//------------------------------// // Squeaky Gears and Lamplit Streets // Story: A New View on Manehattan // by Bookworm Guardian //------------------------------// Ponyville was quiet, save for the usual bustle of business at the market. The sun touched everything around the small town, from the home of the reclusive Doctor Whooves to the sprawling expanses of trees that was Sweet Apple Acres. Included in this ray of Celestia's sun was Golden Oaks Library, where one purple haired alicorn girl was currently staring at an object that had caused her much grief. Oh, for buck's sake, why won't you work?!, thought Twilight Sparkle as she eyed the machine in front of her with a malice that could've stoned Discord. The machine in question was a pair of goggles that acted like high-powered binoculars, able to make one see for miles. At least, that's how they were supposed to work. Currently, they had no sight and emitted a high pitched squeaking noise that Twilight could not find for the life of her. It had been about ten years since the lavender haired princess had been coronated, and with her guidance, Equestria had stepped into a great epoch of scientific and technological advancement, appropriately referred to as the Technical Age. She and a devout group of scientists had made numerous strides, such as the creation of the cell phone, handheld video games, advanced weaponry, and the like. That is not to say that things always worked, per se. Which was why Twilight found herself in her current predicament. Irritation clung onto her like tree sap as she sighed in defeat, using her horn to levitate the goggles back onto their pedestal. She quietly walked through the Library, which she had opted to stay in to keep close to her friends, in search for something to distract her. The shelves were lined to the brim with books, but she had read most of them already. She almost called out to Spike, but with a pang of sadness, she remembered that he was currently away on certain unmentionable dragon stuff, as he so eloquently put it. She finally found the day's newspaper, so she grabbed it and began fingering through it in search of the funnies, or possibly a Gabby Gums article. You could never be too sure. Her violet eyes finally stopped their roam when she spotted an article with a picture of a man in a hooded jacket, holding an oversized wrench over his right shoulder. As she read, a smile began to creep along her features. Suddenly, she flung the paper onto her desk and ran out of the library. She had a trip to plan. -------------------------------------_________________________________________________-------------------------------------------- "Y'all wanna go where, Sugarcube?" Applejack was the first of the other five to speak when Twilight finished her tale. The princess had found her friends at Sugarcube Corner, all having a lunch date. While she was upset that she seemed to have not been invited, Pinkie was quick to say that she had been sent an invite by mail. A blush crept on to the studious one's cheeks as she realized that she hadn't checked her mail in some time. Always working on some new project, or away on Canterlot political business. Twilight turned to her blonde haired friend. "Manehattan! There's this guy there; the paper toted him as 'one of the best mechanics of the age'!" she exclaimed with almost child-like excitement, "I just wanted you girls to come with me, so that we could see the sights together!" "It sounds like fun!" yelled Pinkie Pie, who somehow already had bags packed with her. "I think it sounds marvelous! So many upper class people to see in the city..." Rarity mused, slightly pouting in thought. "I-I guess that it sounds... nice," muttered Fluttershy, who promptly hid her face in the neck of her sweater. "Sounds awesome, I'm in," Rainbow Dash said, flying circles around the other girls. "...I guess I could always pay a visit to Aunt and Uncle Orange," Applejack assented. "Its settled then!" exclaimed Twilight as she went to go grab her bags. ------------------------------------___________________________________________________------------------------------------------ They were on the train to Manehattan, chasing the sunlight. The six friends had lapsed into silence due to a lack of subjects to talk about. The forests changed to deserts as time passed. The grand expanse of sand left them all room to think. In this time, Twilight had only one thought on her mind: Tinker Tock... Who are you, exactly? The train squealed to a stop, and the six took their first steps into Manehattan.