The Token
It is customary for the stallion to give a token to the mare during the wedding ceremony. Other than this, the stallion's only job for the entire event is to show up, preferably on time, and present a pleasant demeanor to all and sundry.
“On Courtship and Marriage in Farming Families”, The Equestrian Encyclopedia of General Knowledge
“So, Apprentice, what do you think?” I said as I stepped back to admire our work. We’d just put the finishing touches on Fall’s steam racer.
“I don’t want it,” said a surly Fall, ears flat to her skull.
I turned in surprise. “What? Why not? We’ve worked on this for weeks.”
Fall burst into tears, turned and galloped out the door. “Don’t want it, don’t want it, don’t want it!!” she sobbed as she ran.
“Fall! What’s the matter with you? Fall!!” I yelled as I chased after her. I stopped in the side yard and gritted my teeth in annoyance. Fall had been moody for days but I’d put it down to Spring Planting coming up. Earth ponies became squirrely each year over Spring Planting, no doubt about it.
A still crying Fall galloped past Mrs. Grass who was bringing us our midmorning snack. Nothing ever disturbed Mrs. Grass’ calm assurance, thank the Magic for that. Having a 14-year-old filly around had been harder than I’d expected and I couldn’t have managed at all without the Widow Grass.
I waved an exasperated hoof at Fall. “Did you see, Mrs. Grass? We finished Fall’s racer and she just ran off crying.”
Mrs. Grass, still holding the tray, nodded. “I did indeed see, Mr. Inventor. I’ll go talk to her, shall I?”
“Well, do whatever you must to get her back here. We don’t have time for this!” I said, still annoyed. “We have to deliver the kneading machine to Sugar Cube Corner.”
“Mr. Inventor,” said Mrs. Grass with an expression of mild disapproval I’d come to know well over the last few months, “there’s always time for a young filly’s feelings.”
I’d had enough of “feelings” the previous week (including AJ’s over the wedding) to last me a lifetime. Mrs. Grass could tell I was still irritated, so she put the tray down on the picnic table and walked over to me. She put a gentle left hoof on my right shoulder.
“Fall adores you, Mr. Inventor, but you’re getting married tomorrow. She’s known you’re going to marry Miss Apple, of course, but hasn’t wanted to think about it. Now she can’t avoid it. Until now, she’s considered you hers. She thinks you’re abandoning her for another filly.”
“Oh, stuff and nonsense, Mrs. Grass. She’s my apprentice!”
Mrs. Grass patted my muzzle. “I know, dear, I know,” she said, turning and picking up the tray again after arranging my apple and mushrooms on the picnic table. “She’s also a teenage filly in love and everything that goes along with it. I’ll sort it out.”
I huffed out a breath and unclenched my jaw. “Thank you, Mrs. Grass.”
“Eat your snack, Youngster. I’ll be back as soon as I can, hopefully with Fall,” said Widow Grass, then headed in the direction we’d last seen Fall running, tray in hand.
I did eat and felt slightly better for it. I tossed the apple core into the compost bin, and then went back into the workshop. I made two more spiral attachments for the bread dough mixer I’d designed, and then tested them. The planetary beater shaft was offset, so I’d had to add another gear to make sure it didn’t fling the dough everywhere. When Fall and I were first experimenting with it, we ended up covered in dough and couldn’t stop laughing for almost five minutes.
I sighed as I finished a wire whip to go with the spiral dough hook and thought back three, almost four months now. Fall had arrived a scruffy, scrawny, hyper filly and had become a beautiful young mare almost overnight. Hoof care, hide care, mane and tail styling, manners, deportment, penmareship; Fall had blossomed under Mrs. Grass’ constant attention. “There’s no reason you can’t be a gentlemare just because you work with machines,” I’d heard Mrs. Grass say more than once as she braided Fall’s tail or brushed out her mane.
I climbed onto the cycle, put it in first gear and started pedaling. The planetary gear turned at just the right speed, so I swapped out the spiral dough hook for the whisk in the center slot, flipped the setting and switched to the third gear. That should do it, I thought, as the whisk spun. No more beating egg whites by hoof for you, Mrs. Cake.
I took most of the kneader apart and started packing it into straw-filled crates with Apple Manufacturing stamped on the cover. That and the logo of Applejack’s cutie mark was Fall’s idea and had earned her a 10-bit bonus. I was just wishing for Fall to help me shift the cycle part when Mrs. Grass and Fall walked into the workshop. I turned around and Fall pelted over and grabbed me around the waist.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry!!” she yelled, rubbing her forehead against my chest. “I love my steam car, I do!”
I wrapped both front hooves around her and rested my chin on her head. She had almost all of her full growth now and would reach my height or taller this year. “Okay, Punkin’, alright. It’s fine.” I knew it wasn’t appropriate for a Master to hug an Apprentice or to give her silly nicknames, but I gave myself some latitude since my apprentice was a filly.
I pushed Fall gently but firmly away from me. “Very well, Apprentice, go fire up the steam truck and bring her around so we can load the kneader.”
Fall nodded, and then galloped off to get the stream truck.
I walked to the door and stood next to Mrs. Grass who had watched both of us with a small smile.
“Do teenagers gallop everywhere, Mrs. Grass?”
“That they do, Mr. Inventor.”
I turned to her. “Emerald, I can’t thank you enough for the last few months. I couldn’t have managed without you, I tell you what.”
“You’re welcome, dear,” she said, patting my muzzle. “Well, now the excitement is over, I’ll go start lunch.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Grass, you are indeed a treasure among mares,” I said, nodding at her. As she walked away from me, I extended my healer senses around her. Liver almost healed and kidneys back to normal. Her heart was slightly weak, but that was age and there was nothing I could do about it. She had a few more good years, though.
I heard the distinctive flapping of a pegasus and who should show up but my favorite mailpony. I walked down the loading dock steps to greet her.
“Special Delivery for Mr. Inventor,” Derpy said, handing over a brown paper package. “Please sign here.”
I surreptitiously looked her over as I signed. “Somepony’s had a preening,” I said, sotto voce.
Derpy blushed that fetching pink of hers. “He wasn’t half as good as you, Ben,” she answered, equally quietly.
“Thank you, sir,” Derpy said in her regular voice as I handed back the clipboard with a 2 bit coin. “And here’s your regular mail.” Derpy gave me a wink with a dazzling smile, and then shot off into the sky. Not favoring her left wing any longer, I noticed. Very good.
Fall pulled the steam truck around, and then backed her up to the dock. We loaded the two crates and the cycle in the bed, fastened down the cycle, covered the lot with a tarp and fastened that as well. That done, we banked the magic fire and went into the house for lunch.
As always, we had copious amounts of food. Teenage Earth pony fillies didn’t eat as much as teenage Earth pony stallions, but it was close. Mrs. Grass did her share as well and with perfect manners. She glanced at Fall a time or two over smacking sounds, so Fall slowed her eating a bit. I went over the mail while we ate, something which just skirted Mrs. Grass’ sense of decorum.
“Oh, excellent,” I said, holding up an official-looking letter. “The Department of Commerce has granted my petition for a bank charter. Now I have to put together a board and raise the capital. And here’s a letter for you, Fall.”
Fall put down the carrot she’d almost finished and opened her letter. She yipped with excitement, then flapped the letter up and down. “Mr. Inventor, Mrs. Grass! The Patent Office granted me a patent for those fasteners I made!”
“Well done, Fall! Now you can license them to other businesses,” I said. “I’ll help you with that when I get back from my honeymoon.”
“Where are you going, Mr. Inventor?” asked Mrs. Grass as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin.
“Hot Springs in the Macintosh Mountains, Mrs. Grass. It’s about 8 hours from here.”
“Why, Mr. Grass and I went there for our 10th anniversary! You’ll enjoy it thoroughly, I’m sure. Are you staying long?” she asked.
“Two days and back on 13th. That’ll put us back two days before Spring Planting starts on 15th. Actually, I’d rather skip it, move AJ in and stay here with you and Fall instead of racing off somewhere.”
Fall grinned and Mrs. Grass made a clucking sound. “Now, Mr. Inventor, you know perfectly well you need some time alone with your new bride.” I thought I saw a glint in the eye of the Widow Grass, but I must have imagined it.
“Eh, bah. I can’t abide useless trips where you just lie around.”
“Now, Youngster, don’t sulk about it. All part of the fun for the bride.”
I hate weddings, I thought, and then I remembered my package. I unwrapped it to find my dress uniform, new epaulettes in place with my captain’s rank gleaming silver on both. You could always count on the Kirschenbaums; they did beautiful work.
“Oooooo,” said Fall, bouncing up and down in her chair. “Try it on, try it on!”
“Very well, Apprentice, but then we deliver that kneader.”
I went upstairs so I’d have a mirror and put on the uniform. It was a perfect fit and, I had to admit, it wasn’t bad. Could use a cape, though.
I came back downstairs and Fall and Mrs. Grass were in the kitchen washing dishes. I struck a pose and cleared my throat. Both turned around.
“Ohhhh, so handsome,” said Fall, eyes wide and with both soapy hooves at her mouth. “You look soooo good, Mr. Inventor.”
“My oh my, such memories it brings back,” said Mrs. Grass, smiling and holding a dishtowel. “You do look very fine, sir, very fine.”
“Thank you, mares. Now, enough silliness. I’ll leave this upstairs and then we’re off to town.”
I came back downstairs to find Fall had fired up the steam truck. I waved good-bye to Mrs. Grass, and then climbed in the cab. Fall drove us to Sugar Cube Corner and parked behind the shop at the loading dock. I walked in and found Carrot Cake taking inventory. I greeted him as he turned around.
“Mr. Cake! We’ve brought your new kneader, sir.”
“Benjamin! That’s grand! Let me get Mrs. Cake since she’ll want to see it right away.”
While he was gone Fall and I undid the tarp and the straps holding the cycle. Carrot came back with Mrs. Cake just as Fall and I shifted the cycle onto the loading dock. Mrs. Cake clasped her hooves in front of her chest.
“How wonderful! No more kneading by hoof!” she said, delighted.
“No, ma’am, this will do it for you. And the whisk attachment will whip egg whites or cream.”
“Please, set it up in the kitchen. I can’t wait, I can’t wait!” she said and raced ahead to show us the way.
Fall and I assembled the kneader and, after greasing the stainless steel pan, I had Mrs. Cake toss in some dough while Fall pedaled. The spiral arms worked to perfection and Mrs. Cake was even more ecstatic when I showed her the whisk.
“We can get three times as much done in half the time!” she exclaimed. “Thank you, Fall, Benjamin.”
“Glad to help, Mrs. Cake.”
Mr. Cake brought out his checkbook to pay us. I’d already told him he could wait but he said he’d rather pay us now.
“750 bits I think is the price, Mr. Inventor?” he said, pen poised.
“Well, sir, you get the Apprentice Discount since Fall did the bulk of the work on this. 500 bits, if you please. And by the way, the bicycle chain is the best Hoofington titanium, so I don’t think even Pinkie can break it.”
That got a laugh from both Cakes as Mr. Cake handed over the check. I gave them the instruction manual which Fall had also written and we were on our way. We stopped by the bank and I deposited the check, 400 bits into the workshop account at 100 into Fall’s personal account.
When we got back in the steam truck, Fall leaned over and kissed my muzzle.
“Thank you, Mr. Inventor. You’re such a good boss.”
“Flattery only gets you more work, Apprentice. Drop me off at Rarity’s and then get yourself back to the workshop. Park the truck, oil her down and start on those spikes for the railroad.”
“Ugh,” said Fall, wrinkling her nose. “I hate doing spikes.”
“Yes, yes, yes, whine, moan. I’ll take over when I get back around 2 and then…”
Fall’s ears perked and she looked at me.
“…then some speed trials for the racer, I think,” I said gleefully, rubbing my hooves together. “We’ll just see if those new solid rubber tires from Stableside will work as well as I think.”
“Yes, sir!” agreed a grinning Fall. And away we went.
Fall dropped me off at Rarity’s and I went in the open door. There was Lauryn O’Malley pinning a hem on Twilight’s new dress as Twilight watched in the mirror. Lauryn waved a hoof since she couldn’t talk with pins in her mouth, then went back to pinning. Mares will use any excuse to get a new dress, I thought.
Twilight looked over at me but only moved her head. “Ben! How are you?”
“Good, honey, good! Yourself? I haven’t seen you since you put paid to Discord.” What a nuisance that had been.
“Oh, fine, just fine. Back and forth to Canterlot, you know? Congratulations on your promotions, by the way. They were in the latest edition of the Canterlot News and Record.”
“Thank you, Protector of the Realm,” I said and gave a half bow.
“And tomorrow is the wedding! Aren’t you excited?”
“No,” I said flatly.
“Oh, of course you are. And so is Shining Armor about Midsummer. Cadence and I…”
I stopped listening then since it was more about weddings. Fortunately, Rarity came out from the back room a few minutes later.
“Benjamin, darling, how are you?” she said, kissing me on the muzzle.
“Tired of weddings,” I answered truthfully, kissing her back.
“Oh, of course you’re not,” said Rarity, waving a hoof and blithely ignoring my sour expression.
“Listen, you two, I need your help with something. Apparently…” and that was as far as I got.
Pinkie came charging through the door, dropped to her knees and flung out both front hooves as she slid to a stop. “Taah-dah!!” she yelled. I just had time to think about how she’d stolen my entrance when she noticed me and her eyes lit up like two Ancient Equestrian candles.
“Beeeennnn!!” she said, and launched herself at me. Pinkie had a reputation for body slamming her “friends” for no apparent reason. She tried it with me when I first came to Ponyville, racing out of nowhere and slamming into me from the side. I grounded and centered and she stretched out her forelegs as the rest of her kept going, then she snapped back with both hooves over my back. She looked startled for a moment, and then said, “Oooooo…muscley!” After a quick kiss on the muzzle, she pronged away giggling. Now almost every time she saw me, she thought I was a challenge.
The exact same thing happened this time, except when she snapped back, I crouched, did Spread The Horse’s Mane and tossed her spinning into the air.
“Wheeeeee!” she said, turning a quintuple somersault with a twist before landing on all four hooves facing me. “Do it again, do it again!”
I held up a hoof and said, “Pinkamena, please wait a moment.”
“Sure!!...How was that?...How about that one?” she said, pausing for a second or so between each sentence.
“Stop that, you ditz!” I said, laughing. That was rather funny, I thought. “I need your help with something. Actually,” I said, turning to Twilight and Rarity, “I could use your advice as well.”
“Go ahead, Ben,” “I’m all ears!!” said Twilight and Pinkie at the same time.
“According to The Equestrian Encyclopedia of General Knowledge…”
“Oh, no, not this again!” said Rarity, sticking out the tip of her tongue.
“…according to the Encyclopedia,” I continued firmly, “the stallion gives the bride a ‘token’ during the wedding ceremony. Unfortunately, for once the Encyclopedia failed me. It doesn’t say what a ‘token’ is. Do any of you know what to give an Earth mare? Pinkie?”
“Hmmm,” said Pinkie, right forehoof to her mouth. “I think Dad gave Mom some rose quartz.”
“That’s…not bad. Rarity?”
“Gems, darling; every mare just loves cut stones.”
“Twilight?”
“A first edition of Chemistry for Fun and Profit,” she sighed. “Oh, yes.”
“Uh…a book, of course. Well, those are all…”
“Mr. Inventor?” came a tentative question from a now pin-free Lauryn.
“Miss O’Malley? Do you have something to add?”
“Well,” she said, still adjusting Twilight’s dress, “Daddy gave Momma a steel horseshoe. That’s usually what railroaders give. That way they carry their marriage with them, like.”
“Why, that’s a stellar suggestion, Miss O’Malley. Thank you.” Lauryn smiled at the compliment. “Yes, that will do nicely. Thank you, all.” I turned to go.
“Where are you going now?” asked Twilight.
I turned back. “To Diamond Cutter’s shop to get a steel horseshoe, of course. That is, if he carries such a mundane product.” Diamond Cutter’s reputation for fine jewelry extended all the way up to Manehatten and down to Los Pegasus.
“I want to go!” said Twilight as Lauryn helped her out of her dress. “Just a moment and I’ll be ready.”
“Me, too!” said Pinkie, jumping up and down.
“I’d best go as well,” said Rarity. “The Magic only knows what you’ll choose without me.”
“I don’t recall asking for an entourage or for help choosing,” I said, frowning at the mares. I hate weddings, I thought for at least the tenth time.
“Of course you’ll need help, darling,” said Rarity, patting me on the muzzle as she headed for the door with the other mares. I raised my lip in a sneer in answer.
I ended up following the three mares instead of leading to Cutter’s shop. It was so discreet there wasn’t even a sign, just a small brass plaque which said “Cutter and Son”. Diamond was actually the “Son” since his father had died 15 years ago. The mares walked in one after the other and I followed reluctantly. The silver bell over the door gave off a perfect B-flat tone. Nice casting, I thought, then had to return to the misery.
The mares spread out through the shop, each to a separate glass cabinet. I walked over to Cutter, the most innocuous of unicorn stallions. He had bland salespony smile on his face and nodded to each of the mares in turn.
“Cutter,” I said, and sounded surly even to myself.
The bland smile widened slightly. “Mr. Inventor! How pleasant to see you again. You haven’t visited my shop since you fixed the radiator.”
“Why in the name of the Lord of Hel would I visit…?” I started.
“Benjamin, dear, come see!” said a perky Rarity, beckoning excitedly with a hoof and interrupting what I was saying. Perhaps that was fortunate.
I walked over to find Rarity pointing to an admittedly stunning necklace. It was a single perfect green emerald the size of a goose egg in an elaborate alicorn silver setting. I looked at the price:
14,560 bits.
I swallowed once, then scowled at Rarity. “This is for AJ, Rarity, not for you. Keep that in mind, if you please.”
“Oh, all right,” said Rarity, pouting.
“Ben!” I heard and turned. It was Twilight and Pinkie. I walked over to find Pinkie pointing to a row of simple horseshoes. I extended my magic just a bit. The furthest to the left was alicorn silver, very pure. I moved down the line: gold, platinum, silver, aluminum and…titanium! The titanium was almost flawless, just beautiful, and had touch of vanadium.
I looked around for Cutter and, like any good salespony, he was right next to me. I pointed to the titanium horseshoe.
“How in Equestria did the foundry get this level of purity out of titanium? It’s right at 99%.”
“Well, Mr. Inventor, Smithson and Sons has a small smelter, very secret…”
“Benjamin Inventor!”
I turned to find three pairs of angry eyes glaring at me.
“You are not going to get Applejack a titanium horseshoe for her wedding token!” said Twilight, speaking for the other two.
“But, Twilight, it’s 99% pu…”
“You are not getting her that,” huffed Twilight. “Applejack deserves silver at the very least.”
I looked to Cutter for help but of course found none. With the same bland smile, he pulled the silver horseshoe out of the cabinet and handed it to Twilight.
“Oh, how pretty!”
“Very nice!” said Rarity.
“Ooooo, shiny!” said Pinkie, holding the horseshoe up to her own left hoof. It was far too big for her. Pinkie’s hooves were dainty and exceptionally well-shaped, reminding me of Lady Astrid’s; I’d never noticed before.
“What’s AJ’s hoof size, Ben?” asked Rarity, holding the horseshoe up to her own left hoof in turn.
“Her what?”
“Her hoof size.”
“How should I know, Rarity? I didn’t know there was such a thing as a hoof size until just now,” I answered, annoyed all over again.
“Oh, Ben, really! Don’t you know anything at all about your own fiancée?”
“Well, of course I do, but hoof size…? Uh, Pinkie, what’s your hoof size?” I asked in desperation.
“4”.
“Rarity?”
“5, which I thought you knew because of our dancing,” said Rarity accusingly.
“Of course not! Twilight?”
“5. Actually, I think AJ is a 7. Rarity, didn’t we compare hoof sizes during the sleepover?” asked Twilight.
“Oh, that’s right! I’d forgotten. Yes, she is a 7.”
“Okay, alright, fine, she’s a 7. Let’s just get it and get out of here. Cutter?”
“I can have it ready for you tomorrow morning, Mr. Inventor. This horseshoe is an 8 and the adjustment is very simple.”
“Good, good, good, I’ll take it,” I said as we walked to the register.
Cutter rang up the sale. “That’s 125 bits for the horseshoe and 5 bits for the fitting, Mr. Inventor.”
I reached into my pouch and wrote out a check. I hoped it was from my personal account since AJ, Fall and even Mrs. Grass had fussed at me for using the wrong checks but at the moment I didn’t care.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you, Cutter? Standing there with that oily grin of yours,” I glared at him as I handed over the check.
He rung it up. “Not at all, Mr. Inventor and this,” he said as he pointed his hoof at his muzzle and grinned like a shark, “is actually my oily grin.”
We both started laughing at that until the mares spoiled it.
“Ben, we need to get back to Rarity’s to finish our fittings,” said Twilight primly. “Are you through paying?”
“You’re determined to suck the fun out of my day, aren’t you?” I said, teeth clenched.
Twilight just gave me a smile which was exactly like Carl’s when he was acting smug.
I followed the mares out, each talking about the wedding and various tokens. They waved hooves at me as I turned to go back to the workshop. Thank the Magic that was over, I thought, as I trotted along.
I was on the outskirts of town when I heard the distinctive grunts and thuds of a fight between stallions. I looked down an alleyway to see the Rinehart brothers, twin Earth pony stallions, beating on each other. Neither had any training and each was missing more than connecting.
“Hey!” I said, “knock it off, you two.”
Eyes wild, both turned and charged me.
Like I told my students, fight more than one opponent and you’ll lose sooner rather than later no matter how good you are. Magic gave me a slight advantage although I didn’t want to use it against stallions who were still more foal than not. Best end it quick, then.
I caught the first brother with a left to the stomach and heard his breath whoosh out of him. He dropped like a sack of meal. I just managed to extend my right rear leg in a side kick. It landed on the other brother’s stomach and he went down as well. Both lay retching in the dirt as I stepped to one side. I waited a couple of minutes for them to sit up.
“Up,” I said, pulling Alexander to his hooves. “You, too, Dietrich,” I said, as I reached for the other. Both stood looking embarrassed, ears and heads drooping.
“Are you going to tell our parents, Mr. Inventor?” said Dietrich who had a bloody nose. He usually did most of the talking for the pair.
“Do I look like an informer to you, young stallion?”
“Uh, no, sir,” he said, hanging his head again.
I took a deep breath and let it out. This was the fourth fight I’d broken up in the last two weeks. These young stallions needed an outlet from Spring Planting, I thought. I’m going to open a martial arts school as soon as I got settled after the honeymoon.
“Very well, no more fighting today, then,” I said, putting a hoof on two sturdy young shoulders. “On your way.”
“Yes, sir,” said Dietrich, and both galloped off. Perfectly good young stallions, I thought. They just need a focus. I trotted on to the workshop wondering who I could get to teach. Maybe some of the retired guardsman would do it if I could give them some incentive.
My head was full of plans when I passed the badger den. I heard some scrabbling, then the head of the badger himself popped up.
“Best of Spring to you, Mr. Badger,” I said. The badger just yawned and grunted. Since he was nocturnal, most likely he was just up for a few minutes.
“Who is it, Reginald?” I heard from inside the den and who should pop up but another badger. “Oh, is this the unicorn you told me about? Look, he’s black and white just like us! Isn’t that wonderful, Reginald?”
Reginald? I stifled my laughter at the male badger’s obvious discomfort and gave a half bow. “Benjamin Inventor, at your service, Lady Badger.”
“Oh, so polite!” The female left the den and trundled down the bank to meet me. She was a beauty with markings similar to the male badger’s, just a slightly smaller frame. When she got to me, she held up her nose. I slowly bent over and touched my nose to hers. Fluttershy had told me to use caution even with friendly badgers; one false move and you’d find yourself without a face.
“A pleasure to meet you, ma’am. Do you live with Reginald now?” I said, emphasizing the name and thoroughly enjoying watching the male badger cringe.
“Oh, yes, Mr. Inventor, at least until the kits can get around by themselves.”
Kits? Oh, of course. “My congratulations to both of you, ma’am. I look forward to meeting your family.”
“Thank you,” she said in a sing-song voice as she went back to the burrow. “Nice meeting you, Mr. Inventor.”
I could hear her going on and on as I trotted away. “Now, wasn’t he just the nicest pony, Reginald? Well of course he was. I can’t wait for the kits to meet him.” I grinned to myself, delighted to find someone else in the same boat as I. Now to railroad spikes and speed trials.