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// 32 - Construction Underway 
// Story: Out of Cadance 
// by David Silver 
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What had started as a joyful process of creation faded as both realized it took work, real work, to create something worth having around. Metalworking wasn't a skill one did on a lark and got good results. The lessons were fresh, but the work was tiring. Fortunately, they could pause and take rests. The physical shape of the body wasn't especially complicated. They needed a rough outline, and then some refinement. They could tweak it even more when they'd finished the most important parts, namely, the clay orb that'd house the soul and mind of their future child.

Tempo worked a chisel through the hard substance slowly. "It has to be perfect. This is, according to the book, what draws the intelligence, and how it interacts with the world. I am grateful mine was assembled correctly. An error here could force a spirit with a bad connection, forced to endure its life unable to properly sense, or perhaps speak, or act."

She sat back with a sigh. "Like having a 'challenged' foal, but it would be no roll of the dice. It would be our fault." She pressed a hoof in on either side of her own head. "This is a heavy responsibility."

Blueblood set a hoof on her shoulder. "As well as a great privilege. We are going to bring new life into this world." He smiled broadly. "We are going to make spectacular persons, and that shall be a moment of great pride. But you mustn't be afraid to fail. Failure is the fuel of growth, and we will grow with our children."

Tempo smiled gently at that, but a new thought came to her. She stood up, tail swaying. "We are being foalish." She set the mind ball aside. "Why are we doing this? We will raise the child, but none of that requires we do the assembly ourselves. There are ponies so much better at this than us. Get blacksmiths. Get carvers. Let them do it right, then we can care and love what results."

Blueblood bit his lip in hesitation. "I am loathe to suggest such, but perhaps it would be for the best." He stared at the floor. "But I do think it is best that we try, even if we ultimately fail."

Tempo considered that with a little frown. "The stakes are so high. I am not sad we went as far as we did, but I don't want to risk somepony else's life to my skill at carving. Most mothers do not hand assemble their foals!" She huffed at that. "But I am not most mothers."

Blueblood swung around behind her, pressing against her side. "I am not most fathers, but I will admit there is something terribly rewarding about being able to say we did it ourselves. We will just have to ask for help."

Tempo nodded and leaned against his contact. "Yes, help. Let's get some good help, so our children are given the best chance for a healthy life."

Cadance soon came in with that help. She was guiding a wheeled table holding several different skilled artisans. Each had their own specialty. "I've brought the best around for you to choose from."

Tempo inclined her head as the ponies stepped off the table. "Why did you bring them like that? They could have walked."

Cadance waved that off dismissively. "Because I could do it that way. Being a princess means getting what you want without fuss. Don't tell me you won't take advantage of it too?"

Tempo considered her sister with some amazement a moment. "I do not think I will, but thank you." She advanced to touch noses gently. "They will be of great assistance. We are poor craftsponies for a task of this magnitude."

Cadance pressed close against Tempo with a laugh. "It's my pleasure. For you, I would do anything. My sweet sister." She looked over her shoulder at the assembled ponies. "But I'll get out of your mane and let you tell them what needs to be done." She waved at the room of ponies and trotted off to other affairs.

Blueblood cleared his throat, summoning their attention. "Ladies and Gentleponies. Thank you for coming." He lifted the book with his magic. "This tome contained the project, from start to end. Well, minus the aesthetics. We're available for guidance on that. Please consult the tome for the steps required."

Tempo hovered over to a second book, placing it before them. "In here are my measurements. Please take note of the material I'm made of, so you can get similar materials. It will be good to have a nice consistency."

The carver, their many tools around their midsection, stepped forward. "What am I needed for? If you're building a metal pony, you don't need a carver."

Tempo twirled on the spot to face the carver. "Excellent question. You have the most vital position." She fetched the mind orb. "This is to be smoothed out, then engraved properly." She willed the book to flip to the right page. "Here are the patterns to use. Please fashion one with male and one with female lines, as we wish for a colt and a filly."

The carver looked over the designs carefully, touching at them. "There is a lot of intricate work here. This will take me several days to do properly." They gazed at Tempo. "This is for your foals?"

Tempo swung her tail. "Yes. The mind-soul connects to the body through this point, and those connections allow them to feel, act, and everything else." She tapped at herself on the chest. "Without mine, I would not be as you know me. Please, give it your all."

The carver nodded and backed up towards the workbench. "I will begin immediately."

Blueblood bumped his head against Tempo's gently. "What of the rest of us?"

Tempo blinked. "You, my love, are to relax." She nuzzled into his cheek. "We've worked hard enough. They understand their jobs now. We wait for them to finish." She turned to face the workers and sank, watching as metal was pounded and clay was carved. "Soon, our foals will be made."

Blueblood pushed his nose under Tempo's chin. "Waiting is the hardest part, but it will be worth it." He paused a moment. "And it may take more than one session. They have to do it right."

Tempo turned an ear back. "A mother of flesh has to wait about a year for their foal to reach them. I consider myself fortunate. I doubt any of their tasks will require that much time. I will have to wait, but so much shorter."

Blueblood could only close his eyes and think of what was to come. It'd be quite the event, once they were born. Would it be a joyous occasion? Certainly, he would think so. "That we would become parents. I dared not dream this day would arrive. I had thought it quite out of reach. Oh. When they are born, I will have to alert my parents. The children of nobility are to be known by all parties."

Tempo drew her eyes away from the work being done on her future child. "You believe that is important? It feels more intimate than something to share with others." She swung her tail. "It should be about them, not a political game."

Blueblood perked. "We are nobility, my dear. Every thing we do is political. Such is the burden we carry! But we will shelter our foals. They have no need to fret over it until after we've educated them. Just as my parents did for me, with the help of some darling tutors."

Tempo huffed gently. "If you're sure. We must keep them safe and happy."

Blueblood took a breath and slowly let it out. "Indeed." He looked to the workers, wondering what their children would look like. "They are so much better at this." He tapped at his chin. "Still, a reminder that I should have been using my talents and directing, instead of leaping into the task myself. This is already looking better."

Tempo's own eyes swept across the scene before her. "Yes, very nice. Love." She stood up. "Watching this is making me nervous. They are working well. Let's not stare at them any more."

Blueblood drew Tempo along to walk through the streets of the capital. They were familiar enough with the town now to avoid getting lost. He led her to the market, with all its goods for sale. Tempo considered them and took her turn guiding Blueblood. She went for clothes, small clothes. They were soon standing before an entire booth dedicated to foalish supplies. "Here. We should prepare."

Blueblood nodded and examined some of the tiny baby bonnets. "Oh, how lovely. Is this what you had in mind?" He picked one up in his magic, looking over it.

Tempo lifted another in her own magic. "I can imagine my child wearing this. Look at it. It's soft, and the colors are cute." She inclined her head, considering. "On the other hoof, they will not be organic ponies. Young automatons do not suffer the thermal regulation issues of organic ones." She sat on her haunches, musing over those differences.

Blueblood reached for a blue outfit. "A princess, or prince, must look the part. Whether organic or machine, clothes are still nice to wear. It'll be good for them to learn to care about how they present themselves."

Tempo brightened at the words. "You speak sense, husband. Even if we disregard protective properties, there are advantages." Though that made her consider herself. "I am not dressed."

"Yes you are." He reached up to tap the tiara on Tempo's head.

She blinked, reaching up with a hoof to touch it. "Is that what this is?" She blinked, pondering. "I didn't realize that counts as 'clothing'. It doesn't cover much."

Blueblood swung around to press against her side. "But it shows others who you are. That's more important than covering all your bits."

Tempo ran a hoof down the length of Blueblood's hair. She brushed along to his vest. "Is that why you wear only this?"

"It says who I am." Blueblood stood proudly. "A pony can spot me from some distance away and know who they address, and that I am a pony of culture. We are both dressed quite well for our stations. Now, for a foal, the rules are different. Let's get them proper attire."

They loaded up their bags with things they felt would be suitable, then carried it all back to the castle. Tempo slipped in past the guards, finding the workshop still being used by the hired artisans. Blueblood swung around behind her. He looked around for someplace to drop off the clothes they'd bought.

Soon it was a pile in the corner, leaving Tempo to approach the working ponies. "Thank you, again. How progresses the project?"

The carver looked up. "Mm? Complicated, um." He tapped at his chin. "A week or two, at a guess." His attention returned to the orb he was working on, decorating with countless fine lines and patterns.

Tempo rubbed her forehooves together as she inspected the piece, looking to the artist as they worked. "Will you need me to pose for a casting of my features?"

The metal smith shook her head. "You're one of the most famous mares in the city, and a copy of the other famous mare. We have a pretty good idea of what you look like, Ma'am." She laughed as she brought down a hammer with a spark-filled strike. "Besides, these are foals. They won't look exactly like you. They shouldn't!"

Tempo held still as she thought that over. "That's right. I'd never considered it." She leaned in to look at the golem currently being crafted. It was an approximation of her own shape, but obviously an infant pony. This made her think. "When I was called to this world, I was able to adapt to a young pony shell fairly quickly. An infant shell may be too helpless for such an intelligence. Please aim for a moderate foal. A school-aged foal, rather than a newborn."

The golem maker tilted her head, examining the model they had. "Is that so?" She nodded gently. "Yeah, I think we can do that."

Tempo looked around as Blueblood wandered over to see what was going on. He leaned against her gently. "School-aged? Hm. If they can skip the newborn stage, I confess, that isn't exactly a terrible thing. A trying time for them and for us. Biological ponies have little choice. It would seem we do."

Tempo gazed up at him with a smile. "I was created as a copy of a young, but far from newborn, Cadance. I was able to move, to gallop, and trot swiftly. I even cast spells and flew." She flapped her wings gently on her back. "I hope our foals will be equally adaptable. We will support them."

Blueblood embraced Tempo gently. "Of course we will, beloved. But, perhaps we should leave them to their work, yes? Come along, let's get some dinner. You deserve a break."