Ch.5
I groaned as I tried casting the Blizzard spell again, and losing my control over it still. I moaned as I knew I had been stuck on this spell for two weeks now. My lessons have gone a bit further in theory, but Celestia and Luna wouldn’t let me practice more complex Ice spells before I mastered this one. Luna wanted me to show I had learned control of my magic before we moved to more complex ice magic then it was off to electricity.
I could not figure out how to control an Ice core accurately.
Luna sighed before saying. “Follow what I do and listen to how I do it.” She told me, her horn lighting up. “See the ice as flowing water first then…”
Following her lead I started thinking of flowing water, gagging it and slowing it down at the core of the spell. My magic flowed and waned with the spell as proper ice core formed at the middle. Luna then explained I needed to shatter the heart slowly like a wind rushing through a cloud. Watching the core break and make snow I smile in the glee of the less explosive methods I had only be able to do for weeks. I looked to Luna to give thanks and was stunned by how she looked in falling snow.
“Very Good Saphira, now if we speed it up and you can keep control, we’ll move onto higher Ice spell.” She told me with a beaming smile. “Nice to see you improve. It’ll be good to see you master this art.”
“Thanks.” I wrote to her.
I think I’m blushing.
“Well now, let's get on to Ice spike,” Luna told me as she turned to a new book. “Now, Ice spike takes more energy even if it is simpler than a minor Blizzard spell; it does need you a solid spike of ice then propel it at least several miles per hour at a target.” She explained creating a statue. “We’ll use this as target practices, and I’m putting a shield around the room, so a stray spike doesn’t hurt anyone.”
“Okay,” I said going over the page, noting how similar it was to an ice core base for a Blizard Catalyst but without the shattering needed for the spell to work. Instead, I had to keep it stable and spin it until I got a nice sharp spike, once that was finished, I used magic to push it as hard as I could at my target.
I started the spell as a minor blizzard spell but stopped short of shattering it. Spinning and lengthening the core into a spike was slow needing me to keep the whole thing together as it wanted to break apart from the spin. I growled as I tried pushing it away once I finished crafting the spike only for it to fly a foot and crash down to the ground shattering.
“Well, this is why we practice. Again.” She told me as I tried the spell again.
The next few hours had me practicing this spell, slowly getting the hang of it. By the time Celestia came by for my flying lessons, I was launching the spike. I was still missing, but at least I could initiate the spike. I had winced at the sound of the ice shattering from each impact.
“You’ll get the hang of it,” Luna told me as I got up.
“Thank you, Teacher,” I said bowing to her before heading off with Celestia which was a little hard, but my growth seems to have slowed if only a little. I could still walk through the castle, but by the end of the year, I may have to live outside or have a new building built for me. “So more wing exercises?” I asked Celestia as we walked to an open courtyard.
“Yes, I don’t think you’re strong enough yet actually to attempt full-fledged flight.” She told me as I sighed in annoyance. But I remember my first attempted had me face planting into a cabbage cart.
“I still remember the Cabbages.” I wrote with a groan as I started doing push-ups with my wings, working the muscles in the limbs as Celestia corrected my form. “Still don’t think I’ll have that growth spurt?”
“Yes, magic doesn’t make mass. But we’ll see once I feel you’re ready.” She told me. “Now we’re moving from twenty push up to thirty, if you stop you’re starting over, or until I say you can stop.”
I nodded already on ten. Celestia was more experienced in flying, so she took over that bit of my teachings. But she was very strict on it almost like a drill Sergeant, not like her methods of teaching magic.
I groaned and huffed from the strain as I worked the muscles in my wings hard. The joints in my wings ached, my back complained about how hard I was pushing it, and I swore I could feel my blood pumping through them. It was tiring, but it was making my wings stronger, and the way I was weaving in and out of the forest while I hunted far easier, using my wings and tail to balance myself more and more for the sharper turns.
I had stopped scavenging kills two weeks after my Physical Education started, finding it more comfortable to hunt my prey down. I am also sensing with my mind much faster, seeing the injured and sickly victim more quickly as I saw my targets without looking. But once I started flying than I could hunt, my dreams showed me how — the ferocity I would do it with, and cold glee in my skills.
“Okay, that’s thirty. Time for some running!” She said with glee as I panted for air.
“Huh?” I groaned before I started following her for the run. Crap I’ve been doing this for a while now but I was still getting used to it, but I was trying. Running for a half hour made me collapse, and I was given over to Starswirl for philosophy. Well, after an hour of rest from having to RUN for an hour. “Crap, I hate running.” I groaned as I walked to Starswirl’s room.
“My former students working you hard?” He chuckled as I sat down. I nodded as he smirked before going into theories from earlier wizards. He was very proud of proving most of them wrong. “Now we are covering some broader History! Today is the founding of Equestria Region, and it’s city-states.”
“Wait, this whole region is called Equestria? But you all live in city-states?” I questioned.
“Well yes. Even after the three tribes united after the event of the great freeze, we still had many ideological differences. Take Spart Tan., a place of most military pegasi, but they also have unicorns and Earth ponies. They all believe the strength is best, quick wits, philosophy, and equality of sexes.” She explained.
“Is it not the same here?” I asked.
“We believe in Philosophy, equality, science, and loving common understanding.” He told me.
“And what of the Crystal Empire?” I asked.
“Well, for the most part, they believe many of the same things as us, though they also believe our emotions can change fate. They’re a weird bunch in my opinion and have been known to isolationist even if they hold the biggest land out of any of the City States.” He explained.
"Pranch, on the other hand, revokes modern notion science and abhors magic, stating both go against the face of an all maker, an Alicorn name Faust.”
“That doesn’t make much sense with how this world is.” I wrote in confusion.
“Yes, But religion is as always confusing.” He sighed. “But they have made advances in technology that even we struggle to understand."
“Wait really?” I asked.
“It’s mostly technology that suppresses magic.” He said with a sigh.
“So avoid if at all possible?” I asked.
“Yes, now to move onto the last of our close neighbors, the Lupus, who worship a Fertility Goddess by the name of Wairt," he said as I kept taking notes. “They are a bit of a mystery to us, hiding in the wilds to the west. What we know the most is that they are Ponies, and they are rumored to eat meat, be very sexually open, seem to lack issues with congenital disabilities.”
“Huh?” I questioned on a note
“Yes, I said that right. Lupus are one of the know City States of Ponies to survive Discord.” Star Swirl explained, looking at his notes. “For the most part the Lupus state is strange even by the standards of Discord, but the likelihood you’ll meet them is extremely low.”
“Oh,” I stated tilting my head, well that seems odd. Why would they be known for sex and high birthrates?
“Now onto mathematics,” He said with a big grin, and I groaned, rubbing my face.
“Bleh.” I groaned through my mind as I walked through the forest. Currently, I was hunting down a deer. Why so much math! I hate math!”
“Oh not liking your studies?” Concord chuckled as he walked into view, not scaring the deer at least.
“Yes, not exactly as much as I’m making it out to be. Math is just boring.” I huffed as slowed my stalking turning to Concord. “What lesson is for today?”
“Probing another’s mind. We won’t get into attacks yet, maybe in a couple of months.” He told me as we walked, each staying quit as we stalked the herd. “The deer will be a good example; once I spook them, you will have to keep a probe going in the mind of your target, either calm it or focus on the probe to track its movements and find where the herd is going.”
“Wha?” We began to question before Concord howled and spooked the Deer, making us panic and latch onto the mind of a deer, keeping my mind connected to it as it bolted. “Concord!” I growled in my mind, spooking the deer more as I started running after my meal.
Keeping the connection was hard. I was faster than the herd, but I had a harder time navigating the forest without flight. Growling we climbed into the trees, almost breaking one as we started using them to glide through the woods, my wings having just enough room to spread. Won’t be able to do this in a few months and I’ll have to fly over the canopy to get this speed. I would still be able to walk through the forest, but I could use the same paths as I do now.
“Shit!” I yelped as my wing clipped a branch and I fell to the forest floor. Groaning, I felt the Deer was getting away, making me rush to my feet and attacks it’s mind, forcing it to stay still as I rushed for it.
Its mind screamed and lashed out at me, the beast forcing its limbs to move by inches as I struggled to keep hold. I could swear it was lashing at my probe with red hot pokers as it tried to break my command to stand still, making huffed as I used a lot of energy to hold it. If this was just a panicked beast with barely any understanding of what was happening to it, what would a highly intelligent, or even highly trained individual be?
Grunting like I had kicked, in the stomach, I found my prey frozen still mid-step, hooves struggling to move. The beast grew more panicked as it bleated at the sight of me, it’s herd long gone as I winced from it thrashing even harder, making me my recoil in pain as I tried keeping up the command. It got a few steps as it lashed at my probe, before I struck, my neck acting like a coiled spring and my mouth a vice as I grabbed its throat and twisted.
The beast’s mind flicked as it lost all connection to its body and I felt its blood enter my mouth. The deer struggled only a few moments longer, before going still and I let my jaw relax, dropping my meal before I started ripping away at its flesh. I was so tired from just trying to keep it still that I would need at least two more deers to regain what I used up.
“That was very good.” Concord chuckled as he walked into view earning a growl from me. The wolf chuckled heartily. “You need to learn to track with all your senses, your mind included. And the fact you used your probe to Command the deer even with no training in mental attacks is impressive.”
“I wouldn’t have needed to if you hadn’t howled.” I huffed through our mental link. “You still never explained to me why you could also talk with your mind, you are not like the ponies who are anthro, but a beast almost like me.”
“In due time my student. You have another meal to catch after right? And all that meat will slow you, better hurry up and start tracking them.” Concord chuckled as he vanished into the underbrush.
“Ass.” I huffed as I ripped into the deer feeling like just one more would work.
After finishing the deer off, barely any meat or bones left, I looked about with my mind again, noting some scavengers waiting for me to go. Huffing smoke and turned and left feeling the pests rushing to my scraps as I found the herd again. They were still on the move, but at a much slower pace.
“Should be easier to track if Concord doesn’t howl.” I huffed as I started stalking them, going over each to find my target.
Weaving through the tree, the deer were two miles away when I caught wind of their scent. I picked my target, a fat plump deer that seemed to have a failing heart. It would be easy to chase down if it bolted, not as hard as the last one, hopefully.
I growled a branch broke and spooked the herd again, this time from a pony picking flowers. I had latched onto my target and rushed after it, keeping myself hidden from both its senses and mind. Keeping my presences hidden was hard as I could tell where the beast was looking, it’s full range making it hard to stay in its blind spot as it turned it’s ear’s and turned it’s head to try and find the threat. Luckily it knew it was looking for wolves, so its glims of me were not seen too much as a threat.
I ended up cornering the sickly deer when I spooked it at just the right moment, forcing images of stalking wolves into its mind’s eye and driving it back into a cliff. It bleated in panic as looked down at the wolves in front as I came from the side, slow and steady. Taking the deer by surprise, it jumped right into my attack as I tricked its mind into thinking a wolf was coming for it from the front.
Killing it didn’t take much more energy than the other, even less really. Tricking a mind into seeing something that was not there was a little easier than trying to command it. It was gratifying to rip into the deer’s flesh and eat having learned a few tricks from this. I wonder if that was Concord plan for introducing me to mental combat.
Finishing my meal I heard Concord walk back into view as I licked my teeth clean.
“Very good, trickery is much easier than forcing commands on others. But while it won’t work on everyone, it can be beneficial to get information or turning someone to your way of thinking. It’s much like tricking someone in a debate to your way of thinking to the point they forget they’re arguments.” Concord explained.
“Yeah, tough as hell to pull off though.” I groaned as I got up. “I need to go home and sleep.” I yawned.
“Well, you did finish your lesson.” He chuckled. “Go head my Student.”
“Thanks.” I groaned heading head, belly full, and my eyelids heavy.
I groaned as I am rubbing my full belly and studied my scrolls and books, having a few weeks go by and moving onto Electricity after mostly mastering ice. I got the basics down at least for fire and ice spells. I don’t think I’ll ever be an expert in ice magic, but it’s good to know it.
“So full.” I huffed rubbing my belly. “Why did I eat those cakes!”
“Tummy ache?” Luna chuckled. “I never thought you’d take that dare to eat Sister’s cakes!”
I glared at her as my belly gurgled in protest. Guess it didn’t like sweets anymore. “No more cake ever!” We lamented, writing it down for Luna.
“I can guess!” She chuckled as she looked up to my head, which as now higher than her. I was almost reaching the top of the halls now if I stood on my hind legs but it would be winter before living in the Castle would be a real problem. “Anything else you want to do?”
“Nooooooooooo!” I huffed, shoving the note into her muzzle.
“Alright, So you don’t want to play chess?” She chuckled bringing a box out of nowhere confusing me.
“Where were you hiding that?” We wrote down.
“Magic!” She chuckled making us huff. “Oh please, you know we can do almost anything with magic, like teleporting objects. Now do you want to play or not?”
“Fine.” We sighed letting her set up the board. I just laid on my upset stomach as she put herself as white and me as black.
“You know how to play?” She asked me.
“Yes, Celestia taught me,” I explained with a half-truth, I knew most rules from human life...I think. Celestia explained the rest and a few difference in the pony version. Mostly they were name changes. Queen is now a wizard, and King is Princess in this version for example.
The first few opening moves I was doing well, took a couple of her Guardsmen, even one Commander, both prices being the versions of pawns and knights for this game. Luna was chuckling the whole time before my Guards starting being taken by her general and Wizard.
I panicked as started trying to lay traps, working as I might take the Wizard off the field but just kept having my pieces taken by her generals and other Knights, She also held the edges central control with her Bastions. It didn't take her long to make my Wizard and put me in check, though I was carving her defense, she kept outthinking me.
“You need practice.” Luna chuckled, shifting her legs and an odd scent coming off.
“Do you have perfume on, Luna?” I wrote down, and she blushed.
“I-yeah, I was going to go to the market, maybe attract a Stallion.” She told me. “Didn’t work that well.”
“Oh,” I said feeling some sympathy for her. “I’m sure you’ll find someone Luna.”
“Thank you, Saphira.” Luns chuckled before declaring. “Checkmate!”
“Dammit!” I said with a huff.
“Another round?” Luna asked resting the board.
“Sure,” I said watching her as I relaxed the best I could with stomach pains. This match went much the same as the last, with Luna won the game much quicker. “So you and Celestia looking for mates?”
“Well, um, yes.” Luna chuckled nervously.
“Cool.” I said, “I've not interested myself, even knowing I am the only one of my kind.”
“Oh? Why?” Luna asked tilting her head ever so to her right.
“Well for one, I’m barely a year old.” I chuckled. Sure was about as big as a large car but I was not mature yet.
“Oh right! When do you think that might be?” She asked.
“Uh, very personal question, but I think my two and a half? Three at most.” I explained, finding her waiting patiently.
“That fast!” She said shocked. I gave her a deadpan look and pointed at my body. “Right, you’re growing fast.” She said blushing.
“Mostly consistent with my food, I’ve slowed down in growth a bit compared to the rapid first two months,” I explained. “If I was gorging on food for four hours a day every day, I would be much larger already, and still not sexually ready.”
“Wait really?” She asked.
“While my growth is rapid and I grow huge, very fast, I can’t mature fast. The only help I have with my intelligence is my ancestral memory in my blood. Along with that, you’re teaching and my kind naturally high intelligence has helped grow in vocabulary and understanding rapidly.” I wrote down using coupled papers to do so from my small notepad. “I’m still a baby by my species standard.”
“You’re almost the size of a mid-adult dragon?! And you’re a baby?!” Luna said blinking in shock.
“Yes, my kind never stop growing. I could be the size of mountains by my hundreds.” I explained making her eye twitch as she read the note.
“I-you...what?!” She said.
“Checkmate.” I wrote down with a smug grin as I put my Wizard next to her princes who was trapped by my General and Bastion on either side.
“AH! CHEATER!” She huffed.
“You’re the that stopped paying attention to my pieces!” I chuckled leaning back, wincing from my belly’s protest. Okay, no more sweets, ever.
“Bah!” She huffed as I started chuckling at her. “Anyway, want to come to the market with me next time?”
“I would scare off guys not bring them to you!” I chuckled.
“I know, I just want to spend time with my friend.” She told me.
“I guess.” I chuckled with the note I wrote, and Luna punched me.
“It’s true! You’re my friend!” She chuckled before we got back to our game.
“So when should We go?” I asked in my next note.
“Hmmm, two weeks?” She told me.