A Crafter's Dream Ch. 47: Going Home
Now, without further ado, I present,
“A Crafter’s Dream”
Steve groaned and rubbed his face with one hand, trying to clear his vision. Blinking a few times, he looked around. Much to his surprise, he found himself in a rather unfamiliar room. Just over to his right was a large, fancy fireplace, a few small flames flickering on a charred piece of wood. On his left was a big wooden desk, behind which stood shelves that were packed to the brim with books. Scattered around the room was an assortment of various potted plants.
“Where the fu…?” Steve began to ask, only to be interrupted as a small groan of pain come from behind him. Turning around, he saw Celestia with a hoof pressed against her head, expression twisted in a grimace and eyes squinted shut. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes, simultaneously rubbing her head for a few moments before dropping her hoof. Upon making eye-contact with Steve, she winced slightly when she saw the concerned expression on his face.
“You alright?” The Crafter asked, eyebrows furrowed in worry.
The alicorn nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. My horn was damaged in the battle against Herobrine, and while it’s mostly healed now, teleporting like I did really didn’t do me any favors. Don’t worry though, I’ll be alright.”
Steve gave a small sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking off to the side. “Sorry that you had to do that.” A small feeling of guilt began to well up in his gut, remembering the state the Princess had been in after Herobrine had been defeated.
“No, I’m sorry.” Celestia spoke. Steve gave her a confused look.
“What do you mean?”
The alicorn sighed as she pressed a hoof to her forehead, this time in exasperation. “Steve, I know from experience that you are no fool. You know exactly what I am talking about.”
Steve looked at her, eyes squinted in confusion. “Wait, are you talking about those Elite guards? That wasn’t your fault. That was your sister being a dumba-, I mean, being stupid!” Steve hesitated for a moment. “Actually, you know what, no, she was being a dumbass!”
Celestia shook her head. “I’m not talking about the Elite guards, or my sister, though they are a part of it. I’m talking about everything that has happened to you since you arrived here in Equestria! You’ve been attacked by my guards multiple times, the Black Claw was sent after you! For buck’s sake, even my own sister has attacked you once or twice!”
“It was only once, really.” Steve spoke, shrugging.
The alicorn stared at Steve with an astounded look, remaining silent for a few moments before speaking. “How can you be so, so…”
“Passive? Uncaring?” Trench chimed in.
“...calm, about all of this?” She asked. “Through no fault of your own, you were essentially shunned from Ponyville and pronounced a threat to ponykind as a whole. In fact…” Her horn lit up, causing a manilla folder on the desk to glow and float over her. Opening it, she looked over it’s contents for a for a moment before continuing. “Your file currently has you classified as a Tier 5 threat, which puts you on the same level as Nightmare Moon. All because I let myself be manipulated by Herobrine to…”
“Wait, wait, wait, wait.” Steve interrupted, waving his hands in a dismissive manner. “Look Princess, you can’t blame this all on yourself. Herobrine is, was, a tricky bastard, so I can’t blame you for being fooled. Like with Trench.” Steve gestured to the gray stallion, who nodded in agreement. “I can’t blame him for what happened, because he was being controlled by Herobrine at the time.”
She shook her head. “Steve, I wasn’t being controlled by Herobrine. Trench had his body taken over, hijacked if you will, while I was fully aware of my actions, misguided as they were. Actions that hurt you, that put you in danger. I am supposed to be a wise and just ruler, yet you have only received contempt, hate and prejudice from me and my subjects. There is no way I can ever possibly apologize enough for all that you’ve gone through.” She lowered her head, eyes closed.
Steve opened his mouth to speak, but for the first time in a while, he didn’t know the words to say. Remaining silent for a few moments, he gulped before walking forward, stopping just in front of the alicorn. Reaching out his hand, he gently lifted Celestia’s chin until she was looking him straight in the face. He smiled as he let his arm drop.
“Chin up Princess. Yeah, you made a mistake, and yeah, it ended up hurting more than a few people. But blaming yourself for it won’t help. The only thing you can do is make it up to those who were hurt, learn from your mistakes, and move on.”
The Princess didn’t respond for a few moments, continuing to look at Steve with an expression on her face that Steve didn’t quite recognize. Finally, she sighed.
“I suppose you’re right Steve. There is little to be gained from dwelling on the past.” Her expression suddenly turned conflicted. “But, how can I possibly make it up to you for what you went through?”
Steve gave her a small smirk. “Well, I hope this isn’t too much to ask, but I would really like to go home. All I want to do right now is cook up some food, absolutely gorge myself, then pass out on my bed. I don’t know about you two, but it’s been a long couple of days.” This managed to rouse a laugh from the alicorn, as well as Trench.
“Yes.” Celestia chuckled as her horn began to glow. “I suppose it has been. Not to worry, I will have you back in Ponyville in just a moment…”
She was interrupted when Steve reached out and gently tapped her horn, causing her to give him a confused look.
He shook his head. “Uh-uh. Not gonna happen. You said it yourself that your horn is still only mostly healed. Let’s not hurt it any more.”
“Yeah, I got to agree with Steve on this one, your Highness.” Trench spoke up. “How about we just get a chariot or something?”
Celestia nodded. “Yes, I suppose you both have a point.” Turning, she began to walk to the door of the room. “Come, let’s get going.”
“You got it.” Steve responded with a smirk as he and Trench followed close behind, the Crafter gently closing the door behind him.
* * * * *
Just over half an hour later, the trio found themselves in a pegasi-powered golden chariot, the city of Canterlot already fading into the distance as they headed to their destination: Ponyville.
Steve sat near the front of the chariot, looking out over the pristine white clouds as they passed by. Stretching, he let out a sigh of relief as he felt his back pop.
“Ah, that felt good.” He murmured quietly to himself. Glancing up, he looked at Celestia. “Hey Princess, how long until we get to Ponyville?”
“Roughly two hours, depending.” The alicorn responded.
“Ah.” Silence reigned among the three of them, (the two pegasi guards pulling the cart didn’t count, for obvious reasons), for a short time before the quiet was inevitably broken by Princess Celestia.
“Steve, if I may, could I ask you something?” She asked, her tone revealing a small amount of nervousness.
The Crafter grinned at her. “You just did, though.” He gave a small chuckle at his joke, as well as the light-hearted glare Celestia gave him. “But seriously, what did you want to ask me?”
“Well, I know this question may seem out of the blue, but what, exactly, is your sword made out of?”
Steve looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “My sword?”
She nodded. “Yes. From what I’ve seen, it appears to be made of some strong, blue material that is slightly translucent. I’ve thought about it, but I can’t think of a metal that fits that description.”
“That’s because it’s not metal. It’s made of diamond, and enhanced with the best enchantments I could get ahold of.” Steve casually explained.
“Diamond?” Trench asked, face displaying his confusion. “You made a sword, out of diamond?” Steve simply nodded in response. “How, exactly? That stuff is supposed to be nearly unbreakable.”
The Crafter shrugged. “I don’t know, just one of my powers, I guess. I never really had the notion to try and figure out how it works. Don’t fix something if it ain’t broken, right?”
“I suppose.” Celestia quietly agreed. Trench nodded, before looking at Steve with a puzzled expression.
“Wait, you said ‘one of’ your powers. What other powers do you have, exactly?”
Steve put hand to his chin as he thought. “Uh, enhanced strength, enhanced speed, enhanced regeneration, enhanced reflexes, as well as the ability to craft items, brew potions, enchant stuff, repair stuff, cook and smelt, etc. But what’s definitely one of the coolest powers I have is my Inventory.”
“Your what?” Trench inquired.
“My Inventory is like a little pocket dimension I have where I store stuff. Uh, think of it like a big, magical, invisible bag I carry with me at all times, only it doesn’t weigh me down at all, no matter what I’m carrying with me.”
“So, like a bag of holding?” Trench asked.
“What’s that?”
“A bag of holding is just a normal saddlebag that has been enchanted to carry things much beyond its physical parameters.” Celestia answered.
Steve nodded. “Okay. Then yeah, kinda like that, I guess.”
“That is, both very interesting and very strange.” The alicorn commented. “Did you alone have these powers?”
“Nah, every Crafter has, had,” Steve quickly corrected himself, wincing. “the same powers as me.” He looked down at his hand with an absent look in his eyes.
Both Celestia and Trench flinched slightly when what he’d said registered fully in their minds. Celestia felt a pang of guilt blossom in her stomach for accidentally bringing up what was clearly a sore subject for the Crafter.
“I’m sorry Steve, I didn’t mean to…”
Steve waved off her worries as he looked up at her with a small smile. “Ah, don’t worry about it. I know you were just curious. And besides, it happened a long time ago. Sure, I haven’t quite gotten over it, not sure if you can get over losing your entire race, but it hurts a lot less than it used to.”
“Still, I’m sorry for bringing it up.”
Steve opened his mouth to tell her that it was okay, that the Princess didn’t have to worry, that he’d gotten used to the gnawing, empty feeling in his gut that hadn’t left him for four years, ever since he’d defeated Herobrine and lost everything as a result. But he didn’t say any of this, for obvious reasons.
“It’s fine, really.” Steve spoke. “It was an accident after all. But, your apology is accepted Celestia, er, Princess.” He looked at her, eyebrows furrowed in thought. “Which do I call you? I just realized I never actually asked.”
She let out a small chuckle. “Please, just call me Celestia.”
“You got it Princess.” Steve said, light-hearted smile on his lips. His words brought a small laugh from Trench and Celestia, which quickly died out into silence. Turning away from them, Steve looked out over the clouds once more, letting his gaze wander and his thoughts drift.
Turns out he was more tired than he had thought, because the next thing the Crafter knew, he was out.
* * * * *
“Steve.”
A hoof poked the Crafter in his side.
“Steve.”
Another poke to his side.
“Steve.”
The Crafter let out a small groan as the hoof gently poked his side again. Though his eyelids felt heavy, he willed them to open. Upon doing so, he saw Celestia and Trench looking down at him.
“What happened? Did I pass out?” He asked as he sat up, still slightly groggy from being woken up.
“Yeah.” Trench answered. “I was going to wake you up, but the Princess decided that you deserved the rest, all things considered. Anyways, we’re just coming up to Ponyville.”
Standing up, the Crafter looked over the side of the chariot. Sure enough, there was Ponyville, the town Steve had come to recognize in the months since he’d come to this world. It was also the same town that had a warrant for his capture, the same town where he’d fought multiple platoons of guards, and the same town where he’d nearly died more than a couple times because of said guards and warrant. Speaking of which…
He turned to look at Celestia. “Hey Celestia, you said you’d set the record straight about me not being evil and all, right?”
She nodded, causing him to let out a relieved sigh.
“That’s great. I’m tired of having to brew Invisibility potions all the time before I walk into town.”
“Princess.” One of the pegasi pulling the cart called out as he looked back at the alicorn. “We’re beginning our descent now.”
“Thank you.” Celestia responded, nodding her thanks to the guard. Only a few moments later, Steve felt the chariot shift ever-so-slightly as they began to descend down towards Ponyville.
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Looking forward to more!
I fully know what could happen once I say this but: Looks like things for Steve are finally looking up!
9736639
aaand just like that...
9736646
/kill Steve
NOTE: this command was played for fun, the author is not in any way obligated to actually execute the command. Unless it was planned for Steve to eventually die, or in the event of an April Fools chapter then it would harm the story considerably to execute the above command.
9736661
What is it with you people and tempting Murphy?!
My stalking has paid off! Excited for the next chapter!
Why do I get the feeling that ponyville even with Celestia blessing on what happens isn't his fault at all will not like him at all hell even blame him for everything that happens to them on him
9736665
because its fun and what go wrong will go wrong
9736639
...... Murphy! Show this idiot what he's won!
YAY A NEW CHAPTER DJNDUXBAMA B ZNZKKS
9736671
because Murphy says so
9736665
Because tempting Murphy is fun!
9736796
...I'll give you that one
*squee*
It's "gnawing", not "nawing".
You also forgot "be" where Celestia explains what she's supposed to be.
well that's a nice chapter though i think Steve need to talk to Luna
Bruh, writing dialogue is my favorite part
, lol I usually struggle more writing action clear and concise.
Nice chapter all the same, does the job of linear progression.
9737436
Yeah, it's the exact opposite for me.
9736671
I hope not.
Granted I like it for a little bit so that the protag can prove them wrong but it will become very tiring and idiotic if it keeps on going. They gotta accept and move on so that they won't have to die or worse.
P.S: Hooray! a new chapter:)
9737873
Celeste? As in one of the best platformers in the past decade? Sorry, I had to.
👍🏻
yay it's back keep up the good work
So Celestia is there now and Steve has a point, potions of invisibility are fun but a pain to have to constantly use. Now to hope that Rainbow Dash will be able to convince the other friends of hers about Steve... and maybe convince Rarity to make him some formal wear, or at least update his wardrobe... I've yet to wonder how long it was since he's ever washed his clothes... oh well, best not think too hard about that.
Moment of truth! 20 bits says Luna is gonna teleport in and fuck everything over.
It should be gnawing
More pls
This was a fun read and /give stave minecraft:blaze_powder 64, into next chapter and I hope to see more of this awesome story.
great chapter
9746020
If you have any sort of contact with any magic ponies of equestria view as evil (i.e. chaos, dark, etc.) or met someone who has those kinds of magic then here's your invitation skull (plus one) ;). But, I'm gonna have to get you to sign this first. This is a contract that dictates that I'm in no way responsible for any accidental mental breaking
, psychosis, nausea, paranoia, dea- *cough* -injuries, etc. that may occur in my head. If you can agree to those terms, then welcome to Necroville! :)
[Insert yay sound effect]
*Thud*
*Sigh* Not another one
.
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I feel bad for doing this, BUT...
[Insert a picture of a pot of gold]
F
k it!
9746060
Perfect can't wait for more!
Anyone going to think things will go downhill next chapter? Twilight will not be reasonable.. even with Celestia there.
9737373
It took me way too long to get back to this, but I forgot to ask.
I saw the gnawing part, I fixed that. But what are you talking about with the other thing?
Swim, my world's on
Ah, rereading this story made me remember this song... good times...