Flux was nervous. It's not really unusual for him to be so, but he felt extra nervous this time. He had talked with the bowyer, they said they would be able to repair Jaxler's bow. They also said it'd cost a small fortune. They did, however, say they would accept the piccolo in trade. He walked towards Jaxler's apartment, still trying to figure out what he'd say as he raises a hoof to knock.
"Who's there?" comes Jaxler’s voice.
"Um... It's me, Flux. Can, uh, I come in?"
Jaxler opens his door "Aye flux." Flux smiles at his friend as he enters, looking around for his crossbow. "So, um, how are you doing, Jaxler?"
Jaxler takes a seat on his bed and thinks for a moment. "Pretty good considering that I actually woke up in my bed today"
"That's a good thing, ya?" Jaxler shrugs.
So... I, uh, wanted to ask about your, um, crossbow." Flux shuffles his hooves. "Have you... tried to get it repaired?"
"I have tried getting it repaired... but I honestly don't have anywhere near enough bits to get it fixed"
"Um... I, uh, talked with the boyer about it. Um... part of a caravan. If you want it repaired... he'll do it."
"If I were to get it repaired I'd need to talk to more than just a bowyer."
"Ya... he said he'd have to, um, outsource a fair bit of the work, but... if you want it repaired, you can."
"Well, regardless I doubt this bowyer knows what my crossbow used to be like before it got into it's current state."
"Well... maybe we should go talk to him and see?"
Jaxler shrugs. "Might as well"
Flux smiles in relief at his friend. "Alright!" Jaxler looks under his bed and brings out his crossbow. "So can you lead the way to this bowyer?"
Flux nods happily and holds the door for Jaxler. He leads Jaxler to the trade depot and to a unicorn with a bushy mustache. The Unicorn perks up, recognizing Flux. "Ah, you've returned! This must be the crossbow you were talking about."
Jaxler walks up the the bowyer and shows him his decrepit weapon. The unicorn nods at Jaxler. "Ah, you must be the gentlecolt Flux here was talking about. Jaxler, right? May I levitate your crossbow for a moment? I'd like to get a feel for the old gal, if you don't mind?"
"Go ahead"
"Thank you kindly. My name's Drawstring, by the by." He levitates the crossbow and gives it the once-over, checking the string and action, the draw and stock. He gives a low whistle as he examines it. "She was a beauty in her prime, wasn't she? Looks like a lot of bits fell off the poor girl over the years, despite the care you've taken."
He levitates it back to Jaxler, satisfied. "I'd be happy to repair your crossbow, though it'll take several days."
"How much is this gonna cost me?"
Drawstring smiles. "Nothing, your friend here already has it covered."
"Okay... then..." Jaxler pauses for a moment before realizing something important. "Before you work on my crossbow you should know that it's stained brown. The wood it's made out of is blood thorn."
The unicorn nods. "Yep, figured that. The heft wasn't right for oak, pine or any of the more conventional woods. Makes her handle like an extension of your hoof, though, don't it? You want it stained brown again?"
"Yes, but before I make this deal with you I need to talk to Flux, in private."
"Of course, of course." Drawstring turns back to his wagon, muttering to himself as he begins to choose tools to get to work if Jaxler agrees. Flux follows Jaxler a few steps away to talk with him, hoping Jaxler isn't upset.
Jaxler sighs. "How much is this going to cost you?"
“Um... just a trade..." Flux scuffs a hoof in the dirt, trying to avoid the question.
"What did you trade?"
Flux mumbles something, still not looking at Jaxler.
"What. Did. You. Trade."
"...my piccolo..."
Jaxler pauses for a second, speechless.
"Damn...you... why did you do this?"
"Um... because you're my friend... and your crossbow means a lot to you..."
Jaxler looks a bit confused, still trying to process what’s happening. "um... thanks"
Flux gives Jaxler a small smile. "So... um, are you... going to let him repair your, uh, crossbow?"
"Ug... oh, yes but I need to specify some things first."
“Um, ok?"
Jaxler walks up to Drawstring. "Before I let you fix my crossbow I want you to tell me exactly what you plan to do to it first."
"I'll be replacing the draw and mechanism to start. Steel is the typical choice, but doesn't look like what she originally had: Only rust from iron on her. She probably had Silver to start with? I'll be magically repairing the stock, it's mostly superficial damage and shouldn't be too difficult. Looks like she had some studs or maybe gems as well, so I'll see about replacing those, too. Oh, and I'll leave the inscription on her, looks important."
"The original draw and mechanism were platinum, and it did have gems encrusted into it, and if your going to replace the gems use black opal. Also, don't mind the studs, I doubt you have the original metal."
"Platinum, eh? What was it studded with, originally? More platinum?"
"No... and I actually know that you don't have the original metal"
"Well now my curiosity is piqued, good stallion. Would you be willing to tell me what the metal was? You'd be surprised what metals I have squirreled away."
"I'd tell you what it was, but those whom obtain such an evil metal are often prone to ill-fate"
"A certain blue and legendary material? Well, if so, the lack shouldn't throw off her balance hardly at all. I might put a few extra black opal to get her right. The platinum draw and mechanism cut into my profits a bit, but a deal is a deal, and I'll still come out ahead. So, shall I get to work?"
"Don't mess with the spots where the studs used to be, and if you’re willing to do that then we have deal."
Drawstring shrugs at Jaxler's odd condition, but big commissions like this tend to have odd requests. "If that's what you want, that's what you'll get." He holds out his hoof to finalize the agreement with a shake.
Jaxler shakes Drawstrings hoof, agreeing. He then gives Drawstring his crossbow. "Also, if this weapon is harmed in anyway when you give it back to me, I... won't... be... happy..."
He smiles. "Should take just a few days, pretty sure that Lustre has some black opals around somewhere. No worries, my fine stallion. I've been doing this for a long time. You'll have your crossbow back in prime condition, I guarantee it!"
"Good." After replying, Jaxler walkes back over to Flux. "Flux, I need to talk with you some more."
Flux looks slightly confused, but doesn't refuse. "Uh, ok?"
"I... if you did this because you feel like you owe me something then you should go call off the deal."
Flux thinks for a few moments, then shakes his head. "I did it because... I think you need your crossbow, Jaxler. It means a lot to you."
"Okay... So, I need to know something, how good are you at smelting?"
“Um... alright, I guess? I don't hold a candle to Cinders, but I'm not too bad. Um, why?"
"If, we're going to get this crossbow repaired, I'm going to need something. I have the raw material but I'd need a furnace operator like yourself to refine it"
"Alright? What do you need smelted?"
"I'll tell you in a less 'public' place than this, like my apartment."
"Uh... alright. If you say so, Jaxler."
Jaxler and Flux make their way back to his apartment. After Jaxler enters the room, he grabs two keys; one hidden under his bed and the other hidden inside his journal. He then walks over to his coffer (which bears two key locks and a combination lock) and unlocks it. "This coffer has some things in it from before I came to Dawnpick."
Flux raises an eyebrow at the security Jaxler has on this particular coffer, but says nothing.
Jaxler starts pulling out random oddities from his coffer and puts them on the floor next to him. He takes out numerous daggers, a long chain chain made of gold, a long spiral horn, and many other strange items before he pulls out a wooden box with another lock on it.
Flux looks at the various things curiously, hoping he's wrong about where the horn might be from. Jaxler also grabs a set of lock picks and starts picking the locked box. "I threw away this Box's key a while ago. This could take a while so if you have any questions about the various items on the ground feel free to ask."
Flux gently prods the horn. "Um... this one?"
"It's a relic from my grandfather's service during the pegasus/alicorn wars"
Flux retreats from the horn like it tried to bite him.
"Grandfather never told me exactly what happened but that horn probably had something to do with him losing his wings and getting paralyzed below the waist."
Flux has no real answer for that, so says nothing. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Jaxler finally picks the box open and pulls out another smaller granite box. Jaxler then takes out of the box a clear glass jug filled with little cyan metallic strands. "Flux, guess how much the contents of this jug is worth."
Flux gapes at the strands, knowing exactly what they are. "Sweet Celestia..."
"What you set your eyes upon at right now is truly the most unholy metal in known existence. This metal is the work of wars. To bring just a single bar of this god-forsaken element from the depths of fire cost an uncountable number of lives . This blue abomination is a true demon. Now Flux, guess how much this jug is worth"
"... a lot? I... more than all of Dawnpick?"
Jaxler laughed and added "Now guess how much my crossbow used to be worth."
"...Even more?"
"Yep now, guess who's supposed to melt these metal strands down."
"Um... me? Are you sure you wouldn't rather Cinders do that? He's a lot better than I am. I've only heard theories about how to work with adamantine."
"Why would I trust Cinders with something like this? I don't even know the pony."
Flux is speechless for a few moments. Eventually, he finds his voice again. "And... um... after I m-make a wafer from the strands?"
“I'll need somepony to make it into studs for my crossbow"
"Studs? Um... I think I could cast those?"
"Good." Jaxler starts putting the jug back into it box. "If you don't mind I'm gonna hold on to these till I get my crossbow back. It's safer with me." Jaxler moved over and started putting all his oddities back into the coffer except for the gold chain.
"Um... ya. I'll need to get a, uh, special crucible for it also. I don't want to lose any of... that by sticking to the sides."
"If you need to buy one then I'd be happy to pay for it."
"I'll ask Glaze. I don't think he'll charge if I tell him it's for the smelter."
"That's good... man, these next couple days are gonna be so weird without my crossbow"
"Um... you're gonna be alright?"
“Yeah, I still got my brass horseshoes and this chain as weapons. It's just kinda strange, not carrying around my crossbow everywhere I go. The last time I went more than a day without my crossbow was when I was in the hospital, but even then I was unconscious for half the time."
“Well, um... just think about how nice it'll be after it gets fixed up?"
"I will, and thanks"
"Any time, Jaxler. Um, you're my friend. I like to see my friends happy."
Flux smiles at Jaxler, who returns with his own slight smile.