//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Changing Lives // Story: MLP Trinity // by CobaltSketch //------------------------------// After making all of our comments, Ink walked up to the transmuted vice on the workbench, and with some minor adjustments, managed to secure it to her hoof. "It's perfect... Wow Obsidian, you really have the alchemical touch!" she commented. "Aw, thanks Ink," Obsidian replied. "Alright, now that I have a base, I can make that vice into a writing trainer, thing. To do that, I need to head back to my shop. You guys mind joining me?" I offered. They both agreed to follow me back to my shop. I decided to break the ice along the way. "So I'm guessing you two know each other?" "Yup! Ink and I have been friends ever since I was a colt," Obsidian answered. "In fact, she's really the only friend I've managed to keep, thanks to my temper." "I know how you feel; there's just my family and a few others,"  I admitted. "At least now I have you two," Ink and Obsidian smiled to each other."And we have you," Ink concluded. Nearing my shop, I began considering what the vice was missing. I noted that the quill needed to remain steady while in the vice if Ink wanted any hope of writing. My thoughts were cut short when Obsidian asked me about the first result of his transmutation. I explained to him that it was a design for my artificial wing concept, and followed up with the story of Ink saving my hide when I was testing them on the cliff. "Okay, but if you're trying to make artificial wings, why did you need me to transmute a welding vice?" Obsidian asked. Ink answered his question for me, "He wanted to repay me for, you know, saving his life." "Wait, what do you need a welding vice for, Ink? " Obsidian asked. "To fix my writing problem. Metal is going to turn this vice into one of those writing aids we had back in school,"  she answered "Oh, I remember those, got me through writing classes until I finally got telekinesis down," Obsidian reminisced. "Okay, am I the only one who's never seen or used one of these writing aids?" I blurted out. "Pretty much," they responded in unison. We finally reached my shop and entered. I cleared off my workbench and asked for the vice. I consulted both of them in order to get the basic design down, and proceeded to scrounge around the shop for the right parts. After finding what I needed, I got down to work. I got an unexpected laugh from their reactions to my plasma cutter; but once started, it was just another job. When I was almost finished, I was racking my brain trying to think of what was missing. I asked Ink to see if she could figure it out. "Oh! It's missing the little rods that let you adjust how long it extends out" Ink exclaimed. "You mean a... " I was struck with an epiphany. "A suspension...  A suspension!  That's it! Ink, you just helped forge aviation history!" She wore an expression that lay between gratitude and confusion. "Uh, you're welcome?" "Ink, that's what my wings are missing! A suspension system to keep them from folding! I can't believe I missed something so simple!" "That's fantastic, Metal, but can it wait until after my writing assist is finished?" she asked, a little concerned. "Oh. Yeah, sure, now where was I?" I thought out loud. I started looking for a some rods and pivot joints to construct the adjustable suspension.  While checking I stopped by the wall on which a painting of my family tree hung. I stared at my father’s portrait upon the tree.  He had started the concept of artificial flight, and dedicated countless hours developing it. He was my inspiration to pursue flight. As, I looked into his image’s eyes, I clearly remembered the day I discovered what I was meant to do in life. It was the day my dad and I, had gone to see a flight show, featuring Pegasi showing off their flight skills. The show had just concluded, and my dad set his hoof on my shoulder. I would never forget his words, "If you keep our legacy alive, Metal, someday you could be up there, as the legend that forged homemade flight.” That was the moment I was certain I would create and perfect artificial wings. In fact, that's how I got my version of the family crest emblazoned upon my flank. "You alright there, Metal?" Obsidian asked. I broke from my daydream, startled.  "Huh? Oh, right, suspensions,"  I blurted out. I somehow kept myself focused for the final hour of working on Ink's writing assist. Calling my new friends' attention at the very end. "And that, fillies and gentlecolts, is how you make a writing assist! " I announced upon completion of the device. Ink prepared a stack of paper, a quill pen, and some ink at a side workbench. I delivered the writing aid to her and reminded her how to load the quill. When she did so, I felt inclined to ask "Ma'am, would you please write your name?" I watched as she gracefully directed the quill across the page, like a dance of pen and page. Her face lit up as she looked to find her name, written in a perfect, legible script. She was speechless. "Well, what do you think?" Obsidian asked. "It's perfect!" Ink squealed, her voice choked up. "Even better than what we used in school. Metal, this is probably the greatest gift I've ever received. I, I have to repay you somehow," Ink pleaded. "Ink, this is me re-paying you. I don't need anything. Besides, you helped me come up with the answer to making my wings work. Combined with saving me on the cliff, I still owe you," I reasoned "Let's just call it even. Now, you go ahead and do whatever it is you would do if I weren’t here. I need to remind myself how to write," Ink then immediately started practicing her writing. I stood there for a few minutes, just watching Ink practice. I felt ecstatic, realizing that I was partially responsible for changing someone's whole life. Amazing how much a small gift can do. I came to my senses when I heard Obsidian telling me I was staring off into space again. "You've been spacing out quite a bit. You do that often?" Obsidian inquired. "Well, there's been quite a bit on my mind. I nearly got hospitalized twice, met you and Ink, had a long-overdue epiphany, changed the life of someone I just met with a gift, and now I'm working on a lifelong fantasy of mine, all in the same day," I rambled. "I think I’ve earned the right to space out every now and then." "That'd do it," Obsidian replied. "It's just that you sort of remind me of myself when you do that." This really caught me off guard. "Really?" I exclaimed. "Yeah, I tend to space out every now and then. I just wish I could space out to something a bit less... disappointing" "What do you mean?" I asked. "Just some very old family problems is all," Obsidian said, as if trying to get away from the topic. I took the hint, and got back to my work. Everyone quietly settled into their own tasks. Almost all of the time I'd spent in my shop before had been spent completely alone.With the exception of my parents, and my only sibling, Cyber Wing, I haven't had any real friends before meeting Ink and Obsidian. To say that I enjoyed the company would be a massive understatement. I was adding the finishing touches to my design when Ink stopped by my table, "Obsidian fell asleep. Figured I'd see how you're doing. Looks to me like things are coming along nicely," she observed. "Yup, how about your writing? Remembering to dot your t's and cross your i's?" I inquired playfully. She chuckled at the comment. "Things have definitely been coming back to me, but it's not like I'll be writing any novels by morning." "Patience is certainly a virtue, " I declared. "This coming from the pony who turned scrap metal into a near-finished pair of fake wings in a matter of hours.” "You could say I know the design pretty well. It's not like this is the first time I've built these." I looked up from my work. "You mind passing me that box over there?" Ink looked inside as she slid the box over. "Goggles? " I spilled the contents onto the bench. "Oh, these are more than just your average aviator goggles. They have sensors along the band that detect brain activity, and convert them into signals that can be picked up by a motor mounted in that box at the wing base. This allows me to control the attached wings hooves-free." She was obviously very confused, "In non-engineer speak, if you'd please?" I gave a short sigh, "They read my thoughts and let me control my wings as if they were actually grown there." "And... you made that yourself?" Ink asked. "Oh, no, definitely not. My sister made these; she's a cybernetics engineer who specializes in neurology," I informed. "You put a lot of trust in her design, don't you..." Ink noted. "Definitely! I've been helping her test since she first started developing her own gadgets.” Ink suddenly wore a sorrowful expression. "So that's what happened to your..." her voice trailed off. "Happened to my what?" I exclaimed, unable to hear all of what she said. Ink ignored the question, and changed the subject before I could ask again. I decided to just let the topic go, especially since I didn't even know what she meant. Within the hour, the wings were finished. " Alright, one pair of prosthetic wings, now with suspensions, ready to go!" I announced, failing to contain my excitement. Ink got up from her writing, asking to take a look, while Obsidian awoke from his nap. Obsidian stirred groggily and asked, "Huh? I'm sorry did I fall asleep on you guys?" Ink smiled and said, "you could say that. Anyway, come over here; Metal just finished his wings!" They gathered around the workbench and I fell into a sort of trance, looking at the fruits of my labor. I just couldn’t believe that I actually managed to pull it off. "Well, don't just stare at them. Put them on!" Obsidian urged. I put on the harness, followed by the goggles. And when the goggle assembly began taking control of the wings, I extended them out just as Ink had when she saved me from the fall. Both Ink and Obsidian were staring open-mouthed, so I broke the silence by suggesting we return to the cliff I had leapt from that morning. "Wait, you're telling me that you want to go jump off a cliff again?!" Ink asked, startled. "Why can't you just lift off from the ground? I know it works; I've done it hundreds of times!" I would have responded, but Obsidian beat me to it, "That's just it Ink, you've done it hundreds of times. This is the first time he's ever tried this, and you know as well as I do that the first time you try something, it's most likely to fail. Of course I’m not him, but I think it's safe to assume that Metal doesn't want to plant his face into the ground a few hundred times trying to take off." "Well, I guess you're right Obsidian. Honestly, I just don't want to have to save him again. I barely managed it the first time and I don’t know if I could do it twice," Ink responded. "Worst case scenario, I'll catch him. I think I know my way around basic telekinetics," Obsidian assured her. "Glad to hear you guys have so much faith in my design... " I stated sarcastically. Obsidian couldn't help but share a short laugh at the comment. Before I knew it, I was back on the cliff top, staring out at the landscape once again. Far below I could see Ink and Obsidian cheering me on. I relaxed and concentrated. I ran up, spread my metal wings, and jumped... And I flew. I leaned forward to pick up speed and tore across the sky, living out my colthood fantasies. I could see Ink and Obsidian looking at me from below, cheering for my accomplishment. I descended toward them, and held myself in a hover by rhythmically beating my metal wings. "I'd say those are working," Obsidian stated nonchalantly. Ink added "Yeah, I'll say. You're flying around like a proper Pegasus, Metal!" "Well, countless hours studying the mechanics and technique of flight will do that, ” I felt compelled to respond. "Now, if you guys are alright with it, I'm going to continue practicing!" "And by 'practice' you mean you just want to soar around aimlessly for an hour or two? " Obsidian remarked. He had no idea how right he was.