//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: FF Industry 
// Story: Steampunk: The start of a new age 
// by Philosopher Brony 
//------------------------------//

     It didn't take long for brother's factory to be fully constructed. The buildings themselves could be seen above the tree line, and the smoke stacks that scattered the factory grounds nearly reached up to the clouds. The smoke stacks almost always pumped out fumes into the air except on the week ends, but even then there were workers working throughout the rest of the facility. The ground that the factory stood on started to die off slowly as toxins flooded the air. At first, there were around fifteen to twenty workers, but day after day, more and more workers were hired until the entire working class was employed by them. The entire working class, all except the apple family. Even though the Grapples outsold that Apple's apples, they managed to stay above the poverty level until the following winter. It was a vey cold winter that only got worse when the toxins from the factory started to crawl their way onto the farm. Trees either died off, or they suffer from spontaneous combustion which then would spread to any nearby trees. One day during the winter, Applejack decided to ask one of her friends for help. 
Applejack; wrapped in a thin warn out brown coat, dirt stained boots, a scarf that was ready to fall apart, and her cowboy hat, stepped trough the cottage door, and quickly shut it behind her to keep the cold out. Fluttershy stopped dusting her shelfs and went to greet Applejack, but she was overcome with sadness from the site of Applejack's condition. 
Applejack dusted off the thin layer of snow and said: "Hey Fluttershy, I came by to ask you something." 
Fluttershy, now in a state of confusion, replied: "Hi Applejack, it has been a while since we have talked one to one. What did you want to ask me?" 
AJ hesitated to ask the question, but then said it: "I was wondering if my family could stay here until we build up enough bits to repair the farm. This winter caused parts of the roof to cave in, and ice started to form on the inside. I will find someway to repay you for this kindness if you help us out." 
The pegasus, without a second thought said: "Of course your family can stay here, its the least that I can do for you after all theses times you have helped me." 
Later that afternoon, Applejack, Applebloom, and Granny Smith arrived at the yellow mare's cottage with a few suit cases. Fluttershy opened the door and welcomed them to come inside. The pegasus helped them with the luggage, and placed it in a pile near the staircase. After looking at the group, she noticed that one of them were missing. 
Fluttershy asked: "Um... Applejack, wheres Big Macintosh?"
The orange pony responded: "He is out working over time."
Surrounded in confusion, she asked: "What do you mean?"
"I mean he's working for the Brothers." Fluttershy let out a small gasp at that statement. 
She spent a moment to think, then asked: "Why is he working for them? I thought you all hate them by now."
"We do! But they're the only ones that are offering any type of job that we know how to do. By tomorrow, I'll be starting my new job there as well." AJ gritted her teeth and closed her eyes from what came out of her mouth. Applejack opened her eyes and continued: "I need you to look after Applebloom while Big Mac and I are at work. I know that we're already asking a lot from you to give us a home, but She needs somepony to turn to when Mac or I aren't around."
Again, without hesitation, Fluttershy agreed and they shook on it. Deep down, Fluttershy had a feelling that something bad would happen, but she couldn't determine what that feeling was trying to tell her. She decided to push that feeling away, and helped the Apple Family unpack and get settled in.

Latter that night, Twilight was in her house reading the news paper like she normally does now a days. Flim and Flam made the front page again with their new line of new apples. They ranged from tasting like carrots to ice cream. It also stated that they're planning to start producing other goods. They demonstrated a prototype they were working on, and it was really strange in Twilight's opinion. It was a cabbage like plant that had four tendrils equally spaced from each other around the main body. It was stated that you plant it in a garden to prevent weeds from growing. They said that it would be out in sores by next week if they can get it to work on only weeds. Twilight continued to read until a large boom sounded off in the distance. She dropped the paper and rushed towards where the boom came from.
Twilight arrived at the scene at the same time as Rainbow Dash. They were outside the Bazaar standing next to a small crater. On the other side of it lied an unconscious pony with an hour glass cutie mark. The two rushed over to him to check if he was okay. 
"What do you think happened to him?" Rainbow asked while looking at the crater.
"I don't know, but I do know that it can't be good." Twilight replied while she looked for injuries. The stallion's two front legs were broken, and his front left hoof was shattered to the point of it turing into dust. Rainbow Dash then noised two thing inside the crater. She grabbed them, and presented the to twilight. The objects were an apple core, and a busted candle.
"Do you think this could have caused this?" Rainbow asked while hovering in the air.
"Maybe, but I have to do tests to confirm. But we better get this guy to the hospital." 
They carried the stallion to the hospital, and he regained consciousness along the way. Twilight explained to him what happened to him as they approached the hospital. 
Once there, two nurses and a doctor came out to see what was going on. Again, Twilight explained what happened. 
The doctor looked at the injured pony and asked: "Sir, can you help fill in the gaps in this event?"
The injured stallion said: "I went out to buy on of those Grapples that everyone, oops , everyPONY keeps jabbering on about. I thought that I should at least try one, and possibly get some more for the Tardi- MY HOUSE if I liked it. When I was walking out of the market, I lit my candle to see in this darkness and BAM! Then I woke up while these ponies were carrying me."
"I see... Well, we better get you inside and see whats broken, and to get you some medicine. Also, what's your name if you don't mind me asking?"
"OH, yes, of course. How silly of me to not introduce myself, I'm the Doc- TIME TURNER, yes... Time Turner. And if you would be so kind as to get me that medicine as fast as you can; because, I think the feeling in my legs are starting to return and they are not good!"
"Yes, right away. Nurse, take Mr. Turner inside and get him a bed." Time Turner was carried inside the hospital right before he cried out in pain. With nothing left to do, the duo split up, and headed to their homes.
Twilight returned home around ten o'clock at night, and she managed to get in bed without waking Spike. She lied there for a half an hour without sleep with the theories that she had about what happened. Instead of trying to sleep again, she got out of bed quietly to conduct tests that she had formulated. The purple unicorn grabbed the necessary items and headed off to a safe location.
Twilight arrived at an open field with a few grapples, Time Turner's candle, and her own. She also brought along a few other items to help with the tests, and to record the results. The first test consisted of lighting Time Turner's candle near a grapple, of course at a safe distance, and she would record what would happen. After everything was in place, she stood far back and used her magic to do the test. The grapple sat on the ground with the candle right next to it. The candle was lit, the fire spread to the grapple, and BOOM! Another crater was left in the ground, and ringing resinated in Twilight's ears. Once she finished writing down all the information she needed, she went onto the next test. This one was to make sure that it wasn't just Time Turner's candle that would do this. The experiment was done it the exact same manner, except she used a standard candle, and Twilight covered her ears. it ended with the same result, but at least the ringing was quieter this time. Again, she wrote down the information and packed up her stuff. Even though she wanted to continue to testing, she decided not to because of all the property damage that it could cause. After that thought crawled it's way inside her brain, she decided too vacate the area immediately. 
Around midnight, Twilight fell asleep on her desk while she was writing up the lab report. 
Spike woke up suddenly after another nightmare, and noticed that Twilight wasn't in her bed. He pulled himself out of his bed and continued downstairs.
There she was, sleeping on her desk once again. Spike went back upstairs and quickly came back with something that he wanted to retrieve. It was the blanket off of Twilight's bed. He draped it on her to make sure she would stay warm though out the rest of the night. Once he finished, Spike noticed the papers spread across the desk, and what was written on them. He quickly analyzed them and he roughly understood what they said. His claws covered his mouth to keep in a gasp after it hit him of what they meant. The little dragon fainted, but due to his size, he didn't make much of a sound when he hit the floor. 

Applejack strolled through the bazaar with saddle bags full of groceries that she needed to get. The only resin that she wasn't at her new job was because her shift didn't start until one. 
She stopped walking when she got near the brother's stand. It was crowded as usual with customers pushing past each other in an attempt to get what they wanted before it was sold out. She just stood there staring and wondering how they were able to do this. These thoughts were interrupted when a well dressed unicorn approached her. He was a little taller than her, his coat was light gray, his hair was a rusty red, and he possessed strangely vivid blue eyes. The stallion wore a white, long sleeve shirt, brown pants that held a pocket watch and a single gem, and a brown trench coat with many pockets that held thinks like small scrolls, and other items. A smile grew on his face as he got closer to her. AJ turned to meet him, but he spoke up before her.
"Am I correct to presume that you must be Mis. Applejack, a proud member of the Apple Family?" The strange stallion asked. His voice sounded similar to the voice of the bellhop from Manehattan, but it was slightly deeper, but just as chipper.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"Well, you are one of the only ponies her that aren't in that mob back there, and a simple procces of elimination lead me to believe that you were Applejack after eliminating every pony else that doesn't want to buy the Flim Flam Brother's merchandise."
"Aaa..."
"OH. Where are my manners. It isn't proper of a gentlecolt to not introduce myself first. I am Sir. Cog Steam, an entrepreneur looking for a place to set up shop, and you are the lovely mare with the place I have been looking for."
"Could you run your name by me one more time?"
"Of course, my name is Sir. Cog Steam, or you could just call me Cog if you don't feel like saying my entire name." 
"Well.. Cog, what do ya mean that I have the place you're looking for?"
"What I mean is that Sweet Apple Acres is the perfect place for my establishment. All that I wanted to ask of you is if I could take some surveys of the land, and possibly a tour of the orchard if you have the time. You don't need to give me a tour, all I really want to do is survey the land..." He reached into one of his coat pockets and puled out a scroll. "...and all you have to do is sign this to grant me the right to do so. I assure you that I won't do anything to lower that land value. I'll even pay you a little in advance if you agree."
"Just hold on one second. Let me have a moment to understand what your saying."
"Take all the time you need Mis. Applejack." AJ rubbed a hoof on the side of her aching head after being blasted by his speech. She couldn't decide wether to take up his offer or not, but there was just something about him that made her want to agree. Her hoof lowered back to the ground as she asked: "How much are you going to pay me in advance, and I would like to read that paper."
"Ooo, a mare who isn't quick to accept, I admire that. Also, I will pay you one hundred bits now and seven thousand bit when I'm done. And of course you can have a look over the agreement before you sign." He levitated the scroll over to her so that she could read it. It said that he would be allowed to take all the measurement he wanted and to conduct tests on the land itself. She didn't like the sound of 'conducting tests on the land' but again, something about him pushed her to agree.
"I'll accept, but is it alright if I stop by when you're doing your survey." Applejack asked.
"But of course, it is your land after all. I would also want to know where I can find you when I'm done so that I could pay you the rest of the money I would owe you?" Cog pulled out a map of ponyville and a quill. "You can just mark the location on my map."
Applejack marked the location that signed the scroll, then she asked: "When will you be starting?"
"I'll start my survey in one hour after I finish my lunch. OH! I almost forgot about your payment..." The stallion pulled out some notes and levitated it over to her. "...I better be going now, it was a real pleasure conducting business with you Mis. Applejack!"
"I'll see ya latter too." AJ waved her hoof as Cog Steam raced off past the mod of ponies. She then remembered that she was on a time schedule. It only took a quick look at the clock tower to tell her that she was running late. Applejack only had twenty minutes to drop off the groceries at Fluttershy's cottage, and then she would have to run as fast as she could to be on time to her new job. She stuffed the notes into her saddle bag and raced off back to the cottage.