Oblivion awoke and he rolled out of the bed that he was using at Twilights Library. He had chosen to sleep with the armored collar around his body. He stretched and his magic hummed under his skin as he moved to the door. He looked over his shoulder and his magic made the bed and cleaned up the room. He could see that Twilight was awake as he moved through the hallway and out into the front of the Library. He moved toward the kitchen and the light form her spirit guided him toward her. He reached the kitchen and found the mare sitting at the table reading the newspaper. His hooves were silent as he moved up and reached or one of the chairs.
“Good morning Twilight.”
“Ahh!” She yelled in surprise as she dropped her paper.
She pitched back in surprise and nearly fell from her seat as his magic reached out and gripped her to prevent her falling to the ground. He sat her back down in her chair and waited as she flushed. She reached down and picked up her paper as she tried to hide the flush on her cheeks.
“I think you need to walk louder.” She said and he barked a laugh. “And good morning to you as well.”
“I’ll make note of that request.” He said to her and he sat down.
She smiled as her magic gripped the coffee pot and poured him a cup and then set it in front of him. “Oblivion?” She said as he held the steaming cup in his hooves. “Can I ask you something?”
He said nothing as he took a few sips of the hot liquid and then nodded for her to go on.
She looked at her paper before she began to speak. “Your magic acts very differently than most any magic that I have read about. You seem to be able to ask it to accomplish something and it does with very little effort on your part. For example, you were able to teleport so easily. I know for a fact that Teleportation is difficult and its range is short depending on the Unicorn that wields it. You are a Pegasus that can use magic. When you teleported to help me with Nightmare Moon could you actually see where you were going to land?”
He considered what she had asked and he shook his head. “To be honest I had no idea where I was going. I knew that if I could end up close to you there was a good chance of a fight and I knew you would be needing backup. In hindsight, it was quite reckless of me and pretty foolish. I’m simply lucky I did not end up trapped inside a wall. I have heard of that happening from a few sorceresses I know. And they always wondered why I hated portals.” He chuckled as he recalled many disagreements about the reliability of magic with Triss.
The purple mare blinked and stared at him as he finished speaking. “Wait, so you simply focused your teleport on me and let it lead the way?” She asked and he nodded in response. She blinked and slumped in her chair after a moment's delay. “You are the most mysterious pony I have ever met. Despite the limitation of being a Pegasus, you wield magic that is on a different level than most Unicorns. I don’t understand it.” She said and stayed slumped in her chair.
Oblivion thought over what she had said and took another sip of his coffee. "I’m not sure what to tell you. I have my secrets and if that’s what it means to be mysterious then I suppose that’s accurate. As much as I wish to know my own limits I am not in any hurry to test them at this time. I will help you with practicing magic as you had requested but I see no need to exhaust myself to test my boundaries.”
Twilight nodded in agreement. “Your right. As much as I would love to know what you can do I’m not about to push it and definitely not push to the point of an injury. Thank you again for agreeing to practice with me. Spike is a wonderful assistant but he can’t do the spells and magic you can.”
He gave her a tilt of his head and went back to sipping his cooling coffee. “I see no reason not to help out when I am able. To be honest, now that I am able to read your language I am interested in the type of magic that exists here. I am curious about its mechanics and discovery.”
“Wait right there.” She said and got up from the table and disappeared into the library.
He sipped his coffee, enjoying the calming effect and the warmth that it brought as he listened for the drum of the mare's hooves on wood. He could hear her walking around behind him and he did not feel the need to know exactly what she was doing or how long it would take. He knew that it was barely dawn and he knew that the Apple family would be just now getting up and getting ready for the day. He had time to relax as much as he was able for the time being. He heard her hooves as they neared him and he flicked an ear back to listen to her as she returned.
“Here we go.” She said as she set two books down on the table. “History of Magic volume one and two. They detail how magic was discovered, used, and how it works among other topics. Together they should answer a few of your questions and maybe bring up a few more than you want to know.”
“I’ll have to come by to read them after work.” He said to her as he looked at the books in front of him. She waved a hoof at him and he paused before he spoke further.
“This is a Library. You can take them so long as you take care of them. Are there any other subjects that interest you?”
“What do you mean it’s a library? I know that’s what it’s called but what do you mean? And I suppose Equestria’s history would be interesting if I have to choose something.” He replied, his head gave a slight tilt at her wording.
“A library. This is a place where ponies can borrow books. So long as they come back in the same condition as they left in you can borrow any of them.”
He stared at her as he processed what she had said. ‘So anypony can walk in and take a book and then come back and return it in exchange for another one? I don’t have to buy them?’ His orange eyes went to the books that were sitting on the table as she turned to walk back into the library. She walked around Spike as the baby dragon came into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Morning Oblivion. How did you sleep?” He asked as he yawned and pulled up a chair of his own.
“I slept fine Spike thank you for asking. The bed here is longer than the one at the farm so it is comfortable to use.” He replied and he saw the look from Spike and he went on to explain. “I usually sleep on the floor at the farm to avoid waking up sore.”
“On the floor? That sounds like it would hurt.”
“It’s not as bad as you are thinking it would be. I have slept in beds that are too short and I end up with sore legs and I have found the floor or the ground to be preferable.”
Spike looked thoughtful for several seconds before he gave a nod and a shrug of his shoulders. “That’s true. You’re so tall I guess it would hurt a bit.”
“It does yes. I’ve done it many times.”
Twilight came back into the kitchen and her magic carried another book that she set on top of the others. “Here we go. Volume one of Equestria's history.”
The Witcher nodded and downed the last of his coffee. He pushed the chair back and he could see from the position of the sun that he was going to need to leave to be able to get back to the farm at a reasonable time.
“Thank you again Twilight. I need to head out if I plan on being on time for work. I'll return these as soon as I finish them.”
“Take your time and enjoy them. I’ll walk you to the door.” She said with a smile as she led him out of the kitchen.
He set the books on his back and elevated his wings just enough to keep the book safely in place. He followed the mare and she pushed open the front door for him and he walked out with a nod to her as he set off into the early morning air.
He walked in through the front gate and headed for the farmhouse. He could see the spirits of the family as they were still inside the house. He looked down to the breast collar around his shoulders and his magic reached out and he pushed it back into the medallion with the rest of the armor. Applejack and the rest of the siblings looked up as he walked in through the open front door. He closed the lower half of the door and stood still as they all looked back at him. Apple Bloom jumped from her chair and walked up to him, her eyes concerned.
“Where were ya? Were ya all righ’?” She asked him as she tapped his foreleg.
He cast a swift glance at Applejack who shook her head. “I was speaking with Twilight and lost track of time. I ended up staying overnight.” He said to her, a small lie coming from his mouth easily.
While it did not bother him to lie to her he knew that Applejack was the Element of Honesty and he knew that she did not like lies. He saw Big Mac and Applejacks' eyes fall on the stack of books on his back.
“So ya borrowed some books while ya were there?” Mac asked.
“I did. I will put them upstairs and rejoin you in a moment.” He said as he turned for the stairs.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the filly stiffen and went up the stairs. He walked down the hallway to his own room and he went inside and he reached back to set the books on the desk. He paused and went still as the sight of his saddlebags caught his attention. They were not where he had left them. They had been placed under the bed to avoid them being tampered with. The Witcher’s senses were keen as he began to look around the room for any signs that they had been opened.
He had placed a lock on the saddlebags when they had been placed under the bed days earlier. His senses were on edge as his eyes narrowed to find any tracks or signs around the room. He did not see any large hoof prints that would have shown up in one of the older siblings or Granny Smith had come inside. Small hoof prints showed up in front of him and a familiar scent hit his sensitive nose. He raised his head as he pulled his saddlebags onto his barrel and he looked to the door.
“APPLE BLOOM!” He roared.
He heard a shrill yelp and the sound of the door slamming. He walked purposely out of the room and back down the hall toward the kitchen. He got to the bottom of the stairs to find both older siblings blinking in surprise at the sudden actions of both he and the filly. Applejack was the first to break out of her stunned expression and address him.
“What in the hay is goin’ on?” She asked. “Ah never seen that filly move so fast afore.”
“My saddlebags have a lock on them. I placed then under the bed to prevent them from being handled by anypony besides myself. When I got up there they were in the middle of the room and they appeared to have been tampered with. Judging by her reaction and the evidence I could see she was trying to get into them.”
Applejack and Big Mac both stared at him as he finished speaking. He could see both of their spirits start to roil in anger. He could see the anger that lanced through them as Mac got out of the chair he was sitting in and went to the door. He pushed it open and walked a few feet outside.
“Apple Bloom!” He hollered.
Even Oblivion cringed at the volume and tone of the voice of the other. Though his own anger was muted he could still feel enough of it to know he was angry. His own eyes narrowed as he moved out of the door and looked down to the ground around them to find the filly’s tracks. Her small hoof prints jumped out at him and he brushed past the red stallion and he could hear them fall in behind him as he moved forward.
“She’s running as far as possible.” He muttered to himself as he tracked her.
“She better hope she’s got a good reason fer this or that filly grounded fer a month.” Applejack growled her anger just under the surface.
“Eeyup,” Mac replied.
Oblivion said nothing in immediate reply but he did cast a glance back at the siblings who saw him and they could see the glowing orange eyes as he looked back at them. He kept walking forward for several minutes and then he slowed and his senses told him to look up. He brought his head up and his orange eyes bore into the frightened eyes of the young filly. He snorted loud enough for her to have easily heard him.
“Apple Bloom, git down here!” Applejack said as she drew up beside him.
The Pegasus watched as the filly pretended not to have heard her elder sister. She looked away from them and up into the boughs of the tree. He put out a hoof and pushed the orange mare back a few feet and then whirled around and bucked the tree as hard as he dared. The buck was still powerful enough to leave hoof prints in the bark of the tree and the filly yelped. She lost her hold on the tree limb and fell from her perch into the waiting forelegs of her sister. Oblivion turned around and he felt Mac reach out and grip his saddlebag and pull him back to be level with his own shoulder. His eyes were no longer narrowed but their glow remained. The farm mare set the filly down on the ground in front of her and the filly stared at the ground. Mac stepped forward and oblivion’s magic unbuckled the saddlebags from his barrel and he dropped them in front of the filly, who cringed at the sight of them.
“What in the hay were ya doin’ with ‘is saddlebags?” Applejack's normally cheerful tone was marred with anger.
The filly said nothing in defense of herself and she looked away from the saddlebags that had been placed in front of her. Mac reached forward and pushed the saddlebags closer to her and she cringed even more as they were moved. Oblivion gave a loud snort and she hiccupped as he then stomped a hoof.
“That is enough little filly. You will answer your siblings and explain yourself to all of us.” He growled at her.
She winced at his tone and sniffled louder. “Ah wanted ta see what was in ‘em.” She wailed. “Ah saw ‘em under the bed when Ah went into yer room ta see if ya was there. But ya weren’t there and Ah saw ‘em under the bed. Ah tried ta pick ‘em up and were too heavy so Ah dragged ‘em to the middle of the room. Ah tried to open ‘em but they wouldn’t open so Ah tried to pull the latch apart but that didn’t work. So Ah umped on ‘em a few times and Ah heard somethin’ break inside. Ah ran away and closed the door.”
His eyes widened slightly and he reached out and pulled the saddlebags back to himself. He opened both sides and a strong smell wafted out of the left saddlebag. “Shit.”
Oblivion closed the other saddlebag and he looked deeper into the left one. His magic levitated two broken bottles and the wooden containers that held these two particular potions. He sighed in anger and another curse pulled from him. “Damnit. Those are broken and their contents lost. There is no way to replace them. Their ingredients do not exist here.”
His magic flowed through the saddlebag and burned through the remaining pieces of broken glass and liquid and cleaned up the mess that had been made. He closed his eyes as aggravation warred through him and replaced the bit of anger he felt. He opened his eyes to see that Apple Bloom had begun to cry as Applejack and Mac were watching him.
“Can ya replace ‘em?” Mac asked.
“No. I can fix the bottles but the contents are a loss.” He replied and his magic picked up the saddlebags and secured them back on his body. “I will leave the punishment to the two of you. I only hope it is fitting.”
He left the group of them behind and walked back the way they had come. He walked back into the farmhouse and trekked up the stairs and back to his room. He walked into his room and closed the door behind him. His magic pulled the saddlebags off his body and set them on the bed. His cloak sat in place on his back, covering the weapons easily. He opened the saddlebags and used the magic he held to lay their contents on the bed. He was surprised to see his extra weapons and other items that he had stored in other places inside of them. He looked into them and found that they had a huge amount of storage and he was left wondering if all saddlebags were like this or just his.
“It must just be mine. Applejack and Mac’s saddlebags had an end to them.” He whispered.
He put everything back inside them and held them aloft in his magic as he looked around for a new place to put them that would be out of the way. His orange eyes fell on the wardrobe at the back of the room and his hoof opened it and his magic hung the saddlebags on a peg that was inside of it. He closed the furniture and his magic placed a stronger lock on the doors. Now only he would be able to open it unless he allowed it. His ears flicked back as he heard the front door open and he could hear a sniveling filly as she came up the stairs and down the hallway. A soft knock sounded out and he opened the door to let her speak to him.
“Ah’m really sorry Oblivion. Ah meant ta break nothin’. Ah was just…”
“That is no excuse to try and break into and snoop through another pony’s things. This goes beyond a simple mistake, Apple Bloom. I do not doubt that you know better than this.” He said to her and stepped over and past her.
He pulled the door closed behind him and he left her sitting in the hallway. He knew that he might be being harsh with her but he treated her as he would have any other Witcher candidate or otherwise. He walked down the hallway to the stairs and out the front door. He found Applejack and Mac waiting for him and he joined them.
“Ah’m sorry Oblivion. Ah had no idea she tried ta get into yer saddlebags. We decided to talk to ya about ‘er punishment. Since it was yer things she broke. Is there really no way to fix ‘em?” Applejack asked as he joined them.
He shook his head. “No. Unfortunately, those potions were made with ingredients that are not found in this area. The bottles and their protective boxes have been fixed but the contents are the real loss. They were made of monster essences that do not exist here. They cannot be replicated.”
Mac grimaced and shook his head. “Ah’m truly sorry fer this.”
“I do not blame either of you. While she did apologize that does not change what she has done. There is a very good reason why the saddlebags were locked. The potions and decoctions inside cannot be used by normal ponies. They are designed to aid a Witcher in our contracts. Each one has a different purpose and a specific monster that they are designed to combat. They give us the ability to not be poisoned or affected by bites from the monsters we hunt.”
“Wow Ah had no idea they were so important.” Mac whistled.
“Even more important when I tell you the biggest reason the saddlebags are locked. Those potions and decoctions are lethal to anypony that is not a Witcher.”
“Ya mean…”
“They would have killed her had she drank one.” He deadpanned.
Both pony's jaws dropped slowly opened as they looked at him and then to each other. Applejack gulped and she leaned back on her haunches at the realization of what could have happened had her little sister gotten a hoof on the potions inside his saddlebags.
“Are they all like that?” She asked, her voice halting.
“Every. Single. One.” He replied. “They are designed to enhance our bodies and our minds. Anypony else cannot handle the toxic nature of the potions. They are designed to be used by my kind and my kind only. I have placed the saddlebags in the wardrobe in my room and placed a lock on it to prevent her from getting near them again. Nopony can open it unless I allow it.”
“By Celestia.” Applejack whispered. “So they're now safe?”
“Yes. Nopony can get to them unless they break the entire wardrobe and if they do that I will have noticed before they get to them.” He assured them.
Both of them took a minute before they nodded at his words. Mac seemed to recover quicker than his sister and the roan stallion looked at the black Pegasus.
“Well. We need ta discuss ‘er punishment. What happens to ponies who steal or try to where yer from?” He asked.
Oblivion grimaced and shook his head. “The punishment where I am from would be looked down on here. Theft is not a crime that is taken lightly. As it can lead to worse later in the thief’s life. Ponies are punished with jail if they are lucky. If they are not then they might lose the hoof that they used to steal with.” He saw them both stiffen. “As I said it would be heavily looked down on here. That is what typically happens in the cities. In the outside towns and villages, it varies on the location. It could be a beating by the one that was stolen from or more depending on the parents if it happens to be a child.”
“Never thought it would’a been so differn’. How was it handled by yer kind?”
“By a Witcher?” She nodded and he leaned back on his haunches. “Extra practice, tending to every sword in the keep, cleaning the entirety of Kaer Morhen, among others. Witchers are reclusive by design so we tend to handle things in the way that will suit us best. A beating would be the kindest and quickest option and that was a rarely used option because why beat them when we could use the labor? Extra work on top of normal exercises and activates is usually enough to break any desire for any further stupidity.”
Applejack and Mac both boded as he spoke and Applejack looked thoughtful as a smile suddenly crossed her mouth. “Ah have an idea.”
Both stallions looked at her and she gave them a sly wink as she looked at the house and inhaled a deep breath. Oblivion pinned his ears and Mac did the same as the mare began to shout.
“Apple Bloom! C’mere!” She shouted.
He looked over his shoulder as the filly came out of the house a few seconds later, her head low as she walked toward them. Her tail dragged behind her as she moved and the Witcher watched as she approached.
“He’s still mad, Applejack, Ah tried to say Ah’m sorry but… Eep!” She yelped at the sight of the black Pegasus.
Oblivion moved to join them to face the filly at Mac’s beckoning. He looked down at the filly as she stood in front of the group of them. She looked up at each of them and he could see the nervousness mixing with the sorrow in her spirit as he watched her.
“Apple Bloom. Ya did somethin’ that ya know is wrong. But instead ah just leaving ‘em alone ya tried to snoop in his things. Ya always been taught that snoopin’ and other things are wrong. If ya had asked Ah’m sure he would’a told ya why the saddlebags were locked. But instead of askin’, ya ended up breaking things that come from his homeland and he can’t replace ‘em here.” She said to her and the filly winced.
The Witcher was silent as the mare had spoken. He had said something similar to her back in the house but he knew that hearing it from him was nothing compared to hearing it from her sister. He had his brothers but they were not in the habit of lording over each other when it came to their faults or things they had done wrong. Each of them knew the things that were expected of them and they did not need to be reminded or commanded. Now that he was on this side of the argument he could see why the filly was now cowering in the face of the scolding she was getting from her blood relation.
She went on after a few second's delay. “Ah asked Oblivion what ya broke and he told us what the potions in there were. If ya had gotten into the saddlebags and ya found the potion inside what would ya have done with it?”
“Potions? Like a drink?” Apple Bloom asked in reply. “Ah would’a tried one.”
He saw the upset look that crossed her sibling's faces at the admittance from the filly. Mac closed his eyes as his jaw clenched. Oblivion was silent as he knew that would be the result.
“Those things in his saddlebags are dangerous. Their poisonous.” Applejack said to her, her voice tense. “Ya could’a…” She stopped and breathed in a deep breath.
“Ya can’t ever get into his things,” Mac growled. “Ya can never get into his saddlebags without him close. Ya hear?”
She nodded at the pained look from her siblings. The Pegasus said nothing as his wings tensed against his sides and he looked at the somewhat frightened filly. She looked at him and he said nothing in reply as Applejack pulled herself together and spoke to her.
“Now Ah spoke wit’ ‘im and Mac and Ah have an idea fer yer punishment. Ah asked him what happened ta ponies who broke other things. He told me what happened and after listenin’ Ah know what is gonna happen now. Yer gonna do his chores, the work we had fer him, and anythin’ else he needs until he forgives ya.” She looked at the two stallions who were now staring at her. “He will still get paid fer yer work, scene ya have shown ya can’t be trusted.”
Oblivion stared at the orange mare as she looked set in her decision. While it made sense to him in a way he disliked the idea of not working and still being paid. Even though the idea was sound he hesitated. “Applejack, I’m not certain this is…” He stopped as she held up a hoof to silence him.
“Don’t worry. The chores we had fer ya are pretty easy since Granny decided ta lessen ‘em since ya were sick.” He blanched and she gave a sly smile. “Ya thought we didn’ know? Twilight old us everythin’. Ya need ta take it easy fer a few days. So this is a perfect punishment. She will do yer work after school, any errands ya need one, she will do ‘em. If ya want a new book from the Library then she can go get it if ya knew what one ya want. Ah think its fittin’.”
“Eeyup.” Mac agreed with a nod.
The Pegasus looked at each of them and he looked down at the filly as she nodded as well and agreed to the punishment. “Very well. I will give this agreement my approval. Despite my reservations. I will abide by your choice.” He stated and walked past the filly, heading for the house.
Apple Bloom ran past him and headed for the front door. She pulled the door open and smiled back at him. He stopped in place and looked over his shoulder to the siblings. Applejack was trying to suppress a giggle while Mac just shrugged. He sighed and walked inside. His forelock was in his eyes and he used a hoof to move it out of his face. “Ugh. Should have asked Applejack about a bath.” He replied and was about to open the top of the door when Apple Bloom started pushing his legs to the stairs. He allowed her to push him and walked up the stairs.
“Ya’ll wait in yer room and Ah’ll get a bath ready fer ya.” The filly told him.
He looked at her for several seconds before he acquiesced to her and went to his room. He reached out and his claws gripped one of the books that Twilight had given him and he set it down on the floor. He laid down and propped the book on a hoof and he started to read through the history of magic in Equestria. He looked up as the sound of hooves caught his ear and he could see Apple Bloom came up to the door jam.
“It’s already. Ah made sure it was nice and warm fer ya.” Apple Bloom said to him.
He could see that she seemed nervous and she watched him intently as he moved the book away from himself as he stood up. Apple Bloom jumped up and she pulled the thick book onto her back and led him to the right of his door down the other hallway. She pulled an abrupt left and pushed a small stool to the right of the tub and set the book down and opened it to the page he had been reading. He saw a raised ledge that the book could sit on to make sure that it didn’t get wet. She moved the soap into reach and then jumped back to look at him. He didn’t move and she suddenly ran out of the door.
“Sorry enjoy yer bath.” She said as she held the door and pulled it closed.
He shook his head at her antics and looked at the still steaming water. He reached out and locked the door behind her and His wings flicked against his sides. He stretched out his wings and the joints popped as they had not been moved in a while and he could feel the stiffness in the joints. He raised them up and the wings extended, allowing him to be able to guess their exact size. After seeing the wings of the Pegasus around he was able to tell that his wings were oversized and he could see that he had close to a sixteen-foot wingspan. They raised upward and he watched as they bent against the ceiling and the tips folded heavily against the ceiling. He set his cloak aside and his swords were leaned up against the wall beside the door.
“Well. They're definitely going to be able to carry me if their size is any indication.” He muttered.
He looked to the steaming water and put one hoof into the tub. The water was warm and comfortable. He stopped himself from jumping in and stepped into the water. He stayed standing as he picked up the soap bar and then lowered himself into the water. It went across his belly and he laid down in the water. He cast a shield over the book and then another to make sure that it didn’t splash onto the floor. The water went over his back and he let himself lay in the tub. The magic hummed through the air as it did as it had been instructed and he was marveling at the usefulness of it when he heard a quiet knock.
“Yes?”
“Is there anythin’ ya need?” Apple Bloom asked him from the other side of the door.
“No. I’m fine, but thank you for asking.” He replied to her.
He heard her hooves trot down the hallway and he laid his head down on the side of the tub and allowed himself to relax. It had been quite some time since he had enjoyed a warm bath without worrying about the chances of being attacked. He brought his head up after a minute or two and he looked down into the water as his wings flicked under the water. He released the muscles that were holding them in place and he let them float in the water, as though boneless. After assuring himself that the wings would not move more than what he allowed he looked at the book in front of him and began to read once more.
He closed his book after finishing a few of the chapters and his magic picked it up and set it aside, away from the tub. He used the soap to clean his mane and fur. After finishing that he ran the soap over his black feathers and cleaned them as well. Dirt and grime bubbled up from them and he watched as the feathers released the dirt they had been holding. When he was finished he washed himself off and used the towel Apple Bloom had left to dry off his fur. He looked to his wings and patted them dry as well. He noticed that a few feathers were out of place. The stallion used his claws to preen the feathers and he removed ones that were coming out. The feathers he removed were held in his magic and once he finished he incinerated them to make things easier when he did not see a place to trash them. He looked around and found that he was still wet and used his magic to dry off the rest rather than find another towel. He used the mirror and found his mane was tangled so he used a brush to straighten it out and took care of his tail. He drained the tub and shook himself. He paused and looked into the mirror. He was turned sideways and saw that he was indeed a very thin pony. He pulled the cloak back on and was glad to see that it covered how thin he was. He had never been very thick but on a pony, he just looked sick.
“Maybe I will look into this. The ponies I have seen are not this thin but I also have not seen any ponies my own size.” He reasoned.
He looked away from the mirror and finished cleaning up the bathroom before he left it. His swords were buckled back into place and his cloak was placed over them, hiding the weapons once more. He left the bathroom and walked down the hall back to his room to drop off the book. He set it on the desk with the others and left the room, the door closing behind him with a resounding click of a lock. He moved through the house and angled his body down the stairs and out into the sunlight. The Witcher looked around him and he could see the spirits of the others and he broke into a trot to rejoin them. He joined them as Apple Bloom ran past them with a small barrel on her back. She ran past them and into the orchard. She was carrying them from the barn to the orchard and he watched as she went past them once more on the return trip to the barn.
“Howdy Oblivion. Apple Bloom said ya were enjoyin’ a warm bath and it seems she was right. Ya seem better.” Mac said to him.
“Quite. I’m actually glad she was eavesdropping when I spoke of it.” He replied. The two ponies laughed and nodded in agreement. He looked at the running filly as she went by. “Well on the upside she will be truly tired by the end of it.”
“Yup that’s what we’re hopin’ fer.” Applejack said with a laugh.
Mac nodded and looked at the stallion beside him. “Yer quite the sight when yer angry. Ya tracked that filly all the way to ‘er hidin’ place.”
He gave a short chuckle. “Tracking her was the easy part. Normally a track can go for miles. So tracking her thirty feet was not much of a challenge.” He replied. “As far as making me angry goes it’s not easy to anger a Witcher normally. It can be done but our reactions tend to be short-lived.”
“Why’s that?” Applejack asked.
“We aren’t designed to be emotional creatures. Our emotions are very nearly gone when we are finished being taught. So to anger one of us can be done but it can take time.” He explained. “I have heard it quite the sight when it does happen though.”
“It is.” Apple Bloom chimed in as she went by them.
“Ya will track things fer miles?” Mac asked him.
“It can happen.” He replied.
“What's the longest ya have tracked somethin’?” Applejack asked him, her eyes curious.
“Let’s see. Most recently it was a Fiend that I tracked for a few days. I think it was for three days.” He said as he thought back to the event. "It took a few days to track it and then some time to bait it and then I had to wait for it to return so I could remove it.” He explained.
“Whats a Fiend?” Mac asked.
“It’s a monster that can be as tall as ten to fifteen feet high. They run on all fours and typically the elbows, hind legs, chest, and back are covered in thick black or brown fur. They have antlers like a deer only much larger and close to twenty to twenty-five points. They have claws on their forelegs and a mouth with teeth like mine, only much larger. They have eyes like goats only there are three of them. They have horns on their heads that are also similar to a goat in that they are curved. They sometimes have a long tail but not always.” He stopped at the look he was getting from Mac and the mare behind him was nodding at the description. “You asked.” He quipped.
Mac barked a loud laugh and “That’s true. Ah did ask.”
The three siblings now stared at him for several seconds before the filly shook herself and went back to work, having stopped to listen to the description of the monster. Both siblings gave a shake of their heads to get the image out of their minds and the filly ran past them with a new barrel. Applejack watched as the filly came to a stop in front of them have moved the last of the barrels.
“All righ’ filly. Yer done with that there chore.” She said, earning a cheer from Apple Bloom. “Now on ta the next one.” Apple Bloom groaned and fell back onto her flanks. “This way.” She said as she walked away with the filly on her heels.
Mac laughed at the look he got from her and he patted Oblivion on the shoulder. “Can ya come with me fer a sec?”
The Pegasus nodded and followed the stallion toward the barn. They came up to a pile of wood and Mac turned to him. “Can ya stand next to those there boards?” The Pegasus nodded and stood beside them.
Mac used a saw to mark the length of the wood he needed and thanked the other stallion. Oblivion walked away and found a tree with some shade and laid down under it. He used his magic to summon a book and went back to reading. He looked up occasionally to see if he was needed for anything more but found nothing. As the day wore on he found himself enjoying the quiet of the orchard and the shade from the tall tree. He noticed the sun going down and stood up his magic placed the book on his back and he walked toward the house. He noticed that Mac was not by the woodpile any longer and guessed that he was inside.
“Oh! Hey Oblivion!” Applejack hollered as he passed by her.
He stopped and looked at her and to the dead tired filly that trailed behind the mare. The filly looked at him and trotted up to stand at his side. She hopped up toward his back and reached for the book that sat on his back. His wing tilted and the book slid from his back down his wing and into her waiting hooves. She slid it into place on her back and she walked toward the house with it balanced carefully. His magic flared as he unlocked his bedroom door to allow her to put the book in there. Applejack looked at him as the magic faded.
“I can carry the book easily enough on my own.” He said to the mare at his side.
“Ah know that. But she is thinkin’ ya shouldn’t do anything.” The mare replied.
He rolled his eyes and started for the house with the mare on his heels. They walked in and Apple Bloom was coming back down the stairs. She climbed into her chair at the table and laid her chin onto the table.
“Ah will ne’er try ta get into another ponies saddlebags again.”
“Should have thought of the consequences first,” Oblivion commented.
Apple Bloom looked at him and nodded.
“Oblivion.” Mac was at the top of the stairs. The red pony motioned for him to follow.
Oblivion went up the stairs and followed him into his room. In his room, he found a bed that was longer than the one he had before. He stared at it for several seconds before he looked at Big Mac.
“This one should fit ya. Can’ have ya sleepin’ on the floor.” He replied to Oblivion's look.
“Thank you. You did not have to.” He started only to have the farmer silence him with a wave of a hoof.
“Yah ah did. Yer stayin’ here and ya should not have ta sleep on the floor jus’ cuz yer tall. That's not fair to ya.” He replied and refused to hear anything more about it.
Oblivion nodded and the two stallions went back downstairs. Applejack made dinner and they ate in silence. Apple Bloom finished first and went to go wash off. Then Granny Smith went to bed, followed by Oblivion and Mac. Applejack stayed up to tuck Apple Bloom in. The Pegasus walked into his room and closed the door behind him. He pulled off the cloak that covered his back and his magic unbuckled the baldric that was buckled around his body and set the swords aside. Oblivion climbed into bed and was pleased to find that it was larger than it needed to be. He locked the door and dropped his cloak onto the desk. He let his wings stretch out as he allowed himself to sleep.