The Magic Workshop

(Continued from page 393)

It was a bold leap forward in the fields of magic and engineering, and Starry Night believed he would be able to pull it off.  Gathering his close Unicorn friends, and some of his Unicorn relatives, Starry Night received a permit to build a weapons factory within Canterlot, as well as a steady flow of government funding.

He chose to nestle his workshop within Canterlot Mountain itself, believing that if anything went wrong that the sturdy mountain would shield Canterlot from any negative magical discharges.

Starry Night and his small team of workers created a total of fourteen magical items over the course of three years before his funding was cut.  He was allowed to keep his facility and keep it operational, but if he wanted to be funded again, he would need a faster, surefire way of placing magical essence within items to enchant them.

Fearing the imminent Dragon attack on the capitol, Starry Night opened his doors to any and all Unicorns who were willing to help him keep Equestria safe by forming enchanted weapons and armor to fight off the Dragons.

Starry Night and his massive team of six hundred and eighteen Unicorns managed to create four thousand, two hundred and eighty-nine recorded magical items before the First Dragon War ended in 600 B.B.

At the start of the Second Dragon War, Starry Night had long since passed away.  However, the Workshop is still under his family's ownership, despite having been closed at the end of the Second Dragon War.

All magically enchanted items are reportedly crafted by three factories in Stalliongrad, Equestria.

-Page 394 of A History of Magic In Warfare, by Gilded Letter.

Rapid Fire grinned excitedly as the judges announced the winner.

The stadium, packed with Changelings and ponies alike, cheered her name as she stood over the slightly bleeding body of her opponent: a purple and black striped Unicorn Necromancer.

By flashing her Peacemakers, horseshoes that covered her entire hoof and surged with electricity, brightly, Rapid Fire had managed to momentarily blind the judges and spectators enough to cheat and teleport closer to her well defended opponent.

All it took after that was a few thumps on the head after cheating her way past the Necromancer's skeletons, and Rapid Fire had the Unicorn on her back.

As the crowd continued to cheer her name, Rapid Fire- needlessly disguised in her own city as a dark green Earth Pony with a puke-green mane -turned and smirked at her opponent.

"Better luck next time, Swirly." the disguised Changeling taunted before spitting in her opponents face and trotting off.

All eyes and ears followed the champion as she departed from the arena, and the spectators left soon afterwards- a few kind souls bothering to help the defeated Unicorn back to her hooves.

At least someponies remembered what the tournament was about...

The hours seemed to melt into nothingness as Rapid Fire celebrated her victory at the Flying Scorpion; the local tavern within the Changeling Capitol of Vemn Enox.

Tankards lay cast aside, few even dripping with hard cider as the locals and travelers alike drowned their kidneys.

"And then- and then I brought my hoof down, and I swear I heard her snout crack!" Rapid Fire said, finishing her tale and causing the bar to erupt into drunken laughter.

Rapid Fire laughed alongside them before promptly falling off of her stool, still giggling madly.

"Hey, Rapid!" a cheerfully drunk voice said.  "You are shoo drunk!  C'mon, I'll get'cha' home so none of these boysh try an' take advantage of ya..."

"No, no, no!" Rapid Fire replied giddily as she got to her hooves, shakily.  "I can walk myself...Goodnight, everypony!"

And, only because they were induced with their own drunkenness, the crowd paid heed to her call and waved in farewell as the stumbling, disguised Changeling...Stumbled out of the tavern and into the dimly lit streets of Vemn Enox...

A few minutes of wandering around and avoiding the guards on disorderly conduct, Rapid Fire had drunkenly determined that she was lost.

"Well, thish ish jusht great..." the Changeling muttered as she took a deep breath and leaned up against the wall just outside of an alleyway to catch her breath.  Before her, but across the small entrance street into the alley, stood a tall lamppost with candles inside that burned fiercely but did little to help her see.

Captivated by the dim light, Rapid Fire barely noticed as a pony darted out from alley beside her, swinging a heavy club down quickly...