--=Starlight=--

“One problem though… I don’t think I can cast this spell, it’s way too complicated.” Starlight Glimmer feels her stomach turn very slightly in guilt at the knowledge that she can’t help her unexpected guest. He hadn’t been very nice, but he so openly shared magic beyond anything anypony had ever used before. He even brought news of a princess she had never heard of, ruling along side Celestia. ‘I’m not sure I quite believe that.’

Starlight looks her acquaintance up and down. He has a dark grey coat with a slightly darker grey mane. The mane is braided and hangs down his left shoulder, going down to his waist and containing a spherical blue crystal hair tie and a stripe of light grey. His golden eyes stare with an intensity that makes the mare shiver. He has a slightly lighter patch of fur just above his nose as well as blue eye shadow. The sky-blue crystal earrings hanging from his large, feline ears look like a perfect copy of the tie in his hair. He is adorned with a large, blue cloak that has a hood held on by a flamboyant crystal button. The cloak also has three golden buttons running down wear it covers the torso as well as golden embroidery on the sleeves and the trail. When the towering figure moved, she could see black clothing underneath with some additional golden embroidery. Possibly the most notable feature of the not pony are the black circles under his eyes that pierce even his dark fur.

“I suppose I suspected that, you may be powerful, but you still aren’t at the level to cast a spell of that caliber.” Paelius sighs. His highly dexterous fingers fly through the pockets of his cloak as Starlight feels a pang of envy. One of his hands produce a book while the other grasps a few potion bottles. The bottles contain glittering and swirling liquids that drag Starlight’s attention immediately. His eyes flipped through the pages at a ridiculous speed as he placed all his brews on the one of the plant pots. “I have an idea… but I’m not entirely comfortable with it.”

One of Starlight’s eyebrows slowly raises up as she gives him a curios stare. “And what could make you uncomfortable, oh so powerful Paelius.” Starlight sneers at the alien in front of her. Paelius hand come up right in front of the mare and he raises only the middle finger. “Bitch”.

“Just start casting the spell and then I will use this potion.” Paelius shakes one of the bottles in front of her like she’s a foal. “To give you access to my total magic store.” The potion is a deep scarlet with little black lines snaking around the surfaces of the inside of the bottle. “As long as you immediately cast the spell… everything will be fine.”

“Well that’s reassuring. Why should I help you.” Starlight holds the mocking in her voice, but Paelius doesn’t seem to notice as he is deep in thought.

“Here. I will make you a magic enhancer kind or like my staff, in exchange you shut up and cast the stupid spell.”

“DEAL!” Before Paelius could even react, she started casting the spell. She created the shell of the spell without putting in any of the power needed for it to actually have any effect. When she finishes making the setup there is a wet feeling on her muzzle. She’s about to open her eyes to see what he was doing but she was stopped a humungous and overwhelming magical surge.

--=Paelius=--

There is a bright red flash and Paelius feels the uncomfortable sensation of his magic evaporating. The effects only last a few seconds, and the magic comes back flowing through his bones like water through a steel grate. He opens his eyes to spy the collapsed form of Starlight Glimmer. ‘Well that’s not surprising’. As he passes her, heading towards exit, he feels her breath on his heels.

“(Well shit. She didn’t die.)” Paelius exclaims with surprise clear in his original language. After Starlight cast the spell, the last grips of Celestia’s spell got destroyed. “(Now I kind of owe her… dammit.)”

Paelius finds a couch chair in one of the other rooms and plants his behind on it. He proceeds to unbutton his cloak and pull his undershirt up. The glowing blue cracks have morphed into boring black cracks. Paelius snaps his finger and a small flame dances across them momentarily before disappearing. ‘Guess my magic still has to recover… Old fashioned way it is.’

Paelius leaves the living room for a few seconds. In the other room, the running of a faucet can be heard along with the sound of water hitting glass. He returns with a jam jar full of water.

“(GET UP, WE’RE ON THE CLOCK!)” Paelius shouts releasing all of the water on her face at one. The figure on the floor jerks around violently before starting to cough sporadically while the biped sits on the chair he brought in. The chair itself is a little uncomfortable, being made for the ponies rather than alien cats. ‘Inconsiderate’.

“WHAT THE BUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!” Starlight screeches from her place on the floor just to land on deaf ears. Paelius looks at her with a face that only registered that she spoke. In his fingers, Paelius is fiddling with something she can’t see. “Is something wrong with you?” She continues with some concern filtering in.

“I don’t speak Ponish. (Aww you care).” Paelius fumbles out the small amount of Ponish he knows before switching to a mock. Starlight lights her horn and Paelius feels a very familiar dry sensation. “Does everyone know this spell except the doc.”

“Got you a present.” Paelius states nonchalantly as he stops messing with the item in his hand. His arm lowers slowly towards the mare who was quickly losing her waking aggression.

“Ooo, a present from the Great Sage himself, what could it be.” Her signature sly grin creeping on her face, enjoying making fun of her guest.

As his fist unclenches, a platinum ring with a spherical blue crystal is revealed in his palm.

“Are you asking me to MARRY YOU!!!”

Author's Note

WHAAAAAT! A cliff hanger. Definitely writing a romance story, ignore the fact that I didn't use a tag.

I still dunno about the dialogue, I feel like I did it slightly better but I am also completely stupid. I noticed that I never actually described what Paelius looks like so I used Glim Glam to do it at the start of this chapter. Not my best work I feel. Sorry :(

Where shall I take the story now... not even I know LMAO!