My Little Tactics

Chapter Seven: Going, Going, Gob.

Wiping the sweat off his brow Dustan looked at how things were coming. THIS was his plan and the reason he had gone to the mayor’s office to look at documents. He was in the ruins of the Everfree, the dilapidated remains of the Castle of the Two Sisters. Turns out no one owned it. Celestia had forgone renewing the land in her name, likely from what he suspected was grief or remorse at the time, and the deed fell into public hands.

Problem was with the Everfree being what it was, a wild untapped land of monsters and misfits, no one wanted to do anything with it. Except Dustan it seemed. Whenever he had free time he would explore the ruins and found that because of it being so well built, there were still MANY places that were close to being habitable with just a bit of elbow grease. Bits he had made while Zecora sold his salve helped buy the supplies needed and while it may not look nice, the first room had been repurposed finally.

He wasn’t sure what room it was before, though he suspected maybe a barracks but the rest of the building was in much worse shape so it was hard to tell. This room though, with a bit of wood, nails, and a good sweeping turned out nicely. Whatever window was there was boarded up; a makeshift door made out of miscellaneous materials was put up on hinges he scavenged from the ruins, and though he couldn’t use the bed frames found he did find some beds that must have been enchanted or something as the only thing that was needed for them was a good beating.

Overall his new room came out to look nice. The OTHER good news is that during research he found out why monsters tended to stay away from the ruins. It was the lingering effect previously from when Celestia used the Elements to banish Nightmare Moon and some magicians think the purifying effect keeps malicious monsters away. That meant that with the use of them again monsters would stay away even more than before. While he didn’t think he could confirm it seeing as how the Everfree had been quiet lately, it was at least a comforting thought.

The other good thing was the bed he found was large enough to hold him comfortably. Lying down on the bed he needed to relax for sure. Thinking back on the three days he had been there along with many of his past explorations he knew some of what the castle had to offer. If he had to guess at present there were about maybe a dozen or a dozen and a half rooms that would be easy to repurpose. He would likely need to make a couple of guest rooms for sure, a storage area, living area, kitchen and hope to hire somepony or anyone really to install whatever it is that makes electricity and running water possible. No way in hell was he going to use an outhouse.

This trip also had proved to be very fortunate as he had found either a tool shed or what was left of an armory. The reason he thought this was he found a few axes and other various tools and even a spear inside but all covered in dust or rust, many of which he THOUGHT were unusable. The first day back when he was taking a break from nailing up a few board he took one of the axes and started to use his own rust removal tools he had bought for his tools on this and at first he thought it was an effort of futility. In fact he had completely given up and thrown the axe to the ground in misplaced anger when he see it hit the ground and rust pop off leaving a slight gleam underneath.

Like the castle, the tool or weapon, he wasn’t sure which as it was pony sized and could be a hatchet or an actual axe for combat, was well made and possibly enchanted. After all a thousand years of rust should have left really nothing of the axe left, he had only given it a shot cause magic pony land rules. It took the better part of a day to clean up the axe and to replace the handle not because it couldn’t be used, but because there was no handle. Likely having rotted away long before Dustan himself showed up.

With the new handle, though the axe head looked small, he found it worked well for chopping wood as well as breaking up loose mortar from the walls that were in the process of crumbling as it were. He found that it rarely lost its edge too either attributing it to enchantments once again or whatever it was made of since it clearly wasn’t steel. Whatever metal it was made of was a bit more blue tented and looked as if it were covered in oil as whenever the sun hit it the axe head had a rainbow sheen covering it at times seemed to shift but he attributed it to the angle he was looking at it. He wanted to check to see if other of the tools or weapons down there were the same but between cleaning up the axe, finishing up the first room finally, and exploring, time was up.

However he had one last thing he wanted to do before heading back to the hut in the morning and that was chop some wood. Fall was on its way and winter behind it meaning that if by some miracle he was able to live here during those seasons that meant he needed some kind of heat source. So stashing his pack away as well as his sword in a little hidden area of his new room he took the axe and prepped for going to some nearby growth to start building up his wood supply. With all the work he had put in finally seeing to pay off he was in a good mood and started to whistle one of his favorite tunes from a game that wasn’t Final Fantasy.

Sadly that feel good feeling of that game and its soundtrack is what led them straight to him. So focused on chopping up a fallen log the ‘thunk’ that came from his head meeting a log was only appreciated by the Goblins.

The next time he woke up he found himself hating all life in existence for the pounding of his head. Reaching back he winced and pulled his fingers back from the pain only to find they came back wet and gooey. Blood that was mostly dried on his fingers said he had been out for a while, the breeze on his body said he was nude, and the clinking around his wrist said he had chains on shackling him on his right wrist.

Slowly as he struggled to make his eyes focus properly in the dark, he found he was in a barred cell with a few other figures, two ponies and a griffon surprisingly. Him slowly getting up made the ponies flee against the natural stone walls of the cell and the griffon to take a more aggressive stance. Leaning up he tried to get comfortable but no such luck when he was nude like he was.

Looking at all of the fellow cellmates he simply asked. “Soooo, how’s it going?”

The ponies were surprised it seems by him able to speak but it was the griffon who recovered first. “First thing you do when you wake up tossed into a prison is ask others ‘how’s it going’?” The griffoness had the white feathers and brown fur expected of griffons though her fur was a bit darker then what Gilda seemed to have for her fur. Her feathers had sky blue tips and the same blue marking just under her eyes and along her cheeks sweeping back giving her the look more akin to a falcon then an eagle.

The voice was clearly female as Dustan looked to the griffon first. “Figure that would break the ice and make me seem not as frightening.” He gestured his head over towards the ponies whom indeed seemed less frightened though still very defensive. “Names Dustan, so, someone wish to fill me in on where I found myself?”

Next one to speak was one of the ponies, a pegasus judging by the wings on his side, whose coloration was a deep blue with a main and tail the color of wheat or possibly the yellow tape that police use to cordon off areas. “Well, you got unlucky and got captured by monsters just like the rest of us and more.” His wing pointed out into the cavern as a few ponies were walking along towing a cart behind them full of rocks. “We are slaves that are going to be worked till we drop with little food or water.”

The other pony next to the pegasus, a female judging from her shape, was still hiding in the corner. Her deep brown dirty from work no doubt, making it hard to tell what color it really was, same with the white spots on her sides and belly. The mane on the pony, a unicorn if the horn on her head wasn’t just for show, had alternating locks of light blue and dark blue with stripes in her tail to match.

The thing to note was because of how dirty both ponies were their cutie marks were obscured so much he couldn’t make them out. “What kind of monsters are we talking about?”

As if answering his question the sound of steel ringing against the bars drew his attention to a familiar looking creature. “Quiet scum. Me no want to hear words come out no more.”

The brown furred creature moved away from the cage before Dustan couldn’t help but sneer. “Goblin.”

The others must have heard him as the griffon merely looked at him surprised. “You know what these things are?”

Giving a nod he looked at the others and simply said. “Yeah, nasty pieces of work they are, but I am sure you can see that for yourselves. So what are they having everyone drag around?”

This time it was the unicorn that was hiding that spoke first. “They are mining out ore, to forge weapons. It seems they aren’t too good at it though.”

He watched a Goblin or two come around the corner marveling at the swords they had in their grubby hands and even he could tell how poorly they were made. The goblins though must have thought them as masterpieces judging by how they were fawning over them.

Wincing again he touched the back of his head really wishing he knew how to use magic to heal the pain he was feeling. “Right now you are lucky.” He turned his head towards the pegasus with his gruff sounding voice and just raised an eyebrow. “You came as the word day was ending so you won’t be put to work till tomorrow.”

“Great, so lucky.” The sarcasm was palpable for sure.

The stallion just gave a snort and laid his head down on the ground. “Go ahead and think that with that kind of snarky attitude, but tomorrow you will realize I wasn’t lying.”

It seems it was some unspoken agreement came about as all the others laid down. “Well as I said my name is Dustan what are all of yours?”

The griffon was the first to respond once more. “Like it matters, we aren’t going anywhere.” Seems the others agreed with her as they said nothing.

Doing his best to get some sleep and hopefully get rid of a headache for tomorrow he settled down. Sadly since he was nude, on the rough stone ground he already knew what would happen and indeed sleep eluded him.

“MOVE CREATURE!” The Goblin shouted cracking a crude whip near him. He was pushing a large cart with the two ponies hauling it from the front and the griffon in back with him.

Each time the whip cracked he gritted his teeth not only out of him restraining himself but because of his head still throbbing in pain from where he had been knocked out though it was much less since he had been here for a few days already. He still had not learned the name of his cellmates even though repeated times he tried to strike up conversation they denied the act with silence.

His fellow captives were holding up better than him though as they had natural padding to help mitigate the discomfort of sleeping on stone leaving him with very little sleep at all as well as pains in places he didn’t think were possible. The most peaceful nights were when they overworked him and he passed out right away in the cell. It was only after the first day of work did he understand the reason why the prisoners were so silent about everything.

It was the look in their eyes, which he understood after the backbreaking work, little food and water, and terrible conditions overall. It was the look of those that had been broken. It was why every day he tried to get them to talk, to come out of their shell but no matter what he couldn’t seem to get a spark to come back to them. Seems ponies weren’t the only things captured either by the goblins as they had Timberwolves leashed up around certain points, a Manticore in a cage though for what he didn’t know, and some kind of crocodile looking creature he recognized from the show but couldn’t remember the name of.

However of all the slaves there were only ponies, the griffon, and himself for species. He had asked a few other slaves about where they were taken from and of those that answered it seemed like the Goblins were poaching any being that came near the Everfree. However it was easy to see why many of the prisoners never wished to speak.

In charge of the slaves was an armored Goblin, complete with metal cap, breastplate, and what looked to be a chain skirt wielding two whips, one in each hand. He stood a good head taller than other goblins and he wasn’t any other cap type that Dustan recognized. When the Squire used his Tactical Eye on the Goblin he found out why. It was a Hobgoblin, something that never appeared in the original tactics game.

The sound of something falling with a muffled cry caught his attention as it caused the cart to stop. Standing up to look he seen the spotted unicorn from his cell on the ground crying softly with the other pony nudging her with his nose telling her to stand quickly.

“I can’t, my legs wont anymore.” She cried to the stallion softly.

Sadly though the stop was noticed after a few moments and the Hobgoblin came over and cracked his whip near her. “Stand pony. Stand or me whip.”

Even with the help of the stallion at her side she couldn’t manage to get up, Dustan thought for sure she would get another warning but no. The crack of a whip and a loud cry proved that idea wrong.

“What you doing creature?” What the cries also proved was that once again that his legs moved before he thought standing between the ugly creature who stood only a head shorter then himself and the pony. “You wish be whipped too?”

“I am not going to let you whip her again period.” His fierce determination must have come off as challenging though as the air left his lungs before too long.

Doubling over from the gut punch he felt the whip crack across his body a few times. “Me whip you, then me whip pony, maybe feed her to cragadile.”

His body cried at him not to cause more trouble cause of the pain he was feeling, it’s a shame his spirit said otherwise as he looked up at the slave driver and spit at his face. The results were him getting hit across his face, the same side that Dash had marked just about a week ago.

Moving to his knees again the Hobgoblin chuckled while sneering down at him. “What you pretend you be knight in shining armor? Me armor is much more shiny than your flesh but me might still wear it. Face it creature, you pathetic. Me Strong. You no knight, you no can protect self.”

Balling up his fist he glared up at the malicious creature as time and time again he remembered friends and family saying similar things, if at least in a more kind tone or manner. Protecting others it had always been in his nature and it had always been something he did.

‘Dude I swear sometimes you are more of a knight then in the movies.’ The memory flashed quickly as Pat was patting him on the back.

They were just outside a dark alleyway heading back home just chatting and enjoying the night air. They had gone out to eat and had a few drinks in them each but not enough to be even tipsy, just to enjoy the evening. While he himself wasn’t a sports person the reason for the celebration was that one of Pat’s teams had won a huge upset over another team one whom they had not beat in almost a decade. The night was looking to be great, they would head back to his place, play games, eat snacks, watch terrible but funny movies.

The muffled scream from a nearby alleyway changed those plans. Pat tried to pull out his phone once another scream came out, one that shouted help but he was far behind Dustan who had already started running towards the call from the first one. He found a few individuals with a woman, in what looked to about to be a rape if nothing happened.

Naturally Dustan tackled one of the guys holding the woman whom started fighting back with her free hand. Pat followed in not to long after and together, mostly Pat, managed to fight and keep them there long enough for the police to come in and arrest everyone involved including Pat and himself till things were cleared. In the cell they were thrown in Patrick himself started to laugh as he looked at his friend rubbing his bruising and soon to be black eye.

“Dude I swear sometimes you are more of a knight then in the movies.” Pat told him trying to adjust his ripped shirt to better cover his torso in vain. He must have had a confused look on his face as his best friend just continued. “You ran in there at the first sign of someone in trouble. If you had super powers you would be a super hero. If this was medieval times you would be a knight.”

“As if, the nice guy always finish last remember?” he remembered telling his friend bitterly.

Chuckling and patting him on the back his friend for many years just told him simply. “Better to look at all the people you help from the back then the front. No one left behind and no one missing out right? You may not be a super hero or a knight in this day and age, but I bet in a past life you were one. Only way to explain your reflexes for jumping in like that.”

“As if.” He said it the same way as before but this time with a smile on his face.

“Your right. I am not a knight because I can’t protect myself.” Feeling his hand clench further Dustan gritted his teeth as he continued to speak. “I am a knight because I protect others!”

Dustan felt his fist swinging for the armored head of the Hobgoblin quickly so much so that the creature itself wasn’t expecting it. Just before his fist connected something caught his eyes though, light blue light was being reflected off of the helmet. When his fist connected not only did it make the goblin subtype jerk his head back but his cap fragmented in the same light blue light that was reflected.

Looking down at his fist quickly he realized that it was glowing the same color for a moment before it faded. His surprise cost him though as he was quickly and without remorse stomped into the ground by not only the slave driver himself a few guards that had seen the attack.

The last thought before he was beaten unconscious was merely a question in amazement. ‘Was that an Art of War skill?’

Rainbow Dash thought of herself as the fastest pegasus in Equestria without a doubt. She thought of herself as the most loyal pony in Equestria as well further cemented by the fact that she was the Element of Loyalty. However something she wasn’t was good at giving apologizes.

Over a week ago was the party for her former friend Gilda, where she was going to prank her and show her a good time. What she didn’t expect was how Gilda exploded on Pinkie Pie like she did, nor did she expect to learn about how Gilda had treated her best friend Fluttershy. Dash simply thought the cut on her cheek was something that happened from treating one of her animal friends.

When she had finally heard the story of how the human had come in to stop Gilda did the feelings of loathing hit her like a ton of bricks. She had hit somepony that had stood up for one of her friends and defended them from harm. She had promised herself that next time she saw him that she would apologize for how she acted and show him some of her cool moves as payment for how much of a jerk she was. Though as to why she had not gone to him before today, well she had been away for a bit for weathermare stuff over in Cloudsdale not to mention the problem with Trixie showing up a few days ago before that.

Nodding to herself once more she decided to head over first to Fluttershy’s mostly cause the speedster herself couldn’t remember exactly where Zecora’s hut was. A hop, skip, and wing beat later she was knocking on the shy pegasus’ door.

As the butter cream colored mare opened the door an inner part of Dash was set off saying something was wrong. “Oh hey Rainbow Dash. What brings you here?”

There was some slight redness to her friend’s eyes and some bags as well. “Are you ok Fluttershy? You look like you haven’t slept in a few days.”

“Oh I’m alright. I am just a bit worried is all.” The way she adverted her eyes though Dash knew her friend well enough to know it was an understatement.

Putting on her confident stance, patent pending, she looked down at her oldest friend and simply said. “Well you don’t have to be worried anymore, Rainbow Dash is here and can have this problem licked in no time, so why don’t you tell me what it is.”

The pink maned pony just tilted her head slightly and asked. “You haven’t heard?”

Shaking her head throwing the locks of polychromatic locks around she simply said. “Been in Cloudsdale remember?”

“Oh right.” Rubbing her hoof against the ground for a moment the animal handler decided to just say it for once. “Dustan has been missing for a few days now. He was supposed to be back about four days ago from what Zecora has said. Twilight has even sent a letter to Celestia asking for some help or advice but no response has come yet.”

‘…In fact why don’t you get lost!’ The words that she tossed at the human just a week back now came flooding to her mind and she could feel the blood leaving her face. This was her fault! This was all cause she didn’t even ask others and see if he was even telling the truth. She had run off an innocent pony, person, whatever.

“I-I need to go!” She didn’t even hear Fluttershy’s response as she quickly took to the air. The air felt wet on her cheeks for many reasons but not for rain.

Spotlights, they were once again shining down upon sets of armor, the checkerboard pattern, the calm sense in the air. It was the classroom. Dustan looked around, here he felt no wounds, no exhaustion, and instead he felt this place was more welcoming then last time he had visited.

Looking at all the stands he could now sense how strong each of his job classes were with Squire taking the forefront with how strong it was. However there was a different pulling sensation this time towards another stand. This one displayed the armor and crest that he recognized from tactics, for those who were sworn to knighthood or walked its path wore this type of clothing. Well minus the special units. Placing his hand on the armor he somehow could tell he was currently equipped with this job class now.

“How the hell did I become a knight?” Was the first thing that popped into his mind. Almost as if in response the armor stand started to glow and project an image into his mind.

It was him on his knees before the Hobgoblin. He was wounded but standing between him and the female unicorn. It was then that he watched the scene play out as before but from another angle.

“I am a knight because I protect others!” As his fist started swinging at the hobgob’s helm, two words rang out as if from the armor stand itself. “Rend Helm.” As the soundless words reverberated from the stand the same instant his fist started to glow blue.

“Holy shit, so I have to be worthy to be a class? Well that’s some limitations I never thought I would get.” He heard his voice echo as he said that. That wasn’t all he heard though.

“Worthy/Worthy/Worthy.” Looking around he felt the words coming from various armor stands. First were the robes of the White Mage. The sense of calm and peace radiated from it. Next came the long pointed hat and robes of the Black Mage giving off a sense of destructive force yet controlled at the same time. Last came from the lightly armored and quick footed armor stand from a new beam of light, the Thief was now available as well.

Dustan was about to question what this all meant but it seemed information just rushed into his head from too many sources at once, it was hard to sort everything out and was honestly too much. He passed out in the classroom because of that.

When he next woke up he wasn’t as sore as he thought he would be. He found a comforting wet rag atop of his head and he wasn’t in his cell. Well he was still in a cell from the looks of it, solitary too since it was a solid looking door he was hold up behind with barely any room. He still hurt in places but it felt like he had either healed or was healed in some way as just the other day his pains were much more than they were and couldn’t have possibly eased that much.

However that was not what he should be worried about as the door opened and two ponies and a goblin came in. “Out, time to die.”

Dustan wasn’t a coward, or one prone to cry but he honestly felt his heart jump up into his throat as he heard that. No doubt fighting against the slave driver was what caused him to be signed up for an execution. The two ponies that came with the guard quickly put manacles on his arms and legs before urging him out into the hallway.

On the way out he was purposefully led in the most roundabout way possible all while the goblins taunted loudly about dead creature walking. All the ponies were brought out it seems to watch his execution as he was led to a cell that had an open grate. Below he could see more than a couple of cragadiles all moving rapidly as they had already gotten used to this method of meat delivery.

As he took one last look towards the group of ponies one thought came to mind: Don’t leave on a bad note.

“I have no regrets on protecting another.” As he said that his eyes met with his former cellmates, one of whom was crying, burying her head in the shoulder of the stallion. While he was comforting her, his eyes shown with something, with what though, it was hard to say as he wasn’t looking at Dustan at the moment. The griffon was another matter as her eyes locked with his own and before he saw someone who had lost the will to live, a broken bird. Now he saw one with fire in their eyes. That fire was the last thing Dustan seen as the gate snapped open below him.

Another day had passed and it was another lack luster day of work. Dash seemed to have just lost all spirit and motivation for work at all. Not even her numerous naps during the day were a comfort anymore. So much so they were doing the opposite so she was now skipping them. Her friends had begun to notice as well as more often than not one would check up on her during her day, even her co-workers like Cloud Kicker and Thunderlane had noticed and was asking if she should take a few days off.

She declined the offer as soon as it was made as cloud busting and weather wrangling was just about all she could do to keep her mind off things. Well it was till Twilight had informed her that Celestia was sending a platoon of guards to Ponyville. When she had asked why, Twilight had stated that numerous missing pony reports have been made around the vicinity of the Everfree and that strange creatures with brown fur and clothing have been spotted in the area.

Right away Dash asked if it was possible that she could join the guard for the mission to which Twilight said yes and that all of the Element bearers and Zecora would be joining. The Element bearers would be coming for obvious reasons and Zecora as she was the most knowledgeable about the Everfree. This brought about why Rainbow Dash was currently waiting not so patiently at the train station. Today was the day they were supposed to arrive. She was going to find the human and any ponies that might have been abducted.

‘You know he wasn’t abducted right? He left cause of how much of bucking jerk you have been. After all you told him to get lost after hitting him and berating him.’ Shaking her head as she heard the voice of doubt in her mind once again she gritted her teeth and chose not to listen. She knew that if she listened to that voice she would break down and wouldn’t be fit to come along. ‘You have hated him since you first saw him. Thinking him a monster to be gotten rid of. Even when he helped out Fluttershy and in the forest for your entire group you mistrusted him. Not to mention that when he showed up at Zecora’s you were ready to buck him into next week.’

“SHUT UP!” Dash shouted at herself. It was a good thing she was early to the station making it so no pony else was there or that would have been both embarrassing and serve to make her look crazy. Sighing to herself she spoke to that doubt in her mind and heart. ‘I am going to make it right. I have not been a good friend at all and I will make sure he knows that. From now on I will have his back even if no pony else does.’

Feeling better for her silent vow the impatient speedster settled her haunches on the ground to wait.

There was currently a debate going on in Dustan’s mind. Should he be thankful about the multicolored aura surrounding him keeping him from being eaten by the cragadiles or should he be angry at them as the reptiles were still trying to reach him by jumping up out of the water only being stopped with a kick here and there. Thankfully the debate was over as he was slowly raised up and pulled to hidden tunnel that closed up after he was through with the light from the levitation fading as well.

“The guards don’t look to see what happens to ponies they throw in here.” The first voice said to him in the dark. “So they will think you are dead and making it so you can come with us undisturbed.”

“Ok mind telling me who rescued me, not that I am complaining mind.” Standing up he right away winced when his head hit the top of the tunnel. “Though I will complain about how small this tunnel is.”

There was a light of a unicorn horn before he could just barely make out the silhouette of the unicorn providing the light. “I suppose you can call us the resistance. Not an original name I know but it fits.” Dustan was forced to duck down and crawl in some parts of the tunnel as he followed. “We are members of those that were captured who decided to fight back. We haven’t gotten any new members lately but we saw what you did and knew we couldn’t let you die. So we have been prepping for you to join us since then. We have eyes and ears everywhere there are ponies.”

“I am guessing you want my help in fighting?” That just got him a barely seen nod in the dark from the unicorn. “Do you know how many goblins there are and how many strong is this Resistance?”

At first he didn’t think he would get an answer, but as light slowly started to come into view he didn’t think he needed one regardless on him getting one. “We are fifty strong against an enemy that is twice as many strong.”

Here he was in a large cavern, big enough for him to stand up in finally and then some. The crystals were giving off faint light for everyone to see just enough to go about daily life. Off in the corner though came a stronger light and the ringing of a hammer: A smithy.

“Damn you really got your shit together if you have all this.” Dustan said rubbing his arms as it was cooler down here then it was up in the cells.

The distinctive hum of magic and a touch on his shoulder called his attention. “I believe these are yours? Though if they are I have a few questions for you.”

In the glow of the male unicorn’s magic was his clothes and armor that were taken from him, as well as cloth wrapped around something large. “Holy shit my stuff! I am not even going to ask how you got it, I just want to put it on now please.” The newly made knight wasted no time grabbing his gear and putting it on feeling whole once the final piece was on, in this case was his cloak. As he finished he looked towards the final item that was wrapped up. Unwrapping it showed it to be his axe. “Oh right I was out to chop wood.”

Picking it up he heard a few gasps come from some of the ponies watching him as well as whispers of it being true. “I see, that does help things along quite a bit.”

“Ok, mind explaining things a bit more clearly for some who don’t know what it is you are talking about?” Dustan was a bit miffed about not knowing about something big enough for ponies to whisper about like some great event like this apparently was.

Giving a cough before the unicorn stated. “I see you don’t even know what you hold.”

“And I assume you are going to tell me it isn’t just some axe huh?” The amount of sarcasm was strong in this one.

“Come let us eat and talk then. Be warned it’s not the best food, but at least it’s something.” Variety was the spice of life, but hunger made even the most poorly prepped foods taste divine. The rumble in the human’s belly told him that this meal would be one remembered for good or bad.

He had gone through his third bowl of…oatmeal…before the unicorn started to talk once more except Dustan ignored him for a moment. “Let me finish eating first.” All that was given was a chuckle and a patient unicorn.

When he was done eating the cloaked human gave a nod towards the unicorn. “Magisters, those that study magic for a living in case you don’t know, have found sources of a metal that is very rare.” Already Dustan could see where this was going but let him continue. “The metals are not natural but created.”

“So what, I am holding a Vibranium axe?” With the comic reference thrown out there the nerdy male just grinned.

“I don’t know what that is. What you hold is called Harmonium.” Dustan couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows as he was kidding when he said Vibranium but Harmonium was giving off warning bells that he didn’t like. “When normal metal or metal ore is exposed to the light given off when the Elements of Harmony they sometimes absorb some of the power from them. This gives the metal some new properties.”

“If you come off with some bullshit like I am a chosen one I am going to be pissed.” Frowning as he said that, Dustan continued. “That never ends up well for said chosen one.”

“Sort of. Not so much chosen but in tune with harmony or acts on its behalf.” As the unicorn said that it confirmed a lot of fanfic writer’s theories that harmony was aware to some degree in the My Little Pony world. “It still has all the properties of the metal it was before, in this case steel for your axe. However it also gains an enchantment that unicorns and magisters all around Equus have been wanting for untold ages and still haven’t managed to create: The Everlasting Enchantment.”

“Ok so what does that mean?” it was a simple question, though Dustan had a few ideas on what it meant already just from the name and the fact that it wasn’t dust when he found it.

“What it means is that it will stay sharp and will not succumb to rust.” In the light it was easy to see that the stallion was rust colored himself which was half why he was laughing now. “What’s so funny?”

“Well then I guess this isn’t Harmonium then since it was covered in a LOT of rust when I found it.” That was a lot off his mind for sure.

“That is impossible, I mean it would have had to been abandoned in a damp area for centuries if not a millennia for rust to even generate on it.” Well shit was all Dustan could think of. “Regardless we already know its Harmonium for the simple fact of how it looks. Look at it in the light, when it catches light it has a shifting rainbow hue that only Harmonium has.” Double shit.

Giving a sigh and giving up on getting out of half chosen one status Dustan spoke up. “Yeah I noticed that myself after I finished cleaning it up and yeah it was abandoned for about a thousand years from what I could tell.” He was wishing he brought his sword with him now instead of leaving it behind hidden.

“Well that would explain it for sure.” The unicorn stood up and smiled. “I haven’t introduced myself. I am Logistics Trail.” With there being more light it was easy to see why Dustan had a hard time seeing him before, with his dark rust colored coat and black mane and tail he easily blended in with the shadows. The only thing to break up the pattern was his grey cutie mark that was a model of the globe surrounded by three rings making it look like an atom. The other difference between an atom symbol and his mark was that instead of balls for the electrons there were wings.

“Dustan Warner but just call me Dustan.” Reaching out he met the pony’s hoof with his first in a hoof bump. “I hope you don’t think I am some deciding factor here cause even with what we have here, they have numbers on their side for sure.” All that the stallion gave was a cocky grin. “Oh you have to be shitting me.”

The train whistled calling an end to its trip. Not only was the sound of many hooves heard, but the clanking of steel, bronze, and gold from the various battalions. Iron and steel were rare in Equestria, as was Copper, tin, and aluminum so gold and silver were often the go to for equipment. The good thing about gold and silver that made up for their cousins metals outperforming them was that enchantments were easier to inlay in them making it so they could be more versatile depending on what they were enchanted with.

Rainbow Dash took to a stance and saluted the guards that marched out of the train as soon it would be time to make up for her mistakes.

Author's Note

Cheesy/punny name for title, check.
Cliffhanger, Check.

The fact you survived being pushed off a cliff before, uncheck.

Exactly wait what?
*Shoves*
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