//------------------------------//
// An Arrangement 
// Story: The Princess of the Night: The Sorcerer 
// by theanarchisteire 
//------------------------------//

A few days passed and the two developed a sort of routine. As they were washing the dishes after a meal, Gerard stopped and looked at Luna. He wanted to ask her something, but he was afraid of getting his hopes up, just in case. Finally, he decided to go ahead and ask.
“Luna?”
“Yes?”
“Would it be possible, in theory, for a creature other than an Alicorn to learn Alicorn magic?”
“Why?” she asked suspiciously.
“I just think it’d be pretty cool to be able to teleport and levitate stuff,” said Gerard, a twinkle of childishness in his eyes.

“Well, normally a Unicorn would have to train for many years to be able to control magic that powerful,” started Luna carefully. “But, ever since I first met you, I have felt a strange aura emanating from you, something similar to the magical aura beings in my world extrude. I would say it is possible, if you were willing to invest a lot of time and effort.”
Gerard noticed that she had begun to refer to herself in the singular form, surely a sign that she was becoming more comfortable around him.
“Well, I have nothing better to do, and if there’s a chance it might work, I’d like to give it a try, if you were willing to teach me?”
“I do not see why not,” said the princess, shrugging. “Very well, I shall teach you the ways of magic, in return for you teaching me everything there is to know about your world.”
“That seems fair,” said Gerard. “So, where do we begin?”

“Firstly, you will need something to channel your magical energy through,” began Luna. “In my world, Unicorn’s horns are suited for this, because they are essentially an extension of our brains. Starswirl the Bearded figured this out through careful study and the dissection of many Unicorns who donated their bodies to magic-science.”
“Hmm, sounds a lot like Leonardo Da Vinci…” mused Gerard.
“Who is that?” questioned Luna.
“Never mind, that’s a different lesson entirely,” he responded. “So, what you’re saying is that I need to find something to channel my energy through?”
“Exactly,” confirmed Luna. “Is there any such object that magic users in this world use to channel energy?”
Gerard pondered it for a moment. “Well according to popular culture it can vary from their own hands to wands and staffs, but I’d have to do more research to figure out what works best…”

“Surely there would be books detailing such things?” suggested Luna.
Gerard thought about it. “Well, I think the book shop I normally get my research material from has an occult section…”
“Well what are you waiting for?” asked Luna, “Go! Get the books!”
Gerard smirked. “Someone’s eager for me to learn magic, aren’t they?”
Luna blushed slightly. “Perhaps that is so, but it is merely because I would hate to see so much potential go to waste…”
“Of course,” said Gerard “I’ll be back soon. There are books in the living room if you get bored. Mostly mine I’m afraid, but I’m sure that’ll change soon.”
He grabbed his keys off the table and left the house. Luna sensed him walk to the truck and get in. A moment later, she could hear the rumble of the engine as he started the truck and pulled out of the driveway, heading to town.

Luna made her way into the living room and over to the bookcase. She did not know Gerard was an author. There was a whole shelf dedicated to his books, and another containing literary magazines, which she assumed contained reviews of them. They all appeared to be historical fiction, with many of the titles referring to battles and wars she had never heard of. Her gaze was then drawn to the mantelpiece above the fireplace, where many awards sat. Among them sat a few pictures. These piqued Luna’s interest. She slowly walked over to them. They depicted a young boy, Gerard! He looked so carefree, she mused. He had longer hair, and wore dark clothes with many chains and pieces of metal attached. His t-shirt had the words ‘Abject Agony’ written on it, with what looked like a bleeding heart in the background.
“These humans have such odd clothes…” she muttered absentmindedly.

One of the pictures stood out from the rest though. It showed Gerard as a teenager, but that was not what interested Luna. No, what caught her eye was the man standing next to him. He had short, grey hair and was dressed in jeans and a shirt. He looked a bit thin and worn, but his eyes twinkled with life, and a mischievous joy. It took the princess a moment to realise where she had seen those eyes before. Then it struck her. They were Gerard’s eyes! So this man was a relation. His father perhaps, or an uncle maybe. She resolved to ask him when he came back. In the meantime, the woman returned to the bookshelf and chose a book at random. A soft blue glow wrapped around it and tugged it free of the shelf. She moved to the centre of the room, the book following her. There she sat upon the rug in front of the empty fireplace, curled up and did something that she had enjoyed since she was a filly. She read.

***

“Hey, Gerard!” boomed the shopkeeper, smiling. “It’s been a while since I saw you here!”
Gerard returned the smile. “Yeah, since my last signing if I’m not mistaken.” He said, embracing the man warmly.
The bookshop was moderately sized, and divided into neat sections, one half fiction, one non-fiction. Little children ran around the fiction section, looking for their favourite series, while bored parents browsed the non-fiction. Of course, there was the odd parent who had no qualms with being just as excited, if not more so, by the books in the fiction section than their children.

“So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, my friend?” the man asked, leading Gerard over to the counter.
“Straight to the point, as usual Liam, “ commented Gerard, scanning the bestseller section. Several of his own books resided there, a fact that still shocked him. Liam chuckled at that.
“I never was one for small talk… So, what do you need? Research material? You know whatever you need I can order in, it’s no problem.”
Gerard thought about this for a moment, before asking “Do you have anything on magic?”
Liam looked slightly taken aback. “What, like witches and wizards? I never thought you’d be into that kind of stuff. All your books are about soldiers fighting in wars, not magic.”
“I’m considering a career change,” muttered Gerard. Then, louder, “So, do you have anything on it?”
Liam made a few quick keystrokes on the computer that sat on the counter. After a few moments of waiting, the computer pinged.

“Looks like you’re in luck, we have some stuff in the back left over from that big Wiccan convention a few months back.”
“Wiccan?” enquired Gerard, confusion writ on his features.
“Yeah, apparently they’re like Neo-Pagans or something. Remember, the Church kicked up a real storm about them being here?”
“Oh yeah!” said Gerard, remembering. A minister had been arrested after attempting to firebomb the convention centre, claiming that the Devil was possessing the people inside.
“So, you want me to bring a few of them up so you can have a look?” asked Liam.
“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks,” replied Gerard.

Liam disappeared into the back room while Gerard waited patiently at the counter. While he waited a young boy, no more than fifteen, approached him.
“No way! You aren’t, you know…”
Gerard turned to see the boy holding up one of his books. He smiled.
“The one and only!” he replied.
The boy’s eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of his head.
“D-do you think you could sign this for me?” he asked, stuttering. “I-I mean, if it’s not too much trouble…”
“Not at all, anything for a fan,” said Gerard, turning and locating a pen on the counter. He opened the book to the dedication page and signed it. He couldn’t help automatically reading the dedication he had written. 
This book is dedicated to my late uncle, Robert. Thanks for all the love and support you have given me over the years, and for getting me through some tough times. Rest in peace.
Gerard handed the book back to the boy, who thanked him again before running off, presumably to brag to his friends.

He turned to find Liam standing there, a stack of books on the counter.
“Do you ever get used to it, people looking for your autograph?” he asked as he totaled up the cost of the books, using his employee’s discount. Gerard laughed heartily.
“No, never. I still think of myself as an amateur author, sitting in my bedroom, filling refill pads with my crazy ideas. I try not to think about the fame, just in case it goes to my head.”
It was Liam’s turn to laugh at this. “Are you kidding? You’re the most down to Earth guy I know!” he said, taking the money Gerard had handed him.
“A down to Earth guy, buying books on ancient magical rituals, “ he joked, picking up the stack of books. “Keep the change, I know you used your employee’s discount again.” He added.
Liam just chuckled as Gerard navigated his way out of the shop.
“I can’t wait to see what that guy comes out with this time… Hopefully he’ll send me an advance copy!” he muttered excitedly before returning to his work.

***

Gerard closed the door as quietly as he could with his foot, trying not to drop his stack of books. The kitchen was empty, so he moved through to the living room, where he found Luna sitting on the rug, gazing intently at one of his books. She turned a page with magic, completely oblivious to his presence. Gerard sensed his opportunity and carefully placed his books on the armchair, before slowly creeping up behind Luna. He placed his mouth next to her ear and whispered,
“Looks like someone’s enjoying my book.”

Luna jumped up and squealed in fright, turning to find Gerard lying on the floor, howling with laughter. She stomped a foot.
“That was not funny!” she protested. “We did not even hear you arrive home!” She had reverted to using the royal ‘we’ in her shock without realising.
“The… look… on… your face!” Gerard managed between bursts of laughter. “I… can’t breathe!”
Luna’s face slackened and she began to laugh too. “I suppose it was amusing… Although not as amusing as this!”
Gerard was enveloped in a blue glow. His laughter stopped immediately. “Wh-what are you doing?!” he asked, beginning to panic.
“Getting even,” she said with a wicked smile.

They vanished in a flash of light, and when Gerard opened his eyes he saw Luna floating above him. He looked down to see the lake, and his eyes widened.
“You wouldn’t!” he gasped.
“Would I not?” she asked, the evil smile spreading. The glow around Gerard faded and he hung in the air for an impossibly long moment before plunging into the cold water of the lake. He surfaced to find Luna standing under the willow tree where they first spoke, waiting for him. He felt a burst of determination inside himself. He needed to get over there fast, and get even. Even as he thought this he felt the energy growing inside himself, getting larger, more powerful, until-

He stood beside Luna. He was still dripping lake water. The princess’s jaw dropped.
“Did… did you do that?” asked Gerard, confused.
Luna shook her head.
“Then that means… I just teleported! By myself! Awesome!”
A huge smile spread across his face, and he hugged Luna with joy. She was so overcome with amazement that she didn’t realise what was happening until it was too late. A flash of light later and the pair were hovering above the middle of the lake. Gerard pulled back his head and smiled.
“Gotcha.” He said as they both plunged into the lake.

***

The unusual pair sat by the fire, drying themselves off as a beautiful crescent moon shone outside, an exact copy of Luna’s Cutie Mark.
“Well, it seems I don’t need a wand to channel my energy,” commented Gerard.
“Indeed…” commented the princess absentmindedly, combing through one of the tomes Gerard had brought home. “It says here that only lesser mages need to use wands or staffs, and that more advanced magi only use them out of habit.”
“Makes sense, I suppose… This book says it isn’t the wand itself that channels the magic, but the gems and crystals embedded in the tips,” said Gerard, looking up from another book. “I didn’t realise crystals could hold energy.”
“Oh yes,” Luna responded, “it is their atomic structure that allows them to contain vast amounts of energy. Some of the most powerful magical objects on my world use crystals to power them.”
“You seem to know quite a bit of science-magic,” remarked Gerard, returning to his book.
Luna blushed. “Well I must admit, reading was a hobby of mine. My sister and I had amassed a huge library in our castle, and I would spend hours wandering through it, reading all of the books that caught my eye.”

“Oh, a scholar,” teased Gerard.
The princess chuckled at this. “Hardly. Although it makes sense for a princess to be well read, considering she has to settle all sorts of disputes among her subjects.”
Gerard acknowledged this with a nod.  For a few moments there was silence as the pair continued to read, apart from the gentle crackling of the fire in front of them. Luna looked up at Gerard and asked what had been on her mind all day.
“Gerard?”
Something in her tone made Gerard stop reading and look up.
“Yes?” he asked, “Is something wrong?”
Luna floated down a photograph from the mantelpiece. “No, everything is fine, thank you for asking. I was merely wondering who this man was.”
Gerard took the photo in his hands and the glow around it subsided. He smiled gently and sighed.
“This is my uncle, Robert. He took care of me for a long time. This is his house, actually. He left it to me when he passed away.”
“Oh…” said Luna, seeing tears begin to form in the man’s eyes. “I am so sorry, I did not know…” she crawled over to him and wrapped her arms around him.
“What happened?” she whispered.
Gerard sniffled before wiping his eyes. “Heart attack. They say he went peacefully, in his sleep. He was a good man, he taught me a lot.”

Luna was silent for a moment. “I am sorry for your loss. He sounds like a wonderful man.”
“He was.”
They sat like that for a long time, the woman cradling the man as he relived his past, until eventually his breathing deepened and became regular, and she knew he was asleep. She lay him down on the rug and levitated a cushion over from the armchair, putting it under his head. She brought one over for herself and lay next to Gerard, wrapping her arms around him, surrounding him in a cocoon of warmth.