//------------------------------// // The Foolish Blacksmith and the Starry Scholar // Story: Cosmic Defiance: The Enemy from the Stars // by Mamoru Kisho //------------------------------// Chapter One: The Foolish Blacksmith and the Starry Scholar The outpost city of Arpeggio, governed by the commonwealth nation of Runera. Founded in Terran year 1813, Arpeggio was on a direct route between the Equestrian royal capital Canterlot and the merchant city of Lanerio, located near the San Palomino Desert. As the world monster population grew, travelers were in need of a safe place from both the monster threat and the heat of the sun, and so the Runera/Equestria outpost was established. Over time, merchants from both nations saw the location as a place of business instead of just respite. Many have set up shop around the outpost and settled the landscape. With their newfound commerce, early entrepreneurs used their earnings to expand upon the outpost. Schools, homes, places of worship, hospitals, and even a stronger guard presence were commodities all paid in part by these merchants. Today, with a population of over seventy-thousand, Arpeggio is one of the busiest hubs in and out of Runera. “I need you to investigate rumors of a recently unearthed relic.” A monarch, clad in a dress of white and adorned with jewelry reminiscent of the sun itself, stood before her subject. “A relic?” replied the young scholar. “Would it have anything to do with the object you’ve asked me to research, Princess?” “I’m afraid we don’t have sufficient information to make that assumption”, replied the princess. “All we know is that this particular object has been generating quite the buzz. No information has been made public, but according to our sources, it’s very close to what we’re after.” A light shines from the very tip of the princess’s throne and displays a map of Arpeggio and its surrounding area. “It’s quite a large city, that’s for sure”, chimed the scholar. “Yes, it is. Unfortunately, I cannot send anyone to accompany you. A group scouring for information would draw far too much attention.” The map zooms out of view of the city, showing the nations of Runera and Equestria as well as its border. “And sending guards with you would most likely cause political strife. There would be no legitimate excuse for Equestrian soldiers to be within Runera’s borders.” “We can go in disguise, blend in with the tourists.” “I’m afraid we can’t take that chance. Any suspicions of Equestrian military forces in Runera, and we’ll have bigger problems.” “What should I do if it turns out to be the relic we’re looking for?” The princess was deep in thought about that possibility. After a short pause, she gave her subject a reply. “Just leave it in the hands of whichever private collector owns it. If someone tries to use it, however...Do whatever it takes to retrieve it.” Comet did his best to avoid bumping into the crowd, making his way toward the family smithy in the Artisan District. It had been a rather busy week for the young blacksmith and his father. With winter rapidly approaching, hunters and mercenaries alike have requested the services of the duo in preparation for the harsh season. As he walked, he thought back to the tale that his father recounted at breakfast. “I seriously doubt that one person had the world in such a stranglehold. Still, makes for some nice fiction.” Comet approached the front entrance of the smithy, spotting Temper sharpening a customer’s longsword on the whetstone. The wizened artisan was too engrossed in his task that he didn’t notice his son approaching. Busy as usual, Comet thought to himself. Perfect. He approached Temper making as little sound as he could, using the cacophony of metal grinding against rock to his advantage. While the two were always close as family, they would often play pranks on each other, usually in the form of pilfering goods. As the young man closed the distance between himself and his father, he reached out to grab the coin pouch hanging from Temper’s tool belt. “You’ll have to do better than that if you’re going to steal from me this early in the morning.” Comet snapped to attention at the sound of his father’s voice. “How’d you know I was here?” he asked. Temper pointed to a pair of finished swords mounted on a rack nearby, their reflection showing the young man's grimace. Comet felt foolish, having forgotten that his father arrived early and was already done with a few blades. “Alright, so the master outwitted the student yet again. What’s my punishment?” Temper set down his now-finished sword and turned to face his child. “First off, you are to light and stoke the furnace flame and keep it burning throughout the day. An order came in for a new weapon, and I need it to reach a certain temperature for the type of metal I’ll be using.” “Seems like we’re getting more orders like that every day.” “It’s just the autumn rush. Every able-bodied man and woman wants to stock up on meats from the hunt or extra cash from jobs before the winter.” The old man untied the coin pouch from his belt and handed it to Comet. “Speaking of which, I’ll be swamped with work until closing time, so it’s up to you to bring lunch during your break.” “Great, I know just the place, too. In fact, why don’t I head over--” Temper clears his throat and crosses his arms. “There’s more, isn’t there?” “Before you start on any other tasks, the chimney needs cleaning.” Temper hands a chimney sweeper to Comet. “With the autumn rush in full swing, it’s getting dirtier every day. Need you to keep it clear.” Comet let out an exacerbated sigh. “You know I hate sweep duty.” “I know. That’s why I have you do it.” Temper let out a hearty laugh at the expense of his son. “Oh, don’t look so down. Tomorrow’s our day off, so I’ll let you sleep in for once to make it up to you.” At the sound of that proposal, Comet perked up tremendously. “Now, get going. The sooner we finish all of these orders, the sooner we can lock up.” “I’m on it!” The midday sun bore down on the airship terminal, the heat making a few citizens sweat profusely. The sound of steam engines roared as aircraft departed and landed non-stop throughout the day. The HMS Solarus has recently arrived from Equestria. The airship was full of tourists looking to experience a day outside of their comfort zone. One tourist in particular, however, was after more than just entertainment. The Equestrian scholar Twilight Sparkle gathered her belongings and disembarked the aircraft. She kept thinking back to that morning’s meeting with Princess Celestia and the task entrusted to her. “Alright, let’s see here.” She read the written instructions given to her by one of the princess’s informants. “Raven’s Feather Inn, room two. But what’s with this alias? Twinkle Shine? Who in their right mind would even agree to use such a name?” She continued reading and eventually found the address to the inn. “2115 Hemwick Charnel Lane. That should be easy to remember.” The young woman looked out onto the major city street as she exited the airship terminal. The hustle and bustle of Arpeggio was very obvious to those who come to sightsee. Shops selling wares ranging from everyday household use to the finest of weaponry, street performers gathering large crowds as they showcase their talents, and even-- “Heads up!” Twilight immediately ducks as a street performer suddenly whizzes over her head, just narrowly avoiding a collision. After she’s sure the danger has passed, she looks around for the performer in question. “Sorry about that, miss! All part of the act, I assure you!” The performer turned out to be a seraphi, one of the many humans capable of flying freely through the air as easily as any bird. Such a sight was all too common for Twilight back home, but for the many tourists around her, they’ve never seen such a spectacle. The audience was left cheering and awestruck. “They really love the simple things here, don’t they?” As the young woman turned around and continued on her way, she walked right into something. Or at least, someone. “Thanks for the grub!” Comet left the nearby restaurant and made his way back to the smithy, two lunch bags in his hands. “Can’t believe they let me in even with this.” He noticed the black streak in his hair again, no thanks to a large buildup of soot that peppered his head that morning. “Just hope the color doesn’t stick to my hair before I can wash it off.” He made his way down the familiar road, one that he’s traveled on countless times. The usual din of the city was a little livelier today thanks to the recent tourism brought about by the annual hunt. Travelers were pouring out of the airship terminal up ahead as he walked. Comet paid no mind to it and was already happily eating out of his bag. “Looks like Feather Breeze found a potential ‘volunteer’ for his act”, he commented. On his way to the smithy, Comet usually passes by a street performer he knows very well. He knows Feather all too well, being unwittingly volunteered for his act on the first day. Comet simply chuckled as he saw Feather jump from the platform he had set up above the crowd and yelled his familiar “Heads up!”. Comet couldn’t see the victim in question, but he had a feeling they had quite the scare. “Same ol’ Feather.” His mind wandered to the story his father shared that morning. “You know, the old man did only want me to be interested in something he was adamant about. I guess I was a bit too--” His thoughts abruptly came to an end as he walked right into a person in the crowd. Taken by surprise, Comet immediately dropped the lunch bags in his grasp, the contents spilling all over the sidewalk. He found himself stumbling backward, avoiding the possibility of knocking the unfortunate person down. As he regained his balance, he saw his bags strewn on the ground, the meal no longer salvageable. “Crap, there goes the old man’s lunch, and the rest of mine.” Comet spotted the other person involved, ready to give them a piece of his mind. “Listen, lady. You owe me a--” He stopped himself midsentence as he gazed at her. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” she quickly blurted out. “This street performer took me by surprise, I didn’t see where I was going, and…” Twilight sighed as she grabbed her coin pouch. “How much do I owe you for your lunch?” Comet was pleasantly surprised that this young woman not only apologized, but offered to repay him for his lunch. However, he was also astounded by her form and attire. She stood there, dressed in simple clothing but with an air of regality about her. Her outfit seemed to fit her personality: a light purple shirt with a ribbon of a darker shade of the same color tied around the collar, a checkered skirt with many variations of the same hue, and a pair of dress shoes with socks reaching past her knees. Her attire made Comet’s own uniform -- a plain gray shirt, heavy brown blacksmith pants, and his tool belt -- seem like a lowly peasant’s garb. “Excuse me?” chimed Twilight. “Are you alright, sir?” Comet snapped himself out of his trance and remembered his predicament. She had offered to repay him for the mishap. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied. “Don’t worry about the food. I think I have enough to cover the same order. Good day, miss.” Comet made his way back to the restaurant, but before he could get too far, the young woman stopped him again. “Please, I insist. I’m normally careful when walking in public. That is, unless I have a book I’m very interested in reading, but that’s neither here nor there!” She laughed nervously at her attempt to ease the tension. Comet couldn't help but give a small chuckle. “Again, it’s fine. It happens to the best of us.” He continued walking, this time at a more hurried pace. “Gotta get back there before the lunch rush starts”, he muttered under his breath. Twilight, still feeling responsible for this man’s inconvenience, decided to follow him to his destination. He looked back at her tailing him and gave her a quizzical look. She simply returned his gaze with a smile. “Let me tell you, airship food is terrible. Whatever was in that bag, it looked like a better meal than that.” Temper was hard at work on another sword as he thought about his son’s well-being. The blacksmith was getting on in years even before his child was born. He worried about what kind of person Comet would become once he was no longer with him. “The boy will do fine”, he said to himself. “I’ve taught him everything I know. Of course, he could ease my worries a bit if he started planning on settling down with a nice girl, for once…” His stomach started to grumble. “And I hope he gets here with that food soon.” “Smoked artichoke surprise? The only surprise here is the fact that you can actually stomach something like that.” “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it. I thought it was gross at first. Now I can’t go a day without the stuff.” Temper heard the familiar tone of his son’s voice, but was unsure as to who the other voice belonged to. Comet entered the workshop with an open lunch bag and another sealed one in his arms. He placed one of the bags on a nearby table away from the work area. “Hey old man”, said Comet. “Got you the usual.” “Thank you.” Temper leaned and attempt to peer out of the doorway that Comet entered through. When he couldn’t see anyone on the other side, he turned to his son. “Were you talking to someone just now?” “Just some tourist that came to see the sights. You know how it is once the street performances are in full swing.” Just as Comet was about to leave, a very audible snap was heard by both artisans. Comet walked outside and noticed Twilight holding a necklace in her hand, the chain broken. “Shoot!” she exclaimed. “I just had this thing repaired last month." Comet raised a questioning eyebrow. "How'd that happen?" "It felt a bit uncomfortable, so I tried to adjust it. Guess I don't know my own strength" she said, laughing nervously. The necklace in question appeared to be a six-pointed amethyst star with six smaller stars surrounding it, possibly made of a clear type of magicite, if not diamond. “It’s going to take all day just to find a jeweler that can fix it.” “Actually”, said Temper, walking outside to meet with Comet and Twilight. “My son here can help you out. Works faster and better than any jeweler, that’s for sure.” He extended his hand to Twilight and introduced himself. “Temper Blade, owner of this fine smithy. I see you’ve met my son Comet.” Comet gave his father a look that questioned how far he’d go for a quick Bit. “It’s a pleasure to meet you” she replied, shaking his hand. “No offense Mr. Blade, but he doesn’t look like the type of person with a delicate enough touch.” “Did you hear that, Comet? Sounds like a challenge.” The young blacksmith took the pendant from Twilight and sat at a nearby bench. He quickly grabbed his tools and started working on it as soon as possible. “Well”, he said to himself. “At least this’ll make us even for lunch.”