Rainbow Dash awoke in her bed with a smile, stretching out her legs and then her wings. She stood and proceeded towards the door before she flew out towards Steel Edge's hut. She made it as far as the edge of the Everfree Forest when she saw a yellow streak flying from the right side of her vision towards her.
"Dashie!" Spitfire called out when she came within earshot. Oh, not now! I have to grab my sword, and get my mind off of you! Dash waited before Spitfire approached. "Where the hay are you going? That's the Everfree Forest. What in Celestia's Sun could you possibly have to do past there?"
Dash thought for a moment. There's really no reason I shouldn't tell her. "I'm going to see a new friend."
"Who lives past the forest?"
"Yeah, it's really weird, but he's pretty cool. I helped him out with a pest problem yesterday and he told me to come back for a treat." Dash smiled in her bright usual way.
"Oh? Interesting. You think I could meet him someday?" Spitfire's expression suddenly showed intrigue rather than concern.
"I'll ask him, he's not exactly used to company, but I'm sure he'd be glad to have you."
"Cool." Spitfire smiled. "Well, if that's all you're doing, just be careful, nasty things live in the forest you know. I've got practice to go to otherwise I'd help you on the way. You wanna get a bite later on?"
Dash suddenly felt her stomach churn up once again. "Actually, can we make a rain check? I was planning on spending a good amount of time over at my friend's place."
"Oh, well, alright then. You owe me one though."
"No doubt." Spitfire flew off a bit disappointed. Dash felt kind of bad, but she knew she'd feel worse about doing anything with one pony and not the other. She had to make her decision before she could hang out. With that, Dash flew off towards the mountains. In about half an hour she found Smith's forge and flew down. When she got close enough she could smell the scent of cooking seafood coming from inside the cabin. She knocked at the door before calling in. "It's Rainbow Dash, you know from yesterday?"
She was answered with the sound of unlocking and the door opening in front of her, the grizzled old pegasus standing before her chuckling. "You're gonna love this one." He motioned for Dash to walk in. She looked to the fireplace to see the giant chitin claw rotating on a mechanical spit. Explains the smell. The interior of the cabin was rather small, but warm and homey. A simple bed next to the door on the right where Smith was reaching under the mattress, a table with some cheese and daisies on a plate next to the fireplace, a chair here and there, but the only window was above the bed. "Here we go." Smith grabbed the hilt of a blade with his teeth and pulled it out before setting his mattress back in it's place. "The shining achievement of my craft! Nopony else in the world could make a finer sword than she." Steel placed the blade on the ground before Rainbow Dash's hooves. The hilt was covered in a strong rainbow colored silk with strands dangling off the edge. Underneath it all the actual hilt was made of a strong dark wood. The guard was shaped like brilliant white wings in contrast to the hilt with an emerald, shaped like Dash's cutie mark in the very center, shining bright from the sun in such a way that made the room glow. Etched on the inside of the emerald was-
"Hey that's me! How did you do that?"
"Old crafting magic." Smith smiled proudly. "Now, the sheath will keep the blade locked inside until it's owner pulls it out. The strap fits around you like so." Smith grabbed up the blade in it's sheath and fixed the strap around Dash's neck and under her wings and legs so that it sat comfortably and ready at her right. "Go ahead, pull it out!" Dash nodded. She was so excited, already this thing was the greatest thing she'd ever been given. She grasped the hilt within her mouth, the silk didn't wet with her spit, keeping itself dry and the grip perfect. She pulled the blade slowly from it's hilt revealing it slowly. The blade gleamed violently in the light with just the slightest tint of cyan in the metalwork. Black markings in an unknown language were found across the length of the actual blade. Dash's eyes grew wide and almost teared up in amazement. "Mithral. Strongest of metals you'd find anywhere, and yet I was still able to sharpen it to even a molecular level. It will never break, that's the first rune here see?" Smith pointed to the rune located at the base of the blade. "Ancient draconic. I don't think anypony outside of me, or the princesses even know of it's existence anymore. Now the second one here, will make you very much aware of danger's presence. It'll glow red when something means ya harm or shake when it's inside the sheath. This third one has to be activated, simply run your hoof over it like so." Smith ran his hoof down the length of the blade and over the ancient letter and his right eye began to glow yellow. "It'll show you the weak point of who you want, like me and my eye. Can't see out of the little bugger anymore. Number four works the same, but go horizontal, it'll show you your path." He slid his hoof across the rune and a blue smoke issued from the letter, pointing itself towards the claw in the fire. "Looks like your hungry eh?" Dash nodded slightly. Smith chuckled. "Well let me finish explaining the blade and we can sit down for a bite. Your catch anyway. Now number five will allow you to talk while holding the blade, it will keep it's position should you go to talk, a very handy rune that I place in every weapon I make nowadays. And number six, is my favorite. When you're faced with a powerful foe, number six here will glow green, and you call out this blade's name. When you do that, we'll see this thing's true power."
"What's it's name?" Dash asked, and sure enough the blade kept it's place before she bit down again.
"Ah, that's for you to decide Rainbow Dash. An owner and her blade must agree upon a name together, then they will work as one." Smith smiled his wise smile.
Rainbow Dash looked hard at the blade, searching it for something. "Your name is..." As Rainbow Dash spoke, the sixth rune started to glow a faint sickly green. "Your name is Iris." The next thing Dash knew, the blade vanished in a light of violent colors, a rainbow had taken the edge's place and formed itself into a lightning bolt, much like Rainbow's cutie mark. "Whoa... That. Is. AWESOME!" Rainbow dash squealed out in joy and jumped in place.
"Impressive, nopony has ever bonded with their blade so well so fast. I knew you had talent, daughter of Firefly." Smith smiled wider.
"Wait... what? You knew-"
"Your mother? Yes. I fought with her actually. The last great warrior of Equestria. When I heard that illness took her it was a sad day indeed. She was the only pegasus who still carried a sword with her, and she was the best."
"But how do you know?"
"You act and look just like she did. Strong, eager, quick, and your natural talent with a blade guaranteed it for me. That is why I went out of my way to make this for you. You are her daughter, and she wouldn't be prouder to have had you. " Smith spoke as if he himself were Firefly.
"Wait. Does that mean you're..."
"No, I'm not your father. I'm far too old."
Dash looked a bit relieved at this. She looked back to her sword and the bolt transformed itself back to the mithral blade. "Is there a limit to that thing?"
Smith looked to the sword. "It will only be able to sustain that form when fighting something of great power, and only so long as you have the willpower to keep fighting."
Dash nodded in understanding. "Thank you Smith. I can't repay this."
"You don't have to young one. Just use that to protect yourself and stay safe. You plan on coming out this way you'll need it. And I can die happy knowing I perfected my craft in your blade. Now... Let's crack this baby open and chow down huh?"