“Magic is universal.” Modera said, as she paced around the room. Drawing a sigil in the air, she held her hand out and grabbed hold of the icicle that formed from her spell. “It permeates our very being, and everything in this world. Yet, it is only a special few that could pull it out from their surroundings, and bend it to our will…”
“The magi, Master Modera.”
Modera smiled at the red headed girl that spoke up. “Yes, Sunset. The magi are one of the most prominent groups to manipulate magic. However, it was not always so. Can you explain why?”
“At the beginning of time, there was the Well of Eternity. It used to be the only source of magic in this world, and all beings who practice the arcane arts drew their power from it.” Sunset answered casually. “However, the first races who practiced magic did not account for the fact that they would attract others with their actions. Their reckless spellcasting drew the attention of the demons and a great war ensued. At the finale of the war, the Well of Eternity was destroyed and magic became widespread.”
“Neatly summarized.” Modera praised, “I’d see that you have read ‘The War of The Ancients’?”
“Yes.”
“And what are your thoughts on it?” Modera probed.
Sunset frowned as she rolled up the sleeves of the oversized violet robe she was wearing. “Truthfully speaking, I find it hard to believe.” At Modera’s prompting gaze, she continued, “the book seemed to be recently penned, but lacked any form of research or evidence within to make it convincing. Also, the whole thing was written like a form of saga or fable instead of like a record, so it would be hard to take it seriously as a historical piece of work, as those are more prone to embellishments to make it sound a lot more fantastical than normal. Furthermore, the author is anonymous, making it somewhat harder to trust as a source material.”
Modera was impressed by the insight shown by the young girl. It was hard to believe that this was the same child that could barely write or walk one month ago when she had first met her. Even Sunset’s reading skills then were mediocre at best. However, the child had been improving by leaps and bounds under her tutelage, and Modera was finding it tougher and tougher to resist the lure of ignoring her duties and asking to oversee the girl’s training.
Prodigy. There was no other words that could describe Sunset. While she still struggles with the most mundane of spells, an obstacle that only constant practice could overcome, Sunset had shown that she possessed one of the most brilliant minds. She showed great insight in conversation and was a most diligent student, not to mention a healthy dose of ambition, something that all magi must have to survive.
A pity she had to pass the girl along to Kel’Thuzad once they had covered the basics, which going by the speed they are going, would be soon.
A pity indeed.
“You would find that you are not to only mage to think that.” Modera informed her student. “The book was penned recently, only few years back based off an older work. While I could not name the author due to arrangements, I can attest to his assurances that it was as close to the original as possible.”
“Wait, I mean, Master.” Sunset fumbled about abit, before sitting up with attentive eyes. “You mean that you have seen the original?”
Modera noted the glint in her student’s eyes, evidence of a healthy dose of thirst for knowledge. “No I have not. But Antonidas knows the author and trusted him greatly, and Antonidas was the one who helped publish the book.”
“I,” Sunset’s mouth opened for another question before a look of realisation descended upon her. “I understand.”
The meaning behind her words were not as thinly veiled as she would like, but Modera was pleased that Sunset picked up on her meaning.
“Now,” Modera directed the conversation back towards the lesson. “While you are probably wondering what a bit of history has to do with magic, you would find that understanding magic is universal would help in regards to the differences between rituals and spells.”
“With only a fountain to draw their power from, the mages of old had devised a method which allowed them to keep the potency of their spells constant despite the distance from their source of power. This method is known to us now as 'Rituals'. Rituals draw magic from their surroundings rather than from the casters, while spells draw their magic directly from the mage themselves. It means a mage would be less tired out from performing a ritual than casting a spell.”
Modera retrieved a piece of paper from a nearby table before igniting it on a candle. Drawing a sigil, she pulled the flame from the disintegrating parchment and held out her palm, an impressive orb of fire hovering above it. Holding out another hand, Modera spoke a spellword and watched as a fireball formed above it. She felt a tiny bit of fatigue from the second spell, not enough to require a fraction of a nap, but just enough to inform her that she had used some of her mana reserves.
“While not exactly practical, you would find that at a giant scale, it saves plenty of energy while achieving the same results, especially when you have time to spare.”
There were plenty of records about those in the books. Great rituals that changed the weather, transported armies across dimensions, even one that had torn a world asunder. Truly portents of great power.
And reasons why magi were still feared today.
With a single command, Modera dismissed both balls of flame and clapped her hands together. “Now Sunset.” The girl straightened at the calling of her name, “it’s time for you to have a turn.” Modera placed another paper on the candle and held it up, a tiny flame flickering weakly on one of its tips, more of an ember than a fire. “Let us see if you can draw the flame out.”
She watched Sunset gulp, the young child clearly still nervous about her ability to control her spells. Hopefully, she would be able to keep her fireball spell from exploding this time.
Twenty minutes later, She had sent Sunset back to her room in search of a new robe that was not riddled with charred holes.
I swear, I can still smell the smoke. Sunset frowned as she fumbled at her hair, which still felt crispy from the fiery accident. She was sitting in a grass patch in one of the gardens of Dalaran. It was a beautiful place, magically grown, cultured and preserved. However, she had no eyes for all the beauty around her at the moment, for her mind was filled with frustration at her lack of progress.
One month, and she still struggled with most of the spells that were taught to her. It was not so much that she struggled with the concepts of those spells than she did with the control.
Simply put, the magic in this world felt so much more rigid than it did in Equestria. When Unicorns cast their spells, the magic flows according to their whims and wishes, a reason why telekinesis was something that came naturally to all unicorns and why most spells were easy to learn as they barely require any effort. Here, though, the magic resisted their touch and required more force to be bent to their will, in a manner of speaking. Use too much force, and you'll blow the spellwork out of proportions, use too little, and the spell fails.
It was grating, the concept in spellcasting between Equestria and Azeroth were similar in many ways. Sunset had learned much during her time in Equestria. No spells were too difficult for her. So, somehow, she would overcome this hurdle. She just needs to find the difference between the spellcasting steps of Equestrian and Azerothan magi.
If only Celestia were here, she would see it immedi- Eyes widening, Sunset quenched that train of thought without hesitation. Yet, she could not do it fully, as a small part of her could only add credence to the statement.
Celestia is not here. She reasoned with herself. She’s eating cake back in Equestria. And even if she was here, she wouldn’t help me! Sunset believed that to be true, or at least, she wanted to believe it to be true. How else could she explain why Celestia sent her away? Why she banished Sunset from the castle, from her home and only family figure? How else could it be explained why Celestia cast Sunset aside for a stupid pink pegasus?
Sunset’s eyes grew wet as she contemplated those thoughts. Rubbing away the tears with the hem of her sleeves, Sunset closed her mind and tried to clear her mind. It wouldn’t do to have these thoughts in her mind. Emotions had always been an integral factor of spellcasting, and having a shaken heart and mind would be nothing more than an obstacle to her spells.
“Sunset!”
Sunset opened her eyes, mouth set to growl in wordless anger at the distraction when she registered the voice. Almost immediately, her features returned to one of neutral dispositions, and she turned to face Jaina Proudmoore, the blond mage apprentice striding over the grass to join her.
Sometimes she wonders why she still tolerates the blond apprentice’s presence. Probably because she was better at magic than Sunset.
“Hello Jaina,” Sunset nodded coolly, “It’s good to see you. Have you just came from the library?” She asked, gesturing to the books held in Jaina’s arms.
“Yeah,” Jaina nodded as she sat down beside Sunset, who still could not fathom why Jaina was so attached to her. Was this something that was inherent in all humans, or was it just Jaina? Accepting an apple the other girl held out, no doubt picked from one of the trees in the garden, Sunset bit into the sweet fruit as she filed the question she had at the back of her brain. After all, she wasn’t here to study humans, only to learn their magic.
And seriously, the apple was really good. As expected of something whose best properties were brought out fully by magic, these fruits would put the Earth Ponies farmers back home out of business.
“So,” Jaina asked, “How are your studies coming on?”
Sunset considered whether she should reply to the other girl’s attempt at small talk before shrugging mentally. Jaina had shown nothing but goodwill so far, and having the girl around was granting her far more benefits than detriments. Best she humor her now and keep her as a potential ally, after all, it’s not like she was capable of surviving in this world alone.
“It’s not really good.” Sunset replied bluntly. “I still couldn’t conjure flame without burning my surroundings.”
“Ah,” Jaina looked contemplative a moment, before smiling sheepishly. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I couldn’t control it that well during my first few weeks here. I even set fire to a book Prince Kael’Thas was holding once, and my mentors kept reminding me about it at every opportunity they get.”
Truth be told, that actually made Sunset feel better. No disrespect to the Elven prince (Sunset still couldn't figure out if elves are a subspecies of human or an entire race on their own), but Prince Kael’Thas was far too similar to Celestia, in that he seemed so detached from the lives of others as a result of his long lifespan but was determined to interact with the other races that were clearly inferior to him. Hearing that someone like him got spooked by an accident was actually really funny.
Not that Sunset would laugh aloud, so she settled for a good humored snort instead.
“Still,” Sunset sighed, “I was hoping that I could cast it properly this time.” At Jaina’s inquisitive gaze, Sunset elaborated. “I got the basics down, even had the sigils and words memorized and pronounced properly. I just… couldn’t seem to control my pull on it. The magic in the air just feels so rigid…” Then I am used to. Sunset added silently.
Jaina nodded in agreement, green eyes radiating understanding. “It was really frustrating at the start, but I found myself getting the hang of it once I managed to calm myself down.”
Wait, what?
“What was that you said?” Sunset interjected, “About calming down?”
“Oh that? Some emotions tend to get in the way of most spells. It disturbs the precise control that was needed to manipulate the mana you used.”
Sunset slapped a hand to her forehead, not even wincing slightly despite the fact she used slightly more force than she could take, so stumped she was by the fact that she had missed asking Archmage Modera something so obvious.
She had incorrectly assumed that the magic here works similarly to Equestria, and had used her emotions to help direct the spell. No wonder her spellwork tended to blow up in her face. The magic in Equestria could be easily shaped, as such, not a lot of control was needed to manipulate it as one desires, allowing one the use of emotions to amplify the magnitude of the spell. Unfortunately, the magic in Azeroth was a lot more rigid, and required precise control to achieve the correct results, as such, emotions would become a factor that would destabilize the fine control needed to cast the spell, causing it to, most commonly, explode. Theoretically speaking, of course.
No wonder the magi around here feel so cold or aloof compared to the ponies in Equestria, barring the nobles in Canterlot, of course. Even Jaina, who was often seen with a smile on her face, was not as outgoing as your everyday pegasus mailmare or train conductor.
“Sunset? Are you ok?”
Sunset looked at her companion’s concerned face and smiled. “Thanks Jaina, I think I now know what went wrong.”
It was a wild guess, but it fits. However, it was only at best, a hypothesis, and that meant Sunset would need to test it out. Hopefully, her spellwork would not blow up on her this time.
A few moments later...
“I must say, Sunset Shimmer, that while I admire your tenacity to keep improving, there must be a limit to how many times one would risk taking an explosion to the face in a single day.” Archmage Modera joked as she watched Sunset draw runes onto the stone floor of the practice room.
“Just had an epiphany, Master.” Sunset replied as she checked the rune on the floor, it was about a millimeter wider than normal, but was still within the safety parameters for the spell she was going to cast. It should be ok. Probably. “I think I know what I had been doing wrong for the past few attempts.”
“Well, I would sooner be expelled than to stop you from improving, just make sure that the shield runes in the matrix is in working condition. I would not be wanting you to injure yourself.”
“Understood.” Runes had been easy for Sunset, in fact, they were one of the few spellcasting methods she had no problems using. Thankfully.
Checking her preparations to ensure that they satisfy the safety parameters described within her books, Sunset nodded in satisfaction.
“Are you ready?” Modera asked.
“Yes, Master.”
Modera held up a hand gripping a candle. With a whispered command, the candle was lit and Modera placed it in the middle of the two runes Sunset had drawn on the ground.
It’s ok, I can do this. Sunset breathed in and out, calming herself. She was not nervous, just slightly agitated by the fact that she had failed this a few times before. There were two runes on the floor, one to help her casting, the other to protect her should anything go wrong. While she was capable (probably) of casting both of those spells by herself, on account of her constant practice, Modera had advised her to use the runes so as to not tax herself out by repeatedly casting the spells.
She’d probably still be able to handle the fatigue, but Sunset could see the sense in the words, and Sunset thrives on common sense.
Mostly.
Taking another breath so as to calm her nerves for good measure, Sunset raised a hand, reaching it out towards, but not touching the flame. Normally, this would be the step where she would draw forth upon the emotion most commonly associated with fire magic: rage.
Be angry and you would light a bonfire, be infuriated and you burn down a forest. Those were the words that her Canterlot teachers told her when she first undertook lessons for fire magic. Rage was not an emotion commonly found in ponies, a reason why unicorns tend towards telekinetic spells. Even those who specialise in studying the elemental schools often find themselves specialised in light or shadow magic than the others. However, that does not mean that ponies were incapable of using fire magic potently, after all, there were records of powerful unicorns accidentally causing forest fires or literally bursting into flames in bouts of incensed anger.
Of course, that does not mean that only rage can fuel fire magic, especially since Celestia swore the Legend about the Founding of Equestria was true. Jury’s still out on that one though, considering that it was Celestia who insisted upon it.
Now, Sunset was throwing all that she had learned out of the metaphorical window. It was surprisingly easy to feel nothing, considering that she had been using the anger she had at Celestia to fuel her previous spells.
Maybe she just wanted to succeed more than stay angry at the Princess.
Carefully keeping herself composed, Sunset felt for the magic in her surroundings, specifically for that in the flickering fire, and paused when she sensed it. But only for a moment, before she beckoned at the fire with her hand. And the flame answered by leaping out towards her.
For a fraction of a second, Sunset almost panicked, thinking that this would be a repeat of her previous spells. Fortunately, she collected her wits in time and watched calmly as the fire collected itself in a ball as big as her head atop her hand.
It took all her will not to jump with joy.
“Well, good job, Sunset.” A slow clap accompanied Modera’s praise.
“Thank you.”
“Now toss it at me.”
It took all her will to not let the fireball explode.
“What?” Sunset looked at Archmage Modera, an eyebrow raised in disbelief at what she just heard.
“Fireballs are meant to be thrown,” Modera claimed as though stating the obvious. “And there’s no point in making one if you are not testing it out. Now come.”
“I…” Sunset searched the Archmage’s face for any hint of a joke and found none. Truth be told, she wasn’t quite sure how to throw a fireball in her current form, hopefully it would not be too different from doing it like a unicorn. Sunset raised her arm with the fireball as she would normally use her head for pitching a ball and threw it forward, releasing her magical hold on the sphere and propelling it forward.
It worked exactly as she hoped. Actually, far better, considering Sunset was just hoping it would not blow up in her face.
The fireball flew through the air straight and true at Archmage Modera, who did not look even the slightest bit fazed as she swept her arm horizontally right before the fireball reached five feet of her. The burning orb splashed harmlessly against a translucent blue sphere of glowing energy, a wave of flames sweeping over it before dissipating to cinders against the arcane shield.
Modera dispelled the shield and with a gesture, removed the remaining embers, burn marks and piles of cinder caused by Sunset’s spell. Walking casually over to the red-headed girl, she nodded in satisfaction, though Sunset could have sworn that the older mage looked a little sad and disappointed.
“You got your emotions in order. Well done. Now, let's begin preparing you for your apprenticeship."