When Steam Reigns

by StapleCactus

Cancellation notice

Author's Note:

This story was really fun to write, but every chapter became harder and harder to justify. It became this sludge of fun dilution or something. Every word brought me joy, but the overall plot kept smacking me up the head like, "What the hell you think you doing?" Enfan got me into this steam-punk genre, and I just really wanted to put my own spin on things. Below is what I had written for the next chapter, only for my head to tell me I'm an idiot for skipping so much plot just to get to the happy times.

There really was no ending to this one. He got better through the power of steam and helped other ponies missing parts. That was the end goal. No real big bad other than his own struggle to survive, then get accepted by the community after becoming 50% metal and steam.

For a little more info, click here.

“Vapor! How’s the ol’ heart tickin’ these days?” Old Pony Springs called as the bell to his shop rang and the stallion walked in. He couldn’t grasp why the townsfolk called him Old Pony Springs, as the pony sitting behind the counter looked more spry than a colt. Maybe it was the wrinkles beneath the pony’s grey eyes, or the thinning yellow mane, but his coat still shined with the youth of a younger generation, so the stallion gave up on that conundrum.

“Good as can be expected, Twisted Springs,” he replied as he stepped around a massive ticking grandfather clock with a tock of his own. “This should be my last winding, I should hope.”

When he reached the counter, the olden pony stretched out a dexterous hoof and opened the panel covering the stallion’s chest with a quick twist of a key. “Finally figured out the pneumatic formulae for cardiovascular and thaumaturgical circulation, did you?” Springs asked as he fished around under his counter for the winding key. “It’d be a real shame to not see you in here every few days.”

“I’ll be sure to stop by whenever possible, my friend.” With a final twist, the clockmaker completed his winding, then removed the key and dropped a set of magnification glasses over his eyes.

“Oh, I’m sure, I’m sure,” he replied as he used a small pin to slide or prod within the cavity. “Have you given any thought on how you’ll install it?”

A wince from the stallion was the only indication the clockmaker had slipped part of his machined heart back in tune. “I was hoping you could assist me this time. After we worked together on these two legs of mine…”

Springs’ eyes drooped, then. “You’ll be wanting to change those away from my designs as well, won’t you?” He asked as he closed the stallion’s chest and instructed him to turn with a wave.