The Rise of The Hammerby SouthpawFighter614ChaptersRise of The HammerCanterlot ArrivalIntroductions and The First ChallengesSurprising NewsRise of The HammerHammer waved at the wall-eyed gray pony every pony knew as Derpy, and she flicked a wave back to him as they passed in the street. He often saw her several times a day, and always waved and smiled at her, because he thought a silly looking pony like that wouldn’t have had very many friends, just like he did when he was a young colt still. When he was younger his legs outgrew the rest of his body and he couldn’t remember the sheer amount and variety of hurtful, mean “nicknames” he was given by the other young ponies. He was brought up pretty much by his own two hooves after he got kicked out of the foster home he was staying in for beating up one of the older ponies that made fun of him. That day he had simply had enough. He couldn’t bear the mean nicknames he was given. Everyone simply called him Hammer, for his cutie mark's namesake. As Hammer was enjoying his walk home for his lunch break, he hummed a silly little tune he had made up earlier that day, while helping Big Macintosh with some fences at the Apple Family farm. The Apple family was some of the nicest, most welcoming ponies he’d ever known. Whenever he had free time, he would always volunteer his services for any number of jobs that Big Mac couldn’t do on his own (which was exceedingly rare) or he would keep Apple Bloom entertained while Applejack or Granny Smith were busy, Or when Apple Bloom couldn’t play with her friends. He thought he more or less considered the Apples his family, even though he didn’t actually live with them or carry their renowned name. When he had walked into his home, he noticed he had received a letter. This was one of very few bits of mail he ever received. He opened it gently with his teeth, thanking Celestia that it wasn’t encased in an envelope, which Earth Ponies were not too good with. In official-looking red script, The letter read as follows: ‘Dear Mr. Hammer, The Princess cordially invites you to join her at Canterlot Castle, this following week, to participate in a “Young Stallions” Contest. This contest is simply to exhibit the strengths, abilities, and determination of able-bodied young stallions. The purpose of the contest is to find fresh recruits for Her Royal Majesty’s Guards. If you are one of the top 3 winners, you will be granted a 1000-bit recruitment bonus, and a spot in Her Majesty’s Royal Army. With enough luck, you may end up serving with us for many wonderful years. Your train pass is inside this letter if you haven’t found it yet. Signed, Royal Guard Commander.’ Hammer blinked, and a little ~swish~ pulled him out of his reverie, and his train pass floated to the floor below. He read it twice, to be certain. “This Ticket entitles holder to one free passage aboard The Equestrian Express, all expenses paid, first class.” He whinnied with excitement. Him, Hammer, a possible Royal Guard! He couldn’t wait! All the week he told anyone who would listen about his Royal Invitation. He packed everything he might need with painstaking effort in a green duffel bag. Though he confessed, he didn’t have much. A few bits he had been saving, some warm clothing for the winter months, and his ornate tool set that had been given to him by a passing stranger after he had just gotten his cutie mark. The day came to finally take that trip, and he was surprised to see the few people see him off that did show up. The Apple Family with their dog Winona in tow, and the funny-eyed Derpy. As he trotted over to the gathered friends, he could barely contain himself. He didn’t know how much they actually cared for him until that moment. Derpy saw him first. He didn’t fancy her as much of a talker, but her actions showed true kindness. She had baked him a dozen of her contest-winning Apple Cinnamon muffins, and spoke a short, sweet sentence. “Congratulations Hammer, I’ll miss you. Take these for all those nice smiles you gave me.” He teared up a little at this and hugged Derpy, mindful of her wings. “Thank you for waving back when nobody else would.” She smiled at this and let him go. Next in queue was little Apple Bloom, who hugged him as best she could, and said “I’ll miss you Mr. Hammer. I’ll be sure to keep looking for my cutie mark so I can show you one day.” He smiled and also hugged her back, tossing her a little silver coin for good luck. Next the rest of the apples followed with similar words of kindness and caring. When he got to Big Mac he was most surprised of all. Big Mac took Hammer’s hoof in his own and shook it, looking him straight in the eye. “Do your best Hammer; I’ll have plenty of work for you when you get back.” As they let go of each other’s hooves, a new respect was sparked between these two. When Big Mac shook your hoof, it was a monumental gesture of respect. Mac was never touchy feely and rarely ever shook hooves. Then Hammer did something as equally new and strange. He spoke to Big Mac, and mor than just a short one or two words. “I will, big brother, and you better have more work than ever when I get back.” He smiled at his friends and looked back at them as he boarded the Express, ready to prove his worth to the Princess and her few and proud guards. Canterlot ArrivalAs the train jolted to a stop in the Canterlot train station, Hammer jolted awake, nearly falling off of his seat. He had no idea the trip to canterlot would take nearly eight hours, so after demolishing Ditzy Doo's muffit gift, he dozed off, crumbs on his belly, only to be now, rudely awakened. He gathered his meager possesions, and stepped off of the train into the twilight. He noticed a select few carriages sitting off to the side of the station, emblazoned with the Royal Emblems andflying its banners. A very large pegasi was standing next to a sign. It read "Young Stallion Contestants". He trotted over nervously, when he was halted by the bulky white pegasi. in a gravelly, deep voice, he demanded to see the letter of proof of his invitation. Hammer produced said letter from his saddlebags, and sure enough, it checked out. He was honestly sketchy up until that moment. Bowing slightly, he departed the pegasus' company and took a seat in one of the carriages. He was soon joined by several other ponies of varying physique. Some were Pegasi, others were Earth ponies, and he even saw a couple Unicorns. He would really have to bust his rump to stand out in such a mass of ponies. He gathered, if each carriage held the same amount of ponies, he was only one of 30 total contenstants. This was gonna be such a challenge he didn't even want to think about it. Instead he dozed off again. Three ornately outfitted carriages approached the Royal Canterlot gates. as they clattered along the cobbled road, Canterlot's populace ignored them, or simply watched them pass for a moment. The ponies inside however, couldn't look at enough. Hammer was especially enthralled by the architecture He couldn't sleep on the bumpy roads, so he looked around. Massive buildings of stone, very few ever seen in ponyville, were all over. The wood buidings were dark, rich colors, probably imported from the surrounding forests, and even some black wood was present, from the Everfree. Hammer imagined the money he could make just by plying his trade here. He knew he wasn't going to be here long enough to find out if he could succeed. He had other more pressing issues. Doubts still lingered in the back of his mind, even with the distracting road and awe-inspiring buildings. Hammer was still worried about how he would stack up against so few contestants. Having so few entries probably meant only those few were sent out. Which translated into a 1 in 30 chance at everlasting glory in the service of Her Royal Majesty. Each bump started sounding like words in his head. Failure. Unworthy. Weak. Hammer was shaking, and he couldn't stop. He buried his face in his saddlebags, and breathed heavily. He had to calm down. If he appeared flushed and weak in front of the rest of these ponies, he would be one of the first to go, if not the first. And there went his shot at a decent life. Hammer wasn't entirely unhappy with life in Ponyville, but the change of scenery would be quite welcome, and he could send money back home to help repair the Library, Farms, and other places that meant so much to the local populace. Even though Ponyville appeared nice and well kept, a true architect, or construction pony of any sort, could see the glaring faults. Buildings crumbling at the foundations, the library tree limbs cracking here and there, and the Apple Family barn was liable to fall in on itself at any moment, and kill whoever was in it. He would certainly be devastated if he lost Apple Bloom or Big Mac. And most certainly he would hurt himself or somepony if Applejack was taken. He loved her dearly, though he had told nopony else this fact. He planned to propose in the following harvest season, for he had been saving every spare bit he could. Earning this position in the Royal Guard would definitely earn Mac's approval, which is what he wanted most of all. Granny already loved him to pieces, as did Applebloom, but things had always been borderline tense between the two stallions. Big Mac was the big brother and the closest thing to a father AJ had had since her parents passed. If you got Big Mac's approval, there was no greater sign of respect. Even well-off ponies had come seeking Big Mac's advice on various topics. His no-nonsense outlook on things made him very sensible, even though he was only a few years older than Hammer. Being left alone to his thoughts, Hammer soon forgot the rumbling carriage, and the sights, and slipped into a contented reverie which he finally came out of when a loud horn sounded, signaling the Rampart Guards to open the massive wood-iron gates of Canterlot Castle. Introductions and The First ChallengesHammer was unsure of what to do with himself. It wasn’t every day that you were not only in the presence of royalty, but eating and mingling with the guards and Princess herself. The guards were actually quite enjoyable company, regardless of their gruff exterior. Most of them did that just to be professional. Celestia herself was making jokes and mingling with her possible recruits, also. Hammer found this quite amazing. He still had a hard week ahead of him though, and tried not to get too friendly with the competition. He was able to get some juicy tidbits from Princess Luna, about the contest and what it entailed. Each day would have two different challenges, followed by a day of rest in between. Celestia didn’t want to run her recruits ragged before boot camp. The first two events were largely mental based, to gauge each recruit’s thinking and problem solving capabilities. An exceptional guard needed to be light on his feet and quick on his wits, in the event of an attack, forewarned or not. Specifically, there was a knowledge aptitude test first of all, much like the young ponies in school took, except modified to apply to older, more mature ponies. That test involved several pieces, which took two hours apiece to complete. The second challenge would be held after lunch that day. This involved physical puzzles that needed to be solved within an allotted time. Things like a rubik’s cube, block puzzles, and other such things. The four puzzles needed to be completed within 4 hours, giving roughly an hour each. Most older ponies could solve these puzzles within a couple hours, so you really had to be intelligent to solve them in an hour. As Hammer munched thoughtfully at a garden salad, he had noticed fully the grandeur of the architecture here. High-flying buttresses supported the main ceiling, while arches and pillars held up the outlying parts of the massive Grand Dining Room. It was shaped much like a contest platform, with the two outlying ceilings remarkably lower than the center. Chandeliers dotted the ceilings, while there were more tables on the outer fringes of the main dining hall. Hammer guessed the central table could be split into smaller tables and moved or put away to make room for a ballroom floor. Even if he lost the contest, he could make a fortune working here in Canterlot. He remembered thinking this to himself on the carriage ride in. The Princess and guards got their attention and took leave of the contestants. It was getting fairly late, and the princess had duties to attend to, even before the contest started. It was getting close to the shift change for the guards too. Apparently, the guards that were here are Night Patrol. The contestants were escorted to an empty barracks, where they would be spending the week, even if they were winners or no. After all, they were living a week in the castle, so the contestants might as well enjoy themselves. They were each assigned a VIP pass, signed by the Sun Princess and the Captain of The Guard. Magically enchanted to keep a running tally of costs, this could enable the participants to at least take souvenirs home for friends and family. They could also visit the kitchens and public areas of the castle. Food, drink, and lodging did not apply to their VIP cards. Hammer was invited to join some of the other stallions for a stroll about the castle kitchens, but he politely refused. He could not get close to anyone, else it would skew his judgments and disable him to perform at his full potential. He decided to settle into a bunk and write back home. He chose a bunk towards the front of the barracks. He liked being in view of the sunlight. He lit a lamp that was sitting on one of the tables skewed about the barracks. Random bits of stuff were on it. A pack of playing cards, some scrap paper, some quills and Ink, pretty much stuff you’d find at a campsite or someplace similar. He took a rather large piece of scrap paper and began writing. He told the apples all about his first day in canterlot, and how he had met the princesses and captain personally. He also noted that there were few other contestants and that he had a long week ahead of him, and would try to write at least every other day. He was starting to get tired, so he gently blew out the lamp, sealed the letter, and left it in the outbox outside of the barracks’ door. Tomorrow was gonna be a hell of a day. Contest day 1: How many ponies does it take to solve a math test? The day dawned bright and early. Hammer awoke with the sun, and judging by the low light streaming into the room, it was about 6am. Hammer still had a few hours before the exams started, so he decided to take a walk through the public gardens, and then to the kitchen for some breakfast. As he strolled through the city towards the gardens, canterlot was surprisingly quiet. An occasional hoofstep or cart wheel could be heard, but there were very few other ponies out and about. As Hammer wandered into the misty gardens, dew coated his fur and slickened it, and the loveliest smells in the city assaulted his nostrils. Roses, Daffodils, Lilies, and grass assaulted his sense of smell. The twittering of an occasional bird or the skittering noises of squirrels and chipmunks hunting for breakfast also were about. Hammer entered the kitchens through the side door, which was usually only used by delivery personnel and chefs. The smell of toast, eggs, muffins, and fresh fruit salads came to him now. He perused the offerings, and selected for himself a pair of apple muffins and a berry salad. He took a seat at one of the smaller tables tucked into the dining room, and munched absentmindedly. It was only about 8:30 now. Other contestants began meandering into the dining room for breakfast and head count. Breakfast promptly ended at 10am, and the exams would start shortly after, at 10:30. The exams would be ended at 2pm, then lunch, followed by the puzzle exams, running from between 3pm to 7pm. 7pm would close the events for the day, and then the contestants were back to the barracks by lights out and lockdown at 10pm. As Hammer finished up, they were taking head count and everyone was ordering breakfast. He was done early, so he decided to just hang out until it was time to dismiss. As the contestants filed into the exam hall, there were several desks placed about the room, simply adorned by three sheets of paper. Inside the desks, Hammer assumed, were quills, inkwells, and more paper scraps. He wasn’t ever very good at school, so he was quite worried that he would be eliminated right away. As he glanced through the papers, he realized it was really quite simple. Addition, subtraction and multiplication. School kid stuff, though with much higher numbers. There were also some diagrams, but they didn’t appear horribly complicated either. He took a seat, and began. Before he knew it, the timer went off for the exams. He had finished none too early either. He barely had time to scratch out his last answer before returning it to the front desk. They would receive the results in tomorrow morning’s mail, along with any letters from home. The thought of getting a letter back from the apples thrilled him. As the crowd made their way to the gardens to wait for the order to go get lunch, Hammer napped nearby, listening to the chatter of birds and ponies. After a short lunch, the contestants wandered back to the previous room, which was now holding various puzzles on each desk. Enchanted timers were also on the desks, set to go off at hour intervals. The puzzles were also made to disappear after an hour. However, the enchantment was broken if it was solved. Hammer once again took a seat, and after listening to the standard monologue he so often found teacher’s reciting, he began on his puzzles. Surprising NewsHammer woke up pretty late the next day. Today was only his second day in the castle, so it was a day of rest between the exams for the prospective guards in training. He decided He’d like to explore Canterlot a bit, and maybe go watch the guards at their training grounds to see if he could learn anything that would give him an edge. Hammer crawled out of his warm cot and trotted over to his footlocker. Collecting his saddlebags, Hammer locked the small trunk again, and went to the door. Hammer opened the door and nearly tripped over a small crate designated with the Canterlot Post insignia. After examining the crate, Hammer realized it was a sort of mailbox, and he brought it into the barracks. Fishing through the mail, he sorted it into a pile for himself and the others who stayed in the barracks. Surprisingly, he found three letters addressed to him. Hammer had only been expecting one, so it made him rather giddy to have three. After loading the excess letters into the “in” box on the small writing desk, he trotted to his bunk and opened the letters carefully, trying not to damage them too badly. The first letter he had opened was from The Royal Canterlot Exams. He decided to read that one last, as he feared what it may contain. He moved onto the next letter, which was from none other than Ditzy Doo, the friendly mailmare back home. The letter detailed everything Ditzy had done over the past two days. She also went on about how her daughters were participating in the Sisterhooves Social in the coming week, and how Dinky’s magic was getting stronger by the day. Ditzy was immensely proud of her young daughter, and Hammer couldn’t help but feel a bit proud himself. He’d known Dinky from the times she’d been with her mother running errands. She was quite a smart little filly, and Hammer enjoyed conversing with her. After he finished reading the letter, he folded it up carefully and tucked it back into its envelope, placing it on top of his footlocker. The next letter truly surprised him. It was from Applejack. Hammer opened the letter a little too eagerly, thankfully not ripping it up totally. He read this one slowly, not wanting to miss a single word. He knew AJ was not big on letters, so anything she had to say must have been important. The letter read as follows: “Dear Hammer, Now y’all know I’m not big on letter writin’ and stuff, So I want’cha to read this slowly and carefully. I know you ain’t the brightest pony in the stable, but you got a heart as big as Rarity’s, and you’re as loyal and strong as myself. Any mare in equestria would be lucky to call ya her own. I hope y’all do real good in this here contest for the guards. If anypony deserves such an honor, it’s you, big guy. You’re about as strong as stallions come, maybe even close to Big Mac. We miss havin’ your help here on the farm, since Big Mac messed up his side real bad fighting off some timber wolves last night. This leaves me on my lonesome to harvest all the apple trees here. I’m not sure I can do the harvest myself. But I can’t let the family or my friends see me bein’ weak. I weren’t raised weak, and I don’t plan on dyin’ weak either. So you hurry your flank up and win that contest so you don’t gotta work like a slave to make ends meet. I know you do all sorts of odd jobs about town, and never ask for anything in return but a few bits. That’s no way for a Gentlestallion to live. Well, I gotta hit the hay for tonight so I can get a real early start on harvestin’. Good luck, Applejack” The letter made Hammer’s heart long for being back home, and he almost set off right at that moment, then he saw the previously unread letter from the Examiners’ Bureau. With shaking hooves, he unfolded the letter and read slowly: “Dear Mr. Hammer, You have been awarded the highest scores anypony can possibly get for the Paper exams and Puzzle exams. To be quite honest, we were very surprised for someone like you to have achieved such a great feat, especially with your scant educational background. This simply tells us that you’re of above average intelligence, and genius does not need a diploma or degree to be possible. We hereby welcome you to the next leg of the tournament. You’ve also been invited to partake in a supper among royalty this evening. Please come to the royal dining room at 6pm sharp. And please try to look respectable, as this will be a much more formal dinner than the meet and greet from the night before last. You will be associating with not only the princesses, but their elite guards as well. The best of the best, as it were. Welcome to the second leg once again, and we eagerly look forward to your performance tomorrow. Signed, Commander Goldhoof.” As the letter finally sunk in, Hammer erupted from his cot in an explosion of happiness and elation. He’d not only passed the first exams, but he was also the number one contender! This was amazing! Then he realized he did not have a single formal bone in his body. He was a blue collar work pony, not more, not less. Suddenly, Hammer gathered his VIP Card and his saddlebags, galloping out of the barracks after locking his mail up in his trunk. He had only a few hours to find something to wear and learn how to act appropriately in Royalty’s presence. Why, it was already going on 2pm, and most shops would be closing for lunch. Power Trotting through downtown Canterlot, Hammer’s head was on a swivel, looking for any manner of clothing shop. Luckily, he found one that would not be closing for another hour. He opened the door and a bell signaled his entrance. A portly mare came from behind a door on the far wall and approached him. Her name was Star Shine, and she was the head manager of the clothing store. “Miss Shine, I’m in a bit of a jam.” Hammer said to her. “I need a formal outfit for a very important occasion this evening. Could you please help me? Price is not an issue.” He finished flatly. A wide smile broke across Star Shine’s face and her shocking gold eyes lit up. She rushed hammer off to a raised platform, scooting his legs out into a proper standing position and taking measurements along the way. He was a bit larger in body than most other Canterlot stallions, so he needed a loose-hanging evening jacket. To this, a Navy blue bowtie was added, outfitted with a white collar. This really set off his eyes which almost matched the color of the bowtie. Looking at himself in the mirror, he did indeed look a bit more fitting to the style of Canterlot. Hammer heard a swishing noise next to him and he got nervous. Now Star Shine was levitating a pair of scissors about his mane, snipping at this and that. Hammer would have moved out of the way, but he did not want to ruin his new jacket. Begrudgingly, he let his mane and tail get cut and trimmed, respectively. Realizing that he was actually looking more attractive and regal, he settled in and let the seamstress / stylist do her work. He tried listening to what she was saying, but she was talking so fast he didn’t follow, so he stayed quiet. After all was said and done, Hammer looked quite respectable indeed. His mane was now cut short, but stylish, much resembling the guards he’d been seeing about town. His tail, after being trimmed, fell nicely without nearly dragging on the ground like it usually did. His jacket fit snugly, but not tight, and gave him a decent range of movement without being constricting, nor did it bunch or stretch unless he really tried. It was also quite cooling, much unlike the borrowed suit he had worn at one point for a local ponyville party. Add the Navy Blue bowtie which set off his eyes, and he looked like he’d belonged in Canterlot all this time. Thanking the seamstress with a smile and few words, he proffered his Bit card to her, but she politely refused. “Your money’s no good here, young stallion.” She said with a bemused smile. “You look much like my son, who is now Commander of the Royal Guard. When I saw you, inspiration hit me like it hasn’t in a very long time. Please come back when you have another important event.” Nodding vigorously, he thanked the seamstress once again, tucking his jacket in its box safely into his saddlebags. Next, Hammer needed to find a book on etiquette and manners. Trotting about Canterlot, he found a quaint little bookstore tucked into a corner, not far from the Castle Gates. Entering the bookstore, Hammer spied a stallion a bit older than himself, seated on a stool behind the counter. Approaching the stallion, Hammer asked about the books he was looking for. While the stallion had no idea where to find said books, he called for his wife. Escorting Hammer to an aisle near near the front of the store, she found three books that would serve his purposes. Thanking the pair, and paying off the books, Hammer found himself trotting toward the castle gates. After making some small talk with the guards, he was let in. It was about 4:30pm at that moment, so Hammer walked to the showers in the back of the barracks. He did not want to smell badly during dinner, and he had worked up quite a sweat running around canterlot. After showering, Hammer perused his books until he felt he knew enough to not goof up during dinner. Satisfied with what he had studied so far, Hammer took his jacket and bowtie off of the hanger it was on, dressing himself carefully so as not to tear any seams or anything. After combing his mane into the style it was when he left the boutique earlier that afternoon, he set off to the Royal Dining Hall. The dining hall in the main castle was much more lavish than the standard mess hall he had eaten in the previous day. Even though the roof was lower than the mess hall’s roof, the walls were decorated with several brightly colored tapestries, depicting artistic scenes, or bits and pieces of Equestrian history. A relatively short table adorned the center of the floor. Two Royalty chairs sat at the head of the table, with 4 chairs going towards the end of the table, with names inscribed upon them. These, Hammer guessed, were the personal chairs for the lunar and solar guards that flanked the princesses wherever they went, except their bathing chambers and bathrooms. There were two other ornate chairs, gold trimmed with red, fluffy cushions and backs. They were labeled “Guests of Honor”. At the very end of the table sat one last chair with the Royal Guard insignia upon it. This was labeled “Cmdr. Goldhoof”. Wandering about the dining room, Hammer focused upon one tapestry in particular. He was early yet, so he afforded himself a moment to study it. The tapestry was about 12 feet long, with armies on either end. At the bottom was a sun embroidery, at the top was a moon embroidery. There were some dead ponies strewn about, and one particular pony stood out it seemed. He was a rather large red Unicorn with black stripes, though he was not a zebra. Floating about him was a 5 foot blade, black in color, embraced in what was supposed to be a Red magical aura. He read the title below the tapestry. It said “Shadowfoot, the first great cartographer of Equestria, and great grandfather of The Royal Guards. His maps were the most accurate of his time, and he was also present for the coronation of the first rulers of equestria and the formation of the elements of harmony.” A small cough sounded behind him. A Guard dressed in commander’s regalia approached him. He bowed his head to the other stallion, for he knew he was his future commander. “Hello, young stallion” Commander Goldhoof greeted him with a strong but respectful tone. “You must be the young stallion the princess made a fuss over this morning. Hammer, right?” Hammer nodded and proffered his hoof to his future commander. Commander Goldhoof shook it, firmly but gently. A real Stallion’s hoofshake, as Hammer would later call it. Goldhoof noted the tapestry that Hammer was studying. Normally, most ponies would look at the fall of Discord, or Nightmare Moon. He’d even seen the Elements of Harmony tapestry get more attention than this particular one. Curious it was that Hammer would notice that tapestry first and foremost. “The very first commander of the Royal Guards, Shadowfoot.” Goldhoof mused. “He led many campaigns against our enemies, back when equestria was still fought over by tribes all across the lands. He led the first celestial army who were referred to as the New Equestrians. Though he never actually became a commander in rank, he helped establish The Royal Guards we know of today.” Cuffing him on the shoulder gently, Commander Goldhoof instructed Hammer to sit and wait for the Princesses to arrive. At nearly the same time, Celestia came in, flanked by two white guards in golden armor, and Luna was escorted by two midnight blue guards in silver armor. At the Solar Princess’s beckoning, servants filtered out of the previously unseen doors around the dining hall. Large silver platters of food were brought out, along with place settings. A large bowl of punch was set in the middle of the table, and after all the food was placed, those assembled were given leave to eat. They all waited for Celestia to eat first, and the rest of the guests followed suit. As the dinner commenced, things settled into a more casual tone. Hammer was plagued with questions about his life back in ponyville. Anything from his job to his social life to his love life was asked of him, and he answered. He figured the more friendly and accepting he was, the better his chances of getting good reviews in the coming exams. Hammer found that he and commander Goldhoof talked rather easily at length about even mundane subjects. Celestia and Luna were also less articulated around such a small crowd, and they laughed and joked rather easily. After all was said and done, the dinner guests said their farewells. Goldhoof escorted Hammer to his barracks, while Luna and Celestia tended to their separate royal duties. Goldhoof mentioned to hammer that he did exceedingly well during dinner, and said he would be proud to have such a smart, articulate soldier under his command. With another hoofshake and a smile, Goldhoof set off for his private chambers, and Hammer went into his barracks. As he was taking off his coat and bowtie, Hammer set down to write letters back home. After placing the expensive garments back into their box and tucking it into his locker, Hammer pulled out his quill and scrap paper, and began to write. His first letter went to the Apples, and then he wrote one Specifically for AJ. The next letter went to Miss Ditzy, along with a few bits so she could get Dinky something special. Satisfied with his letters after reading them over once or twice, he dropped them into the “outgoing” box on the desk. Hammer climbed into his cot and stretched out on his back, sighing happily. Things were looking up, he said to himself, and dozed off. Tomorrow was going to be more difficult than any so far. Tomorrow were the speed and strength tests, done in the same format as the previous exams. Speed was going to be held during the morning hours, then lunch and a break, then strength. Hammer made a mental not to eat a carb and protein packed breakfast.
Rise of The HammerHammer waved at the wall-eyed gray pony every pony knew as Derpy, and she flicked a wave back to him as they passed in the street. He often saw her several times a day, and always waved and smiled at her, because he thought a silly looking pony like that wouldn’t have had very many friends, just like he did when he was a young colt still. When he was younger his legs outgrew the rest of his body and he couldn’t remember the sheer amount and variety of hurtful, mean “nicknames” he was given by the other young ponies. He was brought up pretty much by his own two hooves after he got kicked out of the foster home he was staying in for beating up one of the older ponies that made fun of him. That day he had simply had enough. He couldn’t bear the mean nicknames he was given. Everyone simply called him Hammer, for his cutie mark's namesake. As Hammer was enjoying his walk home for his lunch break, he hummed a silly little tune he had made up earlier that day, while helping Big Macintosh with some fences at the Apple Family farm. The Apple family was some of the nicest, most welcoming ponies he’d ever known. Whenever he had free time, he would always volunteer his services for any number of jobs that Big Mac couldn’t do on his own (which was exceedingly rare) or he would keep Apple Bloom entertained while Applejack or Granny Smith were busy, Or when Apple Bloom couldn’t play with her friends. He thought he more or less considered the Apples his family, even though he didn’t actually live with them or carry their renowned name. When he had walked into his home, he noticed he had received a letter. This was one of very few bits of mail he ever received. He opened it gently with his teeth, thanking Celestia that it wasn’t encased in an envelope, which Earth Ponies were not too good with. In official-looking red script, The letter read as follows: ‘Dear Mr. Hammer, The Princess cordially invites you to join her at Canterlot Castle, this following week, to participate in a “Young Stallions” Contest. This contest is simply to exhibit the strengths, abilities, and determination of able-bodied young stallions. The purpose of the contest is to find fresh recruits for Her Royal Majesty’s Guards. If you are one of the top 3 winners, you will be granted a 1000-bit recruitment bonus, and a spot in Her Majesty’s Royal Army. With enough luck, you may end up serving with us for many wonderful years. Your train pass is inside this letter if you haven’t found it yet. Signed, Royal Guard Commander.’ Hammer blinked, and a little ~swish~ pulled him out of his reverie, and his train pass floated to the floor below. He read it twice, to be certain. “This Ticket entitles holder to one free passage aboard The Equestrian Express, all expenses paid, first class.” He whinnied with excitement. Him, Hammer, a possible Royal Guard! He couldn’t wait! All the week he told anyone who would listen about his Royal Invitation. He packed everything he might need with painstaking effort in a green duffel bag. Though he confessed, he didn’t have much. A few bits he had been saving, some warm clothing for the winter months, and his ornate tool set that had been given to him by a passing stranger after he had just gotten his cutie mark. The day came to finally take that trip, and he was surprised to see the few people see him off that did show up. The Apple Family with their dog Winona in tow, and the funny-eyed Derpy. As he trotted over to the gathered friends, he could barely contain himself. He didn’t know how much they actually cared for him until that moment. Derpy saw him first. He didn’t fancy her as much of a talker, but her actions showed true kindness. She had baked him a dozen of her contest-winning Apple Cinnamon muffins, and spoke a short, sweet sentence. “Congratulations Hammer, I’ll miss you. Take these for all those nice smiles you gave me.” He teared up a little at this and hugged Derpy, mindful of her wings. “Thank you for waving back when nobody else would.” She smiled at this and let him go. Next in queue was little Apple Bloom, who hugged him as best she could, and said “I’ll miss you Mr. Hammer. I’ll be sure to keep looking for my cutie mark so I can show you one day.” He smiled and also hugged her back, tossing her a little silver coin for good luck. Next the rest of the apples followed with similar words of kindness and caring. When he got to Big Mac he was most surprised of all. Big Mac took Hammer’s hoof in his own and shook it, looking him straight in the eye. “Do your best Hammer; I’ll have plenty of work for you when you get back.” As they let go of each other’s hooves, a new respect was sparked between these two. When Big Mac shook your hoof, it was a monumental gesture of respect. Mac was never touchy feely and rarely ever shook hooves. Then Hammer did something as equally new and strange. He spoke to Big Mac, and mor than just a short one or two words. “I will, big brother, and you better have more work than ever when I get back.” He smiled at his friends and looked back at them as he boarded the Express, ready to prove his worth to the Princess and her few and proud guards.
Canterlot ArrivalAs the train jolted to a stop in the Canterlot train station, Hammer jolted awake, nearly falling off of his seat. He had no idea the trip to canterlot would take nearly eight hours, so after demolishing Ditzy Doo's muffit gift, he dozed off, crumbs on his belly, only to be now, rudely awakened. He gathered his meager possesions, and stepped off of the train into the twilight. He noticed a select few carriages sitting off to the side of the station, emblazoned with the Royal Emblems andflying its banners. A very large pegasi was standing next to a sign. It read "Young Stallion Contestants". He trotted over nervously, when he was halted by the bulky white pegasi. in a gravelly, deep voice, he demanded to see the letter of proof of his invitation. Hammer produced said letter from his saddlebags, and sure enough, it checked out. He was honestly sketchy up until that moment. Bowing slightly, he departed the pegasus' company and took a seat in one of the carriages. He was soon joined by several other ponies of varying physique. Some were Pegasi, others were Earth ponies, and he even saw a couple Unicorns. He would really have to bust his rump to stand out in such a mass of ponies. He gathered, if each carriage held the same amount of ponies, he was only one of 30 total contenstants. This was gonna be such a challenge he didn't even want to think about it. Instead he dozed off again. Three ornately outfitted carriages approached the Royal Canterlot gates. as they clattered along the cobbled road, Canterlot's populace ignored them, or simply watched them pass for a moment. The ponies inside however, couldn't look at enough. Hammer was especially enthralled by the architecture He couldn't sleep on the bumpy roads, so he looked around. Massive buildings of stone, very few ever seen in ponyville, were all over. The wood buidings were dark, rich colors, probably imported from the surrounding forests, and even some black wood was present, from the Everfree. Hammer imagined the money he could make just by plying his trade here. He knew he wasn't going to be here long enough to find out if he could succeed. He had other more pressing issues. Doubts still lingered in the back of his mind, even with the distracting road and awe-inspiring buildings. Hammer was still worried about how he would stack up against so few contestants. Having so few entries probably meant only those few were sent out. Which translated into a 1 in 30 chance at everlasting glory in the service of Her Royal Majesty. Each bump started sounding like words in his head. Failure. Unworthy. Weak. Hammer was shaking, and he couldn't stop. He buried his face in his saddlebags, and breathed heavily. He had to calm down. If he appeared flushed and weak in front of the rest of these ponies, he would be one of the first to go, if not the first. And there went his shot at a decent life. Hammer wasn't entirely unhappy with life in Ponyville, but the change of scenery would be quite welcome, and he could send money back home to help repair the Library, Farms, and other places that meant so much to the local populace. Even though Ponyville appeared nice and well kept, a true architect, or construction pony of any sort, could see the glaring faults. Buildings crumbling at the foundations, the library tree limbs cracking here and there, and the Apple Family barn was liable to fall in on itself at any moment, and kill whoever was in it. He would certainly be devastated if he lost Apple Bloom or Big Mac. And most certainly he would hurt himself or somepony if Applejack was taken. He loved her dearly, though he had told nopony else this fact. He planned to propose in the following harvest season, for he had been saving every spare bit he could. Earning this position in the Royal Guard would definitely earn Mac's approval, which is what he wanted most of all. Granny already loved him to pieces, as did Applebloom, but things had always been borderline tense between the two stallions. Big Mac was the big brother and the closest thing to a father AJ had had since her parents passed. If you got Big Mac's approval, there was no greater sign of respect. Even well-off ponies had come seeking Big Mac's advice on various topics. His no-nonsense outlook on things made him very sensible, even though he was only a few years older than Hammer. Being left alone to his thoughts, Hammer soon forgot the rumbling carriage, and the sights, and slipped into a contented reverie which he finally came out of when a loud horn sounded, signaling the Rampart Guards to open the massive wood-iron gates of Canterlot Castle.
Introductions and The First ChallengesHammer was unsure of what to do with himself. It wasn’t every day that you were not only in the presence of royalty, but eating and mingling with the guards and Princess herself. The guards were actually quite enjoyable company, regardless of their gruff exterior. Most of them did that just to be professional. Celestia herself was making jokes and mingling with her possible recruits, also. Hammer found this quite amazing. He still had a hard week ahead of him though, and tried not to get too friendly with the competition. He was able to get some juicy tidbits from Princess Luna, about the contest and what it entailed. Each day would have two different challenges, followed by a day of rest in between. Celestia didn’t want to run her recruits ragged before boot camp. The first two events were largely mental based, to gauge each recruit’s thinking and problem solving capabilities. An exceptional guard needed to be light on his feet and quick on his wits, in the event of an attack, forewarned or not. Specifically, there was a knowledge aptitude test first of all, much like the young ponies in school took, except modified to apply to older, more mature ponies. That test involved several pieces, which took two hours apiece to complete. The second challenge would be held after lunch that day. This involved physical puzzles that needed to be solved within an allotted time. Things like a rubik’s cube, block puzzles, and other such things. The four puzzles needed to be completed within 4 hours, giving roughly an hour each. Most older ponies could solve these puzzles within a couple hours, so you really had to be intelligent to solve them in an hour. As Hammer munched thoughtfully at a garden salad, he had noticed fully the grandeur of the architecture here. High-flying buttresses supported the main ceiling, while arches and pillars held up the outlying parts of the massive Grand Dining Room. It was shaped much like a contest platform, with the two outlying ceilings remarkably lower than the center. Chandeliers dotted the ceilings, while there were more tables on the outer fringes of the main dining hall. Hammer guessed the central table could be split into smaller tables and moved or put away to make room for a ballroom floor. Even if he lost the contest, he could make a fortune working here in Canterlot. He remembered thinking this to himself on the carriage ride in. The Princess and guards got their attention and took leave of the contestants. It was getting fairly late, and the princess had duties to attend to, even before the contest started. It was getting close to the shift change for the guards too. Apparently, the guards that were here are Night Patrol. The contestants were escorted to an empty barracks, where they would be spending the week, even if they were winners or no. After all, they were living a week in the castle, so the contestants might as well enjoy themselves. They were each assigned a VIP pass, signed by the Sun Princess and the Captain of The Guard. Magically enchanted to keep a running tally of costs, this could enable the participants to at least take souvenirs home for friends and family. They could also visit the kitchens and public areas of the castle. Food, drink, and lodging did not apply to their VIP cards. Hammer was invited to join some of the other stallions for a stroll about the castle kitchens, but he politely refused. He could not get close to anyone, else it would skew his judgments and disable him to perform at his full potential. He decided to settle into a bunk and write back home. He chose a bunk towards the front of the barracks. He liked being in view of the sunlight. He lit a lamp that was sitting on one of the tables skewed about the barracks. Random bits of stuff were on it. A pack of playing cards, some scrap paper, some quills and Ink, pretty much stuff you’d find at a campsite or someplace similar. He took a rather large piece of scrap paper and began writing. He told the apples all about his first day in canterlot, and how he had met the princesses and captain personally. He also noted that there were few other contestants and that he had a long week ahead of him, and would try to write at least every other day. He was starting to get tired, so he gently blew out the lamp, sealed the letter, and left it in the outbox outside of the barracks’ door. Tomorrow was gonna be a hell of a day. Contest day 1: How many ponies does it take to solve a math test? The day dawned bright and early. Hammer awoke with the sun, and judging by the low light streaming into the room, it was about 6am. Hammer still had a few hours before the exams started, so he decided to take a walk through the public gardens, and then to the kitchen for some breakfast. As he strolled through the city towards the gardens, canterlot was surprisingly quiet. An occasional hoofstep or cart wheel could be heard, but there were very few other ponies out and about. As Hammer wandered into the misty gardens, dew coated his fur and slickened it, and the loveliest smells in the city assaulted his nostrils. Roses, Daffodils, Lilies, and grass assaulted his sense of smell. The twittering of an occasional bird or the skittering noises of squirrels and chipmunks hunting for breakfast also were about. Hammer entered the kitchens through the side door, which was usually only used by delivery personnel and chefs. The smell of toast, eggs, muffins, and fresh fruit salads came to him now. He perused the offerings, and selected for himself a pair of apple muffins and a berry salad. He took a seat at one of the smaller tables tucked into the dining room, and munched absentmindedly. It was only about 8:30 now. Other contestants began meandering into the dining room for breakfast and head count. Breakfast promptly ended at 10am, and the exams would start shortly after, at 10:30. The exams would be ended at 2pm, then lunch, followed by the puzzle exams, running from between 3pm to 7pm. 7pm would close the events for the day, and then the contestants were back to the barracks by lights out and lockdown at 10pm. As Hammer finished up, they were taking head count and everyone was ordering breakfast. He was done early, so he decided to just hang out until it was time to dismiss. As the contestants filed into the exam hall, there were several desks placed about the room, simply adorned by three sheets of paper. Inside the desks, Hammer assumed, were quills, inkwells, and more paper scraps. He wasn’t ever very good at school, so he was quite worried that he would be eliminated right away. As he glanced through the papers, he realized it was really quite simple. Addition, subtraction and multiplication. School kid stuff, though with much higher numbers. There were also some diagrams, but they didn’t appear horribly complicated either. He took a seat, and began. Before he knew it, the timer went off for the exams. He had finished none too early either. He barely had time to scratch out his last answer before returning it to the front desk. They would receive the results in tomorrow morning’s mail, along with any letters from home. The thought of getting a letter back from the apples thrilled him. As the crowd made their way to the gardens to wait for the order to go get lunch, Hammer napped nearby, listening to the chatter of birds and ponies. After a short lunch, the contestants wandered back to the previous room, which was now holding various puzzles on each desk. Enchanted timers were also on the desks, set to go off at hour intervals. The puzzles were also made to disappear after an hour. However, the enchantment was broken if it was solved. Hammer once again took a seat, and after listening to the standard monologue he so often found teacher’s reciting, he began on his puzzles.
Surprising NewsHammer woke up pretty late the next day. Today was only his second day in the castle, so it was a day of rest between the exams for the prospective guards in training. He decided He’d like to explore Canterlot a bit, and maybe go watch the guards at their training grounds to see if he could learn anything that would give him an edge. Hammer crawled out of his warm cot and trotted over to his footlocker. Collecting his saddlebags, Hammer locked the small trunk again, and went to the door. Hammer opened the door and nearly tripped over a small crate designated with the Canterlot Post insignia. After examining the crate, Hammer realized it was a sort of mailbox, and he brought it into the barracks. Fishing through the mail, he sorted it into a pile for himself and the others who stayed in the barracks. Surprisingly, he found three letters addressed to him. Hammer had only been expecting one, so it made him rather giddy to have three. After loading the excess letters into the “in” box on the small writing desk, he trotted to his bunk and opened the letters carefully, trying not to damage them too badly. The first letter he had opened was from The Royal Canterlot Exams. He decided to read that one last, as he feared what it may contain. He moved onto the next letter, which was from none other than Ditzy Doo, the friendly mailmare back home. The letter detailed everything Ditzy had done over the past two days. She also went on about how her daughters were participating in the Sisterhooves Social in the coming week, and how Dinky’s magic was getting stronger by the day. Ditzy was immensely proud of her young daughter, and Hammer couldn’t help but feel a bit proud himself. He’d known Dinky from the times she’d been with her mother running errands. She was quite a smart little filly, and Hammer enjoyed conversing with her. After he finished reading the letter, he folded it up carefully and tucked it back into its envelope, placing it on top of his footlocker. The next letter truly surprised him. It was from Applejack. Hammer opened the letter a little too eagerly, thankfully not ripping it up totally. He read this one slowly, not wanting to miss a single word. He knew AJ was not big on letters, so anything she had to say must have been important. The letter read as follows: “Dear Hammer, Now y’all know I’m not big on letter writin’ and stuff, So I want’cha to read this slowly and carefully. I know you ain’t the brightest pony in the stable, but you got a heart as big as Rarity’s, and you’re as loyal and strong as myself. Any mare in equestria would be lucky to call ya her own. I hope y’all do real good in this here contest for the guards. If anypony deserves such an honor, it’s you, big guy. You’re about as strong as stallions come, maybe even close to Big Mac. We miss havin’ your help here on the farm, since Big Mac messed up his side real bad fighting off some timber wolves last night. This leaves me on my lonesome to harvest all the apple trees here. I’m not sure I can do the harvest myself. But I can’t let the family or my friends see me bein’ weak. I weren’t raised weak, and I don’t plan on dyin’ weak either. So you hurry your flank up and win that contest so you don’t gotta work like a slave to make ends meet. I know you do all sorts of odd jobs about town, and never ask for anything in return but a few bits. That’s no way for a Gentlestallion to live. Well, I gotta hit the hay for tonight so I can get a real early start on harvestin’. Good luck, Applejack” The letter made Hammer’s heart long for being back home, and he almost set off right at that moment, then he saw the previously unread letter from the Examiners’ Bureau. With shaking hooves, he unfolded the letter and read slowly: “Dear Mr. Hammer, You have been awarded the highest scores anypony can possibly get for the Paper exams and Puzzle exams. To be quite honest, we were very surprised for someone like you to have achieved such a great feat, especially with your scant educational background. This simply tells us that you’re of above average intelligence, and genius does not need a diploma or degree to be possible. We hereby welcome you to the next leg of the tournament. You’ve also been invited to partake in a supper among royalty this evening. Please come to the royal dining room at 6pm sharp. And please try to look respectable, as this will be a much more formal dinner than the meet and greet from the night before last. You will be associating with not only the princesses, but their elite guards as well. The best of the best, as it were. Welcome to the second leg once again, and we eagerly look forward to your performance tomorrow. Signed, Commander Goldhoof.” As the letter finally sunk in, Hammer erupted from his cot in an explosion of happiness and elation. He’d not only passed the first exams, but he was also the number one contender! This was amazing! Then he realized he did not have a single formal bone in his body. He was a blue collar work pony, not more, not less. Suddenly, Hammer gathered his VIP Card and his saddlebags, galloping out of the barracks after locking his mail up in his trunk. He had only a few hours to find something to wear and learn how to act appropriately in Royalty’s presence. Why, it was already going on 2pm, and most shops would be closing for lunch. Power Trotting through downtown Canterlot, Hammer’s head was on a swivel, looking for any manner of clothing shop. Luckily, he found one that would not be closing for another hour. He opened the door and a bell signaled his entrance. A portly mare came from behind a door on the far wall and approached him. Her name was Star Shine, and she was the head manager of the clothing store. “Miss Shine, I’m in a bit of a jam.” Hammer said to her. “I need a formal outfit for a very important occasion this evening. Could you please help me? Price is not an issue.” He finished flatly. A wide smile broke across Star Shine’s face and her shocking gold eyes lit up. She rushed hammer off to a raised platform, scooting his legs out into a proper standing position and taking measurements along the way. He was a bit larger in body than most other Canterlot stallions, so he needed a loose-hanging evening jacket. To this, a Navy blue bowtie was added, outfitted with a white collar. This really set off his eyes which almost matched the color of the bowtie. Looking at himself in the mirror, he did indeed look a bit more fitting to the style of Canterlot. Hammer heard a swishing noise next to him and he got nervous. Now Star Shine was levitating a pair of scissors about his mane, snipping at this and that. Hammer would have moved out of the way, but he did not want to ruin his new jacket. Begrudgingly, he let his mane and tail get cut and trimmed, respectively. Realizing that he was actually looking more attractive and regal, he settled in and let the seamstress / stylist do her work. He tried listening to what she was saying, but she was talking so fast he didn’t follow, so he stayed quiet. After all was said and done, Hammer looked quite respectable indeed. His mane was now cut short, but stylish, much resembling the guards he’d been seeing about town. His tail, after being trimmed, fell nicely without nearly dragging on the ground like it usually did. His jacket fit snugly, but not tight, and gave him a decent range of movement without being constricting, nor did it bunch or stretch unless he really tried. It was also quite cooling, much unlike the borrowed suit he had worn at one point for a local ponyville party. Add the Navy Blue bowtie which set off his eyes, and he looked like he’d belonged in Canterlot all this time. Thanking the seamstress with a smile and few words, he proffered his Bit card to her, but she politely refused. “Your money’s no good here, young stallion.” She said with a bemused smile. “You look much like my son, who is now Commander of the Royal Guard. When I saw you, inspiration hit me like it hasn’t in a very long time. Please come back when you have another important event.” Nodding vigorously, he thanked the seamstress once again, tucking his jacket in its box safely into his saddlebags. Next, Hammer needed to find a book on etiquette and manners. Trotting about Canterlot, he found a quaint little bookstore tucked into a corner, not far from the Castle Gates. Entering the bookstore, Hammer spied a stallion a bit older than himself, seated on a stool behind the counter. Approaching the stallion, Hammer asked about the books he was looking for. While the stallion had no idea where to find said books, he called for his wife. Escorting Hammer to an aisle near near the front of the store, she found three books that would serve his purposes. Thanking the pair, and paying off the books, Hammer found himself trotting toward the castle gates. After making some small talk with the guards, he was let in. It was about 4:30pm at that moment, so Hammer walked to the showers in the back of the barracks. He did not want to smell badly during dinner, and he had worked up quite a sweat running around canterlot. After showering, Hammer perused his books until he felt he knew enough to not goof up during dinner. Satisfied with what he had studied so far, Hammer took his jacket and bowtie off of the hanger it was on, dressing himself carefully so as not to tear any seams or anything. After combing his mane into the style it was when he left the boutique earlier that afternoon, he set off to the Royal Dining Hall. The dining hall in the main castle was much more lavish than the standard mess hall he had eaten in the previous day. Even though the roof was lower than the mess hall’s roof, the walls were decorated with several brightly colored tapestries, depicting artistic scenes, or bits and pieces of Equestrian history. A relatively short table adorned the center of the floor. Two Royalty chairs sat at the head of the table, with 4 chairs going towards the end of the table, with names inscribed upon them. These, Hammer guessed, were the personal chairs for the lunar and solar guards that flanked the princesses wherever they went, except their bathing chambers and bathrooms. There were two other ornate chairs, gold trimmed with red, fluffy cushions and backs. They were labeled “Guests of Honor”. At the very end of the table sat one last chair with the Royal Guard insignia upon it. This was labeled “Cmdr. Goldhoof”. Wandering about the dining room, Hammer focused upon one tapestry in particular. He was early yet, so he afforded himself a moment to study it. The tapestry was about 12 feet long, with armies on either end. At the bottom was a sun embroidery, at the top was a moon embroidery. There were some dead ponies strewn about, and one particular pony stood out it seemed. He was a rather large red Unicorn with black stripes, though he was not a zebra. Floating about him was a 5 foot blade, black in color, embraced in what was supposed to be a Red magical aura. He read the title below the tapestry. It said “Shadowfoot, the first great cartographer of Equestria, and great grandfather of The Royal Guards. His maps were the most accurate of his time, and he was also present for the coronation of the first rulers of equestria and the formation of the elements of harmony.” A small cough sounded behind him. A Guard dressed in commander’s regalia approached him. He bowed his head to the other stallion, for he knew he was his future commander. “Hello, young stallion” Commander Goldhoof greeted him with a strong but respectful tone. “You must be the young stallion the princess made a fuss over this morning. Hammer, right?” Hammer nodded and proffered his hoof to his future commander. Commander Goldhoof shook it, firmly but gently. A real Stallion’s hoofshake, as Hammer would later call it. Goldhoof noted the tapestry that Hammer was studying. Normally, most ponies would look at the fall of Discord, or Nightmare Moon. He’d even seen the Elements of Harmony tapestry get more attention than this particular one. Curious it was that Hammer would notice that tapestry first and foremost. “The very first commander of the Royal Guards, Shadowfoot.” Goldhoof mused. “He led many campaigns against our enemies, back when equestria was still fought over by tribes all across the lands. He led the first celestial army who were referred to as the New Equestrians. Though he never actually became a commander in rank, he helped establish The Royal Guards we know of today.” Cuffing him on the shoulder gently, Commander Goldhoof instructed Hammer to sit and wait for the Princesses to arrive. At nearly the same time, Celestia came in, flanked by two white guards in golden armor, and Luna was escorted by two midnight blue guards in silver armor. At the Solar Princess’s beckoning, servants filtered out of the previously unseen doors around the dining hall. Large silver platters of food were brought out, along with place settings. A large bowl of punch was set in the middle of the table, and after all the food was placed, those assembled were given leave to eat. They all waited for Celestia to eat first, and the rest of the guests followed suit. As the dinner commenced, things settled into a more casual tone. Hammer was plagued with questions about his life back in ponyville. Anything from his job to his social life to his love life was asked of him, and he answered. He figured the more friendly and accepting he was, the better his chances of getting good reviews in the coming exams. Hammer found that he and commander Goldhoof talked rather easily at length about even mundane subjects. Celestia and Luna were also less articulated around such a small crowd, and they laughed and joked rather easily. After all was said and done, the dinner guests said their farewells. Goldhoof escorted Hammer to his barracks, while Luna and Celestia tended to their separate royal duties. Goldhoof mentioned to hammer that he did exceedingly well during dinner, and said he would be proud to have such a smart, articulate soldier under his command. With another hoofshake and a smile, Goldhoof set off for his private chambers, and Hammer went into his barracks. As he was taking off his coat and bowtie, Hammer set down to write letters back home. After placing the expensive garments back into their box and tucking it into his locker, Hammer pulled out his quill and scrap paper, and began to write. His first letter went to the Apples, and then he wrote one Specifically for AJ. The next letter went to Miss Ditzy, along with a few bits so she could get Dinky something special. Satisfied with his letters after reading them over once or twice, he dropped them into the “outgoing” box on the desk. Hammer climbed into his cot and stretched out on his back, sighing happily. Things were looking up, he said to himself, and dozed off. Tomorrow was going to be more difficult than any so far. Tomorrow were the speed and strength tests, done in the same format as the previous exams. Speed was going to be held during the morning hours, then lunch and a break, then strength. Hammer made a mental not to eat a carb and protein packed breakfast.
