The Rise of The Hammer

Hammer 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.