Who am I? Well, before I can answer that, I need to get another thing out of the way first; my age. I know I look young, but I am actually close to celebrating my 600th birthday. Before you ask, no, I am not an Alicorn; I am a unicorn with extraordinary magical capabilities. I had achieved this feature through my knowledge and mastery of the arcane arts, which I shall discuss later.
As for who I am, I have five names; all of which are both, me and not me. Confused? Well, I'll come back to that. I was born in Baltimare, 401 AD (After Discord), back when it was still a small navel town; nothing like the sprawling metropolis it is today. I was born to my father, Last Legacy, who was a boat worker; and my mother, Lila Dream, who worked a small corner store. We had a small house, and despite that, it was still very roomy. We managed to get through with the meager wages they made, and despite their dreams for me, I always set my own ambitions a little bit higher than theirs. When I was six years old, I got my Cutie Mark, I was the first in my class to get it. I got it after piecing together my beginners book of spells with complex telekinesis after bullies tore it to shreds. Needless to say, my parents were proud.
About a year after getting my mark, which apparently meant magic... somehow, I learned that my parents had enrolled me in the newly founded Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot. Once more, needless to say, I was ecstatic; so much so, I had finished packing for the long trip in under two hours. Unfortunately, my parents were unable to go, so I was sent off with my Aunt, Azure Dream, who was a member of the guard stationed in Baltimare.
They say the trip is what is important, not the destination, well, what they say is right; Canterlot was, unimpressive. Even back then, it was full of snobby nobles. Regardless, my attention at the time was focused on the school. I was horrified of the entrance exam. From what I had heard from the nobles, it would range anywhere from complex levitation, to hatching a dragon. Looking back, i think they were just trying to scare me. The task I was given was simple, if difficult. I was given a potted cactus, and told to turn it into a lamp; a transmutation spell. Once more looking back, I believe my struggle was caused more from nervousness than any actual lack of ability or difficulty. I did make it in the end.
From then on, I eventually graduated from the school and entered an apprenticeship under a powerful battlemage by the name of, Astral Armor; where I had learned a number of spells, both simple and complex. I also learned I couldn't swing a sword to save my life, however I was a quick learner of magic, and eventually I learned all he would teach me; not that I didn't beg to learn every last scrap of magic he knew. As expected, I left to find another teacher. I found that teacher, in the Canterlot Royal Archives. It was generally off limits to the general populace, but my time with Astral Armor granted me some leeway with the guards... until I was found in the restricted section.
In there, I found powerful magic in the form of 'evil magic', bleh, how could magic be evil? Only ponies can be evil. I wasn't able to learn much, but I did manage to memorize spells from a book on necromancy, and that peaked my interest, so I did the only reasonable thing anypony would do; I went out and looked for a teacher in these darker magics.
What? You thought I would break into the archives? Honestly, I was brought upright. I am above petty, or grand theft. I was tempted though.
While wandering and surviving on scraps, I did eventually find a teacher willing to show me what he knew. I learned everything he knew, and completely disregarded the consequences. Unfortunately, it would seem he was well versed in mental magic, as I realize he had caused me to commit so many crimes. He managed to convince me to torture and murder in his name, all while I was blissfully unaware. A decade would pass before I would realize what he did and made him pay. He didn't know much on these darker subjects, but he did introduce me to every single school of magic in existence.
Abjuration,
Conjuration,
Divination,
Enchantment,
Evocation,
Illusion,
Necromancy,
And Transmutation.
Personally, for my early life; I found more use out of Abjuration: the school focused on protection, Conjuration: the healing aspect of the school, and Necromancy: and its effects on life force. Through experimentation in these schools, I eventually managed to become full master of my own life. One day, while I was practicing and experimenting, an explosion rocked my campsite, and I sent flying. I woke up in a hospital, with the nurses talking to some royal guards, my Aunt among them, looking disappointed. I rushed out of bed, ignoring the tubes the put into me, and looked in a mirror.
All magic comes at a cost.
I did everything in my power to avoid the consequences of dark magic, and it payed off, as I kept my body and mind from altering. But with that experiment, everything changed.
My once pristine brown coat turned a hard, deadly white. My once blue eyes became completely yellow, even my pupils and whites of my eyes were shades of yellow. My once well kept red mane and tail became a disheveled, rotting grey mess. My Clean white teeth developed another set of monstrous jagged teeth right behind my normal set. And worst of all, purple Magical Taint had snaked up my forelegs and pure magic blew out in small amounts out of the outer corner of my eyes.
I wanted to cry. Now I looked like an avid dark magic user, granted I was, but, umm; I looked like those evil ponies that mothers used to read to their foals about. I was a walking nightmare. I went back to the bed and wrapped myself up in the blanket, hoping this all to be a bad dream. And yet, my hopes were dashed as there was a poking in my side. It was the guard, who signaled me to go with them.
I kept the blanket wrapped around me as they place an anti-magic ring around my horn and led me out. In a sense, I had stolen the blanket, but I didn't care, and I doubt the hospital staff did either. It was when we walked outside, that I realized I was in Canterlot. I guessed someone saw or heard the explosion, found me, and took me here. Not that it mattered, I believed my life was over. As I was marched to the castle, every hooffall, ever step, I felt everything I ever knew slip away. I knew what they did to dark magic users, and I wouldn't be any different.
Then I noticed something. Despite having the ring on my horn, I still felt my connection to my magic. This wasn't the first time I had a ring such as this on, Astral Armor commonly used it to test my fortitude and tried to break my reliance upon my magic. In both cases, I had no access, so why did I have some here? But it was more than that, I had felt more magic than I ever had before. So, in one last ditch effort, I tried to escape by flaring my magic... and I melted the ring right off the horn. Despite the bright flash I had just caused, I could still see clearly, and I still had a enormous amount of magic still left in me. So I Teleported to the only place I could under this stress. At the bottom of the mountain, I got up, and ran for my life. I ran, and ran, and ran, until I found sanctuary in the form of a cave in a mountain range, dotting the border of Equestria and the Badlands. It was a decent size cave, wide opening, and a small straightforward cave system. Home.
I couldn't bare to see my family again, not like this. I eventually began mimicking some Griffon's and began hunting. I learned that with my new teeth, I was now an omnivore, regardless of how bad it tasted. I learned how to skin my kills and make leather out of it. I learned how to make armor/clothing from that leather. I learned, that my naturally unusually large pool of magic had doubled. And I had learned, that I no longer aged. Eventually, I made my cave a place I could continue my learning of magic; I made a basic enchanting and alchemy table, a basic bed, and a place I could practice spells.
I made my clothes to hid my shame, and eventually started to sell my talents to the world; still hiding who and what I really was, of course. I made a lot of business in Baltimare, Manehatten, Fillydelphia, Canterlot, and even some of the newly set up cities before actual counties began contacting me. To be fair, all they really gave a flying feather about were potions and enchantments, but still, its a start. I have lived there ever since.
Now, I bet you want to know about my names now, don't you? Well, as I said, I have five, all of which are, and are not me. Those names are; Singularity, Event Horizon, Black Hole, Infinity, and Liquid Fire. Now which one is my birth name, I hear you asking. Well, none of them are. My birth name, my sixth, isn't me anymore; Mythic Haze. Let me explain these names.
This magic explosion did so much more than I let on. It also split me into five "forms", for lack of a better word. Each "form" is different, and yet, the same.
Singularity is the base. This is who I now associate myself as. From this stage, I turn into Event Horizon, Black Hole, and finally, Infinity; only through complete exhaustion of magic from previous stage.
Event Horizon is the next. For one, more magic blows out the corner of my eyes and the magic taint snakes even farther up my forelegs. In addition, my mane and tail turns more disheveled and my skin and coat begins to physically tear itself apart. Even my personality changes, from as I am now, to Bi-polar disorder and acting on individual emotions instead of a combination of them, or my usual logic. And the yellowness in my eyes is more pronounced. My magic in this form, I have estimated to be equivalent to maybe princess Celestia herself. I require healing to recover from this form.
Black hole is the third. All forms of magic on my body, from the taint on my forelegs, to the magic that blows out of my eyes, all turns black, even my eyes. My mane and tail becomes more disheveled, and parts turn completely white. My magic increases exponentially here, I have actually yet to find an equivalent to this form, as I have only entered it once. In this form, the damage to my body also increases exponentially, as I gain necrosis, and my very organs begin to fail, as my skin and coat part to reveal rotting muscle underneath. My personality also becomes that of Singularity, with a God Complex. I require extensive healing to recover from this form.
Infinity. The pinnacle of magic, is my last "changing form". Like Black Hole, all magic on my body, including my eyes, mane and tail, turns pure white. My magic, in this form is immeasurable. But in this form, my body actually heals itself. However, the damage lies not with the body, but instead with the mind. In this form, I reach the mantel of godhood, and the Equine mind is not capable of handling that amount of information. In that form, there is a high possibility of going, literally, brain dead. In this form, I am physically unable to feel emotion, and am powered solely on logic and reasoning. This is the most dangerous form to myself.
Liquid Fire. A name I despise, because this is as far of 'not me' as I can go. To be fair, Liquid Fire has been with me since foalhood, where I saw him as an imaginary friend. Now, he is know he is nothing but a demon from Tartarus; and I wouldn't be surprised if he actually was one. He whispers sweet nothings into my ear to try to gain control of my body. Why do I hate him more that all the others? Is not only because he is active, unlike the others who are generally dormant, but that he is intelligent. I don't even want to know what his form will grant me, not at the price it takes.
For all it's worth, this is me. Now you know, who I am.
Every Great Journey, Begins with a Single Step
"NO, NO, NO, NO, BY CELESTIA'S SECRET MULTI-HUED 'STACHE, BUCK YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!" I exclaim as I slammed my hoof don on my Alchemy table. I was angry, as can be expected. What had occurred, was one of the major glass jars had exploded to to the pressure placed on it from the potion I had tried to make. Who would have guessed that the table couldn't handle a simple mixture of Poison Joke extract and Daffodil at 500 degrees. Sighing, I cleaned up the jar fragments when I heard a knock at the door. Well, I say door, but what I mean was the two planks of wood that span the height of the cave entrance, that I had put up for the purpose of knocking.
What? I need privacy sometimes, just like every other pony.
I took this queue to roll down the sleeves of my clothing, put my mask over my mouth, and don my hood. "Enter." Leaving the makeshift room made of parts of crates, I went to see who wanted what from me this time. Lo and behold, it was the Royal Guards. Joy. To be fair, it has been almost 600 years since my corruption, and I had gone to greater length to ensure they do not know who I am, and the guards who come as messengers tend to be more pleasant than the regular ones; but still, they're Royal Guards.
"Are you Singularity?"
"Who else would I be" I replied whilst rolling my eyes.
"We have an order for you."
"Of course, why else would you be here. Let me guess, full armor set, same enchantments?"
"Correct."
"Alright, how many this time?"
"Fifty, and we need them by the next full moon." I froze. What did he just say?
"I apologize, I must have misheard you; did you say, by next full moon?"
"I did."
"You expect me, to put five enchantments per full set of armor, on fifty sets, in under a month. Do you have any idea how difficult that would be?"
"I'm just a Pegasus sir, I don't understand your fancy magics." I sighed and put my hoof to my face.
"Fine, total cost this time will be 5,500 bits."
"Excuse me?" What now? "They said your rate was 100 per set, so where did the extra 500 come from?" So some actually DID go to school.
"The 500 came for the time compensation, I thought that as a Guard, you of all ponies would understand that." He was silent, "Unless, you would like me to rush through these sets and give them sub-par enchantments?" He sighed.
"Fine, where do you want the crate?" I would think they would tell these new delivery ponies something.
"I don't care, just keep it out of my way." Two earth pony guards then came in with a crate, that looked quite heavy if they were struggling to lift it. Curious as to how they got that thing here, I looked past the Pegasus guard and saw an Airship. So, they finally brought those things out of prototype, eh? With that, the guards then packed up and left, leaving me with my thoughts. I took the opportunity to pull down my mask, take off my hood, and roll back up my sleeves.
Fifty sets in under a month, I wonder what is so important to need so many in such a small amount of time. I looked to a cave wall, from which hung a calendar I got from the new settlement, Dodge City. Lets see here, 1000 AD, the summer sun celebration is next month; maybe that is why. I thought back to what I heard the last time I was in a city, apparently, the celebration is being held in Ponyville this year. I guess that makes sense, it is still a new settlement, and it is next to the Everfree forest.
There was a sudden drop in wind temperature at that moment, damned Windegos.
I guess that is why they need the new armor, perhaps they think Princess Celestia is in danger. Clearing my mind, I thought back to the enchantments I had to do. Two were illusion, both to change color, one for the coat, the other for the armor. Two more were a protection spells, one for the armor, the other for where the armor wasn't. And the final one was a magic-absorbing spell; for when they fight against magic users; of course, I skimp out of putting this spell on them, after all, I do need some kind of edge.
I was cut out of my thoughts by a squeak coming from the crate. Did a mouse get caught inside? I grabbed a crowbar, and pried off the side; and everything inside spilled out. Among the grey, unenchanted armor; a small filly also came out, her head stuck inside the flaps of a helmet. I quickly placed my clothing back into position before getting her free. She was a small, light grey/purple unicorn, with yellow eyes and a matching mane and tail. She looked up at me with both fear and admiration. "E-excuse me, are you Mr. Singularity?" What? I picked her up and set her down on a stump I had been using as a dining table.
"Who are you and why were you in that box?"
"I was looking for Mr. Singularity, are you him?" I nodded. "I'm dinky hooves, and I want you to be my magic teacher!"
"No."
"I'm glad yo- did you say no? Why not?"
"I am a very busy stallion, and am not looking for a pupil, especially not for somepony who nearly gets herself killed getting here."
"But, but-"
"How did you even get here?"
"Oh that's easy, my mom's the postmare in ponyville. She helped me sneak me in!" Is this pony for real? "Then I just had to wait to get here." I placed my hoof on the bridge my muzzle.
"I'm pretty sure that's illegal, why do you even want me to be your teacher? Isn't there somepony that is closer to town that can be?"
"Well, yeah, but they aren't as awesome as you! You do the enchantments for the guards armor!" I sighed, I'm too old for this. There was an unusual moment of silence, which caused me to look at her. She looked downtrodden. "I have an inverted horn, which means I can't do magic as good as normal ponies. Everypony in school bullies me about it."
"Telling me you're handicapped will not change my mind."
You know, she went through a lot to get here, don't you think you should at least humor her?
Not now, Liquid Fire. I have enough on my plate without needing to deal with you.
And you call ME the demon, all i'm saying, is to give her a trial run, you know, see what she can do. Need I remind you of YOU when you were her age?
At her age I mastered complex telekinesis, she couldn't even get her head unstuck from a helmet.
Give her a chance, unless you want to make a foal cry.
"Fine." She looked surprised, as expected.
"I'll give you one week, before I cast my final judgement, but."
"But?"
"There are conditions." I waited a moment. Good, at least she knows when to listen. "One, you will obey my commands. Two, you will be my assistant, not apprentice. And three, you will not use ANY magic for three days; if you use any, I will know and take you back to Ponyville, no questions asked. Understand?"
"Yes sir!" Kids, I hate kids.
