My Little Pony: First Gear

Chapters

1. First Meetings
2. One's Place
3. The Value of a Gem
4. Lets Get... Political!
5. Close To the Sun
6. A Few Good Ponies
7. Into the Darkness
8. An Autumn Nightmare

1. First Meetings

Chapter 1: First Meetings

How very ironic, to get into further trouble while trying to be helpful to somepony else: Just that morning her little sister had been trying to help her at Carousel Boutique. Sweetie Belle’s efforts had only resulted in a chain reaction that created a huge mess for her to clean up before she could return to work on the ten special cloaks. Now, having pulled over to allow the other wagon to pass, Rarity found herself stuck. At this rate, she’d be late delivering her special order to Trottingham, and no worse off than if she’d looked after the Cutie Mark Crusaders herself!

Part of it was her own fault, for getting distracted. But part of it was also the distraction’s fault: Rarity had never seen a wagon where one did not need to pull it with a harness, yet here was one where the pony in control was sitting in a seat near the front, as though a team was already pulling it. With her attention drifting, it was no wonder she’d gotten herself stuck watching the strange vehicle pass!

Rarity knew she was well and truly stuck, too. She was not the strongest of ponies, but she’d tried pulling forward and pushing backward, and even rocking back and forth to try to work the wheels free. It seemed to her that she’d only managed to wedge herself even further into whatever rut it was that had caught her wheels. The result was that she was stuck wondering about possible solutions, while she worried about how late she was going to be on her delivery, and how much her reputation as the owner of Carousel Boutique would suffer as a result.

Rarity’s reputation had only risen a few weeks ago, as a result of the success she’d found during her first fashion show. Oh, it was not without its pitfalls: the second-run ‘dresses’ she’d created at her friends’ requests had been the most horrid things she’d ever created, and fashion mogul Hoity Toity agreed. That alone nearly ruined Carousel Boutique forever, however Rarity’s friends went the extra mile to let her show Hoity Toity what Rarity was really about. Rarity had had to make a huge effort to fill the stallion’s order after that, but it was worth it to have become ‘one to watch’ in the fashion world.

Unfortunately, all of that would change if Rarity was unable to deliver this order on time, so her reminiscence about the recent past would have to come to an end. It was a shame, too, because Fluttershy had offered to watch the Cutie Mark Crusaders at her cottage. If Rarity could not make Trottingham in time, the gold-coated Pegasus may as well not have offered.

I could return to Ponyville and get Applejack or Big McIntosh to help me get unstuck, but besides disturbing them so late when they already get up so early, I really don’t want to leave my wagon unattended. And if I stay here, I depend on the random chance of encountering someone strong and kind enough to pull me out of this mess. Oh, what a conundrum!

Suffice it to say, the white-coated Unicorn and fashionista was not off to a good end to a long day, and while most Unicorn magic included some level of telekinesis, Rarity’s was not powerful enough to lift her whole wagon. But she wouldn’t get out of her situation by standing around and whining about it in her own head. She’d just wear a rut into her mind by going over and over the problem.

Rarity unhitched herself from her wagon and walked around the side. She lowered herself as close to the ground as she could, without letting more than her hooves touch the muck in the road, so she could get a look at whatever it was that had caught her wheels. Unfortunately, this was not very low.

“May I be of assistance?”

Rarity very nearly hit her head on the side of the wagon she was so startled by the soft voice coming from nearby. She turned, heart in her throat, and stared, for the pony who had spoken was undoubtedly the strangest stallion she’d ever encountered, and behind him, pulled to the side of the road so as not to be in the way, was the self-propelled wagon that had been a factor in Rarity’s problem!

The stallion himself was only a little larger than Twilight Sparkle, a purple Unicorn who spent much of her time in studies, and was therefore small for her age, and not terribly strong, physically. Whereas Twilight could make that up with her extremely potent magic, this was an earth-toned Earth Pony, and if one was not as strange as Pinkie Pie, all an Earth Pony had was her strength and her innate ability to grow crops. Given his size, Rarity doubted he could get her out of her rut. On the other hoof, nopony else was around to help! “You’re certainly welcome to try,” Rarity said, keeping her doubt out of her voice only through her experience in sales.

Even in the dark, Rarity could make out the stallion's a brown coat and a red-brown mane, which he’d let grow out slightly longer than was usual for a male. His eyes were dark green, and sparkled with intelligence, which also reminded Rarity of Twilight. He wore a well-maintained short goatee in the same red as his mane, and there were thin stripes of lighter brown under both eyes and on his legs. His horseshoes were exceedingly strange, since their thick black and green material ran up each leg about four inches. He wore a dark green vest of many pockets, a pair of riding goggles which were currently around his neck, and a near-black bowler hat with an exceedingly thick brim, which had two interlocking gears on the left side. The whole pony, as he stood before Rarity covered in the dirt of the road.

“My apologies for startling you, Miss,” the stallion said in that soft voice.

Rarity saw his left ear twitching under his hat, and she wondered whether he was suppressing some laughter at her expense. If so, that wasn’t very nice! But even as she watched, she saw the gears on his hat begin to turn, and the brim became wider and thinner. “An adjustable brim? My, how clever! It’s almost worth being startled to see such a thing,” she said, putting on the charm.

The stallion gave her a salespony’s smile. “My own design,” he offered. “The mechanism, I mean.” Having deployed the brim widely enough to cover his head, he lowered himself to take a look, and even crawled partway under Rarity’s wagon to get a closer look. He went so far that Rarity found that she was looking only at the Earth Pony’s back as his tail swished slightly back and forth. If he cleaned up, it’d be long enough for him to be mistaken for a mare, she thought in wonder.

Rarity felt a slight stirring in the air at leg level. “Ah, here is your problem,” the stallion said. “It would appear that there was a slight build-up of earth beside some rocks, and that pinched around your wheels. Please allow me a moment to pack it down with my hooves, and you can be back on your way to your delivery.”

“I never mentioned I was on a delivery,” Rarity raised an eyebrow, although the stallion would not be able to see it.

“This late at night, what other possible reason could a young mare such as yourself have for travelling the roads alone with a wagon? Plus, your concern was most evident. There.” The stallion backed his way out from under the wagon and regained his full, although far from impressive, height, causing Rarity to also back up to get out of his way. The stallion removed his hat and used the heel of one hoof to dust it off. “Do you want to give it a go?”

“Ah, yes.” The stallion helped Rarity back into her harness, and then made his way to the rear of the wagon so he could push if she needed some help. Rarity braced herself, and then surged forward. The wagon rolled forward without a hitch. Rarity breathed a sigh of relief, and looked over her shoulder to see the stallion waving.

“May good fortune smile upon you,” he called.

“Thank you – and you too!” Rarity shouted back. At this rate, making her delivery would not be a problem after all. Maybe, if she encountered the stallion again, she’d even get to apologize to him for underestimating him just because he was a small pony.

* * *

The following morning, Rarity found Twilight at Fluttershy’s cottage, where Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were running about the yard, giggling and having fun as only fillies can. From Fluttershy’s smile, Rarity guessed that things had gone well, despite her own earlier misgivings about the trouble the girls might cause: Fluttershy was far from the most assertive of ponies, but she’d expressed her confidence in her ability to look after the fillies – and it seemed that that confidence was not without cause, as when Fluttershy quietly called out, the three troublemakers immediately fell into line! “I guess I’m just as good with kids as I am with small animals,” Fluttershy said simply. Rarity was certain there was more to it than that, but she let it go.

She just wished her fussy cat, Opalescence, would let go of her flank. Fortunately, Fluttershy was able to communicate with all animals on a deeper level, and Opal was very affectionate toward her.

Everything sorted out, and with the girls having gathered their saddlebags, Rarity turned to go. And spotted a curl of chimney smoke rising from alongside the river. “Was there another cottage nearby?” She asked aloud.

“Not that I can remember,” Fluttershy said, frowning.

“Somepony new to town?” Twilight asked. “I guess this means we’ll be having another of Pinkie Pie’s parties.” The purple pony paused. “I hope it’s not at the library again,” she said deadpan.

“I hope we never have to deal with anypony like Nightmare Moon again,” Fluttershy said.

Rarity glanced at Fluttershy. She’d forgotten that it wasn’t all that long ago that Twilight Sparkle had first come to Ponyville. Pinkie had indeed thrown a welcome party for Twilight, which had led into the Summer Sun Celebration, which in turn had led to the six friends coming together to put an end to the threat of Nightmare Moon – bringing back Princess Celestia so she could raise the sun, and inadvertently revealing that Nightmare Moon was really Princess Luna, who had become corrupted by a great darkness. The entire event had led to the six friends uncovering the six Elements of Harmony when they befriended Twilight – and she, them. “I’m sure that was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. But it may be a good idea to check this out.”

“And warn this pony about Pinkie,” Twilight said, grinning.

“First, though, I’ll take the girls home.”

“Aww, we wanna go too!” Apple Bloom said.

“I really ought to take you home to your families,” Rarity said.

“Does that mean I can come with you?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Mother and Father will be worrying about you too, if I don’t bring you home on time.”

“Aww,” all three moaned.

“Maybe another time. Besides, a new arrival to Ponyville may not want to be crowded right away. Assuming it is someone new,” Rarity said.

“Aww, okay.”

* * *

“Are you certain this wasn’t here before?” Rarity asked Fluttershy. The two had met on the path to the house, both visually tracking the chimney smoke.

“Yes. Are you?”

“Not completely,” Rarity exchanged a look with Fluttershy. She thought her confusion was perfectly reasonable, given the state of the structure around which they had already walked: from the visible foundation to halfway up the first floor was perfectly-fitted stonework. From there, wood construction took over, ending on the second story in a peaked, wooden roof. The chimney was a long concrete tube that joined the house near the wall closest to the river. A waterwheel turned in near-silence from the same side of the house. A windmill stood above the opposite side of the roof, where it could turn 360 degrees without impacting anything. The house itself stood nearly as large as one of Applejack’s barns. The front door featured a sign. The sign only showed a picture of a pony’s head, only the face was a gear, and it was wearing a tall, brimmed hat.

“How long would you say it would take to build something like this?”

“Four months to two years, probably, depending on the crew.”

“What if Unicorns did it?”

“Even if you had a crew of twenty as strong in magic as Twilight, there’s no way it could be put up in the few hours I’ve been gone,” Rarity said.

“What if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna did it?”

“I can’t say what they can and can’t do. But why build this?”

“Sorry. That was a stretch.”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out how and why this house is here.”

“Knock once and come back later?”

“We’re going to go in and ask!”

“Oh.” It was incredible, in Rarity’s opinion, how small Fluttershy could make herself seem when she was afraid. And she was afraid so often, and of so many things, that Rarity had to remind herself that Fluttershy had scolded a red smokedrake to tears, and she had even faced a manticore without any fear at all.

“Come on,” Rarity said, leading Fluttershy back around to the front door. With the pink-maned Pegasus hiding around her flank, Rarity raised a hoof and knocked. And was surprised when the door nudged open a bit at her touch, only to swing closed again. It wasn’t locked! Shaking off the shock, Rarity pushed her way inside.

“Oh, wait for me!” Fluttershy called, and rushed in after the Unicorn.

The inside was well-lit, the open space set up with rows of display cases. Just like any shop anywhere in Equestria, it had a counter and partition that also separated the store front and floor area from the back, where the shopkeeper obviously went about the business of her trade. This, too, was a familiar sight to Rarity, although the items on display in the cases, and in catalogues bound as books set on the counters, were both strange and wonderful. Everywhere were devices of somewhat familiar purpose. Rarity opened one of the catalogues and, flipping through, found a dozen items Applejack might find useful at Sweet Apple Acres.

“Welcome to Gearhead’s Gadgets,” came the soft yet clear (and strikingly familiar) voice. “I am not completely set up yet, however please do feel free to have a look around.” The stallion from the road came through the door to the back area. Other than having doffed his hat, he looked pretty much the same. He had gotten rid of the dust from the road, and was wiping some ash and dirt from his face and hooves with a thick blue cloth. “Well met again, Miss,” he said, clearly recognizing Rarity. “Welcome, also, to my shop, Miss Pegasus.”

Fluttershy immediately became very bashful, looking at the floor and pawing at the straw nervously. She might have squeaked her name, however even standing right in front of her, Rarity couldn’t hear her friend. Mentally, Rarity rolled her eyes. “I’m Rarity, the owner of Carousel Boutique. This is one of my friends, Fluttershy.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, Miss Rarity and Miss Fluttershy. My name is Gearhead. If there is any sort of device you would like me to craft for you, please let me know. It can take some time for me to make, thus the inventory from my previous stops.” Here Gearhead’s polite smile turned into a wide grin. “It is what I do best, if I may boast just a bit.”

“Yes, I can see that you have some very interesting items.”

“One does what one can. Speaking of which, were you able to make your delivery?”

“Yes, thanks in no small part to you, and also to Fluttershy, who was looking after my little sister and her friends.”

“You two know each other?” Fluttershy piped in.

“We met briefly on the road. Gearhead helped to get my wagon unstuck. And speaking of wagons, he has a most interesting one, without a harness!”

“It uses a system of chains, wheels, and gears for propulsion. A single pony, sitting in the driver’s seat, can move the wagon by turning the peddles.” Gearhead reared, and slowly spun his front legs to demonstrate the theory. As he came back down, Rarity noticed that he was still wearing the same shoes as before.

“Another of your gadgets?” Rarity guessed, nodding.

“Indeed so. My horseshoes, though, were a collaborative effort with my father. He wanted to ensure I could find my potential, and so I have. Mostly.”

“Mostly?” Fluttershy asked.

Gearhead nodded. “I am travelling to gain a further understanding of my knack, which is fairly unusual for Earth Ponies. I am thus stopping in most towns and cities through which I travel, although I usually stay longer in those that have libraries, to conduct research.”

“Ponyville does have the Golden Oak Library,” Fluttershy said quietly.

“And, it would seem, it is home to those who successfully brought an end to the night-bound terror of Nightmare Moon. I am hopeful that they might also help me to learn something.”

“Really?” Rarity raised an eyebrow. He’s interested in us?

“Really,” Gearhead said, smiling. “I have the intuition that if anything can help me to understand a most unusual knack, it would be those who can wield a highly unusual power. Naturally, I would be thankful for any and all information leading to a greater understanding.”

“Oh,”

“That’s… nice,” Fluttershy said.

“Well, it seems best I not press you. You may have a look around the store while I finish my set-up below. You can ring the bell on the counter if you see anything you like, or have any questions.”

“I have a question,” Rarity said, deciding to make a slide lead-in before asking the question that had brought her and Fluttershy here. Gearhead turned back around, sat down, and cocked his head, indicating silently for Rarity to proceed. “Where are you from?”

“I hail from Hoofington,” Gearhead nodded.

“Then have you heard of a travelling magician pony named Trixie?”

“Indeed so, although one should not always believe what one hears,” he winked.

“Like Hoofington having trouble with an Ursa Major?”

“Or Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and indeed even Ponyville. That last only worked before this year’s Summer Sun Celebration.”

“I see,” Rarity said.

“Is that it for now?” Gearhead was speaking to Rarity, but he was looking at Fluttershy, who was, again, trying to make herself very small.

"There is a small matter of some curiosity,"

Again, that head-tilt.

"Fluttershy lives nearby, and neither of us can recall this shop being here. If it's not too forward or impolite to ask, how did this building get constructed so quickly?"

"It is not so much a matter of manners, as it is a difficulty in explaining what my knack is. I am embarrassed to admit I do not fully understand its nature at this time, which is part of the reason I am conducting research while do business. I hope it will suffice, at least for now, to leave it as being a part of my abilities.

“Yes. Oh! There was one more thing. Not for you to do for us, but for us to do for you.” Again, that tilted head. “One of our other friends is very much into making new friends and throwing parties, so while it might be nice to show some surprise, it wouldn’t do to be off your guard where she’s concerned. She’s a very unusual Earth Pony.”

“Her name is Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy said helpfully.

“Is she pink?”

“Yes,”

“Then I shall, indeed, be guardedly surprised. Thank you very much for the warning, Miss Rarity and Miss Fluttershy. I shall be below.”

Rarity and Fluttershy were completely silent until the clopping of Gearhead’s hooves had faded into the background noises of the shop. “He seems nice,” Fluttershy said.

“I wouldn’t mind it if he spoke less formally, though. I think he could also clean up nicely, if he wasn’t a workaholic.”

“Really?”

“I can tell that about ponies,” Rarity said. She then started looking around in earnest. Farming equipment made her fairly clueless, however the textile and culinary arts were her kind of arts – and anything that could help her in those areas was more than simply ‘interesting gadgetry.’

* * *

The Golden Oak Library was built into a great oak in Ponyville. The oak itself was enchanted to prevent most kinds of damage from occurring to the books, and especially to the few older scrolls that the library had in its collection. The main stacks lined the curving outer walls of the library, while the center showcased a life-sized statue of a Unicorn’s head. There were reading carols all around the statue, especially for those who wanted to use the extensive reference collection, since those could not be removed from the library. Where the main floor housed the public collection, the upper floor held Twilight Sparkle’s and Spike’s living quarters, and the basement – deep beneath the ground to shield the collection from potential explosions – held a laboratory.

Twilight Sparkle was industriously penning some notes even as Spike was climbing a ladder to retrieve some additional material for her. Although he was a dragon, Spike was quite tame: Twilight had hatched him from an egg, and raised him to be an excellent assistant. He did not have wings, but he was extremely useful to have around, being the only creature around to have claws with which to write dextrously (although sometimes his knowledge of spelling left something to be desired), and his magical fire could send and receive missives to and from Princess Celestia (although when Spike wasn’t focused on his Sending magic, he simply ended up burning things).

Princess Celestia was the Winged Unicorn, or Alicorn, who had ruled Equestria, raising and lowering the sun and moon, for the past 1,000 years. The depths of her magical mastery, her general strength and knowledge, and even her true age were all mysteries to lesser ponies like Twilight – and somehow, the Princess had seen great potential in Twilight, opting to enrol the latter in her special School for Gifted Unicorns. As the Princess’s personal protégé, no less! Twilight was honoured not only because the Princess took her seriously and trusted her implicitly, but also because in the summer, she and her five friends had helped restore Princess Luna to Princess Celestia’s side. In so doing, they also restored the six Elements of Harmony to the Princesses’ possession. And the Princesses continued to send Twilight and her friends on important missions for the Kingdom of Canterlot.

When the door opened and closed, Twilight did not immediately look up. Since the library was open to the public, she needed to be aware in case a patron needed help finding material. On the other hoof, Twilight didn’t want to seem nosy by butting in and immediately ask if she could help. At Rarity’s suggestion, Twilight was waiting for the patron to ask for help, all the while being aware of the pony’s activities, just in case.

Looking past her bangs over her book, Twilight saw the patron look around to orient himself. It was a new pony, an earth-tone Earth Pony who wore a green vest and high horseshoes. Twilight carefully took a closer look and saw that he had a scar under each eye, and also on his forelegs, like he’d reached for something without being overly careful. The stallion’s cutie mark, seen just past his vest, was… a telescope! That perked up Twilight’s interest, and she turned her full attention to him as he stepped into one of the aisles. Twilight returned to her work, somewhat disappointed that she had lost an opportunity to ask someone who was also scientifically-minded how he’d gotten such a mark – even though her own mark was the symbol for magic, and indeed she seemed capable of performing any kind of magic, as long as she saw how it was done.

As Twilight had returned to her work, most of her attention was on that and she did not know how much time passed while the newcomer was in the stacks, looking for material. She did know that when he came out, balancing books on his head and back, Spike had brought two more books to Twilight’s desk. The stallion brought his material over to one of the reading carols, and seeing that nopony was using any of them, he set the books down and began to flip through them. He was still reading when Twilight completed her assignment. She called Spike over to ask him to put the books away, then made her way over to the carols.

Not wanting to disturb a patron, Twilight made her way around the room so the stallion could see her, somewhat to the side and in front of him, and waited. She watched him dextrously flip through a set of pages with his nose, scan a passage, and then flip some more. Finally, having repeated this a few more times, he closed the book and looked up. The whole sequence had taken no more than five minutes. “Well met, Miss Librarian,” the stallion said in a surprisingly soft voice.

“Uh, hi! I’m Twilight Sparkle. Other than you, I’m the newest one to Ponyville.”

“Ah, so I have two reasons for which to refer to you. My name is Gearhead.”

“Well then, Gearhead, welcome to Ponyville and the Golden Oak Library. Um… have you met Pinkie Pie yet?”

“Not as yet, however Miss Rarity and Miss Fluttershy came by my shop to inform me about her and her parties.”

“You mean they warned you about her,”

“Yes. But I am in sales, so I am used to saying things less plainly.”

“So what do you sell? Those books don’t look like they’d help with any merchandise I know of,” Twilight said.

“I am the proprietor of Gearhead’s Gadgets, thus I invent and innovate on devices to make ponies’ lives easier. Miss Rarity found a sewing machine and a set of dispensers interesting enough for purchase. Likewise, Miss Fluttershy was looking at feed dispensers for woodland animals.”

“Well, Rarity is a great seamstress, and Fluttershy does love animals. All kinds. But you tinker?”

“In a word, yes. It is unusual for an Earth Pony, so I am traveling to research my knack while I sell my wares. That is what I am doing here, today.”

“What kind of… ‘knack?’”

Gearhead’s expression turned thoughtful. “I change the things I touch with my hooves, and I can see ways in which different objects may fit together. Once I see these possible connections, I can also facilitate their occurrence, such that my merchandise is extremely durable and long-lasting. Miss Rarity’s sewing machine, for example, can take significant accidental abuse from her little sister and her friends without breaking.”

“That may be more useful than you know,” Twilight said wryly. “Unfortunately, I’ve never heard of any ability like you’re describing in an Earth Pony.”

“Yes, it is difficult to discover such an account,” Gearhead said. “It is quite dissimilar from the standard Earth Pony set of abilities.”

“Most Earth Ponies can make almost any plant grow almost anywhere, plus they’re excellent harvesters. Mechanics is outside of your traditional media. Similarly, Pegasi directly touch the water vapour in clouds to manipulate the weather, and since they’re not the most aerodynamic of creatures, even their flying could be said to be an innate type of magic – and yet Fluttershy not only loves animals, but she lives in a cottage on the ground.”

“Ah, then hers is the cottage near the river, where my shop is.”

“I think I’ll have to see it myself, later on.”

“I would welcome such a visit.”

“Then there are Unicorns, of course. We’re the ponies with the most overt types of magic, like telekinesis, teleportation, and transmutation. What you describe as your ‘knack’ reminds me of one of the basic requirements for performing transmutation, and in particular, since you make gadgets, geomancy.”

“I would agree, however Earth Ponies, like me, do not have access to Unicorn magic. That is explicitly obvious from the fact that we lack the horns that allow Unicorns to cast your spells. Your horn is what makes you a Unicorn. It is even made of material that does not occur elsewhere in nature.”

“You’ve certainly done your research, Gearhead.” Twilight thought a moment. “What if there was a Unicorn or two in your bloodline? An ancestor in Equestria’s earliest days, for example.”

Gearhead shook his head. “Mine has always been a family of Earth Ponies. We do respect the other pony tribes, we simply never mixed in mating. It… keeps my family’s abilities to grow crops strong. Except in me, and that is why I travel. I wish to contribute as much as possible to my family’s successes in my own way. I must understand my own abilities, and find my place in the world, to do so.”

“I understand, and I’ll gladly help any way I can. But for now, you may want to be careful of Pinkie while you head home: I have to close up the library and put Spike to bed. He is, after all, only a baby dragon.”

“Thank you, and sleep well, Spike the Dragon and Twilight Sparkle,” Gearhead said with a smile.

* * *

After ensuring Spike was fast asleep, Twilight decided to go to Sweet Apple Acres to have a short talk with Applejack. She was a light brown (very close to tan or orange) coated, blonde Earth Pony, and the strongest of the six friends. Despite her youth, Applejack weighed in evenly with Granny Smith and Big McIntosh on decisions affecting the Apple family’s apple farm. While Big Mac’s, Applejack’s, and Apple Bloom’s parents had never been mentioned in front of Twilight, she knew the family was quite expansive: when she had first come to Ponyville, the Apple family reunion had been on in full force, so introductions had sounded like a long list of apple types and treats.

Twilight’s stomach had agreed with that assessment.

Twilight noted the full fields and the trees that had already been harvested for the day when she arrived, and headed toward the main barn. There, she saw Applejack putting full buckets and carts of apples away. “Hello, Applejack,” she said.

“Twilight! What brings ya out this way this eve’ning?” Applejack asked in her familiar Southern accent. It seemed lighter on Apple Bloom, and you couldn’t tell with Granny Smith if she had one. The hardest read of all was Big Mac because most of what he said was either ‘eiyup’ and ‘nope.’ It wasn’t that the Apples were anti-social or anything: they were nice ponies and excellent friends. Big Mac and Applejack were especially dependable, and if there was one thing on which one could expect from Applejack, it was honesty, the Element of Harmony she represented.

“I was helping a patron with his research, and I was wondering if you’d ever heard of an Earth Pony who was especially good with rock, minerals, and mechanics.”

“You mean like the way Rarity’s good with gemstones?” Indeed, Rarity had a talent for finding gem deposits. Along with telekinesis and a deep fashion sense, it was her special talent, and probably the reason for her triple-diamond cutie mark. “I can’t say that I can ever remember hearin’ about such a thing. Most Earth Ponies farm, and the Apple family’s no exception.”

“Thanks anyway, Applejack.”

“Maybe you could come back tomorrow and ask Granny Smith if she remembers anything like that. She’s already asleep, but if anyone remembers hearin’ about mechanically-inclined Earth Ponies, it’d be her.” In her good moments, both of them thought, but neither said.

“I’ll do that. Thanks again, Applejack.”

“Any time, Twi.”

* * *

While Granny Smith could remember the days in which her family had helped to found Ponyville, she proved to have no memory of having even heard of an Earth Pony mechanic. “We’re meant to farm!” She said. “Leave such things to the Unicorns, as they’re the best at it. Wouldn’t trust a machine an Earth Pony would build anyway.” So much for that lead.

Twilight was opening the library when Pinkie Pie burst in. “Hey, did you hear about the new pony? Huh? Huh? Huh?” Pinkie Pie was an Earth Pony with a light pink coat, deeper pink curly hair, and three balloons for her cutie mark. Because her eyes were blue where Rainbow Dash’s eyes were pink, when the two of them were together they looked like their colours had been inverted for each other – apart from Dash’s rainbow-coloured mane. Pinkie was not only the most energetic of the six friends, she was also the least predictable, being able to pop up from anywhere – even places too small for her to actually fit being inside.

“Yes, Pinkie. We’ve met.”

Pinkie gasped. “Before the welcome party? That won’t stand!” She stomped a hoof. “Where’s he live?”

“Pinkie Pie, before you go tearing off trying to set up a surprise welcome party in a place he may not appreciate, maybe there’s someplace else he might appreciate the party being set up?”

“Really?”

“Just as an example, do you think Rarity would appreciate it if you threw a party at Carousel Boutique?” Pinkie’s parties were loads of fun, but they tended to get a little out of control. Rarity’s displays would undoubtedly end up getting messed up.

“She’d hate it if any cake or punch got onto any of her dresses!” Pinkie said.

Or holes in the walls, Twilight thought. “Exactly,”

Pinkie’s face lit back up with the candle of an idea. “I know: we can hold it at Sugar Cube Corner! Mister and Missus Cake never mind parties, and they’re great for business.”

“Great idea, Pinkie. When will you ask them if it’s okay?”

“Right now!” And Pinkie Pie zipped out of the library. Twilight shook her head and turned around to face Spike. “Oh, and Twilight?”

“Yes, Pinkie?”

“Could you make sure the new pony gets to the party, since you know where he lives?”

“Yes, Pinkie.” While Twilight hadn’t visited Gearhead’s Gadgets yet, she figured it wouldn’t be very hard to find, being on the river near Fluttershy’s cottage. That meant it would be close to the Everfree Forest, too.

“Thanks!” And Pinkie Pie was gone again.

* * *

“Hey, Twilight! What brings you this way?” The voice and question came from Rainbow Dash, the near-fearless and loyal blue Pegasus of the group. Despite her young age and somewhat haphazard flying record, she was the manager of the Ponyville Weather Team. Rainbow and Applejack were always competing with each other, pitting strength against speed. Twilight estimated that they were about even, so their friendly competition would continue for many years, helping them to continuously improve. Case and point: Rainbow had very recently won the Best Young Flyers Competition in Cloudsdale.

Sure, Rainbow had probably only managed to pull off the Sonic Rainboom that won the contest because she was desperate to save Rarity, however she would never have been able to push herself hard enough without Applejack’s strength always being behind her. Rainbow said she’d pulled it off as a filly, but with her smaller weight back then, it had no doubt been easier to break the sound barrier. Rainbow had needed the correct altitude and speed to pull it off as a mare, and conditions had come together perfectly for it to happen at the contest – luckily for Rarity, who had pushed her gossamer and morning dew butterfly wings beyond their limit.

Just as important to Rainbow as winning the competition, her flying had earned her accolades from Princess Celestia, and some time with the elite flyers of Equestria, the Wonderbolts. Rainbow idolized the group to an extreme point, and now she had a great reputation with no less than the Captain of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire.

“I’m heading over to the new shop. I’ve got a few questions for the owner, plus Pinkie wanted me to tell him where to be for his welcome party.” Twilight watched as Rainbow flipped and corkscrewed toward her. The Pegasus very rarely came to rest on the ground, in direct contrast with Fluttershy, who spent most of her time on the ground and very rarely flew very high or fast. That might make the friendship between the two Pegasi seem strange, but it came off as very natural, in Twilight’s opinion.

“Any reason for a Pinkie Pie party is a good reason,” Rainbow said. “I’ll come with you, if only to see this guy before he gets his first impression on Pinkie.”

“That will be something to see,” Twilight said. Her own first impression of Pinkie had not been a positive one: Pinkie had been the first Ponyville pony Twilight and Spike met upon their arrival. When Twilight introduced herself, Pinkie simply gasped and ran away – to plan Twilight’s welcome party. Twilight herself hadn’t known this, or that the party would be at the library, something she hadn’t appreciated at all. Since then, however, Twilight had accepted Pinkie and all her unusual foibles, including Pinkie Sense.

When Twilight and Rainbow Dash arrived at Gearhead’s Gadgets they had to pause and look at the building for a minute.

“I don’t remember anything like this being here, and I would,” Rainbow said, glancing toward the tall chimney.

“Agreed. I’d like to see what the waterwheel and windmill are powering, though.”

“That’s what’s got you interested?” Twilight, glancing over, saw Rainbow’s raised eyebrow. “It’s a large stone and wood building that’s been knocked up practically overnight. How, and by who?”

Rainbow was right, but Twilight couldn’t tell her what Gearhead had told her about his ‘knack.’ Not only had they not confirmed what it was just yet, but Twilight hadn’t seen it in action with her own eyes. But if Gearhead’s ability let him build such a large structure in such a short time, his power could put him very close to Twilight’s own. Such power would make other ponies very fearful, on first contact. And the Princesses very interested.

Twilight led the way inside. Gearhead was not in the shop area, but the array of gadgets on display immediately captured both ponies’ attention. Twilight didn’t even notice when the Earth Pony arrived, as he let them continue to browse while he stayed behind the counter. Twilight only noticed because she became aware of the feeling of being watched. “Good morning, Gearhead.”

“Good morning to you as well, Miss Twilight and Miss Pegasus.”

“Name’s Rainbow Dash. You’ve got some shop here. How’d you build it so fast?”

“The same way I have so many gadgets to look at, which is, unfortunately, a trade secret. Even, as Miss Twilight would know, from me.”

“Huh?”

“Gearhead came to the library to research his special talent,” Twilight said, glad for the opportunity to explain, as well as for the confirmation that he’d used his ‘knack’ to put up the shop. “Having seen some of your items for myself, I certainly can’t blame Fluttershy and Rarity for buying from you. These are amazing!”

“The larger ones are catalogued,” Gearhead nodded toward the nearest book. Twilight noticed that it was tied to the display case so it could not be removed, but it would take Applejack’s strength or a Unicorn’s magic to lift it anyway. Fortunately all one had to do to look was flip through it.

“Speaking of larger devices, I noticed that your cutie mark’s a telescope. Have you built any?”

“Indeed so, as itemised on pages seven though nine in the catalogue to your right, Miss Twilight.”

She went over to look. “These are amazing!”

“I can deliver one if you’d like,” Gearhead said.

“On what?” Rainbow asked. “You both look about as capable of carrying large weight as each other.”

“While you have a fair point regarding our sizes, Miss Rainbow, you do not take into account that the telescopes Miss Twilight is most likely to purchase are lighter than the ones previously made.”

“’Telescopes?’ More than one?”

“I would expect so, given they are of various strengths, and do the job to varying degrees. The adjustable ones do not do the job the same as fixed-lens specialty telescopes, after all. And spyglasses are more portable.”

“I see,”

“Anyone who looks through one of the scopes will. I have some sample pieces upstairs, if you would like to take a look.”

“That’d be delightful,” Twilight said.

“Now that you mention it, I’d like to see too,” Rainbow said.

As they made their way up the stairs behind the counter, Twilight remembered one of the other reasons she’d come to the shop. “Pinkie Pie wants to throw you a party at Sugar Cube Corner.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be a surprise?” Rainbow asked.

“I’m sure it still will be,” Twilight said. “As many parties as she throws, each one has something different.”

“Sugar Cube Corner is that sweets shop that looks like it was made from cake, correct?”

“That’s certainly one way of putting it,” Twilight said.

“Just from a marketing point of view, it is brilliant, given nopony would ever mistake it for anything else.”

“Pinkie Pie lives above the shop,” Rainbow said.

“Does she work there as well?”

“Not yet, but she’d like to.”

“Then I wish her good fortune,” Gearhead said. They came to the top of the stairs and turned a corner. They entered a room where a row of telescopes were set up in front of three windows, two scopes to a window. Twilight immediately cantered up and started looking through each, moving systematically from left to right. Rainbow merely looked through them in a seemingly random order. “Try lifting them to test their weight,” Gearhead suggested. Both ponies did, and were surprised by how easy it was to move them. Even the tripods had wheels with locks built into the legs so they could be pushed or dragged easily. The legs themselves were independently adjustable, which could also be useful.

“As cool as these are, I don’t know if I’d use them,” Rainbow said, after having looked through all six sample scopes. “On the other wing, a spyglass might really help with my work.”

“I can help you pick one out downstairs, Miss Rainbow.”

“Call me ‘Rainbow.’ Or ‘Dash.’ I’m not really a ‘miss’ type.”

“Very well, Rainbow.” Gearhead looked across at Twilight, who was watching him. “Have you found one or two you especially like, Miss Twilight?”

“Yes, Gearhead, and I’ll also take their tripods, if that’s okay.”

“Indeed it is,”

“And if you could deliver one of them to Sugar Cube Corner, that would give you a cover for the party.”

“Excellent thinking,” Gearhead said, and he led them back downstairs, where Rainbow could choose and buy her own spyglass. His second day in town, Twilight thought, and he’s already selling gadgets to us.

* * *

Gearhead turned out to be fairly good at expressing surprise. He came to Sugar Cube Corner wearing a clean vest, geared hat, and horseshoes. He had one of Twilight’s chosen telescopes tied, together with its tripod, to his back. Everypony who was waiting got to pop out and yell “surprise!” Gearhead jumped four feet in the air, making everypony burst our laughing, and then the party began in earnest.

“Hi! My name’s Pinkie Pie, and I welcome you to Ponyville.”

“Thank you, Miss Pinkie. I am Gearhead.”

“Gearhead, huh? That’s a very unusual name for an Earth Pony.”

“I am an unusual Earth Pony.” As are you, Twilight could practically hear Gearhead think.

“You make things, I’ve heard.”

“Yes,”

“Wanna be friends?”

“We barely know each other,” Gearhead said, widening his eyes in genuine surprise.

“We can get to know each other – as friends.”

“Are friends not ponies you know?”

“Friends are everywhere. Wanna be friends?”

“At least, we are not strangers, and I do indeed thank you for arranging this party for me.”

“Silly Gearhead, a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet. And we’ve met. Plus, I’d throw a party for you any time. All you have to do is ask. Friends?”

For a moment, Gearhead did not answer. This made Pinkie look nervous. Rather than gears simply turning, from the others’ perspectives something seemed to finally click for Gearhead. “Indeed so. Friends… Pinkie.”

“Yay!” Pinkie started to jump around. “I made a new friend.”

“Indeed,” Gearhead said. “It is good to have friends,” he added more quietly.

While Twilight could certainly appreciate the sentiment, she wondered if there was a deeper meaning to that comment, or whether she was just overanalysing, as she often did. Rarity and Applejack both took it at face value, however Fluttershy looked somewhat concerned. Rainbow didn’t even hear it, but seeing her enjoying the party as much as Pinkie was brought an obvious smile to Gearhead’s face, so the others relaxed. Everypony turned their efforts and attention to simply enjoying the party and all the party games. “You’ve truly outdone yourself, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said.

“Thanks!”

2. One's Place

Gearhead built his shop on the river so he could easily power his forge with a waterwheel, and his press with a wind turbine, but he had also done it for easier access to the resources freely available to him from the Everfree Forest – as long as he dared to venture into it. This way, he had only had to make use of a minimum of the material he had brought along for construction purposes: it was always tricky to tell how much lumber to bring, especially since the more he brought the less room he would have in his cyclic wagon for gadgets to sell during set-up. This time, however, knowing before he left Trottingham that Ponyville was built on a river immediately adjacent to a great forest had made that decision much easier. Still, Gearhead did not like to use wood from trees within which forest denizens already lived, so he had had to be selective. Now, knowing how much of an animal lover Fluttershy was, he was glad in regards to that move: the less trouble he made with the local ponies, the easier his efforts would be.

Everything Gearhead had said to his new neighbours was true, but he had not told them the entire truth about him. It was not as if his past did not matter to him, however that specific part of his life should not matter to them. Gearhead himself was best suited to looking toward the future instead of looking over his shoulder at his past – except for sending most of his profits back home to help his family, since he still wanted to do his part.

Further, Gearhead was glad to have made friends, however temporarily. He easily made new acquaintances since he hardly ever disagreed with other ponies, and they liked his products. Unfortunately, because he could only stay in a given town for so long, these associations were always temporary: Gearhead left for new vistas as soon as he had learned all he was likely to learn about his ‘knack’ from local resources. Usually that was not much. The other factor determining his length of stay, though, was potential profit, and once everypony had bought their items of interest, Gearhead might as well move on.

The gadgets Gearhead made were extremely durable. Even when he had been about to leave home, his first ones had barely shown enough wear to require any maintenance, the pieces fit and worked together so well. That was why after three months he started charging a modest bi-monthly fee: it would take miraculously high damage to require a replacement, it seemed. So Gearhead’s Gadgets had Equestria’s first non-periodical based subscription service.

As much as he had made an impression on the citizens of Ponyville, they had also made an impression on him, especially at the party:

Applejack seemed like an upright pony, and stronger than average for certain. Although Gearhead would never step hoof on her farm out of respect for her, he also wanted her to know that they could rely on each other in a jam. Still, Gearhead would rather ask Big McIntosh for help with the heavy lifting, instead of asking his little sister. Big brothers seemed to be the same everywhere. Likewise, Gearhead could tell that Apple Bloom and her two friends were likely to be trouble, but in a good way. Little sisters could be cute and terrors all at once. Gearhead knew farm ponies, and siblings in general.

Fluttershy’s compassion obviously extended beyond her forest creature friends to her pony ones, so it was not that strange to Gearhead that she would live on the ground. Gearhead was glad she lived nearby, since his adventures in the Everfree Forest would likely lead to encounters with unusual creatures, and he would need someone insightful to deal with them. It was a shame, though, that she was almost as shy as he was, and without the shield of purpose that came with being in sales.

Pinkie Pie had endless energy and enthusiasm. If there was anyone to learn from in regards to keeping one’s spirits high, this was the pony. The only downside of which Gearhead was aware was that she had several hundred odd tendencies, which made even the most practical ponies dismiss most of her actions as ‘just being Pinkie Pie.’ One of these quirks seemed to be the ability to put a hold on gravity. Gearhead also was curious to know how she could move from one side of a room to the complete opposite side without first crossing over.

Rainbow Dash was brash and highly competitive, but she also clearly had the skills to back up most of her boasts. Gearhead admired her for having a clear goal, and she seemed to be working slowly toward it. At the same time, she was friends with a wide variety of ponies, including ones like Fluttershy to whom she was the complete opposite. Like Applejack, this was a good pony to have in one’s corner.

When Gearhead met Rarity on the road, he had been taken aback by her beauty despite the fatigue and dust of travel. Where Fluttershy had the appeal of grace, Rarity was more on the glamour end of the spectrum. And she was much more than just a pretty face: her confidence to travel the roads at night showed great daring, but also that she took her business extremely seriously. She was also highly entrepreneurial, owning and operating her own shop at a young age. Gearhead was glad they were not direct competitors, but all the same he would make every effort not to underestimate her as some delicate flower in need of protection.

Twilight Sparkle was, in some ways, a kindred spirit: she was endlessly curious about the world, seeking new information to devour, so working in a library, which would exchange information and resources with other libraries, was perfect for her. She already possessed great knowledge, yet was open to the world – mostly, since she had a clear emphasis on the scientific and magical approaches (not mutually exclusive). She had enough insight to approach Gearhead’s ‘knack’ as a type of geomancy, which was the closest guess Gearhead had, given his own knowledge of magic, both innate and otherwise. Critically, she had the ear of Princess Celestia, who would be a fount of wisdom and knowledge, having lived for more than a thousand years.

Gearhead had further made note of ponies to avoid and approach, including the somewhat clumsy cross-eyed mare, Derpy Hooves. Fortunately the Pegasus had mostly stayed put: Gearhead had had the fortune to be close enough to see what happened when she merely sat down, while being far enough away not to get caught in the resulting mess.

It was Gearhead’s third day in Ponyville, and he had a good stock of gadgets. The problem was that while he could count on the river and the wind for power, he had to collect more resources periodically so he could continue to build, since he did not want to drain the land immediately around his shop. For that reason, he would take a half-day in his shop, and set out to explore the Everfree Forest from just after lunch to just before dusk. He set his saddlebags aside for the purpose, and opened the shop for business.

Business did start off with a bang that morning, mostly thanks to Pinkie Pie’s party: Gearhead had thought to bring along a fair sampling of his gadgets, tucking them unobtrusively away, into his many-pocketed vest, which had six pockets on the front and one pocket on the back. Naturally he could not take anything overly large, but that was okay. The telescope he had brought for Twilight Sparkle generated plenty of interest all on its own, since most ponies who knew Miss Twilight knew that she already possessed one, which led to the question of why she would want another. This was a natural conversation starter that led to Gearhead’s chosen profession as a gadgeteer and salespony. And because Gearhead could not sell his sample pieces without wondering if there was somepony else to show them to later, he asked interested buyers to visit his shop. Although most of the ponies who had attended the party also had work, none of them had the same schedule. This meant that they could pop in before or after work, browse the shop, and buy or order whatever they fancied.

Lyra Heartstrings and Bonbon came by together, looking for instrument pieces and strings. Minuette came in as the previous two were leaving. She was interested in hats, particularly ones with adjustable brims – which could be adapted to any style where the brim wrapped all the way around. Golden Harvest, Roseluck, and the other town florists showed interest in Gearhead’s irrigation systems and overhead harvesters, the smaller of which one could hold in order to pluck a plant without trotting into the dirt, like a giant crane game. Time Turner wanted a smaller timepiece, which Gearhead was happy to supply since it was powered by quartz, and not a more precious set of jewels. Mayor Mare wanted a pen with an internal inkwell and a penlight.

Feeling inspired, Gearhead made a jumpsuit for Derpy made of the same material as his own shoes, in the hopes that it would insulate her from causing disaster – and the mare agreed to give it a trial flight. Applejack came in. Gearhead could either reinforce her plough better than ever, or use it to build a cyclic plough, powered by a gear system like his own wagon, with a light-tread, wide-wheel system to go more lightly on the ground, to boot. Applejack chose one of each for a trial period as well, so Gearhead would need more metal. She also warned him to watch for Apple Bloom and her friends, who were plotting who-knew-what in order to earn their cutie marks. Gearhead did not understand, since he had never thought he would get one, and did not think it could be earned purposely.

When the fillies did arrive, they had little idea of what they might want. Gearhead invited them to have a look around, same as everypony else, but he kept a closer eye on them, since they seemed more prone to accidents than most ponies – although still considerably less so than Derpy. In the end they wanted a half-dozen pulley and rope systems, two collapsible see-saws, an ultra-light hammer, a wood-only saw, and a packet of self-anchoring nails – most of it on loan, since neither Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, nor Sweetie Belle could really afford all of that.

Gearhead’s demonstration of the wood-only saw had especially intrigued them, since he only had to ‘try’ to saw off one of his legs to sell the idea of a saw that could not cut flesh, let alone bone. The scars on his legs helped to sell it as an idea that had not immediately worked, which was funny since he only owed one such scar to his erroneous attempt. The other scars were various other failed experiments. Gearhead kept the scars as reminders of the importance of trial and error, especially as most of his processes were things nopony had attempted before, at least without Unicorn magic, of which Gearhead could assume he had none. While the pulley system, see-saws, and especially the nails could lead to injury, the hammer and saw were perfectly safe. But Gearhead surreptitiously asked Spike (there to get cleaning solution for Twilight’s telescopes) to pass on a notice to the mares to watch the fillies anyway. Gearhead then closed up shop and grabbed his saddlebags to enter the Everfree Forest on a supply run.

* * *

Gearhead wore his vest, hat, goggles, and of course, his shoes for the trek. Among the many filters that attributed to the thickness of his goggles was one for low-light vision, which used any ambient light to improve the wearer’s visibility. This meant that even if night should fall while Gearhead was absorbed in his task of gathering materials, he could still move about freely as long as some light from the moon or stars penetrated the trees’ canopy.

Gearhead walked slowly, listening and watching with the utmost care. Sometimes so little as the different ‘echo’ caused by a hoof-fall could give away the presence of a deposit of precious materials. Other times, Gearhead had to use the zip-and-tie feature on one of his shoes so he could access his ‘knack’ and get a feel for the lay of the land. Fifteen minutes and two deposits in (one of gemstones and one of metal), Gearhead dipped his head to tug at the zipper of his left shoe to do just that. He tied the flaps up, and then, while focusing keenly on the image of outgoing waves, stamped his now-exposed hoof. Barely-visible energy waves rippled outward, passing through trees, rocks, and animals without so much as disturbing a leaf. But suddenly Gearhead had a mental catalogue of gemstone and mineral deposits, as well as locations for lumber he could use. He zipped his shoe back up, and went back into motion.

The nearest useful gem deposit was half a meter underground. Gearhead unzipped both his front hooves this time. Focusing this time on the gemstones he knew were there from the earlier echo-read, he reared up to clap his hooves together. When he came down, green-white energy rippled out and shunted the ground aside, almost like opening a fruit down to its core. There were the gems, lying in the middle of the open ground. Focusing further, Gearhead pushed them closer toward himself with pillars of earth. From there, he was able to buck them onto the normal ground with his rear hooves, and then close the ground with his front hooves still in contact with the ground. Before he lifted his front hooves and closed the circuit, Gearhead ensured the ground was as close to normal as he could make it. He then quickly zipped his shoes back up and moved on to the next deposit.

As he moved, Gearhead could feel several uneasy gazes locked onto him. This concern was natural for local wildlife, which normally did not know what to make of the effect his ‘knack’ had on the ground, at least at first. As animals became more used to the way Gearhead could literally move the earth, the more adventurous of them might approach him for favours. What concerned him more, though, was what the more territorial of them might think. Gearhead carried a multitool that included a knife, but he would not use it for more than intimidation: his first response to a threatening creature would be to run from the forest as fast as he could move. Fortunately the animals seemed to be intimidated enough by Gearhead’s abilities not to approach him, and that was fine with him, at least for the moment.

Besides, the more Gearhead used his ‘knack,’ the more drained he felt, especially after long-duration feats like that first excavation. It was soon time to return to the store.

* * *

Gearhead found Applejack waiting for him just outside the store. “Oh good,” she said. “When I saw you were closed, I thought I’d have more trouble finding you. Wait a minute. You went into the Everfree Forest? Alone?”

“Indeed. It has many resources I can use, and as long as I am cautious I can stay safe. Did you need something, Miss Applejack?”

“I really wish you’d drop the ‘miss’ thing, Gearhead: We’re friends now, and besides which that’s just not me.”

“As you prefer,” Gearhead said, dipping his head. He unlocked the shop door and ushered Applejack inside. “I should unload these bags, and we can talk as I do so.”

“Good idea. Did you ‘lend’ some tools to my little sister and her friends?”

“I did. Was that wrong?”

“With those three? Not knowing what they’re planning? Probably.”

“I took all possible precautions, however I would still defer to you as the older sister of one of the fillies in question. If I should retrieve the items, simply say so.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s necessary now. But since you contributed, you may want to watch their entry in the school talent competition.”

They had gone downstairs behind the counter. In the room below the shop, the forge’s fire was burning low and the press was silent. Gearhead looked back at Applejack, pausing before resuming his progress toward the neat stacks of wood, metal ores and ingots, and gemstones. He emptied out the contents of his saddlebags and started sorting.

“Are you certain you, or they, would want me there?”

“I think so. What’s the problem?”

“Firstly, I am not, nor have I ever been, affiliated with the Ponyville School.”

“Neither’s Twilight, but she’ll be there.”

“Librarians and libraries are an important part of any young pony’s education, or so I believe. I am not a part of this community just yet.” Gearhead waved one hoof in the air. “But I intend on earning my place with my shop, for however long I am in Ponyville.”

“Another way to ‘earn your place’ is to be sociable. You already made tons of friends at your welcome party.”

“That was different. I was basically there to sell. Plus, the party was a ‘surprise.’ I am… unused to many similar situations and occasions. I would not be comfortable, or know what to do. And I would not want to interrupt or be disruptive if I left midway due to my discomfort.”

“You make it sound like you haven’t been to many parties or talent shows.”

“Indeed, I was homeschooled,” and self-schooled, mostly, Gearhead didn’t say. “But that is in the past. If the fillies want me to attend, I can make an effort.”

“I hope you do, and you should know that you’re fully welcome in Ponyville.”

“Yes, the welcome party made that clear.” Gearhead paused. “I do want to be sociable. It’s just that I am unused to it. I have spent as much of my life studying as I have designing and creating my gadgets to sell.”

“Then, as I’m sure Pinkie Pie would say, it’s time to stop studying and start going out and making friends.”

“Very well. Where can I find your sister and her friends? And how long do I have before the show starts?”

“They’re in their tree fort on Sweet Apple Acres, and you have less ‘n three hours, so not a problem.”

“If I am to be tactful, I would prefer to catch up to them en route and not intrude on their sanctuary. Perhaps I can arrange something with Miss Twilight.”

“You’re really another bookworm, aren’t ya?”

“I do enjoy a good read, but it is more because the last time I collaborated with her things worked out well.”

“The party. You’re pretty crafty, you know that?”

Gearhead indicated their surroundings with a hoof, having finished sorting his new supplies. “So I am told,” he said.

* * *

“Good evening, Miss Twilight.”

“Oh, good evening, Gearhead. Fancy meeting you here, outside the library. I’m sorry if you came do some more research, since I’m heading over to the school to watch the talent show. I’m very excited to see what the Cutie Mark Crusaders have come up with.”

“Actually, I was hoping you would let me tag along, since Miss Applejack said I should attend. Her reasoning is that I contributed some of the tools and materials.”

“In that case, more than half of Ponyville should be there, myself included. You’re more than welcome to join me.”

“Thank you,” Gearhead said. They cantered for awhile in silence. “What are these gatherings like?”

“School talent shows? Each group has a few minutes to show what they can do, so they usually consist of short skits, routines, or songs. I’m sure Sweetie Belle will sing, Scootaloo will dance, and Apple Bloom will support them and make the costumes and backgrounds. You’ve really never been to one?”

“I was homeschooled, so no. Also, I was among the last of the ponies my age to have something I could use in a talent show. Not that I was the type to ‘show off’ until I got into sales.”

“That’s something the girls might appreciate, given how they’re pursuing their cutie marks so actively.”

“I hope it is okay if I hang out near the back.”

“As long as you can see everything, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“My vision may not be perfect, but I am certain it will be good enough.”

They arrived at the school and found that a crowd was already there. Gearhead followed Twilight backstage to get permission to watch the show, and then slipped back out into the audience. He was therefore very surprised to see that Sweetie Belle supported the act with the costumes and backdrops, Scootaloo sang, and Apple Bloom danced. This was not the perfect match-up that Twilight had described. On top of that, the poorly-painted sun and trees were put together in cringe-worthy ways, and accidents kept happening. But the fillies bulled through at full strength instead of giving up. Their efforts won them the Best Comedy Award.

“I’m proud of you for pulling through despite things not going quite as planned,” Gearhead told them backstage, around Twilight also having her say. “I liked the concept, and perhaps your group might have a new member or two for next time. Also, I do not know anypony who gained her cutie mark on purpose, but good luck on that as well.”

“Are you sure you don’t have anything in your shop that can give cutie marks?” Scootaloo asked.

“There is no such shortcut, but I could tweak your scooter here and there.”

“What for?”

“To make it faster and easier to control, of course.”

“Cool!”

* * *

Twilight came up the stairs, having checked the entrance area and main floor. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy entered through a pair of open windows, the former having checked from the sky and the latter with her critter friends. Rarity drew the curtains on the windows on the opposite end of the room, while Applejack did the same for the side through which the Pegasi had come. Pinkie Pie zipped into the room, and then proceeded to bounce around, doing laps. “We’re clear,” Twilight said.

“How did my shop become the meeting place?” Gearhead asked, working on a set of small gadgets at a worktable.

“It’s the only place we have the girls don’t regularly visit,” Rarity said. “Even so, we may only have a few minutes before they either arrive or do something dangerous.”

“Which is what this meeting’s all about,” Twilight said. “The girls are obsessed about getting their cutie marks. They would do anything to get them, including dangerous things. We need to decide what we want to do to keep them safe.”

“There’s nothing wrong with trying a bunch of things to get your cutie mark,” Rainbow Dash said. “In fact, that was my awesome suggestion to Apple Bloom.”

“And it’s a good one, RD, except where they get into the dangerous bits,” Applejack said.

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy said. “It wouldn’t do for them to get hurt.”

“Or hurt more than they have already by crashing through the trees, or into other ponies,” Pinkie Pie said.

“We can’t watch them all the time, though, and they’re very enthusiastic about this,” Rarity said. “Asking them to stop is also impossible.”

“They are the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Applejack said.

“I don’t want to have to go after them into the Everfree Forest again,” Fluttershy said.

“But you have to admit that letting them make their own mistakes their own way is one of the best ways for them to grow and learn,” Gearhead said.

“Yes, but there are limits, and everypony needs some guidance. What should we do?” Twilight asked.

“It is not the same as putting brakes on their project, however I can give them the safest gear possible to use in their stunts,” Gearhead said. “As to how they use the equipment…” He shrugged.

“Couldn’t you tell them how to use them properly?” Fluttershy asked.

“Provided they listen, yes.”

“They would listen to you, Fluttershy,” Rarity said.

“But then they might feel like we were conspiring against them,” Twilight said.

“So then what do we do? Like Rarity said, we’ve got stuff to do so we can’t watch them all the time and zip in whenever they need help,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Shouldn’t we be able to let them just have fun?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“That would be ideal, but we don’t want them getting hurt in the process,” Twilight said. “As long as what they’re doing requires specialized equipment, they can get it from Gearhead, and he can tell them how to use it. That’s only natural. Fluttershy, if you happen to be here when the girls pick up the equipment, you can make sure they listen to Gearhead, and it will still seem natural.”

“Oh, but will it? I mean, there’s only so much I would need for my cottage or critters. I don’t want the girls not to like me.”

“That’s ridiculous, Fluttershy. Sweetie Belle and the others absolutely adore you. It’s enough to make one a little jealous.”

“And if you want to be around friends, it’s not ridiculous or suspicious for you to be around them!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Okay. I can try,”

“Some types of gear will require some preparation and fine-tuning before I can send the fillies out with them,” Gearhead said. “On those occasions, I can ask Fluttershy to be around. But we would still need a ready set of excuses for us to be together at that time.”

“I’m not good at excuses,” Fluttershy said.

“How hard could it be?” Rarity asked. “Just look at all the wonderful gadgets he has in his catalogues and pick one every time. Or tell the girls you made a custom order. Or that you’re dating.”

“Dating? Me?” Fluttershy blushed furiously.

“Oh, you’re right. That wouldn’t work right away, would it? You need to work on being more outgoing first, and then it would be more believable. Besides, with the amount of time you spend with us and your animal friends, there’s not much opportunity for dating, is there?”

“Or you with your business,” Rainbow Dash put in.

“In any case, we have a possible starting point,” Gearhead interrupted. “Can we keep using it and continue to be believable?”

“The girls are pretty smart. I’m sure they’ll put two and two together eventually,” Twilight said, and Gearhead noticed that she was also blushing a bit. “We need something that’ll work the whole time they’re looking for their cutie marks. Or someone to keep them safe, other than Cheerilee at school.”

“And Big Mac and me at the farm,”

“And me around Carousel Boutique – although I’m usually absorbed in my latest creation.”

“If not teachers, what about mentors, like Princess Celestia is to me?”

“That could work, if we know who will mentor whom in what,” Rarity said.

“You and Applejack are already big sisters, so why don’t we start there?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Good idea. And you can be like Scootaloo’s big sis, RD!”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I mean, I like the squirt well enough, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the right Pegasus to keep her outta trouble.”

“What about you, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked.

“I suppose I could, although Scootaloo already seems to really admire Rainbow Dash, and she’s a much more rough-and-tumble type. I had a hard time keeping up with the three of them before, too.”

“Yeah, Scoots can’t fly yet but she’s impressively fast on that scooter of hers.”

“Which I just offered to make faster,” Gearhead said. “If she expresses interest in being taken under anypony’s wing, I think it should be Dash. Unless she wants to learn to fly from somepony who has a history of struggling to fly, that is.”

“I’ll see what I can pencil in,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I agree with Gearhead that we have to make sure the girls are interested in having mentors in the first place,” Twilight said. “If we don’t wait for them to bring it up, we could make it seem like we’re just being controlling.”

“Which we are,” Rainbow Dash said. “But making it seem like it’s their idea is pretty sneaky. Way to go, Twilight!”

“Oh dear. I don’t want them to think I’m being sneaky,” Fluttershy.

“I doubt you have to worry about that, Miss Fluttershy. You are too nice for that,” Gearhead said. Fluttershy blushed again, but looked pleased instead of uncomfortable.

“Yes, Fluttershy… or do I mean ‘Stare Master?’” Rarity said. “Don’t worry: the girls love and respect you.”

“Okay, so we have a plan,” Twilight said. “We’d better get moving on it, and lets not all leave together, just in case the girls might see us.”

“Right!” Rainbow Dash left through one of the windows facing the forest. Fluttershy left a few moments later through an opposite window, heading straight toward her cottage. Pinkie Pie disappeared through a storage bin, while Applejack went out the front door. Twilight used her teleportation spell to get a distance downriver.

“Would it really be so horrid to date Fluttershy?” Rarity asked, descending to the main floor.

“Not at all,” Gearhead said, feeling himself blush a little. “I mean, I like her. I just do not know anypony very well yet. We may or may not end up liking each other that way. Nopony knows, at least not yet. I need to focus on my business until I can keep it afloat without constant course corrections right now. Plus, I would not know what to do on a date.”

“You’ve never been on a date?”

“Please do not look so surprised, Miss Rarity. You know what it is like as an entrepreneurial pony. Plus, I travel. A lot. I do not know how long I will be in Ponyville, and if or when I end up moving, it would be bad to have to leave a pony I was courting behind. Or perhaps worse, force her to leave her family and friends to come with me.”

“Yes, I can see your point. In that case, you’d just have to stay here, wouldn’t you?”

“As long as I did not mind providing for my family only through my subscription fees, I suppose so. I mean, there is a limit to the variety of gadgetry I can make and sell in any one place. And they are all very well assembled, with none having broken down since I started, and minimal wear showing in about a decade.”

“If you’re worried about your consumer base, simply find a way to have them come to you. If not for delivery of purchases, then for everything else.”

“A marketing strategy to have the customers come to me instead of me coming to them? I suppose that is how I started. Yes, I could work with that, if I had to. I mean, if I decided to stay in Ponyville. That is a decision for the future.”

“Indeed I’d say it is for the future,” Rarity said, “although I do hope you decide to stay: who else is going to use mysterious means to help me make my deliveries on time?”

“One of the things for which I have a knack,” Gearhead said. Rarity gave a slight chuckle and left.

* * *

For Applejack, the question of dating, and especially marriage, was a far-off thing: as independently-minded as she was, such a thing would probably fall to the wayside until the question of succession for Sweet Apple Acres came up – and Granny Smith had made the farm a matriarchy, so the stallion wasn’t as important as the mare, and her attitude.

If Rarity’s suggestion of Fluttershy dating Gearhead taught Applejack anything, it was that a pairing had to be between the right ponies. Gearhead might be able to make a number of surprising gadgets, but he wasn’t a farmpony, and that made him all wrong for Applejack. His affinity for rocks might, in fact, make him a better stallion for Rarity, although there was no need to duplicate her gem finding spell here. Maybe he was better suited for Fluttershy, if any of the six friends had to end up with him at all.

* * *

Once she’d landed and gotten inside her cottage, Fluttershy’s heart kept beating so hard she thought her animal friends must be able to hear it! Dating? What a notion. Especially since Fluttershy was only close to her five pony friends and to the forest critters. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Gearhead, because she did. As a friend. They just weren’t that close.

The problem was that now that Rarity had mentioned the possibility, even as an excuse for Fluttershy to be around Gearhead more, she was having trouble getting it out of her head. And it would be a problem, because it could make everything all awkward, and Fluttershy was more than shy enough as it was. She didn’t want to be awkward with anypony; she wanted to be friends. She enjoyed being with her friends, and she wanted that to continue, even as they included Gearhead in their plans.

Gearhead was clever, and he didn’t seem to let much bother him. He even kept his head straight when he was around Rarity, where other stallions often got mixed up and couldn’t stop staring at the glamorous Unicorn. So far the Earth Pony’s shop was finding every success, and Fluttershy was happy about this.

Still, a few things bothered Fluttershy about Gearhead. For one thing, he had just popped up out of nowhere with a multi-storey stone and wood house. How? Earth Ponies were known for their ability to make all sorts of plant life grow more quickly than the other pony tribes, but that was plants and this was minerals. By looking closely, Fluttershy had figured out that the lighter stripes on Gearhead’s face and legs were scars. How had he gotten them? Finally, what had he meant at the party when he’d said it was ‘nice to have friends?’ Did that mean he didn’t have friends back where he was from? If so, what could possibly be so wrong about him that he didn’t have friends? And how did he feel about animals? Fluttershy hoped he liked them, because the spot he had chosen for his shop was so close to the Everfree Forest, he was bound to have frequent visitors. Fluttershy hoped he would be alright.

* * *

Rarity liked Gearhead, despite (or perhaps partly because of) all the mystery that surrounded him. Despite being unusually small, he was also incredibly helpful and polite. Plus, it was fun to tease him, Rarity had discovered. Yes, he was small and weaker than the average stallion, but the average stallion he was not. Things promised to be even more interesting around Ponyville as long as he was around. And if it happened that Gearhead and Fluttershy had to be hitched (or otherwise attached) to each other for that to happen, why not, as long as they ended up being happy with each other? Plus, Rarity could make all the gowns for any wedding that transpired, and wouldn’t that be great publicity? A mixed-tribe wedding hadn’t happened in some time, that Rarity could recall.

* * *

Gearhead was a smart pony, and that, Twilight decided, was why Rarity’s suggestion that he date Fluttershy was starting to bother her. That and it didn’t take anypony’s actual feelings into account. Oh, Twilight realized that it was to ensure there was someone around to whom the girls would listen, but still, Gearhead’s and Fluttershy’s feelings ought to matter. Sure, they lived closer to each other than to any other pony, but did they even like each other as anything but friends?

Gearhead was interesting in the way that any other unusual pony was, in Twilight’s opinion: he was an Earth Pony who could perform something very close to a type of Unicorn magic, if it wasn’t actually Unicorn magic. In all her research, both in Canterlot and here in Ponyville, Twilight had never heard of such a thing. Of course, when she was living in Canterlot she wouldn’t have been looking for it, but it certainly would have caught her eye – especially since she could cast all kinds of spells. No such thing had caught Twilight’s attention, so it was entirely possible that Gearhead was a unique case. She could certainly ask Princess Celestia about it the next time they saw each other.

It would also give Twilight a good excuse to ask after her older brother, Shining Armour, whom she hadn’t seen since before she’d left Canterlot that first time. Contrary to any opinion on their relationship based just on that, Armour and Twilight were close: he was almost her only good friend in Canterlot, and they had supported each other through their earliest endeavours. So while Twilight was Princess Celestia’s personal protégée, Armour was the Captain of the Royal Guard – practically no higher honour could be given to an ordinary Unicorn, and this one had certainly earned his way to the post.

That didn’t mean Twilight didn’t miss him, or wonder what he was doing. Certainly, he would not be having relationship issues!

* * *

Out of the six mares, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash had the least to worry about in regards to Rarity’s suggestion: Pinkie Pie was only interested in the matter as far as it might concern making friends and throwing parties.

Rainbow Dash dismissed the matter before she’d left the shop, and wouldn’t even remember that Rarity had made the suggestion – after all, it didn’t concern her or the Wonderbolts. Dash did not imagine anything changing between the six friends, now that they had become friends, even that egghead Twilight.

3. The Value of a Gem

Chapter 3: The Value of a Gem

Collecting wood for the frames of his larger devices was always something Gearhead found tricky. This was because the wood he used had to be sturdy, yet flexible, so they could withstand as much wear and tear as possible – sure, Gearhead could draw out their maximum potential with his ‘knack,’ but there was always a fine upper limit to that attribute.

Ash, yew, and cedar were some of the more useful types of lumber for the jobs Gearhead had to pull off. He could find some of these in the Everfree Forest and in the trees around Ponyville, but sometimes he could not get enough wood the ecological way. Still, he preferred to order as little processed lumber as possible.

When Gearhead headed into a stand of trees closer to Carousel Boutique than to Gearhead’s Gadgets, he hadn’t expected any trouble. That was before he heard the scream. He put his saddlebags down where he could easily find them again without them falling easy prey to theft, and was off at a gallop.

Unfortunately, by the time Gearhead arrived where he thought he’d heard the scream, all he saw was a hole in the ground. He looked down the hole with his low-light goggles, and did not see anything spectacular.

Gearhead looked up at the rustling-rushing sound of moving dirt. He saw the field fill with holes, and felt his jaw drop at the sight. Something was going on here, and he aimed to get to the bottom of it. He zipped up his left show to use his ‘Echo Location’ trick, and that was when the five friends and Spike arrived on the scene.

“Holy moley that’s a lot of holeys!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Yes, and quickly dug, too,” Gearhead said. “What is happening here?”

“The Diamond Dogs took Rarity down the hole – when there was just one hole!” Spike said.

“Diamond Dogs?” Gearhead had never heard of such a creature. He looked at Fluttershy, who shook her head. Apparently this was her first encounter with them too.

“They said they were hunting for gems, and then they grabbed Rarity. We’ve gotta save her!” Everypony looked down a different hole. They each saw glowing eyes, and then dirt started fountaining upwards, filling the holes one after the other and leaving the ponies with mud in their faces. Applejack tried to force her head into a hole, and got forced backwards instead. Rainbow Dash tried diving into a hole from a height, and barely managed to pull up in time to avoid crashing.

Gearhead was still in front of a filled-in hole. He shifted his attention away from the others’ unsuccessful attempts to get into the tunnels to get his echo reading. “Okay, I think I can get us inside, so please stop what you are doing and come over to me. This will happen quickly.”

“D’you really think you can dig your way in that fast?” Applejack asked.

“Dig? I will do something much faster. After all, it is my knack. Stay close.” Gearhead zipped all of his shoes up. He then reared, clapping his forehooves together, and slammed them down on top of his dirt pile. With a sound like a zipper coming undone, he went through the dirt and sank into the ground, quickly followed by the other ponies.

When they finally stopped, Gearhead was the only one left standing. While the others regained their senses and their hooves, he zipped all but his left forehoof back down. They looked around. “There’re so many tunnels! Now what’ll we do?” Applejack asked.

Gearhead closed his eyes for a couple of seconds. “Follow the tracks?” He pointed to the dirt, where there were faint footprints. Following these worked until the floor changed to stone, which would not so much as retain heat from anypony who stepped on them.

“Now what?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“We could go down each tunnel in turn,” Applejack suggested.

“That could take forever!”

“I bet they took Rarity down the tunnel with the highest concentration of gemstones!”

“But Spike, Rarity’s the only one who can find gemstones.”

“No she’s not, Twilight. You can copy her gem finding spell.”

“You’re right! She showed me how to do it once.” Twilight focused. Her results were so clear, both Spike and Gearhead could see a little aura around the gems. Spike mounted Twilight, calling out “we’re coming, Rarity!”

“Miss Twilight,” Gearhead said as he trotted along, “if we find a concentration big enough, there is something I would like to try.”

“Okay, but it’d better not take very long.”

“If it works the way I think it will, it shall be worth every second of delay.”

Twilight soon stopped their advance and nodded to a deposit that was in the wall, slightly off the tunnel floor. Gearhead performed an Echo Read even as he walked up to the indicated spot. He nodded, satisfied that the deposit held enough gems to make the attempt, then zipped up his left shoe. He reared to clap his forehooves and complete the circuit, and as usual energy zipped about the site of the deposit from his hooves on contact. This time, though, what Gearhead was attempting was different.

His eyes closed, Gearhead imagined the gems, as they were detailed to him in his earlier reading, flowing through the porous earth toward the surface between his hooves, to reform there. First he collected it all into a single malleable ingot, then he began to transform the gem into a form he imagined would be equally useful in the open parts of a cavern and in the more confined spaces of the tunnels: a dagger with a squared, flat handle so ponies could wield it in their mouths.

When Gearhead heard the girls’ gasps of amazement, he opened his eyes. What floated between his hooves was indeed the pony dagger he had wanted to create, but the design on it and the melding of the gemstones were far more intuitive than anything Gearhead had created through his knack before: The hilt was amber and emerald, vines growing in the sun. The blade had the appearance of a leaf with the diamond core and sapphire veins. Emerald and ruby chased each other in a complimentary flow, ending near the hilt in what could only be an apple.

“Amazing,” Twilight said.

“Cool,” Spike said.

“So pretty,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Could be more awesome,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Applejack said.

“Won’t it… hurt?” Fluttershy asked.

“It’s a sword, of course it’ll hurt – whoever it hits!” Spike said.

“To you, perhaps, it is sword-sized,” Gearhead said. “In certain situations, even a dagger can be more useful than any other implement.” He picked it up and faced a nearby stalactite. “Problem is its strength, for I have seen the common weakness in all ornamental blades.” He took an experimental swing, using both his neck and his tongue to turn the blade. It struck the stone with the flat of the blade, ringing clearly, without breaking. Gearhead turned the blade again and made a back-head swing, returning to his original position. “They break,” he said, inspecting the clean cut made with the edge this time. Satisfied, he dropped the dagger to his left hoof and offered it to Applejack.

“I couldn’t possibly. B’sides, I’m more comfortable with my lasso.”

“It is well-suited to you, otherwise it might have a lightning bolt design instead. Besides, I am certain we will come across more deposits that I can use,” Gearhead said.

“A lightning dagger? That’d be so awesome!”

“See?”

“Why don’t you hold onto it until we do?”

“If that is your choice,” Gearhead made a belt and scabbard for the dagger and strapped the belt on in easy reach of his mouth, and they moved on. They did encounter more deposits, although some of them were not large enough for Gearhead to transmute new daggers from the gems they held right away. Instead, he transferred the stones to his pockets until they were full, and then used his knack.

“Did you make your entire shop this way?” Twilight asked as they moved along.

“The image was a little different, but yes. Also, it took me several attempts to complete construction on my much larger shop. That was more a feeling of ‘shaping and reshaping.’ With these, I am making the gems ‘flow’ to extract them without disturbing their original places of rest, and then folding and pressing them into the shapes I want. But the way they fold and re-fold is not something I imagine, so it is interesting how they are coming out.”

Twilight had to nod in agreement: Besides the double-bladed apple dagger, they soon had a single-bladed rainbow lightning dagger for Dash and a double-bladed party dagger, with its hilt shaped like a balloon, for Pinkie Pie. The other two having accepted their new weapons, Applejack agreed to carry her own.

They entered a small cavern that ended in a door made with barred metal. The ponies could hear voices beyond the door. “She must be in there,” Rainbow Dash said. Before they could take another step, Diamond Dog guards descended on the group. Because he had kept his right forehoof uncovered, Gearhead ‘felt’ them coming as perturbed dust and warm stone a mere moment before anypony saw them. Reflexively, due to the sense of incoming danger, he reached out to the earth around the ponies and pushed. Twilight and her friends rose half a meter, and the guards smashed nose-first into the stone, yelping in surprise.

“Diamond Dogs!” Spike called. “Where is Lady Rarity?”

This elicited only a growl from the guards, as they regrouped and charged.

Twilight, Spike still riding her, zapped the one charging her between the eyes, confounding him. “Over here!” She called, and the dog charged on, but succeeded only in slamming full-force into the wall behind her.

Applejack turned, but instead of running like the guard expected her to do, she kicked straight out with her hind legs. Taken by surprise, the dog arched neatly to the other end of the room, where he fetched up against the wall. And stayed there.

Pinkie Pie bounced from one side of her guard to the other, giggling all the while. The guard kept trying to follow her and only ended up beaning himself on a support column.

Fluttershy backed up against a wall while her guard advanced menacingly on her. Gearhead slid by on his side, neatly taking out the guard’s hind legs and spilling him halfway to the ground. The stallion’s own guard, right on his heels, was clumsy enough to crash right into his compatriot, and Gearhead had to leap clear before they crashed into the wall behind him. For good measure, he transmuted their helmets into hammers and gave them each a whack to the head.

Rainbow Dash drew her dagger, and was surprised and pleased to see it grow to sword size in her mouth. Grinning, she charged her guard, and with a single airborne flurry of strikes, neatly cut the straps from his armour. The guard covered himself with his ham-fisted paws, and left, embarrassed.

Twilight strode up to the still-disoriented guard she had handled. “Where is Lady Rarity?” Spike repeated, with a little extra weight in his voice. The guard whined and pointed at the barred door. Spike looked around for something with which to break it. He found a stone outcropping that could serve as a lance, but Gearhead was already on it, transmuting a gem deposit that had been between him and Fluttershy into a diamond-core lance for Spike. The blade was shot through with streaks of amethyst and sapphire, with the edges in emerald, like Spike’s scales.

“Heigh-ho, Twilight. Away!” Spike brandished his new weapon.

“Spike!”

“Please, Twilight. At least give me this.”

“Fine,”

And the friends charged through the gate, with Twilight and Spike leading. Metal bars and hinges were no match for Spike’s new lance and Twilight’s speed. The door flew right off the rock where it was bolted, and landed on the floor. “Lady Rarity,” Spike called, feeling very gallant, “we’re here to rescue you! Huh?”

Spike’s confusion and surprise was understandable, for the Diamond Dogs, who were different from the guards, were cowering behind some of the rock. “Please! Take her! We, uh, give her to you.”

“You’re just gonna let her leave?”

“Take her! She’s so loud. And critical!”

“Why hello, girls. And gentleponies. You’re just in time to assist me,” Rarity said. She was pulling a cart piled high with gemstones, and other than the fact that the harness was rusted, she looked perfectly fine and composed – unlike her captors.

“Assist you with what?” Applejack asked.

“Why, with these, of course.” The others looked, to find five other cards filled with gemstones, just like the one Rarity was pulling. For the second time that day, Gearhead heard the others gasp and comment in amazement.

“You’re just gonna let us take all these… delicious jewels?” Spike salivated.

“Take them! Just take them all!”

It took a couple of minutes, but then the ponies were leaving with the carts. Gearhead looked back, to find the cavern devoid of anything except the cowering Diamond Dogs. Rarity had done that, all on her own. There had been no need at all for Gearhead’s daggers.

Guided by Gearhead’s Echo Location and the growing natural light, the ponies found their way back to the surface along paths that they could travel with their carts. Gearhead had taken over for Rarity pulling one of them, while Spike munched on a ruby on the top of the pile. “Wow, Rarity! Now you have enough gemstones to cover all of Sapphire Shores’s outfits.”

“Not if you eat them all first, Spike,” Rarity said, using her telekinetic magic to snatch the half gem that remained, to Spike’s dismay.

“I can’t wait to write the Princess about what I learned from you, Rarity,” Twilight said.

“What could I have possibly taught you?”

“Just because somepony is ladylike doesn’t mean she can’t handle herself. Through her own strengths, she can outshine anypony else.”

“There are no damsels in distress here,” Gearhead added.

“Except when one’s wagon wheels are in a rut,” Rarity smiled.

“Um… I’m always in distress,” Fluttershy said.

“Except against manticores, dragons, and cockatrices, or so I hear,” Gearhead said.

“True enough,” Twilight said. “When you need it most, true strength can come from the ponies you least expected it to come from.” From her grin, though, Gearhead knew that Twilight had not missed how Gearhead had ‘used’ the Diamond Dog that had been after Fluttershy to trip up the one pursuing him. In other words, Twilight was calling him out on his ‘no damsels’ comment. Fluttershy also obviously knew what he had done, and after she’d questioned how dangerous his daggers were, so he had done it without the use of a weapon.

And yet, Twilight’s lesson against underestimating ladylike ponies could easily be taken to point at Fluttershy instead of Rarity, assuming one of the former’s friends was threatened, or an animal injured.

Gearhead left his cart at Carousel Boutique and returned to the woods where he had left his saddlebags. He was pleased to find them untouched, however he had now used enough of his energy through his knack that he wanted nothing more than to rest. He would have to return to collect more materials.

* * *

Although Gearhead could have opened Gearhead’s Gadgets the following morning, using what he had gathered before Rarity’s capture by the Diamond Dogs to build more gear frames, he decided instead to venture into the woods. Packing only a meal, his tools, and empty saddlebags once more, he trotted out and zeroed in on his first cache using Echo Location.

Now that he had learned to make the material he wanted ‘flow’ through the ground, Gearhead no longer had to expend energy excavating what he wanted, only to cover the ground again as best he could. He brought the hidden metal ingots up without disturbing the ground and placed them in his saddlebags, before moving on to a stand of trees, some of which had fallen over.

Using dead trees had the advantage of only having to worry about some insect residents, but the disadvantage of using weaker, less flexible material. When Gearhead approached standing trees, he knocked with one hoof or nosed his head into an available hole to see if there was anypony to disturb. So far he had been lucky, in that most of the trees he had found were largely abandoned, so he did not have to worry about relocating the residents. Occasionally, though he still encountered wood being used as a place to live.

After knocking and getting no response, Gearhead cut one of his logs into pieces small enough for him to carry. He was about to proceed to the next stand when he smelled something rancid. Curious, he looked around, but could not find anything nearby that said ‘swamp.’ He was still looking when he saw a pair of glowing, golden eyes poke out from a bush over his shoulder. Another poked out to his left, and a third to his right. Straight ahead, he saw a snout housing jagged branches below a matching pair of eyes. The stench came off of the creatures.

Timberwolves. Wolves made of wood, animated by an unknown magic. You could knock them apart, and they would reform, only to come at you again. But, Gearhead thought as he reached a bare hoof ahead and tapped the ground, they are made of wood.

As the Timberwolves stalked out of the bushes, Gearhead focused, summoning wood and metal from beneath the ground and making it rise past his hoof. He made the staff pop out of the ground, and caught it in his mouth. The wolves charged, howling, and Gearhead spun on his forehooves, clumsily trying to move the staff with his tongue while he looked back and forth.

An early swing took the front and rear Timberwolves, both in the chest at the same time. Gearhead had to step and spin to keep his momentum, sweeping the feet out from under the wolf to his left. The one to his right hesitated, and the pony brought one end of his staff down on its head for its trouble. The first two wolves had already reformed, but Gearhead moved quickly to the right, deeper into the woods.

Gearhead bowled right through another group of four Timberwolves, and realized that the pack that had been stalking him was larger than it had first appeared. That didn’t help much at the moment, as impact with his wood-and-metal staff shattered the wolves to pieces. He heard the howl of their pursuit, and continued to pick his way between the trees and their roots.

Gearhead rounded a blind corner, and immediately felt the claws of a Timberwolf that had been waiting to leap on him from his left. The pony rolled, his staff flying from his grasp. He found his hooves and leaped back some more, again tapping his unshod hoof to call another weapon to mouth. This time it was a dagger, made purely from metal, unlike the ones Gearhead had made in the Diamond Dogs’ caves. This one would not respond to his thoughts the way Rainbow Dash’s did, but Gearhead did not need it to: he just needed a weapon he could use quickly and simply. With the trees being closer to each other than they were closer to Ponyville, the shorter weapon would be much more effective than the staff he had been using before.

The Timberwolf that had pounced on Gearhead before came at him again, accompanied by three others. The other eight wolves came up the path, and Gearhead had to rush the pouncer to get his hit in. He leapt for the wolf’s head, dropping its lower jaw and causing the attacker’s eyes to widen in surprise. Gearhead pivoted when he landed and leaped again for the nearest wolf, again cutting into the leading snout. This third time he had to dive instead of jumping to avoid the wolves’ better-coordinated attack, but now he was finding his rhythm. He kept a couple more attacks, each time landing on the outside of his attackers’ ring formation. Then he ran again.

Gearhead had to manoeuvre quickly to keep from hitting the trees, they were so close to each other, and he was far from any path. But the trees were helping him, too, since the wolves could not run so closely together, or they would crash and collapse, as some of them were doing. Gearhead, dagger still in his mouth, was almost flying between the trees, navigating as much by sight as through the quick reads he got whenever his right forehoof hit the ground.

Gearhead had no idea how long he was running, but suddenly he was bursting out of the trees to face a long climb, nearly steep enough to be called a cliff. Without hesitating, because the wolves were still coming, Gearhead charged up the easier path. He had to slow down a fair bit to avoid stumbling, but by the time the wolves were in view again he was almost ten meters up, and could see a cave entrance below some bushes.

A pair of Timberwolves started slowly climbing the cliff. Gearhead looked down at them, into the cave, and back down at the incoming predators again. Shrugging, he donned his goggles, slipped his dagger into a band on his vest, and headed into the cave. Behind him he heard the Timberwolves grunt, and a short sequence of scrabbling. Then silence.

Gearhead proceeded cautiously into the cave, his vision tinted amber by the low-light lens. The cave meandered mostly straight into the mountain for a fair bit, and then turned right. Once past the corner, it opened up into a cavern, filled with all kinds of gold and gemstones. This was just the kind of lair a dragon would have, except that the entrance Gearhead had found was not large enough for an average adult dragon. Still, that did not mean he should throw away his caution.

Gearhead made his way around the outside of the cavern, careful not to disturb anything on the pile of loot in case it might cascade and cause more noise than he could afford to make – assuming the cavern was occupied. As he moved, the back of the cavern became visible. There was a much larger entrance set into the back wall. This, any dragon could comfortably use. The thought was not comforting, since a dragon could roast Gearhead before he could conceivably do anything about it. But even with the realization that there were greater odds this cavern was occupied by a dragon, Gearhead’s cautious approach did not change.

Gearhead paused in his progress when he was halfway to the larger passage, and watched the loot pile for the rise and fall of a sleeping dragon’s stomach. Not seeing any, he shifted his attention to the areas on both sides of the deeper passage. And spotted the rise and fall of something else.

The lizard was approximately the size of two wagons standing end to end, and it had slate grey scales. If not for Gearhead’s lenses, he would have missed it completely. Its rock-like skin blended it nearly-perfectly with the walls and uncovered floor. Since it was in the mountains instead of in a bog, it was entirely possible that this was a Cragodile. It might not be able to swallow Gearhead whole, but he was not willing to take the chance of an engagement against it. But he couldn’t completely override his curiosity either.

Gearhead moved as quietly and carefully as he could past the Cragodile, leaving it undisturbed as he moved down the passage, even deeper into the mountain. The passage descended, seemingly into the mountain’s heart. This was how long and how far it seemed to go, until it finally opened into a red-lit room.

It was magma that was lighting the chamber, Gearhead quickly realized. A ledge circled the magma bowl, creating a path that he could use to walk around it. Actually, with the ledge being wide enough for a dragon, he did not have to worry about falling in and getting burned that way. Walking around some ways, Gearhead kept looking for other entranceways. Since he was looking past the fire, it took some time to notice the dragon lying almost directly opposite the entrance he had used to get down here.

It was a black, winged dragon, possibly a firedrake. It raised its head from the magma bowl and watched Gearhead with keen interest, but remained lying where it was. Regardless, Gearhead figured it could quickly catch him by standing and running or by taking wing over the magma. Which it might do, if it thought Gearhead was after its treasure.

Gearhead kept moving until he no longer could, realizing that he was afraid of the creature on a very deep level. He had heard of something similar: the older books called it ‘dragonfear.’ All dragons had it at one level or another, and it was aptly named, as the most potent version could paralyze potential prey even as the dragon flew overhead. Given all that, it was curious that Gearhead had not felt it at all until just now. Maybe it was the dragon itself, warning him not to get any closer.

“Um… Hello,” Gearhead said dumbly.

“Greetings, curious pony. Prey tell what brings you here?”

“Timberwolves and curiosity. They chased me through the forest, and when I got here, I wanted to explore the cave system.”

“Curious and troublesome creatures, those. If they bothered me, I would burn them all.”

“I do not doubt it,” Gearhead said. “The entrance I used is not your size. Is there another, bigger one that you use on another side of this mountain?”

The dragon shook its large head. “I came in through the same entrance, five hundred years ago. I have grown larger and stronger in those centuries, and can no longer leave through the same means. I will use the fires of this mountain to melt my way out. Perhaps I will set fire to all the Timberwolves when I leave,” the drake mused.

“If you did all that, more than just the wolves would burn,” Gearhead said. “The melted rock would descend into the forest, and this magma chamber might even ignite when you use the magma, resulting in a volcanic eruption here. In the worst case, every cavern and tunnel would fill and burn. Only you would likely survive that conflagration.”

“And lose a millennium’s worth of treasures horded,” the drake said. “I would prefer not to do that, however it is time for me to move on. If I cannot find a larger egress, I must make one.”

“I have a possible solution,” Gearhead said. “I can move and shape stone to some degree. I could widen an entrance so you could leave without causing any sort of explosion.”

The dragon arched one stone-like eyebrow. “By what means, Earth Pony? And what have you to prove it?”

“I suppose the closest thing to it anyone might understand it as is ‘geomancy.’ Here, I made this dagger in much the same way.” Gearhead drew the weapon and placed it on the ledge as far as he could reach without moving, still being rooted to the spot. The dragon looked, turning the dagger over with one claw as he inspected the workponyship.

“It is a single piece, although made of many metals. A work without the brittle weaknesses that come with forge-firing, as is more common among your kind.”

“Because it is magic?”

“Yet this item is quite ordinary, without enchantment. It would be a simple matter to melt it to slag.”

“If I need to get through the Timberwolves again to get home, I would appreciate you refraining from doing so,” Gearhead said.

The dragon nodded. “Then I offer you this bargain, curious geomancer: Enlarge the entrance for me, and I will give you not only your life and safe passage back to the forest, but also a unique and precious item.”

“What about the Cragodile in the cavern above?”

“It shall serve as my next meal. Do you accept?”

“What might the alternative be?” Gearhead asked rhetorically.

“A burning mountain,” the dragon said without hesitation.

“I accept,” Gearhead said.

“Very good. Can you get past the Cragodile without my help?”

“If it stays asleep,”

“I have a solution,” the dragon said. It walked over to the upward entrance through which Gearhead had come, careful not to step on the pony as it moved around and over him. The dragon inhaled deeply, and breathed a full lungful of smoke. It then made its way back to its original position and lay back down. “I must stoke my fires further with the magma, but little. You have until I have done so to deliver on your deal, also else the Cragodile awakens.”

“In that case, I hope I have enough time,” Gearhead said, recovering his dagger.

“I have every confidence that you shall,” the dragon smiled knowingly.

Gearhead did not truly have a choice either way: if he failed, either the dragon or the Cragodile would find the stallion for a meal. The forest and possibly Ponyville would also end up aflame, and Gearhead could not have that. He made his way back up the passage as fast as he could, then slowed down to check on the beast sleeping within the cavern. As promised, the Cragodile had been smoked into a deeper sleep.

Gearhead quickly made his way to the passage on the other side and eyed it. As he moved, he abandoned all attempts not to disturb the dragon’s horde, moving as directly as he could while also avoiding going so deep he would be swimming in gold, rather than walking.

Measuring quickly against what he remembered about the dragon’s full dimensions as he had walked, Gearhead stepped into the passage, zipped all his shoes up, and focused on the image of a nearly-uniform, wider passage, while the rest of the mountain remained undisturbed.

Blue-green lightning raced up and down the passage, lighting it up for all within and without to see. There was the same zipping sound as when Gearhead dug into the Diamond Dogs’ cave complex, followed by the long grind of stone against stone as the tunnel heeded Gearhead’s call.

Gearhead lost all sense of time as he walked toward the entrance, the entire length of the tunnel lit by his lightning as he kept widening, section by section and the whole expanse together. Finally he stood at the entrance itself. The last bit of rock groaned as it settled, and the energy from Gearhead’s efforts fizzled out. The dragon came and stood directly over Gearhead, looking out over the forest. “A fascinating thing to watch,” he intoned.

“Thanks?” Gearhead said, also staring straight ahead: the sun was setting.

“I am Shadow Wright of the World’s Spine, by way of Three Peaks.”

“I am Gearhead of Hoofington, by way of Ponyville.”

“It is an honour,” Shadow Wright said. He stooped his head and deposited something red and glowing beside him at the very edge of the entrance. The dragon then turned back and made his way back down to the cavern. Most probably he had a horde to pack.

“The honour is mine,” Gearhead said. He only managed to move a step closer to the gift from the dragon before realizing that it was party red due to the heat. He would have to wait for it to cool down.

It was full night, with the moon shining down on the cavern and the forest below. Shadow Wright had come out nearly an hour earlier, grunted a greeting, and taken flight circling to the other side of the mountain before vanishing from view. Gearhead had been waiting for the red glow to fade from the stone in front of him (and eaten while he had done so), but it was still there. He reached out with one hoof, and was startled to realize that the stone had cooled.

A mysterious gift from the dragon Shadow Wright in one of his saddlebags, Gearhead rose to make his way down the mountain. After a moment he decided to check the cavern where the dragon had kept his treasure, and quickly made his way there. To Gearhead’s surprise, the dragon had left a pile of gold coins, a set of rainbow-coloured gemstones, and two small boxes, both of which could fit inside his saddlebags. There was a wood box containing bars of an unknown metal, and a box of the same metal containing darkened wood. Figuring them for a further gift, Gearhead stowed them as well, and then made his way out of the cave and down the mountain. The Cragodile was not the only threat that was gone without a trace, Gearhead discovered, as the Timberwolves did not show themselves at all through the whole trek.

If not for having gotten lost, this would have been an amazing adventure, but instead of coming out of the forest near Ponyville as originally intended, Gearhead entered a clearing dominated by a wood-and-straw hut. Tired but still cautious, Gearhead looked about the property. He spotted tribal masks outside, and also inside the hut as seen through one of the windows. There were jars and vials of all kind, filled with potions of which Gearhead could not begin to guess the effects.

Fortunately, having heard some tales, he could guess at the owner’s identity: Zecora, Twilight’s zebra friend. And indeed, the zebra did show herself, as she was just about to lay down for the night. Startled by this fact, Gearhead knocked on the wall before the mare could fully lie down. She startled, but quickly recovered.

“Who goes with nightly woes?” Zecora looked out the window.

“It is Gearhead, from Ponyville. If you could show me the way, I will be out of your hair.”

“Ah, but you look a sight! Did you perhaps get into a fight?”

“As a matter of fact, I fought some Timberwolves earlier today.”

“And given a moment of calm, you could use some of my balm,” Zecora pointed to the wound he had gotten earlier, from the leaping wolf. It had scabbed over, but apparently not fully. Gearhead accepted Zecora’s invitation, following her inside the hut. She quickly found the jar she wanted and applied both the cream within and a bandage.

“With what weight do your saddlebags sag?” Zecora asked, noticing them bulging on the floor where Gearhead had placed them.

“Mostly wood and metal alloys for my gadgets, but a few gifts from a dragon as well.” Zecora gasped, and Gearhead decided to just show her. While the zebra rattled off rhyme after rhyme, it was quickly obvious that Shadow Wright had been extremely generous in his gifts.

The gold, of course, was straightforward. The wood was an extremely durable type that could stand up to iron, and if processed correctly, even some of the tougher alloys. As they were hardened by dragonfire and dragonbreath, they were about as good as they came. The metal, likewise, was both light and extremely strong, a mythical alloy only made by ponies who dwelled, all their days, deep in the mountains. These mountain mining ponies were ancient enemies to dragons, since they dug deep enough to waken the latter, but also because they coveted the same metals and gems.

The rainbow gemstones had depths which Zecora said she could not plumb. Gearhead would have to conduct further research to see if they held any magical properties.

Finally there was the ruby gemstone that Shadow Wright himself had placed before Gearhead, the one gift that the dragon had explicitly given to the pony. According to Zecora it was a Fireheart Gemstone, and contained a living fire within itself. It could only be formed under extremely rare circumstances – by mixing magma with various gemstones in the stomach of a living dragon, who gives the resulting jewel willingly. A Fireheart Gemstone could grant complete control over any one fire or flame. Considering the primary breath weapon of most known dragons, this was a massively honourable gift.

Having taken copious notes and checked Gearhead’s wound for progress, Zecora reluctantly agreed to allow him to get on his way back to Ponyville despite the late hour. Gearhead would arrive in the early hours of the morning – and sleep past noon for the first time in over a decade.

* * *

Gearhead awakened to the sound of light knocking on his window. He banished the last of his sleep before he reached the window, and drew the curtains aside to find Fluttershy hovering there. Curious, he opened the windows to admit the mare, and was stunned to find the sun high in the sky as she landed inside. “I hope you don’t mind,” Fluttershy said. “I just didn’t see any sign that you’d come home last night.”

“Ah well, I was out gathering resources and I got a little sidetracked.”

“Oh, but you’re hurt!” Fluttershy pointed at the bandages still wrapped around his midsection.

“This is the better part of it, actually. I stopped by at Miss Zecora’s and she applied the poultice. I guess it is a lesson learned for trying to handle a few too many Timberwolves. I will be keeping my guard up from now on.”

“Timberwolves?! And you probably didn’t have a gemstone dagger, right? You should have just run! It’s what I would’ve done.”

“I have this,” Gearhead nodded to the sheathed metal dagger lying on his dresser. Only with the most cursory glance could one mistake it for a dagger of power. “But that does not matter, as it would only have held off one wolf at a time. There are limits, and you are correct: I should have just run and cut my losses. I did not, and I apologize for worrying you.”

“No, it’s not… it’s not my place…” Fluttershy blushed and trailed off.

“Maybe it is, because you can see part of the shop from your cottage. You are my closest neighbour, so I should do what I can to avoid worrying you. Miss Zecora said that this should heal quickly. Also, since I was successful in gathering materials yesterday, I do not intend on going out again today.”

“But you will, in the future.”

“Yes, I will have to gather more materials periodically. It is as unavoidable for me as for any other businesspony, including Miss Applejack and Miss Rarity. And I think we can assume that nothing like the Diamond Dogs will make a try to grab for me.”

“I just don’t want to think about you, or any of my other… friends getting hurt,”

“I know, and I will be much more careful every other time I have to go out. I also will not go out or stay out so late. I promise. It is worth neither the complication nor worrying you to do so.”

“I… thank you.”

“Now, I know it is too late for breakfast, but would you like to join me for lunch?”

“Lunch? Oh my! I have to go meet Rarity. Sorry.”

“You do not have to apologise to me. In any case, I do not wish to make you late and cause you to have to apologise again to Miss Rarity.”

“Oh. Right.” And Fluttershy was gone. It is amazing, Gearhead thought, the effect some ponies have on you. Now he had a couple more promises he would have to keep.

* * *

After lunch, Gearhead started the day light by processing the materials he had gathered over the previous couple of days. He had few customers, and assured all of them that his wound was minor, and healing quickly. Among them was Zecora, who came both to check up on him and to examine his wares. While the zebra mainly followed the more traditional methods she had learned over the years, she also appreciated the value of innovation and invention. Thus she was quickly able to find some items that would help her in preparing and brewing her numerous potions.

Gearhead found it interesting that there was another pony who was similar to him, in that she could perform overt magic without a Unicorn’s horn. Unlike Gearhead, however, Zecora used her potions and herbal salves as catalysts for the changes she wanted to make. With proper preparation she could also perform numerous useful cantrips and simple slight-of-hoof tricks. Gearhead showed some of his own tricks in trade, and they talked further while he continued to process his woods and metals in the basement floor.

Like Gearhead, Zecora was interested in the ironwood and dragonfired alloy Shadow Wright had given him. Zecora had brought along some catalysts for testing, and the two of them put those to good use almost immediately. Gearhead further subjected samples of the wood and metal to other conditions, like extreme heat and extreme cold. They found that the metal could be shaped when heated to a molten state, but when shifted too quickly to cold, it shattered and could only be recovered through re-heating. The resulting metal was not as strong as it had been previously, so this was not something they repeated. They decided to call the alloy ‘adamantine,’ which was another word for ‘diamond,’ due to its hardness and edge.

Another item that Gearhead wanted to test was the gemstone daggers, as he had only developed the first one the previous day. As a new item, he was unaware of its strengths and weaknesses, and thus how to improve it – and yet he had allowed Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash to keep the ones he had made for them, together with Spike’s lance. Gearhead was tempted to try to create another dagger using adamantine, but since he did not yet know if he could replicate the metal, he decided to use it only sparingly, and at absolute need.

Instead, Gearhead used a full selection of gemstones from his stores to create a gemstone dagger for himself, using the same principles with which he had created the originals. This time, however, he was not rushed, and able to bring out the item’s utmost potential. This one was a curved, single-edge affair with half a gear for its crosspiece. The core and edges were diamond. The rest of the blade showed emerald, and the handle was amber chased with ruby threading.

Gearhead and Zecora examined the geargem dagger at length before putting it to the same stress and strength tests as the ironwood and adamantine. The dagger responded with extreme fluidity and speed to Gearhead’s mental prompts as he gave test swing after test swing, and more sluggishly to Zecora when she repeated the tests. Swinging the blade into a block of adamantine only cracked the blade when it was swung edge-on, and Gearhead was able to repair that crack perfectly. Certainly, Fluttershy’s fears would ease when she saw that Gearhead had a blade of his own.

Gearhead wanted to create gemstone daggers for the rest of his friends, but Zecora refused to give him permission, as his attending physician, to go out and gather more gems. She promised to go and collect some for him, in her rhyming way. Thus it was that she left him alone in his shop, and Gearhead realized that it was already evening, and dinner time. He cleaned up and headed up to see what he had available.

Finished with his dinner, Gearhead closed up shop and made sure everything was secure. Zecora was not back, and Gearhead did not expect her back for one or two days: the zebra had her own life to live, and probably more ponies to look after as the local herbalist and healer. Gearhead checked his injury, and was surprised to see that it was completely healed. The zebra from far off lands did excellent work.

On a whim, Gearhead took out the Fireheart Gemstone from its secret place, and stared into it, turning it over and over. He fell asleep with the image of it still in mind, even after he had locked the actual item back up.

* * *

Sometime later, the noise of a crowd in a frenzy started to reach Gearhead even as he worked in his shop. Wondering what was going on, he followed the sound into Ponyville proper. He was surprised to find a crowd of ordinary citizens pressed in tightly around something or somepony, and only with some creative manoeuvres could he see who it was, and was further surprised knowing how shy the pink-haired Pegasus was.

Thinking quickly, Gearhead first used Read to plot out an effective path, then he opened up a tunnel under Fluttershy, and another under Twilight who was being trampled by the crowd. The two mares tumbled down the holes, which quickly filled after them. They rolled with enough speed to pop out safely in the nearby alleyway that Gearhead was using. Using his anonymity and hoof signals, he escorted the pair to the library.

“What sort of mess did I miss being created in only a couple days?”

“Well, the fashion expert Photo Finish decided to scout Fluttershy as a model,” Twilight said.

“I have not been here long, but is that not an odd fit, given your personality, Fluttershy?”

“Oh how I hate being the center of attention,” Fluttershy mewled, still shaking. Gearhead could not help wanting to comfort her. “But I have to do it for Rarity’s sake!”

“If you are modeling outfits for Miss Rarity, then that makes more sense,” Gearhead said, but Fluttershy only cringed more. “You are not?”

“Well, that’s what we all thought would happen at first, but it seems Photo Finish only wanted Fluttershy.”

“There’s so much work involved in ‘shining across Equestria,’” Fluttershy moaned.

“Should you not simply quit since you dislike it so much? I mean, it would not be fair to continue without being able to put your all into your modeling anyway.”

“Actually, every time I’ve tried to ‘put my all’ into it, Photo Finish tells me “no!” or “wrong!” It’s like what she wants to see is to see me… shy.”

“Rarity asking you to model due to your grace makes sense. This, though, does not. You obviously do not enjoy it, and it makes you uncomfortable. Why not quit?”

“I don’t want to disappoint Rarity: she said I must. I must! I… must. Haven’t you ever done something you don’t like?”

“I cannot say I started out enjoying sales, but I do meet interesting ponies that way. Besides, I am the only one who can sell my gadgets, and I could never hire on anypony else to work with me when I did not know where I would be headed next, or when. A contract was always out of the question. But I have had years to acclimatize.”

“I didn’t know that,” Twilight said.

“Of course not. A salespony must sell his wares, and no matter what, the sales and not the construction is how I earn money. I have to do it, but that does not mean I will never end up liking it. In fact, it has allowed me to live quite comfortably.”

“That sounds good,” Fluttershy said.

“I have had time to adjust and get used to it, as I said. Sales also already somewhat suited me from the start – not that modelling does not suit you from a purely fashionable standpoint, but it is one of the worst fits for your conservative and shy personality. And that is something about which I should know quite a lot.”

“If you told Rarity how you feel, I’m sure she’d understand,” Twilight said.

“But I don’t want to risk disappointing her,”

“I know, and I promised not to tell her,”

“You too, Gearhead. She mustn’t know.”

“If that will make you happy,” Gearhead said, and the mares guided him through a Pinkie Promise. He thought it was even stranger than the promise itself, given the high probability that Rarity was not enjoying not being in the spotlight at the moment.

Only later would he learn the lengths to which Fluttershy and Twilight went to in order to try to get Photo Finish to drop Fluttershy as a model. Ironically it was Rarity herself who caused Twilight’s brilliant plan to go from success to failure, and it was only afterward that the truth came out. Twilight had been so confident her plan would work, Gearhead had left it entirely up to her, and since Fluttershy was in no physical danger, he left the Pegasus in the Unicorn’s care and got back to work. If Fluttershy was more confident, she would make a great model. But that was not the way she was, just as Gearhead was not a farmer. More was the pity, in both their cases.

4. Lets Get... Political!

Chapter 4: Lets Get... Political!

According to Zecora, if she had not treated Gearhead’s wound, the Timberwolf scratches would have been infected, and within a matter of hours more, he would have been very, very sick. Gearhead preferred to be very, very grateful instead. He was free of infection and illness, completely healed, and ready for the next adventure – but also with a vow to do his utmost to avoid putting so much as a worried expression on Fluttershy’s face.

Zecora was not the only one to bring gemstones with which to supplement Gearhead’s efforts: Rarity and Twilight also had contributions of their own, the latter staying to conduct her own research on the daggers, and then on the ironwood and adamantine. Gearhead hesitated to show even Twilight the Fireheart Gemstone despite their common interest, and Zecora did not counter him on his decision.

Gearhead had the rest of the gemstone daggers prepared before the friends’ train ride to Appleoosa, where Applejack’s cousins had an apple orchard and a small town.

Fluttershy’s personality made her ill-suited to the use of a bladed weapon, so her gemstone dagger was a rose sapphire wand that thickened and extended into a tonfa that extended and straightened into a staff.

Rarity’s gemstone dagger was amethyst chasing sapphire with a diamond core, but because it was also a wand it lacked an edge. It extended once into a sceptre, and again into a staff topped in a diamond, just like Rarity’s cutie mark.

Of the staffs, though, Twilight Sparkle’s was certainly the most impressive: Done in pink sapphire chasing amethyst, with a diamond core, this diamond dagger featured Twilight’s magic cutie mark quite prominently, and thus it was edged as well. It started off as a wand just like Fluttershy’s and Rarity’s, but its first extension was that of a sword, where the star was the crosspiece and also part of the hilt and much of the blade. Extended again, it became a staff, with the star moved up to the top, at a proportion where it would not get in the way.

While nopony in Ponyville had formal weapons training, Gearhead practiced whatever came to mind as a way to become increasingly skilled with his own new weapon, so he could fend off more enemies if and when he needed to do so. He knew that Fluttershy would not approve of the use of weapons, even if she recognized them as necessary. The Pegasus was simply compassionate, and the others could deal with that.

When the eight friends, including Spike, boarded the train to Appleoosa, Gearhead, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight were the only ones carrying their gemstone daggers. The others felt the weapons would be unnecessary, since they would be visiting to plant one of Applejack’s apple trees in the orchard at the other end of the tracks. Applejack fully expected the trip to be uneventful, and Gearhead certainly hoped that it would be so: his encounter with the beasts of the Everfree Forest was sufficient for the next few months, in his opinion. Still, one could never be too prepared.

Where the others had only packed minimally, except for Rarity who never did ‘minimally,’ and Applejack, who had planting to do, Gearhead was bringing everything he could carry. As usual his vest was packed with tools and samples, should the opportunity arise to show them off. He had his bowler hat with the adjustable rim, which also featured his goggles at the moment. All four of his shoes were zipped down and tightly secured so he could not touch off any geomancy near the orchard. Gearhead had designed a new scabbard for his geargem dagger, strapping it to his left foreleg to see if that was easier for him to grab and draw. The angle prevented it from popping out unexpectedly, even at a full gallop, but just in case he also had a strap buttoned around the pommel to keep the weapon securely sheathed. Gearhead did not leave anything to chance, if he could help it.

Gearhead could think of many different ways with which to improve the train. This started with replacing the four-horse team of stallions pulling the thing, and instead using a steam power system. The added power would allow the engine to pull more cars, although the cars’ frames would have to be reinforced in case of collision at top speed: a pony with a splinter would be sure to complain.

Applejack had reserved one car for the group to share, and a sleeper cabin for the tree she was hoping to give to the Appleoosians. Gearhead was incredulous that Applejack could treat the tree as a child, going so far as to cover ‘Bloomberg’ with a blanket in a bed, and even reading it a bedtime story. But, even one Earth Pony to another, Gearhead was not about to tell the farmpony how to do her job. It was just startling to see the usually down-to-earth pony act this way.

Gearhead left it to drama queen Rarity to complain. Soon it was nightfall, and each pony tried to find a comfortable position in which to sleep. Gearhead unstrapped everything that needed to be, and put his vest and saddlbags against the window to be used as pillows. Lying back, he tipped his hat forward, cowboy-style, and even wiggled his ears to extend the brim a bit.

If Gearhead expected everypony to just go to sleep quietly, he was soon as disappointed as Spike was, with the others chatting inanely. He did, however, chuckle when Fluttershy said she would “like to be a tree.” Spike ‘huffed’ off to sleep with Bloomberg in the caboose. Gearhead sighed and tried to tune out the rest of the chatter, until Rarity expressed her displeasure (to put it mildly) and finally convinced the other mares to go to sleep.

The next morning proved bumpier than expected – so much so that Rainbow Dash got thrown from her bunk. Confused, the ponies looked out their windows. “Wow! It’s a buffalo stampede!” Pinkie Pie said.

“I just love their accessories,” Rarity said, for each buffalo sported a feather headdress.

“They must be natives of the area,” Gearhead said, donning all his usual gear and belting on his dagger.

“They’re getting awfully close to the train,” Twilight noted. Her concern bore out, as the Buffalos in the lead started to slam against the stallion team and the train, causing both to jump in their tracks. The collisions made the ponies watching from their windows lose all traction, throwing them all about the train in a confused ball of horse-hair.

“Hey look! Now they’re doing tricks,” Pinkie Pie said, again at the window.

“I do not think that is usual Buffalo behaviour,” Gearhead said, as some of the Buffalo had jumped on top of their running companions. A younger Buffalo in lighter fur jumped on top of that pile, taking her level with the train’s roof. “Now do a flip!” Pinkie suggested, but the young Buffalo jumped directly onto the train instead. “Or just jump,” Pinkie said, clearly disappointed.

The smaller Buffalo started heading for the caboose, as the ponies could track from the thumps of her hooves. Gearhead immediately started back, undoing the pommel strap on his scabbard as he went, just in case. Rainbow Dash headed out a window to intercept the Buffalo on the roof directly.

All the way back toward the caboose, Gearhead could only see the stampeding adult Buffalo outside any window or gap when he looked. They were holding fairly steady, even as the lead ones traded blows with the train’s driving team. The fact that they had not tried to disconnect the engine from the other cars indicated to Gearhead that the Buffalo were not after the passengers or cargo, and yet they had dispatched a youngling alone. And that Buffalo was headed toward the caboose without stopping for any reason!

Gearhead got to the partition with the caboose and threw open the door. There was the little Buffalo, standing on the other side, the caboose already disconnected and beginning to slow down. The Buffalo stood her ground, and Gearhead doubted he could make the jump and not get thrown, given that despite being young, the Buffalo was about the same size as he was. Even his dagger would not be any help here, since it was unknown how the Buffalo would react. She might even throw him from the train more violently, and then Gearhead would not be any use at all. The Buffalo whistled, and the others began to peel back. They reformed around the caboose and started to push it away.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight joined Gearhead at the open doorway. There was already too big a gap between the caboose, going back the way they had come, and the train, continuing on to Appleoosa. Even Applejack had to give up on the idea of roping her way across, and Dash was their fastest pony – Gearhead had seen her on the ground beside the tracks. And the whole group saw Spike through the caboose’s window, calling for help: he had spent the night there rather than continue to deal with the ponies.

“Oh, horse apples!” Applejack and Gearhead said, both arriving at the same conclusion: they would be better off launching a search party from Appleoosa.

* * *

The train’s arrival came with an overenthusiastic welcome from Applejack’s cousin, Braeburn: every time he said ‘Appleoosa,’ he reared and extended the first 'A' into its own syllable. If not for the train robbery from earlier, Gearhead might have chuckled. Still, it was impressive that a group of normal Earth Ponies could put up a town in just a year. Until Braeburn finished showing them the local amenities, all the ponies could do was wait and absorb it all. Even Applejack could not get past the first syllable in her cousin’s name until he was done!

After that, it took mere moments to get Braeburn caught up on the train robbery by the Buffaloes, who had taken Spike and the tree meant for Appleoosa’s orchard. But until Fluttershy mentioned it, Gearhead had not noticed that Pinkie Pie was missing. He would not and could not worry about that one, given her proclivity toward making friends, and he said as much to the others. ”Of our group, Miss Dash is our fastest member and best flyer, though. If anypony made the Buffalo camp safely, it would be her. And, odds are, Miss Pinkie as well.”

“Well, them Buffalo keep insistin’ we move our orchard even though we worked our hooves off to grow it. We need those trees for our livelihood and to feed our families and foals!”

“Well then, we’ll just have to convince them Buffalo to let the trees stay,” Applejack said.

“That may not be possible, Applejack, depending on the reason for the Buffalos’ demands to move the orchard. I suggest we find the others and try to open up a dialogue between the Appleoosians and the Buffalo.”

“In that case, you’d be needin’ to travel deep into Buffalo Territory, which is bound to be very dangerous,” Braeburn said. “I’ll come along, at least as a guide.”

“That’d be appreciated, Cousin.”

“In that case, we’d best prepare to move out as soon as possible.”

“I would like to speak with Sheriff Silverstar before we leave,” Gearhead said. “I need to know if he would even be willing to sit with the Buffalo Chief.”

“That should be possible,” Braeburn said.

* * *

“You want to what?”

“One: Travel deep into Buffalo Territory to recover our friends. Two: Sponsor a discussion of the orchard land between the Appleoosians and the Buffalo.”

Sheriff Silverstar blinked. “That’s what I thought I heard you say. You must be daft to think Chief Thunderhooves would sit down to have a pow-wow with the likes of us!”

“From what I gather, their latest action is more intensive than what they have done before. If that is the case, it is likely conditions could deteriorate into full-out war between the tribe and the settlers within a couple months. Any battle could have serious repercussions on the land, and severely damage any trust between the two sides to talk peace thereafter. Now is the last chance to talk peace. Surely you can see that, and want what is best for all of Appleoosa.” You are responsible for these ponies, Gearhead did not add, so as not to belabour the point further.

“You may be right about this likely bein’ the last chance to talk, but I want to see their Chief willing to talk before I agree to sit down with him.”

“As long as you are willing to give my friends and me the chance to bring the Buffalo delegation to neutral ground to open a dialogue, that is all I can ask.”

“Then you’d best not be wastin’ my time, young’un!”

“You shall not regret it,” Gearhead said.

* * *

“Gently, please!” Rarity gasped as Applejack tightened the strap on her saddlebags.

“Sorry, Rarity, but we need to be prepared for a long trek into Buffalo Territory to rescue our friends,” Applejack said. Fluttershy, Twilight, and Braeburn were also standing by, about ready to leave Appleoosa. Gearhead strode up and adjusted his hat so it sat on his head more properly.

“We have limited time. Sheriff Silverstar will not talk unless the Chief is willing to do so first.”

“Then we’d best get goin,’ it bein’ a long way ahead,” Braeburn said.

But they only moved three steps before they encountered Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike all standing in a line in front of them. “Hi!”

“Oh, Pinkie Pie, we’re so glad you’re safe!” Fluttershy tackled her similarly-coloured friend and nuzzled next to her.

“But how did you escape the Buffalo so fast?” Twilight asked.

“We didn’t,” Pinkie said, and the little Buffalo stepped out from being a pony-sized rock.

“We promised our new friend, Little Strongheart, the chance to talk,” Rainbow Dash said. Considering she was usually all about action, Gearhead thought she was being very mature.

“About what?” Applejack asked archly.

“About the need to move the orchard. The settler ponies built it on Buffalo lands without knowing it – honest mistake.”

“The settlers need that fruit to live!”

“That would be useful information—“ Little Strongheart started.

“The Buffalo have been stampeding through that ground for generations!”

“That information could be—“

Gearhead watched in amazement as this time Applejack interrupted Braeburn. It seemed those directly involved were willing to compromise, however the ponies acting as proxies had actually actively chosen sides. While Applejack was correct in that little other land was useable as an orchard, there had to be a compromise. But the argument itself was heading for war, which Gearhead had promised Sheriff Silverstar he would help them try to avoid.

Gearhead drew the geargem dagger and pointed it across his chest toward the ground, and willed it to extend to sword length. The tip buried itself into the ground with a loud “shunk!” and the other ponies immediately turned to stare at him. “Now that I have your attention, I hope you will both calm down. We are here as intermediaries to set up a talk. Little Strongheart, would your Chief be willing to come out to speak to Sheriff Silverstar on how to create a lasting peace between your peoples?”

“I believe so,”

“Then I will guarantee him and your people a safe meeting with the Sheriff, should the Chief also agree on a time.”

“That would be very useful.”

“My friends and I will act as mediators as necessary only,” Gearhead said pointedly to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “This is between Appleoosa and the Buffalo, and those of us from Ponyville cannot speak for either.”

“I will go back and talk to Chief Thunderhooves,” Little Strongheart said.

“Wait up,” Spike said.

“As a dragon, Spike has a ‘place of honour,” Rainbow Dash said in answer to the others’ obvious confusion..

“More importantly, they feed him topaz,” Pinkie said.

“Ah, of course,” Twilight said. She knew how Spike’s mind worked very well.

* * *

The whole lot of them reconvened underneath a plain white tent outside of Appleoosa, out of Buffalo Territory. Chief Thunderhooves sat at one side of a round table, facing Buffalo Territory. Little Strongheart sat on his right. Sheriff Silverstar faced Appleoosa. Braeburn sat on his right. There were mugs and pitchers of water on the table, as this promised to be thirsty work.

Spike and Twilight sat at a smaller table against the west tent wall, facing east. Both had paper and pens, as they were to act as Secretaries. Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat opposite them, while Pinkie Pie and Rarity stood on the west end of the table. Fluttershy and Gearhead held the east side.

“Now that we have all gathered, I will set up the ground rules, which will be in place only to facilitate meaningful discussion and a swift resolution.

“First, our location will be considered neutral territory, neither held by Appleoosa or the Buffalo Tribe. As Facilitator of these proceedings, and as a pony whose town of origin is far enough removed to prevent conflicts of interest, I will hold jurisdiction.

“Second, the two parties involved in this matter are to be referred to only as ‘Appleoosa’ or ‘Appleoosians’ and ‘Buffalo Tribe.’ We shall endeavour to avoid ‘us’ and ‘them’ phrasings and mentalities.

“Third, if at any point discussion begins to escalate toward argument and conflict, I, as Facilitator, and the other five Ponyville ponies, as Mediators, may call for a five minute recess to cool down and resume normal talks.

“Fourth, nopony will be permitted to leave until resolution is reached. If talks break down, neither I, as Facilitator, nor any of the Mediators or Secretaries, may interfere in the battle, which will be carried out in its entirety starting three hours from the time of break-down. If, after the battle, conflict persists a new round of talks will be called first.

“Fifth, talks are in session as long as my dagger stands in the middle of the table. If it is not there, only I, as Facilitator, or the Mediators, may speak. Neither Secretary may speak except to read back the minutes as requested. Mediators who break role will be asked to leave the tent until after the following recess.

“Chief Thunderhooves will be the Primary Negotiator for the Buffalo Tribe, with Little Strongheart as his Second. Sheriff Silverstar will be Primary Negotiator for Appleoosa, with Braeburn Apple as his Second. For the duration, please use ‘Prime’ and ‘Second’ as their titles in place of their official ones, avoiding unnecessary perceived bias based on rank.

“Are there any questions? I am seeing confused faces, but perhaps getting started will clear the matter up.” Gearhead drew his knife, and slid it toward the center of the table. Using his geomancy, he put minor magnetic charges into the center of the table and the blade’s point in order to stand the dagger up on its point, and oriented it so both parties could see the gear-styled crosspiece.

“If you will both recall, I asked the Mediators to conduct a coin toss before the parties arrived here. Prime Thunderhooves won, so he will present his opening case first. Please proceed.” In actuality, since Pinkie Pie had conducted the coin toss for the Buffalo Tribe, she could have produced whatever result she wanted to. To balance that out, Rarity had flipped for the Appleoosians, and she could have changed the result with her telekinesis. But the only rigging that had taken place was to ensure the coin tosses took place at the exact same moment, using Spike’s Sending magic to coordinate it, with Twilight at the Appleoosian end.

Thunderhooves looked at Gearhead, at the dagger standing on its tip on the table, back at Gearhead, then straight across at Silverstar. “The Buffalo Tribe has a long and winding stampeding trail. It is a sacred tradition to run it every year, however this year the Appleoosian orchard blocks it. The Buffalo Tribe is stuck, although –“

Gearhead raised a hoof to stop the Buffalo Chief from threatening to flatten the orchard right there. “How many generations did Prime Thunderhooves recount in your presence, Mister Secretary?”

“Six. No, seven,” Spike said. “He started with his own father.”

“Thank you, Mister Secretary. Prime Thunderhooves, am I correct to believe that you have already stated the essence of the Buffalo Tribe position?”

“Yes,”

“Then I would like to ask Prime Silverstar to give us the Appleoosian statement.”

“That’s simple enough: The Appleoosians have all busted their rumps in the past year to build Appleoosa!” Silverstar cleared his throat. “The site for the orchard was chosen because it’s the only flatland large enough for all the trees, plus a little expansion because the town’s still in its infancy. To move the –“

“A moment, Prime Silverstar. We are not there yet.”

“Well, the Appleoosians need those apple trees, for both food and income, since what we don’t eat, we sell.”

“Prime Silverstar, these proceedings are trying to avoid setting an ‘us vs them’ mentality.”

“Yeah well, it’s a stupid rule and hard to follow.”

“Granted. Try anyway, please.

“The opening statements of both parties have been heard and recorded. Prime Thunderhooves, could you please kindly state the Buffalo Tribe’s request?”

“The Buffalo Tribe wants the Appleoosians to move the orchard off of the traditional stampeding trail,” Thunderhooves huffed.

“Prime Silverstar, what is the Appleoosian request?”

“The orchard needs to stay so we got somethin’ to eat!”

“Prime Silverstar, please follow the ground rules out of respect for each other. I will call for a recess if you do not. The same action stands if you let your temper get the better of you, Prime Thunderhooves.”

“If you think this talkin’ will get us anywhere new, you’re deluding yourself,” Silverstar said.

“Let us at least try, please. Now, I asked Miss Applejack and Miss Sparkle to conduct a quick survey of the orchard. I also asked Miss Dash and Miss Fluttershy to confirm nearby terrain from the air. Madame Secretary, could you please read the findings of both surveys?”

“I’d be happy to. There are one hundred fifty-three trees standing on land fertile enough to allow for growth, and an additional band of fertile land around that. This band of land measures approximately three trees deep at its narrowest, and was originally designated for possible expansion of the orchard by the Appleoosians.

“As to the other land around Appleoosia, it is unfortunately either too arid or rocky to support the apple trees. Any other fertile land spotted from the air is easily too far away from the settlement to be ideally-located.”

“Thank you, Madame Secretary. We ponies hosting and supporting these talks have now established what information we could find, so I now turn the talks over to Prime Thunderhooves and Prime Silverstar in turn to proceed.”

“This ‘taking turns’ is taking too long, and is unnecessary. This matter is quite simple: the Buffalo Tribe has been using these trails long before the Appleoosians. The Appleoosians, therefore, need to move the apple trees.”

“Are you telling us to pick and move the whole town? Because that’s what it sounds like. Just throw out a year of hard work and effort? I don’t think so! In fact, I know none of the townsfolk’ll go for it. I won’t go for it!

Gearhead sent a tendril of energy to his dagger, making it jump and spin so that it came down on its pommel with a loud thump. “All this fuss is unnecessary. Both of you have to come to an agreement on your own, though, or this whole thing becomes meaningless. I am calling our first recess. Two minutes. Talk with your Seconds, but do not leave the grounds. I do not want to have to intercept you.”

The Buffalo and settlers left the tent in a huff, the designated Seconds trying to calm their leaders. “This isn’t working,” Rarity said, as she and Twilight went out to watch the delegates.

“The issues are laid out plainly. If it does not work, it will be war. Something is missing to make it work.”

“They don’t want peace bad enough,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said.

“I believe you are correct, Miss Dash: neither side is motivated to collaborate together and achieve a compromise. At the very least, they need to know what they can get from working together, rather than what they would get from fighting each other.”

“If the orchard stays, everypony can eat apples,” Applejack said. “If the settler ponies lose the orchard, nopony eats.”

“How does Appleoosa distinguish itself from other towns?”

“It’s a Wild West frontier town,” Applejack said.

“With an orchard,” Pinkie Pie said.

“This would be much easier if Appleoosa had a known local specialty.”

“I’ll ask Braeburn,”

“You’ll have to ask later, because now we’re reconvening,” Twilight said.

As everypony took their seats, Gearhead looked at all their faces. The Primes were still steaming, while the Seconds looked concerned. Two minutes had obviously not been enough to cool down. “We need to reorient ourselves to the issues at hand. Madame Secretary, please read the minutes.”

“Right! The issue at hand is the disposition of the trees currently in the Appleoosian orchard. The trees stand on part of a Buffalo Tribe stampeding trail. The Buffalo Tribe need access to it as part of their long-standing traditions, and to access lands on the other side. The Appleoosians need the trees for sustenance and income. Surveys have found that the only additional land anywhere nearby that’s capable of supporting the trees is a narrow band around the existing orchard.”

“Prime Thunderhooves, do you have any further details to add?”

“If you ponies do not—“

Gearhead reversed and thumped his dagger again. “Please do avoid all threats.” He paused and took a deep breath. “It is clear that failure of these talks to achieve a peaceful compromise will result in battle. Prime Thunderhooves, do you have anything to add?”

“No,”

“Prime Silverstar?”

“No,”

“Prime Thunderhooves, do you have anything else to say or ask of Prime Silverstar?”

“No,” the Buffalo Chief huffed.

“Prime Silverstar, same question, parties swapped.”

“No. This is all-or-nothing.”

“Second Little Strongheart, do you have anything you would like to say?”

“I would like to avoid fighting, if possible. I do not think we need to fight if we can figure out a way to move some of the trees. Just enough for the Buffalo Tribe to use the trail again.”

“Second Braeburn?”

“I agree with Little Strongheart, but only because Appleoosa wouldn’t need to be moved.”

“Prime Thunderhooves?”

“They are traditional Buffalo lands. The trees should not have been planted there in the first place. They were planted without permission!”

“Well, you didn’t come to us either.”

“We did not need to, because they are Buffalo Territory!”

Gearhead thumped his dagger. “These talks are not getting anywhere, and the recess failed to calm you.” He took a deep breath, and then looked from one Prime to the other. “I am declaring war between the Buffalo Tribe and Appleoosa.” The others gasped audibly. “I am also suspending these peace talks until after the conflict, by which time I hope you will both see greater value in compromise than in battle. The delegates are to leave this tent before the Mediators. See you in three hours.” He thumped his dagger again, and sheathed it.

* * *

The friends stood off to the side and watched as the Appleoosians went about their preparations for battle. They built small barriers with wood and logs, laid down hay bales for cover, and baked apple pies. That least seemed incongruous to Gearhead, but he did not know what the local version of war meant anyway. Perhaps pie used in battle was the Appleoosian specialty.

Gearhead’s decision to end the talks came from the belief that if they had continued they would have deteriorated and fallen apart anyway, only with both parties being even angrier at each other. The three hour window he had specified in the rules allowed for minimal preparation, so neither side would be bringing their best war faces to the battle. If they were off their game, they would not fight at their best, and hopefully less ponies (and buffalo) would get hurt.

Due to the stated rule of non-interference, the friends could only watch the preparations. They could not try to talk the Buffalo or the settlers out of the fight. But exchanged glances made it clear that not everypony was happy with what was about to happen. Rainbow Dash had gone to watch over the Buffalo, while somewhere in the fuss Pinkie Pie and Spike had vanished.

At the three hour mark, the Buffalo appeared at the top of a nearby ridge, ready to charge down it. Rainbow Dash exchanged one last look with Little Strongheart, then flew over to rejoin the others. The clock tower struck its mark, the time for battle having arrived. But neither side advanced. “He’s not gonna do it,” Rainbow Dash said, elated.

Then somepony struck up a piano. Everypony turned to the source of the music, to see Spike playing the piano (Gearhead had not known he could do that), while Pinkie Pie began to sing and dance, supported by a group of Appleoosians. Unfortunately, despite her message of ‘sharing and caring,’ nopony seemed to be enjoying the song at all. When it came to an end, Chief Thunderhooves exchanged a look with his opposite number below.

“It seems Sheriff Silverstar and I have come to an agreement of sorts after all,” the Chief said. Several ponies breathed a sigh of relief. Gearhead raised an eyebrow. “That was the worst performance we have ever seen.”

“Aww,” Pinkie Pie said.

“The time for action is upon us,” Thunderhooves said. “Today we fight. Today we flatten the orchard and the town!” The Buffalo all roared in approval, and charged. The Appleoosians moved behind their barricades and took up their other positions – and took up their pies.

A moment later, Gearhead’s curiosity was answered as Sheriff Silverstar called out “fire!” and the settlers began throwing their pies into the charging Buffalo faces with enough force to seemingly fell them. Gearhead saw several strange moves by the settlers, like hiding a blacksmith’s anvil in a hay bail, or jumping down from the clock tower. Silverstar jumped from bail to bail, picking up pies he had placed there ahead of time.

Until he ran out of pies.

Chief Thunderhooves was right there, and seeing Sheriff Silverstar wide open after he had pied so many of his tribesponies did nothing to calm his temper. The Chief charged, and only a last-moment pitch of the pie saved the sheriff from impact with horn and hoof. Incredibly, Chief Thunderhooves simply fell, his eyes closed. Silence fell, but only for a moment, before ponies began to cry in open mourning. Crust and apple filling slipped down the Chief’s face, and into his open mouth.

He jumped up, licking the rest from his face. “Hey, I’ve got a much better idea,” Thunderhooves proclaimed, to the cheers of all the others. “We will allow the apple trees to stay in exchange for a share of its fruit: those delicious apple pies.”

“In that case, we’d be willin’ to cut you a path wide enough to use as a stampeding trail through the orchard,” Silverstar said.

“And we can do what we came here for and transplant Bloomberg,” Applejack said. She got questioning glances from settlers and natives for this. “The apple tree we brought with us? He doesn’t need flat land, we can plant him on a rolling hill. I happen to know just the one.”

“And if the trees are moved instead of cut down, you can harvest more apples,” Little Strongheart said.

“More apples mean more pies,” Thunderhooves said. “It seems we have reached an agreement.”

“I’ll agree to that,” Silverstar said, and the others whooped.

Gearhead shook his head. “If I had known this issue could be solved by battle, I would have thrown the first pie myself,” he said.

“Hey, who did throw that last pie?” Twilight asked. “I didn’t see anypony else that close to those two.”

Nopony said anything, but Braeburn and Little Strongheart exchanged a quick glance.

“At least now there’s an agreement to share the land,” Twilight said.

“Hey, that’s what I said!” Pinkie Pie piped up.

5. Close To the Sun

Chapter 5: Close to the Sun

Kan! The impact between hammer and heated metal called out clearly. The hammer’s wielder pulled back and immediately reset. He quickly inspected the result of the hit he had just made, simultaneous to lining up his next swing. Kan! Again and again he swung and checked, swung and checked. It was tiring work, but to do it right it had to be done this way, folding and re-folding the metal until both its density and its flexibility had been realized. Then it could be shaped and sanded and the multiple polishes applied. There were yet more steps after that. It was possible to spend days on the same blade, which was why more blacksmiths were using moulds to create their weapons – and why those weapons would always be inferior although they were made more quickly. Kan!

Of course, Gearhead could shape his weapons in under a minute using his geomancy. The speed forging involved was reliable, however just like a moulded weapon, the result would be weaker than if it was made by more traditional methods. The dagger Gearhead was making now was taking him many hundreds of times longer than the one he had made during his battle against the Timberwolves, and even though this one was patterned after that one, this one would also be many times stronger.

Gearhead inspected the blade. Satisfied, he put down his hammer and moved the clamps holding the heated steel to the basin of water to be quenched. While his blacksmith’s hammer was store-purchased, and then enhanced through geomancy, his clamp system was another of his custom-built gadgets. The system allowed Gearhead to use the full range of his blacksmithing skills despite his smaller frame and build.

After Gearhead had started learning how to control his ‘knack,’ he found references to instances where a pony’s power fluctuated, or failed altogether. On principle, he decided that relying on his ‘knack’ alone would be a massive mistake, and began to teach himself how to be a blacksmith. For a short time he apprenticed to Hoofington’s most skilled blacksmith to learn more. While doing so, he built up his neck and upper body strength, so that although his frame remained the same, he was much stronger than he looked.

Once Gearhead attained a sufficiently high level of skill, he started to try to combine blacksmithing with his ‘knack.’ It took a long time to get it right. The lessons behind three broken hammers and seven shattered anvils had become etched into the young stallion’s memory. Now he could forge ahead with full certainty, only occasionally consulting his old master blacksmith by mail. And indeed, Gearhead’s forge burned in order for him to work materials like metals.

The whole purpose of his current exercise was to forge a replica to the metal dagger Gearhead had created in the Everfree Forest, only using the best materials available together with the best techniques he had learned over the years. The original blade was made with carbon, iron, and the various other metals commonly found hidden in the earth. The replica was made with a carbon-steel alloy that made it both stronger and lighter, while the re-folding process involved in the forging called for more metal. In the end there was no question which version of the dagger Gearhead would choose if he had to: the forged weapon was always stronger than the one he called to hoof with magic, although it usually handled roughly the same. Of course, that would only be true if Gearhead was able to finish this dagger without making a mistake large enough to produce a fault within it.

This could not be said for the gemstone daggers. It was possible that the only fires hot enough to melt gemstones so they could be shaped were those kept hidden by the earth itself, and dragonfire. Gearhead already knew that Shadow Wright would be insulted by even the implication of acting as a forge for anypony, or even at all. The stallion would not live through the encounter, and Spike’s fire was far from hot enough to match that of the far older dragon. If he wanted to risk an unpredictable result, Gearhead could try the Fireheart Gemstone, but he felt that Shadow Wright had meant him to use it for greater things than creating daggers – even ones made from gemstones, which dragons ate. Since Gearhead could not forge a gemstone dagger, his sole remaining choice was to produce them through geomancy. They may not be as strong as they would be through forging, but they were already far sharper, and more durable, than any steel sword, and so that matter was closed.

Later, once the blade was finished, Gearhead tested it against a block of iron. The dagger was slightly heavier than the original, but not by much. Its cut was cleaner and deeper, and the blade was more flexible. Gearhead nodded, satisfied, and started to clean up, because that day would be quite busy.

* * *

Sugar Cube Corner was hosting a special luncheon party. The guest of honour was no less than Princess Celestia, who wanted to become more familiar with many of the residents of Ponyville, including Twilight’s five close friends. Gearhead arrived to find that Applejack was minus her usual Stetson hat and Rarity had dressed formally with a very fancy dress and tiara. The others looked more or less their usual selves, although Twilight was extra nervous, and Fluttershy had not shown up yet. Pinkie Pie was bouncing off the walls, as per usual.

Gearhead had done well for himself cleaning up, since he wanted to make himself presentable: this would be his first time meeting one of the two Princesses of Equestria. Other than washing off the soot and grime from his forging, he had combed his mane neatly and taken the opportunity to dress up moderately. Nopony could out-dress Rarity, of course. Gearhead wore a plain black vest which, for once, did not have any pockets – on the outside. He had also traded his usual pair of shoes for a black pair made of the same insulating material. The zippers on these ones were hidden, but no less accessible. He also wore a belt, from which hung his geomantic-made metal dagger and his geargem dagger, both on his left side, and a black pouch on his right. The pouch was made with the same insulating material as his shoes, and Zecora had helped Gearhead put some anti-detection and containment wards on it, so it could contain powerful magical items without sticking out. Today it housed the Fireheart Gemstone.

Gearhead thought it was amazing how sometimes ponies threw off an aura of sensation. Different auras could be sensed differently, or at least they did to him. Just in his own family, one pony was rough and hard-edged, while another was warm and soothing. In Ponyville, Twilight gave off a slight feeling of warm wind. As for Princess Celestia, Gearhead felt as though he had walked through a curtain of power the instant he had entered Sugar Cube Corner. It decreased in waves as he become more acclimated to it, but when he approached the table where the Princess was seated in order to get some food to eat, he felt it roll over him more intensely. The slight heat rolled off of her in waves the way the tide rolled in or out.

“You are Gearhead, right?” Princess Celestia asked, turning her attention away from her teacup for a moment.

“Y-yes, Your Highness,” he said quietly, bowing.

“I understand from Twilight’s letters that you’re quite gifted,” Princess Celestia looked meaningfully at the daggers clearly visible in their scabbards. Gearhead nodded and drew the metal and jewel daggers in turn, laying them carefully on the table in front of the princess for inspection. First she selected the metal dagger, levitating it with her magic while Gearhead watched it glow golden. “A single piece, but otherwise unremarkable,” the princess said. The comment brought the stallion back to focus on the moment.

“Made in the heat of battle, without choice of material. Previous to that I had a staff, but I lost it. I needed something shorter.”

“Then the circumstances are remarkable,” Princess Celestia put the metal dagger down, and levitated the gemstone dagger. “Ah, now this is a work of art. Again a single piece, but this time forged from multiple and varying gemstones. Despite the differences, it is a flawlessly singular piece. Remarkable.”

“It responds to the user’s thoughts at need, Princess.”

“Perhaps just your own, then.”

“Or perhaps you need only direct some of your magic into it. Or through it. Not being a Unicorn I do not know how it works.”

“That is because few Unicorns like to write about ‘feeling the magic,’” Princess Celestia smiled, then focused. The golden aura around her horn intensified, and the aura around the geargem dagger responded in kind. Suddenly it was a sword instead of a dagger, its inner facets reflecting golden light onto the shop’s walls, ceiling, and floor. The other guests ‘ooh’ed and ‘ah’ed, perhaps thinking the display was part of a show. “I would love to have you as a guest in Canterlot later on, if it suits you,” Princess Celestia said, guiding the blade over to Gearhead.

“I would be honoured,” the stallion said, and deftly caught the sword when the princess released it. It still had the golden cast to it, but that began to fade almost immediately. Gearhead willed the blade to revert to its dagger form so he could sheath it in time to receive the metal dagger as well.”

“Very skilled indeed,” Princess Celestia said.

“There is one more thing, while you are here, and I would like to request the utmost discretion,” Gearhead said, moving closer.

“Of course,”

When Gearhead nodded down to his belt pouch, Celestia looked down and used her magic to open up the flap. She just barely held her gasp at the sight of the item. “May I borrow this for awhile? I promise to return it well before I leave Ponyville.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Gearhead discreetly passed the pouch to the Princess, who immediately tucked it away. Gearhead took a respectful step back, and that was when Twilight ushered Fluttershy inside.

While Twilight was leading Fluttershy over to the table, two interesting things happened. One was that while Princess Celestia was lifting a cupcake to her lips to eat it, Pinkie Pie zipped right up. She asked if the princess was going to eat the confectionary, but gobbled it up without waiting for an answer – and the princess tolerated it. The other thing was that when Mister and Missus Cake kept refilling the princess’s tea, the princess pretended to sip from her cup so they would overfill it. It seemed Princess Celestia was a bit of a prankster.

Just as she had with Gearhead, Princess Celestia started a conversation with Fluttershy, this one about her love of woodland creatures. The princess knew about this from Twilight’s letters – again, the student seemed to keep very little from her mentor. Some coughing drew the ponies’ attention to a gilded birdcage standing on the princess’s other side. Some tan and pink feathers floated out, and then a large bird became visible. From Fluttershy’s reaction, she could not either place the bird’s type or quite cope with its apparent bad health. Gearhead stared at it too. “I know I have seen that before somewhere,” he muttered, trying to figure it out. “It is a shame I did not think to bring a bestiary.” It did not exactly help that the princess seemed to be ignoring the bird, Philomena’s, bad health, and that she had to leave to attend an audience with Mayor Mare.

Gearhead was still puzzling over the problem when he noticed that Philomena was gone from the cage. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy were among the ponies who had left after the princess did. Shrugging, Gearhead made for his shop. He thought he could consult one of the bestiaries he owned for reference purposes. If not, maybe there was something at the Golden Oak Library.

Gearhead kept a significant library of reference materials upstairs on a pair of full-length bookshelves opposite his bed. As might be expected of one of his chosen profession, most of them concerned the manipulation of materials – wood, metal, textiles, and ceramics. A smaller portion pertained to the different animals one might find in Equestria. Gearhead tried to categorize them: beasts of the land, birds of the air, denizens of the sea (deep and not-so-deep), and legendary creatures. As soon as he got upstairs, Gearhead started flipping through his books on birds. At no time, however, did any of the avians of which he knew resemble the state Philomena was in at that moment. Frustrated with his lack of progress, Gearhead grabbed a book on birds he had not gotten to yet, plus his most comprehensive book on legendary beasts, and hit the road again.

Given Philomena’s state, Gearhead lay odds (if he was a betting horse) that Fluttershy was trying to nurse the bird back to health. He peered as carefully as possible through one of the windows, and was able to confirm that that was the case. He then took out the lighter book on birds, and tapped it against the window before moving to the door.

“This had better be quick,” Twilight said, opening the door. “I’m on a roll.”

“In regards to that..?” Gearhead flipped through the book as he stepped inside so Twilight could close the door behind him. He looked up – and saw an aura of unstable heat rolling off of Philomena. It crashed into and almost overwhelmed Fluttershy’s soothing aura, but Twilight’s aura of power seemed to be boosted by it. Of course I would miss such a thing in Princess Celestia’s presence, but now Philomena is the most powerful being in the room! Without another word, Gearhead dropped the bird book and started to flip through the one on legendary creatures. Bird. Heat. Fire. Firebird. Of course! Philomena is—

The thought got cut off as a business-like knocking came to the door. Twilight opened it to find two of the Princess’s Royal Guards standing there.

“What can I do for you gentle-stallions?”

“Twilight Sparkle, we were informed we could find you here. It seems the royal pet has gone missing. Would you know where it is?”

“No, sirs, I’m afraid not.” Behind Twilight, covered by a sheet, Philomena coughed. Gearhead watched with rapt attention as Twilight nudged Fluttershy, standing beside the covered pet bird, to cough in order to cover the sound. Then Twilight coughed too. “It’s that dry night air?”

“But it’s the middle of the day,”

“Anyway, thank you for coming to check. We’ll let you know if we hear anything about – Philomena, was it? Bye!” And Twilight closed the door, then waited for the guards to walk away before showing any relief.

“Why did you just lie to them?” Fluttershy asked.

“Do you know what the Princess will do if she finds out we took her pet without permission?”

“No. Do you?”

Gearhead did not listen to the rest of the conversation. He turned his attention back to his book:

Encyclopaedia of Equestrian Legendary Beasts – Phoenix

The Phoenix is a Bird of Fire that exists in many cultures’ mythologies, due to its extremely close elemental affinity for Fire, and also because of the myths attached to it. The Phoenix is long-lived, and prefers the company of other long-lived beings because it is known to become extremely attached emotionally, and is highly loyal.

The Phoenix symbolizes destruction and rebirth by Fire.

The Phoenix hatches from an egg. Until it first matures it is like any other flying avian. Its only markings as a member of the Phoenix family are its orange and gold feathers.

Once matured, the Phoenix begins its primary life cycle. As such, it must periodically replenish its energy and rejuvenate, in a state that resembles common illnesses in birds.

Once this stage is interrupted, or completed, the Phoenix bursts into flames and rises from its own ashes completely refreshed and renewed.

Due to the Phoenix’s ability of rebirth, a myth circulates that the consumption of Phoenix flesh will result in immortality. This myth is patently false, as attempting to consume the fiery flesh of this legendary Bird of Flame will result in the eater being burned.

[Princess Celestia of Equestria]

There were pictures of a Phoenix in the various stages of its life cycle, and given the now unsurprising fact that Princess Celestia had contributed the bulk of the entry (and others), Gearhead would not be surprised if those pictures were of Philomena. All of this information meant that Philomena was having some fun with Fluttershy, and the fact that the Princess had brought her along during her Stage of Decline probably meant she was in on it, at least a little. This bore out with what Gearhead remembered about the Princess pulling a minor prank on the Cakes.

“You both can stop panicking now: Philomena is…” Gearhead looked up to find all three gone. When had that happened? He quickly grabbed his books and galloped out the door, making sure to close it properly before heading for Ponyville proper.

Gearhead caught up with Twilight and the others in the Town Square, just in time for the guards to notice that Philomena was perched on top of the statue there. The bird lurched crazily here and there, coughing dramatically after her last feather fell out. A single second pause gave the game away. “Hey, we already have one Drama Queen in this group,” Gearhead said, exasperated. “I am tired of chasing you ponies around and trying to tell you—“

That was when Philomena fell from the statue, and Fluttershy dove to catch her – only to see the bird burst into flames so the ashes would all pile up on her hooves. Fluttershy began to cry, while the others looked on, stunned. “Yes, fine,” Gearhead said, taking out the book so he could use one hoof to turn the pages. “As I was trying to tell you –“

“What is all this commotion?”

“Princess Celestia, we’re so sorry! We were just trying to take care of Philomena for you. We were really going to return her to you afterwards—“

“Will you listen to me for just one single second? Philomena is a Phoenix!” Gearhead blurted.

“Whoa, what an outburst!” Rainbow Dash said.

“I live over a forge; get over it.”

“What’s a Phoenix?” Fluttershy asked.

“Here! Look here,” Gearhead stabbed at the entry with his hoof. “Or we can ask the entry contributor to explain it.”

“I think it is better to just show you, my little ponies. Philomena? You’re scaring everypony.” And in a swirl, Philomena revived, looking far more majestic in her refreshed gold and light-crimson form. While she flew around, the Princess explained to the others, using almost the exact same words that were in the encyclopaedia entry. “I’m afraid little mischievous Philomena was just having some fun at your expense,” Princess Celestia said.

Yes, and you were in on it, Gearhead thought. Mares and gentlecolts, I give you the Crowned Ruler of all Equestria, he thought wryly. Then again, she has lived and ruled for well over 1,000 years and probably needs some fun to spice things up. Nevermind: my fury’s all spent.

“I would like to extend an invitation to you, Gearhead, to the Grand Galloping Gala,” Princess Celestia floated a golden ticket over to the Earth Pony. “I believe by then we will have much about which to speak.”

“Oh,” Rarity said. “Should I design some formalwear for you as well? I would enjoy some practice with stallion’s wear as well in this case.”

“With my apologies, Miss Rarity, I already have something that I am to wear to all formal occasions.”

“Surely I can spruce it up for you then, dear.”

“Actually, it was recently tailored to my size. It is a special make from home, so please do not worry about the design.”

“Oh, very well. It had better be as good as you say, because otherwise I can’t be held responsible for how ponies will receive you in Canterlot.”

“I assure you, Lady Rarity, it is under control.”

“There’s just one other thing,” Princess Celestia said, and Gearhead noticed that Fluttershy was wearing a single large phoenix feather behind one ear – another gift from a legendary creature. Gearhead turned back to the Princess to see her levitating his pouch out toward him. “A fascinating item with which you are most fortunate to be entrusted, young Gearhead. I caution you that you are not to reveal the giver’s name to anypony unless she or he gives you permission first, for a name is a powerful thing indeed.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Gearhead said, accepting the pouch back and reattaching it to his belt. The weight and feel of the gemstone within was comforting. “You have my thanks.”

The Alicorn who ruled Equestria smiled cryptically, making Gearhead wonder if there was more.

* * *

It was more of a challenge than Gearhead would have ever thought possible to dissuade Rarity from trailing him back to the shop to take a look at his formalwear, despite his earlier protests and reassurances. He really was perfectly fine with what he had, since Mother and Big Sister Ivy had insisted that he receive it before he passed through Ghastly Gorge. They really wanted to make sure his formalwear fit correctly. It seemed that the closer Gearhead got to Canterlot the more concerned those two became with his ability to be prepared for formal social occasions. Gearhead guessed that was what came from the lifestyle shift that he had already undergone.

And it seemed more likely to undergo even further changes, now that he had caught Princess Celestia’s attention, essentially through his association to her protégée, Twilight Sparkle. Gearhead did not know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing yet. He did know that there was a type of pony who became jealous when they saw those they felt were undeserving getting attention from the more influential ponies. You did not get any more influential in Equestria than Princess Celestia.

Having put his gear from the luncheon away, Gearhead opened the black pouch and let the Fireheart Gemstone roll into his hooves. He gasped, for the fire that lit the ball-like item had changed since before he had handed it over to the princess for inspection: In addition to a molten red, orange, and yellow the light had distinct patterns of blue and green, gold and pink. The red had lightened to more of a crimson tint, and the orange looked exactly like the orange of Philomena’s feathers. Somehow, during the time the gemstone had been in Princess Celestia’s possession, she had changed, or perhaps added to, the inner fire of this precious artefact.

As Gearhead studied the Fireheart Gemstone, blue-green light seeped gently from his hooves, and he came to a partial understanding, at least. The Fireheart Gemstone was alive with Fire Magic at a very deep level. It originally came from the magma in the cave system, which Shadow Wright had processed, evoking the living flame. Princess Celestia had then added her own magic and flame, making it an even more powerful artefact than it had been before.

It made perfect sense, since Princess Celestia had the power to raise and lower both the Sun and the Moon – but most specifically, in this case, the Sun, which held its own incredibly intense fires. Even the princess’s golden magic was special, Gearhead understood. Its quality was different on a fundamental level from those of Unicorns like Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia was incredibly long-lived, and her magic radiated from her not just in her aura, which Gearhead could see, but also as a physical manifestation in her flowing, nimbus-like mane and tail, which everypony could see. Most ponies would not question how that could be because they had grown up used to such a phenomenon, so they no longer saw it as unusual.

Princess Celestia had granted Gearhead a glimpse behind the curtain, perhaps in the belief that he could decode the mystery behind it. In the hope that he could replicate it? What an odd hope to place in a pony like him! Or perhaps it was not so odd, because he knew what it was like to be powerless, and how it felt not to be in control of one’s own power.

Gearhead had long since transcended both the states of powerlessness and of not being in control. Now he was on his way to mastering his power so he could be useful to the ponies around him, and those waiting for him at home. Perhaps, in that case, Princess Celestia was inviting Gearhead to Canterlot to guide him toward the next stage in his journey.

In all that, an idea began to percolate in Gearhead’s mind. Still carrying the Fireheart Gemstone in his mouth, he went in search of pen and notepad. This could take some time, but then the greatest ideas always did.

* * *

Gearhead turned completely around to look at his handiwork in its complete form: hanging from a web of thread and yarn were papers of various sizes, some set forward and others set back. They formed a series of loose rings around the Earth Pony, and when he looked at them in a slightly defocused manner, the separate sheets created a complete picture. The calculations and technical drawings came together perfectly.

It was a multi-layer, furnace-like turbine that, if Gearhead was correct (and so far he did not have any evidence to the contrary) could both power and propel whatever he chose to attach it to. It could bridge the gap between the different pony tribes. It could grant power on the level of the Sun itself. It could change everything! The realization made Gearhead giddy.

Unfortunately there were also greedy and jealous ponies who, if they learned of this, would seek it out and try to build one of their own. While it could provide light and warmth, it could also be weaponized, and the thought of something he was going to make being made to destroy on such a grand scale sobered Gearhead immediately. He realized then that secrecy, safety, and security would be paramount in this project. He could not allow any other pony to have even a poor imitation of a copy of something so powerful. He would have to use every possible safeguard and security measure he could think of, and then surpass that mark by an order of two: ponydom was not ready to harness the power of the sun, and failure to harness it properly would result in a massive explosion. It might even ignite the very air, and who knew how far that devastation might reach!

Gearhead proceeded to enact the first layer of security measures immediately. First he committed everything to memory, creating a deluge of data that would hopefully stump any psionicist looking to differentiate between vital and unimportant information. Next, he took the papers that contained data and diagrams on vital safeguards and other systems and chewed them to pulp before spitting them into his forge to burn and mix with the other ashes. Finally, he took down the remaining blueprints and, shuffling them so that even if they were found they would be out of order, hid them all about the workshop and top levels of the shop.

Gearhead returned to the workshop and stared for awhile at his still-burning forge. It would not burn hot enough, he knew. It was not strong enough to contain the full force of what he was about to unleash in order to contain an even more powerful force of nature. He needed a new forge, or even more likely, a new workshop. Something that was as secure as possible. It would take some time to build, but he knew he could do it, even though he would have to manage it around his normal duties. Yes, it was possible.

Gearhead would also need the best materials for when he went into fabrication: the purest and greatest gemstones, and the strongest metals. Adamantine! He did not have nearly enough of the dragonfired adamantine that Shadow Wright had left for him, even if he augmented it with the box containing the ironwood. He would have to make more, and that meant intense study of the material he did have. Well, there was no time like the present in which to get started.

Just as soon as he got some rest, because he had no idea how long it had been since he had even started sketching. He just knew he had not stopped until he had the complete blueprint, which now only existed in his head. Well, that was the first layer of safeguards.

* * *

Ten days later the second layer of safeguards was complete. Naturally, fulfilling his normal duties had slowed him down, but the main factor was that all the digging, rigging, and assembling he had done fatigued Gearhead far more quickly than any of his normal builds, which he also had to continue making. He also had to venture into the environs around Ponyville to gather materials for both his normal builds and this extraordinary project. All of it took time, but Gearhead was noticing that his capacity was gradually increasing, as was his control.

And as more ponies heard about Princess Celestia’s interest in the Earth Pony gadgeteer, more customers came to Gearhead’s Gadgets than ever before. The shop’s sales were up, and his coffers had never been fuller. Gearhead could only imagine how pleased his parents would be to receive that month’s share back home!

His duties completed for the moment, Gearhead headed down to the workshop. He stood between the forge and the bins full of materials, and gently placed his bare hooves on the floor near the wall. Blue-green energy gently crackled, moving stone to reveal a short stone stairway that ended flush with the wall. Gearhead had had to back up so he did not fall in. A hoof against the ‘wall’ opened the hidden door. Gearhead stepped into a small cubic room that was undecorated and empty except for the steel cable running vertically through the middle, and closed the door behind him. The room was barely large enough for him to stand inside of it. Gearhead nudged a clamp that held the cable near the floor with an exposed hoof, and when it released he caught hold of the cable in his mouth. He began to count as he descended, knowing that the stairs were, once again, hidden.

At the correct count, Gearhead stopped his descent and replaced the clamp. He opened the door ahead of him and stepped into a second car, this one with its cable running horizontally. Gearhead closed the first elevator’s door with a flick of his tail, released the second car’s clamp, and again counted as he moved.

Gearhead repeated the process with a second vertical elevator and a second horizontal car, always counting off to ensure he stopped at the right place, and always closing doors behind himself. He opened the fourth car’s door to reveal a blank metal wall. At his touch, the wall opened up, and Gearhead was able to enter his ultimate workshop and playground.

The workshop was a single long room done in the second-strongest metal alloy Gearhead knew of, and the strongest one he could manufacture in bulk. It was lit by a set of thirty Unicorn-powered lightbulbs which he had purchased in various towns, so as to avoid buying from just one shop. Apart from the usual bins for materials, the room was empty. The skeleton of an extra-large, spherical forge stood nearby, connected to a long, flexible rod that travelled up a series of shafts back to the shop’s waterwheel. The rod had to be flexible, because the whole room was suspended on massive air-cushioned springs in all directions to insulate it from tremors, and also to isolate the ground from any explosions from inside the workshop.

The tunnels, too, were integral to the security of the operation. The ones along which Gearhead had traveled continued for quite a distance past the correct marks, and he had even gone to the trouble of digging false passages, complete with cars and cables in case somepony penetrated his first security layer somehow. The tunnels were lined in metal alloy sheets to prevent detection, or even a solid read on the contents through magic. All of this had taken almost as long as building the workshop so that it resembled an isolated, sterile laboratory where anything could be constructed.

And if everything worked out, it would all be worth it.

Gearhead took out the last of the blueprint papers he had been carrying and carefully filed them away, still keeping them random. There was no longer any dangerous information hidden in his living quarters, and very little hidden in his primary workshop. Gearhead had also brought down most of the adamantine and ironwood for safekeeping, although he kept a bar of each with him at all times in case he had time in which to examine them.

Gearhead had realized that in order to be able to create more adamantine or ironwood he would have to completely understand their components. To do that, he would have to understand how Shadow Wright’s fire had changed them. While Gearhead did not possess any of the original metal or wood, he did have the Fireheart Gemstone. The precious gem contained a living flame that existed because of Shadow Wright’s dragonfire, and which had grown more potent from Princess Celestia and Philomena. Gearhead remembered what Princess Celestia’s and Philomena’s auras felt and looked like, so he could mentally remove those factors, leaving Shadow Wright’s signature. When examining the adamantine and ironwood, Gearhead could likewise mentally remove Shadow Wright’s signature flame from the equation, leaving normal adamantine and ironwood. Once he understood them, he could make more. Being able to make more would allow him to go fully into the manufacture of his prototype sun turbine (although he wanted a better name for it that was not so on-the-nose).

All this from the Princess’s visit. I really will have to visit her in Canterlot as thanks, Gearhead thought. He sat in the middle of the room with his bar of adamantine in front of him. He lay his hooves just in front of the bar, closed his eyes, and opened his mind to the flow of his knack. Today, too, he would be trying to unlock the secret.

* * *

A couple days later, Gearhead had his first opportunity to fulfill his promise to Princess Celestia. He was surprised, at first, that the invitation was for him alone. He was also more than a little nervous, since this would be his first time visiting the Equestrian capital and the current seat of power.

At Princess Celestia’s request, Gearhead took his cyclic wagon, full of wares, instead of the train, which stopped directly inside Canterlot. The journey would have taken longer if Gearhead took the typical route, however the wagon’s suspension was good enough for him to run on the train tracks the entire way. Fortunately he was able to time his run so he could pull off of the tracks and avoid a collision with the train, which continued to run at the same time.

When Gearhead arrived in Canterlot, the Princess’s Royal Guard directed him to park inside the palace’s main courtyard. Gearhead did so, securing his vehicle’s brakes before climbing down out of the wagon. A Unicorn stallion in Royal Guard finery was waiting for him.

“Gearhead of Gearhead’s Gadgets, I presume?”

“That is correct, Sir..?”

“Pleased to meet you, Gearhead. I’m Shining Armour, Captain of the Royal Guard,” Shining Armour leaned in and whispered. “I’m also Twilight Sparkle’s big brother,” he said, before resuming a more relaxed stance.

Understood, Gearhead did not have to say. He knew all about a big brother’s protective tendencies, which were especially strong toward little sisters. “It is a pleasure, Sir Armour,” Gearhead said.

“This way please,” Shining Armour gestured for the other guards to resume their posts, with two remaining to guard Gearhead’s wagon. “This being your first time here, I’ll give you the three-bit tour, at least until the Princess is ready to see you.”

“That would be fantastic,” Gearhead said. “I have heard that Canterlot has one of the best libraries in Equestria.”

“The library? Yes, I do think it is fairly good, although Twilight’s the one who knows all the ins and outs on that front. I have to caution you, though, to try to avoid spending all of your time with your nose in the books while you’re here.” Despite the warning, there was an unmistakable twinkle in Captain Armour’s eyes that spoke of a love for books. He must have his own reasons for not wanting to admit to it, Gearhead thought.

“Not to worry: I know at least that much about courtly manners – although I admit to not making any promises if either of the Princesses shows me the library themselves. When I am in Research Mode, I know very little restraint.”

“I know that mode fairly well,”

“Do you know how to disrupt it as well?”

“Usually by moving a book or inkwell a bit.”

“Just a little?” Gearhead raised an eyebrow.

“About a fillymeter,” Shining Armour winked.

“I find that incredible,”

“It is,”

“No, I mean that I do not believe it,”

“Then try it for yourself sometime,” Shining Armour said, and he started the tour.

* * *

Without explanation, Shining Armour motioned for Gearhead to enter the room. Fortunately the Throne Room did not need an explanation. At that moment, the conversation that had been taking place at the other end of the room quickly became wrapped up, and the Princess’s visitors bowed and took their leave. Shining Armour nodded to Gearhead, and the latter approached the throne, while the former also left.

“Welcome to Canterlot, Gearhead.”

“My thanks for the invitation, Your Highness,” Gearhead said, bowing.

“Come, let us go someplace less drafty and more conducive to your studies.” Princess Celestia left her throne and indicated a hidden passage behind it. Once Gearhead was following her, the princess spoke in a quieter voice, although in the more confined space high volume was not necessary. “I have to say that I like informality much better than formality, even when tradition must be observed.”

“Our traditions set the standards for what is expected of us, Your Highness, and so there are many uses for them,” Gearhead said, when it was clear she was waiting for a response.

“And yet some of those same traditions might not be relevant anymore. They might become obstacles to better living. They might even stifle independent and new thought.”

“Selective traditionalism, then?”

Princess Celestia chuckled. She opened the far end of the passage, and they came out to a circular room that held a bank of books. “I built this room for meditation and practice. It’s perfect because the stones used suppress magic to some extent, which means that when you practice you have to make much more of an effort than you would normally. And this makes your magic that much more powerful when you leave. Those same materials in the walls and floor remove distractions such as sound, while maintaining a fully-comfortable environment. I come here for at least three hours in a day.”

“That is because you have no patience for your normal duties around the middle of the day, Sister,” Princess Luna said, coming over from the opposite side of the room. “This is the stallion you wish to train?”

“He has so much potential, Little Sister.”

“We shall see,” Princess Luna said. “Our turn first?”

“If you want,” Princess Celestia said, and the midnight-blue Alicorn nodded.

“Come and be seated,” Princess Luna said, sitting on the outer edge of the central circle. She nodded directly opposite her, where Gearhead soon joined her. “Now, excluding all else, open yourself to the flow of magical energy around you. Let it flow through you, and then focus it on a single point.” As the Princess of the Night demonstrated, her horn glowed a deep blue. “Naturally, you will require a different focus point. What are you doing?” The princess saw Gearhead zipping his shoes up.

“My ability works through my hooves,” he explained.

“It does not matter what you have used to manifest your powers before. This is about flow and focus to a single point. Fix your shoes back up, and we will proceed.”

Gearhead did as he was bid, and on a hunch he drew his geargem dagger and placed it in the middle of the central circle before closing his eyes. He imagined the stuff of magic flowing around the room like the wind, even though there was not any natural wind blowing. The magic would be blowing about through the entire space, as wind itself knew little about limits or boundaries. He imagined calling the wind over to him, letting it flow through his whole body, and then pointing it into his dagger through the spot on his forehead where, if he had been born a Unicorn, his horn would have been. And why not be at least that imaginative, if magic energy was going to be wind?

Gearhead felt a stirring. He sensed that the air around him was pure, but it was also abnormally thick with magic energies, which swirled around as coloured mist. He realized that this made sense, if the Princesses made this their primary place of practice. That would mean the magic energies he was sensing was residual magic from spells the two Alicorns were practicing over the years.

Gearhead sensed far more golden energy than blue energy, and the latter was newer, as if it had only started up in recent years. The gold energy was thick and heavy, weighed down with regret that only increased until around the same time the blue energy started up. Gearhead felt around. “I do not detect any residual energies from Nightmare Moon,” he said.

“There would be none,” Princess Luna said, “as the seat of our power was still at the Castle of the Two Sisters in the Everfree Forest. During our time as Nightmare Moon we did not use any such practice room. We were only able to start using this room after Twilight Sparkle and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to free us from the darkness that had transformed us.”

“Those six?” Gearhead opened his eyes in surprise, but then realized that there were little else who it could have been, knowing in the first place that the Elemental Six resided in Ponyville.

“Indeed, each represents a different Element integral to friendships. Without their help, we sisters would still be at war with one another.” Listening, Gearhead knew instantly that the regret he felt in Princess Celestia’s magic was from banishing her own sister to the moon for a thousand years. That heavy act had weighed heavily on her indeed, however Luna was herself once more, and free. “Now, see if you can levitate your dagger as we instructed earlier.”

Gearhead refocused on the flow of energy around and through him, visualizing a spiralling path through his body until the energies focused on his forehead, where he projected it into his dagger. When he opened his eyes he saw that the dagger was glowing gold and shuddering slightly. He tried harder, but it never moved more than that.

“At least we now know you can use magical energies,” Princess Luna said.

Gearhead was not finished yet, though. He grasped the floating gold and blue mists and pulled them toward where he sat. He formed both fogs into separate orbs, and then took a thin stand of each and pulled them down toward his hooves. He braided the strands together, so their colours blended into a bright green. Imagining his hooves as the roots of a tree, he split the green thread into four parts so he could lead them through each leg separately. Again, he made the spiral path through his whole body, but this time he was unable to send the energies out to his dagger. Puzzled, he sat back and contemplated the problem, while still holding onto the separate balls of energy on either side of him.

“I have an idea, if I may?” Princess Celestia said.

“Indeed, your turn,” Princess Luna said.

“Gearhead, I want you to try sending the energies you’re focusing directly into your dagger instead of routeing it through your body. Follow what your instincts tell you to do without worrying about the consequences: if this room cannot handle it, Luna and I will.”

Gearhead nodded and reset himself, separating the threads from his hooves. They unwound and returned to their respective colours and orbs. Gearhead focused again, and the orbs began to move toward each other, centering themselves directly over the dagger. Where the energies met, they began to blend, and then they shot a solid beam of energy down toward the dagger.

The geargem dagger responded by shooting into the air, halfway to the merging orbs, and elongating to sword size. The half-gear guard on the sword rotated around so the open flat end faced the blade, and then that half split apart, to form a more traditional crosspiece, with both ends of the quartered gear reaching around part of the way. The merged, slightly larger orb of magic energy flew down into the gemstone sword, energizing it and transforming it into a very impressive looking greatsword, which floated right in front of Gearhead.

Gearhead grasped the sword by the pommel and pointed it at the wall opposite. The blade split apart at the center, showing a gap that led directly to the captured energy orb. Tendrils of energy flowed out, forming a pair of energy wings as the charge built, and then Gearhead shot a lance of lightning from the sword into the wall, leaving a scorch mark there. The sword charged again, this time with a plasma ball, which Gearhead shot into the same spot. He might have charged the weapon again, but the magic energy began to spark alarmingly.

Gearhead angled the blade down and to the left, resting the long hilt across his shoulder. He placed his right hoof over the orb, ejecting it into the floor just behind him, where it broke apart and transformed swiftly back to its inert fog state. Only now, Gearhead could no longer see it. The sword reverted to its dagger state.

Gearhead felt a slight burning sensation throughout his body. Princess Celestia started to move toward him when he glowed golden, automatically using the energy still trapped inside him to heal the minor wounds caused by the overwhelming energy from both princesses. “Well, now we know you can use a limited amount of external energy, and that you can use internalized energy to heal or enhance yourself,” Princess Celestia said. “Now that you’re at your limit, though, I think we should end the lesson.”

“We will show you to your quarters,” Princess Luna said. While it was not dark yet, Gearhead did feel some fatigue, probably from using magic energy in a way to which he was not accustomed as of yet. He followed the younger princess, who led him to a part of the residential area that was close to the practice room. As if reading his mind, she told him where the library was. “Your access will be slightly restricted, so ask before entering any of the special wings,” she said. “These will be your quarters any time you stay in Canterlot.”

“My thanks again, Princess Luna.”

“To be honest, satisfying our curiosity in regards to your odd gifts is reward enough. We shall see you later. For now, I must guard the Equestrian night.” The princess excused herself, leaving Gearhead to explore his rooms.

The first room was a very lavish bedroom within which any noble would be proud to stay. There was a private lavatory with all the amenities toward the back, a hooflocker at the end of the bed, and a set of combined dresser-shelves lined one wall. The Royal Guards had already taken the liberty of dropping off Gearhead’s luggage, which consisted of one bag for clothes and another bag for tools and materials. The rest of the items he had brought were in his locked wagon in the courtyard, or in the vest he was wearing.

Gearhead doffed his clothes, washed, and quickly went to sleep. He woke in complete darkness, and elected to study his adamantine bar for awhile. An hour later he returned to sleep for a few minutes before deciding to investigate the library, which he accessed by asking a patrolling guard to unlock the gate.

Looking at the scale of the place, and the sheer amount of shelves, all lined with books, Gearhead had to conclude that this would be one of his favourite places in which to conduct research. He immediately went to work chasing answers about magic and unusual ponies, deciding that researching adamantine and ironwood could wait.

6. A Few Good Ponies

Chapter 6: A Few Good Ponies

Gearhead’s second day of training did not bring any improvement or new insight: he could internalize ambient magical energy, but once it was there he could not send it back out. He could send his own magical energies into objects, but could not affect them in any way. He could shape and process external energies, but could not change them into anything but other forms of energy that they already contained – and he certainly could not make more than two shots using the Princesses’ high-level energy. Gearhead also could not do anything at all unless it was through his dagger.

Princess Celestia told him to keep trying, and not to get discouraged. Of course, given the other ponies who had supported him throughout the years, Gearhead could never give up on finding his potential. Princess Luna seemed very interested in finding out what he could do.

When Gearhead exhausted his magical energy, apart from a reserve he kept ‘just in case,’ he went to the library to conduct more research. With some help from the librarian and from whichever princess was not currently on-duty, he found books and scrolls far faster than he would have otherwise. On his second day, Gearhead met Princess Cadence near some books on advanced spells. He could tell immediately that they could get along well with each other, because the pink Alicorn radiated a powerful aura of compassion. They did not say anything to each other then, but Gearhead watched as she gently took several books off the shelf with her magic. Her aura was blue-green, like the gemstone heart on her cutie mark.

Gearhead delved more deeply into the collection, but even after his third day in Canterlot he had not looked at everything in the open collection. He could only imagine how long it would take before he explored everything he could in any of the restricted wings!

Like the young Alicorn princess, another member of the royal family who was a contemporary of Gearhead and the Elemental Six visited the library. This was a white Unicorn stallion, Prince Blueblood. Gearhead did not get the usual sense from Blueblood’s aura, although he did see what colour his magic aura was. The prince was studying a book on heraldry and the royal bloodline, although Gearhead expected that such things were included in his lessons from a very early age.

Gearhead stayed in Canterlot through a fourth night, and in the morning, with a farewell from Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence, and Captain Armour, he departed to return to Ponyville. While he had spent his time productively, and met some very interesting and powerful ponies, three days and four nights was a long time to spend away from the shop and his friends. Gearhead looked forward very much to getting home.

* * *

When Gearhead arrived in Ponyville, he intended to go right to his shop. Instead, he paused when he saw Pinkie Pie riding in the back of a little wagon that Scootaloo was towing on her scooter, with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle between the mare and their driver.

“And that’s how Equestria was born,” Pinkie Pie was saying. “Maybe on the way back I’ll tell you how I got my cutie mark. It’s a real gem!”

“Huh?”

“Relax, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah, that’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” Apple Bloom said.

So even the fillies just dismiss her behaviour like that, Gearhead thought. He parked his wagon and, moving quickly, managed to catch the girls at the doors to Sugar Cube Corner. “Oh hi, Gearhead. We’re looking for—“

“Rainbow Dash!”

“Hear you’re looking for my cutie mark story,” Rainbow Dash said. “But why don’t we go for a full set and save the most awesome for last. What d’ya say, Gearhead? Up for telling yours?”

“If you are interested,” he said to the fillies. If they had already heard stories from five mares, they were probably already at the ends of their patience ropes. But Gearhead was a new addition to Ponyville, and everypony was interested in knowing more about him.

* * *

It is traditional on my family’s farm for a foal to be brought to the fields for the first time at the age of three. And there were three of us out that day: My father, my oldest brother, and my older sister. I was in awe of the fields and all the various crops, running and inspecting at top speed, the widest smile on my face. I was excited with the thought that soon I would be lending a hoof in the harvest.

Then, suddenly, while I was along the high corn stalks, crazy sparks started to fly from my hooves. The ground bent and buckled, boiled and baked underneath me. I got thrown to the ground, and tried to get back up, but I just got thrown again. Then my father was there, lifting me onto his back and running me back to the house.

When I woke up I learned that the land was ruined for a five meter diameter around where I had been standing. I tried going outside, to prove that it was just a big mistake, but no sooner did my hooves touch ground then it happened again, and my father had to rush me back inside. We did not know what was wrong with me, just that I could not go outside. I would not be able to lend a hoof.

My father spent all his free time during the next half-year trying to find methods of bringing my odd affliction under control. He consulted other Earth Ponies, nearby Unicorns, and even the Pegasi. He went to the local library and brought many books back, and we conducted further research together.

After six months of research, my father and I finally developed the sort of horseshoe I wear now. It insulates the earth against the effects of what I have come to call my ‘knack,’ but it does not provide me with greater control over it. Also, none of the research we conducted pointed to any similar cases. I was unique.

Once I was able to step outside to prove the efficacy of the insulated horseshoes, the family elders told my father, in no uncertain terms, to allow me to find my place on my own power. He returned to the fields full-time, while I continued with my research. Most of the time I checked out library material to read at home. I got good at reading quickly. I learned magic theory. That is where I really began.

My brothers and sisters, even those younger than me, found their places far more easily than I. Everyone had specific tasks they could do to make themselves useful on the farm, except for me. Because I was a walking disaster, they had to pick up the slack. When I was three I knew that the most important thing was to be useful to my family, but there was not anything I could do to help. Not until I was five. That was when the plough broke.

I am certain it was my oldest brother’s idea to put the plough in the section of the house that had become mine – equal parts study and laboratory. It was the only place I did not have to wear my shoes and worry that everything would fall apart under me. So I, the broken Earth Pony who could not farm, looked at the cracked plough that could no longer farm. I got close enough to touch it, and when I did… that was when I understood.

In putting my hooves to the metal and wood, I saw and felt the whole structure behind the thing. I knew how it all fit together, where it was broken, how it could be fixed, and even how to make it better. From there it was a simple matter to make those connections, and when I opened my eyes, it was all done. My mother and my older sister came, attracted by the light that my hooves made on contact. They saw that I was beside a plough that was better than new, and soon that tool, which I had reinforced, was back in the fields, farming as never before.

Suddenly there was far more I could do: Silos, roofs, hoes and shovels. I made everything on the farm so strong they were unlikely to ever break again. But I also knew I could go further. I thought up ways in which to improve the tools to make them easier to use, and to make everything more efficient, without losing any of the quality that was expected of us.

When ponies came to buy from us, they saw our tools. They saw the quality of those tools, and the quality of what they helped to sew, maintain, and harvest. These ponies wanted to buy what I reinforced and made, and so I made more and sold them. I went out into the town, looking for more things to reinforce and make, just to make the townsponies’ lives easier. And every time I used my ‘knack’ I got better at it, with more control than ever before. Naturally I wanted to learn more about my 'knack,' and went to the Pegasi and Unicorns for more information, just like my father.

I was six when I built my first forge. I learned the skills of a blacksmith so I would have a greater understanding of what I was doing through my ‘knack,’ and so I would not have to rely on it entirely. It was in the rush I felt while creating something that had not existed before that I created Gearhead’s Gadgets. I broke three hammers and seven anvils doing it, but it was worth it to have such a clear way with which to contribute to my family’s well-being and wealth.

And, while I was happily innovating and inventing devices, I discovered that I relished the thrill of discovery for its own sake. That was when I got my cutie mark, although I had always thought I would never get one at all, because I was not good at anything at all.

It was my father and his persistence that taught me never to give up, least of all on myself, because if I did I would be making a mockery of all of his efforts and all of the sacrifices he had made on my behalf. My mother, too, was patient, and held hope even when I was at my lowest point. My oldest brother is an example of arrogance and intolerance, thinking that there is no place for anyone who cannot prove his or her use, yet he still only wanted what was best for the family as a whole. My older sister balances him out with her compassion and ability to sooth even the sorest of hearts. I owe my family everything I am because they have taught me about everything I am.

When I was eight my devices had saturated the town to the point where I was no longer making the big sales that contributed the most to the farm. I asked my parents for permission to strike out on my own, and find my future in the world. Although they did not want to see me go, they granted permission and saw me off with tears – them and my big sister. I made some repairs on some of the things I had sold, then I took Gearhead’s Gadgets on the road.

I have been on the road ever since, selling and researching. Searching for the mastery of the skills I once considered a curse, and never staying very long in any one place. That is, perhaps, until now. You see, I have much to learn, both about myself and about others, here in Ponyville. Until I have studied all that I can, I dare not move on, for fear of leaving something critical, something crucial to my own being, behind.

When I have found what I am looking for, I can return home, and show my family that they can be proud of me – although, most probably, this will not happen for some time.

* * *

“I have told you about my efforts, even when they pass the point when I got my cutie mark, because I see some of myself, and the lessons I have learned, in you three. You are persistent. You are searching for yourselves and your true worth. You have much to prove. I hope you can learn, as I have, to keep going no matter how hard the going gets, and to find in your abilities that you are worthwhile. There are, after all, things you can do that nopony else can. Your goal may be a short way off, and it could be far in the future. As long as you persist, you will achieve it.”

There was a pause, and then Rainbow Dash stepped right in. “Enough of this Namby Pamby touchy-feely stuff! Here’s the right way to get a cutie mark.” And she launched into the story of how she performed the first Sonic Rainboom, winning an airborne race and defending Fluttershy’s honour.

And, apparently, helped the other four friends assembled find their destinies by pulling off the Sonic Rainboom.

“You see? The only way to know what you can accomplish, in your and in others’ lives, is to keep on trying,” Gearhead said, heading back out to his wagon.

* * *

“What did you think of Gearhead’s story?” Twilight asked the others, after the Cutie Mark Crusaders had left on their latest attempt. They were certainly no less motivated than before, although the six friends’ stories had all been brought to fullness through Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom. This indicated a deep and fated connection between the six of them.

“He didn’t have a Sonic Rainboom,” Rainbow Dash said. “It also took years to unfold. Boring!”

“I had no idea he’d grown up on a farm,” Applejack said. “Shame he can’t actually farm.”

“Do you have any idea which farm, Applejack?” Twilight asked.

“Sorry, I’d have to ask Granny Smith, and her memory’s not the best even on her best days. Whichever one it is, though, it sounds like it has a lot of traditions.”

“I’m a farmpony too: a rock farm!” Pinkie Pie said.

“I’m just glad he turned out okay,” Fluttershy said. “If I had a bully like his brother…”

“But you were bullied,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh. Right.” Fluttershy made herself very small, while the others glared at Rainbow Dash.

“I certainly do admire his persistence, building a business from scratch on his own and continuing to support his family,” Rarity said.

“Even though he’s an Earth Pony it sounds like he’s studied magic theory for about as long as I have,” Twilight said. “I wonder, if he was a Unicorn, could he use different types of magic the way I do?”

“He mentioned Unicorns in his story,” Rarity said. “Maybe they helped him with his control issues. It would be nice to know who they were.”

“Come to think of it, he didn’t name any names at all,” Applejack said. “We know he still has both parents, and older and younger siblings, but none of their names.”

“I wouldn’t want to seem to pry,” Fluttershy said.

“You’re right: he’ll tell us when he’s ready,” Twilight said.

“I’m just happy to know some more about our newest friend!” Pinkie Pie said.

* * *

The first thing Gearhead had to do to get back on track was to make deliveries on the orders that had been made before his trip to Canterlot. While he made the deliveries, he also tried to keep up with the demands they made on his resources. In some cases he was able to make deals to trade a device and its attendant services for wood or gemstones, which were often used instead of bits anyway. Gearhead still had to scour the nearby areas for more wood, metal, and gems to augment his supply, but not as much as before.

Gearhead also had to keep a good supply of tools and other devices in the shop for his normal sales. While the flow of sales to ponies who lived in Ponyville was slowing down, Gearhead still got some customers from the towns he had already visited, and those who heard about his work by visiting those towns. Business was also starting to pick up because ponies in Canterlot had heard about him during his visit to the princesses. Gearhead was not surprised, since he had parked his wagon in the main courtyard, where it was highly visible. Perhaps there was something to Rarity’s suggestion to advertise and attract more customers so they would come to him. Gearhead knew he could take it further, but he decided to hold that off until later.

At the moment, Gearhead’s foremost concern, aside from keeping the Cutie Mark Crusaders from putting themselves into the hospital, was his progress on the core system project. He needed to make more adamantine for the manufacturing process, but also to build the frame for the core itself. While he was slowly coming to understand more about adamantine, it was still far too little for his needs. By comparison, he was gathering far more pure gems, and making more progress fitting them together for the core itself. Gearhead was trying to work on all seven rings at the same time, so they would have consistently high quality material and workmanship. While he had not completed the sphere forge, he was doing whatever he could using his geomancy.

Gearhead had just placed the third ring back into its safe storage shelf when he heard the summons bell ring. He quickly made his way back up through the elevator system, and using a peep hole to ensure the area was clear first, entered into his primary workshop. He ensured the stairway was covered before moving upstairs to the shop’s main floor.

Upon reaching the shop’s main area, he found Pinkie Pie there in an elaborate costume. She immediate launched into a song as a ‘singing telegram.’ Gearhead was very impressed with her efforts. “Will you come?” She asked, her voice getting raspy.

“Well, one only becomes one year old once. And while I am working on a very important, top-secret project, it is currently in a stable phase. I would be happy to attend Gummy’s Party, Pinkie Pie.”

“Hurray!” Pinkie Pie coughed a bit.

“Lozenge?”

“Thanks,” Pinkie whispered, accepting the candy-like object from the tube.

* * *

Pinkie Pie was in fine form for the party, as was Sugar Cube Corner, Gearhead saw. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle were all in attendance. Applejack and Dash were bobbing for apples, while Fluttershy and Twilight danced and Rarity sampled the punch – the birthday gator was floating in it, but since Pinkie was right there, Rarity could not just get rid of the drink. Gearhead was amazed at the lengths to which she would go for her friends.

Gearhead joined in the games and sweet eating. He had little practice dancing, but watching the others it seemed actual skill did not matter much, so he also danced in his own subdued manner. This party was similar to the welcome party Pinkie had thrown for Gearhead, but also quite different. For one thing, there was far less of a crowd, and Gearhead enjoyed that. The one thing that did not change was Pinkie Pie’s apparently boundless energy.

At the end of the party, while everypony was going home, Twilight was clearly trying to get Gearhead’s attention, so he diverted in the direction of the library. “We’re gonna throw Pinkie a surprise birthday party tomorrow. If you wanna lend a hoof, could you help get some of the supplies?”

“With a chance to ‘give back’ to the original party animal herself? I would be happy to.”

“Great! Bring what you can to Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow afternoon. Make sure Pinkie doesn’t find out, no matter what.”

“Understood,” Gearhead said, giving a half-mock salute before moving discreetly off. It felt natural, given that Twilight was Shining Armour’s sister.

* * *

“This afternoon?” Gearhead asked Pinkie Pie, who stood outside the shop’s door with a basket of envelopes on her head.

“Yes! ‘This afternoon’ this afternoon. Gummy’s birthday party was such a blast that I just had to throw an after-birthday party too.”

“I am sorry, Pinkie Pie, but unlike yesterday I am in a really tricky stage of my experiments at the moment. Being away for five minutes is a risk where blowing up twice really would not be terribly extraordinary. I apologize that I cannot promise I will be there, but maybe next time?”

“Oh yeah, I definitely wouldn’t want anypony to blow up, not even once. Although it was kinda funny when Twilight did it.”

“Have fun,”

“Yeah! I’ll definitely save you some cake,” Pinkie said.

Gearhead closed the door and went back down to the secured forge as quickly as he could. He really did have to stabilise the fourth ring before it caused some sort of explosion, and so he was relieved that all that happened due to his absence was a slight puff of green mist. He switched the fan on higher to ventilate, and worked on switching out the damaged stone for a fresh one. Looking at the damage, though, he got an idea as to what to bring to the party. He would need some more gemstones, though. Fortunately they did not have to be of highest-grade, like the ones he was using in the core.

* * *

When Gearhead pulled his wagon up in front of the barn at Sweet Apple Acres he was surprised to see Pinkie Pie already there. “What is going on?”

“Everypony’s acting all suspicious and trying to avoid me!” Pinkie Pie used her head to rap on the barn door.

“Oh, hello there, Pinkie Pie,” Applejack said. “What can I do ya for?”

“I know Rainbow Dash went in there. What are you hiding from me?!”

“Oh, that? Rainbow was just bringing me some supplies for… the barn. Yup, we’re doing a lot of construction here. That’s what we’re doing. Construction. Oh, Gearhead.”

“I have brought you that second plough for Big McIntosh, but… is this a good time for the delivery?”

“Just unload it in the back, would you? I’m sorry, but we’re a mite busy over here.”

“Will do,” Gearhead said. He guided the plough from the extended truck bed of his wagon, then hopped aboard to drive it around back. He raised the plough so it would not run over the ground and create a trough by accident, then peddled it around to park in back as instructed – where Twilight was waiting for him. Gearhead took the two saddlebags out from their hiding place on the plough and quickly moved over to the Unicorn, so she could teleport both of them inside the barn. “You do realize that by acting suspicious all day you are probably making Pinkie Pie think some very strange things, right?”

“Aw, but she’ll be alright once we’re done and everything’s straightened out,” Rainbow Dash said.

“The sooner the better: Pinkie’s very scary right now,” Fluttershy said.

Gearhead zipped his front shoes up. “Then let us get this done,” he said.

* * *

Gearhead helped to get the party ready just a little earlier than the mares would have without him, then they sent Dash to find Pinkie and bring her back. She was, after all, their fastest member. The friends started to get worried when it took longer than expected, but the reason soon became obvious, as Pinkie looked like she had resisted the whole way, making Dash tired enough that Gearhead believed she had pulled her friend the whole way, too.

And Pinkie Pie looked distinctly unlike herself, all grumpy and with her hair completely straight. She did not perk up until she read the icing on the cake, and incredibly her hair puffed right back into its usual style. The pink Earth Pony’s mood also was restored, and she was greatly pleased that her friends would throw her a surprise birthday party.

She was even more pleased and surprised when Gearhead dropped the diamond dust from the ceiling. “This is amazing!”

“So pretty,” the others chimed.

“I got the idea just this morning. I had to tweak it a bit, though.”

“Why’s that? It’s so sparkly!”

“To make it edible, of course,” Gearhead said.

“Really? Ooh, minty!”

“The ruby dust is strawberry,” Rarity said.

“I like the pink lemonade,” Fluttershy said.

“Hey, I’m supposed to be the one eating gemstones,” Spike said.

“You can eat them normally,” Gearhead said. “Ponies can only eat them when they are processed like this.”

“Oh, I get it. Hm. Not bad, but not very crunchy. Half the fun’s in the crunch, you know.”

“I shall try to remember that,” Gearhead said.

* * *

“Alright, we’re finally here!” Spike jumped into the cabin, looking ahead of the cyclic wagon to Canterlot’s city gates. Earlier, Spike had received a summons from Princess Celestia for Gearhead and Spike, with instructions to bring a wagon full of wares for sale. Gearhead figured there was more to the trip than that, but even Twilight would not question her mentor on her choice of ponies.

As Gearhead drove to the main courtyard where he had parked the last time he was in Canterlot, he noticed that there were a lot more guards. There were also castle functionaries putting up decorative ribbons and moving tables and statuary. “They must be getting ready for the Grand Galloping Gala,” Spike said.

“That does make sense,” Gearhead said. The decorations in the main courtyard came close to Gearhead’s previous parking space, so he nudged the wagon over slightly, manoeuvring to make it fit into the space so he could still safely lower the tail. A pair of Royal Guards were waiting as Gearhead and Spike got down from the secured wagon.

“Princess Celestia is waiting for you in the Throne Room,” one guard said to Spike. “Her Royal Highness has granted you permission to view another wing of the library,” he said to Gearhead. “Please see the librarian immediately.”

Again, Gearhead was convinced there was more to the situation than met the eye, but he was not in a mood to ask questions of a guard who probably did not know what was going on anyway. “Understood,” he said instead, pushing his goggles so they hung from his neck.

Gearhead and Spike walked together until the intersection where one hall led to the Throne Room, while the other led to the library. “Good luck,” Gearhead said to Spike.

“Yeah, you too.” Happy to have his own assignment, the purple dragon moved along. Gearhead watched until he was out of sight, then continued on to the library. The librarian was waiting for him, and indicated that he should move toward the back of the library. Gearhead nodded his thanks, and silently moved on.

Gearhead came to a section of the library marked ‘Clover Wing.’ While it had been locked during his previous visit, this time it opened at his touch. As soon as he was inside, the doors closed again. When the stallion’s vision had adjusted to the candlelight, he saw that Princess Cadence was waiting for him at a nearby table that was practically covered in books and scrolls. “Welcome back to Canterlot Castle,” she said in hushed tones.

“Thank you, Princess.”

“I told you, just ‘Cadence’ is fine. Now, Aunt Luna and I found some things that we think you might find interesting. Unfortunately it’s not so much about unusual ponies as it is about unusual magic. Want to have a look?”

“Certainly,” Gearhead said, and Cadence indicated a book already open before an open seat at her side. The book was, as Cadence had already mentioned, about a different type of magic, which Unicorns very rarely used. When Unicorns casted spells they usually willed something to happen while focusing the necessary energy. As long as they had any needed material with them, the spells usually worked. Rarely did a spell require an incantation or gestures, yet here was a type of magic that even used a phrase of power to unlock the pathway to magic, a so-called ‘activation key.’

Gearhead considered his efforts at using magic so far. Yes, he was an Earth Pony, but he was increasingly capable of using geomancy, or a similar type of magic, to get a read on what was in or along the ground. He could extract materials from the ground, and incorporate them together, or separate them into their individual elements.

Gearhead’s previous session with the princesses had taught him that by using some of the same methods to ‘read’ what was in the air, he could manipulate residual energy fields to empower objects like the geargem dagger, or to imbue himself with a greater level of power – temporarily, if the energy he was using was of a higher quality.

While Rarity and Twilight possessed magic that allowed them to find gemstones, a particular target, buried in the ground, neither could do what he could do, and Twilight was exceedingly powerful for a seemingly-ordinary Unicorn – seemingly, because no normal unicorn would have an Alicorn princess for a foalsitter! Both of the types of magic that Gearhead could do seemed to be unique to him, if the material he had read was anything to go by.

The books and scrolls that Princess Luna and Cadence had found for Gearhead to browse were certainly of a unique variety, at least as far as contemporary magic was concerned. Given the number of volumes, it seemed that it was quite a diverse set of spells, capable of handling many situations. It was fortunate that whoever had penned them had thought to include complete instructions on their casting, because the spells themselves were in an older language.

Fortunately, Gearhead had learned a fair bit of that language during his studies with the Unicorn Conclave that had made its home near Hoofington. The language hailed back to a time before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna rose to power, possibly in the infancy of Equestria itself. Fortunately as well, this Latin language used a similar alphabet to modern Equestrian. The older languages some of the other spells were in used entirely different alphabets, and would be indecipherable without a dictionary. Who knew when Gearhead would have time to translate even a single volume of one of the older books?

Still, Gearhead was interested in the possibility that these old spells represented, and started copying the ones in Equestrian and Latin into a blank spellbook primer that Cadence had thoughtfully brought along. The two of them passed a significant amount of time just like that, until Shining Armour came to get them.

“Hey, you two. Hope you’re both ready for a bit of an adventure,” Shining Armour said, coming close so they could whisper.

“What did you have in mind, Captain?” Gearhead asked.

“As you know, we’re getting ready for the Gala, so we’re heightening security and checking everything to ensure it all goes smoothly. Princess Celestia wants us to check out the mountain behind Canterlot, specifically the cave system that starts halfway up. We’re to take Spike, and report back immediately on anything we find.”

“So it would be just the four of us?” Gearhead asked.

“A smaller party does make a certain amount of sense,” Armour said.

“If you two and Spike are prepared for what we may encounter, I do not have any objections – especially if I can gather some materials for my gadgets.”

Cadence giggled. “You see? I knew he would say something like that,” she said, nudging Armour.

“Okay, you win. I owe you five bits.”

“The two of you made a bet?”

“Yep,” Armour said.

“And I said you weren’t the type of pony who’d insist I stay behind and wait like some damsel just because I’m a princess,” Cadence said.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Armour said. “Not between us two, strong stallions.” He and Cadence had a good laugh at that, too.

* * *

The mountain was too steep to climb using a wagon, so the small exploratory party departed Canterlot on hoof. Shining Armour and Gearhead both had two normal saddlebags and one backpack. Princess Cadence had two normal-sized saddlebags as well, but instead of a backpack that was sized to her back, she had two hip-bags for about the same capacity with the ability to split the load. Spike had a single backpack sized to him, and they all had some food in case they got separated.

Shining Armour had a spear and a sword, but would rely on his magic more if they encountered anything they had to fight. Cadence was not carrying a weapon, but Spike had his gemstone lance, while Gearhead had the geargem dagger and the carbon-alloy dagger he had forged. Each member of the party had a pair of Gearhead’s goggles so they could see in low light as long as there was any ambient light at all, although Armour and Cadence both had light-evoking spells.

As they made their way up the mountain, Gearhead kept up his practice of a few simple incantations that he had memorized. Cadence listened in interest, but Armour and Spike kept most of their attention on the trail.

“Uh-oh, guys,” Spike said. “We wanna go in that cave, right?”

“Finding another would definitely take more time, and we have limited provisions, which we’ll likely need once we’re inside,” Armour said.

“Too bad those Mountain Lions aren’t likely to just let us go,” Spike said. There were indeed three Mountain Lions lounging on an outcrop just above the cave. Even in that moment, they were lazily watching the approaching group. “What should we do?”

“I would prefer not to have to fight them,” Gearhead said, “but leaving them at our back certainly is not an option. It is extremely unlikely we can get past without dealing with them, in any case. I wonder if there is a way to intimidate them so they let us pass? Show them that our teeth are larger than theirs, perhaps?”

“What do you suggest, other than a direct battle?” Armour asked.

“We need them not to want to engage us, especially as they have the high ground, and their weight would bear us down the mountain when they pounce on us. That may be why they can rest so easily over there: they know any approaching threat will have to deal with all of that.”

“You speak from experience,”

“Yes, but those were Timberwolves in a forest. These are flesh-and-blood beasts. It is just too bad Miss Fluttershy is not here to tame them, but given that she is not, we must rely on other resources.”

“I could probably take one down before they got to us,” Armour said.

“I’m sorry there’s not much I can do in this situation,” Cadence said.

“Well, you’re not the only one who’s out of balance,” Spike said. “These guys are several times my size and weight, so I don’t know if I’ll be much use either.”

“Our respective sizes may not be as large an issue as all that. Spike, would you feel more comfortable if you were riding with Armour?”

“Uh-huh. I can use my lance from horseback, exactly like a knight!”

“In that case, Armour, could you circle to flank from the right, and engage any of the Lions that come your way?”

“Absolutely,”

“Wait, won’t that be dangerous?”

“Spike will be covering for Armour, and Armour will cover for Spike. It is a case of mutual defence. Also, it is mostly to buy me some time to build up for the main thrust. I have a whole mountainside to work with, so I had better succeed.”

“What should I do?” Cadence asked.

“Support us, of course. If any of us does get hurt, we will need your healing magic. And any one you cannot heal is one who is out of the battle.”

“Okay,”

Gearhead zipped up his shoes, then nodded to Armour, who was carrying Spike. The white stallion reared in show, while Spike brandished his lance, making sunlight glint off it and light up its gemstone structure. Then Armour was off, circling to the right and high, with the Lions, now on their feet, following horse and rider visually.

Gearhead discreetly touched his forehooves together, then placed them back on the ground. Blue-green lightning shot out, disappearing into the ground.

“Did it work?” Cadence asked, peering over his shoulder.

“Shh. Still working on it,” Gearhead said.

Shining Armour was almost perpendicular to the Mountain Lion’s spot when two of them decided he and Spike were getting too close, and jumped to close the distance. Armour charged his horn and shot the lead lion before it could take a third step, causing it to stumble. While that lion recovered, Armour charged up his next shot a bit more. The second charged at him, low to the ground, and when Armour fired on it, the lion evaded up the mountain three steps. The first lion had recovered, and pounced. Panicking, Spike swung his lance – and the impact sent the lion rolling down the hill, to come to a stop halfway to Gearhead and Cadence. The second lion leaped at Armour, but this time he had a full charge ready, and the lion did not have a way to evade. The shot sent it flying backwards, and when it hit the rock it fell unconscious.

The first lion turned on Gearhead and Cadence, only to face a rock gargoyle golem that suddenly grew from the mountainside. The lion took a hesitant step backward, but then looked suspicious as the golem did not move. “I cannot animate it convincingly,” Gearhead whispered.

“Oh, is that all?” Cadence asked, recovering. She sent her blue magic into the golem, and its eyes lit up. It opened its mouth and roared at the lion, flexing its wings. Even the third lion, still above the cave entrance, sat up and took notice. The golem took a step forward, menacing the first lion with its claws. Quickly reconsidering their position, both conscious beasts fled up the mountainside, then to the left, opposite the direction Armour was holding.

The gargoyle strode over to the outcrop atop the cave, and stood there so it was overlooking Canterlot. It folded its wings and took a pensive pose before the light faded from its eyes, and it became immobile once more.

“Nicely done,” Armour said, rejoining the others.

“It takes a bit of doing, plus I had help,” Gearhead said.

“Now we can go inside the mountain,” Cadence said.

“It’s just a good thing we don’t have to take him along,” Spike said, indicating the golem.

“For one thing, it takes more magic to sustain his animation,” Cadence said.

“And for another,” Armour said, “he would wake up the whole mountain.”

“If that earlier roar didn’t,” Spike said.

“Only time and exploration will tell,” Gearhead said.

“We’re going in,” Armour said, taking the lead, with Spike once again walking beside Cadence. Gearhead zipped down all but his front right shoe, and took the right-hand side of the cavern, just a couple steps behind Armour.

7. Into the Darkness

Chapter 7: Into the Darkness

For the first ten minutes the group was able to walk, guided by their goggles’ low-light lenses, without encountering anything. Spike was fine without, since he had a dragon’s extremely effective low-light vision, and in complete darkness his eyes worked much like lamps, even throwing their own light.

They barely had any light at all to activate their lenses when they first encountered the moles. These were slightly larger than Spike, and they came out in a group of twelve, curiously sniffing at the newcomers. “Hold,” Armour cautioned. “They’re not doing anything threatening,” he said.

“Not yet," Spike said dubiously, but he moved his hand away from the lance strapped to his back anyway. Then he started laughing. “Hey, that tickles!” The others also started laughing as the moles tickled and sniffed them. Gearhead noted one mole’s interest in his daggers – more the forged one than his gemstone blade – and in the black pouch holding the Fireheart Gemstone. As long as the moles did not take any of his precious belongings, he did not mind their curiosity.

“Pardon me, but do you know where to find more deposits of these?” Gearhead asked, tapping both daggers. The moles around him nodded vigorously, then headed down the tunnel back the way they had come. Gearhead gave chase, with the others trailing behind him.

In fifteen minutes, the moles guided the group to three separate and large deposits of gemstones and metals. Gearhead was able to efficiently extract the materials. He placed the last of a deposit of baby blue sapphires into his saddlebags, and moved to follow Spike and Armour, who were following the moles.

They went around a corner, to discover that it was too dark to use their goggles. Armour and Cadence, at Gearhead’s side, called on their light spells for illumination. The moles had vanished, however the cavern just went straight ahead. Armour led a cautious advance.

“Did you hear..?” Click!

“Pony feathers,” Gearhead answered Armour, and then the ground gave way underneath them all. Gearhead’s attempt to dive sent him into a rolling fall. He bounced off the pit’s wall, and started tumbling the other way. There were a few more bumps, then he felt something soft wind its way around his tail, and he slowed down. Gearhead looked up from his upside down position to find his fall being slowed by a smiling, if struggling, Cadence, still lit by light from her horn. Of course it would occur to her to use her wings!

Seeing the bottom of the pit getting closer, Gearhead reached out with his hooves, touching down fairly gently. Cadence released him and landed beside him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m not the one who kissed the wall,” Cadence said, coming closer.

“Let us leave your magic for when we truly need it, yes? I have only minimal bruising, but my goggles have broken.” Using Cadence’s light, Gearhead wrapped the glasses in a cloth to avoid losing pieces of glass, and thrust the goggles into the bottom of his left saddlebag. He looked around to recover his fallen hat. “Might I ask you to check to see if the shaft is still open? If it is we can reconnect with Armour and Spike.”

“Good idea,” Cadence said, noticing that the other two members of their party had not fallen down the same pit. She used her telekinesis to give her goggles to Gearhead. “Why don’t you check for passages?” Then she jumped and lifted off.

Gearhead walked about the room. Even as far away as Cadence was flying, she was still providing enough light for the goggles to work. A full circuit of the chamber into which they had fallen revealed only once passageway, unmarked and unlit.

Cadence returned to the ground. “There’s a large stone pillar across the shaft that makes it impassable,” she said, “and no sign of Shining Armour or Spike.”

“We can hope to run into them as we proceed. Even if we do not, if we can get to Princess Celestia we can at least communicate with them using Spike’s Sending magic.”

“Speaking of magic, I don’t know how long I can keep the light on,” Cadence said. “And like you said, we may need my other magic.”

“I can use my geomancy to give us a running reading of our surroundings,” Gearhead said. “They come in flashes, so it is not like constantly using magic power.”

“Okay. I just hope the others are doing better than us,” Cadence said.

* * *

Spike was falling just ahead of Shining Armour. He angled toward the dragon, guided by his light and the other’s screams. When the stallion was right behind Spike, he enacted his protection spell on its smallest scale, surrounding only the two of them to protect them from magical and physical harm.

Suddenly the wayward pair hit a curving, slippery ramp that slung them about and up, accelerating their movement. Armour held his spell as they ascended, and was glad to have done so because their landing was fairly rough.

Armour looked around, and saw they were on a raised platform, the tube from which they had shot out too far and too high up to easily each. Also, at a series of thumps, both adventurers realized they had more immediate concerns. They turned, and Armour’s light fell on pony-sized rabbits wielding spears and swords.

“Who – what – are you?” Spike asked, slowly getting to his feet.

“What, you’ve never seen a Jackrabbit before?”

“Can’t say as I have,”

“Well then, you’re in luck. Now hand over your weapons and come quiet-like, mate.”

“I don’t feel lucky,”

“We’d better do as they say, Spike,” Armour said. “This could still turn out okay just by going along with them.”

“Yeah, I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Spike said, handing his lance over.

* * *

While Gearhead got a reading for the terrain with every other step, Cadence walked half a step behind, with one wing resting lightly on his back. “This has got to be the first time we’ve spent so much time together,” she said.

“That would be time not spent in the library, though. I have heard you spent far more time with Twilight Sparkle as her foalsitter.”

“True,”

“How does a Unicorn, even one with her talent for magic, get an Alicorn princess as a foalsitter anyway?”

“State secret, my friend. Don’t tell me you had the cold shoulder from the get-go.”

“That started sometime after my Name Day,” Gearhead said.

Cadence knew better than anyone except for Gearhead’s own family and the Princesses Celestia and Luna who he was, and the sort of things he had experienced as a colt. Cadence thus knew that ‘Name Day’ was also the tradition of giving a name to a foal on his or her third birthday – the one about which Gearhead had told the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Elemental Six. Prior to Name Day, foals were known by their birth order and ‘son’ or ‘daughter,’ so Gearhead had been ‘Thirdson.’ He did not know what he would have been named if his ‘knack’ had not triggered in the corn field.

“Everypony played with me until then, and even for awhile afterwards. But the more they thought of how strange I was, the more distance they wanted to put between me and them. It did not help that Big Brother did not appreciate all the time Father spent with me instead of with him, or in the field. Still, if it was not for Older Sister I probably would have ended up with just as much resentment in my own heart.”

“She has her own ‘knack.’ I look forward to seeing her at the Gala every year,” Cadence said. Princess Celestia always sent two or three invitations to Gearhead’s family, and they always sent someone as representatives. That had been Father and Mother until the two eldest siblings were old enough to attend.

Some extra vibrations brought Gearhead’s full attention to their present surroundings. “Prepare light, please,” he said, fitting Cadence’s goggles over his eyes.

“Ready,”

“Now,”

At Gearhead’s quiet signal, Cadence’s blue light lit the passage ahead, stunning the pale ponies who had been charging quietly at the pair. Gearhead could not tell if they were light-skinned or light-coated, but their ears and eyes were larger than normal, and they all carried iron knives. “Goblin Ponies!” Cadence gasped.

“Hold,” Gearhead called. “In the name of Princess Celestia, allow us passage and nopony needs to get hurt!”

“Only ones getting hurt is you!” One of the lead Goblinkin said, shielding his eyes with one arm. “Only two of you.”

“You count correctly, however…” Gearhead drew his dagger and called on its ability to elongate to sword length, and then he used his geomancy to narrow the hallway. “Only one of you can get at us at a time, and when you do you will be in sword reach. So why not talk instead? We can solve this peaceably, after all.”

“Orders are ‘capture or kill.’ You resist, we get to kill!” On the Goblins came, but at first they had enough trouble just getting through the narrow space without knocking each other out. Gearhead waited patiently while Cadence lit him from behind, also obscuring the Goblins from fully seeing him. As a bonus, when the blue light passed through the geargem dagger the light was projected as a rainbow onto the cave walls, entrancing some of the less focused Goblins.

When the Goblins came within striking distance, Gearhead started swinging, hitting them mostly with the back or flat of the blade to avoid killing even these enemies. The fallen started to pile up, but then Goblins further back grabbed the legs of their fallen comrades and pulled them into the back of the ranks and out of the way. “We’re not getting anywhere like this!” Cadence said.

“Once again you are correct,” Gearhead said. He called upon his geomancy again, sending visible tendrils of energy into the ground. The Goblins stepped back, but then advanced again when nothing seemed to be happening. Gearhead reared suddenly, slamming his front hooves into the ground – and a slab or rock popped up to rest on the floor. “Follow closely,” he said as he spun about. He only had his back turned long enough to buck the slab in the center, but that was long enough and strong enough to send the slab sliding down a suddenly-frictionless floor. The Earth Pony and Alicorn leaped after so they would not fall too far behind, while Goblins got thrown back unless they jumped out of the way and ran altogether.

There was a T-intersection at the end of the passage, and the slab slammed into the wall before shattering, triggering the recovery of the floor’s regular texture and restoring their grip on the ground. “Which way?” Cadence asked

“Left,” Gearhead said. “The right passage is a dead end.”

“Got it!” Cadence spread her wings and took the corner more sharply than Gearhead could on the ground, which brought them around the corner neck-in-neck. They made a handful more guided turns, then found a great gate ahead of them. “I shall knock,” Gearhead said, sword once again in mouth just in case.

“Permission granted,” Cadence said. Gearhead sent his magic command ahead of them, and the doors burst open revealing a darkened great hall. Within it stood as grotesque a giant Goblin Pony as any would have guessed they would see in their lifetime. Not only did he stand on his rear legs, but his hoofs were mutated with soft-looking appendages. Normal-sized Goblins were gathered behind him, brandishing their daggers and spears.

* * *

“Well now, mates, who wants to tell me why a dragon and a pony are poking around inside a mountain?”

“I’m Shining Armour, Captain of the Royal Canterlot Guard. This is my friend, Spike. We’re on official business for Princess Celestia surveying and securing the area.”

“Just the two of you, then?”

“No, you only got half of our party,” Armour said.

“That so? Then I’m afraid the other two members of your party have already had their kit pilfered and themselves eaten. Or maybe the other way around? You never can tell with Goblinkin, but in any case, that’s who gets whatever falls into the other half of the trap. We have an agreement with the Gobbies, you see.”

“An agreement, you say? That would suit our purpose in coming here very well,” Armour said. “We should draw up a treaty, too. Of mutual protection: you protect Canterlot’s back from the mountainside, and Canterlot will protect you from all other angles.”

“And here is our counter-proposal, Captain: we kill you, take your gear, and sit tight until a search party comes looking. Then we kill them and take their gear. And repeat as necessary. We take everything, or half of everything, and give nothing. See how it works, mate?”

“Except that’s not how it works, friend. You see, Princess Celestia sent the four of us knowing full well how capable we are of protecting ourselves. Even now, I doubt our companions are doing anything but either mopping up, or drafting a similar treaty with the Goblins. Given that, if we don’t at least check-in in time, you’ll likely have all of Canterlot to deal with. And two very angry, very powerful princesses. That’s if you manage to even detain us long enough for them to muster and attack.”

“These are our mountains, mate!”

“Which you share with moles, Goblins, and Celestia-knows-what-else. A defensive treaty, or even an alliance, could be of great benefit to you. Or not. Your choice, really.”

“If that kind of threat is all the Captain of the Guard has –“

“And mind you, we came quietly. But we didn’t have to,” Armour said.

“He’s right, you know,” Spike said, recovering his courage. “Know what else?”

“What?”

“I’m kinda itching for a fight!”

* * *

“Are we in the presence of the Goblin Pony King?” Gearhead asked.

“What gave it away? My sheer opulence, perhaps? My towering stature? My effervescent and magnetic personality? But then, I think I’ve had my fun already. Whether you live or die now depends on whether or not I like your answers to my questions. So lets get started: Who are you, and what are you doing in my kingdom?”

“I am Thirdson Gearhead of Hoofington, and this is –“

“Princess Cadence of Canterlot.”

Some of the older pony tribes and societies were still aware of the traditional naming conventions. They also knew that when a stallion like Gearhead or a mare like Cadence did not want to give their family name, they could use their rank instead. It was also common knowledge that among the older, more traditional Earth Pony Herds, the family or Herd name came first. That was what Gearhead was doing, and Cadence understood what he was trying to achieve.

“We have been sent by Princess Celestia herself to bolster Equestria’s defences on the mountain-side of Canterlot. In this case, Majesty, there are two solutions to the dilemma presented by our encounter here. You see, we did not possess any information regarding what sentient life might be residing here. That leaves us with two options that will allow us to complete our mission. The first and less desirable is to subdue and subjugate you. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna do not desire to rule by subjugation, but they will accept it if necessary.”

“The other option,” Cadence took over, “is to draw up a treaty between your kingdom and Equestria. This treaty will offer mutual defence and aid. Naturally, it will have to be ratified at a later date in the company of the Princesses Celestia and Luna. That would make it an alliance.”

“An alliance? Don’t make me laugh! What’s to stop me from taking everything you have? Actually, I may do that anyway, as you look rather delicious. On the other hand, you could do well as slaves as well. It all depends on you putting forth your best behaviour.”

“It also assumes the Princesses will not send everypony they have into the mountain to recover us,” Gearhead said. “In that case, you forfeit a possible treaty for war.”

“You can throw away any assumption that we’ll surrender as well,” Cadence said. “Or did you not notice that we evaded your capture team?”

“Do you really think you can win against my entire kingdom?”

“If we have to,” Gearhead said. “I was hoping to solve this peaceably. I would even be willing to make a trade,” he said, noticing the king’s gaze on the sword in his mouth and the dagger still on his belt.

“Trade?”

“Your Majesty, how would you like to own a dagger of finest steel, stronger and lighter than any castle-forge variant? I see you are piqued, but not sold. If you bring forth enough gemstones of quality from your treasuries, I can create a fabulous masterwork for you, like the one I am holding. As you have seen, my gemstone dagger responds to my needs by adjusting its length. As the stones I used in its creation are high-quality, the blade is itself high-quality – stronger and sharper than steel.”

“I will take your gemstone dagger,”

“Apologies, Your Majesty, but this one only responds to me because I created it for myself. I would have to make you a dagger of your own. Keyed to you, it would likewise respond to you and you alone. There are currently only eight gemstone weapons in all of Equestria, you know. Two of them are currently in the mountains right now.”

“You have gemstones in your saddlebags. Use them!”

“It is likely I have enough for a dagger sized to a regular pony, however these are gems I collected for another purpose, and although I may have to use them to create a gemstone dagger, the stones themselves know whose they are, and for what purpose they will be reshaped. To be your own, they should be your gemstones.” Gearhead saw the king’s glare clear as day. “You do not believe me? Then I will use what I have, and you will see the truth as I have spoken.”

“Do it!”

Gearhead shrugged, then started to sort through his saddlebags, depositing the stones he would use on the floor between himself and the waiting Goblins.

“Use those ones too!”

“The baby sapphires? They are ideal for another project on which I am working. They would integrate differently… very well. After all, if we did not get out alive, I would not have to worry about my other projects. Or, indeed, any of my sales. You see, Your Majesty, I am a gadgeteer. If we become allies I could even offer you and your kingdom some deals on my wares. I have many devices that would make your lives easier, if you chose to buy them. Ah, almost ready.”

* * *

Three Jackrabbits leaped back to avoid feeling the heat of Spike’s flames, opening up a path for him to leap after and grab his lance. Shining Armour kept zapping his opponents with his magic, using defensive spells whenever he was forced to, then switching back to attack to push the Jackrabbits back on their heels.

As soon as Shining Armour had a sword and a spear, he and Spike started to corner their former-captors, hemming them in and hampering their attempts to attack. “Alright,” Spike said.

“About that treaty..?” Armour said. “And then you will help us find our friends, and possibly a route back out of these tunnels.”

* * *

“What is the meaning of this? I wanted a blade, not a shield!”

“How puzzling. I have made daggers that resemble staffs, but this is a first. Actually, it is quite fascinating. And I did warn you regarding the use of our gemstones. So like I said, if you want a dagger of your own, you will have to bring out some gemstones of your own.”

It really was quite interesting, for the gemstones upon which Gearhead had worked his geomancy had reformed into a buckler that was small enough for a pony like Cadence to lift and wield. But on the other hoof, it clearly had the same stars-and-shield design on it that Shining Armour carried as his cutie mark. “This will respond to a member of the other half of our party, and no other.”

“Then those gemstones of yours were wasted, for he is likely already dead.”

“He’s alive,” Cadence said.

“Indeed, I cannot create a device for the dead,” Gearhead said. “In any case, you probably want some proof that my gemstone gear only responds to one pony.” He nodded to Cadence.

Cadence raised the buckler telekinetically, then pulled it to herself. She strapped it to her left wing, then focused her magic on it, noticing as she moved the shield around experimentally that it had a small dagger attached to its midsection.

“You will notice that Princess Cadence can send her magic into the item, imbuing it with additional properties, but she cannot call upon its innate abilities to change its size or shape.”

“How do I know you’re not having me on?”

“Because we lack a reason to lie, but also because Princess Cadence is not the type to readily conceive of a lie, for any reason. Even to save our lives.”

“Yet I still hold your lives in my hands.”

Is that what they are called? Gearhead thought.

“Only if you insist on fighting, and can then get the better of us,” Cadence said. “I sincerely hope you don’t decide to fight.”

“Too bad then. Get them!”

Gearhead and Cadence stood close, weapons at the ready. With a mob of Goblinkin surrounding them and then closing in, it looked like they would be overwhelmed by the sheer crush of the advance. Then lightning radiated out from Gearhead’s hooves in all directions, and a circular rock formation rose quickly out of the ground. It launched the Goblins that were on it, running onto it, and off of it, in all directions. There were two openings, unaligned so they would not match up.

When the Goblins found these openings they began to come through, one at a time as in the corridor earlier, and met either sword or shield. Also as before, once the unconscious ponies started to pile up, someone from behind would grab a leg and pull them out to make way for a fresh fighter.

“Which will last longer, your magic or my army?” The Goblin Pony King called.

“There is one way to find out,” Gearhead said. He made wide slashes, both forward and back, to make more room, then reached into his black pouch with his tail. He tossed the Fireheart Gemstone into a low arc and swivelled the geargem dagger so the flat of the blade was toward the cavern ceiling. The half-gear crosspiece rotated and separated before accepting the gemstone. The sword went up a size, and Gearhead and Cadence both felt the magic power build.

Gearhead commanded the stone wall around him and Cadence to retreat into the ground, and turned, firing. The arrows of magic energy rotated between Fire, Lightning, and Light. The firebolts caused a more damaging burn. The lightning arrows stunned what they hit, seizing their targets in a paroxysm of twitching muscles. The light arrows were purely concussive, knocking their targets back and out of the fight. The blasts were so powerful they went through rows of Goblins. Gearhead turned a full 360 degrees while firing to clear out a large portion of the Goblin Army that had still been standing. This left him and Cadence with far more room.

Gearhead aimed his sword just slightly off from the king, and the blade split in two. He could clearly see the orb, and the energy wings that unfurled from that orb as the next blast charged. “I hesitate to use this in such a confined space,” Gearhead said, “but that does not mean I will not use it if necessary, Your Majesty.”

“I surrender!”

Gearhead shifted his aim slightly.

“I mean, we’ll talk! About the treaty.”

“Excellent,” Gearhead said, and in one swift motion, before anypony could truly blink, he sheathed his sword, which was once again the dagger, and swept the Fireheart Gemstone back into its pouch where it belonged. “Let us get started,” Gearhead said with a smile.

* * *

Luna was on duty, so Celestia lay down by the fire to unwind. She would likely receive one of Twilight’s letters soon, and the princesses certainly enjoyed reading them. Celestia’s Unicorn pupil could become obsessive of certain things, but in a way her focus was an endearing quality. In any case, Celestia was not one to mould another pony’s way of life to suit her own fancies.

A magic swirl came down through the section of the chimney that Celestia had had installed after one of Pinkie Pie’s pranks had given Spike the hiccups. Twilight’s young dragon assistant would have to learn to control his magic eventually, however until then Celestia had this device in place to save herself the trouble of being buried in scrolls again. The swirl formed into a letter. The seal bore Shining Armour’s mark.

Princess Celestia – Canterlot Castle

Mission Report, Day 1

Trek up mountain uneventful. Encountered 3 MOUNTAIN LIONS at cave entrance. Rendered 1 unconscious and forced others to flee. Left Gargoyle Golem at entrance.

Encountered troupe of MOUNTAIN MOLES. Extracted gemstone and metal deposits.

Fell into trap with SPIKE; separated from others. Surrendered to JACKRABBITS, then fought free. Negotiated defensive peace treaty.

Camping for night.

Shining Armour – Upper Jackrabbit Caverns

Celestia could appreciate Shining Armour’s military-style report since it was short and to the point. By printing names in capital letters, it was easy to find the parts of the report that were the most interesting. The group had had three unexpected encounters, yet had adapted fairly well. The only concern Celestia had was that the team had been separated.

Shining Armour and Spike were obviously taking care of themselves, having won free from the Jackrabbits. That they were camping for the night meant that the Captain did not completely trust the Jackrabbits. He would likely be up all night while Spike slept, since he was a baby dragon and unable to stay awake for long. That wasn’t something that could be helped, though. Celestia had sent Spike along on the mission knowing that he couldn’t stay awake for as long as the others, but believing that he would be instrumental in getting regular reports, just like this one.

While Shining Armour had been forced to omit Cadence and Gearhead from his report, Celestia held very little concern for them: trapped or not, both ponies were highly resourceful and fairly determined. Even on her own, Cadence could likely talk her way out of trouble, aided by her ability to spread Light and Love. And if not, well, few knew how strong Cadence’s offensive magic was, despite the impression the youngest Alicorn liked to project of herself.

As for Gearhead, the Earth Pony was surprisingly powerful given that his tribe was not known for overt magic. While he could not cast traditional Unicorn spells, he could still manipulate energy, and with his geomancy, the caves themselves could become his weapon. Gearhead also had a number of physical resources available to him, including the pair of daggers he usually carried. The steel backup dagger was ordinary except for its exceptional quality, but the Geargem Dagger was a true work of art. Celestia had seen many powerful magical items in her life, including the Elements of Harmony, and the dagger was a Beta-pass Artefact. The somewhat rougher daggers Gearhead had made during the Diamond Dog incident were Alpha-pass, but they still counted as Artefacts – powerful magical items.

Celestia summoned pen and paper and began to write her response.

* * *

Gearhead awoke some hours later, and blinking the sleep away, looked around. The caves had gotten colder at night, so he and Princess Cadence had slept curled next to each other to share body heat. With a hoof unshod, the pair had not needed to concern themselves with attacks of any kind, as Gearhead would have detected any incoming threat and roused his partner to full combat readiness.

Sleeping right next to the princess came with its own issues, but while Gearhead found Cadence attractive, being beautiful and kind, he would never cross certain boundaries. First and foremost, they and Shining Armour were friends. As such, Gearhead was well aware of how Cadence and Armour felt for each other. The Earth Pony would never cuckold a friend, nor would he do anything that could force Cadence to do such a thing: it would break their friendship, and upset Twilight Sparkle. On top of that, Gearhead and Cadence were of social standings that were far too different.

Then there was Fluttershy to consider. Kind and beautiful in her own way, the Pegasus had become a frequent presence in Gearhead’s life. It may have started as a cover to help keep the Cutie Mark Crusaders from getting more hurt than necessary by their efforts to gain their cutie marks, however Gearhead genuinely liked Fluttershy.

And on the other other hoof, Gearhead still did not feel as though he really had the time or position for romance, having much to do to prove himself to his family first.

As they were underground, Gearhead did not have any way to tell what time it was. He did not know how rested Cadence was, so he allowed her to continue to sleep for another hour. They opened their rations for breakfast, then broke camp and moved on without a word. Again, the pair traveled in darkness, Gearhead feeling the way ahead with his geomancy, while Cadence rested a wing on his back for guidance. Gearhead marked a stumbling rock or other similar obstacle by making his rump rise a little higher. Cadence sensed the rise, and adjusted accordingly.

* * *

Princess Celestia’s response was waiting when Shining Armour awakened, not having realized he had fallen asleep at all. I must be more tired than I realized, the stallion thought as he unrolled the parchment.

Dear Shining Armour and Spike,

I am happy to have received your report. I am curious to learn more about the creatures you encountered, and about the golem you left behind. Please do your best to find Gearhead and Cadence as soon as possible, and do stay safe. I look forward to evaluating the treaty on your return.

Yours always,

Princess Celestia of Equestria

It was just like the Princess to respond in such a manner. Armour awakened Spike, and soon they were on the move again. If they were lucky, they could follow the route the Jackrabbits had given them right past the Goblin halls. There were some chambers before the exit that was the pair’s target, and hopefully they would encounter the other half of the team before they got there. Armour was anxious to see Cadence again, but he was also confident that she was doing well. As for Gearhead, the two stallions had a standing, unspoken promise about protecting the princesses. Armour was confident that his counterpart would keep it.

* * *

With Gearhead back in his usual quiet and reserved mode, Cadence could hardly believe that he was capable of what she had seen him do, especially once he had powered up the Geargem Dagger with that strange orb he had been keeping in his pouch the entire time. What was more, that gemstone seemed to be capable of projecting the same magic energy that Cadence’s many-times great-aunts, Celestia and Luna, possessed. Plus a little extra trick that might very well have come from Philomena.

Even more surprising, Gearhead had helped her negotiate a decent and balanced treaty with the Goblin Pony King, and as part of the initial peace agreement, he had even made a gemstone blade for the king. Oddly enough, however, the new blade did not seem to change size or shape. Gearhead put it down to the quality of the emeralds, sapphires, and other gemstones the king had ordered brought up from the treasury. Still, that same goblin had seemed pleased to have a gemstone greatsword only he was large enough to wield. One of the last things Gearhead had said before he and Cadence departed on the route the Goblinkin had given them was to be aware that gemstone daggers had a habit of surprising even their owners with their hidden gifts. The Goblin Pony King said he was looking forward to that.

After many twists and turns, the two ponies entered a cavern lit red and orange by magma. “This must be a magma chamber,” Gearhead said. “If we are lucky, we will not find a dragon living here.”

When did he encounter a dragon? Cadence thought as they circled the magma pit in the center of the room.

As with the tunnel system Gearhead had ‘visited’ in the Everfree Forest, the exit to the magma chamber was on the side opposite from the entrance. Also as in that case, a dragon lay nearby. More accurately, it was fetched right up against the exit, which was curious in and of itself. It would have been enough just to see a light-blue dragon of such a small size. It looked very tired. Gearhead almost believed they could get past it without being detected.

Dragons, though, have excellent sight and an even better sense of smell. This one slowly raised its head so it could look straight at the two ponies directly. “Strange,” it rasped. “Very strange.”

“May I ask if we can pass, or are you going to eat us?” Gearhead asked.

“Eat you? With your size? Barely a snack… much less a meal. Not helpful at all. Know how much… a dragon needs… to eat?”

“Not as such,”

“A lot. Haven’t eaten in… such a long time. But you smell… strange.”

“So that is what you were referring to,”

“Yes. And if you are… Dragonfriend… show me the proof… please.”

Proof? “Oh, you probably mean this,” Gearhead said, taking the Fireheart Gemstone out of its pouch again. The blue dragon widened its eyes, and Gearhead noticed their flatness begin to fade. As it showed more depth and intelligence, the dragon raised its head. Gearhead looked around, and noticed energy flowing from his gem to the dragon.

“Yes, that’s much better. Thank you, Dragonfriend,” she said in a far more melodious voice. Gearhead noticed that the dragon seemed far less withered and her scales had even become lighter as she was infused with more energy.

“We are always glad to help,” Gearhead said. “Especially if you can show us the way out of this mountain.”

“Oh, of course you are going out. All you have to do is follow this passage, and then the light, or so I seem to recall. I have been a long time down here. But you, Dragonfriend, can facilitate my rest. You see, I have not the energy to return home, my strength having been sapped by the fire. Even reinvigorated like this, I could not get out. If you are prepared to render a vow to me, I will rely upon you and your kindness.”

“If it is within our power to carry out, I promise to do it.”

“It is, or shall be, in your power, I assure you. You see, I was trapped here by a dark Unicorn. I will die here, that is not in doubt, however I have one last child who can survive if you take her with you. You may teach her what you will once she hatches, however you must promise me that you will take her to her arctic home to learn of her heritage.”

“The arctic? You’re a White Ice Dragon?

“Indeed, Alicorn Princess. This discolouration is a mark of my weakening, and my impending death.”

“Gearhead’ll freeze before he can make your arctic homeland!”

“He will endure, if he goes when the time is right, worry not for your friend. It is forbidden to send a Dragonfriend to his or her death, in any case. Will you take this vow, Dragonfriend?”

“If I can do it, I will,” Gearhead said.

The ice dragoness nodded slowly, then started to roll onto her side. Beneath her belly was a single white egg marked with a blue flame, covered all the way around in a thin frost shell. The dragoness nodded, and Cadence used her magic to lift it to Gearhead, who put it safely in a pouch in his right-hoof saddlebag.

“Once you have discharged your duty, return here, and I will grant you the greatest boon a dragon can. If you are unable to fulfill your task, do not return at all, I beg.”

“You have my word, if you can wait.”

“I have waited a thousand years and more, a few more is as nothing, thank you. I will use my remaining strength to guard this pass against all threats, until next we meet.” The dragoness got up and slunk to the side, so the ponies could pass. Once they had done so, she moved back, blocking the exit and pushing her tail as far into the passage as she could.

Gearhead finally understood why she was so close to the exit: she had to stay as far away from the magma as she could to survive, but she was too large to use the passage, just like Shadow Wright had been. Gearhead could have widened the passage, as he had then, but the dragoness did not seem like she wanted to have to fly home across Equestria.

It saddened Gearhead greatly to know that such a great beast had given up, however that just meant he would have to do his best to do right by the dragon’s unhatched daughter. He proceeded down the passageway, followed closely by Cadence. Following the light as instructed, they would find their way out of the caverns as evening fell.

* * *

Three hours after being visited by the Earth Pony and the Alicorn, the dragoness got a Unicorn and a baby dragon for visitors. Shining Armour and Spike found themselves being examined closely and silently by the pale blue dragon. Finally she nodded. “Your friends passed this way a few hours ago. If you follow immediately, you may catch them before they leave the mountain.”

“Thanks, ma’am!” Spike said.

“You’re a nice young dragon. You’ll try to keep it that way, won’t you, Young One?”

“Of course!”

“Keep following the light, and you will be out. Wish your friends luck,” the dragoness moved out of the way again. When the pair were through, they looked back to see the passage blocked by a pale blue tail.

“I don’t think she likes the heat,” Spike said.

“Agreed,” Shining Armour said. He did not like the possibility of having to spend another night in the caverns, especially so close to a dragon. Even a friendly one.

* * *

Shining Armour and Spike exited the cave to find themselves low on the south side of the mountain. They could smell burning wood nearby, and the glow of a fire called out to them. The pair followed the scent and light and found that there were only two occupants, sheltering under some wooden boards they had found.

Armour trotted to Cadence and embraced her tightly. They did not exchange words, although they were both glad to see each other. Gearhead and Spike exchanged a glance. “We should probably send our report to the Princess,” he said, yawning.”

“Great idea, Spike,” Cadence said, coming to pat him on the head.

“Ready!”

Princess Celestia – Canterlot Castle

Mission Report, Day 2

Trekked through Jackrabbit and Goblin Pony tunnels.

Encountered dying ICE DRAGON in magma chamber. Guided to exit.

Rejoined PRINCESS CADENCE and GEARHEAD on south side of mountain. Will return to Canterlot tomorrow.

Shining Armour – Southern Mountain Basecamp

[attached: 1 letter]

Spike switched to a new sheet of paper and turned to Cadence, who sat beside Armour.

Dear Aunt Celestia,

I know from Shining Armour and Spike that you already have a report of what happened to us on our first day. Let me quickly tell you what happened to us after we fell into the trap.

Firstly, Gearhead had only minimal injuries from the fall. I was unharmed. We navigated the tunnels using my Light and Gearhead’s Echo Location spell.

We found the Goblin Pony capture team a ways in, and Gearhead managed to bottleneck them in battle before we rushed through.

We found our way to the Goblin King’s throne room, where we negotiated, battled, and negotiated some more. Gearhead and I negotiated a peace treaty with the Goblin King for mutual defence. Gearhead made a gemstone sword for the king as a gesture of goodwill. The king gave us a route to safety outside the caves.

Before we found our way out, we encountered a pale blue ice dragoness, who was dying from the heat of the magma chamber. The dragoness claims to have been trapped there by a ‘dark Unicorn,’ and also claims to have been there for over 1,000 years. She claims that Gearhead is a ‘dragon-friend,’ and asked to be shown the fire orb he carries on him at all times. This same orb, he used to demonstrate greater destructive power to the Goblin Pony King. The dragoness seemed satisfied, and even empowered by the orb. She said she would be unable to leave the caverns, but asked for Gearhead’s vow to take her egg to her arctic homeland. Gearhead agreed.

We made our way out of the caverns and set camp northeast of the cavern entrance. This is where Shining Armour and Spike met up with us. We will make our way back down tomorrow morning, so see you then.

Love,

Cadence.

“That should do it,” Cadence said. The others nodded their agreement, so Shining Armour sealed the letters and Spike sent them. The dragon yawned, then lay down to go to sleep.

“You mentioned an egg and an orb?” Armour asked.

“I believe it will be safer to show you back at the castle,” Gearhead said.

“Of course. I’ll take first watch,” he said.

“Second shall be mine,” Gearhead said.

“And I’ll take third,” Cadence said.

Spike snored, causing the others to chuckle, but softly in case some Mountain Lions were out and about.

* * *

The mountain scouting party walked into Canterlot Castle in time for lunch, having circled the mountain to the western slope before descending. Princess Celestia was there to greet the four adventurers. “Well done, my little ponies. Why don’t you wash up, and then we can have lunch together. Afterwards, we can discuss the results of your mission.”

“I agree with your plan, Your Highness,” Shining Armour said.

“A bath sounds especially good right about now,” Cadence said.

“Are you kidding? If it was Rarity, she’d be taking a Spa Day!” Spike said.

“Forgive me, but Spike, could you think of any reason Miss Rarity would venture into a cave?”

“Only if there are rare gemstones inside,” Spike said.

* * *

Cleaned up and fed, the adventurers sat with Princess Celestia in one of her more private rooms, the throne room being too large and impersonal for this smaller meeting. Princess Cadence had gone over the treaty with the Goblinkin, while Shining Armour had done the same with the treaty with the Jackrabbits. Princess Celestia looked over both papers, then looked across at the other four assembled in the room.

“These are satisfactory,” Princess Celestia said. “I would post a squad of guard in the Upper and Lower Caverns, however the Jackrabbits and Goblinkin sound like they’re extremely territorial. They could feel like their freedoms and autonomy are being taken away, and attack us instead. If they can help to protect Canterlot from threats within the mountain, then that is completely in our favour. That goes for the dragon as well, although the pledge is personal, and we don’t know how much longer she’ll last. Unfortunately, we don’t have any Unicorns powerful enough to get her out of those caverns, even if she was willing to leave.

“As for the ice dragon egg…” Princess Celestia looked over to where it sat on a pillow beside Gearhead. “The dragoness preserved the egg in perfect health. The frost shielding will protect it even in an Equestrian heat wave, so you don’t need to worry about the dragon dying before she can hatch. On the other hoof, a journey to the arctic would be suicidal for you, and anyone accompanying you. Even in a record-breaking hot summer, ponies simply can’t survive the extreme temperatures at that latitude and altitude.” The princess tilted her head expectantly.

“So I take it that it will be up to me to create a device that will facilitate my survival,” Gearhead said.

“Yes. Among your other projects. Speaking of which, good job bringing back resources we can use for the Gala, as well as for yourself.

“On the subject of the different tribes living in the mountain, I had a survey done shortly after I moved the Equestrian seat of power from the Everfree Forest. I lost quite a few members of the research team, and a few guards who got lost. These probably developed over time into the Goblinkin, so essentially they’re still ponies. The Jackrabbits and Moles, however, are new. And by the way, I believe the Moles are an integral part of the double pit trap, either signalling to whoever triggers the trap, or triggering it themselves, but also almost certainly leading the prey directly into it.”

“That’s a distinct possibility, however we now have a route around the trap,” Armour said.

“And the trappers are our allies,” Cadence said.

“Indeed. Now, Luna and I can’t both leave Canterlot for any length of time, and I don’t know if the Goblin King or Jackrabbit Chief want to leave the mountain. We two sisters will therefore take turns, and a guard, to go in and ratify the treaties. That will indeed make us allies, and I believe that seeing Luna and me will do great things for our new allies. Which means we will be perfectly protected in time for the Gala.”

“Auntie, a question, please. What is the orb Gearhead carries? Why did the ice dragon call him a friend?”

“The orb’s called the Fireheart Gemstone, and Gearhead got it from a dragon he happened to have met in the Everfree Forest. This gemstone can only be made by a dragon in its stomach, and since it has a living flame, it grants control of, and protection from, all flames. Magical energy can, and has been, added to it to make it potentially more powerful. Given the nature of fire itself, the Fireheart can replenish its energies over time, so if it’s used sparingly, it could even outlast Gearhead himself. It’s a powerful Artefact that can’t be destroyed by anything that wouldn’t kill a dragon, but if destroyed, all of the energy contained inside it would escape explosively.

“Also, it’s ‘Dragonfriend,’ not ‘dragon-friend.’ This is a special title given to anypony a dragon, any dragon, can trust implicitly. Dragonfriends are allies to dragons, and dragons are allies to Dragonfriends. It’s a powerful tie that could be useful, and even life-saving, in the future. The only tie more potent is if a dragon was to give a pony his or her name, because a dragon’s name carries power with it. What power, I can’t be sure, since I’ve only known a few dragons, and they live too far away for me to call on them and find out.”

“Wow. That’s a lot of power,” Armour said.

“Fortunately for us, our dear friend Gearhead isn’t the type of pony who can misuse or abuse the power he has. We can therefore trust him to use all of the power he gains wisely.”

“My thanks, for your trust,” Gearhead said, bowing.

“Very nice. Now then, Gearhead, I would like to see you in the practice room until dinnertime. Afterwards, for our fourth day together, you can continue your magic studies in the library. I understand you’ve made some headway with an older style of casting.”

“I have, Highness, however I am still unable to cast a spell that does not use a force that is not already energy, and I cannot cast without an object of power, such as my dagger. In other words, I am not ‘there’ yet.”

“All in good time. You have all the prerequisites for casting. You just need to find a way to open the gates or flip the switch on, as it were.”

“I am in need of an activation key.”

“Yes, that could work.”

“I will conduct research to discover the requirements of a good key.”

“I’d say that the first requirement is that it fits the lock,” Armour said.

I think he is half kidding, and entirely on the right track, Gearhead thought. “Most decidedly,” he said, “it needs to fit me, like my dagger.”

“Or my shield,” Armour said. “That’s nice work, by the way.”

“Indeed, your gemstone items are all masterworks,” Princess Celestia said. “If you found more ways to improve on them, I would be most impressed.”

“Meaning that there are ways,” Cadence said. “This, I can’t wait to see.”

8. An Autumn Nightmare

Chapter 8: An Autumn Nightmare

After another unsuccessful practice session where he did not make any further progress, and an all-you-can-research session in the library, Gearhead was glad to be back in Ponyville, even if only for a couple of days: the night of the Grand Galloping Gala was coming up fast.

As had occurred the last time Gearhead had been away, he now had to deal with a minor backlog of devices to deliver and gadgets to create. Fortunately, he could cut off a fair amount of time by using geomancy, while maintaining the quality on his builds fairly well. It was only the pieces that would undergo more major stress that required that he make use of the forge.

Once word got around that Gearhead was back and the shop was open again, interested ponies started coming in again. Although his interest was clearly different, one such visitor was a well-dressed Earth Pony stallion.

“Hello, friend, name’s Filthy Rich. I’m the owner of Rich’s Barnyard Bargains, and I don’t mind telling you that you’re cornering a fine market here in Ponyville, where Barnyard Bargains is the premier retailer.”

“Are we competing with each other, Mister Rich?”

“Ha-ha! No of course not, but you’ve a fine business instinct, young stallion. I’m here to offer you an extremely lucrative business deal that’s sure to help you out a great deal. You see, I’ve noticed that you’re the only worker at this shop. That means that anytime you go someplace else, you have to close up shop. That means that at those times you can’t make any money, and it’s a shame to lose out on profits.

“My solution is simply to draw up a contract so I can sell your products at Barnyard Bargains. Naturally, since they’ll be taking up my shelf space, we’ll split the profits seventy-thirty.”

“Who would get what?”

“Naturally, you’d get the thirty. After all, it reflects the resources used on both sides.”

“Not necessarily, sir. I always use the highest-quality materials possible in my products. As a result I have a reputation for building things that wear very slowly, and that seldom break.”

“And that right there is another problem, since if it doesn’t wear, tear, and break over time, nopony goes looking to buy a replacement. Also, it makes the other retailers look bad, and who wants that?”

“My point is, Mister Rich, that if my products are built to properly reflect the shop’s reputation, the split you have outlined ought to be reversed.”

“But that’s silly, because we’ll be using less expensive materials. That way we can sell everything at extra-cheap bargain prices.”

“Mister Rich, do you see anything on the shop floor that is made with ‘less expensive materials?’”

“No, because you’re using the good stuff. It’s making your overhead costs way too high, my friend. You can easily cut that overhead, reduce costs, and increase profits all the way! All you have to do is take the deal, and you’ll be selling and making money even in your sleep.”

“With all due respect, Mister Rich –“

“I know the sound of a rejection when I hear it, Gearhead my friend, and I’m tellin’ ya you’re making a mistake here. But don’t worry, I’ll give you some time to think about it. We’ll sign the deal before everypony leaves for the Gala!”

“That will not be necessary,”

“In Celestia’s name, why?”

“Because attaching my or my shop’s name, likeness, logo, or reputation to an inferior product is not something I desire in the least. Mister Rich, if I go with your offer, it will ruin the reputation of both. If, on the other hand, you would be willing to keep the quality of my products, or you want to buy and resell my products, I can accept that.”

“Well, just like you there’re things I’m simply not interested in. Best of luck to ya in the business world, though.”

“Like you said, Mister Rich, I fill an interesting niche here in Ponyville, so I doubt I need any change in my luck. May good fortune smile upon you.”

“Well then, right back at ya.” Filthy Rich grinned. “Actually, I like competing even more. Thanks for making things more interesting, kid. I hope ya don’t disappoint!”

“That only happened once. Lesson learned.”

* * *

Gearhead pulled up to the long walkway to Canterlot Castle’s entrance in a modified cyclic cart. It rode lower than his original wagon, and seated five ponies comfortably, with some additional space for cargo. The Earth Pony put on the parking brake, and then climbed down so the valet, who had used Gearhead’s wagon to get used to handling a cyclic vehicle, could get in and park the cart.

Gearhead was wearing a jet-black longcoat adorned only by a symbol of two trees rising in a ‘V’ from a field, done in a silver thread outline. The symbol was placed over the left breast. Gearhead had gathered his longer-than-average hair into a short ponytail, secured with a navy blue string. He wore his black dress horseshoes, and his two daggers hung from his belt, just as they had done during the luncheon. For the Gala, Gearhead left his goggles and hat behind.

Gearhead entered the castle, exchanged greetings with Princess Celestia just like everypony else, and moved on to the main hall to wait for the others to arrive. While he was at it, he looked for Princess Cadence and Shining Armour. He saw Prince Blueblood, but did not want to talk to the Unicorn, as Gearhead had come to see him as arrogant and unpleasant. Clearly he did not pay as much attention to his many-times great-aunts’ lessons as their other pupils did.

“Hey Bouya!” Gearhead turned at the sound of the boisterous voice and the use of the unusual nickname. Both let him know who the speaker was long before he saw him. “Oh, it is you. Guess this means my daughter’s eyesight is starting to get better than mine, although I didn’t think I was getting quite that old just yet.”

“It has been some time, Uncle Windwalker.”

“One thing I’ve always liked ‘bout you, Gearhead, is you’re always able to remember a pony’s preferences, even after twelve years.” The burly silver-coated Pegasus wrapped a wing across the Earth Pony’s shoulders.

“Of course he remembers, Dad, a female voice chimed in, “he has to be able to do that to keep all his customers straight.” The speaker was Prism Azure, whose white coat reflected much of her father, although not as much as those startling grey eyes of hers. Gearhead had noticed long ago how they reflected the most dominant colour around the Pegasus filly, so her eye colour seemed to change, almost at random.

“Ah, so business is going well for you?” Azure Wing’s Commander was speaking to Gearhead, but his eyes were glued to his eldest daughter, making her blush. Apparently she was the one tracking his progress, even years after he had stopped going to study at the Wing’s library. Maybe Prism was still curious about Gearhead for being unusual, just as she had been when they first met. Gearhead might have still thought that, if he had not seen the young mare blush – and seeing her with her sky-blue mane done up in a fetching purple dress did nothing to prevent Gearhead from getting a little blush of his own.

Which Windwalker did not miss either, if his laughter was any indication. His lighthearted ribbing, though, was an indication that he liked Gearhead. Maybe if he had not been a Black Sheep, Windwalker would have pushed for a marriage between him and Prism, not only to further solidify the alliance between Herd Verdant and the Azure Wing, but also as an acknowledgement of the close friendship between Gearhead and Prism themselves. But the Azure understood tradition, as they practiced many of their own.

“Where are Contrail and Rook?” Gearhead asked, redirecting the conversation and his train of thought. One of the Azure’s traditions, which Gearhead had encountered during his time researching unusual Pegasus magic, was the grouping of Pegasi from an early age. The tradition came from the military structure of the Pegasus Wing, and the idea that having flyers work together from an early age would foster closer teamwork.

Depending on the size of a generation, a group might consist of three or four Pegasi, thus making up a ‘flight,’ with four or three flights making up a complete ‘squadron,’ and two squadrons a ‘wing.’ The best flyer of each unit would be its commander, and gain command when the unit was deployed into that particular size. Members of the main family were most often paired with members of branch families whom the adults were able to observe played well together.

For Prism, those two best friends and wing-mates had become the speedy Contrail and the dependable Rook. Seeing Prism without her two wing-mates would have been unusual, except only a limited number of ponies ever attended the Gala. Uncle Windwalker, Prism’s own father, was obviously her escort tonight.

“I had to leave them behind tonight,” Prism said, neatly following Gearhead’s joke because she knew as well as he did that she could not have three stallions as her escort.

“Yes, tonight I’m the lucky one,” Windwalker said, and he laughed again. “Or we all are, considering it’s her first time attending.” Prism glared a little at how open her father was being with that bit of information.

“It is my first time as well,” Gearhead said, aiming to sooth an injured ego.

“And who wouldn’t want to show off a talent like yours? In the same way, I want to be able to show off my daughter to the right ponies. What do you think?”

“Oh, she is definitely far lovelier than I remember her,” Gearhead said, rolling with the spirit of things, but also being truthful.

“Oh please, you handsome devil, what was ‘lovely’ about the little bundle of inquisitive energy you probably remember me as?”

“If I had to point to one thing,” Gearhead said, not missing a beat, “it would be that ‘bundle of inquisitive energy.’ Your words,”

“Taken from your mouth, once upon twelve years ago,” Prism winked. Gearhead groaned a little theatrically when he realized she was right, which made Windwalker burst our laughing again.

“Come,” the Commander said to his daughter, “there are still some ponies we must see. See you later, Bouya.” Prism nodded to Gearhead and strode over to rejoin her father. The Earth Pony watched the father and daughter pair move on.

* * *

The mares had been looking forward to the Grand Galloping Gala since just after the Summer Sun Celebration, when Princess Celestia sent tickets to Twilight Sparkle. Each of her five friends had her own reasons for wanting to go, and now they could look forward to fulfilling those dreams.

Applejack wanted to sell a bundle of fruit and food to make a fortune, with which she could replace a whole set of farm equipment, and maybe even Granny Smith’s bad hips. With some of the equipment already replaced courtesy of Gearhead’s Gadgets, the odds that Applejack could use tonight’s earnings to help Granny had risen dramatically.

Fluttershy wanted to make new friends with all of the critters that appeared among the rare flowers in the garden.

Pinkie Pie wanted to go because it was a party, and Pinkie Pie loved partying.

Rainbow Dash wanted to hang out with the Wonderbolts, and prove her abilities to them while she was at it.

Rarity wanted to meet Prince Blueblood, to increase her chances of becoming a princess.

Twilight Sparkle wanted to spend quality time with Princess Celestia.

Spike wanted to hang out together with all of his friends. “I don’t understand why Gearhead couldn’t come with us,” he said as he pulled their pumpkin carriage up at the walkway.

“I’m sure he had his reasons,” Fluttershy said.

“And we have our reasons, too. Let’s make this the best night ever!” Rainbow Dash said, and they all charged in to make it so, although they split up almost immediately.

Applejack set up her vendor cart in the courtyard, and fortunately for her, Soarin,’ a member of the Wonderbolts, came by and bought a pie. If the team captain’s comment about the stallion always being hungry after a big show was true, Applejack was lucky to have just been there. Spitfire and Soarin’ strode off, and things were looking up for Applejack… until she realized that the earlier sale had been the exception, not the rule: nopony else seemed to want her food!

Fluttershy went into the garden, and started to bask in the exotic flora. When she heard something whistling a song, however, she immediately wanted to make friends with the singer – who turned out to be a gardener and not a meadow lark. But the night was still young, and she would do anything to befriend the critters.

Pinkie Pie bounced around the party room, hooting, singing, and generally trying to get a laugh. Or for the other ponies to shake their ‘hoof thing.’ Her attempts to shift things over were, unfortunately, largely brushed aside or simply ignored, even when Pinkie got Octavia Melody and the other members of the band to help out.

Rainbow Dash got in with the Wonderbolts easily enough when she saved Soarin’s pie, but hanging out with the flyers Dash admired so much proved more difficult than she had imagined, if only because there was such a big crowd, and the noise was so overwhelming. Rainbow Dash decided to try to wow the Wonderbolts with further acrobatic feats. Unfortunately Spitefire’s attention was often elsewhere.

Rarity quickly spotted Prince Blueblood in the main ballroom, and followed him out into the garden, all the while trying to temper her eagerness without appearing too cold. Watching from a distance, Gearhead did not like where this was going, and decided to follow, if only to confirm whether Blueblood was as arrogant as Gearhead thought he was.

“Hey, Gearhead, what’s going on?” The Earth Pony turned at his second batch of unexpected visitors, still keeping one eye on Blueblood and Rarity.

“I am backstopping one of my friends,” Gearhead said.

“Or maybe you mean ‘stalking,’ the female of the two Unicorn siblings said, teasing him just a little. Gearhead merely shrugged it off.

“No, Prince Blueblood’s attitude had worried me since the first time we spoke, which makes me wonder why Miss Rarity might think he is worthy of her.”

“Eh, good point,” the male, Dusk Shadow, said. “That fellow has always annoyed me.” Dusk was as big a stallion as Big McIntosh, which was unusual for a Unicorn who studied magic as closely as Gearhead remembered him doing. The black-coated, blue-maned stallion must have struck some sort of balance after Gearhead had stopped studying at the Hidden Library. The oldest son of the main bloodline for the Third Conclave of Flowing Shadows was a lot nicer than Gearhead’s own brother, and more sociable than Gearhead had heard Miss Twilight had been before coming to Ponyville.

“Somepony needs to help him adjust his thinking,” Dawn Shadow said. Unlike her big brother, as well as the majority of her family, she had a fair blonde coat and a white mane. From what Gearhead remembered of Dawn’s studies, she also had a knack for Light and Fire Magic – which was also contrary to the rest of her family’s use of Water and Shadow Magic. Perhaps it was this extraordinary streak that had drawn Gearhead and Prism and Dawn together as foals.

“Yes, but who could get through that ego?” Dusk asked.

“Depends upon the opening,” Gearhead said, and he led the siblings in monitoring Rarity’s progress with Blueblood.

Twilight Sparkle made a beeline for Princess Celestia, and was pleased to discover that her mentor wanted her by her side for the entire night. Twilight had so much she wanted to talk about with the princess, but every other second another pair of ponies would come up, and Princess Celestia had to welcome them to the Gala.

Left alone and to his own devices, Spike made a dejected circuit of the grounds, looking for somepony with whom he could just hang out. Everypony seemed busy, and neither Shining Armour nor Princess Cadence was present. Spike decided his time was better spent at Donut Joe’s than at the palace, and left.

Rarity’s initial approach with Blueblood was to point out the beauty of the garden and the nearby roses in particular. When Blueblood agreed and picked a rose, she thought she was on the right track, but then he attached the flower to his own lapel. “It goes with my eyes,” he said. Rarity was shocked, but she was willing to give the prince the benefit of the doubt, and wondered if he was just a bit rough around the edges.

Gearhead watched from what he thought of as a respectful distance until Blueblood refused to cross some ground because it had a puddle on it unless Rarity was willing to cover it with her cloak. Before the cloth could touch the ground, Gearhead snatched it out of the air and put it back on her back. “Please pardon the intrusion: that lovely cloak was about to become soiled.”

“Better it than me,” Blueblood said.

“Is that really how your great-aunts taught you to treat a lady? Because I doubt it greatly.”

“I don’t need to hear lessons on etiquette from some Black Sheep!”

“Then why must I give them, Your Highness? Even as I am, I have found your low behaviour deplorable.”

“You dare besmirch me? I’ll tell the Princess!”

“I rather think she would thank me for the service, although it comes from a pupil.”

“Who would believe that?”

“My friends. The lady here is one of them, which is one of the reasons I could not watch any longer.”

“How dare you think to lecture me. I am royal! I am a prince!”

“Being born into a station does not excuse such poor behaviour, Your Highness. It accords a degree of respect, however poor princes can also be hated by their subjects if they do not treat those same subjects with the respect they are due.”

“What nonsense! I lead, they follow. I am born to rule. It’s that simple.”

“Royalty serve the people. That is what I know.”

“What foal would even think that?”

Gearhead glanced at Rarity. “What do you think?

“I think that if Prince Blueblood ruled it wouldn’t be long before Equestria had its first real rebellion. Everypony loves Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I was holding out for some hope, but he has less charisma than the Apple family plough.”

Blueblood sputtered. “I don’t have to stand for this,” he turned to walk away.

“So then do you admit that you were mistaken?”

“Mistaken? Wrong? Me?!”

“Yes, that would sum it up,” Rarity said.

“That is the final straw! I shall have you drawn and quartered for your insults!”

“I do not think this principality works that way. Why not have a duel instead?

“A no-account Earth Pony could never defeat a noble Unicorn. Very well. Use anything you have, but this will still be over quickly.”

“On your three-count, Your Highness,” Gearhead said. He waved one leg across his eyes, and in the process zipped up the shoe.

It had quickly become obvious to Twilight that she and Celestia would be unable to converse after all. There were simply too many ponies coming to pay their respects to the Princess and hobnob with other influential ponies. Another couple came up, the stallion in a forest green longcoat clearing his throat as they approached.

“Herd Verdant sends its regards, Your Highness,” the stallion said in his too-polished, low voice. “May I present Lady Ivy, third of her name, and my sister.”

“Pleased as always, Lady Ivy,” Princess Celestia said, and she even curtseyed a little back. Twilight took a closer look at this mare for whom Equestria’s ruler seemed to hold so much respect.

Verdant Ivy was an Earth Pony of slightly slighter build when compared to Applejack, but she was certainly stronger than Fluttershy or Rarity. She had a light brown coat and a reddish-brown mane with emerald highlights, done in a style so those highlights flowed back like fountain water or the vines of an exotic plant. She wore a pale green strapless dress where the lace on her bodice was shaped into ivy vines, accenting her appearance. She carried herself with simple elegance and fluidity. But Lady Ivy’s most startling feature was her eyes, for as Twilight made eye contact, she was filled with as full a feeling of wellbeing and warmth as she had ever had, and all of her stress flowed away. “The pleasure is mine, Princess Celestia. Miss Twilight.” The mare’s smile made Twilight’s heart jump. She knows my name?

“And I,” the rough, dark brown stallion continued, “am Lord Vines, sixth of my name and Heir Apparent to the Verdant.” Twilight noticed the emblem on the left side of Vines’s longcoat, a pair of trees growing in a V-pattern from a field, rendered in full colour. She glanced at Princess Celestia, but Vines continued. “Herd Verdant is one of the oldest pony families. We trace our line back to times preceding the foundation of Equestria, and we are, in fact, the oldest farming family still extant. Between all of our branch families and the main family in Hoofington, our produce accounts for over two-thirds of Equestria’s needs. But I’m surprised you don’t already know that.” Lady Ivy placed a warning hoof on Vines’s left leg, silencing him.

“Enjoy the Gala,” Princess Celestia said, thankful once more for Ivy’s presence. The brother and sister pair moved off, Vines in a huff while Lady Ivy cast back an apologetic smile.

“Was all that true?” Twilight asked, watching the two ponies go.

“Unfortunately, yes, and not every member of that family is as gracious as Ivy, or as their parents. It’s a patriarchal Herd, unlike the Apples, so Ivy can’t receive the title. It would be most unfortunate if it fell to somepony as arrogant and prejudiced as ‘Lord’ Vines.

“Welcome to the Gala,”

“One…” Blueblood paused for three seconds, by which time he could have completed the count. “… twothree!” And he immediately unleashed a blast of magical energy aimed at Gearhead’s body.

Gearhead stamped his unshod hoof, sending a piece of earth into the air. It absorbed the blow, but got blasted to pieces. Energy leapt from piece to piece as he reshaped them into ball-like pellets, and then launched those at Blueblood. Most of them missed or fell apart before reaching the target, but one of them struck the white stallion just above his left hoof.

He shrieked. “The travesty. I’ll make you pay for your effrontery!” The Unicorn vanished in a display of magical energy, only to reappear behind Gearhead, angling his horn for a direct thrust.

Gearhead drew the geargem dagger with his tail and intercepted the blow, using the flat of his blade. He used the time he gained to reposition himself more fully against Blueblood, and then he transferred the dagger to his mouth, so he could use the greater strength of his neck muscles. “More the foal, you, for forfeiting your greatest advantage.”

“What do you mean?” Blueblood asked as Gearhead pressed his counterattack and pushed the other back.

“You cannot cast as long as I keep striking your horn, Highness.”

Blueblood widened his eyes, realizing the truth as Gearhead spoke it. And, of course, being an Earth Pony, the other stallion did not have a horn on which to depend. Blueblood tried to backpedal to open a range so he could get back to casting, but Gearhead was right there, and even managed to stick a leg in and trip the Unicorn up. Blueblood looked up to see the point of a sword suddenly in view.

“Perhaps it is not too late, and you can change your views in time to make a great leader of yourself. But until then, may I recommend that you yield?” Blueblood looked like he might argue. “You do not have an offensive posture, and your position is untenable. I need only twist ever so slightly, and I can disrupt any spell you begin to prepare. And this room is rich in magical energies, so easily at my call. You have been bested. Your best course..?”

“I yield,”

Gearhead stood back, sheathed his dagger, and then leaned in to help Blueblood back to his hooves. “A harsh lesson, but one worth remembering: no pony is alone.”

“I see you’re still creating disasters wherever you walk,” a new voice said, smooth as silk. “This sort of action is beneath us, little brother”

“Helping a friend is never beneath anypony, Lord Vines,” Gearhead turned around to face his oldest sibling, which created an opening for Blueblood to discreetly excuse himself.

“Imagine that: you, with a ‘friend.’ Can someone like you really have a friend who looks like that? Or is she using you and you… gifts? You can’t possibly succeed in business and be that naïve… can you?”

“We are friends,” Rarity said. “What I find hard to believe is that you two are brothers. You certainly don’t behave like it.”

“Well, Miss, we haven’t seen one another for awhile. Brother, where are your manners?”

“Miss Rarity, please allow me to introduce you to Lord Vines, the eldest of the Verdant sons, and Lady Ivy, the second-oldest of the Verdant progeny. Lord Vines, Big Sister Ivy, this is Miss Rarity, owner of Carousel Boutique and a dear friend of mine from Ponyville.”

“Ah,” Ivy said, “so this is the famous Rarity. I have seen and enjoyed some of your designs, Miss Rarity. It is a true pleasure to finally meet the Unicorn behind them.”

“The pleasure’s mine, Lady Ivy.”

“Yes it is,” Vines interjected. “Lady Ivy has reminded me that I have one piece of business with you, little brother, and that’s to tell you that Father has decided to use a large portion of your earnings to expand the East Field to the east.”

Gearhead caught his breath for a moment. Expanding a field with another family member’s resources was equal to giving that pony the credit for that field, and everything that came from it, at least on some level. That meant that while Gearhead had never grown or harvested a crop due to the unpredictable nature of his ‘knack,’ he would now get partial credit for every stalk that grew on the field. And to do so in the East Field, expanding to the east, in the direction of the rising sun, was to pin one’s hopes on the future, and not once, but twice.

Normally undertaking such an act would not be a great risk, since the money Gearhead sent back home was earmarked specifically for the sake of Verdant Fields. In this case it was a massive risk, because it was money that Gearhead had earned, and as long as he had the title of ‘Black Sheep,’ he could not be given, or earn, the title of Patriarch. And yet, Father, the current Patriarch, was clearly stating that Gearhead would eventually succeed his father.

Succession in the Verdant was determined along a patriarchal bloodline, as well as through merit. In this case, ‘merit’ was clearly defined in The Codex Verdante as any action resulting in a benefit for the Verdant while sowing, tending to, and/or harvesting the crops at Verdant Fields, or the crops of the Herd as a whole. Vines already held the title ‘Successor’ because he had grown and harvested the most crops out of his male siblings, and because of his ambition to become the next Patriarch.

For Father to take the risk as he had just done was to declare to the Herd Council, and to every member of the Herd who was in the know, that he held more confidence in the Black Sheep to safeguard the Herd’s future than he did in the heir apparent.

Vines’s expression showed that he recognized in Gearhead’s own face that the latter fully understood the implications of Father’s actions, and in the need for Vines to tell Gearhead about them. The oldest of the Verdant children was clear past anger to pure fury, but Ivy was at his side, blunting those flames. She rested one hoof on his leg and looked up into her only older sibling’s eyes, and the heat became a simmer.

“Father wants you to go talk with him,” he said at last, and again Gearhead could see, reflected in his brother’s eyes, that they both knew what that meant: While there were not any laws in the Codex exiling the Black Sheep, it was generally understood that he or she would not return until the mark, the V-trees in silver outline, could be removed. Yet here was Father, calling Gearhead back to talk. It had to be for something extremely important. “I’ve discharged my duties. Now we’ll take our leave of you. Enjoy the Gala.”

But Vines paused and turned back, his expression softening slightly. “Brother, it is good to see how far you’ve come after so long. You are, after all, of the blood of Verdant.” Gearhead nodded, knowing how hard even that small concession had to be.

Ivy, too, paused. She embraced Gearhead, holding him tight. “Little Brother, please be safe. We will all be waiting for the day when you come home to us.” The mare released him and stood back, studying him. “You are already doing wonderfully and admirably.”

Gearhead felt the warmth and well-being flow through him, as was Ivy’s special gift. “Thank you, Big Sister.” Gearhead and Rarity watched as Ivy turned and caught up with an impatient Vines, and then the two of them went back inside the palace.

“That was… intense,” Rarity said. “So you’re actually some kind of royalty in exile?”

“I shall explain to everypony in Ponyville sometime, in full. Now is not the time, and I have much on which to think.”

“Well, not just now, my good sir! Lets enjoy the rest of the Gala together, you and I.”

It seemed, however, that events had conspired so there was little left of the Grand Galloping Gala for the seven friends to enjoy, what with Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash bumping around. Even Ivy’s calming touch and gaze could not stop the falling columns that followed Fluttershy’s bursting into the main ballroom following a whole group of panicking animals. In the end, the only thing the friends could do was to flee to Donut Joe’s – where Spike had been drowning his sorrows in sprinkles. They were soon joined by the Royal Sisters, and were surprised to hear that Princess Celestia had invited them mainly in the hopes that they would liven things up.

“Well then,” Rarity said, “I believe this is the perfect opportunity to cap things off with a little story. That is, if Sir Gearhead doesn’t mind sharing it?”

“Well, since you asked so nicely and I will not have to repeat it…

“It is true that I was born on a farm, that at the age of three my ‘knack’ first manifested to disastrous results, that I worked hard to control my ‘knack,’ and that I set out to master it completely. Here are the specifics:

“I was born on Verdant Field, the farm owned and tended by the main family of Herd Verdant. This is probably the oldest farming family in Equestria, since we can trace our genealogy back to times predating Equestria. It is not, in itself, a noble line, as Lord Vines would have it, simply because it is an old line. Whether or not the Verdant actually has noble blood is something I do not know, as I have never seen the volume containing our genealogy.

“The tradition of taking a colt or filly to the fields for the first time at the age of three is also the tradition of the Name Day. As the day’s name implies, this is when we of the Herd are given our names. Previous to Name Day I was ‘Thirdson,’ as that indicates my birth order ranking. Firstson is Lord Vines, and Seconddaughter is Big Sister Ivy, whom some of you just met at the Gala.

“After my ‘knack’ manifested, I was not simply given the name ‘Gearhead,’ but also the title of ‘Black Sheep.’ The Black Sheep Clause, as recorded in the legislative volume, was created by the Patriarch of about 1,000 years ago in order to protect ponies like me from ridicule and harm, to protect the interests of the Herd, and to motivate one so named to still try to contribute to the good of the Herd. Despite the label and the ridicule that still comes with it, it could easily have been much worse without the Clause. And it is never invoked lightly. This coat and the emblem on it mark me as a Black Sheep to anyone who can recognize it, like Prince Blueblood.

“The Verdant is a patriarchal Herd, which means that my father cannot pass the title of Patriarch to Big Sister Ivy even though she is probably more deserving of it than Lord Vines in the eyes of all concerned. The title is also passed by merit, which is itself defined by how much a pony does on the farm, and for the sake of the farm. Because of what happened on my Name Day, I have never had anything positive to do with the crops, and I have the title of ‘Black Sheep.’ But through meritorious acts, I can earn a lifting of the title. If I do that, I stand a chance to inherit Verdant Fields and the title of Patriarch. That has been my motivation these past long years

“I do not want to concern any of you with the affairs of the Herd, however I feel it is necessary to tell you that Lord Vines may be the least suitable pony to succeed as Patriarch, if not in the Herd’s history then in centuries. He is arrogant, ambitious, harsh, and unaccepting of those who do not fit his idea of usefulness. He will not hesitate to act in any way that he sees as beneficial for the Herd, and that can make him dangerous. Big Sister Ivy has obviously been trying to blunt his ambition and his fury, but there is only so much she can do. Long exposure to Big Sister Ivy’s ability to calm a pony might have even allowed Lord Vines to build up a resistance.”

“How bad could it be if he does get the title?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“There is a Council that helps to govern the Herd, however in emergencies the Patriarch has the ability to veto and deadlock them. Also, the Verdant has enough reach to impact all of Equestria.”

“Vines did say they provide a lot of Equestria’s food,” Twilight said.

“Okay, that’s bad,” Rainbow Dash said. “What do we do?”

“Unfortunately, Lord Vines and some members of the Council do not recognize the Princesses Celestia and Luna as authorities above themselves or the Patriarch. If Lord Vines was to be named Patriarch on my father’s passing, this would become a matter for the Verdant to settle internally. The only way I can do anything is by earning my way out of being the Black Sheep. And apparently, that starts by going back to Verdant Fields and speaking with my father.”

“How long has it been since you’ve been home?” Fluttershy asked.

“It has been ten years,” Gearhead said, “almost to the day.”

* * *

Following Father’s directions, Gearhead pulled his wagon up behind the barn. The older stallion opened the back door, and Gearhead drove his vehicle inside, where other ponies would not be able to easily see and identify it. “Please follow me,” Father said shortly, and then he led the way off. Gearhead knew that the Patriarch was not being rude to his second son, but he was probably nervous about all this.

“Is it worth it to take these risks?” Gearhead asked.

“Better to take them than not,” Father said. “Tell me, when you were driving in, did you get the impression that much had changed? Here at the farm, I mean. Not in Hoofington.”

“I cannot say that much in particular is different,” Gearhead admitted.

“Exactly! Vines can say as many times as he likes that we have a long history, but what I’ve come to realize in the years since you left is that those long millennia have been times of stagnation.”

“But the Herd is so large,”

“Well, you’re right that procreation and propagation isn’t a problem, at least not directly,” Father said with a wry grin. “Unfortunately that’s not what I mean. What I do mean is that we’ve been living pretty much the same way since we started farming: similar living conditions. Pretty much identical methods. Until you, Gearhead,” Father turned and poked him in the chest, stopping him cold. “Through invention and innovation, you are a force for change, enabling the rest of us to improve our standard of living and our farming methods. No matter who’s doing the farming, we’re producing much more than we ever have before. That’s why I told Vines to tell you about the East Field.”

“Is that why you are taking these risks?”

“In no small part, my son. See, none of your younger brothers were old enough to be able to strike out on their own paths as potential leaders. Sadly, they’re all following Vines’s example. Just as unfortunately, your younger sisters are too withdrawn to want to lead. That goes for Ivy too, although she would be a compassionate leader. Maybe too much so. Then there’s Vines: overly cocky and overreaching in his ambition, and yet resentful, angry, and exclusive of those who don’t fit his ideas of how ponies should be. You’re the Verdant’s best hope for an innovative future, my boy, and I believe you’ve earned your way out of the Black Sheep Clause. All you and I have to do is convince the Council of that, and that you’re better suited to lead than your brother – in as much as he’s too smart to self-destruct by denouncing you and any other Black Sheep in front of the Council.”

Father had been leading Gearhead around the farm and into one of the unmarked silos. They went down a set of hidden stairs and into an underground passageway. If not for Gearhead’s ability to read the ground, he would have gotten lost in the twists and turns. Finally they came to a chamber with a locked metal door – a door which Gearhead recognized as being made of adamantine!

Father unlocked the door and led the way inside, past several other layers of security. The only object inside the room, other than a light and the pedestal on which it stood, was an open book.

The book was open to a page entitled 'The Black Sheep Clause.' Gearhead spun away, averting his gaze out of awe and respect: this was The Codex Verdante, the book that enshrined both the Herd’s complete genealogy and its laws!

“I hope I don’t have to make it a command,” Father said, knowing full well that Gearhead would never disobey him. The younger stallion turned back and read, memorizing every detail. “That’s better. And now the other thing I must show you.” Father held his right hoof above the book, and it immediately started to turn pages back. It went out of the section dedicated to Herd law, and into the genealogy section. It came to the page that included the current living family, complete with notations about special skills. Living family members were in green ink, while deceased members were written in black. For Gearhead himself it said ‘Verdant Thirdson Gearhead (Black Sheep),’ and it gave the year of his Name Day. “Now, start flipping backwards. Keep going until I tell you to stop.”

Gearhead proceeded to flip pages, scanning before moving on to the one previous. Always, in the main family, there was someone noted as a Black Sheep, and always with the year of his or her Name Day. Some of them also had a concluding year when they earned their way out of the Clause, ahead of the year of their death. Just as often, the named pony remained a Black Sheep.

And then, suddenly, the title of Black Sheep vanished. Or more accurately, as Gearhead was looking farther and farther back in time, it suddenly appeared. Gearhead looked at the dates on that page, and flipped back to the next page to note the date next to the Black Sheep of that generation. It started on a Name Day, whenever there was a member of the family who was a Black Sheep. But before that, he saw as he flipped back further and further, the title simply did not exist, not in the family’s traced history.

“So you noticed,”

“It just… starts. Without any notice at all,” Gearhead said in wonder.

“Yes. Somepony made this condition appear in that generation, and every generation since. Somepony powerful. If you can find an historical record that goes back far enough, you can discover who did this to you, to every Black Sheep before you, and to every Black Sheep to follow. What you do with this information is up to you. But! It was absolutely imperative that you know about this, so you know what’s at stake here.”

“That is a lot of big pieces of information,”

“Yes, and I’m confident that you’ll be able to handle it, but we’re not through here yet, my son.”

“There is more?”

“Yes, and it is one of the most important things you learn today. Think you’re ready for it?”

“I cannot think of much that could have more impact than reading from the Codex, but go on.”

“Actually, it concerns the Codex. As the story goes, my many-times predecessor worked with the Conclave to produce three copies of the complete Codex Verdante. The Codex has several enchantments placed on it, on every copy: translation, preservation, and instant and constant updating of content being among them.”

“And being able to will it to find any page desired,” Gearhead said.

“That too, but there’s something in my story you should be asking about now, you being as smart as you are.”

“Where are each of the copies?”

“A good start. We took two, and presented one each to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna as coronation gifts. I’ve no idea where they might be keeping them, but the enchantments prevent the copies from degradation and destruction. The third copy is right here,” Father tapped the book on the podium.

Gearhead blinked. He looked down at the book, then up at his father. “If this is a copy, where is the original?”

“Exactly! The original manuscript, which the Conclave used to create the copies, is in a location known and accessible only to the Patriarch, also by their enchantments. Only the Patriarch can take it out. Only the Patriarch can change the content in any way. That’s one of my duties as Patriarch, but I wonder how Vines would see it?”

“I do not think it is in any good way,” Gearhead said, his mouth going dry. “If he can change the content…” The page to which Father had had the book open when the two of them had come in was the page containing the Black Sheep Clause. It had provided Gearhead with the protection he needed until he could control his geomancy and strike out on his own, but if Vines wanted to exclude anyone who was not useful, that could only mean true exile, and from far too early to result in anything but a life of struggle.

“Now you know what’s at stake in full,” Father said. “I’m sorry to add to your stress, but I don’t think you can go into this blind.”

“No, I appreciate that, Father.”

“You’re the one who’s always giving the family such great equipment for all the right jobs. This time it was my turn.”

“Now I’m better equipped for what lies ahead,” Gearhead said.

“’Better equipped.’ Yeah, I think that reflects the truth. I’m glad you don’t have your brother’s arrogance, even if your creativity in innovation reflects something else he has.”

“Yes?”

“Ambition. You want to succeed and prove yourself more than anyone else. I believe that if you keep doing what you’re doing, with as full awareness as possible, you will succeed.”

“You are ever the philosopher, Father.”

“Coming from my genius son, I’ll take that as the huge compliment it was intended to be.”

Gearhead headed for Ponyville with a smile on his face, despite the problems he now had to shoulder: he needn’t take them on his own anymore, not all of them. He had the support of most of his family, and of his friends. Friends he would find waiting for him in Ponyville.