Pony of a Different Color

by Sparky Brony

Chapter 13.

I flutter slowly up to the cloud house. The troops are bedding down for the night. I have put them through their paces. But I'm exhausted. We've been training for a week now. They are learning. And some of the Unicorn armorers from Canterlot have been coming down as well. Makes me glad that I've built a forge in my work room. Yes, I'm qualified as a blacksmith and armorer. When you have lived over a century, you pick up a few trades, especially when you have been jumping from universe to universe the way I have. I open the door and look around as I drop the cloth draped package I was holding. My daughter, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash are all sitting there. It's just after sundown. I say my greetings and head to the shower. Rainbow gets up for a second, and she sees the look on my face. The look I gave her is give me a few minutes. I get in the shower. I kick the cloud to rain down on me. I watch the water sluice down the drain. It's black, and I know my fur is horrible. About ten minutes in, I've had enough. I've got to figure out a way to get hot water up here. I wrap a large towel around me and head into the living room.

“Good evening Sparky.” Twilight speaks up.

“Good evening Princess.” She doesn't flinch now, good, my daughter has been working on her. “What can I do for you this fine evening?”

She looks at my daughter, who speaks up. “I wanted you to know how Twilight was doing when it comes to Saidar.”

That earned a big grin from me. “It's only been a few weeks since you got here Moonshine. Have you really helped her learn a lot?”

“Oh yes, with her magical background, she's an excellent student.”

Twilight gets up from the couch and stands in front of me. I feel a tingle down my spine as she embraces the source, and a white globe of light appears above an upraised hoof. She sends it off against a corner of the room. After a moment of concentration on her face, she disappears.

“She's mastered the light bending spell?” I look at my daughter, who nods.

A moment later, Twilight appears again. More concentration on her face. She opens three gateways at once.

“Now that takes a lot of power to open multiple gateways, But those are different destinations. How did you get the alignment correct for all three?”

Twilight claps her hooves together. A big smile on her face. "I just remembered three places that I like." She gestures to each one. “One is my room in Canterlot Castle, the library in the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters and my library. The alignment is actually pretty easy.”

“Well, I've never tried to make more than one gateway at a time, but that is amazing Twilight.”

I reach out to seize the source. My attempt comes up against an invisible wall. My eyes bulge. I reach out harder, and harder. No matter what I do, I can't break the shield. I look at my daughter. “Moonshine!”

Moonshine snickers, “Yes, Dad, I taught Twilight how to shield a stallion as well.”

I never even noticed the shield sliding into place. I turn to Twilight. “When did you shield me Twilight?”

A smile from the Alicorn. “From the moment I embraced the source Sparky.”

Amazing. “So, you can split your flows many different ways. Excellent, but I would appreciate a little warning.”

That smile remains. “Will La Rouche warn you before attacking you?”

She has a good point. Then I feel the air solidify around me. Maybe the point wasn't that good.

“Alright Twilight, you can release me.”

I'm unceremoniously lifted by the air and hung upside down. My mane, which I've been letting grow out, brushes against the floor as I squawk.

Not happy.

A giggle from all the mares in the room. I'm starting to get angry. I force my anger down and assume the oneness so I can seize the source. I push, I can feel the shield only by where my force stops. I feel the texture of the shield. I know what a shield looks like, I feel along it. After a few moments I feel where it's connected to Twilight. It's a soft point. I caress it for a moment, then I push hard against her connection to me. I feel the shield bulge, I push harder. I see sweat pouring down Twilight's face. After a few seconds, the shield shatters, and I slide a shield of my own on her, cutting her off, and for good measure I throw a shield at my daughter. Both mares gasp as her hold with Air on me evaporates and I face plant onto the floor.

Rainbow is on the floor, laughing so hard she can barely breathe. I shoot her a dirty look. My wings flair out. I'm going to teach Twilight a lesson here. I weave a variation of the light bending spell that she had just used. The room, well lit before, turns dark. I add the look of lightning behind me. Twilight and my daughter crouch down. I stalk slowly to them. To them I look extremely intimidating. Unfortunately the mood is spoiled by Rainbow looking at me and laughing even harder, as if that was possible.

“You, you, you, are sooo...” Rainbow tries to say before collapsing into more laughter. A moment later she gasps out “funny, Sparky when...” she's having trouble breathing, “you get mad.” More laughter.

I get an idea. I continue my stalk to Twilight. She looks afraid, but I really don't care. I'm almost nose to nose with her. After a moment of staring her down. I bring up my hoof. And boop her in the nose. I dispel all the weaves I just created and fall on Rainbow, starting to tickle her.

“Oh Celestia, stop.” She gasps as my hooves find every ticklish spot on her. I'm not stopping yet though. I feel a small body jump on my back. It's my daughter. She knows my ticklish spots all too well. She gets right under my wings, I'm helpless at that point, she's got me, now it's Rainbow and Moonshine on top of me, tickling me.

I can't win. After a moment, I'm gasping, trying to get them to stop. I can't even think of the source to get them off of me. I have to resort to pleading and begging.

Well, begging and pleading doesn't work. I'm laughing helplessly.

I know only one way to end a tickle war. I focus on my body, and ignore every input from them. It takes all of my concentration, but I'm able to ignore their tickling. Then Rainbow plays dirty. She grabs my rear hoof and tickles the bottom of it. All concentration just goes out of the window. I guess this war ends when they are good and ready for it to end.

Several agonizing minutes later, we are all in one big ball of laughter. I'm holding the two ponies that mean the most in my life. I give Rainbow a kiss and hug my daughter. I look over at Twilight.

“Were you scared?” I ask her.

“That was a very impressive threat display Sparky. I think I can adapt that, you used the light bending weave right?”

I nodded, “A variation of it. Sometimes it's better to intimidate an enemy than fight them. Though it looks as though you are coming along nicely when it comes to channeling.”

My daughter bounces in front of me. “Actually, Dad. Twilight has an amazing amount of magical abilities. I almost wish I had become a unicorn when I stepped through the gateway. I would love to learn Twilight's magic as well. Hers doesn't have the hard and fast rules that we have to deal with.”

“Amazing. And do all unicorns have the ability to channel the way Twilight can?”

My daughter's face fell. “No, Dad. I tested Rarity, Lyra, Vinyl, and a few other Unicorns. I do think Sweetie Belle might be able to once she gets older, but even that's in doubt. I felt a resonance from her when I tested Rarity. But nothing conclusive.”

So, Twilight is exceptional in more ways than one.

I turn to the cloth covered bundle by the door. Seizing the source, I lift it with flows of Air and bring it to me. The cloth falls away, revealing an ebony wood scabbarded sword. My heritage is Scottish, so I though of making a claidheamh mòr, but swinging around such a heavy broadsword wasn't my fighting style. I made this one in the Japanese style, a Tachi, much lighter than the Scottish sword, and single edged with a curved blade. I pull the blade out. I've actually gotten pretty nimble with my hooves. I stand on my rear hooves, my wings out to help stabilize me.

“What do you think?”

Rainbow comes up, “That is a wicked looking blade, did you make it?”

I nod.

“Awesome!”

Twilight looks at me quizzically. “You have command of extremely powerful magic, what use do you have for blades Sparky?”

I turn to her. I slide the blade slowly into it's scabbard. “Because of what happened during the battle. When I got tazered, if I had a blade, I might have been able to get out of it without the help of our friends. There are times where our magic can be useless. So, I don't want to be unprotected.”

Twilight subsides for a moment. “That is a beautiful piece of work Sparky. I just hope it never tastes blood.”

I sigh, and drop down on all fours. “I can't disagree with you there Twilight. I forged this using only the power. By infusing as much power into it as I did, this blade will never lose it's edge, can not be broken by any conventional means, and should last nearly forever.”

I impulsively kneel down in front of the princess. Using Air, I float the sword to her. “I think you should have it Twilight.”

She looks at the sword with a hint of fear “I don't want a sword, Sparky.”

I set it down at her hooves. “I can teach you how to use it. Twilight. I wouldn't want you to get overpowered in a battle and have nothing to defend yourself with.”

She looks at the sword, then at me. I'm looking directly in her eyes. Her horn glows softly, and the sword lifts up. She's inspecting the craftsmanship of the scabbard. She slides the blade out a few inches then back in. A soft sigh from her. “Fine, Sparky. When can you start teaching me?”

“I have another one that's nearly finished down in my workshop. And I made a few practice swords, we can train in the morning. That's if my daughter isn't running you ragged with learning the source. But remember, it will take a long time to become a sword master, first I'm going to have to teach you to handle it without stabbing yourself, or slicing off a wing. I made that blade sharp, I'm not kidding, the blade is only a molecule thick at the edge. It will cut almost anything.” I show her how to mount the blade on her back, between her wings, I tested a few variations of the cords to hold it, and any pony running with that sword won't get it caught between their legs or impede their movement, but they can reach it easily. I'll have mine finished tomorrow. I didn't use the ebony wood for myself, but instead I found an ivory colored wood that I liked, so the scabbard was white, with a black rawhide wrapping for the handle. I know that Twilight is going to be in the thick of any fighting, I want her to be protected.

“I'm going to bed. Have a good night girls.” I say as I shuffle into the bedroom, I collapse on the bed. It's been a long day.

Comments

[Sparkyfan]

Another nice interlude before the big drama. I like it.