Kevin grunted as he lowered a large stack of scrap metal next to Spark's backyard smithy with his magic, "Why exactly do you need all this stuff?"

Spark poured a crucible full of molten metal into a sand mold before turning to him, "If I'm going to fight an overpowered sorcerer while travelling through time, I'd rather be prepared."

Kevin raised a hoof, "Okay, I know I probably don't have the right to complain much right now, but could you please give me context before you start talking about future stuff?"

Spark scratched the mane around his neck, "Oh, yeah, sorry. You see, if my sources are correct, in about two weeks or so, a unicorn mare will sneak into the castle to exact revenge on Twilight. There's going to be time travelling involved."

"And you're setting up," Kevin gestured towards the pile of forged melee weaponry next to the anvil, "all of this, to stop her?"

Spark barked out a laugh, "Ha! No. I want to go on a temporal feild trip to collect momentos from alternate timelines. All of this is for self defence, mostly."

Kevin tilted his head, "Mostly?"

Spark shrugged, "I'm going to be fighting somepony powerful enough to swap the cutie marks of ancient alicorns and banish a spirit of chaos with her own power, I might as well use it as an excuse to test out enchantments."

"Can't you just test them on those tree wolf things in the forest?" Kevin countered.

Spark smirked, "Now where's the fun in that? I'd rather fight a compotent opponent. Besides, she can handle it." he glanced back at Kevin after a moment, "And they're called timberwolves."

Kevin opened his mouth to argue, but decided not to. He knew it would be a losing battle, so he continued to gather scrap metal from a nearby cart.

"Wait a minute..." Spark said aloud.

Kevin returned with another stack and looked towards the kirin-human inquisitively, "Hm?"

"If I'm going to be time travelling, then who's going go get pictures of Daydream and Midnight?" Spark muttered to himself.

"Who-"

Kevin was immediately interrupted as Spark lifted him up in his magic and ran towards the castle's entrance, "To the mirror!"

"Wait, the forge and foundry! They're still lit!" Kevin exclaimed.

Spark stopped and turn right around, "Anjrit!"

Spark and Kevin stood in front of the mirror portal, which was set to active in case Twilight or Sunset needed to go through should any magical trouble arises. Twilight was away with Fluttershy for a friendship mission at the time, so Spark can use the portal as he pleased. Of course, he had forced them to watch the mission's episode before they left to see if anything would change.

Spark had explained to the new forgeling the ins and outs of how the magical device worked, and the world that it connects to. Kevin, like any sane individual who grew up in a society of warriors and infiltrators, was trying to soothe a migraine that threatened to appear.

"So you want me, to go through there, and sit through a sports event, so I can get pictures with your glowing rectangle thing, while you fight a... time-travelling unicorn cultist?" Kevin asked slowly, as to not miss any details.

"Well, you're not going to use my phone, but yes, that's pretty much it." Spark affirmed.

"And you're going to show me around the place for these 'perfect photos'?" Kevin asked while using his hooves to gesture quotes.

Spark nodded happily, "Yup! Now come on!"

He levitated Kevin again and threw him straight into the portal.

"Wait wait waiiii-!"

Kevin couldn't believe what he witnessed, it was his first time hurtling through a bridge between realities, and all he could see was a whirlwind of colors and light. He felt his body warp and contort the longer he stayed in the chaotic realm.

Thankfully, he didn't need to wait for long, as the portal spat him out along with Spark just as quickly as they entered.

Kevin rubbed his head with an armored hand, "Ow... wha-"

Kevin looked at his newly acquired digits with wide eyes, he looked over his entire body and realized he had transformed into another creature entirely. He tried to follow his natural instincts and transform back, but quickly remembered that forgelings can't change anything beyond their horns.

He turned to his right and saw another creature like him, who resembled...

"Crucible Spark?"

Spark extended a hand to lift him up, "This'll take a bit to get used to. Nice armor, by the way."

Kevin hauled himself up and look over his new form. His entire body was covered in metal armor!

Spark noted that it had a mix between fantasy and steampunk theme, with intricate detailing on larger plating like his chestplate and pauldrons, as well as bronze trimming near his joints and limbs. The designs were definitely gear-themed.

The color of his armor was a lot more subdued compared to his carapace, which gave it a rugged and worn look to it. Between a couple of open spaces, Spark could see a layer of chainmail, and what looked to be a gambeson as well. Kevin looked like he was going to war.

His head, however, was left unprotected. Which revealed his pale red skin that was only a tad more vibrant from Spark's. His hair was colored yellow, which faded to orange as it reached the back of his head. It was styled as a short yellow mohawk.

"Don't have a helmet though..." Spark commented.

"Spark?"

The human-turned-kirin-turned-human turned his head towards the source of the voice calling out his name, and he saw Sunset along with the rest of the Rainbooms walking up to them with confused expressions.

"Rainbooms! Hold on–" he fished put a notebook and pen from a pocket on his belt, "–sign here, please."

"A fan, huh? Alright!" Rainbow eagerly took the book and pen from his hands.

"Y'know this guy, Sunset?" Applejack asked her friend.

Sunset nodded, "Remember when I told you about the guy who lives in Equestria? Well, here he is." she said while pointing a thumb towards the metalsmith, who nodded.

"And the knight lookin' guy?"

Sunset turned to Kevin, who was wiggling his armored fingers around, "I... don't know. Spark, who is he?"

Spark wrapped Kevin in a one-armed hug, "This guy right here is my pal Kevin! He's a forgeling on the other side."

"Forgeling?" Sunset asked.

Spark waved a hand, "Too long to explain. Look, I'm here to show Kevin where he should place himself to document the Friendship Games since I'll be busy fighting a time travelling evil sorceress." he grabbed Kevins arm and ran towards the entrance of the school, "Onwards!"

That left six girls standing in front of the Wondercolts statue in various states of confusion.

Rarity turned towards her friends, "Did... did he say he was going to time travel?"

"And fight an evil sorceress!" Pinkie added helpfully.

Sunset shook her head tiredly, "Let's go after them so they don't get into trouble."

Spark stood on the highest seat of a set of bleachers while gesturing towards the field. He had taken Kevin through an impromptu tour through CHS (despite being unfamiliar with the building himself), while informing his armored friend of the locations that he will need to be in to get the so-called 'perfect photos' of the Friendship Games, as well as an event that Spark only referred to as 'The Cool Magical Girl Fight'.

Throughout his little tour, the Rainbooms, being the responsible people that they are, tailed the foreigners around to keep them away from trouble. While they knew Spark is supposed to be a human, his attire and eccentric nature might get him some unwanted attention.

Kevin was another case entirely. Having been raised for the simple purpose of capturing and consuming love, he was utterly baffled by the intricacies of humanity and its technology. His reactions have given them all a good laugh, and reminded them of Twilight whenever she comes over. He might need to tone down the hissing and growling though.

Kevin's attire had also garnered him some attention. Nearby students would drop whatever they were doing whenever he passed with Spark. A man in steampunk-styled knight armor and an old-timey blacksmith isn't something you see at school everyday.

It got to the point that Vice Principal Luna had come out of her office to see why an alarming amount of students were gathered up in a group close to the field, which was blocked off due to preparations for the Friendship Games.

She didn't expect to see Sunset Shimmer along with her friends attempting to drive away an ever-growing crowd that watched over two oddly dressed individuals who were standing on top of the bleachers.

"Just what on earth is going on here?!"

The crowd immediately went silent and turned around with surprised and guilty looks on their faces.

Sunset looked over the crowd and felt a sense of relief as she saw Luna, "VP Luna! Thank goodness you're here."

Luna made her way through the crowd, which parted easily just from a single glance.

"Care to explain what's going on, Sunset Shimmer?"

Sunset rubbed the back of her head, "W-well, you see-"

"Sunset's friends from Equestria came to visit so that they can document the Friendship Games while the other is busy fighting an evil time-travelling sorceress!" Pinkie explained cheerfully.

Luna raised an eyebrow.

Sunset sighed, "I know it's hard to believe, but that's exactly the reason why they're here."

The vice principal craned her neck to look beyond the group of girls, and saw the blacksmith-looking boy animatedly talking with the confused knight-looking man. She wasn't paid enough for this.

It was Luna's turn to sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose, "Just make sure they don't hurt themselves walking around a construction area." she muttered tiredly.

Sunset quickly nodded, "Right away!" she said before dashing off towards the two visitors.

Luna just shook her head as she instructed the students to return inside and went back to her office.

"I need more coffee..." she muttered to herself.

In the distance, she could hear the blacksmith maniacally shouting something along the lines of 'Spark and Kevin adventures, a hundred and hundred years!'

Spark and Kevin plopped onto the floor as the portal spat them out back into Equestria. Kevin shook his head around to reorient his eyesight.

"That... was an interesting experience." he commented.

Spark gave his elytra a pat, "It'll only get more interesting as long as I'm here!"

Kevin could only chuckle at the kirin-human's attitude. A part of him wondered if anyling would ever be able to act as eccentric as he is.

"Now, back to forging. I'm thinking of making a billhook. What do you think?" Spark asked the praetorian.

"I don't know what that is. But it sounds cool. Let's make it!"

Author's Note

This chapter is mostly filler, I know. But I'm publishing it to set up how things are going to work once we get to Cutie Remark. Each subsequent chapter will switch back and forth between Spark and Kevin's POVs to cover Spark's field trip and Kevin's content making.

Also, look out for a Human to Daybreaker story coming out soon!

If you want to share ideas on how this story should go, consider commenting!

Corrections and criticisms are more than welcome, I can't improve without those now, can I?
Have a good existence!
:)

"Remembered forever, the land of Equestria"