The echoing crash of metal against metal could be heard throughout Ponyville. Ever since the night of the dinner party, Razor Blade had been hard at work from the time that Celestia raised the sun at dawn to the time that Luna replaced it with the moon at dusk. Everypony assumed that he had a big order for the army that needed to be filled, but the truth was that not a single order had been placed since he got back from Canterlot almost two weeks prior.
Alright, I think that's enough for one day... Razor Blade took the spear he had just finished forging into the storeroom in the back of his shop and was struck by what he saw. Huh. Look at that....I guess I've been working a bit harder than I realized.... What greeted him was not the neatly organized storage room to which he was accustomed but a chaotic armory bursting at the seems with dozens and dozens of swords, spears, and axes as well as enough sets of armor to outfit most of the town of Ponyville. He dropped the new spear on top of the pile that lay before him and sighed. "I actually miss when those hyper-active little fillies were begging me for lessons, convinced fencing was their special talent. Training them kept me busy. Now all I have left to do is make weapons and armor for the hell of it. I need a hobby...." Razor said to himself.
"You could always try spending some time with your friends, you know." Unaware that anyone had entered his shop, Razor Blade practically jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice behind him. He shot around to see a familiar purple unicorn with a friendly smile adorning her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that you've just kept yourself cooped up in this shop all week with hardly a word to anypony; the girls and I were starting to get worried about you."
"Wait, you were? Wow...Um, th-thanks, Twilight. Yeah, I'm okay, I guess. Just been busy. You know, lots of orders for the army...and...stuff..." Razor Blade trailed off with a nervous laugh.
"Really? For the army? Because I'm pretty sure I just heard you say that you've just been trying to keep yourself busy. How was it you worded it? 'Making weapons for the hell of it?'"
Razor felt his blue cheeks burn as he blushed, realizing that he'd been caught in a lie. A very thin and poorly crafted lie, no less. He didn't know Twilight Sparkle very well yet, but he did know her well enough to realize that as curious as she was, she probably wasn't just going to drop this. "Umm...y-y-yeah, I, uh...like to stay busy?" he said, feeling as helpless as a fish out of water. Really, dude? Really? That's the best you could come up with? You couldn't even keep the stutter out? Your excuse is bad, and you should feel bad. You should just give up before you dig this hole any deeper.
"Uh-huh. Why don't you tell me what's really been bothering you? Maybe I can help. If nothing else, you might just feel better talking about it?" Twilight seemed earnest in her desire to help him.
She actually seems concerned about me... He was used to his friends' prying and being generally nosey back when he still lived in Vanhoover, but Twilight had a sincerity in her voice that made him think she truly did just want to help him. "Y-yeah, I guess it might...but it's really stupid. I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to an awkward blacksmith whine."
"You're right, Razor, I have a lot of things to do other than listen to a blacksmith whine," Twilight said, "but there aren't many things more important than listening to a friend's problems and trying to help."
The pegasus couldn't help but smile. She just called him her friend. He knew, from the way she acted towards him at dinner several nights prior and the fact that Twilight said that they were worried about him, that she, Fluttershy, and the others thought of him as their new friend, but to hear her actually call him her friend? It made him happy. I guess I didn't botch that dinner party too badly, then, if she wants to be my friend.
"If you're not busy, you can come by the library whenever you get done here, or your can just let me know whenever you feel ready to talk," Twilight said with a warm smile. "Whatever works for you."
"Th-thanks...I'll be over in an hour or so, if that's all right."
The unicorn smiled at him. "Sounds great."