FLIM's POV
The light of fire and glowing metal,
casted harsh shadows on the walls of our machine shop,
as I worked the spark of my invention.
My life, my love, and my hearts desire propelled me forward,
beyond any obstacles that life may cause.
An Idea flashed before my eyes,
along with its vision so clear, that even I could not mistake
the meaning of my very thoughts.
"YES, YES" I screamed in delight, in tune with the howling winds
This was the very night I lived for.
Inventions divine crashed in my head,
where thoughts long forgotten pressed through my hooves into
the world I dreamt to change and morph.
Brass and steel bent to the will of my manic energy and love of fire.
I delay myself not for nature nor others.
Showers of metal dance from the wheel,
as I ground every piece needed beyond the perfection of magic.
My brother worked with powers divine.
I worked with powers physical, with a body of flesh and a mind of steel.
I loved not beauty but powers in motion.
I imposed a whirl of fury and madness
upon creations of mine and works of others, faster than they knew.
Time is death and life is speed, indeed.
A speeding wheel, a blade cut sharp threatened me with their resistance
I fought metal will with strength of flesh.
"I WILL GO ON" I laughed to them,
noting the very indifference of machinery, and the mocking tone
that the resistant belts responded with.
Lightning outside compared not with the lightning inside my mind.
I demanded more, from my metal servants.
The servants obliged my will divine,
Presses, hammers, drills and forges all worked to my imposed goals.
Mechanical deaths were inexcusable,
against heat of friction and the slap of belts, they worked towards their graves,
graves of rust await outside for the lazy.
They have seen their future near,
the empty fields of rusted scrap, and the decayed barn of dying parts.
Awaiting my hooves to melt them in
to the latest and the greatest task that they once worked to manufacture.
"You are mine from creation to end!"
An older drill, made long ago
shook on the floor as it worked in the corner. A rusted bolt gave way
a sharp component flew off a side
and sliced through the air in a graceful arc, over my head, to land nearby.
The machine halted in its shame.
I noticed a trickle of warmth,
starting from behind my ear, flowing down my cheek. Blood and pain
could not stop me from my work.
Though the red drop hitting the metal piece below did cause me to pause
and think about my life and of risk.
No matter, the failed machine
was a small concern, and my near miss was of no consequence, for I live.
The machine will learn to love
it's vacation in the fields outside, until I find a need for it as a piece of scrap,
to be melted into my fires and forge.
Levers and dials power all around,
remorselessly pressuring old and new components both, against their pleas
towards the creation of a profit mine.
"HA-HA" I laughed, forcing a lever forth, which caused the pipes to shake,
the belts and gears went faster still!
A clock nearby noted the hour,
morning was still far enough away. "Allow me to finish tonight," I pray
The shaking walls did little good,
for the wooden shelf upon which the clock stood. It was not long afterwards,
that a crash resounded in the shop.
The clock took a single step too far,
and it took a final journey to the ground, finding a harsh end on cobbled stone
At the feet of a stamping mill too busy
to feel for the death of his little brother, who long watched from above, as the mill
toiled for a less than forgiving master.
The brass pendulum skidded to my feet,
A lasting relic of the little clock working I once made with my older brother Flip.
I shined the brass until it gleamed,
reflecting the image of my tired eyes back to me. I thought of Flip, if he thought of me,
tossing the metal into a ready forge.
The pendulum melted quickly in,
joining a puddle of brass ready to be cast into more useful parts, as goes the circle itself.
I wiped my brow from the heat of coal,
as I carefully noted the machines behaving as they should, towards the goals I engineered.
All was well in my world of fire and steam.
I wonder why I never thought before
that steam could be used with mechanics alone, to direct the forces of fire to their jobs.
My entire life I had worked this shop,
using my horn to direct the flow of steam, when I could have used the iron force of hooves
to operate the same magic upon the world.
Who needs magic, who needs power,
when earth ponies and pegasi can wield more power than the Princesses themselves!
In due time I could stop using my horn,
powering all my own machines with their mechanics alone, as they almost do but in full.
To hell with magic, fire is a superior force!
I must admit against my pride,
that by magic I have abilities to confide. I could never work my machines so fast,
without the help of so many hands.
Magic takes its toll on my energy, I do not have the stamina or strength of others,
and yet I can drive the shop well too.
I will likely not break the habit,
Magic is a convenience I do partake, for which I am somewhat grateful today.
The magic I wield will end,
the need of others to do their work with hooves or with magic alone. Freedom!
The machines hummed peacefully.
The light of the sun grew eastward,
as the very last mechanical piece of my machine was raised to its place.
I pushed it on with a tired hoof,
Looking for the sign of any errors or faults, glaring from my first masterpiece.
Magic free, simple and pure,
"A nameplate! A nameplate!"
I exclaimed, noting the absence of what Flam usually made for the machines.
The mill and press awaited me
I had not made a nameplate in many years, and before I knew what I had done,
the brass bore F F & F
The old logo might infuriate
the older brother of mine, Flam. For he was the one to tell Flip to chase his dreams,
alone in the world without funds.
Flam cared for the business, but he saw only waste in new ideas. My machine was already
a violation of his business rules.
Finding little in the way,
between us and finding a new place to stay, finally gave me the will to go forward.
I finally found my power,
The use of fire and steam, without magical assistance, for everypony, for anypony.
"This might even save us."