An Extended Holiday

by Commander_Pensword

172 - ...The More they Stay the Same

Extended Holiday
Chapter 172: ...The More they Stay the Same

Gryphons and Unicorns marched steadily while Pegasi flew overhead until they reached the perimeter of the no-flight zone. Their armor was mismatched, their appearances ragged. Whether from years of battle, malnourishment, or a fight to survive, none could say. Perhaps it was a combination of the three. But all looked on the great stone walls that had been built around Unity with grim expressions.

The banners of three houses flew in the hooves of standard bearers. The first was a golden hoof with a pen jabbing through it. The second portrayed a mortar and pestle with a flask behind it as the backdrop. The third portrayed an exceptionally long spiral horn shaped like a lance. When the troops finally halted, a rousing fanfare played out from a series of trumpets as three messenger Ponies stood forward bearing scrolls in their magical grasp.

“To the residents of the colony known as Unity!” the first one called.

“We come bearing messages from our lords!” the second cried.

“Who shall receive them?” the third asked.

“I’ll receive them!” Hurricane spoke as he calmly flew to them. “One at a time.” He looked to the trumpeters. “If any of you blow your instruments one more time, I'll shove them so far up your flanks, you’ll be playing them out the back end for the rest of your life. This is a battlefield not a parade ground.”

The trumpeters balked or winced in kind as the messengers passed the scrolls to the commander. “We shall await your reply,” they said in unison.

Hurricane nodded “I can give you that right now.” He walked up to the first messenger. He smacked him with his hoof and sent him to the ground. Moving faster than they obviously suspected, he proceeded to do the same to the other two before they could react.

“Lord Hammer Strike hopes you can deliver that message exactly as he wrote it,” Hurricane said before doing an about face and returning to the wall.

“Come on, if you’re sending a message for me, you can at least put the effort into it.” Hammer Strike called out.

“I have three demands of surrender for you.” Hurricane handed hammer strike the messages.

“And you only gave them the one response?”

“My lord is a man of few words.”

“Damn you for getting it right.” Hammer Strike smirked. “I’ll add it to the firewood later.”

“Should we fire on them?” Hurricane asked.

Hammer Strike hummed. “How many times have they showed up now?”

“This would be their sixth attempt to parlay. I think they believe they have us under siege.”

“Then you’re five times late on asking that question.” Hammer Strike nodded. “Have fun.”

Hurricane nodded to his lieutenant, who began shouting orders. Soon arrows began filling the field. They were only just missing as the messengers and their entourage galloped away. It seems over the last few years, the close work between Unity’s Pegasi and Gryphon forces had given birth to a new weapon. The heavy Pegasus compound bow was a design that Hammer Strike had to admit was impressive. Nowhere near a Gryphon bow’s range, but the Pegasi firing were accurate to well over a kilometer.

“Perhaps a brand or two might send the message next time,” Hammer Strike pondered.

“I’ll have a fire made and brands put into it. Anything in particular?”

“Come now, do you really need to ask?”

“While you’ve had some funny ones, the men found the one with your symbols Mars and Venus intertwined particularly hilarious.” Hurricane laughed.

“That was a good one.” Hammer Strike hummed. “I could do that as a general brand, yeah. I’ll add it to my list of projects.”

“You wonder how long it will take them to realize that a siege requires us to need the outside to survive?” Hurricane asked.

“Given how long it’s been, I’ll give them another few years, and that’s being generous.”

“Has to be the easiest job those mercenaries ever had, being paid to sit outside the wall and do nothing.”

“Definitely.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “All right, I’ve got work to do. Anything else to report?”

“Not really. I’ll alert you if anything changes, but short of them getting Minotaurs or a Dragon, I don’t see them getting through after Clover totaled their siege towers.”

“Yeah.” Hammer Strike frowned. “Took all the fun for herself on that one...”

The “sieging” forces roiled in the afternoon sun as scores of organized troops tromped forward bearing the banner of Drakenfeller. The young noble had matured even more over the last several years, and now strode without pause with his small army in tow. Civilians lay huddled in the center of the ring while soldiers filed around them with swords, spears, lances, and javelins at the ready. Three Ponies raced to keep up: one a portly yellow stallion with a brown mane and vibrant blue eyes. The second was a tall lanky Unicorn with green fur and dark sunken purple eyes that verged on black. The third was a white mare with a glossy wavy gold mane and eyes whose pupils stretched to create a shimmering four-pointed star that accentuated the vivid emerald of her irises.

“You can’t seriously be thinking what I think you’re thinking, Drakenfeller,” the portly stallion huffed. Small beads of perspiration had formed over his brow, and he wiped at them with a kerchief as he struggled to keep up with the stallion.

“What I think is my own business, Goldscript. And I would thank you kindly to remember that.”

“Then you intend to put aside your pride as a Unicorn and debase yourself?” The green one yawned as he kept stride with the pair. “I might have known after the meeting you had here before.” He shrugged. “He is a formidable opponent.”

“And I see your intelligence network is still just as reliable, Viscount. Tell me, how does it feel taking orders from Duke Pensley? Is he still forbearing from ‘getting his hooves dirty?’”

The viscount yawned again and shrugged. “It is what it is. You know I don’t really care for such things. It’s the research that matters to me.”

“It’s best to get the unpleasantness out in the open,” the mare stated as she eyed Drakenfeller. “Do you or do you not intend to join Hammer Strike as either a vassal state or potential ally?”

“What does it mean to you if I do, Spellcroft? At least he has a sensible head on his shoulders. You lot are too busy squabbling to actually care about the land and your people.”

The mare’s horn flickered dangerously. “You know we can’t allow you to do that.”

Drakenfeller’s tone was quiet and level as he stared her down. “Do you really want to do this? Attacking me is one thing. Attack my people and I will slaughter every last one of your soldiers where they stand.”

“Or better yet, I will,” a voice spoke as black flames erupted from the ground and a large robed skeletal figure carrying a golden staff walked out. Flanking him were two even larger figures covered in huge sets of dark platemail. Thick metal horns jutted out the sides of their helmets as dry skin and rotting gums were bared for all to see.

“Faust have mercy!” the portly Unicorn cried.

“You gave that up when you decided to turn your weapons on non-combatants,” Ainz responded. He lifted a skeletal hand and blue flames erupted above his palm. The instant heat was enough to force everything living that was close to take a step back. “These are the lands of Lord Hammer Strike. You may prance and show off as you wish, but you will not turn your weapons or spells to the innocent or the noncombatant. You will have your forces move aside and allow this Unicorn and his people to enter Unity unopposed. Do this and no harm will come to you. Defy this and pay a price far worse than death.”

The green one yawned again. “A lich. That explains a lot,” he said calmly.

“How can you be so calm about this?” Goldscript yelped.

“I’m a researcher. I lost interest in caring about things like my lifespan a long time ago.” He shrugged. “Probably might have tried something similar if it weren’t for the fact I wanted my soul to go to Faust. That, and as a potion-maker, I’d rather not have my experiments do me harm.”

“The fact you would even consider such an existence disgusts me,” Spellcroft spat.

Viscount shrugged. “No skin off my back.” He looked to Ainz. “So, was it worth it?”

The mare let out a primal scream as a bolt of holy magic blazed from her horn and arced at the lich. “Full retreat!” she barked at her troops. “Move!”

Ainz released his staff, which floated beside him. He reached out and grabbed the magical energy out of the air. “Interesting” he said, examining it like it was some sort of insect or exotic fruit. He proceeded to place it into the core of his fireball before tossing it over his shoulder. It exploded in a massive dome of holy fire that incinerated several trees. With a second wave of his hand, all three Unicorns found themselves trapped as giant spires of bone surrounded them. The death knights stalked forward, ignoring the various arrows and spells fired at them, and produced enormous jagged greatswords. They held their blades on either end of the impromptu cage, ready to swing and cleave the bone and those inside them in twain at a moment's notice.

“Wait a minute!” Goldscript shrieked. “I didn’t even strike. Why am I in a cage? Someone get me out of here!”

Out of the whole troops that had been gathered, nearly two thirds turned and fled without remorse.

“Come back here, you cowards! Wait for me!” Goldscript cried, then wailed in despair.

“Drakenfeller, can you give me a solid good reason I shouldn’t just execute these three right now?” Ainz turned to the lord.

“Each are potent contributors in their various fields. The viscount is one of our foremost researchers in the field of alchemy and potions crafting. Spellcroft is a potent mage said to have a blessing from the gods. And as for Goldscript, well … I suppose he isn’t quite so important. He is an eminent scholar and passionate collector of rare tomes, however. If he’s willing to exchange some of those, it might be worth keeping him around. Of course, they would all have to be bound to prevent any forms of magic being utilized.”

“Hammer strike, I’ve captured three of the nobles leading one of the factions against you. How would you have me deal with them?” Ainz asked through his channel.

“Are they worth keeping alive?”

Ainz relayed everything Drakenfeller had just told him.

“Someone high in the ranks of alchemy might be useful. Ss for a powerful mage, we’ve got plenty of them. The blessing doesn’t matter much. The keeper of tomes…. Clover’s got a large enough collection as is, and is quite active in securing more.”

“Congratulations.” Ainz turned to them, letting them gain hope for a moment. “Viscount, lord Hammer Strike will see you.” Somehow, one of the death knights reached a hand through the bone like it wasn’t present and grabbed the Unicorn, pulling him up and placing him securely on its shoulder. “As for you two, you have ten minutes. You may use those minutes to grovel, make threats, or whatever comes to mind, though I would highly suggest preparing your final regards to your families.”

The death knight holding the viscount vanished into the portal of black flames.

Goldscript’s blubbering and wails came immediately. Spellcroft glared at her captors, but otherwise remained silent. She wasn’t about to give them the satisfaction.

“Hammer strike, just so we have all this covered, I am going to execute these two unless you tell me otherwise in the next three minutes. They will die swiftly and painlessly. Do you acknowledge this?”

“Doesn’t sound like a loss to me.”

“Drakenfeller, you formally witness that this is in response to them attacking us first?” Ainz asked the Unicorn.

“I believe the attack was meant to allow her troops the chance to escape you. Given she doesn’t understand your nature the way Unity does, I can understand why she acted in such a manner. However, if you believe her actions justify the deed, I will act as witness. It is your lord’s land, after all.”

Ainz reached one skeletal hand forward, looking at Spellcroft. Black energy formed in his palm. It twisted and altered to form the rough shape of the Unicorn’s heart in his palm. “Any last words?”

“Get it over with already.”

Ainz closed his fist in one rapid motion, crushing the ethereal heart with no effort. At the same moment, the light left the mare’s eyes and she fell dead to the ground.

Goldscript screamed all the louder and began to hyperventilate. “I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die!” His horn began to glow.

Ainz turned to him, palm open again, and the heart began to form. “There are things far worse than death.” And once again, he crushed the heart. His eyeless sockets watched on, cold and unmoved by the Unicorn’s fear. The cry faded to a choking gurgle as the Unicorn collapsed. A sickening squelch sounded as the light from the horn flashed. When the light faded, the lower half of the corpse’s body had disappeared, and blood mingled with a clear liquid as the upper half drained itself.

Drakenfeller turned aside in disgust. “Disgraceful.”

“Death is something everyone handles differently,” Ainz said, shaking his head as he waved a hand and incinerated the bodies. Neither was particularly suitable for undeath. “I believe it’s time I took you and yours back to Unity. Who knows how those that followed them will react when they get ahold of themselves?”

“I admit I wish you had waited until after we had gotten the foals away, but I agree. We should get my people inside the gates as soon as possible.”

“They saw nothing.” Ainz shrugged. “I made sure to glamour everything that happened.”

Drakenfeller sighed in relief. “Thank you for that kindness.”

“Now, let’s go. I imagine you have a lot of news for us.”

Hammer Strike hummed to himself as he painted the city in its current state. Every few years, he would paint the settlement from a vantage point next to his house. It offered a way for him to get a general scale of the changes as the years went by.

“It’s beautiful,” a familiar voice spoke behind him.

Hammer Strike turned to find Clover approaching him. “Appreciated. I … actually do this every few years to see progress.”

“Everyone needs their way of self expression. Besides making weapons of war, that is,” Clover said as she approached. “Your art is amazing.”

“You’re trying to butter me up,” Hammer Strike noted as he raised a brow. “Any particular reason?”

“Not really.” She shrugged. “Just trying to spend some time with you.”

“I’m not going to be upset if you blew something up again,” Hammer Strike offered.

“One time.” She sighed “That was one time.”

“Twice, actually. The first time was just less … dramatic.”

“Hammer strike, what are your plans for the future?”

Hammer Strike blinked as he looked at Clover. “Well, I’m kinda here? I mean, it’s not like I have anywhere else to be. Point-in-time excluded.”

“I mean, what about family?” she pressed.

“You’re all here?” Hammer Strike rubbed the side of his head in confusion.

“Where do you see us going from here?” she tried again.

“Uhh,” Hammer Strike hummed. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

A heavy sigh heralded the arrival of Harmony as she materialized next to him. Her hoof was on her face as she shook her head. “You know, with your sheer analytical brilliance, I would have expected you to see through to what she’s really trying to say by now.” She groaned when Hammer Strike stared blankly at her. “Oh, for creation’s sake. She’s pregnant!”

“She’s preg—” HIs attention snapped over to Clover. “You’re pregnant?” he commented, surprised.

“I—yes,” Clover admitted.

“I … I thought we kept track of your cycle.” Hammer Strike placed a hoof on his head as he thought everything over. “Just in case and all that. Analytically speaking, I suppose there was a percentage chance, but it was low.”

“Low isn’t impossible,” Clover said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “I didn’t mean for this to happen either.”

“No, no. I’m not upset. I’m just surprised.” Hammer Strike continued to think things over.

“So, where do we go from here?” Clover asked.

“I …” Hammer Strike looked over to his house. “I think I’m going to look towards making a new room. Perhaps we should also … probably make things official.”

“I don’t want you to feel forced into that.”

“Clover,” Hammer Strike gave her a smile. “Trust me, it’s not like that.”

“Then … that's really what you want?” she asked him.

“Of course.” He wrapped both forelegs around her. “Do you really think me so fickle? Once I’ve made up my mind, you’re stuck with it.”

“It’s about time,” Harmony said. “I was about ready to hit you over the head with something, if you didn’t get a move on.”

“Oh, shush you.” Hammer Strike smirked at Harmony before returning his attention to Clover.

Clover said nothing. She just hugged him tightly. He could feel moisture on his neck.

“Ex Divinia etiam.” Hammer Strike gave a small smile. “I’m gonna have to tell Yharon.”

“You’re gonna have to tell Luna and Celestia, too, whenever they turn up.”

“Oh, gods, don’t remind me.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “I’ll get everything on the house front dealt with. Collect your stuff whenever you’re ready, yeah?”

“I, well, I—” she hugged him tighter. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he returned. After a few minutes of blissful silence looking over all they had accomplished, Hammer Strike looked down to Clover again and smirked. “You get to deal with Anderson.”

“Screw that. Binding’s doing the ceremony. I respect Anderson, but I'm not Faustian. And last I checked, neither were you.”

“I mean, technically, I follow none of them,” he replied. “Despite talking with all of them…” he muttered.

“So, Binding it is?”

“Yeah.” Hammer Strike nodded. “I wonder how long it’ll take him to process the request.”

“Who knows?” Clover shrugged. “Let's hope it won’t be too long.”

“Give him enough time to reboot first, after he realizes how badly he lost the bet,” Harmony teased.

Hammer Strike frowned to himself as he wandered the roads of Unity, scanning over everything within the city walls. He was looking for particular individuals, and wanted to ensure that everything was running as smoothly as it could be. His first stop was to the apothecary. Poultice and Bella had received upgrades to their building when Viscount was brought into Unity. It took some time for them to adjust to each other, but their work certainly started to shine.

Viscount and Poultice both hovered over a bubbling beaker as Hammer Strike entered.

“Just a little more,” Poultice said. “And we’ll have a proper soft solution!”

“But we can’t get too excited yet. It needs to be tested. You have the sample ready?” Viscount asked.

“It wasn’t that hard to find,” Bella noted testily. “Just because I’m older doesn’t mean I’m blind.” She hefted a small statuette of a squirrel onto the table, then rolled her eyes. “I swear, you two are giddier than a pair of fillies in a gossip mill.”

Viscount laughed. “What can I say? Your husband reminds me of when I was a student.” The dark circles about the green Unicorn’s eyes had lightened significantly. “I haven’t brewed one of these in decades!”

Poultice levitated a small dropper over the vial.

“Just a couple should do it. That’s distilled from Clover’s garden, after all. Very potent.”

Poultice nodded and squeezed the dropper gently. Sweat beaded his brow as one, two, three drops hissed into the brew and it turned a bright yellow. Viscount levitated the beaker in his aura and placed it on a spare stand to cool.

“Excellent. Give it a few minutes to settle, and we can watch the magic, literally.” He chuckled again. Then his eyes widened as he turned toward the door. “Hammer Strike. What brings you here?”

“I’m simply checking up on everyone around Unity, ensuring things are in place, everyone’s happy, all that,” Hammer Strike explained. “I see all three of you are getting along well.”

“Having an experienced set of hooves has increased our efficiency dramatically. That, and little Muninn has a new playmate,” Bella said.

“Your son is exceptionally knowledgeable for one so young. You’ve raised him well,” Viscount praised.

“You’re certainly starting to look healthier as well, Viscount,” Hammer Strike noted.

“And why shouldn’t I after the conversation we had with Master Ainz? You’ve confirmed the potential for one of my greatest ambitions. Of course I’m going to show some change.”

“Even then, you’re starting to show healthier signs and better self-care.”

“Well, I suppose if you want to get down to the nitty gritty, part of that could be attributed to the contract I agreed to. I can’t very well work for the betterment of your—excuse me, of Unity, if I don’t maintain myself as well.”

“That’s good, then.” Hammer Strike nodded. “In general, is everything running smoothly here?”

“We have no complaints,” Bella assured him. “Though we have had some visitors that have been helping lately. They’re a little on the shy side, so it may take some time before they’re ready to meet you directly.”

“That’s good to hear.” Hammer Strike smiled. “If that’s the case, I’d best be on my way. Plenty of shops to visit.”

“Feel free to drop by later. I’ll brew my most famous potion, and we can talk affairs,” Poultice said, then winked.

Hammer Strike nodded as he exited the shop. Next on his list was Free Market. It had been some time since he last talked with her. It didn’t help that she was running her shop almost day-in and out, last he checked. 

Free Market’s emporium towered at three stories and stretched wide enough to take up enough space for three houses. A massive cart sat on the side, where hearty Earth Ponies worked in tandem to pull down crates full of food, clothing, and other amenities to carry inside. And all the while, a familiar mare stood with scroll in hoof to check off the delivery. Some gray had begun to hedge in along the green stripe on her mane, and the maroon had lightened ever so slightly over the years. Her hair had been tied into a bun out of necessity, but other than that, her prosperity and success had not changed the values she carried with her.

“It’s certainly been a while, hasn’t it, Free Market?” Hammer Strike commented as he approached.

Free Market smiled. “Well, well. Would you look who finally decided to pay a visit again. We were worried our number one customer had forgotten about us.”

“Sorry I can’t stop by more often, but you probably have an idea of how hectic it’s been running things.”

“That happens when you carry the weight of so many people on your shoulders. I’m just glad you don’t try to carry it alone.”

Hammer Strike chuckled. “How have things been running on your end?”

She returned the gesture. “Let’s just say it helps having so many strong boys around to do the heavy lifting.” She raised her voice. “Boys, don’t be rude now. Come say hello to your uncle!”

“Wait, what?”

The Ponies that were free all waved their hellos before returning to work. Free Market shook her head. “I suppose I’ll let them off with that. And to answer your question, Hammer Strike, you’re basically an honorary member of the family. If it weren’t for you and what you did for me, these colts wouldn’t even be here today.”

Hammer Strike gave a brief smile. “Well, I appreciate it. I’ve been trying to catch up with everyone, get a general layout of the city and how things are going.”

“Haven’t you been doing that every month for the last couple of decades?”

“Not entirely.” Hammer Strike rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s been busy, and I’ve been mentally everywhere trying to keep track of it all.”

“You could always try getting more help.”

“Binding’s been helping me out so far,” Hammer Strike noted. “Though, it might be an idea, yeah… Perhaps Drakenfeller might be willing to assist.”

“He might, at that. He has a good head on his shoulders for a noble.”

“That’s a rare lot, indeed.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “I’ll probably talk with him about it later. If everything has been running smoothly, I suppose I should continue on.”

“You come back here with Clover for some dinner sometime. A good homecooked meal would do her some good. After all, she’s eating for two now, isn’t she?”

“Indeed.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “I’ll mention it to her,” he replied as he turned to leave. “Until next time.”

“Farewell, Hammer Strike!” Free Market waved as he left.

Hammer Strike gave a brief wave in return and smiled before turning to the next location on his list. He had a long day, or few days, ahead of him.

Book Broker was quite possibly the most unassuming figure Unity had. An Earth Pony stallion of average size with a fairly ordinary coat of blue with a gray mane. He wore squared spectacles and had a cutie mark of an open book with a magnifying glass on it. Most knew him as a stallion with a luck for finding rare or expensive books at rather cheap prices, and for being quite the gossip. Older mares especially were often seen coming and going from his store to hear the latest rumors.

Currently, he was casually checking the shelves and scrolls around him to make sure everything was meticulously set. His ears perked up as the bell at the door went off, and he turned to look at his newest visitor.

“Quite the collection you’ve managed over the years, Broker,” Hammer Strike commented as he looked around.

“Well, what better way to import information then with information?” Broker asked as he casually moved to the desk nearby. There was a click and the door swung shut and locked. Blinds covering the windows instantly. “What can I do for you, Hammer Strike?”

“Just checking in for now.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Covering assets and all that with everything going on.”

“Understandable.” Broker nodded. “Congratulations, by the way.”

“Appreciated. Anything pop up that I should know about?” Hammer Strike questioned.

“None of my crews have reported anything worth noting yet. As far as my net’s concerned, everything looks okay.”

“Good. How goes the whole, ‘living a normal life’ part of things? I’m sure it’s been quite the change for you.”

“It’s nice to be able to not look over my shoulder all the time.” He nodded. “Of course, the guys are giving me gray hairs.”

“Please, with your disguises, I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t have an issue there. That, and I doubt they’re giving you that much stress.”

“Some of this information doesn't come easy.” He shrugged. “You think the Unicorn kingdom’s ledgers were just out in the open?”

Hammer Strike gave a brief chuckle. “I mean, with how they run things, I wouldn’t be surprised, but fair enough. That crew of yours is managing their covers well, I take it?”

“Of course. I’ve had to do a few bribes to get one or two of them out and move them around, but in general, no one is the wiser.”

“Good. Admittedly, two of them had me worried, but it sounds like they’re managing fine.” Hammer Strike sighed. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave you be. Keep me updated as per usual.”

“You got it.” He nodded. There was another click, and the door opened as the shutters rose again.

“Father, you’re doing it again,” a young voice complained as a small hoof waved in front of Hammer Strike’s face.

“Huh?” Hammer Strike blinked a few times. “Oh, sorry.” He chuckled. It had been a little over three years since Clover had brought up her pregnancy, and he was still adjusting to the situation. Starlight Bulwark’s fur was a deep royal blue with a lighter blue mane that carried silver highlights. His bright eyes carried the intense curiosity of one who wishes to learn and be heard. Though based on the current expression, the colt likely was looking for something else.

“So, tell me what happened next. Where did the kitsunes go?”

“Well, after the others heard of their survival, they came here, a good number of them from their home, to bring them back.” He smiled. “They set off into the sunrise to return to where they called home.”

“But, wasn’t this their home, too?”

“A second home, perhaps. But the Kitsunes are very proud of their heritage, and can never give it up so easily.”

“So, I have three more brothers I won’t get to know.” He frowned. “That’s kind of sad, but I guess I should be happy for them. I’d feel pretty bad if I lost you and Mother, so I suppose it’s the same, right?”

“I suppose it would be.” Hammer Strike nodded. “Though, one thing I am certain of, they will be living their lives to the fullest.”

The colt cocked his head in confusion. “How do you know?”

“Because they were much too stubborn to do otherwise.” Hammer Strike smiled. “They put their minds to bettering their homeland. I don’t see them doing anything less.”

“You mean like you did here with Unity?”

“Pretty much.” He chuckled. “All right, if I recall correctly, your brother Yharon promised to play with you, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, but I wanted to spend some time with you. Besides, Mother said she needed some time alone with him first, and he’d meet us here after.”

As if on cue, the door opened, and Yharon padded through with an apologetic smile. “Sorry I’m late.”

“No worries. I just finished telling Starlight a story.”

Yharon smiled. “Which of the daring exploits did you tell him this time?”

“I told him about Gakushu, Haku, and Kurama.”

“Everything? Wow. I must have taken longer than I thought.” Yharon laughed. He strode forward and ruffled Starlight’s mane. “So, are you ready for our ride, little brother?”

Starlight recoiled. “Yharon!”

“You know I can’t stop doing that at least once in a while, little one. After all, it’s the big brother’s duty to annoy his younger siblings.” He smiled and lowered his hand. “However, we also get to take said siblings on fun adventures to balance it out.”

Starlight’s eyes widened in delight. “Where are we going this time?”

“You’ll just have to climb onto my back and see when we get there.”

Starlight pouted. “You’re no fun.”

“On the contrary. I just know how to play out the suspense.” He smiled as the foal was wrapped in a flaming magical aura and levitated onto his back. “Now let’s say farewell to Father and leave him to his work. I have some friends I want to introduce you to.”

“All right.” Starlight sighed, then raised his hoof and waved. “Goodbye, Father. We’ll see you at dinner.”

Hammer Strike gave a little wave in return. “Have fun.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t do anything you wouldn’t do, Father,” Yharon promised.

“I’d hope not,” Hammer Strike commented bluntly. “I’d even hope you don’t do some of the stuff I actually do.”

“I think we can manage,” Yharon said. He offered a casual salute and strolled out of the office.

Hammer Strike smiled as he pulled out an assortment of documents. “Ex Divinia etiam, time is just flying…”

“That's the nature of time” Clover said as she approached him. “It just keeps moving forward.”

“To a point, yes.” He directed his attention to Clover. “But in my case, I keep feeling like I’m losing track of things.”

“Well, I mean you are constantly thinking about a hundred different problems at once. You’d probably be obsessed with more if Binding and I didn’t start handling things ourselves.”

“Fair point,” Hammer Strike admitted. “Is Drakenfeller taking to his new position well?”

“He’s putting his all into it, now that we’ve managed to move his entire family to Unity. He’s put everything into a plan for how we can take the gentry down quickly and efficiently.”

“Oh, don’t remind me about them.” He sighed. “I don’t like how inactive they are. They’ve been spending the last three years just planning out a method of ‘dealing’ with us all.”

“They’re nobility, with drakenfeller as the exception. They tend to think everyone is stupider than they are.” Clover sighed.

“Yes, but as noted, I dislike their lack of activity. I’d almost prefer they try something, just so I can deal with them and get it over with.”

“Oh, they’ll try eventually. Honestly, I think it’s comforting to know they haven’t tried their ace in the hole yet.”

“Ace in the hole?” Hammer Strike raised a brow.

Clover pointed a hoof up to the sun. “Moving the celestial bodies is currently the task of the Unicorn tribe. Thing is, if they did decide to use them as hostages, we don’t have enough magic to counter them.”

“Perhaps not enough magic,” Hammer Strike frowned. “Perhaps I’ll look into attempting an interaction with it by thaumaturgy. Not quite move it, but see if I can at least … interact with it.”

“I hope so, because otherwise that may be the one thing they have against us,” Clover noted. “Still, I’m happy for their inactivity.”

“I’ll see what I can figure out.” Hammer Strike sighed. “How are the thaumic checkpoints working out?”

“They're working fine. They’ve found twenty-seven attempts so far, and we’ve heard no problems outside those attempts,” Clover noted. “A few of the would-be-traders are angry when their stocks are confiscated, but the population for the most part thinks it’s a good idea.”

“That’s good.” Hammer Strike sighed once again. “I’ve been trying to figure everything out to ensure the safety of our populace.”

“You can’t foal-proof the world.” Clover laughed. “You’re doing everything you can, and the people appreciate it.”

“Now that it’s been some years, have the Pegasi adapted well?”

“If anything, they’ve taken to things better than we thought. Hurricane’s had to set up two more training camps, and we have nearly every fortress in the kingdom filled. Also, Anderson has reported that Pegasi have been converting to Faustianism in droves.”

“That’s … certainly interesting.” He hummed. “I understand the influx to the military, as that was to be expected.”

“I think between the obvious displays of power from Anderson, and the fact we already had some Faustian Pegasi when they came here, it made them realize they had no real faith magic on their side.”

“You’d think Slephnir would put a little more effort in to keep up, wouldn’t you?”

“You really think he’s that smart?” Clover asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, he’s supposed to be running things,” he noted with a smirk.

“So is Platinum,” Clover returned.

“I mean, on a smaller scale, yeah.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “Oh, I can tell he’s listening in.” He nodded. “Let’s swap topics, yeah?”

“Well, we have three guilds set up aside from the adventurers guild, and several more asking for a spot. The upgrades to the mage college are nearly finished. I’m considering naming someone to take over as the head mage there.”

“Think you have a candidate in mind?”

“A few. We have a lot of promising Unicorns here. Admittedly, I had hoped Celestia would have returned by now.”

“They’re both out exploring the world. I’m honestly unsure on when they’ll return. It took us originally seven years to travel from Roo territory to here.”

“You worry about them,” Clover noted.

“Of course I worry.” Hammer Strike frowned. “Gods, you have no idea how much I wanted to send someone after them, Cayde to spy on them, Ainz to create a relay to keep track of them. Hell, I could have even sent these damned things!” He gestured to the additional insignia’s on his coat.

“You’d send your insignias?” Clover asked, confused.

Hammer Strike blinked a few times before he realised what was going on. “Oh, I never showed you them. To be fair, I nearly forgot about them at times.”

Hammer Strike reached a hoof to the insignia on his left shoulder only for it to suddenly separate off his coat and convert into a four-legged blackened mass. It held onto his hoof as he moved it to the table before stepping off and staying put on the table. “This thing is a series of nanites from the Alicorn empire, though it’s a collective mass that forms a singular unit. They can replicate things.”

“That's … fascinating,” Clover said as she examined the creature. She held a hoof to it experimentally.

“They’re connected to me,” Hammer Strike replied. “Mentally, actually. You know how a hivemind works, yeah? Same idea, though they sort of … attached to me.” He looked to the creature, only for it to suddenly shift into a replication of his quill.

“The applications of this could be massive,” Clover noted.

“Yeah, though we only have the two,” Hammer Strike commented as the insignia on his right shoulder followed suit and leaped to the table, replicating a small inkwell.

“Hard to believe they’re artificial.”

“They’re certainly interesting, I can give you that. Though they can work on their own in a basic sense, most of the things they do are controlled by me or my subconscious.”

“Amazing. How did you come across these?”

“The Alicorns tried to use them to kill me by having them absorb my life.” Hammer Strike replied simply. “Which ... I can actually make them do to others as well.”

“So, they made these as weapons? What a waste of potential!”

“I don’t know what they made these for, but I accidentally disconnected their hivemind link, and they promptly connected to me in an attempt of self preservation.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll put them to better use.”

“They’ll certainly be useful for information gathering.” He hummed. “Perhaps I’ll send them off with our next group to have them lay about.”

“Anyway, the roads to the other settlements are almost finished. We’ve had some trouble, but nothing our regular patrols couldn’t handle.”

“Good.” Hammer Strike nodded. “Once that’s dealt with, we’ll have a full network between all of our cities.”

“Also, your people are asking for a standard. They want a palace, too, but I’m holding them off on that part.”

“A palace? Why? I can understand a symbol to work with, since it seems every city has their own, but....”

“You’re their king.” Clover chuckled. “You’re their king, and you live in a cabin. They see it as weird.”

“Well, it’s a nice cabin,” Hammer Strike defended.

“And I'm not saying they’re right.” Clover placed a hoof on his neck. “But it’s what they see.”

Hammer Strike sighed. “I just really don’t care for a lavish environment. The idea of a palace honestly sounds ridiculous to me. Yeah, Unity is a big city, but … a palace?”

“To them, kings live in palaces.” Clover shrugged. “They think it’s weird that nobles have their mansions and Platinum has her castle, but you’re in a little wooden cabin.”

Hammer Strike sighed once more. “I’ll figure something out, probably put it on the backburner for as long as I can.”

“Best you can do. Besides, you can use the Unicorn problem as a reason.”

Hammer Strike tapped his hoof on the desk. “That’s perfect. Great idea.”

“So, anything else you need?”

“Not off the top of my head. I’ll contact you if something does come up, however.”

“Okay, then I'll have just enough time to check on the mages before I hunt down our son.” Clover chuckled, teleporting away.

“Starlight Bulwark? Interesting name choice,” Grif noted, looking at the screen.

“Seems logical enough to me,” Vital said. “Starlight for hope and a bulwark for defense. Best of both worlds, a little from either parent.”

“Okay, so Clover had a son? With Hammer Strike? How is this not recorded in Canterlot?” Twilight asked.

“Discord,” Grif reminded her.

Twilight ground her teeth. “Remind me to have a talk with a certain Draconequus when we get back.”

“Okay,” Derpy promised.

Twilight blinked. “... And suddenly your reminder to me that morning makes sense.”

“Starting to get the whole timey-wimey thing?” Grif asked, chuckling.

“Is this normal for you three or something?”

“It was before we came to Equis, and it apparently still was after for Grif, Pensword, and Hammer Strike,” Vital noted.

“The idea of time not being linear was something humans have toyed with for close to two hundred years now,” Grif said.

“Isn’t it supposed to be, though?” Twilight asked.

Grif looked to The Doctor, who shrugged.

“Twilight, time isn’t a line. It’s more a ball,” Grif said. “A yarn ball, all twisted and wrapped around itself.”

“But a ball of yarn still comes out to a straight line in the end,” Twilight argued. “Once it’s unravelled, you still have that set course of events.”

“True,” Vital said. “But there’s still the series of events that are caused by time travel, etc. that lead to that ultimate outcome.”

Twilight groaned. “This is more confusing than the paradox I created before Cerberus came.”

“You didn’t.” Grif shrugged. “At least not a proper paradox, just a time loop. You stabilized it; therefore, it cannot be paradoxical.”

“If it were….” Vital shuddered. “Let’s just say the universe wouldn’t be the universe. It abhors a paradox.”

“Now, back on topic. You okay there, Rarity?” Grif turned to the other Unicorn.

Rarity sighed. “I admit I knew this was a possibility, but part of me can’t help feeling disappointed that I wasn’t first.”

“At least you’ll have something to bond with Clover over when we get back,” Vital said.

“And certain discussions. I’ve had another herdmate all this time, and she kept quiet about it. I understand her reasoning, but now that we know the truth, some things are going to have to change. Her quarters, for one.”

“That and the entire political climate,” Grif commented.

“You mean the fact Hammer Strike is the real founder of Equestria, the fact he’s probably going to be king, or the fact that he, an Earth Pony, wiped the floor with their ancestors and technically has them bound to the same contract, albeit one that’s been dormant because he hadn’t tethered himself to them yet?” Vital asked.

“Yes,” Grif replied.

“Think he’ll actually exert that authority when he gets back or let them struggle for a while longer to see them stumble over themselves?”

“That's the question.” Grif sighed. “You overestimate how well I know how he thinks, if you think I have the answer.”

Vital shrugged. “I figure we’ll just ask him later.”

“I’m more interested in the research Binding put into those contracts,” Twilight said. “That kind of magic is still exceptionally rare, even in our present.”

“Probably for a reason. The ability to bind souls?” Grif shivered. “That could be misused so easily.”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if Faust made sure to keep that gift out of the wrong hooves precisely for that reason. Can you imagine what that kind of power could do in the hands of a necromancer?” Vital asked.

Twilight shuddered. “Really didn’t need that image, Vital Spark.”

“But it does provide a good warning, and a proper deterrent,” Vital pointed out.

“Twilight, you’re not Clover. You’re not immune to corruption,” Grif said.

“But I’m an Element of Harmony!”

“Didn’t save Luna, and even Hammer Strike was corrupted for a time, if you recall,” Vital pointed out. “None of us is truly safe from corruption in one form or another. Grif does have a point.”

“And what if I were to be bound by a contract ensuring I couldn’t abuse the gift?”

“Can tell you right now, that’s a cold no,” Grif said. “Hammer Strike’d probably even upgrade it to a hell no, free of charge.”

“In other words, Twilight, you should probably just drop it,” Vital said.

“But … but … new magic….”

“Twilight, what did the TARDIS do to you when you started poking around where you weren’t supposed to?” Grif asked.

“... She shocked me.”

“Exactly. Now, consider. If this other branch of magic is also not meant to be looked for, what forces might be brought to bear, that are stronger than the TARDIS, to try to stop you?”

Twilight sighed. “Why is it you three always have to be right?”

“Because someone has to be.” Grif chuckled.

Vital Spark grinned viciously. “Hi, Someone. I’m Vital Spark.”

Pensword turned his head at Vital. “Do you have something you and Trixie want to tell us?” he asked with a giggle. “Because you just did a Dad joke.” He looked to Twilight. “While I can go on with this magic thing… I will not do so in public. I do want to find who Starlight Bulwark marries and everything else, though.” He chuckled, “I could do what my grandmother does and make a scrapbook for him.” He looked at the others. “What? We have the time.”

“Don’t think you’ll be allowed to see that here, Pensword,” Vital noted.

“Well, if she wants to make the scrapbook sealed for all but Hammer Strike, I’m all for it, because he should know this. I don’t care if I know this, but this is for Hammer Strike, not me! He should know what happened to his bloodline.”

“And he probably will,” Vital said. “And you might be able to help him when we get back, assuming you can balance with all your other responsibilities. Let’s just take things one step at a time, okay?”

“And we are in a time machine. I’m working with Grif on getting back in top shape. I’m working on getting my mind sharp as well. And I have my spirit guide, who can travel to and from the spirit realms. I can get hints on where to look. And if I can’t go, I can have others go looking in my name.”

“Yeah, don’t think we can do much of that here right now,” Vital pointed out. “But if you’re looking for a sparring partner, I’m sure I can give you a run for your money.” He grinned. “Care to take a shot?”

“If you don’t mind getting some bruises,” Pensword replied.

“Grif, would you mind officiating?” Vital asked.

Grif nodded. “I’m on it.”

Starlight yawned as he levitated two dark orbs in his horn’s magic. Constant practice and exercises had yielded an ease of use for the spheres. He casually levitated a third orb to join the other two. If Mother could do it, then he certainly could. He sighed as he looked out the window to his room and watched citizens and guards alike passing by the fence on various errands.

“Uh-oh,” a deep voice rumbled. “I know that sigh.” Six orbs levitated from the box near Starlight’s bed to orbit the colorful dragon.

“I’m just thinking,” Starlight mused.

“About?”

“Questions, mostly. I’m a little bored with endurance training, so I like to let my mind wander. Sort of a meditation while I practice.”

“And the questions you ask?”

Starlight shrugged. “I don’t even know where to begin. Who am I, what kind of person do I want to be, are there any expectations I have to live up to, will everyone at Unity be expecting me to take over eventually, am I ever going to have another sibling. Things like that.”

“That is a lot of questions,” Yharon agreed. “Did you think about asking Mother and Father about them?”

“You already know what they’d say for most of them.”

Yharon chuckled. “True. You know that’s the right answer, though. You do need to figure out a lot of those for yourself. No one can really show you the right way. Your role, your place in the world, that’s for you to decide, no matter what other people may or may not expect from you.”

“But how do I discover that?”

Yharon shrugged. “Experiment. Try something new every once in a while. Mother wants us to use our magic to gain mastery of it and make sure it can’t harm anyone, but that doesn’t mean our magic has to be the only thing we ever do.” He smiled. “How about we go visit the bakery after this? I hear they have a sale going on, and I am rather partial to their fruit tarts.”

This time, Starlight chuckled. “You’re partial to pretty much everything, if it’s cooked.”

“Now that’s not necessarily true. And how am I to know, unless I actually try everything I can, hmm?” Yharon smirked.

Starlight laughed. “Okay, okay. You’ve got me. I’ll go for a day in town with you.”

“Good.” Yharon grinned. “I get the feeling we’re going to have quite the adventure today.”

Starlight jabbed Yharon’s fur. The dragon’s tough body easily took the blow. “Now you’re just trying to bring Murphy into it.”

“Well, you looked like you needed a little fun.”

“Fine, but if anything goes wrong, you’re taking the blame.”

The two brothers smiled as they emerged from the pastry shop. In a strangely cartoonish manner, Yharon’s belly seemed to have stretched beyond its normal confines as he popped another treat into his mouth. 

“Careful, Yharon. Father’s likely to put you through the ringer if you eat too many more of those today.”

Yharon chuckled. “One of the benefits of being a dragon, my dear younger brother, is the fact that our metabolisms burn a lot hotter than Equines. In other words, I can gorge myself and be absolutely fine by the end of the day without any negative consequences. This can be difficult for my cousins, since some of them can grow to the size of mountains. It’s also a reason why we often consume gems. They’re higher in natural minerals that help keep our bodies functioning longer than if we were to consume the typical foods a Pony eats. It’s also why many of us hibernate when we reach that size.”

“So, does that mean I get to mess with you when you’re hibernating?”

Yharon smirked. “Do so at your own risk,” he sang.

“Is that an invitation to do my worst?”

“Only if you want me to challenge you to a magical duel later and trounce you.”

“Hmm. Would it be worth it?” Starlight wondered.

“I’ll wager that it’s not,” Hammer Strike commented as he approached the duo.

“Father!” Yharon smiled in surprise. “What brings you out here today?”

“Supply run and checking out the market.” Hammer Strike shrugged.

“So, shopping for Mother?” Starlight asked.

“That, too.” Hammer Strike nodded. “It’s still a strange thing to be honest.”

“What is?” Starlight asked.

“Well, honestly, I used to just live here by myself. I’d tend to the crops, defenses, all that stuff. Despite it being like this for years, part of me is still not quite used to it.”

Starlight pondered that statement for a time, then finally spoke. “Father, if you tended to defenses, does that mean you would practice fighting, too?”

“Yes, actually. I trained our first guard until we got more trained individuals in different fields.”

“Do you still practice?”

“Of course. Yharon can attest to that. Though I passed that torch on, so he could get better experience.”

“Do you think I might be able to watch?”

“Sure.” Hammer Strike nodded. “I don’t see a problem with that. I could bring it up with Hurricane as well, see if he’ll let you watch their matches.”

“Thank you. I’d like that.”

“I’ll get to that when I talk to him next.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “The two of you have been enjoying yourselves today?”

“I figured he needed a day out. He was starting to get a little too in his head.”

“Hey!”

“I tell it like it is,” Yharon pointed out.

“Well, I’ll let you two continue your fun. Though, I’d advise against more sweets.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “I mean, unless you want stomach aches.”

Yharon smiled. “We’ll be good, Father,” he promised.

“After all, we don’t want Mother to bind your stomach against sweets again,” Starlight teased.

“She told you about that?”

Hammer Strike hummed to himself as he continued on his path around town. He would stop by the market and check the ever-changing list of merchants before moving along to the stationary shops.

He was picking up supplies for their next month. Food, materials, that sort of thing. He would occasionally check up on everyone that he could, making an effort to remember names. It helped that his augments could store notes and data, though it upset him that it took a number of years before he learned it could do so.

“Well, if it isn’t Hammer Strike, himself.” A deep bellow of a laugh carried over the crowd as a large Earth Pony in a flannel shirt approached bearing a heavy load of wood bound to his back.

Hammer Strike smiled. “Tree Feller. How’s business going?”

“Oh, not too badly, I suppose. Been doing more tree tending than tree felling lately, but that’s how it goes when spring and summer roll round. Not nearly so much demand when there’s so much furniture well made and ready to go.” He chuckled. “I was just getting this here order ready to take to Smokey for his work. Those Diamond Dogs love a good piece of smoked meat.”

“Them and many others.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “What’s the timetable on my order?”

“You need a rush on it?”

“Oh, no, I’m just wondering how progress is going.”

“We’ll probably have it ready for you by next week. How’re the boys?”

“Rowdy, as per usual.” Hammer Strike smirked. “Though, I suppose it’s to be expected.”

“So it would seem. I’m just glad the bigger fellah finished with his molt. That fire belch was no joke.” He chuckled. “How did you manage to treat all those symptoms, anyway?”

“Lot’s of fine tuning and medical scans.”

“That wife of yours sure is a miracle worker.”

“That, she is.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “I’ll let you get to your dropoff. Have a good day, yeah?”

“You, too. Safe travels, old friend.”

Luna smirked to herself as she approached the cabin she’d not seen in years. Her black and ragged cloak billowed in the wind of midwinter, her rundown saddle bags the only thing keeping her identity as an Alicorn from being revealed. She trotted through the snow admiring how much had changed in her absence. Her hooves made no sound and left no hoofprints as she approached the strong wooden door. She lifted a hoof to knock.

“Door’s unlocked,” Hammer Strike called out from within.

Rolling her eyes, Luna opened the door with her magic and stepped inside. “Hello, Lord Hammer Strike,” she said. Her hood was still up to hide her face. She gave a low bow of the head.

“Don’t you start with that,” Hammer Strike replied flatly. “I get enough of that already.” He was currently seated on the couch within the living room. After a moment, he glanced over. “What? Not going to take off that hood and come give your father a hug?”

Unable to stop herself, Luna ripped the hood off, quite literally. She accidentaly tore it right off the cloak before running up and wrapping her legs around him. “I missed you, Father.”

Hammer Strike returned the hug with a smile. “I missed you, too. Gone for, what was it, seventeen years, and you couldn’t write?” His smile widened.

“The mail service is terrible,” she said, laughing through tears. “You changed the house.”

“Yeah, well… some things have changed.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “In fact…” He looked farther into the house. “Starlight! Would you come here?”

A few moments later, a budding young stallion stepped into the room. “Yes, Father, what … is….?” Starlight gaped at the mare.

“Starlight, meet Luna, your sister. Luna, meet Starlight, your brother.” Hammer Strike smiled.

Luna released Hammer Strike as she turned fully to the colt. Her face was unreadable as she looked down at him. With the hood gone, Hammer Strike could make out small scratches and scars beneath her fur most would never be able to see. His augments further began pointing out wounds and signs of former fractures and broken bones. Even currently, she seemed to be favoring her left leg, though almost imperceptibly. The blue Alicorn stared down at the colt for a while as the colt stared up at her. Then all at once, she swept him in a hug, and Hammer Strike winced as he was sure he heard something pop.

“HUZZAH! ANOTHER LITTLE BROTHER!” she shouted gleefully.

To his credit, Starlight managed to grit his teeth and bear the pressure, at least for a time. “Glad though I am to finally meet you, Luna, could you maybe lighten up on the squeezing a little? I may be Father’s son, but I’m not so durable.”

A blushing Luna released him swiftly. “Apologies. I sometimes forget my own strength.”

“It’s all right.” Starlight’s horn lit up, and the affected area was quickly restored. “No lasting harm done.” He smirked. “And now I’ll get the chance to see Father actually have a proper fight for once.”

“Oh, little brother.” Luna chuckled. “I might get close, but Father’s never used his full strength against me either.”

“Still will be a lot closer than what I’ve seen before.”

Luna grinned. “You’re gonna be a fighter. I can tell.”

“That much is certain.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “He’s been watching over the guard training the last few years, and just recently has been invited to join them.”

Starlight blushed. “I still have a lot to learn.”

“And that's always the first lesson.” Luna laughed. “The moment you stop learning on the battlefield, you die. That was the first lesson father ever taught me.”

“Will there always be battle in the world, then?”

“Unfortunately, it is the way of living beings. Ponies are less inclined towards it, but there will always be the wicked and those with the strength to stand against them.”

Starlight chuckled. “Why do I get the feeling I’ve just been drafted to be one of the strong ones?”

“If you’re father's son, then that will happen whether you like it or not.” Luna laughed.

“Then I guess I’ll have to get to work. By the way, sister, a question for you. Just how many of mother’s training orbs can you lift today?”

“Seven,” Luna said. “Magic was Celestia’s gift, not mine.”

“Good to know. That will give me a goal to reach.” He smirked. “If I can’t beat you physically, I can at least rival you magically.”

“If you’re anything like Clover, you’ll do that without issue.”

“Another vote of confidence. At this rate, my head’s going to get too big for my horn.” He chuckled. “Shall I tell Mother we need to set another place at the table tonight?”

“If you would,” Hammer Strike replied. “Last I recall, she went out to gather some reading material, so she’s probably at the library.”

Starlight nodded. “It was good to finally meet you, Luna. I look forward to establishing a proper bond later.” With that, he left the living room in search of his mother.

“Come here,” Hammer Strike patted the seat next to him on the couch.”

Luna quickly made her way over to sit by him.

“Any injuries you need looked at?”

“Nothing that needs healing.” Luna smiled. “Alicorns don’t scar, remember?”

“Perhaps to those who are unable to perform medical scans,” Hammer Strike pointed out. “I can see them, and the difference in your posture down to you favoring your left side.”

“It was a sprain. It’s already almost entirely healed” Luna said defensively.

“I’m not going to pry, Luna. I just want to make sure you know that if you need medical attention, we can manage it,” Hammer Strike noted. “I’m not going to force you through the system just because. It’s up to you in the end, or if it gets too bad and you’re just being too stubborn….” He finished with a small smile.

“Stubborn. Where would I have picked that up?” Luna smirked back.

“Clearly, it wasn’t me,” Hammer Strike chuckled. “Otherwise, you’d fight me when I try to fix you up.”

“It’s good to be home.” Luna smiled. “So, you and Clover had a foal?”

“Yeah… It was a little unexpected, to be honest, but everything was fine in the end. Went official, had the whole ceremony, decimated the Pegasus kingdom and absorbed their nation. Overall, it was interesting.”

“And no word from Celestia?”

“She’s still out there, doing something…” Hammer Strike sighed. “I can still tell she’s out there, but no word yet.”

“I heard nothing of her during my travels. I’m beginning to worry.”

“She’s still fine. I can sense her presence and have a general layout of her state of being.” Hammer Strike frowned. “I kept my word of refraining from sending a spy or someone to follow, but… I still worry. She’s fine, thankfully.”

“And how is Old Man Hurricane?” Luna chuckled. “Still putting the fear of Faust into new recruits?”

“Without a doubt,” Hammer Strike chuckled. “He’s married. Four wives. No idea how he handles that.”

“Well, at least we know the bloodline will be strong.” Luna shook her head. “We’ll need more like him.”

“I don’t know if I could handle more like him.” Hammer Strike chuckled.

“Maybe, but he won’t last forever.”

“Yeah, he won’t.” Hammer Strike frowned. “But that’s the nature of life. It marches ever on, so it’s up to us to enjoy the little moments.”

“And for some of us to stand as stones in the stream.” Luna nodded.

“Indeed. So, how were your travels?”

“Well, it all started with….” And so Luna began to tell her tale.

Starlight crept on magically muffled hooves toward his father’s chambers. This mission was of the utmost import, and it had to be done in secret. He shuddered to think what might happen if Clover found out what he was about to do. He knocked gently on the doorframe and waited.

“You’re free to enter,” Hammer Strike called out from within.

The door creaked open and Starlight shut it as gently and quietly as possible. “Father, I … have a request I wanted to make of you, but I’m trying to keep this a secret from Mother. Would you be willing not to speak with her about what we’re about to discuss?”

“Depends on the topic,” Hammer Strike raised a brow. “But, as long as it isn’t major, I’m sure I can keep it a secret.”

“It has to do with my plans for a focus. I know mother is one for pushing the boundaries of magic, but I’m not so certain she would approve of what I have in mind, and I was hoping to collaborate with you on it, since you have so much knowledge on smithing in the first place.”

“Arcane foci aren’t my strong suit.” Hammer Strike rubbed the back of his head. “Let’s hear what you have in mind.”

“As much as I appreciate the typical aesthetic most mages seem to have with staves, wands, and the like, I want to try something … different, unique.” He sighed. “To be precise, I want to create a weapon that functions well in combat and can still act as a fully operational focus at the same time.”

“That’s plausible.” Hammer Strike hummed. “You could place it either in the guard or around the pommel, though you’d need to reinforce either as a just in case, due to the nature of a weapon.” he thought aloud.

“Physically, magically, or both? If we do try a magical means, we would need to ensure it’s masked to avoid detection from potential enemy combatants that are of the more mystical persuasion,” Starlight mused. “Might I set aside some time to work out some sketches with you?”

“Honestly, your mother might actually find the idea interesting, fusing a staff with a weapon.” He hummed. “I’ll let you bring it up to her, if you’re up for that, but I can certainly put some time on the side to help you out.”

“I would appreciate it. And you’re sure Mother wouldn’t mind?”

“It’s just that weapons aren’t her thing,” Hammer Strike noted. “Doesn’t mean that she doesn’t see opportunities for others.”

Starlight smiled. “That’s a huge load off my shoulders. Thank you, Father. I’ll let her know. She’s been hounding me for weeks now to start making it.” He pranced happily out the door and into the hall.

Hammer Strike gave a brief chuckle as he returned to the reports in front of him. “He really is my son, isn’t he?”

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Princess Luna Galaxia!” The voice bellowed over the air as a familiar if somewhat wizened Commander Hurricane came in for a landing by the sparring grounds. “I wondered when you’d be coming home, you little scamp.”

“Well, someone has to show these slobs how it’s done, and I doubt you can get the rust out of your joints long enough to do so,” Luna returned with a smirk.

“Good. You kept your tongue sharp. Now let’s see how much you’ve honed those skills I taught you.” Hurricane drew his sword and grinned as he pulled into a combative stance.

Luna drew her mace, giving a few flourishes as she too assumed her regular stance.

The two were silent for a time as they gauged one another. Neither was willing to take the first move. Finally, Hurricane took to the air in a leap that left a shockwave of dust behind. True to his name, the speed of his wingbeats could still generate potent wind currents. With the field obscured, he banked, then dove, building a cone of force around his body as he did so to add momentum to his next strike.

With a loud clang, he felt his sword make contact with the mace, and it felt like he’d swun at a stone wall. There was no give, no movement to redistribute the force, just a simple calculated block. With a flick, Luna sent him sprawling back ten feet.

Hurricane chuckled. “What was that, a friendly pat on the back?” In a matter of seconds, he was in close combat, interspersing sword strokes with the occasional kick or wing swipe to attempt to break Luna’s focus.

Luna, much to the jaw dropping shock of the observers, hadn’t even turned to look at Hurricane as she rapidly blocked his attacks with small swift movements. “I know you got old, but I thought you’d be faster,” she teased as her mace continued to block.

“Speed isn’t everything, Luna, as I’m sure you remember me telling you.” He dove toward her legs and swung his sword as he skidded past the ground, just barely avoiding touching it with all but the barest edges of his feathers.

“Yes, but it helps.” In an almost imperceptible motion, she lifted her hoof and stomped. The sword snapped beneath the strike, and Hurricane found himself rolling in the dirt before he stumbled back to his hooves. “The faster you end the match, the better. That was your lesson.” She lashed out with her mace, smacking his right foreleg at the knee and forcing him to kneel as a result Then she held the mace out an inch from his face. “Much like that.”

Hurricane laughed. “Gods, I missed you, girl. I haven’t had a fight that challenging in years.” He rose slowly to his hooves and patted her shoulder with his wing. “Welcome home.”

She returned the gesture. “I didn’t let myself sit around while I was gone. Kept my skills sharp as I could.”

“Good. That means you can teach some of my kids. Would you believe your father had me married? Four times, girl. Four!” He laughed. “Of course I love them all, but still.” He winked mischievously. “Would you like to meet them?”

“I would love to, but I think that's for another time,” Luna said. “You still have to whip these ones into shape.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Hurricane promised.

“You’d better.”

“Chin up, just a tad,” Hammer Strike commented as he studied Starlight Bulwark before applying paint to his brush. Starlight had just turned seventeen and completed his advanced training with Hurricane. To mark the occasion, Hammer Strike had decided to paint a portrait.

Starlight was equipped with platemail, and chose to have his weapon at the ready, leaning on it as he gave a smile to Hammer Strike.

“You know, much though I love smiling, my cheeks are starting to hurt. How is it that all my exercise never included smiling and frowning?” He chuckled at his joke, which caused the corners of his smile to turn all the more and made him wince slightly before returning to his original position.

“Sorry, but I’m not the best teacher for something like that.” Hammer Strike gave a brief chuckle.

“Father, I’ve seen you smile plenty of times before. Are you certain you didn’t just learn it from one of us and then perfect it like you do everything else?” Starlight smirked.

Hammer Strike continued to work at the canvas. Thankfully, with all the time he had dedicated to painting in recent years, he had started getting quicker with it. Knowing Starlight, he would prefer not to stand in the same position for too long.

“I suppose I can learn some new things,” he commented after a moment.

“Good. I’d rather not be called the son of a dog. Speaking of which, how are the Diamond Dogs doing? I haven’t seen many of them for a while.”

“They’ve been growing, actually.” Hammer Strike hummed as he continued working. “Still gathering ore, and in return, they keep most of the gems. Of course, we still get a cut. In return, they get protection.”

“Is it hard? Protecting people, I mean.”

“Yes.” Hammer Strike nodded. “It takes plenty of effort, and sometimes … you just aren’t enough. But seeing those you help live another day makes it worth it.”

Starlight sighed. “I wish those pigheaded nobles would see what we see in you. A lot of this conflict could have been avoided if they had.”

“It’s just the way some individuals are. They don’t want to give up the power they have.”

“They want power for power’s sake,” Clover chimed in from her spot in the corner. “They don’t understand power for protecting people.”

“Was King Platinum like that? A protector, I mean. You knew him once, right?”

“King Bullion,” Clover corrected. “Yes, in his prime, he was very concerned about the wellbeing of his people.”

“Did that ever change?”

“He got older, and eventually his faculties started to degrade, but he held things together up until his death.”

“I wish I could have met him.” Hammer Strike hummed as he continued his work.

“I’m sure you two would have gotten along.” Clover chuckled.

“A shame.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Almost done,” he directed to Starlight.

“Thank goodness. My legs are getting stiff.”

“Oh, so I guess that means I need to adjust and swap that armor of yours, then?” Hammer Strike smirked. “You know, I think we still have a spare set of leather.”

“First of all, it would be a shame for you to have to start all over again,” Starlight began. “And secondly, I said stiff, not tired.”

“Yeah, but you can’t have that happening. I’ll look into some better training for you, then.”

“Better training, huh?” Starlight smirked. “I think I can live with that.”

“You see, you say that now, but it’d be training from me.” Hammer Strike smirked. “From your father, who doesn’t sleep.”

“And you think Mother’s been any easier to deal with?”

“Don’t bring me into this, young colt,” Clover said.

“I was only teasing, Mother.” Starlight smiled. “Though I was a little serious. You did train me to deal with lack of sleep in my studies, after all.”

“Your father has slept no more than five hours per week in the entire time that I've known him, with only two major exceptions, one of which I'm sure was the night you were conceived.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“All right.” Hammer Strike placed his brush down. “I think that’s that. What do you think?”

Clover smiled as she looked at the portrait. “Excellent,” she said as she took it in. “It’s finished, then?”

Hammer Strike simply nodded in return. “You’re clear, Starlight.”

Clover’s horn glowed, and the same aura covered the portrait. “And that will help it resist the passage of time.”

“Hmm. He really did catch my eyes, didn’t he?” Starlight commented as he joined his mother to gaze at the portrait.

“He captured you in time,” Clover said. “It’s a rare thing.”

“Then you should have it, Mother. That way, a piece of me will always be here.”

Clover smiled. “I’ll treasure it, then.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.”

“I’ll look into a proper frame for it later.” Hammer Strike smiled before glancing back to Starlight. “You mentioned it before, but I have to ask again. When did you say you were wanting to head out?”

“I want to have the chance to say some proper goodbyes, so probably in about a month or so.”

Hammer Strike nodded. “I’ll make sure to keep it in mind.”

“I'm gonna miss you,” Clover said, hugging her son.

“Mother….” Starlight blushed.

“We both will.” Hammer Strike gave a small smile.

“I’ll write,” he promised weakly.

“I’d hope so.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “Otherwise, I’ll have to track you down, myself.”

“So, I should plan on either Ainz or Tarefson?”

“I have my methods of alternates. I don’t use it often, but I can be in multiple places at once,” he replied as a second him pulled itself from the shadows, matching his appearance perfectly.

“And you can maintain that indefinitely?” Starlight asked curiously. He would have examined it, but Clover was still clutching him.

“Haven’t found a limit yet,” both replied.

“Since when could you do this?” Clover asked.

“For a while now, actually. I just haven’t needed to.” Hammer Strike shrugged as his copy vanished.

“We’re going to talk about this later,” Clover said, poking him in the chest.

“All right.”

“So, is this the last time we’ll see Starlight?” Pensword asked The Doctor.

“As far as I can tell.” The Doctor nodded.

“What happened to him?”

The Doctor fiddled with the controls. “Starlight Bulwark left Unity at seventeen and spent the next ten years of his life traveling as a knight errant and solving various problems for unaffiliated settlements and towns. He received an injury while taking down a pack of cu sith near what would become Manehatten, and was forced to stop traveling. He married several times and had roughly fifteen foals. Died at the age of three hundred and eighty surrounded by his family and was interred in his home,” The Doctor read.

“Sounds like quite the life,” Vital said. “Is it normal for Unicorns to live that long?”

“Without self preserving spells? No,” The Doctor answered.

“Guess he was … is(?) his mother’s son, after all.”

“It is a pity that his record was lost. Such honor should be applauded, not left to molder in the dust,” Pensword said.

“Even if it weren’t, Pensword, it’s likely a new one would have replaced him over the centuries that followed,” Vital noted. “That’s usually how it is. History always has a way of repeating itself.”

“And yet we still have Alexander the Great, Caesar, most any Hurricane, Napoleon, Newton, Einestion, George Washington, Alexander Graham Bell, Arthur, William the Conqueror, Joan of Arc.”

“Still, fifteen foals is a large bloodline,” Grif noted. “Who knows? He may have surviving descendents.”

“It’s definitely possible,” Vital agreed pensively.

“In that case, I look forward to the chance to know them,” Rarity said. “Maybe I will already, for all we know.”

Vital chuckled. One can hope. “Say, Doc, where exactly in Manehattan was Starlight’s home?”

“I can’t be sure. The TARDIS is being … vague.”

The TARDIS’ console hissed, then let out a series of pointed beeps, followed by a whirring reminiscent of a chuckle.

“I’m going to guess that was a joke about a woman keeping secrets?” Vital asked.

“Yes.” The Doctor nodded as he worked.

“Okay, so what’s left on Hammer Strike’s list of miracles and terrors to perform before we can pick him up, Grif?”

“You realize that's a loaded question?” Grif asked. “According to history, Hammer Strike’s behind everything from the birth of Celestia to the kitten stuck up a tree a week ago. His name’s literally used when no one’s sure who accomplished something. I don’t have a list for what he’s done.”

“So, we basically just have to keep watching while we get closer to that point where we can finally pick him up?”

Grif nodded. “We’ve been blind this whole time. I thought you knew that.”

“Well, given how religiously you’ve studied Equestria’s history, I thought you might’ve picked up on a few clues for definite points. But yeah, I see what you mean.” Vital sighed.

“Don’t worry, Vital Spark, it only stings the first few times,” Pensword teased.

“You know, Pensword, I could be very cruel right now, if I wanted to be,” Vital said.

Grif let out a loud laugh at the statement.

“I know.” Pensword smiled. “But we all know you won’t be.”

“Anyway,” Grif noted, “considering these scenes seem to be jumping farther and farther ahead, I think things will get to a point where we only see glimpses of the centuries.”

“So, judging by that standard, how long do you think before we’ll be able to actually get to where Hammer Strike is by our time inside the TARDIS, Doctor?” Vital asked.

“We’ve been here for about three days, so a week? Maybe a week and a half?”

“Is it always like this when you’re traveling through longer periods of time?”

“Depends, really,” The Doctor admitted.

“Is there any chance there might be a book on temporal mechanics that I could study?” Twilight asked. “I’m curious to figure out the time differential and whether it fluctuates.”

“No.” The doctor shook his head. Idly, he pressed a green button and the library on the third floor locked down.

“Twilight, you do not want to deal or mess with time. It will always bite you back. Hard,” Pensword said.

“Well, now that that's settled, why don’t we all focus on something to help pass the time, perhaps a game?” Rarity suggested.

“What did you have in mind?” Grif asked.

“That would depend on whether people are in the mood for more Ogres and Oubliettes or if they would prefer some other game that The Doctor might have on hoof. Surely, he must have collected any number of them in his travels.”

Derpy looked pointedly at The Doctor. “Simple games only,” she said in a surprisingly firm tone.

“Of course.” The Doctor chuckled. “So, who’s up for a game?”

Vital Spark smiled. “I’ll have a go at it.”

“And so, he crept with utmost stealth to challenge no less than ten elite guards sent to detain our maker’s daughter. The challenge, to defeat his opponents and clear them away before she could emerge to continue her rounds. And all without alerting a single soul to his activities.” Zavala smiled as he addressed the audience of foals gathered around him. “I would tell you how he did it, but Cayde Six has demanded he get the chance to tell his own story, and it is his right to do so.” His smile widened into a playful smirk. “But where is Cayde, you ask?”

A glass slammed down onto the countertop as Cayde materialized on a bar seat and turned to them. “Right here.” He grinned.

The foals cheered as smiling adults allowed the bot his fun. It wasn’t often one had the chance to spread such a simple magic as wonder without having to cast a single spell.

“What came next?” some cried eagerly. Other foals would ask about how he’d managed to appear so suddenly. Others still would trip over their fellows in the rush to reach and greet him. Swarms of undead and whole troops of heavily armed warriors were nothing to the assassin. But a swarm of curious and energetic children, well, how could anyone prevent such an onslaught?

“Calm down. One at a time.” Cayde held up his hooves placatingly as he leaned back against the bar’s counter.

“I think it would be best to let him finish the tale first, children. You can ask him about his tricks after, assuming you can catch him.” Zavala winked at them, and though there were many groans of disappointment, the foals and cubs finally bent to his logic.

With a grin, Cayde slowly began to tell the tale with his own dramatic flair, extending some details while shrinking others in a long, somewhat prone-to-rambling narrative.

There were many gasps as mouths dropped and eyes shone with wonder and adoration at the mechanical automaton’s prowess. As an added bonus, Cayde went so far as to add the occasional dramatic move by drawing a weapon or performing some minor martial arts techniques to keep the children interested. In due course, the narrative finally wound down, and the children cheered the lauded hero for his mighty deeds.

“Be good, and perhaps we’ll regale you with some of our adventures after we met Lord Hammer Strike,” Zavala promised.

A small Gryphon approached the sharpshooter and maintained a sharp gaze. “Can we see you shoot after this, Mister Cayde?”

Cayde laughed. “I suppose I could do a few shots.”

The children cheered as the tavern looked on. Even Zavala couldn’t help but smile at the touching moment.

Binding raced into Hammer Strike’s house like his tail was on fire. There was no preamble. The door slammed open, and the Unicorn shouted at the top of his lungs. “Hammer Strike!”

“What’s the issue?” Hammer Strike stood up from the couch.

“My contracts are combusting. That’s the issue. Someone is slaughtering one of our villages as we speak. And given the unique method of the contracts’ destruction, I’m inclined to favor an attack of the highly magical variety.”

Hammer Strike growled as Baleful Eclipse materialized in his hoof. “What city is it?”

“Broadhoof Ford, near the gold panhandle at the edge of the dragonlands.”

Hammer Strike grit his teeth. He had a pretty good idea who the attack was from. “I warned them once,” he growled as thaumic energy wisped off him. Seconds later, a rift opened to his side. “Watch over Unity until my return.”

Binding bowed his head. “Good luck, Sir.”

Hammer Strike gave a small nod before moving through the rift.

The first thing Hammer Strike perceived was thick smoke. It seemed to belch from the very earth itself. Molten slag and partially melted stone glowed like dim eyes in the murk. Whole swaths of streets glowed orange as their cobblestones ran together and gradually cooled. The smell of roasting meat and burnt hairs singed his nostrils. If there were any survivors, they were likely in hiding. There was no sign of any form of ally, and the heat of the multicolored flames only worked to confirm his suspicions. His eyes glowed more vividly, and new embers shed off his coat as the silhouettes of fully grown adults and foals lay abandoned on the streets, buried in the rubble of houses, or reduced to so much brittle bone and ash. Death was strong in this place, and doubtless the embodiment would find his hooves very occupied guiding these villagers to their final resting place.

A cool mask of calm spread over the Pony’s face as he meditated on this likelihood. A firm resolve had taken root within him. These souls would soon be joined by their murderers.

The heft of jingling coin and the dull thump of heavy burlap sacks were evidence enough of the looters and desecrators that had dared to press into this place. More bodies registered by the river, where thick clods of mud and basin were dug up in search of the precious metals that laid within its depths. A water wheel that had powered a sluice and sieve station jutted forlornly out of the river. The crank had long since stopped, and the mesh and cloth that had been used for the process now laid in a sodden heap next to the collapsed walls of the structure. Massive gouges rent the few stones that remained standing in the structure while other fragments dotted the edge of the riverbed, a sure sign of a far larger and more powerful opponent than any of the Ponies were equipped to handle.

Two loud roars carried over the carnage as the smoke was blown aside by a powerful wind to reveal the many Dragons that dotted the landscape. Some grappled. Others hauled multiple bags between their talons. Others still picked small bones from their maws. The raiding party ranged in height from six feet to boulder to hill to nearly mountainous as two massive dragons locked in combat with talons in hand, shoving back and forth to tear the earth beneath their feet apart in the struggle.

The first was purple with dark red stripes that raced in thick bands over its body. Its horns jerked in flame-like ridges that curled and glowed in the fire that raged in its maw. Angular spines jutted down the length of its back as it glared at its opponent and swept a chunk of earth with its spaded tail in an attempt to blind him.

The second Dragon was a dark brown with thick patches of green moss that jutted from the rocky boulder-like scales that adorned its hide. Its chest was bulkier, its arms well defined. Sharpened fangs glinted dangerously as it glared at its opponent and wrapped its broad sinuous neck around its adversary in an attempt to choke it. With every passing second, the Dragons continued to grow, consumed by their greed and a desire to exert dominance, to claim the spoils for themselves alone. One could almost hear a distant hissing choral chortle as the haze of hoardlust consumed the gathering and continued to warp their frames accordingly.

If Hammer Strike didn’t act soon, there would be an entire squadron of pubescent Dragons in the grips of an endless hunger to grow, feed, and hoard to grow again.

Off on the horizon, two sets of glowing eyes watched as smoke billowed from their massive nostrils. Their shapes were far closer to the feral Western Dragons of legend from Earth. Yet they did not attack, nor did they seek to intervene in any way. If they were in charge of these Dragons, they were doing nothing to keep them in check. It was quite possible this was the exact opposite.

And if it were, there would be hell to pay. But first things came first.

“How foolish was I to be so merciful last time?” Hammer Strike growled. Taking eclipse in hoof, he pulled back and swung with the blade in an arch just as the two were attempting to grab each other’s necks in their claws. There was a searing flash of light and both Dragons fell. Their bodies hit the ground, followed by their heads. Both were still biting at one another. Their necks glowed red and still smoked at the point they had been severed. The ground quaked from the impact, and this seemed to grab the attention of the others.

“I was clearly too naive to believe your kind capable of understanding my warning last time,” Hammer Strike snarled. “Allow me to explain in terms you will understand.”

Two more dove at him in greed-drunk rage, not out of vengeance, but in an attempt to take the weapon from him. Jumping with as much power as he could, Hammer Strike rose into the air and swung. One of the two started plummeting as their wing was sliced off. The other wasn’t quite so lucky as the scythe blade bit into their lower back and kept going until it came out the other side, leaving the Dragon nearly cut in two pieces, both Dragons landed with a roaring thud that muted Hammer Strike’s own landing.

A few of the less intoxicated Dragons attempted to turn, but Hammer strike didn’t let them get out of his view. He set Eclipse down and began hurling javelins at them. The weapons were ineffective on their scales; however, their wings were soon shredded.

One of the older Dragons opened his maw and attempted to bathe Hammer Strike in its breath; however, the magical fire merly caressed the Earth Pony in a tender, almost loving fashion. Hammerstrike swept up Eclipse and sent it flying toward the dragon. As it took that dragon’s head, Hammerstrike turned to his next target. This Dragon was larger and clearly much older than the others. Hammer strike’s eyes glowed a deep red as adrenaline and rage fed him. He charged up to the creature and leaped onto it’s back. Before it could reach him, he grasped its neck with both sets of hooves and began to pull.

Dragon bone is one of the strongest, if not the strongest substance on Equis. It absorbs force and impacts without much issue. Most would tell a person that breaking a dragon's neck was impossible, but as the final Dragon watched, Hammer Strike pulled and twisted with all the force he could muster. A loud sickening crack echoed through the air. The elder dragon let out a pained roar as it’s body tumbled to the ground, twitching and writhing.

The second Dragon eyed the Pony with a mask of calm as it scrutinized him. “You are not a normal creature. Just what are you?”

“Beyond these silly games. Now,” Hammer Strike’s hoof glowed brightly with thaumic energy as he stomped. The Dragon in question found itself suddenly prone before him. “We’re talking at my level. I left your kind alone last time an incident such as this occurred. I gave you all mercy after attacking my subjects. This will be the last time,” Hammer Strike growled. Deep within himself, he felt one of the Alicorn artifacts resonate with his words. “I’ll grant you a mercy, but you will spend the remainder of your time in your homelands warning each and every dragon that this, will not stand anymore. I will not hold back again. You and yours are never to attack my charges again. Am I clear?”

The dragon’s eyes flashed, and an agonized growl of frustration tore through the beast’s maw. “And what are your charges?” it spat in a barely perceptible mode of speech.

“Every Pony settlement,  be it Earth, Pegasi, Thestral, or Unicorn. Including every other race who resides within their walls.”

The Dragon roared and snarled as it struggled against the force that held it in place, even while it wrestled with the compulsion that now weighed so heavily upon it. “I will tell your message.” It spat spitefully as green sparks the size of beach balls blew from its nostrils. “But you must tell your ‘charges’ not to come to our lands.”

“Simple enough, since they refuse to do anything with your lands, unless it’s travel.”

“Release me, then, so I may give your little message.” Deep furrows of earth had been dug to form what would equate to a minor lakebed beneath the Dragon’s sizable talons. His eyes glowed balefully as his forked tongue darted out in an angry hiss.

Hammer Strike released his restraints with a wave of his hoof, and the predator surged off balance to fall on its tail in a disgraceful lack of coordination. Its indignation was barely kept in check by the dead stare and raised eyebrow of the creature that had not only bested it, but soundly chastised it and bound it with a magic that no Pony had been able to bring to bear in all its many years.

Yes, it hated this creature. And it would make sure all its brethren would hate it. The warning would spread. And then, when the creature was old and frail, they would visit hell upon it and destroy this paltry contract, then claim the spoils that waited for their own. It flapped its wings and flew toward the glittering gem-studded peaks that jutted above the trees in the land beyond. Even with its flight, the Pony did not yield to the strength of its wingbeats. This anomaly could defeat a fully grown Dragon in a matter of seconds. And now it stood against the raw force of the elements the Dragons controlled by sheer force of will. It barely suppressed a shudder as that thought reached an unpleasant conclusion. What if this creature wasn’t mortal?

It launched a stream of fire as a final show of strength, paltry though it was compared to what Hammer Strike had just demonstrated, and departed for its den and the many others of its kind that waited.

“They’ll be back.” Hammer Strike sighed deeply. “Ainz, Lord!” he called out.

“Yes?” two voices asked.

“I need you both here. If possible, Ainz, bring Anderson. A lot of death has happened today.”

Lord appeared instantly, and Ainz several minutes later with Anderson in tow.

“Bloody hells, Hammer Strike,” Anderson swore as he took in the carnage. “You really went to town on them, didn’t you?”

“Not now, Anderson.” Hammer Strike frowned. “A lot of individuals in this town have passed, and I figured you to be the best for their rites. Ainz, Lord, I need you to search over the town, see if there are any survivors hidden away. If not, I’d like you to assist in dealing with the corpses.” He looked out upon the settlement once more. “This place will likely never recover.”

“That seems likely.” Lord sighed. “They decimated it.”

“How many?” Anderson asked more seriously.

“At least five thousand potential, rough estimate,” Hammer Strike calculated.

“That many?” Anderson looked sadly over the wreckage.

“This was a resource-heavy town. Many came here for work.”

“I’ll need a team to bless the ground and prepare the burials. This is too much for one man of the cloth to do alone.”

“Could you assist him, Ainz, then search the grounds?”

“I’ll start immediately,” Ainz acknowledged as a portal opened and his servants began to shuffle out.

“If they start getting peckish, I’ll break their jaws off,” Anderson warned.

“Not all of us are so base with our impulses, priest,” Ainz returned, not bothering to look at him.

Anderson sighed. “All right. All right. You have a point. Just … could you conjure a portal to the edge of the church? A consecration and burial this large will need more than me to finish properly, and I’ll need to organize the other priests. That should give you enough time to gather the remains in peace and send these back before we invoke Lady Faust. You may fare well enough against her power, but a lesser undead might be another story.”

“Oh, they’ll be done well before that,” Ainz said. “You underestimate my power.”

“For five thousand?”

“For a force that neither eats nor sleeps?”

“Just how many of these are you bringing through?”

“That is my business.”

“And the portal to the church?”

With a roll of his glowing eyes, Ainz waved a hand and a second portal rose.

“Thank you. We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“I’ll leave all of this to you all. I shall return to Unity.” Hammer Strike sighed as he approached the portal.

“What about the leftovers of the dragons?” Ainz asked.

“Clean the corpses and prep the materials as usual. Remove anything … broken.”

“Very well.” Ainz nodded.

Hammer Strike frowned as he looked over a series of blueprints before him. With his newly acquired materials, he thought it best to upgrade the guards’ equipment through whatever means needed. It would take a length of time, but if it provided more security for everyone under him, then so be it.

It hit Hammer Strike suddenly, a terrible pang, one so deep that it seemed to dig into the bones of Equis itself. Power ebbed and flowed around the planet. Someone was using old magic, magic older and more powerful than anything below a god could possibly use and survive.

Whatever it was was hundreds of miles away, and yet from here, he could feel the energy tinged with blood, sacrifice, and love weaved into its being. Something very powerful was about to happen. And in the center of it was an oath, an oath to bring protection to those who were unable to defend themselves, and a more powerful oath to bring blood and fire to those who dared to inflict such harms unjustly.

This all colessed into a feeling of a familiar entity birthed upon Equis. It was in two parts, and Hammer Strike could tell what it was almost instantly. Even from a continent away, he recognized that energy signature that he’d examined multiple times, the feeling of something he was loath to admit he didn’t fully understand. Vigilance and Vengeance had come into the world at last, birthed by some being far away to aid a Gryphon in protecting his kind.

“So, that’s when they were made,” he muttered to himself. He frowned as he thought over said blades once again. “It’s certainly been awhile since I’ve even thought of them.”

“Lord hammer strike.” Hurricane entered the cabin. “The Gate Guard have someone that is asking to talk to you.”

“They’re not being allowed entry?” Hammer Strike closed the book he was reading.

“They are, but they have repeatedly asked for you. It has something to do with Jostling Joyance.”

Hammer Strike stood immediately from his chair, leaving the book forgotten. “Which gate?”

“The southern one, Sir.”

Hammer Strike nodded to Hurricane as he went on his way. It didn’t take him long to arrive, but as Hurricane had noted, the guards that were currently stationed had a mare off to the side with two foals. The first was bundled in a tattered cloth and lovingly cradled in her foreleg. His dark blue coat accented his fiery eyes. The other was a pale mare with a long glossy black mane and icy blue pools that took in the space even as she huddled close to the figure. The mother was an Earth Pony with a honeyed amber coat and an even brighter mane. Her eyes were bloodshot and glistened with unshed tears. However, as soon as she spotted Hammer Strike approaching, she drew herself up and fixed him with a steely gaze.

“Jostling told me you were tall,” she said. “I just didn’t expect it to be this much.”

“I was told you were looking for me. Did something happen?”

She nodded and offered a brief bow to the lord. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Diamond Rough. I’m Jostling’s wife.” She took a deep breath to steady herself, but maintained her gaze. “And widow. We were attacked by an old adversary on our honeymoon. The three of us are the only survivors from that tragic event. Jostling sacrificed himself, so that we could live. I have enough means to provide for our family, thanks to Jostling’s inheritance, but what I don’t possess is the means to protect them from that monster’s minions. He … that is to say Jostling told me to find you and ask for your help.”

Hammer Strike’s expression softened. “That, I can do.” He gestured for her to follow him. “I can show you to his old abode. He never stayed long, but we kept it in shape. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Diamond Rough nodded. “So am I. When should I expect your contract?”

“Later.” Hammer Strike sighed. “I kept an eye on things to make sure you weren’t lying, so I have enough faith to hold off on it until a better time.”

Diamond shook her head. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t want any special treatment. Send it at your earliest convenience. We’ll be ready. I know you’re a busy leader. If you could just point us in the right direction, we’ll be on our way, and you can visit at a time when you aren’t occupied.” She wrapped her free foreleg around the filly at her side and gave her a supportive squeeze, then gave a weak smile. “Best I get these little ones tucked into bed as soon as I can. They’ve had a long journey.”

“You don’t need to worry about me being busy. Despite the current circumstances, I’m actually free at the moment.” Hammer Strike gave a soft smile. “The least I can do is show you fully to the house.”

She nodded daintily. “Thank you.”

“As I said, It’s the least I can do.”

“Welcome, friends,” Ainz said magnanimously from his throne as he addressed the collection of beings in front of him. A few looked vaguely like their original species, heavily armored Minotaurs or Dragons that left no skin showing. But many others had long since given such luxuries up for the power they’d gained. More than one slime being stood before him, their bodies having lost all form and melded together in a single mass in order to aid their search for immortality. Some of the monsters before him wore simple clothing. Some wore fine. Others wore none. Overall, he’d been surprised so many had answered his call. Forty beings of the darkest arts and sciences stood before him to hear him out.

“I’ve invited you all here to talk about something all of our kind want, but have a very hard time finding. Can someone tell me what I’m referring to?”

They looked at him silently, not ready to answer.

“Safety” he told them. “Swear to me under my patron, and my patron will return to each of you your sanity and soul in the event that you already lost them in return for your security. Together, we can build our own kingdom within this tomb.”

There was grumbling and looks of disbelief passed amongt many of those present at the lich’s word, but nobody had left yet.

“It is through this patron that I, myself, ascended to lichdom and claimed true immortality. But what's more is that I did not need to swear to any dark pacts for it. My patron only asked for my loyalty. And that is all he asks of you.”

Ainz spent the next hour recounting his story and explaining Hammer Strike’s unique capability and everything his deal would entail. He spelled out the terms clearly, including what failure would mean. By the end of his pitch, he had them lining up to check his bonds as proof. The former Minotaur chuckled internally at the show. It was already obvious. By the end of the day, he’d have every last one of them under his thumb.

Miscellaneous guards twenty-three through twenty-eight sighed as they leaned tiredly on their spears and watched the lazy flow of traffic through the city gates. The soft hum of Hammer Strike’s warding spells and unique magics did most, if not all, of the work for them, so there wasn’t much of a need to be quite so resolute. This was one of the reasons they had not been given the honor of being addressed by their given names in the first place. They had yet to earn that privilege from their superiors after going through their initial training.

The Ponies stared with glassy eyes as they struggled to keep their yawns in check. This was to be an endurance mission, even if it did feel like torture. Number twenty-four had just finished with a particularly wide and long yawn when the gateway flared. The runes ignited. A sheet of light stretched over the portal as five living green bonfires blazed brightly for less than a second. When they snuffed, the most bizarre creatures they had ever laid eyes on now stared at them. They looked like Ponies, but … their legs were riddled with holes. A pair of translucent insect wings were folded on each of their backs. Large reflective insect eyes blinked in surprise as they looked over themselves.

The recruits were swift to react, raising their weapons to surround the creatures.

“State your business, creatures. Are you undead or otherwise associated with night walkers?” Twenty-four demanded.

“We’re Changelings,” one said as it recovered its wits. “We are neither undead nor monsters.”

“And what is your business in Unity that you would require disgusing yourselves, rather than approaching openly?”

“Our kind is not well liked,” the Changeling said. “We must speak with your ruler.”

“To what end?”

“That is our business.”

“And the security of this city and its residents is ours. Our lord has had to deal with sieges, assassins, undead, and many other unpleasant attempts on his life and domain. As such, you can understand our caution toward you. If the need is legitimate, your request will be forwarded, and our lord will gladly meet with you. Indeed, as a form of first contact, I am certain he would be most interested to get to know you and your culture, assuming you are here for the proper reason.”

“We must talk with him about a member of our kind who may be hiding in your village. He is a criminal.”

“Odds are he won’t have been able to sneak in unnoticed, but I’m a Pony of my word. We’ll forward the request to our superiors. It shouldn’t take long for Lord Hammer Strike to respond.”

True to the trainee’s prediction, Hammer Strike was swift to arrive. He eyed the Changelings with a flat expression and examined them carefully. When he’d spent enough time observing their forms, he withdrew and addressed them properly.

“I haven’t heard any reports of Changelings in the region. What brings you to Unity?”

“We are searching for a member of our kind who escaped custody and fled.”

“Then I’m sorry to say you’re out of luck.” Hammer Strike frowned. “I would have received a report if the sensors went off, but you’re the only ones to have set them off.”

“You're certain? This criminal is very dangerous and highly inventive.”

“Can you give me a description, so I can send word around, just in case?”

“He is roughly about half your size. Possibly bearing a crest on his head, with a long mane. He answers to the name of Bane.”

Hammer Strike hummed. “I’ll send word out, then. Is there anything else I should be wary of?”

“No, that will be all,” the Changeling assured him a little too swiftly.

“Then I believe that concludes that. Was this the sole reason for your visit, or will you be exploring the city?”

“That was all,” the drone said. “With your permission, we have a long journey to return to our hive.”

“Have a safe trip,” Hammer Strike replied with a faint grin as they turned and left. After a few minutes and ensuring they were all gone, he frowned. “Keep an eye out for more alerts on the proximity alarms.”

The trainees saluted immediately. “Yes, Sir!”

Hammer Strike nodded. “I’ll alert Hurricane and the others. Keep up the good work.”

The recruits beamed, their exhaustion forgotten. Hammer Strike had complimented them personally! The rest of the recruits would never believe it.

Hammer Strike sighed as he made his way through the levels carved under his home until he came across a small space created for a familiar Changeling’s workspace. “Seems they know you’re alive,” he commented as he entered.

“I was worried about that.” Bane sighed. “You managed to turn them away?”

“For now, but they’re likely to try and find a way around our systems. Won’t work, but they’re going to stick around for some time.” Hammer Strike sighed in turn. “They shouldn’t be able to detect you, even disguised as ‘Broker,’ right?”

“They wouldn’t be able to see me if they were standing in this room right now,” Bane assured him.

“I mean, yeah, but to cover all assets, I’m meaning in the sense that if they somehow did manage to enter, ‘Broker’ won’t just mysteriously not be around, even though he should be.”

“They won’t find me. That much I’m certain of,” bane said. “How many?”

“Five at the gate. Probably a few more in hiding, so that’s going to be fun.” Hammer Strike sighed.

Bane shook his head. “Not an issue. it’s been so long, they’ve started to underestimate me.”

“Well, that’s good at the least, but I’d rather not risk you coming to light. Yes, it’ll be manageable, but I doubt we’ll want to deal with this in the long haul.” Hammer Strike frowned. “We may have to really hide your presence. The fact that they know you’re alive is already more than I’d like.”

“That makes two of us,” Bane agreed. “I’d rather be thought dead.”

“We’ll have to rework your network a little, make it nigh undetectable. I should have a relay system that’ll work.”

“I’ll notify the crews to lay low for a while.”

“All right. Beyond that, I’ll start having Ainz track their movements.”

“If he can, it would be best to have him take them out quietly before they report back.”

Hammer Strike smirked. “Now that is something he can manage easily.”

Hammer Strike frowned to himself as he looked over the singular die in his hoof. His lessons with Clover were nearly up to the edge of the safe territory, and there were only so many things to discuss. One of which involved the die in his hoof.

They were more powerful than most objects could be, having the ability to create items and attune them properly from just a simple roll of luck. They were laced with primal energy, which was something he only briefly covered in their earlier lessons, and he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to discuss it more. Though it could be important information later on in regards to the gods and divine seeds.

Currently, he was seated at their training grounds, a large section of land outside the city walls layered in stone to give them a stable place to work with. There wasn’t much there besides that, giving them plenty of open space to work.

Clover arrived with a pop. “Good afternoon,” she said cheerfully.

“Good afternoon,” Hammer Strike replied as he turned his attention to her. “Eager as ever for these lessons, aren’t you?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I get to spend time with you and learn something entirely new. It’s a win-win scenario.”

Hammer Strike chuckled. “Fair enough. Here. Our next lesson will cover this.” He held out the die for her to take. “Take it physically. No magic.”

Clover took it and studied the die carefully.

“I only covered it briefly, but that … seems to rely on it. Primal energy.”

“But you told me that primal energy doesn’t form naturally.”

“To a point,” he corrected. “The best example I can give is Binding. If you’ve noticed, he’s shown no sign of aging, and neither has Wall or Swift Wings. He has what some would refer to as a divine seed. It’s a faint trace of primal energy that resides within an individual, giving them the capability of rising to great feats.”

“So, what does this do?” she asked, referring to the die.

Hammer Strike took a moment to think over his response before exhaling. “Roll it.”

Clover raised an eyebrow before she threw the die out before her. It tumbled across the stone floor for several turns before landing on the number twenty. A bright flash of light blinded Clover while Hammer Strike turned away at the last second. As the light faded, before them stood another twenty-sided die. This one, however, appeared to be solid gold in coloration, and visibly radiated energy off of it.

“I’ve … never seen a die like that,” Hammer Strike noted. A tahumic scan revealed an overly bright point of power that was blinding to look at. Similar to before however, it was primal in nature.

“What do i do?” Clover asked.

“Well, you rolled it once. I feel you’ve earned the right to roll it again. Every time I have seen it rolled or rolled it myself, it left an item behind that was certainly interesting in what it could do. I have never seen it roll into another die.”

Clover carefully picked the die up and tossed it again. This time, it rolled and landed on the number sixteen. Similar to before, both of them turned away at the last second as a flash of light burst forth from the die. After a moment, it cleared, revealing a small white cylindrical container. There was nothing else on it.

“So … what is it?” Clover asked as she moved to pick the tube up.

“Now that, I have no idea.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “It rolls items of immense power or amazing properties. I once rolled a die that gave me an apple-like object. After eating it, I blacked out for a brief second, only for my augments to read out that my muscle density and other parameters were different. I was nearly twice as strong from it. It certainly helped with fighting the Alicorns,” he muttered the last part.

Clover picked the tube up carefully. It was plain with no real markings. One end twisted off to reveal a white creamy substance inside.

“Reminds me of facial cream.” Hammer Strike shrugged.

“I suppose. Why would an ancient artifact like this give me facial cream, though?”

Hammer Strike shrugged again. “Why would it give me an apple? Only way we can figure it out is for you to try it.”

With a shrug, Clover dabbed some on her hoof and began to apply it.

The cream didn’t appear to do anything at first. Her fur was a little glossier, but that could easily be attributed to natural oils, rather than any magical properties. However, as the substance continued to work, subtle changes began to take place. The bags under the mare’s eyes began to shrink. The wrinkles that had been born from years of frowning over books and analyzing in her laboratory smoothed and tightened. Her horn sparked with a sudden burst of mana that whirled up the spiral like an electrical current before discharging. She shuddered as the stiffness in her limbs eased into limber flexibility and the many knots born of her own stress unwound themselves and straightened. A new brightness sparkled in her eyes as the vigor of her younger days surged over her frame.

“Well.” Hammer Strike blinked a few times. “That’s certainly something.”

“I feel … amazing.” Clover said as she blinked in surprise. “Most de-aging spells can’t get rid of the actual feeling of age, but I feel young again.”

“That’s good to hear.” Hammer Strike smiled. “Well, I’m sure you understand the deal with those dice by this point. They’re … interesting, to say the least.”

“And dangerous.”

“Hence why I’ve collected them whenever I’ve seen them.”

“Are there more?” she asked, surprised. “Do you have a way of tracking them?”

“The best way of tracking them is by noting the primal energy, but beyond that, it’s hard to locate them at a distance.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Hence why I check the market often.”

“Have you put a bounty out on them?”

“I can’t bring too much notice to them, or others will begin to investigate them.” Hammer Strike frowned. “To bring attention to something lets others know its worth.”

“What about a general bounty on anything with a strange energy source?” Clover suggested. “They might think you’re just eccentric.”

“Perhaps, but it might be best to have it under your name. Most things I do tend to bring notice.” Hammer Strike sighed.

“I’ll get started on it,” Clover promised.

Hammer Strike nodded. “Well, shall we continue our lesson?”

She grinned. “Of course.”

“I’m sorry, Hammer Strike, but I must object. Having a litch under contract is one thing, but summoning a whole host of soulless creatures at once? To seize back control of what they already freely sacrificed is a monumental task that few, if any, could ever manage. You imperil yourself with every attempt,” Star Swirl said from his place on the cottage’s living room couch.

“Well, technically, most of them were taken against their will, making it easier,” Hammer Strike noted. “Secondly, not really. They’re bound to my will, to a point, so it’s not really that bad.”

“To a point? Are you listening to yourself?”

“I don’t completely diminish their free will, simply set it where they can’t work against mine,” Hammer Strike replied flatly.

“And what safeguards do you have in place in the event that your own will should be twisted?”

“Binding and Clover,” Hammer Strike replied. “They are the alternative note on the checks. Majority agrees, it works. If not, it doesn’t. Simple as that.”

“And your … unique branch of magic. You are still continuing to use it, despite the dangers?”

“That’s correct.” Hammer Strike sighed internally.

“It’s unnatural.”

“Your point?”

“My point being it will be your undoing if you don’t stop using it.”

“Again, your point?” Hammer Strike replied with a raised brow. “To add on to your statement, if I stop, it’ll lead to the downfall of not only myself, but all those under me.”

“You don’t know that!” he snapped.

“And you don’t know that it will end in disaster,” Hammer Strike replied flatly. “You cry and whine about how what I do is unnatural, how I put everyone in danger. Let’s put this straight. Who is running this kingdom?”

Star Swirl retained a sullen but silent stare as he drew himself up and his beard seemed almost to writhe in the air.

“What. Is the state of those under me, of the civilians living in each and every one of these towns under my rule?” Hammer Strike stood from his seat.

“But at what cost?” Star Swirl demanded. “The things you have accomplished border on the divine. To invoke that kind of power always requires a price. What will you do when the bill comes due?”

“What do you think I’m dealing with already?” Hammer Strike roared in response. “I’ve spent countless years, countless years watching everyone grow old and die around me. I watched the fall of an entire civilization. I suffered year after year of torture, day in and day out. Yet here I am, alive. I can’t die by almost any means. Instead, I suffer through anything in my way until I can free myself from it. It’s only times like this where I finally get some time to enjoy myself.”

“Enjoy yourself? By constantly dealing with sieges and assassination attempts?”

“Almost anything is better than what I have already experienced.”

“Are you a god, then?”

Hammer Strike scoffed. “Of course not. Though they are interesting to interact with.”

“Just what haven’t you had contact with by this point?” Star Swirl cried in exasperation.

“Gods of other races,” Hammer Strike replied. “Well, apart from Dragons.”

Star Swirl balked. “You spoke with Bahamut and lived to tell the tale?”

“Correct.”

“Are you even still a Pony by this point?”

“Mostly, yes.” Hammer Strike sighed.

“And the part that isn’t?”

“Was ripped out of me by the Alicorns,” Hammer Strike replied flatly. “Is this conversation finished?”

“If Lord Hammer Strike wishes it,” Star Swirl said sullenly.

“At this point in time, it sounds like a good idea,” Hammer Strike replied simply. “While these conversations may be … entertaining, they’re best in short bursts.”

“Very well.” Star Swirl trotted out of the room toward the house door. “Just be careful,” he finished, then finally left.

Hammer Strike waited until he was positive the mage had really gone before he let out a deep sigh, placing a hoof on his head.

“Had a good visit?” Clover asked as she entered the room.

“I’d rather kick him out the next time he comes.”

“You talked with him for fifteen minutes. I spent most of my foalhood with him,” Clover pointed out.

“Yes, and while I am patient, and there are few things that hit a nerve for me, he tends to try and find them,” Hammer Strike noted. “As the phrase goes, you do not poke a sleeping ursa.”

“He believes what he’s doing is right. Unfortunately, he doesn’t consider he could be wrong.” Clover sighed. “The part of his brain that tells him to stop and think is constantly getting a wedgie from the rest of his brain.”

“It will bite him down the line. Either that or his research into time-based magic will.”

“You’re aware of that, then?”

“It’s somewhat obvious to note. That, and the information network is quite useful.”

“Those who live in glass houses, huh?”

“Precisely.”

When a veil is mentioned, it is often used to describe a happy event or the necessity for privacy. It is a boundary that is not to be crossed without permission, lest terrible consequences befall the interloper. And so it had been with the veil that separated Equis from other worlds. Many paths branched from this network in a manner not unlike the spreading of roots or the many neural pathways of the brain. The greater hubs were the locations where the nerves could fire or water could be gathered fastest. Other worlds served as destination points, receivers of the signal to act.

It was never certain where Equis landed in regards to this layout, due to the fact that it had remained so remote compared to the other worlds, but it did prove an excellent vacation spot for many a fae and other creature from foreign worlds. However, all of that changed when a single blazing hoof stepped through thin air into the fresh air of Equestria again. Her golden horseshoes were scuffed and heavily tarnished. Her eyes streaked with tears as her mane glowed with the light of a dying fire. And with her passing came a ripple through the air that spread well beyond. A single limp figure lay draped across her back. Blood soaked Celestia’s armor and dyed her flank. She didn’t care.

She was home again.

She didn’t care.

And even as her own sides heaved with her sobs, so, too, did the world heave as the veil between worlds writhed in agony.

Back in Unity, Harmony quickly materialized and gasped by Hammer Strike. “Something just happened to alter the balance of order in the veil between the worlds.”

“So that’s what it was.” Hammer Strike frowned. “It felt like something was just cut off.”

“It was.” Harmony smacked her lips. “Celestia made it just in time. But … something is wrong.”

“Agreed, but I can’t quite put a hoof on it.” He frowned. “She’s probably soon to be on her way back here.” he noted, standing from his chair. “Though how long that will take, I’m uncertain.”

“My brother will take strength from this event. There are many who Equis is seeking to alter, now that the connection has been cut off. The chaos will be ripe for the picking.”

Hammer Strike sighed. “We’ll just have to see how things progress from here.”

It took several months before the mare finally returned home again. When she arrived, her sword lay in a heavily worn scabbard. A cloak obscured her fur, and her expression was filled with sadness and fatigue, even as she forced it into a neutral mask.

Hammer Strike stood outside the city gates as he awaited Celestia’s return. He looked her over before giving a soft frown. “You don’t have to say anything.”

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Hammer Strike placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Come. I kept your room clean while you were gone.”

Celestia nodded and leaned against her Father. “Thank you.” This time, her voice cracked.

Hermes sighed as he looked to the east. The feeling was gone, but the aftereffects were clear. The veil between worlds was no longer thin enough to travel through easily. That meant magic had finally died on Earth, making the planet toxic to all but the most powerful of his kind, and thus deadly to him. Hermes was trapped.

It was a risk he’d been aware of, of course, one he’d been planning for. He had no home back on earth. His father had lost his sanity long before he’d been born, and what little sane family he had left jumped ship years ago. Still, he felt a strange sense of emptiness at the thought that his former home was cut off to him. The god of travelers and crossroads was stranded in an entirely different world, and that thought was ... unsettling.

Still, he’d turn his attention forward. He’d found a pleasant little group who’d taken to his stories of the messenger of the gods. He’d even gotten a few wisps of faith from them. Perhaps this was a place to start, somewhere small where he could sustain himself on a few beings while he helped them on their way.

Yes. For now, this would do.

Rem and Ram both smiled as they went about their work cleaning rugs, hanging laundry, and tending to the flower beds. The pink and blue devils both had adjusted well to their time of service, and took great pleasure in tending to their master’s home while he served Hammer Strike. As the two continued to till the land, Ram paused and stretched casually. “Rem, I believe we have visitors.”

Ram continued to tend the flower bed. “Hostile intent?” she asked casually.

“No. Too small for that. And not nearly stealthy enough.” Rem joined her sister in weeding. “Should we invite them in?”

“Better to go to them. I doubt the master would appreciate it if we left his estate open to just anyone to enter.”

Rem nodded. “Then let’s do it.”

Out in the bushes, four foals twitched idly in the brush as they peeked through the leaves at the strange mares. Their curved horns were unusual, and they’d heard the two were supposed to be devils, but the mares had never caused any trouble in the city before. And besides, they were curious.

“You know, it’s rude to spy on people while they are working,” Rem’s voice stated calmly from behind.

The foals squealed as they jumped out of the brush and into Ram’s magical grip.

“Now I wonder what our little spies could be here for, Rem,” Ram said.

“Perhaps we should ask them, Ram.”

“An excellent idea, Rem.” Ram smiled playfully as she lowered the foals to the ground. Rem stood on their other side to prevent escape before their own curiosity was satisfied. “What brings you to our master’s house, little ones?”

A young mare cast the occasional glance Ram’s way, then averted her gaze as she spoke. “We … wanted to ask you a question.”

“And what might that be?”

The filly scuffed her hoof in the dirt. “Father Anderson told us an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. And, well … he said you two were devils, so … we were wondering. Is he right? And … if he is, how do you do it? Our heads are too small for you to get inside, aren’t they?”

Rem looked at Ram. Both maintained perfectly straight faces for five long seconds. And then they laughed.

“It’s not funny!” the filly protested. “We wanna know!”

“I’m sorry, little one.” Rem barely kept herself from collapsing into another fit of giggles. “To answer your question, no, we can’t enter your head directly. There are some magics we can employ that allow us access to a person’s mind or the ability to influence their thought processes, certainly, but we rarely use them. Most of the time, we just have to say the right words to the right person and the chaos sews itself.” She smiled and booped the filly on the nose. “Fortunately for all of you, we are bound to our master, and our master is bound to Hammer Strike. So, you don’t have to worry about us planting any ideas he wouldn’t approve of, magically or not.”

“Hey, quit it!” The filly giggled as Rem continued to poke and tease her.

“Besides, our master frowns on doing anything to children. You’re all still too innocent,” Ram noted idly. “But since you four have enough time to spy on us, how about you help us weed the master’s garden as penance?”

A unified groan rose.

“As payment, then,” Ram continued. “Equivalent exchange. We gave you information, so you can give us a small service in return.”

“And if you perform your task well, we may reward you,” Rem added. “Come. It’s not that hard. I thought you foals enjoyed getting dirty.”

“They may not be bad,” the filly said.

“But they sure know how to punish,” a colt finished as they were herded into the little garden.

“Less talking,” Rem started.

“More digging,” Ram finished as she handed them some gardening tools.

“So, to get this all straight, Father married Clover, they had a son, a new baby brother, he grew up, and he left on his own, all while our little village grew into a prosperous city state with multiple vassal settlements?” Celestia asked as she guzzled from a stein full of tea with reckless abandon. Yharon and Luna had both joined her, and each sat on either a chair or cushions respectively as their bodies required while they congregated in Celestia’s room.

“That about sums it up, yes,” Yharon said as he eyed the herb pots that now lay scattered haphazardly on the floor. “I see your love of tea has only strengthened since you left us.”

“It is … a coping mechanism of sorts,” Celestia admitted.

“You’ve had trouble in your travels?” Luna asked.

“Trouble is putting it lightly.” Celestia sighed. “I fell in love, Luna.” Tears threatened to overflow their bounds. “And I fear I’ve lost him forever.”

Fabric shredded as Yharon’s talons tensed. “Did someone hurt you?”

Luna was more controlled in her reaction as she wrapped a wing around her sister. “How did it happen?”

“I … I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about it. At least … not all of it.” She shuddered. “His … his name was—is Arthur.”

“Go on,” Yharon encouraged.

“I may need something stronger before I can. Sister, Father mentioned you’ve been experimenting with brewing lately. Do you have anything on hoof?”

Yharon’s scaly brow rose in surprise. “You drink now?”

“When circumstances require it.” Celestia swallowed heavily. “And I would say this is definitely one of those times.”

Luna’s horn lit and a tankard floated to them. “This is cider I’ve been working with. I think it should do the trick.”

Celestia drank deeply. “I’m half tempted to ask for salt to go with it.”

“That’s a no,” Yharon said. “We need to actually understand what you’re saying. You can lick yourself senseless after.”

“Start with the good times, Sister,” Luna offered. “The bad can wait.”

Celestia nodded. “It started in a war-torn land with a single shining city at its heart. They called it Camelot.”

Hammer Strike hummed to himself as he looked over his reports. From what each town was saying, the upgrade to the gear was serving each of them well. In every case, any incidents that they had to deal with were repelled with ease. He wasn’t able to do everything he wanted, but it was manageable, and better than before.

Clover arrived with a pop, looking worried. “We have a problem.”

“What’s the issue?” Hammer Strike placed the reports down as he stood from his chair.

“Have you by chance noticed today has been going a little … long?” Clover asked.

“I’ve … been inside all day. What do you mean it’s been long?” Hammer Strike frowned. “You can’t possibly mean…”

“The sun rose at five thirty this morning, and it hasn’t set since, it’s five thirty again now,” Clover explained.

Hammer Strike’s frown deepened as he moved from his office toward the door. Stepping outside revealed exactly that, the sun mid-sky, despite being just sunrise. “That’s ... definitely not good.”

“Me and a few of the Unicorns have pried at it, but we don’t have the power to move it. They’re just holding it there,” Clover said.

“You would all burn yourselves out trying to move it,” Hammer Strike noted as he started thinking things over.

“This is their tactic,” Clover said. “I warned you it would happen eventually. They’ll try and make us surrender by denying us the solar-lunar cycle.”

Hammer Strike clenched his jaw in frustration. “They’ll damn the world just to take our people.”

“They believe we’ll fall before they will. The thing is, by the time they start doubting that, the damage could be catastrophic.”

“What are our available options?”

“I could create a spell to filter out the sunlight during the night, but I'd only be able to do it over Unity. We could move everyone to the Thestral caves, but that's a massive undertaking.”

“It would take too long and stress the situation further.”

“There’s also Ainz’s tomb.”

“Not fit for living subjects long-term.”

“Well, I can’t think of anything else without fundamentally altering the biology of everyone in our lands, and I don’t have the power or the time for that magical formula.”

Hammer Strike took a breath. “Ex divinia etiam. I’ll … I’ll have to go through drastic measures.”

Faces, hooves, and tails stuck out as the pair passed by houses, yards, and store fronts. With the continual blast of light and heat from the sun, the various denizens of the cities were left to ponder over the future. But Hammer Strike had saved them from worse. He’d turned back the undead hordes, eliminated invading forces, obliterated obstacle after obstacle, and even gone so far as to be able to counter Unicorn magic. Surely, he would be able to save them again, even with something seemingly impossible. He was the stallion that made the impossible possible.

“What will you do?” Clover asked him.

“I’m going to show you why you don’t poke the sleeping Ursa,” Hammer Strike noted as a grin crossed his muzzle. He stopped in the town square and directed his attention to those around him. “Citizens of Unity, come forth!”

The Ponies were already hiding around anyway, so it didn’t take them long to file out, albeit somewhat sheepishly. They expected potential rebuke, though they hoped for comfort first. No one wanted to bow to the tyranny of Unicorn nobility. The few that remained in hiding were easily escorted out by guards in a gentle but firm manner.

“Doubtless, you are all aware of our current situation. The Unicorns have decided to throw their weight in an attempt to have us yield, and for me to relinquish control of every settlement and subject to them. Know this! I won’t damn you all to that fate, nor will I damn you to eternal daylight,” Hammer Strike called out.

A low murmur carried through the gathering. What did their lord have in mind? Was he going to cease defensive action and engage in an active campaign? Was he about to call for war?

“Though they throw the sun at us in this attempt, I refuse to let them succeed.” He couldn’t help but let a grin spread across his muzzle. “Nor will I allow any Unicorns within our cities to burn themselves out in a collective bid to seize control of the sun and moon for ourselves. No, I will do much better than that.” Thaumic energy began to coalesce outside of him. “I won’t let them have the pleasure of watching us fall.”

“You can’t,” Clover whispered tersely. “The cost could kill you.”

“And I’m too stubborn to die.” His smile turned confident as the thaumic power began to grow within him. He took every ounce of power within his field, and even began to actively absorb the mana coming from the planet as he formed a tether. It took him a minute to reach out for the sun and moon. Both were coated by magic, the Unicorn nobles doubtlessly trying to hold them still. It didn’t take much effort to rip through their hold on the celestial bodies. That part was easy.

The hard part was moving them after the fact.

He strained as he added more and more force to the sun and moon, attempting to continue their cycle. He grit his teeth as it fought back against his control, burning away at his thaumic power, and in turn, him.

It writhed, lashed out, and fought against him, and he couldn’t stop himself as he began coughing violently. Blood escaped his mouth as he pushed more and more against the wild force. At the moment, he stood at near even grounds with the sun and moon, barely managing to move an inch at a second.

A gasp carried through the crowd at the sight of the trembling ball of fire in the sky. Hammer Strike was fighting, and more importantly, he was starting to win. Even as they looked on with worried expressions, the hope and silent prayers of the citizens billowed in one unified wave. Gryphon, Unicorn, Pegasus, Earth Pony, and even Thestrals combined their wills with a single thought of encouragement and command.

‘You can do it.’

Hammer Strike yelled defiantly at the resistance the sun and moon gave him as he felt magic prod his thaumic field. It didn’t take much before it pushed its way into him, granting him the last push of energy he needed. At that moment, the sun and moon started to move proper, and soon after, exchanged places.

His field cut out suddenly as he completed his task, his breathing labored as he stared up at the night sky above him. Blood ran down his muzzle as he tried to stabilize his breath.

The cheer that arose shook the town, and the same cries carried on the wind from the four corners of Hammer Strike’s lands. Day had yielded at last, and all could be as it was meant to again.

Clover rushed forward and threw her hooves around her mate. He felt the warm trickle of tears on his neck, as well as a small trickle of thaumic energy prodding at his field, intent on feeding it. His field latched on eagerly, drinking until Clover had to forcibly cut the connection. She took a step back. “Let’s get you home.”

“Probably for the best,” Hammer Strike replied as he wiped at his mouth, clearing the blood. He stood tall as he gave a faint smile toward the cheering populace before turning and hobbling from the square.

“How are you even standing right now?” she whispered, keeping close to his side.

“I’m numb. The shock of everything is still there.”

“I didn’t think you’d be able to do it,” she admitted, still quietly. “Right up until you got that boost at the end, you seemed to be struggling.”

“It fought against me the whole time.” He took a breath. “As though with tooth and claw.”

It didn’t take long for the two of them to reach home, Clover opened the door for Hammer Strike to pass through. As soon as that door closed, he collapsed onto the wooden flooring, his breathing severely labored.

Almost instantly, the weight of years fell upon him as his coat became thin and muted. His mane turned almost pure white and withered. Scars that hadn’t been seen in years became visible beneath his fur. His eyes seemed to dull, despite their technological nature.

“Hammer Strike!” Clover cried, reaching for her cream.

“Clover, bring me,” he took a breath. “Lowest level basement. Quickly.”

She wrapped her hooves around them, and they vanished in a pop of magic.

Grif numbly opened his hand. The bits and shards of broken glass tinkled to the floor as he stared blankly at the screen. The pain was minimal as blood dripped from his now open talons. Already, his thaumic field began to repair the damage as bits of glass slid out of the numerous cuts to join the rest on the floor.

“That was … pardon my language, but damn,” Vital Spark exclaimed.

Rarity wept silently as she stared at the screen. The stallion she loved had just aged to the point where he was near death. The depth of his generosity touched her beyond words, even as her heart ached at the pain he had put himself through. Twilight laid a supporting wing on her friend’s back and held her close.

Pensword just stared. “WHY IS HE NOT AN ALICORN?” he yelled in shock and horror. “Hammer Strike is the literal patron guardian of our entire land!” His voice fluctuated and cracked with the surge of his emotions. “He’s literally a demigod now!”

“That was thaumic power, not magic,” Grif pointed out.

Pensword looked to Grif, slowly to Twilight, then to Vital. “You all are going to become…” He trailed off. A pang of regret showed briefly on his muzzle. Then he shook his head. “Equestria will never be the same in fifty to a hundred years.”

“Is … he going to be okay?” Derpy asked.

“Yes,” The Doctor said. Of everyone present, he seemed completely unfazed by what they’d seen.

“Doctor, do you know something you’re not telling us?” Vital asked. “There’s not something worse coming, is there?”

“Possibly?” The Doctor shrugged. “It’s not important right now.”

Vital Spark groaned. “Just how much punishment is he going to have to take before the universe says it’s done giving him crap to deal with?”

Grif responded for the first time since. “You don’t get it, do you?” He shook his head. “It’s not him the universe needs to pick on. Hell, probably less than half of this was given to him to deal with. The universe doesn’t have to target him. It just has to target somebody he can help.” He sighed. “As long as someone’s in trouble and he has the power to do something about it, he generally will.”

“Even if it could kill him, huh?” Vital sighed. “That does sound like him.”

“It’s what makes him such a great leader,” Pensword said. “And why Grif swore his fealty in the first place.”

“What I’m wondering is how he even managed to survive that long after the exertion, let alone actually control the sun on his own. He may be stronger than most Unicorns, but that shouldn’t be enough to command that kind of power,” Twilight said.

“I’d be more worried about how many times he can,” Grif stated. “I doubt the Unicorns are gonna stop at one time.”

“You mean he’s going to have to keep doing … that?” Rarity couldn’t even bring herself to say it.

“You’ve met the nobles in the present, Rarity. If their ancestors are anything like them, then I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet,” Vital agreed.

“But that simply doesn’t make any sense.”

“Rarity, it’s nobles who are snobbier and more proud and power hungry than even the worst of Canterlot. They’d rather keep bashing their horns against whatever problem they perceive than admit defeat. About the only thing that can force them to capitulate is if a sword is at their throats. Reality isn’t an easy concept for them to grasp.”

Rarity grit her teeth. “Then I hope Clover teaches them the proper humility when the time is right.”

“And Hammer Strike learns or creates something to help make it easier,” Pensword added.

Hammer Strike blinked as he came to. Above him sat the familiar arms of the medical cube’s operating table. He felt better again, but the memory of the incident weighed on his subconscious.

Clover hugged him for the third time that day. A part of him noted the uncharacteristic display of affection and logged it while the rest reciprocated the contact. “I was worried,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” Hammer Strike apologized as he returned the hug. “I couldn’t risk anyone.”

“You shouldn’t risk yourself either, idiot,” she said, not letting go.

“From what I could tell, it wasn’t going to kill me, but bring me right next to Death’s door.”

“Tell him to buck off next time.”

“I have, but he’s too clingy.”

Behind Clover, in the corner of the room, a familiar figure glared at him from under his hood.

“You aren’t winning next time either, Death.” Hammer Strike gave a small smirk.

“Maybe he won’t,” another familiar voice spoke. “But I have to wonder why you didn’t pull energy from our bonds,” Ainz commented as he entered.

“I haven’t been able to test what it would do to you all if I made a pull that severe. I didn’t want to risk it.”

“Nobility looks good in the history books, but honor won’t keep Unity together if you just off and die.”

“As stated, it won’t kill me, but I’ll need to use this cube immediately afterward to keep from dying.” Hammer Strike sighed.

“That was reckless,” Harmony chided as she materialized and glared at him.

“Best option I had,” Hammer Strike replied.

“Is there any way to block the Unicorns’ control over the celestial bodies?” Ainz asked. 

“Yes, but that isn’t the problem.” Hammer Strike frowned. “They weren’t holding them in place. They were simply placing a lock on a stationary object.”

“If energy is what is required,” Ainz said, “there are options.”

“I won’t allow us to stoop to such methods.”

“I thought as much, but it’s my duty to present the thought, nonetheless.” Ainz thought. “Though perhaps I could break down the body of one of the dragon corpses. It would produce enough raw power possibly to allow you to move the celestials at least once.”

“I can add to that. Dilute it to two exchanges. Only work with the spares, nothing majorly useful to us.”

Ainz nodded. “I’ll get to work on it immediately.”

Hammer Strike nodded as he moved to stand up and gave a faint smile to Clover. “I’ll need you by my side more than ever in these next few days.”

“I figured,” she said. “I’ll look through my contracts, see if I can’t make a few exchanges for power with some extraplanar beings.”

“Don’t put too much risk into it. We should be able to manage until I can figure out the better alternative.”

“You go get some sleep,” Clover ordered. “Rejuvenation or not, you have to be exhausted after that.”

Hammer Strike winced. “I’ll … try.”

The sudden shift from day to night had left all three siblings in a state of agitation only aggravated by the arrival of a stormy-faced Clover. They were all adults, each having faced their own challenges and hardships over the years. As such, their mother had chosen to tell them the truth about the events that had transpired.

“He did what?” Yharon roared.

“He did what he thought was the only option,” Clover said.

Yharon began to swear sulfurously in the tongue of Dragons.

“Yharon!” Celestia balked.

“Celestia, I love you, but it’s either I vent by swearing or I fly out somewhere and find something to roast,” Yharon said. “And I’d rather stay here to make sure Father is all right.”

“Peace, Yharon. I’m angry, too, but it won’t help us,” Luna said.

“That’s the frustrating part, Luna. Nothing will. You know how Father is. He’d rather drop dead than risk anyone getting hurt fighting those … those….” His body trembled and pulsed with energy as sparks shot out his nostrils and a low growl rumbled in his throat. He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe. “I want them to pay.”

“You know Father wouldn’t allow it,” Celestia said as she laid a supporting wing against her brother’s frame. “He cares about us too much.”

“Enough to risk burning up his life force?” he snapped. “What if he can’t come back next time? How many times do you think he can actually do this before he fails entirely? It’s suicidal!”

“It’s Hammer Strike.” Clover sighed. “Your father has a bad case of putting his life in danger.”

“So, what do we do about it?”

“Yharon, I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” Celestia said.

Yharon shook his head. “I refuse to believe that. If Father is going to put his life on the line every time this happens, then I’m going to find an answer to all this, so he doesn’t have to.”

“I wish you the best of luck in that.” Clover sighed. “We’re all trying to find answers right now.”

“Mother, may I have permission to visit the tomb? I’d like to consult with Master Gown.”

“Go ahead.” Clover sighed. “Ainz has already tried what he can, but for obvious reasons, we’re not going that route.”

Yharon nodded. “I suspected as much. But he and his compatriots may be able to help point us in the right direction.” He rose to his feet and stretched. “I’ll be back later,” he promised his sisters. “Keep an eye on Father for me?”

“We will, brother.”

Yharon left shortly after, leaving Clover alone with her two foster stepdaughters.

“So, who’s taking first watch?” Celestia asked.

The light hum of magic briefly surrounded Clover’s lab door before dying away. It sounded twice more as Star Swirl’s silvery-white magical aura surrounded the door and was swiftly broken. The heavy slam of his hoof almost rivaled his booming voice. “Clover, open this door! I must speak with you immediately!”

Clover sighed, ignited her horn, and the door opened.

Star Swirl didn’t waste time. He bowled in like a thundercloud, and his beard billowed to match, though the bells detracted from the intimidation tactic. “What in Faust’s name did he do? The whole city is in an uproar!”

“He moved the sun and moon,” Clover said tepidly. “Nearly killed him, too.”

“On his own?”

“Yes, on his own.” Clover sighed and braced for the inevitable.

Star Swirl’s face paled at first, then gradually flushed a rosy pink, transitioned to a deep red, and finally settled on a ruddy purple as his horn sparked and steam blew out his ears. “That idiot! After all this time and effort he’s put into uniting the tribes at last, after centuries of division, he acted alone? Why didn’t he ask for help? He has legions of Unicorns that would literally do anything for him! At the very least, he could have let us support him!”

“Because he wouldn’t ask them to burn themselves out for it.”

“And this is better?”

“To him, it is. I know you don’t value others to the same extent, but you should at least understand when someone else does.”

“There is a balance, Clover. Going too far on either end is bad. I understand his motivation, but I cannot condone the method, not when there is so much at stake.”

“Honestly, Star Swirl, what you condone has little matter in it,” Clover said. “I can’t rule out the reason you can’t condone it is because you haven’t figured out how to claim credit for it.”

“Clover!” Star Swirl balked. “I’m surprised at you.”

“Not as surprised as I was to find that you credited yourself for the amniomorphic spell,” Clover said, dropping a book. “As well as the spell ritual for moving the sun and moon.” She dropped another book. “As well as the six unnatrual uses of wolfsbane.” Yet another book. “You seem to have taken a habit of signing your name alone to things your partners worked on, if not invented solely. Imagine my surprise when I started finding this information in your own published texts, and that few, if any Unicorns had heard of names like Briar the Balding or Willow the Wispy. It seems everywhere I look, it’s Star Swirl the Bearded. Did you think I wouldn't find out?”

“There was nothing to find out. The majority of the research was mine, and they agreed it would be wider read under my name. You know how difficult it is to get the nobility to even consider having copies made.”

“Just like you told me about the windigos?” Clover deadpanned as she dropped a published version of the Hearth’s Warming Eve tale. “Funny how that went. As I remember, you had me whipped, and I spent three days peeling potatoes for touching that bestiary.”

“Because you didn’t have permission and you weren’t at the point in your training where that knowledge would be relevant.”

“Tell me, if I looked up my dissertation on the Wendigos, what would I find? Or how about my three papers on extra planar beings and the etiquette for interacting with them? Do I want to know what you did with my notes on the truth about the Alicorns?”

“You know full well that kind of knowledge would never be believed by the populace. You’d be laughed out of every consortium in the land.”

“They need to know the truth,” Clover growled.

“At the cost of enduring hostility toward your daughters?”

“You, of all people, do not get to bring my family into this!” Brilliant cerulean flames erupted from her mane as she glared at him. “My daughters are victims of the Alicorns as much as other Ponies. I’ve talked with them long and hard, and they agree that if Ponies aren't made aware of the issue, it may very well lead to them repeating their tribe’s mistakes.”

Star Swirl normally would easily be able to ward off the heat of Clover’s anger, but as he threw up his shield, he found something else feeding the flames eating through his wards like candy.

“You have stolen credit from other Unicorns, from me. You hide vital knowledge from Equis. And worst of all, you admonish me for my husband risking his life to save Ponies from the self-righteous idiots weilding a weapon you helped them learn to use. Do not treat me for some conjurer of cheap tricks, Star Swirl the Bearded. I have learned much since leaving you.” In a flash, orbs of magic surrounded her. They spun rapidly, radiating the aspects of all the major elements. “I have mastered the elements, read the stars, and made deals with beings far stronger than the common Pony comprehends. I have been at the front of great evil and great good since coming here, and I will not be talked down to like a foal within my own home!” Above her head, a magical circle of white energy formed, and from its center, with a groan, a large helm mounted with a crown of pulsing white energy that flickered with golden streaks emerged. The metal was polished platinum that reflected the projected light and seemed to absorb it into the golden accents that passed along its armor plating. The entity was clearly mechanical in nature. It took Star Swirl a moment to attach the name of the summon to its form from his texts.

Alexander stared down at him in silent judgement.

Star Swirl gaped at the head in utter disbelief. For once, the verbose and overbearing wizard had been rendered speechless.

All at once, the display ended. The elemental orbs vanished. The flames on Clover’s coat and mane died. And even Alexander slowly sunk into his summoning circle and faded. “If this is the path you’ve chosen, then there is nothing more of value you can teach me. I think my career as your student would only hinder me if I were to pursue it further.” Clover reached into her cloak and produced a small silver amulet with Star Swirl’s cutie mark emblazoned on it. Then she tore it from her neck and tossed it to him.

The brim of Star Swirl’s hat hung low over his face as he grit his teeth and stared at the emblem. “You ungrateful little—”

The amulet hovered in the air, and as Clover released her magical grip on it, cerulean blue flames devoured the metal before his eyes. There was no melting of metal, no slag. When the flames finished their work, he felt nothing where they had been. Even the magic connected to the amulet was gone.

“Now, unless you have some way I can keep my husband from killing himself trying to fix your mistakes, you can go,” Clover stated coldly. “And if you would kindly retract your spying enchantments from my son, I'd hate to have to forcibly break them.”

Star Swirl growled, but did as he was bidden as his horn flashed. “There. It’s done.” He turned smartly toward the door. “Farewell, Clover. You have your wish. I hope you don’t regret it.”

Unceremoniously, Clover’s horn lit, and Star Swirl found himself teleported outside as the door shut and locked.

“Well, it seems your audience with Lady Clover is done.” Lord appeared in front of the Unicorn instantly and with no magical effect that Star Swirl could notice. “My lord has bid me see you out.”

“I can see myself out, thank you very much,” Star Swirl huffed. “I’m not an invalid.”

“Yes, but we both know you’re also not going to head out on your own. You’re going to hunt my lord down and attempt to give him a piece of your mind. Then he’ll summon me to see you out, anyway. This cuts out the middlepony.”

Star Swirl scoffed, but didn’t protest. “Very well. Let’s just get this over with. I’ve my own business to attend to.”

“And you can send a formal request at the gate, like every other visitor,” Lord said. And with a flash, Star Swirl was overtaken by bright sunlight as he found himself standing in the center of a large flower field on the wrong side of the mountains.

Hammer Strike groaned to himself as he left his bed. Based off the readings of his augments, he had roughly four hours until he had to set the sun and raise the moon. It had been two days since he’d first performed the act, and it wasn’t getting easier quickly.

He sighed to himself as he stretched, attempting to alleviate the tension in his limbs before moving over to his desk. Before he could reach it, however, a familiar groaning phased into his hearing, becoming louder and louder until he felt a small quake and a resounding crash near his home.

“Why now, of all times?” Hammer Strike sighed, moving over to the window. Behind his house, he could see the TARDIS in a familiar situation, doors open, smoke coming out, and The Doctor standing outside pacing. “Really..?” he muttered before moving toward his door and calling his tools to his side.

The Doctor coughed as he stumbled out of the TARDIS and into a familiar green yard. Smoke and fumes billowed out of the police box doors as he breathed and rubbed his eyes to clear them, only to gape at the sight of the familiar cottage walls. The structure had been expanded since his last visit, but he would never forget the Earth Pony that had repaired his machine. Nor would he forget the promise he’d made. His maneless head was accentuated by the dark leather jacket that bedecked his frame, and he practically danced with worry as he began to pace. “No. No, no, no, no!” he cried with ever increasing volume. “Why here, why now, of all the places and all the times you could’ve picked? You know I made a promise.” He pointed an accusatory hoof in the TARDIS’ direction. “We’re not supposed to be here!”

“Yet here you are,” Hammer Strike called out as he approached the Doctor. Despite the restraint shown, it was clear he wasn’t in a good mood.

The Doctor jumped back from the stallion as he set his toolbox down. “Now, Hammer Strike, I swear this wasn’t my idea. I took care of her. Honestly, I did.” He raised a hoof. “Swear to Faust, or … whatever authority you equines worship on this planet.”

“I worship none of them, so you’re out of luck there.” Hammer Strike sighed. “What happened?” he questioned as he rubbed his forehead.

“Truthfully? I … don’t really know. It seems I’ve only just regenerated. On the plus side, good teeth.” He clacked his jaw for emphasis. “On the down side, memory’s sort of scrambled.” He coughed and a waft of his regeneration energy flowed briefly from his mouth. “Wooh! Spicy.”

“Doctor, you’re hopeless sometimes,” Hammer Strike replied flatly as he moved to enter the TARDIS.

“Oi! I’m not that bad … most of the time.”

“Hence why I said sometimes.” He sighed as he stepped into the ship. After a brief scan over, he noted that the point of regeneration looked to have happened near the auto repair circuit he had previously patched. And it was once again not in the best of shapes. Several other sections were damaged along with it from the regeneration process. “Why now, of all times? Out of any point in time you could have landed here, why now?”

“Don’t ask me. Ask her.” He motioned to the ship. “I’m a man—err stallion of my word. I wouldn’t have come here.”

“Of course you wouldn’t have.” Hammer Strike caught himself as he nearly growled out the sentence. “By the Divine, I’m still recovering, and here you come by having regenerated right next to the repair circuit.”

“It’s not like I planned it that way. At least … I don’t think I did.”

Hammer Strike sighed. “Doctor, do me a favor. Just... go around town, talk with Clover, do something other than be here right now.”

“Uh … right. Yeah. I’ll just be going now.” He chuckled nervously and backed away briefly before holding his breath and darting inside. He returned bearing a curiously shaped stick between his teeth, which he quickly stowed in his jacket pocket. “Almost forgot my sonic.” He chuckled nervously, then galloped for all he was worth. The sooner he could get away from the angry Hammer Strike, the better.

As soon as The Doctor was out of earshot, Hammer Strike sighed once more. “TARDIS, why? Now was potentially the worst time to bring The Doctor here. I’ve been having to deal with the sun and moon the last few days, and it’s really wearing me down.”

‘It was the only point I could zero in on after what happened with the Daleks on Gallifrey.’

Hammer Strike sighed heavily as he pulled out several tools and began checking over the repair circuit. “I’m barely holding on at this point. I know I’ll live, but this constant feeling of exhaustion and pain is wearing down on my body. The Alicorns at least gave me a few days between tests, but this? It’s within every twelve hours.”

‘Why haven’t you asked the girls to do it? They’re not taking another break, are they?’

“I’ve been wondering when that will take place, but I honestly don’t know if they’re at the stage they can handle it yet.” Hammer Strike sighed. “If I bring it up, after the way things have been, it’s like me asking if they’re willing to take my place of misery. They’d understand and potentially accept the responsibility, but that kind of stress isn’t good.”

‘They’re your girls. Like father like daughters.’ She laughed, and her console booped as she did so. ‘Give it time.’

“Always do.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Has he been keeping to his word this time, or was that a stretch of the truth?”

‘A little of both. He didn’t mean to regenerate, so the blame can’t be entirely placed on him.’

“Yeah, yeah…” Hammer Strike frowned as he got to work. It took a few hours, but eventually he got things to a manageable state where the Tardis was able to pick up on the repairs. The Doctor had kept away from the Tardis in the entire time he was working, and even after he had finished. “I should probably go look for him.” Hammer Strike hummed as he patted the side of the TARDIS. “I’ll bring him over. Until next time.”

‘Say hello to your granddaughter for me. That girl has a bright future ahead of her. Oh, and mind that temper while you’re visiting.’

“You know what, I’m not going to ask,” Hammer Strike replied as he moved toward his house in search of The Doctor. Thankfully, he didn’t have to travel far, as he found the stallion within his home. The Doctor had taken it upon himself to read through an assortment of books available, doing anything to keep to himself and out of Hammer Strike’s mane.

“Give her a little bit to finish up and she’ll be done,” Hammer Strike commented.

“So, um … I’m gonna guess—”

“Doctor, to be completely honest, if it weren’t for how needed you are, I would have punched through one of your regenerations,” Hammer Strike replied flatly.

“Oh. Uh. Well, that’s not very nice.” He rubbed the back of his head. “But I guess it’s fair. So, I guess I’ll just get out of your hair and let you get on with it, yeah?”

“No, you’re going to sit there and wait at least half an hour for her to wrap up the repairs. Understood?”

The Doctor winced. “Right….”

Hammer Strike sighed. “Look, I’m sorry, Doctor, but she landed in one of the worst points in time around this period for you to land. I’m not in the best of shapes right now.”

“Any way I can help?”

“Unless you can move the sun and moon for me, no.” Hammer Strike sighed.

“Well, I don’t know about moving a star, but the TARDIS should be able to move the moon or Equis, provided she has enough pilots.”

“You’re not going to stress her with this right after her repairs,” Hammer Strike replied flatly. “You already screwed up twice. I won’t let you a third time.”

“I’ll … take that as a no, then.”

“Correct.” Hammer Strike frowned. “I suppose there is one thing you can do.”

“And that is?”

“Come with me.” Hammer Strike gestured as he led The Doctor down to the lowest level basement. “This is the medical cube I’ve been using to replenish my life after moving the sun and moon. As you can assume, it’s a hassle to deal with right after doing so, so you can get it going for me?”

“Right now?”

“Five minutes until I need to do so, but I figured you’d like additional time to study the machine.” He opened the cube and allowed The Doctor inside.

“Well, hello there. Didn’t expect to find this kind of tech here. Where’d you get it?” he asked curiously as he looked it over and then began to scan it with his sonic screwdriver.

“The Alicorns, before they died off. Now, try not to break it, or I will literally die before it’s my time.”

“Not gonna happen,” the Doctor said calmly. “It’s nice and all, but it’s still not Timelord tech.” He read the screwdriver’s readout and smiled. “There we go. That should do the trick.” He approached a console and looked over the buttons.

“And what, exactly, did you do?”

“Just gave the systems a quick scan is all. Sonic map. Charts out the schematics of the machine and helps me figure out its individual functions. Really useful, sonics.” He smiled as he flipped the screwdriver in the air and let it fall directly into his jacket pocket.

“Fair enough.” He sighed. “You can’t blame me for being worried about you breaking something important.”

“If there were a danger of that, the TARDIS wouldn’t have let me land here in the first place, whether she couldn’t repair herself or not.”

“Considering it was just a close random point, I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Hammer Strike muttered as one of his augments read the time to him. “Start preparing it,” he called out as thaumic energy surrounded his being.

The machine hummed to life as the Doctor jabbed his hooves over each of the buttons. “Fantastic!” he breathed as he watched the various arms and other segments hum to life and gradually disengage from sleep mode.

A few minutes passed and the energy around Hammer Strike faded out. He was breathing heavily as he slowly made his way to the table. “Once gray starts showing up in my mane, activate it…”

“Right. You’re in good hands—err hooves, Hammer Strike. I promise.”

“Gods, I hope so,” he muttered as he placed himself on the table, allowing the straps to take hold of his body.

Following standard procedure, Hammer Strike was sedated, and the process took over automatically. When Hammer Strike came to, he was surprised to find The Doctor still in the room, overlooking things on the console. His augments read out that it had been nearly three hours since he was put under.

“You’re still around?” Hammer Strike asked. “I … honestly had anticipated you leaving, once you knew it was fine.”

The Doctor turned and stared with a level expression that bore the same intensity as Hammer Strike’s raised brow. “Just how often have you been using this machine, Hammer Strike?”

“I’ve had to use it every twelve hours, right after dealing with the sun and moon.” Hammer Strike sighed. “I know it’s not supposed to be used quite like this, but it’s all I’ve got.”

“All you’ve got is dying,” he said seriously. “This machine was never designed to perform that kind of procedure that often. It’s a miracle this thing hasn’t given up the ghost already! It needs time to restore its energy, just like the TARDIS does, only this one does it slower using ambient energy in the surrounding environment.”

“It’s all I’ve got at the moment. As for when two individuals will be capable, I don’t know, but I can’t spring it on them, or it might result in a worse situation.”

“If nothing is done, you’re going to die before you’re supposed to, Hammer Strike. Three more uses. Four, if you’re lucky, before this machine’s power dies and you go with it.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Something, at the very least.”

“You’d better. Till then, I’m sticking around here. Someone has to try to keep this thing from breaking down.”

“So long as you don’t tamper with it too much, it should regulate itself fine. It hasn’t hit the stage of use, even in it’s rapid succession of current use, where it is unable to continue its sequence as per standard.”

“All right. If you want me to go, I’ll go. But someone still needs to plant that idea in your girls’ heads, and it needs to happen soon.”

“From what Clover’s been telling me, they’ve been looking into … something. They won’t tell her, but they’ve been active since I started this.”

“Good. That means they just need the final push to fit the pieces together. I’ll leave that to your other Missus to take care of.”

“Hopefully sooner, rather than later.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Until next time, Doctor, and do try to keep the TARDIS in one piece.”

“You know me, Hammer Strike. I try not to make promises I might not be able to keep.”

“Doctor, you land here one more time because she’s hurting, and you’ll be the one in pain. Understood?” Hammer Strike’s eyes brightened as he gave the Doctor a flat stare.

“... Right. I’ll just be going now.”

Everyone turned to stare at The Doctor, who in turn stared at the screen. “Well, I don’t remember that.”

“Well, it was a pretty long time ago,” Vital said. “And you had only just regenerated.”

“So, I hypothesize,” Grif noted, “that this would be just before Luna and Celestia took the sun and moon.”

“I’d say that’s a pretty safe bet,” Vital agreed.

“Are we going to see them actually control them for the first time, then?” Twilight asked.

“It’s really dependent on the lady.” Grif shrugged. “I mean, you aren’t exactly on the best terms with her right now.”

Twilight frowned. “You don’t have to rub it in….”

“No. If I was rubbing it in, I'd mention the TARDIS is a recognised grandmaster chess player, whereas you topped out as just a master,” Grif noted. “She’s won up to forty seven games simultaneously.”

“Uh, Grif, you just did,” Vital deadpanned.

“No one callously accuses me of rubbing it in,” Grif noted.

“So, you gave her an example of what your rubbing in would feel like, in order to prove you weren’t rubbing it in, which technically was and yet wasn’t rubbing it in?”

“Precisely.”

“Ladies and gentlefolk, this is why Grif is the head of his clan. I give you the thinker.”

“AKA the warrior. AKA the silvertongue. AKA the cunning, and so on,” Pensword said. 

“His titles are many and vast. None can comprehend his greatness!” Vital sassed and smiled goodnaturedly at his friends.

“On a separate note, I also would like to see them gain their cutie Marks, if the Tardis would be kind to us,” Pensword noted.

“Friendly ribbing and requests aside,” Rarity said, “perhaps it would be best to adjourn for now and partake of some refreshment. We’ve been sitting here watching that monitor for quite a while. A nice meal would do us all some good.”

“Muffins?” Derpy asked.

“Derpy, we love your baking. Every muffin you make has been a true delight, but do you mind if we try making something different this time?” Vital asked. “I’ve got a hankering for some breakfast burritos.”

“Breakfast burritos? What are those?”

Vital Spark grinned. “Give Grif and me a half hour and we’ll show you, assuming the TARDIS has the ingredients we need. Does she, Doctor?”

“Is that honestly a question?” The Doctor asked.

“I haven’t checked what she has ready made and what needs to be made from scratch, Doctor. So, yes, that’s a question.”

“That was a yes, Vital.” Grif sighed. “Screw it. I’m gonna make myself a skillet. You can figure this out.” Without another word, Grif headed for the kitchen.

“Welp, guess I’m on my own, then.” Vital shrugged. “Make that an hour, then. I cook slowly.” He saluted his friends. “Later. I’ll make sure to divide for vegetarian and non.”

Pensword looked at his friends before getting up. “I think I’ll go make some Denver Omelettes.” He paused. “You know, I haven’t thought of those in ages.” He chuckled. “Any other Ponies who are interested can join me.” He paused at the doorway and patted the wall with a wing. “Thank you for sharing that memory with us. I am honored you showed us this moment.”