Knights of Iron

Three Days Ago
We turn back the clock to check on Iron’s progress of armor. After sending Shining Armor away, the terran wanted to know what that was. It felt like magic, like being wrapped in telekinesis, yet it felt nothing like being held. He took the armor to the workshop and was greeted by Iro, who noticed the change. “Oh, Iron, it seems there is a pleasant change within you.” Iron was curious, inquiring about this change. “It feels as though you are… more open? Hmm, maybe less burdened. Either way, the mana flows through you more freely now.” Iron looked at his hands, wondering how to interpret that.

This was interrupted by Rainbow, who came in to pester him again about a weapon. The mare saw the gear he’s been making and wanted a weapon to use. In her words, she just wanted something functional and cool, like those guns, or maybe a blade. Though Iron was briefly annoyed, he used this chance to ask Rainbow to get Natah, Twilight and Rarity. Though confused, she did just that, as Natah was there in seconds and Twilight followed shortly after with Rarity with a teleport.

“So what’s up?” Natah asked, curious about Iron’s request to see him and the unicorns. Instead of explaining, Iron held his hand out as the nodes appeared again, the same lines of mana forming on his body and mana emitting from the ‘End Nodes’. Twilight, stunned by this, examined the mana to make sure this wasn’t a trick of some kind. Sure enough, it was real mana, leaving her and the others flabbergasted. “Dude, how and where? That is cool.”

“In town. Someone fired a concussion spell and I managed to hear it. My reflexes spiked and I came to some epiphany before redirecting the blast.” While Rarity was looking him over in concern, he continued as he mentioned that the initial form of this method is the likely reason Terrans can use the armor more naturally. Rarity then mixed heads with Twilight as they came to the two mares in mind that can explain this; Applejack for her strength and Pinkie Pie for her supernatural precognitive awareness.

Just as they discussed the mare, she… stepped out from a slip in space? “Hiya?”

“Pinkie…?” Twilight was beside herself, as this was… beyond new for her. Not only did Pinkie break physics, again, she did so even more seamlessly than normal. And she looked… different.

“Okay Alter, not too many spoilers.” STOP THAT! “Never.” She growled at… someone playfully. “So, I’m from the future, a good one, though I found that certain conditions can create a positive time loop if done in the exact order, like right now.” She looked at Iron and smiled gleefully. “Though you are roughly two seconds ahead of schedule so I got time.” She went on to explain the Soft Line and Hard Line methods and how unicorns and pegasi used the soft line method, which turns their mana inward as opposed to Terrans taking in mana from the Hard Lines to project more mana. She even explains that Alicorns can use this and the other methods at their best since they are walking conduits of mana. While she can’t say more than that, she can teach the method and secure the time loop, starting with Natah.

Natah learned to turn all of his leylines inward; hands, horn and wings. This let him cycle his mana more freely and can be switched between the three methods, which can boost magic strength, range and duration with technique. Twilight and Rarity could think of a few uses on their own. Iron, however, not only picked it up, being a Terran, he then projected the Soft Lines to the armor, moving parts of it remotely. He thought that if he could condense his Soft Lines into a connector, he could make something out of it. Pinkie Two warned against that, saying that it’d be too risky at this juncture. But he did do something great with it. Again, she couldn’t say wh-at is Pinkie One doing here?

“Oh, is this an Iron chapter?” The present time party mare asked as she and her futuristic counterpart started conversing about this ‘Alter Sol’ being a procrastinator-HEY! “You know it’s true, Alley.” The present Pinkie teased. “So how did teaching go?”

“Iron almost began developing a skill with his Soft Lines two weeks earlier than intended. It still needs safety to practice after the Royale.” The second Pinkie then fetched a watch from her mane and smiled. “Three seconds early and we are done. Sorry to dip, but I need to zip. Tell the family you miss them, even if Lime is a gwump about it.” The two Pies laugh before Future Pie leaves through the fold in space-time.

“Heheh, I think Alter is having a headache.” FUCK OUTTA MY SCRIPT! “Oops.” She exclaimed with a teasing smirk. “So, did you manage to get all of that?”

The four just nodded, not wanting to recount this interaction too many times, with Natah noting how this event really was a time loop. Using this connection with the Soft and Hard Lines, it would seem he marked this exact date and time and had Pinkie, who’s unnatural perception of reality aided her, had her come back to this point in time to teach him, Iron, Rarity and Twilight this exact skill as opposed to learning it way later to prevent some form of apocalypse. Very cheeky to use feedback time loops like this. And he made sure to develop it as much as possible later but only learn it right now, thus keeping the loop stable. Shit, now he can feel a headache coming on trying to keep track.

Moving on from that, Iron did keep notice of the method he was trying for. He felt a connection with the arm of the armor and got a safer idea than what he was trying for. He’d keep this one from the others as he wasn’t sure if he could teach everyone in time. The others, though, went off to teach the other ponies the Soft Line method, as Natah noted that unicorns and pegasi do not have Hard Lines like terrans. While this would be a stinker for Rainbow, it did help her Miracles some as she’d managed to make a miracle she calls Spectrum Acceleration, which covers her in a Rainbow corona and increases her speed greatly.

Twilight worked with Rarity to teach the Soft Lines to the other unicorns while Natah taught the Hard Lines to the terrans, with many of them already seeing the application for magic casting though taking notes from the unicorns that magic, like miracles, takes mental fortitude. They didn’t know if there was a way to mitigate this and one unicorn suggested the terran’s use a unicorn practice of focusing on the same kind of spell, which reduces mana requirements and casting time, even teaching this practice which gave Natah some ideas on how to address magic, about Suda and the sisters around this time.

Iron, however, was busy with weapons and armor, trying to incorporate the Soft Lines with their function or to lower the burden of the armors, at the very least. With the armors, “Perfection.” The lag of the armor’s movement is removed entirely as the user’s mana acts as a form of nervous system to the internals. This increases reaction time and spatial awareness of the user as the armor plating becomes like their skin. Even Iro, during this test, noticed the armor felt more like Iron’s own body, almost being gentle by accident.

With the recap on the second day out of the way, we move to the third day as the sound of a gun makes the town flinch. The source, a new weapon made by Iron, received a hard glare as he was not a fan of this solution. The energy weapons used crystals as an energy source, which meant multiple rounds that could be adjusted through the gun. This one was more dependent on the ammo’s dimensions, and that limits the gun severely. He unloads the chamber and ammo before setting them on the bench, looking over his latest project behind the shop, which needed to be open for Iro to see the progress of.

As if on cue, his girlfriends came running in. “What the Sam Hill was that!?” Exclaimed Applejack, her body covered in sweat and dirt. She must’ve dropped everything thinking Iron got into another accident. Seeing he’s fine, she got flustered and marched up to him. “Listen here, mister! You better not be trying anything stupid again!” Iron presented the frame of the gun and she looked at it questionably. “The heck’s this.”

“A failed project. It fires a physical round, unlike the guns that would use a crystal as the ammo. But they are dependent on the ammo’s dimensions. A strict limit with almost no flexibility.” Applejack looked the thing over and put a finger to her chin as she presented it to Rarity.

“Any idea, Rares?” The farm mare asked, wanting an opinion from the fashion pony, not just on style but function.

“Hmm… this is basically a slingshot. Good structure, nice balance… So what's the issue, exactly?” Iron was about to say something when he noticed that proud grin on her face. She knew he looked at problems with context. A slingshot, by itself, is weak. The solution would be stronger bands, but that would mean more size to the gun or bullet. The structure would suffer greatly if he made either too big. So what sling? A bullet’s kinetic force alone through gas is-! That expression of realization let Rarity know to return the weapon as he broke it down and rebuilt the chassis.

The body now had a cylinder with individual shots and he knew he could connect Soft Line’s to things, maybe even conduct mana through them. Using that as a base to create an electromagnet, the barrel of a gun lights up after it is charged with mana from a Soft Line. Arcs of energy form as the weapon is fully charged and the weapon fires. The sound was no different but the force was much greater, as the bullet rips through an armor plate meant for heavy armor. His own armor patterns.

“How the heck…?” Applejack looked at Rarity who smiled with pride in her boyfriend’s abilities. He often tries to look for a direct solution and Rarity, in the field of dress, has to get creative with her designs. If the base is good, add to it in small and subtle ways. For a gun, it’s the same thing. It can be improved on through small changes. “So our man can make multiple solutions but he’s too earnest. Hehe, that does sound like our dear and endearing stallion.”

Rarity feigned disgust as she gasped. “Applejack, the nerve of you! In public no less!” The farm mare snapped her head in shock before the two started to laugh, getting a warm smile before receiving a kiss on the cheek from their man, making them blush and giggle. “Goodness, now I’m the indecent one.”

“We’re both acting like school fillies, Rares, so you’ll get no grief from me.” The apple farmer said, trying to hide her blushing face behind her hat.

Iron, feeling a sense of pride, looked at his entire arsenal with his mares in mind. He wanted to pay respect to each, and Rarity’s aid let him look at the crystal ammo guns he made with a new form of solution. They are using an energy reaction, similar to a unicorn’s horn, so why not rebuild it around the idea. This sentiment even made him blush as he said, “Opal and Amber.” The mares looked at him with a confused look as he started working on the guns again. “The magigun is Opal, after Rarity.” The unicorn blushed and tried to remain dignified though the smile was broad and proud. “The ballistic is Amber, after Applejack.” The farm mare could guess a few reasons for the pet name and almost wanted to be called Amber at some point just to see how she’d react.

“Are they going to be that different?” Iro said, catching Iron’s attention as the stallion answered with a nod.

“Opal can be my means of casting offensive spells without relying heavily on the hardlines. Amber will be less demanding on the mana but more geared for any tough armor.” The golem nodded as Iron asked him to get the rifles, wanting to get to modifying them as soon as possible and have them ready for the royale later.

The modifications took the rest of the third day as the guards’ training also geared up to prepare any and all compensations for the foreseeable royale. These mods included a hard rifle modeled after Amber, called Onyx, and a magica rifle modeled after Opal, called Garnet.

The fourth day rolls in after, with the shop busy the whole day after looking over a minor issue that could get worse if left unattended. Because the internals get so warm, any pony will sweat inside the armor, and that may not be enough to rust the internals but it’s still a problem in the long term. Iro already had a suggestion and Iron got to work making the item, an internal suit that works to act as a layer of material between the body and metal, similar to the cloth for standard plates. This can be mounted with the softlines but would likely leave nothing to move the armor. After looking at the patterns he made, he had a solution as the Magus engines or Chimera reactors could be used to connect the leylines from suit to body, making a complete circuit.

With the modification in place with a dummy frame, he powered it up for the test and found one key issue. While the suit had its own leylines, the connections could become demanding. So it was back to technique or production to solve the underlying issue. This gave him a chance to look at everything he’s done up to this point. He’d been so focused on making mass improvements overall for the royale that he forgot about the longevity of his work. So he put the hammer down, so to speak, and began looking at the rack of creations to contemplate the best improvements.

The few seconds that passed through Iron’s mind, in this deep form of concentration, made it feel like hours passed him by as he went over the best improvements to make. After looking at the armor patterns, the reactors and engines and the mithril carapace, he came to no conclusion. Everything was good as is. The mithril carapace acted as a form of nerve extension for the leylines, best suited for connecting with the armor, which the armors reactors acted like horns or wings for the pegasi and unicorns. The most practical solution wasn’t an advancement. It’s integration. The lines can help vent the extra heat, and the armors can increase the process’s efficiency.

Donning the mithril carapace again, he extended his softlines and the armor came to life, even moving around his body to be equipped. The reactors, getting a jump from his connection, turned over and powered the suit further, making the whole system feel lighter and cooler. He didn’t need to improve. He could, instead, diversify the armor into patterns for the royale based on needs. This isn’t a war, but two of those national treasures belong to his mares. If the other nations want the treasures then he’s going to make them earn those treasures.

Coming back from his inner monologue, he takes off the armor and gets a drink, sitting next to Iro. “Are you not worried about the royale?” The forge said, showing obvious confusion to the situation at hand.

“I am, but I was so caught up making brute force improvements that I was breaking our work before it even left the shop.” Iron said, looking at the forge with a sad expression, almost apologetic.

“I am a forge, so ‘tis what I do. I make what is needed.” The forge said, content with its role, though desiring something… more.

“You make what we need, yet you should be rewarded for your time and effort. After all, I may have the ideas but it’s you that’s helping me to make these advancements, from the guns to the armor.” The terran countered, taking a swig of his drink as he continued. “I already know Shining considers you the maker of these works, and you may as well be, for all your help.”

Iro, looking shocked, made the terran look at him before Iron could look away. “You are the one, however, creating the diagram of these marvelous advances.” He countered, looking over at the rack and wall with a proud smile on his face for the stallion. “For what is any smith without a hammer to shape a bright future for their fellow kin.”

Iron, smiling a bit, started to chuckle with a bit of joy. Iro, smiling at this, soon began to chuckle as well. “Damn you are a piece of fine art, Iro. I might be a good designer, but you are a good friend.” The forge smiled, happy to hear such words as always as the two share in each other’s pride. “How about we make something stupid after this, if we ever get the materials?” Iro showed his curiosity as Iron looked past the skylight. “An armor, regardless of the size, that can skid the clouds with the pegasi.”

“Such a thing would mean putting stress on the body.” Iro said, concern laced in his voice.

“Maybe, but I did say stupid.” He said, leaning forward. “After all, once this royale is over, it’s back to dealing with the monsters, the chimera more specifically.” Iro, seeing this, could understand Iron’s emotions a bit more. The pony just wanted to do something cool and stupid because he can, not out of necessity. The pegasi pride their flight, and soon would pride their miracles. Iron doesn’t want to take that from them, but what choice will he have?

Iro, feeling the stallion’s depression off of him, presented the man with a scroll. Iron, a bit confused, opens the text to see the contents, before feeling his core being struck for a jolt of surprise. “This text is something that I could vaguely recall. One of the methods in which mana changes the nature around itself. I had hoped to bequeath it to you much later, but seeing your character before me like this, I think it is time you earned it.” The day ends with Iron’s enthusiasm radiating off of a serious expression that burned his passion into his work, as he finished everything that needed doing and got to work on special orders for the royal family.

The fourth day, after the orders were finished and sent that night, began with division patterns. One for each pony type and colors for roles based on the task they were expected to handle. He managed to mass produce the armor that was most practical in design with one addition for mana storage, a Capacitor Cloak hooked to the back of the waist and the shoulders. It made the suits a bit more unwieldy, but these would be temporary, using the power source as a charger at low operations.

Additional adjustments were made to the mithril carapace to account for the softline load, as the ponies were instructed to push their limits with them as much as possible to make the connection smoother and limit reliance on the power sources for the difference. He didn’t refine the techniques for nothing, and he still had to thank Shining for the happy accident, if the man was willing to humor a ‘lowly terran’. The smith put that idea down, as this was neither the time nor place to be petty. There is a nation and a treasure on the line, so grudges are taking a back seat. Looking at his work, and the barracks orders, he filled out everything the princesses needed, but he still needed to make an armor for himself, something experimental and highly refined.

Looking at the clock, he was already finished with the work after working all night with Iro as the two made, calibrated and tuned every armor down to the internal connectors. He had nothing to do, except see his girls. He’d spent so long cooped up in the shop, he likely smelled stale. So he got a quick wash and left the shop open for Iro to enjoy the sounds of nature, something the golem had requested if Iron was out during the day.

The stallion noticed Natah and decided to take this day of rest and turn it into something fulfilling. “Hey Nat.” The alicorn looked down and smiled before landing, greeting the terran. “Hope you have a free day. I’d like to take the mares on a date for some rest and would like you to tag along.”

“Iron, you know I can’t turn down a chance to relax with a friend.” The alicorn replied with a playful jab. “What are we hitting up?”

“The lake. Have some privacy while I cool off and relax.” Iron saw the smile on Natah’s face before the terran had a sudden realization. Before he could stop the alicorn, Natah was already out of the shop to get ready, leaving the stallion to sigh. “I did not want to stress test his wing like this.” Iron got ready in some trunks with an earth breaker design on them, making sure to wear a shirt. The man took the most direct route through town to the lake before seeing Natah already in the water. He was ready to jump in before seeing the alicorn swimming just fine. Upon seeing a film of mana around the socket, Iron took a breath of relief before slipping into the body of water.

The terran just lay in the water as he relaxed, letting the cool body calm his hot nerves as he tried thinking on the armor he made rather than what to make next. He tried making a bigger armor, but that will add too much mass and complexity. The mithril carapace is a good addition, much like the suits worn under standard plate, but anything more would be redundant. Adding reactors is fine, at the cost of stability unless fine tuned. In his relaxing mind, he began to see a picture forming. There was something of noble bearing but it was still blurry. He opened his eyes and let the topic go before splashing Natah and starting a water fight with the prince.

After about thirty minutes of play, the two were back to relaxing as the prince let his curiosity get the better of him. “Where did it start?” Iron hummed, wanting to know what Natah meant by the question. “When did you know your talent was building?”

Iron thought back to his first build, a sword that uses mana to wreath itself in a corona of energy. “It was a force blade. Using the principles of a unicorn’s horn to enchant a sword. I guess that’s where my tactical talent helped me.” Natah could see where the talent came from, then. He could guess that Iron’s always had something of a tactical mind from an early age, molding his curiosity into what it is today.

“Have you ever had a dream beyond that?” The alicorn asked, less curious and more excited to hear what Iron wanted to do.

Iron never gave it much thought. He’d heard stories of other people, trying to get inspiration from others in order to make something of his own. It all felt okay, but something was just missing. The prince chuckled at those words, saying that is what is called experience. Life is never about just one person or one thing, but a collective experience. That, with Natah’s time gift for instance, is how the Prince of Time shaped his experience of being a careful and meticulous man and a passionate and bold prince.

Thinking on those words, Iron thought of what he is. He’s never a visionary. He always took a risk, tried something new, made himself the experiment for the safety of others. A sword and shield that starts and ends the fights. Though he thought of the princesses being more fitting or the image, a different one came to mind, making him think of a king. That word made the image return, only instead of a blurry silhouette, it was clear as day. A red clad ruler, standing firm against the voids with a sword wreathed in power and a shield of resolve. The eyes glowed with duty as the king stood proud as a symbol of hope.

Letting the man go, Natah could already see the work Iron was going to put in. That whole day was spent making armor for the royal family in order to prototype his own Frame. A pattern, made from the Royal Family patterns, would be his prototype for that image, for a king worthy of this land. He’d have to defile it, donning it for the royale, but that would be remedied with a perfected version for the true king.

We come to the fifth day, the day of selection for the guard. Iron had finished the other Frames earlier and the image was coming to his head again, a Frame for a king. The hammer in his hand charged with mana as Iro smiled, opening the sky lights as Iron struck the anvil. The ringing hammer mixed with the crash of thunder, a sound that made him meditate during his work. He struck the anvil repeatedly, as thunder rolled across land and sky, the clouds gathering and darkening the surrounding lands as the light shone on the workshop.

Twilight, seeing this alongside Rainbow, could only guess what was happening before seeing that image, a visage of a king clad in red with bright green eyes burning with a sense of purpose. The anvil was struck again and the shop’s interior lights up as Iron and Iro get to work. Unknown to the terran, he’d garnered quite the audience from the royal family as they watched Ponyville with interest. The sounds of the hammer, striking and forming the metal of the Frame in question, made the image a reality over the course of the day. Mana charged strikes and lightning from nature energizing the metal as it molds into the shapes of the Frame. The next sounds to follow were like chimes of a bell, as the details were chiseled in and welded on while ornaments were adorned to the metal to complete the silhouette. It wouldn’t be Iron’s best work, but it would be the first of his pride.

The armor was almost done, but something was missing. He then added the helm and cosmetic designs, adding a draconic design to the king’s head and back before there was one more thunderous crack. A seal was stamped on the chest, resembling a face in a geometric way and bearing meaning to the word of hope.

The storm of emotion, finally having its purpose met, slowly began to banish itself as all six of the element bearers rushed in. The terran, hearing this, looked back with a smile. His tired face and baggy eyes are overshadowed by a glow of fulfillment. “It… is done.” He loses the strength to stay awake as he starts to fall. His mares dive in and catch him as they see this peaceful expression plastered all over his goofy grin. Their eyes all went to the armor and it radiated with pride. This was not misplaced arrogance and boasting coming from the armor, but emotions of hope, duty, love, peace and purpose. The emotions and energies of the last two weeks distilled into this visage of a crimson ruler.

All six could only think of one word to describe this, his first, masterpiece. “Beautiful…” The six look at Iron and look at Rarity and AJ. They all agree he needs to rest.