Gears of Life

by GalacticJam

Fear

The moon shined like a beacon in the dark night, the few lanterns lit up the dark village as a chilling breeze blew throughout the empty path. The cottages towered over the path as a lone pony walked along the cobblestone path. He crept along the path looking behind him in a panic as he heard a noise.

click

"Who's there?" he stuttered.

click

His began to quicken his pace as the intervals between the clicking became shorter and shorter.

click click click

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" The pony feigned confidence. Suddenly a shadow crept slowly along the path as the pony began to backpedal. "No, so it's you! You'll never take me alive!" A large, thin blade launched from the shadows which lodged itself in the pony's throat. He tried to crawl away but it was in vain as a metal claw grabbed his head and dragged him in the shadows. Before the shadow could retreat, a witness began to throw rocks at the shadow.

"Hey! I need help over here!" The witness shouted as they threw rocks into the darkness. More and more villagers began to wake up and walk outside of there cottages, tired and weary until they observed the outline of a figure holding a pony by the head with it's claw. A large rock was hurled at the figure which dislodged a piece of bronze coloured metal from it. Suddenly a pair of orange, rectangular eyes stared back at the mob from the shadows.

click, thunk

Suddenly an iron ball rolled from the darkness into the mob.

"Run away!" One of them shouted as the ball detonated into a cloud of smoke. The mob tried to retreat but slashing and a single cry for help could be heard but it stopped as the smoke cleared. The mob gathered round to find out that another pony had been kidnapped.

---

As the long night ended and the morning sun crept up the hills, the town hall's bell rung loudly throughout the small town. Several crowds of townsfolk walked up to the town hall where stood on the podium was a lavender coloured alicorn. Before she could even speak, townsfolk began hurling questions like at her like bricks.

"What in the hay is that thing!"

"How are we supposed to even sleep with that thing around!"

"What about my foals!"

"Should we all just move?"

Twilight, on the verge of snapping, lifts her hoof in the air. Suddenly the crowd of townsfolk goes quiet, so quiet that even the smallest sound could be heard from miles away.

"Thank you, know I understand that you're all scared. With the items retrieved from very helpful individuals, me and my friends are solving this problem as quick as we can. Nothing that has the capability to harm anypony will either be imprisoned or destroyed. Thank you for listening and I will be working tirelessly to fix this problem," Twilight informed as she walked off the podium and flew off back to her crystal castle. The crowd dispersed with the frightened townsfolk grumbling among themselves.

After a few hours passed, only a few ponies holding some essential items in bags ran through the paths of the town. Twilight looked upon the town and sighed. She walked up to her desk and sat down on the accompanying chair, she observed the map of Ponyville where several pictures of different ponies were scattered across the map. She placed two more pictures on the map and rubbed her chin with her hoof as she looked across at the map and attempted to find a pattern.

"This has been going on for far too long, the only evidence here is meaningless!" Twilight banged her hoof on the desk in anger. "It's constructed out of steel and seems to be painted bronze, the iron ball on the other hoof is just empty". She picked up the iron ball and studied it closer. She studied the small holes that were equally spread out on the surface of the ball. She sighed in defeat and grabbed a quill and dipped it in ink.

Dear Princess Celestia

I am writing to alert you of an urgent matter that I am unable to solve. I have some clues that are related to current disappearances in Ponyville. However these clues are showing up with no results, I require your assistance in solving this mystery so that no more of our fellow ponies disappear and to find the currently missing ponies.

Regards,

Twilight Sparkle

"Spike!" Twilight called. A small, baby dragon walked into the room which was currently sweeping the floor.

"Yes Twilight?" He answered.

"I need you to send this to Princess Celestia," she held the scroll in front of him.

"Of course," He grabbed the scroll and breathed in and released a gout of green flame which enveloped the scroll and sent it out of the window in a green, fiery, airborne form. "Still trying to figure out what these things are?"

"Yeah, I know that this sheet of metal is armour. That's obvious, but this ball is troubling me," Twilight rubbed her chin with her hoof as she studied the ball once more.

"If you ask me, it looks hoof made. It has some slight imperfections if you look at how the holes are staggered," the dragon stated as he pointed at the small holes.

"Spike, you're a genius!" Twilight gleefully complimented spike as she took a book off the shelf. "Now, there are only a few-". Suddenly spike bellowed out another gout of flame which a scroll then materialized from the flames. "That was quick," Twilight said as she opened the scroll.

Dear Twilight,

I am aware of the situation for it is happening in Canterlot, although we do not have access to any clues so far. I have been told that a pony can help you in Ponyville however, her name is Bolted Gear. If you ask the town hall, you'll be able to get her address. Although I wish I could help myself, me and Luna are dealing with the city-folk in Canterlot and trying to maintain order as best as we can.

Thank you for telling me this information,

Princess Celestia

"OK, this Bolted Gear is who we see next," Twilight stated as she began packing the two items inside her bag. "Lets just hope things go smoothly unlike how the rest of the week has been so far".

"Be careful Twilight," Spike called as Twilight flew off out of the window.

---

Twilight landed outside the town hall, she observed the area around her. A tumbleweed hopped across the path which she swore also was fearing for it's life. As Twilight entered the town hall, she bumped into a mare.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying much attention," Twilight awkwardly laughed.

"Next time look where you're going," the mare snapped. Twilight observed her cutie mark which was three metal gears.

"By any chance are you Bolted Gear?" Twilight asked.

"I am," the mare replied cautiously. "Who wants to know?"

"I'm Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia said that you could help me figure out the mystery behind these disappearances".

"Can't you see I'm on my break?"

"It will only be a few minutes, all I ask is for you to at least look at these items," Twilight pleaded

"Very well, we'll need to go back to my house to properly discuss what you need help with". Bolted informed. "But first, I need to get a few things".

The few market stalls left were open as usual, but the merchants sat behind the stall with most of them nearly asleep. As Bolted walked around the stalls, trading for a variety of items such as food. Twilight walked with her, observing the state of the town.

"What intrigues me more is the clicking sound people have said they hear in the night," Bolted suddenly said.

"Clicking?" Twilight asked in confusion.

"Yes, clicking. I've heard it to, sounds like something mechanical is terrorizing us".

"But who would make such a thing".

"Changelings, cultists, people who rebel against the royals; take your pick".

"I see, I don't think anypony here can even make anything that complex though".

"You think? I don't go off assumptions, only the truth". The two mares walked up to a normal Ponyville cottage, Bolted took out a key and opened the door to reveal the main room inside. Several workbenches stood up against the walls with many tools on racks. Lay on the workbenches were unfinished machinery parts and more tools. In the center of the room stood a table with four wooden chairs tucked underneath it.

Bolted put her bag on the table and sat down.

"So, what is the thing you want me to look at?" Bolted impatiently asked.

"Oh, right. It's these two," Twilight pulled out the sheet of bronze metal and the iron ball and rested them on the wooden table.

"Interesting, the sheet of metal isn't bronze I can say that. It's too strong for it to be bronze but it isn't painted so it's not steel or any other metal," Bolted stood up from her seat and picked up the sheet of metal and placed it under a large magnifying glass attached to a stand.

"From how the surface looks, it's been cast and then hammered onto whatever it came from. Meaning that whoever this belongs is a craftspony".

"Do you know what exactly the sheet of metal comes from?" Twilight asked.

"Not exactly, but my guess is that whatever this belongs to. There's more of them," Bolted then took the metal ball off the table and placed it under the magnifying glass.

"More?" Twilight exclaimed.

"Well, the metal looks mass produced. The metals cast into this plate and is then hammered on, this ball however is interesting". Bolted brought the magnifying glass closer.

"Apparently it blew up in a cloud of smoke".

"It's a smoke bomb then, although it seems to use a much stronger chemical which is distributed evenly through the holes. The device was hoof made as you can see from the inconsistencies in the hole positions".

"My assistant said that".

"You've got a good assistant then. The holes look like they have been made by hoof but the husk itself has been cast, so yet again, the pony knows what they are doing". Bolted pulled out a piece of paper and a quill and began to write. "I'll need the two items for further examination, other than that anything else you need to report?" Bolted asked.

"That's all".

"OK then, if you could leave now," Bolted rudely ordered as she opened the door. Twilight walked out and Bolted slammed it shut. "Damn those magic using mules".