Tinker stood stock still, his emerald eyes alight with mischief, as he waited for the girls around him to respond. Twilight was the first to snap out of her reverie caused by the man's rather unique entrance, so she spoke first.
"Hello, I'm Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends;"
"Pinkie Pie," The party girl bounced happily, her baby blue eyes darting here and there.
"Applejack," The farmer tipped her Stetson in the mechanic's direction.
"Rarity," A curtsey was offered by the lady in white.
"Rainbow Dash," The speedster flew a quick circle around the room.
"And Fluttershy," Fluttershy merely squeaked and hid behind her long pink hair.
Tinker eyed the girls thoughtfully, all mirth suddenly replaced by cold fascination. The cocky smile on his face was replaced by a determined scowl. He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he pulled a cigarette from the pocket of his hoodie and lit it with a lighter found similarly.
"So... what is it you ladies want? I can tell you're not from around these parts. Your eyes, they're too innocent." said the tinkerer as he pulled a long drag from his little coffin nail, blowing out smoke from his nose.
"Well, I... we... I'm sorry, could you please put that out? The smell is just, blegh," asked Twilight as she fanned smoke away from her personal bubble. The scent of tobacco was one thing she couldn't stand.
Tinker flicked the cigarette into the room behind the Service Window. "Suit yourself. Where are you from anyway?"
Pinkie's eyes lit up at the question as she responded, "We live in Ponyville, the sun-shiniest place in Equestria!"
The mechanic's eyes quickly filled up with an impish glee, and his mouth turned upward and released a sardonic chuckle. "Ponyville!? That quaint little piece of nowhere?" He laughed again.
Rainbow Dash immediately took to the offensive, flying up to his face and saying, "What exactly are you trying to say, bub?" She put up her fists and shadow-boxed, daring Tinker to say something else. Applejack was similarly unamused.
Tinker held up his hands in mock surrender, "I didn't mean anything by it, just that you're all probably much too naïve. Probably can't even hold your liquor."
"Licorice?" asked Pinkie, confused.
"No, liquor. As in hard cider, whiskey, beer, et cetera." said the mechanic, his eyes swimming at the thought of that place...
"Is that a challenge?" snarled Rainbow Dash.
"Only if you want it to be, Prism Girl."
"Look, we're straying way off topic here. I need you to look at this," she said, pulling the goggles from her bag, "they're supposed to work like binoculars, but stronger. Currently though, they leave me blind and emit a weird whirring noise."
Tinker looked over the headpiece quizzically. "This... this is new tech. Something I've never worked with here. It should be interesting..."
"Will you work on it?" asked the lavender eyed princess hopefully. The others crossed their fingers, hoping that all of this time and aggravation wouldn't be a waste.
"...Indeed I will. It'll take time though. You got a map?" Twilight nodded, pulling her map out once more.
"I'd suggest staying here while I work," He pointed at a corner shop not far from the Workshop, "That's the shop of a really close friend of mine, and it's one of the safest places in this part of the city."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Tock. Should we meet you back here for payment?" asked Rarity.
"Please, call me Tinker. And no, meet me here in about an hour and a half." He pointed to another shop a little ways away from his friend's shop. "That's the Staggered Stallion. We'll discuss payment there, maybe have a few drinks." A little fire danced in his eyes as he said this. The friends began to leave, when Tinker called out, "Wait up!"
They all turned around as the mechanic pulled another gray hoodie from Celestia knows where, saying, "Here, Twilight. This should keep those wings of yours inconspicuous, Your Highness."
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Twilight fidgeted in the hoodie as she walked. Sure, it hid her wings more efficiently, but it also smelled slightly of smoke. Why does he have to smoke?!, she asked herself. Her parents had always detested smoking, and they had instilled this same belief in their daughter.
"So... what'd you gals think of Mr. Mechanical?" asked Rainbow Dash nonchalantly, wearing an uncharacteristically thoughtful look on her face.
Applejack was the first to voice her opinion. "By every mean a Manehattanite, but not one I've ever been used to. He really kinda rubs the wrong way."
"He seems cool! Except for when he's all frowny and thoughtful. Maybe a party could cheer him up!" said Pinkie in her usual energetic way.
"I thought he was charming in his own way," said Rarity, "but his clothes were so drab. He would look so dapper in a nice suit!"
"He seems... nice..." said Fluttershy with a small smile.
Twilight was about to respond when they suddenly noticed that they had reached their destination. The Six friends found themselves in front of a building, similar in build with Tinker's, but with stars swirled all around it. Rarity knocked, and a slightly flighty voiced answered from inside.
"Please do come in~!" At this, The others entered the shop, and what they saw astonished them.
It was an amazing sight. Telescopes and windchimes dotted the building in equal measures, and with a sunroof replacing her normal roof, the girl in front of them had full view of the stars. The girl in question wore a gray blazer over a blue t-shirt and black pants. Her hair was a faded purple in color, and would've fallen to the small of her back had it not been for the fact that she held it aloft in a ponytail. Her eyes were a deep purple in color, and her gaze held a sort of childlike wonder. She was also a Pegasus, indicated by the fact that she was currently hovering down from the third level of the building to greet the girls.
"Hello, I'm Lunar Glow, expert Astrologist and horoscoper."
"Astrologist?" asked Twilight.
"Horoscoper?! Oooh, do me, do me!" exclaimed Pinkie.
The purple eyed nodded as she asked, "Okay, what's your sign?" The party girl gave her a confused look, then pulled a stop sign from Celestia knows where. The astrologist giggled, then said, "No, silly, your birth sign!"
"Oh, okay! I'm a Sagittarius!"
Lunar nodded, then flew up a few feet to her bookshelf. She picked up a book with an eye on it, then flipped through the pages quickly. She stopped mid-flip when she found what she was looking for, hovering her way to the ground as she said, "Alright, here we are. Ms..."
"Pinkie Pie!"
"Ms. Pie, under your sign for this month, it is predicted that one of your friends will be going through a great change in their family soon. Keep them close, and be there for them as the changes occur. Also, stay away from the color chartreuse by any means necessary."
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The familiarities had long since passed. In the time they had spent, Lunar got to know the six quite personally. Twilight compared star palcement notes with the girl, though the studious one found the astrologist's seemingly vacant stare and whimsical vocal pattern quite irritating while they talked the finer points of the placemnt of Cancer in the sky this month.
Pinkie had no such qualms as she openly talked about her Pinkie Sense, Lunar listening with rapt attention. The others were similarly friendly. All too soon, an hour and a half passed.
"We must be going, Lunar," said Twilight, "We promised Tinker we'd meet him at the Staggered Stallion soon."
Lunar Glow had other ideas. "I'll come with you! I've been meaning to talk with Tinker for a while now..."
Pinkie was ecstatic, practically yelling, "Abos-positi-lutel-yes! Come on!" She bolted through the door. No, literally through, as in left a Pinkie sized hole in the door. Twilight blushed in embarassment, but Lunar just went on her merry way.
People here sure are odd...