//------------------------------//
// Chapter 19: Let Us Hope This Isn't A Regular Thing. 
// Story: That Time I Became a Friendship Bomb 
// by Carmine Craft 
//------------------------------//

I got up, still half asleep as I finished my little convo with Night Strider and refreshed the spell, a tricky thing that, splitting your attention between three tasks.

"We see not the humor here, tis twice thou  hast tageted our muffin in thy pranks." I got the vague feeling she was pouting, but couldn't quite see it anymore.

"What? You didn't like playing a friendly game of hide and seek?" I smirked, rubbing my semi solid dream shoulder against hers. Meanwhile in the real world, I stumbled into the bathroom and started to brush my teeth, then stopped, finished recharging the dream spell, then set about a new task. A morning brain can not handle that many tasks, I was kinda surprised I had been able to do as much as I had so far.

"Thou made him invisable! And turned him and his kin loose! We nearly lost him." she stomped. I giggled, in both the waking realm and the dream. "TIS NOT FUNNY!"

"yaah sure, whatever you say Nighty Lighty."

"Thy nicknames art steadily dropping in quality." she deadpanned with a roll of her eyes. "We will get you back for this Genta, make no mistake."

I finished preserving my dental health for the morning. "Looking forward to it!" she grumbled and left, so I set about waking up fully.

"What's her problem I wonder?" I mumbled as I left the bathroom. Breakfast was a bit on the simpler side this morning, consisting of a bowl of some kind of cereal and a glass of orange juice, and a muffin that I felt I really didn't have room for, so I took it with me for a snack. Then I began to peruse the shelves for the subject that would take up my interests for the day; Alchemy.

Not the boring potion alchemy from games like skyrim, the fun kind where you take two things and mix them together, into one thing that is hopefully greater than the sum of its parts, that kind! I had formed some experiments to try out after hearing about the subject at dinner the night prior. 

I spent ten minutes learning how to cast the simple fusion spell, and nearly half an hour memorizing every detail of the reverse spell, I was not going to be making any irreversible mistakes. 

"Let's see, how many spells do I actually know?" I asked myself and began scribbling down a list. "There's TK, as well as dream modification, stabilization, extension, preservation... I couldn't figure out dream walking." I scratched out that particular listing. "Gravity is iffy... oh! Gem search. Uhh, I did get that welding spell to function, but that wasn't really down that pyromancy tree, it was more like I just put so much raw magic into the metal that couldn't do anything but melt... actually I'm lucky it didn't explode." I scratched the side of my head, which was behind my ear as a pony, with my quill – a far more enjoyable enjoyable action as an equine – as I tried to figure out some more spells I knew how to cast safely. "Durability enchantments? I still dont know if those things functioned." I rested my head on the open book. "I really don't know all that much about this stuff... well I haven't been here very long, oh well." 

I pulled a few choice books off the shelves with my improving TK. "I guess I'll just have to learn." I dropped all the books in a nice four high stack and wrapped them in a singular TK field, and hauled them into the kitchen. "Who better to learn from than... you." I said as I layed my eyes upon a certain purple mare whom had just finished her own meal.

"Hmm?" She gave me a questioning look. 

"You got time to teach me magic stuffs?" 

She frowned at my wording for a second, but then glanced up to the ceiling in thought. "I suppose I do, any particular spell your having trouble with?"

"Eh, I didn't do to well with the whole welding spell yesterday, but that's not really what I'm interested at the moment. I would rather get a better grasp on some new tricks like; teleportation, magical barriers, bag of holding enchantments, that kinda stuff." I passed her the list of spells I know, and the stack of books I would like to add to it.

"Hmm, well I suppose I could try and teach you some of this," she said as she looked through the stack of books. "But, you might not be able to learn all of this, if it doesn't line up with your talent that is." And judging by the way she even brought it up, she thought at least some of it probably wouldn't. 

I looked back at the mark on my rump that supposedly dictated my skills. "What is that even supposed to be anyway?"

She ignored that particular question, and instead picked up the paper I had passed her. "Dream magic?" She asked, in the middle of looking over my list of known tricks. "You actually were able to cast dream magic?"

I retook the seat I used at breakfast and shrugged. "Yeah, it wasn't that hard to figure out honestly," although I did have to tweak the formulae of some of the spells ever so slightly, just so that it lined up with how dreams usually work, in my experience. I left out because I didn't feel it important.

"Dream magic is quite complicated and those who can cast it are a little rare, even I am having trouble with it..." she mumbled something at the end i couldn't quite understand. 

"Really? But... it didn't seem that complicated, aside from dream walking and sleep inducing spells anyway, I haven't had any subjects to really test those on."

"Err, we can test those later, for now, are you sure you want to learn all these?" 

"Yeah, I wanna try something, but I need to be able to know the required spells before I can, plus learning magic is just cool." I explained.

"What's this you're wanting to try?" She inquired, her cutiosity piqued. 

"A couple things, but nothing worth mentioning." I waved her off. 

"Very well." She sighed, giving up rather easily.

The next few hours were filled up with more magic studies, and having someone who specializes in magic explain the ins and outs of spells makes absorbing the information just go that much faster. Most of the time anyway.

"... okay, gold being an excellent material for enchanting I get, but why would it be better than silver?"

"For the third time it just is. Gold just has a naturally high mana storage capacity, and is easier to lay enchantments in, at the cost of being less durable. Other metals like copper or tin are to rigid in structure and have lower capacity, and iron outright refuses to store any mana. Silver is actually a good second choice, as it is similarly accepting of complex glyphs, rune structures, and enchantments, but has a low mana capacity, but when combined with certain gemstones to increase its natural capacity, it actually is about on par with gold, but it's higher effort and mixed material requirement make it less desirable." She explained once more. 

I sighed and checked my notes. "Okay, you have told me that already, how is it so much more superior?"

"Come now, that's like asking why Earth Ponies grow the best crops," she dismissed like ideas the most obvious thing in the world.

"..."

"..."

"Why do-"

"Are you serious!?" 

"Yup."

She let out an exasperated breath and flipped over the chalkboard, she began pacing back and forth as the chalk in her magical grip scribbled out a basic diagram of an equine. "Earth Ponies are naturally attuned with Equis, and all the life it brings, this includes agriculture, their magic source is directed into the soil and just helps the plants grow, it's simple!" She punctuated with a stomp, the pony equivalent of slapping the table, I think.

I shook my head and tried to get the conversation back on track. "Okay, how did we even get over to enchanting?"

"From defensive magic, we started discussing why your durability runes failed, that's how we got onto a material's natural affinity for enchanting."

...Right, okay. "uhh, can we get back to that then?"

Twilight nodded, and flipped the board over once more, the thing must have been enchanted itself, as it seemed to have more than just two sides. "So we covered the basics of how to make an effective barrier, so, pop quizz!" I slammed my head into the floor... cushion. "How do you defend against fire bassed attacks?" 

"Two ways, one, either make a thicker shield, with the forward facing surface permeable, but drain the interior of oxygen, the fire will suffocate in seconds. Option two, sow in the counter element into the shield, that being water or ice." 

"Correct, next question, a pegasus unleashes a lightning bolt on you, what means of protection do you take?"

"Ground the shield, make a lightning rod away from yourself, or just put up a thick enough wall of air."

"Ehh, Passing grade, last question, a purely magical blast, how do you deffend?"

"Just a powerful basic shield, the magic in the shot will cancel out an equal amount of the barrier, so it's not perfect." Before Twilight could give me a grade, a thought appeared. "Maybe..."

"Hmm?"

"Well, I don't know if it would work buuuuit... okay, what if instead of a shield, you put up an unpowered shield array, with the center of it being designed to absorb ambient or incoming magic, and it converted that energy into a shield? Then you put forth minimal effort and mana, and any subsequent shots fired at you are either canceled out by the amount of energy you stole, or bleeds over and recharges your shield a small amount, so your opponent really just ends up fighting themselves."

My theory earned me a wide smile. "Very good, when did you read through Advanced and Alternate Forms of Protection?" 

"Uhh, I didn't? I just thought that might be an interesting look at it?... Although, there would be limits on it, like how quickly you could draw it up, so it's better to have it ready ahead of time. Plus, there is limits to how fast such a magic structure would be able to convert the hostile magic back into usable magic, so some of the attack might be able to hit you if it's powerful enough, you could just layer it and link all the drains back up to the shield output, but the more layers you add, the longer it would take to draw it up, and the bigger it is, the harder it is to move with, so it would end up being stationary..." I trailed off, trying to figure out how to best structure the spell so it would be combat effective, but with my rudimentary knowledge of magic, I doubt I could.

"Well, congratulations you passed! The verbal test anyway, the practical test might prove a little bit more challenging, but I will save that for later." All open books surrounding us closed in unison, and found their places in the shelves.

"Why?"

"Because three little fillies are waiting for you." Twilight informed me with a tilt of her head.

I followed her indication and saw that, indeed, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom were standing in the doorway. "Oh, hey girls." I greeted them. Did I forget they were coming over or something?

"Hey, we met up at the park, but you weren't there," Scootaloo replied, "What's up with that?"

"Uhh, I couldn't remember setting up a meeting place and got caught up in magic studies?" Will they buy that?

"Oh, well that makes sense!" Sweetie Belle said happily. 

"So what'chu wanna do today?" Apple Bloom prompted.

"Err, I don't know, do you have any ideas?" Twilight got up and left the library, flipping a sign as she left. The three girls all shrugged and made the universal 'I-don't-know' noise. "You want to just wander around town then?" They shook their heads. I sighed and stretched like a cat. " then, what?"

"We were wondering if you had any ideas as to how we might get us some cutie marks." AB admitted.

"Uhh, I don't, sorry, but I don't know the first thing about them." They all visibly saddened at my statement. "I mean maybe we have a book or two on it here!" I quickly amended,  but that didn't seem to brighten their mood very much. 

"But that's boooriiing." They moaned in unison. 

"Then what?" They shrugged, I sighed. "Well, what do you think your marks would be?"

"Huh?" 

"Aren't they supposed to be a representation of your talent? Have you tried that?"

"But how do we get one if we don't know what our talent is?" Apple Bloom asked dejectedly.

I quickly scanned through the shelves, nabbed a book and read the title, "101 Fun Things to do for Filies and Colts, read through this and see if anything sounds fun, I'll be right back." I told them as I plopped the heavy book down infront of them.

"Where are you going?" Scoots asked, catching me half way to my destination. 

"Bathroom." I said as I closed the door.

As I made use of the facilities, I let my thoughts wander.

What is with all of this talk about Cutie Marks? Are they really so special? Huh, I never did cyeck and see what Night Strider's is. 

As soon as I finished up my business, I made my way over to the sink. I think there is a fault in equine hygiene, I thought as I washed my forehooves, I glanced up at the mirror and stared at my mane. Odd, I don't remember brushing this morning. Come to think of it, I don't remember having to do that since I came to Equis, weird, I thought I would have to do that more with how long it is.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders Cave Explorers!"

The declaration startled me and I fell over. "Way to go Peter, you let children scare you...what did they just say?" I heard a thundering of tiny hooves, and the front door slam. "... Ah shit!" I scrambled for the door leading back into the library, to see no one but Spike, whom was grumbling about ponies picking up after themselves. "Hey Spike, uhh, you didn't happen to catch where those three were going, did you?" I asked nervously.

"Yeah, they said that they were going to go spelunking in the Ghastly Gorge."

"Uhh, which way is that?"




"Crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Was my continuing mantra as I ran full tilt out of town, casting my gaze about frantically to try and spot them. As I ran past Carousel Boutique, I ran into Rarity, literally. 

She groaned and began frantically smoothing out her mane, and dusting herself off. "Argent, watch where you're  going, you could have hurt som-"

"Sweetie Belle! Cave! Gourge! Help!" I cut her off, taking a moment to catch my breath. "Sweetie Belle and her friends are going to Ghastly Gorge!" 

"Sweet Celestia!" she exclaimed in a totally justified way. "Go fetch AppleJack, I'll find Rainbow!" She ordered. I nodded as we bolted off in different directions. 

I came up on the farm, gasping for breath.  I found the farm mare I was seeking bucking apples out of trees, like normal. "AppleJack!" 

AJ startled, and missed the mark on her kick, scattering apples on the ground instead of in the three buckets around the tree. "What is it sugarcube?" she asked, righting her stetson.

"Apple Bloom is on her way to Ghastly Gorge!" 

Before the orange mare's expression could even change, a rainbow blur zoomed into the farms airspace. "Hurry up you two, we gotta go stop em!" Her message delivered, she took off in the direction of the ravine. I dashed after her. Soon after, AppleJack came up beside me, picked me up by the scruff of my neck – a truly odd feeling, mainly because it's so alien, but it wasn't painfull, it was actually mildly comfortable for some reason – and tossed me onto her back, she then sped up quite a bit as we made our way to what I thought of as certain doom for the children. 

The sight we came upon did nothing to calm my nerves, Rarity was at the bottom of the gorge, standing defensively over the CMC, while Rainbow was flying distraction around what looked like three of the offspring of a morray and a subway train. Applejack set me down a safe distance and pulled a lasso out from underneath her hat. "Wait here," she commanded in a calm but stern voice. 

Naturally, after she turned around and ran to the edge of the ravine to help, I stood up and began thinking. "Alright, how the hell do we get the kids away from Satan's runaway aquarium?... magic?" 

Of course magic! Now what spell? A shield? seeing the massive red... thing, crash into the solid opposite wall of the canyon and then through like it was made of sand threw that idea out the window, and set it on fire. Gravity spell? No, that would leave them out in the open too long, plus I'm not sure I could cover a wide enough area to lift the four of them out of there. What else do I know? I started knocking my hoof against my noggin to bring forth some ideas, but my limited repertoire was not exactly combat ready. 

The sight of AJ somehow successfully lasso-ing one of the eels and holding it still for a good minute seemed to give the kids enough courage to make their way towards the natural incline on my side of the canyon. Then AppleJack was sent flying across the sky, hitting Rainbow on her way, and taking them a good distance away. The eels turned their eyes on their prey, and I did the first thing that came to mind. "Hey! Up here uglies!" a very stupid idea, but it worked, their attention was grabbed successfully. "N-now what?" I stuttered as the three bodies of impending doom slithered up the wall to tower over me. 

Think quicker dumbass! What is every conciveable spell you know!? Alchemy don't work on living things, and I'm pretty sure turning them into one giant three headed thing wouldn't stop them from turning you into paste!

The newly dubbed eel known as necktie, because he was still wearing AJ's lasso, bore his teeth at me, and dove. I let out a girly manly... screw it, I screamed my head off like a little girl and I launched myself to the side with a quick burst of re-directed gravity to push me out of the way faster. 

Gem search is useless! Defensive magic is useless! These things would probably just reflect a laser! "Fucks sake!" I screached as the trees beind me exploded into the air, following necktie's resurfacing from the ground, effectively surrounding me. 

Dream magic woudnt do anything against these things! Why can't I get that out of my head!? They're still... awake... shit. 

The biological bullet trains reared back, as I hastily prepared a spell that I had not yet had the chance to test. "This better Fucking Work!" I shouted as my horn glowed, a bubble of blue forming around me. "But how much power- All of it!" I figured I might as well go all in for this, it could only go two ways, and I wanted to put as much of the odds in my favour as possible. 

The eels began their descent upon my small form, and the bubble of magic around me rushed out to meet them, as it passed each of their heads, I poured every last drop of magic into the spell. The eels slowed down, their eyes lost their predatory focus as my magic began to work it's way into them. And then they all fell, displacing the earth around them, covering me in dirt in the process. I didn't dare moove, shivering in terror, and mana depletion, probably. A wave of relief hit me when I heard the lumbering giants begin to snore, like chainsaws. I promptly fell over, stiff legged, and started breathing heavily to try and calm myself down. After a minute, the things showed no signs of waking, so I crept through the tiny gap between ones open mouth, and the body of another, then I took shaky steps over to the edge of the ravine, but it appeared empty. "D-d-did they m-make it out?" I wondered aloud.

The entirety of the CMC popped up over the edge right infront of me, scaring me half to death – not that hard I was already there – we all let out a shout, and I once again found myself on the ground. "Argent!" The three fillies yelled, encircling me. 

"Are ya ok?!" The earth filly shouted in my ear.

"Did they get you, are you dead?" The little unicorn shouted.

Scootaloo gasped dramatically, but I'm pretty sure she was serious. "Are you a ghost!?"

...That doesn't make any sense...

Rainbow Dash came rocketing back, hauling AppleJack in her forelegs. "Where did those stupid rock snakes go?" She demanded upon setting down the orange mare, and took up a rather human looking fighting stance.

Rarity voiced her concerns. But I think I blacked out for a second, magic deprivation makes it kinda hard to think, and I was running on less than one percent at the time. I raised a leg, and motioned behind me. "...magic... Knocked them out... very tired now." I wheezed. Muffled suprised voices said something back, all over top of eachother, but I couldn't make them out. 

I sat up and rubbed some dirt out of my ears. "eugh, I need a shower now... or a nice bath." I looked around and did a head count, all seemed accounted for. "Is everyone else okay?" 

"...e're okay sugarcube, but what do ya mean you knocked them out?"  The voice I believe belonged to AppleJack asked. I felt myself hoisted into the air and spun around by magic, probably Rarity's, and a tiny trickle of the stuff sank into me, letting me think just a little clearer.

"Uhh, just that?" 

"How?" Rainbow asked with a mix of disbelief, relief, and shock.

"Magic, put them to sleep, much like I'm going to be now," I helpfully informed them, and then made an impromptu visit to the dream world.




"What is thine ailment?" A familiar voice asked me.

I curled up around myself tighter and grumbled. "No... sleepy time." I shooed them away. 

"Thou art already dreaming, now speak." She deadpanned at me. 

"Huh?" I opened my eyes slowly, but soon took note of how I wasn't feeling sore. "Wha?" I mumbled dumbly.

"What didst thee do to come here at this hour?" Night Strider asked again, I'm pretty sure it was the third time she asked me that.

"Uhh, what?" 

"Have thee hit thine head?" She asked testily.

"Oh, uhh, no."

"Wouldst the explain then?"

"I knocked out three giant trains with teeth."