Hello darkness my old friend…. I’m sure the ponies managed to take care of everything. Hopefully I’m not passed out for too long, I’d really like to talk to Celestia.

Defeated CR24 Nightmare Moon
+62,000 XP / 7 = 8,857 XP

LEVEL UP!

Level 3 -> Level 5

Level 4: Ability Score Improvement, New Cantrip, Two New Spells

Ability Score Improvement: Improve one stat by 2, two stats by 1, or choose a Feat!

Hmmm, I could get DEX to 20 and CON to 16, but I think I’m pretty alright with keep CON as an odd number. Let’s go with a half feat and pickup something that gets me to 20 DEX.

“Feat.”

Select your feat.

“Elven Accuracy, Assign +1 to DEX.”

New Cantrip Unlocked! Please select a new cantrip to add to your existing cantrips.

“Shocking Grasp.”

Please select 2 new spells to add to your spellbook.

This is gunna be a tough one. I’d really like to add Misty step to my defensive options, but I also really want Scorching Ray…. Shadow Blade is a must for sure though so lets go ahead and select that one. “Shadow Blade.”

On one hand I am trying to be a fire focused bladesinger, so scorching ray would fit more thematically, but misty step is super good for those “oh shit” moments. I’ll just roll a d4, 1-2 Misty Step, 3-4 Scorching Ray. Roll 1d4.

1. Scorching Ray it is. “Scorching Ray.”

Level 5: Two new spells.

Please select 2 new spells to add to your spellbook.

Alright it’s not even up for discussion, I’m taking Sending to see if I can contact my family, and Fireball because I wanna cast Fireball. Who needs a better reason?

“Fireball, Sending.”

New hit point maximum total: 32.

Alright and then lets setup our new prepared spells… Dragon’s breath is out for sure, so is Sleep. Without being able to see hit points I don’t really know when I can cast Sleep. Let’s add in our new spells and here’s my new prepared spells.

Cantrips:
Booming Blade
Control Flames
Mage Hand
Shocking Grasp
Firebolt (Elf Racial Trait)

1st Level:
Absorb Elements
Burning Hands
Feather Fall
Magic Missile
Shield

2nd Level:
Invisibility
Scorching Ray
Shadow Blade

3rd Level:
Fireball
Sending

I’m pretty happy with this, we can use Shadow Blade to generate advantage for elven accuracy and we’ve got our 2 main stats maxed to 20 now.

Level Up Completed!

Quest: Save Princess Luna. Completed!
+3000 XP.

Level 5: 12,757/14,000

Due to level up, body will receive a simulated Long Rest.

Hit Points: 32/32
Spell Slots Restored!
Class Features Restored!
New spellbook configuration confirmed!

“And then he was all like woosh and was moving super fast, he completely overwhelmed Nightmare! I’m telling you Princess it was so cool!” Sounds like Rainbow Dash is talking about me, I think I’ll just keep laying here with my eyes closed. Nothing wrong with a little snooping.

“While that does sound like quite the riveting tale, it’s not what I asked young Rainbow Dash. I need you to specifically recount both instances of the bladesong. While I’m thankful for his assistance in curing Luna, if he truly has the same bladesong as the ones in the long forgotten past then he will need to come back to Canterlot with me for now. That hospital is likely better suited to treat him anyhow.” That’s the same voice I heard when I was dying. That must be Princess Celestia! Let’s go ahead and chime in.

Sitting up slowly I interrupt the ponies, “I have no objections to going with you Celestia, but I don’t need a hospital. In fact I feel better now than I did a few hours ago.” I roll my right shoulder, then my left, and reach down to touch my feet to emphasize that I have full mobility.

All 8 ponies just kinda stare at me a little stunned, so I opt to just keep talking. “I’m also happy to explain the bladesong. What happened at the very end there was called Songblade Harmony, something about harnessing a heartsong to unleash the true power of a bladesong? It felt much different compared to my typical bladesong, exponentially more powerful. I don’t think I could do it again though, I can’t recall the feeling that led to it. Also, shouldn’t you know what that bladesong is? I was only able to use that power because of you. I was unconscious and I saw you shackled inside the sun and you told me to save your sister, remember?”

The princess seems to have overcome her initial shock, finally replying, “Although it was for only a short period of time everything that happened while I was sealed is a blur. I think I vaguely recall something like that happening, but all I did was bring you back from the brink of death. Harmony herself must’ve intervened and forced a heartsong to occur. What you’re describing is slightly different than the ancient art of bladesinging that we know, but it’s close enough that I’m still going to ask you to accompany my sister and I back to the capital. We’ll have a room prepared for you in the castle.”

“Perfect let’s get going then, I’ve been trying to have a conversation with you since I got here. Are you able to perform magic capable of traveling dimensions or planes? I would very much like to go home, nothing personal against all of you. I just have a lot of things left unfinished and people waiting for me back home.”

Celestia’s face scrunches up for a second before she tells me, “I’m afraid I’ve never heard of something like that. We do have an artifact that allows for dimensional traveling but its bound to a specific parallel of this world. It’d only be useful if that’s the one you’re trying to return to, but I can’t imagine it is.”

It feels like my throat is closing up, and I can feel my heart pounding in my ears. “And what are the odds there exists a spell or magic that you’ve never heard of?” Trying to hold on to a glimmer of hope.

“I consider myself quite versed in all the magic Equestria has to offer, but it’s not impossible that something like that exists. It’d have to be quite ancient though, and there’s also the fact that I could be forgetting a spell.” I’m not sure if she could hear the desperation in my voice and gave me this answer out of pity, but this is good enough for me. I still have some hope.

“Oh, let me try and send a message home. I can at least assuage their worries.” I said that, but I actually have no clue if this will even work. There’s a few different problems here, number 1, I’m not from the feywild, I’m from earth. This could cause problems as Sending requires me to be familiar with the creature I’m targeting. Another problem though I don’t even know what plane Earth is on, as far as I’m concerned the Feywild isn’t even fucking real. This doesn’t necessarily matter for Sending, but if they can even send me “home” where the hell am I going to end up.

Enough panicking, I pull out a copper wire from my pouch and sit down on the ground. Holding the wire in both hands I pull it taut and bring it up to my mouth. Alright I’m gunna cast this and target Matt, I was going to target my mom but if I tell Matt this is Sending he’ll know he can respond to me. “Matt, sorry I never showed up with your dice, but I got isekai’d into a land of talking ponies, this is Sending so respond please.” Boom, 25 words exactly. I know I didn’t really convey anything important, but the most important thing here is that he can respond. If he responds then I know I can make it back somehow.

I sit there in silence for a few seconds with the ponies just staring at me. The seconds drag on more and more. Pinkie Pie decides she’s waited long enough, “Well? Is something supposed to happen?”

I release a huge exhale I didn’t realize I was holding and stand up. “Yes, something was supposed to happen, but it didn’t. Guess it doesn’t matter if that spell exists here or not. I probably can’t go home.”

My voice is probably the most monotone it’s been since I arrived here, but I continue, “Even if the spell doesn’t exist here I know there is a spell that allows one to Plane Shift, so I was just going to study night and day until I could cast it myself. Guess I don’t need to do that anymore either. Alright princess, I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

This time I know for certain I’m being pitied, I can see it in their eyes and the way their ears are pressed against their heads. I’m not sure why but being pitied is pissing me off so I decide to turn away and start walking towards the exit of the ruins. “I’m going back into to town, come find me when it’s time to go.”

One of them must’ve tried to chase after me cause I hear Applejack, “Let him go, he just needs some time alone right now.”

Should I try Sending again and see if I can communicate with someone familiar to the original owner of this body? No, there’s no point. Also holy shit I’m starving. I slow down to a walk as I swing my backpack around to my front, let’s see if I’ve got some rations in here. Perfect looks I’ve got 10 just like I’m supposed to.

I arrive at the edge of the forest right as I finish my food and decide to wander around while I wait for the others to return. Pretty much all the ponies give me a wide berth as I wander around, which I don’t really blame them. I’d probably be the same way if the roles were reversed.

I decide to just head back over to the library where Twilight told us about the artifacts. Upon opening the door I hear what sounds like a little kid call out from upstairs, “Twilight! I finished cleaning the kitchen, I’m just reading upstairs if you need me.”

It’d probably be awkward if I just didn’t respond so I yell back, “I’m not Twilight just here to grab a couple books, Twilight should be back soon though.” After a few seconds of silence I shrug and start scanning the book shelves. Let’s see if I can make heads or tails of whatever magic system they use here. Neither Twilight or Nightmare used incantations for their spells, and Nightmare seemed really confused when I cast magic missile so it’s probably a different system entirely. It’d be cool if I could utilize it as well though. Really just anything to keep my mind occupied on something else. I spot a book titled “Your Magic and You, an Aide for Magic Kindergarten” and crack it open.

It feels like it’s been at least an hour or so since I started reading this, and I worked through it pretty quick. There’s a 40 character alphabet for a runic language and unicorns can use their thoughts and their internal mana supply to channel the runes through their horn similar to a spellcasting focus. I got all of that in around 20 minutes, but the rest of my time has been spent trying to recreate this Light spell it describes in the book. The instructions were pretty basic I just need to channel a single rune and I’ll create an orb of light for as long as I supply it with mana.

I’m not sure what the problem is though, I can feel mana being pulled and accumulated into my hand but I have no clue how to channel the rune. So far I’ve just been picturing the rune in my head as clearly as I can and I think I almost had it once. I hear the door open and then Twilights voice, “Having trouble? That’s a lot of mana you’re storing in your…. Hoof? What are you trying to do?”

“Hand, I’m trying to do the Light spell it says in this book, but I can’t channel the rune.” I reply not bothering to look up.

“There’s a reason our horns are on our head. You’re visualizing the rune in your head, but the mana is in your hand.” She says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. As she sits down next to me she continues, “If your hands are how your magic works you probably won’t be able to use our magic.”

“Oh, is that it? Hang on.” If that’s the case I just need to form the rune in my brain then move the already shaped mana to my hand instead of trying to shape it after it’s in my hand. This time the mana forms into the rune instantly, but it takes a second or two to move to my hand. Probably not practical in combat, for now. Once it does reach my hand though I start pushing mana through it and out of my palm as an orb of light plops into existence right over my hand.

“Well it’s a little too slow. If a spell uses more than 1 rune it’ll definitely be too slow.” I ponder aloud.

“Ignis, it took me 3 days to cast that spell for the first time.” I glance over and she looks stunned.

“Well, moving the mana felt natural to my body. My current theory is that my incantations shape and channel mana the same way your runes do. If that’s the case then this isn’t really impressive the only thing I had to learn was the rune, all of the mana manipulation came to me like muscle memory.”

A completely new voice chimes in right next to my head, “Personally we still find it moderately impressive.”

“Holy shit!” The light orb vanishes and I lean away from the voice as fast as I can, almost head butting Twilight. Looking over I see what I assume to be Princess Luna. She somewhat resembles Nightmare, but she’s smaller. The moon on her backside is what gives it away though, “When did you get here?!”

“We all arrived at the same time, you just never bothered looking up.” She replies with a smirk. How the hell can a horse walk that quietly? Looking around I see Celestia is here as well.

“Time to go then?” I ask while looking at Celestia.

“It would seem so, unfortunately. As much as I’d like to spend some more time with my student I’m afraid I’m needed in Canterlot. Normally we’d use a carriage but due to the circumstances we’re going to have to teleport.” She says as she begins walking outside.

“Is Twilight not coming with us?” I ask.

“Ah you must’ve still been unconscious, no. She’s going to stay here and send me weekly reports. It seems she doesn’t want to leave her new friends, and to be honest she has desperately needed some. So, I’ve allowed her to stay. Come a little closer for the spell.”

I oblige and take a few steps closer to her, Luna huddles in as well as Celestia’s horn lights up. I hear a loud pop and my vision goes white as we teleport to Canterlot.

Author's Note

This was originally going to just be a chapter going over the level up process, but once I started writing that dialogue with Celestia I felt like that was a bad ending point so I decided to just make this full fledged chapter.

Also for Shadowblade, I'm ruling that Shadowblade can be used with Booming Blade. My source is this tweet from Jeremy Crawford, consider it a Rules as Interpreted change, or consider it homebrew, who cares haha: https://x.com/JeremyECrawford/status/1327132714013782017

Enjoy!