It was a warm Fillydelphia afternoon, only a few sparse clouds breaking up the seemingly endless expanse of light blue that either blended with the sparkling Platinum Ocean or vanished behind the Foal Mountains and Warmblood hills, depending on which direction one was facing.
Far on the North-East side of Fillydelphia, settled on a large hill, was a several story structure with large windows that reflected the deep blue of the ocean. If it had been earlier that morning, the sun rays would have reflected off the windows in an obnoxious glare but would hardly of detracted from the appeal of the huge piece of modern architecture.
The land around the building was well-landscaped, dotted with marble and stone statues of ponies. One statue was of an alicorn standing proudly, one foreleg curled inwards to help prop up a metal pole with the Equestrian flag that only shifted with the slight breezes. It’s mane was flowing, like the Two Sisters who still proudly ruled Equestria to this day, but the statute lacked the regalia the sisters were usually portrayed with. In fact, the statue seemed to lack any definitive details that could make it identifiable.
Another statue was of Princess Platinum, a bronze plaque on the base of the statue proudly displaying that information along with the fact it was apparently donated from some rich mare in Prance.
The inside of the building was grand, surfaces of white broken up by windows and bronze plaques mentioning huge accomplishments and donations. There were alcoves in the walls, separated from the main space by panes of glass, that displayed popular pieces of technology.
The inside was alive with chatter of employees on five-minute breaks, taking personal calls, and the small collection of fillies and colts being led around the building for a tour.
The tour guide was a bubbly, light-brown earth pony. She wore a simple uniform (white button-up beneath a golden vest with electric blue circuitry patterns sewn into it) with a name-tag pinned slightly to the left of her chest.
She made grand gestures with her foreleg as she stopped in front of a display case with a brightly-colored unicorn head made out of plastic. A bronze ring with small patterns etched into it and a small, button-sized, bright green light attached to the front.
“And this is the Arcane Suppressor Ring, used by law enforcement all across Equestria and even in the Crystal Empire. It uses a mix of magic and technology to prevent apprehended unicorns from using magic. Now, how it’s done is top secret so I can’t tell you about its mechanisms whatsoever or I’ll be in big trouble!”
A few of the older students rolled their eyes.
“Unfortunately, this neat little piece of tech gives a pretty nasty head-ache if it’s worn for too long. That’s why, in several other TechGear labs all around Equestria, there’s research going on to try and reduce the side-effects of Arcane Suppressing Rings. Any questions?”
Several of the students raised their hooves (or in the case of the pegasi, raising their wings) and asked about things like what it was made out of, when it was made, or how TechGear had come up with the idea. In the back of the group, a young earth pony mare was observing her surroundings with an expression of indifference.
She had a cheap, plastic name tag hanging around her neck, Moonshadow was scribbled on it in erasable marker, slightly smudged. Her coat was a dark blue, like the sky on a clear night, and her mane was a silvery color.
Moonshadow was largely uninterested in the tour. The guide was too bubbly for her tastes and she already knew a large amount about TechGear’s achievements. There had been a huge speech from the Manehattan Prime Minister and the Manehattan Police Department, followed by a thanks from Elegant Gear herself about her technology being used to ‘make Equestria a safer place,’ that was broadcasted all across Eastern Equestria. There was also the news papers, but Moonshadow didn’t pay much attention to them anymore.
To her parents annoyance, Moonshadow actually had an interest in technology. She liked learning about it, but not the way it was being showed to her here. She already knew about it and it was being shown to her in quite a boring manner.