I carefully threaded my way through the streets of Ponyville until I came to the blacksmith’s shop. Unlike my usual self, I approached with an intent to cause as little terror as possible. Irritating as it might be to humiliate myself so, landing with my usual flourish would terrify the poor equine to death. Possibly literally. Either way, it would be counterproductive to what I wished to accomplish.
The smithy was not much different from the rest of the buildings in town. The chief difference was a double set of doors that were almost big enough for me to crawl through. As it was a chilly fall day, they were closed, though not tightly. Before announcing my presence, I spat out a length of iron roughly the size of a lance.
“Excuse my intrusion, Sir Blacksmith.” I announced as I rapped gently on the doorframe “I would like to hire your services for an urgent project.”
A soot grey pony opened the doors and paused for a fraction of a second before greeting me. “Greetings, Dragon. I am Stronghammer, how may I help you?” He was already radiating a scent of fear as strong as Fluttershy’s but kept his body language confident and unafraid. I was impressed with his courage and self control.
“A pleasure to meet you, Stronghammer. I am Tallic. I would like to commission something, but first, I would like to talk potential payment.” I handed over the rod of iron in my claw. “Please check the quality of this iron, as this will be the currency I will be using.”
Stronghammer took it over to his anvil and gave it a few hits with a hammer held clumsily against his hoof. He proceeded to take it to his forge, heating it to an orange glow. After hitting it a few more times, he trotted back to me. “Above average quality. Unicorn refined?”
“Not exactly. A more apt description would be magically created.”
“Interesting,” he grunted “what’s the job?”
“I would like to give a get well present to an injured colt. It is to be crafted from either one of my scales or a clipping of one of my claws. I was thinking either an ear-piercing or a pendant and would defer to your knowledge as to both the appropriateness and difficulty of crafting.”
He stood there smoothing his black goatee. The red hairs interspersed throughout his mane and tail reminded me of the burning embers of his forge. As the moments stretched on, I decided his fear of me must be distracting him. I was about to offer to leave for a while when he finally looked back at me.
“All decorations of that type would be unusual on a stallion...” He scratched his chin for a moment. “Chestplate.” He muttered to himself before turning to me. “A chestplate would be strange, but would work for somepony with a military bent. A piercing might work for him, but most ponies would see him as a degenerate and troublemaker and a pendant is something only mares wear.”
“Very well, chestplate it is.” I replied, contemplating proper sizing. I made my decision and ripped a scale from my chest, willing a new one to grow into place. “Here is the raw material.” I added, handing over the scale. “I can comfortably provide six rods of iron per day. How much would you like for this project? I expect that if it takes more than two days to pay you, there will be a premium.”
“Don’t worry about that. As long as this crafts well, two will be acceptable payment.” He replied, taking the scale over to the forge and heating it to an orange glow. Lifting it from the coals, he placed it on the anvil and gave some experimental hits with his hammer. “Cools rather quickly, impossible to work when black, but a dream otherwise... almost like it knows the shape I want from it.” He then pondered for a moment before looking up at me. “Yes. Two bars should cover it. He stared longingly at the scale and looked like he wanted to ask something.”
”If you have it done tonight, I will give you that rod and three more.” I replied
“Four bars, Eh?" He sat looking thoughtfully before adding "Feels like robbery, but sure. I’ll just have to give you a good deal on your next purchase.” He grinned and held out a hoof, apparently expecting a hand-or would it be hoof-shake to close the deal. I obliged with a talon and felt that same magnetic pull as Steelskin and the rest had demonstrated. Once that formality was done, he set to work shaping the scale as I quietly watched. I wondered to myself why he was wielding that hammer like a human rather than using tools designed for ponies. Even with the clumsiness of the tool, he worked quickly and efficiently and a masterful piece of barding took form that was shaped so as to be both useful now and part of a larger set as he matured.
I spotted a big gash in the long hill Tallic and I were flying over and we swooped down for him to breathe into it. As his breath entered, metal flowed up and filled it in completely. We flew on to a larger hill with a giant hole in it. Tallic breathed into this one, too, and I saw the broken ribs inside fix themselves with the same iron while the wound closed up. Finally, we left my side and landed by my other hind leg. Tallic’s breath again started fixing it, pushing aside the green goo that was holding it and the muscles together.
I heard voices from outside.
“I’m amazed at his healing. Ever since you and Tallic gave him that scale, it’s like his body is kicking into overdrive. Even now, most of my Gelatinous Antibiotic Aiding Cellulose has been pushed out of the way by new bone. I am slightly concerned, though. It seems there are traces of metal worming their way into the healing bone and muscles.”
I opened my eyes to see Miss Twilight and doctor Emerald in my room
“I think we should ask Tallic if he’s responsible. I’m guessing that he’s doing something to help Steelskin heal faster, but his reaction may be telling. Also, that G.A.A.C. of yours reminds me of my brother’s wedding for some reason... or King Sombra. I’m not sure which.”
“Really? King Sombra? Who was he?” Emerald quickly asked. For some reason he sounded real nervous and eager to steer the conversation away from the wedding.
“Good evening Doctor Emerald, Twilight Sparkle, I see you are continuing to take special interest in our little patient here.” Doc Pulse said as he walked into the room.
“Yes we are, Doctor Pulse. I for one, believe such a courageous colt deserves our full efforts especially after losing his parents and saving two other foals at the cost of his own well being.” Twilight answered.
“I concur with Twilight on this. His actions were most commendable and we should be as heroic in his care as he was in saving his two friends. You do realize that the only reason he survived was that his special talent gives him superior durability. If that trunk hit the two others, we would be planning a pair of funerals right now.”
I lay there watching the three of them in their normal argument, then looked around my room. I spotted a piece of paper and slowly reached out my hoof to get it, surprised at how little it hurt to do that. In fact, all over my body, I felt achy and weak, but had none of the pain I felt when I first woke up.
Dear Steelskin
We wanted to thank you for saving our lives. It was really awesome how you pushed both of us out of the way, but we feel really bad that you got hurt saving us. We hope you get better real soon.
love Rocky and Scootaloo
P.S. sorry it’s so lame, we didn’t know how to do this and only Twilight was around to help us.
I smiled as I closed my eyes to go flying with Tallic some more.
The human... Alex, came up to me as I watched Stronghammer put the finishing touches on the chestplate.
He leaned against one of the open doors of the smithery. “You picked the best armourer in town. He does beautiful and practical work. Never been one for armour. Tells everyone you're looking for trouble. I’d rather avoid trouble. Talk it out. It’s not a zero sum game, I believe everyone can win. Anyway, if I do have to get unpleasant, armour just weighs me down. Best defense is not to get hit.”
I sat there looking at the smith shaping my scale and let the human talk. He was mildly annoying, but was obviously trying to make friends. It is times like these where I wish I were familiar enough with humans to be able to recognise dishonesty.
“I do not have that luxury except when in the air. Besides which, this is neither for me nor for protection in and of itself.” I replied sneeringly, hoping to initiate a negative response. How easily I could get a rise out of him was the only way I had to gauge his hostility.
He simply tilted his head slightly and smiled that infernally smug smile of his kind. “That’s nice, I bet Steelskin will love it, especially from you.”
After a moment’s pause, he continued. “In one of the realities I landed in, I got mixed up with a small band of adventurers. I was still looking for a way to get home at the time, and I had a lead on something called the Gem of Balzoon.” He lost a bit of his smile, “Silly name. At any rate, I was told by a wizard called Zathrock that if I got it for him, he could use it to send me home.” He looked down and his smile lost a bit more of its luster. ”Nonsense, of course. Anyway, one of the adventurers I had hired to help me was Shedinath, dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut. She was big, standing a good thirty centimeters taller than me, and after that failed adventure, well suffice it to say we had a several more adventures.”
“You honestly expect me to believe that a dragon of any type would ally itself with the likes of you?" I intentionally misunderstood him "Are you sure she was not keeping you around in case she got hungry?” I replied, hiding my surprise that he did not rise to my bait.
He barked a laugh, “She said humans were too stringy, dwarves were more her meal.” His eyes gazed into the forge, seeming to look to the glowing coals for answers. When he did finally speak, his voice was soft and sad. “You could say a lot about Shedinath, she was funny, honourable, pious, kind, and didn’t care if you were human, or dwarf, or even an elf. She was a good friend.” He looked back up at me with that thrice blasted smile. “I hope we can be friends. You have a lot of her qualities.”
“Ahem,” Stronghammer cleared his throat and I saw him standing there holding the completed breastplate. I Praised his workmanship and coughed up payment, causing his first visible fright of the evening as the three rods embedded themselves in the street in front of us.
"So that's how they're made" He replied, recovering quickly.
I said my farewells and prepared to take wing to my cave.
“Hi, Metallicana!”
I jumped back, inadvertently crushing a wagon on the other end of the street.
“Oohh.. is that a present for steelskin? Is that how you’re gonna teach him dragon slayer magic?”
I took off as fast as I could and landed on the far side of town.
“I think dragon slayer magic is super awesome!”
I turned my head and stared at her in terror. How could she have kept up with me? I quickly took wing again and landed in the forest, but she was there, too. As I took off again, I thought that this must be how my prey feels when I am playing with them.
I shall have to think about whether I will continue to do that.
After about ten minutes of running and being found in every place I ran, trying everywhere except my cave, I collapsed, exhausted, just outside of town and watched in dread as it bounced up to me.
“I just wanted to ask you about how...”
Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, no, I did it again... I’m so sorry.”
I calmed my breathing and settled my nerves.
"I'll just leave you alone. I'm really sorry." The pink one was slowly dragging herself back into town.
Maybe this... creature... is not as bad as I thought. Dredging up courage that I did not know I had, I called out. “What is it you wanted to ask me?”
Her posture suddenly reversed, but she quietly and carefully walked back over to me.
“Well, there was the question about how metals taste, but also I was wondering if we could have a get well Steelskin party before we had your welcome to ponyville party.” She looked up at me hopefully and then added “I’m really sorry for going all fangirl on you, it’s just that I was so happy to meet one of the coolest characters in the Fairy Tail universe that I forgot about dragonish nature.” As she said this, she looked down and kicked a clod of dirt. “In fact, now that I think about it, I don’t think you’d appreciate a party very much.”
I swallowed the last of my fear and looked her in the eyes. “Let us make that get well party for Steelskin, and then we can discuss the suitability of a party for a dragon.”
As she processed my words, her eyes filled with rainbows and she turned, skipping, back to town.
Well, that is one nemesis taken care of. Now I just need to figure out what I am to do with that knight. I have made an enemy of one of the protectors of this town and he most assuredly has his sights set on vengeance.
“Pink...ie Pie, I have a request.” I called to the retreating form. She was back in front of mein an instant, although at a reasonable distance. “The knight... Matt. I have assaulted him and he is rightfully angry with me... Would you be able to smooth things over with him? Make sure he knows about Steelskin’s injury and my...” I bit down on my pride and uttered one of the most disgusting words in my vocabulary. “...Panic.”
Miss Sweetheart watched Rarity leave the room and her head sank down into her hooves. After a minute, she took the pure white paper in her hooves, feeling the diamond dust embedded in it, and slipped it into Steelskin’s file next to ones from Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Alex Roberts. As she closed the drawer, a last breath of lilac drifted off the paper and caused her to let out an exasperated sigh.
“If another pony barges in here to tell me a dragon is a suitable father for a colt, I’m going to take their unrequested affidavit and have them shove it so far up their...” She caught herself, remembering the foals in the next room. “...that Celestia herself will never see it.” she continued quietly. “Not one, but four ponies think they know better than me what to look for in a prospective parent and are arrogant enough to put in writing that they think a dragon can care for a pony?” She glared at the file drawer, reminded of her legal duty to safeguard all documents until the pony reached the age of majority. Despite, or perhaps, because of her duty, she continued to entertain some very unmarely fantasies about what she’d like to do with said affidavits.