//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6- Suspicion 
// Story: The Iron Horse 
// by TheMightyEquestrian47 
//------------------------------//

	After her stunning show in the middle of the crowd, Pinkie Pie trotted back to her friend Twilight Sparkle. "So Twilight what did you think, pretty cool huh? Now everyone wants wings just like me!" she says with a large smile on her face. "Pinkie that was great but something doesn't seem right about that merchant" says Twilight with a look of doubt. "Yeah I'm not sure about that guy" says Spike worriedly. "Oh sillies, you worry to much! Mr Merchant wouldn't hurt anyone!" Pinkie says as she giggles at her friends. She then pushes off the ground and flies away. "So what are we going to do now Twilight?" A slight pause occurred before Twilight Sparkle noticed the Merchant was done selling for the day and was heading back to his factory. "I'm gonna find out more about this so called Merchant" says Twilight with a more serious tone. Spike and Twilight then sneaked off to follow him.
Clouds formed in the sky, blocking out the sun from upon Ponyville. Cowering in dark alleyways, Twilight silently followed the Merchant. Further and further from town, the scenery became duller and gloomy. Near the outskirts of town, Twilight finally saw down the road a large rusty, and worn down factory. Closing in on the building, the cloaked merchant and his cart entered then the door sealed with only a slight crack. "This place gives me the creeps Twilight" Spike said in an undertone as they approached the factory. "Me too Spike but we need to investigate this." Quietly creaking open the enormous metal door, the two slipped in unnoticed. The room was dimly lit, and faint sounds of rats could be heard in the distance. Twilight and Spike crept through the corridor full of broken machinery when they finally heard a loud noise from the room upstairs. They walked up the stairs and approached the room from where they heard the noise. Twilight looked through the door and saw the Merchant in his workshop. *Clang!* A hammer was driven down against a sheet of steel. "We need to get a closer look at this" said Twilight as she snook inside. She started to climb the pipes on the wall to reach the balcony above. After reaching the top, Twilight and Spike looked over the railing at the workshop floor. When the merchant was done welding the object he was working on, he sighed in relief, took his invention and sealed it in a glass case. He then retired to his office, slamming the door shut. Twilight still in curiosity began to slide down the pipe once more but all of the support of the pipe snapped off the ceiling and the pipe along with her and Spike hit the ground hard. Twilight slowly managed to push her self off the ground only to find out Spike had been knocked out on impact. "Oh Spike what have I have gotten you into" said Twilight with concern. She then rested him on her back and walked slowly over to the glass case. Looking through the glass she saw something very peculiar but somewhat familiar, taking a minute to process she found out what it was. "Oh my..." Twilight said in a state of shock as she realized that the object she was looking at was none other than a Mechanical Horn.
"I need to tell Pinkie about this." Twilight then dashed out of the room, down the stairs and out the entrance. As fast as she could she galloped back to town, and ran into Sugarcube Corner. The doors forcibly hit the wall as she entered the store. "Oh hi Twilight! Whats the rush?" Mrs Cake responded as she saw Twilight Sparkle come in. "Do you have any idea where Pinkie is?" Mrs Cake pondered for a moment and said she was delivering flour to Applejack. Out the door once again, Twilight ran to Sweet Apple Acres. At the farm, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping and Pinkie just delivered Applejack's flour. "Thanks Pinkie! Now I can finally make our famous apple pie!" says Applejack toting the big bag of flour on her back. "Don't mention it, I'm always happy to help a friend!" said Pinkie Pie as she started to turn back around towards the store. Before she could go anywhere, Twilight arrived at the farm exhausted and weak. "Pinkie I have something urgent to tell you" she said out of breath. After telling both Pinkie and Applejack about her news the two ponies were amazed. "Wow! A mechanical horn you say Twilight?" says Applejack with slight confusion. "Oooo I hope I get one of those!" says Pinkie in excitement as she bounces up and down. "No this isn't a happy matter Pinkie. If everyone is the same it will disrupt the balance of life!" Twilight said trying to get through to Pinkie. "You won't be special anymore!" This statement made Pinkie upset. "But I want to be as special as you girls" Pinkie said in a saddened tone. Trying to cheer her up Applejack said to Pinkie "But thats it, you're already special! You don't need wings or a horn to be special, you will always be special to us Pinkie." These words from her friend, made Pinkie think about what she has done. "Lets go home Pinkie, and get some rest." Then the two ponies walked back into town, and they went their separate ways home. As she layed down Spike in his bed passed out, Twilight went up to bed, turned off the light and fell asleep.
The next morning, Spike woke up extra early. "Come on Twilight, lets go see how Pinkie is!" said Spike eagerly trying to wake up Twilight. After multiple tries, he finally woke her up. Out they went, Twilight and Spike arrived at the market where they found Pinkie Pie happy and well skipping around town. "Hey you're looking better today!" said Twilight cheerfully. "Yeah have you looked around?" said Pinkie as she showed her friend around. In every direction, all the ponies on the streets had mechanical wings. Suddenly Twilight saw Rarity looking a little bit more, metallic than usual. As she approached Rarity, she saw that she had wings and a new horn! "Rarity... you look different today!" said Twilight slightly disturbed. "Oh Hi Twilight! How do you like my new wings and horn?" says Rarity as she flaunts around her new attire. "Where did you get that horn?" Rarity then laughs at her friend and replies "I got it from this merchant down by the boutique! He says they are all the rage and I'm all about fashion!" Twilight still disturbed by the missing presence of her friend's old horn asks "But why did you get a new horn?" Pinkie asks the same thing of Rarity extending the confusion. "He said that this horn can out perform my old one in every way so I got it" said Rarity. "But I'm sure you two wouldn't know anything about being special." Rarity then walks off back into the boutique. This saddens Pinkie as she says "I too am special!" As she runs off Twilight yells "Pinkie wait!" but it is no use. Running away from town, she heads to the outskirts of town to meet with the Merchant but she her scarf gets snagged on a dead tree branch and rips a big line in the stitching. She then successfully frees herself and arrives at the factory. "Pinkie what are doing here?" says the Merchant in confusion. Sadness turns to anger and Pinkie outbursts "Give me a horn." This makes the merchant form a giant evil grin. "If you wish..."