//------------------------------// // VII - Like a Link in a china Shop // Story: Golden Crusaders // by Greatazuredragon //------------------------------// Like a Link in a china Shop The sun was getting close to the western horizon. The afternoon sun lit up the Everfree forest with an auburn light, giving the dangerous forest an oddly picturesque feel as three fillies made their way out. Ganondorf really did not want to have to listen to her older sister’s chastisement if she happened to be late for dinner, after all. Tree after tree went past them in a blur. They zoomed past the three fillies one after the other as they swiftly followed the river downstream. Droplets of water sprayed all around them as they drew ever closer to the edge of the forest and Ponyville proper. Yet, neither the yellow-coated earth pony nor the white-coated unicorn filly were paying the speeding scenery any mind, instead giving their whole focus to the orange-coated pegasus filly in their midst. Who in turn, placidly looked onwards, appreciating the scenery as if all was well in the world. “And that’s when the magical armors attacked?” Ganondorf questioned, tilting her head sideways in confusion. The red bow upon her mane flapped with the motion. She was atempting, without much success, to make sense of what they had been told. “No, that was after the sentient sword. I think?” Zelda started to say, only for the affirmation to turn into a question, as she tried to make sense of the whole mess. “Was that before, or after, the room’s floor collapsed and she found the malfunctioning golems?’ the Wielder of Power questioned, also not having much luck in sorting out a passable timeline for the Wielder of Courage’s new misadventures. “After, but before she stumbled upon the chimera,” the Wielder of Wisdom fiercely nodded, her brows furrowed in concentration. “At least, as far as I managed to gather.” “How did you even find a chimera around here?” Ganondorf couldn’t help but ask, giving the pegasus who was still calmly looking forward, a questioning look. “That’s actually a really good question,” a third voice added. And yet, the very posh voice did not come from the third filly amidst their group. It instead came from beneath the three pony fillies. The owner of said posh voice so happened to be a large purple sea serpent, which sported a very fancy mustache upon their muzzle. “I have been visiting the area around the ruined castle for decades, and the forest for even longer, and I have never stumbled upon such a creature around these parts!” Looking at the sea serpent, or would it be a river serpent considering they were currently traversing a river? Ganondorf couldn’t help but muse, not for the first time, and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last, how the Kid’s ability to find interesting stuff was downright unfair. All she managed to find as she explored the ruined castle was a few dozen pounds of metal, and a very pitiful dark tome. That was it. Even if you included the magical crystal tree, that was hardly worthy of a proper adventure. On the other hoof, in the very same timeframe and the very same location, the Kid had managed to stumble upon constructs, golems, magical armors, aggressive sentient weapons, monsters, and a sea serpent. A sea serpent who the Wielder of Courage had somehow befriended and convinced to give the trio a river ride back to closer to the forest’s border. That cut their journey back by more than half. In addition, this was merely what Link had admitted to happening. Ganondorf was quite certain that was not an exhaustive list of what the Kid had been up to. It was downright unfair, that is what it was! “Chimeras aren’t even supposed to be native to this continent!” Zelda hissed in frustration as she massaged her brow, probably trying to fight off the start of a headache. As an answer, Link merely gave a small shrug with her wings. As could be expected, that earned a groan from Zelda and a chuckle from Ganondorf. A few moments of silence passed, in which only the sound of the wind and rushing water could be heard as the trees grew ever more sparse as they drew near to the forest’s edge. At this speed they would be back way before dinner. But a sudden thought occurred to the Wielder of Power. Turning her head back towards the Wielder of Courage, she gave the orange-coated filly a level look and asked. “Hey Kid, was Sunbutt’s pottery collection still in the castle?” The question actually made Zelda stop massaging her brow as she too looked at Link, a look between amusement and dread on her features as she realized what Ganondorf was asking. Alas, as the seconds went by, nothing but silence was their answer. “And here we are! This is the closest this particular river gets to the pony settlement!” the purple river serpent flamboyantly declared as he drew to a stop, curling his body in such a way as to make platforms they could jump on to reach the shore. “I gather you can make the rest of the journey easily enough?” “Indeed, thanks for the ride, Steven,” Link replied with a polite bow of her head before making a couple of jumps and reaching the shore. Then she promptly started to placidly walk away, a perfectly serene air around her. Giving a brief word of thanks to their ride before disembarking herself, Ganondorf decided that the very tiny smile on the Wielder of Courage’s muzzle was probably all the answer they would get in regards to that question. As the morning sun shone over the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, Big Macintosh let out a tiny aggravated sigh, as he had to stop plowing the fields in order to realign the very old plow he was using for the task... for the third time this hour alone. Lifting the heavy metal tool as if it weighed as much as a feather, the large red-coated stallion realigned the plow so that it would cut through the earth nice and straight. For at least a few minutes, that is, until the old and dented metal of the plow’s blade inevitably started making the plow go astray again. Sadly, it was his own fault he was forced to use this old thing, what with how he had accidentally bent the newer plow he should be using nearly in half by hitting a rock hidden under the soil too hard. And that after Apple Bloom had reinforced it a few months ago too. But there was no use crying over spilt milk. And so Big Mac resumed his work. The fields wouldn’t till themselves, after all. And so he pulled the old plow. For several moments nothing but the sound of his hooves, the metal blade cutting through the earth, and the singing of birds could be heard. “Big Mac, there you are!” he heard Applejack call him. Turning his head he saw the orange-coated mare approaching him. Stopping, he waited to see what she wanted while greeting her with a nod. “Have you seen Apple Bloom around? Ah haven’t been able to find her around the house.” “At the barn,” he promptly replied as his sister stopped by his side. “What is she doing there? All her chores are done aren’t th- She is at her forge again, isn’t she?” Applejack started to question, before she realized the answer to her own question and changed it accordingly. “Eeeyup,” Big Mac nodded. A hint of amusement made itself known at his sister’s exasperation with their youngest sibling’s small obsession with her hobby of forging metal. “Ah swear, how she didn’t get a blacksmith’s cutie mark Ah’ll never know,” Applejack mumbled as she removed her hat and passed a hoof through her blonde mane. Fair enough. Big Mac knew blacksmith’s apprentices that had gotten their cutie marks in the field with far less effort. “She really shouldn’t spend so much time in there, especially on a weekend.” “Spent yesterday out,” Big Mac reasonably pointed out, defending their little sister’s odd little habits. Yes, their little sister had always been a little odd. But in the end, who wasn’t? She had a hobby she enjoyed with her metallurgy. She did her tasks on time with nothing but the normal light grumbling that should be expected of a young pony doing chores. She payed attention to her studies, even as she grumbled some more about how they were ‘a waste of her time she could be using far more productively’. And she respected her elders when it was actually important, never once raising her voice to Granny Smith even when she fully disagreed with the old mare’s verdicts. The only real problems Big Mac could have pointed out in regards to Apple Bloom’s habits, namely her lack of proper socialization with other ponies her age and her habit of hiding herself on the farm and not going out enough, had been solved by her getting her cutie mark and the two new friends that came with it. Yesterday alone Apple Bloom had spent basically the whole day playing around with her new friends in the woods near the town. Sure, the way she got the cutie mark and became friends had been a little odd. But once more, who wasn’t? And so, if she wanted to fool around with her forge a little today, Big Mac saw no problem with that. The fact that there was a very high likelihood that their little sis was fixing the bent plow for him may also have influenced his decision a little bit. However, nopony was perfect. “Big Mac, Applejack, good morning,” the big stallion heard their little sister call. As if summoned by AJ’s words, the filly was approaching them with sure steps, paying absolutely no mind to the large metal plow over three times her size that was being balanced upon her back as she approached. The sight made a small smile appear on Big Mac’s muzzle. Apple Bloom’s cutie mark may not have a single apple in sight, but nonetheless their little sis had gotten that Apple Family strength in spades. “Morning, sugarcube,” AJ greeted as Big Mac simply nodded once more in greeting himself. No need to change what worked, after all. The orange-coated mare shook her head on exasperation, a small smile of her own in her muzzle as Applejack moved to help their little sis with the very cumbersome package she was carrying. “Ah see you managed to fix the plow this big lug had busted.” “Thanks,” Big Mac said to the filly, who avoided eye contact for a moment while letting out an embarrassed sounding cough. “It was no problem,” Apple Bloom promptly replied, looking far too nonchalant about it all to be perfectly natural. “I just had some free time and found some scrap metal lying around, that is all.” The plow had been bent nearly in half. Big Mac knew that it would have taken a proper blacksmith quite a bit of effort and time to fix it to normal. As he stared at the spotless looking plow being set by his side, the stallion knew that his sister’s words were not exactly truthful. Yet, knowing their little sis was not the best with dealing with open praise he let the matter lie. If she wanted to downplay her part, then he would respect her wishes. But that was no reason not to show his appreciation properly. And so, he unhooked himself from the old plow and approached his tiny little sister. Giving the filly an affectionate nuzzle, Big Mac once more voiced his thanks. He made sure to not bring attention to how doing so made her smile for a brief moment, before Apple Bloom seemed to realize she was doing that and hid the smile behind a nonchalant look. Pretending not to notice the byplay, Big Mac instead examined his sister’s gift in full. Straight as a ruler all the way through. There wasn’t a single imperfection or undulation anywhere in the metal. The plow glittered in the sunlight as if brand new. The sun illuminated a few faint lines around the blade’s edge and the main body that seemed to have been carved into the metal of the plow, giving it a very pleasing aspect as the lines seemed to flow into each other in a very pleasant way. “You really surpassed yourself,” Applejack complimented as she let out a loud, impressed whistle. That just caused their sis to once more avert their gaze while mumbling it was nothing. Big Mac happened to disagree. He would have had to pay quite a few bits to get anything even near this level of craftsponyship if he had been buying it at a shop. The thought filled him with pride for his little sister’s skill. But respecting her wishes, he kept the words to himself. “Color?” Big Mac asked instead, changing the subject and voicing the most distinctive feature about the remade plow. That being that it had a faint copper-like, almost burnt orange, color to it, unlike the normal steely look it used to have. “Just a new alloy mix that I think will be able to better handle your strength, you big lug,” Apple Bloom happily proclaimed, a proud smile on her features as she gave the plow a light kick that made it ring like a church bell. “I want to see you bend this one!” Both himself and Applejack chuckled at the filly’s enthusiasm. “Ah, can see that. This looks really solid!” Applejack agreed, affectionately mussing the tiny filly’s mane. A proud smile crossed her muzzle. “You should be proud, sugarcube. This some real fine work!” “Whatever,” Apple Bloom replied, once more avoiding eye contact even as she batted Appejack’s hoof away. The filly promptly turned around and started towards the house. “Now, if there is nothing else you need, there is something I have to talk about with Granny Smith.” As the eldest sibling of the Apple Family watched their little sister swiftly retreat, both ponies couldn’t help but let out amused chuckles. “That filly really needs to learn how to deal with praise better,” Applejack mused out loud, again passing a hoof through her mane as the yellow-coated filly disappeared from view. “Eeyup,” Big Mac readily agreed, already hitching himself to the new plow and resuming his work. Immediately he felt the difference. The earth underneath the plow parted like water as he started moving faster and faster, picking up the pace. He could barely feel his muscles strain as he moved onwards, the work being done in a fraction of the time it would normally take. His very pleased smile lasted a few minutes longer, until the plow shook in place while letting out a loud bell-like sound as he hit something. “Oh horseapples,” he couldn’t help but curse, wondering if he had managed to break his little sis’ gift moments after receiving it. A worried looking Applejack rushed to his side, the frown on her brow showing she probably was having very similar thoughts to his own. Only, after unhooking himself and going to examine the plow they found it perfectly fine, not a single mark upon its still pristine looking metal blade. Instead, there was a very large rock within the tilled soil. A very large and solid looking rock, that was neatly cut in half. The cut was so perfect and smooth that it almost gave the rock a mirror finish where it had been cut. “Well, Ah’ll be darned,” Applejack said with a low impressed whistle. “Quality work,” Big Mac readily agreed. A smile on his lips as he hitched himself back to the plow and resumed his work. Pride for his little sis filled him as the plow continued to cut through the earth with ease, leaving behind ruler straight lines as he worked. Entering the family house’s main room, Ganondorf was unsurprised to see the family’s old matriarch hard at work in the kitchen, preparing a nice hearty meal for lunch so that her older siblings could regain their strength. That was something Ganondorf heartily approved of. But she wasn’t here to appreciate the matriarch’s cooking abilities. “Hey granny, if you have a moment there is something I need to talk about with you,” Ganondorf said to the old mare, who turned her old face to smile at the filly even as she kept mixing what looked like a very large pot of tasty smelling stew. “Why, hello little one. But of course, I always have time for family!” the green-coated old earth pony stated as she gestured Apple Bloom closer. “Now what bothers you, little one?” “Nothing, it’s just that a cat decided to follow me to the farm, the ball of fur looks like it wants to stay around. So I decided to see what you think about it,” the Wielder of Power simply stated. Granny Smith was the matriarch of the family after all. Her word was final in regards to the farm. “Darn stubborn critters, but also darn useful too,” Granny Smith said, dunking her wooden spoon into the stew and picking up a healthy helping of it before offering it to the filly. She promptly ate the offered morsel before nodding appreciatively at the taste. “Especially in keeping vermin and such out of our food stores. “Sure, I see no problem in letting it wander around the farm, so long as you make sure it knows not to mess things up or do its necessities where it shouldn’t!” the old mare seriously stated, pointing the wooden spoon at Apple Bloom. “You will be in charge of it, you hear me young’n?” “Sure, no problem granny,” Ganondorf readily agreed with a nod. Waving to the old mare, she moved back towards the entrance. “And make sure it knows not to bother Winona!” Granny Smith added as Ganondorf crossed the threshold. “Will do,” the filly shouted back, before looking at the brown and white work dog lazing at the entrance and motioning for her to follow. “Winona, with me, time to teach a newbie the proper order of things.” The dog happily barked and started after the filly, as they moved away from the house and towards the large barn and the apple orchard past it. A very large manticore was fidgeting in place there, as if questioning how exactly it had ended up where it was. “Now listen up, furball. You were the one that chose to come here, so as long as you stay in my family’s farm you will follow a simple rule!” the tiny filly less than a fifth the beast’s size and a tenth of its weight barked. The massive predator promptly drew itself perfectly still at the filly’s words, giving her its full attention. “If anyone above you in the pecking order gives you an order, you will obey it to the best of your abilities! Is that clear?” The manticore let out a low growl of agreement, submissively lowering its head before the tiny filly. The filly nodded her head once in satisfaction. “Good, so here is the pecking order! Me, Granny Smith, Applejack and Big Mac, Winona, the Apple Trees, and you. Do you understand?” The massive apex predator looked at the tiny dog, who was happily wagging her tail while watching the procedures with her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth. It looked back at the filly with a look that all but screamed, ‘are you serious?’ “I said, do you understand?!” the tiny filly asked again, as she stomped once with a hoof. A light quake made itself felt as the ground cracked slightly at the motion. Hard eyes stared at the manticore, who promptly lowered itself to the ground and growled its agreement once more. “Good!” Ganondorf stated with a fierce nod, giving the manticore one last look before turning towards Winona’s happily panting form. “Winona, you are in charge of furball here, show it the ropes and how we do things. Especially show her where we keep our produce and how best to keep vermin out.” The dog happily barked her assent, before turning toward the very large feline and barking twice more before leading it away. After a moment’s hesitation the manticore followed, a very uncertain look on its features before she once more looked at the tiny filly, which promptly made it adopt a resolved look. Afterwards it followed the now happily barking dog with sure steps, as it paid close attention to everything it was saying.