Chapter 4
The obtrusive morning light stirred Rainbow from her sleep. She mumbled incoherently in displeasure and buried her face into the warm body next to her.
“That tickles, Dashie...” Twilight giggled in her sleep and pushed Dash’s face away with a gentle forehoof.
Rainbow grunted in protest as she reluctantly opened her eyes and winced—the glare was incredible. Shading herself with a hoof, she crawled out of bed and looked outside. The sparse plains spread out before her stretching as far as she could see. At the horizon, a splendid blue sky met the land—a sky which beckoned her restless wings.
She flung open the window and looked up at the endless expanse longingly. A quick morning flight would feel great. It would feel even better if Twilight was there. She nudged the unicorn lightly on the shoulder. “Hey, Twi. Wake up, sleepy head.”
“Nng...” Twilight yawned widely and stretched out all four limbs. Lazily she opened her eyes and smiled tiredly at Rainbow. “Good morning, Dashie. Why are you up so early?”
Rainbow smiled back in return, her heart pounding in her chest. Heh, she keeps calling me Dashie. I could get used to this. Stepping away from the window, she leaned in and gently nuzzled Twilight above the horn. “It’s been ages since I’ve stretched my wings. Wanna come?” She gestured back at the open window. “The sky is practically calling for me.”
Twilight looked out at the window, catching a glimpse of the clear cerulean sky and then back to Rainbow’s enthusiastic expression. How could I say no? Sitting upright, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and nodded affirmatively to Dash. “I’d love to come, but are you comfortable with me being on top?”
“Wow, Twi.” Rainbow snickered and winked at Twilight. “I’m going to be honest here. If you’ll come with me you can ride me any way you like.” Completely amused by her own joke, Rainbow crumpled to the floor as she laughed uproariously.
“What’s going on? What’s so funny?” Twilight started to piece together the details, as she did so a blush appeared on her face. “Oh, Celestia, it’s too early in the morning for this!” She buried her face in her hooves.
“Actually, I’ve heard the morning is the best time,” Rainbow chortled gleefully.
“That would explain your wings this morning. Your pinion feathers seem rather stiff,” Twilight shot back.
“Hey! I can hardly be blamed for something I do in my sleep. It was too warm and comfortable.” Rainbow jumped upright as her wings shot into the air in defiance. “If you don’t like it—”
The booth suddenly slipped into a serene silence as Rainbow was mesmerised by the sincerest smile she had ever seen.
“Twi...” she breathed out slowly.
Twilight reached out gingerly with a hoof and lightly stroked it along Rainbow’s cheek. “You’re so amazing when you get determined. Take me flying. I want to soar with you.”
Rainbow swallowed, her ears feeling incredibly hot. “You got it. I promise you a flight you’ll never forget.” She squeezed Twilight’s hoof between her own and pulled her from the bed. “Let’s go.” Opening the door to their booth, Rainbow allowed Twilight to gather her saddlebag and exit first into the corridor.
“Going somewhere?” The question was calm and neutral, but it was still surprising for the two mares as they whirled around, coming face-to-face with the train conductor. Rainbow’s wings opened halfway, conflicted between fight or flight.
If this surprised the conductor, he didn’t show it. Casually, he reached into the pocket of his blue uniform and withdrew a pocket watch. “We’ll be arriving in Appleloosa in about five minutes if you two are getting antsy.” A knowing smile spread across his aged features. “You’re more than welcome to balcony on the caboose. It’s very nice in the mornings.”
Twilight responded first with a smile and a dip of her head. “Thank you, that sounds lovely.” She eased by the conductor in the hallway and headed toward the back of the train where the caboose resided. Following Twilight’s lead, Rainbow relaxed her wings and slipped by the conductor.
The caboose wasn’t impressive. It was dirty, well-used, and it smelled rather fiercely of smoke and sweat. Twilight scrunched up her nose and trotted quickly to the door. Swinging it open with her magic, she escaped outside and gratefully gasped in deep lungfuls of fresh air. The prairie air was crisp and sweet in contrast to the stifling interior of the caboose.
Rainbow scooted up alongside Twilight and spread her wings, relishing the sensation of the wind through her feathers. “This is a great place to take off from. Though it won’t be much of a flight if Appleloosa is right around the corner.”
Twilight leaned upward and trailed the tip of her horn along the underside of Rainbow’s wing, drawing an involuntary shudder from the pegasus. “We’ll get our chance. For now, I want to focus on finding our friends. It’ll be so good to see them again. I hope they’re well.”
The train shook as the sound of screeching brake plates grinded against the heavy iron-wrought wheels of the locomotive. Both ponies at on the caboose instinctively wrapped their hooves around the rusted railing. Loud clanging sounds of rail cars colliding to a stop against one another reverberated down the line as the train screeched to a halt next to Appleloosa Station.
Sighing with relief, Twilight released her grip from the railing. She looked back at Rainbow with a smile. “Welcome to Appleloosa, I guess.”
Rainbow smirked and reared up on her back hooves kicking her forehooves in the air. “Welcome to Apple-looo-sa!” With an extra dramatic flourish of her mane, she dropped down and winked at Twilight. “That’s how you do it. Come on, let’s go! We have friends to find!” She spread her wings and hopped from the caboose straight to the platform. “And I know exactly where Applejack will be.”
Twilight hopped off the caboose onto the platform after Rainbow. Surprised by Rainbow’s assertion of Applejacks location, she eyed her skeptically. “Oh? And where do you think Applejack is?”
“In the apple orchard of course! Duh!”
Twilight nearly face-planted onto the ground. “Ugh, I should have been able to figure that one out. Okay, do you know where the apple orchard is?”
“No, but I can find out!” Rainbow spread her wings and assumed take-off position. “One recon mission coming up!”
She never got off the ground. Twilight grabbed Rainbow’s tail with her magic and gently yanked her back. “Rainbow! Hang on, let’s just check out the town together and ask some pony where the orchard is. Don’t go dashing off on your own.”
“I...” Rainbow faltered. Twilight’s tender expression was all the convincing she needed. “All right Twi, you got it.”
Twilight giggled and released Rainbow’s tail before giving the pegasus a nuzzle. “I love your enthusiasm. Let’s just take it slow.” Trotting ahead, she paused briefly and smiled back at Rainbow, “Besides, Appleloosa has changed a ton. For example, they have an automated tender replenisher.” Twilight gestured upward at the looming black structure near the front of the train hovering to the right of the track on the opposite side of the platform.
A steady stream of coal and water flowed from the refiller into the tender of the train by two separate ports. The entire tower seemed alive. A long conveyer belt stretched from a massive container of coal to the top of the tower. The entire belt was powered by a series of gears which connected back to a steam engine built into the base of the tower. Near the top of the tower, a pulsing pump drew water from the water reserves located next to the coal container and deposited it into the tender of the train.
Twilight gasped as they passed the train. “Rainbow, look at the base of the conveyer belt. Those aren’t ponies!”
Rainbow turned and looked past the front of the train to the front of the conveyer. A large bipedal machine roughly four times the height of a pony was trudging between the coal container and the conveyer belt. An intricate set of gears connected the legs with the main body which possessed a rapidly spinning disc surrounded by three concentric metallic hoops perpendicular to one another.
The top of the body was adorned with what appeared to be a head of some sort. The head possessed a single lens of glowing magical light which seemed to drive the entire automaton. Behind the head, a large gear turned slowly, driving the numerous smaller gears which connected up two a pair of arms. Metallic cables stretched from the end of one arm over the shoulders of the automaton to the other arm keeping the the load of coal balanced. The “machine” deposited its cargo onto the conveyer belt without a sound and turned around back toward the coal container for another trip.
Twilight stood locked in place, her mouth agape at the marvel of technology before her. “I...I didn’t know these were being used. I read a paper about these a few years back about charging magic into mechanical elements to perform simple tasks. But this is amazing. It has all the balance and coordination...” She trailed off, lost in her thoughts.
Rainbow wrapped a forehoof around Twilight and gently turned her away toward the exit of the train station. “Let’s go, Twilight. It’s just a dumb machine. I bet Big Mac could show it a thing or two.” She directed one last forlorn glance at the automaton before trotting ahead into Appleloosa with Twilight following closely behind.
* * *
Braeburn galloped rapidly toward the orange mare bucking apples in the morning sunlight. Skidding to a halt next to her, he reached into his hat and retrieved a letter. “Cous’, I think you should take a look at this.”
Applejack wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed. Looking up tiredly, she grasped the letter with her forehoof and scanned over the writing. “When did you get this, Braeburn?” She winced internally at the volume of her voice and struggled to calm herself.
“Just this morning. I reckon it came on the train that arrived.” Braeburn took a step back after noticing the quivering in Applejack’s rear hooves. “AJ,” he began slowly, his voice pleading.
“Braeburn. No. I’m not going to let it happen again, or my name isn’t Applejack,” she declared with a snort. Her hind legs kicked out at the tree with a dull thud followed by a hail of apples. Buck. The kick hurt. She dropped her rear hooves onto the ground and shook her mane in frustration. “Now help me harvest these apples, we’ll never make it if we spend all day discussin’ when there’s work to be done.”
“But AJ, look at the letter! They’re gonna shut us down. You’ll work yourself to death before you meet their quota.”
Applejack dropped to her haunches and lowered her head. “And what am I supposed to do? Just let them take our farm for this fancy new refinery they want to build? We’re the Apple family, we do the best apples in Equestria.” She sighed deeply and looked up at the sky. “But I guess that don’t matter much in Equestria anymore.”
Braeburn placed his hoof upon Applejack’s shoulder, gently stroking over her fur as he did his best to comfort her. “AJ, what about getting some help with the harvest this year?”
“Even if we got every qualified farm-pony in Appleloosa to come help us harvest—” Applejack stopped abruptly and looked at Braeburn in shock. “You mean the machines don’t you?” She pulled herself up rapidly and leveled a steely glare. “I can’t believe it! My own cousin...offering to sell out our family’s pride because some fancy ministry threatens the way we do things.”
She spat. She could feel the anger boiling up inside of her. This is not the way she wanted the morning to go. “I need to think. If you wanna get help, you’re more than welcome to ask every pony in Appleloosa. But we’re not gonna use those machines.” Her intentions clear, she galloped off into the distance leaving a stunned Braeburn in her dust.
Applejack’s sudden departure left Braeburn all alone beneath the apple trees. His vision settled upon the wrinkled letter laying in the dew-sprinkled grass. The unpleasant ramifications it entailed hardened his resolve. If Applejack wasn’t going to give in, neither would he. Rising resolutely to his hooves, he set off for town. He had an apple orchard to save.
The winding path through the orchard did little to ease his worries as he made his way steadily toward the dusty trail into town. Each apple tree he passed only served as a reminder for what was at stake. He cracked a slight smile as he looked up at the bright green foliage dotted with gleaming red apples. Nature always found a way. Perhaps he would too.
He allowed himself a moment to catch his breath before climbing the steep path up to the plateau Appleloosa was built upon. The arduous incline never dampened his spirits because of the view which awaited him. From his increased vantage point, he could see the expansive orchard stretching to the horizon. It always filled him with pride. Appleloosa always was ready to meet the ever-increasing demand for apples.
Except now. If the letter and past letters were true, the time for Appleloosa’s role in the apple business was over. Instead, the precious liquid which lay beneath the orchard was needed to fuel a revolution of innovation and technology which he could scarce understand. He sighed. The day the survey team from the Ministry found the vast oil deposits was the day Canterlot started demanding more and more.
Their fate seemed inevitable. But, against all odds, Applejack persisted. Her stubbornness and work ethic protected the orchard the past couple years, but he could tell she was tired. This year, the wrecking machines would come and the orchard would be a fleeting moment in history for Appleloosa. As he rounded the final bend up the path, his ears perked to the sound of unfamiliar voices drifting through the wind.
“Are you sure we should show up unannounced, Twi?” The slightly coltish voice triggered a long-forgotten memory in Braeburn’s mind. He unconsciously slowed his trot up the cliffside as he listened in on the conversation.
“Don’t worry, Dashie, the Apples are some of the most hospitable and friendly ponies in Equestria. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see us—announced or otherwise.” Braeburn smiled at the compliment. As he crested over the cliff-face of the plateau, his gaze fell upon two mares he hadn’t seen in years. His gradually slowed to a stop a few feet from them as he tried to gather up his stunned expression. “What...what are y’all doing here?”
“Braeburn!” Twilight smiled brightly and trotted up to the stunned stallion before wrapping her hooves around his neck in a friendly embrace. “It’s been so long! I’m so glad to see you. Is everypony doing well? Oh, I have so many questions! We’ve been looking for the orchard since we got to Appleloosa.”
Overcoming his surprise, Braeburn gently pushed Twilight away and regarded her with a kind smile. “It’s mighty nice seeing you again, Ms. Sparkle. I don’t have time right now to answer your questions. I have a barrel o’ chores to do in town. I reckon’ Applebloom will be pleased to see you both. You should be able to find her at the farmhouse at the end of the road.”
He glanced over at the town on the horizon, hoping the two mares would take a hint. When they didn’t respond, he tipped his hat to them. “So if y’all excuse me, I must be on my way.” Not wanting to be delayed any further, he nodded politely to Rainbow Dash and trotted past her toward Appleloosa.
“Braeburn!”
The sharpness of Rainbow’s voice halted Braeburn in his tracks. He turned and looked at Rainbow. “Yes, Ms. Dash?”
Rainbow reared up on her hooves and kicked her forelegs in the air before dropping down on all fours. She looked at Braeburn expectantly.
Braeburn sighed and shook his head. “Sorry, ladies, not today. I really do have to get going.” Without another word he turned and galloped away.
Twilight turned and looked at Rainbow. “Well, that was odd. I’ve never seen Braeburn so down. What do you think happened?”
“I’m not sure, Twi, but I know where we’ll find out.” She raised her hoof and pointed it at a red farmhouse in the distance. “Let’s go. Something’s rotten here and I intend to figure out what.”
Twilight’s serious expression quivered before completely disintegrating. “Wow, Dashie, that was just awful. No more wordplay for you.”
* * *
It could use a new layer of paint. Twilight eyed the farmhouse critically as they approached the faded white picket fence surrounding the Apple homestead. They continued down the path up to the farmhouse door. Twilight raised her hoof to the door and knocked firmly three times. They both waited.
No answer.
Twilight knocked again, a little firmer.
No answer.
“Well, that’s odd.” She quirked an eyebrow at the door. “Braeburn said Applebloom would be here.”
“Psst...hey, Twi.” Rainbow nudged Twilight in the ribs with her wings.
“Oh, fine.” Twilight grinned at Rainbow. “Dashie, please do a quick fly-by of the farm and see if you can locate any ponies of interest.”
Rainbow mock saluted and winked back. “You got it, Twi! I’ll be back in ten—”
Twilight giggled and nudged Rainbow forward with a hoof. “Enough with the catchphrases. Just go.”
Rainbow stuck her tongue out at Twilight playfully before spreading her wings and taking to the air. She breezed by the windows, soared over the backyard, and finished up with a quick pass over the outlying buildings before landing gracefully in front of Twilight.
“Nothing?” Twilight asked expectantly.
“No ponies anywhere. The whole place looks deserted!” Rainbow shrugged, “Maybe they’re all out applebucking? I know Applejack. She probably was up working at the crack of dawn. Maybe Applebloom went with her.”
Thunk.
“Hang on.” Twilight raised her hoof up to Rainbow’s mouth and gently pressed the soft underside of her foreleg against Rainbow’s lips. “Did you hear that?” She straightened her neck and swiveled her ears slightly from side to side in an attempt to locate the source of the sound.
Rainbow looked confusedly at Twilight. The soft purple fur pressed up against her snout wasn’t helping the situation either. As much as she wanted to help Twilight locate the unexpected sound, she couldn’t concentrate. She was completely lost in a world a nostalgia as the smell of the apple orchard intertwined with the subtle hints of lilac. Resigning herself to her fate, she allowed her eyes to close. And in that one moment, the silence was beautiful.
Unaware of her effect on Rainbow, Twilight’s ears flicked forward in response to the slightest disturbance. She narrowed her eyes and lowered her forehoof gently from Rainbow’s muzzle. “It’s coming from the building over there, Rainbow.” She directed her vision toward a plain red shed built on the side of the farmhouse.
Twilight mentally reassured herself the building was completely innocuous, but she had a hard time convincing herself. The shed’s windows were boarded with well-worn wood and secured in place with nails. The paint covering the wood and nails was hardly visible after years of exposure to the frequent sandstorms which often afflicted desert communities.
She gently nudged Rainbow forward toward the shed before taking the lead. She quietly mouthed “follow me” to the pegasus as she slipped by. Rainbow zoned out. Odd. She dismissed the thought and attributed it to morning drowsiness. Each step deliberate, she carefully paced herself to the shed. She looked back at Rainbow hovering just to her side, her wings beating almost inaudibly.
Twilight pressed her right ear up against the wall of the shed, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to determine who or what was inside the shed.
“Dernit!” came the muffled scream from inside the shed.
Twilight jumped back in surprise, her ear ringing from the sudden outburst. The suddenness of her involuntary leap left her off-balance as her hooves skittered against the dirt. Falling backwards, she landed safely in Rainbow’s hooves. She looked back up at Rainbow. Rainbow merely winked in return.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” The muffled cries of pain emanated from inside the shed with greater frequency. Suddenly, without warning, the shed door exploded off its hinges. Fragments of wood sailed through the air and embedded themselves in the ground. When the dust and wood fragments finally cleared from the air, Twilight and Rainbow gasped in unison.
Applebloom.
Or, at least, a pony who appeared to be Applebloom. She was about as tall as Twilight and her yellow coat had darkened slightly with age. Her red mane was tied up in a neat bun and she sported a sturdy pair of metal goggles which were strapped firmly to her head. The biggest difference was the complex mix of tools marked on her flank. It was obvious her crusading days were over.
It took a few moments before Applebloom finally noticed the two mares sitting stunned in the dirt. The explosion had scared Dash’s wings stiff which resulted in both her and Twilight landing in a heap on the ground.
“Oh. Hiya, Twi, Rainbow. Didn’t expect to see you guys anytime soon,” she drawled before breaking into a wide grin. “Sorry about the mess, I was just trying out something new. I think it needs a few adjustments.”
She glanced backwards at a pair of metal braces surrounding her rear-hooves. “I’ve never been very good at applebuckin’. But these are going to my secret weapon. I’ll be able to out-buck Big Mac himself once I get them workin’.”
She trotted toward them, her rear hooves clicking disconcertingly as they impacted the ground. Offering a forehoof to Twilight, she helped the unicorn up and then wrapped her in a hug. “It’s so good to see you! When you stopped writin’, I thought you’d forgotten about us.” She turned her attention to Rainbow who was in the process of shaking the dust out of her wings. “And Rainbow! Shucks, how come I never saw you at performances?”
Rainbow stopped in mid-shake and folded up her wings and looked away. “I...got called away for other things during a lot of Wonderbolts shows.” Applebloom stared Rainbow down for a few more seconds before her smile returned. “I guess that makes sense. I’m still happy to see you!” She released Twilight from her hug and grinned. “So what are you two doing in ol’ Appleloosa?”
“Well,” Twilight began slowly, “officially I’m here to observe any unusual weather phenomena to correlate my findings with the research I did in Ponyville. Rainbow is helping me and keeping me company.”
Applebloom tilted her head slightly. “It’s happening in Ponyville too? You’re gonna want to talk to Fluttershy.”
“I’d love to talk to Fluttershy, though, first off...what exactly are those?” Twilight pointed her hoof at the set of metallic braces.
“They look kind of weird.” Rainbow trotted around and leaned her head in. “Mind if I touch it?” Not waiting for a confirmation, Rainbow prodded the right leg with her hoof.
“Please don’t, I—” Applebloom’s right leg jerked at Rainbow’s touch and she landed flat on her belly, all four legs splayed out. “—haven’t quite got ’em calibrated.”
“Rainbow!” Twilight exclaimed.
Applebloom groaned on the ground, her eyes spinning in confusion. “Remind me to adjust the dern sensitivity for the right-leg actuator.”
Twilight rushed forward and helped Applebloom up before casting an angry glare at the snickering pegasus. “Rainbow! She could’ve seriously hurt herself!”
“Aw, relax, Twilight! It’s just a little fun. Besides, she nearly got us killed when she shredded the shed door earlier. I thinking falling over is a little low on the danger scale compared to that.” Rainbow ruffled Applebloom’s mane and grinned. “So, Applebloom, what exactly is on your legs then?”
Composing herself, Applebloom extended her chest proudly and beamed. “This is my latest invention. It gives me the ability to buck apples like Applejack, even though I’m not as strong. All I gotta do is give the tree a kick and these babies do the rest.” She kicked her right leg back demonstratively which resulted in a click from the magical servos as they registered the change in force.
Just like that, Applebloom was on her belly again in the dust. “A-heh...like I was sayin’, it needs some calibration.” Applebloom looked back at the implements on her legs sheepishly before her face lit up and she turned back toward Twilight. “Twi! You’re great with magic! Maybe you could help me calibrate these. The unicorns here in Appleloosa can’t compete with your talent in magic!” She bounced to her feet and grabbed Twilight’s forehoof in her own. “Please?”
Twilight blushed at the compliments and looked away shyly. “I guess I could help, though I don’t have any experience with it. I don’t suppose you would have some books on the topic?”
“Um...well...not exactly. I sorta just go with this gut feeling when I build stuff.” Applebloom grinned at Twilight. “It usually works out in the end.”
“Wait, so you build intricate, tightly interconnected pieces of machinery based on what you feel?” Twilight drew her hoof back as her eyes started to roll into the back of her head.
“Naw, it’s not like that, Twilight! I have blueprints and everything! But it’s not all brainy figures and stuff. I just get inspiration out of...well, somewhere. It’s like magic!” Applebloom gripped Twilight’s shoulders and shook her gently.
Rainbow chuckled and tapped Applebloom on the side with a hoof. “I think you’re going to need to give Twi a moment. You may have temporarily broken her.” She glanced up at the sky and smiled. “To be honest, I totally zoned out too. I’m not exactly interested in all this egghead stuff. Where’s Applejack anyways? Don’t you want to show off your cool invention to her?”
Applebloom hesitated. She bit her lip before sighing long and slowly. “I don’t think Applejack likes it when I work on this stuff. She thinks I should jus’ be out there applebucking until I get stronger. And I do! I really wanna contribute, but a little part of me keeps telling me there’s a better way.”
Rainbow patted Applebloom firmly and smiled. “Look, whatever you’re doing, it’s awesome. Applejack will come around. AJ and I go way back, she’ll understand eventually. And when she does, it’s going to be totally cool. In fact, let me go talk to her.”
“Wow, Rainbow, you’d do that for me? I’ve tried, but I can’t talk back to my big sis. She’s just so stubborn sometimes.” Applebloom’s face filled with a bright smile.
“You betcha. Just point the way.” Rainbow winked and flared her wings.
Applebloom glanced toward the southern part of the apple orchard. “She’s probably out over there applebuckin’ right now.”
“Thanks, squirt. Take care of Twi while I’m gone.” With that, Rainbow was gone.
Applebloom turned her attention back to the senseless Twilight partially leaning against her hooves. “Twilight? You there? Up and at ‘em.” She waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s face. No reaction. “Um...“ Aw, Celestia. If this works... “Twilight, wake up. You’re gonna be late for class.”
Late for class?!
Twilight’s eyes rolled forward as she sprung into action. “Oh, my gosh, I’m going to miss Advanced Leylines and Resonance!” She looked around completely confused. “Wait...this isn’t.”
“Howdy, Twi. Good to have you back in the real world.” Applebloom giggled. “Sorry I had to do that, I wasn’t sure if you were going to snap out of it anytime soon.”
Twilight blushed and pawed at the ground with her hoof. “Sorry about that, my mind sort of locked up when I tried to rationalize your inventive process. So, you said something about calibrations?”
“That’s right! You can help me get these working properly while Rainbow is out getting Applejack. Let’s go, Twilight!” She trotted briskly back toward her shed.
Twilight nodded and followed behind. “Applebloom, how can you act so normal? You haven’t seen me in years. You’re not upset at all?”
Applebloom responded immediately. “‘Course not, Twi. After all, that’s why having friends is so great. No matter what happens, when you reunite with your friends it’s one of the best feelings in the world.”
Twilight gazed off into the distance and smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. I hope all my other friends feel the same way.”
“They will, Twi. Now stop worryin’ and help me with this. I’m feeling extra good today.”
“Me too, Applebloom. Me too.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.047 seconds
Total duration
1,031 users online
203,565 hits today, 2,205,040 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
This chapter was supposed to be released tomorrow, but since there is a holiday coming up, I've moved it forward one day. I have mixed feelings regarding this chapter. It was refreshing to add new characters to the storyline, but, I am still learning so I'm not sure how well I managed. I am also toying with the intricacies of magic and technology in Equestria since the show seems to have a wide array of advancements which span several hundred years. As always, if you have any comments or suggestions on what might be better, please let me know in a comment.
To answer when the next chapter is coming: Chapter 5 is currently in the process of being written. I have a general idea of what is going to happen so hopefully I don't hit any terrible writing blocks.
Finally, a special thanks goes out to my beloved editor. And thank you all for reading, it means the world to me.
Apple Bloom needs Garrus to help her with calibrations
Anyways this is a good chapter and I can't wait for more
I love how the chapter ended with some good emotion...
And no more friggin clock towers!
Keep at it!
Needs about twenty percent more fascist militarized Equestrian robots... Other than that...
More please?
inventor Apple Bloom on modern Equestria is awesome
nice chapter
1652566 I'm glad someone caught that! I was going to give her a little scouter eye-piece but that would be too obvious wouldn't it?
1652581 The curse of the clock-towers is over!
Thanks for the early Thanksgiving present!
Well then pony holidays operate differently. 
...People don't give presents on Thanksgiving?
Buy some robots!
I took all that in my head and turned it into self-augmentation versus mechanization. Then I drew up a giant list of pros and cons with my imagination and made mechanization the bad guy, self-augmentation the protagonist, and thought up the rest of the storyline to go with it.
Great chapter Can't wait for more
.
Nice chapter
Ah yes, delightful. I particularly liked Apple Bloom. Writing about a CMC member in the future is difficult at best, and you did a good job. Very believable, and keeping with her lovable personality, albeit matured. I really want the CMC to get their damn cutie marks already in Season 3, but I know it's not going to happen
.
As for the techology, given that Equestrian society is a magical one, their technological progression would be entirely different from our own. After all, electricity is pretty much rendered obsolete by magic. Given this, I really like how you are handling the technology. They have steam power, combustion, metalworking, processing, manufacturing, are starting to get into oil, and finally magic-driven machinery. Clearly you've given a lot of thought to the matter, and it shows. It all feels very natural and believable. Oh yeah, and because of Pegasi they have magical flight stuff. Makes sense too, to hell with physics!! Magic ftw.
Jolly good show. Looking forward to more
.
1653107 Got to love Garrus calibrating his Widow to fire full auto...
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lk9y2npEtC1qcuwi8o1_500.jpg
Only thing I caught was this " I don’t have time right now to answer your questions. I have a barrel o’ chores to do in town. I reckon’ Appleboom will be pleased to see you both."
Appleboom. It would sort of make sense that she has that nickname considering what happened to the barn door but I'm not sure you meant it that way.
You're doing amazing man. I was wondering how you were going to tackle the accent of Applebloom and AJ since some writers go with actually integrating slang to make the accent more pronounced. Honestly I like what you do best. The characters voice is usually already in my head accent and all so I don't need the slang to make it harder for me to read just to get through some dialogue.
I cannot express how much I am loving his story. It's progressing nicely I feel and it always leaves me smiling and feeling warm and fuzzy. Something that I think should be the point of romance. Thank you for writing it.
Oh damn it looking at the comments made me laugh at realizing the garrus 'Calibrating needs doing' thing. XD Though it's interesting to maybe see some clockwork apple bucking braces, and maybe add in some mini battering rams to help? like fallout 3 styled power fist rams to help with adding some pnuematic force?
Excellent! I just need to favourite some 108 good fics in order to always have something to read, and this has contributed another step on the way there!
1652380
This fic is pretty good. I will admit to being slightly put off by the intra-M6 shipping, but, you know, individual bias and preferences and all that. Besides which, the introductory chapters of the story would have been _incredibly_ different without it, albeit still possible.
However, as to your concerns regarding industrialisation, you make a common mistake. You equate 'industrialisation' with 'technological advance'. These two things are not necessarily causally related.
First, you need to realise that Equestria is a nation of _masters_. Every single citizen of Equestria is supremely talented in their chosen field. This means they will produce more, and of a higher quality than we would think.
Next, realise that there is nothing there to indicate wide spread use of machinery - yes, such things as the dam, and Twilight's computer exist, but think - the dam would likely have been a government project, and so quite capable of pulling suitably talented ponies from all over the country, and Twilight is a high-level academic, sponsored by the ruling diarch; of course she will have the very best.
This means that having Equestria exist as a nation reliant on 'cottage industry' is not entirely unbelievable.
What I _can't_ explain is why Equestria as a whole would find the need to industrialise. None of the factors I can think of seem to fit, and without a national motivation, I can't really see Equestria tech-ing up in less than a decade.
Mmmmm... I don't know I feel like that bit about Twilight nodded and followed behind. “Applebloom, how can you act so normal? You haven’t seen me in years. You’re not upset at all?” should be a bit earlier in meeting Applebloom... it felt off to me thinking about how long it's been sense they've seen each other/talked to one another. So the meeting between the 3 of them felt a little awkward to me until that line... but of course that's a whole scene where I'm feeling awkward... at least that was my take on it.
1654446 Personally I feel like I could explain why the nation would tech up so much so quickly. True the nation might be a nation of _masters_ however, I get thinking of the Super Speedy Squeezer 6000... or something like that. You know the machine that could out produce the Apples in making of good quality cider... they didn't lose that quality until the Apples got more man power... or I guess... "pony" power is the proper term.
But, as it stands I could see several other towns undergoing the same changes that Ponyvile nearly underwent... except I don't think many of them would managed to hold off the advancement of industry. When you have machines that can produce something with the same quality and do it much faster and with less man power that right there is all the motivation the country would need. Personally, the way I see it is that Equestria is a nation that's on the brink of a major industrial revolution. And of course with a major industrial revolution historically speaking there are usually other major technological advancements... at least that's my take on it. 
1654884
Speaking from a purely economic model, you're right. However, what you forget is that, people take _pride_ in their work. And if they enjoy it, and it makes a sufficient amount of money, why would they want to mechanize in such a way as to reduce the amount of work they need to do? These ponies _love_ their work - it's their purpose in life. So why would they hand it over to a machine?
Plus - as a nation of specialists, how many ponies do you think would be capable of producing something similar to the Cider Squeezy? You would have isolated instances of techno-magical marvels popping up here and there, all designed for a specific purpose, and, in the worst case scenario, they would cause hardship for an entire generation of their competition in that industry - but then what? What are the odds that successive ponies have an interest in operating the machine? And the know-how to maintain it? Once that owner passed away, their machine would be forgotten about, as it does not conform to anypony else's 'special talent'.
So, personally, I reckon Equestria is _stuck_ on the verge of a revolution. Given an incentive, I have no doubt that they, as a nation, could tech up very quickly indeed, but I have yet to see a fic that actually provides that incentive.
The closest was FO:E, which sort of referenced diplomatic tensions/national pride, but that was only in reference to the advance from industrial to futuristic, rather than pre-industrial to industrial.
1655131 You provide an interesting point. One that I really haven't thought about.
Personally though I think a development and industrial revolution is very possible... of course it's up to the writer to get us to believe their world. I don't see cutie marks really as inhibitors really but more really enablers. As new technologies are developed it opens up new 'special talents' that can be found which would then keep the new machines from being lost and forgotten. However, the issue that I think would be the hardest to overcome that you mentioned would be the pride in ones work that they take. Even if there is a faster and better way to do things I feel like you're right in that the ponies would be resistant to that change because they have so much pride in how they do things... it would have to be the up and coming generation to try that new thing as they find their 'special talent.' Of course the way around that would be to show how those with the faster and cheaper ways of doing things would get backing and funding from those with lots of money... after all... a faster an cheaper way of doing things would make/save those investors money... of course this then comes down to the writer to get us, the reader, to see that and believe it.
1655200
This would work, but it then no longer fits the time constraint. I specified 'less than a decade' because, in this story, it all happens in roughly five years. However, I think a time span of several generations would work. It's a poor analogy, as we really don't know enough to make this sort of judgement, but think of the rate of technological advancement Europe had between the 11th and 16th centuries. Equestrian technology, on the large scale, seems to advance in a similar manner to that, albeit slower.
I hope AJ is going to yell at Rainbow for abandoning everyone.
Uhh can I get back to you with a comment I realy need to finish theses calobrations
1655131
Perhaps a superpsycho business genius who actively hunted out all the inventors and forced them to work with each other and make more stuff?
did any one else make applebloom sound germane i know i did and i was rofl
1655299 Yeah... the less than a decade thing does put a hamper in it... except for the rich putting forth financing... but again that would prob take more than 5 years. I could see Equestira getting to the state the author has put it in about 10-20 years but not really 5. In this case it's up to the author to convince us of their world... such as how the world might have further advanced then we were lead to believe from the TV show.
You know, I'm really, really enjoying this! I have to say, this whole industrialization deal-how it's effecting Equestria- is one hell of a story idea!
Keep writing, you're doing it right!
~Syn3rgy
1653251
So write it!
1652380 then you must be a natural. every chapter so far has offered new cool aspects of this alternate or future universe. I absolutely love it. if this turns out to be like 50,000 + it will probably go in my top ten! next to http://www.fimfiction.net/story/7335/Apotheosis
love the new world and romance mixed with adventure. its like a perfect mix that just gets to me. hard to explain, just what ever your doing, your doing it right!
1661979
Hmm...
Haha for a moment it sounded like Applebloom was going to try to wake Twilight in the manner of sleeping beauty, with a kiss.
I thought, Rainbow Dash will not be pleased, but then it turned out to be a joke.
Just a few things for you:
First, make sure you have a new paragraph for a new speaker
Second, the first time you mention AB, you said "AppleBOOM"
Third, although this wasn't a problem in this chapter, you had a tendancy to unexpectedly change perspective. You didn't do it here, but you should be careful about that.
Also, Note to self: find one of the following so I can read the next chapter sooner.
Hermione
The Doctor
Time Turner
A fairy
Star Swirl the Bearded
Captain Jack Harkness
River Song
A Dalek
Omi?
Aang?
The Master
The alien in my basement
Princess Luna
Pinkie Pie
1653251 If you do write it, let me know! I'd be interested in reading it.
1654011 You know, I think this is a typo which was caught by another reader. I'm going to have to go back and fix it. Applebloom should be Applebloom!
1654166 I have a few thoughts on what may be employed to help the ponies. However, I would like to focus on the individual strengths of ponies themselves.
1654324 Nice catch!Thank you! I will be sure to go back and fix this.
1654884 I think I'm struggling a little with gauging their desire for "normalcy" in the face of the awkwardness of so much time apart. I'll try to make it a little more apparent in the next chapter when Applejack and Rainbow Dash meet up. I definitely agree that the whole Twilight/Rainbow/Applebloom scene is a little light on the awkward first-time meeting sensations.
1655200>>1655299 You two aren't the first to have brought up the time-frame vs. the rapid development in this story. I have a few thoughts on how to resolve it, but it's a stretch at best since I wrote this from an Alternate Universe perspective. I think I will definitely need external forces acting upon the setting to drive so much change so quickly.
1655559 I'm glad you are enjoying the writing thus far. To address your issue with "buck" vs "fuck." I wasn't really sure where curse words settle in this universe. So I used "Buck" since just about everyone else seems to use it and it gets the point across.
1655616 There is some yelling on the horizon.
1662197 Thank you very much! I don't have an exact number of words planned, but I do know that I want to dedicate a few more chapters to this arc before moving onto Pinkie and Rarity. So there should be many more chapters.
1665976 I'm going to try to keep the kisses to a minimum here! I wouldn't want Rainbow to get jealous, especially if Applebloom beat Rainbow to a kiss.
1684644 Thanks for the catch, I think someone else caught it as well. I just got some time so I'm going to go back and fix it both in the published version and my draft. In terms of perspective, I've been toying with it a lot. It should get better as I get more comfortable with writing, or at least I hope it will get better.
1684863 a few years too late to beat Rainbow Dash to those lips I'm sure. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Applebloom_lolface.png
1684863 Good to know, but I was just saying it could use some indication, maybe an extra large gap between paragraphs, or the
is always an option
Either way, this is a great story with an amazing concept. I love seeing original stories on here. They're so rare, that I'm amazed whenever I see one. (Hoping to not sound selfish here, but) I think you should check out my story. You don't have to, but I'm pretty sure I can check off "original concept".
The more i read about 'Industria,' the more i like it. So along with factories and flying machines, now we got robots, too?!?!
excellent decision, brony. keep up the amazing work. also;
STEAM-PUNK ENGINEER APPLEBLOOM IS NEW BEST PONY!
This is fantastic so far. Though, I did have one quark: I kept getting... well, let's just say Dashie and Twi both had it often during there endevours thus far. >///< Nonetheless, I can't wait to see what comes next.
You had best save the farm, cuz if you make me cry again...
I'm sure AJ won't be as accepting as Twi was when she met Rainbow Dash again. Anyways, really loving the story, your knowledge of English writing surpasses mine, so I didn't find mistakes :S
For some strange reason, your story made me think of the song "Always" by Blink-182
Nicely written. Great to see how everyone is coming together once more... And this brain/brawny thing is highly interesting
Nicely written. Great to see how everyone is coming together once more... And this brain/brawny thing is highly interesting
The reunion between AJ, TS, and RD...
That probably isn;t going to go well, what with the apparent stress she's under.
Plus... I'm with RD on this... Something's off...
~Skeeter The Lurker
I thought all through the previous chapter that Applebloom in particular might be doing well in the new wave of mechanization. Interesting that she's trying to confine her talent to augmentations, possibly as a result of Applejack's distaste for the machines. Might be some real conflict there. I wonder what Scootaloo got up to, as she's presumably not with Dash, not a Wonderbolt, not in Ponyville, and the other Crusaders have moved away.
As for the rate of industrial revolution mentioned in the comments, it seems technically possible, but it'd have to be relentlessly driven from the top levels of bureaucracy and power to have that kind of effect on Ponyville in that timeframe, particularly given that Ponyvillians don't seem the type to welcome pollution-spewing massive change. Apparently five Elements and personal connections to the Princesses weren't enough to protect the town, which is vaguely disturbing.
hoooooooo boy rd and aj reunion is going to be a disaster i can tell
Calibrations? *Breathes heavily in Turian*
Make way for Twilight Vakarian.
Oh, and to paraphrase a great man: "Well, Industrialization better get it's best game ln, because it's up against TwiDash now."
In memory of our fallen friend
TwiDash now.
TwiDash later.
Twidashforever.
It would make sense Applebloom's cutie mark would be different she left Ponyville before it happened and had to adapt to a new world and so she found a different calling.