The Perytonby Midnight LoreChaptersChapter 1: Spring FestivalChapter 2: The StrangerChapter 3: TeleportationChapter 1: Spring FestivalThe Peryton Chapter 1: Spring Festival “Mom!” I whined, as she tried to make my coat look presentable. “Hold still, darling,” she said as she adjusted to my squirming, her talons “fixing” my mane. “This will only take a minute.” “Do I have to go?” I saw her lavender eyes as she gave me a look. I let out a sigh of resignation, “Okay.” She turned, her elegant coat shimmered green, and her purple feathers fluttered in a breeze that only noticed her. “Sometimes, you’re just like your father,” I heard her whisper, almost to herself. “Father?” My ears perked, “What was he like?” She looked back, met my eyes, but only for an instant, “He was courageous, and kind, and good,” she said matter of fact. *sigh* Same thing as always, then, “Do you really want to know?” I looked up, surprised, hope surging, and nodded. She looked me over; “I’ll tell you after, come, we’ll be late.” She turned and took flight. Finally! I looked in the reflective mirror pool, taking in my auburn coat, emerald green mane with velvet antlers sticking out, and pale grey eyes. Maybe I get my look from dad? I’ve always known I was different. There are others with physical traits like mine, but none that help me understand what makes me so different. I don’t have many friends, but not because of that, I’m just not very good making them. Mother says I should be more social, but it’s just not my thing. I’m content with the ones I have. ~~~~~~~~~ This time of year is always the busiest. It’s also everypony’s favorite. Preparations for the Spring Festival began a while ago. The weeklong celebrations start today. Ponies from all over come to take part in the festivities that bring spring. I was on my way to the festival when I heard someone call out, “Hey, Xerneas!” I slowed, and turned to see who was behind me. It was a light-pink pegasus, with a curly light-blue mane. My closest friend. “Hiya, Cotton Fluff,” I replied, “Hey, guess what?” She thought for a moment, “You finally decided to take school seriously? Or, or, did you have a sudden revelation and now you want to make lots of friends? Oh! Maybe you discovered what you want to do with your super powers.” “Pfft, no. And my ability isn’t ‘super powers’. Mother said she’d tell me about father.” “Really?” I gave her a blank look. “Right, sorry,” she looked away a moment, “When?” “After today’s Festival.” I watched her expression change to worry. “Why the face? Anything she’s said about him, which hasn’t been much, has been positive. I can’t wait!” “But what if she only wanted you to know the good?” Cotton said quietly, unsure. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to think about that if it happens. You worry too much, you know?” I tried to reassure her; she wasn’t convinced. “Come on, Mother might just change her mind if I’m any later.” I gave her a smile and headed to the main event, turning my head to make sure she was following. We landed at the entrance, the giant arch leading the way to the festivities. Mother was waiting, a disapproving look on her face, but she kept quiet. I smiled at her. She gave a smile back, and we headed towards the center of the town. This was going to be a good day; I could feel it. As we walked down the path, I glanced at all the stands lined up along sides. Some had games, others had things like balloons and bubbles for the kids, and of course, there were the ones with food. Each and every stand had a pot with a seed planted in the middle. Ponies trading, talking, and having a good time crowded the area. When they noticed mother they gave respectful nods, which she returned. I watched her, feeling pride for being her son. As I followed her, Cotton Fluff trotting next to me in a comfortable silence, I waved to some of the ponies; they waved back, happy smiles on their faces. I enjoyed seeing everypony together like this. It’s not like they keep to themselves all the time, there’s just something about festivals. As we approached the stage, I turned to see Cotton Fluff looking at me. “I’ll meet up with you after the ceremony, aright?” “Sounds good. I’ll be watching, so don’t mess up.” “Cotton, I’ll be fine. It’s not like I have to give a speech or anything; just using my ‘super powers’.” “Alright, alright.” She waved a hoof at me, “But I want mine to be the best, no holding back.” I smirked, “I’ll see what I can do.” “Let’s go, Xerneas.” “Coming,” I replied over my shoulder. I waved to Cotton then followed Mother onto the stage for the opening ceremony. Everypony knows about my ability, but nopony else seems to share it. That’s what makes the ceremony so special. I’ve always been able to do it, but I don’t want ponies to rely on me, so I keep it to myself for the most part; today’s one of the exceptions. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” Everypony shifted their attention to the stage. “Welcome. As most of you know, the Spring Festival occurs as the transition from winter to spring. During the week the weather becomes warmer, animals come out of hibernation, and plants start growing again.” She looked out over the crowd, observing the coats and scarves still being worn amongst many. “Let us greet spring with happiness and cheer, and it will be a good year!” The area grew loud with the sound of hooves stomping. Mother turned her head to look at me, “Xerneas.” “Right.” I bowed my head nervously, concentrating on the area of the festival, specifically the pots on all the stands. My antlers tingled. I felt for each seed, and felt the life burning within and around each. I adjusted to the different types of plants giving each what they needed. I gave the life within a push, that little extra, to change from being a seed, to being a seedling. As the stems appeared, sprouting into their forms, exclamations of “ooh,” and, “ahh,” could be heard throughout the crowd. I continued to push, to try and make each seedling perfect. Once they reached maturity, I released the magic and looked up, I saw looks of wonder among ponies everywhere. I looked to Mother. She gave a nod, knowing how much I disliked being the focus of others’ attention. I quickly left the stage, tension leaving my body as everypony turned their attention away from me, and went to meet up with Cotton Fluff. She had set up her own stand for the festival, deciding to sell, or trade, her hoof-made pillows and blankets; so that’s where I headed. As I passed all the stands, I glanced at the pots, looking to see what was planted, checking to see if they turned out right. Some were crops that would give an early start for the season. Others were the more common, colorful flowers. If any were trees or large bushes, they only grew to around a foot tall; they would have to grow naturally after today. Then there were the flowers that only bloomed during one of the other seasons, just to be seen more than once. These would last all day, even if the wild ones only remained in bloom for a short amount of time. As I neared Cotton Fluff’s stand, I saw a group of ponies crowding around. They all wanted one of her creations. I didn’t blame them; her pillows were so soft and fluffy, and all kinds of wonderful. Her blankets, just one of them, could keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. “Cotton!” I called out. Her head swiveled in my direction, relief on her face and happiness in her dark-coral eyes at having spotted me. She gave a quick wave then went back to her customers. I trotted to the back of her stand to wait for a break or for her to ask for help, which knowing her wasn’t likely. I watched her. She handled things with ease, going from one customer to the next. Her smile never left her face, genuinely happy to be helping everypony. If somepony wanted to trade, Cotton always found a way to accept something. Soon enough the crowd had dispersed, every customer leaving with something special. Cotton let out a sigh, and turned to me, “I never get tired of seeing what you can do, it’s fascinating.” She glanced at the Swaddled Babies Orchid on the edge of her stand. I gave her an awkward smile. “So, I can take a break, you want to go do something?” I got up. “Sure. Let’s get something to eat, then we can settle our feud.” I gave her a mischievous grin. She just rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. “You’re on. But don’t think you can win this time.” ~~~~~~~~~ At the training grounds we got our gear; a slingshot for me and a bow an arrow for Cotton Fluff. Mother made me take a class when I was younger, to learn how to protect myself; just in case. I’m still not sure why she wanted me to though, but that’s how I met Cotton Fluff, so it turned out okay. Ever since we learned and trained with weapons, Cotton and I have been competing to see who can be more accurate mid-flight, and from the farthest away, with projectiles. So far she’s beaten me every time. But this time we’re using our specialized weapons and I’m ready. I trained hard, and even discovered a new way of using my slingshot. “Ready?” Cotton asked, seeing my eagerness, wondering what I’ve got under my wing. “Yep, and I’m going to win this time.” We took off, heading for the first target. I barely had to think about where I was going, having done this too many times to count. I switched my slingshot to my back legs, holding it in my talons, and took aim. There were three rings, the bullseye in the middle. I let the bottle cap fly; it hit the outer edge of the middle ring. Dang. I moved to the next target. This time it hit the inner ring. Not close enough. I got to the last target, still needing a bullseye. This time for sure. I took my time, concentrating. Holding my breath, I let it fly. *thunk* It hit the center. YES! I pumped my hoof, and then looked to find Cotton Fluff. She was slightly behind and below me. “Wow,” she gave a nod of approval, “You have been practicing.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “So, that was an interesting way to use your slingshot. Where’d you come up with that?” “Uh, well,” I rubbed the back of my head with a hoof and thought about how to put it, “You’ve always been a stronger flier than me, so I thought I would try not to use my wings and I can grip things better with my talons, so I tried it.” “I see, well it worked.” She looked out over the course, tallying up the scores. “We tied.” “What? I thought for sure I’d beat you.” I hung my head, disappointed. I looked to the course. Sure enough, Cotton’s shots were more precise than mine. “Hey, it’s alright, maybe next time.” “For sure.” I was just going to have to train harder. “I thought I’d find you here.” I turned to see Mother flying towards us. With a start, I looked around. It had gotten late, without me even realizing. “The Festival’s almost over.” “Oh no!” Cotton exclaimed, “I can’t believe I forgot. My stand!” She started to fly off. “Hold on Cotton Fluff.” Mother called out to her. Cotton Fluff slowed and turned to face Mother. “I saw your older brother, he was taking care of it.” “Candle Flame?” She put a hoof to her chin, “That was nice of him, still I should get back and help clean up. See you tomorrow, Xerneas.” She waved and took off. “See ya,” I called after her. I turned to Mother, “So, heading home?” She gave a nod, “I finished everything at the Festival, and didn’t see you, so I figured you might be here, and have forgotten the time.” I guiltily scratched my head and averted my eyes, “Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to.” “No harm, no foul. Come on, let’s go.” ~~~~~~~~~ After getting some hot chocolate, we sat in the living room, “Sooo, you said you would tell me about father.” I quickly got to the topic I’d been waiting for all day. “You remembered,” Mother observed. “Before you say anything, listen, don’t interrupt.” She paused and looked long and hard at me, making sure I understood. When finally she was satisfied, “Your father…” she took a long pause, then looked me in the eyes, “Xerneas, he’s alive.” Chapter 2: The StrangerChapter 2: The Stranger “WHAT?!” I stood up. I paced, turned in circles, having a mini freak out. Mother waited patiently, knowing this would happen even though she had wanted me to stay calm. How is this possible? Where is he? Does he know about me? If he does, why isn’t he here? Why did he leave? Did he leave or did Mother send him away; no she wouldn’t do that, would she? I thought back to everything she’s ever said about father. Well, I guess she never said he had died, but everything she’s said has been in the past tense, so I just assumed. Maybe that was only because he hasn’t been here. Okay, deep breath, I’ve got to calm down. Mother will explain everything, I hope. I composed myself and looked at Mother. “Are you done?” Mother asked and I nodded in reply. “Alright.” She thought for a while, then finally, “We first met when I was around your age.” “Hold on.” I interrupted. “What about where he is and what he’s doing?” I pleaded. Knowing he was out there and not here was what I really wanted to know at the moment. “I like for you to hear my story; because even though I didn’t know it at the time, the day I met your father changed everything. Also, this way you will be able to get an idea of the kind of person he is,” she calmly replied. “Oh.” I sunk down, deflated. “Okay then, go on,” I replied, impatient for her to get to the present. She gave a small nod. “At the time, I was living with my parents in a small town far from here. I was studying outside, in the shade of a Willow tree, when I saw him, wandering like he might be lost. I had never seen anypony like him. My studies forgotten, I watched him for a while, trying to determine if he was in fact lost, before getting the courage to ask.” ~~~~~~~~~ “Hello there.” I approached the wandering stranger with a friendly smile. He, well I assumed it was a he, had a coat that was mostly brown speckled with white. The edges of his wings, as well as his tail-feathers, blended into a dusty orange color, matching his short mane. Atop his head, strangely enough, sat a pair of antlers. “Are you lost?” He turned to me with what I assumed was a confused look. “Perhaps. Could you tell me where I happen to be?” His voice was slightly deep and quiet, yet not hard to hear. There was a strange accent to his words, nothing I had heard before. “Well this is the town, Ephys. Do you know where you are headed? Maybe I could help?” “Do I know where I am headed? I did not have a destination planned.” He looked around; there wasn’t much to take in; the marketplace and an area for the town to gather to the north, farmlands spreading to the west, the worn ground making the path he came from to the south with the forest in the distance, and most of the town’s houses to the east. He glanced to his back, shuffling his wings slightly. “It seems I do not have the proper materials for my journey.” “Oh.” I paused. He is on a journey and yet brought nothing with him? “I can take you to see my mother. She and father are the town’s leaders,” I explained, “They’ll be able to make arrangements to find you the necessities.” I motioned for him to follow, turning northeast, to the building where mother received any important messages that may arrive, as well as heard the concerns of the townsponies. I turned towards the stranger, “By the way, my name is Alani, nice to meet you. I have not seen one of your kind before, are you from around here?” “I am called Volius. Your company is well met.” He bowed his head in a strange greeting, chin touching chest, antlers almost parallel to the ground. “Am I from around here?” His head tilted pensively. “No, I suppose not, but you would not know from where I come. In regards to species, my kin and I are peryton. “Peryton?” Saying the word aloud was unfamiliar. ”I have not heard of you.” Maybe mother knows about them. I slowed slightly, letting a small group of children playing tag cross the path, heading towards the fields. After confirming they weren’t causing trouble, I noticed Volius watching them as well. “It seems we share bird-like qualities, but I am not familiar with your species either. Are you the same species as those children?” I looked curiously to Volius’ hind legs, which ended with talons, then looked to my own similar forelegs. “Well, I am a griffon; part eagle, part lion.” He gave a small nod, seeming satisfied with my response. I stopped and looked back to the game of tag, the two fliers staying low to keep in reach of their grounded friends, “As is one of the children. The two on the ground are ponies,” I saw his head tilt slightly to the side in question, and added, “one a unicorn and the other an earth pony, and the green-shaded one hovering nearby is a changeling.” He turned away from the game and seemed to deeply consider my words. I continued forward, watching the town’s activity as we neared our destination. “Mother! We have a visitor!” I called out as I entered through the open-arched frame, Volius still pensive behind me. “Alani?” Came mother’s voice as she descended the stairs. “Did you bring one of your friends-” she paused, finding the unfamiliar being. “-Oh I’m sorry,” she turned to me, “Alani, who is this?” She turned to the newcomer, “Or rather, who are you?” “I am Volius.” Came Volius’ voice as he moved to stand next to me, bowing his head in greeting. “Your daughter has told me you could assist with my visit.” “Of course.” She visibly straightened, going from mother to leader. “We were not expecting visitors, so you must excuse us being unprepared, but we have room in our home if you would find that suitable.” “No forgiveness is necessary as I was not expecting my visit either. If you will have me, I would not dismiss your generosity.” He gave his strange chin-to-neck gesture. Mother bowed her head slightly in return. Turning to me, “Alani, would you show our guest to where he will be staying? The room forgotten shall do nicely. If you find yourselves with the need to do something, maybe a trip around town would be nice? As Volius does not seem to have brought supplies, I will find what is necessary. If you can think of anything, make a note, and I will see what I can do.” After receiving a nod from me, she turned to leave, forgetting whatever she was doing before our arrival. I turned to Voilus, “Well, follow me.” ~~~~~~~~~ “The room forgotten?” Questioned the voice behind me. “Oh, yeah. We have lots of guests stay here, so the other guest rooms sort-of developed themes from the gifts that were given to us by their occupants. The one you’ll be staying in is next to mine, away from the others, and usually forgotten about, so the name stuck.” I explained, remembering how I decided the name of the room after a number of guests failed to enjoy it. I paused in front of the door. “This is it. As I mentioned earlier, my room is the next one over.” I gestured down the hall. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” I opened the door to find the same slightly decorated room. Since not many ponies used it, I made a point of finding things to put in it from my own collection. There was a circular rug I’d made covering the floor and cushioning the bed, a dresser adorned with odd shells and stones that had made their way up the river, a grandfather clock and the few books on the bookshelf the only things from guests, and a couch sitting near the sliding-doors to the landing, made so flying guests could come and go without bothering anypony. Volius wandered into the room, taking in the décor, after seeing the bookshelf he strode over, studying the books. He turned to me, “Are any of these history? I cannot read your letters.” I walked over, reading the titles. I reached for the thickest volume, taking it down with a talon. “This one has all the oldest information, starting with how everypony came together.” I opened it, flipping through the pages, remembering the tale from reading it so many times. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to hear it. I have not before seen so many different people together like this.” I looked up from the book, “The short version then.” I moved to sit on the couch, motioning for Volius to join me. “We started out existing separately, not really knowing of each other. The ponies; earth, unicorn, pegasus, and alicorn, took residence in the western part of the land. They were, and still are, the most populated of us. Griffons were towards the northeast, living in an area that was mostly mountains. The changelings were in the south, where they inhabited caves. There were, and still are, other species; although we know and interact with some of them, they continue to stay separated. “One day in autumn, while the pegasi were working with the weather, planning a light shower, a swarm of twittermites appeared suddenly and with all the commotion of trying to herd them away, the light shower became a typhoon. The storm had gotten so out of hoof that the pegasi could do nothing to stop it and the ponies were required to wait it out. While the intensity diminished as time passed, the unnatural weather lasted a week, causing major flooding. “As a result, the ponies temporarily relocated inland. Even though most stayed in the safest area closest to the damaged land, others ventured out, seeking resources that were lost. It was then that they came in contact with the changling hive and griffon scouts. “The changlings were the first to help out, being the kinder of the two. Having overcome their need to feed off the love of other living things, finding it instead in themselves; they knew what it was like trying to adjust to a new lifestyle. Helping with everything from replanting to rebuilding, the two groups learned to work together and easily became friends. “Griffons, at the time, were selfish and greedy, only wanting to do things for money; and while they didn’t know it yet, unhappy. The scouts they had encountered saw they had nothing, and turned them away; but kept watch on them. It wasn’t until later, once the ponies’ lives were starting to resemble normal that the griffons wanted to help out. The ponies were wary at first, but easy to forgive gave them a chance. “By the time the water had receded to its original level, many of the ponies had moved back, repairing what could be salvaged along the way. Some lingered, enjoying their newfound friends. The griffons’ nature, while working with the ponies and changelings, had softened slightly, becoming more accepting to friendship and goodwill. With time, they were on good terms with both groups; a few even started living in the thought-temporary relocation.” Having finished, I glanced over at Volius, who had stayed silent the entire time, his face calm and eyes closed. I waited patiently, using this time to get a closer look at him. His mane was haphazard, but looked soft. His antlers were larger than I previously thought, spiraling backwards, then forward, having six points on his right antler and seven on the left. They were coated in velvet that had a hint of purple. He was actually quite handsome. When he finally opened his eyes, I saw they were a dark navy-blue before quickly looking away, blushing slightly. “Well, I’ll leave you to think on that. I will come find you when it is time to eat,” I quickly said the first thing that came to mind. Once I made it calmly out of the room, I rushed for the outdoors, hopefully avoiding conversation for a while. ~~~~~~~~~ I yawned and stretched as I woke after yet another day. I got out of bed and looked to at my calendar hanging on the wall. “Has it already been a year?” I said to myself, thinking about all the things Volius and I had done together since he arrived. Ever since he told me he had come here though some kind of portal, we’ve been trying to figure out how to recreate it so he could go back home, but we haven’t gotten any new leads recently. He told me that he is an only child and that his parents died when he was a teenager. Lately I’ve been secretly hoping we never find a way, but Volius’ kin must miss him, contrary to what he says. I left my room and knocked on Volius’ door. “Hey Volius, are you ready to go?” It had become routine that Volius and I would take a quick flight together in the morning before breakfast to wake us up and make plan for the day. “I am,” came his reply, along with the door being surrounded in his dark-blue-colored magic and opening, surprising me. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that,” I told him when I entered his room. I gently kicked the door closed, before he could do it for me. When I first learned he could do magic I thought it might be like unicorn magic, but when I asked if his magic had a special purpose didn’t seem to think so. He explained that while there are some peryton with different abilities than others, they mostly use their magic for telekinesis. They can also use it to strengthen their bodies, usually their wings for flying. I had him demonstrate for me, and when his wings took on a blue glow they appeared more powerful, even though not much changed performance-wise. He also told me it was easier to fly here then back home, so he didn’t need to strengthen his wings unless we were in the air for a long time. “Alright, let’s go,” I said as I moved to the landing in his room. Standing side by side, we took off together, heading south towards the forest. “What do you think we should we do today?” Volius asked as usual. “I was thinking we could get some more books from the library and look through them by the river.” It was always I who came up with the plan. He would sometimes suggest other things we could do, but those were always added to whatever I decided. After two months, with no sign of finding a way back for Volius, I started to teach him our letters so he didn’t have to ask me what everything said and it would help with our research. “Sounds like a plan. We should look for more books on magic that deals with travel through a medium.” “Sure. On our way to the river we can get supplies for lunch as well,” I replied. According to Volius, he arrived here after something startled him and after a flash of blinding light appeared here, standing in front of a solid, flat wall. We think it has something to do with magic, but since Volius’ magic and unicorn magic are so different from each other, we haven’t gotten very far. I even got one of my unicorn friends to see if he could teach Volius unicorn magic, and while Volius was able learn a few simple spells, they didn’t seem to work the same and just one took a lot of effort that left him exhausted. Without needing to talk, we turned around near the forest’s edge; Volius turned in a wide lazy circle, while I decided to do a backflip, with a 180 spin to right myself. We flew back to the house in a comfortable silence. Using the landing outside Volius’ room, we passed through the room and headed down to breakfast together. “Good morning Alani, Volius,” came mother’s voice hearing us approach, but not turning from her cooking. “Breakfast is almost ready, why don’t you set the table while you wait.” “Sure thing,” I replied, but before I could reach the plates, they glowed and set themselves on the table. “Hey, I was going to do that!” I turned and pouted at the offender. “I thought this way would be more efficient,” replied Volius with a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders. I sighed, “At least let me do the cups.” “All yours.” He gestured for me to continue a smile still on his face. I kept an eye on him as I neared the cups, making sure he didn’t try anything. I heard mother chuckle quietly from where she was, never turning around. “Where’s father?” I asked, noticing he wasn’t around like usual. “He had to leave early to help one of the townsponies locate an escaped pet. He grabbed some breakfast before leaving and said he’d take the morning shift for work,” she replied. Her cooking finished, she turned with a pan of ham and a bowl of greens balanced on top in a claw and looked at me, “Do you guys have anything planned for today?” She set the bowl in the middle of the table, Volius taking a portion for himself, and put ham on her and my plates. “Just more research. We’re going to the river today,” I replied, Volius nodding his head in confirmation. “That sounds nice. I hope you find something that helps,” she turned to Volius, “I enjoy having you here, it has been nice having someone here for Alani, but I am sure you would like to go back home.” He looked to me while answering mother, “I couldn’t have hoped for a better family to have taken me in like this. As of now, I am in no hurry to get back home,” I stared intently at my food, feeling my cheeks burn, and he looked back to mother “Since I have no family left to return to, I hope you do not mind if I consider you and Alani’s father as parental figures to myself.” “Of course not. Over the year, I have started to think of you as part of the family as well,” mother replied with a smile. I looked up, at each in turn, happy both of them felt that way. I finished my meal quickly, “Alright. I want to get an early start,” I stood and turned for the door, looking over my shoulder I called out, “Come on Volius, let’s go.” “Always in such a hurry,” he teased. He finished his meal, only slightly slower than he normally would, and joined me outside. “Shall we.” He turned us toward the library. “Good morning you two. You’re here early today,” came the librarian’s voice from behind her desk. “Good morning to you as well. Alani wanted to get a head start today,” Volius greeted for the both of us. I nodded my head in silent reply, heading straight for the magic section. “I know I saw something the last time we were here,” I quietly muttered to myself, searching the titles on the shelves, “No, no, no,” I turned to skim another shelf, “Ah, here it is! Transparency. This one might have something,” I turned to Volius, knowing he had been searching as well, “Did you find anything?” He already had three books in his magical grip and was retrieving another when I asked. “I see you have.” “Yes. I think these could prove useful.” By the time we finished, we had a total of nine books to look through. We collected our things and went to check out. “Did you find everything you were looking for?” The librarian asked as we approached the desk. “I’m not sure, but these will do for the day,” I waited until all the books were in saddle-bags, “Thank you.” I waved as we left. ~~~~~~~~~ I closed the book I was reading, setting it down and stretching. I looked to our piles. One left in the ‘to read’ pile, seven in the ‘read’ pile. Volius was finishing the ninth. I looked to the sun, “It’s almost noon. When you’re done, how about we look through the last one together and then eat?” He looked up from the book, closing it, “Just finished. Find anything useful in that one?” He stood up and stretched as well. “Eh, not really,” I waved a claw, dismissing it, “How about yours?” “Same.” He picked up the last book, Transparency. We decided to save it for last, as it seemed the most promising. He opened it with his magic, setting it in front of and to the right of me, and sat next to me, pulling me to his side with a wing. I felt my cheeks go hot, but didn’t protest, enjoying his touch. I let him turn the pages, waiting patiently in-between for him to finish. He was still getting used to our letters and would occasionally ask me words he didn’t know. He turned the page. “Hey, how about this,” I halted my reading, finding a spell that should alter an object so that you could pass through it. “What if you try to cast this while thinking of somewhere you know well back home?” “I am not sure, I could try. Unicorn magic is hard though, and this spell may be to complex for me,” he said doubtfully. He moved closer to the river, away from our stuff and concentrated. A sharper blue than his own magic, appeared around his antlers. I admired our surroundings from the spot I had located during my search for places to study. It was a small clearing at the bottom of a hill with the river making a natural boarder. It was a beautiful day with the sun’s warm rays making a comfortable temperature. There was barely any wind, the river’s surface uninterrupted and smooth, giving a perfect reflection. I watched Volius, his eyes closed. I saw him release the spell, gasping slightly to regain his breath, then start again. After a few failed attempts, I decided to bring up what I was really excited for, “Volius, there was something I wanted to tell you,” his face softened slightly, but he continued his work on the spell, “I wanted you to be the first to know.” I paused, nervous despite the good news. He released the spell again and looked to me. Seeing I was trying to get the words out, he continued to try and make progress with the spell. I looked to him, watching his face, “I’m pregnant.” His magic burst, blinding me, and he fell backwards towards the river, shock on his face. There was no splash, just a strange *whoosh* before he should have hit the water. When I could see again, Volius was nowhere to be found. I rushed to the water. No ripples indicating he had fallen. He was gone. Chapter 3: TeleportationChapter 3: Teleportation “I haven’t seen or heard from your father since that day,” Mother paused, a sad look on her face, “I stayed with my parents until you were born, hoping he might find his way back. Once you could walk well enough on your own, I left and made a life for myself here,” she finished. I sat there, thinking over everything that was said. Finally I settled on a couple of questions, “Do you know where he went?” “He was supposed to be thinking of somewhere on his home world, but only he knows where he ended up,” she replied. “How do you know he’s still alive?” I asked. “Even though we are so far apart, I have this feeling, he’s still out there somewhere.” “But, you don’t know for sure,” I commented. “No, he’s out there,” she states, giving me a hard, full-of-belief, stare. That stare gave me an idea. “Do you think I could do what he did?” I asked cautiously. I want to know my father, want him to know me. If he could teleport or move between worlds or whatever he did, and I have an ability nopony else does, maybe I can do this as well. I could bring him back for Mother. “No! I do not want to lose you as well. It was hard enough without your father!” Mother exclaimed, shocked and hurt. Then her face softened. “I guess I should have expected this. I’m still against it though,” she finished, sighing. She thought hard, and looked me in the eyes, “There are unicorns in our lineage, so it might be possible,” she relented, knowing I would look into it anyway, “but I do not want you trying anything without my approval,” she added hastily. I beamed. I could do this. I would do this. “I’m starting right away!” I said, standing and turning towards the door, ready to begin. Then, I remembered it was dark. I stopped short and turned to Mother, giving a sheepish grin, “Maybe I’ll start tomorrow.” She gave a chuckle, “Don’t forget about the Festival. Spend at least some time there, please.” I slumped. “Yeah, okay.” ~~~~~~~~~ I opened my eyes with a start, sitting up. Today I am going to find out all I can about what magic he might have used. I shook my head, clearing any of the leftover fogginess from sleep away. Growing all those plants always made me feel exhausted by the end of the day, so Mother always let me sleep in the second day. I looked out the window; the sun had already risen, halfway between dawn and noon. Cotton Fluff will want to know what I learned. I headed to her stand at the Festival, knowing that’s where she’d be. Hopefully she’d have some time free again, and want to help me. I’d also need to know more about magic. I knew just who to ask. At Cotton Fluff’s stand, I saw she had a small group of customers. I waited patiently nearby until she finished with the last one. “Hey, do you think you have some time to talk?” She looked around the Festival. “Well I don’t see anypony rushing towards us, so I’d say we have a little bit. Let’s go somewhere else,” she left her sand, motioning for me to follow. We didn’t go far, just enough to be out of earshot of the crowd, but close enough to watch the stand in case anypony arrived. “So, what’d you learn?” Cotton tried to appear calm, but I could tell she was just as interested as I was before I knew. “Well, his name is Volius and he’s a peryton. She’s told me I look just like him, so he probably looks similar,” I started. Cotton Fluff just gave a nod, not interrupting. I recounted the story, only telling the important parts to make it shorter, up until him disappearing. “Wow.” Cotton Fluff just sat there taking it in much like I did. “So she doesn’t know anything else?” “Well,” I paused dramatically. As I drew out the silence, her expression changed rapidly, coming up with all kinds of thoughts on what I might say next; ranging from worried, to sad, to joy, and settling on a stare. “Come on, tell me!” Cotton pouted. I smiled at her, chuckling softly. “He’s alive,” I said it like it was just another fact, waiting to see her reaction. “Really? How do you know? Where is he?” She asked in rapid succession. The same questions I asked Mother. “Mother says she can feel it, that he’s alive, but she doesn’t know where. That’s why I decided I am going to find out if I can do the same kind of magic he tried. If I’m successful, maybe I can bring him here, and we can be a family. Will you help me?” I asked, hopeful. “Of course I will,” she replied without hesitation. “I don’t know how much help I’m going to be though,” she frowned. “That’s why I was going to ask Flasher for help as well, maybe he can teach me something. I came to tell you about what happened first, I’m going to go find him next.” Cotton glanced over to her stand. Somepony was looking around, trying to find the owner. She looked to me. “Well, duty calls. Let me know if you need anything,” she waved and left to attend her stand. “Sure thing,” I called behind her. ~~~~~~~~~ “Why me?” Flasher asked after I told him about my father who seemed to have disappeared and Mother thinking he was alive. “Well, your special talent is teleportation, so I thought you might be able to help me figure out what happened and whether or not I could do it as well. And you’re my friend,” I replied, giving an encouraging smile. “Your magic is different than mine. I don’t know if you can learn teleportation,” he frowned. I waited while he thought. He looked to me and sighed. “I guess it can’t hurt to try. And, it would be really interesting to see if you could accomplish such a spell. Alright, I’ll do it,” he decided, nodding. “Awesome!” I shouted excitedly. I looked down, finding myself hovering in front of Flasher. I touched back down, smiling wide. “Where do we start?” “Well, I have some free time right now, but I won’t be able to stay long,” he said, bringing up a schedule that he held in his slightly-dark-blue magic, matching his mane. “Let’s go to the library. I can find you the books I used when I was learning. They are written more toward children, though they will be helpful nonetheless,” replied the mostly tan unicorn, almost lost in thought. I followed behind Flasher, towards the back of the library, turning left to a section full of magical texts. He led me down an aisle on the right side, stopping in one of the sections. Barely looking at the shelves, Flasher’s magic brought down books to sit in a pile on the floor in front of me. I looked at some of the titles: Beginners Guide to Teleportation, Book ofSpells, Mysterious Places and Where to Find Them. Looking up from the pile, I saw Flasher holding another book, heading back towards me. “Now, this one isn’t ideal, but if you are really having trouble you can look through it,” he said warily, setting Teleportation! It’s So Easy Foals Can Do It on top of the mound of books. “I recommend you start with Beginners Guide to Teleportation, it gives a decent explanation on what to think about when trying to cast the spell. I remember helping you with a light spell, but what you were able to accomplish wasn’t quite the same as the unicorn spell.” I gave a nod in reply. Flasher checked the time. “That’s all the time I have for now. If you would like, I am free after noon tomorrow. We could meet in the center of the Festival, near the fountain, and see what we can do about your progress,” he suggested. “Sounds like a plan. Do you mind if I bring Cotton Fluff?” I asked. “If she wants to come, I don’t have a problem with it. I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he replied, turning and heading for the exit. I collected the books Flasher found for me, checked them out and headed home for some heavy reading. Along the way, I stopped and asked Cotton Fluff if she wanted to come along the next day. ~~~~~~~~~ “Have you made any progress?” Flasher asked as Cotton Fluff and I approached. He was on time, as usual, maybe even early. We were probably a little late, given that I slept in, again, and I waited for Cotton Fluff to be ready, so we could head there together. “We haven’t kept you waiting long, have we?” came Cotton Fluff’s voice, beside me. “Not too long. It hasn’t been a problem. I’ve been trying to figure out how I could possibly teach this to you,” Flasher replied, turning to me. “I haven’t gotten very far. I read, and finished, Beginners Guide to Teleportation, but haven’t tried the spell since it was late, and I didn’t want to wake anypony,” I explained. “Alright, that’s probably for the best anyway. Let’s go somewhere you won’t get as distracted,” Flasher said, leading us south, towards the forest. Flasher brought out three items from his saddlebags, a ball, toothbrush, and a flashlight. “We’ll be using these to start,” the unicorn said as he set the items down around the clearing we found, slightly inside the forest’s edge. “Do you remember what you did with the light spell?” I nodded. “You told me unicorns typically focus most of their power in the tip of their horn. For me to make something brighter than just using my magic, I focused on my antlers as a whole. Unlike when I grow plants, where I focus on three prongs, one on one side, two on the other,” I explained, reminding Flasher and Cotton Fluff what it was like. I even demonstrated, growing a small flower in front of me. Even though I couldn’t see it, I knew there was slightly heavier aura around the farthest-back prong on the right side, and all but the closest in the front, on the left. “So, what are you guys going to do?” asked Cotton, looking between the two of us and the items on the ground. “Well, we’ll start with the ball,” Flasher took the ball in his blue magic, and with ease it appeared about four inches to the right. “Remember the feeling of the light spell, but instead focus on the ball, and then where you would like it to appear.” I grabbed the ball with my magic, shrouding it in the gray aura. I closed my eyes, trying to imagine the ball appearing in the spot it had originally been. After a while, I didn’t feel anything happen. I peered open one eye, and sure enough the ball was floating in the same spot as when I took it in my magic. I opened my eyes fully, looking to Flasher, hoping he’d give a suggestion. He thought for a moment. “Hm, maybe try imagining the ball moving through something, like a door or portal or something.” I closed my eyes again, concentrating. This time I imagined a door, with the ball being pushed through, ending four inches to the left. I felt the ball move, but when I opened my I eyes, I saw it had done just that, moved. Not teleport. I sighed in defeat, dropping the ball. “Maybe, try imagining the object compressing or blinking into the spot you want it,” suggested the pegasus, who, until now, had been patiently sitting off to the side, being supportive just by watching. “Whenever I see Flasher moving things, there’s always flashes of light.” “Thanks, Cotton,” I smiled at her. “I’ll try it.” I took the ball in my magic again. I liked the idea of something flashing into existence, so that’s what I imagined the ball would do. It felt just like the first time, nothing, just like holding a ball. I let the ball go again, this time feeling exhaustion. “Why don’t we take a short break,” Flasher suggested, seeing me take deep breaths. Both Cotton and I nodded. I looked at her, somehow she looked tired as well. ~~~~~~~~~ “This isn’t working,” I deflated, dropping the ball once again. We had even moved between the objects, seeing if the different shapes would somehow change something. The sun was nearing the horizon; soon I would have to call it a night try again tomorrow. “Try one more time with the ball,” Cotton Fluff encouraged. I gave her a tired look, but she looked like she might have thought of something, so I whisked the ball into my magic once again. Out of all the ways I had tried to teleport the objects, imagining it flashing into existence felt the most different, almost like it was just missing something, before the spell being a success. All of a sudden, I felt a presence next to me. Not a second later, a scream pierced my ear. Frightened, I shoved with my magic. I opened my eyes seeing Cotton Fluff beside me, my ear ringing. She smiled wide, clearly enjoying herself. She turned to Flasher. “Did he do it?” she asked glancing at the ball. It was where it was supposed to be. I looked at Flasher. “Wow!” he whispered excitedly, staring at the ball. He turned to me. “You did it.” He went over to the ball poking it making sure it was intact. It bounced back, relieved of his touch. I picked up the ball, levitating it in front of my face. I stared at it, like maybe it wasn’t just a ball, a smile on my face. “Huh.”
Chapter 1: Spring FestivalThe Peryton Chapter 1: Spring Festival “Mom!” I whined, as she tried to make my coat look presentable. “Hold still, darling,” she said as she adjusted to my squirming, her talons “fixing” my mane. “This will only take a minute.” “Do I have to go?” I saw her lavender eyes as she gave me a look. I let out a sigh of resignation, “Okay.” She turned, her elegant coat shimmered green, and her purple feathers fluttered in a breeze that only noticed her. “Sometimes, you’re just like your father,” I heard her whisper, almost to herself. “Father?” My ears perked, “What was he like?” She looked back, met my eyes, but only for an instant, “He was courageous, and kind, and good,” she said matter of fact. *sigh* Same thing as always, then, “Do you really want to know?” I looked up, surprised, hope surging, and nodded. She looked me over; “I’ll tell you after, come, we’ll be late.” She turned and took flight. Finally! I looked in the reflective mirror pool, taking in my auburn coat, emerald green mane with velvet antlers sticking out, and pale grey eyes. Maybe I get my look from dad? I’ve always known I was different. There are others with physical traits like mine, but none that help me understand what makes me so different. I don’t have many friends, but not because of that, I’m just not very good making them. Mother says I should be more social, but it’s just not my thing. I’m content with the ones I have. ~~~~~~~~~ This time of year is always the busiest. It’s also everypony’s favorite. Preparations for the Spring Festival began a while ago. The weeklong celebrations start today. Ponies from all over come to take part in the festivities that bring spring. I was on my way to the festival when I heard someone call out, “Hey, Xerneas!” I slowed, and turned to see who was behind me. It was a light-pink pegasus, with a curly light-blue mane. My closest friend. “Hiya, Cotton Fluff,” I replied, “Hey, guess what?” She thought for a moment, “You finally decided to take school seriously? Or, or, did you have a sudden revelation and now you want to make lots of friends? Oh! Maybe you discovered what you want to do with your super powers.” “Pfft, no. And my ability isn’t ‘super powers’. Mother said she’d tell me about father.” “Really?” I gave her a blank look. “Right, sorry,” she looked away a moment, “When?” “After today’s Festival.” I watched her expression change to worry. “Why the face? Anything she’s said about him, which hasn’t been much, has been positive. I can’t wait!” “But what if she only wanted you to know the good?” Cotton said quietly, unsure. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to think about that if it happens. You worry too much, you know?” I tried to reassure her; she wasn’t convinced. “Come on, Mother might just change her mind if I’m any later.” I gave her a smile and headed to the main event, turning my head to make sure she was following. We landed at the entrance, the giant arch leading the way to the festivities. Mother was waiting, a disapproving look on her face, but she kept quiet. I smiled at her. She gave a smile back, and we headed towards the center of the town. This was going to be a good day; I could feel it. As we walked down the path, I glanced at all the stands lined up along sides. Some had games, others had things like balloons and bubbles for the kids, and of course, there were the ones with food. Each and every stand had a pot with a seed planted in the middle. Ponies trading, talking, and having a good time crowded the area. When they noticed mother they gave respectful nods, which she returned. I watched her, feeling pride for being her son. As I followed her, Cotton Fluff trotting next to me in a comfortable silence, I waved to some of the ponies; they waved back, happy smiles on their faces. I enjoyed seeing everypony together like this. It’s not like they keep to themselves all the time, there’s just something about festivals. As we approached the stage, I turned to see Cotton Fluff looking at me. “I’ll meet up with you after the ceremony, aright?” “Sounds good. I’ll be watching, so don’t mess up.” “Cotton, I’ll be fine. It’s not like I have to give a speech or anything; just using my ‘super powers’.” “Alright, alright.” She waved a hoof at me, “But I want mine to be the best, no holding back.” I smirked, “I’ll see what I can do.” “Let’s go, Xerneas.” “Coming,” I replied over my shoulder. I waved to Cotton then followed Mother onto the stage for the opening ceremony. Everypony knows about my ability, but nopony else seems to share it. That’s what makes the ceremony so special. I’ve always been able to do it, but I don’t want ponies to rely on me, so I keep it to myself for the most part; today’s one of the exceptions. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” Everypony shifted their attention to the stage. “Welcome. As most of you know, the Spring Festival occurs as the transition from winter to spring. During the week the weather becomes warmer, animals come out of hibernation, and plants start growing again.” She looked out over the crowd, observing the coats and scarves still being worn amongst many. “Let us greet spring with happiness and cheer, and it will be a good year!” The area grew loud with the sound of hooves stomping. Mother turned her head to look at me, “Xerneas.” “Right.” I bowed my head nervously, concentrating on the area of the festival, specifically the pots on all the stands. My antlers tingled. I felt for each seed, and felt the life burning within and around each. I adjusted to the different types of plants giving each what they needed. I gave the life within a push, that little extra, to change from being a seed, to being a seedling. As the stems appeared, sprouting into their forms, exclamations of “ooh,” and, “ahh,” could be heard throughout the crowd. I continued to push, to try and make each seedling perfect. Once they reached maturity, I released the magic and looked up, I saw looks of wonder among ponies everywhere. I looked to Mother. She gave a nod, knowing how much I disliked being the focus of others’ attention. I quickly left the stage, tension leaving my body as everypony turned their attention away from me, and went to meet up with Cotton Fluff. She had set up her own stand for the festival, deciding to sell, or trade, her hoof-made pillows and blankets; so that’s where I headed. As I passed all the stands, I glanced at the pots, looking to see what was planted, checking to see if they turned out right. Some were crops that would give an early start for the season. Others were the more common, colorful flowers. If any were trees or large bushes, they only grew to around a foot tall; they would have to grow naturally after today. Then there were the flowers that only bloomed during one of the other seasons, just to be seen more than once. These would last all day, even if the wild ones only remained in bloom for a short amount of time. As I neared Cotton Fluff’s stand, I saw a group of ponies crowding around. They all wanted one of her creations. I didn’t blame them; her pillows were so soft and fluffy, and all kinds of wonderful. Her blankets, just one of them, could keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. “Cotton!” I called out. Her head swiveled in my direction, relief on her face and happiness in her dark-coral eyes at having spotted me. She gave a quick wave then went back to her customers. I trotted to the back of her stand to wait for a break or for her to ask for help, which knowing her wasn’t likely. I watched her. She handled things with ease, going from one customer to the next. Her smile never left her face, genuinely happy to be helping everypony. If somepony wanted to trade, Cotton always found a way to accept something. Soon enough the crowd had dispersed, every customer leaving with something special. Cotton let out a sigh, and turned to me, “I never get tired of seeing what you can do, it’s fascinating.” She glanced at the Swaddled Babies Orchid on the edge of her stand. I gave her an awkward smile. “So, I can take a break, you want to go do something?” I got up. “Sure. Let’s get something to eat, then we can settle our feud.” I gave her a mischievous grin. She just rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. “You’re on. But don’t think you can win this time.” ~~~~~~~~~ At the training grounds we got our gear; a slingshot for me and a bow an arrow for Cotton Fluff. Mother made me take a class when I was younger, to learn how to protect myself; just in case. I’m still not sure why she wanted me to though, but that’s how I met Cotton Fluff, so it turned out okay. Ever since we learned and trained with weapons, Cotton and I have been competing to see who can be more accurate mid-flight, and from the farthest away, with projectiles. So far she’s beaten me every time. But this time we’re using our specialized weapons and I’m ready. I trained hard, and even discovered a new way of using my slingshot. “Ready?” Cotton asked, seeing my eagerness, wondering what I’ve got under my wing. “Yep, and I’m going to win this time.” We took off, heading for the first target. I barely had to think about where I was going, having done this too many times to count. I switched my slingshot to my back legs, holding it in my talons, and took aim. There were three rings, the bullseye in the middle. I let the bottle cap fly; it hit the outer edge of the middle ring. Dang. I moved to the next target. This time it hit the inner ring. Not close enough. I got to the last target, still needing a bullseye. This time for sure. I took my time, concentrating. Holding my breath, I let it fly. *thunk* It hit the center. YES! I pumped my hoof, and then looked to find Cotton Fluff. She was slightly behind and below me. “Wow,” she gave a nod of approval, “You have been practicing.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “So, that was an interesting way to use your slingshot. Where’d you come up with that?” “Uh, well,” I rubbed the back of my head with a hoof and thought about how to put it, “You’ve always been a stronger flier than me, so I thought I would try not to use my wings and I can grip things better with my talons, so I tried it.” “I see, well it worked.” She looked out over the course, tallying up the scores. “We tied.” “What? I thought for sure I’d beat you.” I hung my head, disappointed. I looked to the course. Sure enough, Cotton’s shots were more precise than mine. “Hey, it’s alright, maybe next time.” “For sure.” I was just going to have to train harder. “I thought I’d find you here.” I turned to see Mother flying towards us. With a start, I looked around. It had gotten late, without me even realizing. “The Festival’s almost over.” “Oh no!” Cotton exclaimed, “I can’t believe I forgot. My stand!” She started to fly off. “Hold on Cotton Fluff.” Mother called out to her. Cotton Fluff slowed and turned to face Mother. “I saw your older brother, he was taking care of it.” “Candle Flame?” She put a hoof to her chin, “That was nice of him, still I should get back and help clean up. See you tomorrow, Xerneas.” She waved and took off. “See ya,” I called after her. I turned to Mother, “So, heading home?” She gave a nod, “I finished everything at the Festival, and didn’t see you, so I figured you might be here, and have forgotten the time.” I guiltily scratched my head and averted my eyes, “Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to.” “No harm, no foul. Come on, let’s go.” ~~~~~~~~~ After getting some hot chocolate, we sat in the living room, “Sooo, you said you would tell me about father.” I quickly got to the topic I’d been waiting for all day. “You remembered,” Mother observed. “Before you say anything, listen, don’t interrupt.” She paused and looked long and hard at me, making sure I understood. When finally she was satisfied, “Your father…” she took a long pause, then looked me in the eyes, “Xerneas, he’s alive.”
Chapter 2: The StrangerChapter 2: The Stranger “WHAT?!” I stood up. I paced, turned in circles, having a mini freak out. Mother waited patiently, knowing this would happen even though she had wanted me to stay calm. How is this possible? Where is he? Does he know about me? If he does, why isn’t he here? Why did he leave? Did he leave or did Mother send him away; no she wouldn’t do that, would she? I thought back to everything she’s ever said about father. Well, I guess she never said he had died, but everything she’s said has been in the past tense, so I just assumed. Maybe that was only because he hasn’t been here. Okay, deep breath, I’ve got to calm down. Mother will explain everything, I hope. I composed myself and looked at Mother. “Are you done?” Mother asked and I nodded in reply. “Alright.” She thought for a while, then finally, “We first met when I was around your age.” “Hold on.” I interrupted. “What about where he is and what he’s doing?” I pleaded. Knowing he was out there and not here was what I really wanted to know at the moment. “I like for you to hear my story; because even though I didn’t know it at the time, the day I met your father changed everything. Also, this way you will be able to get an idea of the kind of person he is,” she calmly replied. “Oh.” I sunk down, deflated. “Okay then, go on,” I replied, impatient for her to get to the present. She gave a small nod. “At the time, I was living with my parents in a small town far from here. I was studying outside, in the shade of a Willow tree, when I saw him, wandering like he might be lost. I had never seen anypony like him. My studies forgotten, I watched him for a while, trying to determine if he was in fact lost, before getting the courage to ask.” ~~~~~~~~~ “Hello there.” I approached the wandering stranger with a friendly smile. He, well I assumed it was a he, had a coat that was mostly brown speckled with white. The edges of his wings, as well as his tail-feathers, blended into a dusty orange color, matching his short mane. Atop his head, strangely enough, sat a pair of antlers. “Are you lost?” He turned to me with what I assumed was a confused look. “Perhaps. Could you tell me where I happen to be?” His voice was slightly deep and quiet, yet not hard to hear. There was a strange accent to his words, nothing I had heard before. “Well this is the town, Ephys. Do you know where you are headed? Maybe I could help?” “Do I know where I am headed? I did not have a destination planned.” He looked around; there wasn’t much to take in; the marketplace and an area for the town to gather to the north, farmlands spreading to the west, the worn ground making the path he came from to the south with the forest in the distance, and most of the town’s houses to the east. He glanced to his back, shuffling his wings slightly. “It seems I do not have the proper materials for my journey.” “Oh.” I paused. He is on a journey and yet brought nothing with him? “I can take you to see my mother. She and father are the town’s leaders,” I explained, “They’ll be able to make arrangements to find you the necessities.” I motioned for him to follow, turning northeast, to the building where mother received any important messages that may arrive, as well as heard the concerns of the townsponies. I turned towards the stranger, “By the way, my name is Alani, nice to meet you. I have not seen one of your kind before, are you from around here?” “I am called Volius. Your company is well met.” He bowed his head in a strange greeting, chin touching chest, antlers almost parallel to the ground. “Am I from around here?” His head tilted pensively. “No, I suppose not, but you would not know from where I come. In regards to species, my kin and I are peryton. “Peryton?” Saying the word aloud was unfamiliar. ”I have not heard of you.” Maybe mother knows about them. I slowed slightly, letting a small group of children playing tag cross the path, heading towards the fields. After confirming they weren’t causing trouble, I noticed Volius watching them as well. “It seems we share bird-like qualities, but I am not familiar with your species either. Are you the same species as those children?” I looked curiously to Volius’ hind legs, which ended with talons, then looked to my own similar forelegs. “Well, I am a griffon; part eagle, part lion.” He gave a small nod, seeming satisfied with my response. I stopped and looked back to the game of tag, the two fliers staying low to keep in reach of their grounded friends, “As is one of the children. The two on the ground are ponies,” I saw his head tilt slightly to the side in question, and added, “one a unicorn and the other an earth pony, and the green-shaded one hovering nearby is a changeling.” He turned away from the game and seemed to deeply consider my words. I continued forward, watching the town’s activity as we neared our destination. “Mother! We have a visitor!” I called out as I entered through the open-arched frame, Volius still pensive behind me. “Alani?” Came mother’s voice as she descended the stairs. “Did you bring one of your friends-” she paused, finding the unfamiliar being. “-Oh I’m sorry,” she turned to me, “Alani, who is this?” She turned to the newcomer, “Or rather, who are you?” “I am Volius.” Came Volius’ voice as he moved to stand next to me, bowing his head in greeting. “Your daughter has told me you could assist with my visit.” “Of course.” She visibly straightened, going from mother to leader. “We were not expecting visitors, so you must excuse us being unprepared, but we have room in our home if you would find that suitable.” “No forgiveness is necessary as I was not expecting my visit either. If you will have me, I would not dismiss your generosity.” He gave his strange chin-to-neck gesture. Mother bowed her head slightly in return. Turning to me, “Alani, would you show our guest to where he will be staying? The room forgotten shall do nicely. If you find yourselves with the need to do something, maybe a trip around town would be nice? As Volius does not seem to have brought supplies, I will find what is necessary. If you can think of anything, make a note, and I will see what I can do.” After receiving a nod from me, she turned to leave, forgetting whatever she was doing before our arrival. I turned to Voilus, “Well, follow me.” ~~~~~~~~~ “The room forgotten?” Questioned the voice behind me. “Oh, yeah. We have lots of guests stay here, so the other guest rooms sort-of developed themes from the gifts that were given to us by their occupants. The one you’ll be staying in is next to mine, away from the others, and usually forgotten about, so the name stuck.” I explained, remembering how I decided the name of the room after a number of guests failed to enjoy it. I paused in front of the door. “This is it. As I mentioned earlier, my room is the next one over.” I gestured down the hall. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” I opened the door to find the same slightly decorated room. Since not many ponies used it, I made a point of finding things to put in it from my own collection. There was a circular rug I’d made covering the floor and cushioning the bed, a dresser adorned with odd shells and stones that had made their way up the river, a grandfather clock and the few books on the bookshelf the only things from guests, and a couch sitting near the sliding-doors to the landing, made so flying guests could come and go without bothering anypony. Volius wandered into the room, taking in the décor, after seeing the bookshelf he strode over, studying the books. He turned to me, “Are any of these history? I cannot read your letters.” I walked over, reading the titles. I reached for the thickest volume, taking it down with a talon. “This one has all the oldest information, starting with how everypony came together.” I opened it, flipping through the pages, remembering the tale from reading it so many times. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to hear it. I have not before seen so many different people together like this.” I looked up from the book, “The short version then.” I moved to sit on the couch, motioning for Volius to join me. “We started out existing separately, not really knowing of each other. The ponies; earth, unicorn, pegasus, and alicorn, took residence in the western part of the land. They were, and still are, the most populated of us. Griffons were towards the northeast, living in an area that was mostly mountains. The changelings were in the south, where they inhabited caves. There were, and still are, other species; although we know and interact with some of them, they continue to stay separated. “One day in autumn, while the pegasi were working with the weather, planning a light shower, a swarm of twittermites appeared suddenly and with all the commotion of trying to herd them away, the light shower became a typhoon. The storm had gotten so out of hoof that the pegasi could do nothing to stop it and the ponies were required to wait it out. While the intensity diminished as time passed, the unnatural weather lasted a week, causing major flooding. “As a result, the ponies temporarily relocated inland. Even though most stayed in the safest area closest to the damaged land, others ventured out, seeking resources that were lost. It was then that they came in contact with the changling hive and griffon scouts. “The changlings were the first to help out, being the kinder of the two. Having overcome their need to feed off the love of other living things, finding it instead in themselves; they knew what it was like trying to adjust to a new lifestyle. Helping with everything from replanting to rebuilding, the two groups learned to work together and easily became friends. “Griffons, at the time, were selfish and greedy, only wanting to do things for money; and while they didn’t know it yet, unhappy. The scouts they had encountered saw they had nothing, and turned them away; but kept watch on them. It wasn’t until later, once the ponies’ lives were starting to resemble normal that the griffons wanted to help out. The ponies were wary at first, but easy to forgive gave them a chance. “By the time the water had receded to its original level, many of the ponies had moved back, repairing what could be salvaged along the way. Some lingered, enjoying their newfound friends. The griffons’ nature, while working with the ponies and changelings, had softened slightly, becoming more accepting to friendship and goodwill. With time, they were on good terms with both groups; a few even started living in the thought-temporary relocation.” Having finished, I glanced over at Volius, who had stayed silent the entire time, his face calm and eyes closed. I waited patiently, using this time to get a closer look at him. His mane was haphazard, but looked soft. His antlers were larger than I previously thought, spiraling backwards, then forward, having six points on his right antler and seven on the left. They were coated in velvet that had a hint of purple. He was actually quite handsome. When he finally opened his eyes, I saw they were a dark navy-blue before quickly looking away, blushing slightly. “Well, I’ll leave you to think on that. I will come find you when it is time to eat,” I quickly said the first thing that came to mind. Once I made it calmly out of the room, I rushed for the outdoors, hopefully avoiding conversation for a while. ~~~~~~~~~ I yawned and stretched as I woke after yet another day. I got out of bed and looked to at my calendar hanging on the wall. “Has it already been a year?” I said to myself, thinking about all the things Volius and I had done together since he arrived. Ever since he told me he had come here though some kind of portal, we’ve been trying to figure out how to recreate it so he could go back home, but we haven’t gotten any new leads recently. He told me that he is an only child and that his parents died when he was a teenager. Lately I’ve been secretly hoping we never find a way, but Volius’ kin must miss him, contrary to what he says. I left my room and knocked on Volius’ door. “Hey Volius, are you ready to go?” It had become routine that Volius and I would take a quick flight together in the morning before breakfast to wake us up and make plan for the day. “I am,” came his reply, along with the door being surrounded in his dark-blue-colored magic and opening, surprising me. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that,” I told him when I entered his room. I gently kicked the door closed, before he could do it for me. When I first learned he could do magic I thought it might be like unicorn magic, but when I asked if his magic had a special purpose didn’t seem to think so. He explained that while there are some peryton with different abilities than others, they mostly use their magic for telekinesis. They can also use it to strengthen their bodies, usually their wings for flying. I had him demonstrate for me, and when his wings took on a blue glow they appeared more powerful, even though not much changed performance-wise. He also told me it was easier to fly here then back home, so he didn’t need to strengthen his wings unless we were in the air for a long time. “Alright, let’s go,” I said as I moved to the landing in his room. Standing side by side, we took off together, heading south towards the forest. “What do you think we should we do today?” Volius asked as usual. “I was thinking we could get some more books from the library and look through them by the river.” It was always I who came up with the plan. He would sometimes suggest other things we could do, but those were always added to whatever I decided. After two months, with no sign of finding a way back for Volius, I started to teach him our letters so he didn’t have to ask me what everything said and it would help with our research. “Sounds like a plan. We should look for more books on magic that deals with travel through a medium.” “Sure. On our way to the river we can get supplies for lunch as well,” I replied. According to Volius, he arrived here after something startled him and after a flash of blinding light appeared here, standing in front of a solid, flat wall. We think it has something to do with magic, but since Volius’ magic and unicorn magic are so different from each other, we haven’t gotten very far. I even got one of my unicorn friends to see if he could teach Volius unicorn magic, and while Volius was able learn a few simple spells, they didn’t seem to work the same and just one took a lot of effort that left him exhausted. Without needing to talk, we turned around near the forest’s edge; Volius turned in a wide lazy circle, while I decided to do a backflip, with a 180 spin to right myself. We flew back to the house in a comfortable silence. Using the landing outside Volius’ room, we passed through the room and headed down to breakfast together. “Good morning Alani, Volius,” came mother’s voice hearing us approach, but not turning from her cooking. “Breakfast is almost ready, why don’t you set the table while you wait.” “Sure thing,” I replied, but before I could reach the plates, they glowed and set themselves on the table. “Hey, I was going to do that!” I turned and pouted at the offender. “I thought this way would be more efficient,” replied Volius with a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders. I sighed, “At least let me do the cups.” “All yours.” He gestured for me to continue a smile still on his face. I kept an eye on him as I neared the cups, making sure he didn’t try anything. I heard mother chuckle quietly from where she was, never turning around. “Where’s father?” I asked, noticing he wasn’t around like usual. “He had to leave early to help one of the townsponies locate an escaped pet. He grabbed some breakfast before leaving and said he’d take the morning shift for work,” she replied. Her cooking finished, she turned with a pan of ham and a bowl of greens balanced on top in a claw and looked at me, “Do you guys have anything planned for today?” She set the bowl in the middle of the table, Volius taking a portion for himself, and put ham on her and my plates. “Just more research. We’re going to the river today,” I replied, Volius nodding his head in confirmation. “That sounds nice. I hope you find something that helps,” she turned to Volius, “I enjoy having you here, it has been nice having someone here for Alani, but I am sure you would like to go back home.” He looked to me while answering mother, “I couldn’t have hoped for a better family to have taken me in like this. As of now, I am in no hurry to get back home,” I stared intently at my food, feeling my cheeks burn, and he looked back to mother “Since I have no family left to return to, I hope you do not mind if I consider you and Alani’s father as parental figures to myself.” “Of course not. Over the year, I have started to think of you as part of the family as well,” mother replied with a smile. I looked up, at each in turn, happy both of them felt that way. I finished my meal quickly, “Alright. I want to get an early start,” I stood and turned for the door, looking over my shoulder I called out, “Come on Volius, let’s go.” “Always in such a hurry,” he teased. He finished his meal, only slightly slower than he normally would, and joined me outside. “Shall we.” He turned us toward the library. “Good morning you two. You’re here early today,” came the librarian’s voice from behind her desk. “Good morning to you as well. Alani wanted to get a head start today,” Volius greeted for the both of us. I nodded my head in silent reply, heading straight for the magic section. “I know I saw something the last time we were here,” I quietly muttered to myself, searching the titles on the shelves, “No, no, no,” I turned to skim another shelf, “Ah, here it is! Transparency. This one might have something,” I turned to Volius, knowing he had been searching as well, “Did you find anything?” He already had three books in his magical grip and was retrieving another when I asked. “I see you have.” “Yes. I think these could prove useful.” By the time we finished, we had a total of nine books to look through. We collected our things and went to check out. “Did you find everything you were looking for?” The librarian asked as we approached the desk. “I’m not sure, but these will do for the day,” I waited until all the books were in saddle-bags, “Thank you.” I waved as we left. ~~~~~~~~~ I closed the book I was reading, setting it down and stretching. I looked to our piles. One left in the ‘to read’ pile, seven in the ‘read’ pile. Volius was finishing the ninth. I looked to the sun, “It’s almost noon. When you’re done, how about we look through the last one together and then eat?” He looked up from the book, closing it, “Just finished. Find anything useful in that one?” He stood up and stretched as well. “Eh, not really,” I waved a claw, dismissing it, “How about yours?” “Same.” He picked up the last book, Transparency. We decided to save it for last, as it seemed the most promising. He opened it with his magic, setting it in front of and to the right of me, and sat next to me, pulling me to his side with a wing. I felt my cheeks go hot, but didn’t protest, enjoying his touch. I let him turn the pages, waiting patiently in-between for him to finish. He was still getting used to our letters and would occasionally ask me words he didn’t know. He turned the page. “Hey, how about this,” I halted my reading, finding a spell that should alter an object so that you could pass through it. “What if you try to cast this while thinking of somewhere you know well back home?” “I am not sure, I could try. Unicorn magic is hard though, and this spell may be to complex for me,” he said doubtfully. He moved closer to the river, away from our stuff and concentrated. A sharper blue than his own magic, appeared around his antlers. I admired our surroundings from the spot I had located during my search for places to study. It was a small clearing at the bottom of a hill with the river making a natural boarder. It was a beautiful day with the sun’s warm rays making a comfortable temperature. There was barely any wind, the river’s surface uninterrupted and smooth, giving a perfect reflection. I watched Volius, his eyes closed. I saw him release the spell, gasping slightly to regain his breath, then start again. After a few failed attempts, I decided to bring up what I was really excited for, “Volius, there was something I wanted to tell you,” his face softened slightly, but he continued his work on the spell, “I wanted you to be the first to know.” I paused, nervous despite the good news. He released the spell again and looked to me. Seeing I was trying to get the words out, he continued to try and make progress with the spell. I looked to him, watching his face, “I’m pregnant.” His magic burst, blinding me, and he fell backwards towards the river, shock on his face. There was no splash, just a strange *whoosh* before he should have hit the water. When I could see again, Volius was nowhere to be found. I rushed to the water. No ripples indicating he had fallen. He was gone.
Chapter 3: TeleportationChapter 3: Teleportation “I haven’t seen or heard from your father since that day,” Mother paused, a sad look on her face, “I stayed with my parents until you were born, hoping he might find his way back. Once you could walk well enough on your own, I left and made a life for myself here,” she finished. I sat there, thinking over everything that was said. Finally I settled on a couple of questions, “Do you know where he went?” “He was supposed to be thinking of somewhere on his home world, but only he knows where he ended up,” she replied. “How do you know he’s still alive?” I asked. “Even though we are so far apart, I have this feeling, he’s still out there somewhere.” “But, you don’t know for sure,” I commented. “No, he’s out there,” she states, giving me a hard, full-of-belief, stare. That stare gave me an idea. “Do you think I could do what he did?” I asked cautiously. I want to know my father, want him to know me. If he could teleport or move between worlds or whatever he did, and I have an ability nopony else does, maybe I can do this as well. I could bring him back for Mother. “No! I do not want to lose you as well. It was hard enough without your father!” Mother exclaimed, shocked and hurt. Then her face softened. “I guess I should have expected this. I’m still against it though,” she finished, sighing. She thought hard, and looked me in the eyes, “There are unicorns in our lineage, so it might be possible,” she relented, knowing I would look into it anyway, “but I do not want you trying anything without my approval,” she added hastily. I beamed. I could do this. I would do this. “I’m starting right away!” I said, standing and turning towards the door, ready to begin. Then, I remembered it was dark. I stopped short and turned to Mother, giving a sheepish grin, “Maybe I’ll start tomorrow.” She gave a chuckle, “Don’t forget about the Festival. Spend at least some time there, please.” I slumped. “Yeah, okay.” ~~~~~~~~~ I opened my eyes with a start, sitting up. Today I am going to find out all I can about what magic he might have used. I shook my head, clearing any of the leftover fogginess from sleep away. Growing all those plants always made me feel exhausted by the end of the day, so Mother always let me sleep in the second day. I looked out the window; the sun had already risen, halfway between dawn and noon. Cotton Fluff will want to know what I learned. I headed to her stand at the Festival, knowing that’s where she’d be. Hopefully she’d have some time free again, and want to help me. I’d also need to know more about magic. I knew just who to ask. At Cotton Fluff’s stand, I saw she had a small group of customers. I waited patiently nearby until she finished with the last one. “Hey, do you think you have some time to talk?” She looked around the Festival. “Well I don’t see anypony rushing towards us, so I’d say we have a little bit. Let’s go somewhere else,” she left her sand, motioning for me to follow. We didn’t go far, just enough to be out of earshot of the crowd, but close enough to watch the stand in case anypony arrived. “So, what’d you learn?” Cotton tried to appear calm, but I could tell she was just as interested as I was before I knew. “Well, his name is Volius and he’s a peryton. She’s told me I look just like him, so he probably looks similar,” I started. Cotton Fluff just gave a nod, not interrupting. I recounted the story, only telling the important parts to make it shorter, up until him disappearing. “Wow.” Cotton Fluff just sat there taking it in much like I did. “So she doesn’t know anything else?” “Well,” I paused dramatically. As I drew out the silence, her expression changed rapidly, coming up with all kinds of thoughts on what I might say next; ranging from worried, to sad, to joy, and settling on a stare. “Come on, tell me!” Cotton pouted. I smiled at her, chuckling softly. “He’s alive,” I said it like it was just another fact, waiting to see her reaction. “Really? How do you know? Where is he?” She asked in rapid succession. The same questions I asked Mother. “Mother says she can feel it, that he’s alive, but she doesn’t know where. That’s why I decided I am going to find out if I can do the same kind of magic he tried. If I’m successful, maybe I can bring him here, and we can be a family. Will you help me?” I asked, hopeful. “Of course I will,” she replied without hesitation. “I don’t know how much help I’m going to be though,” she frowned. “That’s why I was going to ask Flasher for help as well, maybe he can teach me something. I came to tell you about what happened first, I’m going to go find him next.” Cotton glanced over to her stand. Somepony was looking around, trying to find the owner. She looked to me. “Well, duty calls. Let me know if you need anything,” she waved and left to attend her stand. “Sure thing,” I called behind her. ~~~~~~~~~ “Why me?” Flasher asked after I told him about my father who seemed to have disappeared and Mother thinking he was alive. “Well, your special talent is teleportation, so I thought you might be able to help me figure out what happened and whether or not I could do it as well. And you’re my friend,” I replied, giving an encouraging smile. “Your magic is different than mine. I don’t know if you can learn teleportation,” he frowned. I waited while he thought. He looked to me and sighed. “I guess it can’t hurt to try. And, it would be really interesting to see if you could accomplish such a spell. Alright, I’ll do it,” he decided, nodding. “Awesome!” I shouted excitedly. I looked down, finding myself hovering in front of Flasher. I touched back down, smiling wide. “Where do we start?” “Well, I have some free time right now, but I won’t be able to stay long,” he said, bringing up a schedule that he held in his slightly-dark-blue magic, matching his mane. “Let’s go to the library. I can find you the books I used when I was learning. They are written more toward children, though they will be helpful nonetheless,” replied the mostly tan unicorn, almost lost in thought. I followed behind Flasher, towards the back of the library, turning left to a section full of magical texts. He led me down an aisle on the right side, stopping in one of the sections. Barely looking at the shelves, Flasher’s magic brought down books to sit in a pile on the floor in front of me. I looked at some of the titles: Beginners Guide to Teleportation, Book ofSpells, Mysterious Places and Where to Find Them. Looking up from the pile, I saw Flasher holding another book, heading back towards me. “Now, this one isn’t ideal, but if you are really having trouble you can look through it,” he said warily, setting Teleportation! It’s So Easy Foals Can Do It on top of the mound of books. “I recommend you start with Beginners Guide to Teleportation, it gives a decent explanation on what to think about when trying to cast the spell. I remember helping you with a light spell, but what you were able to accomplish wasn’t quite the same as the unicorn spell.” I gave a nod in reply. Flasher checked the time. “That’s all the time I have for now. If you would like, I am free after noon tomorrow. We could meet in the center of the Festival, near the fountain, and see what we can do about your progress,” he suggested. “Sounds like a plan. Do you mind if I bring Cotton Fluff?” I asked. “If she wants to come, I don’t have a problem with it. I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he replied, turning and heading for the exit. I collected the books Flasher found for me, checked them out and headed home for some heavy reading. Along the way, I stopped and asked Cotton Fluff if she wanted to come along the next day. ~~~~~~~~~ “Have you made any progress?” Flasher asked as Cotton Fluff and I approached. He was on time, as usual, maybe even early. We were probably a little late, given that I slept in, again, and I waited for Cotton Fluff to be ready, so we could head there together. “We haven’t kept you waiting long, have we?” came Cotton Fluff’s voice, beside me. “Not too long. It hasn’t been a problem. I’ve been trying to figure out how I could possibly teach this to you,” Flasher replied, turning to me. “I haven’t gotten very far. I read, and finished, Beginners Guide to Teleportation, but haven’t tried the spell since it was late, and I didn’t want to wake anypony,” I explained. “Alright, that’s probably for the best anyway. Let’s go somewhere you won’t get as distracted,” Flasher said, leading us south, towards the forest. Flasher brought out three items from his saddlebags, a ball, toothbrush, and a flashlight. “We’ll be using these to start,” the unicorn said as he set the items down around the clearing we found, slightly inside the forest’s edge. “Do you remember what you did with the light spell?” I nodded. “You told me unicorns typically focus most of their power in the tip of their horn. For me to make something brighter than just using my magic, I focused on my antlers as a whole. Unlike when I grow plants, where I focus on three prongs, one on one side, two on the other,” I explained, reminding Flasher and Cotton Fluff what it was like. I even demonstrated, growing a small flower in front of me. Even though I couldn’t see it, I knew there was slightly heavier aura around the farthest-back prong on the right side, and all but the closest in the front, on the left. “So, what are you guys going to do?” asked Cotton, looking between the two of us and the items on the ground. “Well, we’ll start with the ball,” Flasher took the ball in his blue magic, and with ease it appeared about four inches to the right. “Remember the feeling of the light spell, but instead focus on the ball, and then where you would like it to appear.” I grabbed the ball with my magic, shrouding it in the gray aura. I closed my eyes, trying to imagine the ball appearing in the spot it had originally been. After a while, I didn’t feel anything happen. I peered open one eye, and sure enough the ball was floating in the same spot as when I took it in my magic. I opened my eyes fully, looking to Flasher, hoping he’d give a suggestion. He thought for a moment. “Hm, maybe try imagining the ball moving through something, like a door or portal or something.” I closed my eyes again, concentrating. This time I imagined a door, with the ball being pushed through, ending four inches to the left. I felt the ball move, but when I opened my I eyes, I saw it had done just that, moved. Not teleport. I sighed in defeat, dropping the ball. “Maybe, try imagining the object compressing or blinking into the spot you want it,” suggested the pegasus, who, until now, had been patiently sitting off to the side, being supportive just by watching. “Whenever I see Flasher moving things, there’s always flashes of light.” “Thanks, Cotton,” I smiled at her. “I’ll try it.” I took the ball in my magic again. I liked the idea of something flashing into existence, so that’s what I imagined the ball would do. It felt just like the first time, nothing, just like holding a ball. I let the ball go again, this time feeling exhaustion. “Why don’t we take a short break,” Flasher suggested, seeing me take deep breaths. Both Cotton and I nodded. I looked at her, somehow she looked tired as well. ~~~~~~~~~ “This isn’t working,” I deflated, dropping the ball once again. We had even moved between the objects, seeing if the different shapes would somehow change something. The sun was nearing the horizon; soon I would have to call it a night try again tomorrow. “Try one more time with the ball,” Cotton Fluff encouraged. I gave her a tired look, but she looked like she might have thought of something, so I whisked the ball into my magic once again. Out of all the ways I had tried to teleport the objects, imagining it flashing into existence felt the most different, almost like it was just missing something, before the spell being a success. All of a sudden, I felt a presence next to me. Not a second later, a scream pierced my ear. Frightened, I shoved with my magic. I opened my eyes seeing Cotton Fluff beside me, my ear ringing. She smiled wide, clearly enjoying herself. She turned to Flasher. “Did he do it?” she asked glancing at the ball. It was where it was supposed to be. I looked at Flasher. “Wow!” he whispered excitedly, staring at the ball. He turned to me. “You did it.” He went over to the ball poking it making sure it was intact. It bounced back, relieved of his touch. I picked up the ball, levitating it in front of my face. I stared at it, like maybe it wasn’t just a ball, a smile on my face. “Huh.”
