The Tale of Fluxby MeteorManMikeChaptersChapter 1: ArrivalChapter 2: AcquaintanceChapter 3: StudentChapter 1: Arrival~~~CHAPTER 1: ARRIVAL~~~ What if there were worlds beyond our own? Worlds where such things that we might think of as fantastic and impossible are considered to be commonplace? Worlds where untold horrors occur every day, and the hearts of the inhabitants are broken beyond any repair? What world do we live in? How might others see it? And if you could leave it forever… Would you? ~~~ There was a knock on the library door. Groaning sleepily, Twilight looked out her window. The moon was still high in the night sky, indicating that the time was around midnight. Grumbling to herself, she quietly left her bed and made her way down the stairs, taking care not to wake the sleeping Spike. She opened the main door’s window with a small flash of magic. “I’m sorry, but we’re closed—“ Her eyes went wide in surprise, and she quickly opened the door the rest of the way, giving a polite bow as she did so. There before her stood the Princess of the Night herself. “There’s no time for formalities right now, Twilight.” Luna’s regal demeanor, often so exaggerated as to be humorous, was absent. “My sister has requested an emergency audience with you and your friends. We may need the power of the Elements once again.” Twilight’s concern now rose for several reasons. Nothing so dire as to require the use of the Elements had occurred for a few years now, and nothing had ever warranted a personal visit from either princess for such a thing. Even the news of Discord’s return had been delivered in the typical manner, and Spike had remained silent so far. What could be so serious that Princess Celestia couldn’t find the time to send a message? And Luna herself, normally so bold and charismatic, was now tense. Nervous. Possibly even frightened. Sleep would have to wait. “I hope there’s not too much trouble,” Twilight said, now fully alert. “Canterlot is at least a half hour from here, even by direct flight.” “There will be no need for that. I will transport you all personally.” Luna’s horn glinted in the moonlight at this statement, and Twilight was once again reminded of the true power of the royal sisters. “Go and wake Rarity and Pinkie Pie. I will speak with Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. We’ll meet back here as soon as possible.” At this, her horn shone a deep and intense blue, and without another word, she was gone. Scenarios of disaster and ruin blazed through Twilight’s mind as she broke into a full gallop. Arriving at Carousel Boutique, and not even bothering to be quiet about her entry, she woke Rarity (“Do you have any idea what time it is?! Haven’t you heard of beauty sleep?”) and informed her of the situation. The drill was repeated at Sugarcube Corner (“Ooh, I thought you didn’t want to party all night!”), and the three made their way back to the library. Luna stood before the door, wings rustling awkwardly, giving the occasional glance towards Canterlot. Applejack and Rainbow dash cast worried looks at the princess, and then at each other, while Fluttershy seemed to be attempting to burrow into her own mane. Some tension was relieved, however, as Twilight appeared running towards them, with Rarity and Pinkie in tow. Luna broke the silence, some of the nerves lifting from her voice. “Thank you all for coming so quickly. My apologies in advance for our form of travel, but we have no time to lose. My sister will explain the situation more thoroughly when we arrive.” Luna’s horn flared up again, and a circle of deep blue formed around the gathered ponies. Twilight knew exactly what spell this was, and braced for it. The others weren’t quite so lucky. ~~~ A flash of light and sound. A speed far greater than anything should ever move. Finally, solidity once more. Having teleported before, although being the caster and not over so great a distance, Twilight quickly shook off the effects of the magical displacement. A retching sound told her that the warp had not been quite so kind to her friends. She quickly cast an anti-nausea spell over the group (just in time for poor Fluttershy), and observed her surroundings. They had landed in the Canterlot sculpture garden. Twilight recognized many of the statues from her youth, and a sinking feeling told her, correctly, that they now stood on a direct line from the statue of Discord. Memories of their past conflict washed over Twilight, and the mad notion briefly popped into her mind that he would break free once more. Her thoughts were then disturbed by a pure white alicorn standing before the statue. As she rushed toward her mentor, Twilight saw that the princess’s gaze was fixed not on the statue itself, but on a crumpled mass of… something near its base. She suddenly stopped her run short as she was hit by a wave of what felt like… It was unlike anything Twilight had ever experienced. If the feeling of casting a spell could be described physically, this was the opposite. The thing emanated what could only be described as non-magic. It was so alien and foreign that it was in conflict with the very fabric of Equestria itself. Even from her distant viewpoint Twilight could see that the grass beneath it had faded to more subdued tones of green, an invisible circle of not-magic surrounding it. Celestia turned to face the group, giving a nod of recognition. “Thank you all for coming here on such short notice. I’m still uncertain what exactly we’re dealing with here, But it is certainly powerful, and potentially dangerous, especially for unicorns. For now, I need you to be ready with the Elements.” A golden glow surrounded several items at Celestia’s feet, now revealed to be the Elements, floating over to their respective bearers, who in turn quickly put them on. “Beg pardon, princess, but what exactly are we lookin’ at here?” Applejack tentatively approached the crumpled mass. It appeared to be alive, with parts of it covered in different colored fabric. Clothing, Rarity realized, uncannily similar to what some stallions wore in the larger cities. It was hairless, except for a small tuft on its head colored a light brown. It had four limbs, the ones nearest the head splitting off into hands much like Spike’s claws, while the rear ones ended in oddly shaped hooves, wearing shoes of rubber and leather. Applejack was able to get a good deal closer than Twilight had previously, although she began to show signs of discomfort once she got within foreleg’s reach. Twilight surmised that because the earth ponies had no conscious control of magic, they would be less sensitive to this strange not-magic that this thing seemed to give off. “What concerns me the most is not the creature itself, but the effect it is having on its surroundings.” Celestia’s face was unreadable, but there was a hint of alarm as she spoke. “Wherever it came from must have been completely different from our world, as it possesses absolutely no magic. Now it is behaving as a magical void, and all the surrounding magic is rushing in to fill it. My concern is that if left unchecked, this vacuum effect may weaken the seal on Discord once more. That is why I called you here to bear the elements.” “Couldn’t we just move it away from the statue? You know, somewhere it couldn’t hurt anything?” A rough voice sounded from above as Rainbow Dash flew in closer to inspect the mysterious newcomer. Hearing this suggestion, Applejack gave it a prod with her hoof. A collective gasp was heard as she yanked her hoof back, as though she had just been burned, although no sign of physical harm was present as she observed the stung appendage. Shakily, she backed off from the thing. “…Are you alright? That looked like it hurt…” The yellow pegasus gave Applejack’s hoof a gentle nuzzle, eliciting a ticklish chuckle from the farmer. “Thank ya kindly, ‘Shy, but I’ll be fine.” She looked to the sun princess in confusion. “But what in tarnation was that? I just tapped ‘im with my hoof, and then got all tuckered out all of a sudden.” Celestia sighed and lowered her head. “I had feared that such was the case. It looks as though this thing isn’t even consciously aware of what’s happening. But any contact with it whatsoever will result in a rapid magical drain. That’s enough to incapacitate anypony, no matter how strong.” “Not quite sure what yer’ gettin’ at, princess. I ain’t hidin’ a horn under this hat or anything. I got no magic to steal, am I right?” “Actually, everypony uses magic in some form or another.” They all looked at Twilight, who appeared to be getting into ‘lecture mode’. “Unicorns are the most visible example, since we use our horns to manipulate our surroundings and cast spells. But both pegasi and earth ponies use magic as well. A pegasus’s wings are constantly channeling magic, enabling it to walk on and manipulate clouds. And earth ponies store magic internally, where it passively enhances their physical capability. Everything in Equestria contains a bit of magic, even the grass that creature is lying on.” “So you’re saying that it’s not just the unicorns that are in danger of this magic-eating thing, but everything else as well?” Rarity, while not quite the magic user that Twilight was, caught on quickly in areas of magic. “But it doesn’t look like it’s getting any worse. That grass has seen better days though…” Celestia gave an approving nod. “Correct, Rarity. It seems that we’re in the clear, at least for now. The circle of magical absorption hasn’t spread any further since I sent Luna to get you. But we still have to get to the bottom of this. I wouldn’t put it past Discord as another of his tricks.” “Um, what do you think, Pinkie? You’ve been awfully quiet—eep!” They all followed Fluttershy’s frightened gaze. And then they saw the reason for the pink pony’s silence. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably in what any untrained eye would think was a seizure. Her eyes, even larger than usual if such a thing were possible, were fixed on the thing below the statue. But everypony recognized the strange jerks and twitches all too well. The Pinkie Sense was going haywire. And in the silence, a sound was heard. Little more than grains of sand falling to earth. Slowly, fearfully, their eyes returned to the draconequus. Little had changed, except that the stone seemed to have dulled over time. Age had eroded away the sharper edges of the sculpture, and it appeared to be somewhat brittle and crumbly. Far too old for a statue that had only been created a year ago. “THE ELEMENTS! NOW!” Celestia’s Voice boomed over the gardens, and perhaps all of Canterlot. The power of her Voice had risen unbidden, but she paid it no mind as memories of chaos eternal now flooded into her. Luna held these memories as well, and her battle stance felt as natural as it had over a thousand years ago, when she and Celestia had led the fight against Discord. Without another word, the Elements awoke. Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter and Magic rose into the air on invisible wings, wrapped in an unearthly energy. This was goodness manifest. This was hope and salvation given form. This was raw, beautiful and terrible power, not so much being channeled by the six ponies at its heart as it was guiding their own inherent virtue to right the great wrong before them. The sisters’ stances softened as they felt a feeling of wellness flowing through them. The Elements of Harmony, having stood the test of time and having brought the end of so many terrors now lost to history, now began their work on the aged statue. A beam of pure light and color now shone forth and engulfed the sculpture, setting back its quickened clock and restoring its former shape. The blessed seal had been renewed. But the Elements were not finished. Their focus now turned to the crumpled figure at the feet of the vile Lord of Chaos. The beam now shone its full radiant glory upon it, at once awesome and terrifying. And then the beam began to fade. The collective hearts of the royal pair skipped a beat. One never truly became accustomed to the wondrous sight of the Elements’ power, and this was no exception. But never in their long lives had anything like this occurred. The beam seemed to lose its shine as it approached the figure, all but vanishing as it made contact. Still the harmonious onslaught continued unabated, and the sisters held faith that whatever this was would soon be remedied. Minutes passed. Each felt like several hours in the face of this new development. Celestia felt a touch of uncertain fear for Twilight and her friends. Never before had the Elements remained active for so long, and their effects on their bearers was unknown. Still they waited. ~~~ After roughly five minutes, Luna, being more accustomed and attuned to the low light of the moon, noticed a change. The dulled grass at the fringes of the magical vacuum had begun to recover. Slowly but surely, the circle shrunk as the magic was returned to the area. Of course! Celestia realized as she studied the effect. The magic of the Elements is now filling the void! She shuddered to think of how cold and dead a world this being must have come from. So immense was the power being released by the Elements that she felt it would have been sufficient to raise and lower the sun several times over. Another five minutes, and suddenly the creature moaned. The voice (for there could be no mistaking it for the sound of an unintelligent monster) sounded almost equine. Its lips parted, and it breathed two syllables. And a new wave of fear chilled the sisters’ blood. “…disc…ord…” And then it screamed. It was the sound of a pain so intense that it could never be put into words. The thing must still have been unable to move, or else it would have writhed in agony. A series of snaps and cracks, and the occasional bony crunch, revealed the source of the pain. The little ponies were just so because of the magic they wielded. Each form was specifically built for the best use of their naturally occurring magic. It was thus that Celestia surmised that the Elements were now performing an act of mercy. This creature’s form was clearly never designed to use magic, or even to come into contact with it. Magic and form would fall into conflict, and its body would tear itself apart. Therefore, the Elements were now granting it a form which could make use of the magic it was taking in. A chance at life in this world that it was now becoming part of. Truly the best outcome to be had from this horrible situation, as was the nature of the Elements. Discord remains sealed, everypony lives. But the pain… The terrible, terrible agony… A tear ran down the Sun Princess’s cheek. Was there no other way? The thing’s screams now became more shrill and harsher as the changes became more rapid. Some bones lengthened while others shortened. Fingers dwindled into nubs and a keratinous mass erupted from each hand. A hole tore through the seat of its pants as its tail emerged. Its jaw lengthened into a muzzle (his jaw, Luna now noted), and his eyes expanded to nearly twice their former diameter. Fur grew along his body, a soft and almost ethereal grey, and his mane extended further down his neck, changing from a light brown to a dull white, and his tail sprouted hair of a similar texture. The screaming had ended with the last of the skeletal adjustments, and had been reduced to a weak whimper. The light of the elements, its work now finished, began to fade away once more to nothingness, and six ponies gently fell, unconscious, to the grass below. Both princesses rushed to the aid of the fallen Elements, each hastily preparing their own diagnostic spell. Both went over each pony carefully, checking for signs of magical backlash or other ill effects that may have resulted from such prolonged exposure to the power of the Elements. Finally, Luna confirmed: “They are unharmed. But their internal stores of magic have been completely drained. They will need to rest for a time.” Celestia loosed a great sigh of relief. “Very well. Bring them to my guest quarters, and see to it that they are well cared for.” Luna nodded, gently lifting each with her horn. “And what about you, sister? You should get some rest as well.” Celestia turned her gaze to the prone form of the creature (pony, she corrected herself). “I want to study this new pony, now that it is safe to approach. It is important that we learn whether this thing’s presence here is intentional, and if others will attempt to follow.” With a silent flap of her velvety wings, Luna bore the six slumbering ponies away to the castle. ~~~ Now it was just Celestia and the stranger. She called upon her magic, as she had countless times before, and prodded his forehead gently with her horn. She first cast the Awakening spell, but the mysterious pony remained stubbornly unconscious. She then attempted simple telepathy, but to no avail. It seemed the stranger was now in a state far beyond sleep, yet everything else was in proper working order. His body showed no signs of physical injury. His wings were healthy and of full plumage, like any pegasus. His horn shone with a mother-of-pearl luster, and was free of any chips or cracks— Celestia paused, eyes slowly widening in confusion and wonderment. Had she really been so caught up in the chaos that she failed to notice that the pony before her was an alicorn?! Yet the surprises were not finished. She looked again, and the horn and wings, which had seemed so solid mere moments before, were now translucent and immaterial. An illusion? Celestia summoned the Truesight spell, and yet the strange effect remained. Curious, she extended a foreleg to touch the pony’s horn. It passed through, as though there were nothing there. The same was true for the wings. More confused than ever now, she turned once more to the statue of Discord. The statue was still whole, pristine as the fateful day he had been re-sealed by Twilight and her friends. This was no chaotic trickery. Or was it? A sting of apprehension struck Celestia as she prepared a spell that she did not often use, except for absolute emergency. The Mindwalker spell was ancient, dating back to before even the time of Starswirl the Bearded. It was a private invasion of the highest level, and had the nasty reputation of revealing absolutely everything about the one on the receiving end. Many ended friendships and relations could be attributed to this spell, as the caster was exposed to the deepest, darkest thoughts that everypony has, and that nopony else should ever have to witness. But Celestia needed answers, and the sooner she got them, the better for Equestria as a whole. Gritting her teeth, she lowered her head once more to touch his forehead lightly with her horn. She cast the spell and dove into the depths of the stranger’s mind. What she saw nearly drove her right back out in shock. This creature was called a ‘human’. And he knew. He knew far, far too much. This world of the humans, ‘Earth’, was utterly devoid of magic, and sadly lacking in harmony, yet it was not unsuccessful in its own way. Knowledge, machines and skills unheard of in Equestria took the place of magic in this strange world, and for the most part this human had been satisfied. But strangest of all was the window, the ‘television’, it was called, that showed them glimpses of other worlds. Some were beautiful, some terrifying, and yet all were intriguing. But this human had found… them. The window had pointed to Equestria. And the focus seemed to be on Twilight and her friends. It showed compressed and simplified segments of their daily lives, ending with a letter on the magic of friendship, word for word what she had received from Twilight’s studies in Ponyville. News of Equestria had spread like wildfire on Earth, generating mass response, both positive and negative. Some had been so captured by these glimpses of the beautiful and magical Equestria that they had begun to create their own fantasies about it. And some had expressed a desire to live in this world of harmony and magic. This human’s (he must have a name, it’s got to be in here somewhere) desire was not the sincere, literal type, but rather a wish for a kinder, friendlier world. Celestia smiled; she could relate to that longing for harmony. Although nothing she saw in his mind, beyond the television, made any indication that they were capable of travel between worlds. So the question remained: How did he get here? Celestia now turned her focus to the human’s personal memory and experience, and immediately realized that something was very wrong. The memories had become blurry and hazy, beginning about a year in his past. The closer she drew to the present, she fuzzier the memories became. Finally she arrived at one day prior to the incident that brought him to Equestria. And there she beheld the invisible horror. A great, snarled knot of filthy, vile tendrils threaded themselves through his most recent memories, reaching back all the way to a year ago. The tendrils had been severed within recent memory, but this knot was thriving. She reached out with her magic to grasp and remove the knot, and immediately felt the unmistakable power. This was the one responsible for his arrival. And the one who had now taken away this poor human’s personal memory. She pulled against the knot, but the tendrils convulsed and contracted, pulling painfully on his memories. Defeated, Celestia released the knot. A fearsome glare now adorned her usually graceful features. A sound, so faint that it almost wasn’t there, grew in the back of Celestia’s mind. A malevolent chuckle. Soft, yet dripping with vindictiveness and cruelty. “DISCORD!!!” Celestia found herself once more standing beside the strange human-pony. She shuddered in silent rage. Was there nothing he would not attempt to corrupt? “How dare he…” She cursed Discord under her breath. Not even the Elements had the power to heal a mind. “Still…” she mused, “The chaos energies running through him would explain the strange horn and wing effects. But the loss of those memories is just too cruel. We’ll never know who he was, and neither will he.” She glared at the draconequus. “’You don’t turn ponies into stone’… And yet, as stone, you have managed to destroy a life. I fear that I may never forgive you…” She noticed, now, that the sun had begun to approach the horizon, the sky now emblazoned with crimson at the edge. She sighed, closed her eyes, and prepared her daily spell that would guide the sun across the sky during the day, and to its rest at night. And it was at that moment that the strange pony woke. His first waking vision was that of Celestia’s golden form, silhouetted against that heavenly orb as she cast her spell. Weakly, he attempted to speak: “Prin…cess?” Celestia turned, and smiled as elegantly as she could manage. “Greetings, friend. As Princess of the Sun, and as a ruler of Equestria, I welcome you.” Shock became comprehension, leading to pure bliss. He slipped from consciousness once more, this time happily into sleep. ~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~ ~~~ Author’s note Holy crap. I freakin’ did it. If you’d told me a year ago that I’d write a 4k word fanfic chapter about My Little Pony, I’d have laughed in your face. Anyway, the human-turned-pony is Flux. Hence the title. And he is NOT an alicorn. He’s something entirely different. And I know I get kind of meta in this one, but I just wanted to play with the idea and see what comes of it. So yeah. Hope you enjoyed it, and hopefully I’ll have more on the way soon. Absolutely feel free to criticize, nitpick, etc, and I’ll see you soon. -M3 Chapter 2: Acquaintance~~~CHAPTER 2: ACQUAINTANCE~~~ It is often a joy to meet someone new. It is even better to become friends. To get to know each other. To share ideas and dreams. How painful it would be to lose those ties... ~~~ The noonday sun shone through the great arched window into the luxurious guestroom. On the oversize four poster bed, a prone figure stirred from its slumber. Ugh, I overslept. There goes my morn-- He blinked several times, clearing the sleep from his eyes, and stared blankly around the room. While the decor and size were certainly not objectionable, far from it, he had absolutely no idea how he came to be there. And on top of that... Gah! My head... What the heck did I do last night...? He raised a hoof to his aching skull, trying to think of what led to this-- A hoof. His hoof. He muffled a scream and cast a panicked look around the room. Determining that no one was coming to inspect the source of the outburst, he slowly released a shuddering breath. Okay. Calm down. You're still dreaming. You obviously fell asleep in front of the computer again, after attempting a My Little Pony marathon. That must be it. Unable to pinch himself awake owing to his new appendage, he brought a hoof swiftly across his face. It hurt. Wincing, he fell back into the (extremely comfortable) pillow, groaning from the combined confusion and headache. This is it. I've finally lost it. And now I'm a pony in a ridiculously large and expensive-looking bedroom. He examined his hoof, admiring its soft grey fur and hardened bottom. Well, there are worse ways to go, I suppose. A gentle knock at the door nearly made him scream again, resulting instead in a strangled yelp. He burrowed under the sheets, concerned both for himself and the one seeking entry due to his new and inexplicable form. He heard a soft chuckle through the door. "It's me, princess Celestia. May I come in?" "Princess... Celestia?" "I need to speak with you. Please don't be alarmed." A gentle glow, like morning sun, encompassed the doorknob as the wooden barrier softly creaked open. She put on a friendly smile as the mysterious pony emerged from the bedspread, eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. There before him, bright and warm as the sun she guided, stood the ruler of the fantasy world he had come to know and love. Worlds failed as he simply gazed on her majestic form, questions bubbling up within him ad infinitum, each competing with the others to be asked first. Finally he settled on: "You're... real?" A knowing smile graced the royal features as she took in the new pony. "Indeed. It seems that you know a great deal about Equestria, and about us. But I'm afraid that I know little about you. Might I ask your name?" "Flux," he found himself saying, then blinked in confusion. Where had that come from? "That's... not actually my name..." He managed, screwing up his eyes. He tried to think, but turned up nothing but scattered images and mental fog. "This is beyond weird. How is this possible? How did I get here?" He stared at his hoof once more. "And on top of that, I'm a pony now??" A sadness now crossed the princess's gentle visage as she recalled the sinuous tendrils she had seen in his mind. "I'm sorry, but you know about as much about your current situation and form as I do. When you arrived near the statue of Discord, you behaved as a magical vacuum, and all the surrounding magic started filling you. I can only theorize that a little of Discord's magic entered you as well." Celestia frowned. "Can you remember anything before you woke up here? Anything within even the last few days?" Flux wracked his brains for a clue, but was unable to find anything specific. He remembered he was from a country called the USA, but not exactly where within. He was roughly twenty years old, but strangely could recall very little of those years. His headache twinged again, and he grimaced as he searched deeper inside himself. He'd been educated. He had friends. He had family. And yet, as he searched for their faces, he was met with a jumble of tangled figments and thoughts. "It's like... I know I've forgotten something..." Another twinge, another wince. "...But I can't think of it... I can't even get close to it..." I am... Flux. No... that's not right... that's not my name, it's Flux. NO! WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER?! "It's wrong..." He whispered, a chill falling over him even in the bright light of the sun. "That's not who I am... so wrong... who am I really?" Suddenly, gently, a soft and comforting feeling came over him, a dreamy, silky sensation that swept away the chills that had been sinking into him as he delved into himself. Fear was forgotten as he peeked out from under Celestia's wing through bleary eyes, unaware until that moment that he had been crying, silently lamenting the unknown, and yet so important faces that he couldn't clearly see. "I'm so sorry. Nopony should ever have to go through this." Celestia leaned down, gently nuzzling the mysterious pony and drying his eyes. "I promise," she spoke in a voice as soft and sweet as a summer's breeze, "that I will do all within my power to help you." Flux allowed himself to be lost in the moment. He had wanted this, he realized. He had wanted, for even just a moment, to experience that fantasy, that all was right with the world, that he could never feel in his meager, broken reality. He wept openly into her beautiful, flowing mane as she held him close, tears of sorrow giving way to joy. This is perfect. Nothing else matters right now. After what felt like ages, Celestia stood once more, folding back her wing from Flux's contented form. "I wish I could help you with your memory personally," she said regretfully, earning a puzzled look from the new pony. "But something has happened to the Elements. When they saved you, they did so by pouring all of their magic directly into you. Now they must be... recharged, as it were. And Luna and I are the only ones with the power to do it." She gave a dismissive smile as she saw his look of concern and slight panic. "You are not to blame. The Elements have a mind of their own, and while this may not be the most ideal situation," Her smile now became reassuring, "I am confident that everything will turn out for the best." "Now, I think it's about time that I made some introductions." She gestured for Flux to follow, and he pushed back the covers and got unsteadily to his hooves. Carefully, he began to make his way to the door. It was the strangest thing. He knew that he'd walked on two legs for his whole life, and yet as he put his hooves forward, it felt as natural as breathing. His new form was perfectly built for this mode of transport, and his pace quickened from an unsteady shuffle to a confident walk. Soon, he matched stride with the princess, who beamed approvingly as they made their way down the spacious corridor. ~~~ They came to another room whose door was opened. Celestia tapped the door gently with her hoof, knocking twice. "Princess!" came Twilight's voice. "How is he doing?" "As well as can be expected. He's right here, if you'd like to meet him." Six faces suddenly appeared at the door. Each bore an expression of curiosity, ranging from timid to exuberant. "Girls, this is Flux. I'm afraid he doesn't remember much about himself, but I'm certain that you'll get along quite well." Celestia turned to indicate the new pony, but then broke out into a cheerful laugh. The rest followed suit. Flux's jaw had dropped. Logic told him that if he was in Equestria and in the presence of Celestia, then Twilight and her friends must exist as well. But still... there they were! He made a valiant effort not to grin like an idiot at the sight of his six favorite cartoon characters, suddenly made very real. "Um... yeah. I'm Flux. Nice to meet you..." He trailed off as his vocabulary suddenly disappeared, his flush visible through his silvery coat. Way to go, smooth talker. He shuffled his hoof on the ground, laughing awkwardly along with the rest at the absurdity of the situation. "Super nice to meet you too!" Pinkie chirped as she bounced forward, playfully poking his shoulder with a hoof. "It's always nice to meet new friends!" Flux became aware of an ache at the corners of his mouth. If this kept up, his face would be in danger of freezing in a permanent grin. Not that this was a bad thing. "Ah'd just like ta welcome y'all to Equestria, on behalf of us ponies here." The orange farmer gave him a rough hoofshake that nearly knocked him off his feet. "Guess we'll be seein' quite a bit of each other, and I'll sure appreciate an extra set of hooves on the farm." "Of course-- wait, what?" Flux's cheesy grin twisted into a frown of puzzlement. Celestia smiled benevolently. "Since Luna and I will need to watch over the Elements of Harmony for now, Twilight and her friends have offered to help you adjust. Ponyville should be a familiar setting for you, I should think." She gave a knowing wink as Flux flushed once more. "Don't worry, you can use the guest room at the library until we find a more permanent place for you to stay." Twilight smiled warmly as she took his hoof in a much more subdued manner. "And we'll definitely keep you busy!" The cyan pegasus circled overhead and landed beside him. "I've never seen wings like yours, but I'll whip you into shape in no time!" She smiled brashly, nudging his side with an elbow. Wings? Flux craned his neck around to look. Sure enough, there on his back were a set of oddly translucent wings, folded neatly. Strangely, the wings appeared to become more solid as he observed them, and he felt himself getting lighter, and new sensations flowed through the previously unnoticed appendages. Suddenly, everypony gasped. Even the princess appeared taken aback by something. "What's the matter??" He rapidly scanned the shocked faces, all of which were locked on him. "Your horn just went away!" Pinkie stammered. "And your wings got not-see-through!" "But now they've both returned to normal..." Twilight traded her look of shock for one of academic curiosity. A horn too?! Flux attempted to cross his eyes upwards to see his own forehead. Semi-transparent as his wings had been, there was a spike of velvet covered bone protruding from his head, spiraled and ending at a blunt point. As he focused on the horn, it became more solid, just like his wings had. Then it hit him. If the feeling of having wings was strange, then this new sensation was beyond strange. He could feel energies pouring into, out of and through him, hot and cold and electric all at once. He assumed that this was the feel of magic, and shuddered with the bizarre, ethereal touch. "The same thing just happened with your horn..." Twilight's face began to dawn into comprehension. "Flux, try focusing on your wings again." He shifted his attention once more to the appendages on his back. His horn faded away into nothingness, while at the same time his wings sprung into existence. "Aha!" Twilight cried, snapping him out of his trance. "Your name makes sense now! When you don't focus on a form, you fluctuate between earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn. But when you think of one, you gain the skills and attributes of that form. This is a really rare condition, I've never read about anything like this! We should study this some more later! Um, if you feel like it, that is." Twilight giggled in embarrassment, which Flux found extremely endearing. "Absolutely. I'll take all the help I can get to figure out what's happened to me." He could swear he heard Rainbow mutter "so awesome..." before quickly snapping back into her typical brashness. "Wowie! I knew he was super-duper special from the moment I saw him!" squealed Pinkie as she popped from seemingly nowhere. "'Course I couldn't say anything 'cause I started twitchy-twitching so bad I couldn't even talk and then you guys were all like *GAAAASP* and then we used the Elements and then we woke up here and now we have a super-duper amazing new friend!!" She beamed at Flux as he attempted to wrap his head around the barrage of words that had just hit him. "I have to agree that it will be nice to have another fine stallion around town." Rarity threw a wink his way, and his blush returned anew. "Once you get that horn of yours working, I could teach you the finer aspects of magical manipulation. And an assistant around the boutique would be quite appreciated. Wouldn't that be nice?" She smiled sweetly at him. Still flushed, he nodded sheepishly. "And, um, I could teach you about the plants and animals that live around here... if that's okay with you..." Fluttershy spoke from the back in a barely audible murmur; Flux smiled her way as gently as he could, and she retreated further into her long, pink mane. They shared an awkward glance as Rainbow snickered next to him. "Okay. So, just to make sure I understand the situation..." He looked over the assembled mares, and felt another dumb grin coming over him. He pushed it down, clearing his throat and recovering his chain of thought. "I'll be staying in Ponyville, with you, and basically helping out wherever I can." All nodded in agreement. "And you're all going to help me get used to... whatever the heck I am." A laugh, another nod. "And hopefully sometime I can start remembering who I am and how I got here." At this, they all avoided his gaze, glancing awkwardly and nervously around the room, except for Celestia, who frowned regretfully. "I'm afraid it won't be that simple. When you landed near Discord's statue, you began taking in some of his magic before we could use the Elements on you." She grimaced. "From what I've seen, I can only guess that when you took in the magic of the Elements, you got a piece of Twilight and her friends' magic as well. The chaos magic allows you to change between forms..." Her face now became downcast. "But thanks to Discord's twisted humor, the same magic that gives you your fluctuating form is also infesting your memories. Again, I wish I could help you with this personally, but the Elements will require my attention for the time being." "I understand." Flux put on his bravest face. "My memory is nothing compared to the safety of all Equestria." He grinned. "Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing Ponyville firsthand. There will be plenty of time to dwell on my misfortune later." The sun princess beamed down on him. "I am glad to hear you say that. This will be difficult for you, but I have every confidence that we will overcome this problem together." She spread her wings grandly. "Now I must return to the Elemental chamber. Girls, you have my undying gratitude. I will see you soon, Flux." And without another word, she leapt gracefully through the great arched window and flew into the distance. ~~~ An awkward silence followed. Pinkie stifled a giggle, dancing around adorably. "So..." Twilight broke the silence. "Are you hungry? I ordered some lunch, it should be here soon." As if to emphasize her point, Flux's belly let loose a powerful rumble. Rainbow gave a snort of derision. "That sounds good, thanks." He blushed once more. This was happening a lot. "Why don't we have a seat while we wait? The coach to Ponyville won't be leaving until later this afternoon." Rarity gestured elegantly towards some very plush couches surrounding a low table. "You can tell us all about yourself. What you remember, that is..." She added apologetically, to which he nodded in understanding. They all approached the table, and Flux observed the seating, coming to the realization that he had no idea how to use it. He looked around, seeing that everyone had their own method of relaxation. Twilight and Fluttershy preferred a catlike squat, curling forelegs underneath as they lay. The former was seated across the table from him, smiling warmly. Applejack and Pinkie sat in a more dog-like position, supporting with forelegs as hindquarters rested on the seats. Rarity reclined on her side propping her head on a hoof, observing him with interest. Rainbow Dash remained aloft, hovering almost effortlessly a bit behind the table. He chose a spot between Pinkie and Applejack (the former conspicuously sliding a bit closer with a soft giggle), and plunked himself down on his hind legs, his forelegs dangling over the edge. "So... what do you want to know? I can't guarantee that I'll know the answer, but I'll try my best." He grinned awkwardly. "I'll start." Twilight smiled reassuringly from across the table. "What can you tell us about where you're from?" "Well, our planet is called Earth. It's split into individually governed countries with varying cultures. I'm from the United States of America. It's divided up into... I think fifty states...? That sounds right. But I can't remember which one." "Wow..." Twilight was awash in academic interest. "So the humans live in the United States of America... What about the ponies? Or the gryphons and dragons?" Flux laughed. "I'm afraid that it's only humans. Dragons and gryphons are the stuff of myth. We have horses, but they aren't colorful or intelligent like you. We're the only ones there." "Princess Celestia said that humans don't have magic," Rarity mused. "How do you raise the sun? Do you have some sort of machine to do it for you?" "I'm not sure how it works in Equestria, other than that it's the princess's magic, but our sun is about a million times the size of Earth. We orbit the sun once a year, and the Earth's rotation causes day and night." "That sounds... impossibly big..." Twilight's eyes were wide in wonder. "Even princess Celestia's sun is only about a quarter the size of Equestria. She uses her magic to keep it lit, and to move it around the planet." "So you guys can't control the weather, or seasons, or anything??" Rainbow dash piped up incredulously, hardly believing in such a world where her weather job, or even any equivalent, didn't exist. "Nope, It's all natural where I'm from. That's one of the things I thought was so cool about this place. Our weather service isn't always accurate in their predictions. But if you knew someone who actually makes the weather happen..." He grinned up Rainbow Dash, who appeared to have developed an itch on the back of her neck as she grinned sheepishly back at him. "Ah hate ta tell ya, sugarcube, but the weather ain't always so reliable around these parts either." The farmer shot a teasing grin at the rainbow pegasus, who flustered irritably. "Hey, it's not my fault if the order comes in late! The guys in Cloudsdale are the ones to talk to, not me! Besides," She shot the orange pony a mischievous smirk. "You're not afraid to get a little wet, are you?" Flux smiled at the display of petty rivalry. It reminded him of the way he was with his best friend... Argh. What was his name...? "Is something the matter, dear?" Came a dainty voice. He jerked his head up, suddenly aware that all eyes were on him. He sighed. "Nah, it's nothing. Thought I remembered something for a bit... A friend of mine. We'd mess with each other all the time, like you were doing just now. But that's about it..." "That's good, though!" Twilight's eyes lit up. "I think we're making some progress! Tell us some more about your world." She smiled encouragingly at him. "Well..." His train of thought seemed to have derailed itself. "Um. Oh yeah, there's--" A knock at the door. The train jumped clean off the tracks. "Ah! our lunch!" Twilight giggled, having completely forgotten. "Come in!" Flux turned to see a sky blue unicorn magically pushing a large cart through the door. Stacks of gleaming silver platters adorned its surface, and a delicious aroma wafted in with it, making his stomach rumble thunderously, his forgotten hunger now returning with a vengeance. "You're in for a real treat." Rarity smiled approvingly at the selection placed before them. "Canterlot dining is the finest in Equestria." "Eh, you and yer fancy stuff." Applejack smirked at the white unicorn teasingly, nonetheless licking her lips in anticipation. "Wait till you get a taste o' Granny's home-grown, Apple family cookin'--Whoa nelly..." "Bon appetit." The waiter magically lifted the lids from the platters, revealing the most luxurious spread of vegetarian cuisine that Flux had ever beheld. Hot, steaming vegetable soups, salads that practically glimmered with freshness, fruits of such vibrant color that it would almost be a shame to devour such a masterpiece. A large bouquet of beautiful and aromatic flowers served as a wonderfully complimenting centerpiece. And the desserts... Cakes. Cookies. Puddings. Pies. There was enough sugar there to knock anyone into a diabetic shock. Pinkie started in almost immediately, consuming an entire cake with a single bite, triggering an appalled look from Rarity and a burst of laughter from Rainbow Dash. Twilight hoofed the waiter a few bits, who bowed politely and left the seven to their banquet. Seeing his hungry expression, Rarity laughed. "I would be willing to bet that you've never eaten this well back where you're from." She wafted a rose from the ornate vase, smelling it daintily. "You'd win that bet..." Flux tried not to drool as he looked over the feast. He made to take a plate of salad when something strange caught his eye. "Wait, did you just eat that??" Rarity discarded the rose stem. "Don't tell me that you didn't have flowers in your world! I could hardly stand such a dreary place!" "Oh no, we had flowers. We just never... ate them." He looked quizzically at the centerpiece, which now appeared strangely... appetizing. He tentatively lifted a daffodil in his mouth, inhaling its fragrance. Stranger things have happened... he cautiously nibbled at the delicate petals. A flavor unlike any Flux had experienced came over him. Images of morning sun and ripe grain filled his head as he was overcome by something so unique, a taste so... yellow, he decided. He greedily consumed the entire blossom, reveling in this new discovery. "Wow," he mumbled through a mouthful of petals. "This is amazing. Our flowers are just... gross, not for eating." A thought came over him. "Maybe they just taste different to ponies." He made his way through the bouquet, each of the six encouraging him to try their favorite. Dandelion, rose, violet, tulip, daisy and iris fell to his hunger as he delighted in the new flavors. "That's incredible..." he stifled a burp. "There's nothing that tastes like that on Earth, that's for certain." They made their way through the meal, conversing about the similar and differing vegetation on Earth and Equestria. Fluttershy in particular seemed more comfortable with this topic, displaying her knowledge of forest plants and natural remedies. The desserts (which hadn't yet been devoured by Pinkie) were not so novel an experience as the flowers had been, but were nonetheless the best he could remember having eaten. Flux, now sated, relaxed and took in the antics of his new friends. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had started a messy pie-eating contest (apple, of course). Fluttershy and Rarity listened with interest as Twilight continued to bombard him with questions about Earth, interjecting with their own every so often. Pinkie was... being Pinkie, rambling on about something so off-topic that he had all but given up on following her monologue, pausing occasionally to breathe or to stuff an entire pastry into her mouth. Overall, this weirdness was turning out to be absolutely wonderful. ~~~ "--And that's how I got my cutie mark!" Pinkie giggled merrily, all of them now completely stuffed with the luxurious meal. The waiter had entered about five minutes prior to return all the dishes and trays (there were no leftovers thanks to Pinkie). He returned once more and muttered something to Twilight, who nodded in understanding as he left again. "Our carriage is due to leave in ten minutes" She announced to the group. "I've already sent a message to Spike to expect us back at the library, so everything should be set up for you, Flux." He gave an appreciative smile. Twilight led the group through the spacious corridors and onto the castle grounds. Four pure white pegasus stallions, resplendent in golden armor, stood tethered to a large white and gold carriage, big enough to fit at least ten ponies inside. They all climbed in as Twilight greeted the guards, the four breaking their stoic poses to smile in cheerful recognition at the violet mare. The lead guard barked a command, and Flux felt his stomach falling as they leapt into the sky. He chanced a glance out the window, and was quickly reminded that he didn't know how to fly. Swiftly pulling his head back in and squashing his nerves as best he could, he picked up their question and answer session where they had left off. About half an hour later, they landed with a gentle thump in Ponyville square. "I'll introduce you to the mayor first," Twilight was saying. "She always likes to greet new ponies. After that we can get you settled in at the library, and I can show you around town." Flux rose from his seat and nosed open the carriage door-- "SURPRISE!!!" He was nearly blown off his feet by a wave of pure enthusiasm. What looked like everypony in the entire village were assembled outside the carriage door, with Spike in the front. Pinkie squealed in delight from behind Flux as Spike gave her a sly wink. "The emergency 'Pinkie's-not-here-to-welcome-the-new-pony-so-we'll-throw-a-surprise-party-instead' plan! You remembered!" Flux was completely overwhelmed by the mob as they closed in on him, all questions and cheering and laughter. They made their way to Sugarcube Corner, where the Cakes had set up a party that would do Pinkie proud. The rest was a swirl of music, games, way too much food, laughter, and randomness. ~~~ "I'm gonna explode if I eat another bite." Flux collapsed into the cozy bed in Twilight's guest room, absolutely drained, remembering very little of the day's festivities. "Seriously, is it like this all the time around here?" "With Pinkie, you never know," Twilight giggled sleepily. They had partied well into the evening and early night, and had finally settled in at the library. "She has a party for every occasion, and we always have a great time." A loud snore from upstairs indicated that Spike had already turned in for the night. "We should get some sleep too..." Twilight yawned as she turned out the lights with her horn. "I'd like to get started with your magic training tomorrow as soon as possible, okay?" He muffled an affirmative into his pillow. "Goodnight, Flux." "Goodnight... Twilight." ~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~ Author's note Dialogue between characters is HARD. Especially pre-defined characters that I have to imagine how they would react, and everyone who reads this has their own idea of how the conversation should play out. Six of them plus an OC holding a conversation is just a nightmare to come up with. Magic training next. Hopefully having just two ponies in the room will make the dialogue easier. Maybe. So yeah, hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you later. -M3 Chapter 3: Student~~~CHAPTER 3: STUDENT~~~ As we grow old, we gain knowledge. Our minds mature; our horizons expand. And yet, the more we learn, the more we realize that we do not know. For so long as there is wisdom to be gained, we shall forever be students of our world. ~~~ Flux gazed around in confusion and fear. He found himself in a void of swirling color, surrounded by lights and sounds and twisting, morphing objects, with absolutely no semblance of order whatsoever. He reached out a cautious hoof in an attempt to find his bearings. Hoof... he was still a pony. That bit of strangeness had carried over into this bizarre realm, it seemed. But what was this place? "Where am I...?" he mused aloud. As if in response, there came a deep laugh that chilled him to the bone. Both miles away and right behind him, it dripped cruel amusement and malice. Hello, Flux. Enjoying yourself? "That voice..." He glared into the maelstrom of chaos. "Discord. What is this? Show yourself!" In a brilliant flash, the draconequus appeared before him, laughing madly. "Putting on a brave face? Excellent!" He bared his jagged fangs. "I like my pawns with a little fire." "Pawns? What are you talking about?" Flux flailed about in the void, unable to get a solid footing. "I saw the Elements petrify you! You're still a statue in the Canterlot gardens!" He met Discord's insane gaze defiantly. "You're really as crazy as you look if you think I'd help you with anything." The lord of chaos cackled maniacally, doubling over in uncontrolled mirth. "That's too rich!" He gasped, wiping away a tear of mirth. "You actually think you have a choice! Hate to tell you, pony boy, but I'm as much a part of you as those hooves of yours. It seems some exposition is in order." Discord produced a thick stack of paper and a set of reading glasses, donning them as he flipped through the pages. "Let's see, where are we now... You arrived in Equestria and all the surrounding magic started flowing into you. And thanks to your wonderfully convenient placement, that included the seal placed on me, as well as my chaos magic." He snapped his fingers as if in recollection. "Ah yes, you have me to thank for that little gap in your memory. It wouldn't do to have you pining away for home the whole time you were here, now would it? No fun at all for either of us." Flux's anger rose steadily. "What gave you the right..." he whispered dangerously. "Why?! For what purpose would you take my memories?!" He bellowed into the storm, Discord's face wearing a look of mock surprise. "My friends... my family... my own name!!" "Indeed, and I feel ever so guilty about it." He produced a handkerchief and wiped absent tears from his eyes. "And that's why I would like to make a deal. You do not yet possess the power to perform the task that I require of you, but you will soon grow in strength. If you perform satisfactorily at that time, I will see to it that your memory is restored. Agreed?" He extended a claw as though it were nothing more than a friendly handshake. Flux recoiled. "You really are insane! What could possibly make you think that I would help you, after what you did? After what I've seen you do?" He glared defiantly at the draconequus. "I'll find a way out of here. And then I'll tell Twilight, get her to send a letter to Princess Celestia telling her just what you're plotting. As long as I have anything to say about it, your crazy schemes will never get any further than your stony hide!" "My poor little deluded human... resisting even as you float helplessly in my chaotic realm." Discord gazed menacingly at Flux. "I took your memories as easily as candy from a baby." He vanished. Flux suddenly felt the chill of uncertainty. Where had he gone? Do you honestly think I'd let you remember this? ~~~ Flux awoke with a gasp, shooting bolt upright in the guest bed. Gasping for breath and shivering in a cold sweat, he looked out the window. It was still dark; the moon had only made it about a quarter through the sky. Flux estimated that he'd been asleep for only a few hours before the nightmare had taken him. He breathed deeply, calming his frazzled nerves as the bad dream faded into obscurity. Laying back down, he attempted to return to slumber, but to no avail. Suddenly, there came a gentle knock on the door. "...Flux? It's me, Twilight. Are you all right? I heard noises..." He shifted and grumbled. "I'm fine. Just a nightmare, is all." Silence. "You can't sleep, can you." He sat back up. "Not really, no." "...Can I come in?" He left the bed and walked to the door, pulling the handle in his teeth. Twilight stood in the entryway, mane fluffed messily due to restless sleep. They shared tired smiles at each others' disheveled appearance. Flux broke the silence. "Did you have a bad dream too?" Twilight flushed ever so slightly. "Not really... so much has happened in the last few days, I just can't stop thinking about it." She looked up to indicate his translucent horn. "Your condition is so new, and I have so many theories, I had to do some research on it to see if there's ever been anything like this before." She lowered her head in shame. "But there's nothing. Other worlds are just myth, and there's no mention of hoomins anywhere." "Humans," Flux gently corrected as Twilight fidgeted awkwardly. "And it's fine. We'll figure out what to make of this together, right?" "Yeah... I just think too much, I guess." She looked up sheepishly at him. "What about you? You said you had a nightmare... Can you remember what it was?" Flux silently cursed his faulty memory as he wracked his brains, turning up only fuzzy, blurred images. "Not really. I probably wouldn't want to remember anyway." "...I can teach you a song I learned from the princess. It helps to keep nightmares away." Flux blinked incredulously at her. "You mean like a lullaby?" "Luna's Lullaby, to be precise. She used to sing it over Equestria as she rose the moon and stars. Now that I think of it, I'd bet she still does." She gazed out the window at the full moon. Even now, after using the Elements for the first time and healing Nightmare Moon's corruption, the lunar surface still looked strange without the image of the sorrowful alicorn. "There's a bit of magic in the lyrics. It always made me feel safe." He gazed sleepily at the purple mare, now bathed in the silvery light of the moon. "...I'd like that, actually. I'm not much of a singer, though..." "You don't have to be. It's been a while since I've done it out loud, myself." She closed her eyes and began to sing softly: Hush now, quiet now It's time to lay your sleepy head Hush now, quiet now It's time to go to bed "I think I've heard this before..." Flux mumbled tiredly, eyes half lidded as sleep descended upon him. A comforting feeling came over him, almost as though he were once more under Celestia's wing... Drifting off to sleep The exciting day behind you Drifting off to sleep Let the joy of dream land find you She was interrupted by a soft snore. She opened her eyes to find that Flux had already fallen asleep, curled up on the hardwood floor. She smiled gently as she lifted him back into the bed, tucking him in with a touch of magic. She paused for a moment, as the moonlight shone on his sleeping form. His silvery mane, already so much like the moon itself, now gained an almost ethereal quality as it was bathed in Luna's pale glow. He must be so lonely, Twilight thought as she took in the sight of her new, resting guest. Everything has been taken from him... To smile like he does is far braver than any of us. A smile of her own now crossed her tired face. Sleep well, my friend. ~~~ A rooster crowed off in the distance as the morning sun shone through the wooden window, upon the sleeping grey pony. Slowly, Flux opened his eyes and took it in, reluctant to move lest the heavenly sensation of perfect rest be lost to morning aches. Surprisingly, there were none, even with his unfamiliar new body. He looked in the mirror opposite him and his smile broadened as a bedraggled, yet bright-eyed and cheerful pony looked back at him. I don't remember feeling this refreshed in ages, Flux mused privately as he observed his reflection. This was only the second time he'd been able to see himself, and the first opportunity to get a really good look. Despite the inevitable bed-head, his silvery-white mane had an appealing chaotic-yet-contained look to it; he shook his head experimentally and the hair fell into roughly the same position as before. He took note of the strange, translucent horn and wings in his possession. As he focused on each, one became solid while the other faded from view. He took in the new sensations associated with these as they manifested: a feeling of lightness as well as two extra limbs when the wings solidified, and a bizarre, otherworldly touch in his horn, but not unpleasant. An idea came over him as he focused on a hoof. Sure enough, both horn and wings dissolved from existence. At the same time, he became aware of an increased weight, yet a surge of energy and strength flowed through him. Wow, Flux marveled as he flexed a foreleg at his reflection, power rippling through the limb. I used to feel bad for the earth ponies, but this... Is incredible! I like it! He was suddenly snapped out of his self-admiring trance by an aroma. Sniffing curiously, he traced the source to the door. A delicious scent of fried eggs and fresh baked bread wafted between the cracks in the door frame, and as he quietly grasped the handle with his teeth and pulled it open, a welcome flood of breakfast smells washed over him. The small purple dragon looked away from the stove, briefly adjusting his apron. "Good morning, your highness!" He greeted cheerfully, with a touch of sarcasm and an exaggerated bow. "Your... highness?" Flux tilted his head quizzically as the dragon snorted. "Well, seeing as you have wings and a horn, rumor started going around that you were a prince," Spike explained as Flux tried to recall the events of the evening prior. "Besides, you didn't seem to mind at the time. That was one heck of a party, huh?" "I guess I should be flattered..." Flux smirked as he remembered the antics of the partygoers, thankful that he had heeded Applejack's warning about cider in excess. "But I'm no prince. Heck, I'm hardly even a proper pony. Just Flux will do." "Eh, you're no fun, prince." Flux shot him a dark look, making him snicker again. "Most of the 'upperclass' ponies are so uptight--Oh, 'morning, Twilight!" Flux followed Spike's eyes to the lavender mare descending the staircase into the kitchen. She, too, looked well-rested as she greeted them both with a bright, cheery smile. "Good morning, Spike, Flux," she beamed as she approached the stove. "Mmm, just the way I like them! Thank you, Spike." She nuzzled his cheek affectionately as he playfully batted her away with his spare claw. She turned to Flux, smiling contentedly. "Looks like you slept well, too. No more nightmares?" "Yeah, it was great. That song did the trick, I went out like a light." Color rose unbidden to his face. "The last time someone sang me to sleep was way back when I was a kid. Thanks for that, by the way, it was really nice." It was Twilight's turn to blush. "Oh, um, no problem. It's Spike's favorite, too, from back when he was a hatchling." "Hey, hold off on the hatchling stories," Spike huffed as he returned to the stove, breathing a low green flame over the eggs as they sizzled away. A rising whistle briefly distracted him as the kettle next to the skillet began to steam. "Ah, the water's ready. I set up some teacups on the table, they've got that herbal mix from Zecora, like you asked." "Thanks again, Spike." Twilight lifted the kettle from the stove and wafted it over to the table and the waiting teacups, pouring a carefully measured amount of boiling water into each. "Zecora's second to none when it comes to finding magical herbs in the Everfree Forest," she explained to Flux, who was considering the nearest cup as the rich, earthy fragrance rose into the air. "I've found that this mix helps to heighten my magical awareness. It should be useful in getting you acquainted with your magic sense." She turned her gaze upward and smiled approvingly. "I see you're already in unicorn form, that's a good start." Flux had hardly noticed the shift as he was lost in the fragrance of the brew before him. His attention thus shifted to his horn, he became aware once more of the spectral sensations that he'd come to realize was the ever-present flow of external magic. As he focused further on the ethereal touch, he felt strong emanations coming from three sources: Twilight's horn, Spike's green flame, and strangely, the teacups containing the special herbal concoction. "Very good! You're picking up on this quickly." Confused, he looked to Twilight, who indicated his horn. It was glowing with a pale, silver-platinum light as he sensed his surroundings. He smiled dumbly at his personal light show, a sense of great satisfaction and accomplishment coming over him. "Here, the tea should be cool enough to drink now. I wouldn't recommend that," she added quickly as Flux, having seen her magically lift her cup, attempted to do the same. "We'll start small and work our way up, once you've mastered your magical sense. Trust me, I've destroyed enough dishware in my time." She giggled, thinking back to a panicked purple filly standing amid the ruins of a rather ornate tea set, the Sun Princess looking on with fondness and mild amusement. Understanding her concerns, and not wanting to impede further on her hospitality, Flux leaned forward and gingerly sipped at his tea. It was as if a curtain had been pulled from his awareness as the mystical mix took effect. He could feel... everything. His eyes widened as color and sound and touch came at him from all directions. He felt every living thing within the walls of the great tree, softly emitting the force of their being. He felt stray scraps of energy floating around strangely, the remnants of cast spells. He felt Twilight's fascination and satisfaction at seeing a unicorn's eyes being truly opened for the first time, as she shared a similar but less potent effect. "Wow..." Flux breathed after an eternity, which had actually been about half a minute. "There's so... much. Everywhere, all the time... Did you feel that, too?" "The effect becomes less pronounced as you get used to it," Twilight said as she lowered her own, half-empty teacup back onto its saucer. "Eventually you can control the effect so that it doesn't overwhelm you." She raised an eyebrow as he slugged down the rest of his cup messily. "You enjoy the tea, I take it?" "Absolutely," he mumbled, his unfocused eyes gazing into infinity. Finally, the effect reduced, and his awareness descended once more to the mortal plane. The magical sensations remained sharp as ever, and he could much more easily associate the touches of magical energies with their respective sources. "Maybe I should've given you a lighter concentration to start you off," Twilight mused as she finished her cup with a satisfied smile. Flux forced himself to snap back into focus with the current conversation. "Heh, sorry. That was awesome. I can feel magic way better now, just like you said." Spike put out his flame, removing the eggs from the stove and placing them on fresh slices of toast. "Here you go! A breakfast fit for a king! Or a prince!" "Enough with the royal stuff already..." Flux muttered, to the amusement of Spike and Twilight. "Am I going to have to deal with this from everyone?" Nevertheless, a low rumble resounded from his side of the table, and he dug in gratefully. There was no question: this was the best egg sandwich he'd ever had. "Anyway, once we're done with breakfast, I'd like to get started on your magic training right away." Flux nodded in agreement, still munching on egg. "Once I get a proper assessment of your natural skill level, I can determine the most appropriate pacing for the rest of the day. Best case, you could complete the visual replacement portion of the training by this afternoon." "You mean like seeing with magic?" Flux swallowed the rest of his sandwich. "Sounds interesting. I'm ready when you are." They continued to talk for a time, Spike joining them after a while as his own meal finished cooking. It felt strangely familiar as she went on about topics that went way over his head, the dragon helping to clarify every so often. He'd taken an immediate liking to Twilight when he began watching the show. She reminded him so much of... someone. Someone he hadn't seen in a long time... someone important... He shook his head, returning once more to the breakfast table. I'll figure this out eventually. Right now, I've got magic to learn. ~~~ "Most unicorns' magical sense becomes more heightened as they mature." Twilight's tone had shifted from 'friendly conversation' to 'scholarly lecture' as she led the way into the basement. "But in your case, your horn is fully developed, meaning that you can feel the magic around and inside you, but you don't know how to manipulate it yet." Twilight lit a lantern on the basement wall with a pulse of violet energy. As the room filled with much more light than the humble candle should have been able to produce, Flux beheld all manner of strange and advanced-looking machinery. At the center of the room was an illuminated circle... No, it wasn't light, but magic that the circle shone with. The spectral sensations in his horn intensified as he followed the lavender mare's lead toward the mysterious etching on the floor. "This is a runic retention circle," Twilight said fondly as she traced its curve with a hoof. "It remembers a spell that I cast on it, so that I can call it up at any time by standing inside it. We'll be using a spell that I trained with in preparation for advanced magical manipulation, but it should be perfect for getting you in touch with your magic sense." Twilight touched her horn to the rim of the circle, and the whole room was bathed in deep violet as the circle took in her spell. Before his eyes (or horn, he thought,) there appeared strange, sprawling runes on the outer edge of the circle. And yet, despite having never seen such intricate and bizarre runes before, Flux understood their meaning... rather, it was almost as though they were reaching out to him, as though they wanted to be read: Encircled here, o shadow laid to rest Awaken now, and rise at my behest Obscure my eyes, let darkness take my sight That in the blackness I may test my might The spell complete, Twilight raised her head and smiled at her work, satisfied. The circle's glow had diminished somewhat, but still held the strange runes and feel of residual magic. "Of the physical senses, magic is the most similar to vision," Twilight explained. "This spell allows for magic to take the place of your sight. It blocks light from entering your eyes, and at the same time enhances the magic flow within the circle." "So... just making sure I have this straight," Flux said nervously, "You're gonna blind me?" "...I suppose so. But there's nothing permanent about it," Twilight reassured, seeing his reluctant expression. "If you step outside the circle, the spell ends. Here, I'll show you." She stepped to the center of the circle and closed her eyes. Her horn began to glow brightly along with the circle as it shone with life once more. Power seemed to be flowing into her from the edges of the circle as the spell was cast, at once mysterious and beautiful. And then she opened her eyes. Flux screamed. Where once were violet pools of serene intelligence, in their place were perfect twin mirrors, reflecting his horror back at him. "It's alright! I'm fine! Don't worry, it's just the magic." Twilight attempted to calm him as he gasped for breath, reason taking hold once more. "I should've told you what to expect. The spell uses reflection, but I didn't think about how it would look... sorry for scaring you." Flux swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat, and spoke shakily. "This spell... you said it's not permanent, so I guess it's all right, but... couldn't you just blindfold me or something?" "Even the best blindfold still lets some light through," Twilight reassured. "Complete visual focus is required for this to work. Once you've sharpened your sense to the subconscious level, we'll be able to do without the circle, but for now, this really is the best way." She stepped over the edge, and the mirror coating left her eyes once more. "It'll all be fine. Just reach out to the circle and the spell will cast itself through you. I'll be right here the whole time." Flux stepped shakily to the center of the circle, mustering what courage he could. He closed his eyes, allowing the energies flowing around him to sharpen and solidify into the circle he stood within, 'seeing' the runes appear on the circumference again. They began to flow towards him, colliding with and being absorbed by his horn. He could feel an electrical pulse each time a rune came into contact with his horn, as the spell built to its completion. The entropic vortex of non-color began to solidify into solid textures, and he could make out the shapes of the odd machines he had seen just moments ago. Behind him, he saw a much more intense concentration of energy, which expanded as he turned to become the outline of an equine about his size. He opened his eyes out of reflex, despite knowing that this would make no difference as the spell had taken effect. "Oh my," Twilight's voice said as he felt a touch of shock emanate from the equine figure before him. "I can see why you were startled, the effect is... somewhat unsettling. How are you feeling?" "It's... like when I had that tea, earlier," Flux said as he felt around the basement with his new vision. "But more focused, I guess. It's like I can see all around me, not just in front of me. It's weird, but not a bad weird." Twilight's figure emanated relief and... pride? "You're doing well. Time for the next step." Her horn radiated pure energy, and several spheres of light burst from it and into the circle. "These are fairy lights," Twilight explained. "They're invisible, but emit magic. Ancient unicorns used to use them as beacons to mark out hidden passages." The orbs began to move randomly around the circle. "Try to avoid touching them for as long as you can. I'll keep moving them faster until you get hit." As she spoke, one of the spheres slowly wafted towards his head; he dodged to the side as it passed him by. As he felt around the circle, he counted five lights, each seemingly with a mind of its own. He silently marveled at Twilight's ability to move so many of them as he sidestepped another, this one headed for his flank. "So, what do you think of Ponyville so far?" The figure spoke suddenly. Flux, distracted, narrowly missed being grazed by a light that had moved to attack his right foreleg. "Is this really the time? I'm trying to concentrate," he muttered in mild annoyance as he regained his focus. "Multitasking is an important part of magical manipulation; this is a good way to get you used to performing several tasks at once." The flow of magic from the figure increased slightly as she spoke, sending the orbs wheeling around the circle a little faster. "Just try to keep up with the conversation. Makes it more fun, don't you think?" A touch of mischief and humor came from the figure. She was toying with him. A challenge, is it? He grinned in determination as he ducked another orb, this one passing harmlessly over his shoulders. "From what I can remember of last night," Flux managed as he was forced to jump a light headed for his feet, "Everything is exactly like what I've seen in the show. It'd be fun to just take in the sights some time." "That sounds good! We could do that this afternoon, once we're done training for the day." A feeling of pleasant anticipation emanated from the pony form next to him. "Where would you like to go first?" Flux struggled to order his thoughts, still ducking and dodging the strange orbs as they fairly whizzed by, having greatly increased in speed. "I can't think of any particular place..." he grunted, now breaking a sweat as a sphere narrowly missed his tail. "You could show me your favorite spots around town, to get started." "Something like a guided tour, then? Let's see..." The orbs' flight slowed noticeably as she thought. "We could have lunch at the Shamrock, that's the corner cafe just down the street from here." "Is that the outdoor restaurant with the clover sign?" They had gone past the venue briefly during the welcoming party. A nod from Twilight confirmed the inquiry. "I have to ask, are those tables actual mushrooms?" Twilight giggled. "Don't they ever grow that big in your world?" He shook his head, then quickly pulled it back as a light nearly clipped him from the side. "They take a fair amount of care to keep them healthy. That's one of the things that makes the Shamrock so popular, second only to their food. And don't tell anypony..." She leaned in conspiratorially, "There's a bit of magic involved in their upkeep, as well." "Meals on magical mushrooms..." Flux smirked at his own alliteration, and felt a bit of amusement from Twilight as she continued to speed up the spheres' flight. He was snapped out of his humor as an orb nearly grazed his nose. This was getting difficult! "After that, we could go see Sweet Apple Acres, and help out a little if they still need it. They're usually done with their work by then, so we'll see. Besides, you'll be spending tomorrow morning with Applejack, so there will be plenty of opportunity to help." Flux blinked, almost getting hit in the side in his confusion. "I thought I was going to help Pinkie tomorrow. Applejack's on Friday, right?" "Very sharp, I'm impressed!" Messing with my head now, are you? He felt himself grinning in determination, deftly sidestepping two orbs that assaulted him simultaneously from the front and the back. You won't get the best of me that easily... "I'm not exactly sure what she wants to do with the rest of the day, but you'll be making cupcakes as an earth pony. Rainbow Dash usually helps her with the ingredients, but she'll be busy in the morning. She might swing by later, though." He blanched. A hideous image rose unbidden to the forefront of his mind. NO! Don't even BEGIN to think about that! Flux bore down on the mental image, attempting to crush it into oblivion. But it was too late. The distraction had cost him his focus, and he was hit. A sudden jolt of pure electricity shot through his horn as the orb made contact, and he yelped in pain and surprise as he fell to the floor. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" Twilight rushed forward, dispelling the blinding magic and remaining orbs. "Are you all right? I was trying not to hit your horn, what happened?" Flux's vision returned slowly, revealing the purple mare's eyes awkwardly close to his own. "I'm fine..." he managed as the tingling jolts subsided, leaving a dull headache. Of all the things to remember, why THAT?! "Did you remember something? What was it?" Twilight's voice was concerned, yet hopeful. "Nothing that I'd care to remember..." He groaned, squashing back the image once more. "Let's just say that some people in my world are sick, twisted and wrong, and leave it at that. Trust me, you don't want to know." Twilight's ears drooped slightly. "I understand... you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Her expression perked back up. "But Flux, I'm really impressed! You lasted about five minutes, and I was moving the lights almost as fast as I could!" She smiled proudly. "You sure you've never used magic before? It took me weeks before I was that good!" Flattered, Flux got to his feet, blushing slightly. "Thanks, I'm glad you think so. What's next?" "At this point, I think you've progressed beyond the need for the visual replacement method." She lowered her horn to the edge of the circle, and the runes appeared to be drawn back into her horn. Wait a minute. Flux looked at the circle again, now dormant. I can still see the magic, just like I did with that spell. Twilight noticed his smile of accomplishment, and gave one of her own. "We'll keep doing this until you can reach five minutes with your normal vision. Want to take a rest, or are you ready for another round?" Flux grinned confidently, getting back into his 'ready' stance. "Let's do it." They continued the exercise well into late morning. It was indeed much harder with the distraction of physical sight, but he was quickly improving. They conversed over all manner of topics as they practiced, Twilight every so often throwing a logical fallacy at him, which he corrected, all the while keeping his focus on the whirling, invisible balls of magic. This is hardly study, Flux mused as he dodged. This is way too much fun. ~~~ "I know I've been saying this a lot... probably too much... but wow." "It's just a sandwich," Spike scoffed as he munched his extra-crispy hay fries. "Maybe it's for the best that ponies can't eat gemstones, you'd never get enough of those." Visions of a windswept plain beneath the noonday sun ran through Flux's head as he chewed his daffodil-and-daisy sandwich. He thought of how much more colorful his world would be if flowers had been this delicious. He'd taken some of the forget-me-not from the vase at the center of the mushroom as they waited, and the flavor was memorable, to say the least. It hadn't taken him long to realize that the vases were not just decoration, but appetizers. Nothing compared to the main course, of course, but delectable all the same. "What can I say?" Flux mumbled through a mouthful of blossoms, eliciting a giggle from Twilight. "I've become something of a floral connoisseur." He raised a hoof as though to stroke a nonexistent beard, his tone sarcastically elegant. "Second only to the use of magic, and of course my presence in Equestria itself, such fine flora is the most favorable factor of this fantastical foray." He thought for sure Spike was going to shoot a fry from his nose as he snorted, both he and Twilight caught completely off guard by his alliterative assault. "You say you're not a prince," Spike gasped as he tried to regain his faculties, "But you've got one heck of a vocabulary. How much have you been talking to Twilight?" "That just kinda came out of nowhere, actually." Flux smirked, satisfied at the reaction. Twilight's face bore an expression between impressed and laughing. "Spur-of-the-moment humor is often the best, in my opinion." "Oh boy..." Twilight panted, still giggling. "I'm starting to question whether having you work with Pinkie tomorrow is such a good idea..." "Geez, if tomorrow is anything like yesterday, you're gonna have to drag me back on a stretcher..." Flux rotated a hoof next to his head, getting another snort from Spike. "That was insane. I had about enough cake to last a year. She must be bigger on the inside, the way she tears through that stuff." "That's just Pinkie," Twilight grinned fondly. "Just accept her for what she is, and it'll save you a lot of headache, believe me." He had finished his sandwich and started on his fries. The mixture of familiar flavors was unusual, yet strangely good: they had the same texture and saltiness of common french fries, but a rich, grainy flavor, like oven-toasted bread. He smiled in satisfaction as he munched on a few more. The novelty of pony food would wear off soon, but for now he was enjoying it for everything it was worth. They talked a while longer over the meal, Twilight pointing out the various establishments around the restaurants, as well as the various ponies that were going about their daily business. Flux had seen several of the more widely recognized extras from the show, and had been surprised that the fan names, and for the most part their personalities, had been accurate. You're in a fantasy world, you've been turned into a magical pony, you're talking to a cartoon character, and THIS surprises you?? Get some perspective! He munched another fry. Something orange in the corner of his vision caught his attention, and he turned to see Applejack trotting in the direction of the Library. She raised a hoof to knock, then lowered it, taking note of the 'out to lunch' sign. She turned and shuffled back, looking somewhat dejected. "Applejack! Over here!" Her ears perked at the greeting, and her face brightened as she trotted toward the waving Twilight. "Thank goodness ah found ya, Twi! Oh... howdy, Flux. Sorry ta interrupt." Flux raised an eyebrow, slightly concerned, as Twilight assured the farmer that there was no problem. Was she disappointed to see him here? "Ah was gonna ask fer some help on the farm," the orange mare informed. "Mac busted his plow on a rock, and it'd be great if you could take a look at it. But if yer' still workin' with Flux, I can come back later. Maybe ah can get a start on movin' that rock outta the field." "Actually, we were about to head over there after lunch," Flux interjected, seeing Applejack's mood lift almost instantly. "We finished the first part of his training early today," Twilight added, giving him a fond look. "I've never seen anypony take to magic so quickly. Flux is a natural." Flux became conspicuously more interested in his remaining fries, attempting to hide yet another flush. All present company chuckled slightly at his awkwardness. "Well shoot, that's just dandy!" Applejack beamed, trotting a little in place. "How about ah stick around till yer' finished, and we'll go there together?" "That sounds like a great plan." Twilight sipped at her lemonade, having finished most of her meal. "This rock you mentioned... how big would you say it is?" "'Bout as big as a healthy pumpkin. Shouldn't take too long to move." Twilight's eyes glinted dangerously, a mischievous smile slowly coming across her face as she looked at flux, who was suddenly having difficulty with his own beverage. Spike bore a look of dawning comprehension. "Oh, right... this ought to be good!" He looked eagerly at Flux. Applejack seemed just as confused as he was. "Um..." Flux gulped nervously. ~~~ "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Flux stood within a translucent purple dome, along with Twilight, Applejack and Spike. He recognized the barrier spell as Shining Armor's specialty, concern rising as he thought of what could prompt the use of such a defense. "Don't worry. Just do as I told you and everything should be fine. Besides, we're ready if anything goes wrong." Twilight's horn shone brightly as she spoke, adding an extra layer to the shimmering barricade. Flux closed his eyes and focused on the large rock before them, feeling it out with his magic sense. It was unremarkable, except for a large chip that had broken off where Big Macintosh had hit it with the plow. It was about the size of a basketball, and had been half-excavated already. He envisioned a shimmering ball of light encompassing the stone, as per Twilight's instruction. He felt power flowing from the tip of his horn to connect with the rock, enveloping it in his silver-platinum aura. "Very good," came Twilight's voice from behind him. "You're ready to lift it. Nice and easy." Flux screwed his eyes up, attempting to channel the Force as he willed the rock to rise from the earth. The explosion could be heard all throughout Ponyville and beyond. Bits of shrapnel whizzed through the air, bouncing harmlessly off of Twilight's lavender shell. Flux stood paralyzed, the detonation still ringing in his ears. He finally allowed himself to breathe, taking in the smoldering sight of his utter failure. Where once was a stone, there now was a large crater, the field ruined. Slowly, cautiously, he turned in shame to face his teacher. Spike released his pent-up laughter, collapsing on the ground in a fit of mirth. "Just like Twilight!" He gasped, pounding the earth with a claw. "Oh man, your face! That brings back memories!" The unicorn and the farmer, however, continued to stare at the crater, mouths agape. "That was... very impressive..." Twilight finally managed, once again gaining control of her senses. "The power's certainly there... we should probably use something smaller next time. Oh, sorry about the mess, I'll get right to it." She grinned apologetically at Applejack, her horn lighting up again. Flux watched in wonderment as the barrier dissolved and the earth surrounding the crater shone violet. Like a liquid mass, the edges flowed inward on the hole, filling it up and smoothing it out. When she finished, no one would have guessed that previously it had been ground zero of a powerful blast. "Sorry about that..." Flux muttered sheepishly, shuffling a hoof in the dirt. "Not sure what I did wrong..." Twilight giggled. "You put too much effort into it. Don't try so hard to force it to move; instead, let your magic move it for you." She smiled reassuringly at Flux, who was still feeling a little dumb for making a giant crater in Applejack's field. "Admittedly, this was just to test your power. I expected it to crack or even crumble, but it takes a lot of power to blow it up like that. It wasn't a likely scenario, but I used the shield spell anyway. Good idea, wouldn't you say?" "Uh... yeah, I suppose so..." Flux looked around for signs of damage from the far-flung shrapnel. They were far enough out in the field that there were no structures nearby, to his relief. A flying shape caught his notice; he turned to get a better look, squinting into the sky. An unidentified pegasus, too high to tell who it was, had flown in to inspect the source of the blast. Twilight waved to it, and it flew back towards Ponyville, apparently satisfied that this was no cause for concern, considering the strangeness that seemed to follow the unicorn. "Hoo-whee! That's one way to get rid of a rock," Applejack exclaimed, thumping Flux on the shoulder. "Thank ya kindly, Flux, even if ya did make a bit of a mess." She turned to Twilight, still grinning from the excitement. "There's still the matter of the plow, if it's not too much trouble." "Not at all," Twilight reassured. "Let's have a look at it. I'll handle this one, Flux, but you're welcome to watch." They made their way to the large barn at the center of the farm. Big Macintosh was attempting to hammer the bent plow blade back into shape; Flux winced at the sight of the farm horse holding the tool in his teeth as he swung powerfully at the tarnished metal. "Y'all can take a break now, Mac," Applejack called as the three entered the barn. Mac placed the hammer on the ground, greeting them with a friendly nod. "Oh my goodness," Twilight gasped as she got a good look at the mangled plow. The blade had bent off to the side at nearly a right angle, indicating that there was some serious force behind it when it struck the stone. She felt a new-found respect for the quiet strength of the red farm horse. "This isn't going to be easy," Twilight diagnosed as she ran her hoof along the crumpled blade. "Manipulation of this level will require absolute focus. I can't have any distractions." All nodded in understanding. "All right. I'm starting... now." Twilight closed her eyes as her horn shone even brighter than usual. The feeling of raw power was almost tangible as Flux looked on at the display of magical might, like an invisible pressure being emitted from Twilight's direction. An electric prickle ran through his spine, sending a chill of mixed respect and fear. As he watched, the blade was enveloped in an intense violet light, and the metal began to creak and groan under the mystical force. Slowly, steadily, the blade began to bend back into shape as the three looked on in silence. Twilight gritted her teeth, a bead of sweat forming on her brow as she channeled immense power through her horn. Invisible hooves pressed the blade, pushing with the force of ten stallions, the protesting metal bending to her will. Her hooves dug a little into the earthen floor of the barn as she braced against her inanimate opponent. Finally, after what seemed to be several minutes, the lavender light surrounding the blade and illuminating the barn faded away. Twilight panted in exertion, opening her eyes to observe her handiwork. The plow's blade, straight as the day it was cast, gleamed in the center of the barn. She'd even gone ahead and polished off the rust that had been building on it for goodness knows how long. "Yee-haw! Now that's a shine!" Cried Applejack as she and Mac approached the plow, admiring the finished product. "Eeyup," Mac stated approvingly. Flux picked his jaw up off the floor. "That's... amazing. I'm never gonna be that good." "Ya can't know until ya try, sugar," Applejack said as she rumpled his hair with a hoof. "And if anyone can whip ya into shape, it's Twilight. Now, how much do ah owe ya for the repairs?" She turned to Twilight, pulling a golden coin from under her stetson. Apparently she had a pouch on the inside for carrying small objects. "Oh, that's fine. Don't worry about it." Twilight held up a hoof, refusing the offered bit. "I'm just here to help out a friend." "If ya say so," Applejack tucked the bit back under her hat. "But yer next bushel of apples is on the house. Ah insist." Satisfied, they took the plow back out to the fields, where Mac strapped it back onto his harness and resumed his plowing. ~~~ Not much else of note happened over the course of the day, Flux having completed Twilight's scheduled training much earlier than expected. He didn't mind the slower pace, as it gave him time to take in and appreciate the natural beauty of the countryside. He, Twilight and Applejack spent the rest of the afternoon wandering Sweet Apple Acres, talking about life in general and getting him familiar with the farm. Applejack eventually talked them into staying for dinner, and Flux had to admit that Granny's cooking was some of the best he'd ever had. He found himself repeating a lot of what he'd said to Twilight and her friends about himself as the Apple family, especially Applebloom, questioned him eagerly. They returned to the library as the sun set, both exhausted from the day's events. Twilight offered him several books on magic and Equestrian history, advising him not to practice his magic indoors yet. He needed no reminder, the image of the exploding rock was still fresh in his mind. I still have a lot to learn, He mused sleepily to himself as he turned the page of 'Telekinesis and You: a Beginner's Guide to Magical Manipulation'. That's good, though. I might even learn more about myself along the way... He could have sworn he heard a silvery voice as the moon rose slowly into the night sky. His tired mind registered the words of the Lullaby as sleep took him. He fell into bed with a smile, dreaming of flowers, apples and magic. ~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~ Author's note Sorry for taking so long with this one. Third shift. I'll say no more. I very much hope I did Twilight justice with this chapter. Twilight is best pony. I think it's interesting to see her in a student-turned-teacher role. Magic is really difficult to describe. Some creative license was used, but I tried to keep within the boundaries defined by the show. Let me know how it was. Pinkie Pie is next. I must channel my inner randomness... If you're taking the time to read this, thanks for sticking with me so far. I'll see you next time. -M3
Chapter 1: Arrival~~~CHAPTER 1: ARRIVAL~~~ What if there were worlds beyond our own? Worlds where such things that we might think of as fantastic and impossible are considered to be commonplace? Worlds where untold horrors occur every day, and the hearts of the inhabitants are broken beyond any repair? What world do we live in? How might others see it? And if you could leave it forever… Would you? ~~~ There was a knock on the library door. Groaning sleepily, Twilight looked out her window. The moon was still high in the night sky, indicating that the time was around midnight. Grumbling to herself, she quietly left her bed and made her way down the stairs, taking care not to wake the sleeping Spike. She opened the main door’s window with a small flash of magic. “I’m sorry, but we’re closed—“ Her eyes went wide in surprise, and she quickly opened the door the rest of the way, giving a polite bow as she did so. There before her stood the Princess of the Night herself. “There’s no time for formalities right now, Twilight.” Luna’s regal demeanor, often so exaggerated as to be humorous, was absent. “My sister has requested an emergency audience with you and your friends. We may need the power of the Elements once again.” Twilight’s concern now rose for several reasons. Nothing so dire as to require the use of the Elements had occurred for a few years now, and nothing had ever warranted a personal visit from either princess for such a thing. Even the news of Discord’s return had been delivered in the typical manner, and Spike had remained silent so far. What could be so serious that Princess Celestia couldn’t find the time to send a message? And Luna herself, normally so bold and charismatic, was now tense. Nervous. Possibly even frightened. Sleep would have to wait. “I hope there’s not too much trouble,” Twilight said, now fully alert. “Canterlot is at least a half hour from here, even by direct flight.” “There will be no need for that. I will transport you all personally.” Luna’s horn glinted in the moonlight at this statement, and Twilight was once again reminded of the true power of the royal sisters. “Go and wake Rarity and Pinkie Pie. I will speak with Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. We’ll meet back here as soon as possible.” At this, her horn shone a deep and intense blue, and without another word, she was gone. Scenarios of disaster and ruin blazed through Twilight’s mind as she broke into a full gallop. Arriving at Carousel Boutique, and not even bothering to be quiet about her entry, she woke Rarity (“Do you have any idea what time it is?! Haven’t you heard of beauty sleep?”) and informed her of the situation. The drill was repeated at Sugarcube Corner (“Ooh, I thought you didn’t want to party all night!”), and the three made their way back to the library. Luna stood before the door, wings rustling awkwardly, giving the occasional glance towards Canterlot. Applejack and Rainbow dash cast worried looks at the princess, and then at each other, while Fluttershy seemed to be attempting to burrow into her own mane. Some tension was relieved, however, as Twilight appeared running towards them, with Rarity and Pinkie in tow. Luna broke the silence, some of the nerves lifting from her voice. “Thank you all for coming so quickly. My apologies in advance for our form of travel, but we have no time to lose. My sister will explain the situation more thoroughly when we arrive.” Luna’s horn flared up again, and a circle of deep blue formed around the gathered ponies. Twilight knew exactly what spell this was, and braced for it. The others weren’t quite so lucky. ~~~ A flash of light and sound. A speed far greater than anything should ever move. Finally, solidity once more. Having teleported before, although being the caster and not over so great a distance, Twilight quickly shook off the effects of the magical displacement. A retching sound told her that the warp had not been quite so kind to her friends. She quickly cast an anti-nausea spell over the group (just in time for poor Fluttershy), and observed her surroundings. They had landed in the Canterlot sculpture garden. Twilight recognized many of the statues from her youth, and a sinking feeling told her, correctly, that they now stood on a direct line from the statue of Discord. Memories of their past conflict washed over Twilight, and the mad notion briefly popped into her mind that he would break free once more. Her thoughts were then disturbed by a pure white alicorn standing before the statue. As she rushed toward her mentor, Twilight saw that the princess’s gaze was fixed not on the statue itself, but on a crumpled mass of… something near its base. She suddenly stopped her run short as she was hit by a wave of what felt like… It was unlike anything Twilight had ever experienced. If the feeling of casting a spell could be described physically, this was the opposite. The thing emanated what could only be described as non-magic. It was so alien and foreign that it was in conflict with the very fabric of Equestria itself. Even from her distant viewpoint Twilight could see that the grass beneath it had faded to more subdued tones of green, an invisible circle of not-magic surrounding it. Celestia turned to face the group, giving a nod of recognition. “Thank you all for coming here on such short notice. I’m still uncertain what exactly we’re dealing with here, But it is certainly powerful, and potentially dangerous, especially for unicorns. For now, I need you to be ready with the Elements.” A golden glow surrounded several items at Celestia’s feet, now revealed to be the Elements, floating over to their respective bearers, who in turn quickly put them on. “Beg pardon, princess, but what exactly are we lookin’ at here?” Applejack tentatively approached the crumpled mass. It appeared to be alive, with parts of it covered in different colored fabric. Clothing, Rarity realized, uncannily similar to what some stallions wore in the larger cities. It was hairless, except for a small tuft on its head colored a light brown. It had four limbs, the ones nearest the head splitting off into hands much like Spike’s claws, while the rear ones ended in oddly shaped hooves, wearing shoes of rubber and leather. Applejack was able to get a good deal closer than Twilight had previously, although she began to show signs of discomfort once she got within foreleg’s reach. Twilight surmised that because the earth ponies had no conscious control of magic, they would be less sensitive to this strange not-magic that this thing seemed to give off. “What concerns me the most is not the creature itself, but the effect it is having on its surroundings.” Celestia’s face was unreadable, but there was a hint of alarm as she spoke. “Wherever it came from must have been completely different from our world, as it possesses absolutely no magic. Now it is behaving as a magical void, and all the surrounding magic is rushing in to fill it. My concern is that if left unchecked, this vacuum effect may weaken the seal on Discord once more. That is why I called you here to bear the elements.” “Couldn’t we just move it away from the statue? You know, somewhere it couldn’t hurt anything?” A rough voice sounded from above as Rainbow Dash flew in closer to inspect the mysterious newcomer. Hearing this suggestion, Applejack gave it a prod with her hoof. A collective gasp was heard as she yanked her hoof back, as though she had just been burned, although no sign of physical harm was present as she observed the stung appendage. Shakily, she backed off from the thing. “…Are you alright? That looked like it hurt…” The yellow pegasus gave Applejack’s hoof a gentle nuzzle, eliciting a ticklish chuckle from the farmer. “Thank ya kindly, ‘Shy, but I’ll be fine.” She looked to the sun princess in confusion. “But what in tarnation was that? I just tapped ‘im with my hoof, and then got all tuckered out all of a sudden.” Celestia sighed and lowered her head. “I had feared that such was the case. It looks as though this thing isn’t even consciously aware of what’s happening. But any contact with it whatsoever will result in a rapid magical drain. That’s enough to incapacitate anypony, no matter how strong.” “Not quite sure what yer’ gettin’ at, princess. I ain’t hidin’ a horn under this hat or anything. I got no magic to steal, am I right?” “Actually, everypony uses magic in some form or another.” They all looked at Twilight, who appeared to be getting into ‘lecture mode’. “Unicorns are the most visible example, since we use our horns to manipulate our surroundings and cast spells. But both pegasi and earth ponies use magic as well. A pegasus’s wings are constantly channeling magic, enabling it to walk on and manipulate clouds. And earth ponies store magic internally, where it passively enhances their physical capability. Everything in Equestria contains a bit of magic, even the grass that creature is lying on.” “So you’re saying that it’s not just the unicorns that are in danger of this magic-eating thing, but everything else as well?” Rarity, while not quite the magic user that Twilight was, caught on quickly in areas of magic. “But it doesn’t look like it’s getting any worse. That grass has seen better days though…” Celestia gave an approving nod. “Correct, Rarity. It seems that we’re in the clear, at least for now. The circle of magical absorption hasn’t spread any further since I sent Luna to get you. But we still have to get to the bottom of this. I wouldn’t put it past Discord as another of his tricks.” “Um, what do you think, Pinkie? You’ve been awfully quiet—eep!” They all followed Fluttershy’s frightened gaze. And then they saw the reason for the pink pony’s silence. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably in what any untrained eye would think was a seizure. Her eyes, even larger than usual if such a thing were possible, were fixed on the thing below the statue. But everypony recognized the strange jerks and twitches all too well. The Pinkie Sense was going haywire. And in the silence, a sound was heard. Little more than grains of sand falling to earth. Slowly, fearfully, their eyes returned to the draconequus. Little had changed, except that the stone seemed to have dulled over time. Age had eroded away the sharper edges of the sculpture, and it appeared to be somewhat brittle and crumbly. Far too old for a statue that had only been created a year ago. “THE ELEMENTS! NOW!” Celestia’s Voice boomed over the gardens, and perhaps all of Canterlot. The power of her Voice had risen unbidden, but she paid it no mind as memories of chaos eternal now flooded into her. Luna held these memories as well, and her battle stance felt as natural as it had over a thousand years ago, when she and Celestia had led the fight against Discord. Without another word, the Elements awoke. Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter and Magic rose into the air on invisible wings, wrapped in an unearthly energy. This was goodness manifest. This was hope and salvation given form. This was raw, beautiful and terrible power, not so much being channeled by the six ponies at its heart as it was guiding their own inherent virtue to right the great wrong before them. The sisters’ stances softened as they felt a feeling of wellness flowing through them. The Elements of Harmony, having stood the test of time and having brought the end of so many terrors now lost to history, now began their work on the aged statue. A beam of pure light and color now shone forth and engulfed the sculpture, setting back its quickened clock and restoring its former shape. The blessed seal had been renewed. But the Elements were not finished. Their focus now turned to the crumpled figure at the feet of the vile Lord of Chaos. The beam now shone its full radiant glory upon it, at once awesome and terrifying. And then the beam began to fade. The collective hearts of the royal pair skipped a beat. One never truly became accustomed to the wondrous sight of the Elements’ power, and this was no exception. But never in their long lives had anything like this occurred. The beam seemed to lose its shine as it approached the figure, all but vanishing as it made contact. Still the harmonious onslaught continued unabated, and the sisters held faith that whatever this was would soon be remedied. Minutes passed. Each felt like several hours in the face of this new development. Celestia felt a touch of uncertain fear for Twilight and her friends. Never before had the Elements remained active for so long, and their effects on their bearers was unknown. Still they waited. ~~~ After roughly five minutes, Luna, being more accustomed and attuned to the low light of the moon, noticed a change. The dulled grass at the fringes of the magical vacuum had begun to recover. Slowly but surely, the circle shrunk as the magic was returned to the area. Of course! Celestia realized as she studied the effect. The magic of the Elements is now filling the void! She shuddered to think of how cold and dead a world this being must have come from. So immense was the power being released by the Elements that she felt it would have been sufficient to raise and lower the sun several times over. Another five minutes, and suddenly the creature moaned. The voice (for there could be no mistaking it for the sound of an unintelligent monster) sounded almost equine. Its lips parted, and it breathed two syllables. And a new wave of fear chilled the sisters’ blood. “…disc…ord…” And then it screamed. It was the sound of a pain so intense that it could never be put into words. The thing must still have been unable to move, or else it would have writhed in agony. A series of snaps and cracks, and the occasional bony crunch, revealed the source of the pain. The little ponies were just so because of the magic they wielded. Each form was specifically built for the best use of their naturally occurring magic. It was thus that Celestia surmised that the Elements were now performing an act of mercy. This creature’s form was clearly never designed to use magic, or even to come into contact with it. Magic and form would fall into conflict, and its body would tear itself apart. Therefore, the Elements were now granting it a form which could make use of the magic it was taking in. A chance at life in this world that it was now becoming part of. Truly the best outcome to be had from this horrible situation, as was the nature of the Elements. Discord remains sealed, everypony lives. But the pain… The terrible, terrible agony… A tear ran down the Sun Princess’s cheek. Was there no other way? The thing’s screams now became more shrill and harsher as the changes became more rapid. Some bones lengthened while others shortened. Fingers dwindled into nubs and a keratinous mass erupted from each hand. A hole tore through the seat of its pants as its tail emerged. Its jaw lengthened into a muzzle (his jaw, Luna now noted), and his eyes expanded to nearly twice their former diameter. Fur grew along his body, a soft and almost ethereal grey, and his mane extended further down his neck, changing from a light brown to a dull white, and his tail sprouted hair of a similar texture. The screaming had ended with the last of the skeletal adjustments, and had been reduced to a weak whimper. The light of the elements, its work now finished, began to fade away once more to nothingness, and six ponies gently fell, unconscious, to the grass below. Both princesses rushed to the aid of the fallen Elements, each hastily preparing their own diagnostic spell. Both went over each pony carefully, checking for signs of magical backlash or other ill effects that may have resulted from such prolonged exposure to the power of the Elements. Finally, Luna confirmed: “They are unharmed. But their internal stores of magic have been completely drained. They will need to rest for a time.” Celestia loosed a great sigh of relief. “Very well. Bring them to my guest quarters, and see to it that they are well cared for.” Luna nodded, gently lifting each with her horn. “And what about you, sister? You should get some rest as well.” Celestia turned her gaze to the prone form of the creature (pony, she corrected herself). “I want to study this new pony, now that it is safe to approach. It is important that we learn whether this thing’s presence here is intentional, and if others will attempt to follow.” With a silent flap of her velvety wings, Luna bore the six slumbering ponies away to the castle. ~~~ Now it was just Celestia and the stranger. She called upon her magic, as she had countless times before, and prodded his forehead gently with her horn. She first cast the Awakening spell, but the mysterious pony remained stubbornly unconscious. She then attempted simple telepathy, but to no avail. It seemed the stranger was now in a state far beyond sleep, yet everything else was in proper working order. His body showed no signs of physical injury. His wings were healthy and of full plumage, like any pegasus. His horn shone with a mother-of-pearl luster, and was free of any chips or cracks— Celestia paused, eyes slowly widening in confusion and wonderment. Had she really been so caught up in the chaos that she failed to notice that the pony before her was an alicorn?! Yet the surprises were not finished. She looked again, and the horn and wings, which had seemed so solid mere moments before, were now translucent and immaterial. An illusion? Celestia summoned the Truesight spell, and yet the strange effect remained. Curious, she extended a foreleg to touch the pony’s horn. It passed through, as though there were nothing there. The same was true for the wings. More confused than ever now, she turned once more to the statue of Discord. The statue was still whole, pristine as the fateful day he had been re-sealed by Twilight and her friends. This was no chaotic trickery. Or was it? A sting of apprehension struck Celestia as she prepared a spell that she did not often use, except for absolute emergency. The Mindwalker spell was ancient, dating back to before even the time of Starswirl the Bearded. It was a private invasion of the highest level, and had the nasty reputation of revealing absolutely everything about the one on the receiving end. Many ended friendships and relations could be attributed to this spell, as the caster was exposed to the deepest, darkest thoughts that everypony has, and that nopony else should ever have to witness. But Celestia needed answers, and the sooner she got them, the better for Equestria as a whole. Gritting her teeth, she lowered her head once more to touch his forehead lightly with her horn. She cast the spell and dove into the depths of the stranger’s mind. What she saw nearly drove her right back out in shock. This creature was called a ‘human’. And he knew. He knew far, far too much. This world of the humans, ‘Earth’, was utterly devoid of magic, and sadly lacking in harmony, yet it was not unsuccessful in its own way. Knowledge, machines and skills unheard of in Equestria took the place of magic in this strange world, and for the most part this human had been satisfied. But strangest of all was the window, the ‘television’, it was called, that showed them glimpses of other worlds. Some were beautiful, some terrifying, and yet all were intriguing. But this human had found… them. The window had pointed to Equestria. And the focus seemed to be on Twilight and her friends. It showed compressed and simplified segments of their daily lives, ending with a letter on the magic of friendship, word for word what she had received from Twilight’s studies in Ponyville. News of Equestria had spread like wildfire on Earth, generating mass response, both positive and negative. Some had been so captured by these glimpses of the beautiful and magical Equestria that they had begun to create their own fantasies about it. And some had expressed a desire to live in this world of harmony and magic. This human’s (he must have a name, it’s got to be in here somewhere) desire was not the sincere, literal type, but rather a wish for a kinder, friendlier world. Celestia smiled; she could relate to that longing for harmony. Although nothing she saw in his mind, beyond the television, made any indication that they were capable of travel between worlds. So the question remained: How did he get here? Celestia now turned her focus to the human’s personal memory and experience, and immediately realized that something was very wrong. The memories had become blurry and hazy, beginning about a year in his past. The closer she drew to the present, she fuzzier the memories became. Finally she arrived at one day prior to the incident that brought him to Equestria. And there she beheld the invisible horror. A great, snarled knot of filthy, vile tendrils threaded themselves through his most recent memories, reaching back all the way to a year ago. The tendrils had been severed within recent memory, but this knot was thriving. She reached out with her magic to grasp and remove the knot, and immediately felt the unmistakable power. This was the one responsible for his arrival. And the one who had now taken away this poor human’s personal memory. She pulled against the knot, but the tendrils convulsed and contracted, pulling painfully on his memories. Defeated, Celestia released the knot. A fearsome glare now adorned her usually graceful features. A sound, so faint that it almost wasn’t there, grew in the back of Celestia’s mind. A malevolent chuckle. Soft, yet dripping with vindictiveness and cruelty. “DISCORD!!!” Celestia found herself once more standing beside the strange human-pony. She shuddered in silent rage. Was there nothing he would not attempt to corrupt? “How dare he…” She cursed Discord under her breath. Not even the Elements had the power to heal a mind. “Still…” she mused, “The chaos energies running through him would explain the strange horn and wing effects. But the loss of those memories is just too cruel. We’ll never know who he was, and neither will he.” She glared at the draconequus. “’You don’t turn ponies into stone’… And yet, as stone, you have managed to destroy a life. I fear that I may never forgive you…” She noticed, now, that the sun had begun to approach the horizon, the sky now emblazoned with crimson at the edge. She sighed, closed her eyes, and prepared her daily spell that would guide the sun across the sky during the day, and to its rest at night. And it was at that moment that the strange pony woke. His first waking vision was that of Celestia’s golden form, silhouetted against that heavenly orb as she cast her spell. Weakly, he attempted to speak: “Prin…cess?” Celestia turned, and smiled as elegantly as she could manage. “Greetings, friend. As Princess of the Sun, and as a ruler of Equestria, I welcome you.” Shock became comprehension, leading to pure bliss. He slipped from consciousness once more, this time happily into sleep. ~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~ ~~~ Author’s note Holy crap. I freakin’ did it. If you’d told me a year ago that I’d write a 4k word fanfic chapter about My Little Pony, I’d have laughed in your face. Anyway, the human-turned-pony is Flux. Hence the title. And he is NOT an alicorn. He’s something entirely different. And I know I get kind of meta in this one, but I just wanted to play with the idea and see what comes of it. So yeah. Hope you enjoyed it, and hopefully I’ll have more on the way soon. Absolutely feel free to criticize, nitpick, etc, and I’ll see you soon. -M3
Chapter 2: Acquaintance~~~CHAPTER 2: ACQUAINTANCE~~~ It is often a joy to meet someone new. It is even better to become friends. To get to know each other. To share ideas and dreams. How painful it would be to lose those ties... ~~~ The noonday sun shone through the great arched window into the luxurious guestroom. On the oversize four poster bed, a prone figure stirred from its slumber. Ugh, I overslept. There goes my morn-- He blinked several times, clearing the sleep from his eyes, and stared blankly around the room. While the decor and size were certainly not objectionable, far from it, he had absolutely no idea how he came to be there. And on top of that... Gah! My head... What the heck did I do last night...? He raised a hoof to his aching skull, trying to think of what led to this-- A hoof. His hoof. He muffled a scream and cast a panicked look around the room. Determining that no one was coming to inspect the source of the outburst, he slowly released a shuddering breath. Okay. Calm down. You're still dreaming. You obviously fell asleep in front of the computer again, after attempting a My Little Pony marathon. That must be it. Unable to pinch himself awake owing to his new appendage, he brought a hoof swiftly across his face. It hurt. Wincing, he fell back into the (extremely comfortable) pillow, groaning from the combined confusion and headache. This is it. I've finally lost it. And now I'm a pony in a ridiculously large and expensive-looking bedroom. He examined his hoof, admiring its soft grey fur and hardened bottom. Well, there are worse ways to go, I suppose. A gentle knock at the door nearly made him scream again, resulting instead in a strangled yelp. He burrowed under the sheets, concerned both for himself and the one seeking entry due to his new and inexplicable form. He heard a soft chuckle through the door. "It's me, princess Celestia. May I come in?" "Princess... Celestia?" "I need to speak with you. Please don't be alarmed." A gentle glow, like morning sun, encompassed the doorknob as the wooden barrier softly creaked open. She put on a friendly smile as the mysterious pony emerged from the bedspread, eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. There before him, bright and warm as the sun she guided, stood the ruler of the fantasy world he had come to know and love. Worlds failed as he simply gazed on her majestic form, questions bubbling up within him ad infinitum, each competing with the others to be asked first. Finally he settled on: "You're... real?" A knowing smile graced the royal features as she took in the new pony. "Indeed. It seems that you know a great deal about Equestria, and about us. But I'm afraid that I know little about you. Might I ask your name?" "Flux," he found himself saying, then blinked in confusion. Where had that come from? "That's... not actually my name..." He managed, screwing up his eyes. He tried to think, but turned up nothing but scattered images and mental fog. "This is beyond weird. How is this possible? How did I get here?" He stared at his hoof once more. "And on top of that, I'm a pony now??" A sadness now crossed the princess's gentle visage as she recalled the sinuous tendrils she had seen in his mind. "I'm sorry, but you know about as much about your current situation and form as I do. When you arrived near the statue of Discord, you behaved as a magical vacuum, and all the surrounding magic started filling you. I can only theorize that a little of Discord's magic entered you as well." Celestia frowned. "Can you remember anything before you woke up here? Anything within even the last few days?" Flux wracked his brains for a clue, but was unable to find anything specific. He remembered he was from a country called the USA, but not exactly where within. He was roughly twenty years old, but strangely could recall very little of those years. His headache twinged again, and he grimaced as he searched deeper inside himself. He'd been educated. He had friends. He had family. And yet, as he searched for their faces, he was met with a jumble of tangled figments and thoughts. "It's like... I know I've forgotten something..." Another twinge, another wince. "...But I can't think of it... I can't even get close to it..." I am... Flux. No... that's not right... that's not my name, it's Flux. NO! WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER?! "It's wrong..." He whispered, a chill falling over him even in the bright light of the sun. "That's not who I am... so wrong... who am I really?" Suddenly, gently, a soft and comforting feeling came over him, a dreamy, silky sensation that swept away the chills that had been sinking into him as he delved into himself. Fear was forgotten as he peeked out from under Celestia's wing through bleary eyes, unaware until that moment that he had been crying, silently lamenting the unknown, and yet so important faces that he couldn't clearly see. "I'm so sorry. Nopony should ever have to go through this." Celestia leaned down, gently nuzzling the mysterious pony and drying his eyes. "I promise," she spoke in a voice as soft and sweet as a summer's breeze, "that I will do all within my power to help you." Flux allowed himself to be lost in the moment. He had wanted this, he realized. He had wanted, for even just a moment, to experience that fantasy, that all was right with the world, that he could never feel in his meager, broken reality. He wept openly into her beautiful, flowing mane as she held him close, tears of sorrow giving way to joy. This is perfect. Nothing else matters right now. After what felt like ages, Celestia stood once more, folding back her wing from Flux's contented form. "I wish I could help you with your memory personally," she said regretfully, earning a puzzled look from the new pony. "But something has happened to the Elements. When they saved you, they did so by pouring all of their magic directly into you. Now they must be... recharged, as it were. And Luna and I are the only ones with the power to do it." She gave a dismissive smile as she saw his look of concern and slight panic. "You are not to blame. The Elements have a mind of their own, and while this may not be the most ideal situation," Her smile now became reassuring, "I am confident that everything will turn out for the best." "Now, I think it's about time that I made some introductions." She gestured for Flux to follow, and he pushed back the covers and got unsteadily to his hooves. Carefully, he began to make his way to the door. It was the strangest thing. He knew that he'd walked on two legs for his whole life, and yet as he put his hooves forward, it felt as natural as breathing. His new form was perfectly built for this mode of transport, and his pace quickened from an unsteady shuffle to a confident walk. Soon, he matched stride with the princess, who beamed approvingly as they made their way down the spacious corridor. ~~~ They came to another room whose door was opened. Celestia tapped the door gently with her hoof, knocking twice. "Princess!" came Twilight's voice. "How is he doing?" "As well as can be expected. He's right here, if you'd like to meet him." Six faces suddenly appeared at the door. Each bore an expression of curiosity, ranging from timid to exuberant. "Girls, this is Flux. I'm afraid he doesn't remember much about himself, but I'm certain that you'll get along quite well." Celestia turned to indicate the new pony, but then broke out into a cheerful laugh. The rest followed suit. Flux's jaw had dropped. Logic told him that if he was in Equestria and in the presence of Celestia, then Twilight and her friends must exist as well. But still... there they were! He made a valiant effort not to grin like an idiot at the sight of his six favorite cartoon characters, suddenly made very real. "Um... yeah. I'm Flux. Nice to meet you..." He trailed off as his vocabulary suddenly disappeared, his flush visible through his silvery coat. Way to go, smooth talker. He shuffled his hoof on the ground, laughing awkwardly along with the rest at the absurdity of the situation. "Super nice to meet you too!" Pinkie chirped as she bounced forward, playfully poking his shoulder with a hoof. "It's always nice to meet new friends!" Flux became aware of an ache at the corners of his mouth. If this kept up, his face would be in danger of freezing in a permanent grin. Not that this was a bad thing. "Ah'd just like ta welcome y'all to Equestria, on behalf of us ponies here." The orange farmer gave him a rough hoofshake that nearly knocked him off his feet. "Guess we'll be seein' quite a bit of each other, and I'll sure appreciate an extra set of hooves on the farm." "Of course-- wait, what?" Flux's cheesy grin twisted into a frown of puzzlement. Celestia smiled benevolently. "Since Luna and I will need to watch over the Elements of Harmony for now, Twilight and her friends have offered to help you adjust. Ponyville should be a familiar setting for you, I should think." She gave a knowing wink as Flux flushed once more. "Don't worry, you can use the guest room at the library until we find a more permanent place for you to stay." Twilight smiled warmly as she took his hoof in a much more subdued manner. "And we'll definitely keep you busy!" The cyan pegasus circled overhead and landed beside him. "I've never seen wings like yours, but I'll whip you into shape in no time!" She smiled brashly, nudging his side with an elbow. Wings? Flux craned his neck around to look. Sure enough, there on his back were a set of oddly translucent wings, folded neatly. Strangely, the wings appeared to become more solid as he observed them, and he felt himself getting lighter, and new sensations flowed through the previously unnoticed appendages. Suddenly, everypony gasped. Even the princess appeared taken aback by something. "What's the matter??" He rapidly scanned the shocked faces, all of which were locked on him. "Your horn just went away!" Pinkie stammered. "And your wings got not-see-through!" "But now they've both returned to normal..." Twilight traded her look of shock for one of academic curiosity. A horn too?! Flux attempted to cross his eyes upwards to see his own forehead. Semi-transparent as his wings had been, there was a spike of velvet covered bone protruding from his head, spiraled and ending at a blunt point. As he focused on the horn, it became more solid, just like his wings had. Then it hit him. If the feeling of having wings was strange, then this new sensation was beyond strange. He could feel energies pouring into, out of and through him, hot and cold and electric all at once. He assumed that this was the feel of magic, and shuddered with the bizarre, ethereal touch. "The same thing just happened with your horn..." Twilight's face began to dawn into comprehension. "Flux, try focusing on your wings again." He shifted his attention once more to the appendages on his back. His horn faded away into nothingness, while at the same time his wings sprung into existence. "Aha!" Twilight cried, snapping him out of his trance. "Your name makes sense now! When you don't focus on a form, you fluctuate between earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn. But when you think of one, you gain the skills and attributes of that form. This is a really rare condition, I've never read about anything like this! We should study this some more later! Um, if you feel like it, that is." Twilight giggled in embarrassment, which Flux found extremely endearing. "Absolutely. I'll take all the help I can get to figure out what's happened to me." He could swear he heard Rainbow mutter "so awesome..." before quickly snapping back into her typical brashness. "Wowie! I knew he was super-duper special from the moment I saw him!" squealed Pinkie as she popped from seemingly nowhere. "'Course I couldn't say anything 'cause I started twitchy-twitching so bad I couldn't even talk and then you guys were all like *GAAAASP* and then we used the Elements and then we woke up here and now we have a super-duper amazing new friend!!" She beamed at Flux as he attempted to wrap his head around the barrage of words that had just hit him. "I have to agree that it will be nice to have another fine stallion around town." Rarity threw a wink his way, and his blush returned anew. "Once you get that horn of yours working, I could teach you the finer aspects of magical manipulation. And an assistant around the boutique would be quite appreciated. Wouldn't that be nice?" She smiled sweetly at him. Still flushed, he nodded sheepishly. "And, um, I could teach you about the plants and animals that live around here... if that's okay with you..." Fluttershy spoke from the back in a barely audible murmur; Flux smiled her way as gently as he could, and she retreated further into her long, pink mane. They shared an awkward glance as Rainbow snickered next to him. "Okay. So, just to make sure I understand the situation..." He looked over the assembled mares, and felt another dumb grin coming over him. He pushed it down, clearing his throat and recovering his chain of thought. "I'll be staying in Ponyville, with you, and basically helping out wherever I can." All nodded in agreement. "And you're all going to help me get used to... whatever the heck I am." A laugh, another nod. "And hopefully sometime I can start remembering who I am and how I got here." At this, they all avoided his gaze, glancing awkwardly and nervously around the room, except for Celestia, who frowned regretfully. "I'm afraid it won't be that simple. When you landed near Discord's statue, you began taking in some of his magic before we could use the Elements on you." She grimaced. "From what I've seen, I can only guess that when you took in the magic of the Elements, you got a piece of Twilight and her friends' magic as well. The chaos magic allows you to change between forms..." Her face now became downcast. "But thanks to Discord's twisted humor, the same magic that gives you your fluctuating form is also infesting your memories. Again, I wish I could help you with this personally, but the Elements will require my attention for the time being." "I understand." Flux put on his bravest face. "My memory is nothing compared to the safety of all Equestria." He grinned. "Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing Ponyville firsthand. There will be plenty of time to dwell on my misfortune later." The sun princess beamed down on him. "I am glad to hear you say that. This will be difficult for you, but I have every confidence that we will overcome this problem together." She spread her wings grandly. "Now I must return to the Elemental chamber. Girls, you have my undying gratitude. I will see you soon, Flux." And without another word, she leapt gracefully through the great arched window and flew into the distance. ~~~ An awkward silence followed. Pinkie stifled a giggle, dancing around adorably. "So..." Twilight broke the silence. "Are you hungry? I ordered some lunch, it should be here soon." As if to emphasize her point, Flux's belly let loose a powerful rumble. Rainbow gave a snort of derision. "That sounds good, thanks." He blushed once more. This was happening a lot. "Why don't we have a seat while we wait? The coach to Ponyville won't be leaving until later this afternoon." Rarity gestured elegantly towards some very plush couches surrounding a low table. "You can tell us all about yourself. What you remember, that is..." She added apologetically, to which he nodded in understanding. They all approached the table, and Flux observed the seating, coming to the realization that he had no idea how to use it. He looked around, seeing that everyone had their own method of relaxation. Twilight and Fluttershy preferred a catlike squat, curling forelegs underneath as they lay. The former was seated across the table from him, smiling warmly. Applejack and Pinkie sat in a more dog-like position, supporting with forelegs as hindquarters rested on the seats. Rarity reclined on her side propping her head on a hoof, observing him with interest. Rainbow Dash remained aloft, hovering almost effortlessly a bit behind the table. He chose a spot between Pinkie and Applejack (the former conspicuously sliding a bit closer with a soft giggle), and plunked himself down on his hind legs, his forelegs dangling over the edge. "So... what do you want to know? I can't guarantee that I'll know the answer, but I'll try my best." He grinned awkwardly. "I'll start." Twilight smiled reassuringly from across the table. "What can you tell us about where you're from?" "Well, our planet is called Earth. It's split into individually governed countries with varying cultures. I'm from the United States of America. It's divided up into... I think fifty states...? That sounds right. But I can't remember which one." "Wow..." Twilight was awash in academic interest. "So the humans live in the United States of America... What about the ponies? Or the gryphons and dragons?" Flux laughed. "I'm afraid that it's only humans. Dragons and gryphons are the stuff of myth. We have horses, but they aren't colorful or intelligent like you. We're the only ones there." "Princess Celestia said that humans don't have magic," Rarity mused. "How do you raise the sun? Do you have some sort of machine to do it for you?" "I'm not sure how it works in Equestria, other than that it's the princess's magic, but our sun is about a million times the size of Earth. We orbit the sun once a year, and the Earth's rotation causes day and night." "That sounds... impossibly big..." Twilight's eyes were wide in wonder. "Even princess Celestia's sun is only about a quarter the size of Equestria. She uses her magic to keep it lit, and to move it around the planet." "So you guys can't control the weather, or seasons, or anything??" Rainbow dash piped up incredulously, hardly believing in such a world where her weather job, or even any equivalent, didn't exist. "Nope, It's all natural where I'm from. That's one of the things I thought was so cool about this place. Our weather service isn't always accurate in their predictions. But if you knew someone who actually makes the weather happen..." He grinned up Rainbow Dash, who appeared to have developed an itch on the back of her neck as she grinned sheepishly back at him. "Ah hate ta tell ya, sugarcube, but the weather ain't always so reliable around these parts either." The farmer shot a teasing grin at the rainbow pegasus, who flustered irritably. "Hey, it's not my fault if the order comes in late! The guys in Cloudsdale are the ones to talk to, not me! Besides," She shot the orange pony a mischievous smirk. "You're not afraid to get a little wet, are you?" Flux smiled at the display of petty rivalry. It reminded him of the way he was with his best friend... Argh. What was his name...? "Is something the matter, dear?" Came a dainty voice. He jerked his head up, suddenly aware that all eyes were on him. He sighed. "Nah, it's nothing. Thought I remembered something for a bit... A friend of mine. We'd mess with each other all the time, like you were doing just now. But that's about it..." "That's good, though!" Twilight's eyes lit up. "I think we're making some progress! Tell us some more about your world." She smiled encouragingly at him. "Well..." His train of thought seemed to have derailed itself. "Um. Oh yeah, there's--" A knock at the door. The train jumped clean off the tracks. "Ah! our lunch!" Twilight giggled, having completely forgotten. "Come in!" Flux turned to see a sky blue unicorn magically pushing a large cart through the door. Stacks of gleaming silver platters adorned its surface, and a delicious aroma wafted in with it, making his stomach rumble thunderously, his forgotten hunger now returning with a vengeance. "You're in for a real treat." Rarity smiled approvingly at the selection placed before them. "Canterlot dining is the finest in Equestria." "Eh, you and yer fancy stuff." Applejack smirked at the white unicorn teasingly, nonetheless licking her lips in anticipation. "Wait till you get a taste o' Granny's home-grown, Apple family cookin'--Whoa nelly..." "Bon appetit." The waiter magically lifted the lids from the platters, revealing the most luxurious spread of vegetarian cuisine that Flux had ever beheld. Hot, steaming vegetable soups, salads that practically glimmered with freshness, fruits of such vibrant color that it would almost be a shame to devour such a masterpiece. A large bouquet of beautiful and aromatic flowers served as a wonderfully complimenting centerpiece. And the desserts... Cakes. Cookies. Puddings. Pies. There was enough sugar there to knock anyone into a diabetic shock. Pinkie started in almost immediately, consuming an entire cake with a single bite, triggering an appalled look from Rarity and a burst of laughter from Rainbow Dash. Twilight hoofed the waiter a few bits, who bowed politely and left the seven to their banquet. Seeing his hungry expression, Rarity laughed. "I would be willing to bet that you've never eaten this well back where you're from." She wafted a rose from the ornate vase, smelling it daintily. "You'd win that bet..." Flux tried not to drool as he looked over the feast. He made to take a plate of salad when something strange caught his eye. "Wait, did you just eat that??" Rarity discarded the rose stem. "Don't tell me that you didn't have flowers in your world! I could hardly stand such a dreary place!" "Oh no, we had flowers. We just never... ate them." He looked quizzically at the centerpiece, which now appeared strangely... appetizing. He tentatively lifted a daffodil in his mouth, inhaling its fragrance. Stranger things have happened... he cautiously nibbled at the delicate petals. A flavor unlike any Flux had experienced came over him. Images of morning sun and ripe grain filled his head as he was overcome by something so unique, a taste so... yellow, he decided. He greedily consumed the entire blossom, reveling in this new discovery. "Wow," he mumbled through a mouthful of petals. "This is amazing. Our flowers are just... gross, not for eating." A thought came over him. "Maybe they just taste different to ponies." He made his way through the bouquet, each of the six encouraging him to try their favorite. Dandelion, rose, violet, tulip, daisy and iris fell to his hunger as he delighted in the new flavors. "That's incredible..." he stifled a burp. "There's nothing that tastes like that on Earth, that's for certain." They made their way through the meal, conversing about the similar and differing vegetation on Earth and Equestria. Fluttershy in particular seemed more comfortable with this topic, displaying her knowledge of forest plants and natural remedies. The desserts (which hadn't yet been devoured by Pinkie) were not so novel an experience as the flowers had been, but were nonetheless the best he could remember having eaten. Flux, now sated, relaxed and took in the antics of his new friends. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had started a messy pie-eating contest (apple, of course). Fluttershy and Rarity listened with interest as Twilight continued to bombard him with questions about Earth, interjecting with their own every so often. Pinkie was... being Pinkie, rambling on about something so off-topic that he had all but given up on following her monologue, pausing occasionally to breathe or to stuff an entire pastry into her mouth. Overall, this weirdness was turning out to be absolutely wonderful. ~~~ "--And that's how I got my cutie mark!" Pinkie giggled merrily, all of them now completely stuffed with the luxurious meal. The waiter had entered about five minutes prior to return all the dishes and trays (there were no leftovers thanks to Pinkie). He returned once more and muttered something to Twilight, who nodded in understanding as he left again. "Our carriage is due to leave in ten minutes" She announced to the group. "I've already sent a message to Spike to expect us back at the library, so everything should be set up for you, Flux." He gave an appreciative smile. Twilight led the group through the spacious corridors and onto the castle grounds. Four pure white pegasus stallions, resplendent in golden armor, stood tethered to a large white and gold carriage, big enough to fit at least ten ponies inside. They all climbed in as Twilight greeted the guards, the four breaking their stoic poses to smile in cheerful recognition at the violet mare. The lead guard barked a command, and Flux felt his stomach falling as they leapt into the sky. He chanced a glance out the window, and was quickly reminded that he didn't know how to fly. Swiftly pulling his head back in and squashing his nerves as best he could, he picked up their question and answer session where they had left off. About half an hour later, they landed with a gentle thump in Ponyville square. "I'll introduce you to the mayor first," Twilight was saying. "She always likes to greet new ponies. After that we can get you settled in at the library, and I can show you around town." Flux rose from his seat and nosed open the carriage door-- "SURPRISE!!!" He was nearly blown off his feet by a wave of pure enthusiasm. What looked like everypony in the entire village were assembled outside the carriage door, with Spike in the front. Pinkie squealed in delight from behind Flux as Spike gave her a sly wink. "The emergency 'Pinkie's-not-here-to-welcome-the-new-pony-so-we'll-throw-a-surprise-party-instead' plan! You remembered!" Flux was completely overwhelmed by the mob as they closed in on him, all questions and cheering and laughter. They made their way to Sugarcube Corner, where the Cakes had set up a party that would do Pinkie proud. The rest was a swirl of music, games, way too much food, laughter, and randomness. ~~~ "I'm gonna explode if I eat another bite." Flux collapsed into the cozy bed in Twilight's guest room, absolutely drained, remembering very little of the day's festivities. "Seriously, is it like this all the time around here?" "With Pinkie, you never know," Twilight giggled sleepily. They had partied well into the evening and early night, and had finally settled in at the library. "She has a party for every occasion, and we always have a great time." A loud snore from upstairs indicated that Spike had already turned in for the night. "We should get some sleep too..." Twilight yawned as she turned out the lights with her horn. "I'd like to get started with your magic training tomorrow as soon as possible, okay?" He muffled an affirmative into his pillow. "Goodnight, Flux." "Goodnight... Twilight." ~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~ Author's note Dialogue between characters is HARD. Especially pre-defined characters that I have to imagine how they would react, and everyone who reads this has their own idea of how the conversation should play out. Six of them plus an OC holding a conversation is just a nightmare to come up with. Magic training next. Hopefully having just two ponies in the room will make the dialogue easier. Maybe. So yeah, hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you later. -M3
Chapter 3: Student~~~CHAPTER 3: STUDENT~~~ As we grow old, we gain knowledge. Our minds mature; our horizons expand. And yet, the more we learn, the more we realize that we do not know. For so long as there is wisdom to be gained, we shall forever be students of our world. ~~~ Flux gazed around in confusion and fear. He found himself in a void of swirling color, surrounded by lights and sounds and twisting, morphing objects, with absolutely no semblance of order whatsoever. He reached out a cautious hoof in an attempt to find his bearings. Hoof... he was still a pony. That bit of strangeness had carried over into this bizarre realm, it seemed. But what was this place? "Where am I...?" he mused aloud. As if in response, there came a deep laugh that chilled him to the bone. Both miles away and right behind him, it dripped cruel amusement and malice. Hello, Flux. Enjoying yourself? "That voice..." He glared into the maelstrom of chaos. "Discord. What is this? Show yourself!" In a brilliant flash, the draconequus appeared before him, laughing madly. "Putting on a brave face? Excellent!" He bared his jagged fangs. "I like my pawns with a little fire." "Pawns? What are you talking about?" Flux flailed about in the void, unable to get a solid footing. "I saw the Elements petrify you! You're still a statue in the Canterlot gardens!" He met Discord's insane gaze defiantly. "You're really as crazy as you look if you think I'd help you with anything." The lord of chaos cackled maniacally, doubling over in uncontrolled mirth. "That's too rich!" He gasped, wiping away a tear of mirth. "You actually think you have a choice! Hate to tell you, pony boy, but I'm as much a part of you as those hooves of yours. It seems some exposition is in order." Discord produced a thick stack of paper and a set of reading glasses, donning them as he flipped through the pages. "Let's see, where are we now... You arrived in Equestria and all the surrounding magic started flowing into you. And thanks to your wonderfully convenient placement, that included the seal placed on me, as well as my chaos magic." He snapped his fingers as if in recollection. "Ah yes, you have me to thank for that little gap in your memory. It wouldn't do to have you pining away for home the whole time you were here, now would it? No fun at all for either of us." Flux's anger rose steadily. "What gave you the right..." he whispered dangerously. "Why?! For what purpose would you take my memories?!" He bellowed into the storm, Discord's face wearing a look of mock surprise. "My friends... my family... my own name!!" "Indeed, and I feel ever so guilty about it." He produced a handkerchief and wiped absent tears from his eyes. "And that's why I would like to make a deal. You do not yet possess the power to perform the task that I require of you, but you will soon grow in strength. If you perform satisfactorily at that time, I will see to it that your memory is restored. Agreed?" He extended a claw as though it were nothing more than a friendly handshake. Flux recoiled. "You really are insane! What could possibly make you think that I would help you, after what you did? After what I've seen you do?" He glared defiantly at the draconequus. "I'll find a way out of here. And then I'll tell Twilight, get her to send a letter to Princess Celestia telling her just what you're plotting. As long as I have anything to say about it, your crazy schemes will never get any further than your stony hide!" "My poor little deluded human... resisting even as you float helplessly in my chaotic realm." Discord gazed menacingly at Flux. "I took your memories as easily as candy from a baby." He vanished. Flux suddenly felt the chill of uncertainty. Where had he gone? Do you honestly think I'd let you remember this? ~~~ Flux awoke with a gasp, shooting bolt upright in the guest bed. Gasping for breath and shivering in a cold sweat, he looked out the window. It was still dark; the moon had only made it about a quarter through the sky. Flux estimated that he'd been asleep for only a few hours before the nightmare had taken him. He breathed deeply, calming his frazzled nerves as the bad dream faded into obscurity. Laying back down, he attempted to return to slumber, but to no avail. Suddenly, there came a gentle knock on the door. "...Flux? It's me, Twilight. Are you all right? I heard noises..." He shifted and grumbled. "I'm fine. Just a nightmare, is all." Silence. "You can't sleep, can you." He sat back up. "Not really, no." "...Can I come in?" He left the bed and walked to the door, pulling the handle in his teeth. Twilight stood in the entryway, mane fluffed messily due to restless sleep. They shared tired smiles at each others' disheveled appearance. Flux broke the silence. "Did you have a bad dream too?" Twilight flushed ever so slightly. "Not really... so much has happened in the last few days, I just can't stop thinking about it." She looked up to indicate his translucent horn. "Your condition is so new, and I have so many theories, I had to do some research on it to see if there's ever been anything like this before." She lowered her head in shame. "But there's nothing. Other worlds are just myth, and there's no mention of hoomins anywhere." "Humans," Flux gently corrected as Twilight fidgeted awkwardly. "And it's fine. We'll figure out what to make of this together, right?" "Yeah... I just think too much, I guess." She looked up sheepishly at him. "What about you? You said you had a nightmare... Can you remember what it was?" Flux silently cursed his faulty memory as he wracked his brains, turning up only fuzzy, blurred images. "Not really. I probably wouldn't want to remember anyway." "...I can teach you a song I learned from the princess. It helps to keep nightmares away." Flux blinked incredulously at her. "You mean like a lullaby?" "Luna's Lullaby, to be precise. She used to sing it over Equestria as she rose the moon and stars. Now that I think of it, I'd bet she still does." She gazed out the window at the full moon. Even now, after using the Elements for the first time and healing Nightmare Moon's corruption, the lunar surface still looked strange without the image of the sorrowful alicorn. "There's a bit of magic in the lyrics. It always made me feel safe." He gazed sleepily at the purple mare, now bathed in the silvery light of the moon. "...I'd like that, actually. I'm not much of a singer, though..." "You don't have to be. It's been a while since I've done it out loud, myself." She closed her eyes and began to sing softly: Hush now, quiet now It's time to lay your sleepy head Hush now, quiet now It's time to go to bed "I think I've heard this before..." Flux mumbled tiredly, eyes half lidded as sleep descended upon him. A comforting feeling came over him, almost as though he were once more under Celestia's wing... Drifting off to sleep The exciting day behind you Drifting off to sleep Let the joy of dream land find you She was interrupted by a soft snore. She opened her eyes to find that Flux had already fallen asleep, curled up on the hardwood floor. She smiled gently as she lifted him back into the bed, tucking him in with a touch of magic. She paused for a moment, as the moonlight shone on his sleeping form. His silvery mane, already so much like the moon itself, now gained an almost ethereal quality as it was bathed in Luna's pale glow. He must be so lonely, Twilight thought as she took in the sight of her new, resting guest. Everything has been taken from him... To smile like he does is far braver than any of us. A smile of her own now crossed her tired face. Sleep well, my friend. ~~~ A rooster crowed off in the distance as the morning sun shone through the wooden window, upon the sleeping grey pony. Slowly, Flux opened his eyes and took it in, reluctant to move lest the heavenly sensation of perfect rest be lost to morning aches. Surprisingly, there were none, even with his unfamiliar new body. He looked in the mirror opposite him and his smile broadened as a bedraggled, yet bright-eyed and cheerful pony looked back at him. I don't remember feeling this refreshed in ages, Flux mused privately as he observed his reflection. This was only the second time he'd been able to see himself, and the first opportunity to get a really good look. Despite the inevitable bed-head, his silvery-white mane had an appealing chaotic-yet-contained look to it; he shook his head experimentally and the hair fell into roughly the same position as before. He took note of the strange, translucent horn and wings in his possession. As he focused on each, one became solid while the other faded from view. He took in the new sensations associated with these as they manifested: a feeling of lightness as well as two extra limbs when the wings solidified, and a bizarre, otherworldly touch in his horn, but not unpleasant. An idea came over him as he focused on a hoof. Sure enough, both horn and wings dissolved from existence. At the same time, he became aware of an increased weight, yet a surge of energy and strength flowed through him. Wow, Flux marveled as he flexed a foreleg at his reflection, power rippling through the limb. I used to feel bad for the earth ponies, but this... Is incredible! I like it! He was suddenly snapped out of his self-admiring trance by an aroma. Sniffing curiously, he traced the source to the door. A delicious scent of fried eggs and fresh baked bread wafted between the cracks in the door frame, and as he quietly grasped the handle with his teeth and pulled it open, a welcome flood of breakfast smells washed over him. The small purple dragon looked away from the stove, briefly adjusting his apron. "Good morning, your highness!" He greeted cheerfully, with a touch of sarcasm and an exaggerated bow. "Your... highness?" Flux tilted his head quizzically as the dragon snorted. "Well, seeing as you have wings and a horn, rumor started going around that you were a prince," Spike explained as Flux tried to recall the events of the evening prior. "Besides, you didn't seem to mind at the time. That was one heck of a party, huh?" "I guess I should be flattered..." Flux smirked as he remembered the antics of the partygoers, thankful that he had heeded Applejack's warning about cider in excess. "But I'm no prince. Heck, I'm hardly even a proper pony. Just Flux will do." "Eh, you're no fun, prince." Flux shot him a dark look, making him snicker again. "Most of the 'upperclass' ponies are so uptight--Oh, 'morning, Twilight!" Flux followed Spike's eyes to the lavender mare descending the staircase into the kitchen. She, too, looked well-rested as she greeted them both with a bright, cheery smile. "Good morning, Spike, Flux," she beamed as she approached the stove. "Mmm, just the way I like them! Thank you, Spike." She nuzzled his cheek affectionately as he playfully batted her away with his spare claw. She turned to Flux, smiling contentedly. "Looks like you slept well, too. No more nightmares?" "Yeah, it was great. That song did the trick, I went out like a light." Color rose unbidden to his face. "The last time someone sang me to sleep was way back when I was a kid. Thanks for that, by the way, it was really nice." It was Twilight's turn to blush. "Oh, um, no problem. It's Spike's favorite, too, from back when he was a hatchling." "Hey, hold off on the hatchling stories," Spike huffed as he returned to the stove, breathing a low green flame over the eggs as they sizzled away. A rising whistle briefly distracted him as the kettle next to the skillet began to steam. "Ah, the water's ready. I set up some teacups on the table, they've got that herbal mix from Zecora, like you asked." "Thanks again, Spike." Twilight lifted the kettle from the stove and wafted it over to the table and the waiting teacups, pouring a carefully measured amount of boiling water into each. "Zecora's second to none when it comes to finding magical herbs in the Everfree Forest," she explained to Flux, who was considering the nearest cup as the rich, earthy fragrance rose into the air. "I've found that this mix helps to heighten my magical awareness. It should be useful in getting you acquainted with your magic sense." She turned her gaze upward and smiled approvingly. "I see you're already in unicorn form, that's a good start." Flux had hardly noticed the shift as he was lost in the fragrance of the brew before him. His attention thus shifted to his horn, he became aware once more of the spectral sensations that he'd come to realize was the ever-present flow of external magic. As he focused further on the ethereal touch, he felt strong emanations coming from three sources: Twilight's horn, Spike's green flame, and strangely, the teacups containing the special herbal concoction. "Very good! You're picking up on this quickly." Confused, he looked to Twilight, who indicated his horn. It was glowing with a pale, silver-platinum light as he sensed his surroundings. He smiled dumbly at his personal light show, a sense of great satisfaction and accomplishment coming over him. "Here, the tea should be cool enough to drink now. I wouldn't recommend that," she added quickly as Flux, having seen her magically lift her cup, attempted to do the same. "We'll start small and work our way up, once you've mastered your magical sense. Trust me, I've destroyed enough dishware in my time." She giggled, thinking back to a panicked purple filly standing amid the ruins of a rather ornate tea set, the Sun Princess looking on with fondness and mild amusement. Understanding her concerns, and not wanting to impede further on her hospitality, Flux leaned forward and gingerly sipped at his tea. It was as if a curtain had been pulled from his awareness as the mystical mix took effect. He could feel... everything. His eyes widened as color and sound and touch came at him from all directions. He felt every living thing within the walls of the great tree, softly emitting the force of their being. He felt stray scraps of energy floating around strangely, the remnants of cast spells. He felt Twilight's fascination and satisfaction at seeing a unicorn's eyes being truly opened for the first time, as she shared a similar but less potent effect. "Wow..." Flux breathed after an eternity, which had actually been about half a minute. "There's so... much. Everywhere, all the time... Did you feel that, too?" "The effect becomes less pronounced as you get used to it," Twilight said as she lowered her own, half-empty teacup back onto its saucer. "Eventually you can control the effect so that it doesn't overwhelm you." She raised an eyebrow as he slugged down the rest of his cup messily. "You enjoy the tea, I take it?" "Absolutely," he mumbled, his unfocused eyes gazing into infinity. Finally, the effect reduced, and his awareness descended once more to the mortal plane. The magical sensations remained sharp as ever, and he could much more easily associate the touches of magical energies with their respective sources. "Maybe I should've given you a lighter concentration to start you off," Twilight mused as she finished her cup with a satisfied smile. Flux forced himself to snap back into focus with the current conversation. "Heh, sorry. That was awesome. I can feel magic way better now, just like you said." Spike put out his flame, removing the eggs from the stove and placing them on fresh slices of toast. "Here you go! A breakfast fit for a king! Or a prince!" "Enough with the royal stuff already..." Flux muttered, to the amusement of Spike and Twilight. "Am I going to have to deal with this from everyone?" Nevertheless, a low rumble resounded from his side of the table, and he dug in gratefully. There was no question: this was the best egg sandwich he'd ever had. "Anyway, once we're done with breakfast, I'd like to get started on your magic training right away." Flux nodded in agreement, still munching on egg. "Once I get a proper assessment of your natural skill level, I can determine the most appropriate pacing for the rest of the day. Best case, you could complete the visual replacement portion of the training by this afternoon." "You mean like seeing with magic?" Flux swallowed the rest of his sandwich. "Sounds interesting. I'm ready when you are." They continued to talk for a time, Spike joining them after a while as his own meal finished cooking. It felt strangely familiar as she went on about topics that went way over his head, the dragon helping to clarify every so often. He'd taken an immediate liking to Twilight when he began watching the show. She reminded him so much of... someone. Someone he hadn't seen in a long time... someone important... He shook his head, returning once more to the breakfast table. I'll figure this out eventually. Right now, I've got magic to learn. ~~~ "Most unicorns' magical sense becomes more heightened as they mature." Twilight's tone had shifted from 'friendly conversation' to 'scholarly lecture' as she led the way into the basement. "But in your case, your horn is fully developed, meaning that you can feel the magic around and inside you, but you don't know how to manipulate it yet." Twilight lit a lantern on the basement wall with a pulse of violet energy. As the room filled with much more light than the humble candle should have been able to produce, Flux beheld all manner of strange and advanced-looking machinery. At the center of the room was an illuminated circle... No, it wasn't light, but magic that the circle shone with. The spectral sensations in his horn intensified as he followed the lavender mare's lead toward the mysterious etching on the floor. "This is a runic retention circle," Twilight said fondly as she traced its curve with a hoof. "It remembers a spell that I cast on it, so that I can call it up at any time by standing inside it. We'll be using a spell that I trained with in preparation for advanced magical manipulation, but it should be perfect for getting you in touch with your magic sense." Twilight touched her horn to the rim of the circle, and the whole room was bathed in deep violet as the circle took in her spell. Before his eyes (or horn, he thought,) there appeared strange, sprawling runes on the outer edge of the circle. And yet, despite having never seen such intricate and bizarre runes before, Flux understood their meaning... rather, it was almost as though they were reaching out to him, as though they wanted to be read: Encircled here, o shadow laid to rest Awaken now, and rise at my behest Obscure my eyes, let darkness take my sight That in the blackness I may test my might The spell complete, Twilight raised her head and smiled at her work, satisfied. The circle's glow had diminished somewhat, but still held the strange runes and feel of residual magic. "Of the physical senses, magic is the most similar to vision," Twilight explained. "This spell allows for magic to take the place of your sight. It blocks light from entering your eyes, and at the same time enhances the magic flow within the circle." "So... just making sure I have this straight," Flux said nervously, "You're gonna blind me?" "...I suppose so. But there's nothing permanent about it," Twilight reassured, seeing his reluctant expression. "If you step outside the circle, the spell ends. Here, I'll show you." She stepped to the center of the circle and closed her eyes. Her horn began to glow brightly along with the circle as it shone with life once more. Power seemed to be flowing into her from the edges of the circle as the spell was cast, at once mysterious and beautiful. And then she opened her eyes. Flux screamed. Where once were violet pools of serene intelligence, in their place were perfect twin mirrors, reflecting his horror back at him. "It's alright! I'm fine! Don't worry, it's just the magic." Twilight attempted to calm him as he gasped for breath, reason taking hold once more. "I should've told you what to expect. The spell uses reflection, but I didn't think about how it would look... sorry for scaring you." Flux swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat, and spoke shakily. "This spell... you said it's not permanent, so I guess it's all right, but... couldn't you just blindfold me or something?" "Even the best blindfold still lets some light through," Twilight reassured. "Complete visual focus is required for this to work. Once you've sharpened your sense to the subconscious level, we'll be able to do without the circle, but for now, this really is the best way." She stepped over the edge, and the mirror coating left her eyes once more. "It'll all be fine. Just reach out to the circle and the spell will cast itself through you. I'll be right here the whole time." Flux stepped shakily to the center of the circle, mustering what courage he could. He closed his eyes, allowing the energies flowing around him to sharpen and solidify into the circle he stood within, 'seeing' the runes appear on the circumference again. They began to flow towards him, colliding with and being absorbed by his horn. He could feel an electrical pulse each time a rune came into contact with his horn, as the spell built to its completion. The entropic vortex of non-color began to solidify into solid textures, and he could make out the shapes of the odd machines he had seen just moments ago. Behind him, he saw a much more intense concentration of energy, which expanded as he turned to become the outline of an equine about his size. He opened his eyes out of reflex, despite knowing that this would make no difference as the spell had taken effect. "Oh my," Twilight's voice said as he felt a touch of shock emanate from the equine figure before him. "I can see why you were startled, the effect is... somewhat unsettling. How are you feeling?" "It's... like when I had that tea, earlier," Flux said as he felt around the basement with his new vision. "But more focused, I guess. It's like I can see all around me, not just in front of me. It's weird, but not a bad weird." Twilight's figure emanated relief and... pride? "You're doing well. Time for the next step." Her horn radiated pure energy, and several spheres of light burst from it and into the circle. "These are fairy lights," Twilight explained. "They're invisible, but emit magic. Ancient unicorns used to use them as beacons to mark out hidden passages." The orbs began to move randomly around the circle. "Try to avoid touching them for as long as you can. I'll keep moving them faster until you get hit." As she spoke, one of the spheres slowly wafted towards his head; he dodged to the side as it passed him by. As he felt around the circle, he counted five lights, each seemingly with a mind of its own. He silently marveled at Twilight's ability to move so many of them as he sidestepped another, this one headed for his flank. "So, what do you think of Ponyville so far?" The figure spoke suddenly. Flux, distracted, narrowly missed being grazed by a light that had moved to attack his right foreleg. "Is this really the time? I'm trying to concentrate," he muttered in mild annoyance as he regained his focus. "Multitasking is an important part of magical manipulation; this is a good way to get you used to performing several tasks at once." The flow of magic from the figure increased slightly as she spoke, sending the orbs wheeling around the circle a little faster. "Just try to keep up with the conversation. Makes it more fun, don't you think?" A touch of mischief and humor came from the figure. She was toying with him. A challenge, is it? He grinned in determination as he ducked another orb, this one passing harmlessly over his shoulders. "From what I can remember of last night," Flux managed as he was forced to jump a light headed for his feet, "Everything is exactly like what I've seen in the show. It'd be fun to just take in the sights some time." "That sounds good! We could do that this afternoon, once we're done training for the day." A feeling of pleasant anticipation emanated from the pony form next to him. "Where would you like to go first?" Flux struggled to order his thoughts, still ducking and dodging the strange orbs as they fairly whizzed by, having greatly increased in speed. "I can't think of any particular place..." he grunted, now breaking a sweat as a sphere narrowly missed his tail. "You could show me your favorite spots around town, to get started." "Something like a guided tour, then? Let's see..." The orbs' flight slowed noticeably as she thought. "We could have lunch at the Shamrock, that's the corner cafe just down the street from here." "Is that the outdoor restaurant with the clover sign?" They had gone past the venue briefly during the welcoming party. A nod from Twilight confirmed the inquiry. "I have to ask, are those tables actual mushrooms?" Twilight giggled. "Don't they ever grow that big in your world?" He shook his head, then quickly pulled it back as a light nearly clipped him from the side. "They take a fair amount of care to keep them healthy. That's one of the things that makes the Shamrock so popular, second only to their food. And don't tell anypony..." She leaned in conspiratorially, "There's a bit of magic involved in their upkeep, as well." "Meals on magical mushrooms..." Flux smirked at his own alliteration, and felt a bit of amusement from Twilight as she continued to speed up the spheres' flight. He was snapped out of his humor as an orb nearly grazed his nose. This was getting difficult! "After that, we could go see Sweet Apple Acres, and help out a little if they still need it. They're usually done with their work by then, so we'll see. Besides, you'll be spending tomorrow morning with Applejack, so there will be plenty of opportunity to help." Flux blinked, almost getting hit in the side in his confusion. "I thought I was going to help Pinkie tomorrow. Applejack's on Friday, right?" "Very sharp, I'm impressed!" Messing with my head now, are you? He felt himself grinning in determination, deftly sidestepping two orbs that assaulted him simultaneously from the front and the back. You won't get the best of me that easily... "I'm not exactly sure what she wants to do with the rest of the day, but you'll be making cupcakes as an earth pony. Rainbow Dash usually helps her with the ingredients, but she'll be busy in the morning. She might swing by later, though." He blanched. A hideous image rose unbidden to the forefront of his mind. NO! Don't even BEGIN to think about that! Flux bore down on the mental image, attempting to crush it into oblivion. But it was too late. The distraction had cost him his focus, and he was hit. A sudden jolt of pure electricity shot through his horn as the orb made contact, and he yelped in pain and surprise as he fell to the floor. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" Twilight rushed forward, dispelling the blinding magic and remaining orbs. "Are you all right? I was trying not to hit your horn, what happened?" Flux's vision returned slowly, revealing the purple mare's eyes awkwardly close to his own. "I'm fine..." he managed as the tingling jolts subsided, leaving a dull headache. Of all the things to remember, why THAT?! "Did you remember something? What was it?" Twilight's voice was concerned, yet hopeful. "Nothing that I'd care to remember..." He groaned, squashing back the image once more. "Let's just say that some people in my world are sick, twisted and wrong, and leave it at that. Trust me, you don't want to know." Twilight's ears drooped slightly. "I understand... you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Her expression perked back up. "But Flux, I'm really impressed! You lasted about five minutes, and I was moving the lights almost as fast as I could!" She smiled proudly. "You sure you've never used magic before? It took me weeks before I was that good!" Flattered, Flux got to his feet, blushing slightly. "Thanks, I'm glad you think so. What's next?" "At this point, I think you've progressed beyond the need for the visual replacement method." She lowered her horn to the edge of the circle, and the runes appeared to be drawn back into her horn. Wait a minute. Flux looked at the circle again, now dormant. I can still see the magic, just like I did with that spell. Twilight noticed his smile of accomplishment, and gave one of her own. "We'll keep doing this until you can reach five minutes with your normal vision. Want to take a rest, or are you ready for another round?" Flux grinned confidently, getting back into his 'ready' stance. "Let's do it." They continued the exercise well into late morning. It was indeed much harder with the distraction of physical sight, but he was quickly improving. They conversed over all manner of topics as they practiced, Twilight every so often throwing a logical fallacy at him, which he corrected, all the while keeping his focus on the whirling, invisible balls of magic. This is hardly study, Flux mused as he dodged. This is way too much fun. ~~~ "I know I've been saying this a lot... probably too much... but wow." "It's just a sandwich," Spike scoffed as he munched his extra-crispy hay fries. "Maybe it's for the best that ponies can't eat gemstones, you'd never get enough of those." Visions of a windswept plain beneath the noonday sun ran through Flux's head as he chewed his daffodil-and-daisy sandwich. He thought of how much more colorful his world would be if flowers had been this delicious. He'd taken some of the forget-me-not from the vase at the center of the mushroom as they waited, and the flavor was memorable, to say the least. It hadn't taken him long to realize that the vases were not just decoration, but appetizers. Nothing compared to the main course, of course, but delectable all the same. "What can I say?" Flux mumbled through a mouthful of blossoms, eliciting a giggle from Twilight. "I've become something of a floral connoisseur." He raised a hoof as though to stroke a nonexistent beard, his tone sarcastically elegant. "Second only to the use of magic, and of course my presence in Equestria itself, such fine flora is the most favorable factor of this fantastical foray." He thought for sure Spike was going to shoot a fry from his nose as he snorted, both he and Twilight caught completely off guard by his alliterative assault. "You say you're not a prince," Spike gasped as he tried to regain his faculties, "But you've got one heck of a vocabulary. How much have you been talking to Twilight?" "That just kinda came out of nowhere, actually." Flux smirked, satisfied at the reaction. Twilight's face bore an expression between impressed and laughing. "Spur-of-the-moment humor is often the best, in my opinion." "Oh boy..." Twilight panted, still giggling. "I'm starting to question whether having you work with Pinkie tomorrow is such a good idea..." "Geez, if tomorrow is anything like yesterday, you're gonna have to drag me back on a stretcher..." Flux rotated a hoof next to his head, getting another snort from Spike. "That was insane. I had about enough cake to last a year. She must be bigger on the inside, the way she tears through that stuff." "That's just Pinkie," Twilight grinned fondly. "Just accept her for what she is, and it'll save you a lot of headache, believe me." He had finished his sandwich and started on his fries. The mixture of familiar flavors was unusual, yet strangely good: they had the same texture and saltiness of common french fries, but a rich, grainy flavor, like oven-toasted bread. He smiled in satisfaction as he munched on a few more. The novelty of pony food would wear off soon, but for now he was enjoying it for everything it was worth. They talked a while longer over the meal, Twilight pointing out the various establishments around the restaurants, as well as the various ponies that were going about their daily business. Flux had seen several of the more widely recognized extras from the show, and had been surprised that the fan names, and for the most part their personalities, had been accurate. You're in a fantasy world, you've been turned into a magical pony, you're talking to a cartoon character, and THIS surprises you?? Get some perspective! He munched another fry. Something orange in the corner of his vision caught his attention, and he turned to see Applejack trotting in the direction of the Library. She raised a hoof to knock, then lowered it, taking note of the 'out to lunch' sign. She turned and shuffled back, looking somewhat dejected. "Applejack! Over here!" Her ears perked at the greeting, and her face brightened as she trotted toward the waving Twilight. "Thank goodness ah found ya, Twi! Oh... howdy, Flux. Sorry ta interrupt." Flux raised an eyebrow, slightly concerned, as Twilight assured the farmer that there was no problem. Was she disappointed to see him here? "Ah was gonna ask fer some help on the farm," the orange mare informed. "Mac busted his plow on a rock, and it'd be great if you could take a look at it. But if yer' still workin' with Flux, I can come back later. Maybe ah can get a start on movin' that rock outta the field." "Actually, we were about to head over there after lunch," Flux interjected, seeing Applejack's mood lift almost instantly. "We finished the first part of his training early today," Twilight added, giving him a fond look. "I've never seen anypony take to magic so quickly. Flux is a natural." Flux became conspicuously more interested in his remaining fries, attempting to hide yet another flush. All present company chuckled slightly at his awkwardness. "Well shoot, that's just dandy!" Applejack beamed, trotting a little in place. "How about ah stick around till yer' finished, and we'll go there together?" "That sounds like a great plan." Twilight sipped at her lemonade, having finished most of her meal. "This rock you mentioned... how big would you say it is?" "'Bout as big as a healthy pumpkin. Shouldn't take too long to move." Twilight's eyes glinted dangerously, a mischievous smile slowly coming across her face as she looked at flux, who was suddenly having difficulty with his own beverage. Spike bore a look of dawning comprehension. "Oh, right... this ought to be good!" He looked eagerly at Flux. Applejack seemed just as confused as he was. "Um..." Flux gulped nervously. ~~~ "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Flux stood within a translucent purple dome, along with Twilight, Applejack and Spike. He recognized the barrier spell as Shining Armor's specialty, concern rising as he thought of what could prompt the use of such a defense. "Don't worry. Just do as I told you and everything should be fine. Besides, we're ready if anything goes wrong." Twilight's horn shone brightly as she spoke, adding an extra layer to the shimmering barricade. Flux closed his eyes and focused on the large rock before them, feeling it out with his magic sense. It was unremarkable, except for a large chip that had broken off where Big Macintosh had hit it with the plow. It was about the size of a basketball, and had been half-excavated already. He envisioned a shimmering ball of light encompassing the stone, as per Twilight's instruction. He felt power flowing from the tip of his horn to connect with the rock, enveloping it in his silver-platinum aura. "Very good," came Twilight's voice from behind him. "You're ready to lift it. Nice and easy." Flux screwed his eyes up, attempting to channel the Force as he willed the rock to rise from the earth. The explosion could be heard all throughout Ponyville and beyond. Bits of shrapnel whizzed through the air, bouncing harmlessly off of Twilight's lavender shell. Flux stood paralyzed, the detonation still ringing in his ears. He finally allowed himself to breathe, taking in the smoldering sight of his utter failure. Where once was a stone, there now was a large crater, the field ruined. Slowly, cautiously, he turned in shame to face his teacher. Spike released his pent-up laughter, collapsing on the ground in a fit of mirth. "Just like Twilight!" He gasped, pounding the earth with a claw. "Oh man, your face! That brings back memories!" The unicorn and the farmer, however, continued to stare at the crater, mouths agape. "That was... very impressive..." Twilight finally managed, once again gaining control of her senses. "The power's certainly there... we should probably use something smaller next time. Oh, sorry about the mess, I'll get right to it." She grinned apologetically at Applejack, her horn lighting up again. Flux watched in wonderment as the barrier dissolved and the earth surrounding the crater shone violet. Like a liquid mass, the edges flowed inward on the hole, filling it up and smoothing it out. When she finished, no one would have guessed that previously it had been ground zero of a powerful blast. "Sorry about that..." Flux muttered sheepishly, shuffling a hoof in the dirt. "Not sure what I did wrong..." Twilight giggled. "You put too much effort into it. Don't try so hard to force it to move; instead, let your magic move it for you." She smiled reassuringly at Flux, who was still feeling a little dumb for making a giant crater in Applejack's field. "Admittedly, this was just to test your power. I expected it to crack or even crumble, but it takes a lot of power to blow it up like that. It wasn't a likely scenario, but I used the shield spell anyway. Good idea, wouldn't you say?" "Uh... yeah, I suppose so..." Flux looked around for signs of damage from the far-flung shrapnel. They were far enough out in the field that there were no structures nearby, to his relief. A flying shape caught his notice; he turned to get a better look, squinting into the sky. An unidentified pegasus, too high to tell who it was, had flown in to inspect the source of the blast. Twilight waved to it, and it flew back towards Ponyville, apparently satisfied that this was no cause for concern, considering the strangeness that seemed to follow the unicorn. "Hoo-whee! That's one way to get rid of a rock," Applejack exclaimed, thumping Flux on the shoulder. "Thank ya kindly, Flux, even if ya did make a bit of a mess." She turned to Twilight, still grinning from the excitement. "There's still the matter of the plow, if it's not too much trouble." "Not at all," Twilight reassured. "Let's have a look at it. I'll handle this one, Flux, but you're welcome to watch." They made their way to the large barn at the center of the farm. Big Macintosh was attempting to hammer the bent plow blade back into shape; Flux winced at the sight of the farm horse holding the tool in his teeth as he swung powerfully at the tarnished metal. "Y'all can take a break now, Mac," Applejack called as the three entered the barn. Mac placed the hammer on the ground, greeting them with a friendly nod. "Oh my goodness," Twilight gasped as she got a good look at the mangled plow. The blade had bent off to the side at nearly a right angle, indicating that there was some serious force behind it when it struck the stone. She felt a new-found respect for the quiet strength of the red farm horse. "This isn't going to be easy," Twilight diagnosed as she ran her hoof along the crumpled blade. "Manipulation of this level will require absolute focus. I can't have any distractions." All nodded in understanding. "All right. I'm starting... now." Twilight closed her eyes as her horn shone even brighter than usual. The feeling of raw power was almost tangible as Flux looked on at the display of magical might, like an invisible pressure being emitted from Twilight's direction. An electric prickle ran through his spine, sending a chill of mixed respect and fear. As he watched, the blade was enveloped in an intense violet light, and the metal began to creak and groan under the mystical force. Slowly, steadily, the blade began to bend back into shape as the three looked on in silence. Twilight gritted her teeth, a bead of sweat forming on her brow as she channeled immense power through her horn. Invisible hooves pressed the blade, pushing with the force of ten stallions, the protesting metal bending to her will. Her hooves dug a little into the earthen floor of the barn as she braced against her inanimate opponent. Finally, after what seemed to be several minutes, the lavender light surrounding the blade and illuminating the barn faded away. Twilight panted in exertion, opening her eyes to observe her handiwork. The plow's blade, straight as the day it was cast, gleamed in the center of the barn. She'd even gone ahead and polished off the rust that had been building on it for goodness knows how long. "Yee-haw! Now that's a shine!" Cried Applejack as she and Mac approached the plow, admiring the finished product. "Eeyup," Mac stated approvingly. Flux picked his jaw up off the floor. "That's... amazing. I'm never gonna be that good." "Ya can't know until ya try, sugar," Applejack said as she rumpled his hair with a hoof. "And if anyone can whip ya into shape, it's Twilight. Now, how much do ah owe ya for the repairs?" She turned to Twilight, pulling a golden coin from under her stetson. Apparently she had a pouch on the inside for carrying small objects. "Oh, that's fine. Don't worry about it." Twilight held up a hoof, refusing the offered bit. "I'm just here to help out a friend." "If ya say so," Applejack tucked the bit back under her hat. "But yer next bushel of apples is on the house. Ah insist." Satisfied, they took the plow back out to the fields, where Mac strapped it back onto his harness and resumed his plowing. ~~~ Not much else of note happened over the course of the day, Flux having completed Twilight's scheduled training much earlier than expected. He didn't mind the slower pace, as it gave him time to take in and appreciate the natural beauty of the countryside. He, Twilight and Applejack spent the rest of the afternoon wandering Sweet Apple Acres, talking about life in general and getting him familiar with the farm. Applejack eventually talked them into staying for dinner, and Flux had to admit that Granny's cooking was some of the best he'd ever had. He found himself repeating a lot of what he'd said to Twilight and her friends about himself as the Apple family, especially Applebloom, questioned him eagerly. They returned to the library as the sun set, both exhausted from the day's events. Twilight offered him several books on magic and Equestrian history, advising him not to practice his magic indoors yet. He needed no reminder, the image of the exploding rock was still fresh in his mind. I still have a lot to learn, He mused sleepily to himself as he turned the page of 'Telekinesis and You: a Beginner's Guide to Magical Manipulation'. That's good, though. I might even learn more about myself along the way... He could have sworn he heard a silvery voice as the moon rose slowly into the night sky. His tired mind registered the words of the Lullaby as sleep took him. He fell into bed with a smile, dreaming of flowers, apples and magic. ~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~ Author's note Sorry for taking so long with this one. Third shift. I'll say no more. I very much hope I did Twilight justice with this chapter. Twilight is best pony. I think it's interesting to see her in a student-turned-teacher role. Magic is really difficult to describe. Some creative license was used, but I tried to keep within the boundaries defined by the show. Let me know how it was. Pinkie Pie is next. I must channel my inner randomness... If you're taking the time to read this, thanks for sticking with me so far. I'll see you next time. -M3
