Warlock III: The first and the lastby TheOPcharacterWritterChapters1: The body2: A innocent start3: In motion4: A problem solved5: This is not Ardania...6: Ponyvile7: What happened was...8: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [Prologue]10: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [2]PrologueAu - 1 (If you like where this is going, read it)9: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [1]1: The bodyA bird chirping happily, was what he heard first after going through the portal. He noticed the pecking feeling similar to that when he hit his head many times in his lifetime, mostly against the jamb, hunting him right now. No doubt his head suffered from a weak headache because of impact, the bird's song seemed to be matched perfectly with the stabbing sensation that he felt. He felt weird, he felt very tired, as if he just woke up from sleep after a rough day spent in his study. It was dark, very dark. No, it was complete darkness. This made him tense up immediately after the sudden realization. Although he saw multicolored stains one sees when he closes his eyes, similar to that of the soapy water that children use for their entertainment to create bubbles. He concluded that there was a sun in the direction he had his eyes facing. His mind was working slow, even when he woke up, he immediately ran the potential scenarios that the world prepared for him to play his role in. Was this some side effect? Impossible, the Dragon Queen assured them there won’t be any. He moved his arms, he could feel them, they were "free" to put it lightly, meaning he didn’t feel heavy, he was quite mobile. He moved his head, now feeling something hard under his head, but that same time, he felt something light and soft brush against his neck, and shoulders and spine and so on further down as he went with his mind and his imagination as he moved slightly around. He didn’t open his eyes, he brought his hands to cover them and the dark abyss became darker, his theory was proven right, there was the sun the way he faced. The light was falling almost straight at him, he deducted by the flaming warmth. But this meant that he was on the ground… His heartbeat increased, his blood rushed to his legs and brain, he quickly was regaining his proper consciousness. He folded one of his legs, and rose up heavily, ending up on his knees, now his back revealed to the sun, he immediately felt the sun warming him up, heat coming mostly from the left side. He opened his eyes. His eyesight was out of focus, as if he looked through a dirty lense, after blinking too many times to call it healthy, his eyesight improved. First observation was the color green that dominated, then he saw the thin strays of grass, a tiny flower, blueish, somewhat on the edge of turning purple was beneath him. A forget-me-not. It seemed like the ground was closer than usual, or perhaps his vision was slightly wider? His memories told him that when he was on his knees, with his hands in position as if he was about to perform a plank just like now, it was slightly more away from him than now. The possibility of a side effect occurring after going through the portal was more likely, he took for a given it's just a temporary feeling that will pass. He ignored it. He stood up, his back was sore, but not much, it was bearable. Coming back to reality, as he stood there alone, surrounded by nothing more than trees, he searched with his eyes for the portal, only to find nothing in the near area resembling the damn structure. "Come to think of it, maybe druids were right that humanity had to reconnect with nature again? " Was his thought as he eyed the forest and its dark places corners. Only now did he realize that he was completely alone, no one was there beside him. He looked around once more, only to once again see what he saw before, a beautiful meadow surrounded by dark and tall, old in that matter, trees. He reached out, still feeling funky, with his palm open, ready for his spear-wand to come flying back. He waited, but nothing happened. He looked in the direction he extended his hand, gazing at his bare arm, without his armor on, he blinked and brought it close, his eyes widened as he saw white patches on his arm. " What is this? " He asked curiously, his voice hoarse as if he was a drunk from profession. Answering his question, or more like giving him a hint what he should do, in response, the wind blew, making him feel cold, even when it seemed that the weather overall signed it was sunny. The forest trees brushed against one another, creating the sound of a hundred thousand branches and leaves rustling, a sound so iconic for every living being that with nothing on earth can it be mistaken for. He felt the wind embrace all of him…A freezing feeling similar to that of the electric wave went up his body. He quickly looked down at himself, his eyes gazing straight at his naked body. His...feet were replaced by hooves, although strange ones, as if belonging to a dear, but not quite at the same time. They were too thick, one toed, but the shape was similar to that of a deer's hooves. And his legs? They were muscular as he remembered if not slightly more, but it may have been the fur. The fur in the color of his unique skin color, which was the most distinguishing him from other humans characteristic, with white patches over his body, making him look like a cow or dalmatian. His legs looked like that of a horse or pony, still, he was shocked for what he saw, not entirely believing what he observed. He raised one of his legs and proceeded to stomp. Just like a horse would do. This has proven the reality of what was going on after he dropped his hoof. There was a good side, as now his body was made for a digitigrade posture he got used to having before the transformation. He had experience in it thanks to his genetic defect that was worsened by the fact of his unusual height. Walking on toes wasn't pleasant, but now, he finally could feel lighter when walking. He went over to his upper body, passing the crotch area. His hands and arms, he carefully examined them, they seemed normal, apart from the fur. He touched it, to make sure it was real, it definitely was. He could only describe it as soft in touch, but when he brushed over the opposite direction the fur laid, it was hard and felt unpleasant. As he brushed along, as the fur laid, it was smooth and felt similar to velvet. He had a fatty natural oil on his normal hair, and it seemed that it applied to his fur too. His nails were pointy and black, he could call them claws, but at the same time, they looked humanoid enough. Their pointy shape together with bigger thickness wasn't enough to call them claws. He took a breath in, the fresh air made him relax, but his heart raced and he felt more and more pressure in his chest, his mind already rushing to the worst assumption. His torso looked normal, which really helped him to get back his coolness, despite the horrific situation he has found himself in. The muscle layout looked normal too, he still had his good physique. Compared to a proper soldier he was decent, compared to someone from the city, he could be described as athletic. What he noticed was that he had hair around the area of his neck. Thankfully, the fiery orange color was the same as his hair on his head, with some of his hair being way darker, some even almost black, which just added an extra charming touch to them. What he didn’t like was that the hair around the chest was curly, creating ringlets. The hair seemed to make a full circle around, covering all of his upper front part of his chest, making its way down the middle of his sternum, not covering his nipples - which to his surprises were pink - or the middle and bottom part of his chest making it pretty much bare and covered with normal fur. It ended before his arms and neck started, going around and onto his back, probably ending on the third from top vertebrae starting from the end of his neck. This mane that made him think of a lion's mane, wasn’t as full and thick like a lion's mane. It didn’t cover him entirely, only partially, as if his body was still developing since it looked like a young lion's mane from what he recalled. Which was impossible, because he was after puberty. He inspected his hair on his head next, he ran his fingers through them, they seemed to be the same length as he liked them, longer than men usually chose to have in Ardania, but not reaching his shoulders, long enough to cover his ears. They were always messy and slicked back. There was a pinch of volume to how they were styled, making them look puffier than they actually were, all thanks to his own method of combing them. What he found out next soothed his flurried emotional state he was in, as they didn’t feel like wool. For a normal human, it wouldn’t be much of a difference in this situation, for him, it was important. As he suspected, his ears were longer as well, but he couldn't picture to what animal they belonged. His hand stopped at something that was growing out his head, round and with a curve, his imagination telling him it looked like a rhino's horn as he further went up with his left hand, but it wasn't as thick and was more oval. He didn’t feel his hand, therefore it didn’t have nerve endings. In touch, at first, it felt as if it was a branch, no, more like a plank straight from the sawmill, because it was rough but the surface was even. The ending point on his head was tiny and razor-sharp. The horn was long, but how long he didn't know. What seemed weird, was that he didn't feel any discomfort in balance, as if it wasn't there in the first place. He inspected his face at last, he didn’t think that it wouldn’t have changed as he brought his fingers up, but still it was a two in one experience. On one hand, he felt happy, because his previous theory he had, and of which he didn’t want to think of, was proven false and it made him joyful for a few seconds, until he didn’t recognize the shape of his face, or as should be said, his muzzle. Starting from his eyes, going slowly further down, he could definitely say that his jaw was still symmetrical and was of the semi-square type just like before this. He had a long semi-squarish face, due to inheriting his father's looks and nose rather than just inheriting his mom's heart-shaped face, although her feminine features had some influence on him. Without a mirror, he can't know for sure. Whatever the case, everything seemed to translate into his new body in some way. On top, he felt hard bumps, as if bone was growing on the bridge of his nose, that yet it didn’t develop to the end, only small portions were protruding. By shape, it reminded him of scales that fish or dragons had. He immediately disliked this. His nose presumably wasn’t round, his butt chin wasn't there anymore, which actually was good news for him, he hated it. The bad news was that the thesis that the world seeks balance was true and he received big nostrils, at least he suspected so. He took a step backward, and jumped quickly in reaction to a bolt of pain hitting him, the part of his body from where it came brushed against the soft grass on which he stood, sending a tickling sensation, covered by the burning but a quick dying feeling of a sharp stab. A tail, long, round, like that of a pitbull but thicker the closer to the body, only slightly, with bone similar to that which was on the bridge of his nose growing on its back, was the source of his pain. " What the fuck?! " He exclaimed in surprise. He grabbed his tail in his hand, and brought it to the front of himself. The end of his tail was like a hand fan made from hair, as hair same as those on his mane and hair on his head grew out on the end of it. " This too? " He asked in disbelief, throwing it back in anger on the ground. He tried to control it, looking behind he observed as his tail wiggled left and right. As he tensed his butt cheeks, the tail went up. Standing properly, with his chest full and his belly half-tucked, going into a straight stand, his tail formed a sinusoid and hovered above the ground. He remained in that position to avoid stepping on the tail. The Young Great Mage suspected that in scale or not, his height was also transferred into his new body. He was much taller than the average male human. Humanity and Monsters suffered from a lack of enough food. They didn’t starve, but food was pricey and agriculture had its place first in the economy rather than craftsmanship or industry. Hunted by the United One, mostly to sabotage the other Great Mage's, Humans in particular, lacked enough to fully satisfy themselves most of the time, but enough not to starve. This resulted in them becoming shorter with time. Him coming from a noble family which served the United One and not having to face such problems always getting the right nutrients, and his family members being taller than already someone tall was, allowed him to develop as he should. " Let me get this straight... " he said out loud, as this made him think better, grabbing his head, as he still felt the aftereffect on his mind after going through the portal. A muzzle, definitely shaped like a horse’s, but it wasn’t round close to his skull only angular, if anything maybe like a wolfs, but then again his fur on his legs and arms and his whole body reminded him of a horse or other equine creature's coat. His hooves weren’t exactly equine but were comparable, only equines had one toed hooves from what he knows, although he can be false on this. He wasn’t an expert on animals, but he was sure there was no creature in Ardania or the known world as a matter of fact, that had one toed tear-shaped, thick hooves. He had a large curved horn, its texture was bizarre even for him. For instance, he had experience with unicorns, and they didn’t have such horns as his. Theirs were long and thin, not always straight, it happened they were curved, at times even wavy. His horn wasn’t bony, it felt like the surface of a regular plank straight from the sawmill, it was thick and long too. He suspected that it was around thirty-five centimeters long. The Great Mage was sure that his human features were transformed into the closest and most akin equivalents. To metaphorize it more, translated like a message from one language to another. If so, then... (Warning, anatomy, although not to richly described. No, this does not mean he has a small dick) He looked down, this time examining his more private parts. He never felt weird about this, as he always found doctors who encouraged to do it. If a medical expert said so, there was nothing wrong with it, simple, of course, if someone was a pervert he or she might have done it more often. He didn't mean masturbation by any means of course. His pubic hair moved down a bit and was not as bushy as he remembered but more straight and...If he had to be sincere about it, for some reason it reminded him of loincloth. His hair was curly at end, just as his natural hair. He had to admit that not shaving for a long time was a bad idea. He took the hair in one hand and so he revealed his genitals. His testicles were bigger, and by that, he meant bigger. Rather than have one testicle, when taken into hand, covered a part of his palm, it now occupied his whole, but it fitted in his hand and wasn't that large for him to have trouble holding it. He compared them by looking, and as he suspected, rather than having the right one larger than the left one, they seemed now equal in size, and the skin of his scrotum was not as wrinkled as before, but more stretched. At the same time, they seemed better secured and weren't so freely hanging. It had a polished look, rather strange, as it gave a weak shine in the sun. His penis, it was sheathed away, his sheath seemed proportionate to his body, meaning he didn’t have to worry about anything in this regard. (ok, this is the end) The more he looked, the less comfortable he felt, as he still was a human, only now trapped in an anthropomorphic body of some equine-like breed he never saw. It still was an act of zoophilia. He was done with looking at himself. It was quite reckless of him to just do it like that, someone might be watching him. He had to find an answer to all of this, but first, he had to conjure some clothes... Author's Note A reminder to everyone who doesn't know the game; that it provided me with a skeleton, the resources to place everything else that will appear in this story. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. What you know about the main character, and the world he came from, for now may seem like not much, and it is supposed to be that way. I want to have something you guys will come back for. I plan on mostly making you use your brains. Please also consider commenting, and point out the bad sides. Your criticism will make me only better. I made this story first and foremost to get better at the language. Link to the source of the picture: https://www.americansouthwest.net/california/sequoia/crescent-meadow_l.html 2: A innocent start Magic, what is magic? Without starting too much of a lecture, magic is a force that flows through every living being and material objects. Stars, for example, are a standard unit of distribution of mass in the universe [as we know from Princess Luna - editorial footnote]. The material mass which makes the universe can be divided into two types, the one that emits light, and the one that doesn't emit light. Mass can hold energy and radiate it, for example, heat. Magic is somewhat in between energy and mass, as it can take both forms (...) It’s all iconic effects are only seen when it is in the form of energy (...) (...) First is “energetical magic”, if enough of it is gathered in one place, it can be turned to liquid or solidified and it takes the form of a crystal. In such a case we talk about crystallized magic. Energetical magic is the form of magic that living beings can use. Shoot it, create spells with etc. The second is “Materialistic magic” which serves the same purpose as grout that holds bricks together. However, magic is flexible, and sometimes magic needs to change things in some places of the universe, as the universe is frisky in nature. More about the properties of materialistic magic will be discussed in the second chapter (...) (...) Therefore “materialistic magic” is what holds the universe nice and stable, for example, it allows for creatures to exist that don’t really make sense in the first place. Well, they do exist, so they do have the right to be and they probably make sense, from the fact they are living, but instinctively they do not at first glance look like they should (...) Now, when energetical magic is used on something, it increases the amount of materialistic magic in the target. So, somecreature without much knowledge on magic can already tell, energetical magic is essentially magic without a material object to “stabilize”. Therefore it's “free”. There is far more to it, but yes, that is true, and since magic is supposed to hold the universe in a good shape, if there is more than enough magic somewhere, it gets out of shape, obviously. Same when it lacks magic. It is the reason why when we use energetical magic, called simply magic by most, we can change things, or achieve certain desired effects. (...) No creature knows how much magic there is… … IN SHOES OF A UNICORN For earth ponies, nonmagical creatures, and more! Introduction, site 13-15 Prof. Quick Blink, an expert in the field of the metaphysical and a scholar of the theory of magic. As he prepared to materialize himself the clothes he projected in his head, the Great Mage bumped into his first obstacle and surprise his new body had prepared for him (or the United One?). Rather than through his hand, as it normally should when he made a simple, dry and careless motion with his hand, with the palm of his hand directed towards his chest, magic didn’t flicker out of it, but his horn. When using magic, the user will in most cases sense a feeling similar to that of a feather brushing against skin. That is what the textbooks taught him and that was correct. If the user uses magic to do something that for him is but a piece of cake in the context of the user's level regarding the knowledge of the metaphysical, a feeling of subtle warmth will be present, as if the user's hand was enveloped in water having the most preferrable temperature subordinated to the expectations. That was another truth he experienced and knew it was true. Now, all this happened, but he felt it on his horn. This made him flinch at first in reaction to the newfangled change. He strongly believed his transformation wasn't that hideous in detail, and as such, it didn't cross his mind that the method of casting a spell would be different. He wasn't able to see what happened exactly, but he assumed that his horn must have also flickered with white light, as would for a split moment his palm normally do. The white color of his magic was characteristic of him. Normally magic was wearing the color of blue, like the sky, when cast or concentrated around some point. It didn’t hurt the eyes of those who watched, as it was subtle, many called his metallic. As he stood there in the meadow under the sun, magical particles in the air swirled around, many turned to go fast through and along his body. It looked like an upside-down tornado, with incandescent dots surrounding him like glitter or fireflies. Then it stopped, the magic suddenly shot into the body of the mage, for a moment he was all covered by white light. Clothing started to appear the way, fire consumed a leaf. Starting from one point, you had an orange wave, as if a piece of thread was on the leaf. Like in the sea, from a bird's perspective the foam always decorated the top of the wave and could be seen as it moved, so did the wave of a flame on the leaf, leaving everything behind as dark and black. His clothes appeared the same way. A blueish wave first appeared from dozens of points on the Young Great Mages’s body, then as it went and covered all of him in a swift moment, was he left standing fully clothed up. He had a long, dark green cotton cloak with a wide hood on it covering him. Where the neck started on the front side, there was a yellow thick twine tied in a bow holding the coat on him. The sleeves of the coat were long enough to reach the elbows. The hood was nicely placed and its bottom sides folded as they rested on the shoulders of the mage, giving him a intimidating cultist look. His horn was going through a hole in the hood, that was cut in the hood itself and the edges were defined by a slim border from black leather, same leather his pants were made of. Under it, he wore a woolen shirt, loose and extensively baggy, two from three buttons were left unfastened. Under it, he had a white tank top to warm himself up. Both were tucked into his leather plain and black pants that were held by a skinny brown knot belt not too tightly tied. Two large pockets on the sides were present, with a piece of skin in the form of a triangle covering them. Since he was changed, he also had horseshoes for boots. Made out of iron and in good shape, they perfectly matched his hooves. The mage was concerned about the use of his magical abilities. His spells, they’ll go through his horn, which means he’ll have to also stand in different ways when using offensive spells. Making poses wasn’t his thing, and second, he didn’t know how to do it with this body, if there even is a practical way for him to do it. The more time he wasted, the more and more time did the United One have. He had to find the other Great Mages in the hope they would recognize him. He only remembered going through the portal. Was it really just a moment that passed or more? That was his biggest question. The invasion is still in motion… "Hopefully." The invasion could have failed, his memory partially wiped, but it meant that they must have had been defeated, which was impossible. They were powerful enough together to win, and with Tal Kalessil promising to aid them, they had the win in their pockets. What he could be sure of, was that the United One was one step further, if not a whole jog before all of them. For now, he must go with the most likely option he had, which was that the United One somehow discovered their plan and messed up with the portal. Thing is, they would have felt it, then again, the United One was insanely more powerful than each one of them individually, their senses could have failed them. Before starting his reign, the United One bore the title of Librarian of Dauros, and was dedicated to Dauros, the God of law, order and knowledge. This can only further reinforce the possibility, the United One found a way to mess up with the portal, through the use of his old spells and favors and most importantly, through knowledge. He must find people, a village or a farm will do, there he’ll get his answers sooner or later which will explain everything to him. Where he is, what province, on which side of Ardania, and what the people know. If his case was the only one, then the other Great Mages are probably fine, if not, then they are alone and scattered away from each other. He tilted his head downwards and aimed his horn at the ground. From his view, there was a weak light that quivered, at once it became more potent than the moment before. The ground before him shook and cracked, with a hard punch of wind following the action, the ground erupted, dirt spraying everywhere as if it was a water gazer, spraying the soil in the near distance, it missed him completely. From the brown cloud of dust, a leg stepped out, stone turning and hitting each other, as the peebles knocked each other. The limb grew and became its thicker version. In no time did the creature that the mage created step towards him, big and tall, bulky with pebbles raining down, dirt-filled the open gaps and clits in its body. Its anatomy very well resembles that of a strongman, with the stones, little and large shaping the body and limbs aesthetically giving it a touch of elegance. A stone golem, kneeled down slowly, his movement similar to that of an older person whose old age doesn’t allow for such stretchy movements. The lazy move stopped as the animated servant looked up with its head. The stone used to make its head was a giant diamond-shaped boulder, it was turned upside down, on the sidewalls the eyes were located, blue in color, that radiated magic similar to a haze. The mage looked at the golem with a hold-up brow. He went over to the side of the golem as it followed its master with its impaling gaze. Knocking once on its shoulders, the mage gave it a simple command to stand up. As the creature was finished, the Great Mage noted that his human height was adjusted to his species, which was some anthropomorphic version of unknown to him equine breed. The Great Mage knew this for the following reason; when casting a spell and wishing for an effect to have a certain range, in most cases adding the desired range was enough, sometimes the mage had to imagine the area of effect. In most cases, small corrections had to be done to the incantation or movement of a spell. Now, he could compare himself, which he did, as he many times before summoned a golem like that and knew where his head reached. " Some doors might not let me through," Was the Great Mage's quiet comment on his discovery, followed by an annoyed grunt. "Even worse for my back." The Great Mage climbed the golem, jumping into the air, higher than he should be able to, but due to magic, he used levitation to help himself up, smoothly and gently making a step on the shoulder of the golem, landing like a feather. Telepathically the golem was ordered to head west, as the mage felt a force of magic coming off that direction. It could be the United One’s agents, this would mean they are not that far away, in the worse case, it was one of the United One’s lieutenants…Their presence could be felt hundreds of miles away. But who’s presence did he feel? Only time could tell. In a week, the first-ever friendship festival will be held in Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, was exhausted as she worked with all of her contacts the whole day to make sure everything was going to plan, and made herself the first since morning started break. Spike, her loyal and handsome assistant, was helping her with all the things she had on her head as the festival got nearer and nearer. Of course, the festival would first be in a week, and Twilight already was panicking with small things getting delayed as if they were the most important. He felt it personally. Then again, Twilight had a scientific background, for her, a detail was as important as the fundamental things. He placed the last scroll he had to carry to her on the map of friendship. Twilight sat in the meeting room in her crystal chair. She had her wings unfolded, large and angelic, the feathers becoming brighter the further from bone and closer to her remiges. Her right-wing was all over Spike's crystal chair, blocking the dragon from sitting there. She levitated one of the large pillows from her sleeping quarters - it had plenty of them - and brought it behind her head as the pillows came from the hallway. Her horn stopped glowing, as with it died the sparkling sound of magic. "Spike, be so good and make me some tea. " Spike was about to sit down on Rainbow's seat as it was the closest to him while she said this, he narrowed his eyes and without comment, as exhausted as she, but physically rather than mentally, he went to the kitchen. "Thanks, Spike, I’ll make it up to you, I promise." Spike answered already behind her and in the hallway " I know you will!" Twilight let out a well-deserved sigh through which she let some of her stress out. She closed her eyes, she felt how they burned, as if the feeling of salt on a wound inside the mouth has decided that today it's going to take place as a representative of her tired eyes. She opened them again, shifting on the crystal throne, and made herself more comfortable. She had a break now, she didn’t need to think for the next twenty minutes about anything related to the festival. Mental wellbeing was an important part of her health, she had to take care of it. That was her finest argument which made her hold a break. Twilight wore her formal outfits almost daily, they were made to be comfortable and royal, while keeping its modern look, so that she stays in pair with her times. Rarity of course made them, even when Princess Celesia and Luna wanted to ship her their royal tailors and designers. Twilight was finished with all the ponies with who she had to have a meeting with today, she jumped into the casual clothing she wore - meaning her old clothes before princess hood. Right now, she had on a light purple short-sleeved shirt with the buttons running not through the middle, but on the right side. This way her simple outfit looked more official than it was, resembling old military coats. As for her trousers, they were unique in all Equestria and Rarity was proud of her idea. Twilight didn’t have her horseshoes changed for a long time, and the fact she went with iron rather than steel has backfired on her. She needed them replaced. Somepony might have thought that she was used to flying already, and walking was her secondary option of locomotion. Nope. Walking was still her first, and she enjoyed it more than flying. Rainbow Dash of course argued, and only bragged how stupid it was to walk when you can fly. She wasn’t here with Twilight, so, she didn’t care much, not to mention Rainbow was in the wrong. Spike came back with the tea, and he placed it right in front of her on the counter. Twilight didn’t even hear his tiny feet make noise as he came with the drink. " Thanks, Spike." " Is there anything more for today that is, you know, demanding? "He asked and went over to her side. Twilight folded her angelic wings and brought them behind herself. " Thank Celestia, no. " She responded and took a sip of the tea " Perfect like always." " Thank you for not filling the schedule only with that. " " I still have some things to do regarding normal princess stuff." "Like what? " " I have to visit the school " She counted " The garrison forces in Ponyville need a new commander appointed, and since the county is under my management, I have to choose somepony for it… Spike cut in " But I thought that the superiors in the military can do it. " " Yeah they can, but Celestia and Luna want me to learn, and we agreed before the preparations have started that I’ll also take care of this. I have to slowly expand my knowledge in those matters. " Spike nodded in agreement, he understood her well. " Now, I have to talk with Mayor Mare because new ponies are moving in, this influx of migrants has a good and bad side for the village, because of me becoming a princess and Celestia passing a decree for the migrants not to settle too close to the friendship palace, I have to know help with showing where they can buy land to build their homes. " Spike wanted to say something, but stopped himself and continued to listen. "Then there also is, Shining, who is obsessed with my security and wants me to have a proper guarding force that responds only to me. " Twilight said with a small frown on her face, as if she bit a lemon. Spike immediately looked up, his ears moving as he heard the mentioning of creating for Twilight a personal combat force. " You mean the Twilight Guard. " He clenched his fist with an evil smile on his face. Twilight facepalmed herself " Please, stop calling it like that. " "It's super cool! Admit it! " "Spike, please. " She looked him into his eyes. " C’mon Twilight, don’t act so mature." " Spike," She said seriously "You know I literally can’t allow myself to do that. " " You can’t live like that." "I must." " No, you don’t, you chose to, and this princess thing is taken by you too seriously." "Too seriously?! Spike, it can’t be taken differently than that…" "Yes it can, you are the Princess of Friendship, you are supposed to be a pony, first and foremost act like a pony and not as a princess - like a noble. " He corrected quickly " You are for the ponies." Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but she didn’t say anything. Spike was right. She was the Princess of Friendship in the first place, not just a regular princess, like Celestia and Luna. Of course, Celestia and Luna had their roles and she had hers, and hers wasn’t any less or more important than theirs. Her role was to spread the message of friendship. She might have had overreacted many times since she became a princess, but in reality, she always had a reason, a better or worse one. Twilight traced back to the moments where she, and her friends went through hardships, how they helped ponies in simple and important cases. It was all thanks to their knowledge of each other and using the experience the other had to help those who needed something. They acted like normal ponies. Like volunteers who came from the pony folk and were for the pony folk. There were of course times, where they had to fight. Twilight’s expression turned sadder, as she thought about the changeling invasion with its consequences on Canterlot and the harm Lord Tirek had carried out. Their noble mission was of course impossible to achieve without meeting conundrums and barriers to pass on their way. Moral questions arose, they doubted their views and their ethics. Especially when their actions spoke against them. Nightmare Moon arriving and wreaking havoc across the land before Canterlot with the awakened bat ponies, who now answer to Luna, was the first sight of actual and raw destruction which only occurred in film and comics or novels regarding war. She knew of pain, she knew of crime, she read about it and learned about it. It wasn’t less agonizing to see it, especially when Celestia cared for Equestria, and her rule was known for rooting out most of the perverse sides in society. This protection of hers made it look like the world was less brutal than it was. Then the Changeling invasion, the burning of houses, the fights on the streets, the first few executions that Chrysalis has ordered. These were real as well. She helped rescue the prisoners in occupied Canterlot. Many Changelings were left scattered across the city of Canterlot, as the love magic coming mainly from Cadance wasn’t capable of banishing all the Changelings back to where they came from. They were spared in most cases, some imprisoned, a handful only suffered from being victims of magical banishment - a ritual involving teleporting somepony somewhere or to a random place in a prepared set of locations or with excluding such location from said set. Tirek, taking away magic, without caring for life, did it in ways that killed his victims, as he sucked the life essence out of some of the unicorns and pegasi and earth ponies that he fed on because of his careless and desperate approach at the beginning. Leaving husks, lifeless shells, not bodies. Skin and thin layers of meat holding onto bones, as if the bodies were hermetic packages and the bones were the product under the plastic foil. She saw ponies die these days. "Twilight." The train of thought took a sudden dark turn, Twilight stepped again into the good part of reality, coming back to her senses leaving the bad memories behind. She looked at Spike who called her name. "What is it?" " I asked where you put Zecora’s potions." "Potions?" … "POTIONS!" Twilight snapped and placed her hands on the cutie maps counter. She slapped her hands against the surface, making the teacup fall and break, spilling all the tea on the floor. She has forgotten about Zecora and her potions that Zecora promised to make for her so that her mane wouldn’t look unkempt and messy until the festival lasts. "Twilight! Relax, it's just potions, you can get them tomorrow." Twilight covered her face with her hands in embarrassment "That's not it, I made a promise and have forgotten about it, that’s what’s bad. " She half moaned as she put her hands back on the cutie map. " I’ll go get them for you." "What? I won’t let you go there alone, something might snipe you on the way. " Spike jumped down his crystal seat " Twilight, I’m a dragon, and I know how to fight. You know that…" " I know you do, but I can’t let you just go into the Everfree forest." " Twilight, I promise you this won’t take long, I know the way to Zecora's house, plus..." Spike stretched himself, his tiny bones letting out a little pop as he did " ...I need a walk." Twilight considered, Spike fought many times before, especially his struggle against Sombra's shadow guards was one of a kind. Tirek, when he trapped both Celestia and Luna and Cadence after they gave their magic to her, created magic creatures that served him and spread terror around Equestria. Spike was one of the ones who destroyed many of them in Ponyville together with the locals who knew how to fight. The rest was subtle, and timberwolves aren't that dangerous for Spike too. " You have to learn how to deal with administration, I have to learn how to be less dependent on you. " "Alright. But not because you have to learn, but because I have duties and you are my assistant, this is why I allow this to happen." She stood up and hugged him. Spike was a small dragon, since dragons need much more time to grow, especially if they are not exposed to greed and fear and normal everyday dragon brutality, he was smaller than most in his age. In Equestria, he still was in the middle of many situations that required him to become more savage, this made him grow, and from a tiny chubby dragon who’s head ended as Twilights thighs began, now there was a proper young dragon. He was about one meter and fifty centimeters tall, he stood on two legs, he didn’t yet develop his feral stance and could without the need to walk on all fours stand straight. Since he still was just a child, he didn’t develop wings. Spike didn’t wear clothes in his earlier stage of development. After the adventures he faced with her, he had to because of his less feral look. He wore simple and tight clothes, he liked pullovers and he liked simple brown jeans. He didn’t wear boots and walked on bare feet. He wore just that right now, a blue pullover with a white shirt underneath, all nicely paired with brown jeans without any pockets. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his slim but well-muscled dragon arms. " Be careful, and take a weapon for safety ok?" " I can ask one of the guards to give me a sword on the way out. " " Not ask, but command, and tell them I allowed you to take a sword. Better even, that I order them to hand you a weapon." Spike wished her goodbye and went to the exit. As he approached the giant gate-like doors of the castle, the guards that stood with their backs turned towards both doors hailed him and opened them for him. They wore golden plate armor, bearing halberds for weapons. Their manes made the crests of their helmets. It was a tradition to dye the coat white when joining the military, many kept it that way until they didn’t exit, but it wasn’t mandatory. It was a sign that they were fighting for Equestria just like Celestia and served the country with their life as she does everyday. As Luna returned, many stopped doing it, and so the majority of the military again became colorful, rather than monocolored. There even were soldiers who switched to silver for gold in order to honor Luna’s return. For reasons obvious to those who knew some of Equestrian history, such small changes were for Luna very touching. The castle of friendship was surrounded by water, as for Twilight’s safety, the nobles with enough persuasion and long talks, made Celestia pass another decree that was about Twilight, which put into motion the project of using the nearby small waterfall as a source for a moat around the castle. The friendship castle, however thanks to the previously mentioned decree about migrants was separated from Ponyville by a moderately justifiable distance. This way, the moat was made quite large and also deep, which in return left the castle on a small island. The nearby mountain was protecting the castle from the west, it had the perfect terrain for something to be built there, the angle wasn’t too steep while at the same time as the mountain climbed there was a lot of free space between levels. A small bridge could be constructed quickly to create a perfect passage while at the same time a main path from the village would lead to the structure that would be built there. Plans to extend the castle and make it bigger were already given to Twilight, she however refused, throwing out all the architects who came to her to show off what they had in mind. Twilight, as she was, refused anything to be done without her consent around the castle. She was misfortunate enough, that things were done under her nose. Since the rule of equality between princesses stated that one princesse's voice is equal to the other, either the nobles, the supreme court of Equestria if the matter is about law, or another princess if there are three, in the worse case if anything can’t be done, an arbiter will be chosen and so he or she can tip the shawls and solve the problem. Twilight couldn’t do much, ironically, with her own castle. From behind there was a small wide plain area, for now, it was unused and left the castle open for an attack from behind. Sweet Apple Acres was located further that direction, and for now, the element of honesty was the defender of Twilight castle from the rear, if she willed or not. On the island the castle was located, there was a small camp erected by soldiers who were ordered to protect Twilight until a proper defense won’t be established. The island was long and shaped similar to that of a boomerang, many with Twilight herself called it a banana. The biggest landmass area served as the place for the camp that consisted of several wooden structures. The camp's buildings were closed off by a hexagonal palisade. About sixty guards were dispatched to protect Twilight, she didn’t allow for more. When Spike was outside, he went down the yellow gold stairs and headed right towards the camp. From the stairs, a clean short path made from white bricks led to the bridge, on the side boxwood grew to decorate the short path on the way. The dirt path that was made by the soldiers who lived in the barracks violently disturbed the harmonic look as it bit itself into one's eyes, catching the attention. The bridge’s colors were corresponding with the grey-lavender crystal walls of the castle. It was built similar to the one that allowed access into Canterlot through the main and only gate. This bridge wasn’t arched, and was flat, simple brass rails in the shape of stems, wiggly with details like leaves or flower buds were on them to protect anyone from falling. There was a round spot, creating a circle on the bridge in the middle of the way, the diameter of the circle being bigger than that of the width of the bridge itself. It was yellow, and Twilight's cutiemark was painted with different shades of white on the yellow field. Spike entered the encampment and headed towards the armory, most of the guards were either inside the barracks or training, most were “dismissed” by Twilight and were allowed to roam Ponyville around. Of course, by “dismissed”, we are talking about patrolling the city for threat. That was the official version. He entered the armory by getting on the other side of the tent flap which covered the entrance and was greeted by the pony responsible for the equipment. Large and long armor racks created a line of an almost unending supply of armor. On the right side, there were the weapon racks, mostly occupied by halberds and swords, he didn’t see any bows on the font. The armory was lightened up by levitating balls of light cast by the unicorn in charge of the provisional armory. They looked like the sun but in size were only a tiny version of it. " Hey there, Spike. " Said the unicorn in charge. He sat behind a long wooden teachers-like desk, with a wooden shelf, like the ones you see in hotels, standing on the left. There was a wide gap between the desk on the right and the wall, both created one way in and out to get the equipment. The unicorn wore his standard outfit best fitting for the job. " Hey, Small Arsenal " Spike greeted back " Twilight wanted me to grab a sword because-" "She allowed you too?" " She said that she orders you to give me one. " He said with a smirk. The unicorn eyed him carefully "You know that the last time you asked for a sword it was for one of those game nights you have with Discord and...Uhmm, Big Mc’Intosh was his name?" " Yes, but listen! " Spike argued, " I’m going to Everfree forest to get something for Twilight." " I’m not so sure, you know what hangs above me. If they’ll find out I once again handed out a weapon to a citizen" He said, his voice full of dread " Not to mention doing it without authorization." " But Twilight allowed me to, I swear, Small Arsenal." "What guarantee can you give me?" "As I said, she directly told me to say it's on order, because she sends me to Everfree forest." The unicorn stopped talking and thought. If Twilight didn’t permit Spike to take a weapon, but he non the less was going to the Everfree forest, he would, either way, try and get one. If she finds out he didn’t give him one and knew he went to the Everfree forest, that would be the end of him. Regardless if Spike even told him the truth about Twilight sending him there, considering he is doing it alone, it was impossible for Spike to really be allowing this. Twilight was known for caring about him and this decision seems out of character for her. Then again, he never had a long conversation with her and all he knows are information from gossip… "Fine. " He reached for a pencil and quickly took a piece of paper from one of the drawers of the desk. Spike went quickly to the closest gladius-type sword. He took it with the scabbard, then he took in hand the shoulder strap and placed it over the shoulder. He looked up to see what number did the stand have, which was one hundred and forty-four. " One, four, four " Spike said as he went for the exit, he was stopped as something pulled his tail. Spike turned back and looked at Small Arsenal who after writing the number down on his note and hiding it in his pocket, put his arms on the desk crossing them forming an X. His horn was glowing and the sparkling, humming noise of magic filled the void. "Please remember, that I was skeptical because you already damaged my trust in you. Not because there was something else in the way." Spike felt the words sting him with vigorous passion. He stayed there for a few seconds more, he couldn’t look the unicorn in his eyes. Spike turned away with a semi-disgusted look on his face thinking about the time he genuinely deceived somepony for his own benefit. He knew he did bad and that his reputation in the eyes of the unicorn was damaged. He got better and never again done it, learning a lesson from Twilight at that time too. He even tried to somewhat repair his trust, Small Arms saw him always trying to help at the armory. The unicorn said in most cases he didn’t need any aid. There was a difference in the behavior compared to that right after the situation. Small Arsenal was outright aggressive in saying "no", denying him the right to get a weapon. Now, there were glimpses of him trying to find a reason again to do it, but the past experience incremented him to be less liberal. That is how Spike saw it, was he right? Only time would tell. "Try to build a custom ecosystem." Applebloom gave her advice to one of the blank flank ponies who sought his purpose in society. He was a young colt, one-year younger than the rest of them. He had a blue coat and red eyes, with a brown and curly mane. He wore simple black jeans and a white woolen t-shirt with long sleeves. " I tried, but neither did this have any effect on me." Scootaloo was sitting on the ground right next to Sweetie Belle who was holding a list of potential things that could trigger the appearance of a cutiemark. "You’re interested in both botanic and in ants, are you? "Scootaloo asked making sure she understood where she stood. "Yes, I love both, but I always tried to experiment with both and mix them and nothing came out of it. " He said sadly, sitting also on the ground looking down at it. " Have you ever tried to perhaps work with certain ants or plants? " Apple Bloom asked as she joined the trio and now they made a circle. " Yep. " Responded the colt. "Sweetie Belle, what about you? " Scootaloo spoke. " Huh?" " I asked what you think, what else can we try?" She looked at the list in her hands "Maybe the problem is...That you know. Rather than be an expert in both, you are in one, and the other is just a thing you like." " I thought so too at first. " He started and turned himself to her " I committed a whole week to do just one and I got nothing out of it also. This is why I came to you guys." " Maybe Zecora will know how to help you. " Said Apple Bloom out loud. "What, why? " Asked the colt " Who is Zecora even?" " Zecora is the potion maker who lives in the Everfree forest, but not too deeply. " Said Sweetie Belle " Then again, why her? " The Everfree forest?" "Maybe his destiny lies in making creams for ant bites or something like that" "I hope not AND I’m not going into the Everfree forest, forget it! " He said with an accent. Scootaloo punched him in the arm " Oh c’mon, you’ll be a stallion someday, be brave!" He scuffed and looked away, he felt insulted. His mind already racing in between going and showing her, that he can be a proper stallion one day, and the other saying he should not play as Scootaloo wants him to. "The path there is easy and it will take fifteen minutes at worse. We’ll be back before night." " You really want to go there? " Sweetie Belle said, her tone could be mistaken for murmuring " I don’t think we should, I have a feeling something will happen like always." "Don’t be so pessimistic " Scootaloo stood up, ready to go. " You’re going or not Morning Dew? " She delivered him a small kick to the leg. " Ok, I can go. " He said unwillingly, looking at her as he stood up. " Fatum doesn’t exist, and everything will go just fine. " He said to himself. " Exactly, not even Fatum will stop us." " Do you even know what it is? "Apple Bloom commented dryly. " Nah, and I don’t need to." Sweetie Belle sighed and stood up as well. The four of them went towards the Eeverfree forest, first, they had to get on the way towards Zecoras home and there was some distance to pass before they even started seeing the border o the forest itself. Morning Dew was walking with them, debating if he should or not step down. After all, the Everfree forest was nursing many dangerous horrors, of bigger and smaller types, like the timberwolves or manticores. Only time will tell, but for now, he wasn’t stopping. Author's Note So, I hope you liked this chapter. As you can clearly see, there are some serious changes here and there. I decided to add some realism for the sake of my fanfiction, some may be turned down by it, but really how much can I care? These people won't stay and those who like it will. I just want to remind the handful of you who read this chapter, that the story is made first and foremost to improve my own English, as it's gotten worse. Some parts may be too blunt, as I lack the necessary vocabulary or/and don't know things. I will be glad if you left a comment and perhaps wrote that I should try and limit this, or add something more to that, maybe don't bother with the synonyms for a word that is too unique to be passed for the matter of diversity in my work etc. Your criticism helps me to better my abilities. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. Link to Twilight's pants: https://www.etsy.com/pl/listing/220528065/formal-pants-high-waisted-pants-long?ref=sold_out-8&pro=1&frs=1 It was a tradition to dye the coat white when joining the military. I can't remember what fanfiction was that in, but the idea wasn't mine here, all respect to the author/authors who came up with this. 3: In motionTrees, and more trees, rustling and cracking as the Golem made its way through, forcefully pushing aside what could be easily swayed away, with its shoulders and puffy rocky chest doing the work. The light coming from the sun was passing through the gaps made by the countless leaves on thousands of branches making the very crowns of the old and therefore tall trees of the forest. It was as if a giant swarm of insects or one ample cloud of crows occupied the sky, cutting the straight unstoppable light. Bulky and thin and standard trunks, some covered in moss, others not so much or not at all, rose-like ancient pillars of the fallen long ago into ruin buildings he saw many times in the outer worlds. Heaps of earth forming closer to the trees, with roots closest to the top protruding from the earth, making natural traps for the intelligent agents wondering. Birds chirped and sang cheerfully as he passed, squirrels walked out for a stroll in order to gaze at the Young Great Mage, being carried by his animated servant. A rare sight for the animals, who, the Young Great Mage eyed, with an upside-down skeptical arch made from his brows showing that he was frowning. The golem walked slowly, shifting its bottom limbs not too fast. It made big steps, this made their progress not sluggish. The large legs of the golem crushed the bushes and ferns under the pressure. The fauna made from fungus and rotted plants squished and let out squeaks indicating that the ground was well moistened. The duo traveled with peace, the mage enjoyed his ride, having time to think about his current position, and lack of armor and special weapon. The loss of his equipment was an unpleasant turn of events, as the armor was one of the finest ever made, his spear-wand one of the most potent agglomerating mana staffs there were. He let out an irked sigh through his nostrils - A well-made weapon, although there were better ones. - He thought. It cost a fortune, paid from tax money to be precise. He invested in himself as he was the people’s best weapon, and guaranteed protection against the United One. Egoistic? No, it was only logical. Now wasted, not even used as destined. The Young Great Mage sighed again in a scornful manner, clenching his hands into fists to release them a moment later and place them gently on the golems' back. “Get over it, learn from it, adapt to it, and go forward.” A self-reassuring tone accompanied said words by the young adult, still, bitterness poured out in large amounts from the mage. Was being enraged by it and proceeding to show it in an indignant way the right thing? Some would say yes, that he should follow his emotions to show that he cared, that it had meaning to him. That doing nothing was a clear message which spat into the resources lost, a show of direct disrespect. How could he stand idly? How dare he? Yes, he dares! Why waste time and effort on something that would bring him nothing? Why be bothered and stand in place, being held by the memories of what happened? He can go forward and get it again, perhaps better? This line, integral to his own thinking logic he had chosen to follow, was optimistic. It helped him calm his nerves as he was finding himself fazed out. The struggle in him was cut short by the golem walking into the open, the moment was short-lived, but the sun cleared the mage’s mind, resetting him and turning his attention where it should be, on the path. As the golem was on the border to again step into the woods, the Great Mage heard something incoming. Footsteps, a dozen if not more from all sides. The golem stopped and took a passive stance, putting its left leg slightly behind his right limb. The Golem had its fingers still spread out, the edges becoming sharper and more defined, like the edge of a knife. Growls followed next, a soggy fog appeared incoming like a flood and washed over the feet of the golem, the cloud was slightly shimmering and hid the ground under a milky layer. The Great Mage looked around himself and cast a simple spell without moving. His eyes shone brightly blue, but the moment it happened was so fast it wouldn’t have been noticed by someone with no level of expertise in magic. Now he could look at what was behind the trees and the thicket ahead. The spell wasn’t strong nor did he want it to be strong, therefore it had a limited area of effect. The figures he saw were definitely shaped like dogs, wolves perhaps. The dog-like figures had unpleasant, bright, slashing eyes, glowing with a lime green color. The canines encircled them from all around the area, most coming from the front, that was where the golem stood. The Great Mage stepped down and landed on the ground, he looked deeper into the forest and saw big clumps of lime green, somewhat beneath the ground. This made everything clear to him. Puppies. He nullified the effect of the spell he cast and saw the now coming forth wooden wolves. He looked at them, their torso looked like made from a piece of a trunk, with the bark growing in an intricate, even cancerous way, creating the looks of the fluff of fur a dog has around the head and on the back. The tails were made from leaves, they matched a wolf’s tail when it came to the aspect of shape quite well as the Great Mage compared it to the image he had in mind. The fangs they had were sharp and made from stones that were held by the wood, the stones integrated into the very wood-like flesh. When wood grows around artificial barriers it literally devours it and closes in around it like goo, the same image could be granted to the watery, opened mouths. The snouts were made from a thick branch cut perfectly in half, some had them smaller with a growing out sprig with a tiny green leaf on the end of the shaft. The eyes of the creatures were lime green as mentioned, the same shade he saw them as the monocolored figures. Their limbs looked more bizarre than the creatures themselves as it didn’t make any aesthetic sense. Their limbs looked too angular, as if you took a piece of wood from a construction site and magically applied the bark to envelop it. But this wasn’t that bad in itself, the true profanation of the looks was their feet. Circular with a piece missing where the heels were. The claws were made from stone like their teeth, little and looking like glued by nothing to their feet. From the gathering before him, as the pack approached, he moved one of his fingers as they came closer. One of the creatures was lifted into the air, with its body straightened, the head pointing towards the sky. The other wolves did a step back in reaction, their response was a mutual release of their voices, barking, and growling. He looked at the creature that hovered before him, with the paws close to the body, and the tail folded to the side. It was the first time in his life that he saw something like this. He never heard of such wolves even existing. He wasn’t keen on biology or knew much about animals, so it could be that he missed the time it was taught to him. A strong stench came from the creature’s mouth, the Great Mage had to move away in order to feel comfortable again after accidentally inhaling the extremely bad smell. The fresh air really made a difference. He didn’t intend to kill the animal or the ones around when he had the power to avoid it and make it so that they go away without any conflict. He swiped his hand, from one side to the other where the location of the pups was. The palm of his hand pointing towards the clouds with the index finger. From the inside of the forest, not so far as it seemed at first glance, there was a quick and bright flash of white light. The Wolves stopped and turned their attention to what happened. The wooden canines in front of the golem were the closest and ran back to inspect the dens. The Young Great Mage looked the opposite way, looking where they came from. The same flash of white light followed. With a smirk on his face, he made a step back. He placed his foot on a smooth thin surface, made from white light, sparkling and glitching with different shades of the color. Like as if he climbed stairs, with each step a magical plate appeared under the sole of his hoof, he retreated back onto the golem, and sat on its back. The golem moved forward as the mage drummed his fingers on the thing’s head. The wolves ran past the golem, running towards the caves that the great mage teleported. Spike needed something more than just his standard clothing. Before heading out, he came back to the armory. He picked up a leather jerkin, under it he wore an extra thick woolen protective vest. Normally such a light outfit was made for archers that made the civilian cohorts of the garrisons in a small town, like Ponyvile. After thanking Small Arsenal once again, he finally went to the Everfree forest. He quickly found himself at the borders of the woodlands. He chose as always the standard way to Zecora’s home. The young dragon immediately got covered by the shadow that was cast by the trees. He already felt strange, as the sunlight got blocked making the surroundings darker and in turn also grim. He had nothing to worry about, the Everfree forest wasn’t that dangerous anymore. Luna had banished her old nightmarish influence that corrupted the forest by an extent after her return with the help of Celestia. Celestia cast powerful spells that cleared the Everfree Forest. However, he still feared the creatures who lived, as some were still present. He feared an encounter with one of them. Twilight, while battling Tirek, met one and had to destroy him. Thankfully with the power of all three princesses, the monster was nothing more than a normal weed a gardener rips out every day. But the fact that Twilight had an encounter only proved there still may be some in the forest. Twilight’s case was extraordinary, and for that reason, nopony has asked for a recleaning of the forest. Spike marched steadily, not stopping at anything, he wasn’t scared by any means, he was just cautious. Other creatures were present too in the Everfree forest. Like Manticores, these creatures were savage and only pure aggressiveness drove them. Having an encounter would be a huge problem. “No need to change a fly into an elephant.” - Spike thought. Not much did it last until he got a tight grip of himself. He faced worse. The walk was quiet after all, without much to worry about, after a few more minutes as he was getting closer to Zecora’s home, his fright had left. Now left alone with only nature around to be indifferent with his presence. Spike was never used to be, to put it lightly, without Twilight in the Everfree forest. It wasn’t the first time too, but it still was scary to think he was alone in the forest. But it didn’t come from pure cowardness, it came from his own instinct which kept his adrenaline levels high. He walked automatically, without even looking around and just following the path he had memorized in his head. “ Just a few more turns...” The girls with Morning Dew together walked close to each other. They were walking a different path to Zecora, it started at the village's southern parts, west of Fluttershy’s cottage. “I hope you guys know where we're going…” “Don’t worry, the path to Zecora we are walking goes directly to her, we have to basically follow it strictly and in no time we’ll be there!” Applebloom assured him, being the one in the lead of the four. The three and their companion were walking the path, while remaining silent the whole time, rather strange, as Morning Dew noted himself. The girls however broke the silence and started to talk about their girly stuff, mostly regarding their club. He listened, he had nothing better to do. He learned that there are three more ponies that want to have a meeting tomorrow, one of which is a colt that has a similar problem to his. The difference being the colt is interested in sports and is a pegasus. The girls shared a laugh once or twice, he just went on and didn’t comment, until Applebloom mentioned him. “Tell me, what is your dream job Morning Dew? We talked about your interests, but didn’t quite grasp the topic of what you’d like to do.” “Exactly” Scootaloo added “Might help when we arrive” “Well” He started “I really don’t know, I think that being a simple scientist is something I’d like to become in the future.” “How do you see yourself as a scientist?” Sweetie Belle threw in. “You know, experimenting, taking notes, observing. I’d try to change their behavior by adding or taking a thing or two from their environment and see if my predictions were right. That sort of thing” “This doesn’t change much” Applebloom said “Can you be more specific?” “Well…” He was cut off by Sweetie Belle “Shouldn’t we have taken the left turn?” “What turn?” Morning Dew asked worried, but nopony bothered to answer. “No, It's ahead, besides, if we went the old route the lumberjacks used, we’d already know it, as it would be less clear and bushier.” Scootaloo looked around, and in fact, the way they went seemed to be clear, but the surroundings were more dark than usual. The bushes around seemed rather recently touched as branches were snapped and crushed laying together one on the other. She looked down, the dirt seemed to be uneven, something big walked this way leaving deep footmarks. “Applebloom, I think we might have made a mistake” The Apple family member turned to her “Why?” She asked, herself already feeling how anxiety was creeping on her. “Look at the ground!” They all did, and both saw the strange marks. Morning Dew noticed that a young tree grew just beside them, which allowed him to easily climb it and go down, as it split into two. He did that, and got asked what he was doing by the girls. “Get down, we don’t have time for this!” As he climbed the tree, a chilly cold wind blew lightly, making the girls shiver, carrying dead leaves and dust making them choose between protecting their eyes and wrapping their arms around themselves. “We couldn’t have chosen a better time to go to Zecora, could we?” Sweetie Belle argued. “Ummm” They turned their attention to Morning Dew. “What is it?” “Something walked this way...Something big” The greenery around slowly got lit up by a dark blue tint, as if something like paint started to replace the green color with blue. The wind became stronger and came from behind the girls, while Morning Dew was looking deep into the dark abyss ahead, seeing something like a light shining through the plants. All four of them felt a disturbance, as if something hit the ground hard and made it shake. Right after this, birds that had their homes on the tops of the trees, flew away in an ample crowd and sang loudly. “Guys, I think we should go,” Scootaloo said first. “We need to run!” Morning Dew was the first to go down the tree and started to run in the opposite direction, completely ignoring the pathway they came with. “Wait, maybe it's nothing!” But he didn’t listen. They only heard him saying something, but he said it more to himself than to them. “Nothing?! There definitely is something there!” “Don’t yell” Sweetie Belle spoke strongly. “You’ll attract it.” The girls heard branches breaking and the steps, heavy and menacing, became quick. The blue light now became one with the dark green, making the surroundings appear dark and shiny, fake, as if made like from plastic, and even nightmarish, just like Nightmare Moon and her mane depicted in history books. “We need to go after him, or he’ll get lost!” “Morning Dew! Wait!” Unwillingly the girls started to follow. A horrendous roar, harsh and dry, belonging to some monstrosity ripped through the sweet sounds of the forest reaching the ears of the young mares. “AAAAHH” Their high-pitched voices could be heard a mile away, as the sound of it behaved like thunder, and didn't stop at anything to alert anything around of danger the trio sensed. The Young Mage stepped down his stone golem and landed on the ground like a feather. Before him laid a strange sight. Something seemed to have torn entire trees down, some even were ripped halfway out. A trace of fireflies was left going along the path of destruction, and that alerted his senses. A forest, although not a living one, but grim and dark, definitely not the healthiest he’s seen, kindly presented him with a chance of meeting a particular enemy he really doesn’t like to deal with. This trace of fireflies only reinforced his judgment, but what he found weird, was the blue color on the leaves and the ground, as if it was night and the light from stars itself shone at the greenery. To see this at day, mixed together with the forest's natural daily contrast, was positively spectacular in its simplicity and fact that it was out of the ordinary. “It can lead me to its lair, and from there I can take one of its paths around the forest.” Not to mention that if the enemy he suspected to encounter, for his level, was easy to manage. Plus, he has his golem. However, what must have happened that it chose to damage the environment? Before departing once again, his horn flickered with white light, and he ascended into the sky, with the branches of the trees and vines making way for him. He spun as the wind carried him up. The light blinded him at first, but he quickly got accustomed to it. He landed on the top of the crown of a tree, and the leaves held him up, not bending under his weight, as if he didn’t have any mass. He was met with a calm sight of the forest extending further. He could try to fly, or even conjure himself some large birds to carry him, but he didn’t want to be spotted by anyone until he was sure he’s safe. The sight was breathtaking, a lonely white mountain and a mountain range shorter than the lonely mountain were the only things he could spot from his position. He didn’t know or had any courage to guess what part of Ardania this was. It didn’t resemble anything he remembered. This was made him feel worried, but not for long. Ardania under the United One must have changed in some way for sure. He’d be a fool not to experiment with the world when it was at his disposal. One particular tall tree seemed to hide a part of the large lonely mountain in the distance, but he didn’t pay much attention to it as probably there was nothing there. A few more seconds passed like entire minutes, the wind was warm, and the sun didn’t give much heat. The temperature was perfect, the air felt clear and fresh, giving him energy. It sure was a nice change from the smell of food, old paper, ink, and city life he experienced almost daily when not on the battlefield. As he was looking at the simple image he saw with his eyes, it invoked melancholy in him, he felt lonely up there, so he returned down to his golem. The leaves on which he stood just let him fall, and he landed straight on the golem, again, without any damage. “Let's get over this, “ He tapped the shoulder of the stone construct. The stone golem then proceeded to sprint alongside the path, crushing the remains on the ground and burying it deep in the ground. And here he was. All in one piece. Spike knocked on the door as he stood before Zecor’s home. Not much changed, other than perhaps a different than before tribal mask was now hanging above the entrance. The stench of chemicals of different kinds she cooks in her cauldron filled the air before the doors, and also because the window was half open so it came out that way. The doors opened and revealed the mare in all her demeanor, dressed in her casual hide outfit while she also wore a white tunic under it to the knees. “Spike, now that is a surprise I didn't expect, but non the less, it is perfect!” “Zecora! I’m glad to see you as well “ He started but was cut off. “Please come in, you’re welcomed as if you were my kin” Spike however put his hands up “No, I must return soon, Twilight will get worried. I’m here only for the potions.” “I noticed too, that Twilight was absent, and that no guardian had been sent to protect you. Strange.” She opened the doors wider. “You know how it is, as we get older, we get more dependable on ourselves. “ He said proudly. “Now wait here a minute, I’ll fetch you the potions.” Spike did as commanded and waited, he put his back against the side of the doors and watched what happened outside while conversing with Zecora. “So “ The sound of bottles accompanied her talk “How is she and her friends doing so far? I heard that she fears her festival will be a faux pas!” “She overworks herself, like always. You know she is a workaholic. Nothing new here, and the others are doing their part as passionately as Twilight. Except for Rainbow Dash, she has the least to do. “ Zecora brought up a package and started to put the potion's side by side “ What of the princesses and their role in preparations? Or are they concerned only with the other nations?” “The usual, giving contacts to Twilight, making sure that everything will be done by guaranteeing the quality of work with their authority and stuff. They’re a good support, but not more than that, they run the state.” Zecora closed the package and took it in hands, she walked towards Spike with it. “ And Twilight does not?” “She shares the duty of taking care of internal affairs and foreign affairs with Luna, so yes, but not as much as the two sisters together. When there’s an important decision to make, she is summoned to Canterlot and shares her views etc. “ “It was a jest, I understand.” She handed him the potions. Spike took them underarm “Thanks, sorry I can’t stay for longer, but I really don’t want her to be worried.” Before Zecora could say her goodbye, both of them were surprised to hear an awfully loud and frightening roar in the distance. Spike turned immediately in the direction it came, and it was on the path home. Zecora already knew what was happening, and she wouldn’t let Spike go, she wouldn’t allow herself either to travel. “Spike, it will be better if you wait here.” “What was that?” He asked in a hurry. His question was soon ignored by a more important matter, as both Spike and Zecora heard screams, belonging to somepony young. Zecora’s heart immediately started to beat faster, her pulse increased. She recognized the voices which created one solid sound, even when the scream was muffled by the distance. Spike’s eyes widened as quickly as Zecora’s heart raced. His dragon ears were sensitive, and just like a dog has the ability to recognize anyone with their scent, no matter how much of a change they had, so could Spike hear almost as well and distinguish different tones in seemingly homogeneous sound. “The cutie mark crusaders…” Author's Note Well damn, a chapter it is after a long time of waiting. I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. 4: A problem solvedA cry, high pitched and somewhat feminine, not too far away from where he was, reached his ears despite the louder noise the stomping of the golem caused. It took him by surprise. It was safe to say that the voices belonged to someone young, or the creatures, maybe people, were women or young lads. Without a doubt, it had to be connected to the worst-case scenario he had in mind. He was sure of two things at the moment; one, there was someone in need of help. Two, that probably they will die without his intervention. Meaning, that he will waste more time here in the forest, which he cannot allow himself to allow and whoever’s lives were at risk, he had a moral obligation to save them because he had the means with which he could do it. But he kept in mind his position and what was to transpire or transpired. Until he finds out where he is, he ought to be discreet with his actions and decisions. Without any further redundant waiting, he jumped off the golem, and landed on the ground before the stony construct. His horn sparked with white, and his whole body was covered by a transcendent mist, like a layer of a very thin spider web. He sprinted forward, moving faster than wind, leaving behind himself a shiny trail correlating in color with what he wore. The spell he cast increased his speed immensely. He was racing through the forest ignoring the path he originally followed while riding the golem, heading the direction which led directly to the source and the enemy he expected to face. A far-reaching gap in the ground, through which the water flowed, making it impossible to continue stood in his way. He jumped without slowing down, with an impressive speed almost in a straight line, he flew across it and landed on the other side. The landing left the ground with a small dent in it and dirt and greenery scattered around as his steps carried a powerful dose of kinetic energy. He dashed forward. From his perspective, the surroundings lost some of their colors, but nonetheless, he saw that everything seemed...blue. He stopped sustaining the spell, he ran as fast he could, keeping the momentum. The environment was dark and covered by a layer of weird tint. The sky was alright, but the leaves and the plants...They all seemed dreamy, and fake, like a cheap illusion cast by someone who was good and had a thing for it. Dark shades that under the light gave a shine like polished glass were the weirdest of all the cosmetic changes. Hearing a deep wheeze, or more like snort and growl before him, matching the sounds he knew well, with a subtle shine of light blue and yellow coming from behind a layer of bushes, he prepared himself mentally for the quick match. He ran a few scenarios through his head, engineering the end and start, with every step he made. A mighty glow of white followed by him being enveloped in a fair blue bubble, more visible near its bottom and upper part. He charged forward. With the violent rustling and cracking of sticks and leaves, he quickly snatched a large branch from the bushes and grabbed it tightly. Right after that, he emerged, his eyes already up and looking at his target. “That’s a new breed,” He said quietly, confirming his theory. “Ahh! Sweet Celestia!!! What is that?!” Sweetie Belle yelled out her question in terror. Applebloom and Scataloo were right beside her, they all raced for their lives, with Morning Dew ahead of them who didn’t bother to look behind or wait. The girls heard as something heavy and compelling was moving behind them, the sound of wood grinding against each other and leaves rustling didn’t stop even for a split second. The blue nightmarish aura was advancing as energetically as they've run. “Just go! Go! Go!” Scootaloo added in desperation, her voice cracking as she murmured the last word. The fillies used their hands to push away any bush or obstacle that was in their way. Apple Bloom helped Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo as they struggled to run, farm life made her somewhat prepared to live up to the demands of such dire situations. A large boulder, black and sharp however, had other plans for them. Apple Bloom, too worried for her friends, turning her attention mostly to them to aid them, tripped and cut her leg on it. A paralyzing jolt of pain she never felt before rushed up to the very top of her head through her body. She immediately left out a subtle grunt, but quiet, it hid her pain away in the desperate begging gasp for air. “Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo called and immediately rushed to her side, she managed to grab her friend before she descended down and potentially also hurt herself in the head. She looked at the reason for her friend falling and right away her eyes locked onto the sight of a serious wound, not too deep but covering a large amount of distance on Apple Bloom's bottom part of her leg. “Sweetie Belle hel-” She stopped and saw the monster that was chasing them. It was bipedal, extremely large, and was all blue, emitting a sapphire gleam from its body, with the eyes and the inside of its mouth glowing bright golden yellow. The creature had two legs and arms, like almost all other races she could think of. It however possessed androgynous gender parts, holding what she could describe as feminine and masculine features. Lanky arms, that became thicker on the forearms and large hands, with the fingers being also very long, reminding her of the talons griffons possessed. The chest was thick and seemed to be expanding as it came closer to the neck. The thing was a walking tree to summarize. With branches growing upwards from its head and back, creating the crown with green leaves that fell down with its every step endlessly. Its head was tear-shaped, and the top part, where its mane was supposed to start, had quirkily tangled together wooden growths that made it look like it had hair. Its V-shaped body wasn’t all bulky as they expected, and the speed with which it approached them wasn’t slow but fast and steady. Fireflies surrounded it, forming a cloud. Flowers, blue but glowing and brighter than the surroundings, grew close to where it stood and released pollen into the air, barely visible. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in their fear, without commenting or giving any reaction swiftly managed to pick Apple Bloom up, with the filly holding her leg up, as a stream of red liquid poured down on the ground in three streams. The monster, however, stomped. A moment later, under the ground wooden tentacles started to move towards the three fillies. Passing them by the side, they emerged before them composing a wall of wood and vines, stones and dirt. It blocked the way and made them fall backward on their backs, while they screamed in horror. Spike had an argument with Zecora, but both knew they couldn’t just argue when lives were at risk, especially one’s so close to them. She allowed him to go, and ordered him to guard himself, and not attack if absolutely necessary. She took her spear and a bag full of potions she used as weapons by throwing them at her enemies. He wanted to, but couldn’t agree to her terms. If he sees an opportunity, then he’ll do it. From experience, Spike knew that they had different effects. Some bottles were special, split into two parts, where when two liquids mixed upon the glass breaking, they together created an explosion. Others just changed things, as they were purely magical. Many of her potions however mostly did something the foes when in contact. Speaking of making contact. The two of them were quick to arrive at the site. Spike’s fear became true in the end. Before them was nothing else than a Treeman. A being that belonged to the artificially made puppets which answered to Nightmare Moon, which she created while she fought with Celestia. Some of them were believed to still have existed in the Everfree forest, and this one was direct proof that indeed, there probably are more or that this one might be the last one, which was unlikely considering Nightmare Moon’s return did summon back many of them at her arrival. It rekindled the spark of life she bestowed upon them. That was the official theory. Spike felt relieved after his analysis. Since the Treeman made everything around turn blue, and didn’t radiate a thick shadow that harmed the environment It indicated it was a regular one, not an alpha, which made it way better. Alpha’s possessed the ability to cast magic in large proportions. Spike saw it take the hand from the ground, and tracked the vines that grew from the ground exactly to a wall made from something like a root. There, through gaps in the thick grass, he saw the butter-yellow coat of Apple Bloom, and her red hair like that of a ripe apple. Beside her, laid Scootaloo, with her small wings, and on the opposite side, there was Sweetie Belle wearing a cute dress. Zecora’s and Spike’s attention got hooked on a colt who approached them from the front without a warning, he held a terrified expression painted on his face. Zecora didn’t at first know what to expect, so the colt met with the tip of her spear. “Don’t turn me into some brew...Please” He said, quivering. Zecora let out a sigh as she was relieved to see just a colt before her and not something worse. Spike then took the initiative as he pointed Zecora to the main problem. The colt’s expression became positive and happy, he looked at the dragon with hope. “Are the elements coming?! Is Applejack or Miss Rarity with you?” He said full of hope. “What’s your name?” Spike answered with a question, his sword in his hand. “Morning Dew.” “Just wait here and hide behind something, ok? Do that for me.” Morning Dew did it, and he didn’t see anyone else come in the same direction Spike or the Zebra had come. The fear returned once again. He suspected that the zebra was Zecora, the potion maker and alchemist the cutie mark crusaders talked about him and told him off. As he watched carefully, he noticed somepony appear to the west, something like a magical shield protecting the unicorn...Yes, it was a unicorn, with a big horn to be specific, although a strange one. “Who is that?” The monster had its hand in the air, and from the middle of its palm, a tentacle-like branch, which swung from the right to left emerged, like a disgusting worm. The monster then started to reach for the young ponies. “I won’t just stand idly!” Spike gave his final answer to Zecora, who hated it. She took one of her potions out of her bag, it was glowing bright orange. She ran up and took a swing. With all her might, she threw the bottle at the monster. A bright and powerful bolt of what it appeared to be, raw magic flew above her and Spike, making them back down in surprise and the sheer shock of the event. The tentacle was cut off, with it falling to the ground and the monster letting out a screech that hurt the ears of everyone around. Zecora and Spike looked to the right and both saw somepony approaching them from the west side. It was a unicorn, without a doubt. Spike’s vision was better than Zecora’s, thanks to being a dragon. Spike was able to see from the distance that the fellow was different from the ponies and non-ponies he ever met. Right then, the bottle Zecora threw broke on the left shoulder, it was aimed at the head, but due to movement, it missed its original target. The impact made it so that it immediately lit the Treeman on fire in a bright manner through a semi-explosion. The consuming and potent element of nature lit the surroundings up and got the attention of everyone, including the stranger. To Spike’s own surprise, the unicorn seemed to be bamboozled by their presence, but negatively. Zecora and Spike rushed to aid the cutie mark crusaders, while the stranger once again fired a bolt of magic, this time orange and hot. It was a fireball, a powerful one, the projectile was unstable and carried a lot of power, a symptom being it cooking the ground above which it flew. At the same time as the projectile was fired and flew, the Treeman was facing him, and committed a step forward. It neglected the fire that burned its arm. The monster ripped a heavy piece of the earth from the ground and threw it, the dirt that fell down from it extinguishing the fire that lived on the bark. Zecora and Spike, as they carefully but with necessary speed approached the spot where the girls were lying, met with the expressions of terrified young mares who neither spoke nor seemed to have life left in their eyes even when help came to rescue them. Spike was the first to notice Apple Bloom's wound. Zecora right after him, and she took care of her immediately after seeing it. Somewhat like a tingling feeling nagged her as she saw Apple Bloom...Perhaps it was an instinct? “Come on, we’ve got you!” Sweetie Belle took Spike’s hand. Her eyes were watery and tired, while her knees and fur and outfit were all dirty. Spike saw that on her fur there was blood, it made his heart skip a beat. As they moved and he inspected her as they ran away, an explosion accompanied by a deafening bang brought all the attention back to the monster. The stranger managed to land a decent hit on the Treeman whose own defense failed. The boulder it threw was shattered by the fireball, burning pieces getting scattered around. The weakened spell hit the monster directly, making it take a few steps back to recoil, creating a fiery mantle that it unwillingly now wore. The Treeman was burning, but the fire didn’t do a thing to it. It just stood and didn’t bother to try and shake it off. As if it was immune, and the fire was but a feeling similar to the need to scratch oneself. Which was impossible! Unless… “How can it have such high elemental magic resistance?” Curse elemental magic, and curse the fact he had to back down and limit himself not to raise too much suspicion. If he only could, he’d incinerate it on spot, with one powerful spell, even a regular fireball might be enough if he reinforces it to the fullest extent and potential. Just throwing his golem at it and reinforcing its strength with his magic would work too after a powered up fireball, like the one he just cast. He can’t, that’s the problem. What he already did might give him some stares from the weird Koatle, who looked like a dragon and...He can’t believe it, but a walking Zebra, with a somewhat humanoid body. But, he’ll think about them more in a moment. He had the Treeman to take care of. If he could, he wouldn’t, such a fine piece, it would be a waste to kill it. He took the branch in his hand and brought it close to his horn. He focused his will and envisioned a spear, and cited the necessary words in his mind to start the transmutation spell. The branch became longer, and the wood was sparkling and glowing dull yellow, while particles black at their inside but yellow outside, encircled the branch. The wood turned to metal, it let out a humming clicking noise and let out a subtle screech as it bent and became rounder with each second. It was hard to both hold something close to his horn for a better effect and focus his eyesight on the target. He already knew from the first moment that this would be a hindrance of astronomical proportion. As there is evil in good and vice versa, using his horn as the only part of his body to cast magic, he found it easier to aim. The branch changed a few seconds after the spell was done. Now he held in his hand a proper polearm, one that he could now use to hit the necessary weak points. Then again, this was a unique kind of Treeman he fought, it could have its weak points elsewhere. Before he could even try, a nasty move came from the Treemans side. The creature let out a battle cry. Its whole body began to glow and the ground trembled. While in the air above it, and from its crown; glowing, made out of light constructs of animated energy in the form of crows, large crows either flew out from the crown or were created in small bursts of fair blue light. The Great Mage got intrigued, he let out a sight, he then took a defensive stance, and moved lightly on the tips of his "fingers", which was but a feeling. His horn was already glowing white, ready to do the job. As the crows moved quicker and closer, they gathered nearer each other forming a primitive formation. That is when the Zebra he noticed earlier, got his attention, as she approached them from the left and threw something at the crows. Soon, an explosion, a powerful one, that made him even somewhat scared of the hell she threw at the crows, echoed through the forest. Some of the Crows were killed and fell apart, flashing while ending their short life. The crowd then panicked but quickly reorganized itself in the air and a squadron took interest in the Zebra and her companion. The Great Mage took the most dangerous foe on himself. He charged forward, the incoming magical crows were in the way, their beaks and claws already prepared to pierce his skin and rip him apart like a hungry pack of hyenas. As the moment where the impact was inevitable came forth, he released a powerful wave of energy that not only stopped but pushed back the magical crows. The wave then went on, hardly at all affecting the Treeman who stood unfazed but did minor damage towards the forest behind. The monster, like before, released two tentacles from the middle points of its palms, creating long whips that it held in its hands. It slammed the both of them and leaned forward, growling and this way also, taunting him. The Great Mage released a barrage of quickly flying magical projectiles at the crows who either fell down or were in the air after the previous move. Two hits for each target were enough to kill the enemy, and the spell itself was cheap in regards to taking his attention and mana; every novice that started his adventure with magic knew it. The ones at the ground or leaping forward to bite or slash him with their claws were quickly killed with a mighty thrust that went straight through their magical bodies with the spear. One crow managed to get behind the Great Mage and together with one of its colleagues, mutually attacked the mage. Thanks to the vast amounts of field experience, he knew exactly how to hold his spear, so that the crow in front would get impaled, which it did, and the crow behind would be stopped by the hind of the spear. After it, he took a quick turn on the heel and pierced the crow that laid on its back. One crow was close to claiming the first hit, but the Mage reacted swiftly and a direct punch with his left hand knocked the crow out. Although it hurt, as the crows were made out of solid light, the Great Mage ignored the pain that came as a result. With slightly more effort put to it, the mage finished the crow by shooting it. The real problem still remained. He glimpsed to where the Koatle and Zebra were, and his own eyes paired together with the eyes of the… What the fuck. A dragon. Standing and looking at him, a small and young, sentient dragon, wearing matching clothes, holding a sword - they never used weapons - with a particularly interesting color scheme, was looking at him. The two looked at each some more, but the Treeman brought his hands up, with the tentacle whip flying up in the air only to be brought down with the force of ten thousand men slamming it into the ground, shaking it. The Great Mage rolled over to the left side. Getting up, he ended up on his knees, with a few more crows before him, he dealt with them quickly the same way as before. The Treeman slammed its foot into the ground, roots started to encircle the foot and leg, soon the battlefield was filled with spots, where spikes came bursting from the ground, with the intention of impaling them. “Zecora, watch out!” The young voice called, belonging to the dragon. “Zecora” The Great Mage repeated in his thoughts. He looked at where the Zebra was and nodded. The Mage focused back on what was important, without hesitation he sprinted towards the Treeman. Feeling the shaky ground, he quickly dashed the other way, to avoid a spike made from something like the root from impaling him. He moved like a feather, letting himself be carried by the wind and his own feelings and intuition. He focused, and almost on command, he fired a weak fireball from the tip of his horn, showing his prowess in the art. Seeing the incoming danger, the Treeman used both whips to try and smack the Great Mage, who jumped over them performing an acrobatic spin. The incoming large tentacles slammed into the ground which in turn created short-lived earthquakes, that did not stop him in his advance. The eruptions stopped all of a sudden, with the roots remaining above the ground. Spike and Zecora then decided to help the stranger, and right away ran towards him. Spike’s and Zecora's hearts raced rapidly, while the adrenaline was still being released into their bloodstream. The cutie mark crusaders were safe, hidden behind a mound. This didn’t stop them from observing. Their struggle with the crows wasn’t too hard, but Spike came out with his right arm injured. His jerkin was ripped, three claw marks indicating where he was struck. His scales were soft and covered by a thin layer of fat, but they were harder than pony skin. The scratch he had would heal in a day or two. Zecora observed as the stranger fired a weak fireball, the spell was easily blocked by the Treeman and did no harm to it, other than making the forearm of the monster catch on fire. Zecora and Spike were impressed by the abilities the stranger possessed. Spike’s interests rose since the moment the both of them stared at each other. He never has seen in his life anypony similar to him. If this even was a pony, Spike was only sure that the unicorn was an equine. The horn, big, thick and dark ruby red. He’d have to ask Twilight how it even was possible for anypony to have their horn in a different color than their coat. His height was astonishingly impressive, like that of a basketball player or buckball player. He lacked a good posture, visibly leaning towards being more slim than bulky. Weird, but the stranger had a good frame regardless of it. Spike was forced to halt in track, the Treeman slammed its whips into the ground and he and Zecora both fell from the impact. Spike and then her got up, only to again fall because of the same reason as before. Spike let out an annoyed grunt as he wouldn't allow himself to lose so lightly. Zecora called his name and followed after him, with a potion in her hand, this one emitting a purple light. The monster kneeled down and let out a painful outcry. Spike and Zecora noticed that the spear the unicorn used was impaled...deeply, very deep inside of the knee of the Treeman. Zecora stopped and threw her potion. The shrieking Treeman didn’t notice it and accidentally swallowed the potion. A moment later, the monster began to choke, purple foam erupting like water from a fountain but out of its mouth. Spike mustered the bravery he had stored in him and approached the Treeman. Spike was trembling, the blue glow the body of the monster emitted blinded him the closer he got. Taking a deep breath in, feeling his insides burning while he closed his eyes, he released a river of green fire, that although shouldn’t do anything, did in fact pose a threat. The Treeman started to burn like a torch the more the fire spread, keeping its original color due to magic sustaining its properties because the wooden body was, well, “stuffed” with magic. Yelling a cry after cry, the Treeman slowly began to succumb to their efforts, this being the first step. For SPike it was obvious. The purely magical fire was different from the regular fire that was created by magic. The Treeman must have been created lucky, and possessed immunity to normal fire. Such cases were known to be documented together with, for example, immunity to physical damage, but in turn, were susceptible to normal magic. The stranger’s horn began to glow white and the spear stuck in the knee, shook while it got enveloped by a semi-transcendent glow. Moments after, she flew to the side of the unicorn who kept her at the level of his shoulder, in the air. The Treeman, letting out its ire, crossed its arms. All three of them ducked, avoiding the whips. Again, like before, crows started to appear around them, this time with their eyes glowing red. The animals didn’t wait, and attacked right after their creation. The stranger and Zecora with Spike together had it easy to deal with them, as the crows attacked separately increasing their chances of winning. Two crows began to shine brightly, and soon both morphed into spheres. Zecora already knew what would happen and called Spike’s name, the stranger too knew what to expect. The two spheres changed into bolts of magic, aiming directly at Spike, but both were unfortunate. Spike didn’t move, nor did the spheres miss. The stranger’s shield was cast onto Spike, who only tripped backward after taking the impact. The magical protection broke into many pieces, each looking like a piece of glass that slowly radiated away. The Stranger’s horn shined brightly and the pieces of the shield turned white as well, then emitted a lavender afterglow. A dozen pieces with lighting speed shot into the remaining or still incoming crows, destroying them and then impacting with the burning Treeman. Every shot left a spot marked with a depression after the hit. The unicorn’s spear started to spin like a drill, he appeared to take a pose as if he was about to throw it. Zecora knew that ponies, especially unicorns, used to help themselves use magic by performing such moves. Seeing that the unicorn had a good connection to magic, she was stunned he still used such low-level means of support. The polearm flew faster than the eye could register, hitting the Treeman in its right eye, stopping halfway buried in the head. The monster bent its head the opposite way it faced and rose up, as if completely unfazed by the fact it suffered severe trauma to its left knee. Throwing its hands in the air, one of the whips came dangerously close to the unicorn. Too proud or maybe just unaware of it incoming, he didn’t move to the side. Zecora then yelled with all the force she had in her lungs. “Move!” It was too late, the tip of the tentacle landed a blunt hit, tossing the unicorn towards them, while on the way, he fell on the ground and bounced off to again land hardly and roll. Zecora and Spike gasped terrified, assuming the worst. They both saw what occurred, they moved to where he landed with optimism as chances for survival weren't the lowest, as the movement wasn't fast or seemed to carry much might. Zecora located him lying on his stomach, already bringing himself up with the help of his hands. She analyzed his body, and like Spike, she took note praising his height and commenting on the weird mane that grew around his neck. The most distinguishing feature of his was the tail, long and looking canine. The tail he possessed curled similarly to that of a hurt dog. Spike followed soon after, arriving at the spot. Zecora was already on her knees prepared to take care of the injury. She searched for one of her potions in her bags, only to find herself unable to find it. Spike looked back, only to observe as the Treeman struggled, puking the purple liquid while trying to desperately get the spear out its eye, yellow slime-like substance dripping from the two wounds the unicorn had caused. There was no point in being here anymore, they could run away with the cutie mark crusaders. They won by surviving the encounter and saving the girls, it would remain here in the forest defeated looking for them. Spike heard the painful howling of the unicorn, he eyed the stallion with much interest, and so did Zecora, and she watched him turn onto his side, allowing them to see his face from up close. Spike and Zecora were eager to see it, as the changed surroundings made it difficult to see anything clearly from a bigger distance. His face told them everything, his cheeks were tense and his mouth tightly shut, his lips were jittering like crazy. He hissed loudly through his teeth and let out a painful sigh of relief. What came unexpected, was him slamming his right hand into the ground and trying to get up right away. “Don’t force yourself,” She told him. The unicorn then at the moment looked up, directly at her, his expression softened, and he opened his eyes. Possessing a neutral, but dumbfounded look, Spike and Zecora could get a good look at him at this moment. His face was really pleasant to look at, evidently good-looking. This was a surprise for both of them. Good proportions and symmetry were what they noticed first. A long and possessing basic masculine looks jaw with a developed mandible, somewhat protruding cheekbones, an alright positive tilt to the hooded, moderately deep-seated pair of eyes that really played a major role in his facial aesthetics together decorated his face creating a solid composite. Speaking of the devil, his eyes were dark cyan, with brown narrow spots arbitrarily scattered around the iris pointing towards the pupil, as if painted with a soft, thick brush. The iris turned hazel green, close to the brown parts and right before the limbal ring. There was a pinch of a mare in those facial features of his. Every detail was smooth and the edges were soft and round. He gave the impression of somepony: resolute and experienced. The way he was gazing at her and Spike, it was analytical, creating a feeling of intimidation but also warm and welcoming as strange as it may have sound. Wrinkles formed on his forehead, but they weren’t too visible in the dark, under the light, they surely will be more eye-catching. What got their attention was this weird bone that grew on the bridge of his nose. It looked like natural armor, but didn’t cover the top solely, only a portion with large gaps in between the three spots where it grew. It was something worth raising an eyebrow at. The mane around his neck area and on the chest wasn’t long, and didn’t look similar to that of a lion’s mane, as it didn’t occupy as much space, but it sure was thick with a lot of hair growing, forming ringlets. Spike and Zecora, especially she, found it peculiarly interesting. His normal mane was similarly thick and orange, wavy in a mild way, with darker shades here and there with a few strips of black thrown in there too. The most distinctive part was the tail. It was rather long, thin, and also had bone growing on it, the end of it was covered in puffy orange hair, also forming ringlets like his mane on the chest. Spike and Zecora were taken away from their further analysis as his young and melodious mature male voice called out to them “Can you help me?” Zecora got a little red from embarrassment and she right away rushed to help him stand up. Spike wanted to help too, but his attention got turned away by their common enemy. The Treeman, although still burning, started to extinguish its fire and managed to get rid of the stranger’s weapon from its eye. Loud thumping indicated that it healed its wound on the knee and was trying to stand up. “You got struck quite badly, are you sure you’re alright? You’re in pain...” Zecora asked worriedly with a caring tone. Spike’s senses even found it odd, it’s the first time he ever heard Zecora speak this way...Motherly, almost as if she was trying to play Celestia. “I’m alright” He responded, standing on both legs, with his hand on his chest “I’ve had worse, believe me.” “Let’s get out here and call the professionals to deal with it.” Spike proposed and was ready to run, but he was stopped by the hand of the stranger. The stranger looked at the location where he came from, Spike too looked in that direction, but he saw nothing, and waved his hand once, as if he dismissed the thought Spike shared. “No, we'll do better by ending it, we have the means and opportunity to do it.” “What?!” Spike yelled “ Are you insane? Why are we supposed to fight when we don’t have to?” “We can easily destroy it,” The stranger added after him, sounding cold. Spike and Zecora felt uneasy hearing it, we can easily destroy it sounded horrifying in their ears. Their conscience bothered them, their mind as well pointing at the consequences. He was right. They had the means, and they already injured it so much. Leaving it, will only give it time to rest and to regenerate. “What do you plan on doing?” Zecora asked resentfully awaiting an answer. Spike only gave her a stare in disbelief. “ I now know now what its weakness is, and I’ll shoot it three times in the most feeble spots. “ He said and turned to Spike “You will walk up to it and breathe fire, as much as you can, and I will expand the area it is going to cover, so it’ll consume as much as it can, while you...” He turned to Zecora “...Try and throw as much of your most explosive and dangerous chemicals at it.” “I don’t have much left” she looked into her bag “But what I have will do the trick” Spike could protest, but it would leave them to do it alone. For some reason, he suspected that whatever will happen, the unicorn will convince Zecora. “Fine, let’s do it quickly.” The Dragon wore a bitter mask and agreed, although he really didn’t want to. Right after hearing that the dragon agreed to his plan, the Young Great Mage set out to execute it right away. This wasn’t easy, the hit that the Treeman managed to land on him, because of his own carelessness (the feeling of humiliation was really cracking down on him ) still had its effect on him. He held the pain inside, not letting any of it look like it bothered, but in reality, he felt as if he was burning alive. He took a few steps aside from them while groaning. Mentally speaking he felt like a complete idiot, physically he was at the level of a frog at a laboratory during an anatomy examination lesson...Well, maybe that was an overstatement. Thankfully, amidst the bad, the Dragon didn’t notice that the golem was standing in the distance. A simple hand gesture was all that the Great Mage needed to get rid of it, eliminating the probability that it would bother him. The golem was useless at this point and their own power alone was enough to swiftly handle the problem, which was the Treeman. Summoning the golem, naturally leads to the raise of too many questions being asked and complicates things for the future. Taking a deep breath in, to ease the pain, he felt it respite all over his body. A moment later he began to cast, focusing his attention on that task. His horn started to glow white, as usual, and the light slowly turned more fair lavender with stripes of navy blue randomly appearing the longer he did it. Particles around his horn formed like grains of sand and instantly, without any knockback, a powerful projectile of magic shot directly from his horn, flying very fast towards the Treeman. The creature was about to shield itself forming a layer of protection out of the encircling fireflies, but it was too late. The projectile hit the Treeman, upon the impact a low, dull, very loud, and ear-piercing sound, ringing metallic, overlaid any other noise there was. The bottom left side of the Treeman’s chest got almost obliterated, as pieces of burning wood flew in every direction, spreading the fire around. The monster took a step back and arched itself forward, letting out a strong roar that sent a shiver down their spines. “Spirit magic is your weakness…” He thought with a sly smirk. Spike, and Zecora didn’t even stop to admire the deed. They already surrendered to the fact that who they met was skilled and definitely must have had some sort of education in magic. And, that they were inconceivably lucky. Spike hastily made his way towards the monster. It saw him, and tried to strike him, offering a new obstacle to deal with. The same fireflies that were flying around the battlefield, formed a small tornado that headed towards him with the intention to sweep him away as if he was trash. Zecora quickly took a bottle into her hand and threw it in the direction of the bugs. Spike covered his eyes as the explosion destroyed the Tornado, setting the fireflies apart, not killing the most, but mainly causing them to fly away in complete chaos. Spike saw another bolt of magic hit the Treeman, the same way as before, this time in its leg exactly in the right knee. It collapsed pathetically, but as it fell down one of its hands rose into the air. The creature brought it back, throwing the whip that extended from its palm at Spike. Spike’s eyes widened, his whole body tensed and he rolled on to the left, escaping the potential unfortunate ending. As the whip slammed into the ground, Zecora threw one of her potions at the Treeman in vengeance, gaining its attention as the potion exploded with an unimpressive effect visually and in practical terms. The Great Mage shot the last time a magical projectile. In line with his original intention and approach that he chose, with the hope that it was both enough to achieve a satisfying outcome and not to appear too vigorous in the art of magic after the third shot. Spike stood up and watched the Treeman shed its whips which then fell on the ground as it brought its hands over its burned and damaged head, a piece of it missing. A big branch that grew on its back and co-created the crown was now resting on the ground, burning and losing color. Talking about color, Spike noticed how the surroundings became more like they were before they encountered the monster. The darkness seemed to stop being omnipresent, and the blue tint weakened significantly, with green again being the dominant color. Gripping his sword as hard as he could, he sprinted forward, reminding himself of the past experience he had during combat. He knew how to do this stuff! When he appeared right before it, he took a deep breath in, while opening his mouth, a faint green light already shined out of his mouth. His chest started to burn, while his saliva vanished seconds after, his throat already dry as a desert. Spike released a cloud of green fire. The conflagration caught the whole torso and the crown of the Treeman on fire. A deep squeal of pain was let out by it, with weak gaps and roars which translated the misery it was going through into simple sounds. Spike, when he was done, fell down on his back, with his eyes tightly shut, a tear formed in each eye and ran down both of his cheeks. Not from sadness, although hearing the yelping and shrieking did make his chest feel heavy. It was due to the warmth the fire beamed and fried his eyes. Zecora threw her last explosive potion at the Treeman. The bottle hit the target where it should, in the chest. The explosion sent a powerful wave, Spike was forced to cover himself and still, he felt the impact. Pieces of wood, burning lively with vivid green flames, landed on the young dragon, but they didn’t do any damage, due to the jerkin he wore and natural resistance to fire. Spike opened his eyes, as he noticed that the light from the fire was stopped by something...Or rather somepony. The Great Mage stood before the young dragon, with his horn glowing brightly and with his hands in the air. Doing circular motions with his hands, the fire on the Treeman began to rise, and rise, the heat from it started to set the ground and grass around on fire without direct contact. The taint that came with the presence of the Treeman faded away, starting from where it laid. As if it was Discord's magic that suddenly stopped working, leaves, trees, grass, and the surroundings that consisted of anything you could name and know the name of, became almost instantly normal again. The Treeman was twitching, moving, and wiggling in place, spasm covered all of its body. It tried to perform its last attempts to save itself, but the unicorn finished his work with one heavy swing of his harm as his horn shone brightly. The performance was like in an opera, and the unicorn was the conductor. The fire erupted into the heavens in a pillar of fire and quickly collapsed, leaving Zecora and Spike with half-opened mouths looking at the scene played before them. The blue monstrosity now was a dead lump of burning wood, with the green character of the flames still remaining. Spike stood up with a small dose of difficulty, using his sword as a helping tool to support himself he managed to stand up. Zecora rushed to his side and made sure he was alright. She had a potion that regenerated strength and healed minor wounds, but she wasn’t sure if it would work on a dragon like Spike. She never tried nor did she ever think about giving a dragon a potion like this anytime in her life. “Everything’s alright” He kindly rejected her help. “Are you sure?” “Yes, thank you once again.” The Great Mage turned towards them, and looked at them with a calm and kind stare. He felt the heat coming off from the burning enemy, his back was now nicely warmed up by the fire that was the symbol of their victory. Looking around, the whole area reclaimed its old look, that of a normal everyday forest. While still here, he’d have to take care of the fire after some time passes. Leaving it to itself was idiotic, and even when the fire was solely magical, and had no other fuel than the now turning to ash corpse, there still was a chance of a major fire being created, endangering the animals and the innocent creatures this habitat had. ...He will now be forced to place his steps carefully. The last thing he’d want to do is reach for the ultimate and worst solution he could choose, which is invading their minds to manufacture new memories and censor the ones they already have. Whatever happens, until he wasn’t sure he was safe, he had to assume the worst to be true. He had a hard time believing it, but there really was a dragon just standing on all two legs and holding a weapon in his hand. Radiculous. The scales, the color, the way he looked. It probably was considered a sick egg that got cast out. Fortunately for them and him, he ended up with a special kind of fire burning inside of him. He was amazed that the Zebra named Zecora, whose humanoid female characteristics did tingle his own human senses - that made him feel uncomfortable right after the fact - was able to civilize such a greedy and hating everything creature. But maybe, it was just a special case. No other way to find out than to talk, same way he’ll finally get to know the way towards civilization. The sword the dragon held didn’t make itself. “It’s time for a play.” He commented dryly in his mind. Author's Note And welcome back! I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. I know that the simple way of phrasing might be boring, or that I am too dull to read, nonetheless, thanks to all the people who appreciate my work. It's for fun, and it makes me proud to know that somehow I made some dude who knows English perfectly read this shit and that person thinks about coming back after finishing the chapter. You people are just crazy. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. 5: This is not Ardania...“Wow,” Apple Bloom murmured breathily. The pain she should have felt on her leg from the wound was absent, she was focused on staring at the unicorn, that was her main task, everything else was not important, and therefore oblivious to her senses. Her mind was occupied only with that simple task of looking straight. He was approaching Spike and Zecora while she observed him from a distance, safe and under the care of her friends. Morning Dew was beside them, quiet and also looking in the direction the three of them were looking at. The outside world was but a background for the main characters. What more could it be, when her center of the universe was him. He saved them. The sun above shined at her, but she was so focused, the warmth felt like the sun rays sweltered her body. This summoned her back to reality and overwrote this irksome feeling with the pleasant sensation of warmth that enveloped her and brightened the terrain before her. Feeling her chest get heavier, choking on her sincerely felt good emotions and positivity, drowning it brutally by a sense of melancholy, Apple Bloom once again made it clear to herself, heartfully, that she and her friends really were at the risk of losing their lives. But they didn’t come close to bereaved of their lives to the monster, thanks to him. She looked closer, tilting her head to the side like a puppy, her mind racing with thoughts revolving around him, only occupied with his image. He was definitely powerful, how else would he have taken the monster down? And most importantly, she was sure that he must have had a golden heart. To risk his health or even life coming to help them after hearing their scream...How else could he know they were in danger? For them, complete strangers! She felt sick in the stomach being compelled by this fact. She was young, and she didn’t understand much, but this...Just why? How is it even possible that they always get away with these things? What were the odds for a stranger that is capable of doing what she saw, with enough skill to be at the right time and at the right place? This troubled her mind, and the flurry of emotion only spiced her imagination, throwing her into a fervid thunderstorm of thoughts! Of her getting hurt! Applejack getting worried! Potentially even maybe descending into a conflict with Rarity or Rainbow Dash?! She shook her head, keeping these visions away from herself. She found a sanctuary by looking at him. He was dressed cheaply, but there was nicety in what he wore, although she was uncertain in her judgment. Maybe she just lacked a word? Great, now she even can’t justly comment on what he wears, commiting inequity. She didn't know what to do, what to think, a good metaphor for her state would be a vegetable soup. Alas, she allowed herself to admire him some more. He proved he was mighty, he showed them that he was brave. He didn’t hesitate to act, and only by what looked like eye contact, he knew what to do and how to work with Spike and Zecora before they spoke to each other. As if he was pulled out from a book, a noble knight. A knight, however, has his squire next to him at all times. She didn’t see any other pony or non-pony beside him. So who was he? He wouldn’t mind if she called him... exotic? He was! What pony has a tail? What pony has a mane like a lion? “The guy was just as cool as Rainow.” Apple Bloom heard Scatoloo’s comment, her tone indicated she was moved by what she witnessed. “ He did more than that” Sweetie Belle added ”He literally saved us” Feeling like she should, Apple Bloom spoke “Exactly” her voice washed over their thoughts. “He spared Zecora and Spike from harm that they could have fallen prey to.” “While himself suffering a hit.” The unexpected voice belonged to Morning Dew, having gathered the strength to speak up. “You?” Scatoloo started appalled “You ran away the first moment you spotted the danger without waiting for us!” She exclaimed with anger. He looked away crushed by guilt. “Let’s not turn this into an argument.” Sweetie Belle intervened and gave Morning Dew a look and shifted her eyes to her friend right after “It’s pointless.” she finished meekly preceding it with a tired sigh. “They’re coming!” Apple Bloom informed loudly, getting the attention of all three. The Great Mage proposed to go and help the filly that was injured right after being notified of her wound. Zecora and Spike lead the way while he followed their steps. It took them a moment to get there, and while approaching the mound, none of them spoke or looked at each other. When they reached the spot, all eyes were on him. His gaze shifted from one character to the other. Colors. Unnatural colors were the first thing he noticed. It was rather amusing to see them like this. He constrained a genuine laugh inside, it wasn’t easy. He noted that everybody around had common traits: big crystal eyes, pretty like ponds that reflected the night sky, and humanoid bodies where only the legs remained equine, just like in the case of the zebra named Zecora and himself. He anticipated that he probably also possessed these features without knowing. He realized that his new body wasn’t the way it was purely because of chance. It differed in looks, yes, but the theme of equine influence tied it all together. “I wonder what else I’ll discover next.” Drifting away from that topic, he returned to the tiny equines. The first filly he saw had an orange coat and thick magenta mane that was mildly long. In Ardania a haircut like that would be considered very short for a female of any kind. Her face was round, her female traits were barely noticeable. Her eyes were purple, to his astonishment. Normally, he’d be interested more, but since the equines themselves were colorful, he assumed it to be normal. What he was hooked on were the two covered in feathers, limbs on her back, that made themselves known by peeking partially from behind her. She had wings, she was a pegasus! While he enjoyed the news, as he never saw a pegasus in his life, and never would he think he’d see one in this form, his sharp vision pointed out an important factor...His excitement caused by the surprise faded away, replaced by grief and pity at what he was looking at. Her wings were small and frail, they were too weak to be able to lift her up. Although he couldn’t fly, without the use of magic, he could only imagine the consequences of having this nasty disability. He looked away pensively, and shifted his attention to the child sitting on the ground. She was looking at him with pious attention. Her eyes looked at him tentatively, there was fear in them, but only enough to show she knew of her inferior position. The filly was butter yellow, with a long and vivid red mane, the shade of a ripe apple, and orange eyes. On top of her mane, she got a cute dark pink ribbon on the back of her head, the size of which gave it more eccentric feedback. She wore black overalls, reaching the end of the knees. Under it, she had a simple white top, or maybe a shirt but without a collar, he wasn’t sure. To her right, there was a filly with a dirty white coat, with green eyes whose color lost some of its expressiveness. She wore a simple dress, oriented with flowers, also dirty white like her coat. She possessed a horn, small and round on the end. She was a unicorn, an actual humanoid unicorn. This was hard to believe. “What next?” He thought. Was this part of Ardania settled by humanoid animals? If so, did the United One do it? Or was he simply spit out in a land yet not discovered? Something was off. He was getting worried that it may have been more than that. Not just off, but broken off, if this even had sense. Behind them, there was a colt sitting with his knees close to his chin and arms wrapped around them. He was quite young, his face was smooth and round, he had dark curly hair and a scared look all over his face. The longer he looked at him, the more uncomfortable the colt was, he could sense it, as the colt tensed with each second. He rushed to the injured filly to treat her if he could allow himself to. Showing too much finesse in using magic could bring him more harm than good that he could cause by healing the wound. “What’s your name?” He asked gently, knowing he addressed a kid. “Apple Bloom” She responded sheepishly. He remained in eye contact while considering his response to what he just heard. That was a bizarre choice to name a child. Then again, all this what he was witnessing right now was as well. “Apple Bloom” He addressed her “I may be able to help you somewhat with your injury. Allow me to examine it.” She nodded and he immediately went over to her leg. “While at it, introduce me to your friends,” He said with a smile. Her leg was bleeding, but not as much as he anticipated. Two weak streaks of blood went down her calf, but the blood seemed to stop pouring out in dangerous amounts. He didn’t have much medical knowledge, other than regarding casting healing spells, which was a completely different set of knowledge from that which a doctor or field medic possessed. “So, this is Sweetie Belle” “Hello” He looked up briefly and nodded. Looking struck by something for a second, he grabbed Apple Bloom’s limb carefully. She let out a hiss in response, but he didn’t stop. “ Behind you stands Zecora “ “I already know that” He responded by muttering, still fixated on her leg. “How?” Zecora asked intrigued. “ I heard the dragon call you by name earlier.” Spike's ears perked at that. Apple Bloom being a step ahead spoke for him “The dragon’s name is Spike.” “At least his name is normal.” He looked behind and looked straight into the young drake’s eyes “Nice job back there, Spike.” “Without you, it would have been a disaster.” The young beast replied with genuine friendly warmth in his tone and voice. “No, you’d just run away after ten minutes or more after struggling with it.” Spike looked at Zecora and replied, maintaining eye contact with her “what better could we do?” “Nothing. If I were in your shoes, I’d do the same.” “But I don’t wear any…” Spike said. Now, you see, the thing is, how could he not give this one to him? “And this is Scootaloo” Apple Bloom, seeing her opportunity continued. “ You’ll be my hero for the next few days. “ He let out a subtle chuckle at that. “I think you meant your whole life. ” With that, he summoned short-lived smirks from the lack of humility he just showed. “Nah, that’s reserved for Rainbow Dash” Again, he seemed to freeze as if he suddenly saw a ghost appear, but maintained his cool. Scatoloo seeing his reaction, asked, “Don’t you know who she is?” “I’m done” Finishing his study, and avoiding a conversation about someone probably famous, he came to the conclusion that Apple Bloom’s wound was only looking serious, but in reality, she was fine. A basic healing spell or healing potion that came from a higher shelf was all that was needed to fix her up. The cut wasn’t deep, and the bleeding had already stopped. No major vein got damaged, and if left alone, in two weeks she would already walk well. “It’s nothing serious, I can do it.” Spike and Zecora breathed a sigh as a heavy rock was lifted from their hearts. Scatoloo and Sweetie Belle looked genuinely happy as well. “It doesn’t look like anything serious” A young voice from the back spoke. Looking at the colt, to whom he was not yet introduced, he only had the following to say. “Appearances deceive.“ Simply and straightforward. Leaning closer to make it more convenient for himself, his horn began to glow, casting the spell was easy when using his hand. He simply willed it and brought his palm over. Here, a jelly-like fire cloud appeared on top of her wound, covering the spot where her injury was. New to this style of performing the art of magic, but not too simple spells, he found it easy to manage in the end. The injury slowly closed, the fresh blood dried and turned solid to fall or crumbled into tiny pieces. Her dirty fur in that area got cleaned, while from both ends of the wound the flesh merged like it was getting closed by a zipper. Apple Bloom was greatly impressed by the chilly pulsating influence of his magic. She felt the aching sensation go away, only haunting her in one place, and then disappearing, followed only by intense itching that irritated her astronomically. She blinked, and it stopped, only to be resurrected by a sudden wave of pins and needles, forcing a soft moan from her. Spike, Scotaloo, Zecora, and Sweetie Belle all looked at her hungry to know what happened. She moved her leg, feeling this bloody type of ache to get more potent. It took a moment, but she stood up and was able to walk freely like before the injury. While everyone focused on Apple Bloom for the moment, he turned to the colt who was sitting behind everybody. “And you are?” The youngster looked up “Morning Dew, sir...” The Great Mage nodded, he turned to face the others, already prepared with a plan on how to start the conversation. It went to waste. Zecora walked up and took his hand and shook it sincerely, holding him in a tight grip. “Thank you very much for your help. It’s a blessing you came. “ She spoke sincerely and with a soft tone, looking at him with big eyes and blushing. “Thank you as well. ” Spoke to Apple Bloom who stood with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo just behind her. “You saved us” Sweetie Belle added after Apple Bloom, just as softly. He appreciated the thanks he rightfully received for his doings, less for the reasoning behind it. He didn’t show it, and remained stoic, with a cold expression he gazed at them and Zecora, at the end at Spike. “You do really have talent and power.” Spike enunciated loudly. He gave the impression, he had taken that personally, as he flinched at these words. “ That is too much...” “ You were superb! You destroyed that thing!” Scootaloo proclaimed, proudly making a graceful pose. “I’m grateful for the kind words...” He gave them a final, analytical look ending the discussion with starting another topic “You seem to know each other.” Zecora was the first to say “ Yes, I live alone in the forest, I’m an alchemist and potion maker, brewer, and friend to them. “ “We live in Ponyvile” Apple Bloom spoke. “It’s not so far away, I think you must have been heading towards it since you’re here.” Ponyvile? Ponyvile. So they were Ponies? He examined them once again, going over their features and traits. He hid his shock well, although the fact he paused and didn’t right away answer back gave away a negative aura. Colorful Ponies...A whole town indicated it was just populated with humanoid colorful Ponies. “I would be thankful if you allowed me to stay in your town for the night. I’m a traveler, even if I don’t look like it.” “I’m sure Twilight will be willing to provide anything you need and more” Zecora assured him and put her hand on his shoulder. As confidently as she did it, she retreated right after with a sheepish expression. “Rarity, my sister...” Sweetie Belle walked up and said while looking him in the eyes. “Rarity? Twilight? I’ll have to get accustomed to these weird names. “ “...She will make you some clothes for sure. You don’t seem to have any luggage anyway.” “I had” He immediately replied with a lie “When I heard you scream, I dropped it and it fell into a thread I just passed by.” This only reinforced their feeling of having to make it up to him. “My sister as well will also do anything to compensate you. “ Apple Bloom continued after Sweetie Belle “Applejack won’t let you go without nothing.’ “My parents as well.” Morning Dew, who was forgotten by everypony around, made himself known by speaking “Especially my mom.” Exploiting the ponies, for the time being, was something he planned on doing anyways, and raising some profit from the popularity he may gain in the village itself to benefit from the locals is more than enough. “ Let’s go then, lead the way.’ He spoke sharply, like the tip of a spear, almost commanding. Zecora was the first to have left, as she trusted him and Spike to return home without any trouble. Zecora bid farewell to them, and promised Spike to bring the potions herself tomorrow. Spike really wanted to bring them to Twilight alone, however, Zecora instructed him to focus on making the town more hospitable to their newest guest. The Great Mage was surprised that the Dragon actually lived among the ponies, in a town like a civilized being. New to this, he’d accepted it with open arms, seeking a chance to learn something about dragons, even when the one he was walking with was special in all of Ardania. The cutie mark crusaders forgot about their mission and left it for another time to ask Zecora for help. It only came out after Spike started this topic, the Great Mage added some fuel to the fire that started, by questioning their actions and logic behind it. In the end, the trio got scolded respectfully by the Great Mage. Spike, who was the main character in this conversation, got overthrown by the stubbornness with which the Great Mage pushed on, shaping it further. Scootaloo, the most rebellious, taking after Rainbow Dash the most, didn’t even look at him. Morning Dew remained silent, with his head hanging low, while he stared at the soil beneath his hooves. He agreed with everything the Great Mage said, even if he didn’t voice it. The Great Mage wasn’t all that great at phrasing everything beautifully, but he wasn’t bad at doing it either, and it was clear to them, but the sense and power behind the relatable examples and arguments were enough. He spoke hardly, steadily, but without hostility. Like a lecturer, with whom students disagreed, that spoke with such adamant certainty in his voice, the students succumbed. He understood the good intentions and made it clear by stating it, and showing that their thinking wasn’t bad all the way, that the core of all this was right, only the execution was wrong. That they were too sure, too hasty, and most importantly, not as pessimistic and skeptical as they should about their decision. “I think you get the lesson. You made a mistake, that’s everyone’s right and there are consequences which are the punishment. This is only for you to remember you should learn from it, it’s an obligation you have. “ As he finished talking, they stepped out of the forest. The sun blinded him briefly, before his eyesight improved, getting accustomed to the light. Before his eyes laid a sweet town, with many homes that were scattered all around, a comfortable distance separated them from each other giving more privacy. A rocky road connected everything closer to the center with more unique in design buildings presenting themselves in contrast to the simple wooden homes. In the middle, there was what he suspected to be the town hall. It was round, short wide steps lead to it from four sides, and it was wooden, like most buildings. If any mage happened to rule this town, surely he’d build himself a tower-like structure, which the town hall resembled. He wasn’t sure, it may have been the light, but the windows appeared to be pink. A thin river flowed through the town, and three simple arched bridges went over it in total. Up the hill, in the distance, there was a large structure, resembling something similar to a large governor’s mansion or perhaps small militia barracks. There was a red cross on a post sign on a white background just before the building. His eyes landed on a crystal structure. It reflected the light and a lens flare shone brightly in their direction, making it impossible to fully examine it visually. He was impressed the town possessed something like that, resting on an island mind you! A rich bridge led to the island and there on it, he saw what appeared to be a camp filled with tents. “Spike,” He asked and got the Dragon’s attention “ Who lives there?” “ Princess Twilight Sparkle. “ “ Princess? “ He put extra emphasis on the word. “Don’t worry! She’s a very nice pony! “ Apple Bloom replied. “Yeah! And we know her personally, she’s a friend of ours and best friend of our sisters!” Sweetie Belle stepped right beside Apple Bloom. “And my sort of, almost, as if actually real sister-idol Rainbow Dash too!” Scootaloo then joined them. He looked towards Spike “ She rules over you?” “Co-rules, actually” “The Prince and Princess are equal to one another? “ Spike threw his hands up “No, no, no! There’s no Prince...yet, and probably for a long time there won’t be-” He put a talon up his chin thinking “ -but that’s beside the point! There are three, well, two practically, who rule with her and are her mentors.” “She’s equal, de jure, with her mentors?” “People who by definition, must be above in the hierarchy. “ He finished the rest in his head. “Yes, but from what I know, customary law says she’s not. I’m not sure about this, it’s complicated.” “If one Princess is in this village, then where are the other two you mentioned?” Spike, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle all pointed to the northeast of where they stood and mutually, like choir they said: “In Canterlot.” Following with his eyes towards where they pointed, he felt his current believes crumble to pieces. There, high up a lonely white mountain, was a great city, with a palace of untold size. The city hang onto the mountain by magic or was built with the use of special materials, as there was no way it would simply rest like a bee nest on a tree. The whole midpoint was covered by homes, skyscrapers, and large structures with towers. The wind carried the smoke from the chimneys in the opposite direction in relation to the side the city was convex. The top of the mountain was covered by white, snow which probably never melted. A river flowed from the mountain, with dozens of waterfalls forming one big artery where the city started. The small hills ahead made it impossible for him to see where else it spread, as definitely one branch made it through Ponyvile, which was probably the nearest village to the city. “Since you’re in Equestria, in the heart of it, you should know this.” Equestria? No, this wasn’t Ardania, definitely not. The city was too grand to be placed on a single world shard...Canterlot, judging by its size and the fact two major Princesses resided there, was the capital. He’d know of this. It’s foolishness to try and fight with this, he was alone on a different planet. His chest began to grow heavier, his mouth became dry, and just as the first thoughts formed in his mind, he began to sweat. His heart rate increased right beside the symptoms. Anxiety was something he experienced, but with time, less and less, to the point, it became almost exclusive to special situations, which in the context of what he dealt with every day, were almost non-existent. This situation in which he found himself was different. He already had a suspicion when he first saw himself in changed form, and once again when he saw them. He trusted Tal Kalessil and the Dragon Queen, so he didn’t let it climb his head. Both of them couldn’t have made a mistake! He swallowed hardly, and for the last time, with great doubt in heart, he devoted himself to hope, that Ardania was beside the corner, and all he needed was to find a portal. Even if it’s pointless to believe otherwise, at least he can hold his frustration from this turn of events in check. There’s always a problem! Fate must always find a way to sprinkle salt on his wounds and weak spots. In case of lack such of, create them. He let out a tired palpitating sigh. In the worst case, he’ll be late, to put it bluntly. The Great Mages will cement their influence firmly and better than if he were with them. Maybe - he isn’t Miralbus and lacks charisma - with the aid of this...Colorful and anthropomorphic horseland, he will come out victorious in the scramble for Ardania after defeating the United One together with the other Great Mages first. Before he’d do anything stupid and reveal himself, announcing his great and powerful self, - that’s the most selfish, self-promoting act by default linked to being a Great Mage - that probably would result in political suicide, he must know if this land doesn’t know of or knows of Ardania, and the situation on her. It’d be wise to learn a few things about this land as well. The inhabitants here, he anticipated, considering an already established monarchical rule and tied to it culture, would unkindly treat anyone who’d be willing to seize any control or secure any influence. Secondly, he must drop his previous tactic and approach. He needs to adapt to new situations and environments and create a new strategy in accordance with the factors that make them. He’ll have nobody to point out the similarities in what he’ll compose anew with what he already followed, which will naturally form. He isn’t free from thinking that what already worked probably still will. What he was sure of as of right now, was that he had a prize to get, and fundaments to lay and he already had the means, Spike and the Princess’s friends he saved. Among this unluck, fortune still flirted with him...He has to use this moment of opportunity to his advantage by any means necessary. “Well then, lead the way.” He said cheerfully with more enthusiasm in his voice, receiving a glad look on their faces. Those favors will not get claimed and added to his account by themselves. Author's Note And welcome back! I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. I know that the simple way of phrasing might be boring, or that I am too dull to read, nonetheless, thanks to all the people who appreciate my work. It's for fun, and it makes me proud to know that somehow I made some dude who knows English perfectly read this shit and that person thinks about coming back after finishing the chapter. You people are just crazy. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. 6: PonyvileIn a blink of an eye, the six of them found themselves at the doorstep of Ponyville. Morning Dew split away from their group as they came into town and said his goodbye with a bitter and morose tone to a surprise everypony around. The others didn’t protest and let him go back home. Everypony in Ponyville knew of Spike and of the three fillies which were walking ahead of the Great Mage, separated by an arm’s reach from one another. Nonetheless, they had to cope with the gaze of everypony around as if they were someponys’ other than themselves. The four familiar to the town younglings were at the center of attention because of the guest they had brought with them. Everypony looked at the new character who entered the town. Who could blame them? His eccentric look sparked the interest of Zecora and Spike earlier, and the citizens of Ponyville were no different. The mane, the posture, the unordinary horn, which all spoke of non-pony ancestry, was like a magnet for their attention. The citizens knew he was equine, or at least mixed, unorthodoxy which composed the core of his otherness played a major role as to why everyone looked their way. Other species? Normal! The world is large, who knows what hides out there... but to meet a different equine race hardly anypony knows the name of challenged the knowledge of everypony looking. Then there was the other, special for Ponyville element that co-shaped the mentality of the villagers. The fact that bad stuff tends to happen together with something new appearing in town; A body can take shots of different drugs and chemicals, and with the injections, the body builds tolerance, but there are points where there's just too much. Fear sowed the thought that it might be it this time. A sudden feeling of shame drowned and stifled the majority’s presupposition and arising from it slowly hostility against the stranger. The ponies remembered who lived with them in this town. The beautiful sparkling glow of the Castle of Friendship disciplined their minds and hearts as many ponies looked its way after their refreshing second thought. So, as well the Great Mage had his own opinion on the town and the villagers which gave him unwanted attention. The Great Mage put himself in comparison to the inhabitants of the small city. How could he not receive stares, while towering over most? If he was like them, a Pony and not something different, whatever he was, he could endure it. To blend in with the locals was impossible, no society would accept such an oddball relatively quickly, and he had practical proof from the past to be sure of this. Any try would end up the same way a proposition to an Elf to marry a Goblin. Very fucking bad. When his eyes went over the colorful populace, they quickly went back to doing whatever they were occupied with as he walked by. This told him that he was not seen as someone hostile, they were curious. He felt awkward among the sentient multicolored Ponies. He still couldn’t believe that what he was witnessing was true. But it was not due to being surrounded by individuals belonging to a different species, he was accustomed to that already, the guilt for that laid in the hands of the radiating welcoming atmosphere and candy-like smell in the air. It wasn’t too invading, or insisting to the point of summoning the feeling of skepticism to doubt what he saw, it was gentle. This discomfort originated from his own, already adjusted for the invasion he was about to take part in, mindset. He marched for war, he was prepared to face a deadly conflict, his guidance would lead many to die in hopes for victory. It took serious mental preparations, although not intended directly, but subconsciously, he knew he mustn’t discard that attitude. The land of the ponies was at peace and lived through its time of prosperity and progress, from what he could guess, seeing that none of the ponies seemed to look poor or badly nourished, unhappy or even stressed. Happiness spread from one corner of the city to the other, with the sunlight shining at the clean city and making it so the town shimmered in its lively colors, as if it itself was living a life. The Great Mage couldn’t but also feel light while surrounded by the cozy mood that the town created. While traversing the city, the four of them saw three guards carrying halberds, wearing their armor with pride. They belonged to the regiment which was dispatched to protect Twilight and were currently using the moment to spend time in the town while on their patrolling duty. Their coats were painted white, telling everyone but the Great Mage that the three soldiers followed tradition. They looked towards Spike, recognizing him and the three fillies, which almost everypony in town heard of already. The guards eyed the stranger, their heads moved up little by little as the five came closer in order to look straight into the eyes of the - unknown to them - Great Mage. Spike, seeing that he could use his own privileges, which happened rarely, didn’t want to waste the opportunity. They came up, and the Guards had to turn their way fully, especially to greet Spike the dragon, the advisor to Princess Twilight. The Great Mage took his time and put the effort in trying not to chuckle at the brass layered armors of the guards which looked as if made from gold. They were stylish and fit them elegantly, as they were made from many small parts and plates which allowed for mobility but required more effort to equip. The crests were made from the manes of the guards which stuck out by the looks of it and had to be held upward by some hair product. Before the time came to engage in a conversation the Great Mage spoke, still a fine distance away “ Why are we going towards them?” “I was wondering too” Scootaloo followed. “Me as well” Sweetie Belle reinforced the two. “Same with me” Apple Bloom ended. “Don’t worry, it’s mainly about them” Spike said and looked at the cutie mark crusaders. “What?” They spoke in unison. “I must report to Twilight what happened, and making her summon Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack to the castle, because it’s inevitable considering what occurred, just so that the three of you can get a lecture from both her and them is something I think you’d gladly avoid and just deal with each one separately. I’m more than sure you got your lesson already. ” “And you want to send them away to their sisters with one of them?” “Yes, as a reminder not to hide it from them.” “We wouldn’t dare!” Scootaloo protested. “I doubt that” Spike retorted. Eventually, they came close enough and the guards hailed them. “Is something wrong?” The one to the left asked. “No, but I’d like to ask a favor.” The three of them looked at Spike with slightly squinted eyes, giving him an insightful and hopeful look while their brows formed perfect aces. The Great Mage knew this look, showing the fake hunger to help, a virtue calling aspect of fake vocation to perform an altruistic deed - These guards were professional ass-lickers that saw a chance to gain something by helping out Spike. Even here, in a free from war exhaustion land that breathes with what seemed to be pure harmony, creating almost an ideal Arcadian landscape, the devious and abhorred elements of the world make themselves known. For the Great Mage it was refreshing seeing something he had to deal with every day, any familiarity with his home soothed his nerves and was plainly good if it even was right and decent to call something as negative that word. “What is it? We’ll help gladly!” The colleagues besides nodded “I need Scootaloo” Spike faced her, “Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle” he did the same when he mentioned them “ Escorted back home” “No problem! We know who - “ The soldier looked at Apple Bloom and reconsidered what he was about to say “ - their guardians are.” The Great Mage’s ears moved slightly downwards without his knowledge of it happening as he heard the word, giving the fillis an honest, wistful look. “Who doesn’t.” Spike commented, “What are your names by the way?” The one speaking constantly answered first “I’m elder private Curt Canter” The Great Mage tilted his head when he heard the name. “And this is private Solid Crystal and Heavy Swing” The Great Mage found himself lost on the way to understand the way names work in this world and how Ponies give them. Intuition told him nothing, and he had no books to get knowledge from. Apple Bloom was related to Applejack, and indeed, her coat and mane resembled the colors of specific apples, and her sister also had the fruit referenced in her name. Sweetie Belle and Rarity had nothing in common, other than perhaps that barely ever anyone who could be described in their adulthood as a sweetie belle, would be born which ties itself with rarity. “I’ll try and remember you guys.” Spike looked at the Cutie Mark Crusaders “ Until next time!” They parted with a quick hug. The CMC turned towards the Great Mage and thanked him once more, as they went their ways with each guard, before of course also group hugging themselves, they waved back and the Great Mage responded the same way, choosing to be kind but remaining modest and ending it quickly. Spike and he headed towards the castle. The Great Mage still was the major attraction in town, as each new part of the city was discovered by him. The homes closer to the Palace seemed older and weren’t as well cared for. The wood at the bases or under the sticking-out roofs was rotten, while vines and plants grew maliciously around the houses and some climbed up all the way to the windows. Others had pieces falling off them, leaving nasty holes of grey concrete bear to see or the gutters were touched by rust and were close to falling off. The Great Mage frowned at the sight of this, not because of the conditions, but because this esthetical sacrilege was allowed so near the crystal palace! But what did he expect? Nobility to care? Some do, rarely, but nobility itself was nothing more but locust, a fake bourgeois class with privileges. They eventually approached the bridge, which made a great impression upon the Great Mage. Two guards were stationed to protect the entrance. Seeing somepony important coming, like mayor mare, didn't require any special procedures unless there was somepony accompanying the special individual. Spike, other than living in the castle, which didn’t release anypony from the obligation to be checked by the fact they lived there, was Twilight’s right-hand pony...Dragon. The instructions were always unclear about him, and what should they do when Spike comes with somepony foreign. Why should they question the decision of one of the closest to Twilight members of the castle? On the other hand, Spike was susceptible to committing errors as he still was just a growing Dragon. This time, they couldn’t be liberal about it. The guards never saw a creature the looks of which were so equine but also so dissident. “Stop!” Spike was startled by the reaction, the Great Mage suspected it would happen. Insofar the Ponies have organized themselves well in his eyes, it’d be a shame if they were as clumsy as to allow a complete stranger into the castle without any interference. The number of guards at the entrance, which was two, plus the campsite he could see, which was relatively alright in size, was still not enough for his taste. Either the Princess didn’t care for safety or this land has not been at war for a long enough period to drop the idea of investing into walls. “ No! He’s a good guy! There’s no need for a check-up.” One of the guards, with a bronze coat and grey-blue mane, responded “I’m sorry, sir Spike, but procedures exist for a reason. “ He turned towards the Great Mage “ Your companion doesn’t have to be worried if there is nothing to hide. ”He spoke gently and without any hostility in his voice, making it a sign of goodwill. The Great Mage put his brow up at the last words. Again, something familiar and relatable, and what many would describe as tyrannical, introduced itself to him in this world. Maybe it’s not as good as it looks...But this digression was meaningless without more knowledge, he focused back on reality. He used this argument many times before as well, and many before him and after him will as well say it, directly or not. With the difference that he was trying to be as close as he could be to the people whom he made the guarantee to. Many opportunities to root out potential enemies were lost as he kept this promise, trying to create the image of an honest state official. The balance turned to be positive most of the time in the long run, as long as he was honest and kept the promise. He wondered if the Ponies keep their word or use it just as a simple brutal tool. “It's alright, do what you must.” The Great Mage spoke calmly. It was pointless to start any fuss around this. The guardpony called for his colleague who was a unicorn. He approached swiftly and placed his halberd on the butt of the pole. The weapon stood in place perfectly, held by magic, as a faint disseminating aura of the metaphysical force hovered around the weapon visible only to experts. This triggered a thought while the unicorn prepared to cast a surveillance spell. “Why would anyone want to spend time and effort to do that on a halberd?” The unicorn cast his spell, bright azure light, with stripes of gold and lanky stripes of bright red, almost pink, enveloped the whole body of the Great Mage, a chilly feeling from the tip of his head to the bottom of his feet swallowed the whole of him, taking him by a small surprise. Spike watched and waited, while the two guards observed the Great Mage with gimlet eyes. The spell wasn’t in any way advanced, but it was strong while remaining still in the range of average spells. The sound was quick and organized but also harsh but not loud. The smooth texture of magic told him the spell was stable. Since it required some time to cast, he knew that the spell probably also possessed intelligence, meaning it did a few tasks at once to achieve the purpose for which it was made, to name a couple: The wavy manner of how the magic around him swirled tried to find enchantments on him, the chilly sensation worked like a nullifying type spell etc. “Not bad” The Great Mage was liberated from the mildly cold feeling as the spell disintegrated, leaving him the way he was before it was cast. The guard ponies nodded and stepped aside, giving them a clear message that they could go into the castle. “Welcome to Princess Twilight’s Castle. “ Spike and the Great Mage without haste walked the bridge, while on the way, Spike and the Great Mage started a conversation. “So, why did you start traveling?” The Great Mage anticipated he’d have to answer this question sooner or later, but there was no need to worry. In such a case, it's best to use a book, an already-read story by a good writer as a foundation for a fake identity. A lie may be hard to improve with time the more frequently new parts and information are added to it. However… The Great Mage turned towards Spike. A second passed, and he already had the answer prepared in his mind. The unique circumstances in which he found himself in and the reasons as unique as the ones for why he was here, made him rethink his position. His stay here will last some time no doubt. If he’ll have to reveal his identity, it’d be best to also feature some truth in his fake self’s identity to show he was trusting and play it diplomatically. Besides, there’s no better story than one’s own to tell. “I was looking for a new place to stay while seeking some adventures along the route.“ “Did something happen that forced you to do it or was it simply because of a need to travel?” “Some family issues played a role in it and the place where I lived itself was…” He stopped, and gave Spike a questionable look “...Unfriendly” Spike turned sad when he heard what the Great Mage said: “Sorry to hear that, but if it helped you, then there’s reason to celebrate.” He said with a soulful tone at first but his mood got brighter at the end. The Mage felt bleak, recognizing some of the traits that Spike possessed after the response: kindness, integrity, and possessing large amounts of empathy. These tenets were probably the reason why Spike was discarded as an unhealthy egg. Dragons were intelligent even if they were rather feral, not much is known, but the fact they could sense weakness before the hatching was a popular theory among scholars. “Yeah it did, it built my character, in good and probably bad ways as well.” “I’m sure more for the good side, you risked your life back there in the Everfree Forest.” The complement was taken by the mage without bitter feelings. To count how many times his egoistic or sinister actions were taken as a token of a golden heart, to make him immune to not to feel like a fish out of water, was impossible due to the sheer number. He did it for both pure gain, because of his mission and lastly because of his duty to help. If it endangered his return back to Ardania to help the invasion, he wouldn’t have done it. “Thanks, Spike” With that, they appeared before the large doors that lead inside the castle. The Great Mage took notice that the castle from a distance looked slightly less large than it really is. Spike in the meantime took one of the brass rings of the gate, and knocked on the doors. One of the guards opened them for him and the Great Mage. The guards weren’t surprised or seemed to care to see someone new, as it wasn’t their business. The Great Mage followed Spike inside, and as soon as the doors closed behind the Great Mage was shaken by the beauty of the interior. The floor was clean and shining, the surface was straight and even, working like a mirror which allowed him to see his reflection. On the floor before him, from where the stairs started all the way up to the doors laid a carpet, with the color scheme similar to that of the inside. The stairs which led upwards were decorated with various ornaments, as were the pillars holding the roof, windows and the walls inside. The imagery of flowers, chaotic in design, but made from beautiful and esthetic lines decorated the walls in mesmerizing patterns. The lamps were made from brass to look like they were golden, if not actually gold, designed to be quirky and almost resembling calligraphy in looks. “Your Princess has a stunningly beautiful castle to live in. To say it's majestic, would be not a basic compliment like many people tend to say to each other, but stating a fact. “ “People?” Spike repeated in his thoughts. “Canterlot has a lot of equally beautiful places, Las Pegasus, Cloudsdale, Manehattan etc. as well. You might wanna visit these cities.” The Great Mage turned towards him and answered half truthfully “I’ll see to it.” Without the need to mention it, the Great Mage followed the Dragon, towards where Princess Twilight probably resided. The Great Mage allowed himself to eulogize over the interior as they moved onward. It was beautiful, but also costly. Maintenance alone must cost a fortune. This is why he disliked nobility with his whole heart. So much could have been built or done if the money spent on this was in the hands of people like himself, - as much as selfish as it sounds it was simply true. The two of them walked through a large portion of the castle, but the Great Mage had no chance to view most of the rooms they passed by. In the end, their tour ended in the meeting chamber where the Cutie Map laid. Spike called Twilight by name, yelling her name after he couldn't find her anywhere else. The Great Mage was blindsided by that. Even when you are friends with someone above you, for the sake of showing respect before the guest, and to honor the person acting as the monarch, and the title, or office, proper etiquette must be followed strictly. How is a monarch, or anyone in that matter, supposed to have any authority and be respected by others if the ponies will see this? The Great Mage has gotten infuriated by the brazen action, but he didn’t put much value to it, and let it go at once settling his short-lived aggravation to rest. It was just a comment, a mental note. He’s seen worse around himself by his own staff. He approached the Cutie Map, which was just a crystal table in his eyes. He felt a great deal of magic coming out from the Cutie Map. He brushed the top of his fingers along the crystal edge, feeling the raw, pure, abysmal but peaceful in its behavior magic. The edge was smooth and not in any way sharp. “ Just what are you? ‘ In his tower, from where he prepared to cast powerful spells, some of which bend the laws of nature under magical pressure, he used many tools and enchanted furniture or spellcasting equipment - like his lost spear - and this, he theorized, served a similar purpose. The large crystal seats around, each with its own emblem at the top of the backrest, probably were reserved for other mages, which were probably unicorns, but it might be there are normal ponies and pegasuses which also have magical abilities. The chamber was small considering its an important role, it was located in the castle and close to homes. The princess was playing a risky enough game, to call it idiotic. “Spike?” The Great Mage turned toward the large entrance he and Spike came through, as he heard a young female voice, sweet in texture and tone. The mage took a humble stance and prepared to meet the princess. Usually, an encounter with a noble ended unwell for the noble, but this time, he was the one who was in an inferior position. He didn’t have to wait long. Princess Twilight walked into the chamber with a hasty pace, looking happy at first, since her eyes were aiming at Spike. She was wearing a loose, for his taste, outfit which looked formal and rather comfortable. Her flared pants had an interesting design, he guessed it must have been custom-tailored, as the material folded in such a way that it resembled a skirt. The Great Mage’s presence however couldn’t be ignored, and her smile turned into a concerned and surprised look as she was taken back by noticing him standing about three meters away from Spike. Now that their gazes locked, he could examine her face. He didn’t see anything extraordinary, but the color of her fur which was brighter and ebullient compared to his own grim lavender shade. His senses remained human, and although he could see some esthetic value in her facial structure, his reaction was the same he’d have when looking at an ordinary equine. Of course, there was unorthodoxy, as her muzzle wasn’t as feral but more round due to her head being almost human-sized and her muzzle was in scale matched to it. He had to give it to her, that she possessed good proportions. This made her seem to look more human than animal. Her cheeks were chubby by a margin, and she had hard to notice bags under her eyes. Her big eyes, dark lavender in color, were giving him an optimistic but cautious and researching stare. Her fringe rested on her forehead, her mane was in good condition, mostly navy blue with a stripe of lavender and a thin stripe of purple right beside it. Her fringe ended right before her eyebrows which he was able to describe as persuading. Her humanoid body didn’t summon any reaction from him. She was a C coup, and her clothing didn’t allow him to see how thick her thighs and waistline were. Her tail was almost reaching the floor, and he disliked that, as he couldn’t possibly see any practicality in it being this long. “Spike” She spoke without worry, but with interest as she squinted her eyes. “Who is this?” The Great Mage has awaited the moment, the Dragon has forgotten to ask him for his name, and the situation would evolve poorly for the small fellow who probably just realized his mistake. He wasn't mad at the little Dragon, Spike was kind to him, the Great Mage was known for being rather understanding, right next to his instrumental use of, what is called almost always, last resort means. The names of the ponies consisted of a noun and adjective, or it was a verb or activity. Searching for something he could use as a starting point, he saw that the chamber in which he stood was well lit, without much source of light being in the chamber itself. This, and the fact a powerful magical object was in the chamber, gave him the necessary inspiration...This will be silly. “My name is...Arcane Shine.” The Great Mage announced genially, as he prepared to bow. “No no no no no” Twilight stopped him “No need for bowing “ She let out a sheepish chuckle. “You probably already know, but my name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess, co-ruler of Equestria.” She offered him her hand, reaching for a handshake. The Great Mage was puzzled, but due to this kind gesture, he started to see her more positively. She was fresh, she had no real experience, it was clear as day, she was barely a noble. Yet, his experience warned him about Twilight, she had more to offer than it looked. This fact made her instantly a likable person. Spike was standing and smiling awkwardly as a drop of sweat went down his head, while a blush spread across his face. He had to come to his senses as Twilight spoke to him. “Can you tell me why you decided to bring a guest into the castle? ” Spike scratched the back of his head “Well, how should I start…” Author's Note When taking into account what you're about to tell her, I suggest we leave it for the next chapter, Spike. And welcome back! I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. I know that the simple way of phrasing might be boring, or that I am too dull to read, nonetheless, thanks to all the people who appreciate my work. It's for fun, and it makes me proud to know that somehow I made some dude who knows English perfectly read this shit and that person thinks about coming back after finishing the chapter. You people are just crazy. Please have in mind the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. 7: What happened was...Twilight sat aghast on her crystal seat, her angelic wings were taut as if her body instinctively wanted to take into the air and escape. Her head, rested on her palm, while her elbow was situated on the Cutie Map. She was looking intently at Spike with wobbly eyes, her lips were tightly shut and looked thinner than they really were. She was devouring him with her focused, dead silent gaze, she didn’t even bother to blink. Her features looked like they were almost soaking wet, as her lavender coat seemed smooth and polished, giving a genuine shine in the light coming off the lamps, as if she had used an awful lot of cheap face powder. The Great Mage stood nearby, with one of his legs crossed, supporting himself with his left hand that he placed on the top of the backseat of one of the crystal seats. He listened attentively to Spike who told Princess Twilight of what happened in the Everfree forest. He observed Twilight discreetly, not get her attention, and thoroughly, analyzing her posture, her charming expression of a weird sister-like love he saw in her judgmental frown. Things like: being surprised by the appearance of a Treeman, which indicated they’re not common in this world, or that she was concerned about Spike’s wellbeing and ran a few scenarios of how it could have ended badly for him and for the three fillies who are relatives to her close friends were obvious concerns. He exiled these topics from his train of thought. Spike’s head hung low, but his eyes were looking straight at Twilight. The Great Mage regularly revolved around contact with people, his experience allowed him to differentiate fear from worry or, like in this case, the already mentioned form of pliancy visible in the submissive demeanor of Spikes behavior, as the Dragon had his hands close to the sides and nervously played with or moved with his fingers. Spike was visibly stressed, but he didn’t show fear, only humble acceptance of defeat, but why, the Great Mage didn’t know. When Spike finally came to describe the moment when they encountered the Treeman, and before that how he and Zecora heard the Cutie Mark Crusaders scream, Twilight has changed her whole appearance. She squinted her eyes by a small margin, her ruthless stoic stare transformed into a kind and inquisitive look, while she covered her mouth with her hand with her thumb placed under her chin. Her posture still created an earnest atmosphere in the room, but the cold tension in the air was no more, replaced by serene warmth. “That’s when Arcane Shine showed up…” Twilight turned her head lighting fast towards him. “How did you know?” She asked quietly. “I heard them scream, I was fairly close to them while it happened, I quickly dropped the stuff that I carried, but it fell into a narrow creek I was just passing by.” Twilight, opened her mouth to respond, she didn’t appear much awe-struck like moments before, however, the Princess tilted her head, and raised her eyebrow drilling through him with a suspicious glance. “ But “ She started off with a strong tone “ You must have spotted long before the changing environment under the lunar Treeman’s influence. Why did you decide to forge ahead?” she voiced her question. His heart rate increased. This uncomfortable question invoked some amusement in him, because of the challenge that came with it. The Princess showed she was not only caring, but also rather clever. He anticipated she had more to herself and he was right. Fortunately for him, the question she asked was easily manageable to dodge without the support of eristics. “As I said, your highness “ He spoke with respect, but he wished he could spare himself using this salutation “I was close to them “ He lied, knowing well, he encountered it far earlier “ And from what Spike told you, he and your mutual friend, Zecora, also encountered the altered environment close to the spot where it was.” Before Twilight could counter, Spike jumped in with a powerful “ That’s right. “ Twilight swiveled her head and glanced at Spike, then looked back at Arcane Shine, this time, unsure herself what to say. “Your highness” The Great Mage spoke lovingly, raising or lowering his tone according to need, with an innocent but serious look in his eyes, while his voice was all but mischievous. He gained her attention, as Twilight brightened up as he addressed her “I didn’t know, that it was a Treeman!” He asserted, putting feelings into the message. He spoke directly to her, showing some aggravation, but not to be rude, not to show he was insulted and make her believe he saw her question as a form of accusation, that what transpired was because of him. No, that’d be preposterous and worthy of paranoid freak. He poured emotions into his style of speaking and enhanced his presentation by carrying out simple hand gestures. Being a politician and leader for even half a year is worth five years of schooling on how to be an actor. “How should I have known?” He asked, making it sound as simple as he could. There was a brief moment of silence. Spike was leaping from Twilight back to Arcane Shine with his eyes and repeated it a few more times more. He wanted to speak his mind, sensing that the moment was right, he gathered the courage to break the silence. “It probably sensed them being nearby and woke up from sleep.” The Great Mage saw a chance for himself in this line of thinking, so he asked in advance before Twilight could “What makes you think that? “ “The four of them together would have had noticed something was off as well. Don’t you think? They’re not stupid. Far from it to be honest”. Twilight nodded, barely the both of them noticed “Well, they do look like normal trees when they aren’t active from what we know…Not enough time passed for it to spread” She guessed, looking at the floor while speaking. Perfect. Without much effort put into it, she created an answer to her question herself. The argument was one-sided before it began. The Treeman was walking towards where Spike and Zecora came from while chasing the fillies, and from the information, he got from the three fillies while he was escorted to Ponyvile, they were walking its previous path by mistake. There was no chance for it to contaminate the environment with its lunar (based on the word Twilight used) influence when it even wasn’t looking that way anyway. “If it’s still there, it poses a threat to Ponyvile!” Twilight stated sturdily, her voice already losing its stable texture, a smidge of panic was disclosable in her voice. “I need to inform the unicorn corp about it.” She murmured loud enough for them to hear. “Your highness.” Arcane Shine again got her attention, only because he spoke boomingly. “There’s nothing to be worried about. We defeated it.” He said with a slow drawl. She focused her gaze on him. “Wait what?” she asked puzzled, with her mouth slightly open as her ears stood erect. “It’s dead, your highness-” He wanted to continue, but Twilight cut him off. “You fought with the Treeman?!” She looked at Spike “Have you thought about the consequences?! The risk?!” Spike knew, that responding truthfully would endanger Arcane Shine, who made the decision to fight, however, after first protesting him, a moment later, he too agreed to take part in it… The Great Mage on the other hand decided not to admit he was the one who proposed the solution. Why would he, if he can avoid taking the blame solely on himself? Spike and Zecora will account for it with him, when Twilight will believe it was one-minded. Being on Twilight’s good side was a top priority at the moment. He didn’t know that Spike complied with that idea, and this made his narration go smoother. Twilight focused herself on Spike, as he was the most important therefore her concern lead to her being frank with him, to turn this conversation into a lesson, to never expose himself to danger like he just did. This opportunity to miss the first shot was like a blessing of Agrela. “We” The Great Mage began“ Agreed to fight rather than run.” The Great Mage kept his elegant way of speaking. “Because?” Twilight asked not as angrily but composed, but she spoke at a high volume and keeping up an irked manner. “The Treeman was strangely not as strong as one might have expected.” With this he turned to Spike, Twilight turned his way too, not sure what this meant. Spike got the gist “When we charged, he blasted the monster with a powerful, magical projectile...A portion of its chest was gone.” He said, amazed as much as when he saw it. Twilight now started to settle her nerves down, as she slowly understood the first, probably prime reason for making the decision. She didn’t expect Arcane Shine to possess such strength. This alone spoke of talent. Against a treeman? Twilight gave him a glance, especially at his horn. She hastily performed the action, as staring at some pony’s horn was plainly unpolite and blunt, in some circles, even seen as perverted. It was big and thick, long and curved, but not too sharp on the edges, nonetheless, it was a sign of power and health in equestrian society. Most importantly, it was a symbol of possessing natural proficiency in the control of magic. She didn’t see the spell with her own eyes, she wishes she had. From Spike’s description, it probably was advanced, either light lance or advanced magic beam-type spell but not wrought to the end, if not that then Arcane Shine used pure magic to create a simple in composition powerful attack. It was an ad-lib shot.The need to focus played the first violin in a task like that, let alone magical reserves and an able horn to execute it. There were unicorns with much power but born with unsuited-for-extreme conditions horns that didn’t allow the unicorns to match it with theirs vigor. Vice-versa as well. “Two Fireballs were not enough to harm it, but it kept it away for some time, which he too cast while we fought it before even the idea to defeat it appeared in anypony’s mind.“ Fireball was a basic offensive spell never taught in schools of any kind other than the ones responsible for the training of uniformed services (military, police, special units regarding the defense of public officials, etc ) special schools for unicorns (like her old school ran by Celestia) and universities. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for the likes of Arcane Shine to know this spell, as he seems not to come from Equestria, judging by his looks. The local black market even in Equestria sells books regarding the art of offensive spells almost everywhere, she leaned towards the option he knows it a long time now, and probably he has learned it with the help of illegal channels, although, she could be mistaken. Twilight now perceived Arcane Shine differently. He was a stranger, worst of all a skilled one, able to cast dangerous spells... The Great Mage read it from Twilights expression, seeing a cagey spark in her eyes. Attention was the last thing he wanted for now “Zecoras potions were incredible in stunning it. Her help was essential in its defeat” The mentioning of Zecora’s special potions triggered Twilight’s memory to tingle. Another problem! Of course, if she didn’t have enough already! To Tartarus with the potions, she’ll get them tomorrow. Now, she had other troubles on her mind. “How did you kill it?” She uncomfortably said the word, as she articulated it softly. Spike knew what was coming. His soul wanted to escape his body. “I walked up to it.” Twilight’s irises shrank rapidly as her ears registered what he said. “Breathed fire on it.” Twilight, was no more. “Arcane Shine approached it and wielded my fire through magic. “ She oddly remained silent. At this point, she’d already fallen into a rabbit hole of uncontrollable ire, throwing millions of arguments starting with: do you have any idea.... “And incinerated it. “ Twilight sighed tiredly, rubbing her forehead and messaging her head that way. She sat back down, her tense body wasn’t as “boxy” but breezy. “Did you...Hurt yourself?” She susurrus softly, without anger, without judgment. Spike, as well as the Great Mage, were confounded. They expected violent eruptions of emotions, all coming from her worries, goodwill, and honest concerns for his well-being and health. “No” “Did, anypony get hurt whatsoever?” Her voice was returning to normality. Here, the Great Mage allowed himself to step in “Yes” He as well spoke softly, it befitted the situation. “Was it you?” “I was hit but I didn’t suffer injuries” He confidently intimated, to make sure she gets the message. “One of the fillies...” Twilight’s mood worsened, her eyes turned sadder. The Great mage had to pause, holding his breath in, he felt an itch in both his chest and throat, soon it leads to the fallout in the form of burning. He was used to it happening, even in this flurried state he was able to function rationally, so he brushed it off as lightly as it came. “Apple Bloom, her name was, she got an injury on her leg, but it was insignificant, although it was taken as a serious wound. I healed her with the use of magic” Twilight nodded, her eyes pinned to his, a spark of burning passion was hidden deep in them. She lowered her gaze and took a small breath in. She stood up, and twisted her head to Spike. “We’ll talk later some more ” She informed him, with a weak smile. In a laborious manner, she rotated her head back to her guest, towards Arcane Shine. There, he saw a sweet friendly face looking at him in a sincere friendly fashion. Tired, still living the story told to her with miserable details. “Thank you.” She paused, gathered her thoughts, and continued, “With my whole heart, thank you” Her words were like half whispers,” I’ll make sure you’ll be treated well if you decide to stay. “ He looked at her, as intently as she looked at him. There was mistrust, and she held it tightly, he sensed it. Even after his feat of saving Spike, who by the looks of it, is very close to her, she still had something against him. This constant skepticism in the form of mistrust, or maybe a pinch of inbuilt into the mind of every being xenophobia, was something he had to praise her for. Call him stupid for praising what clearly works against him, but out of respect to the characteristics any monarch should have, he had to address it, because that’s what was correct in his eyes. “For now, please, let me guide you to one of our guest rooms. I’ll try and make up for your noble deed for saving my friends and wanting to risk your own life for them. “ She took his hand, and with both of her hands, which were tiny compared to his, she grabbed his and shook it. He joined with his other one, and increased the pace. “ Thank you for your hospitality Prin-” “No,” She interrupted “You don’t have to,” The Great Mage looked at her joyfully abashed, he forgot himself, and let out a chuckle, only to stop himself as he realized his position. She looked at him with a straight face, preserving her sweetness while he couldn’t believe what he witnessed. “Me? A complete stranger to call you by name?” He answered after he recuperated. “You’re no stranger” came the truthful response. He tilted his head “Pardon?” “You saved Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scatoloo from potential death, and” She looked at Spike “ One of the closest to me friends I have” Her voice shivered “You are a friend of mine, and Applejack and Rarity as well. “ “Mine too” Spike walked up to them, looking at Arcane Shine, finding it hard due to his height. “Without you, Celestia knows what would have happened.” Celestia knows…Celestia was one of the Princesses as he recalled. He wondered what feats made her name become a saying. Twilight guided Arcane Shine to one of the guest rooms, separated by two hallways from her own bedroom. The stroll towards his new room was quick, they didn’t chat much along the way, keeping it relatively silent, with only the echoing sound of their hooves trotting on the crystal floor filling the empty space. Twilight had her own staff, that cleaned her castle, cooked for her, washed her clothes etc. The cook lived in the castle, but spend most of his time outside, while one maid took care of Twilight’s wearables, the maid lived in her own house, and came to work early in the morning to go home when the sun started to settle down. Spike went and notified the staff of Arcane Shine’s presence, leaving Twilight and him alone, while she opened the doors to his temporary apartment. It wasn’t stunning, it was fairly decent. A large round window was located exactly to the opposite of the door, with a large bed, freshly made (to his surprise) the bed was located along the right wall, with a wardrobe next to it. To the left of the room there were doors, probably leading to the bathroom. Next to them, there was a mirror, its angle was adjustable as it was installed in a richly bedecked framework from some very dark wood. Closeby stood a wide bookshelf filled with a few books, but not many, about twenty as the Great Mage assumed. A carpet that stretched from the bed to the left side covered the crystal floor. “A servant should have done this, not a princess.” She seemed unfazed “I’ve been told that many times before.” she said looking inside, but she flicked her eyes as she ended the sentence. “If I may ask” he succumbed to curiosity and questioned her gently “Why?” “I…” the tune of her voice was frail, it trembled “ I really am thankful for what you did.” She began touching the tips of her index fingers in a playful manner “It’s just that…” She held her breath “ If something would have happened to Spike, I would never forgive myself” Her voice rose to a higher pitch on the accents of each word. “I understand what you mean.” Arcane Shine laid his hand on her shoulder. Twilight looked up, their eyes linked. The pigmentation on her cheeks underwent a metamorphosis, as the saturation of her lavender shade turned brighter, pushing it towards redness. “She probably just realized how her overreaction looked like to me. ” It momentarily faded away, as she reorganized herself “I hope your stay here will be pleasant” He retreated his hand “I hope so as well “ He said as if nothing happened “ But not for long” Twilight raised her eyebrow “Are you on the way to somewhere?” “Indeed” He went into his room and approached the window “I’m traveling, I won’t stay here too long” He looked outside, seeing that the sky was turning orange. Smoke started to come out of the first few houses closer or further from the palace. The village will go to sleep in a few hours. “Good luck then in your travel.” He stopped facing the window and looked at her. Twilight said, “I have my schedule to work with, please, remind me to talk with you tomorrow. I may just have the right thing for your work with helping out Spike, Zecora, and the girls.” “Will it be grand?” He shallowly asked with a smirk, summoning a grin from her. “I think it will be” There was a moment of silence, “I’ll see you tomorrow, if there will be something of extreme importance, don’t hesitate to come.” The humming sound of magic, it was followed by her horn sparkling with a lavender mist, the knot of the door got enveloped in it. She left the Great Mage alone in the room as the doors closed, with a heavy click. Author's Note Greetings, dear readers. I used a different method in order to make this chapter. So, please, tell me if this chapter is better or worse than the previous ones. I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. I know that the simple way of phrasing might be boring, or that I am too dull to read, nonetheless, thanks to all the people who appreciate my work. It's for fun, and it makes me proud to know that somehow I made some dude who knows English perfectly read this shit and that person thinks about coming back after finishing the chapter. You people are just crazy. Please have in mind the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. 8: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [Prologue]Not so much time has passed after Twilight showed the Great Mage his room, and the castle’s maid came to bring him some suiting clothes. The Great Mage and the maid hadn’t spoken to each other, he had no intention of doing so, so he dismissed her after an awkward pause. He had no interest in speaking with a maid anyway. He looked through the outfits that have been brought for him. Normally, someone would dress him in a more refined garment, not too richly decorated or too flamboyant. Since obtaining the role of Great Mage, he seldom handpicked what he wore the following day. Here, the garments presented to him were strangely designed. He held in his hands a kind of very thin sweater, but smooth and very tactile, made by hand with meticulous care. The thing was that this upper body piece was strangely elastic and had, to put it in the simplest possible way, a sort of sleeve for the neck specifically. He placed it on the bed, to examine it fully, standing slightly astride, the light from the windows shined at his back, casting his massive shadow over the room. He found it chic, its color, dark cardinal red, suited his fur’s color as well. He made his decision; so, he discarded the option of looking through the rest, he didn't want to deal with it right now. He can always hide behind feigned ignorance and say, that he has no idea what to put on and what to wear before Princess Twilight. The maid would be forced to show him what, how, when and why, while also sorting them. She’d do her job. He’d get a grip of Equestrian fashion sense while at it. As for the pants, he chose a black pair with a white checkered pattern, the geometrical figures overlapped each other. The pants were made of linen, not much different from what he used to wear, varying only in one detail, that the fly was fastened with a strong brass zipper instead of four buttons, while above the fly, on the waistline, as expected, there was a single styled button. The pants were a bit too big, so he quickly found a brown belt with a nice silver square buckle. Since he had horseshoes he didn't have to pay too much attention to the footwear, all he had to do was change the horseshoes, but honestly, he wasn't going to bother with such a pointless detail anytime soon. He approached the mirror, he gave himself a few glances, to make sure that everything matched him well. Nowhere did he see parts folding, wrinkling, or looking rumpled. He sat on the bed and took a breath in and out, rubbing his forehead, while at it also massaging the bridge of his nose with the tips of his thumb and index finger. He had to carefully map out every objective he must accomplish in order for his long-term plans to go smoothly. Now he had some time to think before departing his room to find Twilight and notify her he will be going out. The general goal for today is to find out how big the really town is and maybe even choose a few locations he should head to tomorrow or someday. Secondly, he needs to adjust his behavioral esthetics, no better way to do it than through direct observation and then copying it raw. By behavioral esthetics, he meant behavior he’ll adapt and values he’ll ‘follow’ to make a good impression on everyone he could meet. For now, heroic acts of altruism seem to be viewed highly, there was absolutely nothing surprising about it. Twilight didn’t seem to care much to converse or act in line with how a princess or any more important noble was expected to do. She seemed so undoubtedly fresh in her role, casual and lenient in showing her royal gravitas that came with her title, as if she became a monarch a month ago. She’s a princess, she was taught from her childhood how to behave adequately. What does this mean for him? If a princess, who is supposed to play a role, a scene each day by following a strict etiquette, because any member of any royal family does, then he can expand this observation onto the pony society - Oh Krolm! How silly this sounds - by taking into account what he already has gathered, and that brings him to a simple conclusion; The Equestrian society is far more unconventional than he imagined it to be when compared to Ardanian standards. Therefore, his thoughts swirled around the aspect of surprise he would encounter as he explored the local culture and customs further in time. His theory can be false, but he cannot act without care. Acting normally by Ardanian standards can bring him ruin and shame. This is why it was important for him to choose the correct approach, that’s why he pondered about the problem. In Ardania, there was no way for him to take too much interest in the subject of civil law regulations and linked to its culture and its aspects that influenced the legislature, at the very beginning he did, but these were different times, for that he had officials and public officers. So, maybe he’ll see something worthy of defending against when he encounters it in Ardania or vice versa. ... With a heavy heartfelt grunt, a wave of dizziness struck the Great Mage. When blinking, his eyes took a second before his vision regained its clarity. The Great Mage felt uneasy by letting his mind just wander off, repeating almost the same thing he thought of last time. This didn’t serve him anything but a waste of time. He started off improperly with an unnecessary digression and this false approach quickly turned the state of his mood worse, with tired irritation leading the way for the other emotions that came with it. The strange situation he found himself in and the number of elements that came with it were destroying his disciplined work ethos. He had to get a grip on himself. “What should I do first?” Retracting to his original body was of paramount importance over others. Whatever form of magic or witchcraft even resulted in his current physical state ought to be discovered and reversed by him. That will be one of his primary objectives, and for that, he needs time and preparation. On the first line were dispel-type spells, if that won’t work, then he’ll have to abandon it in favor of other goals, as long as he won’t judge his situation good enough to perform higher-level spell casting through the performance of rituals. He only feared the extent of the difficulty and the strength of the curse which turned him into whatever he is now. The United One had no right to hold back. Although non-consuming pessimism is usually healthy, he can’t too often let the negative slip into his thoughts, or he’ll reach a point where he’ll start to act as if it was a certainty even when he will remind himself that it's only a possibility. Now, the preamble to any of these steps should be cautious reconnaissance. Get to know how the magic system works, how it is developed and bifurcated, what the ponies have that could hinder him in a critical moment or impair his plans etc. Basic safety measures must be fulfilled with increments to the finest details. Is the Ponykind above him in terms of magical knowledge, innovation and spell crafting or not? If yes, he will have to study it and learn how to defend against it. This too will take time, which he can’t throw away just like that. One thing’s certain, he won’t leave without charting the most important of magical data sets; with a talent for magic, greater painstaking in learning it was never an occurring problem. After his return, Ardania would benefit greatly from the novelties. The second task, which he should pursue whenever he can, in parallel with the others, is learning about this world. Especially about magic, history, and society. It would be also wise to learn a few maps more or less by heart. Thirds, as the Great Mage listened to Spike tell the story, Arcane Shine was perceived to be above the average. The events were told with wonder but weren’t seen as unreal, Spikes words and tone showed respect before the scale and countenance that came with the showed skill. The Great Mage mustn’t overstep the borders he drew for himself during the battle. Fourths, he should aim towards securing material and political immunity, forming relations on the basis of exchangeable favors. Since Equestria is a monarchy, there had to be Magnates, (feudal)lords, local patricians - overall, ponies with titles - susceptible for his intrigues estate that could secure him with care in time of trouble. Who better to choose than noblemen? Keeping good relations with Twilight is a must. This could be a critical trade card in a bigger game later on, and if he could even slip one or two of his own coins into the decisions she makes… No; that’s unreal, he cannot fall into bleak idealistic hopes like this. Sacrifices, sacrifices, and once more sacrifices…For now, point number four had no authority in the que, first, he must finish his business with Twilight and her promise about his reward. He stood up and walked to the door, he opened them and walked out, shutting them behind himself. These five vectors will all lead to one crosspoint, which is him returning back to Ardania. They may seem distant and will toss him from one thing to the other as more and more complicated it all gets. Twilight was currently in the library of the castle; she stood on the ladder and looked through the hippology segment, visibly curious and consumed by her work of searching for the desired research material. “Spike, any progress?” Spike, her faithful, hopeful, and strong, but most importantly, handsome dragon assistant, was doing exactly his job of assisting. The Dragon stood on a separate ladder just like Twilight, but higher than the Princess, and was located further to the left side in the avian section. “No, but I doubt the answer is here anyway.” Twilight then swiveled her head to look in his direction and guided her eyes along the other sections, trying to think where Spike could go. She let out a heavy sigh and drummed on the surface of one of the steps of the ladder where she had her hands rested. Her wings moved, as if stimulated by some electric shock of marginal strength. “Try to look at chimerintology.” She said with a sure tone. Spike took the book he had in his hands and put it in its place. He was about to go down and start pushing the ladder to the desired place, but he hesitated and thought about one thing that occupied his mind from the beginning. There are no stupid questions, right? “Twilight,” Spike called. “Yes?” She didn’t even turn and looked through five books that she held with her magic, said books quickly were discarded and put back in their places. “Why don’t we just ask?” Twilight’s eyes went wide and she dropped the books that she held firm with her magic. She sourly looked at Spike, the dragon already knew what this heralded. “Spike! Why would you even consider it an option?!” “I mean, it’s not…” “It is wrong, it’s totally inappropriate and uncalled for! How would you feel?!” He mused about it for a second, only aggravating Twilight more “Well, I wouldn’t be offended.” “Wouldn’t, as you put it: simply asking make the pony who did so appear uncivilized?” Spike once again took some time to think, but not much as he didn’t want to keep Twilight waiting. “I suppose…” “And not only that, as Princess, I am obliged to represent Equestria in the best highlight under all circumstances. Going forward with it would steer clear from that responsibility.” Spike didn’t answer back, with that he gave up and gave her the win. He went down the ladder to push it after he had gotten down. He performed the job easily and again, clumsily climbed the steps, having to go down five because he went too much up when his mind was once again occupied, this time by tiredness and thinking about the incoming new power-pony comic issue. He rested his head on the ladder’s step and closed his eyes for a split second. He was getting sleepy, and what’s worse, it wasn’t even that late, to begin with! He opened his eyes and started to look through the books. Most were old, some had about a hundred years. What else to expect when barely anypony wanted to go out into the wilderness and catch a wild animal to study it? “Time to get started” he whispered to himself and reached his hand out. Types of Chimeras in The Western Forests. No, not that. Chimera And Draconesquu - Difference and Familiarity. Again, no. Grand Dictionary of Terms, vol II Another miss. Common Traits Among Chimeras. This could give them some insight. He carefully threw the book down, it landed with a thud, without turning and opening, Spike returned to his work. “This is all too general” Spike has stated in his mind. Spike looked around, and sighted his answer almost right away, while Twilight started to throw her books away rather than shelve them back where they belonged. That meant their time was running low. He went up two steps and moved as close as he could to the right, he had his eyes locked on a book quite large, at least one thousand sites if not more from the looks of it. He was to far to be able to grab it, and tried to do it three times in a row thinking that a little more determination will help. Only claws were able to touch the leathery surface. His claws left sharply abraded marks. So, he placed one of his feet on the closest shelf, while his left leg remained on the ladder. Spike tried again, moving his right leg as much as he could forward. “C’mon…” With his efforts coming finally to fruition, he managed to get the book sliding out. His muscles worked hard for it to happen, but he didn’t stop because of the discomfort. As the book was out enough for him to grab it whole, he did just that. Only a moment of inattention may lead to disaster. Twilight luckily with the corner of her eye noticed Spike tipp over more than it was safe. The dragon began to lose his balance and was about to collapse forwards. He yelped as it started to happen, trying to find an edge to hold on to. A few more books fell down as he randomly threw his legs around. Twilight grabbed him with her magic in time for the dragon not to fall down. The view became distorted as if he was looking through under glass. Everything from his perspective turned lavender as he was caught in Twilight’s aura. Spike had three heavy drops of sweat run down his face at the moment he was caught. Now, he could breathe again, and the pent-up stress that built up a moment ago was extinguished with one shallow sigh. “Spike! Be careful,” She called in a solicitude tone. “Sorry, Twilight,” Spike answered back still perplexed. She brought him closer, while still in her hold “Was it worth it?” He handed her the book “I hope” Chimerical Physiognomy, The Aesthetics of Syncretism. She had a grin gradually appear on her face as she took a few glances inside. “This might be it.” she commented and seemed thrilled. Spike was still hovering, but he started to descend down as Twilight jumped off and flew down with him stuck in her magic. There were six books, without counting the unnecessary ones, lying ready to be taken by Twilight and examined overnight. With Spikes minimal help of course. “Great, now that we’re ready, can you please bring them to my room?’ “Can I deny doing it though?” “Not really (: ” “Figured as much…” Spike and Twilight exited the library, with Spike being followed by the grim realization that he’ll have to clean up the mess they left behind the following day. Technically Twilight could do it in under five seconds, but she’s weary all the time because of the incoming Friendship festival, and that leaves all the work to him. The two went right, with Twilight’s steps echoing loudly, thanks to the shining light coming of the lamps on the walls, their shadows stretched and morphed from distinguishable shapes of their bodies into what became a mess that one moment disappeared. With that, the area was left alone, with silence filling the air, no life was present in the hallway’s segment. The light fell on all sides, reaching every corner and the smallest nook and crevice, normally impossible for the eye to grasp, a crack in the wall or a mouse hole. Nothing moved, nothing changed, it was hard to tell if time passed at all. Everything stood, in a stillness so brazenly terrible for some unknown reason, that deliverance came from the right, when the sound wove life into the dead walls, which served anew, reflecting the sound and sending it onward. A shadow covered the floor, taking away the only evidence of its cleanliness and care. Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, in a steady unchanging rhythm. The Great Mage approached, quietly walking down the hallway, seeking the Princess, wanting to tell her he wishes to exit the Castle. This might appear odd to many, that for a trivial reason like his the Great Mage sought the Princess, he should have told about his desire to anyone else and exit the castle, then return at the appointed hour that the person with whom he would have spoken with would advise him to come back. Of course, the Great Mage would do that in the end if he won’t find her, but he wanted to know, if the Princess knows anything about the town she resides in, out of pure curiosity, to compare her to himself. He knew much about the capital city of his realm quite much, and he used this fact frequently when talking to commoners. If only others the likes of him knew how much such details as knowing the city one resides in bring benefit when talking to people, what effect it has, what simple but powerful in the murky minds of regular everyday bread eaters emotions are awakened, when the information that a public figure appears somewhat close strikes them, his peers would memorize each city to the most insignificant detail. When walking forwards, he saw the doors and the light that shined through the gaps. Curious, assuming that someone is inside, he knocked on the door and awaited someone to answer. Nobody did, thinking, he did it too faintly, he repeated the action, but with more strength. The silence was a clear as a tear answer, that drew his curiosity and made him open the doors. He peeked inside. The interior was striking. A gorgeous game of fair and dark themes, mostly perceived on the different shades of blues and purple or lavender, played well with the dark browns of two ladders and the tall, well made and oriented with brass parts bookshelves, which rose all the way up to the ceiling, full of colorful books, some of which laid on the circular space in front of him. The bookshelves were put against the walls and covered them entirely, the library itself was circular, with much space in the middle occupied only by two upholstered with ultrasuede dark green sofas with tufts, while two bright yellow pillows rested on them each placed at the corners of the seats. Near one of them was a small wooden table with a lamp which shade was hexagonal and dark green matching the sofas. The carpet was fair lavender with an intricate design mostly referring to nature and geometrical symmetry, where different elements like vines or leaves or curvy lines drew shapes that could only be seen from afar as they were one big composite of many components. A rich bronze chandelier hung in the middle, with numerous crystals protecting the light source that came from within it. The shape was akin to an onion dome, although in this case, it was more longitudinal. This made it appear like an upside-down droplet. The library was attractive for the Great Mage, who didn’t see much value in unnecessary splendor seen in temples of Helia or sometimes those which belonged to Fervus. Simple, neat, functional, and appealing to the eyes, making it a sweet place to be in. “Mine is far greater” And that wasn’t technically a lie. If the castle’s library was made out of five of such segments, then it would match the Great Mage’s own private library. However what’s important to note is, that what he referred to could mean a few things; A private collection he kept in a tiny room connected solely to his private chamber. This could be further expanded by adding the scrolls, and books that helped him in his education and made him a proper statesman. Said materials could be found on display in his study where he addressed public matters with his advisors and state officials. Finally, there was the vast aggregate of books, dozens of thick tomes, some older others freshly printed, crystals that held copies of his memories, made by his own self notes and observations on his own private experiments with recorded messages also stored in special crystals, svartian inventions made to guard knowledge or devices where the border between magic and machinery was blurry enough to not know how to call the object full of mysteries. His grimoires were stored in a separate chamber, but those were used only when he performed spells or when studying the arcane. The Great Mage only looked at the nameplates that indicated what sort of field or subjects do the books in each segment refer to. He wished he could stay some more and maybe pick himself a few books about equestrian history, but since it was Twilight’s library he didn’t want to do it without first getting a permit. The ones on the ground sparked his attention and he approached them. He saw that a few were missing from the chimeritology and avian segments, he wasn’t interested in these topics at all, but Twilight was, he wondered why. He lifted one of the books from the ground with his magic and it landed in his hands. The title read: Our Cousins - The Kirins. The Great Mage opened the book at a random site, being lucky enough and ending up with a picture of… First a smile then a warm chuckle escaped him and plagued him for the following minute while he held the book in his hand. Without a second thought, his horn lit brightly with white, the book was engulfed in white, similar to that of fire which burned atop a liquid substance, with frequent but low waves moving frantically. The Great Mage moved his hands apart, and bright sparks, shining like stars, descended down on the floor and there they vanished, while the indistinguishable at first form, when separated entirely formed two rectangles that quickly took one rectangular form on both sides. The glow vanished at once. Leaving the mage with two, exactly the same kind of books, one of them being a copy. He placed the book which was the original behind. He began casting another spell, this time his horn started to shine with a green light while cubic-like particles, holograms some would say, swirled around his horn and around the copy of the book. As the mage released the spell, the book shrunk in size while the lights still whirled, and in unison to the book shrinking came closer together. He was left with a tiny version of the book in his palm that he hid in the right pocket of his pants. The Great Mage was unable to find Twilight, so, he went out of the castle and notified the guards that stood at the entrance that he was departing. The guards looked at each other and didn’t know how to respond to this information, but they were forced to break their silence when he asked them when he should return. “Well, probably somewhere at nine” This answer satisfied him, although the guards themselves looked unsure which only made him raise his eyebrow. As a guest, didn’t he have a limit or something? No, that’d be the stupidest possible thing to allow. It wasn’t his problem in the long run, and since he got around three more hours to spend, he was sure that whatever major there is to find in town he will discover in the following three hours. Like at the very beginning, the inhabitants gave him some stares but soon returned to whatever they were doing. He went along the main street, following common sense as the main road always lead towards the center and from there he could quickly find the market and other important landmarks. While he strolled down the city, he didn’t pay attention to anything that he looked at while he first entered the town. It was pointless to once again go over how the homes were made of wood and some were fine while others looked damaged because of their age or other reason. He kept his mind clear of those thoughts while his eyes focused on spotting anything he didn’t yet see. Unfortunately, it turned out that there was nothing interesting worth inspecting. It took him about fifteen minutes of walking to get to what he guessed was the economic district of the town. The road was twisty and at times as the Great Mage mapped the way he went, it aspired to the status of tangly. That was a nasty slipshod on the side of the founders and the town’s local authorities. He stepped into the market square and looked around. The scent of food and spices invaded his nostrils as some restaurants on the left worked hard to supply their customers with fresh and warm dishes to keep them satisfied. He joined the shoal of ponies, most minded their business, but there were those that glanced his way and then went back to looking at the floor or ahead. Shops, stalls, and merchants of any kind alongside artisans worked and traded, the marketplace had no distinguishable place for a spur of product or anything the likes of that. Farmers had their own handcrafted tents with sacks or wooden rectangular containers standing on small foldable tables full of fruits and vegetables, with their own order of grouping; some did it by colors, others by kind. In most cases, behind or by the side right next to them, stood a cart with which they brought their products into town. No creatures, be it bulls, giant salamanders or even cows were present, making it only logical to think that the ponies who wanted to sell things came here by themselves. “Impressive” He commented genuinely impressed in a soft and quiet voice, letting his thoughts roam free. Hawkers stood or walked around with handcrafted items selling them for just one bit as the signs read oddly and funnily placed on their outfits. The Great Mage almost fell prey to one of them, albeit he turned his head away and walked towards one of the retail shops acting interested. He went along the side to explore it wholly by doing a circle around the forum. Wandering around the city block, he wished he was able to buy himself one of the many sweet delicacies many of the shophouses offered. It’s no sin to eat something sugary once in a while. Workshops, that were run by families, were larger and from the open inside, sounds of tools or voices were heard, producing different products while someone stood and made sure to welcome the customer. His eye caught something blink behind a bag filled with white beans that were spilling onto the ground. He looked at the object, noticing it looked gold and round, the corners of his mouth flexed upwards into a grin. The metal disc at once flew into his palm, without his horn giving any sign that he used magic. Such a pathetic display required almost no effort to be put into motion and as such the act itself was nigh undetectable; only possible for mages equal or greater in skill and strength to him to sense. He swiveled the coin a few times in-between his finger before examining it. On the obverse, which was evident from the get-go, was the right-side portrait of a princess, in this case, it was Celestia. He knew that because there was the text was written along the edge together with the date the coin was made, which was a few years ago. On the other side, the coin was divided into three equal parts by a double line, each segment had its own unique engraved picture. On the left was a picture of the sun with wavy sun rays. On the right, there was a front view of a city with grand towers and beautiful townhouses. On the bottom, there were two pegasuses with horns chasing each other, and in between was the sun and moon, the free space was decorated with stars so tiny that it looked like they were simple dots. As he made his way onwards, he wondered if the ponies would notice him casting an advanced spell. He wished to duplicate the coin just like he did with the book. He could do it without carrying out any movement, but this raises the difficulty of executing the spell. The motion of any kind makes any spell easier to perform, in turn, it’s less tiring and at times mana-consuming and is far quicker. Golden items were extremely difficult to multiply, theoretically, it was possible, but practically under the conditions, he was in, not. If only he wasn’t gaining attention because of his outward appearance he could do that in a crowd, he wished he got turned into a pony rather than a Kirin, whatever the hell tha- His stream of thoughts was cut short by the already familiar and abhorred feeling of shrewd straightforward pain coming from his tail when he stepped on it. He grunted loudly making a few ponies pass by look in his direction thinking it was somehow related to them or were simply attracted to the sound. The Great Mage on instinct retreated the limb and turned to look behind. There he met a Stallion, with a medium-long dark chocolate mane combed backward, its subtle shine spoke of work put into achieving this outlook. His eyes were blue and welcoming, but the expression and look the Stallion gave was full of fear and worry, albeit the eyes didn’t lose their friendliness. The Stallion wore a formal black outfit, it looked like a thin coat reaching to the waistline that was double buttoned. Under it, he had a simple white shirt. The bags under the eyes were a testimonial to the hard work the Stallion went through on a daily basis. The Great Mage saw this and his irritation turned quieter but was still present, understanding that this was an honest accident. “I’m powerful sorry!” The Stallion sounded angst. He approached him, the ponies around minded their business but dared to glance every now and then. “Did I perhaps…” His voice trailed off as it lost its sound and volume. “No” He answered, knowing well the Stallion was asking if he suffered serious injuries. The tension left with a huff on the Stallions side “That’s great, I was worried for a second!” “Still” The Great Mage started “Watch out next time.” “Yes-Yes! Definitely, you’re right…” He looked at him and paused, he squinted his eyes “Say, sir?” “ Arcane Shine” “Glad to meet you! I’m Filthy Rich” They both shook hands, the Great Mage tried not to use much force, but resentment towards the Stallion unenabled him to do so fully. As they shook hands the Great Mage met with a conundrum. Did the guy in front of him just brag about how wealthy he is, or was this his actual name? “ Sir Shine” Filthy Rich didn’t expand his previous sentence; so it was his name. “Aren’t you the one who helped the three fillies?” “What?!” Arcane Shine thought loudly, taken back by that question. How did the news get around this quickly? “Yes.” He prolonged the word, trying to maintain a stoic expression “How do you know?” He sounded almost upset, when in fact it was artless suspicion he had in mind. “ Well, I heard Sweetie Belle tell the story to Rarity, her sister, while I was in her boutique to get this suit” He pecked the right side of his clothing, which made Arcane Shine discover its name. Although not familiar with that type of clothing, the Great Mage wasn’t stupid and knew it wasn’t something one would wear casually, probably. “I guess you have something important to attend to since you have it on” Arcane Shine responded sly, wanting to end the conversation or at least, direct it towards a quick end. “Actually yes, but it’s a good thing I met you!” “And why is that?” Arcane Shine crossed his arms as curiosity seized him. “What you have done did captivate me…” He said and placed his hand on Arcane Shine’s back, giving it a gentle push. They walked slowly and conversed, while the town’s life became less important, and no rustle, yell, or advertiser could interfere at this moment. Their presence occupied some space and ponies were forced to go left or right not to bum into them. “...And I am a pony with connections who sits in the trading world for a long time now.” Filthy Rich explained while looking forward, while his hand remained on Arcane Shine’s back. “He’s going to offer me some job” “I want to make an offer” Filthy Rich stated and turned to the Great Mage. “Called it” Arcane Shine awaited what the Stallion had to say. “It’s nothing serious, a two-way trip on a train to Canterlot and back.” “What’s a train?” “What’s the purpose behind the travel?” “I don’t have time to explain the details, and its not something to be discussed openly in public” “And yet here you are making the offer for everyone to hear.” The Great Mage nodded lightly and after a moment questioned “I understand” after a dramatic pause he added, “ What place would be good for that?” Filth’s face beamed with joy, he spread his arms apart, as if he welcomed an old friend. “Glad to hear you’re interested. “ He took out of his pocket a rectangular and flat card. Said card had his name, address, and a few more contact details on it, on the back, there were three bags with a $ symbol the Great Mage didn’t know the meaning of. He figured that it had to do with money. “I have to go, business doesn’t run itself” They shook hands once again “See you soon” “You can be sure I’ll come” So, Filthy Rich went the way he was walking originally, leaving the Geat Mage alone who was glancing at the showcase reading the address and name of the Stallion he just talked with, thinking. It’s amazing what can happen after making three steps with a stranger. Author's Note AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!!! After a long wait, another chapter comes out. I have my finals this year in four months and I won't upload probably until I am done with them, then again, four months is enough time to write at least one chapter... I'll see what I can do. If you like the story and see an error, please point it out. You help yourself by making me better as the product's quality improves (hopefully). Please have in mind the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. 10: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [2]Author's Note A long awaited chapter finally comes out. The next one will take us to Filthy Rich and that job he offered our protagonist, afterwards, finally the festival will take place. Sorry for all errors, I hope you can point them out and criticize my work with honesty, so that I can become better. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. 10: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [2] Meeting Filthy Rich was a nice change. A job as an alibi to tour Equestria, especially the capital, while forging a relationship with a local bourgeois was manna from heaven. After a short stroll through the city and a nice tour of the countryside, he made his way to the castle around nine pm or so, as planned. The unpleasant surprise after breakfast was that the reward for his help had to be frozen for formal reasons. What kind? He was not a citizen of Equestria, which is legally sanctioned through various certificates and documents. His ambition to introduce such office prints granting citizenship in Ardania was already implemented in Equestria, which was another sticking point for his impetuous curiosity about the country. There was also the problem of not having a place where he could store said money. These, however, were not forfeited. They were ready and located in the bank, quite conveniently as well because they were in Canterlot. All he had to do was earn citizenship. Being unfamiliar with the Equestrian law, he had no clue how to do that, but luckily for him, Twilight and two other mares were already working on that; Rarity and Applejack. Rarity. A mare taller than Twilight by half a head. A unicorn with smooth and shiny purple long hair, heavily curled at the very ends. Her face was similar to Twilight's in appearance, differences include that it was more elongated and took on an obscure boxy shape. She had a white coat, full and equal pair of breasts, the way she looked at him and at everything around made it look like she had blue doe-eyes. Her humanoid silhouette was decently attractive, instinct had the propriety to focus his attention on her due to that quality. Her eyebrows were full and feminine, maybe it was a little too general but it reflected the truth adequately. She used lipstick matching the color of her mane. Her hands were small, her fingers thin and miniscule. She was predisposed to crafts or medicine. It wasn’t a surprise she had her own boutique in Ponyville. Her companion, Applejack, was blonde, with a bright orange coat. Invocating a subtle emotional response comparable to infirmity, persuasive green eyes rested on her sunny face. Build wise, her face was akin in shape to Twiligh’s, only skinnier and as a consequence, more defined. She had broader shoulders and back then most mares, with far larger hands then the two mares standing in the room. Her arms also were bulkier but not too much. Her humanoid body was, well…Maybe let's start from a different angle, as the verdict was very troubling too phrase justly. The simplicity that beamed from her enticed the struggle even more. She wasn’t repellent or vice versa, she was simply saying…Pretty in that department, like a soft refreshing breeze on a hot day. The lack of distinguishing features (apart from her eyes) rivaled with Rarity. Some hypothetical law was knocking on the doors of reason to believe this was a rule for all men of all species. The Great Mage, it's worth adding, was judging them with bias, they were ponies, and ponies were animals in Ardania, and even when these were sentient and colorful, he still felt uneasy. Rarity was dressed in an elegant outfit that consisted of a shirt tucked into a paneled skirt. Applejack wore a shirt tucked in as well, but she wore pants made from the material he yet has to get the name of, that Apple Bloom's overalls were made of. “Through the intercession of myself and Applejack and Rarity” She pointed with her hand at the mares standing as witnesses “We present you this consent form, that if you sign, will make you a citizen of Equestria” Twilight shifted the page towards him using her magic, an aura characteristic of the color of her magic surrounded the document, which as soon as it landed in front of him disappeared. The quill was delivered by Spike, who was to his left, looking at him with a wide friendly smile. Four names were displayed on the document; he knew all of them, the mare missing among the three mares was Rainbow Dash. There were various "personal details" on the document. Place of birth was filled in with x's, same with date of birth. Mother and father's name, country/place of origin, etc. "Just out of curiosity, Rainbow Dash is listed here, and she's not present today. Is there a reason for that?" Without hesitation, he took the quill in his hand, dipped it in the inkwell as Applejack preceded Twilight and answered his question. "Rainbow Dash has been busy with, well, the weather for a long time; she's been spending her time attending wonderbolt training sessions." He finished with leaving his signature and looked at her. The answer was quite strange and made him confused, which could easily be read from his face. “I don’t understand” “You probably don’t know” said Rarity, Arcane Shine nodded in agreement “Rainbow Dash is a member of the Wonderbolts, who if necessary, take care of extreme weather abnormalities. ” “Dark clouds began to come from the east.” Twilight began to jump from one person to the other with her distressed stare. “I assume this is something that bothered the Wonderbolts for some time now.” “BUT!” Twilight snatched the document from Arcane Shine as she drawled “We don't have to worry about that, Rainbow Dash will manage together with the Wonderbolts to delay any disruption that might spoil the festival” Applejack and Rarity stood up, since they did it, he did it too. Twilight took a step forward and shook his hand. "Congratulations, you are a citizen of Equestria." "If that's the case, why do I have to fill anything else out tonight?" "This document is proof of your acceptance of Equestrian citizenship, but you need to fill out other documentation, we need to fill out the information that you saw was marked with x’s." Rarity was next in line, just as Twilight did, she too shook his hand and looked into his eyes. When it was time for a good word, she suddenly drew closer and enveloped him with her arms, hugging him. Her steady tone softened. Her heart was pounding hard, her warmth was heating him up. The perfume she had was wonderful, addictive from the first sniff, with its subtle sweetness and hint of tartness. The scent was deliciously vivid, and given the proximity of her body, the gesture had potential to be interpreted as a form of innocent romantic teasing. "Thank you, thank you for being there at that moment!" Her eyes began to tear up and her voice was closer to stuttering than speaking. Applejack did not stand idly by, she hugged Arcane Shine tighter then Rarity and in a hurry and with tears in her eyes. He found himself surrounded by two mares, one had her arms around his neck, with her face buried in his chest. The other, embraced him across, hanging her arms around him. She placed the bottom of her face in such a way that she could look up and stare into his eyes; so that he could see her two imperial jades, her eyes. "If we can give you more..." Applejack quietly choked out. Rarity and Applejack slowly moved off, wiping away tears. Twilight watched with particular attention to how her friends were acting. To her, the Cutie Marks Crusaders were like nieces, so she felt the urge to go so far as to thank him so boldly herself, especially when Spike - practically her brother - could have died or suffered on that day. "Zecora was there too, they would have escaped, I just bought more time." Spike felt disharmony seeing Rarity hugging Arcane Shine, he envied him. But the power of that greed was miserable by necessity, Spike understood and knew that it had no second layer. We can accuse him of immaturity, but let's be honest, this feeling is always there; when a mother kisses her son, his wife gets jealous too; when a husband sees his wife greeting her friends, he feels anxious. This emotion may be as big as a grain of sand, but one bacterium can also multiply. "Zecora would manage to do it, it's not fair to praise me that much." Apparent humility wins a lot. Applejack and Rarity stepped away after those words. Rarity rubbed her eyes, ruffling her fur with makeup while Applejack caught her breath. Twilight with her magic summoned the tissues that flew in from the left. “Thank you, Darling” Rarity spoke for both of them. " We will thank Zecora too, we have known her a long time so we will prepare something special." Twilight explained as Rarity nearly burst out crying again. Their conversation broke for a moment of silence, but Applejack broke it by addressing Arcane Shine petulantly "You will always be welcome at the Farm... Granny Smith wants to meet you. So does my brother." Humility can win many. Vanity like warm air in a balloon enlarges the one who is proud. Examples of humility are like medals, but under medals, under the weight of iron, one can fall. There needs to be a platform on which the medals hang, and how else to get it than through vanity? “With great pleasure. If it's not a problem, can I perhaps stay there a little longer?" He suggested Twilight and Rarity looked at him curiously, Twilight being the only one looking remotely morbid. Spike raised an eyebrow upon hearing his words. Applejack consented without second thoughts, knowing well what he meant. "I don't see anything against it" She turned to Twilight pronouncing the phrase, visibly searching for approval. Twilight frowned because of that subtle kicker, she was not opposed to it as some would assume. Her nature instead demanded an answer: why? Did he not like it here? Did he feel uncomfortable? The castle is indeed not the most comfy place, most would feel flattered, but most does not mean everyone...A stern sinking vortex of emotion appeared in her chest, parallel with her rational mind begging to get an answer swiftly. She had provided him with a place to stay, and rewarded him because that was the right thing to do for unsolicited help. What was behind this decision? Considering he was from outside of Equestria, maybe he wasn't comfortable. After all, the core problem of most newcomers is that they take much time and effort trying to settle in. He did, to be frank, say he'll venture on some day in the near future, so this can't be traced to that. Maybe she unreasonably pays more attention to this decision then she should? It isn’t a huge deal. She has a festival to worry about! She has to get back on track rather than step aside and follow lines of thinking directly involving her guest. He was an interesting creature, it had to be said out loud, she wanted to know more about him as common sense dictated the craving. Spike remained silent, although you’d expect him to comment on that. The dragon was indifferent, he did feel a little down as he saw Arcane Shine to be a friend that maybe will end up in the same place as he will in the future, giving them a chance to meet again some day. With Arcane Shine on the farm, there’s less of a chance they’ll converse or do something together, because their contact will require one coming to the other. There’s also the festival too. " Me too. " Before she could finish, Arcane Shine interrupted her. "We can even do it later today, I have practically nothing as my humble belongings fell into the water." Rarity and Applejack had been informed of this by Twilight, and him bringing it up forced them to come out with an offer to help once again. Twilight couldn't provide him with anything more, and as if she did, it would be over the top. Rarity had a boutique and could sew him comfortable clothes to his liking. Applejack had a farm, plenty of space and distance from the city were must-haves for a sorcerer of his scale. Not to mention he would finally be able to eat well. The Great Mage also didn't want to stay in the castle and feel confined by rules that the castle imposed. He can do whatever he wants on the farm and borrow books from the library without any problem from Twilight. “Well, I’ll tell the maid to give you some matching clothes of your choosing. It was nice having you for these two days” Twilight chirped. "Can we call you by name?" Rarity asked, eloquently with her hand pointing at Applejack, this time in a normal voice. He gave an affirmative nod. “What's the chance she's just flamboyant with her manners?” She suddenly beamed after a short gasp of realization "Arcane Shine, you absolutely must visit Canterlot during the Festival of Friendship!" Spike joined her "Definitely! Before you go any further, you must see the capital during the festival, almost everypony from every corner of Equestria will come " "Besides, we'd love to hear a little about your travels at the festival. Right now, we don't have much time, as we are in the preparation phase." Applejack stated and crossed her arms. Resigned, knowing he'd have to put some stories together, he sighed and agreed with a fake smile on his face. "So be it." Cheerful smiles spread on the faces of the mares and the young dragon. The Great Mage started to plan ahead, thinking if he should or should not tell them of the job proposal he got. For the time being he saw no point in doing it. Now that he has a direct proposal, he has a strong reason to reject Filthy Rich’s offer, but that isn’t going to happen as he already stated. Contacts are valuable. “Cheer up, I see that you’re the quiet type, you’ll find a neat place at the festival as well.” Applejacked teased as she knocked on his arm, looking at him with her head tilted to the side. “And, while at it. You’ll have to come to my boutique tomorrow. I may find something just for you. “ She put her hand on her chin, inspecting him closer. “There will be no time after tomorrow, as we will be going to Canterlot to make the final cuts. Twilight has been going there daily for…How long?” The Princess of Friendship was bamboozled by the question, and she lost count, but Twilight is Twilight, she quickly added up the days in her head “About three weeks.” She then changed her tone and expressed her annoyance “There’s no need for formal attire Rarity. We talked about it.” “I know darling, I had something more casual in mind, but still elegant. It will suit him, don’t you think?” She stood askew beside her to match her level. Warmth went through Twilight starting from her chest to the rest of her body in reaction to Rarity's question. Her mind, only recently free, was once again stuck in the shoals called Arcane Shine. She abstained from answering, but her imagination had managed to do its work, so the answer was known only to her. “Sorry about that, designing and seeing clothes on others is her passion, she sometimes talks openly like that. '' Applejack half whispered to Arcane Shine. “Just wait for the moment when you’ll have to stand for three hours so that she can take her measurements.” Spike walked up to the two, tired of standing there in the background being quiet. “No, it's fine, at least she’s honest about what she's thinking. ” He lied. He disliked Rarity talking about him that way while he stood not much apart from her. He felt as if he was a child. Rarity and Twilight overhard that, and a sinister smirk creeped its way on their faces. Applejacks cheeks became redder as she noticed their gazes on her. “I can’t argue with that” Her head turned the other way, to swivel back and lock up with Arcane Shine’s own. The route to her estate wasn’t long. He did spend half an hour choosing out his things, which would be delivered to him from the castle later that evening. Twilight instructed him to come back tomorrow morning or later in the evening to pick up the rest of the paperwork to be filled out. As Rarity said goodbye, she still urged him to stop by for a little while that same day to eat cake and talk, as Sweetie Belle would like to see him too. The tone of voice and the thirsty-looking eyes might have hinted otherwise, but her body and her movements were passive. He agreed. "Papers tomorrow." The monarch statute in Equestria was an aberration from an Ardanian's point of view. The princess was friends with a kulak, and a talented tailor. Who saw that coming? He didn't spurn that fact, sticking to simple people himself he held respect before this kind of monarchy. The atom of knowledge he had so far acquired about Equestria encouraged him to acquire more. The same attitude characterized the young adult mare Applejack, walking beside him, leading him to her family farm. Known in the area, she drew attention to herself, but the ponies did not bow they saw her. The elements of harmony responded affirmatively that they did not wish such treatment. Twilight was an exception. The people of Ponyville respected this, but seeing the foreigner, on toop of that a Stallion, it was a sin not to peek given that he was walking with Applejack. Applejack was curious about the things in the world that Arcane Shine witnessed. She was extremely eager to talk to him. A traveler who happened to save her sister? That was an event that would go down in family history. She wasn't like Spike when she had saved him from the great TimberWolf, under no circumstances could what he had done push her into doing bizzare things. Either way, she felt the weight of a debt to repay. Arcane Shine himself seemed intelligent to her, though his decision to directly openly confront Treeman would indicate otherwise. The courage he had shown had a strong backbone, to save her sister and friends, so was there even a crumb of right in calling what he did stupid? He was quiet, not seeming introverted, but his image made it clear that he was still sort of thoughtful. She was interested in his background, she had never seen an Equin like this before, unless he isn't one. Admittedly a biologist she is not, but she will know her own. Her mind was just filled with his image. Her eyes that stuck to him registered every characteristic of his looks. Applejack shamefully whispered to her heart "He is handsome" Her heart palpitated when she heard those words. Her adamant stare was cut short by the realization that she may summon his attention to her. She wanted to talk, but after the confession she had made to herself she became skittish. She sviveled her head back, her cheeks didn't fortunately turn red, and she took a deep package of air into her lungs to start a conversation. If not for a rogue stone in the road they walked. She stumbled and lost her balance, she would not fall, as she made a good recovery. Arcane Shine noticed the situation anyway, being next to her naturally wanted to help. That was what the circumstances dictated. As the orange apple stood safely and stepped further, she noticed his hand on her shoulder and another that was ready to catch her where needed for assistance. "That was close," He commented. Applejack nodded, her hat having settled more on her forehead and now covered a part of her face. Oh Celestia. "Thanks," She said firmly. Applejack mumbled something after a moment of silence "Do you like it in Ponyville? He smoothly answered "It's nice here. It is quiet, quite a bit of land this city occupies, which makes the roads not too narrow " He enumerated "It's not always peaceful here. We're lucky that nothing has happened in the last couple of days." "I wouldn't suspect a town like this of anything more than temporary interruptions to the harmony that exists here, where the worst thing could be some kind of fire, or a serial killer at most." "Oh you'd be surprised" She chuckled, her mind free of what happened "A normal day, could mean anything. " “Are you serious?” “Yep” “If life is so extreme here, then why is Ponyville so big? Does it lay on gold or diamonds?“ “We do have some caves filled with gems nearby to be honest” The Great Mage looked at her with honest curiosity in response. “Is this the only reason? There’s a lot of ponies in the town, the mines must be quite abundant.” "No, not just because of that. In fact, when it was founded, not much was even known about them, except for the occasional findings that tempted various investors to send expeditions." He mused "Mines filled with gemstones...I can only imagine the profit" Applejack let out a dry laugh "Yeah...If they were used" "The mines are not functioning?" "They've been abandoned." His eyebrows tightened and a grimace of surprise twisted his face at what he was hearing: "That doesn't make sense. Why would you ignore that source of income? " "It wasn't the Ponies who built them." "Then who?" "If you're from outside Equestria, or just far away, you've probably never heard of the Diamond Dogs, right?" "No." "I'm not good at explaining things like that." - She scratched her head - "Twilight would do better, but they're basically a race that, well, lives in the mountains and underground." The Great Mage perked an ear. Such a race had never been seen in Ardania. Not many books from other worlds, such as the native elven world, had ever reached Ardania, so there was still hope that perhaps this was some minor race. "And you didn't take over what was left untouched? "In a way the diamond-dogs are in crisis, these mines are their colony and territory as it were." From that point on, common sense alone explained everything. A major political incident would occur if a city near the capital took over an important economic location from another country. "They are within your borders?" Applejack knew that these subjects she should have an understanding of, but she couldn't answer that question, which made her nervous. "As I said, Twilight would be the best to discuss this with you, but, to answer your question, yes." Unable to continue this thread, he laconically started a new one. He guessed that Diamond Dogs and Equestria had some sort of agreement that keeps the pony state from trying and annexing such areas. "What else is so special here? Besides this forest, which seems to cause more problems than good. " "The Everfree Forest is bearable, it used to be worse." She waved her hand to furthermore underline the forest's diminishing power "Ponyville is a point where some pretty serious traders sometimes pass through. They hook up in Ponyville and sell a few of their items and move on, in exchange for a few items from Canterlot that are brought here, as long as it's not where the merchants are headed." "All right, but what was the reason for starting this town?" "Granny Smith will be able to tell you about it like nopony." When they were on the final straight path, the land belonging to the Apple family appeared to his eyes. They approached with a nimble step. They passed under the garden archway, shrouded in leaves. Applejack's farm was of considerable size. Its orchard spilled out reaching almost to the nearby hills. She had four chicken coops, one was built of unpainted boards. The rest, like her house, were painted red. Her house was quite large, well-kept, and looked new. The window sills, shutters, steps and simple porch were all painted white. It was apparent that she was not a tenant farmer and was a rich peasant, if not even a degraded noblewoman...Noblemare. The barn at the back of the house, to which the path leads, was too painted red, with details painted white. The house, barn and chicken coops had ornaments applied to them in black paint, in the style of long stalks with occasional leaves or flowers, wrapping at the very end into some shape, such as a heart. Nearby was an animal enclosure, at the entrance to the left after passing the garden archway was a well. Beyond her orchard, there was a field. It was, as he deduced from the color and pictures of a house similar to but not much larger than Applejack's house, a field of carrots. Neighbors. He stopped analyzing her surroundings when Applebloom opened the door and accidentally slammed it loudly. Applejack looked at her crookedly, but said nothing because there was a visitor with her. " Applejack is back! She brought Mr. Shine with her!!!" Applebloom was dressed the same as she was during her encounter with the Treeman, only her Overalls were blue. As she moved forward, a scantily clad, sort of pajama-clad, gray-haired, short and squat mare emerged from the house. Her face was very wrinkly, her arms and legs were thin and her hooves were raggedy. The color of her coat was the same color as that of green apples, but less saturated. The Great Mage could sense that the mare possessed a great personality, he immediately felt respectful towards the mare. From the inside a head peaked out. A tall muscular stallion, who just about fitted the door, looked his way. He had green eyes and blond hair like Applejack, but his coat was red. He wore overalls from the same material the Great Mage discovered yesterday that Applebloom had her clothes made from as well. The tall stallion had no shirt on to cover his chest, revealing a well sculptured by hard work physique.The Stallion’s muzzle was long and seemed rounder rather than boxy, however it still possessed its distinguishable lines characteristic for stallions. Stallions looked more equine than mares, as the Great Mage noted. “Arcane Shine is fine” He said out loud. Applebloom stopped right before him and started talking “It's good to see you again!” “Is your leg alright?” She stomped hard “Yes, it doesn’t hurt or anything like that. I can run as if nothing happened in the first place.” “ Well then, how about…” He looked around and saw a meadow not so far away from the farm in the distance “... we’ll race one day so that you’ll prove it?” She frowned, “But you’ll win, you’re bigger than me.” She paused and added shortly after “You’re just as tall as Big Mac I think” Applejack looked at her guest after what Applebloom said and, well, her sister was right. Arcane Shine will have to watch it for the door frames not to hit his horn. They walked up to the house and walked up the small stairs. Granny Smith held her hands out, and like a typical grandma, she immediately took Arcane Shine’s hands and began to gently shake them. She joyfully smiled, setting off a small campfire of genuine love in everyone around. Oh Celestia! If you ever will need a pony to reignite your sun, Granny Smith’s smile is the perfect match! “Oh!” She yelled out, the corners of her eyes starting to water up “You saved our little Applebloom!” She threw herself to embrace him. The tall stallion known as Big Mac (only later will the Great Mage find out his name was actually Big Macintosh) joined too, also almost at the verge of crying. Arcane Shine returned the hug, he noted how the ponies were not trying to hide their emotions and opted for honesty. The moment lasted for a minute, Applejack just stood by the side, and looked at the scene, jumping with her gaze from him to her family members. Applebloom also fell prey to the wave of emotions present in the air. She was well aware of her situation in the everfree forest, but as intelligent as she was (meaning pretty much slightly above average) considering her age, she didn’ fully yet understand the scale. “Now, Equestria has two knights in shining armor.” She said after looking him in the eyes. Was he just put next to some hero? Applejack and her brother seemed more up to date, and it would be a surprise if they weren’t. “Mighty, enough to defeat a bloody monster.” “Eeyup!” Sounded the musculine voice of Big Mac “A true morning star in time of need” “Eeyup!” “And you’re a handsome fella If I ever saw one!” He wanted to laugh. He was aware that he was rather good-looking for a guy, despite the fact that he was different from men who were considered beautiful. That kind of honesty seemed rude to him, but he left it without comment. He noted that Granny seemed untouched by his inequine appearance. Big Mac hung up in his 'eeyup' looking with big open eyes at Applejack. Applejack intervened that moment, her face flushing with some visible red this time. "Granny, Arcane Shine would like to stay on our farm for some time." Her voice's tone was higher than before. Granny's mind went into another mode with Applejack's announcement. She immediately turned taking Arcane Shine by the hand and leading him inside. "Well, castles and palaces are not my thing." Arcane Shine confessed falsely, ducking in order for his Horn not to get stuck. Inside, the house was furnished richly for a peasant. The furniture looked sturdy, although time had taken its toll on many of them. The walls looked freshly painted and showed no signs of deterioration. The floor creaked very quietly. The kitchen was quite small. In peasant homes there was usually also a bed where the parents slept. Applejack's home faithfully reflected her status as a rich peasant. Tablecloths were on almost every surface and they were clean. Paintings hung on the walls, the characters on them were unfamiliar to him but he was sure he would learn a little more about them someday. The living room looked moderately furnished, a carpet covered most of the floor, but not all of it. The sofas that were available had worn down surfaces. It seemed to him that they had a fireplace, as he walked here and looked at the house from a distance, his certainty was shattered as he had not experienced such a fireplace. "Would you like something to drink?" Her brother asked. "Actually, why not." "Water, juice, maybe cider?" "Is it with or without alcohol?" "We have both versions in stock" Applejack sat down on the opposite side. "Then the alcohol free one." He was not opposed to drinking alcohol, nor was he opposed to smoking, but he rarely drank, and when he did, it was solidly; he despised smoking, but did not deny it to others. Smoke is smoke, but supposedly it has some medicinal value. Granny Smith to his right sat down next to him "How about some apple pie?" Thinking about the upcoming visit by Rarity made him consider what answer he should give, but agreeing to a small portion wouldn't hurt much. "Only a little bit if it's not a problem." Granny Smith was about to get up, but Applebloom had already taken it upon herself to comply with Arcane Shine's. decison He almost felt like he was in the capital, where service did this sort of simple thing for him. Ehh... Time is passing, Ardania is calling for him and he is wasting time on this kind of things. He has to try at least one dispel spell on himself today, if his visit to Rarity is not too long. The bitterness he almost felt on his tongue towards himself at the thought of time and the way he spends it, much of which he doesn't have, was gouging at his soul with a terrible sense of shame and anger. He frowned, and his gaze grew gloomy staring lifelessly at a single spot on the table. "What is it like to live outside Equestria?" Arcane Shine looked towards Applejack who asked the question, almost as if at the snap of her fingers. "Not very pleasant." Equestria was a country that honestly looked untouched by war for quite some time. The ponies looked happy, he saw no sign of the poverty and hopelessness as he walked through the town, which unfortunately he sometimes saw on the streets of his own cities. The goods in the stores were fresh, there was no shortage of anything. The currency they paid with was made of gold. Silver was commonly used to mint coins in Ardania alongside gold. Equestria did not seem to use silver, a testament to its power. Walking through the city, many were looking at him as if he was unknowable, so he assumed that very few ponies had any idea about life outside of the country. Since the sight of a stranger with his appearance put them in awe, it had to mean that very rarely did anyone from outside Equestria cross into it. For all intents and purposes, he could insult everything outside Equestria's borders by accusing Terra Icognite of everything he himself knew firsthand was wrong and had not yet seen in Equestria. "I know that outside of Equestria the situation for the creatures living there is dire, but I don't think it's that bad." Apple Bloom placed the apple pie in front of him on a white decorated plate along with a pastry fork. Big Mac brought him cider in a mug. "Thanks." "Twilight says Equestria should start thinking about sending help to those beyond the borders." The Great Mage as he took a sip and smiled at her words. The fizzy liquid meanwhile took his taste buds on a date. “I assume you made it?” He questioned about the drink “Of course! It's an old family recipe!” Said Granny Smith “I can certainly feel it” He gave a nod and turned his eyes to Applejack. “ I don’t know Princess Twilight in any way as good as you do, so, if she finds it appropriate, let it be so.” “Is this sarcasm?” Applejack genuinely asked The Great Mage was indeed sarcastic. “May she do what she wants, but it will take her seventy years before she will bring these people to the standards you have today.” “People?” “Ah!” He realized his mistake, but he didn’t worry. “I had been talking with a guy on my way for some time and he used that phrase all the time. I adopted it with time and it just stuck.” Problem solved “I guess “people” mean “creatures” in his language?” “Well, not really. They use it referring only to their own.” “That’s rude of him if he used it rather then the word ‘creatures’” Arcane Shine wanted to retort and end the subject, but he stopped, with second thoughts coming onto his initial plan. He will do it differently. “I don’t find it rude.” He stated simply “Why?” She pressed “He used it to refer to all creatures” Applejack retreated her face as she got confused and as such, she had a double chin for a second. “What does this change?” He just performed a gesture with his left hand that was free, asking her the same question by doing that. Big Mac and Granny Smith listened carefully, but both had a thought that it might turn ugly for some reason any moment. Applejack as the element of Friendship wouldn’t let this happen, the fear nevertheless remained. Nobody expected it, but it was Applebloom who spoke next “So I guess if you see it as a good thing, then you probably don’t see it as an insult” She looked at Applejack “Like you do” and swiveled her head back to the guest “But rather, as a compliment?” “Your sister is smart.” Applejack affirmatively nodded but still this didn’t answer her question “ Of course she is, but, why do you find it a compliment?” “He could have said creatures, but he said people. “ “Yes, and?” He repeated the hand gesture like before; what in tarnation was happening? Big Mac didn’t see himself of the clever one, he was mostly the muscle, but he wasn’t stupid, althou he could be perceived to be. He thought and came to a conclusion and it in itself carried the courage for him to speak up. “Maybe he meant to say that every creature is a person? You know, part of the…You know, his kind? That there is no difference between them and they’re equal” “Bingo” Said Arcane Shine and took a heavy swig of the cyder “And he treated everyone as if they were part of his kind, and said out loud that every creature was a person” Arcane Shine told them with enthusiasm “But” it left him suddenly and his voice became like before “Not everyone agreed.” Granny Smith leaned forward and said “Tell us, what did he look like?” The Great Mage didn’t have the will or motivation to do that “Compared to most creatures, his kind has a ‘flat’ so to say, face. If I could draw well, I’d rather do that than explain, I find it tricky to describe him.” “Was he ugly?” Applebloom questioned Applejack shot a quick glance at her sister in reaction. The smaller sister didn’t see it though and continued to look at Arcane Shine. “No.” He let out a warm chuckle “ I dare say he was born fortunate enough to avoid anyone thinking that way among his own. “ “What’s your home like?” Applejack voiced her thoughts. This is what he feared the most, and wanted to minimize the amount of time conversing about his background. The book he copied for himself back in Twilight’s castle shed some light on what he technically was. There was a problem nonetheless. He didn’t perfectly match the description of a Kirin. His family, and…Another factor played a role in this. His family’s original founding figures before becoming nobles were merchants who traded in wheat, cattle and with time expanded to include a few other common edibles and wares. During the wars of the Great Mages, before the Dremer invasion, after his family split into two branches following one hundred years of steady and slow growth, his family started to matter. The intellectual side was started by two male members who chose to attend the university rather than go along the tradition, they settled in a human city under elven control. They both had wives and children who like them, also studied and became mostly lawyers, but one, who became a medic. The family helped each other, the merchant side as it had contacts almost everywhere gladly sent troubled souls to their relatives, and likewise, the educated relatives with joy helped to win over local officials, by working among them and through legal mumbo-jambo just by mistake make it so that the merchant side had for some reason a better environment to trade. This influence didn’t go unnoticed and an eleven captain named Aladein who led a squadron of archers, happened to get injured after fighting in a war against Lich the V, and was reassigned to become an intendant. He had made contact with one of Great Mage's long deceased relatives. Jacob, who was known for his unorthodox thinking, wanted to trade in herbs and potions, so he studied for a short period of time among the intelectual branch of the family alchemy and dreamed of building his own private manufactory but never achieved his dream, as the second wave of wars between the Great Mages made the prices of spider web and magic herbs go up. The second daughter of Jacob, Maria, fell in love with the elf, and the elf returned her feelings. It was hard for her to convince him to try and have a relationship with her, since it would mean he’d have to see her death and himself become mortal after the heartbreak he’d suffer from in the future. She ran away with him, while the elf, Aladein, was casted out of his own family…Maria died in childbirth, giving birth to twins, one of whom was the Great Mage’s grandpa. So, was the third branch born, called by the educated side exalted, and by the merchants cursed. Aladein’s health deteriorated swiftly after going through a heartbreak so early when his feelings were so strong and fresh, he died when the Great Mage’s grandpa turned twenty five years. Rest was history, uncomfortable and shameful, but in his blood, there were two other particles that weren’t human. How he came to be is hard to talk about, which is why there are three together. This is why he was curious, what species made up his current body. He decided already earlier what his approach would be when he was talking with Spike, so he only had to avoid talking about his race so as not to weave complicated lies. “It’s calm, gray and most of the time it's sunny but the wind can be chilly even in summer.” He took a piece of the applepie, and swallowed it after distributing the sweet food on his tongue. “I don’t miss it really, everyonewas stoic and always deeply hidden in their own thoughts. “ “You kinda reflect it, you know?” “I am well aware that I fit the description. Thing is, I at least am able to adapt and enjoy everything opposed to that kind behavior.” “Our family is large,” Granny Smith interrupted. “And we have many relatives, Apple Bottom, Apple Bread, Cloud Chaser, Cinnamon Sugar, Flounder, Full Steam, Gingerbread…” She counted and stopped to get to the main point “ And a few dozen more, is your big?” “My immediate family is me and my parents, my uncles and aunts” He hardly spoke the word “Don’t have much contact with us. I only know as much as I was told when I got concerned.“ “It must be pretty lonely having no siblings” Applebloom stated “For me it wasn’t, I had three good friends who I have great hopes of meeting again one day” Yes, indeed he had huge hopes and looked forward to it. Isaac, Emil and Anul were his three best buddies and together the four of them created a firm pack. They remained in Ardania although the Great Mage suggested they run away together. They remained behind and promised not to reveal his own intentions behind his departure. “Is this why you’re traveling?” Applejack was the one who asked. “It's one of the reasons” It wasn’t, it was just a bonus to the whole ordeal of fighting the United One. “So what made you travel?” Here his facial expression stiffened and his tone became heavier, but he remained respectful and friendly “Private reasons” The family understood and didn’t want to go further that direction, of course like anyone, they wondered what reason could somepony have to travel a long distance from his own home. “When I was walking here with Applejack, she said I should ask you, Miss Smith, the reason for ponyville being founded.” “Applejack” She sounded rather disappointed “You could have told the story to Arcane Shine as well as I can!” Before her Granddaughter could reply she continued “It went along somewhat like this…” Granny Smith began to talk about the relationship between the nobles and the common pony folk she was part of. The two groups didn’t like each other for many different reasons, which had a socio-economic background mostly. Equestria wasn’t involved in a long lasting war for two hundred and eighty-eight years with other nations and races (which for the Great Mage was unimaginable for any country to achieve) but suffered from short periods of local conflicts that happened on a regular basis. Many disastrous events involving internal conflicts, radical magical phenomena and ambitious characters who wanted to constantly strike Equestria plagued the land of the ponies. Equestria may not have fought in a war for long, but it fights constantly at war for survival. One of such internal problems, was the unfair advantage the nobles (who in majority were unicorns from Canterlot) had over the earth ponies (that tend Equestrian land) therefore the whole situation was also fought on a ethnical level, but Princess Celestia managed to shift the attention away from this detail. When Granny Smith was nine years old, the situation between the common ponies and the nobles became hot and rose to an important problem that had to be dealt with by the Princess herself. Her parents were participating in a nationwide demonstration in honor of fifty families who had been punished by being evicted from the land they farmed for a nobleman. The nobleman could not banish them because the law forbade it, a century before it was still possible. The nobleman invoked an old regulation passed by the local government, which it had discovered during a local vetting of the administrative caste due to corruption among officials coming from the rich bourgeoisie, collaborating with the middle nobility and bourgeoisie from the neighboring region. The regulation ordered every tenant farmer when he went to the forest to chop wood for purposes such as: repairing the house, or an mill, making wood supplies for winter etc. He had to report how many trees were cut. Before the change, there was no formal limit. The tenant was then exempt from the tax he would have to pay, plus penalties, for the wood. The provision was included with others in the "codex of reciprocity". A small set of laws that applied to peasants and nobles. During the banning of serfdom and the introduction of protection for peasants, which went hand in hand with the expansion of the rights of the bourgeoisie and the rural bourgeoisie, the nobility clarified the general and overly hurtful generalities contained in the reforms Celestia pushed through in that codex. Equestria became more centralized over time with the degradation of the nobility's dominance. The ponies forgot about the rule when a wave of protest and partisanship from idealists and radicals crippled Equestria. The road to equality for all regardless of material status was just leaning out on the horizon... But the law was still legitimate. The nobles had forgotten about it too, not wanting the moderate ponies to move too quickly to the side hostile to them. The families couldn't pay out, so the noble evicted them and sold the land to the townsfolk, something he couldn't do before, while he himself began investing in workshops in the cities. Celestia froze the fine and redirected it to the administrative court, which reduced the fine significantly, but the families were still insolvent and would have to work three years for the nobleman to pay up. Celestia managed to convince the nobleman, pointing out the absurdity of the situation herself, to spread the financial obligations over a wider time frame. The townsponies who bought the land went into debt, so they had to sell the land; Celestia bought it out of her own pocket. Celestia pursued a policy of buying land and intended to sell it back to the earth ponies with time. In the long run this did little, but the symbolism behind it showed her affiliations with the Earth Ponies. The ponies who bought the land belonged to families who had already made their fortunes from the land they leased from other nobles. Being friends with each other, they took advantage of the fact of the growing population wanting to get away from their home towns and formed partnerships, and together with other families who were going on their own or with others in friendship, bought land from Celestia together on installments. This is how Ponyville was founded. However, at the very beginning it wasn't a town, because the establishment of a town had to be allowed. Three documents were required, an application for a right of incorporation, then the drawing up of a plan of the municipality and, based on an expert opinion, the entire plan of the town with an attached statute (election of authorities, taxes, appearance, location, size, population, emblem, etc.). Ponyville began construction a year after the land was purchased. One of the first non-private towns in Equestria was Ponyvile. "That's more or less what it was like," "And the mines?" "What mines?" "Crystal mines." "Those mines never interested me, but there was always a problem with them, the diamond dogs had their colonies and trading camps in them, sometimes they came to us, but seldom they came! I had contact with them twice in my lifetime. " He nodded, the story interested him and he would have loved to ask Granny Smith more, but the hour he had to be at Rarity's was slowly approaching. "Rarity invited me to come over, so, I don't want to be mean..." "But we understand!" Grandma Smith countered with encouragement "Applejack will get the guest room ready." "I don't want to go away knowing she'll do everything for me." "Come on, it's a small thing, twenty minutes of work." Applejack chirped. The “Carousel Boutique” Rarity ran was beautiful, and as the name suggested, it did resemble a carousel. He felt like it didn’t belong to the town. The windows were grand, and the decorations on the walls that were white on blue made the cylindrical building look like candy. The thin columns around were spiral, and the cornice of the upper layer looked like styled after a lambrekin. The bottom floor probably was the area where Rarity worked and greeted customers, while the upper part was where she lived with her sister. Above the entrance, was an image of a prancing pony on an oval shield. He knocked on the doors, and soon they clicked with the mare in person coming to greet him. “Arcane Shine! How good you came, at the perfect time as well. Come in.” He walked in as she asked, and his eyes saw beautiful clothes, outfits that were art in themselves. How much is a picture worth in the face of something real and useful like what Rarity knew how to create? The interior was as rich and beautiful as the thought Rarity poured into the dresses. The floor shone and reflected the image like a mirror. The walls had all sorts of ornaments on them, light and fine, with little reference to any more familiar shapes. "Well? I've set myself up nicely here." "Who can forbid the rich anything?" A brisk rythm of footsteps was heard from the left, where the stairs were, Arcane Shine immediately thought of Sweetie Belle, who emerged from the corner as soon as he had finished thinking of her. She slipped out quickly, dressed in a dress again. "Mr. Shine!" "I promised to come, so I came. " He replied with a heartwarming smirk "One thing is still extremely important for me to take care of, so it will not be a long visit, a little over an hour." "You can't be serious!" Rarity shouted out loud "I have prepared snacks and drinks thinking you'd be here for at least two hours" He remained silent. It wasn't his fault and he didn't feel bad. As a matter of fact, he rarely understood anyone who showed frailty and allowed themselves to be incurred to being guilt tripped into shifting their time to match the expectations of people in a situation like now. "Can it wait?" She asked in tender manner "No" Sounded the aloof answer. Rarity, recognizing her lack of ability to say anything that would change Arcane Shine's mind, she hid her defeat behind the happy thought that she could at least guest him for an hour. Without wasting much time, she invited him to the guest room on the second floor. After walking the short distance with the spiral stairs, he found himself on the second level with Rarity being the one walking behind. Sweetie Belle was already in the kitchen and decided to serve the cake. The upper floor wasn't a big surprise, everything was closer to each other and the rooms of the two sisters were equally big, judging by how the walls were placed and split the second floor. The Kitchen was on the far right, next to the stairs, with no door there to close it. The guest area was open and stretched from the left almost to the far right where the entrance to the kitchen was. There were pots with plants almost everywhere, about nine were placed on the floor before the walls. The walls themselves were covered with subtle pink planks, however they served to make stripes, as the original color of the painted walls was subtle blue. In that blue, there were stars, snails, and different shapes of all kinds. A few paintings were scattered there too, to add more diversity. The floor had creamy beige carpeting. He approached the wine purple velvet sectional sofa on a gilt wood structure. Sweetie Belle brought him a plate with chocolate cake, and looked at him the same way Apple Bloom was looking at him in her own home. “Would you like coffee, water or juice?” Before he could give an answer Rarity interrupted “I also have wine and champagne!” She articulated with enthusiasm. He gave her a lost stare “Water” “What even is coffee?” He thought “Are you sure?” She sounded concerned “I possess the best bottles you can find in Ponyville.” “I’m not in the mood to drink alcohol” Rarity lost much of her happiness when she heard him answer “B-B-But the occasion speaks for itself! It’d be…” She lost track of her thoughts. “She’s one of these “ He lingered and his nostrils flared as he deeply exhausted the air through them. “I’ll bring the water then” Sweetie Belle announced and went to the kitchen “Maybe I could convince you to try just a sip?” “I don’t think there’s anything that could convince me” She almost let the topic go, but she felt some incentive to ask “Are you perhaps against alcohol?” “As I said, I’m not in the mood, simple as that” He spiced his tone, and that made her collect herself enough to leave the topic be. Rarity looked at his plate and noticed he didn’t have the silverware to eat with. Her horn lit up, and said tools flew from the Kitchen and before him kindly wrapped in a napkin, like at a restaurant. “Here you go” She grinned “Thanks” “So” she drummed her fingers on the table “ What brings you here to Equestria?’ Sweetie Belle came at the right moment with the water to listen. She sat beside ratiy opposite of Arcane Shine and placed her elbows on the table, receiving a scolding look from Rarity who nudged her with her leg. “I’m just passing by, I won’t be here for too long. I have no plans on staying anywhere either.” Rarity cocked her eyebrow “So you’re really just coming through the country?” “Yes, nothing more.” Sweetie Belle moaned in disappointment “I hoped you’d stay in Equestria” She drew a circle on the table and looked at him with her face pointing down. “What would that change?” He asked half seriously, half jokingly while he took a bite of the cake. “Krolm! This is too sweet!” He winced inside. "You're somehow different." She said innocently. Rarity nearly died of embarrassment, but the Great Mage roused her again by adding his comment to Sweetie Belle's words. "Compared to the other ponies?" He smiled and invited Sweetie Belle to speak further "Yeah, sort of, I can't put it nicely into words, but, you’re…" She paused looking for the right word “Other, but in a nice way!” The Great Mage was captivated by this answer. He was less tolerant to such kinds of answers when his advisors chatted with him. Yet, he valued highly what Sweetie Belle said, since she was still a child. Rarity, on the other hand, wanted to cringe, still in her mind seeing only one wrong and racist side to what Sweetie Belle had said. "When we came back and you lectured us on the way, you didn't want to trample us into the ground, you didn't want to show us that we were stupid and give us lessons about what not to do. You just presented the truth and left us with it. " She explained He tilted his head, as he didn’t understand what was so special about what he did " Are you criticized often? " Rarity lifted her face from her hands and looked at her sister and Arcane Shine. "No" She responded with a weak tone, but the answer itself didn’t betray anything. He nodded and took a big sip of water. He didn’t place the glass down but looked at the moving water. He then looked at Sweetie Belle, his poker face drilled into her soul like a spear into a dragon's heart, breaking the impenetrable scales, the natural armor of the legendary. “Ok” He drunk the rest of his water afterwards Rarity sent Sweetie Belle to the kitchen to refill the glass and asked her to bring something for her and herself as well. The Great Mage looked at Rarity who still was embarrassed by how Sweetie Belle phrased her thoughts. “Sorry” “Its fine” He cackled briefly “ I like children” and pointed behind himself as he held the pastry fork in hand “'They're innocent and because of that, funny to be around” He took another piece of the cake and before putting it in his mouth as he looked at it with mercy, he added “...Cruel as well.” very solemnly. Rarity looked at him from an angle, but didn’t pay much attention to that little detail “Do you have siblings?” “No, and believe it or not I was asked the same thing at Applejack’s home.” She fixed her poor posture. “The questions might get repetitive, sorry in advance.” “Don’t be, there’s nothing wrong with it. “ He once again used the pastry fork, this time to gesticulate. She looked at the clock on the wall, and noticed that twenty minutes had already passed. She then quickly reasserted herself and followed with another question. “How come you’re so skilled in magic?” Sweetie Belle once again hit the bullseye with the timing, coming with the water and a piece of cake for Rarity. She then retreated to the Kitchen, but she stopped midway, as Rarity did the job for her, and livitated the plate to them. “You use magic quite often” He noted and avoided answering. “It's very practical when it comes to such small things” “True” He agreed and before he could continue, he heard Sweetie Belle’s voice. “I wish I could have that privilege” She mused sadly and sat back on her place Having a lot of experience with talking to others, the Great Mage simply observed the younger sister, Rarity took notice and felt obligated to explain Sweetie Belle’s words to him. “She’s very weakly connected to magic.’ “You can’t pick up a plate?” He asked with respect, not wanting to hurt her feelings. She nodded, “I can’t even seem to lift a broom.” “You know, Spike told Twilight that I’m powerful” He made air quotation marks “And Rarity here accused me of being skilled “ He said fast, inclining his head to her. “I don’t think that either are true. I don’t want to look like I can’t take a compliment as well. However, motivation plays a vital role in every activity. As corny as it may sound. Motivation is second after talent to play a role in success. “ What he said wasn’t a lie. He addressed many topics trying to reform the lands he ruled. He ordered many experiments to be performed and most of them laid out a straight answer, showing that indeed, motivation was the second most important factor after skill. “Everypony said the same thing. Always. I was motivated many times and it ended the same way in each scenario. What's the point anymore? Wouldn’t optimism at this point be just toxic?” “It’d be if there was no objective fundament on which it could stand.” He asserted, “Let me ask you something. “ He got closer and the atmosphere turned more serious. Rarity didn’t exist for them at the moment. “Do you think I would have fought as ardently, and been likewise like back there determined to win, if I fought the Treeman alone, knowing it didn’t pose a threat to anypony else?” “I suppose you would” “I would argue that…The fact I knew I could help, and that I had the means to, turning the other way would be as if I myself caused the situation to evolve the way it unfolded. I had your well being on my shoulders. I felt the weight.” He lied, by being overdescritpive and hyperbolizing his original thoughts. Rarity listened closely to the words of Arcane Shine and took notes in her head as to how he explained his motives for helping. Not only her mind paid him attention…Her hand gingerly creeped onto her chest, as her heart pounded a rhythm, an humble tune to Arcane Shine. “Ponies and Kirins' ' Rarity's ears moved as he spoke the word “I know plenty of individuals that sometimes do the bare minimum for themselves. They don’t treat themselves as if they were a person…” He paused and noticed he made the same mistake again “ …They’re inclined to help. Would I really have the same motivation and drive for my actions?” She didn’t answer and focused on thinking further. She valued his lecture he was giving her but she couldn’t find a reason to believe he would really be less effective against the monster, save for the fact he wouldn’t have the help of Spike and Zecora, who’s help he used to defeat the Treeman. “Let’s strike a deal.” Why was he doing that? Why from all occasions the element of self destruction governed his mouth right now? “I will stay here for a few more days, I need to sort things out, plus I like it here, it's cozy. “ He stopped with his mouth open, after a second he went on “I’ll try and show you that I am right, and not only will you lift that broom, but hold it in the air for five minutes.” “I’ll try” She gave his hand and they shook. His touch was so warm and gentle, as if she met with another fillies hand. “Well, she is going with me to Canterlot for the festival, I have preparations to make and a whole list to keep track of. “ Rarity broke the silence “When are you departing?” “Tomorrow,” The sisters said in unisom. “I assume you’ll be at the royal palace for the time.” “Actually” She picked her pastry fork with her magic “Together with Sweetie Belle I’ll be at my boutique in Canterlot” The Great Mage looked surprised “You have one there too? Do you have more?” He leaned forward, interested. “Three, one here, the one at Canterlot and in Manehattan” “How’s your business going?” “Hold on now” She took a bite of her cake. “You still didn’t answer my question about how you’re so good at magic.” His light smile disappeared. “Did Twilight tell you I’m good at magic?” “As well, but” She looked at her sister “I had other sources” His lips curled up slightly “As I said, I was motivated” “I know ponies may do wonders when they do something when carried by passion, but you won’t talk yourself out that way” “I lost that, might as well go along but not further then I already am. ” “Basic offensive spells are easy to learn” He stated coldly “ I just repeat one spell on top of the other and they converge. All I do is give them one center point they hang on and then reshape the mana layout so that each and every one of them matches, as if they were exact copies.” “But that’s hard!” She expressed in awe “I didn’t attend classes with an expanded curriculum on magic, but I have friends and Twilight, who always mentioned the tricky nature of this method, that's very risky.” “I agree” He said with a stern face “I absolutely agree, but I have done this for many years now, and mostly with the same spells. “ “It didn’t look like that” Sweetie Belle announced “Especially the way you handled Spike’s flames on the monster” “That could do anypony with courage and talent who just began training in the art of magic.” He argued with a pointed finger. “Darling I don’t want to be disrespectful but, it looks you might have the impostor syndrome” “And what’s that?” Disappointment warmed his cheeks, while shame stirred in his stomach that reminded him of his stupidity. With a sour face, he plowed through the city, walking towards the forest along the optimal route that would allow him to quickly appear in the orchid from the west. Impostor syndrome. Tch… Without counting in that moment, the rest of his stay by Rarity after his promise to Sweetie Belle evolved almost the same way his stay and his conversation with Applejack and her family went. They asked him about his home and family and he repeated pretty much the same things. With Applejack he wasn’t sure, as her parents could have gone somewhere, however the dots connected the minute he walked into Rarity’s boutique. Too bad he didn’t think of asking them their age. Before entering the forest, he walked outside of Ponyville, making sure that nobody was watching, he casted a invisibility spell on himself, the invisibility tent, that covered light and medium spells as long as they only had effect on the caster. Magically gifted, that is unicorns for the most part, could sense him casting but the spells would be unnoticable with the naked eye for all others. Sure, he could cover that too, but there was no point. He added another spell to the pack, the same one he used when he ran to save the three fillies.For the last part, he gave himself night vision, not to run into a tree. He planned on returning late, but he was assured by Applejack that it's fine, she will be packing her things and she will probably stay up to midnight. He sprinted forwards, and hastened between the trees. Everything was clear as day to him, he saw the world with a mediocre milky filter altering the world's image, but that’s because he didn’t mind it being there so he cut corners in his mana usage. The shapes of the constituents making the woods were sharp; where his eyes focused, there it seemed that he slowed down, when actually it was his enhanced sense allowing him to judge better what’s before him. The wind that he left behind moved and brushed the lesser plants as they bent and quickly returned to their unfazed and harmonic way of living. Meanwhile while moving to his destination, he wanted to check up on the corpse of the Treeman he had killed and see if it left behind something worth taking. In Ardania these things sometimes hide valuables inside, not to mention their cortex’ and wood itself had a wide range of usage. Starting a fire with it was nearly impossible. A skilled mage or a blacksmith with the aid of a Great Mage like himself, a wooden sword made from the fibers of their hearts could become a disastrous weapon. Even if it would remain just a wooden sword it’s sharpness could speak out for thousands of grass blades. Depending on the quality of the wood, the age and power of the Treeman and the person etc. any such sword would be different even if created following the same approach. Speaking of the devil. A small tree grew in its death place with beautiful blue leafs which had silver veins on them and formed shapes in the form of the moon, stars, constellations and so on. Some looked like they were sick, when in reality they looked like yellow paint was spilled on them, leaving parts to shine brightly like the sun. The grass around was unfazed and the environment as well seemed unaffected. No animal made itself a nest on the tree, and the bottom part had no trace of the original body, safe for the fact the area in a five meter or so radius was bald. He approached it slowly “Can you hear me?” It didn’t answer. Was it a trap? Maybe. There’s only one way to find out. “If you live, it's in your interest that this won’t change.” The Great Mage approached at a steady place, he spoke again when his hoof stepped on the dry soil “I’ll cut you down just to satisfy my curiosity, it'd be just a preemptive measure“ A humm, as if someone hit a bell, came from the tree as the whole crown shined and blinked, making it appear as if there were stars on it. “See, we can talk this out” He nodded and held his hand out to touch the trunk. The tree was warm, but not very much. It gave off a subtle heat, the bark was smooth, although the surface didn’t look different from that of any other tree. “We can cooperate, I have never seen your type before “ He acknowledged with respect and walked a few steps away to look at the size of the tree “You’re regenerating.” He stated The tree moved by inches and the leaves all rung with grace, the tree took it for a question and answered truthfully. “ You’re not in the position to make any changes to my proposition” The Great Mage walked away and heard the tree ring suddenly with much prowess in each sound one leaf sent. “I frankly don't care enough to make an effort and make it so we speak one tongue. “ The tree remained silent “This leaves you with only one option, to do what I say or you’ll die” He stood with his hands behind him, and looked at the tree with pursed inwards lips. The tree had no other alternative. What should it do? Fight? It hummed sadly, where even the Great Mage felt the claws of depression scratch his heart, but it left no marks on his stony heart. The tree's light started to extinguish itself. The tree lost some of its color, the leaves withered and the trunk shrunk suddenly. The tree’s size slowly began to become smaller but only to an extent that its nature allowed it to. “You’re intelligent. I like that” He relaxed his posture “I don’t want anything for now, I’ll come here tomorrow and I'll tell you what you’ll have to do to please me. “ The tree understood its orders and it came back to “life”. It was small, and looked fairly young, so, it would probably take a month or more before it even was able to move and fight with the same ferocity. “I was invisible the whole time, now I realize.” He facepalmed “ Now I know why you didn’t answer the very beginning I spoke to you.” He thought Far from the meadow he woke up on, deep in the forest the Great Mage prepared to cast his spell. At the very beginning, he shed the spells he had cast to hide from the world. His figure stood majestically like a statue in a museum, all life around him only an instrument and a sanctuary. Beams of light, white as chalk, danced around his horn to form a vortex, like threads on a weaving machine forming a coherent whole. Strings of silver, every inch of which shimmered like stars in on the broad sky, played to the rhythm of the serenade that was his will and strength as he willed it, arranging the spell. The trees bowed toward him, drawn as they were to the mana he was concerting, illuminating everything around him with a blue glow. In the blink of an eye from his horn, a blue shield encompassed him in a bubble, where his figure could only be seen as a barely shaped black glow in a ball of light. Whatever was holding the trees let them go, and like people praying in a temple, they straightened their trunks at attention and watched. The bubble burst and thousands of petal-like little dots of glowing starlight fell to the ground, covering a small area with a white sheet for a split second. The spell didn't work, and the dots soared into the distance, showering the trees and illuminating burrows and corners long since untouched by light. The Great Mage stood in his body, the one he had woken up in. He felt nothing on him that would cast even a shadow on the possibility that his problem was a spell, and not a matter of a more complicated procedure...One that trapped him in this body, or permanently altered it. Feeling anger from his failure he did not let go. He had the strength within him to try a more powerful version of the same spell. He spread his arms out as if to embrace the world in a friendly hug. A gray-blue glow, like a royal robe, hung over his figure with an aura that dominated and suffocated any other colors the world had in its equipment. Strong winds gathered to swarm around him, tearing and pounding everything to pay homage to his power, and everything in the vicinity surrendered to this force. The trees let go of their leaves and needles, for these were the jewels that made up their beautiful crowns. Like the spines of serfs, their mighty trunks surrendered, almost cracking as they saw and experienced the power of the Great Mage. From under his feet, three tendrils shot upward, forming a spiral, mint green, blue and pink. They joined at the top, where a multi-pointed star formed. It was the beacom that shone like the hope of all those in Ardania, seeing beyond the wave of sourness to a better tomorrow. It had as many legs as there were living beings, for it wanted to touch and welcome each one of them. The Great Mage's horn shone like the eyes of children at the sight of their fathers returning from work, like the hearts burning with love of marriages that are successful, like the truth beating through the veil of lies when wrongs call its name to avenge them. Where the emotions accompany the person, there also is violence and a show of force that claims its part in the seconds of that person's life. So it was here too. The magic whipped up by anger, thrown by sorrow into the distance for an earlier failure gushed forth like mountain water, fresh and strong. In that instant, the Great Mage swung the star into the bottom and pushed it away as it approached with both hands. The world froze for a second as the spell rose like an angel. It could have been mistaken for the ascension of a saint, invited during his lifetime by the god he served. The star disappeared and in its place, the entire meadow was covered by a great sphere and slowly swallowed everything around it as it expanded in volume. The Great Mage, as the main target of this spell, fell to a knee, feeling the pressure and blatant burning of his spell on himself. The magic he used didn't seem to take a toll on his condition, which for the most part was due to the preparations he had done before the expedition. He closed his eyes as the light harmed them. His ears suffered a hellish torment, the hum of the spell; a deep sound as if metal was cracking and the rustling of pieces of said metal scratched against each other. It was a hurricane of deep howling, a strange hoarseness where every tone seemed to be uttered by a thunderbolt, sick like a man with a runny nose. He felt dizzy. Sweat dripped from him in great quantities. But nothing changed. He didn't even feel an itch on his skin. His body remained perfectly untouched, which again threw his thoughts into the worst possible scenario. The spell glided like a wave of water when a drop disturbed the stillness of the surface. It advanced in every direction of the world for half a kilometer. Looking like a ghost; a moving gray shaft. It destroyed everything that was a spell of basic or intermediate level, killing inherently weak magical creatures ruthlessly. The spell had a small range, however it was of a higher rank, prepared to destroy spells that when cast, could severely damage decent castles and level small ones. The next to last dispell type spell, allowed to send eight the rank of the currently still active one as projectiles. The tree survived, the spell's vapors touching it. It felt as if it were burning the day before, as it had died in battle. Its leaves turned pale and its trunk cracked. It had done what the Great Mage commanded, so why did it have to experience injustice? The wound inflicted seemed serious, but it wasn't, it hurt like an accurate strike. The spell had no right to reach Ponyville, but this alone didn't guarantee lack of interest from those who sensed it being cast. PrologueThe young Great Mage stood tall, dressed in his armor, wielding his spear-wand in his right hand. He was looking straight, gazing at a structure that many would call simply weird. The helmet The armor He stood before a portal that normally would lead to a world remnant, called as such, because they were parts ripped away from the continents of Ardania. Many use other names, some prefer the term "world shard", but by most, it was called just "different worlds". Can't really blame them, many years of isolation and preservation by magic, perpetuated the natural conditions of the time when they were ripped away. The portal in looks resembled its brethren. Two rings made it, one greater than the other, the bigger in front of the smaller. The structure's rim steadily became thinner, starting from the middle point, all the way to the inner edge. Triangles with runes on them, placed where normally the digits on a clock would be, pointing outwards, made the bigger ring appear like it was made to resemble the sun. It was very easy to use, the steps necessary to be transported involved: going through a translucent barrier that distorted the shape of all that stood behind it. There one would find himself in the right conditions to step through the second ring, which would transport the person using the portal to, hopefully, a friendly environment. Different shard-worlds “belonged” (if this even was a right way to phrase it) to different; factions, dominions, petty kingdoms and self-proclaimed duchies, or reorganized hegemonies who grew in strength in the light of recent events. Many too were colonized by refugees, who got there through traditional means with fleeing feudals and magnates accompanied by independent mages. The young Great Mage seized power in one such remnant and from there, his career began to blossom. Yes, other Great Mages as well once again rose to power and built up their influence anew, trying to get back to Ardania, including the young Great Mage. As a matter of fact, this world remnant where the Great Mage was on was in possession of the Dragon Queen and the Altheri Elves she ruled over. She was a renowned Great Mage, but she used her royal title instead. Was this a diplomatic meeting? No! It would have been true three months ago. He was here to fight, not against her, but together as they faced a common enemy, and they were not alone in their struggle on this day. Tairi Sailaar, as that was her name, was standing right next to him, ready to fight... She was an elf, a female; elven women were looked upon with disregard by elven men. She was a beacon of opposition against these foul and hurtful beliefs and through the hundreds of years she lived, she made it clear, but failed to change the culture of her kin towards her sisters. There were others before her, and maybe there will be more after her; an elven woman who was at the same time a leader was a rare sight. Interestingly enough due to the fact human women proved to be good fighters in human history, as humans were weaker than elves and at times had to scrap the barrel, human women made a name for themselves and elven men saw them not less than elven women. Her title has its roots in a prophecy, involving an alliance with dragons. If that really is the case, as of right now, it should be treated more like a nickname than a title. Dragons may have been less violent or more eager to cooperate with her, in return, quicker has she obtained their loyalty and services. Reality and practical use are the greatest in helping to settle definitions of words and phrases and for now, this was but a mere strategic win, not an alliance. If he had enough time, he would certainly have studied the topic, however, forced by circumstances, he chose to become more powerful in order to legitimize his title of Great Mage. She was unflashy hostile towards him. She actively spoke against him as a ruler, there would be no surprise if she stated that she hated him as a person. She never understood his ways, she found them malicious. She never came forth saying this, but the Great Mage was certain. He understood why, and it was her murky elven morals that were at fault, that clouded her thought; she was a hypocrite. She sometimes did what he repeatedly has done. He looked the other side, having enough of thinking about his elf companion. He shifted his attention to the left, where stood Lich the VI. Both of them were fond of their domains, and tried to copy what the other had done, provided it was effective, without shame or acknowledging the other openly. The Young Great Mage even dared to suggest it was a sign of maturity, if done too often, a weakness showing a lack of imagination. Yet, they didn’t like each other, they wouldn’t dare to drink together at one table, even at the happiest moment both of them could share. How would the Lich drink in the first place? This relationship was unique because of their feelings, built on admiring the other's feats, not friendly chats and aid. King Lich was rather close to him in the style of ruling, the Undead weren't actually and physically alive, well, there can always be a debate about that ... Anyway! The Undead put next to the living were like parents next to children. Not just adults, only parents, as parents tend to forget what it meant to be a child. The Undead, the more powerful kinds the likes of Lich, did long ago forget about how it is to be alive; different ingredients, same mechanism. His rule and his approach were traumatizing to the living, but not as a result of a forcible subjectification, which was his diplomatic doctrine at all times, only from an inability to understand. King Lich was cold when he spoke, he never feared being honest, as matter of fact he always shocked everyone with his directness, his outspokenness conflicting with his apparent timidness, making a neat surprise for fresh "partner" material. He was well-mannered but was always too brutal. Taking into account that his previous incarnation, Lich the V didn't get crossed out from the memory of the current Lich, and a glimpse of the latter now lives in the mind of the being who was standing next to him, asks the question if the Lich was even reformable in this department. Considering the Undead have unlimited amounts of time to think over things that normally Elves, Dwarfs, Humans and Monsters don't think about in their life, in the case of the Undead - Unlife, makes the thought of him reforming attractive to idealists as it is settled deeply in the future. He was the one who engineered this alliance. He wanted revenge and justice served through personal vendetta. Miralbus focused on the prosperity of the people of Ardania. His legendary wand always stood by him. His wand was based on a glaive, the blade having its middle hollow, marked by old enchants around the blade. Where the staff's shaft ended and the blade began, there was a round gem, beaming with magic, a blue haze spilling out from both sides of it. His staff was his attribute. Miralbus was one of those whom you'd call "realists" because of proficiency in succeeding. From a philosophical standpoint, he was an everyday rationalist with idealistic scoliosis. He never cared for money, for power, or for anything like that, he hated material wealth and property, he valued anything categorized as intellectual capital the most. This doesn't by any means mean, he didn't gather wealth, he did constantly, to use it as best he could and saw it less as a value, but more as a tool. Or so, you could have described him earlier. Miralbus was the head of the previous council of Great Mages. The tabard he wore, black with blue parts signified his old role, he wore it now to display his importance. This way he sharply reminded the Great Mage's that knew him personally of his current status as again, the head figure. For Miralbus, that would have been once a bold move. But now? It was normal for him to charge with such displays of pride. Maybe that is why he remained the most powerful of them all? Did hatred give him power? It was likely that Miralbus held deeply to the wound he received from one of his colleagues, that he forgot of his old idealistic approach and virtuous way of life. Miralbus was known first and foremost for his honeyed palet of words always coming from his mouth as he spoke. Even to the Young Great Mage, he showed respect, formally. Miralbus always watched his words. If the Youngest of them found Miralbus in a levite situation, he could probably learn a few things about himself. Only by a margin was Miralbus more powerful than the Lich, but the title still went to him. Miralbus was never worse than the Lich when it came to knowledge and expertise in magic. Miralbus was well known for knowing vast amounts of spells of all categories, no doubt he knew the most. The Lich, however, was stepping on the old human's heels. If the Lich was older, shouldn't he be the most powerful? In blunt physical and magical power, yes. Power as in; durability, flawlessness, and amounts of mana (called also magical stamina) and other different factors all together, like intelligence, no. Following further with his eyes, King Rrat the LIV was also present, sitting on a beanbag king pillow, held by his fellow ratpeople beside Miralbus. King Rrat wouldn’t be part of the battle, as he was too weak to fight in close combat, his kingdom provided the alliance with many expandable reinforcements, especially orcs&goblin shamans were very important in the incoming battle, as they together with the healers sent by Anna the Benign will cover for most of the damage their troops would receive. The Young Great Mage wasn’t seen by Rrat as equal to him, this did change only partially due to what happened three months ago, where the monarchs didn’t want to look him straight in the eyes because of his young age and lack of a noble title. Even Miralbus who didn’t care about such pathetic details many years ago seemed bothered by it. The young Great Mage found a way around it, and took pride in the cunning character of his plan. Yet, a bitter taste after these three months still plagued him. King Rrat and Miralbus had a rough relationship, which given that they stood beside each other was even weirder. It was due to King Rrat's the XXLI doings in the past, when Miralbus together with his companion, Nicolas Frost, who was to this day in service of the Great Mage, tried to recover the Teardrop of Agrela. Both hated to see each other and to talk with each other, Miralbus especially as he always had a lofty attitude around people he didn't like. Miralbus, was better than, Rrat, when it came to trying and actually having some respect for others, that was a golden plus. The Young Great Mage stopped looking at them both, he shifted his thought elsewhere, not everyone was here with them. Rjakh was not present, what they were going to do could only involve the handful of them, with the exception of King Rrat. Nevertheless, Rjakh, was a powerful Great Mage, the alliance decided to keep him in the back to make their adversary more willing to take “brave” and bold actions. The more reckless the foe will be, the better. Rjakh was considered one of the closest to Lunord. Lunord being the god of the Moon, is occasionally just called the god of night and wind. Lunord was a powerful god, people devoted themselves to Lunord in order to gain luck in the night, not to become prey for all the vicious evil that uses the time when Lunord reigns overall as their time to - ironically - shine. Rjakh was said to be Lunord finest priest of this time. If anything, even an emissary of the god himself, securing the god's influence and being a guardian of the god's cult. Rjakh has sent some of his troops, but the majority stayed with him, he would teleport his troops slowly and with a steady pace. If they allowed him to be here with them, the sheer amount of magic would probably make the portal collapse on itself after Rjakh would step through it. The same reason was why Xara wasn’t present. She was furious at the alliance that she was rejected from being part of the striking force of the Great Mages. Especially at the young Great Mage. He was the one who opposed her taking part the most. He had reasons, she was just as hateful and just as much she felt betrayed as Miralbus. Miralbus , with all respect to the great magician that Xara was, and to Grum-Gog, was the more intelligent. Miralbus controlled his temper, Xara would in his opinion become savage and not control her urges as an Orc. Xara promised herself she wouldn't allow the holy grounds of Grum-Grog to be scorched with filth. If she saw anything related to Grum-Gog profaned, she would lose it. She was known for her stubbornness which was equal to the young Great Mage’s infamous instances of tyrannical behavior others accused him of, said view was backed by their muddy, complex pseudo-intellectual arguments. So, it was very unorthodox of her, to leave the matter be, especially of such importance for her. The youngest of them really did understand her anguish, he understood her distaste towards him, even when it was hard to believe. At last, then there was also Anna the Bening. She as well, could not be present, because of the same reason as the two before. Anna was a faithful woman, a priestess of Agrela, the goddess of life. Anna was a beautiful human woman, she was shy, but at the same time, she was powerful and in his own opinion, clever. She cared about her people, and tried to be as understanding as he could have been. As a priestess of Agrela, she had her moral duties, especially when it came to the cult of Agrela. She didn't like the young Great Mage, however, she tried to understand him. She suspected a few things about him and in some ways they were close to the truth but the verdict, in the end, wasn't a close one. He was amused by how she tried to find a good side in him, as if he wasn't good all the time or it was covered by some shadowy blanket. Such an interpretation wasn't false, it was just cloaked away by a history of him adapting to circumstances that he had a moral duty to exploit, such moments pass quickly, therefore speed plays a key role; to be swift, you have to be ruthless and tenacious. "Remember, Great Mages" Miralbus stepped forward and looked at them, getting their attention, snapping the young from his train of thoughts " That the United One must fall, any other reason to be divided stops mattering once we go through, we will deal with our grudges later." His voice was fruity even when he was an old man already. Powerful, orotund even. Like that of a grandpa, that tells a story of his old times when he had to walk miles upon miles to school or back home. This one perfect lecturer knew how to get attention. Great Mages lived on for many more years than any mortal, due to connections with magic. Nobody knew the others' age, outside from the youngest of them who’s age was known around. The oldest was the Lich the VI, then there was Miralbus, but exact numbers were unknown. The young Great Mage nodded, he looked behind himself. He saw an army, a united army, miles upon miles of tents spreading through the land, like flowers on a meadow, full of colors and life. From all races, only the Altheri Elves had their tents conical. The rest had their tents circular or cuboidal. The living constructs were slowly being awakened, the bigger tents, equal in size to a circus, hosted artillery and war machines the Svarts built. Young men and women, archers, blademasters, spearmen, master spearmen, lances, heavy and light units. People. Monsters under Xara, the priestess of Grum-Gog (God of Pestilence) and King Rrat the LVI . Humans under Anna the Benign. The Altheri Elves under the Dragon Queen. Noble like the other elves, but crueler, sometimes called "Dark Elves", as they dressed in dark blues and purple were intelligent and immortal, their population growing slower than ever. Under Rjakh and Miralbus “The Hat” were the Planetsiders, one people of all races, including the Undead and Svarts. The Undead were led by King Lich the VI. Consisting mostly of skeleton warriors, spirits, horrors, ghosts, ghouls and bats. Vampires were enlisted into the war by Lich, although many didn't want to. Vampires, especially elder vampires were masters of necromancy and death magic, shadow and darkness. Some had abilities in other fields of magic, like fire magic that is confused at times with light magic. And finally, starting from a human dukedom, the youngest of them, created a state composed of human, monster, undead and Svart cities. Many enclaves of other races and ethnicities of those aforementioned races found themselves in the borders of his domain as well. Making his land itself, speaking metaphorically, a giant Planestrider city with clear borders between the city's segments. The undead under King Lich were patrolling and never sleeping, helping, carrying everything heavy, so that the physical work won’t be bothered by those who live, to let them rest before combat. Dwarves who were conscripted, were happy to join, even if their mines weren’t now used, gold waiting with gems to be mined and made into jewelry. Minotaurs which left their mazes, oiled their axes to cut through the legions of the United One. Koatle priests who never left their villages, all in one place, making sure no plague was spreading or had the chance to appear, examined every living creature with care. Common elves, not to be mistaken with Altheri Elves, took their bows and joined the military as well. In the Sky was a fleet, a fleet of flying line galleons and regular flying galleons King Lich provided. About sixteen flying Line galleons were in the sky, carried by a purple mist, behaving like water in the seas, clashing against ships front and sides. They had their sails all withered and old. For each line galleon, there were three regular galleons, making it sixty-four ships. These galleons were similar in shape and look, but green like mold on fruit. The amount of Magic King Lich had to spend in order to sustain these ships was astronomical, therefore, since the formation of the alliance, he gathered and conserved mana, both in himself and as a resource. A Great Mage had his own mana limit, but he could draw it and regenerate from special mana farms. The very farms were connected to both the mages through special links and stones that redirected the magic to them. While in the case of King Lich and his fleet, also the ships. King Lich could take it all, and then from himself redirect it to the ships, however, he discarded that option, as doing so would risk crippling him for life. The Young Mage had also his own flying force, Rainbow Dragons to be precise, the same dragons who were suspected to have been extinct. He was ordered by the alliance to leave them out of the fight until needed. They were supposed to act as reinforcements if the situation turns out to be worse than suspected. Still, he brought seven with himself and hid them behind the short mountain range in the far eastern corner of this world remnant. These mountains could be seen climbing far, touching and breaking through the cloud layers, these formed circles around the peaks, as if the mountains themselves wore them as crowns. The dragons were ordered to wait. The United One's influence diminished with the mage’s strength growing, and he didn’t know of all his dragons or of the alliance's strength. Most of the dragons were conjured, therefore were entirely magical. Making it very easy for the United One to see them if the United One focused entirely on only trying to reinforce his already very weak influence. That is why the alliance also ordered him to keep them away, because nearer Ardania they were, the United One's influence grew stronger. Not to mention the great and powerful spells in his roster. Not for nothing were the mages called “great”. The United One could do everything they could, but quicker and with more detail. Even the Gods had trouble with the United One's influence, and that alone was enough of a reason to fear him. The armies were preparing to depart, homesick, waiting to return and see the beautiful lands of Ardania their parents left when they were young. Some elders to this day remembered how the people evacuated. For many, the long years of preparing and fighting were finally going to be paid off, only after one final struggle. One more obstacle. The attitude many showed, the fire in their eyes. This pleased the mages, fanaticism, radicalism for a good cause is not bad, but desired and mandatory. Together, the alliance had suspected they will be able to mobilize about enough troops to win the invasion very quickly. The exact numbers of their united force were unknown, none did provide information on how much he or she provided for the alliance. They could have brought more, but then the heroes under them would have trouble managing their dominions alone when they will be gone. Someone must take care of what they built. Many will try to rise up, when they disappear for the war. The heroes of each Great Mage were ordered to secure their Mage's homeland and it was told that they won’t be needed in battle, as the Great Mages will fight personally. The Great Mages stood on a hill, as the portal was there located, a rock ramp was built quickly leading straight to the portal. Made for the armies to march once the portal was opened, giving their posture elegance and power, showing that they were organized and ready. That this wasn’t just a quick setup. This was all planned, and their efforts would soon give them what each one desired. But did they really desire the same thing? The young Great Mage turned back to the portal. The portal…it was modified. The runes that normally were set on a portal have gleamed with blue, now they were glowing green, and the usual blue mist around it, magic itself so dense that it could have been touched and seen, turned yellow rather than have its natural light blue color. Ainadra. The mirror world of Ardania. It was the last bastion that needed to be captured and then the way to Ardania would be clear. However, the Dragon Queen has found an error in a portal that led to Ainadra. The portal she found seemed to spit someone either in Ainadra or the fourth world remnant in her possession. With that information, she could start her work. She called for Tal Kalessil, the primordial Dragon honored her call, but only because he lacked behind the other Great Mages and his journey throughout the world was not as fruitful as the scholars suspected. He saw this as an opportunity for himself. Sharing the information, she gained his favour. Tal Kalessil was one of the few who could single-handedly defeat the United One in battle as great scholars and even Miralbus have theorized when they heard he came back. The Young Mage never studied up close Tal Kalessil, nor did he read about him, he only knew him from spell books and ancient text. He was an important figure in the arcane, a very important, magnificent creature. This story, however, is not about the primordial dragon. Tal Kallesil taught her how to manipulate the portal’s magical waves according to her own will. Portal manipulation was hard and could only be done with proper spells that had specified results. Cutting the odd portal off from one of the exit portals, and reversing the power to the portal which led to Ainadra seemed to work just fine. This gave her the chance to study up close the rhythm of that exit portal. No one tested it, as it was dangerous and could have killed someone, if he or she tried to do it from the sheer magical pressure during the teleportation. She then did the same thing, but with the other. With ease, she got to know their magical waves, their inscriptions and have studied these portals and their behavior in both scenarios. She managed to redirect the special portal'ss full attention at the portals in Ardania, making it seek the second exit in that direction. It was a blazing success. It was only possible after connecting the previous exit portal with a portal of her own world to each other, basically creating one of the biggest logistic problems ever documented. This way, the special portal was not any more attracted to it. It was only natural for the portal, before which they stood, to seek for itself another partner portal, and since she controlled the portal's waves, she helped it direct its gaze towards Ardania. She then disconnected the portal with Ainadra, and focused the portal entirely on Ardania, preventing any chance of appearing in Ainadra. She, with the help of Tal Kalessil, managed to create a spell that was designed for this portal alone. It would allow them to pass through undamaged, it would last for three days, and three days are more than enough to get a large portion of their united army on the other side. Then, she would have to recast the spell. Tal Kalessil didn’t join them, he went to Ainadra before the procedure, what for? Nobody knew what for, however, he promised to arrive one day after they arrived in Ardania, exactly one day after. How exactly would he manage to do that wasn’t answered. The young Great Mage fought with himself to be better, always having in mind Tal Kalessil. In order to be a better leader, he had to try and fight his deviations, like getting easily distracted when studying natural sciences. "Alright then," Miralbus said, taking in a heavy breath. The Dragon Queen nodded in response, she stepped forward. Her eyes and hair started to glow, and the color was lively beaming, pulsating. From the middle of her hands, magical energy covered her arms all the way to her body. Her eyes shone with bright orange light. The magic gathered around her, swirling like a tornado, making a coat of orange particles. The portal let out a low humming noise, like a machine, similar in tone to that of iron doors sliding open, rusty and heavy, the kind that was leading to a vault in which riches were supposed to lie, but was hiding nothing more than death on the other side. She made a cross sign with her hands and retreated them back to herself in a circular motion, the action was swift. The portal then activated, sending a gust of wind, lighting itself up, at first blinding the mages. The magic it released was bearable for them, as they were Great Mages, and to them the experience was pleasant. Only King Rrat was taken back a little, he flinched when he felt the power wash over him, but he was fine. His ratmen under him, they were blinded, their fur changed to white and their eyes became blue. The portal was opened... Each one of them would go in separately, after two hours the armies were supposed to march in. The portal made it so that they could see their reflections, only the image was wavy and in very low resolution, but the outlines were seen clearly. King Lich the VI was the biggest of them all, clad in his ancient heavy cuirass. The youngest of them, was the second tallest, almost equal in height to the dragon queen, who was an elf, a female elf, but still an elf. What most don't know in his own land, was that he was slightly arched forward, due to one of his conditions, making him stand in a way a Satyr would or Imp if one would guess. His armor hid it well. Then there was Miralbus, and at the end, it was of course King Rrat. First went the Dragon Queen, right after her, Miralbus, then King Lich the VI. They stepped into the portal, and disappeared right after passing the barrier which reflected their image. Now was his turn. He kept his spear-wand tight in his grip, looking back at the army, he got once again a glimpse of the power they had when united, and what they could do together, in cooperation, rather than divided. If only they also shared one viewpoint... He took his first few steps. His heart rate increased, as he was stressed, everyone was, he didn’t look back, there was no point in doing so. Anxious he extended his hand, she trembled, behind his the helmet he wore, a drop of sweat ran down his forehead and ended up on one of his eyebrows. He walked through. Author's Note I hope you enjoyed this chapter, some things you saw were different then what the game actually offers, as I have said in the first AU. I didn't want to reveal too much. The interaction between the main six and other characters with our protagonist will reveal everything with time. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. Au - 1 (If you like where this is going, read it)So, This should go into a blog, but honestly who will read any of my blogs about this story? Let's start with what I already wrote in the previous AU's under the chapters. Warlock I and II As mentioned, the Warlock II and I universe is very poor and for the most part, I can do anything with it. And that is what I'll do. It literally gave me the skeleton, I give it the meat and the life it needs but doesn't have. A hell lot of things will be said about Ardania in the future but many won't be actually part of the universe if you decided to go into it yourself. At the same time, because its so little, It would be a crime, literally, for me to not include everything the franchise offers. This is why I will use things from the one and only book about the Warlock world. Stuff from the book, and therefore canon will be written in green text. This story is first and foremost written to improve my own skills at using the English language. The fact I can get you guys to read it, is a bonus because I am providing someone entertainment while at it. Meaning that I really would like you guys to be active, help me get better, from serious and long comments to just small remarks every five or ten chapters saying: "You're better than before" or on the contrary "Boi you got worse/are standing in one place" And I hope you guys will restrain from turning into the German soldier from Wolfenstein when he is talking to the KKK guys and tell me as he did to them, about how I butcher your beautiful language. I chose to take a different approach, especially add realism and brutality to the MLP universe Why? This way it will be easier for me to use the sad tag, and forge some nice situations. I understand that many prefer submissive and tiny ponies. I prefer something that has spice, and you can expect the MLP universe with all the incoming events will be at times bloody. Why Anthropomorphic? I like to implement some sexual innuendos here and there, you know, a tiny fetish like licking and so on. Foreplay is important. Thing is, with normal ponies, it turns me away, that is why I choose anthro's because I am more comfortable with them. I don't have much time, and I will probably rarely update. If I get better, I will stop. That is how it is, I have many other important things to do, and I treat this story as some sort of self-improving session on which I'll spend an hour or one and a half every three or four days. Not to mention that after I'm done with things I get easily exhausted like hell and this will have an effect on the story. Pictures When it comes to pictures, as you saw, I used already them in three chapters. I know that using pictures is lazy, but at the same time, I'd like to explain. I add them to show what I know I don't have skill (yet) to describe, to present the image as best as I can through text without dragging it/or I lack knowledge about (like armor). This, of course, doesn't mean I shouldn't try and do it, and I will plan on slowly going up the ladder, and when the time comes also go for the harder to describe objects. So tell me, in what situations would like me to see using pictures? On small stuff, not to waste time on it, or on the bigger ones? In the end I will choose what is best for me on my own judgment, but it'll be cool to know the general opinion among the site members. 9: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [1]Chilly wind swayed the flowers around, only tottering individual stems of grass the same way it did to tress or lesser plants that still possessed a significant size. Dead leaves together with petals and dust - mostly salt from the ocean and other tiny debris - easily flew into the eyes. It blemished the peaceful ambiance and anything positive that could have been felt by immersing oneself in nature. But, it was lavish anyway considering how high she was. The garden wasn’t grand, but it would be insulting to those who made it to call it small. It was semicircular and served the function of a balcony. There were two entrances placed on the furthest points of the semi-circle; all because of a small waterfall that created a wavy forded brook, about two and a half meters wide. It was artificial and went down the rocks, all the way from its source. The brook cut the garden into two unequal pieces. The Storm Fortress she was in, was partly built on a mountain’s elevation which climbed up to the heavens that with a few others composed a short mountain range. In between the mountains were two lakes constantly refilled with endlessly pouring rain coming from clouds that hung there due to magic. That is also where the waterfall had its source. The topic of magic on the archipelago and how it was connected to the two races inhabiting it intrigued her, but she never looked deeper into it. Magic was something uncatchable for her at the moment. It will change soon though, in a week's time, she will be on her last straight path to regaining the abilities she lost in her childhood. The peak of the stone massif was torn by powerful lighting, to create room for laying fundaments for a structure. Said structure was a tower which purpose was entirely dedicated to casting advanced magical spells and plenty of other magical actions. On the other peaks, there too were structures, but those peaks were not destroyed as there was no need for it. The road to the fortress was preceded by a small village, where lived the staff, since they couldn’t sleep at the fortress or rest there for long periods of time. The relation of the village with the fortress was the same as that of a castle and its castle town, or fief of an abbey. The village possessed about three thousand inhabitants. Specialists had their homes there as well, their duty was to maintain the fortress most vital parts and were ready to fix it up in case someone went into a tantrum. Lower-class delegates who had interests with the bureaucratic elites or came for an audience after a long wait slept in hotels slightly above the village. Local barracks were situated there as well, so, not everyone was a traditional staff member. One-third of the fortress was built inside the mountain. A few elements (like the balcony) stuck out with a view on the city of Thor, from the side of the Trident Bay. The city was more of a complex composed of civilian and military buildings; manufactories, workshops, schools for lesser magic, alchemical colleges, and institutes teaching the art of mechanical engineering. Education in such schools was oriented towards the militaristic effort. The state prepared for a potential long-lasting war with Equestria in case not everything goes to plan. The ethnic population characteristic of this side of the archipelago dominated the “old town” district. It once was known as a separate settlement of about thirty thousand inhabitants occupying a large chunk of land so that everyone had their own few acres of land. It was the capital of the island. To this day, the region's center of administration is settled in that district. That slice of the city was cut off from the rest by a thin, fair grey ornamented wall, that separated poverty from wealth. Now, its population was greater due to migration. The access to culture was strictly in the hands of the ethnic population and the distinguished official caste from overseas ruling in the new colonies or controlled directly or indirectly regions. The entire local elite and the political base for it on the island could be traced back to this part of the city. The rest of the archipelago was also infected with functionaries from this city, but to a lesser extent. Only the settlements close to the island in other parts of the archipelago were dominated by officials from here. It could be said to be a place of privileged individuals, apparatchiks, and power wannabes, riding on money from a previous era that never left the family's doorstep. She knew that coteries financed diplomas and certificates for talentless relatives drifting on a fragile foundation - prestige - looking for any reason just to avoid being sent to the front like their fellows from other towns and villages on the archipelago. She was writhing internally on the mere thought that they get away with it easily. She had a few perks from that herself. Her position in the army was easily achieved thanks to corruption and favors. All this was possible thanks to her “master” and his laziness; here he started his career. “Tempest!!!” Her ears lay back, she glanced at last at the ground, drawing a pattern without order or sens with her hoof in the dirt beneath her. Her plate armor which tightly fitted to her body didn’t capture a good portion of the charms of a female figure typical of an adult mare. She had a simple somewhat rectangular male appearance in her armor. Her sex was betrayed only by one vital component of her armor, her breastplate. The armor lacked two bulges on the chest for her breasts as the forge workers took a different and therefore more realistic approach. There was a sort of ridge running through the middle to the navel region, which extended the armor forward to form a triangle-like shape, with the underside facing up; as it progressed towards the tip it got shallower. This created an extra part for the gorget, where the edges of the underside were thick and forwarded, making it possible for a sword to be blocked if somepony desired to strike her by executing an undercut. Tempest was lucky, when looking from a practical standpoint, that her breasts were just about average and allowed the walls of the protrusion and the angles between them to be soft, making the surface slippery for any weapon or missile. But she wasn’t totally androgynous in her armor. No one would notice this in normal circumstances, but if behind her was something bright, then it would be possible to see that she still possessed some of her curves. She went through the portal, poorly decorated, as if three rims were put inside each other. Doors that were used to close the entrances were metallic. Metal lines created the images of flowers and vines in interesting intricate shapes. In between the empty space was thick glass. The interior floor of the throne room had a checkerboard pattern, the black tiles were made of obsidian, and the white tiles were made of some kind of stone that had an almost imperceptible baby blue hue in it. A wide red carpet ran through the middle, clearly conspicuous. The throne room was simple, very few things were inside. Columns were made from granite and placed there only to hold torches, with veteran guardsmen in pairs standing with halberds opposite each other clothed fully in armor, unlike regular shock infantry. The walls were dark and looked like were pure clean-cut basalt. The throne was atop an alabaster pedestal placed under the wall facing the entrance, which ran along its length. Since rectangular shapes only would make it all bland, the inclusion was made in for of an isosceles trapezoid. To climb the stairs one had to take great steps forward as they were not for ponies or other “medium-sized” creatures. However, on the right side, there were steps she could climb effortlessly, made for "guests" and servants. On the throne, sat the infamous warlord. Storm King with his Staff of Sacanas in his hands. "My dear, tell me how the preparations are going? I hope there are no delays." "Yes, my lord," She said firmly and respectfully "Three armadas, five fleets each along with the landing forces are almost ready. " He turned his ape-like face to her. His cerulean eyes stared at her intensely as a smile broke out on his face and yellowed teeth slipped out from behind his lips. Gross. "And our puppets?" "They chose to pay tributes." He humphed and drummed his fingers on the floor as he lay across the throne. For those outsides the realm of oriental politics, tribute meant payment in the form of silver or gold as common sense suggested. Indeed, so did too the satellite lands of the Storm King’s dominion pay most of the time, however, extra resources and “workers” were accepted and preferred due to a storm brewing. They’d turn out to be far more useful than coins. The Storm King wasn’t stupid, although many could interpret him as being so, and allowed his subordinates to send regular military help instead. Ambitious males of all races proud and loaded with hormones, carried by false smoldering hope set by their elders, thinking they’d learn something and use it in insurrections would perish when turned to dust from the raw unicorn magic, or turned to mush after being dropped by the pegasi, or die from injuries by fighting strong earth-ponies. “Cowards” He simply commented and shrugged. He quickly turned towards her with excitement “What about our agents?” He chimed joyfully. “ Everything is in its last stage.” “It better be over when we arrive at Canterlot!” He raised his voice, but still remained in good mood. “Do not worry, my lord, equipment will be shipped to Canterlot just before the invasion. The Intelligence Bureau and the Special Forces Bureau are sure of it. Your troops are going to be provided with the necessary material support to crush the resistance in the city.” Storm King languidly stood up. He was a tall creature with a white coat and cold blue-grey skin. His armor was not far from Tempest’s schematic wise, with the difference that he had his leg and shoulder protection always off. He didn’t wear it at the moment, it was placed on a rack in the corner, instead, he was wearing formal apparel with golden lining consisting of two parts; a tunic that resembled a doublet and matching pants. The collar of his outfit was stiff and standing like that of a coat, it was applique with golden threads with the pistils being white shiny gems, as well as were the filigrees styled buttons designed to resemble stereotypically depicted crowns. Around his waist was a sash wrapped around his waist which ends went over it from the bottom and hang freely by the side. “You know that it's not the equipment we should worry about, Tempest.” Indeed, what the Storm King had in mind were magical stones. These rocks were infused with magic from the archipelago, gathered by the structures on the mountain peaks. They would provide the troops with their natural endurance and strength, which withered away the more time they spent without in touch with magic native to the island. What they shipped through the months to Equestria was not enough to make the troops capable of carrying out the most simple magical performances. Fun fact; this is why the crest of the Storm Kings dominion had a cerulean shade. It was, so to say, the most sacred color as magical energy had that color on the island. The symbols on the armors of all Storm King’s servants that were natives and ruling supreme race overseas in the new and old colonies had the symbol made from said rock embedded into the metal plate. The dominion’s symbol that covered her cutie mark, and those on the armor sets of the non-native creatures who served in the military, was painted. “It would be a shame to lose so much of it.” He said, changing his tone of voice to one that didn’t know what “protest” meant. He neared her and came closer to her face. She hated him doing this, she felt the hot air coming from his nose, hitting her face, but she remained stoic, although the warmth sent a cold zap down her spine from the discomfort she was experiencing. “Consequences would be - “ He paused and placed his left hand on her shoulder, carefully embracing it with his paw. He smacked his lips looking for a word “ - horrifying, you know.” He whispered softly putting more pressure on her shoulder. He walked over and found himself behind her, placing his second hand on her shoulder, he and she gazed at the silver throne. “The punishment delivered to those who would fail…” He drawled the words, speaking in half-whisper, almost hissing like a vicious viper. “...Would put the whole world into stupefaction. “ The silver throne of the Storm King, didn’t differ much in terms of the seat itself. It was what was behind it, that focused all attention on it. “Is that clear?” She felt the steam from his mouth wash over the back of her head, she wanted to go away, but he held her firmly by her shoulder. The sore raucousness of his tone, the deepness of each letter, was like a growl. Zealous ire held the harness. “Yes” Although airy, her answer held serious gravitas. He rested his chin on her head, while she stood in place like a pillar of salt. He slowly retreated his strength and his fingers to the point where only his claws remained in touch with her body. “For the conference…” He amended the texture of his voice, sounding soft and caring, while he drew circles on her body. “...You should wear something elegant.” He stopped and took his first steps towards the throne. No. She wouldn’t. The nauseating smile of her inferior position was like a spark that set the explosion of her hatred. Her horn started to crack and zip as azure threads of electricity flickered in random directions. “You’re dismissed” He waved his hand as he said it. She immediately took control of herself and rotated on her heel to start storming out of the throne room. As she took the first step, the abrasion of her metal shoes against the floor let out a soul-piercing screech. The Storm King flinched and with a scowl turned “Tempest!” She stopped, the same effect followed, this time the Storm King only closed his eyes. “What did I tell you about walking in here and making that damned noise?!” She mustered herself to act like a well-trained actor, she swallowed her emotions, and used the aching feeling coming from restraining them as fuel for her play. She staged a false image of her being sorry, as she responded: “Pardon me, my lord” He scoffed and turned away from her. She continued this time without any provocation. Author's Note Ok, I know I said it would take some time until another update, but a smaller chapter is something I think would be a nice kick to start introducing the other main character of my story. Besides, I think I owed you a little more. Then again, a story, be it fanfiction or just regular fiction, gains autonomy when the light of a foreign eye shines upon it and can convey a message the author himself didn't know was possible for it to show. I'll try and make the future chapters longer (about 5k to 6k words). Leave a comment if you see an error or just would like to show support! Please have in mind the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book.
1: The bodyA bird chirping happily, was what he heard first after going through the portal. He noticed the pecking feeling similar to that when he hit his head many times in his lifetime, mostly against the jamb, hunting him right now. No doubt his head suffered from a weak headache because of impact, the bird's song seemed to be matched perfectly with the stabbing sensation that he felt. He felt weird, he felt very tired, as if he just woke up from sleep after a rough day spent in his study. It was dark, very dark. No, it was complete darkness. This made him tense up immediately after the sudden realization. Although he saw multicolored stains one sees when he closes his eyes, similar to that of the soapy water that children use for their entertainment to create bubbles. He concluded that there was a sun in the direction he had his eyes facing. His mind was working slow, even when he woke up, he immediately ran the potential scenarios that the world prepared for him to play his role in. Was this some side effect? Impossible, the Dragon Queen assured them there won’t be any. He moved his arms, he could feel them, they were "free" to put it lightly, meaning he didn’t feel heavy, he was quite mobile. He moved his head, now feeling something hard under his head, but that same time, he felt something light and soft brush against his neck, and shoulders and spine and so on further down as he went with his mind and his imagination as he moved slightly around. He didn’t open his eyes, he brought his hands to cover them and the dark abyss became darker, his theory was proven right, there was the sun the way he faced. The light was falling almost straight at him, he deducted by the flaming warmth. But this meant that he was on the ground… His heartbeat increased, his blood rushed to his legs and brain, he quickly was regaining his proper consciousness. He folded one of his legs, and rose up heavily, ending up on his knees, now his back revealed to the sun, he immediately felt the sun warming him up, heat coming mostly from the left side. He opened his eyes. His eyesight was out of focus, as if he looked through a dirty lense, after blinking too many times to call it healthy, his eyesight improved. First observation was the color green that dominated, then he saw the thin strays of grass, a tiny flower, blueish, somewhat on the edge of turning purple was beneath him. A forget-me-not. It seemed like the ground was closer than usual, or perhaps his vision was slightly wider? His memories told him that when he was on his knees, with his hands in position as if he was about to perform a plank just like now, it was slightly more away from him than now. The possibility of a side effect occurring after going through the portal was more likely, he took for a given it's just a temporary feeling that will pass. He ignored it. He stood up, his back was sore, but not much, it was bearable. Coming back to reality, as he stood there alone, surrounded by nothing more than trees, he searched with his eyes for the portal, only to find nothing in the near area resembling the damn structure. "Come to think of it, maybe druids were right that humanity had to reconnect with nature again? " Was his thought as he eyed the forest and its dark places corners. Only now did he realize that he was completely alone, no one was there beside him. He looked around once more, only to once again see what he saw before, a beautiful meadow surrounded by dark and tall, old in that matter, trees. He reached out, still feeling funky, with his palm open, ready for his spear-wand to come flying back. He waited, but nothing happened. He looked in the direction he extended his hand, gazing at his bare arm, without his armor on, he blinked and brought it close, his eyes widened as he saw white patches on his arm. " What is this? " He asked curiously, his voice hoarse as if he was a drunk from profession. Answering his question, or more like giving him a hint what he should do, in response, the wind blew, making him feel cold, even when it seemed that the weather overall signed it was sunny. The forest trees brushed against one another, creating the sound of a hundred thousand branches and leaves rustling, a sound so iconic for every living being that with nothing on earth can it be mistaken for. He felt the wind embrace all of him…A freezing feeling similar to that of the electric wave went up his body. He quickly looked down at himself, his eyes gazing straight at his naked body. His...feet were replaced by hooves, although strange ones, as if belonging to a dear, but not quite at the same time. They were too thick, one toed, but the shape was similar to that of a deer's hooves. And his legs? They were muscular as he remembered if not slightly more, but it may have been the fur. The fur in the color of his unique skin color, which was the most distinguishing him from other humans characteristic, with white patches over his body, making him look like a cow or dalmatian. His legs looked like that of a horse or pony, still, he was shocked for what he saw, not entirely believing what he observed. He raised one of his legs and proceeded to stomp. Just like a horse would do. This has proven the reality of what was going on after he dropped his hoof. There was a good side, as now his body was made for a digitigrade posture he got used to having before the transformation. He had experience in it thanks to his genetic defect that was worsened by the fact of his unusual height. Walking on toes wasn't pleasant, but now, he finally could feel lighter when walking. He went over to his upper body, passing the crotch area. His hands and arms, he carefully examined them, they seemed normal, apart from the fur. He touched it, to make sure it was real, it definitely was. He could only describe it as soft in touch, but when he brushed over the opposite direction the fur laid, it was hard and felt unpleasant. As he brushed along, as the fur laid, it was smooth and felt similar to velvet. He had a fatty natural oil on his normal hair, and it seemed that it applied to his fur too. His nails were pointy and black, he could call them claws, but at the same time, they looked humanoid enough. Their pointy shape together with bigger thickness wasn't enough to call them claws. He took a breath in, the fresh air made him relax, but his heart raced and he felt more and more pressure in his chest, his mind already rushing to the worst assumption. His torso looked normal, which really helped him to get back his coolness, despite the horrific situation he has found himself in. The muscle layout looked normal too, he still had his good physique. Compared to a proper soldier he was decent, compared to someone from the city, he could be described as athletic. What he noticed was that he had hair around the area of his neck. Thankfully, the fiery orange color was the same as his hair on his head, with some of his hair being way darker, some even almost black, which just added an extra charming touch to them. What he didn’t like was that the hair around the chest was curly, creating ringlets. The hair seemed to make a full circle around, covering all of his upper front part of his chest, making its way down the middle of his sternum, not covering his nipples - which to his surprises were pink - or the middle and bottom part of his chest making it pretty much bare and covered with normal fur. It ended before his arms and neck started, going around and onto his back, probably ending on the third from top vertebrae starting from the end of his neck. This mane that made him think of a lion's mane, wasn’t as full and thick like a lion's mane. It didn’t cover him entirely, only partially, as if his body was still developing since it looked like a young lion's mane from what he recalled. Which was impossible, because he was after puberty. He inspected his hair on his head next, he ran his fingers through them, they seemed to be the same length as he liked them, longer than men usually chose to have in Ardania, but not reaching his shoulders, long enough to cover his ears. They were always messy and slicked back. There was a pinch of volume to how they were styled, making them look puffier than they actually were, all thanks to his own method of combing them. What he found out next soothed his flurried emotional state he was in, as they didn’t feel like wool. For a normal human, it wouldn’t be much of a difference in this situation, for him, it was important. As he suspected, his ears were longer as well, but he couldn't picture to what animal they belonged. His hand stopped at something that was growing out his head, round and with a curve, his imagination telling him it looked like a rhino's horn as he further went up with his left hand, but it wasn't as thick and was more oval. He didn’t feel his hand, therefore it didn’t have nerve endings. In touch, at first, it felt as if it was a branch, no, more like a plank straight from the sawmill, because it was rough but the surface was even. The ending point on his head was tiny and razor-sharp. The horn was long, but how long he didn't know. What seemed weird, was that he didn't feel any discomfort in balance, as if it wasn't there in the first place. He inspected his face at last, he didn’t think that it wouldn’t have changed as he brought his fingers up, but still it was a two in one experience. On one hand, he felt happy, because his previous theory he had, and of which he didn’t want to think of, was proven false and it made him joyful for a few seconds, until he didn’t recognize the shape of his face, or as should be said, his muzzle. Starting from his eyes, going slowly further down, he could definitely say that his jaw was still symmetrical and was of the semi-square type just like before this. He had a long semi-squarish face, due to inheriting his father's looks and nose rather than just inheriting his mom's heart-shaped face, although her feminine features had some influence on him. Without a mirror, he can't know for sure. Whatever the case, everything seemed to translate into his new body in some way. On top, he felt hard bumps, as if bone was growing on the bridge of his nose, that yet it didn’t develop to the end, only small portions were protruding. By shape, it reminded him of scales that fish or dragons had. He immediately disliked this. His nose presumably wasn’t round, his butt chin wasn't there anymore, which actually was good news for him, he hated it. The bad news was that the thesis that the world seeks balance was true and he received big nostrils, at least he suspected so. He took a step backward, and jumped quickly in reaction to a bolt of pain hitting him, the part of his body from where it came brushed against the soft grass on which he stood, sending a tickling sensation, covered by the burning but a quick dying feeling of a sharp stab. A tail, long, round, like that of a pitbull but thicker the closer to the body, only slightly, with bone similar to that which was on the bridge of his nose growing on its back, was the source of his pain. " What the fuck?! " He exclaimed in surprise. He grabbed his tail in his hand, and brought it to the front of himself. The end of his tail was like a hand fan made from hair, as hair same as those on his mane and hair on his head grew out on the end of it. " This too? " He asked in disbelief, throwing it back in anger on the ground. He tried to control it, looking behind he observed as his tail wiggled left and right. As he tensed his butt cheeks, the tail went up. Standing properly, with his chest full and his belly half-tucked, going into a straight stand, his tail formed a sinusoid and hovered above the ground. He remained in that position to avoid stepping on the tail. The Young Great Mage suspected that in scale or not, his height was also transferred into his new body. He was much taller than the average male human. Humanity and Monsters suffered from a lack of enough food. They didn’t starve, but food was pricey and agriculture had its place first in the economy rather than craftsmanship or industry. Hunted by the United One, mostly to sabotage the other Great Mage's, Humans in particular, lacked enough to fully satisfy themselves most of the time, but enough not to starve. This resulted in them becoming shorter with time. Him coming from a noble family which served the United One and not having to face such problems always getting the right nutrients, and his family members being taller than already someone tall was, allowed him to develop as he should. " Let me get this straight... " he said out loud, as this made him think better, grabbing his head, as he still felt the aftereffect on his mind after going through the portal. A muzzle, definitely shaped like a horse’s, but it wasn’t round close to his skull only angular, if anything maybe like a wolfs, but then again his fur on his legs and arms and his whole body reminded him of a horse or other equine creature's coat. His hooves weren’t exactly equine but were comparable, only equines had one toed hooves from what he knows, although he can be false on this. He wasn’t an expert on animals, but he was sure there was no creature in Ardania or the known world as a matter of fact, that had one toed tear-shaped, thick hooves. He had a large curved horn, its texture was bizarre even for him. For instance, he had experience with unicorns, and they didn’t have such horns as his. Theirs were long and thin, not always straight, it happened they were curved, at times even wavy. His horn wasn’t bony, it felt like the surface of a regular plank straight from the sawmill, it was thick and long too. He suspected that it was around thirty-five centimeters long. The Great Mage was sure that his human features were transformed into the closest and most akin equivalents. To metaphorize it more, translated like a message from one language to another. If so, then... (Warning, anatomy, although not to richly described. No, this does not mean he has a small dick) He looked down, this time examining his more private parts. He never felt weird about this, as he always found doctors who encouraged to do it. If a medical expert said so, there was nothing wrong with it, simple, of course, if someone was a pervert he or she might have done it more often. He didn't mean masturbation by any means of course. His pubic hair moved down a bit and was not as bushy as he remembered but more straight and...If he had to be sincere about it, for some reason it reminded him of loincloth. His hair was curly at end, just as his natural hair. He had to admit that not shaving for a long time was a bad idea. He took the hair in one hand and so he revealed his genitals. His testicles were bigger, and by that, he meant bigger. Rather than have one testicle, when taken into hand, covered a part of his palm, it now occupied his whole, but it fitted in his hand and wasn't that large for him to have trouble holding it. He compared them by looking, and as he suspected, rather than having the right one larger than the left one, they seemed now equal in size, and the skin of his scrotum was not as wrinkled as before, but more stretched. At the same time, they seemed better secured and weren't so freely hanging. It had a polished look, rather strange, as it gave a weak shine in the sun. His penis, it was sheathed away, his sheath seemed proportionate to his body, meaning he didn’t have to worry about anything in this regard. (ok, this is the end) The more he looked, the less comfortable he felt, as he still was a human, only now trapped in an anthropomorphic body of some equine-like breed he never saw. It still was an act of zoophilia. He was done with looking at himself. It was quite reckless of him to just do it like that, someone might be watching him. He had to find an answer to all of this, but first, he had to conjure some clothes... Author's Note A reminder to everyone who doesn't know the game; that it provided me with a skeleton, the resources to place everything else that will appear in this story. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. What you know about the main character, and the world he came from, for now may seem like not much, and it is supposed to be that way. I want to have something you guys will come back for. I plan on mostly making you use your brains. Please also consider commenting, and point out the bad sides. Your criticism will make me only better. I made this story first and foremost to get better at the language. Link to the source of the picture: https://www.americansouthwest.net/california/sequoia/crescent-meadow_l.html
2: A innocent start Magic, what is magic? Without starting too much of a lecture, magic is a force that flows through every living being and material objects. Stars, for example, are a standard unit of distribution of mass in the universe [as we know from Princess Luna - editorial footnote]. The material mass which makes the universe can be divided into two types, the one that emits light, and the one that doesn't emit light. Mass can hold energy and radiate it, for example, heat. Magic is somewhat in between energy and mass, as it can take both forms (...) It’s all iconic effects are only seen when it is in the form of energy (...) (...) First is “energetical magic”, if enough of it is gathered in one place, it can be turned to liquid or solidified and it takes the form of a crystal. In such a case we talk about crystallized magic. Energetical magic is the form of magic that living beings can use. Shoot it, create spells with etc. The second is “Materialistic magic” which serves the same purpose as grout that holds bricks together. However, magic is flexible, and sometimes magic needs to change things in some places of the universe, as the universe is frisky in nature. More about the properties of materialistic magic will be discussed in the second chapter (...) (...) Therefore “materialistic magic” is what holds the universe nice and stable, for example, it allows for creatures to exist that don’t really make sense in the first place. Well, they do exist, so they do have the right to be and they probably make sense, from the fact they are living, but instinctively they do not at first glance look like they should (...) Now, when energetical magic is used on something, it increases the amount of materialistic magic in the target. So, somecreature without much knowledge on magic can already tell, energetical magic is essentially magic without a material object to “stabilize”. Therefore it's “free”. There is far more to it, but yes, that is true, and since magic is supposed to hold the universe in a good shape, if there is more than enough magic somewhere, it gets out of shape, obviously. Same when it lacks magic. It is the reason why when we use energetical magic, called simply magic by most, we can change things, or achieve certain desired effects. (...) No creature knows how much magic there is… … IN SHOES OF A UNICORN For earth ponies, nonmagical creatures, and more! Introduction, site 13-15 Prof. Quick Blink, an expert in the field of the metaphysical and a scholar of the theory of magic. As he prepared to materialize himself the clothes he projected in his head, the Great Mage bumped into his first obstacle and surprise his new body had prepared for him (or the United One?). Rather than through his hand, as it normally should when he made a simple, dry and careless motion with his hand, with the palm of his hand directed towards his chest, magic didn’t flicker out of it, but his horn. When using magic, the user will in most cases sense a feeling similar to that of a feather brushing against skin. That is what the textbooks taught him and that was correct. If the user uses magic to do something that for him is but a piece of cake in the context of the user's level regarding the knowledge of the metaphysical, a feeling of subtle warmth will be present, as if the user's hand was enveloped in water having the most preferrable temperature subordinated to the expectations. That was another truth he experienced and knew it was true. Now, all this happened, but he felt it on his horn. This made him flinch at first in reaction to the newfangled change. He strongly believed his transformation wasn't that hideous in detail, and as such, it didn't cross his mind that the method of casting a spell would be different. He wasn't able to see what happened exactly, but he assumed that his horn must have also flickered with white light, as would for a split moment his palm normally do. The white color of his magic was characteristic of him. Normally magic was wearing the color of blue, like the sky, when cast or concentrated around some point. It didn’t hurt the eyes of those who watched, as it was subtle, many called his metallic. As he stood there in the meadow under the sun, magical particles in the air swirled around, many turned to go fast through and along his body. It looked like an upside-down tornado, with incandescent dots surrounding him like glitter or fireflies. Then it stopped, the magic suddenly shot into the body of the mage, for a moment he was all covered by white light. Clothing started to appear the way, fire consumed a leaf. Starting from one point, you had an orange wave, as if a piece of thread was on the leaf. Like in the sea, from a bird's perspective the foam always decorated the top of the wave and could be seen as it moved, so did the wave of a flame on the leaf, leaving everything behind as dark and black. His clothes appeared the same way. A blueish wave first appeared from dozens of points on the Young Great Mages’s body, then as it went and covered all of him in a swift moment, was he left standing fully clothed up. He had a long, dark green cotton cloak with a wide hood on it covering him. Where the neck started on the front side, there was a yellow thick twine tied in a bow holding the coat on him. The sleeves of the coat were long enough to reach the elbows. The hood was nicely placed and its bottom sides folded as they rested on the shoulders of the mage, giving him a intimidating cultist look. His horn was going through a hole in the hood, that was cut in the hood itself and the edges were defined by a slim border from black leather, same leather his pants were made of. Under it, he wore a woolen shirt, loose and extensively baggy, two from three buttons were left unfastened. Under it, he had a white tank top to warm himself up. Both were tucked into his leather plain and black pants that were held by a skinny brown knot belt not too tightly tied. Two large pockets on the sides were present, with a piece of skin in the form of a triangle covering them. Since he was changed, he also had horseshoes for boots. Made out of iron and in good shape, they perfectly matched his hooves. The mage was concerned about the use of his magical abilities. His spells, they’ll go through his horn, which means he’ll have to also stand in different ways when using offensive spells. Making poses wasn’t his thing, and second, he didn’t know how to do it with this body, if there even is a practical way for him to do it. The more time he wasted, the more and more time did the United One have. He had to find the other Great Mages in the hope they would recognize him. He only remembered going through the portal. Was it really just a moment that passed or more? That was his biggest question. The invasion is still in motion… "Hopefully." The invasion could have failed, his memory partially wiped, but it meant that they must have had been defeated, which was impossible. They were powerful enough together to win, and with Tal Kalessil promising to aid them, they had the win in their pockets. What he could be sure of, was that the United One was one step further, if not a whole jog before all of them. For now, he must go with the most likely option he had, which was that the United One somehow discovered their plan and messed up with the portal. Thing is, they would have felt it, then again, the United One was insanely more powerful than each one of them individually, their senses could have failed them. Before starting his reign, the United One bore the title of Librarian of Dauros, and was dedicated to Dauros, the God of law, order and knowledge. This can only further reinforce the possibility, the United One found a way to mess up with the portal, through the use of his old spells and favors and most importantly, through knowledge. He must find people, a village or a farm will do, there he’ll get his answers sooner or later which will explain everything to him. Where he is, what province, on which side of Ardania, and what the people know. If his case was the only one, then the other Great Mages are probably fine, if not, then they are alone and scattered away from each other. He tilted his head downwards and aimed his horn at the ground. From his view, there was a weak light that quivered, at once it became more potent than the moment before. The ground before him shook and cracked, with a hard punch of wind following the action, the ground erupted, dirt spraying everywhere as if it was a water gazer, spraying the soil in the near distance, it missed him completely. From the brown cloud of dust, a leg stepped out, stone turning and hitting each other, as the peebles knocked each other. The limb grew and became its thicker version. In no time did the creature that the mage created step towards him, big and tall, bulky with pebbles raining down, dirt-filled the open gaps and clits in its body. Its anatomy very well resembles that of a strongman, with the stones, little and large shaping the body and limbs aesthetically giving it a touch of elegance. A stone golem, kneeled down slowly, his movement similar to that of an older person whose old age doesn’t allow for such stretchy movements. The lazy move stopped as the animated servant looked up with its head. The stone used to make its head was a giant diamond-shaped boulder, it was turned upside down, on the sidewalls the eyes were located, blue in color, that radiated magic similar to a haze. The mage looked at the golem with a hold-up brow. He went over to the side of the golem as it followed its master with its impaling gaze. Knocking once on its shoulders, the mage gave it a simple command to stand up. As the creature was finished, the Great Mage noted that his human height was adjusted to his species, which was some anthropomorphic version of unknown to him equine breed. The Great Mage knew this for the following reason; when casting a spell and wishing for an effect to have a certain range, in most cases adding the desired range was enough, sometimes the mage had to imagine the area of effect. In most cases, small corrections had to be done to the incantation or movement of a spell. Now, he could compare himself, which he did, as he many times before summoned a golem like that and knew where his head reached. " Some doors might not let me through," Was the Great Mage's quiet comment on his discovery, followed by an annoyed grunt. "Even worse for my back." The Great Mage climbed the golem, jumping into the air, higher than he should be able to, but due to magic, he used levitation to help himself up, smoothly and gently making a step on the shoulder of the golem, landing like a feather. Telepathically the golem was ordered to head west, as the mage felt a force of magic coming off that direction. It could be the United One’s agents, this would mean they are not that far away, in the worse case, it was one of the United One’s lieutenants…Their presence could be felt hundreds of miles away. But who’s presence did he feel? Only time could tell. In a week, the first-ever friendship festival will be held in Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, was exhausted as she worked with all of her contacts the whole day to make sure everything was going to plan, and made herself the first since morning started break. Spike, her loyal and handsome assistant, was helping her with all the things she had on her head as the festival got nearer and nearer. Of course, the festival would first be in a week, and Twilight already was panicking with small things getting delayed as if they were the most important. He felt it personally. Then again, Twilight had a scientific background, for her, a detail was as important as the fundamental things. He placed the last scroll he had to carry to her on the map of friendship. Twilight sat in the meeting room in her crystal chair. She had her wings unfolded, large and angelic, the feathers becoming brighter the further from bone and closer to her remiges. Her right-wing was all over Spike's crystal chair, blocking the dragon from sitting there. She levitated one of the large pillows from her sleeping quarters - it had plenty of them - and brought it behind her head as the pillows came from the hallway. Her horn stopped glowing, as with it died the sparkling sound of magic. "Spike, be so good and make me some tea. " Spike was about to sit down on Rainbow's seat as it was the closest to him while she said this, he narrowed his eyes and without comment, as exhausted as she, but physically rather than mentally, he went to the kitchen. "Thanks, Spike, I’ll make it up to you, I promise." Spike answered already behind her and in the hallway " I know you will!" Twilight let out a well-deserved sigh through which she let some of her stress out. She closed her eyes, she felt how they burned, as if the feeling of salt on a wound inside the mouth has decided that today it's going to take place as a representative of her tired eyes. She opened them again, shifting on the crystal throne, and made herself more comfortable. She had a break now, she didn’t need to think for the next twenty minutes about anything related to the festival. Mental wellbeing was an important part of her health, she had to take care of it. That was her finest argument which made her hold a break. Twilight wore her formal outfits almost daily, they were made to be comfortable and royal, while keeping its modern look, so that she stays in pair with her times. Rarity of course made them, even when Princess Celesia and Luna wanted to ship her their royal tailors and designers. Twilight was finished with all the ponies with who she had to have a meeting with today, she jumped into the casual clothing she wore - meaning her old clothes before princess hood. Right now, she had on a light purple short-sleeved shirt with the buttons running not through the middle, but on the right side. This way her simple outfit looked more official than it was, resembling old military coats. As for her trousers, they were unique in all Equestria and Rarity was proud of her idea. Twilight didn’t have her horseshoes changed for a long time, and the fact she went with iron rather than steel has backfired on her. She needed them replaced. Somepony might have thought that she was used to flying already, and walking was her secondary option of locomotion. Nope. Walking was still her first, and she enjoyed it more than flying. Rainbow Dash of course argued, and only bragged how stupid it was to walk when you can fly. She wasn’t here with Twilight, so, she didn’t care much, not to mention Rainbow was in the wrong. Spike came back with the tea, and he placed it right in front of her on the counter. Twilight didn’t even hear his tiny feet make noise as he came with the drink. " Thanks, Spike." " Is there anything more for today that is, you know, demanding? "He asked and went over to her side. Twilight folded her angelic wings and brought them behind herself. " Thank Celestia, no. " She responded and took a sip of the tea " Perfect like always." " Thank you for not filling the schedule only with that. " " I still have some things to do regarding normal princess stuff." "Like what? " " I have to visit the school " She counted " The garrison forces in Ponyville need a new commander appointed, and since the county is under my management, I have to choose somepony for it… Spike cut in " But I thought that the superiors in the military can do it. " " Yeah they can, but Celestia and Luna want me to learn, and we agreed before the preparations have started that I’ll also take care of this. I have to slowly expand my knowledge in those matters. " Spike nodded in agreement, he understood her well. " Now, I have to talk with Mayor Mare because new ponies are moving in, this influx of migrants has a good and bad side for the village, because of me becoming a princess and Celestia passing a decree for the migrants not to settle too close to the friendship palace, I have to know help with showing where they can buy land to build their homes. " Spike wanted to say something, but stopped himself and continued to listen. "Then there also is, Shining, who is obsessed with my security and wants me to have a proper guarding force that responds only to me. " Twilight said with a small frown on her face, as if she bit a lemon. Spike immediately looked up, his ears moving as he heard the mentioning of creating for Twilight a personal combat force. " You mean the Twilight Guard. " He clenched his fist with an evil smile on his face. Twilight facepalmed herself " Please, stop calling it like that. " "It's super cool! Admit it! " "Spike, please. " She looked him into his eyes. " C’mon Twilight, don’t act so mature." " Spike," She said seriously "You know I literally can’t allow myself to do that. " " You can’t live like that." "I must." " No, you don’t, you chose to, and this princess thing is taken by you too seriously." "Too seriously?! Spike, it can’t be taken differently than that…" "Yes it can, you are the Princess of Friendship, you are supposed to be a pony, first and foremost act like a pony and not as a princess - like a noble. " He corrected quickly " You are for the ponies." Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but she didn’t say anything. Spike was right. She was the Princess of Friendship in the first place, not just a regular princess, like Celestia and Luna. Of course, Celestia and Luna had their roles and she had hers, and hers wasn’t any less or more important than theirs. Her role was to spread the message of friendship. She might have had overreacted many times since she became a princess, but in reality, she always had a reason, a better or worse one. Twilight traced back to the moments where she, and her friends went through hardships, how they helped ponies in simple and important cases. It was all thanks to their knowledge of each other and using the experience the other had to help those who needed something. They acted like normal ponies. Like volunteers who came from the pony folk and were for the pony folk. There were of course times, where they had to fight. Twilight’s expression turned sadder, as she thought about the changeling invasion with its consequences on Canterlot and the harm Lord Tirek had carried out. Their noble mission was of course impossible to achieve without meeting conundrums and barriers to pass on their way. Moral questions arose, they doubted their views and their ethics. Especially when their actions spoke against them. Nightmare Moon arriving and wreaking havoc across the land before Canterlot with the awakened bat ponies, who now answer to Luna, was the first sight of actual and raw destruction which only occurred in film and comics or novels regarding war. She knew of pain, she knew of crime, she read about it and learned about it. It wasn’t less agonizing to see it, especially when Celestia cared for Equestria, and her rule was known for rooting out most of the perverse sides in society. This protection of hers made it look like the world was less brutal than it was. Then the Changeling invasion, the burning of houses, the fights on the streets, the first few executions that Chrysalis has ordered. These were real as well. She helped rescue the prisoners in occupied Canterlot. Many Changelings were left scattered across the city of Canterlot, as the love magic coming mainly from Cadance wasn’t capable of banishing all the Changelings back to where they came from. They were spared in most cases, some imprisoned, a handful only suffered from being victims of magical banishment - a ritual involving teleporting somepony somewhere or to a random place in a prepared set of locations or with excluding such location from said set. Tirek, taking away magic, without caring for life, did it in ways that killed his victims, as he sucked the life essence out of some of the unicorns and pegasi and earth ponies that he fed on because of his careless and desperate approach at the beginning. Leaving husks, lifeless shells, not bodies. Skin and thin layers of meat holding onto bones, as if the bodies were hermetic packages and the bones were the product under the plastic foil. She saw ponies die these days. "Twilight." The train of thought took a sudden dark turn, Twilight stepped again into the good part of reality, coming back to her senses leaving the bad memories behind. She looked at Spike who called her name. "What is it?" " I asked where you put Zecora’s potions." "Potions?" … "POTIONS!" Twilight snapped and placed her hands on the cutie maps counter. She slapped her hands against the surface, making the teacup fall and break, spilling all the tea on the floor. She has forgotten about Zecora and her potions that Zecora promised to make for her so that her mane wouldn’t look unkempt and messy until the festival lasts. "Twilight! Relax, it's just potions, you can get them tomorrow." Twilight covered her face with her hands in embarrassment "That's not it, I made a promise and have forgotten about it, that’s what’s bad. " She half moaned as she put her hands back on the cutie map. " I’ll go get them for you." "What? I won’t let you go there alone, something might snipe you on the way. " Spike jumped down his crystal seat " Twilight, I’m a dragon, and I know how to fight. You know that…" " I know you do, but I can’t let you just go into the Everfree forest." " Twilight, I promise you this won’t take long, I know the way to Zecora's house, plus..." Spike stretched himself, his tiny bones letting out a little pop as he did " ...I need a walk." Twilight considered, Spike fought many times before, especially his struggle against Sombra's shadow guards was one of a kind. Tirek, when he trapped both Celestia and Luna and Cadence after they gave their magic to her, created magic creatures that served him and spread terror around Equestria. Spike was one of the ones who destroyed many of them in Ponyville together with the locals who knew how to fight. The rest was subtle, and timberwolves aren't that dangerous for Spike too. " You have to learn how to deal with administration, I have to learn how to be less dependent on you. " "Alright. But not because you have to learn, but because I have duties and you are my assistant, this is why I allow this to happen." She stood up and hugged him. Spike was a small dragon, since dragons need much more time to grow, especially if they are not exposed to greed and fear and normal everyday dragon brutality, he was smaller than most in his age. In Equestria, he still was in the middle of many situations that required him to become more savage, this made him grow, and from a tiny chubby dragon who’s head ended as Twilights thighs began, now there was a proper young dragon. He was about one meter and fifty centimeters tall, he stood on two legs, he didn’t yet develop his feral stance and could without the need to walk on all fours stand straight. Since he still was just a child, he didn’t develop wings. Spike didn’t wear clothes in his earlier stage of development. After the adventures he faced with her, he had to because of his less feral look. He wore simple and tight clothes, he liked pullovers and he liked simple brown jeans. He didn’t wear boots and walked on bare feet. He wore just that right now, a blue pullover with a white shirt underneath, all nicely paired with brown jeans without any pockets. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his slim but well-muscled dragon arms. " Be careful, and take a weapon for safety ok?" " I can ask one of the guards to give me a sword on the way out. " " Not ask, but command, and tell them I allowed you to take a sword. Better even, that I order them to hand you a weapon." Spike wished her goodbye and went to the exit. As he approached the giant gate-like doors of the castle, the guards that stood with their backs turned towards both doors hailed him and opened them for him. They wore golden plate armor, bearing halberds for weapons. Their manes made the crests of their helmets. It was a tradition to dye the coat white when joining the military, many kept it that way until they didn’t exit, but it wasn’t mandatory. It was a sign that they were fighting for Equestria just like Celestia and served the country with their life as she does everyday. As Luna returned, many stopped doing it, and so the majority of the military again became colorful, rather than monocolored. There even were soldiers who switched to silver for gold in order to honor Luna’s return. For reasons obvious to those who knew some of Equestrian history, such small changes were for Luna very touching. The castle of friendship was surrounded by water, as for Twilight’s safety, the nobles with enough persuasion and long talks, made Celestia pass another decree that was about Twilight, which put into motion the project of using the nearby small waterfall as a source for a moat around the castle. The friendship castle, however thanks to the previously mentioned decree about migrants was separated from Ponyville by a moderately justifiable distance. This way, the moat was made quite large and also deep, which in return left the castle on a small island. The nearby mountain was protecting the castle from the west, it had the perfect terrain for something to be built there, the angle wasn’t too steep while at the same time as the mountain climbed there was a lot of free space between levels. A small bridge could be constructed quickly to create a perfect passage while at the same time a main path from the village would lead to the structure that would be built there. Plans to extend the castle and make it bigger were already given to Twilight, she however refused, throwing out all the architects who came to her to show off what they had in mind. Twilight, as she was, refused anything to be done without her consent around the castle. She was misfortunate enough, that things were done under her nose. Since the rule of equality between princesses stated that one princesse's voice is equal to the other, either the nobles, the supreme court of Equestria if the matter is about law, or another princess if there are three, in the worse case if anything can’t be done, an arbiter will be chosen and so he or she can tip the shawls and solve the problem. Twilight couldn’t do much, ironically, with her own castle. From behind there was a small wide plain area, for now, it was unused and left the castle open for an attack from behind. Sweet Apple Acres was located further that direction, and for now, the element of honesty was the defender of Twilight castle from the rear, if she willed or not. On the island the castle was located, there was a small camp erected by soldiers who were ordered to protect Twilight until a proper defense won’t be established. The island was long and shaped similar to that of a boomerang, many with Twilight herself called it a banana. The biggest landmass area served as the place for the camp that consisted of several wooden structures. The camp's buildings were closed off by a hexagonal palisade. About sixty guards were dispatched to protect Twilight, she didn’t allow for more. When Spike was outside, he went down the yellow gold stairs and headed right towards the camp. From the stairs, a clean short path made from white bricks led to the bridge, on the side boxwood grew to decorate the short path on the way. The dirt path that was made by the soldiers who lived in the barracks violently disturbed the harmonic look as it bit itself into one's eyes, catching the attention. The bridge’s colors were corresponding with the grey-lavender crystal walls of the castle. It was built similar to the one that allowed access into Canterlot through the main and only gate. This bridge wasn’t arched, and was flat, simple brass rails in the shape of stems, wiggly with details like leaves or flower buds were on them to protect anyone from falling. There was a round spot, creating a circle on the bridge in the middle of the way, the diameter of the circle being bigger than that of the width of the bridge itself. It was yellow, and Twilight's cutiemark was painted with different shades of white on the yellow field. Spike entered the encampment and headed towards the armory, most of the guards were either inside the barracks or training, most were “dismissed” by Twilight and were allowed to roam Ponyville around. Of course, by “dismissed”, we are talking about patrolling the city for threat. That was the official version. He entered the armory by getting on the other side of the tent flap which covered the entrance and was greeted by the pony responsible for the equipment. Large and long armor racks created a line of an almost unending supply of armor. On the right side, there were the weapon racks, mostly occupied by halberds and swords, he didn’t see any bows on the font. The armory was lightened up by levitating balls of light cast by the unicorn in charge of the provisional armory. They looked like the sun but in size were only a tiny version of it. " Hey there, Spike. " Said the unicorn in charge. He sat behind a long wooden teachers-like desk, with a wooden shelf, like the ones you see in hotels, standing on the left. There was a wide gap between the desk on the right and the wall, both created one way in and out to get the equipment. The unicorn wore his standard outfit best fitting for the job. " Hey, Small Arsenal " Spike greeted back " Twilight wanted me to grab a sword because-" "She allowed you too?" " She said that she orders you to give me one. " He said with a smirk. The unicorn eyed him carefully "You know that the last time you asked for a sword it was for one of those game nights you have with Discord and...Uhmm, Big Mc’Intosh was his name?" " Yes, but listen! " Spike argued, " I’m going to Everfree forest to get something for Twilight." " I’m not so sure, you know what hangs above me. If they’ll find out I once again handed out a weapon to a citizen" He said, his voice full of dread " Not to mention doing it without authorization." " But Twilight allowed me to, I swear, Small Arsenal." "What guarantee can you give me?" "As I said, she directly told me to say it's on order, because she sends me to Everfree forest." The unicorn stopped talking and thought. If Twilight didn’t permit Spike to take a weapon, but he non the less was going to the Everfree forest, he would, either way, try and get one. If she finds out he didn’t give him one and knew he went to the Everfree forest, that would be the end of him. Regardless if Spike even told him the truth about Twilight sending him there, considering he is doing it alone, it was impossible for Spike to really be allowing this. Twilight was known for caring about him and this decision seems out of character for her. Then again, he never had a long conversation with her and all he knows are information from gossip… "Fine. " He reached for a pencil and quickly took a piece of paper from one of the drawers of the desk. Spike went quickly to the closest gladius-type sword. He took it with the scabbard, then he took in hand the shoulder strap and placed it over the shoulder. He looked up to see what number did the stand have, which was one hundred and forty-four. " One, four, four " Spike said as he went for the exit, he was stopped as something pulled his tail. Spike turned back and looked at Small Arsenal who after writing the number down on his note and hiding it in his pocket, put his arms on the desk crossing them forming an X. His horn was glowing and the sparkling, humming noise of magic filled the void. "Please remember, that I was skeptical because you already damaged my trust in you. Not because there was something else in the way." Spike felt the words sting him with vigorous passion. He stayed there for a few seconds more, he couldn’t look the unicorn in his eyes. Spike turned away with a semi-disgusted look on his face thinking about the time he genuinely deceived somepony for his own benefit. He knew he did bad and that his reputation in the eyes of the unicorn was damaged. He got better and never again done it, learning a lesson from Twilight at that time too. He even tried to somewhat repair his trust, Small Arms saw him always trying to help at the armory. The unicorn said in most cases he didn’t need any aid. There was a difference in the behavior compared to that right after the situation. Small Arsenal was outright aggressive in saying "no", denying him the right to get a weapon. Now, there were glimpses of him trying to find a reason again to do it, but the past experience incremented him to be less liberal. That is how Spike saw it, was he right? Only time would tell. "Try to build a custom ecosystem." Applebloom gave her advice to one of the blank flank ponies who sought his purpose in society. He was a young colt, one-year younger than the rest of them. He had a blue coat and red eyes, with a brown and curly mane. He wore simple black jeans and a white woolen t-shirt with long sleeves. " I tried, but neither did this have any effect on me." Scootaloo was sitting on the ground right next to Sweetie Belle who was holding a list of potential things that could trigger the appearance of a cutiemark. "You’re interested in both botanic and in ants, are you? "Scootaloo asked making sure she understood where she stood. "Yes, I love both, but I always tried to experiment with both and mix them and nothing came out of it. " He said sadly, sitting also on the ground looking down at it. " Have you ever tried to perhaps work with certain ants or plants? " Apple Bloom asked as she joined the trio and now they made a circle. " Yep. " Responded the colt. "Sweetie Belle, what about you? " Scootaloo spoke. " Huh?" " I asked what you think, what else can we try?" She looked at the list in her hands "Maybe the problem is...That you know. Rather than be an expert in both, you are in one, and the other is just a thing you like." " I thought so too at first. " He started and turned himself to her " I committed a whole week to do just one and I got nothing out of it also. This is why I came to you guys." " Maybe Zecora will know how to help you. " Said Apple Bloom out loud. "What, why? " Asked the colt " Who is Zecora even?" " Zecora is the potion maker who lives in the Everfree forest, but not too deeply. " Said Sweetie Belle " Then again, why her? " The Everfree forest?" "Maybe his destiny lies in making creams for ant bites or something like that" "I hope not AND I’m not going into the Everfree forest, forget it! " He said with an accent. Scootaloo punched him in the arm " Oh c’mon, you’ll be a stallion someday, be brave!" He scuffed and looked away, he felt insulted. His mind already racing in between going and showing her, that he can be a proper stallion one day, and the other saying he should not play as Scootaloo wants him to. "The path there is easy and it will take fifteen minutes at worse. We’ll be back before night." " You really want to go there? " Sweetie Belle said, her tone could be mistaken for murmuring " I don’t think we should, I have a feeling something will happen like always." "Don’t be so pessimistic " Scootaloo stood up, ready to go. " You’re going or not Morning Dew? " She delivered him a small kick to the leg. " Ok, I can go. " He said unwillingly, looking at her as he stood up. " Fatum doesn’t exist, and everything will go just fine. " He said to himself. " Exactly, not even Fatum will stop us." " Do you even know what it is? "Apple Bloom commented dryly. " Nah, and I don’t need to." Sweetie Belle sighed and stood up as well. The four of them went towards the Eeverfree forest, first, they had to get on the way towards Zecoras home and there was some distance to pass before they even started seeing the border o the forest itself. Morning Dew was walking with them, debating if he should or not step down. After all, the Everfree forest was nursing many dangerous horrors, of bigger and smaller types, like the timberwolves or manticores. Only time will tell, but for now, he wasn’t stopping. Author's Note So, I hope you liked this chapter. As you can clearly see, there are some serious changes here and there. I decided to add some realism for the sake of my fanfiction, some may be turned down by it, but really how much can I care? These people won't stay and those who like it will. I just want to remind the handful of you who read this chapter, that the story is made first and foremost to improve my own English, as it's gotten worse. Some parts may be too blunt, as I lack the necessary vocabulary or/and don't know things. I will be glad if you left a comment and perhaps wrote that I should try and limit this, or add something more to that, maybe don't bother with the synonyms for a word that is too unique to be passed for the matter of diversity in my work etc. Your criticism helps me to better my abilities. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. Link to Twilight's pants: https://www.etsy.com/pl/listing/220528065/formal-pants-high-waisted-pants-long?ref=sold_out-8&pro=1&frs=1 It was a tradition to dye the coat white when joining the military. I can't remember what fanfiction was that in, but the idea wasn't mine here, all respect to the author/authors who came up with this.
3: In motionTrees, and more trees, rustling and cracking as the Golem made its way through, forcefully pushing aside what could be easily swayed away, with its shoulders and puffy rocky chest doing the work. The light coming from the sun was passing through the gaps made by the countless leaves on thousands of branches making the very crowns of the old and therefore tall trees of the forest. It was as if a giant swarm of insects or one ample cloud of crows occupied the sky, cutting the straight unstoppable light. Bulky and thin and standard trunks, some covered in moss, others not so much or not at all, rose-like ancient pillars of the fallen long ago into ruin buildings he saw many times in the outer worlds. Heaps of earth forming closer to the trees, with roots closest to the top protruding from the earth, making natural traps for the intelligent agents wondering. Birds chirped and sang cheerfully as he passed, squirrels walked out for a stroll in order to gaze at the Young Great Mage, being carried by his animated servant. A rare sight for the animals, who, the Young Great Mage eyed, with an upside-down skeptical arch made from his brows showing that he was frowning. The golem walked slowly, shifting its bottom limbs not too fast. It made big steps, this made their progress not sluggish. The large legs of the golem crushed the bushes and ferns under the pressure. The fauna made from fungus and rotted plants squished and let out squeaks indicating that the ground was well moistened. The duo traveled with peace, the mage enjoyed his ride, having time to think about his current position, and lack of armor and special weapon. The loss of his equipment was an unpleasant turn of events, as the armor was one of the finest ever made, his spear-wand one of the most potent agglomerating mana staffs there were. He let out an irked sigh through his nostrils - A well-made weapon, although there were better ones. - He thought. It cost a fortune, paid from tax money to be precise. He invested in himself as he was the people’s best weapon, and guaranteed protection against the United One. Egoistic? No, it was only logical. Now wasted, not even used as destined. The Young Great Mage sighed again in a scornful manner, clenching his hands into fists to release them a moment later and place them gently on the golems' back. “Get over it, learn from it, adapt to it, and go forward.” A self-reassuring tone accompanied said words by the young adult, still, bitterness poured out in large amounts from the mage. Was being enraged by it and proceeding to show it in an indignant way the right thing? Some would say yes, that he should follow his emotions to show that he cared, that it had meaning to him. That doing nothing was a clear message which spat into the resources lost, a show of direct disrespect. How could he stand idly? How dare he? Yes, he dares! Why waste time and effort on something that would bring him nothing? Why be bothered and stand in place, being held by the memories of what happened? He can go forward and get it again, perhaps better? This line, integral to his own thinking logic he had chosen to follow, was optimistic. It helped him calm his nerves as he was finding himself fazed out. The struggle in him was cut short by the golem walking into the open, the moment was short-lived, but the sun cleared the mage’s mind, resetting him and turning his attention where it should be, on the path. As the golem was on the border to again step into the woods, the Great Mage heard something incoming. Footsteps, a dozen if not more from all sides. The golem stopped and took a passive stance, putting its left leg slightly behind his right limb. The Golem had its fingers still spread out, the edges becoming sharper and more defined, like the edge of a knife. Growls followed next, a soggy fog appeared incoming like a flood and washed over the feet of the golem, the cloud was slightly shimmering and hid the ground under a milky layer. The Great Mage looked around himself and cast a simple spell without moving. His eyes shone brightly blue, but the moment it happened was so fast it wouldn’t have been noticed by someone with no level of expertise in magic. Now he could look at what was behind the trees and the thicket ahead. The spell wasn’t strong nor did he want it to be strong, therefore it had a limited area of effect. The figures he saw were definitely shaped like dogs, wolves perhaps. The dog-like figures had unpleasant, bright, slashing eyes, glowing with a lime green color. The canines encircled them from all around the area, most coming from the front, that was where the golem stood. The Great Mage stepped down and landed on the ground, he looked deeper into the forest and saw big clumps of lime green, somewhat beneath the ground. This made everything clear to him. Puppies. He nullified the effect of the spell he cast and saw the now coming forth wooden wolves. He looked at them, their torso looked like made from a piece of a trunk, with the bark growing in an intricate, even cancerous way, creating the looks of the fluff of fur a dog has around the head and on the back. The tails were made from leaves, they matched a wolf’s tail when it came to the aspect of shape quite well as the Great Mage compared it to the image he had in mind. The fangs they had were sharp and made from stones that were held by the wood, the stones integrated into the very wood-like flesh. When wood grows around artificial barriers it literally devours it and closes in around it like goo, the same image could be granted to the watery, opened mouths. The snouts were made from a thick branch cut perfectly in half, some had them smaller with a growing out sprig with a tiny green leaf on the end of the shaft. The eyes of the creatures were lime green as mentioned, the same shade he saw them as the monocolored figures. Their limbs looked more bizarre than the creatures themselves as it didn’t make any aesthetic sense. Their limbs looked too angular, as if you took a piece of wood from a construction site and magically applied the bark to envelop it. But this wasn’t that bad in itself, the true profanation of the looks was their feet. Circular with a piece missing where the heels were. The claws were made from stone like their teeth, little and looking like glued by nothing to their feet. From the gathering before him, as the pack approached, he moved one of his fingers as they came closer. One of the creatures was lifted into the air, with its body straightened, the head pointing towards the sky. The other wolves did a step back in reaction, their response was a mutual release of their voices, barking, and growling. He looked at the creature that hovered before him, with the paws close to the body, and the tail folded to the side. It was the first time in his life that he saw something like this. He never heard of such wolves even existing. He wasn’t keen on biology or knew much about animals, so it could be that he missed the time it was taught to him. A strong stench came from the creature’s mouth, the Great Mage had to move away in order to feel comfortable again after accidentally inhaling the extremely bad smell. The fresh air really made a difference. He didn’t intend to kill the animal or the ones around when he had the power to avoid it and make it so that they go away without any conflict. He swiped his hand, from one side to the other where the location of the pups was. The palm of his hand pointing towards the clouds with the index finger. From the inside of the forest, not so far as it seemed at first glance, there was a quick and bright flash of white light. The Wolves stopped and turned their attention to what happened. The wooden canines in front of the golem were the closest and ran back to inspect the dens. The Young Great Mage looked the opposite way, looking where they came from. The same flash of white light followed. With a smirk on his face, he made a step back. He placed his foot on a smooth thin surface, made from white light, sparkling and glitching with different shades of the color. Like as if he climbed stairs, with each step a magical plate appeared under the sole of his hoof, he retreated back onto the golem, and sat on its back. The golem moved forward as the mage drummed his fingers on the thing’s head. The wolves ran past the golem, running towards the caves that the great mage teleported. Spike needed something more than just his standard clothing. Before heading out, he came back to the armory. He picked up a leather jerkin, under it he wore an extra thick woolen protective vest. Normally such a light outfit was made for archers that made the civilian cohorts of the garrisons in a small town, like Ponyvile. After thanking Small Arsenal once again, he finally went to the Everfree forest. He quickly found himself at the borders of the woodlands. He chose as always the standard way to Zecora’s home. The young dragon immediately got covered by the shadow that was cast by the trees. He already felt strange, as the sunlight got blocked making the surroundings darker and in turn also grim. He had nothing to worry about, the Everfree forest wasn’t that dangerous anymore. Luna had banished her old nightmarish influence that corrupted the forest by an extent after her return with the help of Celestia. Celestia cast powerful spells that cleared the Everfree Forest. However, he still feared the creatures who lived, as some were still present. He feared an encounter with one of them. Twilight, while battling Tirek, met one and had to destroy him. Thankfully with the power of all three princesses, the monster was nothing more than a normal weed a gardener rips out every day. But the fact that Twilight had an encounter only proved there still may be some in the forest. Twilight’s case was extraordinary, and for that reason, nopony has asked for a recleaning of the forest. Spike marched steadily, not stopping at anything, he wasn’t scared by any means, he was just cautious. Other creatures were present too in the Everfree forest. Like Manticores, these creatures were savage and only pure aggressiveness drove them. Having an encounter would be a huge problem. “No need to change a fly into an elephant.” - Spike thought. Not much did it last until he got a tight grip of himself. He faced worse. The walk was quiet after all, without much to worry about, after a few more minutes as he was getting closer to Zecora’s home, his fright had left. Now left alone with only nature around to be indifferent with his presence. Spike was never used to be, to put it lightly, without Twilight in the Everfree forest. It wasn’t the first time too, but it still was scary to think he was alone in the forest. But it didn’t come from pure cowardness, it came from his own instinct which kept his adrenaline levels high. He walked automatically, without even looking around and just following the path he had memorized in his head. “ Just a few more turns...” The girls with Morning Dew together walked close to each other. They were walking a different path to Zecora, it started at the village's southern parts, west of Fluttershy’s cottage. “I hope you guys know where we're going…” “Don’t worry, the path to Zecora we are walking goes directly to her, we have to basically follow it strictly and in no time we’ll be there!” Applebloom assured him, being the one in the lead of the four. The three and their companion were walking the path, while remaining silent the whole time, rather strange, as Morning Dew noted himself. The girls however broke the silence and started to talk about their girly stuff, mostly regarding their club. He listened, he had nothing better to do. He learned that there are three more ponies that want to have a meeting tomorrow, one of which is a colt that has a similar problem to his. The difference being the colt is interested in sports and is a pegasus. The girls shared a laugh once or twice, he just went on and didn’t comment, until Applebloom mentioned him. “Tell me, what is your dream job Morning Dew? We talked about your interests, but didn’t quite grasp the topic of what you’d like to do.” “Exactly” Scootaloo added “Might help when we arrive” “Well” He started “I really don’t know, I think that being a simple scientist is something I’d like to become in the future.” “How do you see yourself as a scientist?” Sweetie Belle threw in. “You know, experimenting, taking notes, observing. I’d try to change their behavior by adding or taking a thing or two from their environment and see if my predictions were right. That sort of thing” “This doesn’t change much” Applebloom said “Can you be more specific?” “Well…” He was cut off by Sweetie Belle “Shouldn’t we have taken the left turn?” “What turn?” Morning Dew asked worried, but nopony bothered to answer. “No, It's ahead, besides, if we went the old route the lumberjacks used, we’d already know it, as it would be less clear and bushier.” Scootaloo looked around, and in fact, the way they went seemed to be clear, but the surroundings were more dark than usual. The bushes around seemed rather recently touched as branches were snapped and crushed laying together one on the other. She looked down, the dirt seemed to be uneven, something big walked this way leaving deep footmarks. “Applebloom, I think we might have made a mistake” The Apple family member turned to her “Why?” She asked, herself already feeling how anxiety was creeping on her. “Look at the ground!” They all did, and both saw the strange marks. Morning Dew noticed that a young tree grew just beside them, which allowed him to easily climb it and go down, as it split into two. He did that, and got asked what he was doing by the girls. “Get down, we don’t have time for this!” As he climbed the tree, a chilly cold wind blew lightly, making the girls shiver, carrying dead leaves and dust making them choose between protecting their eyes and wrapping their arms around themselves. “We couldn’t have chosen a better time to go to Zecora, could we?” Sweetie Belle argued. “Ummm” They turned their attention to Morning Dew. “What is it?” “Something walked this way...Something big” The greenery around slowly got lit up by a dark blue tint, as if something like paint started to replace the green color with blue. The wind became stronger and came from behind the girls, while Morning Dew was looking deep into the dark abyss ahead, seeing something like a light shining through the plants. All four of them felt a disturbance, as if something hit the ground hard and made it shake. Right after this, birds that had their homes on the tops of the trees, flew away in an ample crowd and sang loudly. “Guys, I think we should go,” Scootaloo said first. “We need to run!” Morning Dew was the first to go down the tree and started to run in the opposite direction, completely ignoring the pathway they came with. “Wait, maybe it's nothing!” But he didn’t listen. They only heard him saying something, but he said it more to himself than to them. “Nothing?! There definitely is something there!” “Don’t yell” Sweetie Belle spoke strongly. “You’ll attract it.” The girls heard branches breaking and the steps, heavy and menacing, became quick. The blue light now became one with the dark green, making the surroundings appear dark and shiny, fake, as if made like from plastic, and even nightmarish, just like Nightmare Moon and her mane depicted in history books. “We need to go after him, or he’ll get lost!” “Morning Dew! Wait!” Unwillingly the girls started to follow. A horrendous roar, harsh and dry, belonging to some monstrosity ripped through the sweet sounds of the forest reaching the ears of the young mares. “AAAAHH” Their high-pitched voices could be heard a mile away, as the sound of it behaved like thunder, and didn't stop at anything to alert anything around of danger the trio sensed. The Young Mage stepped down his stone golem and landed on the ground like a feather. Before him laid a strange sight. Something seemed to have torn entire trees down, some even were ripped halfway out. A trace of fireflies was left going along the path of destruction, and that alerted his senses. A forest, although not a living one, but grim and dark, definitely not the healthiest he’s seen, kindly presented him with a chance of meeting a particular enemy he really doesn’t like to deal with. This trace of fireflies only reinforced his judgment, but what he found weird, was the blue color on the leaves and the ground, as if it was night and the light from stars itself shone at the greenery. To see this at day, mixed together with the forest's natural daily contrast, was positively spectacular in its simplicity and fact that it was out of the ordinary. “It can lead me to its lair, and from there I can take one of its paths around the forest.” Not to mention that if the enemy he suspected to encounter, for his level, was easy to manage. Plus, he has his golem. However, what must have happened that it chose to damage the environment? Before departing once again, his horn flickered with white light, and he ascended into the sky, with the branches of the trees and vines making way for him. He spun as the wind carried him up. The light blinded him at first, but he quickly got accustomed to it. He landed on the top of the crown of a tree, and the leaves held him up, not bending under his weight, as if he didn’t have any mass. He was met with a calm sight of the forest extending further. He could try to fly, or even conjure himself some large birds to carry him, but he didn’t want to be spotted by anyone until he was sure he’s safe. The sight was breathtaking, a lonely white mountain and a mountain range shorter than the lonely mountain were the only things he could spot from his position. He didn’t know or had any courage to guess what part of Ardania this was. It didn’t resemble anything he remembered. This was made him feel worried, but not for long. Ardania under the United One must have changed in some way for sure. He’d be a fool not to experiment with the world when it was at his disposal. One particular tall tree seemed to hide a part of the large lonely mountain in the distance, but he didn’t pay much attention to it as probably there was nothing there. A few more seconds passed like entire minutes, the wind was warm, and the sun didn’t give much heat. The temperature was perfect, the air felt clear and fresh, giving him energy. It sure was a nice change from the smell of food, old paper, ink, and city life he experienced almost daily when not on the battlefield. As he was looking at the simple image he saw with his eyes, it invoked melancholy in him, he felt lonely up there, so he returned down to his golem. The leaves on which he stood just let him fall, and he landed straight on the golem, again, without any damage. “Let's get over this, “ He tapped the shoulder of the stone construct. The stone golem then proceeded to sprint alongside the path, crushing the remains on the ground and burying it deep in the ground. And here he was. All in one piece. Spike knocked on the door as he stood before Zecor’s home. Not much changed, other than perhaps a different than before tribal mask was now hanging above the entrance. The stench of chemicals of different kinds she cooks in her cauldron filled the air before the doors, and also because the window was half open so it came out that way. The doors opened and revealed the mare in all her demeanor, dressed in her casual hide outfit while she also wore a white tunic under it to the knees. “Spike, now that is a surprise I didn't expect, but non the less, it is perfect!” “Zecora! I’m glad to see you as well “ He started but was cut off. “Please come in, you’re welcomed as if you were my kin” Spike however put his hands up “No, I must return soon, Twilight will get worried. I’m here only for the potions.” “I noticed too, that Twilight was absent, and that no guardian had been sent to protect you. Strange.” She opened the doors wider. “You know how it is, as we get older, we get more dependable on ourselves. “ He said proudly. “Now wait here a minute, I’ll fetch you the potions.” Spike did as commanded and waited, he put his back against the side of the doors and watched what happened outside while conversing with Zecora. “So “ The sound of bottles accompanied her talk “How is she and her friends doing so far? I heard that she fears her festival will be a faux pas!” “She overworks herself, like always. You know she is a workaholic. Nothing new here, and the others are doing their part as passionately as Twilight. Except for Rainbow Dash, she has the least to do. “ Zecora brought up a package and started to put the potion's side by side “ What of the princesses and their role in preparations? Or are they concerned only with the other nations?” “The usual, giving contacts to Twilight, making sure that everything will be done by guaranteeing the quality of work with their authority and stuff. They’re a good support, but not more than that, they run the state.” Zecora closed the package and took it in hands, she walked towards Spike with it. “ And Twilight does not?” “She shares the duty of taking care of internal affairs and foreign affairs with Luna, so yes, but not as much as the two sisters together. When there’s an important decision to make, she is summoned to Canterlot and shares her views etc. “ “It was a jest, I understand.” She handed him the potions. Spike took them underarm “Thanks, sorry I can’t stay for longer, but I really don’t want her to be worried.” Before Zecora could say her goodbye, both of them were surprised to hear an awfully loud and frightening roar in the distance. Spike turned immediately in the direction it came, and it was on the path home. Zecora already knew what was happening, and she wouldn’t let Spike go, she wouldn’t allow herself either to travel. “Spike, it will be better if you wait here.” “What was that?” He asked in a hurry. His question was soon ignored by a more important matter, as both Spike and Zecora heard screams, belonging to somepony young. Zecora’s heart immediately started to beat faster, her pulse increased. She recognized the voices which created one solid sound, even when the scream was muffled by the distance. Spike’s eyes widened as quickly as Zecora’s heart raced. His dragon ears were sensitive, and just like a dog has the ability to recognize anyone with their scent, no matter how much of a change they had, so could Spike hear almost as well and distinguish different tones in seemingly homogeneous sound. “The cutie mark crusaders…” Author's Note Well damn, a chapter it is after a long time of waiting. I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book.
4: A problem solvedA cry, high pitched and somewhat feminine, not too far away from where he was, reached his ears despite the louder noise the stomping of the golem caused. It took him by surprise. It was safe to say that the voices belonged to someone young, or the creatures, maybe people, were women or young lads. Without a doubt, it had to be connected to the worst-case scenario he had in mind. He was sure of two things at the moment; one, there was someone in need of help. Two, that probably they will die without his intervention. Meaning, that he will waste more time here in the forest, which he cannot allow himself to allow and whoever’s lives were at risk, he had a moral obligation to save them because he had the means with which he could do it. But he kept in mind his position and what was to transpire or transpired. Until he finds out where he is, he ought to be discreet with his actions and decisions. Without any further redundant waiting, he jumped off the golem, and landed on the ground before the stony construct. His horn sparked with white, and his whole body was covered by a transcendent mist, like a layer of a very thin spider web. He sprinted forward, moving faster than wind, leaving behind himself a shiny trail correlating in color with what he wore. The spell he cast increased his speed immensely. He was racing through the forest ignoring the path he originally followed while riding the golem, heading the direction which led directly to the source and the enemy he expected to face. A far-reaching gap in the ground, through which the water flowed, making it impossible to continue stood in his way. He jumped without slowing down, with an impressive speed almost in a straight line, he flew across it and landed on the other side. The landing left the ground with a small dent in it and dirt and greenery scattered around as his steps carried a powerful dose of kinetic energy. He dashed forward. From his perspective, the surroundings lost some of their colors, but nonetheless, he saw that everything seemed...blue. He stopped sustaining the spell, he ran as fast he could, keeping the momentum. The environment was dark and covered by a layer of weird tint. The sky was alright, but the leaves and the plants...They all seemed dreamy, and fake, like a cheap illusion cast by someone who was good and had a thing for it. Dark shades that under the light gave a shine like polished glass were the weirdest of all the cosmetic changes. Hearing a deep wheeze, or more like snort and growl before him, matching the sounds he knew well, with a subtle shine of light blue and yellow coming from behind a layer of bushes, he prepared himself mentally for the quick match. He ran a few scenarios through his head, engineering the end and start, with every step he made. A mighty glow of white followed by him being enveloped in a fair blue bubble, more visible near its bottom and upper part. He charged forward. With the violent rustling and cracking of sticks and leaves, he quickly snatched a large branch from the bushes and grabbed it tightly. Right after that, he emerged, his eyes already up and looking at his target. “That’s a new breed,” He said quietly, confirming his theory. “Ahh! Sweet Celestia!!! What is that?!” Sweetie Belle yelled out her question in terror. Applebloom and Scataloo were right beside her, they all raced for their lives, with Morning Dew ahead of them who didn’t bother to look behind or wait. The girls heard as something heavy and compelling was moving behind them, the sound of wood grinding against each other and leaves rustling didn’t stop even for a split second. The blue nightmarish aura was advancing as energetically as they've run. “Just go! Go! Go!” Scootaloo added in desperation, her voice cracking as she murmured the last word. The fillies used their hands to push away any bush or obstacle that was in their way. Apple Bloom helped Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo as they struggled to run, farm life made her somewhat prepared to live up to the demands of such dire situations. A large boulder, black and sharp however, had other plans for them. Apple Bloom, too worried for her friends, turning her attention mostly to them to aid them, tripped and cut her leg on it. A paralyzing jolt of pain she never felt before rushed up to the very top of her head through her body. She immediately left out a subtle grunt, but quiet, it hid her pain away in the desperate begging gasp for air. “Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo called and immediately rushed to her side, she managed to grab her friend before she descended down and potentially also hurt herself in the head. She looked at the reason for her friend falling and right away her eyes locked onto the sight of a serious wound, not too deep but covering a large amount of distance on Apple Bloom's bottom part of her leg. “Sweetie Belle hel-” She stopped and saw the monster that was chasing them. It was bipedal, extremely large, and was all blue, emitting a sapphire gleam from its body, with the eyes and the inside of its mouth glowing bright golden yellow. The creature had two legs and arms, like almost all other races she could think of. It however possessed androgynous gender parts, holding what she could describe as feminine and masculine features. Lanky arms, that became thicker on the forearms and large hands, with the fingers being also very long, reminding her of the talons griffons possessed. The chest was thick and seemed to be expanding as it came closer to the neck. The thing was a walking tree to summarize. With branches growing upwards from its head and back, creating the crown with green leaves that fell down with its every step endlessly. Its head was tear-shaped, and the top part, where its mane was supposed to start, had quirkily tangled together wooden growths that made it look like it had hair. Its V-shaped body wasn’t all bulky as they expected, and the speed with which it approached them wasn’t slow but fast and steady. Fireflies surrounded it, forming a cloud. Flowers, blue but glowing and brighter than the surroundings, grew close to where it stood and released pollen into the air, barely visible. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in their fear, without commenting or giving any reaction swiftly managed to pick Apple Bloom up, with the filly holding her leg up, as a stream of red liquid poured down on the ground in three streams. The monster, however, stomped. A moment later, under the ground wooden tentacles started to move towards the three fillies. Passing them by the side, they emerged before them composing a wall of wood and vines, stones and dirt. It blocked the way and made them fall backward on their backs, while they screamed in horror. Spike had an argument with Zecora, but both knew they couldn’t just argue when lives were at risk, especially one’s so close to them. She allowed him to go, and ordered him to guard himself, and not attack if absolutely necessary. She took her spear and a bag full of potions she used as weapons by throwing them at her enemies. He wanted to, but couldn’t agree to her terms. If he sees an opportunity, then he’ll do it. From experience, Spike knew that they had different effects. Some bottles were special, split into two parts, where when two liquids mixed upon the glass breaking, they together created an explosion. Others just changed things, as they were purely magical. Many of her potions however mostly did something the foes when in contact. Speaking of making contact. The two of them were quick to arrive at the site. Spike’s fear became true in the end. Before them was nothing else than a Treeman. A being that belonged to the artificially made puppets which answered to Nightmare Moon, which she created while she fought with Celestia. Some of them were believed to still have existed in the Everfree forest, and this one was direct proof that indeed, there probably are more or that this one might be the last one, which was unlikely considering Nightmare Moon’s return did summon back many of them at her arrival. It rekindled the spark of life she bestowed upon them. That was the official theory. Spike felt relieved after his analysis. Since the Treeman made everything around turn blue, and didn’t radiate a thick shadow that harmed the environment It indicated it was a regular one, not an alpha, which made it way better. Alpha’s possessed the ability to cast magic in large proportions. Spike saw it take the hand from the ground, and tracked the vines that grew from the ground exactly to a wall made from something like a root. There, through gaps in the thick grass, he saw the butter-yellow coat of Apple Bloom, and her red hair like that of a ripe apple. Beside her, laid Scootaloo, with her small wings, and on the opposite side, there was Sweetie Belle wearing a cute dress. Zecora’s and Spike’s attention got hooked on a colt who approached them from the front without a warning, he held a terrified expression painted on his face. Zecora didn’t at first know what to expect, so the colt met with the tip of her spear. “Don’t turn me into some brew...Please” He said, quivering. Zecora let out a sigh as she was relieved to see just a colt before her and not something worse. Spike then took the initiative as he pointed Zecora to the main problem. The colt’s expression became positive and happy, he looked at the dragon with hope. “Are the elements coming?! Is Applejack or Miss Rarity with you?” He said full of hope. “What’s your name?” Spike answered with a question, his sword in his hand. “Morning Dew.” “Just wait here and hide behind something, ok? Do that for me.” Morning Dew did it, and he didn’t see anyone else come in the same direction Spike or the Zebra had come. The fear returned once again. He suspected that the zebra was Zecora, the potion maker and alchemist the cutie mark crusaders talked about him and told him off. As he watched carefully, he noticed somepony appear to the west, something like a magical shield protecting the unicorn...Yes, it was a unicorn, with a big horn to be specific, although a strange one. “Who is that?” The monster had its hand in the air, and from the middle of its palm, a tentacle-like branch, which swung from the right to left emerged, like a disgusting worm. The monster then started to reach for the young ponies. “I won’t just stand idly!” Spike gave his final answer to Zecora, who hated it. She took one of her potions out of her bag, it was glowing bright orange. She ran up and took a swing. With all her might, she threw the bottle at the monster. A bright and powerful bolt of what it appeared to be, raw magic flew above her and Spike, making them back down in surprise and the sheer shock of the event. The tentacle was cut off, with it falling to the ground and the monster letting out a screech that hurt the ears of everyone around. Zecora and Spike looked to the right and both saw somepony approaching them from the west side. It was a unicorn, without a doubt. Spike’s vision was better than Zecora’s, thanks to being a dragon. Spike was able to see from the distance that the fellow was different from the ponies and non-ponies he ever met. Right then, the bottle Zecora threw broke on the left shoulder, it was aimed at the head, but due to movement, it missed its original target. The impact made it so that it immediately lit the Treeman on fire in a bright manner through a semi-explosion. The consuming and potent element of nature lit the surroundings up and got the attention of everyone, including the stranger. To Spike’s own surprise, the unicorn seemed to be bamboozled by their presence, but negatively. Zecora and Spike rushed to aid the cutie mark crusaders, while the stranger once again fired a bolt of magic, this time orange and hot. It was a fireball, a powerful one, the projectile was unstable and carried a lot of power, a symptom being it cooking the ground above which it flew. At the same time as the projectile was fired and flew, the Treeman was facing him, and committed a step forward. It neglected the fire that burned its arm. The monster ripped a heavy piece of the earth from the ground and threw it, the dirt that fell down from it extinguishing the fire that lived on the bark. Zecora and Spike, as they carefully but with necessary speed approached the spot where the girls were lying, met with the expressions of terrified young mares who neither spoke nor seemed to have life left in their eyes even when help came to rescue them. Spike was the first to notice Apple Bloom's wound. Zecora right after him, and she took care of her immediately after seeing it. Somewhat like a tingling feeling nagged her as she saw Apple Bloom...Perhaps it was an instinct? “Come on, we’ve got you!” Sweetie Belle took Spike’s hand. Her eyes were watery and tired, while her knees and fur and outfit were all dirty. Spike saw that on her fur there was blood, it made his heart skip a beat. As they moved and he inspected her as they ran away, an explosion accompanied by a deafening bang brought all the attention back to the monster. The stranger managed to land a decent hit on the Treeman whose own defense failed. The boulder it threw was shattered by the fireball, burning pieces getting scattered around. The weakened spell hit the monster directly, making it take a few steps back to recoil, creating a fiery mantle that it unwillingly now wore. The Treeman was burning, but the fire didn’t do a thing to it. It just stood and didn’t bother to try and shake it off. As if it was immune, and the fire was but a feeling similar to the need to scratch oneself. Which was impossible! Unless… “How can it have such high elemental magic resistance?” Curse elemental magic, and curse the fact he had to back down and limit himself not to raise too much suspicion. If he only could, he’d incinerate it on spot, with one powerful spell, even a regular fireball might be enough if he reinforces it to the fullest extent and potential. Just throwing his golem at it and reinforcing its strength with his magic would work too after a powered up fireball, like the one he just cast. He can’t, that’s the problem. What he already did might give him some stares from the weird Koatle, who looked like a dragon and...He can’t believe it, but a walking Zebra, with a somewhat humanoid body. But, he’ll think about them more in a moment. He had the Treeman to take care of. If he could, he wouldn’t, such a fine piece, it would be a waste to kill it. He took the branch in his hand and brought it close to his horn. He focused his will and envisioned a spear, and cited the necessary words in his mind to start the transmutation spell. The branch became longer, and the wood was sparkling and glowing dull yellow, while particles black at their inside but yellow outside, encircled the branch. The wood turned to metal, it let out a humming clicking noise and let out a subtle screech as it bent and became rounder with each second. It was hard to both hold something close to his horn for a better effect and focus his eyesight on the target. He already knew from the first moment that this would be a hindrance of astronomical proportion. As there is evil in good and vice versa, using his horn as the only part of his body to cast magic, he found it easier to aim. The branch changed a few seconds after the spell was done. Now he held in his hand a proper polearm, one that he could now use to hit the necessary weak points. Then again, this was a unique kind of Treeman he fought, it could have its weak points elsewhere. Before he could even try, a nasty move came from the Treemans side. The creature let out a battle cry. Its whole body began to glow and the ground trembled. While in the air above it, and from its crown; glowing, made out of light constructs of animated energy in the form of crows, large crows either flew out from the crown or were created in small bursts of fair blue light. The Great Mage got intrigued, he let out a sight, he then took a defensive stance, and moved lightly on the tips of his "fingers", which was but a feeling. His horn was already glowing white, ready to do the job. As the crows moved quicker and closer, they gathered nearer each other forming a primitive formation. That is when the Zebra he noticed earlier, got his attention, as she approached them from the left and threw something at the crows. Soon, an explosion, a powerful one, that made him even somewhat scared of the hell she threw at the crows, echoed through the forest. Some of the Crows were killed and fell apart, flashing while ending their short life. The crowd then panicked but quickly reorganized itself in the air and a squadron took interest in the Zebra and her companion. The Great Mage took the most dangerous foe on himself. He charged forward, the incoming magical crows were in the way, their beaks and claws already prepared to pierce his skin and rip him apart like a hungry pack of hyenas. As the moment where the impact was inevitable came forth, he released a powerful wave of energy that not only stopped but pushed back the magical crows. The wave then went on, hardly at all affecting the Treeman who stood unfazed but did minor damage towards the forest behind. The monster, like before, released two tentacles from the middle points of its palms, creating long whips that it held in its hands. It slammed the both of them and leaned forward, growling and this way also, taunting him. The Great Mage released a barrage of quickly flying magical projectiles at the crows who either fell down or were in the air after the previous move. Two hits for each target were enough to kill the enemy, and the spell itself was cheap in regards to taking his attention and mana; every novice that started his adventure with magic knew it. The ones at the ground or leaping forward to bite or slash him with their claws were quickly killed with a mighty thrust that went straight through their magical bodies with the spear. One crow managed to get behind the Great Mage and together with one of its colleagues, mutually attacked the mage. Thanks to the vast amounts of field experience, he knew exactly how to hold his spear, so that the crow in front would get impaled, which it did, and the crow behind would be stopped by the hind of the spear. After it, he took a quick turn on the heel and pierced the crow that laid on its back. One crow was close to claiming the first hit, but the Mage reacted swiftly and a direct punch with his left hand knocked the crow out. Although it hurt, as the crows were made out of solid light, the Great Mage ignored the pain that came as a result. With slightly more effort put to it, the mage finished the crow by shooting it. The real problem still remained. He glimpsed to where the Koatle and Zebra were, and his own eyes paired together with the eyes of the… What the fuck. A dragon. Standing and looking at him, a small and young, sentient dragon, wearing matching clothes, holding a sword - they never used weapons - with a particularly interesting color scheme, was looking at him. The two looked at each some more, but the Treeman brought his hands up, with the tentacle whip flying up in the air only to be brought down with the force of ten thousand men slamming it into the ground, shaking it. The Great Mage rolled over to the left side. Getting up, he ended up on his knees, with a few more crows before him, he dealt with them quickly the same way as before. The Treeman slammed its foot into the ground, roots started to encircle the foot and leg, soon the battlefield was filled with spots, where spikes came bursting from the ground, with the intention of impaling them. “Zecora, watch out!” The young voice called, belonging to the dragon. “Zecora” The Great Mage repeated in his thoughts. He looked at where the Zebra was and nodded. The Mage focused back on what was important, without hesitation he sprinted towards the Treeman. Feeling the shaky ground, he quickly dashed the other way, to avoid a spike made from something like the root from impaling him. He moved like a feather, letting himself be carried by the wind and his own feelings and intuition. He focused, and almost on command, he fired a weak fireball from the tip of his horn, showing his prowess in the art. Seeing the incoming danger, the Treeman used both whips to try and smack the Great Mage, who jumped over them performing an acrobatic spin. The incoming large tentacles slammed into the ground which in turn created short-lived earthquakes, that did not stop him in his advance. The eruptions stopped all of a sudden, with the roots remaining above the ground. Spike and Zecora then decided to help the stranger, and right away ran towards him. Spike’s and Zecora's hearts raced rapidly, while the adrenaline was still being released into their bloodstream. The cutie mark crusaders were safe, hidden behind a mound. This didn’t stop them from observing. Their struggle with the crows wasn’t too hard, but Spike came out with his right arm injured. His jerkin was ripped, three claw marks indicating where he was struck. His scales were soft and covered by a thin layer of fat, but they were harder than pony skin. The scratch he had would heal in a day or two. Zecora observed as the stranger fired a weak fireball, the spell was easily blocked by the Treeman and did no harm to it, other than making the forearm of the monster catch on fire. Zecora and Spike were impressed by the abilities the stranger possessed. Spike’s interests rose since the moment the both of them stared at each other. He never has seen in his life anypony similar to him. If this even was a pony, Spike was only sure that the unicorn was an equine. The horn, big, thick and dark ruby red. He’d have to ask Twilight how it even was possible for anypony to have their horn in a different color than their coat. His height was astonishingly impressive, like that of a basketball player or buckball player. He lacked a good posture, visibly leaning towards being more slim than bulky. Weird, but the stranger had a good frame regardless of it. Spike was forced to halt in track, the Treeman slammed its whips into the ground and he and Zecora both fell from the impact. Spike and then her got up, only to again fall because of the same reason as before. Spike let out an annoyed grunt as he wouldn't allow himself to lose so lightly. Zecora called his name and followed after him, with a potion in her hand, this one emitting a purple light. The monster kneeled down and let out a painful outcry. Spike and Zecora noticed that the spear the unicorn used was impaled...deeply, very deep inside of the knee of the Treeman. Zecora stopped and threw her potion. The shrieking Treeman didn’t notice it and accidentally swallowed the potion. A moment later, the monster began to choke, purple foam erupting like water from a fountain but out of its mouth. Spike mustered the bravery he had stored in him and approached the Treeman. Spike was trembling, the blue glow the body of the monster emitted blinded him the closer he got. Taking a deep breath in, feeling his insides burning while he closed his eyes, he released a river of green fire, that although shouldn’t do anything, did in fact pose a threat. The Treeman started to burn like a torch the more the fire spread, keeping its original color due to magic sustaining its properties because the wooden body was, well, “stuffed” with magic. Yelling a cry after cry, the Treeman slowly began to succumb to their efforts, this being the first step. For SPike it was obvious. The purely magical fire was different from the regular fire that was created by magic. The Treeman must have been created lucky, and possessed immunity to normal fire. Such cases were known to be documented together with, for example, immunity to physical damage, but in turn, were susceptible to normal magic. The stranger’s horn began to glow white and the spear stuck in the knee, shook while it got enveloped by a semi-transcendent glow. Moments after, she flew to the side of the unicorn who kept her at the level of his shoulder, in the air. The Treeman, letting out its ire, crossed its arms. All three of them ducked, avoiding the whips. Again, like before, crows started to appear around them, this time with their eyes glowing red. The animals didn’t wait, and attacked right after their creation. The stranger and Zecora with Spike together had it easy to deal with them, as the crows attacked separately increasing their chances of winning. Two crows began to shine brightly, and soon both morphed into spheres. Zecora already knew what would happen and called Spike’s name, the stranger too knew what to expect. The two spheres changed into bolts of magic, aiming directly at Spike, but both were unfortunate. Spike didn’t move, nor did the spheres miss. The stranger’s shield was cast onto Spike, who only tripped backward after taking the impact. The magical protection broke into many pieces, each looking like a piece of glass that slowly radiated away. The Stranger’s horn shined brightly and the pieces of the shield turned white as well, then emitted a lavender afterglow. A dozen pieces with lighting speed shot into the remaining or still incoming crows, destroying them and then impacting with the burning Treeman. Every shot left a spot marked with a depression after the hit. The unicorn’s spear started to spin like a drill, he appeared to take a pose as if he was about to throw it. Zecora knew that ponies, especially unicorns, used to help themselves use magic by performing such moves. Seeing that the unicorn had a good connection to magic, she was stunned he still used such low-level means of support. The polearm flew faster than the eye could register, hitting the Treeman in its right eye, stopping halfway buried in the head. The monster bent its head the opposite way it faced and rose up, as if completely unfazed by the fact it suffered severe trauma to its left knee. Throwing its hands in the air, one of the whips came dangerously close to the unicorn. Too proud or maybe just unaware of it incoming, he didn’t move to the side. Zecora then yelled with all the force she had in her lungs. “Move!” It was too late, the tip of the tentacle landed a blunt hit, tossing the unicorn towards them, while on the way, he fell on the ground and bounced off to again land hardly and roll. Zecora and Spike gasped terrified, assuming the worst. They both saw what occurred, they moved to where he landed with optimism as chances for survival weren't the lowest, as the movement wasn't fast or seemed to carry much might. Zecora located him lying on his stomach, already bringing himself up with the help of his hands. She analyzed his body, and like Spike, she took note praising his height and commenting on the weird mane that grew around his neck. The most distinguishing feature of his was the tail, long and looking canine. The tail he possessed curled similarly to that of a hurt dog. Spike followed soon after, arriving at the spot. Zecora was already on her knees prepared to take care of the injury. She searched for one of her potions in her bags, only to find herself unable to find it. Spike looked back, only to observe as the Treeman struggled, puking the purple liquid while trying to desperately get the spear out its eye, yellow slime-like substance dripping from the two wounds the unicorn had caused. There was no point in being here anymore, they could run away with the cutie mark crusaders. They won by surviving the encounter and saving the girls, it would remain here in the forest defeated looking for them. Spike heard the painful howling of the unicorn, he eyed the stallion with much interest, and so did Zecora, and she watched him turn onto his side, allowing them to see his face from up close. Spike and Zecora were eager to see it, as the changed surroundings made it difficult to see anything clearly from a bigger distance. His face told them everything, his cheeks were tense and his mouth tightly shut, his lips were jittering like crazy. He hissed loudly through his teeth and let out a painful sigh of relief. What came unexpected, was him slamming his right hand into the ground and trying to get up right away. “Don’t force yourself,” She told him. The unicorn then at the moment looked up, directly at her, his expression softened, and he opened his eyes. Possessing a neutral, but dumbfounded look, Spike and Zecora could get a good look at him at this moment. His face was really pleasant to look at, evidently good-looking. This was a surprise for both of them. Good proportions and symmetry were what they noticed first. A long and possessing basic masculine looks jaw with a developed mandible, somewhat protruding cheekbones, an alright positive tilt to the hooded, moderately deep-seated pair of eyes that really played a major role in his facial aesthetics together decorated his face creating a solid composite. Speaking of the devil, his eyes were dark cyan, with brown narrow spots arbitrarily scattered around the iris pointing towards the pupil, as if painted with a soft, thick brush. The iris turned hazel green, close to the brown parts and right before the limbal ring. There was a pinch of a mare in those facial features of his. Every detail was smooth and the edges were soft and round. He gave the impression of somepony: resolute and experienced. The way he was gazing at her and Spike, it was analytical, creating a feeling of intimidation but also warm and welcoming as strange as it may have sound. Wrinkles formed on his forehead, but they weren’t too visible in the dark, under the light, they surely will be more eye-catching. What got their attention was this weird bone that grew on the bridge of his nose. It looked like natural armor, but didn’t cover the top solely, only a portion with large gaps in between the three spots where it grew. It was something worth raising an eyebrow at. The mane around his neck area and on the chest wasn’t long, and didn’t look similar to that of a lion’s mane, as it didn’t occupy as much space, but it sure was thick with a lot of hair growing, forming ringlets. Spike and Zecora, especially she, found it peculiarly interesting. His normal mane was similarly thick and orange, wavy in a mild way, with darker shades here and there with a few strips of black thrown in there too. The most distinctive part was the tail. It was rather long, thin, and also had bone growing on it, the end of it was covered in puffy orange hair, also forming ringlets like his mane on the chest. Spike and Zecora were taken away from their further analysis as his young and melodious mature male voice called out to them “Can you help me?” Zecora got a little red from embarrassment and she right away rushed to help him stand up. Spike wanted to help too, but his attention got turned away by their common enemy. The Treeman, although still burning, started to extinguish its fire and managed to get rid of the stranger’s weapon from its eye. Loud thumping indicated that it healed its wound on the knee and was trying to stand up. “You got struck quite badly, are you sure you’re alright? You’re in pain...” Zecora asked worriedly with a caring tone. Spike’s senses even found it odd, it’s the first time he ever heard Zecora speak this way...Motherly, almost as if she was trying to play Celestia. “I’m alright” He responded, standing on both legs, with his hand on his chest “I’ve had worse, believe me.” “Let’s get out here and call the professionals to deal with it.” Spike proposed and was ready to run, but he was stopped by the hand of the stranger. The stranger looked at the location where he came from, Spike too looked in that direction, but he saw nothing, and waved his hand once, as if he dismissed the thought Spike shared. “No, we'll do better by ending it, we have the means and opportunity to do it.” “What?!” Spike yelled “ Are you insane? Why are we supposed to fight when we don’t have to?” “We can easily destroy it,” The stranger added after him, sounding cold. Spike and Zecora felt uneasy hearing it, we can easily destroy it sounded horrifying in their ears. Their conscience bothered them, their mind as well pointing at the consequences. He was right. They had the means, and they already injured it so much. Leaving it, will only give it time to rest and to regenerate. “What do you plan on doing?” Zecora asked resentfully awaiting an answer. Spike only gave her a stare in disbelief. “ I now know now what its weakness is, and I’ll shoot it three times in the most feeble spots. “ He said and turned to Spike “You will walk up to it and breathe fire, as much as you can, and I will expand the area it is going to cover, so it’ll consume as much as it can, while you...” He turned to Zecora “...Try and throw as much of your most explosive and dangerous chemicals at it.” “I don’t have much left” she looked into her bag “But what I have will do the trick” Spike could protest, but it would leave them to do it alone. For some reason, he suspected that whatever will happen, the unicorn will convince Zecora. “Fine, let’s do it quickly.” The Dragon wore a bitter mask and agreed, although he really didn’t want to. Right after hearing that the dragon agreed to his plan, the Young Great Mage set out to execute it right away. This wasn’t easy, the hit that the Treeman managed to land on him, because of his own carelessness (the feeling of humiliation was really cracking down on him ) still had its effect on him. He held the pain inside, not letting any of it look like it bothered, but in reality, he felt as if he was burning alive. He took a few steps aside from them while groaning. Mentally speaking he felt like a complete idiot, physically he was at the level of a frog at a laboratory during an anatomy examination lesson...Well, maybe that was an overstatement. Thankfully, amidst the bad, the Dragon didn’t notice that the golem was standing in the distance. A simple hand gesture was all that the Great Mage needed to get rid of it, eliminating the probability that it would bother him. The golem was useless at this point and their own power alone was enough to swiftly handle the problem, which was the Treeman. Summoning the golem, naturally leads to the raise of too many questions being asked and complicates things for the future. Taking a deep breath in, to ease the pain, he felt it respite all over his body. A moment later he began to cast, focusing his attention on that task. His horn started to glow white, as usual, and the light slowly turned more fair lavender with stripes of navy blue randomly appearing the longer he did it. Particles around his horn formed like grains of sand and instantly, without any knockback, a powerful projectile of magic shot directly from his horn, flying very fast towards the Treeman. The creature was about to shield itself forming a layer of protection out of the encircling fireflies, but it was too late. The projectile hit the Treeman, upon the impact a low, dull, very loud, and ear-piercing sound, ringing metallic, overlaid any other noise there was. The bottom left side of the Treeman’s chest got almost obliterated, as pieces of burning wood flew in every direction, spreading the fire around. The monster took a step back and arched itself forward, letting out a strong roar that sent a shiver down their spines. “Spirit magic is your weakness…” He thought with a sly smirk. Spike, and Zecora didn’t even stop to admire the deed. They already surrendered to the fact that who they met was skilled and definitely must have had some sort of education in magic. And, that they were inconceivably lucky. Spike hastily made his way towards the monster. It saw him, and tried to strike him, offering a new obstacle to deal with. The same fireflies that were flying around the battlefield, formed a small tornado that headed towards him with the intention to sweep him away as if he was trash. Zecora quickly took a bottle into her hand and threw it in the direction of the bugs. Spike covered his eyes as the explosion destroyed the Tornado, setting the fireflies apart, not killing the most, but mainly causing them to fly away in complete chaos. Spike saw another bolt of magic hit the Treeman, the same way as before, this time in its leg exactly in the right knee. It collapsed pathetically, but as it fell down one of its hands rose into the air. The creature brought it back, throwing the whip that extended from its palm at Spike. Spike’s eyes widened, his whole body tensed and he rolled on to the left, escaping the potential unfortunate ending. As the whip slammed into the ground, Zecora threw one of her potions at the Treeman in vengeance, gaining its attention as the potion exploded with an unimpressive effect visually and in practical terms. The Great Mage shot the last time a magical projectile. In line with his original intention and approach that he chose, with the hope that it was both enough to achieve a satisfying outcome and not to appear too vigorous in the art of magic after the third shot. Spike stood up and watched the Treeman shed its whips which then fell on the ground as it brought its hands over its burned and damaged head, a piece of it missing. A big branch that grew on its back and co-created the crown was now resting on the ground, burning and losing color. Talking about color, Spike noticed how the surroundings became more like they were before they encountered the monster. The darkness seemed to stop being omnipresent, and the blue tint weakened significantly, with green again being the dominant color. Gripping his sword as hard as he could, he sprinted forward, reminding himself of the past experience he had during combat. He knew how to do this stuff! When he appeared right before it, he took a deep breath in, while opening his mouth, a faint green light already shined out of his mouth. His chest started to burn, while his saliva vanished seconds after, his throat already dry as a desert. Spike released a cloud of green fire. The conflagration caught the whole torso and the crown of the Treeman on fire. A deep squeal of pain was let out by it, with weak gaps and roars which translated the misery it was going through into simple sounds. Spike, when he was done, fell down on his back, with his eyes tightly shut, a tear formed in each eye and ran down both of his cheeks. Not from sadness, although hearing the yelping and shrieking did make his chest feel heavy. It was due to the warmth the fire beamed and fried his eyes. Zecora threw her last explosive potion at the Treeman. The bottle hit the target where it should, in the chest. The explosion sent a powerful wave, Spike was forced to cover himself and still, he felt the impact. Pieces of wood, burning lively with vivid green flames, landed on the young dragon, but they didn’t do any damage, due to the jerkin he wore and natural resistance to fire. Spike opened his eyes, as he noticed that the light from the fire was stopped by something...Or rather somepony. The Great Mage stood before the young dragon, with his horn glowing brightly and with his hands in the air. Doing circular motions with his hands, the fire on the Treeman began to rise, and rise, the heat from it started to set the ground and grass around on fire without direct contact. The taint that came with the presence of the Treeman faded away, starting from where it laid. As if it was Discord's magic that suddenly stopped working, leaves, trees, grass, and the surroundings that consisted of anything you could name and know the name of, became almost instantly normal again. The Treeman was twitching, moving, and wiggling in place, spasm covered all of its body. It tried to perform its last attempts to save itself, but the unicorn finished his work with one heavy swing of his harm as his horn shone brightly. The performance was like in an opera, and the unicorn was the conductor. The fire erupted into the heavens in a pillar of fire and quickly collapsed, leaving Zecora and Spike with half-opened mouths looking at the scene played before them. The blue monstrosity now was a dead lump of burning wood, with the green character of the flames still remaining. Spike stood up with a small dose of difficulty, using his sword as a helping tool to support himself he managed to stand up. Zecora rushed to his side and made sure he was alright. She had a potion that regenerated strength and healed minor wounds, but she wasn’t sure if it would work on a dragon like Spike. She never tried nor did she ever think about giving a dragon a potion like this anytime in her life. “Everything’s alright” He kindly rejected her help. “Are you sure?” “Yes, thank you once again.” The Great Mage turned towards them, and looked at them with a calm and kind stare. He felt the heat coming off from the burning enemy, his back was now nicely warmed up by the fire that was the symbol of their victory. Looking around, the whole area reclaimed its old look, that of a normal everyday forest. While still here, he’d have to take care of the fire after some time passes. Leaving it to itself was idiotic, and even when the fire was solely magical, and had no other fuel than the now turning to ash corpse, there still was a chance of a major fire being created, endangering the animals and the innocent creatures this habitat had. ...He will now be forced to place his steps carefully. The last thing he’d want to do is reach for the ultimate and worst solution he could choose, which is invading their minds to manufacture new memories and censor the ones they already have. Whatever happens, until he wasn’t sure he was safe, he had to assume the worst to be true. He had a hard time believing it, but there really was a dragon just standing on all two legs and holding a weapon in his hand. Radiculous. The scales, the color, the way he looked. It probably was considered a sick egg that got cast out. Fortunately for them and him, he ended up with a special kind of fire burning inside of him. He was amazed that the Zebra named Zecora, whose humanoid female characteristics did tingle his own human senses - that made him feel uncomfortable right after the fact - was able to civilize such a greedy and hating everything creature. But maybe, it was just a special case. No other way to find out than to talk, same way he’ll finally get to know the way towards civilization. The sword the dragon held didn’t make itself. “It’s time for a play.” He commented dryly in his mind. Author's Note And welcome back! I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. I know that the simple way of phrasing might be boring, or that I am too dull to read, nonetheless, thanks to all the people who appreciate my work. It's for fun, and it makes me proud to know that somehow I made some dude who knows English perfectly read this shit and that person thinks about coming back after finishing the chapter. You people are just crazy. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book.
5: This is not Ardania...“Wow,” Apple Bloom murmured breathily. The pain she should have felt on her leg from the wound was absent, she was focused on staring at the unicorn, that was her main task, everything else was not important, and therefore oblivious to her senses. Her mind was occupied only with that simple task of looking straight. He was approaching Spike and Zecora while she observed him from a distance, safe and under the care of her friends. Morning Dew was beside them, quiet and also looking in the direction the three of them were looking at. The outside world was but a background for the main characters. What more could it be, when her center of the universe was him. He saved them. The sun above shined at her, but she was so focused, the warmth felt like the sun rays sweltered her body. This summoned her back to reality and overwrote this irksome feeling with the pleasant sensation of warmth that enveloped her and brightened the terrain before her. Feeling her chest get heavier, choking on her sincerely felt good emotions and positivity, drowning it brutally by a sense of melancholy, Apple Bloom once again made it clear to herself, heartfully, that she and her friends really were at the risk of losing their lives. But they didn’t come close to bereaved of their lives to the monster, thanks to him. She looked closer, tilting her head to the side like a puppy, her mind racing with thoughts revolving around him, only occupied with his image. He was definitely powerful, how else would he have taken the monster down? And most importantly, she was sure that he must have had a golden heart. To risk his health or even life coming to help them after hearing their scream...How else could he know they were in danger? For them, complete strangers! She felt sick in the stomach being compelled by this fact. She was young, and she didn’t understand much, but this...Just why? How is it even possible that they always get away with these things? What were the odds for a stranger that is capable of doing what she saw, with enough skill to be at the right time and at the right place? This troubled her mind, and the flurry of emotion only spiced her imagination, throwing her into a fervid thunderstorm of thoughts! Of her getting hurt! Applejack getting worried! Potentially even maybe descending into a conflict with Rarity or Rainbow Dash?! She shook her head, keeping these visions away from herself. She found a sanctuary by looking at him. He was dressed cheaply, but there was nicety in what he wore, although she was uncertain in her judgment. Maybe she just lacked a word? Great, now she even can’t justly comment on what he wears, commiting inequity. She didn't know what to do, what to think, a good metaphor for her state would be a vegetable soup. Alas, she allowed herself to admire him some more. He proved he was mighty, he showed them that he was brave. He didn’t hesitate to act, and only by what looked like eye contact, he knew what to do and how to work with Spike and Zecora before they spoke to each other. As if he was pulled out from a book, a noble knight. A knight, however, has his squire next to him at all times. She didn’t see any other pony or non-pony beside him. So who was he? He wouldn’t mind if she called him... exotic? He was! What pony has a tail? What pony has a mane like a lion? “The guy was just as cool as Rainow.” Apple Bloom heard Scatoloo’s comment, her tone indicated she was moved by what she witnessed. “ He did more than that” Sweetie Belle added ”He literally saved us” Feeling like she should, Apple Bloom spoke “Exactly” her voice washed over their thoughts. “He spared Zecora and Spike from harm that they could have fallen prey to.” “While himself suffering a hit.” The unexpected voice belonged to Morning Dew, having gathered the strength to speak up. “You?” Scatoloo started appalled “You ran away the first moment you spotted the danger without waiting for us!” She exclaimed with anger. He looked away crushed by guilt. “Let’s not turn this into an argument.” Sweetie Belle intervened and gave Morning Dew a look and shifted her eyes to her friend right after “It’s pointless.” she finished meekly preceding it with a tired sigh. “They’re coming!” Apple Bloom informed loudly, getting the attention of all three. The Great Mage proposed to go and help the filly that was injured right after being notified of her wound. Zecora and Spike lead the way while he followed their steps. It took them a moment to get there, and while approaching the mound, none of them spoke or looked at each other. When they reached the spot, all eyes were on him. His gaze shifted from one character to the other. Colors. Unnatural colors were the first thing he noticed. It was rather amusing to see them like this. He constrained a genuine laugh inside, it wasn’t easy. He noted that everybody around had common traits: big crystal eyes, pretty like ponds that reflected the night sky, and humanoid bodies where only the legs remained equine, just like in the case of the zebra named Zecora and himself. He anticipated that he probably also possessed these features without knowing. He realized that his new body wasn’t the way it was purely because of chance. It differed in looks, yes, but the theme of equine influence tied it all together. “I wonder what else I’ll discover next.” Drifting away from that topic, he returned to the tiny equines. The first filly he saw had an orange coat and thick magenta mane that was mildly long. In Ardania a haircut like that would be considered very short for a female of any kind. Her face was round, her female traits were barely noticeable. Her eyes were purple, to his astonishment. Normally, he’d be interested more, but since the equines themselves were colorful, he assumed it to be normal. What he was hooked on were the two covered in feathers, limbs on her back, that made themselves known by peeking partially from behind her. She had wings, she was a pegasus! While he enjoyed the news, as he never saw a pegasus in his life, and never would he think he’d see one in this form, his sharp vision pointed out an important factor...His excitement caused by the surprise faded away, replaced by grief and pity at what he was looking at. Her wings were small and frail, they were too weak to be able to lift her up. Although he couldn’t fly, without the use of magic, he could only imagine the consequences of having this nasty disability. He looked away pensively, and shifted his attention to the child sitting on the ground. She was looking at him with pious attention. Her eyes looked at him tentatively, there was fear in them, but only enough to show she knew of her inferior position. The filly was butter yellow, with a long and vivid red mane, the shade of a ripe apple, and orange eyes. On top of her mane, she got a cute dark pink ribbon on the back of her head, the size of which gave it more eccentric feedback. She wore black overalls, reaching the end of the knees. Under it, she had a simple white top, or maybe a shirt but without a collar, he wasn’t sure. To her right, there was a filly with a dirty white coat, with green eyes whose color lost some of its expressiveness. She wore a simple dress, oriented with flowers, also dirty white like her coat. She possessed a horn, small and round on the end. She was a unicorn, an actual humanoid unicorn. This was hard to believe. “What next?” He thought. Was this part of Ardania settled by humanoid animals? If so, did the United One do it? Or was he simply spit out in a land yet not discovered? Something was off. He was getting worried that it may have been more than that. Not just off, but broken off, if this even had sense. Behind them, there was a colt sitting with his knees close to his chin and arms wrapped around them. He was quite young, his face was smooth and round, he had dark curly hair and a scared look all over his face. The longer he looked at him, the more uncomfortable the colt was, he could sense it, as the colt tensed with each second. He rushed to the injured filly to treat her if he could allow himself to. Showing too much finesse in using magic could bring him more harm than good that he could cause by healing the wound. “What’s your name?” He asked gently, knowing he addressed a kid. “Apple Bloom” She responded sheepishly. He remained in eye contact while considering his response to what he just heard. That was a bizarre choice to name a child. Then again, all this what he was witnessing right now was as well. “Apple Bloom” He addressed her “I may be able to help you somewhat with your injury. Allow me to examine it.” She nodded and he immediately went over to her leg. “While at it, introduce me to your friends,” He said with a smile. Her leg was bleeding, but not as much as he anticipated. Two weak streaks of blood went down her calf, but the blood seemed to stop pouring out in dangerous amounts. He didn’t have much medical knowledge, other than regarding casting healing spells, which was a completely different set of knowledge from that which a doctor or field medic possessed. “So, this is Sweetie Belle” “Hello” He looked up briefly and nodded. Looking struck by something for a second, he grabbed Apple Bloom’s limb carefully. She let out a hiss in response, but he didn’t stop. “ Behind you stands Zecora “ “I already know that” He responded by muttering, still fixated on her leg. “How?” Zecora asked intrigued. “ I heard the dragon call you by name earlier.” Spike's ears perked at that. Apple Bloom being a step ahead spoke for him “The dragon’s name is Spike.” “At least his name is normal.” He looked behind and looked straight into the young drake’s eyes “Nice job back there, Spike.” “Without you, it would have been a disaster.” The young beast replied with genuine friendly warmth in his tone and voice. “No, you’d just run away after ten minutes or more after struggling with it.” Spike looked at Zecora and replied, maintaining eye contact with her “what better could we do?” “Nothing. If I were in your shoes, I’d do the same.” “But I don’t wear any…” Spike said. Now, you see, the thing is, how could he not give this one to him? “And this is Scootaloo” Apple Bloom, seeing her opportunity continued. “ You’ll be my hero for the next few days. “ He let out a subtle chuckle at that. “I think you meant your whole life. ” With that, he summoned short-lived smirks from the lack of humility he just showed. “Nah, that’s reserved for Rainbow Dash” Again, he seemed to freeze as if he suddenly saw a ghost appear, but maintained his cool. Scatoloo seeing his reaction, asked, “Don’t you know who she is?” “I’m done” Finishing his study, and avoiding a conversation about someone probably famous, he came to the conclusion that Apple Bloom’s wound was only looking serious, but in reality, she was fine. A basic healing spell or healing potion that came from a higher shelf was all that was needed to fix her up. The cut wasn’t deep, and the bleeding had already stopped. No major vein got damaged, and if left alone, in two weeks she would already walk well. “It’s nothing serious, I can do it.” Spike and Zecora breathed a sigh as a heavy rock was lifted from their hearts. Scatoloo and Sweetie Belle looked genuinely happy as well. “It doesn’t look like anything serious” A young voice from the back spoke. Looking at the colt, to whom he was not yet introduced, he only had the following to say. “Appearances deceive.“ Simply and straightforward. Leaning closer to make it more convenient for himself, his horn began to glow, casting the spell was easy when using his hand. He simply willed it and brought his palm over. Here, a jelly-like fire cloud appeared on top of her wound, covering the spot where her injury was. New to this style of performing the art of magic, but not too simple spells, he found it easy to manage in the end. The injury slowly closed, the fresh blood dried and turned solid to fall or crumbled into tiny pieces. Her dirty fur in that area got cleaned, while from both ends of the wound the flesh merged like it was getting closed by a zipper. Apple Bloom was greatly impressed by the chilly pulsating influence of his magic. She felt the aching sensation go away, only haunting her in one place, and then disappearing, followed only by intense itching that irritated her astronomically. She blinked, and it stopped, only to be resurrected by a sudden wave of pins and needles, forcing a soft moan from her. Spike, Scotaloo, Zecora, and Sweetie Belle all looked at her hungry to know what happened. She moved her leg, feeling this bloody type of ache to get more potent. It took a moment, but she stood up and was able to walk freely like before the injury. While everyone focused on Apple Bloom for the moment, he turned to the colt who was sitting behind everybody. “And you are?” The youngster looked up “Morning Dew, sir...” The Great Mage nodded, he turned to face the others, already prepared with a plan on how to start the conversation. It went to waste. Zecora walked up and took his hand and shook it sincerely, holding him in a tight grip. “Thank you very much for your help. It’s a blessing you came. “ She spoke sincerely and with a soft tone, looking at him with big eyes and blushing. “Thank you as well. ” Spoke to Apple Bloom who stood with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo just behind her. “You saved us” Sweetie Belle added after Apple Bloom, just as softly. He appreciated the thanks he rightfully received for his doings, less for the reasoning behind it. He didn’t show it, and remained stoic, with a cold expression he gazed at them and Zecora, at the end at Spike. “You do really have talent and power.” Spike enunciated loudly. He gave the impression, he had taken that personally, as he flinched at these words. “ That is too much...” “ You were superb! You destroyed that thing!” Scootaloo proclaimed, proudly making a graceful pose. “I’m grateful for the kind words...” He gave them a final, analytical look ending the discussion with starting another topic “You seem to know each other.” Zecora was the first to say “ Yes, I live alone in the forest, I’m an alchemist and potion maker, brewer, and friend to them. “ “We live in Ponyvile” Apple Bloom spoke. “It’s not so far away, I think you must have been heading towards it since you’re here.” Ponyvile? Ponyvile. So they were Ponies? He examined them once again, going over their features and traits. He hid his shock well, although the fact he paused and didn’t right away answer back gave away a negative aura. Colorful Ponies...A whole town indicated it was just populated with humanoid colorful Ponies. “I would be thankful if you allowed me to stay in your town for the night. I’m a traveler, even if I don’t look like it.” “I’m sure Twilight will be willing to provide anything you need and more” Zecora assured him and put her hand on his shoulder. As confidently as she did it, she retreated right after with a sheepish expression. “Rarity, my sister...” Sweetie Belle walked up and said while looking him in the eyes. “Rarity? Twilight? I’ll have to get accustomed to these weird names. “ “...She will make you some clothes for sure. You don’t seem to have any luggage anyway.” “I had” He immediately replied with a lie “When I heard you scream, I dropped it and it fell into a thread I just passed by.” This only reinforced their feeling of having to make it up to him. “My sister as well will also do anything to compensate you. “ Apple Bloom continued after Sweetie Belle “Applejack won’t let you go without nothing.’ “My parents as well.” Morning Dew, who was forgotten by everypony around, made himself known by speaking “Especially my mom.” Exploiting the ponies, for the time being, was something he planned on doing anyways, and raising some profit from the popularity he may gain in the village itself to benefit from the locals is more than enough. “ Let’s go then, lead the way.’ He spoke sharply, like the tip of a spear, almost commanding. Zecora was the first to have left, as she trusted him and Spike to return home without any trouble. Zecora bid farewell to them, and promised Spike to bring the potions herself tomorrow. Spike really wanted to bring them to Twilight alone, however, Zecora instructed him to focus on making the town more hospitable to their newest guest. The Great Mage was surprised that the Dragon actually lived among the ponies, in a town like a civilized being. New to this, he’d accepted it with open arms, seeking a chance to learn something about dragons, even when the one he was walking with was special in all of Ardania. The cutie mark crusaders forgot about their mission and left it for another time to ask Zecora for help. It only came out after Spike started this topic, the Great Mage added some fuel to the fire that started, by questioning their actions and logic behind it. In the end, the trio got scolded respectfully by the Great Mage. Spike, who was the main character in this conversation, got overthrown by the stubbornness with which the Great Mage pushed on, shaping it further. Scootaloo, the most rebellious, taking after Rainbow Dash the most, didn’t even look at him. Morning Dew remained silent, with his head hanging low, while he stared at the soil beneath his hooves. He agreed with everything the Great Mage said, even if he didn’t voice it. The Great Mage wasn’t all that great at phrasing everything beautifully, but he wasn’t bad at doing it either, and it was clear to them, but the sense and power behind the relatable examples and arguments were enough. He spoke hardly, steadily, but without hostility. Like a lecturer, with whom students disagreed, that spoke with such adamant certainty in his voice, the students succumbed. He understood the good intentions and made it clear by stating it, and showing that their thinking wasn’t bad all the way, that the core of all this was right, only the execution was wrong. That they were too sure, too hasty, and most importantly, not as pessimistic and skeptical as they should about their decision. “I think you get the lesson. You made a mistake, that’s everyone’s right and there are consequences which are the punishment. This is only for you to remember you should learn from it, it’s an obligation you have. “ As he finished talking, they stepped out of the forest. The sun blinded him briefly, before his eyesight improved, getting accustomed to the light. Before his eyes laid a sweet town, with many homes that were scattered all around, a comfortable distance separated them from each other giving more privacy. A rocky road connected everything closer to the center with more unique in design buildings presenting themselves in contrast to the simple wooden homes. In the middle, there was what he suspected to be the town hall. It was round, short wide steps lead to it from four sides, and it was wooden, like most buildings. If any mage happened to rule this town, surely he’d build himself a tower-like structure, which the town hall resembled. He wasn’t sure, it may have been the light, but the windows appeared to be pink. A thin river flowed through the town, and three simple arched bridges went over it in total. Up the hill, in the distance, there was a large structure, resembling something similar to a large governor’s mansion or perhaps small militia barracks. There was a red cross on a post sign on a white background just before the building. His eyes landed on a crystal structure. It reflected the light and a lens flare shone brightly in their direction, making it impossible to fully examine it visually. He was impressed the town possessed something like that, resting on an island mind you! A rich bridge led to the island and there on it, he saw what appeared to be a camp filled with tents. “Spike,” He asked and got the Dragon’s attention “ Who lives there?” “ Princess Twilight Sparkle. “ “ Princess? “ He put extra emphasis on the word. “Don’t worry! She’s a very nice pony! “ Apple Bloom replied. “Yeah! And we know her personally, she’s a friend of ours and best friend of our sisters!” Sweetie Belle stepped right beside Apple Bloom. “And my sort of, almost, as if actually real sister-idol Rainbow Dash too!” Scootaloo then joined them. He looked towards Spike “ She rules over you?” “Co-rules, actually” “The Prince and Princess are equal to one another? “ Spike threw his hands up “No, no, no! There’s no Prince...yet, and probably for a long time there won’t be-” He put a talon up his chin thinking “ -but that’s beside the point! There are three, well, two practically, who rule with her and are her mentors.” “She’s equal, de jure, with her mentors?” “People who by definition, must be above in the hierarchy. “ He finished the rest in his head. “Yes, but from what I know, customary law says she’s not. I’m not sure about this, it’s complicated.” “If one Princess is in this village, then where are the other two you mentioned?” Spike, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle all pointed to the northeast of where they stood and mutually, like choir they said: “In Canterlot.” Following with his eyes towards where they pointed, he felt his current believes crumble to pieces. There, high up a lonely white mountain, was a great city, with a palace of untold size. The city hang onto the mountain by magic or was built with the use of special materials, as there was no way it would simply rest like a bee nest on a tree. The whole midpoint was covered by homes, skyscrapers, and large structures with towers. The wind carried the smoke from the chimneys in the opposite direction in relation to the side the city was convex. The top of the mountain was covered by white, snow which probably never melted. A river flowed from the mountain, with dozens of waterfalls forming one big artery where the city started. The small hills ahead made it impossible for him to see where else it spread, as definitely one branch made it through Ponyvile, which was probably the nearest village to the city. “Since you’re in Equestria, in the heart of it, you should know this.” Equestria? No, this wasn’t Ardania, definitely not. The city was too grand to be placed on a single world shard...Canterlot, judging by its size and the fact two major Princesses resided there, was the capital. He’d know of this. It’s foolishness to try and fight with this, he was alone on a different planet. His chest began to grow heavier, his mouth became dry, and just as the first thoughts formed in his mind, he began to sweat. His heart rate increased right beside the symptoms. Anxiety was something he experienced, but with time, less and less, to the point, it became almost exclusive to special situations, which in the context of what he dealt with every day, were almost non-existent. This situation in which he found himself was different. He already had a suspicion when he first saw himself in changed form, and once again when he saw them. He trusted Tal Kalessil and the Dragon Queen, so he didn’t let it climb his head. Both of them couldn’t have made a mistake! He swallowed hardly, and for the last time, with great doubt in heart, he devoted himself to hope, that Ardania was beside the corner, and all he needed was to find a portal. Even if it’s pointless to believe otherwise, at least he can hold his frustration from this turn of events in check. There’s always a problem! Fate must always find a way to sprinkle salt on his wounds and weak spots. In case of lack such of, create them. He let out a tired palpitating sigh. In the worst case, he’ll be late, to put it bluntly. The Great Mages will cement their influence firmly and better than if he were with them. Maybe - he isn’t Miralbus and lacks charisma - with the aid of this...Colorful and anthropomorphic horseland, he will come out victorious in the scramble for Ardania after defeating the United One together with the other Great Mages first. Before he’d do anything stupid and reveal himself, announcing his great and powerful self, - that’s the most selfish, self-promoting act by default linked to being a Great Mage - that probably would result in political suicide, he must know if this land doesn’t know of or knows of Ardania, and the situation on her. It’d be wise to learn a few things about this land as well. The inhabitants here, he anticipated, considering an already established monarchical rule and tied to it culture, would unkindly treat anyone who’d be willing to seize any control or secure any influence. Secondly, he must drop his previous tactic and approach. He needs to adapt to new situations and environments and create a new strategy in accordance with the factors that make them. He’ll have nobody to point out the similarities in what he’ll compose anew with what he already followed, which will naturally form. He isn’t free from thinking that what already worked probably still will. What he was sure of as of right now, was that he had a prize to get, and fundaments to lay and he already had the means, Spike and the Princess’s friends he saved. Among this unluck, fortune still flirted with him...He has to use this moment of opportunity to his advantage by any means necessary. “Well then, lead the way.” He said cheerfully with more enthusiasm in his voice, receiving a glad look on their faces. Those favors will not get claimed and added to his account by themselves. Author's Note And welcome back! I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. I know that the simple way of phrasing might be boring, or that I am too dull to read, nonetheless, thanks to all the people who appreciate my work. It's for fun, and it makes me proud to know that somehow I made some dude who knows English perfectly read this shit and that person thinks about coming back after finishing the chapter. You people are just crazy. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book.
6: PonyvileIn a blink of an eye, the six of them found themselves at the doorstep of Ponyville. Morning Dew split away from their group as they came into town and said his goodbye with a bitter and morose tone to a surprise everypony around. The others didn’t protest and let him go back home. Everypony in Ponyville knew of Spike and of the three fillies which were walking ahead of the Great Mage, separated by an arm’s reach from one another. Nonetheless, they had to cope with the gaze of everypony around as if they were someponys’ other than themselves. The four familiar to the town younglings were at the center of attention because of the guest they had brought with them. Everypony looked at the new character who entered the town. Who could blame them? His eccentric look sparked the interest of Zecora and Spike earlier, and the citizens of Ponyville were no different. The mane, the posture, the unordinary horn, which all spoke of non-pony ancestry, was like a magnet for their attention. The citizens knew he was equine, or at least mixed, unorthodoxy which composed the core of his otherness played a major role as to why everyone looked their way. Other species? Normal! The world is large, who knows what hides out there... but to meet a different equine race hardly anypony knows the name of challenged the knowledge of everypony looking. Then there was the other, special for Ponyville element that co-shaped the mentality of the villagers. The fact that bad stuff tends to happen together with something new appearing in town; A body can take shots of different drugs and chemicals, and with the injections, the body builds tolerance, but there are points where there's just too much. Fear sowed the thought that it might be it this time. A sudden feeling of shame drowned and stifled the majority’s presupposition and arising from it slowly hostility against the stranger. The ponies remembered who lived with them in this town. The beautiful sparkling glow of the Castle of Friendship disciplined their minds and hearts as many ponies looked its way after their refreshing second thought. So, as well the Great Mage had his own opinion on the town and the villagers which gave him unwanted attention. The Great Mage put himself in comparison to the inhabitants of the small city. How could he not receive stares, while towering over most? If he was like them, a Pony and not something different, whatever he was, he could endure it. To blend in with the locals was impossible, no society would accept such an oddball relatively quickly, and he had practical proof from the past to be sure of this. Any try would end up the same way a proposition to an Elf to marry a Goblin. Very fucking bad. When his eyes went over the colorful populace, they quickly went back to doing whatever they were occupied with as he walked by. This told him that he was not seen as someone hostile, they were curious. He felt awkward among the sentient multicolored Ponies. He still couldn’t believe that what he was witnessing was true. But it was not due to being surrounded by individuals belonging to a different species, he was accustomed to that already, the guilt for that laid in the hands of the radiating welcoming atmosphere and candy-like smell in the air. It wasn’t too invading, or insisting to the point of summoning the feeling of skepticism to doubt what he saw, it was gentle. This discomfort originated from his own, already adjusted for the invasion he was about to take part in, mindset. He marched for war, he was prepared to face a deadly conflict, his guidance would lead many to die in hopes for victory. It took serious mental preparations, although not intended directly, but subconsciously, he knew he mustn’t discard that attitude. The land of the ponies was at peace and lived through its time of prosperity and progress, from what he could guess, seeing that none of the ponies seemed to look poor or badly nourished, unhappy or even stressed. Happiness spread from one corner of the city to the other, with the sunlight shining at the clean city and making it so the town shimmered in its lively colors, as if it itself was living a life. The Great Mage couldn’t but also feel light while surrounded by the cozy mood that the town created. While traversing the city, the four of them saw three guards carrying halberds, wearing their armor with pride. They belonged to the regiment which was dispatched to protect Twilight and were currently using the moment to spend time in the town while on their patrolling duty. Their coats were painted white, telling everyone but the Great Mage that the three soldiers followed tradition. They looked towards Spike, recognizing him and the three fillies, which almost everypony in town heard of already. The guards eyed the stranger, their heads moved up little by little as the five came closer in order to look straight into the eyes of the - unknown to them - Great Mage. Spike, seeing that he could use his own privileges, which happened rarely, didn’t want to waste the opportunity. They came up, and the Guards had to turn their way fully, especially to greet Spike the dragon, the advisor to Princess Twilight. The Great Mage took his time and put the effort in trying not to chuckle at the brass layered armors of the guards which looked as if made from gold. They were stylish and fit them elegantly, as they were made from many small parts and plates which allowed for mobility but required more effort to equip. The crests were made from the manes of the guards which stuck out by the looks of it and had to be held upward by some hair product. Before the time came to engage in a conversation the Great Mage spoke, still a fine distance away “ Why are we going towards them?” “I was wondering too” Scootaloo followed. “Me as well” Sweetie Belle reinforced the two. “Same with me” Apple Bloom ended. “Don’t worry, it’s mainly about them” Spike said and looked at the cutie mark crusaders. “What?” They spoke in unison. “I must report to Twilight what happened, and making her summon Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack to the castle, because it’s inevitable considering what occurred, just so that the three of you can get a lecture from both her and them is something I think you’d gladly avoid and just deal with each one separately. I’m more than sure you got your lesson already. ” “And you want to send them away to their sisters with one of them?” “Yes, as a reminder not to hide it from them.” “We wouldn’t dare!” Scootaloo protested. “I doubt that” Spike retorted. Eventually, they came close enough and the guards hailed them. “Is something wrong?” The one to the left asked. “No, but I’d like to ask a favor.” The three of them looked at Spike with slightly squinted eyes, giving him an insightful and hopeful look while their brows formed perfect aces. The Great Mage knew this look, showing the fake hunger to help, a virtue calling aspect of fake vocation to perform an altruistic deed - These guards were professional ass-lickers that saw a chance to gain something by helping out Spike. Even here, in a free from war exhaustion land that breathes with what seemed to be pure harmony, creating almost an ideal Arcadian landscape, the devious and abhorred elements of the world make themselves known. For the Great Mage it was refreshing seeing something he had to deal with every day, any familiarity with his home soothed his nerves and was plainly good if it even was right and decent to call something as negative that word. “What is it? We’ll help gladly!” The colleagues besides nodded “I need Scootaloo” Spike faced her, “Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle” he did the same when he mentioned them “ Escorted back home” “No problem! We know who - “ The soldier looked at Apple Bloom and reconsidered what he was about to say “ - their guardians are.” The Great Mage’s ears moved slightly downwards without his knowledge of it happening as he heard the word, giving the fillis an honest, wistful look. “Who doesn’t.” Spike commented, “What are your names by the way?” The one speaking constantly answered first “I’m elder private Curt Canter” The Great Mage tilted his head when he heard the name. “And this is private Solid Crystal and Heavy Swing” The Great Mage found himself lost on the way to understand the way names work in this world and how Ponies give them. Intuition told him nothing, and he had no books to get knowledge from. Apple Bloom was related to Applejack, and indeed, her coat and mane resembled the colors of specific apples, and her sister also had the fruit referenced in her name. Sweetie Belle and Rarity had nothing in common, other than perhaps that barely ever anyone who could be described in their adulthood as a sweetie belle, would be born which ties itself with rarity. “I’ll try and remember you guys.” Spike looked at the Cutie Mark Crusaders “ Until next time!” They parted with a quick hug. The CMC turned towards the Great Mage and thanked him once more, as they went their ways with each guard, before of course also group hugging themselves, they waved back and the Great Mage responded the same way, choosing to be kind but remaining modest and ending it quickly. Spike and he headed towards the castle. The Great Mage still was the major attraction in town, as each new part of the city was discovered by him. The homes closer to the Palace seemed older and weren’t as well cared for. The wood at the bases or under the sticking-out roofs was rotten, while vines and plants grew maliciously around the houses and some climbed up all the way to the windows. Others had pieces falling off them, leaving nasty holes of grey concrete bear to see or the gutters were touched by rust and were close to falling off. The Great Mage frowned at the sight of this, not because of the conditions, but because this esthetical sacrilege was allowed so near the crystal palace! But what did he expect? Nobility to care? Some do, rarely, but nobility itself was nothing more but locust, a fake bourgeois class with privileges. They eventually approached the bridge, which made a great impression upon the Great Mage. Two guards were stationed to protect the entrance. Seeing somepony important coming, like mayor mare, didn't require any special procedures unless there was somepony accompanying the special individual. Spike, other than living in the castle, which didn’t release anypony from the obligation to be checked by the fact they lived there, was Twilight’s right-hand pony...Dragon. The instructions were always unclear about him, and what should they do when Spike comes with somepony foreign. Why should they question the decision of one of the closest to Twilight members of the castle? On the other hand, Spike was susceptible to committing errors as he still was just a growing Dragon. This time, they couldn’t be liberal about it. The guards never saw a creature the looks of which were so equine but also so dissident. “Stop!” Spike was startled by the reaction, the Great Mage suspected it would happen. Insofar the Ponies have organized themselves well in his eyes, it’d be a shame if they were as clumsy as to allow a complete stranger into the castle without any interference. The number of guards at the entrance, which was two, plus the campsite he could see, which was relatively alright in size, was still not enough for his taste. Either the Princess didn’t care for safety or this land has not been at war for a long enough period to drop the idea of investing into walls. “ No! He’s a good guy! There’s no need for a check-up.” One of the guards, with a bronze coat and grey-blue mane, responded “I’m sorry, sir Spike, but procedures exist for a reason. “ He turned towards the Great Mage “ Your companion doesn’t have to be worried if there is nothing to hide. ”He spoke gently and without any hostility in his voice, making it a sign of goodwill. The Great Mage put his brow up at the last words. Again, something familiar and relatable, and what many would describe as tyrannical, introduced itself to him in this world. Maybe it’s not as good as it looks...But this digression was meaningless without more knowledge, he focused back on reality. He used this argument many times before as well, and many before him and after him will as well say it, directly or not. With the difference that he was trying to be as close as he could be to the people whom he made the guarantee to. Many opportunities to root out potential enemies were lost as he kept this promise, trying to create the image of an honest state official. The balance turned to be positive most of the time in the long run, as long as he was honest and kept the promise. He wondered if the Ponies keep their word or use it just as a simple brutal tool. “It's alright, do what you must.” The Great Mage spoke calmly. It was pointless to start any fuss around this. The guardpony called for his colleague who was a unicorn. He approached swiftly and placed his halberd on the butt of the pole. The weapon stood in place perfectly, held by magic, as a faint disseminating aura of the metaphysical force hovered around the weapon visible only to experts. This triggered a thought while the unicorn prepared to cast a surveillance spell. “Why would anyone want to spend time and effort to do that on a halberd?” The unicorn cast his spell, bright azure light, with stripes of gold and lanky stripes of bright red, almost pink, enveloped the whole body of the Great Mage, a chilly feeling from the tip of his head to the bottom of his feet swallowed the whole of him, taking him by a small surprise. Spike watched and waited, while the two guards observed the Great Mage with gimlet eyes. The spell wasn’t in any way advanced, but it was strong while remaining still in the range of average spells. The sound was quick and organized but also harsh but not loud. The smooth texture of magic told him the spell was stable. Since it required some time to cast, he knew that the spell probably also possessed intelligence, meaning it did a few tasks at once to achieve the purpose for which it was made, to name a couple: The wavy manner of how the magic around him swirled tried to find enchantments on him, the chilly sensation worked like a nullifying type spell etc. “Not bad” The Great Mage was liberated from the mildly cold feeling as the spell disintegrated, leaving him the way he was before it was cast. The guard ponies nodded and stepped aside, giving them a clear message that they could go into the castle. “Welcome to Princess Twilight’s Castle. “ Spike and the Great Mage without haste walked the bridge, while on the way, Spike and the Great Mage started a conversation. “So, why did you start traveling?” The Great Mage anticipated he’d have to answer this question sooner or later, but there was no need to worry. In such a case, it's best to use a book, an already-read story by a good writer as a foundation for a fake identity. A lie may be hard to improve with time the more frequently new parts and information are added to it. However… The Great Mage turned towards Spike. A second passed, and he already had the answer prepared in his mind. The unique circumstances in which he found himself in and the reasons as unique as the ones for why he was here, made him rethink his position. His stay here will last some time no doubt. If he’ll have to reveal his identity, it’d be best to also feature some truth in his fake self’s identity to show he was trusting and play it diplomatically. Besides, there’s no better story than one’s own to tell. “I was looking for a new place to stay while seeking some adventures along the route.“ “Did something happen that forced you to do it or was it simply because of a need to travel?” “Some family issues played a role in it and the place where I lived itself was…” He stopped, and gave Spike a questionable look “...Unfriendly” Spike turned sad when he heard what the Great Mage said: “Sorry to hear that, but if it helped you, then there’s reason to celebrate.” He said with a soulful tone at first but his mood got brighter at the end. The Mage felt bleak, recognizing some of the traits that Spike possessed after the response: kindness, integrity, and possessing large amounts of empathy. These tenets were probably the reason why Spike was discarded as an unhealthy egg. Dragons were intelligent even if they were rather feral, not much is known, but the fact they could sense weakness before the hatching was a popular theory among scholars. “Yeah it did, it built my character, in good and probably bad ways as well.” “I’m sure more for the good side, you risked your life back there in the Everfree Forest.” The complement was taken by the mage without bitter feelings. To count how many times his egoistic or sinister actions were taken as a token of a golden heart, to make him immune to not to feel like a fish out of water, was impossible due to the sheer number. He did it for both pure gain, because of his mission and lastly because of his duty to help. If it endangered his return back to Ardania to help the invasion, he wouldn’t have done it. “Thanks, Spike” With that, they appeared before the large doors that lead inside the castle. The Great Mage took notice that the castle from a distance looked slightly less large than it really is. Spike in the meantime took one of the brass rings of the gate, and knocked on the doors. One of the guards opened them for him and the Great Mage. The guards weren’t surprised or seemed to care to see someone new, as it wasn’t their business. The Great Mage followed Spike inside, and as soon as the doors closed behind the Great Mage was shaken by the beauty of the interior. The floor was clean and shining, the surface was straight and even, working like a mirror which allowed him to see his reflection. On the floor before him, from where the stairs started all the way up to the doors laid a carpet, with the color scheme similar to that of the inside. The stairs which led upwards were decorated with various ornaments, as were the pillars holding the roof, windows and the walls inside. The imagery of flowers, chaotic in design, but made from beautiful and esthetic lines decorated the walls in mesmerizing patterns. The lamps were made from brass to look like they were golden, if not actually gold, designed to be quirky and almost resembling calligraphy in looks. “Your Princess has a stunningly beautiful castle to live in. To say it's majestic, would be not a basic compliment like many people tend to say to each other, but stating a fact. “ “People?” Spike repeated in his thoughts. “Canterlot has a lot of equally beautiful places, Las Pegasus, Cloudsdale, Manehattan etc. as well. You might wanna visit these cities.” The Great Mage turned towards him and answered half truthfully “I’ll see to it.” Without the need to mention it, the Great Mage followed the Dragon, towards where Princess Twilight probably resided. The Great Mage allowed himself to eulogize over the interior as they moved onward. It was beautiful, but also costly. Maintenance alone must cost a fortune. This is why he disliked nobility with his whole heart. So much could have been built or done if the money spent on this was in the hands of people like himself, - as much as selfish as it sounds it was simply true. The two of them walked through a large portion of the castle, but the Great Mage had no chance to view most of the rooms they passed by. In the end, their tour ended in the meeting chamber where the Cutie Map laid. Spike called Twilight by name, yelling her name after he couldn't find her anywhere else. The Great Mage was blindsided by that. Even when you are friends with someone above you, for the sake of showing respect before the guest, and to honor the person acting as the monarch, and the title, or office, proper etiquette must be followed strictly. How is a monarch, or anyone in that matter, supposed to have any authority and be respected by others if the ponies will see this? The Great Mage has gotten infuriated by the brazen action, but he didn’t put much value to it, and let it go at once settling his short-lived aggravation to rest. It was just a comment, a mental note. He’s seen worse around himself by his own staff. He approached the Cutie Map, which was just a crystal table in his eyes. He felt a great deal of magic coming out from the Cutie Map. He brushed the top of his fingers along the crystal edge, feeling the raw, pure, abysmal but peaceful in its behavior magic. The edge was smooth and not in any way sharp. “ Just what are you? ‘ In his tower, from where he prepared to cast powerful spells, some of which bend the laws of nature under magical pressure, he used many tools and enchanted furniture or spellcasting equipment - like his lost spear - and this, he theorized, served a similar purpose. The large crystal seats around, each with its own emblem at the top of the backrest, probably were reserved for other mages, which were probably unicorns, but it might be there are normal ponies and pegasuses which also have magical abilities. The chamber was small considering its an important role, it was located in the castle and close to homes. The princess was playing a risky enough game, to call it idiotic. “Spike?” The Great Mage turned toward the large entrance he and Spike came through, as he heard a young female voice, sweet in texture and tone. The mage took a humble stance and prepared to meet the princess. Usually, an encounter with a noble ended unwell for the noble, but this time, he was the one who was in an inferior position. He didn’t have to wait long. Princess Twilight walked into the chamber with a hasty pace, looking happy at first, since her eyes were aiming at Spike. She was wearing a loose, for his taste, outfit which looked formal and rather comfortable. Her flared pants had an interesting design, he guessed it must have been custom-tailored, as the material folded in such a way that it resembled a skirt. The Great Mage’s presence however couldn’t be ignored, and her smile turned into a concerned and surprised look as she was taken back by noticing him standing about three meters away from Spike. Now that their gazes locked, he could examine her face. He didn’t see anything extraordinary, but the color of her fur which was brighter and ebullient compared to his own grim lavender shade. His senses remained human, and although he could see some esthetic value in her facial structure, his reaction was the same he’d have when looking at an ordinary equine. Of course, there was unorthodoxy, as her muzzle wasn’t as feral but more round due to her head being almost human-sized and her muzzle was in scale matched to it. He had to give it to her, that she possessed good proportions. This made her seem to look more human than animal. Her cheeks were chubby by a margin, and she had hard to notice bags under her eyes. Her big eyes, dark lavender in color, were giving him an optimistic but cautious and researching stare. Her fringe rested on her forehead, her mane was in good condition, mostly navy blue with a stripe of lavender and a thin stripe of purple right beside it. Her fringe ended right before her eyebrows which he was able to describe as persuading. Her humanoid body didn’t summon any reaction from him. She was a C coup, and her clothing didn’t allow him to see how thick her thighs and waistline were. Her tail was almost reaching the floor, and he disliked that, as he couldn’t possibly see any practicality in it being this long. “Spike” She spoke without worry, but with interest as she squinted her eyes. “Who is this?” The Great Mage has awaited the moment, the Dragon has forgotten to ask him for his name, and the situation would evolve poorly for the small fellow who probably just realized his mistake. He wasn't mad at the little Dragon, Spike was kind to him, the Great Mage was known for being rather understanding, right next to his instrumental use of, what is called almost always, last resort means. The names of the ponies consisted of a noun and adjective, or it was a verb or activity. Searching for something he could use as a starting point, he saw that the chamber in which he stood was well lit, without much source of light being in the chamber itself. This, and the fact a powerful magical object was in the chamber, gave him the necessary inspiration...This will be silly. “My name is...Arcane Shine.” The Great Mage announced genially, as he prepared to bow. “No no no no no” Twilight stopped him “No need for bowing “ She let out a sheepish chuckle. “You probably already know, but my name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess, co-ruler of Equestria.” She offered him her hand, reaching for a handshake. The Great Mage was puzzled, but due to this kind gesture, he started to see her more positively. She was fresh, she had no real experience, it was clear as day, she was barely a noble. Yet, his experience warned him about Twilight, she had more to offer than it looked. This fact made her instantly a likable person. Spike was standing and smiling awkwardly as a drop of sweat went down his head, while a blush spread across his face. He had to come to his senses as Twilight spoke to him. “Can you tell me why you decided to bring a guest into the castle? ” Spike scratched the back of his head “Well, how should I start…” Author's Note When taking into account what you're about to tell her, I suggest we leave it for the next chapter, Spike. And welcome back! I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. I know that the simple way of phrasing might be boring, or that I am too dull to read, nonetheless, thanks to all the people who appreciate my work. It's for fun, and it makes me proud to know that somehow I made some dude who knows English perfectly read this shit and that person thinks about coming back after finishing the chapter. You people are just crazy. Please have in mind the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book.
7: What happened was...Twilight sat aghast on her crystal seat, her angelic wings were taut as if her body instinctively wanted to take into the air and escape. Her head, rested on her palm, while her elbow was situated on the Cutie Map. She was looking intently at Spike with wobbly eyes, her lips were tightly shut and looked thinner than they really were. She was devouring him with her focused, dead silent gaze, she didn’t even bother to blink. Her features looked like they were almost soaking wet, as her lavender coat seemed smooth and polished, giving a genuine shine in the light coming off the lamps, as if she had used an awful lot of cheap face powder. The Great Mage stood nearby, with one of his legs crossed, supporting himself with his left hand that he placed on the top of the backseat of one of the crystal seats. He listened attentively to Spike who told Princess Twilight of what happened in the Everfree forest. He observed Twilight discreetly, not get her attention, and thoroughly, analyzing her posture, her charming expression of a weird sister-like love he saw in her judgmental frown. Things like: being surprised by the appearance of a Treeman, which indicated they’re not common in this world, or that she was concerned about Spike’s wellbeing and ran a few scenarios of how it could have ended badly for him and for the three fillies who are relatives to her close friends were obvious concerns. He exiled these topics from his train of thought. Spike’s head hung low, but his eyes were looking straight at Twilight. The Great Mage regularly revolved around contact with people, his experience allowed him to differentiate fear from worry or, like in this case, the already mentioned form of pliancy visible in the submissive demeanor of Spikes behavior, as the Dragon had his hands close to the sides and nervously played with or moved with his fingers. Spike was visibly stressed, but he didn’t show fear, only humble acceptance of defeat, but why, the Great Mage didn’t know. When Spike finally came to describe the moment when they encountered the Treeman, and before that how he and Zecora heard the Cutie Mark Crusaders scream, Twilight has changed her whole appearance. She squinted her eyes by a small margin, her ruthless stoic stare transformed into a kind and inquisitive look, while she covered her mouth with her hand with her thumb placed under her chin. Her posture still created an earnest atmosphere in the room, but the cold tension in the air was no more, replaced by serene warmth. “That’s when Arcane Shine showed up…” Twilight turned her head lighting fast towards him. “How did you know?” She asked quietly. “I heard them scream, I was fairly close to them while it happened, I quickly dropped the stuff that I carried, but it fell into a narrow creek I was just passing by.” Twilight, opened her mouth to respond, she didn’t appear much awe-struck like moments before, however, the Princess tilted her head, and raised her eyebrow drilling through him with a suspicious glance. “ But “ She started off with a strong tone “ You must have spotted long before the changing environment under the lunar Treeman’s influence. Why did you decide to forge ahead?” she voiced her question. His heart rate increased. This uncomfortable question invoked some amusement in him, because of the challenge that came with it. The Princess showed she was not only caring, but also rather clever. He anticipated she had more to herself and he was right. Fortunately for him, the question she asked was easily manageable to dodge without the support of eristics. “As I said, your highness “ He spoke with respect, but he wished he could spare himself using this salutation “I was close to them “ He lied, knowing well, he encountered it far earlier “ And from what Spike told you, he and your mutual friend, Zecora, also encountered the altered environment close to the spot where it was.” Before Twilight could counter, Spike jumped in with a powerful “ That’s right. “ Twilight swiveled her head and glanced at Spike, then looked back at Arcane Shine, this time, unsure herself what to say. “Your highness” The Great Mage spoke lovingly, raising or lowering his tone according to need, with an innocent but serious look in his eyes, while his voice was all but mischievous. He gained her attention, as Twilight brightened up as he addressed her “I didn’t know, that it was a Treeman!” He asserted, putting feelings into the message. He spoke directly to her, showing some aggravation, but not to be rude, not to show he was insulted and make her believe he saw her question as a form of accusation, that what transpired was because of him. No, that’d be preposterous and worthy of paranoid freak. He poured emotions into his style of speaking and enhanced his presentation by carrying out simple hand gestures. Being a politician and leader for even half a year is worth five years of schooling on how to be an actor. “How should I have known?” He asked, making it sound as simple as he could. There was a brief moment of silence. Spike was leaping from Twilight back to Arcane Shine with his eyes and repeated it a few more times more. He wanted to speak his mind, sensing that the moment was right, he gathered the courage to break the silence. “It probably sensed them being nearby and woke up from sleep.” The Great Mage saw a chance for himself in this line of thinking, so he asked in advance before Twilight could “What makes you think that? “ “The four of them together would have had noticed something was off as well. Don’t you think? They’re not stupid. Far from it to be honest”. Twilight nodded, barely the both of them noticed “Well, they do look like normal trees when they aren’t active from what we know…Not enough time passed for it to spread” She guessed, looking at the floor while speaking. Perfect. Without much effort put into it, she created an answer to her question herself. The argument was one-sided before it began. The Treeman was walking towards where Spike and Zecora came from while chasing the fillies, and from the information, he got from the three fillies while he was escorted to Ponyvile, they were walking its previous path by mistake. There was no chance for it to contaminate the environment with its lunar (based on the word Twilight used) influence when it even wasn’t looking that way anyway. “If it’s still there, it poses a threat to Ponyvile!” Twilight stated sturdily, her voice already losing its stable texture, a smidge of panic was disclosable in her voice. “I need to inform the unicorn corp about it.” She murmured loud enough for them to hear. “Your highness.” Arcane Shine again got her attention, only because he spoke boomingly. “There’s nothing to be worried about. We defeated it.” He said with a slow drawl. She focused her gaze on him. “Wait what?” she asked puzzled, with her mouth slightly open as her ears stood erect. “It’s dead, your highness-” He wanted to continue, but Twilight cut him off. “You fought with the Treeman?!” She looked at Spike “Have you thought about the consequences?! The risk?!” Spike knew, that responding truthfully would endanger Arcane Shine, who made the decision to fight, however, after first protesting him, a moment later, he too agreed to take part in it… The Great Mage on the other hand decided not to admit he was the one who proposed the solution. Why would he, if he can avoid taking the blame solely on himself? Spike and Zecora will account for it with him, when Twilight will believe it was one-minded. Being on Twilight’s good side was a top priority at the moment. He didn’t know that Spike complied with that idea, and this made his narration go smoother. Twilight focused herself on Spike, as he was the most important therefore her concern lead to her being frank with him, to turn this conversation into a lesson, to never expose himself to danger like he just did. This opportunity to miss the first shot was like a blessing of Agrela. “We” The Great Mage began“ Agreed to fight rather than run.” The Great Mage kept his elegant way of speaking. “Because?” Twilight asked not as angrily but composed, but she spoke at a high volume and keeping up an irked manner. “The Treeman was strangely not as strong as one might have expected.” With this he turned to Spike, Twilight turned his way too, not sure what this meant. Spike got the gist “When we charged, he blasted the monster with a powerful, magical projectile...A portion of its chest was gone.” He said, amazed as much as when he saw it. Twilight now started to settle her nerves down, as she slowly understood the first, probably prime reason for making the decision. She didn’t expect Arcane Shine to possess such strength. This alone spoke of talent. Against a treeman? Twilight gave him a glance, especially at his horn. She hastily performed the action, as staring at some pony’s horn was plainly unpolite and blunt, in some circles, even seen as perverted. It was big and thick, long and curved, but not too sharp on the edges, nonetheless, it was a sign of power and health in equestrian society. Most importantly, it was a symbol of possessing natural proficiency in the control of magic. She didn’t see the spell with her own eyes, she wishes she had. From Spike’s description, it probably was advanced, either light lance or advanced magic beam-type spell but not wrought to the end, if not that then Arcane Shine used pure magic to create a simple in composition powerful attack. It was an ad-lib shot.The need to focus played the first violin in a task like that, let alone magical reserves and an able horn to execute it. There were unicorns with much power but born with unsuited-for-extreme conditions horns that didn’t allow the unicorns to match it with theirs vigor. Vice-versa as well. “Two Fireballs were not enough to harm it, but it kept it away for some time, which he too cast while we fought it before even the idea to defeat it appeared in anypony’s mind.“ Fireball was a basic offensive spell never taught in schools of any kind other than the ones responsible for the training of uniformed services (military, police, special units regarding the defense of public officials, etc ) special schools for unicorns (like her old school ran by Celestia) and universities. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for the likes of Arcane Shine to know this spell, as he seems not to come from Equestria, judging by his looks. The local black market even in Equestria sells books regarding the art of offensive spells almost everywhere, she leaned towards the option he knows it a long time now, and probably he has learned it with the help of illegal channels, although, she could be mistaken. Twilight now perceived Arcane Shine differently. He was a stranger, worst of all a skilled one, able to cast dangerous spells... The Great Mage read it from Twilights expression, seeing a cagey spark in her eyes. Attention was the last thing he wanted for now “Zecoras potions were incredible in stunning it. Her help was essential in its defeat” The mentioning of Zecora’s special potions triggered Twilight’s memory to tingle. Another problem! Of course, if she didn’t have enough already! To Tartarus with the potions, she’ll get them tomorrow. Now, she had other troubles on her mind. “How did you kill it?” She uncomfortably said the word, as she articulated it softly. Spike knew what was coming. His soul wanted to escape his body. “I walked up to it.” Twilight’s irises shrank rapidly as her ears registered what he said. “Breathed fire on it.” Twilight, was no more. “Arcane Shine approached it and wielded my fire through magic. “ She oddly remained silent. At this point, she’d already fallen into a rabbit hole of uncontrollable ire, throwing millions of arguments starting with: do you have any idea.... “And incinerated it. “ Twilight sighed tiredly, rubbing her forehead and messaging her head that way. She sat back down, her tense body wasn’t as “boxy” but breezy. “Did you...Hurt yourself?” She susurrus softly, without anger, without judgment. Spike, as well as the Great Mage, were confounded. They expected violent eruptions of emotions, all coming from her worries, goodwill, and honest concerns for his well-being and health. “No” “Did, anypony get hurt whatsoever?” Her voice was returning to normality. Here, the Great Mage allowed himself to step in “Yes” He as well spoke softly, it befitted the situation. “Was it you?” “I was hit but I didn’t suffer injuries” He confidently intimated, to make sure she gets the message. “One of the fillies...” Twilight’s mood worsened, her eyes turned sadder. The Great mage had to pause, holding his breath in, he felt an itch in both his chest and throat, soon it leads to the fallout in the form of burning. He was used to it happening, even in this flurried state he was able to function rationally, so he brushed it off as lightly as it came. “Apple Bloom, her name was, she got an injury on her leg, but it was insignificant, although it was taken as a serious wound. I healed her with the use of magic” Twilight nodded, her eyes pinned to his, a spark of burning passion was hidden deep in them. She lowered her gaze and took a small breath in. She stood up, and twisted her head to Spike. “We’ll talk later some more ” She informed him, with a weak smile. In a laborious manner, she rotated her head back to her guest, towards Arcane Shine. There, he saw a sweet friendly face looking at him in a sincere friendly fashion. Tired, still living the story told to her with miserable details. “Thank you.” She paused, gathered her thoughts, and continued, “With my whole heart, thank you” Her words were like half whispers,” I’ll make sure you’ll be treated well if you decide to stay. “ He looked at her, as intently as she looked at him. There was mistrust, and she held it tightly, he sensed it. Even after his feat of saving Spike, who by the looks of it, is very close to her, she still had something against him. This constant skepticism in the form of mistrust, or maybe a pinch of inbuilt into the mind of every being xenophobia, was something he had to praise her for. Call him stupid for praising what clearly works against him, but out of respect to the characteristics any monarch should have, he had to address it, because that’s what was correct in his eyes. “For now, please, let me guide you to one of our guest rooms. I’ll try and make up for your noble deed for saving my friends and wanting to risk your own life for them. “ She took his hand, and with both of her hands, which were tiny compared to his, she grabbed his and shook it. He joined with his other one, and increased the pace. “ Thank you for your hospitality Prin-” “No,” She interrupted “You don’t have to,” The Great Mage looked at her joyfully abashed, he forgot himself, and let out a chuckle, only to stop himself as he realized his position. She looked at him with a straight face, preserving her sweetness while he couldn’t believe what he witnessed. “Me? A complete stranger to call you by name?” He answered after he recuperated. “You’re no stranger” came the truthful response. He tilted his head “Pardon?” “You saved Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scatoloo from potential death, and” She looked at Spike “ One of the closest to me friends I have” Her voice shivered “You are a friend of mine, and Applejack and Rarity as well. “ “Mine too” Spike walked up to them, looking at Arcane Shine, finding it hard due to his height. “Without you, Celestia knows what would have happened.” Celestia knows…Celestia was one of the Princesses as he recalled. He wondered what feats made her name become a saying. Twilight guided Arcane Shine to one of the guest rooms, separated by two hallways from her own bedroom. The stroll towards his new room was quick, they didn’t chat much along the way, keeping it relatively silent, with only the echoing sound of their hooves trotting on the crystal floor filling the empty space. Twilight had her own staff, that cleaned her castle, cooked for her, washed her clothes etc. The cook lived in the castle, but spend most of his time outside, while one maid took care of Twilight’s wearables, the maid lived in her own house, and came to work early in the morning to go home when the sun started to settle down. Spike went and notified the staff of Arcane Shine’s presence, leaving Twilight and him alone, while she opened the doors to his temporary apartment. It wasn’t stunning, it was fairly decent. A large round window was located exactly to the opposite of the door, with a large bed, freshly made (to his surprise) the bed was located along the right wall, with a wardrobe next to it. To the left of the room there were doors, probably leading to the bathroom. Next to them, there was a mirror, its angle was adjustable as it was installed in a richly bedecked framework from some very dark wood. Closeby stood a wide bookshelf filled with a few books, but not many, about twenty as the Great Mage assumed. A carpet that stretched from the bed to the left side covered the crystal floor. “A servant should have done this, not a princess.” She seemed unfazed “I’ve been told that many times before.” she said looking inside, but she flicked her eyes as she ended the sentence. “If I may ask” he succumbed to curiosity and questioned her gently “Why?” “I…” the tune of her voice was frail, it trembled “ I really am thankful for what you did.” She began touching the tips of her index fingers in a playful manner “It’s just that…” She held her breath “ If something would have happened to Spike, I would never forgive myself” Her voice rose to a higher pitch on the accents of each word. “I understand what you mean.” Arcane Shine laid his hand on her shoulder. Twilight looked up, their eyes linked. The pigmentation on her cheeks underwent a metamorphosis, as the saturation of her lavender shade turned brighter, pushing it towards redness. “She probably just realized how her overreaction looked like to me. ” It momentarily faded away, as she reorganized herself “I hope your stay here will be pleasant” He retreated his hand “I hope so as well “ He said as if nothing happened “ But not for long” Twilight raised her eyebrow “Are you on the way to somewhere?” “Indeed” He went into his room and approached the window “I’m traveling, I won’t stay here too long” He looked outside, seeing that the sky was turning orange. Smoke started to come out of the first few houses closer or further from the palace. The village will go to sleep in a few hours. “Good luck then in your travel.” He stopped facing the window and looked at her. Twilight said, “I have my schedule to work with, please, remind me to talk with you tomorrow. I may just have the right thing for your work with helping out Spike, Zecora, and the girls.” “Will it be grand?” He shallowly asked with a smirk, summoning a grin from her. “I think it will be” There was a moment of silence, “I’ll see you tomorrow, if there will be something of extreme importance, don’t hesitate to come.” The humming sound of magic, it was followed by her horn sparkling with a lavender mist, the knot of the door got enveloped in it. She left the Great Mage alone in the room as the doors closed, with a heavy click. Author's Note Greetings, dear readers. I used a different method in order to make this chapter. So, please, tell me if this chapter is better or worse than the previous ones. I hope you guys like what I do and will point out every error I make, for my own sake to improve and your's to get better quality chapters. In the end, all of it is for fun. I know that the simple way of phrasing might be boring, or that I am too dull to read, nonetheless, thanks to all the people who appreciate my work. It's for fun, and it makes me proud to know that somehow I made some dude who knows English perfectly read this shit and that person thinks about coming back after finishing the chapter. You people are just crazy. Please have in mind the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book.
8: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [Prologue]Not so much time has passed after Twilight showed the Great Mage his room, and the castle’s maid came to bring him some suiting clothes. The Great Mage and the maid hadn’t spoken to each other, he had no intention of doing so, so he dismissed her after an awkward pause. He had no interest in speaking with a maid anyway. He looked through the outfits that have been brought for him. Normally, someone would dress him in a more refined garment, not too richly decorated or too flamboyant. Since obtaining the role of Great Mage, he seldom handpicked what he wore the following day. Here, the garments presented to him were strangely designed. He held in his hands a kind of very thin sweater, but smooth and very tactile, made by hand with meticulous care. The thing was that this upper body piece was strangely elastic and had, to put it in the simplest possible way, a sort of sleeve for the neck specifically. He placed it on the bed, to examine it fully, standing slightly astride, the light from the windows shined at his back, casting his massive shadow over the room. He found it chic, its color, dark cardinal red, suited his fur’s color as well. He made his decision; so, he discarded the option of looking through the rest, he didn't want to deal with it right now. He can always hide behind feigned ignorance and say, that he has no idea what to put on and what to wear before Princess Twilight. The maid would be forced to show him what, how, when and why, while also sorting them. She’d do her job. He’d get a grip of Equestrian fashion sense while at it. As for the pants, he chose a black pair with a white checkered pattern, the geometrical figures overlapped each other. The pants were made of linen, not much different from what he used to wear, varying only in one detail, that the fly was fastened with a strong brass zipper instead of four buttons, while above the fly, on the waistline, as expected, there was a single styled button. The pants were a bit too big, so he quickly found a brown belt with a nice silver square buckle. Since he had horseshoes he didn't have to pay too much attention to the footwear, all he had to do was change the horseshoes, but honestly, he wasn't going to bother with such a pointless detail anytime soon. He approached the mirror, he gave himself a few glances, to make sure that everything matched him well. Nowhere did he see parts folding, wrinkling, or looking rumpled. He sat on the bed and took a breath in and out, rubbing his forehead, while at it also massaging the bridge of his nose with the tips of his thumb and index finger. He had to carefully map out every objective he must accomplish in order for his long-term plans to go smoothly. Now he had some time to think before departing his room to find Twilight and notify her he will be going out. The general goal for today is to find out how big the really town is and maybe even choose a few locations he should head to tomorrow or someday. Secondly, he needs to adjust his behavioral esthetics, no better way to do it than through direct observation and then copying it raw. By behavioral esthetics, he meant behavior he’ll adapt and values he’ll ‘follow’ to make a good impression on everyone he could meet. For now, heroic acts of altruism seem to be viewed highly, there was absolutely nothing surprising about it. Twilight didn’t seem to care much to converse or act in line with how a princess or any more important noble was expected to do. She seemed so undoubtedly fresh in her role, casual and lenient in showing her royal gravitas that came with her title, as if she became a monarch a month ago. She’s a princess, she was taught from her childhood how to behave adequately. What does this mean for him? If a princess, who is supposed to play a role, a scene each day by following a strict etiquette, because any member of any royal family does, then he can expand this observation onto the pony society - Oh Krolm! How silly this sounds - by taking into account what he already has gathered, and that brings him to a simple conclusion; The Equestrian society is far more unconventional than he imagined it to be when compared to Ardanian standards. Therefore, his thoughts swirled around the aspect of surprise he would encounter as he explored the local culture and customs further in time. His theory can be false, but he cannot act without care. Acting normally by Ardanian standards can bring him ruin and shame. This is why it was important for him to choose the correct approach, that’s why he pondered about the problem. In Ardania, there was no way for him to take too much interest in the subject of civil law regulations and linked to its culture and its aspects that influenced the legislature, at the very beginning he did, but these were different times, for that he had officials and public officers. So, maybe he’ll see something worthy of defending against when he encounters it in Ardania or vice versa. ... With a heavy heartfelt grunt, a wave of dizziness struck the Great Mage. When blinking, his eyes took a second before his vision regained its clarity. The Great Mage felt uneasy by letting his mind just wander off, repeating almost the same thing he thought of last time. This didn’t serve him anything but a waste of time. He started off improperly with an unnecessary digression and this false approach quickly turned the state of his mood worse, with tired irritation leading the way for the other emotions that came with it. The strange situation he found himself in and the number of elements that came with it were destroying his disciplined work ethos. He had to get a grip on himself. “What should I do first?” Retracting to his original body was of paramount importance over others. Whatever form of magic or witchcraft even resulted in his current physical state ought to be discovered and reversed by him. That will be one of his primary objectives, and for that, he needs time and preparation. On the first line were dispel-type spells, if that won’t work, then he’ll have to abandon it in favor of other goals, as long as he won’t judge his situation good enough to perform higher-level spell casting through the performance of rituals. He only feared the extent of the difficulty and the strength of the curse which turned him into whatever he is now. The United One had no right to hold back. Although non-consuming pessimism is usually healthy, he can’t too often let the negative slip into his thoughts, or he’ll reach a point where he’ll start to act as if it was a certainty even when he will remind himself that it's only a possibility. Now, the preamble to any of these steps should be cautious reconnaissance. Get to know how the magic system works, how it is developed and bifurcated, what the ponies have that could hinder him in a critical moment or impair his plans etc. Basic safety measures must be fulfilled with increments to the finest details. Is the Ponykind above him in terms of magical knowledge, innovation and spell crafting or not? If yes, he will have to study it and learn how to defend against it. This too will take time, which he can’t throw away just like that. One thing’s certain, he won’t leave without charting the most important of magical data sets; with a talent for magic, greater painstaking in learning it was never an occurring problem. After his return, Ardania would benefit greatly from the novelties. The second task, which he should pursue whenever he can, in parallel with the others, is learning about this world. Especially about magic, history, and society. It would be also wise to learn a few maps more or less by heart. Thirds, as the Great Mage listened to Spike tell the story, Arcane Shine was perceived to be above the average. The events were told with wonder but weren’t seen as unreal, Spikes words and tone showed respect before the scale and countenance that came with the showed skill. The Great Mage mustn’t overstep the borders he drew for himself during the battle. Fourths, he should aim towards securing material and political immunity, forming relations on the basis of exchangeable favors. Since Equestria is a monarchy, there had to be Magnates, (feudal)lords, local patricians - overall, ponies with titles - susceptible for his intrigues estate that could secure him with care in time of trouble. Who better to choose than noblemen? Keeping good relations with Twilight is a must. This could be a critical trade card in a bigger game later on, and if he could even slip one or two of his own coins into the decisions she makes… No; that’s unreal, he cannot fall into bleak idealistic hopes like this. Sacrifices, sacrifices, and once more sacrifices…For now, point number four had no authority in the que, first, he must finish his business with Twilight and her promise about his reward. He stood up and walked to the door, he opened them and walked out, shutting them behind himself. These five vectors will all lead to one crosspoint, which is him returning back to Ardania. They may seem distant and will toss him from one thing to the other as more and more complicated it all gets. Twilight was currently in the library of the castle; she stood on the ladder and looked through the hippology segment, visibly curious and consumed by her work of searching for the desired research material. “Spike, any progress?” Spike, her faithful, hopeful, and strong, but most importantly, handsome dragon assistant, was doing exactly his job of assisting. The Dragon stood on a separate ladder just like Twilight, but higher than the Princess, and was located further to the left side in the avian section. “No, but I doubt the answer is here anyway.” Twilight then swiveled her head to look in his direction and guided her eyes along the other sections, trying to think where Spike could go. She let out a heavy sigh and drummed on the surface of one of the steps of the ladder where she had her hands rested. Her wings moved, as if stimulated by some electric shock of marginal strength. “Try to look at chimerintology.” She said with a sure tone. Spike took the book he had in his hands and put it in its place. He was about to go down and start pushing the ladder to the desired place, but he hesitated and thought about one thing that occupied his mind from the beginning. There are no stupid questions, right? “Twilight,” Spike called. “Yes?” She didn’t even turn and looked through five books that she held with her magic, said books quickly were discarded and put back in their places. “Why don’t we just ask?” Twilight’s eyes went wide and she dropped the books that she held firm with her magic. She sourly looked at Spike, the dragon already knew what this heralded. “Spike! Why would you even consider it an option?!” “I mean, it’s not…” “It is wrong, it’s totally inappropriate and uncalled for! How would you feel?!” He mused about it for a second, only aggravating Twilight more “Well, I wouldn’t be offended.” “Wouldn’t, as you put it: simply asking make the pony who did so appear uncivilized?” Spike once again took some time to think, but not much as he didn’t want to keep Twilight waiting. “I suppose…” “And not only that, as Princess, I am obliged to represent Equestria in the best highlight under all circumstances. Going forward with it would steer clear from that responsibility.” Spike didn’t answer back, with that he gave up and gave her the win. He went down the ladder to push it after he had gotten down. He performed the job easily and again, clumsily climbed the steps, having to go down five because he went too much up when his mind was once again occupied, this time by tiredness and thinking about the incoming new power-pony comic issue. He rested his head on the ladder’s step and closed his eyes for a split second. He was getting sleepy, and what’s worse, it wasn’t even that late, to begin with! He opened his eyes and started to look through the books. Most were old, some had about a hundred years. What else to expect when barely anypony wanted to go out into the wilderness and catch a wild animal to study it? “Time to get started” he whispered to himself and reached his hand out. Types of Chimeras in The Western Forests. No, not that. Chimera And Draconesquu - Difference and Familiarity. Again, no. Grand Dictionary of Terms, vol II Another miss. Common Traits Among Chimeras. This could give them some insight. He carefully threw the book down, it landed with a thud, without turning and opening, Spike returned to his work. “This is all too general” Spike has stated in his mind. Spike looked around, and sighted his answer almost right away, while Twilight started to throw her books away rather than shelve them back where they belonged. That meant their time was running low. He went up two steps and moved as close as he could to the right, he had his eyes locked on a book quite large, at least one thousand sites if not more from the looks of it. He was to far to be able to grab it, and tried to do it three times in a row thinking that a little more determination will help. Only claws were able to touch the leathery surface. His claws left sharply abraded marks. So, he placed one of his feet on the closest shelf, while his left leg remained on the ladder. Spike tried again, moving his right leg as much as he could forward. “C’mon…” With his efforts coming finally to fruition, he managed to get the book sliding out. His muscles worked hard for it to happen, but he didn’t stop because of the discomfort. As the book was out enough for him to grab it whole, he did just that. Only a moment of inattention may lead to disaster. Twilight luckily with the corner of her eye noticed Spike tipp over more than it was safe. The dragon began to lose his balance and was about to collapse forwards. He yelped as it started to happen, trying to find an edge to hold on to. A few more books fell down as he randomly threw his legs around. Twilight grabbed him with her magic in time for the dragon not to fall down. The view became distorted as if he was looking through under glass. Everything from his perspective turned lavender as he was caught in Twilight’s aura. Spike had three heavy drops of sweat run down his face at the moment he was caught. Now, he could breathe again, and the pent-up stress that built up a moment ago was extinguished with one shallow sigh. “Spike! Be careful,” She called in a solicitude tone. “Sorry, Twilight,” Spike answered back still perplexed. She brought him closer, while still in her hold “Was it worth it?” He handed her the book “I hope” Chimerical Physiognomy, The Aesthetics of Syncretism. She had a grin gradually appear on her face as she took a few glances inside. “This might be it.” she commented and seemed thrilled. Spike was still hovering, but he started to descend down as Twilight jumped off and flew down with him stuck in her magic. There were six books, without counting the unnecessary ones, lying ready to be taken by Twilight and examined overnight. With Spikes minimal help of course. “Great, now that we’re ready, can you please bring them to my room?’ “Can I deny doing it though?” “Not really (: ” “Figured as much…” Spike and Twilight exited the library, with Spike being followed by the grim realization that he’ll have to clean up the mess they left behind the following day. Technically Twilight could do it in under five seconds, but she’s weary all the time because of the incoming Friendship festival, and that leaves all the work to him. The two went right, with Twilight’s steps echoing loudly, thanks to the shining light coming of the lamps on the walls, their shadows stretched and morphed from distinguishable shapes of their bodies into what became a mess that one moment disappeared. With that, the area was left alone, with silence filling the air, no life was present in the hallway’s segment. The light fell on all sides, reaching every corner and the smallest nook and crevice, normally impossible for the eye to grasp, a crack in the wall or a mouse hole. Nothing moved, nothing changed, it was hard to tell if time passed at all. Everything stood, in a stillness so brazenly terrible for some unknown reason, that deliverance came from the right, when the sound wove life into the dead walls, which served anew, reflecting the sound and sending it onward. A shadow covered the floor, taking away the only evidence of its cleanliness and care. Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, in a steady unchanging rhythm. The Great Mage approached, quietly walking down the hallway, seeking the Princess, wanting to tell her he wishes to exit the Castle. This might appear odd to many, that for a trivial reason like his the Great Mage sought the Princess, he should have told about his desire to anyone else and exit the castle, then return at the appointed hour that the person with whom he would have spoken with would advise him to come back. Of course, the Great Mage would do that in the end if he won’t find her, but he wanted to know, if the Princess knows anything about the town she resides in, out of pure curiosity, to compare her to himself. He knew much about the capital city of his realm quite much, and he used this fact frequently when talking to commoners. If only others the likes of him knew how much such details as knowing the city one resides in bring benefit when talking to people, what effect it has, what simple but powerful in the murky minds of regular everyday bread eaters emotions are awakened, when the information that a public figure appears somewhat close strikes them, his peers would memorize each city to the most insignificant detail. When walking forwards, he saw the doors and the light that shined through the gaps. Curious, assuming that someone is inside, he knocked on the door and awaited someone to answer. Nobody did, thinking, he did it too faintly, he repeated the action, but with more strength. The silence was a clear as a tear answer, that drew his curiosity and made him open the doors. He peeked inside. The interior was striking. A gorgeous game of fair and dark themes, mostly perceived on the different shades of blues and purple or lavender, played well with the dark browns of two ladders and the tall, well made and oriented with brass parts bookshelves, which rose all the way up to the ceiling, full of colorful books, some of which laid on the circular space in front of him. The bookshelves were put against the walls and covered them entirely, the library itself was circular, with much space in the middle occupied only by two upholstered with ultrasuede dark green sofas with tufts, while two bright yellow pillows rested on them each placed at the corners of the seats. Near one of them was a small wooden table with a lamp which shade was hexagonal and dark green matching the sofas. The carpet was fair lavender with an intricate design mostly referring to nature and geometrical symmetry, where different elements like vines or leaves or curvy lines drew shapes that could only be seen from afar as they were one big composite of many components. A rich bronze chandelier hung in the middle, with numerous crystals protecting the light source that came from within it. The shape was akin to an onion dome, although in this case, it was more longitudinal. This made it appear like an upside-down droplet. The library was attractive for the Great Mage, who didn’t see much value in unnecessary splendor seen in temples of Helia or sometimes those which belonged to Fervus. Simple, neat, functional, and appealing to the eyes, making it a sweet place to be in. “Mine is far greater” And that wasn’t technically a lie. If the castle’s library was made out of five of such segments, then it would match the Great Mage’s own private library. However what’s important to note is, that what he referred to could mean a few things; A private collection he kept in a tiny room connected solely to his private chamber. This could be further expanded by adding the scrolls, and books that helped him in his education and made him a proper statesman. Said materials could be found on display in his study where he addressed public matters with his advisors and state officials. Finally, there was the vast aggregate of books, dozens of thick tomes, some older others freshly printed, crystals that held copies of his memories, made by his own self notes and observations on his own private experiments with recorded messages also stored in special crystals, svartian inventions made to guard knowledge or devices where the border between magic and machinery was blurry enough to not know how to call the object full of mysteries. His grimoires were stored in a separate chamber, but those were used only when he performed spells or when studying the arcane. The Great Mage only looked at the nameplates that indicated what sort of field or subjects do the books in each segment refer to. He wished he could stay some more and maybe pick himself a few books about equestrian history, but since it was Twilight’s library he didn’t want to do it without first getting a permit. The ones on the ground sparked his attention and he approached them. He saw that a few were missing from the chimeritology and avian segments, he wasn’t interested in these topics at all, but Twilight was, he wondered why. He lifted one of the books from the ground with his magic and it landed in his hands. The title read: Our Cousins - The Kirins. The Great Mage opened the book at a random site, being lucky enough and ending up with a picture of… First a smile then a warm chuckle escaped him and plagued him for the following minute while he held the book in his hand. Without a second thought, his horn lit brightly with white, the book was engulfed in white, similar to that of fire which burned atop a liquid substance, with frequent but low waves moving frantically. The Great Mage moved his hands apart, and bright sparks, shining like stars, descended down on the floor and there they vanished, while the indistinguishable at first form, when separated entirely formed two rectangles that quickly took one rectangular form on both sides. The glow vanished at once. Leaving the mage with two, exactly the same kind of books, one of them being a copy. He placed the book which was the original behind. He began casting another spell, this time his horn started to shine with a green light while cubic-like particles, holograms some would say, swirled around his horn and around the copy of the book. As the mage released the spell, the book shrunk in size while the lights still whirled, and in unison to the book shrinking came closer together. He was left with a tiny version of the book in his palm that he hid in the right pocket of his pants. The Great Mage was unable to find Twilight, so, he went out of the castle and notified the guards that stood at the entrance that he was departing. The guards looked at each other and didn’t know how to respond to this information, but they were forced to break their silence when he asked them when he should return. “Well, probably somewhere at nine” This answer satisfied him, although the guards themselves looked unsure which only made him raise his eyebrow. As a guest, didn’t he have a limit or something? No, that’d be the stupidest possible thing to allow. It wasn’t his problem in the long run, and since he got around three more hours to spend, he was sure that whatever major there is to find in town he will discover in the following three hours. Like at the very beginning, the inhabitants gave him some stares but soon returned to whatever they were doing. He went along the main street, following common sense as the main road always lead towards the center and from there he could quickly find the market and other important landmarks. While he strolled down the city, he didn’t pay attention to anything that he looked at while he first entered the town. It was pointless to once again go over how the homes were made of wood and some were fine while others looked damaged because of their age or other reason. He kept his mind clear of those thoughts while his eyes focused on spotting anything he didn’t yet see. Unfortunately, it turned out that there was nothing interesting worth inspecting. It took him about fifteen minutes of walking to get to what he guessed was the economic district of the town. The road was twisty and at times as the Great Mage mapped the way he went, it aspired to the status of tangly. That was a nasty slipshod on the side of the founders and the town’s local authorities. He stepped into the market square and looked around. The scent of food and spices invaded his nostrils as some restaurants on the left worked hard to supply their customers with fresh and warm dishes to keep them satisfied. He joined the shoal of ponies, most minded their business, but there were those that glanced his way and then went back to looking at the floor or ahead. Shops, stalls, and merchants of any kind alongside artisans worked and traded, the marketplace had no distinguishable place for a spur of product or anything the likes of that. Farmers had their own handcrafted tents with sacks or wooden rectangular containers standing on small foldable tables full of fruits and vegetables, with their own order of grouping; some did it by colors, others by kind. In most cases, behind or by the side right next to them, stood a cart with which they brought their products into town. No creatures, be it bulls, giant salamanders or even cows were present, making it only logical to think that the ponies who wanted to sell things came here by themselves. “Impressive” He commented genuinely impressed in a soft and quiet voice, letting his thoughts roam free. Hawkers stood or walked around with handcrafted items selling them for just one bit as the signs read oddly and funnily placed on their outfits. The Great Mage almost fell prey to one of them, albeit he turned his head away and walked towards one of the retail shops acting interested. He went along the side to explore it wholly by doing a circle around the forum. Wandering around the city block, he wished he was able to buy himself one of the many sweet delicacies many of the shophouses offered. It’s no sin to eat something sugary once in a while. Workshops, that were run by families, were larger and from the open inside, sounds of tools or voices were heard, producing different products while someone stood and made sure to welcome the customer. His eye caught something blink behind a bag filled with white beans that were spilling onto the ground. He looked at the object, noticing it looked gold and round, the corners of his mouth flexed upwards into a grin. The metal disc at once flew into his palm, without his horn giving any sign that he used magic. Such a pathetic display required almost no effort to be put into motion and as such the act itself was nigh undetectable; only possible for mages equal or greater in skill and strength to him to sense. He swiveled the coin a few times in-between his finger before examining it. On the obverse, which was evident from the get-go, was the right-side portrait of a princess, in this case, it was Celestia. He knew that because there was the text was written along the edge together with the date the coin was made, which was a few years ago. On the other side, the coin was divided into three equal parts by a double line, each segment had its own unique engraved picture. On the left was a picture of the sun with wavy sun rays. On the right, there was a front view of a city with grand towers and beautiful townhouses. On the bottom, there were two pegasuses with horns chasing each other, and in between was the sun and moon, the free space was decorated with stars so tiny that it looked like they were simple dots. As he made his way onwards, he wondered if the ponies would notice him casting an advanced spell. He wished to duplicate the coin just like he did with the book. He could do it without carrying out any movement, but this raises the difficulty of executing the spell. The motion of any kind makes any spell easier to perform, in turn, it’s less tiring and at times mana-consuming and is far quicker. Golden items were extremely difficult to multiply, theoretically, it was possible, but practically under the conditions, he was in, not. If only he wasn’t gaining attention because of his outward appearance he could do that in a crowd, he wished he got turned into a pony rather than a Kirin, whatever the hell tha- His stream of thoughts was cut short by the already familiar and abhorred feeling of shrewd straightforward pain coming from his tail when he stepped on it. He grunted loudly making a few ponies pass by look in his direction thinking it was somehow related to them or were simply attracted to the sound. The Great Mage on instinct retreated the limb and turned to look behind. There he met a Stallion, with a medium-long dark chocolate mane combed backward, its subtle shine spoke of work put into achieving this outlook. His eyes were blue and welcoming, but the expression and look the Stallion gave was full of fear and worry, albeit the eyes didn’t lose their friendliness. The Stallion wore a formal black outfit, it looked like a thin coat reaching to the waistline that was double buttoned. Under it, he had a simple white shirt. The bags under the eyes were a testimonial to the hard work the Stallion went through on a daily basis. The Great Mage saw this and his irritation turned quieter but was still present, understanding that this was an honest accident. “I’m powerful sorry!” The Stallion sounded angst. He approached him, the ponies around minded their business but dared to glance every now and then. “Did I perhaps…” His voice trailed off as it lost its sound and volume. “No” He answered, knowing well the Stallion was asking if he suffered serious injuries. The tension left with a huff on the Stallions side “That’s great, I was worried for a second!” “Still” The Great Mage started “Watch out next time.” “Yes-Yes! Definitely, you’re right…” He looked at him and paused, he squinted his eyes “Say, sir?” “ Arcane Shine” “Glad to meet you! I’m Filthy Rich” They both shook hands, the Great Mage tried not to use much force, but resentment towards the Stallion unenabled him to do so fully. As they shook hands the Great Mage met with a conundrum. Did the guy in front of him just brag about how wealthy he is, or was this his actual name? “ Sir Shine” Filthy Rich didn’t expand his previous sentence; so it was his name. “Aren’t you the one who helped the three fillies?” “What?!” Arcane Shine thought loudly, taken back by that question. How did the news get around this quickly? “Yes.” He prolonged the word, trying to maintain a stoic expression “How do you know?” He sounded almost upset, when in fact it was artless suspicion he had in mind. “ Well, I heard Sweetie Belle tell the story to Rarity, her sister, while I was in her boutique to get this suit” He pecked the right side of his clothing, which made Arcane Shine discover its name. Although not familiar with that type of clothing, the Great Mage wasn’t stupid and knew it wasn’t something one would wear casually, probably. “I guess you have something important to attend to since you have it on” Arcane Shine responded sly, wanting to end the conversation or at least, direct it towards a quick end. “Actually yes, but it’s a good thing I met you!” “And why is that?” Arcane Shine crossed his arms as curiosity seized him. “What you have done did captivate me…” He said and placed his hand on Arcane Shine’s back, giving it a gentle push. They walked slowly and conversed, while the town’s life became less important, and no rustle, yell, or advertiser could interfere at this moment. Their presence occupied some space and ponies were forced to go left or right not to bum into them. “...And I am a pony with connections who sits in the trading world for a long time now.” Filthy Rich explained while looking forward, while his hand remained on Arcane Shine’s back. “He’s going to offer me some job” “I want to make an offer” Filthy Rich stated and turned to the Great Mage. “Called it” Arcane Shine awaited what the Stallion had to say. “It’s nothing serious, a two-way trip on a train to Canterlot and back.” “What’s a train?” “What’s the purpose behind the travel?” “I don’t have time to explain the details, and its not something to be discussed openly in public” “And yet here you are making the offer for everyone to hear.” The Great Mage nodded lightly and after a moment questioned “I understand” after a dramatic pause he added, “ What place would be good for that?” Filth’s face beamed with joy, he spread his arms apart, as if he welcomed an old friend. “Glad to hear you’re interested. “ He took out of his pocket a rectangular and flat card. Said card had his name, address, and a few more contact details on it, on the back, there were three bags with a $ symbol the Great Mage didn’t know the meaning of. He figured that it had to do with money. “I have to go, business doesn’t run itself” They shook hands once again “See you soon” “You can be sure I’ll come” So, Filthy Rich went the way he was walking originally, leaving the Geat Mage alone who was glancing at the showcase reading the address and name of the Stallion he just talked with, thinking. It’s amazing what can happen after making three steps with a stranger. Author's Note AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!!! After a long wait, another chapter comes out. I have my finals this year in four months and I won't upload probably until I am done with them, then again, four months is enough time to write at least one chapter... I'll see what I can do. If you like the story and see an error, please point it out. You help yourself by making me better as the product's quality improves (hopefully). Please have in mind the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book.
10: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [2]Author's Note A long awaited chapter finally comes out. The next one will take us to Filthy Rich and that job he offered our protagonist, afterwards, finally the festival will take place. Sorry for all errors, I hope you can point them out and criticize my work with honesty, so that I can become better. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book. 10: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [2] Meeting Filthy Rich was a nice change. A job as an alibi to tour Equestria, especially the capital, while forging a relationship with a local bourgeois was manna from heaven. After a short stroll through the city and a nice tour of the countryside, he made his way to the castle around nine pm or so, as planned. The unpleasant surprise after breakfast was that the reward for his help had to be frozen for formal reasons. What kind? He was not a citizen of Equestria, which is legally sanctioned through various certificates and documents. His ambition to introduce such office prints granting citizenship in Ardania was already implemented in Equestria, which was another sticking point for his impetuous curiosity about the country. There was also the problem of not having a place where he could store said money. These, however, were not forfeited. They were ready and located in the bank, quite conveniently as well because they were in Canterlot. All he had to do was earn citizenship. Being unfamiliar with the Equestrian law, he had no clue how to do that, but luckily for him, Twilight and two other mares were already working on that; Rarity and Applejack. Rarity. A mare taller than Twilight by half a head. A unicorn with smooth and shiny purple long hair, heavily curled at the very ends. Her face was similar to Twilight's in appearance, differences include that it was more elongated and took on an obscure boxy shape. She had a white coat, full and equal pair of breasts, the way she looked at him and at everything around made it look like she had blue doe-eyes. Her humanoid silhouette was decently attractive, instinct had the propriety to focus his attention on her due to that quality. Her eyebrows were full and feminine, maybe it was a little too general but it reflected the truth adequately. She used lipstick matching the color of her mane. Her hands were small, her fingers thin and miniscule. She was predisposed to crafts or medicine. It wasn’t a surprise she had her own boutique in Ponyville. Her companion, Applejack, was blonde, with a bright orange coat. Invocating a subtle emotional response comparable to infirmity, persuasive green eyes rested on her sunny face. Build wise, her face was akin in shape to Twiligh’s, only skinnier and as a consequence, more defined. She had broader shoulders and back then most mares, with far larger hands then the two mares standing in the room. Her arms also were bulkier but not too much. Her humanoid body was, well…Maybe let's start from a different angle, as the verdict was very troubling too phrase justly. The simplicity that beamed from her enticed the struggle even more. She wasn’t repellent or vice versa, she was simply saying…Pretty in that department, like a soft refreshing breeze on a hot day. The lack of distinguishing features (apart from her eyes) rivaled with Rarity. Some hypothetical law was knocking on the doors of reason to believe this was a rule for all men of all species. The Great Mage, it's worth adding, was judging them with bias, they were ponies, and ponies were animals in Ardania, and even when these were sentient and colorful, he still felt uneasy. Rarity was dressed in an elegant outfit that consisted of a shirt tucked into a paneled skirt. Applejack wore a shirt tucked in as well, but she wore pants made from the material he yet has to get the name of, that Apple Bloom's overalls were made of. “Through the intercession of myself and Applejack and Rarity” She pointed with her hand at the mares standing as witnesses “We present you this consent form, that if you sign, will make you a citizen of Equestria” Twilight shifted the page towards him using her magic, an aura characteristic of the color of her magic surrounded the document, which as soon as it landed in front of him disappeared. The quill was delivered by Spike, who was to his left, looking at him with a wide friendly smile. Four names were displayed on the document; he knew all of them, the mare missing among the three mares was Rainbow Dash. There were various "personal details" on the document. Place of birth was filled in with x's, same with date of birth. Mother and father's name, country/place of origin, etc. "Just out of curiosity, Rainbow Dash is listed here, and she's not present today. Is there a reason for that?" Without hesitation, he took the quill in his hand, dipped it in the inkwell as Applejack preceded Twilight and answered his question. "Rainbow Dash has been busy with, well, the weather for a long time; she's been spending her time attending wonderbolt training sessions." He finished with leaving his signature and looked at her. The answer was quite strange and made him confused, which could easily be read from his face. “I don’t understand” “You probably don’t know” said Rarity, Arcane Shine nodded in agreement “Rainbow Dash is a member of the Wonderbolts, who if necessary, take care of extreme weather abnormalities. ” “Dark clouds began to come from the east.” Twilight began to jump from one person to the other with her distressed stare. “I assume this is something that bothered the Wonderbolts for some time now.” “BUT!” Twilight snatched the document from Arcane Shine as she drawled “We don't have to worry about that, Rainbow Dash will manage together with the Wonderbolts to delay any disruption that might spoil the festival” Applejack and Rarity stood up, since they did it, he did it too. Twilight took a step forward and shook his hand. "Congratulations, you are a citizen of Equestria." "If that's the case, why do I have to fill anything else out tonight?" "This document is proof of your acceptance of Equestrian citizenship, but you need to fill out other documentation, we need to fill out the information that you saw was marked with x’s." Rarity was next in line, just as Twilight did, she too shook his hand and looked into his eyes. When it was time for a good word, she suddenly drew closer and enveloped him with her arms, hugging him. Her steady tone softened. Her heart was pounding hard, her warmth was heating him up. The perfume she had was wonderful, addictive from the first sniff, with its subtle sweetness and hint of tartness. The scent was deliciously vivid, and given the proximity of her body, the gesture had potential to be interpreted as a form of innocent romantic teasing. "Thank you, thank you for being there at that moment!" Her eyes began to tear up and her voice was closer to stuttering than speaking. Applejack did not stand idly by, she hugged Arcane Shine tighter then Rarity and in a hurry and with tears in her eyes. He found himself surrounded by two mares, one had her arms around his neck, with her face buried in his chest. The other, embraced him across, hanging her arms around him. She placed the bottom of her face in such a way that she could look up and stare into his eyes; so that he could see her two imperial jades, her eyes. "If we can give you more..." Applejack quietly choked out. Rarity and Applejack slowly moved off, wiping away tears. Twilight watched with particular attention to how her friends were acting. To her, the Cutie Marks Crusaders were like nieces, so she felt the urge to go so far as to thank him so boldly herself, especially when Spike - practically her brother - could have died or suffered on that day. "Zecora was there too, they would have escaped, I just bought more time." Spike felt disharmony seeing Rarity hugging Arcane Shine, he envied him. But the power of that greed was miserable by necessity, Spike understood and knew that it had no second layer. We can accuse him of immaturity, but let's be honest, this feeling is always there; when a mother kisses her son, his wife gets jealous too; when a husband sees his wife greeting her friends, he feels anxious. This emotion may be as big as a grain of sand, but one bacterium can also multiply. "Zecora would manage to do it, it's not fair to praise me that much." Apparent humility wins a lot. Applejack and Rarity stepped away after those words. Rarity rubbed her eyes, ruffling her fur with makeup while Applejack caught her breath. Twilight with her magic summoned the tissues that flew in from the left. “Thank you, Darling” Rarity spoke for both of them. " We will thank Zecora too, we have known her a long time so we will prepare something special." Twilight explained as Rarity nearly burst out crying again. Their conversation broke for a moment of silence, but Applejack broke it by addressing Arcane Shine petulantly "You will always be welcome at the Farm... Granny Smith wants to meet you. So does my brother." Humility can win many. Vanity like warm air in a balloon enlarges the one who is proud. Examples of humility are like medals, but under medals, under the weight of iron, one can fall. There needs to be a platform on which the medals hang, and how else to get it than through vanity? “With great pleasure. If it's not a problem, can I perhaps stay there a little longer?" He suggested Twilight and Rarity looked at him curiously, Twilight being the only one looking remotely morbid. Spike raised an eyebrow upon hearing his words. Applejack consented without second thoughts, knowing well what he meant. "I don't see anything against it" She turned to Twilight pronouncing the phrase, visibly searching for approval. Twilight frowned because of that subtle kicker, she was not opposed to it as some would assume. Her nature instead demanded an answer: why? Did he not like it here? Did he feel uncomfortable? The castle is indeed not the most comfy place, most would feel flattered, but most does not mean everyone...A stern sinking vortex of emotion appeared in her chest, parallel with her rational mind begging to get an answer swiftly. She had provided him with a place to stay, and rewarded him because that was the right thing to do for unsolicited help. What was behind this decision? Considering he was from outside of Equestria, maybe he wasn't comfortable. After all, the core problem of most newcomers is that they take much time and effort trying to settle in. He did, to be frank, say he'll venture on some day in the near future, so this can't be traced to that. Maybe she unreasonably pays more attention to this decision then she should? It isn’t a huge deal. She has a festival to worry about! She has to get back on track rather than step aside and follow lines of thinking directly involving her guest. He was an interesting creature, it had to be said out loud, she wanted to know more about him as common sense dictated the craving. Spike remained silent, although you’d expect him to comment on that. The dragon was indifferent, he did feel a little down as he saw Arcane Shine to be a friend that maybe will end up in the same place as he will in the future, giving them a chance to meet again some day. With Arcane Shine on the farm, there’s less of a chance they’ll converse or do something together, because their contact will require one coming to the other. There’s also the festival too. " Me too. " Before she could finish, Arcane Shine interrupted her. "We can even do it later today, I have practically nothing as my humble belongings fell into the water." Rarity and Applejack had been informed of this by Twilight, and him bringing it up forced them to come out with an offer to help once again. Twilight couldn't provide him with anything more, and as if she did, it would be over the top. Rarity had a boutique and could sew him comfortable clothes to his liking. Applejack had a farm, plenty of space and distance from the city were must-haves for a sorcerer of his scale. Not to mention he would finally be able to eat well. The Great Mage also didn't want to stay in the castle and feel confined by rules that the castle imposed. He can do whatever he wants on the farm and borrow books from the library without any problem from Twilight. “Well, I’ll tell the maid to give you some matching clothes of your choosing. It was nice having you for these two days” Twilight chirped. "Can we call you by name?" Rarity asked, eloquently with her hand pointing at Applejack, this time in a normal voice. He gave an affirmative nod. “What's the chance she's just flamboyant with her manners?” She suddenly beamed after a short gasp of realization "Arcane Shine, you absolutely must visit Canterlot during the Festival of Friendship!" Spike joined her "Definitely! Before you go any further, you must see the capital during the festival, almost everypony from every corner of Equestria will come " "Besides, we'd love to hear a little about your travels at the festival. Right now, we don't have much time, as we are in the preparation phase." Applejack stated and crossed her arms. Resigned, knowing he'd have to put some stories together, he sighed and agreed with a fake smile on his face. "So be it." Cheerful smiles spread on the faces of the mares and the young dragon. The Great Mage started to plan ahead, thinking if he should or should not tell them of the job proposal he got. For the time being he saw no point in doing it. Now that he has a direct proposal, he has a strong reason to reject Filthy Rich’s offer, but that isn’t going to happen as he already stated. Contacts are valuable. “Cheer up, I see that you’re the quiet type, you’ll find a neat place at the festival as well.” Applejacked teased as she knocked on his arm, looking at him with her head tilted to the side. “And, while at it. You’ll have to come to my boutique tomorrow. I may find something just for you. “ She put her hand on her chin, inspecting him closer. “There will be no time after tomorrow, as we will be going to Canterlot to make the final cuts. Twilight has been going there daily for…How long?” The Princess of Friendship was bamboozled by the question, and she lost count, but Twilight is Twilight, she quickly added up the days in her head “About three weeks.” She then changed her tone and expressed her annoyance “There’s no need for formal attire Rarity. We talked about it.” “I know darling, I had something more casual in mind, but still elegant. It will suit him, don’t you think?” She stood askew beside her to match her level. Warmth went through Twilight starting from her chest to the rest of her body in reaction to Rarity's question. Her mind, only recently free, was once again stuck in the shoals called Arcane Shine. She abstained from answering, but her imagination had managed to do its work, so the answer was known only to her. “Sorry about that, designing and seeing clothes on others is her passion, she sometimes talks openly like that. '' Applejack half whispered to Arcane Shine. “Just wait for the moment when you’ll have to stand for three hours so that she can take her measurements.” Spike walked up to the two, tired of standing there in the background being quiet. “No, it's fine, at least she’s honest about what she's thinking. ” He lied. He disliked Rarity talking about him that way while he stood not much apart from her. He felt as if he was a child. Rarity and Twilight overhard that, and a sinister smirk creeped its way on their faces. Applejacks cheeks became redder as she noticed their gazes on her. “I can’t argue with that” Her head turned the other way, to swivel back and lock up with Arcane Shine’s own. The route to her estate wasn’t long. He did spend half an hour choosing out his things, which would be delivered to him from the castle later that evening. Twilight instructed him to come back tomorrow morning or later in the evening to pick up the rest of the paperwork to be filled out. As Rarity said goodbye, she still urged him to stop by for a little while that same day to eat cake and talk, as Sweetie Belle would like to see him too. The tone of voice and the thirsty-looking eyes might have hinted otherwise, but her body and her movements were passive. He agreed. "Papers tomorrow." The monarch statute in Equestria was an aberration from an Ardanian's point of view. The princess was friends with a kulak, and a talented tailor. Who saw that coming? He didn't spurn that fact, sticking to simple people himself he held respect before this kind of monarchy. The atom of knowledge he had so far acquired about Equestria encouraged him to acquire more. The same attitude characterized the young adult mare Applejack, walking beside him, leading him to her family farm. Known in the area, she drew attention to herself, but the ponies did not bow they saw her. The elements of harmony responded affirmatively that they did not wish such treatment. Twilight was an exception. The people of Ponyville respected this, but seeing the foreigner, on toop of that a Stallion, it was a sin not to peek given that he was walking with Applejack. Applejack was curious about the things in the world that Arcane Shine witnessed. She was extremely eager to talk to him. A traveler who happened to save her sister? That was an event that would go down in family history. She wasn't like Spike when she had saved him from the great TimberWolf, under no circumstances could what he had done push her into doing bizzare things. Either way, she felt the weight of a debt to repay. Arcane Shine himself seemed intelligent to her, though his decision to directly openly confront Treeman would indicate otherwise. The courage he had shown had a strong backbone, to save her sister and friends, so was there even a crumb of right in calling what he did stupid? He was quiet, not seeming introverted, but his image made it clear that he was still sort of thoughtful. She was interested in his background, she had never seen an Equin like this before, unless he isn't one. Admittedly a biologist she is not, but she will know her own. Her mind was just filled with his image. Her eyes that stuck to him registered every characteristic of his looks. Applejack shamefully whispered to her heart "He is handsome" Her heart palpitated when she heard those words. Her adamant stare was cut short by the realization that she may summon his attention to her. She wanted to talk, but after the confession she had made to herself she became skittish. She sviveled her head back, her cheeks didn't fortunately turn red, and she took a deep package of air into her lungs to start a conversation. If not for a rogue stone in the road they walked. She stumbled and lost her balance, she would not fall, as she made a good recovery. Arcane Shine noticed the situation anyway, being next to her naturally wanted to help. That was what the circumstances dictated. As the orange apple stood safely and stepped further, she noticed his hand on her shoulder and another that was ready to catch her where needed for assistance. "That was close," He commented. Applejack nodded, her hat having settled more on her forehead and now covered a part of her face. Oh Celestia. "Thanks," She said firmly. Applejack mumbled something after a moment of silence "Do you like it in Ponyville? He smoothly answered "It's nice here. It is quiet, quite a bit of land this city occupies, which makes the roads not too narrow " He enumerated "It's not always peaceful here. We're lucky that nothing has happened in the last couple of days." "I wouldn't suspect a town like this of anything more than temporary interruptions to the harmony that exists here, where the worst thing could be some kind of fire, or a serial killer at most." "Oh you'd be surprised" She chuckled, her mind free of what happened "A normal day, could mean anything. " “Are you serious?” “Yep” “If life is so extreme here, then why is Ponyville so big? Does it lay on gold or diamonds?“ “We do have some caves filled with gems nearby to be honest” The Great Mage looked at her with honest curiosity in response. “Is this the only reason? There’s a lot of ponies in the town, the mines must be quite abundant.” "No, not just because of that. In fact, when it was founded, not much was even known about them, except for the occasional findings that tempted various investors to send expeditions." He mused "Mines filled with gemstones...I can only imagine the profit" Applejack let out a dry laugh "Yeah...If they were used" "The mines are not functioning?" "They've been abandoned." His eyebrows tightened and a grimace of surprise twisted his face at what he was hearing: "That doesn't make sense. Why would you ignore that source of income? " "It wasn't the Ponies who built them." "Then who?" "If you're from outside Equestria, or just far away, you've probably never heard of the Diamond Dogs, right?" "No." "I'm not good at explaining things like that." - She scratched her head - "Twilight would do better, but they're basically a race that, well, lives in the mountains and underground." The Great Mage perked an ear. Such a race had never been seen in Ardania. Not many books from other worlds, such as the native elven world, had ever reached Ardania, so there was still hope that perhaps this was some minor race. "And you didn't take over what was left untouched? "In a way the diamond-dogs are in crisis, these mines are their colony and territory as it were." From that point on, common sense alone explained everything. A major political incident would occur if a city near the capital took over an important economic location from another country. "They are within your borders?" Applejack knew that these subjects she should have an understanding of, but she couldn't answer that question, which made her nervous. "As I said, Twilight would be the best to discuss this with you, but, to answer your question, yes." Unable to continue this thread, he laconically started a new one. He guessed that Diamond Dogs and Equestria had some sort of agreement that keeps the pony state from trying and annexing such areas. "What else is so special here? Besides this forest, which seems to cause more problems than good. " "The Everfree Forest is bearable, it used to be worse." She waved her hand to furthermore underline the forest's diminishing power "Ponyville is a point where some pretty serious traders sometimes pass through. They hook up in Ponyville and sell a few of their items and move on, in exchange for a few items from Canterlot that are brought here, as long as it's not where the merchants are headed." "All right, but what was the reason for starting this town?" "Granny Smith will be able to tell you about it like nopony." When they were on the final straight path, the land belonging to the Apple family appeared to his eyes. They approached with a nimble step. They passed under the garden archway, shrouded in leaves. Applejack's farm was of considerable size. Its orchard spilled out reaching almost to the nearby hills. She had four chicken coops, one was built of unpainted boards. The rest, like her house, were painted red. Her house was quite large, well-kept, and looked new. The window sills, shutters, steps and simple porch were all painted white. It was apparent that she was not a tenant farmer and was a rich peasant, if not even a degraded noblewoman...Noblemare. The barn at the back of the house, to which the path leads, was too painted red, with details painted white. The house, barn and chicken coops had ornaments applied to them in black paint, in the style of long stalks with occasional leaves or flowers, wrapping at the very end into some shape, such as a heart. Nearby was an animal enclosure, at the entrance to the left after passing the garden archway was a well. Beyond her orchard, there was a field. It was, as he deduced from the color and pictures of a house similar to but not much larger than Applejack's house, a field of carrots. Neighbors. He stopped analyzing her surroundings when Applebloom opened the door and accidentally slammed it loudly. Applejack looked at her crookedly, but said nothing because there was a visitor with her. " Applejack is back! She brought Mr. Shine with her!!!" Applebloom was dressed the same as she was during her encounter with the Treeman, only her Overalls were blue. As she moved forward, a scantily clad, sort of pajama-clad, gray-haired, short and squat mare emerged from the house. Her face was very wrinkly, her arms and legs were thin and her hooves were raggedy. The color of her coat was the same color as that of green apples, but less saturated. The Great Mage could sense that the mare possessed a great personality, he immediately felt respectful towards the mare. From the inside a head peaked out. A tall muscular stallion, who just about fitted the door, looked his way. He had green eyes and blond hair like Applejack, but his coat was red. He wore overalls from the same material the Great Mage discovered yesterday that Applebloom had her clothes made from as well. The tall stallion had no shirt on to cover his chest, revealing a well sculptured by hard work physique.The Stallion’s muzzle was long and seemed rounder rather than boxy, however it still possessed its distinguishable lines characteristic for stallions. Stallions looked more equine than mares, as the Great Mage noted. “Arcane Shine is fine” He said out loud. Applebloom stopped right before him and started talking “It's good to see you again!” “Is your leg alright?” She stomped hard “Yes, it doesn’t hurt or anything like that. I can run as if nothing happened in the first place.” “ Well then, how about…” He looked around and saw a meadow not so far away from the farm in the distance “... we’ll race one day so that you’ll prove it?” She frowned, “But you’ll win, you’re bigger than me.” She paused and added shortly after “You’re just as tall as Big Mac I think” Applejack looked at her guest after what Applebloom said and, well, her sister was right. Arcane Shine will have to watch it for the door frames not to hit his horn. They walked up to the house and walked up the small stairs. Granny Smith held her hands out, and like a typical grandma, she immediately took Arcane Shine’s hands and began to gently shake them. She joyfully smiled, setting off a small campfire of genuine love in everyone around. Oh Celestia! If you ever will need a pony to reignite your sun, Granny Smith’s smile is the perfect match! “Oh!” She yelled out, the corners of her eyes starting to water up “You saved our little Applebloom!” She threw herself to embrace him. The tall stallion known as Big Mac (only later will the Great Mage find out his name was actually Big Macintosh) joined too, also almost at the verge of crying. Arcane Shine returned the hug, he noted how the ponies were not trying to hide their emotions and opted for honesty. The moment lasted for a minute, Applejack just stood by the side, and looked at the scene, jumping with her gaze from him to her family members. Applebloom also fell prey to the wave of emotions present in the air. She was well aware of her situation in the everfree forest, but as intelligent as she was (meaning pretty much slightly above average) considering her age, she didn’ fully yet understand the scale. “Now, Equestria has two knights in shining armor.” She said after looking him in the eyes. Was he just put next to some hero? Applejack and her brother seemed more up to date, and it would be a surprise if they weren’t. “Mighty, enough to defeat a bloody monster.” “Eeyup!” Sounded the musculine voice of Big Mac “A true morning star in time of need” “Eeyup!” “And you’re a handsome fella If I ever saw one!” He wanted to laugh. He was aware that he was rather good-looking for a guy, despite the fact that he was different from men who were considered beautiful. That kind of honesty seemed rude to him, but he left it without comment. He noted that Granny seemed untouched by his inequine appearance. Big Mac hung up in his 'eeyup' looking with big open eyes at Applejack. Applejack intervened that moment, her face flushing with some visible red this time. "Granny, Arcane Shine would like to stay on our farm for some time." Her voice's tone was higher than before. Granny's mind went into another mode with Applejack's announcement. She immediately turned taking Arcane Shine by the hand and leading him inside. "Well, castles and palaces are not my thing." Arcane Shine confessed falsely, ducking in order for his Horn not to get stuck. Inside, the house was furnished richly for a peasant. The furniture looked sturdy, although time had taken its toll on many of them. The walls looked freshly painted and showed no signs of deterioration. The floor creaked very quietly. The kitchen was quite small. In peasant homes there was usually also a bed where the parents slept. Applejack's home faithfully reflected her status as a rich peasant. Tablecloths were on almost every surface and they were clean. Paintings hung on the walls, the characters on them were unfamiliar to him but he was sure he would learn a little more about them someday. The living room looked moderately furnished, a carpet covered most of the floor, but not all of it. The sofas that were available had worn down surfaces. It seemed to him that they had a fireplace, as he walked here and looked at the house from a distance, his certainty was shattered as he had not experienced such a fireplace. "Would you like something to drink?" Her brother asked. "Actually, why not." "Water, juice, maybe cider?" "Is it with or without alcohol?" "We have both versions in stock" Applejack sat down on the opposite side. "Then the alcohol free one." He was not opposed to drinking alcohol, nor was he opposed to smoking, but he rarely drank, and when he did, it was solidly; he despised smoking, but did not deny it to others. Smoke is smoke, but supposedly it has some medicinal value. Granny Smith to his right sat down next to him "How about some apple pie?" Thinking about the upcoming visit by Rarity made him consider what answer he should give, but agreeing to a small portion wouldn't hurt much. "Only a little bit if it's not a problem." Granny Smith was about to get up, but Applebloom had already taken it upon herself to comply with Arcane Shine's. decison He almost felt like he was in the capital, where service did this sort of simple thing for him. Ehh... Time is passing, Ardania is calling for him and he is wasting time on this kind of things. He has to try at least one dispel spell on himself today, if his visit to Rarity is not too long. The bitterness he almost felt on his tongue towards himself at the thought of time and the way he spends it, much of which he doesn't have, was gouging at his soul with a terrible sense of shame and anger. He frowned, and his gaze grew gloomy staring lifelessly at a single spot on the table. "What is it like to live outside Equestria?" Arcane Shine looked towards Applejack who asked the question, almost as if at the snap of her fingers. "Not very pleasant." Equestria was a country that honestly looked untouched by war for quite some time. The ponies looked happy, he saw no sign of the poverty and hopelessness as he walked through the town, which unfortunately he sometimes saw on the streets of his own cities. The goods in the stores were fresh, there was no shortage of anything. The currency they paid with was made of gold. Silver was commonly used to mint coins in Ardania alongside gold. Equestria did not seem to use silver, a testament to its power. Walking through the city, many were looking at him as if he was unknowable, so he assumed that very few ponies had any idea about life outside of the country. Since the sight of a stranger with his appearance put them in awe, it had to mean that very rarely did anyone from outside Equestria cross into it. For all intents and purposes, he could insult everything outside Equestria's borders by accusing Terra Icognite of everything he himself knew firsthand was wrong and had not yet seen in Equestria. "I know that outside of Equestria the situation for the creatures living there is dire, but I don't think it's that bad." Apple Bloom placed the apple pie in front of him on a white decorated plate along with a pastry fork. Big Mac brought him cider in a mug. "Thanks." "Twilight says Equestria should start thinking about sending help to those beyond the borders." The Great Mage as he took a sip and smiled at her words. The fizzy liquid meanwhile took his taste buds on a date. “I assume you made it?” He questioned about the drink “Of course! It's an old family recipe!” Said Granny Smith “I can certainly feel it” He gave a nod and turned his eyes to Applejack. “ I don’t know Princess Twilight in any way as good as you do, so, if she finds it appropriate, let it be so.” “Is this sarcasm?” Applejack genuinely asked The Great Mage was indeed sarcastic. “May she do what she wants, but it will take her seventy years before she will bring these people to the standards you have today.” “People?” “Ah!” He realized his mistake, but he didn’t worry. “I had been talking with a guy on my way for some time and he used that phrase all the time. I adopted it with time and it just stuck.” Problem solved “I guess “people” mean “creatures” in his language?” “Well, not really. They use it referring only to their own.” “That’s rude of him if he used it rather then the word ‘creatures’” Arcane Shine wanted to retort and end the subject, but he stopped, with second thoughts coming onto his initial plan. He will do it differently. “I don’t find it rude.” He stated simply “Why?” She pressed “He used it to refer to all creatures” Applejack retreated her face as she got confused and as such, she had a double chin for a second. “What does this change?” He just performed a gesture with his left hand that was free, asking her the same question by doing that. Big Mac and Granny Smith listened carefully, but both had a thought that it might turn ugly for some reason any moment. Applejack as the element of Friendship wouldn’t let this happen, the fear nevertheless remained. Nobody expected it, but it was Applebloom who spoke next “So I guess if you see it as a good thing, then you probably don’t see it as an insult” She looked at Applejack “Like you do” and swiveled her head back to the guest “But rather, as a compliment?” “Your sister is smart.” Applejack affirmatively nodded but still this didn’t answer her question “ Of course she is, but, why do you find it a compliment?” “He could have said creatures, but he said people. “ “Yes, and?” He repeated the hand gesture like before; what in tarnation was happening? Big Mac didn’t see himself of the clever one, he was mostly the muscle, but he wasn’t stupid, althou he could be perceived to be. He thought and came to a conclusion and it in itself carried the courage for him to speak up. “Maybe he meant to say that every creature is a person? You know, part of the…You know, his kind? That there is no difference between them and they’re equal” “Bingo” Said Arcane Shine and took a heavy swig of the cyder “And he treated everyone as if they were part of his kind, and said out loud that every creature was a person” Arcane Shine told them with enthusiasm “But” it left him suddenly and his voice became like before “Not everyone agreed.” Granny Smith leaned forward and said “Tell us, what did he look like?” The Great Mage didn’t have the will or motivation to do that “Compared to most creatures, his kind has a ‘flat’ so to say, face. If I could draw well, I’d rather do that than explain, I find it tricky to describe him.” “Was he ugly?” Applebloom questioned Applejack shot a quick glance at her sister in reaction. The smaller sister didn’t see it though and continued to look at Arcane Shine. “No.” He let out a warm chuckle “ I dare say he was born fortunate enough to avoid anyone thinking that way among his own. “ “What’s your home like?” Applejack voiced her thoughts. This is what he feared the most, and wanted to minimize the amount of time conversing about his background. The book he copied for himself back in Twilight’s castle shed some light on what he technically was. There was a problem nonetheless. He didn’t perfectly match the description of a Kirin. His family, and…Another factor played a role in this. His family’s original founding figures before becoming nobles were merchants who traded in wheat, cattle and with time expanded to include a few other common edibles and wares. During the wars of the Great Mages, before the Dremer invasion, after his family split into two branches following one hundred years of steady and slow growth, his family started to matter. The intellectual side was started by two male members who chose to attend the university rather than go along the tradition, they settled in a human city under elven control. They both had wives and children who like them, also studied and became mostly lawyers, but one, who became a medic. The family helped each other, the merchant side as it had contacts almost everywhere gladly sent troubled souls to their relatives, and likewise, the educated relatives with joy helped to win over local officials, by working among them and through legal mumbo-jambo just by mistake make it so that the merchant side had for some reason a better environment to trade. This influence didn’t go unnoticed and an eleven captain named Aladein who led a squadron of archers, happened to get injured after fighting in a war against Lich the V, and was reassigned to become an intendant. He had made contact with one of Great Mage's long deceased relatives. Jacob, who was known for his unorthodox thinking, wanted to trade in herbs and potions, so he studied for a short period of time among the intelectual branch of the family alchemy and dreamed of building his own private manufactory but never achieved his dream, as the second wave of wars between the Great Mages made the prices of spider web and magic herbs go up. The second daughter of Jacob, Maria, fell in love with the elf, and the elf returned her feelings. It was hard for her to convince him to try and have a relationship with her, since it would mean he’d have to see her death and himself become mortal after the heartbreak he’d suffer from in the future. She ran away with him, while the elf, Aladein, was casted out of his own family…Maria died in childbirth, giving birth to twins, one of whom was the Great Mage’s grandpa. So, was the third branch born, called by the educated side exalted, and by the merchants cursed. Aladein’s health deteriorated swiftly after going through a heartbreak so early when his feelings were so strong and fresh, he died when the Great Mage’s grandpa turned twenty five years. Rest was history, uncomfortable and shameful, but in his blood, there were two other particles that weren’t human. How he came to be is hard to talk about, which is why there are three together. This is why he was curious, what species made up his current body. He decided already earlier what his approach would be when he was talking with Spike, so he only had to avoid talking about his race so as not to weave complicated lies. “It’s calm, gray and most of the time it's sunny but the wind can be chilly even in summer.” He took a piece of the applepie, and swallowed it after distributing the sweet food on his tongue. “I don’t miss it really, everyonewas stoic and always deeply hidden in their own thoughts. “ “You kinda reflect it, you know?” “I am well aware that I fit the description. Thing is, I at least am able to adapt and enjoy everything opposed to that kind behavior.” “Our family is large,” Granny Smith interrupted. “And we have many relatives, Apple Bottom, Apple Bread, Cloud Chaser, Cinnamon Sugar, Flounder, Full Steam, Gingerbread…” She counted and stopped to get to the main point “ And a few dozen more, is your big?” “My immediate family is me and my parents, my uncles and aunts” He hardly spoke the word “Don’t have much contact with us. I only know as much as I was told when I got concerned.“ “It must be pretty lonely having no siblings” Applebloom stated “For me it wasn’t, I had three good friends who I have great hopes of meeting again one day” Yes, indeed he had huge hopes and looked forward to it. Isaac, Emil and Anul were his three best buddies and together the four of them created a firm pack. They remained in Ardania although the Great Mage suggested they run away together. They remained behind and promised not to reveal his own intentions behind his departure. “Is this why you’re traveling?” Applejack was the one who asked. “It's one of the reasons” It wasn’t, it was just a bonus to the whole ordeal of fighting the United One. “So what made you travel?” Here his facial expression stiffened and his tone became heavier, but he remained respectful and friendly “Private reasons” The family understood and didn’t want to go further that direction, of course like anyone, they wondered what reason could somepony have to travel a long distance from his own home. “When I was walking here with Applejack, she said I should ask you, Miss Smith, the reason for ponyville being founded.” “Applejack” She sounded rather disappointed “You could have told the story to Arcane Shine as well as I can!” Before her Granddaughter could reply she continued “It went along somewhat like this…” Granny Smith began to talk about the relationship between the nobles and the common pony folk she was part of. The two groups didn’t like each other for many different reasons, which had a socio-economic background mostly. Equestria wasn’t involved in a long lasting war for two hundred and eighty-eight years with other nations and races (which for the Great Mage was unimaginable for any country to achieve) but suffered from short periods of local conflicts that happened on a regular basis. Many disastrous events involving internal conflicts, radical magical phenomena and ambitious characters who wanted to constantly strike Equestria plagued the land of the ponies. Equestria may not have fought in a war for long, but it fights constantly at war for survival. One of such internal problems, was the unfair advantage the nobles (who in majority were unicorns from Canterlot) had over the earth ponies (that tend Equestrian land) therefore the whole situation was also fought on a ethnical level, but Princess Celestia managed to shift the attention away from this detail. When Granny Smith was nine years old, the situation between the common ponies and the nobles became hot and rose to an important problem that had to be dealt with by the Princess herself. Her parents were participating in a nationwide demonstration in honor of fifty families who had been punished by being evicted from the land they farmed for a nobleman. The nobleman could not banish them because the law forbade it, a century before it was still possible. The nobleman invoked an old regulation passed by the local government, which it had discovered during a local vetting of the administrative caste due to corruption among officials coming from the rich bourgeoisie, collaborating with the middle nobility and bourgeoisie from the neighboring region. The regulation ordered every tenant farmer when he went to the forest to chop wood for purposes such as: repairing the house, or an mill, making wood supplies for winter etc. He had to report how many trees were cut. Before the change, there was no formal limit. The tenant was then exempt from the tax he would have to pay, plus penalties, for the wood. The provision was included with others in the "codex of reciprocity". A small set of laws that applied to peasants and nobles. During the banning of serfdom and the introduction of protection for peasants, which went hand in hand with the expansion of the rights of the bourgeoisie and the rural bourgeoisie, the nobility clarified the general and overly hurtful generalities contained in the reforms Celestia pushed through in that codex. Equestria became more centralized over time with the degradation of the nobility's dominance. The ponies forgot about the rule when a wave of protest and partisanship from idealists and radicals crippled Equestria. The road to equality for all regardless of material status was just leaning out on the horizon... But the law was still legitimate. The nobles had forgotten about it too, not wanting the moderate ponies to move too quickly to the side hostile to them. The families couldn't pay out, so the noble evicted them and sold the land to the townsfolk, something he couldn't do before, while he himself began investing in workshops in the cities. Celestia froze the fine and redirected it to the administrative court, which reduced the fine significantly, but the families were still insolvent and would have to work three years for the nobleman to pay up. Celestia managed to convince the nobleman, pointing out the absurdity of the situation herself, to spread the financial obligations over a wider time frame. The townsponies who bought the land went into debt, so they had to sell the land; Celestia bought it out of her own pocket. Celestia pursued a policy of buying land and intended to sell it back to the earth ponies with time. In the long run this did little, but the symbolism behind it showed her affiliations with the Earth Ponies. The ponies who bought the land belonged to families who had already made their fortunes from the land they leased from other nobles. Being friends with each other, they took advantage of the fact of the growing population wanting to get away from their home towns and formed partnerships, and together with other families who were going on their own or with others in friendship, bought land from Celestia together on installments. This is how Ponyville was founded. However, at the very beginning it wasn't a town, because the establishment of a town had to be allowed. Three documents were required, an application for a right of incorporation, then the drawing up of a plan of the municipality and, based on an expert opinion, the entire plan of the town with an attached statute (election of authorities, taxes, appearance, location, size, population, emblem, etc.). Ponyville began construction a year after the land was purchased. One of the first non-private towns in Equestria was Ponyvile. "That's more or less what it was like," "And the mines?" "What mines?" "Crystal mines." "Those mines never interested me, but there was always a problem with them, the diamond dogs had their colonies and trading camps in them, sometimes they came to us, but seldom they came! I had contact with them twice in my lifetime. " He nodded, the story interested him and he would have loved to ask Granny Smith more, but the hour he had to be at Rarity's was slowly approaching. "Rarity invited me to come over, so, I don't want to be mean..." "But we understand!" Grandma Smith countered with encouragement "Applejack will get the guest room ready." "I don't want to go away knowing she'll do everything for me." "Come on, it's a small thing, twenty minutes of work." Applejack chirped. The “Carousel Boutique” Rarity ran was beautiful, and as the name suggested, it did resemble a carousel. He felt like it didn’t belong to the town. The windows were grand, and the decorations on the walls that were white on blue made the cylindrical building look like candy. The thin columns around were spiral, and the cornice of the upper layer looked like styled after a lambrekin. The bottom floor probably was the area where Rarity worked and greeted customers, while the upper part was where she lived with her sister. Above the entrance, was an image of a prancing pony on an oval shield. He knocked on the doors, and soon they clicked with the mare in person coming to greet him. “Arcane Shine! How good you came, at the perfect time as well. Come in.” He walked in as she asked, and his eyes saw beautiful clothes, outfits that were art in themselves. How much is a picture worth in the face of something real and useful like what Rarity knew how to create? The interior was as rich and beautiful as the thought Rarity poured into the dresses. The floor shone and reflected the image like a mirror. The walls had all sorts of ornaments on them, light and fine, with little reference to any more familiar shapes. "Well? I've set myself up nicely here." "Who can forbid the rich anything?" A brisk rythm of footsteps was heard from the left, where the stairs were, Arcane Shine immediately thought of Sweetie Belle, who emerged from the corner as soon as he had finished thinking of her. She slipped out quickly, dressed in a dress again. "Mr. Shine!" "I promised to come, so I came. " He replied with a heartwarming smirk "One thing is still extremely important for me to take care of, so it will not be a long visit, a little over an hour." "You can't be serious!" Rarity shouted out loud "I have prepared snacks and drinks thinking you'd be here for at least two hours" He remained silent. It wasn't his fault and he didn't feel bad. As a matter of fact, he rarely understood anyone who showed frailty and allowed themselves to be incurred to being guilt tripped into shifting their time to match the expectations of people in a situation like now. "Can it wait?" She asked in tender manner "No" Sounded the aloof answer. Rarity, recognizing her lack of ability to say anything that would change Arcane Shine's mind, she hid her defeat behind the happy thought that she could at least guest him for an hour. Without wasting much time, she invited him to the guest room on the second floor. After walking the short distance with the spiral stairs, he found himself on the second level with Rarity being the one walking behind. Sweetie Belle was already in the kitchen and decided to serve the cake. The upper floor wasn't a big surprise, everything was closer to each other and the rooms of the two sisters were equally big, judging by how the walls were placed and split the second floor. The Kitchen was on the far right, next to the stairs, with no door there to close it. The guest area was open and stretched from the left almost to the far right where the entrance to the kitchen was. There were pots with plants almost everywhere, about nine were placed on the floor before the walls. The walls themselves were covered with subtle pink planks, however they served to make stripes, as the original color of the painted walls was subtle blue. In that blue, there were stars, snails, and different shapes of all kinds. A few paintings were scattered there too, to add more diversity. The floor had creamy beige carpeting. He approached the wine purple velvet sectional sofa on a gilt wood structure. Sweetie Belle brought him a plate with chocolate cake, and looked at him the same way Apple Bloom was looking at him in her own home. “Would you like coffee, water or juice?” Before he could give an answer Rarity interrupted “I also have wine and champagne!” She articulated with enthusiasm. He gave her a lost stare “Water” “What even is coffee?” He thought “Are you sure?” She sounded concerned “I possess the best bottles you can find in Ponyville.” “I’m not in the mood to drink alcohol” Rarity lost much of her happiness when she heard him answer “B-B-But the occasion speaks for itself! It’d be…” She lost track of her thoughts. “She’s one of these “ He lingered and his nostrils flared as he deeply exhausted the air through them. “I’ll bring the water then” Sweetie Belle announced and went to the kitchen “Maybe I could convince you to try just a sip?” “I don’t think there’s anything that could convince me” She almost let the topic go, but she felt some incentive to ask “Are you perhaps against alcohol?” “As I said, I’m not in the mood, simple as that” He spiced his tone, and that made her collect herself enough to leave the topic be. Rarity looked at his plate and noticed he didn’t have the silverware to eat with. Her horn lit up, and said tools flew from the Kitchen and before him kindly wrapped in a napkin, like at a restaurant. “Here you go” She grinned “Thanks” “So” she drummed her fingers on the table “ What brings you here to Equestria?’ Sweetie Belle came at the right moment with the water to listen. She sat beside ratiy opposite of Arcane Shine and placed her elbows on the table, receiving a scolding look from Rarity who nudged her with her leg. “I’m just passing by, I won’t be here for too long. I have no plans on staying anywhere either.” Rarity cocked her eyebrow “So you’re really just coming through the country?” “Yes, nothing more.” Sweetie Belle moaned in disappointment “I hoped you’d stay in Equestria” She drew a circle on the table and looked at him with her face pointing down. “What would that change?” He asked half seriously, half jokingly while he took a bite of the cake. “Krolm! This is too sweet!” He winced inside. "You're somehow different." She said innocently. Rarity nearly died of embarrassment, but the Great Mage roused her again by adding his comment to Sweetie Belle's words. "Compared to the other ponies?" He smiled and invited Sweetie Belle to speak further "Yeah, sort of, I can't put it nicely into words, but, you’re…" She paused looking for the right word “Other, but in a nice way!” The Great Mage was captivated by this answer. He was less tolerant to such kinds of answers when his advisors chatted with him. Yet, he valued highly what Sweetie Belle said, since she was still a child. Rarity, on the other hand, wanted to cringe, still in her mind seeing only one wrong and racist side to what Sweetie Belle had said. "When we came back and you lectured us on the way, you didn't want to trample us into the ground, you didn't want to show us that we were stupid and give us lessons about what not to do. You just presented the truth and left us with it. " She explained He tilted his head, as he didn’t understand what was so special about what he did " Are you criticized often? " Rarity lifted her face from her hands and looked at her sister and Arcane Shine. "No" She responded with a weak tone, but the answer itself didn’t betray anything. He nodded and took a big sip of water. He didn’t place the glass down but looked at the moving water. He then looked at Sweetie Belle, his poker face drilled into her soul like a spear into a dragon's heart, breaking the impenetrable scales, the natural armor of the legendary. “Ok” He drunk the rest of his water afterwards Rarity sent Sweetie Belle to the kitchen to refill the glass and asked her to bring something for her and herself as well. The Great Mage looked at Rarity who still was embarrassed by how Sweetie Belle phrased her thoughts. “Sorry” “Its fine” He cackled briefly “ I like children” and pointed behind himself as he held the pastry fork in hand “'They're innocent and because of that, funny to be around” He took another piece of the cake and before putting it in his mouth as he looked at it with mercy, he added “...Cruel as well.” very solemnly. Rarity looked at him from an angle, but didn’t pay much attention to that little detail “Do you have siblings?” “No, and believe it or not I was asked the same thing at Applejack’s home.” She fixed her poor posture. “The questions might get repetitive, sorry in advance.” “Don’t be, there’s nothing wrong with it. “ He once again used the pastry fork, this time to gesticulate. She looked at the clock on the wall, and noticed that twenty minutes had already passed. She then quickly reasserted herself and followed with another question. “How come you’re so skilled in magic?” Sweetie Belle once again hit the bullseye with the timing, coming with the water and a piece of cake for Rarity. She then retreated to the Kitchen, but she stopped midway, as Rarity did the job for her, and livitated the plate to them. “You use magic quite often” He noted and avoided answering. “It's very practical when it comes to such small things” “True” He agreed and before he could continue, he heard Sweetie Belle’s voice. “I wish I could have that privilege” She mused sadly and sat back on her place Having a lot of experience with talking to others, the Great Mage simply observed the younger sister, Rarity took notice and felt obligated to explain Sweetie Belle’s words to him. “She’s very weakly connected to magic.’ “You can’t pick up a plate?” He asked with respect, not wanting to hurt her feelings. She nodded, “I can’t even seem to lift a broom.” “You know, Spike told Twilight that I’m powerful” He made air quotation marks “And Rarity here accused me of being skilled “ He said fast, inclining his head to her. “I don’t think that either are true. I don’t want to look like I can’t take a compliment as well. However, motivation plays a vital role in every activity. As corny as it may sound. Motivation is second after talent to play a role in success. “ What he said wasn’t a lie. He addressed many topics trying to reform the lands he ruled. He ordered many experiments to be performed and most of them laid out a straight answer, showing that indeed, motivation was the second most important factor after skill. “Everypony said the same thing. Always. I was motivated many times and it ended the same way in each scenario. What's the point anymore? Wouldn’t optimism at this point be just toxic?” “It’d be if there was no objective fundament on which it could stand.” He asserted, “Let me ask you something. “ He got closer and the atmosphere turned more serious. Rarity didn’t exist for them at the moment. “Do you think I would have fought as ardently, and been likewise like back there determined to win, if I fought the Treeman alone, knowing it didn’t pose a threat to anypony else?” “I suppose you would” “I would argue that…The fact I knew I could help, and that I had the means to, turning the other way would be as if I myself caused the situation to evolve the way it unfolded. I had your well being on my shoulders. I felt the weight.” He lied, by being overdescritpive and hyperbolizing his original thoughts. Rarity listened closely to the words of Arcane Shine and took notes in her head as to how he explained his motives for helping. Not only her mind paid him attention…Her hand gingerly creeped onto her chest, as her heart pounded a rhythm, an humble tune to Arcane Shine. “Ponies and Kirins' ' Rarity's ears moved as he spoke the word “I know plenty of individuals that sometimes do the bare minimum for themselves. They don’t treat themselves as if they were a person…” He paused and noticed he made the same mistake again “ …They’re inclined to help. Would I really have the same motivation and drive for my actions?” She didn’t answer and focused on thinking further. She valued his lecture he was giving her but she couldn’t find a reason to believe he would really be less effective against the monster, save for the fact he wouldn’t have the help of Spike and Zecora, who’s help he used to defeat the Treeman. “Let’s strike a deal.” Why was he doing that? Why from all occasions the element of self destruction governed his mouth right now? “I will stay here for a few more days, I need to sort things out, plus I like it here, it's cozy. “ He stopped with his mouth open, after a second he went on “I’ll try and show you that I am right, and not only will you lift that broom, but hold it in the air for five minutes.” “I’ll try” She gave his hand and they shook. His touch was so warm and gentle, as if she met with another fillies hand. “Well, she is going with me to Canterlot for the festival, I have preparations to make and a whole list to keep track of. “ Rarity broke the silence “When are you departing?” “Tomorrow,” The sisters said in unisom. “I assume you’ll be at the royal palace for the time.” “Actually” She picked her pastry fork with her magic “Together with Sweetie Belle I’ll be at my boutique in Canterlot” The Great Mage looked surprised “You have one there too? Do you have more?” He leaned forward, interested. “Three, one here, the one at Canterlot and in Manehattan” “How’s your business going?” “Hold on now” She took a bite of her cake. “You still didn’t answer my question about how you’re so good at magic.” His light smile disappeared. “Did Twilight tell you I’m good at magic?” “As well, but” She looked at her sister “I had other sources” His lips curled up slightly “As I said, I was motivated” “I know ponies may do wonders when they do something when carried by passion, but you won’t talk yourself out that way” “I lost that, might as well go along but not further then I already am. ” “Basic offensive spells are easy to learn” He stated coldly “ I just repeat one spell on top of the other and they converge. All I do is give them one center point they hang on and then reshape the mana layout so that each and every one of them matches, as if they were exact copies.” “But that’s hard!” She expressed in awe “I didn’t attend classes with an expanded curriculum on magic, but I have friends and Twilight, who always mentioned the tricky nature of this method, that's very risky.” “I agree” He said with a stern face “I absolutely agree, but I have done this for many years now, and mostly with the same spells. “ “It didn’t look like that” Sweetie Belle announced “Especially the way you handled Spike’s flames on the monster” “That could do anypony with courage and talent who just began training in the art of magic.” He argued with a pointed finger. “Darling I don’t want to be disrespectful but, it looks you might have the impostor syndrome” “And what’s that?” Disappointment warmed his cheeks, while shame stirred in his stomach that reminded him of his stupidity. With a sour face, he plowed through the city, walking towards the forest along the optimal route that would allow him to quickly appear in the orchid from the west. Impostor syndrome. Tch… Without counting in that moment, the rest of his stay by Rarity after his promise to Sweetie Belle evolved almost the same way his stay and his conversation with Applejack and her family went. They asked him about his home and family and he repeated pretty much the same things. With Applejack he wasn’t sure, as her parents could have gone somewhere, however the dots connected the minute he walked into Rarity’s boutique. Too bad he didn’t think of asking them their age. Before entering the forest, he walked outside of Ponyville, making sure that nobody was watching, he casted a invisibility spell on himself, the invisibility tent, that covered light and medium spells as long as they only had effect on the caster. Magically gifted, that is unicorns for the most part, could sense him casting but the spells would be unnoticable with the naked eye for all others. Sure, he could cover that too, but there was no point. He added another spell to the pack, the same one he used when he ran to save the three fillies.For the last part, he gave himself night vision, not to run into a tree. He planned on returning late, but he was assured by Applejack that it's fine, she will be packing her things and she will probably stay up to midnight. He sprinted forwards, and hastened between the trees. Everything was clear as day to him, he saw the world with a mediocre milky filter altering the world's image, but that’s because he didn’t mind it being there so he cut corners in his mana usage. The shapes of the constituents making the woods were sharp; where his eyes focused, there it seemed that he slowed down, when actually it was his enhanced sense allowing him to judge better what’s before him. The wind that he left behind moved and brushed the lesser plants as they bent and quickly returned to their unfazed and harmonic way of living. Meanwhile while moving to his destination, he wanted to check up on the corpse of the Treeman he had killed and see if it left behind something worth taking. In Ardania these things sometimes hide valuables inside, not to mention their cortex’ and wood itself had a wide range of usage. Starting a fire with it was nearly impossible. A skilled mage or a blacksmith with the aid of a Great Mage like himself, a wooden sword made from the fibers of their hearts could become a disastrous weapon. Even if it would remain just a wooden sword it’s sharpness could speak out for thousands of grass blades. Depending on the quality of the wood, the age and power of the Treeman and the person etc. any such sword would be different even if created following the same approach. Speaking of the devil. A small tree grew in its death place with beautiful blue leafs which had silver veins on them and formed shapes in the form of the moon, stars, constellations and so on. Some looked like they were sick, when in reality they looked like yellow paint was spilled on them, leaving parts to shine brightly like the sun. The grass around was unfazed and the environment as well seemed unaffected. No animal made itself a nest on the tree, and the bottom part had no trace of the original body, safe for the fact the area in a five meter or so radius was bald. He approached it slowly “Can you hear me?” It didn’t answer. Was it a trap? Maybe. There’s only one way to find out. “If you live, it's in your interest that this won’t change.” The Great Mage approached at a steady place, he spoke again when his hoof stepped on the dry soil “I’ll cut you down just to satisfy my curiosity, it'd be just a preemptive measure“ A humm, as if someone hit a bell, came from the tree as the whole crown shined and blinked, making it appear as if there were stars on it. “See, we can talk this out” He nodded and held his hand out to touch the trunk. The tree was warm, but not very much. It gave off a subtle heat, the bark was smooth, although the surface didn’t look different from that of any other tree. “We can cooperate, I have never seen your type before “ He acknowledged with respect and walked a few steps away to look at the size of the tree “You’re regenerating.” He stated The tree moved by inches and the leaves all rung with grace, the tree took it for a question and answered truthfully. “ You’re not in the position to make any changes to my proposition” The Great Mage walked away and heard the tree ring suddenly with much prowess in each sound one leaf sent. “I frankly don't care enough to make an effort and make it so we speak one tongue. “ The tree remained silent “This leaves you with only one option, to do what I say or you’ll die” He stood with his hands behind him, and looked at the tree with pursed inwards lips. The tree had no other alternative. What should it do? Fight? It hummed sadly, where even the Great Mage felt the claws of depression scratch his heart, but it left no marks on his stony heart. The tree's light started to extinguish itself. The tree lost some of its color, the leaves withered and the trunk shrunk suddenly. The tree’s size slowly began to become smaller but only to an extent that its nature allowed it to. “You’re intelligent. I like that” He relaxed his posture “I don’t want anything for now, I’ll come here tomorrow and I'll tell you what you’ll have to do to please me. “ The tree understood its orders and it came back to “life”. It was small, and looked fairly young, so, it would probably take a month or more before it even was able to move and fight with the same ferocity. “I was invisible the whole time, now I realize.” He facepalmed “ Now I know why you didn’t answer the very beginning I spoke to you.” He thought Far from the meadow he woke up on, deep in the forest the Great Mage prepared to cast his spell. At the very beginning, he shed the spells he had cast to hide from the world. His figure stood majestically like a statue in a museum, all life around him only an instrument and a sanctuary. Beams of light, white as chalk, danced around his horn to form a vortex, like threads on a weaving machine forming a coherent whole. Strings of silver, every inch of which shimmered like stars in on the broad sky, played to the rhythm of the serenade that was his will and strength as he willed it, arranging the spell. The trees bowed toward him, drawn as they were to the mana he was concerting, illuminating everything around him with a blue glow. In the blink of an eye from his horn, a blue shield encompassed him in a bubble, where his figure could only be seen as a barely shaped black glow in a ball of light. Whatever was holding the trees let them go, and like people praying in a temple, they straightened their trunks at attention and watched. The bubble burst and thousands of petal-like little dots of glowing starlight fell to the ground, covering a small area with a white sheet for a split second. The spell didn't work, and the dots soared into the distance, showering the trees and illuminating burrows and corners long since untouched by light. The Great Mage stood in his body, the one he had woken up in. He felt nothing on him that would cast even a shadow on the possibility that his problem was a spell, and not a matter of a more complicated procedure...One that trapped him in this body, or permanently altered it. Feeling anger from his failure he did not let go. He had the strength within him to try a more powerful version of the same spell. He spread his arms out as if to embrace the world in a friendly hug. A gray-blue glow, like a royal robe, hung over his figure with an aura that dominated and suffocated any other colors the world had in its equipment. Strong winds gathered to swarm around him, tearing and pounding everything to pay homage to his power, and everything in the vicinity surrendered to this force. The trees let go of their leaves and needles, for these were the jewels that made up their beautiful crowns. Like the spines of serfs, their mighty trunks surrendered, almost cracking as they saw and experienced the power of the Great Mage. From under his feet, three tendrils shot upward, forming a spiral, mint green, blue and pink. They joined at the top, where a multi-pointed star formed. It was the beacom that shone like the hope of all those in Ardania, seeing beyond the wave of sourness to a better tomorrow. It had as many legs as there were living beings, for it wanted to touch and welcome each one of them. The Great Mage's horn shone like the eyes of children at the sight of their fathers returning from work, like the hearts burning with love of marriages that are successful, like the truth beating through the veil of lies when wrongs call its name to avenge them. Where the emotions accompany the person, there also is violence and a show of force that claims its part in the seconds of that person's life. So it was here too. The magic whipped up by anger, thrown by sorrow into the distance for an earlier failure gushed forth like mountain water, fresh and strong. In that instant, the Great Mage swung the star into the bottom and pushed it away as it approached with both hands. The world froze for a second as the spell rose like an angel. It could have been mistaken for the ascension of a saint, invited during his lifetime by the god he served. The star disappeared and in its place, the entire meadow was covered by a great sphere and slowly swallowed everything around it as it expanded in volume. The Great Mage, as the main target of this spell, fell to a knee, feeling the pressure and blatant burning of his spell on himself. The magic he used didn't seem to take a toll on his condition, which for the most part was due to the preparations he had done before the expedition. He closed his eyes as the light harmed them. His ears suffered a hellish torment, the hum of the spell; a deep sound as if metal was cracking and the rustling of pieces of said metal scratched against each other. It was a hurricane of deep howling, a strange hoarseness where every tone seemed to be uttered by a thunderbolt, sick like a man with a runny nose. He felt dizzy. Sweat dripped from him in great quantities. But nothing changed. He didn't even feel an itch on his skin. His body remained perfectly untouched, which again threw his thoughts into the worst possible scenario. The spell glided like a wave of water when a drop disturbed the stillness of the surface. It advanced in every direction of the world for half a kilometer. Looking like a ghost; a moving gray shaft. It destroyed everything that was a spell of basic or intermediate level, killing inherently weak magical creatures ruthlessly. The spell had a small range, however it was of a higher rank, prepared to destroy spells that when cast, could severely damage decent castles and level small ones. The next to last dispell type spell, allowed to send eight the rank of the currently still active one as projectiles. The tree survived, the spell's vapors touching it. It felt as if it were burning the day before, as it had died in battle. Its leaves turned pale and its trunk cracked. It had done what the Great Mage commanded, so why did it have to experience injustice? The wound inflicted seemed serious, but it wasn't, it hurt like an accurate strike. The spell had no right to reach Ponyville, but this alone didn't guarantee lack of interest from those who sensed it being cast.
PrologueThe young Great Mage stood tall, dressed in his armor, wielding his spear-wand in his right hand. He was looking straight, gazing at a structure that many would call simply weird. The helmet The armor He stood before a portal that normally would lead to a world remnant, called as such, because they were parts ripped away from the continents of Ardania. Many use other names, some prefer the term "world shard", but by most, it was called just "different worlds". Can't really blame them, many years of isolation and preservation by magic, perpetuated the natural conditions of the time when they were ripped away. The portal in looks resembled its brethren. Two rings made it, one greater than the other, the bigger in front of the smaller. The structure's rim steadily became thinner, starting from the middle point, all the way to the inner edge. Triangles with runes on them, placed where normally the digits on a clock would be, pointing outwards, made the bigger ring appear like it was made to resemble the sun. It was very easy to use, the steps necessary to be transported involved: going through a translucent barrier that distorted the shape of all that stood behind it. There one would find himself in the right conditions to step through the second ring, which would transport the person using the portal to, hopefully, a friendly environment. Different shard-worlds “belonged” (if this even was a right way to phrase it) to different; factions, dominions, petty kingdoms and self-proclaimed duchies, or reorganized hegemonies who grew in strength in the light of recent events. Many too were colonized by refugees, who got there through traditional means with fleeing feudals and magnates accompanied by independent mages. The young Great Mage seized power in one such remnant and from there, his career began to blossom. Yes, other Great Mages as well once again rose to power and built up their influence anew, trying to get back to Ardania, including the young Great Mage. As a matter of fact, this world remnant where the Great Mage was on was in possession of the Dragon Queen and the Altheri Elves she ruled over. She was a renowned Great Mage, but she used her royal title instead. Was this a diplomatic meeting? No! It would have been true three months ago. He was here to fight, not against her, but together as they faced a common enemy, and they were not alone in their struggle on this day. Tairi Sailaar, as that was her name, was standing right next to him, ready to fight... She was an elf, a female; elven women were looked upon with disregard by elven men. She was a beacon of opposition against these foul and hurtful beliefs and through the hundreds of years she lived, she made it clear, but failed to change the culture of her kin towards her sisters. There were others before her, and maybe there will be more after her; an elven woman who was at the same time a leader was a rare sight. Interestingly enough due to the fact human women proved to be good fighters in human history, as humans were weaker than elves and at times had to scrap the barrel, human women made a name for themselves and elven men saw them not less than elven women. Her title has its roots in a prophecy, involving an alliance with dragons. If that really is the case, as of right now, it should be treated more like a nickname than a title. Dragons may have been less violent or more eager to cooperate with her, in return, quicker has she obtained their loyalty and services. Reality and practical use are the greatest in helping to settle definitions of words and phrases and for now, this was but a mere strategic win, not an alliance. If he had enough time, he would certainly have studied the topic, however, forced by circumstances, he chose to become more powerful in order to legitimize his title of Great Mage. She was unflashy hostile towards him. She actively spoke against him as a ruler, there would be no surprise if she stated that she hated him as a person. She never understood his ways, she found them malicious. She never came forth saying this, but the Great Mage was certain. He understood why, and it was her murky elven morals that were at fault, that clouded her thought; she was a hypocrite. She sometimes did what he repeatedly has done. He looked the other side, having enough of thinking about his elf companion. He shifted his attention to the left, where stood Lich the VI. Both of them were fond of their domains, and tried to copy what the other had done, provided it was effective, without shame or acknowledging the other openly. The Young Great Mage even dared to suggest it was a sign of maturity, if done too often, a weakness showing a lack of imagination. Yet, they didn’t like each other, they wouldn’t dare to drink together at one table, even at the happiest moment both of them could share. How would the Lich drink in the first place? This relationship was unique because of their feelings, built on admiring the other's feats, not friendly chats and aid. King Lich was rather close to him in the style of ruling, the Undead weren't actually and physically alive, well, there can always be a debate about that ... Anyway! The Undead put next to the living were like parents next to children. Not just adults, only parents, as parents tend to forget what it meant to be a child. The Undead, the more powerful kinds the likes of Lich, did long ago forget about how it is to be alive; different ingredients, same mechanism. His rule and his approach were traumatizing to the living, but not as a result of a forcible subjectification, which was his diplomatic doctrine at all times, only from an inability to understand. King Lich was cold when he spoke, he never feared being honest, as matter of fact he always shocked everyone with his directness, his outspokenness conflicting with his apparent timidness, making a neat surprise for fresh "partner" material. He was well-mannered but was always too brutal. Taking into account that his previous incarnation, Lich the V didn't get crossed out from the memory of the current Lich, and a glimpse of the latter now lives in the mind of the being who was standing next to him, asks the question if the Lich was even reformable in this department. Considering the Undead have unlimited amounts of time to think over things that normally Elves, Dwarfs, Humans and Monsters don't think about in their life, in the case of the Undead - Unlife, makes the thought of him reforming attractive to idealists as it is settled deeply in the future. He was the one who engineered this alliance. He wanted revenge and justice served through personal vendetta. Miralbus focused on the prosperity of the people of Ardania. His legendary wand always stood by him. His wand was based on a glaive, the blade having its middle hollow, marked by old enchants around the blade. Where the staff's shaft ended and the blade began, there was a round gem, beaming with magic, a blue haze spilling out from both sides of it. His staff was his attribute. Miralbus was one of those whom you'd call "realists" because of proficiency in succeeding. From a philosophical standpoint, he was an everyday rationalist with idealistic scoliosis. He never cared for money, for power, or for anything like that, he hated material wealth and property, he valued anything categorized as intellectual capital the most. This doesn't by any means mean, he didn't gather wealth, he did constantly, to use it as best he could and saw it less as a value, but more as a tool. Or so, you could have described him earlier. Miralbus was the head of the previous council of Great Mages. The tabard he wore, black with blue parts signified his old role, he wore it now to display his importance. This way he sharply reminded the Great Mage's that knew him personally of his current status as again, the head figure. For Miralbus, that would have been once a bold move. But now? It was normal for him to charge with such displays of pride. Maybe that is why he remained the most powerful of them all? Did hatred give him power? It was likely that Miralbus held deeply to the wound he received from one of his colleagues, that he forgot of his old idealistic approach and virtuous way of life. Miralbus was known first and foremost for his honeyed palet of words always coming from his mouth as he spoke. Even to the Young Great Mage, he showed respect, formally. Miralbus always watched his words. If the Youngest of them found Miralbus in a levite situation, he could probably learn a few things about himself. Only by a margin was Miralbus more powerful than the Lich, but the title still went to him. Miralbus was never worse than the Lich when it came to knowledge and expertise in magic. Miralbus was well known for knowing vast amounts of spells of all categories, no doubt he knew the most. The Lich, however, was stepping on the old human's heels. If the Lich was older, shouldn't he be the most powerful? In blunt physical and magical power, yes. Power as in; durability, flawlessness, and amounts of mana (called also magical stamina) and other different factors all together, like intelligence, no. Following further with his eyes, King Rrat the LIV was also present, sitting on a beanbag king pillow, held by his fellow ratpeople beside Miralbus. King Rrat wouldn’t be part of the battle, as he was too weak to fight in close combat, his kingdom provided the alliance with many expandable reinforcements, especially orcs&goblin shamans were very important in the incoming battle, as they together with the healers sent by Anna the Benign will cover for most of the damage their troops would receive. The Young Great Mage wasn’t seen by Rrat as equal to him, this did change only partially due to what happened three months ago, where the monarchs didn’t want to look him straight in the eyes because of his young age and lack of a noble title. Even Miralbus who didn’t care about such pathetic details many years ago seemed bothered by it. The young Great Mage found a way around it, and took pride in the cunning character of his plan. Yet, a bitter taste after these three months still plagued him. King Rrat and Miralbus had a rough relationship, which given that they stood beside each other was even weirder. It was due to King Rrat's the XXLI doings in the past, when Miralbus together with his companion, Nicolas Frost, who was to this day in service of the Great Mage, tried to recover the Teardrop of Agrela. Both hated to see each other and to talk with each other, Miralbus especially as he always had a lofty attitude around people he didn't like. Miralbus, was better than, Rrat, when it came to trying and actually having some respect for others, that was a golden plus. The Young Great Mage stopped looking at them both, he shifted his thought elsewhere, not everyone was here with them. Rjakh was not present, what they were going to do could only involve the handful of them, with the exception of King Rrat. Nevertheless, Rjakh, was a powerful Great Mage, the alliance decided to keep him in the back to make their adversary more willing to take “brave” and bold actions. The more reckless the foe will be, the better. Rjakh was considered one of the closest to Lunord. Lunord being the god of the Moon, is occasionally just called the god of night and wind. Lunord was a powerful god, people devoted themselves to Lunord in order to gain luck in the night, not to become prey for all the vicious evil that uses the time when Lunord reigns overall as their time to - ironically - shine. Rjakh was said to be Lunord finest priest of this time. If anything, even an emissary of the god himself, securing the god's influence and being a guardian of the god's cult. Rjakh has sent some of his troops, but the majority stayed with him, he would teleport his troops slowly and with a steady pace. If they allowed him to be here with them, the sheer amount of magic would probably make the portal collapse on itself after Rjakh would step through it. The same reason was why Xara wasn’t present. She was furious at the alliance that she was rejected from being part of the striking force of the Great Mages. Especially at the young Great Mage. He was the one who opposed her taking part the most. He had reasons, she was just as hateful and just as much she felt betrayed as Miralbus. Miralbus , with all respect to the great magician that Xara was, and to Grum-Gog, was the more intelligent. Miralbus controlled his temper, Xara would in his opinion become savage and not control her urges as an Orc. Xara promised herself she wouldn't allow the holy grounds of Grum-Grog to be scorched with filth. If she saw anything related to Grum-Gog profaned, she would lose it. She was known for her stubbornness which was equal to the young Great Mage’s infamous instances of tyrannical behavior others accused him of, said view was backed by their muddy, complex pseudo-intellectual arguments. So, it was very unorthodox of her, to leave the matter be, especially of such importance for her. The youngest of them really did understand her anguish, he understood her distaste towards him, even when it was hard to believe. At last, then there was also Anna the Bening. She as well, could not be present, because of the same reason as the two before. Anna was a faithful woman, a priestess of Agrela, the goddess of life. Anna was a beautiful human woman, she was shy, but at the same time, she was powerful and in his own opinion, clever. She cared about her people, and tried to be as understanding as he could have been. As a priestess of Agrela, she had her moral duties, especially when it came to the cult of Agrela. She didn't like the young Great Mage, however, she tried to understand him. She suspected a few things about him and in some ways they were close to the truth but the verdict, in the end, wasn't a close one. He was amused by how she tried to find a good side in him, as if he wasn't good all the time or it was covered by some shadowy blanket. Such an interpretation wasn't false, it was just cloaked away by a history of him adapting to circumstances that he had a moral duty to exploit, such moments pass quickly, therefore speed plays a key role; to be swift, you have to be ruthless and tenacious. "Remember, Great Mages" Miralbus stepped forward and looked at them, getting their attention, snapping the young from his train of thoughts " That the United One must fall, any other reason to be divided stops mattering once we go through, we will deal with our grudges later." His voice was fruity even when he was an old man already. Powerful, orotund even. Like that of a grandpa, that tells a story of his old times when he had to walk miles upon miles to school or back home. This one perfect lecturer knew how to get attention. Great Mages lived on for many more years than any mortal, due to connections with magic. Nobody knew the others' age, outside from the youngest of them who’s age was known around. The oldest was the Lich the VI, then there was Miralbus, but exact numbers were unknown. The young Great Mage nodded, he looked behind himself. He saw an army, a united army, miles upon miles of tents spreading through the land, like flowers on a meadow, full of colors and life. From all races, only the Altheri Elves had their tents conical. The rest had their tents circular or cuboidal. The living constructs were slowly being awakened, the bigger tents, equal in size to a circus, hosted artillery and war machines the Svarts built. Young men and women, archers, blademasters, spearmen, master spearmen, lances, heavy and light units. People. Monsters under Xara, the priestess of Grum-Gog (God of Pestilence) and King Rrat the LVI . Humans under Anna the Benign. The Altheri Elves under the Dragon Queen. Noble like the other elves, but crueler, sometimes called "Dark Elves", as they dressed in dark blues and purple were intelligent and immortal, their population growing slower than ever. Under Rjakh and Miralbus “The Hat” were the Planetsiders, one people of all races, including the Undead and Svarts. The Undead were led by King Lich the VI. Consisting mostly of skeleton warriors, spirits, horrors, ghosts, ghouls and bats. Vampires were enlisted into the war by Lich, although many didn't want to. Vampires, especially elder vampires were masters of necromancy and death magic, shadow and darkness. Some had abilities in other fields of magic, like fire magic that is confused at times with light magic. And finally, starting from a human dukedom, the youngest of them, created a state composed of human, monster, undead and Svart cities. Many enclaves of other races and ethnicities of those aforementioned races found themselves in the borders of his domain as well. Making his land itself, speaking metaphorically, a giant Planestrider city with clear borders between the city's segments. The undead under King Lich were patrolling and never sleeping, helping, carrying everything heavy, so that the physical work won’t be bothered by those who live, to let them rest before combat. Dwarves who were conscripted, were happy to join, even if their mines weren’t now used, gold waiting with gems to be mined and made into jewelry. Minotaurs which left their mazes, oiled their axes to cut through the legions of the United One. Koatle priests who never left their villages, all in one place, making sure no plague was spreading or had the chance to appear, examined every living creature with care. Common elves, not to be mistaken with Altheri Elves, took their bows and joined the military as well. In the Sky was a fleet, a fleet of flying line galleons and regular flying galleons King Lich provided. About sixteen flying Line galleons were in the sky, carried by a purple mist, behaving like water in the seas, clashing against ships front and sides. They had their sails all withered and old. For each line galleon, there were three regular galleons, making it sixty-four ships. These galleons were similar in shape and look, but green like mold on fruit. The amount of Magic King Lich had to spend in order to sustain these ships was astronomical, therefore, since the formation of the alliance, he gathered and conserved mana, both in himself and as a resource. A Great Mage had his own mana limit, but he could draw it and regenerate from special mana farms. The very farms were connected to both the mages through special links and stones that redirected the magic to them. While in the case of King Lich and his fleet, also the ships. King Lich could take it all, and then from himself redirect it to the ships, however, he discarded that option, as doing so would risk crippling him for life. The Young Mage had also his own flying force, Rainbow Dragons to be precise, the same dragons who were suspected to have been extinct. He was ordered by the alliance to leave them out of the fight until needed. They were supposed to act as reinforcements if the situation turns out to be worse than suspected. Still, he brought seven with himself and hid them behind the short mountain range in the far eastern corner of this world remnant. These mountains could be seen climbing far, touching and breaking through the cloud layers, these formed circles around the peaks, as if the mountains themselves wore them as crowns. The dragons were ordered to wait. The United One's influence diminished with the mage’s strength growing, and he didn’t know of all his dragons or of the alliance's strength. Most of the dragons were conjured, therefore were entirely magical. Making it very easy for the United One to see them if the United One focused entirely on only trying to reinforce his already very weak influence. That is why the alliance also ordered him to keep them away, because nearer Ardania they were, the United One's influence grew stronger. Not to mention the great and powerful spells in his roster. Not for nothing were the mages called “great”. The United One could do everything they could, but quicker and with more detail. Even the Gods had trouble with the United One's influence, and that alone was enough of a reason to fear him. The armies were preparing to depart, homesick, waiting to return and see the beautiful lands of Ardania their parents left when they were young. Some elders to this day remembered how the people evacuated. For many, the long years of preparing and fighting were finally going to be paid off, only after one final struggle. One more obstacle. The attitude many showed, the fire in their eyes. This pleased the mages, fanaticism, radicalism for a good cause is not bad, but desired and mandatory. Together, the alliance had suspected they will be able to mobilize about enough troops to win the invasion very quickly. The exact numbers of their united force were unknown, none did provide information on how much he or she provided for the alliance. They could have brought more, but then the heroes under them would have trouble managing their dominions alone when they will be gone. Someone must take care of what they built. Many will try to rise up, when they disappear for the war. The heroes of each Great Mage were ordered to secure their Mage's homeland and it was told that they won’t be needed in battle, as the Great Mages will fight personally. The Great Mages stood on a hill, as the portal was there located, a rock ramp was built quickly leading straight to the portal. Made for the armies to march once the portal was opened, giving their posture elegance and power, showing that they were organized and ready. That this wasn’t just a quick setup. This was all planned, and their efforts would soon give them what each one desired. But did they really desire the same thing? The young Great Mage turned back to the portal. The portal…it was modified. The runes that normally were set on a portal have gleamed with blue, now they were glowing green, and the usual blue mist around it, magic itself so dense that it could have been touched and seen, turned yellow rather than have its natural light blue color. Ainadra. The mirror world of Ardania. It was the last bastion that needed to be captured and then the way to Ardania would be clear. However, the Dragon Queen has found an error in a portal that led to Ainadra. The portal she found seemed to spit someone either in Ainadra or the fourth world remnant in her possession. With that information, she could start her work. She called for Tal Kalessil, the primordial Dragon honored her call, but only because he lacked behind the other Great Mages and his journey throughout the world was not as fruitful as the scholars suspected. He saw this as an opportunity for himself. Sharing the information, she gained his favour. Tal Kalessil was one of the few who could single-handedly defeat the United One in battle as great scholars and even Miralbus have theorized when they heard he came back. The Young Mage never studied up close Tal Kalessil, nor did he read about him, he only knew him from spell books and ancient text. He was an important figure in the arcane, a very important, magnificent creature. This story, however, is not about the primordial dragon. Tal Kallesil taught her how to manipulate the portal’s magical waves according to her own will. Portal manipulation was hard and could only be done with proper spells that had specified results. Cutting the odd portal off from one of the exit portals, and reversing the power to the portal which led to Ainadra seemed to work just fine. This gave her the chance to study up close the rhythm of that exit portal. No one tested it, as it was dangerous and could have killed someone, if he or she tried to do it from the sheer magical pressure during the teleportation. She then did the same thing, but with the other. With ease, she got to know their magical waves, their inscriptions and have studied these portals and their behavior in both scenarios. She managed to redirect the special portal'ss full attention at the portals in Ardania, making it seek the second exit in that direction. It was a blazing success. It was only possible after connecting the previous exit portal with a portal of her own world to each other, basically creating one of the biggest logistic problems ever documented. This way, the special portal was not any more attracted to it. It was only natural for the portal, before which they stood, to seek for itself another partner portal, and since she controlled the portal's waves, she helped it direct its gaze towards Ardania. She then disconnected the portal with Ainadra, and focused the portal entirely on Ardania, preventing any chance of appearing in Ainadra. She, with the help of Tal Kalessil, managed to create a spell that was designed for this portal alone. It would allow them to pass through undamaged, it would last for three days, and three days are more than enough to get a large portion of their united army on the other side. Then, she would have to recast the spell. Tal Kalessil didn’t join them, he went to Ainadra before the procedure, what for? Nobody knew what for, however, he promised to arrive one day after they arrived in Ardania, exactly one day after. How exactly would he manage to do that wasn’t answered. The young Great Mage fought with himself to be better, always having in mind Tal Kalessil. In order to be a better leader, he had to try and fight his deviations, like getting easily distracted when studying natural sciences. "Alright then," Miralbus said, taking in a heavy breath. The Dragon Queen nodded in response, she stepped forward. Her eyes and hair started to glow, and the color was lively beaming, pulsating. From the middle of her hands, magical energy covered her arms all the way to her body. Her eyes shone with bright orange light. The magic gathered around her, swirling like a tornado, making a coat of orange particles. The portal let out a low humming noise, like a machine, similar in tone to that of iron doors sliding open, rusty and heavy, the kind that was leading to a vault in which riches were supposed to lie, but was hiding nothing more than death on the other side. She made a cross sign with her hands and retreated them back to herself in a circular motion, the action was swift. The portal then activated, sending a gust of wind, lighting itself up, at first blinding the mages. The magic it released was bearable for them, as they were Great Mages, and to them the experience was pleasant. Only King Rrat was taken back a little, he flinched when he felt the power wash over him, but he was fine. His ratmen under him, they were blinded, their fur changed to white and their eyes became blue. The portal was opened... Each one of them would go in separately, after two hours the armies were supposed to march in. The portal made it so that they could see their reflections, only the image was wavy and in very low resolution, but the outlines were seen clearly. King Lich the VI was the biggest of them all, clad in his ancient heavy cuirass. The youngest of them, was the second tallest, almost equal in height to the dragon queen, who was an elf, a female elf, but still an elf. What most don't know in his own land, was that he was slightly arched forward, due to one of his conditions, making him stand in a way a Satyr would or Imp if one would guess. His armor hid it well. Then there was Miralbus, and at the end, it was of course King Rrat. First went the Dragon Queen, right after her, Miralbus, then King Lich the VI. They stepped into the portal, and disappeared right after passing the barrier which reflected their image. Now was his turn. He kept his spear-wand tight in his grip, looking back at the army, he got once again a glimpse of the power they had when united, and what they could do together, in cooperation, rather than divided. If only they also shared one viewpoint... He took his first few steps. His heart rate increased, as he was stressed, everyone was, he didn’t look back, there was no point in doing so. Anxious he extended his hand, she trembled, behind his the helmet he wore, a drop of sweat ran down his forehead and ended up on one of his eyebrows. He walked through. Author's Note I hope you enjoyed this chapter, some things you saw were different then what the game actually offers, as I have said in the first AU. I didn't want to reveal too much. The interaction between the main six and other characters with our protagonist will reveal everything with time. Please have in mind that things in the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference to many things. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book.
Au - 1 (If you like where this is going, read it)So, This should go into a blog, but honestly who will read any of my blogs about this story? Let's start with what I already wrote in the previous AU's under the chapters. Warlock I and II As mentioned, the Warlock II and I universe is very poor and for the most part, I can do anything with it. And that is what I'll do. It literally gave me the skeleton, I give it the meat and the life it needs but doesn't have. A hell lot of things will be said about Ardania in the future but many won't be actually part of the universe if you decided to go into it yourself. At the same time, because its so little, It would be a crime, literally, for me to not include everything the franchise offers. This is why I will use things from the one and only book about the Warlock world. Stuff from the book, and therefore canon will be written in green text. This story is first and foremost written to improve my own skills at using the English language. The fact I can get you guys to read it, is a bonus because I am providing someone entertainment while at it. Meaning that I really would like you guys to be active, help me get better, from serious and long comments to just small remarks every five or ten chapters saying: "You're better than before" or on the contrary "Boi you got worse/are standing in one place" And I hope you guys will restrain from turning into the German soldier from Wolfenstein when he is talking to the KKK guys and tell me as he did to them, about how I butcher your beautiful language. I chose to take a different approach, especially add realism and brutality to the MLP universe Why? This way it will be easier for me to use the sad tag, and forge some nice situations. I understand that many prefer submissive and tiny ponies. I prefer something that has spice, and you can expect the MLP universe with all the incoming events will be at times bloody. Why Anthropomorphic? I like to implement some sexual innuendos here and there, you know, a tiny fetish like licking and so on. Foreplay is important. Thing is, with normal ponies, it turns me away, that is why I choose anthro's because I am more comfortable with them. I don't have much time, and I will probably rarely update. If I get better, I will stop. That is how it is, I have many other important things to do, and I treat this story as some sort of self-improving session on which I'll spend an hour or one and a half every three or four days. Not to mention that after I'm done with things I get easily exhausted like hell and this will have an effect on the story. Pictures When it comes to pictures, as you saw, I used already them in three chapters. I know that using pictures is lazy, but at the same time, I'd like to explain. I add them to show what I know I don't have skill (yet) to describe, to present the image as best as I can through text without dragging it/or I lack knowledge about (like armor). This, of course, doesn't mean I shouldn't try and do it, and I will plan on slowly going up the ladder, and when the time comes also go for the harder to describe objects. So tell me, in what situations would like me to see using pictures? On small stuff, not to waste time on it, or on the bigger ones? In the end I will choose what is best for me on my own judgment, but it'll be cool to know the general opinion among the site members.
9: What it's like to be Filthy Rich? [1]Chilly wind swayed the flowers around, only tottering individual stems of grass the same way it did to tress or lesser plants that still possessed a significant size. Dead leaves together with petals and dust - mostly salt from the ocean and other tiny debris - easily flew into the eyes. It blemished the peaceful ambiance and anything positive that could have been felt by immersing oneself in nature. But, it was lavish anyway considering how high she was. The garden wasn’t grand, but it would be insulting to those who made it to call it small. It was semicircular and served the function of a balcony. There were two entrances placed on the furthest points of the semi-circle; all because of a small waterfall that created a wavy forded brook, about two and a half meters wide. It was artificial and went down the rocks, all the way from its source. The brook cut the garden into two unequal pieces. The Storm Fortress she was in, was partly built on a mountain’s elevation which climbed up to the heavens that with a few others composed a short mountain range. In between the mountains were two lakes constantly refilled with endlessly pouring rain coming from clouds that hung there due to magic. That is also where the waterfall had its source. The topic of magic on the archipelago and how it was connected to the two races inhabiting it intrigued her, but she never looked deeper into it. Magic was something uncatchable for her at the moment. It will change soon though, in a week's time, she will be on her last straight path to regaining the abilities she lost in her childhood. The peak of the stone massif was torn by powerful lighting, to create room for laying fundaments for a structure. Said structure was a tower which purpose was entirely dedicated to casting advanced magical spells and plenty of other magical actions. On the other peaks, there too were structures, but those peaks were not destroyed as there was no need for it. The road to the fortress was preceded by a small village, where lived the staff, since they couldn’t sleep at the fortress or rest there for long periods of time. The relation of the village with the fortress was the same as that of a castle and its castle town, or fief of an abbey. The village possessed about three thousand inhabitants. Specialists had their homes there as well, their duty was to maintain the fortress most vital parts and were ready to fix it up in case someone went into a tantrum. Lower-class delegates who had interests with the bureaucratic elites or came for an audience after a long wait slept in hotels slightly above the village. Local barracks were situated there as well, so, not everyone was a traditional staff member. One-third of the fortress was built inside the mountain. A few elements (like the balcony) stuck out with a view on the city of Thor, from the side of the Trident Bay. The city was more of a complex composed of civilian and military buildings; manufactories, workshops, schools for lesser magic, alchemical colleges, and institutes teaching the art of mechanical engineering. Education in such schools was oriented towards the militaristic effort. The state prepared for a potential long-lasting war with Equestria in case not everything goes to plan. The ethnic population characteristic of this side of the archipelago dominated the “old town” district. It once was known as a separate settlement of about thirty thousand inhabitants occupying a large chunk of land so that everyone had their own few acres of land. It was the capital of the island. To this day, the region's center of administration is settled in that district. That slice of the city was cut off from the rest by a thin, fair grey ornamented wall, that separated poverty from wealth. Now, its population was greater due to migration. The access to culture was strictly in the hands of the ethnic population and the distinguished official caste from overseas ruling in the new colonies or controlled directly or indirectly regions. The entire local elite and the political base for it on the island could be traced back to this part of the city. The rest of the archipelago was also infected with functionaries from this city, but to a lesser extent. Only the settlements close to the island in other parts of the archipelago were dominated by officials from here. It could be said to be a place of privileged individuals, apparatchiks, and power wannabes, riding on money from a previous era that never left the family's doorstep. She knew that coteries financed diplomas and certificates for talentless relatives drifting on a fragile foundation - prestige - looking for any reason just to avoid being sent to the front like their fellows from other towns and villages on the archipelago. She was writhing internally on the mere thought that they get away with it easily. She had a few perks from that herself. Her position in the army was easily achieved thanks to corruption and favors. All this was possible thanks to her “master” and his laziness; here he started his career. “Tempest!!!” Her ears lay back, she glanced at last at the ground, drawing a pattern without order or sens with her hoof in the dirt beneath her. Her plate armor which tightly fitted to her body didn’t capture a good portion of the charms of a female figure typical of an adult mare. She had a simple somewhat rectangular male appearance in her armor. Her sex was betrayed only by one vital component of her armor, her breastplate. The armor lacked two bulges on the chest for her breasts as the forge workers took a different and therefore more realistic approach. There was a sort of ridge running through the middle to the navel region, which extended the armor forward to form a triangle-like shape, with the underside facing up; as it progressed towards the tip it got shallower. This created an extra part for the gorget, where the edges of the underside were thick and forwarded, making it possible for a sword to be blocked if somepony desired to strike her by executing an undercut. Tempest was lucky, when looking from a practical standpoint, that her breasts were just about average and allowed the walls of the protrusion and the angles between them to be soft, making the surface slippery for any weapon or missile. But she wasn’t totally androgynous in her armor. No one would notice this in normal circumstances, but if behind her was something bright, then it would be possible to see that she still possessed some of her curves. She went through the portal, poorly decorated, as if three rims were put inside each other. Doors that were used to close the entrances were metallic. Metal lines created the images of flowers and vines in interesting intricate shapes. In between the empty space was thick glass. The interior floor of the throne room had a checkerboard pattern, the black tiles were made of obsidian, and the white tiles were made of some kind of stone that had an almost imperceptible baby blue hue in it. A wide red carpet ran through the middle, clearly conspicuous. The throne room was simple, very few things were inside. Columns were made from granite and placed there only to hold torches, with veteran guardsmen in pairs standing with halberds opposite each other clothed fully in armor, unlike regular shock infantry. The walls were dark and looked like were pure clean-cut basalt. The throne was atop an alabaster pedestal placed under the wall facing the entrance, which ran along its length. Since rectangular shapes only would make it all bland, the inclusion was made in for of an isosceles trapezoid. To climb the stairs one had to take great steps forward as they were not for ponies or other “medium-sized” creatures. However, on the right side, there were steps she could climb effortlessly, made for "guests" and servants. On the throne, sat the infamous warlord. Storm King with his Staff of Sacanas in his hands. "My dear, tell me how the preparations are going? I hope there are no delays." "Yes, my lord," She said firmly and respectfully "Three armadas, five fleets each along with the landing forces are almost ready. " He turned his ape-like face to her. His cerulean eyes stared at her intensely as a smile broke out on his face and yellowed teeth slipped out from behind his lips. Gross. "And our puppets?" "They chose to pay tributes." He humphed and drummed his fingers on the floor as he lay across the throne. For those outsides the realm of oriental politics, tribute meant payment in the form of silver or gold as common sense suggested. Indeed, so did too the satellite lands of the Storm King’s dominion pay most of the time, however, extra resources and “workers” were accepted and preferred due to a storm brewing. They’d turn out to be far more useful than coins. The Storm King wasn’t stupid, although many could interpret him as being so, and allowed his subordinates to send regular military help instead. Ambitious males of all races proud and loaded with hormones, carried by false smoldering hope set by their elders, thinking they’d learn something and use it in insurrections would perish when turned to dust from the raw unicorn magic, or turned to mush after being dropped by the pegasi, or die from injuries by fighting strong earth-ponies. “Cowards” He simply commented and shrugged. He quickly turned towards her with excitement “What about our agents?” He chimed joyfully. “ Everything is in its last stage.” “It better be over when we arrive at Canterlot!” He raised his voice, but still remained in good mood. “Do not worry, my lord, equipment will be shipped to Canterlot just before the invasion. The Intelligence Bureau and the Special Forces Bureau are sure of it. Your troops are going to be provided with the necessary material support to crush the resistance in the city.” Storm King languidly stood up. He was a tall creature with a white coat and cold blue-grey skin. His armor was not far from Tempest’s schematic wise, with the difference that he had his leg and shoulder protection always off. He didn’t wear it at the moment, it was placed on a rack in the corner, instead, he was wearing formal apparel with golden lining consisting of two parts; a tunic that resembled a doublet and matching pants. The collar of his outfit was stiff and standing like that of a coat, it was applique with golden threads with the pistils being white shiny gems, as well as were the filigrees styled buttons designed to resemble stereotypically depicted crowns. Around his waist was a sash wrapped around his waist which ends went over it from the bottom and hang freely by the side. “You know that it's not the equipment we should worry about, Tempest.” Indeed, what the Storm King had in mind were magical stones. These rocks were infused with magic from the archipelago, gathered by the structures on the mountain peaks. They would provide the troops with their natural endurance and strength, which withered away the more time they spent without in touch with magic native to the island. What they shipped through the months to Equestria was not enough to make the troops capable of carrying out the most simple magical performances. Fun fact; this is why the crest of the Storm Kings dominion had a cerulean shade. It was, so to say, the most sacred color as magical energy had that color on the island. The symbols on the armors of all Storm King’s servants that were natives and ruling supreme race overseas in the new and old colonies had the symbol made from said rock embedded into the metal plate. The dominion’s symbol that covered her cutie mark, and those on the armor sets of the non-native creatures who served in the military, was painted. “It would be a shame to lose so much of it.” He said, changing his tone of voice to one that didn’t know what “protest” meant. He neared her and came closer to her face. She hated him doing this, she felt the hot air coming from his nose, hitting her face, but she remained stoic, although the warmth sent a cold zap down her spine from the discomfort she was experiencing. “Consequences would be - “ He paused and placed his left hand on her shoulder, carefully embracing it with his paw. He smacked his lips looking for a word “ - horrifying, you know.” He whispered softly putting more pressure on her shoulder. He walked over and found himself behind her, placing his second hand on her shoulder, he and she gazed at the silver throne. “The punishment delivered to those who would fail…” He drawled the words, speaking in half-whisper, almost hissing like a vicious viper. “...Would put the whole world into stupefaction. “ The silver throne of the Storm King, didn’t differ much in terms of the seat itself. It was what was behind it, that focused all attention on it. “Is that clear?” She felt the steam from his mouth wash over the back of her head, she wanted to go away, but he held her firmly by her shoulder. The sore raucousness of his tone, the deepness of each letter, was like a growl. Zealous ire held the harness. “Yes” Although airy, her answer held serious gravitas. He rested his chin on her head, while she stood in place like a pillar of salt. He slowly retreated his strength and his fingers to the point where only his claws remained in touch with her body. “For the conference…” He amended the texture of his voice, sounding soft and caring, while he drew circles on her body. “...You should wear something elegant.” He stopped and took his first steps towards the throne. No. She wouldn’t. The nauseating smile of her inferior position was like a spark that set the explosion of her hatred. Her horn started to crack and zip as azure threads of electricity flickered in random directions. “You’re dismissed” He waved his hand as he said it. She immediately took control of herself and rotated on her heel to start storming out of the throne room. As she took the first step, the abrasion of her metal shoes against the floor let out a soul-piercing screech. The Storm King flinched and with a scowl turned “Tempest!” She stopped, the same effect followed, this time the Storm King only closed his eyes. “What did I tell you about walking in here and making that damned noise?!” She mustered herself to act like a well-trained actor, she swallowed her emotions, and used the aching feeling coming from restraining them as fuel for her play. She staged a false image of her being sorry, as she responded: “Pardon me, my lord” He scoffed and turned away from her. She continued this time without any provocation. Author's Note Ok, I know I said it would take some time until another update, but a smaller chapter is something I think would be a nice kick to start introducing the other main character of my story. Besides, I think I owed you a little more. Then again, a story, be it fanfiction or just regular fiction, gains autonomy when the light of a foreign eye shines upon it and can convey a message the author himself didn't know was possible for it to show. I'll try and make the future chapters longer (about 5k to 6k words). Leave a comment if you see an error or just would like to show support! Please have in mind the official book written by John Helfers was read by me, I'll use it as a reference. Green text means that the following part is true about Ardania and can be found in the book.
