//------------------------------// // A Crafter's Dream Ch. 57: Meeting the People (Part 1) // Story: A Crafter's Dream (Discontinued) // by ruthim345 //------------------------------// Now, without further ado, I present, “A Crafter’s Dream” One Day Later Steve walked through the empty hall, his footsteps softly echoed as he walked, his quiet breathing helping fill the silence that surrounded him. His gaze lazily drifted around, finding nothing of interest save for a few paintings of ponies, long-since dead, that hung on the wall. “Clover the Clever. 24 BC - 51 AU.” Steve spoke, reading the small epitaph that hung just below the picture of a pale white mare with a mint-green mane. Her lavender eyes were looking up, a small, confident grin plastered on her muzzle. “She lived over 2,000 years ago, apparently.” ‘Indeed. In fact, she was one of the ponies who unified the three tribes and ended the Great War.’ Nightmare Steve informed his host. Steve nodded. “Yeah, I remember Derpy telling me something like that a while ago. I gotta say, the mare loves history.” Steve continued to walk down the hall, soon coming to a turn, where he turned left, only to find more empty hall. Letting out a tired sigh, he rubbed his face with a hand and chuckled. “You know, for how much the Royal Guard boasts about its security, they do leave a lot of the halls understaffed.” The Crafter commented, looking up and down the corridor. “I haven’t seen a single guard yet today.” ‘Yes, that is strange. Didn’t the Princess say yesterday that she would assign a guard to help you find your way around the castle?’ Steve nodded. “Yeah, but no one ever showed up. Guess whoever it was probably got lost too. Besides, I can find my way around just fine.” He said with a chuckle. “Anyway, Nightmare Steve, could you do that magic sense thing you do and find out where Celestia is?” ‘Sure. Give me a moment.’ It was quiet for a moment as Steve waited patiently for Nightmare Steve to do his work. Finally, after a moment, the Nightmare spoke. ‘She is on the floor below us, to the north-east. I believe there is a set of stairs up ahead and to your right.’ “Got it, thanks.” Steve responded, nodding in appreciation before setting off again down the hall in a slight speed-walk. Approaching the end of the corridor, he glanced to his right and, just like Nightmare Steve had said, there was a set of stairs, one leading up and the other going down. Steve swiftly descended the tiled stone steps down to the landing, before turning to the second set of stairs, which led to the floor below. Stepping off the last step, he walked into the corridor, looking both ways. Unlike the floor he’d just come from, there was much more activity here, as seen by the trio of maids he saw walking by or the ponies in golden armor that stood guard or patroled about. They all noticed his arrival immediately, and Steve knew it, from the way the guards all visibly tensed up, or how the maids, after staring at the Crafter with wide, fearful eyes, hurried off the moment he so much as glanced at them. Steve rolled his eyes and let out a sigh before continuing on down the hall. “Geez, ponies do scare easily, don’t they?” He muttered to himself, ignoring the glare he received from a guard he was passing by. “You’d think that after all the shit that happens in this country they’d be a little less skittish.” ‘These are not the ponies of Ponyville, Steve.’ Nightmare Steve spoke up. ‘Canterlot ponies most likely don’t experience the danger and peculiarity that is the Everfree forest like Ponyville does everyday. That, coupled with the fact that they’ve probably heard about what you can do makes them afraid, which is probably a good thing. After all, it’s better to be feared than to be loved. However, I know that being feared isn’t what you want.’ Steve sighed in exasperation. ‘Of course that isn’t what I want, Nightmare! Villains are the guys that are supposed to be feared! I don’t want to be thought of as a villain!’ ‘Then what do you want?’ Nightmare Steve inquired. Steve furrowed his eyebrows, thrown off slightly by the question. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘What is it that you want? Out of life, I mean.’ The Nightmare reiterated. Steve thought for a moment, then shrugged. ‘I’m not sure really. Probably just keep doing what I do best, fighting bad guys and protecting the innocent.’ ‘And after that?’ Steve’s footsteps slowed before he came to a stop altogether. ‘Steve?’ The Nightmare inquired, worried about the feeling of sorrow that began to bloom in the Crafter’s chest. Steve remained silent. Then, after a few moments of silence, he continued walking. “I don’t know.” He spoke quietly, voice barely audible even though there wasn’t anyone except the two of them around at the moment. “For a while, I thought that I could just keep fighting, and one day I wouldn’t have to any more. That one day I could stop.” His fists were clenched tight and his teeth grit. “But now I’m not so sure. Because I fought, I fought for a long time, and I lost everything as a result. My home. My family. My friends. Everything.” He rubbed his face with one hand. “And then I came here, and I had to fight all over again, be it ponies or manticores, or even Herobrine himself.” He sighed. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop fighting. At some point, something will happen, and I’ll have to pick up my sword again and go off to battle, unsure if I’ll ever return. It seems that, despite my best efforts, I’ll always have to fight.” He let out a shuddering sigh. “All I want is a peaceful life. Is that truly too much to ask for?” The Nightmare didn’t respond. * * * * * Celestia was worried, for many different reasons. For one, there was the sudden appearance of changelings in her nation. She’d only dealt with changelings, as well as their resident queen, twice before. Both times had ended in a terrible battle where many had lost their lives. If the changelings were back, then that meant something bad was going to happen, very soon. She worried for her citizens, who most of which had only ever lived in relative peace and tranquility their whole lives. They didn’t know what war was, and if she could help it, they never would. She worried about the various ambassadors that had arrived over the last few days, two minotaurs from Mitural, three ponies from Saddle Arabia, the yak chief and his cohorts from Yakistan, along many others, all arriving to attend the summit she was hosting the next day. But most of all, she worried about her friend, a certain Crafter who would be staying in the castle for the next couple of days. She worried about how the public would react to him when she finally told them about Steve. It was why she’d invited him to breakfast, so they could talk things over and make a plan. However, almost an hour had passed and Steve still hadn’t arrived. She sighed, pressing a golden-clad hoof to her forehead. “Steve, where are you?” She muttered to herself. “Princess?” A familiar voice spoke up from her side. Glancing over, she saw her faithful assistant, Raven Inkwell, standing over to her left. “It’s almost time for Daycourt to begin.” Hesitating for a moment, Celestia finally nodded, then stood up. “Very well. I’d hoped to meet Steve here this morning, but it seemed he couldn’t make it.” Quickly fitting her crown back onto her head, she nodded to Raven. “Do you have everything you need?” She nodded. “Good. Let’s get going then.” With that, they both swiftly left the room, heading towards the throne room so Daycourt could get underway. As they walked, the Solar Diarch glanced over at her assistant, spotting the conflicted look on the young mare’s face. “Is something wrong Raven?” She asked with a worried tone. Raven hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “No, it’s nothing your Majesty. Just thinking.” “About what, if I may ask?” Celestia inquired. “It’s… about your friend, Mr. Steve.” The white alicorn’s eyebrow rose. “What about him?” “It’s just…” Raven sighed before glancing up at Celestia. “Do you really think the public will accept him?” The Solar Diarch blinked in surprise at the question, then put a hoof to her chin in thought. “I’m not sure.” She replied after a moment. “I cannot speak for the general public, after all. But it is my hope that they do, for Steve deserves far better than the hoof he’s been dealt.” Sighing, she glanced over at her assistant. “Why do you ask? I thought you didn’t care for him.” “I don’t.” She responded, shaking her head. “What I do care about is how your friendship with him would affect your public image if they happen to not like him.” Celestia scowled, already seeing where she was going. “Raven, I trust your opinion on many things, but I will not break my friendship with Steve just to aid my public image, if that is what you’re suggesting.” Raven sighed. “I figured as much. Just be careful, okay?” She asked, voice soft. “He is pretty well-known, though not for the best reasons.” The Solar Diarch sighed, then nodded. “I know. But, I hope that the summit today will change that.” “And if it doesn’t?” Raven inquired. Celestia didn’t have an answer. * * * * * Princess Luna couldn’t sleep. She tried everything, from fluffing her several pillows to counting imaginary sheep. Nothing worked, which was why she was still awake. Sighing in frustration, she turned over in her bed and sat up, her hind legs hanging off the edge of the mattress. Groaning loudly, she face hoofed. “Sleep, why dost thou escape us!?” She yelled, before flopping onto her back and sighing. Moments later, there was the slight squeak as her bedroom door slowly opened. “Uh, your Majesty?” A voice spoke up, prompting the Lunar Diarch to sit back up and glance at the doorway. There was one of her Lunar guards, easily recognizable with his silver-colored armor. His green cat-like eyes and leathery wings informed her that he was a thestral. “Yes?” Luna spoke, getting onto her hooves. “What is the problem?” “Um, it’s just…” The guard hesitated. “Well, I heard you yelling just a moment ago, about how you couldn’t sleep. Wanted to know if you needed anything.” Luna stared at the guard for a few moments as her brain finally registered what he had asked. Then, she shook her head. “No. There is nothing we need now, thank thee.” He nodded. “Okay. Just making sure. If you need anything, I’m right outside.” With that, he left the room, the door gently swinging shut behind him. Luna stared at the closed door for a moment, then laid back down on her bed. For a while, she simply stared at the ceiling. Then, she let out a humorless chuckle as she face-hooved. “Why was I so stupid?” She spoke loudly herself, all traces of her old Equish suddenly gone. “He was never evil, I was just too blind to see it, too eager to win back their affection. He’s done more for our citizens than I ever have. He battled a powerful foe to protect ponies that had hurt him and hunted him. He saved Tia where I was powerless to help her. He tamed a Nightmare whereas I succumbed to its power.” She sighed before rolling over. “What do I do? How can I possibly hope to reconcile my wrongs against him?” “Well, in my opinion, an apology would be a great start.” Luna’s eyes widened and she shot up to see a familiar looking stallion standing a short distance away. He walked over and sat next to the bed as Luna sat up. “Thou art Steve’s companion, the General.” “Yes.” Trench spoke curtly, expression even. “My name is General Trench Digger, your Highness. And we need to talk.”