Chapters It was a typical Spring day. Allen, who was walking home from college back to his apartment, held a laptop bag in his hand.
“Today is my parents anniversary. I should probably call them up and wish them the best. “
Opening his apartment door, Allen stepped inside. Lazily, he walked into the living room and sat down in a nearby chair, setting his laptop on the table in front of him. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his parents.
1 ring.. 2 rings..
Bored, he began pacing back and forth. Finally, his mother answered
“Hello?”
“Hey mom. I just wanted to wish you a happy anniver--” He tripped on the leg of the chair he was previously sitting in and fell. Just before hitting the wall, he panicked, dropped the phone, and put his hands out; then everything went black. But it didn’t feel like a black out...
His vision returned. Allen looked at the ground that he was lying on. “Where’d the wall go..? This isn’t my floor..” Lifting himself off the foreign floor, he looked around and saw… a pony..? With a beard, hat, and a cape..?
“Ok.. this is weird,” he said aloud.
“So you can speak? What an odd creature you are. What are you?”
“YOU CAN TALK?! YOU’RE A PONY AND YOU CAN TALK?!”
“Yes, I can. And since you aren’t going to introduce yourself first, my name is Starswirl The Bearded; apparently, I have just discovered interdimensional travel. And, may I ask again, what species are you?”
Allen took a deep breath and got a hold of himself. Stuttering he said to the pony, “My name is Allen, and I’m a human from Earth. Um.. where am I?”
Starswirl looked at Allen and said, “Why, you’re in Equestria. Now, before you ask any more questions, I need to document this discovery and research you. Is that ok?”
Allen nodded hesitantly and added, “After you’re done with your.. experiments.. is there anyway you could send me back to Earth? Are you the only talking pony here? Could you explain everything? Please?”
“No questions right now,” Starswirl rummaged through piles of papers and notebooks, pulling out a large notepad. He then produced a quill from his beard.
“Ok, first question. Height?”
“5 feet, nine inches.”
Starswirl recorded this on a blank page of the large book, mumbling, “179 centimeters.. What about your weight?”
“156 pounds.”
Again, Starswirl recorded this.
“And you’re from Earth; a human, you said?”
“Correct.”
Allen looked around, “Say.. uh.. how about we exchange questions? You answer one of mine, and I’ll answer one of yours. Is that a deal?”
Starswirl looked up from his notepad, “Seems agreeable. Ask away.”
“..How did I get here..?”
“As I said before, I just invented interdimensional travel; you happened to fall into the portal I made.”
Starswirl laughed slightly, “That wasn’t much of a question. Ask again.”
“Will you be able to send me back?”
“Not until the spell is stable. You’re lucky to be alive. If you haven’t noticed, you’re garments.. I assume that’s what they are.. are very charred.”
“How long will that take?”
“Probably never. You are, however, welcome to help me though. Do you have any sort of magic?”
“No.. magic doesn’t exist in my realm.”
“Really? How odd.”
“Is there still any way I can help?”
“Unfortunately, no.. I should probably ask someone with more power and knowledge than myself.”
“Who’s that?”
“The Princess of Equestria, Celestia.”
“Well then, let’s go.”
Starswirl shook his head, “No no. The princess doesn’t have always have the time. We will need to schedule a meeting.”
“Well, how long will that take?”
“A few weeks.”
“No.. I can’t be here that long. I need to get home. I have a job and family I need to get to. Tell me where this ‘princess’ is and I’ll talk to her myself.”
Starswirl hesitated, but gave Allen directions to the throne room. He then hastily began lecturing Allen on why not to go, but Allen refused to listen and instead began to walk out, heading towards the direction that was given.
Starswirl briskly followed him down the halls and corridors of the castle that led from his lab to the grand hall, attempting to stop Allen. He gave up after the third attempt. After a few minutes, they arrived in a large hall where there were two thrones accompanied by two princesses sitting upon them.
Walking meaningfully up to the thrones, Allen bowed, then said loudly “Princesses I have recently been brought here by...” he gestured towards Starswirl, “him and I.. well, mainly me.. were wondering if you could send me back?”
Luna was the first to speak, “Starswirl, you completed your interdimensional travel spell I see? Well, regardless of how powerful we are, we cannot send you back. We can break or undo magic, but we cannot send you back. I am sorry.”
Allen slouched slightly.
Starswirl began to speak, “Princesses, is there anything you can do?”
Celestia replied, “Unfortunately not, Starswirl.”
She then turned toward Allen. “Perhaps during your stay in Equestria you could assist Starswirl.”
Allen sighed, “I suppose that will have to work.”
Starswirl emphasized, “Well, he won't be much help to me as a ‘human’, he called himself, as they don’t have magic.”
Celestia responded, “Yes. He also might cause panic if he were to be seen out in public. He appears intelligent or I would simply turn him into a pony, but it seems proper to get his consent due to the circumstances.”
Celestia turned towards Allen and spoke, “What do you think?”
“I.. I think I’ll pass..” Allen said
Starswirl spoke up, saying, “You could help me stabilize the spell faster.”
“Then we could change you back when you leave,” Celestia added.
“I.. I guess that could work.. the faster I get home the better,” Allen said hesitantly.
“But you can change me back when I want.. right?”
“Of course,” Celestia and Luna said at the same time
“Well, let’s get on with it then. The sooner the better.”
“Alright. Step back.”
Allen followed the princess’ order.
The princess’ horns began to glow, and magic spiraled up around him. There was a bright flash.
“It worked. You're a unicorn now.”
Looking down at himself, Allen noticed he had been changed. He had hooves, fur, and from what he could feel, a horn too. He couldn't see it, however, and didn’t know how to use magic, so he couldn’t test if it was there.
Starswirl exclaimed, “Aha! It worked. Thank you, princesses. I have been in need of an assistant.”
Celestia replied, a hint of impatience in her voice, “You’re welcome, Starswirl, but shouldn’t you be getting back to your research?”
“Yeah, I think we should get working. I want to get home quickly,” Allen said.
“Yes, I do suppose you’re right,” Starswirl replied thoughtfully.
They both bowed to the princesses and left, returning to the hallways that led back to the laboratory. Allen trotted slower than he had hoped due to the difficulty of getting used to having four legs. His tail, which he kept tripping over, didn’t make things any easier.
When they finally arrived at the lab, Starswirl gestured for Allen to take a seat. Allen looked at it and then attempted to pull it out; an impossible task for him due to his inexperience with hooves. Starswirl rolled his eyes, then promptly used his magic to pull the chair out for the still fussing Allen.
“Alright. Before we start, we need be sure that the spell worked correctly,” Starswirl proclaimed.
“Well, I appear to have a tail and hooves.. oh yeah, let’s not forget fur. I assume it did,” Allen said in an annoyed tone.
“You forget that we are not looking for appearances, Allen. We need to test your magical abilities and make sure you’re physically stable, so if we can put your sarcasm aside, let’s begin. First and foremost, do you feel any sort of pains?”
“No. Not at the moment, anyway.”
“How much magic can you produce?”
“No idea. How am I supposed to do that?”
Starswirl put his hoof to his face, then said, “You’re a unicorn. You should be able to ‘feel’ it. You should be able to simply know that your magic ability is there. Do you feel any different?”
“Well, I do feel something; like a muscle that I need to flex, but can’t move. Is that what it is?”
“I suppose you might explain it like that. Try to flex that muscle. The more you do, the less it will feel like a muscle, and the more it will feel like magic,” Starswirl lectured.
Allen squinted and winched, attempting to use his magic. Suddenly, a small flash of light appeared, lasting only a couple of seconds. Allen then collapsed, exhausted.
“Well, that was good. Keep trying, and speak to me again in the morning. Until then, continue training until you can keep that up for ten minutes. That should allow me to determine if you are an actual assist to me.”
“Well, I don’t know where I’m supposed to stay,” Allen said tiredly.
“Of course. How could I have forgotten? Go ahead and sleep on the sofa right over there,” Starswirl said as he gestured towards the red couch. “I’ll be in my quarters. Stay up as long as you like practicing, but you need to be awake enough tomorrow to begin helping me,” Starswirl said as he walked out of the room.
Allen stood up, continuing to use his magic. Eventually, after much time had passed, he managed to hold the light for about five minutes; it was short-lived, however, as he passed out on the couch due to fatigue.
Allen felt a crushing weight on his chest. A familiar voice rang in his ears. “Wake up you lazy colt. We need to work.”
Well there go my final hopes of this being a dream.
Allen looked down, noticing books piled up on his chest. “What are these books here for?” He said slightly struggling to breath.
“They are for studying. There are also some journals for noting your scientific discoveries.” Starswirl dropped a quill on top.
“Can you get these books off of me so I can stand up?”
Starswirl lifted them off, setting them on the floor. Allen stood up and looked into a mirror that hung on the nearby wall.
So this is how I look?
He ran his hand through his long, ragged brown mane, looked across his white coat, and took notice that his tail was also brown. His eyes were, as always, blue.
“Stop looking at yourself. We need to begin working.”
“Alright.. what do I need to help you with first?”
“Lift up those books with your magic.” Starswirl gestured towards the books he recently set on the floor.
“But I’m not that skilled with magic yet..”
“Do it.”
Struggling, Allen used his magic, managing to pick up two of the six books that were stacked on the floor. Moving them around the room, he set them on the desk nearby. He then grabbed the remaining books and set them on the desk next to the others.
“Commendable effort, however not enough so. Try again.”
Using his already exhausted magic, he picked up two more of the books, moving them onto the floor. Starswirl shook his head and moved them back to the desk. “Again.”
After five hours of work Allen spoke up then lost his concentration and the chair, he had held with his magic fell and clattered to the ground. “Starswirl,” he panted “I’m going to need a break. We haven't even had lunch,” he complained.
“Fine. You get one hour. After that, we work until supper.”
“That’s fine. See you in an hour.”
Finally; food. It’s been ages since I ate. Walking out of the room, Allen attempted to remember the rooms that they had passed the previous day. One of them was a kitchen.
After a while, he eventually found his way there. Walking in, he spoke to the cook and asked for some food. The cook gave him some scraps and Allen went back to the lab to eat and rest.
Starswirl opened the door to the lab, interrupting Allen’s nap. “Has it already been an hour?” Allen said sleepily.
“Yes it has. Now, I believe you have enough magical strength to cast a basic spell. Look through your spellbook for level one spells,” Starswirl instructed.
Allen flipped through the spellbook given to him by Starswirl, finding a few spells he found interesting. “Featherweight Spell: Reduces weight of heavy objects, allowing you to lift them with ease. (Level 1) | Cloud Walking Spell: Allows non-pegasus ponies to walk on clouds. (Level 5)”
I’ll start at level one like that old wizard said.
“I’ll take a shot at this one.” He hovered the book in front of Starswirl, who then nodded approvingly. Allen’s horn began to glow and so did the chair he had been lifting earlier. With a small flash of white, the spell had been cast.
“Now, let’s see if it worked.” Starswirl went over and lifted the heavy object with his hooves, then nodded. “Great. For your first day using magic, you surely have a knack for it.”
“Then why are you insulting my abilities and pushing me so hard?”
“Because it makes you better. Although, Allen, you should know I am impressed.”
“Thanks.” Maybe Equestria isn’t so bad.
Dinner With the Princesses
Maybe Equestria isn’t so bad. Allen shook his head in denial. What am I thinking? I have a family to get back to.
“Well, now that you can cast basic spells, you can help me research and I can aid your studies. For the first few experiments, you shall assist me. For the rest, you will conduct your own experiments; unless, of course, I need your assistance,” Starswirl said.
“Ok. What should we do first?” Allen asked, wanting to hurry the work process along.
Starswirl paused to think. “No idea, leave me to my research and keep working on your spells.”
Great. This will take forever.
Nodding, Allen went back to his spell book and looked through the pages. All these are too complex for me. Perhaps I should rehearse what I already know.
They continued working until dinner. Starswirl had found nothing helpful on the topic of getting Allen home. Allen, however, found a few utility spells that could help around the lab. He was now showing them off like a school filly with fancy new hair ribbons—lighting candles, turning doorknobs, making things weigh less, and amplifying noise.
“Would you stop running around doing senseless things? Grab my notebook; I want to document my findings before stopping for the evening.” Starswirl said, partly annoyed
Allen levitated the notebook and quill over to Starswirl, who grabbed the quill and jotted an entire page of notes before stopping. He then motioned for Allen to follow him. Although confused, Allen obeyed, asking, “Where are we going?”
Starswirl gave him a look of astonishment; one saying that Allen should already know. “Why, we’re going to dinner with the princesses of course. They want to check the progress you’ve made with your spells. They really do care for all of their subjects. That, and I am the most respected unicorn in all of the palace,” he said quite boastfully
Surprised, Allen said, “What? Dinner.. with the princesses? We are dining with royalty and you didn’t even tell me?”
“I was busy. Now hush.”
Following Starswirl, Allen became nervous about speaking to the princesses. Sure, he had done it so casually the day before; now, however, he was in a state of panic, knowing that he may be here for a while and had to treat them as his rulers.
Ok, just calm down. Act casual. Answer any questions they have.
Starswirl reached the end of the hallway which opened up into a grand dining room with a large table in the center. There were many seats set along the sides and ends of the table. The princesses sat at the head of the table, side by side. Starswirl sat in the seat closest to Luna, so Allen, hesitantly, took the one next to Celestia.
Celestia spoke happily, “Ah, my good friend Starswirl. I’m glad you got my letter; at least I know not all of my messengers are incompetent,” she said, a clear hint of sarcasm in her voice. Celestia motioned to one of her guards, who then proceeded into the kitchen. A servant carrying many trays of food walked out and set the table.
Luna spoke next, “You know, your apprentice told us his name.” Luna turned to face Allen, “So, what is your name, newcomer?”
“Allen. My name is Allen your majesty,” he said with every bit of formality and respect he could muster.
“Are most names on your planet so.. odd?” Luna asked curiously
Celestia spoke before Allen could answer. “Now sister, don’t be so rude to our guest. What my sister is asking is that most names here in Equestria are more based around your talent or personality. Is it not like that in your realm?”
“Well, no. Humans on Earth are not generally named for their talent.”
Starswirl spoke now, “That just seems silly. What else about your culture is different from our own?”
“Everything. Equestria is so peaceful. Where I come from, the world is consumed with war, disease and corrupt people.”
“Then why do you want to go back?” Luna asked, her curiosity again taking over.
“Because I have a family there. I don’t want to leave them.”
Luna nodded understandingly and went back to enjoying her food.
Celestia asked another question directed to Starswirl. “How has your research been going?”
“Not well. I can open the portal and things will fall in, but I can’t control what realm the portal goes to or put anything through it on our side. It also seems any living thing that’s come through so far has been completely vaporized only seconds after their arrival. I don’t want to risk sending anything there.”
Celestia nodded and said, “Yes. It would be best not to take any unnecessary risks.”
“Now, let’s stop the chatter until we’ve finished eating,” Starswirl said, biting into a pastry.
Allen finished eating and began waiting for Starswirl to finish; until he did, though, Allen wanted to ask a few questions. “Princesses, I do have a couple of questions if you don’t mind me asking.”
“Ask away,” said Luna.
“Well, I was wondering what the things on your.. uhm.. flanks are?”
After a moment of confusion, Luna answered, “Do you mean our cutie marks?” She said, pointing towards her own.
Allen nodded and Luna responded. “They signify our special talents that we were born to do. Do humans not have them?”
“No we don’t. It’d be helpful if we did though.”
“Well, that would explain why you don’t have one,” Celestia said.
“Anything else?” Luna asked.
“Nothing that I can think of.”
Starswirl finally finished his food and spoke up. “I’m sorry, but if you may excuse us, I need to get back to my work.”
“Of course, Starswirl,” she looked towards Allen, ” I hope to hear an update soon, Allen.”
Starswirl and Allen both stood up and began to walk back to the lab. Once they returned, Allen passed out on the couch from the long day of training. Starswirl ignored him, opening up a book related to the magic he was studying.
“Allen! Wake up! I think I’ve found something!
“What is it?” Allen asked sleepily.
“Dragon scales! They can stabilize a spell!”
“Dragon scales can stabilize spells.” Starswirl said happily.
“What?” Allen asked groggily.
“Dragon scales; I can use them to help stabilize the interdimensional travel spell. It’s worth a shot at least.” Starswirl said excitedly
“Where are we going to find a dragon?” Allen asked, thinking that they must be rare.
“There is a cave to the south. I will teach you a few spells on the way. Agreed?” The anxious unicorn said in a flurry of words.
“Sounds fine, I guess. See you in the morning.” Allen said, setting his head down on the couch
“No, we are leaving right now.” Starswirl said, already beginning to pack his bags.
“What? But we haven't slept yet.” Allen complained
“Now pack your bags.” Starswirl ordered.
Grumbling, Allen began to pack. “How long will we be gone?”
Putting only a moment’s thought into it, Starswirl said, “About a week I would think.”
“A week?! But that’s a long time.” Allen continued to look for his things and bags when he realized that he didn’t have any.
.
“Oh, right, you don’t have any things. Take this saddlebag and your spell book. Also, before we leave, you may want to learn some heat spells. It gets quite cold; until you get to the dragon, of course.” Starswirl levitated a brown saddle bag over to Allen, who then took it and strapped it to himself.
Putting his spell book in his saddlebag, Allen realized he didn’t have a sleeping roll either. “Are we going to have sleeping rolls or just sleep on the ground?”
“Oh yes, might not want to forget that. I think I have an old one around here somewhere.” Rummaging through his wardrobe, Starswirl pulled out two bags, one blue the other brown. Starswirl passed the brown one to Allen and put the blue one on his saddlebag.
Allen put the bag on his saddlebag and then shrugged, stating he was ready. Starswirl nodded, acknowledging the gesture. They both walked out of the room, preparing for their venture.
“But I am Starswirl the Bearded, and this is my apprentice. Now let me through.” He said impatiently
The guards stood steadfast. “No exit permitted,” they said at the same time, a sense of eeriness hanging in the air.
Starswirl thought for a moment, then cast a charm spell on both of them. “Open the gate.” They both complied without any trouble.
They cantered out quickly, not wanting to wait for the spell to lose its effect. Once out of the castle grounds, they slowed to a walk, not wanting to wake sleeping ponies. They soon were out of Canterlot, resuming their trot.
Allen used his magic to produce light for the two of them, taking this time to admire the landscape of Equestria. “Remarkable. Simply beautiful.”
“Yes it is, but we need to continue farther before setting up camp.” Starswirl said.
Nodding his consent, he continued to trot forward.
“Alright, we’ve gone long enough.” Starswirl set down his pack and began to lay out his sleeping roll.
With a sigh of relief, Allen did the same. Starswirl was asleep before Allen could say anything to him. ”That pony is quick to fall asleep. Hopefully I’ll get home soon. This place is messing with my mind. It’s convenient to have magic though.”
In the morning, they had a quick breakfast of apples and vegetables, packed their bags, then went back to their steady trot.
The day was uneventful, small talk the only thing keeping them occupied. The highlight of the day was when Allen began asking questions of Equestrian history and present times.
“So, is Equestria really as peaceful as it seems?” Allen asked, not seeing any signs of war or grief.
“Be more specific. What’s ‘as it seems’ supposed to mean?” Starswirl asked inquisitively.
Sighing, Allen rephrased his question. “When was the last war?”
“War.. war.. might you refresh my memory of what that is?” Starswirl asked, referencing his ongoing vocabulary.
Well, that answers that question, or he’s just not as intelligent as he seems. “A conflict carried out by force of arms.”
“Oh, well, we haven't had a war since the Princesses overthrew Discord. There have been a few outbreaks and riots, but they usually calm down relatively quickly. But we always stay prepared. We aren’t foals, you know.”
“When was Discord’s reign ended?”
“5000 or so years ago.”
Allen’s jaw dropped. “How did they live that long?”
After pondering for a moment, Starswirl bluntly said, “I don’t know. Ask them when we return.”
“If we return, you mean. We’re going into a dragon’s cave uninvited.” Do dragons invite people?
“Well, this dragon isn’t friendly, but he doesn’t like to kill. He will if he has must, though. I would hope he would part with a few of his scales without much trouble. Just don’t mess with his hoard.”
“What’s ‘too much trouble’?” Allen asked, concerned for his own safety.
“Death,” the old wizard said bluntly.
“Well, that’s just great isn’t it? I’m going to die before I even get home. Guess you can just send back my corpse.” Allen said, enraged and confused. To Allen, this was all still a dream. He was in shock.
“Allen, do not get doubtful. I will teach you many spells on the way there. Ones to defend yourself, at least. If you’re that concerned, I will delay the encounter until you are ready.” Starswirl said kindly, then added as a mumble, “I don’t want to lose another novice to my experiments.”
Allen did not hear this. Now calm, he said, “Thanks for the encouragement, Starswirl. It helps.”
Starswirl nodded, then motioned forward, signaling that he wanted to continue.
After that, the day went slowly. Nearing nightfall, Starswirl spoke “Ok, let’s stop here. I’ll teach you some low power defense spells. Don’t want to exhaust you too quickly.”
Allen was surprised that the old wizard didn’t want to push him to his limit in the first few minutes. “Alright. What’s first?”
“Water spells. You’re going to learn to take water from the air and extinguish flames, like so.” Starswirl turned upwards to a cloud, his horn beginning to glow. Allen stood awed as the cloud began to disappear, being replaced with water.
“How are you keeping that much water in the air?” Allen asked.
“I’m not.” His horn stopped glowing and the water began to fall. “Focus. You can levitate the water. But, if you can’t levitate it, try to feel the water and break it into its components, hydrogen and oxygen. Wow that cloud was a long way up.” Starswirl said holding in laughter
Allen tried his best, but could not muster the strength to do such a task. Panicking, he looked to his mentor. “Help,” was all he managed to say before the many gallons of water came crashing down on him.
Starswirl grabbed the unconscious and drenched Allen in his teeth, dragging him away from the soaked earth. He then took the water from the puddles that now covered the land and reformed it back into a cloud.
When Allen awoke, he was soggy and angry. “You know, if you could teach me the spells before I have to use them, it might help a bit!” he yelled
“I did. You just didn’t learn quickly enough.”
“Please let me stop.” Allen shivered after having been drenched repeatedly.
“Not until you get it right.” Starswirl said, bored of lifting the cloud over and over again.
“Fine, one last time. But have I gotten close yet?”
“Yes. You’re closer to evaporating the cloud than levitating it, so try that instead of wasting your energy on levitation.” He said while lifting the cloud to its usual position, turning it into water once again.
Breathing deeply, Allen focused all his energy into ‘feeling’ the water, then shot a bolt of his remaining power into the liquid. He passed out from exhaustion before he could see his success.
Starswirl nodded respectfully. “Commendable effort, but when you separate the water into its basic elements, you need to shoot them away from each other or they collide again.” Just as he was saying this, it began to rain. He sighed, then smiled softly. Walking towards the sleeping colt, he said to himself. “We’ve got much work to do.”
“What happened? Did I do it?” Allen asked, hazy from his sleep. He found himself, not surprisingly, soaked.
“Nearly. You forgot to separate the particles further than just splitting them. They collided afterwards and made quite a rainstorm. Close enough though. Now, let’s move on to controlling it. I’m assuming you felt the water as it fell, correct?”
“I guess so.” He got off the ground and stood on his four legs, but stumbled. I still have to get used to having four legs.
“Now, this time, try moving it. I will drop it in smaller portions this time to make it easier. And no, you cannot have a break. Passing out is a long enough break.”
With a groan, Allen readied himself. Starswirl waited for Allen to nod, then began to turn another cloud into water. In a linear motion, the water began dropping from the sky.
Allen focused on it as he had previously. Before the water hit him, he began moving it around, holding it in a sphere. Then, as a kind of practical joke, he launched it at Starswirl, who then stopped it and flung it back towards Allen. After coughing all the water out of his lungs, Allen, now agitated, got up and glared at the laughing unicorn.
“You really thought you could take me, Starswirl the Bearded, on? You may be able to compete with a few fillies, but my magical abilities are rivaled only by the princesses themselves. You’ve got some work to do before you can challenge me. The only reason you’re capable of doing what you are now is because you felt what you were controlling instead of using raw force. Most unicorns don’t know how to do that unless they study magic itself. Trick of the trade, I suppose.”
After he stopped his griping, Allen suggested they get back to their travels.
“I suppose you’re right. We are going to have to walk through the night to make up for lost time; remember, no complaining, or I’ll seal your lips together. Remember, I’m taking time out of my experiments teaching and helping you.”
“Fine, I understand.” Still aggravated, Allen let it go. Whatever got him home faster. My family is probably looking for me; there probably isn’t any evidence of the portal that whisked me into this strange land, either.
“Stop day dreaming. We need to get walking.”
Shaking his head to get out of the daze, Allen galloped towards Starswirl to catch up, resuming a steady trot when he had reached him.
The night was as boring as the day, except now Allen constantly tried to trick Starswirl or drench him. He always ended up drenched or occasionally charred, shocked or covered in mud.
They had been walking through a forest when the first rays of dawn shone down through the canopy. Allen lay down on the soft grass, too lazy to even take out his sleeping roll. As he closed his eyes, he felt a sharp jolt of electricity go through his body. His eyes opened, startled.
“You realize we’re walking through the day as well, right?” He said, anxious to get on the way.
“But we’ve already gone through the night.” Allen complained, knowing that he would lose the argument anyway.
Leaning on a tree next to him, Starswirl casually lifted Allen into the air. “Are you going to complain?”
“No.” Allen said, knowing well enough that when you talked to the unicorn, you had to be serious; however tempting it was to bring sarcasm to the situation.
“Good. Now follow me.” Dropping Allen onto the grass, Starswirl waited for him to stand up.
Allen pushed himself up with all four legs instead of just two. I’m finally getting used to these things. Then, walking beside Starswirl, he said, “Ok, ready,”
“Slow down. Staying up all night and casting powerful spells has worn me out.” Starswirl said, panting slightly.
“Worn out? So you wouldn’t be able to stop me if I,” taking advantage of the situation, Allen took water from the air and launched it at the tired wizard, “drenched you in water?” Allen said, laughing.
Starswirl simply launched the water ball back, soaking the laughing unicorn. “I can still take on a foal like you. Now, let’s keep moving.”
“Ok, I get it. No more jokes. Can we please just go get the dragon get the scales and go home?” Allen asked.
“Fine with me.”
They spoke little to each other the rest of the day. There was nothing to talk about, anyway. When they awoke the following morning, it went the same way until Allen spoke up, “Am I going to need any further training to fight this dragon?”
Sighing, Starswirl answered “You just had to break the silence. The beautiful, blissful silence. Well, yes, you will need much more training. The way you are currently using spells is by feeling the water or fire. You see, the reason most ponies use this method is though it might be easy, it’s also predictable. The magical energy resonates around you. Anypony, not just unicorns, can predict exactly what you are about to do.”
“Then why did you teach it to me?” Allen asked, now understanding why all his prank attempts failed.
“Because it makes you at least a little bit more useful.” Starswirl said bluntly.
“Gee, thanks. So the dragon will know I’m going to spray water on him and just swat me away?”
“Well, that’s part of the plan. You’ll go in, distract him, and I’ll pull some of his scales off and run.”
Allen seemed less than satisfied with this plan. “Fine. When are we going to get there?”
“Don’t start. We get there when we get there.” Starswirl said.
Allen nodded, even though Starswirl couldn’t see him. The day, and the two days following it, continued on uneventfully.
“We’re here.” Starswirl announced.
The cave had a few sparse trees around the right side that got denser the farther they went. The cave itself was dug into the side of a massive mountain that reached up to the clouds. However, the clouds in Equestria, Allen realized a while ago, were at scattered elevations.
“We’ll rest here until tomorrow, when you're ready.” Starswirl said, a little tired himself. They had slept very little in the past few days.
Even though it was midday, Allen fell down and slept where he landed. Starswirl laid down next to him, sleep taking him as well.
Allen awoke first. It was the middle of the night, so he just lie back on the grass and watched the moon move across the sky. Earlier, Starswirl had explained how Celestia and Luna raised and lowered the sun and moon respectively. This world is so strange. Instead of the rotation of the Earth making the days, it’s two princesses in a palace using magic to move them across the sky. But does that mean that they constantly rotate them around this world, or is this world flat? It doesn’t matter and still wont once I get home. He continued to watch the moon and stars, looking for constellations that he recognized.
At dawn, Starswirl was still sleeping, so Allen nudged him in the gut with a bit more force than needed. “Hey, get up. We’ve got work to do.” Allen said, happy that he was able to tell his mentor what to do.
At this, the provoked Starswirl sent Allen flying backwards, into one of the trees by the cave’s entrance. “Now you get up. We need to get into the cave.” Starswirl stood and adjusted his wizard’s cloak..
Allen pushed himself up and trotted slowly over to Starswirl.
“Are you ready?” Starswirl asked.
With only a moment’s hesitation, Allen replied, “As ever.”
Determinedly, Starswirl entered the cave, Allen straggling behind for a few moments before eventually following him.
The entrance of the cave was shrouded in smoke, and advancing into the cavern became harder as the air got heavier with heat and smoke.
“Starswirl, where are you?” Allen asked, coughing from the oxygen starved air.
“I’m over here!” Starswirl called.
Suddenly, the smoke cleared and Allen was able to see; though, he wished he couldn’t. In the center of an even larger hollow in the mountain, a large, sleeping red dragon lie on a bed of gold. Lava poured into the cavern from various recesses in the earth. Allen trotted over to his mentor, and in a panicked, but quiet voice, he asked, “What do we do?”
Starswirl began mumbling. “Not enough water in the air to help us. I will just confront the dragon from here.” Starswirl turned to face the dragon. ”Apophis?”
The dragon awoke and scratched his head. “Starswirl the Bearded? Is that really you?”
“It is, and this is my apprentice, Allen. We are here on behalf of a scientific experiment, and we were wondering if you could give us some of your scales?”
“Starswirl, my good friend, it’s been too long. Please, stay awhile. We have much to discuss.” Apophis said.
Starswirl leaned over to the surprised Allen. “He’s not like most dragons. He tries to keep his natural anger under control, but he can’t always control his temper, so for now, we stay as guests, but be careful.”
Starswirl then continued, “Ah, I’m glad we caught you when you are in a good mood. How about some coffee and solitaire, like old times?”
“That would be wonderful. So, you have an apprentice now?” Apophis inquired as Starswirl pulled a pack of cards out of his saddlebag.
“You win again, but I must get back to the subject at hand. We need a few of your scales.” Starswirl said, after losing his fifth hand in a row.
“I’m sorry, Starswirl, but I cannot help you. My scales are like my hoard, and it would hurt me too much to give you my hoard.”
“I’m sorry for pushing you, but my apprentice needs to get home; to do that, we need your scales.” Starswirl asked again.
Apophis shook his head in response.
“You don’t understand, Apophis. We need your scales.” Starswirl was getting impatient now.
Apophis twinged in anger and breathed deeply. “You must go. I’m sorry, but my anger is getting the best of me now. I don’t wish to hurt either of you.”
Allen was about to argue when Starswirl held up his hoof. “Allen, it’s of no use. Let’s go.” Allen sighed and hesitantly followed Starswirl out of the cave. After a few minutes, Allen remembered that without the scales, there was no hope of him ever getting back home. “I’m going back in.” He said as he began dashing back towards the cave. There, he confronted the dragon.
“Apophis, give me your scales!” Allen said stubbornly as Starswirl entered the cave behind him.
“Allen, what are you doing?” Starswirl shouted. The dragon’s anger finally broke through “You’ll never have my scales!” He yelled as his claws pierced into Allen’s side.
At this moment, Allen’s confusion from being in Equestria disappeared, being replaced by a fear for his own life. He began to break down, crying and flailing, looking for a way out; there was none to be found.
“Hey Lizard-Face!” Starswirl yelled, shooting a rock at the dragon. Apophis took his index claw, which was currently embedded into the weeping pony’s neck, and ran it along the length of Allen’s face, then allowed him to drop to the ground.
Apophis turned now to confront Starswirl, placing one of his hind claws just above Allen’s gut. Starswirl took his own action, gripping the dragon’s bones with his magic. “Let him go, or I shatter every bone in your body.”
The dragon laughed and said his own threat. “You shatter my bones and my claw comes down on the boy. You leave, and the boy dies. You stay, and you both die.”
They stood there, locked in a silent standoff that seemed endless. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, Apophis broke the silence. “Starswirl, I grow tired of this charade. The boy dies.” With this, Apophis brought his claw down, narrowly missing the unconscious unicorn. Just afterwards, Starswirl fulfilled his end of the bargain, the dragon’s bones being no match for his powerful magic. After the dragon fell, Starswirl plucked the scales from his body and rushed to Allen’s side, teleporting them to the first sanctuary he could think of; the royal throne room.
“Sister, I’m heading to bed.”
“Alright Luna. Rest well.”
Suddenly, with a flash of light, Starswirl stood before the two princesses, a pile of scales and his bleeding apprentice at their feet. The guards rushed to Allen’s aid, taking him to the infirmary. Starswirl, exhausted from their adventure, passed out on the floor.
Luna looked over to her sister. “Are you going to be able to handle this?”
Celestia nodded, heading to Starswirl’s side. “Starswirl, what am I going to do with you?” She sighed. “This is the third time you’ve teleported to the throne room with a near dead apprentice, and each time they’ve died before they reached the infirmary.”
Starswirl began to snore. Celestia looked for a guard, but all of the guards in the throne room had taken Allen to the infirmary. Again, she sighed, levitating Starswirl off of the floor and walking to his laboratory where she set him on his couch. As she walked back to the throne room, Celestia remembered the scales. ”Well, you got the scales. I just hope that this one lives. I’m tired of wiping your memory to help you cope.”
“Ugh.. where am I?” Allen rubbed his head with his hoof, then panicked for a moment when he forgot he didn’t have hands. His head was throbbing and he was sore all over.
A feminine voice answered, “You’re in the palace hospital. Do you remember what happened?”
“We were attacked.. by a dragon.. then I passed out.” Allen said, struggling to remember.
The mare doctor turned towards another doctor behind her and said, “No signs of amnesia.” Then, turning back to Allen, she said, “Now, how are you feeling?”
“Not great. What were my injuries?” Allen asked calmly.
“We just had to put a patch over your eye. It was injured in the fall. When the dragon held you the claws dug into your side resulting in various wounds. You also broke your left hind leg and fractured the rest. You also broke your hip bone. Fortunately, your injuries are not as bad as they could have been, but you need to stop moving so you don’t injure yourself further.”
Allen put down his hoof, then asked, “When will I be able to get out of here?”
“Well, you’ve been out for two days, so as soon as we splint your fractured legs you can go. Oh and as soon as you go, you need to see Starswirl. He requested to see as soon as you woke up.”
That pony owes me. I swear, if he doesn’t have the portal ready, he’s a dead wizard.
“If you need any more help, just come right back.” The mare said, pushing Allen out on his wheelchair.
He used his magic to rotate the wheels to advance forward. It took him awhile to get to a place he recognized and even longer to try and find his way back to the lab. He eventually gave up and asked a nearby guard for directions. Once he was pointed in the right direction, he managed to find the laboratory. Starswirl was there to greet him at the door.
“Allen, you’re alright. I’ve been working on the portal and I brought the scales in here, but I need the help of another to finish the tests. And, since it is partly your project, you should help.”
Great. “Ok.. what do you need me to do?” Allen asked reluctantly
“You see the scale in the jar on the pedestal? We need it to be in a near liquid state when I cast the spell, so I will teach you a spell to liquify solids, then we’ll see how this all plays out.”
After teaching Allen the spell, Starswirl told him to cast it. As the scale became liquid, Starswirl cast his own spell. The portal opened and swirled around. “Try putting your hoof through.” Starswirl said. Allen tried to, but it shocked him and sent him backwards.
Starswirl stopped casting the spell and started doing more calculations. “According to the reaction, it’s a one sided portal. We need something from Earth to use as a sort of filter. That should set its destination. Even then, however, we need to find a way to open the other side of the portal.”
“We can use the clothes I came in. But I have a question. Will the human me still have a broken bone and fractured limbs?” Allen asked
“Yes. You will. And I am sorry for getting you hurt, so I’m giving you a break. Go relax. Study. Do what you want. I will get you if I discover anything. I have arranged with the princesses for you to stay in one of the suites here and not on my couch.” Starswirl said, already beginning to flip through his books.
“Thank you.” Was all Allen said. “But where are the suites?”
“Oh. I don’t know. I’ve never been in them.” Starswirl said, embarrassed.
“Fine. I’ll go ask the princesses.” Allen rolled out of the room, down the halls and corridors, which eventually opened up to the throne room. He slowly wheeled over to the princesses.
“Allen, you’re alive. How goes your studies?” Luna asked
“Not well. Our experiment failed, but I’ve been given time off and Starswirl said that he arranged for me to stay in a suite here. Is this true?” He worded his sentence carefully so not to make a fool of himself.
“Yes, it is true. I suspect you are asking because you don’t know where it is?” Celestia said in her kind, knowing way.
“Yes. Would you mind telling me where it is?”
“Not at all. Just take the passage you came from, take the first left, then your second right, then it will be the third door on the right side.” Celestia said
Bowing as best as he could, Allen thanked them and left. When he found his room, he opened the door. He was astonished at the sight before him. The suite was nicer than his apartment, and his things were already there. His spell book was laying on his bed, so he decided to open it up and learn some new spells. By the end of the day, he had accomplished next to nothing. Due to his impatience, he kept switching from spell to spell without fully learning the first one. He went to sleep late in the night and woke up just after noon the next day.
Allen went back to his studies. He grew particularly interested in controlled energy emission spells. They were much too complex for him to actually cast, but he tried anyway. His overall power had increased due to the ‘training’ Starswirl put him through, so he began casting spells and figuring out where his power level was gauged at.
About thirty minutes after he woke, food was delivered. He wasn’t hungry at the moment, so he continued his spell casting, attempting to cast some on the food itself, only he burned it and it looked nothing like food now.
He gave up for the day, deciding to wander the corridors of the castle. It wasn’t long before boredom set in and he gave up on that, too. I should probably check in on Starswirl. Make sure he’s actually working. Maybe he could help me with my spells, too.
Allen began looking for familiar landmarks to help him find the laboratory. Once he found the food court, he began to recognize areas of the castle and advanced towards the way he thought the laboratory was.
Did I pass it? Allen asked himself. An explosion sounded, smoke pouring out from a door down the hall. What’s he done this time?
Opening the door to the lab, Allen rolled inside the room, now charred in patches.
“So that didn’t work either. If this keeps up, he’ll never find a way home.” The brown wizard peaked over his shoulder. “Oh, hello Allen. Did you need something?”
“No.. I was just checking if you needed any help?” Allen asked hopefully.
“I do, but if you’re going to help I need to do something.” Starswirl said.
“Sure. What are you going to do?” Allen asked curiously
“Fix your legs. Those doctor ponies think they know all, but if you grab the fragments of the bone, push them together and use the merging spell, it will completely fix the leg.” He said as he began to use a series of spells on Allen’s leg.
The pain was nearly unbearable, but when Starswirl was done, Allen was able to move his legs again. “Thanks. So what’s first?”
Contemplating for a moment, Starswirl answered, “Well, we need some magical supplies before we can do further testing. Reason being I burnt the current supplies.”
“Alright. Where are we going to get the supplies?” Allen asked.
“Fillydelphia. It’s the largest trade center in Equestria besides Canterlot, and Fillydelphia has some of the more ‘exotic’ items that we need, but we have to pack. I’m also in a bit of trouble for allowing my apprentice to come to harm, so we can’t leave the castle for another week. I can, however, help you train if you like.” Starswirl said.
“That would help. That’s part of the reason I came over here.” Allen said happily.
“Now, which spell would you like to learn first?”
The next week went smoothly, excluding the many explosions and fires that were caused by the training unicorns. By the end of the week, Allen’s powers rivaled many a seasoned wizard, and even though his variety of spells was limited, the power put into them was immense, thus leading to them becoming out of control and exploding.
Starswirl and Allen also had many duels, causing extensive damage to the palace. As a result, they both learned a few cleaning spells. When the week was over, Starswirl called Allen to the lab, the walls of which were now ash and charcoal.
Allen opened the door with his hoof, confused as he entered. He must have opened the door to the wrong room. The room he was in was clean, the walls had been redone and Starswirl was sleeping on the couch. “Hey Starswirl, get up.”
Starswirl fell off the couch and onto the hardwood floor. “Wha-- Oh, Allen. You’re here. Well, I want to show you something. I’ve called you my apprentice but you only have recently gained the power to actually be my apprentice.” Starswirl then used his magic to fling open the closet. Inside was a black wizards cape with stars scattered throughout it. There was a saddlebag as well that matched. There were official documents hanging in front of the saddlebag. “The documents show that you now have access to all parts of the palace except for the princesses chambers; unless invited, of course. It also states that you have permission to conduct experiments in public places without getting arrested.” Starswirl said.
“So you mean to say that I could blow this room up and not get in trouble?” Allen said mischievously
“Well, yes. I would prefer if you didn’t though. Oh, and that reminds me, the cloak and bag have a magical enchantment cast by me. They’re indestructible, so if you’re in trouble wrap the cloak around you. You’ll be safe.” Starswirl said hurriedly, knowing what was coming.
Allen then said, “Well then, guess it won't burn if I do blow this room up.”
Allen then cast the energy wave spell that he had been practicing for the past week.
Authors Note: Sorry dis chapteh be late my editor on vacation. So yeah. Also teh scool strted so i only upload once a weak now or less. Srry. (Editor’s Note: What is this, I don’t even..)
He then cast the energy wave spell he had been practicing for the past week. It destroyed much more than just the lab, breaking apart the support beams of much of that wing of the palace.
When the dust cleared, Starswirl stood scorched and disappointed. “I told you that that spell is too destructive to be used by an inexperienced mage,” he scolded. “However, I must say that was quite powerful for someone of your abilities. Now put your cloak on, we need to get to Fillydelphia. I put some money in your saddlebag so that way you can buy your own supplies. You’ll have to earn your own after you spend that.”
Allen wrapped himself in the heavy linen, then set his spellbook and sleeping roll in his saddlebag. He then followed Starswirl out of the smoldering laboratory as he led them to the gate. On the way they saw one of the cleaning servants. “When you finish cleaning that,” Starswirl said, barely turning his head as he walked, “could you go to my lab and fix it up? My apprentice made a bit of a mess.” Starswirl said
The maid sighed, knowing that ‘a bit’ meant the entire wing that the lab was located in. She glared at Allen as she walked back the way they had come. The party of two reached the gate, the guards letting them through without much issue. It was midday at the time, and besides talking about the differences between Equestria and Earth, it was a rather uneventful afternoon.
“When are we going to get there?” Allen asked, complaining.
“Three days, but we need to work on your training anyway.” Starswirl said.
“Alright. Are we training through the night again, or will we be doing this in the daylight?” Allen asked excitedly, he had taken a great interest in training and the duels that they had.
“Whenever we stop for a break we will do a bit of training.” Starswirl said noticing the enthusiasm.
The rest of the day went without notable conversations. And they did not stop until it was time to sleep. They did an hour of studies and training before actually laying out their sleeping bags. Allen still found it weird that the ponies in this dimension could sleep both standing and laying down. However to Allen laying down felt more natural being human for more than twenty years.
When they woke in the morning they did another hour of training and then ate from a nearby apple tree instead of using their own rations. They then went on their travels without complaining or conversation. Even while waking Allen casted spells on different items. He was worn out very quickly by this. The one spell that was difficult for him was transformation spells. He kept trying at it but it was too difficult. I suppose I shouldn't rush myself anyway. Why am I even interested in the first place? It’s not like I’ll be able to cast spells back on earth.
It was midday when they stopped again, and this time instead of studying they dueled and once again Starswirl won without any effort whatsoever. Allen became bored so he looked at the scenery, in the skies he saw clouds being moved around by Pegasus ponies. And over by a small village there were earth ponies bucking apple trees and putting the baskets inside of a barn. The one thing in common, they all were smiling, they were all happy. He didn’t see how everyone was happy here. If only it was like this back home. Most of all he enjoyed the atmosphere it wasn’t covered in smog or the smell of gasoline from car exhaust, living in a big city there was much of that.
Sighing he went back to his boring walking and trotting forward.
A couple of days later they arrived at Fillydelphia. And Starswirl was already looking through the vendors for the many items he wanted, all of them magical of sorts. When he found an item he would go to the next store and look for another there. Allen didn’t stop to question him, because he knew Starswirl would have done this before.
They spent the entire day there as well as getting a hotel room and training afterwards. Resulting in an extra bill from the hotel. Starswirl ran multiple tests through the night before going to sleep, and Allen ended up helping him. It was about one in the morning when they went to sleep. Luna’s moon already lowering.
When Allen awoke Starswirl was already gone. He had, however, left out one of his machines they had been testing the previous night. It was used to measure the power of a specific spell cast into it. Starswirl hadn’t let him cast his energy wave spell into it. He had even been able to direct it into a stream so he wouldn't destroy not only the hotel but the buildings around it. However they were on the third floor, being the top floor, so it couldn’t do much harm. So he thought.
Casting the spell with as much focus as he could. But just as he was finished forming the spell, Starswirl walked into the room and said to Allen “What are you doing!” Allen let out a startled squeak, he then lost his focus and let the spell, instead of the steady stream, it turned into the massive wave spell it normally would be.
Allen quickly pulled his cloak around himself so not to get crushed by the ceiling. The wave expanded and destroyed much. When the dust in their own room cleared Allen looked at Starswirl worried of the lecture he would get.
But instead he was laughing “You just squealed like a filly.”
“That doesn’t seem very important right now. I just leveled the building a bit.” Allen said now annoyed, eyes narrowing on Starswirl agitatedly.
“Ok then, but we might as well check the energy output you had there. Oh, when Celestia brings this up. Let me do the talking.” Starswirl trotted through the rubble and wreckage. Moving the rubble away from the device, and looking at the meter that gauged the power. Starswirl nodded seemingly unimpressed.
“Starswirl, we might want to get out of here. Before someon-somepony comes to investigate.” Allen stated in a worried rush.
“You make a good point. Help me gather the supplies and I will teleport us back.” Starswirl said already beginning to pack his newly acquired things that somehow survived the collapse.
Allen then brought up a point that had been bugging him. “If you can teleport the both of us, why do we walk everywhere?”
“Because it’s good for you. Now help me out would you.” Starswirl said, nearly done already.
Allen picked up the last few items with a sigh. Then nodded to Starswirl, who then teleported them back to Canterlot castle. They went about their business for the next few hours until Celestia summoned them.
“Remember don’t speak.” Starswirl reminded him.
They trotted slowly to the throne room. Celestia was there and completely furious, she yelled at them, namely Allen. “I have just been informed that there was an explosion in Fillydelphia. Similar to the one YOU caused the other day in Starswirl’s laboratory. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!”
Starswirl tried to answer but Celestia quieted him “No, I want his answer.”
He began to explain but Celestia became angered at his answer. “Do you know how much damage you’ve caused? There are entire buildings collapsed and uncountable amounts of injured and missing ponies. Do you know how many you may have killed?”
“No, princess.” He said.
Still angered Princess Celestia then asked Starswirl what happened. Starswirl slowly explained. “He was testing his energy output but I startled him. However on the bright side he has one of the highest energy outputs I’ve ever seen.”
Celestia continued the conversation trying to calm down. “How high.” She said through clenched teeth.
“Well it matched that of a supernova.”
“So you're saying that I technically caused an exploding star, in the middle of a major city?” Allen asked worried.
“Well, yes.” Starswirl said.
Luna who had walked in only a few seconds ago, being woken up by her sisters yelling, she said sleepily “Super Nova. Huh, sounds like a better name for you then ‘Allen’ but why were you yelling sister?”
Celestia quickly explained, and Luna looked grimly to Allen, she then said “As much as I’d hate to. We must Punish you Allen. What do you think we should do sister?”
“I don’t know. If nobody died then executing him would be extreme. But how do we know. Let's throw him in the dungeon for now.”
Allen would have complained but he was on the verge of breaking down from thinking he may have committed murder. Even if it wasn’t part of his race, he still didn’t like the guilt. Guards came and dragged him off he neither resisted or complied.
When they got to the prison the guards opened the door and he was about to walk inside when the guards stopped him again. “No possessions are allowed within the dungeon. Please remove the cloak. It will be returned upon exit.”
Slowly he used his magic to undo the strap around his neck. He then turned his head and bit the cloak. Upon pulling it off he noticed something he had not before. There was one of those, what were they called, cutie marks. It was a white circle outlined with blue and a black dot in the center. Looking much like the energy wave spell that put him in here.
Stepping inside he heard the gate close and the lock turn. He was imprisoned.
