Corruption is Magic

“And, that should do it.” Hemrick happily says as he steps back from the mannequin he stands before, his bronze colored magic dissipating from the fabric that is a long yet tight fitting dress. The main body of the dress is black with arms akin to fishnets that are Indigo along with the legs under the ball gown bottom. The legs however are more of a light see through nylon that only go up to the thigh and down to the top of my hooves. Along with all this is a dark purple thing around the neck of the mannequin. “That is called a choker.” Hemrick comments, he must have seen my gaze on the strange object. Looking down to the dress again I notice the black ball gown allows one to see the deeper layers of fabric and cloth giving glimpses of dark purples, indigoes and hints of hibiscus through the dark fabric.

“My, my. You really out did yourself big boy.” Alexander comments as he walks over to us. “I’ll be sure to take a good chunk off the stuff you still owe me.”

“Ya ya.” Hemrick waves a hand at Alexander in a disgruntled manner. “Now then Twilight, How about you try it on.” Hemrick says going to the back and untying the tightener and slowly lifting the dress off the mannequin followed by the choker and legs. Handing them off to me I look at the clothing and force down my tears of joy but also sadness.

“I… Thank you. Do… Do you want payment?” I ask, knowing full well what payment means here. Hemrick looks at me with a raised eyebrow but shakes his head.

“Na, your teacher already paid me.” Hemrick says looking at Alexander who chuckles before drinking the fruit smoothie he grabbed for himself as he grabbed me one when I sent him away. As we both look at him he just smiles as he sips from the smoothie with a straw.

“Want some?” He asks with a wide grin, taking the straw out of his mouth and tilting the cup to me.

“No, thank you.” I sigh, walking over to what looks like a dressing room with a curtain. I close myself in the small room and set down my new clothes. I begin to put the clothing on but as I am doing so I hear talking and I mentally fight with myself on if I should listen or not. After a few minutes I sigh and listen to the conversation.

“You can’t be serious Alexander… She is an innocent girl, Don’t let this world wrong her any more than it already has.” Hemrick almost begs, the sound of distress in his voice very prevalent.

“You say that as if she can’t handle herself. She simply needs guidance. Not to mention she is from his world.” Alexander says in a very serious tone unlike his usual self.

“You… you want her to unblock it. You’re still angry that you were beaten, someone out maneuvered you and you can’t handle it… can you?” Hemrick growls followed by the sound of something hitting wood hard.

“I will have you know that the only reason they got away is due to the wish they got. If they had just gotten the throne and left like the rest, that would have been fine. They would have been a fine student, one I would have been proud of.” Alexander says in slight anger.

“Then what about her?”

“What about her?”

“Is she just a tool to-”

“Don’t you dare ask that.” Alexander growls almost sounding demonic as he says every word.

“Then… What is she to you?”

“She is my student, plain and simple. I care for her well being and will ensure she becomes someone I’m proud of. She has the potential to surpass us all.” Alexander calmly says with a small twinge of joy in his words. Pulling away from the curtain I lean against the back wall. I could surpass them all? Does that mean… no, it couldn’t mean…

***

Exiting the clothing shop Alexander happily leads me out and into the crowd of the streets, together we walk but I can’t keep my eyes off him. This man, he hides more than know from me… is it because he is using me, or is it for other reasons. He said he cares for me… but is that really how he feels? Looking at him from head to foot I feel my gut twist and turn at the things I have learned.

“Something the matter my Dear?” I hear Alexander ask without looking at me once, causing me to jump.

“I’m fine…” I say rubbing my arm and looking away from Alexander. “Just thinking about Olvin.” I say quickly trying to lie but as soon as the words leave my lips I realize what I had just said aloud. Slapping my hands on my mouth I mentally kick myself for not paying attention to what I was saying.

“Oh, Why think of that fool?” Alexander asks but in his voice I can tell he knows… he knows why I’m thinking of him… how does he know?

“Oh, well I’m just curious why he would go out of his way to do such an evil thing.” I lie through my teeth.

“Oh come now, I wasn’t born yesterday. What did you think of his ordeal?” Alexander asks, making me sweat a bit. What do I say, he has to be testing me… If he did that to Olvin then I can only imagine what he could do to me.

“I- I think it’s a tricky situation.” I hesitantly say but as I speak Alexander turns his head so he can peer back to me.

“You can speak your mind Twilight.” Alexander says with his usual happy voice but what hits me most is him saying my name. He hasn’t said my name ever before if I remember correctly. Somehow just that calms me and shows me he is being serious when he says those words.

“O-okay. I think he was wrong for what he did… I would have punished him too… I did something like that too to someone from my world.” I say recalling how my friends and I imprisoned Discord in stone after he escaped the first time. “Even so, I feel he has atoned for his actions. He is remorseful and kind when you get through his hard exterior.” I smile as I think about Fluttershy at the mention of Kindness.

“So you think he should have his curse lifted?” Alexander asks in a questioning tone.

“I think he should have someone watch over him but yes, he shouldn’t have to live like that. A false name, and false life… for goddesses know how long. All punishments should come to an end when the person has changed or could change.” I say vehemently.

“Interesting… You truly are something special my dear.” Alexander happily says, turning his head back to face in front of him. “I will think about what you have said, but your words have moved me.” Smiling I mentally cheer at the possibility of Olvin getting his old life back. After a bit of celebration a question pops into my head.

“Alexander?” With a hum I know he is listening. “Are you… Are you a Prime Evil?” I ask but my question is met with silence from him for a few seconds.

“If I were a Prime Evil, would that change anything?” He asks and I think about his question for a bit but finding my answer I smile.

“No I guess not.” With that I chuckle and look up to the smoke filled red sky. It’s really a weird world here. Looking back down I speed up till I walk beside Alexander who looks at me with a wide smile.

“I was wondering when you would finally come around to walking beside me.” He happily says.

It isn’t long however before we reach a place that Alexander stops at, looking around I find we are in front of a dark alley with a singular light hovering above a reinforced door. Alexander turns and starts to go down the alley. I quickly run to catch up and as I do Alexander reaches the door and twists the knob opening the door. “After you my dear.” Alexander happily says holding it open for me. Taking the invitation I head in and am greeted with a small room that fits both of us as we enter and across from us is another reinforced door. Alexander, having come in and closed the door behind us, knocks on the door before us, a few seconds after there is a soft click from behind us as the door locks and then the door in front of us produces the same click. Opening this new door Alexander enters and holds the door for me as I enter a wide open store with many different kinds of things inside but what catches my attention is the bookshelves behind the till which is protected with a large metal mesh dividing behind the till and the shop floor.

Looking around I bring my hand to a display case showing off some accessories that shine with the power of magic. “Hands off the merchandise.” I hear a raspy voice bark from behind me. Spinning around I see a large, muscular blue and white dragon like creature from behind the till. He stands on two legs and has two arms which are crossed but most striking is that he has two sets of wings, one set being very big even folded as they are right now, the others are much larger and below the large set.

“Ah, Brick. How are you?” Alexander says walking over from the door to stand beside me.

“Well I’ll be damned. I thought you died or something.” The Dragon says with a small amount of happiness as he comes to the till and leans on it with his hands. “Now this is a rare sight indeed. What caused you to suddenly get a fling?”

“Can people stop thinking we are a thing?” I groan.

“Oh, so she is free then?” The Dragonoid says with a lick of his lips making my skin crawl.

“You wish.” Alexander says getting a grunt from the Dragon.

“Names Brick. I’m a Wyvern… mostly.” He chuckles as he looks at me.

“Twilight, I’m… a mess.” I say feeling defeated once again on how to classify myself but Brick laughs and nods.

“Some are. Just go by what you were in those cases.”

“I was a pony.” I am a bit relieved that I now know how to respond to these introductions.

“A pony? Aw Alexander, I didn’t give you the list of what I wanted for my Birthday.” Brick jokingly says with a mock cute face on as he peers over at Alexander.

“Oh my, if I had known you had a birthday I might have thought about getting you a gift.” Alexander smiles as he places an arm around me, at first it is surprising but I quickly get slightly comfortable. It’s almost as if a blanket of protection is placed around me.

“Alright, joking aside. You two came here for some stuff. What are you looking for?” Brick asks, pushing up off the till and crossing his arms.

“Well, this fine lady needs some books. I also would like one of your guns just as a backup in case she has an unsavory character on her tail.” Alexander says with a smile. Did he just make a joke? Brick, having heard the things Alexander said, looks at him as if his mind stopped working.

“You want not just one of my flintlocks, which mind you are hard to get and keep loaded. You also want books which are actively burned by these meat heads?”

“Indeed I do. Oh but I also have payment.” Alexander happily says as he rummages around in the inside of his suit with his hand. Pulling out a small chunk of shiny chunk of obsidian black material.

“You… Are you insane? Put that away.” Brick barks to which Alexander shrugs and tucks the material away making me confused what exactly it was. Sighing and rubbing his face with his hands Brick thinks to himself. “Okay… okay. I’ll do it but if my shop gets hit because of that shit, I’ll be coming after you. How much do you have?”

“More than enough for payment but you still know your metalworking contact Right?” Alexander asks.

“Yeah I do wh-” He stops part way through asking but when he looks at Alexander and I his face contorts. “No, no. Are you fucking nuts? Not only is this material ridiculously rare, You want to make armor for… for her?” Brick incredulously asks, making me very confused as I had no idea about armor.

“Come now, it is for when she takes the throne.” Brick laughs and begins to pace back and forth behind the counter.

“Oh of course, it’s never just something small with you. You are gone for twenty years then you come in with corrupted mythril. A substance close to no worlds have and a minimal amount in said worlds exists. You then offer it as payment and also want me to get it worked into armor? Then you say it’s for a pony that will become Queen… What the actual fuck Alex.”

“Well, I had planned for the armor to be for myself and maybe make a weapon of sorts. I have been taking this stuff as payment where I could when I could since I learned of it.” Alexander causally explains.

“That isn’t what I mean!” Brick shouts, grabbing his two horns on his head in frustration. “This is a lot to lay on a guy in the first few minutes of meeting up again after so long.” Brick sighs letting his horns go and looking at us as if his energy has been drained. “You will be the death of me.”

“Look on the bright side buddy. When Twilight here takes the throne I can see to it that you are appointed as her personal contact to the underworld of the underworld.” Alexander offers, getting a glare from me.

“Don’t make decisions for me.” I say to him to which Alexander chuckles.

“I appreciate it but I’d rather not have ties like that.” Brick says.

“Suit yourself. So, are you alright with this offer?” Alexander asks to which Brick grumbles to himself then nods.

“I would be stupid to not accept it even though it comes with a risk.”

“Splendid. So then my dear. What books did you want?” Alexander asks as he leads me to the counter.

“Uh, I wouldn’t mind a book detailing the hierarchy of this world if there is one. I also would like one of the different forms of magic here. As much information as you have on these guns. Then maybe other educational information books.” Brick looks from me to Alexander with a deadpan look.

“And you call me a book wyrm.”