Friendships are Magic: Season 1

I am not me.

I am not the same person I was. Damn it. It feels wrong to call that place home. I have some semblance of who I was back then. But, it's just my preferences, my memories are a jumbled mess of fragmented reels, and my way of thinking is almost preserved, save for a few details.

Where do I begin? Do I still have some semblance of my old self stored here? And where does Mors start? Has he devoured me? I, I thought we were separate things. Two entities, one persona for this place, and one for my world. But I'm not sure about it anymore. I wish I had the answers.

Hell, I wish I cared enough to find the answers.

I can tell I'm slipping away here. But I can't give two craps about it. Instead, what torments my sleep is my first day at school.

I'm lost. If there is anything left of the old me in here, they are being assimilated by this odd creature that is Mors.

I'll leave this as my last words. I doubt I can take much more of this.

My name is...I don't know.

Oh, I'm already dead.

Good.

Well, I'll simply refer to this strange dream.

Dreams are often things that our subconscious constructs to tell us something.

It can be a warning. It can be a way of communicating fear. Or it can be just a random bit of imagination telling us we are thinking about someone or something strange.

As for me, dreams hadn't had any shape since I've arrived. All I do is look at the empty ceiling until I drift away. Eventually, I wake up with a feeling of being refreshed. But, this night was different.

I followed my routine down to the letter. I brushed the open area between my jaw bones and the rest of my skull. It gave me a sense of normality as if I was brushing my teeth. Everyone needs that in their life. And that is exactly what I came after when establishing a schedule for my nights. I then sunk my head into some water.

Tiny detail about me, I don't need to fucking breathe. Or, at least, I haven't found the limit of how long I can hold in my breath. And I should say, Celestia decided to house me. I have a room and some other daily necessities. She is kind enough to do all this, for a monster like myself nonetheless.

Is it wrong to call her a saint at this point? I'll hold my judgment for now, mainly because she has a melancholic air around her when she gets distracted. You can't have regret without some mistakes. But that doesn't change the fact she is a good pony.

Anyhow, that tends to clear away most dirt and other impurities that gather in the crevices of my skull. I got out of the bucket and dried my head. I can't poke eyes that don't exist, so, no problems with a towel in my orbits. I won't say it doesn't feel weird or that it doesn't tickle, but no pain at all. Putting my veil back up, I went to bed. I had to have it on while sleeping because of the maid Celestia had assigned to me. Hill Flower, if I'm not mistaken that is her name. She couldn't be much older than fourteen, my guess? Celestia helps a lot of ponies. Because I overheard some of the staff commenting on her family's monetary situation when she was appointed as my maid.

I don't plan on scaring her half to death, so, I keep the veil on.

Once I was in the pajamas Celestia had arranged for me, laid on my side to face the window. My vision blacked out and I went to sleep. As I said before, I should have blacked out before waking up with the sunlight.

However, this night something else happened. First, I felt a gust of wind. Then, I caught the scent of perfume in the air. My eyes opened and I saw my surroundings had changed. I was in a grand room lit by the moonlight. The decoration and aesthetic resembled something closer to the gothic era. Gargoyles hung above my head staring me down as if they were ready to pounce.

The stone floor beneath my feet had a strange feel to it. It looked like the soil I saw on the surface of the moon on the astronauts' pictures of their voyages. There was a carving on the floor with the symbol of the moon on it. I turned around and saw a throne with a figure that I had seen described in books before.

Clad in a black coat and donning blue armor crafted by the Thestrals, Nightmare Moon descended from starless skies to bring about night-time eternal. That was the passage describing her arrival in Equestria. Since I remembered going to sleep while facing the moon, this was probably my brain recalling the information I had read. Plus, I was scarier than Nightmare Moon.

If anything, I would dare say, Nightmare Moon was beautiful. Not like Celestia, but still, her figure, her piercing eyes, and the ethereal mane slightly illuminating her face was a sight to behold. I didn't pay her much mind as I realized that my height had changed. Therefore, I sought the nearest reflective surface available. Which happened to be a shield bearing the Moon insignia. My pony skull with goat horns was there, but my eyes had changed color. They went from something between pink and red to a pale blue.

I was also made entirely of thorns from my skull down. Save for my hands that seemed like long boney fingers that were closer to talons than anything else. When I moved my body would project thorns in that direction before dragging me there with ease, like a pseudopod.

"Don't ignore me, Darkling," I heard from behind me as I turned my attention to the throne once more.

"Darkling?" I inquired while looking around the room. Had I not played the game Darkness, I wouldn't have felt as offended as I did. Darklings were lesser creatures created in the likenesses of their master's worst traits. I wasn't about to be talked down by my dream. "Don't you dare drag me through the mud like that! You're but a bad dream. So, mind your words when in my head," I warned with a deep voice that seemed to distort into deeper tones as I spoke. For the first time, I felt my jaw moving when I said those words. It was a strange sensation.

"A soldier with passion? What a rare sight," Nightmare Moon spoke as she laughed with delight. "Tell me, if I'm but a bad Dream, what are you?" She inquired while leaning forward with a strange glow to her eyes. I felt some sort of pressure. Like something was trying to enter my head. If that was a dream, there was a small chance of that being the real deal talking to me in my head.

And if that was the case, she was trying to get into my head. I subconsciously growled at her before feeling some sort of surge happen around me. The pressure dissipated and Nightmare Moon seemed to broaden her smile. I was in deep trouble. I knew she was dangerous. Celestia had to use ancient relics to seal her away. And that was the only solace I had to act rationally.

I thought to myself. If she is sealed in the moon, she doesn't have much in terms of power to affect me. And if she wants a soldier, she is growing impatient in her prison. Therefore, she needs someone to do what she can't do.

Raising my hand to point at her, I saw the room turn into a brighter shade of blue as Nightmare's smile grew wider. "You're the real one, right? Nightmare Moon. You have no right to ask what or who I am. And I have no desire to involve with the likes of you. Return to the prison from which you came. And leave my mind this instant. You know not with whom you're dealing with," I warned while watching Nightmare walk towards me.

"So, mighty creature, what am I dealing with?" She inquired with a strange tone as she reached for my hand. "Do enlighten me."

"LEAVE!" I screeched while swinging my arm at her. Nightmare Moon turned into mist before the room faded. Suddenly, her cackle filled the darkness that was left as I heard her final words to me.

"Soon, my little nightmare. You'll see things my way, soon," She said before I woke up with the sun warming my feet.

I still had a little time before Hill Flower arrives for her first rounds. Hence, I wrote things down to remember myself that I might be in danger. I rather not forget about my first dream. Especially one with an important figure such as Nightmare Moon. Perhaps, should I mention this to Celestia?

I should be scared. But, Nightmare Moon is not a killer and she seems to want my help for something. Her goal was to be adored as the sole ruler of the Kingdom by creating an eternal night. As opposed to the day and night cycle that ruled that time. This means I won't be harmed unless something drastic happens or she finds a stronger puppet for her.

Now, I have a few more minutes before Hill arrives. So, I'll go change so she doesn't have to worry about that part. I'll write more once I'm back later today.

Maybe I'll just narrate things with my impression of things.

School never changes. Even Kindergarten remains the same, even in another world.

And that is not a good thing.

The awkwardness of entering a room filled with strangers that you need to get along with isn't pleasant. No matter how many times you experience it, the butterflies in your stomach appear the moment you step into the room. And the experience is made much worse when you enter the place escorted by royalty, who also happens to be the principal of the said school.

Yes, Celestia entered the room with me following close behind. The school didn't have a uniform, so I was allowed to dress in whatever way I desired. You could say I ended up like a chibi version of Elias Ainsworth. Except my clothes were deep blue and the cloak was of a brighter shade. I even got myself some gloves to complete the set. Celestia agreed with my fashion decision, she let it slip that I should cover most of my skin as I grow older.

Anyhow, Celestia stopped by the teacher's desk as I stopped by her side.

"Good Morning, my little ponies," Celestia said as I suppressed an urge to laugh. This translated into a noticeable shiver that made Celestia look at me worryingly. "It's ok. You're doing great. This is Mors Heartingan. Due to fortunate circumstances, he managed to arrive at the castle. Thus, I'm providing shelter and education for them. He has enrolled under the "special cases" clause of the school. I hope this makes it clear for all of you to not pry into his background. And Wayward Lore, he is excused of the magical assessment test, am I clear?" Celestia stated while turning to the teacher.

At that moment, I wanted to bury my face on the ground and disappear. Celestia had just given everyone in the class a reason to pry into my background. I mean, she just admitted to everyone that my history was covered in red tape and black markers. Children speak whatever comes to mind, and they are prone to do things they are told not to do out of curiosity. Plus, Celestia had the teacher the same color I made the doctors with my face.

I think it's thoughtful of her to try and make others not poke me for information. But some things can have the opposite effect when done thoughtlessly.

Then again, I'm not one to speak, Mr. Sign Language.

"Now, Mors, when the bell rings and the recess comes, I want you to come to my office. I'll have one of the monitors come to guide you," Celestia said while kneeling and holding my shoulders. "Understand?"

"Of course, Princess," I answered before turning to the class. "As the princess said, I am Mors Heartigan. It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can get along," I added before bowing to the class. There wasn't a word spared by them. Or a question. The teacher didn't even point me to a desk. I just walked to the empty spot in the room.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't in the same class as Twilight. I would have been glad to see one recognizable face. However, based on what I've seen so far, it was a rather empty class with a handful off-looking -students, one of them was a snob-looking filly. She had some kind of weird mane styling. They were posing as if they wanted to look like a model or something. There was another filly with the same vibe. But she somehow managed to pull it off better than her. Another one was a filly dressed like a magician. One filly looked older and had a firey-looking mane on her. Then, there were two others, a colt with a weird frazzled mane, glasses, and a starry cloak; and the filly with a bunch of fashion magazines on her desk. The last stand-offish student I caught sight of was a purple filly with a broken horn.

At that point, I began to question if I was in one of those situations where the stand-offish character is put in a class of misfits for the sake of hiding them. Those plots usually have the top weirdo to stand out even more than if they were in a normal class. In short, Celestia is either trying hard to hide me or turn me into a center of attention. Given her speech, I would bet on the overly-zealous-hiding part.

The first lesson we got was a boring subject. The teacher was going on and on about the greatness of Princess Celestia and how all ponies should strive to follow her example. It was rather creepy how she would start breathing heavily now and then when she went on a tangent about the theme. It didn't take long for me to assess the rest of the class.

None of them wanted to be there. And with reason. There was no subject being taught, it was an ongoing fangirling of a creepy stalker. Wayward Lore was nowhere close to being a teacher. If she was a certified teacher, I was a grandmaster in Equestrian lore.

The shattered horn was sketching something related to a battle strategy. The wanna-be model was looking at herself in the mirror. The model was reading some books in economics (rather advanced if you ask me, she is probably more than a pretty face). The wizard-looking one with the glasses was reading a theory on ancient spellcraft by a nameless empire (again, it feels like a rather advanced topic for someone my age). The magician was working on a magic trick with cards (she wasn't very good, but there was effort there, so, thumbs up for it). The fashionista looked like she was reading on gossip, but her notes showed she was researching trends for other seasons.

As for me, once I was done scoping the place out, I kept staring at the blackboard waiting for some kind of information that was worthwhile to take note of, none came. And in case you're wondering, my eye-sight is top-notch. Not having irises and retinas turn your eyes into a set of binoculars. If I focus my vision, I can zoom into anything and see everything within twenty feet in detail. And that's not talking about my night vision; true, everything is in fifty shades of grey, but you won't get me scared of not seeing in the dark again.

Unless there are dementors. Then you'll see me running for the hills. I hate those things.

Once the bell rang, the others paid me no mind. They dashed off the room. Save for the wanna-be model. She kept looking at herself in the mirror.

"Narcissus died because of that," I mumbled under my breath while getting up from the desk. I didn't have my school supplies yet. Celestia said something about having it all arranged but didn't elaborate on it. So, I was a shoulder bag and a few pieces of paper as well as a quill.

"You read ancient mythos too?" I heard from the wanna-be model before she covered her mouth and tried to act as if she had never said a word.

Right. I mused before slowly exiting the room. I didn't plan on wasting Celestia's time. But, as I gained the corridors, I stumbled face-first on someone.

"What are you doing here? This is a school for unicorns. Earth ponies should not be taking classes here," The stern-looking stallion said while looking down on me. Based on his tone alone, I deduced he was a prick.

"I am a bicorn. This veil is meant to conceal my face and horns. To avoid ill-mannered ponies and superstitious types that assume everything which escapes from the so-called normal is evil. So, if you'll excuse me, I need to head to the Headmaster's office. After I find the monitor the Princess said she was going to send for me," I replied while gripping my bag's strap.

"Sharp-tongued, yet mannered. Considerable vocabulary, yet young. What a curious thing," The stallion mumbled while eyeing me with a different look now. And, I don't know why, but he started rubbing a spot underneath his horn on his forehead for a few seconds before talking to me again. "There is magic in the veil. Very well, I shall take you to the Principal. Follow me," He said before turning around and walking down the hall.

The school looked like one of those recreations of old European universities. Except, there weren't any nuns walking around and there were no monks dressed up in brown tunics. Instead, you had ponies dressed up in different types of garments and practicing magic. Some were shooting targets with magic spells, others were using their magic to manipulate ice bows that generated ice arrows. I would wager that touching those weapons was a big no-no.

The place was as white as the palace. So, most of the halls looked the same to me. But the stallion leading the way seemed to know the place like the back of his hand. We took about five minutes to go from my classroom to the principal's office. They knocked on the door before turning to me.

"Be mindful of your studies. Continue with the diligence to maintain your pride and standing. And do not falter to continue your pursuit of knowledge in this institution," They said in a strange tone. The wording made it seem like they were trying to be encouraging, but they couldn't quite put the right tone to it. So, it sounded like he was giving me a warning. I simply nodded before he walked away. Celestia opened the door soon after. She looked down the hall and noticed the stallion walking away.

"Huh, Teacher Neighsay brought you here then. Odd," Celestia commented before gesturing me to enter.

"So, what did you need me for, Princess?" I inquired while holding my bag's strap. It's a twitch.

"I needed to tell you of your schedule," Celestia explained while grabbing a list from one of her drawers.

"Sure. And just so you know, you have a stalker," I said while jumping on one of the chairs. Yes, I am short. Go ahead, call me a dwarf! I dare you.

"What? A stalker? What is that?" Celestia said with a tilt of her head.

"It's a term from where I came from. It refers to an obsessive-compulsive pony that follows closely the routine and deeds of another pony. They are extremely attached to their target and tend to project perfection upon the target of their adoration. Their actions can start harmless, but there is a risk of them spiraling down into a manic state. In long term, without the proper mental care, there is a chance of the pony committing crimes to anyone they judge puts you in danger or can stand in their way of adoring their target," I explained while removing the strap from my shoulder.

"That sounds like a serious accusation. And a serious condition, what made you think I have one of these stalkers?" Celestia inquired while holding her chin.

"When we didn't get a class on Equestrian History and instead got a class on how amazingly awe-inspiring you are. With a teacher that looked like she was about to climax at every mention of your perfect traits. Which listed in order are, ahem, mane, coat, eyes, eyelashes, tiara, tighs, arms, dresses, bust, and hips. The last one was debatable as Wayward Lore seemed to want to put it in the first place, but scolded herself like a schizophrenic over how impure the thoughts were," I replied. Like I said before, Celestia thinks the way I speak and act is a by-product of my unfortunate situation, so I don't need to walk on eggshells when mentioning things nor do I need to mind my speeches.

Celestia didn't speak another word. Her cheeks turned red while staring me down. The shock of hearing a child understanding the tone of someone about to orgasm in front of a bunch of children probably made her shut down and question what was I put through before getting here. I wouldn't put it beyond her to think I was abused at some point. With the horror and embarrassment in her face, no doubt she reached that answer on her own.

The real answer, though? Mature-themed games, movies, and books (Lords of Dinosaurs is a good one, light on sexual themes, but awesome in fights and growing back limbs). There were also friends with too much horniness who would keep sending the moan audio prank to a bunch of people, and the list goes on.

At any rate, Celestia gave me the scroll and walked away. I felt like that was an invitation for me to skedaddle back to class. So, I did my best, got lost, and found my way. This little misadventure occurred in empty white halls, so, I didn't meet or see anything interesting.

When it was time for the teacher to come in, however, something weird happened. As far as I remembered, Kindergarten classes have one teacher that covers various subjects. Unless we are dealing with special classes such as foreign languages and physical activities. So, you can guess my surprise when another winged unicorn entered the class. She had a white coat and her mane was some shade of purple with a single strand of light blue. She had cyan eyes and was shorter than Celestia by a few inches only.

She had a suit on, which made her look as if she was going to a conference or something of the sort. She was good-looking too, but she also looked younger than Celestia.

"Good Morning, class. Starting now, I am your new teacher. You can call me, Ms. Heart. Now, according to the official scheduling, you should be at the Post Nightmare Moon event. During the exodus from the Everfree. But, based solely on the notes, or rather, the lack of notes from the previous teacher, I do believe we need to compensate for the lost time. So, I'll ask that all of you read the chapter on the fall of Nightmare Moon in your books for the class tomorrow. I'll make a quick seminar, and without reading you will fall behind," She explained without much reverence or sign of concern.

"Teacher! Everyone knows of the fall of Nightmare Moon as a filly's story!" Claimed the Fashionista while keeping her eyes on the new magazines she had arranged. For a child, buying those is expensive, so, she must be rich, or is saving up for them, or is sacrificing her lunch money for them.

"A filly's tale, huh? Do you know who made the armor Nightmare Moon donned during the battle that forced Celestia to resort to the most powerful magic known to us, Ms. Saddles?" Ms. Heart asked while running her finger on what I believe was the class call sheet.

"N-no." Saddles answered while shrinking in her seat. I felt a bit bad for the kid. I found the story and the passage in a book that was NOT kid-friendly. So, I doubt she would have found the answer easily unless she was reading the history books.

Raising my hand, I waited until Ms. Heart pointed to me. "Yes, Mors?" She asked without looking at the sheet. I took that as a clear sign that she was aware of my situation beforehand.

"Nightmare Moon descended from the sky donning blue Armor forged by the thestrals. The blue alloy absorbed the light reflected from the moon. This fortified it and granted Nightmare Moon and gave her an advantage over Celestia, who was relying solely on her magic for defenses. This added to Nightmare Moon's abnormal power forced Celestia's hand to use the Elements of Harmony to banish the creature to the Moon," I replied while lowering my arm and standing up. Ms. Heart seemed to grin at my response. At first, I thought it was a satisfied grin. But as her eyes locked on me, I knew what she was about to do.

"And, what are the Elements of Harmony? Could you name them?" Ms. Heart inquired with a smug look on her face.

"The Elements of Harmony's true nature is undefined. And so is their definition. But the most agreed-upon representation of these relics is that of six crystals. Each represents an aspect of Harmony. And they can supposedly change based on the bearers. But, due to there only being two known users of the elements up to this day, the only confirmed aspects of Harmony to manifest are as follows. Kindness, Laughter, Honesty, Loyalty, and Generosity. And the only known bearers are Princess Celestia and the lost Princess, Luna," I replied without hesitation, as I had read about them in the books while staying in the hospital.

"What about the sixth element?" Ms. Heart inquired while putting on a wider grin.

"It is unknown. But it is said that their manifestation only came to be in the presence of the other five. As if their presence ignited a spark that brought it forth," I replied honestly before sitting down.

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone in class stared at me. Ms. Heart was the first to break the silence with a chuckle.

"Well, done, Mors. No wonder you were given the scholarship here. Now, How did you come across this information? It is much more advanced than what is covered in your books," Ms. Heart inquired while leaning forward.

"Post Script's Memoirs of Legends and Tales. Building connections between Mythos and Facts," I replied calmly. I decided to hold back on the information of where I read it since it would make the rest of the class want to pry on my background more than they already seemed to want to.

"Good source. Some connections are loosely made though," Ms. Heart said as she turned to the blackboard. "Now, due to Mr. Heartigan's little explanation, all of you know the gist of the arrival of Nightmare Moon and her Fall. So, we can continue with the theme tomorrow during my seminar. Now, let us begin on the basics of modern Pony society," Ms. Heart said while scribing Matriarchy on the board. "Now, Mr. Mors, do you know why all of the students are looking at you?"

"Am I to assume it has to do with mares being the ones ruling society?" I asked while glancing around. "Both in numbers and roles, apparently," I mumbled the last bit under my breath.

"Correct once more," Ms. Heart said while drawing a depiction of a set of wings around a frail-looking sapling. "So, when you answered my question to spare your classmate from the embarrassment just now, you deviated from the common role of the male in our society. Now, the population of Equos is mostly composed of females, with few males across the land. And due to their frail constitution, males are protected from harm and dangerous situations. This, of course, includes any situation where the psyche might be targeted as well." She said while pointing at the drawing. "This is the concept established by The Sisterhood of Queens. And this is the representation they decided upon over two thousand years ago."

And thus began a true lecture on Equestrian Culture. Ms. Heart truly put me to work as I had to take notes on everything she said on how things were and how they currently stand.

To summarize, during the initial chaos of the first reign of Queens, males were commodities and had little to no rights. They were kept in castles and the Queens would decide the mares that would breed with them based on the number of males each mare managed to give birth to. The greater the number, the more likely they were to get a child. This, thankfully, came to a stop due to the ascension of Faust as the ruler of Equestrians. She established the freedom to marry and choose partners. But the strict protection of males continued until the golden age of the Griffons.

The Griffons are the only known kingdom to EVER have a male ruler. And are also an example of how faulty they can be. Since, you know, the kingdom fell into ruin after the chalice that represented the king's golden rule was stolen and the entire place fell to greed and is now a shell of its former glory from which no ruler has ever managed to restore. And because of them, there was the second dark age for the males.

Males that had gained rights had risen to positions of power, and had deviated from the norm were quickly restored to their natural state (whatever the fuck this creepy chain of words means, I don't want to know) after the fall from grace the griffon empire. And from there, the princesses, Celestia and Luna (the most powerful princesses at the time), created the Laws of Sisterhood. Which are commandments to protect and shelter males while securing their freedom to walk around, choose their partners, and work on low-stress, low-risk, and short-timed jobs. But also demanding that they recognized and respected the powers of females and their orders.

These Laws of Sisterhood fell after two hundred years of Nightmare Moon's banishment. But, most mares at home still teach them to their fillies and discipline their colts to act accordingly to their commandments. However, enforcing them is considered forbidden by law, even if most will try to overlook these cases due to how ingrained the concept is in society.

In other words, I don't need to play the obedient colt role as my rights are secured by the law. But there will be plenty of creatures who will try to tell me otherwise.

And given how much my colleagues were staring at me, I don't think it will be long before I have someone prying into my personal life with the excuse of me having to tell them.

This might be a problem growing up.

At any rate, the second class ended shortly after. It was the first day, and due to the sudden change with the staff, we were dismissed after the end of this lecture.

Which also brings about the end of my first day in school.

On an unrelated note, I was told by Celestia that Wayward Lore was sent to a mental healthcare institution with the proper arrangements to secure her well-being.

Also, the scroll Celestia gave me was a spell that imprinted a mental map of the school and castle into my brain. Meaning, we are yet to have a conversation on my schedule.

Magic is a nifty thing.

But it is also terrifying.

Could it be that, maybe, I had Mors's mindset similarly imprinted in me? As in, someone forced these points of view and ideas into my brain. And thus, they feel foreign to me?

I don't know. And I couldn't care less, which is a scary thought.

Something that I do wonder though, is this, how did Twilight's first day go?