Chapters The Princess of the Night: The Sorcerer
Author's Note
So here it is, the first chapter of the first fanfic I ever wrote. If you've already read this in fanfiction.net then don't be alarmed, I'm actually the same person, just posting it on here because it's a site dedicated to the fandom. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story. I'd love any feedback you care to provide, be it positive or negative (no trolling or flaming, obviously, constructive criticism only).
An Unexpected Twist
There was a blinding light, accompanied by a searing flash of agony, which disappeared as suddenly as it arrived. The former princess cried out in pain as she plummeted towards the lake that had just materialised below her. The night sky was clear, which was odd, thought Nightmare Moon. The last thing she saw before her sister cast that spell on her was a cloud-filled sky. Nightmare could feel herself picking up speed, racing towards the lake in a streak of light.
“I wonder if we look like a shooting star?” mused a small voice in Nightmare’s head.“Oh, for pony's sake, do shut up, we do not have time for your nonsense,” retorted Nightmare Moon as she reached terminal velocity.“Is this going to hurt?” inquired the voice again, seemingly indifferent to the entire affair.“Most likely,” admitted Nightmare, striking the lake.
***
Less than a mile away from the aforementioned lake, a young man was just leaving the stable after tending to his horses. It was the middle of the night and he wasn’t used to disturbances like this, but he enjoyed the horses’ company, and so went to check on them.
Ten minutes later he arrived, sweating and out of breath.
After five minutes or so, the shadow began to take on substance, and the man was shocked by what he saw. It looked like a pony floating slowly towards him. Without a moment’s hesitation, the man threw down his shotgun, stripped down to his underwear and began to wade into the lake. Instantly he regretted his decision, for the water was icy cold, but he continued regardless. With the water up to his waist, the man unceremoniously plunged forward into the freezing water and began paddling towards the shape, which was now easily identifiable as an equine of some description, or so the man thought. He was too busy to notice the folded wings and horn that the creature possessed.
“How in the world you managed to get yourself out here is beyond me,” said the man, his teeth chattering from the cold. He wrapped one arm around the pony’s neck and gently pulled it back to shore. When they finally flopped onto the grass bank surrounding the lake the man felt so drained that he simply collapsed on the ground.“How nice it would be to just lie here and sleep under the stars,” he thought. But he knew he would not be able to sleep without first ensuring that the pony was ok, so he pushed himself up off of the ground and slowly approached the still unconscious animal.
It was at that moment that the man noticed the strange appendages on the creature’s back and head. Certain he was hallucinating; the man knelt down and gently stroked the magnificent creature’s wings and horns.
***
Princess Luna had witnessed the entire affair from her mind; however, she was still too weak to regain consciousness. In her mind’s eye, she stomped her foot in frustration. She could only hope against hope that this strange creature would not abandon her, for she required answers. What was this place? How did she get here? What was this creature who was even now checking for the flutter of her heartbeat, a small breath in her lungs? She wandered through the corridors of her unconscious mind, searching for the being she shared the space with. Finally, in the darkest, most rotten corner of her mind, Luna found her darker self. Mustering all her remaining strength, Luna cast a binding spell on Nightmare Moon. It was not a powerful as she would have preferred, but it would simply have to do for the time being. She then began preparing herself for the traumatic transition back to consciousness.
***
The man breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the rise and fall of the creature’s chest. He draped his clothes over the pony and snuggled up close to it in an attempt to warm her up and keep himself warm at the same time. It was at that moment the creature’s eyes flickered open and a slight moan escaped its lips. The man, who was dozing off, became instantly alert. He sat up and stared at the pony, patiently waiting for it to regain full consciousness.
“Wh-where are we?” mumbled Princess Luna.It talks?
“I’m not one hundred per cent sure, but I think your fore hooves may be broken,” said the man, looking the creature in the eyes for the first time.If it could talk, he mused, then surely it had a name. It was a perfectly logical progression of facts .Yes, because logic applies to situations involving horned and winged beings. Shut up, the last thing I need in my dreams is you, snapped the man irritably.
“Trust us, just do it.”
“Ok, now I know I’m dreaming,” said the man, looking at his surroundings, slightly disoriented.
The Princess of the Night: The Sorcerer
The next morning the man was shocked to find Luna in his kitchen preparing a breakfast salad.
“Gerard,” said the man meekly, hearing the kettle switch off behind him. He turned and poured the water in to his mug, adding milk and stirring. He took a long sip and sighed before turning and approaching the table.
“What’s with the ‘we’, by the way?” asked Gerard. “As far as I can see, there’s only one of you.”
“Your what mark?” Gerard asked, confused.
“No, I’m an omnivore, but I am partial to meat. Really, this salad is delicious. It’s just this is a lot to digest,” said Gerard, chuckling at his pun. Luna tried stifling a small giggle, but failed. “Anyway, enough of my terrible jokes, please continue with your story.”
“So you’re not even from this dimension?” asked Gerard.
Gerard almost spat out his coffee. His eyes widened as he said “No! Of course not!”
“Hey! Can I help you?” he asked politely, leaning out and looking at the man.
A few minutes later, when he was sure the farmer had left, he called out.
With that her horn began to glow. It became brighter and brighter, shrouding Luna’s form. Gerard had to raise a hand to cover his eyes. When the glow subsided and he lowered his arm, a woman stood before him. She was beautiful. There was no two ways about it. Her long, black hair flowed down her back like a river. Her eyes twinkled like stars, her irises a deep purple. But there was one problem. She was very undeniably naked. Gerard covered his eyes and spun so he was facing away from her.
“No, it is us who should be apologising. It is custom for ponies to wear clothing only during special events. We can see that this is not the protocol for humans.”
Author's Note
Ok, so here's chapter two, just in time for Christmas (for those of you who celebrate it). I quite enjoyed writing this chapter, so here's hoping you'll enjoy it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have presents to open!
The Princess of the Night: The Sorcerer
Author's Note
Herp derp, didn't publish the chapter :/ Rainbow Dash insists that this is why I would never qualify to be her pet. I agree. I'll still post the next chapter this Thursday, hopefully I'll remember to publish it this time!
An Arrangement
A few days passed and the two developed a sort of routine. As they were washing the dishes after a meal, Gerard stopped and looked at Luna. He wanted to ask her something, but he was afraid of getting his hopes up, just in case. Finally, he decided to go ahead and ask.
“Well, normally a Unicorn would have to train for many years to be able to control magic that powerful,” started Luna carefully. “But, ever since I first met you, I have felt a strange aura emanating from you, something similar to the magical aura beings in my world extrude. I would say it is possible, if you were willing to invest a lot of time and effort.”
“Firstly, you will need something to channel your magical energy through,” began Luna. “In my world, Unicorn’s horns are suited for this, because they are essentially an extension of our brains. Starswirl the Bearded figured this out through careful study and the dissection of many Unicorns who donated their bodies to magic-science.”
“Surely there would be books detailing such things?” suggested Luna.
Luna made her way into the living room and over to the bookcase. She did not know Gerard was an author. There was a whole shelf dedicated to his books, and another containing literary magazines, which she assumed contained reviews of them. They all appeared to be historical fiction, with many of the titles referring to battles and wars she had never heard of. Her gaze was then drawn to the mantelpiece above the fireplace, where many awards sat. Among them sat a few pictures. These piqued Luna’s interest. She slowly walked over to them. They depicted a young boy, Gerard! He looked so carefree, she mused. He had longer hair, and wore dark clothes with many chains and pieces of metal attached. His t-shirt had the words ‘Abject Agony’ written on it, with what looked like a bleeding heart in the background.
One of the pictures stood out from the rest though. It showed Gerard as a teenager, but that was not what interested Luna. No, what caught her eye was the man standing next to him. He had short, grey hair and was dressed in jeans and a shirt. He looked a bit thin and worn, but his eyes twinkled with life, and a mischievous joy. It took the princess a moment to realise where she had seen those eyes before. Then it struck her. They were Gerard’s eyes! So this man was a relation. His father perhaps, or an uncle maybe. She resolved to ask him when he came back. In the meantime, the woman returned to the bookshelf and chose a book at random. A soft blue glow wrapped around it and tugged it free of the shelf. She moved to the centre of the room, the book following her. There she sat upon the rug in front of the empty fireplace, curled up and did something that she had enjoyed since she was a filly. She read.
***
“Hey, Gerard!” boomed the shopkeeper, smiling. “It’s been a while since I saw you here!”
“So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, my friend?” the man asked, leading Gerard over to the counter.
“Looks like you’re in luck, we have some stuff in the back left over from that big Wiccan convention a few months back.”
Liam disappeared into the back room while Gerard waited patiently at the counter. While he waited a young boy, no more than fifteen, approached him.
He turned to find Liam standing there, a stack of books on the counter.
***
Gerard closed the door as quietly as he could with his foot, trying not to drop his stack of books. The kitchen was empty, so he moved through to the living room, where he found Luna sitting on the rug, gazing intently at one of his books. She turned a page with magic, completely oblivious to his presence. Gerard sensed his opportunity and carefully placed his books on the armchair, before slowly creeping up behind Luna. He placed his mouth next to her ear and whispered,
Luna jumped up and squealed in fright, turning to find Gerard lying on the floor, howling with laughter. She stomped a foot.
They vanished in a flash of light, and when Gerard opened his eyes he saw Luna floating above him. He looked down to see the lake, and his eyes widened.
He stood beside Luna. He was still dripping lake water. The princess’s jaw dropped.
***
The unusual pair sat by the fire, drying themselves off as a beautiful crescent moon shone outside, an exact copy of Luna’s Cutie Mark.
“Oh, a scholar,” teased Gerard.
Luna was silent for a moment. “I am sorry for your loss. He sounds like a wonderful man.”
The Princess of the Night: The Sorcerer
“It seems you just needed something to unleash your magical potential once you were aware of its existence,” said Luna. “But make no mistake, I will still have to treat you like a novice. The brain is like a muscle, and if you overtax it, it can snap- something you do not want happening.”
It was for this reason that the pair stood in the middle of a lonely field, surrounded on three sides by trees, and on the other by the large house they shared.
Luna could sense the magic in the area building. She could feel the heat radiating from Gerard’s hands now, several paces away. Without warning, two small balls of flame flared into life in his hands. Gerard’s eyes widened in awe.
Gerard was no longer laughing however. The muscles in his arms and neck were straining, and a thick sheen of sweat covered his face. The flames were about the size of basketballs now, and still expanding.
***
Gerard woke to the smell of lavender. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself in his own dimly lit bedroom. The room was filled with a heavily scented smoke, which came from several sticks of incense burning throughout the room. He became aware of something around his head, and reached up to find it was a circlet of some kind. He reached up to remove it when a voice cut through the silence.
Gerard tried to open his mouth to speak, but his dry, cracked lips wouldn’t open. Luna levitated him a jug of water and a glass. Gerard drunk greedily from the jug, ignoring the glass completely. He drained the jug and Luna set it back down.
She was looming over Gerard now. “Do you have any idea what you have made me suffer through these past few days?” the princess’s body sagged and her head bowed.
***
“Are you sure about this?” asked Luna in a worried tone.
The Princess of the Night: The Sorcerer
Life was quite peaceful on Gerard’s estate, so both he and Luna knew something was wrong when they heard the sound of a car pulling up outside. They wove their way through the stacks of books in the living room, making for the front door as they heard a knock. It was loud and ominous, and Luna was filled with a sense of foreboding.
“Can I help you?” asked Gerard warily, instinctively shielding Luna with his body. The man on the left smiled. His long, dirty blonde hair was slicked back. He was tanned and spoke with a pleasant American accent.
“No, I think here is as far as you’ll go,” he said, his voice hardening. “Now, would you like to tell me what you’re doing here?”
“My turn,” grinned the American. Gerard felt himself being grabbed by an invisible force just before he was thrown to the side, skidding along the ground. His head connected with the side of the truck with a thunk, and he slumped to the ground. The second fireball fizzled out of existence. Luna stared daggers at the College mages.
Luna’s eyes glowed and a blue aura enveloped the mages. A moment later they disappeared again.
Luna blushed. “I see… I have not had many friends, so I would not know. I am grateful nonetheless.”
***
Luna sighed as she walked around the edge of Gerard’s estate. She stopped every few metres, mentally casting protection spells. As she walked she thought about Gerard. The first person she had met in this strange world, and the kindest she had known in both realities. She remembered the first night, how he had checked so frantically for vital signs, and used his own clothes to try and keep her warm. And now, he had gone up against two experienced mages when they threatened her. She was not used to this level of kindness. In the past people had only been nice to her because she was a princess. Genuine kindness was a new concept, one which she was thoroughly enjoying. She had felt so angry when the mage hurt Gerard. How dare he hurt the only person she cared about in this world!
Luna exhaled loudly, calming herself. She finished her protection spells and teleported home. She went to Gerard’s room to check on him and saw that he was sleeping peacefully. She softly padded over to him and leaned down, gently kissing his forehead.
The Princess of the Night: The Sorcerer
“The College of Mages,” Gerard read aloud, “a safe haven for sorcerers of all kinds and a receptacle of arcane knowledge. Presided over by the Council of Seven, otherwise known as the Supreme Council. Well,” said Gerard as he closed the book, “they sound like a positively cuddly bunch!”
Gerard looked at her blankly. “It was sarcasm…”
Just then the sound of an alarm bell halted their conversation in its tracks. It was the signal that magical beings were approaching the perimeter of Gerard’s land. The pair looked at each other.
“Gerard, give me your arm,” she said, holding out her hand.
“In theory?”
“But you’re sure it’ll work?”
In a flash Luna and Gerard stood on the edge of Gerard’s estate, where the road passed through an ornate set of gates, topped with two eagle statues. Just outside these gates stood eight men and women, all dressed in sharp suits. All wearing silver pentagrams. One woman’s hands glowed with a green energy, but when she noticed the two standing there, the glow faded, and her hands dropped to her sides. One of the sorcerers stepped forward. His slicked back dirty blonde hair was very familiar.
Luna and Gerard stiffened simultaneously.
The assembled mages laughed.
Suddenly everything was happening too fast. The other sorcerers moved, preparing to unleash their magic. The woman’s hand glowed and a beam of light shot towards Gerard, who tapped the earth symbol and raised his arms, causing a wall of rock and dirt to shoot up in front of him. He was acting completely on instinct, his only motivation to protect Luna and not die in the process.
Luna flew past, having sprouted wings from her back and sporting a long horn on her forehead. She fired an energy blast of her own, hitting the female sorcerer in the leg. She screamed in agony as everything below her knee melted away, leaving only a stump. The wound was immediately cauterised, but Gerard did not think the woman would be thankful for small mercies. He lowered his shield and threw a ball of fire at the mage aiming at Luna. The man wheeled and screamed in agony, and Gerard sent a gust of air towards him, snuffing out the flames. The act of mercy had the unfortunate side effect of blowing the man in to a hedge, where he became entangled.
While Gerard chuckled at his predicament, the man did not seem as amused. Gerard’s laughter was cut short as someone barrelled into him from the side, knocking him to the ground. He looked up as the American’s fist connected with his jaw, slamming his head into the dirt. Gerard looked up, dazed, as the mage drew back for another punch. He tried to retaliate with a punch of his own, which the man brushed away with ease. He slammed his fist down and Gerard heard an unhealthy crack, warm liquid suddenly covering his face. He tried to focus, but his head continued to spin and blood continued to pump from his nose. He reached up and found the man’s wounded shoulder. In a moment of clarity, he pushed his fingers in to the wound, causing the American to scream and fall backwards, off of Gerard.
There were cries of “fall back!” and flashes as one by one, the group’s teleporter disappeared and reappeared, taking another mage with her each time. Last was the American, who looked at Gerard.
***
Gerard ordered Luna to sit as he held a clump of tissues to his bleeding nose. It hurt like hell, but it was not his most pressing concern. He knelt down and lifted Luna’s dress, examining her lower leg. What struck him first was how smooth and powerful they looked. Following quickly behind that was horror. There was a deep gash several inches long on her calf. Gerard swore as he gently touched the edge of the wound. Luna gasped in pain and he quickly withdrew his fingers.
“You’d think healing magic would have something to disinfect things…” Gerard muttered as he gingerly began to apply disinfectant, wincing every time Luna gasped in pain. He tried not to stare at Luna’s legs, a difficult task, considering he was cleaning one of them. He was suddenly thankful for the length of Luna’s dress, and the fact that the cut was on her lower leg.
Luna jerked her leg back sharply as Gerard pressed too hard against the gash.
***
He returned to the living room and sat on his favourite armchair, alone with his thoughts. It was not something he enjoyed.
“Stop…” moaned Gerard, cradling his head in his hands.
Author's Note
So I hope you liked this chapter, especially the last paragraph, it was so fun to write. As always, feel free to put any compliments or criticisms in the comments section.
