> An Artificer's Touch On The World
>  by Zatoichi Vokunkiin
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> Prologue: The Gray Dwarven Artificer
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In the dead of night, a group of ponies dressed in all black and hoods move quickly as they soon come upon a hidden trap door that leads further underground. The leader of the group places a finger to his lips to the other three as they quietly pull open the door and begin to descend down the stone stairs before they just as quietly close the door. It was in this very underground lair that two of the ponies had seen a short but burly looking figure come down here with what appeared to be rather priceless ore and jewel, and they wanted in on such things to line their pockets with.

The group crept slowly and stealthily through the stone corridors that looked like they had been drilled through with great care, the dim light of the wall torches lighting their way as they continued to press forward into the now open room. What appeared to be some kind of forge as they saw weapons and armor of all kinds lining the walls each separated into their respective sections. Swords, axes, hammers, shields and armor of all types of heft. It appeared that whoever was down here was a superb craftsman. The group had certainly hit the motherload. And it appeared that the creator was nowhere in sight.

As they began pocketing and stuffing whatever they could get their hands on, one of them noticed a rather beautifully ornate hammer sitting upon the anvil next to the forge. The pony in question saw bits in his eyes before he made his way towards the hammer and reached out to take it. Only to hear a suddenly loud thundering boom and a line of pure magic energy colliding with his hand and piercing clean through it.

The stallion let out a cry of pain before he dropped to his knees, falling back and clutching his now bleeding hand as the figure they had seen come into the underground lair slowly come into view as he was holding out a large magical revolver, the barrel smoking from the blast as he glared angrily at them “Ya take one more blightin’ step toward my hammer, ya will lose more than just that hand there, lad.” he said in his rather thick dwarven accent as he didn’t take his eyes off the group who was pillaging his precious creations.

That’s the thing about gray dwarves.They do not take so kindly to others trying to steal their hard work. And these poor fools happen to stumble across one who really didn’t take too kindly to that one bit. He then points his gun towards the group and fires a couple of warning shots at their feet, making them drop the sacks that they were carrying “You should know that taking things that don’t belong to ya isn’t very proper of ya…” He said as walked down the steps of where he was coming from.

Soon enough, the dwarf came into the full light of the forge as he maintained his aim on the group, the dwarf’s eyes glowing a fierce ice blue and his skin covered in glowing runes with the same color, the man was only dressed in pants,metal shin guards and tough hide leather boots.n The group immediately threw their hands up as they gazed fearfully at the unknown weapon in his hand before they looked down at their indisposed companion “H-hey…take it easy now..we got lost is all, we had no idea there was no one living here-”.

Another gunshot rang out as the swarf aimed for the on4 speaking, landing a clean shot through the pony’s knee, making them collapse instantly as they cried out in pain, clutching the bleeding and burning wound as smoke rises from the hole “If ya are gonna lie to a gray dwarf…make sure you do it right, ya stupid gobshite. Now then…” he said before kicking the writhing pony whose hand he had blown a hole in down from his forge and into the group who catches their comrade “Get the fuck out of my home.” he growled as he cocked the hammer on his gun.

Without hesitation, the two uninjured ponies abandoned their would-be treasures and fled the underground cave with their friends on their backs. Once he knew that they were gone, he locked the trap door behind them before making his way over to his anvil and picks up his hammer “Daddy’s here, me beauty…” he said as he gently rubbed the head of his hammer as if he was patting the head of his very own daughter.

The dwarf lifted his gaze from his hammer to his forge before making his way back to where his meal and mead were so rudely interrupted by the intruders before sitting down and taking a huge gulp of the drink from the tankard that sat next to a large bowl of beef stew. He placed the hammer in his belt and holstered his revolver on the other side before picking up his spoon and resuming his hardy meal for one.

–One Month Earlier–

Zargan! What’s the hold up down there, lad?! We gotta get this wall taken down before lunch time!” cried out a dwarf that stood on a higher ledge in an excavation site that he and a few other dwarves were working on. “Aye, just gimme a minute, bossman! Just getting o'l Biannca and Rosa ready!” he said as he slid what appeared to be two large drills upon his arms before slamming them together as they rotated causing them to spark up, his mana being the driving force to generate their spin.

These wonderfully crafted arm drills were a product of his own creation. The young dwarf, currently only at the age of fifty years made his way over to the wall before slamming the drill tips into it before the rotating bits began to tear through the rock like it was a hot knife through butter. His mind and body now solely focused on the work ahead as he began drilling through the wall to get onto the other side where there was rumored to be a treasure of unparalleled worth. As he pushed ahead, other dwarves behind him began clearing out the tunnel with regular picks.

The thing about Zargan’s devices is that only his mana could power them. Not only that, but his mana pool was abysmally larger than a dwarf should have. So it was perfect that he would be the only one to use them, as the flow of mana in his devices would easily drain most dwarves. It was no trouble for him though. In fact, he loved that only he could operate his tools. It meant that if they broke down, he knew how to fix them himself.

It did garner the jealousy of the other workers, however. As Zargan’s tools allowed for him to make ease of menial tasks such as clearing rocks and rubble with such ease. But at the same time, they were grateful that he so willingly helped out to make the work go by that much quicker. It wasn’t long until Zargan had finally breached the otherside of the wall, the mana reader on his right wrist going crazy as he got closer and closer to the breach until he finally tore a hole large enough for him and the foreman who had followed behind him into a large chamber where a rather impressive amount of gold ore and a rather peculiar looking ruby idol statue sat on a pedestal.

Zargan marveled at the idol’s beauty as he removed his wrist mounted drills and carefully took the idol in his rough hands. He admired its shine and splendor as he looked back at the foreman as he held it up to show the boss what he had found. “Looky what we have here, bossman! The mana reader is goin’ crazy here! This would make an excellent piece of crafting material for one of my machines. Would you be opposed to me taking this all for myself? You and the boys can have all the gold and jewels in here.”

The foreman thought about it for a moment as he surveyed the area. There was more than enough riches in this cavern for all his workers and himself to have a small fortune. So he smiled and nodded to Zargan “Aye laddy. I think we can agree to that. Ya’d get more use out of than any of us anyways. It is all yours.” he said as he waved his hand in approval at Zargan’s request. The young dwarf’s face lit up with a smile before he did a little bit of a miner’s jig before gazing upon his prize once more.

Zargan’s joy was short-lived however, as the whole cavern began to tremble and shake as the ceiling began to drop rock from above and the ground began to crack and crumble. Thinking quickly, Zargan leapt towards the foreman and pushed him through the opening he had created before the room had sealed him in. Soon enough, the ground opened up and a large swirling purple and blue portal swallowed him up without warning “Fuuuuuccckk meeeeeee!!!!” he shouted as he vanished from his world.

--Present Day–

Zargan continued to eat his meal in peace as he gazed at the ruby idol that sat in the middle of his table. It had been a full month since he was brought to this world and he had been doing his best to get by with the knowledge he had. Being a weapon and mason smith, he was more than capable of carving out a living from scratch once more. After all, this realm seemed to have an abundance of similar jewels and riches not unlike his own.

“I was too eager to claim ya for myself, darlin’. You were just sittin there on the pedestal. And like a fool, I pick ya up without even thinkin’. For being so well learned, it was a pretty dumb move on my part.” he said as he lifted his tankard of freshly brewed mead “Way to go, Zargan Runespear, ya fuckin’ idiot…” he said before taking a big gulp of the beverage.

He sat there and continued to eat and drink away, it wasn’t until he heard what sounded like the clap of thunder from down the stone hall that lead to the main chamber and the sound of pouring rain hitting the trap door heavily that he sighed in slight annoyance “And hereIi was plannin’ on goin’ huntin’ later. Some venison sounded amazon’ tonight…” he said as he looked over at the small chicken pen which had a few chickens clucking and pecking at the ground as they ate at the bugs on the ground “Sorry lasses. One of ya is goin’ on the choppin’ block tonight.” he said as he made his way over to the kitchen area and began washing some wild veggies he had found in the forest nearby.

As he listened to the rain and thunder, he noticed another sound coming from the trap door. It sounded like desperate banging and pulling as the metal latch langed down the hall. Did those thieves come back for a second round? Or perhaps shelter from the storm? Regardless, Zargan was about to make sure that they never came back. He grabbed his hammer from his belt and slapped the head of it in his palm as he made his way up the stairs and to the door.

On the outside, the one pulling and jerking on the trap door was a small yellow filly with a red mane and tail all done up in a neat little red bow. The poor girl was desperately trying to get the door open to get out of the rain. “Come..on! Open up, dangit!” she said as she started to get worried that she wouldn’t be able to get out of the rain. It was getting darker and the rain was getting more and more heavy by the moment.

The door suddenly flew open, knocking the filly on her rear and tumbling back as she let out a cry of pain as the door had hit her pretty hard. Zargan leapt out of the hole with his hammer lifted high in the air as he prepared to strike the intruder with deadly force, the lightning striking behind him as the filly stared up at him with fear painted on her face.and tears starting to well up in her eyes. It wasn’t until he was about to swing down that he noticed just who it was.

“...You are just a wee little lass. What are ya doin’ all the way out here in this weather, little one?” he asked before his facial features softened from the fierce look they had beforehand. He places his hammer back into his belt before offering his hand to the small family who scooted away from him in fear. He understood how she felt as he was literally about to bring the hammer down upon her.

“Please pardon me, darlin’. I had some unwelcome visitors here earlier and I thought they had come back for a second round. Please, come with me and let’s get ya out of the rain for now. I have a forge ya can get dry by.” he said as he inched closer, his hand still being offered to her. With hesitation, she placed a hand in his hand before he carefully led her into the stairs, closing the door quickly behind them so that the rain didn’t keep flowing in.

“Watch your step, lass.” he said in a fatherly manner as he led her down the hallway and into the main room. Once in there, he sat ehr down by the forge in a wooden chair before he opened up the furrance and fed in some mana, the whole thing catching fire and giving off a brilliant ice blue flame. The filly looked around at all the weapons and armor that the dwarf had adorned on his walls. Her eyes widened in amazement as she then watched him move around quickly before he brought her a piece of sweet bread and a glass of drinking water. He wasn’t about to give this little girl a tankard of mead!

“My name is Zargan Runespear. And what do they call ya, lassy?” he asked as he held out the food and drink to her. “Ah am called Apple Bloom. Thank you for takin me in, Mister Zargan…” she said as she nibbled on the bread, still a bit nervous around him. Little did they both know that this encounter was one of destiny. And a long time friendship was to be formed from this.
> Act 1: An Unexpected Bond
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Zargan now sat across from the young filly who nibbled on the sweet bread that was given to her. All was silent for a moment until Zargan decided to be the one to speak “So tell me, wee one. What brought ya all the way out here? It is a rather secluded spot for such a youngen like yourself to be so far from home.” he said as he took a drink of his mead.

Apple Bloom looked up at him with a tilt of her head”Actually, our orchard is just a few feet away from this place. You have literally become our neighbor it would seem, sir.”. Zargan nodded in response “Aye, I did notice that. I hope that ya don’t mind that I took a few of your apples that had fallen off the trees. I had to get to them before the varmants did. I have been told I make a rather mean apple pie.” he said as he chuckled a bit from his own bragging.

Apple Bloom gave a rather soft, shy smile before taking a bigger bite of the bread “As for why Ah was out here, Ah was on my way back from my club house with my friends until it started comin’ down. Ah had no choice since this was the closest shelter. Our little club house can’t withstand this kind of downpour.”. Zargan arched one of his thick brows a bit before asking “Our? I suppose you mean ya friends and yourself then? Are they gonna be okay out there?” he asked with a hint of worry in his tone.

Apple Bloom thought about it for a moment before worry came over her face “Ah don;t know if they made it back okay or not…now Ah am really worried…” she said as she started to look panicked. Zargan sighed softly before setting down his tankard and walked over to throw his cloak on “I will go and search for them for you just in case. Ya stay here and continue to get warm. All I ask is ya don’t try to lift anything ya can’t. Dwarven craftsmanship tends to be a lot heavier than what folks can normally handle.”.

And with that, he made his way out of the large chamber and into the rain, the trap door locking behind him as he used his magic to do so. Apple Bloom sat there for what felt like forever. SHe decided to get up and look around at what the dwarf had to see. And her eyes immediately caught sight of his wall of weapons and armor. Never before had the little filly seen such high quality craftsmanship. Not even the royal guards had such quality armor and weapons like this.

She continued to scoot down the wall more and more as she gazed upon Zargan’s work until she came to a wall of shortswords and daggers. They were all beautiful, but there was one that caught her eye in particular. It was a shortsword with a leather bound hilt with a ruby embedded in the pummel which appeared to have come with a matching dagger which rested below it.

Knowing how sharp these blades could be, the filly was careful in her grabbing of the dagger to make sure she could at least be able to lift that properly. While it was heavier than a kitchen knife for sure, she seemed to be able to hold it in one hand fairly easily. Then again, she wasn’t an average filly. As her work in the fields certainly made her far more athletic than most. She continued to gaze upon the dagger in awe as she carefully placed the flat side of the blade in her hand, the shine was absolutely mesmerizing to her.

“Aaah, you like that one do ya?” Zargan asked as he made his way down the stairs somehow dry as a bone even though it was still pouring outside. Apple Bloom nearly jumped out of her skin and just about dropped the dagger, but held onto the hilt tight so she would drop such a fine item. “S-Sorry, sir….I really like the simple yet pretty ensign of it. I just had to take a better look at it myself…” she said as she lowered her head and held the blade out in both hands to him.

Zargan hung his cloak up and walked over to the filly, his footsteps heavy against the stone floor as he then stood in front of her and gently took the blade from her hands “I did say you could pick up what ya could, lass. Nd judgin’ by your lack of injury, ya got enough sense to handle blades carefully.” he said as he twirled the blade around in his hand a few times, even tossing it in the air a bit to show off. “This dagger and that shortsword come together as a pair. They can either be used separately or together in battle.”. As Zargan turned his full attention to Apple Bloom, he took notice of her physique.

He lets out a low “Hmmmm..” as he rubs his beard in deep thought as he looks her over thoroughly. As he did this, Apple Bloom didn’t look uncomfortable about his eyes running over her form, as he noticed that he was evaluating her in a more serious way rather than creepy. “While ya are a bit young to be sure, your physique is definitely fit for light armor plating with a shortsword and dagger combat style.” he said as he then poked at her stomach “Tighten up a bit here..” he then moves his finger to her arms “...here…” and then points to her legs “...and here. Gain a bit more muscle in those spots and I would be happy to teach ya the basics at least. If ya are interested, of course.”.

Apple Bloom’s eyes lit up with excitement as she rapidly nodded her head multiple times “YUes! Yes yes yes, please!” she said with joy as she jumped around him a few times “Ah promise Ah will work my hardest to learn from you, Sir. Ah can’t wait to start!”. Zargan smiled warmly at the excited filly. He makes his way over to the wall and removes the sheath of the dagger before placing the blade in the lacquered wooden sheath and holds it out to the filly “As further incentive, I am willing to part with this dagger for no charge. And once you complete your training, I shall give you the shortsword as a graduation present. How does that sound, lass?”.

Apple Bloom stood there speechless as an open smile formed on her lips, she carefully took the sheathed weapon in both hands before jumping up and down while giving off a rather adorable little squeal of joy. The sight of this definitely made the dwarf's heart feel all warm and fuzzy. He reached up and placed a large hand upon her head, gently petting her “I will take that response as a yes.” he said as he gazed down at her with fatherly approval. Apple Bloom immediately wrapped her arms around the dwarf which was rather hard to do. While was a bit taller than her, four and a half feet to be exact, he was a living wall of muscle. Very stocky and bulky.

Zargan was a bit taken aback by the sudden affection, but received it with a smile nonetheless. He placed a gentle hand upon her back as he patted her there before backing away from her “As for your friends, they seem to be at your home already waiting for you. Ya must have gotten turned around in the rain and found your way here. Would ya like me to walk ya back home? Or do ya wish to hang around here a bit longer till the rain stops?”.

Apple Bloom thought hard on it for a moment “While Ah do wanna stay and learn more today, Ah should probably get home as soon as possible. My big sister and brother are probably worried sick about me at this point.” she said as she looked up at him. Zargan nodded in understanding before walking over to his cloak and tosses it onto his shoulders once more. He then walks over to his anvil and places his smithing hammer back on top of its resting place before gently patting it “Daddy will return soon, sweetie..” he said before making his way over to the weapon wall and grabbing his favorite war hammer “If we go, Mishka. We got a young lass to escort back to her family.” he said as he also took his revolver from its holster and charged his mana into it, making sure the chambers were all full.

Apple Bloom watched him in fascination as he spoke to his weapons and tools. It appeared that he even gave them names which were rather unusual, but certainly not strange. In fact, she actually loved the idea. “I forgot to tell ya. Make sure to give your dagger a name there, lass. Naming your weapon gives it a sort of hidden power all its own. At least, it does where I come from.” he said as he was now ready to take the filly back home.

Once they were outside, Zargan tapped a few runes on his right gauntlet plate before a dome appeared over them both, blocking all the rain from dropping on them within an eight foot radius. Apple Bloom was impressed once again by the dwarf’s abilities. It seemed that he was well versed in magic too. She looked up as she watched the rain simply slide off the magical force field. It looked pretty as it gave off a soft blue light. Once she snapped back to what was happening, she took hold of Zargan’s hand and smiled up at him sweetly as they walked together in the rain. ZWhile Zargan didn’t expect the hand holding, he didn;t pull away either. It felt rather nice. This little filly was such a sweetheart.

All was going well on their journey back to Apple Bloom’s home, when out of nowhere, Zargan stopped dead in his tracks as he became fully alert. He released Apple Bloom’s hand and placed an arm out in front of her protectively as he could hear multiple sets of footsteps surrounding them. And they didn;t sound like the same kind of steps that he and she gave off. Just then, multiple loud howls could be heard as multiple sets of glowing green eyes came into view. “T-timber wolves!!!” shouted Apple Bloom as she cowered behind Zargan.

Zargan slowly and carefully pulled out his war hammer in one hand while his other reached behind him and pulled out his revolver. The dwarf taking a protective fighting stance in front of Apple Bloom as his soft expression turned to something more fierce and monstrous “Stay behind me, lass..and stay as close as you can and try to keep up with my movements.” he said in a low growl as he got ready to protect her with his life.

Soon enough, the first timber wolf barked loudly as it charged Zargan and leapt into the air. As it came down, Zargan let out a battle cry as he swung the hammer as hard as he could at the creature’s head, immediately demolishing it into wooden splinters, making the creature drop instantly. He didn;t waste a single moment as he knew another was leaping at him just as the other fell. He spun around with his revolver in hand as he pointed it at the airborne timber wolf, emptying two chambers of charged magic into the creature’s torso. He had even landed a few solid kicks on a couple of others that had absolutely split them in two.

Apple Bloom was indeed having a hard time keeping up with Zargan. SHe was trying to keep close like he said she should, even coming close to being grabbed by a couple of the wolves a few times. But, Zargan was always on time to prevent that from happening. One of them did grab her by the tail which caused the filly to scream out in terror as it tried to pull her away from Zargan. Zargan’s face turned even more ferocious when he saw this before he pounced on the timber wolf like a rabid beast and began pummeling it with his hammer until it was nothing more than sawdust at this point.

The beast had let go of Apple Bloom well past that point, it wasn’t until she called out to him that he snapped out of his rage “Mister Zargan! Ah am okay! You can stop!” she said as she placed a hand upon his shoulder. He stopped his relentless attack midswing as he heard her. His breathing slowed down and his facial features softened once more before he turned to face her “Ah….sorry about that, lass. I saw that thing grab ya and I just..went into berserk mode.”

Apple Bloom gave a sigh of relief as she saw him return back to his normal self before taking hold of his hand again once he sheathed his weapons “Regardless of the danger we just faced, that was a rather amazin’ display of skill, Mister. You must have lots of experience fighting…” she said as she clung close to ehr guardian. “Aye, they have the same tactics as regular wolves from where I come from. Attack all together inna pack, but they lack the range that I do.” he said as he patted his holstered revolver.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on out here?! Apple Bloom?!” Shouted a deep but feminine voice that had the same kind of southern drawl as Apple Bloom did. Apple Bloom’s ears perked up at the sound of her sister’s voice before she called out in return “Applejack?! Ah am over here!” She called out, but did not leave Zargan’s side until she knew that it was safe to do so. Soon enough, Applejack came into view while holding an umbrella.

“Big sis!” Apple Bloom shouted before running forward and slamming into her sister’s side with a big hug. Applejack let out a big sigh of relief as she saw that her little sister was in one piece “Where have you been, girl?! We have been worried about you for hours now. What…happened here..?” she asked as she laid eyes on the corpses of the timber wolves, then her sight came upon Zargan who simply nodded and started to walk away.

“H-hey now! Wait a minute there, partner!” Applejack shouted as she reached out toward him “Where you goin’? You don’t think Ah am gonna let you walk away without so much as a thank you do you?” she said as she hoped he would stop. Zargan turned his head over his shoulder and smiled at the pair of ponies “The young lass is safe and she is with her family. That is good enough for me. Ya two be careful headin’ back now.” he said as he began making his way back to his home. “At least let me treat you to a home cooked meal! We have some amazing apple fritters cookin’ in the oven for dessert! Please, I insist!” Applejack shouted, Apple Bloom hoping that would be enough to convince her future master to join them.

“Apple…fritters? That actually sounds rather delightful…” he said to himself as he rubbed and stroked his beard. He smiled and turned around as he made his way over to the pair “Well, when ya tempt me with that kind of offer. How can I say no?” he said with a chuckle. Both ponies smiled as they all began to walk to the house, thankfully no more timber wolves had attacked them on their way back.
> Act 2: A Rather Enjoyable Dinner
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As Zargan and the two pony sisters walk into the house, the immediate smell of something sweet and refreshing hits the dwarf’s nose before the door closes behind him. He then looks around the home which had a rather cozy and rustic feel to it. Like it was a home off up in the mountains away from society. It made him feel rather homesick for a moment, but then he shook it off and followed the sisters into the room they were going to.

“Apple Bloom!” shouted two fillies who rushed their friend immediately upon seeing her. She gasped happily as her friends hugged her before she dragged them over to meet with her new mentor “Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, this is Zargan Runespear. He let me into his home when I got lost in the rain. Good thing too as there were timber wolves out there prowlin’ around when he was so kind enough to escort me back.` She said as she looked at the dwarf again “Mister Zargan, these are my two best friends in the whole world.”. Zargan offered his large hands out to the two fillies with a smile “Nice to meetcha, lasses. I hope ya two made it here okay. Those creatures out there were a nasty piece of work.”.

They both nodded “We were all three together on the way here, but then the rain just suddenly came down to the point where we could barely see in front of us…we are sorry we couldn’t find you, Ab..” Sweetie said as she lowered her head in shame. “Yeah…we are really sorry..” Said scootaloo as she shared the same stare at the floor. All was quiet for a moment before the dwarf stepped in “Easy there, little ones.There was nothin’ ya could do in this current downpour. What matters is that all three of ya are safe and sound now.” he said as he placed his hands on Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie’s shoulder.

“Girls, y’all go on up to Apple Bloom’s room for now. We will call you down when the stew is ready.” said Applejack as she jerked her head back towards Zargan to follow her into the kitchen. “Okay, sis. Come on girls, I gotta tell ya everything that just happened on the way here!” she said as she and her friends climbed the stairs. “Remember lass, take good care of that blade. Give her a proper name and she will never let ya down.” he said before heading into the kitchen.

As he made his way in, he took notice of a large and burly stallion and an elderly looking mare sitting at the table with smiles on their faces as they saw him enter. Applejack taking a seat next to the stallion as she motioned for him to come and join them at the table “Come on, partner. Don’t be shy now.” she said in a friendly tone before he nodded and climbed into the only empty chair. He then reaches to his side and behind him to place his hammer and revolver upon the table in front of him, showing them that he has nothing to hide.

The three of them stare at him in confusion when he does this “Ah..pardon me. A force of habit from where I come from. My kind believes in laying out our weapons as a sign of respect and honor when we sit and converse like this.” he said as he looked between the group. They look between each other for a moment before nodding in unison. “First off, I’d like to thank ya again personally for bringin’ my sister back home. With all the timber wolf corpses that had been laid out by your hand, Ah can only imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t been with her…Thank you, thank you…” Applejack said with  bow of her head

Zargan shook his head with a soft smile before rubbing at his beard again “It was no trouble. I wasn’t gonna let the wee one go out in this weather under my watch.” he said as he looked to the other two ponies “Ah, this is my big brother Big Macintosh, but you can call him Big Mac for short.’ She said befor the quiet stallion reached out with his hand, the dwarf reached out to slap his hand and squeezed it, giving it a firm shake “Nice to meetcha, lad. You got yaself a fine grip there.” hen said as he looked up at the stallion who only smiled in response with a smile “Heheh…yep.”. Once the handshake was done, Big Mac nodded reassuringly to his sister before the dwarf’s attention was turned to the elderly mare who was eyeing Zargan like a hawk.

“Let me see them hands, mister!’ She said as she made a ‘gimme’ motion with her hands. The dwarf tilted his head slightly before hesitantly and carefully placing his large hands in front of the elderly mare. She takes each one of them in her hands and examines them closely “My goodness. You got some mitts on you don’tcha? And they look like they have seen more then plenty of hard work.” she said as she then looked upon his face “Well, I am a blacksmith and a miner. Then again, it comes with the territory of being a gray dwarf. We mainly live underground after all.” he explained.

“My my, a stallion of many hats, Ah see. And from what Ah can tell, your eyes have seen much. How old are ya, sonny?” she asked not really ready for his answer “I think…I will be turning one-hundred and ten within the next couple months? I honestly lost track at one-hundred.”. With that response, all three of their jaws dropped and their eyes widened at this response “Oh my sweet Celestia. Ah am so, so sorry for callin’ you sonny! You look like you are in your mid thirties or late twenties, even with such a well kept beard. Please forgive me, sir!” Granny Smith said as she bowed her head multiple times.

Zargan chuckled lightly before waving his hand dismissively “Don’t worry ya pretty head about it, lass. You could say that in dwarven terms, ya’d be right. I am still quite young in terms of my kind and how they age. I mean, we start growin’ our beards a few years after we are born. The fuller the beard, the more respect is given to a dwarf. But, having a beard isn;t enough. Ya gotta prove yaself in many other ways.”.

As he explained the ways of his people, he couldn’t help but notice that Mac was eyeing his hammer and revolver. The dwarf smiled before lifting his hammer up and twirling it one-handed “You wanna give it a try, lad?” He asked before he stood up and placed the hammer head down on the floor in the open space in the kitchen. The stallion’s face, which was normally soft, lit up with excitement before he made his way around the table and wrapped a hand tightly around the hilt of the hammer. He tries to pull it up with a regular amount of strength, then a bit more, then moves to a two handed grip. Zargan couldn;t help but chuckle at his struggling before reaching up and patting his back “Eeeassyyy, laddy. Dwarven weapons are tailored to the user’s specifics. If you’d like, I can forge ya one that’ll work for you. Just give me the design of your desires, and I can make it so.”.

He then watched his attention go to the revolver on the table before smiling at the stallion “aaah, this beauty right here is my latest pride and joy. While Mishka has been with me forever and ever, Vixen here is one of my latest creations. She has an eight round cylinder and her ammunition is my own magic. I push my mana into the grip of the revolver and it flows into the chambers, forming into highly concentrated ‘magic bullets’ and fires them at range. Since I can’t use magic spells, I create tools and weapons that are magically enhanced that can put my large amount of mana to use.” he said as he spun the cylinder of his revolver before flicking it back into place, squeezing the grip and letting the mana flow through the gun as the runes lit up brightly and the chambers filled up instantly.

Big Mac stared at the weapon in deep fascination. He wanted badly to try it out. But, thinking now wouldn’t be the best time to do so. He wasn’t the only one interested in that revolver either. It seems that his skills had drawn the attention of Applejack as well “Oh my…a stallion that can craft things all his own and not have to worry about others stealin’ his work. You got it all figured out, don;tcha?” she asked with a narrowed gaze and smile.

Zargan chuckled lightly before placing his weapons carefully back upon the table “Well, unfortunately, I did have a few thieves try and pillage my home earlier today. Sure, they were trying to steal some of my less finer work. But, I don’t take too kindly to thieves. They even thought to try and lay a hand on my smithing hammer. The absolute audacity.” he said before taking his seat back at the table.

The group continued to talk until it was time for dinner. Zargan watched as all three of them got up from the table and began preparing the food and dishes. Not one to just simply sit and watch, he took the bowls and plates to the table once Applejack had gotten them down from the cabinet. And even taking the silverware to the table as well “Well thank you kindly, Zargan. But you are our guest. You shouldn’t have to do that.” Applejack said as she smiled as she was happy he helped out anyway. “Naaah, it is no trouble at all. Besides, the faster we get it done, the faster everyone can fill their bellies.

He was right after all. Applejack didn’t realize it yet, gut the way he showed proper manners, he had respect for those he met, had an amazing work ethic and the fact that he didn’t take offense to Granny Smith’s mistake from earlier made her respect him quite a bit already. Maybe even more than respect. Little did she know that the more she learned about him over time, the more she would really grow to like him.

“Girls, come down and get somethin’ to eat! Food’s ready!” called out Applejack before the whole group now sat around the table and began to enjoy the food. “Oh Sweet mornin’, this veggie stew is wonderful…it would pair nicely with some mead.” he said as he reached into his bag and pulled out a large barrel with a spout on it before placing it on the corner of the table. He was about to pour himself a full tankard before he looked at the group who stared at him with wide eyes.

“Ah…sorry. Mead really shouldn’t be drunk around young ones. As it is an adult beverage.” he said before placing the barrel and tankard back into the bag. They all stand up quickly as they watched the barrel just vanish into the bag like it was nothing! “How in tarnation do you get that big thing to fit in that tiny bag?!” Ask Applejack in utter disbelief. Zargan chuckled lightly as he realized that is why they had the bugged eyes stare before answering “Another one of my creations. I call it the hammerspace bag. Or a bag of holding. It can hold many times at once no matter the size and the weight is fully manageable even for young ones.”.

They all sit down and continue to stare at Zargan while shaking their heads “You continue to impress me, Zargan. Ah can’t wait to see what other magical items that you have created and will create. While unicorns here can cast spells and such. I don’t believe anyone in the world has creations like yours. Not that I am aware of anyway.”.

As the dinner continued on, the rain finally stopped and the cloud began to fade, letting the latte afternoon sun shine freely upon the land. After Zargan had helped clean up and wash the dishes, he had decided it was time for him to return home. He didn;t want to stay any longer than he felt he was allowed to. “Thank you very much for the meal. You are a wonderful cook.” he said as he made his way to the door. “You…are leaving already? YOu can stay longer if you want to!” Applejack said as she rushed to the door to meet him.

He turned his head up to her and smiled warmly before holding his hand up in declination “That is rather sweet of ya, lass. But, I don;t want to impose on ya more than I already have. Thank ya for havin’ me here though. I enjoyed dessert as well. I would definitely not say no to another invitation should it be extended, however.” he said as he then opened the door and made his way out. “It’s a date then!” said Applejack as she leaned out the door and waved him off.

Zargan made his way through the orchard and back to his underground home. He was ready to hang up his weapons for the day and crawl into bed. He still had to make chambers to add on to his new home after all. So tomorrow, he was going to get ol’ Bianca and Rosa out to work once more. It was going to be quite the busy day indeed.

As he made his way toward the trap door, the mana reader on his right gauntlet began to go crazy. It hadn’t gone off like this since he had picked up that statue and fallen into this world. It wasn’t until he heard something, or rather someone flying down toward him. Thinking quickly, he leapt back and crossed his arms in front of himself as a magically reinforced dome appeared over him, then another, then another. Whatever was heading towards him was about to hit him hard. Would his shield be able to hold it back?m Just in case it couldn't, a full-sized tower shield seemed to materialize out of nowhere and latched onto his right arm before he put all his weight into it, digging his feet into the ground firmly.

And soon enough, whoever it was made full impact with his shields, instantly shattering the first two layers, but the last one and the shield itself remained unphased. After the flying dirt had finally settled, Zargan peeked around his shield with an arched brow before his eyes laid upon a rather large amazon of a woman. Her mane and tail everflowing with a spectrum of colors and her beautiful purple eyes now gaze down at the dwarf.

“Oi, lass! You gotta be careful where ya land! You coulda really hurt yaself or me!” henshouted in annoyance before he dropped the last barrier, but kept the tower shield up. Little did he know that he was addressing one of the two rules of this land. And no one has ever talked to her in such a manner before…
> Act 3: Celestia Comes To Visit The Dwarf
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A long silence between Zargan and Celestia hung in the air for what felt like an eternity. It wasn’t until the dwarf stepped out from the tower shield he had hidden behind that he pointed an accusatory finger at her “Oi, ya listenin? You gotta be more careful when it comes to makin’ ya landins’. Otherwise ya are gonna cause trouble for everyone involved. And I don’t think ya want that, lass.” he said as he now stood in front of her, his eyes gazing up into hers as he didn’t seem phased by her rather staggering height one single bit.

Celestia continued to eye him before crossing her arms under her rather large bust. The alicorn looks over his foreign features before she begins to speak “You will have to forgive my rather abrupt entry, sir. I was told by a certain individual that a rather large and terrifying monster levied around in this area. And that their employees were nearly killed by this so-called monster. Though, from what I see, you appear to be no taller than a foal… height-wise anyway. Your physique however seems rather impressive.” she said in a matter of factly tone

Zargan blinked a few times “A monster? Nearly killed them? What do ya-...really? I prevented some thieves from makin’ off with some of my work and they go and complain to their boss who then complains to ya? Spineless bastards.” he said as he spits on the ground before turning his attention back to Celestia “If ya must know, they sent their folks into my home to steal from me. And if ya want the proof, I got it for ya right here.” he said as he jumped up and grabbed her hand, yanking her down to his level before he reached into his bag and pulled out what appeared to be a smooth crystal slab of sorts.

The princess arched her brow in curiosity as she was about to interrupt him from what he was doing since he was being a little rougher with her than how most would even dare. But, it wasn’t until he clicked on a few runes on the slab that moving images came upon the crystal. And just as he had said, she was watching four hooded ponies running around in his home taking whatever weapons and armor they could carry. She could even hear the audio coming out of the slab. It wasn’t until she heard the loud bang of his revolver and the scream of pain from the first pony he shot that she came out of her focus.

“What did you do to them…?” she asked as she watched the magic bullet put a hole in the pony’s hand. “I do believe I was protectin’ what is mine, lass. Ya don’t break into a man’s home and try and steal his valuables. Ya know?” he said as he continued to show her the footage before he cut it off whenever they ran out of the underground lair. He places the slab back into his bag and then turns his attention back to the princess once more before lifting his arms up in a shrug ‘Well, there ya have it. Undeniable proof. Now, can I go inside my home and get some shut-eye? It’s been a long day and I am ready to sleep if ya don’t mind.”.

He had Celestia in a rather tight spot. She had come here to get his side of the story. And boy, did she get it. She literally saw the event play out from his point of view. As the screen showed what had happened from his eyes, most likely a form of memory view magic. While she was rather impressed with that kind of technology mixed with magic, she had what she needed for now and nodded to him “Thank you for showing me this, sir. The pony in question was someone of high nobility I had trusted greatly…seems that I must deal with them accordingly. And as you were defending your home, you will not be charged with injuring those who wrongfully tried to take from you.” she said as she bowed her head slightly “I am sorry for my subjects’ behavior.”.

Zargan blinked a few times before he took notice of the crown on top of her head as she bowed her head. He placed his hands up in front of him before chuckling nervously “Its no problem at all, m’ady. Sorry I was so rough with ya earlier. Its just been a long day and I’d like to get back to my home where I can find a bit of peace for the evenin’ is all.” he said as he looked back at the trap door entryway.

Celestia nodded multiple times in understanding “Yes, of course. But before you go. Could I…maybe as a favor?” she asked as she fidgeted with her hands in front of her as he turned his head up at her with an arched brow “Hm? What’s on ya mind?” he asked in response. “Would…you let me come in sometime and see what was so impressive that they went to such lengths to take? If your craftsmanship is that superb, I’d like to see for myself. If that is okay with you, of course.”.

Zargan stroked his beard in thought as he looked her over “Well, while I have no issue with ya comin’ to take a look, gettin’ in might prove difficult for ya. Ya aren’t exactly short enough to fit through the corridor that leads into the main chamber. Though, I suppose I could drill a bit more so ya could wiggle ya way down.” he said as he continued to stroke his beard. “It would also give me time to clean the place up a bit. Never had royalty visit my home after all….”

Celestia formed a smile upon her muzzle as she was containing excitement, keeping her royal poise “How does…four days sound? Will that give you plenty of time to prepare?” she asked. Of course, she would give him more time if he needed it. “Aye, that'll be enough. Come by the fifth mornin’. I am usually up bright and early anyways.” he said before making his way to his door and opening it “Nice meeting you by the way, princess. Even though it was rather sudden.” he said before he descended into the darkness, the door slamming closed behind him before the lock was heard sealing it shut.

Over the next few days, Celestia had kept her word in taking care of the noble in question along with their employees and locked them up in the dungeon under the castle. While it only took Zargan just a couple of days to do his planned expansion, he was spending the rest of those days mainly enjoying the peace and quiet while also working on a rather big project of his that he couldn’t wait to complete. It was a weapon of great power, at least something that this world had never experienced anyway.

The morning finally came when Zargan had expected company. While he did clean up MOST of his dwelling, there were things he couldn’t move, or rather chose not to as he preferred a little organized chaos. He was standing at his workbench where he had his more modern tools set up, wrenches, streamline gammers, screwdrivers, a blow torch, anything that could havdle his more technological creations. He even had a smithing visor over his face.

He was in the middle of using his blow torch to weld something together, the sparks flying about as he was rather engrossed in his work. It wasn’t until a chime went off and a crystal was on the wall that started to glow and flicker slowly. Seems that there was someone at the door, a little something he whipped up for a bit of added security in the time between visits. He placed the blow torch down next to his project before running his hand along its smooth long barrel “Daddy will be right back, Ignia.” he said before hanging up his smithing visor on the workbench and began to make his way toward the door.

As he unlocked the door and flipped it open, he was greeted by Celestia who was accompanied by several of her royal guards. Zargan arched a brow in confusion before looking up at her “Ya can come in, but they stay out here. I don’t trust them.” he said as he stood firmly on this decision. While the guards weren’t happy with his words, Celestia held up a hand with a nod “It is his home after all. Please wait here until I return. I will be fine.” she said as she began the descent into the darkness, the door slamming once more and locking. Her guards really didn;t like that.

While Celestia had to duck a little bit to make it through the corridor, she was able to get into the main chamber with no issue. “I am afraid I don’t have much in the ways of proper hospitality. But, I can get ya some water and sweet bread if ya get hungry…unless you’d like to try some mead instead. Though, I don’t think ya could handle such a strong beverage. Dwarven mead hits folks pretty hard.” he said as he then pointed to the large wall of weapons and armor “Feel free to browse till ya heart’s content. If you wish to view my finer work, that is behind the forge on the wall there. But DO NOT try to lift any of those on that wall, you will not be able to.” he said before he went back to his workbench and resumed working.

Celestia listened to his words carefully before nodding and making ehr way over to the wall rather excitedly as the greatswords are what caught her eye first. Never before had she seen such long and broad blades in her entire life! She wasn’t even sure if she could lift one. She brings up both hands to the large hilt before trying to lift it off the hooks that held it up on the wall. While she was able to hold it, lifting it up properly;y was a challenge all of its own “Hmmm, definitely not for me…” she said as she carefully placed the sword back onto the wall.

While she was gazing at the other weapons, Zargan had finally finished his new creation, a smile forming across his lips as he wiped the sweat from his forehead “You are finally finished, my dear Ingia. Let’s see what you can do with that runestone and extra range I put on ya.” he said before he grabbed the weapon with both hands. He then turned around to reveal a heavy flamethrower. A sleek futuristic design but is also very fantasy-looking at the same time. He squeezed the grip hard as he pushed the mana through and into the tank, the weapons lighting up and making a ‘wrrrrrrrr’ sound as he made his way over to the firing range that he had created.

Celestia’s gaze shifted to the dwarf as she heard the sound from..whatever that monster was in his hands as he now stood in front of a pole which had some rather banged up armor sitting atop it. Once he was ready, her slowly but firmly squeezed the trigger, the flame at the end of the barrel spitting to lift before the runes on the weapon glowed brightly as the near thirty-foot length ice-y blue flame roared out of the barrel. He smiled a large, toothy smile as he yelled with excitement, laughing almost manically as he continued to absolutely demolish the armor in front of him. “Yes, yes! Burn it down, Ignia!” he said as he praised his weapon like it was his own daughter.

Celestia’s eyes widened in shock and horror at the display of power that this small being had created. It was literally like having the power of a dragon in his hands! The shock had been so great that she fell back onto her rear and scooted back against the wall. “If he can create things like that…Faust only knows what else..” she whispered to herself. “I MUST Have him. He’d make an excellent addition to my forces. If I don’t get him…sompony else might.” she said to herself again before slowly making her way back up on her hooves.

As he emptied the tank of mana, the weapon slowly died down before it went silent. He makes his way back to the workbench before looking at the even further destroyed armor which had a massive hole burned into its side and front. He placed a hand on his weapon and gently stroked it “Ya did wonderful, lassy. Ya will serve me quite well. Daddy will give ya a nice clean here in a little bit when he doesn’t have guests over. For now, I will put ya in the weapon space.” he said as he placed a hand on his new toy before it disappeared into a soft blue light.

Once he had finished cleaning up his workbench, he noticed that Celestia had finally made her way over to the wall behind his forge. He walked over to her as he noticed her eyes were on a rather particular sword. A large broad sword with runes carved into the blade all the way down to its tip, the hilt carved out of elderwood which was excellent more magic conduction and the metal being nothing less than mithril. While the blade itself was simple in design, the hand guard was decorated heavily with jewels and gold that shone brightly in the forge light, the guard itself a curling pair of feathered wings.

“Aaaah, ya like that one, do ya?” He asked as he came up next to her and pulled it off the wall like it was light as a feather. “This little beauty here was my first real masterpiece when I was much younger. I call her ‘Garuda, Maiden Of The Wind’. Let me show ya why.” he said as he then forced some mana into the hilt, a whirlwind forming around the blade before he swung it firmly at the armor he had burned, the sharp wind flying forward and completely splitting what was left in two.

Celestia watched in utter amazement as she saw the display happen before her eyes. It was definitely settled now. She had to get in this dwarf’s good graces and make her his. Well, as in her blacksmith for her forces anyway. “My goodness…I can see why they were after your work now. Though, if you consider the superb work on the wall behind us your less finer work…I can only imagine what you have here. And that weapon you had earlier..I have never ever seen anything like it. It was like…you had the power of a dragon in your hands. Terrifyingly impressive.” she said as she could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest.

Zargan chuckled before placing the sword back onto the wall with great care. Celestia continued to stare at the other weapons before she let out a huff, placing her hand over her chest before squeezing her fist tight ”Just ask him..the worse he can say is no!” she thought to herself. She then turned to him, giving him a serious, but hopeful look.

“I have a proposition for you. One that could benefit both of us, if you will hear me out. Please.”
> Act 4: The Real Fun Begins...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zargan looked over at the alicorn princess as he noticed that her tone became far more serious than what it was before when she had asked him that question.. The dwarf could sense that she was going to ask something big of him. And he was ready for it “Very well. Speak ya piece.” he said as he leaned his back against the weapon wall as he waited for her to ask what she wanted to ask him. The dwarf’s face became serious as well.

“Well, I was hoping that you would become a smith for my kingdom.I would be happy to accommodate a smith with such high qualifications as yourself. Even give you a residency within Canterlot, which is the capital city of our fair land. And I can promise you that you’d be handsomely compensated for all your hard work. How does that sound?” she asked as she kept a straight face, but was hoping on the inside that this would sound like a rather wonderful deal to the dwarf.

The dwarf rubbed his beard in thought for what felt like the longest time before looking back up at her as he crossed his arms “And would this deal involve only exclusively creating for ya kingdom alone? Because if that is the case, I am afraid that is a deal breaker for me, lass. While I do enjoy taking work, I am afraid that my exclusivity days are long gone. As the kingdom I served doesn't exist in this world. And my people are honor-bound to serve the kingdom they were born in. Unless certain circumstances arise. But those do not qualify in this situation. However, if ya can live without exclusivity, I would be happy to work out a deal that is more befittin’.” he said as he waited for her to answer back.

Celestia’s heart dropped as she wasn’t hoping he'd ask about being exclusive. Seems that this dwarf knew his stuff. A shrewd man indeed. “I was hoping that you would be exclusive, actually. That is quite a shame. But, I can understand where you are coming from. After all, it would be wrong of me to ask that of you when you aren’t even from our world. Perhaps one day you can tell me how you ended up here. But for now, let us continue with our deal. The best I can do for you at this point, is offer you an open plot for you to build your shop and forge in. It would be a small plot, but I am sure that you would manage somehow.” she said as she  now stood in front of him.

Zargan chuckled gruffly before offering out his hand to her “I want this deal in writin’. Understand, lass? And I demand the official document once everythin’ has been settled and taken care of. You get me that plot of land within the city, I will take care of the rest. The materials, the building, everythin’.” he said as he waited for her to take his hand. There was something about this that was giving her a rather uneasy feeling. Like she was getting the shorter end of the stick here. But she wasn’t going to pass up on a deal and risk losing access to his work. While it wouldn’t be exclusive, he would be within easy access at least.

“You have a deal, Mister…?” she asked as she realized she never even asked his name. “Zargan Runespear, at ya service, m’lady,” he said as they both shook hands firmly. It wasn’t exactly what she wanted, but this was close enough. Little did she know that she had played right into the dwarf’s hands. While she gave him a small plot of land, she didn’t say anything about expanding underground. And boy, was he going to expand. Not to mention, he was finally going to get good use out of one of his new toys he had worked on a long time ago, but never had a use for.

–Several Weeks Later–

After the official document was in his hands,  Zargan rubbed his hands together after setting up a construction barrier around his little plot of land that was in the shopping district. The open lot itself had room for a small shop at best, but that wasn’t going to be enough for him to work. Not in the slightest. Zargan began his work by digging down and outward once he hit a specific level, making sure that the buildings around him wouldn’t start to sink and lose their support, even adding wooden beams for extra support on the walls. Luckily, the underside of the land was entirely made of solid stone. So he had plenty to work with.

Once he had finished with the whole layout of the inner chamber, he began to fine-tune the walls and stairs to make everything look pretty and appealing to his potential customers. Even building a lift on the ground level to haul in big orders and receive large deliveries. The lift only operated from his magic alone, so potential thieves couldn’t use it to get in. And on the ground level, there was a simple small building that served as the entryway to the stairs that led down into the main chamber which was the shop itself.

The chamber itself split off into several rooms. One was his actual work room where the forge, anvil, and workbench was placed. The other was a cozy living quarters with a magic cooking stove and furnace powered by fire rune stones he had carved himself. A lounging couch and a nice comfy bed to complete the room. But, what he was most proud of was the empty doorway that sat in the back of the room. Why is he so proud of it one may ask? Well, there was a rune stone of greater distance teleportation at the top of the threshold of the doorway. All he had to do was push some mana through the wooden entry and a portal would appear and take him back to his underground home on the outskirts of Ponyville.

A few more days passed as he began building the main chamber’s furniture now. A nice mahogany counter where he’d keep his best products hung on the wall behind it. And a couple of tables for his guests to sit at whenever he’d take their commissions. And of course, racks to hang his lesser work on. Basic armor and weapons folks could come in and buy off those very same racks, even stuffing a few barrels full of basic swords and such.

After he puts on the final touches that concern the furniture, he gets to work on improving his toy that he finally had a use for. Or rather, toys. He ventures out into the mountainous area of Equestria and begins to do a little bit of mining, coming back with quite a load of what appears to be similar to mithril ore after having spent a couple of days digging and camping out in the mine he had made. There was no way he was gonna tell anyone about the vein he had struck while down there. Once he had everything he needed for his creations he stood in front of his workbench before cracking the biggest smile in the world

He slammed down his blueprint onto the workbench with a hardy laugh. He begins assembling piece after piece of what appeared to be a golem made out of the mithril ore he had collected and refined into the necessary shape and pieces to create the dolls in his vision. However, he had to make a few alterations. These beauties were going to be voluptuous yet muscular warrior mares dressed up in skimpy maid outfits. They were both going to tend to his shop and be his security all in one.

He smiled the whole time as he put these beautifully crafted girls together, making sure that every single part was well crafted and maintained so they could operate at maximum efficiency. The sound of his blow torch setting off sparks and the turn of screws and bolts from his wrench and the pounding of his hammer echoed throughout the underground for all to hear above as he was in his happy place the whole time while creating these new automatons.

After putting the finer details and finishing touches on his new toys, he places a few runes in…certain places so that those places bounce and jiggle like natural supple flesh would before placing an instill life rune on their foreheads. Once he did that, he placed his hands on their chests before dumping a massive load of mana into their bodies. Enough mana for them to last at least three years before they’d need another charge-up. With a sudden jolt, his girls came to life before sitting up from where they lay, their movements as fluid as any human thanks to the parts that Zargan had worked so hard to create.

Zargan stood there with his hands on his hips as he nodded in approval at his work before falling back into a chair with a tired smile “Welcome to life, ladies. Ya will do quite well to help me in my endeavors to be sure.” The automatons bowed deeply to Zargan before responding to him with soft and alluring voices “Of course, master~. We live to serve you and only you.” they said as they soon approached Zargan and leaned forward “What do would you ask of us..?” they asked with hopeful wide eyes.

Zargan smiled before getting up from his chair and walking over to the portal entryway. He activates the rune before the portal appears and motions for them to walk through “You will find your posts here on the other side of this portal. The cleaning supplies are in the back room. Just make sure the place looks tidy. And take a weapon of your choosing from the wall here before you pass through. You ladies are gonna be the security as well. And I am sure you can handle it all when I am not around.”.

All six of them nodded in agreement before taking a weapon of their liking. A couple went with heavy weapons while another couple went with quick and light weapons and the last two went with something a bit more balanced. Zargan decided to give them full autonomy so that they could grow and learn on their own. After all, he wanted them to have their own personality. But, he instilled a failsafe mechanism that he could activate at any time should they go rogue.

As he watched them go through the portal, he followed after them. He then makes his way over to the counter and stands there looking over at his new shop, quite proud that he had done this all by himself. “Hmmmm, now all I need is a name…” he said to himself as he rubbed his beard in deep thought while he racked his brain for a fitting name. He then snapped his fingers before coming up with one “The Gray Storm Forge.” he said as he nodded to himself “Yeah, that has a nice ring to it.”. A few hours after that decision, he stood in front of his place of business with a sigh that he had made up for himself by asking for a bit of help to write out the words for his shop’s name. He was definitely going to have to learn this world’s written language for sure.

“I will open for business in the next couple of days. I do believe I have earned a rest after all this. Time to head back home.” he said as he made his way down the stairs, locking the door behind him and making sure it was secure. It was more for the would-be intruder’s sake. If they somehow got through the heavy metal door, they had six deadly warrior mares below waiting for them after all.

As he made his way to the portal, he could already see that his automatons had already settled into their roles nicely “Keep up the good work, ladies. I will come by to check on you all tomorrow. Alright?”. They all turn to Zargan and bow deeply to him “Be safe on your travels, master. We will take good care of the shop in your stead.”. Zargan nodded in approval, giving them a thumbs up “You ladies stay safe. Ya hear? If ya run into trouble, just reach me through the portal. You ladies got plenty of mana to come through and get me.”.

They all six smile at him “Your concern is appreciated, Master. But, we will be fine. You can count on us.” He nodded again before stepping through the portal, finally making his way home for the next couple of days. He makes his way to his living room with a tankard full of mead in one hand and a venison and cheese sandwich in the other. He kicks off his boots and socks before wiggling his toes and reclining back in his favorite chair as he enjoys his quiet evening.

Zargan woke the next day, got a nice hot bath and a fresh change of clothes and made his way out of his underground home, and decided that he would take a trip into the town that he had lived near for the last month and a half, but never decided to visit. After all, he needed to get his face known now. How else was he going to start making that sweet, sweet coin? Money is very important to a dwarf after all. He slides on his boots and his cloak before grabbing Mishka and Vixen. He places them on their respective spots on his belt before stepping outside into the sunlight, ready to enjoy his day of relaxation.

As Zargan walked the streets of Ponyville, he was surprised at how friendly the ponies were towards him. They waved and smiled to the dwarf who in turn waved and smiled back. It seemed that these ponies were far more down-to-earth and welcoming than the ones in Canterlot. Most of the ponies there turned their noses up at him. Such a rough and unkept creature to them. But, it would seem that the ponies here were far more curious about this dwarf rather than offended by him.

It wasn't until the dwarf saw a pink blur heading his direction that he activated a small dome field around him quickly just enough to barely fit him. The pony moved so quickly that he couldn’t make it any bigger in time if he decided to make a full-sized one. He looked up at the pleasantly plush mare who had a mane like cotton candy. She pressed against the forcefield with a big smile on her face as her blue eyes gazed down at him “Hiiiiiiiii!~” she said as she started to paw at the forefield “C’mon. Open up, little guy! Gimme a hug!” she chirped. “Little guy..? Now listen here, lass. I may be small, but I can toss ya into the forest from here if I so choose to.”he said as he crossed his arms as he feigned being offended by the mare’s words. But, deep down, he knew that she was just being friendly. She seemed to be radiating warmth after all. Another possible new friend for the dwarf? Who knows.
> Act 5: Zargan's First Customer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zargan continued to stare up at the pink mare who seemed rather desperate to find her way through his forcefield that he had barely been able to bring up before she collided with it. Somehow, this mare was even faster than the princess who had broken through two of his shield domes just a few days ago. Then again Pinkie Pie was an…odd sort of girl. Rules of reality sometimes didn’t apply to her actions.

“C’moooooon, lemme iiiiinnn!” she whined as she pawed at the dome like a cat trying to reach a bird on the other side of a window. Zargan tilted his head to the side as he watched her behavior. She seemed like she didn’t mean any harm. But, at the same time, he didn't really know her all that well “Look, lass. It's rather sweet of ya to go around just offerin’ hugs and such. But, you shouldn’t just be doin’ that to any stranger ya see. That could pose trouble for both parties. And ya wouldn’t want that would ya?” he asked as he watched her sulk a bit as he explained.

“However, I am willing to start with a handshake if that will make you happy. Now, I am going to lower this shield. Are ya goin’ to be a good girl?” he asked as he hovered his finger over his gauntlet. For some reason, the pony lowered herself onto her knees as if she were a canine sitting in front of her master before nodding rapidly. Zargan blinked a few times at the odd action. Nonetheless removed his shield and held out his hand. The pink mare smiled widely before taking the large hand into both of hers and shaking it firmly “Nice to meet you! I am Pinkie Pie! I like to make friends with everyone I meet and throw parties for them!” she said as she started to vibrate with excitement.

Zargan had expected the other ponies around them to stare at the kneeling pony with confusion. But, they all just kept about their business. She must have quite the reputation of being an oddball, so they considered her actions normal at this point. Zargan released his hand from her grip before responding to her “My name is Zargan Runespear. A pleasure to meet ya, lass.” he said as he now stared up at her as she got back to her hooves.

As the two walked and talked, the was a scream off in the distance before a masked stallion came running through the crowd of ponies with a purse in his hand. Zargan hated pickpockets and thieves more than anything. If you didn’t earn your money through work, he had no respect for you at all. He then reached behind him and pulled his revolver from his belt before casually unloading two rounds into the back of the pony’s knees. Luckily for the pony, the rounds didn’t cause any major damage. There were going to be some large bruises for sure, but Zargan decided not to use a lethal amount of mana this time.

The pony cried out in pain before falling to the ground and dropping the purse. The dwarf walks over to the groaning stallion and simply looks down at him with disdain in his eyes “If ya need money so bad, get a job and stick with it.” he simply said before picking up the purse and returning it to the mare who had caught up to them “Here ya are.” he said as he held it out to her. The mare thanked Zargan profusely, the dwarf holding up his hands with a smile as he told her the thanks weren’t necessary.

Pinkie Pie watched all this happen before her. And it made her quite happy to see such a selfless deed done for someone who was a stranger to the dwarf. She knew he was going to like him straight away. Zargan placed his gun back into its holster before looking up at Pinkie who was smiling widely at him. The dwarf arched a brow in confusion before asking “What?”. Pinkie giggled and shook her head “Oooh nothing. Not the way I would have handled things. But, at least you did it with minimal damage.”.

Zargan shrugged his shoulders a bit “Don’t think of me as some kind of hero or do-gooder, lass. I simply don’t abide by folks stealin’ what they haven’t earned. You don’t deserve the reward if ya haven’t worked for it.” he said as he and Pinkie continued walking along the street, just conversing about random things at this point.

As they walked along getting to know one another, Zargan’s gauntlet started beeping and flashing blue before he lifted it up and a small crystal slab embedded in it showed a moving image of what appeared to be someone skulking around his new shop. It appeared to be someone in rather fine looking royal armor who looked to be a rather young stallion. He looks up at the pink mare “I need to go and take care of some business, my dear. It was a pleasure to meet ya.” he said as he headed right back home.

The stallion paced around in circles as he rubbed his chin in thought. He had knocked on the door a few times but no answer had been given in return. He huffed slightly before he waited a few minutes more before reaching up to knock once more. But suddenly, the metal slit in the door slid sideways before a pair of glowing blue eyes looked out at him, giving him a bit of a startle “Whatcha need, lad?” Zargan asked as he looked the stallion up and down.

“Good afternoon, sir. I was told by somepony that this was a new blacksmith, and one of your specialties was weapons. Would you by chance be taking any commissions at this time? If not, then maybe fix up my current sword?” he asked as he took out his blade that rested on his hip and held it up. Zargan took a look over the blade without saying anything. He simply closes the slit and unlocks the door before opening it and welcoming the stallion in “Follow me, we will get her lookin like she came right off the anvil.” he said as he waited for the stallion to come in before locking the door behind them.

The stallion followed Zargan down the stairs and into the main chamber where he noticed the six female golems going about and maintaining the place. His eyes looked at the very well detailed life-like quality of the moving structures. “Are..these your creations, sir?” he asked before he was caught staring at the curvaceous golems by the dwarf, the stallion blushing hard at the embarrassment. Zargan chuckled lightly before standing at his workstation “Aye, these beauties are my latest reactions. I still need to give them proper names. After all, I want them to have their own individuality. Now then bring me your sword, son.”

The stallion nodded before handing the weapon to the dwarf handle first. The dwarf’s eyes thoroughly scanned over the blade as he let out a few thoughtful ‘hmmmmm’s before placing the blade atop the anvil “Might I enquire as to who ya smith was for this weapon?” he asked as he picked up his smithing hammer. “It was one of the castle smiths who made it. It was made for my promotion to the royal guard captain,” he said as he watched Zargan raise his hammer, only to bring it down with great force and shatter the whole sword into hundreds of pieces.

The stallion’s face went from intrigue to horror as he watched his blade shatter into many pieces. The dwarf shook his head before sweeping the remnants of the blade off his anvil, one of the golems coming by to scoop up the mess and toss it into the trash “What in the name of Celestia have you done?!” the stallion shouted in anger and shock and he placed his hands atop his head. The dwarf pointed his hammer at the stallion “Settle down, boy. If ya took one swing in combat with that cheap piece of metal, it would have shattered on impact just like this. That thing had so many flaws in its structure that I couldn’t even pity it.”.

Zargan walks up to the stallion and yanks the sheath from the stallion’s hip before making his way back to the forge and placing a couple of mithril ingots on the table next to the sheath “Come back in a couple of days, I will have something far, far superior to that piece of shite you call a sword.” he said as he placed one of the ingots on the anvil before he began hammering away on it. “I can’t just leave without a sword! What in the hay am I supposed to do if something happens?!” shouted the stallion as he was starting to freak out.

Zargan pointed his hammer to the wall of weapons “One hundred bits for a weapon of your choice. That can be your replacement until you get this one finished. Don't worry, any of those is fifty times better than what you came in here with. I promise.” he said as he didn’t even look up from his work. The stallion huffed before making his way toward the wall and picked up a broadsword similar to the style that he had originally come into the store with. He removed the sword from its sheath and gazed over the blade.

At first, he just thought it to be an ordinary sword just like any other. But once he gazed upon its detail, he noticed that the metal quality was far more pure and strong than anything he had ever laid eyes on. He even performed the bending test on it. It withheld its straightness with no issues whatsoever. If this was something that was just hung on a wall, the stallion could only imagine what the dwarf was making for him now.

The stallion walked towards the countertop that one of the golems stood behind while still watching Zargan work. He reached into his coin pouch and passed off the money to the golem before making his way out, giving the dwarf one last look as one of the other golems escorted him out. “Your master certainly is a rather odd one isn’t he..?” he asked the golem, not really expecting her to answer back. “They said that the eccentric ones are the most intelligent in their own right. But, he is my master. And he brought my sisters and me to life. And we love him for that.”.

–Two Days Later–

The stallion returned at the time requested by Zargan. This time, he was greeted by one of the golems when he knocked on the door and was let in. As he made his way down into the main chamber, Zargan had just wiped down the blade thoroughly to give it a proper shine before turning to face the stallion with a proud smile “Here she is, lad. Take good care of her. Ya here?” he said as he slid the blade into the sheath he had taken off the stallion when he came in before.

The stallion took the sword in both hands before slowly pulling out the blade and starting to examine it thoroughly. He was amazed at its craftsmanship…the straight and sharpened age, the tang of the blade, and its balance were pure perfection. He walked out into an open area and gave the blade a few test swings. It felt so right in his hands like the blade was literally meant just for him.

“This feels so light…but it is so sturdy. The smithy at the castle has never come across metal this superior before…” he said as he looked over at Zargan who was busy cleaning up his workstation. Zargan simply shrugged his shoulders at first but then looked at the stallion with a side eye and large grin “Aaaah, but quality like that comes at a price, lad/ Should you ever need any maintenance done with ya new weapon, I am afraid I am the only one who can help ya. A little insurance policy and a safeguard should it somehow ever fall into the wrong hands…or you try to sell it.” he said as he glared at the stallion.

“Are you kidding me?! No way I am letting anyone else have this fine piece of metal!” he said as he clutched it to his chest in a defensive manner. Zargan smiled warmly at that before he motioned the stallion over “By the way, young one. I need to make sure that yablade cannot be stolen from ya. Bring it here, please.” he said as he now stood at his workbench. The stallion nodded before handing the sword back to Zargan before he carved his own signature rune on the blade.

Once he finishes carving the rune, he motions the stallion to stand closer “Put ya hand on the hilt.” he said before placing his hand on top of the stallion’s once he did it. Zargan closed his eyes before he opened them back up, pushing mana into the sword and through the stallion which gave the pony a rather light shock throughout his body. Once the process was complete, the dwarf removed his hand from his and smiled up at him “Congrats, lad. Ya weapon is now soulbound to ya. The only folks who can use this beauty are either ya or me. The other would may as well be liftin’ a mountain if they tried to.” he said as he then went back to cleaning up his forge.

The stallion looked at his new weapon with awe. Something so incredible was made for him, and only him. “I imagine that this is going to set me back quite a bit, isn’t it? Then again, with this kind of quality, I will gladly pay you what you ask,” he said before placing the sword lovingly back into its sheath. The dwarf thought about it for a moment before waving his hand dismissively “Ya are my first customer and the captain of the royal guard. I think ya have earned that weapon. Simply let everyone else know what I did for ya and direct them towards me should they ask about it. You will be able to pay it off that way. Do we have a deal?” he asked as he held his gloved hand out. The stallion grabs Zargan’s hand firmly before shaking it multiple times “You got yourself a deal, sir! You will have so many customers that you won’t ever have to worry about money ever again! Thank you so, so much!” he said as he started to make his way out the door quickly before turning back around “Sir, I never did get your name. What was it?” he asked. “I am called Zargan Runespear. A pleasure to meetcha. And yours, lad?”.

“Shining Armor, sir. And it is an honor to meet such an amazing blacksmith such as yourself.” he said before disappearing up the stairs.