Quest for Earth Pony Magic: the Disciple

by IMN

Chapter V: The Magic of Parenthood

Author's Note:

I think I advanced enough in the other parts of the story to know how to fix any discrepancy in the older chapter (namely for this arc).

Expect an update within the next couple of days.

Celestia’s sun was setting nicely across the horizon declaring the end of the day. At the Phoenician’s, two ponies were settling in for a simple dinner of daffodil sandwiches.

“So, how was your day?” Evening asked after swallowing his bite.

“It was good,” his son replied quickly.

“Anything special happened today?”

“Twilight managed to channel successfully her tertiary elements today,” Sun Light suppressed a laugh remembering how Twilight was prancing around after successfully activating twelve elements in a row, “Celestia said she’ll teach her a new spell next week.”

“And Spike? I hope you are not having too much trouble looking after him.”

“Nah, he’s no trouble. In fact, he’s a lot smarter than he looks.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

….

“So…”

“Just ask the question, dad.”

“The deadline is tomorrow Sun Light, have you made a decision yet?”

Sun Light regarded his father with mild amusement, “you can relax dad. I’m taking that job.”

“Oh?” Evening straightened his back while skepticism crept into his eyes.

Sun Light noticed immediately the change, “Oh what?”

“It seems to me that you made up your mind very quickly, questionably so,” He leaned on the table, putting two hooves under his chin, “what are you really up to Sun Light Helios of Phoenicia?”

Sun’s eye twitched, “If you must know, I have found that Twilight Sparkle and little Spike to be very entertaining. So much so that keeping them company will be a unique experience that will keep me out of boredom until the next century, or at least until Moon Chaser returns.”

“And what of the task your sister gave you?” Evening’s glare intensified.

Sun Light waved his hoof nonchalantly, “You worry too much over what my sister and I plot together.”

“I ought to; if I left you both for your own demise, you might take over Equestria,” Evening quipped.

“I’ll have her task done by the time she returns,” Sun replied before taking the last bite out of his sandwich, “If you don’t need anything else, I’m going to bed, I need an early start tomorrow if I am to find all the research materials Celestia have asked of me in time for the lesson,” he said while standing up in preparation to head toward his room.

“Actually, there is something I wish to talk with you about. Would you mind taking your seat back?”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the incident with the armory.”

Sun Light took back his seat, his heart was pounding hard in his chest. Although he knew this talk was coming; but the fact that it took his father the entire week to bring it up meant that something was happening behind his back. And he hated things that happen behind his back, “shoot.”

“I had the incident investigated by three different agencies, Equestria’s secret services, the police department, and an outside investigator,” with each name popping up, Evening placed an envelope from his hoof compartment on the table, “You see, I couldn’t exactly believe what I was reading. So I decided not to jump to any conclusion and listen to your side of the story. That is; if you are willing to tell me what really happened...”

Helios gulped, “Have you talked about this with Moon Chaser?”

“Moon got nothing to do with this, though I know for a fact that she knows.”

Sun Light hesitated, he tried to avoid his father’s gaze by fidgeting left and right.

“Just what are you afraid of Sunny?" Evening yelled, but it wasn't out of his anger that he did, "That I'll get mad at you? That I'll laugh at you? What is done is done, there is no point in dwelling on it, but for once I want to hear the truth from you," No, that was a yell of frustration, of despair, the yell that comes out of every parent that have failed repeatedly to reach out to his foal, "Is that too much to ask?”

Sun Light gulped, “No I think not.”

“Then tell me.”

“I…” Sun Light took a deep breath, then after exhaling, he stated, “I think I teleported inside the armory,” suddenly, he shielded his face with his hoof.

“Seriously,” Evening tsked, “You can be such a foal sometimes.”

“You’re not mad? Or going to laugh? Or send me to be dissected for experimental purpose?”

“What? No! What gave you that idea?” Evening sighed, “I’m actually a bit proud that you managed to pull something like that off.”

“So… you believe me?”

Evening tapped at the stack of papers to his left, “I have three reports that back you up. Initial teleportation magic surge happens when casting a teleportation spell without proper projection, that’s what caused the explosion in the armory. It also explains how you got in there in the first place since it is nearly impossible to do so otherwise.”

Sun Light gave a sigh of relief, “Good because Cadance laughed at me when I told her.”

“You told the one pony you hated most, but not me?” Evening Star's answer was a bit miffed, but no sooner did he relax after noticing his son’s hesitancy, “Never mind that. Tell me, what are you going to do now?”

“Well, I need to prove that I can do magic beyond any reasonable doubt.”

“And how are you going to prove that?”

“By hatching a dragon egg.”

“Wow, you sure are aiming big,” just like his sister, Evening thought, “How are you planning on doing that?”

“I’m going to trick Twilight Sparkle into teaching me.”

Evening Star snorted, “You know, you don’t need to go that far. You are an earth pony, after all, if you teleported in court you can have anypony believe that you can do it.”

“There is a problem in that,” Sun Light fidget nervously, “I haven’t been able to teleport since the first time I did it.”

Evening Star’s jaw dropped, for the first time in the short of the life of his son, he heard him say something so nonsensical it twisted his thoughts into knots.

“Look I didn’t have time okay,” Sun Light bellowed defensively, “As cute of a monster Spike is, he can be such a hoofull that it’s next to impossible to do anything when I’m with him and don’t get me started on Twilight Sparkle, she’s needier than Cadance on a bad day, please get me that book, I’m not sure that’s was asked of me, are you sure this is correct. Gah, she’s so infuriating… What are you laughing at?”

Sun Light’s cheeks were burning with embarrassment as he watched his father literally fall off his chair laughing, “Stop that!” Sun Light whined, “You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

“Sorry…” his father could only muster between fits of laughter, “Sorry… It’s just that… you sounded like… a married couple…” with that he fell on his back laughing again.

“Dad~!” Sun Light’s expression screamed aghast at that moment.

Evening managed to calm his fits, “But you know, Sunny, I’m very happy that you finally confined to me your problems,” standing up, Evening walked toward his son then gave him a hug, “I want you to know that whatever your problems are, you can always come to me for help.”

“But won’t you get angry with me when I get in trouble?” Sun Light pulled away a little, “I really don’t like it when you’re angry with me.”

“True, I might get angry if you break a rule, I might even yell from time to time. But that doesn’t mean I will stop listening,” Evening mussed his son’s mane, “I will always listen to what you have to say, no matter what.”

For the first time since his sister’s leave, Sun’s gentle smile appeared on his face as he buried his face deeper into his father’s chest.

“Do you want me to get you into bed like old times?” Evening proposed.

“Only if you read me those investigation reports before I sleep,” Sun Light joked, earning a laugh from his father, which he echoed as well.

“No seriously, I need to see these reports.”

Comments

[Blewfire]

Aw, that was heart warming.