Crankshaft is a Unicorn living just north of Ponyville. Read about his daily life and inventions in his diary(This is my first story so please feel free to point out grammatical errors to me and I will fix them as best I can, any other critique, be it story of character design, is very much appreciated, I am open to plot and character development suggestions)
Discalimer: I do not own Hasbro nor do I own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Foreword
This is my first story (you have probably read that in the Description) so critique is appreciated as is any other advice you may wish to give. I only ask one thing of anyone who read this little story I’m writing, I would like you to please limit the amount of swearing in your comments for this story please, I find it rather offensive (though if you do I won’t delete them so long as the comment doesn’t merely consist of swear words)
Introduction
Before I begin writing in this journal I should probably introduce and describe myself. My name is Crankshaft. To briefly describe myself I would say that I am a tad bit short for my age my body is fairly stocky. My coat is light grey, my eyes are dark grey and my tail and main are brown. My cutie mark consists of three cogwheels, which denotes both my special talent and profession.
I live in the mountains in the northern region of Equestria. It’s a long hike to many of the nearby villages so I generally don’t bother unless I’m running my shop or I need supplies such as food. It gets very lonely up here sometimes. I don’t get many visitors, mainly because no one wants to hike this far up the mountain for a day hike (it’s not that bad once you get used to it) usually the only ponies who visit me are family members, who normally come on holidays, or the occasional amateur mountaineer who got lost, but they generally only stay long enough for me to point their way home.
As I stated earlier I am an engineer, I like to build and invent. The reason I live in the mountains is because it gives me easy access to ores that I can smelt to create my machines. I generally sell my prototypes and schematics to companies in Manehattan and Fillydelphia, it’s my main source of income and at times it can earn me a fair amount of bits, but generally I only make a little over enough cover my basic expenses every year. I hope that one day I can build something that will truly change how ponies live.
When I’m not working on a project for a company, I run a little shop in the nearby town of Ponyville. The sign reads Crankshaft’s Machine Shop; some ponies think I should change it to something catchier to drum up business, but I am a simple colt with simple tastes. Most of my wares are my own inventions, but I also have a vast supply of spare parts for the prototypes I sold. My favorite part of running the store is when a customer enlists my services to repair a broken, I can’t help but think of ways improve the machines I work on and that gives me inspiration.
My work doesn’t give me much time to travel outside of the trip between my house and Ponyville. Occasionally I do travel to Manehattan and Fillydelphia, but only if the prototype I sent through the Ponyville Post Office got lost by a certain grey mailmare, but those occurrences are extremely rare, even with her eye condition Ms. Derpy is extremely reliable.
My family consists of me, my older brother and my parents. Shiny Badge was born a Pegasus, exactly four years, one month and one day before I was born. Our personalities couldn’t be more different, I tended to stay inside and study while he was a little more sociable and active, He now works in the Royal Guard. His wife, Final Exam, is a teacher and they both live in Canterlot. My Father has recently retired from the guard and my Mother worked as a landlord in an apartment complex in Trottingham. I usually see them on Heath’s Warming but other than that I rarely do.
I only know a few ponies here in Ponyville. High Fever is one of my foalhood friends; he works as a pediatrician at the local clinic. I consider Ms. Derpy to be a good friend but to be honest; we only make light conversation when I come to the post office to mail a prototype. I don’t know Ms. Applejack well but she generally knows how many apples I normally buy, but her younger sister scares me. Ms. Pinkie Pie once pulled a practical joke me during April Foal’s Day by rigging a steam engine I was building, so that it would spray whipped cream out of the exhaust pipes, Celestia knows how she did that. I know Ms. Twilight Sparkle because as an avid reader I frequent the library.
My home is a fairly simple cabin with only a few things that make it abnormal. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen and a living room. The only other rooms in my house are the basement, which has an entrance to a small mine I use to harvest ore, and a forge which I use to craft my machines and their components. My only real hobbies, other than building, are reading, playing music, cooking, cleaning and writing in this journal.
My brother is often concerned when he visits and sees how little ad changed since his last visit. He claims I need excitement in my life. I agree with him, my life is quite dull even though I live fairly close to Ponyville I live too far away to be a part of the exciting events that transpire there most of the time. I know my boring life will change one day, something deep inside me knows that something exciting is just waiting to happen, I just hope that I am not to oblivious to seize the opportunity when it comes. I would write more but it is almost time for me to go to bed, I hatched an idea while writing this entry and I need to get up early tomorrow if I am to make it to Ponyville at an early hour.
I do mot own Hasbro or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Chapter 1: Preparations
I woke up this morning with a spring in my step. I ate a very hastily made breakfast of an apple and a bowl of runny oatmeal and I was on my way. I was eager to get to Ponyville to pick up the supplies I would need to test my hypothesis, if it holds true then it will open up limitless possibilities. I reached the store I was looking for almost ten minutes before it opened. It was a tall building built in the shape of a carousel; it was called “Carousel Boutique” and the name seemed quite fitting. I decided to merely linger about the town square until it opened, making light conversation with the shopkeepers.
I knew quite well that the shop sold clothing but that’s not the reason I was there. I was there to ask the proprietor, a white unicorn named Rarity, if I could purchase some gemstones. She obliged and asked me the variety I wanted. I specified that I would like to purchase a ruby, an emerald, a sapphire and a diamond. Ms. Rarity questioned me as to why I wanted the gems, I told her that I had a theory regarding them and I needed different varieties to test. She became curious about my work so I began to explain.
I got the idea while writing in this journal yesterday; I had become somewhat curious as to the energy storage potential of gems, they always seemed to possess somewhat magical qualities about them and my intent is to test whether gems can store energy and if they have the potential to be used as batteries. Then I will see if I can use them as a better, though not necessarily cheaper, energy source than steam power. She fell asleep during my explanation; I personally take no offense at it, it seems to happen a lot when I speak of my work, eventually my speech becomes so technical that only those who have a vast vocabulary can understand what I’m saying. I’m trying to break that habit with little success.
I tried to explain it in simpler terms and she understood. Her curiosity in my work had been rekindled. Though I was glad somepony was interested in what I did for a living, I couldn’t stay much longer. I still had one more stop to make in Ponyville before I went home. I needed some books regarding gems, their chemical makeup and their magical properties. The Ponyville Library was the only place I knew, short of the Canterlot Archives, that had those books and I was not about to make a trip to Canterlot just to get books. Humorously enough, the one mare I knew who would make such a journey just so happened to live in the Ponyville Library.
It was 2:00 pm by the time I had reached the library. The sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. Ms. Twilight welcomed me in and asked how she could help me. I told her about the information I was looking for. She gave me the books I needed The Relation between Gemstones and Magic and The Molecular Structure of Gems, both tomes weighed about as much as a school-aged foal, I was fairly certain I would strain my back on the way home. She, much like Ms. Rarity was curious what I was doing, and thankfully she is one of the few ponies I can talk to about my various projects without inadvertently putting her to sleep with all my technical jargon. She expressed some concern for my safety, “Be careful” she warned “Sometimes gems will explode if too much magic is exerted on them, and we all know what happened last time something you were working on exploded”. I assured her that I had taken the necessary precautions.
I reached my home at 5:00pm hoping to get started preparing my research after a light supper. I use a small cave in the mountain directly behind my house as my workshop. It used to be a room in my house, but one of my projects exploded and I had to completely reconstruct my house because of it, During the reconstruction I would have put the forge in the cave too but I need that for heating my house during the winter, they get very brutal on this mountain.
During the incident in question, I had been working on inventing a high efficiency steam engine in my workshop. It worked well enough but I was still testing it at the time and I had become momentarily distracted by hunger. I had overlooked adding a pressure release valve while building it and eventually the PSI grew too great while I was in the kitchen and the whole machine exploded. Luckily I was not in the room when this happened; otherwise I would have been killed by flying shrapnel.
The force of the explosion reduced my house to rubble, leaving me temporarily homeless and with a nasty bump on my head. The whole town of Ponyville had heard the explosion and saw the smoke and thought Equestria was under attack, I had to clear everything up and explain it before the chaos reached the level of Ms. Twilight’s infamous “Smartypants Incident”. While the pandemonium had finished within the hour, the next day it was on every single newspaper available in Ponyville from Equestria Daily to the Foal Free Press. It made me a local celebrity for a few months, but during that time people were wary about purchasing from my shop. Every year my brother brings it up and I shudder every time, I clearly don’t find it nearly as funny as he does.
Since that incident I have made completely sure that my home will remain unshaken if I accidentally explode something again. I kept my workshop separate from my house and I reinforced the structure to make sure I don’t have to entirely rebuild it. I also found a spell that acts as a containment field so that the explosion doesn’t leave the workshop. In the morning I will begin my research, after doing everything in my power to make sure I’m ready to perform my experiment it is too late for me to start now, so I must wait until tomorrow to begin my research.
I awoke to the sight two pale green eyes staring intently at me. I gasped and I bolted upright. The creature bolted to the foot of my bed only for me to realize that it was my cat. I rested my back against the headboard and chuckled, he wanted his breakfast, this happens almost every morning and still it surprises me. I’ve had Ashes, since I was a young foal. He was always a faithful companion and, for a time, the grey feline was my only friend.
I got to my hooves, made my bed and walked to the kitchen and filled Ashes’ bowl. He mewed happily and proceeded to eat. I then proceeded to prepare my own breakfast of oatmeal, I rarely have the time to prepare something more extravagant, and even then I typically save the most refined dishes in my repertoire for when I am entertaining a guest.
I headed to my workshop immediately after I had finished eating, the books and gems I had procured yesterday in tow. I set up a barrier enchantment on all exits of the workshop. I rested the books on a desk and proceeded to read. The Relation between Gemstones and Magic made it very clear that if one is trying to use magic with gems, it takes a steady hoof and extreme focus.
After gleaning all the information I could from it, I closed the book and opened the other tome I had been given, titled The Molecular Structure of Gems. I removed a notebook from one of my shelves and proceeded to take notes on the gems I had purchased including chemical makeup and molecular density. I knew I was now ready to begin my experiments.
I had laid the gems in a row and had organized them by type, I had decided at the spur of the moment to purchase two of each, so that I could have a control for my experiment. I decided to start with the ruby. It became enshrouded in my blue-grey magic aura. I focused and tried to will some of my magical energy into the ruby, the red gem had began to glow a very faint purple at its core. I set the gem down and compared it to the ruby I was using as a control. There was an extremely small sphere of energy, about the size of a pea with the same color as my magic aura, in the charged gem. This was causing it to emit a pulsating purple light.
The sapphire was next, chemically speaking, the ruby and the sapphire are almost the same, but they are not identical. I proceeded to force my magic into it and it received it, a small glowing sphere appeared in the middle, much like it did in the ruby. I set it down after the sphere had reached roughly the same size as the one contained within the ruby. I was being very careful not to fill the gems with too much energy, if I did, I ran the risk of the gem collapsing in on itself and imploding, even though I had barriers in place, the results would be devastating to my home.
The emerald looked almost aquamarine by the time I had finished charging it, I was beginning to feel a little tired, which was unusual given that it was only noon and I had gone to bed earlier than usual the previous night. The diamond was the last gem to be charged. I was surprised by the amount of effort it took to force energy into it; clearly its molecular density was making it difficult to penetrate but eventually, much like the others, a small sphere of energy began to grow inside of it. When the energy sphere had grown to the size of a pea I set it down and looked at it.
Deep cracks had begun to snake all across the diamond’s surface and almost all the way to the energy sphere. Its density must make it unable to hold that much energy. I decided to destroy it; it would be too dangerous to keep in that condition. If I didn’t dispose of it, it would most likely explode on its own. I put a small metal dome over it, rigged the inside with small explosives I had invented and bolted it to the ground. I ran outside my containment enchantment with the other charged gems and covered my ears with my hooves. The explosives went off and there was a deafening boom. Luckily, the barrier enchantment was still in place.
As I reentered my workshop I decided to take in all the damage that had been done by the explosion. First and foremost, there was a small deep crater in the ground where the dome had been bolted down. I checked it for signs of the diamond; I found none and knew that the explosion had completely destroyed it. The dome I used to cover it had become lodged into the ceiling. Any notes that I hadn’t put into cabinets had been scattered and charred to the point of illegibility. The notes I had filed were safe, but the cabinets containing them had been knocked over. My safe was one of the few things that showed no damages, save for a few scuff marks on the outside. I put the successfully charged gems in there, to separate them from anything else in the workshop.
Before I closed the workshop for the night I had to clean up what I could. I replaced the cabinets and swept up the gravel from the ceiling that had fallen down when the dome flew into it. I found the books I had been studying, the table they were on had flipped over, sparing them from most of the blast, but they were a little worse for wear. After I had finished, the workshop looked much as it was before the experiment, granted it now had a crater in the floor, but I can’t do anything to fix that right now.
I went inside my house to check on everything. Ashes was hiding under the bed, the explosion had obviously frightened him. I served him dinner, ate a meager helping of hay fries I had cooked up. I took a shower to completely wash the dust and gunpowder residue from my body and now I am planning to go to bed, I have more work to do tomorrow, I need my rest.
When I awoke, I still felt very tired from yesterday’s events. Clearly, I would have to use my magic sparingly today. I got up and made my bed and headed down into the kitchen, my hooves dragging the entire way. After feeding Ashes, I ate a couple of apples for my breakfast. I’ve begun to note that I haven’t been eating much in recent days; I seem to get too caught up in my experiments to remember to eat.
My workshop was just as it had been when I left it the previous day. I opened my safe and retrieved the gems. They still glowed as bright as they had yesterday, but their appearance had changed. The energy sphere that had formed within them during the charging process had dissipated and the energy had spread throughout each gem. Clearly it had been a good idea to wait a day to test them. I constructed a small machine that should react when the gems are inserted. The machine itself was a small grey rectangle with runic patterns carved into and a small crevice on top, shaped so that the gems fit perfectly inside. The machine was wired to a fluorescent light bulb in a circuit, allowing the energy to flow through the wires to the bulb and back to the machine if the energy in the gems can be harnessed.
I decided to stick with the order I had used yesterday to charge the gems with the ruby being tested first. The gem fit snugly into the crevice. The runic patterns on the machine’s sides and top began to glow with the color of my magical aura. The light bulb did nothing at first. Soon it slowly began to flicker. Then it began to glow very brightly.
I reveled in my imagined success only for a few moments; I still had to test the sapphire and the emerald. I removed the ruby from the machine and placed the sapphire in its place. The result was the same. The emerald yielded the same result as the others. My hypothesis had been proven, the gems had worked and the potential it had was limitless. My jubilation was so great that I had to share it with others. I had to go to Ponyville. I kid you not, I took the machine in a saddlebag and I SPRINTED down the trail into town.
It was late afternoon by time I had reached Ponyville. The streets were still bustling with activity. I was skipping down the main road like a school-filly in my joy. “Hi Crankshaft, What’cha doin’, is it a game?” I heard a voice to my right say. Ms. Pinkie Pie had appeared out of nowhere and began skipping along side me. I told her that I had just made a huge discovery. She disappeared just like that and I knew a party was in the works. Hopefully, she remembers that I don’t like large parties. I made a mental note to visit Sugarcube Corner later.
My first destination was Ms. Twilight’s Library, to return the books and share my discovery with someone who understands how I speak. My first urge was to just run in and tell her the good news, but I realized that I should have some fun with her before I told her about it. I styled my hair as though it had been blown back by an explosion and took some soot from one of my steam engines in the shop and covered myself in it. I practiced my limping and made sure I had an expression that conveyed that I was depressed and in pain. I opened the door slowly and limped into the library.
Ms. Twilight’s back was to the door at the moment, perfect. I limped over and faked having a coughing fit to get her attention. I would be unable to recreate the expression she had when she saw me. I took the books out of my bag and said “I would like to return these books, I don’t need them anymore” in a very hoarse voice. “Oh my goodness!” Twilight exclaimed” Crankshaft, what happened?” “My experiment exploded. You were right, I should have been more careful.” I said, with fake tears in my eyes. “I’ve become a danger to myself and others and, as such, I am leaving Ponyville”. Twilight was shocked “Crankshaft, I know your machines blow up every once in a while, but you shouldn’t let that keep you from doing what you love.” I was beginning to have serious trouble suppressing my laughter by that point so I just gave up.
After I had finished laughing, which took a fairly long time, I told Ms. Twilight about what I had done and showed her the machine and demonstrated it. I had explained to her some of the ideas I planned to try next with this technology. Twilight cautioned me to be careful, if I exerted myself too much while charging the gems I could deplete my man reserves and die. I decided to take that into account should I make more gem batteries.
I left the library as the sun was beginning to set. I headed to Sugarcube Corner and, sure enough, there was a surprise party with all my friends. High Fever, Ms. Derpy Hooves, my brother Shiny Badge, Ms. Twilight, Ms. Applejack, Ms. Fluttershy, Ms. Rarity and Ms. Pinkie Pie. Ms. Rainbow Dash was there too, but I had a sneaking suspicion that she was there for the cider more than anything else, she never showed the slightest interest in my work. Sugarcube Corner was wonderfully decorated and treats abounded. It was truly a night to remember but I don’t remember much after that.
My spine felt stiff as I awoke. I pondered the reason for it for a second. It took my two minutes to realize I wasn’t in my bed or even in my house. I was lying on the floor of Sugarcube corner. I got to my hooves, as I tried to piece together the events of last night and observed my surroundings. The evidence of last nights celebrations were all but gone, save for two unconscious ponies in various places throughout the room, in rather uncomfortable looking positions. Ms. Pinkie Pie was hunched over the snack table, face down over a plate of cupcakes, how she was managing to eat while still asleep was beyond my comprehension and it was far too early for me to be pondering it. My brother was lying over a crossbeam on the ceiling. Ms. Rarity, Ms. Twilight, Ms. Applejack, Derpy and High Fever had all gone home before the party had completely ended, which was to be expected considering they all had reason to be up early, Ms. Fluttershy left because her animals still needed tending to. The only one I couldn’t account for was Ms. Rainbow Dash. I stepped outside and looked back at the building and found her lying on the roof. The sun was just beginning to rise.
I woke up Ms. Pinkie Pie and asked if I could step behind the counter and grab a pastry before I left to open my shop. I gave her the bits and chose a blueberry muffin from the display. I pulled my brother down from the crossbeam, hearing a small pop from his back. I carried him in my magic and put him in a small cot I had in my shop’s backroom.
Surprisingly Ms. Rainbow Dash was the first to enter my shop that day. “Hey, Crankshaft! What’s up?” she asked. I proceeded to inquire about what happened last night. She explained that after the others left eventually everyone else got so tired that they slept wherever they were at the time. I was the first to fall asleep in middle of the floor. Ms. Pinkie had been eating cupcakes when she fell asleep. Shiny Badge had attempted to do an aerial flip around the crossbeam and fell asleep as soon as he had reached it. Ms. Rainbow Dash was on the roof because she had decided it would be the most comfortable place to sleep. I thanked her and asked if I could help her with anything, she said no and promptly left.
It was a slow business day, which wasn’t surprising all things considered. My shop doesn’t get much business. Ms. Twilight came in later and asked me to fix one of the devices she used for research. It allowed her to detect strange readings from a pony’s body if they were hooked to it. “Researching “Pinkie Sense” again?” I asked. She chuckled and told me no, she was actually trying to pinpoint the effects of unicorn magic on the body. The repair was fairly easy; a few wires in the machine had frayed and had to be replaced. I typically encourage customers to bring the broken machine to me rather then bringing me to the machine. It allows me access to all of my tools. In cases where the machine can’t be brought into the store, I diagnose the problem then get the necessary tools from my shop.
As Ms. Twilight left, I took out the machine I had built yesterday and pondered on it. I decided to call it the gem reactor. My brother came in from the back room just as I was pondering what I should try to build with it. He asked me what I had been up to and pointed to the gem reactor with a hoof. I told him about the reactor and how it worked and the processes I used to make it. He expressed merely a fleeting interest, very typical of him, he was always more interested in the physical rather scientific pursuits. He said a goodbye by saying “See ya, Shorty!” I found this odd because I was taller than him.
I decided to close up shop for the day and go to the park for a little while. I thought that maybe I would get an idea of what to build by getting some fresh air. I sat on a bench and observed my surroundings, confident that the inspiration I needed would come from this very spot.
Ms. Fluttershy passed me by and said a quiet greeting as she flew by. I saw Ms. Rainbow Dash practicing her stunts nearby on the clouds. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a Pegasus, to be able to fly through the air, free as a bird. I can only imagine the feeling of the wind rushing through my mane, the cities and towns going by below me. To be able to see all that Equestria has to see, to be able to glide down gracefully rather than tumbling through the air when you fall. In my opinion my brother was extremely lucky to be born with wings.
Earth Ponies and Unicorns do have a means of flight through airships, but that is probably nowhere near the feeling that pegasi get when flying. Airships also require a crew of at least ten to be able to operate, one pony cannot operate an entire airship by itself. Several years ago, one mare was fool enough to try it, she crashed within minutes. There is only one known way to achieve individual flight for an earthbound pony like me, but I do not have the skill with magic, nor will I ask Ms. Twilight to do it. I guess I am to remain on the ground.
Wait, I have the gem reactor. It generates more than enough energy to power an airship for several days. I want to fly, and with Celestia as my witness I will build a way for me to do so! I have the technology, I have the knowledge. I don’t care how long it will take me, I will build a flying machine.
I arrived in Ponyville early the next morning, I was rife with anticipation. I knew that I would need some things before I begin to draw up a schematic. I knew I would need canvas, and lots of it. I knew enough about my machines to know that they only rarely work properly with the first iteration and I needed to make sure I had extra in case I overlook something.
My first stop was the post office. I needed to get a few items that I wasn’t willing to travel for. I handed Derpy the order forms I had filled out for two materials I needed, canvas and synthetic leather. “What’re you working on this time Crankshaft?” Derpy asked. I told her that I couldn’t let her know at the time but I would show it to her after it was finished. She tried to get more information from me, but I wasn’t willing to tell. Derpy may be a very good friend of mine, but I had learned not to trust her with any project I wished to keep secret. She told me about my surprise birthday party last year...two weeks before my birthday.
I also needed to visit the eyeglass store. The colt behind the counter assumed I needed a prescription. I gave him the specifications for what I needed after telling him, many times, that I didn’t need corrective lenses. It was rather expensive, but I believe that it will be well worth the expense.
High Fever spotted me while he was out for lunch and insisted that we talk for a while. We didn’t get to talk much at the party two nights ago. He told me about how there seemed to be a case of the flu going about and how I should be careful. I told him about what I was working on. He seemed enthusiastic, but a little concerned for my welfare. We parted ways soon after that. He had to return to his pediatric office.
The rest of the day went relatively smoothly, I got the necessary books from twilight, the lenses I had asked for in the eyeglass shop were completed and I asked High Fever if he could teach me how to sew. I would have asked Rarity, but I thought that my old friend would be better, because he knew about my project and he had sewn up wounds so tightly that there was absolutely no scar. He agreed and gave me some basics; at least enough that I could build a prototype.
I returned home with my saddlebags almost bursting. I decided to unload the books in the house first, all of them regarding flight and enchanting. I went into the forge and took the lenses out of my saddlebag. I put down on a table and looked at them. They were slightly tinted and large enough to cover my eyes completely. I hadn’t needed frames from the shopkeeper. No, I intended to make my own in the forge.
I needed to be very precise. Otherwise the two pairs of goggles I was making wouldn’t fit right. I needed them so that my eyes wouldn’t tear up at high speeds if the machine works. I was making the other pair because I realized what a miracle it was that I still had perfect eyesight. I have been working for years, with my eyes unprotected, in a career where accidental blindness has ended the dreams of many.
I made all the metal parts I needed for the goggles to be functional and look aesthetically pleasing and put them away in the workshop, I didn’t want to keep them in the forge. I ate a small supper of asparagus and began to research the basics of flight with the books I brought home. It brought to mind several issues I needed to consider while designing the machine. Some of them had already been addressed by virtue of the propulsion system and the means of control I had in mind but I had no way of attaching myself to the machine and I had overlooked how I would land the craft if it worked. My mind became focused on the details I needed to work out. Harnessing myself to the machine was the most immediately relevant, I would need to place myself where it would least affect the aerodynamics yet still allow me to control the craft. Before I decided that I would have to draw a schematic.
The design I was looking at using had wings that looked very similar to that of Lunar Guards, but it still had a tail like a bird. The gem reactor would go into an engine between the wings and the engine would operate four propellers in the on the tail and two on each wing, which would generate lift, and the craft would be steered by leaning up or down to the side. It was based off of a flying machine design, with a few modifications, from a Reneighsance inventor, perhaps the greatest of his time. He was the one I wanted to be like when I was a colt.
I a point under the engine that I could strap myself to, attaching a leather harness would allow me to still control the craft and have the least impact on the overall aerodynamics. I labeled my schematic “Icarus Mark I” named after Equestrian history’s first known pegasus. I went up stairs to prepare for bed, satisfied with my work for the day, I needed rest. If all goes well I should be able to test a completed machine tomorrow. That night I dreamed of flying
I do not own Hasbro nor do I own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Chapter 6: Euphoria
The leather and canvas had arrived in the mail that morning, say what you will about Ms. Derpy Hooves, she is fast. I hurriedly ate my breakfast and went into the workshop. The Goggles were assembled in minutes, they looked quite splendid. I put one pair on my head, the bridge resting on my horn, and the other on a hook in the workshop, they were designated for something other than work.
I went into the forge to get the metal components I had been working on before breakfast. I had finished them just before Ms. Derpy brought the mail. I dragged them into the workshop to begin construction on the Icarus. I built the engine first seeing as how everything else was going to be attached to it in some way. The runes on all sides of the machine were sleek and smooth without any rough edges or corners, they had to be, otherwise the gem reactor wouldn’t work with it. I integrated the gem reactor into the top to make inserting and removing before flight easy and efficient.
Next, I attached the wing mounts. The wings themselves were made of two parts, the skeletal supports (which would keep the wing’s shape, and connect the motors of the propellers to the craft) and the canvas covering (which would enable the wings to catch thermals and grant me better control) The sewing was a long and arduous process I had to be careful not to cover any of the, but eventually the canvas was pulled taut as the wings were mounted on the craft. The tail fins were made using the same process.
Next I had to attach the tail to the main body. I hade to make sure all the connections would line up properly. If the connection was even slightly off, the propellers in the tail would malfunction. I had to double check with no goggles on and third time with a magnifying glass. Everything was coming together; the finished Icarus was about twice the length of Macintosh Apple with a wingspan four times as wide. I only needed to add the harness and it would be ready to fly. The Harness I made was a fairly simple structure. Several straps would wrap around my torso with two handles in front to allow my hooves to direct the craft, control acceleration and to activate (or deactivate) the engine. It wasn’t easy to do but I managed to securely fasten it to the Icarus.
I needed to do two more things before I tested the Icarus. I needed to build some hoof braces and enchant the flight goggles. Two of the braces would go on my back legs and allow me to land the craft, with two different braces going on my front hooves. The ones on my front hooves were little more than the braces used for sprains. My back legs needed something more, they would be taking the brunt of the force upon landing. The straps went just above my hooves and went about halfway up my legs. There was a metal structure near the top of each brace that extended from the brace went under my hoof to absorb the shock of the landing. They looked ridiculous, but I was fairly certain I would look silly anyway because the Icarus would soon be strapped to my back.
The flight goggles needed to be enchanted to detect problems with the Icarus. I studied the enchantment books I had gotten from the library and believed I had the proper spell. But first I had to activate the engine to ensure everything was working. I inserted a sapphire into the gem reactor, the moment of truth. The runes on the gem reactor and engine began to glow. I used my magic to run a diagnostic on the Icarus, everything was running smoothly. I enchanted the goggles and could now test the machine.
It was beginning to grow dark as I reached the plateau that was the mountain’s peak. The setting sun was bathing the world in a golden light, no clouds in the sky for miles, perfect for flying. I took the Icarus out of the cart I was carrying it in. I strapped myself into the harness and pulled the goggles down over my eyes. There was a cliff facing Ponyville, the ground before it would act as my runway.
I started at a fast trot and quickly gathered speed; I activated the engine as the cliff drew nearer. The engine was sparked to life and produced a low hum. I needed to go much faster if I was to have an enough thrust to fly. The propellers were spinning and my speed began to increase even faster. The edge of the cliff loomed ahead. The Icarus was beginning to outpace my hooves and soon I couldn’t feel the ground under them, I put my front hooves on the control handles. The nose of the craft was beginning to point down towards the ground. Oh no, I was too heavy! I closed my eyes tight as I went over the edge. Certain my life had come to an inevitable.
I didn’t know what to expect when I hit the ground, my life flashing before my eyes, the snapping of bone, a dull thud. I certainly wasn’t expecting nothing to happen. When I opened my eyes and observed my surroundings. Above me I saw a deep navy blue sky with glistening stars and an absolutely radiant moon. Below me were trees in the small forest between my home and Ponyville rushing by, the lights of the village flickering in the distance, all was calm. The wind was rushing through hair, the Icarus’ engine was humming and I was utterly awestruck by the sights my eyes beheld, then the realization hit me. I was flying! The Icarus was working, I wasn’t dead. I whooped and shouted in my bliss, all seemed right with the world.
As I flew over Ponyville I realized that I would need a place to land. The park was getting closer. That open space would clearly be the best place to attempt a landing. I cut power to the engine and began my descent, the ground and trees began to get larger. My back hooves nearly hit the fountain. I pulled them in at the last second, barely clearing it. I planted my back hooves in the dirt and skidded for a few feet as I put my front hooves down. “All things considered it wasn’t that bad for a first landing” I thought as I pulled my goggles over my horn.
After I got over the euphoria I felt from the flight I realized I was freezing. I took everything into account except for the temperatures I would face at such high altitudes. I rationalized that it could be easily remedied by wearing a coat and scarf during future flights. On my way home I was planning to fly again the next day.
I do not own Hasbro, nor do I own My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
Chapter 7: The Accident
I woke and ate breakfast feeling very content. In fact, I had made Pumpkin Muffins for breakfast rather than eating my usual oatmeal. I had all the reason in the world to be happy, I had made a breakthrough that could benefit all ponykind. I wanted to fly again, as soon as possible. I can certainly understand now why most of the pegasi I’ve met gloat about how they can fly. I couldn’t wait to fly again today.
I remembered my error from yesterday and decided to grab my winter coat and scarf before I left. My coat was a dark brown pea-coat, and the scarf was a light grey. I donned the attire and made sure it was all on straight in the mirror. I took a moment to take in my appearance. The coat, scarf and goggles all together made me look very similar to the protagonist of a fictional story I read when I was a school-foal in Trottingham. I chuckled at the thought that I was emulating him.
I strapped the Icarus onto my back and prepared to hike to the mountain’s peak. As I walked I pondered on the route I would fly. I intended to fly over Ponyville and loop around when I got to Cloudsdale. Yes, that seemed like a perfectly good route to test the limits of the machine. I knew I could fly but I needed to know if I could use the Icarus for actual travel beyond Ponyville.
This time I knew to begin my run at the other end of the peak to build up enough speed to achieve lift off before actually reaching the edge of the cliff. The adrenaline was already beginning to pump through my veins as I began to run and start the engine. The Icarus took off without any complication as the face of the cliff shrank behind me. The feeling of freedom and joy I had during my first flight returned undiminished. My mind was rushing through so many different feelings “So this is what it’s like to be pegasus” I thought out loud as I went skyward. Rarely do I speak to myself, but I couldn’t resist.
I soon got to Ponyville and realized that I must look very strange to any ponies that happened to be looking up at the moment. I can only imagine what those three fillies who work in the flower shop would say if they saw me “Oh my Celestia! a flying demon is coming to destroy us all! The Horror! THE HORROR!” I couldn’t contain my laughter, as I heard those exact words from below. Soon I had passed all of Ponyville. The mighty mountain, upon which Canterlot was built, lay to my right, the Everfree Forest on my left.
Cloudsdale came in to view. the massive city was a beautiful place. I had never seen in person, merely depicted on maps in atlases. I began turning the craft as I reached the city limits and began to circle the city to make a U-turn back towards Ponyville. I passed by the weather factory with all its machinery clanking within. I thought it might be nice to visit, but I remembered that while the Icarus allows me to fly, it does not allow me to walk on clouds and I didn’t know the spell that could grant me that ability.
Ponyville was again in my sights within the hour, I saw something moving to my left. I turned my head and saw a maroon coated pegasus falling from a cloud. As I got closer I saw that it was mare and quickly gathered speed. She looked unconscious. she wouldn’t be able to stop her fall. I turned the Icarus left and picked up speed, I was going to try and catch her, I didn’t know how, but I was going to try.
I got closer and closer until I was within just beneath her, but I had timed it wrong, she hit the left wing and it tore off and I began to plummet to the Earth below! I tried to level out but the controls had become useless. I released them and grabbed the mare’s hoof in my own. I was trying desperately to slow our descent. Thinking quickly I tore off the remaining wing with my magic and loosened the harness connecting me to the Icarus, tearing off a few of the leather straps as I did so. I freed myself from the broken machine and let it go. I was going to make use the wing an as makeshift parachute. I spotted a low flying cloud and threw the mare to it hoping that she would land on it.
I held the wing over my head hoping it would catch the wind, I had begun to slow down, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough. I was too close to the ground. I wouldn’t get out of this uninjured.” Well, there are worse way to go.” I thought dryly, it was my last rational thought. When I hit I hit the ground, I heard some things snap and felt excruciating pain. I saw a blurry maroon hoof before I blacked out.
I do not own Hasbro, nor do I own My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
Chapter 8 Memories
I only caught bits and pieces of what went on around me as I faded in and out of consciousness. My conscious mind saw a maroon hoof, a cart and a hospital. My unconscious mind seemed to be reviewing important moments of my life. It was an unusual feeling seeing the events of your life, through your own eyes, powerless to act upon them or change them. It was like someone had given control of my body to some other entity.
I don’t recall much before I was three years old and living in Trottingham. There was a small maroon coated, brown maned pegasus filly that I was in love with, or at least a reasonable facsimile given my age at the time, I wish I could remember her name, it has been so long. She loved me back, she and I were inseparable. Unfortunately she moved away before I entered Magic Kindergarten. I was always a bit of an introvert, even early in life. I had few friends other than my brother and high Fever. My teacher thought there may have been something slightly wrong with me psychologically because of this. I often spent my recesses alone, High Fever was older than me by a year and my brother was at flight school.
In middle school, I earned my cutie mark in metal shop. Most were building small metal items for various purposes, mostly Mother or Father’s Day gifts. I spent most of class time thinking and eventually I built a small engine. It worked and my path in life became clear. Unfortunately, most of my middle school experience was clouded by painful memories I had been spending years repressing. I was the target of much bullying both physically and verbally at that time. I told the school administrators and they did nothing to stop it. It only ended when my father threatened them with legal action.
Unfortunately, the wounds to my psychology had already been done. I picked up a philosophy of stoicism to dull the pain, not wanting to give the bully the satisfaction of a reaction. I began apologizing any time I felt like I was inconveniencing someone in any way. My natural introversion worsened, I began isolating myself from other ponies, and I wished to merely fade into the background, despising any moment I was the center of attention. I became doubtful of any praise I received; I felt like I was worthless and couldn’t help anypony. Many of these trauma born behaviors diminished over time, but the last few never really went away. In middle school was when I went from a cheerful foal to the emotionally repressed colt I am today.
I have few memories of High School. Most of my memories after middle school came from my time at Canterlot University. I was so proud when I received my degree in engineering. For a time I worked as an intern for an airship manufacturer, then I worked for a corporation in Manehatten for a while. I eventually grew sick of building for a corporation, designing small consumer products when I could be designing machines that could benefit ponies everywhere. I opened my shop in Ponyville and moved to my current home on the mountain at about that time.
I recalled my first repair job, my first sold machine. The invention of the gem reactor and the two flights I took on the Icarus. Then, it focused on that fateful crash. It replayed in my mind several times, each time focusing on the mare I had saved. She seemed familiar to me, as if we had met before. The more I looked back the more familiar she became. The maroon coat was exactly like that of my foalhood sweetheart. She was the one I had saved.
My conscious was beginning to take hold. I began to hear voices. One was most certainly Nurse Redheart. The other was familiar, yet it was different than I had remembered. I opened my eyes. Two shapes were filling my vision. The image was blurred at first, but it was quickly gaining clarity. I doubted she even remembered me, it had been so long. I finally recalled her name, it was Iris Blossom.
I do not own Hasbro nor do I own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Chapter 9: Filling in the Blanks
I took a large breath as I sat up. I took a moment to take in my surroundings. It became very clear that I was in a hospital. I took a moment to mull over why I woke up here. I recalled that I had fallen from a height of several hundred feet. Taking that into consideration, it was a miracle that I alive, let alone awake.
I remembered the two other ponies in the room. I looked to my left and they were still there at the bedside. They had obviously halted there conversation when they realized I waking up. Nurse Redheart was looking at me, concern written all over her face. The mare I had saved was standing there too, her ears dropped and head lowered as though she was grieving something. I would pester her later but first I had a few questions “How long was I out?” I asked, addressing Nurse Redheart. “You were comatose for two days, your left front leg is broken along with three ribs and you suffered some minor lacerations on your face and head.” She replied, a slightly sympathetic tone in her voice. It was then that I saw the bandages across my body, the cast on my hoof and, though I couldn’t see them, I became aware of the bandages on my face.
The maroon mare next to the Nurse was being unusually quiet. “Your name is Iris Blossoms, correct?” I queried, hoping to start a conversation as well as have my suspicions confirmed. Iris Blossom looked surprised, but she nodded slowly. “Are you alright?” Again, she merely nodded. I was becoming curious as to why she was being so quiet and apparently having a staring contest with the floor. “Do you know who I am?” I inquired, hoping she would. She shook her head. My ears drooped a little at that answer, in truth I had been expecting that answer, but it still hurt all the same.
“Why are you being so quiet?” I asked. “You’re in here because of me.” Said Iris, her voice cracked as she spoke and tears had begun to form in her eyes. It became clear that I needed to comfort her. She needed to know it wasn’t her fault. “I’m happy I’m here” I said, making my best attempt at a reassuring smile “I chose to save you, I chose to get injured, and you would have died if I hadn’t” she wiped her tears and sniffed. I knew this might make her start crying again, but it was a question that I needed to ask “Just out of curiosity, why were you falling?” She was hesitant at first but she began to answer “I was flying on my way to Ponyville to see if I could meet an old friend.” She said “I wasn’t paying attention to how fast I was flying.” Iris stopped for a moment. “Go on” I said, eager to hear more. “There was this huge white pegasus flying the other way, I didn’t see him until I hit him, going Celestia knows how fast.” Iris was beginning to sniffle again. “I hit my head on him and the last thing I heard as I blacked out was him shouting “YEEEEAAAAAHHH!” at the top of his lungs. Next thing I woke up on a cloud. I looked around and saw you on the ground, with your leg at an odd angle, barely breathing and a weird broken metal thing about 20 feet awa... What’s wrong?” she noticed me getting up and wincing, she began to follow me as I said “I need to go to the place you found me. I need to check something.”
The pain in my leg was immeasurable, but I ignored it as I hobbled toward the crash site. Iris was still following me and trying to get me to answer her questions, but I was ignoring her. I needed to get to the Icarus, time was of the essence. Iris questioned me again and I shouted at her “I’m sorry, but there’s no time! I’ll explain when we get there!” When we reached the crater I needed to take a moment to rest. My breath was heaving, and my broken ribs weren’t making it easy to catch my breath.
The Icarus had left a crater in the ground where it had landed. The tail badly bent and crumpled like a piece of paper, the canvas was torn and tattered. I found the right wing, its frame was broken. Broken propellers were scattered everywhere. The engine was dented and unusable. I feared the worst when I saw a faint glow from the top of the engine. The gem reactor had survived the crash intact. I quickly removed it and inspected it. There were some scuff marks on the top but the sapphire within showed no signs of damage. I breathed a sigh of relief. I heard someone clear there throat behind me, I turned around and saw Iris, she had an eyebrow raised and looked a little less than pleased “Could you finally explain just what’s going on here?”
