Friendship is Volatile

Locks wished he could have left with the twins. Being in the same room filled with angry females wasn't his idea of a good time nor was it in the interest of his health. Twilight was surprisingly the first one to break the silence.

"Really Locks? If you could act like that in front of a pony why didn't you do so when you first got here?"

"First off, getting here was an experience that should have killed me. Second, I was kinda messed up after smashing my skull against the very unyielding ground outside your library so I wasn't in a professional state of mind. Lastly, I don't always act like that, and this is how I usually act with people outside of work."

"An egotistical, sexually womanizing asshole?"

"You don't even know what half of those words mean you fucking turd."

"You're still an awful pony."

"I'm an awful person. If you're going to insult me then at least get the context down you silly horse."

After an extremely loud and drawn out sigh from Twilight, the unicorn's horn started glowing as she floated a sapphire the size of a goose egg towards him. Raising an eyebrow before taking the gem in his left hand she turned around and used a bit more magic to restore the pairs shattered tea cups to their original states.

"If you two are done then we can get down to business. That sapphire has been specially attuned to store raw magic, and while some gems can be naturally found with that quality I will teach you to that particular spell once we get a measure of your ability. Rainbow Dash, can you come stand close to Locks and lead him down? I don't know how his magic will react to unicorn magic, and if he pushes himself too far he may collapse. That being said, if you start feeling tired Locks STOP. Overtaxing yourself could cause serious fatigue or even death."

"That being said, all you have to do is call your magic and channel it into the gem. No need to shape it or otherwise alter it from it's original state."

With Dashie grumbling beside him and his eyebrow still cocked he shrugged his shoulders and did exactly what she asked. His magic always gave him a rush when he could physically see it coursing around his arm and hand, that and knowing that someday soon he could use it to do some really cool and dangerous shit made it all the more exciting. Just like Twilight said, the gem took in the magic he was directing at it but after a few minuets of just standing there he wondered how long it would take to fill the thing.

"Geeze Locks, can you speed it up already? I don't want to stand here all day."

In all honesty he was starting to think he didn't have it in him to fill the gem, that and Twilight never said just how much magic could be put into the thing. With a deep breath he imagined more magic gathering from the rest of his body and building as it traveled up from the soles to his feet into his left hand. The slight crackling sound increased exponentially, filling the room along with thicker bolts of black and purple lightning coursing across his body into the gem.

He had no idea how much was going in, and the gem felt exactly the same as when he started, but after another minuet sweat started forming over his body. The seconds seem to tick by more slowly, and he lost track of how much time had actually passed after he became drenched in his own sweat. Another deep breath and hard push had even more magic pouring into the gem with every sound inside the library being drowned out by the crackling.

The end came so suddenly Locks didn't know what to do besides stand there. He was breathing hard, and his magic still crackled around his hand but the gem took in nothing else. With a steadying breath he imagined his own magic sinking back into the depths of his being, a sense of relief washing over him with its return, but the moment he tried to take a step forward his knees crumpled beneath him. He was able to land on his right knee hard, but if Dashie hadn't been so close he would have fallen over.

The Sapphire fell from his hand and skipped a few inches away, but with his face buried in Dashie's back he couldn't see it. Locks felt like he had just finished a 5K marathon, every muscle in his body protesting in a fatigue that was similar to heavy work, but at the same time foreign and strange. For the second time that day he heard glass shattering.

"......I.....How.....Locks....."

While he could hear her Locks had no idea what the hell she was saying. After a few moments of rest he looked up at the shocked faces of Rarity and Twilight, staring at the sapphire not a foot away from him. The thing was, instead of its original hue of brilliant red the stone was now pitch black, and every so often it would give off the tiniest little arc of black electricity across its surface. Rising slowly to his feet he stretched slowly and painfully before slouching in exhaustion.

"Fuck I need a smoke....."

He thought that comment would elicit some kind of response or reprimand from Twilight or Rarity, but the only thing he got was a dead leg from Rainbow Dash that had him floored and rolling back and forth cursing. Glaring hatefully at the grinning mare he fished around for his smokes before stopping dead at Twilight and Rarity's first response.

"Give me one of those."

"......I'll take one as well....."

"You're both fucking kidding me right? Neither of you smoke and I'm not supporting new habits! Besides, I don't think I'll be getting anymore of these anytime soon..."

The sound of Twilight's voice shattering the otherwise calm atmosphere made Dashie and him jump.

"LOCKS! GIVE ME A BUCKING SMOKE OR I'LL TAKE THEM AWAY FROM YOU!"

"Holy fuck Sparkle! Take one damn!"

Throwing one at each of them they both lit up immediately with magic, not bothering to go outside or even open a window. Twilight was having a damn hard time handling the menthol hundred, but Rarity was puffing away at it like an addict that hadn't had a fix in years. In all honesty, Twilight was starting to worry him with the shocked look on her face and her sudden word choice.

"You have no bucking idea what you are..... You're just....... Dicking around without a care in the world....."

There were a few occasions when Locks had been called crazy for some of his antics, even some of his more unsavory friends had been certifiably insane. Yet nothing in his life could have prepared him for the way Twilight started smiling. Her mouth seemed to stretch to the limits as her eyes widened, giving her a look that was both deeply disturbing and nightmare evoking.

His mind was suddenly filled with images of Twilight holding him down as he thrashed against her magic, slowly bringing sharp, pointy, probing objects in front of him before tearing him to tiny bits and examining them. This nightmarish content took on new life when he heard her depraved laughter. She was directly beside him, not only scaring the shit out of him, but actually pouncing and riding his ass to the ground.

"I'm going to teach you everything........ I'm going to mold you into greatness....... And the time we spend together will make history........."

"TWILIGHT! That is quite enough darling! You are scaring the poor man!"

"You don't understand Rarity! You have no idea how much potential this silly creature has!"

Strange how fear makes you forget about things, like being dead tired and wanting to rest. It was a fantastic motivator in all honesty, but then again anyone would be motivated to deter an insane pony pinning you to the ground. The sound of his hand striking the crazed pony across the cheek silenced any further conversation as Locks stared wide eyed at her. Slowly bring up a hoof she rubbed the reddening cheek before looking down at him in shock.

"You good Sparkle? You're scaring the shit out of me and I can administer a second reality check if you need it."

Blinking at him owlishly she slowly started to smile as she hopped off of his chest.

"Sorry about that Locks, I was just really really excited about all the stuff I can teach you. It won't happen again, I promise. Rarity? I need your help for the next step in today's lesson!"

Seemingly  unphased by what just happened Twilight lead Rarity out of the library and closed the door with her magic, leaving him alone with Dashie. Moving over to the fallen gem and placing it in his pocket the pegasus was on the defensive the moment he raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?! I don't know whats going on! I don't use magic!"

"Magic isn't what I was thinking about...."

"Twilight is not crazy!"

"I'm not the one who just said that."

"You were thinking it! I know you were!"

"I don't have to think about anything, she's being nutty all by her self."

For the second time that day Rainbow Dash was on top of him, studiously trying to choke the life from his body as he laughed and rolled about on the floor to keep her from getting a good grip on his neck. The instant she let go of him Locks wrapped his legs around her waist and grabbing her front hooves, pulling her further up against his body until they were almost face to face. With a wicked smile he held the struggling mare until the door opened with Twilight and Rarity waltzing in.

"Ok Mr. Locks, its time for some different......"

Twilight's train of thought was derailed as her mouth slowly worked with nothing coming out of it. Rarity had a similar look and with a glance at Dashie his smiled widened at the way she was blushing.

"Do you girls mind? I'm having a moment with my Rainbow Strumpet."

Holding Dashie down was physically impossible as she thrashed and bucked. Releasing her, Locks rolled away once more to find Twilight and Rarity smiling...... just like Spitfire had been smiling earlier that day.

"Darlings.... if you two wanted some alone time Twilight and I can go find something to keep ourselves occupied. Heaven knows you both have been so strained lately."

He felt his troll senses tingling as Dashie started defending her case animatedly. While Rarity attempted to pacify the enraged pegasus Twilight led him just outside to a gigantic bolder that was now sitting in front of her house. Even after the door closed Rainbow Dash paced up and down the library with Rarity smiling like a Cheshire cat on the couch.

"He's such a freakin dick! Everything he does is just to piss me off and he's a sleazy bastard who deserves to choke on his own teeth!"

"Darling, you really must calm down for a moment. You're going about this all wrong."

"What?! You think he deserves anything but a hoof to the face?!"

"I'm saying he deserves something that will make him squirm, not turn him on."

Dashie stared at her in confusion as the white unicorn patted the spot on the couch beside her. With a huff she flopped down and agitatedly ground her hoof against the wooden frame.

"Do you know why he's acting up darling?"

"Because he's an immature little shit....."

"Because he knows it'll get a rise out of you. You've seen for yourself he can be very civilized, but when he's with you its all coarse language and dirty jokes."

"So this is somehow my fault?!"

"Not at all dear, it's just that he knows how to get your feathers ruffled. I see you've been very physical with him lately.... Pinkie Pie said just the same thing when I asked her last night, and we just saw you on top of him. Twilight and I both know you were probably trying to kill him, but I'll wager my boutique he was laughing before we arrived."

Rarity gave her a moment to consider what she said, carefully removing a pack of extra slim cigarettes from her saddle bag and placing it into a long holder, lighting the end and taking a calming puff.

"If I knock a few of his teeth out then maybe he wouldn't act like a...."

"He likes it rough."

Rainbow Dash looked at the other mare with wide eyes, who simply smiled and took another drag from her stick before exhaling in the opposite direction.

"Locks has some issues he may be hiding my dear Dashie, but he's far from unreadable. I don't need to ask if he's been laughing every single time you jumped him for one reason or another trying to beat some sense into him. Knowing this, have you ever seen him squirm?"

"I'm not shoving my tongue into his mouth....."

".... Details darling, tell me everything....."

"Well....."

Outside Locks was standing beside Twilight and gazing at the fairly large sized boulder that had appeared just outside the front door.

"Locks meet Tom, Tom meet Locks"

"Good day Sir Tom, it is a fine day isn't it?"

He looked at Twilight with a straight face, regardless of how she was looking at him as if he were insane.... The pot calling the fucking kettle black.

"Oooook..... Since you already have an idea on how to manipulate objects with magic I want you to lift Tom."

"Tom is a boulder Twilight."

"I am fully aware of the state of Tom"

"Boulders are heavy..... Tom happens to be bigger than you are as well."

"I am intimately familiar with how heavy Tom is Mr. Locks. Since you have those marvelous little digits that you use for everything, simply imagine coiling your magic underneath Tom and lift him into the air. I carried him across town just now for this lesson, so I don't think you'll have so much trouble just picking him up."

"Did I happen to mention I'm still tired as fuck from that other little exercise you wanted me to do?"

"It won't kill you Locks. Remember I'm here for your safety! And you're far to valuable a specimen, so you don't have to worry about getting pushed too far or any sudden fatal accidents!"

A normal person might find that statement highly disturbing, but as far as Locks was concerned he actually felt a sense of relief. At least he didn't have to worry about getting himself killed with these tests, that and anything that got him closer to hurling fireballs and using the world as his own personal lego playground was fine by him. Feeling his magic coursing around his hands once more Locks felt his entire body tense up in strain. The fatigue that was settling in over his body seemed to double as he slowly coaxed the boulder into the air.

"Now, I want you to float Tom over your head."

He could only manage to grunt at her even if he really did want to tell the purple certain to fuck off. Regardless of his desire to verbally abuse his mentor he obeyed her command and lifted Tom directly over his head. The only thing he could compare the feat to was lifting a moderately heavy couch by himself and having to concentrate solely on not dropping the thing.

"Well done! Now just place Tom off to the side, I think I have more than enough data on your capacity to tide me over for a while."

With Tom safely on the ground once more Locks took a knee and tired to catch his breath before flopping over, panting with exertion.

"Awww.... Well.... If you're really that tired you can rest for the day Locks. I was going to teach you how to light a candle in case you wanted to study during the night."

With his face set in grim determination he rose to his feet and held there for a few moments before replying.

"It's ok Twilight, I think I have just enough left in me to learn something like that. When I'm not dead tired I'd really like to get some studying in on this magic stuff."

The only reason he stood up to learn was the sheer drive to master the simple spell and figure out how to manipulate fire or heat. The first fucking thing he planned on doing was setting her tail on fire, or perhaps Luna's if caught her screwing around in his dreams again.