“Ahhg!” I yelled throwing my notebook across my bedroom where it hit the wall and fell onto my dresser.

One month, I’d spent an entire month with not one clue as to what my magic could possibly be. Bael, as could be guessed, was greatly amused by my annoyance. Vinyl had been busy with the club so she at the moment she wasn’t around to be worrying about my fit. Octavia had been around less and less because she had found a coltfriend, which greatly shocked both Vinyl and me.

Vinyl told me she thought about asking her to join the herd but that night Tavi told us about her ‘coltfriend’. I didn’t have a great feeling about it Octavia didn’t seem to be happy to tell us which had lead me to believe there was something else going on, but I had yet to investigate because of being occupied. Seeing as Octavia wasn’t coming back with any physical harm I wasn’t greatly concerned but she seldom spoke to either Vinyl or me anymore and smiled even less. This started only a week ago, seeing that it was still so recent I figured it must be because she did have some feelings for us that she clearly still felt but didn’t want to act on them with her coltfriend in the mix.

With that at the back of my mind I focused back on my current problem. I had been making a list of all possible elements that my magic could be based on the talents that I had encountered here in Equis along with some common elements of magic that I could think of from shows or stories. After that I did as much research into other languages and terminology that was interchangeable with the list of words I had collected. I then proceeded to run my list by Bael to which was like slamming myself against a brick wall, frustrating and painful.

Am I at least on the right track Bael? Like is my element at least on the list I made?

… Yes.

… That’s it? Seriously, that’s all I get?

You should know what it is when you look closely enough. Also it’s ancient name is older than the written word has existed. Older than any symbol or drawing, you won’t find any help discovering it from the methods you are attempting to use.

Wow… that’s the most I’ve gotten out of you in weeks.

While you’re floundering is amusing I have an agenda that requires that you be ready. I’ve deemed it necessary that you needed a push.

Doesn’t that mean that I could just wait until you were pressed enough for you to tell me everything I want to know?

No, my plans don’t require you per say. While it would be inconvenient for me, I could wait until the day you die and then continue with your descendants.

I scowled at the coldness of Bael’s statement but knew it wouldn’t do any good to try and argue. I had gotten a good lead on what to do and I should just be happy with that. Looks like I have some meditating to do.

At that moment I heard the front door open and leaned from my bed to see Octavia coming in with a haggard appearance and a frown that seemed ingrained on her muzzle. I walked out of my room as she flopped on the couch, not seeming to notice she wasn’t alone.

This was reinforced when she nearly jumped out of her skin as I spoke up, “Hey Tavi, you ok?”

After her mini panic attack settled down she looked at me with a very forced smile. “I’m fine Andrew. Just some stress from the orchestra and Fine Point.” Octavia’s voice seemed to turn slightly colder at using her ‘coltfriend’s’ name.

I looked her over, her coat and mane had lost a little of the luster that had made her look so confident, along with her eyes being slightly more sunk in than I had noticed a week ago. The vibrant mare I had met months ago was slowly disappearing right in front of my eyes. Another couple weeks and I don’t think I’d be looking at the Octavia I had known and grown to care about. Maybe my search for magic could be put off for a day or two for me to investigate a little.

While this went on in my head Octavia had gotten up and excused herself to her room while I had given a small nod that I heard her. I let my gaze linger on her door after it had closed for a moment before I resolved my choice.

There’s something going on, and I’m going to figure it out. Even if I end up needing to bash some heads in… Actually I kinda hope that happens, I could use something to release some stress on, or somebody.

~Two days later~

I’m not really fond of stalking people I consider my friends, but when my interrogations fail to get me the information I need it doesn’t leave me much choice. I’d spent all of yesterday and most of today trying to find info on Octavia’s seemingly invisible coltfriend. No one/pony seemed to know anything or even heard of a stallion by the name of Fine Point.

But like hell and I going to give up! Something is up and I am going to find out what that something is. Which leads me back to the stalking, I had decided to tail Octavia after our shift at the club when she told Vinyl and me that she was going to see Fine. I gave Vinyl a brief explanation of what I planned to do, to which she approved saying she agreed that she felt something was wrong. She had asked to come along, but I told her it’d be easier for me to move around alone than if we’d both tried to tail Tavi, took a little convincing but she finally relented and I had just been able to catch up to Tavi before I lost her.

I grew more concerned as we made our way deeper into the lower section of Canterlot, it wasn’t exactly known for its sterling reputation after all. She finally came to a rather run down bar called the ‘Black Spot’, its outsides completely covered with graffiti and piss/vomit stains and even some blotches of dark red that didn’t really inspire confidence in this place.

There’s no way that Octavia met someone in a place like this. This throws up more red flags than taunting a raging bull, and I don’t like the tingle I get from any of them. I have a couple theories but none of them are very pleasant to consider.

What do you plan to do if they are true?

Probably something that you and Korvin could actually agree upon.

Well, I look forward to whatever spectacle you grant me. You come up with any guesses towards your magic by chance?

Bael brought up an interesting point, with the concern over Octavia taking up the majority of my time I had kinda put that out of my mind. Though if I had to throw something off the top of my head it’d have to be…

You want the ancient name I’m supposing.

Correct.

Let me get through with this and I’ll make a guess.

Suit yourself.

With that I pulled up the hood of the black hoodie I had on and entered the, for lack of a more accurate word, shady establishment. Once I was inside I was met with very little more light than what was outside considering it was about two in the morning. The air smelled mostly of smoke and alcohol with lesser hints of piss and vomit and sex, it took a few moments to keep the bile in my stomach where it belonged before I managed to start looking around. Since I couldn’t see Octavia in the main crowd I came up to the bar where a wrinkled old mare cleaning a glass gave me a slightly curious look before setting the glass down and came closer.

“What you need boy?” She said in a coarse voice which sounded like she’d smoked since she was a foal.

“Looking for a stallion by the name of Fine Point. Heard from a buddy of mine that I could find him here.” I replied coldly, hoping my dark persona might make her think I was actually from around here. The sad fact that the majority of humans live down here in this part of Canterlot was also a make in my favor.

The mare gave me look over before leaning closer and speaking barely above a whisper, “What you need? Stick doesn’t usually meet his clients don’t you know?”

‘Stick’? Either that’s his real name or a street name and Fine Point being the other one. Either way it doesn’t really matter. I replied to the mare with an edge to my voice that I hope would help convince her. “And I don’t do business without seeing the dealer.”

She flinched back slightly before backing up and walking out from behind the bar and walking into a backroom. It only took a moment before she returned and said in a harsher tone than before, “You can go on back, but make it quick.”

I didn’t so much as nod as I walked away, I had basically confirmed one of my theories, and I didn’t like it one bit. As I pushed the door open a large stallion closed it behind me as I walked into the room. The room looked little cleaner than the bar area in the main room, in it were some very tacky plush couches filled with a variety of mares. Standing stoically around the room were a total of four stallions including the one that closed the door behind me, each had varying shades of gray to black for coats and their manes were shaved all the way down so there was no color to comment on. On the couch directly in front of me was a stallion surrounded by a harem of mares.

The slug had a very white coat and a lime green mane that made my eyes hurt. His cutie mark was on a neckless that showed two crossed syringes. He wore a shabby looking suit, though it was by far the fanciest thing in the room, I’d say cleanest but my outfit by far took that trophy. He looked at me with a smug smile that made me just want to hit him now. In my scanning of the room I saw Octavia spayed out on the right side of the couch that slug was on. She was awake but her consciousness was obviously elsewhere.

Drugged, I thought that might be the case, but I was really hoping that I might be wrong. There is a good likelihood that this will get bloody… and I’m alright with that.

The slug finally decided to use his mouth and spoke, “Well, what do we have here? You asked for Fine Point, here I am. What’s your fix buddy, or were you looking to borrow one of my girls for an hour or so?”

“Can’t say I’m really interested in either. I got a mare back home and she’s addicting enough as is.” I replied doing my best to hind my rage.

He seemed to get uneasy at my reply and his voice portrayed as much, “S-so why did you ask to meet me? You aren’t stupid enough to think you could try to hurt me or something right?

“Remains to be seen. Though the main reason I wanted to see you was to confirm own of my suspicions.”

“And what would that be?”

“That you drugged one of my friends and you’ve been keeping her here as your toy.”

He laughed, “Oh that’s rich. One of those knight in shining armor types, you guys are hilarious!” He laughed some more before continuing. “Which one is it?” He gestured at the mares sprawled out around the room.

“Her name is Octavia Melody, you should have hooked her a little over a week ago.”

“Treble-butt? Hmm, should’ve been a little more careful. Must be losing my edge for picking mares, or I got a little greedy. Ehh won’t matter anyway. Boys take out the trash won’t you?” He said with a snap of his fingers. His thugs began to move from their stations looking to either throw me out or get rid of me. Neither option had much appeal so that left option three, trash the place.

The thug that was nearest the door was the first to put a hand on me, to which I grabbed his hand with my thumb and index finger. I placed them on opposite sides of his hand around the fatty tissue between the thumb and index finger of his hand, where there happens to be a very sensitive nerve cluster, and squeezed with as much force as I could. The guard howled in pain as his legs gave out from the severity of pain in less than a second, once he was kneeling I released my hold before taking a small step to the right away from him before spinning around and delivering a spinning heel kick to the back of his head, he’d probably be needing stiches from that (I might have put a little too much force into that kick).

z…

Needless to say he was out of the fight, now that left three to deal with. After seeing their buddy downed so quickly the other three wised up and realized that I was an actual threat. Fine Point was the only unicorn in the room and probably made his guards terrans on purpose in case any one of them was smart enough to think of taking over his little drug ring.

My next opponents were the guards to the sides, though dealing with them was a little anticlimactic. They charged at me from opposite sides looking as if they expected to tackle me. So I just waited until the last moment before shifting my feet to allow me to focus all my weight onto one foot and spun out of the way. The two seemed to have a revelation at what was going to happen next, but they also seemed to realize that they couldn’t stop it either, as they ran headlong into each other.

a…

With them knocking each other out of commission that left the guard that had been standing at the back of the room. He was by far the largest of the thugs, he was probably only around 6’ 6” but the guy looked as ripped as the few minotaurs I had come across while on Equis. His plain black shirt barely seemed to contain his muscles, I’d even bet that if he flexed at all he’d rip it to shreds. So with that description in mind, I wasn’t exactly confident in the case that if brute knew any semblance of fighting I’d have a good chance. Fine Point seemed to pick up on my slight trepidation as he called to his enforcer.

“Bruno, be a good fellow and remove this flee. He’s become rather irritating.” Point said in a very fake refined tone. One that felt like it flipped a switch in me, one that opened my anger to the light.

i…

Bruno, as he was apparently called, decided that he’d attempt to finish this quickly and set upon me with a flurry of punches. Each were quick, but not nearly fast enough to cause me worry as I simply spun to the side and around him. I had him rotating in a box basically after the first ten seconds, though I doubted I could out last the terran in a match of endurance. I needed to find some way to finish him in a single move, but the small jabs I managed to throw in didn’t seem to faze him more than a feather would. That left me with very few options, and I wasn’t really fond of any of them.

I had done my best to not allow myself to go overboard since that bar fight months ago, but it looks like overboard might be the only-at least the least painful on my part anyway-way to end this fight quickly. “Sorry about this, Bruno.” I said coldly but sincerely.

There was a slight hesitation in Bruno’s punches at hearing my words, which allowed for a perfect opportunity. I knife-handed into the soft spot located just under his armpit on his right side, as I did I twisted my hand sharply and drove up. With a sickening pop I felt his arm dislocate and fall limply to his side, he looked at me in shock before he tried to swing at me with his left arm. I spun deftly to the right as I grabbed his wrist, just before I balled my fist and hammer-fisted his elbow while pulling his arm towards me. Bone broke through the other side of his arm as blood spouted from his arm, he screamed at the pain as he fell to his knees. I knocked him out with a quick strike to the back of his head before I turned to Fine point, who was looking significantly more worried at seeing his top enforce taken out so brutally.

r.

I see you’ve found it.

I just wish it didn’t take the endangerment of those I love to bring it out.

Well now that you know; call that name, Your true name…

I felt a burning in my left hand, it was excruciating but at the same time I could bare it as I looked at the object of my anger. I looked down slightly and found a mark on my hand, a wolf head. My mind flashed back to the two electric eyes from my coma, I spoke barely above a whisper. “Zair.”

“H-hey you k-know I was just messing with you r-right? Y-you want some surge? I hear i-it’s awesome for humans.” Fine point tried to barter flashing a needle filled with a slightly glowing blue liquid suggestively, but I think he knew it was useless.

Surge was a drug that was charged with magic, for humans it was more addictive than meth and even worst on their bodies. Since most of humanity can’t handle magic in systems it eats them away from the inside, while at the same time boosting their physical and mental abilities. The life expectancy of humans on addict to surge is only a year for those in the best physical shape when starting, for most it’s far less.

I took a step forward, which in turn cause Fine Point to flinch. He looked around before his eyes landed on Octavia his hand flashed to her wrist and pulled her to him before putting the needle he had to her throat. I froze instantly.

“Take another step and I’ll dose her. You know what happens when ponies other than unicorns take surge, don’t you?” Fine point said smugly, thinking he had won.

There was another even darker side to surge that wasn’t as widely known. Now if a unicorn took it, they could easily expel the excess magic from their systems and be fine, the other races however… if a pegasus or terran were to take surge they would find it just as addicting as humans would, with one caveat. The extra magic in their systems would super charge their senses creating a feeling similar to ecstasy. That effect is caused my just using one milligram of surge, if Fine Point emptied the entire syringe’s contents Octavia’s body would be put into such sensory-overload that her body would forget to control her bodily functions and she’d die from her organs shutting down.

This was not about to happen. I felt a heat rise in my left hand as I stared down the slug in front of me. I couldn’t cross the distance between us with my own physical speed, not without risking Octavia. Magic was also not an option, seeing as I still had only just figured out what it even was I didn’t have enough confidence I could use it without harming Octavia. Which left me with very limited choices, but I decided to go with…

“Give me the surge.” I said with the same finality that I had finished off Bruno with.

Fine Point grinned as he took out another syringe filled with the same glowing blue liquid and tossed it at my feet. “I’ll keep my insurance policy right here until I see you take it.” He said moving the needle a touch closer to Octavia, who was still completely zoned out from the drug.

I growled as I picked up the needle and looked between it and my arm. Any idea what’s going to happen if I inject myself with this crap?

The addictive property comes from the magic; the other components are just a bonding agent to allow it to affect humans. Since you can do magic however it shouldn’t be dangerous per say. But if you’re wanting an exact description I can’t help you there.

Good enough for me. As long as I don’t die I’ll find a way to deal with any other adverse effects. Well here goes nothing.

I took one last look at Octavia in her near comatose state and steeled myself. This is for you Tavi. With that I drove the needle home and pushed the contents into myself.

Fine Point smiled in victory. “Well how does it feel? You’ll be needing another hit in a few hours to keep up the magic levels that your body thinks it needs. So don’t even think of getting rid of me, I’m the only dealer in Canterlot.” Finally bringing the needle away from Octavia, but keeping it on hand just in case.

“Really? Well that will make this easier then.” With that I moved.

“Wha-ukk!???” Fine Point eyes widened before looking down. His eyes bulged more as he saw what he thought to be the impossible.

From his chest was sticking a blade about a foot long… made of lightning. I gave it a twist before allowing it to dissipate, leaving a fist-sized hole in his chest just about where his heart… used to be. Fine Point twitched for a moment, pulling a hand up to the hole in shock before I saw the light fade from his eyes and his body go limp. With no one to support Octavia she fell forward where I caught her before picking her up bridle style and made my way to leave.

As I reached for the door it burst open to reveal Shining Armor and a squad of guards behind him. We stood there shocked as we looked at each other. Shining was first to recover before quickly scoping the room, and the carnage within. With a whistle two guards with red crosses on their arms came in and started to deal with Bruno who was still bleeding out, but alive. The other guards came in and started to carry the semi-comatose mares out to where more medical attention was waiting. The other thugs that had been knocked out were shaken awake before getting cuffed and escorted out of the room.

Fine Point was left untouched for the moment while Shining had a guard take care of Octavia for me before pulling me to the side. He gave me a hard stare before speaking in a low but steely voice, “Ok, what. The hell. Happened!”

“Octavia had been acting strange for a while since she had met Fine Point, her ‘coltfriend.’ I got concerned so I followed her here to where I found she had gotten drugged with surge.” Shining shivered as he heard me say that cursed drug. “After I confronted Fine Point, the pony over there with the missing heart, I was attacked by his thugs. As you saw I took out most of them fairly harmlessly, I had to kinda be rough on the big guy though. I’m sure you can see why.” Shining nodded, before urging me to continue. “After I had dealt with him, Fine Point held Octavia as a hostage. I couldn’t figure out how to save her but then… Fine Point tossed me a needle filled with surge and ordered me to take it.” Shining blanched at hearing this. “I know what you’re thinking, but I didn’t have a choice. I took the needle and injected myself, that’s where things got weird… The room seemed to white out for just a moment, after which I was standing over Fine Point and his heart was missing. I don’t know how it happened, that’s all I can tell you man.”

Shining went quite while he decided what to do. “Ok I don’t really know what to do with this. Your marefriend Vinyl told us you had decided to tail your friend Octavia and that she had put a tracking a spell on you. She told us where to find you and when we found out it was one of the places we had associated with a surge dealer going by the handle ‘Stick,’ I immediately dispatched the guards and we made our way here. Stick, or Fine Point as I guest is real name is, has been a plague on the citizens here in the lower district. I guess thanks are in order for helping us find him, though I wish we could have avoided him dying.”

“Sorry Shining, can’t help you there.” I said with a shrug.

“Don’t worry about it. In any case we need to get you checked out, surge is very dangerous to human after all. You sure you feel ok?”

“Yeah, as far as I can tell. Don’t know why it happened, but I don’t feel like anything’s wrong.”

“Get checked, for your marefriend and Octavia if nothing else.”

I nodded to Shining before making for the door. I felt Shining’s eyes follow me, but he didn’t say anything else. Once I was outside and I finished getting checked for traces of surge. After I was cleared and came out of the tent that had been set up I was assaulted by a certain white unicorn.

“You ass! Why is it every time I leave you to do something by yourself I come to find you always get yourself into trouble!?” Vinyl said while shaking me violently. Before I even got the opportunity to reply I felt Vinyl pull me in and smashed her lips to mine. I felt all the worry and love that she felt in that kiss before she broke it and pulled me close while she buried her head in my chest. “Stop worrying me like this idiot. I almost lost you once, I don’t want to have it happen a second time.”

I smiled down at her, returning the hug as I rested my head on top of hers. “Sorry Vi, I’m not doing it on purpose you know.”

“Bullshit.” Vinyl mumbled through my chest.

I laughed at her before I ran a hand through her mane. “Hey when Octavia is better from all this, I want to do something special for her. You want to hear my idea?”

Vinyl pulled away slightly so she could look up at me. “What did you have in mind?”

Author's Note

Ok so it took me longer than I thought to finish this chapter. College can be rough you know?

Anyway, Lightning! Yes, lightning is what Andrew's power is, or more precisely energy. He can control electric energy and use it in a plethora of ways, if you want more than that you'll just have to keep reading.

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, comments and criticism are always welcome. I want to make this story the best I can, so in order for that to happen I need you guys to help me.

Stay awesome everyone, Lyruil out.

Edit: Only a few lines were changed but their implications are a bit grander in the scope of the story. If you can notice them, good job!