BaronEngel
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And who are you?
🕑 Added 2025-07-03 13:00:12 +0000 UTCWith Princess Luna's departure life at Sweet Apple Acres feel back into its normal routine in my Equestria dreamscape. With several days of scorching hot weather scheduled to start at the end of the week everypony in the area was striving to finish up their big jobs before the heat hit.
This included one of Ponyville's finest fix-it ponies Cogs. Applejack had asked her to come out and take a look at the sump pump that the Apple Family used in case of flooding in the basement of the farmstead. Cogs lived on the edge of town with her dad Grist who ran the main windmill for the area. With her dad growing older the mare had been taken on more and more of the daily operations of running the mill. However she still had time to offer her mechanical knowledge and assistance to ponies in the area.
For a price of course.
So it was early in the morning that the copper orange earth pony came trotting up the barn/farmhouse pulling her cart. However just calling it a cart didn't do justice to the thought, time, and resources Cogs had poured into constructing it with the help of several local craftsman. The cart was effectively a portable workshop with most of tools she'd need for many of the jobs she'd be called out to do. Numerous drawers held a wide assortment of tools and fittings she often used on site. Various flat working surfaces slid out along with numerous adjustable jack legs for leveling and stabilizing the cart.
There was even a hoof powered lathe, grinding wheel and drill press; plus a small furnace that could be used to heat metal for working on an small anvil that was attached to the cart. It was a very versatile, but not light, vehicle.
Cogs parked her cart just inside the barn and started setting up shop. Applejack seeing her arrival trotted over.
"Mornin' Cogs the palomino mare called out." Cogs looked back at mare as she dropped another jack leg and locked it in place."
"Morning to you as well AJ. So. Is this my old nemesis again?" As she said this she started removing her heavy tread road shoes and started hanging them on 4 hooks attached to the cart.
"Um yeah." AJ muttered. "It's ah makin' that nasty squeakin' squealin' sound again! Like sum squirrel got its tail caught inna juice press. Ya reckon its one of the shaft bearings goin' again?"
Cogs hung up her last road shoe. "Or the end bushings, or the flapper valve, or a bearing in the gear housing. I've said it before AJ but you probably could've bought a new pump with all the money you've paid me keeping that old knackered thing running?"
AJ blushed a bit rubbed the back her head with a free hand. "Yeah, yeah. Ya got a point. Tell ya what Cogs! Just fix it up so it can git through the summer, and after the harvest is in but befer the snows arrived I'll git a new one in! Then Big Mac and I can help ya pull the old one out."
Cogs grinned. "You know I've still got the measurements and dimension for your house. I'm still willing to design, and build a windmill that would attach the side and roof of your house that would run the pump for you. No standing in cold, hoof deep water down in the basement to run it."
Applejack shook her head. "Windmills r' yer answer ta everythin'. Ain't they."
Cogs shrugged and started putting garters around her upper legs. "What can I say. I like what I know. Speaking on knowing. Hhhhooowwww did Princess Luna visit go this weekend? Hmmm. Anything interesting happen? You know I can keep a secret."
AJ frowned at the mare. "Yer as good at keepin' a secret as a colander is at holdin' water!"
Cogs scowled at the farmpony for a moment but then giggled. "My reputation seems to proceed me! Well let me see horror awaits me in your basement. I'll let you know what I discover. "
Applejack nodded her head and then trotted off to tackle her next task of the day. With the garters in place Cogs retrieved her long, stout, black leather work boots and chaps along with her safety goggles. Her old work boots had finally given up the ghost recently, so she'd ordered some new ones. Unlike the old ones with the miles of lacing or dozens of buckles and straps these new boots had those newfangled zippers on them.
A pony could grab the tab of the zippers with their teeth, or really lean into their hoof contact talent, or they could use the handy loop hook that came with boots to pull the zippers up or down. Snaking the hook through the tab on the back left leg. There was a quick zzziiiipppp sound she zipped up the first boot. Suddenly she was aware of a nutmeg brown colt staring intently at her right leg. Cogs stopped and looked over at the colt.
"And who are you?" She asked.
To be continued.
Comments
WILLIAM C JOHNSON
Love the "cart". Looks like a cross of a pick-up truck service or tool body, and a Wehrmacht "GoulashKanonne" field kitchen. 'Axe
WILLIAM C JOHNSON
Bernard Doove [Chakat Goldfur] has one in his "Strange New Worlds" story, Chapter #7 [link to the art https://chakatsden.com/Pony/map_of_Equus.jpg] 'Axe
Chris Teet
"I swear that colt wasn't there 2 seconds ago..."
Drew Maxwell
Tenon would be very interested in Cogs as well, but specifically for all the work done to her cart. Just appreciation of good engineering. After all, he's more a buckles-and-straps guy, and Stone Mane can go fancy the zippers. Tenon does have to live somewhere relatively close to Ponyville, due to the travel required to work on Applejack's poo--*ahem*--rain storage tank. Has there been anyone with cartographic skills who's laid Equestria out to show where Ponyville is in regards to some of the other larger cities (Baltimare, Ft. Trotterdale, etc.)?
