Engineering in Ponyville

by Cogneato Switch

The Retiller

(Occurs between S1E4 Applebuck Season and S1E5 Griffon the Brush Off)

Cogneato stared intently at the gizmo on his desk. Sporting his multi-lens magnifying glasses, he expertly spun a screwdriver in his mouth to tighten some screws. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. “Special delivery” came a voice from the other side.

Cogneato walked across his empty one-bedroom apartment and opened the door. “Special delivery for Cogneato” the gray delivery pegasus said.
Cogneato signed his name and brought the box inside, thanking the delivery pony for her hard work.

He could hardly contain his excitement as he ran to the other room and brought back a large contraption. It had two wheels with a bulldozer-shaped funnel on the front and a sort of spout on the top. Cogneato opened a door on the contraption and then turned towards the box. He smiled and excitedly peeled off the tape, pulled back the flaps, and revealed the contents in the air, like it was some great prize. What he pulled was a large black and yellow gem, cut into a globular shape. He pushed it into the contraption, threw the door closed, and flipped on the switch. The device whirred and shook and slowed down to a steady vibration. “Yes!” Cogneato pumped his hoof into the air. He grabbed the contraption and ran out the door.

“Is this your solution for the destroyed plants in Ponyville?” Mayor Mare asked with reservation.
They were standing at the remains of a garden having been ravaged by a horde of rabbits. The plot’s owner, Rose, was standing nearby looking very sad.
“Yes” Cogneato said excitedly. “I call it, the ‘Retiller’”. The mayor nodded. “See, the funnel scoops up the dirt and plants. Inside, the dirt is enriched and the plants rejuvenated, and the spout puts the dirt back with the plants on top.”
Mayor Mare looked on with glazed over eyes.
“It should work on 80% of all the damaged crops.”
“Let’s just see it how it works” Mare suggested.
“With pleasure!” Cogneato flipped the switch and the Retiller sprang to life. He pushed it across the dirt where it sucked up all the loose dirt and remaining plants. “Now watch this!” he said as he excitedly flipped the switch again. The machine started shaking and started spouting out the dirt and plants, propelling it backwards the way it came. The dirt appeared darker and more fertile, and the plants planted themselves into the ground. He turned off the Retiller and looked at Rose.
She hesitated for a moment as she looked at the rejuvenated plants in her garden. Suddenly she jumped up smiling. “You did it! You fixed my garden!” She cried out, throwing her hooves around Cogneato in a celebratory hug.
Cogneato blushed and put his hoof behind his head. “It was nothing, really.”
“Great job!” Mayor Mare praised. “With this, it won’t take long for the flora to recover! Cogneato, please use this on every garden in the city.”
Cogneato beamed. “Yes ma’am!” he saluted.

Over the course of several hours, Cogneato used the Retiller on countless gardens. The garden owners watched with delight as their destroyed crops were replanted and made healthier. He used it on misshapen shrubs that were replanted straight and clean. He even used it on a flower in a field to unbend its stem. After he was done, he looked back at Ponyville and smiled at all of the pristine shrubbery. He then took the Retiller across the bridge to the outskirts of town, to Sweet Apple Acres.

At the farm, Applejack was using a hoe to till the soil near some juvenile plants. Cogneato rolled up with his Retiller. “Hello there, I was wondering if I might be able to help you with your crops.”
“No thanks, I got it covered.” Applejack replied, not looking up.
Cogneato was taken aback, as this was his first rejection all day. “Um… really? There’s no charge. I could retill this section in just a minute.”
Applejack looked up “You must be new in town. I’m Applejack. Pleased to meet you!”
“Oh, um, I’m pleased to meet you too. I’m Cogneato.”
Applejack smiled. “As for your contraption there, we don’t need it. Here at Sweet Apple Acres, we take pride in everything we do, from tilling the soil to selling the produce.”
“But…” Cogneato looked passionate “this contraption does more than just till. It takes the damaged plants, sorts out the good parts, rejuvenates them, and then plants them back in the ground! Really, it does a lot of good. Everyone in Ponyville loved it.”
“Everypony in Ponyville?” Applejack looked impressed.
“Yes! Mayor Mare asked me to build this because of the herd of rabbits.” Cogneato looked proud.
“Oh, right, that.” Applejack looked embarrassed as she remembered how her attempt to herd the rabbits caused the catastrophe.
“So are you sure you don’t need help?”
“Well, I guess you can do this section, since you worked so hard on it and all.”
“Great!” Cogneato was so excited to use the Retiller that Applejack couldn’t help but laugh. He began retilling, scooping up the dirt and replanting the plants.
“Amazing!” Applejack was impressed.
About half-way through, Cogneato again pressed the switch to turn on the spout, but when it propelled backwards, it hit a rock. The Retiller was knocked off it’s course and tumbled into an oil can. The oil can was scooped up and the Retiller started throwing oil everywhere. Soon it sputtered even harder, and after a loud snap, it stopped, pouring out black smoke.

Cogneato stepped up to the retiller to inspect it. He frowned as he waved away the smoke. When he turned around, he saw that Applejack and all of the freshly retilled crops were covered in oil. Applejack frowned under the oil and wiped her face off.
“Sorry” Cogneato said timidly.
Applejack’s frown turned into a smile. “It’s alright. Accidents happen.”
Cogneato nodded with resignation.
“Just help me clean up this mess and we’ll be even Steven.”
Applejack dashed into the shed and Cogneato looked at the Retiller, still dripping oil from it’s spout. He then looked over at the plants covered in oil. Finally, his gaze traveled to the bottom of the plants where the soil was… and the oil was not. An idea popped into his head and he opened a compartment on the Retiller and started messing with things in it.
Applejack came back and set down a bucket filled with soap and water.
Cogneato closed the compartment and looked at Applejack with a gleam in his eye. “Wha…” Applejack began, but suddenly Cogneato grabbed the bucket and dumped it into the Retiller. Applejack objected as Cogneato flipped the switch. The Retiller shuddered and spat and suddenly began spewing the soap and water all over the plants, cleaning them.
“Wow, that was fast!” Applejack remarked.
Cogneato grinned back.
“Well, thanks for your help tilling ‘n all” Applejack looked at the Retiller. “But I prefer the dependability of my own two hooves.”
“Of course! I completely understand.” Cogneato smiled. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.” He grabbed the Retiller and started walking away.
“It was no trouble at all, and good luck with your other inventions” Applejack called out.
Cogneato looked back and Applejack waved goodbye.

Cogneato crossed over the bridge to Ponyville with his Retiller.
“Hey there!” came a high-pitched voice.
Cogneato looked up and saw a pink pony with pink hair standing there, smiling.
“Hello” Cogneato smiled but continued his trek home.
“I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?”
“I’m Cogneato. Nice to meet you.”
“Whatcha doin’?”
“I’m going home. It’s been a long day.”
“Home?” Pinkie Pie looked confused “In Ponyville? I thought I knew everyone in Ponyville.”
“I don’t get out much.” Cogneato replied with a bit of regret.
“Hm… how did I miss you though?” Pinkie Pie sat and thought for a moment. Cogneato stopped.
“I must have one of those faces.” Cogneato offered.
Pinkie Pie pressed her forehead to Cogneato’s and stared at his face. “You have long eyelashes!”
Cogneato looked embarrassed. “Um… yeah? So I do.”
“You’d look just like a mare in the right clothes.”
Beads of sweat started pouring down Cogneato’s face. “Oh, would I?”
Pinkie Pie stepped back. “Yep!” she grinned.
Cogneato starting walking away quickly. Pinkie followed with her typical bouncing trot.

“So what is that thing you have there?”
“It’s a Retiller. Or it was. It’s broken now.”
“A Retiller? What’s that?” Pinkie Pie sounded excited.
“It digs up damaged plants and soil, rejuvenates them, and then replants them.”
Pinkie Pie smiled. “That sounds great! Can I take a look?”
“Um…” Cogneato hesitated “it’s broken.”
“Let me see!”
Cogneato let Pinkie Pie grab it. “It’s not working right now.”
Pinkie Pie flipped the switch and the Retiller spewed out water onto some nearby bushes.
“Hm…”
“I told you, it’s not working. I just-”
“Oh, here’s your problem!” Pinkie had opened the compartment and pulled out the gem. The yellow-black gem had faded to a green-blue. “Your gem is all used up.”
Cogneato looked at Pinkie in awe.
“You’ll need a new one if you want it to sort plants.” She put the gem back and closed the compartment. “But in the meantime, you can do this!” Pinkie Pie suddenly disappeared and reappeared with a bottle of pink liquid. She turned the Retiller on its side and poured the bottle into the funnel and then turned it on. It sputtered and shot out the pink liquid into the air where it landed perfectly on the leaves of the nearby bushes, turning them pink.
Cogneato looked at the now pink bushes slackjawed.
Pinkie looked at Cogneato with concern. “But I guess that’s not really useful unless you want to paint a whole bunch of trees.” She handed the Retiller back to Cogneato.
“Pinkie, wha… I mean, how… … how did you do that?”
“Weren’t you watching?” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “I poured in the bottle of pink ink and turned it on.”
Cogneato shook his head. “No, I saw that. I mean, I thought the Retiller was broken, but it turns out it’s just a Repainter now.” Cogneato’s face lit up with excitement. “You’ve made my day!”
“I did?” Pinkie grinned.
“Yes!” Cogneato composed himself. “Even though I thought this was a piece of junk, it still had a use that I hadn’t thought of! Thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome!”
“Here, would you like it?” Cogneato offered the Retiller/Repainter to Pinkie. “It’s served its purpose and I want to give it to you.”
Pinkie Pie swelled with happiness. “Really, you do?”
“Yes, it’s my present to you!”
“I love presents! Thank you Cogneato!” Pinkie took the Retiller and hopped gleefully away.
Cogneato smiled as he headed the rest of the way home.