Daedalus' New World

The next few days flew by in Jay's opinion. Nothing in particular happened. No special events, nothing really exciting, it had just been a week of settling in. Truth be told, he loved it. It was a far cry from before where a special event was destroying a city and killing millions or where something exciting was a fight for his life. Each day, he stayed with Starfall during her lunch in the same courtyard. Sometimes she ate before coming, other times she brought food with her. He had even ordered takeout from Genevieve's restaurant to surprise her, something that had made her really happy as they ate together and snuggled in the shade of the high walls with clear blue sky far above them. For the first few days, he didn't see much of Celestia or Luna and assumed Celestia was keeping her distance out of worry of making things harder on him. Though he had ended up finding out she had just fallen behind on paperwork as she focused on helping him settle into his new home and it had finally caught up to her to the point she couldn't delay it anymore. To make up for it, he started keeping her company while she did said paperwork, though he obviously couldn't help as it was all classified to him. He had also chosen not to watch her hold court, but instead joined her and Luna for dinner.

On Luna's hoof, she had gone back to a night routine as she cited something about guarding dreams, but he hadn't asked for clarification at the time. She had also given him his calling card and Hunter's token and was told to keep them both on him at all times. As long as he kept his calling card on him, he would be able to receive letters from any of the four Princesses or any of the Hunters in his sect. Truthfully, he had been told anyone could send him a message as long as they knew his magical imprint, something all living creatures in this world had and something he had gained after he had been exposed to the emotion magic permeating Equestrian soil. However, that meant nothing in the realm of using magic and he still needed to rely on the enchanted Hunter's token, which Luna had slightly modified to allow him to send messages. 'Stored inside the latent matrices of the spellweave' as Luna had put it, the imprints of the Princesses and Hunters were stored. All he had to do was think of who he wanted to send a message to and tap both his token and his calling card to the scroll and it would dissolve into smoke and fly away.

The token itself was actually very well designed. It was made of a silvery metal that Luna had called moonsilver, an alloy that she and select few others could create. Engraved on both sides was a large manticore in the center of a triangle with each point comprised of a dive bombing pegasus, a bucking earth pony, and a casting unicorn. Behind it all was a stylized representation of Canterlot Castle which signified that the token belonged to a Hunter of the Canterlot sect. The medallion normally only had two spells enchanted into it normally. The first was a simple enchantment that would cause the moonsilver to glow when held and focused on by the Hunter it was attuned to, which ensured no one could pose as a Hunter successfully. The second spell allowed him to enter into any of the Tartarian Hunter compounds across Equestria. Each one had the same protective enchantments on the sole entrance and could not be physically opened by any means, and took the presence of a token or the might of an alicorn to open magically. Beyond that, Luna had claimed nothing less that the force needed to turn steel to sand would be needed to force the doors open and Jay found himself tempted to test that claim.

His time with the Hunters hadn't been wasted, either. Among their sect, he had almost immediately become the favorite sparring partner for everyone except Aqua Dome. For almost everyone, his ability to rapidly shift between various methods of attack and defense made him great practice for them. He could go from fighting Iron with a sword and shield to wildly swinging massive, nigh-unbreakable claws in seconds and forced them to become more versatile. Beam had even said it was some of the best practice she had gotten in years, far outmatching the hard magic constructs the arena could summon. For Aqua, dueling him was good practice for if her magic ran out but was otherwise useless. Lack of magic of any sort had made him incredibly susceptible to even the most basic of telekinesis. Strength great enough to crush steel could be immediately halted by a telekinetic grip, though Aqua claimed it was far harder to stop him if he was already moving. She had even figured that if he was moving at full speed and swinging as hard as he could, it was possible Twilight couldn't even stop him with her magic. For his part, he had learned that being completely restrained in a telekinetic sheet didn't stop him from creating new limbs, but Aqua had wizened up to that trick and started to catch his newly formed limbs before they could hit her.

Jay had even made the decision to write to Twilight and ask why the emotional magic that gave him his imprint hadn't helped him overcome his natural weakness, but that had been a mistake. One long range teleport and three hour lesson later and even his photographic memory didn't help him understand everything she had seen, even if he could repeat it. The only thing he took out of the session was that there were three classes of magic called active, passive, and ingrained, and that emotional magic was ingrained and the weakest type but also somehow the strongest, and that he would need active or at least a strong passive to fix that particular flaw of the virus.

Either way, the constant dueling kept them all at the ready. Not having a hunt for nearly a week was rare to the Canterlot Sect, but far from unheard of. Even if they didn't get called out soon, one of their bimonthly hunts was coming up anyway. Specifically, it was one scheduled in the Everfree Forest. One way or another, he would be attending a hunt in a few days. On another, unrelated note, he had even gotten everyone caught up on his name and explained that Daedalus was just a pseudonym he had taken to protect his family after his infection- though he had kept that little tidbit to himself when he had told Starfall. Either way, he had finally fully changed from using Daedalus to using Jay Fontenot.

Lastly, Jay had taken to exploring Canterlot in his down time, something he had a lot of. A few shops here and there had caught his attention, including one little alchemy shop on one of the larger streets just four blocks down from the restaurant Starfall had taken him too. He had been walking through the streets and almost hadn't even noticed the building before his eyes had caught the 'Help Wanted' sign hanging in one of the windows neatly framed by vines that were coated in pretty orange flowers. When he remembered the Hunters were looking for a more well-rounded potion brewer than Beam, he had given a mental shrug and entered Zuri's Balms, Tonics, and Droughts.

Jay had come to find out that the shop was run by a zebra named Zuri, a young girl in her early twenties who had left her homeland of Zebrica to make a name for herself selling potions in a land that didn't have many alchemists. According to her, it had worked far better than she ever imagined. As the only potion maker in Canterlot, she had more customers than she ever expected. So many, in fact, that she could no longer keep up with the orders even after rejecting about a third of her customers, mostly stallions coming in for potions to make mares fall in love.

The Evolved had explained that he was a new Tartarian Hunter and was interested in learning alchemy to assist the rest of his team. He told her that his schedule was very flexible but whenever he would be called to deploy, he would have to drop everything and go no matter what he was doing. She had thought about it for a minute then, after a moment, decided to accept his apprenticeship, and requested that he bring back any reagents he happened to come across while out in the field. Jay had accepted it and they came to an agreement. At first, she began to discuss pay only for him to dismiss it, citing that his pay from the Hunters was enough for him to live comfortably. Instead, he considered the apprenticeship payment enough for helping the store in his free time. His apprenticeship began the next day.

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"Alchemy is an incredibly versatile skill. The amount of potions an alchemist can create is theoretically infinite with no known limit on what kinds of effects you can create through them, it's just a matter of discovering recipes. There are books that contain exact recipes for alchemy, but not many. Most alchemists choose to keep their recipes to themselves and only pass them down to their apprentices. I don't publish my recipes but once I've taught you all that I can, whether you choose to publish or keep them to yourselves will be your own." Zuri had closed the store only twenty minutes ago but appeared as eager to get started as he was to learn.

"All potions are created through two or three parts; the base, the primary reagent, and the secondary reagents. The base is the primary liquid needed, most commonly oil or water, and must match the desired potion's properties. Alchemist's fire, for example, is made with cooking oil as a base. Nothing else will work. Nature's growth, on the other hoof, is made with any natural juice as a base." Zuri explained before she glanced to Jay to ensure he was still awake. It would not be the first time an 'aspiring alchemist' fell asleep on her. To her satisfaction, he was very much awake and focused.

"The primary reagent is what truly gives a potion its effect. The method of application varies greatly from pouring in carefully measured powder to just dropping in a few stems or leaves. The most effective method will vary potion to potion and will be one of the many things you need to discover to truly 'master' a potion. For Rest of Mulbane, thirty grams of powdered dream thistle is the most effective method and will put you to sleep for twelve hours, but any other method or amount will work."

"Last comes the secondary reagents, which themselves are divided into two categories; reactive secondaries and additive secondaries. Reactives are reagents that can be used to change the effect of a potion. Magnolia buds can be used to make Mulbane's Late Night, though it's not the most effective and you can't buy magnolia's year round. It's cheaper and more efficient if you brew a Rest of Mulbane first, then add two and a half grams of rose petals and a gram of dandelion stem instead." Zuri paused and glanced at Jay again.

Maybe it would look better if I was taking notes instead of memorizing this on the spot.

"Then there are the additive secondaries. Additives aren't very well documented, but it's widely agreed upon that there are a plethora in nature. These ingredients will add additional affects when mixed with the proper potion, but the requirement of mixing the right potion with the right additive in the right amount is why these are difficult to discover. They can result in anything from increased shelf life, higher potency, longer duration, better taste, and so much more. Alchemist's Fire is a viscous oil that burns hot and long, but is pretty easily snuffed out and doubly so with magic. Add in wood charred by dragon fire and alchemist's now call it Burning Jelly. It'll stick to anything and needs to be completely snuffed of all air and fuel before going out." That earned a look from Jay as she described something similar to napalm, though she didn't notice his concerned gaze on her back.

"Now, more advanced potions get much harder to make. They'll require special equipment, rare ingredients, extra preparations, and a tinge of magic. Most of the simpler potions are created using the innate magic of the plants and ingredients you gather, but thesepotions will need a guiding touch of magic to really bring out their effects. Lover's Endurance won't work if you just throw the ingredients together and bottle it. Not only does the lover's leaf in it need to be steeped in a potion of Lover's Desire, it must also have an imprint of magic from someone who's been intimate with another." Zuri said, smirking softly.

"So to make a sexual stamina potion you have to let the main ingredient soak in an aphrodisiac, then have the potion itself be made by someone who's not a virgin." Jay spoke up finally with a soft chuckle as he shook his head. "Now, what about someone with no magic at all, not even passive magic like an earth pony?"

"Yes, exactly." She laughed, completely unaffected by his blunt way of saying it. "You'll be unable to make some of the higher tiers of potions, but all life contains imprints of magic and that is all that's needed for most. No active spell and no passive channeling is needed, only the barest shred of ingrained magic. Any other questions so far?"

"You mentioned that most plants have innate magic to them and that alchemy can help draw that power out and refine it. How do you know what effects a plant will have?" The Evolved asked, smiling softly.

"There are two ways. Of course, you can always just throw ingredients together and find what works, although this is not always the safest. Most of the time, your potion will just turn into a nasty smelling sludge. However, some ingredients do not like being mixed without proper stabilization and have very messy results, ranging from fire to ice and everything in between. The safer way is a potion called Insight, a simple tonic made from oak bark, grass clippings, and ground up rubies. Drinking this potion will give you alchemical knowledge on any reagent you are holding. Be warned, though, that it'll only last a few seconds. Whether you've randomly discovered something or used a potion to, make sure to write it down lest you forget. There is much more for me to go over such as using enchanted gems to simulate conditions you cannot meet but that is for later."

Rising to her hooves, she took another sip of water before she gestured for him to stand. "Come, I'll have you make your first potion. We'll start with Insight since the ingredients cannot react badly under any condition, even if you completely buck up. It's a very cheap potion but thanks to the time it takes to make it and it's duration, it ends up being a waste to use often. I recommend relying on it only when you must. As you become more experienced in the field, you'll be able to guess at what most plants will do just by your gut feeling. Whenever your gut fails you or you believe a reagent to be volatile, Insight will be your friend."

Following her downstairs from the second floor that served as her living space and into a back room, he found himself in what was clearly her workshop. There was no stereotypical cauldron present which made sense to him since a cauldron like that would make hundreds of potions in one sitting. Instead, the lower marble counters were covered in beakers and flasks with a large six door cabinet on one wall holding many more. Various lengths and shapes of glass tubing sat carefully contained in felt-lined boxes, creating an easily customizable network that could be used for a variety of processes. Another large cabinet and shelf system contained a large mix of materials, nearly everything from wood to clay to drying plants and more. Finally, a long series of shelves spanning half of one wall held a large variety of potions, all neatly labeled. Jay moved over to one of the counters at her insistent nudging, finding himself suddenly nervous.

"Before we continue, is your special talent alchemy?" Zuri asked, turning slightly and nodding toward her cutie mark. It stood out cleanly against her striped fur, being an open-topped red bottle with several green drops falling into it.

Jay shook his head. "No, my kind don't get them."

"That is not an issue. Now Insight uses a base of boiling water. Three strips of oak bark will make the potion itself. Crushed rubies and grass, while not necessary, will improve the effects of the potion and so you'll be using them too. First, start with the base." Zuri directed, beginning the process of guiding him through his first potion step by step.

Jay fell into an easy rhythm as he worked, following her directions to the letter. While the end goal and materials were utterly new to him, the process was very similar to working in a lab as he had done before his infection. Setting up the pony version of a Bunsen burner, Zuri explained to him that an open flame must be directly on all potions that required heat. Boiling the water separately and then adding it to the flask would not work, and as such all alchemical equipment was enchanted to resist high heat. The water soon came to a boil as he stoked the coals, then followed her next direction. Three strips of bark, each three inches long and one inch wide, were cut from a small oak log that had about half the bark missing already and maybe a tenth of the inner wood gone. He dropped the pieces into the glass and expected them to float around, but was shocked as the bark instantly dissolved with a small glimmer of magic and the boiling water turned into a boiling brown liquid.

"That is how you know the ingredient you used will work. Had you added a primary ingredient that did not work with a water base, the magic of alchemy would not have functioned and you'd have soggy reagents. However, this only applies for the primary reagent of a potion. From this point on, you can throw almost anything into the potion and it will accept it. However, results may vary." Zuri said, a wide smirk on her muzzle as she gestured toward the counter itself. When he looked closer, he could just barely make out little cracks in the marble that hinted at breakages and repairs.

Jay nodded and followed her next step. He grabbed a jar that was half full of grass trimming that was somehow neither brown nor mushy, almost appearing as if they were cut that morning. He made his way to one of the smaller balancing scales and set a fifty gram and ten gram weight on one side and began to slowly add grass to the other tray until it was perfectly balanced, the carefully maintained measurement lines on the top matching perfectly. Zuri nodded approvingly as he carefully collected the measured grass and added it to the potion. Again, the grass dissolved with a little glimmer of magic as the water turned a shade of bubbling red. "Keeping your equipment clean and in good condition is of utmost importance as an alchemist. A variance of only a single gram will cause some of your potions to come out fine and some to come out too weak, not even mentioning the risks of a potion violently failing as the wrong ingredient amount is added. Now, five grams crushed rubies."

He returned the jar right where he had found it and earned an approving hum from Zuri. Then he grabbed another sealed jar labeled 'powdered rubies' and was stopped. "No. Crushed rubies. The difference matters."

With a nod of understanding, he placed the jar back in the cabinet and browsed more, soon finding the right jar. Instead of sparkling powder, this jar was full of gemstones that looked as if they had been beaten with a hammer. Crushed, indeed. When Zuri didn't say anything, he took the jar back and carefully measured it as well, adding it to the potion. Immediately, the potion changed from a clear grey to a cloudy orange and he heard Zuri trot over to him.

"Now, the potion is nearly complete, you only need to seal it. Right now, this potion can be safely bottled, sold, and used and will work exactly as intended. However, if you sell this and a pony takes it home and boils it again, they can add their own ingredients to it and it will continue to accept them. That can spell much trouble for an alchemist. If the potion ends up exploding, there's no way to prove whether we sold an unsafe potion or if the customer changed it themselves. As such, you must ensure you seal all potions you make before you sell them. While you are here in my shop, you will leave no unsealed potions, understood? If you do not have the time to finish them, you will not 'start them and come back later.' You will not start them at all. Once you have your own place of work, then you may start and finish potions whenever you like. Clear?"

"Completely. How do I actually seal the potion?"

"The method to seal a potion depends on the base. For boiling water, you will stir it until it changes color one final time. Then you will quickly remove it from the heat and submerge it in water, it doesn't need to be cold but can't be hot. Do not worry, the glass will not shatter. Any alchemically rated glass will be safe." Zuri explained and dispelled his worry about the glass shattering in his hand from the sudden temperature change.

Jay grabbed a dipstick and spent nearly ten minutes stirring the liquid. Eventually, the color changed from a cloudy orange to a cloudy yellow. Unnecessarily using a pair of tongs, he picked up the heated glass and took an offered cork from Zuri, plugging the top. Then he dunked it into a mostly full basin of water at the edge of the counter as it hissed loudly from the heat. When the noise died down, he removed it from the water and grabbed it with his hands. It was still warm, which was not a surprise to him, but not at all hot. One final observation of the potion was that it was no longer cloudy but instead a solid yellow color.

"Good. Now, cork the bottle and store it." After Jay had done so, she continued. "Glue a paper to the bottle and write your name and what the potion is. Ensure you use the blue ink, it is of my own creation and completely erasable. It helps me save on paper and glue."

Now clearly labeled with his name and 'Insight,' Jay set the potion in an empty spot on one of the shelves. "That is your potion. I will not use or sell it without your express permission, and as such it will sit there until you need it. All potions you make will follow the same rules. If you do not label it, I will dispose of it. If you label it and don't put your name, I'll know it's yours but sell or use it anyway. Be responsible. Not all potions are safe and I do not want to hear that you set a filly on fire because you gave her the wrong potion."

"I understand. I'll be careful, I promise."

"Good. You did very well, be proud of that. My first Insight potion was not so quick. I did not mess up, but my measurements weren't so exact. The further you are from the 'proper' ratio and states of the ingredients, the longer it takes to make. I had to stir mine for two hours. Of course, it helps having a calibrated scale instead of guessing." Zuri said, giving a goodnatured nudge to his side. "Now, leave. I want to eat, bathe, and sleep. Your next lesson will be in three days, though you are welcome to come back any time. Even if you only watch, you can learn a lot just by paying attention."