Chapter Two
The Party
“First off, I’d like to extend my gratitude for making time to meet with me like this.” The nine tailed fox spoke in a prescient manner. His four guards stood behind him and looked around the throne room they were in. The marble floor was clean to the point where they could see their reflections on the floor. The stained glass that told stories about Equestria’s heroes were clean as well.
“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine, Emperor. it’s not often we meet a remarkable species such as yourself.” Celestia spoke, keeping that motherly and regal tone of hers.
“Before we go further beyond this discussion, I, no, we demand to know if you have spies within our borders?” Luna spoke up, determined to get to the bottom of her mystery. For the past week ever since Seer send the princesses the letter, she had been searching for any type of opposing espionage among the royal staff and guard, both solar and her own. She had entered into ponies dreams to reveal the truth or asking them personal questions in case the foxes knew how to shape shift like the changeling race. Each attempt came up fruitless, leaving the lunar princess tired. Now since the emperor was here, she could get the answers she desperately wanted.
“I do not.” Seer just chuckled to the question, then raising a brow to the princess, more especially, Celestia. “And didn’t I tell you in my reply to call off the search to spare you and your ponies an headache?” The fox asked only for Celestia’s cheek turn red in embarrassment. “However, even if I did, it would be hard, if not impossible, to for you to find or located them among the ponies in this land.” Twilight was about to asked but was cut off by the emperor. “And before you ask, it’s a secret only those within my guard are allowed to share.”
“Then how did you know about the dragon in Equestria? How did you know about Twilight’s former pupil Starlight Glimmer?” Luna asked as she started rubbing her hands on her mane in frustration.
“Seer Dono can gaze into the past, present, and future of all.” One of the guard said proudly. The nine-tailed fox and the rest of his guard just planted his hand to his face and sighed. He didn’t want to tell them about his clairvoyance since it would likely dash any hopes in becoming allies if he knew secrets Equestria has hidden.
“Wait, you know the clairvoyance spell? “Twilight asked only to get a nod in confirmation from the fox emperor. “But that spell. . .its nearly impossible to complete, and even if you do, the user can only see up to ten seconds into the past or future.” Twilight explained, having read the spell herself. She had performed the spell and only saw ten seconds into the future, and nothing much has changed only for grey wall-eyed mare crashing into her castle with a letter addressed by her parents. And ten seconds later her vision happen.
“Oh For the love of Inari. . .Yajirushi.” The black and green armor fox turned to emperor who call.
“Yes, my lord?”
“When this is over, I’m going to punish you when I clearly ordered you and the others to not tell anyone about my clairvoyance.” Seer rubbed his temple softly.
The armor two-tailed fox bowed apologetically and begged. “Forgive me my lord.”
Ignoring Yajirushi’s plead, Seer addressed Twilight. “For one, the clairvoyance spell as hard as it is wasn’t meant for any creature to cast. Two; my name is Seer for a reason. And three; In order for the spell to be a success, there are special requirements that must be met.” Seer was about to explain, but he saw Twilight taking notes. “And if you think I’m going to tell you the steps, then you’re sadly mistaken.”
“Wah?” Twilight asked in disbelief, much to the two celestial sisters amusement.
“This spell is something you have to figure out on your own.” Seer declared with a coy smile
“Emperor Seer, you ‘may’ know everything about us ponies, but we have very little to go off of on you and your kind. Do you mind sharing some information about yourself or your species?” Celestia asked.
“Alright, what you want to know?” Seer asked knowing what the princesses what to asked him.
“A friend of mine saw something akin to you near the border of Equestria. Her fur was white as snow. Her hair was a golden color and she wore a robe much like the one you’re wearing, only with hourglasses on them. When he called her out, she disappeared and wasn't seen since then. I was wondering if you know her or have known about her whereabouts?” Celestia had described the details on the encounter her friend had as best she could.
“I do. Her name is Hourglass, she the former ruler of Vulpes Terra.”
“What happened to her?” Twilight asked with an interested grin, her notepad at the ready again. “Did you banish her to somewhere remote because she was evil to her subjects?” This question caused the four guards behind the emperor to growl, causing the lavender alicorn to flinch and slightly hidden from the visitors, thinking she had done something wrong. Seer just raised his hand, causing them to calm down.
“Princess Sparkle. I know you are curious about us and want to know more about our culture, race, and history, all of which I’m happy to share, but please do not speak ill towards her. And no I didn’t banish her, she just retired after 3000 years of ruling.”
“I’m sorry to assume.-” Twilight apologies but was quickly interrupted.
“I forgive you,” The Emperor fox said waving his hand.” and I’m well aware of The Storm King, Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, and Lord Tirek tried to conquer your land, which ended in failure.” Seer recounted.
“Why yes, actual.” Twilight said, not knowing where he was going with this.
“Ah, then I understand your feeling Princess Sparkle, but rest assure I’m not here to conquer your land.” Seer finished. Twilight smiled and nodded thankfully.
“Ok, how did you become Emperor? If you don’t mind me asking.” Luna asked out of curiosity.
The nine-tailed fox shrugged at the question and answered. “I was next in line for the throne, that’s all.”
“Are there any other types of foxes if I may be bold to ask?” Twilight still kept her pen and paper out ready to write the juicy information she was about to here.
“I believe Frostbite here would be able to answer that.” Seer said. He then motioned for Frostbite to do so, to which the white armored twin-tailed fox nodded dutifully.
“There are three types of foxes within our land. The first being called Zenko, well-behaved foxes that normally serves as the nobles in Vulpes Terra.” The white fox’s voice was soft but had a little muscularity to it. “In my opinion, some of them can be jerks.” The white armor fox whisper. Lucky for her no pony was able to hear her. “Normally there are some that live in poor regions however they somehow live relatively normal lives. Then there’s the Yako, which are very common. There serves as harvesters for our crops and soil.
“So in short, Yakos are like earth ponies.” Twilight commented not taking her eyes off the white fox. Her handwriting down every word the white fox spoke.
“Um. . .well yes if you think so, Yakos also managers of the weather alongside The Ryuujinn’s dragons.” She began to explain with Twilight scribbling down all the words the twin tail fox spoke.
“Ryuujinn?” The princesses asked simultaneously.
“It’s our way for saying dragon lord in our native tongue.” The white fox answered. “And yes, there are two dragon lords. The western dragon lord, I believe named was Ember, and the eastern dragon lord, Shizuku.” The fox clearing her throat before speaking again. “Anyway, Yako tend to be. . .very playful, so if you ever come to our land, take caution when around them.” The arctic fox turned her head to her three-tailed comrade in the ninja outfit, who just wore a goofy smile.
“And finally, there’s the Tenko, the rarest of us all.”
“You mean like alicorns?” Twilight asked while still taking down notes.
“In a way you ponies look at it, yes. Tenko foxes possess a tremendous amount of magical energy we call mana. However, reaching up to that level of power takes quite a feat. Lucky for you ponies, Seer Dono is a Tenko himself.” Frostbite finished with a proud smile on her face.
“Wait.” Twilight interjected, “in an entry written by Star Swirl and O-Saka, they said that after a thousand years and when a kitsune gains its ninth tail, their fur becomes white or gold. How is Seer this Tenko if his fur is that of any normal red fox?.” Twilight wished she hadn’t said that as the air inside the room grew colder.
The white twin-tailed fox glared at the princess of friendship with intent to kill. “How dare you insinuate that seer dono is a liar!” she seethed as a white aura begin to seep through her white armor. “He poured his time and energy to meet with you reached ponies and you accuse him of not being a celestial fox?!” Frostbite gripped the tsuba of her katana tightly, ready to strike down the lavender mare. The amount of energy she was released was enough to slowly encase the walls around them, turning it into ice.” I’ll freeze your very soul for such impudence!” The golden aura and midnight blue aura encased the sisters horns as well as there hands, ready to bathe the arctic fox in a glory of raw magic to protect their fellow princess and friend. The guards posted nearby the princesses ready there spars, despite the temperature change.
“ENOUGH FROSTBITE!” Yelled the nine-tailed fox with enough volume in his voice to shake not only the castle but the entire mountain. Upon hearing her emperor’s voice, the white fox shivered fearfully and let go of her sword. If looks could kill, Frostbite very soul would have died as well.
“We’re here to not only form an alliance but a bond of friendship with the ponies of the land, not cause a needless war! I already told you before a week before we left that the ponies here will only make assumptions since we gave them no preliminary information about us. And you dare dash that hopes away because of a pony’s assumption about me being a false tenko?”
The white fox’s ears moved to the back of her head. She then bowed before him in shame. “I’m sorry, my lord. I don’t know what came over me.” The glow from the sisters dimmed as they sensed that the situation had calmed down. The guards, however, kept their spars locked on the group only for Celestia to raise her hand, telling them to lower their weapons.
The crimson fox sighed. “I’ll find a suitable punishment for you Frostbite, once this is over, but for now, don’t utter another word. That is an order.” The white fox nodded in shame letting her emotions getting the best of her. “I apologize for my guard’s outburst princesses.” The fox said bowing before the three princesses.
“We, um, understand Lord Seer.” Both sisters said in unison, however, taken aback from what they saw.
Seer then turned to address Twilight and said, “Now then, as for your, or in this case This Star Swirl’s, assumption on this Princess Sparkle.”
“T-Twilight is fine, thank you,” The lavender mare spoke with a shaky voice.
“Very well, Princess Twilight,” Seer nodded, “Yes, normally when a Tenko is made they fur normally change to white or golden and it does take a thousand years after a fox gains its ninth tail. However, like Celestia, Luna, and your niece Princess Flurry Heart, a tenko can be natural-born as well. I’m the third natural-born Tenko in Kitsune history. And the reason my fur is red-orange instead of golden is that I like the color red and this is the natural color of a red fox.” he continued to explain. “Oh, and you have to discover a new type of magic or something akin to emotional magic like love or friendship, and then somehow use said magic to teleport yourself to the astral plane to finish the transformation.”
“Wait, the astral Plane?” Twilight asked looking away from her notepad.
“A plane of existence that can only be accessed through enlightenment of some kind, or by separating your soul from your body, or physical going there when you achieve an higher power. You and Princess Cadence have enter this plane I believe.”
“I have read stories about Kitsune have the ability to transforming into any form or shape they desire, akin to Changeling is this ture?” Luna added.
“ Oh that. Yajirushi, if you please.”
The silver tailed fox nodded and created a small green leaf that he placed over his head. “Hai!” He yelled as his body soon turned to smoke. Once the smoke cleared, the fox was replaced by a guard pony unicorn wearing a gold plated armor and holding a spear. The guard then removed the leaf, changing back to the armored silver fox.
“As you can see, we can change our form to whatever we wish.” the red fox stated. “However the transformation only last when the leaf falls off or when the Kitsune can’t maintain the transformation. Less experience will have several defects like there shadows being there originally selfs to having a tail exposed.”
“Fascinating,” Twilight was quick to take down all of the information. “Also, what spells do you know?” Wanting to know more about fox magic.
“All of them.” Seer replied casually.
“Excuse me?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I know every single spell there is to know.” Seer answered with Twilight blankly staring at the fox in pure disbelief. There was no where this fox could know every single spell there is to know in the world, much less ponykind.
Could he?
“Every single spell? Like every spell foxes know or every spell is known to ponykind?” Twilight asked, causing the emperor to roll his eyes in amusement.
“How to explain this.” Seer rub the back of his head, wondering how to explain his magical knowledge to another mage who was as gifted as him in terms of magic. “Ok Fox magic is much like pony magic, kinda but with that let just said I know every spell known to creature kind like transfigurations, transmutations, runes, tomes, hexes, curses, elemental magic, light magic, dark magic, chaos magic, time magic, dimensional magic, draconic magic which how I sent you the letters to you in the first place, changeling magic,” The fox continued to list the various types of magic, to which Twilight’s jaw practically fell off her face. Celestia smiled in amusement, but she was no less shocked herself. There were some spells not even Celestia herself knew. This even shock Luna as well when he told her he can enter into creatures dreams as well.
“To put it bluntly, Seer Dono is The Supreme Mage.” Yajirushi stated.
“The Supreme Mage?” Questioned Twilight? “I’ve heard of that name before.”
“It is a mage that has a very deep understanding and knowledge in mystic arts. Star Swirl said there were only four superior mages in the world. In fact it was one of his dreams. Sadly there wasn’t any known whereabouts on the supreme mage during his travels.”
“Well if This Star Swirl travel to lat say Dogstris then he would finds some lead as to my whereabouts.” The Emperor stated “Oh and you might want to close your jaw Princess Twilight, lest you want a fly to nest within your maw.”
Regaining her composer, the princess just smiled. “Right then. So, what does Vulpes Terra have to offer Equestria?” Luna asked.
Seer replied simply. “Resources that may benefit both countries.”
The meeting went on for two hours, during which Seer told the princesses all they needed to know. Culture, social norms, and holidays, to which Twilight asked if she and her friends could join one of the foxes celebration they called ‘Kansha-sai’ a three day holiday that brings not just foxes, but all creatures within Vulpes Terra together to play and help with the harvest.
On the last day, the attendants would get together for a feast. The others were hesitant at first, but Seer agreed while warning that most of the citizens were predators and asked to not gag, puke, or leave when they bring the food out. Such behavior would be nothing but disrespect. Of course, they would provide pony food, since a few of the citizens were kirin and some of the foxes were vegetarians.
Seer also discussed the alliance between Equestria and Vulpes Terra about sending aid in need of war, open trades routes, and offer things such as silk, wool, and food, and other supplies. It was recently agreed that he and his guards would be staying in The castle of Friendship for a week and a half to get the Equestrian experiences, and were invited to the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala.
Once the meeting was done, Seer and his guard bowed respectfully and the three princesses did the same. The foxes and dragon followed the princess of friendship to the train station, where the group waited for the train on the platform. During the walk there, Twilight explained to Seer’s group what was in Ponyville and promised they would have a good time. Seeing how there would be some time before the train arrived, Seer turned to Yajirushi and Frostbite deciding to use the time to reprimand the two.
“Alright. Yajirushi, Frostbite, here are your punishments.” he began, looking directly into the silver fox’s eyes, “For you Yajirushi, you’ll be assist the element of generosity at high noon tomorrow. You are not to use your magic unless she or yourself are in danger.”
“Yes, milord,” Yajirushi spoke while saluting his emperor.
“And now you, Frostbite,” he called out, gaining her attention, “As punishment for nearly ruining our first impressions with the princesses of this land, you are to assist the element of honesty and her family on the farm starting at dawn tomorrow. Like Yajirushi, you are also forbidden to use your magic, and weapons unless it’s absolutely necessary. Is that clear?”
With a sigh, the arctic white fox nodded. “Yes your highness...”
The train ride from Canterlot to Ponyville was a very slow one, just as they usually are. Much to the annoyance of Vulpes Terra royal guards.
Seer didn’t use a spell to slow downtime, or speed up, as he found it unnecessary to use such spells. The said nine-tailed fox had his eyes closed and his arms folded across his chest. To others, it looked like the emperor was asleep, but he was actually in deep thought about the whole meeting with the princesses. No sounds were made, save for those of the roaring engines and wheels, as well as the occasional whistle from the train.
And a few ponies whispering thinking the foxes couldn’t hear.
Sitting next to the emperor was the armored white fox, Frostbite, who stared at the floor the entire time with her two swords resting on her lap. She of course, was reflecting on her actions earlier. She had almost needlessly and recklessly attacked one of the princess of a foreign land. All because of some assumptions said princess had on Seer not being a Tenko.
“So, um...” Twilight began, gaining the group’s attention. “Well... I didn’t get all of your names, beside the two, um... samurai there.”
“Oh my apologies princess, my name is Manto of the Shadow Tails.” the three-tailed fox spoke in a rough voice, which was muffled due to his mask. In contrast to his gruff tone, Manto bowed respectfully.
“And I’m Gale of the Stormy Skies.” the dragoness sitting beside Frostbite answered. Her voice was also muffled, but unlike Manto, it was also upbeat and had a sense of cheer to it.
“So does that mean you belong to a clan or something?” Twilight asked before she pulled out her pad and pencil again, ready to take more notes. Gale was amused by this and took off her mask so she could speak clearly.
“Indeed. Each civilian, belongs to a family or house that specializes in something or is known for their actions. My family, for example, controls the skies and manage the weather within the capital; Inari no shuto, hence the name Stormy Skies; though, we only create storms when there’s no rain for a couple of weeks.”
“Interesting,” Twilight said writing down.
“My partner here,” She pointed to the three tailed black fox. “has a history of blending into the shadows and even using them as weapons.” The dragoness then to point to the black and green armored fox who removed his helmet, revealing his silver hair that reached to his shoulders. He was currently scarfing down a few cookies he bought. “Yajirushi here belongs to a clan known for their cursed and spiritual magic. Then you have Frostbite, who belongs to the Frozen Field clan who are famous for being cryomancer.”
Twilight continued to write down what she heard before turning to the leader. “What house or clan do you belong to Seer, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Seer kept his stoic expression as he addressed the lavender princess. “I belong to the house of fate, and I wouldn’t dwell on my family history. It’s. . .complicated enough as it is. And I mean really complicated...”
Twilight raised an eyebrow, but regardless nodded in understanding at Seer’s response while she continued writing down notes. Once she had reached a stopping point, she turned back to the others. “So... how long have you guys been Seer’s bodyguards?” she asked, wanted to change the topic.
“Hmm...” pondered Gale, “Me... I’d guess about 100 years or so.”
“I’ve served the royal family for 350 years,” Manto said. “My family has served dutifully since Lady Inari’s rule.”
Frostbite looked up towards the princess. “I have served Seer Dono for 200 years.”
“I’m new, but I’ve served Seer’s side for about a couple of weeks now,” Yajirushi said as he just walked over to the seat the five were in after eating a few more cookies. Twilight, who had stopped writing at this point, just looked at the group in complete bewilderment.
“Y-You’re all... over 100? B-But... you all look like you’re in your mid-20’s.”
“Hey, unlike the old geezers here, I’m actually 22 years old!” Yajirushi said indignantly. His insolence did not go unpunished, since he was immediately tackled to the ground by a dark gray blur, and pinned the fox to the ground.
“You forget two ladies are present, and you dare call Seer Dono an old geezer!?” seethed Gale.
“Considering he’s 2000 years old, yes!” barked the silver fox. Just like that, the play fight began with the two playfully hitting each other. Seer just chuckled and shook his head. Of course he had the power to stop it, but he chose not to since he enjoyed seeing his guards loosen up from time to time.
“Hey, being old means that I’m wisest out of all of us.” He then turned to Twilight to address her comment. “Much like dragons, our race have a very long lifespan. The life expectancy of a kitsune ranges between a hundred and a thousand years with very few exceptions.” His face then adopted a grim expression. “Unless my fam- I mean fate decides to step in and claim a kitsune’s life at an early age.”
Twilight’s expression went blank as she realized what Seer had meant. “O-Oh...” She apologized for her comment, but he quickly dismissed it.
“Oh, and Gale?” He then turned to the dragoness, who was wrestling with the fox samurai. Gaining the attention of them both, with Yajirushi slapping Gale in the cheek playfully. “Please try not to kill the ‘baby’ dragon.”
Gale looked shocked at her leader’s words. “But I’ll-” she tried to say, but instantly silenced herself when Seer raised his hand.
“I know how you act with cute and adorable things.” The fox then smirked. “And as amusing as it is... I don’t think the princesses would appreciate their purple and green scaled friend dying from blood loss.”
“Wait, how- Oh, clairvoyance.” Twilight made a mental note to do more research on this spell.
“Understood...” Gale said in defeat.
“I’ve been meaning to ask... how far can you see into the future?” This is a question the young alicorn has been waiting to ask since she and Seer first met.
“Until the end of time...” the emperor answered and then smirked, as he knew what Twilight’s next question would be. “And before you ask, no I can’t tell you major events that are destined to happen.”
After a long ride, the train finally came to a screeching halt at the Ponyville station. The doors opened with a few ponies coming out of the cars, and went on their ways. Some were greeted by friends and/or family, while others moved along, wanting to get home after traveling. Twilight, Seer, and his guard were the last ones to step off.
“Welcome to Ponyville!” exclaimed the princess of friendship. “The friendliest place in all of Equestria. I’ll show you around, but first...” Twilight’s horn glowed in a hue of magenta and soon, the dress she wore was encased by the same light. After a few seconds, the light disappeared, replacing Twilight’s purple and yellow dress with her white blouse, black vest, and plaid skirt, along with knee high white socklings, with holes for her hooves. “Ahh, that’s better!” she sighed, relieved at finally getting out of the somewhat tight dress.
The first location on the tour, was a three story building with a design resembling a gingerbread house. Even with all they have seen on their many years of exploring the world, the visitors seemed amazed at the architectural detail.
“This is Sugarcube Corner, one of the more famous and popular locations in Ponyville. As you can likely tell, it’s a bakery and one of my closest friends, Pinkie Pie lives in this establishment with the owners and their two twins.”
“I must say, I’m quite impressed with the design of this building. It reminds me of ‘Okashi no kyūden(Palace of Sweets)’,” marveled Seer. “It’s very inviting and has a very warm atmosphere. I can understand why you said it’s very popular, princess.”
“Aww, so I can’t eat the building?” Yajirushi asked, placing a finger in his mouth. This caused the lavender princess to giggle.
“Of course you can’t, it’s not actually made out of gingerbread. Luckily, my friend Pinkie Pie makes some of the most delicious treats, including actual gingerbread houses. I could ask her-” Twilight was cut off when a pair of silver and dark gray colors went on their knees.
“Oh please Seer Dono, I want to try it. Please, please, please?” begged both Yajirushi and Gale. The red fox sighed at the disgraceful sight of his subordinates’ eyes widening like puppies begging for a treat.
“First off, you two are in the royal guard, so no need to act like children. Second, you don’t need my permission for these kinds of matters, just go in. And finally, this is technically a vacation for your four, despite it being a diplomatic affair.” In a black, green, and gray blur, Gale and Yajirushi rushed inside, leaving Seer dumbfounded and Twilight smiling in amusement.
The inside of Sugarcube Corner was much like a restaurant with a few polished wooden tables around the main area, along with two to four chairs at each one. At the end of the main area was a counter with various treats on display behind a layer of glass. Behind the counter was a wall where even more tasty treats were on display. The sudden intrusion of the pair shocked a light blue earth pony mare in her early to mid-40s. Her hot pink mane was in a style that looked like frosting. She wore a white short sleeve blouse, blue denim jeans, and a yellow apron with pink fluffy frills and a picture of a cupcake stitched in the middle.
“Oh, um... hello and... welcome to Sugarcube Corner,” the mare greeted, nervously. Hoping to ease her worries, Manto and Gale bowed in unison.
“Greetings,” they both said, politely. Seer, Twilight, Manto, and Frostbite soon came in behind them.
“Oh, Twilight. These must be the guests you told us about,” The baker smiled. The red fox turned to Twilight who smiled sheepishly. “I’m Cupcake, co-owner of Sugarcube Corner.”
“My name is. Gale.” the dragon ninja answered while looking around at the sweets.
“Yajirushi,” the samurai fox added. “And I’ll take a chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles.” The blue mare giggled in response as she rung up the order.
“Same for me please, only with gems if you have them,” Gale said, licking her lips, imagining the treat with different colorful gems.
“You got it, any for the rest of you?” Cupcake asked, to which Seer and Manto shook their heads.
“I’ll um... take a milkshake,” Frostbite said. With a nod, Cup Cake walked to the back to inform her husband of the orders.
“You sure you don’t want anything, Seer?” Twilight asked, but he just smirked and shook his head politely.
“No thank you, I’ll wait to eat at the castle since your friends are already there waiting for us.”
“Same here.” Manto added, Twilight was about to say something when Cupcake returned with a yellow earth pony. Unlike Cup, who was slightly chubby while maintaining her figure, the stallion was quite skinny. He had a red and white lined chef’s hat, a peppermint style bow tie, a cyan dress shirt, brown jeans, and an apron with a carrot cake stitched by the pocket. He was carrying a tray, which held the items the visitors had ordered.
“One sapphire cupcake.” he called out in a cheery tone. Almost immediately, Gale raised her hand, took the cupcake, and happily bit into it. “A chocolate cupcake?” Yajirushi nodded, taking the cupcake. “And a milkshake?” Frostbite took the milkshake and began to drink it fast without slowing down.
“Um, you might want to slow down.” the yellow stallion warned.
“Not to worry sir, arctic foxes like her don’t get brain freeze.” Seer said as he pulled out a bag full of coins. “How much do I owe you?” he asked, much to the guards’ apparent horror.
“No milord! You shouldn’t pay for our snacks,” Yajirushi pleaded.
“Yes, we wanted the treats. You shouldn’t burden yourself with our greed,” continued Gale.
“We should be paying for our snacks, not you milord,” Frostbite chimed in.
“They’re right. We, the royal guard, swore to follow your orders and we’ll even pay for your meals in our expense.” Manto spoke.
With the situation getting a bit awkward, Seer stared at the married couple and back to his guard, rolling his eyes. “...Alright,” Seer shrugged, much to Twilight’s shock. He said he and the rest of his species were friendly, but it still surprised her to an extent. “But who are you loyal to, me or the throne?” he asked, making sure to clarify that it wasn’t a trick question. Despite that, the answer was obvious.
“You,” they all answered simultaneously.
“So if I asked you to commit seppuku despite doing nothing to warrant such an act, would you?” the red fox questioned. The four responded by nodding in unison, though with slight hesitation.
“Yes! If that is what you wish milord.”
“Then what good are the royal guard to me if they’re dead?” The four said nothing as they looked at each other awkwardly. “I might be your emperor, but I am also your friend. You lot know damn well I would give up anything to see my friends happy. I don’t want to pay because I have to, but rather because I want to.” Seer smiled as the four guards suddenly ran over to hug him and he, in turn, reciprocated the said gesture. All ears perked up as they heard a sniff from the lavender alicorn who was watching. A few tears rolled down Twilight’s eyes and it continued when they heard the Cake couple sniffling as well. “So, how much for the cupcakes and milkshake?”
“After such a wonderful speech, they’re on the house,” Cup Cake said, wiping away a tear.
“Really?” The group asked and the couple nodded.
“Awesome!” Gale yelled, taking another bite of her sapphire cupcake.
After their heartwarming hug and bidding the Cakes farewell, the group left the bakery and made their way through town once again with Twilight showing them around. The next stop was the market district, where the ponies in town sold various goods and services. She then showed them the spa, which Manto made a mental note to visit on a later date. Next was Sweet Apple Arcs, where the best apple products were harvested by Twilight’s longtime friend Applejack and her family. The final stop was the School of Friendship, where creatures from all over have come to learn about friendship. It was also conveniently located near the Castle of Friendship.
“And that concludes our tour of Ponyville.” Twilight finished with another of her warm smiles. “What do you think?”
“Hmm? I’m impressed of all you had accomplished Princess Twilight.” Seer chuckled, leading Twilight to tilt her head in confusion. “You had a student yourself, who is now working with you as a guidance counselor to your school. You’re a princess and the headmare of a school that teaches friendship. And among your students, six of them, in fact, saved not only Equestria but the world by breaking a spell that took away magic from said world.” he explained and Twilight’s jaw dropped to the ground.
“You didn’t honestly believe any magic user in the world wouldn’t notice when our magic left us, did you?” Seer helped Twilight relocate her jaw back to her mouth. “Oh, and Tartarus wasn’t meant to house living creatures, especially a now 18-year-old filly. Tirek however, is whole other story.”
As shocked as she was, Twilight managed to at least open the door with her magic, revealing the crystalline walls of her castle. Gale was the first to come inside, her senses racing to see what the castle had to offer.
“Woah, it looks a lot bigger on the inside!” exclaimed the dragon, as she dashed into different parts of the castle in a display of speed, checking almost every room. She somehow and miraculously came back less than five seconds later. “You know, you guys really should label your doors. I couldn’t tell the bedroom from a broom closet,” Gale said to the young princess after finishing her cupcake. “Don’t you ever get lost in here? I mean, our castle is big, but yours is like a maze.”
“We memorized the rooms. Well... mine, Spike, and Starlight’s to be honest. I don’t even know if this castle holds any more secrets,” Twilight explained.
Moving towards the walls, Seer placed his hand on the cool crystal walls and felt feel strong magical energy flowing through it. The castle itself seemed to react to his touch, as the walls emitted a soft blue glow before disappearing. “Hmm... just a thanks for saving you, huh? Sounds like them...”
“What... What did you do?” Twilight asked, worried that the emperor was up to something. In fact, this was the first time she saw her castle glow and respond to anyone’s touch.
“Hmm? Oh, I’m talking to the Tree of Harmony,” the fox answered without facing the alicorn. “It told me it felt sorry that your old home was destroyed during your battle against Tirek. And because you saved it from having its magic sucked from Discord’s vines, it gave you this castle.”
“Wait, you can... talk to the Tree of Harmony from here?” Finally turning to look at Twilight, Seer gave her a deadpan stare but nodded.
“Despite being the element of magic, you lack the knowledge of the art,” he commented. “But yes, it is an extension of its magic. In fact, if I had to guess, this castle is a part of its roots.”
“Okay, enough talk about trees, I smell something very delicious coming from this room,” Manto said as he pointed to one of the green stained glass doors. The black three-tailed ninja fox slowly walked up to the closed door and opened it, only to find that the room was pitch black. Taking caution, Manto extended his right hand and then used his left to reach into his pouch, clenching several shurikens. Slowly, he backed away when suddenly the light came on, blinding the fox for a moment.
“SURPRISE!” yelled a pink pony, who seemed to come out of nowhere.
“WHOA!” In a panic and out of reflex, Manto jumped back and swung his arms, throwing the shuriken that were in his pouch. The star-shaped weapons flew by the pink pony and several other ponies before wedging themselves into the wall.
All the parties were quite shaken up after Manto’s little display of clumsiness, with the exception of Seer, who merely shook his head in shame. Upon taking another look at the room, Manto’s expression became completely blank with realization as he felt frozen in place. “Um... sorry?!” The black fox bowed his head, apologetically.
“It’s fine, I’ve been hit by worse!” the bubbly pony cheered. She wore a blue and yellow polka dot dress with buttons in the shape of candy around her waist. “My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but all my friends just call me Pinkie Pie! And you’re my friend as well, even though you tried to kill me. That’s understandable since I did surprise you with this party so you could make LOTS of friends. I do more than parties, including baking sweets like cupcakes, donuts, double chocolate cake, triple chocolate cake, a double-frosted triple layer black and white cake-”
“Ah think the fella gets it, Pinkie,” spoke a southern feminine voice. Just then, an orange earth pony walked up with a blonde tied off mane and tail. She wore a white short sleeve button shirt that was tied against her large breasts. Luckily, she also had a red bra underneath, which somehow didn’t show, despite the amount of cleavage that was exposed. Denim short jeans helped to cover her thick thighs, despite them looking tight on her. “We forgive ya, partner. Stuff like this happens a lot around here.”
Standing up again, the black fox smiled. “Thank you. Oh, and my name is Manto and I’m a royal guard to the throne of Vulpes Terra.”
“So you’re a royal guard, huh? Then why are you dressed like a ninja, huh?” a rough, raspy, and tomboyish voice cried out. A rainbow blur flew around the black three tailed-ninja as if it was inspecting him. Landing in front of the ninja, the blur revealed itself to be a cyan pegasus mare with a rainbow mane and tail. She wore a blue jumpsuit with a yellow lightning bolt going down the middle. Despite it being tight, the suit seemed flexible enough to allow movement. The mare’s bust wasn’t as big as her country friend’s, but her body tone alone made up for her smaller assets. “Instead of like that white fox over there?” She pointed to Frostbite as she walked up to stand beside Seer.
“Well, besides being a personal bodyguard to Lord Seer, my clan specializes in scouting, espionage, and assassination missions,” Manto clarified.
“Bodyguard you say?” Rainbow questioned and then smirked as an idea came to her. “Think I can tag this emperor of yours before you can blink?”
“Rainbow, ah don’t think that’s a good idea...” the orange mare chimed in. She knew how daring her friend here could be, but this was stupid even for her.
“I would listen to your friend here if I were you. We’ll most likely to slay you where you stand before that happens,” Manto warned. He could tell Rainbow wasn’t the type to listen to reason, much like some of his colleges back home who would sometimes jeopardize missions in order to prove how tough and brave they are. Due to their lack of training, such recklessness often ended with deadly results.
“Oh, is that a challenge? Then if so, you’re on!” But before Rainbow could even move, she felt something keeping her to the ground. She flapped her wings wildly and even tried to move her legs, but they all insisted she remains super glued to the ground. When her rose-colored eyes looked down, she gasped upon seeing what looked like a pair of claws reaching from her own shadow and holding her down by her ankles. “What the?”
“It was no challenge,” Manto snickered, making it clear he was responsible for this. “If it was, you would have already lost.” The black fox smiled mischievously. “If it wasn’t obvious before, I can control and manipulate shadows to my will. In fact, I’m guessing Lord Seer has something to do with this. But if you, let’s say did ‘try’, to assassinate him, I’ll have your own shadow drag you down into the abyss where ‘they’ will do unspeakable things to you.” This info sent shivers down both mares’ spines. “Also, where is your pink friend?” Manto asked, looking around to no avail.
“Knowin’ Pinkie, she’s probably greetin’ yer other friends,” the orange mare shrugged. “Oh and mah name’s Applejack. Sorry ah didn’t tell ya before, sugarcube.”
Since the guests have gotten over the small incident involving the surprise, the party began properly. The rest of the visitors entered the ballroom, which was decorated with colorful streamers, confetti, and a giant banner that read ‘Welcome to Ponyville’. Frostbite, despite her protests, decided to walk around to meet some of the locals. ‘They do seem friendly and Lord Seer seems to trust them well enough,’ the white fox thought to herself.
“My, you have such a delightful color darling,” an elegant voice called out, interrupting the samurai’s train of thought. “White and blue do suit you nicely.” Turning around, Frostbite saw that standing beside her, was an ivory unicorn mare. Her purple mane and tail were styled in curls, which seemingly took hours to style. The mare wore a black blouse with an amethyst in the middle, a light grey skirt, black stockings, and matching dress shoes. Even though she was about a few inches shorter than her, the mare carried around an elegant presence.
“Um, thanks?” Frostbite spoke, feeling a little awkward talking a complete stranger. “And... who are you?”
“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Rarity, fashionista exstoradlare,” the alabaster mare posed, flinging her mane to the side.
“Frostbite,” the twin-tailed fox answered, curtly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Ms. Frostbite.” Rarity greeted as her sapphire eyes scanned the white vixen’s armor. “Darling, I simply must ask, why do you intend to keep that helmet of yours on?” Frostbite blinked and noticed she was the only one wearing her helmet. Manto who was just talking to Applejack and Rainbow Dash had his mask off along with Gale who was having a conversation with a small purple and green dragon. Then there was her fellow samurai, Yajirushi, who was watching Pinkie race from one place to another at breakneck speeds. He too had removed his helmet.
Finally responding to the ivory mare’s question, the vixen shrugged before placing her index finger on the snowflake symbol. Within seconds, the helmet changed into crystal clear solid ice, which shattered into small pieces shining in the light before fading away. The moment the helmet broke, Frostbite’s straight, long, white hair flowed out in a beautiful display of grace. Rarity was in awe as she witnessed such a display.
“That was... amazing!” she marveled. “Such poise, such grace. Oh, you simply must you have to come to my boutique. I have a wonderful idea for a delightful outfit for my up and coming winter line up.”
“You do know that it’s spring, right?” Frostbite corrected the fashionista, leading her to scoff.
“Pfft, I know that, but one can’t be too prepared for something unexpected.”
The fox giggled. “That’s something Seer Dono or Lady Hourglass would say.”
“Lady Hourglass, you say? May I ask who she is?” the alabaster mare looked around before leaning closer. “And if your emperor and this Lady Hourglass... are an item?” she added in a whisper, hoping to be the first to hear such juicy gossip of foreign visitors.
“W-What? No!” the white fox yelled, getting the unwanted attention of a few bystanders. After they dispersed, she leaned closer and whispered, “She’s his mother and a caring one at that. Lady Hourglass loves her son, but not like THAT. Although... she did try to force some of her maidens to bed him from time to time when he was younger. In fact, many years ago, before I became his personal guard, Lady Hourglass nearly made him marry a diamond dog princess to strengthen relations with them. Although that last bit is just a rumor.”
Rarity felt shocked at such a situation, especially since she had her own past misfortunes with diamond dogs. Though, it’s learning about this forced marriage that really had the ivory mare taken aback.
“Oh my, that sounds horrible. Putting a child up for marriage, and to such disgusting creatures. My sincerest apologies for my assumption as well.”
“I kind of learned my lesson when Seer Dono stopped me from attacking Princess Sparkle for the same reason, so you’re forgiven. But like I said, it was a long time ago.” The icy blue eyes of the fox spotted a small white bunny among the hooves, paws, and feet. Upon realizing that it had been spotted, the bunny began to hop away. Unfortunately, it didn’t get very far before Gale caught up to it and held it close to her torso.
“Huh, and where do you think you’re going you cute little bunny?” the dragoness asked, as she unconsciously bared her sharp fangs. Upon seeing the said fangs, the bunny began to struggle violently for its freedom. “Oh settle down little bunny, I won’t eat you. Though, I can’t say the same about my friends here.” She pointed her tail to the white fox, who was eyeing the bunny curiously.
“Angel!” a timid voice yelled out. A yellow pegasus mare with a long, pink mane flew up towards the ninja dragon. Without thinking, she grabbed the bunny and, like the dragon, held it like a mother would her baby. “I told you to stay in the cottage!” she cried in a worried tone. Gale just blinked in confusion as she looked at the pegasus. She wore a green, sleeveless turtleneck sweater, along with a cyan skirt, white stockings, and green shoes. She pressed the bunny against her impressive bust and in a calmer tone said, “Don’t worry Angel, just stay with me and you’ll be fine.” The bunny then pointed to Frostbite, who was still staring.
“Kind of going to be hard since you have one predator eyeing your, um... pet?” Gale pointed out. Luckily for the bunny, Rarity was able to get the fox’s attention once more and dragged her away before she could do anything. “And if you want to know. I’m Gale.”
“Mine’s, um, Fluttershy,” the mare said quietly as she hesitantly held out her hand.
The dragon reached out and shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’ve, um, never seen a d-dragon like you before.” The timid mare stated.
“Oh I’m a storm dragon.” Gale said proudly.
“S-S-Storm Dragon? B-But you don’t have wings.” Fluttershy pointed out.
The dragoness rolls her eyes. “Well duh, I’m an eastern dragon.”
“An Eastern dragon?” The yellow mare questioned.
“A dragon that resides in the eastern parts of the world. Unlike our western cousins, for example, that little purple and green dragon over there,” She pointed to said dragon who was returning with a bowl filled with gems over his head. “We have, well most of the elders have, snake-like bodies.” When the dragoness was finished explaining, the small dragon flew over towards the two, landing beside the ninja dragon. “Thanks little dude!” she reached over and rubbed the purple dragon’s head, much to his appreciation.
“So Gale. Have you ever. um, gone on any secret missions or anything like that?” The small dragon asked while placing the bowl on a nearby table.
“Actually I have been on several missions, some more dangerous than others.” Gale admitted.
“Oh my...” Fluttershy gasped.
“I can’t go into details because most of them are extremely confidential, but it toughened me up. And it made me value life a lot more.” Gale then smiled. The bright yellow eyes stared into the nice sizable ruby with a chunk of it missing. “So not to damping the mood or anything, but what is it you guys do around here anyway?” The dragon ninja as wanting to get off the topic.
“I assist Twilight.” Spike answered. “And others around the town if and when they need help.”
“I run an animal sanctuary near my cottage.” Answered Fluttershy.
“That’s Cool.”Gale stared at the little dragon. “A bit young to be working as an assistant for a princess, don’t you think?”
“Oh, Spike here has been with Twilight side since day one. In fact, she was the one who hatched him in the first place.” Fluttershy’s surprisingly straightforward statement caused the dragoness to stare blankly at the two. There were a lot of questions going through her head that needed to be answered.
“Ok, one: How did that princess over there, “She then pointed at the lavender mare who was introducing him to two other ponies, both unicorns. “manage to gather enough magical power to hatch a dragon egg? Two: Where are your parents and what happened to them? Three: Did she or any pony steal your egg? And four: Why hasn’t anyone reported this?” The questions rained down like a torrential storm. Gale didn’t know whether to be concerned or furious that a pony of all creatures was able to hatch a dragon.
Much to her surprise, Spike was able to answer all of her questions. He explained that when Twilight was a filly, a supersonic explosion triggered her latent magical energy during her entrance exams for Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns. Because of the explosion, she was able to hatch him before temporarily turning him into a much bigger dragon, as well as turning her parents and examiners into different objects. Celestia noticed and calmed her down, thus making Twilight her personal student after the whole ordeal. Because Twilight was a filly at the time, and no pony knew how to care for a dragon hatchling, Celestia adopted him as a son and took care of him. He also explained that he used to play with Twilight, becoming her first friend.
So Celestia made Twilight, and the rest of her family, his guardians. Spike or anypony for that matter didn’t know where his egg came from or how it got into Equestria. The only thing Celestia remembered was that his egg was brought to her forty years ago. Spike also explained his adventures to the dragoness ninja including the time he suppressed his greed-induced growth, saved the Crystal Empire twice, became the dragon lord for a minute before passing it onto the current dragon lord Ember, and befriending a changeling who in turn became a leader of the changeling hive.
Gale was in awe at what she had just heard. But also this raised some concerns and a few more questions. “You accomplished so much for someone as young as you?”
“Hehe, well I am only 19,” Spike said as he sheepishly rubbed his feet on the crystal glass floor.
“Yes, but the dragons back home would praise-.” The dragoness paused upon hearing the small dragon’s age “Come again?”
“I’m only 19?” Spike answered once more, staring at the dragoness.
“19 years old huh?” She asked walking around the three-foot dragon dressed in a black t-shirt with a lime green flaming symbol of a dragon in the middle of his chest, and matching pants. The dragon wasn’t fat, nor he didn’t have a lot of muscle mass Spike found himself a bit creeped out at the way she was inspecting him. “Have you experienced any blood loss in recent years?” The dragoness asked placing her claw under her chin. “Or any hunger pains, or the need to collect more objects, like gems and stuff like that?”
Spike’s cheeks turned a reddish color. “Y-Yes? A-All the time actually.”
“Right. . .” Gale then turned to Fluttershy, who was just standing there quietly with Angel pressed against her bosom, and asked, “Did you notice anything odd when he was around you or others?”
“Oh, a few times actually,” she said as she recounted the times when Spike acted strangely. Fluttershy placed her finger under her chin and said, “Whenever me or the girls are together and we had our backs turned, something happened. Spike was on the ground with his scales going pale, or is bleeding through the nose.” Fluttershy explained, remembering the incident with and Rarity and her sister at the beach last summer.
Needless to say, Spike vow to never swam in the ocean again.
Gale just eyed the small dragon, her arms crossed in disappointment. “I don’t know whether to be proud of you or disappointed in you.” Spike was about to protest what she said, but Gale pinched his muzzle shut, stopping him from uttering another word. “And I know what you’re going to say; ‘yea I was raised by ponies, so what? I’m not like other dragons.’” Gale’s prediction seemed accurate as Spike just looked at her with pure shock. “That isn’t going to work. Your coming with me, Manto, and Lord Seer so that we can fix your stunted growth of yours.” She then released his muzzle.
“Stunted growth?” questioned Fluttershy and Spike simultaneously, to which the ninja slapped her forehead in frustration.
“Yes. After a dragon molt and gains their wings, in your case, they begin to grow a couple of inches taller. After that, dragons need to consume protein to help grow their body and mind. In addition, your body will start to produce something we dragons call The Lust Effect, or to put it simply, we enter heat that only lasts for a day. Because you neglected your growth by refusing to eat meat, your body is frail and weak.” Gale knew all about the trails when a dragon neglected there growth she had seen them before during her missions to both Seer, and Dragon Lord Shizuku both involving dragon trafficking.
“And” The dragoness continued. “the reason you keep losing your blood from letting your friends flash their asses or tits in front of you is that you’ve been keeping your inner dragon suppressed,” Gale explain, much to Fluttershy and Spike’s horror and embarrassment. The shy mare only fainted while holding her pet bunny tightly to her chest. “Oh, sweet Inari help me.”
Seer and Twilight, along with two other ponies, left the ballroom and entered the castle library.
The first was a light purple unicorn mare who had a purple mane and tail with an electric blue streak. She was dressed in a simple, yet elegant black gown with sapphires embedded into the bottom hem.
The second was a sunrise orange unicorn stallion with a darker orange shaded mane. He wore a gray suit underneath a dark blue cape with light blue stars stitched into it.
“I-I-It’s an honor to me you s-supreme mage, I mean your highness.” The stallion was on his hands and knees groveling before the nine-tailed fox. His body trembling being in front of a living legend who was thought to be an old pony’s tale.
“Seer is fine, and you really needn’t bow.” Seer said politely.
“O-Oh,” Sunburst quickly as he rose to his hooves and stood to attention, “Sorry It’s just that the myths and stories about the supreme mages I’ve heard...” Seer raised a hand to stop him before he could continue.
“There can only be one supreme mage.” Seer corrected. “And most of the stories are indeed true.”
“Sunburst, where have you heard those stories?” Starlight questioned, “I’ve never seen any in the libraries we visited together.”
“Oh, it’s “Myths and Legends of the world” vol. 12. It talks about the Supreme Mage and it’s, or rather his, accomplishments and feats,” Twilight interjected, “I may have leaned it to Sunburst when he was here last time.” She smiled sheepishly.
“Well, that explains it,” Starlight said as she rolled her eyes, “Anyway, Seer? Twilight, Sunburst, and I were working on a new spell. You see we tried several times to come up with the correct format for a rune that would restore something lost in the past back into its original conditions.”
“But when we activate the spell, it just creates a void that sucks everything in,” Sunburst continued, “We even asked Star Swirl for help, but even he couldn’t figure it out. We believe it has something to do with the format.”
“And you want my help to unlock this mystery?” The fox asked to which the three ponies nodded. “Alright, however, I ask only one thing in return.” All eyes turned to Seer expectantly. “Give me a reason why should I help the pony who destroyed the world on three separate occasions?” The lavender eyes of the unicorn grew to the size of saucers.
“Wait, you know?” a shocked Starlight asked.
“Of course I know, it’s my business to know. And You heard Twilight when she was telling you all about my clairvoyance. My destiny believes it or not is to watch the events in time unfold, and intervene only when someone or pony decides to change past event which affected the present and future in a negative way.” Seer explained. “Equestria is the start to most conflicts, the rest of the world soon follows.”
“I have seen the alternate timelines myself.” Twilight recounted, “Yes it may be true, but those events never occurred because my friends and I put a stop to them. Sombra, Discord, Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon, all of them were defeated.”
“True, but there is a thing called a time paradox, and alternate universes. The timelines you visited mostly Sombar, and Nightmare Moon should have never known you existed. I’m not going to go into more details to spare all of us a headache, but to put it simply, each timeline you went to prematurely triggered a world-ending event or time paradox that wiped out the universe because of a simple mistake in time. That and that barren wasteland both you, Starlight, and the little dragon saw is an unavoidable future.” Seer finished by crossing his arms together as his ocean blue eyes glared towards Starlight. “And my question stills stands.”
Starlight took a deep breath and said plainly, “I know that saying ‘I’m sorry’ won’t cut it and I know you’re angry at me for destroying the universe. But I’ve done things to redeem myself. I saved Equestria, helped with Twilight’s friendship school, and solved friendship problems. But if that isn’t enough, then I’ll accept any punishment you have for me.” At the end of the Starlight’s speech, she kneeled down before the nine-tailed fox and groveled at his feet, much to the surprise of Twilight and Sunburst. Seer sighed and rubbed the back of his head.
“Rise Starlight Glimmer,” Seer ordered and Starlight complied. “You’re just lucky that Twilight stopped you or I would have erased you from existence myself. I believe you’ve done enough for me to at least give you a chance. The fox then smile. “I’ll help you with the spell.” The three ponies all smiled. In a flash of white provided by the princess and her former student, a bag of black powder, a full inkwell, a couple of candles, and an old broken pot appeared all neat in a pile.
On the floor, Starlight took the bag of powder and poured it until a circle was formed. Twilight took the candles and placed them in the circle, with Starlight making a second layer with the black powder. Sunburst then used the ink within the inkwell to draw a star in the middle. Finally, he lit the candles and placed the broken pot in the middle. The magenta, electric blue, and sunset orange auras encased the horns of the ponies presents.
“STOP!” Called out the fox causing the three auras to dim instantly. “You three were about to open a portal to another dimension that would have most likely sucked all of us in. Not to mention you forgot to write the runes of 3, 6, 9, and 12 between the lines of your circle where you placed your candles. And lastly, that,” He pointed to the star, “should be either be a four-pointed star or an octagram.” The fox pointed out.
“Amazing!” Sunburst stated. Taking the candles off, he begins to write the symbols down where he had been instructed. “Do I place the candles back?”
“No, put them outside the circle,” Seer answered to which Sunburst complied. The red fox then waved his hand over the star drawing, causing it to instantly disappear. He then dipped the tip of one of his nine tails into the inkwell and drew the octagram. “Alright, you can activate it now.”
The magical auras encased the ponies horns again as they charged up their magical energies, they released the built-up energy and poured it into the rune. The ink began to emit a bright aurora light. The octagram begins to move counter-clockwise. Pieces of the broken pot began to reappear, and the pot itself began to reshape itself. It only took a few seconds for the pot to regain all of it pieces, color, and luster. The horns dimmed once again and the three cheered in unison.
“I can’t believe it worked.” Starlight yelled in joy. She then grabs the nine-tailed fox and pulled him into a hug. “You really know your rune magic.”
“That’s because I studied under the greatest teacher of all time.” The fox exclaimed while petting Starlight on the head.
“I um. . .want to ask you something, your majesty. Would it be any trouble for you to take me in as your student?” Sunburst asked shyly.
“Sure” Seer answered simply. “But first, would you mind getting off of me, Starlight.” The mare in question just sheepishly and nervously giggled as she released him from her embrace.
“Really?” Sunburst asked in disbelief. He thought that he would have to be tested or perform a magical spell unknown to ponykind.
“However.” That phrase dashed his hopes. “you must prove if you’re worthy enough to become my student,” Answered the fox. “You have a week and a half to do it.”
“B-But how?” Sunburst asked. “I mean I can analyze and explain magic, spells, hexes, and just about any magical item in Equestria. But actual spellcasting isn’t my strong point. And surely you, being The Supreme Mage, must know every single spell known to the world.”
“Well yes I do, but it doesn't stop me from developing new spells or improving on the old ones. That’s up to you to figure out. Oh, and your friends are also forbidden from helping you.” Seer added, making the three jaws drop. The emperor fox chuckled at the silly display and wished Sunburst good luck on his task.
The party continued into the night. Staying true to what he said, Seer feasted on every snack, treat, and food Pinkie Pie brought out. He and the others, besides Gale, were adapting given their biology, but pony foods like oats and berries could only go so far. They agreed to go out hunting tomorrow morning and leave Frostbite so she could serve her punishment. Because of this, it was also decided that they would bring Spike along to take Frostbite’s place. The little dragon showed the guests to their rooms and after telling each other goodnight, the party went to sleep.