The Hidden Adventure

Dusk looked around the breakfast table, but could not see Twilight anywhere. He was already worried that something had happened to her as she had not turn up for their daily morning meetings. “I’ll ask Princess Celestia about it later.” Dusk thought to himself as he shoved a spoonful of oats and cream into his mouth.

“Ummm… hey, Dusk?” said a voice from beside him. Dusk looked down and saw Ashley looking back up at him.

“Yeah?” Dusk said, but from her face, he knew she was thinking just what he was thinking except about Spike. “I’ll ask the princess later, don’t worry.” Dusk reassured her. She lit up and smiled back at Dusk.

After breakfast, Dusk made his way to the royal throne room. He entered and bowed down, saying, “Greetings, your majesty.” Ashley curtseyed and greeted likewise.

“Dusk! Ashley! What a pleasant surprise!” Princess Celestia said, smiling, “What brings you here? You never visit me unless for lessons or meetings.”

“Well… umm… Do you know where Twilight is?” Dusk asked plainly. Princess Celestia’s smile faded, then she said, “Well… you see Dusk, Twilight made some friends in Ponyville and she… wanted to stay there…”

“Oh…” Dusk said, his voice trailing off. Princess Celestia tried to explain, “I’m sorry Dusk, unlike her you have the castle guard to look after so-”

“I know your majesty,” Dusk interrupted her, “I know I can’t move to Ponyville.” Ashley was also visibly upset, no Twilight also meant no Spike.

“I’m sorry to the both of you, but if it is any consolation, I would like to inform you of the newest member of the guard,” Princess Celestia said, pointing outside her window. Dusk walked over and saw light brown earth pony pacing the royal garden. His brown mane slightly ruffled and his armour on the floor looking slightly damaged. “Meet Cliff Hanger,” Princess Celestia said, “He joined the castle guard two days ago.” Ashley looked at the pony, then turned to Princess Celestia and asked, “How did he join the castle guard?”

“I happened to pass by him,” Princess Celestia said, looking at Dusk, “Just like you.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dusk approached the earth pony and said, “I hear you’re the new recruit around here.” The colt turned and saw a dark grey unicorn, dressed in gold armour. The colt just turned back and sat down. “Why so glum?” Dusk said as he sat down next to the colt. The colt moved away from him. Dusk turned to the colt and said, “Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but I want to help you.”

“You’re just saying that,” The earth pony said softly.

“Come again?” Dusk asked.

“I said that you’re just saying that,” The pony repeated himself, “You just want me to open up so that you can hit me harder than the rest of the guard.”

“Excuse me?” Dusk asked indignantly, “Did you just accuse me of attempting to bully you?” The earth pony did not answer. “Well I have news for you buster, I am genuinely trying to be your friend here so if you want to be an ass about it, I can leave. Capisce?” Dusk said, staring the earth pony down.

“Yeah, okay,” The earth pony replied expressionlessly, he stuck out a hoof in friendship and said, “You look trustworthy enough, the name’s Cliff Hanger.”

“Already knew that,” Dusk said at the back of his mind, but actually said, “Mine’s Dusk… Dusk Flamer, Pleased to meet you,” They shook hooves firmly. Cliff noticed Ashley on Dusk’s back and said thoughtlessly, “Is she your pet?”

“Pet?!” Ashley cried out, outraged at what the earth pony thought of her.

“Errr-no, she’s like a little sister to me, her name’s Ashley,” Dusk quickly interjected to prevent conflict. “Ashley, say hi to Cliff.” Ashley simply turned away and puffed out a small green fire.

“I’m sorry,” Cliff said apologetically, “I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Hmph!” Ashley puffed. Cliff reached into the pocket of his armour and pulled out a small green gem. “Please accept my apology,” Cliff said, offering her the small emerald. Ashley glanced over at the emerald, her mouth watering. Emeralds had always been her favorite gem, their green colour and their slightly sourish taste tha made them simply irresistible.

“Aww c’mon Ashley you know want it,” Dusk teased her.

“F-Fine,” Ashley said, politely taking the emerald, “Apology accepted.” Cliff’s face lit up.

“Can I be your friend too?” Asked a voice from nowhere. Both Dusk and Cliff turned to see an amoured white pegasus hanging out in a nearby tree. “Oh yeah, this here is Storm Whipper, a good friend of mine,” Dusk said, pointing at the pegasus. Storm flew down from the tree and landed next to Cliff. “Pleasure to meet you,” Storm said with a wide smile on his muzzle.

“Pleased to meet you too,” Cliff replied, and then looking at Storm’s wings said, “Damn your wings are huge.”

“I get that a lot,” Storm said, preening his feathers.

Just then, two unicorn stallions from the royal guard rotted up behind Dusk and Storm. One of them said, “Hey look, Weak Legs got some loser friends!” The other then chucked Dusk on the shoulder and said, “Now who might these losers be?” Dusk and Storm turned around glared at both of them. Dusk greeted the unicorn guards, “Hello private Bright and private Crush.” The two guards’ faces paled, they began to tremble and back away. The one called private Bright ran and left apologizing. The other followed suite. Cliff could not believe his eyes; the two peskiest bullies he had met were chased off by this one unicorn? Dusk turned to Cliff and said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you my title, I’m Lieutenant Flamer of the royal guard.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“So, you’re telling us, the reason you’re getting picked on is because you don’t have your cutie mark and your hind legs are weaker than normal?” Ashley asked Cliff, gnawing on the emerald. Dusk, Storm and Cliff had decided to go down to the royal mess hall to grab a bite. “That’s pretty much it,” Cliff said.

“Well I don’t have my cutie mark yet,” Dusk said.

“You don’t?” Cliff asked with a puzzled look on his muzzle.

“He sure doesn’t!” Storm replied, looping back and forth in the air.

“B-But you’re the lieutenant of the royal guard!” Cliff said exasperatedly, although his face did not show it.

“Yeah, I guess I just haven’t found my special talent yet.” Dusk said.

“So why are your hind legs weak?” Ashley asked politely. Still nibbling at the gem she had been given.

“Glad to see that you’re enjoying that emerald Ashley,” Cliff said smirking, causing Ashley to be a trifle annoyed. “Anyway, when I was younger, my legs were so weak, that I couldn’t even stand properly.” Cliff explained, “Living in the Manehatten didn’t help. I was bullied and ostracized and I couldn’t run from the abuse. I begged my foster parents to move but they wouldn’t have any of it.”

“Foster parents?” Storm interrupted, “You were adopted?”

“Yes, my parents passed away when I was a young colt,” Cliff replied, a look of discomfort flickered across his expressionless face, “So, I moved in with my uncle over here in Canterlot seven years ago. I signed up in the royal guard only because of the princess’s insistence.”

“What did you and your uncle do before you got scouted?” Dusk inquired.

“We made the armour of royal guards.” Cliff replied, motioning to the armour they were all wearing.

“Oh, well thanks!” Storm said, shaking cliff’s hoof, “This armour saved me and Dusk plenty of times during the war on Hoof Kong!”

“You were in the war?” Cliff asked in disbelief.

“If you consider risking our lives to fight for the country fighting in the war, then yeah” Dusk said, nonchalantly.

“Holy Celestia,” Cliff uttered in awe, a small smile creeping across his face, “I’m friends with two out of the twenty survivors of the Hoof Kong war.”

“How do you know about the war?” Ashley asked.

“News spread incredibly fast, especially in the royal castle.” Cliff replied brightly, “The survivors are like legends to us recruits.”

“So don’t you make armour with your hind hooves?” Dusk asked, changing the subject, the last thing he wanted was for Cliff to feel inferior to them.

“Of course not,” Cliff spat out, “How do you expect to make the intricate details on the armour by using something you can’t use and see at the same time?”

“I’m sorry for not knowing how to make armour,” Dusk replied calmly. Cliff sighed and said, “Anyway, we use our front hooves to rhythmically strike that hot iron to bend it into shape.”

“So you use your front hooves eh…” Dusk muttered to himself.

“Hey look, were here!” Storm said enthusiastically as they approached the great oak doors of the royal mess hall.

“C’mon, let’s get some grub,” Ashley said, finishing the emerald, “I hear they’re having cabbage pottage and hay fries.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

After lunch, the Dusk, Storm and Cliff all did not have any major duties so they went for a walk around Canterlot. “Can we visit your uncle and try smithing?” Ashley asked.

“Sure… It should be his day off today.” Cliff replied.

“Yes!” Storm exclaimed doing a barrel roll in mid-air.

“So where does your uncle live?” Dusk asked.

“About ten blocks away from the castle,” Cliff responded, leading them down the main road.

All three ponies had left their armour back in their rooms as the weight of their armour would have been tiresome and a burden. A few minutes later and they arrived at an alleyway which Cliff led them down to an old rustic blacksmith. It had a brick red tiled roof, stone block walls that had moss in between the brick, two windows and a wooden door, Held together by metal strips and studs. The entire building looked as if it had been weathered down over a long period of time. “Well, here we are,” Cliff said pointing at the blacksmith, “Let’s head inside.”

As they entered the building, the door rang a bell just above it and in response, an old kindly voice from the back of the building called out, “I’m at the back o’ the shop. Gif me a sec and I’ll be with ya soon enough.” The smithy’s interior décor of the shop area did not betray its rustic exterior. The floor was made of oak wood planks. A few meters in front of the door was an old varnished wood counter. Behind the counter was a door. All over the shop area’s walls were hoof hammers, hoof saws and other tools of all kind hung on racks. The roof of the blacksmith was surprisingly made of hay, giving the entire building a nice homey scent. The only modern thing in the blacksmith was the cash register on the counter and even that looked old. The entire shop area was lit by old fashioned oil lamps hanging from the ceiling.

“I feel like I just went back into the medieval times,” Ashley uttered.

“But that’s the charm of this place isn’t it Cliff?” Dusk said, very impressed by the appearance of the place.

“Yep,” Cliff replied. Suddenly, the voice from the back of the smithy called out at the mention of Cliff’s name, “Cliff? Is that ya?”

“Yeah it is uncle Edge,” Cliff replied. From the back of the blacksmith there was a crash and the sound of galloping hooves. A second later, an olive green earth pony stallion wearing black hoof gloves burst out from the door behind the counter and tackled Cliff, causing him to stumble and fall. “I missed ya so much ya scoundrel!” The stallion said, smacking Cliff on the shoulder friendlily. “Oof… okay, okay,” Cliff said standing up. After dusting himself off, he turned to Dusk, Storm and Ashley and said, “This here’s my uncle, Edge Walker,” Then turning to Olive said, “These are my friends, Storm is the pegasus, the unicorn goes by the name off Dusk Flamer and The little dragon’s name is Ashley.”

“Pleased ta meet all of ya.” The old stallion said, nodding politely.

“Likewise,” Dusk said, nodding back in response. Edge then looked over at Ashley and mused, “A baby dragon huh, that would be extremely useful ‘round here.”

“Anyway uncle Edge, my friends wanted to try their hooves at smithing, can they try?” Cliff asked politely.

“Sure, any friend of mah nephew is more than welcome ta use mah facilities” Edge replied.

“Thanks! Err…” Storm said, then after a short pause, said, “Mister Edge?”

“Just Edge is fine,” Edge replied, smiling kindly. His eyes twinkling with an age far younger than his own, “Come on then, follow me.” The ponies followed Edge through the door behind the counter and they came out in a large room. The room was vastly different from the shop area of the blacksmith. It was shaped like a dome and was walled with stone bricks. There were five large furnaces, each burning fiercely, sending their heat all over the room. An organized row of many pots of molten gold were lined up at the walls of the room.

“Welcome ta the Blast Room, as I call it at least,” Edge said as he trotted over to a bench at the side of the room. From the bench, he pulled out three pairs of hoof-gloves, similar to the ones he was wearing. “Here ya’ll need this,” Edge said, passing the gloves to the ponies. Then turning to Ashley he said, “Ya don’t need no gloves do ya?”

“I guess?” Ashley said, looking at her white claws. “Now let’s begin,” Edge said, beginning to explain and demonstrate the proper procedures for smithing.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ahh… that feels good.” Dusk said as he lay down into his large private bath. He, Storm and Cliff had just come back from Edge’s blacksmith and his front legs were hurting like crazy. “How did Cliff do that for seven years?” He mused, rubbing his front legs together. An idea suddenly hit him causing him to bolt upright.

“What’s wrong?” Ashley asked, scrubbing her scales. Her smaller bath beside his overflowing with bubbles.

“Nothing,” Dusk replied, trailing off. A plan formulated itself in his head on how to tap into Cliff’s potential power.