War of Steam: Building Pressure

by Blitz Stratus

Rating: teen
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Romance, Original Character
Length: 5493

Every war has a beginning and Twilight has a choice to make. To fight for her past or fight for her future.

In the age of steam the main way of life is supported by the airship but when the solar empire claims ownership of the sky it cause's a spark that will ignite a war. Twilight finds herself in the middle of it when she wakens in a make shift hospital with new "parts" and knowing nothing of her past. Will she find her past and will she what to return to it when she does?

Note: best read in Times New Roman or Calibri font.

Published 2013-01-25 22:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-02-18 00:28:34 UTC

White Sheets & Hot Grease

Breath came in short wheezes as a lone pony fought through the burning hulk of a

airship as it slowly collapsed around her. Every step was a labor in pain, with the fire

biting at anything it could consume to feed its rampage through the broken vessel.

Her only hope was a breach in the hull where a round had stricken the cruiser during

the attack. With the last of her energy she pushed herself forward, trying to reach

the only glimmer for a chance of survival.

"Almost...there." She panted, blood pouring down from the deep gash on her

forehead as it trickled down her neck, soaking into her shirt collar.

But as her hoof reached out to pull herself to safety, a deep groan rocked the ship.

Then to her horror the floor beneath her gave way. She screamed but no pony heard

her as the roar of shearing metal screamed around her. She flailed, trying to grab hold

of anything still solidly attached to the once mighty ship. Quickly her grasp fell upon a

steam pipe only to have it burst, as steam erupted from the ship's dying heart. Now

with the earth ever nearing, she glimpsed a single steel cable. With the last of her

strength and with her muscles throbbing in exhaustion, she took hold of the cable,

cringing as her body jerked skyward. One of the ship's air bladders had escaped the

blaze below and was now the only thing keeping her from death's cold hooves. The air

was frigid as she float away from the fire and into the moisture of the clouds, the crisp air

drying the blood that trickled down what was left of her shredded foreleg, as it dangled at

her bruised side.

"All my...books were...on that...ship." She wheezed softly, as the air pushed and pulled the

balloon through the ever dimming sky.

But at that moment she had bigger worries on her wary mind. She was, for one, drifting at

the wind's mercy with only a general sense of where she was going; and two, she wasn't

in friendly skies. At any point of time her tired body could be pumped full of a passing

enemy's rounds. But what was worrying her the most was amount of blood that was still

flowing out of her wounds. At the rate they where bleeding she would be unconscious in

a few minutes.

"I need to find someplace to land." She said through gritted teeth, as the bladder jerked

wildly in the surging wind.

With her muscles screaming in pain she focused what she could of her energy to the end of

her horn. At first only sparks shot forth from her battered appendage. But slowly a glow

began to build, intensifying til it shone like a star, burning brightly in the gloom of the gray,

clouds.

"I have to...make this...count." She groaned in the agony, as pain began to blur her vision.

She was forcing herself beyond her physical and mental limits, but there was no turning

back. She would either live or die in the moment her spell left her horn, sealing her fate.

She took aim and cast her spell forth. With a sharp crack a burst of magical energy left her,

burning toward the balloon. It weaved wildly as it passed through the clouds currents,

never definitively staying true to one course. But to her dismay, as she watched through

teary and blurry eyes as her heart began to sink. Her shot, thrown off by a gust of wind

was swerving wildly and was heading on a path to miss the balloon.

"No, don't miss!" She sobbed, as her spell harmlessly passed by the balloon, and instead,

headed to join the stars.

But all was not lost for the purple unicorn; for even though her shot appeared to be a glancing

blow a mighty gust whirled against the balloon, thrusting it forward into the magical projectile.

There was a soft popping noise as the spell pushed against the outside of the bladder and

pierced on through. A smile fell upon the mare's tired muzzle as a soft hissing noise filled her

ear's as the air slowly but steadily leaked out of the balloon. She drifted down bellow the clouds

and gazed at the earth below, searching for a place to descend. But all that surrounded her was

gnarled trees and jagged boulders peaking out above a blanket of mist that covered the terrain.

Closer and closer she grew to the earth, but no matter where she looked only a hard an painful

landing awaited her. With no other option she did the only thing she could do, brace herself as

best she could. Her legs snapped violently backwards as the balloon dropped sharply, slamming

her into the gnarled limbs of a tree causing her grip to loosen from the cable, sending her tumbling

down into the twisted branch's below. Quickly her body impacted the first branch, snapping off

the end with a shuttering crack as it slammed against her ribs, while many more of the branch's

cut into her violet coat and what remained of her tattered and bloody shirt, spilling more of her

already thinning blood. With a solid thud she impacted the ground beneath the tree, blood filling

and pouring out of her bruised an bleeding muzzle. She tried to rise but her body had no more to

give, as her vision began to blur as with her mind. Drowsiness came swift and fierce as her will

power took hold and tried to drive her forward, reaching out for anything for her body had to give

but to no avail as the pain of fatigue shot through her. Then slowly a unfamiliar chill began to wash

over her battered body. It crept, working its way through her battered hinelegs and into the very

bone's of her beaten frame. It seemed to coil around her, its grip tightening as it slither up her spine.

"I-I-It feels like I'm drowning." She coughed, as she tired to clear her throat of her own blood. Then

as if to and insult to injury thunder boomed in the distance. "Great *cough cough* rain. Just what I

need right *cough, cough* now."

But as she laid there, listening to the thunder drawing nearer, she heard something amiss in the

boom that resonated passed her. As it grew closer she realized it wasn't thunder she was hearing

but something very large moving in her direction with some pony near to it or next to it talking.

"You sure you saw it land around here sir?"

"Piece's, I saw piece's of that ship land around here." A colts voice responded to the first.

"Let's just grab what we can for now and come back later with the Skif."

"Agreed. So you go one way and I'll head the other?"

"Sound's like a plan sir." The first voice chuckled, as the booming ceased.

With what sounded like two light thud's she could only guess that the two had disembark from

there craft and were now on hoof, drawing ever closer where she lay.

"I wonder if anybody survived sir?" The first voice called to the second.

"Not sure, but could you come over here? Let's see if this air bladder is any good." The colts

voice called in response.

"Will you be needing a ladder sir?" The first asked as little rocks tumbled pasted Twilight's head.

"Forget the ladder Titan and bring the stretcher!" She heard the colt shout, as a blur seemed to

step into her field of ever slimming vision. "Miss are you conscious?"

She tried to answer but she only spit out more blood, as she felt her lungs begin to fill with fluid.

"Just barely." The colt stated, as a second blur came to stand beside him.

"Oh sweet Luna's shadow." The newcomer gasped.

"Yes but she's alive. Come on, help me get her onto the stretcher." The colt ordered, as his

companion set something on the ground.

Her body was numb, she couldn't feel them lifting her but the pain still registered sending a

jolt through her dulled nerves, the overwhelming desire to scream filled her as they carried her.

Pain arching through her with every step they took over the rough ground when finally the

surge's became too much for her as the world around her dimmed to but a shadow as she

finally succumbed to blood loss, drifting off into the blackness that enveloped her tired mind.

Then there was light, a bright one at that, burning in her eye's as it hung over head, with

shadows standing over her, holding things that gleamed in the intense light.

"I need twenty cc's of morphine stat!" A foggy sounding voice shouted. "And keep her sedated,

for Luna's sake she wake's up during this!" The voice shouted again, as something black and

rubbery descended upon her muzzle.

With a shallow breath she descended back into the bleakness, as a burning sensation surged

through her chest. Then something else began to make itself heard as the burning started to

subsided. No matter what she did or how she moved she couldn't move her left foreleg. Her

heart began to race, as it did a high pitch beep filled her ear's as the sound of hoof falls followed

shortly afterward.

"Take it easy miss, if you keep squirming like that you'll pull out your stitch's." A voice echoed

in her head. "Can you open your eye's?"

With tentative movement's she opened her eye's. It was blurry at first but slowly her pupils

started adjusting to the light around her. But just as her vision became clear a beam of light

shown into her right eye, causing her pupil to dilate and for her to cringe a little.

"Sorry, just checking if the optics were functioning." The voice said pulling the light away,

allowing her to see a sandy maned colt holding the light.

"Optics?" She questioned, as she gazed into his brown eye's.

"Oh I don't know if this is the best course of action but hold on, let me find a mirror." He

mumbled, hopping down from the bed's rail, letting out a sigh as he trotted over to one of

the rooms wooden cabinets.

As he rummaged through the cabinet she couldn't help gaze around and take in the room

she now lay in. Cabinets took up most of the far wall, each ones contents confirming her

guess that she was in a hospital of sorts. The rooms starched white walls cast a pale glow,

which only seemed to add to the light given off by the several bulbs that hung unevenly from

porcelain fixture's.

"Sorry for the decor, It's hard to find matching anything from salvage." The colt sighed, as he

shut one cabinet and open another. "So how does your condition present itself to you?"

"What?"

"How are you feeling miss?" The colt restated, letting out another sigh as he closed another

cabinet an opened a long stained drawer that sat just above the non-satisfactory cabinet.

"Umm pretty well, but what did you mean by optics and why can't I feel my left leg? She

questioned weakly.

"Ah yes about that." The colt said sadly. Even as his sand colored hoof withdrew from the

drawer, mirror in hoof. "Do you have any recollection of how you came to be in that crag?"

"Yes I was....I was...Oh Celestia" She whispered as her mind dead panned. She couldn't

remember how or why she had ended up in that crag, whatever a crag may be, but everything.

No matter how hard she tried, no matter how hard she focused, she couldn't remember

anything. Nothing, where she had grown up, her parents face's, her home, if she had any

friends, all were empty space's in her mind. But as her emotion's began to boil over by the

shock of having everything she had ever know disappear, a little voice whispered the

question that broke the dam. What was her name?

"I was afraid this would come to transpire." He sighed. "Retrograde amnesia, lovely condition

only problem is that any information you had your head has been through into the proverbial

turbine.

"I-I-I-I can't remember my name!" She stammered, as she felt her world begin to crumble.

"Mmmh then it seems I might have something that will help you miss." The colt smiled, as he

reached into his stained dress shirt pocket. "We found this on you when we brought you here.

I believe they're yours?" He said extending his hoof toward her, holding two metal tags.

Slowly she reached for them, her right hoof taking hold of them as if they were a fragile butterfly,

as it was about to take is first flight. They were cold and blood stained but the information punched

into them was clear. Blood type; A positive, Serial number; 4A2-39-8901, Name; T. Sparkle,

Nature; Unicorn.

"Twilight." She whispered.

"Pardon?"

"My name." She smiled weakly." My name is Twilight Sparkle." She said, as a tear fell from her eye.

"Well miss Sparkle pleasure to meet you." The colt smiled. "Now you were wondering when I said

optics?" He asked holding up the mirror showing Twilight the extent of her forgotten falls damage.

Twilight's jaw dropped at the face that stared back at her through the mirror. It was her's, there

was no doubt in her mind that it wasn't. But as she gazed at her reflection, she couldn't help but

to reach up and run her hoof over the semi warm brass that now lay embedded in her face. It was

seamless, not a rivet, bolt, or screw to be seen. But as she ran her hoof down the gleaming surface

she could feel small bumps in the metal, just along the outline of the piece's shimmering joints. A

single glass lens sat at the center above where her eye should have been, telescoping in and out

of its brass housing, as it adjusted it's focus in the lamp's light.

With her head spinning Twilight could only stammer as her world tumbled into darkness yet again

as she fell back into the soft pillow that her head quickly collided with. "Unnn." She groaned, as she

passed out.

"Well she reacted better then I figure she would." The colt chuckled, as he set down the mirror on a

near by table. He whistled as he trotted from the room, shutting the patched together wood and metal

door with a soft click.

New cloths, New faces

Twilight found her bed unbearable as she fitfully squirmed beneath the soft cotton sheets that

covered her. She had awoken only a short while ago, but she found that, no matter what she

did, she couldn't lay still. But it wasn't all that surprising to her, she had been stuck in the same

bed and same room for the pass five days now. But with a huff she to correct herself, though

she didn't understand why, she really couldn't count for three of those day's as she was only

awake for a few moments of them. There wasn't much that happened but still it did puzzle her.

She would begin to awake, her still nameless caregiver always right beside her, as the room

came into focus, then the feeling of a sharp prick in her right foreleg and slumber quickly

remembrance her. But, for the moment, the source of that pain, or her quick lapse of

consciousness, wasn't her biggest concern. With a sluggish shuffle Twilight propped herself

up, then as gingerly as she could, raised her left foreleg into the soft light of the over hanging

fixtures just above her muzzle. The brown sleeve was snugly secured to her leg by means

of a leather strap, with it let out scrunch as she gave it a light tug with her free hoof, black

thread shifting lighting under the gentle pull. Then with a slight huff Twilight slowly flexed her

leg at first away then back towards herself, the sleeve giving a scrunch at each return as she

repeated this motion. She found after several reparations, with her leg back in front of her

muzzle, that despite the secureness and construction of the sleeve that her legs movements

didn't seemed hindered in any way, but with any lack of feeling it was hard to judge her legs

position from her if she wasn't directly looking at it.

"I'm probably not going to have any luck holding anything with you am I?" Twilight sighed

as she gazed at the glass of water that sat on her bedside table then back to her leg.

With a long sigh she lowered her foreleg and a small chill of helplessness bubbled within her

as she returned it to her side. Twilight closed her eyes and began to concentrate, digging

within the bleakness that filled her mind.

"Is something bothering you miss Sparkle?" A voice called suddenly, causing Twilight's eyes

to flip open and her whole body to give a sharp jerk as she quickly shifted to sit up.

"Oh.. Hi ummmm."

The colt shook his head and chuckled as he took his weight off the doorways frame.

"My apologies if I startled you miss Sparkle but I believe I would be accurate to say

that something is a bother?"

".......I would be lying if I said if I wasn't having some difficulties." Twilight sighed sadly.

"Perhaps I can offer some assistance. What seems to be your quarrel miss Sparkle?" The colt

asked, as he made his way over to her bedside.

"For the past few days I haven't been able to pick up anything with my left hoof and well...."

"And you fear if you try to use your horn you won't fair much better."

"*sigh* Yes."

"Well then miss Sparkle do you feel yourself up for a stroll?" The colt asked as he came to

stand beside her bedside.

"And get out of this bed?"

"Of course, but before we disembark a few thing must be addressed, such as the removal

of the hypodermic needle inserted in your upper right quarter." He signed, releasing one of

the beds steel rails. "Do you have a phobia of needles miss Sparkle?" The colt asked as slide

open a small drawer that lay under the bed. "Because if you do this might be unpleasant."

Then with huff, he gave a swift tug to the back of the needle, it withdrawing from Twilight's

leg in silent ease. Of course this didn't keep Twilight from jolting sharply in response.

"Did you have to do that so abruptly?" Twilight questioned, annoyance heavy in her tone.

"In a word yes. Now on to the second issue, you'll be needing a different attire Ms. Sparkle,

for as the main hanger is only fifteen degrees Celsius at the moment." He replied as he placed

a cloth bandage over the slowly dripping pin hole. "Now if you would hold pressure here for me

Ms. Sparkle I shall acquire a change of cloths for you."

In a quick spin he turned towards the door and, as Twilight looked up as she held pressure on

the patch, she watched as he spun back around an gave the wall next to the door a swift kick.

There was a loud ticking noise then a ding as a tile in the ceiling slide away and a brass pipe

descended into the room, it coming to a halt just below his snout. Raising his hoof he flipped

a small wooden lid off the end of the pipe and gave a rap to the tube before calling into it.

"Hello, Petunia, I acquire your assistance." He called into the pipe.

There was silence at first from the tube but then the echo of hoof falls resonated faintly through

before followed by a huff came a mares voice. "Yes sir?"

"Yes Petunia, could you procure some clothes for miss Sparkle and bring them to the infirmary

please?"

"Anything in specific in mind for miss Twilight?"

"Something suitable for a walk around the hanger Petunia."

"Of course." Replied Petunia, as a click echoed back.

"Well then miss Sparkle has anything developed with regard's to your memory?" The colt asked,

as he turned away from pipe, giving the wall a light kick causing the tube to ascend back into

the ceiling.

"No." Twilight sighed.

"Really? No improvement at all?"

A feeling of annoyance washed over her but then an idea popped inside her head. "Did you find

anything else when you found me?" She asked.

"No, other then an air bladder, and your Id tags miss Sparkle we recovered nothing else."

"What about my clothes? Did they have anything on them?"

"Well that's hard to say, all but your vest didn't suffer being shredded or charred." He said rubbing

his chin. "You'll have to take a look at it miss Sparkle." The colt stated, as the patch work door

swung open.

"I hope I'm not intruding Hayden?" The soft crimson mare asked, as she walked into the room,

clothes neatly folded on her back.

"Oh far from it Petunia. Miss Sparkle this is Petunia."

"Hello Twilight." Petunia smiled, as she trotted over to Twilight's bed.

"Um are those clothes going to fit me?" Twilight asked, as Petunia pulled them from her

back and place them at Twilight's side.

"Miss Sparkle you know that gown your in?"

"Yes?"

"I stitched that together and it seems to be fitting you pretty well" Petunia smiled but sighed

"Of course with that came a small challenge."

"Really?" Twilight questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Well its easy to make a garment for somepony you've done work for before but I didn't

have that luxury with you." Petunia replied, as she turned to Hayden. "Hayden may we get

some privacy."

"As you wish." He said with a bow, quickly trotting out of the room, the door clicking softly

shut as he departed from the room.

"Umm Petunia?"

"Yes miss Sparkle?"

"Could you umm help me with this?" Twilight asked, as she pulled a tan dress shirt from the top

of the pile, as Petunia quickly undid the button's that held the yellow gown to her frame.

"Oh of course miss Sparkle." Petunia replied, as her horn was enveloped again in the glow of

magic, illuminating her silver mane in a pale blue glow.

Slowly a light glow covered the shirt, as it lifted form Twilight's hoof, bathing the room in a blue

tint. Then in a surge of light the surface of the shirt began to ripple as Petunia's magic surged

through the cloth, bending the cotton threads to her will. Then with a quick flick of her horn the

shirts sleeve's snapped straight and the collar folded down perfectly in to a crisp edge.

"Now miss Sparkle if would you be so kind." Petunia said, as she lowered the now crisp edged

shirt down to Twilight, who had quickly slide off her gown and had placed it down beside her.

"Just stick my legs out to the side of me?"

"Well you could do that miss Sparkle, I was just going to lower it while you held you legs up."

"I don't think that's going to work." Twilight sighed and raised her left leg.

"Oh I see. Can you put both legs in front of you miss Sparkle?"

"Umm hold on." Twilight mumbled, swinging her legs forward and moving to the edge of the

bed.

"Prefect. Now duck your head." Petunia giggled, as she began to pull the shirt down

Twilight's front legs.

"Petunia your hurting me." Twilight half shouted, as the tan dress shirt was drawn over

her head, forcing her chin into her chest.

"Sorry miss Sparkle, but could you move your right leg a little to the left I could ..... oh

there we go." Petunia said happily, as Twilight felt the pressure that was holding her

head down subside.

"Ooow." Twilight mumbled, rubbing her chest. "I think you left a mark." She groaned

under her breath.

"Sorry miss Sparkle, I guess I over estimated the amount of magic that was required."

Petunia said, rubbing the back of her head. "Will you be needing any more assistance?"

"No... I think I can get the rest." Twilight replied quickly, as she did up the black buttons of

the dress shirt.

"Oh, ok just holler if you do."

With that the soft crimson mare trotted from the room, the patchwork door lock clicking

softly as it slide close in its frame. Twilight let out a short sigh, she hadn't wanted to hurt

Petunia's feelings, but it was probably safer for her to attempt trying to put the rest of

her new cloths on herself. Twilight reached over and pulled what was the second article

of clothing that made up the pile apart from a medium size wooden box. It felt familiar in

design as she slipped it on with ease, but most vest are. It's charcoal body laying lightly

against her frame. She had little trouble with doing up its three shiny gray buttons.

"At least this is one thing I can do with a numb foreleg." Twilight mumbled, as she pushed

the vest final button through its adjacent slot that was cut into the black fabric.

"Is every thing fitting miss Sparkle?" Twilight heard Petunia shout through the door.

"Yes, everything is fitting very nicely Petunia."

"Ok and the mirror's on the table next to your bed if you wish to use it miss Sparkle."

Petunia stated, as her voice grew distant.

"Do I really what to look at myself?" Twilight mumbled to herself, as she looked towards

the table that stood next to her bed, staring at the mirror that lay atop it next to her dog

tags.

Hesitantly Twilight reached toward the table, unsure if she was really ready to see what

had frightened her very soul several nights before. With a heavy sigh she took hold of the

mirror in her right hoof and slowly brought up towards her muzzle. A small gasp escaped

her lips as she gazed at herself. She knew this was the second time of seeing the warm

brass plate imbedded in her face but that still didn't make it any less shocking to see it.

"If only I could remember." She sighed, as she set down the mirror at her side, it resting

lightly on the white sheets of the bed.

Then as if on cue, Twilight heard the door, first clicking, then swing open as she raised her

muzzle to see who it was.

"Sorry to intrude miss Sparkle but I think I may have found a solution to one of your problems."

Hayden stated, as he stepped into the infirmary.

"Really? That was kind of quick."

"Well yes but a solution it is none the less." He smiled, making his way over to her bed. "So

then shall we be going miss Sparkle?"

Twilight gave a quick shim and a shuffle along with some help from Hayden but soon her

hindhooves where resting on the warm hard wood floor, the oak boards sending a pleasant

sensation through her legs. Then with tentative movements Twilight brought, first her right,

then her left forehoof down to the warm oak flooring.

"Has your balance suffered any ill effects miss Sparkle?" The Hayden asked, as Twilight shifted

her weight from hoof to hoof.

"No it doesn't appear like it." Twilight replied.

"Good now off we miss Sparkle." He chuckled, as they trotted out of the room.

Twilight shivered a little as they meandered down the corridor that lead from the infirmary, Its

granite walls offering little warmth.

"Sorry miss Sparkle, its quite difficult to heat a mountain of rock, even with the new the boilers."

Hayden sighed.

"Boilers?"

"Yes miss Sparkle, we use them to do a multiple of things."

"And heating one of those things?" Twilight asked, as they arrived at a battered door.

"Yes miss Sparkle along with power all this." Hayden smiled, as he pushed the door open and a

rush of light an heat washed over Twilight's body. "Welcome to the hanger."

Twilight's eye's widen at the sight before her. She felt that she'd been in a hanger before but noting

on a scale like this. Copper pipes lined the walls, each line a different size with different labels on

each. Some soared and penetrated into the black stone of the ceiling, which towered far over her

head. Others seemed to sink into roughly hued slot's that were craved into the stone and, to her

only guess, ran under the very floor they stood upon. Catwalks crisscrossed what was left of the

space over head apart from spaces where lights hung from long black cables with what looked

like green tuba horns directing the light to the floor. Then there was the noise and not to mention

the smell. It wasn't a harsh smell but Twilight could defiantly tell, even if she didn't know how, the

odor of lubricating oil and grease. Along with the tinge of somepony melting metal. But her eye's

where drawn away from the expanse of the hanger and its furnishings by a high whistle.

"This way miss Sparkle." Hayden state, rapping his hoof upon the railing of a brass flight of stairs.

"What is all this Hayden?"

"This is Elixir miss Sparkle, my workshop slash research lab under about two point five six miles

of granite."

"Two point what?"

"A mountain miss Sparkle two odd miles under a mountain." Hayden chuckled, as he reached the

landing of the metal stair case, giving another high whistle as he did.

"Umm why?"

"Because we like our privacy ma'am." A unfamiliar voice rasped behind her, as a figure strode out

of the shadow of the stairs.

His arms where the first thing to come into the light, there veins clearly visible against his rippling

muscles that lay slightly hidden under his dark gray fur. But it was his towering mass that stood

out the most, his mountain of a body seemed strained under the deep emerald green of his vest.

"And we're really not fond of surprise guest." He growled, his eyes seeming to burn into her as

their yellow glow glinted off his lower fangs. "But you ma'am are different." He chuckled, losing

some of his menacing aura, as he left the shadow of the stairs.

"Miss Sparkle meet Gravel claw, the Diamond dog of many talents." Hayden chuckled.

"Pleasure to meet you miss Sparkle." Gravel smiled, extending one of his massive paws toward

her.

"Gravel don't be rude." A new voice chimed in, this one much higher and more childish, as a slight

shudder plused through Twilight's frame. "Sorry miss but my brother can be forgetful." The new

voice added, as its owner stepped from the darkness as well.

His body was much smaller then Gravel's almost to the point of being frail and that the weight

of just gazing at him would fracture or shatter it. The color of his fur was a caramel tone which

blended and complemented his soft crimson vest, its pockets overflowing with wrench's and

small shining gears.

"Soft Fang at your service ma'am." He bowed, his deep blue eyes sparkling lightly as he did.

"And I do apologize for my brothers blunt rudeness."

"How am I being rude brother? I simply offered my paw to greet miss Sparkle." Gravel rebutted.

"But Gravel you have forgotten that a injury has befallen upon her leg." Soft Fang countered.

"I did not. I simply thought that she's up and about so by that it's no longer ailing her."

Twilight was confused at the sight before her. She open her muzzle to poss a question but

another high whistle made her stop as a loud ringing filled her ears.

"Ehem, Fang, Gravel, would you to please cease this argument." Hayden calmly demanded,

a tinge of menacing firmness coating his tone.

The brothers eye's locked for a second. "Sigh...... yes sir." The brothers groaned in unison,

embarrassment bathing both of their faces.

"Thank you, now do either of you know where Titan is?" Hayden asked firmly.

"I believe he's working on the Skif sir." Fang replied, crimson still bathing his caramel muzzle.

"Do you know his reasoning?"

"No sir just that he mentioned something leaking pressure sir." Gravel stated, a bead of sweat

sliding down from his forehead.

"At ease then Gravel and back to task." Hayden huffed.

"Yes sir!" Gravel shouted, quickly turning around to head back to his work

"As of you Fang I have a task for you."

"Yes sir?"

"Make haste an fetch Titan for me, I will be needing his assistance."

"On it sir!" Fang saluted, as he dug his claws into the stone of the floor, then in flash

was off.

"Ehem now that's out of the way miss Sparkle shall we on are way?"