Friendships are Magic: Season 1

It's been a few weeks. As expected, the attention I drew to myself during the first day began to affect my everyday life. But not in the way I expected initially. However, it might just be them probing what they can get off me. For example, Tempest Shadow (obviously a fake name since she was born in recent times, and everyone is called something related to their features) approached me because of my clothes.

As it turns out, Ms. Sassy recognized the fabric used on my clothes. It's a combination of regular cotton and silk along with a special thread woven by a tiny species of bug ponies, the Breezies. This thing feeds off my mana and allows it to harden on impact. So, it's like a suit of armor. How much is this set worth? By comparing the prices, you could say I have a Mythril Vest in the land of Lord of the Rings.

Now, who else approached me? For now, we have, Tempest for the sake of figuring out if she could get some one-piece suits made out of the same type of material. But she wants black ones. Give her a black scarf to match the rest, she will be officially an anime character; Sassy Saddles because that type of material is rare and can be used with some spells to create unique dresses since it absorbs magic.

Lastly, we Blue Bells, who is Celestia's niece? I say it like that because she doesn't seem to have blood ties with Celestia. As in, she openly stated to me that she is not related by blood to Celestia. But she also didn't elaborate on it. Anyway, Blue Bells wanted to ask me about the mythos I knew of. She is obsessed with old stories and fantasy settings in general. However, she only acts like that when the class is over and I am the last one in there. This means she is actively hiding her brainy side in favor of keeping herself looking like a vain idiot.

The best explanation I have for that is this, she wants to keep others away, That's it. I have no further information to go on. I have no means to pry and do not wish to do so. My situation is twisting and turning based solely on how things are developing, and I don't want to get tangled with the political aspect of this world. Royalties and princesses are not things one should dabble on without certainty of what they are doing. And even if I find the Princess beautiful, I can't say I would have any chance with a creature of that stature.

But, this is not about this weird situation I am currently in. Nope, this is about something else entirely.

Someone is watching me.

Constantly, without fail, there are eyes on me. I can feel their gaze piercing me. But I can never catch them. It's almost as if they are hiding in the blind spots of my vision. And I can barely catch a glimpse of them before they are utterly gone without a trace.

I haven't brought this up with Celestia as of yet. But, there is a chance someone might have rummaged through my files in the hospital. And they might be coming after me. I am a monster by appearance, and they might hold it against me. It could even be Wayward Lore. She could hold a grudge against me for having her sent to a mental institution.

Well, back to my usual reports.

Lessons were progressing smoothly. Except we hit the day of physical education. Which meant exercise with the proper attire. I never showed an ounce of my skin to anyone, save for Celestia and Twilight. Plus, as the days progressed, I took notice that my sickening gray fur has a bunch of darker patterns on it. They are shaped like vines with leaves and thorns. The closer they are to my torso, the thicker the vine. I already seem to be racking up a reputation among the ponies because of my eccentric looks, if anyone takes notice while we are in the open field I'll be toast.

Among the things I've learned these past few weeks, two things seem to stand out the most. One is that a common-sense concept exists that dictates a good stallion is an obedient one. Stallions although free to choose according to the law, more often than not, fall into the ideals imposed by the old Sisterhood days. I can't blame them for it. It's an ideology that has been in place for at least twenty-two hundred years. You can't expect something that is ingrained in society to just roll over and die.

But I do find it odd that the entire thing was brought to an end "officially" after the fight with Nightmare Moon. The more I learn about her the more I come to question what the hell truly happened back there. The timing is just odd, exactly two hundred years after the fight, the remaining ruler destroyed the entire system that ruled their entire society. It makes me think of what could be the reason for the Long Night. If my logical jump connecting Luna and Nightmare Moon is correct, and the entire event revolves around the Sisterhood Laws, one or several males might be involved.

Now, for the second thing, there seems to be a recurring trend in modern society as of late. It's the "bad colt phenomenon". The designation of a bad colt is a colt that deviates from the mold. So, I've been labeled a bad colt. The consequence of this is what has me worried the most. I will unavoidably attract attention to myself by simply doing as I please. And, this is what worries me the most, there will be older mares varying from teenagers to adults trying to get me in line. The term used by them is "taming."

Being small has its advantages. For example, listening in on conversations from places others will likely overlook. So, I discovered how they will try and "tame" me. This will be done by two methods as far as I know. One of which is trying to get into a relationship with me, which is the method of the younger mares, and then slowly break my spirits by stimulating me to do as I please and watch me fail (more like sabotaging based on what I heard). While the older mares will try to become my babysitters, from there, they will try to brainwash me into submission.

So, yeah. I have plenty of problems already, and the PE won't help one bit.

And something I forgot, I still haven't got around to arranging my schedule with Celestia. But back to today's events.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch break. I felt the dread of an unpleasant activity building up in my chest as I made my way inside. The rest of the class had their bags in hand with their PE clothes. My bag, however, was gone. Ms. Heart, her full name is Flurry Heart, gestured me to come closer before turning to the rest of the class.

"Alright, class, I want everyone heading over to the gym to meet with coach Spring Sprint," The rest of the class nodded and moved right on. Thanks to the new teacher, the behavior changed a bit. They were far from turning into model students, but their engagement and response changed quite a bit. Once we were alone, Ms. Heart turned back to me and sat down. "Now, Princess Celestia has arranged for you to have private exercise sessions with someone she trusts. She'll be here in a few minutes. She'll come for you every PE class from now on. So, your clothes will be moved to the session's location every day during lunch."

"Ok. So, how would I?" I started before I got blinked out of the room. The next thing I knew, I was on top of some type of white fluffy floor. It behaved like a trampoline of sorts. Each step felt like I was pushed upwards. And there was less air resistance.

"You're the one I'm supposed to teach? Huh, you can stand on clouds. So, there is a spell for that after all," I heard from an older mare. She was yellow and had a fire-themed mane, both in color and shape. She wore a bodysuit that looked like a uniform of sorts. "I'm Spitfire. I'm part of the reserves of the Wonderbolts. But that won't last for very long. Now, get down and do as many push-ups as you can," She said dismissively.

I wish I could say I did some sort of connection here. That I had some level of conversation with this Spitfire character. But what she had in looks, she lacked empathy. It could be another effect of the Sisterhood thingie, or she just didn't care about the entire thing. Another detail, Ms. Heart lied to my face. She said my instructor would come to meet me, but I wound up somewhere else entirely.

But never mind my rant, I spent about fifty minutes jumping between sit-ups and push-ups. The result was my collapsing due to exhaustion. The next thing I knew I was back at the hospital. No warnings, no nothing! I just blacked out. Celestia did come to see me. But, it wasn't anything worth noting. She asked if I was ok, when I confirmed it she just walked away.

It was a strange day, to say the least. I also wasn't allowed back to school the following morning. It was an even weirder event. I just woke up with a note beside me. Celestia wrote clear instructions that I should not leave my room, or do anything at all. She even went as far as to tell me to not make a noise.

Honestly, when I found myself sitting in my room hugging my knees waiting for time to pass, I began to question what was happening. But not about what was going on outside the room. I was worried about myself. I mean, I should have been more concerned about myself. I am a walking skeleton head with demonic horns hiding in a world of pastel-colored ponies with an entity that can level all life in the world by simply moving the sun closer.

As for my situation with Celestia ordering me to stay put, it wasn't that hard to figure it out if I thought about it. I was hospitalized, and I had a file containing my information on it. There were ponies traumatized by me in the hospital. It would be weird for someone to NOT have gotten a hold of that information. They were probably acting against Celestia to get to me and probably get me killed. I do look like an evil entity from pony tales.

So, if I was to stay in the room, there were two possibilities. Celestia proposed a counterargument by having me act obediently to prove she has me under control, whatever in Tartarus I am, I need to keep that wrapped. The other possibility was Celestia was facing off against a bunch of rioters trying to get to me, Coup d'état style (did I write this correctly?).

But due to the lack of screaming and a LOT of silence, the first option was the most likely part of my predicament. And since I wasn't done exploring my new life and trying to make something out of it, I thought it best to follow through with her request. Still, it was unnerving to just sit and wait there in silence.

I was not in control of that situation. And, whatever was going to happen to me, would be decided by someone else. It didn't sit well with me, but I am a child in this world.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of steps approaching my room. I backed away into the corner of the bed furthest from the door. The doors opened and Celestia entered the room. There were several noble-looking ponies behind her. I felt irked as if something foul had entered the room.

"There. He followed the instructions. Now leave!" Celestia ordered with a threatening voice as her eyes turned white and emitted an eerie glow.

"It would seem I was right in my assumptions," I mumbled as the nobles scurried out of the room.

"Mors, follow me," Celestia said while using her magic to seal the door shut.

I was about to ask where before another door spawned in front of my mirror. Considering the unknown factors of the situation, I thought it would be best to follow any orders she gave. I rushed behind Celestia as she disappeared into the door. Honestly, I felt like I was entering the door to Kingdom Hearts.

Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take my journal with me.

I guess I know why Celestia was so worried about my magic. So, remember that joke I made? The one about me using necromancy? I didn't? Huh, well, that's what I do. I am a necromancer.

FUCK.

I am a damned lich! My god. I bet that if someone stabbed me across my head or chest, I wouldn't die. You can't kill a lich without taking out the vessel holding their heart/soul. In role-playing games, Liches are powerful casters, they possess special actions that allow them to use magic to create lesser and medium undead. Elder liches can create greater undead and are extremely hard to kill or push back. Out of all the things I could remember, there was one thing I am concerned about the most. There is a spell/ability they possess known as Power Word Kill.

It was a special spell of high power. It could instantly make the target die. I knocked out an adult at the age of four with just my voice. What the hell will happen if I lose control of my magic and let out a Kill Word? What's to stop me from accidentally using my voice to kill?

But that is the least of my worries. I had a complete rundown from Celestia on what it means to be a lich in Equestria. Which makes me less worried. However, there is still a major issue here. The thing I mentioned about being watched? That's because there is someone else inside this body. As in, another soul living with me. The presence I mentioned, might be coming from within. Celestia didn't give me all the details, but when I passed out some stuff happened. And I teleported into the throne room.

I should probably write things down as Celestia told me. And I should Organize things to not make them too overbearing. So, I'll start with the definition of a lich, the short version, and then go to Celestia's revelation.

The definition of Liches in this world and my own are very different. Liches here never truly died to become undead in Equestria. They are ponies that artificially became immortal by placing that which makes them mortal into a vessel, a vessel that doesn't consume the energy which makes them age and die. But their bodies still age to the point of reaching their physical prime. However, they will be stagnant in that state forever.

Based on what Celestia told me, once upon a time, Liches pretended to be in the same league as Alicorns. But that was because of a Power-crazed state. There is a reason why Liches end up evil in this world, and it's also related to their creation. When someone becomes a Lich, their heart and soul are extracted and placed on a vessel. Both remain operational and also remain stagnant in time by the spell that removed them.

But the body still needs something to sustain itself from. And that is where a substitute appears and makes the body function. Liches create the Ether flame as a substitute for their souls and hearts. There are two types of Ether Flames. The Core, this part is a physical manifestation that emulates a heartbeat, is only physically manifested after ten years of the lich's birth. If it suffers critical damage, the lich's body decays and crumbles. But the other flame allows them to recreate their physical body. That is called Sin, as the original lich named it as a symbol of their Sin of envy from the alicorns' longevity.

My core is yet to be formed, so, I am currently vulnerable to having my body destroyed. Once my core is formed, I'll be very difficult to get rid of. And I mean it. A normal pony can die from a stab to the heart. A lich will take several stabs to the heart before dying. The easiest way to destroy my physical body with a core would be a constant magic beam being fired at my chest for one minute. And that is at its weakest.

As for Sin, this flame doesn't have a physical manifestation. But it gets weaker to recreate a body. If a lich is repeatedly destroyed, their Sin could be exhausted. This would cause them to enter a dormant state until the Sin is ready to reappear. An exhausted Sin can take from one week to months to regain its strength. Sin doesn't work like a normal Pony's magic well. It sustains itself and grows from the magic in the environment. Every part of the world emanates mana. And the Ether flame assimilates and consumes it. And the older it gets, the more efficient it becomes at the conversion ratio.

And it's exactly because of Sin that liches enter power trips. The Ether flame's growing power starts to saturate the body, and this poisons the mind of the liches. And this shifts their moral compasses and turns them crazy. The average sane lifespan of a lich is of around twenty-five years. In my case, I should be crazed at this point. But Celestia believes that I retained my sanity because of my mental maturity. She also thinks I might be able to keep my sanity if I strengthen my will (her words, not mine).

And this brings me to the second topic of my existence! I am cursed! And the fact I turned into a lich is the reason I am still alive! Otherwise, I would have experienced a slow and painful death within my first year here! Yay.

This curse is called the Curse of Thorns. And I would have died with my organs pierced by vines that would keep me alive until they burst out of my body.

Fuck whoever came up with this damned thing.

With that out of the way, I think I should express how grateful I am to Celestia. Even though it is a misguided wish, she wanted me to have a normal childhood, hence why she didn't tell me right away about my condition. So, when all was said and done, and I knew what I had become, I trusted Celestia with one last thing.

I told her, that if I ever turn crazy like the rest, I asked her to get rid of me.

But for that to happen, I need to find out where my vessel is.

And that's all regarding liches so far.

Onto the tale as old as time. And the truth about what the fuck happened way back then, the one responsible for the fall of the laws of Sisterhood. This is a clip notes version of all Celestia told me, so bear with me on this.

"A solemn promise, that's what he called it. Mors, when we first met the Nameless King, we had no idea what my sister and I had just stumbled upon. When my sister and I found him, he was but a pegasus pony with lavender eyes struggling to stand. But he continued to repeat the same vow. He kept reaching forward with lifeless eyes stating: One day, I will set things right. One day, I'll return. And I will bring everyone back."

"Luna and I thought the poor stallion was delusional. However, after allowing him to rest and recover. We sensed that there was more to the stallion than we could have imagined. He possessed an unnatural strength and his ability to fight was on par with some of the best mortal warriors at the time. Together, we fought, traveled, and experienced the world as mercenaries. We taught him how to fight, he taught us how to heal. His charisma was unlike anything we had ever seen. It didn't matter where he went, he would sway the hearts of those around him with words. My sister and I learned a great deal about handling situations with other means beyond physical power alone."

"But, one day, he told us he had to leave. That there were ponies he was looking for. And now that he had become stronger, he was ready to try and find them on his own. And for a long time, we thought he had died. Years passed and using the experience we gained with this pony, we formed our kingdom. As time continued to flow, we heard whispers of an expanding empire reaching as far as eyes could see beyond the equestrian borders. However, we were too busy with our problems to ever seek the truth behind such tales."

"All of this changed, however, when Discord's fall happened. Our heroic deed brought forth a parade led by the very same pony that we had met. Luna and I could not believe it. He hadn't aged a day. His strength had increased both in followers and his own. And he had brought allies with griffins, zebras, and even Kirins. We welcomed him with a hint of uneasiness. We had known about liches before. And how their minds and bodies can be corrupted by their artificial immortality. So, we were weary."

"Using honeyed words filled with poison, however, this stallion made his way back into our mist. Luna and I grew closer to the pegasus. He was unlike any other stallion we had ever met. We thought things could be perfect. That the union of the kingdoms could happen and create one big nation. Until he disappeared. No word, no letter, no nothing. Just as suddenly as he entered our lives, he exited them once more. It wasn't until later that we learned about an empire rising in a strange Eden that had emerged over the frozen plains where the old Equestria had once existed that we would see that stallion again."

"Sadly, when we met him once more, it was by his hand that the curse of thorns first came to be. The Eden from the Crystal Empire turned into a trap overnight. The Princess of Love he had appointed as regent died at the pedestal where a relic fueled by love was almost tainted by fear. The stallion brought a unicorn with him, one born from the darkness and formed from a vile crystal. Her name was Umbra. The mare stood by his side as our troops marched against the empire. The kingdoms he had ruled fell into dismay and chaos as his corruption became public knowledge. Using the power of the elements, Luna and I banished Umbra."

"However, her devotion to her master was beyond anything we had ever seen. Using all of her hatred and fear, Umbra sealed away the Empire with a curse that erased it from the memories of most of the ponies, causing it to become a myth. As for the king? During our fight, he influenced Luna. His words corrupted Luna's mind. She insisted on guarding the pegasus until we discovered his vessel. Years later, Luna became Nightmare Moon. And she freed the damned pegasus from his prison."

"Luckily, I had found the vessel by then. That same night, I ended the life of the pegasus lich, the Nameless King. And I sealed away my sister. But, it seems I was foolish to think such a vile creature could have been erased so easily."

"Mors, it seems the one that cursed you. The one to cause you all this pain is but a part of that same pegasus that managed to survive. They are within you. And I know that, because, I know it because when you appeared before us. I knew it, from the moment I laid eyes on it, that monstrous form and those lavender eyes. I knew it was him. And, he made the vow once again while pointing at me."

"One day, I will set this right. One day, I'll return to this land. And I will bring back everyone. That's what you said before collapsing. That stallion was the reason the Sisterhood began its fall, but because of the Sisterhood mentality, My sister and I tried to grant him some level of decency. And that allowed my sister to be corrupted. We cannot give stallions too much power, but we can't also completely shield them from everything. Therefore, I dissolved the laws and gave them some level of freedom. And in the end, now, he is back."

"I don't think he is strong enough to take over. Whatever happened between you and Twilight that caused you to be the way you are must have stopped it. But you need to become stronger, Mors. I need you to keep him sealed away within you. You cannot let the King come out. No matter what happens, you must be strong enough to push him back. And I'll train you to do just that. I wished you had a happy childhood. I did."

"But I can't allow that pony to walk in these lands ever again. So, please, grant me this selfish request, will you allow me to train you?"

I guess you can see what I answered, right?

So, not only am I a cursed lich, I am the vessel for an ancient evil that conquered a great deal of the world and caused the fall of several kingdoms on his own.

I don't know if Celestia told me the entire story. I can't shake the feeling everything seems a little too romantic. But, she had a romantic involvement with the stallion. And without Luna around, I can't exactly look for other sources of information.

And to make things clear, this training of Celestia. It would keep me isolated from everyone, for a great deal of time. I wasn't even aware of it until she told me.

But that's the truth, I'll be gone for a while. I won't even be able to write.

Hopefully, I'll make it in less than five years.

(Twilight's diary)

Dear Diary, I went to see the princess today at night.

I had a bad dream with a black mare cackling and laughing at me. It was a strange dream. It felt different, like a memory. But it wasn't my memory. And the mare walked on four legs instead of two. She could turn into mist, and her mane was made out of stars. She changed shape and size, and could even create storms with her mane.

I was scared. But, while I was having this nightmare, Mors' flower appeared. It sprouted from the ground and made him appear. He snapped his fingers and the mare became a beautiful giant blue rose. And another pony, a blue mare was sleeping inside it. She was crying.

"She needs your help," Mors told me before turning into a series of thorns and spreading through the landscape.

After that, I woke up. I thought I should tell the princess about the dream. It felt important. As in, it held some sort of important message to it. Like a prophecy.

But, when I got to the study, I heard something through the door. Celestia was talking to herself, I peeked into the room through the keyhole and used a spell to make my hearing better.

"I need to help Mors. If she gets a hold of him, I don't know if I can ever forgive myself. You're in great danger because of me. Mors, I'm so sorry. The best I can do is prepare you for what is to come," Celestia mumbled while trying to suppress her tears. She sounded so hurt.

I decided to run back to my room in the library. It sounded like Mors was in trouble. I don't know what to do. If he is in trouble, I want to help. But, I don't know if I can. He is getting special training from Celestia to get ready for something. I'm not on Celestia's level.

And maybe that's what I need to do.

That's it.

I'm going to become a magician as capable as Princess Celestia. I'll study harder than ever before!

(Spitfire's POV)

Report number 15#

I found a literal monster hiding among the ponies of Canterlot. The little pet Celestia tried to push me to train turned out to be a HUGE monster with a body made out of thorns. That thing moved faster than me. It blinked out of existence using some sort of magic. I flew as fast as I could to warn the castle, but I arrived too late.

The guards were knocked unconscious, and there was a line of nobles trying to act like heroes to protect Princess Celestia. Typical hero play, except they didn't expect its might to overpower them so easily. Purity in bloodlines causing an increase of power? Kiss my flank with that kind of donkey shit. That thing is nothing more than an amalgamation of creatures and plants living as one, and it kicked their flanks without as much as moving a finger. And the way it was just reaching for Princess Celestia, it felt like it was begging for help.

Wait, this makes it sound like I pitied the thing. I mean, it was a kid. And Celestia did tell me that he had gone through Tartarus and back. Maybe it went back to ask for help? It didn't say a word, not any word that I could hear at least. I say that because, from my perch, it looked like Celestia was having a conversation with it. She was sweating bullets and her eyes were filled with tears. I once heard that unicorns that touched their horns while casting a specific spell can communicate with each other without using words.

I may have hurt someone that the Princess considers close to a son. Damn it! I always screw things up with how brash I am. I can't just keep throwing myself out like that. I want to be the leader of the Wonderbolts.

Time to start acting like someone of that caliber. Otherwise, I'll never get to that point.

Research notes, Number #65

In terms of magical prowess, there is a total of eight standard ranks among unicorns.

These ranks are from lowest to highest: Elementalist, Neophyte, Acolyte, Magician, Arcanist, Sorcerer, Master, and Arcane Master. These ranks are used to identify the number of spells learned and mastered. The first is a great factor in the initial levels of the ranks. The latter being the deciding factor on the rise of rank from Acolyte upwards. In terms of climbing efficiently, the best method is to learn the minimal number of spells for each of the ranks. After that, you should focus on mastering each of the spells you already have on your roster.

These ranks are awarded by a table of casters from any rank above yours. If there is a consensus, you are allowed to pass on to the next level. Unless a special ranker decides you are allowed to get a promotion.

Above these ranks stand the special ranks that can only be given by someone of that special rank. These ranks are related to each of the elemental affinities of the unicorns. The elements known to Ponykind are fire, water, earth, wind, lighting, shadow, empathy, darkness, time, blood, void, Byomancy, metal, plants, magma, crystals, sound, and light. Each pony has at least two elemental affinities. If they are particularly gifted, they can go up to four elemental affinities. And most of the elements have the same branches of development. And the highest form from the magic branches from each of the elements is creation and destruction magic. The ones with the fewest branches are time, void, and empathy. Which also happen to be among the rarest elemental affinities of the bunch.

When it comes to some of the other branches, we have levitation, detection, beams, defensive, offensive, and art, which are the most common. And when it comes to getting a special rank, so long as you pass the Ranker's trial, you'll be promoted.

But such skills are unimportant at the time. The highest rank of magic is Heart. Each rank is accompanied by a term referring to the element the unicorn has mastered to this extent. For example, we have the Blazing Heart, Crimson Heart, Luminous Heart, and Living Heart.

Governing above all ranks, we have the Grand Wizard. Only a handful of casters have ever filled this position before. One of them is a mortal unicorn by the name of Starswirl the Bearded. The others are Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Amore. Holding this title means you achieved the greatest honor of all when it comes to magic. And you can only receive the title if the number of Grand wizards.

But the process of receiving this used to be rather tricky. Since it's the highest form, the caster must receive an approving rating from at least fifty percent of the titleholders rounded up. Therefore, you needed to impress at least three holders in the past. Right now, so long as you perform to the standard before the only holder of the title, you could get the title.

But that is wishful thinking, considering there hasn't been a new Grand Wizard in at least a thousand years.

I will cover the military ranks in my next notes. This should make it easier to understand each function and branch of the Equestrian Army.

(Celestia's POV)

At the edge of the world sits a door leading to a place from which no evil can escape. The door was built long ago by someone stronger than Celestia ever knew, it could not be destroyed. However, that door was not without its flaws. Flaws that, if abused, could allow the evils contained within to escape. Flaws that Celestia had been thorough in correcting.

Tartarus, a prison from which no evil would ever escape. It was a place from which Nightmares could be born, and stories to scare children away were woven.

She knew that very well, Celestia had started those stories after all. Stepping closer to the monument against evil, Celestia touched the wicked adornment made out of gold decorating the door. It was one of three skulls representing Cerberus the once guardian of the gates.

"How fare you, A-?" Celestia said before feeling her throat close and a sudden feeling as if someone had grabbed her by the neck. A surge of magic enveloped her body as she gasped for air. "She still keeps your name away then. You will never walk upon these lands again," Celestia added as her mane seemed to turn into flames for a brief moment. "That child, it will be stronger than you ever were."

Stepping away Celestia opened her wings before turning around and glancing at the door over her shoulder. "And that is a promise."