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// 31 - Entertaining Guests 
// Story: What Follows Hugs 
// by David Silver 
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The visit had officially begun. Sombra had arrived in the dining hall about half an hour later. "The tour is ready if you are, esteemed guest," he said towards Cadance and her paramour. "We have so much to show."

Cadance nodded softly back at him. "Your people are lovely and I'm certain what they have built will be just as delightful." She slid up to her hooves, prompting Shining to do the same without a word in his direction. "What did you have in mind first?"

Sombra smiled, an expression of joy and malice curiously mixed together. "Would you prefer to see them at work, or at play? I have decided to allow that first choice to you

Cadance  rolled a hoof. "I feel I've already gotten a hint as to how the tsuki play and create. Let's begin with their industry."

Tsuki nearby chuckled and giggled at Cadance's phrasing, but Sombra paid it no mind. "Very well. Quick! To the smeltery."

Quick roses from Sombra's shadow, stepping towards the two royal ponies. "It will be my pleasure. Will any others be accompanying?" His replaced hoof clinked softly with each sure step forward. "We can begin immediately."

Sombra nodded even as he faded into the shadows, whisping away from the room.

Cadance waved at the room as a whole. "If any of the others would care to accompany me, now is a good time."

Toby scrambled up to his paws and bounced over to her in one great jump. Flash was less bouncy in his approach, trotting over to help guard his princess.

Shining clenched his teeth with unspoken desire for more guards than just the one, but he went with Cadance as she began to walk out with Quick. If she wasn't worried about he, it would look awkward if he made a big deal about it.

Flash took up position beside Shining. "We'll keep an eye, Sir."

Shining nodded in kind. "Thank you. Maybe we'll see some interesting things while we're at it."

Toby perked an ear back at them, though it fell quickly under its own gravity. "Tsuki learn lots, become better with stone."

Quick waved at the stone walls they walked through. "They dug all this, much of it without proper tools. This has been since addressed, and they work all the faster, building, fashioning, and learning." He peered over his shoulder at his guests. "They are voracious learners. Once given the opportunity to do so, they have been unrelenting in their quest for self-perfection."

Cadance glanced aside at Toby. "How have you been 'self-perfecting'?"

Toby paused in his bouncing for just a moment. "Um. Toby learn much. I! I learn much. Get better talking." His cheeks filled with warmth and redness. "I... do not... do... job like other tsuki. I is--am answer tsuki."

Shining bumped against the large confused tsuki. "Hey, that's a job and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Being the person people ask questions of can be a full-time gig."

Toby brightened quickly. "Are you leader pony?"

Shining pointed to Cadance. "She is the leader pony for most, but I am just under her, so they ask me a lot of questions too."

"Oh!" Toby bobbed his head fiercely. "Princess is like Sombra. You is like me. Just under king, yes. Is not easy." He seemed comforted, finding a peer.

Quick perked an ear back at the two of them. "It is a position that requires dignity." He cleared his throat softly and lifted a crystal hoof to point ahead. "Our first stop, the foundry." They emerged from the tunnel into a much larger carved room. The heat picked up quickly from large vats of molten metal. "Once the metal has been purified, they are brought here, ready to be cast. Toby, can you explain that?"

Toby bobbed his head along. "Yes yes. Use to make each shape by paw." He reached out a paw and wriggled his fingers. "Was hard and long, then better idea. We make molds, pour metal like drink. Do not drink! Is really bad idea! Pour, make things faster." He bounced over to a rack of tools, ranging from shovels to tiny jeweler chisels. "Make many things."

"This was a gift." Quick turned to regard the ponies. "Given by the ponies of Equestria, one in particular that worked with us to expand our means of production." One of the better things she gave, he silently added. "Now that the idea has taken root, tsuki artisans are eager to make new molds and improve their craft."

Cadance nodded softly as her eyes wandered over the flickering lights of the fires that kept the heat going and the metals soft and ready to use. "Do they only make tools with them?"

"Nope!" replied Flash suddenly. He was peering into a vat with a smile. "These aren't tools at all."

Quick flinched in mild surprise even as he trotted over to see what Flash was seeing. Inside the stone container was a collection of the same metal statue. His magic wrapped around one and lifted it into view. It was two tsuki standing on two legs, side by side, their closer hands clasped in a clear display of solidarity or affection. One of the two had carefully depicted scars and he realized what it was.

It was Toby and Selene. "Toby, why are there statues of you and your paramour?"

"My what?" Toby hopped closer to have a peek at the statue, going dark as he realized they were of himself. "Other tsuki are happy I and Selene are together. Not... all sure why, but they get very happy."

Cadance smiled a kind smile, with a mother's joy, she raised a hoof to Toby's back, patting him gently. "Your friends are delighted that you have found a partner. They approve of your choice, and likely hope you two will be happy together. Tell me." She glanced around, to be sure Selene was not nearby. "What do you think of her?"

Toby reached for the statue, running his fingers over the fine details of the metal. "Selene is good tsuki, confusing, but good. She want things from me. Not understand all things, but learn. She make I--me happy." He gently set the statue beside the bin it had come from. "Is good tsuki. What is next looking?"

Quick nodded towards them all. "Well said. We're working backwards, but that is how things are laid out. The ore is dug out from the deepest tunnels, refined close to there, and come closer and closer as things become more complex." He gestured with his hoof at the great cables and red-hot bins of metal. "This would be more difficult to manage were it deep within the mining complex."

"Understandable," agreed Cadance. "It's good to see that this industrial force is used both for tools and art. Do they smith things directly?"

"Yes!" came a new voice, a doe tsuki landing just in front of Cadance, a hammer wielded in her right paw. "I is smith! I hammer all day long and make good things." She swung her hammer around, much to the concern of Shining and Flash, but the hammer never struck Cadance, however close it seemed to get at times, fanning her fur with its rushes. "You no mold everything. Sometimes, personal touch." She struck the ground with her hammer, sparks flying as the metal crushed some of the rock. "I is good at it. Want see?"

Quick gave a strained smile at the new tsuki. "We appreciate your offer, but the tour must proceed."

The new tsuki pouted, her hammer resting on the ground as she leaned on its length. "Aw, is good see. You is sure?"

Cadance smiled at the enthusiastic doe. "I would very much like to see how you work. Perhaps we can stop by later?"

"Yes!" She hefted her hammer with a great twirl, managing its momentum in the swing to end up holding it in two paws, one cradling the head, the other the handle. "You come, I show. You will like. Maybe I make something special for you, for pretty pink pony princess."

Shining cleared his throat softly. "Pardon me, miss? We didn't get your name."

"Not get name! Is my name! Can't have it." She shook her head, ears flopping about. "But can know it, because friends. I is Spark Driver, 'cause is what do, yes? Come when ready." She bounded away on two legs, taking her hammer with her.

Quick smiled his wicked little smile. "As you can see, the tsuki take pride in their work. The chance to demonstrate it to others is exciting to them. They are a people whose time has come, and they will reach for what is theirs."

Flash arced a brow, but was quiet. Shining was less reserved in his misgivings, "Peacefully, I would hope?"

Quick waved the worry away as he turned to continue down the hallway. "They are a kind people. They would certainly never visit harm on a trusted ally, and that is what we are, is it not?"

Cadance could detect the double-meaning there. Were they not allies, well, that would change things. Her expression hardened slightly as she followed along after Quick. "The tsuki do not strike me as a people eager to take up weapons, be it against allies or enemies. Have you had to protect your borders against any invading force?"

Before Quick could give a careful reply, Toby was already spouting a reply, "Is peaceful here. We not have to fight. Was only one fight." He frowned softly. "Is bad one, not like. Tsuki hurt pony friend... I not happy."

Cadance came to a sudden halt, gazing at Toby with surprise. "What happened?"

Quick stepped firmly between Toby and Cadance. "This happened." He raised his crystal leg. "I had brought it on myself. The tsuki can fight, and they reminded me of that very fact. It was my error, and this--" he slowly waved the leg, keeping attention on it. "--was a gift they gave, to show what power there is in being friends. I will not repeat that mistake."

And nor should you, Cadance heard clearly in her head. It was a threat, couched in such a way as to be an entreaty to peace. She could not answer it directly without sounding in poor form. "That does not appear to be of tsuki construction."

Quick's calculated smirk turned to a more natural smile. "It was purchased from your own people, Princess. The tsuki traded for it."

Shining Armor quickly nodded. "That was how we learned of... this." He waved a hoof at the underground city as a whole. "I didn't know the leg was going to be used by the local equivalent of..." he trailed off, suddenly unsure. "Are you noble? What is your title?"

Quick waved his good leg lightly, dismissing the motion. "I am Lord Sombra's right-hand pony, and that is all the title I need for the moment. I make his will apparent and serve as a second set of eyes, ears, and hooves. You may consider me his seneschal. And you are princess-consort?"

Shining blushed faintly at that. It wasn't wrong, really, but everyone... "They call me prince." They called him that, but he wasn't really one. His only claim to royalty was being married to Cadance.

Cadance bumped against him. "He is my very precious prince, and I'll have no one calling him any different. He has served that title with all the gravity you give to your own, seneschal. Now, what is next on the tour?"

Quick turned away from them. "Very good. Next on the itinerary, we work backwards along the production line. You have seen how they can work with refined metal, but what good is that without the refined metal? We will approach the refining equipment, where useless ore is turned into ready metals."

Flash fell in beside Toby, walking at an easy pace. "Do you ever work here?"

Toby shook his head slowly. "No. I am lead tsuki, remember? Visit, talk to tsuki and fix problems, not work here."