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// Minisode 1: The Minotaur, the Myth, the Legend 
// Story: Forging Iron Will 
// by Gabriel LaVedier 
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	“Fluttershy, darling, are you at home?” Rarity’s mellifluous voice lilted out as she stuck her head into the door of Fluttershy’s cottage. She had been in the area after work and decided to pop in and see if her marefriend was busy. Typically there was some animal-related matter to consider but there was a chance she was lucky.
“Oh, yes, right in here, Rarity.” Fluttershy’s voice struggled to reach the door from elsewhere in the cottage, soon joined by the mare herself. The yellow Pegasus was dressed in khaki, a most unflattering color for her. A vest, pith helmet, backpack. Most unlike her. “Sorry, I was, um, a little busy.”
“Why yes, I can see that. My word you… you have your own style, do you not? Well, to each their own. Seems a bit… err, let us call it “dressy” for an early dinner in town. I do hope you can manage it.”
“Oh, um… sorry Rarity, but I won’t be able to have dinner with you. I need to be off right away.”
“’Off’, you say? Why darling, off to where?”
“Hoofington. Or, close by there anyhow. Um, I heard that’s where Iron Will is going to be.”
“Iron Will?” Rarity’s voice was less than a shriek but clearly indicative of some upset passion, to say nothing of the heavy incredulity. “Why would you even bother with that… monster again? You know what happened the last time you saw him?
Fluttershy only said, “Minotaur.”
“Yes, yes darling, I know, your insistent terminology. But, why do you keep calling him that? What does that word even mean?”
“That’s just what he called himself. It’s what he is, so that’s what I call him. It seemed polite.” Fluttershy squeaked as Angel hopped onto her back and pulled hard on a strap. It cinched her backpack to her securely. He hopped down and gave her a thumbs up. “Thank you, Angel bunny.”
“But I ask you again, Fluttershy, why would you turn down a generous offer of a romantic dinner with your sweet marefriend to go traipsing off after some mo- minotaur that did not notably improve your life all that much the last time he was here?”
“Because I realized something after he left. He was putting on an act when he was here. When I was… um… following his advice too closely, I acted tough because I was so scared and lonely. I realized that Iron Will probably CREATED all those things because he’s really lonely and scared.”
“Well, your thought has some note of logic…” Rarity mused, following Fluttershy out of the cottage. “But darling, what concern is that of yours? Surely this mister Will can handle his own troubles.”
“You know me, Rarity. I always have to help everypony I can. And every non-pony I can.  Now that I know, I have to offer my help.” She began to trot along, heading down the road that led into town and areas beyond.
“I understand completely, darling. But if you insist on this fo- compassionate errand, I will go with you. NOT that I don’t trust you, dear, but it’s always good to have a friend to go along with you. And what better friend than your marefriend?” Rarity fell into pace beside Fluttershy, smiling lovingly at her.
“Th-thank you, Rarity. You’re always so sweet.” Fluttershy pressed her side against Rarity’s side, a light blush coloring her cheek.


- - -


Later on, late into the evening, the two mares came across a small collection of caravans arranged in a loose circle, with a fire in the center mostly surrounded by goats, along with one huge bovine creature. The goats were the first to notice the coming visitors, though Iron Will himself wasn’t too far behind in picking up on the presence. “Well, well, well… Is that Iron Will’s best AND worst student? Iron Will didn’t think he’d be seeing you. Iron Will figured that our business was complete.
Fluttershy trotted up pleasantly, but Rarity lagged a bit, wincing a bit at hearing the minotaur speak. “Yes… mister Iron Will… I know that it is part of your entrepreneurial and thespian charm, but we have had poor relations with ponies that used the third pony tense. Perhaps for this little tête-à-tête we could all just use the first pony tense and be a bit more… reasonable?”
“Iron Will… can certainly see the point in that. Very well then, what can Ir… I do for you cows?” The big bull leaned back casually.
Fluttershy stepped up slowly, as was her way. “Um, mister Iron Will… I realized something after you left; I was acting badly and being super angry and hurtful because I was really scared and alone and wanted to hurt ponies before I got hurt. So I… I thought that might be why you came up with this in the first place. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help you.”
Iron Will regarded Fluttershy with a raised eyebrow, then sighed a little, hands folded over his abs. “I suppose you’re not going to believe me if I tell you it’s not true. Honestly, I expected this would happen sooner or later. Someone would start asking questions. I figured I could just shove it aside but, nah, you’re too strong for that, aintcha?” He gave her a little wink.
“Well, I must admit… she IS a bit of a pepper pot when one gets her started. I suppose that passion overlaid with sweetness is what attracted me to her in the first place. That and her natural elegance!” Rarity gushed over Fluttershy, drawing her into a tight hug.
“Oh, my…” Fluttershy nuzzled into Rarity’s embrace, a dark blush standing out on her cheeks. “So… can you tell me what happened?”
“I suppose… See, I’m not from around here, as you can probably tell. I’m actually from a place that ponies have probably never heard of, far away to the west. It’s called the Aegeman sea. There are a lot of islands, some land-based places, and the remnants of what you Equestrians used to call Hipposian culture. The dominant population is…”
“Minotaurs?” Fluttershy offered.
“Diamond Dogs.” Iron Will let the revelation hang in the air for a moment before going on. “But they’re much more cultured than here. I was surprised the first time I saw Equestrian Diamond Dogs. In the Aegeman area they’re urbane and intelligent. I was originally born on the island of Concrete. And the rest, well… it’s all a myth to me. It was all I was ever told about my birth.”
“Please… can you share with us? I promise we’ll listen carefully.” Fluttershy approached closer to the fire, putting herself and Rarity among the small knot of goats.
“My father was… Minos. King of Concrete. He had some number after his name; I guess all the kings of Concrete name themselves Minos. My mother was a cow. I found out in Equestria that’s something that can happen too. In the Aegeman we don’t have the authority of Princess Celestia, and we don’t have her magic to bend together hybrids like me.
“There are old statues around that some worship. They have some powers in them but only sometimes. They call it Erdisos, the trickster. You can get what you want out of one… but there’s a price. Minos wanted an heir that would be powerful, like Diamond Dogs were supposed to be. According to what I heard, he asked a statue, which made him fall in love with a cow, just long enough to get her pregnant by Erdisos’ power. When I came along he was horrified, because I looked like a bull, and not like him. He had me put on a mainland hillside to die…” Iron Will’s features twitched, his expression fighting to remain hard and neutral.
“Oh you poor thing…” Fluttershy rushed up quickly, to pat a comforting hoof over Iron Will’s hand. “That’s so… so terrible. Your own father.”
“And he even waited. I found out I was almost a year old before he got rid of me. But I was found on the mainland by a goat tender. He had caught word of the rumors about me, and he told me when I got older. That’s why I left. I didn’t want him to find out I was alive. I had been hidden all my life. I took a few of the goats I had grown up with, and went away to Equestria.”
Fluttershy was silent for a long, long while, comfortingly stroking Iron Will’s hand, while Rarity delicately dabbed at her eyes. “Let’s go back.”
“Yes… late as it will be we really should return to Ponyville. My…” Rarity came up to Iron Will and gingerly patted a hand. “My word… well, I want you to know, you have my condolences and compassion, and I mean every word of it. I hope your life proceeds in a much more pleasant direction.”
“No, Rarity.” Fluttershy looked across at her marefriend. “I mean, let’s go back to this Aegeman sea. Let’s go to Concrete and face down that bully of a king.”
“WHAT!?” Rarity and Iron Will both reacted with pure incredulity.
“You taught me to confront my problems and not be afraid to meet bullies head-on. Well he sounds like a big bully. And you deserve do confront him. You’re not afraid of him, are you?”
“No!” Iron Will considered a moment. “Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve never considered it. I just wanted to get away. It never occurred to me to go back.”
“Fluttershy, darling, this is quite a… spontaneous action. Are you certain?”
“New Old Fluttershy knows it’s the right thing to do. If your father’s a mean guy, ask him why.” She looked up at the minotaur with large, shining eyes.
Iron Will vacillated for a moment, before lowering his head with a sigh. “It’s a long journey. Could take a few weeks. No railroads go there and hardly anyone knows it’s there. But, I’ll go.”