Cogs

Welcome to Ponyville. What hollow words they were. There was a time when you could truly believe that, back when Ponyville wasn't just a glorified factory. Welcome to Ponyville: the town where you will work till you die. Of course there were residents that enjoy the luxuries the town once had to offer. The ponies with these higher positions tend to be unicorns. Sadly the truth of the matter was, if you can't do magic, you labour, you labour in the farms, you labour in the workhouses, or you just serve your betters. Everypony is just a small part of the machine that kept Equestria moving.

The start could be identified when rock farmers discovered a form of carbon that had not been compressed into a diamond. True, coal does have a large part to play. Then again perhaps the start was when the unicorns of Equestria learnt how to truly harness their gifts. More likely though, this all began when the demand for industry peaked. Note the train, it is arriving in Ponyville with a ready supply of the greatest resource Equestria has: labour. Inside it's carriages an assortment of ponies await their assignment upon arrival. The majority of them are earth ponies, and will most likely do menial tasks for their overseers and wardens. Those that shine through with skills and ability may get reassigned one day. The pegasi won't fare much better, their lives will become just as harsh, though with the purpose of managing the weather, but also managing the populace, there were no greater soldiers than the pegasi, and Equestria was ruled under martial law. The unicorns, though few on this journey, were immediately identifiable, though not just because of the horn. They sat with grace and purpose, their clothing harks back to days of glamour and style, and their manes are visibly better cared for. They will be assigned administrative work. Fine light tasks of management and leadership. The train slowly grinds to a halt. Welcome to Ponyville.