Several ice-cream stains later, Sparkleworks sighed inwardly at the loud
thumping noises emenating from the cottage as they picked their way through
its weedy garden, following a frolicking Bubblecup.
"Wishawhirl must be inventing again," remarked the little sugar-buzzed pony.
What weirdness was he up to this time? Behind her, Dazzle yelped as an expensive gauze bow caught on a jagged twig. Not for the last time, Sparkle cursed the shortage of good stallions in ponyland. Thank Great Peachy she had her good looks and feminine charms. She readjusted her anklets a little. That was better.
Bubblecup reached the door and jiggled the handle, bending awkwardly to bang below it with her hips. "It doesn't open unless you do this," she said apologetically, as the door swung inwards. Bubblecup bounced in after it, calling, "Wishawhirl! It's meeeee!"
Sparkleworks, Mittens, and Dazzle poked their heads in cautiously. Sparkleworks viewed with some distaste the small, undecorated room before her. Shafts of light filtering through the grubby windows illuminated swirls of slow-dancing dust motes and fell upon scattered maps and curious instruments. Over a basic sort of mustiness and the sweet smell of old straw, a strange chemical odor wafted from the multi-colored plethora of test tubes and flasks bubbling on various wooden benches. Sparkleworks noticed a missing table leg had been replaced with a stack of frayed- looking books.
"Bubblecup? Is that you?" called a deep voice from farther into the house. A masculine voice.
Sparkleworks nearly fell on her face as Dazzle Surprise pushed past her, Mittens scrambling in her wake. "And some friends!" cried Dazzle with determination, trotting towards the voice after Bubblecup. "Where are you, Wishawhirl? We just came by to say....oh my Rainbow...what?..."
Her voice trailed off as she disappeared behind the corner, and Sparkleworks saw why as she rounded it after them. The four ponies halted in shock at the base of the rubble that ringed the room, staring up at where the second floor used to be. Soaring up from a clear spot in the center of the floor was a gigantic, well, what, exactly? It was anypony's guess what the complicated contraption might be intended to do, but Sparkleworks certainly couldn't make heads or tails of the mass of wires and tubing, rotating spheres, and many rows of glass vials. Perched at the top of the crazy machine, which rose above a ring of broken boards from the former second floor, was a multifaceted crystal as big as a grapefruit. Judging from the general thrust of the wires and do-dads, this was the focus of the operation. Hovering precariously on a rickety looking step- ladder by the top of the crystal, apparently making some adjustment to the wiring, was an orange stallion with wild blue hair, tousled (not unattractively, thought Sparkleworks optimistically) by huge safety goggles. A cool blue glow emerged from the crystal as the glass tubes behind it filled suddenly with swirling blue, red, and green fogs. The machine began a low hum.
"Ha, ha! It's working!" he exclaimed triumphantly. He blinked down at his guests with a delighted smile. "My little Cuppa Bubble Tea! Wonderful! You're just in time! And you, er, other ponies!"
Sparkleworks was still too horrified to be irritated that he didn't remember her. "What happened to your ceiling?" she asked in disbelief.
"What's it do, Wishy?" inquired Bubblecup with enthusiasm.
"I needed more room!" laughed the scientist scientist. "Isn't it grand? And don't call me Wishy. I prefer the noble Dream Valley moniker, Pinwheel."
Sparkleworks exchanged glances with Dazzle Surprise and Mittens. She wasn't even sure this was worth pursuing, but she had put all the time and effort into the day with Bubblecup already. Smiling sweetly, she forced herself to say something nice.
"Oh yes, it's very interesting. Very, well, very interesting."
"Very open," chimed in Mittens.
"Much taller now," added Sparkleworks in a hurry. Why was Mittens even talking? That flirt already had a boyfriend. "I'm Sparkleworks, remember me? I'm friends with your little sister. Why she's like a sister to me!"
"Which would make him your brother," hissed Dazzle under her breath.
Sparkleworks continued, "We just stopped in to say hello, because Bubblecup and I just went out to the salon to have our hair done together, didn't we? Doesn't it look nice?"
"Yeah, see—" Bubblecup began.
"And her good friend Dazzle bought her ice cream, didn't I, Bubbles? Wasn't that fun?" interjected Dazzle.
"Well—"
"Why don't you come down from that ladder and say hello?" Sparkleworks batted her eyelashes.
"Yes, yes, yes," Wishawhirl dismissed this pleasantry impatiently. "I'm on the verge of an important breakthrough here. Monumental! This will change Ponyville forever! Do you know what this is?"
"No," replied Sparkleworks with a sigh. Duh.
Wishwhirl leaned forward on the ladder confidentially, while his audience cringed for the fall. "It's a Self-Amplifier," he whispered excitedly.
"Whoa," breathed Dazzle shamelessly. "You are so smart."
"What's it do? What's it do?" cried Bubbleworks, driven to a frenzy of excitement. Her hair beads clacked as she bounced up and down in agitation.
"Don't you see? This machine is the one I've been working towards all my life. This is the one that will work. You see," he gestured expansively, rocking backwards dangerously on the ladder, "This machine will be the thing that restores the magic of our ancestors to Ponyland."
He gazed at the others, obviously expecting congratulations. There was a pause. Mittens began what sounded like a snicker, but switched to a cough after Sparkleworks accidentally kicked her. Bubblecup's mouth had dropped open, her eyes wide.
"Like in Dream Valley?" she breathed.
"Like in Dream Valley," he confirmed with a smile. "Come closer! Come, come! I will show you how it's going to work!"
"Wishawhirl must be inventing again," remarked the little sugar-buzzed pony.
What weirdness was he up to this time? Behind her, Dazzle yelped as an expensive gauze bow caught on a jagged twig. Not for the last time, Sparkle cursed the shortage of good stallions in ponyland. Thank Great Peachy she had her good looks and feminine charms. She readjusted her anklets a little. That was better.
Bubblecup reached the door and jiggled the handle, bending awkwardly to bang below it with her hips. "It doesn't open unless you do this," she said apologetically, as the door swung inwards. Bubblecup bounced in after it, calling, "Wishawhirl! It's meeeee!"
Sparkleworks, Mittens, and Dazzle poked their heads in cautiously. Sparkleworks viewed with some distaste the small, undecorated room before her. Shafts of light filtering through the grubby windows illuminated swirls of slow-dancing dust motes and fell upon scattered maps and curious instruments. Over a basic sort of mustiness and the sweet smell of old straw, a strange chemical odor wafted from the multi-colored plethora of test tubes and flasks bubbling on various wooden benches. Sparkleworks noticed a missing table leg had been replaced with a stack of frayed- looking books.
"Bubblecup? Is that you?" called a deep voice from farther into the house. A masculine voice.
Sparkleworks nearly fell on her face as Dazzle Surprise pushed past her, Mittens scrambling in her wake. "And some friends!" cried Dazzle with determination, trotting towards the voice after Bubblecup. "Where are you, Wishawhirl? We just came by to say....oh my Rainbow...what?..."
Her voice trailed off as she disappeared behind the corner, and Sparkleworks saw why as she rounded it after them. The four ponies halted in shock at the base of the rubble that ringed the room, staring up at where the second floor used to be. Soaring up from a clear spot in the center of the floor was a gigantic, well, what, exactly? It was anypony's guess what the complicated contraption might be intended to do, but Sparkleworks certainly couldn't make heads or tails of the mass of wires and tubing, rotating spheres, and many rows of glass vials. Perched at the top of the crazy machine, which rose above a ring of broken boards from the former second floor, was a multifaceted crystal as big as a grapefruit. Judging from the general thrust of the wires and do-dads, this was the focus of the operation. Hovering precariously on a rickety looking step- ladder by the top of the crystal, apparently making some adjustment to the wiring, was an orange stallion with wild blue hair, tousled (not unattractively, thought Sparkleworks optimistically) by huge safety goggles. A cool blue glow emerged from the crystal as the glass tubes behind it filled suddenly with swirling blue, red, and green fogs. The machine began a low hum.
"Ha, ha! It's working!" he exclaimed triumphantly. He blinked down at his guests with a delighted smile. "My little Cuppa Bubble Tea! Wonderful! You're just in time! And you, er, other ponies!"
Sparkleworks was still too horrified to be irritated that he didn't remember her. "What happened to your ceiling?" she asked in disbelief.
"What's it do, Wishy?" inquired Bubblecup with enthusiasm.
"I needed more room!" laughed the scientist scientist. "Isn't it grand? And don't call me Wishy. I prefer the noble Dream Valley moniker, Pinwheel."
Sparkleworks exchanged glances with Dazzle Surprise and Mittens. She wasn't even sure this was worth pursuing, but she had put all the time and effort into the day with Bubblecup already. Smiling sweetly, she forced herself to say something nice.
"Oh yes, it's very interesting. Very, well, very interesting."
"Very open," chimed in Mittens.
"Much taller now," added Sparkleworks in a hurry. Why was Mittens even talking? That flirt already had a boyfriend. "I'm Sparkleworks, remember me? I'm friends with your little sister. Why she's like a sister to me!"
"Which would make him your brother," hissed Dazzle under her breath.
Sparkleworks continued, "We just stopped in to say hello, because Bubblecup and I just went out to the salon to have our hair done together, didn't we? Doesn't it look nice?"
"Yeah, see—" Bubblecup began.
"And her good friend Dazzle bought her ice cream, didn't I, Bubbles? Wasn't that fun?" interjected Dazzle.
"Well—"
"Why don't you come down from that ladder and say hello?" Sparkleworks batted her eyelashes.
"Yes, yes, yes," Wishawhirl dismissed this pleasantry impatiently. "I'm on the verge of an important breakthrough here. Monumental! This will change Ponyville forever! Do you know what this is?"
"No," replied Sparkleworks with a sigh. Duh.
Wishwhirl leaned forward on the ladder confidentially, while his audience cringed for the fall. "It's a Self-Amplifier," he whispered excitedly.
"Whoa," breathed Dazzle shamelessly. "You are so smart."
"What's it do? What's it do?" cried Bubbleworks, driven to a frenzy of excitement. Her hair beads clacked as she bounced up and down in agitation.
"Don't you see? This machine is the one I've been working towards all my life. This is the one that will work. You see," he gestured expansively, rocking backwards dangerously on the ladder, "This machine will be the thing that restores the magic of our ancestors to Ponyland."
He gazed at the others, obviously expecting congratulations. There was a pause. Mittens began what sounded like a snicker, but switched to a cough after Sparkleworks accidentally kicked her. Bubblecup's mouth had dropped open, her eyes wide.
"Like in Dream Valley?" she breathed.
"Like in Dream Valley," he confirmed with a smile. "Come closer! Come, come! I will show you how it's going to work!"