Gears of Romance

by Phoenix999

Chapter 1

A light blue earth pony stallion placed his right hoof onto the window pane of the train as he watched the details of the town become clearer with each passing second. The bright colors of the buildings became more distinguishable as the outlines gave way to the details of each building. He was captivated by the approaching town. After a few minutes a small yet functional train station, that paled in comparison to Canterlot’s own, came into view. The words ‘Ponyville Station’ became visible across a large sign positioned so that it could be seen from inside the train as it came to a slow stop.

Widget got up from his seat and walked onto the platform. A few ponies got on the train as it left, leaving him the sole occupant at the station. The brochure did say it was a small town, but I didn’t expect it to be this empty...

He made his way into Ponyville, a few ponies moving through the streets as he passed. Pulling out make-shift directions, he turned a few times and found himself in the market district with quite a few ponies moving about, in and out of shops going about their business. A cart filled with boxes and furniture sat just outside a two story store-home hybrid building across the street, where a few ponies were moving the items into the building. Widget crossed the street and looked up at the sign expertly hung over the entrance ‘Widget’s Clocks & Mechanical Repair’.

Letting a few of the movers take a large bed frame inside, a smile spread across his face as he lowered his gaze and walked into the building. The store-front room was already set up with various clocks ranging from great-grandfather clocks to the small, ornate wall clocks that often adorned the homes of many ponies. The door hiding the staircase to the living area upstairs stood open as the working ponies moved the furniture.

A gruff pegasus walked over to Widget, eyeing the three grey interconnected gears that made up the blue stallions’ cutie mark, and grunted when he was within earshot of the earth pony. Once Widget turned to address him, the pegasus said, “You Widget? I’ve got some paperwork for you to sign. Your place should be done in about an hour.”

Widget nodded and followed him. The pegasus returned to his work after the paperwork was completed, leaving Widget to wander about the market square. He purchased a bag of apples from an orange mare with a cowboy hat during his stroll. He couldn’t help but smile at the stark contrast from what he was used to in Canterlot, where large market centers sold packaged food. Taking his impromptu lunch, he sat down on a nearby bench and took a bite of an apple. Widget savored the fresh taste of the local produce as he watched the ponies move about the market. Yeah, I could get used to eating local food; this is great!

Finishing what was left of his apple, Widget savored even the smallest bits, and made his way back to his new home. The cart and movers were gone. Widget made his way inside and upstairs to his living space. Widget deposited the apples in a cupboard and made his way down the hall to his room at the end of the hall. Opening the door, Widget sighed in relief as he realized that the movers had set up the room in an organized manner, boxes stacked against the walls.

Widget checked his watch, the only thing that he regularly wore on his body. It was sterling silver analog timepiece with a dark blue back plate decorated with a silver-inlaid representation of his cutie mark, which read five thirty in the afternoon. Turning to the boxes in disdain, Widget scrunched up his nose at the notion of unpacking so early. Deciding that unpacking could wait, Widget went back outside and paused for a moment in contemplation. What to do, what to do... wait a second, I haven’t had a drink in ten hours! When was the last time this happened? Ugh, I can already feel the withdrawal starting to seep in. True to his suspicions, a pressure in his forehead edged its way into his consciousness. That’s right, they confiscated my flask at the station in Canterlot... I need to find a bar. By Celestia’s mane, they better have a bar here.

Rubbing a hoof against his head, Widget caught a glimpse of somepony walking by. Managing to force his attention on the task at hoof, Widget greeted the pony and got directions to the only bar in Ponyville after the necessary pleasantries. Widget made his way over to the bar, arriving at a building on the outskirts of the market. A wooden sign hung above the door that read ‘Berry’s Delights’. Hoping that he wasn’t inadvertently walking into a pleasurehouse, Widget steeled himself and walked through the door.

Fragrant smells of wild-berries assaulted Widget’s nostrils, the cozy atmosphere of the small, accommodating bar welcoming him by its sheer design. It was different than what he was used to; the concrete floors of the night clubs with the flashing lights and loud music were absent, replaced by wood floors and a leisurely atmosphere. The pub was fairly empty save for the two mares at the bar. The first mare, her mane and coat different shades of light purple, was behind the bar cleaning a glass while she chatted idly with the other. The other mare, her coat a creamy yellow color with a blue and pink mane, sat on a barstool as the two continued their friendly banter. Normally, Widget would have evaluated the situation and the attractiveness of the mares before him, but the pressure building in his head forced him to simply focus on the mission at hoof.

Widget approached the bar and smiled charmingly as he reached the two ponies, turning his attention to the mare behind the bar. “I’m sorry to interrupt, ladies, but could I bother you for a glass of whiskey on the rocks? House whiskey is fine.”

The light-purple mare nodded, completing his order mechanically. She kept her eyes on the light-blue stallion as she worked, placing the glass of whiskey on the counter. “That’ll be ten bits.”

Widget simply placed the bits on the counter, taking the glass of whiskey and drinking generously of it before placing it back down. The warm sensation of the liquid going down his throat soothed his senses and the pressure in his head receded gradually. Widget sighed in relief as his senses returned to normal. The two mares shared quick glances toward each other, but kept their attention on Widget. The yellow-cream colored one spoke first. “So you’re new around here I take it? Most ponies around Ponyville don’t start coming by until at least eight o’clock.”

Widget calmly raised an eyebrow. “Yes I’m new here, but if most ponies here don’t come to the bar until eight then what are you doing here. Miss...?”

The verbal cue was not lost on the yellow cream mare; her face glowed with recognition and a tinge of embarrassment. “Oh! Well, I’m good friends with Berry Punch, here. The name’s, Sweetie Drops by the way, but everyone calls me Bon Bon.”

“Well it’s nice to meet you. My name’s Widget.” Widget smiled at the two mares, then scrunched his face in concentration for a moment. “So... do you prefer Sweetie Drops or Bon Bon, then?”

Bon Bon laughed. “It doesn’t really matter to me, but I suppose Bon Bon is fine. Only my family and a select few really ever call me Sweetie Drops anymore.”

“Bon Bon it is, then.” Widget gave her a goofy grin. Turning his attention to the bartending mare, he shifted his muzzle into a warm smile. “So I guess that makes you Berry Punch, then. It’s a pleasure to meet you. And might I say that you have a pretty cozy establishment here; I like the atmosphere it has. But I must ask, how do you get the wild-berry scent to be so strong? Don’t get me wrong I like it. I’ve just never encountered it before.”

“Trade secret.” Berry wore a mischievous grin. “And you can also just call me Berry; makes things short and simple. So, Widget, what brings you to Ponyville?”

“Well, I moved here from Canterlot. I guess I just wanted a...” Widget hesitated, taking a long sip of his whiskey as he collected his thoughts. He didn’t want to make a bad first impression on these mares, but he didn’t want to lie, either. Lying could lead to trouble later on. Widget decided it was better to be vague and hope that they wouldn’t push him too much further. “I just wanted a change of scenery. I don’t really fit in with the nobles or the high society class, and they’re in abundance in Canterlot. So I figured that I’d try to relocate and hope for the best.”

Berry and Bon Bon caught the pause, acknowledging it with a curious mixture of body language. Berry simply raised an eyebrow as if to say, ‘is that all?’. Bon Bon rubbed her chin with a hoof, narrowing her eyes as she stared intently at Widget, almost as if she were trying to look through him into his very soul. Outwardly calm, Widget simply lifted the glass of whiskey up again to take another sip. Inwardly, Widget was a mess of emotions, his mind reeling a mile a second as he prepared for the coming conversation by developing a plan to divert the topic subtly.

Berry took note of Bon Bon’s intense glare and heaved an audible sigh, breaking the tension by asking, “So what about your career Widget? Did you find a new job in Ponyville?”

“Oh! Um... no! I mean... yes? I got a space for my own shop in the market. I build clocks of all sorts and mechanical repair when it’s needed. I get most of my business from commissioned work so changing locations doesn’t take too much of a toll on my work; I can just ship a completed clock to wherever the commissioner wants it.” Widget relaxed, releasing a breath that he didn’t even know he was holding.

Bon Bon snapped out of her mood and immediately perked up. “Oh! I remember seeing a building in the market being renovated with a sign and everything! I didn’t see anypony around and nopony around town knew who had ordered the construction, but I guess the mystery is solved now!”

As Bon Bon smiled, Widget looked at her with an eyebrow raised. What in the... weren’t you giving me the death glare just a few seconds ago? I’ve gotta watch out for this one, seems that she has some serious mood swings... Bon Bon exchanged a glance with Berry a moment later, the cream mares’ grin growing wider in an almost sadistic manner. “Oh Berry, how could we be so rude? He’s new to town and he hasn’t even had a proper drink yet. We should give him the ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ special.”

Berry’s eyes grew wide in recognition as she returned Bon Bon’s evil grin. “Oh I think you’re right, Bon Bon. How could I forget!? Don’t worry Widget, this one is on the house.”

Berry turned around and poured several different kinds of liquor into a mixer, as well as some liquids that Widget didn’t recognize, and mixed them together. Widget finished his whiskey as he watched Berry work, her deft movements agile and precise. When her concoction was complete, she laid down a tall glass of glowing blue-green liquid in front of Widget, as she smiled at him warmly. “Here you go, one ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ special on the house!”

Widget’s curiosity getting the better of him, he sniffed the concoction. Attempting to evaluate it, he took a quick sip. That’s odd, I can tell this is definitely alcohol, but I can’t seem to pick out the parts. It tastes kinda funky... like licorice mixed with wild berries mixed with sour apples… Raising an eyebrow, he turned his attention back to Berry. “So... I’ve gotta ask, what’s in this thing? I have to say I’ve never had anything quite like it...”

“Oh, that doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s a specialty that I came up with one day, and I’m afraid it’s a trade secret,” Berry replied.

Widget nodded. “Well, that explains a few things. It’s a bit... strange, but I think it’s pretty tasty.”

To accent his statement, Widget took the glass and downed it in a matter of seconds. The liquid gave his throat a pleasant warmth as the alcohol ran down his esophagus, his taste buds awarded him with a delightful sense of the different flavors that flowed across his tongue. Bon Bon and Berry simply stared with wide, open eyes at Widget, shock evident on their faces as if they had seen somepony do something either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Widget tilted his head in confusion at this as he placed his glass back on the table. “What’s wrong? Why are you...”

Widget never got to finish his sentence, his consciousness decided to take a holiday and he blacked out.

Comments

[Tesla Moon]

Well now, that was funny