It's back

Damn, we getting yearly chapters at this point

Is getting good, can’t wait for him to finally bite back from all the abuse and disgust sent his way throughout the years. Pony blood shall be spilt I feel and I’ll enjoy each moment of it for the disgusting treatment they’ve given him.

The story lives! The wait has been worth it, if the chapter is anything to go by! Can’t wait for more, hopefully not in a year or so lol. But hey, you do you :)

And so it begins, the reckoning. Just hoping we don't have to wait a year for the next chapter.

One good, and most likely a cathartic, knockout upon a pony by Donovan. Will wait for more...

It’s ALIVE

Yess thank you!!!!

"Donovan.” My head snapped onto the origin of the voice. I let out a breath upon realizing it was Umbra. Her brows furrowed, "What happened, why are you so frantic?” Her slit irises scanned me, “I’ve been waiting here for quite some time.”

Wait, so she didn’t cause that?

Steeling my resolve, I took a breath and spoke, “Good morning, Princess Luna.” Setting down my chest, I stood at attention. She stiffened up and painfully reared her head in my direction. She always looked worse for wear in the mornings. Her mane and tail were disheveled, while her eyes had dark bags,

Upon seeing me, she sneered, “Ugh.” being her only response. With haste, Luna teleported to what I could only assume was the royal dining hall,

Umbra’s voice cut through the awkward silence, “Her hate for you is so palpable, I was able to sense it myself.”

Are you sure she’s not just tired?

“Luna, it’s been three years since that night. A speck in our lifetime! He was scared and confused, can’t you find it in your heart to forgive him?”

What happened?

I just finished this and it's 12:40 in the morning, this has been VERY fun read, I can't wait for the next chapter that I'm slightly physically shaking from that cliffhanger lol

Though I'm hoping for it in a few weeks and not 6 months 😂

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In the flashback Umbra showed when convincing him to join her, drunk and disoriented, he beat up some of the Lunar guard, then tripped and accidentally headbutted Luna in the snout, giving her a nosebleed.

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She’s bitchy over that?

“Donovan was that strange creature that appeared in the castle garden a few months back.” I answered Applejack

Doesn't she mean "a few years back"? Or did he run into them while they visited a few months back?

I looked at Celestia, confusion evident on my features. She noticed my gaze and sighed, ears drooping a bit, “My little ponies have yet to look past Donovan’s exterior appearance. I have not had a chance to sit down and inquire on his interactions due to recent affairs with other nations. I hoped that things would have changed by now, what with the increase of other races residing in Canterlot.” Luna opened her mouth to speak, opting instead to stay silent. My gaze fell back onto the crowd and then my friends. They were all taken aback by the display too,

Really? You could not find even a minute out of the THREE YEARS to check on Donovan? I hope when the time comes for Donovan and Umbra to strike Celestia realizes just how badly she fucked up and she is just as responsible as Luna and her precious ponies.

Hell yeah!!!! Can't wait for the next one!

Great chapter. Can't wait to read the next one in 6 months from now.

“My little ponies have yet to look past Donovan’s exterior appearance. I have not had a chance to sit down and inquire on his interactions due to recent affairs with other nations"

It's been 3 years Celestia. No one is busy for 3 years. You are the absolute ruler of a nation, your schedule is whatever you decide it is. FUCKING RESCHEDULE SOME OTHER APPOINTMENTS!!!

I'd almost prefer Celestia to have the same hostile apathetic attitude as Luna, at least she would then have a valid, if petty, reason for treating him like shit. It would be better than this callus indifference/gross negligence wrapped in a thin veneer of "being too busy".

Thinking about it, if he did quit the guard, he could theoretically make more. As things stand, all his materials and forge maintenance is funded by the guard on top of the fact he is their only smith. If they fired him, he could charge them a lot more for all of his work, and given the fact the guard obviously has no problem with workplace discrimination, they should logically have no problem with the business end.

His swords are worth no more than his wages and the materials. If he was fired, he could charge up front for the costs plus his time and disguise charging ponies more by calling it a convenience fee or something. Then there's the fact the troublemakers wouldn't be able to do as much to him if anything because that's assault against a civilian and destruction of property that the guard would pay for.

Yes, everything would come out of his pocket, but if he's their only blacksmith, hell, the only one in the city, he can basically monopolize it in Canterlot.

So glad this is back and can't wait to see new chapters, whenever they come!

I am confused. I thought the ponies were anthropomorphic at the beginning of the story?

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Yea, if i was Donovan i woulda went Alicorn Amulet or maybe even full Sombra by the first year.

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Guess it wounded her pride.

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Pride is a bitch.

My boy Donovan is finally getting catharsis, can't wait for him to publicly humiliate Galliant.

[Insert Funtime Freddy laugh here]

Glad to see this update again. And damn the fight he just got must have been cathartic as hell.

I believe it is time for our human to show the ponies some good 'ol "rip and tear until it is done"... seems only fair after the abuse.

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He could very well be cleaning house after that. Pretty sure the guard was looking to get rid of him for not contributing outside the forge, but were also preventing him from doing so. Now add in the abuse from Gallant and others, if he could be dishonorably discharged for workplace discrimination that was basically given the green light by Luna, it's safe to assume he can get several discharged for worse.

My man is about to go postal on these assclowns.

And I'm here for it!

So happy to see another chapter popping up, can't wait for the next one bruv👌

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I'm a little confused. When you say fired, do you mean dishonorably discharged from the guard, or both discharged and fired from Royal Blacksmith?

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Either or. He'd be out of the job regardless, and being the only blacksmith for them would mean he decides how much his services are worth. Dented helmet? Charge for a new one then resell that one for full price after repairing it. Chipped sword? Charge for the repair itself, time, and resources. Offer every pauldron, boot, weapon/ scabbard separately. Don't actually put prices on anything, just charge them.

11652525
I don't think you understand Donovan's situation. Celestia herself said his work was really good, so I would see no reason for him being fired from the Royal Blacksmith. If he was dishonorably discharged from the guard, it wouldn't affect his blacksmith job, Infernus said he could still work there.

As for quitting and starting his own business, how's he supposed to do that? The castle forge is his home, a crappy home with a shitty bed and no bathroom, sure, but still a place for him to sleep. If he quits or gets fired, then he'll be kicked out on the streets, so not only will he need to buy or rent a home, he will also need a place to set up a blacksmith shop, and I doubt there's an unused forge just lying around the city gathering dust, so he's looking at maybe tens or even hundreds of thousands of bits in expenses just to get the business started, and I highly doubt he has even half that much saved or Celestia would take pity on him and invest in his business.

As for getting another blacksmith, I'm pretty sure there are plenty of ponies with blacksmithing cutie marks who could easily take his place, even jump at the opportunity to be responsible for arming the Royal Guard in service of the diarchy.

At the very least, Celestia would decide he's better off somewhere where the ponies would be more accepting of him, say Ponyville? Twilight and her friends from the looks of their reactions at the tournament would definitely jump at the chance to help him integrate into pony society.

But all of this doesn't matter, not after swearing allegiance to Umbra and purging himself of Harmony. Now this is no longer about surviving in a cruel world, this is about revenge, and his best bet to make the ponies suffer as he has is to continue working in the Royal Forge. As they say, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

I'm sorry for sounding like a negative prick, but no matter how I look at it, Donovan losing his job as Royal Blacksmith will not help him in anyway.

11652604
It's because he:
Never spars or trains with anyone
Never goes out on patrols
Has been the same rank for 3 years
And then there was Gallant and others, who lied about his insubordination

He could stay a blacksmith as the officer said, but he would no longer be a guard, and he is a smith for them, not the crown I'm pretty sure. He loses his living quarters and benefits, but still work the forge. Yes, they could hire another, but the quality/ quantity would go down as well as variety. He brought over chainmail, improved on their quality, and gave them other weapons and improvements. It might be rough at the start, but when the value of the sword is his wages plus the materials cost, discharging him can easily see that price jump to commission prices plus materials, quality, difficulty, shipping if he offers to deliver it. That sword that only costed $100 in materials could easily go to $300 because it's a commission, not a set amount by his boss.

As for his allegiance to Umbra, there's several ways that can go. It's common, but dark magic isn't always illegal, and he's not plotting treason so much as he is trying to prove himself. Yes, he renounced harmony and swore himself to her, but he might be able to talk them down by citing current laws, explaining his reasons, and pointing out Discord who isn't really on anyone's side.

All Donovan did was accept an offer of help from a dead queen with no kingdom or subjects who invaded his dreams, meaning his treachery, which would be a false charge given the lack of loyalty or respect to him, is a direct fault of criminal negligence on Luna's part and the encouragement her disdain towards him gave to the guards as a whole who on three occasions, her own guards tried to kill him in his sleep. She can go through memories in his sleep, they should be able to as well. He could ask where in the law does it say you can't make deals with the dead when necromancy isn't a factor? Where in the law does it say he can't acquire magic to better protect himself, who is legally an extinct species? Where in the law does it say he has to serve harmony when it for all intents and purposes has betrayed him?

Best case scenario, they unfuck themselves and see it as an opportunity for him to potentially turn Umbra away from evil. Worst case scenario, they call him a traitor and they flee to conquer another country.

Edit: Reread the first chapter, he says he is the royal blacksmith, but he was involuntarily assigned as a blacksmith by the officer without his knowledge as said in a later chapter, so his job as the smith is his job as the guard. So he could apply for the smith, then he would get paid better or worse while still being open to private business.

11652822
I still don't think that's how it works.

Here's how I see it. Canterlot Castle is property of the Crown, so everything in it belongs to the Crown. The forge is on the castle's property, that makes the forge property of the Crown. Donovan may be maintaining the Royal Guard's weapons and armor, but it's the Crown that's supplying the materials and paying his wages, so Celestia and Luna are his employers, not the guard.

You're thinking of a contractor, someone running their own business that takes commissions from other people and sets their own prices. Donovan is essentially an employee, he is not paid for each gear he repairs and makes, just as a chef who cooks at a restaurant owned by someone else is not paid for each dish they make. What you're suggesting is like starting your own restaurant inside of someone else's restaurant using their appliances and ingredients. If Donovan is fired from Royal Blacksmith or decides to run the castle forge like a business, then he'll be kicked out of the castle jobless.

As for all the hypothetical "technicalities" in the law questioning if he did anything wrong, let me ask you this: did Discord actually hurt anyone? Was anyone killed during both his reigns of chaos? Same for when he sided with Tirek. Tirek may have drained everyone's magic, but again no one was actually hurt, only weakened. But Umbra? She's a tyrant who enslaved the Crystal Ponies and a murderer who took pleasure in killing those who dared defy. You may argue it was in self-defense and they were casualties in war, but if you actually enjoy killing people, regardless if it's justified, then you have a problem.

Discord could be forgiven because no one died, but Umbra, she might be beyond forgiveness even if, again IF Donovan can reform her.

And also to clarify my confusion about firing him, I assumed the Royal Blacksmith job was separate from the Royal Guard job. Rereading I've now realized that Infernus saying he could still be blacksmith was maybe her doing a favor for him so he wouldn't be out of a job.

11653394

And also to clarify my confusion about firing him, I assumed the Royal Blacksmith job was separate from the Royal Guard job. Rereading I've now realized that Infernus saying he could still be blacksmith was maybe her doing a favor for him so he wouldn't be out of a job.

Or, it could be the 'good' captain covering her own butt. I wager the reports and such that the Princess does see didn't include anything on Donovan, in fact she seems quite surprised and disheartened at her ponies display of anger and derision toward the alien. She even said that she had hoped that they would have improved by now, indicating that she has not heard anything indicating his horrid treatment. In my opinion, and mine is just another guess at best, is that since 'Princess' Luna shows contempt toward him, the guards think they should do the same. Celestia has done nothing in the years he was there to prevent it, so it must be condoned, right? Donovans whole crap treatment may actually be nothing more than Celestia having too much work, and he slipped through the cracks...

Donovan's about the run some pockets

Tonight, I dine on pony soup!

Yes more 😁

Giga chad mod engaged

Luna shook her head,“Hmph, that sword is a gimmick. Its size is entirely impractical, it will simply become a hindrance to wield. Really Celestia, I don’t know why you’re so keen on wasting everypony’s time.”

Says the one who could beat him at night

His third attempt at attack was thwarted when the human simply batted the punch away like a fly. Unable to put up his guard in time, the man grabbed the crown of the pony’s helmet before his knee came rocketing into the stallion’s jaw. The audible smack that resounded from the hit made me grimace. Donovan delivered another swift punch directly onto the stallion's snout then, his body twisted slightly. For a split second I wondered what he was doing but my eyes widened when I realized. With the speed and power of a lightning strike, Donovan’s fist cracked against the stallion’s skull. I gasped subconsciously as the pony’s head violently bounced to the side. Like a felled tree, the pony fell over onto the dirt, legs outstretched and eyes rolled back into his head. The crowd went deathly silent at the display, concerned whispers intermittently breaking the silence. I looked at the girls, who were just as shocked as I was. Celestia simply pressed a hoof to her muzzle while Luna was leaning forward slightly, an unreadable expression on her face. My eyes slowly fell back onto the human as he made his way back to the other guards, passing by the next two ponies who were headed towards the center.

Peace was never an option

It was certainly going to be an eventful few days.

Oh, it will especially the certain long ranged weapon

His third attempt at attack was thwarted when the human simply batted the punch away like a fly. Unable to put up his guard in time, the man grabbed the crown of the pony’s helmet before his knee came rocketing into the stallion’s jaw. The audible smack that resounded from the hit made me grimace. Donovan delivered another swift punch directly onto the stallion's snout then, his body twisted slightly. For a split second I wondered what he was doing but my eyes widened when I realized. With the speed and power of a lightning strike, Donovan’s fist cracked against the stallion’s skull. I gasped subconsciously as the pony’s head violently bounced to the side. Like a felled tree, the pony fell over onto the dirt, legs outstretched and eyes rolled back into his head. The crowd went deathly silent at the display, concerned whispers intermittently breaking the silence. I looked at the girls, who were just as shocked as I was. Celestia simply pressed a hoof to her muzzle while Luna was leaning forward slightly, an unreadable expression on her face. My eyes slowly fell back onto the human as he made his way back to the other guards, passing by the next two ponies who were headed towards the center.

He fine maybe a Little bit of brian damage but he’s fine.

So when’s the next chapter?

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I can't exactly say, I'm still searching for a job at the moment. I haven't quit on the story but things in my life have superseded my writing.

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Understandable my friend, in any case we all look forward to when you return and wish you good luck in finding a job

Actually since he the armorer for the guard the. If you piss him off then you might get less quality equipment

So do not piss off or fuck with the person in charge of your equipment

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I had an idea about that. As seen in the show, Sombra had helmets that mind controlled ponies that wore them, which is what his army was made up of. So, instead of just giving the guards weak weapons and armor, Donovan and Umbra place enchantments on them that can't be detected, so when the time comes for them to strike, the enchantments activate, enslaving more than half the guard to do their bidding, so not only would they get an army, but Equestria will lose some or most of their own.

11776013
True but still the less quality equipment is realistic since that does happen when you piss off someone who in charge of your gear or so I heard, since doesn’t the guard take pride in there equipment as much as they pride themselves with there arrogance

Update?

11840596
I can't really say, I've had the newest chapter sitting uncompleted for sometime now. I currently can't bring myself to write anything at the moment. I don't want to turn this into a "woe is me" thing so I'll try and keep everything brief. I'm currently going on 10 months of unemployment and I'm in a pretty bad spot all around. I know if I force myself to write now, it'll reflect poorly on the story. Sorry about the very inconsistent update schedule but right now I'm kind of just...hopelessly drifting through my life.