//------------------------------// // A Royal Job Offer // Story: Just Another Rogue: of Shadows // by Tattered Ribbon //------------------------------// It was a nice day today. The seasonal Apple Family job was done, Time Turner got his cogs from Manehattan this time, and Ditzy failed to break Ribbons mailbox this week, that meant I didn’t have work to do. Yes today was a good day to be productive. She would finally get some work done on her side project: A hoof mounted Mini-cross bow. It wasn’t really meant for range, it was meant to be lightweight and small and much more complex than just ‘wooden stick and string’, so for starters it would be firable with one hoof. *Knock Knock Knock* But the pull sting would have to wait. She got up from her workbench out of her basement, that’s where she keep the things she don’t want ponies to see. like her very much illegal poisons, armor set -built for a changeling of coase-, and the--- *Knock Knock Knock* “I’m coming!” Can’t somepony even try to be patient? When she opened the door a Royal guard was standing there. Now it’s not that she dislikes the guards or anything, but she really disliked the guards, they stood as a reminder of what would happen to her. But this guy just stood there steely eyed and stone-faced as ever, he didn’t even say anything. Just hoofed her a scroll and left. When she closed the door she was glad the guard didn’t say anything, the local guards all know she disliked them and don’t bother. To her surprise, the scroll turned out to be a summons, requesting her skills as a blacksmith to help reverse engineer some kind of new alloy. She knew Rarity would be in Canterlot this week, did she do this? She’d have to really thank her for this. She pack up what she thought she would need: lots of bits to buy some fancy new tools, and a knife. Simple. Today was not going to be very productive for Ribbon, she wouldn’t be able to make any more Joke poison or its remedy -as she sometimes got it on her- nor would she finally build her Mini-cross bow like she wanted, but it was still a nice day. If she was careful with her love supply she’d be able to go month without eating. It’s not as if she would be there alone though, since Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy are already there. So with nothing to do for the week Ribbon decided to take the job, what’s the worst thing that can happen, she had her friends there, and chances are she wasn’t even going to talk to the Princess, just a proxy, so she knew she would be safe. With little left to do and a now stuffed saddlebag she left for the train station. For the last hour Ribbon just sat and listened to the sound of the rails and the gossip of passengers. Ribbon so far had heard about some noble proposing to a ‘commoner’, an upcoming fashion show, and rumors Nightmare Moon still being alive, All worthless. Ribbon didn’t care about the nobles, didn’t have a reason to wear clothes, and the new princess use to be Nightmare Moon and apparently has a temper. Ribbon didn’t blame her, dealing with the snobbish nobility must be taxing after being on the moon for so long. As she listened to little bits of gossip she could on the train she leaned over to look out the window to see the city of white approaching. Equestrias capital city of purity was, for Ribbon, a blinding city of white that stung her eyes and the castle was no different. She eagerly wished to get whatever it was she was needed for done so she can leave, after all rejecting this job may have seemed suspicious and if this new metal alloy was useful she maybe able to figure out how it was made and make it herself or figure out how they got it. As she let her mind drift from what it could be used for to what she’d do with it, she failed to see a white Unicorn rounding a corner as she bump into him. She would have told him off but he seemed in a real hurry to get somewhere real fast, and before she was even standing again he was gone. In need of venting and no one to talk to she simply muttered quietly to herself along the lines of “The nerve of that stallion”, and in her quiet seething anger rounded and bumped into another white Unicorn. “Oh I’m terr- Oh Ribbon darling!” “Rarity? hey. Why do you look so happy?” “That ruffian Blueblood finally got his comeuppance!” “I don’t think I know what that is, but you make it sound like a good thing.” “That it is dear, and I’m so glad you made it, I was hoping the Princess would take my recommendation.” “I was wondering if that was you, now I know it was.” Now I need to think a gift and how to give it to her. “Do you know what the job entails?” “I don’t really know myself, I only know that Twilight is in the Barracks waiting for you, and visiting somepony” “I don’t suppose you know where the Barracks are then?” “Next to Donut Joe’s.” “That means I already passed it! Bye Rarity.” “Good bye, darling!” Racing back down the halls to where she saw Donut Joe’s, she overhead the sound of laughter. As she got closer she heard Twilight talking. “At first I was a little disgusted by her outburst, but looking back at it now, it was hilarious!” Said Twilight as she finished sentence. “Anypony with the gall to do that is ok in my book, most ponies don’t know that he doesn’t hold any real power” Said the stallion she was talking to. Ribbon thought this was a good enough time as any to grab Twi’s attention. “Hey Twi, how are ya?” “Hello, Ribbon, I was just talking to my brother.” “And you must be the blacksmith we called to have a look at the armor? Name’s Shining Armor it’s good to meet you.” “Good to meet you too, I’ll have one of my guards escort you to the forge, the armor is already there.” As Ribbon was lead by a guard to the forge she tried to remember where it was. Once there the guard left to her own and return to his post. The room with the forge was sweltering, as one would expect, with an Anvil in the center of the room, however what lay on the anvil, seemed to suck all the heat from the room, Ribbon could tell there was enchantments on it. As she touched it, it felt frozen as if made of ice. Expecting this to be a hard metal to work with she decided to start with testing it, to see if it had limits. The first test she’d give this metal plate is a stress test, see how much force it takes to bend it. She just balanced so it hung off the side of the anvil and clamped it down to hold, and started hammering away.