I gave a content sigh as I stretched my whole body: Sapphire, Sombra and the red filly who I learned was named Ruby Skillet doing similar actions. I looked around the room, six bunk beds lined the walls, a foal resting in all of the beds with me and Sombra getting cots to rest on, a dresser placed between each bunk.

I gave a hum. Cataloging some of the Carver's knowledge. I've spent the last however long sorting out what the Carver left me.

It was a lot, a lifetimes worth a lot.

A throng of fillies formed in a short while, each getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom. I followed at the back, me and the other three occasionally making small talk and it's now without the stress of yesterday that I realized I was speaking a different language from what the butchers taught. Good. We eventually entered a door into the... Bathroom?

A large room with tiled floor, a big pool of moving water in the centere, chairs were strewn about the surrounding floor. Crystal Ponies were in the water and on the chairs, their armour absent, refracting the light above into a beautiful display of colours. The foals got into the water, older Ponies, likely their parents, approached them with brushes and sponges. I stopped as I figured out what this was.

A bathhouse, a private one for the whole family but still a bathhouse.

"Whatcha doing just standing around, come on!" Sapphire picked me up and-.

"Wait, wait,-" too late. With a splash I fell into the water, dust and grim forming a cloud in the liquid, getting sweeped away by the current. the water was lukewarm, not hot, not cold. some of the Ponies were completely submerged like I was at the moment. Sapphire jumped in after me, her smile turning sheepish at my glare. Sombra entered next, sliding rather then jumping, scrubbing brushes in hoof. I took one of the brushes when it was offered to me. I see the other Ponies scrubbing, brushing and otherwise grooming each other. huh, I saw neither males nor females like the butchers, but a third option. I take the brush and started scrubbing Sapphire, who was scrubbing Sombra, who was scrubbing a newly entered Ruby, who decided to scrub me. So there we were, cleaning each other underwater.

After a while, the adults started rounding up the foals, guess it's time to see what the Empire has in store for me. We were herded to a changing room with a wall mirror to one side, in it's reflective surface I saw my reflection for the first time: A coat of darkish amethyst that caught the light slightly less brilliantly then some of the other Crystal Ponies I've seen, my mane and tail a polished rose-quarts with a streak of pearl, bright topaz iris' stared back form teardrop shaped eyes with something that the other foals lacked, what that was I wasn't sure. We dried off, our chaperon now in armour, guiding us to the room we slept in.

"Alright! Get your stuff and head to the kitchen for breakfast, you got a long day of training ahead of you," she said, backing out of the room with the thud of the door. The foals eagerly went to the dressers, pulling out saddle bags. I gave a sigh, picking up my bags and the dagger, swiped a hoof through my mane, it was long.

Too long, if I want to be a member of the legion then I need to be able to fight without fear of my mane getting caught in something. I sat on my hindquarters, grab as much of my mane as possible, took my dagger in the other hoof and cut my mane in uneven sawing motions; doing the same for my tail. In the end my mane only reached my jaw and mid neck, my tail reached my mid thigh. I dumped the cut hair into a designated bin. Much better, still a bit long but at least its not as easy of a target. A lot of the other foals donned armour, Ruby trotted by, her helmet hanging by a latch between her chest and right withers.

We poured out, down the hall and in to the kitchen, the table just as crowded as before; this time though, a familiar rust red armoured Pony sat amongst them.

"Hi, Mom," Sombra said happily with a smile, trotting to her and sitting next to her, me, Sapph and Ruby following suit.

"Didn't you say you had orders to fill? its only being four hours," Sapphire asked with suspicion. Four hours? had it been really that short of a time?

"Six. and I teach metallurgy, remember?" Iron Flask more stated then asked, taking a bite from a piece of coloured glass. The meal was a different mix of colours but still was tasty as before. Once we finished, all the foals were picked up. Me and Sombra being picked up by Iron Flask with her freaky psionics.

We were trotted out of the house, the streets opening up in their artistic glory, my gaze lingering on a mosaic of a group of four Ponies facing off against a dragon. Would I have to face against something that fearsome if I joined the legion?

I'm aiming to be in a support role, so not directly, no.

We eventually reached a huge sandy pit, tiered sets of of polished stone seats raised above the pit in a circle to give all those that sat a clear view. There were some adults in the pit, setting stuff up. The foals were set down on the pit's sandy floor, the adults either leaving the pit outright or taking one of the seats, others were staying in the pit and helping set stuff up.

"Welcome, welcome one and all! I am glad to see so many faces old and new here for the new year, now as I'm sure you all are aware, the first month will be going back to basics,-" there were groans from the crowd of foals, I was glad, for I knew nothing of my heritage or my culture. "- now, now don't be like that, the basics are the supports that keep the tunnels of skill from collapsing. Now with that out of the way. Thank you Empress Blood Ruby, may your cunning and wisdom be showered and formed onto our treasure, jewel and snow."

"Jewel and snow," we echoed. I was starting to wonder if Empress Blood Ruby was some god figure for us or if her deeds were so impactful for better or worse that we give her reverence despite being a regular Pony?

One of the adults in the pit stepped forward, carrying a bag of random odds and ends. She gave us a certain amount from the bag and told us to add and subtract, calmly explaining what those were when I asked. We were giving a sheet of quarts paper with particular problems to solve. The teacher moved among the students, teacher and students giving corrections and advice when asked or needed. I was incredibly thankful for the pile of junk I was given and Ruby explaining what symbol meant for each number provided by the Carver; the problems on the paper being complete gibberish otherwise.

After the cipher that the Carver called math, another Pony trotted forward, sheets with numbers replaced with semi hieroglyphic symbols, I say semi because sometimes the same symbol would have different conjoining shapes attached. I am embarrassed to admit that I needed a lot of help understanding, even with the support of the teacher and the students around me.

The next teacher was a Unicorn, she lit her horn, a hologram of a Pony standing next to her.

"Some of the younger treasures may wonder why we live separate from the Fleshies and their settlements,"- The Teacher began, a hologram of two, somethings floated above the casting Pony, -"Put simply, our bodies are valuable to them, our bones are stronger and lighter then steel, our teeth are made of diamonds which the Fleshies covet for some reason, same for the rest of the body."

The two somethings expanded, one was a misshaped sphere and the other was a Octagonal orb.

"Behold! the bricks that make Fleshies,"- the teacher points to the misshaped sphere, -" and the bricks that make all life in the Empire."

The Octagonal orb expanded more, completely over taking the misshaped sphere. The teacher went further in the lecture on the biology of life in the Empire, where the organs are which apparently in similar places to a Fleshy's but the shapes and lack of movement are different enough to take note of.

At some point in the lecture I raised my hoof.

"Yes, purple treasure, you have questions?" the teacher asked with genuine interest.

"I was told that fleshy's only... ur, have one of the sets for making foals while we have both, why is that?" I asked with embarrassed hesitation while adjusting my seating, the near by foals laughing at my discomfort at the topic. The teacher just chuckles.

"Because Our Empress' neighbors argued with each other constantly and the Empress thought that a race that is one sex would survive better," the teacher stated matter of factly with a straight face.

"Oh," well then. the lecture went on and ended after that. The things I learned were that Crystal Pony eyes could see in the full spectrum, thermal, visilight (what Fleshies can see) ultraviolet, even EM and radiation. Our ears were much the same.

Turns out that when I was seeing just shapes in the basement, I was using LIDAR.

...

How have we not taking over the world? I mean seriously: we are faster, stronger, tougher then fleshies, we don't need to breath or drink, we need less sleep then Fleshies, we are immune to diseases and poisons and acids that would melt a Fleshy to goo would be just a irritate to us.

How have we not taking over the world?

the biology teacher cut off the holograms and trotted to the front seats where most of the teachers are. A Bat Pony trotted up, bowls and metal bars balanced on her back and wings, some floating around her head.

"All right! Unicorns, you are to hold onto the bowl with telekinesis and hold the water inside, Earth Ponies, you are to turn the water into ice, Pegasi, you are to turn the water into clouds, Bat Ponies, you are to control and direct sound made by the bars, I'll be ready with a silencing spell so we don't go deaf and please don't break the bowls," the teacher called out good naturally. I swallowed nervously when a bowl was placed in front of me.

"Unicorns! Auras around your bowls, Earth Ponies! Hooves to the sides of your bowls, Pegasi! Wings on yours, Bat Ponies! Bars in your wings."

I took slow, deep breaths when I lifted my bowl, the water within sloshed around the wobbling dish ware. Some of the other foals struggled like I did, others did fine with some consecration and other still with a bored look, mostly older foals.

"Good, now the important part," the foals' faces shifted to dread and before I could guess as to why, the invisible field of the teacher grabbed our bowls and flipped them. some had their water fall out immediately, the casters bowing their heads in shame, others were able to slow the fall to various degrees and a small few managed to prevent a single drop from falling.

I consecrated on my bowl, the water sloshing around forcing me to adjust my telekinetic hold, the bowl moving with the water, not a single drop left the bowl but it was obvious to anypony that I was consecrating more intensely and using more raw power then the rest.

Seconds ticked by in hours to my mind then.

A loud crack, both in matter and in sound broke me out of consecration, the bowl fell to the ground and the water spilled on the sand in one big ball of wet.

"fifteen seconds, not bad for a first try, plenty of magical power but not much fine control, we'll be working on that later," the magic teacher said next to me. I did not nearly jump out of my skin at the seemingly sudden presence, nope, no sir re and if, Sapphire says otherwise then shes a liar, speaking of. I looked over the other tribes and noticed a large and sharp spike of ice judding out of, Sapph's bowl, smaller and different shapes made of ice from the other bowls, clouds fromed near the Pegasi's bowls and odd and funky sounds and distortions of those sounds coming from the Bat Ponies.

"All right! that's enough for now, lets switch gears and cover some theory,"- the crowd of foals groaned, some already getting glassy eyed, -"After that, combat training."

The foals immediately perked up and we formed a semi circle around the teacher, where it was still dry. She teleported the mess from the practice away. She sat and her shadow started to writhe and move.

Wait.

"Magic as a definition is using energy, intent and will to alter or add new forces in the world, any energy will do though mana is the easiest to work with, you need to know damn well what you intend to do with a spell or it will do nothing or something you've been fixating on, like beating up your annoying neighbor or rival,"- the teacher chuckled at some of the foals nodding off, the shadow lunged at them, startling them and some of the surrounding foals, -"To speak plane imperial, lighting a candle or shoving a foe is easier then pulling a meteor out of the sky or teleporting... or the other way around depending on how your mind works."

The shadow receded back to it's proper shape. After some more magic babble, the teacher trotted to the raised benches. Another teacher trotted onto the sand, this one a Earth Pony with a short pink mane and a green coat.

"Fitness," the teacher stated simply. The gathered crowed of foals groaned. The teacher put us through exercises: slowly pushing ourselves up from our bellies on the ground position, crunches, being on our backs and raising our upper barrels, jumping jacks, jumping and shift our hoofing from under our barrels to being spread out and back again. The lesson ended with a Gallop around the pit that slowed to a canter. My body felt like it was about to shatter from the soreness.

Yet another teacher trotted onto the sand; this one had a grayish yellow coat with a crack running along her forehead to her pole then down one of her eyes and cheek then disappearing below her jaw.

"Everypony form a line and get into a combat stance!" the teacher said with authority, not quite a shout but close. We all did as told with me at the third row. The teacher stalked the rows, correcting mistakes when she saw them, move a hoof here, bend the knees lower.

"Good. Now watch closely, we'll start with a simple buck, plant your front hooves firmly on the ground, use your head, neck and withers as a counter weight, coil your hindlegs and kick! do mind your stance and balance on the return. Now, begin!" the teacher showed each row, each step she talked about. The students tried to copy the motions, some succeeded, others struggled.

I took a few deep breaths. I can do this. I reared, forwarded? On my front hooves, head bobbing to not smack the sand, my hindlegs coiled like the teacher said and bucked, the hooves stuck out for a moment then gravity took over and I had to scramble to stay standing.

"Draw those hooves back if you don't want to be grabbed! Send out, return, in the same motion, send out, return!" the teacher barked, adjusting stances and tripping foals that didn't heed her instruction. I continued to do the motions, adjusting hoof placement, balancing, force of motion. In the end I did a buck with some actual force behind it without stumbling!

"That's enough for now. next is jabs," the teacher demonstrated again, one foreleg raised in the air then striking forward hoof first. The jabs were like the bucks, practiced motions being adjusted until we got it right, We went like this for a while, hooks, upper cuts and headbutts being put to practice.

"Next, some katas for maces and picks," the teacher said, trotting to the lowest stand where a chest was. She pulled out sticks made of... crystal? the teacher put one in her mouth by the wrapped end and showed us a series of motions to swing it.

It was awkward. Swinging side to side felt fine, but up and down, and diagonal pinched my neck somewhat painfully, making me wince. After a few minutes of practice, the teacher shifted the practice weapon in her hoof and demonstrated a new set of katas, these ones feeling much more comfortable.

"Okay, lets end the lesson off with some sparring," the teacher said, trotting back to the lowest stand where the chest was. She pulled out pairs of foal sized armour, shiny but not made of metal or crystal. We put them on, comfy padding lining the inside.

"The rules for today's spars are quite simple, no weapons or magic, the first to knock their opponent to the ground three times or land three solid hits wins the match, hits and knockdowns are cumulative of coarse," the teacher said once we were in the practice armour.

"Who to start with? humm, You,"- she points at a foal further in the crowd. The foal trotted forwards with confidence, "you'll be facing the new foal."

I shutter a bit, taking measured steps into the centere of the arena... it is a arena! I really should've noticed. the rest of the foals formed a circle around us.

"You got this, Blaze!" Sapphire cheered out from the crowd, I gave a nod and faced my opponent.

Earth Pony, relaxed stance but low and firm, a head taller and a few kilograms heavier then me.

"Begin!!" I startled at the teacher's shout. The opponent started trotting forward and to the side, never looking away. I copied the movement, the two of us circling each other, to a centere point.

The opponent charged at me, her front legs planting and skidding across the sand and her back legs coiling for a buck. I scrambled to get out of the way, leaning to the side, one of the hooves landing.

I stepped into the opponent, jabbing a hoof into her side, we stepped away from each other.

The opponent charged and I followed suite, we raised our forehoof and jabbed at the same time, she tilted her head, making my strike miss, hers connected to my head, the padding the only reason I wasn't seeing stars.

The opponent wrapped her forelegs around my barrel and pivoted hard to the side.

"And match! Steel Tooth is the winner," the teacher said, trotting to the arena's centere, "let this be a lesson to all of you. There'll always be a opponent out there that can't be beat by direct attack, too strong, too quick, too well defended, whatever, It's why we use weapons, combat magic and explosives."

"Then why are we training to fight with our hooves!" I grumpily exclaim with a pout, accepting Steel Tooth's hoof of aid, standing again.

"Things happen, weapons break, guns jam, sometimes you'll lose your weapon in a fight, sometimes explosives miss fire or don't detonate at all and any spell outside of telekinesis takes discipline to cast during battle. things happen," the teacher said with some heat and not quite a glare but rather close. I hang my head and nod. It made sense, better to be prepared for something and not need it then to be caught vulnerable because your gear failed.

A pink Unicorn with a pearl mane trotted into the arena with others trailing behind her, various items such as instruments, books and other tools floating in her magic field.

"I think that's enough of the physically demanding stuff, time for some fun! Pick some crafts and we'll get started," she said with a smile, setting down items for the others to setup.

We scattered around what quickly became like a job fair. Teachers talking to foals about the merits of their craft. One teacher sat at the edge of the fair, only a few foals hanging around unlike the dozens at the others. I trotted over, feeling a tingle go over my body, files, chisels, bowels of powdered metals and crystals, and odd sculptures that made my head hurt and my tummy sick just looking at them sat on the table next to the teacher.

"Yeah they tend to do that to rookies," the teacher said with a amused chuckle, patting one of the sculptures. I trotted to the table with the rest of the foals there, feeling oddly drawen despite the sick feeling.

"What... are these?" I asked, tapping one of the sculptures with my hoof.

"Talismans, ruins, spell matrixes, enchanting is my craft," the enchanting teacher said, picking up a chisel and carving a new one from a block of stone that I think is granite. I watched for a time, the strokes of the chisel, the rubbing of dusts and powders in grooves, the filing to make the perfect shapes.

"Enchanting is applying magical effects on a item, it is used a lot in our technology base with some mechanical devices as a redundancy," the enchanting teacher said, correcting the foals that had taking to the craft.

"Are there enchanters in the legion?" I asked with some hope, could this be...?

"Are there enchanters in the legion? Ha! That's like asking if there is metal in the planet or water in the sea, of course there is," the enchanting teacher said with mirth, slapping away a foal's hoof that would've stabbed them.

"Teach me," I said, that fire from the column march fanning higher.

"Soon, treasure, soon, today is for new treasures like you to get a idea of what crafts you want to learn," the enchanting teacher said happily, shooing me and another foal away.

I wondered a while after. Overhearing teachers talk about what they do and teach, some foals galloping to and fro stalls while others cantered, usually older ones. The notes of instruments reached my ears over the din of the crowed, a stall with a teacher and some students playing on various instruments. I approached, the teacher cracking a eye open, ending her song with a final drawn out note.

"Well, well, the fire mare has come to learn," the teacher said with a odd mirth, her spider quarts eyes staring into nothing. One of the older foals in the band kicked the teacher softly in the leg, her look of unamusement softening when her gaze swung to me.

"Don't mind, Mother's ramblings. So you want to learn how to play a instrument?" She asked with a smile, her instruments still floating in her horn's field.

"Suure," I said with slow uncertainty, getting dragged by the foal, "Why though?"

"Because creation is good for the soul! Besides, we have to do something besides training, battle and resting for the next of the last two," the Music Foal shoved a random instrument into my forehooves, asked me to play a few notes that didn't sound right to me, even when I played them correctly. We tried different instruments, non really feeling right, even when they didn't sound like a screeching banshee. A glint from the back of the stall caught my eye. I trotted over, a odd instrument, a stringed one where the strings feed into a box with buttons on the side, a crank on the bottom.

I picked it up in my forehooves, one spinning the crank while the other's hoof field danced along the keys, the notes having a buzzing and droning quality to it.

This, this felt right.

"Seriously?" Music Foal asked incredulously behind me.

"Is there a problem?" I ask coldly, head turning, my horn coming alight.

"O-Oh nothing just... maybe we should find a additional instrument?" it is obvious that she was trying to deflect my ire, but I let her guide me to other instruments and we settled on a odd string and bow instrument that is bigger then a violin smaller then a cello.

After that, I was back to wandering. Non of the other trades captivated my interest like enchanting did, alchemy? Maybe as a hobby but not a trade, architecture? Learn enough to avoid cave ins, but boring otherwise, vehicle making? Same as architecture, there were others of course, but non that I was willing to name. A glint of shininess caught my eye and stopped my gait, drawing my gaze to a moderately crowded stall.

And a familiar grey coated Earth Pony with a onyx mane and ember orange eyes.

I trotted over, squeezing through the crowd. Iron Flask was using some sort of metal stick with two sideways prongs on the end to bend a plate of glowing green stuff, dunking it into a trough of glowing purple liquid when it was the right shape then taking a brick of glowing green stuff from the yellow frames of a portable forge. Iron Flask switched the sideways prong for a hammer, beating it into shape with deliberate, practiced swings.

"Heh, heh, figured I'd see you again at some point. So want to learn the lifeblood of your culture?" Iron asked with mirth that bleed into seriousness at the end. I gave a resolute nod, I won't fail my sisters in arms! I stayed there, watching Iron Flask use various hammers, tongs, pliers, the metal stick with two sideways prongs on the end, a oddly wedged axe, screwdrivers, wrenches, vices, chisels and machining tools.

Some time past before the stalls were disassembled and moved out of the arena. Adult Ponies trotted over and gathered their foals, having them settle in the raised seating, Iron Flask picking me and Sombra up with her mind. A pinkish red Pegasus with a green mane and dark purple armour trotted into the centere of the arena, a stringed instrument and a bow in either wing. She started playing a few notes, grim faced and looking at everypony in the crowd with a appraising eye.

"We owe our existence to, Empress Blood Ruby, for without her we'd be nothing, less then dust,"- the mare said, her tone just as grim as her face, the occasional note emphasizing her words, -"To know the history of the Empire and it's citizens, is to know the history of the Empress."

The mare's music shifted form just some notes into a coherent song.

"Once oh so many moons ago there lived a Earth Pony, not of gem and metal, but of flesh and bone. Her mother and father, sister and brother," the newer foals gasped with faces of disgust, weather that was due to our god figure used to be a fleshy or the incest remained to be seen.

"It twas true and she suffered dearly for it, her spine crooked and displaced, her jaw bent and wrapped, a eye that drifted on it own and hindlegs that were withered and frail, injuries from raiders attacking her home, and so, so much more, but there was one thing that made her keep going," the cords turned incoherent in odd places, the musical historian looking us in the eyes as if daring us to interrupt and continue where she left off.

"Magic, our empress loved magic in all it's forms, she'd craft potent enchantments, runes and talismans, wishing to help her village despite her weakness; Yet when she presented these achievements to the villagers, they shouted curses and tossed them into fires, 'Magic is a Unicorn's craft' they'd cry, throwing rotten food and loose stones," disgust shifted to anger, all tribes in the crowed unified in their agreement of who was in the wrong.

"The vary next day, bandits raided the village, bandits that would've being stopped by our empress' spell work. She approached a Unicorn caravan days later and asked them to take her with them, even presented a set of runes that would animate a statue or carving to life, the caravan laughed and mocked her, one unicorn named, Star Swirl stole her work, past it as his own," I gave a hum at that, surly Star Swirl would've been found out, inconsistencies with his story of how he discovered it, differences in methodology or construction?

Then again, if our empress lived in a society with such narrow minded views on who can wield magic...

"Then the spirits of woe came, beast that feed off of hate and strife, her village fell apart, ponies fighting over the pettiest things, wives striking their husbands, husbands striking their wives, all yelling to do certain roles based on what's between their hindlegs and how one is inferior to the other," that... explains that answer back at the biology lesson, some in the crowed looked between their legs, seeming to find a new appreciation for being a hermaphrodite.

"Our empress, having grown disgusted with her society, her people and her body, shunted herself in her home, carving the most powerful and complex ritual ever seen to Ponykind, a ritual to cure aliments and improve her beyond what any flesh could dream of being, metal rare and deep underground, various crystals and gems, she performed the ritual on herself and-"

"Was torn apart to become a living work of art," the words left my mouth before I even realized I said them, some of the surrounding crowed giving confused looks in my direction.

"Heh, indeed, indeed. The ritual tore her fleshy body into a fine mist, condensing around the metal and crystals. When our empress emerged, it was with a new perfect body of crimson diamond coat, her spine straight and in place, her jaw perfectly aligned, both her eyes facing where she pleased, framed by a black and white mane , trotting on four thick and powerful legs, yet that wasn't all, for she now sported a pair of feathered wings on her back and a spiral horn on her head. She wished to share this form, yet most looked upon her with greed and envy, so she left, heading north and picking up the lost, abandoned and discontent along the way. Yet most betrayed her for one reason or another and then there was two who stayed loyal, they and our Empress would work, forged and carved what the world now calls Crystal Ponies, but the greed of fleshies gave chase, we cut, stabbed and bludgeoned until the snow ran red and on that day the legion was born, to protect the empire from those that would steal our treasure for their own gain," the musical historian stared right at me with those final words, the lesson ending in a final, drawn out note.

A moment of silence followed after history then chatter started, parents picked up their foals. Iron Flask wrapped a hoof around my withers.

"So my treasure, how was your first day proper here?" Iron asked kindly, sitting next to me. The crowed thinning out.

"It was..." nerve wracking, exciting, frustrating at times, "...informative."

"Good, good. So I've been thinking, your parents are more then likely dead if some fleshies managed to get a hold of you and we can't have foals growing up alone, it's not right; so if you are willing, you'll be a part of my family," Iron dipped her head, one hoof over her chest. I- she's adopting me? Despite the Carver, despite not being her bloodline. Will I have a real family? Sapphire nodded enthusiastically with a encouraging small, Sombra gave a shyer smile similar to Sapph's at the idea of having me as a sister.

"I... I accept," a tremble warbled my words, tears pricking at my eyes. Don't get too excited, wait and see how it goes.

"Then I bring you into my family as my daughter, to teach you and care for you forever more," Iron said with formality and reverence. She told me the words to recite to finalize this adoption.

"And I come into your family as your daughter, to learn from you and carry your legacy forever more," I recited, a smile creeping onto my muzzle.

"Jewel and snow," Iron picked me and and sombra up in her mystery field, placing us on her back. Sombra's smile grew bolder and she wrapped her forelegs around me in a tight hug. The three of us trotted through the streets, works of art passing by until we reached a house with a stone carving over the door of a blacksmith striking something between her hammer and anvil then a pair of warriors of some kind slaying a dragon with a spear and mace.

We trotted to the sturdy door. Iron unlocked the door and headed inside, a quarts carpet on the floor of a mudroom. She settled me and Sombra down and we wiped our hooves before entering the rest of the house. The first thing I noticed was how much quieter it was then Sapphire's home, any where you went there was at least the shuffling of hooves of ponies going from one place to the next; where it was almost completely silent, the only sound coming from the right hallway, the left obscured by a heavy metal and crystal door, the front leading to a crystal door, a training room like at Sapphire's and a set of stairs leading up.

Iron Flask lead us to the right hallway, opening up into a kitchen. eleven ponies of various types conversed around a table obviously intended for a larger gathering, they all turned to face us. A washed out braze pegasus trotted forward from the group, silver mane swaying, eyes of granite looking at me with mild scrutiny that shifted to a warm smile.

"So you are the filly that, Iron has taken a liking to. My name is Braze, I'll be your parent alongside Iron," Braze said welcomely with a nod of her head; four fillies from the group snickered and giggled, drawing a confused glance from me and a annoyed frown from Braze.

We were guided to the table where food was being set. I looked around the kitchen, noting the- my new family, not including me, Sombra, Iron or Braze I counted three merponies, three bat ponies, two unicorns, a pegasus and a earth pony. The family members introduced themselves, two sets of aunts and cousins, a set of grandparents.

"Before we begin, I'd like to say a few words,"- Obsidian Gale, one of my now grandparents said, sternly, grave face turning kindly- "Thank you, Empress Blood Ruby for another day of prosperity, treasure and for guiding this treasure into our lives, who we greet with open wings and love. Jewel and snow."

" Jewel and snow," The family ate and chatted, one of the aunts told a story of how she and her friends fought and killed a quarry eel, the atmosphere wasn't somber just subdued from the much more lively and bigger family of Sapphire's.

The food was nice, chunks of glass both coloured and not, smaller yellow and light grey bricks floating in a clear yellowish liquid that was cool to the touch. I ate with less of the wild abandon that I had at Sapphire's, I still took the lion's share of the onyx though... what a odd phrase, are there crystal lions here?

"Hey, Amethyst? I saw you were drawn to the enchanter's booth, I'm still going through orders and while, Apatite Flare will be doing most of the work, you, Sombra and Silver Flicker can still power them," Iron said tentatively, standing up after the food was eaten, Silver Flicker gave a scowl and pout, forehooves crossed. I nodded without hesitation, That fire from seeing that Legion column was stoked again, my face setting into a expression of determination.

Author's Note

To those just coming here, welcome; to those returning from previous chapters and stories, welcome back.

Sorry for the long wait, IRL stuff and random spurts of writers block delayed the writing and completion of this chapter... on the bright side, Merry Christmas!

See errors in spelling (in Canadian english please), punctuation (not grammar, pretty sure I've got that figured out), see ways I can improve or just have thoughts on the story then feel free to comment