MAR 12 Friday.

The day slowly winds down like many days before it as I finish copying another book.

Earlier in the day at lunch, Daisy asked me to stop in with her, she was a little vague though. But that's fine, I'll find out soon enough. I finish the book and turn to Blaz, "Make sure to get some sleep gramps." I joke as he looks over to me while I clean up my desk.

"Sure, as long as you try to get a mare friend, and fail." I stop at that and look away as he chuckles, I quickly leave him alone and start walking down the hallway. The last two weeks have been a nice return to normalcy for me, with a few minor exceptions here and there, mostly my mail actually.

First, the good news. The fashion craze around the combs has died down mostly and I'm only getting the occasional piece of mail now, and very rarely do I receive anything less savory, thank magic for that. Now onto the bad news, I've gotten several invites to different high-class parties.

It's like I've made a new identity again, and just like last time I decline everything and hope nopony cares enough to look into it more. Honestly, there's not much else I can do, I'm sure as hell not going to a party with nobles and I'm not sending a letter back demanding they leave me alone.

Plus only a few nobles and one diplomat have sent me letters so it's mostly ignorable, but just to be safe I wrote down all the names of the ponies that invited me, and I think I'll continue to do so. Beyond my mail a few other things have happened, including a meeting with Avalon.

It was normal and honestly, a nice time to relax and just talk about magic, we also made some progress in our search for runes. It's slow going and we're still far from being done but progress is progress, and it's also nice to just talk with a friend at a cafe afterwards.

I've also improved in a few of my own projects. First is my wooden armor, it's now done and I've started using it while training with Stone, who decided to take that as a challenge and kicked the shit out of me. At least I know it works well and can hold up against strong blunt blows, but it will take me a while to get used to using it effectively and efficiently.

I've made some decent progress on what I've come to call the Firestarter project, the spell has seen some major progress after I found the right fire rune and it should be done in a week or two. On a similar note to that, I've started to work on the illusion book transfer spell and another project that I mentioned before.

I quickly learned that trying to move an enchantment is not an easy thing, mostly because trying to make a spell that transfers all other spells makes the needed runes massively vague. So I had to cut down on another of my spells yet again and limit the spell scope by a large amount.

But doing that needs more specific runes so it's once again back to the hunt for me, in the meantime, I'm working on something else that won't need research. A few weeks ago I wanted to make a better way to gather the golden dust produced by the Gold Oak when the leaves fall.

This is still in the early stages of planning but it's looking very doable so far. Right now my best idea is to target the falling leaves with a scanning spell before having the enchantment form a shield around the falling leaf before moving that shield over to a predetermined location and deactivating it to let the dust fall and be collected.

It shouldn't be all that hard to make because I already have all the needed spells, it's just a matter of doing all the math and making it efficient enough to preferably work on a medium gem. I could use a large gem and just make an Enchantment that's good enough but my pride won't let me.

I want to make something and I want to do it well, so I'll just take my time to do it properly, after all, it's not like I'm in any rush right now. The final thing to mention is the Fire Blossom Tree and the Cherry Blossom Tree. Lest start with the Fire Blossom and it's tendency to start fires.

I have a Fire Bloom tree at Gaia's Eden but I cut it down for some wood and left it as a stump so it couldn't burn anything. So I've used a medium ruby to make a fireproof shield and that was enough to grow a new tree and setting it up only took a few hours, so now I have a fully grown Fire Blossom Tree in my garden near my farm fields.

As for the Cherry Blossom Tree? Well, It was a sapling I found sitting in my shack a few days ago so the first thing I did was collect seeds and grow two next to my shack as decoration. I also harvested a good amount of Cherry Blossom Tea, and I did end up sending some to Celestia and got a nice thank-you note in return.

Honestly, the tree is a lovely decoration and the tea is quite good, so overall I'd say it was well worth the work I did on the trip. I finally leave my thoughts as I reach Daisy's office and knock on her door a few times. "Come in!" She calls out and a moment later I open the door to see Daisy working on several documents.

"Daisy. Another day of suspense, really?" It's become a pattern for her, she seems to just enjoy knowing something I don't.

She smiles and nods happily. "It's fun. But please come in, we have paperwork to do and a conversation to have." I roll my eyes but smile as I sit down at her desk.

"Fine, but it better not give me a headache."

She keeps her smile and passes me a document, "No promises. Another year passes and it's time you change things up again." The document is to transfer my apprenticeship again, something not wholly unexpected, but what is unexpected is the option I have.

Yes, option, as in singular. This document is just a form saying I'm going to apprentice under Daisy, there are no other options. I look up at her with a deadpan stare. "Why?" Honestly, I'm less hesitant to apprentice under Daisy than I was last time I was given the option, mostly because I realized just how few ponies would actually care.

I've started to show my skill more and canon is fucked so that doesn't matter, the only reason I can think of to turn this down would be if I actually don't enjoy doing it. But Daisy's job is mostly paperwork along with small things like schedules and talking to ponies about different problems from what I know.

She nods. "I'm the only offer, mostly because all the other ones were ruled out. They are things you already know or don't need help with learning, you'd showed us that with how much you've progressed in your magic. So this is ironically the only option the library head would accept giving you, beyond that you could just stay where you are for the next two years." She explains with sympathy.

"If it makes you feel better about it I'd have you mostly just helping me with paperwork." I can tell she's trying to cheer me up as a friend and give me more options.

But like I said before, I'm much less opposed to this option than I once was, it's going to probably be a little annoying but like any government job I just need to keep my head down and look busy. So I smile at my friend and show a reassuring look, "Well, maybe it's not what I expected or wanted, but at least it's boring." I joke a little.

She smiles and I continue. "Seriously though, I think I can handle it as long as I'm not telling ponies what to do on day one." I drop the jokes and get a little serious.

Daisy nods happily. "I would hope not, if that happened I'd have to rehire the whole library after you fire them immediately to not deal with their antics." She jokes back as I start to read through the document she gave me. Daisy gives me a more serious look, "Are you sure though? You can just keep doing what you have been doing." She offers again with kindness.

I smile and nod. "Don't see why not, it might actually be fun, and honestly I could use a change of pace." I signed the papers and passed them back after reading them thoroughly, I learned my lesson after Griffonstone. "Is that all I'll need to do?" I ask to make sure.

She shakes her head after a moment. "Hold on, I have it here somewhere." She quickly moved through several piles of unorganized documents before finding what she was looking for. "Here! The new schedule for the year, and you're getting it a week early, lucky you." She passes me a new schedule with another smile. "Make sure to remember it."

It's the same working days and hours for me but it moves around a few other working times, I also notice Maple is moving to apprentice for book restoration. "Thanks, Daisy, it will be a pleasure. Also we are still on for Sunday?" I ask about our next game night.

She smiles widely. "Yup! I even have some new games we could beat Maple in. Now get going, I have more work to do." She encourages me as I smile and do just that. It doesn't take me long to leave the library and enjoy the spring breeze as I walk home.

It's a calm walk home and when I arrive I spend some time making a late lunch for Entropy and sorting a few things before taking the Water Tree with me when I have Entropy take me to Gaia's Eden.

The field of tall grass sways slowly in the wind as I take a look around. I planted the Fire Blossom Tree near the crop fields near my shack and the two Cherry Blossom trees are right out front of my shack providing some good shade. I walk over to the river and start looking around for a good spot for my idea.

I'd like to fill in a lot of the empty space I have, but that will take a long while. For now, I want to test how much water a Water Tree can actually produce, so I'm planting something of a test tree near the riverbank. I start by dropping an Iron Oak seed and growing it into a small sapling.

I widen and flatten the bottom and decompose the roots and branches leaving me with a crude wooden shovel, not the best but more than enough for what I need. I can easily move a large amount of dirt with my field but trying to dig a shaped hole with it doesn't really work.

I start by decomposing all the grass around me before drawing a five-foot circle in the dirt and then drawing another circle ten feet out from the first circle. I start by digging out the dirt with my field and piling it to the side as I go. My field takes little magic even when lifting at my limit so it doesn't take more than an hour to dig out a circular pit.

It's slanted both ways and looks like what would happen if you pressed a donut halfway into the ground before pulling it out. All the dirt is piled to the side so I start using it, I spread it out along the pit walls and compact it with my shovel and hooves to strengthen the pit walls before piling the rest of the dirt in the center island.

It's a mini moat with a small hill island, and at the top of the hill is where I plant the Water Tree. Honestly, I could have just planted it next to the river but this is so much more fun. I plant the tree and start to grow it out of the small sapling, the tan bark and light green leaves start to rapidly shoot up and spread.

I control the root growth to grow throughout the walls of my pond to make them even better at retaining water before stopping the growth. The tree is not known to grow that large, and I stopped this one at twenty feet, the large flat tree top provides some shade and the twisted trunk makes it look interesting.

I repack any dirt that was loosened by the tree roots growing and after a while, I hear water dripping. The bark is more porous than other trees and has many tiny holes that you can only see when very close up, and each of them is slowly dripping out water.

I spent a while cutting a long ditch a few inches deep heading from the pond to the river, it should prevent overflow from the pond. When I return I watch as many drops of water fall and join each other before flowing down into the pond, it's not a lot, the collective flow is about as much as a sink faucet.

A small but steady flow might not be enough to fill this before it drains away, but I'll see how it's doing later. I smile at a job well done and move on to the next thing on my agenda, but before I can do that I feel a decent-sized source of life magic move into the range of my senses, I stop on the spot and draw my dagger.

It's definitely not the snake, it's too small for that. The life magic is around four or five ponies worth so it's probably big but not massive, I could just leave but it doesn't look too dangerous so I wait and watch while whistling to Entropy. Entropy lands on my back a few moments later as I notice that the source of life magic is coming from downriver.

It's not moving very fast so it takes a few minutes for it to arrive and be within my sight. I'm greeted by a large shape moving through the river before stopping right next to the shield for a few tense moments. In a burst of movement, the water erupts and makes me jump back a little, but before I can ask Entropy to get us out of here I see what it actually is and stop.

"Hello? Any good fellows here?" A well-spoken voice calls out as a familiar Water Serpent with a large well-groomed mustache stands halfway out of the water looking at the shield curiously. I'm pretty sure this is the Water Serpent Rarity that helps at the beginning of the show, although I don't remember much about them.

"Hello?" He calls out again. "I don't mean to bother any good fellows here or cause troubles to them." He sounds friendly enough and he already knows the camp is here, so after a few moments I move a little closer.

"Yes! Can I help you?!" I have to shout because of the distance between us.

He perks up and smiles. "Oh! Where are my manners? I am Steven Magnet, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." He's a little formal for my tastes, but I can't see him doing me any harm right now, mostly because I don't think he can get through the shield, so I move a little closer while keeping my dagger drawn.

I wait a moment as he looks at the shield awkwardly. "Nice to meet you then Sir Steven, may I ask what you are doing here?" I speak with some formality as his smile widens.

"It's good to see a cultured being out here! Well, not see per se, but that's hardly the point." He chuckles at his own joke. "And so you may indeed! I'm here to see and ask if any other esteemed gentlemen such as yourself have claimed this fine river as their own, as I wish to do just that for myself." He rambles on with a few fancy words while I simplify things for myself.

:Well, shit: I think about it for a few moments as he looks around the river. He's kind of important for the main story, and even if I'm not following things anymore I don't think I should derail this by making him leave especially when I gain little in return. On the other hoof, I don't really want him near Gaia's Eden.

I war with myself but in the end, I can't see much harm in him staying in the river, and he could actually be useful if I need to gather something underwater in the forest or just to tell me where the river goes. "I... Umm. I mean to say, that I haven't seen any other gentlemen lay claim to it beyond myself and I'm not terribly... Bothered? By you doing so as long as you leave my home be." I stumble on my words a little but he keeps the happy expression.

"Well then, it's truly a pleasure to meet you kind Sir, may I know the name of my new neighbor?" He's very happy now and I'm coming around to the idea of him living in the river more, but I still have a question, I just need to phrase it properly.

"My name is... Sir Shadow." I use a fake name, I don't trust him enough for real names. "I do wonder if you don't mind me asking of course? Where you intend to make your new... Domicile?" I use more fancy words with a little difficulty, I think Celestia has spoiled me with how blunt she is.

"Oh! Of course! I found a truly lovely riverbank a ways down the stream, it's just perfect for sunbathing." I take a mental note to actually read up on Water Serpents more after this. "For now though I'm terribly sorry but I must get back before the sun sets, moving around in the dark could scruffy my beautiful mustache. So I must bid you farewell, Sir Shadow." He does something of a half bow.

"Sur- Yes, of course, I'm terribly sorry for keeping you. Have a good day Sir Steven." With that, he nods curtly and swims off down the river from whence he comes. "I wonder if I can get him to dump praise and formality on Celestia?" I contemplate it out loud as I watch him leave.

"Let's call that a solid maybe." After a moment I turn and go back to tending my plants, I want to see what I can do with Fire Blossom wood.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. :]
Current year is 994

I'm doing fine and should be able to keep up now, but that's not a guarantee.

Also. I honestly can't think of many fic's that even mention good old Steven, and I thought it would be interesting. I'm mostly going to make him a side character that we sometimes see, and he'll obviously be very formal, just for the fun of it. :]

Ok, with that out of the way.

400k at Chapter 150 is amazing timing and makes my brain happy.

Anyway, 400k. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW! YES YES YES. LETS FUCKING GOOOOO! THANK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU FOR EVERYTHING!

Ok, I'll stop now.

But I can not DISCRIBE the happiness I'm feeling over making it past yet another 100k! LET ALONE 150 Chapters. <3

So seriously, thank all of you for the support and kindness you've shown me in this community, it means so much to me.

I hope you all have fantastic days! And I wish you the best :D