Pony Behind in Front of the Cart Before the Pony by Nomine

(Dad / Colt)

 

(29/04/2019)

 

 

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Cart racing. A time-honored and noble pursuit in many Equestrian towns. Have the colts and fillies build their carts and compete to see who can make and maintain the fastest, most aerodynamic designs! And some of them came up with some seriously good ones, too! In fact, some of the attributes of modern carts came from such small ideas from genius colts and fillies who didn’t realize what they had stumbled across as they sought only to win a trophy, a few bits, or some bragging rights.

 

Such was the lure of bits that even a certain guard-colt had decided to enter yet again this year, and had been working nonstop on the cart he and two of his friends had designed. Sleek, aerodynamic, with a number of smaller wheels to keep it lower to the ground, but high enough it could go over the bumps in the street! Getting the axles installed for those wheels, however, was a right royal pain in the flank.

 

And that was where the colt’s father found him one day, belly up and half under the cart, only his flank sticking out, his hind-legs wriggling as he took a wrench to one of the metal bars strapped beneath the wooden cart, his language when something went wrong leaving..quite a bit to be desired.

 

Tose metal axles were one of his and his friend’s secret weapons...the metal added mass, which meant for a downhill run like most cart races, they would be moving much faster. More importantly, it meant that they wouldn’t suffer broken axles nearly as easily as the other carts.

 

He could still remember telling his friends the idea after studying cart design. “The Axel is the most important part of the cart! If it breaks, we all go sprawling. Got it Memorized?” he had said, to their nods.

 

Still, this was rather a pain...lying here, constantly tinkering with the connections, lubing them up and tightening the bolts as his father cleared his throat, causing him to jump as Dad looked down at his exposed lower-half.

“You know, son, the last time I saw a view like this, you were much younger and I was helping change your diapers.” his Dad quipped, smiling as his son slowly wheeled himself out from underneath, looking at the much larger stallion with a grimace.

 

“C’mon, Dad, did you have to bring that up? I’m a grown-up colt now! I don’t need to hear about when I wasn’t potty trained!” he complained, standing up and going over to get a drink, popping the top of a can and taking a sip, sighing in relief as he felt himself rehydrating. Cart work was hard work!

 

“Says the ‘stallion’ who still sleeps with his stuffed raccoon, plays Trading Card Games, and drinks Sunny Delight?” his dad asked, his face all innocence as the guard trotted over, taking a peek under the cart. “Metal Axles, nice!”

 

The colt, who had been grumbling as his Dad pointed out the raccoon, super-glad his friends weren’t here, stopped and smiled. “Yeah! I figured it would stop the cart from breaking and add more weight so we go faster down hills!” he said, the colt grinning like a fox.

 

Dad nodded. “And well installed too, you did a really good job with these. I’m proud of you for that, son. And for using your head and thinking things through. Why six wheels, though?” he asked, pointing to the middle set of wheels.

 

“So if one breaks, the other two sets can keep carrying the cart! We just haveta move the weight if it does. I, uh, got the idea….” he said, then shut up, looking sheepish.

 

“Yes?” Dad asked, curious now.

 

“I got the idea from that funeral we went to a couple years back...where six ponies carried it and you told me it was so each of them only had to support a little weight.” his colt said, then sighed in relief when is Dad nodded.

 

“Good thoughts. A little morbid, but a good engineer learns to see ideas in all sorts of things. And son, you definitely seem to have the makings of an engineer, if this cart is anything to go by.” Dad told him.

At that, the colt gasped, hugging his father before blushing and getting back onto his little cart, belly down this time as he slid underneath. Mostly to hide his face but also so he could get some other stuff done. “Y...Yes well...um...I love you, Daddy...Dad!...but I do need to get this cart oiled and maintained, so…”

 

His Dad just snorted and trotted past, watching as his son’s tail flagged a bit while he worked, showing his vulnerable rump. “Understood, son...understood.” he said, then grinned and gently picked up a random piece of wood, taking aim at that exposed bottom. One...two...three….THWAP!

 

“OW!” his son yelped from underneath, pulling all the way inside! From underneath, his Dad could hear the sound of a hoof rubbing a stinging rear. “Daaaaddd, what was THAT for?” he whined, indignance in his voice. “I’m trying to take care of my cart!”

 

“Well, for one, that was a warning for the language I heard you using earlier.” his Dad said, shaking his head. “You’re an engineer in the making, not a Mechanic.And for secondly…”

 

“Haven’t you ever heard of a Maintenance Spanking?”