Twilight awoke as the morning sun reached her eyes. With a yawn and a brief stretch, she turned to see that Spike was not in his bed. He probably just woke earlier.

Without much further thought on the subject, Twilight moved out of bed and exited the room, making her way downstairs for breakfast.

She noticed a distinct lack of Spike, (or breakfast), but her curiosity was sated when she heard noises coming from outside. Shiera was "training" again.

Twilight let out a sigh and her tummy rumbled in protest, but she made her way outside.

Spike was sitting on a chair, eating some donuts as he watched Shiera go through her daily routine.

"Morning Spike!" Twilight called, putting on a warm smile as she greeted her favorite little dragon.

"Oh. Hey Twilight." He replied casually, "Want a donut?"

Twilight's nodded, lifting a donut from his little pile and happily taking a bite out of it.

"Shiera doing her practicing again?"

"Uh-huh," Spike replied, turning his attention back to Shiera.

It was still strange to see a pony stand, walk, and maneuver around on their hind legs like that. She could only guess that whatever Shiera was before was accustomed to walking on two legs, like the minotaurs do. Still it was an odd sight, and she didn't understand why Shiera didn't try and learn to adapt to her new body, and at least try to do things as ponies do. But Shiera seemed unconvinced.

She had suggest to Shiera the evening before that Shiera, once she fully learned Levitation, could use her magic to maneuver her swords while freeing up her hoofs, but Shiera simply scoffed at the idea. "That is a ridiculous waste of magic on the battlefield."

Twilight had told her that with a little training, such a thing would hardly affect her magic reserves at all, and besides there was no need to worry. It was highly unlikely Ponyville--or Equestria for that matter, would end up as a battlefield. There was no need for her to train like this anyways. But Shiera wouldn't listen. She kept saying things like 'Using a spell like that would be wasting valuable concentration,' and 'Peace is good, and worth protecting, but the best way to protect it is to be ready for war....' Like that made any sense.

Still, Shiera seemed to be a good mare, at least she hoped. Shiera definitely seemed more...rough than others. She heard about Shiera's duel with Trixie, and it sounded pretty bad. And when she saw Shiera's unconscious body, it looked pretty bad. Shiera almost got herself killed. Even with Twilight's magic and the doctor's help, they aren't sure how she survived. Yet, Shiera seems to think nothing of it...

Twilight was jolted from her thoughts when she noticed Shiera approaching her. "Finished already?" Twilight asked.

Shiera frowned, "For now, at least. However, I actually had a few questions that I hope you can help me with."

Twilight blinked in surprise, "Oh, um, sure! Ask away!" She briefly wondered what Shiera seemed so concerned about. As much as she didn't like to admit it, Shiera was still a tough pony to read.

"I was wondering if there is such thing as a spell or magic that allows one to read languages they can't normally read?"

Twilight frowned, "Maaayybe? I don't know, this isn't something I've looked into, since I am fluent in both Ponish and Old Ponish. Why do you ask? Did you find something you can't read?"

Shiera sighed with a frown, "Twilight...I can't read anything you or anyone else writes in this world. At least....I couldn't until yesterday...."

"Wait, you couldn't read? But you speak Ponish so fluidly!" Twilight pointed out.

Shiera frowned again, "No. I don't speak this 'Ponish' you keep talking about. I speak Mandarin. We are speaking in Mandarin. Right now, you and I and everyone else I have met in this world so far speaks and is speaking in Mandarin."

"No I'm pretty sure everypony speaks in Ponish," Spike butted in, "Maybe they are the same thing, and your world just calls it differently?"

"Perhaps...." Shiera said, pondering, "But then why is everything you write gibberish?"

"What? Gibberish? It's not gibberish! My hoof writing is perfectly legible, thank you very much!" Twilight scoffed, offended by such an accusation.

Shiera rolled her eyes, "No, not your hand writing, Everybody's writing in this world is gibberish, except now for some reason, I can understand it, even though it still looks like gibberish to me..."

How strange....
Twilight was about to reply before Spike suddenly tapped her on the shoulder, "Wait, did you see that?"

"See what?" Shiera and Twilight asked in unison.

"Her mouth, something was...nevermind."

Both Shiera and Twilight frowned, though Shiera seemed a bit disturbed, "What? What is it? Is there something wrong with my mouth? What is it? Tell me!"

Spike frowned, "No, no, your mouth is perfectly fine, I just thought I noticed something, but I'm sure it was just my imagination."

Twilight gave him a concerned look, "What was it Spike? What did you see?"

Spike frowned, "For a moment there, I thought I saw her mouth and the words she was saying not syncing up right, but I think it was just my imagination."

Shiera frowned, "Are you sure? How about now, are my words like that now?"

Twilight noticed it too, this time. "He's right! Your words and lips are not in sync! It's like you are saying one thing but we are hearing another! How fascinating!"

Twilight was about to get ready to study this bizarre and fascinating phenomenon, but was stopped when Shiera frowned and replied, "I do not know of what you mean. I feel as if I am speaking normally, and you seem to understand me just fine."

However, before Twilight could interject something, Shiera put a hoof upon her snout, silencing her.

"As strange as this is, we have other things to move along into. Such as our sparring match."

Twilight's eyes widened, she had almost forgotten. "But wait-- You're still injured from that incident with Trixie!" She protested. Also, she had heard from her friends about what had happened. Only Rainbow Dash seemed elated by what had happened, the rest felt she was a bit too brutal...

"I feel fine. Besides, this will only be a sparring match, not a real fight, so I think I'll be okay. Besides, I vowed to teach you as part of our deal, did I not?"

"But...but...." Twilight sighed, she could tell from Shiera's expression that she wasn't going to talk her out of this. "Fine, when do we start?"

Shiera smirked, "In two minutes. We will spar over there as to avoid damaging anything important." She pointed to the center of the makeshift sparring arena they had made.

Twilight chuckled nervously, "Um...Okay...if you insist..."

Shiera gave her a sly grin that did not help ease her worries. After the allotted time had passed, each took their positions at the opposing ends of the sparring area. Shiera was notably carrying two sticks instead of swords, but Twilight really didn't want to get hit by either of them.

"Um, I don't--"

"All you have to do is fend off my attacks. The first of us to yield or be knocked off of our fee--hooves, ehm, loses."

"Um, okay, I guess that's fair...." Twilight swallowed. "Y-You're not actually going to hurt me right?"

Another smile from Shiera.

"Begin!"

Shiera suddenly dashed forward, preparing to strike. While it was still odd seeing a pony run at her one their back legs, Twilight didn't let that distract her.

Twilight sidestepped and fired a concussive beam of magic at Shiera, in an attempt to knock her aside. However, Shiera seemed to expect this, and positioned herself perfectly so that Twilight's attack missed by mere centimeters, and moved so fluidly into her next attack that Twilight was only barely able to throw up a shield in time. Unfortunately, any momentary thought of safety Twilight had felt disappeared when she saw Shiera grin.

Suddenly a small first explosion went off right below Twilight's horn, knocking both her and all concentration she had away. It was small, not enough to actually damage her, but it clearly enough to stun her for a few seconds. And unfortunately, that was all Shiera needed, as she was suddenly standing above Twilight with a stick lightly pressed to Twilight's throat.

"Dead. Let's try again."

"W-Wait! That wasn't fair, you--" Twilight tries to protest.

"Your first evasive move was good, but you went defensive far too quickly and predictably. Choose one or the other and stick with it. Only switch if one or the other isn't working, or if you don't think the one your currently using will work. Evasion should be fluid, and your defense should be solid. Now, again."

Twilight grumbled. Her horn still a little sore, but otherwise she'd be fine. This time, Twilight initiates the attack, summoning a barrage of concussive blasts in an attempt to catch Shiera off guard.

However, instead of moving evasively like before, Shiera instead swatted each of the blasts away, causing the sticks to snap away bit by bit. With Shiera's sticks now at half of their original size, Twilight changed tactics and launched a small fireball before suddenly jumping to the side and firing a bolt of lightning at her, both spells minimized as to not actually cause any real harm to Shiera.

However, Shiera did something unexpected, as she changed Twilight's fireball into water and then proceeded to use it to redirect the lightning current into the ground. Twilight, again, was caught off guard by just how fluidly Shiera maneuvered, both her body and magic moving in tandem. She switches from defensive to offensive so quickly that Twilight barely had time to jump out of the way. Shiera's fluid assault forced Twilight into a position of where she could only dodge, with no time given to cast any magic. Twilight saw Shiera swing in with her sticks, and she instinctively raised a shield, only to instantly be punished by another small, firey explosion that knocked her onto her backside. Once again, Shiera was upon her and declared her dead.

Twilight groaned, the thought of learning this new branch of magic suddenly wasn't so appealing anymore. Shiera's speed reminded her of Rainbow Dash, not quite as fast, but far more fluid and precise.

"You have good instincts, but you fight too much like a mage. Magic alone cannot solve all your problems."

"Aren't you being a bit too harsh on her? Twilight's not a fighter like you are, ya know...." Spike interjected.

Shiera nodded, "Perhaps, but this is how I was taught, and this is how I taught my soldiers. It is true that Twilight is no soldier, but I know not of any other way to teach it. We can stop if--"

"No. No I'm fine." Twilight suddenly interjected, rising to her hooves. "This may be...different...than what I'm used to, but as the Element of Magic, it is my duty to learn all I can about magic." She winced, "Even if it means I get bumps and bruises along the way..."

Spike looked like he wanted to protest, but eventually he caved and went back to eating some donuts. Shiera tossed her current sticks away. "Perhaps there is a different, more effective way for me to teach you..."

"Really?" Twilight asked, her ears perking up.

"Well....yes, but its not ideal for learning actual combat techniques needed to master this type of magic. But considering you are not a soldier, this may be the best for you."

"Well, what is it?" Twilight asked, eager to try a new method that didn't result in small explosions going off in her face.

"We will have a Magic Duel. No weapons but our magic."

Twilight swallowed with a nervous chuckle. Flashes of recounts her friends had told her about what happened in Shiera's last Magic Duel came to mind. Oh Celestia, what did she just get herself into?

Author's Note

Sorry that this came out three days later than planned, but life happens, I guess, lol!

Anyways I hope you enjoy this next chapter! See ya in the next one!