Galen groaned, yawned and stretched as he walked away from the house beside the quarry, the midday sun shining warmly down as he looked over at Lero and the others. They were walking at a leisurely pace as they made their way back to Canterlot at large. Lero and Spike looked ready for a short nap while Twilight was rather energetic, all things considered. He never understood how someone could go the whole day without a nap.

“That went really well,” Twilight said as she led them back into the city.

“Yeah,” Galen said as he barely suppressed a yawn. “Ah'm kinda surprised ya got a discount like ya did. Ten percent ain't nothin ta scoff at with how much Ah'm spendin'.”

“Well, he had a lot of surplus stone with summer close to half way over,” she replied. “He would need to move it anyway to make room for fresh wood coming up to be cured over the winter, so selling it at a small discount makes it worthwhile.”

“Ah guess there's tha',” Galen said, finishing with a massive yawn that bludgeoned its way out.

“You look ready for a nap,” Twilight said with a giggle.

“Couldn't hurt,” he replied.

“In that case, let's go to my parents place,” she said with a glance at Lero and Spike who perked up immensely at that. “I'm sure that they'll let you borrow a couch for a little bit, Galen.”

“Oh, Twilight...” he began, fake emotion choking his voice up. “Yer a saint!”

“Stop hamming it,” Spike said with a chuckle.

“Ah could go fer a bit o' ham, now tha' yew mention it,” Galen said with a ponderous rubbing of his stomach. “Gah, why'd yew have ta go an' do tha' ta me?”

“Not that I've gone there more than a couple times, but there is a griffon establishment near the ambassadorial quarter of Canterlot,” Lero said helpfully. “I was treated to it by Twilight's parents a few days before our wedding. It was fairly upscale from what I remember, which makes sense as it caters mostly to griffon nobility.”

“Might have ta drop by before Ah come back ta Ponyville,” Galen mused out loud.

“Could I give you some bits and have you bring me back some bacon?” Lero asked hopefully as his time in Canterlot was limited.

“Sure thing, Leera,” Galen replied. Lero grinned widely and fished around in his bag and handed over fifteen bits.

“I'm not sure how much it'll cost, so just make sure I'm getting a good deal,” he said with a nod and a smile to show his appreciation.

“Oh, ew!” Twilight groused in a high pitched voice. “You're not going to cook that while I'm at home. Last time you did that I got so nauseous I had to leave the house for the day because of the smell.”

“Le's say Ah take care of it, Twilight,” Galen supplied. “We can have a good ol' fashioned camping session an' cook us up a hearty meal.”

“That sounds like fun,” Lero replied with a grin. “I'll bring the beer and bacon.”

“Ah'll see if Ah can't talk to tha' warden an' wrangle up a rabbit or two,” he said with a grin. “Yew ever had rabbit?”

“Can't say as I have,” he replied. “But I'm sure I'll find out soon.”

“Damn righ',” Galen said with a pleased expression. Twilight just shook her head with a sigh while Spike looked between the two like they were the best comedy show he'd seen in years. Maybe they were.

“Okay, enough with that you two,” she finally said with a strange expression. “I really don't want to think about you killing little rabbits and cooking them over an open fire right now.” Her cheeks turned a little green at that and she shuddered. “Let's just get to my parents place, take a nap and visit the forge after Lero leaves.”

“Sorry, love,” Lero said with an apologetic smile. “It's just that I haven't had a chance to satisfy my inner predator properly in a few years. Sure, we go to Crispy's fairly often, but this is different.”

“Okay,” she said in an understanding tone. “I get it. I really do. It's just something I don't like to dwell on, even though I love everything about you. I just tend to forget that you're an omnivore and have certain needs, even if you don't indulge in them very often.”

“Thanks for understanding,” he replied warmly. Twilight just smiled over her shoulder at him.

“But you're not kissing me without brushing your teeth at least three times afterward,” she said flatly. Lero and Galen chuckled at that before picking up the pace as Twilight sped up. “Just a few more blocks and we'll be there.”

True to her word, Twilight led them to a small three story house that didn't appear any different than any of its neighbors, walked up the short flight of stairs and knocked on the door. A couple minutes passed before the door opened to reveal a unicorn mare with a light gray coat, her mane and tail were striped in white and light purple. She looked up at the group with light blue eyes that widened before she gasped and broke into a massive smile, pulling Twilight into a spine cracking hug.

“Twilight!” she exclaimed happily. “What brings you to Canterlot and why didn't you let me know you were coming?”

“Hey, mom,” she grunted as she struggled for breath. The mare released her daughter and held her by the shoulders as she looked around at her companions. “I see your entourage has increased by one,” she said in that snickering, scandalous tone that parents used to mortify and scar their children.

“Mom!” Twilight exclaimed with a brilliant flush. “This is Galen. He's new to Equestria and the reason we made the trip to Canterlot. We just got done ordering materials from the quarry for the forge he wants to build and the guys are getting a little worn down, so we were wondering if we could impose on you for a little bit so they can get a nap in. Lero has to take the one thirty train back to Ponyville to take care of some jobs and Galen has to visit the Royal Forge and Foundry.”

“I don't mind in the slightest,” she replied warmly. “Come on in and get you three settled in.”

“Thank yew kindly, madam,” Galen said warmly as he followed the others in. “If Ah knew mah way 'round town, Ah would've brought yew a hospitality gift.”

“Nonsense,” she chided as she shut the door behind him. “Getting to meet another of Twilight's friends is gift enough. And please, call me Velvet. I'm nothing so proper as a madam.”

Galen gave a little chuckle at that as he followed her into the house. “Lero and Spike can take a nap in my old room,” Twilight suggested. “Galen can take the couch unless that's a problem.”

“Tha's fine by me,” he replied with a little yawn. “Don' take much ta keep me happy.”

“Alright,” Velvet said with a slightly uncomfortable expression. She obviously was used to pampering those who came under her roof. “Have you had lunch yet?”

“Not yet,” Twilight replied.

“I was planning on getting a bite from a stall near the station before I left,” Lero replied.

“In that case, I'll get started cooking,” Velvet said firmly. “I haven't eaten yet either, so it's not a problem.” She finished, killing any protests before they even left his lips. Lero just gave her a rueful smile and nodded in appreciation before he made his farewells and trudged his way up the stairs with Spike in tow. “The couch is right this way,” Velvet said with a smile as she led him into their living room while Twilight waited in her spot. Galen didn't pay much attention to the room as a whole as his eyes were immediately drawn to their couch which looked to have wonderfully padded cushions and a couple pillows strewn about it.

He crossed the room and took a seat with a look of supreme happiness as he sank down a little but not too much. “Thank yew so much fer puttin' up with tha intrusion,” he said tiredly. “Ah'll make it up to ya someday.”

Velvet gave a half smile that said she'd like to see him try. “Would you like a blanket?” she asked as she half turned to leave.

“Ah'm fine, but thanks fer tha offer,” he replied as he untied his bag of bits and hammer. setting them on an end table with a solid thump. She gave him one last smile before leaving him to the glorious embrace of the couch. So with a deep yawn he slid to his side, pulled a pillow over to rest his head on and slipped to unconsciousness within moments.

He awoke roughly twenty minutes later to the smells of an incredibly flavorful meal being prepared and the sounds of gentle laughter coming from a room nearby. Galen rubbed his tongue against the top of his mouth as he worked his jaw so that the taste of sleep would go away faster. He sat up slowly and ponderously, akin to a bear waking up from its winter hibernation and looked about dully. His body suddenly took a deep breath of its own accord and his heart started beating with fervor as a short burst of adrenaline charged his system. His mind snapped back into focus quickly as he yawned aggressively and stood up, stretching out the muscles he had slept on before grabbing his bits and hammer, leaving the room in search of food. Nothing like a good nap to re-energize oneself.

Like a bloodhound on the scent, he quickly found his way to the kitchen and grinned as he found Twilight and her mom sitting at the kitchen table. They looked up as he entered and looked kinda surprised that he was even there.

“That was short,” Twilight said with a little grin, Galen's good mood infecting her.

“'Course it was short,” he replied. “It's only a nap.” He paused. “Tha' an' Ah couldn't sleep with this delicious food teasin' me awake.”

“You're such a flatterer,” Velvet said with a chuckle.

“So, you wanted to go to the Forge after Lero left?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Were ya gonna leave with him?”

“I was thinking about it, but you don't really know your way around the city,” she said in a slightly worried tone. “I wouldn't want you to get lost.”

“Ah'll be fine,” Galen replied with a wave of his hand. “If Ah get lost, Ah can always ask fer directions.”

“How about I take him, dear?” Velvet supplied with a warm smile. “I don't have much planned until supper anyway, so it wouldn't be a problem in the least. It'll give me an excuse to drop by the castle and walk home with your father when his shift ends as well.”

“If it's alright with you, Galen,” Twilight said uncertainly, as though he would be uncomfortable with a new pony to guide him around.

“Ah don' mind at all,” he said with a chuckle. “An' Ah gotta say thank yew again, Velvet, fer opening yer house ta me, even if it was only fer a nap an' a meal.”

“Think nothing of it,” the older mare said with a confident smile. She turned to Twilight and gave her a little nudge before saying, “The soup should be ready soon, so why don't you go wake your prince with a kiss?”

Twilight giggled, rolling her eyes and blushing before she hopped off her chair with a grin, trotting out to do as suggested. A bout of shrill laughter and a little bit of squealing sounded from upstairs a couples minutes later, Galen and Velvet grinning at each other. Galen stood up and asked where the dishes were so that he could help her get everything around. She smiled and directed him to a cupboard with some soup bowls while she set out linen cloths to protect the tablecloth and spoons for them.

Velvet began serving a spicy pumpkin soup with clove and fresh peppercorn, the aroma of it fresh from the pot making Galen's mouth water. A moment after she finished dishing out the last full bowl, Lero led the way into the kitchen with Twilight and Spike right behind him. They didn't say much as they settled down around the table, the need for food precluding idle conversation aside from their hearty thank yous to Velvet for providing them with sustenance. Slurps and the clinking of silverware on porcelain bowls were the only noises as they had their lunch.

After seconds and thirds for many, fifths in Galen's case, everyone was relaxing easily. They talked and chatted idly for a time until one thirty began looming closer and Lero decided it was time to head to the station since he wanted to get the three of them good seats on the train before it got crowded. With that, the five of them left for the station around one since it was roughly a ten minute walk to the station. The trip went by quickly and they arrived before a crowd started to form, getting into line for the trip back down the mountain. Velvet and Galen didn't want to get caught up in the press of the crowd, so once the others were pretty much set, they bade their farewells and made their way out of the train station and onto the main thoroughfare.

“So, where to?” Galen asked Velvet as he looked down at her.

“You're asking me?” she said in a mock tone of shock. She chuckled as Galen took the bait and looked at her with a slightly panicked expression. She laughed and grinned at him, giving away the joke which made Galen chuckle ruefully. “We'll be going this way,” she said with a little grin as she turned down the street leading back toward the castle. They made their way through the gradually thickening crowds of ponies who were going about errands or returning to their jobs after lunch. They walked onto the main square in front of the castle once again and made a beeline straight for the front gates. Galen nearly had a moment of panic as he realized that the Forge was directly on the Castle's grounds.

They joined the queue of ponies waiting to gain admittance to the castle and settled in for the wait. Galen slowly grew more and more nervous as the queue shortened and the guards became more visible in their lustrous armor and stoic expressions. Velvet looked back at Galen and gave him a reassuring smile which settled him a little bit. In what seemed like no time at all, there was only one pony in front of them and they were soon waved along leaving Galen and Velvet at the front of the line. He gave the guards a sickly smile as his nerves skyrocketed again. They gave him their flat stare, completely nonplussed at a strange creature having come up to the front gates to the Castle of their ruling monarchs.

“Good afternoon,” Velvet said in a happy tone.

“Afternoon, Ma'am,” replied the guard on the right. “Reason for your visit?”

“We're here on business with the Forge,” she replied with a smile. Their eyebrows raised slightly at that.

“If you'd care to follow me, we'll have you wait in the guard house while we send a runner to get someone from the forge to escort you,” the guard on the left replied. Galen's nerves dropped off like a cliff and he let out a relieved sigh. He wasn't sure why he had gotten so nervous, but as he was led to the guard house he grinned like a kid who had just gotten away with stealing the metaphorical pie from the neighbor's windowsill. They walked the short distance to the guardhouse and walked in to find Celestia speaking nonchalantly with the guard in charge of the post.

“Oh! Princess!” Velvet said excitedly as she trotted forward with a huge smile. “It's been ages since we've seen each other. How have you been?”

“Oh, Twilight Velvet!” Celestia said delightedly, a wide smile of her own gracing her features. “I've been quite well, thank you. It has been quite some time, though hasn't it? I do believe the last time we had seen each other casually was at Twilight's graduation ceremony from my school several years ago.”

“It really has been too long,” Velvet replied warmly, a nostalgic smile coming across her face. “We should have tea again sometime soon.”

“I agree,” Celestia said. “I have a few matters to deal with today, but perhaps you can drop by the Castle for lunch on Friday?”

“I can certainly make it,” Velvet said with a eager grin.

“Wonderful!” Celestia said as a grin split her face in anticipation. “I look forward to it.”

“Afternoon, Celestia,” Galen cut in as a lull presented itself.

“Galen! I didn't notice you there,” Celestia said happily as her attention was diverted. “What brings you here?”

“Ah'm here ta visit tha Forge,” he replied with a grin at seeing her relatively unguarded, enjoying the chance meeting of an acquaintance. “They'll probably be tha place Ah'll get mah stock from an' introduce me ta suppliers Ah'll need fer coal an' such.”

“In that case, I'll lead you there personally,” she replied warmly.

“Yer guards should be sending a runner anytime,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Yew ain't gotta do any such thing.”

“Consider it a favor to myself as much as to you,” she said with a little grin. “Any chance I have to break the usual routine is certainly welcome.”

“Ah know how it is,” he replied with a slight grimace. “Tha's why Ah go out on survival expeditions every once in a while. Break away from tha normal an' get a little livin' in.”

“I'm sure it isn't quite that bad,” she replied with an uncertain expression.

“It wasn't,” he said with a slight smirk. “But it served ta refuel mah love o' forging an' appreciate tha time Ah spend out in tha wild country.”

“I suppose that's one way to look at it,” she said with a tilt of her head. “So, would you like to take me up on my offer?”

“What do yew think, Velvet?” he asked the other mare in the room who looked surprised to even be addressed in their conversation.

“I don't see why not,” she replied with a slightly confused expression.

“Ah jus' didn't wanna take 'er up on tha offer an' leave yew feelin' like ya were second fiddle,” he said as a little smile crept up on his face.

She blushed slightly and smiled widely at his honest answer before replying, “Thank you for being so considerate, Galen. Not everypony thinks the same way you do. I honestly didn't think about it either to be honest.”

“Galen's certainly one of a kind,” Celestia said with a grin. “He'll never let anyone feel insignificant when they offer him their friendship.” Galen just grinned wider in response. “So, how about I lead you two over to the Forge so you can get on with your business?”

“Sounds good ta me,” he replied. “Yew two can catch up a bit while Ah'm checkin' things out as well. Wouldn't wanna bore yew two with conversations 'bout hittin' hot bits o' metal with other pieces o' metal.” Celestia chuckled with Velvet at his disparaging tone before they made their farewells to the guards and left for the Forge, Celestia and Velvet walked side by side while Galen trailed behind them. As they made their way, several guards called out to Velvet by name, respect and friendliness evident in their tones. “Yew tha barracks mom here, Velvet?” he asked with amusement after Velvet had commented on one guard and his apparent loss of weight. “Seems like yew know a lot o' these guys.”

“These are a lot of class mates that graduated with Shining Armor, my son and previous Captain of the Royal Guard,” she replied. Galen's eyebrows rose at that. “He isn't here any more, so I don't get to see them too often unless they're on patrol while I'm out and about,” she said wistfully, a sigh escaping her lips.

“Somethin' happen?” he asked cautiously lest he tread upon a social landmine with a new acquaintance.

“He got married,” she replied with mock gruffness, though her expression of unbridled happiness said that she was as happy as could be. “He lives in the Crystal Empire with his wife, Princess Cadence, the alicorn of love. She's a wonderful mare and I'm happy to call her my daughter-in-law.”

“Good on him,” he said as his eyebrows climbed a bit higher. “Seems like yer kids have big things goin' on.”

“I'm just glad they're healthy despite their shenanigans,” she said with a rueful shake of her head. Celestia gave a hearty belly laugh at that.

“Ah think Ah'm missin' somethin' important here,” he said with as he rubbed the back of his head.

“I'm sure you'll find it sooner or later,” Celestia said with mirth still in her voice. They rounded a corner and Galen was greeted with the sight of a sprawling, two story brick building that belched gray smoke that dissipated far quicker than it should have. Celestia looked over her shoulder and smiled to Galen, “May I present to you my Royal Forge and Foundry, producer of fine armor, weapons and coin.”

The building easily covered an acre of land and was kept in immaculate condition. It had terracotta tiling for roofing, immense beams of timber showed at the eaves and had tall, narrow windows of darkness that revealed nothing but the occasional sullen red glow of immensely hot fires and golden sparks of metal protesting its forging. As they got closer, Galen caught a faint whiff of the acrid smoke of coal and hot metal. The smells of home and passion that he had missed more than he had imagined.

They crossed the remaining distance and moved over to the wide double doors that would allow heavily laden wagons entry and equally heavy wagons exit as they carted off their newly shaped loads. The interior was almost pitch black as they stepped inside, the red glowing ominously and faint hissing noises their only company for the time being. As Galen's eyes adjusted, he began noticing a few things around them and walked over to one of the massive anvils that stood just over waist high on him, resting his hand on the icy object.

“Something I can help you with?” asked a stallion's harsh voice from behind Galen. The voice sounded as though each word had to be roughly formed and fought with before leaving his mouth. Galen turned and found himself looking at a lean unicorn looking back without an ounce of outward curiosity or uncertainty, his lithe muscles showed starkly underneath a coat that was a dirty gold color while his mane was a dusky orange. He had several silvery streaks and splotches of fur where he had been burned and healed with only minor assistance through salves. The way he carried himself and considered Galen and his companions intruders immediately named this stallion the master smith of the Forge.

“Afternoon, master smith,” Galen said with a respectful nod of his head. “Ah'm here ta see 'bout buyin' maself some basic necessities since Ah'm lookin' ta establish mah own forge in Ponyville.”

“Just call me Hard Edge,” he replied with a huff. He looked Galen up and down, appraising him in a moment. “So you say you're a smith, huh? Well, come on then. You can show me what you can do. I wont sell anything to anyone who'll hurt themselves with it.”

Galen followed the older stallion and gave a knowing look to Celestia who just smiled and nodded. Galen nodded to her in thanks and waved goodbye to Velvet with a warm smile before hurrying after. They didn't talk as they walked since words were pretty useless in this profession. Galen would have to show this stallion that he was a smith of skill before he would consider selling him his wares. They walked down a wide hallway that had doors spaced out evenly on the left with windows on the right. Galen shivered slightly, unsure as to why until he looked into one room and saw a massive crucible being lifted from a fire pit, molten metal popping and bubbling sluggishly as it was tilted and poured into a massive trough and ran down deep, narrow channels and pooled into depressions that would create ingots of iron. Heat should have been pouring through the doorway but there was nothing more than a gently warm breeze.

“What keeps yer forge so cool?” he asked as he continued behind the other stallion.

“We got magical heat sinks set up round the place that pulls ambient heat out of the air to a certain extent,” he replied without turning around. “They work in pairs, synchronized so that if one gets hotter, so does the other. Same as when they get cold. We keep their pairs in a cistern in the Castle to provide hot water for everypony who lives and works here.”

“Neat,” he said, though all he understood was that these things kept the forge cool and provided water hot enough that it would likely severely burn anyone who didn't know any better if they left the hot water running long enough. They didn't speak again until the stallion turned into a slightly dim and modestly sooty room that brought back a sense of nostalgia for Galen. In the middle of the room was a low, wide forge along with a large set of bellows. Directly in front of it was a small anvil that barely reached up to mid thigh on him. He looked over to the walls and found three barrels along with a plethora of every tool he could ever need. “Think yew could find me an anvil o' proper size?” he asked as he walked over to the barrels where he dipped his fingers before tasting them to find out which was fresh water, salt water and oil. “Ah'll get everything else started an' set up if yew'd be so kind.”

The other stallion grunted in assent and a dusky orange glow akin to a hot forges light surrounded the anvil and it slowly levitated up and coasted toward the door. While that was going on, Galen began moving the barrels of liquids closer to the forge where it would be somewhat similar to his own forge. He returned to the wall and picked up several hammers to test their weight. He finally settled on a ball-peen hammer and a six pound flatter which he set next to the barrels before returning to select a chisel, a square punch and a rough file in addition to a pair of tongs that would work well enough for him. The stallion came back as Galen finished setting down the remainder of his tools and began scooping out a small pile of coal into the middle of the forge, spreading it out to create an even bed of it. As the dust filled the air, he took a deep breath and let it out with a grin. He was back in his element. A resonant thud sounded in the air and was felt through the floor as the larger anvil was set down, a lighter clinking noise sounded as a one pound ingot of iron was placed on top of it. He nodded in thanks to the other stallion. He returned to the wall and selected a large leather apron and tied it in place before returning to the forge.

He took a piece of coal and dipped it in the oil before taking the flint and steel from the side of the coal basket and brought it back to the forge, scraping the steel over the flint in a shower of sparks that caught the oil soaked piece of coal on fire after a couple tries. He watched it for a moment to ensure that it wasn't a false start and returned the flint and steel to their resting places. While the fire was spreading, Galen took the tools he had set around and moved them to the holsters on the side of the anvil and moved to the bellows. He crouched down and slowly drew the bellows up before slowly pressing back down. He watched the fire as it started spreading faster and faster, waiting for it to spread halfway over the entirety of the coal before he quickly moved over to the anvil. He took the tongs and grabbed the ingot of iron, nestling it within the bright embers for most of its length and returned to the bellows, pumping away at a faster rate than before. He watched the ingot of iron, dull gray among the orange. As he worked, he thought of what he would make. A hoof trimmer would probably show off his knowledge as a farrier. Then he could craft a small knife to show a basic knowledge of weapon smithing and follow that up with a small set of nails for general smithing. He could do a lot more, but he felt that these three fields would be the best for now.

The heat quickly rose in the room but seemed to plateau as the heat sink in the room began absorbing any heat that would make it absolutely unbearable. He was at his task for nearly fifteen minutes before the ingot began to lighten noticeably in color. He kept at it until the ingot was on the verge of a vibrant yellow and moved with purpose, grabbing the tongs and moved the ingot to the anvil. He grabbed the flatter and struck it until it spread out a couple inches on either side, sparks flying in every direction before switching to the chisel and his three pound hammer. He set the chisel roughly a third of the way from one end and struck confidently, the chime of metal on metal rang out as he split the ingot and returned the larger part of it to the forge to keep it hot.

Picking up the flatter again, he spread out the piece further before he took his own hammer and began folding it over and over again until it formed a tall rectangle and the color had dulled to a dusky orange verging on red. He returned the iron to the coals and worked the bellows some more until it turned a bright yellow. He took it to the anvil again and began working on one end specifically with his hammer, shaping it into a downward slope. He turned it and shaped the metal back into line with the sides. He took the ball-peen and began adding a curve to the slope before he turned it around and created the final slope leading to the blade. With that done, he took the rough file and shaped the blade of the trimmer. He buried the square end in the coals for a few moments to reheat it before he took it out, placed it over the hardy slot and used the square punch to open a hole in the main body. He did that twice more so that it would have a rectangular slot for the handle to fit through and filed away the jagged edges. He quenched it after that in the oil so that it would take in a bit of carbon to help it keep its edge longer. He would add the final edge to it later when he had access to a grind wheel.

As he worked that first piece, he felt a rising in his chest, as though a small part of the forge had invested itself in him and his spirit was rising on the updraft. He felt alive as he enforced his will through strength and discipline, time seeming to loose meaning. The metal spoke to him in a wordless voice, telling him where it was strongest and where it was weakest. As he started working on the knife, he subconsciously folded the metal so that the harder metal was shaped onto the edge while the softer metal formed the rest of the blade. He dipped it in the salt water for a soft quench before returning it to the forge for tempering. Waves of yellow flickered and flowed up the length in waves like a heart beat. He pulled it out when it began flickering quickly and quenched it in the fresh water to preserve the tempering. The nails barely took any time at all for him to quickly create fifteen of them. Here, he cut off small rectangles of iron, held them vertically in the tongs and struck them on top so that the ends would flatten out. He took it by the stem and worked one of the ends into a rough, jagged spike that would easily pierce wood and quenched them in salt water. He was breathing a little hard and had worked up a healthy sweat in his efforts, but felt as though that heat in his chest had suddenly been extinguished, leaving him empty and weak. He looked around dazedly and found Celestia and Velvet watching from the doorway beside Hard Edge, strange expressions on all their faces. He blinked a few times and staggered slightly, bumping into the anvil roughly before sliding to the floor. His sweat turned cold suddenly and began shivering as he brought a hand to his forehead.

Celestia suddenly entered his sight, her horn alight and brought it forward to touch his chest. His shivering suddenly ceased as a heat suffused him and he slipped into unconsciousness.

“Princess,” Velvet said worriedly as Celestia levitated Galen onto her back. The two of them had wanted to wait for Galen to take care of his business and let him go in on his own, but Celestia had been drawn here with a sense of urgency shortly after they had entered the castle. “What was that? I saw... something swirling around him. It was like fire, only... more.” She looked up to Celestia. “But what were those other things? He positively reeked of power...”

“It was something I had never considered happening before,” Celestia said with a slightly worried tone. “It would be best if you kept what happened here to yourself. Do not even tell your daughter. The same goes to you Hard Edge.” They nodded, troubled expressions on their faces.

“What will happen to him?” Velvet asked as she looked to Galen's prone form.

“Nothing,” Celestia replied in a reassuring tone. “For now, anyway. I'll ensure that he is taken care of and protect him as long as I can from himself, but he will learn the truth at some point. Sooner more likely than later since his magic is tied so closely to smithing. I will see what I can do about finding him a tutor, but he may have to go to them. Myself or Luna could teach him, but we may soon find ourselves dealing with some unpleasant business.”

With that, Celestia left the two to go about what was left of their day as she took Galen to a guest room near her chambers and set about contacting some very old acquaintances of hers.

Galen was asleep, yet he didn't so much as dream. Instead, he drifted through sensations. Feelings of a deep, passionate heat, indomitable strength and a force of will that seemed boundless. He didn't shy away from these sensations, he dove deeper into them and made them a part of himself because they weren't so much as foreign feelings as they were more of what he already was. He simply became more of himself.

He awoke slowly, coming up from the depths of where he had been and opened his eyes to see Celestia sitting in a chair beside the bed he was in. She looked over to him as he drew in a deep breath and disturbed the quiet. “Wha' happened?” he asked quietly, not wanting to dispel his deeply relaxed yet energized feeling. It was like waking up after having the perfect sleep after a perfect day, fulfilled and content yet ready to be about the next day.

“I think you worked yourself too hard and passed out,” she replied with a comforting smile. “A little too much too soon perhaps?”

“Didn't seem like it,” he replied with a look of mild confusion on his face. “Hadn't felt tha' good in a long time ta be honest, except fer tha last bit. Don' know wha' came over me.”

“I'm sure it was a fluke occurrence,” she said with a dismissive air, as though that was that and didn't bear any further thought. “However, it is nearing supper time and my sister, Luna, should be waking up soon if you feel up for eating supper. I remember you saying you are a hunter, so meat would be a large part of your diet. It must be rough on you to suddenly transition to a largely vegetarian diet, so I asked one of the griffon ambassadors to allow us to make use of one of his chefs to prepare you a couple meat dishes. Don't worry about offending our sensibilities as we've dined with many a carnivorous ambassador before.”

Galen gave her a toothy grin and shifted up to sitting position. “Ah think Ah can manage tha' much.” As if to punctuate his statement, his stomach gave a low and resounding growl which made Celestia laugh and Galen chuckled ruefully. “But seriously,” he said after a brief moment. “Sorry 'bout tha trouble. Think Ah messed up mah chance with Hard Edge?”

“I believe he was quite impressed with the ease and proficiency you displayed earlier,” she replied. “I don't think you have anything to worry about on that front.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “So how did your other business go?”

“Pretty good,” he said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. “Just have ta talk to tha contractors in Ponyville an' they'll contact the quarry 'bout tha materials. Should have construction startin' in a week after Ah finalize tha plans.”

“If you'd care to, feel free to ask the aid of my personal architect,” she said with a smile. “She's normally not too busy most days and would likely enjoy helping you design your forge.”

“Ah may just do tha',” he replied with a thankful smile. “But Ah don' know 'bout yew, but Ah'm 'bout ready to keel over if Ah don' get somethin' ta eat soon.” His stomach gurgled again, punctuating his claim.

Celestia laughed jovially at that and stood up after setting her book on the bedside table beside his hammer and bag of bits. “In that case, let's be on our way.” She led Galen out of the modestly appointed room after he replaced his belongings at his hip and was into a hallway that would put most of the monarchies back on earth to shame in its casual display of wealth. The ironic part was that it had a certain humility to it as well, not flaunting gaudily or pridefully the wealth amassed within these walls. Elegant pieces of art were hidden from sight in masterfully placed niches that would suddenly reveal their treasures, surprising and delighting those who had a taste for such things.

Galen just followed Celestia by keeping her in his peripheral vision as he gawked and looked appropriately awed by the surroundings. Even having little appreciation for high art didn't mean that he couldn't recognize masterworks of craftsmanship. They walked for roughly ten minutes, turning into a modest sized room whose back wall was mostly made up of tall panes of glass that looked into a garden closer in resemblance to a forest glade. There was a small, rectangular table set for three. Apparently it was to be a private dinner.

“As the guest of honor, why don't you take the seat at the head of the table?” Celestia suggested with a smile. Galen gave a little shrug and smile as he moved to take his seat. He paused at the last moment and stopped behind the seat he was about to pass and pulled it out for Celestia who gave him a little grin and let him seat her. With Celestia seated, he took his own and looked around aimlessly, twiddling his thumbs and whistled tunelessly. “You're not one to wait too often for something you want, are you?” she asked with a smirk at his behavior.

“Don' help any when mah stomach's eating itself,” he replied with a laugh.

Celestia laughed as well, a smile settling on her face as the doors to the room opened and Luna walked in. “Sister!” Celestia said cheerfully. “May I present to you our guest, Galen.”

“You!” They yelled simultaneously as alcohol hazed memories suddenly crashed to the forefronts of their minds. “What are you doing here?”

“You two know each other?” Celestia replied with no small amount of surprise.

“Know her?” Galen said with an unbelieving scoff. “She showed up at tha town party out ta Jack's place an' drank half a barrel of hard cider by 'erself! Ah thought she was a dream all this time!” Luna blushed and coughed daintily behind a hoof before lowering it with a smirk.

“And it seems as though you're more clothed than last I remember too, noticeably less prancing about as well,” Luna replied with a wicked grin that set Galen's ears ablaze. He grumbled something under his breath and looked away. “It seems as though I win this round,” Luna said with a self satisfied grin. Celestia simply shook her head in confusion and held back her confused laughter.

I know I gave Pinkie Pie some bits to make it a welcome party to remember, but I didn't know it got that out of hand, she thought incredulously. But how much did Galen drink if he ended up stripping? Not even Lero strips when he gets thoroughly drunk.

She cleared her throat with a cough and drew their attention, “Maybe we should reminisce as we eat?” Celestia prompted with a little grin. “I know I'm both hungry and wanting to know more about what the two of you are talking about.”

“Of course, sister,” Luna said with laughter in her voice. She walked over to her seat across from Celestia at the table and settled down with a smirk in Galen's direction. Once Luna was seated, several servants came in with trolleys for each of them and deposited their meals with minimal pomp, lifting away the metal domes that had kept them warm and prevented their aroma from being a distraction until it was time to eat. Galen looked to his covered plate and was tickled pink as a large haunch of roast beef, seared and crispy on the outside with a coating of garlic and herbs while medium done in the middle greeted him from its bed of dark rice. To say that he restrained himself and didn't drool would have been a lie. Celestia and Luna didn't miss the fact either as he quickly grabbed a linen napkin and brought it to his mouth lest he drool all over his lap. Galen glanced over to his companions plates and found that they had incredibly lush salads with vinegar and oil slathered generously on it and a buttery loaf of dark brown bread that looked deliciously fluffy.

“Contain yourself, Galen” Luna said imperiously, an impish expression on her face. “You need not chase this prey to ground at least.”

Galen gave a barking laugh and grinned back at Luna, “Sorry 'bout tha'. Been nearly three weeks since Ah've had any meat. Tha' griffon cook yew borrowed certainly knows how ta make a meal.”

“I'll pass your compliments to the chef,” Celestia replied warmly.

“Thanks,” he replied as he grabbed a large knife and fork, secured the beef with the fork and efficiently carved a hearty piece from it. He paused a moment before the meat passed his lips as he noticed the sisters having not moved to eat yet. He moved the morsel away from his rapidly salivating mouth, swallowed and asked, “Yew two say grace or something? Ah wouldn't want ta be rude or anythin'.”

“Nay,” Luna replied. “We just thought to let our guest be the first to enjoy a meal he has little enough chance to enjoy anymore.”

“In tha' case,” Galen said with a massive grin as he quickly brought the morsel to his mouth and ate it. The first thing he noticed was how the charred flavor mixed incredibly well with the spicy garlic and sweet herbs, causing his mouth to flood almost violently. He quickly chewed the meat and swallowed, a low moan reverberating from deep within his chest from the pleasure to which the Princesses smiled and chuckled at. He paid no attention to them as he lost himself to the simple pleasure of eating for the next few minutes as the way his mouth was watering would have led to some decidedly awkward talking patterns involving odd gulps and slurping noises. About halfway through the meal he tried his best to hold a one sided conversation via hand gestures and the occasional noise conveying an appropriate emotion to what they said.

The Princesses were vastly amused at Galen's pantomimed arm waving, nonverbal grunts and mumbles as he attempted to engage them in conversation during the meal. As they ate, his well intended antics kept them on the verge of laughter. This precarious balance was soon devilishly exploited by Galen as whenever they were to take a bite of their salad, he would do something or mumble something in such a way that they would have to delay their eating as they laughed, oftentimes with a mouth full of salad which they almost would choke on or splutter back onto their plates which set off even more laughter. Whenever this would happen, he would laugh and almost choke himself as well. Their meals ended up roughly half eaten as their laughter had left their stomachs rather tired and sore.

“Galen,” Celestia said in a rather light voice as she was recovering from her latest bout of laughter. “It appears as though our appetites weren't as large as we thought.”

“Indeed,” Luna replied with a grin of her own. “It seems as though laughter was to be our main course.”

“Not that it wasn't a pleasant surprise to find on our plates.”

“Or on the table due to some inopportune laughter,” Luna said giggling with a pained expression as her stomach was still sore. She shot Galen a victimized glance. “You are an incorrigible scoundrel, Galen.”

“Scoundrel?” he said with a wounded look and a little smile. “Ah'd say Ah'm closer ta rapscallion than scoundrel.”

Celestia chuckled weakly at that before looking over to Galen. “In any case, I do believe that we're done with dinner. Why don't I show you to your guest suite for the night and make sure you're settled in?”

“Think Ah can have this saved fer breakfast?” Galen asked with a puppy dog expression to which both Princesses snorted in amusement.

“I think that can be arranged,” Luna replied with a smirk. “Though I could imagine the morning chef throwing a fit about you eating leftovers.”

Celestia chortled as she rose from her seat and started walking slowly to the door. Galen made his farewell to Luna with a promise from her to drop by the farm when the forge was finished for a party to celebrate and caught up with Celestia before she made it halfway down the table. They didn't say anything as Celestia took him through the halls to a room beside a pair of tall gilded doors that were obviously her own quarters if the emblazoned sun had anything to say about it.

“I'm sure you know what to expect,” she said graciously as her horn lit up and his doors opened up. “But allow me to show you where everything is.” With that, Celestia led him through the six rooms he would have to himself for the duration of his stay. He would have been fine with a single room as long as the bed were comfortable, but being friends with royalty apparently had its perks. Finally, they returned to the antechamber where Celestia made her own farewell to Galen before leaving him be. Galen let out a sigh and stretched his back with a couple satisfying pops before he took his hammer and bits from his belt and sat them on the main table, being careful to not scratch the varnished surface.

He went to the bathroom and got the water running at the perfect temperature before he plugged it and stripped, lowering himself into the slowly filling tub. He scrubbed and cleaned himself quickly before pulling the plug so that the sudsy water and dirt could drain away before replacing the stopper and let the tub fill up most of the way so he could settle down for a good soak. He emerged some time later, pink skinned and in nothing but his boxers and carrying his clothes as he made his way to the bedroom. He dropped his clothes on the back of a chair before pulling back the covers of the bed and slipped underneath. He sighed and lay back, sinking into the downy comfort and missed the familiar scruffyness that would have been Riley sprawling beside him, however he didn't miss it for long as the long days toll finally caught up with him and he soon slipped into sleep. Here, he dreamed of the forge. Of being both the smith wielding the hammer and the white hot metal that had no shape yet though it spewed sparks and folded easily under his own might. When he woke the next day, he had no memory of the dream, though he knew that he had to make something worthwhile out of his life while he lived here. He had something to do, even if he wasn't sure of what it was yet.