Extended Holiday
Chapter 184: It’s All in the Planning
As the familiar green landscape finally gave way to civilization, the travelers gazed upon the township of Ponyville and the great city beyond. A well-travelled road wound its way like a ribbon tying the two settlements irrevocably together. It truly was a picturesque sight, and the ideal balm for the homesick and travel weary.
Edna smiled. “Remote, natural, no signs of any technological corruption, and an overabundance of natural resources. Yes, this will do nicely.”
Hammer Strike smiled.“It’s certainly been good so far. Oh, I also have a small temporary request. Would it be possible for you to cast an illusion over yourself? New Alicorns here cause some … interesting reactions. Given they were ascensions, I don’t know how the response will be for a third natural born. I’ll call Celestia and Luna over whenever you’re ready to see them, of course.”
“Ascensions, you say?” she asked curiously. “And there are two such Ponies at your capitol? How intriguing. And when will I be able to meet these Ponies?”
“As soon as we land. But, about that illusion?” Hammer Strike raised a brow.
Edna rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, darling. I’m not that old yet.” A glow passed over her horn and dissipated just as quickly, leaving behind a simple Earth Pony with a cutie mark shaped exactly like a familiar cigarette holder.
“I mean, a Unicorn would have worked fine as well.”
Edna shrugged. “This feels more practical. I evade notice and get to make a proper name for myself in the meantime. Trust me, darling, I’ve done this before.”
He shrugged. “Fair enough. In any case, starting the landing procedure.”
The ship eased gently into the expansion he’d built. The mooring lines were thrown, and a number of Gryphons and Pegasi flew from the dock by the Ganthrithor to tie them off. A squad of soldiers garbed in the latest of Hammer Strike’s designs and bearing a number of pennons saluted their king while Blast and Tower Shield stood at the front with a beaming Pensword beside them.
“I miss anything important?” Hammer Strike questioned Tower and Blast.
“Nothing, Sir,” Tower said.
“It’s been quiet,” Blast added
“Fair enough. Well, once the cargo has been completely cleared, we need to send this thing to be scrapped. Completely. So either Clover or myself will deal with that.”
“Any special orders regarding the cargo?” Tower asked.
“Any concerns or questions are to be directed to—” he pointed towards Edna “—her. It’s mostly hers. Whatever isn’t is being carried by their respective passenger. Also, be aware of the Sphinxes onboard.”
“Should we assign them an escort?” Blast asked
“Show them around, yeah. We’ll figure out a space for them before the day is over.”
“And mind the equipment, darling. It’s sensitive,” Edna noted. “Light, but sensitive.” She motioned with a hoof. “Come, come, come, come. We can’t have you standing there gawking all day. You are guards, yes? Then do your duty and help me get these into the castle. You can stand around being pretty and formal after we finish securing my lab.”
With a shrug, Blast and Tower signalled their troops to move.
Pensword’s eye twitched as he watched Edna lead the troops into the ship’s holds. “Why does everyone treat guards like bellhops?” he muttered as he watched the receding E’s familiar black bowl-style cut mane.
Vital Spark chuckled as he strode down the gangplank to meet his friend. “Probably because in most of Equestria, that’s basically what they are. Granted, in this case, there’s a little more to it than meets the eye.” He smiled and embraced his friend in a hug. “Hello, Pensword. It’s good to see you again.”
“Figures.” Pensword couldn’t help but smile. “It’s Good to see you, too, Vital Spark. Been boring around here without you all. Nothing’s attacked or bothered us for days. We haven’t even had a cragadile sighting.” He gave a heavy sigh. “It was … bizarre.”
“Aren’t your hooves full enough anyway with trying to become the Commander again?”
“Yes, but I’ve gotten organized enough that it doesn’t take up my entire day.” He sputtered angrily. “Still, the hoops the Solar courts are putting me through. I wanted something to attack, so I could get a break from letters from the undersecretary of the war records department, history division, and more that’d make your head spin. Half of the job titles I read in my appeals feel made up. Turns out they’re all real, just usually left unfilled. I’m still waiting for the letter response from Luna and Celestia about if any of the other candidates are getting this hoop show.”
“Well, at the very least, you’re getting an in-depth look at the workings of the bureaucracy as a whole. By the time you finish, whatever the outcome, you’ll probably be able to turn just about every tool they have in their bureaucratic arsenal against them,” Vital said consolingly.
Pensword chuckled. “Oh … I think I’m going to ask Clover if you can help me on one issue.” His ears curved to give the impression of horns as he sneered wickedly. “You see, this bureaucratic machine is trying to grind me in a catch twenty-two. I have all my records, and that’s great. I can move to the next step, but there's one small underling that’s continuing to give me grief because there’s no birth certificate attached to my records.”
“You do realize that I’m no lawyer, right?”
Pensword’s smile grew strained. “I’m trying to find one, but I need to gather character witnesses from my civilian life who know me. They accepted my military witnesses, but I need at least five character witnesses beside my wives.”
“Well, I can certainly do my best to try. My primary understanding of your character lies in my interactions with you before certain events that brought me to Equestria, though. Have you considered asking Grif and Hammer Strike as well?”
Pensword took a scroll from a pouch at his side and unrolled it to a particular passage. “‘By law, the witness should be from your current area of residence who has known you for a year or more.’ You fit that rather well.” He put the scroll back. “As for your other comment, Grif and Hammer Strike could be poisoned wells due to bias and the fact they served with me during the war. Hammer Strike just became High King, so that could be considered favoritism and nepotism on his part as well. And Grif has annoyed and angered the Solar Court more times than I can count. He’s called a traitor by his people, and that could call his own character into question. And the way he’s constantly called them out or insulted their sense of honor only gives them more reason to flag him. As you know, everyone from my village is dead.” He sighed.
“I think I get the picture, Pensword,” Vital Spark said. “I’ll see what I can do.” He smirked. “You know how I have a way with words. Though if you’re looking for other witnesses, maybe you can try asking Mutatio and Me-Me. You helped them to adjust to being independent and to integrate into society here in Ponyville and New Unity, after all.”
“Yeah, and have them face the elitism and racism of Canterlot? That could literally poison their stomachs with those kinds of emotions. I’m not risking that.”
“I doubt it’d go that far, but I get what you mean. It was hard enough for them to stomach the idea of Luna accepting them so openly at the Gala.”
“And now you see my dilemma.” He smirked. “But I think the personal student of Clover the Clever vouching for a good friend might worry them. Going after you goes after Clover, which would be an attack on Star Swirl, whom they all respect highly.”
Vital smirked. “Pensword, you’re a devious colt, and I love it.”
Pensword chuckled. “Part of the job description. You can’t be a commander without strategy. Add that to Chivalry’s, and now I have two.” He gave a wack to Vital’s ear. “Now go see your wife already. Clover is going to be busy tonight.”
Vital chuckled. “I think we’ll both be tied up with our spouses.” He smiled and nodded. “I’ll see you around, Pensword.”
“Drab, cold, dark, out of sight, and filled with limitless potential.” Edna grinned as she took in the stonework of the old storage room. “You know me so well, Hammer Strike.” Then she turned to face one of the walls. “I need more space, though. That wall will simply have to go. How else do you expect me to build a proper lab without space?”
“Well, I figured we could honestly just attach it to a small sub dimension, which would give you plenty of space while maintaining the visual on the outside of a much smaller location. Clover actually used it for her study,” Hammer Strike explained. “It’s near my forge as well, so resources are close.”
“It’s a simple enough group of spells, not unlike the traveling bags people sell these days,” Clover noted.
“Those take some rather precise calculations to obtain proper cohesion. One wonders where you might have gained that kind of understanding of dimensional mechanics,” Edna mused. “From a certain young stallion in a blue box, perhaps?”
“Oh! You know him? Well that's a start, but the blue box is a more contained scientific venture. It’s simply expressing science creatively. What I do is a lot less restricted, and thus easier to obtain.”
Edna gazed closely at the mare and rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Hmm. Yes, you’re definitely one of the bright ones. Then again, I suppose I shouldn’t expect less of the one who won Hammer Strike’s heart,” she said with a knowing smile.
“I mean, we more came together out of a lack of connection with the world than ‘winning his heart.’ Love is a much more involved process than simple figurative actions.”
Edna smirked. “Did I say otherwise, child?”
“Well, stealing his heart usually implies a much faster whirlwind kind of relationship. We were physical for a good fifty years before either of us thought about something like feelings.”
“I much prefer a romance with a proper foundation. The idea of simply whisking a person off their hooves is simply too unrealistic, unless of course you’re dealing with love magic, but that’s not a kind of magic just any Pony can come by.”
“One of the ascended Alicorns is actually tied to that field of magic, amusingly enough,” Hammer Strike added. “Cadance.”
“She’s not trying to be a goddess, is she?”
“No, not at all.”
“Good.” Edna shook her head. “There are enough gods who tried foisting emotions on other people. We don’t need another one. Now, you were saying about that spell, darling?” she asked Clover?
Clover summoned a tome to her and opened it, turning to the appropriate page. “As you can see by my notes, I can increase the internal space of the room up to seven thousand percent without needing to increase the external space.”
“A genius innovation. Those blockheads in the empire never even dreamed of this from a magical standpoint. Too much focus on the technology, not enough on where they came from.” She tsked and shook her head. “Some children just don’t have the imagination to see past the numbers.”
“Sounds like my teacher.” Clover chuckled.
“Stubborn? Stick up their flank? Always their way and no other options?”
“That about sums him up, yeah,” Hammer Strike said. “We … didn’t part on the best of terms, to put it lightly.”
“So, what I'll need to do this is the location of anything that feeds into this room,” Clover noted. “Such as pipes and whatnot.”
“Good thing I got a look at the blueprints after you all had the castle built in the first place.” Hammer Strike smirked, then tapped the side of his head. “Got it all up here.”
“Well then, I can get started as soon as I’ve got them memorized.”
Hammer Strike walked to each of the portions of the wall and stuck his hoof against the stones. Blue fire flared briefly from them to change the parts of the stone, thus marking the location of each of the aspects that Clover would need to be wary of. “That ought to do it. Do you need the direction they’re all running through the walls as well?”
“I shouldn’t. It’s simply so we know where they are after the expansion. That’s not something I can directly control when I'm doing this.”
“Then by all means, let’s get this expansion underway, darling. When I finish setting up, I think you and I are going to have to have a little chat,” Edna said.
“I look forward to it!” Clover ignited her horn, and slowly her magic began to outline the entire space.
“I take it you haven’t had any other troubles with your augments since we parted last?” Edna asked of the stallion as she watched the mare weave her spell.
“Thankfully, no malfunctions, but the medical cube has removed a number of them, as they just stopped working.” Hammer Strike shrugged.
“So long as you don’t, I think we can live with that,” Edna said seriously. “I don’t know why, but it’s clear that you are tied to the fate of this world, Hammer Strike. And that both intrigues and concerns me.”
“It makes it all the more interesting when you think of my origin,” Hammer Strike muttered. “It is strange, though.”
“Was there something unusual about your birth, then? Some celestial event or a god meddling?”
“It’s … a lot stranger than standard, but given what we’ve seen, nothing too insane,” Hammer Strike reached into his coat and pulled out a familiar golden bracelet.
“An enchanted artifact,” Edna mused as she peered at the gem. “With the spell matrix contained in the stone itself to keep the natural flow of energies and avoid degradation. A bit crude, but clever in its own right. What is the purpose of the spell?”
“Also, to note this beforehand, don’t worry. Everything is fine with the augments. I’ve learned that from my trip in Hell,” Hammer Strike noted as he placed it on his wrist and twisted the gem.
“What do you mean you went to—?”
After a brief flash of light, the former Pony stood in his human form once more. He looked down to his hands for a moment to adjust to the motions again, then blinked his eyes as they flashed with that same artificial light he had in his Pony form. He nodded his satisfaction, then chuckled and shook his head. “It’s honestly strange to go back to this after being a Pony for more than my life as this.”
“Bipedal, digits and nails with grasping capability, and little to no fur to speak of,” Edna noted as she took in Hammer Strike’s form. “The closest creature I can think of for you would be either the Auizoatl or the Gargoyle. Though I suppose the Abyssnians would come close enough, too,” she mused. “What do you call this species?”
“A human. I ended up here a few years back or so, from this current point in time. And given I couldn’t survive without magic, I ended up staying here. After being given the disguise, of course, which pretty much turned into … my normal form.”
“And where did you come from?”
“A different dimension. The gate may have been closed, but there are remnants of passageways used by certain creatures. I, alongside two others, may have stumbled across them. Of course, that was some time ago, and I was able to return briefly for personal reasons and to collect a tablet to track the Alicorn Empire down,” he explained before turning back into his Pony form.
“They sent a tablet to another dimension?”
“It was some sort of last measure. Probably an Alicorn attempting to escape the fall and didn’t make it far enough.”
“Curious. Very curious,” Edna said as the walls pushed outward and the space became dramatically larger in width, length, and height. “And were these two others among the friends you brought with you to find me?”
“One of them, but I’m going to refrain from saying more, as I will leave it up to them whether they want to tell you.”
“Fair enough, darling. Fair enough.”
“I’m just about finished,” Clover called, now dramatically farther away from them.
“She really does love magic, doesn’t she?” Edna noted. “She’s literally glowing right now.”
“Well, over a thousand years of study has to account for something.” Hammer Strike smiled.
“Indeed, it does.” Edna smirked. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you and she will create together.”
Finally, the energy faded as Clover finished her spell, leaving the room many times its original size.
Edna smiled approvingly. “Now this is something I can work with.”
Hammer Strike glanced at Edna. “Indeed. We can of course talk more about extra security measures when the time comes, but this should be enough for you to establish the start of your workspace.”
“Darling, you saw what I was able to do in my other lab. With enough resources, I can turn this room into a natural fortress.”
“That’ll do, then. Though, do be warned of young curious children.”
“Infiltrators, spies, or chaos nexus?”
“All of the above.”
Edna rubbed her wings together and grinned. “I always enjoy a challenge.”
“There is also a group of fillies from the nearby town who will do anything to get themselves a cutie mark,” Clover warned
“And they’re allowed in the castle?”
“Yeah, … allow doesn’t always work for them. They usually end up breaking the rules or otherwise getting into trouble that leads to very … sticky situations.”
“Hmm. I suppose I’ll have to have a chat with them at some point, then,” Edna mused. “After I get properly settled.”
“Just be careful. Tree sap follows after them.”
Edna raised a brow. “Is that so?”
“Yes. I'm still finding patches of it all over the castle.”
Edna smirked. “Like I said, darling, I always enjoy a challenge. Speaking of which, I have a spell you might be interested in seeing. It is a cousin of what you’ve created here, only to shrink instead of expand. You might find it useful in future if you have to make a swift escape.”
“A spell for reducing the internal size of an object?” Clover asked. “I never considered the implications of that.”
“Better yet, it alters the weight with the mass. As I said, very useful in a pinch, or for big moves. I have a feeling you and I have much to teach one another, Clover. And I look forward to every moment of it.”
The flight back to the storehouse was beautiful and scenic as always as the two Gryphon lovers soared around one another and otherwise flirted.
“Well, I’d say reintegrating the Sphinxes is going to be about as annoying and difficult as reforming the empire is going to be,” Avalon said.
“Yup,” Grif said. “But it will be worth our time.”
“And I suppose we do have a lot of it left.” Avalon smirked. “Especially once the rest of the Winds come back.”
“You knew what you were getting into when you married me,” he smirked back.
“Do I look like I’m complaining?” The two continued to smile as they approached the familiar edifice of their home. Then the door came open, and their ears were pierced by a great avian shriek of a scream.
Grif was through the door in a breath of a second as he hurtled towards the scream in a panic.
Shrial stood before Gilda with wings splayed to obscure the Gryphoness as she stared her husband down. “Good. You’re home. Get the cubs somewhere they can stay occupied and get the delivery team at the compound as fast as you can. Break the sound barrier. Tartarus, break the light barrier if you have to. We need those midwives now.”
“Grif, what’s going—?” Avalon took one look at Shrial as she passed into the room and knew what must be happening. She gathered the twins and Tazeer together and began herding them out the door. “I’ll take care of them. You go.”
Grif sped off toward the midwives, scooping them up from the compound one by one and depositing them in his home without even taking the time to explain. Lastly, he found Kalima. And while he was gentler in ferrying the aged Gryphoness, the haste and wild look in his eyes was enough to inform her exactly what was going on. It took him less than five minutes before he was pacing in the room where he and Avalon were watching the cubs.
“She’s going to be all right, Grif,” Avalon assured him gently as she waved a toy for the twins to pounce after and try to catch. “She might scream and curse a little. It seems the warrior types have a tendency to do that. But she’ll turn out all right in the end. And I’m sure Shrial will make it a competition to push Gilda through.”
“Doesn’t mean I can't worry,” Grif said. “This is the biggest birthing we’ve had yet.”
And the first one you’ve been present for all the way through, or mostly through, anyway. Have you thought of names yet?”
“I mean, I need to check with Gilda first, but I was thinking Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.”
“They sound like a handful.” Avalon chuckled.
“They were three musketeers known for their cavalier ways and for monstrous fights, as well as for unquestionable loyalty.”
“A fitting choice, especially for the children of two great fighters.”
“Yes, but I want to see what Gilda thinks first.”
“You shouldn’t have to wait for too long. If those cubs are as feisty as the twins were, then they’ll come jumping right out of her.”
“Three more for the horde!” Grif laughed.
“Are you suggesting you plan to raise our children to be bandits, Grif?” Avalon asked playfully.
“No, just Orcs,” Grif returned.
Avalon cocked her head in confusion. “What are Orcs?”
“I’ll explain later,” he promised.
“Too focused on the birth or just worried it’ll take too long to tell before she’s ready?” Avalon asked.
“Yes,” Grif said.
After what felt like an eternity, the first baby’s cry sounded. Even as Grif rose, Avalon placed a staying hand on his shoulder. “Not yet.”
Grif looked on as his wings twitched nervously.
“There’s still a way to go. Two more, and then the afterbirth.” Avalon looked pityingly on her husband. “Perhaps you can tell one of your stories to the cubs to help pass the time and take your mind off things,” she suggested.
“Why do you always have to be the wise one?” he asked, leaning in to kiss her.
“Because I know my husband, and the East Wind’s child blessed me.” She smiled and kissed him back. “So, what will it be?”
He turned to his son and daughters and smiled. “Well now, let's see…. How about the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves?”
“Dwarves, you say? Are they anything like our friends under New Unity?”
“They’re short, but no. These dwarves were different in many ways,” Grif said. “But our story starts a long time before the dwarves come into things. It starts with Snow White’s mother as she walked through her garden on a winter's day….”
The ring of hammer on steel echoed and reverberated as carefully targeted blows smashed ores together with little effort. Dross gaped at her mentor as the metal seemingly flowed under his guidance to take on the shape of a proper breastplate.
The young apprentice frowned as she eyed the stallion’s technique. “Um, … not to sound critical, Hammer Strike, but … why are you crafting more armor? I thought that was supposed to be my assignment.”
“This is for the captains of my guard, Blast and Tower. I figured a personal touch would be more appropriate.”
Drost cocked her head in confusion. “Didn’t you already do that for them though with their current set?”
“As I’m sure you’ve gathered, I have some new tricks to apply. That, and different materials.”
“So this is going to be another custom piece, then? A Hammer Strike original?”
“Basically,” Hammer Strike chuckled.
“Is this model going to eventually be mass produced for the rest of Equestrian Armed Forces, then?”
“There might be a few missing pieces from those, such as personal touches in regards to the individuals.”
Dross nodded. “That’s fair.”
At that moment, the temperature in the forge increased briefly as a flash of light heralded the arrival of a lightly singed piece of parchment rolled up into a scroll. Dross caught it and gaped at the seal. “It looks like a letter from the princess,” she said in awe.
“Let’s see it,” Hammer Strike sighed.
The letter pulled open easily in Hammer Strike’s hooves to reveal the now-familiar script that was characteristic of Celestia.
Hammer Strike,
Now that you’ve taken the crown in Equestria, I realize we need to make plans with the committee at the Crystal Empire for the Equestria Games. Please advise when available for colab and organization.
~ Celestia
Hammer Strike blinked a few times after reading the message before letting out a hum. “I had actually forgotten about that.”
“About what?” Dross asked.
“The Equestria Games, which will require my attention, more so than originally planned.”
“Do you need to get going? I can clean up and put your tools away if you like.”
“I probably should.” He hummed in thought. After a moment, he sighed and opened a rift at his side. “Please do. I’m going to settle this now while I have the time.”
Dross nodded. “Right away, Sir!” she said eagerly, then grunted as she hefted one of said tools, barely managing to lift it off the anvil. “This … may take a little longer than I thought.”
“If you can’t lift it, don’t worry about it. I’ll get it when I’m back.”
“No, no, I’m good. I can handle it,” Dross insisted. “You go on to your meeting. Don’t want to keep the princess waiting!” she said cheerfully.
Hammer Strike shrugged before moving through the rift.
The sight that graced him when he stepped through was one that immediately put a smile on Celestia’s face as the crowd gaped at Hammer Strike. Some were too stymied to acknowledge the arrival of their new king. Others may have had less reasonable excuses for their behavior. Eventually, the long line of petitioners bowed, following the example of the monocled stallion who stood at the front.
“Well, that explains the letter, though at the same time, does not.” Hammer Strike glanced to Celestia for a brief moment before turning to Fancy Pants. “Let’s do a quick alteration of things. What’s your petition, Fancy Pants?”
“I, um … I was about to ask for some papers to authorize my brother in law to come for a visit and possibly ply his trade. Fleur hasn’t seen him in years, and she always talks about the fond memories they had as children.”
Hammer Strike reached into his coat and pulled out a scroll. “Granted,” he replied, passing the scroll over. “The rest of you will have to wait. Court will be taking a short break to discuss important information.”
A low murmur flooded over the crowd as Celestia rose from her throne to gaze at her foster father. “I admit I wasn’t expecting you to come in person like this. At least not so soon. I didn’t pull you away from anything important, did I?”
“I was just working on a small side project, so nothing too important.”
The pair strode through a set of doors behind the curtain and into a small hall till they arrived in a cushioned chamber with a tea set and cake tray waiting. “Please, take a seat,” Celestia offered. “Would you like some tea?”
“Sure. I suppose this meeting will be longer than anticipated, due to some additional news.”
“Not so much news as an epiphany,” Celestia noted as she poured. “Cream? Sugar?”
“I’m good. Though, I do have additional news to share with you and your sister when both of you are next available, of course.”
Celestia nodded and levitated the saucer and cup to Hammer Strike. “Did you want me to pass that along to Luna after we finish here?”
“It would be for the best. Perhaps we could have the both of you come to New Unity when you are both free. But for now, we have something to discuss. As I did not run an ‘Equestria Games,’ I’ll just need a quick rundown of everything to commit to memory.”
“Most of the planning and events are already taken care of. The primary area of concern lies in your responsibility to oversee the events as the current ruler of Equestria and of the Crystal Empire in its capacity as a protectorate. Thrones, guards, security, reviewing said security to ensure it meets your standards, rather than ours, that sort of thing.”
“How long away is this event?”
“A matter of a few weeks at this point.”
“Then I should be able to set everything up for security. As for the thrones, I can probably make some at the Crystal Empire, so that should be fine.”
“And did you plan on being the master of ceremonies or will you be leaving that responsibility with Cadance?”
“I have to leave some things to you all.” Hammer Strike chuckled.
Celestia smiled. “I thought you might say that, but it’s always best to check. That’s one lesson you taught us that I haven’t forgotten over the years.”
“Good, good. If that’s all the information I need on the games, then I should be able to manage that within my schedule. Beyond that, the additional news I had, I’ll share with you both on your next visit.”
“That may have to be after the games finish. I doubt Luna and I will have any openings until then. That being said, if you do need to consult on anything else, don’t hesitate to contact either of us or Cadance. She wants to make sure everything goes off well.”
“Will do.”
Celestia smiled. “I do have one more question before you go, though,” Celestia noted.
“Oh?”
“Just what exactly was on that scroll you gave Fancy Pants?”
“Oh, that. It’s basically a generalized ‘I accepted this request, signed Hammer Strike.’ I know Fancy Pants well enough to not worry about his requests being dangerous.”
Celestia smirked. “Even if it involves Fleur’s side of the family?”
“Worst case scenario, he’s a merc, given Fleur’s history. I’ve hired more mercenaries than most of the nobles in this era combined.”
“If anything, it’s going to be incredibly fun to see what happens. I love it when the nobles get shaken up.”
Hammer Strike chuckled. “Easiest thing I’ll do all day.”
Spike was always a Dragon of fine tastes. He enjoyed delicious gems and other foods alike, loved a good comic book, and had a great passion for Ogres and Oubliettes, … among other more personal treasures. And like all connoisseurs of quality literature, he made a regular habit to stop by the local comic shop in search of new issues to enjoy. After getting sucked into a parallel magical reality, Twilight made sure he wouldn’t purchase those kinds of books again without proper supervision.
The scent of fresh ink wafted into his nostrils, and he sighed contentedly as he saluted the store’s owner and made for the latest additions segment. After his experiences as Hum Drum, he knew better than to look after more Power Ponies. However, a new darker and grittier hero called the Drake Knight had drawn his attention, using tools, wit, and Draconic power and skills to outsmart the criminals of a corrupt city and ultimately save the day.
“Now that’s my kind of hero,” Spike said as he reached for one of the books, only for a familiar rumbling to gurgle in his gut. He quickly backed out of the shelves and ran toward the door, just to be safe, but couldn’t quite make it in time. A loud burp escaped his maw as green flame shot forth to reveal a scroll with the familiar royal seal of Princess Celestia. “Well, that’s weird,” he thought aloud. “I usually only get these when I’m with Twilight.”
A small white square jutted out from the ribbon beneath the seal, inked with large letters that read To Spike. Spike frowned. “For me?”
“Uh, Sir, are you going to have to breathe fire like that again?” the cashier asked nervously.
Spike shook his head. “Nah. Celestia usually only sends one of these at a time. We’re good.” He flicked open the seal and unfurled the parchment.
To Spike the Brave and Glorious,
Hail and well met, young hero. This letter is written at the behest of Princess Cadance and the denizens of the Crystal Empire. Since the Equestrian Games are so close, and because you have performed such a valuable service, she has requested that you do the honor of lighting the torch in the opening ceremonies to begin proceedings. We know that you will do an excellent job. However, we would like confirmation that you are willing to perform this task, so that we may properly organize the event and give you the clearances necessary to pass security measures. Please forward your response as soon as you are able. We look forward to seeing you soon at the games regardless.
Wishing you all the best,
H.R.H. Princess Celestia
Spike’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as he read over the words again and again. Finally, he swallowed his surprise and blinked his eyes back to normal. “I, uh, … wow.” A goofy smile crossed his face as the value of the honor washed over him like a warm lava bath. “I’ve gotta find Twilight! This is so awesome!”
He raced out the door, his comics forgotten for the moment. It was time to share the good news with his friends, and he knew just where to start.
Vital Spark knocked heavily on the familiar door and waited for the usual signal as he stood out in the hallway. He had little doubts that his mistress had many other things to occupy her mind and time in the earlier morning, so he chose to wait instead for the evening when classes were dismissed and he and his learned mentor could hold a proper discussion.
“Come in!” Clover called
The familiar scene of the roaring fire came into view, and the colt took his place in the free chair as his mentor sipped a concoction from a wooden tankard. “I finished that assignment you asked me to take care of.” He summoned a scroll from thin air and passed it over to her. “Our hunch was right. They had a copy of most of the volumes you listed, and the names of the Ponies you asked me to look for were all there and intact. They looked like original notes and manuscripts. Either the Sphinxes worked with Star Swirl to keep the information or they managed to trick him into thinking the documents were destroyed when they intercepted the drafts instead.”
“That's comforting,” Clover said. “It means I'll be able to correct some wrongs in the future.”
Vital Spark frowned. “This is going to upset a lot of Ponies when the truth gets out. Star Swirl was supposed to be the ideal embodiment of sorcery. I can only imagine what other truths might come out of the woodwork if we can make use of those archives.”
“Star Swirl was the embodiment of his own ego,” Clover scoffed. “If I can bring even a handful of the stallions and mares he steamrolled back to the forefront, I’ll be happy.”
“I just … don’t understand, Clover.” Vital sighed as he stared into the fire. “Why do so many people push themselves that far? Why can’t they be content to acknowledge what others achieve instead of trying to steal it for their own? If they’re really that smart, shouldn’t they know better than to let their hubris and pride get the better of them like that? I know it’s hard to put aside sometimes, but … it’s just so … wrong.”
“It’s when we forget that we can be wrong that we stop asking questions,” Clover returned. “Ask Hammer strike to tell you about when we met. I was hardly different.”
“I thought you were more like Twilight. Only pushier and … sort of more demanding about learning?”
“I was certain of what I knew and that I could learn and understand everything,” Clover said. “It was naive.”
“And now?”
“I’ve learned some secrets are better left secrets,” Clover said. “There are things others know better than I do, and I should trust them to be able to use their knowledge.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Vital agreed. “Though, knowing you, you probably would try to at least understand enough to help if you can or need to. I’m guessing that’s something you learned from Hammer Strike.”
“Yes. He showed me something I can never unsee, that I could never truly understand.”
“He’s helped a lot of us to change for the better, hasn’t he?” Vital Spark smiled as he let the warmth of the flames wash over him and help sooth his muscles.
“Yes.” She nodded. “And he has taught me a lot of lessons.”
“Some of which I assume you’ll also be teaching me soon enough.” He chuckled. “It seems that’s always the case for us. We never really stop growing, do we? We just have to trust the next generation to keep things going after we’ve done what we can.”
“The day we stop learning, we die,” she confirmed.
Vital Spark smirked. “Is that why you always ‘motivated’ me with lightning?”
“It worked,” she laughed.
“And it’s an excellent way to get a fire burning.” He smiled. “Speaking of which, I believe you and I are due for another lesson in a certain mutual art we share. Did you want to take a little more time together before we begin?” he asked. “I notice you haven’t finished your tankard yet.”
“Sure,” Clover said. “I could use the break.”
Pensword’s eyes glowed with the night vision that was characteristic of his tribe as he gazed over the council members of their settlement. Clouds scudded overhead to obscure the moonlight, leaving the Thestrals to stare inquiringly at the stallion and the white colt who stood with him.
“Pensword,” the first of the leaders said by way of acknowledgement. “It is good to see you visiting with us again. For what reason have you asked this council to gather?”
“I do so at the behest of my son Day Moon. It is also for this intent that I have requested your presence, First Lieutenant Darkbane.”
The eyes of the council fixed on Day Moon intently. “And for what purpose have you sought to gather us, young Day Moon?”
Day Moon took a deep breath. “A few reasons.” He looked to his foster father, then back to the council. “I … suppose I should show you my first before we go any further. It will make the rest of what I have to say easier to believe.”
The colt closed his eyes, and as he focused, the room began to light up as the clouds parted overhead, allowing the moon’s rays to filter through the reflectors that had been built into the upper portions of the chamber before flowing over the room. The colt’s fur seemed to glow, and moments later, it began to grow. His fangs extended. His ear tufts became more prominent. And finally, what looked like the beginnings of claws protruded from the edges of his hooves. His eyes gazed calmly at the gathering, but these were not the gentle eyes of a youth, rather the eyes of a hunter.
The wolf representative rose in utter disbelief and gaped at the Pony. “Can it be?”
“You recognize what I am, then?” Day Moon asked. “Father said you would.”
“This is … most unusual.” The Thestral smacked down on his haunches as he continued to stare. “I never, … we thought….”
“Bonnie blessed me before I was born. She has a job for me to do, and I’m learning what it means to do it from Grif. I’d like to talk with some of the lore keepers in the Wolf Tribe when I can, though. The more knowledgeable, the better. I’ve learned a lot since this happened, but I still have a long way to go, and Father tells me you can help.”
“We have trained berserkers before, but the wildekin, … that’s little more than a legend to us now. You are the first we have seen since long before Hammer Strike united our tribes.”
“Hopefully, I won’t be the last,” Day Moon said as he reached toward his satchel. “Mister Darkbane, could you come here, please?”
Eclipse raised a brow as he walked over. “Got something for me to look at?”
“Actually, it’s for the princess. Bonnie told me I needed to get these to her to duplicate with her magic. Nopony else can do it, because it needs someone attuned to the moon, and well, that’s exactly what she is.” He pulled out five blue tomes, each engraved with a phase of the moon along their spines. The sixth remained in his satchel, giving its comforting warmth to hold him steady.
“All right,” Darkbane said slowly. “I … should be able to do that pretty quickly.” He took hold of the tomes. “Anything else of importance?”
“Just that we’ll need the originals back after she’s done. They’re textbooks for us. Dreamwalkers, seers,” he looked to Pensword gravely. “And the sight beyond.”
“Okay,” Eclipse hummed. “Might take me a bit, but I should be able to get it to her within a week. As for beyond that, I don’t know how long it’ll take to get them back.”
Day Moon nodded. “The sooner we can, the better. Bonnie wants the students in Pensword’s class to be teachers for the next Thestrals with her blessings.”
“She … really spoke with you?” the fox representative asked.
Day Moon nodded. “She needed Hammer Strike to help her first, but now she can talk to me when she wants, since we’re worshipping her again. A monster hunter isn’t any good without their patron, so … I guess she just finds it easier to use me for now?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just did what she told me.” The fur and claws retracted as his teeth returned to their normal size. He blinked, and the eyes of a typical Thestral foal gazed back. “I think she wants to show up for everyone soon, but she’s not ready yet.”
The lion representative smiled. “You do your family and your tribe proud, young cub. I look forward to seeing what you become in time.”
Day Moon cocked his head. “I … thought I was supposed to be a monster hunter?”
A roaring laugh bellowed out the stallion’s lungs. “Indeed, little one. Indeed.”
Pensword bowed his head. “I thank the council for agreeing to this meeting. I have one other article of business that I wish to have addressed before I depart with my son.”
“Speak.”
Pensword produced a number of flyers and laid them before the members. “Lord Hammer Strike and First Officer Nightshade have both spoken how we need to participate more actively in assisting New Unity to prosper. For those who do not wish to join the guard, I have an alternative in the form of a venture that will soon be getting underway. We will be looking for good Ponies to serve in positions from bookkeeping to inventory management to packing and transferring materials. Those who are interested are asked to submit their resumes to me via the mail. You’ll find a list of the skills we are looking for included with these flyers. Questions will be answered during the course of interviews.”
“We will make sure that it is known,” the Dragon Tribe representative assured.
Pensword nodded. “I thank the council and Second-in-command Darkbane for your time. May Bonnie bless all of our efforts.”
Hammer Strike hummed as he thought over his list once more. There was still plenty to prepare for the upcoming games, and thankfully everyone who was going kept to a schedule to keep themselves in top performance. At the moment, he was overlooking their supplies to ensure everything was packed away for their trip.
“You said that the queen who rules over them is descended from the workers. And yet she managed to ascend and become an Alicorn in her own right.” Edna smiled. “I am looking forward to having a more personal discussion with her to discover this new magic.”
“She only knows so much about the creation of her kind, so perhaps it’s best not to rush into that conversation.” Hammer Strike chuckled as he glanced at Edna. “If anything, I’ll need to create a relay or something for you to talk with Vega as well to figure out how things came out the way they did.”
“Darling, technology is my specialty. What makes you think I don’t already have a device to do just that?”
“Because if that were the case, I figured you would have already used the system there to reach me before all of this,” Hammer Strike replied simply.
Edna chuckled. “Touché, Hammer Strike. Perhaps we can collaborate along the way.”
“I think there is one thing you might find interesting still up and running there. The Crystalline Fabrication System is still going, and it’s been stockpiling material.”
“How much material?”
“Don’t know for sure. Though, I do know it was stockpiling for at least four thousand years, up to ten, depending on some situations.”
“That is quite a lot of material.” Edna’s smile widened. “I can already imagine the applications, especially if the output of the firing mechanism has been energizing the minerals with every time they’ve fired it. The quality of those gems alone would be priceless in the magical community.”
“Actually, it’s been dispersing that for the most part. Too high of a concentration for anything other than that, or firing it. Since it lacks the pin to fire, you get the point. Some of it is converted, but the stockpile is so dense that it stopped collection of it at this point.” Hammer Strike hummed to himself. “Actually, that does bring an idea to mind to discuss with you later.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Darling. I do so love our little visits, and a collaboration is most definitely in order. I would love to see just what your style can create.”
“Well, there will still have to be some limiting factors, since we can’t progress the world too quickly or abruptly.”
“That makes it all the more fun.”
“We’ll have to discuss this more when we get there. For now, I need to ensure everything is prepared for departure.”
“Of course, darling. I’ll leave you to it.”
Grif was nearby giving the eepee he’d had made a final check. He placed it in its case and locked all sixteen locks before placing it in a locked chest that he labeled to be placed carefully. He’d prepared himself for this, and he was planning to take home the gold with no unfair advantages. He had six kids to make proud now, after all.
Back in the castle, Vital Spark and Trixie were both busy packing. The two debated medical materials, potions, kits, and other reagents while Aria looked on and whistled. The mare had become much more at home with her new nature and self in the short time she had spent in Nazarick. And as the two talked, Vital Spark couldn’t help but gush over the sights they would get the chance to see while they were there.
Lunar Fang and Fox Feather both concentrated on their responsibilities, working with troops to keep them in shape and addressing potential security scenarios to present to the teams on arrival at the empire. Day Moon sat on the floor looking over a large leatherbound volume as hidden words seemed to beam off the page and shine over his face. Inigo and Cristo both wrestled while Moon River watched, giggling and cheering the two on. Pensword was busy flitting back and forth as he worked to pack the necessary gear for their family while Fizzpot flitted nervously about the room to keep a close eye on the antics of the foals.
In Ponyville, each of the Mane Six were busy making their own preparations. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were practicing with Bulk Biceps, running through their courses and looking forward to the games with optimism. Rarity continued to work on her designs and occasionally would stop to pull Seamripper from its sheath and practice on one of her mannequins for what was to come. Applejack was a flurry of activity as she raced from cutting board to mixing bowls to pans to oven and back again to stack up on her best sports goods to feed her friends and give them the strength to really put up a fight in the Crystal Empire. Pinkie Pie was busy stuffing every last multi-colored accessory she could behind her back or into her mane in preparation for a cheer-fest and the celebratory party that would inevitably follow after. And back in the library, Twilight beamed as Spike jumped up and down in excitement for the honor that had been bestowed upon him. Their trunks were already packed, and all that remained was to allow the dragon to daydream in preparation for the big event. As the mare smiled, she couldn’t help but think how very proud she was of her baby brother.
Preston smiled as he tended his paperwork and prepared for the day’s activities. The whole of New Unity was abuzz with the thrill of the novelty that the Equestria games would bring to those who could attend. Honor, glory, valour, fame. These magical words held the power to sway the masses and turn them in all manner of delicious directions, and he was happy to be able to use those emotions to help foster positive change in their environment.
{Preston?} Me-Me’s voice filtered through the hivemind.
The Changeling immediately struck to attention. {My queen. How may I be of service today?}
{My child, I have deliberated the Equestria games for a while and have decided it would be wiser to send a representative than attend myself at this time.}
{And may I take it that it is I who is to receive this high honor? I can think of no other reason that you would touch my mind so directly.}
{That is correct, Preston. You shall attend and bring the hive’s best wishes with you.}
Preston bowed his head. {As my queen commands. As ever, it is my pleasure to serve.}
In the remnants of the castle library, Binding was busy sorting through shelves and searching for any volumes that might have survived. In the shadows behind him, a dark figure stirred and approached.
“Hello, Swift Wings.”
The mare groused at the Unicorn. “Must you always do that?”
“We’ve been friends for millennia. Do you really need me to answer that question?”
“Probably not. Though fortunately, this next thing I have to tell you is question free.” The Thestral gave a grim and foreboding smile. “I’ve been ordered to inform you that you are to pack your things.”
“What for? A mission?”
“Of a sort.” Swift Wings chuckled. “Hammer Strike wants you to take a break and get out of the castle. You’re going with him to see the games.”
Binding stared flatly for a time at the mare, then sighed. “I don’t have any choice in the matter, do I?”
“Nope.” She grinned. “And about time, too.”
Binding rolled his eyes. “All right. When are we to depart? I assume that I have a certain grace period in which to prepare for departure?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Of course, it is.” Binding sighed again. “Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother to check.”
“Because you’re our devious planner, and you hate to leave threads unaddressed.”
Binding couldn’t help but chuckle. “You know me so well.”
“Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. Grif needs me to tend to things while he competes, so you’ll have enough company to keep from getting lost.”
“You really are on a teasing streak today, aren’t you?”
Swift Wings shrugged. “There’s a reason we’re called silent but deadly.”
“Then I suppose I should get started.” With some regret, the powerful Unicorn pulled himself away from the shelves. “I’ll be seeing you soon, Swift Wings.”
“Indeed, you will.” She smiled and whispered, “Onward to the Equestria Games.”