//------------------------------// // 21 - Don't Disturb the Disturbed // Story: Sweetie Belle Gains a Soul // by Bad Dragon //------------------------------// “… Now sit down, Sweetie Belle, and pay attention to the subject. I won’t start over again just because you can’t show up on time.” Cheerilee finished scolding me. I was late to school again. It turned out that you can’t run very fast with a heavy book in your saddlebag. Nodding in agreement, I turned toward my desk. She didn’t even know how much attention I’d be paying. Not to her jabbering, of course. I had a more important thing to do during the class. The moment my tush touched the dirty seat, a book floated from my saddlebag and onto the desk. I opened it, anxious to start reading. Who would have guessed that learning can be fun, interesting and engaging? They should make a place where ponies could go every day to learn new stuff. I looked around the classroom. Oh, right… On any other day, I would have just put such a dull book away and looked at the ceiling to entertain myself, but with that particular one, I felt different. It wanted to be read. The content within presented a doorway to the brave new world in contrast to the stale one I lived up until then. Embracing the knowledge before me would prepare me for things to come. I couldn’t resist the magical info-dump hidden under the covers. If I focused on each sentence with my eyes, they seemed complex and hard to understand. But if I just skimmed across them, I knew what the meaning was; as if I’ve read it before. It was more like remembering the information that the book portrayed rather than reading. I could even sense the knowledge hidden between the lines. The subjects that were merely skimmed or just hinted seemed familiar. Instead of worrying about my ability to recognize things that I’ve never even heard about before, I simply assumed that I might have been even smarter than I thought I was or that the book was enchanted in some way. It didn’t even matter how it all worked. Why would I distress about something that feels good, anyway? Alchemy The chapter was vast, but I just turned the pages one after another. This is the branch I owe my horn to. If it wasn’t for the alchemical healing potion that Zecora made, I’d be a far less edgy Unicorn. The mere thought of losing the ability to cast magic sent shivers down my spine. The one thing I had going for me; almost lost. When I learn everything that Twilight knows, I may yet have some questions for Zecora. Anti-magic This includes different branches of magic from alchemy to elemental magic. What sets it apart from other magic branches is its effect. While the focus of most magic types is influencing matter, Anti-magic deals in canceling magic resultant. This is achieved by synchronizing with magic flows, turning them benign; canceling the results of magic; reflecting magic; containing the spread of magic or binding with magic in a way that produces little to no consequence, but consumes all the magic in the process. The lack of any useful outcome makes this magic fairly unpopular. Despite that, some cancellation usages did find their way into medicine books for treatments of various magic poisons and after spell backlashes. Black magic The forbidden magic isn’t really an actual branch of magic, the book, however, tried to portray it as such. In reality, it’s more of a moral branch. Ponies stick all the spells they deem immoral in the black magic category, so they can distance themselves from what they don’t approve of. But it’s not the magic itself that is different. It includes all the other magic branches. The only difference is that the means or the effects of the spells can be harmful. Separating things by that criterion is too superficial, though. We impact our surroundings all the time. We trample the fertile earth beneath our hooves and prevent it from flourishing. The plants that beat the odds by breaking through the clenching earth get chewed upon by the vicious pony species. Black magic spells are just the next logical step from the harm we already do. Blood magic and necromancy spells are the most detestable ones in this category. That has less to do with them being offensive oriented and more to do with ponies perceiving them too alien to be tolerated. They fear these magic subcategories because they don’t understand them. All the while, they shudder the thought of getting to know them. It’s a mental loop that is bound to keep black magic from becoming widely used by the general population for a millennium to come. Blood magic As some plants have their magic effect, which can be used in various alchemical brews, so too do animals. Of various parts that a biological creature consists of, its blood is the most potent with magic properties for it nourishes life, which in turn anchors the soul to the body. It can be used as a catalyst for casting or binding spells even in the raw state. The book failed to mention that some creatures are better for brewing than others. Ponies and dragons being the most potent ones of all. I drew a pot with Twilight and Spike bathing inside at the bottom of the page. Chaos magic This is the least understood magic branch—not because of its complexity but due to the lack of structure. There are many hypotheses as to what Chaos magic actually is. I circled out the theory that was the least wrong and crossed out the other ones. The remaining one stated that Chaos Magic is magic in its most primal form. The arcane nature is not as smooth as some assume. It consists of fluctuations that may or may not form different structures within the field. By influencing the field in a certain way, one might produce a consistent effect from random fluctuations. A prime example of direct influence can be observed with the Spirit of Chaos—a Draconequus who has recently been unleashed on the world. Unfortunately, no books were written by the one known as Discord. At the time of publishing, he was still too stoned to shed any light on this elusive subject. According to this theory, Chaos magic is the basis for every other magic branch. With a certain set of stimuli, one can produce a bulk effect of the field with some results being random, but majority obtaining an unvarying property usually referred to as the frequency of the channel. It takes a special breed of creatures or ponies to spread out the main channels into more primal forms. Many master magicians try to fiddle with this magic but mostly abandon the studies due to lack of improvement in consistency. Casters experienced with Chaos magic can form powerful spells, but their degree of invariant is usually no better than novice level castings. After experimentation phase, serious casters usually abandon the study in this field, for the same reasons they stay clear of emotional magic. Teleportation The teleportation spell avoids the random effects of the field manipulation by not directly affecting it. Instead, the spell merely establishes the appropriate conditions that activate the innate property of synchronized endpoints. The surrounding field can then, under such conditions, produce a predetermined magic event on its own. The main focus of teleportation is the energy transfer of the primary body by forming harmonic endpoints of the same vibration frequency of those at the starting area of the matter being transferred. This process always leads to the loss of the original body, because interchanges between energy and matter fall under the consumption—creation type of transformation. The basic requirement for transformation between matter and energy is the preservation of magic amplitude. When used on a living being or self, a life is irreversibly lost as a payment for creation. With formed channels, the magic energies themselves can be transferred from starting point to the endpoint. This part of the spell is a mere classical magic transmission. Chaos magic comes into play in a matter to energy conversion at the start of the process and in the last phase of the reverse transformation. A soft jerk to my sides woke me up from the trance I was in. My horn glowed. A dark purple aura seeped from the corners of my eyes. “Sweetie, zo you have an eraser...” a whisper came from beside me. “Um, you okay? Your eyes are smoking.” “Hmm?” I looked at the concerned filly, sitting at the desk next to me. “You interrupted me, Twist!” I hissed at her. “S—sorry. I just wansed zo borrow your eraser.” A grin snuck on my lips as my channel forked at the tip of my horn. One part slung itself on her desk, while the other enwrapped my eraser within and without. Every curve of the channel was mirrored by the other. When the energies inside the eraser flared, the mass forming on Twist’s desk drained the magic from my channel. I snickered under my breath. “I’ve already lent it to you.” “Whaz zo you mean?” She looked at her desk. “Oh... Sank you.” My gaze shifted back to the magical knowledge in the book before me, pulling my mind along for the ride. Copying of mass Attempts of copying matter without losing the original body of mass have been reported to have some limited success. Those methods, however, involve an entirely different concept than teleporting. The main idea behind copying is to set up an energy-charged pool of vibrating higher states of potential magic fields. Those fields can then be harmonized with mirroring intermediate. The matter passing through such fields initiates a release of stored energy within them. The mirroring medium ensures that the frequency of the released energies matches the frequencies triggered by the passing matter through the field. The resulting magic-matter transfer process concludes in a subject of exact material properties as the original trigger of the effect. Only matter can be transferred with this technique. Magic-based properties of the transporting subject are absent in the copied matter. Classical magic The basic magic manipulation process is used predominantly by Unicorns and Alicorns. In its simplest variety, this magic does not produce any effects but merely transports magic energies from one point to another. By forming channels, innate magic produced with a horn can be transferred to the desired destination by conducting it through the formed channels. At their conclusions (known as endpoints), the magic energies assume its original state. The resultants of entropy magic (heat energy, kinetic energy or potential energy) are generally produced with the use of innate magic. In this creation process, the classical magic merely allows the transfer of the already formed effect to a destination, which differs from the point of origin. The practice of classical magic can be achieved with innate abilities or any other techniques that produce channels. After the media for flows of energy is formed, the use of classical magic mostly relies on the mindful focus of the channel-wielder. With the innate magic manipulation, the potential focus is connected but not entirely set by the individual’s concentration and attention span abilities. The maximum limit of both is already determined at birth, yet immense training is required to make use of one’s full potential. Innate spell amplifiers can influence the channels by methods of lengthening, connecting, disconnecting, shortening, forking, merging, spreading and weaving. The most commonly used are the former three because they’re the most intuitive and practical. This level of classical magic manipulation is achievable by most Unicorns. It allows for a basic, one item kinetic manipulation (levitation in its basic variety) by transferring kinetic energies formed with innate magic to the endpoints, connected to the manipulated item. Expert magicians with an innate ability to form magic energies of different frequencies can conjure new instances by the means of channeling different wavelengths through multiple formed channels that merge at their midpoints. The range of frequencies available to the caster is, therefore, closely related to both classical magic abilities (number of channel connections) and their innate ability (potential for different frequencies). Alicorn magic I drew two brackets beside the subtitle and wrote ‘Best magic. Yay!’ within them. My eyes rolled around, as a reaction to what I wrote, then continued skimming through the text. In most channel mergers, the end result is a unified frequency ranging somewhere between the scales of the ones being fused. By choosing the correct combinations, one can achieve a disharmonious frequency conjunction superposition, forcing a negative reaction from all the channels involved. The resulting specific type of innate magic—Alicorn magic assumes a higher state, which is less reactive to the physical matter. Even the minuscule changes in the flows have substantial effect when used at the higher levels. As a consequence, the high state magic requires less focus for the same level of manipulation as would be otherwise mandated by the normal state magic energies. The usage of higher level magic is not limited to Alicorns. Those are more capable of such high-level magic manipulation, but other races and even some creatures have the potential of weaving the synchronized frequencies. The formation of channel interference requires adept usage of both innate magic and expert usage of classical magic. Such degrees of magic capabilities are only rarely seen in Unicorns but are quite prominent with Alicorns. When the higher resonance frequency is achieved, the effectiveness of all classical magic methods of channel manipulation is increased because even unsteady channels of this spectrum can transfer magic without significant losses. Due to the channels specific reactiveness, this form of magic affects detection spells. Unlike with gem-finding field that responds to magic residues, crystals cannot be located via the usual detection spells. However, with Alicorn magic the absorption properties of the crystals do interact via tunneling effect on the disharmonious channels. That negative energy reaction on the fields can be detected by the caster and, with triangulation, so too can the crystal. I sighed. The book was lacking again. When talking about crystals, their magic-assisted growth should at least be mentioned. I scribbled a segment about it at the bottom. Elemental magic Because of the matter and force manipulation spells that fall into this category, it’s often referred to as the nature magic. Achieving the elemental manipulation mostly comprises of different telekinesis usages, adjusted for the texture of the targeted matter: Earth, fire, water or air. Despite the claims of some ignorant low-level magicians, hurling a fireball does not necessitate a presence of fire. With telekinetic friction, the needed heat can be produced on the spot even without a catalyst. Emotion The book presented emotions as a special branch because of their spell-boosting effects. That was as ridiculous as saying a crutch helps you with walking. It’s only true if you’re a cripple, to begin with. Helping mages to overcome their inability to tap into their inner reserves should not be called boosting. Still, when one corners an enemy, emotions can run rampant in the prey. That usually hinders any last struggle that they could put up. However, if the emotional channels happen to resonate with the current spell, the power output could increase tenfold. That is why magic-wielding victims should never be underestimated. The book failed to mention this or any other practical example. I illustrated the portrayed technical knowledge by drawing crumpled Twilight in a corner of the page and wrote ‘KILL WITHOUT DELAY!’ over her. Usually, the conscious part of the brain is fully responsible for magic manipulation, but activating the emotional subconsciousness can potentially increase the flow of magic by an ample amount. Certain emotions open up only particular channels. For assistance with a current spell, one has to feel the right kind of emotion to increase its power. A wrong kind of feel can mess up the spell or annihilate it entirely. Emotions are fairly uncontrollable, making the use of this kind of magic unreliable. The book also stated that emotions act as a catalyst to spells. That was plain wrong and it needed to get fixed. I scratched it out with extreme prejudice. Emotions merely arouse the parts of the brain that are normally dormant, which in turn can procure extra channels. No catalyzation involved! The master casters usually try to hinder this magic, despite its potential. They learn to restrain the effects of emotions on the flow because in most cases the extra variable is detrimental to the spell. Limiting the varying factors in oneself allows the caster to perform magic with consistency and finesse. Geometry magic The shapes themselves do not produce a magic effect. They can, however, present a medium for the magic to travel across. Geometry magic is used as a compensation when innate magic cannot be supplied or as augmentation of classical magic when an ample amount of arcane flow needs to be transferred to an endpoint. Non-Unicorns use these techniques to simulate the effect of the magic channels because they can’t cast them on their own. This magic type is one of the oldest. Indication of its use can be found at many archaeological sites of ancient temples where some geometric configurations have passively countered their spells’ decay for more than a millennium. Pon-Henge is the prime example of that. There’s a good reason why the inner tunnels of it are closed to the general public. When forming and distilling spells, a mere circle shape is ineffective. The inherent friction of the magic arises when its flow abruptly changes directions. The absence of edges preserves formed spells longer because it protects them from such decaying mechanisms, but it doesn’t add to the spell’s ramification. Mastery of geometric magic often relies on balancing the use of both principles in unison. There were a few drawings of various geometric structures in the book. I thought that a few shapes reminded me of something similar I’d seen at Zecora’s, but I couldn’t force myself to visualize it. My mind just got hazy when I tried. I skipped the pictures and continued skimming the text. Some non-casting beings can master this technique allowing them the ability to cast spells. The process involves structuring complex symbols and medium paths where magic effect converge in a planned manner. An active presence of a member of a casting species can finalize the effect. If innate magic isn’t readily available, it can be substituted with magic prepared beforehoof in the form of runes. The other name for this is ritualistic magic. I scratched that last statement because it was misleading. The expression Ritualistic magic came about from ignorant ponies who didn’t know the difference between useless rituals and intricate magic usage. Innate magic It is categorized as either active or passive based on its effects. Plants usually harbor passive innate magic, while some animals, such as Unicorns and Alicorns, can enact active magic. That’s just a rule of a hoof though. There are many exceptions, like plants with active effects. An example of that would be the truth flower or poison joke. On the opposite spectrum, there is the passive magic in Pegasi that helps them with flying and grants them the cloud-walking ability. Earth ponies have innate magic as well, it just isn’t as clearly reflected. I assumed the meaning behind that sentence was that with no innate magic presence, using Earth ponies for blood magic would yield no results. Earth ponies do, actually, harbor magic. The book didn’t mention it, but they can be just as potent as the other pony races if prepared properly. When alive, their innate magic also accounts for their increased physical capabilities by subconscious flash telekinesis that offers extra support to the muscle exertion motions. Imbued magic Certain simplistic spells can be sealed up in runes. Complex spells are only applicable when imbuing an object for a short period. A workaround for that timespan limitation is a construct of multiple runes, each holding a part of the spell with the proper geometry magic connecting them. That way, the chronological limitation is extended by a vast margin. Imbued magic is used mostly by non-caster species and casters who wish to perform more lasting or complex effects. Wards, totems and talismans fall in this category. A growing agreement among casters is that necromantically raised beings could also fall under imbued magic, thus rendering the mostly unexplored necromantic branch redundant. The mere validity of zombie sighting has always been under question. Some of the reports of undead creatures can be straight out dismissed or at least sufficiently explained away by telekinetically imbued puppets or corpses. “Ugh!” That last paragraph was drenched in ignorance. I didn’t know exactly where I got the information from, but I knew with my being that necromancy was just as valid a branch of magic as any other. I scratched over the faulty paragraph until it was illegible. “Sweetie Belle, are you sure that book of yours is relevant to the subject at hoof?” Cheerilee approached my desk. “Are you even listening to me, filly? What did I just say?” My heart thumped hard in my chest because I thought I would get scolded really bad for not paying attention. I was just about to say that I was really sorry when my muzzle moved on its own, “You’ve made a claim that Pegasi create clouds, yet there is a natural process capable of midair condensation. It’s not conscious driven and lacks guided purpose, but it does suffice in lands that the winged ponies have not yet claimed.” Where did that come from? I asked myself in my mind. “Okay then, I was just—checking,” she excused her disruption. Oh, no matter, she’s walking away. Incantation By itself, it is powerless because the sound contains no magic on its own. The air vibration can, however, resonate with magic imbued objects that are primed for certain words. Voice never adds anything to the offset of the medium holding the spell. The reason why casters sometimes artificially embed the verbal incantation is to prevent a misuse of the conjuration or an over-drain of the magic reserves. Though the book failed to even mention it, there is a prime example of this magic. I wrote “The Mirror Pool” on the side of the page. You need to say certain words to activate the copying effect. Such a trigger is often used in spell books. By incantations, casters can see the structure and effect of a spell before they even acquire it. Recreating the spell after seeing it allows for faster learning. Incantation is experimentally used in casting spells to initiate the emotion magic effect, but the results of that are inconsistent at best. This entire branch falls under imbued magic. The incantation trigger merely increases the chance of greater spell ramification. Magic amplifier A Unicorn’s horn allows the caster to channel and control magic. The biological arcane catalyst is, however, far from the only mechanism for manipulating the arcane. Some of the items that achieve similar results are not even physical in nature. Various magic catalytic effects can be achieved by arcane means. These range from simple artificial channels to imbued spell amplifiers. For practical reasons, spell amplifiers often take a form of necklaces and crowns. They mostly implement emotion generation magic that opens up unused emotional channels. Alicorn Amulet is the prime example of that. The extended use of such items is not advised because emotions usually directly influence decision-making in pony population. Some ponies are capable of isolating decision-making process from emotional influences. That technique, though effective, is even more controversial because the decrease of empathy hinders the moral implication in a decision making process. There are rare items that incorporate their own innate magic into a catalytic effect. An example of such boosters are the Elements of Harmony. Magic touch Again, not a real branch of magic. The expression comes from self-taught casters who never learned the discipline of outward extending the channels. They form channels within their body. It is easier to conduct the energy along biological media than maintaining the pathway that traverses air or matter. The energy of magic touch can only transfer through the flash and be projected to the target solely via direct contact. Even master casters sometimes regress to this method when they intend to cast a more powerful curse or a lasting spell. A unicorn could cast any of these spells at a distance but with lower potential effect. The cardinal yielding cortexes in Earth ponies are spread out and generally cannot be willfully focused. However, with dedication and practice, even Earth ponies can learn to manipulate this branch of magic. Zebras are also known to be able to use it to a great extent. There are some speculations that their physiological affinity for it might be greater, however, the higher degree of magic users among zebras could also be attributed to their inherent cultural upbringing that is more intrinsic to manipulation of magic. Vancian magic Again, not a real branch of magic. It is merely a technique for stopping the final release of the cast spell. Mastering this technique allows the caster to prepare the majority of the spell in advance and hold it in an unshaped form, which is less prone to decomposition. The more complex the spell, the harder it is to retain the energies within its bounds. Recasting the decayed parts or preparing the structure of a spell in an optimized, and in turn, stable way ensures more deterministic and lasting effects. The most complex spells can only be cast by Unicorns with less porous horns. The masters of this magic can even increase the power of their casting by reweaving the structure of the spell to keep it unchanging while gradually infusing the developing structure with extra energy. As long as the spell’s foundations remain stable, there is no upper limit to its ramifications. The higher the buildup, the stronger the burst. Unicorns with porous horns usually encounter impediment when casting complex spells. In such cases, tutors often teach their hindered students Vancian magic to help them overcome said disability. In practice, it’s often used for spells with complex foundations and easy formations. Even spells that are unstable by their very nature can be performed consistently when prepared in advance. Two figures approached. I looked up and saw Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara step in front of me. When I looked around, I noticed that there was nopony else in the classroom. Have I dozed off? “Tell me, Egghead, how will you carry that big book of yours home?” Diamond Tiara asked. “I’m not going home yet. I have a date with Twilight Sparkle. It’s her book, so she’ll want it back.” “I don’t think it would even fit in your small muzzle.” Silver spoon commented. “You’ll have to carry it on a hoof all the way to the castle.” “No need. I have a saddlebag with me. It’s quite practical despite being Rarity’s design,” I promoted it. “It’s affordable and comes with free shipping within Ponyville. Not by sheep, though. I used to get confused by that.” Without my permission, Silver Spoon picked up the saddlebag from the floor with her teeth and raised it. Diamond Tiara leaned down and bit on the bottom. After forcefully taking a step back, she tore away the underside. Her muzzle clenched at the stylish saddlebag while her eye lingered on me. My ears shot up at the sound of ripping fabric. They laughed as they dropped both parts on the floor. “What saddlebag?” They proceeded with their private little dance song. “Bump, bump, sugar-lump, rump!” I stood up from behind the school table. Silver Spoon gasped and pointed a hoof at me. “Oh, is Sweetie Blank gonna cry now?” “Oh, look!” Diamond Tiara bumped my flank. “The hoof cutie mark, which we worked so hard on, already came off. How tragic and sad. Our efforts were in vain. But I’m not giving up on her. The poor filly is just asking for another. A more permanent kind, perhaps? We’ll have to work extra hard to make one that sticks.” The bully extended a foreleg in front of her face. She looked at it and smiled as she turned her head toward my bottom. “We forgot to draw a cutie mark on her flank yesterday. Maybe we should do an extra few today.” I closed my eyes. My teeth clenched and muscles stiffened. As my eyes opened, I noticed a dark bubbly aura around my horn. The sides of my vision were drenched in a purple smoke. A wide grin embellished my face. “Not today!” Directed by the principles of classical magic, a woven channel launched forth. My innate magic flows supplemented its charge. While I extended the formation through the air, I forked it, separating the arcane pathway into two streams. With their charged endpoints, both channels connected—one on Silver Spoon’s neck and the other one on Diamond Tiara’s. Their skin buckled under my magic surface. They both leaned back then stood upward in an attempt to ease the pressure on their necks. I compensated their movement by extending my channels, keeping my focal points firmly attached. I pushed my body forward while lengthening my channels even further. They stepped backward on their hind legs, trying to catch their balance while flapping with their forehooves in a futile attempt to get rid of my focal points on their necks. I slammed their kicking bodies against the chalkboard in front of the classroom. Their muzzles moved, but no sound came out of them. The color of their faces gradually changed to blue. I approached them, still pushing with my magic. “I don’t appreciate what you two just did to my saddlebag—” I noticed that their bodies trembled ”—I will, however, find it in me, to let you go with a mere warning—this time. But if you cross my path again”—I put both forelegs on the surface between them to lift myself to their level—“there will be dire consequences!” I said facing the board so that my words could spread evenly between them. There was nothing left to be said. It was time to bestow my warning onto them. The focal points of my magic channels shifted on the backs of their necks while my inner flow pushed through my channels. Both forelegs buckled from the consequent pressure on my body. As my focal points detached, the rattle of chairs and tables behind me indicated that their flying came to a stop. “Consider this a push in the right direction. But don’t force me to turn the push into a shove. If you cross my path again, I shall trample you under my hooves.” I turned away from the wall and stood on all fours. Where there were orderly desks just a moment ago was a heap of turned over furniture. Beside it lay my saddlebag. I slowly walked to my property, dusted it out with a hoof and harnessed the straps over my loins. The saddle bag didn’t serve its role anymore, but it wasn’t trash-worthy just yet. I figured Rarity could perform one of her needle-and-thread miracles or at the very least salvage the remains for scrap parts. I looked around for the book. There! It lay under a gray leg. When I lifted the twitching appendage with a magic field, the quivering limb stiffened. I attached my second magic channel on the book and levitated it in the air above me. The saddlebag was torn, and I couldn’t carry anything within it. That wasn’t much of a problem. Despite the book’s weight, I knew I could easily keep my levitation field all through the path to Rarity, and Twilight after that. I let go of the leg, but it didn’t fall down. Instead, it slowly bent, retreating itself into the pile of chairs and tables. What mostly bothered me in the whole ordeal was that I’d have to make a detour to Rarity. She’d probably sit me down for a lesson on responsibility and that would take away the time I planned to spend with Twilight. “I’ll see you fillies tomorrow.” I turned around and walked to the door. The response from under the pile was nothing but muffled gurgling sounds. I levitated the book in front of me as I walked out of the classroom. I bucked at the door with both hind legs, slamming it shut. Those bullies needed some privacy. Surely they didn’t want to get disturbed by anypony while they thought about my warning. They were already disturbed plenty.