After several hours of magical exercise and Twilight explaining magical script. Twilight and Csia left the lab, the night air hit them, caressing their weary bodies and cooling the sweat that clung to them. The two of them moaned in appreciation of the reprieve from the muggy heat of the lab.

“Twi ... how long did it take for you to learn magic?” Csia groaned hunched over,

“Well from the age of five it took sixteen years to complete my apprenticeship before I became a journeyman, granted that included noble protocol and other subjects like science, engineering and mind training. When I became a journeyman I was sent out, leaving my mentor, to study elsewhere. It will take a while and I will have to train you for years even at an accelerated clip,” Twilight responded with a reassuring smile, “but you will learn as my personal apprentice, the others wont get as much attention as you will, so please be ready,” Twilight let out a sigh, “some people don’t like it when you get special attention from a teacher.”

Csia paled once she had processed the information she heard.

“Er… Twilight, we only have a maximum of five years here at the academy,” Csia stated uncomfortably.

“Oh dear Csia, you think I am not going to do everything in my power and pull strings for us to serve on the same vessel. In fact, I plan on designing my own. One that will take advantage of magic,” Twilight explained, her grin widening as she rubbed her hands together, “Once complete I shall take one for myself so that we have a home base!”

A pain in the back of Twilight’s head flashed as darkness claimed her, the last thing she saw the was the limp form of Csia in the arms of the unknown assailant.

Twilight awoke with a start, below her the sand ground gave way as she stood up. Around her were curved sandstone walls that by Twilight’s reckoning where twenty feet in height, surrounding what appeared to be a gladiatorial arena with herself in the centre. Set into the walls were cages where beasts roamed waiting to escape. In the stands where many Caitians cheering or jeering at her.

“Silence!” a deep baritone voice ordered. The crowd hushed and the voice spoke again, “I apologise for the rough treatment, unfortunately my underlings seem to think inform and return with you meant cracking you over the head and cubnapping you for that they have been disciplined. I am Feros, Csia’s father,” the voice explained as it introduced himself.

Twilight turned to the direction of the voice spotting a large space with a mountain of a Caitian man, with white fur like his daughter. A well trimmed beard framed his stern face. Off to his side was Csia pouting, her tail thrashing about in frustration. They sat in a covered box area filled with ostentatious decor.

“The reason you were brought here is because you dominated my daughter, and taking the right to her, without my permission or blessing. This slight requires a duel between the aggrieved parties. Unfortunately you are not deemed an adult in caitian society nor were you originally aware of your crime. In order for the duel to go ahead you must complete the rite of passage of the catian’s. This involves ritual combat with predatory creatures native to cait. With only your bare hands claws and teeth, only then can you duel for my daughter's hand,” Feros explained,

“Father, must she do this? She doesn't have any claws! She isn’t even Caitian so there isn’t even a chance she could survive this is nothing less than a death battle royal!” Csia asked hoping to get Twilight out of the fight.

“Daughter, you did this yourself before leaving, your faith in your chosen mate is lacking, or is your mate that truly weak that she cannot fight?” Feros asked Csia who winced in response, her ears folding back,

“Do not worry Csia, this is nothing to worry about. Feros, let's get this started” Twilight responded with a confident smirk.

Feros’ ear flicked when he heard Csia mutter, “It’s not you I am worried for Twilight.”

“release the beasts!” Feros called ignoring his daughter's comment.
Ten big cat like predators with bone like spikes protruding their backs slunk out of their dark cages, as well as two bipedal behemoths, covered in grey scales with long dragging arms mouths full of razor sharp teeth, their tiny eyes watched Twilight as they entered, they stood easily twice Twilight’s current height.

The circling cats slunk around watching Twilight for an opening as the two hulking behemoths charged at her. She dodged a swipe from the one on the right as she grabbed the right fist of the left one when it tried to punch her, and she braced herself, widening her stance. She was pushed back creating a divot in the sandy ground before stopping her momentum.

Twilight grunted slightly as she gripped its hand, who tried to pull away but found itself unable to and then Twilight began to tear the creatures arm off it. The creature howled in pain, a sickening pop and gush of blood as ragged torn muscles swung on either part of the wound.

Now with its arm in her hands she turned it around and swung it hard, back handing it's head clean off its shoulders with its own severed arm. Now that its headless neck added a new blood fountain in conjunction to its armless shoulder all over the arena floor, its body fell to the floor, limp like a puppet that had its strings cut. The hungry carnivores leapt at it and began feasting on the carcass.

Twilight tossed the severed arm on top of the pile, startling the animals. The other behemoth stepped away from the ‘child’ that had made short work of its partner.

“Oh, so there is some intelligence in there I was beginning to wonder if you were mindless beasts, unfortunately for you I don't have time to waste. Don't worry, it’ll be quick and painless,” Twilight reassured holding up the creatures heart, “see, you are already dead,” Twilight smiled kindly as the creature collapsed. The audience watched in silent awe, Feros with his eyes widened.

Twilight then proceeded to swallow the heart of the giant whole,

“hmmm needs more soy sauce.” Twilight nodded to herself,

What kind of creature is my sweet innocent Csia involved with! How did she manage to eat a heart bigger than her head! Feros panicked internally and he then heard Csia say,

“Dammit Twi, what happened to keeping a low profile,”

“I apologise for what I said earlier, Csia, I see that your mate is strong. Dare I even ask what she is?” Feros asked eyeing the arena, where Twilight was now training the beasts that were left.

Csia giggled nervously, “I believe Twilight should be the one to tell you if she wants Dad. Kinda blows your choice out of the water eh?”

Feros gave his daughter a long look, before briefly looking over to Twilight and back. “I can’t say I disagree, will D’rao be ok? I have only seen her fight once so I might be wrong, but she seems cruel?” Feros said playing back the fight in his mind.

“It depends really, during her species and courage test she helped me without hesitation and crushed the actors under increased gravity. But she has been kind to me.” Csia replied, a blush tinting her cheeks.

“She can manipulate gravity!?” Feros shouted in surprise, when a flash of light beside him suddenly drew his attention,

“Gahh!” Feros cried in shock, punching Twilight in the face in response. His fur sticking up and out along his tail, hissing like a scared house cat.

“I can also teleport,” Twilight added with a smirk on her lips, unfazed by the punch to the face.

Feros glared at Twilight panting rapidly, “Don’t do that!” he demanded holding his chest.

Twilight’s smirk grew in size as she slunk over to Csia and began looking over her to make sure she was okay, Csia rolled her eyes at her mate.

“Twilight, I am fine! Why would my father hurt me? Why would any parent?” Csia complained Twilight’s expression darkened.

“Trust me on this Csia, I have seen parents do horrible things to their kids, both directly, indirectly or due to some misguided belief they are only protecting them. My brother, My mother and Father and my Mentor who was also like a mother to me, all abandoned me. And I saw what humans can do when I lived there.” Twilight responded, her tone of voice dark and with a hint of anger to it.

Twilight blinked and started to perform a breathing exercise,

“Sorry, I forgot about that,” Csia wilted in response.

“Despite my reservations, it seems like you have a good mate Csia, er Twilight was it?” Feros asked and Twilight nodded, “I can see that you care for my daughter, however I cannot go back on my word and I cannot let you two get together, yet. You must still beat D’rao, can you go easy on him, he may not be the greatest Caitian but he doesn’t deserve to die.”

“I won’t kill him, but if he tries something that even hurts a single hair on her head I will end him with extreme prejudice.” Twilight replied, Feros sighed heavily, “If that were to happen I would kill him also.”

Twilight gently kissed Csia on the lips, causing her to purr at the attention and leant into to reciprocate. Csia then noticed her father’s smug smile causing her to blush deeply.

A male Caitian burst through a set of doors to the back of the box, “Feros, did she die or am I actually going to have a challenge… so this is the runt that stole my Csia?” D’rao added glaring at Twilight, who responded by flipping D’rao off then jumping into the arena.

“Let’s get this over and done with shall we? The quicker we start, the quicker you can lose,” Twilight taunted from the other side of the arena. D’rao growled joining her in the arena, and immediately charged at Twilight his claws ready to flay her. Twilight sidestepped his attack, grabbed his right wrist and flipped him on to his back behind her. Growling again he got up, and launched into a flurry of kicks, punches and slashing with his claws, which Twilight barely dodged or parried, sweat dripping down her face as she panted.

D’rao slipped through Twilight’s defences and kicked her in the stomach, Twilight’s eyes were wide in shock as she fell to a knee.

“What’s wrong with Twilight?” Feros asked Csia in confusion,

“I don’t know father,” Csia responded with a frown.

D’rao began to hit Twilight repeatedly while she was down, knocking her prone.

The crowd was murmuring, unsure of what to make of D’rao’s performance.

Twilight stood up unsteadily and then rushed at D’rao, pushing him onto the defence. Behind his back he drew a sword as he was dodging and weaving, the sword took Twilight off guard and it went through her chest.

Csia, the crowd and Feros gasped, Csia with her hand over her mouth.

There were cries of discontent from the crowd, when all of a sudden, laughter split the air. It was small at at first before it erupted into full blown psychotic, a wide unsettling grin appeared on Twilight’s face as she removes the sword from her chest, waving her hand over the hole which glowed white, and the wounds disappeared.

Twilight then spread her arms wide, a portal opening above her chest, a handle emerged from the portal and Twilight grabbed the curved handle of a sword. She pulled it out, a basket guard followed with a spike on top, on its front face a window with a silver filigree engraving, while above the basket was a crescent part holding a blood red jewel, and on the long silver narrow double edged blade that was reminiscent of a katana there was a glass tank and holes along the flat of the blade.

“Mother! I was having the nicest dream in my nice bed in your inventory! And I am still having it apparently,” Selene spoke, the red gem flickering red light as she did.

“Selene, mother has a job for you,” Twilight replied there was what sounded like sniffing

“I smell blood!” Selene squealed as she let off an orgasmic shudder.

“What is that sword!?” D’rao growled out, stepping back at the bloodlust it emanated,

Twilight regarded Selene with fondness, “This child is one of the swords I forged during my time in Yggdrasil and refined in the new world, she is an empathic weapon. She is one of my strongest swords I created.” Twilight grinned wide, “she is no doubt hungry since the last time she was used.”

D’rao refused to let whatever was happening to continue, he continued to press his advantage but his blows were parried, with practiced ease, ever so often Selene would change direction impossibly and dig into D’rao’s flesh, blood seeped into the window area of Selene’s blade.

How! Is that sword doing that!? D’rao thought to himself.

Enraged, D’rao roared and with all his strength knocked Selene out of Twilight’s hand. Twilight’s right eyebrow twitched and sucked in some air and then roared herself, the ground shook as everyone nearby covered their ears, stopping only after a full minute. Her body grew in size and her skin became lavender scaled, her nose and mouth curved, elongated, and her teeth sharpened as a pair of horns and wings burst from their respective spots, her tail lengthened and spikes erupted from her back and tail. On all fours she reached almost thirteen feet in height,

“Care to continue on this foolish path you have chosen?” Twilight’s deeper gravelly, but still feminine voice asked, D’rao who was shivering in fear “I surrender!”

“Twilight’s a dragon!? I thought those were extinct!? Wasn’t Kukulkan the last of his kind?” Feros yelled before turning to his daughter,

“Yeah, she is, although she isn’t native to this dimension,” Csia replied smugly, “so daddy how do you feel about Twilight and me now?”

Feros frowned wiping his hand over his face, “I can’t really say she isn’t good enough for you dear, and same sex couples aren’t all that rare here, but I am still upset that I might not get grandcubs.”

Twilight reappeared in her Betazoid form next to him, “ is that all you’re concerned about, pfffthahahaha. Feros, in my considerable time alive I have both sired and carried many children, even laid a couple of eggs just to see what it’s like. So yes you will have grandcubs one way or another.” Twilight smirked and slunk around Csia’s body.

“Do I dare ask if D’rao is alive?” Feros asked with a raised eyebrow,

“He is. Though he has probably soiled himself and is unconscious, and don’t worry about the audience, they didn’t see my true form, that was just for you, Csia and that foolish child.” Twilight assured before pecking Csia on the neck, cheek and shoulder.

“Well at least this will humble him a bit,” Feros sighed rubbing his face, “I could use a drink,” he complained.

A black portal opened, after her hand entered it she withdrew a white jug, and three glasses for them all, Twilight poured the contents into the glasses and handed them around.

Feros took a drink from his cup, “Wow, that’s the purest water I have ever drunk, usually sand gets in it or there is other contaminants.” Feros commented in awe looking at the glass. He looked up to see Twilight walking over the edge of the box. Confused he watched as she poured the water out.

“What are you doing!? Why would you waste that water!?” Feros demanded angrily, Twilight looked back disinterestedly, giving a perfect view of the jug, it was pouring more water than it should have.

“Don’t worry, this jug can create an infinite amount of the purest water. So there is no need to panic, as for your water problem I can help, one question though? Do you want natural or unnatural rivers?”

Feros frowned in thought, “ I would prefer natural, but natural is the reason we have sand in our water.”

“Take me to the highest point in the city with no broken line of sight,” Twilight responded.

“Follow me, there is a tower in the center of the city.” Feros stated leading the way through the box’s doors. Twilight and Csia followed behind.

The trip was uneventful, the adobe buildings and the sandstone felt out of place in an advanced race, but Twilight noted technology integrated almost seamlessly.

Once they reached the top of the tower Twilight stretched, “Csia, this is one of my favorite spells, look out for Q though, this spell is likely to get his attention. Regardless of my intentions.”

A huge flame like aura engulfed Twilight, as rotating magic circles sprung out of it and into the sky, Csia and Feros backed up in awe of the display.

“Super-tier magic! Creation!” Twilight shouted, the land began to rumble and shake as cries of confusion echoed through the streets of the city, a huge moat encircled the city with wide and long bridges at all the city entrances, a four thousand feet wide and one thousand feet high curved plateaux seven hundred km west of the city lifted up to sky, as a four hundred km squared lake basin carved it’s way through sand below it with a maximum depth of one thousand feet as rivers snaked away from the lake, spreading branching rivers of various lengths and widths all over the desert and to the moat around the city. Grasses and tropical trees of various varieties, palm trees, eucalyptus, aloe vera, gum trees, monkey puzzle baobab trees appeared sparsely around the city leaving enough space for farming and livestock. Billions of gallons of purest untaintable water rushed down the four thousand ft wide river that fed the waterfall plateaux and directly into the lake that was now filling up and caused a rainbow to appear over the waterfalls.

Grass filled the city minus the roads of sand and houses as clouds darkened overhead for thousands of miles in every direction, pure rainwater fell from the sky in a downpour, that Cait had never seen.

“Whew that one took more out of me than I want to admit or should have,” Twilight chuckled, as she collapsed on the tower’s fence.

Feros and Csia gaped at the insane display of power, Feros was about to say something but was interrupted by claps from behind them, behind them stood a man in what appeared to be his mid forties, appeared holding a score card, “I give you a three out ten on the Q scale, congratulations Ms.Troi, or should I say Ms.Sparkle, not many mortals, even long lived ones could boast of such reality warping ability.”

“Hello Q,” Twilight greeted politely, groaning

“Well at least you have better manners than the stick in the mud, Picard.” Q responded cheerfully, then his face darkened getting serious, “I have come to warn you, keep your reality warping on or below the planetary scale please and only if necessary, you are relatively new to this business, so consider this a probation. We elder reality warpers will be watching you. We’ll let it pass this time mostly due to the fact you saved me doing it myself and removed it from my very long to do list, Ciao for now!”

“Wait what did she do?” Feros asked, confused why the primordial would come to visit.

“Oh nothing special, just accidently also terraformed the nearby uninhabited planet next to Cait into a gaia world, incidentally, she should be collapsing in three….two….one.” Q replied as he flashed from existence, Twilight collapsed and groaned, “Oh yeah this one is going to take a good long while to regenerate. Though it shouldn’t normally require rest as super-tier magic doesn’t cost mp usually….” before darkness claimed her.

Author's Note