The Aetherium Mage

Ash watched as the hidden door swung closed again, a soft boom sounding out as the no doubt heavy slab of rock stopped. The servants had swarmed in again just moments after they had finished their meals, taking away the dirty plates and replacing them with sweets and deserts of all kinds. Apparently, Celestia always had a slice of cake as her lunch, then even more as a dessert, with the same going for Luna and her moon pies.

To be fair, if it wasn’t incredibly unhealthy, he would probably do the same.

Ash turned his attention back to the table and gazed at everything that had been placed on it. Three full-sized cakes had been left behind, one made of at least four types of chocolate, another vanilla and strawberry, and the final being a cookie cake. Platters of brownies, cookies, and donuts were scattered around their end of the table, some of which were already beginning to run low. Finally, there seemed to be an entire cart dedicated to different types of fudge. With that many sweets of that many varieties in front of him, the scents were beginning to blend together to the point that the air itself tasted sweeter.

In truth, it kind of made sense. Celestia and Luna had only gotten a small salad and a small bowl of soup, respectively, which wouldn’t have been enough to fill the stomach of a human, much less two oversized Alicorns who had to keep themselves energized for ruling a country that spanned thrice the size of the United States, maintaining their powerful magic, and moving the sun and moon themselves. He knew they would most likely eat a lot for every meal they had, and even more if they missed one.

He just didn’t expect it to be a diet of almost exclusively sugar. Ash wasn’t quite sure how they even managed to survive with so much sugar in their systems. By the time he had managed to snag two slices of cookie cake and a small square of fudge for himself, the cake that he swore was a Death by Chocolate cake was already gone, a portion of it ending up on Luna’s and Celestia’s muzzles. Neither Alicorn was a Princess at the moment, just two starving mares that had been let loose on an unsuspecting buffet of concentrated diabetes.

The man just watched, not quite sure if he should remind them that he was there, ignore the sight of two goddesses devouring deserts like rabid wolves tearing into a deer, or accept the sight that very few beings alive had seen. After a moment, he just resigned himself to eating his cookie cake, which he had to admit was absolutely delicious, and waiting for the two to burn themselves out, if it was indeed possible.

After what must have been ten minutes, and a joined effort by the two to commit complete genocide of the cookie race, Celestia finally glanced his way before freezing, chocolate staining her white muzzle with the final cookie suspended in her magical grip. Hearing the sounds of death-by-teeth ceasing, Luna glanced at her sister, then at him before freezing as well with what seemed like a whole brownie pushing out one of her cheeks. Before Ash had a chance to speak, both of the mare’s cheeks began to slowly turn red, embarrassment filling their features.

Ash just smiled lightly and took another bite of his slice of cookie cake. “Don’t mind me, I’m just watching the provided entertainment. I didn’t think you ponies had such ferocity in you.”

Celestia coughed into her hoof and summoned two large cloths, passing one to Luna, before they began to immediately clean their faces. Ash did notice, however, that the solar Alicorn refused to let the final cookie go. The genocide would be completed in due time, if she had her way. The moon pie had all but disappeared from Luna, several swallowing sounds emitting from her throat as she seemed to be too shocked to remember that she had teeth that would make swallowing it easier.

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” Celestia apologized. “I understand if it you feel a little revolted at seeing us eat like that. My sister and I need a lot of energy to replace the magic we use whenever we move our charges.”

“I’m not so much disgusted as fascinated. That amount of sugar could probably kill me, yet it sounds like you do this every day. Or perhaps three times a day.” Looking around at the table near the two, it was definitely messier than it had been before, but it wasn’t too bad. There were plenty of new crumbs all over the area, though neither of them had made such a mess as to smear cake into the wood or drop any on the floor. “Besides, you didn’t make that much of a mess. Plenty of crumbs, but I don’t see cake smeared into the walls or on your coats.”

Luna coughed, finally clearing her throat. From the looks of it, the moon pie hadn’t gotten stuck in her throat so much as refused to be swallowed entirely, which she had fixed with determination alone. “Nay, we only do this at lunch. By this time, we have expended a portion of our magic in the morning exchange of the sun and moon, and need to regain our energy to do so again at night. The process by which our bodies gather magic from the world around us requires energy, which the sugar easily provides. If we ate this thrice a day, I don’t think we would be able to survive.”

“At the very least, we would be incredibly unhealthy, overweight, and with more medical complications than I have feathers.” Celestia added. “Though I’m glad you aren’t disgusted by our habits. Do you mind if we continue? I should have asked that, or at least warned you, beforehoof.”

Ash shrugged. “Feel free. Far be it for me to expect you to hurt yourself by not having enough energy just because I’m here.”

They both nodded their thanks before resuming their devourment of the candy kingdom. The first one to go was the cookie, which Celestia had not failed to forget about. Glancing to the center of the table, Ash saw that the cookie cake itself had managed to avoid the sisters’ attention. Reaching over, he quickly snatched another slice and pulled back. Unfortunately for the inanimate cake, his action had attracted the gaze of two predators. In an aura of gold and blue, the cake was separated in two chunks and devoured, though Ash agreed with their fervor on that one. He always had had a weakness for cookie cake.

Thirty-Five Minutes Later

Celestia set her cloth down, the originally white material now stained with varying shades of brown or black from the sheer amount of chocolate and fudge that had ended up on her muzzle. Next to her, Luna was doing the same, also having to clean off the cream filling inside the moon pies. Ash had to divert his gaze from the sight of the Alicorn with white cream on her muzzle lest his thoughts go to a place they shouldn’t, so he directed his attention back to Celestia.

The alabaster Alicorn flashed him a thankful smile. “Thank you for sitting through that. We needed it.”

“Verily.” Luna added from her side. “We can continue our earlier session, if you so wish.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Ash replied. “I thought of a few questions I wanted to know, but why don’t you two start?”

“You are from another world, as you told us. If we were able to find a way, would you like to go home?” Celestia asked, the mood in the room becoming serious and somber. “I can't promise we will find a way, and I can not promise we will even be able to cast the spell even if one exists, but we will search and try if you want us to.”

The idea of going back to home was a good one, Ash had to admit. But he already saw a number of problems with it. First and foremost was that he was dead, likely already moved to the morgue. If God had actually taken his body, brought him back to life, and sent him here, he would have to explain how he, a man in critical condition, had just upped and vanished from a hospital- assuming he didn’t die again as soon as he returned. If God had left his body, made a new one, and sent him here, he would have to explain why there are suddenly two people named ‘Ash,’ one dead from a disease and one healthy.

Of course, all of that only mattered if God wasn’t going to directly prevent him from returning home, or even let him return before sending him to another, possibly far worse, version of Equestria. The deity, whether he was God or not, had sent him there purposely and for a reason. Ash doubted he would take to kindly to him leaving Equestria and returning home. All in all, Ash considered his choice clear. While he would very much like to see his family and friends again, there were just too many risks and obstacles. He had lived with them, loved them, and when he learned he was going to die, he knew he wasn’t going to see them again. He was prepared to lose them already and they him.

“No, I don’t think I would, partly because I died there and partly because of a whole slew of other reasons.” Ash replied after several moments of silence. Celestia nodded like she expected the answer, which she likely did, but Luna didn’t let it lie as it was.

“What about your friends and family? Would they not want to see you return alive and healthy?”

“Yes, they would, and I would like that too. However, understand that I died there. I don’t know if this is ‘my’ body or another one that is identical to mine. If this is mine, I might just die again as soon as I return. If not, then there’s the question of why there are two copies of me, one living and one dead. Finally, my family and friends knew I was going to die. I knew it too. We accepted it, grieved, and moved on already.” Ash explained to Luna, who listened with her large eyes shining with sadness. “Sure, they’ll miss me and I’ll miss them, but we said our goodbyes already.”

“But-” Luna started only to be cut off.

“Sister, let him be. His reasons are several and thought out. This obviously isn’t a spur of the moment decision. If he wishes to stay, let him stay.” Celestia told Luna softly.

After a moment, Luna conceded with a short nod. Celestia looked back at Ash. “Why don’t you ask the next question?”

“How does the Diarchy work?” Ash asked, his question already planned. “Do you take turns ruling, rule together, or what?”

“A mixture of taking turns and together.” Celestia answered. “I rule for three days, then my sister rules for four. The next week I’ll rule for four and she’ll rule for three. That way, we each have time off.”

“We aren’t entirely free, though.” Luna continued for her. “When my sister is ruling, I’ll take some of the paperwork to help, and she does the same for me. Certain situations often call for both of us to be there, such as meetings or important hearings, and certain bills that need to be passed with both of our signatures or vocal approval.”

Ash nodded, accepting the answer. He figured that Celestia didn’t rule during the day and Luna during the night considering she was awake when he arrived, which was in the morning, and didn’t seem the slightest bit tired. For a short moment, Ash pondered what that would change. The most obvious is that ponies wouldn’t be quite as fearful of Luna as in the show, since she was awake during the day like everypony else. That would allow her to meet her subjects more often. She also wouldn’t seem like a fairytale boogeyman that came for children in the night since she slept at night.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts when he heard Celestia speak. “What kind of magic does your kind have?”

Ash hummed in thought. He had already decided to tell them of his magic, but would leave out how he got it. He just had to make sure he didn’t let it slip that he knew about their magic.“Honestly, most of my kind doesn’t have magic. It’s a rare trait, but I’m one of the lucky ones. Considering you’ve been using Telekinesis with ease to do something as simple as eat, I’m going to assume your magic works entirely differently than mine. Telekinesis is a moderately difficulty spell that’s Magicka intensive, so most only use it for something important.”

“Almost every species on Terra gather their magic from the air and land around us. Our bodies store it in metaphysical ‘containers’ for use at a later date. While every species and subspecies uses magic in a different way and for different purposes, the gathering process is identical. Alicorns gather our magic in the same way, we just do it several hundred times faster and because of that, we need far more energy. How does it vary from humans?”

“I do have a ‘container’ that allows me to store Magicka from later use, though where it comes from and how I regain it varies from your kind. My Magicka doesn’t come from the air, nor the ground, nor from water.” Ash said.

“Then where does it come from?” Luna asked.

“Your bodies?” Celestia continued.

“Aetherius, the Immortal Plane of the Aedra.” Ash answered. “It is a godly plane from which all Magicka originates, and from which Aetherium mages draw our strength.”

It was true, in a way. Ash could feel some time of ‘connection’ to the realm where his magic comes from. He couldn’t sense it while casting Flames and while he did notice it while resting afterwards, he couldn't identify it. The mage was sure it was Aetherius that he felt, which would make sense considering he had Magicka, which came from Aetherius. Taking into account the Multiverse theory and the feedback theory, it was entirely possible that Mundus was real, even if it wasn't part of Earth.

Honestly, it confused him. God had told him he would arrive in a random version of Equestria, yet he it seemed like this Equestria was tailored to him specifically, unless Aetherius spanned over all versions of Equestria and all other worlds. Perhaps the Aedra and Daedra were just a few of the other deities God had mentioned? In any case, he didn’t have the time, opportunity, or ability to further explore the possibility that this world had elements of Mundus in it.

Celestia and Luna were looking at him in slight confusion, obviously having never heard of Aetherius, but it was Luna who voiced her doubts. “Are you sure such a realm exists?”

“I am sure.” Ash said with confidence. “I can sense my connection to the realm from which I draw power.”

“Forgive us for our doubts, but we have never heard of this ‘Aetherius.’” Celestia said.

“Nothing to forgive.” Ash said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “This is another world. I do not expect anyone here to know the ins and outs of Mundus. Continuing on, Aetherium mages draw our strength from Aetherius in a variety of ways. Those with particularly weak connections to Aetherius must sleep to regain their Magicka, as the realm of dreams in closer to the realm of Aetherius than the realm of Mundus is.”

“Dreams are close to Aetherius?” Luna questioned, her own dreamwalking abilities making her more interested in that fact.

“‘Mundus?’” Celestia asked, curious as to what Mundus was.

“I can't promise that the dreamrealm is close to the realm of Aetherius, but many do believe as such. I can promise that sleeping is guaranteed to refill a mage’s Magicka reserves. As for your question, Celestia, Mundus is the term given to the the worlds created by the Aedra. The way Mundus was created may not even apply to this world, as I do not know if this world is a portion of Mundus.”

“Why don’t you explain it anyway?” Celestia asked, with a look of interest on the faces of her and her sister. “It would be nice to hear the origin story of another world.”

Shit! Ash thought. He didn't expect them to be interested in the creation of Mundus, and it rose a problem. Earth was not created by Aedra, even if Mundus was, which meant Mundus wasn't his world, but his phrasing- that he just now noticed- made it sound like he was from Mundus! Truth be told, Ash wasn’t sure if he was entirely correct on the way he thought Mundus was created.

Fuck it, I’ll play along. I’ll just go with the fact that I’m from Mundus. Ash decided. It was a long-term risk because they would not be happy with him lying to them, but he had accidently dug himself into a whole too deep to climb out. His only hope was to keep digging and come out on the other side.

“First, you must understand that my world started as a Void, a primordial nothingness. We refer to this, and the creation of Mundus, as the Dawn Era. Time was nonexistent in this Era, and when it was created, it was nonlinear. However, most scholars agree on the events that led up to the creation of Mundus. A lot of what you are going to hear won’t make sense, or it will be hard to believe, but this is what is commonly believed by my world, Nirn.”

“From the Chaos of the beginning, the twin forces of order and chaos were created. They were called Anu and Padomay. Anu was the embodiment of order and stasis and Padomay was the embodiment of chaos and change. Some Not-Time passed before Anu birthed his own soul, created Anui-El, who is believed to be the soul of all living things. Padomay, seeing this, chose to both his own soul as well, Sithis, who represents emptiness and the void. Keep in mind that, while I refer to most of these deities as ‘he,’ some of them have no gender, nor physical form.”

“Now, the constant cycle between these two forces created the Aurbis, the universe, which consisted of Aetherius and the Void at the time. The outermost ‘shell’ of the Universe is the Void, the absolute nothingness of the beginning. Inside that shell is another, which is Aetherius, the source of all Magicka in existence. Further inside of that are the Planes of Oblivion, which we’ll get to later.”

“After the creation of the the universe, other beings began to form in the Void. The first among these were Auri-El, birthed by the soul of Anui-El, and Lorkhan, birthed by the soul of Sithis. With the creation of Auri-El, time began. With the beginning of time, the turbulent Aurbis stabilized and many other deities, which we refer to as the et’Ada, or the Original Spirits, were able to form their own identities.”

“The continuing struggle between Anu and Padomay created many planes for the et’Ada to inhabit, but not all were content. Lorkhan, birthed from Sithis, who was birthed from Padomay, approached the other et’Ada, with a plan to create a plane for them alone to live in. He proposed the idea of Mundus, the mortal plane, and its population of the et’Ada’s creation. Lorkhan, after a long period of Partial-Time, convinced a number of et’Ada, who we refer to as the Aedra, including Auri-El, to form Mundus in the center of the Aurbis, past Oblivion. All other et’Ada are referred to as Daedra. Though they did not call themselves such, those are the terms we gave them.”

“These Aedra began to form Mundus but soon realized they had been tricked. Although Anu and Padomay were infinite and therefore able to create entire planes on accident, the et’Ada were not. They realized they were giving up entire parts of themselves for the creation of Mundus, a fact that Lorkhan was entirely aware of.”

“While Mundus was being created, the Daedra began to create their own realms in mockery of Mundus and the Aedra. They surrounded Mundus with their planes, forever separating Mundus and Aetherius by the Planes of Oblivion. The Daedra, being closer to Mundus than Aetherius, are more easily able to influence the living worlds as they desire, often to the harm of mortals.”

“A number of Aedra abandoned the realm before it was completed. The leader of these Aedra was Magus, the Architect, He Who Planned Mundus. He fled Mundus to return to Aetherius, and his departure tore a hole through the realms of Mundus, Oblivion, and Aetherius. From this hole formed the sun, and it is through the sun that all Magicka leaks into the mortal plane. Many other Aedra followed him, creating smaller holes that became the stars, through which more Magicka leaked.”

“Are you sure this is true?” Luna asked. “While I was not present for the stars’ creation, I doubt they were holes torn by another being.”

“Remember what I said, Luna. I do not know if this world is a part of Mundus. If it is not, then this story does not explain the creation of Terra.” Ash replied before continuing.

“Not all Aedra chose to abandon Mundus. Some, which we now call the Eight Divines, bound themselves to Mundus. These became the gods of the inhabitants of the world, and were seen from Nirn, the center planet of Mundus, as other planets in the night sky. After this, one group of Aedra fully surrendered their divinity and formed the Ehlnofey. They began to procreate in the physical sense and eventually diverged into the mortal races of the Mythic Era.”

“However, before leaving Mundus to the mortals entirely, the remaining Aedra in Mundus created the Adamantine Tower, the oldest building on Nirn, to decide Lorkhan’s fate. The Aedra tore out Lorkhan’s heart and attempted to destroy it, only to find that the fate of Mundus was bound to the fate of the heart. Instead, they cast it down to Nirn, into the sea. Where it landed, the Red Mountain volcano formed, and around it formed the island of Vvardenfell, followed by the Aedra leaving, which stabilized time. This marked the start of recorded history, specifically that of the elves as other races had not yet formed, and the beginning of the Merethic Era, translated as the the Era of Elves, which can also be called the Mythic Era. That concludes the events of the Dawn Era, and the creation of the planes of existence.”

“So, if Terra is not within Mundus, where would it lie within your world’s idea of the universe?” Luna asked.

“Sequestered away within another set of planes somewhere else in the Void. With the Void being infinite, and deities having arisen from nothingness, there is no doubt that there may be other gods and other worlds and other planes in the universe, this one being one such world.” Ash explained. “However, a part of me believes that Terra does exist somewhere in Mundus. Aetherius surrounds the mortal plane, and since I can feel the Immortal Plane, I can only assume that we are still within Mundus.”

“And there’s no other possibilities?” Celestia asked, curiosity clear in her voice.

“Perhaps this realm is actually a previously-unknown realm of Oblivion.” Ash laughed. “But I doubt that. In either case, I doubt it matters. If the Aedra have not interfered with this world, nor have the Daedra, then it does not change anything. Any other questions?”

“Who are the Eight Divines?” Celestia questioned, unable to deny her interest in the topic.

“Chief among them is Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time. He goes by a couple names, though you one you might recognize is Auri-El.”

“Descendant of Anui-El and Anu, right?”

“Right. There’s also Arkay, the God of Life and Death. Most funerals are carried out by priests of Arkay and the dead are entombed in catacombs maintained by priests of Arkay. Then there’s Dibella, the Goddess of Beauty. Some of her followers are teachers of the erotic arts, while others believe in feminine superiority.” Ash started to explain, with the mention of Dibella bringing a small blush to both mare’s muzzles. “Those two are, in some circles, considered the most important two.”

“Following them are Julianos, God of Wisdom and Logic; Kynareth, Goddess of Air; Mara, Goddess of Love; Stendarr, God of Mercy; and Zenithar, God of Work and Commerce. Stendarr’s followers hunt down abominations such as vampires and Daedra, as well as Daedric worshippers, and is considered the most ‘active’ of the Divines, though once again, it depends on who you ask.”

“You make it sound like they are secluded from Mundus.” Luna commented.

“They are. When the Aedra chose to leave Mundus to the mortals, they severed a good portion of their influence over it. They are able to interact with Mundus, but no one knows if they are bound by rules or just choose to act only when needed. On the other hand, the Daedric Princes are more than able to interact with Mundus however they desire, either to help or harm those who draw their interest.”

“And the Princes? Who are they? And what can you tell us about them?” Luna asked. From the way Celestia leaned forward again, he saw that she was interested as well.

“The Daedra, who I already mentioned, are the et’Ada who chose not to partake in the creation of Mundus and instead formed their own realms in Oblivion. While they are referred to as ‘Princes,’ they are entirely genderless. Azura is one who is considered not wholly evil, due to her concern for the wellbeing of her followers. Her sphere of influence is dusk and dawn, the balance between light and dark. Her realm is known as the Moonshadow, a plane said to be too beautiful for mortals to comprehend.”

“Next is Boethiah, the Prince of Plots, who rules over deceit, conspiracy, and secrets plots of murder, assassination, treason, and usurpers. Her plane is called Attribution’s Share and she frequently holds an event referred to as the ‘Tournament of Ten Bloods’ there, though I know not what it is.”

“Clavicus Vile is the Daedric Prince whose sphere involves granted power and wishes through pacts and invocations. He is the only one, that is known, to have a companion, a creature named Barbas. No one is sure if Barbas is another Daedra or a part of Vile’s soul, though the latter is mostly believed. His realm is the Fields of Regret, where the air smells of perfume and rotten flesh.”

Ash was really surprised that neither of them interrupted him to ask questions, though they were likely waiting to he finished before asking questions. “Hermaeus Mora is considered the most evil and is the Prince of Knowledge and Memory. His realm is Apocrypha, and endless library of all knowledge, most of it forbidden, where he traps the souls of those who desire to know more.”

“Hircine is the Daedric Prince of the Hunt. He created the various lycanthropic diseases, such as werewolves and werebears, and is known as the father of were-beasts. His realm is the Hunting Grounds, where his infected may hunt prey forever.”

“Jyggalag, the Prince of Order, is considered the most powerful, and also the most obscure. The other Daedric Princes battled him and cast a curse upon him, forcing him into becoming Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness. Once at the end of every era, he would be allowed to return to his true form where he would wipe out his realm and start the cycle over again.”

“That’s horrible…” Celestia breathed out, with Luna nodding in agreement. “Forced to become the very thing you hate most.”

Ash nodded. “At the end of the Third Era, it is believed that a person known as the Hero of Kvatch freed him from his curse, allowing him to remain as Jyggalag permanently. The Hero then became Sheogorath, allowing both to exist permanently. With the creation of both Sheogorath, he no longer has a plane of existence.”

“Moving on, we have Malacath, Daedric Prince of the Spurned. He is not recognized as a Daedra by the other Princes, which fits his sphere perfectly. His realm is that of the Ashpit, consisting of only dust and palaces of smoke.”

“There’s Mehrunes Dagon, another evil Prince, whose sphere is Destruction, Change, and Revolution. Due to his nature of destruction, and the Daedra being unable to be completely destroyed, he holds a special hatred for mortal species as they are the only ones he can practice his destruction on. He is also the only Daedra to fully invade the Mortal Plane before being defeated and cast back into Oblivion. His realm is the Deadlands, a series of islands surrounded by lava.”

“Mephala the Webspinner is the Daedric Prince of lies, sex, murder, and secret plots. Her realm is the Spiral Skein. It is believed to be a weaved like a web around the Pillar Palace of Mephala, of which the true name is too horrible to be spoken.”

“Meridia is associated with the energy of living things and is especially hateful of the undead-”

“Undead!” Both of the Alicorns shouted.

Ash nodded. “Necromancies are a portion of the Conjuration school of magic. Originally outlawed by the Mage’s Guild, it became legal to practice again with its dissolution, although frowned upon. The College of Winterhold in Skyrim, a country of humans, holds no such reservations and freely practices necromancy within its walls. Moving on, her realm is referred to as the Colored Rooms, though I don’t know what’s it's like, having never heard it described.”

“Molag Bal, yet another evil Daedra, is the King of Rape and Prince of Enslavement. He is the father of all vampires, creating the original by ravaging a priestess of Arkay. His realm, Coldharbour, is a twisted and dark mockery of Tamriel, one of the continents of Nirn.”

Understandably, both Alicorns had disgusted looks on their muzzles and hatred in their eyes as he explained Molag’s sphere, which made sense. The idea of rape alone is horrific and the fact that he called himself the ‘King of Rape’ only meant he takes pride in it.

“Namira is the Daedric Prince of the Ancient Darkness. She is associated with all things repulsive, such as spiders and slugs. Her followers are known to be cannibals, regularly taking part in the flesh of the slain. Her realm is the Scuttling Void, the name along inspiring a feeling of disgust.”

“Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince of the Night and sometimes called Lady Luck.” Ash said, instantly catching Luna’s attention, even though it had never waned. “She does not treat worshippers with the same care as the other Daedra, but the Nightingales are her sworn servants, who are usually thieves that form a ‘business contract’ with her. In return for assisting them in their endeavors, they will serve as guardians in the Evergloam, her sphere, after their deaths.”

“Peryite, the Daedric Prince of Disease, is charged with ordering the lower levels of Oblivion. He is known to ‘gift’ Mundus with disease, though not much else is known about him. Peryite’s pits are entirely impossible to enter, though no one knows why.”

“Sanguine’s spheres include hedonistic revelry, debauchery, and passionate indulges of darker natures. He rules over the Myriad Realms of Revelry and is the only Prince who allows visitors to alter his realm to their whims. As a Daedra who indulges in base desires, he is surprisingly not entirely evil, more concerned with amusement and pleasures than ruining the lives of mortals.”

“Then comes Sheogorath, who I mentioned earlier, and is the infamous Prince of Madness, whose motives are entirely unknown and unknowable. His realm in Oblivion is the Shivering Isles and is often playing tricks on both mortals and other Daedra.”

“Last comes Vaermina, the Daedric Prince of Nightmares and Evil Omens. Her realm is known as the Quagmire, a nightmare land where reality shifts every few minutes to become every more horrifying. She, too, is considered an evil Daedra.” Ash finished.

After he explained Vaermina, Luna glanced over to Celestia with a worried look. “Sister, do you think this ‘Vaermina’ is responsible for Nightmare?”

Celestia frowned, a troubled look on her face and in her eyes. “I’m not sure, Luna. It’s entirely possible, but we don’t even know if they are real.”

Then she glanced up to Ash. “No offense to you, of course.”

He shrugged. “None taken. What’s the Nightmare?”

Ash knew damn well who Nightmare Moon is. He just couldn’t reveal that information. He also didn’t know if events played out the same way they had in the show. The two Alicorns shared a glance before Luna spoke. “The Nightmare is an entity that thrives on sowing chaos and feeds off nightmares. It is skilled in corrupting even the most pure-hearted individuals, no matter how long it takes.”

“That does sound like it could be one of Vaermina’s plots, but it might not be.” Ash said. Celestia, for some reason, chose that moment to summon a watch and glance at the time. Ash suspected it was so they could avoid the topic of Nightmare Moon.

“Luna, it’s almost one. We need to return to the meeting.” Celestia said.

Ash sat up straighter, an idea striking him. “Celestia, do you have a large empty courtyard somewhere in the castle?”

“Yes, why?”

“I want to be able to practice my magic, but don’t want to risk ruining the room you kindly offered to me. Is that okay?”

Celestia nodded with a slight smile. “Of course it’s fine. If you need any materials to practice with, feel free to request them, as long as they are within reason.”

Her horn lit up, but once again no spell was cast. “A guard will be waiting for you outside to escort you to Star’s Yard. She’s also been notified that you have access to Yellow-rank supplies from the armory, archives, and storages.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Ash said, standing up and performing a slight bow. The two Alicorns smiled at him, which he returned. “And thank you for showing interest in this man’s belief.”

“You are very welcome, Ash.” Luna said before Celestia continued. “If time permits, allow us to tell you the story of Terra’s creation, or at least what we believe.”

“I will remember, Celestia. Shall I see you again today?”

“Perhaps tonight at dinner. Sometimes our lunch fills us up even to night, or we are too busy to eat, so we might not dine with you. Even if we don’t, you are permitted to order from the kitchens should you find yourself hungry tonight.”

The two Alicorns stood up and started to walk towards the entrance of the dining hall, with Ash following them. Before Celestia opened the door and parted from him, she leaned over and gave him an odd pony-hug, her neck resting on his shoulder as her muzzle pressed against the back of his neck. When she stepped back, Luna came up and did the same. “Fare thee well, Ash.”

“Fare thee well, Luna.” Ash said with a small smile, receiving a large one in return. Celestia opened the door with her magic and left, Luna and Ash following her. Outside, waiting for him most likely, was another guard. Unlike the previous ones he had seen, she didn’t seem to be under the effect of the armor’s enchantment, if it was indeed an enchantment, so her coat was a soft blue and her mane a deep red.

“You’re my escort?”

“I am, sir. If you will follow me to Star’s Yard, you can begin your practice.”

“Thank you.”

The guard nodded once, turned about, and began leading the way through the castle. Ash could barely quell his excitement. He was ready to read more of his guide and of his magic. He also had to think on Vaermina and if it was indeed possible that she created the Nightmare, or if the Princes existed. The easiest way to prove that would be to contact one, but he didn’t really want to do as such.