“C’mon Twi!” Applejack urged, pulling on her friend’s tail. “The show ain’t gonna last much longer!” Twilight sighed, a smiling gracing her lips as she shoveled a hoof-full of scrolls into her desk.
“But it will come again,” Twilight countered, sorting through the scrolls in search of a particular text. The orange pony behind her groaned and slumped over a couch sitting by a wall. “Yeah,” Applejack sighed. “In another year.” Twilight’s smile widened and the indigo alicorn cast her gaze over her shoulder to look at her friend fondly.
“I promise,” Twilight said. “Next year, I promise I will go to the Winter Solstice Show.” Applejack sighed and slid off the couch onto her feet.
“Ah’m gonna hold ya ta that, Twi,” she said, walking forward to stand behind her friend. “There’s this pony there that tells the best kinda stories.” Twilight balked as she shelved a hoof-full of scrolls, her interest piqued. She rounded on the smiling Applejack, an eyebrow raised.
“Stories?” she echoed. “What kind of stories?” Applejack sniggered internally, secretly ecstatic that her bait had been successful. Outwardly, she shrugged, disinterest etched into her freckled features.
“Stories,” she repeated. “Not sure what kind. Legends, myths, fairy tales. Y’know, those kinda stories. He tells a new one ev’ry year.” Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the orange earth pony.
“Are you sure?” she asked. Applejack huffed, and shook her head.
“Ah’m the Element of Honesty, remember?” Applejack pointed out. “Ah’m sure ah’m tellin’ the truth. Now, do ya want to hear what this pony has to say or not?” Twilight was silent for a moment, considering her options. After several seconds, she smiled and dropped the scrolls in her hooves back on her desk.
“Let's go,” she said, trotting towards the door. “I want to hear what this pony has to say.” Applejack smiled and whooped.
“You certainly won’t regret this, Twi,” the farmpony cheered. “He says things that could blow your mind.” Twilight smiled gently as the pair left the castle and made their way towards the Ponyville town center where the show was taking place.
“I’ll reserve my judgment until after I hear what he has to tell,” Twilight conceded. “Who is this pony anyway?” Applejack shrugged.
“Somepony that nopony ain’t ever seen or heard of before,” she replied as they trotted past several stores on their way to the center. “Even his fellow performers don’t know much about him. He just walked into their camp a few months ago and asked for a meal an’ a place to sleep. He’s been with them ever since.” Twilight frowned, considering her orange friend’s words.
“Does this pony have a name?” the alicorn asked. “Or some kind of stage moniker?” Applejack nodded as they came to a halt, watching a pair of foals dart past, screeching gleefully at the top of their tiny lungs. When the screaming had subsided to a dim bawling, the two friends continued on their way, admiring the decorations that had been strung up around the town.
“He calls himself Copper Cog,” Applejack replied. “Haven’t the darndest what he’s tryin’ to prove though.” Twilight frowned at her orange friend in confusion.
“What do you mean?” the purple alicorn asked. Applejack came to a stop and gestured.
“Look for yerself,” the farmpony responded, pointing to the stage. Twilight cocked her head to one side and followed Applejack’s outstretched forehoof. She blinked in surprise. Standing on the stage was a small colt that was a little taller than Spike. His audience consisted of a number of foals and older ponies, all of which had their attention centered on the small colt.
“Is that…” Twilight’s voice petered out softly as her surprise took hold. Applejack nodded in confirmation.
“That’s Copper Cog,” the farmpony said. “He’s not much bigger than Apple Bloom but he already has a Cutie Mark.” Now that the orange earth pony mentioned it, Twilight could see a gray cog wheel branded proudly on the colt’s visible flank. His coat was a dark bronze, almost brown save his lower legs which were dusty gray like his Cutie Mark. His mane and tail were multicolored, having the same hue as his feet along with a dark golden rod color. What caught Twilight’s attention was the metallic wings protruding from the colt’s shoulders like bladed fans. As she stared up at the glittering wings that gleamed dully in the moonlight, her train of thought was derailed by the sudden cheer that rose from the audience arrayed before the colt.
“C’mon!” Applejack whispered. “He’s gonna start now! Let’s find a seat.” Twilight nodded mutely, her eyes still fixed on the small pony.
“Tell us about the Colt with the Golden Screw in His Belly Button!” one of the foals in the front row squeaked. A chant immediately sprung up among the younger ponies, all of them repeating ‘Golden Screw!’ over and over again. Some of the more adult ponies chuckled as did the colt onstage.
“You know I don’t like repeating stories,” Copper Cog mused, his high voice echoing dramatically across the crowd of ponies.
“C’mon!” Apple Bloom pleaded. “If not ‘the Golden Screw,’ then tell us how you got yer Cutie Mark!” Twilight could see Copper Cog cock his head to one side, as if mulling the suggestion over.
“Maybe another time,” he said finally, much to the foals’ displeasure. “Next year. Instead, I’ll tell you all a story of wonder and intrigue that takes place in a world far different from our own.”
“How different?” Pinkie Pie piped up. Twilight blinked in surprise. She had not seen the pink earth pony crouched among the foals, nor had she noticed the presence of the rest of her close friends scattered about the audience. Rainbow Dash reclined on a low hanging cloud just above the stage while Fluttershy and Rarity sat a reasonable distance away from the foals. Twilight returned her attention to Copper Cog, expectantly awaiting his reply.
“A world of famed heroes and terrible villains,” Copper Cog explained. “A world the likes of which nopony has ever seen or thought of before. A world where conflict exists every single day. A world…without magic.” Twilight frowned at the dramatics the little pony was utilizing. Surely, no such world existed. It could only exist in this tiny pony’s imagination. However, the crowd had no such thoughts or suspicion. They were immersed in the world Copper Cog had described, eager to hear his story. Copper Cog flapped his wings once and gold dust scattered across the audience.
Then the dust glowed, illuminating the stage in audience with a soft warm light.
The crowd gasped in awe at the beautiful lights as Copper Cog took a deep breath and began to tell his story…
