//------------------------------// // Keeping up the Act // Story: An Extended Holiday // by Commander_Pensword //------------------------------// Extended Holiday Chp 12: Keeping up the Act Act 2 “I said in the name of Princess Luna, stand down!” Taze growled at the guards. “Under Royal Decrees L 231 and C 21345 I am in full responsibility of Mutatio.” Matthew yelled as well at the two guards. “Stand down under orders of the United States, Mutatio is considered a friend.” The guards seemed to attempt to take a step forward anyway. Taze drew his sword his voice dropping. “I will fong you! I well fong you so bad they’ll be using what I did to you as examples for torturing dragons.” Matthew seemed to moved fast or tried to, it turned out that he tripped on a stool and crashed to the floor where one of the guards found his metal armor being hit by the same stool that tripped him. “I said stop, or do you want me to tackle you?” The doors burst open as Twilight came barreling through levitating an orb. “Those aren’t guards!” She called as the orbs light hit them revealing two changeling pratoriens. Matthew blinked and looked at a horrified Berry Punch. “MY Room, Bolts and Crossbow. MOVE LADY LIVES DEPEND ON IT!” Behind Twilight, Shawn was huffing as he had raced to get Twilight the moment that he had seen the commotion. “Kill the traitor.” The first praetorian growled preparing to jump. Taze looked at Matthew before jumping to tackle it. The two hit the ground with a huff. The second praetorian who had the stool hit his disguise, however, made a one eighty turning on Matthew who was still getting to his feet from tripping. Growling the insect made for the human. Before it could reach him however something impacted from behind. The changeling slumped to the ground. Standing up by the railing Mutatio had grabbed the crossbow in his magic and fired. Matthew looked up. “I am so going to get you your own cross bow. You are amazing.” He moved then to use his own belt to tie up the still breathing changeling that was hit by his bolt. “Mutatio, You don’t mind if I have to kill this one if it comes down to it?” “He tried to kill you.” Mutatio replied. “You said friends help friends, and I had to help keep you breathing.” He replied. Matthew smiled and have Mutatio a thumbs up. Taze had lost his swords in the struggle but enginuity had won over as the changeling was currently pinned under a three legged stool which Taze now sat on. His weight holding the changeling down. Matthew looked over at Taze. “Okay… We need to move or something, Changelings have found this place, and… okay, this is bad.” He looked at Twiilght. “How long till the town finds out about this? Or Mutatio?” Twilight looked at Mutatio. “Still can’t believe you got to have one as a friend, as for the town, I, I don’t know, I hope never.” “First thing.” Taze impaled his swords on either side of the changelings head after grabbing them without getting up. Shifting them to cross over his head. “What do we do with this one?” He turned to Berry. “I’ll pay to replace the floor.” Only to finally see her out cold on the floor from shock most likely. Matthew sighed. “Thank the maker that no children saw this, or the whole town will know and then… I might have to live in the Everfree protecting Mutatio from Changelings and angry townsfolk.” he looked to his friend on the ceiling, “I will do that you know, you are a friend to me and friends are more precious than any gold or silver of kingdoms.” “Very true on that.” Shawn mumbled to himself while looking at the two new changelings. “Berry go somewhere, and please don’t say anything about this to anyone.” Taze called over to the just waking up pony. The mare nodded and was gone. “Ok guys what do we do with our not comatose friend here?” “Hmm. Relay a warning?”Matthew asked as he looked at the two Changeling. “Kill them here and now and be done with it?” he replied and looked up at Mutatio. “Let my friend deal with them?” Shawn walked over to the one Taze had under a stool and got onto his knee to get a closer look at the changeling. “Or, we could do some questioning…” He said. “No we got maybe 15 minutes before there queen kills him.” Taze said “We tried the questioning before.” “Then perhaps we should do some things quickly. Pick and choose what you want to do.” Shawn replied still looking between the changelings. Matthew looked at Mutatio, “Could if a situation demand the Queen speak to us through the workers or, killers here?” Mutatio blinked and shook his head. “I do not know, maybe, but I really do not know. Maybe by thoughts.” The Changeling under the stool only chuckled. “Oh how perspective you have become, if only you were like this under my care.” Matthew looked at the one awake. “Yep, seems we can speak to the Queen.” he looked at Shawn motioning him to walk into view. A smile on his face as he shook with giggles. Shawn only grinned darkly as he made his way over. The Changeling gasped and seemed to Freeze. “No, No you died when you… Thrice I had thee Killed, how can you live?” Matthew nodded. “Yep, really the Queen speaking.” He replied with a smirk. “Oh, trust me, humans can live through some nasty things. My nation can help heal soldiers who have had bombs go off under them. With the good tech. We can survive most anything.” Shawn chuckled while leaning forward towards the changeling. “I thought something was up with this one.” “What do you mean?” The Changeling mouthpiece for the Queen Changeling asked. “My guise was perfect.” The Changeling growled in a few clicks that sounded angry. “At least till the Purple Unicorn ruined it. Again, with you.” There was a laugh. “I shall keep a long memory and you two are the top of my list.” Matthew moved around to stand in front of the Changeling and bent down. “I am happy to know that you see me as a low threat, I will live to see you regret it.” He only blinked in confusion and then his face darkened in frustration as the Changeling began to laugh as if the Queen found that statement funny. “What’s so funny?” Taze growled lowering the crossed blades ever so slightly. The Queen only smirked. “For me to know and you to find out too late to do anything.” Before she could do anything Matthew leaped like a cobra and pushed the head back down. They all realized seconds later that the Queen had tried to use a suicide move to end the conversation. Matthew blinked and found himself holding the muzzle and head of a Changeling, who have sharp fangs. “What was that?” Moonshade asked in shock. As Matthew moved and fought against the Changeling. “She tried to sever the link by beheading her own subject. I wonder… maybe she cannot end the role so easily, she and this Changeling is connected till the changeling dies?” He looked at the Queen’s mouthpieces as he liked to call their prisoner. He got no response from the Mouthpiece. “You sure think a lot.” Mutatio muttered in awe. “Humans do that, we are always thinking, some just about the next prom or date, or next outfit to buy or who is dating who and how to hook up with so and so.” He turned to look at the mouthpiece. “We three however are always thinking, thinking of survival, friendship, how to make a move more deadly so that we don’t have to use it unless we have to. All for one purpose, our own survival and you,” he yelped and fell back as he held his hand as they realized he had been bitten. Before anyone could do anything they had a severed head of a Changeling rolling on the floor. Matthew hissed in pain. “That, felt like a lot of bee and wasp stings.” The head rolled to face Shawn and to all present were scared as it spoke one more thing. “You shall die at my own hoofs, you will die for your.” The mouth froze mid sentence there. Matthew just looked at the sight in front of him. “Anyone else freaked out by the talking head?” He hissed again from the pain. “IF I start growing compound eyes… do something fast.” Mutatio blinked and make a strange sound, a sound of many clicks. “We do not convert creatures by bites, we do bite them to make them more willing to follow Changeling orders.” He stopped there and raced away. “I’ll be hiding for the next day. I shall not have you kill me under changeling orders.” Matthew glared at the Changeling. “Okay, bites are bad, not zombie bad, but mind control bad.” Taze didn’t think walking over behind the bar to where a pot had been heating up over the stove. Tearing a nearby rag up he soaked the cloth in the hot water. “If it’s anything like a bee sting...” Taze said walking over, “Hot water should destroy the toxins.” He handed it to Matthew. Twilight blinked and shook her head. “No, it is more from the saliva around the teeth.” She rose the head with a gross look on her muzzle but still had it in her magical grasp for all to see, they could see something shining on the fangs. “I am afraid that it is like getting a shot. It is sent into the system, but as biting is not meant to kill. Only make one more susceptible to Changeling’s persuasions.” She paused before her eyes lit up with excitement. “I would like to keep Matthew in my basement to run observations on what happens, after all this will help Canterlot in any more infiltrations if they ever happen again. Matthew only looked at the others. “Why am I suddenly feeling more nervous about being stashed into the basement of one of our protectors then being held for observations?” “Because we have a natural fear of the unknown, and even I have no clue as to what’s going to happen.” Shawn mumbled. Matthew just looked at Shawn. “I am more worried about… well just how it sounded. Not the process, I have been in way too many hospitals for my liking or rather appointments and stays in a hospital.” he muttered. “Well,” he sighed. “Lead the way my Que…” he stopped and covered his mouth and looked to the others with surprise and shock in his eyes. “Mommy.” He squeaked in horror. Then hurried out of the room and most likely to the Library. “Well I’m going to take this body out of town and burn it.” Taze said getting the other curtain down and stashing the body and the head in it. “I’d suggest you get our comatose friend there” He pointed to the unconscious changeling. “Secured somewhere out of sight.” Shawn looked to the changeling and some of the objects around the room before sighing to himself. “Note to self, buy rope, or check to see if we have any around…” He said, grabbing some improvised materials. Taze hefted the thrown together sack on his back. “I should be back in about three hours, thats assuming a changeling burns around the same temperature as a normal body.” “Good luck with that.” Shawn said with a small wave to him. “Honestly, this is just going to be a hassle…” He make a gesture to both of the changelings. “A real, big problem.” Matthew blinked as he was dragged back in by Twilight. “One thing, One thing.” She kept on muttered as she dragged Matthew to where some bolts were now laying on the counter having been dropped by Mutatio as he fled. “What is it you want? Stop making this one confused.” Matthew replied with annoyance and shook. “Not good, what is going on with my..” He yelped as a hiss sounded as the head of one of the bolt slapped down on the wound. “That stings, Worse than Peroxide.” He noticed something. “That is fresh, you dipped it in, double strength or something?” Twilight only nodded her head as she watched the bite site. The mixture from the head of the bolt reacted instantly, entering Matthew’s bloodstream it encountered the changeling saliva and the enzymes reacted to each other causing a fierce burning sensation as the changeling’s saliva was burned out of the blood. Matthew slipped to the floor as he held his arm. “That feels like liquid fire inside… if I die, I am going to haunt your library for a month.” “Why only a month?” Twilight asked, most likely to keep his mind off the pain. Matthew hissed again as he moved. “I give it a month so that there is time to sort out just where I go. And I would like to see the loose ends tied up here.” “The mix that cuts off the hive mind, you used it to counteract the saliva.” Taze clued in. “Damn why didn’t we see that.” Shawn only grunted as he finished what he could call a makeshift way to contain the changeling. “Because you or myself would have thought of that later when we realised that the bolts had a chemical on them in the first place.” Matthew only smiled a little. “It didn’t help that Twilight asked about them, I blathered all about them and the mixture, thank goodness I do not know the mixture of what part is what or even what is in it. Only that those men in the labs want to test it.” He gulped as he was dragged back out by Twilight’s magic towards the Library. “Gah… where are you taking me? I am not some…” his voice was cut off as the doors opened and shut behind him. Leaving the room silent. Taze only grunted and moved to lift up the Changeling remains and left as well, leaving Shawn who only shrugged before moving about to first stash the Changeling in another location that was not the main area, and then moving to clean up the mess caused by the attack. Taze returned to the tavern smelling of soot and ash. “Well it’s done.” Taze said. “Damn thing has a higher burning point then I thought.” Taze found that a note was on a table. Twilight was still going to have overnight observations on Matthew first. Shawn was missing and Taze heard something thud upstairs. It seemed that the other Changeling was awake, and, alive. Taze let his curiosity get the better of him heading towards the room. The Changeling just stared at Taze. “You. What have you done to this one? Have you come to make this one betray our Queen as the one you have given a pet name to? I shall not be treated as some pet.” “First off, your queen made your friend cut off his own head.” Taze said. “And second off,” he moved right up close to the changeling “He isn’t a pet or a traitor and you will call him by his name.” Taze hit the changelings horn with the side of his knife hard causing the insect to recoil. “What did this one do to incur anger?” He asked and blinked in confusion. “This one, feels? What is this emotion? I shake and look at you with wanting to hide this one’s face.” “This isn’t the hive.” Taze said. “You insult a friend you insult me, let’s not forget what happened in Canterlot, I ran through your people like i was cutting cheese, this can go one of two ways you can shut up sit down and pay attention, or we can dance right here.” The Changeling almost spoke and asked something, even opening its mouth before Taze saw that the Changeling shrunk back as much as it could from his own gaze and whimper but did nothing else. He did catch a confused one word whispered question. “Dance?” It froze as it realized Taze had heard that one word and remained utterly frozen. “Listen closely, your queen doesn’t care for you anymore, the minute you got hit with that bolt your life was over in the hive, did Chrysalis even bother to tell you what this mission was about? How he committed treason?” The Changeling remained frozen but he saw enough of a head move of an equine movement for no. “That’s cause he didn’t betray anyone, he woke up scared and confused as you are now, what happened in Canterlot is in the past, you go back to the hive and she’ll likely get you killed, you go into Equestria alone and you probably won’t last more than a few months, you stick with us you just might survive. You don’t like me and at the moment I’m less than fond of you but I’m willing to make this work. Now I’m going to let you go, you attack me and you don’t make it out of this room, you try to run and I’m not going to stop you, Big Macintosh is making his late deliveries about now and I’m betting he could deal with the likes of you.” Taze bluffed that last part not quite sure if Big Mac made late deliveries as he unbound the changeling. The Changeling blinked and right away scurried under the bed and seemed to hide from Taze. “Don’t kill this… Don’t kill?” He blinked and fell silent. “What, why not kill me?” Another pause. “Me? I? I…” A giggle and some more giggling. “I… I can crawl if we want, or sta.” A thud occurred. “Hiding, right, but… What is this? What am I, I? No we? I? What’s happening?” “Welcome to true sentience.” Taze said. “Those are questions many of us ask ourselves constantly.” Looking through his belt his came up with a piece of chocolate and tried to coax the changeling out. The Changeling blinked and Taze heard sniffing. “Wha… that is the food of Queens, what are you doing tempting me?” He giggled again. “Me. Me…. Meme.” It seemed as the more this Changeling talked a more feminine tone was appearing. It also appeared happy at stringing those two words together. “Your female?” Taze asked. “Female?” The Changeling asked. “What is a Female? Oh!! Like those, I loved disguising as a female. They are much nicer and gather more emotions.” Taze noticed that the Changeling was slowly coming out from under the coach. “Why are you giving me food of the Queen’s?” “There is no queens here.” He said. “Just you and me right now no ones going to stop you.” He promised. His eye’s widened a bit as her muscles seemed to shrink. Her form slimming down and developing curves similar to a mare. She blinked and with a small bounce punched on the piece of chocolate he left on a plate he found in the room. She bite into it and seemed to just, it just looked like she was going to be in heaven from the look. Mutatio slowly moved from a corner of the room and blinked. “Traitor.” The Changeling hissed but with about half the anger behind it. Mutatio will never know why he did the next thing but he gave her a nickname. “Princess.” Taze saw as Mutatio pulled a plate of berries towards him and he realized two seconds later. That he just saw what might have been Changelings giving each other a nickname. It was confirmed three seconds later. “Hey Traitor, you think they’ll let me have more chocolate?” She asked having finished the bar Taze had given her. “No clue Princess… but you should sneak some berries into your diet, they are so sweet, and got a bite to them on some of them.” “Well at least you're behaving.” Taze sighed. Using the nearby basin to wash up he laid down on his bed and rested. Thoughts going through his head Taze sat up and grabbed the chest of bits he had received from Celestia. Sighing as he opened it to reveal a meager few bits left. A few scrapes and bruises and exhaustion really hadn't warranted a lot of compensation and as such his money was beginning to dwindle. He needed to find some way to make bits or be stuck living off the royal stipend. He stored the chest again and leaned back in bed mentally contemplating his skills that could be of immediate use. gradually he ended up drifting off to sleep. Matthew blinked as he felt some electrodes were removed and another set where placed. He was wearing what very much looked like the contraption that Doctor Brown was wearing in the Back to the Future movie he felt and it was on his head clicking and humming with a strange purple glow. Twilight’s magic he really, really hoped. It seemed like moments ago that he had been dragged out into the streets, and he felt nauseous as he had gone through his first teleportation experience awake. “Twilight are you sure that teleporting was a safe option?” “Well,” Twilight replied as she looked more at some squiggly lines on a sheet of parchment that just kept on being spit out of a machine. “It was either a teleportation spell. Or we end up risking the left over Changeling serum risking a problem. I saw Lyra and frankly she has been on a kick on researching anything with finger and thumbs, she scared poor Spike just before the wedding.” She shook her head. “When she finds out about you three… I worry for her safety.” “I worry for ours. If she is like half of the crazy fans I know back home of a show and they meet someone from said show… it is a scream fest.” Matthew muttered. “Still, is this necessary to have me strapped up to this chair like I am some insane convic?” “Well, the straps help to take your pulse in those four locations as well as to keep any failsafes that might be lingering in your brain. I rather not risk anything with Changelings.” Twilight muttered. She still smiled. “Well, since there is going to be a lot of time..” She teleported a clean chalkboard. “How about I teach you the Equestrian Alphabet and some word movements.” She took the pendant off his neck and she started make some very giddy sounds that sounded like words but he had no clue what she was saying. He only nodded and she wrote the first letter. Then she wrote the letter A under it. Matthew blinked and found her saying the same sound over and over again. He took a deep breath and repeated the sound a few times. Then she wrote another symbol and the letter a, with a different sound. Matthew smiled a little and repeated the sound. Matthew smiled even more as they kept moving forward. He was learning basic formation of words. He hoped that he could read at least somewhat by end of night. Shawn slowly stretched as he stood up from his resting spot, a chair. His mind pulling itself together to start his morning. By morning, he meant around four forty-five or so. With a quick glance at the clock though he was proven wrong as it was five twenty two. With a shrug he went to the bathroom and swapped out his clothes, thankfully he had just showered right before he went to sleep, with that in mind he put on his simple blue coat with his normal dress shirt and blue vest. He then walked over to the kitchen and pulled open their fridge, which he had discovered had no cord. With a sigh he grabbed one of the random bags of fruit he had made for such mornings. Such mornings being when everyone was asleep and he did not want to wake everyone up by making something. With a roll of his shoulders he walked out the door, popping a random piece of fruit into his mouth as he walked outside, around town. With a hum he thought about what happened last night when he came back to the room. Walking back into their room he learned of a couple things, one the changeling was untired, two everyone was calm, and three he learned the new changeling got a name, and apparently a personality. Thinking back he remembered his conversation with Taze. “What? I untied her, not like she had anyplace to go.” Taze said nonchalantly. “I figured everything was fine when nobody was panicking.” Shawn replied, chuckling as he crossed his arms. “So, what’s this one going to be named?” “Me-Me” Taze said. “Though she spells it with an E for some reason.” Taze said . “I call her meme cause it’s funny when she reacts.” “It is Me-Me, not this Meme, I am Me-Me, he is Traitor, and you are Undying and he is Warrior.” She pointed to the group around here naming them off. “I also wonder if you have any more Chocolate as you call it, food of the Queens we call.” “Yep… Still undying…” Shawn replied with a flat expression. “Anyway so we have gotten another little outcast for our merry band. Should I get you a long bow and tights?” Taze chuckled. “We’re going to be living in a forest after all, if you’re going to play Robin Hood might as well look the part” “I’ll stick with my coat, thank you very much.” Shawn replied rolling his eyes in a light manner. “Who is this Robin Hood? And what does a Longbow and tights have to do with this person?” Mutatio asked with a befuddled look. “Was he a great warrior like yourself?” Me-Me asked with a tilt of her head. “I dunno granny.” A familiar voice broke Shawn out of his reminiscing. “How are we gonna get the southern field looked after with Mac laid up? The pegasi have a big storm planned for tomorrow to catch up for while Rainbow was away.” “Well I’ll just have to get out there youngun’” A voice that almost sounded old and wrinkly sounded. “I’m still not too old to do my share.” “Welp, found out what I’m doing today.” Shawn mumbled to himself. “Hello AJ.” He called out. AJ’s head swiveled in his direction  “Oh Shawn, hay it’s good to see you, you wouldn’t happen to be busy today would you sugar cube?” “Uhhh…” Shawn thought to himself. “Not that I know of, I wasn’t alerted to anything.” Shawn said, then mumbled to himself. “None that I remember anyways.” Which thankfully went unheard. “Big Mac attempted to lift a cart with a bum wheel and he threw his back out, the doc says he’ll need to rest for the day, you think you could lend a hand?” she asked “Sure, I don’t mind helping out.” He said with a small grin. “Let me head back and drop off my coat real quick though.” When he turned though, he had discovered he had made a loop and was back at where they were staying. “Oh. One second then.” He quickly ran in and put the coat on the chair he was sleeping in and quietly got out. “Alright, lead the way.” Applejack nodded. “Thanks a lot, you head back in Granny no need to risk throwing your hip out.” She called, leading Shawn towards the southern field. With a chuckle Shawn could only say one thing. “Well, todays going to be fun.” He said, putting his hands behind his back as he walked along side Applejack. Taze sat at the table in Sugarcube Corner as Me-Me enjoyed a chocolate donut. beside them Pinkie rambled on about some special event tomorrow. “And these are super special spledifferous extra mapily maple donuts!” Pinkie Pie bounced “They’re so mapily because the cakes use maple wood for the fire rather than normal wood. But they can only get it once every few months because it takes a while for Big Mac to be able to get the wood from the everfree but todays the day he goes in to get wood for the farm and brings out a load of maple wood for the cakes.” Pinkie cheered. “Uh-huh” Taze acknowledged  taking a large gulp of his coffee. He saw Me-Me stare at it. “Uh uh Meme, no coffee for you, your bad enough with chocolate.” “Why? It looks good and you drink it as well.” She paused and tilted her head. “It smells nice as well.” Meme whined a little. Taze was about to rebuttal when Mrs. Cake walked up to the group. She looked downcast and a little sad as she spoke. “Pinkie Pie, Big Mac hurt his back, and can’t get the Maple wood for the stove, I’m afraid we’ll have to push back the date of the food products till he is feeling better.” “How much does he usually charge you guys for that anyway?” Taze asked lifting an eyebrow. “Well, I guess it won’t hurt to divulge the amount, but usually just five bits a load he can carry.” She smiled softly. “Which isn’t that much for what he can carry, usually what we need can be stored in a small wagon even Twilight can pull when full.” “If I brought you wood today could you agree to pay 3 bits for each load?” he asked Mrs. Cake blinked but Pinkie Pie chimed in. “I’ll pay you four bits if you can get it to the Cakes by this afternoon, plus a pick from the first batch.” Mrs. Cake smiled. “Well if Pinkie is willing to pay you, I guess she can take you on your offer.” She seemed grateful for the service. She left the room back into the Kitchens with a happy look most likely to tell her husband. Pinke leaned in and whispered to Taze. “They feel that if they hire anypony else they would be betraying their trust and working partnership with Big Mac.” Taze nodded, getting too his feet he chugged the entire cup of coffee. “Can you take me me back to the tavern?” Taze asked “Sure, but where are you going” Pinkie asked confused. “If the sword scale is anything to go by a pony splitting axe is gonna be like a hatchet to me, i’m getting a battle axe.” Taze said. heading towards the door. Pinkie just seemed to widen her eyes. “That is super nitto, I didn’t know you could use a battle axe to attack trees, can I see it? can I? Can I?” She asked as she hopped around Taze without missing a beat, or tripping on anything as Taze kept walking to the Tavern. “You know I’m going into the everfree right?” Taze asked raising an eyebrow. “Aren't you ponies terrified of that place?” Pinkie grinned. “Not when I am giggling at the ghosties and heading to Zecora to give her some treats I baked for her. I bake her some of her treats from her homeland. She likes them a lot.” “Take me me back to the tavern and meet me back here, and don’t forget to tell the Cakes where you're going I don’t want to take you from your job.” Taze said before heading off to find Steel Weaver. “Okie Dokie Loki.” She hopped away. “Well actually that would be fun to meet Loki, he I bet is a hoot to be around I bet he, Dashie and I…” She trailed off as Taze turned and found that she had somehow gotten him right to the front door of the Tavern. When he turned back to look at Pinkie she was already gone. Taze walked casually into Sweet Apple Acres with Pinkie trotting behind him towing the cart. He looked around for someone to talk to not wanting to just wander into there house uninvited. His eye’s caught Shawn as his friend was approaching with a bushel of apples being held on his right shoulder. “Hey Shawn.” Taze called not waving do to hefting the battleaxe across his shoulders. Looking over, Shawn gave his brief wave and walked over. “Hey, what’s up? “You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find Big Mac?” He asked. “I gotta ask him where he usually gets wood from.” Shawn gestured towards the house. “He’s inside, not feeling that well.” “Thanks, someone I can ask permission to see him from?” Taze asked. Shawn thought about it for a moment. “Granny Smith should be inside.” Taze put the battleaxe down deciding it might not be best to approach the older pony holding said weapon. He entered the farmhouse as quietly as possible. He saw Granny Smith rocking in her chair looking at a Photo Album as she hummed to herself before looking up from the album. “Well, if you're lookin’ for work youngin you should go find Applejack, she’s the one running the farm today.” “Actually Mrs.Smith.” Taze cleared his throat professionally. “I was wondering if I could speak to Big Mac quickly, he is unable to do his wood run today and I was going to give the cakes a hand and get them some of the wood they needed.” “Well shoot, just call me Granny youngin, and sure, Big Mac’s resting in the old Study on the couch at the moment, shouldn’t be climbing the stairs yet you know.” She raised a hoof to a door that was open a crack. “Just through that there door.” She chuckled a little. “Too old to be called Mrs anything now.” “Thanks Granny” he grinned. before heading in the indicated direction. The large red stallion was currently occupying what seemed to be a worn but comfortable old grey couch amongst a sea of old books and pictures. “Uh, Big Macintosh?” Taze asked letting the large stallion become aware of his presence. “Eeyup.” He replied. “I’m Taze, don’t think we ever got a chance to meet face to face before but I understand you injured your back today?” Taze asked. “Eeyup.” “And since you can’t really get up to do your wood run I’ve offered to help the cakes out today, I was just wondering if you could give me some directions on where to collect the wood?” Taze said walking closer to the large red pony cautiously. After a moment he replied. “Sure.” He said reaching over and grabbed a rolled up piece of parchment onto the table and gave it a light toss to Taze from where he was sitting. Taze almost failed to catch it from shock. “Uh thanks, thanks alot, I hope you feel better soon.” Taze said idly walking out of the house still stunned. Grabbing the battle axe from the porch he looked at Pinkie. “Well Pinkie you got your work cut out for you.” He said as they started walking. “Why?” Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “Cause after what just happened, not sure you can top the surprise I just had.” Taze sighed ignoring the ponies confused looks as he opened the map and the two wandered off. The Tent city of where the cadets and recruits were located had become a much more neat and tidy place. The rows were straight, the lines and creases as perfect as one could make it, and about half of them were lazing about on stools or laying down in the grass, they were watching and seemed more to jeer or laugh as another group led by Black Rook were practicing maneuvers in the field. What was interesting was he was switching off with Silver Spear who was trying this out a little in trying to see just what he wanted. He already knew he couldn’t cut it as a camp cook, he spoiled the stew that they tried to cook, he put in too much spices. Now he was trying out some marching and drill. The conversation with one of the humans as he heard them call themselves was still rattling around in his brain. The letter he had been writing was currently in shreds and in a public trash can. The group was at the moment only five out of the twenty with about six watching them train. The others were actually polishing weapons or armor at the moment ignoring the next camp where the blacksmiths and a few other porters were staying at the moment waiting for the orders to move out again and move to the Castle itself. In the Blacksmith camp they were working on some ideas that had come to them, mainly for the three humans. “Come now las’, small armor like that isn’t going to stand for much in ‘is case.” Steel Weaver said. “The set even I made didn’t last as long as I hoped.” “Well they're not going to be able to march wearing that bloody behemoth of a design!” she shouted putting her hoof on the design sheet. “The pauldrons alone would be like carrying a mule on your shoulders.” she turned around. “no offense.” “None taken.” A rather conveniently placed mule replied in a rather monotone tone of voice almost like he was bored. “Las, we don’t even know their full limits, to them it could be easy. You saw how that one held onto those great swords, one-handed as he said!” Steel said back. “That doesn’t mean anything, you saw how the other one fights, speed is the key and you can’t have speed with bloody oversized armor!” she pushed back. “We’re not making this set for all of ‘em!” He replied. “Good grief! I think the thin’ one would fall over before he took a step!” “We need a more adaptable design.” she said. “And it’s commander armor where is the engraving work? You can’t have the commander before his troops wearing great slabs of metal.” Steel pointed towards the shoulders. “The engravin’ would go right there, and what’ do you mean slabs of metal, I’m no Minotaur when it comes to armor.” “You’re right there, I’ve seen minotaurs do finer armor when they fart.” She shot back at him. “Please! At least my armor could last ‘im, the only reason it was done for was from that bloody four story drop!” “Guess the changelings must have been buying your swords then.” She rolled her eye’s. “Light flexible armor, combined with a good blade and there is nothing to worry about.” “Beside’ gettin’ yer’self knocked around senselessly when you do get ‘it.” “Ah go soak your head.” she said “No point arguing about this now anyway we need to get to the forges to do anything!” “Well you can’t just go out’ into that forest now, as much as I would want to we got to wait for the order to move out.” Steel said with a slight shrug. Taze shuffled into the room. it had been a very long but rewarding day, after getting three loads of wood for the cakes, the cart being what it was wasn’t quite half a cord of wood and Taze’s family tended to get as many as 5 cords a day on a wood run, Taze had been asked by other ponies about getting firewood for them. All together he had made just over 60 bits in the entirety of the day and the hard work had left his muscles screaming, to Taze this was a good sign as it meant he had put considerable strain on them. Taking out the few sacks of bits he had obtained he poured the coins out into the small wooden chest. taking a handful he smiled considering going to see if the tavern had anything non-alcoholic. Taze turned to Matthew’s bed expecting to see his friend sleeping off whatever twilight had done to him only to raise an eyebrow when the bed was empty. “Where the heck is Matthew?” He mumbled. Leaving the room to find Shawn. Taze ended up stopping at the bar, finding they did indeed have a lot to choose from that had no alcohol, after a quick glass of raspberry punch. He left and started looking for his friend, heading in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. finally after what had seemed like forever, but had only really been five minutes, Taze spotted a figure walking towards him, seconds later the figure got closer revealing Shawn carrying a bulging sack. “Shawn?” Taze raised an eyebrow “That’s a lot of apples.” Shawn only chuckled in response. “Well it is a lot of apples, I also ‘accidentally’ paid too much for them as well. Eh, they needed the money anyways.” He shrugged. “Apparently sales are down right now.” “Well that was nice of you.” Taze said. “You seen Matthew? Pretty sure he hasn’t been in the room since yesterday, little worried Twilight is doing some freaky sciency thing to him right now.” “I’ve been at Sweet Apple Acres all day, but now that I think about it, he didn’t stop by like he did yesterday.” He said humming to himself. “I wonder where he is.” “Should we storm the library? I mean all it’s got is a fire breathing dragon, I think we can take him.” Shawn rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself. “Perhaps. Perhaps. But for now, how about we just check on them?” “Spoilsport.” Taze sighed. “Well lead the way el commodore.” Taze gestured dramatically. Meanwhile in said library. Spike sighed as she placed a blanket over Twilight and looked over to the human his feet on a small crate and settled into the chair zonked out before looking at the chalkboard with scribbles of both letters and words he recognized and letters and words he did not. He turned towards the steps. “Better close up the library before anyone comes in… I really hope Twilight does not keep him here too long. His friends might storm the library and that one dude wears dragon scales.” He shivered and clicked off the light and climbed the steps as the two slept in the basement from a rather long study on reading.