The Origins of Steel Gear
I remember every moment of that event as if it were happening now…
“What do you have this time?” she asked with a yawn. Although it was barely daybreak in the small town of saddleville, my friend and I had already snuck outside ready to test my latest invention. Celestia’s dawn showed the deep bags under Gizmo’s eager violet eyes. The slight early morning breeze ruffled the violet bandana that she always wore around her neck as it flowed down the dirt path between the single-story, thatch-roofed houses of our little village. Our breath showed like small white ghosts in the frosty autumn air. But a little chill would not dampen our excitement.
“Something fun” I whispered mysteriously, taking off my saddle bag. It had been about a month since my last idea came to fruition…and nearly made me lose my mane. With this invention however, no one could get hurt, if used right. “I present to you the pocket rollers!” I said while thrusting them out of the bag and into the air like a knight hoisting his sword. They were fairly simple, but they worked. In truth, each set was no more than a pair of stone wheels with two pieces of wood between them that could be adjusted to reduce size and a v-shaped strap to hold it onto your hoof and leg.
“Wow, Steel, those look pretty cool! They won’t cut off my mane will they?” she said with a giggle. My black cheeks turned a slight shade of red at the obvious sarcasm as I shouted the negative. She and I both knew that they looked pretty lame, but she was always very supportive of me. Despite their appearance, I knew for sure that they worked—I had tried them out myself already.
“You know you want to try them,” I said, pushing the rustic rollers toward the mare across from me. Despite being a year older than me, she still shared my “childish” excitement, and it showed as she grabbed the wood and wheels from my hooves and hastily put them on. Not caring about her helmet at home, she put on the goggles that her mother had given her and began gliding around on the road. Her grace had been gained from her real, professional roller blades that she had had since she was just a filly. Even the uneven surface of the dirt road and the grit of the stone wheels, she slid along with great ease. Her ashy coat was full of life as it streaked by the somber gray of the buildings—her amethyst mane and tail shimmered in front of the emerald grass along the road. As smooth as a snake, she came to a stop next to me.
“These work great! You did really well with them. I’m sure Celestia would love a set of these.” With that we burst out laughing; the thought of the great and royal Princess Celestia in my shoddy wheels was too funny to bear. That was the dream we shared: to become great inventors of Equestria, recognized by even the Princess herself.
“What about you?” I asked, “What did you make?”
With that she reached into her saddle bags to bring out a large box-like thing. “I present to you, the wooden clock!” Seeing the disappointment and confusion slowly grow on my face, she quickly explained; “This isn’t any ordinary clock—it works only on wood. That means no metal springs, no magic winding spells, just the power of wood.” My mood revitalized, I began to inspect the clock closer. I was overwhelmed by the detailed carvings that enveloped the timepiece. Myriad flowing vines gripped the frame as they interwove within each other. Several small creatures were to be seen frolicking among a mass of foliage: minute hummingbirds frozen in flight, plump mockingbirds caught mid-chirp, fuzzy squirrels solidified while scurrying, fluffy bunnies locked in leaping. They all seemed to dance on a stage of leaves from every tree imaginable, thin bristles of pine, stout points of maple, petite disks of cherry blossom, fat leaves of banana. The endless folds of a rose adorned each of the eight corners, delicate to sight but sturdy to touch. Each curve, line, and crease was precise down to the smallest detail.
“Gizmo…” I whispered, lost for words. After another moment of soaking in the display I managed to speak, “Gizmo, this isn’t just a clock, it is a masterpiece. No wonder it took you three months to make this. Celestia would be lucky to have something as beautiful as this.” This was remarkable, even by a unicorn’s standards, and Gizmo is an earth pony. She must have put all of her free time into making this clock, each spare moment, and even some hours of sleep. Red-faced, Gizmo studied the ground and poked at the dirt with her hoof.
“Steel, we should get back to our houses before our parents notice that we’re missing.” With that, we said quick goodbyes as we quietly repacked our things and turned opposite ways to return to our dwellings. As I sauntered along, I noticed the cool breeze again. It no longer made me shiver, but rather I looked forward to feeling it again as I helped my dad, Crimson Leaves, harvest the parsnips later that day. It may have been easier for me to pull out the roots with my magic than he did with his mouth, but it was still hard work when pulling a couple thousand roots each day. I had already began thinking of some plans for a simple harvesting machine that he could use to make his work easier. That would have to come later though, work came first.
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Out in the fields, my father and I toiled with the soil. I used magic and he used hooves, but our method was the same. It was a rather simple process, but tedious. We would part the dark brown earth around the root, tug the light yellow plant out, and toss it with all the others into our saddlebags. We would head back along the holey ground we had just made and toward the ancient burgundy barn. We would unload our haul into the great wooden bin of parsnips. We would set back out to repeat the process. We would try to distract ourselves from the monotony by whistling tunes together.
That day was no different. We worked at a brisk pace; enough to take the brisk chill out of the wind. Within one hour, my father’s maroon coat was slick against his hide as sweat seeped through, and I was the same only a short time later. The sleek lines of muscle that defined my father’s figure and the way he carefully yet efficiently plucked the plants from the soil told the story of his many years of labor on these grounds. By the sweat of his brow and half an acre of land, he had begun this farm and brought it to the four acres of fields that it was that day.
On that day, a bit before noon, we were whistling away and plodding along the rugged path to the barn when we heard a guttural cry unlike any I had heard before. With a quick glance at each other, my father and I disregarded everything else and rushed toward the source of the cry. We soon reached the town square. If there had been no panic, we might have been enjoying the calm cool breeze with some other ponies, eating some lunch from my mother’s worn wicker basket, lounging on the luscious green grass circle under the big apple tree, anything but what we were doing now. We were not alone in our search for the cause of distress—many ponies from the houses and fields were already there, more were still running up. There was general din and confusion in the area as everypony questioned each other, searched around, or just panicked.
Suddenly, a gruff voice rose much louder than the rest, “EVERYPONY SHUT YOUR TRAPS!” Silence quickly fell on the scene as every head turned to see three strangers with bags full of bits standing in front of the bank. The three stallions were as diverse as they come; one was a large, menacing earth pony who had navy blue eyes, whose dull gaze told of the dull mind behind them, and a fiery auburn coat with so many scars that it was hard to see where many started or ended; the second was sleek pegasus with callous, calculating eyes and a crimson coat that showed the definition or each trim muscle; the third was a diminutive unicorn with a dirt-covered white coat, one bright, hawk-like yellow eye, and one spot where an eye used to be, but now was just flat eyelid with a scar stretching up from the top of his muzzle to the outside edge of his brow.
“Good,” said the small one, no longer using his magic to project his voice, “Now that I have your attention, it’s time to tell to tell you the rules.” The wicked smile that slowly spread across his face told us all that these rules would not be amusing. “First rule: you pretend like nothing happened today; it’s just a normal day in saddleville.” Small whispers began to circulate in the small crowd. “Second rule: you let us walk out of here unhindered; don’t even think about trying to stop us.” The whispers began to turn into small calls of protest. “Third rule, you don’t try to get help, not that it would matter; we’re much more than just three thugs.” With this admission of villainy, the crowd grew restless. “What’s stopping us from stopping you?” “Who do you think you are?” “Yeah! Get out of here!” The crowd kept throwing their accusations, but the three goons simply stood their ground, smiling smugly. Suddenly, one voice was heard distinctly from the rest, “Where’s Sheriff Gold Badge?” The voice came from Gizmo.
This caught the attention of the trio. “I’m glad you asked, little filly,” said the unicorn, turning towards her. “You see, your dear departed sheriff decided to try and stop us. I must admit, he was mildly talented with his hooves—for an earth pony—but against my magic, Crunch’s strength, and Crimson’s skill, he was easily dealt with.” This revelation left the crowd mute with shock. The three villains began to laugh. The filthy white crook began to shout with in a hysterical crazed tone “That’s right! Your sheriff is dead! If anypony thinks they can stop us, let them come forward now so they can join their Gold Badge!” For a moment the world was still. The only thing that moved was the cool breeze as it flowed through the crowd, tugging at the manes on our head and freezing the wounds in our hearts.
Soaking in the stillness, the trio’s smiles spread as they looked around, searching for any sign of opposition. Their menacing looks were met by ones of fear and hatred alike. But amongst all the glares, not a soul would step forward. After they felt satisfied in their silent gloat, their leader spoke again in his casual tone, “It seems the rules are understood. Excellent. We will be on our way now.” With that, the threesome began sauntering out. The small circle slowly parted as the crooks approached. As they left, all eyes watched them flee at an overly casual pace. Not a single creature moved until the three felons were out of sight.
Then, as one, all the villagers turned toward the bank. Slowly, one pony stepped towards it, and others began to follow his lead. I took a tentative step forward, but my father’s foreleg on my chest prevented me from taking another. “No, Steel, you’re not meant to see this.” The troubled look in his eyes resonated with the troubled feeling in my stomach. After a minute, a few ponies came out. One of them, baker White Hat, affirmed the tragedy with a grim tone; “It’s true. Sheriff Gold Badge is dead.” The remaining ire towards the murders was overwhelmed by the sorrow enveloping us as the true gravity of the situation finally set in. Someone from the crowd faintly asked, “What about Coin Counter, what happened to her?” Hat answered, “The banker is alright. Although she’s a bit shaken up by witnessing the fight, she should recover.” After a small pause, he spoke again, taking charge of the situation, “Everypony, go to your families, your homes. Stitches, bring Counter to the clinic and see that she recovers. Green Grass and Nails, help me with our sheriff. We will have his funeral tonight.”
My father and I turned, like everpony else, and took a somber saunter home. The possibility of somepony being murdered was unheard of in our town until now. We were greeted at the door by my mother, Silk Sunlight. The small relieved smile on her face did not reflect the deep frightened look in her eyes. Her white body showed no signs of fear, but the slight twitch in her golden tail showed the underlying distress. Silently, we followed her inside our one-story house and into the kitchen. We each took our seats at the small table.
For a long time, we merely sat, without talking to each other, without looking at anything, without thinking of anything but what had just transpired. Soon my mind began to wander, forcing itself not to think of the recent trauma. I focused on the circular table in front of me. I examined the light yellow birch wood which held solid against my taping hoof. I counted the five knots of wood, two of which were close enough for me to touch. I traced the darker tan lines of the grain with my eyes as they wound back and forth in front of me. I noticed the small mars on the table’s surface—divots, scratches, and light stains covered the surface. I imagined food in a bowl before me—local vegetables tossed together into a stew of myriad flavors. I savored the peas and beans and carrots and parsnips and chives and potatoes as each warm scoop of imaginary soup flowed through my lips, over my tongue, and down my throat. I tasted the unique flavor of the oaken spoon as it deposited each warm scoop in to my mouth.
The small clay vase in the center of the table seemed out of place with its solitary tulip—it was too real. The flower was too lively. Its green stem climbed from the quaint pot rising as it carried life, its petals emerged from the stem while exuding a vibrant mixture of sky blue and pearly white, its pleasing aroma flowed out from the center—it reeked of life. It was not right. It seemed like it should have not existed, not after what had just happened.
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Time passed like this, I don’t know how long, it could have been minutes or hours and I wouldn’t have noticed. Eventually, a pony came to our house to tell us it was time for the burial. As we walked out of our house, I hardly noticed the other ponies walking towards the cemetery with us. No words were said, no smiles nor frowns, just the subtle sound of hooves treading on hard-packed dirt. The sun and moon had just begun changing places in the sky as we trudged along with leaden legs. The sky was a splendid ocean filled with waves of pinks, oranges, blues, and purples which starkly contrasted the gray hue that seemed to cover everything on the land.
Had such misfortune not befallen us, we would have been heading the opposite direction, to home, to comfort, to happiness. Instead, we entered the graveyard to find feelings of loneliness, of anxiety, of melancholy. The mob had formed again, this time to grieve. There was a hole in the ground with a wooden casket inside. This was the second funeral I had been to, but it was the first where I was old enough to understand what was happening. After the baker opened the opportunity to speak to the throng of mourners, there was no shortage of those willing to communicate their thoughts. One after another, almost everypony went up to speak, even if they had little to say. Many of the speeches were long; the sheriff had known each pony well, and had been of great service to the town upon multiple occasions.
Once the service ended, we all left as we had come: silently. The moon was high in the sky now, and I was weary as well as dreary. My head drooping from sorrow and sleepiness, I felt my bed beckoning me. Upon reaching our house, my parents went straight to their bed, and I straight to mine. Seeking the relief from the troubles of the waking world, I collapsed onto the hay-filled mattress, sank my head into the cotton-filled pillow, and fell into a nightmare-filled sleep.
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The next day was dull. We did not work. We stayed in our homes. We said very little to each other. The weight of what had transpired weighed heavily on our minds. Gravity was pulling us down with double force whenever we tried to move. The lethargy of the town was something we had not experienced since the death of Gizmo’s mother. That day was one of reflection and mourning.
The following day was little different. All the townsponies gathered on the grass in the town square to share their grief. I found Gizmo under the big apple tree and lay next to her as we heard the good deeds of the sheriff recounted. He was never truly needed for major crimes, but he certainly helped the town upon many occasions. Sometimes he was just needed to discipline children like me when we misbehaved. I had received quite the lecture from him after the whole mane-trimmer accident. He was nonetheless a great pony though. Many stories of how he had helped others where recollected. He had done everything from holding open doors for mares to helping put out the fire on Gizmo’s house. These stories brought some smiles to saddened hearts, but sorrow still remained.
Hearing the tales of the sheriff’s good deeds certainly helped lessen the pain that I felt. As each account was told, I felt a little numbness recess. The words flowed from my ears to my heart as I watched the sun lighting the green grass in front of me. The stories imitated the bright lime blades shine. After several hours of heart-to-heart discourse, there was a long period of silence. We were all laying, relaxing, reflecting, and trying to enjoy the sun and each-other’s company. The slight breeze returned, and with it returned my gloomy memories.
The gentle wind cut through my coat despite the warmth around me. The breeze ruffled my fur, shaking any cheerfulness from the hairs of my skin. The other ponies’ small smiles made my minute frown all the more deep. The scream rang on in my mind, never ending. When the breeze brushed my hide, the deathly howl would sound powerfully, ringing in my ears. When the air was still, it would fade, becoming a mere whisper in the back of my mind. However, for the eternity that we lay on the green grass in the warm town square, the shriek never left.
We all laid around, enjoying each other’s memories. As the sun reached the peak of its arc, the mass began thinning. Gizmo and her father left, and my family departed soon after. Inside, my emotions were at war; the happy thoughts of all that the sheriff had done clashed with the never-ending scream. By the time we had returned home, both thoughts lay defeated, and my mind was utterly vacant. Sitting down at the table and eating my hay sandwich, I could not perceive any flavor nor texture; I merely chewed and swallowed. After lunch, my dad decided that it would be best to go back to the fields and continue harvesting the parsnips.
When we reached the fields, we found our bags where we had dropped them three days ago. The parsnips that they used to contain, however, were mostly just rubbish left by rabbits, rats, and other creatures. After tossing the refuse onto the compost pile, we proceeded to continue on the row we had abandoned. The tedium of digging, picking, placing, and repeating had returned. Today however, there was no whistling to change pace and add interest; dreary, stark monotony was in my work as well as my mind.
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The only event of minor interest was that White Hat was voted to be the new sheriff. The progression of dull work and dull mind continued for three more days. The pattern continued to cycle: wake up, eat breakfast, work the fields, eat lunch, work the fields, eat dinner, go to sleep. My mind had given up on trying to think logically. Everything that happened was merely a process that happened. Normally the repetitiveness would have driven me crazy, but at that point there was nothing left to make insane.
Change came on the fourth day when gizmo decided to join me for lunch. When she arrived, my mother and father had already finished and were already in the other room. She joined me at the table where my insipid meal lay half-eaten before me. After a minute of silence, she asked how I was feeling. I merely stated, “I am not feeling” with a disconsolate tone that matched my dull gaze. A worried look crossed her face, but I was just surprised that she was not as dejected as I was.
“Steel,” she started, the concern still apparent but fading from her face, “I’ve been thinking; why couldn’t we do anything when those bandits attacked? What if—” I cut her off with a stare that would have frozen cider. Quietly, but forcefully, I uttered “I do not want to talk about that day.” Pausing for a moment, a small bit fear showing through the new wave of concern on her countenance, Gizmo whispered “Steel, please, let me talk.” After a moment of silent staring, I scowled back at my food and gave the slightest nod.
Gismo resumed, “Steel, I feel awful about what happened—almost as awful as when my mom died,” she gave a small wince at that, “I want so badly to change what happened, but I know I can’t. But Steel, what if we can do something?” I raised an eyebrow at her when she said this contradictory statement. She continued, “We can’t change the past, but we can change the future. We can find those bandits, and we can make them pay.” I was truly confounded at this thought, the greatest reaction I had given for days.
As I rolled the concept over in my head, I thought of the pros and cons. “How on earth would we fight back? We’re just two young ponies!” Gizmo replied without pause: “We certainly won’t go alone, I’m sure that many ponies in the town would enjoy the opportunity to thrash those brutes.” I hadn’t run out of questions, “But how would we beat them; besides Green Grass and Mr. Pine, I’m the only unicorn here, and none of our magic is very strong.” Gizmo was unfazed, “We build, Steel, you and I will build weapons and gadgets to help our town achieve the upper-hoof!” I was shocked at the boldness of the plan, yet the more I thought about it, the more I thought it might work.
Gizmo sat smiling as she watched me think the plan over, but after a few minutes of contemplative silence, I had one last question, “Gizmo, if we attack them, how are we any different than them?” The small smile of triumph on Gizmo’s lips faded. Looking me in the eyes, she said in a solemn tone, “Steel, we are not murderers. We are not bandits. We are nothing like them. They deserve any horrible thing that might happen to them. We have every right to fight back against any who harass us.” Reflecting on those words, I nodded my understanding. “So, how do we start?”
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We had spent that night planning, designing, fool-proofing. The next day, during lunch, we brought our plan to White Hat. Despite his initial hesitation, there was no hiding the passion flaming in his eyes at the thought of fighting back. With further detailing of our idea, we were able to convince him to give it further thought. That evening, during dinner, the town was called for a meeting in the town square. The sheriff called us out to explain the situation. We began describing our project to the ponies sheepishly at first, but our courage grew as we were rallied by our own words. The crowd seemed skeptical at first, still morose from recent events, but soon the sun setting behind us glinted off the zealous eyes of ponies ready to avenge their fallen friend.
The plan was simple in form, but laborious in implementation. Each pony had their own tasks to undertake. Most of the farmers were to continue their work in the fields so that we would still have food, but most of the craftsmen were recruited to help Gizmo and me. Two pegasi, Blue and Storm Cloud, were in charge of finding out about the bandits; where they lived, what else had they done, and were there more than the trio. The woodworkers and blacksmiths were especially helpful in carving and forging the bits and pieces that we needed to construct the devices of battle. The other children of our town were tasked with gathering supplies from our town and the area around it. Gizmo and I were the main brains behind the designing of weapons, but two other ponies, Heavy Hammer the smith and Nails the carpenter, were able to contribute their creativity to designing.
The task was a heavy one, but it had to be done to accomplish our cumulative goal. Gizmo and I directed and participated in each stage of the process. Each day was full of work; we would design, build, redesign, and build again, only stopping to eat and sleep. The work was tedious but, to me, invigorating—it gave me satisfaction with life. No longer was I bound by the sorrow of tragedy, but rather I was compelled by the drive to avenge that tragedy.
After three had weeks, the devices created great in number, but small in variance. Gizmo and I designed sets of armor to be worn—wooden sets for the pegasi and iron sets for the earth-ponies. Gizmo herself had designed a slingshot-like launcher that would mount to a pony’s foreleg that could hurl anything from fruits to rocks. Hammer and Nails had designed a kick enhancing mechanism that was fitted to the rear legs of a pony and allowed them to buck with three-times normal force. I personally designed a contraption that consisted of spinning clubs attached to poles extending from a torso mount; the downside is that it could only be powered by magic and therefore only worn by myself, Green Grass, and Mr. Pine.
Together, these implements would provide the powerful edge we would need to fight the brigands. Nearly a month after the outlaws arrived in our small town of saddleville and caused disaster, we were ready to avenge our fallen sheriff. Blue and Storm had come back with the temporary location of the bandits, and the news that they had many members—at least forty. Including Gizmo and myself, our posse of rebels consisted of twenty-seven members. We knew that we faced poor odds, but that would not discourage us, nor would it diminish our confidence. We were ready to do whatever it would take to avenge our beloved sheriff and to bring these thugs to the justice they deserved.
The marauders had been hiding out in the cave system of the mountains that lay about five miles from our home town for a few days, and they were likely still there. Saddlebags full of food and supplies, bodies armored, and hearts ablaze with the fire of vengeance, we set out to the sad and hopeful cries of our loved ones and the morning sun rising behind us to see us off. Our band of farmers turned fighters consisted of ten pegasi, fourteen earth ponies, and three unicorns, adolescents and adults counted alike.
A five mile walk was tiring when wearing armor and carrying weapons, even for hard-working farmers and crafters. After about two hours, we had come upon the small valley that led to the entrance of caverns where the bandits had been hiding all this time. The area was slightly forested surrounding the entrance, so we took a small break outside the valley in a clearing to rest and strategize. Drawing in the dirt of the forest floor, we laid out a plan of attack. It was rudimentary, but we thought it should work. Our main goal was to protect each other while attacking the bandits. We would all charge in by forming a triangle and ramming our way though, and then we would take the next formation. The earth ponies would form a two layer ring, eight kicking on the outer layer and six shooting with the launchers from the inner layer. The unicorns were to help the outer circle, spread out to three points on the circle, and create light in the darkness and a triangle of kicking and bludgeoning. The pegasi would fly above and try to ward off any enemy pegasi and then attack the ponies on the ground with kicks and projectiles—from the reports, this should not be too difficult, because there were supposedly only six pegasi in the brood of crooks. With the plan set, we took a few more moments to rest and prepare ourselves.
After a small phase of repose, we all silently looked at each other, eyes meeting in wordless agreement; it was time. We stood, stretched, adjusted armaments, and readied our minds for battle. We trotted towards the mouth of the cave, already in formation, adrenaline beginning to pump through our veins. My heartbeat accelerated, my senses were honed, and the world was clear.
Every vibrant detail of the forest around me became distinctly rich. Each lime-green blade of grass pointed this way and that, every tumbling orange leaf danced its way from the hard brown branch to the lush ground. I could distinguish every hair of fur on the ponies around me. I noticed how the armor pressed tight against the form of each one, and made hairs point skyward in some areas and lay flat on their flanks in others. The launchers wrapped around the legs of several ponies were tense and ready to fire, the rubber stretched back and tightly gripping their ordinance.
Time seemed to slow when we paused before the entrance. Words repeated in my mind: We were ready. We were ready. We were ready. We were ready. We, were, READY. With a simultaneous roaring with the voices of beasts bent on destruction, we charged through the black maw.
Chaos erupted immediately. There seemed to be confusion among the bandits in the tall hollow, but they all seemed to realize what was happening and quickly retaliated. We were swiftly in the center of the cavern, and our double ring was formed. Ponies came charging at us from all directions, but they seemed to not be coordinated; surprise had left them disorderly. Seeing that they were rushing at us with no clear tactic, we knew the advantage of our strategy. The battle was a blur in slow motion. One moment would freeze time, everything stopping, but the next moment would come, freeze, and leave before the first had time to be noticed. I watched as my hooves sluggishly stretched to strike against the chest of one pony, then suddenly they were crashing into the hooves another. The clubs seemed to spin in leisurely circles as different ponies flashed between their destructive paths. Despite the motionless seconds, I could not look to my sides and see the other ponies; there was only myself and the adversaries hurtling into my beating and striking.
Hooves colliding with snouts, chests, and other hooves, rocks smashing faces, ribs and legs, our rings held strong. The pegasi above were faring well, swiftly downing their winged adversaries. I stood in my corner, looking behind and kicking, clubbing, and growling at the brigands. The battle could have lasted hours, or it may have been over in minutes; I could not tell. There was thrashes, crunches, clangs, and thuds heard, but then there was a sudden silence broken only by heavy panting. Our ring stood strong, not a single friendly pony gravely injured, but all foes laying strewn across the floor. None of them were dead, but they were certainly crippled beyond repair. As I looked around at the moaning bodies, I recognized the pegasus and the brute from back in the town, both battered beyond restoration, but still barely breathing.
I continued to search among the bruised and broken faces, but I did not see the one I sought, the one unicorn that aided in our sheriff’s death, one of the three who caused this insurrection. I voiced my concern about the missing pony, and others remarked the same. Where was the monster? We disbanded our formation and began to search for the lost mad-pony. We split into three groups, two to search and one to watch over the bandits. After covering every inch twice, we all met in the center with much of the stolen money in bags, but there was no evil unicorn. Having no success in finding the renegade, we turned to probing the defeated. After some questioning and a few more kicks, we determined that either they were too loyal or they were truly ignorant, but either way, we received no further information. The decision to return home was suggested, and it was met with approval. We left the groaning forms with a warning: if we were to be raided again, we would retaliate again, with more force. Furthermore, we promised to spread word to the other towns around our own about what happened here and how they could be defeated. Carrying the bags and helping those with bruised or broken legs, we started our slow journey home.
On the journey, we counted the injuries; four of the earth ponies had badly bruised legs, including Gizmo, two others them had broken a leg, one pegasus suffered a harsh blow to her right rear leg, and Green Grass had wound up breaking both hind legs, and was therefore carried between two ponies on a tarp like a stretcher. The only thing I had hurt were my hooves from smashing them against fur, flesh, and bone. I was pleased to see that the armor had served its purpose well, having protected many of the ponies from being injured further. There were dings and nicks in every set, but they were worn proudly.
The return trip took considerably longer due to exhaustion and injury, but we walked into town with heads held high and sun behind us. Once we were in sight, everypony began emerging from their homes, anxious to hear our tale. Seeing confidence in our tired steps and the triumph in our eyes, they realized the result before we spoke. Prior to recounting our victorious battle, we brought all the seriously injured to Stitches in our small infirmary. Proceeding back to the town square, we stood before the eager crowd and recounted our account of the brawl. The story was fairly simple, we were not ones to exaggerate; White Hat proceeded to tell most of the tale, but some of us popped in some with some extra details. After our account was told, we went to hug and be with our families on that grassy green, and we answered a few questions about our personal experiences. My parents were overjoyed to see me returned, especially with no real injuries. We embraced each other in a lingering hug before we separated and I too was questioned.
After a time, the new sheriff spoke up, “This victory over evil calls for a celebration! Tomorrow night, we shall have a feast! Bring as much food as you can, we always grow more! Bring your tables and chairs; we shall eat here in the square. Tomorrow night, we will rejoice for the first time after so much sorrow.” Excited chatter arose from the crowd, and the families began to trickle back their homes.
My mother led us to our house, where she had prepared dinner. I had not realized how hungry I was until the aroma of roasted carrots, grilled onions, baked potatoes, and melted cheese assailed my nostrils. Drool began seeping into my mouth and around my lips when I spotted the source of the welcoming scent before me. The victory stew sat on the table, waiting to be consumed. Manners forgotten, I began devouring my meal, shoving each delectable spoonful into my mouth as soon as the last had passed into my throat. That night, I had sunk into my bed, warm-bellied, and dreamt the first nice dream in almost a month.
The town was abuzz in the morning. The battle, the feast, and the preparations seemed to be all that anypony would talk about. My father and I went out to harvest more parsnips before noon. Time seemed to fly as we went about working; the thought of labor was drowned by the wave of every thought about what had transpired. When noon arrived, we had harvested more than enough for the whole village twice over. We brought our load back to the house, where we ate a quick lunch of grass sandwiches, before we brought our parsnips, and other foods, to the town square. Leaving our hoard of edibles to my mom, my father and I made a few more back and forth trips to bring out our chairs and table. As the night approached, the other families had joined the ones already present, and had formed their furniture into a ring of counters, benches, desks, and tables. Torches and fires were lit outside the ring, and the food lay in an outer-ring buffet-like row of long benches.
Everypony partook in the food, taking their fill of whatever they wished. Scents flooded the green with their beguiling aroma; the honeyed smell of baked goods, the sweet smell of myriad candies, the roasted smell of the grilled vegetables, the fresh smell of ornate fruits. The feasting itself went on for a full hour, and as ponies finished, they began conversing with each other, telling jokes, and having a merry time. A short time after, any pony who could play an instrument was up joining in a chorus of noise. There was no distinct tune or pattern to the music, yet it remained upbeat and joyful. With the music came the dancing. Like the collage of melody, a variety of motions flowed together inside the ring. From flowing to erratic and back again, the townsponies danced carefree across the grass, enjoying a bliss not felt in months, for some; not in years. The dancing and playing carried on into the late hours of the night until the revelers finally tired in their mirth. Leaving furniture unattended in the green field, each family returned to their homes, finally ready to rest their heads, calm their hearts and sleep.
_______________
Rising much later in the day than traditional, the town had cleaned the green of the remnants of the gathering, and the people were back to work. This was we were in saddleville, we were quick to move on from one hardship and work hard until the next came. That was how it went, working hard to make up for money lost to the bandits, food lost from the party, and supplies lost to the construction of the weapons and armor. Flowing through the fields, the tender whips of cool breeze returned, tugging at my fur and my memory. It brought the bitter memory of our lost sheriff, but it also pulled out the greater rumination of conquering evil. The breeze came out each day to greet me as I worked, whisking away the heat and encouraging me to carry on. And so I and the rest of my town did; we carried on working to replace what was lost and to prepare for the future.
Things were not to be the same though. After a few weeks, once things had fully settled again and life was back to the usual, I was hit with heavy news; Gizmo planned to leave. I found out only when she told me to meet her in the square and I found her with saddlebags already packed. “Why would you leave?” I demanded, tears hanging on the rims of my eyes. “I’m sorry Steel,” she said, a smile on her face but sorrow in her eyes, “But it’s a great opportunity for me. My dad even wants me to go; he can handle the repair business by himself, I can go and start my own business elsewhere. Just imagine, free to help so many ponies and free to build inventions whenever I want, wouldn’t that be great?” Looking in her eyes, I couldn’t believe that my best friend, practically my sister, was leaving. In those I saw reflected the memories of a time not long past, sharing joys, sharing sorrows, sharing inventions. “What about me, Gizmo? What am I going to do?” She smiled sincerely, “Steel, you’re going to take care of yourself. You’re going to take care of your family. You’re going to take care of this town. But most of all, you’re going to keep inventing. Promise me that, Steel.” Eyes clamped shut and tears overflowing, I shouted “I promise!” Feeling her foreleg wrap around me, I returned the embrace. Still sobbing, I whispered into her fur, “I know you’ll be great Gizmo. I’ll miss you.” “I’ll miss you too,” she sighed, “I’ll keep in touch. I’ll try to send letters whenever I can, okay?” “Okay” Releasing each other, we looked into each other’s eyes one last time, we said our final goodbyes before I turned and slowly trudged to my home; I could not bear to be there when she said her final farewells to the townsponies.
The next days, I had felt like another pony had passed away. However, as each day went by, I realized how truly great this opportunity was for her. The thought of her in her own workshop, fashioning marvelous creations, making lots of new friends, doing what she loved, it made me happy for her. This cheerfulness soon overcame the sorrow that had resurged. As I dug at the ground each day, meticulously uprooting each plant one by one, I thought of her uprooting from the town and moving on to a better life. Soon the north field was empty of parsnips, and the time came to rotate the crops. Our south field was filled with onions. Our task now was to replant each one in the other fields so that they could use the fresh nutrients of the fresh soil. As I relocated each onion to its new home, I thought of Gizmo finding her new home, and her flourishing from the fresh start.
The more these thoughts flooded my mind, the more I thought it was a great idea, not only for Gizmo, but for myself as well. Plans formulated in my head, plans of when to leave and where to start anew. More than about a month after Gizmo left, I brought my idea of leaving to my parents one night at dinner, but it was quickly faced with rejection. They believed that I was too young, too foolish, and too necessary for the town. I disagreed, arguing that the town would be little different without me, and that Gizmo was only half a year older than me, but they were not convinced. Undaunted and a bit angry, I finished my dinner and went to bed without another word. Obviously my parents became suspicious of me, and were careful to monitor me after that, but I still remained undeterred. Another week passed before I felt I was truly ready to go. In the deep of night, I slipped out of the house, leaving but a note on my bed. It told of how I was sorry to leave without permission, but I knew it was what I had to do, and it told how I would always love them and that I would try my best to stay in contact. Although it was my calling, it still wrenched at my heart to leave my parents with almost no warning. I took almost everything I had with me, I wore my armor and my kickers, and my saddlebags contained my launcher, some foods, a pen and paper, my canteen, and my pocket rollers. Unsure where I intended to go, I ventured north, towards the closest town, Dust Ditch.
Author's Note
Gizmo and Steel will continue their adventures in separate chapters. Myself and My friend, the authors, will upload these chapters as soon as they are complete. Progress is already made on Gizmo's first chapter, and work on Steel's will begin immediately.
Gizmo’s Journey
It had been 2 and a half weeks since Gizmo left Saddleville. She was still having second thoughts, but she felt this was best for her. Several negative thoughts have passed through her head. "Where will I go? What if I can't make friends?” She shook the degrading thoughts out of her head and focused on her journey. She was walking on a thin, dusty trail in the middle of a grass covered field. It started to get dark, restricting her vision. Her eyes were growing heavy and her hooves were about to give out. "I gotta rest, I've gone too long without sleep,” she said to herself after yawning. She pulled out her clock and checked the time. It was 6:35 pm, and she had been walking since 4:00 in the morning. The weather was still, cool, and dry; there was no trace of the even slightest breeze. The clouds were scarce, leaving the universe above available for gazing. Gizmo lifted her pack off of her back and set it on the ground. She flopped her body down on the grass. She had her hooves supporting her head as she stared at the luminous stars. Mysterious figures floated around in the black sky. Gizmo marveled at its magnificence. She had never seen the stars shine so bright before. She was in a trance from the colors. Her eyes were sparkling with dazzling purples and blues. With delving pupils, she glanced at one very bright star that was shining greater then the others. However, this star had a bluish tint on it unlike the reds and yellows. Gizmo smiled and sighed, "such beauty", she said to herself. She wanted to name the star. After a quick moment of thought she instantly said, "Mom". She named the majestic giant that so she wouldn't feel so isolated. Her lonely thoughts made her miss Steel and her dad and Saddleville. As memories flowed through her mind, a tear built up in her eye, rolled down her face, and fell unto the grass. Her eyes glistened even brighter from more tears starting to form. After her crying ceased she smiled and closed her eyes. She rolled onto her side, and slept.
Gizmo slowly opened her tired eyes and looked around her surroundings. Something was making a very light noise in the distance. Her ear twitched when the noise got louder. She quickly stood up and looked around more intently. She opened her pack and pulled out her launcher with her mouth. She attached it to her hoof and loaded it with an apple. She stood on her hind legs and lifted her gun to her sight, ready for anything. Just then, a red beam shot right over Gizmo and the force sent her flying onto her back. She let out a slight scream. Her launcher shot the fruit into the air when she hit the ground. It landed with a thud behind Gizmo. She stared wide eyed at the red streak across the sky. The mare was speechless, her goggles were crooked on her forehead. Half was covering her right eye. She adjusted her black goggles and set off to follow the vagrant streak.
After 30 minutes of walking, she finally found where the red beam stopped. It was right over a forest. A dark, wet forest. "Hopefully I'm not following a monster,” she said ominously. "This would be a lot easier if I had wings.” She was stepping through mud and leaping over tree roots. "Ugh, this is just slowing me down. Why is there so mu-", she was cut off by a vine that tripped her. "Are you kidding me?" she said in an annoyed tone. The green rope was wrapped around her back leg. She rolled her eyes and tried pulling herself out. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed throughout the forest. She began frantically gnawing at the vine. She snapped it off and stopped to listen. The forest was silent. Everything stood motion less. The breeze disappeared, leaving all life still. She heard a small crack. A shadow arose from behind her. Gizmo's eyes followed the expanding figure along the ground. She started to sweat and shake nervously. The small pony turned around slowly, and then looking up, she beheld a pair of red eyes. Her heart stopped, and her ears fell to the side of her head. Her eyes were fixed on the two glowing lights. There was a 5 second stare down. Each being was waiting for the other to make the first move. The figure let out a quiet growl and then abruptly snapped at Gizmo. With her quick thinking she rolled behind the tree next to her and then recovered by landing on all fours. She sprinted away through bushes and bolted over rocks. The monster barreled after her, destroying all vegetation in its path. "Just don't stop running", Gizmo repeated to herself between breaths.
The relentless beast was breaking down everything in its path. "What is that thing"? Gizmo said whilst panting heavily. She was halted suddenly by a wall of grey stone. "No, no, no!” She shouted in panic. The beast towered over her. It was panting heavily and it looked like it was going to pass out. The beast opened its mouth and prepared to kill Gizmo. Just then, the mighty beast was hit in the jaw by a red beam. "Whoa", Gizmo said under her heavy breathing. The thing fell on its side. Flying over it in a triumphant pose was a red Pegasus. She smirked at the monster. "That'll teach ya’!" the pony shouted. She flew down to a shocked Gizmo. "Hey that's strange, I've never seen a pony come through here. Especially alone. What's your deal stranger?" Gizmo's mouth was still open. Finally, she snapped back to reality. "Oh sorry, I was just passing through", she said. "Not exactly the smartest idea to come out here alone". "I was following you", Gizmo replied. “Following me?” “Well, yes. I saw you fly over me earlier this morning." Gizmo didn't really make any eye contact or even examine the mare. "Ok, well my name is Crimson Vision", she said proudly. "What's yours, Goggles?" she said sarcastically in reference to Gizmo's attire. "My name is Gizmo." Mildly mocking Crimson's gestures. "Gizmo huh? What is your talent?" Crimson squinted her eyes and wrinkled her snout. "I invent things. Now, before you say anything else, why do you have fangs?" Crimson stared at her like she didn't know what she was talking about. "Oh these? I have no idea. Now since talking about physiognomy, why do you have goggles on?" Gizmo's heart stopped. She hated when that question was asked because it would force her to think of her mom. So, she lied. "Uh, I bought them from the store." She looked at the ground. "Store? Whatever." Crimson turned around and started flying away, calling back, "Alright, let’s go." Gizmo was puzzled. "What?" Crimson looked at her, "I'm your new forest guide pal." Gizmo was somewhat offended. "A guide? I don't need a guide." Crimson flew back to Gizmo, "You would've been mauled by that timber wolf if I didn't show up to save your life! So yeah, you need a guide!" Gizmo's face turned red, she would not admit that she was wrong. "I had it under control! This is my journey, not our journey!" Crimson's eyes were vivid, "fine! Go ahead be eaten by a timber wolf, or bear, or leopard because that's fine with me!" Crimson bolted off. Gizmo was furious, but the anger soon faded. She looked at the ground in self-pity. Her stubbornness had made her lose a potential friend and guide. Now she was alone again.
The Forest
Gizmo was trotting at a fast pace along a dirt path that wounded across the forest floor. It was cold and foggy, it felt like the air was thinning more and more as Gizmo went on. She had a very serious face on, her determination to get out of the forest gave her more energy and confidence. However, on the inside she was battling depression and anger. She tried to get rid of the thought of getting lost, or dying. Gizmo started to only focus on her thoughts that she forgot about hunger and tiredness. She didn't even notice that her chest was burning from exhaustion. Her eyes were locked on the ground. That was the only thing she could see, dirt. She finally snapped out the trance when her sight started fading, and her body started to sway. Her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the hard ground. She had passed out. Gizmo instantly started seeing things; horrible things. She saw her mother standing there, surrounded by darkness. The figure just stood there silently with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes and they were pitch black. Gizmo's heart was racing, she turned around and tried running from her mom. As she was running she looked back and to see that the figure was gone. She stopped, then slowly turned her head forward. Her heart nearly exploded when she saw the fiend right in front of her. The figure tilted its head slightly and then smiled. Gizmo was sick to her stomach and she started to cry heavily. She closed her eyes and turned away. Tears were seeping out of her eyes. Everything was silent again, she couldn't even hear herself breathing. She kept her eyes closed. But, a red light flashed and heat started to consume her body. She opened her eyes to see the she was in her house. Her room was on fire, she tried yelling but nothing came out. She looked down and saw her bandana burning off. As it was being engulfed by flame, Gizmo turned around and saw her mother trapped under big piece of broken wood. She was calling for help but no one came. Gizmo desperately tried getting to her mother but she couldn't move. She saw her bed and stuffed animals burning. She looked up and a flaming chunk of wood fell down towards her mom. Right before it hit, everything went black. And for a split second, a strange hooded figure flashed before her eyes. Then she woke.
Gizmo slowly opened her eyes, she felt like she had been asleep for a week. A familiar face appeared right in front of her. It was Crimson with water and fruit. She had woken Gizmo up from her deep sleep. "Finally, it took forever to get you to wake up", Crimson said in a relieved tone. "I thought that you were never gonna’ wake up, you had me worried for a second. I'm glad I followed you, otherwise you would be dead." Gizmo sat up and looked around. "You followed me?" Gizmo glared at the red Pegasus. "Don't look at me like that, I saved your life, again. I'm starting to wonder if you are even capable of traveling on your own." Gizmo sighed and then smiled. "You know, maybe I do need a guide. After all, it does get pretty lonely out here." Crimson smiled back. "Looks like you need friend as well." Both ponies nodded in confirmation. Crimson helped Gizmo up. And the two set off on their journey.
Onyx Clash:
Onyx Clash is a male Pegasus. He has a silvery coat with a white mane and tail. His eyes are piercing blue. Generally, his hair would be messy and spiky. He lived in Ponyville but he was never really around because he was always traveling. He was mail pony. He loved this job because of the scenery and he got paid to do what he loved to do, fly. He and Rainbow Dash are close friends. They usually never got to see each other because of Onyx's job. Onyx Clash didn't grow up in Ponyville however, he grew up in Cloudsdale. He got his comet cutie mark at a very young age. He is very respectable towards others, especially his parents. Onyx once joined the Wonderbolts and was lead pony with his friend, Sword Comet, as wing pony. However, Sword didn't make it and had to leave the Wonderbolts Academy. It didn't feel right without Sword Comet so Onyx left the Wonderbolts. As of now he works for the mail delivery service in gratitude.
Onyx was getting the next set of mail loaded into his pack. He put on his uniform which consisted of a white scarf, goggles, and a brown leather jacket. This trip was a lot more important than any other trips. He had to deliver a message to Princess Celestia for Twilight Sparkle because her pet dragon wasn't feeling good. Onyx had only met Twilight once, and it was when she gave him the letter personally. He was just getting ready to leave when suddenly a Pegasus landed next to him. It was Rainbow Dash, the fastest Pegasus pony in Ponyville. Onyx resented that. "So where are you headed", she asked. "I'm going to Canterlot", he replied. "Heh, nice scarf?" Onyx glared at Rainbow. "This is my uniform, I have to wear it." Rainbow Dash laughed. "That scarf is so lame Onyx". He rolled his eyes. "Y'know, I should sign up for the mail service. We can compete over who can deliver fastest. "Yeah right Rainbow, you are too lazy to sign up for the Mail Delivery. Plus, you already have a job." Rainbow Dash grew a competitive tone in her voice, "I'm not lazy, and would totally signup for the mail service. You just don't want me to because you are scared that I will be the better delivery pony than you." Onyx laughed, "Whatever Rainbow.” After their conversation, Onyx checked the time. "Oh I should be going, see you later Rainbow,” he said as he started to take off. "Bye Scarfie", she said sarcastically. Onyx frowned. Once again she got the last words. Next time he would be sure to get her back.
It was a short flight to Canterlot, it took only 5 minutes. Onyx saw the giant white castle towering above. He touched down at the front gate where several guards were positioned. They had to search him just in case. The giant gate slowly opened making a slightly irritating squeak. Onyx walked in casually along the brick paved road. Everyone looked rich, there were stallions in suits and mares in dresses all over the shopping area. Onyx looked like an outcast with his filthy torn scarf, goggles on his forehead, and a leather jacket with minor tears in the sleeves from a few accidents in the past. Everyone who passed looked at him but he didn't mind. He was supposed to head towards the castle to give the message to Celestia personally. There were so many shops and attractions that Onyx couldn't resist but to look around at all the stores. "Maybe I could get a new jacket", he said in his mind as he passed a clothing store. He walked in the little shop and a bell rang which made everyone looked up and towards the door before they went back to their business.
As he was looking he remembered that he forgot his money. He stopped and let out a loud sigh. Onyx usually didn't express anger, but this time he got irritated. "Whatever, I didn't need to spend 200 bits on one jacket." He walked out of the store and went back to what he was supposed to be doing. He felt no need to walk anymore since there was no point in looking at shops anymore. Flying was a lot quicker than walking and Onyx wanted to leave as quickly as possible. He landed right at the entrance to the castle where a guard stood. "I'll take that said the guard", said the guard in a deep scruffy voice. "I thought I was giving it to her personally." replied Onyx as the guard took the letter. "She is too busy right now kid, maybe next time." Onyx nodded then flew away. He felt the nice cool breeze as he zipped through the sky. "Might as well make a lap around the place." he went full speed around the mountain but was stopped by a white building nudged into the corner of the mountain. Along the side was a thin path that led to it. Onyx flew down to investigate. He went through the large doors that were closed tightly from not being opened for a while. He walked into the dark room uneasily. A small light was peering out of a room in the corner. Onyx peaked into the room and saw a yellow pony with a shiny green, blue, and yellow mane and tail staring directly at him with her green eyes. His heart skipped a beat from being startled so badly. "Um, hello?" The pony ran and hid behind a table. She looked back at Onyx with a frightful glare. "You shouldn't be here." she said in a scared tone. "Why not?" Onyx said in a soft tone understanding her fear. "Why are you up here all alone?" The pony stood up and actually stared at Onyx in the eyes "I have dedicated my life to star gazing. Well, that was the original plan until my knowledge of space got me a job of making sure nothing bad comes from space. However, the other 4 guards that use to work with me left mysteriously one by one over a 4 day period. Those ponies had crucial secrets that were vital to the princess." Onyx was very intrigued. "So is this a bad thing?" She looked down, "I don't know, there have been strange anomalies occurring for a month so far." Onyx was confused. "Wait, how did the other 4 disappear and you didn't?" She looked at Onyx. "I hid. You see, on the fifth day, someone entered the observatory and searched for an hour. They never found me." Onyx was concerned. "Where did you hide?" She shook her head. "It is a secret." Onyx approached her. "You aren't safe here, you can come with m-." Just then, the door to the observatory slowly creaked open.
Both ponies looked at each other. "Hide in that spot you hid in last time, I'll take care of this." She nodded, and quickly ran to her spot. Onyx walked out and saw a large hooded colt searching the area. "Looking for someone?" The figure turned its head towards Onyx. "Yes I am. Nova Star, have you seen her?" he asked suspiciously. "Why do you need her?" The hooded pony walked ominously towards him. "That's none of your business." Onyx smiled, "Well you won't get her." The colt chuckled, "Are you gonna stop me?" Onyx braced himself as the opponent did as well. Both of them stared at one another for 10 seconds. Finally, Onyx launched into the air and flew quickly around the telescope. He shot out from behind it and slammed into the side of the pony, sending him onto his side. Onyx landed and smirked. The colt's hood came off, revealing a strange machine strapped to his back. It had gears rotating and pistons were pumping on the top. On the right big long canon was aiming right at Onyx. On the inside of the canon a blue and white light was spinning and growing more intense. "I wasn't gonna use this but you are asking for it." The machine started making a charging noise. Onyx shot into the air and flew behind the telescope. The colt aimed and fired a blue laser at the telescope cutting it in half and nearly missing Onyx. He swooped down and hit the colt in the face with his hoof. As the colt stumbled, a small cup shaped container rolled under him. He looked up and saw Nova angrily staring at him. He smiled and was about to fire but the container popped and started to release smoke into the colt's face. He was knocked out by the fumes. Onyx was astonished, "thanks Nova you saved me." Nova smiled, "I guess I did." both looked around at the destruction and the passed out body on the ground. "I think I'll go with you, Onyx."
The Five (Flashback)
Nova Star was an astronomer that lived in Canterlot. She, and 4 other scientists were put in charge of making sure nothing from space could threaten Canterlot or anywhere else. However, over time the 5 have discovered strange things. Unknown elements and secrets of space were kept locked within the 5 ponies. Word had got around to a gang of creatures whose name was unknown. Soon, the gang started devising strategies to find out the secrets that the 5 had hidden from the public. They hoped that it was an ancient evil that could be released through some method. On the first day, a group of ponies raided the Observatory. They destroyed everything, but only managed to get one of the 5. On the second day, they came back and took another. After 4 were taken, only one remained, Nova Star.
On that fifth day, everything was silent and still. Nova, expecting to be raided again, hid in The Bunker. This facility was under a small hatch door on the ground. A staircase wound deep into darkness and at the very bottom was a small white light. Only The 5 new the dark secrets hidden in that ominous room. She heard the gang invading upstairs. The search lasted for 2 hours until they gave up. Nova, usually a talkative and outgoing pony, took a different personality to make sure no one would disturb her. In her head she thought that if a shy depressed looking pony asked to be left alone, others would respect her requests. Those undisclosed materials and other unnatural things were locked in Nova's brain, never to come out. Every visitor was turned away as time went on. Eventually, no one came to the Observatory. It remained desolate and squalid for several weeks. Finally, a curious traveler named Onyx Clash found the structure and came close to finding the secrets. Nova had to make sure that no information would be leaked to any pony. What deep secrets are hidden inside the inner mechanisms of Nova's brain?
Gizmo, Crimson, and the Monster
Gizmo and Crimson were wandering aimlessly through the forest. The two were getting burned out from walking and flying. "Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if you even know where you are going,” complained Gizmo. "I know where we are going, settle down. Um, what town were we headed to?” Gizmo slapped her forehead with her hoof. "Huh, ok, for the last time, I'm trying to get to Ponyville!” Crimson was confused. "Ponyville? What the hay is Ponyville?” Gizmo froze in place, her eyes were fixed forward and her mouth hung open. "What's the matter"? Crimson asked. "Shh, look over by that tree", whispered Gizmo. Crimson turned her dragon-like eyes towards the location that was pointed out to her. Her heart sank when she saw the timber wolf from earlier staring at them from 50 yards away. It was still, not even blinking. Crimson stopped flying and quietly landed on the ground.
“Ok, you peak your head to see if he is still there," whispered Gizmo. "Are you kidding? I'm not doing that," replied Crimson. “Fine, I'll do it." Gizmo peered out of the bush to see the timber wolf still standing without movement. However, instead of it being 50 yards away, it was 30 yards away. "Oh dear Celestia! It is even closer!" Gizmo said in a loud whisper. After a few seconds of pondering, Gizmo's face lit up with an idea. "What's with the smile?" Crimson said uneasily. "Let’s fight back," said Gizmo. "I remember before I left Saddleville, the village and I fought against a group of bandits for murdering our sheriff. We sure let them have it. Anyways, we can fight the timber wolf!" Crimson stared at Gizmo with a blank face which was then lit up by an excited smile, "Alright let’s do it.” “Bout’ time we get some action!" Crimson shot out of the bushes and flew towards the beast. The timber wolf charged towards the Pegasus. "I didn't mean like that! Aw forget it." Gizmo pulled her launcher out, loaded it with a red apple, then joined the fight. She ran at full speed to a tall tree to climb up. Crimson and the wolf were already exchanging hits to the body and to the face. "Hurry up Gizmo!" Crimson demanded. Gizmo didn't answer and kept climbing up to a branch where she would have the perfect advantage. She pulled herself up and swung her hind legs forward. She was sitting up right with her right hoof pointed towards the timber wolf. Gizmo steadied herself and held her breath. Everything felt like it slowed. Silence covered the forest as she aimed for the wolf's head. She hit the small lever and everything sped up again. The apple flew right past Crimson and nailed the wolf directly in its left eye. It winced in pain and collapsed heavily onto the forest floor. Crimson looked at Gizmo with a victorious look on her face. "Brace yourself, it’s not over Crimson!" shouted Gizmo. Just then, the timber wolf stood up and darted towards Gizmo. Crimson had to act fast. She quickly flew to Gizmo and grabbed her by the stomach. She hoisted Gizmo into the air above the tree line. "Thanks Crimson! Now hold it steady, I'm gonna fire again!" Gizmo pulled out another apple with her mouth and loaded into the wooden launcher. She struggled to put the ammo in place. "I really need to upgrade this thing", she said while loading the gun. "Got it!" Shouted Gizmo. She pulled her goggles down over her eyes and aimed towards the rampaging beast. Without hesitation, she shot the fruit right at the beast. It crashed into its right eye with such force that it was knocked onto its back. The wolf gave one last glare of hate to the two ponies, then ran away. “Alright, that’s what I’m talking about!” shouted Crimson. She lowered Gizmo to the forest floor. “So you have experience with fighting huh? You have a lot to tell me.” “And you have a lot to tell me,” replied Gizmo.
The Train
Nova was gathering supplies for the journey to Ponyville. Onyx was waiting outside the observatory as requested by Nova. Searching around her sleeping quarters, she remembered what lay behind a dusty painting on the wall. She pulled off the art to which revealed a small vault in the wall. She looked back at the door to make sure that her new friend wasn't around. The vault was metal, without a lock or even a button. It was a small knob. Nova opened it up and a greenish glow arose out of the vault. She quickly snagged the object and concealed it in her bag. Her heart leaped into her throat when she heard Onyx's voice behind her. "Are you ready? We have to catch the train," he said. Nova sighed in relief, "Yes, I'm ready, let’s go." The two left the observatory and headed back into Canterlot and to the train station. "Alright, I'll get the tickets, you can wait by the train." Nova nodded in confirmation, then proceeded to a bench nearby. On a bench about 10 feet away from Nova, a cloaked pony sat with a fedora covering his eyes. Nova just stared at the ground but her peripheral told her that he was looking at her. Onyx finally arrived with the tickets, and they boarded the train, as well as the strange figure.
Once on the train, Onyx led the way to an empty passenger cabin, and practically passed out onto one of the benches. Nova squished herself next to him because she was afraid of that mysterious pony. What made it worse is she didn't even see where he went to sit. The ride started to feel like it was taking hours but in fact it had only been 10 minutes. Suddenly, a noise caught Nova's attention. It was a thud, then the sound of walking. She slowly peered around the corner of the seat and saw the mysterious pony only without his cloak and hat. He had a brown color and a darker brown mane and tail. His eyes were sunken, and he had a very unattractive eye color. Dark brown hair grew out the side of his jaw forming into a slight beard. But, it wasn't his appearance that frightened Nova, it was the two knives strapped on both of his front legs. He was walking with a limp, and had a crooked smile as he approached Nova. She frantically tried shaking Onyx awake but to no avail. Nova was panicking, she couldn't think of anything to use against him. Just then, a very risky plan popped into her head, "The Galaxy Shard", Nova said through a breath. She grabbed the green stone out of her bag and stood on her hind legs to face the villain. Onyx jerked awake and saw Nova standing to his left, "Nova, wait are you d-", Nova looked at him with a serious glare. She looked at the villain and crushed the stone between her hooves. The stone turned into green mist that absorbed into Nova's chest. Energy surged through her body, making her shake. Her eyes turned into glowing lights. The villain charged at her but Nova's horn ignited with a green glow. A big, green laser blasted the colt right in the chest, sending him flying to the end of the train car. Onyx was in awe at what just happened. He looked back at Nova to see her exhale and all the green mist exude from her body as it formed back into stone. Onyx looked at the dead pony, then Nova. He didn't know what just happened. "Nova? What did you just do?" Nova looked at him with tears in her eyes, "All this time of protecting these secrets for nothing. I have ruined what my colleagues and I have worked on keeping hidden from others. Now, they will be after us. Onyx, we must hide and never speak about this." Onyx didn't say anything and just nodded. "We don't have much time..." said Nova to herself.
Memories of Saddleville
Gizmo and Crimson were sitting by a warm camp fire quietly. Gizmo stared motionless at the crackling orange and yellow fire while Crimson was looking around aimlessly at the surroundings. The only thing that could be heard was the fire, and the occasional cricket noise. But even the crickets were silent most of the time. Crimson couldn't take it any longer, she finally broke the silence by asking a sudden question; "So uh...what's your story?" she said somewhat awkwardly. It took Gizmo several seconds before she snapped out of it; "Oh sorry, so you want to know my story huh?" she said with a smirk on her face. "Well, I'm from a village called Saddleville. I was raised by my parents up until my mom was killed by a fire. Which is why I wear goggles and this bandana, they remind me of my mother because she wore them as well. My dad was very soft spoken and we never really had conversations with each other unless I was instructed to do something. He owned a wagon shop, and I had to help run it because he couldn't do it by himself. I got my cutie mark from making wagons; however I have always had a passion for inventing things that will benefit others. That was what my friend Steel Gear and I loved to do. We would always show off our new inventions to see how we've been progressing. My most recent invention was a launcher that shoots fruit, or anything you load into it." she pulled the wooden contraption out of her bag and handed to the very intrigued Crimson. Gizmo continued as Crimson marveled at the complexity of the launcher. "Anyways, I made that to fight off a horde of brutes that murdered our sheriff. The whole village was so angry and enraged and thirsty for vengeance. Sometimes I thought we were the brutes because of how much weapons we had. We had to fight against 40 some odd ponies who were huddled in their cave. They never saw us coming. We had the most advanced strategy and war tactics ever conceived. Every type of pony did something; the Pegasi, the unicorns, and the earth ponies made it look easy even though pretty much the only pony in Saddleville with combat training was the sheriff. But, our cooks, farmers, shop owners, blacksmiths, and inventors rallied together and took the scoundrels down. I felt that it really helped Steel out because the sheriff was his friend." Crimson had a big smile on her face, she had never met a pony like this. Finally, she spoke, "Why did you leave? And why didn't your friend come with you?" Gizmo looked at her and began again, "My dad felt that it would be best for me to start a business in a more well-known town. So I was given the choice of either Canterlot or Ponyville. I chose Ponyville because I wouldn't have had a chance in that rich place. So, I left a little bit after the fight as soon as I helped get everything back on track in the shop. Leaving was the saddest moment of my life because I had to leave my home, my dad, and Steel; which was the worst part. So here I am." Gizmo was joyfully crying after she reminisced on her past. Crimson, still with a smile on her face, but her arm around Gizmo. "Wow what a story. You are the most amazing pony I've ever seen." Gizmo thanked her, and the two got ready to sleep. They kept the fire going so they wouldn't freeze overnight. Gizmo used her bag as a pillow even though it wasn't comfy at all, and Crimson just laid on her side without any head support. Both fell instantly into a deep slumber, not knowing that there was something strange watching them far off in the distance.
The Stones
The rest of the ride to Ponyville on the train was just utter silence. The only noise to be heard was the sound of steam pumping and the clacking of the railroad track. Both ponies didn't make any eye contact for many long, awkward minutes. Onyx, still dazed from what he just witnessed, stared obliviously at the floor while Nova stared at the body of the colt that tried to steal from her. She had a frustrated look on her face that made Onyx not want to talk to her. Every so often Onyx would glance over at Nova to attempt to speak, but whenever she turned her piercing green eyes at him, he would quickly look down at the floor again. Nova finally spoke in a soft and calm tone, "Do you have anyone you can trust?" she said. Onyx hesitated to get any words out for a brief moment, "Y-yes, my friends Rainbow Dash and Sword Comet." He immediately looked away again. Nova scooted closer to him and spoke, "Its time you know what my colleagues and I have been hiding." Onyx looked at her in slight excitement. "And the reason I asked you about your friends is because we need help. So are you and your friends tight?" "Yes, they are my best friends." "Good," replied Nova.
She then levitated her bag onto the table between them and then pulled out the green rock. The rock had a grass green hue with dark and light swirls moving around inside. Then she pulled out two more crystal looking substances and placed them on the cold wooden table. Onyx reached out his hoof towards the peculiar stones but was halted by Nova’s firm command, “don’t touch.” He retracted his hoof back down to his side. The two other rocks were red and blue; the red one was a bit smaller and had no shimmer on the inside, the blue one was magnificent looking and it displayed fanciful blue and aqua colors dancing to and fro in the crystal. It was also a bit larger than the others. Nova slid the red and blue rocks aside and made Onyx focus his attention on the green crystal. “This is called the Cosmic Crystal, it provides a great power. This one, as you saw, will surge super energy through your body and will enhance your horn or your wings; we haven’t tested it on earth ponies though so the information for that is unknown.” She switched the green rock out for the blue one. “This one is called the Blue Star, it is very special in that it disguises the user with different colorings. Let me show you, put your hoof on the table.” She then placed it on his hoof then crushed it. A radiant light traveled across his body as it did to Nova as well. Onyx looked at his hoof and it was red, then he looked at Nova and realized that she was royal blue with a white mane and stunning golden eyes. She smiled at him and pointed at Onyx’s reflection in the window. Turning, he saw that he had a red coat with blue hair and green eyes. “Whoa, this is so cool,” he said in a joyful and amazed tone. Nova laughed and then extracted the stone by hitting Onyx in the chest with her hoof. He let out a wince with it the mist came out of his mouth. “What was that for?” “That’s how you get it out. Now you do it to me.” “Uh, I’m not sure I should hit a mare,” he said hesitantly. “Really, you’re gonna’ be like that?” C’mon, slug me.” “I don’t know” “Onyx, seriously, hit me or I’ll hit you again but this time it will be right between the eyes.” “Fine, I’ll do it.” He snapped his hoof forward and it roughly impacted Nova’s chest. There was a moment of silence as the waited for the mist to come out. “Is that all you got?” “What, that was hard!” “Apparently not. I’m taking this into my own hooves.” She then suddenly slammed her head on the table, startling Onyx. The mist exuded and merged with the rest of the mist to reform the stone in the center of the table. Onyx just stared at Nova wondering "what just happened?" She finally pulled the red one to the center of the table. "Do not crush this one, if your heart isn't strong enough, it will overload you with uncontrollable power. However, we don’t know if there are others with even more power" "Whoa, that is kinda cool. But wait, why are there ponies after you; how do they know about these?" "You'll know soon enough. We should probably get some sleep." Onyx nodded and immediately laid awkwardly on the seat and fell into a deep slumber. Nova didn't sleep, instead she watched the body still on the ground. She that he was in a different position. Nova quietly took out the Cosmic Rock and held it close to her.
Author's Note
This is the first chapter that focuses mostly on Gizmo. Other ponies (i.e. Onyx Clash, Nova Star) are talked about as well because they become relevant to Gizmo later in the story. Enjoy!
