Chapter 23: Visible Hearts

Fortunately, her new hobby helped Dash keep off her wings and they healed fully in short order – although it did take longer than if she had not flown while she had been trying to steal that Daring Do book. Gearhead and Snowbelle were out to return some of the volumes they had borrowed when Scootaloo ran into them as she and the other Crusaders were zipping along to school.

It would have hurt considerably more if Gearhead had not put up a Wind Barrier to break the Crusaders’ momentum first: the young Pegasus was a speeder on her scooter, even while towing her friends. As it was, the odd package Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle carried between them went flying.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Scootaloo said. “We’re sort of running late.”

“It is alright, since no one got hurt, however you really should be more careful: not everypony can evade you or shield themselves quickly enough – and with those who do have shields, you could have hurt yourself bouncing off of some of them.”

“Then we’re glad it was you,” Apple Bloom said. “Hey, got any plans for Hearts and Hooves Day?”

“What-and-what Day?”

“You’re kidding, right? This’s the day you’re supposed to take your Very Special Somepony out and show her how special she is to you. So who’re you taking. Is it Twilight?”

“Or maybe it’s my big sis,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Or don’t tell me... Fluttershy?” Scootaloo asked.

<Is this really how ponies see me?>

<Yes it is,>

Gearhead mentally rolled his eyes: he knew he could not actually date anypony as long as he was the Black Sheep, and most of the others, including members of the Elemental Six, did as well. But as far as ponies outside of their little circle were concerned, he was a completely eligible bachelor, and the fact that he was already looking out for a child just sweetened the deal. On top of that, there was the cover story for Fluttershy’s frequent presence at the shop, on the Crusaders’ behalf, to consider.

“Why do you feel the need to ask when you already know the answer?” Gearhead asked, hardly missing a beat.

“’Cause it’s fun,” Apple Bloom said. “So, where’re ya gonna take her?”

“Are you going to get a present for her? Might be a little hard, this late in the game,” Sweetie Belle said. “Chocolates and flowers might be a little cliche.”

“Are you fillies not late for something?”

“Oh, right. Everypony back on!” Scootaloo called. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle collected the package and jumped back into the wagon.

“What is that, anyway?” Gearhead asked.

“Oh, this? It’s our Hearts and Hooves Day card for Miss Cheerilee.” Apple Bloom said.

“It’s to show her how we think she’s the best teacher ever,” Sweetie Belle said.

Gearhead did some calculations in his head, based on the packages size. “It is a big card,” he said.

“Yeah, we couldn’t fit it into our original envelope,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Anyway, we’re off!” Scootaloo beat her wings, and they were gone.

After realizing that the Crusaders were correct, at least partly, Gearhead came up with a plan. He also started to notice all the couples enjoying their day together. Stallions were giving their mare-friends bouquets, chocolates and other sweets, and items like jewellery.

Sweets were not Gearhead’s style, and he believed that Fluttershy would appreciate living flowers much more than ones that had been picked. As for jewellery, he did not want to give her anything that would make others jump to the wrong conclusion, and what was more, such things were not Fluttershy’s style.

After they had returned the books to the library as planned, Gearhead and Snowbelle stopped for a quick breakfast, and then returned to the shop to get the Alicorn Engine and Gearhead’s other kit. When Gearhead put the harness on, he left the leggings in a saddlebag. Once they had all that, they flew to Fluttershy’s cottage, Snowbelle riding on Gearhead just in front of the Engine again.

The top portion of Fluttershy’s door was open, signifying that she was, indeed, home. Gearhead raised a hoof and knocked.

“Oh, good morning, Gearhead,” the Pegasus said. She was finishing up tending to an injured bird’s wing.

“Good morning. Fluttershy, would you like to spend some time with Snowbelle and me this Hearts and Hooves Day?”

“Oh my, that’s today?”

“So the Crusaders tell me,” Gearhead said.

“Ah,” Fluttershy’s wan smile was enough of an acknowledgement that she understood. Gearhead was certain she had misgivings about appearing in public, so he planned to set her at ease in a very ironic manner.

“There is a place I would like to show you, if you would be willing to accompany me. I found it while gathering resources for the shop.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s in..?” Fluttershy shrank back, and Snowbelle wrapped her wings around her head. Only Gearhead could tell that she was stiffling her laughter.

“Yes, but it will be worth it, and besides that is why I am bringing the Alicorn Engine.”

“What about Snowbelle?”

“Of the Forest’s denizens, even most of those larger than her would not dare to tangle even with a young dragon, I think. None of the airbourne ones, anyway: Snowbelle will provide overflight support for the journey. It will be good practice for her.” The young one in question chirruped in happy acknowledgement.

“How long do we need to be in the forest?”

“That depends on how long you want to stay there, once we get to our destination. It should only take about twenty minutes to get there.”

“That’s not as far as the Castle,”

“We will be flying,”

“Oh?”

“Are you willing to come along?”

“Well, if you think it’ll be safe,”

“I do,”

“Okay then. I’ll try not to get too scared.”

“Not to worry: Snowbelle and I will be right there with you.”

“Should I pack anything?”

“Snowbelle and I have that covered,” Gearhead grinned.

Once it was clear that they would be flying above the Everfree Forest most of the way to their destination, Fluttershy surprised Gearhead and Snowbelle by gliding gracefully and powerfully right alongside them, even as they dared to push their speed to greater heights, albeit only increasing it very slowly. Fluttershy was more than happy to see the Forest from the trees’ tallest heights.

Gearhead decided to make the flight more exciting by performing a little aerial acrobatics for his two companions. He looped and spiralled, flipped and spun, often passing within wing’s reach, the particles from the Engine surrounding them all. Snowbelle pretended to eat the turquoise points of light, which made Fluttershy giggle.

Finally Gearhead pulled up beside Fluttershy, the show finished for now. “We can go down here, and it is only a little further on.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said, still giddy.

Gearhead led the way, still not at full-throttle so he would not lose anyone. He banked slightly left as he descended, and Fluttershy followed on his wing. Snowbelle flew in more sharply so she passed both ponies and disappeared through the foliage first. In only a few more of Fluttershy’s wingbeats, she and Gearhead were also heading through.

Before Gearhead led Fluttershy out from the cover the trees offered, he heard Snowbelle call out in a clear, bird-like voice. That was the all-clear signal. Just like that he knew there were not any threatening predators nearby. They emerged and descended several meters before continuing on a northeastern course.

“Oh, there she is,” Fluttershy said, pointing out Snowbelle as she flew near the leafy ceiling provided by the trees.

“Overflight, as I said. And she can easily land on one of the branches if she needs to rest.”

“From how far away can she call if she needs help?”

“Further than we have ever gone from each other,” Gearhead said. “Come on, Fluttershy. This would be most impressive at sunrise or sunset, but during the day is still the safest.”

“Oh, right.”

Fluttershy continued to follow Gearhead through and above the trees and brush. Looking nervously around, she spotted some of the landbound creatures that called this place home, and was glad to be out of their reach.

After a couple more minutes, Gearhead called out “eye forward.” Fluttershy barely managed to focus ahead before they went into a thick treeline. She manoeuvred frantically to avoid crashing, instinctively following the points of light she still saw from the Engine. Gearhead made sure to go slow enough not to lose the mare in the trees.

Suddenly the green and brown tones gave way to vibrant blues, purples, reds, golds, and pinks. The flying trio emerged from the thick stand of trees to find a small meadow filled with flowers, from small buds to great orchids. Fluttershy was shocked at the profusion of colourful plant life, and showed it on her face and because she was barely remembering to flap her wings to remain airbourne. There were so many flowers, there could barely be any room in which to set down!

“This way,” Gearhead said, touching one of her forelegs with his own hoof and breaking the spell. He led the way to the middle of the clearing, where there was one flower that was larger than the others, resulting in the largest patch of bare, bright green grass.

There was so little grass that, standing side-by-side, Gearhead and Fluttershy had barely any space at all between them and the big flower. When Fluttershy looked up at it, she saw bright pink wings shot through with blue and green streaks. The flower’s petals, she realized, resembled a butterfly’s wings!

Fluttershy was not normally outspoken, Gearhead knew. He also knew that this clearing would impress her, assuming he ever found a reason to bring her through the Everfree Forest to see it. Now, of course, he had found a reason, or rather the Crusaders had given it to him. Nonetheless, Fluttershy’s silent awe was more than enough reward for the stallion as he watched her look all around, watching the flowers bloom toward the sun that filtered between the branches high above them.

Fluttershy sighed and sat down, her body right up against Gearhead’s, so suddenly that he nearly startled. “It’s amazing,” she said softly, looking up at him. “Now I know why you thought I might want to stay.”

“I did not think it would impress you this much, though.”

“But I am, really. I wonder how all this grew here, though?”

“This is the Everfree Forest. Who can say what kinds of wonders grow here, or why? All I know is that this place seems to cultivate different sorts of magic.”

“It really is magical. Thank you for bringing me here.”

Gearhead thought of all sorts of things he could say to try to sound cool or impressive. Not my style, he decided. “You are most welcome,” he said instead.

Fluttershy smiled, and sighed in satisfaction. Gearhead also sat down, and they watched the flowers together. When they left the glade later, he knew what he wanted to make for her.

Now that Fluttershy had been to the glade, she was far more comfortable and relaxed flying back to Ponyville. The result was that she was willing to try to fly some of Gearhead’s tricks with him once they were above the trees again. When Snowbelle joined in, their ballet became a fluid three-piece melody.

One of their loops near the edge of the forest gave Gearhead a good look at Ponyville, although it was a fair distance away. When he thought he saw something strange reflected in the image he saw in his goggles, he zoomed in and refocused. Trying to get a better look in real-time, he climbed for a better vantage point even as he and the others continued to close on Ponyville. Fluttershy and Snowbelle had to struggle to keep up.

“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked.

<Father, I am getting tired.>

“There is something kicking up dust in Ponyville proper. It could be troublesome, especially if nopony has addressed it yet. Snowbelle, land on me. I am going to push the Engine to get over there quickly.”

“What should I do?” Fluttershy asked.

“We have already been flying for some time, so do not push yourself. I will take care of damage control for whatever is going on, and then we will see if you should go get help. Since we are past the border with the forest, we should all now be safe from its threats. Is that alright?”

“You’re not going to tell me to land and rest?”

“You know your limits best, Fluttershy. Trust yourself.”

“Okay,”

“Hang on tight, Snowbelle. I am going straight to full throttle.”

Snowbelle trilled in acknowledgement. Gearhead aimed upwards as he poured on the speed, so he would not catch Fluttershy in his wake and drag her along. He looped around, at altitude, and headed for whatever was producing the dust plume. It only took a few seconds, and then he had to decelerate.

If he had not seen it for himself, Gearhead would not have believed what was happening: all this trouble was being created by a single stallion, who was somehow managing to drag Berry Punch’s house after him on a rope as he hopped down the street. Apple Bloom had thrown herself around the big stallion’s neck, but none of this was slowing Big McIntosh down at all. Gearhead went in for a landing.

“What is going on?” Gearhead asked Big Mac, even as he kept pace. The other stallion did not answer.

“I’ll explain later,” Apple Bloom said. “You gotta help me stop my big brother from looking into Miss Cheerilee’s eyes for a couple more minutes. Please!”

“That sounds like...” Gearhead shifted focus. Indeed, there was a heavy pink and purple aura obscuring Big Mac’s usual earthy aura.

<Magic,> Snowbelle confirmed.

<Losing his traction should stop this madness,>

Snowbelle howled, leaping into the air. She flew around so that she was a few meters directly in front of the oncoming stallion, and unleashed an icy blast at the ground at his hooves. The Dragon continued her blast in a tight spiral, and the icy quickly spread. Big Mac fell on his flank, and since the house he was dragging was still on regular ground he did not have the traction to keep pulling it when he got back up.

Big Mac did not need the traction, though, as the rope snapped, the energy sending him forward again. “Apple Bloom, get clear!” Gearhead shouted.

“Huh?” The filly noticed Gearhead crouched in casting position, dagger held in his tail. While Snowbelle had been trying to slow Big Mac down by putting ice on the road, Gearhead had gone ahead with his own tactic just in case. Apple Bloom jumped free of her brother, executing a nice flip as she did so.

Let us see if you can pull free of this, Gearhead thought as he finished his incantation. “Magica Sagitta centem et unus Aer Capis!” Gearhead’s silvery Wind Arrows blossomed forth from their magic circle and climbed, so he could make them rain down on Big Mac from above, gaining equal anchoring strength from points all around him. Big Mac struggled against the binding chains that held him back, all the while calling out pet names that made Gearhead cringe at the top of his considerable voice.

And somepony answered back. Cheerilee came charging out of Carousel Boutique wearing a wedding veil. In her distress and distraction, she did not notice the pit that Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had dug, but which Gearhead had picked up with an unshod hoof as soon as it touched the ground. “Oh,” he said.

And then Big Mac broke free of the magical restraints all around him. Reflexively, Gearhead reached out with his Geomancy and wrapped him in stone and earth before sinking him into the street up to his barrel. “I have never seen such pure physical strength,” he said.

“Well, you know, love poisons make ya do crazy things,” Apple Bloom said, laughing sheepishly.

“Love poison? That is a big miss to make,” Gearhead said. Big Mac finally stopped struggling.

“Huh?” He blinked. “Apple Bloom, what the hay is goin’ on here?”

“You don’t feel like marryin’ Miss Cheerilee anymore, Big Bro?”

“Marry?” The land-sunk stallion snorted. “I ain’t ready for that.”

“He is back to normal,” Gearhead confirmed before returning him to the street’s surface, and the street back to its normal condition. Fluttershy arrived in time to help Cheerilee get out of the pit.

“So,” Gearhead said, “what was all this about?”

“When we heard Miss Cheerilee didn’t have a special somepony to spend Hearts and Hooves Day with, we decide that pony should be you, Big Mac,” Apple Bloom said.

“Only instead of a love potion, we slipped up and gave you a love poison.” Sweetie Belle said.

“We’re really sorry,” Scootaloo said. “Our hearts and hooves were in the right place, but we should never have meddled.”

“That’s fine, isn’t it?” Fluttershy asked.

“No, I think the punishment should be more fitting,” Cheerilee said. “Mac, what would you say to letting these fillies do your chores for a week?”

“Sounds like a good lesson, Eri.”

“Wait, what’s with that naming?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“If you’d paid closer attention, you’d have noticed that Mac and I are old friends. If we saw each other as romantic possibilities, we would already be together, although we both have jobs with big responsibilities, too. All the same, Mac, if the girls will be doing your work, that means you’ll have some more free time for awhile. What do you think of getting tea or something for old time’s sake?”

“Sounds good to me,” Big Mac chuckled as he and Cheerilee started to walk away from the baffled fillies.

“What just happened?” Scootaloo asked.

“You just reunited a pair of old friends,” Fluttershy said.

“Hey! There you are, Gear. Been looking everywhere for you!” Gearhead knew that voice, and somepony had called him by that nickname just recently. The Pegasus mare confirmed Gearhead’s suspicion by landing where Big Mac had been standing earlier. She was wearing her navy blue flight suit, which meant she was on-duty.

“What are you doing in Ponyville, Prism?”

“Cele, and here I thought you’d be happy to see me. But nevermind that: come back to the shop and see!” Prism took off again. “Well? Hurry it up!” She said as she circled once. Gearhead shrugged to Fluttershy, lowered his goggles over his eyes, and lifted off too, gesturing for Fluttershy to follow.

“I’ve flown more and faster today than the past three months!” She stage-gasped to the Crusaders before she followed suit.

Gearhead wondered where they were heading as they flew above the town toward the Everfree Forest, but only until they came within sight of the shop. As they came in to land, he noticed the chariot parked near the front door. Rook and Contrail stood on either side of the stallion waiting with a patient expression, standing between the chariot and the door.

“Father!” Gearhead landed and quickly hugged the older stallion.

“I see I’ve managed to surprise you after all,” Father chuckled as he returned Gearhead’s embrace. “I rarely get to do that.”

“I was expecting notice from the Council, not a personal visit. But still, it is great to see you.”

“I wish I had gotten such a warm reception,” Prism said, slipping her hood from her head and shaking her mane out.

“I am not generally a hugger, but I make exceptions for close family,” Gearhead said as Snowbelle landed. She put more of her weight on his left shoulder, and coiled her tail around his leg. Gearhead reached up with the same leg and patted her on the head, centering both their weight perfectly.

“And who is this cutie?” Father asked.

“She is my daughter, Snowbelle.”

“Daughter?!” Father’s jaw dropped.

“When did this happen, you sneaky little so-and-so?” Prism asked, pushing her nose right into Gearhead’s face. He heard Snowbelle laughing at him mentally.

“He obviously adopted her,” Rook said. “It’s not as though such a thing could really happen with a Dragon, but still, right?”

“Yeah,” Contrail said. “Nice going, Gearhead. Takes real stones to be raising a Dragon.”

“She is a good girl, though,” Gearhead said, and Snowbelle chirped.

“Doesn’t talk much, huh?” Prism asked, examining Snowbelle more closely. The Dragon preened.

“She talks plenty, at least to me. We are linked.”

“Ah, so it’s like imprinting,” Father said. “Okay then, I guess we don’t have to worry so much if you bring her back to the farm?”

“Most probably not, although I do not know whether maturing Arctic Dragons can also affect the weather. Moreover I promised her mother to take her to her ancestral home when I can. In the meantime, I am raising her.”

“That, at least, is a more straightforward matter,” Father said.

“In other words, you have something more complex that brought you here,” Gearhead said as Fluttershy landed.

“I do. And who is this cutie?”

“She was with him when I spotted them in town,” Prism said. “On Hearts and Hooves Day, no less.” Fluttershy blushed and pawed nervously at the ground.

“Father, this is Fluttershy. She is my closest neighbour, and a dear friend. Today she is my Special Somepony.”

“Aww, I missed my chance,” Prism said.

“Fluttershy, this is my father, Verdant Redwood. You have already met Prism Azure, the first friend I have. These are her Flight-mates, Rook Sapphire and Contrail Blue.”

“Umm... pleased to meet you...”

“Aww, she’s so shy and cute,” Contrail said. “Sorta like somepony else we know.”

“Con, behave yourself!” Prism said. “Sorry about all that stuff earlier, Fluttershy. We all just like to tease Gear over there. I promise me and my stallions’ll be on our best behaviour from now on.”

“So the teasing’s over?” Contrail asked, while Rook chuckled.

“Yes. Time to get down to business,” Father said. “Can we take this discussion inside, son?”

“Oh, yes of course.” Gearhead unlocked the door and led the way up to his living quarters. Father gave him the opportunity to remove his gear, and everyone got as comfortable as they could around the little table that Gearhead used for meals.

“Before we get to official business, what part will your friend here play?” Father asked, looking at Fluttershy.

Gearhead exchanged a glance with the pink-maned Pegasus. “What I do affects Ponyville’s interests, so maybe she could represent the town. Unless you want me to try calling Twilight Sparkle in to represent Princess Celestia as her protegee?”

Father chuckled. “Your brother would not react well to that, but then again he might use it to disqualify these proceedings. A friend who is less directly associated with the Crown’s powers will do.”

“I had not thought of that,” Gearhead said. “So we want these proceedings to work?”

“I do think they are to your advantage, yes. So lets get to it. The official reason why I’m here is as a prospective employee.”

“Hah,” Gearhead blinked “You are not joking. Why are you not joking?”

“Basically, the Herd has grown too used to your financial support. Council decided to create an infrastructure of accountability surrounding your current role. If you accept the Contract of Employment, that infrastructure will be in place to support you, and you will be working directly for me, the Patriarch.”

“But why the officialese? Why not leave things as they are?”

“Because Council does not like the instability that would come from long, unexplained absences on your part, but also because your brother’s behaviour is growing more aggressive toward you.”

“He just tried to caution me against close ties to the Princesses,” Gearhead said. “Before I came back here, I mean.”

“A large portion of Council are traditionalists who agree with him. This means you need to be careful, and it also means that the Black Sheep Clause no longer provides you with the protection you will need.”

“You think this contract will do that,”

“Yes, and unfortunately if I try to give you protection through the Council’s legislative processes, it’ll look like I’m favouring you more than it has already. Vines put me in a precarious position when he hijacked Council before, so I don’t have any leeway left. I have to move through the official channels that already exist, otherwise it’s up to you to position yourself.”

“Okay. What are the Conditions of Contract I should know?”

“You’re in the unique position of paying your own way, even though you’re about to go from ‘self-employed’ to ‘full-time employee.’ Like I said, I will be Herd Verdant’s representative as your employer. What I didn’t mention is that your wages will come directly from your earnings at Gearhead’s Gadgets, just as they did before. You will still be providing everything, and you will still be sending a large portion of your earnings to the Herd. But the amount and method will be different. You will also be gaining a contractual benefit, which means that you must make use of it. And speaking of amounts, could I get a look at your books before we continue?”

“Certainly,” Gearhead said. He got up and retrieved his financial records from a locked cabinet. They were contained in three-ring binders, each representing one year of business. He set three of them down in front of Father, then turned to get more.

“This will more than suffice,” Father said. He opened the binder containing the records from the current year and flipped rapidly through the pages. Next he quickly perused the previous year’s binder before going back to the first binder, scanning the figures more thoroughly. “These match up with our own accounting of your finances, including the gems Vines convinced Council to return. This won’t give him any ammunition, which is definitely in your favour.

“To get directly to the central parts of the contract, the amount of profits that you would be sending to the Herd would be lowered from ninety percent to seventy-five percent. We will also change the method from courier-delivered gold to money orders processed through the Bank of Equestria.”

“I thought Council wanted to reduce ties with the Crown, but they want to go through the Bank? Not to mention, why are they cutting my contribution back?”

“The Herd’s gotten too reliant on your finances. Also, we want to prove that you and I together aren’t trying to manipulate the system to make you my successor.”

“Are we not?”

“Maybe, but if we are we’ll do it all nice and legal, that way not even your brother can complain. You’ll need Council’s full support, so we need to convince them there’s no favouritism going on.

“As to why we’ll be using the Bank, it’s simpler, more streamlined, and safer. If the rumours of an increase in banditry is true, the Crown may change the laws to limit the amount of gold its couriers can carry, which means you’d have to hire multiple couriers, and send them out with your gold separately. And since bandits could ambush the couriers anywhere on the long road between Ponyville and Verdant Fields, using three or four couriers is not a guarantee of safe delivery at all. Provided bandits are lying in wait, of course.

“With the money order method, all you have to do is go to the Bank of Equestria branch in Canterlot and have one of the tellers process 75% of your monthly earnings as a money order, taking the fee out of that amount. The Bank will send the money order, which is only a piece of paper without the right signage, to the branch in Hoofington. The Hoofington branch will add its stamp, and your mother or I will come personally to get and process the money order. This is where the Bank will turn it back into gold, which your mother or I will then deposit into the Herd’s account. Speaking of accounts, we will also ask you to open up one of your own, where we will place any overage that might occur, accidentally or otherwise.

“The Herd knows that since you operate Gearhead’s Gadgets, and retrieve your resources yourself, you practically do not have any overhead at all. Using little money, you have been living modestly to this point, which is admirable. However, Council is uncomfortable with the possibility you’re pushing yourself too far, as evidenced by the Princesses pushing you to go on vacation. Whatever Council is uncomfortable with is ammunition for Vines to shoot down any possibility of you ever earning your way out of being the Black Sheep. Naturally you can use your quarter of your profits the way you want, however Council wants it known that they suggest you use some of it to at least hire on a shopkeeper to help you out.”

“I just remembered that Fluttershy and Twilight have helped me on occasion,” Gearhead said.

“Well then, you have great friends. The contract will allow you to pay them for their help from now on, too.”

“That’s not necessary,” Fluttershy said, quietly waving the suggestion off. “I can’t speak for Twilight, but I’m always glad to be helpful.”

“I’m happy to hear it, because that’s the core of what the entire Verdant believes as well. My son here has been trying his hardest to be helpful ever since he got his name, so I’d like to ask for your help, as well as the help of your other friends, to reign him in when he goes overboard again.”

“’When?’ What faith you have in me, Father.” This brought some laughter to the table, and Fluttershy blushed.

“Getting back to business, unfortunately,” Father said, “Council is giving you two and a half week’s worth of vacation per solar year. Any unused hours get carried over to the following year, and must be completely used on every fourth year.”

“That is a lot of time away from the shop,” Gearhead said.

“I think it’s a nice compromise between two weeks and a full moon,” Father said. “Anyway, Council wants to make it clear that you have to use all your vacation hours every three years. They’d probably prefer it if you used them all up every year.”

“What about the 177 days I used this year?”

“Wiped clean, in exchange for no additional vacation over a trial period of the next year. The Speaker basically decided to excuse your unexpected vacation based on your ten years of very solid service and the fortune you’ve already contributed to the Herd, but Council also insisted that the conditions in the contract be negotiated to limit such things happening in the future. And I agree: ten or more years of service is more than anypony should be able to ask of anypony else.”

“You do not take breaks on the farm,”

“Yes we do: we can’t farm anything through the snow, at least not if they’re not minerals from the caverns. But those can’t be taken to market as long as there’s snow and ice either. The only difference between you and those who farm is that our vacations get defined by the weather. Heck, ours are longer than yours.”

“I withdraw my objection,”

“Good. Talking about farming rocks reminded me that maybe we can contribute some of those to your resources as well. Verdant minerals going into your gadgets could be good marketing, on top of just making good sense. I’ll look into that, and maybe if it works out you won’t have to go mining so often.”

Gearhead almost did a double-take when he noticed the relief on Fluttershy’s face. He had not realized she was still so concerned about him going into the Everfree Forest, despite being so well armed. He would have to ask her about that.

“That sounds favourable,”

“Good, because that’s it. That’s the contract.”

“Really? Where is the Vines touch?”

“Every limit is one of his suggestions,” Father said. “It speaks to his growing influence in the Council. Hopefully, though, we can turn this to our advantage and put him off his game.”

“If you are comfortable with giving Vines so much, then I will agree with the terms.”

“In that case, all you have to do is sign and you can consider yourself working for me. Just like you would be if you were on the farm.”

Gearhead smiled. “I like that,” he said, signing the contract.

“In that case, welcome to the employ of Verdant Redwood, Thirdson Gearhead.”

“Thank you, Father.”

After giving Father and the others a tour of the shop, Gearhead had the bright idea of introducing them to Ponyville as well. First, though, he drew Father aside where the others could not hear. “I really do thank you for coming out here and giving me the opportunity to provide some input on the contract, but there is something I must confess to you,” Gearhead said.

“You’re in love with Fluttershy?” Father said with a wry grin.

“I am being serious,” Gearhead said, deadpan.

“So am I, and quite honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if my guess is true, even though we both know you can’t make if official until you find a way to farm.”

“Father, I cannot help feeling as though the contract is more a reward than a punishment, and I feel guilty because I lied to the Speaker and to everypony else to protect what I have of a reputation.”

“What do you mean, son?”

“I did not actually go on vacation,” Gearhead said, and then he told Father about his accidental transformation into Dusty. Father kept his expression neutral as he listened, asking questions to clarify points that Gearhead would have preferred were left vague. There were certain aspects of the tale that Gearhead left out entirely, but they were not relevant to his experiences or efforts from that time.

When Gearhead was done, Father was silent and pensive for a few minutes, having exhausted all of his questions. “Well, one thing’s for sure: turning yourself into an Alicorn is definitely a heck of a trip,” Father finally said, grinning. “I almost wish I could do it myself.”

“It is not as though I could control it happening. If I could have stopped it, I would have.”

“Even knowing the lessons you drew from the experiences?”

That gave Gearhead cause to pause and think. “Well, no.”

“Well then, that was all for the good since it helped you. And I would call it a vacation.” Father turned serious. “Thank you for having the courage to tell me. You do realize that your mother and sister can never find out about this, right?”

“I would not dream of telling them,”

“I mean, you turned huggable and they weren’t around to take advantage!”

“Please do not remind me,” Gearhead groaned.

“Anyway, is that all you felt guilty about?”

“Yes,”

“And now? How do you feel?”

“Much better, thank you.”

“By the way, about Fluttershy: you may want to consider her more seriously, unless you have another candidate for a potential wife.”

“Father!”

“I’m serious, Gearhead. Once you get rid of the Black Sheep title, you’ll be more likely to succeed me as Patriarch than Vines. On top of that, you’re already fairly well off and will become even wealthier as you continue to invent and sell gadgets. You, my son, are about to become the most eligible bachelor from Western Equestria. The fact you’re already caring for a child just makes you more attractive.”

“Taking care of Snowbelle is different from raising a foal,”

“The mares won’t know that. You’ll need to be prepared for them to come running, because believe me when I say that they know no bounds when it comes to getting their stallion. The best way to handle it is to choose for yourself.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“Oh, I wish I could claim that. It was your mother who forced her way through all the other mares. She is unstoppable when she wants something, or someone.”

“Oh,”

“Not ‘oh.’ This is serious. If I’d wanted to marry somepony like Fluttershy and somepony like Prism came charging in the way your mother did, I’d have been unable to stop her. Now, I did fall in love with your mother, but if I had already been in love with another mare, that would have hurt everypony involved. Making a clear choice in front of your prospective suitors may be the nicest thing you can do, even though it will hurt some ponies’ feelings. Make your choice, before somepony else makes it for you.”

“I am not saying I am in love, but I think I understand what you are saying.”

“Then lets get back to the others. I’m looking forward to meeting all your friends.”

As it turned out, the others were ecstatic to meet Gearhead’s father, especially Pinkie Pie. Dash was almost as pumped to meet Prism Flight and be able to talk shop with fellow-flyers. Soon they were talking about racing, and Gearhead heard Prism mention Gearhead’s proposed add-on to the Alicorn Engine. Which of course, led to Dash and Prism both insisting that the three of them race.

As the sun set, Princess Celestia and Luna appeared. “We will take charge of this race,” Luna said.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Gearhead said, but now the excitement Prism and Dash felt had become unstoppable.

Princess Celestia and Luna chose a familiar venue for the race: the stadium where the Wonderbolts held their derbies. The sight of it made Gearhead groan, because he doubted there was enough track for him to reach the Engine’s full speed even without the stabilizer. All the same, the princesses had insisted that he bring it along for use during the race. They were allowing it to happen that same night by bringing all the pieces together through teleportation magic.

Gearhead got set on the outside track. He was wearing his leggings and hood together with the unlocked Alicorn Engine. Snowbelle sat up in the stands between the princesses, the stabilizer ready in flight mode in front of her. Prism was in the middle track, and Dash had the inside track.

Besides their Ponyville friends, the princess, and Snowbelle there were very few spectators. Father, Rook, and Contrail were there, but so were Spitfire and Soarin’ of the Wonderbolts. Princess Celestia nodded to Spitfire when everything was finally ready.

“Alright, you scrubs,” Spitfire shouted, “listen closely ‘cause I’m going over the rules of the race! You will be flying one hundred laps of the track, switching tracks halfway through to equalize the distance. This will be a perfectly clean race, so no hitting or cutting off. You’ll gain honour according to your performance. Questions?”

“Are special moves and tricks allowed?” Dash asked.

“As long as they don’t interfere with the race, yes, you can use all the tricks at your disposal, Miss Dash.”

“Alright!”

“Since everypony’s ready, lets get to it. Over to you, Princess.”

“I will give the start signal,” Luna said.

“On your mark,” Princess Celestia said, and she started to count down from ten. On the track beside him, Prism and Dash started to stretch and flex, warming up for launch. Gearhead spun up his turbine, spinning his turquoise particles out behind him while he kept a firm grip on his place. When Princess Celestia reached ‘one,’ Luna unleashed a single magic blast that exploded into a shower of fireworks over the middle of the stadium. Prism was first off the starting line, with Dash nanoseconds behind. As the boom from Luna’s signal started to fade, Gearhead launched too.

The Alicorn Engine allowed Gearhead to accelerate faster than the Pegasi, but even as he started to close the distance he found out that the race would not be as simple as he had first thought, with both Prism and Dash flying faster than he had previously seen them go. Well, they were not going to let their abilities stand still, being serious athletes. Gearhead continued to push his speed up.

“It’s something else,” Gearhead heard Dash say to Prism as he got closer, “racing against you for real.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve seen that recording too,”

“Oh yeah!” Dash crowed. “Now let me show you something: why they call me ‘Rainbow Dash.” The two mares came out of the turn ahead of Gearhead. He saw Dash pushing forward, and into the envelope created by the magi-sound barrier. Mere beats later, she blasted forward on an explosion of light and sound. Prism and Gearhead held steady against the shockwave as Dash pulled away.

“Not bad, Dash. Lets see how long you can keep it up,” Prism said, also accelerating. She did not achieve Sonic Rainboom speeds, but Gearhead bet she was trading a higher, temporary speed for a middle speed she could endure longer. Gearhead would have liked to use Prism’s slipstream to keep up, but she was in a different track. Still, he accelerated.

<The princesses are sending the stabilizer now,> Snowbelle said.

<I wish they would not, but then they are sponsoring this,> Gearhead said. <Alright, I am ready.> The distance the stabilizer had to travel was a short one. It came in from above, lining up with Gearhead’s track, and fell in behind him. As soon as the guidance lasers aligned, the stabilizer went into Docking Mode, and Gearhead had to hold steady. That changed as soon as the stabilizer was locked in.

Particles streaming thickly from the stabilizer’s wings to make them seem larger, Gearhead leaped forward orders faster than his previous speed. He had to focus very tightly on maintaining control, and even found that he had to decelerate through the turns to avoid crashing into a barrier. Then he accelerated as sharply as he could down the straightaway before he had to brake again. He really could not reach his stop speed on the track!

Gearhead quickly found a pace that suited the race better than going all-out, so he would not have to accelerate or brake so roughly. Dash’s Rainboom had worn off long ago, so that even though she had nearly gained a full lap’s worth of lead on Gearhead, he and Prism were rapidly eating away at that distance. All three racers were completing laps in under fifteen seconds.

Gearhead saw Prism and Dash directly ahead of him. The mares grew larger in his view as he got closer, and then in a moment worthy of the archives, all three were perfectly even. That moment seemed to last longer as they looked into each other’s eyes. It ended when Prism passed Dash, and Gearhead passed Prism.

“Oh no you don’t!” Dash called, and even though it had not been that long since she had first done it, she pushed against the sonic barrier again.

As Gearhead pulled further and further ahead of Prism, he could feel her focus on him. Her competitive spirit was unyielding as she refused to slow down. According to Gearhead’s HUD, she even sped up a bit, pushing herself past her previous limits. Dash did similarly, initiating a second Sonic Rainboom.

When matched against the stabilized Alicorn Engine, the Sonic Rainboom was only slightly faster, however Dash had unreal cornering ability, so she could fly at her full speed without worrying about crashing. Gearhead realized that she could outperform him as long as she had the boost from the Rainboom. Fortunately for him it did not last for long. Just as unfortunately, Prism could maintain her speed for the rest of the race.

As Luna touched off the signal for the halfway point, the racers were once again nearly even. Dash and Gearhead quickly swapped tracks, and Gearhead grimaced as he went through the first turn, nearly blacking out. There are more G-forces on the inside track! He realized that he needed to slow down, or the collisions he went through if he ignored this warning and blacked out on every turn would cost him more than he would gain. This gave Prism and Dash the opportunity either would need to win.

As the number of laps remaining shrank, Gearhead realized he had little choice but to choose when he would push himself beyond his own limits. The turns were no good, of course, since they would put him through too many G’s. That left the straightaways. Although Gearhead could only accelerate and brake a limited number of times before the race ended, he would still have to choose when he made his move, and when he held back due to the forces that each speed change would put on himself and his rig.

Gearhead decided to start with a little experiment, and accelerate in bursts once a lap. Fortunately he was able to withstand the forces, and none of the Engine’s alarms went off. He moved it up to accelerating after every other turn. Gearhead heard another boom, and realized Dash was using another Rainboom, and shrinking his lead again.

With Prism, Gearhead, and Dash all pushing themselves and breaking their limits over and over again, the remaining laps shrunk more quickly than ever before. They came even one more time, after which Prism pulled ahead of Dash. Gearhead struggled to keep up, and then they were in the last straightaway. They all sprinted.

Prism never achieved Sonic Rainboom speeds, but she came very close, leaving her neck-in-neck with Dash for awhile.

Dash herself rode her last Rainboom most of the way to the finish line, but the frequency with which she had used her favourite technique meant that this one did not last as long as the others. Where she had been pulling slowly ahead of Prism, the other Pegasus was suddenly pulling ahead much quicker. Despite knowing that second place was the best she could do, Dash still pushed herself as hard as she could.

Since he did not have to worry about crashing into a wall, Gearhead could finally let loose with 300% power, thanks to the stabilizer. He made one last check of the systems to ensure they could withstand the full force themselves, and then he deployed a particle field around himself so he would be able to survive. Once all that was done, he used his burst acceleration technique again, and focused entirely ahead of himself.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The acceleration was so fierce that Gearhead felt it when he punched through the barriers. His vision blurred at the edges despite his goggles, and then his HUD was blaring warnings about the wall with which he was rapidly closing. Gearhead pulled up and decelerated as quickly as he could.

As Gearhead rejoined Dash and Prism in the winner’s circle, Dash rushed up. “That was awesome!” She said, and then she collapsed to the ground. “I’m exhausted,” she said.

“Are you kidding me?” Prism asked, flopping down beside her new friend. “You ran me ragged the whole race. And you,” she said, looking at Gearhead, “I’ve gotta admit that when it comes to power you and your gizmos’ve definitely got me beat.”

“Eh?” Gearhead collapsed as well, the stress of all those Gs finally catching up.

“You mean you don’t know?” Dash asked.

“You won!” Prism said.

“Congratulations, all of you,” Princess Celestia said.

“That was a fantastic performance,” Luna added. “One that my sister and I believe has made everyone here stronger.”

“You three!” Spitfire marched up. Her manner inspired the others to struggle to attention.

“Uh-oh, she looks steamed,” Dash said.

“Nice work,”

“Huh?”

“I’m extending an invitation to all three of you: I’d be happy to have you join me and the others for a session at Wonderbolts Academy.”

“Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!”

“I’ll accept on one condition, Captain,”

“What’s that, Flight Lead?”

“Oh, so you know,”

“Of course. The rest of your Flight is also invited.”

“Awesome! I mean, I accept your invitation.”

“And you?” Spitfire asked, turning to Gearhead.

“I am not a Pegasus,”

“Lets call it ‘special dispensation,’”

“I am honoured.”

“Alright!” Dash said.

“You know what this means,” Pinkie said. “It’s party time!”

As the party wound down, Gearhead asked Princess Celestia to lend him one of Canterlot Castle’s forges. Luna even gave him some gemstones that fit the requirements for what he wanted to create. Before everypony went to bed as guests in the palace, he was able to give Fluttershy a little present: a hairclip in the likeness of a certain pink flower. He did it discretely, but Gearhead was certain that there were ponies who were watching. Next Chapter: 24. For My Friends Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 6 Minutes