//------------------------------// // Chance // Story: Where Night Meets Day // by _Medicshy //------------------------------// Stars twinkled brightly in the sky over Ponyville, leaving a tired Pinkie Pie to loose a wide yawn as she made her way up to her loft in Sugarcube Corner. It had been a long day of partying at the Cake twins' cute-ceañera, and while they might not be little foals anymore, it hadn't made them any less energetic when doted on by auntie Pinkie Pie. And, since it was for them, the whole town had been there! The town would have been there for any Pinkie Party, but she'd made extra-super-sure that they'd be doubly there for a party for her favorite bosses' favorite foals! It had even blown Rainbow's big Birthaversary right out of the water! But now the party was over. The three tons of confetti were back in the party cannon, the balloons were deflated or stuffed in the balloon cupboard, the pastries that weren't eaten were stacked neatly to be sold the next day, the fountain in town square was no longer spraying punch, and the floors had even been swept! It was time for Ponyville's Premiere Party Mare to pronk to her pillows and promenade into a peaceful slumber. However, as she was brushing Gummy's gums and making sure he was all ready for bed, Pinkie heard a knock at the window. There was only one pony who ever actually knocked on her window, though normally not this late at night, so she summoned up what energy she had and zipped over to them, opening them with aplomb and a plum, which she offered to Rainbow Dash. “Midnight snack? I put away the cupcakes, but eating sweets right before bed isn't always a good idea anyway, so a nice juicy fruit seemed the way to go.” Rainbow hovered outside the window, looking for all the world like a snack was the last thing on her mind. “Pinkie, I need somepony to talk to... could you not be you for a moment?” Immediately Pinkie bit her tongue to keep her joke on the tip of it. It had taken a long time to manage it, but she was finally starting to learn when to turn off that part of her brain. She put the plum back into her mane, stepping back to let Rainbow enter the room. “Sure, Dashie. What's up?” Rainbow landed on the floor, some of her usual confidence gone from her movements as she looked for the right words to answer that question. Pinkie had thought she'd looked off at the party, but now that she'd been told, it was really obvious. Eventually Rainbow sighed, turning to Pinkie Pie. “Do you ever wonder if Equestria's... running right?” Pinkie fought hard to suppress the urge to point out that Equestria had no legs. “What do you mean?” “Well...” Rainbow paced for a moment, then sat down on the edge of Pinkie's bed. “Do you remember the Weather Riot in Manehattan?” Pinkie remembered it well. She'd been in Manehattan at the time visiting her sister, but she didn't want to derail Rainbow's train of thought. “The one a month ago, right? Where all the guards from Canterlot got dressed up marched in to arrest ponies?” Rainbow nodded. “You know how the Wonderbolts, including me, got called in to stop the pegasi? Pinkie sat down next to Dash on the bed. “Yeah?” “It's just... I was doing what the Princess told me to, but... I don't know if it was right.” Rainbow stood up, pacing across the floor. “Twilight was leading the guard, and she was so calm and sure, but... I understand why they were protesting. The weather shortage is a problem that Princess Celestia could have fixed by now, but she's spending her time throwing her guard around at ponies that complain too loudly.” Pinkie frowned as she sat on the bed, wondering if now would be a good time to mention that she'd been one of the ponies throwing cupcakes at the more aggressive guards. She had her own thoughts on this whole situation, but this was a good time to keep them to herself. “The drought is getting to be a big problem...” “And other cities have been blaming Cloudsdale,” Rainbow continued as she kept pacing. “Somepony even spray painted crap all over Cloudsdale's shopping district! But there have been eight times when ponies have tried to petition for a new Weather Factory, and it was on Princess Celestia's order that they were all shut down.” Gummy hopped up onto Pinkie's lap, settling like a cat as his endless stare took in the whole scene. ”Are you saying that you want another factory like the old one?” Rainbow turned on Pinkie, anger flashing across her features. “Don't you even suggest something like that!” She shuddered moments later, the image she'd wanted to avoid imbedded in her mind. “You weren't in the old factory... you didn't see what they did...” It took her a steadying breath to remove the image, slowly setting her back on point. “But that doesn't mean that the new factory would have been like that! I saw one of the plans, and it was sound. The Princess has just been stopping them because of the memory of the old one, and she's not listening to anypony about it. Not petitions, not Ink Well, not even me!” There were a few things that Pinkie had on her mind, things that she didn't share with anypony she didn't trust with it. She had to make sure Dash wouldn’t fall in that category. “Well, did you try talking to Twilight about it?” “Of course! But Twilight jumped in her mentor's corner, explaining very clearly why another factory couldn't be created and why each town is just going to have to make do with their own weather team, the exact same things that the Princess said... And...” Rainbow struggled with herself, about to say something, before she let out an exasperated yell, kicking out angrily and sending Gummy's ball flying across the room. “Augh!” “What's wrong?” Pinkie asked calmly, catching the ball, which had ricocheted wildly and shot at her head. She gave it to Gummy, not once looking at the rubber missile. Dash pranced aggressively in place, wanting to be angry at something, but not able to figure out what.“I don't know if I can keep this up! I want to keep supporting the princess, but I can't keep watching her lead this country into chaos! We didn't even have this much crisis after Discord ran free the first time, and she's doing nothing about it. But Cloudsdale is being blamed, soldiers are locking up ponies for no reason... Some of those ponies are still in jail, just for speaking their minds.” She looked at Pinkie, her pupils not a window to Rainbow's mind, but showing the darkness of the schism forming in her soul. “Even if I am a Wonderbolt, even if it's for the Princess... I just don't know if I can keep doing this.” Slowly Pinkie stood up, letting Gummy attach himself to her tail as she walked to Rainbow Dash and placed a hoof on her shoulder. Pinkie's face grew serious, and yet more real, like a mask had just dropped away. “Rainbow... You have the hardest job out of all of us, and the biggest decision. You are the Element of Loyalty, the embodiment of staying beside your job, your country, your responsibility, and your friends... But sometimes, above everything else, you have to be loyal to yourself.” Pinkie lifted Dash's chin with a hoof, making sure that the cyan pegasus was hearing everything she had to say. “You have principles, fears, hopes, dreams; you know what you have seen and know right from wrong, and only you can decide what Loyalty is. Will you stand with somepony doing something wrong just because they are your leader? Your friend? Doing what they ask and hoping they will change for the better? Or will you stand by your principles, defending who you are, even if it might hurt a friend? Even if it angers a monarch? Would it be worth it to show them the error of their ways? Or would that act break you worse than staying silent?” Pinkie released Rainbow's chin, stepping back as she did. “I cannot answer those questions. It is not my place to make that choice for you, Dashie, but you'll need to make it soon.” Rainbow stood, just as confused as before, and yet... some things seemed a lot clearer. Her choice had been laid down before her by a Pinkie Pie she wasn't sure she'd seen before... now all she had to do was make it. But first, she had a question. “Pinkie... are you alright? I know I didn't want you to be you, but I didn't want you to be somepony else either.” Pinkie smiled brightly, looking like the party mare she'd always been. “Yup! I just don't like it when I see a friend not smiling! And you haven't really been smiling for a long, long time.” Rainbow's smile appeared then as she shook her head. “Same ol' Pinkie Pie.” She began towards the window, getting ready to say her goodbyes and thanks, when another question hit her, hot on the heels of Pinkie's words. “Why do you say I need to make the choice soon?” Pinkie Pie's smile widened. “Because, silly, the meeting is tomorrow night!” As she said that, she flicked her tail in the air, causing Gummy, who was attached, to arc through the air. As he flew he opened his mouth, causing a small, dark blue scroll to fly into Dash's hooves, while the alligator himself snapped onto Dash's mane, hanging there calmly with his unblinking stare. Rainbow removed the reptile from her head, then opened the scroll, carefully reading the delicate silver words written on it. 'We too dream of a different world. One brought out of the darkness of the past and into the bright future awaiting us. If you question Equestria's present, meet with us. We will be waiting.' Below the writing were coordinates, a time, and a date, which translated to the Everfree Forest, in the middle of the night, tomorrow. And, below all of that, Princess Luna's cutie mark was engraved, a symbol of the message's sender. Rainbow looked from the scroll to Pinkie Pie, confusion only building, and nothing readable on the pink mare's face. “Where did you–?” “Ah, ah, ah!” Pinkie said, waving a hoof in Dash's face. “You have a choice and I have a bed to make, so we are both much too busy to keep chatting.” She then led Rainbow to the window, quickly pushing her out and leaving the pegasus to hover outside. “Come or don't, tell ponies or keep it to yourself... Country, or Princess? The future flies in your hooves now.” Before Rainbow could respond, the window was snapped shut, leaving her beneath the complex map of stars above. Stars ruled over by a princess not seen, not heard, but just as much a leader of this country. Stars that hung over every other pony who dreamed of a better world, of a brighter future, or just an end to this horrible drought... Stars she would stand beneath the next night, in the Everfree Forest, making a choice that would change the face of Equestria forever. Wind passed through the pegasus' hair as she stood on the edge of the cliff, ivy green eyes roving purposefully over the horizon. It was a stunning afternoon, with twilight quickly descending as the sun fell behind the mountain behind her. Yet it brought with it a light blue sky, almost green down near the horizon, fading into the heavy blanket of full grey clouds that sat over the lowlands below, while, high above, hanging weightless in the sky, were small peach cloud puffs, balancing the picturesque scene. The beautiful image of Timbucktu, the city hidden beneath the rain clouds, was marred by a curling stream of red and purple floating up into the sky and over the mountain, rising from the factories and hanging over the entire valley like a dragon. Whether it was protective or poised to strike was anypony's guess, but this far into the territory of the New Lunar Republic, it was hard to imagine one of the main production hubs actually falling under direct attack. Another gust of the crisp, clear mountain air stirred the pegasus' tail, the ongoing war the last thing on her mind. She took a deep breath, smiling happily as she tightened the oil-stained rose-red bandanna holding her mane down and pushing down one of the small bandages on her cheek. Her flight up here had been easy enough, but this was a momentous occasion, much more so than her previous test runs. Those she'd tried lower down, often ending in small crashes into trees or, on her first attempt, wrecking a fruit stand. She hadn't tested in the city after that. But up here, with the lush forests all around and below only growing richer as the light started to fade, she knew this design would work. She unwrapped the bulky mass on her back, what started as a brass and cloth satchel quickly unfolding into false wings, connected by wires and pulleys to the delicate machine case on her back. The interior of the case was a mess of pulleys, gears, counterweights, and springs, looking like true chaos to most, but each as carefully placed as the notes of a symphony by the young mare checking them over now. She ran her parchment-colored feathers over the machine, brushing off any leaves and dust it gathered on its journey up the hill. The evening breeze rustling the trees around her brought her attention to the real world. Light was fading; it was now or never. She took the large wind key from its slot at the top of the pack, placing it in its socket and turning it with both front hooves, slowly tightening the mainspring within. Each turn heightened the tension in her chest as she realized that this was really it. Just a few more turns and her project would be complete. Four years of work, all coming down to one successful flight. When the key would no longer turn, she knew it was ready. She removed the key from its place, sliding it back into its storage slot. She pulled the straps over her shoulder, tightening the harness down that held the false wings to her back. It had to fly on its own, no help from her own wing power, and she knew it. With a deep breath, she pulled the strap that held her wings down tight, ensuring they would not be used and that the machine would not be lost. The sky had faded, the yellows and greens gone, and replaced with the purples and deep blues of night. But now she was ready, sliding the control gloves over her fore hooves and looking over the rocky cliff: the runway to her future. She stood at the tree line, letting out a calming breath before setting her brow, and smile, in a look of pure determination. This was it, and it was going to be fantastic. The barest hint of stillness in the wind over her fur was all the signal she needed to go, cuing her to break into a full gallop up the rocky incline. Hooves pounding, the weight of her work on her shoulders, she reached the end of the line, bunching up her muscles on the cliff's edge and leaping forward with all of her might. It was then that she made the mistake of looking down. While all around were trees and lush mountain forests, directly beneath the cliff sat nothing but rocks, looking devastating in the looming shadows of night. Her heart, pounding with excitement, froze at the sight, her legs locking out as she sailed from the safety of the ledge. Her forward momentum slowly faded, replaced by the relentless pull of gravity. Her stomach dropped just before the rest of her, her first thought the safety switch on the strap keeping her wings in. She reached for it, causing her control gloves to manipulate the machine, and that one moment of lift as the wings above her moved reminded her of everything she was here for. She moved swiftly, the motion of her forelegs pulling the wiring, setting the metallic wings she bore in motion. With a few industrious flaps of their sinewy form she quickly gained control of her plummeting fall, swinging up into the air, a glint of orange rising over the clouds and shining in the last beams of twilight. Many pegasi had tried to describe the feeling of flight, and none could truly catch it. Even her father, with his skill as a writer, had failed, so she had no hope of ever being able to. But the feeling of soaring through the air without any of her own power, relying on her creation and experiencing it carrying her through... it was incredible. Her heart soared much, much higher than the brass wings would ever take her. It had worked! The words repeated themselves in her head, a cheer repeating and filling her mind with joy. With an ecstatic laugh the pegasus looped up higher, making the machine’s gentle flapping sail her through the cool flowing air. She twisted and turned, looped and dived, all more than she could have hoped from her creation, and all pulled off without any effort. Caught up in the moment, she powered straight up, breaching through a puffy cloud and, at the top of her ascent, spread the machine’s wings out wide, letting the night envelop her and bathe her in the light of the first few stars while she waited for gravity to take hold. When gravity grew tired of her carefree nature and finally decided to pull once more, she turned into a gentle spiral, aiming to come in for a landing. As she went to adjust, however, the controls went sluggish. The wings’ motions were stiff, eventually grinding to a halt, and it took her only a moment to understand why. The spring had wound down, and her time in the air was up. Unfortunately, the position of the machine took her into a death spiral, moving faster and faster towards the ground until she was little more than a meteor in the dark. She spun, reaching for the safety latch, when she heard a tearing sound, and her world became chaos. She was no longer just spinning, but tumbling, the canvas from her torn right wing flapping uselessly above her, its only purpose to catch the wind and throw her around. Wind whipped at her eyes, her body, her hooves, and became the only sound as it filled her entire world. She couldn't tell up from down, her hooves flailing towards a safety latch that she just couldn't grip, and when she could, would not pull. Whether it was stuck or not, she couldn't tell, but the looming mass growing ever closer with each passing second told her she didn't have long to find out. Sky and earth swirled as she spun, finally managing to grip the latch, but unable to activate the release. She pulled, wanting the chaos to end, fearing the way it most likely would... And then, with a sudden, deafening silence, it stopped. It took her a few times blinking in the dark to realize she wasn't spinning. She looked up, seeing nothing but shadows, then looked down. A golden glow held the tip of her black tail out, distorting the line of deep blue that ran through the center of it. Far below her, stars gleamed in the velvet sky, but even their magic was nothing compared to the glow that held her safe. It pulled her towards that sky, bringing her above the lip of the cliff beside her, as if aiming to make her one with the universe, until it suddenly stopped. Unceremoniously she was swung to the side, and then, with a wink, the magic disappeared, dropping the pegasus heavily to the ground. The impact brought her out of her wondrous stupor, causing her to scramble upright and scan the skies. The glow had to have had a source: somepony had just saved her life, and she wanted to know who. Fumbling with the safety latch that had given her so much trouble, she scanned the forest, seeing nothing in the dim light of the early moon. It was barely peeking over the horizon, defining rather than removing shadows, but it was enough to realize that her savior wasn't here. Finally she managed to unhook her creation, taking it off and looking over the cliff's edge. She was back where her doomed flight had started, the blanket of clouds over the city, the tiny balls of fluff high above... But, looking closely, one of them had a slight golden aura about it, moving slowly through the dark sky. “Hey!” the pegasus called up to it. “Where are you going?” The cloud, instead of slowing, sped up, floating against the breeze as it moved to escape her. Immediately the pegasus stretched out her wings, taking to the sky to follow the mysterious cloud. It wasn't moving very quickly, and the glow was almost drowned out in the silvery moon, but that didn't stop the pegasus from landing on the cloud, her eyes widening as what she saw was confirmed. Standing on the cloud was a unicorn, her horn glowing a dim gold, eyes matching the magic's color looking fearfully at the pegasus before her. The unicorn's fear was made obvious when she recoiled at the movement of the pegasus's hoof, raised in greeting. “He- woah, no need to be scared. I just wanted to thank you for saving me. I don't wanna think about what would've happened if you hadn't caught me.” The unicorn looked at the hoof inquisitively, the glow from her horn fading and the cloud ceasing its movement. The pegasus just held out the hoof a little longer, the smile on her face getting strained as the silence reached the level of awkward. “Anyway... My name is Wind Key, what's yours?” The unicorn looked from Wind Key's hoof to her ivy eyes, seeing nothing but appreciation and curiosity there. Hesitantly she held up her own hoof, placing the bronze-footed limb in Wind Key's. “I'm Steam Cloud. Think nothing of it.” The pegasus looked as though the unicorn had just sprouted wings. “Think nothing of it? You just saved my life! Is there something I can do to make it up to you?” Steam shook her head. “N-no!” She stopped herself the moment the yell left her lips, not wanting to sound quite so ungrateful. “Please, just forget it. Anypony in my position would have helped. Your thanks is enough.” Wind Key dug at the cloud gently with her hoof, seeing the expectant, fearful look on the unicorn's face. Steam wanted her gone... but she couldn't just let saving her life go so weakly rewarded. And, even if her flight was cut short, her success had her in high spirits. “At least let me fly you back to the city. It's gonna take a while to fly back, I can't imagine how long it would take on hoof. Or, uh, on cloud.” “I'm fine,” came the curt reply. “Really.” Wind rolled her eyes, stomping her hoof and kicking up a puff of cloud. “Come oooooon. You can't do that to me! I just want to help you after you helped me! Just a flight back to town?” The unicorn rolled her eyes, frowning at Wind. “Are you even able to fly? You just almost crashed in your crazy contraption.” “It's not like I made the wings because I can't fly! I was testing them, the safety just got stuck when I went into the death spiral.” “Not much of a safety...” Steam muttered under her breath. Wind snorted at her. “Look, make fun of me if you want, you're not leaving without some reward. You can tell me what to give you, or I will just start pushing the cloud back to town until you do.” There was a moment of silence as Steam Cloud looked at Wind Key flatly. “You're not going to let this go, are you?” The pegasus shook her head, her bangs swaying in front of her face from under her bandanna. With the barest hint of a smile, Steam let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. You can fly me back since it's getting late. But that's it.” Wind smiled in victory. “Great! I'll be right back!” With a hop she was off of the cloud, swooping back to the cliff where her machine had been left abandoned. She folded up the twisted and broken wing, tucking it in with the other until it almost looked like it had when it arrived. Within moments she was in the air again, landing once more on Steam's cloud. Steam raised an eyebrow at her, but that was stopped as the satchel was shoved into Steam's hooves. “Here, put this on your back, then climb on mine. I don't know if it'll be as nice as sitting on a cloud, but it'll definitely be faster.” Steam Cloud looked leery at the prospect, but seeing how determined Wind was, she resigned herself to the fact it would happen and strapped the surprisingly light contraption to her back. She then walked over to where Wind Key was kneeling, looking a little wary. “How do I...?” “Hook your fore hooves over my wings, up by my shoulders, and hold on tight.” Steam did as she was told, getting into position and giving the go ahead to Wind, who stood up slowly with a grunt. “Oh, wow... you're way heavier than I thought.” Steam was already regretting her decision. “Gee... thanks.” “No problem, and it shouldn't be an issue, now hang on!” With another grunt of exertion Wind Key ran to the edge of the small cloud, leaping into the air with her wings spread wide. She dropped a few dozen feet, then managed to level out, gliding over the treetops. Steam clung tightly to her shoulders, only the fear of plummeting further keeping her hooves from Wind Key's neck. “A-are you sure you can do this? Because its a nice night for a walk...” Wind shook her head, smiling over her shoulder. “Nah, it won't be a problem. Since we aren't currently tangled in the trees, it means I can carry you, which means it'll be smooth flying from here on out.” Steam Cloud's pupils shrank to pinpricks. “You mean you weren't sure before you jumped?!” Wind looked puzzled at the question. “I had a good idea, but I haven't ever flown with a pony on my back before, so...” Steam Cloud began to shake on Wind's back, her breath coming in shallow gasps, causing Wind to raise an eyebrow. “I know it's cold, but it'll be over soon, alright? Just try to tough it out.” “Y-yeah... right....” Steam clung a little more tightly to the mare beneath her, eyes looking around for a safe cloud she could drop to in case of emergency. Unfortunately, this low, there was only forest until they reached the blanket over Timbucktu. To take her mind off of the incredibly sharp trees passing by beneath her, Steam let her mind wander to the flying machine. The wings had worked, for the most part, and she had to admit she'd always been a little curious about flying. It was the only reason she'd agreed to this Either it was less terrifying when you controlled the flight, or all pegasi were crazy daredevils... Steam wasn't sure which was more likely, but she knew she must be crazy, considering she not only didn't know this mare, but had just saved her from crashing. And yet... this still didn't actually feel like a bad decision. Steam nodded to herself. It was official, she had gone mad when she became a hero. But maybe it would all work out once she was back on the ground. Until then, she had to keep her mind off of it. “These wings... the ones you were testing. They were working well until they failed.” Wind's ear perked up at the other mare's voice, a smile crossing her face. “Thank you! I've been working on them for a while now, but I finally got them to work. Now all I need is a good power source.” “Power source?” That explained the crash. Not knowing the length of your flight would make planning for its end difficult. “What are you using now? An electrical engine and a battery?” Wind shook her head. “Much too heavy. The last iteration had one. Couldn't get in the air. This one is all clockwork, run on a mainspring, doesn't last for long, and I can't think of a good way to keep it wound while flying.” Steam Cloud looked at the satchel on her back in fascination. “A spring? You're getting all that lift off of one spring?” Wind Key nodded. “Yup! One mainspring, with a whole mess of gears and smaller springs to keep the wings flapping correctly and all the energy levels in check. I'm really bad at explaining it, and Clockwork, the pony I work for, will back me up on that, but it's mostly one spring, some brass, some canvas, and a whole lot of power ratios that keep it in the air.” Steam looked off into silver-lined skyscape around them, watching Wind's wings flap just at the edge of her vision. There was a surprising amount of power in every single stroke, if Wind was carrying the weight of, if Steam was honest, two and a half pegasi at least. To get the same potential out of a spring was almost mind boggling... No wonder there were power problems! “How many prototypes did you go through to get them to this level?” “It's my sixth design in something looking like this, though I did have a few other attempts before that. They were just too bulky. These are almost there... I have the ratios right, now it's just a matter of energy.” Steam Cloud wracked her mind over the problem, feeling parts of her brain she used so rarely sparking to life. However, without knowing the calculations, she didn't have too much insight to offer. “Unless you can make a lightweight boiler, I think you might be as close as you can get.” “The boiler was my last attempt. I only just managed to molt the singed feathers.” The pair fell into silence as Wind Key continued to fly towards the city, looming ever larger in the growing moonlight. Luna's silvery orb was slowly rising in the sky, casting a gentle glow on every, including the raincloud hanging over the city. In this light, though, the pollution trail was almost invisible, just another cloud among its brothers. A thought occurred to Wind Key as she flew, seeing the approaching clouds and remembering the small one she'd taken off of. “How were you standing on that cloud up the hill? Your magic was being used to move it, not make it solid, so far as I could tell.” Steam held forward her left forehoof, placing it in Wind's vision and showing off the fitted brass shoe. “Enchanted horseshoes, for cloud walking. I've always liked being up in clouds... it's how I relax.” “Huh... Strange to hear from a non-pegasus, but my mom was like that too. She always liked to mention how peaceful she felt in the sky. She was kind of an odd earth pony that way.” There was a moment where it felt like Steam was going to say something, but it passed, and silence threatened to return. Wind Key put an end to that, though. “Where did you get those shoes, if you don't mind me asking?” There was a slight hesitation before the answer. “They're special... And I don't think you could get your hooves on another set anywhere in the New Lunar Republic.” “Oh...” The disappointment in Wind's voice caused Steam to tilt her head. “Why do you ask?” Wind just shrugged. “I was thinking if I could get my hooves on a set, I could pair it with the final version of the wings and send it back to mom. She's said ever since I was learning to fly that she wanted to join me again, but she never managed it before I left... I hope she's gotten a chance to fly since.” There was the feeling of another question hanging in the air, but after a long while it passed, leaving silence as the two approached the edge of Timbucktu. As soon as the landscape went from natural to cityscape, the rain set in, drenching the pair in no time at all. Below and around them the lights of a city in full nighttime swing glowed, their spheres of influence measured by the dark rain flying through their domains. But the two ponies flew between them quickly, and soon Wind landed in what was known as the Artisan's Ward. The Artisan's Ward was the shopping center of the city, mostly focused on the better off, with clothiers, jewelers, perfumeries, haberdashers, boutiques, and sundries aimed at a more refined taste. Most of the storefronts were dark at this hour, the night late enough and the weather bad enough that there was no real worry of losing customers. Wind Key touched down before one such darkened storefront, a sign in the shape of a gear proclaiming it to be 'Clockwork's Creations.' She was in the doorframe, huddled away from the rain and working the key in one wing when she realized the mistake she had made. “I didn't even ask where you wanted to be dropped off. Sorry, about that, Steam Cloud. I'll fly you over once I put away my machine, if that's alright with you.” Steam Cloud shook her head. “No, this is fine, actually. Thank you. I really should be getting home...” Wind Key turned the key in the lock, opening the door and flicking on a light. The warm yellow glow spilled out into the street, lighting each raindrop and surrounding both ponies. For the first time Wind could see Steam's sky blue fur and cloud white mane, plastered to her head from the rain. She could also see her cutie mark: a brass horseshoe surrounded by clouds. Seeing the young unicorn that had saved her life standing there in the rain and looking so hesitant... Wind Key frowned. “That won't do. If you don't want me flying you home, at least come in to dry off, warm up, and I'll get you, what, coffee? Tea? Cocoa?” Steam Cloud shook her head, the rain flipping off her mane as she did. “No, really, you've done more than enough, and I don't want to stay out too late.” She took the satchel off her back with her hooves, holding it out for Wind Key to take. Wind walked up slowly, grabbing the satchel while smiling slightly. “Oh, I'm sure you can spare a few minutes, considering I saved you a few hours with the flight. And it is a freezing rain tonight...” Before Steam could respond, Wind Key had a hoof over Steam's shoulder, a wing acting like an umbrella for them both. “Nope, I insist, you're staying until either you get dried off and warmed up or the rain stops.” Steam Cloud's eyes widened as she was pulled into the shop. “I don't really want to be a bother...” Wind hushed her, closing the door behind them and leaving them in the warm, dry shop. “Not a bother at all. Just follow me and don't drip on the counter. I don't want Clockwork killing me.” The interior of the shop was... rather dull, really. There were a few clocks, toys, compasses, and other mechanical things on shelves, but there wasn't too much to discern the store from any around it. The hardwood counter had a hatch in it separating the front from the back, and a curtain keeping sight blocked between the store and the work rooms. Wind went through quickly, leaving the hatch open and disappearing through the curtain, fully expecting Steam Cloud to follow. Which she did. She almost surprised herself when she did follow, sure her madness would have disappeared by the time she'd gotten here, but Steam was having a kindness offered to her, and while she didn't feel she deserved some special treatment for catching a falling pony, it was nice all the same. Besides, while the store had a boring look, those wings had come out of it... there had to be more beneath the surface. The back room was a stark contrast to the front. There was a main workroom, a little less boring, with the workings of a clock mid-repairs on one of the benches, but behind that there were three smaller rooms. One was closed, to the right was a small kitchen, where Wind Key could be seen getting a kettle of water ready, and to the left... “So you never answered. Tea? Coffee? Cocoa?” Steam's curiosity was stalled by Wind's voice. She wasn't looking at Steam as she worked in the kitchen, the deep blue streak running through her otherwise black mane standing out now that her bandanna was drip drying on the counter. The fact that the pegasus trusted the unicorn so much really made Steam feel warm inside. Then she remembered she'd been asked a question. “Um... cocoa, please.” “Mhm!” Wind nodded an affirmative, walking to cupboard and getting what she needed and still not watching her guest. Steam Cloud's attention returned to the left door, and she tiphoofed her way there, feeling more than knowing why she was drawn to it. Once she was in the frame... it was magnificent. It was a second workspace, filled to the brim with half-built contraptions like no other. There was something that looked like a whirligig in the corner, taking up almost a quarter of the space and completely unable to get out of the door, while a workbench had oil stains and tools strewn about it from recent use. Previous models of wing machine hung from the ceiling, while tucked into the corner was something amazing even compared to everything else. It looked like a clockwork pegasus, battered partially and in a strange state of disrepair, with one wing extended and propped up for examination while the other hung limp at its side. It was surrounded by blueprints, sketches, and pages and pages of calculations pinned to the walls. They all seemed to originate from an easel beside the automaton, a current blueprint sitting on it, with a prototype almost matching the one Steam had seen earlier hung spread out above it like a prize on a mantlepiece. And then, next to all that, as though it were the most normal thing in the world, was a simple bed. Nothing more than a futon on the floor, a pillow and some blankets thrown messily on it... But it completed the picture perfectly. The front was clinical, a show for the customers, and the workroom was practiced and clean, but this room... this was alive, where passion flowed into the wonders that came out of it. To think a small room with no windows could so strongly convey the desire to soar. A cough sounded from the door frame, causing Steam Cloud to jump and back away from the blueprint she'd been examining. “I suppose I should've closed the door if I didn't want you in here... Ah well...” Wind Key tossed a towel toward Steam, which she caught with a hoof. “There's a towel to dry off your mane, and I brought the cocoa.” Steam looked sheepish, realizing how she'd feel if somepony trespassed into her room. “I'm sorry to intrude. It just... kind of called to me. I've always been a bit of a tinkerer at heart.” Wind Key smiled. “No harm done. Do you work as one, or...” Steam Cloud shook her head. “No... I'm... I'm in food service.” Her ears drooped as the words left her mouth, but they got little more than a shrug from Wind Key. “If you like what you see that much, feel free to ask questions. I'm pretty sure I still owe you a few.” Wind walked forward, two mugs balanced on her wing, which she quickly put down on the workbench. She then swept the wing towards them, bowing with a playful smile on her face. “Your cocoa, madame.” Steam suppressed a giggle, wrapping the towel in her mane and, after a moment of hesitation, lifting one of the mugs over in her magic. As she did, she saw the brass winding key on Wind's flank, a ready spring coiling beneath it... Steam really didn't know what she expected, but after seeing the room, that cutie mark seemed to make far too much sense. “Thank you, but Steam is fine.” Wind shrugged and got up, taking a sip from her mug and wincing at the heat. She set it back down, blowing on the hot liquid and hoping Steam hadn't been paying too much attention to her. Her wish was granted, as Steam was fully engaged by the blueprint on the easel in front of her. While the unicorn waited for her cocoa to cool, she stole a look towards Wind. “Is this the design you tested today?” Wind nodded, walking over. “That's it! I still don't have a good name for it... Clockwork Wing Module just sounds too technical. Though I really won’t have to worry about it too much until I get the power sorted out.” “You said you tried a boiler once, but have you considered a pendulum to keep winding the spring? Or maybe a kinetic engine to harness the motions of the pony wearing it?” Steam took a test sip from her mug before floating it over to the workbench, waiting for it to cool some more. Wind Key walked behind the unicorn, looking at the design. “I was thinking about a pendulum to rewind the spring, but it would throw off a pony in flight and do strange things to wind resistance. A kinetic engine, however... that would explain what that thing was in the clockwork pegasus.” She flipped open the casing of the motionless metal pony, pointing to a complicated series of springs and wiring. “Is that one of those? I couldn't identify it, and I know those crystals have something to do with power, but I couldn't hope to understand those.” Steam Cloud looked where the hoof was pointing, eyebrow raising in curiosity. “Yeah... that is a kinetic engine, though it looks like much more advanced than any I've seen. And the crystals are a magic storage device, like a battery...” Her explanation trailed off as she leaned into the open chassis, getting a better look at the complex innards of the machine. “Where did you get this thing? It's... crazy advanced.” “It was sent to me, anonymous, no return address, just a note reading 'Let your imagination soar.'” Wind Key looked wistful for a moment, her eyes not focused on anything in the room. “I think it was from my dad.” Steam could sense that there was a very deep subject there, and she didn't want to gulf it yet. Maybe once they knew each other a little better. But this robot thing... “Mind if I take a closer look?” Wind Key snapped back from wherever she was, shaking her head to clear it. “Not at all.” She stood behind Steam Cloud, a smile appearing as both of them got lost in the inner workings of the clockwork pegasus. Behind them, their cocoa cooled, forgotten, on the workbench. The two young mares spent the better part of an hour working over both the clockwork pony and the broken experiment from earlier, though neither really much noticed the passage of time. They were both having far too much fun focusing on the problem before them, thinking through possibilities and crunching numbers. And, when the work took on a more mechanical nature and tools started to come out, their conversation moved to other matters. It turned out that both of them were the same age, and both of them had an earth pony as their mother, which was the reason both of them had gotten interested in tinkering. Steam's father had been a tinkerer in his own right, while Wind revealed that she had originally come to the city looking for her father, a writer, who'd disappeared seven years ago. Steam was very quiet about her family, only saying that, like Wind's mother, both of them lived in the Solar Empire. Wind was mostly self-taught in her skills, starting on a few of her mom's machines, but it hadn't really become much until she'd come to the Republic and ended up, after a lot of wandering and a bit of providence, working at this shop. Steam had learned under her father, and had worked with him until he'd decided to leave the city... that was all she wanted to say on the matter, and she refused to talk about her current work, always steering the conversation back to the task at hoof. And that was perfectly fine with Wind Key, because they were both having a blast. It had taken a long time to reach that point, but Steam Cloud was finally opening up a little, even making a joke while she was working on the kinetic engine. Both mares burst out giggling, Steam almost losing her magic grip on the screwdriver floating over the machine. And neither of them heard the hoofsteps coming in from the front of the shop over the laughter. “Wind Key! Do you have a friend over? You just make sure they don't break anything, and I won't have to– ” The hooves stopped at the door frame, the look of surprise on the mare's face there even larger than on the two fillies in the room. The laughter ended, silence filling the air, and then the old mare's eyes fell on the floating screwdriver. Steam Cloud immediately dropped the offending tool, causing it to clink against the cocoa mugs from earlier, but it was too late to stop the oncoming fury. “What is one of those doing in my shop?!” Wind Key looked horrified, sitting stunned near her bed. “Clockwork, calm down! Why are you-?” “Get out of my shop you conniving thief! You mongrel! You vicious little wretch!” Clockwork advanced on Steam Cloud swiftly, causing the unicorn to leap up from where she sat, scattering nuts and bolts across the floor in her bid to run for the door, her long-unneeded towel falling from her mane, which fell over her horn, hiding it once more. But this didn't stop the enraged earth pony for a moment. “If I ever catch you anywhere near this premises again, I'll call the guard! I'll call the army!” Clockwork chased Steam all the way out the front door, into the thundering storm that had brewed since Steam's arrival. “AND STAY OUT!” The door was slammed shut, locking the unicorn out in the cold. Wind Key watched the entire process with a look of horror. “What was that for? She was my friend, and-” Clockwork turned on the pegasus, the middle-aged earth pony seeming infinitely large in this moment as she loomed over Wind Key. “Your friend? Wind Key, let me make this perfectly clear. You are not to consort with their kind, and furthermore-” “But she saved my life! And what do you mean 'their –'” Clockwork stomped, cutting off her protege's words. “NO! I don't care what she did! No enemy plot is going to start in my shop! And if I see you and her together again, you will not be welcome here either. Do you hear me?” “But–“ “Do you hear me?” “Yes! Bu–“ “Good!” Clockwork flicked her cream mane, settling it slightly from its frazzled state. “It's a good thing I had forgotten something this evening in the shop, or who knows what could have happened?” The chestnut mare, seemingly much smaller now that her threatening was done, walked behind the counter and into the main workspace. “The damage that might have been done... it all looks safe enough, but I will just have to search this place with a fine tooth comb in the morning, you better believe me. Really, Wind Key, fraternizing with the enemy... I expected better of you! You know, when you came into this shop, I agreed on the condition...” Clockwork was ranting, but the words were lost on Wind Key, who was looking at the door, watching the rain pound against the window and seeing the flashes of lightning outside... She had no idea what had gotten into Clockwork, but once she was wound up it would be days before she wound back down. But Wind Key didn't even care about that. She walked, confused, into her room, looking at the work abandoned so suddenly, the dangerous mess strewn across her floor, the calculations half-done and the new blueprint only partially made... But the lost work wasn't even registering in her mind. As she took the two cold, nearly full cups of cocoa into the kitchen, there was only one thing sitting in her mind. I wonder if I will ever see her again...