The Conjuration Wizard

Rain hammered against my room’s windows. Each drop added to the rhythmic drumming that had filled my room. This storm was of the sort that reduced the world to a hazy blur. The world outside my room obscured in sheets of rain.

I sat at my desk. Before me sat my spellbook. Its pages still aglow from freshly inscribed spells. Fireball, Summon Monster III, and Fly — each one represented the new level of power I’ve reached, a new set of possibilities. But despite the excitement of reaching third-level spells, my thoughts were elsewhere.

Aldin, my ever-faithful owl companion, was perched on the back of my chair, his feathers slightly ruffled from the humidity in the room. He was unusually quiet, his large eyes focused on the rain outside. I understood the sentiment well. He loved the rain just as much as I do. And tonight the rain was coming down far harder than any other night we’ve had on Equis. It was a near torrential downpour at this point. The downpour made the castle feel like it was afloat in an endless sea of mist.

“Hey, best-buddy,” I said, breaking the silence, “you enjoying the storm?”

Aldin turned his head slowly towards me. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. It gave him the look of contemplation. He blinked once… twice... then made a low hoot. Then a series of clicks and trills flowed from him. All of that was well and good, but the part that threw me off was that it all was understandable. I understood him.

“‘Enjoying’? You could say that,” Aldin replied, his voice a mix of youthful energy and an underlying, almost ancient wisdom. His speech was an odd blend of hoots and clicks, but to me, it was as clear as if he’d spoken plain words. “You know how I feel about the rain, Seb.”

I froze, my quill hovering above the page. “Did you just — did you just talk?”

With a ruffle of feathers, Aldin shot me look that could only be described as amused. “Took you long enough to notice. What, you think I was just going to sit here and hoot all my life? Nah. I’ve got things to say.”

I blinked. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that my owl was having a normal conversation with me. “When did this — how did this—”

“Relax, Seb,” Aldin interrupted with a soft chuff that sounded almost like a laugh. “We both knew this was coming. Didn’t know when, but hey, here we are. I guess reaching those third-level spells gave me the nudge I needed.”

I leaned back in my chair. My mind still in the process of catching up to the situation. “So you’re saying that you have been waiting for this?”

Aldin bobbed his head. Through our link I felt a fluctuation of emotion: mischief. “Yep. It was only a matter of time. And now that I can talk, you better be ready. Because I have got a lot of strong opinions on matters.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. The shock of the situation having worn off enough for me to start appreciating the humor of it all. “Of course you do. Wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

“Damn right,” Aldin replied, fluffing his feathers in satisfaction. “And by the way, nice job on those spells. Fireball, Summon Monster III, and Fly. Not bad choices. Not bad at all. Although I will be honest, I’m more looking forward to seeing you actually cast them. Writing them down is one thing, but using them? That’s where the fun begins.”

I smiled. A swell of pride arose in my chest at his words. “Yeah, I’m pretty excited to throw spells about too. This was a long time coming. And I have been working hard to reach this point with my magic.”

“Hard work pays off,” Aldin said with a knowing hoot. “But don’t forget to enjoy it too. You’re always so serious, Seb. Lighten up a bit. Life is too short to spend it all with your nose buried in a book.”

“Coming from the owl who loves to watch me do just that,” I teased as I reached up to gently scratch at the top of his head.

Aldin leaned into the touch. For a moment he closed his eyes before opening them again to speak on. “Hey, someone’s got to make sure you don’t burn yourself out. Plus, I’ve grown fond of your ramblings about magic. It’s… comforting.”

There was a warmth in his voice that caught me off guard, a reminder of the bond we shared. I’d always known Aldin was more than just a companion, but hearing him speak like this brought it all into sharper focus.

“I appreciate that,” I said quietly, my hand lingering on his feathers. “I really do.”

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the sound of the rain filling the room. The significance of the past few days was bearing down on my mind. My growing feelings for Luna. My uncertainty of the future. This new development with Aldin. This was all a lot to take in.

“So,” Aldin said, breaking the silence with a soft hoot, “what’s next, Seb? You’ve got your third-level spells. You’ve got me, now with the gift of gab. What’s the plan?”

A sigh escaped me as I leaned back in my chair. My gaze wandered toward the rain-soaked world beyond the pane of glass that constituted my room's window. “I don’t know, best-buddy. There is so much going on. Luna… she might be sending me on missions soon. Dangerous ones. I’m not supposed to know, but I overheard her talking to Celestia.”

Aldin was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he processed what I’d said. “Missions, huh? Sounds like they’re ready to see what you’re made of. You worried?”

“Yeah,” I admitted in a hushed tone. “I am. Not about the missions themselves — I know I can handle those. But… leaving. Leaving her alone.”

Aldin tilted his head slightly. “You care about her a lot, don’t you?”

I nodded. The admission felt harder to admit than I expected. “Yeah. I do.”

Aldin let out a soft hoot. A comforting sound that made my tension ease just a little. “Then do what you’ve always done, Seb. Prepare. Get stronger. But don’t forget to be there for her too. You’re not just a wizard, you’re her friend. Maybe more than that. But that is for you two to figure out. Not me. I'm just an owl.”

I looked at him. A small smile on my face. “You’re a wise little owl, you know that?”

Aldin puffed out his chest, his tone teasing but with a note of sincerity. “Damn right I am. Now, how about we take a break from all this heavy talk and just enjoy the rain?”

I smiled, nodding as I turned my attention to the balcony, the storm outside raging on. “Sounds like a plan, best-buddy. Sounds like a plan.”

I pushed the balcony door open. The cool, damp outside air washed over us. With the door now ajar, the sound of rain intensified and the rhythmic drumming grew louder as the wind whipped through the now open space. From atop my head Aldin was momentarily buffeted by the breeze as we stepped out into that great downpour.

The rain was relentless in its intensity. Each drop was cold and sharp against my skin. I was soaked through my clothes immediately. Instead of retreating back into my room, I decided to embrace it. I tilted my head back to let the water cascade over my face. Aldin followed suite and spread his wings wide, allowing the rain to thoroughly drench his feathers. Through our link I could feel his joy, and I was sure that he could feel mine.

“This is what life’s all about, Seb,” Aldin spoke with a mix of contentment and something deeper that almost sounded like reverence. “Moments like these. Where everything else fades away, and it’s just you and the rain.”

I nodded, closing my eyes as I breathed in the fresh, earthy scent that always accompanied a heavy storm. “Yeah. I get that.”

We stood there for what felt like hours, though it could have been minutes or days for all I cared. The world was reduced to the sounds of the rain, the feel of it soaking us to the bone, and the occasional roll of distant thunder. The rain cleansed my mind. My worries and uncertainties were swept away by the downpour. Something akin to peace settled into me.

Aldin claws dug into my hair as he hunkered down against the winds. “You know, Seb, there’s something about a storm that makes everything feel… realer. Like the rain washes away all the nonsense, leaves only what matters.”

I opened my eyes. From our vantage point I could bear witness to the sheets of rain falling out in the haze. Canterlot was a blur of lights and shadows. Up here we were in a world apart. We were untouched by anything outside our little balcony.

“I think you’re right,” my words felt truer than I expected. “Sometimes you just need to get a little soaked to remember what is important.”

Aldin let out a soft hoot of agreement, and I could feel the contentment radiating from him. We stayed like that, the rain washing over us, until the cold began to creep into my bones and Aldin’s feathers started to droop from the weight of the water.

“Alright,” I said, finally pulling myself away from the edge of the balcony, “let’s get inside before we catch our death out here.”

Aldin fluttered off my shoulder and landed on the railing, giving himself a quick shake to rid his wings of excess water. “You’re no fun, Seb. But I guess you’re right. Let’s dry off.”

I stepped back inside, water pooling around my feet as I closed the doors behind us. Aldin flew in after me, perching on the back of a nearby chair as he fluffed out his damp feathers. I raised a hand, murmuring the words to a simple Prestidigitation cantrip, and with a wave of my fingers, the water evaporated from my clothes, leaving me dry and warm. Another quick flick, and Aldin was similarly dried off, his feathers regaining their usual fluffiness.

“Much better,” Aldin said with a satisfied hoot. “Now, how about we get comfortable and watch the rest of the storm from the inside?”

Can't argue with that.

I grabbed a couple of blankets from my bed. I wrapped one around myself, and tossed the other over to Aldin. He quickly set about nestling himself with a content hoot. We settled ourselves in front of the balcony window. The rain continued its downpour. The rain lashed out against the glass, but it was nothing compared to the warmth and coziness of our room.

We watched the storm continue its relentless assault. A deep sense of peace settle over me. The worries of tomorrow could wait.

For now, it was just me, my best-buddy, and the rain.