Keepers of the Dead

Chapter Three: Leave No Stone
Sometimes the smallest details make the biggest difference.

Twilight was pacing back and forth in her room. What Nickel said had left her wondering: “How can magic, that only hurts ponies, be good?” She levitated a book over and flipped studying the pages. Twilight sighed and placed the book down, “why have I not read about this kind of magic before?” Twilight thought as she walked over to a cushion and sat down.

“Is something wrong, Twilight?” Spike asked over a stack of books.

“Nickel showed me a new spell today. It made a ball of fire.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Spike said as he was taking a stack of books over to a shelf.

“I know...I know.” Twilight covered her head with her hoofs. “He offered to teach me.”

Spike looked over the shelf, making sure the books he just placed were in the right order. “How is that bad? You love magic.”

She picked up her head, hooves falling to the floor. “I do, but not when it can hurt somepony.”

Spike rubbed his head, remembering when his top hat turned back into a rock nearly knocking him out. Twilight looked at him knowing what he was thinking. “Not intentionally anyways. Besides, that was a long time ago.” She silent thought for a second.“I owe Nickel an answer at least.” She left to Nickel’s house on the outskirts of town.

As she walked up to Nickel’s door she was greeted by Obsidia sweeping the walkway. “Hey, Twilight! Nickel said you would be dropping by, but he didn't think you would be here so soon.”

“Do you know where he went?”

Obsidia thought for a second. “He was talking to some ponies placing orders, and they said something about a hydra nearby, so he left me in charge while he looked for it. I can’t remember what the place was called.”

Twilight’s expression dropped to horror. “He went to Froggy Bottom Bog, to FIGHT a hydra?” She said in a state of shock.

“Yep. Hydra skin is really useful for all types’ potions. Why are you freaking out?”

“He’s going to need help.” She said before bolting off. Before Obsidia could answer, Twilight was already out of earshot, galloping towards Froggy Bottom Bog, hoping it wasn't too late.

As she was drawing closer, she could hear the roar of the hydra followed by a loud splash. She looked through the trees to see the bog. “Finally!” she exclaimed as she teleported into the middle of the swamp. Frantically searching, she saw Nickel poking around the base of tree trunks and flipping over rocks. She teleported next to him and hysterically yelled “Nickel we have to get out of here right now, there is a hydra around here!” He pointed behind Twilight when she turned around she saw the hydra almost completely submerged under the murky water.

She turned back to the colt “d-did you kill it?” she asked cautiously.

The colt was confused. “It’s sleeping, calm down.”

Twilight was baffled “Your daughter said you needed the skin for potions, don’t you... need to... you know, skin it to do that?”

The colt let out a small sigh “hydras are somewhat like snakes, they shed their skin once a season. I’m not going to kill something because it is the easier way. Sure it is deadly but hydras are just territorial.” He started to feel underwater for something before his face light up as he exclaimed “Finally!” He pulled up a large sheet of hydra skin. As he rolled up the skin into his bag he then turned to Twilight. “So, did you come to give me your answer or do you have more questions?”

Twilight took a deep breath and calmed herself. “While I appreciate your offer, I can’t learn a magic that can only hurt ponies.”

He looked ahead and started walking signaling Twilight to follow. “Do you know why I was so hasty in getting my books back?”

Twilight shook her head, realizing he was still looking forward. She softly said, “no.”

“It is because this magic is dangerous when not taught properly. If you decided to try to learn the spells yourself you would have hurt yourself or something else.” Twilight started to imagine her library going up in flames, or worse spike being trapped inside. She gave a sigh of relief when she remembered how fireproof dragons are. Noticing, Nickel looking at her, almost like he knew what she was thinking, “That is why this magic needs a mentor.”

Twilight shook the image from her head. “That is exactly why I can’t do this.” She started to walk next to Nickel, trying her best not to slosh through the bog.

Nickel turned his head to meet Twilight’s eyes as he said, “I know you want to learn this, I know you better than you think, Ms. Sparkle.”

“What is that exactly?”

He kept his knowing gaze fixed on her. “You are smart that much is obvious. You are well read and amazing at almost every type of magic, very curious almost like you need to understand the world around you and that is very admirable. Best of all you have a thirst for knowledge that you can never quench.”

A small smile broke over his face. “You would eventually regret not knowing a whole new field of magic and you would try to teach yourself and that is where it will go wrong.”

Twilight was stunned. She wanted to disagree, tell him he knew nothing about her. The only problem with that was, he was right. She did want to know about the world around her, her countless nights spent reading to study every topic that she could get her hooves on. She was confused, it was almost like she didn't know herself as well as he did. She looked at the colt, “you’re right; I would have gone to the Canterlot library to try and find a book on this or just try to replicate the spell myself. How do you know I would have hurt something? You said it yourself, I’m not exactly bad at magic.”

The colt kept a straight face, looking like he was forcing himself to hide something. “Because it is the nature of the beast. It can never be tamed without help. Only the foolish try to take on more than they can handle.”

There was a pregnant pause Twilight wanted to ask how he knew, but knew she didn't have the right to go there. She hasn't learned anything about him and yet it seemed like he knew everything about him. “Nickel?” Twilight asked sheepishly, “what would I have to do to be your student?” asking out of curiosity.

“Give me one hundred percent, do what I tell you, and I’ll do the rest.” They walked to the outskirts of Ponyville as Nickel changed direction. Twilight was silently rethinking her options. She didn't notice when he walked inside his house.

Nickel caught up with Twilight as she neared the center of Ponyville. She waited slightly embarrassed that she didn't even notice as he fell behind. When he caught up to her, she turned around to face him. Twilight took a deep breath “ I've changed my mind, I want to learn, but if it gets too dangerous I’m going to stop.” Twilight stood in front of Nickel with the utmost confidence in her decision.

Nickel kept a straight face, “I know, get a good night sleep and meet me at my house in the morning. We have a big day tomorrow.” With that he walked away, leaving Twilight in the center of Ponyville to tend to her business.