A study of Harmony

by Sugar Dove

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The sun had gotten up extra early this morning. Rouge had taken to early morning tea with her new found friend, Edge and Steadfast to the games consoles and Midnight had work to do. That left Dove and D to themselves sitting quietly at the breakfast table.
Dove wasn’t talkative in the mornings and thankfully for her nor was D. D had already hefted out a variety of gadgets and had a computer on the table along with an array of other technological devices. Munching away on her food she was happy to ignore his tinkering at the table, at least until the deafening clang of metal bounced off the floor beside him.
“D! It is too early to be clatter banging!” She complained.
D looked up with the most carefree grin. “I have to finish these mechanisms though for the flight controls on the wings or we’ll never get to Cloudsdale. I just have to figure out these....”
“Just stop D! It’s too early for technical jargon too.” Dove interrupted.
“Well what do you expect me to do?”
Dove banged her head off the table in an exaggerated manner. “Why not go work in the library D? See the sights and finish the maths. Now is not the time for banging!”
D blinked at Dove as though she’d asked him to jump off a bridge. “Look up the answer you mean?”
“Yes.” Dove mumbled with her face against the table.
D shrugged. “Ok.” He got up and grabbed a mouthful of his devices and trotted out without delay. Dove looked up and sighed to herself. At least she’d now get breakfast in peace.

** Peaceful Ponyville

Outside D trotted idly along to the town library. He knew the way. He’d noticed the large tree on their approach to the town earlier. The town folk all muttered to themselves as he passed, D thought nothing of it. It was common for ponies to think him strange with his gadgets.
The road to the library was old and disused, the cobbles worn and left in their old state, perhaps as a tourist attraction might be left untouched for ponies to admire. D grumbled about the state of the area to himself. It would make sense to modernise places like this and make them more accessible to the younger generations much like himself. Or at least that is how he felt.
D cantered up to the door and then stopped and looked up at the leafy bush like top that towered above him. It was much bigger than he had anticipated. With great happiness D puffs up his chest and pushes the door open. It creaks slightly and floods the floor with sunlight. Inside is lit with further candles and dim old fashioned lanterns and the first area although an open space is dusty and seemingly neglected. D immediately pauses and gapes at the sight in front of him. It was a downright shame. This building could be looked after so much better.
He kicked the door softly shut with a single back hoof and moved forward to look at the layout map on the nearby board. Mechanics would be the best bet he decided but what would that came under. Gadgetry he supposed. Lameponies term for engineering he supposed, up the stairs and on the left.
So up he trotted. The light was better up here with an open window and study desk in the centre so there was room to work. He set his bags down and went over to the bookshelves. The old tomes were covered in dust and frayed around the edges. Some of the titles were illegible. “What a shame...” he muttered to himself.
“Indeed it is.” A rasping elderly voice said.
D leapt to attention and bounced around his eyes darting this way and that looking for the speaker. Coming down from another set of steps was an elderly earth colt. His dark green pelt faded over the years and his mane was a short stubble. On his flank were three books in a triangular shaped glitter effect levitation. Or at least that is what D could make out. “This here place has been so sorely neglected and I am hardly the sprite I used to be. It is tricky to keep her shiny.”
“I’m sorry? What?” D looked utterly confused.
“This place,” The old colt motions to the shelves around him, “it is an absolute shame. The ponies in this town don’t care for her no more. The responsibility is up to old colts like me. It isn’t easy work either keeping her tidy.” He points to his head and says, “No magic here. I’m all by myself.” He rambles slightly.
D blinked in bemusement. He wasn’t sure what the old colt was on about. He took a second to analyse what the pony said and then replied. “Oh! I get it. You mean nobody comes here? Not even to clean this up place? Surely somebody has a hoover or at least a broom.”
“Curse’d machines!” The colt yelled making D jump. “Nobody uses magic these days!”
“Sheesh granpa calm it! Technology is just science and cogs. It isn’t the end of the world. And science is magic so what is the big deal!? Besides you are an earth pony. Why would you care about magic?”
“Well I never!” The old colt stamped a hoof and trotted off in a huff.
“What?! What did I say?” D yelled after him but he was well out of hearing range. D thought to himself for a moment. He had work to do and didn’t want to follow the old colt. He had to finish his invention if the group wanted to go to Cloudsdale together. Then again he never gave up an opportunity to make a point. “Now wait a moment!” He called after the colt chasing after him.
Down the stairs, the old colt was replacing some books onto the shelves. Lifting some with his hooves and others in his jaws; he would occasionally shake from his age as he lifted them. D could see a large pile of books on the floor. The old colt surely could not get through all of them. For the moment however that was none of his concern.
“Excuse me!” D cleared his throat. The old colt continued working. “Excuse me....Hello!”
“Young Whipper Snapper I have not the time for the likes of you!” The old colt snorted in derision.
D was taken aback. “Now see here...” He began.
“No you see here!” The colt came right up to his face, forcing D to skip back a few steps. “You and your technology and your science! Taking away from the arts that made Equestria what it was in my day! I have no time for you and your machines and ...and...” The colt shook himself with frustration his pelt seeming to grey to match his mood and went back to his task.
D just stood on the spot. His assessing mind was buzzing with thoughts. He looked at the pile of books, quickly checked off the titles in his head, looked at the library map then levitated the lot, trotting to the centre of the room where he could see all of the shelves, putting them away quickly and neatly. Then he turned and noticed the old colt that was just standing there looking at him with both confusion and seemed to be a little impressed. D didn’t stay there though, he returned to the desk he had settled on and went to work on his equations.
A little while later the old colt game up again. He just stood by the stairs and watched D. Spying upon the gadgetry and the work he was doing. After a good time the old Colt spoke. “What are you workin’ on?”
D shrugged, assuming that this was a close to an apology as he was going to get for the old colts rudeness earlier. The colt asked again. This time D lifted his head and sighed. “I am working on the internal mechanisms and connecting pivots for the analogue controls of the wings that I have been building. I have to make them useable for earth ponies.”
The old pony could be heard making enthused sounds. D ignored this and continued to look at the basic plans he had. Magically unicorns could move the controls but the earth ponies couldn’t. These wings just weren’t going to work. And then he had to find the necessary strong materials to build the joins with. He trotted over to some of the mechanic manuals. Picking out a few on joins and gears, levitating them to his work space and continuing; by then the old Colt had shuffled over and was peering over the blueprints that D had drafted up. D quickly got fed up with him standing over his work when he was trying to think.
“Sir, can you just....”
“Dusty.” The old pony said softly.
“I’m sorry?”
“My name is Dusty. Do use it.”
“Ok, Dusty. I kind of need the space to work.”
Dusty smiled a crooked smile and ignored this statement. “You have quite a powerful levitation spell. I could use a bright young colt like you around. What do you need this strange doo hickey for?”
“My friends and I are planning a trip to Cloudsdale, I’m trying to invent a device that will enable my friends to walk on the clouds without the need for magic. It would revolutionise travel.”
“And what is wrong with casting spells? You seem perfectly adept at magic.”
“There is nothing wrong with magic. Science derived from magic and technology from science. I just want to bring magic to the ponies that cannot use it. If I need to use machines and illusions then I will. Unicorns are natural conduits for energy. We absorb it in the world around us and then expel it in a focused form. That is science. Magic is just the outcome.”
“You sure do talk a lot. What you say sounds noble enough. However do you really think all these contraptions of yours are the answer to good old fashioned magic?”
D sighed heavily. He looked at all his work, then at Dusty. The old Colt wasn’t letting up. “What do you want really?”
The old colt smiled brightly. A twinkle in his old eyes, “Help me clean this place up, make an old Colts day and show him some good old fashioned magic. I could really use a young un’ like you. No pony ever comes here nowadays.”
For a second D felt a little depressed by the notion of all the good works of these ancient writers going to waste. The notion quickly passed. The new texts on his devices sufficed. Change was good he felt. He looked at his calculations. He didn’t feel very enthusiastic about those though. Perhaps a little focused magic use would make him feel more like using his brain. “Ok Dusty what do you need?”
The old colt seemed to come to life. He beamed broadly and motioned that D should come with him. Down the stairs into the main lobby, then he paused at a pastel pink coloured door. The hinges were all rusted and the lock appeared to be completely eroded away. “You can start by getting that door open for me. Please.” There was a hint of joy in his tone, like opening a hearths warming gift.
Wrinkling her nose D looked closely at the lock. He wasn’t built for bucking in doors. Maybe he could use a little spark to get the rust off the lock or possibly unscrew the hinges and take the door out using levitation. The lock would probably be easier, or better still. An unlocking spell, “Excuse me a moment.” He trotted off, checking the map as he went. He browsed a few shelves quickly, found a book which seemed appropriate, levitated it to his eye level and flicked through it quickly. He came back over to the door and stared at the writing on the page for a few moments then looked intently at the lock. He set the book down, closed his eyes in concentration, pointing his horn at the door, the pale glow of magic sparking to life both at its tip and inside the inner mechanism of the lock. With a deep heave and creak the lock began to turn, the keyhole seeping with dust and with a final thud the door unlocked. D paused and let out the breath he had been holding while he concentrated. The door had opened slightly as it had been unlocked, the lock having been holding it in place.
D opened it in his usual unicorn way then turned to look at the old colt for more instructions. Dusty looked far too giddy for an old colt, springing from the tips of his hooves as he passed D and rushed down the stairs. “Come on then young un’ we’ve got a basement to clear!”
D rolled his eyes but followed the old pony down the stairs. They creaked with age and each clop made dust fly into the air. It was dark in the basement and D lit up his horn so he could see. At the bottom the Dusty had started rummaging for lights. D spotted an old torch hanging on the wall. He looked around a little more before noticing a little light through the thick dust from above. A tiny window boarded up right by the roof. It wouldn’t give out much light but it would do. He rushed up the stairs again so he was slightly closer to the roof and used his levitation spell to pull at the old wood. It practically fell apart and sunlight flooded in. It bounced around the room hitting hidden dust covered mirrors. D rushed down the stairs, his canter raising all the dust and leaving the mirrors clear for the light to reflect all the way down until the whole room was lit. The old colt was almost bouncing at the bottom of the stairs by now. It was only upon seeing him that D stopped to take in the room.
More books all the way up and strange machines and equipment all over the floor. There was what looked like a treadmill at one side, linking into some sort of capacitor unit which ran to another device which D thought looked like a read out panel. There were piles of scrolls in one of the corners, and boxes labelled ‘letters to Celestia’. D had a funny feeling he knew what this room was; the experiment lab of one of the foremost magical ponies in Equestria. Although D didn’t want to say it out loud for worrying that he could be wrong. He rarely was but still it was best not to be found out as so. Or at least that was how he felt.
“Perhaps this little den could be just right for you to fix your em...thing. You just need to tidy up a bit. A wind spell would have the dust out of here in no time and I’m sure you could find a spell on cloud walking in here somewhere just in case you didn’t finish your project.” Dusty seemed to know exactly what this place was.
“For a pony that doesn’t like machines you sure seem to keep a lot,” D remarks.
“And for a tech savvy youth you aren’t half bad with your unlocking spells.”
D pauses and considers this. Using magic was second nature to a unicorn. Second nature, naturally, he could do it without thinking. “Dusty you’re a genius!” D rushes back to his equipment and blue prints. Earth ponies are naturally build for hard earth work; connect the mechanics up so they could run it themselves. Galloping would be plenty. He started drawing up a sketch of the mechanisms. He could test the necessary adjustments on Edge or Steadfast. The treadmill downstairs would be great.
DOWNSTAIRS! He rushed back to Dusty. Dusty had started dusting a bookshelf. D didn’t like cleaning but he knew exactly what to do. “Dusty, just wait right there I have an idea.”

**

The day was getting on. The sun was fully up and Ponyville was bustling and busy. Back in the library a lively group of friends had gathered.
“Remind me why I’m running not steadfast?” Edge panted as the treadmill sped up; D looking at the readouts on the screen and taking sketches and notes nearby.
“Because you’re the only one stupid enough,” Dove muttered with her head in the scrolls in the corner.
“You are the prime example of an earth pony which is perfect for my calculations.” D replied.
“Since when was Edge a prime example of a pony?” Steadfast jested. Edge snorted in annoyance.
Rouge was unhappily carrying things with Steadfast for Dusty; taking books up and down the stairs. Midnight had returned early and was dusting away on the higher shelves. Dove had started packing the scrolls; she was muttering something about them being vital for her studies.
“Thank you so much everypony! This is the most ponies I’ve ever seen in this library in years. Guess science and magic come hand in hand after all.” Dusty adds as he was leading the activities.
“No Dusty thank you.” D remarked. “I now know that we should use the abilities that we have to the maximum and make the most of each opportunity. And I will now be able to channel what I’ve got much better.”
Dove paused to listen and snuck off to make notes on something.
“We’ll never get her out now.” Steadfast says as he steps aside as she ran up the stairs, causing general giggles among the group.