//------------------------------// // workin' colt // Story: The Cyborg Colt // by Huntermjiolnir //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Workin' colt. (This chapter involves a slight time jump of about a week, enough time for Ponyville to get to know Nexus and begin asking for his mechanical services.) Nexus awoke to his blaring alarm, and slammed a hoof into the reinforced mechanical item. Yawning, he turned the alarm on again for tomorrow and sleepily walked down the stairs into the main room of the apple residence. Grabbing an apple from the counter with his right hoof, he waked out the door, nodding at Applejack along the way. “Good mornin' Nexus.” AJ said happily. “Morning.” Nexus replied sleepily. AJ chuckled at his sleepy demeanor. “Yall ain't used to waking up around ten are yah?” AJ asked. “Nope, but I gotta be up this early in case some customers want something fixed.” Nexus replied. Walking towards the barn he entered it, and walked over to the back corner. On the wall hanging from two pegs where his weapons, which he took down and attached to his back with the sheath that he always wore. Then he walked over to a small cart set aside for him by Applejack and tied the straps around his body. Then he walked out of the barn pulling the small cart containing the tools of his trade with him. AJ noticed he still had his weapons. “Why do yah always take those? It's not like yah need em.” “There's an old saying where I'm from: It's better to have them and not need them, then need them and not have them.” Nexus replied. “Shoot ah never thought of it like that.” AJ replied. “But still no harm's gonna come to yah while yer out.” “I'd rather be cautious then take a chance on getting hurt.” Nexus said. “I'm off to get some bits, see yah later AJ.” With that Nexus walked towards Ponyville pulling the cart behind him. Minutes later Nexus pulled to a stop in the market square of Ponyville, and placing chocks under the wheels of his cart, turned the sign on the front from closed to open. Then he sat himself behind his stand and began to tinker with something inside his cart. Moments pass and Nexus looks up as he hears a tapping sound on his cart. “Hello, how can I help you today.” Nexus said to the carrot colored mare before his cart. “My clock broke can you fix it?” The mare asked. Nexus smiled. “I don't see why not, hand over the clock please.” The mare reached in her bags and passed the black colt a clock. Nexus turned the clock this way and that inspecting it. “I don't see anything wrong on the outside, what's wrong with it?” “I dropped it this morning and now it's not ticking anymore.” The mare replied. Nexus nods. “Must be something broken inside, lets take a look shall we?” Nexus sets the clock on the cart and fishes for several tools inside the cart. With deft hooves Nexus flips the clock over and begins to unscrew the clock carefully placing the screws so he can find them later. Nexus then pulls the backing off the small clock and sets it next to the screws. Nexus then begins to disassemble the clock, removing various gears and springs, before exclaiming. “AHA!” Nexus holds up a small gear, which has several that missing from it. “Here's your problem, the main drive gear is broken, I'll have to replace it. Once I do that your clock should be god as new.” Nexus ducks sticking his head into the cart muttering. 'Now I know I had a gear that size where did I... there you are you sneaky bugger.” Nexus replaces the broken gear then reassembles the clock lightning fast. HE hoofs the fixed clock back to the orange mare. “Good as new, might want to wind it up though.” “Thank you so much! How much do I owe you.” The mare says. Nexus chuckles and winks a the mare. “For a pretty mare like your self only five bits.” The mare blushes through her orange coat. “Oh you.” She then places the correct amount in the cart. Trotting off with a 'thank you'. Sweeping the bits into a bag attached to his cart, Nexus smiles talking to himself. “Another happy customer.” Nexus returns to tinkering with his cart until another tap brings him back to the world. “TWILIGHT! How yah doing?” Nexus says happily. Twilight smiles back at him. “I'm good. I was wondering if you could make something for me.” “Well I don't have many materials to make something, mostly in the fixing business for now but if you can get the materials I'd be happy to make something. What do you need?” Nexus asks with a smile. “Well, I kind of wanted....” Twilight's speech is interrupted by two stallions walking over to a nearby vendor and yelling. “EVERYPONY ON THE GROUND! Give us your bits and nopony gets hurt!” “'Scuze me for a moment Twi.” Nexus says as he trots over to the pair of robbers. “Gentlecolts, is there a problem here.” He asks. One of the stallions turns towards him levitating a knife with his magic. “I said get down! Give us your bits!” The thug says. “A knife? Please, I've seen more threatening robbers in foals!” Nexus replies with a grin. The stallion grits his teeth ad his partner turns towards the cyborg wielding a knife with his hoof. “Let's teach him a lesson, then the other will give us their money.” The second stallion says. The colt holding the knife with magic stabs at Nexus who blocks with his left arm, deflecting the blade. “Bad move.” Nexus replies, swinging the raised arm into the stallions jaw, knocking him unconscious. The other robber gapes at his fallen comrade then looks at the grinning cyborg. “You want some too? OK!” Nexus swings his hoof again catching the colt on his chin, the colt drops like a brick. Nexus turns towards Twilight who is starring at him, her jaw hanging open. “Keep your mouth like that you're gonna catch flies.” Nexus says. The vendor the thugs were going to rob thanks him profusely. “No problem ma'am just doing what any honorable pony should.” Nexus says. Nexus walks back behind his stall and waves his hoof in front of the slack jawed Twilight. “You there Twi? You needed me to make something?” Nexus asks. Twilight blinks and closes her jaw, shaking her head. “Yes, I was wondering if you could make me a better telescope, mine works fine for looking at the moon, but I want to see farther.” “Hmm, a stronger telescope eh? Got a quill and paper? I can tell you the material you'll need and once you get them come back to me and I can make it for you.” Twilight nods and levitates a quill and paper before her writing down the list Nexus rattles off. “Let's see, About 20 pounds of iron, 10 pounds of uncut, unenchanted glass and about a pound of rubber. That should do it.” Nexus says. Twilight smiles rolling up the list and floating it beside her. “When I get the materials I'll bring them to you at AJ's.” “All right see you later Twi.” Nexus says as he watches her walk away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A few weeks later AJ is bucking apples in the orchard when she spots Twilight walking into the farm, stopping what she is doing and trots over to her bookish friend. “Whatcha up tah Twi?” AJ asks. “Oh not much, I just wanted to check on Nexus, see how he's doing.” Twilight replies happily. AJ stares at her friend. “Yall been visitin' and awful lot. Iffn I didn't know better I'd say yah LIKE Nexus.” AJ says with a smirk. Twilight's face promptly turns a fierce shade of red, and she stutters a reply. “I d... don't know what you're talking about.” “Twi, ahm tha element of Honesty, and yer lyin' so bad a filly could see through it. Why don't yah just tell him how yah feel!” AJ says. In response Twilight blushes harder. “I CAN'T! What if he doesn't like me back! What if...” Twilight is silenced by an orange hoof placed in her mouth. “Lissen here Twi. Imma tell yah somethin' Nexus told me! Iffn yah don't ask tha answer's always no.” AJ replies. Twilight's blush fades and she nods. “ That's rather profound. Thanks for the vote of confidence AJ, you're a good friend.” “Glad ah could help, now let's go check on yer friend.” AJ replies. Together the pair trot towards the barn. They are about ten feet from the entrance when the sound of an explosion comes from within and a black blur crashes through the door and skids to a stop several feet behind them. The friends turn and spot a badly singed Nexus slowly getting up. The pair rush over to their friend. “Yall alright?” AJ asks. Nexus nods coughing out some smoke. “Yeah, I'm good.” Nexus replies. “What happened?” Twilight asks concern evident in her voice. “I was making some homemade gun powder for some fire works, my arm must have scraped against something and caused a spark, next thing I know it explodes and sends me out here.” Nexus replies. “Is there a fire?” Twilight asks. “i think so but.... OH NO!” Nexus says, his real eye shrinking to a dot, his face paling whiter than a ghost. “WHAT?” The girls ask. Nexus gets up and trots in place frantically. “Stay here!” Nexus says as he gallops back into the now smoking barn. The pair turn and watch him run in. After a few seconds Twilight is about to run after him, but is stopped by a blindingly bright, deafeningly loud explosion that consumes the entirety of the barn. As the girls blink away the bright dots they are greeted by the sight of a smoldering crater where the barn once stood, flaming, smoking pieces of wood falling to the ground with loud clunks. Their eyes widen, and the girls dash into the smoldering crater yelling, afraid for their friend. “NEXUS!” AJ suddenly yells out. “TWI!” The bookish unicorn gallops to her friend and gasps as she over looks the charred body of her friend, pieces of fur and part of mane simply gone, raw red burn wounds all over his body. Tears begin to form in the Librarian's eyes and AJ places a consoling hoof on her shoulder. Then the body jerks and coughs, the charred head lifting weakly, eye staring at the pair tiredly. Nexus spoke. “I'm..... still..... alive....” Then nexus' Eye rolled into he back of his head and he collapsed. “AJ! Run to the hospital as fast as you can, I'll be right behind you!” Twilight says, levitating the charred body of Nexus behind her. AJ nods and dashes off followed by Twilight and their hurt friend. (AN: Done. Cliffhanger punks. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Hints at Twi X OC. Wonder if he feels the same? You'll have to wait and find out. Peace out for now.)