Equestria's new Moon

--Canterlot to Ponyville express--

After having spent the last two hours tracking down the Elements of Harmony through Canterlot, Aidan finally finds himself sitting on a train. He is completely taken in by the impressiveness of it. "How does this work? They don't have anything like it back in my world!"

"Well, you're in for a treat!" Twilight says, while taking out a book. The rest of the girls and spike groan, as princess Celestia just chuckles.

"Now Twilight, it may be best to only give the short version." Celestia addresses her former student with a motherly tone. "Others may not find the topic as fascinating as you do."

"I have a solution for that." Aidan says as he starts drawing a sigil in the air. This one is more complex than others he has done before. The air starts to flow around him as he continues to draw. Soon the lights on the train flickers and he gives off a slight glow. It takes him nine seconds to complete the sigil. Once complete it vanishes in a flash and the area returns to normal. For the next few seconds he focuses his attention on the book and then speaks. "Well, that's interesting. They also use steam, like the airships from my world."

"What did you just do!?" the girls all ask in near unison.

"I used magic to absorb the information in the book. Cast it at the extreme potential range, so could absorb about six thousand words a second. Memory will determine how much of it stays put." This of course causes Aidan to suddenly have a certain purple haired alicorn clinging to him.

"Teach me!" is all that Twilight can manage to say, as her brain is thinking of the immense possibilities for learning.

"I think it's safer for everyone if I don't" Aidan replies, while getting an affirmative nod from nearly everyone else present. Even other passengers on the train give a nod of agreement. A golden glow then pulls Twilight off of him and places her back in her seat, where she pouts due to not being able to learn. "Thank you Celestia."

"You are quite welcome Aidan." She smiles at him, then regains her composure. "I would suggest that you run spells that have to do with learning past me before using them in Twilight's presence."

Rainbow Dash whispers to Applejack. "Do you think we missed something? Or am I the only one who thinks it's weird that he's not calling her princess anymore?"

Pinkie pops up in between the two, knocking Applejack's hat off in the process. "Or maybe they're just friends now!"

Applejack picks her hat off the ground and puts it back on. "I'll agree with the first part Rainbow, but I'm also with Pinkie for the second question. Why wouldn't friends just use names without titles? Heck Princess Celestia even told us we could, even if I do still think it's a little too weird for me to do so."

Rainbow goes to answer something, but pauses with mouth partially open. It takes her a few seconds to recover and to give a reply. "Ok, you got me there. But it better not mean we missed something else awesome."

During this exchange, Rarity just busies herself with making chit chat with Fluttershy.

With his curiosity about the train sated, Aidan finds his seat. "I'm going to meditate now, as I need to do some more repairs to my magical paths before we get to Ponyville."

--Ponyville: Outskirts--
-Sunset-
(Recovered magic paths. Essence: 22%, Creation: 12%)

The group is gathered at an empty plot of land on the north eastern outskirts of Ponyville. Celestia originally wanted to have Aidan set up his house closer to the train station, but relented when others pointed out it would still be too close and too loud.

"So, how exactly are you going to make a house? Cause you just asked for an empty plot of land." Twilight asks, quite curious as to what magic she'll get to see now.

"First, I'm going to make a wall of dirt. Then another, followed by a third and a forth." Aidan says with a half smile. His teasing causing Twilight's eye to twitch slightly.

"You're joking right?" is all Rainbow Dash can say in response.

"A little bit." Aidan says as he starts casting his spells, leaving sigils of light in the air with his fingers. Using a basic move object spell to collect dirt and level off the terrain. As he piles up the dirt, a second spell transforms it into an equivalent mass of stone or clay. "Technically it is dirt, just magically reconfigured."

"So, why dirt into stone? Can't you just use some trees or something?" Applejack asks "Cause we could easily provide you with some apple wood."

Aidan continues working his magic as he shakes his head. "The spells I'm using right now don't work with living or once living materials. It is basically limited to minerals." Having collected what he deems as enough stone, he dusts off his hands. "Now for the fun part."

Aidan takes a small pebble out from his pocket and placed it in the center of the terrain he leveled. Once in position he steps back and begins casting a new spell, the sigil is of only basic complexity and quickly completed. The magical energies begin trying to repair the stone pebble to it's previous form, and start to take viable matter from the nearby area. The gathered stone is soon broken into tiny pieces and begin to merge with the pebble. When all is said and done, there is now a small, one room and round, stone cottage without roof or door.

Aidan walks up to where the original pebbles now finds itself and breaks it off. "Before you ask, original roof was made of wood and thatch. And these spells don't do wood. Thinking of getting large canvas for now."

"What was the point of the pebble? And why did you break it off after it was done?" Twilight asks, quite curious.

"I used a repair spell, and this little pebble was from a building exactly like this one." He holds the pebble up for her to examine. "I keep it for emergency situations, where I may need a shelter."

Celestia examines the stone hut, admiring it's simple and yet functional form. "If you can make more clay, I think I can solve your roof problem." Aidan doesn't even hesitate, gathering more dirt with his move object spell and then transforming it into clay. She takes the provided clay with her magic, forming it into tiles and firing it with her magic. Twilight immediately catches onto what her mentor is doing and joins in. The two alicorns begin placing the tiles in spiral pattern. The interlocking spiral pattern providing all the support the clay tiles need.

"And I think I need a new cottage seed. This time it will come with a roof." Aidan has Cale examine the completed roof, which the owl tests by jumping on it a few times. With it holding up to casual bird hops, Cale gives a hoot of approval. "Thank you both for this."

"It was our pleasure." Twilight answers for both alicorn princesses. "Now you just need a door."

"Rarity and Applejack left to solve that problem while the roof was being made." Rainbow Dash lands next to Aidan, having apparently just returned. "And I also went to get you something for the new place." She hands him a sleeping bag. "It should help you until you get a bed."

Aidan accepts the gift, quite grateful. "Thank you very much. It will come in quite handy." He takes the sleeping bag and enters the small cottage. "Why don't you all come inside. It's not much, but it's home."

Fluttershy is the first to take him up on the offer, finding it familiar and cozy. Somewhat like a smaller version of her cottage. Rainbow Dash follows, not far behind Fluttershy, followed by Twilight and then Celestia. "It's quite cozy, if a little cold at the moment." The shy mare states, as she examines the room.

"Oh, I can solve that." Aidan says, as he finishes placing the sleeping bag close to the fireplace. He quickly draws one of his sigils in the air, conjuring a flame without fuel in the fireplace. "Should heat this place up nicely."

"Thank you." Fluttershy says as she gets entranced by the fire. Moving closer to warm up a little.

"So, I'm thinking of getting a small table and chairs at some point." Aidan says as he sits down on the stone floor, leaving the sleeping bag for others. "I would also like some ideas for how to decorate."

The group spends the next couple of hours helping Aidan decide what he needs to get, and the best place to get them. Applejack and Rarity arrive at some point during that time. Applejack with an old wooden door, to make use of for the night. Rarity has brought some cushions to lie down on, and some curtains for his windows.

Celestia was the first to leave, as the evening grew late. Till at some point only Aidan, Rainbow and Fluttershy were all that remained. They were too lost in stories that Aidan was sharing of his past adventures and of the exotic animals he has seen. By the time they realized how late it had gotten, it was too late to go home.

Aidan let them have the cushions and sleeping bag. Rainbow and Fluttershy sleeping near the fireplace, while he ended up sitting against a wall and using his long coat as a blanket. As they nodded off, Cale took perch on the fireplace's mantle and stood vigil.