//------------------------------// // 5: Element Backlash // Story: An Equestrian Witcher 2.0 // by OblivionShadow //------------------------------// Oblivion awoke at dawn with the rest of the Apple family. He pushed himself out of bed and his wings fell unceremoniously to the floor by his hooves. He was still not used to the appendages despite having them for a few days now. He focused on them and they pulled up and were pinned to his sides once more. He reached for his cloak as it was draped over the desk and he pulled it into place and his swords were hidden under the fabric of the cloak. His magic gripped the sheets of the bed and they were folded back in place neatly as had become his habit in the mornings. His head throbbed for a moment as the magic worked. The Witcher chose to ignore it as it was only for a moment. He walked out of the room and he went down the stairs carefully and he walked into the empty kitchen. His ears flicked as the sound of drumming hooves caught his ear. He looked over his shoulder as Apple Bloom stumbled down the stairs with her sister on her heels and didn’t look up as she ran into his hind leg. “Oh, sorry Oblivion.” She said to him with a sheepish grin. “Ah didn’t mean ta run into ya. Ah was in a hurry. Ah’m helpin’ Applejack while yer in town.” She explained. “I am in town?” He questioned as the farm mare looked annoyed at her sister. Applejack looked at the filly for a second before she turned her gaze to the stallion. “Ah was gonna ask ya ta run errands fer us today. Mac and I are in the far fields that we let go dormant last year. Apple Bloom is gonna be helpin’ us out there. Ah’ll write down what we need and where to find them so yer not walking around lookin’ fer things.” She looked back at the counter and moved close to it as she looked over her shoulder at his. “If ya need breakfast…?” She started and he shook his head. “No. I’m fine.” He assured her. He was beginning to get a headache and he had no desire to aggravate it. His body didn’t feel normal to him and he was unsure what may have caused it. For the time being, he was going to tread carefully and allow it to balance out on its own. He was not hungry at the moment so he knew it was not a headache that was driven by hunger. He stood by and waited as she began to rattle off what he needed to find and he wrote it down in the common tongue that he knew. He had realized that he did not know how to read their language and he knew that meant he couldn't write in it. The orange mare then gave him two small pouches of coins for the Cakes and Rarity. Big Mac came downstairs and Oblivion looked past him. He backed up as the other stallion moved to the side of him and he made for the stairs. He heard a sound from Applejack sound off from behind him and he looked back as she was giving him a questioning look. “I assume I will need my saddlebags?” He asked her. Applejack nodded but she stopped as a thought seemed to come to her. “Hey, Mac? Can he use yer saddlebags? The stuff is kind of heavy and his saddlebags might not be big enough.” “Righ’ over here.” He said as he picked up his saddlebags from their place in the front room and then laid them carefully over Oblivions back, moving them around his wings. “Ya’ll ‘r too thin for my saddlebags. Jus’ hold on while I size ‘em to ya.” Oblivion kept his cloak off to the side to allow the stallion to size them properly. Mac strapped the saddlebags into place and he was forced to punch a new set of holes in the girth strap to accommodate the thinner Pegasus. He waited for Mac to finish and when he was done he patted the Witchers shoulder and Oblivion moved back into the kitchen to retrieve the list. Magic hummed under his skin and he ignored it as he put the list in the empty saddlebag. He walked out the door and turned to leave the farm behind. His head was beginning to pound as he walked and he was trying to simply ignore it. His stride was slower than was normal for him as his head throbbed and as he reached town he looked up and colors assaulted his eyes. He was not sure how it had happened but ever since the incident with Nightmare Moon he had been able to see a light that came from each pony. He had noticed that it was stronger the happier or more exuberant the pony was. He was trying to also ignore the varying colors that were now visible to him now that he was in town among the other ponies. He was so busy trying to ignore the colors that he did not see Twilight waving at him. “Oblivion!” She shouted. He startled and spun to face her as she approached him. He could see the bright light coming from her and he waited for her to reach him. His eyes closed for a second as the mare reached him. “Are you okay?” She asked, concern in her voice. “You look like you’re in pain.” He shook his head and his eyes opened to look at the brightly nearly glowing mare. “It’s fine Miss Twilight. Nothing more than a headache.” She nodded as he spoke and seemed to let it go. A smile went over her mouth as she spoke to him. “That’s good to hear. You know you don’t need to call me that. Just Twilight is fine. You’re my friend so formality is not needed.” She said to him. “I was also wondering if I could have some of your time this evening. I wanted to ask you some questions about where you’re from. Especially about that monster that we saw. Applejack said you were from very far out of town and she saw a map that had places she had never seen before on it. I hope you have some extra time but it’s not dire if you’re busy.” He shook his head to quiet her. “It’s fine. I have no problem with meeting you for a while. I need to finish picking up a few things in town and then I should have some extra time this evening.” “That sounds perfect. I look forward to it Oblivion. Meet you at the library this evening?” “I will see you then.” He missed the look of concern that crossed her face as he spun to leave her behind. He lowered his head to avoid looking directly at ponies as the lights were beginning to get to him and his head was beginning to pound. He could sense where he was going just by listening and his ears were beginning to lead him forward. He looked up as a storefront loomed over him and he looked up at the sign to ensure that he had the right building. He pushed the door open and the smell of stain, wood, and oil greeted him. His nose burned with the intensity of the scents and he opened his mouth to breathe through his mouth but he quickly realized that did not help. The Witcher walked deeper into the store and neared a counter that was situated close to the back of the store. He could see a gentle gray light that held hints of black within it as he reached the counter. He waited for the pony to notice him as he looked over the counter. Behind it a pony was hunched over a block of wood, his coat was a light gray with a set of woodworking tools for his cutie mark. A chisel and a piece of sandpaper adorned his flank and Oblivion had seen tools like those used in woodworking before. The aura from the pony was calm and quiet and showed no signs of stress or other emotions. Oblivion tapped his hoof gently on the floor and that did not seem to reach the pony's ears. He pulled one hoof up and rapped it heavily against the wooden counter. “Goodness!” The pony cried out as he spun to the counter. He nearly fell from the small chair he was using behind the counter. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you come in. For somepony as tall as you are you walk very quietly?” Oblivion said nothing for a second before he breathed out a short breath. “I am here for the parts that the Apple family ordered.” “Ah, I know what you’re after. Just a moment.” The Pegasus stallion was quiet as the pony moved to a door that off to the side of the counter and vanished into the back of the store. He reached for the saddlebags and reached into one of them to pull out the list he had dropped inside. He held the list and his head still pounded as he focused on the list in front of him. Next, he needed to stop by Rarity’s business for some fabric Applejack had ordered from her. His vision blurred at the sides and he closed his eyes to clear it. The Pegasus looked to the back door as the pony returned carrying several items and he set them on the counter. He stood back to let Oblivion get a look at them. Oblivion made it seem as if he was scrutinizing the pieces when in fact he had no idea what he was looking at. He nodded as if the parts had passed some kind of analysis and the pony gave a happy nod and picked up the parts and came from around the counter to place them in the saddlebags he was wearing. “These were pre-paid so you good to go.” He said as he closed the saddlebag and backed up to allow Oblivion to leave without him crowding him. “Thank you for your time,” Oblivion replied and turned to leave the store. The Pegasus left the store and he breathed in the fresh air and he felt the headache recede slightly at the change. He now slid the list back into the other empty saddlebag and closed his eyes for a second before he began to walk toward Rarity’s boutique. His vision blurred once more and he shook his head to clear it. To avoid it happening again he narrowed his eyes slightly and even though his eyes would now give off a slight glow because of it he chose to accept that slight problem versus the larger one he was facing at that moment. He reached her door after a few minutes and he pushed it open and walked in. he could see a bright light within it and he quickly saw that it was the mare that it belonged to. The bell on the door shrilled and he managed not to growl in pain as his head throbbed. “Welcome! How may I…? Oh, Oblivion dear. Welcome please come in.” She called out at the sight of him and approached him. “I'm here to pick up Applejacks order.” He addressed her. “Oh of course darling. Just a moment.” She replied and turned to leave him behind her. He watched as she went up to a separate shelf and she scanned the items on it until she found the one she was looking for. "Here we go.” She said aloud and walked back to him with the fabric hovering in her magic. “Here you are, dear. Tell Applejack that I would like some of the first apples of the season in exchange.” She said as he reached for the small coin pouch. “You’re certain?” He asked her. She happily nodded and he removed his hoof from the saddlebag as she dropped the fabric into it. He pulled out the list and his magic called on a quill and he wrote the reason in the margins of the list he carried. His head throbbed with every second he held the list and he hurriedly wrote down what he needed to and put the list away. “I will let her know. Thank you Rarity.” He said to her and turned to leave the shop. He saw the concerned look cross her face but chose to ignore it. He opened the door and went out into the bright sunlight. He knew that he needed to go to speak to Fluttershy about an animal in one of the orchards. He placed himself on a path that would lead him out of town and lead him to the mare’s cottage home. He began to trot out of town and after several strides, he stopped to avoid the pain that lanced through him at every hoof fall. It took him time to reach the fringes of the Everfree but he reached the cottage that housed the shy mare. He looked at it and he could see two lights within it. Rainbow and Fluttershy were within the cottage and he walked up to the door to get their attention. He rapped his hoof on the door and he could see the lights move inside the building. Fluttershy opened the door and her eyes widened a bit at the sight of him. “Oh, Oblivion. It's nice to see you.” The shy Pegasus addressed him. “Pleasure is mine, Fluttershy. I need to have a word with both you and Rainbow if I might impose for a moment.” “Oh of course. Please come in. Rainbow came over to help me with a couple of my animals but we were just finishing up.” The meek pony informed him as she opened the door and he walked into the entryway of her home. “What can we do for you? Or do you need to speak to her alone? I’ll just go into the…” Oblivion placed a gentle hoof on the mare’s mouth to silence her. “It’s nothing like that Fluttershy. I am simply doing a list of tasks that Applejack asked of me. Rainbow Dash? Is it possible to have a shower of rain on the main orchard tomorrow afternoon?” Rainbow put a hoof to her chin as she thought about his request. “How many clouds?” She questioned. He simply looked at her as he was still getting his mind around how the ponies could control the clouds and rain. “Enough to cover the orchard.” He replied. She nodded and he made a mental note of it as he was leery of pulling out the list with magic. He then looked back at the shy mare as she was now watching him closely. “Fluttershy can you look into moving a badger that has decided to make his home the northern orchard as well?” “Of course. I will do what I can.” She promised and he nodded in reply. He turned to leave and pushed open the door to leave the pair behind. He walked out of the cottage and made his way out to the path that had led him there originally. Magic griped the list and his head pounded in turn. He read it over and nearly groaned as he realized that he had missed going to Sugarcube Corner while he had been in town. He mentally kicked himself as he put the list back in the saddlebag. He moved through town as he made his way to the cake shop. The headache was slowly worsening as time went on and he quickened his pace to be done with the chore sooner. He stood outside the open door for a moment before walking inside. He immediately saw Mrs. Cake and walked up to the counter to greet her. “Good afternoon Mrs. Cake.” He gave her a polite greeting as he neared the counter. The mare turned around and smiled widely at the approaching Unicorn. “Oblivion dear how you today?” The mare paused. “Are you alright?” He looked up at her. “I’m alright thank you for your concern. I am here to pick up Applejack's order.” The blue mare shrugged and after giving him a concerned look she went into the kitchen to get the order. He stood in silence and waited. When she came back out she walked around the counter and, after moving the box into her hooves and placed it onto his back. Oblivion gave a thin smile and laid a small pouch of bits on the counter. He had no idea how coin worked in this world so Applejack had counted it out and sent it with him. The one that had been meant for Rarity was still in his saddlebag. He thanked them and walked for the door. A pink blur went past him and he started as he stopped in his tracks. He looked back to ensure the treats on his back were not moved. Pinkie opened the door with a flourished bow and grinned maniacally at him. Oblivion nodded to her as he went out the open door and into the street. The black Pegasus walked with his head lowered to his shoulders as he made his way back to the farm. He stopped and closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to get the pain to fade. He opened his eyes and moved forward. He walked slowly back to the farm and through the gate. He saw Applejack and Apple Bloom working on a section of the bleachers that he had created four days ago. He went inside the farmhouse and found Mac in the kitchen. The red stallion turned to see him standing in the doorway and he moved as the black stallion walked deeper into the kitchen. Mac reached out and pulled the box off his back and set it on the counter. The red farm pony looked closely at him for several seconds as he stared at Oblivion's orange eyes and the slight glow that was coming from them. “Ya okay?” “I’m fine Mac. Just a headache. But thank you for asking.” He replied as he turned to leave him behind. Mac reached out to stop him and his hoof gripped the nearest saddlebag. He pulled back enough to stop Oblivion from leaving but he seemed shocked when it nearly pulled the other pony off his hooves. Oblivion grunted in surprise and spread his hooves as his claws spread slightly to keep him on his hooves. He looked back over his shoulder to the surprised farm pony who then released the saddlebag in his grip. “Sorry bout that Pardner.” He said to him. “Ah didn’t mean ta nearly pull ya off yer hooves. Are ya sure it’s just a headache?” “I’m fine Mac. I was surprised and off-balance, nothing more.” He replied. “What are ya doin’ now?” “I need to offload the other items that I was asked to retrieve then I am unsure what I am doing next.” He related to the other pony. “After that, I told Twilight I would stop by the Library to answer a few questions she had about my homeland.” Mac pushed open the door and the two stallions walked out and headed toward the bleachers. The Witcher approached the pair as they were still struggling with the wooden bleachers. He stopped by the barn and set down the parts on the work table that Mac had been using and the red pony nodded that they belonged there. He walked the rest of the way to the mare and stopped a few feet behind her. “Applejack.” He said to her and she didn’t seem to hear him. “AJ!” He shouted and she spun to look at him, a smile on her muzzle. He managed to scowl at her before he pulled out the fabric and held it out for her to look at. She looked it over and seemed pleased with it and he set it back in the saddlebag to avoid it getting dirty on the ground. “Did Rarity give ya a hard time?” She asked. “No. She was fine. She refused payment and instead wishes to have some of the first apples from the harvest.” He related the mare's request to the orange mare. Applejack barked a laugh. "Tha’ sound bout right fer her. What about Rainbow and Fluttershy?” “They also agreed to help. I assume Fluttershy will be by before harvest to look into the badger situation and Rainbow will be proving the clouds you asked for.” He reported. He looked at the sun and figured that in time he would need to go over to the Library to meet with Twilight as he had agreed. He looked past the mare and he could see Apple Bloom trying in vain to pull the bleachers apart. She had her hooves on one of the main posts and was pulling valiantly at it even as she had all four hooves pressed against it. Oblivion walked up to her and tapped her mane to get her to stop trying. She looked up at him and dropped from her place on the post. He glanced over his shoulder top Applejack who shrugged. “Not a worry. We’ll get this thing pulled apart. Though ah have ta admit ya made it sturdy. Ya did almost too good of a job, we been fightin’ it for an hour and barely made any progress on it. Ah admit all Ah care about is the engraved parts. The rest is scrap for the farm but those Ah want ta keep.” He said nothing for several seconds before he breathed in deeply and magic hummed under his skin as he began to call on its power. A tap to his shoulder stopped him and he looked to find Mac shaking his head at him. “Don’ even think bout it. Yer wobbly as it is. Ah don; think takin’ that apart will help ya any.” He drawled. Oblivion looked thoughtful as he considered what the other stallion had said. “I see your point. While I would rather simply take it apart completely I can see your side. So I propose a compromise and I will simply remove the parts you wish to keep.” Mac considered the deal and finally nodded in agreement. He felt his magic reach out and the aqua aura surrounded the engraved pieces, mist flowed gently from them as the magic covered them completely. Applejack looked over at Mac and he saw them grab Apple Bloom and pull her back just in case something went wrong when he yanked the pieces free. The three siblings stood just behind him and waited. He felt his head throb as he channeled the magic through his body and he gave a violent magical yank and he saw the wood giving way. Wood splintered and he saw the pieces come free of the base. He held them aloft and set them off to the side of him. The magic faded and he was left panting in its wake. His eyes narrowed to stop the blurring but the blurring of his vision only got worse. He let himself sit down and then slid to the ground as he breathed. He saw Apple Bloom suddenly come into his vision. She paced around his head and he could hear her speaking to him. Though he could not tell what she was saying as his head pounded and his vision faded to black as he closed his eyes and lay silent. His eyes remained closed to avoid seeing the frantic, worried colors that were leeching off of the siblings. He remained silent for what he felt was only a few minutes before his ears flicked and he could hear what was being said around him. His head still pounded but it was slowly fading to a dull pounding. The siblings were comforting their youngest sibling as he opened his eyes to look around him. The family was off to the side of him as he felt his strength coming back to him and he raised his head. He looked down as Apple Bloom came running to the front and slid to a stop in front of him. He looked down at her and her eyes were wide as she stared at him. “I’m fine little one.” He said to her. The filly jumped forward and her hooves gripped his fur as she hugged his neck and shoulder tightly. He blinked and looked down at the filly as she nuzzled into his fur. He felt a hoof pat his shoulder and he looked over to find Granny Smith standing at his side. ‘When did she get here?’ He questioned himself and he looked up at the sun to find that he had been lying there for a half-hour or more. Mac gave his shoulder a gentle push and his face was worried and annoyed. “Ah told ya not ta overdo it. Ya scared Apple Bloom ta death and even Granny came out at check on ya.” The red stallion scolded him, but the scolding was halfhearted. He could tell that the red pony was not invested in admonishing him. Applejack was giving him an angry look but her face was carved in with worry more than angry. The colors that swirled from the family were scared and concerned and he watched as they slowly began to calm. “Ya should’a mentioned ya weren’t feelin’ well. Ah would’a pulled it apart mahself.” Applejack said to him. Her aura was much like the others, churning and the sight was making his head ring even more than before. “I apologize everypony. I did not think that would take as much energy as it did.” He said as he looked away from them to avoid watching the colors that covered them. “Ya need ta rest.” Granny Smith said to him. “I plan to. I gave Twilight my word that I would meet with her this evening and I plan on taking it easy for her questioning.” “Ya need ta rest now though.” She went on, her voice held more force than before. “And I will.” He replied as Apple Bloom released him and he got to his hooves. “I do not think it will take very long so I will be back in an hour or so. I will also avoid using magic as that seems to aggravate the headache.” Granny Smith and the siblings didn’t look convinced but they seemed to accept what he said and finally nodded. “Make sure ya come home safe and rest.” Granny Smith said as she turned to walk back to the house. He said nothing in reply as he turned to make for the gate and head back to Ponyville. He reached the Library by the time the sun was going down and it was becoming dark. He rapped his hoof on the front door and waited for it to be opened. He could see the colors that showed both Twilight and Spike were inside. The door opened and he was greeted by the baby dragon who smiled at the sight of him. “Hey, Oblivion. Come on in. Twilight said you were coming by.” The dragon said to him and stepped aside to allow the stallion to walk inside. “Hey. Are you okay?” “I’m fine Spike. Just a lingering headache.” He replied. He looked around the room that he was in and the lights were bright and his head throbbed in response to them. He could see the vast amount of books that covered the walls and he was struck with a twinge of regret that he could not read them. He enjoyed reading when he had the time but now he found that he did not have the ability to look over them. He ducked his head down and his forelock fell into his eyes, shielding them from some of the bright light. “Are you sure? You look like you’re going to keel over.” Spike observed. “I’m going to what?” He asked as the dragon spoke and he found that he only understood some of the sentences. “Keel over. Ya know, die or collapse.” He clarified. “Why not just say that then if you wish to express that?” “The other way is more fun.” Spike reasoned. Oblivion fought not to roll his eyes at the baby dragon. He looked at the inner doorway as Twilight came around the corner. She smiled at the sight of him and her magic picked up a scroll and quill from the nearby table. He was not able to hide the sudden sinking feeling that washed over him as he glanced at the now laughing baby dragon. “Your funeral Oblivion. You agreed to answer her questions. She won’t relent until she knows everything you do.” Spike laughed at the look the stallion gave him and patted his foreleg. “Twilight lives to learn.” Oblivion said nothing in reply. He was struck silent by the feeling that he had made a critical error in his choice to accommodate her. He closed his eyes as the room was slowly starting to spin around him. He cracked open one eye as Twilight sat down on a pillow a few feet in front of him. Her magic gripped another pillow and set it down a couple of feet from him. While he appreciated the gesture he was focusing on standing and keeping his hooves underneath him. He heard Spike chuckling at his expense but he thought about reprimanding the baby dragon faded from his mind as the room spun faster. Spike looked at the stallion as he stalled from sitting down in front of the knowledge loving Unicorn. He leaned down as Oblivion head lowered and he pushed the stallion long forelock out of his face. His eyes went from laughing to more concern at the sight of the stallions orange cat eyes going from think slits to wide. He went and picked up the pillow in his claws and went back to the stallion. “Spike. What are you doing?” Twilight asked. He was carefully watching the stallion as his eyes closed and he groaned as his knees gave way. Spike lunged forward and pushed the pillow under the stallions chin. Oblivion fell to the ground without a sound and he laid in silence. He stood upright and looked at the stunned mare. Her eyes were wide as she got to her hooves and her eyes went from the stallion to the baby dragon. “Twilight? What do we…?” “Spike get me a blanket and dim the lights a bit.” She ordered and the baby dragon saluted and ran to get what she had asked for. She went to Oblivion's head and sat down beside him. She brushed his forelock out of his face and patted his shoulder to try to awaken him. She realized that he was out cold and no amount of tapping was going to awaken him until his body was ready. She looked nervously around the room and her hooves ran over his mane as she smoothed it on his neck. “I knew something was wrong earlier. I should have pressed you about it.” His ear flicked to the side as the sound of snoring cut into his mind. He nearly growled as Eskel snored loudly off to his right. “Eskel. If you don’t shut it I’m going to throw you outside with that damned goat of yours.” He grumbled quietly. The subject of his threat was another Witcher so his low voice would still be noticed. He waited for several seconds as the snoring continued without pause. He reached out his arms and they struck a bundle close by him and he gave the other Witcher a nearly violent shove. He didn’t have a lot of energy so the shove was not as rough as he had thought it would be. He was waiting for the inevitable cursing of his name that would have normally followed but he heard a distinctly childlike yelp as a small thud sounded out. “Oblivion! That hurt. Wait tell me that was you and not a ghost.” The young voice called out to him. He opened his eyes in surprise as a bright light dazzled his sensitive eyes. “Mother of the Gods!” He yelled and pushed himself back quickly. He gave a low grunt as he fell off the side of his bed and collided with the ground. “Shit. What in the Hells?” He breathed out. He rolled over, lifted his head, and pushed the comforter onto his back. It took him several seconds to become accustomed to the bright light of the room he was in. His mind caught up with his actions and he began to piece together what had just happened. He closed his eyes as he pieced things together and his eyes opened as he looked down at his hands. He was reminded that he was now a pony and that he had hooves instead of hands. He was a Pegasus pony and he was laying on some pony’s floor. He winced as he looked to his right and he saw that his right wing was angled poorly and he reached out to it and pushed it back into a more normal position. He was quiet as the door opened quickly and a lavender Unicorn quickly walked into the room. “Spike! What… Happened?” She asked as she looked at the bed and then to the stallion that was on the floor looking back at her. He looked to the side as the sound of claws caught his attention and Spike crawled out from under a blanket that he had been hiding under by the doorway. His eyes were wide as he looked at the slightly bewildered Witcher that was watching the both of them. “Okay, it was you that pushed me off the bed?” Spike asked and Oblivion nodded. “Okay good. I was afraid it was a ghost.” He shook his forelock out of his face and sighed deeply. He reached up and held his head in both hooves and rubbed his temples. “What happened? I haven’t felt this bad since I outdrank Geralt. My head is killing me.” He looked up briefly as Twilight came into the room and sat down in front of him. “You’re okay?” She whispered, trying not to make the headache worse. “I’ll be fine.” He replied. “But that does not answer a question I find myself having.” “Which is?” She asked. “Where am I?” “You’re in one of my guest rooms.” She supplied. “You collapsed last night and when we couldn’t wake you I chose to bring you in here and let you rest. Spike stayed here with you while I went to talk to Applejack and she informed me that you had a headache all day and had collapsed when pulling apart the bleachers. She was pretty mad at you at first until I told her you did not use any of your magic. Why didn’t you say anything before it got that bad?” “Who’s eeskal?” Spike butted in and asked. “Eskel. He’s another Witcher. We winter in Kaer Morhen some winters if we both make it there before the snows and he snores… Loudly. It’s not uncommon for him to wake one or all of us up at least once a night.” He replied. “How long have I been out?” “About fifteen hours. It’s about eight in the morning or so.” She replied. “Gods.” “So this is you not being formal?” She teased. “Pardon?” “Your speech is more relaxed and you’re not as stiff.” She explained. “I see. When I’m not trying to be polite this is usually what you will get. I tend to end up on the polite side when dealing with ponies outside of my own kind.” He explained. “Just be yourself.” She encouraged. “You don’t have to be somepony you’re not with your friends.” He looked at her and a sigh pulled from him. “Therein lies the issue. I have never had friends outside of my fellow Witchers, and they are my brothers, not my friends. I am a tool that ponies use and then throw away when I am not needed so I tend to land on the polite side when dealing with others. Friendship is a luxury none of us can afford when it comes to our profession. If the ones we have helped let us leave alive then we have survived another day. Most often they will attack to try to take back what they have paid us. Even the ones who are my brothers are kept at length. That way they cannot be used against me if the chance should come.” He explained. “So I tend to end up on the polite way of speaking more often than my own style.” She looked at him, sadness in her eyes as she regarded him. Spike put a clawed hand on him and began to run his claws through the stallion’s mane. He allowed himself to relax just enough to appear relaxed around them but he remained alert just in case he needed to move quickly. He looked at the young dragon at his side ads his claws went from his mane to his black fur. His eyes suddenly went wide as he looked over his shoulder to find that his swords were not on his back. He looked up over them and he could see his cloak was hung up with his swords on the wall. He was relieved to see them and he allowed a breath of relief to escape him. He looked at the mare as she moved closer to him and wrapped her forelegs around his neck and hugged him tightly to her. “Even if you don’t think of me or the others as your friends you are still one of MY best friends.” She whispered to him. He was startled but he didn’t pull away from her. Spike ran his claws over his long mane as he moved closer and leaned against the stallion's shoulder. She let go after a minute and scooted back from him and he began to try to extricate himself from the blanket that was tangled around his limbs. Spike pulled on one piece and the rest followed it and he was able to get to his hooves. He quickly got to his hooves and he helped pull Twilight to her hooves. Spike tossed the blankets to the bed and he fell in behind the Pegasus as they made for the door. Oblivion began to follow her out into the bright hallway and he paused as the lights beat on him. Spike ran past him and out of sight. The lights were extinguished and he was able to see easily ion the darkness. “Spike!” Twilight shouted. “I can’t see.” “He can though.” The dragon retorted as he pointed at the Witcher’s glowing orange eyes. He released a slight grown at the still bright colors of the pair bit he moved to stand beside the mare. He leaned his shoulder against her and guided her down the darkened hallway. She picked up Spike as they went past him and they walked down the stairs to reach the front room. Spike darted past them to dim the lights and they walked down the stairs. Twilight moved to walk in front of him and she guided him to the kitchen that was down a couple of steps. She moved around the kitchen and he could smell the coffee grounds. “Are you sure you’re okay?” She questioned as she turned to look at him. “Do you still have a headache?” He gave a small sigh and nodded. “I’ll be fine.” “Do you still have a headache?” She asked as she looked at him, a hardness to her features. He gave a slight chuckle and nodded. “Yes.” “Okay, so we need to find out what could be causing it. Any ideas?” She reasoned as she used magic to pour a cup of coffee. She stopped before pouring a second one and looked at him as he nodded. He looked at the coffee cup as she set it down in front of him and he called on his magic to pick it up so he could drink it. His head throbbed as the magic activated and it covered the cup in the aqua mist. He hissed in pain and the magic faded into nothing as he rubbed his temples. He closed both eyes as he cursed quietly under his breath. He opened one eye to find Twilight at his side. “Okay. So what just happened?” He gave a low groan of aggravation before he responded. “I was going to pick up the cup and as soon as I tried to lift it you saw the result.” “Hmm. Since you’re a Pegasus the magic itself is abnormal but if I treat it as if you were a Unicorn then it might be able to help. So for now we will just work under the assumption that it is similar to Unicorn magic and not a variant.” She said to him and he simply nodded at her. “Okay so it sounds like magical exhaustion but you have had plenty of rest and that was more than enough time to allow your magical reserves to recover so that makes no sense.” He remained quiet to allow her to think it through and he was simply pretending to understand her. So far he had understood the basics of what she was saying but the more complex her thinking became the less he understood. He waited as she muttered under her breath before she looked up at the waiting dragon. “Spike. Can you bring me magical ailments volume one?” She requested and the dragon saluted her as he darted out of sight. Twilight had kept a hoof on his shoulder as they waited for him to return. After several seconds she pulled back and a smile tugged at her mouth. “For now you will just have to pick it up with your hooves.” He looked at the coffee cup with a slight glower as he knew that he was going to make a fool of himself trying to pick it up and was likely going to drop it. He suddenly felt a tug on his fur and he glanced up to find Twilight looking at him, her eyes concerned. He looked at the cup again and gave a low snort. “I would love to if I thought I could pick it up with dropping it.” He admitted. He saw the confused look that crossed her face as she watched him. He considered simply using his claws and calling it good for the day but he chose to keep them under wraps for the time being. He didn’t look at her and if he had to guess she was most likely staring at him. He glanced to the side and he found that his guess had been right as her eyes were searching him for a clue. “Are you saying you don’t know how to hold something in your hooves?” She asked him. “Yes.” “But you held your sword… Least I think I saw you holding it.” She replied and suddenly looked uncertain of her recollection. “By Celestia. Okay, we can fix this. No problem at all. I can teach you this.” She replied and her horn lit as she summoned a quill into her magic. “Okay, so we will practice with this. If you break it it's fine, I have plenty. So it is similar to how you pick things up with magic. When you do it enough it becomes second nature and you don’t have to think about it.” “Sounds easy enough once you get the hang of it.” “It really is. But instead of focusing on using the magic in your body, you are using your hoof. Focus on the item or what you want without magic and you should be able to pick it up without damaging it.” She explained. “Don’t use magic since that seems to hurt you anyway and just use your hooves only.” He picked up one hoof and set it down on the quill that lay in front of him. He focused on his hoof and pulled it up and the quill remained on the table. He kept trying as the process dragged on for several minutes as he tried various methods to pick up the quill. He gave an angry snort and nearly slammed his hoof down on the quill but he was trying not to break it. He picked up his hoof and the quill went with it. He blinked several times and stared at the offending quill. “Hells.” He said under his breath as he let the quill drop to the table. He set his hoof back on it and gripped the quill once more. He picked up his hoof and the quill once more went with him, gripped gently in the hoof. Twilight clapped her hooves and a wide smile crossed her muzzle as her magic reached out and reheated the cup of coffee. “If I drop this I will be quite upset at you.” He quipped and the mare barked a laugh. He set the quill down and reached out his hooves to grip the cup and he lifted it up and held it an inch above the table. He brought the cup to his lips and he sipped the warm coffee. He set the cup back down and she patted his shoulder as she smiled. “Sorry, it took so long Twilight,” Spike called out. “This Library has a different filing system so it took a bit longer than I thought it would.” Twilight flushed and backed away from him. She turned to the baby dragon and took the book in her magic. “Thank you, Spike.” Oblivion picked up the coffee once more and took several gulps of the warm liquid, he felt the warmth as it flowed through him and he gave a small sigh, enjoying the feeling. He watched as the Unicorn put the book on the table and began to flip through the pages. He craned his neck to look at the contents without her noticing. He discovered he was not incredibly subtle as the mare took notice of his interest. She moved the book closer to the center of the table to allow him to look through it with her. He looked at the pages as she flipped through them and he nearly broke into cursing as the frustration of not being able to read the words nearly broke through his calm. “I got it!” She suddenly shrieked. He started and nearly dropped the coffee cup in his hooves. He glowered at her as she looked sheepishly at him. He set the coffee cup down and motioned for her to go ahead. “Normally I would not ask this of a Pegasus since there is not any magic but you’re a different case. So, has there been any change in your magic recently?” She asked. He thought back to try and see if anything stood out to him. Aside from the magic itself is completely new to him nothing stood out to him immediately. He focused on the timing and tried to think of what it could have been triggered by. His orange cat eyes went over the room as he looked at the bright aura of the mare in front of him. He stopped as he looked at the bright light that came from her and she gave him a look as he stared at her. “By the Gods.” He muttered as he leaned forward and he looked down at the medallion around his neck. He reached out to it and his hoof held it in its group as the armor slid over his body and took its place. “This is new.” “But the Element is a part of you and all of us. It shouldn’t hurt you.” She pointed out. He nodded in understanding and his hooves tapped the breastplate as he leaned back slightly. “I don’t think it’s deliberate. The additional magic that comes from it is meant to be helpful. But now that it has had time to settle it is becoming detrimental. Its constant use is beginning to grate over me and cause problems. Especially since I am not used to it and I have no idea how to narrow its focus and or stop it entirely.” “What do you mean constant use? Your Element is only active right now.” Twilight said as she leaned forward to look at the armor. “When I received the Element of Spirit I noticed that I was now able to see the aura or… Spirit, of those around me. This ability is active at all times and through it, I can tell what the emotions of those around me are. I have not been able to stop it at this time and I do not know if it can be stopped.” He explained. “So you have, what? Spirit Sight?” Spike asked as he leaped into a nearby chair and leaned over to look at the stallion. He looked at the baby dragon and considered what had been said. “I suppose that is one way to think of it.” “That’s awesome!” Spike said as he balled his fists in excitement. Oblivion shook his head and looked back to the mare across from him. She was staring at him, her curiosity obvious. “This has been going on since you got the Element?” He nodded. “This is incredible. How is the headache since you did use magic just now to call on the armor?” “It’s slowly fading, actually. It has gotten to the point where it is easily ignored.” He said to her as he looked at the coffee cup in front of him. He reached out with magic and the cup levitated into the air and there was no backlash onto him. “There is no shooting pain that was present before. It appears to be weakening the longer I wear the armor. I will be sure to wear it occasionally from now on if that is what is needed to keep it at bay.” She came around to stand next to him and look closely at the armor. “What do these symbols mean? Do you know?” She said as she pointed to the runes that were emblazoned in the metal. “Those are runes. They are familiar to me since I use them frequently where I am from.” He replied. “I am a bit surprised to see them on the armor itself since it does not come from my land.” Her eyes were wide as she looked at him, disbelief in her eyes. “Runecraft?” He nodded. “I have only read about them. They haven’t been used in close to twelve hundred years. They were phased out before the time of Nightmare Moon. How do you know so much about them? Can you make them?” “As I have said. I have always used them. They are fairly common where I am from. Why were they phased out?” He asked. “They found that magic was easier and runes were hard and kind of expensive to make.” She explained. He nodded in understanding and looked down at the glyphs in the armor. “It appears to have glyphs that amplify my abilities.” He replied. If he was right there were twelve of them if he was looking at it right. Twilight looked closely at the glyphs in the armor and her horn was covered in her magenta aura and she began to draw out one of the glyphs on the armor breast collar. He leaned to look at the sketch and he saw Spike cover his mouth at the sketch in her magic. Oblivion looked at the baby dragon to see him holding back laughter at the mare’s lack of skill at art. The mare looked up at the dragon and she gave a deep sigh. “I know, Spike. I am a terrible artist. Though to be fair you aren’t much better.” She snapped at the baby dragon as he shrugged and held back a laugh. The Pegasus groaned and took the scroll and quill from her. His hooves gripped the implement and he was struck with how he was going to draw with it in his hoof but he chose to ignore the appendage and treat it like he would have his hands. He sketched out a rune and a glyph for them to look at. He looked up for a moment as the pair were now staring as he drew them out, even though the sketch was rough it was detailed enough to know what it was. “Wow. Who would have thought you were also an artist? This is great Oblivion.” Spike gushed as Oblivion shrugged. “He’s right. These are wonderful. What kind of runes are these?” Twilight asked him. He pointed to one of the sketches and then looked at the pair of them. “That is a lesser Dazhbog rune. Otherwise known as a lesser burning rune. It’s a weapon rune that gives the weapon the ability to occasionally burn the target should it connect and the rune activates.” He informed her as he pointed to the other one. “This one is an armor glyph called a lesser glyph of mending. It does exactly what you think and it helps mend wounds on the wearer. On a Witcher, our wounds heal faster and with less pain. Those are only two of the ones that I know of and use. It’s a beginning if you wish to know a bit about them. The ones you see in my armor or in my swords are greater runes and glyphs.” Spike listened intently and Twilight was intensely focused on the drawings and on what he was saying. “So you use these regularly? I have never seen one of these outsides of a museum. You’re telling me that you can use them at any time and have many of them with you?” “Yes. I carry several of each kind with me. I can’t pull them out of a piece of armor or weapon without breaking them but I can put them in place. I would have to take them to a blacksmith or a rune wright to get that done. I don’t think these are having any effect on my ability to see the spirits of those around me though.” He replied. Twilight nodded and set down the drawing. She seemed to be contemplating what he had said and she moved back to the table where her book sat. While I’m glad that you are doing much better I’m still baffled by what you have told me. I need to find another book.” She said as she moved and motioned for him to follow her. "Spike if you have other things to do I can have oblivion help me for the time being.” She said to the baby dragon who nodded and moved to the stairs. “I’ll clean up the room he used.” He informed them. Twilight nodded and smiled after him. He trailed after the mare as she led him into the front section of the Library. The armor sat easily on his form and it moved easily with him. It felt just like his Wolven armor had back in the Northern Realms and he felt nothing that restricted his movement. He followed her as she walked to a section of the library and pulled out a familiar book and set it down on the table for her to go through it. “Okay. I’ll look through the book about the Elements to see if there is any mention of the Sight you now have. Can you scan the magic section and see if there is anything that stands out to you that might help?” She looked down before he replied and he stared at the shelves in front of him. His face fell into a grimace as he looked over the lines of book s that he could not read. He looked over his shoulder to the mare as she was intently going through the reference book in front of her. He gave a loud snort and he gave his head a gentle shake. “You okay?” Twilight asked him after a moment’s hesitation. He looked at her and he could see the concern in her eyes as she watched him. He knew that was worried due to the change in her aura and he sighed as he lowered his head to be level with his shoulders. “I’m fine.” He said to her. He could tell that she did not completely believe him and that she was not convinced by his words. He was well-read and knew more than his share of languages but this one was not in his reach. Oblivion could feel aggravation roll over him as he became more convinced that it was a cruel joke for him to have been brought to this world and not be able to read or write in their language. A hoof fell gently on his shoulder and he raised his head to see the mare looking at him, her concern for him obvious. “I know more than my fair share of languages and can read and write in each of them. But this one.” He said as he waved a hoof at the books in front of him. “I can’t.” Twilight looked surprised as he finished speaking and a smile went over her muzzle. “You know more languages than I ever will I bet. I know bits and pieces of other languages but I am far from fluent. Maybe you could teach me one of them and I will teach you this one?” She said to him. He didn’t raise his head further as he turned his gaze back the books in front of them. Despite not being too proud to normally ask for help he could not help but think of how pathetic this was for a Witcher of his age and experience to need to take a language class. ‘There has to be a way to learn this faster. I refuse to believe that since I been given magic that there is not some way to use it to learn to write and read a language. Would help if there was some way to learn directly what Twilight does immediately versus… Wait.’ His head came up to his full height and he looked at the mare that stood at his side. “Maybe.” He mumbled under his breath. “I have an idea. But I want to ask you about it before I try anything.” She nodded and motioned for him to sit down across from her. He sat down with her and she looked at him closely. “What do you need to know?” “Is there a spell that would allow one pony to share their knowledge of something instantly with another?” “Not that I am aware of. But that is not something I have studied, to be honest.” She replied. He thought it over for a moment before he looked closely at her. “How long would it take to go through the books on magic that we have here to find out?” She looked at the magical section of the library and looked thoughtful for a second before she looked back at him. “At least a couple of days. Even with Spike, it would take time. But I am assuming you would rather he did not know why we would be looking?” He nodded as she spoke. “Damn. I was afraid you would say that. Is it possible to make a spell that I can use? Would you be willing to allow me to use it on you to test it out? I will hold nothing against you if you decline.” He said to her. He was not going to force her into anything that she did not want. He did not wish to upset the young mare that had helped him through this. He was contemplating bargaining with her when her smile went wide and her spirit began to glow to the point he had to squint slightly. “I would love to help! The fact that you could make a spell-like that is revolutionary. I have never heard of that kind of spell. I love this idea. So how are we going to start this?” She rapidly fired her responses and her questions as he watched her. Oblivion blinked at her enthusiasm and shook his head with a low chuckle. “Here is my idea of how to accomplish this. I will be copying the information that you already hold. That would mean I need you to focus exclusively on the knowledge you have the language and only think of it. By focusing on that alone I will then try to copy it and that will hopefully allow me to tap into it.” He explained. She nodded in understanding as a look of concern went over her face. “This won’t hurt you will it?” “No. It should be fine. I’ll keep my armor in place if that would make you feel better about it.” She nodded. “That would make me feel a bit better. How is a headache?” He blinked at her before he replied. “It’s actually gone. I’m thinking I just need to wear the armor or a piece of it every now and then to keep it at bay. I am curious why I needed to wear it when it’s… Oh.” “What?” “When it’s around the medallion it’s not in contact with my body at all times. Whereas the armor is in direct contact with me personally. That makes some sense at least.” She nodded as he spoke and her hoof reached out and tapped the collar of the armor. “Least you have an idea that will help in the long run.” She now looked expectantly at him and he nearly had to squint once more as her excitement showed through. “Okay. Do I stand here or what do you need me to do?” He considered what he might need from her before he answered the excited mare. “Stand still and focus on the information that you have. I will take care of the rest. I will use our magic as a transfer and we will see if it will work.” He fell silent as she nodded and waited for his magic to act. He focused on his own magic and he felt it hum under his skin and the aqua aura covered the mare’s horn and then moved to cover his body. He closed his eyes and focused on the spell itself, allowing his mind to go blank as he let himself go into a slightly different type of meditation. He felt a slight surge of magic go between them and he felt it as it flowed back on him and he opened his eyes to see the letters that made up the Elder speech going over his body. He would worry about that in a moment as he focused on the mare in front of him. The magic slowly faded and Twilight blinked as the magic faded from her completely. The meditative state he had put himself in must have also worked on her, considering she looked like she was coming out of it. “You okay, Twilight?” He asked her carefully. “I think so. That was strange but it didn’t hurt or anything.” She replied as she shook her body and then looked at him, her gaze intent. “Forget about me, did it work?” He reached out to the book on the Elements and he began to read through the contents. He looked at the worried mare as she stared at him. He finally nodded and she squealed in delight. “This is incredible Oblivion! You created your own spell. First the runes and your other abilities and now this! Even as a Pegasus you have enough power to make magic! This is wonderful. I can practice magic with you!” She squealed in delight as she lunged forward and wrapped her forelegs around his neck in glee. He startled but he relaxed and patted her back gently. “I am glad it worked. Now I have something I can do besides constant work and practice. It has been a long time since I was able to sit down a simply read a book.” He told her as she let go of him. His ear flicked as Spike came down the stairs, his steps quick as he looked at them. “What is going on? I can hear Twilight yelling all the way to our room.” He started, his voice complaining. “Spike! Take a letter!” She shouted. Oblivion cringed at her volume as Spike pulled a scroll and quill out from behind him, ready to write. Oblivion was curious where he had gotten them but he chose to ignore it. “Dear Princess Celestia: Today one of my best friends, Oblivion, revealed that he...” She paused at the growl coming from the Black Pegasus. She waited then went on. “Needed some help. So after a few questions and other details. He came up with a new spell. Using his own magic he created a spell that allowed him to learn instantly, using magic. He did this by using my horn to transfer the information from one mind to his own. I’d have to get more details but there also appears to be no ill effects. My own mind is the same and only a select knowledge was given. He has created a new form of magic on his own! Your student Twilight Sparkle” “Send it Spike.” She said to the baby dragon. “Sending!” Spike chirped and he exhaled to breathe out a small stream of green flame to light the scroll on fire. The Witcher watched as the scroll vanished and it moved away from them and out the window. “That’s an interesting skill. So that flame can just send a note to just her or can it go to others?” “Just the Princess,” Spike informed him with a shrug of his shoulders. Oblivion looked at him for several seconds. “Hmm. Interesting. Does it work the other way around?” Spike burped out a response and Oblivion fought back a snort at the baby dragon. “Never mind.” Twilight unrolled the scroll and read the first few lines. “It’s for you.” She said and her magic held it in front of the Pegasus. He said nothing as he took the scroll from her and began to read through it. “Spike, can I use your quill?” “Yeah sure. Here ya go.” The dragon replied and the Pegasus took the quill from his claws. He wrote out a quick reply and his aqua aura held the scroll as it was rolled up and the mist that came off of it flowed gently as he focused on the item he held. He focused on the mare in question and he commanded the magic to send the scroll back to her. A flash of light came unbidden and was gone in a moment, taking the scroll with it. He heard a gasp from the others in the room with him and he looked at their stunned faces. “How did you…?” Spike asked, his voice quiet. “I figured the flames you use could be a form of magic and by using that same thought I was thinking that I should be able to send a letter on my own as well. I will have to test whether it can be used to send it to anypony or if it’s just her.” He explained. “How did you do that?” Twilight shouted, interrupting his explanation. “I just explained.” He replied to the mare. “That was musing, not an explanation.” She countered. “So how did you…?” She paused as a second letter erupted from the baby dragons maw as a scroll in deep blue stationery fell to the ground. Spike picked it up and looked at the seal on it. He looked at it and then to the neat writing on the side of the scroll. “It’s for you.” He said as he gave the scroll to the black Pegasus. Oblivion took it from him and leaned back on his haunches as he read through the neat writing. “Who is it from?” Spike asked. “Luna.” Spikes jaw hit the ground and he sputtered for a second before his voice found him. “You mean you got a letter from Nightmare Moon?!” The Witcher shook his head. “No. I did get a letter from Luna since they are no longer one and the same. Don’t be foolish.” Twilight sighed at his reply and ran her hoof over her face before she spoke. “What did Princess Celestia want?” “She asked me to come over for tea.” He replied. “Oh. So when are you meeting her?” “I’m not.” He replied, his tone bland. “You… aren’t?” She sputtered. “Wait. You told the Princess no?” “Yes. I do not care for tea and I do not think that meeting with her simply to discuss the magic we used is a major topic of discussion. It’s a trivial thing to focus on and can be explained easily enough if she wishes to know the process. It would not take an entire meeting to discuss.” He informed her. Spike looked at him and then to the stunned mare who had fallen silent. The drake walked up to his leg and tapped it as the Witcher finished reading through the letter on the blue stationery. “So what did Nightmare… Luna want?” He asked. “She is asking me to join her next week for a sparring match and some coffee afterward. That should prove interesting and will allow us to compare our fighting styles easily through combat. I am interested in how her style has changed since being cleansed of Nightmare Moon.” He informed the baby dragon. “How could you say no to Princess Celestia and then say yes to Princess Luna?” Twilight questioned. He said nothing at her tone of voice and simply looked at her. She was still stunned and he could see that she was struggling with his thought process and how he had come to the decision he had. He quickly wrote an affirmative reply to Luna’s inquiry and sent it to her with a flash of magic. “Simple. Celestia was asking for me to explain the magic that was made and how it was used. You can explain it to her as easily as I can and probably just as quickly. You had already explained the basics of it in your letter to her and I chose that there was nothing to expand upon. There is no reason for me to repeat your explanation back to her. Luna on the other hoof has offered something that holds a great amount of interest to me. I am more interested in her style of combat and how she was taught it and by whom.” He watched as Spike had slowly transited to stand behind the Witcher's hind legs and watch the stunned mare from the safety of the stallion’s tail. Twilight was staring blankly at him as he finished speaking. She breathed out a rough breath and shook her head. “You can’t just say no to one and then yes to the other. That’s not fair.” She argued. “Fairness does not matter.” He replied. “I am acting how I see fit and having tea with your favorites Princess is not my idea of a worthy use of my time. Luna has offered something much more interesting.” “But she probably wanted to congratulate on your accomplishment. It takes a strong pony to create new magic. While it’s true that you’re a Pegasus and not a Unicorn it only makes it even more impressive.” “While that might be true I do not wish to stand atop a pedestal and be praised when there is no need. If she wishes for me to explain what I did I can write it down and explain it faster than it would take for her to get here to listen to me.” Twilight shook her head and she gave a deep sigh in exasperation. “You’re impossible. If she sends you a letter will you respond to it and tell her what she wants to know about the spell?” “If she wishes to know more I have nothing to hide.” He replied. Spike came out from behind him and was now standing beside the Pegasus’s forelegs. He seemed to have relaxed now that the mare had calmed down. Oblivion stood calmly as the mare sighed once more before a smile broke over her muzzle. “Well, it's getting late and I don’t think any of us have had dinner. Care to join us and you can stay here overnight and then head back to the farm in the morning.” Twilight asked him and he nodded in reply. “That would be fine.” He agreed. The mare shook her head once more and her smile remained as she led him back to the kitchen.