//------------------------------// // setting up shop // Story: The Tale of Gearbox // by nature of force //------------------------------// Note: i dont own mlp:fim An elderly grey stallion with a trio of gears on his flank sat by his fireplace tinkering with a strange brass machine when a knock was heard from his front door. Sighing he arose from his crounch next to the odd machine and slowly made his way over to the door, looked through the peep hole to see who was there. seeing a young griffin yet another sigh fell from his lips. The stallion stepped back to hit a button on the wall that disengaged the locks he had put up to keep annoyances out when he was working..like the little griffin, but he had learned that the young one would not leave till his curiosity was satiated. Outside upon hearing the locks disengage the little griffin broke out into a large, genuine smile, pushed open the heavy brass door and leapt into the workshop with a cry of joy "gandpa!" The little one jumped up and wrapped his wings around the old stallion eliciting a rare momentary grin from his lips. Motioning with his hoof for the little griffin to follow him he began to make his way deep into his shop to a little sitting room with a pleasant fire already burning cheerfully in the corner. Once he had made his way to his couch and laid out on it he spoke with a mild stalliongrad accent even after all these years away from equestria "so little one, what is it that you wanted to know this time?" he asked with a bit of a quirk in his eyebrows. Suddenly shy, the little griffin looked down debating on whether or not to ask what he intedned to ask, seeing this the old stallion said "I promise I won't be angry with you for interrupting my work with all those questions you always seem to have" after a moments pause he continued "you know...I was much the same way when i was your age" Gathering all of his courage the little griffin looked at him and asked "can you tell me your story? Moma said she wouldn't tell me." from his seat on the floor the griffin looked up imploringly The question gave the old stallion pause. looking around at a few of the little souvenirs of the travels from his younger years he smiled and slowly began "so...you want to hear a story, one about adventure and self discovery." picking up speed he laughs "haha! have i got a story for you!" settling down and getting comfortable he waited for the griffin to do the same, he hit another button on the couch that put a pot of water to boil. "well, my story begins in the far off land of Equestria, a land of peace and love, a veritable Utopian society" ------------------ The grey earth pony stallion Gearbox looked upon his shop for the first time, it wasn't much but it was all he could afford on what little savings he had, but he loved it all the same, taking a deep breath and savoring the scent of oil and tools he slowly walked to his small mill and began work on his first project in the city of stalliongrad, a small steam engine to help power some of his tools at the little shop a little ring of the door bell alerted him to the presence of someone else in his shop, 'a customer? already? this must be a good sign' he thought when he made it to the door he was surprised to see a unicorn with a snooty expression at the door looking around with disdain. "So you are the engineer that thought they could make a living making machines that do what a unicorn could easily do himself? how...quaint." making a snap decision right there to hate this pony for all time Gearbox sneered and said "well yeah, but it'll cost folks half what you would charge for one of those fancy spell gems for one of my steam machines" with an angry glint in his eyes the unicorn lit his horn and Gearbox felt himself rooted to the ground, the unicorn strode closer and whispered into his ear "let me make this perfectly clear, i am superior. magic can solve all of my problems while you wallow in your grease. Make and enemy of me and I will grind your little...business into the dirt, do we understand one other?" nodding with a pale face gearbox was released from the unicorns spell. looking him up and down the unicorn turned and strode out saying "don't get any ideas of moving up in the world" as he left Gearbox went back to his work but no matter what he did he couldn't get what had happened off his mind. it was then and there he decided he didn't want to feel helpless in the face of magic ever again. putting down his tools he went to his drafting bench and began drawing up plans. as he worked he mumbled to himself "show him who's 'superior'" he worked with a feverish intensity he was unused to. he stopped only once to eat a meal so he wouldn't get food on his plans. finally finishing he looked outside to see he had lost track of time and it was well past midnight, he was surprised to find he didn't care anymore. looking at his plans he got a smile, it was an ugly smile, one that spoke of pain and perhaps even an unstable mind. Moving to his work bench he took up his tools and began to work. his drill making a perfect hole dead center of a rather thick steel cylinder. still with that evil smile Gearbox went to his forge and began to heat it, all the while thinking about how his creation would work and how not even a unicorn could stand before it. seeing his forge burn with an almost unholy heat he brought overthe metals he would melt together to make the needed alloy and the mold for the casting he was about to make. before he could pour the casting he thought 'is it worth it? i'm making a lethal weapon in clear violation of the law...maybe..no. I need to be able to fight back against anyone that may, or may not, come after me as he set the mold filled with molten metal on the ground to cool he walked over to his clock and with a flick of his hoof opened the face, reached in and pulled out a sizable chunk of lead. looking around he carefully put it next to the steam engine powering all the assorted tools and things in his shop and attacked a very special machine to the engine. it looked like a strange pen with a gem tip, carefully holding it in his mouth he lowered it to the slab of soft metal he focused hard on what he wanted to form and with a sound akin to reality being torn asunder and a flash brighter than the sun the soft led transmuted itsel into cylindrical slugs with a bit of...well, magic for lack of a better word at the base. smiling to himself as he stood up, "looks like fathers gift came in handy already" he said. still smiling he walked over to his bed and lay down, tired from the days exertions, he let his mind fall into slumber. ------------------ "well i think that's enough for one night little one, better get going before your mother gets mad at us both eh?" the old stallion said with a smile. "awwwwww" moaned the little griffin, but dutifully he left none the less.