Introduction

Hello, I guess I should introduce myself before I get to explaining my situation. My name is Odd Gear and I was born and raised in Baltimare. My family was a small one, my parents had two other colts but they loved them more and I was soon dismissed as a mistake. I was also the only colt of theirs born an earthpony (my entire family is made up of pegasi). I was one of the first ponies in my class to get their cutie mark after I figured out how the family oven worked. You may have guessed that my special talent has to do with appliances but you are only partially right. My special talent is in any type of machinery. Whether something needs to be built, maintained, or repaired I'm the stallion to call.

As soon as I was old enough to work my parents left with my brothers leaving only a note when I woke up. "Odd, you are old enough to take care of yourself and we expect you too. You won't ever see us again as we have moved to Las Pegasus to be with our own kind and not have to live with the filthy mud-pony you are." Yeah I know tragic but I didn't let it get to me. I soon found a job at the local factory and was quickly promoted to supervisory staff because of my skill with the tools.

Being an earthpony everyone is always amazed that I am so skilled with tools that normally only unicorns use. I usually just shrug this off as I was obviously meant to work with machines and tools are just a part of that job. Or was I? That question has always been in the back of my mind but I never acknowledged it until last week.

I asked one of my co-workers at the factory, Broken Wires a brilliant electrician, if he thought I was right for my cutie mark. He shrugged and said, "It isn't up to me buddy, only you can decide what you were meant to do." He left after that leaving me to my doubt. I had gone back to work but something was left behind. Could I change my cutie mark if I didn't think it was right for me? I went home shortly after and mulled it over in my mind trying to think of anytime in history that someone managed to do what I wanted to do now. As far as I could remember none of the books in school said anything about it. I didn't sleep well that night.

In the morning as I walked to work I argued with myself on whether or not I should leave town and look for a new destiny. Most ponies would be concerned about family but I wasn't as concerned. Money was another thing but I had survived this long on my own and I knew I could survive longer. As I approached the towering factory billowing a green tinted smoke from a stack into the sky I decided. I kept walking. The only pony who saw me leave Baltimare was Broken as he stood outside getting his last breath of fresh air before starting the day's work. He didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow and nodded before disappearing into the expansive entrance to the factory.

That's how I got here, standing on the outskirts of the city I grew up in, thinking about what I was leaving behind. To be honest it wasn't that much, a cat who hardly needed to be watched, and a small apartment that was paid for until the end of the month. Sure I was leaving my job but there are others that can do what I do, though not as good. My family had probably forgotten me and I didn't think they would even care if they found I was gone. "Just something else those crazy mud-ponies do when not working for the greater races." My father would have said. He probably would have believed it too but I have learned to ignore that kind of hate having lived through my entire colthood.

I stood at a crossroad trying to decide which way I should go. I flipped a mental bit and headed in the direction of Canterlot. I knew that it wouldn't be my first stop and it definitely would not be the last. It just sounded like a good place to move towards.

A lot of you are probably thinking, "But Odd how are you going to eat without any bits to buy food?" Well the answer may come as a shock to some of you more high-class ponies but grass is free and it's everywhere. Also flowers they are in a great abundance all you have to do is look for them. If I ever do need bits for something I can always do the odd job around whatever town that I am currently in.

I walked further than I ever had before in my quiet life, when I saw a sign and a turn off for the town that would be my first stop in what would most likely be a very long list of towns.

Visit Wheel Gouge Village!
The Nicest Place You Will Ever See!

Boy did that sign lie. Not only did the village have a very unappealing name, it also contained the most paranoid ponies you will ever meet. Neighbors suspicious of each other and husbands of wives and children and visa versa. The village itself looked like it was on the verge of collapse from lack of proper maintenance. I felt like an alien, everypony avoided me like I carried a disease. I swear at one point a pistol was aimed at my turned back but thankfully it wasn't fired. Some other outright crazy stallion sporting a tattered doctors coat yelled at me about how the fall was coming and that he would be the only one to survive. I'm sure I don't sound weird when I say I don't think I will ever talk to a pony that has a tombstone for a cutie mark.

I left as soon as I could, the paranoia was contagious. Shortly after meeting that blue with red tipped maned stallion yelling about the fall I started getting suspicious of everypony around me for the most ridiculous reasons. I walked passed an elderly couple carrying a box and although it looked ordinary I thought it contained some horrible weapon that would be used to wipe out pony kind. Anyways sometime after leaving I heard that Wheel Gouge Village was completely devoid of life. No pony knew exactly what happened there but I have a pretty good idea.

I felt considerably less nervous after leaving that village although I'm sure most ponies in their right mind would be. I had to keep looking back to make sure that the "doctor" stallion wasn't following me. I could have sworn someone was following me but after a while I noticed that it was just my shadow and chuckled at myself. How silly can you be to be afraid of your own shadow? I'm sure there are other ponies that are like that as well and I never was until I visited that horrible village.

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