//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2-Blue Prints 
// Story: Ratchet Earns Her Wings 
// by RatchetFlash 
//------------------------------//

	Draco waiting as his very special somepony poured her childhood out to him, and then she suddenly stopped. She stared off into space for a few moments before letting out a sad sigh. 

"Flash, love... Are you okay?" Draco questioned with worry on his face. Ratchet came back to focus slightly and looked up at Draco.
"Yeah yeah... I'm okay..." She let out a sigh as she nuzzled herself closer into Draco's side. The draconequus blushed slightly. Draco was bigger than a regular sized stallion, but smaller than Discord. Ratchet sighed into his neck as she looked up at him. 
"Love, how real do these nightmares feel?" Draco said softly, almost in a whisper.
"Much to real. The pain, I can almost feel it. It isn't nearly as bad as it was, but sometimes when I wake up... I can almost feel the pain in my wings.." Ratchet shuddered slightly. "But, I haven't even gotten into the part about the nightmares." She continued to tell her story to her love.



Ratchet ran past the Golden Oaks Library and knocked into a dragon who was carrying a bunch of scrolls. When she bumped into him, it took the baby dragon by surprise and he blew fire onto the scrolls sending them up towards Canterlot. She could hear the dragon mutter a few things to himself, but she ignored it. She ran towards Sugar Cube Corner and then took a left turn and knocked on a door at the end of the street. She was greeted by a red earth pony. She smiled down at Ratchet.
"Hello Ratchet. What brings you all the way over here today?" She inquired.
"Uh.. Hi.. I was wondering if Zealous is home?" 
"Yeah he is upstairs in his room worki-" The earth pony was cut off as the white mare bolted past her and up the stairs. She ran down the hallway and knocked on a red door that said "Zealous" on the top. A muffled voice yelled from inside.
"Come in!"
Ratchet turned the door knob and walked in the room. Zealous' room had posters of various video games and blueprints were spread over his desk. There was a lamp bending over his desk that was the only score of light and a pair of mechanical wings on his desk with make shift metal feathers. Various steam punk like items are scattered around the room and in the far corner is a computer that he made. He pulled goggles of his face and threw them on his bed. He looked behind him to look at the metal plates in his back that hold is wings in and he saw Ratchet, he smiled.
"Hey Ratchet." He mumbled as he used his mouth to tighten the screws in his back.
"Hey Zealous!" Ratchet said as she trotted over to him and sat down. She looked up on his desk and looked at a few blueprints. Most of them were random items she didn't care about but one of them caught her eye she pulled it out from the others and looked at the blueprint. It was a new model of mechanical wings. There was a main metal bar that resembled the main bone in a pegasus wing. It had various joints in it, all the same joints that were in a real wing. Instead of having metal plates for feathers, there were actual feathers connected to the bar. The wings were layered over each other so that flight was achievable. Zealous noticed what Ratchet was doing and he looked at the blue print.
"It is my latest model. I call it a hybrid wing. It is both feathered, like a real wing and it is mechanical. It has the same technology of being able to connect into the nervous system. I still can't figure out how to block those blasted wing boners, sadly." Zealous continued on rambling about the wings even thou Ratchet was ignoring him.
"Yeah yeah I get it. Hush up Zealous." Ratchet mumbled as she looked back at her small wings and then back at the blueprint.
"Well, excuse me, princess." Zealous mumbled as he jumped of his chair and walked over to his laptop on the other side of the room. He started up the computer and swirled in his chair back to face Ratchet, who was still scanning over the blueprint. "What are you doing? Do you like the wings?" Ratchet nodded quickly. "Ah well.. I could give them to you. But I won't be able to start on them for a while. I am still waiting for the shipment of the parts for the wings. The box should have been here days ago, but that mailpony, Derpy, messed up and gave the box to the wrong house. I got a box full of paper. PAPER."
"Well uh... I mean, both times that you did wings, they were for ponies with out wings. You have had no wings nor did Zecord. So.. Does this mean you would have to... Cut off my wings?" Ratchet gulped and shuddered at the thought.
"Uh... What do you think? Yeah, your wings would get cut off. But of course, all of your primary feathers would be reused in the wing." Zealous turned back around and pushed the password into his computer before turning back.
"Did you base your nervous whatever technology off the Cyber Ponies from Doctor Whooves?" Ratchet questions as she put the blueprint back on the table.
"I didn't base it off it it, no I couldn't. It just inspired an idea for me. That' all." Zealous said as he turned back to his computer and opened up a program. He thought for a moment and started to design something. Flash couldn't tell what he was doing so she shrugged it off.
"So.. How did you get YOUR cutie mark?" Ratchet questioned as she jumped up into a chair.
"When I was six, the clock in the living room broke and I fixed it. Then this green blob appeared on my flank. Others have these really long stories, but mine is simple. I fixed something." The red pony said as he continued to design something on his computer.
"Oh..." Ratchet sighed out softly. "Well, I guess I will get going." The pegasus held her head and wings down low as she pushed past the door and trotted down the steps and out of Zealous' house. 
As soon as Ratchet stepped out the door she watched as three stallions trotted up to her. She groaned as they all stood in front of her. Fireball took off into the air and started to fly around her in circles.
"Those wings of yours still useless?" Fireball snickered.
"Fire, you got it wrong. Not just her wings are useless, but she is useless! She doesn't even have her cutie mark!" Shinning Blade added as Green Spark used his magic to pull her wings out.
"Poor Ratchet's wings aren't even formed right!" Green Spark stated as they all chuckled in unison. Ratchet was sick and tired of these three.
"I...I-I can fly! And I will get my cutie mark soon! I will prove it to you!" Ratchet yelled at Fireball as he flew around her.
"Oh? You can fly? With those wings? Are you bucking kidding me?" Shinning Blade chuckled and grabbed onto her  wings. Ratchet grumbled and pulled her wing back to her side.
"Y-yeah! I can fly! And I will prove it to you!" The filly mumbled softly.
"Prove it!" All three stallions stated in unison. She looked them in the eyes, each of them being about a year younger than her. She took a deep breath and fluttered her wings, the way her dad showed her. She sighed when she didn't lift off, not that she expected to lift off. All three of the stallions started to laugh at her, words like "Useless", "Pathetic", "Talent less" and "Flightless" were all coming from their laughs. Ratchet whimpered and covered her ears.
"No! Shut up!" She cried as she curled up in a ball. Suddenly the laughing stopped as she heard foot steps behind her. She turned around and saw a Zebra standing tall as he held out his mechanical wings with pride.
"Sparky. Come here." He said softly, his voice was lower than most stallions. He was two years older than Ratchet. Ratchet sniffled and ran up next to the zebra. 
"H-Hi Zecord..." The white filly mumbled softly and shyly. He smiled down at her before he looked back at the stallions with a glare. All three were standing with there jaws wide open. 
"What? Never seen a zebra before?" He almost yelled at the stalloons. They all shook their heads and backed up a bit. "There is no reason for you to be teasing Ratchet like this. She is NOT useless. If anypony is useless here, it is you three. Jus because she don't got her cutie mark yet, doesn't mean she won't get it. And a cutie mark is just a mark on yer flank. She already has a talent, and she just has to discover it. Now all three of you. SHOO!" When he finished all three of the stallions bolted towards the other side of town. Zecord Blitz sighed.
"I hate those three. I really do." He said as he looked down at Ratchet who was wiping her eyes with her forehooves. He leaned down and wrapped a wing around her. It was cold to the touch, yet calming to her all at the same time. She leaned back on Zecord who was slightly bigger than her and she let out a shaky sigh.
"Why do they have to tease me?" She questioned.
"I dun know, Sparky. I think they jus do it because they feel down 'bout themselves." 
"I hope you are right Zecord..." 
"How about we get you home?" Zecord smiled as he trotted out in front of her and turned around."I'll race ya!" Ratchet giggled and took off after him, racing with him towards her house.