My Little Pony: Third Gear

Chapter 12: A Dragon’s Honour

Gearhead definitely preferred the simplicity of running his shop over the power politics he had started to see during Basic, but even here he was starting to realize how far politics penetrated into the way he lived.

Gearhead’s Gadgets was no longer just his shop anymore. Certainly he still operated it, but by the conditions of his contract he was also Verdant Redwood’s employee, and Father had to report new developments not only to Herd Council, but to the Defence Alliance Council too. The things Gearhead developed and sold, and the ways in which he did it now affected some of the things that happened within the DA.

Fortunately it was not all bad news, and Gearhead did not consider things to be all that bad to start with, since he trusted his parents, Uncle Windwalker and Aunt Aerial, and Midnight and Nightstar. The only one whom Gearhead was trying to watch was Vines, but that was pretty well impossible from such a large distance.

Gearhead now had four employees of his own. Dawn represented the Shadows, and Spring Flight represented the Azure. Dawn, Torrent, and Radar proved their skill in working the floor, while Spring tended to be a little on the shy side, although he could also handle the sales aspect of the job well enough.

Where Dawn was welcoming and calming, Torrent was charismatic and able to convince a potential customer to buy something about which she or he had been holding doubts. Gearhead had to convince him not to try to sell anything that a customer did not actually need. Radar had started off a little on the aggressive side, but Gearhead had asked her to temper that by waiting for some sign from a customer that he or she was confused or needed assistance. Since then, she had gotten much better at working with the customers, although she was still disappointed whenever she did not close a sale. By contrast Spring never seemed to get disappointed, and he always allowed customers enough time to try to make a decision on their own. In his case, the customers often approached him for help, instead of the other way around, and that worked fine. Gearhead was not okay with ‘fine,’ so he encouraged Spring to try to be more proactive with the customers, when he saw they were in a quandary.

Before Dawn and the Elemental Six had gone to Wonderbolts Academy to deliver Pinkie’s care package, Spring Flight would go out to collect resources together. While they flew around the area, Radar did the detecting. Spring gently pushed aside any plant life that might be in the way, but could remain undisturbed, and then Torrent did the digging. With Dawn gone, they would take turns with Spring or Torrent minding the shop. They always took advantage of Radar’s detection abilities, but sometimes they would use Spring’s gentler extraction techniques, and sometimes Torrent would simply dig things up. Spring Flight kept the shop well-stocked, and they sold gadgets fairly well.

The most surprising contribution came from Dawn, but then Gearhead had expected that they would have to get around a shortage of gadgets sometime while he went through training. On the second morning since his return, he walked into the Workshop and finally found out why the shop had not run out of merchandise during his absence.

There was Dawn, standing in front of the forge. Her mane and tail were tied tight to her head and body respectively to keep them as clean as possible. Even though she was using her magic to levitate the tools and parts with which she was working, Gearhead noticed that her face and neck still had some grease smudges from her work.

Gearhead continued downstairs, and decided to lend Dawn a hoof. Dawn accepted silently, and both of them focused on the piece until they had it completed. “This is a pleasant surprise,” Gearhead finally said.

“You didn’t honestly expect us to just sit around while we ran out of stock, did you?” Dawn poked his chest with a hoof.

“No, I did not expect this.”

“Because I’m a mare?” Gearhead thought a moment. “What’s with the hesitation?” Dawn asked archly, tilting her head a bit.

“I was going to say that it does not fit your image, but then I thought that it sort of does.”

“Eh?”

“You are a mage, and I have seen your work in your laboratory, so why would you be unable to get dirty making machines as well as potions and spells?”

“That’s true, I do get dirty making magic,”

“And cause explosions,”

“Hey!”

“It is why the house has added suspension,” Gearhead said, shrugging.

“Well, the kids aren’t up to this sort of thing yet,” Dawn said, sniffing. “Somepony has to do this sort of thing.”

“I appreciate it,”

“You’re welcome,”

“Now,” Gearhead took a cloth between his hooves, and sitting back on his hind legs, he wiped a smudge from Dawn’s nearest cheek. “I think we should both get cleaned up so we can open up shop.”

“Agreed,” Dawn said, blushing.

* * *

Morning burned higher, and Spring Flight joined Gearhead and Dawn in the shop. The three Pegasi always seemed ready for adventure, and while they would never admit it in front of Gearhead, he knew that they would often get bored just standing around, waiting for somepony to help.

That was why he asked Radar and Torrent to go look for some usable carpenter’s wood in the Everfree. Ordinarily, as a responsible stallion, he might have felt uneasy about sending adolescent ponies into a dangerous place like the Everfree Forest, but these were Azure Wing trainees, and even short sticks were enough for most threats. They even had small hoof mirrors among their gear, in case of an encounter with a Cockatrice.

Gearhead headed out for another section of the Everfree. He took the Twin Engine but not the Stabilizer, and both of his daggers, so he would have room for saddlebags without unduly affecting his weight.

Metals might be harder and more durable than woods most of the time, but there were some types of wood that were better for the jobs Gearhead had in mind than their closest possible fits in any other material. Cedar, elm, and yew all had different flexibility and tensile strengths, as well as different textures and scents. Pretty much all metal became brittle and unbending after you worked with them in the forge, and they always had to be refined before you could use them. Woods had to be treated and cured, but they already possessed some desired qualities naturally.

Ironwood was another good choice, with the surface durability and flexibility of both its namesakes. Naturally, there was a trick to finding ironwood trees, which were among the oldest in any area. Thanks in no small part to his Twin Engine, Gearhead could fly out, above the Everfree, and spot a healthy ironwood tree from a distance. He would then descend to harvest some good branches, while leaving the tree itself healthy and intact to grow even more.

It was while flying out to one such spot that Gearhead spotted the Sparkle Balloon. It was not so extraordinary for somepony to want to get in a morning flight while it was cool and the air was fresh, but normally there was at least one rider visible in the basket. Gearhead quickly reversed direction and flew in closer to investigate.

By the time he arrived, someone had already tied the balloon to a branch so it would not fly away again. The rider was not visible in the immediate area, but a familiar voice called out for help from nearby. Gearhead took to the air again, flying over some bushes to get to the scene faster, incanting a salvo of Capturing Wind Arrows while he had time in which to prepare.

Gearhead found Spike trying to hold off a pack of Timberwolves with increasingly small jets of dragonfire, so Gearhead released a round of seven Wind Arrows, all impacting the ground around the Timberwolves. “That was a warning, my friends. Mind yew, something looks familiar. Might I have beaten some of yew twigs with a length of earth and wood some months ago? I have grown quiete the repertoire of resources since then.”

The Timberwolves growled. It might have been the wood pun, but Gearhead brandished the expanded Geargem Dagger and took a stance to release the rest of his prepared arrows. In the process he made sure the magic circle was visible behind him. The biggest wolf gave a huff, then decided to turn and run deeper into the forest. The others followed.

“Thanks,” Spike said. “I owe you one, really.”

“We are friends, are we not?” Gearhead smiled at the little Dragon.

“Yeah, but you really saved my life there. Even with the puns.”

“It us what they understand best. What are you doing all the way out here, anyway?”

“It’s a long story, Bro. Suffice it to say the balloon got away from me. I didn’t realize where I was until too late, and then the Timberwolves came.”

“And your Dragonfire?” Gearhead started to walk back toward the balloon, with Spike following him.

“I guess I was too scared to use it,” Spike said, looking crestfallen. “And have you ever tried to light wet, mossy wood on fire? It’s hard. And stinky. Yup, I won’t be forgetting that smell anytime soon.”

“It is a good thing the balloon did not take you too much further into the forest, or it would have taken much longer to get back. Not to mention, you could have encountered worse than those wolves.”

“Still, you came and saved me, and that means I owe you a life debt.”

“Oh, you do not owe me anything, Spike. I was in the area anyway, looking for different wood.”

“That definitely explains why you’re here,” Spike said, looking at Gearhead’s saddlebags. “Doesn’t look like you found much, though.”

“Nevermind that: Twilight would have been understandably upset if I did not bring you back to her.”

“No,” Spike grabbed Gearhead’s nearest leg, stopping him. “I owe you a debt for saving my life, and I won’t rest until I’ve paid it back in full.”

“That sounds very noble, Spike, but it is unnecessary. I already have four employees to help me out. In fact, I have Radar and Torrent out looking for more wood right now.”

“But if I don’t pay you back, how will I know I’m a noble Dragon? How will I know if I can’t follow my own Dragon Code?”

“If it really means that much to you, you can come to the shop later. But you should definitely tell Twilight about what is going on here, and make sure it is okay with her.”

“Oh yeah, I’ll have to tell her I can’t be her assistant anymore!”

“Pardon me, but ‘what?!’ I thought this was just for today, or a few days. You make it sound like this is a deal for life.”

“A life debt deserves life-long dedication – or its equivalent.”

“I cannot imagine Twilight giving you up,” Gearhead said, shaking his head. He and Spike made sure the balloon was securely tied to his barrel, and then Spike got saddled comfortably between Gearhead’s cores so he could take off.

“She gave me the day off today. I just didn’t imagine things turning out this way when I stepped out the door.”

“I can honestly say that neither did I, Spike.” Gearhead sighed as he ascended and turned toward Ponyville. “I guess we can take this one thing at a time. I will return the balloon, and then go to the shop to see what I can arrange. I will trust you to talk to Twilight, and tell her everything she needs to know about the situation.”

“You can count on me!”

* * *

Since the others were staying in the second house, Gearhead had decided to change the way he was using his space on the top floor of the shop. Half of that floor was now dedicated to showroom space, while the other half was divided between living space and Gearhead’s office. It was here that Spike found him, going through cabinets and files with Spring.

“What’re you doing?” Spike asked.

“We are looking for the best contract to fit the situation,” Gearhead said.

“Assuming Miss Sparkle gave the okay,” Spring added.

“She did,”

“What did she say?” Gearhead asked, turning to Spike. One thing the Earth Pony liked about the young Dragon was how easy he was to read, making him refreshing by comparison to the power politics at Basic or with Vines. At the moment, Spike looked a little worried – most of the younger ponies would describe the expression on his face as ‘freaked out.’

“She said it was okay, I mean, those weren’t her exact words, but that was the spirit of her words.”

“What were her exact words?”

“’Sounds good’ was what she said.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Spring said, looking up from the files he was examining.

“Right?”

Gearhead did not believe he was imagining the hopeful look on Spike’s face. He is probably having trouble processing why Twilight would let him go after his many years of faithful service. Besides, they are also like family, so it really does not make any sense. “Was she distracted when you went to speak with her?”

“She was reading. That’s why she gave me the day off: Princess Celestia gave her a whole weekend’s worth of reading material.”

“And by your experience, is Twilight receptive to whatever one might tell her while she is reading?”

“Well, no,”

“Then she probably did not actually listen to what you were telling her, so I believe you should not consider yourself a free agent just yet.”

“So then should I go back and..?”

“I cannot see it doing any good to repeat the same action, expecting a different response. But if you can wait until Twilight at least takes a break from reading, we can get to the heart of the matter. In the meantime, we can at least get started at repaying the debt you insist you owe me.”

“How do you start repaying a life debt?”

“In increments,” Gearhead nodded to Spring, who pushed a still-rolled scroll across the desk to his boss for a quick look. Gearhead placed it into a paper holder on his desk, which held it flat without damaging the paper. “This is a temporary contract, which runs for one month, the shortest timeframe I had the foresight to ask for approval from the DA.”

“What’s that again?”

“The Defence Alliance, which is made up of the Verdant, Azure, and the Shadows. I work for my father, the Patriarch, who reports to Herd Council and Alliance Council. This means that everyone who works for me also works for the DA.”

“That sounds cool. So you have a contract too?”

“I do, and since I drafted the first version before we had any ideas of what the profits would be from the Alicorn Arrays, it has already been revised once, and is currently under review once again. But because there are a number of management issues that you do not have to deal with, your contract is much more straightforward, and does not have to change.”

“Okay,” Spike said, coming to sit down when Gearhead nodded toward one of the empty chairs. Spring also took a seat, acting as a witness.

“While this contract is only for a month, it is also renewable, so if things are working out well we can continue working together. I will give you no more than twenty hours per week, and your shifts will range between three and seven hours long, depending on your availability.

“You will be required to take a break at least once every five hours. With your shorter shifts you will get one paid fifteen minute break. Longer shifts come with two paid fifteen minute breaks and one unpaid half-hour meal break.

“Since we are unaware of your skills, other than housekeeping which you do very well, we can work out your specific duties later.

“Benefits for this position include a 7.5 bit hourly salary and a twenty percent in-house employee discount. We will also contribute up to 700 bits to any and all medical expenses annually. You will earn one hour paid vacation hours for every month of service beyond your probationary period – ten days, given the shortened term of the initial contract. You will have seven days of sick and bereavement days combined, just in case, but I would advise against using them before your probation is up.

“For those tasks for which you may not yet have the required skills, but would like to learn to do, you will receive on-the-job training from another member of the staff who has completed her or his training. While you are employed here, you will only be permitted to use the equipment with which you have completed training, and with which you can demonstrate competence and comfort in unsupervised use.

“You may use the grounds as space in which to take your breaks, and the facilities are available to you in case you need them. You will also have a space available for any gear and supplies, such as a lunch, which you might bring with you. You may not solicit any non-shop material, product, or service while you are on duty or on the grounds. Also, try not to flirt too much with Miss Rarity while you are working.”

“What?”

“It is sort of like not being able to date someone who is working in the same department, only because our staff is so small, I simplified it by saying now 'while you are working.’”

“What about you and Dawn?”

“You think we flirt?”

“Yeah,”

“But not while we are on duty,”

“You sort of do,”

“Really?”

“Yeah, kind of,” Spring said.

“I did not know that. I shall have to correct that.”

“I hope that doesn’t get Miss Dawn into trouble,” Spring said.

“If she and I are breaking the rules, then we both shall be in trouble.”

“You can’t fire yourself though,” Spike said.

“That would be difficult,” Gearhead rubbed his chin with a hoof. “Any questions, Spike?”

“You sure I should sign before I try to talk to Twilight again?”

“What else will you be doing for the weekend?”

“Good point,” Spike said, and Gearhead spun the page holder, so Spike could sign and date the contract. Gearhead signed and added his notary stamp, and Spring signed as witness.

“Welcome to the Gearhead’s Gadgets staff, Spike.”

“Thanks! What should I do first?”

“There is not a lot I can train you on until Radar and Torrent get back, so I believe first I should give you the tour, and then we can get you started on tasks with which you are already familiar – the sort of thing you already do for Twilight.”

“Okay!”

* * *

As it turned out, Spike was able to smell that something was not quite right with the Workshop. “That where you keep all your Alicorn Engine stuff?”

Gearhead reared high enough to put his legs across Spike’s shoulders and steer him from looking at the part of the wall that opened into the tunnel maze. “It may be, but what it is is very important that you not know precisely where any of my more dangerous inventions and innovations are kept. And not just you: no one here but myself has been where I keep them. I keep things this way so that if anyone comes here looking for the location, and they look in ponies’ heads, they cannot find the locations that way.”

“If nopony knows, how did Twilight help you that one time?” Spike asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I set up an information relay to the terminal there. I displayed enough information for Twilight to get started, but I never showed her the devices themselves, or my progress. Most of what I had at the time were diagrams and calculations anyway, but the wrong (or right) mind could have interpreted them to create a pirated Engine if she or he was creative enough. That is why every layer and stage of the technology is itself protected by more than one later of safeguard.”

“Oh, okay. In that case, you’d better not tell me anything more.”

“Smart Dragon,”

“Yup!”

* * *

Between Spike and Spring, Gearhead’s Gadgets became cleaner and more accessible than it had ever been. Spike cleaned and cleared everything extraneous away, moving through the building from top to bottom in a way that Gearhead had never been able to appreciate before.

Spring, meanwhile, reorganized everything from Gearhead’s files to where the gadgets were displayed on the main floor. Gearhead had not thought that his default set-up needed so much work, but it obviously was not as intuitive and accessible as it could be, to judge from his customers’ reactions, as they began to compliment him on how easy it was to find whatever it was they had come to him to get. And for each compliment, Gearhead gave credit exactly where it was due.

By the time Radar and Torrent got back, their saddlebags filled to capacity with wood, Spike had already finished sweeping and meticulously washing the top floor to a shine. He was working his way down the stairs to the main floor.

“What’s going on here?” Radar asked.

“She means she knows it’s cleaning, but why is Spike cleaning up here?” Torrent said.

“He’ll be working with us for awhile, at least until some matters with Twilight can be straightened out,” Dawn said, working the counter.

“Seriously?” Radar asked. “What is it, a fight?”

“It is not a fight, but it could be just as serious if it goes beyond a misunderstanding,” Gearhead said as he helped Spring with the swapping of some of the gadgets: Pegasi could occasionally use their wingtips to grip and hold objects in ways that could make some Earth Ponies envy them, but only a Unicorn’s telekinesis could match Gearhead’s Light Magic Fingers for precision.

“So what about what you’re doing?” Torrent said. “If you rearrange where everything is, we’ll have to memorize the layout all over again.”

“Trust me,” Spring said, “this’ll be much easier to remember.”

“Again, boss: Seriously?” Radar asked.

Gearhead chuckled. “If you do not believe him yet, perhaps you would care to take a look at my filing system now?”

“But only once you’ve washed and taken care of all the pine needles and other stuff from the Everfree,” Spike said. “I don’t need to wash things all over again when I just finished it.”

“So we’ll go up later,” Radar rolled her eyes.

“While you’re at it, could you take all that wood down now? I’m cleaning the Workshop after, so I only have to do it once today.”

“You mean you plan on doing the whole shop in one day?” Torrent asked.

“This is nothing compared to the library, so yeah, I will.” Spike said it so confidently that neither Radar nor Torrent had anything more to say to that. They went back outside to brush each other off, then they came back in and took the wood downstairs so they could sort it all. The next thing they knew, it was time for lunch.

Gearhead had determined that they would take their lunches in two shifts. He sent Dawn on break first because she had spent so long working the floor already, and he sent Radar and Torrent with her because they would be the most fatigued after a morning spent flying around the Everfree harvesting wood.

Spring continued to reorganize the display cases while Spike’s progress took him out onto the floor. The Dragon decided that the best way to progress would be to follow Spring, so they would not have to remove an item twice to clean the display case. Gearhead took up his station behind the counter. Spike fastidiously observed how he handled customers even as the former kept on working with Spring.

When Dawn, Radar, and Torrent returned, Gearhead, Spike, and Spring took their break. They went to sit behind the shop so they could eat by the river. Even though business was doing well because Gearhead was sending advertisements to other towns and cities, the rest of the day seemed to be fairly calm and quiet.

“Oh there you are,” Fluttershy said, landing softly nearby. Dash was less subtle, choosing a spot that bisected the distance between Fluttershy and the others.

“Been wondering why the library’s been so quiet, but if you’re here, Spike, of course it would be... hey, where’s Twilight?” Dash asked.

“She’s at the library,”

“But I knocked and nopony answered.”

“Twilight is a little absorbed in her reading,” Gearhead supplied.

“I got the day off,” Spike said proudly. He deflated almost immediately. “Then a bunch of stuff happened.”

“And that led to you being here how?” Dash asked.

“Gearhead saved me from the Timberwolves, and now I owe him a life debt according to the Spike the Dragon Code.”

“So I hired him on, at least until we can talk to Twilight when her muzzle is not in a book,” Gearhead said.

“You do realize that you could’ve just had him as a servant, right? Not that I’d do it. I’m just... checking,” Dash said sheepishly.

“I would have just said I didn’t have anything I wanted him to do,” Fluttershy said.

“Oh, but what if you wanted something, but didn’t know you wanted it yet?” Spike asked. He stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth.

“You’be ne’er haf a maggaga by Fise!”

“What?”

Spike held up a claw as he finished chewing his food, and then he swallowed. “You’ve never had a massage by Spike!” He wiped the remaining crumbs off of himself, jumped behind Fluttershy, and started massaging her behind her wings.

“Oh my, that feels wonderful, Spike.”

“See? And what if you wanted help with something else?”

“Like what?” Dash asked.

“Like... breathing? Okay, that’s a weak example, but you wouldn’t ask just anything of anypony, would you? But you could ask me to do anything.”

“That’s... something alright,” Dash said, grimacing.

“I did not think that far afield, to be honest. I just thought it would be easier to hire him. Besides, neither I nor the Verdant nor the DA approve of indentured servitude. A temporary contract position was the easiest solution I could think of, and Spring here helped me to find exactly the right contract for Spike.”

“That’s all well and good,” Dash said, “but I hope you’ve got the guts to tell him when he gets in the way.”

“Do I get in the way?” Gearhead had not had any idea a Dragon’s eyes could look so big and mournful. Even Snowbelle had never done this to Gearhead, but then she had not needed to due to their link.

“Of course not, Spike.” Gearhead gathered up his things. “Come on in and I will show you what he has done for me so far.”

* * *

“My eyes!” Dash had to use her wings to block out the reflected light until the door swung closed again.

“Amazing,” Fluttershy managed to gasp. “If only my cottage ever looked so clean and orderly.”

“With all your critter friends, that could be the ultimate test of my cleaning skills,” Spike said.

“Let us just start with the shop, shall we?” Gearhead said.

“Okay, but just say the word,” Spike said.

“I’d call foul on that,” Dawn said, walking out form behind the counter. “We can’t have Spike cleaning our houses for us.”

“You’re right, that would be unfair,” Fluttershy said. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Fluttershy. I’d volunteer. Especially if Rarity asked.”

“For now, Spike, I would like you to stick with the shop. After all, there is always plenty to do here,” Gearhead said.

“So, does Twilight even know the little guy’s here?” Dash asked.

“Not if she was in a reading trance,” Dawn said.

“Maybe one of you could keep an eye on the library for me,” Gearhead said. “Let me know when she takes a break so I can speak with her.”

“We’ll make sure she knows ASAP,” Dash said.

“But not too soon, I hope,” Spring said, “Spike does an awesome job.”

“Thanks!”

“There was one other thing,” Dash said.

“What might that be?” Gearhead asked.

Dash fished in her saddlebag and brought out an envelope with the Wonderbolts insignia on it. “Don’t worry: I don’t think it’s about the next level of training. Not yet, anyway.”

Gearhead opened the letter and scanned through it, re-reading it fully in a few moments. “Is it not. This is an official commission from Spitfire. She wants me to refine the Wonderbolts flight suit, incorporating the armour and capture gem designs with which I equipped Quick Silver Squadron.”

“Oh cool,” Dash said. “How long d’you think that might take you?”

“Not that much longer,”

“You already got started,” Fluttershy said.

“Don’t tell me you’re done already? You said our armours were rough.”

“They were, and I am not done yet. I have several possibilities. Perhaps you could help me to pick one on which I can focus the rest of my efforts?”

“Now that would be awesome,” Dash said.

“What about you, Fluttershy?”

“If I can help,”

“You are a flyer and a Wonderbolt too, so yes.”

“I’ll come too,” Spike said.

Dash, Radar, and Torrent gave him some sceptical raised eyebrows.

“I have very keen eyes,” Spike held his claws around them, forming glasses frames.

“I do not see why not,” Gearhead said.

* * *

Gearhead brought the diagrams up on the Workshop’s terminal. First he showed each design’s overall view displaying side-by-side, then he brought each one up in turn so they could examine each option together. Each one featured a capture gem either in the chest or the collar.

“Option One uses the least amount of change, simply inserting a layer of micromesh in a metal or alloy of choice into existing flight suits. This would cover everything the suits currently cover, so the ears and muzzle are still vulnerable. The wing-sheaths are now smoother. I removed the internal edges, so while they cannot cut they also cannot grind against each other or get locked the way the preliminary set did a couple of times, especially in testing. A variant on this option would be to replace the existing hood with a helmet, also like we used.” Gearhead pressed a key, and the display showed the helmet.

“It looks hard,” Fluttershy said.

“I think you mean ‘rigid,’” Dash said.

“If we’re talking about looks,” Spike said, “the two don’t mesh well together because the helmet is like a rigid shell, but the suit looks as flexible as ever,” Spike said. “What? I pick up a few things.”

“I guess we shouldn’t be surprised,” Dash chuckled.

“So, a probable pass on One,” Gearhead said. “Option Two goes partial-hard-shell based on the standard armours we used. I rounded and smoothed them out, just like with the wings. I can even extend coverage where needed. Basically the only other design change would be to apply the Wonderbolt Blue and Yellow colour scheme.

“Two’s ‘B’ variant is the one for speedsters like Dash. Minimal armour again, but this time I shave the design down so we do not get any strange bulges from going from armoured section to unarmoured underneath the flight suit. The ‘C’ variant is for Shield units like Snowflake and Rook, with larger plate-style armour covering everything. It will look heavy because it will be the heaviest set, but it will also be able to take considerable damage.”

“I don’t think you should go with just one,” Fluttershy said.

“So that is a ‘no?’”

“I think she means that since each flyer is different, you could use all three variants. Spitfire could order them based on everypony’s flying and fighting styles.”

“Yes, after all you never thought of giving us just one style,” Fluttershy said.

“In that case, we have a ‘possible’ for Option Two, all variants.

“Option Three does not change much in appearance, but it uses a choice of metal or alloy in a flexible plate configuration, and comes with an undersuit for comfort. I would apply the Wonderbolts colour scheme to the outside directly, and it would be a one-style-covers-all deal, although in light of what you have said about Option One, I can also add variants where the armour is lighter or heavier depending on style and skill set.”

“You know, with the longer helmet this set looks more like everything was designed to fit together, instead of coming together by accident,” Spike said.

Dash and Fluttershy looked surprised. “I think he’s right,” Fluttershy said.

“And more coverage means more protection,” Dash added. “That’d help flyers like me and Lightning Dust.”

“So Three over Two. And the variants?”

“Go for it,” Dash said.

“Option Four, and the last that I have set, replaces the existing flight suits with micro-scaling, as taken from the Silver Wind’s armour. But in the metal or alloy of choice, again. The smaller the scales, the longer each armour would take to produce, and the more expensive it would be, however it would also be stronger, lighter, and more comfortable. There is a threshold by which an undersuit is no longer required for comfort, and the flyer can wear it without anything else, keeping in mind that when a scale becomes too damaged, it automatically ejects itself to avoid shattering into its own wearer. An undersuit or other protection may be advisable for particularly difficult missions. Option Four also returns to the hood, with detachable goggles, and again I would paint the Wonderbolts colours directly onto the micro-scale.

“And that is it,”

“Three sounds like it’d be more affordable, but...” Spike said.

“Spitfire’s gonna go for Option Four, I just know it,” Dash grinned.

“I’d vote for Four,” Fluttershy said.

“Then I shall finish the design based on Option Four. Dash, if I give you a letter could you deliver it to Spitfire?”

“Yeah..! I mean, it’d be alright with me, if I have the time.”

“Then we are set,” Gearhead said.

* * *

That same evening, Dash brought Gearhead to the library to speak with Twilight while she rested her eyes. “It is a wonder you do not need glasses,” Gearhead said wryly.

“A lot of Unicorns can compensate for the strain with our magic,” Twilight said. “Cadence does it all the time, and I’m sure Dusk and Dawn do it too.”

“Perhaps. But that is a topic for another time. I wanted to talk with you about Spike.”

“Did he get into trouble during his day off? What happened? Is he alright?”

“He is alright, so please do calm down.” They both breathed in deeply, sighing, and then they laughed. “He encountered some Timberwolves,” Gearhead said.

“How far into the Everfree did he go?”

“It was a fair ways before he got the balloon to touch down, but now that you mention it that was much closer to Ponyville than I remember them coming.”

“Maybe we should keep an eye on that, but go on.”

Gearhead nodded. “I happened to be collecting wood in the area, and saw the balloon, so I was able to save him. Now Spike is convinced that he has to honour his code through a life debt.”

“That code of his is incredibly important to him, especially since most of the examples he has of what it means to be a Dragon are rude, greedy, and dishonourable. The last thing I want for him is for him to think he’s like them, so if you can, honour the code, please.”

“I will. After all, it is because of similar Dragon Codes that I am still alive.”

“Oh right, that’s how you became Dragonfriend and Dragonfather.” Twilight tilted her head. “But that’s not the end of the story, is it?” She asked flatly.

“No, it is not, because Spike came to you asking if you would let him go so he could serve me and repay his life debt to me.”

“Oh no! I don’t remember that at all. Is it possible I got so caught up in my reading that I didn’t notice what was going on?!”

“More than likely, but now that you know, would it be possible to take it back?”

“I can’t! That would make Spike break his code, and I already explained how important it is to him.”

“In that case, we could continue along our current course of action, although I do not know how long it would be until Spike feels like he has repaid the debt in full.”

“A life debt is for life, Gearhead. Wait, what are we doing now?”

“I gave Spike a temporary, renewable contract with the shop.”

“So... you gave him a job?”

“Yes,”

“That’s... not actually that bad. But it won’t get the debt repaid. To do that, you’ve got to get Spike to save your life somehow.”

Gearhead blinked at Twilight for a few moments. “As powerful and versatile as I am, do you really believe that a situation that I cannot save myself, but he can, will come to pass?”

“Yeah, even I don’t believe that’s very likely. Especially if they involve Timberwolves. But then it could be a threat that your magic, Geomancy, swords, and Engines won’t work on. Something overwhelming, but not physically dangerous?”

Gearhead suddenly flashed back to the mob that had surrounded him at Cherry Hill Ranch, and how they had poked, prodded, and pulled. Anything to get at him, or to even get a piece of him. He had never suspected that Ponies could possess that kind of rabid ferocity, and that had been toward somepony whom they supposedly liked. Gearhead would have hated to see what they might have done to something they despised. Just thinking about what they had done made him shudder involuntarily, and he had to physically shake himself loose to return to normal.

“You okay?” Twilight asked.

“I just remembered when I got surrounded by fans when we went after Applejack,” Gearhead shuddered again.

“Okay, so you don’t like mobs. Duly noted.” Twilight suddenly turned thoughtful.

“No,” Gearhead told her flatly.

“But it’s not a physical danger, and it’s not something you can counter easily,” she said.

“Do you want to know how I got free of the mob? Because I am not fond of it, but I will use it if I have to.”

“Yes?”

“I used my Wind Magic to throw them all off of me,” Gearhead said.

“Well, that seems like a small thing,”

“Well, I am not fond of having to use my magic on ordinary folk,”

“Even for self-defence?”

“Unless I absolutely have to,”

“Well, I can respect that,” Twilight said.

“Good, because I do not want you to even consider arranging a mob as a final resort, because the situation is not nearly so bad as to require it.”

“So what do we do about Spike?”

“Twenty hours,” Gearhead said, “that is his maximum allowable time with me per week. I do not have to give him the full measure, however the rest of the time he would be yours, of course, as he always has been. So we need not pretend that this is a mutally-exclusive deal.”

“But he’s just a baby dragon,” Twilight said. “He shouldn’t have to hold down one job, let alone two!”

“He is more mature than you think, and some of that he learned from you. Maybe we should give him the chance to choose, especially since his code is so important to him.”

“You mean like you gave Snowbelle a choice?”

“Very similarly to that, yes.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without Spike,” Twilight looked down and pawed at the floor.

“Then it is a good thing you have not lost him. Even if, against all reason and odds, he chose to work exclusively at the shop, he would not be there all the time. And besides, you still hatched and raised him. You know what that means, do you not?”

“What?” Twilight sniffled.

“It means you are family, just as you affirmed you were when he and Snowbelle followed the other Dragons.

“We are family,” Twilight said. “I should have paid better attention, and not let this happen at all!”

“But now that it has, we have to deal with it.”

Twilight sighed. “I suppose so, and I guess having another job will be good for him. Is he cleaning? Cooking?”

“So far he has cleaned, and excessively well, but the longer he keeps working for me, the more he will expand his skills.”

“I guess we’ll see how it turns out,” Twilight said pensively.

“And no mobs,” Gearhead said sternly.

“Okay, I get it. I wouldn’t like it if somepony used my one weakness against me either.”

“I have others, but at this rate it would be better not to tell you,” Gearhead said.

“Ah-ha-ha,” Twilight gave him a mock laugh. “Now is that the whole story?”

“It is, so far.”

“Well, now that I know what’s going on, I want to help you watch over Spike.”

“I think you should finish your reading first,” Gearhead said.

“Oh, I’ll finish it alright. Faster than you could.”

“We shall see,” Gearhead said.

“Gearhead,”

“Yes?”

“Thanks, for taking care of my family.”

“You are very welcome.”

“I hope you can go get Snowbelle soon,”

“Thank you. I will go to her when she makes her decision.”

* * *

The next day, the sensors attached to the Ponyville Array detected a magical anomaly. Gearhead closed the shop and led Spring Flight and Dawn to investigate. Since Spike refused to be left behind, Gearhead let him ride between his cores again, while Spring Flight airlifted Dawn.

“Are you kidding me? These guys again?” Spike asked when they got close enough to identify the pack of six Timberwolves.

“They are animated by potent magic, and not to be underestimated.”

“Yeah well, this time I bet I could light them on fire.”

“Twilight trusts me with your safety, so I would prefer to deal with them in a safer, more conclusive way.”

“Then that’s your choice of course,” Spike said as they came in for a landing ten meters ahead of the Timberwolves.

“You are entering the Ponyville town limits,” Gearhead said, amplifying his voice. “Turn back or we will answer with force.” The wolves went from an easy lope into a full-out, snarling charge.

“Well, that didn’t work,” Spike said.

“Clearly,” Gearhead said. “Lean forward, please.” While Spike did so, Gearhead got his bladecasters ready. He lifted off slightly and trained his weapons on the two leading wolves. Spring Flight looped around, falling into a battle formation while Dawn summoned a magic circle indicating a set of Light Arrows on the way. “Final warning, wolves,” Gearhead said. “Turn back or we will open fire.”

The Timberwolves did not turn back, or even slow down. Spring Flight kept looping back around so they would keep their momentum, but they continued to restrain themselves from attacking without orders. Gearhead let the wolves close to three meters of Spring Flight’s most forward turning point, and then he shouted at the top of his lungs, “open fire!”

Despite this final warning and the obvious appearance of the defenders’ countermeasures, the attackers did not truly have more than a second and a half in which to respond to the first round that came at them. These measures consisted of Gearhead’s caster bolts from the airborne front, and Dawn’s Light Arrows, which rained down from the rear.

Gearhead easily tore the lead wolf apart with his bladecasters, although it tenaciously kept going until the blasts had ripped it completely apart. Dawn’s deadly rain did much the same to the following three wolves before she ran out of first-wave arrows. Torrent vectored in between Spring and Radar, punching through another wolf in a red spiral wind. Gearhead and Dawn both reoriented, and their blasts hit the remaining wolf at the same time.

“Dawn, we need to push the debris back with wind,” Gearhead said, landing on the edge of the area that was now full of twigs and foliage.

“Why go so far?” Spike asked as Spring Flight reformed.

“Because,” Dawn said as the sticks glowed green and started to levitate, “the magic animating them causes them to reform in due time.” This was already happening, although it looked much larger and fiercer than Gearhead had ever seen it before. They all took several steps back, as the material from six Timberwolves reformed into a single Dire Timberwolf.

“I didn’t know they could do that,” Radar said.

“Neither did I,” Gearhead said as the Direwolf issued a low, growling challenge.

“A little wind won’t do any good now,” Dawn said.

“How much longer would it take to blast apart like before?” Torrent asked.

“I do not know, but it is the only plan I have,” Gearhead said.

“Better make that a retreating strike,” Dawn said.

“Agreed,” Gearhead said.

That was when the Dire Timberwolf charged. Gearhead took up his bladecasters again, firing nonstop into the great beast, Dawn’s Light Arrows soon joining in, unincanted. Spring Flight charged in together when they could, careful to pull back and avoid claws and teeth, knowing full well what an infection from their attacker would do. And that was if it did not simply kill or eat them!

As the defenders retreated, they broke more and more pieces off of the Dire Timberwolf, but it drew some of those pieces back, and called other wood and leaves to itself from their surroundings. Gearhead used a charged, compressed particle blast, but that only blew away a larger chunk of material without causing the beast to pause for more than a second.

The battle drew closer and closer to Ponyville by the second. The Array’s sensors still did not know what to make of the Timberwolf’s animating magic, so even activating it remotely might not do anything to protect the town, but Gearhead had to try. He spared a moment to issue the command, and the particle shield began to deploy. Gearhead then returned his attention to sending a steady stream of weaponized particles at the attacking beast.

Spike looked over his shoulder at Ponyville, then around him at his friends’ desperation, and finally at the still-advancing great wolf. Gearhead felt Spike shift as he unslung his lance, but Gearhead could not look to see what the Dragon was doing without losing track of the still-closing wolf. “Gearhead, get us as close to that thing as you can. But can we please not get eaten or hit?”

If he has a plan... “It shall be done,” Gearhead said, and he started to advance instead of retreating. To his surprise, the Dire Timberwolf scrabbled for traction until it came to a stop, staring high into the air, past Gearhead’s head. Suddenly a mass of green energy lanced past the Earth Pony’s head, fanning out in a cone as it went. It struck the wolf, enveloping it whole. The beast howled and bayed, but when Spike stopped sending his Dragonfire through his lance, the Dire Timberwolf was entirely burned to cinders.

“Thank you, Spike,” Gearhead said.

“I just did what I could,” Spike said.

“You still saved everypony, myself included,” Gearhead said. “Say, could we consider ourselves even now?”

“I guess, but I think I’d like to keep learning at the shop.”

“If that is okay with Twilight it is okay with me,” Gearhead said.

“In that case, you got a deal,” Spike said.

When Gearhead flew by the library with Spike, Twilight was overjoyed to hear that the debt was repaid, and also that the town was safe from attack. She happily agreed to let Spike keep working at Gearhead’s Gadgets.