Reinhart walked amongst those down in the assembly portion of his nations’ own factory. Watching as the paws of the individuals under him work diligently to create the weapons of today for tomorrows war. He can’t help but pick up the occasional part to see just how it works, while wondering all the same why he didn’t think of it himself, after seeing them in action.

Picking up a barrel, the chief looked down the center, noting the spiraled groves that have been cut out on the inside. “A curious addition…” he noted while putting the part back down amongst the others.

“It helps to keep the round stable,” his partner answered while she climbed down from a rafter to meet him, “puts a spin on things.”

“You certainly pop in at the most random of times, though seriously we do have a front door,” he mentioned to the equine, while she waltzes her way up to the side of the canine. Quickly though the chief noticed the different look about her, “what no hood this time, BB?” he mentioned as he took in the odd feature atop her head.

“No point in hiding my face around here now,” ‘considering everything will come in to light eventually…’ she shrugged back at the chief, while the cloak still covered her lower body, “And by the way… it’s Bronze Bolt.”

“Been wondering your name here for some time now...” Reinhart said as he scratched the end of his own muzzle, “Rhorkin asked didn’t he?” he waited for Bronze to answer before they went about their business.

Both the pony and the dog walked side by side, one on hind legs, and one on all fours. Slowly but surely they made their way down the different production lines. Watching each of the individual parts come together as one. Barrels were mounted to wooden frames, wooden frames were reinforced, firing pins and triggers were added, and to top it off a housing cover is added to keep the parts inside clean. All the little individual pieces came together, to make something magical…

“A true wonder it is… isn’t it?” Bronze motioned while picking up one of the finished weapons from the rack, and tossed it to the chief as he gladly accepted the weapon in paw.

“So small, yet so powerful… from what I’ve seen,” the chief remarked, recalling when Bronze pulled a similar version on his own soldier.

“I call it a bolt-action rifle…” she remarked reaching in to a side pocket on her cloak. Tossing a small metallic cartridge to him, the chief looked it over, “the round is loaded in to the chamber, and when the trigger is pulled, a pin strikes it and sets off the powder on the inside, pushing the round out...” Bronze watched as the chief inspected the weapon again and again. Loading the round in to the chamber via the bolt, and bringing it back to eject the round.

“Powder you say?” the chief asked, “You mean like black powder? From fireworks?”

“The very same, more or less…” Bronze reasoned with him, “minus the stars to make the colors and such that go with the display. This is just for pure business, not pleasure,” she finished while watching him look over the simple metal cartridge, “So… do you like it?” she asked curiously.

Placing the gun back on the rack, the chief looked back at her with a simple smile that slowly stretched across his face, “it’s a pure wonder… both you and the weapons you have made.”

“And that’s just the beginning…” Bronze answered while they continued to walk amongst the growing mass of weapons. Reinhart and the mare eventually reach a balcony, overlooking the production plant. Allowing the chief to look at the arms and armor of which he’s never seen, being built up.

“So you have supplied my army with weapons and armor,” Reinhart summarized, “though the fight has yet to start, and I will be the first to tell you that my troops are getting antsy…” the chief said while he slowly dug his claws in to the railing.

“Easy there, Chief,” she settled him down a bit, “the fight will come, and when it does, the more time it takes the more you will be prepared.” With the turn of her head, and a quick flick of her tail, Bronze motioned him to follow her.

Heading down one of the many hallways built in to the DDRs’ own stronghold. Bronze and the chief come across one of the many barracks set up for his troops. Though this one has been set aside for their guest. Pushing the door open, both Reinhart and Bronze step inside while the chief took in the modest surroundings.

For being a mare of mystery to him still, the mares’ room so far looks exactly like he would have pictured it. Simple bedding was laid out over the mattress with only one pillow, the only thing next to the lamp on the night stand was what looked to be a personal journal, while on the desk there are only basic drawings of what Reinhart can only imagine were some of her original designs, while a wooden trunk took up the end of her bed.

The only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was the crate that sat in the middle of her room, “Aren’t a very materialistic mare are you?” Reinhart asked the obvious.

“Don’t have much to go home to, so why carry a lot?” Bronze said while she broke out one of her talons. Digging in to the side of the crate she quickly popped the top off in a few tugs, “besides I have another room over in the gryphons’ kingdom. My only real personal effects I kept there instead.”

“Well you do spend more time there I imagine,” Reinhart concluded, “all together they have more facilities.”

“I just like to use the space here to tinker a bit when I can…” the mare reached down inside the crate, standing on her hind legs she pulled out some sort of mechanical contraption before the chief.

From what Reinhart could see it looked like a version of the bolt action rifles that he saw out in the factory, though this one had no stock, just a handle and a crank to go with it… with a lot more barrels all formed in a circle. Hoofing it over to the chief, he picked up the elegant hunk of metal with relative ease thanks to his size, before he looked it over with every interest of a new born pup to his first toy.

“Quite the contraption you have here,” he said admiring it for its elegance and what time was probably put in to making it. Though one question remained, “What is it?”

“That one? That one I call a Crank gun… like the rifles I mentioned earlier, though with a large magazine on the side,” she said tapping the box, “it will fire, as fast as you can crank the handle…”

“This is what you call Tinkering?”

“Well… yea,” the mare sheepishly grinned, even admiring her own pastimes, “That’s also a gift.”

“To who, me?” the chief asked, watching as the mare nodded slowly to him.

“There will be more where that came from as well… plus smaller versions will be issued to your armies for other uses,” the mare said proudly.

Reinhart brought the weapon to his hip, spinning the barrel with the crank to a dizzying speed as he watched the barrels nearly blur in to one, “marvelous…” he admired the claw work she put in, “I thank you dearly for it, it will be wonderful to use when the time comes.”

“That you and I both can agree on…” Bronze answered while she pushed the window to her room open, deeply breathing in the gentle night time breeze as it wafted in to the room.

“What are you thinking there, Bronze?” he asked, seeing a glint in her eyes.

“It has been some time sense the gears of a mounting war started to turn, we have built up quite a force,” she turned her head ever so slightly to the chief, “I just wonder how far our opponents have come along with their own…” grasping on to the window edge, in one swift motion Bronze slithered through and leapt in to the open air, dropping past the view of the chief.

Running up to the window sill, Reinhart expected to see Bronze plummeting to the ground below. He knew this mare was an odd one, but to be suicidal he never expected. Though the image of the pony splattered across the ground is one he never sees. Only in the dim light, does he see something he didn’t believe he would.

Bronze soared through the air, far above the ground he was expecting her to hit. Beneath her cloak, another marvel of the mare sprouted fourth. Canvas wings stretch out from their brass hinges and frame, cutting through the winds that bore against the mares’ face.

Coming closer to the ground, with a single flex of her shoulder blades, the will and drive of her earth pony magic brought to life the stored energy and enchantments of those crystals set in the hinges of her wings as it drove the joints. With one mighty beat of her wings, Bronze picked up back in the air while she ascended though the night sky.

“This… This is what it must be like to be a Pegasus,” Bronze whispered to herself as she flew alone. Lowing her head, she watched as the ground below passed by her swiftly, thanks to her latest addition. “I never really got the chance to properly test these… but I must say, they work like a charm.”

Her eyes glanced over her shoulder, watching as the crystals powering her wings glowed brightly as the magic in them snaked their way in to the inanimate metal, bringing it to life. With an easy grin on her face, the mare looked back up to the celestial bodies above while she pointed herself in the right direction.

Meanwhile, Reinhart stood there still in awe at what he just saw from the mare. Taking in the last moment, he shook his head to get his mind back in order, “Well… she’s just full of surprises.” He said out loud, before closing the window behind him as he picked up his new toy and walked out of the room. Making sure to lock the door as he made his exit, and went about his own business.