//------------------------------//
// Nightmares 
// Story: Where Night Meets Day 
// by _Medicshy 
//------------------------------//

	As traitorous as Fluttershy felt doing so, she, along with more than half of the pegasi stationed or cared for at the field hospital, packed up her belongings and left. What she had brought with her wasn't much, just her journal, her veterinary bag, and some food for Angel, but she packed it just the same, not bothering to give back the medical supplies she had been given with her position. It was terribly rude to do so, she knew, but with how many ponies were moving out, she couldn't afford to be unprepared.

While the majority of the pegasi took wing from the camp, some heading to their homes in the Empire and most going straight for the border, a few of the indignant injured had to make their way by hoof, and Fluttershy wasn't going to let them go unattended. She wouldn't be following them or doting on them, but if one fell as she traveled behind, she was going to make sure she was ready. However, it was her final patient that she worried for the most.

Dented could barely walk on his own three hooves, stumbling and losing balance even with the guidance of another pony, so Fluttershy made sure to stay by him. It was hard doing so, considering how much pain he'd put her through, both in the arduous process of saving his life and the aftermath of taking care of him, but he still held all his faith in her. He trusted that she would get him home, and she was going to do just that...

And in a lot of ways, she had to thank him. He had helped her see the ponies she had turned a blind eye to previously, and was immensely supportive in her hour of need. Angel was a wonderful, truly caring companion, but it was nice to have a pony there for her, going through the same problems and encouraging her every step of the way. She didn't pour out her fears to him like she did her bunny, but even so, he always had a little bit of encouragement right when she needed it.

As they walked through the woods, the rough ground wreaking havoc on his balance and causing both ponies to struggle, he kept a smile on his strained face, conversation keeping the travel at the back of their minds.. “So... I haven't told you about myself, have I?” Fluttershy shook her head, focusing on the ground. “Well, I used to be an actor. It wasn't much, just a little community theater in a small town, but I tried to be entertaining, and ponies seemed to like it. I'd help out with events or announcements, whatever I was needed for. Then, when the whole rift happened and the war broke out and suddenly I ended up on the Republic's side...” He looked to the ground, deflating visibly. “I joined as a courier. Just messages from the back lines to the front, in the hopes of maybe ending it a little early. There was never supposed to be any fighting...”

They paused at a small river, sitting down on a rock on the bank, and as they drank from the stream, Dented continued on his train of thought.. “I wonder how my mother's doing. I haven't seen her since the war began, though she'd hate to see me now. She always said I'd poke my eye out goofing off in her theater.” He smirked, standing up and posing proudly. “Look at how wrong she was!” He chuckled a little, and though Fluttershy thought the joke in poor taste, she couldn't help but smile as well.

By the time they made it through the woods, the shadows were growing longer, and up ahead Fluttershy could see a small camp of the slower injured ponies forming for the night. With how fatigued Dented was, she brought him to the camp, where they were welcomed with open arms. There was no place for infighting here, and a medical pony was gladly welcomed to what food they had all brought along.

Fluttershy made habitual rounds that night, making sure the half dozen ponies camped there were comfortable and providing care when need be. It was nothing more than some slipping bandages and fixing one popped stitch, but it was tricky work by firelight, the pale moon high overhead providing little help. Dented, unsurprisingly, needed the most care, his myriad wounds and burns needing extra attention and medicine, though he looked sheepish when she worked on him. “I don't want to be a burden. You don't have to go all out for me...”

Fluttershy shook her head. “It's no trouble at all. Just promise me you'll keep yourself safe when you get back to the Republic.” She would get him there, and then... she didn't know. Part ways, she supposed. But to carry on or turn back, she'd just need to figure out when she got there.

As she was working on a salve to remove some of the ache in his missing limbs, he spoke, seemingly to nopony and at the same time purposefully directed. “I can still see her...”

Fluttershy was startled by the suddenly broken silence, though her hooves remained careful in their work.“I'm sorry?”

“Right before this happened... I was in Cloudsdale, talking with a mare about evacuation.” His eye went wide, and like that he was gone, mind miles away while his body stared at the dancing flames of the campfire. “I was telling her that she had to leave. That with the battling, it wasn't safe to stay where she was. She needed to go to the city center, not stay on the outskirts where the fights were raging. I had almost convinced her, and then...” His pupil shrank. “It all happened so fast. Just a moment's warning, the cloud boiling behind her, lighting up like a sun in the night and moving like a meteor straight towards us...”

He closed his eye, shaking where he sat on the cold, hard ground. “I saw it coming and was able to move, but she... it was right behind her. It flew so fast... one second she was there, and the next there was just mist and darkness. But, for just a moment, as the fire was the brightest... her face, screaming... The look of pain and fear as her body disappeared from behind her...” He opened his eye, looking at Fluttershy, who was listening intently. “And then half of my world was dark and I was falling.”

He lay down, placing a hoof to the bandages over his missing eye. “ I couldn't help her... couldn't even get her to safety before the attack came.” Tears welled up in his eye, the first she had seen. He hadn't cried during surgery, not more than winced as he'd endured the pain, but with the memory of his failure, the pain was finally too much. “She's burned forever in my vision, beyond sight...”

He went silent, and for a moment Fluttershy felt like she was being waited on, but she didn't know what to say. What could she say to something like that? She looked to Angel for a moment, the bunny shrugging, at a loss for words as well.

But Fluttershy, deep down, knew what was needed. She had failed as well... she knew what he felt. She knew what he needed to hear. “You did everything you could. I... I'm sorry.”

Dented still looked haunted, but his mouth curled into a friendly smile at her words. “Thank you. For everything.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “There's no need for thanks. Times may be hard right now, but we're all going to get through this.”

Dented sat up, looking straight into Fluttershy's eyes, an intense earnestness behind the look. “That's exactly it. You didn't have to save me. You could have left me, or given up, or stayed behind, or turned me in, or aba-”

Fluttershy shook her head again, looking adamant. “No! I couldn't. I couldn't leave you behind like you were, and which side you are on didn't change that fact. I only did what anypony would have done.” Angel stood at Fluttershy's side, backing up her statement with a definitive nod.

Dented's smile faded, though his look of appreciation didn't. “You did much more than that... Whatever you do at the border, say what you just said to the other doctors. They could learn a lot from you.” He stayed silent after that, lost in his own thoughts and the image burned into his mind. Fluttershy watched over him as he settled into sleep, hoping she had given him a little peace. She made one more round of the camp, then settled as well, gathering energy for the long trek ahead of her.

The next morning was cold and bright, and all of the ponies in the camp began moving as soon as they could. There was a deadline on when they had to be gone, and they did not want to be caught within the borders when it was reached. They all left as Fluttershy tended to Dented once more, making sure he was ready for the final stretch of the journey. As they set out, he leaned against her gratefully, using her for balance as he settled on his three hooves. “I'm sorry I dragged you into all of this, Fluttershy. You really didn't deserve it.”

Fluttershy shook her head, making sure to keep a steady pace for him. “You didn't drag me anywhere. This was going to happen whether I saved you or not. Given that choice, I wouldn't ever choose differently.” She smiled gently at him, and he smiled back, though it was fleeting as Dented continued the conversation.

“What are you going to do after this? Are you going to try to go back, or make a new way forward in the Republic?” The border line wasn't very far away. It ran through the forest, no pomp, no circumstance, just the occasional patrol to make sure nopony untoward was sneaking through. They weren't there yet, but it was quite likely they wouldn't know when they'd reached it, so having a plan wasn't a bad thing.

However, at the question, Fluttershy froze up.“I... I...” There was a lot to go through. A lot she had learned and a lot she had been taught the hard way in these past few days. And yet, even so... She could never dream about betraying Princess Celestia or her country... but she didn't know if she was willing to work as she had before, either. Angel looked up at her questioningly from the ground, curious about Fluttershy's answer. It took her a while to find the words, but she knew the answer deep down. “I'm Equestrian through and through. I'm going to keep helping ponies... That's the important part.”

She could see Dented about to ask for more, but at that moment both her and Angel's ears perked, their heads swiveling in unison to pinpoint what they had heard. “Stay here.” was all she said as she stopped supporting Dented, quickly taking wing off to the right where she was sure she'd heard a yell.

She flew between the trees for a surprisingly small distance before she came into a clearing, the aftermath of a battle sprawled out beneath her, the ground stained with blood. Her instincts kicked in immediately as she rushed to the Royal Army soldiers, pulling out her medical bag and tending to the wounds she found. There was a lot of blood, and not one of them were conscious, but thanks to her quick action, all three of them were stabilized quickly and would pull through. She began to pack her kit, her job done, when she noticed Angel hopping across the battlefield towards two more injured, both dressed in the uniform of the New Lunar Republic. They were bleeding as well, in worse shape than their opposite number she'd just healed. And yet, she had been trained for so long that they were her enemy...

Immediately that training vanished, her quick wings taking her over to her new patients. A pony was a pony, and a life a life, and she had two more to save. How she had ever forgotten that, she didn't know, but she wouldn't let it pass now. She got to work, stopping the bleeding and bandaging the wounds on the warriors quickly. They were in slightly worse shape, but so long as medical teams arrived for them soon, they would be fine. It took every last strip of bandage and most of the other supplies that she had on hoof, but in the end, neither side was going to lose a single pony thanks to her care.

Just as she finished work on the last victim of the battle, tying off the bandage around his leg and stopping the bleeding there, Dented hobbled into the clearing, surveying the scene quickly. His voice sounded from the edge as she stood, wiping her brow at a job well done. “If you heal both sides, they will just fight each other another day. You're just prolonging a war that's already gone on far too long.”

Fluttershy turned towards him, knowing he spoke the truth and remaining silent. She had joined to help ponies and keep them from dying, nothing more. Sure, it was supposed to be members of the Royal Army, but that hadn't actually been her goal... She just hadn't realized that either. And it was true that her work was only prolonging the war, but... something buzzed at the back of her mind. Words Steel Battalion had said the day before that stuck like barbs in the back of her mind. 

“In war,” Fluttershy said, repeating Steel Battalion’s words and trying to get her own thoughts in order, “there are casualties, and ponies are lost. This is something ponies simply take as a fact. And it is true. But, if there aren't any casualties, and both sides walk away... It's no longer a war, is it? It's just an argument that escalated a little too high.” She looked at him, a happiness in her eyes as she seemed to realize a deep truth. “One way or another, we will have peace.”

Dented didn't really have a response to that, but Fluttershy hoped the smile that spread across his face was for the same reason as hers. It sounded ridiculous, and he could have easily been laughing at her, but... a little hope was never a bad thing.

Fluttershy moved the recovering soldiers to either end of the clearing, keeping the two nations separate as she waited for their medical teams to arrive. She still wasn't sure what she was going to do with herself, especially now that her medical bag was empty, but she felt she was on the cusp of... something. She just didn't know what, and whatever it was, it was going to have to wait, as the Republic's medical team arrived moments later. Fluttershy, Angel, and Dented met with the newly arrived team, filling them in on what happened and ensuring that the ponies were taken care of. As the injured were lifted by the magic of two medical unicorns, Fluttershy heard something across the clearing, leaving Dented to go with his nationals as she dealt with the other side. He was at the border... he was safe now. Whatever she did from here, it was only going to affect her.

The Royal medical team was comprised of six ponies: three unicorns, two earth ponies, and a pegasus. They looked wary when Fluttershy approached, but she showed them that she meant no harm, holding up her medical bag and approaching slowly. After she filled them in on what had happened, she watched the unicorns bark orders at the other three before marching off. She approached the others, seeing anger buried in their motions. “Um... You know, it's not right how you're being treated. You joined to help ponies, and... um...” As soon as the eyes of the three remaining medics were upon her, she froze up, stage fright taking over.

It was then that she was saved by an actor. “You joined the medical corps to help ponies. You, ideally, want to stop a war.” Dented limped his way to the edge of the clearing, a smile on his face despite the strain moving so quickly must have had on him. “But what of all the ponies left behind on the battlefield? Casualties you couldn't save, or didn't pay attention to...” He shook his head. “You did all you could... but there is a way you could do more. If there are no casualties, then there can be no war.” He bowed to the group as they started to move away the injured. “Think about that the next time orders are barked at you. Did you do the right thing? Did you join to help those in need? Or are you just doing what you’re told, another cog in the war machine?”

The medics left, getting their patients to the safety of whatever nearby camp there was, leaving Dented and a mildly surprised Fluttershy. “I thought you would go home with your army. Did you come back to say goodbye?”

Dented shook his head, a smirk on his face. “Quite the opposite. You said something earlier that, as crazy as it sounds, I truly like. You help ponies, you want nothing more than to keep helping ponies... that is the most noble goal I have ever heard.”

Fluttershy blushed. “It's what anypony would do. Though I don't know how much I can keep doing it without supplies or an army...”

“You don't need an army. You just need ponies who share your beliefs. And they are much more common than you think.” With his good wing, Dented gestured to the edge of the clearing, where two of the medical unicorns from the Republic came out of hiding. Each of them had their own medical bags, but hovering between them was another bag, which was placed gently in front of Fluttershy. “A gift, from two ponies who wish to join your cause.”

Fluttershy opened up the bag, seeing it stuffed full of medical supplies. Enough to heal a whole squad, if need be. She looked from the bag to Dented. “My cause?”

Dented smiled. “You are working for peace. That's the only reason I, and many other ponies, joined the war effort at all. They want to help ponies, like you do. And so, they want to help you. As do I.” He walked up to her, still smiling, which only grew when she started to look concerned. “I know I may not have many medical skills, and I doubt that I could ever be half the doctor you can, but... I think I might still be of service.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Dented, you can't stay out here! It's dangerous. There's no tent, there's no camp... even with four of us, this is a silly idea.”

“How about with seven?” The three Royal medics that Dented had talked to earlier came out of the bushes, carrying another bag of supplies, as well as a very large bundle. One of the earth ponies in the group looked towards Dented, a solemn look on his face. “You were right. We weren't doing what we joined to do, and we learned very quickly that the machine thinks it will work without us.” He smirked. “Let's see how the machine works without a tent.”

Dented's smile deepened, amazed that his words could have impact so quickly. Or had their own commander received the same message of paranoia towards their pegasus friend? Either way, there was really only one thing to do. “Element of Kindness, Doctor Fluttershy... I believe this group is yours. What are your orders, oh fearless leader?”

Fluttershy was completely blown away that her crazy little idea, in less than an hour, had so many ponies ready to back it up... and she was horribly worried that they would crumble under her leadership. With all the eager eyes on her, she started to shake, stage fright appearing once more. This wasn't what she had signed up for! She had no idea how to lead!

Just then, Dented walked up behind her, his voice soothing. “Breathe deep, keep calm. A stage is nothing to fear, just name your troupe, play your role, and take it one step at a time.”

Fluttershy nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Um... I don't really...” She looked to Angel, who looked back at her expectantly. They all had their faith in her... She hadn't let down Dented, she wasn't going to falter now. “Peace Corps! Let's find out where we're needed! If... um... that sounds alright to you.”

It might not have been the most convincing start, but a short five years later, there was hardly a pony on the front lines that didn't owe their lives to the Peace Corps. With Fluttershy at their head, and Dented providing moral support, their little force only grew. It was amazing the strength one crazy little idea could have...





Wind Key flew heavily up to Steam Cloud's apartment window, passing in the newly welded Ready Wing exterior before climbing in herself. It was simply faster than going up from street level, and Wind really didn't want to have to deal with the landlady today. She wasn't at all in the mood for being yelled at. However, the unusually dour look on her usually peppy face was noticed by her partner. “Wind? Are you alright? Hit another smog cloud on your way here?”

Wind sighed, shaking her head. “No, it's not that... It's work stuff, not important.” She stretched out her wings and legs a little, cooling off from the flight across town and nodding towards the brass case as she did so. “That's the right shape for it, right? I don't need to bang it out or add anything?” She looked at Steam for confirmation, but was only met with a frown.

“Don't do that, Wind. You let me vent about the ponies at the diner when I was down. You're never in this big a funk.” Wind went to ask about something and Steam cut her off. “The outer frame is perfect. Now what's wrong?”

Wind's face contorted, and for a moment she looked to the window for an escape route, but eventually she gave in, walking over to Steam's bed and flopping onto it. “We've got a new order in, and the shop's going to be in good standing and all and I'm really happy for Clockwork, but...” She stalled, thinking about the best way to phrase the worries that had been eating at her all day.

Steam walked over to the mattress, looking down into Wind's conflicted ivy eyes. “Buuuuut?”

Wind sighed. “I don't like it! It's a bunch of military repair stuff, all for the war effort.”

Steam tilted her head. “And you don't support the war effort?”

“It's not that. There's a second part of the deal, basically money for weapons, and... I'm not cool with that.” She turned over, looking at the wall, searching the white plaster for the images floating in her mind. “I don't want to hurt anypony, and I don't want my inventions hurting them either. There's been enough pain and death without my help in the matter.” She flipped over, seeing the confused look on Steam's face. “But if I work on a weapon, Clockwork's already agreed to get me anything I need. Things like, oh, I dunno, a power crystal that's impossible to get your hooves on... And I dunno what to do. We need the parts to finish the Ready Wings, but I don't want any part in this stupid war.”

Steam's confusion turned into another frown as she thought about the issue, taking everything she knew about her friend into account. She'd been focused on the project every time she'd come in here, but there were enough little hints and clues dropped to know that there was a very personal and painful reason why she didn't want to help with the war effort. Steam could only sympathize, but with the perfect chance in their grasp... “There's only one thing to be done for it.” She knelt down, coming down to eye level with Wind. “Lie. Say you're making a weapon, make a whole order list of everything you need, and make the wings instead.”

Wind shot up on the bed, looking indignantly at Steam. “I can't just lie to Clockwork! She's done way too much for me to betray her trust like that. Besides, that's stealing.”

Steam looked at Wind flatly. “You're sitting in the room of a unicorn you already promised your boss you wouldn't ever talk to again using tools you snuck out of her shop to build a side project you've been working on for years in her shop.”

“That's all different!”

“How?” The silence hung awkwardly in the air as Wind looked for answers in the apartment. Steam just watched, crossing her arms and growing impatient with every second. “Well?”

“None of this hurts her, and I've never been untrue.” Wind stopped looking around the room, meeting Steam's gaze with her own. “I was taught very well about the importance of the truth. Of finding it and sticking to it. Yes, sometimes I obscure it, but I never break it. I have never lied to her about where I am, or left before the shop closed. I've never taken anything that wasn't mine or would be needed, or missed a deadline to work on my project, or refused a task Clockwork needed my help with. This is all my dream, worked on in my own time. I'm not going to change that now.”

Steam's annoyance and anger drained away as she listened to the answer, seeing the intent and determination in Wind's eyes. Some of her ideals were almost childish, but listening to them, Steam didn't want to attack them. It would be like hitting a puppy for barking... She respected, and in many ways envied, Wind for what she said. They were the same age, after all... when had she stopped thinking like that?

However, ponies were still ponies, and if Steam had learned anything from her father, it was that they could be sold anything with the right words, and Wind had given her quite the pitch to make. “You don't have to change anything, but maybe lying was the wrong word for it. The 'weapons' for the Republic are all just to help our soldiers, right?”

Wind nodded, not sure where her friend would be going with this. “Yeah?”

“Well, what you are making is helping them. It might not be something to blow the Empire troops away, but giving that kind of mobility to all the ponies on the front line, not just the pegasi? It would be a major advantage over the other side. You would be fulfilling your contract without actually making anything to directly hurt anypony, and problem solved.”

Wind didn't look too convinced as she slumped against the wall. “But Clockwork wants a weapon, and I'm pretty sure the Republic does too... even if I am giving them something they'd like, they'd never agree to it.”

Steam shrugged. “Of course not, but that's them being narrow minded. What you do is, if they ask you about the parts, you give them a false blueprint for some energy cannon or something. You get the parts, then, on the day you go to turn it in, give them the wings. It won't be what they were expecting, it'll be even better. They might be mad, but in this case, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

Wind rolled her head against the wall, mulling Steam's words over. “I dunno... I wouldn't even know where to begin on a weapon design...”

Steam smirked at her. “Oh, that's easy. I could whip you up a fake one before you even leave.”

Wind shook her head, pushing herself up and trotting angrily across the room. “Look, this mess can be dealt with later, alright? Let's just focus on the project at hoof. We've got the shell and the majority of the pieces, what can we put into place now before the engine is needed?” She walked over to the brass shell she'd brought in, pulling Steam into the conversation on the part and getting the pieces mapped out in her head, completely leaving her worries about the shop behind her. That conversation was over, and she was going to figure it out on her own, while working, when she thought best. And, to be fair to Steam, she never brought up the touchy subject again.

She just silently offered up a blueprint at the end of the night, though with the look on Wind's face as she flew off with it, Steam couldn't bring herself to smile. She just had to hope Wind would make the right call.





Clockwork was thrilled to hear about Wind Key's accepting of the second part of the contract, and was even a pleasantly surprised to hear that Wind already had a blueprint ready. When she looked it over, most of the materials she asked for were simple enough, but there was one sticking point in the shape of a very large, very pricey, very difficult to obtain crystal. “Wind Key, don't think that I doubt your ability or your creativity on this point, but... isn't there some other way that you could manage the power for the device?” Clockwork said, worried about how much the Republic would like this plan with such a costly component.

Wind shook her head, glad that the bandanna tied over her mane hid her sweat so well. “Nope. I could maybe come down on the size of the crystal needed, if you want it to be cut before being sent, but I imagine that would only raise the cost and could possibly give away what the purpose is for.”

Clockwork looked at the item on the list, worry written all over her face. “It's just that this is unicorn magic. Assuming you could find one of those monsters in the Republic anymore, what use would we have of that mess?”

Wind took a step back from her mentor, talking slowly as her mind steadied from the jolt it just took. “...it's to provide the power needed in a compact form. The equivalent for it would be a small boiler the size of a stove...” She stepped in front of Clockwork again. “I'm sorry, why is it that you say that unicorns are monsters? What did they ever do to you?”

Clockwork gave an indignant huff. “What did they do to me? Wind! I am surprised at you! We earth ponies and pegasi have suffered for far too long under the magical yoke of Canterlot and the unicorns! With all of their focus on magical study, leaving those without the gift to fall to the wayside in a technological wasteland... They burned Cloudsdale to the ground at the first sign of insurrection, and attempted to murder our beloved Princess! Calling unicorns 'monsters' is an insult to monsters, really.”

Wind Key sighed deeply internally. That kind of thought was precisely why the war kept going... She'd heard something so very similar all too much in the month leading to her leaving Equestria. A few years later, she had hoped it had faded away, but here it was again, aimed not at her, but no less hurtful. “You know, my brother died beneath Cloudsdale. A lot of ponies did, on both sides... but it wasn't the unicorns who killed them. It was the fault of the nation for loosing the attack, and for not warning their own side it was coming.”

Clockwork snorted. “A taste of their own medicine, not getting their ponies out in time. Though I will bet the unicorns weren't there when the fireballs landed...” And then a spark gleamed in her eye. “But they will be on the other end of this... Energy Cannon you've made, right? And you're sure you can make it work?” Wind Key eventually nodded, not saying a word as she suppressed the anger Clockwork didn't even know she'd caused. The earth pony smiled impishly, considering the list once more. “... I shall see what I can do.”

Wind Key was silent as Clockwork walked off, but she felt sick to the pit of her stomach. Yes, if the energy cannon was made, it would be unicorns on the other end… If that thought made Clockwork happy and gave Wind the crystal, then that was what she would believe. But if it was the last thing Wind did, there would never be a cannon. The only thing on the other end of the device she made would be the open sky, sailing beneath the hooves of any earth pony, unicorn, or pegasus that strapped it on.

She just had to keep Clockwork in the dark a little longer... and after what she'd just heard, she suddenly didn't feel so bad about it.





Over the following weeks the pieces came in and the parts were assembled, both in the comfort of Clockwork's shop and in the secrecy of Steam Cloud's apartment. Wire and brass became the skeleton for the wings, while canvas stretched across their center promised to catch the wind and make them soar. Springs and cogs, gears and levers, each were crafted and fitted into the puzzling shape, one by one, evening after evening, until only one piece remained. Before anything else could be placed, the mainspring wound or the casing locked, the most important part had to be fabricated. The kinetic engine was ready, each of its pieces awaiting their place... they just needed the crystal battery, coming in the mail.

Wind Key catalogued all of the engine pieces for the third time that night, sitting with barely contained excitement in Steam Cloud's apartment. She had spent more and more evenings up here as the pieces had come in, and now, with everything so close, it was all she could do to stop herself from pacing on the spot or prancing with excitement. Because this, even more than all of her other attempts, truly felt like the brink of discovery. And she had gotten to share it with somepony else.

She looked over toward Steam, who was moving the various mechanics with her magic. Her golden glow slid over the brass, checking it for flaws as it lifted and extended the wings, turning small pieces and testing the strength behind the bolts. She even lifted up the straps, cut much too prematurely considering they had nothing to connect to yet, and made sure they were in perfect shape too. Wind hadn't ever seen Steam this alive or energetic. She could almost feel the magic thrum off of Steam's horn as she worked, doing something she loved that had been denied to her for so long. Without that sky blue unicorn, the pegasus would've never come this far... she was truly happy to have found such a dedicated mare to work with.

As Wind watched, Steam's eyes closed, her magic growing brighter as she focused on the strap's brass buckles. It took her a very long time, her face every so often showing just a hint of exertion, and then she placed the buckles down, looking no different than before. As the magic wrapped around the main body of the Ready Wings, Wind's brow furrowed, a memory nudging at the back of her mind, but curiosity at the forefront. “What're you doing?”

Steam continued to work over the various parts, a small smile on her face. “Well, I remembered our last endeavor with your wings, and while I like this one's chances to fly, I'd rather not see the tester plummeting from the sky again. I just put an enchantment on the buckle that should keep it from tangling or jamming, and I was thinking about putting a few upkeep and durability enchantments on the important joints. Possibly see if I could magic a vacuum around the mainspring...” She smiled brightly. “I can't wait to see this thing fly! I'm just making sure it's first flight isn't its last.”

It was then that Wind's memory actually made its way to the foreground, just a little thing her father had once told her. “I thought unicorns had trouble using their magic on brass? Like, it scatters it or something.”

Steam raised an eyebrow, nodding. “Yeah, that's true, though it's fairly uncommon knowledge. Nopony has fully figured out why, but there's something about the alloy, no matter how it's put together, that just doesn't do well with magic. Grabbing onto brass with magic is a bit like... trying to walk on a frozen lake. You can slip very easily, and your hooves are never fully anchored, but with a little practice you can walk on it just fine, or even skate along it gracefully.”

Wind shrugged, starting to return to her cataloguing. “Makes sense. My dad ended up using a brass room against a unicorn chasing him because it scattered the magic she was trying to use to track him. I thought it might all be like that, but then magic is a very varied thing, isn't it?”

“Oh, incredibly. And anything like a scan gets thrown way off by brass unless it's done by the highest level unicorns. But there's actually a secret to brass, which, I am proud to say, is what got me my cutie mark.” She showed off her flank, the brass horseshoe surrounded by clouds, and smiled wistfully. “Dad had been working on some small machine or another, and it was one of these upkeep enchantments that he was trying to cast, but he couldn't get it to stick to the brass. I was playing in the room, and when he got fed up with it, he stormed out. I wasn't too much of a mage at the time, but I wanted to help out, so I climbed up and focused really hard on his machine, and then I slipped by the barrier and the spell was in. Except, I didn't know the correct spell, so what ended up happening was the gear started floating above the desk. Still, when dad came in, he was so proud he tried to get me to enchant everything with any spell I knew, and by the end of the evening I had a room full of floating cogs, glowing toys, bouncy horseshoes, and a brand new cutie mark!”

She smirked, looking rather proud of her story, and Wind smirked for a completely different reason. She couldn't begin to imagine what magic was like to cast, so she couldn't really empathize with Steam too much, but hearing the unicorn finally tell her the cutie mark story made her feel that much closer to her friend.

After a couple seconds of silent boasting and posing, Steam got back on topic. “Anyway, what I found out was that brass, while incredibly difficult to manipulate or penetrate with magic, is also incredibly potent as a storage medium for magic. It clings to any enchantment able to pierce it as zealously as it repels any magic that doesn't, meaning that spells enchanted into brass last a lot longer than those enchanted into more receptive metals like gold, silver, or copper, or even most of the more magic attuned crystals. In fact, those shoes you saw me in on the night when I caught you? I had made them as a gift for my mother about seven years ago, and she gave them back right before she and dad left...” Immediately some of the happiness left Steam's face, that joyful buzz she had visibly retreating into the rest of her as she began to focus on her work again.

Wind tried to reach out for that hiding Steam Cloud, hoping to catch her before she was gone. “Hey, if brass is so good with enchantments, why do we need the crystals? Couldn't we just put a brass core in the engine?”

Unfortunately, the truly open Steam was gone again, though her excitement and happiness at a nearly completed project were still open and abound. “Brass holds on to magic far too well, and doesn't let go for anything. A static spell works in it, since all it has to do is exist, but for anything requiring an energy transfer, like a battery or a magic beam or a shield, the brass holds back so much of it that it's very weak if it works at all.”

“Huh... well then I guess we're going to need that crystal after all.” Wind looked at the pieces of the wings, all ready, all waiting on that one crucial, essential item. “Let's just hope it arrives soon. I don't know how much longer I can wait.”

Steam smiled, surveying their work with pride. “Me neither.”





Clockwork came through on her promise quickly, and just over a week after everything else was in place, the crystal arrived. It was one large piece, a little larger than a head of lettuce and an opaque, dull light blue, roughly hewn from the rocks it had grown in, but the potential was there. From the moment Wind Key's eyes fell on it, she could sense that her moment, her dream, had finally come to be. The key was within her grasp, ready to be cut from the crystal core and set everything in motion...

But it was not as simple as that. “Wind, I need something to show for this. Set this thing and let's see your cannon in action.” Clockwork pulled the large mineral from under Wind Key's hoof, holding it carefully. “You would not believe the things I had to go through to get this for you... This had better be worth it.”

Wind reached out again, touching the rough surface of the crystal. She just had to get it into her own hooves... “It won't fit the design how it is now. It needs to be cut down and refined.”

“Do you need it sent to a jewelry shop? Do you think you have the tools here? I'm sure I had a lens grinder around here somewhere that might work for this...”

“No!” Wind checked herself the second the outburst hit, breathing and letting the excitement ebb a little. “No, I can take care of it, but I don't have the tools here. I'll get to work on it after we finish tonight.”

“You don't have the tools here?” Clockwork's eyes narrowed. “You have been sneaking out. I thought I was missing a tool set... and this would explain where the project is. Did you get another workshop for it?”

Wind's face was spread in a strained smile, sweat beading in her bandanna. “Y-yeah! I was feeling a little cramped in here, and I didn't want anything to happen to it while we were working on things here.” She held the smile for another moment, going over her story... it wasn't particularly strong. “Since everything in my room is about the flying machine and we've had so much work in here, I didn't want anything getting mixed together or used on the wrong project. You know how many things accidentally ended up in a wing design.” She laughed nervously, but knowingly, hoping Clockwork would put the correct pieces together.

Clockwork didn't laugh, but her scrutiny let up a little. “Yeah, more than one metal reorder thanks to your silly wing idea. I'm glad you've moved on from that nonsense.” Wind had to fight not to visibly wince at the words, but at least her mentor had bought it. She really didn't like to lie to her like this... she didn't know how much more she could take. As if called by that thought, Clockwork set down the crystal, looking Wind in the eyes. “So, can I see your progress in your workshop? I'd like to see the tinker in action, as well as ensure her space is secure.”

“No. Um... I, uh...” Just a few more days was all she needed, just enough time for Steam to shape the power conduit from this crystal. Wind had spent almost all of her savings on the expensive gem carving tools needed to get it perfect, transporting them straight to Steam's apartment. There had been something truly enjoyable about seeing her face light up at the new power tools... Steam's happiness warmed Wind's heart every time she got the joy of experiencing it. It took a lot to get past that wall she'd built up, but Steam was such a brilliant, collected, and thoughtful mare beneath it... Wind was truly glad to know her.

But she was terrified of what would happen if Clockwork caught her again. If she found out Wind had seen Steam at all, she'd have a cow... She'd never be allowed to see Steam again, and after everything she'd done for her wings, she'd be forced to build weapons for the rest of her life. And that was if she was lucky... Hearing some of the things Clockwork muttered about unicorns while fixing the army's gear, Wind was afraid of what the earth pony might do to Steam. She'd always been a little strange, but she was harmless.

Remembering the rampage she went on when she found Steam for the first time, Wind modified her assessment: mostly harmless. “I-I don't want you to see the cannon until it's finished!” Wind rushed forward quickly, grabbing the gem firmly from Clockwork's hooves and slipping it onto her back, nestled between her wings. “You've been so looking forward to this creation, I don't want you to see it in anything but its perfect form! Especially should something go wrong in these final stages of testing.”

Clockwork took a step forward, making Wind have to turn quickly to keep her body between her mentor and the crystal. “Wind, you seem to forget that I am rather good with technology myself. I ran this shop alone before you showed up, you know. I could probably help you through any glitches in the machine.”

Wind kept turning, sweat rolling down her temples as she backed away from Clockwork, her smile barely staying in place. “Well, of course you could, but it's all... very dangerous! Yup! High amounts of energy going into this crystal in the end, and one wrong move and the who knows what could happen? I wouldn't want to see you hurt by my failure.”

“And you think I'd like to see you in that danger?” Clockwork kept following, weaving around the retreating pegasus and backing her towards the kitchen, no longer lunging for the crystal, though her eyes didn't leave it. “I still get a little worried every time you use the welding torch. I care about you, Wind. I might be able to help with some sort of safety measure...”

“Well, the place is really small. I don't think we'd both hardly be able to move if we were both in there. Way smaller than this place, but, uh.... creatively open to–“ Wind's rump bumped into the kitchen sink, causing her ears to flatten against her head. She had nowhere to go, and Clockwork just got another step closer.

“Ah, I see... so glad you could get out of this cramped workspace, then...” She grinned dangerously, slowly closing in on the cornered pegasus. “I'll just keep a hold of this hunk of mineral, and I'll deliver it to you this afternoon. I have some free time, it'll be... fun!” Clockwork lunged forward on the last word, only for her hooves to close on open air, Wind having leapt into the air at the same instant.

It was hard to fly and keep the rock on her back steady, so Wind landed lightly on Clockwork's back, keeping most of her weight in the air with her wings as she jumped off of her mentor's dock and over the kitchen counter, galloping to the door once she landed. She slid to a stop there, glancing at the clock just as it chimed noon. “Ah! Look at the time. Well, I'm going to go take my lunch break, I'll be back in an hour!” She reached just inside the workshop, grabbing her bag in her teeth before she ran to the exit, transferring the crystal to the bag as she opened the door and taking flight as Clockwork chased her, a scowl on the earth pony's face.

There was going to be pandemonium when she got back, Wind could already tell, but that bridge would have to wait until she crossed it. Energy was high in the workshop, the extra work and the potential bonus from the incoming invention getting Clockwork particularly tightly wound. She was going to snap at Wind when she got back, no doubt about that, but it would be alright. A reprimand, a little yelling... Wind would need to scrounge together the money to rent a studio for a day. That might calm her down, but plotting more deception simply left a horrible twisting feeling lingering in her gut.

Wind shook her head, taking in a deep breath and coughing at the smog cloud, much further into town than usual. It caused her flight path to wobble and stalled her for a few seconds, but she stayed in the air, flying lower to clear her head. Ever since she started repairing those weapons for the front line, and they were almost exclusively guns and mechanical bows, the smog had been spreading across town. It had always been very contained to the industrial sector, but lately Wind didn't have to fly nearly as far to crash straight into the contaminated air.

But try as she might to distract herself with that, her mind went back to everything she'd done as her flight started. All of these secrets and lies, compounding on each other over and over... They'd be done soon enough. Clockwork would be mad, but.. it would be worth it, right? When she was soaring through the sky like Wind was now, a unicorn's magic helping her feel that simple joy, she'd put all of it behind her. The lack of a weapon, the sneaking around, all of it, and Princess Luna at the capitol would buy it right up. She was one of the first to take an interest in Wind's dream design, really making her think it might be possible. It had just been a hint of fantasy then...

It was nearly a reality now, and the sooner it became one, the better it would be for everypony involved. Wind had visited Steam once or twice at the lunch shift, letting Steam get off her hooves for a few moments and getting a pleasant chat besides. Normally it was about the Ready Wings and getting supplies or changing a design, but once or twice they'd simply talked about work, or the weather... Once, they both just sat in silence, stewing on their horrible day. Just being together, taking solace in each other's company, had seemed to brighten them up.

If Steam was feeling anything like Wind, she didn't need any brightening up, practically vibrating with anticipation while waiting for the crystal. It would be almost cruel to come and give it to Steam at work with so many hours before she could begin shaping it, but... getting it out of the shop seemed like a good idea right now, and maybe a little advice wouldn't hurt either.

Wind Key landed outside of the 5 Wings, trotting inside and taking the open booth furthest in the back, a little away from everypony else and near the kitchen door. She had just gotten a menu up and considered putting food in her tightly knotted stomach when Steam Cloud sat down across from her, an expectant smile on her face. “Hey there, Wind! Anything special bring you out today?”

Wind smiled immediately, some of the tension she'd been holding immediately melting away. “Yeah, actually. I do happen to have some news you might like to hear.” She watched Steam lean in a little closer, and she did too, lowering her voice despite the fact that she couldn't be heard in the noisy restaurant. “The crystal came in today, and it's exactly what we were looking for.”

Steam bounced excitedly in her seat, a happy girlish squeal almost breaking out as she held her hooves to her muzzle. “Awesome! I get to test out the gem cutter! And we're at a week out from the final test.” After taking a moment to compose herself, she leaned forward once more. “So you're coming up tonight, right? We're not going to put this off.”

Wind nodded. “Of course I am. Though... we may want to come in under a week.” She could tell the worry was showing in her face, and she immediately saw the hint of confusion on Steam's. She regretted bringing it up already.

“Did something happen?”

Wind sighed quietly to herself. “Clockwork is getting antsy. She wants to see the Energy Cannon in action, and didn't want to give me the crystal until I took her to where it was being put together... Oh, yeah, she noticed that it wasn't being done in the shop too. And that she's missing some tools.”

Steam winced sympathetically. “Ouch... Wait... didn't want to? So she's agreed to?”

Wind rubbed a hoof on the back of her neck nervously. “Not exactly...” She pushed the bag under the table with her hoof, making sure it bumped into Steam's own, and pointing down when Steam looked at her questioningly. As Steam looked, she kicked the latch, opening the bag and revealing the cloudy crystal within.

“You brought it here?!” Steam hissed once she stopped her jaw from dropping.

Wind closed the bag with her rear hoof, leaning on the table. “She was getting really pushy about being there for the rest of the process, and I kind of... took it from her and ran out for lunch.” She hung her head. “I said I was working at a warehouse in town. Hopefully she'll think I put it there and I can find a place to rent out and show her around in... four hours...” Wind put her head in her hooves. “Geez I didn't think this through. Clockwork is going to kill me.”

She felt a hoof touch hers, and she looked up into Steam's face, smiling gently. “Hey, it's gonna work out. We've made it this far, right? It's gonna be alright.”

Wind's face warmed, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as, for a moment, she felt the same way. “Yeah... I'll figure it out.”

Steam pushed the bag back across the floor. “So, do you want to take it back? We can wait until things cool down a little bit. We've waited this long, a few more days won't hurt.”

Wind shook her head. “No way. A few more days and everything might fall apart, and we're way too close to back out now. Get started on this whenever you want. As much as I would love to see the process, no promises if Clockwork gets too clingy. I'll try to come over tonight, but if something happens, we'll wing it.”

Steam smirked. “Not your best plan, but I've heard worse.” She then stood up, sliding the bag out from under the table as she did. “Can I get you anything, since you came all the way out?”

“I dunno... a pancake, I guess? Something light?” Wind shrugged, her stomach starting to knot again as she thought about what would be waiting for her at home.

“Hmm... I'll see what I can do.” Steam picked up the bag and walked into the kitchen, leaving Wind to stew, her thoughts and imagination starting to get the better of her. Images filling her head of the guard rushing up and arresting her, taking all of her hard work and smashing it to the ground right in front of her. Or, worse, giving them to Clockwork, who turns them into some kind of death machine, all because she lied about a crystal! She'd be sent to a dungeon, or kicked out of the country, or... or locked in a soundproof glass box while painted up as a mime, right in plain sight where nopony could hear you scream.... Her pupils shrank. No... They couldn't do that, right? That was a fate worse than death.

Just as she began to shake, a plate was placed softly in front of her, followed by a tall glass with a straw. “Here you go! Something to cheer you up.” She was pulled from her nightmare to see a plate with a waffle, a dollop of ice cream sitting on top of it. Beside it, a tall chocolate shake began to collect dew, which gleamed tantalizingly in the light from the window.

That was way better than a pancake. Happy comfort food to the max, and all for her. She looked for Steam, seeing the mare serving other tables, the waitress' whole body energetic, and Wind began to think. With a friend as good as Steam backing her up, what was the worst that could possibly happen?





Wind touched down in front of the shop just after her lunch break ended, smiling brightly and entering with a spring in her step. The waffle a la mode and chocolate shake had been precisely the sweet pick me up that she had needed to remind her why she had been so excited to go. Her dream was almost ready, it was right there! Sure, she was going to open the door and tensions would flare and there might be some yelling, but the worst she was expecting was a stern talking to that locked her in the shop so late she missed the crystal shaping.

She had flown slowly on the flight back, making little loops and gliding lazily in the glow of the sun and the warmth of her friend's actions. Steam had covered the cost of the shake, which had been awfully kind of her, and had even made it a point to reassure Wind that things were going to be alright. And, even though Wind had left her bag back at the 5 Wings, she was as happy as could be. She had the best friend in the world backing her up and helping her out with her project. What was a little yelling compared to that?

Wind pushed the door to the shop open, finding the inside eerily quiet. Normally there was always a tool or the clatter of metal or something going on to get through the massive number of repairs the military needed of them, but there was nothing going on in the back room at all. Wind walked back there, her smile fading to a carefree smirk as her good mood could not be quelled with a slight oddity like this. She walked into the workroom, looking around for employer, when a voice sounded behind her. “You've got a lot of nerve coming back here.”

Wind spun around, only to find Clockwork blocking her exit, practically fuming. “Look, I'm sorry I-”

“You're sorry? You steal from me, betray my trust, lie to my face, and you're sorry? Well sorry doesn't cut it this time, Wind!” Wind opened her mouth to speak and Clockwork stomped, cutting her off. “How dare you do this to me?”

“Clockwork, I can-”

Clockwork advanced on Wind, slowly backing her through the workshop. “You bring me all of these lies about a weapon, you disappear and promise you've been working in another shop, but when the time comes and I bring you the most expensive piece, you don't even wait before running off and delivering it to your little spy friend!” Wind tried to speak, but she was cut off once more. “I told you never to meet her again, and you're supplying her! How long has this been going on? What did you think would happen when I found out?”

“Clockwork, she-”

“You have one chance, precisely one, to make this up to me. You take me to her home, you return everything you've taken, and then you lock yourself in your room and come out with that cannon you promised and maybe I won't turn you in to the guard. Do you understand me?”

“You-”

“A loyalist! Working with a spy right under my nose! And I had so much hope for you.”

“You can't-”

“I have treated you like my own daughter, fed you, taught you, and instead you side with that filthy monster! How can I-”

“She isn't a monster! She's my best friend!” Wind exploded at her mentor, suddenly advancing on the earth pony, guiding her all the way back through the workshop. “She isn't a spy, she isn't trying to hurt anyone, and if you'd let me explain myself, you'd know that she was the one who gave you those designs in the first place!” Wind stopped when they were both in the front of the shop, Clockwork backed up against the counter. “Now, if you want me to keep working for you, you are going to calm down, drop your hatred of unicorns for one minute, and let us get back to work! You'll have your machine within the week.”

Wind glared at Clockwork, snorting in finality before she turned to leave. As she walked around the counter, she heard her boss stand up and clear her throat. “Wind Key...” Wind turned around, only to be met with a hoof connecting with her forehead, disorienting her as she felt something warm drip down her face. So shocked from being hit, she didn't struggle when she was grabbed by the shoulders, pulled to the door, and flung outside, falling clumsily onto her front.

She could already feel blood pooling in her chin fur as she turned around, looking towards the furious pony in the door of her home. “Don't you ever show your face here again! Nopony makes a fool of Clockwork.”

Her once home...

The door slammed, leaving Wind bleeding on the street, her head wound not giving her any mercy. She hadn't known what to expect, but this... this wasn't it. Years of her life, everything she'd known and cared for, everything she'd built since she'd come to the Republic gone in a flash.

Heavily she stood up, walking down the street as the sun was slowly engulfed by a growing smog cloud. She didn't know where she was going, but anywhere was better than here.