An Extended Holiday

by Commander_Pensword

167 - Tree of Harmony, Seeds of Unity

Extended Holiday
Chapter 167: Tree of Harmony, Seeds of Unity

---

Hammer Strike wiped at his forehead as he looked to his work. Since he needed the extra security, he was expanding the basement levels beyond the safe room he made for the trio of kitsunes. He had gone so far as to reinforce the stone to ensure even the dwarves would struggle breaking through it.

Within the new chambers, he had remade the safe room into a larger size with plenty more room for storage. He also added a few additional bed frames, just in case of guests or others who would need protecting..

Below that chamber was a series of new rooms, one of which being a storage area for all his tools and materials from the Alicorn Empire. While he could just place them within his forge, he knew that it raised too many safety risks. While the room was secure, it was also located just below the house and vented properly, which meant it was open to infiltration.

Near that was a large dome-like room containing several orbs of sunlight that he had recreated. He frowned as he made sure there was a sufficient amount of room for what he needed. When he was certain, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small vial containing a crystal acorn. He frowned as he popped it open and released the acorn into his hoof.

“It’ll take time, but things should work out down here,” he muttered to himself as he moved toward the center of the room, where a spot had been carefully prepared specifically for the seed that would eventually grow into Harmony.

He sighed as he ensured the soil was hydrated and packed everything correctly. As he finished up, he gave a soft smile before exiting the room. Then he returned to the house above.

---

Celestia beamed as she peeked into Luna’s new room. “Oh, sister, guess what time it is,” she sang.

“Not yet,” Luna moaned and pulled the covers over her head.

“Come on, Lulu,” Celestia coaxed as she strode into the room. A black tablet hovered in her magical grasp. “We’ve put this off for long enough.”

“But it’s boring,” Luna moaned.

“It’s also necessary. Did you ever hear Hammer Strike complain about when he studied?” She drew closer to the bed.

Luna’s eyes peeked out from under the covers. “When did he study?”

“All the time. He couldn’t leave the house much, and he wanted to learn all he could about us. Mother gave him access to the family library, so he could study about our culture and history between our playdates.”

“... Fine,” Luna huffed as she squirmed to lay her back against the headboard and patted the extra space on the mattress.

Celestia giggled and ascended the platform gracefully. “Why, thank you.” She gave a miniature bow, including a wing to accentuate the motion, before settling in and placing the tablet between the two of them. “Now what would you like to focus on first?”

Luna sighed. “We both know you already decided that.”

“Yes, but I thought we could start with something you might like to study first. Call it a gift. Or a freebie, I suppose.” She smiled dotingly at the young mare. “Unless, of course, you want me to go forward with what I had in mind….”

“War,” Luna said immediately.

Celestia sighed. “Very well. But we’re not going into detail. I don’t care if you’ve seen blood already. I won’t expose you to any more violence than you have to until you’re older.” She laid the tablet flat on the bed with its screen facing the ceiling. A holographic projection emerged from it, displaying a mighty stallion with six legs, a flowing mane, and a bearing that spoke of combat and challenge. “Let’s begin with the beginning, then. In the time before we walked the world, it is said that Sleipnir and Bonnie helped Faust in her creations. In one such attempt, Sleipnir contributed a single hair from his mane….”

The two remained embroiled in the throws of history and tactics until Luna’s stomach loudly proclaimed its demands for sustenance. Celestia’s own stomach soon followed.

“Girls? Did either of you want lunch, or did you want to wait for dinner?” Hammer Strike called.

“Lunch, please!” Luna shouted as she charged from the room.

Celestia sighed. “I half expected to hear her crying ‘freedom,’ at the top of her lungs.” She chuckled as she dismounted and followed her sister. “I would love some as well. What are we having?”

“Well, we’ve got a few options.” Hammer Strike looked over his ingredients. “We can do sandwiches, salad, or some fruit from our latest harvest.”

“Hmm. I think I’ll have a salad this time,” Celestia said. “How about you, Luna?”

“Sandwiches!”

“I guess I can manage both of those.” He gave a small smirk. “Hermes! You want anything for lunch while I’m at it?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” he responded.

“Suit yourself.” Hammer Strike shrugged as he turned toward the kitchen. “Salad and sandwich, coming up.”

---

Hammer Strike frowned as he noted a strange flux of magic in his environment. That meant either some magical creature was passing through his territory or it was a Pony with a decent amount of magic to them.

He looked out his window to see if he could notice whatever it was, only to find a familiar blue mare in the distance walking towards his house. He frowned as he tried to figure out why she would be coming here of all places. And alone at that.

The mare had already dealt with the Wendigo issue. She should have been back with the others in the Unicorn kingdom by this point.

Then again, she did express some lack of respect toward the current ruler. Yet, at the same time, she was Star Swirl’s apprentice, and he was unsure if she would be cleared for a solo expedition.

Unless he was farther out. Perhaps a group camp in the distance? Though the probability of that was exceptionally low, according to his augments.

He would have his answer soon enough. He waited for her to come up to the door and knock before finally moving. He opened the door and looked to his uninvited guest with a raised brow. “Hello, Clover. It’s certainly been a while.”

“Teach me,” the mare responded.

Hammer Strike blinked a few times. “Pardon?”

“Your magic. Teach it to me.”

“I think I’m leaning toward a negative.”

“I’ve gone through everything I could find.” Clover pointed in the direction of one of the orbs. “That's not possible.”

“And neither is an Earth Pony casting magic,” Hammer Strike replied simply as he opened the door for Clover to enter. “Since I know you’re stubborn, come in. We’re letting in the cold.”

“Why won’t you teach me?” Clover demanded as she entered. The mare was like a timberwolf with a tree root.

“Because I find you lacking. Is that what you want to hear?” Hammer Strike leaned down as he closed the door.

Clover was struck dumb by this. Her mouth moved up and down, but no words coame out.

“I can see your potential. Don’t get me wrong. But right now, you come to me as a child, demanding arts which I have protected for hundreds of years. You demand from me, my arts, with naught a thing to show me for it.” He led her calmly to the living room.

“What do you want, then?” she asked.

“If it were that simple, I wouldn’t be here.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “Give me a reason. Why should I teach you? What possibly could make you so worthy of learning?”

“Because I’ve studied magic my whole life. I know more spells than almost any other Unicorn alive!”

“Then why can’t you figure out mine?”

“Because they break the rules!” she practically shouted.

“Then clearly, those rules are incorrect,” Hammer Strike replied simply. “If there is such a rule in place that dictates something as impossible, but a fact lies in front of you as it being possible, wouldn’t that in turn show you the false nature of said rule?”

“I’m not leaving until I learn those spells!” she growled.

“Then I hope you find this couch comfortable, because you have a long way to go until I even think about teaching you the basics.”

“Do I … need to get some blankets?” a voice asked from the doorway. Celestia’s mane draped gracefully across her shoulders as she stepped into the room.

“It certainly looks that way,” Hammer Strike replied.

Clover's eyes widened as she saw the mare.

“Clover, this is Celestia, my daughter. Celestia, this is Clover, a powerful Unicorn from the Unicorn Kingdom. She also beat a windigo. Or a few.”

“Your daughter is an Alicorn?” Clover gaped in disbelief.

“Is that really so unusual, after all you’ve seen from my father?” Celestia countered.

“But no one’s seen an Alicorn in a hundred years!” Clover said.

“I mean, most of them died out eight years ago.” Hammer Strike shrugged.

“And … you’re fortunate you haven’t. They … weren’t very friendly.” Celestia’s complexion darkened as her ears drooped.

“Celestia, would you be a dear and make some tea?”

Celestia nodded slowly. “Was there any blend you wanted?”

Hammer Strike smiled gently. “Surprise me.”

She trotted meekly from the room en route to the kitchen and left the pair alone.

Hammer Strike’s voice was perfectly level and very quiet when next he spoke. “You’ll get this warning once, Clover, since I like you. Don’t pry into the Alicorns or bother my daughters for information on anything involving them without my express permission. Am I understood?” Hammer Strike’s expression remained calm, but the glow of his eyes had reached intense levels.

“...Fine,” Clover huffed.

Hammer Strike squinted at the response before sighing. “Is this the only reason you came out here?”

“As far as you know.”

“Then you can go home.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “I’ve already got three additional mouths to feed who at least help out. And honestly, I don’t need a freeloader sitting around.”

“I can help,” she insisted. “I can teach!”

“Says the apprentice,” Hammer Strike replied flatly.

“How much do you know about the three tribes and their current conditions? National borders? Laws? Trade?”

“I’ve got borders down. Geography isn’t difficult. As for their conditions…” He frowned. “Only the pegasi.” He sighed. “Ex Divinia etiam.”

“What about your daughters? Sooner or later, they’re going to need to interact with the outside world without your help.”

Hammer Strike growled for a moment before he sighed and ceded the point. “All right, you can stay. If you teach them.”

“I will,” Clover assured him.

He sighed once again. “I’ll work on a new guest bedroom tomorrow….”

“You won’t regret it.”

Hammer Strike looked flatly at her before tapping his hoof against the chair. The fire in the fireplace proceeded to grow as he warmed the room more. He sincerely hoped she was right. He really didn’t need any more headaches right now.

---

Hammer Strike frowned as he ensured the soil around Harmony’s sapling was properly hydrated. It had taken some time, but the strangely crystalline flora was starting to grow and gain strength. He hummed to himself as he looked around the cave once again and ensured the solar orbs were working properly, followed by double checking the dimensions of the artificial cave to ensure there was plenty of room above to grow into.

After a few minutes he nodded to himself and placed his tools within a small container nearby. He wasn’t sure how long it would take Harmony to really stand in the world again, but he had plenty of time to look after her and make sure of it.

Unlike most flora, there didn’t appear to be so much as a hint of soft tissue. It grew more like a geode or other such rock formation after it had broken free of the soil around it some months ago. However, it was still on the lower end of its development. He brushed a hoof against it to ensure things were stable, and a small wave of energy entered his hoof.

“Hello.” It wasn’t exactly a voice per se, more like an absent thought.

Hammer Strike blinked in surprise. “You’re finally conscious?”

“I am always conscious. I have to be to deal with my brother.”

“Yes, but you typically don’t reside in a physical form,” Hammer Strike replied with a frown. “You’re at least starting to regain some strength.”

“I admit this concept of having a physical form is … troublesome. I have power, yet … I cannot seem to use it so easily as I used to.”

“It’ll take time for you to recover, but at least you’re growing.”

“Growth. A concept I am familiar with, yet something I have never experienced before. I am … curious to see how my growth will be affected.”

“If you maintain this speed, and you end up much like a standard tree, it’ll be quite some time before you’re fully there. Some take hundreds of years, so we’ll see.”

“I suppose it’s better than lying dormant while my brother has his way. The trauma of our coming into the physical plane may have affected his mind.”

“I’m sorry to say, but I believe it to be true. I haven’t heard of any signs of him as of yet, but….”

“How long have I been dormant? I remember you, watching you arrive at the island, the balance you were able to achieve with your friend’s assistance, and the discord struck with his loss. We were watching you, since you are an anomaly. Father didn’t approve of what had been done to you, but we couldn’t send you back either. I … remember a mare, a garden, and then….”

“Then you were forced from the ethereal part of being an embodiment.” Hammer Strike sighed. “A little acorn is what you became..”

“An … acorn. Then it’s only logical to conclude that I will have to rely on the mana flows within the planet for sustenance, at least at first. Did you deliver me from the Alicorns?”

“Yes. I’ve even been looking after you since then. It’s been, if I recall correctly, roughly ten years since you were brought to the physical realm.”

“Ten years. Time feels … different to me like this. Everything seems to move so … quickly. Or is it that my mind wants to sleep?” she mused.

“I … am unsure. Sorry, but I don’t fully know what happens to embodiments in situations like this.”

“Trees are often a symbol of me. They follow a strict life cycle, and they rarely deviate from it unless outside forces drive them to it. Their systems exist in a delicate balance to maintain the greater ecosystem of the planet, which are also balanced. I suppose the best description would be a series of links tied to one another to increase their strength and maintain the world without strangling it. I’ll admit my brother helps in that regard, annoying though he may be.”

“It’s all a balance,” Hammer Strike simplified it. “One can’t fully exist without the other.”

“Exactly. I just hope my brother remembers that fact.”

“I have my doubts, I’m sorry to say.”

“I must admit, I am not certain how I will be able to interact with the world like this. At most, my power will be localized, even when I’m fully grown. After all, I can’t exactly travel like this.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure something out when you gain some strength. Until then, I’m sorry to say, but you’ve got a lot of rest ahead of you.” Hammer Strike gave a soft smile.

Hammer Strike could almost hear the smile behind the next words. “I’m Harmony, Hammer Strike. Patience is an integral part of my nature.”

“Yes, but you never did it in the physical world.” Hammer Strike chuckled as he stood and turned toward the door. “I’ll be back. Got work up top for today that I need to attend to.”

“Be well, Hammer Strike.”

---

Hammer Strike stretched his neck after securing a few logs to his cart. He needed more materials. And thankfully, the addition of his cart made moving them easier. Normally, he would have had to collect at most a few trees and drag them over to his house. While that wasn’t a difficult process, it was tedious going back and forth. The cart, however, allowed him to move more at a time, giving him less trips to worry about.

True to Clover’s word, she actually did stick around. While he was joking about her staying, it turned out she was very much serious, resulting in Hammer Strike having to expand the house and create a new bedroom. While it probably would have been nicer to create a new house for her to seperate things, he was unsure of how long she would actually be staying for.

His work however, would have to wait. One of his proximity sensors had just gone off near him. Based on the reading, it was probably Ponies of some kind. He didn’t bother strapping himself to the cart, and instead chose to turn in the general direction of where they would be coming from.

Two Pegasi emerged not more than a few minutes later. Neither had a banner or more than leather armor, surprisingly enough. This was vastly different than most Pegasi he’d met from this time. They approached him slowly, seemingly attempting to remain non-threatening.

Slightly ahead was a larger blue stallion with a teal mane and a beefy build. He carried a hatchet on his back and gave a poor attempt at a calm smile as he approached.

“Wo there!”

Hammer Strike raised a brow at the group. “What brings you to these lands?”

“First off, we aren't here to fight,” he said. “We have nothing against you for your tribe, and want nothing to do with any of the inter-tribal conflicts,” he said somewhat clumsily, trying to speak his thoughts.

The second Pony was scrawnier, with a red coat and a darker red mane. Her eyes were a rich green. “We just … were wondering if you’d mind us being nearby. Most of the other Ponies acknowledge this stretch of land is yours, so we know they’re not about to come here and give you grief, and we’d be able to forage and live for ourselves in the meantime, instead of having to fight.”

Hammer Strike hummed as he looked over the group. “So, you left due to not wanting to further play a part in the conflict?”

“In a tribe like ours, honor, service, and combat are about all that matters. We’re all for honor and service, but we don’t want to kill people who never hurt us. It just … doesn’t feel right.”

Hammer Strike looked over them a few times. One of the augments added to his eyes was a medical scanner of sorts; however it could also be used as a simple lie detector. He frowned as he ensured the veracity of their story by registering their heart rates. “You can make camp in these lands,” he finally said. “But if you wish for further aid, you will need to supply something in return.”

“We can work,” the stallion promised.

Hammer Strike hummed before sighing. “Find yourself a section of land first and we’ll talk more on it later.” He moved toward his cart and strapped himself into the harness.

The mare gaped, then looked to her partner. “Sleipnir’s beard, it worked!”

He laughed. “I think you probably should hold expressions like that until we’re out of ear shot.”

She glowered at her partner. “Come on, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“We need to tell the others,” he said. “They’ll be worried.”

Hammer Strike stopped. “How many of you are there?”

“There are five of us in total,” the stallion said.

Hammer Strike hummed to himself for a moment. “Yeah, that should be fine.” He shrugged to himself as he started to move his cart toward home. The two new residents were swift to return the way they’d come and alert their fellows of the successful negotiations. By the next morning, a camp would be set up in a clearing just far enough away to be unobtrusive while still within range of their host.

---

Hammer Strike sighed to himself as he sorted through his list of supplies. While he was able to gather most materials in his immediate area, there were certain items he would eventually need, and he knew for a fact they weren’t nearby. Seeds, for example. Right now, everyone was subsisting off the same series of fruits and vegetables. And while he was very creative in how to add variety in preparation, it wasn’t exactly a full healthy diet. Other crops for materials would also prove useful to him, such as cotton.

Another issue was the lack of particular ores in the area. He was lacking some of the more useful metals. While he could make do with what he had on hoof, if he wanted to progress things farther and stockpile parts for repairs, he would need to arrange trade for other resources. Copper, for example, was relatively uncommon on his land. Hunting it down in his mines proved to be a pain at times.

While he didn’t like the idea, he would need to pack his cart and travel to one of the nearby settlements to trade for it. Given what he needed, he would be heading into Earth Pony territory, which would at least make things easier for him.

Considering the horrible winter that had been plaguing the land for years, he put a wager on the lack of food and goods that these settlements had. And considering his methods of dealing with crops thaumically meant he could work in any season, at any temperature, and indefinitely, it meant he had a good stockpile on the side of crops that he could trade with.

However, he couldn’t leave his land unattended, so he couldn’t bring Celestia and Luna. While leaving Hermes would work for a time, he would be a Gryphon surrounded by Ponies. He sighed to himself once again as he tapped a hoof in thought. His thoughts, however, were interrupted as the front door opened, revealing Celestia and Luna followed by Clover.

“Hello, Father.” Celestia smiled as the trio wiped their hooves by the door. “Luna and I were just showing Clover the garden.”

“Is that so?” Hammer Strike gave a small smile.

“It’s very interesting.” Clover nodded. “Have you thought about contracting hobgoblins?”

“Not really native to this area,” Hammer Strike replied. “I take it you recommend the option?”

“As long as they’re treated well, they do make great gardeners.”

Hammer Strike hummed in response. “I’ll have to keep that in mind. Though, since you’re here, I do actually have something I need to discuss with you and Hodios.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“I need to go to a nearby town for some trade, and I need someone to look after this place while I’m gone.”

“You’re trusting me with that?”

“And Hodios,” Hammer Strike added. “I can’t leave this place unattended, and as much as I want to bring others, I need to head to an Earth Pony settlement.”

Clover shrugged. “Okay. Are there any special instructions I should know?”

“Don’t burn down the house.”

“I’ve never burnt a house down.”

“Admittedly, I slightly doubt that.” Hammer Strike hummed. “Or at least, something of similar equivalence in terms of what you had done to a house.”

Clover rolled her eyes.

“Don’t hear you denying that one.” Hammer Strike smirked. “I’ll cover things with Hodios later today, but I should be good to set off tomorrow morning. Trip should roughly take a week.”

“A week?” Luna moaned.

“It’s not that bad,” Celestia chided.

“I’ll be stuck with two eggheads and nothing but lessons all day, every day.” Luna moaned dramatically and grabbed Hammer Strike's leg. “Please! I’ll die!”

Hammer Strike chuckled. “I can’t let you get out of studying that easily.”

“Besides, you know I’m not that boring,” Celestia noted.

“Yes, you are.” Luna stuck out her tongue. She wrapped the Earth Pony in a hug. “Hurry back, Daddy.”

Hammer Strike chuckled and patted her head. “I’ll see to it.”

---

Hammer Strike hummed to himself as he pulled his cart. He was heading farther west into Earth Pony territory. The tribe would be more likely to trade with him, since he also technically identified as an Earth Pony. So long as he didn’t have to deal with any thieves or other problems, things would likely go smoothly. He had left early the previous morning, meaning he would be soon to arrive at the settlement.

During the course of his travels, he had passed several groups on the way to different locations, and not many paid him any mind, though he would occasionally catch one looking him over a few times, as though they were confirming something.

What did catch him off guard, however, was the variety of individuals out and about. He found an assortment of all races traveling the roads, even some that he thought would have remained farther out, such as a Gryphon or two.

It wasn’t until the sun reached the horizon that he realized night was approaching. He frowned to himself. While he would normally continue traveling, there were some creatures that resided in the night that would require extra attention in tracking. And moving while scanning led to some minor discrepancies.

What he did notice, however, was a small camp in the works farther ahead near the road. Three individuals worked in rapid succession as they established their temporary claim. A stalwart Earth Pony with a shock of slate hair for a mane peered intently at Hammer Strike as he approached. His leather armor was worn, and carried many scuffs from various encounters.

A pegasus crouched behind him, with a short blade curled in her sleeved wing. Her clothing was tight, light, and functional, with a series of hidden pockets and sheaths for various weapons and equipment. Two sleeves stretched from her shoulders to her forehooves, while a vest clung to her barrel. Her long mane was tied back in an elegant purple ponytail modeled after Neighponese style. Rather than the typical horseshoes, her hooves were garbed in thin padded socks that muffled her steps. A metal guard around her neck protected her vitals from potential attackers’ projectiles.

The third companion peered intently from his place by the firepit. His fur was an exceptionally light tan with a dark blue mane. A pair of round glasses sat lower on the bridge of his nose as he turned to face the stranger. His white cloak twirled aside, briefly exposing the saddlebags that hung on either side of his flanks. He pushed the glasses back up his nose, just enough for the light to reflect on the lenses and conceal his eyes.

Hammer Strike hummed as he looked over the trio before stopping his cart nearby. “Not often that ponies camp out in this area,” he started.

“It’s not often that an Earth Pony comes to inquire after a trio of armed strangers either,” the Unicorn noted.

“You’re near the main road, and it’s beginning to grow dark.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “If you were going to use those weapons against me, you wouldn’t have been in the open.”

“We don’t want any trouble,” the big Earth Pony said. “We’re just hiding out here until things blow over.”

“Hiding out?” Hammer Strike raised a brow.

“Quiet!” the Pegasus snapped at the Earth Pony.

“I doubt you’re out here for anything that I need to worry about.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “Mind if I station myself close for the night? There are too many creatures in this area for me to properly track while I move.”

The Earth Pony and mare both looked to the Unicorn, who sighed and shrugged in turn. “Why not?”

Hammer Strike gave a brief chuckle as he settled his cart off the road and unharnessed himself. After a moment, he rejoined the trio by the fire. “If you don’t mind me asking, why settle out here? While the nearby settlement might give two of you some looks, it was mostly neutral, last I checked.”

“We each have our reasons,” the Unicorn said simply.

“Outlaws, I take it?” Hammer Strike chuckled. “But that’s life in a series of nations like this.”

“Given the alternatives they offer, there are many who choose that life.”

“But none of you do, then? It’s a fair choice, if you can manage it.”

“We’re more outcast than outlaw,” the Earth Pony noted.

“Either case results in you all being out here.” Hammer Strike shook his head. “Got a destination in mind?”

“Somewhere safe.” The Earth Pony shrugged.

“The abdication of the windigos leaves a wide avenue of possibilities,” the Unicorn noted.

“I know a place that’s outside of the current trio of nations not too far off from here. My own land, to be precise, but I’d prefer to hear what happened before I even suggest it.” Hammer Strike raised an inquiring brow.

The three looked at each other. “What do you two think?” the Unicorn asked.

The Earth Pony in armor shrugged. “If it’s safe, then it definitely sounds like a good deal.”

The Unicorn rubbed his chin. “And you can guarantee no one will come after us?”

“It’s my land,” Hammer Strike replied simply. “If they have a problem, it comes to me. As I stated, however, I won’t lead you without that bit of information.”

The Unicorn stared pensively at the ground for a time as he mulled the offer over. “Very well,” he finally said. “It seems like the best option we have at the moment. Go ahead, Wall. We might as well start with you.”

“And just in case any of you feel so inclined, I will know whether you are lying or not.”

The Earth Pony shrugged. “Fine with me. Name’s Towering Wall. I used to be a farm hand in a small village. Always dreamed of being a knight, but you have to be a Unicorn. A few years ago, Binding Strategy,” he motioned to the Unicorn, “was sent to my village to do a report on the available food, which, given the harsh winter, there wasn’t much. I ended up leaving with him. Been following him ever since. I supported him amongst my tribe when certain things happened. Now I’m kind of unwelcome anywhere.”

Hammer Strike nodded. “Sounds about right.”

The mare spoke up next. “I was raised in a small pegasus town near the south of the territory by an ex-campaigner specializing in espionage and—”

“I said the truth,” Hammer Strike cut in. “Not an act. I can see right through you.”

“Can I talk to you in private after, then?” Her tone was stressed. As she spoke, Hammer Strike finally noticed something that was definitely not a Pegasus trait.

She had canines.

“I’ll accept those terms.”

“And now you want my story.” The Unicorn sighed. “To some, I am known as a villain, though my crime laid only in seeking to better the lives of Ponies. I used to work with some of the most prominent guilds in the kingdom. A Pony’s tribe doesn’t matter there, only their skill and cunning. If you know anything about Unicorn society, you’ll know that even Unicorns are abused. Nobles treat common Unicorns like dirt. It was my hope to change that with an alliance of guilds in the three tribal lands.

“The nobles have no real forces to speak of that can really fight. They rely so heavily on guilds that a proper alliance could lead to real change in the social structure of the kingdoms. With that goal in mind, I called the guild leaders together in a council to discuss the benefits of such a union. To ensure a proper and equal show of solidarity, and to prevent any of the leaders from betraying or abusing the other guilds, I drew up a piece of magic that few Ponies have ever been able to master. It happens to be among one of my greater skills. In the spirit of full disclosure and honesty, that skill is the gift of composing magically binding contracts. I believe you can guess how the nobles reacted to that fact when they learned what I could do.”

Hammer Strike hummed as he looked over Binding Strategy. “They wanted to be rid of you. The fact that you live means either they didn’t evaluate you as a full threat or you fled from their blades.”

Thaumically scanning Binding revealed a series of uncommon energies for a Unicorn, one of which was almost terrifying in nature. He contained the basest part of the primal, meaning it was a divine seed. Hammer Strike looked up to Binding once more before sighing. “It certainly explains why you three are out here.”

“Well,“ Wall chuckled. “I don’t mean to brag, but I am kind of really strong.”

“Armor is scuffed as well.” Hammer Strike frowned. “Could use some good plate armor….”

“Not allowed plate armor. Only for knights. And as I said before, only Unicorns get to be knights.” He sighed.

“Doesn’t bother me any. Perhaps I’ll look into some things.” Hammer Strike hummed. “I’ll tell you what, Binding. Let’s make a little deal. I’ll grant you somewhere in my land to station all three of you, but in return, I’ve got to make sure of a few things.”

“What sort of things?”

“I can’t risk having things go south on my end, and in turn, I’ve got to make sure things are on fair grounds. To put it simply, you are unable to work against me, whether by spreading knowledge of my craft, my trade, or my skills, or actively trying to fight me. In turn, I will consider you three a part of my house. Should anyone come for you, they will deal with me personally. And should they go behind my back, it will be their mistake.” Hammer Strike held out a hoof to Binding Strategy. “Food, shelter, and security.”

“And if something were to go wrong? We’ve had mad rulers in history before.”

“Should something go wrong, and any of us go against our ways as of this moment, the contract will fall null,” Hammer Strike replied as his hoof suddenly ignited with thaumic energy. “I have enough faith in your morals that I am willing to bet on it.”

“That sounds acceptable.” Binding pushed his glasses up his nose, and they flashed again. Then he touched his hoof to Hammer Strike’s.

Unseen to everyone, Thaumic energy spread from Hammer Strike’s hoof and fully encased Binding. Hammer Strike gave a nod. “I trust you to keep an eye on your companions.” He smiled.

Binding smirked. “As if I could do anything but.”

“Sadly, I can’t lead you there just yet,” Hammer Strike commented. “I’ve got to make some trades in the nearby settlement for some seeds and ore.”

“We can wait. Or if you prefer, we can make our way toward your land in advance. Most Ponies have enough sense to just travel around it.”

“Stick with me. I want to gauge the three of you.”

“Oh? In what way?”

“Abilities and such.”

“And you would prefer to do that in a place where we could be observed?”

“I never said that, did I?” Hammer Strike gave a faint smirk. “You’ll figure it out later.” He turned toward the remaining member of the group. “Come on. We can speak a little away from the main road and fire.”

The Pegasus nodded and followed as they strode away from the campsite.

Once they reached a decent distance from the camp, Hammer Strike scanned their environment before nodding. “All right, we’re away from prying ears.”

The mare nodded. “Well, for starters I don’t come from the south. I—”

“I already gathered that you’re a Thestral from one of the nearby dwellings, or at least part Thestral,” Hammer Strike commented.

She stopped dead, her eyes shrinking to slits in shock. “Bu-but how?”

Hammer Strike opened his mouth and pointed to his own canines. “While subtle and easily missed, I try not to overlook things.”

“I suppose I should have realized someone would pick up on it.” She sighed. “My name is Swift Wings. I really was raised by a former campaigner. I was found by him in the woods when I was too young to remember. He taught me how to sneak and fight and other such skills, and he usually trimmed the tufts of my ears and used enchanted glasses to keep my eyes from giving me away. Fortunately, my canines are smaller than most Thestrals. Apparently, not small enough.”

Hammer Strike hummed. “That’s fair.” He frowned. “With the way the kingdoms are currently, it’s understandable.”

“I’ve lived as a mercenary for most of my life, traveling from contract to contract until three years ago when I was contracted to escort a scribe Unicorn across the country. I’ve been with him ever since.”

Hammer Strike nodded. “Neither of them know?”

“No. Can you blame me? My people are sub-class Ponies. Mares tell their foals we steal babies to make them behave!”

“I don’t blame you in the slightest.” Hammer Strike shook his head. “I can’t say much, given you barely know me, but you’ll be welcome in my lands, no matter the case.”

“I—thank you.” She bowed her head.

Hammer Strike nodded back toward the camp. “Let’s head back. I’ll be sure to keep this to myself.”

She followed without a word. There was much to think about with this Pony.

---

Hammer Strike frowned to himself as he looked through several stalls in the village. He carried his goods in his saddlebags. He’d left the cart outside the city and out of sight. Swift, Binding, and Wall watched over it while he got what he needed.

He stopped before a stall and looked over a collection of seeds that had been marked appropriately. After a few moments, he nodded to himself. “What’s your current stance, trade or coin?” he asked the mare behind the stand.

“Both are fine,” the mare said as she looked flatly at the stallion. Her mane was long and thin, and her ribs stuck out from her barrel. Her dull maroon fur was full of snarls. “What have you got to trade?”

Hammer Strike reached into his bags and pulled out a decent sized pouch. “Assorted vegetables, basically just spare crops.”

“Dried?”

“As fresh as a week old in proper containment can be.”

She narrowed her gaze in suspicion. “Show me.”

Hammer Strike shrugged and opened his pouch, revealing an assortment of corn ears and other crops, all as fresh as he’d claimed.

The mare’s mouth watered. “What did you want?”

“I need some cotton seeds, wheat seeds if you’ve got any, and perhaps some grape seeds,” he said as he pointed to each of the samples and labeled vessels in question.

“Anything else?”

“Got any apple seeds?”

“Those are tough to come by after what the frost did to the last harvest. I can ask around, but you’d have to wait till your next visit to town before I can offer any with certainty.”

“That’ll do, then.” Hammer Strike placed the pouch on the table.

The mare’s hoof trembled as she measured out the seeds and bound them in tiny sackcloth pouches using rough homespun thread. Then she passed them to her patron. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. What am I to call you when you return?”

“Hammer Strike,” he replied with a small smile.

The mare returned the smile, though Hammer Strike could swear he heard her jaw squeal from the effort. “Until next time, Hammer Strike. You can call me Filler.” She drew the sack behind her stall and peered casually around the surrounding area.

Hammer Strike nodded as he placed the seeds within his saddlebags and turned away toward a series of other stalls. He’d have to look into trading more food, given the clear evidence of demand. But that would also result in others becoming curious, and that was one thing he didn’t need near his land. He would need to be cautious in his dealings.

---

Hammer Strike hummed to himself as he pulled his cart. Swift and Binding rode within while Wall followed alongside. They were roughly two hours out from the homestead, as evident by the road becoming less and less travel worn.

“So, you know our stories, and it’s evident that you wish to make use of our various skills in greater detail. The question is just how do you intend to make use of them to your greatest advantage?” Binding asked.

“Considering the land isn’t fully tame here, Wall would be best suited for watching over it and dealing with any creatures that step out of line within it. I admittedly need some information going around and certain individuals watched without them knowing, so Swift would be perfect in that regard. You, however, I admittedly don’t have much I can use at this moment that would best fit your skills, unless you could manage the individuals who come to my land for asylum.” Hammer Strike shrugged.

“I did mention my unique skill with magical contracts,” Binding noted. “I assume you would like me to create a catalogue for all such residents?”

Hammer Strike hummed. “I suppose that could work.”

“I’ll see about setting up a proper system and formulating clauses later.”

“I can do your watching for you,” the Thestral said.

“Oh, yeah!” the Earth Pony gave a hoof pump. “Facing monsters is no problem for me.”

Hammer Strike chuckled. “It’ll help when I get you fitted with some proper equipment as well.”

“You mean it?” Wall’s mouth parted in a broad grin as his eyes widened with a childish delight.

“Plate armor, and we’ll figure out weapons later.”

“This is great!” He laughed.

Hammer Strike couldn’t help but smirk as they carried on. it wasn’t long until the land parted way to a series of pathways he had made long ago. Eventually, the house came into view. Thankfully, it seemed to still be in the shape he left it in.

“We have some settling in to do,” Binding noted idly as he observed the plot of land. “Where did you want us to make camp?”

“Somewhere near the road, I’d say. We’ll look into gathering some lumber and making an actual house for you three to live in.”

Binding nodded. “Let us know when you’re ready to proceed. We’ll help however we can.”

“For now, you’ll all have to either set up camp or sleep on my couches,” Hammer Strike replied as he stopped the cart near his house and unfastened his harness.

Seconds later, a blue blur collided with the Pony. Luna beamed at Hammer Strike.

“You act as though I was gone for some time.” Hammer Strike chuckled as he hugged Luna.

“A whole week!” Luna said. “I missed you.”

“I missed you as well.” He smiled. “Where’re your sister and Clover? Studying, I take it?”

“Yup.”

“Fair enough.” He shook his head. “We’ve got some guests. Three, to be precise. They’ll be staying with us indefinitely.”

“Is this going to be a thing?” she asked.

“A thing?”

“You keep getting more Ponies,” Luna pointed out.

Hammer Strike hummed for a moment. “I suppose it does seem that way. Clover is here to help teach you two, so it made sense for her to be here. The group of three Pegasi, I just allowed them to camp on the land and they help manage the weather. These three, however, are here to work with me on things.”

“Luna!” Celestia glared, then pouted at her sister as she approached. “There you are. Clover and I have been looking everywhere for you.”

“I came to see Daddy get home.”

“And the last hour before that?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Celestia sighed. “Of course you don’t.”

“Anything happen while I was gone?” Hammer Strike asked as he brought Celestia in for a hug as well.

“Not much. Clover tried to analyze one of the tablets. Its security measures took care of things, though.”

“I figured that would come one day.” Hammer Strike smiled. “Speaking of which, where is Clover?”

“I cued up some of Mother’s old horticultural notes for her to study.”

Hammer Strike raised a brow. “Really now? Didn’t seem like something she would study.”

“Apparently, the Unicorns don’t have so many efficient techniques, and the Earth Ponies aren’t capable of sharing everything they know, because a lot of it is based on their connection with the land.”

“Fair enough.” Hammer Strike hummed before realizing something. “Oh, right. I should probably go through introductions. Celestia, Luna, this is Towering Wall, Swift Wings, and Binding Strategy, and vice-versa. These are Celestia and Luna, my daughters.”

“Alicorns?” Binding raised a curious brow.

“Correct.”

“I see. I assume there’s a standing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy in place?”

“Correct.”

“Are any of you hungry?” Celestia asked.

“Oh, yeah! I’m starving!” Wall shouted.

Celestia laughed. “Then let’s see what we can fix up for you.”

Celestia led the trio into the house while Hammer Strike emptied his cart.

“Clover, could you help me in the kitchen? We have guests,” Celestia called.

Clover turned to them. “Oh, more guests?”

“And Father. He’s back from his supply run.”

“Who did he find now?” she asked as she turned to the new guests. Her eyes stopped at Binding. “... You?” she said evenly.

Binding stiffened, but otherwise maintained his composure. “Yes. Me. Will that be a problem?”

“Last time I saw you, you were standing trial for trying to incite revolt.”

“And you were watching from the wings with Princess Platinum while the king sentenced good Ponies to die for no reason other than seeking to restore a measure of peace between the tribes.”

“Yes … against my mentor’s urging,” she said. “And you were allowed to live. In return, you killed your escort to the last and fled.”

“It was either that or endure a life of slavery binding others to the same yoke. Rest assured, I haven’t forgotten those lives, and they were not taken needlessly.”

Clover stared at him for a few more moments before sighing. “I can’t say that I blame you. The king is losing more and more sanity in his old age, and the princess will be a less-than-worthless ruler.”

“Is that why you came here as well, then?”

“I came here because the ruler of this area has a type of magic I have never seen or heard of, and he refuses to teach me.”

“And that continues to hold up,” Hammer Strike commented as he entered the room.

“Caution is the path of the wise,” Binding noted. That was soon followed by the sound of Wall’s raging stomach voicing its demands. He smiled goodnaturedly. “Though I believe I can say with some certainty it would be wise to feed Wall before his stomach devours us all.”

“Hey!” Wall objected.

---

Hammer Strike peered down the length of the wooden blade in his grip. The previous one had suffered from the last training session between Celestia, Luna, and himself, resulting in having to use a more durable wood for the next one.

While he was able to teach some forms of combat magic alongside Clover, physical training was just as important. It took time for Celestia to get used to it, while it was clear that the genetic alterations put into Luna before her birth were working well. Luna picked up the art relatively quickly, compared to her sister, but it was almost to be expected, given what he knew.

He didn’t have time to think about it. Their next session was close, and he needed to head to the training grounds. Once he was happy with the new training blades, he strapped them to his back and headed out of his underground workshop.

As he exited his house he looked out only to notice a few new camps in the distance, if the smoke columns were anything to go off of. He frowned to himself before adding the mental note of talking with Binding later. Given how he was, Hammer Strike was likely to find him in their new house at almost any point of the day. While Binding was a studious and intelligent individual, he lacked many other social skills, and in the end would remain in their home unless needed.

Hammer Strike sighed as he filed that task away for later and started down the pathway to his mine. He had, over the course of time, cleared a proper cobblestone pathway linking his house, Binding’s, and the mine.

The training grounds had been built a short distance from the entrance. As per usual, Luna was ahead of schedule, having enjoyed these lessons, while Celestia would arrive when it was almost time to begin.

“My, it’s almost as though you’re excited for these lessons,” Hammer Strike commented as he drew near.

“Of course! This is fun!” Luna laughed.

Hammer Strike chuckled as he pulled one of the new training blades off his back and passed it to Luna. “Catch.”

Luna caught it in her hooves.

“We’ll have to cover some form of control in your strength. Most weapons can’t handle that kind of force.” Hammer Strike gave a soft smile.

“Maybe I should use a blunt weapon?”

“Even that’ll break with a lot of force.”

The telltale clop of hooves bespoke the approaching mare. True to form, Celestia arrived exactly on time. Her face was a composed mask, but the tension in her muscles as she approached spoke louder than words how much she dreaded what was to come.

“Early again, Luna?” she asked.

“Of course.” Luna smiled. “These lessons will allow us to defend ourselves.”

Celestia sighed. “That may be, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy the bruises.” She rubbed one of her flanks gingerly.

“Pride is a commodity for the strong, Sister.” Luna chuckled.

“It’s also a weakness, if you don’t keep it in check,” Celestia warned.

Luna rolled her eyes as she gave the blade some practice swings. A nearby boulder cracked vertically from the pressurised air coming off the swing, but Luna didn’t notice.

Celestia looked meaningfully at Hammer Strike, then sighed again. “Where do you want us to start today?”

“Today, we’re just going to run through the movements. If things go well enough, we’ll do some practice matches,” Hammer Strike replied simply as he held out the second training blade.

The mare took it and nodded as she assumed her first stance. “Ready.”

Hammer Strike smiled at both of them, then prepared his own training blade. “All right, let’s start simple. Vertical strikes.”

---

Hammer Strike sighed as he moved toward Binding’s home. In the recent days, he was positive there were more camps around the property. He frowned to himself as he knocked on the door and waited.

The door opened magically as the Unicorn called for him to enter. Binding was hard at work on a new batch of ink, using a series of simple tools and chemical equipment to experiment on new products. Parchments were either busy soaking in solutions, hanging on a board, or rolled up in a corner to await the day of their use.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d question if you knew about this thing called sunlight.” Hammer Strike sighed as he entered the house. “What are you working on?”

“Some experiments. I’m testing to see which reagents might prove the best combinations for various magical applications. Since one can create a magically binding contract, it isn’t unfeasible for one to potentially recreate a spell formula and store said spell in stasis until the time its power is invoked.”

Hammer Strike hummed aloud. “That would prove useful in some cases. Though, I’ve come here for a different reason.”

Binding proceeded to start mashing some berries with his mortar and pestle. “I assumed so. What were you hoping to discuss?”

“I know I don’t pay attention to the land that often, unless it’s necessary, but I’ve got a few questions about the number of camps I’ve been noticing around here.”

“Such as?”

“Why do we have so many camping around here all the sudden?”

“The general populace is showing greater discontent with the war between the three tribes. These are mostly deserters and commonfolk who didn’t want to deal with it anymore.”

“And you gave them an agreement to camp here?”

“I have a copy of the contract on hoof, if you’d like to see the stipulations.”

“You made each of them sign a contract to stay here?” Hammer Strike questioned.

“Yes. It’s a simple matter to ensure enough space for multiple signatories. You needn’t worry. I was thorough.

“Stipulation one: The undersigned, hereafter to be referred to as the supplicant(s) agrees never to harm or work against Hammer Strike or any numbered in his house, save for exceptional circumstances in service of true justice. This includes physical, mental, and spiritual means, among any others that are not stipulated specifically in this contract.

“Stipulation two: The supplicant(s) agree(s) to be bound by and abide by all laws that Hammer Strike chooses to institute, save that law prove to be unjust or twisted to unjust ends, in which case the twister shall be made subject to the full extent of the law, and Hammer Strike shall bear no responsibility other than to carry out justice against the offending party.

“Stipulation three: The supplicant(s) agree(s) to protect Hammer Strike’s secrets, and will never disclose or discuss these secrets with any other unaware and/or unauthorized individual without prior consent from Hammer Strike.

“Stipulation four: The supplicant(s) acknowledge(s) Hammer Strike is the sole owner of this land, and shall be acknowledged in the stead of any king, queen, prince, princess, oligarchy, or any other governing body, and shall have the final say in all matters of state.

“Stipulation five: The supplicant(s) retain(s) the right to enter into dissolution proceedings with Hammer Strike at any time. The dissolution of this contract shall sever bonds enforced by this contract. However, the supplicant(s) agree(s) to remain bound to protecting any secrets he or she have been entrusted with, regardless of other dissolutions, save Hammer Strike should agree to relieve the supplicant(s) of that obligation.

“In return for adhering to this contract, the supplicant(s) shall receive amnesty from all previous charges, barring certain egregious acts which shall be adjudicated by Hammer Strike directly. The supplicant(s) shall also receive fair recompense for their works and a stretch of land in which to settle. The supplicant(s) shall also receive protection from Hammer Strike in the event any entity should seek to unlawfully extradite the supplicant(s). No force shall remove the supplicant(s) from these lands without Hammer Strike’s prior informed authorization. In the event that conflict or invasion shall breach Hammer Strike’s borders, the supplicant(s) agree to join Hammer Strike in the defense of the land. Supplicants who are either too old, too young, or otherwise infirm, disabled, etc. shall be exempt from this charge. In return, Hammer Strike is bound to protect all warriors in his service to the best of his ability, and will not order them into any danger that he, himself, would not face.

“Any attempts to alter, meddle with, or otherwise break this contract outside of the means stipulated will result in the loss of the life of the supplicant(s) and the forfeiture of their immortal soul.” He smiled and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose to hide his eyes behind the flashing lenses.

“Well … that’s one way to make sure they aren’t a threat,” Hammer Strike commented.

“I’m a very thorough individual. Though, if you prefer, after I get better materials, we may be able to alter the contract to focus more on the spirit behind the agreement, rather than just the letter of the law.”

“I might be able to assist in that regard.” Hammer Strike’s hoof ignited with thaumic energy. “I can imprint the contract in a more direct way, through the contract.”

“As in through the document? Would this be in any way similar to the process you used on me?”

“Correct.”

“Interesting.” His horn glowed as a stack of papers as tall as Hammer Strike levitated and landed next to the Earth Pony. “These are the copies I’ve been able to manufacture thus far. Given the increase in numbers we’ve had, I’ve made it a habit to make a few extra for surplus each day.”

“A few…” Hammer Strike looked to the stack. After a moment, he sighed and placed his hoof on the stack, letting the energy spread from his hoof over the contracts in place. Once complete, he separated his hoof and extinguished the energy. “I suppose more individuals could prove useful, if they have the talents we’ll need….”

“From a strictly survivalist standpoint, the more Ponies that come, the greater the chance we’ll stand at greater prosperity, especially given the circumstances that would likely drive those individuals to come here.”

Hammer Strike sighed. “I’ll trust your judgement on this. Keep me in the loop.” Hammer Strike gave a brief wave as he turned to leave.

“Of course.”

---

“How are you today, Harmony?” Hammer Strike asked as he ensured everything was properly maintained near the sapling.

“I sense the beginning of order. There is potential in the land above. The organization helps to strengthen me. And if I’m not mistaken, you yourself are seeking to plant the seeds that will unite what was once sundered by the gods.”

“So it seems.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “I wish I could have planted you on the surface, but the risks are just too high to do so.”

“I understand. Besides, given my unique nature, it would appear that I don’t require sunlight to thrive. However, the steady supply of energy from your orbs is a comfort to me, and it has been useful in stabilizing my form.”

“That’s good to hear.” He gave a small smile. “Feeling better now? Not one hundred percent, I’d assume, but better than before?”

“After what was done to me and my brother, yes. You are very kind to tend to me like this.”

“Well, I couldn’t just leave you to fend for yourself.” Hammer Strike frowned. “Too many would find ways to potentially harm you in this state.”

“It is strange having a physical form,” she agreed. “I can almost feel the world around me. It is … I believe the term is frustrating, that I cannot fully interact with it yet.”

“I wish I could help you with that, but it’ll be some time before something can be figured out.”

“It may be possible that you can help me. You planted my physical form, tended it. In short, you and I have fostered a connection. Indeed, you are perhaps among the few who have ever handled me on this world. I would like to help foster the growth of what you are building; however, I cannot physically leave this place. No one said I had to, though.”

“You have something in mind?”

“Are you familiar with the concept of a bonding? I believe that is the word for it, at least. Given the relationship we share, it may be possible for me to connect myself to you in a manner that allows me to travel with you and see things through your eyes while my physical body remains here.”

Hammer Strike frowned for a moment. “I didn’t think you’d be capable of it, but if you believe yourself able to, I have no problems with the idea.”

“I must warn you. Once made, this connection will be permanent. And as I will be able to see through you, so, too, will you be able to see through me. I believe such a bond is often referred to as a marriage by mortals. Are you certain that you wish to enter such a union?”

“If it will grant you peace and the ability to see the world as it grows, I do not mind at all.” He gave a faint smile.

“You are a strange creature, Hammer Strike. Many would flee such a union, yet you would enter it willingly with no desire to better yourself.”

“You act as though I was normal to begin with,” Hammer Strike replied simply. “Dragged through time, experimented on, fought in wars, torture, and a field of power that next to no being on this planet knows. That doesn’t fall in normal.” He gave a faint smirk.

“If you are certain, then I will begin. At the very least, you will have a voice of experience to offer counsel as you build. At the most, perhaps much more.” The crystals began to glow brightly as the power draw from Hammer Strike’s solar sphere increased. A single flower bloomed from a tendril that pulsed with a rainbow light. “If you would accept this bond of your own free will, touch this flower. I have little to give, but what I can, I give freely.”

Hammer Strike held up a hoof and coated it in thaumic energy before placing it against the flower.

The resulting expulsion of energy flooded the cave with a corona of light. The darkened stone of the cavern took on a dull sheen as pockets of minerals gained new vibrancy. Hammer Strike blinked against the sudden overload in his photoreceptors. And for the briefest of moments, he heard music that went beyond description, beyond emotion. It thrummed through him, through the earth beneath his feet, through the air in the cave, and beyond. It was radiant, exultant. It was harmony. When the light finally faded to more manageable levels, he beheld that the sapling had grown to the height of his neck, and the beginnings of tiny branches jutted out in symmetrical angles.

“Apologies for the lightshow. I didn’t expect the pact to create such an outflow of power.” This time, the voice wasn’t coming from the tree. Hammer Strike turned with some surprise to behold a crystalline Pony with a pair of rainbows that sprouted from her back to form ethereal wings. Her body glowed a rosy pink as she looked bashfully at the ground. “Well? How do I look?”

“Stunning.” He gave her a smile. “Radiant, too, if you want to count earlier.”

The pink deepened in shade. “I see.” She cleared her astral throat. “Congratulations are in order, I suppose. Now that the bond is complete, you get to benefit from my wisdom in fostering order and balance. And I get to know … you.”

Hammer Strike chuckled. “We’ll have plenty of time for that, but I’m sure there’s something that you’ll like to see more.”

“And what is that?”

Hammer Strike gestured toward the ladder. “You’ll see soon enough.” It didn’t take long for him to reach the surface with Harmony in tow. What greeted them was a wide open land with a few camps in the distance, near them stood the large log cabin that Hammer Strike called home, and a nearby cabin for Binding and company.

He smiled as he looked out at the land before turning to Harmony. “You’ve been in that cave for years, and before that as an acorn in a vial in my pocket. I figure the best thing to start with would be a nice change of scenery.”

Harmony smiled shyly. “Lead the way, my guardian.”

---

Clover growled as she closed her notes for the fourteenth time. She’d spent hours analyzing the orbs, using spells to identify them in every conceivable way, and she still wasn’t a single step closer to finding out how they worked.

“Biggest magical innovation in history, and I can't even tell what school of magic it is,” she moaned.

“That alone should tell you something,” Hammer Strike commented as he drew near.

“That something’s not right,” Clover said. “Magic isn’t so radical that it should be untraceable.”

Hammer Strike sighed in response. “Need this go on, Clover?”

“Yes! I need to know!”

“Clover, there are some things that shouldn’t be known. I figured Star Swirl would have at least taught you that.”

“Even so, we know such things exist,” Clover countered. “And how they exist!”

Hammer Strike shook his head. It was the same conversation each time. And it would continue to happen unless he taught her. “Not everything is so simple….”

“Neither is necromancy. Neither is divination. Tartarus, neither is demonology!”

Hammer Strike groaned as he rubbed his temple. No matter how much he argued the fact, she wouldn’t accept any of it. He had tried every point in the book to dissuade her, but none of them worked. However, there was one thing that he hadn’t tried yet.

“...Fine.”

Clover stared at him a moment in stunned silence. “Fine?” she finally ventured.

“I’ll teach you.” Hammer Strike slowly lowered his hoof as he turned toward her. “I’ll teach you, on one condition.”

Clover nearly lunged at him in her excitement. “Anything!”

Hammer Strike’s hoof ignited in thaumic flames. He stared at them for a moment as he formed an open connection. “My condition is that I’ll teach you, if you can ask me the question afterwards.”

Before Clover could respond, Hammer Strike placed his hoof on the side of her head, and her world went black. As she came to, she stood within the confines of a stone brick room. Cracks formed along the walls and floor, revealing a black emptiness behind them. There was no entry or exit, just the cracks around her.

Clover took a step back as she stared into that blackness, and her eyes widened. Soon after, the cracks began to expand, and a presence pressed down on her being. More and more, they all opened, revealing greater portions of that empty, hungry nothingness, until a white mass revealed itself with a single dark core.

It was an eye. Then another. As the presence dwarfed her being, it continued to grow stronger and stronger, and the cracks grew wider. More and more of the creature was revealed. More eyes peeking in from the dark. More pressure by the sheer weight of presence alone. To Clover, it felt as though every part of her body was encased, a constant feeling of suffocation following it to the bitter end. She was left with just a few slivers of wall left. Then they crumbled away, and nothing held her back from the onslaught of just this thing’s presence alone. It was one. It was many. It was awful.

And it was everywhere.

Then it all vanished, and she stood in the forest once more. Hammer Strike sat just a few feet away from her with a sorrowful expression on his face. “Every waking moment, Clover. Every moment of every day, I can feel them watching over me.”

Clover could say nothing. Her voice seemed to be gone as her mouth moved silently.

“This is what I protect you from, what I protect everyone from. Because with this power, comes that.”

Hammer Strike sighed as he moved her along toward the house. It would take time for her to recover. That much was sure. He settled her onto the couch and sat across from her, awaiting when she would come out of her stupor.

She finally seemed to return to herself a few hours later. Her head remained bowed as she spoke. “That was … horrible.”

“Imagine it every waking moment of your life, unable to be free from it.” Hammer Strike frowned. “I don’t wish this on anyone else, even those who have this power already. I hide knowledge from them and keep them restrained in power, just to make sure they never experience this....”

“What do they want?”

“That same power I use.” Hammer Strike sighed. “But a recent outbreak of said power caused them to become active, and comparatively, I don’t measure up. So, they’re probably waiting for me to grow in power, then try to … take it. I don’t know everything on it, as it was mostly written down, and I didn’t stick around long enough to see what it did.”

“That’s ... that’s worse than demons.”

“Now do you understand why I refused to teach you?”

“I—yes,” she said softly. “I’m sorry.”

“My last question, and then we can never talk about this again. Do you still want to learn it?”

“I—” Clover gulped. “I don’t think i’m ready … yet,” she said, trying to save face.

Hammer Strike nodded in return before standing up. “You’re free to stay as long as you like, Clover. But perhaps some time home will do you some good. They’re bound to have more luxuries and such to help take your mind off things.”

“That … might be for the best. I … need to think.” She sighed. “Can you say goodbye to the girls for me?”

Hammer Strike shook his head. “I’d suggest you wait for a day before heading out. You can tell them goodbye then, all right?”

She nodded. “I’ll be back,” she stated. “I’m not sure when, but I will be back.”

“I’ll be here.” He gave a small smile before it dropped and he turned to leave the living room. He stopped at hallway and faced Clover again. “I’m sorry I had to do that, Clover, but it was the only way.”

“I—yeah.” She sighed.

---

Grif chuckled as they stared at the screen. “Gentlemen, I think we just saw the only time Clover ever backed down.”

“I don’t know. She technically got what she wanted. She saw something Hammer Strike was trying to warn her about. What troubles me is that he mentioned protecting us from the same,” Vital noted with a frown.

“Keep up on your reading. You’ll sorta get it,” Grif said.

“I don’t know. I’m not always as sharp as you,” Vital said. “Though given what it did to Clover, I’m not sure I even want to know.”

“Not my place to say. I don't fully understand it, myself,” Grif admitted. “Still, I have a feeling that's not the last we’ll hear of that.”

“Given our luck, you’re probably right.”

“More of this Murphy character?” Rarity asked.

“More of a premonition,” Vital clarified. “Murphy usually shows up when we say something could never happen, ask what could possibly go wrong, say things couldn’t get any worse, those sort of things.”

“Yes, Murphy, not to be underestimated,” The Doctor added.

“You’ve had run-ins with him plenty of times, haven’t you, Doctor?” Vital asked with a knowing smile.

“Of course.”

“Say, Doctor, did you ever tell Derpy about your encounter with the Carrionites?”

“Don’t mention that name,” the Doctor snapped.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Vital said, then sighed. “Whatever you say, Doc.”

“Sorry to ask, but what’s a,” Twilight glanced surreptitiously at The Doctor, “you know?”

“I’ll tell you later, Twilight,” Vital said. “For now, Doctor’s ship, Doctor’s rules.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Vital smiled. “We’ll see.”

---

Hammer Strike sighed to himself as he made his way back to the Earth Pony settlement. He had left Hermes and the others to watch over the girls while he went off this time. He was running low on ores again, and he needed to gather more. This trip was also to see if they had any of the other seeds he was looking for.

The settlement was in a slightly better shape than before, though not by much. Some Ponies started to look less starved, more along the lines of just thin. The guards didn’t bother to check him the last few times he had visited, meaning his name and image was becoming known there.

He frowned as he entered the settlement and began sorting through the stalls in the market. There were new faces that would come and go, and some that would always remain, and he dedicated time to checking out the new faces right after his usual stops.

He traded crops for seeds and other assorted goods, even coming out of it with more ore than expected. This left him with extra resources for trade, giving him the opportunity to explore the new stalls. One in particular stood out among the rest as a Unicorn called out and made a grand display to gather ponies’ attention.

He was selling ‘magical artifacts.’ And if Hammer Strike had to place a bet on it, he was trying to swindle Ponies into buying false goods. He sighed to himself as he moved to the stand, figuring he would at least give it a look over.

“Magical artifacts here to solve all your troubles,” the Unicorn shouted to the audience. “Totems that will help grow crops! Talismans for healthy foals! Or try your luck with this fortune dice!” The vendor had a voice reminiscent of Flim from the Flim Flam brothers, and seemed equally skilled at the art.

Hammer Strike raised a brow as he scanned through the assorted items on the stall. Most of the objects were indeed inert, but what did catch his eye was the die mentioned beforehand. While it sat with a false duplicate, a brief thaumic scan soon proved its authenticity. The stall owner had somehow come across a genuine die of fate, despite their rarity.

He frowned as he walked up to the stall. “How much for the … fortune dice?”

The Unicorn turned to Hammer Strike like a shark smelling blood in the water. “Well, my good stallion, that is a bit of a rarity. Found them hidden away in a cave. Possibly the only ones of their kind. Ten pounds of gold or thirty pounds of consumable produce seems fair, I’d say.”

Hammer Strike frowned as he thought things over. “Make it five pounds of gold and I’ll throw in a bottle of wine.”

“White or red?”

“Red wine.” Hammer Strike pulled out the bottle.

The Unicorn’s eyes widened visibly. “Done.”

Hammer Strike handed over the gold and wine and took his dice. After storing them in his bag, he walked by a familiar stall and whispered over to Filler. “The only thing real in that stand is the totem, and it probably only works in about a three trot distance.”

Filler’s eyes widened. “You can detect magic?”

“Glowing eyes for a reason.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “You’ve been fair, so I’ll let a little information slip this time.”

Filler cocked her head. “You’re a strange Pony, you know that? Most folks just look out for themselves nowadays.”

“And that’s how a collective dies.” Hammer Strike shrugged as he walked off. “Do what you will with that.”

Fuller frowned in thought. “So, are you part of a collective, then?” she called after him.

“Small group. Perhaps I’ll tell you more next time,” he called back.

Hammer Strike ensured his saddlebags were secure and began on his long journey home. It only took him five minutes outside the gate to know for a fact he was being followed.

“I sense ill intent,” Harmony said as she walked by his side. “The strangers that follow you are more than curious.”

Hammer Strike sighed to himself at the news. He knew that one problem the would-be-ambushers would face is that he didn’t take any breaks, meaning they would wear themselves out. However, he wasn’t willing to let that risk of their keeping up stay in place.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. “I’ll give this warning once. You keep following me, and it’ll be the last thing you do.” He reached into his coat and pulled out a crude throwing knife. He waited a moment before aiming at one of the trees nearby and throwing it, hard.

A loud crack split through the air, followed by a loud thunk. The knife had pierced through the first tree and struck a second behind it. A few seconds later, the first had split itself down the middle to reveal the face of a terrified Pony behind it with a suspiciously parted mane.

He fixed the bandit with a glare. “Understood?”

“We’re not getting paid enough for this,” the Pony said and bolted for the trees.

There was rustling in the trees as the others clearly made their exit. It seemed whoever had hired them wasn’t giving them danger pay.

Hammer Strike frowned at the thought. Someone way paying them to look into him. He sighed as he pulled the dagger back to him thaumically and resheathed it. He would have to look into that further next time he was in town.

---

Luna was seated on the couch as Hammer Strike gathered his collection of medical supplies. While training had been going well for both her and Celestia, it at times had some issues. In this case, crushing a boulder does not mean the fragments coming from it won’t hit you.

He carefully removed each fragment that had embedded itself into Luna’s leg before disinfecting with thaumic means and applying a homemade medical wrap. It took him some time before he was certain it had been bandaged properly.

Fighting was one thing, but managing wounds was certainly not the highest in his list of talents. Sure, he could sear wounds shut, but that honestly was a horrible method of dealing with injuries. At the same time, his field and body usually did the rest automatically.

He nodded at his work before telling Luna she was done. She tested the leg for a moment before conceding that she should give it a day to heal. This got Hammer Strike thinking, however. While he had the medical cube, he actually had yet to set it up. He frowned at the thought before moving down into the depths of his basement and the sublevels after.

Eventually, he came across the large dug-out chamber he’d carved specifically for the cube. He wasn’t quite sure how easy or complicated the device would be to set up, though. His eyes eventually deciphered how he was supposed to go about it, giving him the simple instructions of placing it in the center of the room, pressing a button, and stepping back.

He shrugged to himself before setting the cube down and following the directions. The cube started to hum and suddenly grew in scale until it reached the topmost part of the chamber. Though its size changed, its exterior had not. It still resembled that of a jet black cube with a red cross marking on it.

He touched the side of the structure, only for a panel to shift and hiss as it opened, revealing an airlock-style entrance. The panel closed behind him as he entered, and a mist seeped into the room before being vacuumed out. He frowned at the feeling before the main door opened, revealing the inside of the cube.

It wasn’t spacious, nor did it contain a multitude of tools or anything else one might expect from a fully stocked infirmary. Instead, it simply held a few cabinets with a small number of medical supplies. The center of the room held a medical table. For all intents and purposes, it looked more like a portable nurse’s station than a medical facility. Above the table, however, was another story.

Hammer Strike had to hold back his impulse as the sight of a familiar tube that was suspended above the surgical table. Dark memories surfaced as he realised the full extent of what the chamber was capable of. Yes, it could heal practically anything, but it was also capable of altering and adding augments and cybernetics.

He shuddered to himself as he struggled to rein in the instinct that raged through him. A gentle hoof brushed him, and he nearly lashed out until a cool sensation passed through his body and his heart rate began to slow.

“I may not be able to do much, but I can at least offer this,” Harmony said. “This place is distressing to you. It would be best if you departed as soon as possible.”

Hammer Strike shuddered, then nodded. “Yes, I will. But first, I must finish what I came here to do.” He passed methodically through the room’s cabinets to ensure it was stocked and complete. Once he was done with that, he exited the cube. This time warmth flooded through his body, granting his muscles relief from the strain they had just endured. He took a deep breath and sighed as he looked back on the cube.

“Will you be all right?” Harmony asked.

Hammer Strike nodded curtly. “Eventually….”

---

Hammer Strike sighed contentedly as he established a new orb of vitalization. After some years of alterations to the initial constructive formula, he had finally finished the system for these orbs, letting them revitalize the land around them to allow continuous harvest without wearing down the nutrients in the soil. It also worked as a filter of solar energy that would fluctuate over the course of time, ensuring the plants were given the optimal amount of sunlight to thrive.

By this point, he had replaced most of the orbs around the land and started creating new ones over the new farms that were being established for their little community. It was strange, to say the least, but Celestia and Luna seemed to appreciate the extra company, especially when they had others within their own age to socialize with as well.

His satisfaction, however, drifted as he heard a series of wings flapping in his general direction. Turning, he was surprised to find Hurricane leading a squad over his land before landing nearby and walking up to him. While a visit from just him would have been fine, being with a squad meant that this wasn’t a house call.

“I get the feeling this isn’t going to be a pleasant visit,” Hammer Strike commented with a frown.

“We are on the track for deserters who vanished some time ago,” Hurricane said, clearly not enjoying this. “Despite my assurances they must be dead, the High Command council has insisted I check for them.”

“So, you came here.” Hammer Strike sighed. “If they’re here, they’re staying here.”

“I take it that's your denial for permission to search your lands?” Hurricane asked.

“Correct.”

“Lieutenant,” Hurricane called.

A blue-gray Pegasus with gray feathers strode forward and saluted. “Yes, Sir?”

“By the current accords, we are not allowed to forcibly search lands of another tribe member. Let it be noted that this Earth Pony baron has forbidden us from searching his lands, and therefore we cannot search this area.”

“Um, … Sir, with all due respect, if this is who I think it is, then how could he be a baron? No one has given him a rank or a title to speak of.”

“He claims and maintains these lands. As of yet, no power has wrestled them from him, and the people seem to respect him. He is not a noble. That, I am aware of. And therefore, this would be a barony, not a county. Thus, baron.”

The soldier blushed at the unspoken rebuke in the commander’s tone. “Yes, Sir.”

“I'm sorry for wasting your time,” Hurricane said to Hammer Strike. “Is there a chance I could purchase some provisions for the trip to our next stop?”

Hammer Strike sighed. “What do you need?”

“Anything you can spare. We can pay you in gold or trade,” Hurricane offered.

“Sir, this is highly irregular,” the lieutenant objected.

“Lieutenant, we just had a winter that lasted several years. It was caused by ghost Ponies made of ice and ended by a giant flaming heart. I would say these times are irregular. We are a small squad, all of whom are still coming off of rationing. If the baron here is any example, I would say if he does have any Pegasi in his area, we’d be hard pressed in a fight. You want to push for a levy, then you’re welcome to grab your sword and try it, but I won't be there to back you. You got your commission because of your father. I earned mine. Do you really want to do this?”

The upstart looked first to his commander, then to Hammer Strike’s frighteningly neutral gaze, and finally to his fellow soldiers, most of whom avoided eye contact. His head drooped as he mumbled a defeated, “Whatever you say, Sir.”

“You lot can wait out here.” Hammer Strike moved toward his home. “Come on, Hurricane. I’ve got spare supplies inside.”

“Of course.” Hurricane nodded, still glaring back at the group. “Wait here,” he ordered.

The soldiers formed up ranks while avoiding their leader’s gaze.

Hammer Strike brought Hurricane into his house before leading him toward a pantry where he stored all his food. He frowned as he started collecting a series of supplies for them. “They’re here, Hurricane, but they aren’t going back with you.”

“Why not? I was honest about paying you.”

“The Pegasi you’re looking for, Hurricane.” Hammer Strike sighed.

“Oh, that. Well, I suspected. I was half hoping you’d just say they’re dead.”

“If you get caught in that lie by someone else investigating, it’ll bite you in the future, so I’m being honest with you.”

“I appreciate your honesty, though as a friend, or at least an acquaintance, I'd suggest you start on walls immediately. I’m not sure how much longer the council will let me command. This peace based on a fairy tail won’t last.”

“I planned on it.” Hammer Strike sighed and placed a bag of supplies before Hurricane. “Don’t get my neutral expression or slight hostility wrong, by the way. It’s great to see a friendly face, but if it were anyone else from your military, it wouldn’t have been this stable of a conversation.”

“I suspected as much. Truth be told, there is no such treaty, but I’d rather not heroically lead a squad to their deaths trying to claim a plot of land on a flimsy justification.”

Hammer Strike nodded. “This should get you through at least a week as long as you ration it.”

“Thank you. What do you want for it?”

He sighed. “Just … look after yourself, all right? And know that there’s always room here, should you require a … transfer.”

Hurrican nodded grimly. “I appreciate it. Fair travels, my friend.”

Hammer Strike returned the gesture as they returned to the house’s entrance together.

---

Hammer Strike frowned to himself as he pulled his cart toward the outer edge of his land. It had been on his mind for the last few months to work on an outer wall, and the warning from Hurricane had finally pushed him over the edge. Large sections of lumber were bound and nailed together in the vehicle’s bed to form sections that he could create and place within a reasonable amount of time. It was an alteration to his previous method of creating walls, ensuring that it would hold for a good number of years.

“Where did you want to start staking?” The stallion that had walked by his cart had been relatively silent up till this point. His black fur and hazel eyes blended with his soft voice to lessen his presence, but the deep reverberations would easily draw anypony to pay attention if they should register his speech. His body was a mass of muscle and sinew that made him far bulkier than most of his fellow Earth Pony refugees. True to tradition, his name had to do with his chosen craft, and he’d introduced himself as such, Sawyer.

“Roughly near the end of the reach of the orbs I’ve made,” Hammer Strike replied. “Over the last year, I’ve been establishing a border of sorts to work with, just far enough away from other territories that it keeps out of sight but gives plenty of room to work with and expand.”

The stallion nodded as they carried on. Foundations and the skeletons of buildings had begun to rise from the ground as Ponies hard at work struggled to settle their homes and help build up the land Hammer Strike had claimed in accordance with their contracts.

Hammer Strike hummed as he looked over the structures. Ponies were really settling in and going to work around him to earn their keep. “I still find myself surprised as I look out to this.”

“Lot of ponies don’t got much else to go. When you don’t have much left, you take what you can get. You offered them safety, stability. That’s gonna get you places. And word travels fast after folk find out about a good deal.”

“Yeah, but that also invites trouble, which will certainly lead to some interesting times ahead of us.” Hammer Strike chuckled.

“Pardon me if I sound all presumptuous, but you sound almost like you’re looking forward to it.”

“Well, what better way to get them to back off than beating them back?” He smiled. “Until then, it’s the waiting game.”

“And the building game?”

“That, too. Helps keep out some creatures as well, so a win-win.” Hammer Strike shrugged.

“Well, I’ve got plenty of experience with wood, so whatever you need, I’ll help.”

“It’ll certainly help me get these up faster.” Hammer Strike gestured to the cart behind him. “I appreciate it, by the way.”

“Well, s’not like I had much better to do. N’you did take us in and all. You know how we folk work. We don’t forget that kind of kindness.”

“Waiting on additional lumber then for the houses, or are you waiting for the frames to be complete first?”

“Little of both.” He shrugged. “We’ve got enough of us spread out to work the basics. Once things get far enough along, I’ll slip in to guide some of the apprentices.”

“Apprentices?”

He chuckled. “My foals. They’re eager to learn, but they still have a ways to go before they can handle a full project on their own.”

Hammer Strike gave a small smile. “They’ve got their work cut out for them, then.”

“We’ve done more with less before. We’ll manage.” Sawyer smiled. “Got any little ones of your own?”

“Besides Celestia and Luna?”

“Aye.”

“Not really.”

“Ever think of having more?”

Hammer Strike paused for a brief second before shrugging. “One day, perhaps.”

Sawyer smiled. “I’ll tell you, it’s definitely worth it. But I suppose you already knew that.”

“We’ll see how things go. For now, we’ve got to get this wall up.”

---

Hammer Strike sighed to himself as he descended into the mines once more. The amount of iron he was using recently was too great for his current supply, meaning he would definitely need to gather more. There was a particular set of veins that he remembered deeper within, and he figured his best option would be to gather a good amount of it.

As he pressed deeper, he heard the faint rhythm of metal striking stone. He frowned as he thought through the settlement’s current population. There were no miners within the ranks, meaning that this disturbance was caused by someone else entirely.

Keeping a pick at the ready, he continued down until he started to note a light farther ahead around one of the bends. He didn’t bother sneaking around, instead choosing to round the corner and confront whoever was there, only to fight a sight he hadn’t anticipated.

Three Shetland Ponies wearing rough iron armor stared up at him with wide eyes. They immediately dropped to the ground in synch with their heads bowed to hide their eyes.

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect to find Dwarves nearby,” Hammer Strike commented aloud.

“Forgive us, Blue One, we dinnae mean to steal from you,” the middle Dwarf said. “We had no tools, and were cast from our home.”

Hammer Strike raised a brow as he looked to the trio before realizing what they had meant. “The ore?”

“Well, the ore, yes, but we were referring to the tools,” the Dwarf on the left side said. “The pickaxes.”

Hammer Strike shrugged. “I make plenty of spare tools. It’s fine,” he replied as he moved closer to the genuflectors.

“Thank you, Blue One. We won’t forget your generosity.”

For the first time that Hammer Strike could remember, Harmony giggled. “I like these three. Not only are they skilled smiths, but they are most humorous.”

Hammer Strike rolled his eyes as he pulled out one of his spare tools and offered it to the dwarf. “Here. It’s steel. Should last longer.”

The middle Dwarf took it with awe. “This will be a family heirloom.”

“I’m sure it will.” Hammer Strike chuckled. Then, as he looked to the dwarves, an idea struck him. He still held plenty of those artifacts from the Alicorns, and he knew how the Dwarves would turn out in the end. “Tell me, would you be able to perform a task for me?”

“Anything, Blue One!”

Hammer Strike reached to his chest and pulled once more at the wellspring of energy coming from the artifacts. A few seconds later, a pulsing golden drop levitated on his hoof as he offered it to the Dwarf. “I want you to take this and keep guard of it. One day, I will see to finding it again, but it will be a long time until that day.”

“Of course, Blue Lard. We will secure it, so no one will ever find it.”

Hammer Strike chuckled. “I’m quite positive of that. Stay safe, all of you.” He sighed and turned toward a different section of the mine. “If you’re ever in dire straits, just look for me nearby.”

“Aye, and we will work to repay your kindness.” The Dwarves bowed again as they backed away.

Hammer Strike left the trio to their own work as he separated to collect materials for himself. It took a few hours of work, but the end result was his bags being full of materials to sort through. The return trip was mostly silent, save for the occasional exchange with Harmony as the moon hung overhead. He frowned to himself and simply placed his bag and tools away, knowing he would make too much noise if he sorted through his haul now.

He entered his home, only for a familiar energy to wash over him. He frowned to himself as he scanned the area until his gaze landed on Ulkrusher, sitting on a mount nearby. It was a strange feeling, almost as if the weapon were calling out to him. But it had been so long since that was the case. He hesitated for a moment before extending his hoof. A familiar feeling washed over his hoof as the hammer suddenly raised off the mount and landed in his grip once again.

“What happened?” Hammer Strike asked himself as he scanned over the hammer. “What changed for you to come back to me?” Ulkrusher pulsed gently in his hoof, resulting in him glancing at the hammer’s head, only to note a familiar energy coming from it. His eyes widened as he looked into the center, where a section of it separated from the rest of the stone in the familiar shape of a teardrop.

Hammer Strike couldn’t help but let out a quiet faint laugh. “You clever Dwarves. Without me even knowing it, you held up your end of the deal.”

---

Hammer Strike sighed contentedly as he held up a finished blade in his hoof. It took some time, and a lot of gentle work, but he finally had completed a proper sword for Towering Wall. It was perfectly balanced for the size of the stallion, along with a recently completed shield, allowing him a range of movement while working well as a defensive fighter.

His contentment, however, ran short as a series of knocks echoed down from upstairs, meaning someone was at his door. He sighed to himself as he placed the blade down and walked up the stairs into the main house. Celestia and Luna were off sparring, so it left him having to deal with any social calls himself. He opened the door abruptly, fully prepared to deal with any number of tedious requests that might arise.

Much to his surprise, Hurricane stood before him. The commander’s body was bruised and battered. Blood dyed patches of his light blue fur a deep violet. He wore no armor and had no weapon. His body, while still somewhat muscular, was gaunt, likely from the famine and rationing of the last few years.

“Hurricane!” Hammer Strike called out in surprise before ushering the Pegasus inside. “Get in here. What happened to you?” He guided the Pegasus toward the couch, where he forced the stallion to lie down.

Hurricane coughed a few times. “Lieutenant didn’t appreciate how I handled our last meeting. Went to his father, who happened to have more pull in the council than I thought. They declared my actions treasonous for not seizing your farm. I was stripped of my rank and court martialed. Coward had me beaten in the stockade.” He spat. “Was left to die on the ground.”

“You walked here from the Pegasus capital?” Hammer Strike immediately started to gather his medical supplies.

Hurricane chuckled, which brought more coughs. “Not quite.” The front door opened again to reveal a towering silhouette against the light.

“Forgive me for letting myself in, but you closed the door on me.” The figure entered, revealing a familiar Minotaur with larger-than-average horns. He wore a black robe now, and carried an intricately carved wooden staff. However, his body had changed drastically. His palor was ashen, his fur gray and dead. And despite the clear use of scented oils, the stink of decay still vaguely wafted in the room.

“Momonga? I’ll be damned,” Hamme Strike swore. “You look equally as bad, if not worse.” He rubbed his forehead “Sorry, I didn’t expect someone else. Give me a minute. I think I’ve got more medical supplies,” he replied as he pulled out the items in question.

“No!” momonga spoke in an urgent tone. “No health potions, no medicine, and definitely no healing magic. Don’t worry about my form. I am fine.”

Hammer Strike scanned him briefly to determine what was going on only for the results to return a lack of a pulse. Momonga was literally a walking corpse. He sighed audibly. “We’ll talk later, Momonga. I know what’s happened.” He turned back to Hurricane.

“He found me with his cart,” Hurricane explained. “He seemed polite enough, so I asked that he bring me here.”

“A time for catching up.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Come here, Momonga. Depending on how you are, I might have to use some more drastic measures.”

“I’ll wait out by my cart,” Momonga said. “I just wanted to be sure the Pegasus was safe. And as I said, he needs the more immediate care.”

Hammer Strike nodded grimly before returning his full attention to Hurricane. Thankfully, most of the injuries were simple, just numerous. He dressed them first, feeling grateful for the practice he’d had with Luna and others in the years before. Once he was confident Hurricane was at least passably treated, he wandered to the kitchen and made a small stew for the Pegasus to provide some much needed nourishment. He laid the bowl on a small sidetable by the warrior. “It’ll take a little time for everything to settle, but I put a little something extra in this to help numb the pain. Make sure to eat as much of it as you can.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Hurricane wheezed.

“Just because you wouldn’t act against me, and instead traded for materials, because you respected my say in my land, they did all this?”

“There’s been famine for several years. Any farm that can produce is going to be a major political piece for someone.”

“So, they took note of the rations you got from me.…” Hammer Strike frowned.

“You think they started watching at that point? They’ve been staking out your land for years.”

“I meant that seeing you get rations from me might have been the tipping point, Hurricane.”

“I suppose so.” Hurricane wheezed again. “I saw you have those walls mostly built. That's a good thing.”

“It certainly is.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Rest up. We’ll talk more later, all right? If Celestia or Luna come in, tell them that I already got you stable.”

“I will. And thank you, my friend.”

Hammer Strike sighed and put the medical supplies away. He’d have to talk with Hurricane more later. But for now, he had someone else that was “stable” enough to talk to.

He exited his house and noted Momonga’s cart nearby. He eventually rounded it to find Momonga on the other side. After ensuring there was nobody else nearby to overhear their conversation, he sighed and broached the topic that both knew had to be addressed. “You’re undead now?”

“Straight to the point, I see.” The Minotaur laughed. “Yes, at some point in the study of necromancy, it becomes more beneficial to embrace unlife.”

Hammer Strike studied the Minotaur’s flow of power and noted it to be significantly more than it used to be. While he wasn’t positive without them being near, it appeared to be larger than both Binding and Clover. “It certainly helped you magic-wise. However….”

“All the mana normally flowing toward keeping me alive no longer has that job. I suppose as far as necromancers go, I am at the second tier of power. Does that bother you?”

“Not really.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “Honestly, I’ve dealt with worse.”

“An open mind. A rarity in this day and age. But then again, those who reach the seventh tier of power have little to fear. Is that not so?”

Hammer Strike raised an inquiring brow at the expression.

“I can sense your power just as easily as you can sense mine now.” Momonga laughed. “It’s like staring at an inferno while holding a small flame on a stick. It’s a surprise you haven’t shed your mortal coil and ascended to a higher power.”

Hammer Strike shook his head. “I have my means to deal with situations. In that same regard, I don’t feel the need to push myself further.”

“What about uplifting others?” Momonga asked carefully.

“What do you mean?”

“You have a powerful practitioner of light magic here as well, and you had a caster drawing from the elemental plane of magic itself. But you have nothing of the dark arts here.”

“Hard to find someone who fits that point, so the spot’s open, if you want a place to stay.”

“Would I be right in assuming you are skilled in the manipulation of souls?” Momonga asked.

Hammer Strike took a breath and approached with caution. “Why do you ask?”

“I am a revenant right now: intelligent, but not much more capable of magic than when I was alive. There are ways to advance, but to do so usually requires a pact with the most unpleasant of beings. I am considered evil, but I have no wish to see the world burn. I wish to conduct my experiments in peace and have the ability to study without oppression. Tell me, are you familiar with the concept of a lich?”

“You’re asking me to bind your soul to this realm, separated from you?”

“And in return, I would make my pact with you, subservient to you, and there would be no higher power that would bend me to their dark whims.”

“You realize what you’re saying, correct?”

“You would have all power over my soul. I feel you would not abuse such power. You do not desire it, from what I've seen. Nor do you desire glory. There are dark things in this world that you may find my help useful against. In return, you will allow me to study, and perhaps provide me with the corpses of your enemies or the occasional criminal. I could not betray you, and you would not betray me. It is a deal that few could ever hope for.”

“You aren’t wrong.” Hammer Strike rubbed the back of his head. “But I’m not quite sure right now. The idea of binding is still something I find somewhat uncomfortable, due to what it entails.”

“That is why I would ask you. You need not decide today, anyway. All I ask for now is to set up a place for myself, a tomb of sorts from which to work out of.”

“I’ll look into getting you a space underground.” Hammer Strike hummed to himself. “It’ll take me some time to give you a definite answer on the other.”

“I need neither food nor water, just a place out of the rain, and occasionally some incense for the smell. As for my other request….” He shrugged. “I have nothing but time.”

“I’ll see to it. For now…” He looked around before pointing down the path leading to the hills. “You can set up in my mine for the time being. Once we have a good spot for you, we’ll get you in there. Just make sure not to do anything to the Ponies that live there if you encounter them.”

“Thank you for the opportunity. Should a plague or infection come or you have need of my help or knowledge, just ask. You were civil to me twice now. That is more than either my own race or most of the others I've come across. I hope this to be a sign of the beginnings of a prosperous relationship.” The Minotaur got to his feet and placed his staff within the cart before grabbing the front and lifting it, reminding hammer strike that for a caster, momonga was also incredibly strong.

Hammer Strike waited until Momonga was a good distance away before he sighed and rubbed his forehead. “He’s asking to make a pact with me. Ex Divinia etiam. What am I getting myself into?”

“A relationship that will foster great things,” Harmony said cryptically.

---

Hammer Strike shifted his bag as he secured it to his back. He was due for another batch of iron from the mines, and he figured it best to get it out of the way as soon as possible. It was the same deal as last time; prepare tools and bags, then head over.

He sighed as he exited his workshop before running into Luna. He blinked a few times, trying to think of what she would usually be working on. “You haven’t started practice today, I take it?”

“Not yet. It’s been more difficult finding padding for Celestia or training weapons for me.” She sighed. “According to Binding, I nearly broke her leg during our last match.”

Hammer Strike frowned. “We’ll have to look into some training to help you manage your strength. You’re stronger than your sister physically by a good deal.”

“I’ve been trying everything. Leg weights, restraining spells, physical restraints. I can’t seem to control it. Everything I do ends up going bad.”

Hammer Strike hummed as he rubbed his jaw in thought. “We can try the method I use to control my strength.”

“Please.” Luna looked almost desperate.

“Tell you what, after this trip to the mines, we’ll look into it. I learned to control my strength through smithing.”

“How does that work? Isn’t it pounding metal into shape with a hammer?” Luna asked.

“Yes, but if you hit it too hard, it shatters. So, rather than giving you a living target or something hard to fix, metal would work best. If you shatter it, we simply melt it and start again.”

“That, … that does make sense.” Luna nodded. “Very well. Smithing. When can we start?”

“After I gather materials from the mines.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Sadly, I’ve been burning through our iron supply with all the nails and joints needed for building.”

Luna smiled at him and hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy.”

Hammer Strike returned the hug with a soft smile. “If you’re bored enough, I can show you from the start as well. I mean, I’m off to collect now, anyway.”

“Okay.” The mare seemed a bit excited at the prospect.

Hammer Strike double-checked his bag before pulling out one of his spare pickaxes to show her. “Down in my workshop, you should be able to find another one of these. Grab it real quick, and we’ll head out.”

Luna nodded excitedly before vanishing in a bluish-purple flash.

Hammer Strike smiled as he placed his pickaxe back into his pack. After a moment, he sorted through some of the spare packs that he had made beforehand and picked one out for Luna as well. The mare arrived soon after, with the pickaxe in tow. Hammer Strike smiled as he took the pickaxe and placed it within her bag, then tied the bag onto her back. “Might as well sort you out as well.”

She grinned and secured the pack’s straps with her magic.

Hammer Strike proceeded to lead Luna toward the mine. “You had good eyesight in the dark, right?”

“And a horn, if need be.”

“Fair enough.” Hammer Strike shrugged as they drew close to the mine entrance. After they entered, he directed Luna toward a tunnel leading farther down. They passed by Momonga’s section, which thankfully contained enough scents to cover the decay, and thus provide the cover necessary to prevent Luna from investigating further.

He pointed at sections of the wall where specific materials showed through the stone. “Copper, when oxidized, tends to be a green in color, but when melted, will be more … orange. Gold is more of a yellow, depending on contamination. For example, if it is blended with silver, it will result in a more white color.” He continued to explain as he directed her attention to different veins along the path.

“Is it common for so many ores to be in one place?” she asked

“Honestly? It depends. Some regions of this world are plentiful in resources, but nowhere contains every ore on the planet in one location, hence why I had to go trade for some.”

“That would make sense. Most metal is the cause of small compounds crystalizing, right?”

“To a point,” Hammer Strike replied. “Some materials are made under different means, but it all…” He paused as he turned to one of the tunnels nearby. He frowned for a moment before moving towards it. “Sounds like we’ve got movement in here.”

The familiar scrabble of claw against crumbling rock echoed down the passage, paired with the tink of a carefully placed pick. Someone else was mining the caves. A lumbering shaggy form panted and heaved as it tore away whole chunks of wall with its bare hands, or so it appeared at first. Closer inspection would reveal the sparkle of metal tipped with diamond drill bits that whirred softly in the dark. The shadow broke into two shapes over time, a burly mastiff with a floofy mane tied back in a bandana and covered by a miner’s cap and a small pomeranian at its legs that struck the chunks of dislodged rock with her pickaxe. Dust smudged her corona of fur as the two continued to work, though the utility belts and vests clearly indicated preparation for their sojourn into the caves, and spoke of a great deal more intelligence than Hammer Strike recalled for their species in the present.

“Behind me, Luna,” Hammer Strike whispered as he took lead toward the Diamond Dogs. “Well, in my list of things I expected down here, I didn’t anticipate Diamond Dogs.”

“A Pony underground? How unusual.” The big dog pulled another chunk out of the wall for the smaller one to dissect as he approached the pair. “What brings you to the depths, stranger?” The mastiff’s voice was deep and carried a slight growl to it, due to his canine nature, but remained soft and friendly.

“Well, I planned on collecting more resources from my mine,” Hammer Strike replied simply.

“Your mine?” the pomeranian asked as she rose from her work on the rocks and propped the pick over her shoulder. Her eyebrow raised in surprise. “Last time we were out this way, no one was here.”

“The additional tunnels didn’t scream otherwise?”

“Lots of people pass through this way. We figured someone needed some ore.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong. Takes a lot of ore to make what’s needed up there.” Hammer Strike sighed. “But there aren’t many in these mines collecting it.”

“How much do you need?” the pomeranian asked.

“If things keep going this way, roughly two tons over the course of years.”

“Can you wait here?” she asked.

Hammer Strike raised a brow. “For now.”

she turned to the mastiff. “Bruiser, you stay here and keep them company. I’m going to go find Princess, okay?”

Bruiser nodded. “Be quick. We still have a quota to reach.”

The pomeranian dropped to all fours and bounded down the tunnel. Around thirty minutes later, she came back with a female collie in tow. They panted to catch their breath, true to canine fashion before the collie straightened her fur and stood up straight. She was only slightly shorter than bruiser and equally muscular.

“Hello. Name’s princess. I’m the alpha of this pack.” She spoke with a surprisingly brisk cockney accent. “Precious over there tells me you're the one who’s gone and laid claim to this land?”

“That would be correct.” Hammer Strike nodded. “I hope this isn’t going to be an issue.”

“Shouldn’t be, if I understand the situation correctly,” she said. “You’re having trouble mining the ore you need fast enough to supply your people. We need a place to bunker down. I think an agreement that benefits both of us could be seen to.”

“You offer a steady supply line, and I offer protection. That sound about right?” Hammer Strike guessed.

“And we get first pick of the precious stones barring anything magical in nature,” she added. “That's really what we’re after, the stones, not the ore. We got a good twelve tons of it stored in the back that we have no use for. Can’t say there’s a lot of gold, but I doubt that's your fancy, anyway.”

Hammer Strike hummed. “We’ll have to talk over specifics topside. I have someone who helps me with dealings such as these.”

“Details, we can do, but would it be safe to say we have an agreement?” she asked.

“For now, yes.”

Princess spat into her right paw and held it out to him.

Hammer Strike sighed internally as he repeated the action and shook on the deal.

---

Hammer Strike rubbed at his neck as he exited his workshop. A quick scan of the house revealed Celestia and Luna were currently out, despite the fact that their practice should have finished hours ago.

He frowned to himself as he exited the building and looked around. The pathways, while still crude, were expanding steadily. Houses had cropped up in the distance, and chimney smoke rose from each of them as their inhabitants went about their days. Over near the farms he had helped establish, Ponies were busy gathering and sorting crops into bags. The weather was mostly clear, thanks to the current group of Pegasi within the settlement.

Eventually, the Earth Pony’s wandering gaze fell on Hurricane, who was strolling down the path with a sword strapped to his back. “Hey,” he called in greeting to the Pegasus.

“Good afternoon, Hammer Strike.” Hurricane nodded his greeting.

“What’s going on?”

“Morning drills. Keeping everybody fit and ready to go. News from outside is political tensions are up. Food’s becoming more common, but still not plentiful. A Lot of eyes are on us right now. Best to have everybody ready to act on a moment's notice.”

“So, you’re out patrolling?” Hammer Strike asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

Hurricane nodded. “Best I do it for now. The others are still acclimatizing to the new weapons you provided.”

“I gave new weapons out?”

Hurricane reached across his far side with a wing and produced a crossbow. “You handed these out a couple months ago and detailed the training regimen.”

Hammer Strike blinked a few times as he thought on it. While he had a faint recollection of making them, he wasn’t sure if he actually did it. “I … guess I did.” He frowned. “Sorry, with all the years in my head, I guess I sometimes work automatically without really noticing it.”

“It’s fine, Sir. Sometimes, the days like to blur together. Time flies, as they say. Speaking of which, Binding has asked us all to remind you he needs an answer soon.”

Hammer Strike frowned as he thought on what he talked about with Binding. As he thought it over he finally recalled the reason. “I was to name this place, right.”

“We can’t exactly call it Hammer Strike’s Farm forever at this rate, can we?”

“Yeah….” He frowned. “Sorry to change the topic, but do you happen to know where my daughters are?”

“Luna’s on patrol. She said she’d be in the forge this afternoon. Celestia is visiting the schoolhouse again implementing her new literacy plan.” Hurricane smiled. “A settlement where everypony can read. It’s a … different idea.”

Hammer Strike blinked. Now that he thought about it, Celestia and Luna had practically finished their studies from the tablets, but with Clover gone, they had nothing else to learn besides common skills that he could teach. “I need to start focusing on things again,” he muttered.

“Wall wanted to see you when possible, too. Something about some sightings in the night.”

Hammer Strike frowned. “I’ll see him later today.”

“Also,” Hurricane hesitated. “Your Minotaur friend has been … carving into the wall beams. The runes are not something I'm familiar with, but I'm no magician. Still, it would make the men more at ease if you could ask him what they’re for?”

“Considering what he works in, they’re probably some form of protection runes. I’ll look into them later to make sure.”

Hurricane nodded as the tension in his face eased. “Lastly, the gate guard wanted to let you know he’s had a few Ponies arrive asking to speak with you directly. At your convenience, of course.”

“We have dedicated gate guards?”

---

Binding sighed as he strode through the doors to enter Hammer Strike’s forge. The scribe carried a gnarled wooden staff with a simple pointed metal head to complement his white cloak. “Hammer Strike, we have a problem,” he said bluntly.

Hammer Strike glanced up from his current project. “Should I bring Ulkrusher?”

“Depends on if you think they’ll be a threat. We have some … visitors who were caught hunting on the border. They’ve requested a parlay. Hurricane is keeping them detained while I play the role of humble messenger.”

Hammer Strike sighed. “Why don’t you bring good news to me for a change?” He placed his equipment away before turning to Binding. “Lead the way.”

Binding nodded, and the pair soon found themselves on the outskirts of the settlement, where Hurricane and a group of Ponies held several Gryphons at spearpoint.

“What part of parlay don’t you understand?” a large white tiger golden-eagle mix growled at the spear points. “You don’t use weapons at a parlay.”

“Paylays are typically used on ships. As in most terms, it leans toward gambling with your winnings,” Hammer Strike commented as he drew close.

“And I’m guessing you are the Pony in charge of this settlement?” he asked. They were all dressed in leather armor. Gryphon-made, but low quality. Their party was composed of a mixture of genders, though mostly females with no visible cubs. Though given the way she kept in the center, one of the females may have been pregnant. Their fur was rough, stained, and messy, and their feathers were disheveled.

“I can confirm that,” Hammer Strike replied. “What brings you over here? Last I recall, most of the Gryphon cities and capital are quite some distance from here.”

“Clanless,” the Gryphon grumbled, clearly ashamed of the title. “We didn’t realize we were on your land and just needed some meat for a few days’ travel, until we could find work.”

“You’re looking for work?” Hammer Strike rubbed his chin as he gauged the warrior. “What fields in particular?”

“As much as the bigwigs and hobnobs would have you believe in the cities, not all of us are so high and mighty we’d turn down Pony gold for work. They say the Unicorns are hiring muscle nearby, and something about a war.” He looked into Hammer Strike’s face and wilted. “We’re trained in soldiery, but none of us are professionals. We’re better at hunting, trapping, and skinning. A few of us know masonry,” he admitted. “Look, if you want your pound of flesh, you can take it out of my hide. Just let the rest go. I’m asking you.”

“Believe it or not, while I may seem threatening with the glowing augments in my skull, I am not like other Ponies,” Hammer Strike replied flatly. “If you can manage work, then we can make an arrangement.”

The Gryphon looked to the group, then suspiciously back at Hammer Strike. “What kind of arrangement?”

“You supply work, you get a place to stay with security under my protection.”

“What kind of work?” The Gryphon lifted an eyebrow.

“You literally just listed your potential line of work.” Hammer Strike sighed.

“Last Pony who wanted us to supply work wanted assassins, which is not a business we’re in. I’ve learned to ask questions before making deals.”

“If I wanted someone killed, I’d do it personally,” Hammer Strike replied flatly.

“None of us can supply you with any technology. Even if we knew how, we wouldn’t be capable,” the Gryphon noted carefully.

“I don’t care about additional technology in the first place. I’ve had plenty of experience in my lifetime as is.”

The Gryphon pricked a finger with a talon, allowing a bead of blood to well up, and offered it.

Hammer Strike sighed internally as he reached into his coat and searched for a knife, only to swap sides in search again. After a moment of confused perplexity, he sighed and grabbed Hurricane’s sword out of its sheath, then poked at his hoof.

And again, when it didn’t work the first time.

When the blood finally came, he shook the Gryphon’s hand to seal the blood pact. “Binding will go over the contracts to get things rolling. For now, you’ll have to camp out until our carpenters can get things started on an actual home for each of you.” He glanced casually at his hoof. The cut had already sealed shut. “Also, Hurricane, you might want to get the others to lower the guard a little.”

The guards looked to Hurricane, who nodded, and they stepped back, raising their speartips away from the new additions to Hammer Strike’s growing community. The group seemed to calm down as one. They spread out, and a few flexed their wings as they looked to the Unicorn.

Binding sighed and levitated the contracts before each of them. “I’ve been through this so many times. You’d think I would have figured out a means to record the introduction by now. All right, here are the essentials of the contract you agree to follow.” And he proceeded to go over the clauses and binding protocols of the document for them.

“There's a problem,” the leader said as he looked over the contract.

“And that is?” Binding asked.

“You bound this under the authority of your gods, Unicorn. Powerful though they may be, Faust, Sleipnir, and Bonnie do not own my soul.”

Binding gaped at the Gryphons for a moment, then proceeded to facehoof. “I must be losing my edge.” He sighed. “I’ll see about addressing that issue in due course. In the meantime, will you agree to abide by the contracts, despite the lack of enforcing power?”

“I shook on blood, didn’t I?” He looked to Binding. “Blood is the soul, Unicorn. When a Gryphon offers their blood, it’s as good as any swear.”

And are there consequences for breaking such an oath?”

“The North Wind cuts off your wings and forces you to walk the earth for eternity, never to fly with your ancestors.” The Gryphons shared a shiver in unison, even most of the Pegasi present seemed to stiffen. “It’s the worst fate one could ask for.”

Binding tapped his chin. “I see. Thank you for the information.” He turned to Hammer Strike. “Shall we give them the tour?”

“Yeah.” Hammer Strike gave a small smile. “Give them a tour of Unity.”

---

Hammer Strike studied the bracket in his hoof to ensure he had made it correctly. It was a steady process, requiring he ensure the correct angle and overall even distribution in thickness.

The doors to the workroom burst open and slammed heavily into the walls under the force of a golden magical aura. Celestia panted where she stood with wide eyes as she stared at her foster father. “The … the egg,” she gasped. “The egg is hatching.”

Hammer Strike passed the bracket onto his work table and stood up. “It’s been a while,” he commented as he moved to exit his workshop.

“Three years, yes,” Celestia agreed as she ran up behind him and pranced in agitation. “Now can we please go faster? You’re the one who found it, and we don’t want it to imprint on someone else accidentally. And besides, I really don’t want to miss it.” This was perhaps the greatest show of excitement and agitation Hammer Strike had seen in her since she was a foal.

The egg chamber, as Celestia had come to call it, was a humble room filled with miniature versions of the orbs Hammer Strike used in the surrounding lands of his territory. The light pulsed constantly within a series of sconces around the room while the egg itself sat on a large metal plate with a burner that held yet another orb to maintain constant temperature. Celestia flinched slightly from the sudden flow of heat as the door opened to provide them entrance, but pushed her discomfort aside in favor of the now-wobbling egg.

Hammer Strike took his place near the egg and took control over the orbs around them to ensure safety. He kept a steady eye over everything, even going so far as to use his augments to scan the egg for medical accuracy.

The egg was a misty white at its bottom normally, but had taken on a rosy tinge at its base as a result of the constant exposure to heat. The white eventually faded into a deep bluish-purple bespeckled with hints of silver and gold flecks that sparkled as the egg wobbled. The faint sounds of scraping and tapping echoed as the shell continued to shift until the beginnings of a bell-like tone rang faintly through the room. The shell trembled, then began to vibrate as the first crack broke and light seeped through. The flecks shuddered faster, and more cracks stretched like veins from the spots. Finally, the tone rose to a frantic pitch. Three things happened at once. The upper shell exploded, light flooded the room, and the ringing stopped.

When the two Ponies finally regained their sight, the fragments of the shell sat in pieces on the metal plate and in various corners of the room. A tiny voice cried out in an adorable keen that only a newborn could ever produce. The hatchling stared with four wide dark eyes rimmed with red and yellow that flickered like embers. Its fur was a matted tawny yellow with just a few hints of orange. Black filmy scales glistened down the front of its neck and torso and gradually hardened as the free air passed over them to form a set of protective scutes. Two small nubs pressed out from the back of its head while a thick spade flopped helplessly at the end of its tail as nerves twitched involuntarily. The bony protrusions that stuck out its back were a sodden mess with matted orange down that looked more like fuzz than it did feathers. Tiny black talons scrabbled against the shell as it experimented with its new world and surroundings.

“It’s so cute,” Celestia cooed at the sight, then squealed with delight when it blinked one pair of eyes, then the other.

“It is quite adorable, isn’t it?” Hammer Strike gave a soft smile as he picked up the young Dragon. “I’ll have to work on some food for him shortly.”

“What do dragons eat, anyway?” Celestia asked as she hovered to get a better look at the newborn.

“Some meats, gemstones, stuff along those lines,” Hammer Strike replied. “At least, scaled dragons. Hopefully, it’s the same, or I’m going to need to make a trip to the Dragonlands to see a certain someone.”

“Doesn’t look very fearsome,” Luna said. She frankly ignored her sister’s startled squeal at her sudden appearance and squinted as she leaned in to look over the dragon.

Hammer Strike glanced back to Luna. “Neither did you at ten minutes old,” he countered. “But time changes things, I’d say.” He smirked.

“We’ll need to add another room,” Luna noted.

Hammer Strike hummed in return. “A temporary one, as some Dragons grow to be quite big.”

“You think he’ll be one of those?” Celestia asked.

“While he may be feathered, he is still a Dragon.” Hammer Strike reached into his coat and searched for something he had grabbed beforehand. After a moment, he pulled out a small ruby and offered it to the young drake.

The hatchling looked curiously at the gem, cocking its head and peering first with one pair of eyes, then the other. Then it reached out curiously with its wobbly neck and started to gnaw at the ruby. Its eyes widened briefly as its tongue touched the stone. Then it suckled the stone with relish as it curled up in the crook of Hammer Strike’s foreleg.

“What do we call him?” Luna asked.

Hammer Strike chuckled. “Well, the two of you bugged me to let you name him when we got him, so I’ll let you two decide.”

“Hmm. This … might take a while,” Celestia mused as she peered at the young Dragon, who had finished his snack and now cried piteously for more.

Hammer Strike smiled and offered another, patting its head afterwards. “No more after that. Got to find something better for you.”

The baby’s eyes watered briefly, and it appeared he was about to cry when his mouth opened in a titanic yawn, followed by the barest hints of sparks that danced out his nostrils.

“Aww,” Celestia cooed. “That was so adorable!”

“It was pretty cute,” Luna relented.

Hammer Strike chuckled as he started moving toward the door. “Come on. For now, we’ll use my bed for him until I get a new space made.” He looked to the house once again. “Oh, I’m glad I made this place fireproof.”

---

“A feathered Dragon,” Twilight breathed. “I can’t believe it. I’ve never heard of something like that before. Is it a mutation? Could it be a part of their original anatomy that they evolved away from? I have so many questions!”

“Deep breaths, Twilight. Deep breaths,” Vital said. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find out more after we pick Hammer Strike up. You could even take notes on the Dragon’s behavior as it grows up. We’ll probably be seeing a lot more of it, now that it’s hatched.”

“Wonder where it is in our time,” Grif pondered.

“It could be hibernating, or it may have found a new home elsewhere.” Vital shrugged. “Knowing Hammer Strike, we’ll probably find out when we pick him up and go back to the present.”

“Wonder what other surprises we’ll see at this point,” Grif wondered. “Seems like Unity is built on some very old bones.”

“Literally or metaphorically?” Vital asked.

“Yes,” Grif answered.

“... Why do I get the feeling those bones are going to be arriving very soon?” Vital asked.

“Probably because the Pegasi and Unicorns both have a bone to pick with him,” Twilight said. The room remained silent, and a holographic projection of a cricket appeared on the console to chirp at her. After a time under this treatment, she finally couldn’t take it anymore. “What?” she demanded.

“Grif, did Twilight just pun without meaning to?” Vital asked, even as Pensword bit his lip to suppress the giggles that threatened to emerge.

“Yes, sadly.” Grif sighed.

“And so the student surpasses the teacher.” Vital bowed to Twilight.

“Uh, … you’re … welcome?” she responded.

The Doctor facehoofed.

Rarity yawned as she strode into the chamber. “Sorry that took me so long. I had some trouble locating the bathroom. Did I miss something?”

“Just Twilight being Twilight.” Vital smiled as Pensword finally succumbed to the urge and the laughter burst forth in a torrent while he rolled across the floor.

---

Hammer Strike smiled as he secured the young drake Yharon to his back. How the girls had settled on such a name, he still didn’t understand, but he wasn’t about to question it. There were more important things to tend to. He needed to investigate the town, as he was hearing about new additions and arrivals that wanted to converse with him when he was available. And since he wouldn’t leave the young dragon alone….

Upon exiting the house, he noted that the pathways made were starting to look like a real road now. The Gryphon masons had clearly started work. The stonework that had been laid was smoothed out while maintaining their natural rough appearance, and the gaps between were all filled in.

He nodded at the sight, taking in the new roads before finally setting off in the direction of the gatehouse. The idea of the place expanding due to Binding’s efforts was still a strange experience to him, but it was welcome compared to his time leading the reconstruction of New Unity.

He frowned at the thought before shaking his head to clear it. Now wasn’t the time to think about his past. He soon approached the gatehouse, where an Earth Pony and Unicorn kept watch.

“Hey,” he called out. “Where were the new arrivals sent to until I was able to converse with them?”

“They’re just over here in the temporary way house we set up.” the Earth Pony rose to his hooves and signaled Hammer Strike to follow. He led him to a smaller house, more of a hut, really, just outside the gate. “Do you need me to stick around?” he asked as they approached the door.

“No, I should be fine.” Hammer Strike smiled softly. “Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you, Sir.” The Earth Pony gave a curt nod before trotting back to the gatehouse.

Hammer Strike entered the hut without further delay.

Five Ponies sat around a fireplace eating what appeared to be a vegetable stew quietly. Four Earth Ponies and one Unicorn, to be exact. One of them looked oddly familiar, though Hammer Strike was sure he’d never seen her in his life.

She was a deep maroon-colored Earth Pony mare wearing a leather apron. Her mane was mostly brown, but with a bright strip of green near the center of it. Her cutie mark seemed to be a stall of some kind.

“So, I was told you all wanted to have a meeting with me?” Hammer Strike questioned.

“Well, yes,” the Unicorn spoke up. “But we’re not all together.”

“Who arrived first?”

The familiar mare lifted a hoof.

“Then we’ll talk first. You’ve waited longer,” Hammer Strike replied simply. “We can talk inside or outside. Whatever you choose.”

“Outside, if you don’t mind,” she said as she rose to her hooves, then trotted toward the door.

Hammer Strike followed and closed the door behind them. “I hope you don’t mind the Dragon. He’s a little too young to sit at home by himself.”

“It’s surprising, but my mother said you were a very unusual Pony,” she said as she turned to face him.

“Your mother?”

“My name is Free Market. You never met me, but you used to trade with my mother, Filler.”

“You’re Filler’s Daughter?” He looked her up and down. “That explains it. I can see the family resemblance.”

“Mother said you were always kind in your dealings with her. I was hoping you might have some use for a shopkeeper.”

“I don’t think our settlement has a market, but a flow of currency could be useful.” Hammer Strike hummed. “I’ll have to bring it up with Binding, but we can definitely look into it.”

“Can I stay here until you decide? I hear that it’s safe here.” Her voice was softer than it had been when they first began the discussion, and her gaze didn’t quite meet his properly.

“That’s perfectly fine.” He smiled reassuringly. “You can stay within the current housing until everything is settled.”

“Thank you.” The sheer weight behind that utterance of gratitude was soon followed by a second push. “Thank you so much.”

Hammer Strike frowned. “I am curious, though. What brings you over here? Last I recall, that settlement wasn’t doing horribly, at least compared to others.”

Free Market swallowed heavily. “A few months ago, we had a group of Pegasi go through the town. They commandeered most of the food stores. A few weeks after they left, Unicorns came through with a group of mercenaries. They took what we had left.” She blinked her eyes rapidly in a vain effort to stave off the tears. My mother tried to stop them and…” She gave a dry sob. “They cut her down.”

“Oh, I’m … I’m sorry. I didn’t hear.” Hammer Strike’s frown deepened. He was positive the mare wasn’t lying. “She was a good mare.”

“Thank you,” she said. “She told me if anything happened that I should head out this way. She said you never cheated anyone, you always paid as long as the price was fair, and you didn’t cause trouble. I … I couldn’t stay there after she died.”

“That’s fair.” Hammer Strike nodded. “Head back inside. I’ll deal with the request personally.”

She thanked him again and strode quietly back into the hut. A few minutes later, the Unicorn stepped out with one of the Earth Pony mares following behind. They looked around carefully as they approached him.

“Hello. This is your farm, I take it?” the Unicorn asked. His voice carried a slightly posh accent. His fur was steel-gray with white mane and tail, and he held a cutie mark with a mortar and pestle.

“Bit more to it, but yeah,” Hammer Strike replied with a shrug.

“My name is Poultice Solution, and this is my … my.” He looked around the area, as if to affirm they weren't being observed. “Well, this is my wife, Bella Curador.”

Hammer Strike raised a brow at the pause before humming.

“We were told that perhaps the taboo might be less … offensive here,” he noted.

Bella was a sweet mare with a lustrous silvery-white mane that curled around a pale purple face. She smiled weakly at Hammer Strike and pulled self-consciously on a bandana that held her mane in place.

“No real taboo here on that.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “If you love someone, nobody here will care what tribe or race they are.”

“You mean it?” Bella asked. Her voice held just a hint of a country twang, and her soft green eyes were practically luminous with the hope that radiated there.

“I am currently raising a Dragon who is sleeping on my back at this moment, have two Alicorn daughters, and have Gryphons working within the settlement’s walls,” Hammer Strike commented. “You won’t find anywhere more accepting, I can assure you of that. What are the two of you here for?”

“We heard your community could have use of some Ponies with a knowledge for herbs,” Poultice said.

“Those happen to be our specialty. Potions, soups, salves, poultices, reagents, we know them all and grow them all,” Bella said.

Hammer Strike hummed. “That would certainly prove useful for the settlement. Do you happen to have a sample of a salve or potion for me to check?”

“I’m … afraid not,” Bella admitted as her face fell. “Our hut was attacked. We barely escaped with our supply of seeds and roots to replant.”

“If you can give a sample to Binding or myself, we can further this development. You can stay in the hut until you can provide a sample to determine your skills.”

Poultice, however, had left the spot. His horn glowed as he worked through the wild plants nearby. He let out a shout of elation after coming upon a small herb with long oval leaves with serrated edges. He proceeded to remove three leaves and crush them in his magic as finely as he could. Then he levitated a canteen to him from his wife's back and opened it before squeezing the crushed leaves as tightly as he could manage. The scent of peppermint wafted around them as the oil dripped into the canteen. He closed it again and shook vigorously for a minute before opening it and sniffing. He then nodded and presented it to Hammer Strike. “Simple spring water with an extract of peppermint, a wonderful potion that soothes all manner of stomach pains from indigestion to ulcers.”

Hammer Strike scanned over the contents briefly before nodding. “Good example on short notice.” He hummed. “I’ll bring this to Binding, and we’ll see if we can get things going. You’ll have to prove further points of knowledge later down the line, but we can certainly get things rolling.”

Tears welled up in Bella’s eyes. “Thank you.”

“We’re gonna be okay, love.” Poultice smiled at his wife as he hugged her.

“Feel free to rest up inside. Binding will send some requests later, and we’ll get things underway.” He gave a soft smile as the two made their way inside, leaning against each other.

Several minutes later a diminutive Earth Pony mare walked out, followed by a larger stallion who seemed to be almost trotting to keep up with her.

“Good day,” she spoke in a surprising lilting brogue. “My name’s Bertha, and this is my mate Long John. There is not even a guess you're the big stallion about here.”

“What gave it away?”

“You mean aside from the fact that they’ve kept our flanks in that place up until you show up?” she asked.

“I mean, they would have let you leave.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “Jokes aside, what brings you this way?”

“We heard that you’ve been takin’ in Ponies, and safe to assume you don’t always have houses ready for them to stay in. Seems an enterprising pair of Ponies could do well setting up an inn. With your permission, of course.”

Hammer Strike hummed for a moment before shrugging. “Yeah, I don’t think we have an inn yet.”

“We’d set up a kitchen. Long John over there cooks. Don’t you, John?” She looked to the stallion.

Long John nodded slowly as he met Hammer Strike’s gaze with an equally impassive stare.

“Don’t mind John. He’s not much of a talker.” She grinned. “I’m sure your workers could use a place to go and eat after a hard day's work.”

Hammer Strike nodded. “Yeah, they definitely would. All right. I’ll bring this over to Binding and he’ll progress things further.”

“We’ll look forward to hearing from you!” She grinned and stuck out her hoof.

Hammer Strike shook on it. “You’re free to rest within the provided housing until things get rolling.”

“Aye. Thank you very much.” And with that, she headed back to the door with her husband in tow.

“Things are certainly going to be interesting around here, aren’t they?” He questioned Yharon on his back. The little Dragon just yawned and slumped onto his back again, still sleepy from his nap.

---

Celestia sighed and winced as she peeled the padding ever so slowly off her aching body. Once again, Luna’s blows had proven too strong, and left the mare with several patches she knew would blossom into some very nice bruises within the hour. On the plus side, at least Luna hadn’t come close to breaking her leg. She said she’d been practicing control with Hammer Strike. Apparently, whatever the exercise was was doing the trick. The cold air had settled in again as barren trees waved and thrashed in the wind. Tiny patterns of frost had scrawled themselves over bark and leaves alike.

“Well now, I see Luna hasn’t changed,” a familiar voice spoke as motes of blue magic collected on her bruises and a pleasant warmth began working into them, causing them to start to fade. “I probably should have taught you to reinforce the padding with magic before I left.” In Celestia's vision, a tattered homespun cloak billowed in the breeze.

“Clover?” Celestia gaped. “Clover, is that really you?”

“Yes, Celestia, it’s me.” The Unicorn lowered her head to grin at the Alicorn. She’d changed slightly since their last meeting. Her eyes seemed deeper, tired-looking. And small worry lines were already present on her too-young face.

“What brings you by after so short a time? I thought you were going to tour the world.”

“That's a story best told to your father. Where would I find him?”

“Difficult to say. We did just finish sparring, though, so I would think he’s probably either gone to the forge, spoiling Yharon, or doing the rounds through the city to check on the settlers. Would you like me to come with you? We can catch up as we walk.”

“If you want.” Clover smiled. “Put your things away, and I’ll wait here.”

It didn’t take long for Celestia to complete the necessary actions, and soon the two were strolling down the road together. Celestia looked curiously at the mare. “You know, I can’t quite put my hoof on it, but something feels different about you.”

“It’s been a long few years. That's all,” Clover said as they walked.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather rest a little first? You look tired.”

“I can rest later. Best let your father know I’m here first.”

“If you say so.”

“Besides, I’d like to find out who this Yharon is.”

Celestia giggled. “You’ve already met. He just hadn’t hatched yet.”

The pair finally found Hammer Strike in the main kitchen, where a young Dragon sat feasting happily on the tiny scraps he offered it while he worked. The scent of aromatic herbs wafted from a bubbling pot to flood the room and trigger a very loud groan from Celestia’s stomach to announce their presence.

Hammer Strike glanced behind himself, his eyes widening slightly as he noticed Clover. “You’ve returned?”

“I have, indeed,” she said. “This time, probably for longer.”

“Guest room is still open. Almost converted it into a room for young Yharon here, but I figured it best to keep up, just in case,” Hammer Strike replied. “You’re always welcome.”

“Thank you. Things are … bad back in the kingdom.”

“Considering the recent news I had heard from other settlements, I’d believe it.”

“The nobility is running rampant, the king is dead, Platinum has no control.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t stay there. I couldn’t be part of that.”

“Sadly, it was only a matter of time,” Hammer Strike replied with a sigh. “They’ve turned into a greedy lot. And it will tear them apart.”

“I—” Clover took a deep breath. “I hereby request to defect to you.”

Hammer Strike paused and turned to look Clover square in the face. “You … do realize what that means for you, correct?”

“It means I am renouncing the Unicorn kingdom and my citizenship therein.”

Hammer Strike looked her over a few times. “I’ll have to start looking for more guards, then. Because they won’t let you go that easily. That, I am certain of.” He sighed. “Are you sure of this choice?”

“Your power or your people?” Clover asked him.

Hammer Strike looked her over once more before giving a small smile. “Yeah, you’ve definitely done some growing.”

“There’s been a lot of growing that's needed to be done.”

“That’s good.” He gave a soft smile. “As I stated before, Clover, you’re welcome any time.”

She smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

Comments

[Grif_Bladefeather]

10228058
we did that on purpose actually to show just how much more massive equis is then earth. (i think our math was somewhere along 2.5 times the circumference at it's widest point?)

[Flameingmane]

Dam
That was a good read, Long too which I love to see in all of my favorite stories

[Fetch]

Hammer Strike has basically been living his life in reverse. He knows what he needs to do because he knows what happens.
The problem is that he doesn't know exactly when or how to do what he needs to.

[Booster Spice]

Equis is larger? Increased mass, gravity also or using the Dark Energy for Magic equivalent so that the Sun, Moon is easier to control and gives gravity reefs further out to help with isolation?

Took me a few seconds to remember Ulkcrushers world line. Thats definitely one way to hide something, although advanced Dogs mining might do better with smart dragons, but Yharon might be the start of Deep Dragons, being able to manipulate maga flows to form ore veins, crystals, gems etc, stimulating Harmonys growth down and through the world?

Bertha and Long John are sure to be a real blast at the party, and maybe one of their offspring might possibly end up as Cannonade Master Sargent Major Hearthwarming Rose, of the forces party troupe, including Combat Klowns and Ninja Mimes, and whose speciality Last Game, is a staged stacked Fruit Cake fired from the immense party cannon named after his ancestor, Bertha?

Game Over?

Edit: Oh dear, I forgot, with Momonga now taking up Permanent residence Under the Realm, he is going to need attendances also? And a door that has to be hidden until Hammerstrike returns to join Unity Old and New at last?

[Dravkwn]

Pony villain in glasses. I feel like this information should be put into the log for the far off horizons to come.

[EnderHooves]

10242531
That problem is actually the solution to the pre-destination paradox. He knows how it'll end, but not how it was when it lived or began.

I love this story, and I'm glad its still going. We've got the dwarves all squared up now. I think that's the last of the things in the future we know about other than that guy that gave him the translation for the alicorn tablet, I can't remember his name in the slightest.
Now, we just need to know what happens to the things in the past before they show up in the present.
And I'm sticking with my theory that somebody is hibernating in the pandorica.

[Fallen_Stargazer]

10242159
Got nothin on the world in toriko. takin a look at that map, the central area of human world is old planet earth, a rough 40k kilometers in circumference. Whereas the world model there is roughly 5 times that, clocking in around 220k kilometers

[Majk]

Yharon huh? Looks like somebody's been playing Calamity mod.

[DoctorWhoooves]

I got distracted while reading and it took me 3 hours to get through this chapter... And I'm sad it ended>< Such a delightful chapter though. Best believe tho Hammer Strike gonna get some vengeance for Filler. Indirectly of course.

Also with the amount of powerful beings, I'd be surprised if Hammer Strike didn't use the Tardis to go back in time and rescue Celestia and Luna's parents and Andre. Since they 'disappear' much like the unit Pensword led during the war, and I doubt 3 alicorns with no ruling power would really upset the Present balance all that much so.. then again maybe i'm getting ahead of myself? Or it won't happen? Who knows but thats what makes this story so exciting!

[Charedfirescale]

If your keeping Stygian and the Old Pillars of Equestria canon, than they'd appear as a group several years from now. Or at the very least Stygian is currently recruiting them. I'm iffy with the timeline, but the Pillars of Equestria appeared and disappeared while Celestia and Luna were still young.

Considering what we know about the group, it would be safe to say that Ponies from the three tribes were leaving long before the Windigos forced the mass migration of the three tribal kingdoms. Otherwise there'd be no way for their unique cultures to form. I mean, Southern Equestria still seems rather detached from its Northern half even in modern day.

[Charedfirescale]

10243102
Its a REALLY big world, if they survived they ended up in a different part of the planet.

[Well Geboren]

Ooh baby this chapter was so loong, unf~ I loved it it every aspect!

[DoctorWhoooves]

10244048
But to not return to their children in 1000+ years? For no stories, oral or written, even a rumor or legend to be had or heard of?

[Charedfirescale]

10244065
You do know Discord is a thing right? Considering how large the world is, as in large enough for sentient species to be isolated, Discord’s activities and who knows what else it’s not a stretch that they’d have no idea where their children were. I mean it took a 7 year journey to get back from the Alicorn island. It’s quite likely they went underground to hide.

[GarrusVakarian]

Not gonna lie.

The moment I read Yharon I connected the dots to my favorite mod to my favorite game and literally burst with euphoria and giggles followed by the nervous laughter at remembering just how many times The Dragon of the Jungle applied death to my character with fire-nados

[Jahbraz]

10248654
Wow. Nice to see that there are other Terraria Calamity fans here!

[CarolMAssphalt666]

Wait, doesn't Hammer Strike have the strength to just beat the ursa major down with his bare hooves? He only needed one attack with Ulkrusher to end that ridiculously massive turtle-thing, which was covered in insanely tough natural armor, and the ursa major sure as hell doesn't have that advantage.