to take the prisoner back to his cell's and left the counsel chamber's. Once she was away from the public safe in her tower she broke down in tear's. Never in all her rein as princess had she ever had to do so cruel an act as to deny a prisoner a last request. But when she thought of what those vile creature's were going to do, righteous fury took hold. She had some small amount of pity for Private Search Light. When they had rushed him to the infirmary he was barely alive and his he was no longer a Pegasus. Nightmare may not have had her magic but she still managed to rip his wing's off.
"Sister what ale's thee so?" Princess Luna had just finished her evening fly over of Equestria and had returned to her tower when she felt her sister's anguish through there bond. She came to her sister's chamber's to see her crying hysterically.
"Oh Luna." She said trotting up to her sister and nuzzled her affectionately. "There is so much to be done now. You have returned but so has--" She couldn't bring herself to speak her name out of fear of unjust anger. She instead shrugged and went on with her list of worry's.
"In the wake of your return there is so much to do. We will have to get you adjusted to the new world. We will have to make space for a new princess." She looked up to her sister who was wearing a smile.
"Oh Celestia thou doth not have to trouble thine self with our problem's." She said laying a wing over her sister embracing her in a soft hug.
"But sister you have been away for so long. How will you be brought up to speed in the way's of the world if i'm---" Luna brought a hoof to Celestia's mouth.
"Dear sister we do not with to be a burden unto thee. We have had a thousand year's to look back upon our mistake's and we have come to the conclusion that we did not handle it the best way." Luna though about it then shook her head.
"Nay we handled it like a foal. Not an adult, of which we are now. No dear sister we shall handle our adjustment's ourselves. You alone shall not carry our burden." Then an idea struck Luna.
"And as for our new sister. Well we shall be paying her a visit shortly." Luna said with a smile. Celestia was slightly taken by surprise.
"Luna do you already consider, Nightmare--"
"Midnight."
"What?"
"Her new name." Celestia looked at Luna in curiosity. Luna continued.
"We have hence forth decided to not associate this new being with the evil tyrant we once were. So we have come up with a name we thought would be suitable for her. So we have come to the conclusion to name her Princess Midnight." Celestia thought about it. she liked the name. It had some her foe's old feel to it but at the same time it felt like a new start for the newest addition to her family. She could get used to it. She chuckled to herself. She would have to send Gadget a letter detailing the new change to his charge's persona.
Back in ponyville.
Gadget had stepped back from the bright flash and heard the sound of various voice's shouting "Surprise!" at the top of there lung's. Then the whole room went silent. Luckily Gadget's vizier went black at the bright flash so he wasn't blinded. He saw the expression on all of the pony's face go from one of happiness and joy to one's of confusion and hesitation. So far so good. At least no pony's running away screaming. Then pony's began to mutter.
"Who is that?"
"Is she related to the Princess's?"
"She's new in town!"
"She's very pretty." A few stallion's commented. Nightmare looked upon the party goer's with confusion. Why are they all starring? Do they not remember me?
"What?" She asked the crowd. "Did you all forget about the feared Nightmare Moon so quickly?" Gadget went white as a sheet. CRAP!! FORGOT ABOUT THAT! The girl's were there and they all began to stare at the strange mare calling herself Nightmare Moon. Then Nightmare unfurled her wing's and the whole room erupted into chaos.
"OH No!"
"She's back!"
"Everypony run for your live's!" The whole party pony's began to surge out of any available exit they could find that was not blocked by Nightmare Moon. Pretty soon the whole place was cleared of any pony save for the main six Gadget and a stunned Nightmare. Wow. They can really clear out when they want to. She thought. She simply shrugged and went to a table to sample a pastry.
"Wow. These are good." As Nightmare munched on a cupcake the girls, save for pinky, all rounded on Gadget who was sitting there looking around the place wondering how the party had died so quickly.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!" Twilight scolded.
"Dude what were you thinking!" Rainbow Dash added.
"Are you ok Sugar cube?" Aj asked.
"Darling what ever did you think of bringing that most audacious villain here with you?" Rarity said.
"Um i was wondering why she's here?" Fluttershy asked timidly. Gadget was bombarded with question after question and he finally held up a hoof silencing them. Pinky began to chuckle and the whole group looked at her.
"Oh girl's." She said laughing the whole way. "This party was meant for Nightmare silly filly's." The girl's and gadget all looked at her with confusion. Then Gadget remembered who this mare was. His question died in his throat coming out as a strangled garble. The girl's all looked between Pinky and Nightmare who was now looking at a pinata of Her old self hanging from the ceiling.
"Sr Gadget?" She asked. Gadget's head snapped to attention and he saw what she was staring at.
"Yes?" he said suppressing a chuckle as Nightmare gingerly poked the pinata with a hoof.
"What is this effigy for?" She said looking at him.
"That my dear princess is a pinata. It is full of candy and them beaten with a stick to get the candy out." He saw Nightmare's face pale a little. Then her horn lit up and the pinata burst into flame. At the site of the flame Gadget's mind went blank. Suddenly he was engulfed in the familiar sensation of burning alive. He began to scream as his fur was purged from his body. Then his flesh. Finally his bone's became not but ash on the wind.
"Gadget!" The voice snapped him out of his P.T.S.D induced hallucination and brought him back to reality. The girls were standing over him with concern on there face. Even Nightmare was there to looking concerned as well. He got up as the group let him have his space. Nightmare was the first to speak.
"Sr Gadget are you OK?" She asked her voice soft. He looked at her and smiled weakly.
"Huh. Yah. I'm fine." He thought about it for a sec. "come on let's get some cake he said putting on a fake smile. The girls all stared after him. Even Nightmare was looking at him with worry on her face. As Gadget made his way to the food table's Nightmare made her way after him. He got a little bit of everything on a plate and sat down at a nearby table. The girls were still sitting in the middle of the bakery looking at both Nightmare and Gadget.
"I just don't get it?" AJ Said.
"Yah i know." Twilight added.
"It's kind of hard to believe that she is Nightmare Moon."
"Ye darling." Rarity said. "If not for the wing's i would not have believed it."
"Why didn't the princess's just banish her in the moon again?" Rainbow asked. The group thought about it. Then Fluttershy piped up.
"Did Nightmare call Gadget Sr?" The pony's thought about this to.
"Wait?" Twilight asked.
"So doe's that?" Rainbow added. Rarity swooned.
"That make's him a Knight!" She said pulling her couch out of nowhere. The girls looked at Gadget closely and they saw his sword strapped to his back. They were all in shock. The only pony's able to carry weapon's were Celestia's royal guard's and Knight's. Knight's however were few and far between. To actually meet one was rare. To have one as a friend was even rarer. They were all awoken from there stupor by pinky.
"Hey girl's come on and join us!" She excitedly waved to the group from the same table as Gadget and Nightmare. The girls all looked at one another and shook there head's. They were all going to have to meet Nightmare sooner or later.
"Might as well get it done and over with." Twilight said to the group. They all shook there head's in conformation and headed over to the table.
Canterlot Royal Dungeon's.
Vice Grip was deep in thought. His last request was denied but his plan was still intact. His date was set for a month from now that would be plenty of time for his escape plan to work. He sat in his cell in the corner clutching his route to freedom, a single small seed. An apple seed to be exact. He cackled to himself.
"Oy be quit you." A guard said rapping the rune etched iron bar's. Vice turned toward's the guard his anti-magic shackle's clanking as he made his way to the guard.
"Oh guard. Can i have a simple glass of water?" He asked a sick smile on his face. The guard who could not see his evil grin, shook his head and let out a sigh.
"Sure." He said as he left to go and fetch some water for the prisoner's. He couldn't very well have them die on him from thirst. Vice just grinned as he lounged in his little cot. His plan would come to fruition and he and his squad would finally be free. Then he would show the Princess's just how vile this Nightmare Moon was. Once he tracked her down he would finally have his revenge on the pony that took away his family's dream's.
Back in the shadow's of a ponyville alleyway.
Swift Wing looked at his target's with a smile on his face. Well it look's like there all getting together swimmingly. He brought his hoof up to his ear piece and tapped the send button.
"Control this is Swift Wing reporting in." His line was silent for a sec.
"This is control. What's the situation?"
"Just reporting in that the target is integrating into the party with positive result's."
"Really? That's some good new's. Is that all?"
"Yes. That is all for now. Swift Wing over and out."
"Control copy's all Swift Wing. Over and out." Swift wing leaned back on his cloud resting from his first day of surveillance. He could get used to this job.
Gemini watched as event's unfolded throughout the multiverse. He saw several different versions of equestria all going about there very existence without a care in the world. The Alicorn looked on.
"Let's see. Which Equestria shall i destroy today?" He surfed through all of the data he had on every single multiverse and stopped on one that he found intriguing.
"Huh. Interesting." In this universe he saw a group of pony's laughing and joking like old friend's. This however had two extra member's that Gemini was not expecting to see. One of them was a male unicorn adorned in technological armor. The other was a reformed Nightmare Moon.
"Curious. How did they get there?" Gemini's very being trembled with ecstasy at the thought of obliterating this universe from existence. Just as Gemini ripped a hole in the fabric of this universe however, the male unicorn looked around. Then his eye's stopped just were Gemini was going to go through. He froze. This stallion looked at him with a determination that said step one hoof in my universe and i will tear you apart. Gemini was now far from impressed. He was rattled to his core. There is no way he can spot me. Is there? Gemini receded from the universal fabric. This will take some planning. So Gemini lazily drifted throughout the fabric of reality, time, and space, contemplating the best way to get into this universe and confront this new adversary.
Meanwhile In Ponyville. Feb, 1, 1000, C.E. 9:00 A.M.
Gadget got a strange feeling. Like he was being watched. His sensor's ran a diagnostic and suddenly went crazy. His scanner's were picking up a massive magical tachyon flux. In plane terms there was a lot of magic in an area it was not meant to be in. And it was playing hell with his equipment. The girls were all looking at Gadget as his armor began to vibrate with him inside it. Then his armor opened up and he was forcefully ejected from it flying into the wall of the bakery. The girls all rushed to his side as Gadget picked himself up off of the floor.
"Wow that looked fun! Do it again!" Pinky shouted. Gadget looked at pinky like she was crazy which for all he knew she was. He shook his head to get rid of his slight headache.
"Are you ok sugar cube?"
"What was that?" Twilight asked. Nightmare stood there looking at gadget then to his armor.
"Sr Skyrose what happened?"
"Something was driving the magical tachyon's in the area crazy." Twilight and Nightmare shook their heads in acknowledgement. The rest of the group looked dumbfounded.
"The magical what now?" AJ asked.
"Basically something really powerful was messing with the magical force's in the area causing a disturbance in the natural magical field's surrounding ponyville." He explained. The rest of the group still looked lost. He thought of a way to simplify it even more. His eye's lit up as a thought came to him.
"Ok. Think of it like this." He said using his front hooves to motion out his thoughts.
"Lets say that there's a magical field around ponyville." All of the mares nodded in understanding.
"Now lets say that the ambient magical energy is like a river, flowing from one place to the next." More nod's.
"Ok now let's say that some of that magic flows into ponyville's bubble and gets trapped there." Pinky's hoof shot into the air faster than lightning.
"OHOHOHOHOHOH!!!" She said jumping up and down excitedly. Gadget pointed to her.
"Yes pinky?"
"If theirs a magic bubble around ponyville why doesn't it pop whenever somepony go's threw it?" Gadget looked at her with a quizzical expression. That's actually a good question. He shrugged his shoulder's.
"I'll have to get back to you on that one Pinky."
"So back to your science stuff." Rainbow said, waving her hoof along.
"Thank you rainbow." Gadget said giving her a grin to which she just rolled her eye's.
"So lets say that this water gets trapped in the bubble. Now lets say a unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony wants to use their magic." He said levitating a small salt shaker in front of them all.
"This will draw upon the magic in the area and act like a tiny drop of water rippling through out a pond, ie the river of magic." He set the salt shaker on the floor and rubbed his head to get rid of his headache from using his magic.
"Now in order to understand why my equipment went haywire lets go back to the river stuck in the bubble. What happens when you try and fight the current of a river?" Twilight raised a hoof.
"Yes twi?"
"You cant really fight the current. You can struggle and paddle as fast as you can but in the end you will get dragged along with the current." Gadget shook his head.
"Correct. Now lets imagine that this river is flowing nice and smooth. That is the way it will always be. No deviation or change. Ever." Gadget then pointed a hoof to his armor.
"Now what happened a few minutes ago was someone not only like someone trying to fight the current of magic, they were distorting the flow of magic so severely that it would be like dropping a boulder into the water not a small stone or even a drop of water but a huge round boulder." He let the gravity of his word sink in. The whole group went pale.
"But who could have that much magical power?" Twilight asked. Gadget didn't know. He just shook his head and went to go run a diagnostic on his armor. He ended up having to reboot the suits system's. The girls all stood there for a sec. Nightmare came up to Gadget and asked one simple question.
"Why were we not affected by this?" Gadget pondered.
"Honestly i don't know. A magic flux of that magnitude should have done more than fry my suits wiring." He said as he pulled out a wrench and began to unscrew a few bolts keeping the power supply in place on his suits back.
"My best guess is that what ever it was was not concentrating on a specific pony when they used that much magic. Think of it like a beam of light. If you focus it on a single area it will begin to burn what ever it touch's. But if you unfocused it then it becomes harmless. The same could be said for the magical anomaly. It had an immense amount of power but it wasn't focused on anyone in particular. Instead it was focused on an area spreading out the detrimental effect's of the magic flux over a wide radius." He went over to his saddle bags in the corner of the store and got out a new battery pack. After loosening the last bolt off the battery's housing he went to lift the cover off the battery but was beaten to it by a soft blue glow. He looked around to see Nightmare using her magic to levitate the cover from the suits back.
"Here let me help." She said. He smiled then nodded his head. Together the two of them had the battery replaced in less time than it would have taken Gadget on his own. The girls left the two to there own device's as they all were wondering the same thing.
"Girl's i'll see you all later." Twilight said as she made her way to the door of sugar cube corner.
"Were ever are you going dear?" Rarity asked.
"Don't worry girls i'll be back. I just need to go and send a letter to the princess. Maybe she will know whats going on." Twilight left, leaving the girls, Nightmare and Gadget in the shop. Gadget let out a "YES!" as his suit came to life once more.
"I do hope the princess know's whats going on." Fluttershy said shaking a little bit.
"Don't worry Flutter's. If anypony know's what's happen'in it'll be the princess." Rainbow said. Then she looked to Nightmare who was listening to Gadget who was talking about more science stuff. She shook her head. Egg head. As if sensing her thought's Nightmare edged her head around to look at Rainbow with a look that said What did you just call him! Rainbow's head shot away from the two and she found the ceiling very interesting. She glanced back to see Nightmare fully engrossed with the science behind Gadget's technology.
"Weird pony." She mumbled to herself.
Meanwhile halfway across equestria in the crystal mountain's.
Sky Diver and Ruby Rose made there way to there command center through a raging blizzard. They had gotten a page on their telecom's to come to the command center at once. So they donned there snow gear and went out into the storm. After got to the command tent they went straight to the overseer's office.
"Come in." Came a gravelly voice from the other side of the tent flap. The couple entered the little five by five room and the commander waved a hoof for them to have a seat. They both sat down and waited. The Overseer got up from his chair turned around and retrieved a folded piece of paper from a filing cabinet behind his desk. He put the paper down on the desk and unfolded it.
"I suppose you two are wandering why you were called to this remote part of equestria?" The couple looked at one another and nodded. The commander gave a hardy chuckle and went about his explanation.
"You two were the best archaeologist's we could find on such short notice." He paused. "Do you two remember the first dig you had here a few week's back?" The couple nodded again.
"Well that dig will feel like a cake walk compered to what we have found out here." He motioned with his hoof to a patch of frozen desert to the east of there current location in the crystal mountain's.
"Do you two see what this map say's?" He hoofed over the map. The couple studied it.
"Well Sr."
"Just call me Frosty." The couple looked at one another and Sky Diver continued his speech.
"Well Frosty. It look's like there's an entire kingdom out there buried beneath the ice."
"Exactly." The commander stated. Ruby Rose spoke next.
"And i suppose you want us to go and find this lost city?"
"That's correct." Frosty looked from Sky to Rose. The couple was internally debating the pro's and con's of this assignment. To them this was a dream come true. But then they thought of Gadget. They hadn't seen him in what felt like age's. they knew he would want them to go and be the first pony's to set foot in this ancient kingdom. But they wanted to see their son so badly.
"Is there any rush or can we think about this?" Sky asked the commander. He thought about it then shook his head.
"In all honesty i would like to get to excavating the ruin's as soon as possible." the couple looked downcast. The commander sighed.
"But. I can use some pony's help in delivering a request to the princess." The couple's faces glowed with happiness.
"As you both know, the electromagical field's up here play hell with all magic in the area. So i need someone to send word to the princess about our find. So can i count on you two to deliver my letter and then get back here with a response and an answer?" The couple shook there head's and got up from there seat's and were out of the door before they were halted.
"Hey Wait up!" They stooped and turned around. The Commander was standing at the door a letter in hoof.
"You two might want to take this before you catch the train to Canterlot. The couple took the letter and then made there way to the nearest train station. The commander just shook his head as the two left.
"Huhu parent's."
Act II Chapter 4: Flight Lessons and Racing Stripes.
Gadget now decked out in his fully functional armor now with a few addition's, was walking with Nightmare to the park. She had mentioned wanting to go there the day before and the two had made a plan to go. Nightmare had been dying to know how well Gadget could fly using his mechanical wing's. She did not understand that he had a jet pack. Not the same thing as wing's but it would allow him to fly nonetheless. The two made there way over the bridge and went to a small open field on the outskirts of the park were they would not be disturbed by anypony else.
"So how well can you fly?" Nightmare asked Gadget as he fiddled with his suit's avionics. He looked at Nightmare and then screwed his face up in thought. The mountain of calculation's scrolling across his suits H.U.D. distracted him a little bit but he eventually answered her question.
"In all honesty. Not that well." He said as his suit's reading's read green across the board. He did a few warm up's to stretch out his leg muscle's. Nightmare was baffled.
"Then how were you able to keep up with me in our fight?" Gadget just laughed.
"That was me running on adrenaline. That and my suits A.I. helps me keep track of everything around me and auto corrects my course in millisecond's." Nightmare was curious.
"Hud? AI?"
" H.U.D. It's short for Head's Up Display." He look off his helmet and handed it to Nightmare. She took held it in her magic and looked at him.
"And A.I. Is short for artificial Intelligence."
"Go ahead put in on." Nightmare looked at him but did as she was told. The helmet slid over her head and her world was engulfed in darkness. Then a in a flash of light she could see again. But as she squinted her eye's she saw other thing's popping up in her field of view. As she looked at them they came into focus. She saw a little red bar across the top of the display. Her eye's roamed the side's of the screen and she saw other bar's for other things. She had no idea what they were for.
"So how is it?" Gadget asked. His voice sounding a little distorted through the helmet. She swiveled her head to him and jumped as his face came into focus but it was bigger than before. In fact Nightmare could see his face so clearly that she could make out scar's. From what she had no idea but then the helmet's screen beeped to life as it began to scan Gadget's face. The scars appeared to be burn scar's according to the helmet. Nightmare was not used to all of the information the helmet was feeding. She ripped it off of her head and handed it to Gadget.
"How can you think strait with all of that, chaos going on?" She asked him sucking in lungfuls of air. She was feeling just a little claustrophobic at the moment. Gadget looked at her with a face of pity and amusement.
"Lot's of practice." He said chuckling as he put the helmet back on his head. It hissed as the suit reintegrated it back into its frame. Then his wing's sprang to life as they flipped forward locking into place with a magnetic shink sound. Then his engine's flared to life along with his horn. Nightmare was in aww of the pony in front of her. Here was a unicorn who having been robbed of his ability to use magic had not quit. He simply found a new way of doing things.
His armor hissed as it readjusted itself to the confine's of his body. Once it was all locked into place he turned toward's her and even tho she couldn't see it he was smiling.
"So your majesty shall we see just how good of a flyer you are?" He said not hiding his challenge in the least. Nightmare smirked at him. So the knight think's he can out fly his queen? Well then he shall learn a valuable lesson today. The two of them rocketed into the air laughing as they did so. Nightmare zoomed though the sky deftly turning at sharp angle's as she maneuvered her body in the air like ballerina. She spun, corkscrewed, did loop's and finally settled down on a cloud breathing heavily.
"So Knight still think you can best that?" Gadget was silent at first. His suit was scanning Nightmare's routine and adding it to his data of aerial maneuver's. He did a final scan of his own repertoire and took a deep breath. All right. Lets see if i can impress a princess. He revved his engine's and then with a mighty leap took off into the air. With his course set Gadget just sat back and let the suit take over for him. His mind wandered while his suit pulled off some of the same moves as Nightmare even finding the time to display a few other one's she hadn't done.
When his routine was through Gadget went and settled down on the same cloud as Nightmare. Just before touching down however Gadget's metallic hooves opened up becoming wider than usual. Then a small electrical current pulsed to life giving off a small humming noise. Gadget stepped onto the cloud and chuckled.
"Wow they work." Nightmare was starring at his hooves with curiosity.
"Just what are those?" She said pointing to Gadget's buzzing feet. As he looked down at his feet his helmet split apart allowing him to speak to Nightmare more clearly.
"These." He said lifting up one of his hooves. "Are a new invention of mine. I call them thunder hooves. In theory they should allow me to effect clouds just like a pegasus." He walked around on the big cloud taking tentative step's just in case the enchantment he put into the boot's failed. They held up pretty well.
"Ha well at least i can walk on cloud's." He sat down and before he realized his mistake he was hanging upside down from his feet.
"WOW!! WOW!!! PULL ME UP!!!! PULL ME UP!!!!" Nightmare however was to busy laughing at Gadget's misfortune. Just as Nightmare was able to get off of her back and try to help Gadget to get right side up again the last person Gadget had wanted to see him like this chose to appear. Rainbow Dash must have heard his scream's for help because she came zipping through the sky like a rocket. However she stopped when she saw Gadget hanging upside down looking like failed attempt at being a living pinata. Gadget was happy his helmet covered his whole face because he was as red as a tomato right now, tho from embarrassment or blood flow he couldn't tell.
"OK how in the hey did this happen?" Rainbow said as she landed on a nearby cloud.
"I was testing out a new device. It works really well." He said his voice dripping with sarcasm. Rainbow chuckled at that. Nightmare joined in soon after.
"Look girls as funny as this might be i really have to get up. I'm not feeling to hot right now." Gadget was starting to feel light headed. Nightmare used her magic to help bring Gadget back through the cloud and put his right side up. His helmet opened up and he began to suck down lungfuls of air.
"OK so at least i know they work. Even a little to well." He said as he closed his eye's trying to concentrate on his beating heart to slow it back down to normal. He got his heart back to normal. He opened his eye's to see the girls starring at him with mirthful smile's on there face's.
"What?" He asked as red began to course through his face again.
"So." Rainbow said stepping a little closer to Gadget. He stood as still as a statue.
"This is the gear you were talking about huh?" She said. He just nodded. She chuckled.
"So you still on for that race?" She asked. Gadget nearly face hoofed. He had forgotten about the race. He was so busy trying to make sure Nightmare was adjusted to life here in ponyville. He looked from Nightmare to Dash ans then to his H.U.D. His power level's were good. 95% OK i can do this. He shook his head.
"Alright! So Were are we off to?" Rainbow said as she looked around excitedly. Gadget thought about it.
"How about the town hall?" He suggested. Rainbow thought about it for a sec and nodded her head. As the two got set up to take off they were interrupted.
"Do either of you mind if i join?" Both pony's looked back to see Nightmare looking sheepish. The two thought about it. Gadget didn't have a problem with it.
"Ha want payback for me messing with you at the castle?" He said. A smile crept onto Nightmare's face.
"You could say that." She said her own competitive fire roaring to life. Rainbow on the other hand had different thought's. Oh she better not slow us down. She noticed that both pony's were now starring at her. She shook her head.
"Ya fine she can come along." Nightmare smiled and lined up with the other two, getting between Rainbow and Gadget. Rainbow huffed as they all got ready for take off. Gadget set a timer that counted down from ten to one.
"10." Gadget was shaking with adrenaline. "9." Nightmare tensed as she looked from side to side. "8." Rainbow squinted, locking her eye's onto the town hall. "7." All three of them took a deep breath. "6." Then they let it out. "5." And over again. "4." They all bent forward a little bit. "3." They all took one last deep breath. "2." Then exhaled. "1." There wing's all splayed out. "GO!"
The cloud they were standing was obliterated as they all launched off of it at the same time.
All three pony's shot through the air like missile's. Rainbow left a multi colored contrail in her wake. Gadget left blue exhaust from his engine. Nightmare left behind a trail of star dust. All three of them were neck and neck. However just before they reached the outskirts of ponyville Rainbow put on an extra burst of speed allowing her to easily out pace the two other pony's. Then as Gadget tried to keep up he saw Nightmare beginning to pass him by. As she slid in front of him she gave him a smug smile. He returned it.
"OK time to kick this into overdrive!" He poured more magic into his suit. He began to accelerate now. He angled himself so he could get a little higher than Nightmare in the sky. When he was above her he put on another burst of speed shooting past her. He waved as he zipped by. She ground her teeth and put on more speed but wasn't able to catch up. As Gadget revved his engine's he could see rainbow just ahead. He kept up the magic and was soon right behind her. Rainbow hearing a strange noise behind her looked back and nearly lost her course. How in the hey is he able to keep up with me?
Gadget was so focused on winning this race and showing Rainbow how cool he was that he was not paying attention to his power meter. With all of the magic he was pouring into his engine he would deplete his battery's in only a few minute's. Right now he was at 50% power and steadily dropping. But he was now neck and neck with rainbow. He could care less right now what his power level was at. He could see the town hall peaking over the rooftop's of ponyville now. Just as Gadget overtook rainbow for the lead a surprised came from above. Nightmare had caught up to the two.
"You can't get rid of me that easily." She shouted over the fierce air current's roaring over there ear's. Now all three pony's were once again neck and neck. The town hall was only a few hindered feet away now. Come on just a little more! Gadget shouted to himself. He put on one more burst of magic that sent him sailing past the two mare's and rocketing to word's town hall. "YES!" He screamed. "Power level at 0%. All system's shutting down." "NO!" He whined as one by one his suit's system's began to shut off. As they did so he began to slow down. then his speed began to bleed off. As he went sailing toward's the ground he only had one thought. So close. The mare's passed him by. Rainbow not so much as glancing back but Nightmare slowed down a little. Gadget was so caught up in almost winning that he had not noticed were he was going. His H.U.D. went dark and he was suddenly ejected from his suit in mid air. With his magic drained from boosting his engine's he was unable to catch himself. So he did the only logical thing to do in a free falling situation. He began to scream bloody murder.
"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" He went sailing through t he air at a pretty good clip. Then he felt the hard embrace of the earth as he plowed into the ground at 40 Mph. However it did not hurt as much as he thought it would. He opened his eye's and was greeted with a dark field of vision. He looked around and saw that he was surrounded in a dark blue sphere. He looked around and saw Nightmare who was flapping as fast as she could to get to Gadget. When he finally stopped rolling on the ground he just lied there trying to get his bearing's. He was so dizzy he had to close his eye's and concentrate on not throwing up his breakfast this morning.
"Sir Sky Rose are you alright!" Nightmare said as she landed next to Gadget who was huddled in a fetal position trying to stop his body from trembling with all the adrenaline coursing through it. Eventually his queasy stomach won out and he ended up vomiting all over the ground. As he wiped his mouth on a shaking hoof he looked up to see Nightmare starring at him with worry on her face.
"O-oh y-y-ya. i-i-i'm j-j-just f-f-f-fine." He said as he passed out.
As Nightmare was picking Gadget up from the ground two pony's watched from the shadow's. One of them was Swift Wing who was reporting the other one to his superior's. The other pony who watched the entire race unfold was looking from Nightmare and Gadget to Rainbow who was stumped about were the other two were. Swift Wing watched as the pegasus who was currently watching a shouting match between Nightmare and Rainbow who had found the other two and wondered what had happened. Swift Wing soon got a confirmation on the mystery pegasus.
Name: Hot Shot. Age: 23. Race: Pegasus. Color's: Yellow Body, Red Mane, Multicolored Tail. Sable Colored Eye's. Occupation: Professional Racer. History: First entered the Best Young Flyer's competition at the age of 10. Got a Cutie Mark for finishing first of his class. Has since been involved in any kind of race ever since then always managing to win by the shin of his teeth. Personal Profile : N/A.
Swift Wing had only one thought. What is he doing in Ponyville?
Gadget awoke to the sound of clanging coming from the kitchen. He was about to go back to sleep when a huge crash brought him to his hooves.
"Uh who's there?" He feebly called out, his mouth feeling like he had been sucking on cotton. No one answered. He grabbed a baseball bat and inched towards the kitchen were more noise was coming from. In fact it sounded like someone was rooting through his fridge looking for something.
"NO! NO! NO...no..no..no.. AHA!!!" Gadget gripped his bat tighter. Who the hey is in my house? Oh i hope Nightmare and Uncle are OK. He rounded the corner and swung the bat but it ended up getting wrenched from his grasp. He was to shocked to respond and was soon tackled to the ground by the intruder.
"Get off of me!" Gadget said as he struggled to get out of the intruder's grasp. He was startled out of his struggling by the sound of laughter. He finally got a good look at his assailant and saw that it was none other than,
"MOM?!" Ruby Rose smiled at her sons shocked face and nodded her head.
"Hi sweety." She said beaming down at him.
"How ya do'in son?" Gadget looked around and saw his father coming down the stair's. But he was not alone. Both Nightmare and his Uncle were with him. Ruby got off of her son and helped him to his feet. He looked from pony to pony.
"So what are you two doing here? Last i heard was that you two were up in the crystal mountains on a dig." Ruby and Sky looked at one another.
"Well son we were." Sky answered.
"But we got another contract." Ruby added. Gadget looked from his mom to his dad. While he was happy for them he couldn't stop a sad smile from marring his face. He quickly wiped it off and put on a fake smile.
"So were'll you be this time he asked?" His parents weren't fooled.
"Honey is there something wrong?" Ruby asked. Gadget looked from his mom to his dad and just couldn't stop from grabbing both of them in a hug as he began to cry uncontrollably.
"Wow squirt why the water work's?" Gadget could not stop sobbing so his words came out a little mangled.
"I-i-i'm s-s-s-sorry." He said. Looking through blurry eye's at his parents.
"I-i-i j-just m-m-miss y-y-you t-t--two s-s-so m-m-much." He sobbed some more. His parents hugged him back.
"WHAT!!" Both of his parents just starred at him jaws on the floor. Gadget cringed at his parents outburst but so did Nightmare. She began to feel uncomfortable about the whole situation. She slowly stepped back from the family. Gadget felt Nightmare's emotional turmoil and mentally chastised himself.
He turned back to his parent's and told them the whole story minus a few detail's. This made Nightmare feel a little better but she was still on edge. His parents however were even more shocked about his story.
"Oh my poor baby!" Ruby screamed as she hugged her son tightly.
"Mom can't breath!" Gadget wheezed. His suffering continued however as his dad joined in the hug. Gadget was sure his ribs would break. His eye's began to bulge out of there socket's before his parents finally let him go. He slid to the floor like a wet noodle. The parents then turned there attention to Nightmare who was silent through out the ordeal.
"So honey who is this dashing young mare?" Ruby asked her husband. Nightmare was glad she had a disguise up to cover her horn. For all Gadget's parents knew she was just a simple pegasus living with there son.
"You know i don't believe i got your name miss?" Nightmare thought fast.
"Eclipse." She said. "My name is Eclipse."
"Well then miss eclipse it is a pleasure to meet you." Ruby said extending her hoof. Nightmare took her hoof and softly shook it. With there greeting done the to mare's went over to the couch to sit and chat leaving the colt's to themselves.
"So." Sky said nudging his son, a smirk on his face. "Have you two been using protection?"
"WHAT!!!" Gadget shouted jumping up to his feet. His face was bright red, which for him having a jet black coat of fur was quite an achievement. He began to shake hie head rapidly.
"No dad you've got it all wrong were just friend's." He said putting up his hooves defensively. He looked over to nightmare and saw that she was deep in conversation with his mom.
"So how long have you and Gadget known each other?" Ruby asked. Nightmare looked at Gadget who was talking to his father and looking like he was about to barf.
"We just met at the beginning of the year." She answered, a mischievous smile adorning her face as Gadget looked like he was squirming in his skin.
"Oh really?" Ruby said. "So how did you two meet?" Nightmare thought about it.
"Well h-h-he rescued me from a 'monster'." She said a sad fearful look in her eye's. Nightmare closed her eye's willing the painful memories of her imprisonment on the moon to go away. She felt a pair of hooves rap around her neck and opened them to see ruby embracing her.
"Hu hu that sounds like my boy. Ever the Knight in shining armor to the rescue." Nightmare smiled as she reciprocated the hug. The two stayed that way until an odd sound reached there ear's. They looked over and saw Gadget face first in the waste basket puking his gut's out.
"And that my son is how you give the lady's a night they will never forget." He winked at Ruby who just blushed a bright crimson.
"Sky Daring Diver you did not just tell our son about that!" Ruby said getting to her hooves and walking over to Gadget who was still looking sick.
"Oh god mom please make it go away!" He cried. Ruby gave her husband a stern look.
"You and me are going to have a little talk on the way back to canterlot mister."
"Were's the brain bleach!" Gadget shouted running up the stair's. Point Dexter looked up the stairs and then back to Sky and Ruby.
"So what were you two doing in canterlot?" The couples faces lit up but they held off on there reveal until gadget came back down. When he was thoroughly done trying and failing to wipe his memory of his dad's 'advice' he came back down and sat on the couch ignoring everypony. Until Nightmare came up and tapped him on the shoulder at which point he shook his head to get rid of the after image's. Oh he was going to need more therapy.
"Yes N---Eclipse?" He said meekly looking into her golden eye's and blushing fiercely. He may never be able to look at another mare the same way again. Not even his mom. UH More Therapy!
"Are you ok?" She asked concern evident in her voice. He shook his head and smiled. His parents came back into the living room and both of them had smile's on there face's.
"So son when were you last in canterlot?" Gadget thought about it.
"The last time i was in canterlot? About three years ago when i graduated. Why?" his parents looked at one another then to him with smiles on there face's.
Swift Watched as the family of pony plus Nightmare exited the clock tower and made there way through town. He spied them from his observation cloud and with a small push of his wings both he and his cloud drifted along fallowing the group. His keen eye's also spotted another pony fallowing the family. It was Hot Shot. He was swiftly making his way from roof top to, roof top.
"Just what are you up to?" His ear piece lit up and he began to rely his news to H.Q.
"Control this is Swift Wing."
"Swift Wing this is Control, Over."
"Control were we able to find anything else on this pegasus Hot Shot?" he said as the group made there way to the train station. They stooped at a tree house and a purple unicorn came out to greet them. They all exchanged pleasantry's and the family was on there way again. Hot Shot was right behind them. They all made there way onto the train and they were off.
"Swift Wing this is Control."
"I hear ya."
"We have some new's on this Hot Shot character. Apparently he was a world famous racer before he was exposed as a cheater. Now he go's from place to place participating in races to earn a living. As of now that's all we have on him. We'll keep you informed of any new developments. Out."
"Read you loud and clear control. Over and out." Swift shook his head. He had a bad feeling about this guy.
"So let me get this strait, you two have to go back to the frozen north to help excavate a kingdom?"
"Yup. According to the documents we got from the contractor this kingdom's been in the ice for a thousand year's." Gadget was ecstatic.
"That is so cool!" He said giving his parents a hug. As the family was going over the final preparations for the trip, Point Dexter and Nightmare were sitting next to a window. Nightmare was looking out the window with curiosity etched on her face.
"So Nightmare i have a question?" She looked up at Point Dexter who was starring off into space.
"Yes?"
"What was it like on the moon?" Nightmare froze up. She hadn't thought about that in at least a month. The thought dredged up painful memory's.
"Eclipse?" Nightmare looked over to see Gadget looking at her.
"Are you ok?" She looked at him and her fear's melted away. She knew she had nothing to fear. She shook her head. Gadget gave her one last passive look before he and his parents went back to there conversation. Nightmare looked out of the window.
"I am sorry miss." Dexter Said. He hung his head. "I'm afraid as smart as i am i sometime's forget to control my curiosity." Dexter bowed his head in respect and backed away sitting in a seat further down. Nightmare sat down starring out the window watching the country side whiz by. Nightmare felt the seat shift as a pony sat down.
"Hello miss. How are you today?" Came a voice Nightmare was not expecting to hear. She looked to her left to see a new pony sitting there. He was a pegasus. A big one to. She had to look up just to see his face. His coat was a bright yellow one. His mane was a solid red styled back into an elegant Pompadour. She was not sure why a total stranger would come up and talk to her but she did not want to be rude.
"Hello good Sir. I am fine." she said with a smile.
"I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be new to train travel. Is this your first time?"
"oh yes yes this is." She said her smile still on her face. She couldn't place it nut something seemed off about this pony. He gave her the chill's. She really wished Gadget was hear right now. Maybe he would be able to drive off this guy.
"Hey Eclipse." Oh thank Celestia! Both pony's craned there necks to see Gadget make his way to Nightmare. Nightmare pushed past the Pegasus with an,
"Excuse me." He moved out of the way and Gadget came and extended his hoof out. The Pegasus took it and gave it a strong shake. Obviously he was trying to show a form of dominance over Gadget who was a head shorter than he but Gadget was not having an of it. He held a firm grip through out the shake and looked the big stallion in the face the entire time.
"Hey there. The name's Gadget." He said a cheeky smile on his face.
"Pleasure to meet you." He said a small smile masking his envy.
"The name's Hot Shot."
"Cool. Oh and like wise." Gadget said releasing his grip. He looked at Nightmare who went around the pair and went to sit with Gadget's parent's. Gadget looked out the window to see Canterlot off in the distance.
"Well it was nice meeting you Hot Shot, but this is our stop up ahead." He said gesturing to Canterlot in the distance. Hot Shot nodded his head and smiled.
"Like wise." He said. Gadget went to go and sit with his parent's making sure to sit next to Nightmare who had taken a seat between Sky and Ruby. She was having a conversation with the two but felt Hot Shot's eye's on her. she looked up and saw him starring her with a hungry look in his eye's. She just looked back to Gadget's parent's. Hot Shot smiled and turned to go to the next train car.
So she want to play hard to get. A devious smile crept onto his face. That's fine with me.
The train began to slow itself down as it made its way into the station. Gadget and company made there way to the nearest exit and soon they were out in the cool summer breeze of the afternoon. They all took some time to stretch out there legs before hailing a motorized carriage. They all got in and Gadget punched in the coordinates for the Castle. The small four pony vehicle was cramped with five passenger's but the group made small talk all the way there. When a bell range out Gadget told them it was time to depart. They all got out and all but Gadget was stunned at the sight of the magnificent site before them. Tower's of stone and metal guarded the entrance to the castle grounds. at the stone archway to the main hall there stood a group of guard's weapon at the ready. They were guarding the gateway to the rest of the castle. This little archway however was covered by a soft blue force field. The group was stopped by the guards and Gadget's parent's showed them the princess's official seal and the y were allowed to enter.
"This place is amazing!" Nightmare said in wander. Gadget was puzzled. He hung back a little and waited until his parents and uncle were little ahead of them.
"What do you mean?" He asked. Nightmare looked at him.
"What?"
"Well you lived here for a few week's right?"
"Well." Nightmare said rubbing her head in embarrassment.
"About that..." Nightmare looked a little nervous.
"Hey love bird's come on!" Both pony's looked up to see Sky's goofy smile. They both blushed and trotted a little faster to catch up. Gadget muttered something under his breath. Nightmare caught what sounded like, "mouth zipped shut." She snickered at this and the group made there way to the throne room. Once they got to the huge double door's Gadget raised a hoof to knock. Three swift loud knock's sounded throughout the hall's. A few seconds later a golden aura engulfed one door while a silver beep blue aura engulfed the other. As the door's parted to allow the group entrance they all saw the Royal Sister's sitting upon their throne's, looking as regal as ever.
"Good evening my little pony's." Princess Celestia greeted the group. They all bowed down in respect. Even Nightmare, who had second thought's at first, reluctantly bowed.
"Well Sir Sky Rose who have certainly been taking your duty's seriously." Commented Celestia with a wry grin upon her face. Gadget's parents looked at one another. "Sir?" They both muttered in unison. Celestia's smile got even bigger. Gadget's looked like he was about to pass out. HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT!
"Oh did Gadget forget to mention his new role as Knight of Equestria?" Gadget's parents rounded on him like a pack of wolves. There face's were a mix of happy confused and some small bit of annoyance.
"Really now?" His mother said. "And when was this title claimed?" His mother's left eye twitched. OH CRAP!
"Now mom i can explain."
"Oh you can can you? Well there better be a darn good explanation for missing something that important young man." Just before Ruby could grab Gadget in a bear hug Celestia, who was smiling ruefully at the family's shenanigan's decided to rescue Gadget from his mother wrath.
"Now now Ms Rose. the blame does not fall squarely on Gadget's capable shoulder's. My sister's and i must take part of the blame." She said. There was a gasp from the back of the group that did not go unnoticed. The whole room turned to the aww struck face of Nightmare. She noticed all of the stare's and closed her mouth.
"Sorry." She said shrinking back.
"What ever for dear sister?" Luna Asked.
"WHAT! SISTER?" Gadget's parent's were shocked beyond word's now.
"Bu--wh--ho---what the hey is going on here?" Ruby rose said as she turned towards the princess's with a stern look. Celestia and Luna both knew that look. It was the look only a mother can give. And right now Ruby was giving it to the Princess's with such intensity that it was beginning to make them feel like little foals again. Celestia's playful smirk vanished a little as she cleared her throat. Time to get serious.
"Ms, Rose as you are no doubt aware of my sister's return." Celestia said pointing to Luna. Ruby nodded.
"Well upon my sister's return we had an unforeseen arrival." she said looking Ruby in the eye's. Ruby squinted at the princess's.
"What kind of unforeseen arrival?"
"The kind---"
"Wait!" Celestia stopped mid sentience and looked to see Nightmare looking up with teary eye's.
"Princess Celestia i-i-if it is ok with you. I would like to be the one to tell the.." Nightmare paused "--my story." She said hanging her head. Ruby gave Eclipse a confused stare.
"What do you mean dear?" she said trotting to the trembling pegasus.
"I-i-i just--" She choked up. Out of fear. Anger. Lot's of emotions flared to life with in her. To many to try and control. That was until she felt a hoof on her wing. She looked over to see Gadget ready and willing to brave anything to help her out. Even the wrath of his parent's. Sky however was completely silent through out the whole ordeal. He just sat there looking at his wife with a poker face to rival lady gaga.
"It's ok." Gadget said. "You remember what i said after we found you?" He said. Nightmare thought about it. then as the pain came back to her along with the memory's she remembered his word's. It's ok. I'm here for you. She looked at him with teary eye's.
"i'm here for you. Now and forever." Nightmare found her courage. Gadget was willing to lend her his support. With her spirit's still fearful but bolstered by her Knight's confidence and friendship, she told Gadget's Parents everything. Not holding back an inch. When she was through she sat there waiting. For what she did not know but she waited. The couple pondered the story that had just heard. They looked from Nightmare to Gadget to the princess's. No pony's face betrayed a false hope or even an ounce of deceit. At the same time both Ruby and Sky trotted up to Nightmare. she cringed but Gadget remained firm. She squeezed herself next to him out of reflex. Funny. I Nightmare Moon once the most feared pony on all of equestria am afraid of a pair of mortal's. But why? She looked over to Gadget who gave her a confident smile. Why do i feel so vulnerable right now? Gadget's parents stopped just in front of the pair. Ruby looked at her some.
"So Gadget."
"Yes Mom?" He asked.
"You really thought that Nightmare was worth saving after all that she had done to you? Even tho she very nearly killed you?" Nightmare shrank back a little and looked at Gadget. What does she mean by that? She looked from Gadget to the Princess's who were both smiling. Her and Celestia locked eye's and Celestia winked at Nightmare. "Yes. Yes i did." Ruby thought about it and then looked to her husband. "Honey what do you think?" Sky looked from his son to Nightmare who was thoroughly confused now.
"Well sweety i think our son take's after us just fine. He managed to not only pick out a girlfriend who was cute but she was also dangerous and a princess to boot." He said snickering like an idiot. Gadget thought about that a bit.
"Wait dad were not--" He was silenced by a hoof in his mouth. He looked over to see that the appendage belonged to Nightmare. She had a deep look on her face.
"Gadget what do your parents mean by you were the one to save me?" Gadget looked over to the princess's and they nodded there head's. He shook his and let out a sigh.
"Ok well. This is going to sound really creepy but you remember how you passed out after you, you know beat the daylight's out of that guard?" Nightmare shivered again as those memory's dug themselves up. But then she felt a small bit of pride. That Pegasus was no longer going to be able to fly and a small bit of comfort swelled in her chest. She nodded.
"Well as it turns out the reason i was even in Canterlot that day was because the princess's wanted my opinion of you."
"Me?"
"Yes. You see when i was dying i felt your emotions as you were being purged from Princess Luna. I just couldn't stand the thought of somepony dying with that much fear. So felt sorry for you. And them my Element of Harmony activated and poof here you are." He took a breath.
"So with you here the princess's wanted to know if you could be redeemed." He looked to them as they smiled down at the group.
"But in order to do that they needed an unbiased opinion from a neutral third party. I really did not think i qualified but they did. So the brought me in and i told them what i felt from you as you were being removed from Luna. They took that as a sign that you were not completely beyond hope. And then a few weeks later you showed up in a shipping container on my doorstep." With his story finished he took a seat on the cold stone floor.
His parent's were ecstatic. They had heard of quite a lot of tales in there life time's but they never even dreamed of there only son becoming affiliated with royalty. Speaking of which.
"So just how did you become a knight son?" Sky asked. He blushed a little bit.
"Well i kind of beat the snot out of a group of royal guard's who were tying to have there way with Eclipse." He said rubbing the back of his head. Then his blush was replaced with anger.
"Speaking of, your majesty's just what happened to those creeps anyway?" Celestia and Luna got down from there throne's and sat on the royal carpet in front of the group.
"Well little one i think we shall have to answer that question later." Gadget blinked.
"Um why?" Celestia and Luna smiled.
"Because Sir Sky Rose while the title of Knight was given to thee it hath not been made official in our eye's or thine eye's of the commoner's." Princess Luna said. Gadget looked confused. Celestia smiled.
"What my sister mean's is that we will have to make you an official Knight of Equestria. Including throwing a great feast and ball in your honer." Gadget was at a loss for word's.
"Whhaaat?" He squeaked. Nightmare was ecstatic.
"That is a great idea!" She said out loud. Now all eye's were on her and she blushed. She continued to talk through her embarrassment.
"Well how else am i going to reward my knight with the most highest of honer's if there are none to partake in the festivity's?" She said. The Princess's chuckled at the thought. Then Celestia had a brilliant idea.
"Well my dear pony's i think i have the perfect moment to crown our Knight."
"Really sister? What time shall the great celebration be set for?"
"My dear sister we shall throw a party like no other has ever thrown before." Celestia said as she got up, a spark of fire in her eye's.
Back in ponyville Pinky was skipping down the street when she all of a sudden shot into the air.
Celestia trotted over to her throne ant sat upon it.
"My dear pony's we shall be celebrating long into the night. Because the date of your coronation Sir Sky Rose shall be this year's Grand Galloping Gala." The words escaped Celestia's lips and everypony fell silent.
After there lengthily discussion The Princess's decided to not only have Gadget be Knighted at the Grand Galloping Gala but they also decided to announce there newest Princess. Nightmare was shocked to hear her new name. She actually liked the name Midnight.
"Midnight." She whispered to herself.
"Hum?" Gadget said as he looked up from his workbench. He pulled the goggle's over his eye down and let them hang on his neck.
"You say something?" He asked again. Midnight looked up at Gadget from the floor.
"Ya i'm fine. Just thinking."
"About?' Gadget said as he flicked his goggles back on and began to solder away at a piece of electronic's for his suit. After the race with Rainbow, Midnight had found his armor and had to bring it back to the shop. After Gadget and his family had gotten back from Canterlot, his parents decided to decline the offer to work in the frozen north, Instead the offer was passed down the the captain of the royal guard. Shining Armor, Gadget had run into him on a few of his trips to canterlot. The two had compared note's on some of there favorite board game's.
Wizard's and Knight's was one of there favorite's. So the two had kept up a long distance friendship for awhile before there job's got in the way. Gadget was glad that he got to help out his friend in some way. His parent's had taken up job's in ponyville. His dad had gotten a job at a nearby restaurant as a cook. His mom got a job at the same restaurant as a waitress. Midnight meanwhile had gotten a job as a weather pony. It seam's that rainbow was impressed with her flying capability's and when Midnight went to apply for the job Rainbow had put her through a test. She had pasted with flying color's. Right now was a lucky day off for the whole family. Sky and Ruby were upstairs having 'fun'. There play time was muffled by a sound proof spell Midnight had thrown up when the couple had started and both her and Gadget had retreated to the basement.
Midnight had been thinking about a lot of thing's lately, namely what she was going to do about the Grand Galloping Gala. She had never been to one of these fancy party's and she was really worried about how pony's would react to her formally being Nightmare Moon.
"Oh Crap!" Gadget threw up a shield as his newest creation became a pile of scrap. Gadget wrapped his shield around it as the device blew up.
"Oh come on. That one took me over a month." He hung his head then he looked around and scolded himself. Midnight was still there but she was starring off into space.
"I'm sorry Midnight." She looked at him.
"What for?"
"Well we've been down here for a while and all I've been doing is tinkering with my toy's." He said sheepishly. Midnight thought about it. then her eye's lit up.
"Hey how about we go for a walk in town?" Gadget smiled.
"Ya that sound's good. Better than," He cleared his throat and put on a posh accent. "The sound's of Love and there many making's." This got a giggle from Midnight who waved a hoof at Gadget.
"Oh but Sir the Sound's of Love are oh so pleasant to the ear's." Wow she had been spending to much time around Gadget and he was beginning to rub off on her. Gadget meanwhile got close to Midnight and and embraced her in a soft hug.
"Well in that case my dear shall we hurry on our way?" Midnight received the hug and then slowly she pulled away until Gadget was holding her off the floor on one arm like a dancer.
"Sir Sky Rose are you trying to seduce me?" Gadget never got the chance to answer. At that point in time Dexter came down the stairs in a hurry.
"Gadget! Midnight! Were are you two!" He saw them both frozen in there pose. Until Gadget lost his grip and Midnight fell to the floor on her back.
"Oh there you are." He said not noticing the two as Gadget scrambled to help Midnight off of the floor. The two got up and stood there their face's burning red.
"Listen you two i need your help."
"Sure uncle what can we do for you?" Gadget said as his face was going from scarlet to its normal shade of black. He looked over at Midnight who was twiddling her hooves. It was unusual to say the least to see her ding that.
"Well you two can help me out by going into town to get us all some more food." Gadget was curious.
"Well why a can't you go and get it?" He asked a little flustered from his uncle's impromptu visit. His uncle looked at him with stern conviction.
"Well since somepony hasn't been fixing up the clock tower like they were supposed to that job has fallen to me." He said pushing a hoof at Gadget who was folding his ear's back in embarrassment.
"Well i."
"NO! Now you listen to me young man. I Know you have your own life but you can't just shirk your responsibility's here at home. Now i know you two." He said pointing to Midnight. "Might have had plan's for today but i need you to put those on hold." He looked over to Midnight.
"Now Ms if you will excuse my crude attitude but i require your assistance in the kitchen." He Then pointed to Gadget. "And you young man will go into town to get some food." Without waiting for an answer he went back upstairs. The two friends just sat there. They were brought out of there thought's by Dexter shouting upstairs.
"AHHHHH!
"And will you two stop acting like a couple of rabbit's on crack!"
"DEXTER GET OUT OF HERE!"
Gadget made his way into town still thinking about Midnight. What was i thinking? What was that supposed to accomplish? He shook his head. Who am i kidding. She's a princess. I'm just.. well... me. As Gadget entered town he noticed something off.
"Were the hey is everypony?" He muttered to himself. The entire street was deserted. Scratch that. The whole town looked abandoned. He went to the market and saw nopony he even stopped by Sugar Cube Corner. He was about to knock on the door when his hoof was grabbed and he was pulled in with a yell. Gadget felt the cold linoleum floor of the bakery as he was deposited inside the dark work place.
"What the hey is going on?"
"SHHHHH!!!"
"Pinky?"
"SHHH!"
"What?"
"SHHH!"
"What in the hay is going on here!?" He screamed. A light flashed to life blinding Gadget.
"GAAHH!!" He rubbed his eye's furiously get rid of the sun spot's dancing around his vision.
"Sorry."
"Fluttershy?"
"Yes?"
"What is going on?" He said sitting there letting his eye's adjust to the darkness.
"Oh well you see we were all going about town minding our own business when out of nowhere Zecora--"
"Who?" Gadget heard several other voice's gasp.
"Darling how could you possibly not know about Zecora?"
"Rarity? Who else is here?"
"All of us." Gadget heard the rest of the girl's all call out in unison. He had been to there house's several time's mostly to help fix something but they had all hung out several time's at the park. Even Midnight joined in on there latest picnic bringing over home made sandwich's.
"So why are we all here?" He asked again.
"Because Zecora is no ordinary pony." Pinky said getting up on her hind leg's dangling her fore hooves about. Gadget just looked at pinky with a deadpan exspretion.
"Excuse the jest pinky but isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" He said raising an eyebrow.
"Hey every pony look!" A small voice called out from a nearby window. Gadget looked to the window to see Apple Bloom of all pony's standing up to peek the glass.
"Apple Bloom i told you to stay down!" AJ Said as she edged her way between the window and Apple Bloom As if Zecora would break through and snatch the filly.
"Oh please will all of you to just stop." Came a voice form the back of the bakery. All of the pony's turned around to see Twilight standing there a stern look upon her face.
"I swear all of you are acting like little filly's." She said trotting toward's the window. Gadget was wandering just who this Zecora was and looked out the window to see a hooded figure walking around town. So that's what all the fuss is about? He began to laugh. And he didn't stop until he was sprawled out on the floor.
"What's so funny?" Rainbow asked.
"Y-y-you are all so silly some time's!" He said still laughing. All of the girl's looked rather bashful at that comment.
"And just what does that mean?" AJ asked.
"Oh please." He said picking himself up off of the floor and pointing out the window.
"You are all afraid of some pony because there different? Just what good will that do anypony?" He asked his voice full of mirth.
"Thank you Celestia, at least one of us has a voice of reason," Twilight said as she made her way outside.
"Wait Twilight were are you going?" Pinky shouted through the open doorway. Twilight held her hoofs over her ear's.
"Pinky there's no need to shout. I'm right here." She stated. While Pinky, Twilight and the rest of the girl's were arguing about how to best approach talking to Zecora, Apple Bloom was sneaking off. Gadget decided to fallow her. She snuck out of the shop through an open window. Gadget just walked out the front door. He spotted Zecora down the street and little Apple Bloom who was right behind her hiding behind a house. He chuckled to himself. Zecora decided that she had had enough waiting and walked back toward's the Everfree Forest.
"Hey girl's?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes Fluttershy?" Rarity said.
"Were is Apple Bloom?"
"Oh NO!" AJ Said as she ran out the door.
Gadget fallowed close behind Apple Bloom as she got closer to the edge of the Everfree Forest. Silly filly. He just shook his head. He remembered when he was that young and not intimidated by the danger's of the world. He watched she crossed into the forest and picked up his pace. He knew there were creature's in there that would make a pony its next meal so a small filly would just be a quick snack.
"Apple Bloom!" Gadget halted in his track's and he looked back to see the girls all running after them.
"Gadget? What are you doing here?" Apple Bloom said as she ran over to him.
"Well i had to make sure you didn't become a snack for a manticore." He said smiling evilly. Apple Bloom backed up to her sister who scooped her up and set her on her back.
"Beware, Beware you pony folk. Those leave's of blue are not a joke!" What? Leave's of blue? Gadget looked around him. when his vision had adjusted he saw that he was in a sea of blue flower's. What are these? He bent down and picked one of them. This is pretty. I wander if uncle will know what this is? He tucked the flower away and looked up to see that Zecora had vanished into the forest.
"Were'd she go?" He asked.
"Come on Gadget." He looked back to see the girls making there way back to ponyville.
"Hey wait for me!" HE said running to catch up to them. As he left the forest the flower's began to glow a soft blue as there magic took hold on the group. After they all stopped in town they said there goodbye's and went back to there daily business. When Gadget got back he had to go and rest. He wasn't feeling well. Maybe i have one of those 24 hour flu's.
3, 22, 1000, C.E. Ponyville.
Midnight awoke to silence. That was odd. Usually Gadget was up and doing something around the house. She got off the couch and made her way into the kitchen. As she struggled trying to find the light switch she stumbled over something.
"WOW!" She shouted as she caught herself on the counter. She found the switch and went to look at what she had tripped on.
"AHHHHHH!!!" He scream woke up the rest of the house. Soon Dexter Ruby and Sky came bolting down the stair's.
"What wrong?"
"Honey what's the matter?"
"Where's the fire?" Midnight just pointed at Gadget who was sprawled out on the floor not moving. His eye's were cold and lifeless looking as he lay there.
"SKY GO GET A DOCTOR!"
"Right away!" He said as he ran to the door and yanked it open.
3, 22, 1000, C.E. Ponyville General Hospital. 10:00 A.M.
Sky Diver and Ruby Rose sat in the waiting room of the hospital while Midnight was pacing around the room. They had rushed Gadget to the emergency room but that was a few hours ago. They hadn't heard anything since. Midnight was getting more agitated by the minute. What could possibly be taking them so long! She stopped her pacing and looked to the door's. To hay with this waiting! She reached the doors and was just about to barge right through them.
"Sweety what are you--" Ruby was cut off as Midnight was stopped mid knock by a doctor exiting the Emergency Ward.
"Mr and Ms Sky Rose?" He called out.
"That would be us!" The two parents said as the doctor beckoned them forth. Dexter who was leaning against a wall also came along. The doctor looked at his list and was just about to let them all pass when he stopped Midnight.
"I am sorry but i'm afraid we are only allowing family in at this time." Midnight's eye's narrowed to pinprick's.
"If you do not let me pass this instant i will personally make sure you never work ever again! SIR Sky Rose is My Knight in waiting. I will not be held back from ensuring his safety! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?" Midnight was trembling in both anger and fear now. The doctor cowered before the princess before him. Midnight in her fit if anger had let her disguise slip and she was revealed to the whole waiting room as a much smaller version of Nightmare Moon. While it had been a few month's since her attack on ponyville there were still some pony's that feared her greatly. The doctor was one such pony and he cowered before the Alicorn as she swept past him into the ward in search of her Knight. Nurse Red Heart heard the commotion and when she saw who it was she ran over to the group.
"Rose! Diver!" She said waving to the couple. They all converged in a small hallway and Ruby embraced the Nurse in a hug.
"Hello Red Heart." Ruby said through a curtain of tear's.
"How's your mother doing?" She said as the two mares drifted apart.
"Oh you know." Red Heart said through tear's of her own.
"You can't keep her down. When she heard about Gadget she hopped on the next plane from Baltamare." Ruby chuckled.
"Yes that sound's like Bright Heart. She always had a soft spot for our little ball of sunshine." Her smile turned into a soft sob as she began to cry once more.
"Do they know what's happening to him?" Sky said as he came to comfort his wife. Red heart looked down.
"No. I'm afraid not." She looked to the door to Gadget's room.
"This is the first case like this we've ever had. The doctor's have him stabilized in the Cryo-Re-Constitution Chamber but that can only work for so long." She looked back to the group. She saw that Nightmare was there but when she saw the look on her face she couldn't bring herself to shriek away. Her face was one of deep sadness.
"How long?" Nightmare asked.
"What?"
"How Long?" She repeated a little louder this time.
"How long does he have before----" She choked up.
"Not long." Red Heart hung her head.
"I would say 3 hours at the most." As the new's sunk in Ruby and Sky were in shock.
"T-t-t-three -h--h-h-h-hour's? H--hoh--how could he h---hahahave t--r-r-ree? WHAT IN THE HEY WERE YOU ALL DOING IN THERE!!!" Ruby exploded in anger.
"WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR'S ARE YOU!!!" Red Heart had heard all of this before. She knew Ruby was afraid. So she took it, all of the anger, the insults the foul language and hurtful statement's. She knew that ruby needed to vent. So she became her shoulder.
When she was done ruby was panting and barely able to keep herself up on her hooves. Finally she caught her breath.
"Take us to him." She said calmly. The same doctor from before had come by to tell them more new's.
"I don't think--"
"I DON"T GIVE DAMN WHAT YOU THINK!" Ruby yelled at the doctor.
"TAKE ME TO MY SON! NOW!" She said as she grabbed the doctor in her magic and began to shake him like a rag doll. The doctor however was not in the mood to talk after Ruby body checked him with her magic. He slumped to the floor as limp as a wet noodle.
"YOU!" Ruby yelled at the nearest doctor. The doctor in question was stunned from Ruby's abuse of the first doctor and when she had set her sight's on him he nearly wet himself.
"Y-y-y-yes -m-m-miss?" He said trying to become one with the white wall's of the hospital.
"Will you please be a dear and escort us to our son's room?" She said batting her eye lash's at the young stallion. He quickly nodded his head and ran down the hall. The group fallowed close behind. When they got to Gadget's room they all stopped to take deep breath's to calm themselves down. Ruby tried to raise a hoof to open the door but her trembling body was making it a lot harder than it should have been.
"Here. Allow me." Nightmare said as she used her magic to open the door. A soft steady beeping greeted them as they entered the white scrubbed down room. They all saw Gadget. Instead of laying in a standard hospital bed he was instead suspended in a machine by a green force field. His body was covered from head to toe in a soft green shell that would pulse in time with the beating of his heart.
The group walked over to his side and they all sat there, looking. As they stood there Ruby looked around for a clock. She spotted one on a wall across form the bed.
"How could it have come to this?" She said to herself. Her husband looked at her with tear's in his eye's.
"Don't worry sweety. Were here now. That's all that matter's." He sighed.
"I might not be a doctor but our son has been through tougher stuff than this." He looked to Gadget and smiled.
"You remember that night?" He said smiling at his wife.
"Yes of course. He was pretty banged up then to. The doctor said it was a miracle he survived." She looked at there son her resolve coming back.
"Exactly. If he can survive that then he will survive this. I don't normally believe in cosmic entity's with great power's but if there is one watching out for our boy then it will help us out now just like it did back then." He hugged his wife as the two sat there praying to what ever force there was out there that there son would pull thew this disaster. Nightmare and Dexter also began to pray to whatever cosmic force at work that there nephew and friend would be ok. Nightmare looked at Gadget with teary eye's. Please Gadget. Don't leave me.
10:00 A.M. Twilight's Library.
"Girl's!" Twilight shouted at the group. They all stopped bickering at each other and listened.
"For the last time this is not a curse, hex, enchantment or any other form of superstitious nonsense." She said scanning the room. All of her friends had sheepish looks on there face's.
"Ell hen hat lse ould t e?" Pinky asked threw her swollen tongue. Twilight looked at each of her friend's. Pinky had a swollen tongue. Rainbow's wing's looked frail and whenever she moved them she winced in pain. Rarity looked like an absolute wreck. Her mane was frizzy and she had huge bag's under her eye's like she hadn't slept in day's. Fluttershy had a sore throat that was so bad she couldn't talk. Apple Jack could barely walk. Her muscle's ached to much. As for Twilight her horn was on the fritz and she had a massive headache.
"Apple Jack how is Apple Bloom doing?" AJ winced as she lifted her head from the floor.
"Well twi she seem's ta be doing just fine. She complained about a stomach ache last night but this morning she she was as fit as a fiddle." AJ went back to resting her head on a stack of pillow's Twilight had grabbed for her. Twilight was stumped. All of her friend's had gotten sick over night. As she thought about the day before the only thing that came to mind was,
"Aha! Girls i think i know who will be able to help us!" She said as she began to walk over to Aj and help her up.
"Who?" they all asked at once. Twilight covered her ear's as her head swam with pain.
"uhh." She began to massage little circle's over her head.
"Well You all remember what happened yesterday with Zecora?" They all nodded there heads.
"Do you all remember were we where?" They all starred at her. She rolled her eye's.
"The field of blue flower's?"
"Ohhh." They all said at once. Twilight shook her head.
"So that mean's that Zecora was trying to worn us. Not put a curse on us?" Rainbow said.
"Exactly. So she must know what's wrong with us. If she does then she will know how to get rid of it." Twilight and her friend's slowly made there way to the everfree forest. After a few minute's of hard walking. The group stopped to take a break at the edge of the forest.
"Ok girls quick question? Does anypony actually know were in the everfree forest Zecora live's?" They all thought about it for a sec then shook there head's. Nope. Twilight just grumbled to herself. She held her head and sighed.
"Ok. Time for plan B." She said getting up and walking back to town. "What's Plan B?"
"We ask around town to see if anypony know's were Zecora live's."
Ponyville, 11:00 A.M.
After looking around for an hour the girls were stumped. No pony seemed to know or want to know were Zecora lived. The last place they had to go to was the hospital. They didn't want to bug anypony on duty there but they had very little choice. they were all exhausted and getting worse my the minute. Soon they might need to go to the hospital anyway just to check themselves in.
As the group made there way to the receptionist desk they heard a loud speaker come to life.
"ALL EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONAL TO THE E.R. STAT!" A large swarm of doctor's came running through a set of door's and racing off down the hall. The group got to the desk and ringed the bell. A few minute's later Nurse Red Heart came to the front desk.
"Girl's? What are all of you doing here?" She asked.
"Well Nurse we were wandering if anypony around here would know were Zecora lived in the everfree forest?" Twilight said.
"Girl's you all look horrible what happened to you?"
"Well deary." Rarity said stifling a yawn. "We were all in the ever free forest the other day looking for Apple Bloom. The poor young thing got lost or so we thought." She yawned again. Twilight decided to finish up.
"Long story short we had nothing to worry about. Gadget was there looking after Apple Bloom the entire time." Red Heart's Ear's shot up.
"Gadget?" She said her face beginning to show signs of worry.
"Yes. He was there looking after Apple Bloom." Twilight noticed Red Hearts panicked expression.
"Red Heart is there something wrong?" She looked at the group of pony's and scowled.
"YES THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG!" She shouted at all of them. They all recoiled from the outburst but they were soon caught up in a wheel chair as Red Heart scooped them all up and began to push the cart towards the E.R. A few second's later the girls could hear somepony sobbing uncontrollably in a room up ahead. They were all dumped out onto the floor.
"Hey what was that for?" Rainbow said rubbing her wing's. The nurse just shot a hoof to the door. The group all huddled around the window and then they all gasped in fright at what they saw. Several doctor's were in the room now plus Gadget's family. The doctor's were furiously trying to calm Gadget down as it looked like he was having a seizure. They all backed away from the window.
"What is happening to him?" Twilight asked as she looked from the door to the nurse. She shook her head.
"We don't know. We've tried every cure in the book but nothing is working." She said her eye's began to water.
"But that isn't even the worst part." All of the pony's jumped as somepony began to scream in pain. They all looked through the door to see Gadget thrashing about in the stasis field.
"How could this possibly get any worse?" Twilight asked. The nurse was quite at first. Then as if trying to whisper it she said,
"Because Gadget only has a few hours left to live." The whole group was silent.
"WHAT?" They all shouted at once.
"How is that even--"
"We don't know." She said as she began to cry.
"One of my best friends is going to die and there's nothing i can do to help him!" she shouted as she clung to Twilight sobbing. Twilight looked around. All of the girls were shocked at the new's. They had known Gadget for a few year's now and while they all only just recently started to hang out together, they were all hit pretty hard by the new's. No! there has to be way to stop this! We have to find Zecora! Twilight turned to go back to the entrance.
"Twi were ya goin?" AJ Asked.
"I'm going to go get some answer's." she said as she headed towards the front desk. She was joined by the rest of the group trying to get to there hooves to fallow her but she held up a hoof.
"No you all stay here and rest."
"You want us to sir her and rest while our friend id=s in there dyin?" AJ said.
"Yes. But more importantly." She added as the girls were about to argue. "I want you all to be here for Gadget when he wake's up." She looked at the door. Gadget's screaming had stopped.
"Go on Twilight." Rarity said. "We'll be here for him just as he was there for us." Twilight nodded her head and then ignoring her massive head ache she ran out the hospital towards Sweet Apple Acre's.
Ponyville, 12:00 P.M.
The Hospital room was deathly quite. Gadget was sedated and he was calm for now. Nightmare was exhausted. She had spent the better part of the last hour entering Gadget's coma dream's calming him down. It was taxing on her physically, mentally, emotionally, and magically. The last thing he had said to her before he cut there connection was to tell his parent's that he loved them and that he would miss them, her and the girl's. Then he was silent. Nightmare didn't like it at all. IT felt like he was giving up.
"Don't you dare give up on me." She whispered. "if you do when i get to the after life i'll find you and make you wish you hadn't."
She looked at the clock. 1 Hour left? Why? Why Must time Fly so fast when things are at there worst? Yet when thing's are at there best it fly's like the wind. Here one minute gone the next. She had to lay down. She couldn't take the stress anymore. She crumpled onto the floor and began to weep. the one pony in her life that did not think of her as a monster was about to die.
"Good evening pony folk. I see you ignored my warning of the joke?" All of the pony's looked over at the door to see that last pony they expected. However none were prepared for the pony that was most shocked to see her.
"Zecora?" All of the pony's looked over to see Dexter on his hooves and looking quite red in the face. Zecora looked at Dexter who turned away.
"Ah good Dexter. It is quite well to see you so. But i must digress. You are all under some duress." She trotted up to Gadget's bed.
"Quite severe this is. Proper treatment is a must. So i will do what i can to fight this illness to the last strand." Zecora set to work on all of the pony's present. One by one they were all cured of there affliction's. Gadget however would need more treatment than all of the rest combined. Zecora was able to stabilize him and keep him alive. But she worked through out the night just to get him well again.
3, 31, 1000, C.E.
After a week in the hospital Gadget was finally aloud to leave. As he was wheeled out he was greeted by all of his friend's and neighbor's who had wished him well when they had heard about his condition. At the forefront of them all was his family and Midnight. Even the girls were there to. They all gave him a huge smile. Then he opened his arm's and they all gave him a big teary group hug. His mom and dad both gave him an extra hug.
"It is so good to finally be able to see you sweety." Ruby said as she hugged her son peppering his cheek with kiss's.
"It's great to see you to mom." He said hugging her back. Sky scooped Gadget up in his strong arm's and gave him the biggest hug ever.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again young man." His dad said through teary eye's. Gadget chuckled.
"Can't make any promise's dad but i'll try not to." He said. The two stayed like that until Sky was curtain his son wasn't going to just up and vanish. Then Gadget and Midnight shared a glance as she came up to him.
"Well Sir Sky Rose you seem to be as resilient as ever." She said keeping a calm face about her. Inside her emotions were all over the place. But she kept them hidden under her mask.
"Ya well it must be my thick skull." Gadget said chuckling. Midnight joined him with an edge of nervousness about her. She calmed herself down and looked Gadget in the eye's. His deep sapphire blue eye's met her own golden one's and they stayed locked like that. Slowly she made her way over to him and embraced him in a soft hug.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again Gadget." She spoke so only he could here her. Gadget was stunned. She actually called me by my name! As the two broke there hug Gadget did something no pony was expecting him to do. He got down on his knee's and bowed to Midnight.
"My Princess. I am deeply sorry if i frightened you. I shall assure you that it will do my best to make sure it does not happen again." With his declaration over, Gadget collapsed onto the ground in front of everypony.
"Oh not again!" His parent's said as they went to go and scoop there son off of the ground. The girls had a laugh at this little spectacle but Midnight was rooted to the spot a heavy blush on her face and her heart was beating faster. What are these feeling i am having?
Act III Chapter 1: Fall Weather Brings Pony's Together Part 1.
A week after his discharge from the hospital Gadget was up and moving around, not as much as he used to but it was better than staying in bed all day having his parents look after him like a foal.
"Son are you ok?" Ruby asked as he came down the stair's slowly. He chuckled.
"Yes mom. I'm fine. Just a little sore." He said as he gingerly put one hoof in front of the other. He heard somepony laughing behind him and looked back to see Midnight with a grin on her face suppressing a giggle with her hoof.
"Oh don't mind me." She said as she waited for him to descend the stair's. He chuckled and continued his slow walk down the step's. Midnight meanwhile just went back up the stairs to the second floor and went up to the railing and jumped over it. She soared threw the big open space between the first and second floors making tight circles in the air until she landed on the ground floor. Gadget had gotten to the ground floor and watched as Midnight spun around in the air. He couldn't wait to get back in his suit again and join her in the sky. His happy thought's were interrupted by his mother coming to the living room from the kitchen.
"Breakfast is ready." She announced. Gadget looked over to Midnight a grin plastered on his face.
"Last one there?" Midnight raised an eyebrow at him. Then she smiled her devious smile.
"What's at stake?" Gadget thought about it.
"How about a whole evening doing what the other one one want's?" He said with a smirk. Midnight grinned even wider.
"Your challenge is accepted."
"Ok. Three. Two. One. Go!" Gadget sprinted full force to the door way but soon he realized he wasn't moving. He looked around to see Midnight calmly walking to the kitchen a smile on her face. He looked closer and saw a dark blue obstruct his vision. He then noticed that he was in a stasis field.
"Lady's first." Midnight said as she trotted into the kitchen.
"Hey no fare." He heard a chuckle from behind him. When he was finally released from the field he turned around to see his dad come into the living room. He was shaking his head.
"My dear son have i taught you nothing?" He said in a dramatic accent swooning as he did so. Gadget face hoofed at his dad's antic's. Sky simply embraced his son a hug and spun him around the room.
"All is fare in love and war. And sometimes you have to go through both at the same time." He said putting his son down in front of the kitchen doorway. Gadget had to wait for the house to stop spinning before he was able to make it to the kitchen table. He wobbled into the dinning area and took a seat next to Midnight, left open by his father no doubt. He looked to his dad across the table and Sky winked at his son. He just grumbled to himself and began to eat his breakfast.
Ponyville, 8:00 A.M.
After there family breakfast and a quick scrubbing courtesy of his mom, Gadget and crew were out and about taking a day off to go the nearby park. They had got there with out a hitch but as soon as they got over the bridge they knew something was up. The little field they had planned on using for there picnic was taken up by a huge makeshift obstacle course. Gadget scanned the crowd for anypony familiar and saw both Apple Bloom and Bic Mac in a huge bleacher set up. They both spotted him and his family and waved enthusiastically. The group made there way to the back of the bleacher's and found a way into what ever this event was. They all got into a line and funneled up the step's to Bic Mac and Apple Bloom.
"Well howdy there folk's." Big Mac said as he scooted him self and Apple Bloom over a few seat lengths to allow the family to sit down.
"Hey there Bic Mac/" Gadget said as he shook the stallion's hand. After the two stallions exchanged pleasantry's Bic Mac went down the line giving everypony a warm welcome. Gadget spotted Apple Bloom in the seat next to Big Mac's and went and got down to her height and smiled at her.
"Hey there Apple Bloom." He said nuzzling her cheek. She giggled at him and gave him a hug.
"i'm glad your ok Gadget." He accepted her hug but stopped when he felt her crying.
"Hey what's wrong?" He asked as he held her in his lap.
"I'-i'm s-s-so -s-s-s-sorry!" She said. Gadget frowned. Gadget's family and even few pony's in the crowd had heard Apple Bloom's little out burst and was now looking at the group.
"What for?" He asked looking concerned. Apple Bloom lowered her head.
"It's all my fault. If i hadn't ran off like i did you wouldn't have gotten hurt like you were." She said. Gadget looked at Apple Bloom with sadness. He could feel her hurt and anger at herself.
"I'm so sorry Gadget. C-ca--can you forgive me?" She asked panic in her voice.
"No." He said. Apple Bloom looked at him in confusion and horror.
"I can't accept your apology Apple Bloom because you have nothing to apologize for." He said giving her a warm smile. She was shocked to say the least.
"B-b-b-but -i-i-i-i was--" she was cut off by a hoof.
"No but's Apple Bloom. What happened wasn't your fault. Plain and simple. It was a bad thing that happened to me but it was not your fault." He said reassuring her with an even bigger smile.
"What happen's to us happen's to us. We have no control over that sometime's. Other time's we have the power and ability to change thing's but that isn't always an option." He said starring at the event taking place in the park. He squinted a little bit to see who was participating in the obstacle course. He was surprised to Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack competing in a series of sport's contest's. Then he continued his explanation to Apple Bloom.
"So do me a favor will you Apple Bloom?" He said giving the filly an encouraging smile. She looked up at him still confused by his lack of anger towards her.
"What can i do?" He smiled even wider.
"Just be yourself. Don't let anypony blame you for what happened and don't blame yourself. IT wasn't your fault and you had no way of knowing what would happen. So go and live your life with all of the happiness it had before the accident. Can you do that for me?" He said rubbing her head. She giggled as he continued to rub her head then her back then hr neck and soon he was tickling her all over, her cry's now ones of laughter rather than sorrow. When she had finally gotten a hold of her self she gave him a smile and a hug.
"Thank you Gadget." She said. He smiled.
"Anytime Apple Bloom." He said as he hoisted her up and put her on his shoulder's so she could get a better view. The whole crowd began to aww at this spectacle of joy. Gadget's face lit up like a Christmas tree but he kept a strait face now paying attention to the sport's that RD and AJ where participating in. He got a nudge from his right and looked over to see Big Mac nod at him. He nodded back. Then he saw his parents looking at him with a smug smirk on his face. His dad then leaned towards Midnight who was eating some popcorn. Were'd she get that from? He scanned the crowd for a sales pony but was brought back to the present when he heard somepony choking. He looked over to see Midnight holding her throat as her face went from blue to red then blue again from lack of oxygen. Then she fell over.
"Oh no!" Gadget screamed as he rushed over to her side. He got to her and felt for a pulse. She was still alive and breathing now.
"What happened?" He asked. His dad was laughing his flank off in his seat like a madpony.
"Oh ho ho ho ho that was to rich!" He said still laughing.
"All's i did was say how good you were with kid's and how i could't wait for you to have some." Then he pointed to Midnight.
"She went from chewing her food to stuttering and then her face was bright red!" He continued to laugh as everything began to sink in. Wow. That is actually pretty funny. He giggled to himself then he stopped. Why did she---. He soon stopped when he found the answer to his question. His own face lit up once again. He carefully gripped Midnight in his magic and propped her up in her seat. He then sat next to her to make sure she was ok for the rest of the show. He felt a nudge on his head. He looked up to see Apple Bloom starring at him.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Is she your marefriend?" Gadget blinked.
"No?" He stated feeling confused and uncomfortable. Apple Bloom looked at him for a while before returning her attention to her sister and there friend.
Ponyville, 9:00 A.M.
After the two mare's got done with there show of who was the most athletic pony ever, they discovered that they were tied for first place. So in one last ditch effort to see who was the best they decided to participate in the annual running of the leave's. Gadget was excited. He had participated in the running of the leave's before so he was really wanting to participate now that he had two friend's to go up against.
"So what exactly is this running of the leave's?" Midnight asked as they made there way home. Gadget looked at her with fake shock.
"How could you not know?" He asked using his hooves to emphasize his astonishment. Midnight just rolled her eye's and muttered,
"Like father like son." Gadget giggled and then began to explain the annual running of the leave's.
"Well it go's like this." He explained the jist of it to Midnight.
"So this running of the leave's is a yearly ritual to shake all of the leave's off of the tree?"
"Yup."
"And it takes place next week?" Midnight said as she thought about it.
"Yup and it's open to anypony in ponyville." Gadget thought about it.
"Hey Midnight?" He said. He was going to go for it.
"Yes?" She said looking at him.
"Would you like to---"
"Hello there Ms Eclipse."
Damn it!
Only to be interrupted by the last pony he wanted to see. He turned around to see Hot Shot Standing on a cloud above them looking smug.
"Sorry to interrupt." He said as he jumped off the cloud and landed gracefully on the ground. He gave Gadget a scowl as he walked past. Gadget just returned a neutral face not betraying his annoyance. Hot Shot gave Eclipse a smug grin to which she just stared at him with a bored look in her eye. His confidence faltered but picked up as he approached the target of his next conquest.
"So Ms Eclipse i hear that there is going to be a race this weekend." He stated as he turned on his charm. He swaggered over to Midnight who was looking at Hot Shot with disdain. He however continued to pursue his lust.
"So how about we ditch the dork,"
"HEY!" If looks could kill then Hot Shot would be dust in the wind.
"And go for a brisk jog in the wood's? Just the two of us?" Now Gadget had had enough. This pompous ass hat was going down. Before he could so much as charge up his horn tho Midnight spoke her mind.
"No." Then she walked off to go back to Gadget's house with the rest of his family who was waiting at the end of the road out of town. Gadget just looked at Hot Shot's face. It made him want to cry tears of joy. Hot Shot looked like he had just had poop shoved down his throat. And Gadget was loving every second of it. He trotted off down the road laughing at the top of his lung's.
"Hey Dork!" Gadget looked around to see Hot Shot back on his cloud a smug grin upon his face.
"Don't think this is over." Gadget was stumped. What are you talking about? What this? are you referring to? He just shook his head and continued walking back to his house. When he got in the door his dad met him.
"So son what was that all about?" He asked looking over Gadget's shoulder at Hot Shot who had zoomed away disintegrating the cloud he was on in the process.
"Just some nut job trying to get to know Midnight bit better. So far he's 0-2." Sky looked at Gadget. He could see that he was bothered by this pegasus.
"So what are you going to do about him?" Gadget thought about it.
"Honestly i don't know." He looked to his dad.
"Midnight's been able to deal with him so far but i don't want to overstep my bound's with her." His dad was puzzled.
"What about that last time you protected her? What's the difference between then and now?"
"Then somepony was trying to rape her. Now she's just caught the eye of a trumped up douche bag with his ego so far up his ass he could be halfway to the moon by now with it's length." He said as he huffed in annoyance. Sky looked at his son and couldn't resist.
"Well someone sound's just a teansy bit jealous." He said with a soft smirk. Gadget just looked at his dad.
"Pff as if. I could fly circle's around that tool any day of the week." With that said and done Gadget went down to his basement and locked the door. He had a suit of armor to repair. His dad just chuckled to himself.
"Boy i remember being his age and in love."
Act III Chapter 2: Fall Weather Bring's Pony's Together Part 2.
Gadget had been locked in his basement for two whole hours now working on his suit. He had just gotten the inertial dampener's back up and running and was now working on the anti-gravitational spell's.
"Stupid cocky piece of OHHH" Gadget pulled his hoof back as he felt a sharp pain pass through his arm. He brought it up to his face and saw he had a cut at the base of his hoof. He sighed then went and got some gauze and a clamp.
"Well well what do we have hear?" Gadget froze mid step as he looked around. He was alone in his basement. So who was he hearing in his head?
"Oh have you forgotten about me?" Gadget spun around trying to find the source of the voice.
"Over here." He spun around again. The only thing he saw was his work desk.
"That's it. Come Closer." He tentatively made his way to the desk and looked around. He saw nothing but a few tool's. A screw driver, a mallet. A cordless drill. And a,
"Mirror." He looked around again.
"Look in the mirror." Slowly Gadget grabbed the mirror and looked into it. He only saw himself looking confused. Then in a flash his face changed. His eye's glowed red and his confused look was replaced with an evil grin.
"AHHH!" He screamed as he chucked the mirror away from him. It shattered into lot's if tiny little piece's and Gadget ran from it up the stair's and out the basement as evil laughter filled his head. As soon as he stepped out of the basement his head was clear and his family was looking at him with concern.
"Sweety are you all right?" His mother said as she came up to him. She felt his head.
"You don't have a fever. Are you feeling ok?" His dad came up to him now. He shook his head.
"I...uh...I don't know." He said in a confused tone. He looked off into space as his brain tried to find an explanation.
"Son is something wrong?" Sky said. Gadget looked at his parent's. What could he tell them? That he was suddenly hearing voice's and seeing thing's?
"I...uh...I think i need to rest." He said as he made his way to the couch. His parent's looked on as Gadget climb onto the couch and shut his eye's.
"Oh what could possibly be wrong now?" His mother said as she and Sky made there way into the kitchen. Sky just shook his head.
"I don't know honey. But maybe its one of those thing's he need to take care of on his own." He said as he took a sip of some coffee. Ruby starred at her son.
"I do hope your right Sky."
4, 9, 1000, C.E. Ponyville. 9:54 A.M.
The race started in 6 minute's and Gadget was still nowhere in sight. Midnight was at the starting line looking for him. Oh were are you Gadget?
"So i see you just couldn't resist me eh?" Oh hell! Midnight didn't now what hell was but she had heard Gadget mention it a few time's before. She would have to ask him about it later. Right now she had to deal with a huge phallus with leg's. She turned around and jumped back as Hot Shot was literally right next to her.
"Haven't you ever heard of personal space?" She shouted at him. He just smiled.
"Yes and right now i want to be all in your's." He said winking his eyebrow's. If she would not get disqualified for doing so Midnight would have hanged Hot Shot in a tree by his favorite appendage. But as it stood she could not harm him until after the race.
"Did i miss anything?" Came a voice from behind Midnight. Oh thank the maker! she turned to Gadget only to do a double take. Something was off about him. His eye's looked different. They were normally sapphire but now they looked purple? Maybe its the light? His whole demeanor was off. He looked disheveled and his face showed little hint's of anger every now and then. Namely when ever he looked at Hot Shot who brushed off the Unicorn's look's with a smug grin.
Gadget could feel the confidence oozing off of Hot Shot like a radiator. It made him want to puke. The nerve of this stallion was enough to drive him to want to bury him in a deep dark hole. Gadget got between Midnight and Hot Shot. Midnight backed up a bit. She could feel something was wring with Gadget but she held her tongue.
"So the Dork finally grew a pair. Nice." Gadget got close to Hot Shot's face.
"Look punk i don;t give a shit who you think you are." He pointed a hoof at Midnight.
"If i find you hitting on her again i'll rip off your damn wing's and shove them so far down your throat you'll be flying home with your ass!" Hot Shot just stood there. Just who does this nerd think he is? He was about to say something but luckily for him the pre-warm up bell for the race had sounded.
"Well then why don't we let the race do the talking for us?" Hot Shot said as he went to the starting line. Midnight just looked at Gadget. Ok something is definitely wrong with him. She fallowed him to the starting line. I better keep an eye on him. She lined up next to Gadget placing him between her and Hot Shot. He meanwhile was stretching in such a way that he left nothing to the imagination.
"Like what you see?" He said as he caught her starring. Her eye's snapped back to starring in front of her. Her blush was not helping matter's. Stupid! stupid! stupid! Gadget just growled. He was about to go over there and teach Hot Shot a lesson he would never forget but then the announcer decided to intervene.
"Attention Racer's!" Everypony's attention was on the voice.
"The Annual Running of The Leave's will be starting in exactly Five Minutes. Please get to your designated starting position's." As everypony made there way to there starting area Gadget had a slight snag in his already foul mood. Hot Shot and Midnight were in the back, practically alone. He saw another pony make there way to the back and fallowed them.
"Excuse me good Sir but could i trouble you a bit?" Gadget said a malevolent smile on his face as he got the pony to fallow him to a small patch of tree's.
Oh dear Celestia were is a baseball bat when you need one? Midnight said as she tried to block out Hot Shot's constant rambling about his many victory's. Or a crowbar. Hell i'll settle for a study tree branch right about now. As she began to scan for any nearby blunt object to bean Hot Shot over the head with she was Gadget make his way towards them. Oh thank the maker! Then she took a closer look at him. What is that on his coat?
As he got closer she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He had a scary grin plastered on his face. That combined with his now glowing red eye's was making her feel more uncomfortable than she was now being stuck with Hot Shot. Wait why is he coming to the back? I thought he was up front?
"Hey there Gadget." She greeted him as he stopped in front of her.
"Hello Midnight." He said in a monotone voice. He was close enough now that she didn't have to ask about his coat. She could smell the tell tale trace's of blood. What in the hell is going on here!?
"Um Gadget?" She said now very nervous.
"Yes Midnight?" He said still wearing that creepy smile and still using that creepy voice.
"Um were is Thunder Lane?"
"Oh he had a little accident and couldn't make it." He said as he took his place beside Midnight. She was paralyzed with fear now. What did he do?
"Listen to me." Gadget said as his eye's glowed green.
"Yes Sir." Thunder Lane said as his eye's two began to glow green.
"Your going to drop out of the race."
"I am going to drop out of the race."
"Your going to tell them that you have a family emergency and have to leave."
"I'm going to tell them that i have a family emergency and that i have to leave."
"Good. Now go." Thunder lane walked off looking every bit the part of a zombie focused on it's one goal.
Then Gadget began to get a headache. He felt wetness on his fur and looked down to see drops of blood. He brought a hoof to his face and felt his nose.
"Well i can't do that all to often."
"Racer's Are You Ready?" The Announcer called out. A loud stomping of hooves on the ground was the only reply.
"Allrighty then."
"On your marks. Get set." BANG!! "GO!" All at once a surge of pony's swept threw the starting point. The race hag begun.
10:45 A.M.
45 minutes in and Gadget was still keeping pace with Hot Shot. What in equestria did that dork eat this morning? A whole Apple Tree?
11:45 A.M.
Gadget was still going. Midnight being an Alicorn could keep up with him easily. Eventually Hot Shot had to give up. The pace they were setting was to much for him. Gadget smiled as he passed him leaving him in the dust.
12:00 P.M.
The race was over. Gadget and Midnight passed over the finish line and Gadget collapsed onto the ground. Oh no. Gadget's parents came over shaking there head's.
"Well look's like he ran himself ragged." Sky said as he scooped him up on his back chuckling.
"I--think---that---something---is --wrong." Midnight said as she caught her breath.
"What do you mean deary?" Ruby said.
"I think we should take him to the hospital."
A little while later Gadget was resting on a soft hospital bed. Nurse Red Heart was looking over his chart. She looked over it and shook her head. She then went out into the waiting room.
"Well guy's i am really stumped." She said as Gadget's friends and family stood up.
"You mean you can't tell us what's wrong with him?" Ruby said.
"I'm afraid not. Not without a few scan's, X-Ray's and MRI's. And even then the results will take a few week's to get back."
"well then let's do it." Sky said. The nurse shook her head.
"Ok. Let me make some call's."
"Perhaps i can help with that." All of the pony's looked to the front door's of the hospital to see Princess Celestia.
"Princess." Twilight squeaked as she bowed to her mentor. Celestia laughed.
"That is quite all right little one. i am merely here for a social visit." She said as she looked towards the medical room's.
"How is he nurse?" She asked. Nurse Red Heart looked sheepish.
"Well your majesty i don't know. We have all of the equipment but the results will take time." Celestia looked at all of the pony's. they all had worried look's on there face's. It is amazing how much influence one individual can have on a group.
"Well then there isn't any time to loose." Celestia set to work on helping out the situation as best as she could.
Act III Chapter 3: Through The Fire and The Flame's.
Gadget yawned as he pulled himself up to the table to eat dinner with his family. He was having trouble keeping his eye's open. He closed them for a little while. Soon he was snoring at the table.
"Sweety are you ok?" Ruby asked as Gadget began to wobble in his seat. Then to the family's surprise Gadget face planted in his bowl of soup. He did not move.
"Oh dear." His mother said. Then he began to sputter. His head shot out of the bowl as he began to cough and choke on carrot's. Nightmare came down the stairs and looked at the family with curious eye's.
"What's wrong?" She asked. They all pointed at Gadget. She stared at his soup soaked face and and tried not to laugh. She let a few giggle's get through her hoof. Gadget looked at her then he turned to his bowl of soup. He saw his messy hair and began to smile. Soon he was laughing right along with her. Then the whole family joined in. Soon however Gadget's laughing led to crying. He held his head in his hooves.
"What is wrong with me?" He asked sobbing. His parent's came to him and held him in a tight hug.
"There there little light." His mother said holding his head in her own hooves, brushing his mane to calm him down.
"There is nothing wrong you son." His dad said as he embraced them both in his strong arm's.
"How can you say that?" He said through his sob's.
"I black out just before the race and wake up in the hospital." He looked off into space.
"I'm having these horrible nightmare's." He sighed
"I can't sleep worth a crap." He looked down to his trembling hooves.
"Why?"
"Why what darling?"
"Why is this happening to me?" No pony had an answer. The room was quite for awhile. Then Midnight spoke up.
"Maybe i could help." She tentatively walked to the group. Gadget looked at her hesitate.
"How?" He asked his voice neutral.
"I can aid you in your sleep. Maybe that will help give you some comfort?" She looked sheepish. Gadget thought about it. He just shrugged his shoulder's and huffed.
"I guess its worth a shot." He pushed away from the table then went to a medicine cabinet. He grabbed a bottle entitled sleeping pill's.I hope these stupid things work now. He opened the bottle took out two of them and popped them in his mouth. He then got a glass of water and chugged it. He then went and flopped onto the couch. In a few minute's he was snoring away.
"Well...that was easy?" Midnight said. She looked at his parents as they went and sat with there son. Soon however his restful sleep was disturbed by fit's of thrashing.
"Shhh Shhh its ok baby. Mamas here." Ruby said softly stroking her sons back. Midnight went and curled up next to Gadget on the couch. She positioned herself so there horns were just barely touching. Then she cast her spell and the world went dark.
?,??,???? ????????.
Midnight awoke in a dark room. She looked around and fumbled about. She found a light switch on one of the wall's and pushed it. The dark room was lit up by a dim bulb hanging from the ceiling. It gave the already eerie room a more oppressive atmosphere. She saw that the door was gone, in its place a long dark hallway that lead somewhere.
"Hello?" She called down the long corridor. She didn't get a reply. She focused on her magic and soon her horn was alight with a blue aura. Slowly she made her way down the hallway looking to and fro. There were no other door's just an endless void. She kept on trotting. Something was driving her friend to madness. She was going to get to the bottom of this no matter what.
Outside, In the real world.
Ruby watched as Gadget began to settle down. It seemed that Midnight's very presence had a calming effect on him like nothing she had ever seen before. Oh those two really are going to make a cute couple. She thought to herself with a smile. She looked over at her husband who had a content look on his face. He was her rock. Sturdy in the hard wind's of life and firm support to cling to when the need arose. Right now she held her husband in her hooves as her son was being tended to the Princess of Dream's.
?,??,???? ????????
Midnight was getting closer to...something. She could feel it. It felt..cold, lifeless and cruel.
"How could he possibly have these feeling buried away like this?" She jumped as she began to hear an evil laughter. It pervaded the hall's of Gadget's mind and echoed all over.
"You were a fool to come here." It said. Suddenly Midnight found herself surrounded on all side's by strange beast's. They seemed to flicker in and out of reality, like living shadow's.
"What dark magic is this Fiend!" She shouted at the evil. It laughed.
"Come now Nightmare! Is that any way to talk to your future master?" Midnight was furious.
"I have no master you cowered! Now i will not tell this twice! Release My Knight at once or face my wrath!" The voice just laughed even harder than before.
"As you wish!" The shadow beast's were gone. In there place a door materialized out of thin air. Midnight hesitantly made her way to the door. She brought a shaky hoof to it but was unable to knock. Suddenly a flash of light appeared and before her stood,
"Gadget!" But he did not respond. In fact he didn't look all that real. When she squinted Midnight could see that the Gadget in front of her was nothing more than a faint shadow.
"A memory?" The Shadow Gadget place his hoof on the door and then just stood there. He then looked back and smiled at Midnight. She gasped.
"C-c-can y--y-you see me?" She asked pointing to herself. He nodded and then beckoned her to come forward. She did so stepping up next to Gadget. He motioned to the door. She hesitated at first but he just smiled at her and nodded his head. Slowly she reached for the door. As she did so to did Gadget. There hooves both grasped the door at the same time, her's going though Gadget's phantasmal form. He just laughed. She smiled up at him and together they both turned the doorknob.
Ponyville,
10:00 P.M.
For three hours Ruby and Sky sat at the foot of the sofa watching there son and his marefriend sleep. They would both twitch occasionally but other than that they were still and silent.
"How do you think there doing?" Ruby asked as she brushed a stray strand of hair off of Midnight's face. She twitched and reached out for ruby's hoof. She let the mare grab a hold of it and slowly Midnight brought it down to her head and used it as a pillow. Sky smiled and laughed.
"Well i think you have your answer." As the two pony's sat there a small flash caught there attention. They looked over to a desk at the front door and saw the necklace that they had sent him. Sky trotted over and grabbed it. He smiled as he held it in his magic. He brought it over to the couch and just held it for awhile.
"I remember when we found that." Ruby said as she to looked at the necklace.
"Yes. I never thought such a small trinket could ever have such a big impact on our live's." He said as he looked over to Midnight. He looked back to the necklace. It began to glow softly as if sensing that something was wrong. He chuckled to himself.
"Magic works in mysterious way's." He muttered to himself.
"What was that?" His wife said.
"I have a feeling that our son is going to need our help." Slowly he sent the necklace down on the couch between Midnight and Gadget. It began to glow even bright than before.
"Honey what is going on?" Ruby asked as she shielded her eye's from the light.
"Just trust me on this one." He said a goofy smile on his face. Soon the light engulfed the whole living room. When the light had faded the two adults were out like light's resting there heads on the couch as well. The necklace was now glowing a faint pink color.
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Midnight fallowed Gadget into the very recesses of his mind. If she hadn't she would have been wandering around his brain for who know's how long. His pace quickened and then stopped. The whole dream world began to shimmer and shake. Midnight had to brace herself just to keep her hoofing, When all was said and done Midnight breathed a sigh of relief and Gadget kept on walking as if nothing had happened.
"So do you talk or do you only do mime?" She asked as they walked on. No response.
"Well this suck's."
"Tell me about it." Came a voice from behind Midnight. She screamed and spun around to see a very unfamiliar looking creature. It had the head of a pony and a body made up of all sort's of other creature's. It really freaked her out.
"Ok who in the hell are you!" Midnight shouted as she charged up her horn. The creature just laughed at her.
"Oh my dear you are to funny. I really wander why the creator's never decided to make you a full on character?" The creature said as it scratched it's chin. Midnight's was stumped. Creator's? Make me a full what?
"You haven't answered my question? Who are you? And another thing what are you doing here?" She demanded. The creature just bowed.
"Oh my dear i am so sorry. Where are my manner's?" His manner's came running to him and tackled him to the ground and began to lick his face.
"Oh here they are. Now down boy. Be good." Midnight had had enough of this strange creature. instead of wasting her magic on it she simply turned around and began to walk away.
"Oh wait now young Missy. I have some new's to tell you." Midnight ignored him. She kept on walking away until she was pulled into the air by a strange form of magic. She was face to face with the strange creature once more.
"Now now young lady is that any way to treat your elder's?" The creature said as it tapped one of it's hand's on its hip's.
"Unhand me you brute!" Midnight screamed as she began to flail around. The she remembered her magic. Her horn lit up.
"Listen to me. I have important information about your little friend." Midnight's horn fizzled but did not go out.
"Keep talking." Midnight ordered.
"My pleasure." The creature said as it sat her down on the ground and began to talk.
Sky and Ruby were wandering around there son's mind searching for him.
"Gadget!"
"Honey!"
"Son!"
"Sweetey Pie!?" They got no response. They continued walking until they came to a dead end.
"Well that's just great!" Sky huffed.
"Now what?" Ruby asked. Sky had had enough. He ran up to the wall spun around in mid gallop and bucked the wall as hard as he could. when that had no effect he ran up to the wall and began to punch it.
"Give me back my son!" He screamed each word as he hit the wall with all of his might. He stopped when he heard laughter behind him. He spun around only to see his wife starring in the same direction. At nothing. He turned around and jumped back as he saw a strange creature before him.
"Hello Mr and Ms's!" It said with glee as it scooped them up and dragged them through a door the two screaming and flailing the entire way.
?,??,???? ????????
Gadget awoke to nothing. He looked around and only was darkness before him and behind. He lit up his horn. He saw that he was on a dirt road. He followed it. A little while later he came across something he never thought he would see again.
"No way!" He said as he studied the all to familiar object. He ran up to his little beat up Subaru. This one however was burn free. He hopped in and started the engine's.
"Hey wait a minute?" He looked down to see that he had his hand's once more. He looked into the rear view mirror and saw his face. His normal human face. How is this even possible?
"It's not." Came a voice beside him. Axle looked over to see a strange creature sitting next to him. He scrambled to get out of the car but his seat belt got even tighter restricting his movement.
"Who the hell are you!?" He screamed at the top of his lung's.
"Let's just say that i'm a friend." It said with a sly grin. Axle did not like this thing one bit. He continued to try and squirm out of the car but to no avail. Then the car started up and was now moving all on it's own.
"What the hell is this?" Axle shouted. He looked over at the creature which was just leaning back kicking its feet up on the dash board. How it was able to do so in such a tiny vehicle was a mystery to Axle. He didn't have long to think about this however as he looked out the windshield and saw a roaring wall of flame's.
"Oh shit!" He yelled as he covered his eye's. He felt a surge of heat come over him and he looked around. His car was gone and so was the creature. He looked around to see that he was now standing in a large dome shaped building. Suddenly flame's shot up all round him.
"Ahhh." He jumped back as the flame's licked at his body. His body felt strange. He looked at it again to see that he was some kind of furry quadruped.
"What the hell is going on here?" He asked himself. The wall of flame's had now engulfed the only exit he could see.
"Oh no." He said as he desperately looked for away out.
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Midnight just sat there as this.
"Discord was it?" He bowed.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance lady Moon or should i say lady Midnight now?" Midnight starred dagger's at him.
"It's Midnight. Now get on with your explanation." Discord just sighed.
"Oh ba you pony's are no fun." Midnight was at her wits end. She used her magic to wrench Discord's head down to her level.
"I. Don't. Have. Time. For. FUN! Now tell em what you came here to say!" She said letting him go. He screwed hie head back to it's original position. He held up his hand's.
"All right, all right, you win." He took a deep breath.
"Would you believe me if i said i was from the future?" Midnight just starred at him, deadpan look on her face.
"Of course not. well then moving on. Long story short. I'm here to help Gadget get through a tough time."
"He already has all the help he need's." Midnight said as she got up and continued to walk in any direction away from Discord. He popped up right beside her.
"Well then would you like me to take you to him?" She stopped in her track's.
"Were is he?" She said in a low voice.
"Well he could be any--"
"WERE IS HE!" She shouted using her magic to pin the creature down to the floor. Discord was truly afraid right now. Never had he had to go up against such raw emotion and magical power before. He was glad that she was a lot nicer in the future. He also made a mental note to never ever make her angry again. He held up his hoof in surrender. The pressure on his chest dissipated. Ho got to his feet a little shaky after nearly having been crushed by this alicorn's awesome and scary display of magic. He cleared his throat.
"Right this way madam." He said as he lead Midnight through a doorway.
Gadget's parent's were deposited out of a portal onto a balcony. They got up out of there tangled heap and inspected each other for any injury's. When they were done they looked around. They saw no way off the balcony so they looked out over a great hall. Then Ruby gasped and lunged toward the railing. She was stopped from going over the railing by a force field.
"Honey what's---"
"Sky look!" She said pointing her hoof toward's the great hall's main entrance. Sky looked and saw Gadget running for his life. He to jumped at the force field now intent on breaking it down. He pounded on the field but to no avail. He heard a whooshing noise behind him and turned around to see Midnight appear out of a door.
"Midnight!" they both screamed as the ran to her and embraced her.
"Wha--How are you two here?" She asked to shocked to give a hug back.
"It was Gadget's element." Midnight was lost.
"What?"
"No time to explain." Sky stated.
"Can you help us?" He said pointing a hoof to the railing. He ran over to it and began to punch it. the shield flared to life and Midnight understood what he wanted.
"All right, stand back." She charged up her horn as the two got behind her. She let her magical beam fly at the barrier. It shined a bright red at it resisted her attempts to breach it. She put more power into her energy wave.
"Hear." She heard Gadget's parents both say as they to added there own magic to the attack. Two more beam's, one a rose hew the other the color of the blue sky mixed with Midnight's fuchsia colored barrage.
"And one more for the win!" Discord said as he to added his own purple and gold chaotic cocktail to the magical mix. With there combined power's they were finally able to overpower the shield.
"NOOOO!!!!" The evil voice shouted in defeat as the shield evaporated into this air.
"Yes!" the group cried out in victory. Discord did the honer's of lowering everypony to ground level.
Gadget heard the yell from someplace up high. He looked around and spotted his parent's on a balcony. Then he saw them and the strange creature from before as the floated down to ground level.
"Gadget!" He heard them yell.
"Mom! Dad! Midnight!" He yelled. He ran to them all. But the evil voice had one last obstacle for him to face. A giant wall of fire erupted from the earth right in front of Gadget blocking his way to his family. "No! No! NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO!" He hated fire. Ever since his "death" he had hated fire of any kind. He was never in the kitchen when mom cooked because of the stove. He never went on camping trip's. He never really wanted to have anything to do with fire. The only exception was his invention's. He could control the fire then. He could contain it. But here, here someone else was in control.
"NO!" He shouted as he stomped his hoof's into the ground.
"TO HELL WITH THIS!" He shouted. He was sick an tired of being afraid. The fire's began to receded. He was sick of not taking any risk's with his love life. The flame dwindled again. He was tired of being alone. The flame's were now little flicker's. He was not going to let his fear and anger control him. The flame's vanished, the only trace's being a few wisp's of smoke.
"Gadget?" He looked up to see Midnight standing before him concern on her face. He looked at her and his parent's. He ran up to them but the first thing he did was scoop Midnight up in his hooves.
"Gadget what are---" She never got her sentence out as she was silenced by Gadget pressing his lip's to her's in a passionate kiss. Midnight was shocked at first. But then she melted into it. The two held the kiss for a while before breaking apart for air.
"Wow." Gadget said as he tried to stop his head from spinning.
"That...was..new?" Midnight still reeling from the afterglow. Ruby and Sky were grinning like a couple of clown's. There smile's ware as wide as a mile and they were both "awwww"ing over the new couple's first intimate moment. It however did not last as the world started to vanish around them. They all looked ad Discord.
"Wait what about you?" Gadget asked worry in his voice.
"Oh don't worry about me." He said waving a claw.
"Trust me when i say we will meet again." He said. And in a flash he was gone. And so was the dream world.
It had been several weeks since Midnight helped Gadget get over his nightmare's. The two had been spending more time together, going to the park, hanging out and even sharing dream's with one another. A little over a week ago Princess Celestia had sent him and his family ticket's to the Grand Galloping Gala. It was only a few week's away and Gadget was still trying to get up the nerve to ask Midnight to the ball.
Come on! You can do this! You faced her down when she was trying to kill you for crying out loud! This should be cake walk! No matter how much his brain screamed at him to go on and ask he always found some reason not to. What if she says no! What if she doesn't want to go! What if she already found somepony else! What if--- SLAP!! His mom had come up to him and gave him a good whack on the head.
"Oh stop it already." She said a smile spreading across her face. Gadget looked at her with a confused look. She still had her smile.
"You've already made it to first base. So you have nothing to worry about." She trotted to the kitchen and came back with a sandwich.
"Here. You look like your about to pass out." She said handing the sandwich to him. He didn't seem to notice it. So Ruby took the sandwich in her magic and then she began to nudge him in the mouth with it.
"Here come's to chew chew train." Gadget brought a hoof up and swatted at the sandwich. It zoomed around his hoof and nudged him in the mouth once more. He swatted at the sandwich and then it stopped. Gadget starred at his mom. She starred at him. Gadget leapt up from the sofa and grabbed a broom from off the floor.
"So you can have fun?" His mother jested with the sandwich.
"Well what can i say. My family has a way of getting me out of a funk." He said as he brought the broom up ready to swat the sandwich out of the air. His mother smirked.
"Your magic is nothing compared to mine." His mother said in a deep voice. Gadget nearly busted a gut trying not to laugh. He knew what she was trying to do. Ever since he told his parents about one of the best movie's in his planet's history they had been doing there best to mimic curtain part's of it. While he wasn't the best person at telling story's he was sure that his parents got the concept of star war's mostly because his mom was trying to act like Darth Vader. So he might as well join in on the fun.
"Your magic come's from the darkness. Mine come's from the light. You will never defeat me." His mother darted the sandwich around his guard but Gadget's broom was there to intercept it.
"Ha little foal. If your light is only that strong then you have a lot to worry about. My power's are limitless." His mom said as Gadget batted the sandwich out of the way and trusted the broom at his mom's exposed chest. She dodged the attack and brought the sandwich up to defend herself from a flurry of slash's from Gadget's broom. Now that he had the offensive he was pushing his advantage to it's fullest.
"Well well what do we have here?" Both combatant's looked up to see Sky descending the stair's. Ruby got a smug look on her face.
"Do not interfere old man." Sky looked hurt, but the twinkle in his eye told them he knew exactly what they were doing. Sky scoped out a flyswatter hanging on the wall. As he jumped off the stair's into the thick of the 'fight' he used his magic to grab the flyswatter off the wall.
"So young Knight do you think you stand a chance against two dark master's?" He said wielding the flyswatter like a rapier. Gadget shook his head.
"Now that is not fare." He wined a small grin appearing on his face. "Beside's dad your supposed to be on my side." Sky thought about it.
"Sorry son but the dark side is way hotter than you." He said smirking. Gadget chuckled and there two way fight became a three way. Gadget would attack with his long reach but sky's swatter would be there to intercept. Then Ruby would counter attack with the sandwich. She landed a few good hit's to striking Gadget on the head and neck a few time's. Midnight came down the stair's to see the family hopping around all over the place looking like fool's waving there make shift weapon's around. She just calmly trotted past them and into the kitchen.
Why do they insist on acting like such juvenile's? She thought as she came back with a sandwich and began to munch on it watching the spectacle with mirth. Gadget was now cornered at the edge of the second floor balcony.
"Any last word's son?" Ruby asked as she pushed Gadget closer to the edge.
"You'll never take me alive!" He said as he hopped onto the ledge and jumped. Midnight spat out the last bit of her sandwich and jumped to the rescue.
"What were you thinking?" She shouted as she grasped Gadget in her magic. He slowly descended to the floor. When he was a few inch's above it his little bubble popped.
"Ouch." He looked at Midnight.
"What was that for?" He wined putting on a fake face of child like pain. Midnight starred at him.
"What exactly were you thinking to just jump off the second story like that?" She scolded him. He looked back to see his parents just standing there amused look's upon there face. He looked back at Midnight a solemn expression on his face.
"Your right Midnight. It was not to smart of me to just jump off like that." He hung his head and started to trot up the stair's, a single tear dropped onto the floor. A fact that Midnight had picked up on.
"Oh horse apple's." She thought as she huffed and went to go comfort Gadget.
"Look Gadget i'm sorry." She said as she rushed up the stair's after him. Sky and Rose just looked on at the two.
"How long till she catch's on to the act?" Sky thought about it.
"I'd say all of five second's. Unless our son has been practicing his acting since we last saw him in canterlot." Rose snickered.
"I don't know. That prank we pulled on you was pretty convincing to say the least." She said busting out in laughter at her husband's wild blush. He began to stammer like a mad pony. Finally he gave up and just left his wife standing there laughing her flank off.
Upstairs Gadget was giggling like a clown as his ruse was found out by Midnight.
"You tricked me?" She said a small smile creeping it's way across her face. Already she was thinking of how to get revenge.
"Well can you blame me?" He asked as he shrugged. He sent and sat down on a spare bed. Midnight soon joined him later. They just sat there looking up at the wooden construction of there home.
"We should go for a walk."Gadget said as he rolled off of the bed and onto his hooves.
"Yes that sound's nice." Midnight agreed as she to rolled onto the floor.
"Hey mom, pop's were going out for a little while."
"Have fun sweety."
"Be sure to use protection son!" Gadget quickly closed the door. He looked at Midnight and chuckled nervously.
"So the park as usual?" He asked. Midnight thought about it.
"How about we head into town. See what the girl's are up to." Gadget nodded.
"Sound's like a plan. Let's be on our way madam." He said bowing and waving his hooves in the direction of town.
"Lady's first." He said in a posh accent. Midnight giggled at his antic's but she bowed and accepted his gentalcolt behavior.
Up in the sky Swift Wing spotted the two lover's as they made there way into town. He could see them talking laughing and just in general having a great time.
"How cute." He said a smile spreading on his face. He had been away on duty looking for an escaped fugitive. The crazy part was that said fugitive was supposed to be dead. He had heard that the Princess's themselves had presided over the execution. He was as dead as a doorknob. His burnt up corpse was proof enough of that. But somehow they had gotten report's that he was in the area. So Control called back all field agent's to do a sweep of each grid sector. They came up empty. Now he was stationed back in ponyville. This town was the best assignment he had ever had. He wouldn't give it up for anything in the whole wide world. As he watched the two go over to sugar cube corner, his mouth drooled at the thought, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the two were being fallowed, again.
"Ok this has got to stop." He swooped down to ground level and watched as the stalker, Hot Shot made his way to the unsuspecting couple. Swift was as silent as a cat stalking a mouse. But before he could get to Hot Shot, he had darted out from his cover and tackled Gadget to the ground.
Gadget and Midnight were on there way to sugar cube corner when Gadget stopped. He felt somepony watching them. He turned around and was blind sided by a body slamming into him taking him to the ground.
"Wow!" He screamed as he was pummeled by a flurry of blow's to his chest and head. God can i please just have a normal day out! He put up his hooves to protect his face but the pressure on him was suddenly lifted as he saw Hot Shot get levitated into the air. He looked around to see Midnight using her magic.
"How dare you!" Midnight said as she brought Hot Shot over to her face. As he looked at her his face softened.
"Eclipse!" He said as he began to cry.
"Don't worry love. We'll be back together soon. I just have to take care of HIM!" He said struggling to get out of Midnight's grasp. Midnight looked from Hot Shot to Gadget who was just as dumbfounded as she was.
"Oh good you caught him." Came a voice from behind them. Both pony's looked back to see a pegasus standing there. He was white with gray wing tip's. Gadget noticed he had an earpiece on. Ooh a MK 3 Special operation's Com system with satellite up link capability's! As Gadget was starring at the earpiece having a nerdgasm, Midnight was studying the pony before them.
"If you'll excuse me your majesty i'll be taking him into custody." He said pointing a hoof at Hot Shot. Midnight starred at the pony even more.
"What is your name citizen?" She asked. He froze for a sec. He weighed the option's. Denying a princess was never a smart thing. But to give out his name could compromise the mission. As it was he was going to be in serious hot water with Control.
"Well your majesty i can't give you that info at this time." Midnight squinted. If there was one thing she did not like it was being disobeyed. Just as she was about to pull out her royal canterlot voice however a soft voice of reason had gotten up from the ground and put in it's two cents.
"It's ok Midnight." Gadget said as he limp over to her. She dropped Hot Shot in a hurry and went over to Gadget.
"Are you ok?" She asked. He smiled.
"Pff i have been through a lot worse than that dipstick." He said waving to Hot Shot. He in turn growled at Gadget and leapt at him. Only to stop mid leap as he was zapped by a lightning bolt. Gadget shielded Midnight from the attack but found that it wasn't aimed at them. He looked down to see Hot Shot unconscious and twitching as smoke rose form his prone form. He looked up to The pegasus to see him holding a box shaped item in his hoof. OMG! A THUNDER CANNON! Gadget had another geek out moment as Swift went and cuffed Hot Shot. He then strapped a strange contraption onto his back. To Gadget it looked like a parachute.
"What is that?" he asked. Swift just pushed a button and Hot Shot was whisked into the air by a giant weather balloon. Well now I've seen everything. Midnight thought.
"Wow!" Gadget said looking up as Hot Shot was suspended in mid air.
"Were can i get one or two of those?" He asked. Swift just laughed.
"Sorry Sir but those are a little secret." Gadget thought about it. Actually i could probably just build my own. He shrugged.
"Ow well. Thanks for the assist." He said as went up to Swift to shake hooves. Swift hesitated. He knew that getting close to target's was not a good thing. But then again this was ponyville. The professional in him told him no, but the Rational side of him said go for it. In the end he settled for a firm hoof shake.
"No problem." He said as he gave them a salute and took off into the sky. He did small loop around before coming back and grabbing the weather balloon and sailing off into the distance.
"Well...that...was...intriguing?" Midnight said as she and Gadget continued there walk to the bakery.
"Yes very much so." He said. His mind was now abuzz with several thousand question's.
Gadget awoke to two things, a soft bed and a warm embrace. He craned his neck around and saw Midnight laying there, her hooves wrapped around him like a pillow. He smiled as he tried to escape from her loving embrace. She struggled at first but soon found comfort in Gadget's pillow as he nudged it into her grasp. He smiled as she cuddled up with it. Then he went down stair's and was surprised to see the girl's all waiting for him.
"Hello!" He called out to everypony. They all greeted him in kind as he went to the fridge to get a sandwich. He found one and came back to the table.
"So what are all of you doing here?" He asked taking a bite out of his meal.
"Well darling." Rarity said.
"We were wondering if we could get your help with something?" She asked fidgeting with her hooves. He nodded his head.
"Ya sure. What do you need?" He said polishing off the last of his sandwich. Rarity looked ecstatic but then her face went from happy to forlorn.
"You know what i'm sorry deary. we did not mean to barge in on you all like this."
"Oh for crying out loud rarity just spit it out." Rainbow said her face going from bored to angry. Gadget looked at her. Then to Rarity.
"So girl's what do you need?" He repeated. Twilight chimed in.
"We were wandering if you could help us find transportation to Canterlot for the Gala tonight." Gadget thought about it. then his brain had mental explosion.
"If your not to busy that is." Fluttershy added nervously.
"THAT'S PERFECT!" He shouted startling the girls and causing poor Fluttershy to stumble over out of her chair and land on the floor.
"Omg i'm so sorry." He said rushing to her aid. He held out a hoof and with little effort helped poor Fluttershy off of the floor. He patted her down getting what little dust that was on her off. Then he looked at the girls with a big smile.
"Girl's don't worry about a thing. I will have our transportation drawn up and finished by tonight." He said with a smug grin. Twilight was skeptical.
"Are you sure you can do this?" she asked a slight ting of gilt in his voice. He looked at her with a sad face.
"Twilight i'm hurt." He said pouting. Behind her the other's giggled. Twilight just looked at him with a deadpan expression.
"Really?" She said. His face went from sad to one of happy delight.
"Don't worry twi, i can build stuff like this in my sleep." He said as he made his way to the stairs. Then he looked back to the girls.
"Just be here around 5:00 tonight and i'll have our ride done." He said as he went to go and talk to his uncle. First thing's first he needed to barrow his uncle's old wagon. Then he could see about sprucing it up a bit.
4:00 P.M.
After nine strait hour's of working on the wagon Gadget was finally done. It was easy to build an engine for it. He reinforced the wheel's with metal sheeting. He even took the top off to make it lighter and faster. All in all it looked almost like one of the car's back on earth. Just made out of wood and held together with magic, glue, screw's and nail's and a lot of prayer.
"Well now that that's done." He said as he wiped hi forehead off. He went upstairs to see how the family was doing. He was met with silence
"Mom? Dad? Midnight?" He called out and only got a rustling noise in return. He turned around and saw a note on the desk blowing in a small breeze that came in threw a cracked open window. He went over to the desk and read the note.
Dear Gadget.
Midnight, your mother and i have gone down to rarity's shop to get fitted for our cloth's for the gala. We should be back in time to enough to catch a ride from you to Canterlot. We'll see you soon.
Love, Mom & Dad.
"Oh so that's were they went." He put the note down and shut the window. Strange. Mom usually doesn't leave the window open. Oh well probably nothing. He turned around and was on his way to the kitchen when he heard a noise downstairs's.
"Who's there?" He said. No one replied so he grabbed for his trusty bat behind the couch but his magic only got empty air. Well....Crap! He went back into the kitchen and grabbed a frying pan. HA! Come at me now bro! Slowly he made his way over to the basement door. He used his magic to ease it open. With that done he descended the stair's. As he did so his eye's darted around the poorly lit basement. I really need to install better lighting. He got to the bottom of the stair's and cautiously looked around. He had a stun spell ready, just in case. He looked around the small room not finding a thing.
"What the hell is going on here?" He muttered to himself. He suddenly heard a noise behind him. He spun around so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. His pan ready to strike he used his magic to light up the area hopefully blinding the intruder. His eye's frantically tried to locate the threat. They looked left, right, up, and down. Finally his eye's spotted the assailant.
"You have got to be kidding me." He said breathing a sigh of relief. Staring up at him with fear in it's little beady eye's was a rat. He scoffed at the little thing. Then he smiled and got down on all four's.
"Come here little guy." He said waving a hoof at it. It looked at him. He looked at it. Then it looked at something behind him. Gadget noticed a shadow play off the wall's.
"Sweet mother of ---" SMACK!
5:00 P.M.
The girl's, Midnight and Ruby Rose included were all chatting up a storm as they all made there way to Gadget's house.
"So what are we going to do when we get to the Gala?" Midnight asked as she walked along side Gadget's dad who was leading the little group. They all thought about it.
"See how the princess's are doing." Twilight said.
"See if i can't get an extension on my apple product's licence." Apple Jack said.
"See about getting into the Wander Bolt's." Rainbow answered.
"Relax in the royal garden's with all of the animal's." Fluttershy said sheepishly.
"Throw the biggest and bestest party ever in the whole history of Canterlot!" Pinky said bouncing up and down. A stern look from Rarity made her stop.
"Right don't ruin the dress. Sorry."
"How about you Lady Rarity?" Midnight asked. Rarity thought about it.
"Well i hope to mingle with the crown and see if i can't expand my business relationship's." She said.
"Maybe find a nice stallion to take home." She added as an after thought.
"What was that?"
"Oh nothing deary." she said her face blushing profusely. Midnight looked at the mare. she let it go and then let out a sigh as she spotted there house.
"What in equestria is that?" Rose said. Midnight looked to were she was pointing.
"Wow!" Was all she could say. There ride as Gadget had put it was nothing short of amazing. It looked like somepony had taken a carriage and cut off the top extended the back added several more set of wheel's to it. Then they strapped some kind of engine to the back and attached a small thin piece of glass to the front of it. All in all it put the carriage's in canterlot to shame.
"Wow. Our son built this in only 10 hour's?" Sky said as he inspected the carriage. It was all black with a white trim on the exterior. He opened up the side door and a note fell out.
"Hello what's this?" Shy said as he picked it up.
Dear friends and family.
As you all can see i'm finished with the car. I however had to run into town to get one more thing before i meet up with you guy's. If you all aren't here by the time i get back then i'll catch up with you on the road.
Your loving son, Gadget. P.S. Directions for the car are in the glove box. See you all very soon.
Sky looked at the letter then shrugged his shoulder's. Well if he insist's. He looked around the car. From what his son had told him of earth's vehicle's there glove compartment was on the left side of the car. He climbed into the front seat and leaned over.
"There you are." He said as he found the compartment. He pushed in the button and turned it to open the compartment. After a soft mechanical wiring noise a voice called out.
"Welcome Sky Diver. Please enjoy your ride today." Sky had to admit he was impressed.
"What was that?" His wife asked.
"And were is Gadget?" Midnight added. Sky gave them the note. They both read it over.
"So he wan't us to go on then?" Rose asked. Sky nodded. HE found the ignition and with a push of the button the car roared to life.
"All right everypony. Next stop Canterlot!" Sky yelled as he pushed down the accelerator. The car went backward's and with a shift of the stick thank's to his magic Sky had the car shooting down the road, the mare's in tow screaming the whole way.
6:00 P.M. Canterlot.
The family and friends made it to Canterlot in record time. They entered the gate's to the grand city without incident. They drove all the way to the castle. Once they were at the grand entrance they hopped out.
"Does anypony know were valet parking is?" Sky asked. All of the pony's looked at him like he was crazy. He just smiled back. He turned off the engine and hopped out the car.
"Um sir?" A royal guard approached the group.
"Im not sure you can park your??? Carriage? here?" He said slightly confused. Sky just smiled even wider. If he knew his son.
"Tell you what." He said taking the guard by hoof.
"If you can move it you can have it." He said a wicked smile on his face,
"WHAT!!!" All of the mare's were looking at him like he was insane.
"HONEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Rose screamed at her husband. He just laughed maniacally.
"Oh just you wait honey bun's. I'm sure our brilliant son prepared for this." He said rubbing his hooves together. The guard hopped into the driver's seat.
"Pony not recognized. Please vacant the vehicle."
"The hell is that?" The guard asked.
"Oh nothing." Sky said his face threatening to split open as his smile got bigger.
"Thief this is your final warning. Please exit the vehicle or be detained."
"Ok what the hey is tha---GGHGHGHGHGHGHHG!!!" The guard didn't have time to scream as he was pumped full of several volts electricity. The electricity stopped flowing and the guard was ejected from the car. He slumped over face first on the ground. Everypony was in frozen in fear. Pinky however went up and poked the guard. He let out a strangled cry of pain.
"Oh he's fine." She said as she bounced up to the front gate's and went into the grand entryway. The other pony's gave the guard one quick look then they looked to each other then the car and bolted into the castle as quick as they could.
Gadget awoke, the wisp of smelling salt's on his nostril's.
"Oh hey your awake." What the hell! That voice! IT CAN'T BE!" Gadget opened his eye's. At first thing's were blurry, but soon they came into focus. While the place he was in was dark his keen eye's could still see in the low light. He saw a face of a dead pony.
"How in the hell are you still alive?" He asked as the pony made there way closer to him. He saw the face of Vice Grip, the former commander of one of the canterlot royal guard regiment's. Vice was smiling at Gadget as he brought his hoof up. Gadget felt the raw ache of pain as Vice punched him in the snout. He heard bone break and felt hot liquid flow down his nose and throat. He coughed a few time's trying to dislodge the sticky substance from his throat. He was rewarded with a coppery taste invading his mouth as he spit it out.
"Let's just say i have friend's in high place's." He said with a smirk.
"So what do you want?" Gadget asked as he starred at the former royal guard. Vice just smiled.
"I think you know what i want." He said the smile on his face growing bigger.
"Sorry pal but your going to have to refresh my memory a little. I seem to be drawing a blank." If this pony thought he was going to get to Midnight he was surly mistaken. As feeling came back to Gadget he could feel the tell tale sign's of being tied up. He was hanging from a rope. that much he was sure of. His smart remark was reworded with another punch this time to the gut. He wheezed as the air was forced from his lung's.
"Not so fun is it?" What! Gadget looked around for the unmistakable voice of Hot Shot.
"Being tied up in the air with no way to escape." continued as he melted from the shadow's and came into view. Gadget saw he was holding knife in one hoof. Oh boy this isn't going to tickle.
6:04, P.M. Entrance to the ball room.
Twilight lead the way as the group made there way through the great hall to the Gala's ball room. However she stopped short as they passed the grand stair case.
"Hello my little pony's!" Came a strong voice from above. The whole group stopped and looked up the stair's.
"Princess's!" They all bowed in respect for there ruler's. Both Celestia and Luna chuckled at the whole group.
"It is good to see you all again." Princess Celestia said. She looked over to Midnight and winked. Midnight smiled back.
"My little pony's while i would like to stay and chat i'm afraid i must attend to other matter's tonight." Twilight looked a little forlorn. Celestia smiled.
"Do not look so sad Twilight. I shall give my duty's the slip to spend some time with you and your friend's." She said smiling. She looked a little puzzled.
"Were is Sir Sky-Rose?" She asked. The group sighed. Midnight came up to the front.
"Well your majesty's it would appear that he had to make some last minute preparation's for the Gala. He left us a note saying to go on without him. He said he would be here but alas he is late." She said waving her hoof in the air. She looked a little sad at his absence. Celestia smiled.
"Well Midnight do not worry to much. If I know Gadget he is probably going to want to make a grand entrance. Just like some other pony i know." She said throwing a knowing glance toward's Sky Diver who was preoccupying himself with mingling with the guest's who were constantly arriving. Midnight snickered and bowed her head to leave. She however instead of leaving went over to Princess Luna. She bowed to her to.
"Thou should know that thee are our equal now. There be no need to bow to us." Princess Luna said a smirk spreading across her face. Midnight had almost forgotten about what she was to do tonight. She smirked as well bringing her head up to stare at Luna. She smiled.
"Yes well call it a force of habit." She said. She went up to Luna and nuzzled her. Luna tho a bit taken aback by the jester soon returned the favor. The two sister's laughed and soon they were talking up a storm. Princess Celestia sat by and smiled at the two. Fascinating. To see one such as her go from a power mad dictator to a friendly compassionate pony able to make friends with those who she nearly destroyed. Celestia watched as the rest of the group all wandered off to do there own thing's for awhile. She was surprised to see Midnight take a seat next to Luna.
"Lady Midnight is there some place you would rather be than here all night?" Celestia asked. Midnight shook her head.
"No. My Knight has made the mistake of being late to what was supposed to be the night i reveal myself to the citizen's of Equestria. When he get's here he shall have to answer for his tardiness." Celestia raised an eyebrow.
"Tardiness?" She questioned, a smirk spreading across her face.
"Blame twilight. I have been spending much time with Gadget's friends through out the month's and have picked up some of there vernacular." She said with a smile.
As Midnight stayed with the princess's The rest of the group went there separate way's.
Twilight went to go and find her parent's. Apple Jack went to go and find the Chairman of The food Distribution Committee. Rainbow flew around looking for the Wander Bolt's. Fluttershy went to the royal garden's to relax. Pinky Pie went strait to the ball room to spruce up the party. And Rarity went to Fancy pant's the head fashion designer of Canterlot.
6:10 P.M.
Shining Armor waded through the crowd of pony's looking for his parent's. He had left to go find a restroom. Why do these party's have to so formal all the time? He asked himself. As he made his way through the corridor that lead to the great hall were his parents were waiting he bumped into somepony.
"Oh i'm so sorry." He heard a voice. Soft. Kind. Not your average stuck up bure-- His thought died in a train wreck as he laid eye's on the pony he had bumped into.
"O-o-oh h-h-h-ey there P---p-princess Cadance." He said as he fought to keep his stutter under control. He remembered how he used to tease Gadget over that when they were growing up. Oh how he regretted that now. If only he was here. He would have a lot to say to him. His attention was brought back to Cadance as she waved a hoof in his face.
"Caption Armor are you ok?" She asked. He looked at her. Wow she has grown. Very beautiful. His face began to heat up.
"Yes your majesty. I'm fine." He said. then he tried to divert the conversation.
"i'm afraid i have managed to get myself lost." he said as a sheepish look appeared on his face. Princess Cadance laughed as Shining Armor began to twiddle his hooves.
"Well then allow me to escort you to your destination. She said as she held out a hoof. Shining hesitated. Then he shook his head. Come on! Stallion up! He gripped the Princess's hoof and together the two made there way back to the ball room.
6:10 P.M.
Twilight eventually found her parent's. They were hiding in a small corner away from the crowd. She waved at them and they waved back. She gave them both a hug when she got to them.
"Oh my little baby how have you been?" Twilight Velvet asked ash she released her daughter.
"Oh you know a little of this and a little of that." She said trying to be modest. Her father laughed.
"Well it sound like the life of a hero must be boring then." Night Light said as he flagged down a waiter. Twilight just blushed at the compliment.
"Well it wasn't only me." She said as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Oh yes." He father said holding a hoof up to his chin thinking.
"If i remember correctly wasn't there 5 other's who helped?" He asked.
"Actually there were 6 other's." Then she thought of something.
"That remind's me. Have ether of you two seen a unicorn stallion with strange metal armor on?" She asked. Both of then nodded there head's.
"Why is he your date tonight?" Night Light asked. Twilight blushed profusely and shook her head.
"No!no! no! no! no! he just a friend. I'm just worried about him." She said a sad smile on her face. Her parent's laughed at there daughter's discomfort.
"He was supposed to meet us here but so far he hasn't showed up." Beside's he's taken already. She thought to herself. Just as she was going to go and get a drink she turned around and saw the last pony she expected to see.
"Cadance?" She asked in surprise.
6:12 P.M.
Apple Jack had an easy time tracking down Money Bag's. The head honcho of just about every food product in Equestria. Now all she had to do was get his attention so she could talk to him. That was going to prove very difficult. There was a line as long as the hall almost of pony's just trying to get a picture with him. Well horse apple's. Ain't this swell. She decided to go and find twilight and wait with her. However her attention was diverted by a strange pony shifting from archway to archway trying there best not to be seen. And just what are you up to?
6:14 P.M.
Rainbow had finally found the Wonder Bolts. And there amazingly big fan base as well. There must have been a hundred pony's all waiting just to get into there private suite. Well this is a total bust. Then out of the corner of her eye she spotted a pony skulking in the darkness. Who are you? she decided to fallow this pony. But she also ran into Apple Jack who was also fallowing the pony. The two nodded as they came to the same conclusion.
6:16 P.M.
Fluttershy made her way to the Royal Garden's. She felt at ease in the wilderness of the grass and enjoyed being surrounded by all of the animal's. She sighed in contentment.
"This is nice." She said as she began to close her eye's and take in the sound's and smell's of nature.
6:18 P.M.
Pinky pie did her best to make the party as god as she had hoped it would be. But the other guest weren't having it. As soon as she turned her back to pull out her party cannon she was grabbed by a unicorn and booted out of the room.
"Hey why do i get the short end of the stick." She said.
"Because i'm the author. Beside's you get to do something extra special pinky."
"Oh really what?" She said giving me a big puppy eyed look. I just shook my head.
"You get to go and help find Gadget. Now get going." Soon Pinky began to shake all over.
"O-o-o-o-o-o-o-h-h-h-h-h-h, t-t-t-t-h-h-h-h-h--ii-i-i-i-i-i--ss-s-s-s-s, o-o-o-o-n-n-n-n-n-e-e-e-e-s-s-s, g-g-g-o-o-o-n-n-n-a-a-a, b-b-b-b-e-e-e-, a-a-a-a-a, d-d--dd-d-o-o-o-o-o-o-o--z-zz-z-z-y-y--yy-y-y." She said as she vibrated out of the hall and smacked into a big set of door's.
"ohhh." She groaned. Well that take's care of pinky. Now onto Rarity. The author went on to right about what Rarity was doing at this point in time.
6:18 P.M.
Rarity was hanging out at an horderve table, sampling the local dish's and searching for a refined and elegant stallion to take home. Her eye's roamed the room and she stopped when they landed on one of the most handsome pony's she had ever seen. Oh he will do just nicely. She set her glass down and began to sashay over to the respectable stud. He was a unicorn, white coat, flowing blond mane and tail. All of it exquisitely groomed. And those eye's! Rarity felt like she could melt into them. She regained her lady like composure and announced her presence to the stallion by way of clearing her throat.
"Eh hem. Sorry to interrupt good sir. But i couldn't help but notice that you were all alone this night." Rarity said batting her eyelash's.
"Would you care for some company?" Rarity asked. The white unicorn looked up from his food to behold the beautiful pony that had come up to him.
"Sorry madam but are you talking to me?" He asked nervously. Rarity nodded her head.
"Why yes. I was enjoying a nice glass of Chardonneigh when i saw you, over here, alone." She said her eye's not betraying her primal urge's. The stallion however was sweating bucket's.
"Oh my dear you are to nervous." She said as she took a seat next to him.
"Hear. Have a glass on me?" She said levitating a glass of Chardonneigh over to the nervous wreck of a stallion.
"Um well i'm not really supposed to drink." He said as he smiled.
"Oh my dear you must simply learn to relax." She stated as she rubbed the stallion's leg with her own. The stallion however was so red in the face that he looked like he was bout to pass out.
6:30 P.M.
Midnight was getting really worried now. She had been with the other princess's and still Gadget had not shown up. There has to be something wrong. As she got up she and the rest of the princess's were interrupted by a lone pegasus who made there way up the stair's.
"I'm sorry to disturb you your majesty's." The pony said as he bowed to the diarch's.
"Rise young Swift Wing. What do you have to report?" Princess Luna asked.
"My dear pony's your princess has an announcement." Celestia said as she addressed the crowd in her royal canterlot voice. The entire castle stopped moving. Celestia looked all around the ball room.
"My subjects i am looking for the element's of harmony. Does anypony know of there whereabouts's?"
"Princess!" Celestia looked around to see Twilight making her way through the crowd. But not just she was making her way to them. Twilight's whole family plus Princess Cadance made there way through the crowd to the grand stair case. There family was not the only one. Gadget's parent's made there way to the top of the stair case as well.
"Princess something is wrong. Our son should have been here by now." Ruby said as she began to tremble. Midnight joined her but she was trembling in anger. Gadget what has happened to you?
6:40 P.M.
Gadget could have sworn he heard the princess's voice booming through the room he was in. He struggled to look around. His eye's were swollen shut from the beating's he received. The pair had been torturing him for information all night. They didn't know were Nightmare was.
That doesn't make sense. Hot Shot was there. He knew who she was. Why is he helping this guy out? His brain was racing with thought's and idea's all of them going nowhere fast.
He was interrupted however by the sound of a metal door opening up. Oh great. More fun time. Gadget watched as Hot Shot came into the room. He looked different this time. He looked older?
"So come back for more?" Gadget said as he looked at the demented look in Hot Shot's eye's. Then he pulled the knife out again.
"Oh crap." He said as he struggled to break the ropes that bound his hooves behind his back.
"Hot Shot!" He turned around to see Vice Grip giving him a stern look.
"What do you want old man?" Smack! Hot Shot was blind sided by Vice Grip who calmly stepped over his now out cold subordinate. Vice just looked at Gadget with a sick look on his face.
"Sorry new blood. But i always break in the new recruit's." He said he calmly walked toward's Gadget. What is he talking about? Gadget extended his sense's and reeled back as he felt one in particular that made his skin crawl. Oh sweet Jesus please no! Vice stepped up to Gadget and smiled.
"I'm going to make you wish you were dead." Vice said as he picked up Hot Shot's Knife. The sick look in his eye's only intensified as Vice Grip slowly walked over to Gadget.
"Now i'm only going to ask you this once. Were is Nightmare Moon!?" Gadget couldn't take much more of this.
"How about you and him go fuck ourselves!" He shouted at Vice Grip.
"Wrong answer." Vice grip held the knife in his teeth and with pinpoint precision he plunged it into Gadget's hoof. As blood dripped down upon the rope's Gadget was hanging from he could only scream as immense pain surged through his foreleg. Vice pulled the knife out.
"Ok let's try this again."
"I thought you were only going to ask once?" Stab!
"GAhhhh!" This time the knife was plunged into his mouth piercing his cheek's.
Gadget could only scream and try to block out the pain. Oh god! Please! Somepony help me!
6:50 P.M.
Rainbow, Apple Jack, and Pinky Pie silently fallowed the strange pegasus. They had alerted a royal guard to go and get the princess's but that was a good half an hour ago. Now the group was making there way through the many passage's of the castle fallowing the pony to wherever he was going. He stopped at a door and looked around. He then went through the doorway and disappeared.
"I don't like it." Rainbow whispered. Apple jack nodded.
"Nether do i." She agreed. They both looked around. Apple Jack motioned for Rainbow to come down to the ground.
"Rainbow can you remember were we are?" Rainbow thought about it. She had a mental map of there route etched into her brain while she was flying. She nodded her head.
"Ya. Why?"
"Because i'm go'in to need ya ta go and tell the princess about this fella." She said as she motioned to the door. Rainbow nodded her head.
"Alright AJ. Ill be back in ten second's flat!" She zoomed off.
"Let's hope so RD. Cause i gotta bad feeling about this." She said as she looked at the door.
6:50:10 P.M.
The Princess's, Twilight her family and Gadget's family had been searching the castle for a while now.
"Were are the girl's?" Twilight asked out loud.
"HEYYYY!!!!!" The group looked over to see Rainbow Dash flying as fast as she could towards the group.
"Well there's one of them." Midnight said as Rainbow came whizzing past. Rainbow slowed to a crawl in the air and spun around to meet the group.
"Guys your all here!" She said as she ran up to the group.
"Rainbow where have you been?" Twilight asked.
"No time fro that. We have a problem." She said as she ran down the hall. She looked back.
"Are you all going to stand there or fallow me?" She ran back the way she had come. The group all looked at one another and began to fallow Rainbow. Ten minute's later the group was running down the hallway to the door that AJ and Pinky Pie were guarding.
"Hey! Hey! Over here!" Pinky said as she jumped up and down waving.
"So AJ anything new happen?" Rainbow asked. AJ shook her head.
"Not a thing." She looked at the door.
"Princess were does that door lead to?" AJ asked. The princess looked at the door then a look of worry came across her face.
"That door my little pony's leads to the dungeon's." The whole group was silent. Midnight however steeled herself. She didn't know how to explain it but she knew Gadget was there. She could feel it.
"Girls we must hurry. I fear Sir Sky-Rose in in danger." Midnight said as she bolted to the door and ripped it off of it's hinge's. The door, and the stone it was attached to landed on the floor. The pony's were all stunned. Twilight scooted closer to Celestia.
"Weren't those doors enchanted so that no pony could do that?" She asked. Celestia just starred at the hole were the door used to be.
"Yes Twilight. It was." Midnight descended the stair's with gusto. Oh my knight! Please be all right!
7:00 P.M.
Gadget was angry. After awhile all of the pain washed away. That only left anger in it's place. This asshole's going to make me bleed to death. His body was now crossed with cut's and laceration's. Most of them were small but all together they were beginning to take there toll on Gadget. He could feel his blood flow from them like red drop's of rain. His breathing was staring to slow. No! Not like this! Gadget began to struggle once more.
"So our prisoner still has a little fight in him eh?" Vice said as he trotted up to Gadget. Gadget just continued to struggle. I can't die like this! Not to a monster like this! Gadget had had enough. He was pissed, hurting, possibly about to die. He would make sure that the last thing Vice saw was his face and he choked the life out of him. Or worse. Probably worse.
"You know when i find Nightmare i'm going to make her scream." Ok definitely worse. Gadget blocked him out. If that asshole lay's a single hoof on her!
Gadget knew what he had to do. Screw the headache! He used his magic. The inhibitor went to work sucking the magic up as quick as it could. But Gadget was thoroughly angry right now. His anger gave his magic a power boost strong enough to fry the inhibitor. His aura flared to life, a vibrant red. The inhibitor was turned to ash before Vice who backed away from Gadget now. Gadget was smiling like mad man now as blood began to flow from his mouth and he broke the rope's that bound him. Vice is afraid? GOOD! Gadget opened his eye's to see Vice's fear first hand. Vice backed up.
"Y-y-y-your eye's! What's wrong with your eye's?" He screamed as he reached for the door. With a thought the door slammed shut. Unfortunately Vice's hoof was in the way. As the heavy metal door slammed shut it severed his fore hoof off.
"AHHHHHHHH!" He screamed as he held hid bloody stump of a hoof.
"Oh did that hurt?" Gadget said as he stalked toward's the now very frightened pony. He smiled as he felt his fear.
"Well that's nothing compared to what i have in store for you." Gadget said laughing maniacally. His red evil eye's looked at the stallion with malice. Vice only had one thing to say to the pissed off, demented unicorn in front of him.
"Oh shit!" Desperately Vice got to his hooves and looked for any kind of weapon. The knife! he looked for it and found it laying on the floor not a few feet away. He scrambled to pick it up. He grabbed it with his mouth and starred down Gadget. Gadget laughed.
"Oh i'm trembling." He teased. Vice gave out a yell as he charged at Gadget with his knife. Gadget just teleported. One second he was there the net he vanished in a flash. Soon his laughter echoed through the small room. Vice spun around to see Gadget standing next to the now open door.
"You missed." He smiled.
"My turn." With his magic he conjured up a flurry of knife's. Each one a red glowing construct. His smile got even bigger as he advanced upon the stallion.
"Now let's see who's better at a game of chicken." He sent his knife's flying toward's the stallion. He tried to dodge them but he wasn't fast enough. He let out a scream as several of them embedded themselves into his leg's making him trip. His back leg's were now useless thanks to them being used as a pincushion for knife's. So still desperate to get away from this mad pony he dragged himself by his one good hoof. Gadget meanwhile laughed as his once tormentor tried to leave.
"Oh come now. Were just getting started." He said as his horn flared to life once more. His magic infused the rope that had once bound him and like a snake it coiled itself around Vice's, who had managed to get out of the room, midsection.
"NOOO!" He screamed as the rope dragged him back to the dark cell. He was soon tied up to the cell wall.
"So Vice." Gadget said as he calmly trotted up to Vice who was whimpering like a foal. "Let's have a little chat." Gadget said as he brought up one of his spectral knife's. He then jammed it into Vice's stump. He screamed in agony as Gadget twisted the blade.
7:00 P.M.
Midnight was joined by Princess Celestia and Twilight. The other's stayed behind to look for Rarity. The group all heard a pony screaming in the depth's of the dungeon.
"Oh no!" Midnight said as her pace quickened.
"Midnight wait up!" Twilight said as she and Celestia sped up to match there friend's pace.
Vice's mind was in a frenzy. He tried to think of anything that could help get him out of this situation. Oh god's there has to be a way out of this! Then out of the corner of his eye's he saw somepony begin to move. Yes! Hot Shot! Gadget sensing his joy looked at him then fallowed his eye's to his accomplice.
"Oh boy now he get's to join the fun!" Gadget said as he whipped out a knife. Then he thought about it. You know i need some answer's.
Hot Shot meanwhile had gotten to his hooves abet a bit shaky. He shook his head but still had one hell of a headache. Were is that old coot! When i find him i'm going to kill him! He looked around and saw Gadget sitting there with a huge creepy grin on his face.
"What in the hell are you doing loose?" Hot Shot yelled at him. He flew at him but was rewarded by plowing into the stone wall. He was dazed but not knocked out. As the world stopped spinning he felt a strange sensation as he was lifted into the air.
"You know Hot Shot pony's like you really make me sick." Gadget said as he levitated Hot Shot over to the wall next to Vice Grip. He then slammed Hot Shot into the wall pinning him there with his magic.
"Now hold still." He said as he took aim with is knives. Hot Shot struggled but to no avail. Gadget took careful aim making sure to compensate for Hot Shot's squirming. He threw the first knife and was rewarded with a scream as it hit home pining Hot Shot's wing to the wall.
"Wow mom what kind of prize do i win now!" Gadget said. Gadget suddenly felt woozy. Oh no not now! He thought as his vision began to fade in and out. He looked up to see Hot Shot struggling with the knife in his wing.
"Oh no you don't! "Gadget screamed as he threw more knives at Hot Shot. He screamed as his body was riddled with knives. They sliced threw him lice a hot knife through butter. Lucky for Hot Shot he wasn't his any where vital. But it hurt like hell to be skewered with a bunch of knives. He couldn't move however because he was pinned to the wall. Gadget was beginning to fade in and out of consciousness. He soon found himself lying on the cold stone floor unable to move anymore. Well how about that. His eye's began to go back to normal as his anger faded away. And as his anger faded so did his life as his blood began to pool around him.
7:03 P.M.
The group had finally made there way to the cell. They had to hold there breath however. The scent of blood was thick in the air. Celestia lit her horn as the entered the cell and they all stopped in there track's. There in utter agony was one pony that was supposed to be dead and another that was supposed to be in jail. And there on the floor not moving was Gadget.
"Gadget!" Midnight said as she ran to his side. She rolled him over on his back and held his head in her hooves. No! No! please!
"Gadget!" She said shaking him.
"Come on wake up." She said as tear's began to slide down her face.
"Come on. Come on!" She screamed. His body did nothing. His eye's starred blankly at her glassed over. His smile was still on his face. Midnight looked to the Princess.
"Celestia. Please." She said as she looked up to the monarch. Celestia snapped out of her shock and ran over to Gadget. She knelt down and scanned his body. She had a look of deep arrow as she scanned his entire body. Her looked worsened as she finished. Then she shook her head.
"I-i-i'm sorry Midnight." She said as she got up, tears streaming down her cheek's. Twilight looked on in shock. No there was no way. Midnight just sat there cradling Gadget's head in her hooves. She was in shock. It can't be. He can't be dead. He just Can't! Soon she became angry.
"NO!" she shouted.
"You can't do this to me!" she said pounding on Gadget's chest. She cried ash she hit him over and over.
"How can you do this to me!" Again.
"You were supposed to protect me!" Again.
"Who's going to be there for me!?" she wined as she hit him once more. Then she charged her hooves up with electricity. He used all of her might to hit his chest this time. To her surprise ans her hooves made contact with Gadget he jumped up screaming in pain.
"What the buck was that!" he yelled as he hit the floor. He looked around. He saw the shocked face's of Midnight, Twilight, and Celestia all looking at him.
"What happened?" he moaned rolling over to go to sleep.
"No! no! no! no! no! no! no! Don't go to sleep!" Midnight said as she dragged Gadget to the bloody metal door. Gadget meanwhile was fighting to stay awake. Midnight's voice was fading in and out.
"C-me -n s-a- w-t-m-!" Soon his life flashed before his eye's and darkness consumed his world.
Whiz looked through the dusty old tome's and finally found what he was looking for.
"AHA!" He cracked open the old looking book. The title read,
A Study of Star Swirl The Bearded, By Twilight Sparkle.
"Wow." Whiz said as he began to read from the old tome.
Star Swirl the Bearded is thought of as one of Equestria's foremost powerful mage's to have ever lived. But despite his fame and prestige we have next to nothing on his personal life. Who was he as a pony? Were did he live? What happened to him.
Whiz thought about this but then he continued to read.
The only thing we know for sure about his last day's is that he was working on several different experimental magical function's. One was an experiment into inter-dimensional travel. The other was a spell that could manipulate the very fabric of time. While we do not know if he was ever successful in his endeavor's I think it would be safe to say that he was at least successful in one of them, for he completely vanish's after having mentioned these experiment's to a close friend of his.
Whiz set the book down. He looked around the ancient deprecated Castle of Princess Twilight. It had seen better day's. Now it was covered in layer's of dust, dirt and various forms of plant life. His Com link buzzed.
"Yes?" He said answering it.
"Whiz this is Control. How are thing's going on the surface?" Whiz looked down at his ancestor's note's.
"There going great. I think I've found what we've been looking for." He said holding the book close. He packed it in his saddle bag's and headed out into the light of day.
"Copy that. Sending a drop pod to you now for extraction." Whiz looked up into the sky. One half was Day. The other was Night. He thought about the tome.
"If what my ancestor said is true then we may actually have chance to stop this from ever happening." He only hoped he wasn't to late.
