//------------------------------// // 13 - What did you do to my Axe?! // Story: An Extended Holiday // by Commander_Pensword //------------------------------// Extended Holiday Chapter 013: What Did you do to my Axe?! “So what do you think’s behind the door?” Taze asked Mutatio as he looked at the door in front of them, behind which their prisoner waited. Mutatio shrugged. “I don’t know. She was higher in the chain of command. I was just a worker. But if the babbling from your guard is any indication, we should be on our guard.” He tapped his saddlebag, where the light tinkling of pink crystals tapping one another could be heard faintly through the heavy cloth. “I got your back.” Taze smirked. “And I have yours. I should be immune to any tricks she tries. I apologize in advance if I have to restrain you.” The sight that greeted them was certainly cause for alarm, though not nearly of the cataclysmic proportions that the duo had expected. The Changeling had grown by nearly a quarter of her original size. Her wings had lengthened somewhat, and the beginnings of a mane now wisped from the back of her neck and head. Her neck had also lengthened somewhat alongside her horn. The most striking difference however, laid in her eyes. They were no longer the solid insectile orbs they had known for the enemy. Instead, a very distinct set of expressive Pony eyes stared ahead. A proper iris had formed, ringed by hints of green in the paling sclera. Two dark pupils pulsed within those orbs, slowly growing larger from the initial pinpricks that looked almost like pinholes. “Mutatio, … what am I looking at?” Taze asked. The changeling trembled as he dropped his disguise and gazed at the figure that was now most definitely proportioned to look like a mare. “I … I do not understand. She looks like … not quite the queen, but….” “You stay here,” Taze ordered as he approached the cell and the waiting Changeling prisoner. He took several minutes to take in her form. “Better yet, go get Shawn and Matthew,” he amended. “I will not leave you alone with her,” Mutatio said firmly. “I’m in no danger,” Taze said. “So you say,” Mutatio growled. “But she is stronger now. That much, I can tell. It is not quite a song, but … there is something there. A … tuning, I suppose you could call it, preparing the song to suit her, rather than … our mother.” “She’s becoming a queen?” Taze asked. “It is muted, but … there is something attempting to flow from her. It feels the same as the hivesong. It is … very persuasive.” Mutatio licked his lips and quickly absorbed a stream of pink energy from his saddlebag. He shuddered once, then sighed. “That helps.” He shook his head. “She could be dangerous. If that song can draw me, then when it becomes more pronounced, it will call to every unclaimed drone it can reach.” “All the more reason for you to go find the others.” Taze said. “I’m not susceptible to it like you are.” “But you are susceptible to magic. I cannot guarantee she won’t overpower the binding that’s been placed on her horn. Nor can I guarantee she won’t have other means to seek to persuade you to act according to her desires.” “Trust me, okay?” Mutatio ground his teeth. “Why did you have to say that?” he growled. “I owe you my life. But I don’t wish to leave you alone.” He uttered a curse under his breath that Taze was fairly certain he probably picked up from one of the guards on patrol before he finally strode back toward the door. “Don’t let her do anything while I am gone,” he demanded before flashing into the disguise of a Pegasus and taking flight. “So,” Taze started as soon as Mutatio was gone, “let’s start with the basics. Do you still believe your queen’s coming for you?” he asked. “No…” the changeling responded after a moment. “My mother has abandoned me to die here.” She stated it as if it were an obvious fact. “I can’t believe I ever believed any of us meant anything more to her.” Taze raised an eyebrow. “Kind of a drastic change in stance,” he noted. “”Yes. Well, I’ve had more time to think than I’ve ever had before. For example, I’ve also realized that even if we had succeeded in killing the drone, we’d likely not have made it home alive. You and the undying would have seen to that. Our deaths were foreordained.” “You’ve picked up the language a lot faster than Mutatio has, too.” The prisoner raised a curious brow. “Mutatio?” She thought for a moment, and then the light of understanding dawned in her increasingly expressive eyes. “Oh, the drone? Well, yes, I probably had slightly more intelligence than he did to start with. The question now is what will you plan to do with me?” “That’s a very good question. What should we do with you?” Taze asked as he folded his arms. “Common sense would say to kill me, though I honestly have no wish to die,” she acknowledged. “And what do you wish?” The Changeling sat down and tossed her head, then rubbed at the base of her growing mane. She sighed and gradually pulled her hoof away to rest with its fellow on the floor. “I wish to be me,” she said simply. “I wish to understand my new existence and what it means.”   “And do you have any insights to your recent developments?” “You don’t know? But you're the one that started them!” “Wait, what?” Taze asked. “The substance you fed me. Aside from the sedative you doubtless used to put me to sleep, its general makeup was full of several chemical compounds that could start the process of an unattached drone to metamorphose into a queen.” “Wait, chocolate? Chocolate did this to you?” “Chocolate. Is that what it’s called? Could I have some more?” she asked him excitedly. “Shawn’s va me tuer,” Taze muttered under his breath. “Look, we can worry about that later. Let's start with the basics. Do you have any plans at all to attack us or carry out your last orders?” “Attack you? That seems like a very foolish plan. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ as the Ponies say, don’t they?” “Enemy?” Taze inquired. “My mother, my former queen. With this process you have started, I am becoming a queen myself, a possible rival. She’s almost certain to try and kill me if she finds out. Given that you haven’t killed the drone, I can assume I have at least better chances with you than with her.” Taze facepalmed as he processed this. “Well, this just gets more complicated.” He groaned and shook his head. “Look, just, … what do we call you?” “Me?” “Yes. What do we call you? What's your name?” “Me. I am Me,” she said. “Fine, Me … me? Look, if you want us to be capable of trusting you enough to consider this, then when my friends arrive, I need you to tell us everything you can remember about your old hive.” The newly dubbed Me-Me tapped her chin in thought. “That … is fair. I’ll work on assembling my thoughts while we wait, then.” “I’ll leave you to that,” Taze acknowledged, turning and opening the door only to find himself face to face with Shawn. “Ah, … Shawn.” He smiled guiltily, not unlike a child whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar before bed time. “Kinda weird funnyish development in the situation….” Shawn blinked a few times before letting out a heavy sigh. “What did you do?” “I might have sort of ... accidentally….” Taze gulped to try and moisten his suddenly parched throat. “Created a Changeling queen?” Shawn stared at him for a few seconds before raising his hand and placing it on Taze’s shoulder. “You did what now?” “Lad….” Steel Weaver sighed as he looked over the mangled remains of what was once an axe. “I know I said use this axe for now, but I didn’t mean fully use it. We were waiting on the resources….” “I mean, I did say I needed to chop wood,” Taze said sheepishly. “But I’m sorry it’s in such bad shape.” Steel Weaver rubbed at the side of his head. “It’s fine, lad. Just … try not to go damaging any other weapons until we can get you an axe for woodchoppin’. It’s already gonna take some time and materials to fix this thing up.” “Uh, put this one on Shawn's tab, okay?” Taze said. Steel Weaver raised a brow. “You sure he’s goin’ to go coverin’ this?” “He won’t even notice the cost,” Taze assured him. “There’s still a difference between knowing and one day finding his expenses have changed.” He sighed again. “But … I’ll take your word for it right now. But if he comes to me about it, that’s on you.” “That's fair.” Taze nodded. “How long do you think it will take?” “Since we have the materials, you’ll have a woodchoppin’ axe in a couple hours. This axe, however, will take a few days to fix.” “Thank you. I appreciate your effort,” Taze said. “All right, lad, go on. Come back in a few hours and it’ll be done.” “I’ll see you then,” he said as he turned to leave. Steel Weaver gave him a wave as he left. After a few moments, he gave a small smirk. “Oi’, Storm! You lost. That’s twenty bits.” Taze left the forge and looked around the town for a moment, deciding what to do. Realizing his reading material had gotten a bit light over the last few weeks, he made his way to the library. The door creaked open at his knocking, and a familiar young drake with bright green eyes gazed up at him. “Hey, Taze. How’s it going?” he greeted. “Hey, I was wondering if I could browse the books? Kinda running low on reading material.” “Sure.” Spike shrugged. “What’re you looking for? I’ve worked with Twilight to organize these shelves enough to have a pretty good idea where things are.” He turned and waved for the human to follow him inside. “Fiction, mostly. Maybe some history books. It’d be nice to learn more about this planet.” “You talking scientific, history, or kingdoms and nations?” Spike asked as he approached the large round wooden table and the horse head that sat on its center. “Kingdoms and nations, more world events kinda stuff.” “That’ll be up in the higher shelves over there.” He gestured toward the shelves nearest to the spiral stairwell leading to the upper floor. “Now, if you want some really good fiction, I’ve got some comic books you’re gonna love!” “I won’t say no to that either, but everything needs to be balanced. On Earth, we have high fantasy, which seems kinda pointless in a world like this, but it was one of my favorite genres back home.” “If you do, then maybe it wasn’t fantasy.” Spike smiled as he hopped up onto some shelves and began pulling down a number of volumes, then tossing them toward the table. “If magic is real here, then it had to be real on your world once, right?” Taze shook his head. “Not to our knowledge. We have myths and legends, but nothing in my time.” “Nightmare Moon used to be a myth, and she turned out to be real in the end.” “That’s as fair an argument as any.” Taze shrugged. “Still, in my time there’s been no sign of magic.” Spike nodded. “So how many books were you looking to check out?” “What's the limit?” “Considering it’s Twilight we’re talking about, probably as much as you can carry. I’ve never seen her say how many people can take as long as they bring them all back in the same condition they left in.” “And what do the regulations say?” Taze asked.”Let's face it. You’re probably the only one who’s actually looked at them with how much you run this place.” Spike shrugged. “All I do is help. It’s pretty much up to the librarian to decide how much to give out and when. Most Ponies just take a few books and try to leave it at that. If you want a limit, I guess maybe ten?” He scratched his chin. “I don’t think I’ve seen Twilight give more than that usually.” Taze nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll call you if I have any questions.” Spike nodded. “The other sections should be marked, but if you can’t find something, let me know, okay?” He smiled proudly. “Twilight left me in charge.” Taze nodded. “Well, you are an extremely useful assistant.” He smirked at the Dragon. “Someone else may get it wrong.” “We can’t have that, now can we?” Spike grinned. “I’m gonna go grab some comics to pass the time. I’ll be back.” He frowned. “Oh, by the way, if you wanna look at anything about anatomy, you’re gonna have to wait for Twilight to get back. She said she needed them for some kind of experiment.” “Not important. Thanks.” Spike nodded. “All right. Be back in a few!” Taze gave a casual wave to the leaving Dragon as he started to peruse the books. He couldn’t wait to tear into these new worlds. “I can’t believe they’re not letting us use our magic to help,” one soldier grumbled as he dug his spade into the hard-packed dirt to build the foundation. “We could have things ready so quickly if we did.” An Earth Pony chuckled. “A little hard work will do you wonders. You’re only bones and skin. No muscle.” “Looks like it’s not coming so easily to you either,” the Unicorn retorted. “I know fitness is important, but we should be honing our strengths, too. Right now, this ‘special training’ feels more like a work camp than a military academy.” The same Earth Pony chuckled. “Believe it or not, my grandpa actually said it sounded like I was getting a vacation here. I don’t think he realizes we’re not allowed to use our magic to help, but it does sort of put things into perspective a little, doesn’t it?” “Just a little,” Hard Hat agreed as he approached from behind the pair. “Keep it up, you two. You’re doing fine. Just a half hour to go before you’re done.” The Unicorn groaned. “Stop whining and put your back into it,” Silver Spear snapped. “Or are you going to dishonor your family name so easily?” “Honor is not won by digging ditches,” the Unicorn retorted. “Ditches and tunnels saved Pony lives in the Third Gryphon War,” Silver Spear pointed out. “Didn’t win them much favor in Canterlot, though, did it?” the soldier grumbled as he struggled to lift another shovelful of dirt out of the assigned area. “You’re not winning much favor here either, Slipshod,” the Earth Pony said. “Shut up,” the Unicorn grumbled. “At least there, we were treated with respect. These humans are so … so….” “Being honest here,” one Pegasus spoke up, “we got our flanks kicked in Canterlot.” “Eeeyup,” Rook agreed. “Let’s face facts. We all were relying on the dome to keep out any major threats.” “Hurricane was one of the greatest military minds Equis has ever seen, and we got our flanks kicked by a bunch of bugs with holes in them,” the Pegasus continued. “Was kind of funny seeing some of the higher ups scream like fillies, though,” another Earth Pony snarked. The first Unicorn snorted in indignation. “We do not scream, Balder. “Last I checked, you're the same rank as us,” another Pegasus told the Unicorn. “That doesn’t change the fact that a majority of our land-based senior guard are Unicorns.” “Yeah, because their parents bought their ranks,” the Earth Pony shot back. “I resent that insinuation!” the Unicorn balked. “Your dad wasn’t able to donate to the officers’ retirement fund?” another guard asked. “Supporting the troops is a family tradition. We always donate to that fund every year,” he retorted hotly. “If you want to say my family is bribing, then we can settle this here and now.” His horn hummed dangerously as he grit his teeth and threw down his shovel. “Can’t win without your magic, though, can you?” an Earth Pony snickered. “You're not worth the time.” The Pony who had been identified as Slipshod lunged at his fellow worker with a furiously shrill cry. Dust began to rise as the two tossed and tumbled through the hole they’d dug and the main ground above it, taking chunks of boundary line with them and snapping the poles that had been erected to help in the outline in the process. “Celestia damn it,” Silver Spear growled as he threw down his own shovel and ignited his horn. The two combatants were suddenly lifted airborne and pulled apart, kicking, cursing, and swearing all the while. Sweat dripped down his face as the strain of the act caused his neck to slowly droop with his head. “Somepony get between those two and keep them apart. I can’t hold this for much longer.” Rook ran in and grabbed the Earth Pony, pinning him down and letting Silver spear focus his magic on the Unicorn. “It ain’t worth it,” he growled. “Indeed. It isn’t worth it,” Shawn spoke up suddenly as he moved closer to the group. “If you were wondering why you were sent here, this is the reason why.” He spoke flatly, but the ice that coated those words left many of the Ponies shuddering. Silver Spear was swift to pick up Slipshod and pull him in line. He then drew himself up and saluted the human. “Permission to speak, Sir?” “Granted. Let’s hear it.” “You’re our commanding officer, and I disobeyed a direct order not to use my magic. I’m ready to take my punishment when you’re ready, Sir.” Shawn sighed. “Take a lap around Ponyville. Report back in afterwards and continue digging.” Silver Spear saluted smartly. “Sir!” he barked, then bounded from the dig site to begin his run. “As for you lot.” Shawn turned his glare to the others. “You don’t seem to understand the situation you’re in. So, I’m going to reinforce it into those skulls of yours. You are at your very end here. You are the absolute bottom of the barrel, every last one of you. And if you want to know why, look at the last five minutes. What were your exact orders?” “Dig out space for the foundations without using magic, magically enhanced strength, or flight, Sir,” Rook said. “Exactly. Did those orders involve bickering amongst yourselves? To argue about whose daddy loves them more? To complain about your lot in life? Let me answer this. No, they did not. So, why did you decide amongst yourselves that you were going to do so and disrupt not only your work but the work of those around you?” An awkward silence ensued as Shawn’s words cut through the cadets. “Exactly what I expected. You have no damned reason to have done this. You are meant to be soldiers, and yet all I see are a bunch of bickering children.” Shawn frowned before turning towards Rook. “Rook, return to your duties.” Rook saluted and went back to digging. “As for the rest of you, you’re all taking doubles. No, this does not mean you will have your schedule changed for tomorrow. It means you are doing a double as of now, and will continue your work tomorrow as usual. Am I understood?” The air was immediately filled with cries of protest and dismay, at least from some of the number. “Excuse me? Did I just hear you all ask for triples?” Shawn shouted. “You don’t get to complain! Now, unless you want something worse, you had better answer me correctly. Am. I. Understood?!” The air resounded with the cry of, “Sir, yes, Sir!” “Good. Now get to it!” Shawn ordered. He folded his arms and watched as they each picked up their shovels to return to work. They eyed him occasionally, almost hopefully, before that died into a grim resignation. They weren’t about to be left alone again. Shawn was sticking around to ensure they did as ordered. A valuable lesson had just been taught, though the cost was dear. The recruits would need to pick their battles more carefully in the future. Unlike their superiors in Canterlot, Shawn was not a lord to cross swords with. Matthew sat behind a desk in the temporary pavilion that had been erected for the sake of education and exercises. He waited patiently, glancing at a watch, then to the empty room, then at the order sheets for the soldiers’ desks. Each desk had a packet of papers with a quill and inkwell for the cadets to use. Finally, he gazed at the tent flaps drifting gently in a subtle breeze. Two minutes past the start of class, the Ponies filed into their makeshift classroom and took their assigned places. Matthew stood up to greet them. His frown already communicated his discontent. “You’re late.” He held a hand to silence those that wished to protest before they could speak. “I don’t care if you were saving another person’s life, something which I very much doubt. It is the principle of the thing. You are late. You are soldiers, and you are late. Soldiers are not late. The only thing I want to hear from you when I ask you what happened is, ‘I have no excuse, Sir.’ Is that understood?” His voice cracked, but the flint behind it was audible. Some of the soldiers glared, and Matthew could almost hear the complaints trembling behind their lips as they struggled to contain those outbursts. After all, Matthew wasn’t alone in this classroom. His lack of physical fitness and his focus on learning had led many to doubt his qualifications as a leader. And as a familiar silver-furred Unicorn opened his mouth with a, “But Sir,” having finally failed to contain that retort, Matthew bellowed with a thunderous roar. “AM I UNDERSTOOD?” Silver Spear flinched. “Yes, Sir,” he muttered. Then, as Matthew continued to bore his gaze into him, the cadet added, “No excuses, Sir.” While some Ponies remained silent, others had yet to understand the lesson, and that vocal disarray continued as Matthew kept his focus set rigidly on Silver Spear. “SIlver Spear, you may sIt down and start the test.” He glared at the others. “THE REST OF YOU, OUTSIDE! We’re going to march around the building, and then we’re going to file back in respectfully, and you will have only an hour to do the assignment!” The ponies yet again tried to protest. “OUTSIDE!” He slammed his ruler on a desk, causing the wood to snap in half. “And just for that, we’ll be running two laps.” The Ponies filed out while Silver Spear started work on his paper. The sound muffling spells on the cloth prevented him from hearing what transpired outside, but five minutes later, the cadets filed back in, and Matthew strode back to his own chair. “Now you may be seated,” he said. The ponies took their seats. “Turn over the sheet and follow the directions on the paper. You have the rest of the class to do this assignment.” He raised the watch from the table. “Which, judging by my watch, gives you exactly fifty minutes. Be as detailed as you want to be. Now … BEGIN!” The sound of paper and quill scratching began as Matthew sat down and took a book out to read, glancing occasionally at the group to observe their behavior. With ten minutes left in the period, Matthew rose to his feet. “All right, cadets. Put your quills in the stands and turn in your papers.” He clapped his hands loudly at the protest. “Seeing as you all can’t be on time, I’m going to do you all a favor by giving you an extra ten minutes to make it to your next period. And to make sure nobody gets lost along the way, I’ll do you the extra service of leading you all there myself. In formation.” With a sharp bark, the Ponies were on their hooves. A few orders later, they marched in rank and file from the pavilion to the Ponyville clocktower for Taze’s afternoon run. He called out a marching cadence to keep them at a slow trot, transitioning between Lunar and Solar themes as the mood took him. At the base of the clock tower, Matthew saluted Taze and handed over the troops. A portable desk had been set up in front of the tower for the human’s use as he awaited the cadets’ arrival. The moment the formation was put into a parade rest for a water break, an Earth Pony muttered under his breath. “What’s got that bookworm so antsy? We weren’t really late….” Matthew approached the Earth Pony and glared with red face as he loomed over the cadet. “You. With me. Now.” He took the soldier-in-training to Taze and relayed the new words, followed by a summary of what had happened at the pavilion. “So, then, … tell me. What's your name?” Taze asked the Pony. “Bright Crumble. Cadet from House Cookie,” the Earth Pony responded. “You have a problem with books, do you?” “They belong in the libraries. They’re useful, but it’s bad for pure academics to lead. They don’t know war like we do.” “What lands are we in, soldier?” Taze asked. “Equestria. More specifically, the duchy of Ponyville.” “Yes. And who is the noble in charge of the duchy of Ponyville?” Taze asked “Celestia. But The mayor runs the town.” “Celestia is the crown, Crumble. I asked you for the noble,” Taze said. “I don’t know,” Bright Crumble replied honestly. “Ah, so you’ve been living under a rock, have you?” Taze retorted. “Are you using a slur against me?” “Okay, you can stop playing the race card right now.” Taze slammed his fist hard enough on his desk for it to vibrate. “You do not ever try that bullshit with me, Private. I don’t care what species you are. I don’t care about your family, where you grew up, or how many zeros your family's bank account has. You play that race card again and I will make your life a god's damned nightmare. Am I perfectly clear?” Crumble seemed irritated. “Is anger a trait that all of you share?” he asked sullenly. The air became dreadfully silent. When next Taze spoke, his voice was cool and unnervingly calm. “Matthew, call the barber.” Matthew nodded, though his brow furrowed in confusion. “I’ll … fetch him at once.” Bright Crumble’s confusion was far more pronounced as he watched Matthew stride away toward the base camp. “I already have the mane cut the military requires.” “No, you have the mane cut the Royal Guard requires. Statute 236, paragraph 2, subsection 6 states that mane length is to be determined by the leader of the guard branch and can be adjusted on a case-by-case basis pending approval by the branch leader. As shared leader of this branch, I invoke that authority. I, Taze Klim, proclaim that the Pony known as Bright Crumble would benefit from a much shorter standard mane cut until he has proven mature enough to wear his hair like a big boy.” “And Royal Guards have said that rule is cruel and not followed anymore,” Bright Crumble countered. “Yes. They also say to watch your mouth around those higher up than you,” Taze said. “You're from the Cookie House, probably some branch family. You know, or at least should this area is landed to Dame Twilight Sparkle, several-time national hero and powerful mage, as well as Celestia's student. She also happens to be a rather large fan of books, as is Celestia, I might add. I’m angry because you’re an educated brat who clearly was too stupid to make use of what was available to you. You hid in your family's home when the Changelings attacked me and the ‘bookworm,’ as you called him. We both fought on the front lines to defend your home city, and we have the scars and the awards to prove it. Now you talk down to him like he’s beneath you, and then you have the gaul to play dumb with me. Tell me, how would your father react to a dishonorable discharge? Because, frankly, I am this close to ordering it for your disrespect. Honestly, he probably should be happy it doesn’t carry the public gelding it used to. Or did you forget about that particular practice when you studied rules that were deemed ‘cruel’ by the guard?” Bright Crumble snorted angrily. “I was guarding the Foals’ Hospital when other higher ups deserted the place. And yes, you all protected the capital, but what else did he do before? All this bookworm does is teach behind a desk. When does he run? I’ve only seen him reach retirement levels for his exertion. What did he do before? While Bookworms are great assets to society, they shouldn’t be left to lead—” Taze unsheathed his sword in a single motion and neatly rested the blade’s point under Crumble’s chin. “Finish that sentence and you’ll never finish another one,” he said with a steely edge to his voice. “You disgrace my friend and your country with every word that comes from your mouth.” He grimaced as he thought about the situation currently. “I’ll tell you what, Crumble. You have a viewpoint, and I have another. How about we have you prove which is true?” Crumble swallowed heavily as he eyed the sword. “What do you mean?” he asked. Then he licked his lips. “And … respectfully, you are close to crossing the limits of acceptable conduct between officers and cadets.” “And you're close to crossing the line between running your mouth and treason,” Taze returned as he sheathed the blade. “In a few days, you and Matthew will play a game, a simple game of military strategy. Total conquest is the only win condition. Beat him and I'll let you go at just the shaving. Lose, and you get to pull Cook's Assistant detail for the next year.” “A game is something that fits the academic world. What does he know about field conditions, living in tents, functioning on just a few hours of sleep, maintaining a weapon? Scholars are good, but not ones that don’t know what it’s like to be in a real campaign.” “I assure you that all will be taken into account in the rules. Needing stable food and water supplies, supply caravans, teamsters, morale, weather conditions, the whole shebang. And to ensure that this little … experiment of ours remains pure and unadulterated, it will be decided by a fully unbiased judge. Two, in fact, just to be fair.” Crumble’s gaze narrowed suspiciously, but he finally nodded. “Very well, I accept.” “Very good. Now Matthew knows what mane cut you will be getting. When it’s done, you are to be confined to your quarters until said event. I have exercises to lead.” Taze said, turning from the desk. “If you leave for any unjustifiable reason and without escort, the Thestral MPs that you currently do not see will be taking you to the stockade. Am I clear?” This time, the grumble was reluctant. “Yes, Sir.” Reluctant, but the title was there. “Good.” Taze gave him a literal one-fingered salute, finishing with a twist of his hand, so the finger pointed high toward the heavens. “You should be glad. This is a mercy. Shawn would really have destroyed you.” And then he left to join the other cadets for their run. Crumble stood still waiting for the return of Matthew and the barber. And though his legs did not tremble, his mane did stand on end as his eyes darted nervously around the area. “And so, the king licked his finger, flipped the page, and fell over dead,” Taze told the group of foals. “And the head laughed its final laugh as the life left its eyes.” He ended the story on a solemn note. Dinkie, Derpy Hooves’ daughter, stared wide-eyed as she listened. Astonishment warred with familiarity at the tale. Ruby Pinch sat alongside the rest of the CMC, gaping at the way that Taze had narrated the tale. Scootaloo clapped her hooves together as she looked to Applebloom and Sweetie. “Could we get our Cutie Marks in … Alakazam?” “Alchemy,” Sweetie Belle corrected. “I wouldn’t try it,” Taze said. “There are way too many things that can go wrong.” “Like what?” Sweetie asked. “Have you never heard of the philosopher's stone?” Taze asked in mock surprise. “Isn’t philosophy un … touchable?” Applebloom asked with a furrowed brow. “Intangible,” Sweetie Belle corrected automatically. “Yeah, that. How can it be a stone?” “Many years ago, in my world, alchemists used to spend lifetimes attempting to create a philosopher's stone, a small blood-red stone that could extend your life indefinitely, cure any disease, and turn lead into gold,” Taze explained. “They mixed everything they could think of to try and make it, and they always failed, until one day, an alchemist by the name of Nicholas Flamell Discovered the terrible, terrible secret.” “What secret can be so bad about a stone?” Applebloom asked. “A secret.” Taze smirked. “Yeah, but what kind of secret?” Scootaloo asked again. “Or is it one of those only adults know kind of secrets?” “It’s one of those ‘if I told you, you wouldn’t sleep at night’ kind of secrets,” Taze responded. “So you’re saying not even Rainbow Dash can handle it? That’s pretty hard for me to believe,” Scootaloo said as she folded her forelegs skeptically. “Rainbow Dash can’t handle everything.” “I find that hard to believe,” Scootaloo retorted. “She’s awesome, and great, and she can handle anything you throw at her.” “But how do you handle that which cannot die?” Taze asked. “By makin’ friends with it?” Applebloom asked. “Ah, but there are some beings with whom you can never make friends,” Taze said. “Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn." “The three Fillies looked confused. “Is that another language from your world?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I wish you didn’t say those words. If Sweetie hears the same phrase four times, she’ll be able to repeat it,” Dinky said. “It means ‘In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.’” Taze smirked. “It refers to a monster, a being who seeks to destroy the world and will destroy the world when the stars are right, a creature who cannot ever truly be killed.” “But … why would someone wanna do something like that?” Applebloom asked. “It don’t make a lick of sense.” “Not everything in life makes sense. Sometimes, rules you think you know aren't what turns out to be true,” Taze said. “All right, that’s enough of that,” Berry Punch said as she strode out from behind her counter at the bar. “It’s about time for you kids to get back home. Don’t you all have some homework to do, anyway?” she asked pointedly as she gazed at each of the fillies. “It’s not that late yet,” Scootaloo said lamely. “Late enough,” Berry countered. “Go on. You can play with Ruby again later. Scoot.” “Don’t worry. There’ll be more stories at another time,” Taze promised. The foals frowned, but ultimately obeyed their elder and said their goodbyes before departing for their homes. “Ruby, do me a favor and head to your room for a few minutes, would you? I need to have a talk with our guest here,” Berry said. Ruby nodded. “Yes, Mom.” When the foal had left for her quarters, Berry motioned toward her bar. “Got any preferences?” “Not much of a drinker,” Taze said. “Got any juice?” Berry smirked. “With a name like Berry Punch, you have to ask?” “Fair enough.” Taze chuckled. “I do something wrong?” “I wouldn’t exactly say wrong,” Berry admitted as she approached the bar table. “It’s not like I set any ground rules for you.” She laid down a couple of glasses on the bar’s counter. “So, what’ll it be?” “Raspberry.” Berry Punch nodded and removed a small glass bottle, then poured for the pair of them. The red juice sparkled as she passed the cup to him. “Now, I’m a freer parent than most folks here in Ponyville. I don’t mind exposing Ruby to some things other parents might not find so … appetizing.” She chuckled. “Guess I just think kids can handle learning more than some folks give ’em credit for. The thing is, if you keep up with stories like that before bed, sooner or later, it’s going to give the little ones nightmares. I’m not going to ask you to stop, but I am going to ask you to keep those kinds of stories for earlier in the day. My Ruby’s a tough girl, but I can tell when she’s had a nightmare. I may not be the best mother in the world, but even I know the importance of looking out for a daughter. You get what I’m saying?” “I’ll tone down on the heavy stuff.” Taze nodded with a chuckle. “Who knows? Maybe you can break up those stories and start a business of your own if the whole building up an army thing doesn’t work out.” She waved her hoof dismissively, then took a swig of the juice. “There are plenty of adults who like a good story like that. Even better, there’s no need to worry about some drunk idiot taking it as an offense, since your characters are all humans like you.” She chuckled. “I mean, most of your stories are all Ponies, from what I’ve read,” Taze countered. “We tend to gravitate to our own races.” “Oh, our species isn’t the problem.” Berry chuckled. “The problem’s with the tribes in the species. Surprised you haven’t noticed that little complication after your stay in Canterlot.” “That's fair.” Taze nodded. Berry shrugged. “It is what it is. Ponyville’s better than most places about that, except for a few bad apples. My little pinch knows who they are and how to deal with them. You ever need a fair judgment of character, you can trust her.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” Taze said. “Canterlot types are starting to get to me with the way they’re treating Matthew.” “I’m sure you and your friends’ll be able to sober them up.” “I hope. Anyway, I’ll work on telling more cheerful stories,” Taze promised before taking a sip of his juice. “You have my thanks.” Berry nodded her head briefly, then smirked. “So, what do you think about the goods?” Matthew sat down at their makeshift meeting room, an empty space in the Punch Bowl’s cellar that Berry was kind enough to allow them to use for the time being. He looked over at Moonshade, Shawn, and Taze. “So, are we ready to convene this meeting?” “Probably as good a time as ever,” Taze said and nodded. Shawn sighed. “Let’s get this over with.” Matthew glanced at Moonshade, then to his friends. “What are we going to do with this wrinkle? Thanks to a slight miscalculation,” he said as he looked at Taze, “we have a Changeling Queen evolving right here in Ponyville.” “She seems more reasonable,” Taze admitted. “And a lot more lucid.” “Lucid? The enemy queen seemed lucid as well,” Matthew retorted. “This could be a big problem.” “She’s not hostile.” Taze shook his head and looked to Shawn. “Hell, I’d give her a safe classification.” “Safe?” Shawn questioned. “You’re that positive on that?” “I’ve talked with her a few times. She’s been honest as far as I can tell, and genuinely feels no further allegiances to Chrysalis. She just wants safety to figure out what's going on right now.” Shawn hummed for a moment before sighing. “Given the situation with Mutatio and how Luna’s treated him, I suppose it’s potentially all right. Of course, with a good amount of ground rules.” “I’m not saying we let her go galloping around town as she pleases, but I see no reason to keep her locked in the cell anymore,” Taze said, crossing his arms. “Okay, where will her quarters be, then?” Matthew asked. “And should we inform Twilight of this situation?” “Does Twilight know about Mutatio?” Taze asked. “Also, we could probably get her a room at the inn.” Matthew looked to Shawn with a vicious grin. “Seems like you just volunteered to clean up the problem, Taze, and handle everything attached to her and Mutatio.” “Clean up the problem? I wasn’t aware we were sweeping a room, Matthew. These are living beings we’re talking about.” “And beings that outright attacked the capital city. German Wermach are living beings, but in combat and war, they were referred to as a lot worse than a problem. Until we can ascertain loyalty and the like, this could either go pear shaped or it could be a boon.” “Operation Valkyrie,” Taze said bluntly to Matthew. “Fair point.” Matthew folded his arms and nodded. “Then we’ll have to see if she’s a Rommel or a Gorring.” “At the very least, we should inform Princess Luna,” Moonshade noted. “Then you write the letter, Moonshade. That, or you can help me to write it. I could use the practice.” “I’ll write it,” Moonshade said. “You’re still a little slow to chain the letters together properly. You can write a translation without the amulet’s assistance if you want, though. That should prove how far your comprehension has improved.” “Sounds good.” Matthew looked to Shawn. “Anything to add?” “That sums up everything of major importance for the time being. Once we have a response from Luna, we can look to the future. Right now, we have everything we can do at the moment.” Shawn sighed. “And Twilight?” Taze asked. “Update her on the situation. While it’s our problem, it’s technically within her reach.” Shawn shrugged. “Okay. That's going to be fun.” Taze sighed. “I’ll see to that side of things.” Shawn looked to Taze. “As you’re going to have your hands full.” “So I assumed.” “For now, I believe that’s all we have. Unless there is anything that wasn’t brought to my attention?” After several moments of silence, he nodded. “Then this concludes this meeting.” “Same time next week, then.” Matthew finished as he got up and stretched. “Now it’s time for me to get back to grading.” “Derpy’s a really hard worker, but it’s kinda hard to track her down. Are you really sure you want to try meeting her first?” Button Mash asked as he looked up to the hunter. The two had just emerged from Sugarcube Corner after Taze made a pitstop to pick up his blood sugar again. Spike followed closely behind as he savored a particularly large sapphire. “And that, my very young friend, is where Spike comes in,” Taze said. “We just have to write a message and address it to her, then let magic do the rest.” “And this time, I get to be the hero!” Spike beamed as he bit off another chunk of his gem and swallowed. “Wouldn’t you have to follow the message to see where it goes, though? I mean, if Celestia responds as fast as I’ve heard she does, then how are you supposed to even follow where the trail goes?” Button asked. Spike shrugged. “Derpy’s a lot closer than Princess Celestia. Maybe it’ll move slower. It’s worth a shot.” Button Mash looked skeptically at the Dragon. “Are you sure you don’t just want more gems to eat?” Spike blushed and shuffled his feet. “Well, yeah, I guess there’s that, too….” “Hey, can’t blame him for thinking it through.” Taze chuckled. “Anyway,” Spike said quickly, “we can at least try it, right?” “There’s the spirit.” Taze nodded. Spike pulled out a quill, inkwell, and parchment from Button Mash’s saddlebag. “Here you go, Taze.” “About that,” Taze said. “I might need you to write it for me.” “How come?” Spike cocked his head. “You read Equish just fine. I watched you in the library.” “I have a bit of a writing issue,” Taze admitted. “I’m okay for small bits, but anything longer and it becomes illegible.” “Did you want to write a whole letter, then?” Spike asked as he opened the inkwell, then raised the parchment and primed the quill for the message to come. “I’m one of the fastest scribes in Equestria! Seriously, I went through a contest and everything.” “Yeah. I’d appreciate it. Dysgraphia sucks.” Spike grinned. “Fire away!” It didn’t take long for the trio to compose the letter. After a number of suggestions, they finally settled on a proper letter of introduction, which Spike then offered to the human to finish with his signature. Once all was said and done, the young drake furled up the parchment into a scroll and held it in front of his face. “Are you ready?” Spike asked. “We may have to run.” “Ready when you are.” “Okay. Here goes….” Spike raised the scroll, took a deep breath, and let his fire go. The letter was immediately consumed, and ashes ringed in fragments of green ember floated away on the wind. The trio were off in a rapid chase, each doing their best to keep eyes on the magical smoke as they broke through town. Spike was able to pass easily under wagons and Ponies’ legs while Taze had to vault over objects and leap beyond the backs of passersby like hurdles in a marathon. Button Mash’s beanie spun vigorously as he ran with determination, bobbing and weaving through the crowd while simultaneously offering apologies to various townsfolk. Between the smoke, the street, and the obstacles, more than a few little accidents were left in their wake. It wasn’t quite as disastrous as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but the trio would certainly leave their marks in the memories of many a Pony in their pursuit. At last, they turned a corner toward a low-lying cloud, where a familiar set of blue wings jutted over the edges. And there, hovering in front of said cloud was an adorable gray mailmare with roaming eyes and a cutie mark shaped like a stream of rising bubbles. Button Mash huffed and puffed as they finally screeched to a stop beneath the mare just in time for the scroll to materialize next to her. Ever the speedster, Rainbow Dash was swift to seize the document before it could fall and pass it to the one and only Derpy Hooves, who looked at the scroll in confusion. “We found her.” Taze chuckled between pants. “Eeeyup,” Button replied. Spike bent over and clasped his knees as he panted. “That … was intense,” he panted. “Um, … you wanted to see me?” the mare asked as she descended slowly to the ground. “Sorry for the intrusion,” Taze said. “A mare called Octavia mentioned you were on top of the list of Ponies to meet, and I wanted to say,” he moved in and gave the mare a hug. “From one person with challenges to another, you provide a valuable service and you are extremely valued.” “Oh…” Derpy blushed. “I, uh … thank you.” She looked around the street. “Did … Octavia really say that about me?” “Yes,” Taze said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He let her go and smiled. “My name is Taze.” Derpy’s eyes widened with recognition. “Oh, you’re one of the ones who fought in the capitol, right?” “I fought, yes.” Taze nodded. “But more people deserve credit for that than I do.” “You still did everything you could to save everypony. That’s the best thing anyone could ask.” She floated up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “And that’s for looking after my Dinkie.” “Hey, children are the future. Gotta be kind to them.” Taze blushed slightly, then retrieved a brown paper bag from Button’s saddlebag and handed it to her. “Here. I figured you could use a muffin for the road.” Derpy gasped as she took the bag. “For me?” “Yeah, Taze thought you’d like one fresh from the bakery,” Button Mash said with a smile. “And I helped pick out the best one!” Spike added as he polished his talons against his chest. “Dragons know quality when they see it, you know.” “I hope you have a great day,” Taze told her. Derpy sniffled and quickly wiped away the tears that were welling up in her eyes. “Thank you. I have to finish my route, then go pick up Dinkie from the library, but later, I want you to come by our house. I’ll treat you to a nice home-cooked meal.” She beamed. “And then I can introduce you to the rest of the family!” “I’d like that. Thank you,” Taze said with a grin. Derpy giggled. “Until next time, then. Goodbye, you three!” She waved her hoof vigorously as she seized the bag in her mouth and flapped as quickly as her wings would allow. She accidentally cut through part of Rainbow’s cloud, triggering it to let loose its load, much to the lounging blue mare’s dismay. “Hey!” Rainbow cried after the mare. “Sorry!” Derpy shouted back after shifting the bag to one of her free hooves. Rainbow sighed and quickly began running damage control over the cloud to preserve what mass she could on it. Then she sighed and shook her head. “That’s Derpy for you.” She chuckled. “I like her determination, though. She never gives up, no matter how hard things get.” “Yeah, well, sometimes life gives you more sour lemons than other people,” Taze noted as he turned to head back. “It means that much more when you taste that lemonade.” Spike hopped next to the human with a big grin on his face. “So where do we go next?” Button Mash flanked the human on the other side. “I can take you anywhere you want to go.” “How about you show me somewhere you think is interesting?” Taze asked. Button Mash grinned. “I know just the place.” He paused briefly. “You … don’t mind getting a little tree sap on you, right?” “It involves the CMC, doesn’t it?” Taze deadpanned. “Well, more their treehouse. You don’t always get sticky, but for some reason, they usually do.” Button Mash chuckled awkwardly. “It's a really cool place to hang out, though!” “Not a bad place to listen to some singing either,” Spike noted slyly. Button Mash blushed. “I just … really like the treehouse, okay? It’s cool, and Taze said he wanted to go someplace cool!” “Fine, lets go,” Taze said as he crouched to lay a supportive hand on Button’s back. “Lead the way.” Button Mash grinned. “You won’t believe the awesome stuff Dinky’s adding to it!” And with that, the trio were off. The day was darkening as the sun set toward the horizon while the crescent of the moon prepared to rise. Stars were getting ready to wink into existence as shadows stretched under the fading light. Shawn strode casually from the stalls at the marketplace as the last vendors packed up their wares and closed down their establishments for the evening. “Dinky, slow down,” a familiar voice called. Off in the distance, the racing shape of a tiny lavender Unicorn filly with a blond mane and tail approached pell mell. A gray blur soon caught up to the mare and landed smack dab in front of her, cutting her off and forcing her to crash against Derpy Hooves’ side. “How many times have I told you not to run away from me, Dinky?” she demanded. Dinky shuddered. “I don’t wanna get eaten by the Vashta Nerada, though….” She shook as her eyes darted fearfully around the ground. “They work in a hive, too, just like the Changelings. And we can’t even see them.” Derpy knelt and wrapped the filly in her wings, then added her forelegs for good measure. “Dinky, those scary shadows aren’t here on Equestria. You know that. The Shadow Proclamation won’t let them or any other aliens settle here without permission.” “But—” “No buts.” The mare stroked the filly’s mane and held her close. “I’m not gonna let anyone harm you. Understand?” She frowned then. “But how would you know about them, anyway?” Dinky blushed and looked away. “The archives….” Derpy’s frown deepened as her gaze narrowed. “Is that so?” She raised the filly onto her back. “In that case, the TARDIS and I are going to need to have a little chat when we get home. I don’t care how much of a genius you are. I am not about to let her get away with giving you nightmares.” Derpy hugged her mom’s neck tightly. “Thanks, Mamma.” Derpy smiled. “I’ll always look out for you,” she promised. “Though I think I’ll need to have a talk with your father about this, too. Time Turner really should know better by now.” Shawn watched the pair walk away, then shook his head. “Choosing to be willfully ignorant of that,” he muttered as he continued on his way to Berry’s. It didn’t take long for him to arrive and give a brief wave to the mare before making his way to the Punch Bowl’s cellar for the next meeting with his friends. Matthew smiled and waved in greeting. “Hey, Shawn.” Once more, a set of papers were laid in front of him, along with an equestrian pencil provided courtesy of Filthy Rich’s store. “Hey. All right. Everyone’s here, yeah?” Shawn asked as he looked over everyone present. “Okay. Then we can begin this meeting to discuss the current plans and outlook of the guard chosen for us to train.” “Physically, they’re coming along well,” Taze admitted. “I’ve got a list of several I'd like to take into my own section when we get things running properly. Most of them seem to gather around Black Rook, so I was thinking of making him my lieutenant.” “He’s got a good head on his shoulders, so that should be fine. Though we’ve still got to beat it into their skulls that they aren’t special.” Shawn sighed. “Some of them have it, but others are still a pain.” “That is very true. I’ve had one troublesome Unicorn mare that is keen on contradicting and questioning every statement and every word on the written tests. The only one that even did well on the last set of questions was one Silver Spear, and even he isn’t seeing what I’m trying to show them.” “Some of them are just trying to get the easy life they had in Canterlot back. They think they already know everything.” Shawn frowned. “Moonshade, anything to note on the nocturnal side of things, whatever they’re trying to keep secret from us?” “Nothing Major as of yet. Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to keep them from sending private messages home. Just general going out and trying to get contraband when they think they’re not watched.” “The sooner we can get out of Ponyville, the better, then.” Shawn sighed once more. “All right. We’ll need to increase the timetables for the compound, get it up as soon as we can. Thankfully, we should be getting the last batch of guards soon enough and we’ll have a complete workforce to work with.” He rubbed at his forehead.” As well as more issues to deal with, of course, but the current group should get the idea across that we shouldn’t be targeted.” “That would be good. Could you maybe see about getting a cardiologist out here, too?” Matthew asked. “Things have been feeling … off the last couple of weeks. I want to make sure things are working right.” “I’ll see what I can do.” Shawn frowned. “I’ve got to get a few others out here as well, and get an extra set of eyes on some plans. Beyond that, I’ve got all the documents covered, so it’s only a matter of time for me to get everything out.” “Have you been doing all the paperwork yourself?” Moonshade asked. “Everything covering logistics, the shipments of supplies and tools, and official documents, yeah. When it comes to the teaching of the units, that’s all Matthew, of course.” Shawn raised a brow. “Why do you ask?” “Usually, you’d have people to help with that. It seems like a lot to take on yourself,” she noted. Shawn gave a dismissive wave. “Eh, it’s fine. I ran a business back home as well. Sure, the paperwork takes slightly longer due to me only recently having learned the written language to completion, but it’s not too bad. The only tricky part is wording things perfectly as to not have them exploited, and even then it’s not too time consuming.” After a moment of silence, he looked over the group. “Anything else of major importance to note?” Matthew nodded. “I think it’s time to try my first Kobayashi Maru scenario on paper. I want to see how the soldiers handle a simple no-win scenario. The basis is going to be on Thermopylae.” “So long as it’s for their betterment, go for it.” Shawn nodded. “I think it will be. I’ve been taking small lessons from The Art of War as well. I’d like to tie this to the six types of terrain. Accessible ground, entangling ground….” He frowned. “Shoot! I forgot the rest.” He snapped his fingers, then sighed. “I’ll get them by test time,” he promised. “So long as it’s for their betterment,” Shawn repeated. “You’re clear.” “Thank you.” He looked at Taze. “Could I have a little extra time at the end of the week for this test? If I’m going to get a good sense for their mental states in this situation, we’re probably going to need longer than the usual hour.” “That's fine. I’ll make it up later.” Taze nodded. “And Shawn, Taze, I’d like to run a few practice rounds with you for the strategy duel. Do either of you have some free time coming up in your schedules?” “If I can get the time free,” Shawn replied with a shrug. “No promises. I need to head back into the forest tomorrow,” Taze noted. “Sounds good,” Matthew answered “All right, in any case…” Shawn hummed for a moment. "Our plans still stand to have everything complete before winter. And once spring rolls in, we’ll be clear to move out into the Everfree Forest.” “Still seems like our best plan.” Taze nodded. “I don’t think Ponyville  can sustain us here indefinitely.” “Without a doubt. Thankfully, we’re importing enough to keep things stable until we can depart. The costs are being covered by the crown. Well, most of it is covered. Special materials and extra supplies come out of my coffers.” He sighed. “But, that’s all right. So long as we don’t overdo it or break tools too often, it should be fine.” “Have the officers reported any problems with the workforce breaking tools?” Taze asked. “Nothing too out of the ordinary. There was only one repair out of the ordinary. Your axe in particular, but most of it was covered.” “Something happened to your axe?” Matthew asked as he looked at Taze. “Battleaxes don’t make good chopping tools,” Taze said sheepishly. Matthew facepalmed and groaned. “Seriously?” Shawn sighed. “Indeed. Well, if there’s nothing else of major importance, then we should be covered on everything.” “Agreed.” Taze nodded. “Then unless anyone has anything else to add,” Shawn said, “this meeting is concluded.” Shawn hummed to himself as he looked over his latest blueprints. He had planned on creating something for an upcoming event, and it was time for him to finally put it into action. Currently, he was situated in the same workspace as the smiths, who occasionally glanced at his blueprints when they had a moment. Having spent time with his uncle, he understood smithing, and had given it several goes beforehand. Sure, it had been some years since he had done so, but he still remembered everything that his uncle taught him. Beyond this process however, he needed several other products. “Would one of you be able to put gunpowder on the next shipment list?” he asked, still looking over his designs. “What would you be needin’ that for?” Storm Hammer asked. “Propulsion,” Shawn remarked as he leaned over the worktable and redrew something over his designs. “Thankfully, your remarking that means you have it and not black powder, which would be drastically more difficult to work with.” “It took some time before we could make it safer, but that doesn’t fully answer the question there, lad,” Steel Weaver remarked with a questioning glance. “Got to keep some secrets.” Shawn chuckled briefly. “A little security measure for the future.” “You realize that's going to be a load of paperwork, right?” Storm hammer asked. “That's a restricted substance.” “And if anyone has to send complaints, it’ll be my signature on the end, meaning they won’t bother you both in the slightest. I was just asking if you could send my request with your next shipment request.” “We’ll do so, just as long as it’s your ‘ead on the line.” Storm hammer nodded. “As if I’d put your necks on the line.” Shawn gave a smirk. “I’d risk myself before I risk anyone else.” Then he returned to his work again, continuing to redraft and redesign his project. “Got to make this perfect... Won’t have many chances if it breaks.” Then he hummed to himself. “I appreciate that.” Storm hammer nodded. “What exactly will we be making in the end?” Steel Weaver questioned. “Both of you won’t be making this. I will,” Shawn replied. “That's incredibly complex,” Storm Hammer said, glancing at the designs. “Indeed. But I should be able to manage that.” He frowned as he looked it over once more. “It’ll take time, but it should be fine, so long as I quadruple check everything.” “It’s a wonder the eggheads never thought of that,” Storm hammer noted. “It’s like a cannon you could ’old in your hoof.” “Something like that, yeah, though way more complicated.” He frowned. “Need the right measurements. Have to ensure the containment is just right. And the work I’ll have to do on the inside of the barrel is going to be quite a challenge.” “Best types of projects usually are,” Storm hammer noted. “Indeed. All right, I can at least make some prototypes for shape and mechanical pieces until we get the gunpowder.” Shawn cracked his knuckles before giving a slight stretch. “Let’s see how this goes with tools made for a different species.”