It was a few days later, and Nito was making his way towards the abode of his new teacher. He gave a small nervous sigh as he trotted down the street, looking this way and that as he milled over his first meeting with his new teacher.

He had not exposed Trixie, as much as he had thought about it. He had simply informed his parent’s that he had happened to meet her earlier that day, and the filly had been willing to play along after a bit of surprise on her part. He had not, admittedly, been terribly convincing, and His mother had given him a bit of…a look. But considering the situation, she had seen fit to allow it to pass for the time being.

His first lesson had been, well, less of a lesson and more of a meeting with his parents. Jackpot had asked them a number of questions about his progress, spells he might already know, his general level of arcane stamina, favorite snacks, and the like, and had given him a bit of a once over before sitting down with his father and talking shop for the rest of the morning after telling him that they would be having lessons at the magician’s home three days a week. It had really been more a meeting to familiarize all of the involved parties than anything else. Not that that was a bad thing, it had certainly helped the colt relax a bit, set him more at ease.

He was admittedly a bit nervous to be seeing her again, even if there would be an adult supervising the entire time she was…sort of intimidating.

The colt felt a deepset pang of self-loathing as he milled over being scared of a filly despite being a grown man deep down. But then again, he wasn’t a grown man anymore, or even a man. He was a little colt, and as difficult as it was to really come to grips with that even after several years, he liked to think he was getting there.

He took a deep breath and steeled himself, continuing on with a bit more resolve behind his trotting, head held a bit higher. No use in stewing in it all day, he had things to do, ponies to see! And in any case, he certainly didn't want to show up to his first day of proper lessons looking like a sadsack.

He arrived on the outskirts of town at what appeared to be a fairly large tent,. It was primarily purple, with some star and moon designs on it here and there, and a few patches. It seemed in decent shape, but it had obviously seen better days. Parked beside it was a well-traveled-looking carriage with a sign on the side bearing three golden stars.

This certainly seemed to be the place. Incognito swallowed softly before approaching, attempting to knock on the front door.

Pamf pamf pamf

The sound was of course, muted and fairly soft since he was simply smacking his hoof against the fabric. His face lit up a soft red as he cleared his throat to announce himself “M-Mister Jackpot? I’m here for my magic lessons…”
The tent flap opened and out popped the stallion himself, smiling down cheerfully at his new student. “Ah! Nito, please come right on in, make yourself at home.” he said as he gestured invitingly.” “Trixie is out exploring the town again, so it’ll be just the two of us today, but that just means I’ll be able to focus on helping you get yourself oriented!” he said as he turned and trotted inside, seeming a bit eager to begin.

The colt gave him a small nod and entered, looking around. Despite it being a tent it was well…fairly homey. There were multiple sections it seemed, all portioned off by further fabric curtains, staked down and serving as walls. There were shelves here and there where things needed to be stowed away, and a number of chests as well. The floor, rather than being simply dirt, seemed to have been tamped down and packed, smoothed even to resemble something properly livable. He had to admit to himself that the whole thing was honestly fairly impressive considering.

Jackpot picked up on his attitude and gave a small smirk, playfully elbowing the colt. “Not bad eh? A little magic goes a long way. Some soundproofing on the walls here, a bit of work on the floors there, a minor ward or two to help protect from the weather and it’s almost like you’re in a proper house. Usually, we just bunk in the carriage while traveling, but we break Ol’ Faithful here out for extended stays.”

Nito absorbed all of this, his ears perking at the mention of magic being usedin the process. “Oh! Yeah, that is actually pretty impressive, Mister Jackpot. Would you be able to show me how you did all this?”

“In time, my colt, in time. Some of it is a bit beyond your current level if what your father was telling me is true, and well…I am not sure how much your parents would appreciate me teaching you a soundproofing spell…especially once you start getting a bit older…, but I’m sure I have more than enough tricks up my sleeve to keep you happy and growing as a magician.

Nito hangs on Jackpot’s every word, admittedly a bit pulled in by the stallion’s bold, showmanly tone as they continue to speak. “Of course, that’s one of the most important lessons to learn about magic right there. It’s a tool, like any other, and the most important thing you need to know as a caster is the right time to use it.”

This seems to make the colt stumble a bit in his enthusiasm. He looks confused and the stallion picks up on it, moving to explain. “Well, think about it, Nito. Magic is all well and good, if you have the talent for it, but well, most ponies make due just fine in most things without it. Most ponies rarely end up learning magic outside of their cutie mark save for your bog-standard telekinesis and illumination spells.”

Nito pipes up at this. “Yeah, that makes sense. but isn’t that the point of learning magic, to use it to do things you normally couldn't, or do them more easily?”

Jackpot gave an almost incredulous scoff at this statement. “Perhaps for some third rate casters, but a lot of the time learning how to take the time to do something the mundane way is a lot more practical and rewarding, and you’ll find that more often than not there's a way to do something you thought was impossible without any magic at all. Your greatest tool as a magician is this,” he said, emphasizing the last word while gently tapping the colt’s head. “Not the thing sticking out the top of it. Magic takes effort and time o learn and costs energy to cast. For instance!”

He tapped at the ground a bit, looking from Nito to the ground as he did so. “This tent. I used Magic to smooth the floors because doing it normally would have taken hours and been pretty exhausting. I mean, I’m no earth pony after all, and cleverness can only do so much when all you’re working with is a bit of fabric, so that was the way to go for making the place generally livable. But you can be darn well sure my darling little Trix and I set up this tent properly by hoof. A bit of practice is all it takes to be able to do it in a matter of minutes if you really hustle, especially with a team. It’s way less hassle than trying to levitate everything into place, not to mention hammering down the spikes.”

Incognito was surprised to find himself finding a fair bit of sense in this approach. “Yeah, I get it, I think. Just because you can do something with magic doesn't make that automatically the easiest way to do it.” Something that upon a few moments of further reflection, he realized with a small cringe that he knew plenty well already from his long evenings in the backyard with The Rock.

Jackpot saw the twinge on his expression and chuckled softly, gently patting the colt on the back. “Indeed, I’m sure you have plenty of first-hoof experience with that. Foals your age are always so eager to try to push their limits, I find. Magic is no exception to that! Not to worry, now that your parents have left you in the capable hooves of a seasoned veteran such as myself, I am sure that we’ll have you up to snuff in no time! Please, follow me.”

Jackpot gestured with his head for the colt as he began to walk deeper into the tent, with Nito quickly following behind until they came to a stop in what seemed to be the living area of the tent. Some old, tattered but comfortable looking furniture was arranged around the room, a couch, a coffee table with a small clock perched atop it, even a cozy little lantern to keep the entire thing pleasantly, warmly alight.

The stallion cleared his throat as he took on a more mild, informative tone. “Now, the first thing any aspiring tradespony should learn is how to maintain and properly handle their tools to make sure that they do not damage or wear them out. Tell me, ‘Nito, have you ever meditated before?”

“Uh…no, not really…” he said as he scratched his head, attempting to recall. He had probably done it a few times back in his old life, but definitely not since coming to Equestria.

“Well, that’s going to change. I am going to teach you how as your lesson for today. Please, take a seat on the floor here.” Jackpot said firmly as he dropped down onto his hindquarters right there in front of the colt, assuming a criss-cross applesauce sort of position that, if not for understanding that equine anatomy here was very different from back home, would look incredibly uncomfortable. Hell, even after five years seeing shit like this made the poor colt cringe a bit internally.

After a bit of doing, Nito managed to replicate his sitting posture, his hooves in his lap looking up at the other for approval.

He got it, a small nod and smile came from Jackpot before he began to speak again. “Alright, now, I want you to close your eyes and relax, just listen to my voice and follow along with what I ask you to do, okay?”

It seemed straightforward enough, the colt nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he tried to relax as the other had instructed.

“Good, now, just breathe in and out, deeply and slowly. In…then out, nice and steady.”

He did as he was bidden, allowing his breath to be drawn deeply overtime before being slowly exhaled once more. With each breath, he felt himself relax a bit more. It was an effort to maintain his posture and not slouch over with how relaxed he soon became, but after a few minutes of working through it, he found himself maintaining a reasonable posture automatically and comfortably even as he felt as if he was slowly settling into the ground under him.

“There you go, looks like you are starting to get properly relaxed, very good. Now, I want you to slowly start to draw your focus in onto the top of your head, a bit above between your eyes. Tell me what you feel there.”

It took him some time to shift his focus while maintaining the same state of mind, but after what felt like a few minutes, the colt could feel…

“I feel…a sort of tingle, a bit of warmth. I can sort of see it behind my eyelids….A light. It’s…a soft grey sort of color, Like my magic.”
Now, I want you to imagine reaching out to it with your hooves and gently holding it between them.”

He did as he was bidden, he visualized his hooves moving from his lap and towards the little ball of grey light. As the imaginary hooves grasped it, he heard the familiar soft chimes that accompanied the use of magic within the depths of his mind, and he felt the energy encompass his horn. “Okay, I’m doing it…”

“Very good. Now, I’m sure you feel it in your horn. Let that feeling wash over you, don't try to shape it or contain it, just let the feeling of it slowly ease over your body, bit by bit, breath by breath….”

He nodded ever so slightly as he continued to hold the light in his mind's hooves. He allowed the feeling to slowly, gradually leak down from his horn.it slid over his head, down his neck, and over his back and chest. He felt it slowly run down his lower body and over his legs. Every breath he took the feeling slowly enveloped a little more of him, until he finally felt the comforting warmth of his magic envelop him totally like a soothing blanket. The chimes were louder now, but not a distraction. They melted into the background of his thoughts as easily as the magic seemed to melt onto his person.

He stayed like that for some time, content to feel nothing, hear nothing other than the warmth of his magic and the echoes of the chimes, the beat of his heart, and the drawing of his own soft breath. It was tranquil, incredibly soothing, the most natural thing in the world. Even more so than the breathing it required, the pumping of the blood that sustained him, the ebb and flow of energy through his being felt as if it was his center and his end.

“Alright, now go ahead and roll it back, concentrate the energy back to your horn, then release the light.” he heard his instructor's voice gently urging him.

He gave a small frown at this. “D-do I really have to?” he asked softly, admittedly a tad hesitant to let this wonderful feeling end.

“I’m afraid so, I know it’s nice, but we cannot simply sit around meditating all day like some sort of monk. Go ahead.” His tone was sympathetic but firm. Nito gave a small sigh as he began to obey. He allowed the energy to recede back into his horn reluctantly, the feeling of warmth pulling away as smoothly and slowly as it had first enveloped him until it was finally located entirely within his horn once more.

Once he had done as he was bidden, he released the light, the feeling in his horn dissipating, leaving him feeling slightly chilled, as if he has stepped out of a particularly warm shower and into the cold open air of a chilly fall evening. He shivered slightly and opened his eyes, blinking a few times in surprise.

Everything seemed a bit more…vivid, a bit more there than it had before. Not by a whole lot, but enough that it was noticeable that something was at least a little different. And on top of that, he felt refreshed. Despite having been sitting there for some time, he did not feel the slightest bit stiff or sore. On the contrary, he felt like he had a bit more energy than usual, like he could think a bit more clearly. He felt…at ease, like everything was okay, was going to be okay in that sort of generic Hakuna Matata sort of way.

He brought a hoof up to his face, rubbing it slowly as he took it in. “Huh…that’s something, ain't it?”

“It’s always a little more visceral the first time. You only really notice it if you haven't done it before, or if you’ve been slacking off for a really long time and get back to it, but if you do it regularly, the pathways your magic takes through your body will become more developed and reliable. Regular meditation has a whole host of benefits outside of spellcasting as well. It promotes a focused, calm mind, and helps to sharpen your senses over time. Go ahead, check your status.”

Nito nodded and did so, opening his window privately and taking a look to see he had a few notifications

• The requirements have been met (Intelligence of 5 or higher, Wisdom of 5 or higher, Successfully meditate for the first time.), You have obtained the Accolade: Mysticism Initiate

• You have Acquired the Skill: Meditation: Lv 6/70 (matched to lowest of Intelligence or Wisdom)

• You have Obtained the Attribute: Blessing of Tranquility (Mental/Arcane Skills/Stats are increased by an amount dependant on the level of the Meditation Skill for 12 hours after 1 hour of uninterrupted Meditation. [Current Bonus:~5%] )

• You are influenced by the Staus Effect: Tranquil (Duration: 11 Hours, 56 Minutes)

His eyes widened at this, a bit of excitement welling up in the colt “O-oh wow! That’s..thats really cool! Thank you, Mister Jackpot!” he said a bit giddy. He considered hugging them, but he was worried that might be seen as a bit odd. And refrained.

Jackpot stood up, skating himself off a bit and freeing a small puff of dust from his hindquarters as he gave the colt a kind look. “I want you to do that for at least an hour, twice a day. Once when you wake up before you eat breakfast, and once in the evening before you go to sleep. And never try to reach out to your magic when you are angry either. Just trust me. I’ll explain in greater detail once you are a bit more well versed with theory and such.”

Nito nodded, standing up as well and bouncing from one hoof to the other a bit, enjoying his invigorated state. “Alright, so what else are we going to do?”

Jackpot smirked at this, raising an eyebrow as he pointed to the clock nearby. “My colt, that’s all for today, you’ve already been here for a few hours. What’s next is I get you a snack and send you on your way.”

He was already trotting off to the kitchen area. There was a cozy little wood stove next to a fresh barrel of water and a cabinet that when it was opened, revealed itself to be enchanted to remain cold on the inside like a refrigerator. He pulled out a pre-prepared plate of apples with peanut butter on them and set it down on the table. “Now, you go ahead and eat up and see yourself home. You did a very good job today, Nito, you should be very proud of yourself,” he said with a kind warmth as he patted the little one on the head and trotted back towards the living area.

The colt quite happily dug into the healthy little snack, beaming slightly at the praise. The sting of that afternoon a few days past was almost forgotten, save for the lingering specter of his curse, and as far as he was concerned for the moment, everything was coming up ~~Milhouse~~ Incognito!

Author's Note

Another one hot off the presses for the lot of you. After wrapping up that fat commission I decided a bit of fun wouldn't hurt, and I hope you all enjoy ^^