The Worker

Iron Hammer was out of practice, something which annoyed him quite a lot considering his life was all about the hammer. Although to be fair it had been a few weeks since he had actually wielded his hammer and this was not at the anvil but simply knocking a piece of metal into a piece of wood one of the most basic kinds of construction.

This is why he couldn't believe that he's missed the nail and the hammer had swung into the beam he had been trying to carefully connect to a support which would be the foundation of his home. Now other ponies might have bought a home or paid for a proper construction crew to build their home but no Iron Hammer had not the coin to pay for a proper team and in a way it felt better to build your future home with your own hooves, less ponies to blame if it fell down.

What had surprised him was the number of ponies which had come to visit him all in the past two days. After he had left the library and miserably slept under his cart for two days whilst he found a spot of land and with the remaining bits paid to purchase it from town hall he had begun his work immediately and already ponies could see the outline of his future home and hopefully business too.

To say he wasn't proud of it would be a lie but neither was he boastful and when the few ponies which passed by and stared at him work spoke he would smile and explain simply that he was here to start a fresh. Although he wasn't exactly in the centre of town and not too many ponies passed by he was still a ways into the town but a few empty spaces of land away from anyponys home.

He knew that it might be strange for more rural town citizens if they woke up to the pounding of steel in the morning and he didn't want to incite any complaints that might make it to the Mayor, the pony whom had signed his documents giving him the land and the work permits.

He was glad that Equestrian red tape was minimal but he did sometimes wonder how they could keep the whole country running with such a lax system installed. Still he had no reason to complain, there seemed to be food on everypony's table and bits in their saddlebags so something must be going right.

He kept working, gradually becoming more used to the hammer in one hoof and holding himself steady on the ladder with his other hoof (Not an easy thing for a creature without thumbs). By Mid-afternoon the basic structure was already there and so all that it needed were some walls, a roof and a bit of paint and maybe he would be able to afford enough to buy a bed before he became completely broke.

At the thought of that his stomach growled slightly and he realised it had been over a day since he'd eaten a thing. "I don't really need food" he told himself though it left a large empty feeling in his gut which didn't feel right but then again starving yourself was never really right by anyponys standards.

He decided to stop for a while being tired and went to sit down on the bridge just down a slight ways down the trail leading to a very dark forest when he received the surprise of his life. Surprise it certainly could be called as one minute he recalled standing upright and trotting over to the bridge but now as he saw his situation was that he was on his back and pinned by a large pink blob which as focus returned to his eyes he realised to be a mare around Twilight's age maybe older.

He was about to protest that she had just assaulted him when he was barraged by a hundred different questions all with the intent of sapping the information about his life directly from his mind. "Who are you? Where do you come from? Is that your house? Are you building it? When's your birthday? Are you some sort of spy?" all which came in a very excited and possible sugar melt-down tone of voice from the pink mare with also pink poufy hair.

Iron Hammer needn't have looked at her Cutie Mark to tell that this pony was an insane party pony with a few space issues and not that he didn't want to make some friends and get on well with everypony but he was uncomfortable being underneath this mare so he spoke up.

"Excuse me ma'am but you wouldn't mind letting me up?" he asked he politely enough and was of course for his efforts ignored as she began explaining herself. "My name's Pinkie Pie and I work at Sugar cube corner inside town and we make the most delicious cakes but anyway I noticed you were new to town cause you see I know everypony and I don't know you which means your new which means you have no friends which is so sad which means it's my job to correct that and so that's why you have to come to the Big Pink cake like building which is Sugar Cube Corner tonight so we can throw you a super duper party and so you won't be sad anymore!" she spoke all in one breath to Iron Hammer's amazement.

However as touched as he was by the offer he still wanted his space and asked a little more forcefully "Can you get off me now"? Pinkie Pie seemed to actually slow down and ponder the thought for a moment before hopping off Iron Hammer and proceeding to hop around him. "I forget my own strength sorry" she chuckled, hopping round and round Iron Hammer making him dizzy.

"So what do you think? Will you go to the party? I mean most Ponies in Ponyville will be there and you can make so many new friends!" she asked him again and although Iron Hammer really only wanted more than ever to sit down he looked away and quickly nodded "Sure yes ok just please stop the spinning before I fall over".

Pinkie Pie giggled and bounced off yelling back to him "You're a funny one… see you at the party"! Iron Hammer staggered to the bridge and sat down rubbing his head in pain as he felt a terrible headache form. Iron Hammer was not one for party's or cake but meeting new ponies was a big thing if he wanted both friends' customers.

However right now all he wanted was to get the annoying ring that still circled his head and cast it out along with the memory of Pinkie Pie's voice which he just found to be really too annoying for words to describe. However the mare although with her quirky ways was friendly and in good cheer if only she could tone down on the hyperactivity a tad and try not to jump new ponies.

Iron Hammer sat down on the log and yawned. Sleeping underneath the cart the past nights was not great and he had always awoken caked in dried mud which was why it was lucky he lived next to a stream now. Well almost lived give it another few days and he would be able to maybe actually say he had residence in Ponyville instead of a patch of land with a rickety frame upon it.

Without knowing it he began to daydream once more and quickly shook his head of thoughts lest they consume all his concentration and cause him to fall behind on his already interrupted work. He took account of what he had to do and set to work, ignoring his current needs and focusing on the job.

The thought of hunger quickly disappeared from his mind soon hours passed by as he fortified the foundations of his house and began to start to build the walls of his home. Unlike the more pristine, concrete brick buildings of Ponyville his home would look a slight more rustic as he used large and varied shaped rocks from the riverbank but he had no money for brick and if he ever earned enough he figured he could buy some.

He simply dragged the rocks from the river and its banks first however and began to pile them high until dawn shone upon his figure and the pile of rocks he'd gathered. He looked at himself all caked and muddied and sweating heavily. He would need to definitely install some form of plumbing from the river to be able to wash himself within his own home but for now the river was good enough.

It wasn't like he was made of money… at least not anymore. He though bitterly on the subject of money and tried not to think about what he's do if he were still in Manehatten or Las Pegasus but turned away the thought and collapsed against the pile of rocks tiredly.

He was pleased that it wouldn't be raining again tonight; he didn't enjoy sleeping underneath the cart very much. He began to drift off thankful he'd finished his hard day of work when the thought of the pink pony from the morning came to him. "Oh Celestia please no" he begged but knew in his mind that he needed to get up and attend this party.

He looked over at how muddy he was and decided first would be best he washed off the mud, sweat and general grime which clung to him like some kind of second skin. He quickly washed and shook his mane and after adjusting it slightly headed on into town.

It wasn't hard to locate everything as most stores were concentrated close to town hall and the town in general only had a few hundred ponies in it if you included the outer farms. He saw a few ponies outside a large store that looked like a cake with the name Sugar cube Corner talking happily and looked at the massive structure.

It was a great paint job that was one thing he could say. Iron Hammer entered the store with a smile on his face and a fresh mind and was greeted immediately with a large cheer of "Surprise" which made no sense as he knew about this party but he let it slide and kept smiling.

He looked over the faces of everypony as they all surged around, some coming to shake his hoof and bid him welcome to Ponyville or others simply talking with the ponies they already knew and only here for the food and drinks. At the thought of food Iron Hammer's stomach once more protested at not being fed in time and so he went over to the large spread of food but of course something had to interrupt him.

Well actually somepony and none other than the host, Pinkie Pie with a party hat and a smile grabbed him before he got to do a thing and began to speak. "I am oh so, so glad that you could make it to the party I mean I was beginning to think you weren't coming but no you proved me wrong which is totally great cause now you get to meet all of my friends!" she excitedly told Iron Hammer dragging him over to another part of the bakery/party room.

There he saw to his great surprise none other than Twilight Sparkle and four other ponies. Twilight was slightly surprised but then she must have known that this kind of thing was coming for Iron Hammer. "This is Twilight, she's like super cool student library know It all" introduced Pinkie.

Iron Hammer smiled slightly and bid "Hello again" to Twilight who giggled lightly and smiled. Pinkie and her other friends looked at both Iron Hammer and Twilight and questioned "You know each other"? To which Twilight explained "Yes, this is Iron Hammer, he was at the library yesterday night asking for assistance".

Iron Hammer nodded and Pinkie quickly moved on to a white coat Unicorn mare with a stunning dark purple mane that shone as bright as the sun itself and really showed her jewel Cutie mark off. "This is Rarity; she owns a boutique just outside of Ponyville and believes me she can sew". Iron Hammer bowed his head and said "How do you do" as respectfully as he could. Although she stared at his untidy mane at first with a mixed expression she in turn replied "Quite well thank-you. Such a gentlecolt" she smiled and the girls chuckled and rolled their eyes whilst Iron Hammer couldn't help but blush slightly having never been called such a name before.

Pinkie moved on to a figure a little bit less shiny and clearly a labour working mare. She had a nice orange coat and long tied blond mane with a kickass cowpony hat and with the apples for a Cutie mark it was quite obvious to Iron Hammer that she was a farmer of apples or associated with them in some way. "This is Applejack she owns Sweet Apple Acres up on the hill near the Everfree forest" introduced Pinkie and Applejack outstretched her hoof and shook Iron Hammer's with quite a lot of force. "Howdy" she said in a southern kind of accent one expected to come from someplace like Dodge City and Iron Hammer smiled and strongly returned the hoof shake.

Twilight seemed to pay attention to Iron Hammer's hoof after Applejack withdrew hers and he wondered if it was some kind of trick or something. Pinkie took no notice however and moved on to a hovering cyan blue Pegasus with an extraordinary rainbow mane and a rainbow lightning bolt for a cutie mark. She shook his hoof as well with less strength than Applejack but coming close. "Name's Rainbow Dash and I am chief weather pony for Ponyville" she almost boasted to Iron Hammer. Pinkie giggled and added "She's also extremely fast in the air and can like do bazillions of different tricks".

Applejack huffed slightly and scolded "Pinkie doesn't go making Rainbow's head to big lest it weigh her down like an anchor". Rainbow scowled and exclaimed "Ain't nothing gonna slow me down. Ever"!

Before things became too heated between the two Iron Hammer turned to the last of Twilight's friends. A yellow coated mare who had not even spoken yet or actually some anything except hide half her face behind her light pink and extraordinary fine long hair. By her composure and the butterfly Cutie mark on her flank it was clear that she wasn't much a talker.

"This is Fluttershy the kindest, nicest and gentlest pony ever" explained Pinkie which caused Fluttershy to hide bashfully behind her hair even more. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you Fluttershy" bowed Iron Hammer politely and he believed he might have heard a faint squeak which he decided to take as a "Hello" on her part.

So the introductions completed Pinkie and the girls began to talk about where they came from or what they did or other elements and family in their lives all of which interested Iron Hammer. The fact Twilight was in fact the Student of Princess Celestia was incredible but when they all told him that they were the elements of Harmony some kind of magical friendship force Iron Hammer believed them at first to be joking.

Pinkie went round and entertained guests whilst Rarity, Applejack and Twilight carried the conversation along and Fluttershy squeaked now and then whilst Rainbow hovered around the room and challenged ponies to hoof wrestles. Of course after they explained their family and their work and their likes it was eventually Iron Hammer's turn and Twilight asked "So Iron Hammer, do you have any family in Ponyville"?

Iron Hammer hoped to avoid this question and the general way in which the conversation was going but it seemed only fair in a way to respond truthfully what with how open everypony had been towards him. "No family" he said flatly and Rarity asked "Oh do they live somewhere else? Maybe Canterlot or Manehatten"?

Iron Hammer shook his head and replied "No family anywhere, just me" the girls seemed to understand what he was saying and Applejack nodded quite a lot and it was clear to Iron Hammer with the look in her eyes that her parents weren't exactly around either. Twilight changed the conversation and asked "Why did you come to Ponyville"?

Iron Hammer once more though bitterly but instead smiled and replied with the slight truth "I needed a change of scenery, Manehatten is too crowded and Canterlot is not looking for ponies like me to work on their fancy mansions. Twilight blushed slightly and Iron Hammer hoped he hadn't offended and quickly corrected "Despite how lovely and kind everypony in Canterlot is".

Awkward silence began to fill the air but luckily it was broken by Fluttershy to everypony including Iron Hammer's surprise when she informed them all in a soft voice "I…I r-r-really should be g-getting on home… g-goodnight everypony" and with that she meekly trotted past and paid farewell to Pinkie Pie.

Iron Hammer saw this as a chance to escape as well and so bid the girls goodnight "It was pleasant to meet all of you, thank you greatly for making me feel welcome". They all smiled and Rarity replied "Think nothing of it" before moving off to say goodbye to a few other ponies. Next Applejack shook his hand firmly once more and said "Well if you ever want ta' be stopping off by the farm we'll gladly welcome you with open hooves" she smiled and tipped her hat before taking her leave too and dragging Rainbow Dash along with her who was in a furious argument with another Pegasus over something to do with the Wonderbolts.

That left Twilight who smiled and spoke quietly "They're really nice ponies, my best friends in the whole of Equestria and beyond. Iron Hammer smiled and asked "Well friends are important but I guess you know that I mean being sent by our ruler to study it" he said with a little venom in his voice.

Twilight tilted her head slightly and asked "Is everything ok"? To which Iron Hammer responded "Oh everything's fine I'm simply a little tired and think I should be heading on home…" Twilight smiled and nodded "Ok then we'll see each other again I mean it's not that big a town".

Iron Hammer chuckled and bid her farewell as well with a gentle hoof shake before he stepped over to Pinkie who was making some ponies laugh at her jokes. "Pinkie thank you for the wonderful party I had a splendid time" he began but Pinkie was once more completely focused on the task at hand and lost from reality.

Iron Hammer smiled and knew that she'd know his meaning even if she didn't hear it now and so he exited the shop with tired hooves and gave a loud and large yawn. That was when he realised he hadn't eaten or drank anything in there. He face-hoofed and couldn't believe he passed up such an opportunity as that but then he had his mind on other things.

With a smile he recounted all he had learned about his new friends and began to head for what would very soon be his home.