He was on the couch fully asleep, but there was a part of his mind fully active: his memory. As he fell over on the couch, he unlocked Celestia's memories from the back of his mind and felt himself being cast adrift on a sea of memories and experiences. He would need time to sort through this and gain the information he needed. He saw everything of Celestia's history in her memories and subsequently, all of Equestrian history. He saw when she was born, when she was crowned princess, the Discord wars, when Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon; every item that Celestia had ever experienced, up to when she had tried to look through his mind, had been added to The Forgemaster's already extensive library. As he looked through the memories, he was astounded: Princess Celestia had done and gone through some astounding and harrowing things. He seemed to search for ages through the depths of her mind. She had lived many times what The Forgemaster had lived and had much more memories than he had expected. The more he looked; the more astounded he became, the more astounded he became; the more he felt a strange feeing about Celestia, but he couldn't place the feeling.

It hit him like a ton of bricks: He respected Princess Celestia! He had only respected a very few individuals throughout his long lifetime, and Princess Celestia was the only ruler he had ever come to feel this way about.

He had always been a loyal servant of the crown. Even though he had more power and influence in his right eyeball, he had followed his liege's commands as a true supporter would. But he had never enjoyed it, mostly because he had never respected those whom he had served under. In fact, he had lived so long under a single dynasty of kings and queens; that he had watched the men and women grow up from children to rulers who assumed the reins of his command. That family eventually came to see The Forgemaster as a possession and demeaned him. Tragically, the entire royal family was assassinated in one violent evening. While The Forgemaster had nothing to do with the deaths; he recognized the style of an old assassin order he was familiar with, and had partial responsibility in forming, but told no one who exactly it was who assassinated the royal family. He was a loyalist until death it seemed. After that, the new royal family treated him with the respect he undoubtedly deserved.

But Princess Celestia… a ruler that he both respected and a ruler who wouldn't outlive him? He could work for that kind of being. He was a king's man at heart, but there was hardly any difference between working for a king or queen and working for a princess. The kingdom of Azodious was far from his mind: as long as he had a ruler to be loyal to, he didn't care who it was. With that happy thought in his head, he turned back towards the memories and sleep.

*3 days later*

He woke up in a daze: sleeping for 3 days will do that to you. He recovered quickly, as per usual, and got his bearings. He was in a bed in a white room with curtains around him. He heard a beeping to his right and saw a monitor and an IV drip bag; he looked at his arm to see attached sensors and the IV. He looked under the covers to see: he was naked once more.

'Ugh, Twilight Sparkle…'

He tore the sensors off and immediately the beeping became frantic. A white pony in a nurse's uniform came hurrying, he recognized her from Celestia's memories; Nurse Redheart.

'Why does she know the name of the nurse in Ponyville? It's like she knows everything about Equestria.'

The Nurse spoke up, interrupting his thoughts, "Don't do that! You're acting like a colt. You've been in a coma for 3 days now; you can't just wake up and cause an alarm."

"Sorry."

"Well, you better be. We'll have to take a few more tests before we can discharge you. Anyways, after your welcome party you passed out. Obvious reason there: alcohol. Well, after the first day you didn't wake up, so Twilight brought you here. We put an IV in you and waited for you to wake up. And here we are 3 days later."

He knew the real reason he had slept so long was because of him accessing Celestia's memories, but telling that to anypony would be stupid of him. If he hadn't accessed the memories, he would've woken up the next day as fine as anypony else: hangover notwithstanding. So he just played along with the good nurse.

"Yes, the alcohol. Maybe grass and dandelions aren't good for me. Can Twilight Sparkle visit?"

"Yes, it's visiting hours now; I'll send somepony to get her."

"No need," he draped the sheet around his waist then dropped to his feet off the bed and walked to the open window. Once there he braced himself and yelled out in the loudest possible voice (A/N- Louder than the Traditional Canterlot voice), "TWILIGHT SPARKLE! YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED IN THE HOSPTITAL!"

He turned back and got on the bed.

Nurse Redheart then said, "That works too, I suppose."

After 5 minutes of waiting, Twilight Sparkle came through the door.

"Forge-"she started.

"Twilight Sparkle, give me back my clothes. You won't learn about the runes."

She just looked shocked. He took this time to explain how he knew.

"Wondering how I know, hmm? It was obvious, really. Rarity undoubtedly told everypony who would listen about the clothes she had made for me. Obviously, she would have told you all about my runes and what I said they could do. Naturally, you were very curious about them, as everypony else was too, I wager. But you were the only pony whose curiosity could overcome their shame enough to steal the clothes off of a sleeping man. I also know that all your efforts to recreate my runes, which you have been working on through the night, have been futile."

"How did you know I couldn't get the runes I made to work? I copied the inscriptions perfectly!"

"The disappointed look in your eyes, the bags under them and your unkempt mane told me all I needed. I never would have thought you would be a copy cat magus Twilight Sparkle, I'm very disappointed in you."

"But, I was only curious!"

"And curiosity killed the cat, Twilight Sparkle!"

She didn't respond to this.

"Go get my clothes Twilight Sparkle, and bring them here."

She left to do so, head hanging in shame, and came back several minutes later with them. He stepped behind the curtain and got dressed. As he was behind the curtain, Twilight told him about recent happenings. Apparently, the younger Princess was so taken with him that she asked Celestia to build a home for him; free of charge. Apparently, she was very convincing because construction on his home started the day after they had left. His home was nearing completion but the forge out back was done. Also, Pinkie Pie was holed up in her room for 2 days after their duel, only coming out yesterday the same pony as ever. Rarity was going about the town telling anypony who would listen that The Forgemaster had protected her from 3 'ruffians that accosted her' on the street. He was also given a job by Princess Celestia and she wished to see him 2 days ago. Twilight told him that after the Princess had been informed of his condition, she could stand to wait until he was out of his coma. He had finished dressing behind the curtain and stepped out, interrupting her.

"So Pinkie Pie was hung-over, but got better, Rarity is lying a lot, Luna likes me, Celestia gave me a job, a home, and a forge, and you want to learn about my magic so badly you stepped to petty thievery?"

She was shocked from the sudden outburst, but nodded an affirmative.

"Good to know." He said, walking past her into the hallway, she following after a moment.

They entered the main lobby so that he could leave, when he noticed the same 3 colts from earlier in the lobby. They were being discharged by the nurse behind the desk. He knew where this was going to go: another fight. But a moment after he noticed them, the leader noticed him as well.

He pointed and shouted, "There he is! Get him!"

All 3 colts ran straight at him, hoping to overwhelm him with their numbers even though the same tactic failed last time. The Forgemaster didn't even want to dignify them with a real fight; so he chose the simpler option: MAGIC.

As they were running, only half way to their destination, he took a deep breath, brought one hand up to his mouth, cupped it around his lips, and then let out a bright, brilliant stream of fire straight at them from his mouth. The Leader's friends were smart enough to dodge then run away, but the Leader himself wasn't nearly as smart. He failed to see, somehow, the magical flame coming straight at him but he certainly noticed when he was completely engulfed in flame. Twilight Sparkle, merciful as she was, managed to put out the fire with some quick-thinking magic before he could be more than seriously singed. He WAS, however, in a lot of pain still and lay there shrieking.

The Forgemaster had won this 'fight', just as he won the first 'fight'. Forgemaster – 2 , Random Opponents – 0.

The Forgemaster stepped over the shrieking and blackened pony and walked out the door, Twilight behind him in a moment. As he stepped outside, he took in a deep breath then turned to Twilight.

He said to her, over the screams of pain from just inside the hospital, "This is such a wonderful day."

He strode towards town, not once looking back.