“You know you didn’t have to come with me, right Rainbow?” Flutters asked as she and Rainbow approached Cloudsdale’s Automail of Legend, “I know you don’t like to with your fear of heights.”

“Because you’re my pal. Do I need any more excuse than that?” Rainbow replied, “Besides, it’s not so bad as long as I don’t look down.”

“But you’re gonna have to look down on our way back,” Flutters countered, “Or was the reason you looked silly grabbing onto that cloud on the way up just so I could pull you back down instead?”

“The cloud just gives support so that I don’t feel like I’m gonna fall! The fact that it helps me not to look down is just a bonus,” Rainbow said defensively, though her blush revealing that she knew she looked silly, “Besides, this is the perfect excuse to get my wings tuned up.”

“You’re two years overdue for a tune-up,” Flutters said, “You’ve either run out of excuses not to go, or you’re using this to extend how much time you have so that you don’t run out of excuses too soon. Or maybe you just miss me that much when I’m gone. Hahaha,” that last comment put Flutters into a giggle fit.

The duo walked into the shop to see the owner behind the desk. He was a gray Pegasus with a messy orange and yellow mane. Hearing the two come in, he looked up and greeted them, “Did Rainbow finally run out of excuses to avoid coming for a tune-up?” Legend Bringer snarked. This caused Rainbow to scowl and Flutters to collapse on the floor laughing.

“I-I can’t help that I have a fear of heights, okay?” Rainbow defended, “I’m just taking the opportunity that Fluttershy needs a fix-up.”

Legend took a look at Flutters’ automail. It was then that he realized how bad it was. There were several dents and scratches and even a few breaks. There was an old cloth with dried blood blocking a part that had damaged skin with how it was bent inwards. And he could hear the sound of metal grinding on metal with every movement. And each movement was slow and stiff.

“Youch!!!” Legend exclaimed, “What happened?”

“Would you believe I fought Nightmare Moon?” Flutters asked.

“You’re too joyful to get into a fight with anypony, let alone a ponytale villain,” Legend said, not believing the story. He then noticed that Flutters had an uncharacteristically serious look in her eyes. It was rare for Flutters to be serious. But when she is serious, you know it, “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“You’d be surprised what stories may just be true,” Flutters said, “Although I’m now the controller of the Element of Laughter.”

“Now that’s something I can believe,” Legend said before analyzing the damage, “It looks like the adapter is damaged, meaning that it’ll have to be replaced. That also means reconnecting your nerves to a new adapter.”

Flutters winced at the thought but expected that would be the case.

Legend always had spare limbs just in case of situations like this. He didn’t have many customers, so he had the time to work on extras for the few regular customers he did have.

Flutters was in the back room laying on a medical table. Her legs detached, along with the adapter.

“It’s a shame you don’t visit more often, Flutters,” Legend said as he prepared a new adapter, “You always know how to put a smile on my face.”

“Considering where you’re looking, I feel like you just like looking at my flank,” Flutters said with a giggle, “But I suppose I can take it as a compliment.”

Legend looked towards Flutters’ face, “I do think you’re pretty. You’re flank too,” Legend said teasingly, “But you know you’re not my type.”

“Yeah, I know,” Flutters said, “So, do you have any cowgirls in mind? A strong mare with highly toned muscles that ripple under her fur, working on a farm as glistening sweat drips from her brow, getting into a shower after a hard day’s work, the hot steam just happening to prevent view of her more personal parts, just enough to let your imagination fill in the gaps…”

Legend had completely zoned out in a fantasy before returning to the real world, “I-I do have to work, so it’s best if I keep focus and not be distracted,” Legend said with a blush as he began to sweat, “Is it hot in here, or is it just me?”

After about a half hour of work and plenty of screaming, Flutters was now on a fresh new pair of hind legs. Giving them a test, she was satisfied with the easy, smooth, quiet motion.

As they headed out of the back room, Flutters heard Rainbow talking to somepony, “It may be extremely painful, but it’s not as bad as it sounds,” Rainbow said, talking to Vinyl, Octavia, and Celestia, “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 announced herself to the others, As quick as those moments of pain were, there was no hiding how much she had been screaming in pain with how heavily she was breathing.

“New customers?” Legend said, taking note of the newcomers, “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.

Flutters let Legend talk to the new arrivals so she could talk with Rainbow, “What are they…How are they here?” Flutters asked, pointing to the non-winged ponies.

“Cloud walking spell,” Celestia said simply.

“Did you really forget that there are Unicorns ready to cast that spell for tourism?” Rainbow asked. Fluttershy blushed as she, in fact, had forgotten. She hated it when her issues with memory resulted in her forgetting something as obvious as that.

“As you may have guessed, they’re here to replace Vinyl’s voice synthesizer,” Celestia said.

It then clicked in Flutters’ brain that she was standing in front of a Princess and hadn’t bowed yet. She immediately did so before she could be reprimanded.

“Rise, Flutters. There’s no need for that here,” Celestia said, “I am not here for official duty. I am only here assisting Vinyl and had recommended this location for it’s price.”

Flutters got back up and saw how Vinyl was using her magic, “It’s good to see that Vinyl at least has a way to communicate without a voice.”

“Let me guess. You got your original synthesizer at Canterlot Audacity?” Flutters heard Legend say.

“How’d you know?” Octavia asked.

“Canterlot Audacity doesn’t just overprice their items, they’re also scam artists,” Legend said, his passion for the craft becoming righteous fury, “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 as he pulled out an old piece of equipment, “How about while you give me the details of how to customize your synthesizer, I show you my automail army?”

CLICK

Legend had put an old voice synthesizer on Vinyl’s neck. It looked like an old radio.

“Is this th- WOAH!” Vinyl had a voice again. And it sounded like how the synthesizer 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.”

As Legend brought Vinyl and Octavia into the back room, Celestia turned back to the Pegasi, “Automail Army?”

“It’s what he calls his collection,” Rainbow said, “Legend keeps used and broken automail parts and creates prosthetic Ponies with them. He calls it an army because of the damaged state the automail is almost always in makes it look like they had gone through war.”

“There are also plenty of mismatched and missized parts too, so they look a little more like something out of a horror story,” Flutters added.

“A hobby is a hobby,” Celestia said with a warm smile, “Since the damage to your automail was also because of your battle with Nightmare Moon, just like Vinyl’s voice synthesizer, I’d like to pay for repairing your legs, Flutters.”

“You’d do that for us?” Flutters exclaimed.

“It’s not a problem,” Celestia said.

As Legend and the others returned, Celestia looked towards the Pegasus, “Mr. Bringer, how much will the new automail be?” Celestia asked.

“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.

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.

“Are you lost?” Flutters asked. They had been walking for a good thirty minutes without a clear direction.

“We’re not lost!” Vinyl exclaimed, “We just needed to take a little detour. And that detour now has us a little directionally impaired.”

“That is typically what ‘lost’ means,” Octavia said, “It’s bad enough that we didn’t know exactly where Starshower Drive was. But did we have to take such a big detour just to avoid the street we grew up on?”

“Well, I’m sorry that I’m too broken from my childhood to be able to tolerate being anywhere near there!” Vinyl exclaimed.

“That’s not what I-”

“Here’s Starshower Drive!” Rainbow exclaimed, interrupting Octavia.

“See? Told ya we weren’t lost,” Vinyl said, having calmed down quickly.

Octavia just groaned in frustration.

Flutters went to talk with Octavia, “Vinyl gets emotional when she comes here, doesn’t she?”

“It’s not her fault,” Octavia sighed, “I may not be a psychiatrist, but I think she needs therapy. I think her reaction like that is a form of panic attack. And the way she bounces back to her usual self is by latching onto anything that could distract her. But she’s either too proud to talk to somepony or doesn’t realize she needs to.”

“Therapy helped me learn the difference between humor and my fear being rewired into humor,” Flutters said, “It also helped Rainbow stop wetting the bed, but that’s a different story.”

“Rainbow wet the bed?!” Octavia questioned.

“Technically, therapy helped her realize her fear of heights was the problem,” Flutters continued, “So she technically didn’t stop wetting the bed until she moved out of Cloudsdale and to the ground. And then, I stopped drinking water before bed because my nightmares were causing me to laugh at night, causing me to wet the bed. My therapist chose to call my nightmares ‘night mirths’ because-”

“Flutters, you’re rambling,” Octavia interrupted.

“Oh…uh…sorry,” Flutters said, “What were we talking about again?”

“1010 Starshower Drive,” Vinyl called out, pointing down the street.

As they headed in that direction, they were startled by a flash of light in front of the house. Standing there were six Ponies. Well, five Ponies and a Zebra. Celestia had just teleported there, bringing Zecora, Maud, Rarity, Rumble, and Sweetie Belle.

“Please forgive my rush, but I do have an appointment to keep before I can finish for the day,” Celestia said before disappearing abruptly.

“So, where are we exactly?” Rarity asked.

“This is where Twilight and Trixie live, apparently,” Vinyl said, attracting the attention of the five.

“So does that mean that we’re all here thanks to Celestia’s intervention?” Shining Armor said after hearing their stories.

“Me and Octy were coming anyway,” Vinyl pointed out, “We just happen to be at the same place and time as Flutters and Rainbow. When they asked to come along, she likely had the idea to invite the others.”

“Well, it is convenient that you all had plans that led you here in the end,” Trixie said, “And Princess Celestia does manipulate ponies from time to time.”

“It was only convenient for her that she didn’t have to take many trips,” Maud theorized, “She probably would’ve come to get all of us one at a time if she had to.”

“But could she have predicted that I would’ve been one of the Wonderbolts invited to the Gala?” Thunderlane questioned.

“After the events of the Summer Sun, that was a bet she could’ve easily won,” Zecora said, “But if that prediction were to go boom, Celestia would come find you, or so I assume.”

“And what are the chances that she knew that we were where we were when she came to where we were?” Flutters asked, “Then again, how would she have known where any of us were? Her meeting us could’ve just been a coincidence, but what about Zecora and Maud?”

“Maybe she just asked around?” Twilight suggested.

“So, are you two cyborgs or…” Spike asked Flutters and Rainbow as he touched a spot on Flutters’ automail.

Flutters then froze up, “Battle mode activated,” Flutters said in robotic voice. She then looked at Spike, “Threat detected…Initiating combat protocol: Dragon Extermination…”

“Uh…that’s a joke, right?” Spike laughed nervously before gulping, “Right?”

Spike then ran off out of fear. Flutters followed after him.

“Is she always like that?” Twilight asked.

“Don’t worry, dear,” Rarity said, “It’s just Flutters being Flutters. You’ll likely hear Spike laughing in a few minutes.”

“Shouldn’t Spike know what automail is?” Cadance asked.

“He does,” Trixie explained, “He’s just never seen it before.”

“So why did Celestia want us all here in the first place?” Cadance asked, “I know she wanted you to meet Twilight, who had taken her place during her disappearance. But could that be all there is?”

In a flash, Celestia was in the room with them.

“Trixie has something she wants all of you to hear,” Celestia said.

Down the street, a couple was walking, enjoying the sunset, when a ruckus came from the Sparkle household…

“TRIXIE’S MOVING TO PONYVILLE?!!”

Author's Note

It took me longer to finish this chapter than I expected. But it could be worse.

It's also a longer chapter than I planned, but things happen.

I also reimagined how automail works so that replacements aren't as painful. That's what the adapter is for. You attach the nerves to the adapter, then you attach the limbs to the adapter so that replacements are easy and painless. That also means that Rainbow could have her wings replaced without going through the pain. I'm sure it will be a hassle to get her to travel to Cloudsdale again (since she skipped out on a long overdue tune-up).

And again, shout out to Legendbringer for his crush on Appleja-I mean allowing me to use his character.