An Ounce of Hate

An Ounce of Hate

Chapter 1

The sun stood high in the sky, shining down on a small village. Nestled in the heart of a thick forest, a stone wall encircled the homes and places of business. But those structures were empty, now being consumed by a raging conflagration. The village’s bells chimed desperately as its citizens fled the fires, stumbling through a thick pall of smoke that blocked out the sky. Carts and bodies cluttered the cobbled streets, all abandoned to be consumed by the flames.

A young colt, his coat a light blue and matted with sweat, cowered. His mane and tail were both a steel grey, now partially singed by the raging fires consuming his home. He kept his head between his hooves, peeking out at the scene of chaos around him, silently praying for help. His bright green eyes watered from the smoke clogging the air and from the terror that gripped his heart. He was unusually small for his age, often sickly, and between sobbing gasps, coughs wracked his fragile form. His flank, as was expected of his young age, was blank. Above his tear streaked face, a small horn on his forehead sparked and glowed weakly as he tried to call up some spell, any spell, to make the horror stop. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing would come of his desperate attempts at magic. He bleakly reflected that that has always been the case- with every obstacle over the course of his short life. He was never strong enough to help himself, let alone his entire village, and no one would save him this time. This latest failure looked to be his last, and ensure the end of his brief life.

Through the dense smoke, a pony appeared, slowly making its way toward the young Unicorn. But despite its shape, it was no pony the colt realized. Eyes made of fire darker and burning more fiercely than that of his home gazed upon him. The burning red spheres regarded him coldly, contempt and amusement dancing in the unnatural eyes.

The creature was a mockery of the pony form. Its flesh was blistered and cracked beneath its pitch black coat. A wound gaped in its side, made by one of the village ponies perhaps, and wept brackish liquid. Its mane and tail were dark grey, almost to black, and appeared frayed and ruined. From its forehead sprouted a twisted black horn, wicked sharp at its point. As it drew closer, the colt whimpered weakly as he felt a growing wetness beneath his feet. He had lost control of his bladder he realized, through a haze of fear.

The ghastly pony came to a halt five feet from the cowering colt, and grinned. Teeth, fangs really, gleamed in the fire’s light. Jagged, some broken, shattered, and chipped, but all sharp, its teeth were the stuff of nightmares. The creature leaned forward, already towering over the small Unicorn, and opened its mouth.

“It’s time to wake up.”

“Hello? Sir, it’s time to wake up,” a deep voice briskly ordered.

I awoke with a start, sweat drenching my body. I raised a hoof to my face and wiped at my wet brow. I carefully looked down at my trembling hoof, and sighed. I had another nightmare. Just another memory, from what seemed like a lifetime ago.

I frowned at my soaked coat. It was a dull grey, darkened somewhat by my sweat. I looked up at the speaker at my door and carefully blew a piece of pristine white mane out of my eyes. A royal guard stood at attention, his golden armor gleaming in the stray beams of sunlight filtering through my blinds.

I was in Canterlot, I reminded myself, trying to slow my frantic heart and still my shakes. I had been given a room in the palace, larger than I was used to, with a magnificent view of the palace. If I chose to open the blinds, of course, something I seldom did. The four poster bed I lay in was also larger than I was used to. Granted, any bed was unusual, but since journeying to the palace, I was finding myself sleeping in one far more frequently.

I turned my attention to the royal guard waiting patiently at my door. At my gaze, he nodded. “Princess Celestia wishes to have a word with you.” He spoke in a sure tone.

I cleared my throat and attempted a faltering smile. “I could use a moment to make myself presentable. I’ll be with her in the throne room in five minutes.”

The guard shook his head. “She will be along shortly. I was sent ahead to ensure you were up.”

My eyes widened as I looked about my room. My saddlebag was spilled on the floor where I left it last night, and some scrolls laid on the floor where they had been thrown. Even though I own very few items, I’m ashamed to say they were in disarray. “She’ll be here?” I looked to the guard, but he had already departed, closing the door behind him.

Carefully, I climbed out of bed, and just as carefully stretched. The bandages wound about my chest and flank constricted me somewhat, and my right front leg, while partially healed, was still only partial, and given to be sore. There were bandages wound about that too, though the cuts had long since scabbed over. The royal physician insisted I keep them bandaged and covered in salve, lest the infection set back in. I unconsciously rubbed at the black glass strapped over my right eye and limped to the bathroom.

Using magic, I slid the curtain hanging across the bathroom’s window open. The curtains glowed with a soft white light before I released them. I winced at the sudden brightness of daylight, and winced again at my reflection in the mirror. My snowy white mane was an unruly mess, and I once again cursed its length, making a mental note to get it cut sometime soon. I carefully adjusted what could only be called a glass eye patch to center it precisely over my right eye. I stopped wondering why I could see through the dark glass as clearly as a window quite some time ago. It was to the benefit of onlookers, and though I loathed it, two eyes were better than one. I had not reached the point of trying to gouge it out yet.

Various lines and old scars lightly marred my face, many only visible if I cared to look closely enough. None were too close to my sunken eyes, perhaps the nearest and most visible being on my nose. They were just two faint lines, running down almost to my forehead. My face was thin, cheeks gaunt, just as my body would remain small and weak. Beneath my bandages, I could count my ribs. Nothing was like to change that, and I couldn’t stomach the rich food given to me at every meal. Some clean water, and some fresh fruit or veggies was rich enough for me.

Finally, my eyes couldn’t help but wander to my horn. The crack still ran down its grey length, of course, but that would never change. It thankfully didn’t impede any of my magic, as I had been anxious to learn long ago. If it had… quite frankly, I don’t know what I would have done. I was nothing without my magic after all. Perhaps worse than a Pegasus without wings, or… well, Earth ponies without their strength and stamina? They could never know the joys of magic or flight, so they were different.

Turning the sink’s faucet with a hoof, I quickly splashed water on my face, while I levitated a brush through the tangled mess of hair that was my mane. After drying off with a towel, conveniently hung on a loop next to the sink, I inspected myself in the mirror once more. With a satisfied nod, I limped back into my room. I had already begun to levitate the scrolls scattered about the floor to my desk, when I caught sight of a magnificent figure standing in my doorway.

Startled, I dropped the scrolls, and ducked into a bow. “P-Princess Celestia!” I stammered out. “To what honor do I owe this visit?”

While Princess Celestia stood taller than most ponies, she easily towered over me, the golden crown on her brow only adding to her impressive height. The golden caps she wore on her hooves may have added an inch or two extra, but I suspected like the crown, they were for looks, not for her stature. Backing that theory, she wore a golden necklace, a gem set in its center. I was always fascinated by the Alicorn’s physiology, possessing both horns and wings, and possessing the natural magic of both Pegasi and Unicorns. Plus, though I’d take this to my grave, I thought her constantly shifting, multi hued mane rather pretty, and admired the golden sun Cutie Mark on her flank.

She gave off an air of command and power, and though she appeared friendly and gentle, there was a steel core to her being. She possessed a firmness that brooked no argument or questioning. Even though she had shown me nothing but kindness, I couldn’t help but be intimidated by her. Honestly, I avoided her whenever I could, which wasn’t something I could easily do. But though I feared her, she was alright by me. I thought some decisions she made were weak or foolish, but she was the immortal ruler, and not I. As such, she was entitled to make whatever choices she wanted.

The Princess chuckled, and smiled gently. “Am I not allowed to speak with my Court Wizard from time to time?”

My position as Court Wizard held no true power. In different kingdoms, Court Wizards performed difficult magic for their ruler, who may or may not be a Unicorn themselves. Seeing as how Celestia and Luna were both capable of outstanding magical feats I couldn’t hope to imitate, I speculated they mostly kept me around to deal with their underlings. While I had no formal education in magic, I was a capable magic user, and more importantly, I was more than capable of breaking it. I had an intimate knowledge of undoing spells; force shields crumbled, magical fires were immediately snuffed out, transformation spells reversed, and more, all with a careful application of my own abilities. When a student let their magic get out of control, I cleaned up their magical mess before it got out of hand. Their Court Wizard was little more than a magical janitor.

Though in retrospect, that may have been an unfair description of my job. I was called upon once or twice for my own insight into magic when the Princesses requested it. Sometimes I was asked to oversee the entrance exam for a new Unicorn student, other times to give my opinion on a spell a pony had created and wanted to be put into print. Most of the time, the mess they presented was hardly fit for use by a so-called professional, let alone Unicorns throughout Equestria.

I raised my head and flushed faintly. “Of course! I just, er, thought that, uh…” I inwardly cursed my clumsy tongue and violently shook my head. “I would have expected to have been called before you, not have you come before I.”

Celestia shook her head as well. “I simply had some news for you. I am afraid I must deny your request to investigate the Everfree Forest.”

“Oh.” I mumbled, deflating. I hadn’t really expected her to consent anyway. My last trip had almost cost me my life, after all, and Celestia obviously felt it prudent in keeping me alive. She still needed to me deny foolish hopefuls and sneer at poorly constructed spells.

“Instead,” she pressed on, “Luna and I have agreed to send you on royal business to Ponyville. And if you should find time between your assignment to investigate the Everfree Forest, that’s up to you.”

I paused, face scrunched up in confusion. I’m sure I must have looked a fool, judging by Celestia’s chuckle, and my flush deepened. “Of course!” I blurted. “Whatever you want me to do, of course I’ll do it.”

Princess Celestia nodded, her smile still in place. “I assume you know of my student, Twilight Sparkle?”

I frowned, thinking back to previous conversations I’ve had with ponies around the palace. “Yes.” I said slowly. “She’s one of the Elements of Harmony. The Element of Magic, I believe.”

“That’s right. And as of late, I’ve been receiving some very troubling reports regarding the Everfree Forest, some of which match up with your tales. So, I’m sending you to assist in her magical education; teaching her spells that may aid her should she come into any trouble. I had given her the assignment of learning about the magic of friendship, but this threat may not be so easily solved with friendship.” She eyed me critically. “I believe she could teach you just as much as you could teach her.”

Frowning, I shook my head slightly. “Teach me…?” I decided to ignore that remark of hers. I had more important matters to worry about. “What kind of reports? And what could be a threat to one of the Elements of Harmony?”

She looked at me with concern, though not for myself. “There were more ponynappings by strange Unicorns, more unexplained deaths with odd markings found on the bodies, and stranger things besides. As far as threats, you recall the Elements of Chaos, yes?”

The name rang a bell, but I couldn’t recall anything concrete. “Those were from back before you took to rule, right? When Discord ruled Equestria, he used those.” I’m sure I had read about them somewhere, but nothing was coming to mind.

“Not exactly,” she corrected. “He felt he would sow more chaos by not using the Elements of Chaos, letting them be used freely by whoever found them. Or let them use anypony that stumbled across them.”

I snorted loudly. “Then not only was he mad, he was a fool. The Elements of Chaos are the antithesis of the Elements of Harmony. If he had possessed them, you and Princess Luna would have been unable to stop him.” I realized too late what I said, and cleared my throat.  I didn’t want to risk offending an all powerful Alicorn goddess, so I back pedaled. “Chaos disrupts harmony, you would have been trying to smother a fire with paper. There’s no denying its power. I mean, I’m glad that you succeeded and sealed him away, but—“

She chuckled and cut me off. “I think I understand what you’re getting at. You’re right, my sister and I would have been defeated had he held the Elements of Chaos. But he didn’t, as simple as that.” I nodded and kept silent. “An Element of Chaos may be present within the Everfree Forest. And your old, shall we say associates, may hold it. I don’t think I need to tell you how dangerous that is. The Elements of Harmony can best a single Element of Chaos, but not without proper guidance, which you will be providing to the Element of Magic.”

“Guidance?” I frowned, now following her line of reasoning. If I wanted revenge, I’d have to prepare the tools to obtain it. As it happened, Twilight would be the means to that end. “Very well. When do you want me to leave?”

“Today, if possible. I have a chariot awaiting you.”

I paused and glanced about the room. I had very little to my name. Aside from the scrolls, a few books, and my saddlebags, the only other thing I owned that I couldn’t stand to part with was my cloak. I nodded and returned my gaze to the princess. “I can leave immediately,” I said before walking across the room. I was stuffing scrolls into my bags when I heard her speak once more.

“I don’t believe I need to remind you to keep her lessons… safe, do I? Nothing that will immediately put her life or the lives of others at risk?”

I couldn’t help but sneer. “She won’t look like me by the end of this, don’t worry.” I tapped the glass over my right eye, grinning. “This bit of knowledge won’t be a part of her lessons either. I don’t plan on teaching that to anypony and you couldn’t make me. But if you want her to be safe… well, I can do it safe, or I can do it right. You’re not giving me a whole lot to work with.”

The uncomfortable look the Alicorn gave me was oddly satisfying. Sometimes I craved to see such a powerful figure unsure every now and then. “Just keep her from getting hurt.”

After giving her a shake of my head, I shuffled over to my dresser in the room’s corner and pulled my cloak out, draping it across my back. I levitated the hood up over my head, my horn poking out. The whole thing was dark green, frayed around the edges, and neatly patched where holes were worn through, but it was dear to me. Parts of the cloak looked rough in some places, the patchwork crudely done. I eventually learned how to properly sew, so the later patchwork was much nicer. “Fine, I won’t show her anything dangerous, Princess. I will restrict her study of the, ahem, dangerous side of magic to pure theory. I will guarantee nothing though.”

The Princess nodded, satisfied with all I was willing to offer, and locked her eyes on mine. “And Dusken Spellwroth?”

I gulped, uncomfortable with her use of my name and the tone in which she said it. “Y-yes Princess?”

She gave me a small smile, her voice immediately softening. “Stay safe.” But though her words were soft, her gaze remained firm.

“Of course, Princess.” I gave a quick nod before stuffing a book into my saddlebag. A tall order, since I would be getting involved with the forces responsible for creation and destruction, as well as my old foes. “I also have no intention of going into the forest.” The unspoken ‘yet’ hung in the air. And when I do, I’ll be better prepared than last time.

Princess Celestia seemed to have heard it, as she sighed once more, but otherwise remained silent. I was content with that, comfortable not talking to her. I went about my business of gathering my precious few possessions, and stuffing them into the steadily expanding packs at my side. After a moment of indecision, I grabbed the roll of bandages and jar of salve off of my desk, and added them to my bag. I had been quite adamant about performing my own upkeep of my bandages, finally convincing the doctor to just give me what I needed. I just couldn’t stand ponies touching me, especially any of my injuries. To not just get them magically cured had been another argument, but there were some things I refused to back down on.

It wasn’t so much as being stubborn, it was fear. I didn’t trust anypony to work magic on me any more than I would trust a starving dragon with a gemstone. Aside from having to put myself at some pony’s mercy, I had magic inside of me. While that may be a given- all ponies possessed some form of internal magic, I had spells constantly at work. Some were to dull the pain of my injuries, others were to repulse outside influences: namely magic. Those were spawned of paranoia, but mostly because I didn’t know how spells that had been forced on me would react to probing.

With a final sweep of the room, I gave a self satisfied nod. “That’s everything,” I declared. Celestia nodded as she swept out of the room, motioning for me to follow. With a backwards glance, I walked out into the palace’s hallway and barely avoided running into a guard.

As I was mumbling apologies, I noticed who blocked my path. “Captain Silverwing!” I exclaimed.

The Pegasus guard in question nodded and smiled. “Spellwroth,” he acknowledged. After a pause and a thoughtful look, his gaze softened. “Dusken,” he corrected. “I heard you’ll be leaving us for a time.”

Like so many of the other royal guards in Celestia’s service, his coat was a snowy white, as was his mane. I was positive magic was at work, to make the Princess’s guards match her coloration. I never knew how though; I speculated it might have been an enchantment on their armor, so that once they removed it, they returned to their original color, but I couldn’t be sure. Either Celestia saw to the enchanting herself, or else she had another Unicorn do it for her, but I wasn’t involved in the process. My previous requests to study her guards had been denied, while asking the guards themselves only resulted in uncomfortable silence and stares. Captain Silverwing was no exception, as I had requested permission to study his armor several times. It got to the point where I was sure Celestia ordered her guards to keep me in the dark of their magical properties. Luna’s guards managed to be even less forthcoming, her Pegasi in particular. Perhaps they were worried I’d disguise myself if I discovered their magic, and wander off?

An unfair precaution. When I first got here, I’ll admit I had tried to leave; seeing my board in the palace as a new prison with a new warden. But that had been almost two years ago, and I hadn’t tried to sneak out for quite some time. Or at least, not with the intent to permanently leave. Maybe to take a trip to the Everfree Forest, but I guess the sisters didn’t like that idea very much.

“I am.” After an awkward pause, I continued. “I don’t know for how long though.” He stepped aside and walked at my side as I followed Celestia. Four other guards walked along with us, forming a box with the Princess at its center.

Captain Silverwing was not really a guard, but more a soldier. His assignments often left him far from the palace, but he would often spend much of his free time here talking to me. He had been called upon once or twice when my own guards weren’t enough. When I first arrived in the palace, I was in a terrible state of mind, I recognize now. Perhaps I still was, but I no longer sought a permanent end to my pathetic hang-ups. When depression set in, I threw myself into my studies, projects, and assignments, which Celestia was happy to provide me with. That’s not to say the urge went away completely, but I was less likely to try and do something stupid and dangerous, not to mention self destructive.

“You will be missed.” Silverwing broke in on my thoughts. I must have failed to hide my surprise as the guard smiled. “Canterlot will be for the worse without your wit. I know I’ll miss the conversations we shared between my shifts.”

I felt my face heat up at this unexpected display of affection: coming from the usually so stoic and quiet guard who I admittedly on occasion talked to. “I will miss you as well,” I felt myself saying. “You are… pleasant to talk to.”

He nodded at that and continued on in a brisk tone. “You’ve got the best flyers of the Pegasus Guard pulling your chariot, I saw to that. I know your destination is Ponyville and the flyers know that as well. They’ll see you there swiftly and safely.”

The emphasis was obvious, and I sighed. “I have no intention of throwing myself out of the chariot,” I mumbled. “Again.”

Silverwing stared at me for a moment. I could tell Celestia was listening how she tilted her head oh so slightly. Finally Silverwing broke the silence. “Good,” he said with a nod. I noticed Celestia bobbed her head as well. “I will trust your word on that.” He looked forward and I noticed we were running out of hallway. Just ahead the corridor branched into three more hallways, the center leading outside. I assumed that was my destination.

“Also,” Silverwing said hesitantly. “If you ever run into some kind of trouble… or need something, you have friends amongst the Pegasus Aerial Vanguard.” I gave him an uncertain smile and a nod, which he returned. “This is where we part ways. I have rookies who need to have their patrol patterns hammered through their thick heads.” He trotted down the left hallway and glanced back over his shoulder. “Take care Dusken.”

I raised a hoof to him. “You too Silverwing.”

Now my gaze turned to the magnificent gilded door ahead. They slowly shifted open, revealing a massive balcony. Six more royal guards stood at attention, forming a wide cordon, and at the end of the line of guards, the promised chariot awaited. And much to my surprise, Luna stood there was well.

The dark Alicorn was impossible to mistake. She had the same towering height of her sister and the same impossibly shifting hair. But whereas Celestia’s mane had several colors, Luna’s resembled a clear night sky, complete with stars, and her coat was a dark blue almost to black. And just as Celestia’s Cutie Mark was a shining sun, Luna’s was a partial moon. She wore a crown as well as caps on her hooves, but the caps were silver as opposed to gold. Her crown was much smaller and black in color. The necklace around her neck was black too, but where as Celestia had a gem set in it, Luna’s Cutie Mark adorned it.

It was still hard to believe the sisters raised and lowered the sun and moon, respectively. I struggled to wrap my mind around the sheer amount of power they must have commanded to move celestial bodies, but failed each time. I’ve watched them perform their duties several times, but was unable to figure out the type of magic they used. All I could tell was there was plenty of it and watching it for too long gave me a headache.

“Luna,” Celestia said pleasantly. “Here to see Dusken off then?”

Luna gave a quick nod. “We,” she cut off, clearing her throat. “I mean, I wanted to thank you for your lessons, Dusken Spellwroth.”

A smile spread across my face. “I was happy to provide assistance, Princess Luna. Dark magic can be frightening, even its mere memory can leave a shadow on a pony. I could not in good conscience leave you to your nightmares.”

Of the two sisters, I preferred Luna’s company to her alabaster counterpart. Luna at least had a faint idea of the magic I was forced to use and could follow most of what I said about it. She even hid her sympathy, for which I was grateful. I didn’t need a pony, Alicorn or not, looking down on me, especially one I had taken on as a student. Previously, she hadn’t understood the basic principle of dark magic, even though she had lost herself to it. Having someone so naïve look down on me would have been… infuriating? Soul crushing? Whatever it would have been, it would have only served to worsen my mood.

My insecurities aside, I liked her better than Celestia too. She lacked a certain air; she didn’t radiate the same aura of intimidation. She didn’t pose as the all knowing, wise ruler who was merely humoring her underlings with her presence. She openly displayed confusion and uncertainty, and asked for answers or help, not expected them like her sister did. The kindness she displayed felt more sincere as well, while Celestia’s came off as phony or forced at times.

Luna dipped her head and smiled. “But still, you have my thanks and my gratitude. I rest easy knowing Nightmare Moon will stay in the past and that foul magic will not get a hold of me again.” She glanced at her sister and grinned. “Your student will be in good hooves, I can assure you of that.”

The pale Alicorn glanced down at me. “Speaking of Twilight Sparkle, I had sent her a letter some time ago informing her of your impending arrival.” I nodded. I had assumed she wouldn’t just let me surprise Twilight with the fact I was her new tutor, but I had learned Celestia enjoyed making her subjects squirm from time to time.

“She will meet you upon your arrival.” The alabaster Princess continued. “She expressed interest in learning all that you could teach. She will also be helping you settle into town, as well as showing you your home there.”

“Home?” I frowned. Lodging hadn’t really come to mind. To be honest, I hadn’t even given a thought to it.

“Yes, a home,” she confirmed. “There is an old tower in Ponyville that has recently been renovated for your use. It has all the comforts a home should have: a kitchen, a study, a modest library, and a bedroom. Indoor plumbing was just recently installed, but that shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Sounds nice,” I offered. The thought of having a place all to myself made me nervous to be honest. I had always lived with somepony else, or always had somepony immediately at hoof. An old tower would likely be located far away from anypony else. “Where is the tower located?”

“It’s on the outskirts of town,” Celestia said, confirming my concerns. But as if she already knew of them, she smiled. “It’s really not that far from anypony else. It had been built on the outskirts when Ponyville was first founded, but the town grew, and the tower stayed in place.”

“Alright.” I felt relieved. I was always more comfortable when there was somepony else around, yet at the same time, I preferred it when they were quiet. I suppose I liked having a pony near at hoof should something occur. Perhaps, deep down, some part of me feared that if I was left alone in the dark, some terrible monster would snatch me. It was nonsense really, but a type of nonsense I had had drilled into me in my earliest days. It was just another one of my weaknesses I hated.

“And I trust you to make the right decision,” Celestia mused. “If you feel Twilight could safely learn some spells of a darker sort, then go ahead and teach her. If half of what you’ve told me is true of the Everfree Forest, a deeper understanding of dark magic could serve her well.”

“Alright,” I mumbled. I kept my doubts to myself, but who was I to deny the Princess lessons that could save her prized pupil’s life some day? Where the Elements of Chaos were involved, danger was sure to be abound, which was only magnified by an outside source of dark magic.

I started as I felt a sudden weight drop into my saddlebag, skewing it to the right slightly. I glanced back to see a bag disappear into its papery depths, and then click shut with a golden aura. “Some bits,” Celestia explained while I examined the bulging saddlebag. “If you need to buy anything, that should suffice.” She shot me a grin. “You are, after all, employed to the palace. It’s only to be expected you are paid to cover living expenses.”

I bowed my head gratefully. “Thank you, Princess.”

My head was still lowered when a silver tipped hoof suddenly appeared in front of my nose. I jumped when it suddenly reached up and flicked my hood down. When I raised my head, both sisters were chuckling at my red face.

“You’ll make more friends,” Luna said gently. “If you would stop keeping your face covered so much.”

My ears flattened and I wordlessly nodded, cheeks still burning. Celestia nodded toward the chariot. “I think we’ve kept you long enough,” she said amiably. “Are you ready to go?”

I swallowed and nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” I tentatively stepped into the chariot, standing well clear of the edge.

“Stay safe then, Dusken.” Luna gave me a faint smile.

“Silverwing is right, you know,” Celestia suddenly broke in. “You have friends here. And if you ever need anything, just send a letter to my sister or I, and we’ll do what we can to help.” Luna quickly nodded her agreement.

It was a touching sentiment, one I was lucky to have. One I really didn’t deserve to have. I gave them a faint smile. “Thank you,” I muttered weakly. I nodded to the two Pegasus guards pulling the chariot, who watched me over their shoulders. They returned my nod and broke into a trot, then a run. Within moments, we were airborne, while I clung to the bar across the chariot.

As I glanced back at the landing now beneath and behind us, I waved a hoof goodbye to the sisters. I shook my mane out of my eyes and could only faintly see the royal sisters in the distance. The dark figure raised a hoof as well, before turning away to follow her lighter sister.

I faced forward, wrapping my foreleg back around the bar, and shivered in the wind. My hood would do me no good, since the wind would just blow it off anyway. Or that’s what I told myself. Luna’s words echoed in my head and I grinned to myself.

As exhilarating as flight might be, I felt my stomach drop as I looked down. The trees were tiny, the road out of Canterlot looked like a line drawn in the dirt, and the few figures I could pick out that walked the road were smaller than ants. I could understand why a Pegasus might prefer flight to walking, but I’d feel more comfortable with solid ground beneath my hooves.

The guards flew mostly in silence, occasionally speaking to each other as they adjusted to updrafts and air currents. But their words were taken by the wind before I could hear them. From the way they would steal glances at me when they thought I wasn’t looking, I suspected they were talking about me. I ignored them though, and decided I would be content with simply watching the world rush past me- horizontally, not vertically, with luck. Or perhaps we would, with an absence of it.

I rested my snout on my forelegs and closed my eyes. The wind was cold, but having a moment to myself up amongst the clouds was relaxing. I wondered how I would go about teaching Celestia’s prized pupil. It simply wasn’t possible to teach dark magic in total safety, it had an inherent risk to the user and even those around them. Risks would need to be taken and injuries sustained in order to have a firm grasp on the spells. Anything less would someday result in a disaster, claiming the caster’s life. Or the lives of many, depending on what spell the caster was trying to perform.

But Celestia put her full trust in this Twilight Sparkle, who not only had Equestria’s most powerful magic user as a mentor, but was also the Element of Magic. From what I’d heard, she was a bright student who knew more about magic than many professors I had had the displeasure of meeting in Canterlot. Maybe if I set the theory down set in her mind, she could work dark magic as safely as possible, or perhaps have a grasp on countering it. I could at least help her avoid some of the more major pitfalls that came with dark magic and some of the smaller ones I’d stumbled into myself.

Slowly I peeked out from under my eye lids and watched clouds drift by. In truth, the danger was immense. And if she was half as powerful as I’d heard, and if she decided to practice off by herself, something terrible was bound to happen. But there were several ‘if’s’ tacked onto that fear, so I let the uncertainty comfort me. Nothing was set in stone, so I didn’t have anything to worry about, I told myself. But that did little to sooth the unease I felt in the pit of my stomach.

When I was first learning this forbidden magic, I had nearly killed myself with the unruly power. But I swore Twilight would find a better, more caring teacher in me, one who wouldn’t sneer at her questions and tell her to figure them out herself. Even though admittedly I had found smug victory when I was able to walk to my lessons under my own power after an experiment, there had been too many accidents. And frankly, Celestia would probably string me up by my own entrails if I got her student killed.

My teacher had steadfastly clung to the mantra ‘what didn’t kill you, made your stronger,’ but that wasn’t always true. I had seen the result of failed attempts in my fellow students that had stacked up. What didn’t kill you could very well make you weaker as a pony suffered injury after injury. Before long, those could become permanent handicaps, leading to the death that they had managed to avoid for so long. I had finally figured out why I was hurting myself before it got too bad in the end, but I had suffered for it. Celestia was also expecting to see her precious student in good health by the end of my tutoring, so the trial and error method was right out.

Just as I was beginning to notice the absence of clouds at my eye level, one of the Pegasi turned his head to look back at me. “We’re here.”

At first glance, Ponyville appeared quaint. A cozy little village, filled with brightly colored ponies going about their daily lives. It was almost possible to forget it was tucked up against a forest filled with unimaginable horrors. The chariot was now several feet from the ground, and continuing to descend. The landing was jarring and I bounced off the bottom of the chariot. Luckily I had raised my head off of my forelegs or I was likely to have bitten my tongue off.

When the chariot finally rolled to a stop, it was on the central road leading to Ponyville, on the very outskirts of the small town. I noticed there was a nip in the air. While not as cold as the air further above the ground, it was noticeable, and I was glad for my cloak. I was stretching my legs when I noticed the guards conversing with each other, their brows creased. At my look, the same Pegasus guard who announced our arrival glanced at me.

“Miss Sparkle was supposed to be here to greet you.”

The other Pegasus shrugged his gold plated shoulders. “Maybe she got tied up with something?”

At that the other guard frowned, but I shrugged as well. “It would make sense,” I said. “She has her studies, so I wouldn’t expect her to stand outside of town for a day waiting for me.” At that the other guard’s frown retreated. “You two can go. I can find my own way.”

Now the guard’s frown returned with uncertainty. “We were ordered to see you safely to Ponyville—“

“Which you did,” I cut in. “I’m looking for a local celebrity in a small town. I’m sure I could ask anypony on the street, and they’d point me in the right direction. You have no need to worry about me.”

The guards exchanged a glance. “Alright, I… that could work.” The other guard relented, earning a nod from his companion. “You’re right. We’ll be off then.”

I moved to the side of the road and watched the two Pegasi turn the chariot around. With one last backwards glance, they broke into a trot, then a run, and before long they were dwindling specks in the sky.

With a sigh, I made my way down the road. A sudden cool breeze sent a shiver down my spine, so I tugged my hood up. I’m sure Luna would understand if I was hesitant to risk freezing to show my face to the world.

For now I was content with wandering the town. I passed several ponies and earned a few stares, but I ignored them. I recalled Twilight lived in the town’s library, so I could probably find it on my own. While I wandered, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of ponies trotting about their business. Amidst their constant chatter, one thing stood out: there were fewer stallions than mares. That made me more uncomfortable than I’d care to admit. The village I was born in had been heavily skewed toward my own gender. Roughly seven out of every ten ponies had been a stallion, while mares were almost rare.

What’s more, I had had little interaction with the mares of my village. My days were filled with obeying my father’s orders and going to school, where there had been two or three female students amongst twenty males. My most common interactions would have been meeting with the village’s guards, who were entirely male. After having discussed these facts with Celestia and Luna, I realize now that I had apparently grown up in a very backwards village. It had maintained the belief that mares were delicate and unfit for manual labor, which a village that lacked in electricity or running water had plenty of. I also seem to recall once every few months a group of mares would depart the village, but I was just a child back then. I couldn’t remember why they left or where they were going.

I was admiring a shop front when for the second time today, I almost ran into a pony blocking my path. A pink Earth pony with an unruly mane equally as pink as her coat stood beaming before me.

“Hi!” She chirped in a high pitched voice. “I’m Pinkie Pie! Are you new in town?” I silently nodded at the chipper pony and she gasped. “I thought so! I know everypony around here, but I didn’t recognize you. What’s your name?”

I struggled to keep from frowning. “Dusken,” I muttered. “Now if you don’t mind—“

“Dusken!” She was loud and seemed to delight in being so. I already found her voice irritating. “What a neat name! Dusken what?”

Now now, she’s just being friendly, I reminded myself. But it didn’t stop me from grinding my teeth. “Dusken Spellwroth,” I grated.

At that, the pink pony frowned and sat down on her haunches. “Dusken Spellwroth?” She placed a hoof to her chin and got a look of extreme concentration. “I’ve heard your name before.”

Finally, it dawned on me. “Pinkie Pie!” I exclaimed.

She grinned at me once more. “That’s me!” she shouted back.

“The Element of Laughter, right?”

I didn’t think it was possible, but her grin grew wider. “Me again!”

“Then you know Twilight Sparkle, right?”

She bounced back to her feet and nodded. “Yup! She’s my best friend! She reads a lot, and doesn’t always have time to talk, but she still comes to a bunch of my parties. Speaking of which, I need to throw you a welcome party too, just like when she arrived! Oooh, what’s that?” The energetic pony reached for the dark glass over my right eye.

I winced away from her and batted her hoof away with my own. If it bothered her, she didn’t show it as she bounced around to my side. “Neat cape!” she declared. “I have one just like that, only it’s pink, and I don’t know where it is,” She excitedly babbled.

Sweet Celestia, now I remember what I’d read about Pinkie Pie. She was notoriously hyper active, bouncing physically and mentally from topic to topic. The urges to escape this crazed pony, or at least shut her up, were rising, but I squelched them. She probably knew where Twilight was, and it was already growing past noon. The sun would be setting soon, and if I didn’t find Twilight, I couldn’t find my tower Celestia mentioned.

“Pinkie Pie!” I cried, drawing her attention, which had now moved on to my saddlebags. “I was sent by Princess Celestia to assist Twilight in studying a very specialized type of magic. Could you take me to her?”

“Ooh!” Pinkie Pie suddenly squealed. “That’s where I recognized your name from! Twilight told us about you. Princess Celestia told Twilight about you, and she told us, and she wanted to look for you, but she also really wanted to get back to the library, so she asked us to keep an eye out for somepony like you, and,” she paused to take a breath. “I found you! Sure I’ll take you to Twilight, let’s go!”

She spun around and bounced off. I hurried to keep up with her, mindful of my injured hoof still. “You mentioned ‘us’?” If Pinkie Pie referred to herself as multiple people, it would go a good distance to explain her behavior. But she giggled and quickly proved my hypothesis wrong.

“Me, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy! We were all there when Spike got the letter, so she filled us in.” She continued to bounce along, turning around and bouncing backward when she spoke. “We were having a picnic when the letter got here! Although Dashie and Applejack were arguing about something, and Twilight was reading a book, we were still having a nice picnic. She looked really scared when she read that letter too!” She stopped bouncing and looked at me with worry in her eyes. “She’s not in trouble, is she?”

“Not at all,” I said with a shake of my head. At that she resumed her merry bouncing and I followed after her again. The three balloons that were her Cutie Mark made sense now. She was light hearted and air headed. “Like I said, I’m just here to teach her a few things.”

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” She giggled and spun around once more. We had only walked a short distance when the party pony suddenly stopped once more. “Here we are,” she declared, pointing a hoof at what appeared to be a very large tree with a door in it.

“Thank you Pinke Pie,” I secretly hoped I would get to part ways with this pony soon. I slid my hood down as I sized up the entrance. It was only polite to have my head uncovered when I met new ponies. “I would have had to—“ I stopped in horror as she began pounding on the door.

“Twilight!” she shouted. “Your study buddy is here! Open up!”

I heard loud shuffling behind the door, a few thuds, and the door swung open. A lavender Unicorn stood in the doorway, glaring at Pinkie. But she quickly turned her attention to me and smiled. “Oh, you must be, oh, um…” She trailed off as I felt her eyes roam across me. They took in the scars on my face, lingered on my cracked horn, stared at the dark glass over my eye, slid down to my bandaged right foreleg, and then moved over to the bandages visible beneath my cloak. “Who are you?” She narrowed her eyes at me, frowning.

Pinkie Pie was peeking under my cloak, wordlessly examining my bandages as well. I drove her back with an irritated flick of my tail.”Miss Twilight Sparkle,” I said by way of greeting. “My name is Dusken Spellwroth. Princess Celestia has ordered me to teach you magic.”

“Magic?” She gave me a skeptical look, her frown deepening. “I got her letter, but… is the Princess not satisfied with my progress? She said I could just write her when I learned something, but am I not learning fast enough? Oh no, is she disappointed in me?” It turned out to be a rhetorical question as she continued to talk. “I’m still studying, I’m not slacking off! You don’t even need to be here. Really, I just—“

“Be quiet,” I snapped, growing annoyed with the Unicorn already. She gave me a shocked look, her mouth agape, but fell silent. “I’m a Court Wizard in service to the royal palace because I have certain talents that are hard to come by. I am to teach you those talents that will aid you in any future problems.” It would appear Celestia had not told her everything, such as the reports on the Everfree Forest. I wasn’t about to tell Twilight if her mentor saw fit to keep her in the dark. “If you could simply read about what I’m going to teach you, I obviously wouldn’t be here.”

Her demeanor became particularly unfriendly as she frowned at me, but I could see some interest in her eyes. “What could you teach me that Celestia herself couldn’t?”

“How to break things,” I said with a shrug. After a moment, I snickered. “Breaking things is pretty much in my job description and I would assume Celestia’s out of practice in that aspect.” At her blank stare, I sighed and elaborated. “How long has it been since she fought Discord? Since then, how often has she had to undo spells that were not her own? Or fight some somepony?”

“Fight?” Twilight looked startled at the mere suggestion of violence. “Why would Princess Celestia want me to learn about fighting?”

“Ask her yourself,” I shot back. There was no way to dance around the question without revealing what Celestia kept back. Besides, I had grown tired of this Unicorn already and was ready to leave. Unfortunately, I had nowhere to leave to, so I still had to suffer the pesky mare a little longer. “I was told you would know where my quarters are located,” I changed the subject before she could question me further. “I’d like very much to start settling into them, since it would appear I’ll be staying here for the duration of your lessons.”

She hesitated, silently looking at me with her frown still in place, before she finally sighed. She leaned her head back in the doorway. “Spike! I’ll be right back.” She trotted out, brushing past me, and pulled the door shut with a purple glow. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Ooh, you have a house here?” I had taken Pinkie Pie’s silence for granted and immediately found myself wishing for its return.

But my retort was cut short as Twilight answered for me. “He’s staying in the old watch tower at the edge of town. No pony has lived there for years, but Fluttershy mentioned seeing ponies cleaning it out, so it must be ready to be lived in.”

The pink Earth pony at my side started babbling excitedly, something about a party for me- perish the thought, but I frowned. I recognized that name not only from Pinkie Pie, but from Celestia’s stories of her student. This ‘Fluttershy’ was one of the Elements of Harmony, of which I couldn’t recall precisely, and another friend of Twilight Sparkle. It suddenly dawned on me I would inevitably be forced to meet her as well as the other Elements. From what I had heard, they were a close group of friends, and Twilight was something of a ring leader to them.

I had honestly paid little attention to Celestia’s retellings, preferring to hear about how the Elements of Harmony had turned Discord to stone, or a few of the spells Twilight had used; her teleporting in particular had interested me. I hadn’t much cared to pay attention to the ponies the Princess so enthusiastically talked about however. But if I was doomed to meet these ponies, I hoped they were nothing like Pinkie Pie. If I had to put up with four more ponies babbling about nonsense, I may just snap.

It was a surprisingly short walk, for all of Celestia’s talk of being on the outskirts of the town. The walk was made painfully longer with that accursed pink pony’s nonstop chatter, mostly filled with her plans of some diabolical party she intended to throw for me. And wherever the topic caused her to wander, but she eventually returned to the original subject. Twilight occasionally gave me a smirk. I think she let her friend talk away as revenge for being short with her.

But thankfully, it would appear my time with them was at an end- for today, at any rate, for before me stood my new home: a tall, narrow stone tower. Its stone work was old, but appeared solid, and a sturdy looking wooden door filled the large doorway. An iron key sat in the door, appearing newer than the lock it was in.

“Thank you, Miss Sparkle,” I said with a bow of my head. I’ll admit I may have been rude earlier, so I tried to make up for my first impression. “And you as well, Miss Pie.”

It was almost comical when they both spoke at the same time. After sharing a look, Twilight resumed. “Just Twilight is fine.” She still eyed me uncertainly, likely confused by my change in behavior.

“You can call me Pinkie!” the party pony merrily declared.

“Then thank you, Twilight and Pinkie,” I corrected, a smile creeping onto my face. They were much less stuffy than Canterlot ponies, I noted. Even as the so-called Court Wizard, a position that by all rights should have been above the ponies at court, I was always chided to call them ‘sir,’ or ‘madam,’ or most irritatingly of all, ‘lord’ and ‘lady.’

I magically turned the key in its lock and got my first look inside the tower. It was certainly homey looking. Unlit lamps lined the circular walls and off in the back I could pick out the shadow of a stove wedged between several counters. Two couches and a table sat in the middle of the round room, both appearing to be new in the dying light.

That was quickly remedied with a bit of magic. The lamps became infused with a magical light, flooding the room with a soft white light. I nodded in satisfaction. There were no switches on the wall and the lamps were little more than glass boxes with glass spheres within them, which readily held magic. It would appear whoever had prepared the tower was aware a Unicorn would be staying there, so counted on their magic to make up for whatever was lacking.

I turned back to the two mares behind me. Twilight looked to have been studying me behind my back, while Pinkie gazed up at the wooden balcony on the top floor “Twilight, I suggest you get some rest. I’ll admit I wasn’t entirely honest earlier. The magic Celestia asked me to teach you will be,” I paused, searching for the word. “Very trying.”

At that, Twilight frowned. “All magic is trying at first. What kind of magic will you be teaching me?”

“It’s, ah…” I brought a hoof to my chin and absentmindedly slid it up to the dark glass over my eye. I rubbed at it before I realized what I was doing and brought my hoof down. “Magic most frequently encountered in the Everfree Forest.”

Twilight gasped, drawing a startled look from Pinke. “Dark magic?” she whispered. At that, Pinkie gasped as well, though I wondered if she was concerned due to the nature of the magic, or if because her friend was so upset about it.

“Yes,” I said simply. Twilight looked like she’d be sick, but Pinkie was now humming to herself, resuming her inspection of the balcony.

“I thought that was expressly forbidden,” the lavender Unicorn said softly. “It’s evil.”

Annoyed, I shook my head. “Evil is a poor term for it.” I’ve had to explain this to countless ponies in the past and it grew wearying eventually. “But it can lead to good ponies doing bad things. Hate twists ponies.”

“Hate?” Twilight asked, which prompted Pinkie to pay attention once again, uncharacteristically, and blessedly, quiet.

“These spells draw on powerful emotions, most of them negative. Hate is the easiest to muster, but the most dangerous.”

Now Twilight gave me a stare that made me feel distinctly uncomfortable. “Why is it the most dangerous?” Pinkie leaned forward, listening intently.

“Because,” I relented. I hated broaching this topic. My old teacher never would have suffered so many of this Unicorn’s questions, but my methods were different. I would have to endure her uncomfortable questions and answer them as best I could, or as best as I chose to, at any rate. “It is easiest to hate yourself and draw on that hate for fuel. You know yourself more intimately than anypony else, so you can pick out every shortcoming, every failing, every flaw, and hate them. It can fester and lead you to do terrible things.” I sighed and watched Twilight keep her face carefully neutral. “It will be harder, because I’m ensuring you won’t endure the normal pain that goes along with the lessons, nor the unsavory side effects. Celestia wants you unharmed and more importantly, to not wind up like me, so the boon of hate is not an option for you.”

She gave me a confused and saddened look. “What do you—“

I gave a stiff shake of my head. “I’m really quite tired. I plan on getting as much sleep as possible, so this will be where we part. I’ll be over sometime tomorrow and we can get started.”

She looked at me warily, once more appearing on the edge of asking more pesky questions, but simply nodded. The two mares bid their farewells and started back down the dirt path leading up to my new abode. I closed the door and turned the key, hearing the satisfying click of a lock sliding into place. Perhaps I was paranoid, but I placed a spell on the door, barring it with an invisible force. I limped up the stairs, and noted the second floor was meant to be a library. Some bookshelves were stocked, but others stood empty. A few cushioned benches sat around a wide, squat table against the far wall. I continued on up to the third floor, finally finding a bed. The tower had obviously been prepared not too long before my arrival, much to my surprise, judging by the lack of dust, and the clean covers on the bed. A door leading to the balcony stood opposite of my bed, and to the left of it, a small walled in area which turned out to be the bathroom.

A chest sat at the foot of the bed, and I deposited my cloak into it. I let my saddlebag slide to the floor, then thought twice about it and simply set it on the chest. I rolled my shoulders and idly wondered about changing my bandages, but decided to just do it in the morning.

I now felt the weariness I had claimed and climbed into the wide bed. The mattress proved to be surprisingly comfortable, something I would have expected to find back at the palace, and not in a dingy tower. I looked out the balcony door’s window, the first few stars beginning to twinkle in the darkening sky.

It was quite some time before I finally found sleep. And in sleep, my nightmares found me once again.