//------------------------------// // Chapter 44 - Fancy meeting you here // Story: Shackles and Friendship // by Zaibatsu //------------------------------// Shackles and Friendship Chapter 44 - Fancy meeting you here Edited by some crazy person (partially) “There is no red pill, no blue pill. There is only, the pony.” “Huh,” I mumbled, staring at the mirror. Standing in the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my lower half, I stared at my reflection. I took a step back and allowed a broader view of myself. “I’ve changed,” I concluded. ‘Finally noticed eh?’ Sharper, that would be the word to describe my new appearance. Perhaps it was because the change had been gradual and slow that I had failed to notice till now. It was only because of the new scars I had received that I gave my reflection a second look. The scars obviously attracted the most attention, I knew I had gotten a scar on my back from that incident with Rarity’s fire ruby, but now I’ve got a few new additions in front. Courtesy of Falnor. I’ll always count myself lucky for making it out of that confrontation alive, and with all my limbs still attached and functional. Oddly the scars made me feel a sense of pride. Sure, I mostly ran around like an idiot, and who wouldn’t with a dragon chasing your ass, but by god, I survived a dragon! I’ll take that trade any day. But the closer I looked, the more I noticed other subtle changes. There were still some fat on me, no doubt about that, but at least my stomach wasn’t as buldgy as it had been before. My muscles, especially around my chest and shoulders, were more defined. Even the fat on my face had receded, leaving my facial features more pronounced and my jawline sharper. These were likely the results of living a more active lifestyle. Living here in Ponyville, I had come to realize that we humans had it easy with all our technology and innovations. You wouldn’t think a little bit of physical work every day would have much effect, but it did, and in the end, it all adds up. Want food and groceries? Get your bag of heavy coins and walk to the market, stand all day bargaining, move to the next stall and do it again. Since Rarity was in the fashion and textile trade, I had to go purchase cloth and other raw materials in large quantities and carry them back. Of course a simple levitation spell was always on option, especially if the load was too heavy, however I had to be careful not to rely on it too much. The only way for me to replenish my own magic reserve was to take it from someone. Meaning constant vigilance not to waste when I don’t need. According to Twilight’s explanation, ponies and most other natives of this world regain their magic from the world itself. Unfortunately she couldn’t explain the details on how that actually works, said that’s just how it’s always been. Another odd realization was how indifferent I felt at the shackles on my arms. I remembered feeling uneasy and awkward when I first saw them. They really did make me look like an escaped convict, one with very expensive looking shackles. But now, well I suppose I had just gotten used them on. Even Rarity seemed to glean some inspiration for her designs from them. I had seen one dress that had small interlocking chains as part of the outfit. It looked a bit goth from my perspective. Before I could appreciate my new visual appearance, I heard somebody knock the door. “Anypony in there?” “Be right out, Sweets,” I answered. “Hurry! I’m going to be late!” she yelled shortly after, knocking impatiently. I quickly dried myself and put my clothes on before stepping out, chains jingling loudly all the while. “All yours Swe-woah!” Soon as I stepped out Sweetie Belle rushed right between my legs and slammed the door behind me. “What’s gotten her in such a hurry?” I mumbled, staring at the bathroom door. Leaving Sweetie Belle to do her morning routine in private, I started making my way downstairs and to the kitchen for breakfast. There I found the table already laden with food; fruits, bowls of hot oats, and some salad as an extra. No matter how many days had gone by, I would still scan the breakfast table hoping to see bacon somewhere. I could only hope some pork nearby dies of unnatural causes soon. Don’t judge me, you would too in my position. Though I would then need to find someone willing and able to do the butchering. “Morning Rares,” I greeted. She was in the middle of adding the finishing touches on the table. The occasion never really mattered to her, Rarity would always add a bit of garnishing to her cooked meals. “Goodmorning dear,” she greeted back in her usual elegant tone. “Your timing is impeccable, breakfast is ready.” “I can see that.” I sat crossed legged on my usual spot at the table and waited. Similar to back home, it’s considered polite to wait till everybody is ready before you start eating, and Rarity is all touchy about etiquettes and manners. “Anything happening today?” I asked. Rarity took her seat across from me. “More or less the usual, I’ll be busy all day making new outfits. I have enough to work with so you don’t need to tend the shop.” “If you say so.” Working for Rarity isn’t all that bad, on occasion she dives into her work full force which usually meant a free day for me. She hasn’t quite trust me to run the boutique all on my own, which is understandable since I had only just started rather recently. “And Sweetie Belle? Anything going on with her? She said something about being late.” “Oh that’s right, school is starting again today,” she informed. “School? I didn’t know she attended.” “Well of course she does, why wouldn’t she?” I shrugged. “You act as if that’s obvious but I’ve never actually seen her, or any other children in town go to school before. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've heard the word ‘school’ being mentioned.” At that Rarity seemed to realized something. “If you put it like that I suppose it makes sense. I think you arrived in town during school reprieve, that’s why you haven’t seen any of them attend.” Seeing as this might lead to another chatty breakfast, I took the initiative and poured a cup of tea for Rarity and a glass of water for myself. “In fact,” Rarity continued, “school was supposed to continue two weeks ago, but-” “The dragon,” I figured. Rarity nodded. “Everypony had to spend all their effort in getting the town back into shape, and we didn’t know if it was safe for the children to go to school with all the collapsed buildings and debris all about. Thus everypony agreed to suspend school activity till a safer time.” She sipped her tea. “Furthermore you spent most of your time recovering in the hospital, so it’s understandable if you’re oblivious to much of what happened after that horrid night.” “I suppose with school starting again it means everything is starting to go back to normal?” “That’s true. If you look outside you would question if Ponyville really was attacked by a dragon.” “Anytime you need help convincing someone of that,” I raised a hand. “I’ll be more than happy to prove them otherwise,” I offered jokingly. “Thank you dear but I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” she replied with a smile. A moment later Rarity got up, trotted towards me, and gave me a heartfelt hug. Her two forehooves rested over my shoulders while the side of her face pressed against my cheek. I froze in place with my glass of water in hand, eyes wide in surprise at Rarity’s sudden show of affection. “Uh, Rarity?” I asked hesitantly. “Just wanted to thank you again for what you did,” she answered softly. With the reason behind the hug revealed and the awkward feeling gone, I let her to cling unto me for a few more seconds before she finally let go. Likely because she also heard Sweetie Belle coming down the stairs. She galloped into the kitchen and rushed to the table, carelessly knocking a few things over. Fortunately as both Rarity and I were accustomed to Sweetie’s wave of destruction, we caught each item with a spell and placed them back before any real damage was done. As usual, Sweetie Belle herself seemed oblivious to it all. I’m starting to wonder if I should advise Rarity to bring her sister to the hospital for a checkup, both physical and magical. Sweetie Belle’s affinity for wanton destruction is just unnatural. “Is it okay if I go to the clubhouse with the others after school?” Sweetie Belle asked excitedly. Without waiting for an answer she started eating her oats, though it looked as if she was more vacuuming it in. “Manners dear,” Rarity reminded sternly, glaring disapprovingly at Sweetie’s behaviour. “Showwy,” she quickly replied with a mouthful. After swallowing and remembering to breath, Sweets continued eating at a normal pace with a bit more etiquette. “So can I?” “Just remember your saddlebag and be home before the sun goes down,” Rarity answered casually. Though I suspect deep down she’s somewhat relieved to have some peace and quiet in the house while she worked. The three of us then went on with breakfast with the usual bit of conversation, mostly sharing each other’s plan for the day so we all know what’s happening. With the lack of instant and mobile communication like cellphones, it’s important that everybody make themselves aware of such things at the start of each day. That way we can find each other or notice when something’s gone wrong. “I’ll be going now!” Sweetie Belle announced loudly as she stood by the front door wearing a small saddle bag. “See ya Sweets!” I yelled from the kitchen while I cleaned the dishes. “Say hi to Bloom and Scoots for me!” “Be careful now!” Rarity yelled after, still at the table calmly finishing her tea. “Is it safe for her to go alone?” I asked, once I heard the front door open and close. “She’ll be fine. They know to stick to the road at all times and everypony in town keeps an eye on them as they pass by,” Rarity answered. “Hmm, if you say so.” ‘Has his clothes always been that tight?’ Rarity pondered as she eyed the human. His back was facing towards her while he was busy cleaning the dishes from today’s breakfast. Her eyes traveled over Rodney’s form, with her experience and expertise as a seamstress, Rarity had an eye for catching details. ‘He got bigger, just a bit. His mane is also longer.’ Rarity made an effort to remember that in case she needed to adjust his current attire or when making new ones. ‘In any case, now would be a good time as any.’ After a moment of careful consideration, Rarity decided that due to his mentality and nature, it would be fine to approach the matter casually. “Rodney,” Rarity called out breaking the silence. “Hmm?” “How are things with Shine lately?” she asked nonchalantly. “Shine? She’s still alive, which is something if you consider how much time she spends with me,” he answered jokingly. “Why you ask?” “As I recall the Princess sent her to,” she coughed, “ ‘help Twilight keep an eye on you’. Exactly how long is that?” With a plate in hand he paused while tapping it, clearly thinking. “I never bothered to ask. I guess she’ll be around till otherwise told to,” Rodney answered as he resumed washing. “I see,” Rarity replied thoughtfully. Silence followed as Rarity sipped her tea several times, carefully planning the proper words to say. “I guess that means you’ll be spending a lot more time with her,” said Rarity, hoping to inch the conversation a bit to her objective. “Well isn’t that obvi-” Rodney suddenly looked up from the sink in a way that suggested he realized something. He turned his head and gave Rarity a serious look. “No,” he said, or rather, commanded. “What?” Rarity asked feigning innocence. She wore her mask perfectly but deep down she was caught off guard. ‘Did I slip?’ she thought, surprised. “I know what you’re doing, stop it,” he said with an irritated expression. “And what exactly do you think I’m doing?” Rarity asked with a slight teasing tone, hoping his suspicions were misplaced. Rodney sighed audibly. “Either you're fishing for gossip, or trying to hook me up with Shine.” He placed the last plate to dry on the side and wiped my hands before joining her at the table. He leaned in and stared right at her. “You’re getting neither.” ‘Close, but it’s not Shine I’m trying to “hook” you up with,’ Rarity thought silently. “And why, pray tell, would you assume that?” she asked. At that the human gave her an ‘are kidding me?’ look. “Have you read the books in this house? Aside from the reading material for customers and the library books I borrowed, all the books you own is one way or another; a romance. Ranging from heartache, drama, and whatever else.” He paused for a moment whilst giving a smug look. “Sometimes it’s not that hard to figure you out Rares.” She frowned at that remark, not insulted but neither was she happy to be told she could be so transparent. Despite having her intentions discovered, Rarity didn’t relent. Rather, seeing as it was out in the open, there were no reason to play around with words. “Well then I suppose we can skip the formalities and get to the juicy center,” she declared. “I don’t suppose that ‘No’ meant anything to you?” he asked irritably. Rarity’s smile only seemed to widened at that. “So what’s the story between you two?” she asked with enthusiasm. “You really aren’t letting this go, are you?” Rodney took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “Alright let’s get this over with,” he continued before speaking in a very flat monotone manner. “I am not in any romantic relationship with Shine, or with anybody at the moment.” He marched forward till he stood over the table. “There is me, and that’s it. I have friends, like you, who happen to be female, but in no way approach what I consider as intimate.” He leaned slightly forward, eyes unfaltering as he stared Rarity down. “Does that answer your question boss?” For a moment Rarity couldn’t think. She expected Rodney to deny such relationships with Shine, and she knew enough he wasn’t with anypony. But the degree and weight as he rebuked her further suggested that such notions will never occur. That threw her off as she gaped at the human, unable to respond. “Uhm, Rodney dear,” she started, her tone wavering. Hoping that perhaps she misunderstood. “You will of course, one day, find somepony who-” “No,” he interrupted, knowing what she was about to say. “I don’t see myself ever being in such a relationship with anybody.” Again Rarity couldn’t respond, this wasn’t something she was familiar with. She was aware that somepony might possess more hardened hearts than others. But Rodney spoke with such conviction and in such a way that Rarity actually believed he would live throughout his life without intimate love. As the type of mare she was, Rarity couldn’t fathom this. Nor could she accept it. It seemed that this confusion and surprise showed through Rarity expression, which promoted Rodney to further explain his reasoning. He closed his eyes for a moment, as if in concentration, and reached upwards to the ceiling with an open hand causing his chains to jingle. Slowly blue flames appeared at the tips of his fingers as it closed in as if to grasp something invisible. “Rwaaar!!” came a loud hiss from above. Rodney’s hand and fingers moved in motions where it gradually aimed towards the stairs in the living room. Soon enough Rarity spotted her pet cat Opal hovering down the stairs towards them, she too was wrapped with blue flames. Surprisingly the feline didn’t appear bothered by it, rather she looked absolutely annoyed at being levitated without warning and forcibly brought into the kitchen. She also seemed to be aware who was responsible, as she stared daggers at the human. “Do you love Opal?” Rodney asked while said cat hovered towards Rarity. “Why of course dear,” she answered, plucking the cat out of the air and into a gentle hug. “Enough to give her some affection?” Rodney continued to ask. “Of course.” She pulled Opal closer and rubbed her muzzle affectionately at the cat. Rodney waited a few seconds before he asked the next question. “Enough for sex?” “What!?” she screamed. “RWAAAR!!” For whatever reason Rarity reflexively pushed Opal away with such force that the cat actually flew right out the kitchen. “Opal!” Rarity yelled apologetically. She was about to chase after and check on her pet before spotting Opal quickly running back up the stairs, now looking livid. Rodney on the other hand drank his cup of cool water with a smile on his face. “That, right there,” he spoke confidently, “is the exact same feeling I have.” Rarity stared at the human, pondering his words. “And it’s not just for you ponies,” Rodney continued, “I don’t see myself ever being in a relationship with anybody. To put it in a nutshell, having an intimate relationship with any being that’s different from my own kind, is very unlikely. It’s a stigma for me, one that I have serious doubts am able to break out of.” Rarity drew a calming breath. “I...see. I had ideas but...” “It’s fine,” he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Considering how noisy you ponies are, I figured I’ll have to explain myself eventually.” With the dishes washed and drying, he made his way out of the kitchen. “Now with that out of the way, I’m heading out. I’ll be visiting Bronze before dropping by the library. You can find me there if you need to. I’ll be back to help you with dinner.” As he exited the kitchen and headed towards the front door, a bag floated down the stairs much like how Opal did and flew to the human’s open hand. It was a simple bag Rarity made based on Rodney’s description that easily hung around his shoulder. “See ya Rares.” And like that he was out the door, leaving a still somewhat confused mare sitting in the kitchen table. At some level Rarity seemed to understand what Rodney was trying to say. If it really was such a strong stigma as he described it, a relationship would be almost impossible. At least that’s what most ponies would think. Rarity was not like most ponies. Almost impossible. Oddly she felt a strong drive to suddenly help Rodney break out of his stigma. This was mainly due to the fact that she cared deeply for the human. To live one’s entire life without having someone to love and be loved in return was not something that she could accept. “This might be harder than I thought,” Rarity mumbled thoughtfully. “Welcome to the-oh it’s you monkey.” I stood some distance away, gazing at the building in front of me. “So it is true. You don’t just serve booze.” “What?” Bronze Sky looked at the store behind him. “This?” Unlike most stores in town, the one Bronze stood in front of lacked any signs or banner to indicate the type of trade. But the fact is he doesn’t need one, one look at the shop and its clear to anybody what it was. An iron anvil stood in front at the center, worn with scratches and dents to show its age. There was a giant rack to the side, hanging from it were various tools of his trade; hammers of different sizes, pliers, a poker, and a few other things. But don’t assume they're exactly as you think they are, I had to give each a second look to realize what they were. These tools were the rare exception where they were actually designed to be used by ponies. Or at least, beings that couldn’t grasp like a human. However the centerpiece was without a doubt the massive stone furnace built to the building at the other end. Along with the large chimney having above the whole thing easily dominated the front space of the store. Black and covered with soot and ash, the center glowed bright red even in the daytime. A small hose extended from the bottom which then connected to what looked like an air pump. It was a metal shop, pure and simple. From the setup it seems Bronze would work and do his craft outside while all his finished products lay inside in the store. The shop appears to be connected to the bar as a single building, only the bar’s entrance is on the opposite side facing a different street. Were I to go down the side alley towards the back, I would find myself standing by the entrance of Ponyville’s one and only source of booze; The Bronze Sky. “I never told you I own this?” he asked with a raised brow. “No but Twilight did. Mentioned it a while back when we were still in the hospital.” I looked at his right wing, still encased with a cast. “How’s the wing?” He moved it around a bit. “Getting there. If I’m lucky they’ll break it in a few weeks.” His eyes traveled up and down as he looked at me. “You’re looking good though.” “Mostly.” I softly patted my side, indicating my rib. “This thing is still bothering me. But like you said, it’s getting there.” He nodded and turned back to his work, which at the moment seemed to be filling the furnace with a bag of coal. Though it seemed like he was having some issues figuring out how, his wing being in a cast restricted his movements. “Are you sure you should be working?” I asked worriedly, though I’m pretty sure I know the answer. “If Redheart sees you-” “What’s she going to do? Drag me back to the hospital?” he asked with a laugh. He only got two laughs out before he stopped with a sudden worried look in his eyes. “Please don’t tell her.” Fortunately my rib had healed enough to let me laugh without much pain, only some irritation. “So what made you come by?” he asked with a grunt, trying to push the large bag of coal to across the floor. “Sorry to say but I ain’t ready to open the bar just yet.” “That’s unfortunate, but no I’m not actually here for a drink.” I rummaged through the bag I carried and pulled out a book. “Here,” I approached him and held the the book open for him to see. “I’ve got some ideas and I need your help to see if they’ll work.” He stopped pushing for a moment to stare at my drawing, eyes moving here and there. “Well, for one thing you can’t draw worth a feather,” he commented. I rolled my eyes. “Can you fabricate it or not?” “Nope.” He turned and went back to pushing, the rough floor making it difficult for the bag to slide across. “Why not?” I asked. I reached forward with an open hand aiming for the bag as I cast a spell. Blue flames engulfed the bag before it floated up into the air. “Is it too difficult?” “Thanks, just have it hover over the furnace.” I complied and with a few subtle finger movements the bag floated towards the furnace while Bronze took a large knife-like tool from the rack. “And no it’s not too difficult. I need more than just a pretty picture,” he mumbled, holding the knife with his jaw. He didn’t seemed bothered that the knife was covered in black soot, so I figured I shouldn’t either. With my hand reaching to maintain the spell, I turned my attention to book, at the diagram I drew. Of course it wasn’t just a picture as Bronze had said, I knew enough that he would need some measurements along with it. Tried to make it as professional looking as I could, adding numbers for length, size, and so on. “These measurements aren’t enough?” I asked. “Not really. But that’s not the problem.” With the blade Bronze punctured the bag and ripped the bottom open. All the coal inside dropped into the furnace creating a dark cloud of soot and ash that exploded outwards into the street. “Sorry,” Bronze apologized. I waved at the air in front of me clearing the black cloud away while I coughed the stuff out of my lungs. Luckily I reacted fast enough to snap the book shut, so my drawing should be fine. “It’s alright. Rarity would be annoyed about getting dirty but that’s nothing new. So what was the problem then?” With the same blade he poked and spread the coal evenly out till it flattened before placing it aside. “I need to know what it’s for. I can certainly make something with diagrams and measurements, but I need to know what I’m making. Or at least, what it is intended to be used as. That way I’ll know how to work the metal in order for it to perform effectively. Which part to make tough or flexible.” “Can’t you just make it?” I argued, trying to convince him. “It’s just a prototype. Hell I don’t even know if it’ll actually work they way I think it would.” “Well why don’t you just tell me what’s it for then?” he argued back. He gave me a smile. “Don’t worry I know all about keeping secrets. Let’s just say I’ve got a few clients in town who would prefer that I keep their orders private.” He leaned in close as his voice dropped to a whisper. “Let’s just say there’s a few ponies whose into some weird fetish and leave it at that.” I sucked in a breath as I struggled to stop my imagination from projecting unforgettable images. Which was understandably difficult, add the fact that I could hear my subconscious only made it worse. ‘Pony BDSM? Has to be. Unless...well the gender ratio in town is severely unbalanced. Maybe something to keep the lonely mares company at nights? Like a dil-’ “Anyways!” I shouted, hoping to drown the image away. “Don’t worry about the integrity or stuff like that. Just make it with what you consider as ‘normal’, that should be enough.” “Even if you don’t care, I do. I keep a minimum level of quality in everything I make, that includes forging things to their intended uses.” Again, I had to stop from brain from hurting itself with horrifying images. “Exactly what are you asking me to make monkey?” he asked. There was the tiniest bit of suspicion in his tone. By now I realized that arguing or avoiding any further would only make things worse, and if I just suddenly dropped the subject he’ll start pestering to tell him just for the sake of it. That’s just the type of pony Bronze Sky was. I opened the book and showed him the diagram again, this time with a finger pointed at a specific part. “Everything should be rather sturdy. But this part right here, the chamber,” I tapped my finger at the diagram, just to make sure Bronze knows which part I was talking about. “This part needs to be as tough as you can make it. It’ll hold a lot of pressure and heat in instantaneous bursts.” Bronze peered closer at the diagram, his muzzle almost touching the page. “Pressure and heat,” he mumbled. “I’m guessing magic is involved?” “What isn’t?” I jokingly asked, hoping I don’t have to answer seriously. “Any specific type of metal you want?” “I don’t think so. Not yet anyways. This is just a prototype.” Bronze hummed thoughtfully. “Most of it doesn’t look too difficult. But that part, the one you call ‘chamber’ is a bit complicated. This is a bit more intricate than what I normally make.” I felt relief, it didn’t look like Bronze was going to poke for more information. Fortunately I managed to give enough information without actually giving any hints as to what I intend to use it for. “It doesn't have to be perfect,” I replied. “Like I said it’s just a prototype, just testing if the idea could actually work. Just try your best.” “Hmm, alright then. Let me have it.” With a big smile I carefully ripped the page of the book and handed it to Bronze. “So how much would it cost exactly?” I asked, realizing we haven’t discussed the price. “For something like this,” he said, giving the diagram another look. “About ninety bits.” “Ninety!?” As a single purchase that’s fine, but seeing as I’ll likely make future orders with design improvements, this would be a costly endeavor over time. “Something like that will take a while to make.” He smiled. “Don’t worry, just give me what you got and you can pay the rest whenever you’re able. Besides, I won’t be able to start making it for a good long while. With my wing as it is I won’t be able to move properly, meaning I’ll be working substandard. And after I have a few things to fix before I start on your little project.” I looked at the building. “Dragon got your house?” I asked. There wasn’t much damage that I could see, they might have been there before. “Nah, I got lucky. Though the roof needs new tiles from all the shaking.” He turned and trotted towards a corner, there laid a large cloth was covering something massive. “But more importantly I need to repair these.” With a bite, he pulled the end of the cloth to reveal a mass of mangled pieces of metal. What I recognized first was the large bronze colored shield he loved so dearly. The rest however looked like a pile of scrap metal. After a closer look though, I started recognizing parts of it and managed to put it all together in my mind. “Is that...your armor?” I asked. “The one you wore that night?” “The very same. With all that’s happened and being stuck at the hospital, I haven’t managed to make the repairs.” He pulled apart one of the pieces to reveal the many tears and dents, some were twisted while others still has bits of broken green dragon scales embedded in them. Looking at the amount of metal, not counting his shield, it was easy to tell that flying with all that weight was an impossible feat. Under ‘normal’ curcumstances at least. No doubt pegasi magic had something to do with it, after all, physically they wouldn’t have been able to fly in the first place with such small wings. Still, that’s a serious load to carry. If Rainbow was built for speed, Bronze was built for strength of flight. Like comparing a fighter jet to a transport plane. “Yeah she’s mangled up good this time,” Bronze said worriedly. ‘This time?’ “Not sure if I can repair it back to what it was. It might be better to melt it and remake the whole thing. But that’ll take months and who knows, I might need to save another hairless monkey from danger,” he added jokingly. I ignored that last bit and simply stared at the mangled armor, then at Bronze sizing him up, and finally at his shop. It finally dawned on me that, despite what Bronze and I had been through, I know nothing about him. Not really. “Bronze,” I started, now very much interested in finding out. “Who are you exactly?” “Eh?” he replied, in a dumb fashion, no doubt making fun of me. “I’m serious. Who are you really?” I started counting with my fingers. “First I thought you were just a regular bartender. Still weird to use your own name for the bar if you ask me.” “It’s a good-” “Second,” I continued, ignoring his interruption, “you came flying out of nowhere in full armor, diving headlong into a fight with a dragon. Drunk if I remember correctly!” “I saved your sorry flank!” “I know, and I am forever grateful for that. One day I’ll find a way to repay you for that. But still, nobody just does that. It ain’t normal!” “Well I’m not normal!” he declared proudly. ‘He can say that again.’ “And third!” I continued, the conversation somehow escalating into a shouting contest. “Celestia knows you! Ruler of Equestria knows you by name! Also...damn what was his name. Eh...that pegasus in charge of the Royal Guards that came to town.” “Steadfast?” “Yeah him! He visited us in the hospital while you were asleep, he didn’t say it but it looked like you were in the service with him. Meaning you were in the army!” I waved my hand towards the store behind Bronze, my chains jingling at the gesture. “To top it off, you run a metal shop. The only one in town as Twilight told me.” I paused to catch my breath, not realizing that I was getting a bit too worked up. He waited for a few seconds while I tried to catch my breath, amused at the sight. “Do you need to sit down or something?” he asked mockingly. I took a deep breath. “Look, all I’m saying is; who are you exactly? I mean, those that know you, the way you act, not to mention the skill set you possess. I might be new to you ponies, but I still know those things aren’t normal.” I didn’t realize it at the time, perhaps I really wanted to know more about the pony I owe my life to, but I was being far too intrusive with all these question. Bronze might not have wanted to answer them. Luckily though, he didn’t seemed to mind. Heck he was probably enjoying the fact that I was so flabbergasted. “Okay okay,” he replied with a humoured smile. “You want the long or short story?” “The lo-” “Short one it is!” he interrupted. I gave him an annoyed look which he seemed to relish. “Like I said, got a lot of work to do. Anyways, yes I was in the service, though I wouldn’t call it an army. I joined because I wanted to see more of the world, but didn’t have the finance for travel.” “Wait, didn’t you say you wanted to own a bar?” I asked. “No I liked drinking, that’s what my mark is.” His good wing moved to point at his mark, a foaming mug filled with amber liquid. Instead of a handle it had a pair of wings spread outward as if flying, a patch of cloud on the background depicted the mug’s flight across the sky. I thought for a moment, remembering Sweetie Belle’s explanation about marks. “You’re special talent is flying drunk?” “What? No! Well...maybe?” He shook his head. “I just like to drink okay! Now where was I?” “You joined the service,” I reminded. “Right. So I signed up, thinking I could still see the world while getting paid. Went through the training and all that, and was surprisingly good at it. Unfortunately a bit too well.” “What does that mean?” “It means that instead of being stationed at different parts of Equestria, I get sent to Canterlot Castle on guard duty! No offense to the Royal Guard but that’s not what I wanted. What they failed to realize was that I didn’t have the mentality to be a Royal Guard. Standing there like a statue for hours on end? Day after day? And they call me crazy?!” I smiled. “Did they?” “Not the point!” he yelled back. ‘Haha! That’s a yes.’ “As hard as I tried, I couldn't get out of it. So the Royal Guard it is. It wasn’t all that bad at first, thought I could pull through. But silent, the monotone existence, and especially the boredom, it all drove me closer to the edge. One day it really did push me over.” Bronzed paused for a moment, his eyes moving to stare into the distance. No doubt reminiscing in past memories, though the memory must’ve been an enjoyable one. Bronze suddenly smiled broadly as he continued his story. “Now I must’ve snapped or something cause I hardly remember what I did, I had to rely on the other guards to tell me what happened. So I was standing guard to the side like the others while The Princess was addressing some noble. Right where she was talking, I decided to scream.” “You...screamed?” He shrugged. “Yeah, not much to it, I just started yelling.” He then smiled with a prideful look. “Then I jumped out the window.” I stared at him. “Excuse me?” “I jumped,” he repeated smugly. “I screamed, I ran across the throne room, and jumped out the window. Right there, in front of The Princess and everypony else. I should add that the window couldn’t be opened, one of those large stained glass.” I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. I shouldn’t believe him, or at the least, have a hard time doing so. But after reconsidering everything that I know regarding Bronze, his behaviour and nature, it all suddenly became easier to believe. “I’m guessing you got in trouble for that?” Bronze bellowed a loud laugh. “Actually I didn’t. Officially the incident was due to ‘stressful environment’. Now don’t tell anyone I said this, cause I’ll deny it, but shortly after that the Princess actually paid me a visit to thank me.” He smiled. “I must’ve left an impression.” ‘Now that does sound like Celestia.’ I sighed with a smile, shaking my head. “So what happened after? Did you finally get out of guard duty?” “Thankfully, yes,” Bronze answered. “Got a more active job in a patrol, watching the wilds and all that. Making sure all the dangerous creatures and animals stay where they should be.” “Oh, so in the end you got what you wanted.” “Sort of, not as much as I wanted but better than before that’s for sure. After I gave them my years, I quit. It was rough at first but if anything the training prepared me for the journey. At the end I saved up enough to actually travel anywhere I wanted to. Bought a large wagon, supplies, and just left.” “Why didn't you just fly?” I asked confused. “Are you serious?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. Seeing as I didn’t answer he started to explain. “Two reasons; first, and most important, is that I couldn't bring as many supplies if I flew. I'm strong but not that strong. Second, and I’m not sure if you noticed, but the sky is empty. Flying might be fast and all, but there’s nothing interesting up there. It’s just clouds. At most you can hope for a rogue thundercloud. To me the whole point of traveling is to experience every trot of the way. Both the good and the bad.” For a moment there it sounded as if Bronze just gave me some sagely advice. Can’t be. “So how far did you go?” I was pretty much hooked on his life story now. He frowned, which confused me. “Not much I’m afraid. I managed to reach Yanhoover, but things didn’t work out there.” I could tell something bad must have happened, for split second I caught a look of regret. “I was so full of myself back then, and it all lead to one mistake.” He scowled. “One stupid, giant mistake. When the dust settled I found myself indebted to a pony.” It was clear that he didn’t want to go into the details, with the way he brezzed through the story. Still, I tried probing for a few details. “You owed somebody bits?” He chuckled. “I wish it was that simple. But no. Let’s just say I had to spend the next five years working for him.” “Whoa five years!?” I yelled without thinking out of surprise. I was about to ask what happened, but thankfully I stopped myself. Realizing that I was treading on sensitive grounds. His gazed off to the distance, most likely lost in a memory. “Care to guess what I spent five years doing? Here’s a hint.” He tilted his head to point at the shop behind. “That’s where you learned how to work metal?” “Yup. The pony I worked for ran a similar shop. Was forced to learn the trade if I wanted to repay my debt and hold my honor. In fact it’s also where I made that.” With a hoof he pointed at the large bronzed colored shield. “That shield was the last thing I forged from there. Both he and I spent an entire month forging it with all the skill and knowledge we had. It was his goodbye gift to me. At first the days were like punishment, but looking back those years were the best years of my life.” Silence followed, Bronze seemed to gaze further away into the distant. I was quite sure why but I felt compelled to wait, giving him some time in private with his thoughts. “Did you finally get to travel then?” I finally asked. “After you paid your debt?” “Nope. By that time the urge was gone. Looks like all the hammering I did have also beaten down my wanderlust. But at the same time I didn’t really have a place to go back to. I sold my home when I originally left, thinking I wouldn’t return. It would be nice to have stayed there at Yanhoover, but the situation didn’t permit. Too much bad blood.” ‘Hold now, bad blood? The hell does that mean? Didn’t think these ponies can have bad blood.’ As tempting as it was to ask for him to elaborate, I held my tongue once again in respect and let him to continue his tale. “In the end I decided to go back into service. Not that I wanted to, in fact I didn’t know what I wanted to do after I left Yanhoover. I just thought that protecting everypony sounded worthy of my time, at least till I find something.” Bronze gaze went distant again, but not like before. He looked past me, at the street as ponies were going about their business. “Then on the way to Canterlot I dropped by this place. I was on the train and this was simply one stop along the way. I looked outside the window and just took in the sights. Not sure why, but it hit me that Ponyville might be a good place to die.” I blinked several times. “What?” “Ponyville is a good place to die,” he repeated. “Look around monkey. If you could choose a place to grow old, wouldn’t this be it? A lot of ponies would think a town like this would be dull and boring,” he gave me a knowing smile. “But you and I know better. Things happen in this town.” “....I don’t think ‘dragon attack’ is a plus when choosing a home,” I pointed out. “Like I said, I ain’t normal.” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “So what about the bar? How did that happen?” “Ah well, despite losing my will to travel, I still wanted adventures. So I thought, ‘why not at least hear it from those that had them’. What better way to gather adventurers than a bar? I had hoped to attract some stories as pony pass through town. Hear about the places they’ve been, who they met along the way.” He gave a long sigh. “But I didn’t exactly think things through. My mistake being that Ponyville isn’t exactly a tourist attraction.” “No kidding.” If you judge from outward experience, Ponyville is the perfect, carefree, countryside town you’ll ever see. The only thing worth noting is the proximity to Canterlot, and maybe Sweet Apple Acres. But definitely not a place anyone would consider a tourist location. “But still, I like to drink and the bar offered me reasons to keep ample supply.” I laughed. “So basically you keep that bar open mostly for yourself?” “Shhh! Not so loud,” he warned. “Nopony knows that.” “Your secret is safe with me,” I assured him. “So you’ve been here since then?” “Yup, and enjoying every minute of it for fifteen years.” ‘Fifteen years?’ “How old are you?” I asked. “I’ll be forty-six this year,” he answered casually. “Why?” Being a different race and all, I find it difficult to judge a pony’s age based on looks. The fur covered most signs of age like wrinkles, except of course when you’re as old as Applejack’s grandmother. But forty-six? All this time and I never realized that Bronze nearly doubled my age. He certainly didn’t act forty-six. “You’re old,” I declared in a flat tone. “Thank you for reminding me,” he replied, annoyed. “Now with my riveting life story over, could you please leave so I can get to work?” “Hey sure, no problem.” I smiled. “Though you should be careful, wouldn’t want to pull a muscle with you age.” I dipped my head just in time as a large piece of charcoal flew over. Quickly making my escape, I turned gave Bronze a second look. I couldn’t help but see him under a different light, yet at the same time nothing about him has changed. Rather it solidified the things that make Bronze who he was. Still the same drunken crazy pegasus who would fly right into a dragon to save somebody he hardly knew. Thinking back, this might have been the moment when I realized Bronze would be somebody I could rely on for a long time. Despite how annoying he can be at times. =========[Golden Oak Library]========= “...” ‘So...what’s going on here?’ I stood there, just outside the library’s front door, staring at the scene before me with a flat expression. Looking around, I saw ponies going about their business. At most they would throw a glance but nothing else, which shows this was a common sight. Turning my attention back at the scene, I stared at the pegasus whom I recognized, as well as her reputation. She’s the town’s only dedicated delivery pony, not much different from a mailman. Not the brightest of the bunch I can tell you that, caused and involved in plenty of problems all over town on a near daily basis. But everybody tolerates her, including myself. Even though I’ve only talked to her once, her cheerful personality was oh so very lovable. She’s like a child that never grew up, somehow retaining that innocence. I’ll admit that it took me a while to acclimate to her...tendencies. If you think Sweetie Belle’s natural affinity for destruction was bad; you have not met Ditzy Doo. At the moment, the pegasus in question was currently occupied trying to put Twilight’s mail in her mailbox. Apparently she’s trying to break the laws of space as she continues to stuff letter after letter inside, despite how it was already filled to the brim. Yet she kept at it, somehow finding a way to stuff in one more letter. One problem though, there was a large sack resting next to her, and from the looks of it she intends to force them all in that one poor mailbox. An impossible feat unless one was a unicorn armed with some sort of space-bending spell to make the mailbox bigger on the inside. “Uh, Ditzy,” I called, curiously, “what are you doing?” “Delivering mail!” she replied cheerfully, one hoof forcing the letters to stay inside while the other pushes another one in. “Why don’t you just drop them off the front door?” I asked, trying to keep the question from sounding insulting. “Oh I can’t do that. That’s where I drop of packages, letters go into the mailbox. That’s why they call it a mailbox,” she explained as if teaching me. “....I see.” Unable to find the energy or the will to argue with her, I turned my attention to the sack full of letters. “Are these all for Twilight?” “Twilight got two letters today, and I already put those inside.” She turned and looked at me, or at least her right eye is looking at me. I should probably mention she was cross-eyed. “The rest are for you.” My left brow rose. “For me? All of them?” “Yup.” I reached down and pulled a letter from the sack. One the front, clear as day, was written: To Ponyville Human The funny thing is, ‘Ponyville Human’ was more accurate than my own name. I don’t know if there’s anybody or anything out there that has the same name as me, but with this, there would be no argument as to who the letter was intended for. What caught me by surprise though, was that the sender used what looked like crayons to write. Furthermore, the letters were resembled squiggly lines than actual letters, suggesting the writer was young and still learning. Grabbing several more letters, I realized they really were all for me. A few actually did have my name, some only had ‘Human’, and one actually said ‘Monkey’. I’ve already decided not to open that one. The obvious question would be: Where the hell did all this came from? It only took a moment of thinking for me to come up with a reasonable guess. Being stuck in the hospital most of the time, and the recent incident with Jo, I had forgotten the fact that I was in the newspaper quite recently. Once you think about the circumstances, something like this should have been expected. The real question though, why the sudden appearance? I would have expected to receive a steady flow of letters, not a sudden sack full of them. It’s a very big sack. “Seeing as their all for me and that I’m here,” I said, dropping the letters back in, “can I just take it?” “Hmm I guess that’s ok.” Before I could say anything else she let go of the mailbox which immediately began spewing letters all over the ground. I quickly covered the area with a spell, holding the letters in place before the wind could blow them away. I then lifted them all off the ground and pulled them back into the sack now in my hands. “See you tomorrow,” said Ditzy cheerfully as she flew away. Her saddle bag of mail kept bouncing with each flap of her wings, sometimes a letter would fall out and dance in the air like a leaf. ‘You have to wonder how mail in this town remains functional with her doing the delivering.’ ‘Be nice.’ With a sack full of what I hoped weren’t hateful mail, I picked up a small rock and threw it at the library’s front door. After a few seconds of nothing, I threw another one before I finally heard movement inside. Rarity still haven’t finished my gloves, and I can’t really press her since she was making it out of the kindness of her heart. So for a while, throwing a rock at the door was the only way to knock without touching. Twilight and I have already got a good understanding of how my touch would siphon magic, it being limited to the object I’m actually touching. The door should be safe, despite it being connected to the building it is still a separate object and not part of it. But we figured it be best to play it safe until we were both firmly aware and confident of how my natural abilities work in detail. Or at least until my gloves are done. Shine appeared as the door opened, and immediately I noticed something was wrong. “Rodney what did you do?” she asked. ‘Oh that’s never good.’ “I’m glad to see you too Shine,” I replied, ignoring her question. “How’s everything?” “This serious Rodney,” Shine retorted. “What did you do?” ‘Ok, I’m getting nervous here.’ The fact that she didn’t even register the large sack of mail I was holding showed how troubled she was. Her eyes were staring straight at mine with a worried yet accusing glare. “Okay look,” I started with a sigh, knowing trouble had just reared its ugly head. “Explain from the beginning, cause I really have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Is that Rodney!?” I heard Twilight yell from inside. “Yes,” Shine answered back. Suddenly my ‘Sense’ came alive as I felt the air suddenly shift, at least I thought it was the air. I didn’t realize it back then but what I actually ‘felt’ was the ambient magic twisting and converging at a point beside me. Next thing I saw was a familiar burst of purple light as Twilight teleported right next me, looking at me with the same accusing look as Shine’s. I took a deep breath as I calmed my ‘Sense’, otherwise I tend to get overwhelmed with the amount of information. Like most sensory input, my ability to ‘Sense’ magic would ‘awaken’ itself when something significant happens, at least if I didn’t expect it. Had I known or expected Twilight to teleport in next to me, my ‘Sense’ would have remained dormant. It’s still somewhat vague in that regard, back then I had yet to dedicate myself to understanding and experimenting with my own abilities. Far too occupied with learning spells and runes. “Check it out,” I spoke ignoring her look. “I got fanmail! Would you like to read them with me?” “What did you do Rodney!?” she yelled looking up at me. Like Shine she didn’t even notice the sack. “Look,” I sighed, a headache already starting to develop, “let’s all take a deep breath, and you two start explaining what got you all riled-” Again my ‘Sense’ woke up, though unlike with Twilight’s teleportation where it merely nudged at me, this time it screamed. An insane source of magic had stepped into my ‘Range’, it felt like a furnace was slowly approaching and I was merely feeling the radiating heat. I recognized this, I’ve ‘felt’ it before, you don’t forget something like this. Celestia was here, and based on my ‘Sense’, she was inside the library and approaching the front door. At least that’s who I suspected at first, until my manly orbs suddenly decided to shrink. Shine trotted out of the way and gave a bow as the alicorn stepped out into view. ‘Oh-’ ‘-shit.’ “Greetings Rodney,” she spoke. “Oh, hey Luna,” I managed to mumble. “Fancy meeting you here.” An awkward silence followed as the two of us stared at each other. She didn’t look pissed, in fact her expression was unreadable. Which scared me even more. A few ponies stopped in their tracks to stare at the dark alicorn with reverence while others simply froze, eyes wide with surprise. “So…” I started nervously, the silence becoming unbearable. “Did Celestia get my letter?”