//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Aftermath 
// Story: The Diary of Crankshaft and his Mechanical Misadventures 
// by BLT185 
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Chapter 4: The Aftermath

My spine felt stiff as I awoke. I pondered the reason for it for a second. It took my two minutes to realize I wasn’t in my bed or even in my house. I was lying on the floor of Sugarcube corner. I got to my hooves, as I tried to piece together the events of last night and observed my surroundings. The evidence of last nights celebrations were all but gone, save for two unconscious ponies in various places throughout the room, in rather uncomfortable looking positions. Ms. Pinkie Pie was hunched over the snack table, face down over a plate of cupcakes, how she was managing to eat while still asleep was beyond my comprehension and it was far too early for me to be pondering it. My brother was lying over a crossbeam on the ceiling. Ms. Rarity, Ms. Twilight, Ms. Applejack, Derpy and High Fever had all gone home before the party had completely ended, which was to be expected considering they all had reason to be up early, Ms. Fluttershy left because her animals still needed tending to. The only one I couldn’t account for was Ms. Rainbow Dash. I stepped outside and looked back at the building and found her lying on the roof. The sun was just beginning to rise. 

I woke up Ms. Pinkie Pie and asked if I could step behind the counter and grab a pastry before I left to open my shop. I gave her the bits and chose a blueberry muffin from the display. I pulled my brother down from the crossbeam, hearing a small pop from his back. I carried him in my magic and put him in a small cot I had in my shop’s backroom.

Surprisingly Ms. Rainbow Dash was the first to enter my shop that day. “Hey, Crankshaft! What’s up?” she asked. I proceeded to inquire about what happened last night. She explained that after the others left eventually everyone else got so tired that they slept wherever they were at the time. I was the first to fall asleep in middle of the floor. Ms. Pinkie had been eating cupcakes when she fell asleep. Shiny Badge had attempted to do an aerial flip around the crossbeam and fell asleep as soon as he had reached it. Ms. Rainbow Dash was on the roof because she had decided it would be the most comfortable place to sleep. I thanked her and asked if I could help her with anything, she said no and promptly left. 

It was a slow business day, which wasn’t surprising all things considered. My shop doesn’t get much business. Ms. Twilight came in later and asked me to fix one of the devices she used for research. It allowed her to detect strange readings from a pony’s body if they were hooked to it. “Researching “Pinkie Sense” again?” I asked. She chuckled and told me no, she was actually trying to pinpoint the effects of unicorn magic on the body. The repair was fairly easy; a few wires in the machine had frayed and had to be replaced. I typically encourage customers to bring the broken machine to me rather then bringing me to the machine. It allows me access to all of my tools. In cases where the machine can’t be brought into the store, I diagnose the problem then get the necessary tools from my shop. 


As Ms. Twilight left, I took out the machine I had built yesterday and pondered on it. I decided to call it the gem reactor. My brother came in from the back room just as I was pondering what I should try to build with it. He asked me what I had been up to and pointed to the gem reactor with a hoof. I told him about the reactor and how it worked and the processes I used to make it. He expressed merely a fleeting interest, very typical of him, he was always more interested in the physical rather scientific pursuits. He said a goodbye by saying “See ya, Shorty!” I found this odd because I was taller than him.

I decided to close up shop for the day and go to the park for a little while. I thought that maybe I would get an idea of what to build by getting some fresh air. I sat on a bench and observed my surroundings, confident that the inspiration I needed would come from this very spot. 

Ms. Fluttershy passed me by and said a quiet greeting as she flew by. I saw Ms. Rainbow Dash practicing her stunts nearby on the clouds. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a Pegasus, to be able to fly through the air, free as a bird. I can only imagine the feeling of the wind rushing through my mane, the cities and towns going by below me. To be able to see all that Equestria has to see, to be able to glide down gracefully rather than tumbling through the air when you fall. In my opinion my brother was extremely lucky to be born with wings. 

Earth Ponies and Unicorns do have a means of flight through airships, but that is probably nowhere near the feeling that pegasi get when flying. Airships also require a crew of at least ten to be able to operate, one pony cannot operate an entire airship by itself. Several years ago, one mare was fool enough to try it, she crashed within minutes. There is only one known way to achieve individual flight for an earthbound pony like me, but I do not have the skill with magic, nor will I ask Ms. Twilight to do it. I guess I am to remain on the ground.

Wait, I have the gem reactor. It generates more than enough energy to power an airship for several days. I want to fly, and with Celestia as my witness I will build a way for me to do so! I have the technology, I have the knowledge. I don’t care how long it will take me, I will build a flying machine.