The Bright Equestrian Moon

We both have a quick breakfast; I have waffles and a hot chocolate, and Luna has oats and tea. We then make our way to the library so that I can try to get my magic working in some form. After taking a seat at a desk in the magic wing of the library, Luna sets off to find some books that we didn’t try yesterday. I look around a bit from my seat, taking note of how quiet the library is, apart from the occasional guard on patrol. It also still amazes me just how many books there are here, and how big the library is.

Luna soon returns with some new books that I haven’t tried the methods from yet. “Are you ready to try some more methods for using your magic?”

I give Luna a determined look and nod. “Yeah, let’s do this… I’m not gonna get frustrated like last time. I’ll be patient and work through as many methods as it takes for me to succeed or make progress.”

She smiles and opens the first book. “Very well, let me find the most apt method for you.” Luna looks through the book and finds a whole section on activating dormant magic, skimming through it. “I see…” She looks up at me. “I may have to give your magic a bit of a push with my own magic. You simply have to focus like you did yesterday and visualise your magic power growing.”

“Right, I’ll try.” I close my eyes and focus on my breathing. I relax and then think of myself, imagining a glow building up inside my body. Hopefully this’ll work, but I’m ready for it to fail. “Give me that boost.” Even with my eyes closed, I notice my surroundings get brighter, and I feel a little tingly. It must be Luna’s magic. I visualise her light blue magic merging with my inner glow and I start to feel as if I have more energy. Is it working? I open my eyes and rely on instinct, holding my hand out and focusing the energy to my hand. Nothing… I focus harder on my hand, but still, nothing happens. I stop to rest.

Luna stops pumping her magic into me, and then I feel just the same as before. “I suppose our two magics are not compatible…” She gives me a gentle nuzzle. “It is all right, we still have many more methods to try.”

I smile and nod. “Yeah, it doesn’t matter that it didn’t work. Something will eventually.” I nuzzle Luna back. “Now, let’s try another.”

She nods and we go through method after method, not one of them working. We spend the rest of the morning trying more and more, when we finally get to the last book that Luna could find applying to my situation. “If this does not work, we may have to search for more books that are not present in the castle library.”

“Okay… Then I really hope it works, or points us in the right direction…” I’m starting to feel a little defeated and kind of tired by this point. I may not actually be expending any sort of magical energy, but the focus I’ve been putting into it has been exhausting so far.

Luna reads a passage and smiles. “Hmmm, interesting, this one just may be far better than any of the others. Instead of focusing on magic, or energy, you should think of something very important to you. Something that makes you, you. Through this thing, whether it be a hobby, interest, or aspect of yourself, your magic will take form. Similar to when a pony earns their cutie mark.”

I stop and think for a moment. That makes sense, and it does sound promising, since it sounds so different from all of the other approaches. What would that thing be? I should use my instincts to figure it out… Instincts… Oh! Perhaps I have to focus on my wolfishness. “Hmmm, I think I have an idea, and thinking back on it now, it’s so obvious; I don’t know how I didn’t think of it until now. Before I got to Equestria, I used to do something called shifting.

“It’s to do with my belief in having a wolf soul. Basically, shifting was when I would get into the mentality of a wolf, sometimes to the point of experiencing phantom limbs, like a tail. I never saw it as magic though, but more as a meditational type of thing. There were rumours of other people like me who could physically shift, but I highly doubt any of them were true. However, here, with magic, it just might be possible.” I give Luna a big smile.

She smiles back. “It is worth a try… Although should we take any sort of precautions?”

That is a good question… “Probably, especially if it’s stronger than I expect with the added magic. Amongst the other people like me - who I knew over something called the internet, not physically - occasionally just mentally shifting could have risky results. With magic, it’s possible that I may lose control the first few times, until I get used to it and can become lucid in my shifted state.”

Luna nods and thinks for a moment. “There is a magic proofed and reinforced room that Celestia and I occasionally use to practice new magic that could be dangerous to others. It should be safe for you to try your shifting there.”

I smile and nod, standing up from the seat and stretching. Damn, I must have been sitting for ages; stretching feels great. “That sounds perfect, lead the way.”

Luna gets up too. “Just this way.” She then leads me through the library and towards the side of the castle where the bedrooms and personal chambers are. We then take a turn and end up at a large, and very heavy looking set of doors. “Here we are.” Luna uses her magic to unlock the big double doors and open them. Inside is a tall, wide, circular room with runes and sigils carved along the walls, floor and domed ceiling. They glow a faint white as we enter, and some torch sconces on the walls light themselves.

I look at the intricate symbols and lines around the room. “This room looks awesome! I’m guessing that all these carvings provide some sort of defence against magic?”

Luna smiles and nods. “Correct, however, they only protect one way. They keep all magic and destructive power from said magic inside the room. If one were to use magic from outside, the room could be damaged.”

I look around a bit more, before looking back at Luna. “That’s so interesting… I’ll have to spend more time here later just to look at it all. For now, though, I’m really excited to see how my shifting will go.”

She closes and locks the doors with her magic, before watching curiously. “So am I; you may start when ready.”

I nod. “Right… Just… Be careful, all right? I don’t know what will happen or how I’ll behave after shifting.” I look down and notice my clothes. If I do manage to physically change, I’ll probably ruin my clothes. I undress and then lay down on the floor. It’s pleasantly warm. I close my eyes and clear my mind, just like all those other times. This time, however, I focus on being a wolf. I think about having fur, paws, a tail, pointed ears, a muzzle, and sharp teeth to go with it. I need to stop thinking in words, but think in visuals, feelings, scents, and non-verbal sounds…

Warmth…

Pain…

Sweat…

The scent of something living…

There is breathing and panting…

Groaning…

Growling…

Whimpering…

I look up. There is a tall creature before me. Is it prey? Is it pack? I don’t know. I feel… Uncertain. I know this creature, yet I don’t. It smells good, like prey. I’m hungry. Do I eat it? Or do I find another creature to eat?

It approaches me. It too seems uncertain towards me. The scent is female. Is she a mate? Is she a threat? I step back and bare my teeth. My fur stands on end. My tail is raised.

I’m so confused…

She stops moving. I watch her and she stays still. She drops to the floor. I step back and growl. Is she going to attack? She moves back on the ground. Maybe not. I look away from her to see my surroundings. I’m in what looks like a cave. It is marked by strange scratches.

I look back at the female creature. She hasn’t moved. I cautiously approach her. She rolls onto her side and turns her head. She’s exposing her throat. Prey doesn’t do this. She must be pack, or something else. She isn’t a wolf, but she’s close to me. I bare my teeth as I bring my muzzle close to her throat. No reaction. I let my guard down and sniff her. Her scent. It comforts me. It smells familiar.

I turn from her. I pace around the cave. I try to smell it. It’s strange. I can’t smell the cave. It has no scent. I don’t like it. I keep pacing. I find something soft on the ground. It smells of sweat, and of me. Why? What is it? I pace some more. I find a crack in the cave. I give it a sniff. There is a mix of scents. I scratch at it and whine. Where is the way out? I look up. There are no holes. I didn’t fall. How did I get here?

The female makes a sound. I look back at her. She makes the same sound. It isn’t barking, but it isn’t growling. I don’t know what it means. She makes that sound yet again. I don’t know why, it sounds familiar. The sound gives me the urge to approach the female. She looks into my eyes. I sniff her muzzle. She reaches to me with her strange paw. It doesn’t have claws. She rubs the back of my head. It feels good. I lay down. I close my eyes. I need sleep. I fade away, and start to feel pain.

I wake up. I feel really sore and achy all over. I let out a groan. “Ughh, did it work?” I’m laying down beside Luna on the floor, and I’m very clearly in human form. “I can’t remember much, if anything…”

Luna nuzzles me gently. “It did indeed work; you became a large wolf, with fur the colour of your hair, and your eyes were a yellow-golden… Although it looked rather painful… Are you okay, Travis?”

I slowly nod. “I think so, although I don’t feel like I can do much else today… I’m so sore, exhausted, and very hungry… I didn’t cause too much trouble?” It’s so insane that it worked, but I’m far too tired and in too much pain to celebrate.

She shakes her head. “I think you forgot who you were, and who I was, but you did not hurt me. You seemed afraid and confused, which is understandable. I gave you trust by exposing my throat, and that calmed you down.”

I give her a look of worry. “That was very risky of you, Luna, but I understand that it needed to be done. Thank you for trusting me when I didn’t know what I was doing.” I briefly give her a peck on the lips.

Luna kisses me back. “You are quite welcome… Do you think you could walk to the dining hall for lunch? Or shall I carry you?”

“Oh, I don’t want to be a burden…” I try to push myself up from the floor, but all of my muscles scream at me in complete pain. “Ahhh! Fuck!” I lay back down. “Sorry for the bad language…” I nuzzle Luna softly. “I guess I’ll have to be carried after all… Unless you know a spell to make the pain go away?”

She kisses my forehead. “A spell to ease the pain would only cause you harm in the long term. Instead, I could use a spell to heal your muscles, but you must go to sleep for it to take full effect.”

I give her a pained smile. “Sure… So, I’ll be hurting for the rest of the day, but be good as new tomorrow after I sleep?”

Luna nods softly. “That is right, meaning that I will still have to carry you for now. I do not mind having to do so.”

I nod back. “All right, go ahead, cast the spell.”

Her horn glows and her magic envelopes me, feeling relaxing and numbing. As she finishes, my pain slowly returns. “Now, all I ask of you for today is to rest. Can you promise me that you will rest?”

I nod again. “Yeah, I don’t really have much of a choice anyway. Thanks for helping, even if my attitude doesn’t seem like I’m thankful... Also, I still need to get dressed somehow with all this pain..."

Luna stands and smiles. “You are welcome, and I understand; you are in pain after all... And I will dress you.” She levitates me and my clothes, dressing me with me hovering, then she rests me down on her back when she finishes.

I wrap my arms around her lazily and try to relax myself on her back. “Well, let’s go get some lunch, I’m starving.”

Luna giggles softly. “I could imagine you are. You deserve a very big meal after what you just did.” She then walks with me on her back towards the dining hall.