JUL 23 Sunday.

I flip through another page of the textbook in front of me and continue to study while lying in my shack and enjoying some tea.

The past week has been a mix of regular life, and volunteer work, along with me working on my training and projects. Let's start with volunteer work, it's going slowly but consistently and it seems that for the time being I'm mostly just learning and helping in small ways.

They are mostly focused on teaching us how to operate and function properly in a hospital, something that is not nearly as simple as you'd expect. Everything else comes second before that, I am learning a lot though and I even got to stitch up a wound a few days ago. It's a little bloody but the staff seem to have noticed that I'm mostly unaffected by the sight of blood.

Now I'm getting more duties involving cleaning up more bloody messes, it can get a little disgusting but I'm willing and able to power through that. The main benefit though really is learning the first hoof experience, I'm no longer completely useless when it comes to healing others without magic, yay!

Onto my training, my magical training and physical training remain mostly the same and are always progressing. Something I did start doing is using space magic instead of my TK field, at least while I'm at home alone where others won't notice if I mess up, just to be safe.

I've also once again stepped things up with Stone a bit, mostly him throwing more things at once and trying to pull dirty tricks. Things like trying to rip my armor off while I’m wearing it, or hitting more... Sensitive spots, when he really wants to get me moving and focused.

So ya, Stone is still an utter bastard when it comes to training, what's new? There is some news in my more private life though, my friends and I had another game night a few days ago and Daisy said we might, MIGHT, be meeting her mysterious stallion she's been seeing for a while now.

The thought of meeting her stallion does bring to mind the questions I've continued to ponder for over two weeks now. But I don't have any new insights or real answers for all of those questions, which is causing me a little nervousness as I have a meeting with Celestia pretty shortly.

So, I've been spending some time simply relaxing by reading and learning things that help me ground myself. But all things must come to an end and I close the textbook as a timer goes off with a small chiming noise. I stand up and look out the window as space bends and shifts in my senses, she's punctual today.

I take a deep calming breath and smile despite the situation I'm now in. I gather a few things as Entropy dives out the window and flies over to Celestia. "Friend! Hello!" She calls out while flying off, I gather a few small things and leave my shack with a wave to Celestia. :You know? It's a bit of a random thought but could I teleport?:

I distract myself while walking over to the pavilion. I think I have the control to at least try and do it, and my conversion ratio is pretty good as well so it might be possible. As I sit down Celestia gives me a curious look, "Something on your mind? You have that focused look when you come up with something, innovative, let's say." She teases me a bit as I get comfortable.

Her normal tone helps me ignore any odd feelings I have about talking to her and just try to relax. "I've been training with my space magic for a long while, now I'm wondering if teleportation is possible with how far I've come," I answer a little stiffly, something she catches immediately but doesn't point out.

She just smiles at me and thinks it over for a moment. "Hmm, you've already done something impressive with space magic, I think you called it Fusing? Honestly, I'm a little out of my depth in this, I know some spells but with how you've described it I'm not sure how to translate that."

She takes my mood in stride and distracts me with magical theory. I nod and finally start to relax a bit, "Yes it's called Fusing, or I named it Fusing? Same difference." I shrug a little as she giggles. "But I have pushed even further than that and developed a few new things. For instance, I'm not using my field right now." I brag a bit while holding the cup of tea she passed me with my space magic.

Stops pouring herself some tea and looks curious before casting a spell on me, which makes me confused and a bit concerned. "What? Is something wrong?" I ask as the spell puts me a little on edge.

She looks at a piece of paper before looking up at me with a reassuring smile. "Hmm? Sorry, no, just a thought that occurred to me." She looks a small bit embarrassed about being so forward and I sigh in relief. "You're not the only pony who likes learning about magic, or being a bit spontaneous, although I'm not nearly as proficient as you in such things" She jokes at my expense.

She passes me a piece of blank paper with nothing on it, that doesn't clear up any confusion. "It was supposed to scan for different types of magic, but it detected nothing, just like the odd rock you found. It seems that spell doesn't work with space magic, I'll need to look into other spells." Her researcher side comes out as she shares some interesting information.

That brings several thoughts to mind. "Now that you mention it, did you ever learn anything about that thing? Because I found it and I at least deserve to know. Unless it's something world-ending, then I vote we throw that thing into the deepest ocean we can find." I say the last part dead seriously to add some more humor.

She chuckles at me. "I would have shared, but I never really learned anything. No magic, or spell, or test, ever gave me any information to work with." I do find that curious, but from my brief interaction I'm not too surprised. "Although on that topic, you might be able to learn more about it, you are as close to an expert we may ever have for space magic." She offers and I cringe a little.

"No, no... No. I'm not going NEAR that thing." I insist without hesitation and wave my hooves a little to emphasize.

She smirks. "Oh? Is the brave stallion scared of a rock?" She teases me.

I just nod. "Yes. I may not know about all that much, but from what I've learned about space magic that thing. Actually-" I pause for a moment and shift my will to bend the space in front of us enough so it's visible. "Imagine this, being inverted inside itself repeatedly. Because that's what that thing is." I try to explain.

She looks a bit lost and I try to rake my brain on a good example. "Right, that doesn't really help." I sigh a bit and she looks amused at my actions. "Oh! Ok, so, when you bend space, the world around you literally fights it. The longer something stays out of order the more the world around you fights to put things back in order."

As an example, I band two points in space a distance away from the pavilion. One I hold for only a moment before letting it snap back into place with a soft crack, the other I keep for a minute and the result is a much louder noise. "That effect I call Rebound. And as far as I can tell it always happens when messing with space, the longer you hold something out of order the worse the rebound."

She nods, seeming to understand. "So what do you think is powerful enough to bend space permanently, while the universe itself fights against it constantly? And that rock has been messing with space for a very long time, so what happens when it stops holding back any rebound it might have?" I explain the point I'm trying to get across. "So, no, I'm not messing with what might be a bomb."

She looked very thoughtful and focused for a few moments, I think that sparked some memories in her, and I can guess who from my mention of order. "Hmm, it seems I'll be putting that thing under much more robust protections." She nods as if agreeing with herself, and I nod as well. "We're rather off topic though, you were talking about your progress, yes?" She asks curiously.

I think for a moment before turning to Entropy as she rests on top of Celestia's back. "Hey, Girl?" She turns to me. "Can you grab the box I have in my workroom? You know the one." I ask and she vanishes a moment later. "I love that crazy bird." She giggles.

I taught Entropy to recognize and retrieve the box my staff is in, just in case I ever need it and don't want to leave. A moment later Entropy returns and I move the box over while giving her a treat. "Thank you, Girl. Now to answer you, I've done a lot, so I'll summarize."

She tilts her head a little at the plain-looking box. "You're not the only one with a crazy bird, but I couldn't agree more. Another present? You are a very, gifted, gift giver, not that I'm complaining." She half teases and I roll my eyes.

"A gift for myself actually, but not for you." I decompose away the wood connecting the lid of the box and the inside before opening it. "I made something rather useful, and a bit fun to play with." I say while showing the Vita wood staff to her. "I'm finally a proper spell caster." I joke.

She huffs a bit. "I never knew a staff was the qualifying feature, but I suppose it is rather well made. A bit 'small' for a pony your size." I pause and turn to look fully at her, a little surprised as she holds in a laugh while saying that.

I move the staff back into the box and put it to the side before hearing her. "Did- Did you just-" I ask, dumbfounded at the joke she implied with her tone.

She smiles in turn. "Of course not, and nopony would believe you anyway." She laughs a bit. "You said you improved? I admit I am rather curious about what you came up with, pioneering a new field of magic is a rare thing to witness after all. But you keep teasing, so go on." She says flatteringly while I sit there dumbfounded for a few moments.

I glare a little as she makes another joke at my expense, so I focus on my spatial magic and life magic. I quickly go through the proper steps and in a quick shift and snap, a small pole of wood quickly grows from the wooden floor as she watches. Then the pole is cut in half at the middle after two seconds of space being bent, the top half falls down with a thump.

Celestia couldn't sense space magic, so from her point of view the air bent a little before a quiet crack sounded and the pole fell down. "Hmm, wait? Did you, weaponize space?" She seems to sort out what she saw pretty quickly and turns back to me. "How do you even do that? It's empty space." She asks a little incredulously.

I nod to her first question with some pride. But when she asks how, I'm not really sure how to explain it properly. "You need to either bend space in the right way or compress it." I don't give many details while she gives me a stare showing just how unhelpful that is. "I can give you notes, but it's hard to explain." I half lied about some things I just don't want to reveal to her.

She sighs a bit and shakes her head. "I'm not even sure why I'm surprised." She chuckles a bit at her own words while I spend a moment cleaning up my demonstration. "But enough of the magic, and don't start you on me asking, I get enough of that on a day-to-day basis." I raise a brow but look amused. "That's not including my ever-energetic student, who found a new spell book." I just laugh, Twilight can certainly get excited with new spells.

She places her tea down and thinks for a moment. "I'll save all the talk about the Changelings for another day." She shifts to a more gentle tone and gets my attention and I focus on her and take notice of her changing the topic pretty suddenly. "But, I also remembered the... Events of all your encounters, a topic popped up."

I tense a bit as I think I see where this is going, I knew she would ask about this more eventually, I just hoped otherwise. She gives me a reassuring look as my ears tilt back, "My promise still stays, I don't expect an answer in any way. But I would like to ask. if that is fine with you?" She still offers a way out, a kindness I take comfort in.

I stay silent before nodding a little in resigned agreement. "Can I ask why now? I know I'm an adult and all that, but... Actually, no. I think I get it, curiosity never really leaves ponies like us." I try to keep a lighter mood, but it doesn't do much for me. My nerves were already a bit frayed from my thoughts and this isn't helping.

She looks a bit concerned but continues with a nod of agreement. "Curiosity? Yes, I am curious, and I'll admit, also concerned." I stay silent and drink some tea. "I suppose the most obvious question is how, but I'll start with something smaller. Why do you view Changelings as a threat? Or I presume you do with the spells you've made?" That catches me a little off-guard as it's not as direct as I thought it would be.

I struggle to remember what information I would know that she wouldn't, while trying to decide if I should answer at all. She waits patiently, "How do they view us? Because from what I've seen it can be, less than friendly." She cringes a bit at that and I nod. "We're currently their primary food source, and that is a dangerous place to be," I say a little pessimistically.

She schools her face. "Some do unfortunately think like that, but we've encountered more than a few that don't seem to think that way at all." She says with the kindness I expected. "I know you don't care about interacting with those who are dangerous, so why them in particular? Do you also have spells for dealing with a dragon?" She questions without judgment.

:That didn't really give her an answer, did it?: I sigh a little and nod, "No, but to be blunt, their abilities make them extremely adept at learning secrets. There is nothing more dangerous than secrets, especially ones concerning you, and me by extension." That comes from the paranoid part of my mind, it's far from wrong though.

She nods in agreement at that. "True, I suppose that's why you didn't want to be found by them? The other spell working in combination to find them first?" I don't comment on that and she nods after a minute, understanding my silent answer. "Why not answer at all? You could just lie, so why simply nothing?" She takes a different approach to her questions.

That actually makes me think for a moment. "Trust. I'm hiding something from you, we both know that, but I trust and care about you too much to just lie. I am honest in my dishonesty." I quote after some thought. "Why not demand answers? You could, even if I tried we both know you could get answers." I ask questions that's sat at the back of my mind for a long time now.

She looks interested as I answer but then shifts to a downcast mood. "Trust. In my long life, I have found that demanding things rarely does anypony any good. It just pushes others away." I can guess where she learned that, and feel a pang of guilt bringing it up, but also some warmth at her blatant trust in me.

The mood is thick by this point. "Do you have any plans in case the Changelings are a threat? Because I would rather you share them, things of that nature need far more than a single pony to bear the weight of a decision like that." Her words have an underlying heaviness to them, but also a gentleness she's keeping up for my sake.

I just shake my head a little, consumed by the lower mood of the topic. "No, at least not yet. Trust me, I will be getting your advice for anything like that." I promise before looking her in the eyes directly. "Thank you, for everything you've done for me. A bit odd for the mood I know, but I... I needed you to know that." It comes out of the blue.

She blinks a bit as the low mood shifts upwards. "I do, I truly do. Have I ever said how strange you can be?" I raise a brow at the odd questions. "You've done more good than so many others, even me in some ways, and you KNOW that. Yet, you're still thanking me." She smiles down at me.

The silence consumes us both as I don't really know what to say to that. She breaks the silence. "Why?" She finally asked the obvious question, the one we both knew was coming.

I sit silently and she opens her muzzle to continue, but I cut her off. "Fear, a fear that... Fear." The answer bubbles up in me with some heavy uncertainty and hesitation. I want to tell her so many things, but a part of me just can't, I don't have the right to.

The future has changed, but it is still somewhat on track, the main six are still ending up in Ponyville. If I reveal something and it changes things even more, to such a point as the main six do not come to be, I would never forgive myself for the consequences.

Celestia looks a little... Hurt. "Oh, I see." She turns her head down a bit.

There is a heavy beat of silence as some dread pools in me before I shake my head quickly and tilt her head back up to face me. "No, never you. I would never fear you, never." I insist on her and look her right in the eyes. "I fear so much, for so many reasons, but NEVER YOU." My dead serious tone seemed to get through whatever thoughts she was having.

I do fear the consequences of revealing what I know. But I trust her enough to know that I would never have to fear her, no matter what I revealed. She looks taken aback at the dead serious tone, but also relieved and happy. She smiles again and I feel my panic fade. "I'm sorry, It's not right for me to react like that, forgive this old mare." She apologizes sincerely.

I shake my head and try to smile as well. "You are always forgiven, as long as you can forgive a young stallion who doesn't know how to word a damned thing." I joke a little and feel something unseen flick my ear. "Ow!" I flinch a bit as she gives me a mixed stare seemingly recovered from her really low moment.

"I will, as long as that young stallion keeps his muzzle clean, I can and will flick you again." I nod with a chuckle as she looks pleased. "Good, I would rather not have to imitate my Niece, she can be rather vengeful." She jokes while I try not to link her example in the wrong way remembering that particular breakfast.

I smile at her. "You can't always stop me. Did you know dragons are rather colorful, with their words? They are an interesting lot." I joke in turn to try and keep things positive. "Ow! Stop that!" I demand as my ear is flicked again by something I can't see, damned magic.

She smirks at me. "No, not when you could be a bad influence on her." She motions to Entropy, who looks thoroughly amused at everything happening. "Shade? Thank you, I don't know what this is, and I may never know. But thank you for trusting me, even with just that small bit." She has a happy tone.

I stay silent for a moment before smiling. "Thank you, Celestia, that means more than you may ever know." I move something out of my saddlebags hoping to finally move us past all of this. "Now, I was thinking about pranking Cadance. Do you want to help? Because I have so many ideas and a change in topic."

Her smile is all the answer I need.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. :D
Current year is 995

I know not much is really happening here, but on my day off I got a several hour long migraine and still feel off. So I went for something with a lot of feelings and less plot, the writing might also be a little wonky, sorry.

I do think it fits to have Celestia start questioning Shade about this now that the topic of Changelings are coming up again, plus it's been a while sense we had a chapter of there two just discussing things. Not too much to really say beyond that though.

PS. The second episode of the reading is out. I'll probably just add them to the chapter notes when they come out. So here it is if your interested, https://youtu.be/005vaTpoAhU