Calmly sitting there at his desk, Iron read over some of his own notes, while the students waited for the bell to dismiss them from his class so they could go to lunch. His lessons were done for the day, he tested them with several questions of his own to see if they really knew what they were talking about, and on top of that they all tried to do his little homework experiment that past weekend.

With mixed results ranging from ‘I believe I would be able to function without my gifts’ to ‘not a snowballs chance in hell,’ Iron felt satisfied that he had done his work right and they all took something away from that little test of his. Looking up from his own notes, Iron just glanced over his own class, watching as each of his own students did their own thing as if they were in their own little world.

Misty and Axton sat next to each other like they always had, the pony and the dragon chatting to themselves while the rest of the class carried on, and occasionally the drake would say something that brought out a giggle from the mare making her cheeks flush red.

‘Ahh… young love,’ the stallion remarked while he continued to gaze on, turning his eyes to another, Syllia.

The gryphon female sat there quietly at her own desk, surprisingly looking through a text book on industrial machines. Her species did have a natural advantage when it came to that sort of thing, after all their claws were just as nimble as a unicorns’ magic, without being too big like some dragons. The gryphon would make a fine engineer one day, she always had expressed her interest in the subject, and picked up on the trade very quickly.

‘At this rate she’ll probably replace me when it’s my time to retire,’ Iron started to laugh a bit in his head. Seeing how many of frequent students decided to take his other offered classes, having enjoyed Iron enough and wanted to expand their mind in the subject.

After eying the gryphon, Iron soon found his attention drawn to another, Ash. The young stallion came in to his own when he first got out on the field, now every day he can be seen out there for an hour or so after school, practicing his own talent. ‘He sure has the skill for it,’ Iron recalled the several games he’s gone to over the past few years, and easily remembering all the passion the young player put in to his craft.

It was then that the teacher thought for a moment, not about his own craft and what he can do, but what another said to him only days ago. ‘When this country goes to war, we need more arms and armor than we can make,’ Graces’ words repeated in the back of his mind as if she was there next to him, ‘not for those who are already serving, but those who will be serving.’ Looking once again, the colt saw not an individual student, but his class as a whole. Some of them laughing, most of them enjoying themselves in one way or another, and all of them happy to be alive.

‘Such a nice thing…’ he said to himself. Then the idea of seeing less and less faces every day came back to him. Random chairs would be missing as the days would go on, and he would get a letter from the principal telling him that they have been sent off to fight a battle he would not…

“Umm… sir?” he heard called out over his trance, as Iron saw that literally all eyes are on him while the class went silent.

“Yes, Onyx, what is it?” Iron asked his student.

“Is everything alright?” he asked with more concern in his voice now than Iron has seen all year from the usually stuck up colt, “I mean you were sitting there, blank faced, and then you just started tearing up.”

Iron clenched his teeth, quickly rubbing away anything left from his eyes, doing his best to keep up appearances with those that look up to him. “Sorry about that everyone,” he dismissed it, “just… a lot on my mind recently.”

“Like what Mr. Knight?” Syllia asked out of respect for the colt.

“Well for starters, would any of you believe me if I said I was visited by the princess a few days ago?” he asked not even expecting a serious answer from them.

“Not a chance sir!” one colt called out from the back while they all started to chuckle a bit at the teachers’ apparent joke.

‘Though it’s not a joke…’ Iron reminded himself while he allowed a smile to creep up on his face. Looking up to the clock he reasoned that they had a few minutes before the bell would ring for them, “Alrighty everyone… pack up your stuff and get out of here,” he watched them all stand around in confusion for a moment or two, “I have some things I need to take care of, and I’m pretty sure y’all are hungry.”

With that moment of generosity, his class room was once again vacant in seconds as they all scurried to get out. With the last tail leaving from his doorway, Iron turned to look at the machine shop he had at his disposal, in particular the space he had saved for his own projects, hidden from the students’ eyes.

After all, if the school offers you space to work out of, why not use it?

Twisting the knob with his magic, Iron gently pushed the door open before he laid eyes on his old companion. “Miss me sweetheart?” he asked the many sheets of metal that made up his old guard armor. Left to lie there on the stand while he worked on it over the years, improving what he could, and adding his own little adjustments.

It was always his little pet project that he would come back to. When he wasn’t trying to throw together chemicals or magic just to see what happens. Iron could always fall back on his suit to improve it; plus, this way he could work on it at school as well. Gems lay across the suit, each one having been charged with its own spell that he could activate in a moment’s notice without having to use his own horn. While underneath several areas have been given special treatment to increase the strength of the metal while making it lighter.

“I’m so close to…” Iron recalled the many times he’s spent here in his shop after school, putting metals together to fuse them and transfer the properties of one to the other with his spells. Though he has come with in a hair of making it perfect, Iron always found a way to make it better.

Whether it was the addition of the enchanted gems to help in attack, a few hidden blades built in to the foreleg bracers, mounts welded on to the outer plates for extra weapons should the need arise, additional level of protection enchantments made simply for defense… or even a hard case mounted to the side to hold his pack of smokes. The colt had put many hours in to this project of his, and if asked, he would do it all over again.

Running his hoof across the suit, he felt the cold touch of the metal against his hoof, recalling how long it’s been sense he worked on it. “And now it seems I may need you again my friend,” he pondered. Although Grace said he would be working in a factory, if the war erupts and becomes even worse, capable soldiers will be put on the front lines. With his previous record, and the minor annoyance to the princess he’s been, Iron will be one of the first ones picked.

“For now though…” he shook his head, dispelling any thoughts on that matter while he focused on the task at hoof, “I have a mare to speak too,” with that he closed the door to the room and calmly walked out of the classroom out in to the hall.

Passing by several other classes teaching still, the bell rung finally for lunch as the hallway quickly became packed with students scrambling to get some food. Thankfully though, they all for the most part knew who he was, and when they saw him coming their way, would make a path. Not that he had far to go in the first place, a few halls down and Iron found himself standing in front of the main office. Pushing the door in, the colt stepped in front of the receptionist.

The Pegasus had been here probably as long as the school itself had, and Iron swore that he’s seen her in one of the history text books. Though no matter the case, the sweet old mare has always been willing to lend a hoof to the colt.

“Why hello Iron, what can I help you with dearie?” she asked while looking over her spectacles.

“Morning Ms. Spring, I was wondering if Principal Abacus is busy?” within a few seconds the mare held up a hoof and picks up the phone in her wing.

“Ms. Abacus? Yes,” Spring talked while Iron only got one side of the conversation, “Mr. Knight is here, yes he’s wondering if you have a moment… thank you,” hanging up the phone, the mare straightened out her glasses, “She’s in her office and free at the moment.”

With a slight nod, Iron walked past her and in to the back. Passing by several other offices belonging to the vice principal, secretary, historian, and treasurer. He eventually came to the door he was looking for, as he knocked politely and waited for a response.

“Come on in…”

With that Iron opened the door and stepped in, before turning his eyes to the mare before him. It was always sort of funny for him to see the elfin Pegasus mare behind her rather large desk, considering she would barely see over its edge, if it hadn’t been for the phonebook she was sitting on. Though Iron would never tell her that out right, he had too much respect for a mare younger than him making it this far in her life already.

“Ahh good morning, Iron,” she said with a pep in her voice, letting her luscious emerald orbs flutter behind the lashes.

“Good morning, Abby,” Iron grinned back at her, thankful that the door was closed and the others couldn’t hear them.

Abacus gently rolled her eyes at him, having expected this sort of talk out of him, “Oh you know how much I hate that name…” she teased.

“Yeah but then again you have yet to ask me to stop,” he retorted while watching the sheepish mare attempt to hide behind her wings, giving her the moment she needed to get rid of the blush in her cheeks.

Settling herself down, she looked long in to his hazel eyes as the smile on her face never left, “Well I know you didn’t come here to flirt… so how can I help you?”

Instantly his demeanor changed from happy go lucky to serious, and Abacus could see it as clear at day, “Let’s just say I had a strange visitor this past weekend…” Iron started off, explaining how the princess came personally to his door in the morning.

Telling her what was said between them, the colt told the mare his somewhat mixed feelings on the matter that he was having, especially after coming back to work and seeing all that could be lost if he didn’t do his part. As much as he may hate to admit it, Iron must say that the princess is right. He may not make that big of a difference, though if even one soldier is saved in the coming fight because he perhaps did his job a little better than another, it would all be worth it.

Abacus leaned back in her chair as Iron stood there motionless, calmly she lowered her eyelashes midway while looking at him, taking in all that the colt has said and comes only to one conclusion, “You seem to be stuck in between a rock and a hard place…”

“You don’t say…” he faked gasp while clenching his chest with a hoof.

“Take it easy Iron…” she raises up a wing, “I figured what you were coming in here to talk about before you even knew what was going on.”

“How did you manage that?” Iron asked bewildered.

“Simple, Princess Grace came here Saturday morning… I was in my office going over a few papers from the week prior and we had a nice chat,” she responded, keeping it simple so he could follow along easily, after all he already had a lot on his mind, “your address isn't filed on any of her records, though where you work is. She came here, asked a few questions and filled me in on some of what she would be asking of you. Then she got your address and left… obviously to go see you.”

‘Well that explains how she found me…’ Iron answered to himself, having known that his address wasn’t listed.

“So now I have one question for you, and you don’t need a multiple choice test to guess what it is,” she waved a hoof around as she spoke, “Will you help?” Abacus asked while trying to pick through the pupils in his eyes. Attempting to peer in to the colts’ mind like so many others have before.

Iron pondered it a moment like he had from start. It was a tough question to ask, however, after coming to work and seeing what could be gone, it wasn’t a tough answer to find. “Let’s see… leave the job I love, to go help a government that I loathed to work for, under the kin of my former employers, to help defend the nation in an up and coming fight…” he paused for a moment to look for any other option that wouldn’t likely lead to him choking the life out of another. Though upon finding none, he shrugged his shoulders, “…Meh, sure why not… what do I have to lose?”

“Well not your job, that’s for sure…” Abacus got up from her desk and went around to her friend, and coworker. Meeting him only at his chest, it took the mares hooves and wings to reach around him completely as they embraced one another for a moment, “finish today with your students, I’ll put in for a long term substitute starting tomorrow… don’t worry, you’ll still have a job when you get back.”

“Thanks… Abby…” he smirked back at the mare, before they both squeezed a little more.

Nothing but gratitude poured out from the act the stallion was shown, while the feeling of anxiety continued to rise up in the mare. It wasn’t often you wish one of your friends off to a war. After a few more seconds, Iron let the mare go so they could both get to work. As he slipped out of the office and back in to the hall, Iron simply grinned a bit to himself.

“Well…” He said to no pony in particular while he walked down the hall, “I might as well pack my suit.”