First Gear Prelude: What Friendship Might Be

by BNuts

Rating: everyone
Tags: Comedy, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Original Character
Length: 2787

A young Gearhead goes to the Hidden Library to find a way to gain control over his powers. What will he find there?

This short story was my entry for the EFNW Pre-Con Contest (#49), and another stylistic experiment on my part. I consider longer stories to be my strength. This story takes place in The Gear Series verse, but 11 years before it starts. I never actually say it in the story, but Dawn is 5 years old, Gearhead 6, and Dusk is 7. While some others are mentioned, they are the entirety of this story's main cast.

Let me know if you would be interested in seeing more of Gearhead's foalhood. Prelude to First Gear would have to be with him from about age 3 to before he leaves for Ponyville.

Gearhead comes from a proud farming family, but his power keeps him from being able to farm without there being some disastrous results. With his father's help, he is able to gain normal mobility, but he still must find a way to gain control over his power, so it does not become a curse for him to carry all the days and nights of his life.

As a member of Herd Verdant, Gearhead can gain access to the resources tied to the two other ancient Houses that form the Alliance: the Azure Wing of Los Pegasus and the Third Conclave of Flowing Shadows in Hoofington. After failing to find any answers at the Azure Library, Gearhead gets acceptance to study at the Hidden Library. Will he finally find what he is looking for?

Published 2015-03-11 00:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-03-11 00:20:02 UTC

1. Day 1 - Resolve, Cuteness, and Quid Pro Quo

“Would you please just leave me alone?!” Gearhead implored, voice, hooves, and eyes raised to the high ceiling. Shocked silence replaced the drone of questions from the crowd of Unicorns who surrounded the table.

“What a surprise,” one stallion said.

“To be fair, I guess we were being really overwhelming?” A mare said.

“Yeah, really we can’t blame him for an outburst like that.”

“More like, why didn’t any of the Librarians stop us?”

“Look,” the pony nodded to a mare eavesdropping around a shelf. “She was curious too!”

“Ah-hah-hah. Well, I hope you’ll forgive us, little guy.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

As the dispersing crowd apologized, Gearhead felt more and more ashamed of himself. By the time he decided he wanted to apologize, however, they were already gone, leaving him alone with his shame. And all this after gaining admittance here. He lay his head on the table, careful not to touch the pages of the book open before him.

The Hidden Library and the Canterlot Library were competing for the title of ‘greatest repository of magical knowledge.’ For somepony who was not in the Third Conclave of Flowing Shadows, so named for its age and mastery over Dark and Water Magic, admittance was a true honour. And for that pony to be an Earth Pony was miraculously unusual – and if Gearhead was not ‘unusual,’ he did not know what was.

Gearhead looked like a normal Earth Pony colt, especially with his brown coat and rust-red mane (although it was a little long). The only unusual thing about his appearance was the bulky-looking horseshoes he wore, since they completely covered him from the bottom of his hooves to halfway up his forelegs. Father and Gearhead made them from a special set of materials that insulated the outside world from Gearhead’s power.

Nopony Gearhead knew could say what his power was. All they knew was that any time he went outside without his special shoes, it resulted in the ground around him buckling, flowing, and folding. But give him something small and broken, and he could fix it. Father had already exhausted the family library and the Hoofington Public Library trying to find out what was what. Now it was Gearhead’s turn to conduct research for his own sake.

Considering the likelihood that Princess Celestia had contributed material to Canterlot Library, Gearhead might find his answers there more readily, however that would require going halfway across Equestria. It was far easier to travel the hour or so necessary to get from Verdant Fields to the Hidden Library, which was on the Shadow Estates in Hoofington. That was why Gearhead had applied for admission, despite not being a Unicorn. He was genuinely surprised when the Conclave granted him permission after all.

And here he was, acting like a complete foal.

No, I must make this worthwhile, Gearhead thought, picking himself up. He had a pile of books through which to read, and less time in which to do it, since at the end of each day he had to walk home. He took a deep breath, and refocused on the page in front of his face.

“Hup!”

Gearhead blinked, then glanced right but did not see anypony. He returned to his studies.

“Hup!” This time it was on his left, but even looking down did not yield the source. Still, if the emerging pattern continued...

“Hup – ow!” This time Gearhead spotted a flash of white and a bit of lightest gold before his head collided with his visitor’s. He barely managed to keep from rolling off of his chair, piled high as it was with pillows so he could read the thicker books he had asked the Librarians to collect for him. Still rubbing his head, the colt looked down.

“Ow-heh-heh. It’s a good thing your brain-case is so hard,” the filly said from the floor, where she was lying on her back. The white was her mane, long, unruly, and wavey. Her coat was light yellow. She blinked her large, light purple eyes up at Gearhead, and then turned over to get back up.

“You were jumping up? Why?”

“I wanted to see what you’re reading. Sorry ‘bout that,” she bowed her head.

“Yes, please forgive my sister,” a colt said from nearby. He was a head-and-a-half taller than Gearhead, who was small for his tribe anyway. He had an earnest look in his dark purple eyes.

“Considering she got as good as she gave...”

“Yes?”

“You are forgiven,”

“Yay!” She shouted (quietly, to avoid the Librarians’ wrath) and bounced around Gearhead’s chair, while her brother used his magic to pull up two more.

“So what are you studying?” The colt asked, while the filly pulled herself up and into her chair on Gearhead’s left.

“I am looking for anything related to unusual magicks,”

“Oh? Why?” Gearhead turned to the left to find the filly seated so she was looking directly at him, tilting her head slightly to the right.

“’Why’ because I am an Earth Pony, or ‘why study strange magicks?’”

“Oh, you’re right: you totally are!”

The combination of that statement and the filly’s big smile nearly knocked Gearhead out of his seat. “You seriously did not notice?”

“I wasn’t going to say anything if she wasn’t,” the colt said wryly.

“By the way, what do I call you?”

“I’m Dawn!” The filly leaned across her chair so her forelegs hung past the legrests. She smiled happily when Gearhead gave in and shook hooves with her.

“And I’m Dusk,” the colt said, only shaking hooves because after Dawn, Gearhead expected him to follow suit.

“I am Gearhead,”

“Hey, if you’re studying strange magic, wanna be friends?”

“Why?”

“No good?” Dawn tilted her head the other way as her ears lowered, and her smile turned downward.

“It is just that I will have to leave eventually,” Gearhead said, trying to placate her. “I have already exhausted the Azure Library, and I do not want to hurt anyone when I go.”

“No offense to the Azure,” Dusk said, “but only Canterlot has anything on the Shadows. If there’s an answer you’re after, I’d be surprised if we didn’t have it.”

“B’sides,” Dawn said, “nothing says we can’t be friends after. So...”

Gearhead originally intended to politely refuse, since he did not appreciate ‘friends’ that came from curiosity, but his resolved melted when he saw Dawn’s begging face. “Fine,” he said.

“Yay!” Dawn managed to bounce in her seat without losing her balance and falling, somehow.

“So,” Dusk said as sent a book across to Dawn to peruse, “why’re you interested in magic?”

“I need to gain control over mine,” Gearhead said. “It is impossible to grow anything while the land around you... changes wherever you walk.”

“We didn’t see any changed terrain on our way here,” Dusk said.

“That is because my shoes are specially made to keep my magic inside,” Gearhead said. “But they do not help me to gain better control over it.”

“And that’s why you’re looking for any record of ponies with unusual magic?”

“Yes,”

“How’s it so far?” Dawn asked.

“Nothing, unfortunately.”

“Well then, that’s where we would be able to help!” She proclaimed.

“What do you mean?”

“Firstly, there’s our familiarity with the Library,” Dusk said. “We can help you find material the Librarians might hesitate to show you, because while you’re a student you’re still an outsider. No offense.”

“None taken,”

“Also,” Dawn said, “what one of us might miss, another might catch. As ponies with diff’rent perspec...” She decided to give up on getting her tongue around the more difficult word, which made Gearhead think that maybe she was not doing all these cute things on purpose. “...views, we can help each other.”

“What is in it for you?”

“We’re friends,” Dawn beamed.

“And on the practical side, we’re always interested in new and unusual magic.”

“One cannot get much more unusual than an Earth Pony studying magic,” Gearhead admitted, remembering the crowd.

“Not at all,” Dusk said, “after all you have magic.”

“Uh-huh! It’s on all the time, though.”

“’On all the time?’”

“She means it’s passive magic, as opposed to active magic that has to be activated each time, like Pegasus flight and weather control, or our spells. Your connection to the land is said to be the source and center of your magic.”

“That would be nice, but it seems like all my magic does to land is ruin it.”

“Aw,” Dawn jumped into Gearhead’s chair and hugged him. “That’s why we’re friends: to help you!”

Gearhead leaned back, so he could see Dusk. “Is she always like this?”

“Not always, but she does seem to like befriending ponies you wouldn’t call ‘normal’ the most.”

“Why?”

“Wouldn’t that be obvious, to look at us?” Dusk’s wry grin was back.

“Uh-huh. You’ve seen tons of other Shadow ponies since you got here, right?” Dawn said, her expression carefully neutral for once.

“Yes,”

“And what colours do they have?”

Gearhead only had to look at Dusk’s pitch black coat or navy blue mane to remind himself. “Blue, purple, grey, black – all dark.” Looking at Dawn, and her mane and coat which seemed to shine, the answer was obvious. “Then what about your magic?”

“As the name implies, we specialize in Dark and Shadow Magic and Water and Ice Magic.” Dusk summoned up a ball of water, wreathed in dark energy to demonstrate.

“It must be hard, being the only one with Light Magic,” Gearhead said to Dawn.

“Not at all!”

“Really?”

“I mean, it’s different if I can’t use magic at all, but...” She scrunched up her face, and her horn glowed, summoning a small ball of light that surrounded a little clear, blue water. “We’re mages,” she giggled.

“That’s our biggest truth,” Dusk said. “Any magic fascinates us, so we would never turn anyone away, no matter how different they are.”

“B’sides,” Dawn said, returning to her own chair, “everypony loves me so much!”

“It’s true: Mother or Father might scold her, but all of us are together.”

“Although,” Dawn put a hoof to her chin and looked thoughtfully upward, “sometimes Big Brother is too clingy,”

“Dawn!”

She just stuck out her tongue and giggled more.

Author's Note

On a recommendation, I've combined several chapters into one. I don't think I need to go quite so far as making it all into a single chapter, though.

2. Day 5 - Power, Control, and Being Friends

It was not easy for Gearhead to decide to show Dusk and Dawn his power, but they would not understand unless he showed them. If they did not understand, they would probably miss important material, and that would not help any of them.

In order to avoid damaging anything, Gearhead asked Dusk to take them to a large, open, and unused field. The one they found outside of Hoofington was above a ravine so it was raised, but they could not help it if signs of their activity ended up being seen.

As the siblings watched, Gearhead carefully unstrapped the shoe from his left forehoof. He used his mouth to work it free, and then, still holding his hoof in the air, ensured he had the shoe firmly in his mouth before letting his senses ‘go limp’ and touching his exposed hoof to the ground.

Dark blue lightning shot out along the ground, in every direction, and then the earth began to roll and boil. It became like waves, and then like sand. “Whoa!” Dusk grabbed hold of Dawn as the ground threw them around. Just as they were about to be folded under, Gearhead picked up his hoof and jammed it back into the shoe. The rolling stopped, and the ground began to give way to gravity and its natural state.

“Run,” Gearhead said, and together they dashed free of the crumbling dirt, grass, and stone.

“That was... something,” Dusk panted.

“That was amazing!”

“That,” Gearhead said, “is what I need to learn to control.”

There was another aspect to Gearhead’s power, and to demonstrate that he needed somepony to bring him something that was broken. Dawn volunteered, seeming to vanish as soon as they got back to the Estates. Dusk led Gearhead back to the library, where they pored over more books while they waited.

Dawn came bouncing happily back, carrying something in her mouth. When she put it on the table, Gearhead saw that it was a music box. “Oh,” Dusk said, “that hasn’t worked in years.”

“It’s my favourite,” Dawn said, and she did not need to say anything more.

Gearhead sat with his back firmly against the seat-rest so he could use both forehooves. He focused all his attention on the organelle even before he touched it, and ‘sent’ his senses into the item.

He saw each piece as they came together, connecting, working. He saw the pieces that were broken, loose within the toy, but too small to find and take out or repair using normal methods. Some of the smaller pieces were even too small for a Unicorn to find if they did not know what to look for.

Because Gearhead got a sense for where every piece was supposed to be, he knew what he was looking for. He focused past Dawn’s gasps of amazement to draw everything together. Then he thought about what could be changed to try to ensure the organelle did not break again, without compromising its tone: each material had originally been chosen for the sound it would make as it was struck and resonated, so reinforcing the pieces for strength might make it soundless, effectively breaking the music box even worse than before. But there were materials that were more resonant for the song in the box, but harder to work with, again, using more normal methods.

Gearhead pulled his hooves away, and thrust them into his shoes before he could fall forward and strike his pillows. He released a breath he had not realized he had been holding – and the others did the same. As Gearhead tightened his shoestraps, Dusk used his magic to wind the organelle.

When Dusk let go, Dawn clapped gleefully. She jumped and hugged Gearhead, more tightly this time. “Best. Day. Ever!” She said over the delicate, clear notes.

"That's very impressive, but tell me something."

"What is that, Dusk?"

"How come you have enough control to fix a music box, but not enough to direct your power over land?"

"I do not know."

"Well, what do you think about when you use your power over land, or on objects?"

Gearhead pondered. "When I fix things it is like I project my mind's eye into the object. I can see how they work, what does not, and how to fix it."

"And land?"

Gearhead shrugged. "I have never tried to focus on it, but nothing, I guess."

"And if it's not 'nothing,' but the same sort of process, scaled-up?"

"Oh, you could try slowing it down!" Dawn piped up.

"I suppose I could try," Gearhead shifted in his seat at the prospect.

"Don't worry: we'll be right with you," Dusk said, putting a hoof on Gearhead's shoulder.

"You have my thanks, truly."

3. Day 6 - Friendship Is A Two-Way Street

“Hey, Gearhead, you’re only a year older than me, right?” Another day of study, and Gearhead was once again in pleasant company.

“That is correct,”

“So why d’you speak so formally?” Dawn tilted her head, eyes wide.

“It is how I speak normally,”

“But it’s not normal: we’re foals!” Even when she was trying to berate him, Gearhead thought that the filly might not be good for his heart, she was too cute.

“I think what my sister is wondering is why you’re trying to act like a grown-up,” Dusk said.

Gearhead thought about it. “The sooner I grow up, the sooner I can do something, anything, to help my family. That is my truth.”

“But the whole point of being a foal is to have fun!”

“I do have fun,” Gearhead blurted.

“Do you really?”

Too close! But Gearhead could not look away from Dawn’s face. He reflected on the last few years. “With my big sister, but I think the most fun I’ve had is...” Did I just use a contraction?

“Yes?”

“With you, my friends.”

“Right? I told you so!”

Gearhead could not help answering Dawn’s smile with one of his own. It is fun when you have friends’ help, and can help them, he thought. He hoped Dawn and Dusk were still with him when he found his answer.