“Do we want to get your voice synthesizer from Canterlot Audacity again?” Octavia asked, “I know we can get better quality automail than last time. But there could be a better place.”

‘Do you think it would be worth it? We’re already here in Canterlot, and going someplace else would require going to another town.’ Vinyl projected her text.

“My point is, if the Princess is paying for the best quality voice synthesizer, and money is not an issue, I figured we should take advantage of that and get the best that money can buy,” Octavia said.

‘Should we even bother the Princess with that?’

“It couldn’t hurt to ask,” Octavia said as the two of them walked through the doors to the throne room of Canterlot Castle. There, Princess Celestia was holding court and was finishing up with a noble. Next to her, the newly returned Princess Luna sat without a throne. And it was apparent that the nobles seemed apprehensive to come near her.

After finishing up with the noble, who left afterward, Princess Celestia got up. She approached the two awaiting ponies, who bowed, “Arise, my little ponies,” Celestia said, the two Melody sisters doing as instructed, “I apologize for taking your voice from you. But I needed to secure the Elements of Harmony to keep them safe. Have you been able to communicate?”

‘I’ve been managing.’ Vinyl projected.

“I’m glad you have been managing without a voice,” Princess Celestia said, “But I’m sure you’d like to be heard again. Did you have any ideas of where you wanted to get your new voice synthesizer?”

‘My first thought was Canterlot Audacity. It’s convenient and local, and it’s where I got my original voice synthesizer.’ Vinyl projected.

“If that is what you wish,” Princess Celestia said, “Admittedly, I prefer not to support such an overpriced automail seller. But this isn’t for my vanity.”

‘Overpriced?’ Vinyl questioned.

“Do you have any suggestions?” Octavia asked.

“It may be an unconventional location. But I do know of an automail mechanic who lives in Cloudsdale,” Princess Celestia said, “It’s not exactly cheap, but from what I’ve heard, he always has satisfied customers.”

‘How do we get there, and how do we walk on clouds if we’re not Pegasi?’ Vinyl projected.

“Magic,” Celestia said, answering both questions at once.

‘Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go to Cloudsdale!’ Vinyl projected.

“Luna, will you be alright while I’m away?” Celestia asked, turning to Luna.

“We shall continue the workings of our kingdom whilst thou art away,” Luna said, “Thou shalt not worry.”

With a grin, Celestia lit her horn.

In a golden flash, Princess Celestia, Vinyl, and Octavia were in the City of Clouds, Cloudsdale.

“Can I assume that you cast a spell that allows us to walk on clouds despite not being Pegasi?” Octavia asked.

“Despite being a Pegasus city, there are a few Unicorns who live here as well,” Celestia explained, “How else would this city get any tourism? The Unicorns are here to cast the Cloud-Walking spell on visitors.”

‘So, what language was Luna speaking earlier?’ Vinyl asked bluntly.

“Vinyl!” Octavia scolded.

“It’s alright,” Celestia said to calm down the cloud-walking cellist, “After Nightmare Moon’s influence was removed from Luna, her mind began to return to how it was before her corruption. Unfortunately, that also includes her speech patterns from 1000 years ago. She was speaking what would now be considered an archaic form of Equestrian. She does know modern Equestrian. But I think she’s speaking ancient Equestrian to hasten her recovery process.”

“Is speaking ancient Equestrian helping her progress?” Octavia asked.

“It’s hard to say without comparing it with her not speaking ancient Equestrian,” Celestia admitted, “But based on her current progress, I’d estimate that she’ll be fully recovered, or at least close to it, for the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“I’ve always wanted to go to the Gala,” Octavia said dreamily, “I apologize, Princess. I don’t mean to sound like I’m begging.”

“Well, I was going to consider inviting you to be the lead cellist for the music at the Gala,” Celestia said, “While I was waiting for…well…I was in the backroom listening to the music before I was supposed to raise the sun. Admittedly, the Nobility that often attends the Gala may not approve of Vinyl’s style of music. But I’m sure they may enjoy that fusion style, that is, if Vinyl is interested.”

‘No offense taken. But showing off our fusion style could bring the stuffy Canterlotians into the modern era.’ Vinyl projected.

“Then consider it done,” Celestia said, “You two shall come as VIP guests for the music. Oh, and here we are.”

The three had walked up to a building stylized with a clockwork motif. A sign hung that said ‘Cloudsdale’s Automail of Legend’ made with scrap metal. The style of the building wasn’t that which would be expected from Cloudsdale. In fact, it looked more Earth Pony in design than Pegasus. But a pegasus would be able to see that the structure was constructed from clouds, other than the sign, of course.

They walked in to find wall-to-wall mechanical body parts. The majority were prosthetic limbs, but here and there, there were implants, like mechanical hearts, lungs, eyes, etcetera. And there were a few external devices for ponies who prefer not to get implants when possible, like hearing aids, leg braces, etcetera. With all of these automail parts, the owner likely could build his own automail pony.

There were also medical supplies, some of which looked like they belonged in a horror story. This room looked like it belonged to some kind of cross between a mad scientist, a butcher, and a clockmaker.

“Is the owner trying to show off their work or scare away customers?” Octavia asked.

“YAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

A blood-curdling scream was heard from the back room. The faces of Octavia and Vinyl went white, which was impressive for Vinyl’s already white coloration. A laughing was heard at a waiting area next to the front desk.

“Yeah, he does come across as creepy when you see this place for the first time,” In a chair was Rainbow, “So, what’re you doing here?”

‘I need a new voice synthesizer. And Princess Celestia recommended this place.’ Vinyl projected in front of Rainbow. ‘What about you?’

“Flutters needed to get her prosthetic legs repaired after your battle,” Rainbow explained, “And it couldn’t hurt to get a tune-up for my wings.” Rainbow then flapped her mechanical wings once.

“And what about that scream we just heard?” Octavia asked.

“When fully integrated prosthetics and implants are involved, it’s not as easy as just an assisting device,” Celestia answered this time, “And in the case of fully functional prosthetics, an automail mechanic has to know how to combine the prosthetics with the ponies nerves. And as you’ve just heard, working directly with nerves can be…uncomfortable.”

“AAAAAHHHHHH!!!”

“It’s easier to deal with when you're sedated,” Rainbow said, “But if you want to test to make sure everything is working, you have to be awake to do so. If you’re sedated, testing has to wait until you wake up. And Flutters is afraid of being sedated.”

“She’d rather endure that pain than to be sedated?” Octavia asked.

“It may be extremely painful, but it’s not as bad as it sounds,” Rainbow said, “Well, it is as bad as it sounds, but not what you think. Although it’s extremely painful, it’s only for a fraction of a second. It’s like quickly tearing off a bandaid.”

“If that bandaid also tore off flesh with it,” Flutters said as she came walking out of the back room, her legs as good as new…because they literally were new. And Rainbow was the only one to recognize the slightly different aesthetic. But it was subtle enough that Ponies that weren’t familiar with how her legs looked wouldn’t notice the difference. It was evident that she was breathing heavily from screaming in pain. But other than that, there was no sign that she was ever in pain.

“New customers?” a second pegasus said, “Welcome. My name is Legend Bringer. What can I do for you?”

“My sister, Vinyl Scratch, needs a new voice synthesizer,” Octavia said, pointing to Vinyl’s neck.

“Well then, what exactly did you have in mind?” Legend Bringer asked, “Are you looking into getting prosthetic implants to restore your voice? Or would you prefer an external device?”

‘I could get an implant to permanently replace my damaged vocal cords?’

‘What are the pros and cons?’

“To answer your first question, yes,” Legend said, “Pros: you don’t have to worry about charging it, and it acts as a permanent one-time replacement. Cons: it may not replicate your voice as good as you’d like, and like any implant, it would require surgery.”

‘How long would surgery be?’

“Including recovery time and testing, two to three weeks,” Legend replied.

‘What are the pros and cons of just sticking with an external voice synthesizer?’

“Pros: more vocal range and effects, you’re not restricted to a single voice, though it will default to what you think your voice should be, and it’s customizable,” Legend continued, almost sounding like an advertisement, “Cons: you’ll require surgery to implant the neuro-link into the brain, though since you’ve had a synthesizer before, you likely already have one, it will require charging, though being a Unicorn, that likely won’t be a problem, and as you’ve likely experienced, an external device can get lost, stolen, or broken.”

‘It would be nice to not have to worry about replacing a voice synthesizer. But I’m all for the customization.’

“Alright then. Let me just check to see what kind of neuro-link chip you have,” Legend went over to a desk and picked up a scanner with his wing. He then scanned Vinyl’s skull briefly before the device beeped, “Let me guess. You got your original synthesizer at Canterlot Audacity?”

“How’d you know?” Octavia asked for Vinyl.

“Canterlot Audacity doesn’t just overprice their items, they’re also scam artists,” Legend said, “Their items are bought cheaply from retailers who sell old and used items. They have enough sense not to buy used neuro-link implants…I think. Then they sell the items and jack up prices that would be absurd even for new items. Your neuro-link implant is likely older than you are. Would you like to get an upgraded neuro-link for a fraction of the price you likely bought your current one?”

‘I have plans with friends later today. But can I make an appointment for sometime next week? And would I still be able to get a new synthesizer with my old neuro-link?’

“Unfortunately, your neuro-link is too out of date to be compatible with anything new,” Legend said, “However, because of how Canterlot Audacity scams anycreature they want, I’ve taken the liberty to be prepared. I keep some old tech just for cases like this or if someone just wants something more classical. Consider this a rental, free of charge, until you come to get your upgrade. Does Wednesday work for you?”

‘Wednesday sound good.’

‘Just one more question. Have you ever used all of these spare parts to build a fully automail Pony?’

A manic grin grew on Legend Bringer’s face, “How about while you give me the details of how to customize your synthesizer, I show you my automail army?”

CLICK

While Vinyl was distracted by Legend’s sudden change in demeanor, she didn’t notice when he had put a voice synthesizer on her neck. She looked in an available mirror. It was bulky and looked like a small radio was strapped around her neck.

“Is this th- WOAH!” Vinyl had a voice again. And it sounded like it was coming through a radio as old as the one around her neck looked, “I sound like my voice is coming through my grandma’s radio.”

“Sorry about the old model,” Legend apologized, “But like I said, it’s just a rental, and it is free of charge.”

“I just appreciate being able to talk again, even if it sounds like an old gramophone,” Vinyl said, “Although, having this as a customizable effect sounds like it’d be fun to have.”

Legend showed Vinyl and Octavia his automail army. It was small for an army, but he explained that he used military terms because many of the automail Ponies looked like they’ve been in battle. That and for the alliteration. He explained that he only takes used or damaged parts to make these Ponies. He explains that the new and undamaged items were for Ponies, not his clockwork commandos. But it was impressive that he had enough customers to end up with these prosthetic patrollers.

Vinyl described what she wanted from her voice synthesizer. She started with something her own coat color. She then wanted the front speaker to be designed like her cutie mark. And she wanted it to be able to light up, saying it would make for a good effect when she’s DJing.

As they came back out from the back room, Celestia looked towards Legend Bringer, “Mr. Bringer, how much will the new automail be?” Celestia asked for Vinyl.

“Please, just call me Legend. Mr. Bringer was my father,” Legend Bringer said before sighing, “That joke would’ve been funnier if I’d actually inherited my father’s name. I haven’t made it yet, so I don’t know how much it would actually cost. But… Based on the model she wants, plus the modifications, plus the surgery and implant, minus the rental cost …I’d estimate it to be around 500 bits.”

“When you have a finalized price, you can send the bill to me at Canterlot Castle,” Celestia said, “And I think that I will be looking into Canterlot Audacity after what I’ve heard.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Legend said with a bow.

“Shall we get going?” Celestia said, “You said you have plans with Trixie, did you not?”

“Can we come too?” Flutters asked.

“I don’t see why not,” Vinyl shrugged, “That is if you don’t mind having a couple more passengers, Princess.”

“It’s no problem at all,” Celestia said. She then lit her horn, and the five of them vanished from sight.

After they had left, Legend had a giddy smile on his face, “Princess Celestia was in my shop!” he exclaimed, “And she’s even going to deal with the scam artists at Canterlot Audacity! I can’t wait until my brother, Hammer, hears about this!”

The quintet returned to the Canterlot Library. There, they saw a note for Vinyl and Octavia. Octavia took it and read it:

Dear Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody,

If we are not back by the time you arrive, please wait for us in the Library. You are welcome to the kitchen and any books you’d like to read. Just remember to return everything where you found them.

~Twilight Sparkle

There was also a second note that Vinyl read:

I know Twilight enough to know that her note will invite you in to wait for us, use the kitchen, read books, and put everything away back as you found them. I also know Twilight well enough to know that she didn’t consider actually inviting you with us.

Just so you know, we went to Twilight’s home. Believe it or not, we don’t actually live in the Library (although, with me moving to Ponyville, Twilight may consider making the library her permanent residence). If you’d like to meet up with us sooner rather than later, here’s the address.

1010 Starshower Drive

Or you could just ask Princess Celestia to teleport you straight to us. Just ask her to take you to Twilight’s parents’ house.

~Trixie

“That does sound like both Twilight and Trixie,” Celestia said with a warm smile, “Twilight often makes sure to remember to be accommodating to guests. And Trixie makes sure to include actually being social. Would you like me to take you straight to their house?”

“No, thank you,” Octavia said, “We’re familiar enough with the area to get there. And to be honest…I could do without being teleported again.”

“And I wouldn’t mind breaking in my new legs,” Flutters added.

“Then I will take my leave,” Celestia said, “I do have other things to do as well before the day is done.”

The ponies said their goodbyes before Celestia vanished in a flash of gold.

“So, which way do we go?” Rainbow asked.

Author's Note

I had written these chapters out of order. This is, in fact, the second chapter I had written.

Also, Shout out to Legendbringer for letting me use him in my story.