• Published 15th Apr 2014
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An Extended Holiday - Commander_Pensword



Adventure, Mayhem, Magic of unknown origins, and talking colorful Ponies. All being unrelated events have brought three friends together into the wildest holiday that anyone could imagine.

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98 - My One Week Vacation: It’s Just a Hop to the Left

Extended Holiday
Ch 98: My One Week Vacation: It’s Just a Hop to the Left
Act 14


Commander Pensword sat down in his office and sighed contentedly. He could hear less construction noise now in this area of the castle, which meant progress was being made, and he could get back to work without having to worry about loud hammers, saws, and stone work. He allowed himself a small bit of personal indulgence by looking around his office.

His desk, while not the same one he had used during the Third Gryphon War, had been constructed to be a scaled down replica to help him feel more at home. Small flags and ribbons from campaigns he had been a part of personally hung from the walls to remind him of his victories, challenges, and where he had come from.

One small wall just outside of his interior restroom had been left blank until just recently. A few pictures now hung there to gaze out and remind him of the more recent, happier times he’d had in Equestria. One showed him and his troops in a parade rest.

Another picture showed him and Princess Luna together. Luna was a little close to the camera, and her smile was a tad too wide. He allowed himself a brief chuckle. Luna had made many strides in adjusting to the modern era, but photographs were still a little difficult for her. Apparently, she’d never been that fond of posing in the first place. Considering her warrior instincts, that was perfectly understandable, though she did appear to be getting better at it.

The next photo was one of the diplomatic pictures taken just before the coup started. Pensword, Cosy, and Daedalus smiled at the camera. As usual, Cosy was carefree and grinning like the young colt he was, while Daedalus was a tad more reserved. As biased as Pensword was against Gryphons, he had to admit that seeing those sad eyes on one so young, even for a race he had only recently learned to tolerate, was a difficult thing to watch. He shook his head sadly.

“He shouldn’t have had to bear that weight yet.”

Two more pictures showed Pensword with the royal siblings at the Crystal Empire as they posed around the crystal heart and the crystal thrones respectively. One even showed the whole family as Twilight, Grif, Shining Armor, and Hammer Strike joined in the fun.

He turned back to his desk to look at the last pictures in their gilded silver frames. They always made him smile. In the first one, Lunar Fang, Fox Feather, and Moon River had surrounded him on all sides, and were busy nuzzling him in all the right spots. Naturally, because of this, he had one of the most ridiculous expressions on his face when the picture had finally been taken. What else was a stallion to do when he was so helplessly outnumbered by the girls he loved and they knew all his weak points?

The second was a little less intimate, but just as mirthful as he and the original Gryphon Slayers made a series of faces at the camera to look as goofy or stereotypical as possible.

He chuckled as he recalled those memories with fondness before returning to his task. Letters and documents lay in piles on either side of the desk. On closer inspection, it appeared Preston had sorted them by the different camps. Sadly, he had only just begun to work through the first pile when his office door slammed open and a storm-faced gray pegasus with a heavy leather smock stomped in.

Pensword sighed as he watched the carefully stacked papers fall into one another. “... How are you doing, Wrought Iron?” he asked calmly.

“Storm Hammer is at it again!” Wrought Iron shouted. His Phrench accent was showing as he slammed his hooves onto the desk and snorted in Pensword’s face.

“Good. Now could you possibly back away a little? You are getting in my muzzle,” Pensword said pointedly. “And you just gave me another few hours’ worth of work by disorganizing my desk.”

Wrought Iron reared back in shock as he noticed the havoc he’d wreaked. His face flushed with embarrassment as well as anger as he backed away from the desk to a more comfortable distance.

“Thank you,” Pensword said as he finished running through the letter he’d opened before its brothers were lost in the earthquake that was Wrought Iron’s temper. “Now then, once you have calmed down enough to have the good sense not to blow up at a superior, we can continue.”

Wrought Iron flared his nostrils a few times as he snorted and tried to rein in his temper while Pensword worked to try and get the papers organized again. When it appeared the smith wasn’t about to try breathing fire anymore, Pensword broached the subject.

“So what is Storm Hammer doing?”

“Teaching those feather bags how to forge in our ways! She’s giving our techniques and skills away for free.”

Pensword rose from his seat and made his way towards the picture mural he’d started. He needed them to help calm the anger building inside. It wouldn’t do well for the commanding officer to lose it in front of his men, however justified it may have been. The nobles already had enough ammunition they were going to bring to bear. He didn’t need to add false charges of abuse to the list.

“First off, do not call them feather bags. You can call any Gryphon from Gryphonia by that name, if you wish, but avoid the Gryphons in this city. They have earned enough respect to deserve to at least be insulted in their faces, instead of behind closed doors, and they have proven their loyalty to Grif and to Hammer Strike, as well as to me personally.” He held up a wing and extended two feathers. “Second, it is by Grif’s request that they are receiving such instruction.” A third feather rose to join the other two. “And third, they are not getting it for free. The youngest Gryphons are going to have to become smiths for the rest of their lives and serve an apprenticeship before they can open shop on their own, just like anypony else. They will be serving Pony and Gryphon alike here in Equestria, and a base fee has been agreed upon as an advance in the investment for their instruction. I’m sure Storm Hammer would have told you, if you had given her the time to explain, instead of jumping to conclusions and rushing to tattle on her. Did you have any other complaints you wanted to lodge with me?”

Wrought Iron gaped like a fish as Pensword turned to face him.

“I will take that as a no,” Pensword said. “Thank you for coming to see me about this matter.” He smirked as he made his way over to a safe that had been moved into the corner of his office. “You really are an interesting character, Wrought Iron. You are incredibly vocal, and you have spine. It takes an awful lot to get a Pony to storm into my office unannounced like that.”

“I-I didn’t mean. I mean, I wasn’t trying …. Please don’t send me home.” Wrought Iron was sweating bullets as he wrung his smock.

Pensword chuckled. “Wrought Iron, I wouldn’t dream of it. However, I cannot exactly have you and Storm Hammer tripping over each other’s hooves either. Since Storm Hammer doesn’t appear to be the problem this time, I have to think of some way to resolve the situation.” He casually opened the safe and sifted through its contents, shifting gold, precious metals, and various envelopes around.

“I … I understand,” Wrought Iron said as his tail and feathers drooped.

“Good,” Pensword said through clenched teeth as he emerged from the depths of the safe and casually shut it with a hoof before spinning the dial again. He turned to reveal a thick envelope dangling from his jaws. He promptly took the envelope in hoof and shoved it into Wrought Iron’s chest.

“I have an important project underway right now, but it’s only in the initial planning stages. It is imperative that it be kept a secret from the public for now, at least until we’ve finished the initial surveyance and planning stages.”

Wrought Iron looked down, bewildered at the envelope. “Project Memory?”

Pensword nodded. “You are aware I came forward in time from shortly after the resolution of the Third Gryphon War, correct?”

Wrought Iron nodded, then gulped.

“I want you …”

“Y-yes?”

“To be the main blacksmith in what is to become the New Unity Memorial Gardens.”

Wrought Iron broke out of his nerves as a confused expression replaced it. “Wait, what?”

“What? Did you think I was going to put you onto some sort of special secret military task force of monster hunters or something?”

“What? No, of course not! Why would I ever think about something like that?” Wrought Iron chuckled nervously as his eyes darted left and right, followed by a nervous smile. “Who told you that?”

Pensword’s right eye twitched as he firmly filed that reaction under the do not touch folder in his mind. He’d have to bring it up with Grif and Hammer Strike later, and potentially the princesses. He cleared his throat to give himself time to regain his composure, and to give Wrought Iron time to do the same.

“You will find a few rough drafts, mockups, and sketches enclosed within that envelope, alongside various budget estimates that have already been drawn up. I’d like you to meet with the architects and botanists to discuss your contributions before you draw up your own list of expenses and necessary materials. If you play your cards right, your name will be remembered for a very long time in connection to the history of New Unity and Equestria at large. Of course, this will also come with a hefty commission from the original Gryphon Slayers, the Thestral tribes, and myself. It is also quite possible that the princesses will also desire to contribute in due course, once we have presented them with a complete working model for work hours, exhibits, and expenditures.”

Wrought Iron didn’t know if this was a reward or a punishment, but either way, it was work, and based on what the commander had implied, it would be his and his alone, free from any interference from the other smiths, save if he should choose to hire them on.

“You’ll find the basics for your contract among the documents I have given you. Further negotiations and finalization will be accomplished at a later date, once you have, how do you Ponies say it today – gotten a feel? – for the resources you will require,” Pensword said as he returned to his seat and began to sort the piles of letters and papers that had fallen apart at Wrought Iron’s explosive entrance.

“Th–thank you, sir! It’ll be an honor. When do I start?”

“Immediately. You’ll find the architect’s name and address have been included in the paperwork. Just tell her I sent you, and remember, she will be your boss, not the other way around. Listen to her. I would prefer not to hear more complaints, if I can help it,” Pensword said meaningfully. “However, I have told her to take your expertise seriously, and to take all of your suggestions under advisement. I am looking forward to what you all will create.” He motioned to the door with a wing. “That will be all, Wrought Iron. You and I both have a lot of work to do. Preston will show you out.”

“Oh, yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir!” Wrought Iron enthused.

“And remember, keep it to yourself.”

Pensword smiled as the door slammed shut, then made a note to have a handypony on hoof, just in case. If Wrought Iron was any indication, that door would likely be seeing a lot of abuse in its future. He looked down at the mess of letters and documents that had shuffled out of their baskets and took one at random.

“Oh, more children’s letters!” He smiled. After that little encounter, he needed something to help him relax, and this would hopefully be just the thing. He settled into his chair and started to read the first letter, then frowned. A foal had heard her parents talking about the new bill and the implications it would have on the citizens of Equestria at large, and wanted to know why they needed a military if what the Guard and Princesses had been doing was already working to keep them safe. On the plus side, at least the child was asking an honest question. On the down side, this answer could have a heavy impact on her opinions and how she developed, and if he worded it the wrong way, the nobles could easily try to twist his response and demonize him as a propagandist. He would have to think long and hard for this answer.


“You do realize that I’m not their parents, right?” Grif asked, raising an eyebrow as he scanned the list Cheerilee had placed before him. The tap room was moderately crowded, but it also ensured nobody would be able to listen in easily on their conversation.

“I know, but based on the information from the book I got from Canterlot, you’re essentially the equivalent of a house lord in Equestria. They’ll listen to you,” she insisted.

“And as their clan lord, I’m expected to respect their ability to parent their own children. Have you at least sent letters to them?”

“Yes, but I don’t know if they’ve even read them or posted them on their wall as a proud family moment.” Cheerilee frowned. “I want my student to not pick on the Gryphons, but right now I have the Canterlot school board breathing down on my neck because Spoiled Rich contacted them about her daughter feeling threatened by the Gryphons, just by looking at her. How can my students learn about other cultures if some of the parents won’t let those cultures into the schoolhouse?” She groaned and ran her hooves through her frazzled mane. “It’s like Thestral integration all over again. There’s maybe one way to convince the board and the parents that Gryphons don’t have to be feared.”

“And that is?” Grif asked calmly as he sipped his usual raspberry cordial.

“A culture night. It will not only act as a way for the students to learn about their history, but it will also help them to understand each other better, and give them the knowledge they need to know where the boundaries are, and not to cross them. It will also give the board a chance to meet your clan and their children, and to get to know them as people, rather than characters painted in their imaginations. We’ll have to make it all inclusive, of course. Thestrals, Gryphons, Zebras, Minotaurs, Dragons, oh, and we’ll definitely need those Kitsune you brought back from Neighpon to join. That will grab my classes’ attention for sure.”

Grif furrowed his brows as he stared into his glass and swished the red fluid around. Finally, he placed it back down before looking Cheerilee in the eye. “That might be a good idea, but I have to wonder, Cheerilee. Even at half day classes, I’ve seen your schedule. You’re up to four classes now, and you're the only teacher here. Hasn’t the school board increased your budget due to the population boom?”

Cheerilee sighed. “Spoiled Rich was able to change the direction of that funding to the beautification of the grounds to attract future higher-end families to enroll in the classes. The next budget talk won’t happen till after the winter break.”

“I see.” Grif leaned back in his chair. “And if a sizable donation were to be made directly to your hooves?” Grif asked as he casually tossed a bit in the air. “If you could remodel the school and hire new staff, Miss Cheerilee, what would you do with the resources?”

Cheerilee sighed and shook her head. “That won’t work. I’d have to have that money taxed twice, and then the board would have to vote on the direction the donation will go.” She slumped back in her chair and sighed as she took a sip of one of Berry’s concoctions.

Grif finished his beverage and started to get up from his chair.

However, if those donations were made in person to the school board, which meets every Monday night at Six PM in the school building, then said donations would have to be earmarked for the purpose that they were donated for. It wouldn’t be possible to donate anonymously, but the charter is iron clad on that front, and there’s no bar on what species can donate.”

Grif began to smile, then slowly pulled it into a grin as he turned back to face the teacher, who still remained slumped as she sipped her drink, though a hint of a smile pulled at her lips as well. “And what, in your opinion – I’m not the best with numbers, you see – would be the approximate total of bits required for the school to acquire the necessary staff and facilities?”


“Well, in theory, I’d have to say somewhere around five hundred thousand bits,” Cheerilee answered in a tone that said she was shooting for the moon. “That would modernize the school house to university level access of equipment.”

“Miss Cheerilee, I don’t know if you’re aware, but my first children are due within the very near future. Education is a gem on unimaginable value, and the compound isn’t quite outfitted to give access to proper educational resources. Despite our disagreements, I know you are an excellent teacher, and when your knowledge is adequate, you are a fair mediator. Come monday night, you can expect me to be making a sizeable donation on behalf of the parents of the Bladefeather clan, as well, I imagine, as from Commander Pensword and Lord Hammer Strike. However, there will be a caveat I will need to attach to these bits aside from them being earmarked for the school’s remodeling and expansion.”

“What is it? While it would be nice to see Spoiled Rich pull a Scared Pansy, I doubt it would fly.” Cheerilee gave a small chuckle.

“Miss Cheerilee, while you will continue to teach, I must insist that you will be named principal of Ponyville Elementary,” Grif said with a half smirk on his face. “And that you will, of course, offer equal opportunity employment to individuals based on their qualifications.”

Cheerilee choked on her drink, and the able was suddenly wet as she spluttered and tried to regain control of herself. A few attempts later, she was finally able to speak. “Only … only if I get to set how the next principal is installed.”

Grif nodded his ascent. “I’m listening.”

“The most senior Teacher. They’ll have to teach one class in the morning, so they keep up relations with the teachers and students, and they’ll have a teacher’s assistant to help with the grading.” She smiled. “I can work on finer points later on.”

“Those sound like acceptable terms.” Grif chuckled. “I would suggest you get a new placard, Miss.Cheerilee, and I do hope that next time we meet, it will be for less … tense reasons. I well speak to my clan as best I can.”

“Well maybe we could meet over a daisy sandwich sometime. I still need to get my hooves on the solid ground with regards to understanding your culture. I don’t want to offend the students and turn them off teachers in the future.” She coughed uncomfortably. “May I be so bold as to make one more request?”

“Careful, Miss Cheerilee.” Grif smiled as he tossed a few bits onto the table for Berry and helped escort Cheerilee towards the door. “People might almost believe we were friends.” he chuckled “What do you need?”

Cheerilee gave a faint smile at the joke before she turned more serious. “I want one of your caveats to demand that, starting this fall, we hold a yearly festival on the school grounds displaying each student’s heritage, either by adoption, blood, birth, or interest. It’ll make for a good celebration in Ponyville, and it will ensure each generation learns properly about their neighbors.”

“That sounds like a splendid idea. Rest assured, I will be sure to put it on the proposal. But, ah, Miss Cheerilee, you’d best make sure you find a good phys-ed teacher. A pegasus may be best. Some cubs become a lot less irritable when they’ve burned off their energy.”

“I’ll make sure to keep that in mind. Thank you, Grif.”

“Anytime, Mademoiselle, any time.” With that, he shot her a nod, and the two departed into the evening air.


“So, test number two?” Grif asked as he followed Hammer Strike away from New Unity.

“Correct. I already did the temporary infusion just before we left, so it has time to kick in and adjust to my field,” Hammer Strike replied as they moved into a familiar clearing.

“So same as before? Go all out?” Grif asked as they faced each other.

“Yes. Just be warned, this match might be just a bit... “ Hammer Strike’s eyes shifted to a purple hue and glowed faintly. “Odd for you.”

“Okay,” Grif said, once again letting his perception of time slow as he slid into the familar rush of bullet time. In an instant he launched himself forward to strike with a swipe. He was slightly unnerved by how at ease hammerstrike looked.

When his talons were less than a foot away, Hammer Strike smiled, glancing over to the talon that he shouldn’t have seen coming before moving at a speed that normally should have been impossible for him. He seemed to almost casually walk over to Grif’s side as he was still following the momentum of his swipe.

“One,” Hammer Strike said as he placed his hoof on Grif’s side and gave a strong shove.

With his momentum disrupted at this crucial point, Grif’s body went flying, sending him flipping over backwards several times against the ground.

“What in the name of the Winds was that?” Grif said, groaning as he got to his feet.

“I just found a way to … temporarily slow the flow of time for myself.” Hammer Strike grinned. “I mentioned a long time ago that this aspect is quite … powerful, I guess is the right word.”

“Okay, lets see how powerful.” Grif grinned before blasting out, sending several shockwaves of wind towards Hammer Strike.

It was at that moment that Hammer Strike simply vanished. Even with Grif slowing everything to a crawl, he couldn’t see Hammer Strike move. He was just … gone.

“Two,” Hammer Strike’s voice sounded in his ear. Grif’s eyes widened as he felt the hooves hit his side, once again launching him away and causing him to roll across the training yard’s floor.

“I think you cracked a rib.” Grif laughed as he got to his feet. With a groan of pain he threw his hands back and forward in a wide clap, sending a large wall-like wave of wind at the Pony lord.

Hammer Strike couldn’t help but smile as, once again, he forced power into the aspect of time. Everything slowed more and more until it nearly stopped moving. He could hold this for all of three seconds, as hard as it was to gauge when time was this slow. Glancing at Grif, he could see an image of himself standing beside the Gryphon, a smile on his face as he tapped his shoulder. He moved as quickly as he could to Grif’s side, mimicking himself as he brought his hoof back to push in for the final strike.

“Three,” he said, tapping Grif’s shoulder. This time, the Gryphon slammed into the ground, causing a cloud of dust to obscure everything.

“... I think you’ve made your point.” Grif coughed as he slowly rose to his haunches. He groaned as he popped his shoulder socket back into place. “That one’s going to hurt for a while.”

“We’ll get you a healer. Clover’s probably got a spell or two to take care of that, no problem.” Hammer Strike shrugged.

“All right, Hammer Strike, so what's the downside,” Grif said as he peered intently at his friend. “Because that’s a lot of power. It can’t be free.”

“I’m not just seeing our point in time is one thing. At some points, I was following myself.” Hammer Strike shook his head. The purple hue in his eyes still there. “That, and the headache, but I don’t remember that being there from last time…”

“I just hope clover can patch this up before anybody sees me. I don’t want the girls freaking out about this,” grif said as he tentatively checked his chest to find the sight of the break.

“It shouldn’t be that… bad…” Hammer Strike stopped moving as the purple in his eyes glowed brighter.

“Are you okay?” grif asked.

Hammer Strike slowly looked in the direction of Unity. His breathing began to pick up as he reached up and placed a shaky hoof on his head. After a moment he closed his eyes and grunted in pain. “Seeing too much... Energy burns.”

“Anything I can do?” Grif asked as he made his way to Hammer Strike’s side.

“I can’t stop it!” Hammer Strike grunted out louder, opening his eyes to reveal they had been completely consumed by the purple light. Suddenly, in an instant, it all stopped. The purple hue vanished, and his blue eyes stared forward, glazed over. He stood there for all of about three seconds, staring back at New Unity with Glassy eyes. Then his legs began to tremble, they gave, and he collapsed to his side, unconscious.

Grif made his way over to Hammer Strike and groaned in pain as he attempted to lift him. I was no good. The burning in his side prevented that. He attempted to use the wind, but for some reason the air seemed to stop moving when it drew close to Hammer Strike. Grif grit his teeth as he took to wing and made for New Unity as quickly as he could. The shoulder and ribs could wait. Hammer Strike needed help.


Conor stared at the artificial nest he had created as a Unicorn. Cold runes pulsed with a gentle blue light as the temperature around the cryophoenix egg was moderated to fit its needs. He casually flipped through his copy of the manuscript Shawn had given him to help him in his studies of thaumaturgy, while the spell book and series of instructions for various potions and the like sat on his other leg. A large bestiary lay open on the ground between his feet to reveal an artist’s rendering of the graceful bird.

“So, I was thinking of naming you either Cryo or Chria depending on if you’re a boy or girl. What do you think?” he asked as he looked at the egg.

“Well, it certainly is good to see you’re taking to your homework with such enthusiasm,” Clover chuckled. “A phoenix of any kind is a partner who lasts many generations. Have you thought about how you’ll make sure it’s cared for?”

“You mean after I die?”

“Yes.”

“Truth be told, I haven’t gotten that far yet. I’d forgotten that little detail. And at the rate things are going, I may not even get the chance to raise it once it’s hatched, assuming Discord manages to finish preparing … whatever it is he’s preparing to get us home again.” He frowned. “That’s going to be tough figuring out who to leave it with.”

“Sometimes I forget you’re leaving,” Clover said with a shake of her head. “Have you figured out how to reach absolute zero yet?”

“Working on it. Right now, I’ve got it down to about freezer quality. It’s enough to keep the egg in hibernation and alive, but not for it to keep developing.”

“Where are you having trouble?” she asked.

“It’s mostly being able to generate that degree of cold and hold it in constant stasis. I tend to start to get brain freeze once I go beyond negative three hundred degrees fahrenheit.”

“You're projecting the cold directly through your own being,” Clover said. “That is a problem in and of itself.”

“Well how else am I supposed to project it? I have to call my magic from within me. Every time I use it, I can feel the cold in me, too.”

“Yes, but you don’t need to will your magic to make you cold,” Clover noted. “You need the environment around the egg. Magic is a conscious act, and no mage can create an environment around themselves that they cannot survive in.”

“I’m not trying to make the area around me that cold, though. That’s what I’ve been trying to say!” Conor groaned as he planted his elbows on his books and ran his hands through his hair.

“When you use telekinesis, do you try to pick up your own horn as well as the object?” clover asked.

“No. It’s … it’s like I’m opening a sort of a door, and it has so much cold in there, but my body can only take so much of it being let out. I’m not visualizing that when I try to cast the spell, but when I access the ice that deeply, it … I don’t know, maybe it’s like it’s linked to a part of me that I’m not willing to embrace on a subconscious level?” He sighed and shook his head.

“And I thought you were the one who held the needs of others first,” Clover tsked. “And here you cannot even drop your insecurities for a helpless unborn infant who needs your help.”

“That’s not a trick that’ll work on me, Clover.” Conor sighed and shook his head.

“Well then,” Clover said as she floated a large tome over. “Cryopheonix eggs aren't just great for Kitsune. Hmm. Let’s see. Parts retrievable. The shell, of course, but there are so many things that can be done with the feet, oh and the beak has so much potential for talismans. The down ... I wonder if we’ll be able to harvest it while it’s still alive…” Clover looked up at him, her face impassive and an unreadable. From her position, he could clearly make up the cross reference of a bird chick with notes regarding the different parts.

“That’s a low blow, Clover.”

“You know me far too well to even entertain the notion I am bluffing. If you cannot reach past your insecurities, I will make use of what is before me,” she stated with complete surety.

“Damn it, Clover, this isn’t about my insecurities!” the books were flung across the floor, their pages bent from the force of the fall as they rested at awkward angles, crushing their pages.

“No, this is about the destiny of that egg,” Clover said, collecting the books as they landed, and sorting them. Her tone remained even. “But nonetheless, its fate is bleak because you are too insecure to dig for what you need.”

“You are not going to kill that egg!”

“Conor.” She gestured towards the egg, which was now covered in a thick layer of ice, along with the desk, floor, and instruments around it.

Conor gaped at the desk. “I’m not even in Unicorn form. How did that happen?”

“The amplifiers the four of you carry, that weird field of magic,” Clover said. “You released a burst when you were angry, and it threw the egg’s magic into overdrive. This is the lesson I’ve been trying to get around to you. I admit the lesson has been a bit abstract, but the egg has the magic already. You don’t need to create more cold. You need to convince the egg to make itself colder.”

“... I need to have a talk with Shawn before I go any further.”

“I think that egg should be fine for a while. I’ll put up a heat shield around this area and see what we can do about finding a more appropriate room to do this in.” Clover nodded.

Just as Conor turned to leave, the door burst open. Grif walked clumsily inside, a wing wrapped around his chest. “We have a problem,” he said as he collapsed into a chair.

“What the heck did you do to yourself? And why didn’t you get to Little Willow? She’d kill us if she knew you were walking around like this!”

“Conor, you’re my friend, but shut up. Clover, I have a cracked rib, third one on the right side, I believe. Can you fix that up? Conor, go find Pensword and the Heavies. We might need their help getting him back. Hammerstrike collapsed outside in the Everfree.”

“You’ve got him, Clover?” Conor asked.

“This should be easy enough. The damage doesn’t seem too severe. What the hell attacked you?”

“I’ll tell you on the way,” Grif said through groans as the pain of the setting and knitting bone played through his body.


Vital Spark was on the scene immediately, and barked an order at the Medic mercenaries to get the Heavies. His horn sparked angrily and the temperature in the air dropped. “And no experiments,” he warned. The medics knew better than to question him in that state, and the Heavies were soon found in short order. Afterwards, they were taken to the gate, where Grif and Clover were waiting.

Grif led the group across the bridge and towards the clearing where hammerstrike currently lay unconscious. A butterfly seemed to have been flying by, and was slowed to a crawl as it drew near the prone body.

“What happened to Hammer Strike?” Heavy set asked as he approached. He leaned in to get a better look, and his sandwich slipped from his saddlebag, slowing in midair as it fell. Shrugging, Heavy Set leaned his head in to grab it, and the group watched for a moment as his body seemed to be moving normally, but his head was moving in slow motion.

“Okay, direct contact is probably a bad idea,” Clover noted.

“So plan B?” Vital Spark asked.

Clover attempted to lift Hammer Strike the way she had the first time she’d had to carry him, but that seemed to fail. Finally, she proceeded to create another large platform of magic in the air above the comatose Pony before casting a gravity spell on him. The weirdest thing was as gravity pulled him upwards, Hammerstrike “fell” in slow motion.

“... Okay, guess we should have expected that,” Vital Spark said. Just as he finished, Hammer Strike’s body accelerated, nearly slamming into the bottom of the platform. Before anyone could make another comment, his body suddenly started to fall back down, froze in mid air for a moment, then flashed back up to the platform once again.

“That’s weird,” Grif noted.

“Just what did he do, Grif?” Vital asked as he stared at the bizarre spectacle.

“He was using the time aspect. It was supposed to be a lesson about temporary aspects added to the thaumic field. Last time he’d done it with speed, and nothing went wrong.”

“Grif, time and speed are two completely different animals. One is a guinea pig, and one is a freaking lion!”

“Thaumicly speaking, they both have the same consequences,” Grif noted, “or so I thought.”

“Let’s just get him back to the castle and try not to get him plowing into the ground while we’re carrying him.” Vital spark shook his head and groaned. “Like today wasn’t complicated enough as it is.”

Clover’s horn glowed bright as several more platforms boxed Hammer Strike inside, and the group moved forward towards New Unity.

They eventually arrived at the infirmary, where more than one pair of eyes followed the party as they made their way in with a practically immobilized Hammer Strike.

“Could we get a bed, please?” Vital Spark asked politely.

They were brought to an empty cot. Clover released her spell and proceeded to set him down on the mattress. The indent formed slowly, as though his weight were setting in slow motion, despite having been lowered at normal speed.

Clover looked around before fixing her eyes on Grif. “All right, what did he do? You were there when he collapsed, so tell us what happened.” She quickly raised a hoof to cut off any protests Grif might make. “Without betraying his teachings. I’m not looking for the science, just the essential facts.”

With a deep breath, Grif told the group the entire story, leaving out the technical details, as Hammer Strike would have wanted, but giving them the general jist of it.

“Hasn’t he had enough messing with time as it is with all the traveling he’s had to do?” Vital groaned as he rubbed a hoof on the bridge of his nose.

“What you are talking about is time travel. I am actually using something more along the lines of… messing with the flow of time,” Hammer Strike suddenly said from behind the group. The bed was now empty. He grunted softly as his eyes shifted to a purple hue. “I need to burn off the energy to get it out of my system, and this … may be the safest way. I’ll have to look into it another time…”

“Just what are you doing, Hammer Strike?” Vital Spark asked.

Hammer Strike shushed him as he held a hoof to his head. “Wow, that was terrible. I just heard you say five things at once. To answer your question, I don’t think she’d help out that much.” He looked over to Vital for a moment. “No wait, that wasn’t the one you asked right now … I’m burning off energy?” He said, hoping he was answering the right one.

“... What?” Vital cocked his head.

“He’s hearing all your points in the conversation at once,” Grif said.

“Yes. I accidentally put too much into my field,” Hammer Strike replied, shaking his head. “This is just weird to hear…”

“You're going to be okay, right?” Grif asked.

“No, he wouldn’t be able to help much.” Hammer Strike shook his head. After a moment he looked to Grif’s expression and tried again. “I should be, after I burn off the energy?” he said with uncertainty.

“I don’t suppose The Doctor could help with this?” Grif asked

Hammer Strike stared blankly at him for a minute.

“I … think he already answered that one, Grif,” Vital Spark said. “Um … maybe I could do something? Could you maybe stabilize it by using one of my aspects?”

“No, I don’t think that would work out for the best.”

“Then what if we were to ask the TARDIS for help?”

“Yes, Grif is right, I’m hearing all points in the conversation,” Hammer Strike replied.

Clover created large blue letters in mid air that spelled out, ‘Is there anything we can do to help?’

Hammer Strike looked over the letters, then around him for a moment before he realized what he was seeing. “Ah, you figured out a way to make this easier. As for anything you can do, I don’t know. These… enhancements typically burn off over a course of time, so I just need to keep using it.”

She looked over to the other side of the room, where more large letters, this time in bright orange, asked, “You aren't worried that time will loop in on itself?

“What do you mean? As for the current loop I’m dealing with, it’ll end soon enough,” Hammer Strike dismissed.

She looked to the far east corner, where green letters spelled, “Time is a fourth dimensional force. You aren't worried that the time you expel will empower the time inside of you, creating a self-sustaining loop?

“I can’t explain how things will end, but just know that they will, because even with this loop that you’re mentioning, it’s being lessened with each run, getting weaker and weaker over time.”

“Like an echo of an echo,” Vital postulated.

“Yes,” Hammer replied.

“So how close are you to finishing this … phase off?”

“... Yes.”


Pensword looked at his daughter, who was busy ducking and rolling after some imagined creature as he sat there at his desk and pondered what Grif had told him. The school system did have to change. That much was evident just based on the sheer load Cheerilee had to deal with lately. Moon River would be entering into that stage of life in a few years, as would many of the Thestral children of troops stationed at New Unity. He kept his eyes on Moon River as she turned to smile at him. She began to walk over, babbling and moving her wings about in her usual joyful manner. To her, the world was still new, interesting, and ripe with Ponies to play with. Pensword smiled back at her as she drew near.

“Come here, Moon River. Help daddy to craft something. We are going to change history.” For a moment, Pensword could have sworn she’d understood his words as she stared intently at him. Then she shook her head, as if refusing before giggling and motioning for him to come to her.

Pensword chuckled as he got out from behind his desk and walked over to the young foal. At the last moment, Moon River pounced and landed on his back.

“Daddy, ride! Daddy, ride!” she cheered. Pensword looked to the draft and smiled. It could wait a little longer. After all, the proposal would last for hundreds of years, and hopefully millenia. His time with his daughter would only last a few decades.

“Okay, dear. But hold on. We are going to be moving, and I do not want you falling and hitting your head.”

“Okay, daddy,” Moon River replied happily.

“Now remember, no flying for the day. Mommy and the doctor want your wing to heal.” He couldn’t help but grin at the cute pout Moon River made as he walked her about the office before she squirmed and pointed out the window. “Down! Down! I want grass!”

“Okay,” Pensword chirped happily to his daughter. While they traversed the hallways together, he gave Matthew some space, so they could talk. As usually happened, he felt overwhelmed by these strange and foreign concepts. “Right, overnight trips to the fort or on base. Summer trips and adventures.” He paused. “Okay that one is more suited for the Filly and Colt Scouts. Still a good idea…. Wait, they let how young into your subs?” Thankfully the hallway was empty except for Moon River, who made a confused sound. “Not you, dear. I was shouting at my invisible friend.”

“Oh … being silly?” She asked with a giggle.

“Yes, he is,” Pensword replied with a laugh. “Now, what my silly friend did was throw ideas out for school, and how to make it fun.” Matthew was shocked at how fast she was developing. For Pensword, she was just above the curve by maybe a few months. Still, Pensword continued his conversation, despite Matthew’s disbelief and questions. “He was telling me about field trips and places for fun, and I think we need to do money for a third floor with a bell tower.” He chuckled. “Oh, with a woodshop and metal shop. No forges, of course. It would be for the older kids.” He chuckled, then stepped outside, only for her to jump off and race off.

“Oh…” Pensword yelled before chasing her. “Come back here, please… Don’t go to the stone cutter's camp!” He was already in the air, flapping frantically as Moon River giggled and cheered at the fun little game. “Moon River, stay put! Guards, get that filly towards the gardens!” As frustrating as these little antics may have been, he couldn't help but smile as he gave chase. She wasn’t in any real danger as long as the older Ponies knew to keep an eye out for her. He only wished Cosy could be there, so she could get a play date, but the next meeting wouldn’t be until her first birthday in another five months. Though that did remind him. He would need to get into town soon to discuss a little something with the mayor. He looked forward to that conversation very much as he dove down and scooped up a shrieking Moon River in his hooves.

“Got ya.”

Moon River giggled as she booped his nose. After all the stress he’d been dealing with lately, this was most definitely a welcome distraction.


“You ready?” Grif asked. He and pensword were stopped outside Ponyville City Hall. Inside, the regional school board meeting was being prepped. Grif had chosen to dress in an armored black jacket with a red stripe down his right arm flanked by a white stripe on both sides. A choreographed symbol of an N and a seven stood brightly over his he left side of breast.

Pensword was dressed in a suit jacket decorated with a set of miniature medals he’d earned during the Third Gryphon War. A military swagger stick hung under his left wing, and a sugar cane stalk had been casually held in the corner of his mouth. He looked like a retired General, using the two emblems always found in the more famous paintings.

“I am ready. This sounds like it is going to be fun. Also, I am happy we were informed that they moved the meeting from the schoolhouse to the town hall.

“You have the copies of the proposal?”

“Three on my person, two in my desk, one at Twilight’s, one at Luna’s, and one with Princess Celestia,” Pensword answered. “You know how much I like having redundancies.”

“And one for each of the board members?” Grif said, raising an eyebrow.

“In the attache case.” He chuckled. “I haven’t used that since Matthew first came here in that costume.”

“Good.” Grif nodded, and, without ceremony, pushed the door open. The meeting room had been lined with chairs which were filled with the various parents who could afford to come to the meeting as well as a table at the front where nine Ponies sat with a podium in the center aisle for people to address them. Bon Bon smiled kindly at them and gave a brief nod as they entered.

“At least there’s one dependable member on the board,” Grif mumbled.

Grif and Pensword took their seats at the back of the room and waited as the board went over the minutes of the previous meeting and proceeded to address “important items.” Grif noticed that Spoiled Rich seemed to be doing a lot of whispering with her fellow board members before a vote happened, and she seemed to be smirking quite often at the end of it. Finally, after what had to be two grueling hours, the floor was opened to new business and concerns from the parents.

Pensword held a wing to stop Grif. He nodded to Derpy, who stepped up to the podium and proceeded to talk about two issues. First, she wanted like to see blueberry muffins in every lunch meal and the second, she wanted to know about the possibility of updated textbooks for the children.

“I’m afraid there is no money in the school’s budget at this time to facilitate these requests, Mrs.Hooves,” the chairpony told her with an almost regretful smile on his face.

Derpy frowned but nodded her head. “Okay. Maybe next meeting you will?”

The chairpony simply kept up his smile as Derpy left the podium and walked back to her seat.

“I hope you did not mind me letting Derpy go first?” Pensword Asked Grif as he moved to get up.

“If anything, it makes it obvious what we’re doing now is necessary,” Grif whispered back as he got up, lifting the only thing he had brought with him, a large, heavy-looking wooden chest.

Pensword walked up to one of the guards standing at the side of the room and winged over the attache case, which the Unicorn placed on a small table, opened, and proceeded to pull out the rolls of parchments before handing them out.

“I am sorry gentlep-” Spoiled Rich began before amending her statement, “gentlebeings, but the offering of proposals or suggestions are to be done on the first meeting of the month. Maybe you can come back with them then.”

Pensword smiled. “Actually, if you notice the top of the scroll, it is entitled and sealed by not just my own seal, but by the Bladefeathers, and at least three Thestral clans, as well as Princess Twilight Sparkle’s personal seal. This has royal leverage to be looked at tonight. Would you like to know that you refused to listen to something vested by Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

“The board will recognize commander Pensword and Mr. Bladefeather on these grounds,” the chairpony said, shooting spoiled rich a glare. “Clan Leader Grif Bladefeather, you have the floor.”

Grif moved to stand at the podium and cleared his throat.

“Members of the board, parents and citizens of Ponyville.” Grif gave a nod to the board and turned to equally acknowledge the assembled citizens, who barely even filled a fifth of the room. “Please keep in mind that we are not entering into your presence making an outrageous demand that your tax money should pay for.” With that, Grif slammed the chest down near the podium and unlocked it, opening the lid wide as golden bits spilled out and onto the floor.

“We wish to donate this chest, and seventy chests like it, all equally filled with bits, towards the relocation, construction and expansion of the Ponyville schoolhouse in order that the students may receive a full education in a safe, calm environment, preferably without the overworked teacher desperately trying to sort her head from her hooves. Naturally, this would also include school supplies and the like. The entire proposal outlining what we would have this donation used for has been handed to each of you, along with a simple list of reasonable caveats and safeguards to ensure proper handling.” Grif looked to pensword, and he nodded, taking the cue.

“We made sure that none of these lists contain a forge. That will be for another project at a later point, perhaps for when the foals are approaching adulthood.” More than a few parents seemed relieved at that statement, though it smarted Pensword to see so many were worried that they would be that careless. “It is our hope that some of those demands be seen as constructive. For example, hiring a physical education teacher whose sole purpose will be helping the children to burn off energy while staying relatively fit. Grif informs me that it should help lessen any outbursts and the like from the Gryphon cubs, something that I think every parent here should be grateful for,” he said, looking directly at Spoiled Rich.

“Our second request comes from Twilight herself. Naturally, that does not come as much of a surprise to everypony.” A few chuckles broke out. “We agree with her,” Pensword continued. “An updated library would do wonders for our children’s education, and will allow them to broaden their horizons with more modern, fresh literature and texts. Twilight has done a wonderful job teaching the foals of Ponyville in her free time, but she does have other responsibilities as a princess that make juggling the library and the children on top of everything else about as stressful as handling so many classes has been for our beloved Miss Cheerliee.” A low murmur started to spread through the crowd as parents brows furrowed and discussion began.

“The third dedication was actually inspired by an activity Miss Cheerliee has asked me to be a part of, and Grif, Lord Hammer Strike, Twilight Sparkle, and myself all agree that it would be a marvelous addition to the community and its spirits. It is our desire to establish an annual cultural celebration portraying the history, lore, foods, games, and customs of races throughout Equis. With all the many delegations and representatives we’ve had from around the world staying at New Unity, we have a boundless source of information and volunteers to assist in the endeavor, and to teach our children exactly what peoples live without and within the borders of Equestria.

“With all that has happened in the last couple of years, Ponyville has and will continue to grow, and that means our population will grow with it. A single teacher simply cannot handle the load alone anymore. The time has come for structure and organization, starting with the first principal of Ponyville Elementary. Naturally, we have our preferences, but we are not in charge, and would never dream of trying to force our views or opinions on others. As such, we brought this issue to the attention of the town’s many leaders for recommendations, including Lord Hammer Strike, Princess Twilight, Mayor Mare, and each of the Elements of Harmony. You will find their recommendations below.”

“Why … there’s only one name,” Spoiled Rich objected.

“Could you think of anypony better for the job?” Grif countered. “She is the only certified Pony for miles.”

Spoiled rich looked positively livid. She sped through the document, flapping attachments and zipping the scroll so quickly, it almost looked like smoke was coming from the sheer friction generated against the table. Grif smiled wide as he watched her eyes twitch and the vein throb on her temple. She wouldn’t find a single fault to capitalize on. Every T was crossed, every I was dotted, and to refuse this perfectly reasonable proposal and such a generous donation would been seen as positively incompetent.

“You will notice we have left small suggestive remarks as to possible programs any remaining bits could be put towards, such as a breakfast program, more funding towards special events like the Applewood Derby, and the creation of extracurricular clubs. We have also suggested the school appoint a proper student government to hear issues and thoughts for the students themselves. It is our children who will be attending this school, and they are our future. It is our belief that this proposal would insure that future is bright and beautiful, affording each child an equal opportunity to try new things and expand their horizons in preparation for adulthood,” Grif said. Several parents stomped enthusiastically behind him.

Pensword couldn’t help but chuckle silently on the sidelines. He knew Grif would take good care of this, and he was happy to see how neatly trapped Spoiled was. Until now, Filthy Rich had been one of the main contributors to the budget, and that held major weight for the mare. Now there was a new donor in town, and the record had clearly been given in a manner that would be impossible to suppress or alter as to that donation’s intent. He watched with some satisfaction as Spoiled squirmed in her seat.

“So then, board members, I ask you to vote now. I realize this is a major proposal to consider, but I feel that you owe it to the parents present to let them know. It is for their sake that you're here, after all.”

Spoiled Rich’s eyes darted back and forth between the parents, Grif, Pensword, and her fellow board members. When the chairpony was about to respond, she quickly shot her hoof into the air. “I wish to make a motion!” she said hastily, even as she struggled to keep her voice level.

The chairpony turned to look at her. “The chairpony recognizes Board Member Spoiled Rich.”

Spoiled took a deep breath, then proceeded. “This is all rather sudden. There's a lot of information here, and while it does follow the rules for donations of where funds go, we do have a month to look over the document. I’m not saying that we should deny what could singlehoofedly, or handedly as the case may be, be the greatest donation Ponyville has ever seen. But without a thorough knowledge of the contents of this proposal, I believe it would be foolish to press forward. As such, I move that we take the time to review this proposal in depth before we reconvene on this business one month hence.”

The other members looked nervously at one another before slowly nodding their heads. While this donation was too good to be true, and would give them all a welcome relief, she had a valid point. The chairpony sighed.

“Will anyone second the motion?”

One of the members raised a timid hoof. “I ... second the motion …”

“... Very well. Thank you, Board Member Ever Glow. All in–Yes, Miss Bon Bon?” the chairpony asked. Bon Bon was standing on her seat, and continued to look calmly at the chairpony, despite the murderous looks she was getting from Spoiled Rich.

“If it please the chairpony, I wish to motion for an amendment to Board Member Spoiled Rich’s proposal. While the documentation is fairly substantial, a month seems a little extreme when all of us have plenty of time outside our work schedules to review the document. A week should be sufficient for us to review the papers and draw up any objections or concerns, at which time we can bring them to bear with Grif and all the parents present.”

“The motion is noted. Will anyone second the motion?”

A burly black stallion with a chalky grey mane and tail raised a hoof. “I second the motion,” he rumbled.

“Thank you, Board Member Blank Slate. The motion is duly noted. As such, we shall vote on both, starting with Spoiled Rich’s proposal first. “All in favor for the former motion?”

Spoiled raised her hoof. She glared down the line at the remaining ponies, where two smaller mares raised trembling hooves.

“All opposed?” Six Pony hooves rose.

“The motion is denied. The secretary will please note the time and date of the action, and we will carry on to the second motion. All in favor of reconvening after a week’s time of study to approve or deny the donation’s proposal?” Bon Bon stared defiantly at Spoiled Rich as she raised her hoof, along with Blank slate and the other members, including the chairpony. Some glared with undisguised malice, others with smug smiles.

The chairpony remained perfectly neutral as he spoke. “Then the motion is carried. The secretary will please note the time of the vote and the result for future reference. This body will meet as a collective in a week’s time to discuss the contents of the donation and its designations.” The secretary nodded as he typed on the typewriter before nodding again to indicate the motion had been notarized. “The record is duly noted, and the board shall reconvene on the matter of this donation in one week’s time. We would encourage all parents to attend, so that they can fully understand the impact these designated funds will have on them and their children. Afterwards, we will vote. Have you any further business with the board, Commander, Mr. Bladefeather?”

“Not at this time, Mister Chairpony,” the two friends said.

“Very well. If you could please return to your seats, we would like to invite any other Ponies with business or concerns to take the floor.”

With a polite nod, Grif and Pensword returned to their seats.

“I think we’re going to have to take a very close look at Spoiled Rich,” Grif said as he leaned close to his friend.

“Agreed. The intimidation factor is positively deplorable. I will see about arranging an investigation.”

“It will likely need to be a joint effort from a non-biased party.”

“I think Princess Twilight would make a suitable neutral candidate, wouldn’t you say? After all, she is Princess Celestia’s protege, values knowledge more than life, and she is exceptionally thorough in her research and investigations. If somepony is doing something to hinder the education of young Ponies....” He left it hanging.

Grif smirked. “Pensword, I like the way you think.”


Hammer Strike sighed as he moved his way to his forge. After all this time, he’d finally burned off the aspect of time enough to let the rest bleed off him naturally, giving him brief flashes of the near future and near past. He paused as he put a hoof to his door. He could feel a presence somewhere near him.

Pushing open the door, he found a stallion he was fairly positive he’d never seen before. Albeit said stallion was behind a newspaper, so he couldn’t be sure. He sat on an old-fashioned high-backed chair Hammer was certain he’d never had in his forge, and a small curl of smoke seemed to be rising from behind the paper, filling the room with the smell of tobacco.

“Uh… Hello?” Hammer Strike called, confused.

The paper lowered, revealing a brown stallion's muzzle with his mane slicked back. A blackwood pipe hung idly from his mouth and as he folded the paper, and put it away. He wore a cream-colored sweater vest with a white shirt and a muted brown tie beneath it. He grabbed the pipe in one hoof and pulled it from his mouth to speak in a calm, strangely welcoming tone.

“Well hey there, sport! Glad to see your back on your hooves. Good for you!”

“Uhh…. Yes. Question. Who are you?”

“Come on, son. You should know that! You just messed with forces you haven’t fully comprehended. What happened last time you did something crazy like that, huh?”

“Depends on which one you count. If you count the corrupted, that’s one, but other than that, it was when I blacked out in fury,” Hammer Strike replied simply before glancing at the newspaper to check the date. “Oh, boy. Either you’re joking around with that paper, or I need to figure out how to see everyone without harming myself…”

“You kids and your newfangled messing with the foundations of the universe.” He chuckled and shook his head before taking a few more puffs of his pipe.

“Hey, it’s either that or practice with deadly weapons. I chose the fun route.” Hammer Strike shrugged.

“That's good, slugger. Always let the other guy hit first with the deadly weapons. Then you can’t get in trouble. But don’t tell Mom I said that,” he said in a conspiratorial whisper before winking at Hammer Strike.

“I feel like I can hardly understand you.”

“You will someday, son. You will,” the stallion laughed.

“So … everything fine with the whole time travel and messing with time deal, or are you here to tell me to cut back on it?”

“Hey, it’s perfectly natural to be curious about dad’s toys, kiddo. Just be careful, and don’t let Mom catch you next time. You worried her half to death.”

Hammer Strike felt part of his mind drifting off as he tried putting some sense of thought into what in the world the stallion meant. “...Who...?”

“Mom, son. You know, Mother Nature? Or as i like to call her, that swell girl,” he said as a warm smile graced his lips and he stared off into space.

Hammer Strike couldn’t help but think back to every stereotype of a father from the 1900’s. “Got… it...? Question. Will I even be able to see her?”

“Sure you will. Just not right now. She’s busy what with global warming, deforestation, the Everfree Forest invading, droughts–”

“I’m sorry, what was that last one?”

“Droughts?”

“No, the other one.”

“Deforestation?”

“No. The other one.”

“Global warming?”

“The one you haven’t mentioned yet!”

“... Droughts?”

“...Nevermind. I give up.” Hammer Strike groaned.

“Well anyway, kiddo, I should probably leave you to your homework. I’ll talk to you later, sport. Oh, and I almost forgot your allowance.” He chuckled as he withdrew a bit from his pocket and threw it to Hammer Strike. “Don’t spend it all in one place.” And with a wink, he and the newspaper were gone. The chair, however, remained.

Hammer Strike felt his eye twitch as he caught the bit. Looking it over a few times he could note the date of its manufacturing was around a hundred years ahead of the current year. After a moment he pocketed the coin and rubbed his face, not even bothering to acknowledge the chair as he moved over to his metal storage and started work. He needed to decompress.


“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice, Princess Sparkle,” Pensword said as they walked side by side up the steps into the town hall. “I hope you got the scroll outlining my ideas and thoughts.”

“Of course, Pensword. But I’ll admit, I was surprised at your letter. I assumed you wanted to keep the fort as is for all the new recruits that’ll be coming in.”

“Right now, New Unity is the seat of all the humans and warriors. It would be a pain in the feathers and tail to trek here and work, when it would be easier to train them there at the moment. Right now we are doing stop-gap movements until we can get the bill passed and a fully dedicated location for boot camp. From there, we will have them shipped off to military bases all over Equestria.

“Twilight, we also, that is to say Matthew, Shawn, and Taze gave the base to Ponyville to use as they see fit. Besides, if I want officers, I need to start now and establish an ROTC.” He paused and smirked. “That stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps. They are what will eventually be an integral part in training all future officers while they get their college degrees. That means that the military will be paying for their tuition in exchange for a set number of years of service. Right now we are thinking between five and ten years with options to extend.”

“So you wanted to see about using the fort’s land for something else, right?” Twilight asked. “Based on the amount of research you asked me to do, I think I know where this is going.”

“Well, that is the thing. As the princess of this region, you are the de-facto owner of those lands, and thus of the fort. This means that you can do as you wish with it. I was hoping that with it becoming a University, you could draw the smartest and brightest here to Ponyville to allow you to, well, create a hot bed of innovations in all the sciences from magic to flight. With the plans, we even will have some agricultural degrees as well.” Pensword smiled. “To have the University, we will need you to sign the land over to Ponyville with the express purpose of building that university in mind. The buildings are standing, and you can retrofit them and eventually expand them. The land around it can be moved and bought. I advise buying the land sooner, rather than later, as when Ponyville will grow, they will build up around the school fast.” Pensword stopped talking as they stood at the secretary’s desk.

“Hi, we’re here to meet with Mayor Mare. We have an appointment?”

The secretary gave a confused look before she quickly moved to the doors and reached for the handle, only to be smacked in the muzzle by it opening.

“Honestly, she’s a princess for Tartarus’ sake,” Mayor Mare said as she flung open the door. “If she wants to see me, she can see me. Stop doing that!” She rolled her eyes and signaled Twilight inside, then looked to her secretary and sighed. “Sorry about that, Miss File. Take the rest of the day off on me.” She closed the door behind her and casually took her spot behind her desk before pouring a shot of cider and downing it immediately. “Forgive me, Princess. It’s Tuesday in Ponyville.”

Pensword nodded his head. “So, dare I ask if anything has happened this Tuesday?”

“Another bunny stampede,” Mayor Mare said, sighing. “Seriously, how does this entitle a town-wide emergency? I’m getting insurance claims on gardens here. The town’s insurance is ridiculous as it is, and I’m supposed to show the company these?”

“I am sure New Unity can help our neighbor town, if you can give a list before we leave, I am sure I can give it to Lord Hammer Strike for review.”

“Thank you, Commander. As always, our neighbors in New Unity are good friends,” she said, giving him a grateful smile. “Now, Commander, Princess, what can I do for such esteemed company?”

Twilight looked a bit nervously around as she rubbed a hoof against the other before she shook her head and reestablished control over her actions. “Pensword had a suggestion he wanted to run past you before I consider moving forward with the plan. Since you’re the mayor, and seem to know everypony the best, you’d probably know whether or not this would be a worthwhile investment.”

“The proposal is that, seeing as the military base became property for Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Ponies here in Ponyville are already feeling the beginnings of growth from the trade and income brought by the workers helping to restore New Unity, I would rather not tear down the buildings, but instead repurpose them into a new university. While Celestia’s school for the Gifted is a noble contribution, it is a school only powerful Unicorns are able to attend. We would like to establish a school where everypony can enjoy an education in whatever field they wish to study under the main principles of harmony, and what better place could there be for that than the very village the Elements of Harmony call their home?” Pensword asked.

“Isn’t Ponyville's population still somewhat small to have a university?” Mayor Mare asked as she began rummaging through papers “I’m sure there was a population limit on this sort of thing.”

“Mayor Mare, I’m afraid there’s one population you’re actually failing to take into account,” Twilight said a bit uncomfortably. “We have a burgeoning population of Gryphons nearby who are about to be integrated as a part of our community. There’s also the matter of students traveling to Ponyville from other towns, and the other Ponies who are living and trading in New Unity.” She smiled sheepishly. “I’ve actually already taken the liberty of drawing up the necessary figures and diagrams for you to review, along with the proper zoning requests to lay before the boards in triplicate, and I’ve even drawn up a list of potential investors who are willing to assist with the project.” A heavy load of papers slammed on top of Mayor Mare’s desk.

“I see you’ve covered the financial bases. And what about staffing? Teachers are easy to come by, but professors are another story. Teachers are, after all, somewhat more flexible about the subjects they teach. A professor has to specialize.”

“You’ll find that in the index for manuscript H, table 3. It features the top professors classified by their fields, professionalism, reviews, going rates, and permanent records.”

“And you're fairly confident Princess Celestia will be willing to accredit this facility? You understand as a resident princess, you yourself cannot be part of the committee that decides if it will be credited or not.”

“I have every confidence in Celestia, Luna, and Cadence’s judgement on the matter. And besides, the worst that can happen is that they say no. And since I’ve pretty much done all the paperwork for you, it won’t be that much of a loss for you as mayor.”

“And I am going to guess that you plan on interweaving a military program into the scholarship program, Commander?” Mayor Mare asked.

“That is correct, as that will make up about ten percent of funding. Matthew informed me that officers were given college opportunities so they would be educated and well trained when they joined the force. In exchange for a full ride military scholarship, the recipient would have to perform a seven year tour. We also discussed that those who are honorably discharged from the military will be given vouchers for university training as well. However, like I said, it is starting at only ten percent of initial investment and funding for now.”

“Well, your plans seem sound,” Mayor Mare noted as she flipped the first few pages to see the veritable avalanche of text and technical terminology. “Unfortunately, I can’t give you an approval until after the next council meeting.”

“I understand. I’m just hoping the town will be willing to give this school a chance. It could really do a lot for Ponyville, and more importantly for all the little foals I tutor, once they get old enough. Thank you so much for your time.”

“Anything for you, Twilight. You’re always welcome here.”


“So, Twilight Sparkle, I take it when you trained with Celestia, she would give you formal reviews, correct?” Clover asked. The two of them stood in the center of a large ring that had been bordered with powerful warding runes and shielding charms. Clover's battle staff floated at her side, its mace-like end freshly polished and sharpened.

“Yes. And I’m guessing you’re about to do the same for me, judging by all these runes and protective measures.” Twilight held her own focus in her magic. Its flat blade had been carefully maintained, and its star-cut amethyst shone brightly as its ruby-red core burned. The five precious stones that adorned its root-like protrusions flickered like little stars, and the strengthening runes flared in anticipation for the exercise that was to come.

“Well I’d hate to have to explain to Celestia why the surrounding ten miles is nothing but a pile of smoking slag ... again,” Clover said. “Celestia has praised your ability to learn and apply magic quickly. As you should have realized by now, these are the cornerstones of being a good battle mage, but only when properly tempered with determination and drive. Neither of us will be leaving this circle until you have successfully scored five consecutive hits on my person. You may use any elemental or combat magic to do this, but expect me to respond in kind. Once we’ve started, I am your enemy, not your teacher, and this is something you must remember at all times. Is that understood?”

Twilight gulped and nodded her head. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“You can start when ready.”

Twilight took a deep breath, then started off with a well-calculated lunge, lifting her weapon to strike on a downward arc.

Without blinking, Clover whipped her staff outward and flames erupted out of it like a whip towards Twilight, scalding her right flank. “You get points for remembering that’s a weapon you’re holding, but the blade is there for your personal defense. It shouldn’t be your first decision”

“It wasn’t.” Twilight smiled as Clover found her legs rooted to the spot as they sunk into the floor before it hardened again. “First thing Hammer Strike taught me: rely on magic second, but always have a backup plan if a regular attack won’t work.”

Clover nodded in approval “A good start, but not quite enough.” Large stone walls erupted around her. At first Twilight thought Clover was shielding herself, but soon it became clear there was another meaning as the stone began to crumple and bend around Clover until what looked like a very crudely made stone Unicorn stood before her, and then, miraculously, the stone Unicorn began to move. Clover was free from her imprisonment. She proceeded to duck and roll towards Twilight. Her hooves shot forward, and pebbles shot off of them at high velocity.

Twilight twirled her staff as a makeshift shield and proceeded to rush to the side before she lashed out with a fire spell. A concentrated jet of purple flame tinged with red and white shot from the star on her staff and circled to form a fiery tornado before it changed its shape into a writhing fiery serpent. It wrapped its coils around the stone and squeezed as its light and heat grew more intense. Even as she maintained the spell, Twilight looked warily around the area. Clover was no fool, and she had hundreds of years more experience. She would need to keep her senses sharp to avoid any counterstrategies the mage might come up with.

A pair of hooves sprung from the ground and grabbed onto Twilight’s back legs before pulling her down. The earth moved like water around them until she found herself submerged up to the neck. The hooves released, and Clover erupted from the ground in front of her seconds later, her red hot focus floating back to her from the coiling flaming serpent. “Remember, when fighting a Unicorn, all directions are viable to attack.”

“I know.” Twilight smirked as the light in her horn and her focus radiated like a miniature sun. There was a deep rumble as the earth erupted upwards to form a giant Earth Pony golem whose features were a mixture between Big Mac and Hammer Strike. With a light tug of its hoof, Twilight was released from her prison on its head and returned to its back as it bellowed before punching with its giant hoof.

“Interesting golem, but you can do better.” Clover chuckled as she slammed her staff into the ground. In seconds, vines crawled from the ground and on top of each other. A bundle of these vines wrapped around the stone hoof. The sheer momentum and force would have snapped a single vine instantly, but the intertwined nature of the vines absorbed the momentum as they continued to grow and shape into an earth pony the size of Celestia herself. Leaves and twigs grew from the top and sides of its form as a vague face seemed to take shape at the head. It looked down at the stone hoof, then at the golem, and growled. And then, to Twilight’s shock, it spoke.

“I,” it pressed the stone leg as the stone cracked and shattered under the pressure of nature’s fury. “Am.” Shoots shot off the leg and began intertwining the stone before tearing it, and by extension Twilight’s stone golem, apart. “GROOT!” it roared.

“Animating stone takes mana to shape, mana to mold, and mana to keep it moving. Plants have their own life force and energy. All it takes is a little push to make them do what you need.”

“Not bad, Clover,” Twilight panted. “Just what I expected from a mage who was trained by Star Swirl himself.”

“I am Groot?” the newly created plant golem looked to Clover questioningly.

“No, that will be all. Thank you, my friend. You can go now.” Clover nodded kindly towards it.

“I am groot!” The golem nodded and wandered off towards the forest.

Twilight shuddered. “I think … I have the willies?”

“That's the sign of a great magician,” Clover said, “but I think I’ve seen enough for today. You’re coming along well, but you still need to work on deception and abstract thinking. You can go.” Clover waved her staff and the protective runes vanished into smoke.

“But I didn’t even really hit you! I mean, I suppose an argument could be made about the fiery snake and all, but–”

“It took me ten years to hit Star Swirl once. The idea was never to hit me, but for me to see how you’d react to that knowledge. I can’t just give you some arbitrary test and expect to know how I need to teach you. I needed to see you pushing yourself, so I could know what I need to do to help you improve,” Clover explained. “You taught me how to teach you.”

“I … did?”

“Most certainly.”

A disembodied laughter filled the room, along with the distinct scent of fudge and cotton candy. “My oh my, now that is what I call a real showdown. Two mighty mages, each a bearer of the power of the element of magic, each equally matched in strength and potential, but not necessarily in experience.” With a bright flash of light, their focuses were replaced with a twin set of scepters, each with a mocking effigy of their heads. Then Discord arrived with his usual flare and bowed dramatically. “Bravo, oh bravo! I really have to hand it to you, ladies. That was some of the best chaos I’ve seen in quite a long time, and that’s saying something when we’re so close to Ponyville.”

Before Discord could go much further his face was bathed in a bright light, and when it cleared, he felt very strange. Summoning a mirror, he looked into it to find that his horns where both evenly curved with no signs of the stray antler. His eyes were the same size and shape, his teeth were straight and neat. He was HIDEOUS!

Discord let loose a girlish scream at the sight. “Clover, what have you done?” He slowly began to melt. “Oh what a world, what a world! To think I could be undone by a simple organization spell!” Then he exploded before reforming behind the pair with his form just as disproportionate as ever. He chuckled as he took the two ponies into a bear hug. “Good one, Clover. I see you haven’t lost your touch.”

“Worth a shot.” Clover shrugged. “I guess we can just wait for Hammer Strike. I’m certain he’ll be taking a walk out here soon.”

“I can’t exactly help being drawn to the center of chaos in this world, now can I? I mean, after all, I am the Spirit of Chaos, as in linked directly to it?”

“Are you saying you are bound to the center of chaos, as though it were a rule? Isn’t the spirit of chaos being bound to a rule impossible?”

Discord laughed. “Ah, my dear Clover, so wise, and yet so short sighted. Since when has anything I’ve ever done make any sense?” He promptly threw a bucket of green goop on Twilight’s flank. When she had managed to clean herself off again with the cleaning spell she’d used to release Cadence, she was pleasantly surprised to find the burns on her flank totally healed.

“You never killed anyone, which made perfect sense, as you being a spirit of chaos cannot purposefully bring about order, and what's more orderly than death?”

“You mean what’s more boring than death?” Discord yawned tiredly and rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Clover, didn’t we have such fun together in that statue garden? You scraped the bird droppings off me, and I got to entertain you with my fabulous sense of humor.”

“You mean before or after you begged me to hide you when the centaur and his brother visited?” Clover asked.

“Aww, now don’t be like that, Clover. You know I was right to ask you, even if I did have to beat you in a mind game before you agreed.” He sighed and snapped his fingers as the scepters returned to focuses again. “Some people just don’t know how to take a joke nowadays.” He tutted chidingly. “Anyways, I just wanted to stop by to let you know Pinkie Pie’s going to be coming soon for a big announcement. You might want to be ready for her. Ta-ta.” He grinned as he ate his own tail until he disappeared in a flash of light.

“Come on, Twilight,” Clover growled. “Let's get some food. You used up a lot of mana back there, and it’s important to stay charged.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Twilight agreed as her stomach rumbled. “I think after that, I’ll need a little time for meditation.

“I see Zecora trained you well,” Clover said, half smiling.

“Yeah. I guess she did. Wait, how did you find out about that?”

Clover just chuckled as they walked along. “Every mare has her secrets, Twilight.”

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