On the second train, Jonathan and Fluttershy helped Darren to sort the pictures from Arcus. Jonathan had brought along a few more from his own collection: A photo of Twilight's castle at sundown, one of Twilight at a party and a third one that showed Arcus and his wife talking to Jonathan in front of a new house. He explained that the picture had been taken on the day his shop had opened for the first time. Arcus's wife was an exceptionally pretty mare. The Arcus on the picture had his foreleg around her shoulder and a happy grin on his face. They had just given Jonathan a potted plant which he was holding under one arm - a housewarming gift.
Fluttershy giggled a little when she saw the pictures from the carpet flight. Jonathan had bought a small tube of glue at the bookstore - they had offered an assortment of drawing and crafting supplies - and he arranged the pictures in the correct chronological order. As a finishing touch and because Jonathan insisted on it, Darren wrote his name in both Equestrian and Common on the first page.
Closing the album and storing it in his bag, Darren thanked them but declared, "No more reminiscing for today, though."
Fluttershy looked at him and said nothing.
Sombra wanted to enter the city in a very roundabout way to avoid the main streets but Abs would have nothing of it. He glared at the unicorn and gestured towards his cloak. Groaning, Sombra obeyed and took his hood down. Nodding and with his glaive at the ready, Abs went alongside him, thus making clear to everyone that Sombra was in his custody. They went through the entire city in this manner, drawing way more attention than Sombra liked. Abs ignored the looks and whispers like a pro, never urging Sombra to walk faster. But he did not need to ask anyway. At the shelter, Abs shouldered his weapon and smiled wryly.
"Well, see ya tomorrow, pal," he said.
"Huh? You're just leaving me alone now?" Sombra brightened up at the thought.
Yes, abandon all this baggage. You're weak and don't deserve any friends. Sombra had not known that you could hear somepony's sneer just in their voice. His shoulders slumped forward. The voice had caught him secretly wanting Abs to stay around. He felt discouraged.
"Ha! Course not." Abs jerked his head in the direction of a pony Sombra had not noticed before. It was another Crystal Earth Pony like Abs. He raised is hoof in greeting. The setting sun reflected on the sword hilt at his side.
Sombra rolled his eyes and entered the shelter. The new pony caught up with them. Abs gave Sombra a rough pat on the shoulder, nodded at the new guard and left without another word.
"So, what's your name?" Sombra asked without any enthusiasm whatsoever.
The guard looked at him and said nothing.
"We need to make a plan," said Jonathan. He and Fluttershy sat on Darren's bedspread in his tiny hotel room. Jonathan opened his bag and showed Darren the book he had bought the day before. It was the same kind of album as Darren's, except this one was bound in bright red cloth. "For Eclipse," he said.
Darren sat down on his chair. "Please explain."
"Eclipse is a kid, we can't teach him like we would an adult. If we told him to sit on some stone slab and meditate for two hours straight he'd be gone faster than Fluttershy can say, 'boring'. So I thought, 'why not do this like in primary school?' He is that age, isn't he?"
Darren nodded slowly. "You want him to write about his own progress and make notes," he said. "That might work. If he gets to draw pictures, too." He smirked. "It works almost always."
"That sounds lovely," said Fluttershy gently.
"Er, I guess so." Jonathan grimaced. "Well, how do you want to start? Do you want me to teach, too? Should we take turns?"
"That would be best," said Darren. "You should still join us right from the beginning. When we get to the first practical lessons I will need your help." He glanced at Fluttershy. "But it will be taxing to watch."
Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Will it hurt Eclipse?"
"If we do everything right, then no," said Darren.
"But he might hurt ponies that are too close," Jonathan said uncomfortably. "Flutters, I'm not sure you should be in the same room when we teach him. Would it be okay if you... won't join us and play with Peridot instead?"
"I..." Fluttershy's ears went down. "Maybe - No. I don't want to leave you alone," she pressed out. "If anything bad happens you might need somepony to help. Please don't ask me to go."
"It's your choice," said Jonathan.
Fluttershy nodded. "I'll be there," she said.
"So, uh, I suggest we first do the parts I can help with since I can't stay much longer than a week." Jonathan dived into his bag again and produced a piece of parchment and a quill. "I can put up a forcefield, that's good 'cause I guess Eclipse won't have any conscious control yet." He made a note on the parchment.
"You can teach him to find balance between the Light and the Void," said Darren, gesturing towards the sheet.
"Right. Meditation." Another note. "Do you think you can teach him that lightning thing? You know, modify it into a spell to focus his magic for moving stuff around?"
"A way to vent off excess energy?" Darren asked for clarification.
Jonathan nodded.
"Hm. Yes. I can do that."
Making a note, Jonathan leaned his head onto his hand.
"How often do you think we can give him lessons? Once a day? Two hours?"
"That seems like a lot. He's just a colt," said Fluttershy. "Why not just let him take the time he needs?"
"That would be preferable but we have to speed things along," said Darren. "Eclipse's magic is extremely dangerous. We can't let nature take its course as much as we'd want to."
"And sadly we can't block it, either. I heard the royal family did something like that with their kid." Jonathan sighed. "Would have made everything much easier. Buuut not with Void magic. Figures."
"Then I want to be there all the more," said Fluttershy, this time more firmly. "You will be busy teaching but I can calm him down when he gets upset, I promise."
"Actually, that is a good idea," said Darren.
Eclipse was upset. He did not understand his Math homework. He had tried to solve it with division but had failed spectacularly. The numbers had grown into long-tailed monsters he could not tame. He bumped his head onto the desk.
"I. Don't. Get it," he groaned. What a pity Peridot could not help him; she was at her best friend's home. He dropped the pencil onto his desk and slid off the chair. His head felt funny, like a balloon was swelling inside it. And his back hurt. He wanted to play outside.
"Eclipse?" A knock at the door. Eclipse quickly sat on his chair again, pretending he had been there all the time.
"Yes, Mom?" he asked innocently.
"Please come down, honey, Darren and his friends are here!" His mother's voice came through the door.
"Okay!" Eclipse grinned and ran to the door. His pencil fell off the desk. He bolted down the stairs, and skipped the last four steps. Feather had just opened the door for Darren, Jonathan and what-was-her-name-again-Fluttershy. Eclipse noticed the hilt of Darren's sword peeking over his shoulder.
"Hi!" he panted.
"Hi, Eclipse! Ready for some magic?" Jonathan asked with a grin.
"Yeah!" Eclipse beamed, making a giddy jump and flapping his wings.
Feather leaned closer to Darren.
"I thought it was dangerous," she whispered.
"Very," muttered Darren, keeping his eyes on the colt. "But the less afraid he is the less risky it will be."
Feather's mouth formed into a silent, "Oh."
"Where can we go?" asked Fluttershy kindly.
"We made some room in the basement," said Feather. "Follow me, please."
She led them through the kitchen, downstairs and took a turn. There was a door that opened into a second room that Eclipse found boring. The room was almost empty. Two large barrels and a few wooden crates were everything that was stored in here. And it always smelled a little funny.
"This is where we keep the potatoes and some vegetables," Feather explained. "Sometimes when it rains the water comes in through the walls. That's why we can't put anything else in here. Watch your step." Directly behind the door, two stone steps led down to the storage room. Little windows directly below the ceiling provided a dim light.
"I'll go get some light. Would you like something to drink?" Feather asked.
"Oh, yes, please, maybe some water?" said Fluttershy.
"Coming right up. Or down in this case." Feather grinned and left.
"It always smells funny in here," Eclipse complained, wrinkling his nose.
Darren put his sword and a bag down on one of the barrels. Then he set a smaller wooden box on the ground and sat on it.
"It will do," he said, "it's big enough for all of us. And when we get hungry we can eat potatoes." He winked at Eclipse.
Jonathan sat on another box. Eclipse flapped his wings and flopped down next to Darren.
"Okay, I'm ready!" he declared. "What do I do?"
"First, you get this." Darren opened his bag and gave Eclipse a red book and a pencil. Eclipse opened the book but it was empty. A notebook. "Don't worry," said Darren when he saw Eclipse's face, "there won't be a test. You can use this as little or as much as you want. But all the things you do want to write or draw can go in here."
Eclipse nodded. "Okay. Thanks!" He eyed the pencil. It was new and sharp.
"So, Eclipse, why do you want to gain control over Void Magic?" asked Darren.
"Uh..." Was that a trick question? "Because it's safe? Because I don't wanna hurt anypony. I dunno why else..."
"No, that's a good reason," said Darren. "When we train you we'll make sure no one can get hurt."
"You couldn't stop me last time," said Eclipse sceptically, eyeing the sword. "I hurt you really badly, in your head."
"That why Jon and Fluttershy are here, too," said Darren. "You see, when I made friends with Twilight she taught me something I'd forgotten. Your family and friends can be your strength. I can't counter enough of your magic anymore - but Jonathan can. And once you have enough control over your own powers he can go home and we'll keep training. Sound like a plan?"
That sounded reasonable. Eclipse nodded.
The door opened and Feather came in with a glass of water and a glowing crystal. She gave Fluttershy the water and put the crystal on the second barrel. Now the room was much brighter. With a friendly wave, she said, "I'll be in the kitchen."
"Okay. And Fluttershy?" Eclipse asked, turning to Darren again. "What does she do?"
"She's my friend," said Jonathan. "She's just gonna sit with us for a bit. Is that okay?"
"Fine, okay." Whatever. Fluttershy seemed like a nice lady. She didn't look like somepony who would laugh if he made a mistake.
"Before we can teach you how to control shadow magic you need to know what it is first," said Darren.
That sounded like the lesson was beginning. Eclipse quickly opened the notebook and readied his pencil. He wrote, Shadow Magic and underlined it for good measure.
He thought that Darren would keep talking but the human said, "Jonathan?" and Jonathan took over.
"Shadow magic is one of the two most powerful and primal forces in the world," he said. "Before the universe was formed, there was only one thing, and that's the Light. The Light was not as strong in every place and that's how the Void came into being. They're like two sides of the same thing. Like on a scale."
Eclipse quickly drew two circles. He wrote Light into one and Void into the other. "Is the Light good and the Void bad?" he asked.
"Ah," chuckled Jonathan. "Good question. No, not really. They just... they just are. It depends on how you use them. If you wield the Light it doesn't make you a... prince and if you draw power from the Void you're not necessarily a bad pony. But, to be fair, the Void is more chaotic."
"Oh, good," sighed Eclipse. "My Dad said something similar but I thought he was just trying to make me feel better."
"Your Dad is right. Look." Jonathan raised his hands and frowned. He looked like he was concentrating really hard. Around his right hand there was suddenly a golden, friendly glow. But the other hand held a swirling ball of purple and black haze that looked so dark that it seemed to suck the light right out of the room. Eclipse's jaw dropped. Jonathan was holding Light and Void at the same time!
"Two sides of the same thing," said Jonathan. He lowered his hands and the Light and Void spheres faded away. "I probably can't teach you to wield the Light in such a short time but that's okay. You're born with shadow magic. It means you're a natural and can find a balance if you have faith; you gotta trust in yourself and trust in the balance."
Eclipse drew two arrows between the Light and Void in his notebook and wrote, Balance.
"Your mother helped you to find balance," said Darren. "What did she say that made you want to calm down?"
That was difficult. Everything had happened so fast that Eclipse was not sure what exactly Mom had said. He rubbed his muzzle and thought about it.
"I dunno. She said she loves me and that I can do it. Oh, oh, she called me a guard!" he suddenly remembered. "I think that was it. I've always wanted to be a guard!" He clapped his hooves together. "I still want to. I even have my own shield!"
"Then remember that," said Darren. "When you feel the magic coming, you need to think of your mind making a shield around yourself. And keep the shadow around you. Don't let it get away from your grip. Then, you take it back into you."
"Oh, okay. Er... I don't know how to do that."
"You know how the Barrier protects the Empire? The big pink sphere?" asked Jonathan.
"Yeah..?"
"Pretend that there's a small bubble just like that around you that separates your magic from everyone around you."
"Uh, I'll try." Eclipse quickly turned a page and wrote, Shield. He huffed. "I don't have a pink pencil."
"That's alright, you can draw a proper picture later." Jonathan grinned. "I think that's enough theory for today. Let's do something practical. An exercise to keep calm."
He stood up and sat on the ground, folding his legs like Eclipse had seen him do it on the train.
Darren slowly stood up, too. He suddenly looked a little sad. Darren sighed and said, "I will join you." Then he sat down next to Jonathan but he did not fold his legs. He just sat on his feet. Even Fluttershy sat on her haunches, getting a surprised look from Jonathan and Darren.
"I know it from my friend Treehugger," said Fluttershy with a smile.
"Do you want me to sit like that too?" asked Eclipse, slightly confused.
"Only if you want to. Try to sit comfortably," said Darren.
Eclipse stayed on the box but he sat on his haunches like Fluttershy. He put the book and pencil away.
"Okay! Ready!"
"We'll just sit here for a bit," said Jonathan. "When you notice that you think about a lot of stuff you can count your breaths, from one to ten, or think 'in' when you breathe in and 'out' when you breathe out. Just feel how the air goes in and out of your lungs. And try to - to feel the love between yourself and your family while you breathe. We won't sit for long, just a few minutes. Okay?"
"Um... Okay." Eclipse wiggled his butt around until he felt completely comfortable. When he saw that everyone else closed their eyes, he decided to do that, too.
No more voices could be heard through the floor. Growing worried, Feather went into the basement and carefully opened the door to the storage room. Everyone was sitting there, with their eyes closed, and breathing slowly. The air around Jonathan was glowing a little. The others appeared to be normal. It was unusual to see her son sitting there so calmly. But it seemed to be alright. Feather quietly closed the door again.
"Eclipse?" That was Jonathan's voice.
"Yes?"
"You can open your eyes again."
He opened his eyes and blinked a few times. Everything looked brighter than before. Jonathan and Darren were once again sitting on the boxes.
"How did you feel?" asked Jonathan.
"It was a bit hard at first, to do nothing. And I thought of a lotta things. But then I counted and I just breathed and thought of Mom and Dad. I feel kinda good, a bit like after a nap but without the nap. What the hay was that?"
"Meditation," said Jonathan. "We're gonna do that every lesson. And it would be good if you try and meditate for five or ten minutes on your own, every day. In the morning or the evening, whatever works best for you. Can you tell your Mom to remind you?"
"Sure." Eclipse quickly jumped up and opened his notebook to write, Meditation 5-10 Min. He circled the note twice so he would not forget.
"So, what's next? Or are we done?" Eclipse asked.
"Do you want to learn more today or next time?" asked Darren. "Time is already up."
"Aw, come on, I wanna learn more. Please?"
Jonathan and Darren exchanged a look. Darren nodded.
"Alright," said Darren. "One more thing. We'll try to call for the Void. Just a bit of it so you can get used to using it."
Already? Eclipse winced and muttered, "Right..." What had he agreed to? He did not feel ready.
Darren smiled at him and touched his hoof for a second.
"We'll protect everyone. You'll be safe, nothing bad is going to happen," he said, standing up.
"Well, okay. I'll try." Eclipse sighed. "Let's do this!" he said with a courage he did not really feel.
Jonathan went over to Fluttershy who emptied her glass with quick gulps. Then, he knelt down and put his hands on her head. Jonathan muttered something but it was so quiet that only Fluttershy could hear it. She smiled and closed her eyes as if she liked what he said. His hands glowed and Fluttershy's smile grew even wider. Then, a faint Light bubble expanded around Jonathan's hands until it was big enough for Fluttershy to sit in. It looked like a soap bubble, only it was not rainbow colored but golden. Fluttershy nodded and seemed very happy and calm.
Jonathan stepped away from her and asked, "What did you feel when the shadow came out?"
That one was easy.
"I was scared," answered Eclipse. "Really scared. And I wanted to hurt... somepony. Anypony."
"Okay, this is gonna be a bit hard but try to remember that feeling just for a moment. And then make the shield in your mind. You take the shadow back into you. Remember the love and the breathing, okay? Shadow - shield - take it back," Jonathan said.
"Shadow, shield, take it back," repeated Eclipse nervously, standing up.
Darren took his sword out of the scabbard and held it in front of himself with both hands. But he did not point it at Eclipse. And he gave him an encouraging smile.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Eclipse nodded. He tried his best to remember how he had felt when the baby Princess's scary cry had surprised him. He already felt bad just thinking about it... and how he had floated in the room and looked like King Sombra... and it had hurt and he had been so angry...
"Okay, keep going but look at your hooves for a second," said Jonathan. Eclipse lowered his gaze and noticed that dark smoke rose from his hooves and began to circle around him. Startled, he gasped and felt genuine panic rising up. His heart beat so fast and hard that he could feel it in his throat.
"It's alright," said Fluttershy in a soothing voice. "We're not getting hurt. We're okay." And really, she looked happy and relaxed. With interest and a bit of a sympathetic look on her face, she sat in her Light bubble and watched Eclipse and Jonathan.
Jonathan looked a bit strained but he was still smiling. Eclipse noticed that he was now also inside a Light sphere.
"Shield," said Jonathan urgently. "Remember the shield! And count your breath!" He kept his hands up and muttered something. The bubble's light grew a little stronger.
Still feeling afraid, Eclipse risked a look in Darren's direction. His blade was glowing in a cold blue. It soaked up some of the smoke magic that came from his hooves. Darren looked okay, too. He was not smiling anymore but he did not seem scared, either.
"Take it back," Jonathan reminded Eclipse.
Right. They were okay. Now he had to take the shadow back. Eclipse counted his breaths and thought of the shield. He pictured a big pink bubble around himself that separated his dark shadow from everyone else in the room. At first, nothing changed. He breathed heavily, he wanted to stop, he wanted to run away or hurt somepony - No, he thought. I don't want to. I have a shield. I breathe in, I breathe out! I breathe in, I breathe out! I breathe in...
In, out. The smoke was still there but it stayed with him. Darren lowered his sword.
In, out. Eclipse felt slightly better. My brave little guard. That's what Mom had said. She trusted him.
In, out. Everyone was still okay.
In, out. The smoke faded away and Eclipse suddenly felt very tired.
In, out.
"Well done!" Jonathan beamed at him. He dropped his hands and the Light spheres around him and Fluttershy disappeared.
In, out.
Darren put his sword away and smiled, too.
In, out.
"Eclipse," said Darren. "You can stop counting. It's over."
"Oh. Right." Eclipse laughed nervously. "Sorry." He stretched his legs. He had not even noticed that he had stood stock-still.
"Very good! You did it," said Darren and he sounded genuinely happy.
"I did it. I... I did it!" Eclipse could hardly believe it. He had done it all by himself, he had called the shadow and put it away again! "I did it!" He jumped on the spot, overjoyed, and hugged Darren. "Thank you! Thank you!" Suddenly feeling dizzy, Eclipse stepped away from Darren and steadied himself at the barrel. The corners of the room turned grey, how weird...
"Whoa, whoa, you better sit down for a bit," said Jonathan and he and Fluttershy sprang to his side. Eclipse sat on his haunches and the greyness went away.
"I feel... tired," he said, yawning.
"I'll get Feather," said Darren.
Eclipse put his head on his forelegs and peacefully closed his eyes.