[Dodge Junction] Salt Of The Earth- Dodge Junction's Very Own Salt Bar! [FINISED]

[Dusky]

As Boxy delivered her speech Dusk stared on dumbfounded just listening to Boxy try and explained what had happen just really confused him more than the tidbits he'd heard over the last couple of weeks the few things he could figure out were that there was a wedding, the bride was imitated and Canterlot was invaded by Changelings or something like that but it sounded like it had all been sorted out so it didn't matter as much anymore.

He smiled as Boxy finished her speech "well we might not look as silly if you'd slowed down a bit" he said with a hint of humor playing with boxy a little "but i'm sure we can glean some information out of that" he said chuckling

[TotalEcplise]

"Yea, the bartender has got the gist of it right. I wasn't there myself, but I am well informed." A light salmon unicorn mare said as she stepped into the bar. Her mane and tail was dull candy red one side intertwined with a deep black on the other. She scanned the room around her, stopping only to briefly gaze at the ponies occupying the bar. GearShift trotted up to the counter, her black welding goggles swung from left to right with each step.She took a seat at the counter and patted her black leather saddlebags to make sure they closed and nothing would fall out. She placed a fore leg on the counter and rested her head on her exposed hoof as she looked to the two other patrons.

"The unicorn Princess Cadence married, whom Queen Chrysalis tried to steal was Royal Guard Capt. Shining Armor." GearShift said with a half lidded expression.

"Twilight Sparkle, the mare that Chrysalis locked up is the captain's little sister, which is why she was there. Apparently she had called Chrysalis out before, but no one believed her, anyway she escaped with the real Cadence and called the queen out again the with the real Cadence backing her up."

"It was crazy from what i've heard, even Princess Celestia allegedly got her hooves dirty in this conflict." She was rubbing her hooves together in excitement at the chance to interact with some ponies. She'd been stuffed up in her wagon so long with nothing but machinery she had started to forget that other ponies even existed.

"I'm really surprised though that you messed up Twilight Sparkles name. I didn't want to believe it, but i guess they really aren't known." She shrugged.

The mare shifted a little worried that perhaps she had just put them off with her info dump. "Sorry...for blasting you guys with info, force of habit. The names GearShift."

[GuidingLight]

Starlight kept quiet, watching the other two. She may indeed have looked a bit strange as Boxy related the story, staring with a lost expression. But when GearShift entered, Starlight raised her brow and boggled at the spectacle of her version of the story which followed. At the end of it all, Starlight commented laconically, "That is a lot of information."

She looked GearShift over and her somewhat baffled expression became one of subdued admiration. Now less like a shocked witness and more like a reporter, she asked GearShift, "You seem to have an intimate knowledge of what happened. Were you there? Do you know much about the ponies involved? With all these royal names, it sounds like the ponies there had a lot of celebrity."

[SonicRainboomGirl]

Boxy blushed, and giggled as she listened to this new pony share the real information on the Royal Wedding. Boxy felt foolish, but then again, she didn't really know better. She didn't follow the news, and Dodge Junction was a pretty small town.

"Well, how do ya do? Ahm Heart-Shaped Box, but errybody calls me Boxy! You're mahghty smart there, Miss GearShift! Where'd ya learn all of that Royal Weddin' stuff? If ya don't mind me askin', that is, it's no bus'ness of mahne! OH! And is there anythin' I can get for ya, Miss? Anythin' off the menu? Or, uh, would ya just lahke some free water?"

Boxy winked and Starlight and giggled. She was feeling rather giddy, happy to have made some new friends! She very much liked these people, they were smart and kind and well-travelled. It was very interesting! Boxy loved her job because of all the ponies she met, and she figured today was the perfect example of that.

[TotalEcplise]

"Nice to meet you Boxy!" GearShift said excitedly, she was glad she hadn't been to abrasive.​ "Sure, how about some custom brewed root beer, and a slice of fresh baked pie...what the hay, change that to a whole pie. I feel kind of generous so anypony else who wants some pie speak up and I'll take care of it." As she spoke she casually used her telekinesis to unsnap the latches on the right side of her saddle bags and pulled out brown chest. She sat the chest on the bar and used her magic to open it up, the contents shone brilliantly as rows and rows of gold bits were exposed. GearShift removed the eight bits needed to pay for her food and drink and magically placed them on the counter top, with that done she placed the chest back in her saddle bag.

"And to answer both of your questions, I wasn't there, but I have acquaintances all over Equestria. You see I'm a travelling mechanic-slash-engineer, my travels take me everywhere and back again." She made a wide arcing motion with her hooves to emphasize the "everywhere" as she spoke.

"Anyway to the point, when i was barely old enough to leave home I attended a prestigious University of mechanical and magical engineering in Canterlot. Many of my friends from the university were the children of nobles so they are still in the city, most of them attended the wedding. Those are the ponies that gave me the best pieces of info, like Celestia fighting, and Twilight and Shining Armor being siblings, and the changeling queens name. The rest I just heard through the grapevine or picked up in the news as a traveled." GearShift's mood had been pleasant but the word friend came out laced with an audible venom, but it was just a word and once it past from her mind she released a scowl that he had unintentionally wore. The joy of ponies who seemed legitimately interested, even though they likely was just checking the validity of her story, made GearShift truly happy.

"And as for Twilight Sparkle...I'm honestly baffled as to how everypony in Equestria doesn't know of her." She rubbed her chin in bewilderment. "Not only is she the personal student of Princess Celestia, but she is one of the Elements of Harmony. You know the six mares that have saved the world TWICE! I also know a decent amount about her friends as well." She looked back and forth between the ponies at the bar. Wow, I guess the news really doesn't travel well out here.

"Oh by the way I didn't catch your name..." GearShift said as she looked at the Cocoa unicorn.

[GuidingLight]

"Guiding Starlight," said the cocoa unicorn in reply to GearShift. She quickly added, "I'm from... somewhere that doesn't hear much news." She looked somewhat ashamed of this now, when she did not earlier. Starlight glanced down at the floor a moment, but looked back up at GearShift and continued, "I knew Princess Celestia was powerful with magic, but I didn't know she had an apprentice. I'd like to hear about this Twilight Sparkle's friends, but, er, what's an Element of Harmony? It sounds important."

[TotalEcplise]

[[OOC: I gave it two days]]

"Guiding Starlight," said the cocoa unicorn in reply to GearShift. She quickly added, "I'm from... somewhere that doesn't hear much news."

"Nice to meet you Guiding Starlight." GearShift said with a huge smile plastered across her face. "That's okay, especially out here on the frontier."

"I'd like to hear about this Twilight Sparkle's friends, but, er, what's an Element of Harmony? It sounds important."

GearShift's amber eyes focused on the unicorn, and her jaw went slack. She could understand not being in the loop with recent events, but not even knowing about the Elements of Harmony...they were legendary, they were in nearly every children's book about modern Equestria, and everyone who's heard of Nightmare Moon knows about the Elements.

"Well, I guess I'll start with the Elements. The Elements are these six magical items of great power, together the represent harmony; The elements are kindness, generosity, honesty, laughter, loyalty, and magic. Truthfully, I have no idea where they came from, some ponies believe that Celestia created them, but I doubt that. What I do know is that they have a track record of defeating evil creatures, I don't know if they do anything else." She used her magic to open her saddle bags again, this time in search of a book. The book was bound in brown leather and was a little on the large size, she opened it up to the exact page with an illustration of the Elements of Harmony. She pointed a hoof at each Elements as she called out its name.

"Well as I said, Twilight is Celestia's student and an element of harmony; then there is Fluttershy, she was a big time model for like a week other than that, I don't know much about her; Pinkie Pie, I know she helped with the festivities at the royal wedding; Rainbow Dash, she was at the best young fliers competition...made a sonic rainboom, I saw that from Froggy Bottom Bog. She did it again for the wedding; Applejack is one of the Apples, I know she did the pastries for the wedding. Now that i think about it she's probably related to that Braeburn stallion; and finally there's Rarity she's a fashion designer with a little bit of renown to her name. Last I checked they all still lived in Ponyville." She levitated a photo out from her saddle bag, it depicted the sky with a strange rainbow colored wave of energy propagating across it. She also pulled out three magazines and a newspaper article, the newpaper article was about the attack on canterlot by the changelings, and the magazines had several articles in them about Fluttershy, Rarity, and the wedding.

"Oh and each of Twilight's friends also have an Element of Harmony. If you believe the news those six mare beat Nightmare Moon and Discord. Crazy right?" She finished with a giggle.

"I kind of want to meet Twilight Sparkle face to face, i've seen them, but never met them."

[SonicRainboomGirl]

((Oh my gosh you guys, I am so sorry! My computer glitched, and I never got a notification of recent postings!))

Boxy's jaw dropped open in disbelief. Her newest visitor was so incredibly knowlegable, so good with words! All Boxy had was common sense and basic knowlege. She didn't care much for books or text, she preferred life and conversation. She had never developed a skilled vocabulary, and she was proud of what she DID have. This pony was a genius!

"Sweet Celestia, you some kinda scholar or somethin'? Thats qahte an impressive vocabulary ya got there! I hadn't ever heard'a any of this stuff. Those ponies sound amazin'! That Twahlahght filly, how in tarnation do you get to be Celestia's apprentice?! Musta taken some work! And Braeburn, ah've seen him pass through these parts. Hes a nice staln, awfully friendly. Now, Fluttershy, ah've heard about her. She was on the cover of mah fav'rite 'zine, "Filly Vogue"! She has a nice mane, should be done up a bit higha though. Never heard'a Pinkie Pah or Rainbow Dash. And what in the heck is a Sonic Raindrop, or whata you said?"

Boxy paused, coming upon a sudden realization. RARITY WAS A DESIGNER! AND BOXY WAS A BIG FAN! She had seen and ordered her fashionably plain and simple gown, wearing it almost nonstop. She looked down to see if she was wearing it, hoping to perhaps show it off. Nope.

"RARITY IS AN ELEMENT OF HARMONY?! Oh boy, I sure do love her works! She desahgned this dress, plain and simple, and it was ALL OVER Canterlot!"

Boxy squeled, spinning in a little circle. Maybe Gear Shift had friends or accquantances who knew Rarity! That would give her a HUGE headstart when she began to sell her fashions in Canterlot!

"Do you, or any of your friends and such know Rarity?!" She demanded, pounding her fist on the table and staring at Gear Shift in interest.

[GuidingLight]

(( I'll give Dusky one more day, then I'll continue without him! ))

[SonicRainboomGirl]

(sounds like a plan, Stan!)

[GuidingLight]

"Sonic Rainboom?" Starlight said in manner perhaps doubting some esoteric reference, but when GearShift presented them with the photo of the Sonic Rainboom, Starlight's eyes widened and she reared her head in sudden understanding, saying, "Ohh, so that's what that was. Come to think of it, weren't there two of those... one recently, and another a long time ago..."

Mostly she said this to herself, allowing GearShift to go on about Twilight's friends, Starlight appearing silently amazed that each of them was, or had, an Element of Harmony. As Boxy more or less flipped out in response to this news (at least, in comparison to Starlight), Starlight grinned, although her face betrayed a slight worry that Boxy might spontaneously combust, or something along those lines, due to the excitement.

Starlight glanced at the door, gauging the light and time of day, and then looked back to GearShift. She would stay a bit longer, if only to hear more details about these apparent celebrity ponies...

[SonicRainboomGirl]

((I dont know D: ))

[TotalEcplise]

"Sweet Celestia, you some kinda scholar or somethin'?"

"Something like that; more along the lines of machinists, inventor, and mage. I travel around the world learning everything I can about magic and technology so that I can combine them in new and creative ways to help make life easier." Her experiences and travels were one of the things she was very proud of, a chance to share with anypony will was enough to get the mare yapping.

"Do you, or any of your friends and such know Rarity?!"

GearShift cringed a little at the sudden outburst.

"Um...yes, Hoity Troity and Fancypants are both avid clients of mine. They send several of their small clockwork machines and other appliances to my shop back in Manehattan for maintence on a regular basis and every so often I personally perform scheduled tune ups and repairs on their personal yachts." GearShift was completely taken aback by the sudden energy the mare displayed, to say she was uncomfortable would be understatement of the year. "As you may know, Fancypants and Hoity have both recommended Rarity's dresses before, which caused both of her explosions in popularity."

[SonicRainboomGirl]

Boxy's jaw dropped faster than ever before in her life.

"FANCY PANTS AN' HOITY TOITY ARE YOUR CLAHENTS?!"

She hollered, throwing her arms up in the air. She could not believe her ears, and her heart raced in an inticipation.

"THAT'S JUS' CRAZY! YOU MUS' BE A SUPER FANCY PONYGIRL, THERE! AH WISH AH KNEW THEM! AH WISH THEY WAS MAH CLAHENTS!"

Seeing as though she had just startled her customers, Boxy took a step back and chuckled in embarrassment, primping a lock of her luxurious mane. It was still as silky as ever, and her clothes had not been messed with in her burst of excitement.

"'Course, Ah'm jus' a salt bar owner rahght now. But it's mah dream to run a fashion lahne in Canterlot. Ah adore everythin' 'bout Canterlot, even though ah seem crazy an' ol' timey. Ah mean, ah am, but thats not the only sahde of me. Ah wanna be the talk'a the town, hot on the scene, garden parties an' all! Rubbin' shoulders with the rich an' famous is mah dream. It's not all too humble for me to be sayin' this, ah know. It's a jus' a lame dream. Ah only ever make dresses locally, an' they're nothin' special. 'Fact, Rarity's plain ol' blank dress was way more fancy than anythin' ah've ever come up with. It's really disapointin, ya know? But wait, what am ah doin'? Don't even bother with me, y'all, ah'm jus' a hopeless dreamer."

Boxy paused, wondering if her makeup was still alright.

"S'cuse me,"

She said to her customers pulling out a mirror and inspecting herself. Nope, not even a smudge undone.

"Well thank HEAVENS mah makeup hasn't been harmed. Anyways, sorry 'bout the rantin'. I mus' sound real stupid-like. Hope y'all don't mahnd any of this. I can get y'all some free drinks on the house, if ya want me ta. Nopony should ever have ta listen ta their bartender rattle on lahke a snake in Julah!"

She snorted then, realising how silly it was for her to be venting to her customers.

"Whadda y'all want ta drink?"

[GuidingLight]

Starlight watched Boxy, wide-eyed and paralyzed with what was likely shock. She thought that she had seen Boxy at her most excited. She acknowledged to herself that she was wrong, her mouth hanging just a bit as her brain churned to comprehend the outburst. She had never thought much of city life. Granted, she never had much to base her thoughts of city life on. That said, it seemed to her a little superfluous, and she never did understand the necessity for fashion, or makeup, and the like. But it seemed like a good opportunity to learn.

"GearShift? I'm kind of interested in, maybe, visiting Canterlot and spending some time there to learn its, eh... for lack of a better term, ways. Is there anyone you could recommend that I speak to, when I get there?"

[TotalEcplise]

"Well I don't know about 'fancy'." GearShift said. "Look at me, I'm a greasy monkey!" She let out a hearty laugh.

"Everything starts somewhere ya know, what I'm doing now was once just the dream of a little filly." She frowned up a little when she heard Boxy put down her own aspirations. "You shouldn't talk like that, all you need is for something to really ignite your 'spark'. A dream can take you far; my father was a stunt flier, and my mother was a party caterer. As far as I can tell, I'm the only technomancer...ever. All because I wanted it." She gave Boxy an encouraging smile. "You just have to get out there and there caution to the wind."

Boxy came to the sudden realization that her overenthusiastic out burst had started to make a few ponies uncomfortable, she started to bring it back in line as she checked her make up. GearShift was never one for such self pampering, mascara and pretty lashes would never hold up in her line of work. Though it always amused her to see mares fiddle with their cosmetics as if something terrible might happen if there were so much as a blemish on them.

"Free drink you say?" She put a hoof up to her face in thought. "How about some of that custom brewed root beer."

GearShift looked to Guiding Starlight attentively as she asked her question. She closed her eye as she picked through her mind for information.

"Hmmm, well Fancy Pants is pretty down to earth, he's likely to help you out. Then there's professor Arcane Myst from the University, she's quick to make friends and will probably help you." Other than those two, she really couldn't think of to many 'on the level' ponies to help her. "How long do you plan on staying there?"

[SonicRainboomGirl]

Heart-Shaped Box was greatly inspired by the pony who stood before her. She was so kind and chased her aspirations to the ends of the earth! Boxy could really take a page out of her book, and would!

"Fancy Pants, ya really think ah could meet him, talk ta him, ya know, ask fer his help in gettin' my business started? Ah would really need ta learn ta be more proper! Ya really think ah can follow mah dreams? Ah could be a dress-maker? Fer REAL? Thank ya so much fer the kahnd words, Geary. They mean the world ta me. Ah've always wanted ta make dresses. Heck, mah cutie mark even has ta do with sewin', that's how ah earned it! This Salt Bar thing, it's nahce an' all, but not really what ah want. Ah mean, look at me, ah chat MORE than mah customers! An' AH'M the bartender! But thank ya kindly, hun. Oh, an' one custom-brewed rootbeer comin' up. Guidin', would ya lahke anythin'?"

[GuidingLight]

Starlight squinted, taking mental notes as GearShift spoke. After taking note of the names, she nodded to herself, and said to Gearshift in response to her question, "Maybe a while. Maybe not long. I think I'll just go with the wind. It'll take me a while to get there, anyway. But thanks. Those two should be more than enough to get me acclimated."

Then as Boxy spoke, Starlight gave her a nervous smile. "No, I'm set for now. And don't worry about being overly talkative. Some people come here just to let out words they've been holding in. But others come for something to listen to. I would guess, anyway... anyway!"

She straightened herself out, stretching her legs and bowing her head with a subdued smile. "I'm going to get going. It's a long way to Canterlot, even without my detours. Thanks for everything. I'll keep you in mind, Boxy, when I get to Canterlot."

And with that, taking nothing with her, Guiding Starlight steadily made her way for the exit, and beyond.

[TotalEcplise]

GearShift let a small smile creep onto her face as Boxy spoke. She really didn't think her words were all that inspirational, but then she remembered...Sometimes a pony just needs to hear that their dreams are worth chasing.

"Don't mention it." she said as she tried to hoof-wave the praise.

"Take care and safe travels." She said as she waved farewell to Starlight, as the young mare departed a question slipped into GearShift's head, was Guiding Starlight going to walk to Canterlot.That filly's got some real drive.

[SonicRainboomGirl]

"Bahe, Guidin' Stahlahght! Safe travels!" Boxy called, waving as Guiding exited.

[TotalEcplise]

"You've mined me for information like a coal pit, now I'm interested in you," GearShift said as she pointed a hoof at Boxy. She tried her best to stifle her giggles, but it didn't work. "Everypony has a story behind how they got their cutie mark. You said yours has something to do with sewing, so how'd you get it?"

[SonicRainboomGirl]

Boxy laughed at the question, wondering why people were so curious about her. She was nothing special, but decided to tell the story anyways.

"Well, when ah was jus' a wee lil' filly the local seamstress wanted ta get rid a' her sewin' machine. Ah wanted ta pick up a hobby, so she gave it ta me. Ah wanted ta make mahself a fancy dress fer the school dance. It was a horrible lil' sewin' machine, and ah had a lotta trouble gettin' anythin' outta it. But, after a few weeks worth'a work, ah made mahself the dress! Ah showed up at the dance wearin' that dress, and ah was tahtled Queen'a the dance. When ah went home, ah found a Cutie Mark on mah flank!"

Boxy chuckled, passing Gear Shift her rootbeer that had just finished. The liquid bubbled and frothed, so Boxy knew she had made it juuust right!

"What 'bout YOUR Cutie Mark?"

She asked, deciding to make herself a glass. It looked delicious, and she knew that it would taste amazing.

[TotalEcplise]

"That sounded like a fun and challenging little endeavor, that there is the material stories for your grandkids are made from!" GearShift exclaimed.

Boxy got her cutie mark in such a way that it left her feeling accomplished and made for a cute little memory, nothing like when GearShift got her cutie mark. Boxy passed the frothy beverage to her. The unicorn licked her lips in anticipation of the delicious flavor she was about to treat her mouth to. She took a small sip and smiled at the smoothness of the drink.

"My cutie mark?" she said surpried. This is something she should've been prepared to talk about. Shows how much I know and social interaction.

"Well when I was young I found that I didn't want to do what either of my parents did, so i started tinkering with machines and practicing magic. I was really good at both I used to stay up in my room for hours reading through books on magic, machinery, and all kinds of engineering. When my parents noticed my hobby my father took to calling me GearShift as a joke..." Oh crap, I let that slip. "Anyway, I lived in stalliongrad and it's freezing cold there, so the cities plumbing has to undergo constant checks to make sure a freeze doesn't back up the pipes and cause them to burst. If that happened large sections of the city could be without running water for a while." She took a breath and another sip of her rootbeer.

"One day while I was walking past the water treatment plant I heard alarms and saw a crowd of ponies standing around the buildings external piping. They were telling everypony to get back because there was a large freeze in the pipes and the entire place could burst. All of the engineers that were suppose to be on standby had been sent to repair a problem on Vsadnika. Nopony there looked to be able to do anything, so with the confidence that only a youngster could have I pushed to the front of the crowd and went to work on the massive intricate piping of the complex. I used my magic to cut and weld where necessary while replacing, reshaping, repairing, and modifying the entire pipe system. I even installed a secondary emergency bleed valve to the piping so that a freeze couldn't burst the pipes. When I got back home my father mentioned that there was something on my flank, I looked back and I saw that i earned my cutie mark." She finished off her rootbeer and sat the cup back on the counter. It really wasn't a story she enjoyed, despite the fact that that day helped her to find the success she has today it still marked the day she knew that her destiny wasn't in Stalliongrad, the day she got her cutie mark was the day she knew she'd have to leave someday.

[SonicRainboomGirl]

Boxy wasn't sure what to make of Gear's story. It sure did make hers seem insignificant! Geary was more useful to pony society, and Boxy was...well, working in a Salt Bar until she could make some money. She wasn't all too useful to her world.

"Well, golly gee, Miss Gear Shift! That's quahte the story ya got there! Makes mahne look awful insignificant. Y'all are one lucky dame!"

[SonicRainboomGirl]

As GearShift finished her drink, paid for her goods and left, Heart-Shaped Box smiled and put an old "Emerson, Lake, and Pony" record on. The day had come to a close, and as Boxy cleaned up shop she couldn't wait to see another day. There was only one thing on her mind: She had collected the funding needed to start her very own boutique.

~The End~