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// Revised Chapter 3: Potential 
// Story: The Keepers of The Balance 
// by Steven1992 
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I put the injector away into my pocket dimension since I had nothing on me to carry it in. As I was walking along the path next to the river, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something in the forest to my left was… watching me. I tried my best to ignore it and kept walking. I tried to think about who I would pay a visit to first. When I came to a fork in the road that led to Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack lived, I decided to visit the farm mare first.

As I walked along the more worn-out road, I looked at the vast amount of apple trees to my right. When I first saw it and was told the name of the place, I joked about the name being very literal. Applejack laughed and agreed that there are indeed a bit too many apple trees. I suspected it was more than her small family can handle by themselves. I was reassured that Applejack’s family is rather large and expanded, the majority of the family had their own orchards and farms to tend to, which made sense.

Before I knew it, I came to the gate leading to Sweet Apple Acres’ barn house and walked down that path. My nostrils were filled with the smell of apples again. I never knew how many different recipes there were that involved an apple until I visited here. Applejack and her small family proved to me, there are so many different ways to cook something.

When I reached the barn, I looked around at all the animal pens. The animals the Apple family kept were of the normal variety, you would find on a farm. Cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and even a dog. The animals all took notice of me, the chickens freaked out a bit but the rest didn’t since they’ve seen me before. Plus I wasn’t as big as other dragons, in fact, I was no bigger than Luna, who was supposedly as big as a stallion. Namely Big Mac, Applejack’s brother.

Speaking of Big Mac, I saw him leaving the barn house carrying a bag on his back. I walked over to him. “Hey again, Big Mac.” I greeted.

He looked at me and nodded. He was a quiet stallion. He was red with an orange-colored mane and tail. “Do you know where your sister is?” I asked.  “The older one,” I added since I know he has two sisters.

“Eeyup.” He said as he turned his head to the house.

“Thanks,” I said before walking over to the house.

I opened the front door, walked in, and was almost overwhelmed by the smell of the Apple family’s cooking. The door led to the kitchen which is where Applejack was, making apple dishes. Helping her out was her sister, Applebloom, a young bright yellow with red hair and a hair bow. I suspected Granny Smith, a green elder mare with white hair, was resting somewhere in the house. Applebloom saw me and her eyes widened.

Applejack saw the expression on her sister’s face and turned to see me. “Oh howdy, Sarius. Ah didn’t expect to see ya again so soon. Ah take it yar here to ‘unlock my potential’ or something?” Applejack asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. I was walking down the path from Fluttershy’s and decided to stop by here first.” I answered. “So let’s get started,” I added walking forward.

“Right. How’s this gonna work?” Applejack asked.

“Just stand in front of me, facing me. Then just relax.” I answer.

Applejack did as instructed. I placed a claw on her forehead as the Energtris Crystals appeared out of my body and began circling the two of us. Using the Crystals, I reach into Applejack’s soul to find her hidden potential. After a few seconds, I find it, and again using the Crystals I unlock that potential. Applejack’s body glowed faintly along with the light green Crystal and disappeared as quickly as it came. I removed my claw from her forehead as the Crystals retreated back into my body.

“So how do you feel?” I asked.

“Different, that’s for sure. What kind of hidden potential do ah have?” Applejack inquired.

“Judging from the Crystal reaction, something related to the Element of Nature. Though I suspect it’s just simple earth bending.” I explained.

“Crystal reaction, Nature element, and earth bending? Ah’m getting confused.” Applejack complained.

“Right, sorry. The light green Crystal glowed along with you, signifying your potential being related to the Nature Element. The element of Nature is simply anything and everything related to Nature, grass, trees, the earth, and flora. That’s excluding wind and water since they are their own elements. And earth bending is as the name says; the power to bend the earth and ground beneath your hooves.” I explained. “Did that make better sense?”

Applejack rubbed her head with a hoof, a bit confused still it seems. “Somewhat. Ah can understand what you said but it’s a bit difficult to wrap mah head around. Ah am just a farm pony.” Applejack pointed out.

“Understandable. Then I’ll say it like this; your potential may help with your applebucking and maintaining the farm. With enough practice at least.” I specified.

Applejack’s eyes lit up with newfound interest. “Oh! That Ah can understand. So what happens now?” Applejack asked.

“I will teach you the basics on how to use your power so you can start practicing. Let’s head outside for this.” I advised.

“Alright. Ah finished the last apple dish so it’s good timing.” Applejack assured.

The two of us walked out the door and Applebloom followed, curious about what we were talking about and what we were about to engage in. The front yard of the Apple’s farm was quite spacious so I knew there was no need to worry about practicing precision just yet. Applejack was following me so I gestured to her to stop and walked a few steps away from her, while Applebloom stayed close to the barn.

“Now, first things first; the basics.” I began. “The first step to earth bending is maintaining a firm grip on your emotions. Technically it’s the first step for anything. You can’t control and use your power to its full extent if your mind’s clouded with emotion. So basically, stay in control of your emotions and thoughts or at the very least ensure you can think rationally.” I explained.

Applejack was looking at me and blinked a couple of times. “Just keep a clear head?” Applejack queried. I nodded. “Okay, Ah can do that.” She added.

“Next; you simply need to view the earth as an extension of yourself. This also applies to a lot of things. Just imagine a section of the earth you want to bend and move it like it was your own leg. I’ll demonstrate.” I declared.

I focused on a part of the earth a few feet away in front of me and I kept my eyes on that spot. I imagined my body was connecting to that point and with a quick soft stomp of my back leg, a rock spire shot out from that spot. Applejack and Applebloom went wide-eyed, shocked beyond words.

I looked at Applejack who was looking at me with that shocked expression. “Just like that. It’s easy to explain but hard to put into action.” I said. “Now you give it a try,” I instructed.

Applejack shook her head to rid herself of the shock. She was watching me closely and tried to do exactly what I did but with a different result. No spire shot out of the ground like when I did it. I shook my head. “No, you’re simply imitating my actions. Pick a spot and imagine it’s connected to you. So when you stomp your hoof, the ground will continue the motion.” I specified.

Applejack narrowed her eyes attempting to focus her attention. After a couple of minutes, she stomped her left front hoof and a spire shot out of the ground. Not as big or refined as mine but it was a start. Applejack blinked, looked at her hoof then back to the spire she made contemplating that she did that.

“Yes, you did it right. Not too shabby for a first attempt.” I confirmed.

Applejack looked at me and smiled. “That was different but Ah like it. What else can Ah do with this?” She inquired.

“Well, that depends on the extent of your power. The furthest I can think of how far your power can go is metal bending. Once you’re able to manipulate metal, you’ve reached your full potential. But don’t think reaching that point is the end. At that point, you should start mastering everything you know until it all comes naturally and your body will act on its own.” I explained.

“Metal bending? Ah thought the earth bending stuff was just what you showed me.” Applejack asked, confused.

I chuckled. “Trust me, there’s more to earth bending than just being able to shoot rock spires out of the ground. I’ll show you.” I stated.

With a snap of my claw fingers, the two rock spires AJ and I made, descended back into the ground. Applejack looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I smirked and shook my head answering her internal question; ‘Was that it?’.

I refocused on the ground in front of us and held up a claw. Once I knew I got my grip, I moved my claw left and right, causing the ground to shift and move with my claw movements. This motion made both Applejack and Applebloom drop their jaws in sheer surprise. But that was a simple thing I could do with my experience. I stopped the motion and let the ground settle.

I then took the same claw I moved the ground around with, gripped the ground, and pulled a chunk of it out. I then sat on my butt and held up my claws a few inches from each other. The chunk of the earth I pulled out began moving and it slowly dispersed into small pieces as I had them float around in different directions. I wasn’t using my physical body for this, I was using my will to move the particles however I wanted.

Applejack and Applebloom were still shocked but they closed their mouths. I showcased my control over the earth, by making the dirt transfigure into stone, then mud, then sand, and finally back to dirt. Once I was done showing off I put the dirt back into the spot I took it from and made it look like it was never disturbed.

I looked at Applejack. “And all that is just simple bending capabilities. Metal bending is the mastery but before it, is being able to transfigure the dirt into either stone, mud, sand, or metal. But transfiguring requires knowledge of the said things and dirt. It’ll be a lot to learn but once you learn it and put it into practice enough times, you’ll be able to pull it off without needing to think about it or the method of transfiguring.” I explained.

Applejack slowly nodded her head, trying to convince me she understood it but I knew she didn’t fully get it. “I know it’s hard to understand but trust me, once you start using this power on a regular basis almost like walking, breathing, or even cooking those apple treats; it’ll make much more sense and come naturally.” I simplified it to the best of my ability.

“That does make sense. Just use this here power of mine and Ah’ll eventually learn everything I need to learn. Right?” Applejack asked.

“Yup, Exactly that,” I answered. “The only advice I can give you, for now, is practice. When you need some advice on earth bending itself, let me know.”

“Ah will. Thank you, Sarius.” Applejack thanked.

“It was my pleasure,” I said.

“Uhhh, Sarius?” A young, and almost Fluttershy levels of timid, spoke up

“Yeah?” I asked, looking at Applebloom who was pawing at the ground in a cute manner.

“What’s up, Sugarcube?” Applejack inquired of her little sister.

“Uhh. Ah was j-just wondering about something.” Applebloom said.

“What about?” I asked, trying to encourage her.

“Well. How do you feel about p-ponies, Mr. Trusdale?” Applebloom asked.

I smiled. “Please no need to call me Mr. Just Sarius.” I corrected her. “And to answer your question; I couldn’t give you a straight answer right now. This is all still new to me. I’m gonna need some time. But if it’s a suitable answer, I think ponies are far better than what I’m used to, back where I’m from.” I answered.

Applebloom smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good enough answer for me. Ah gotta go do mah chores now, so Ah’ll see you later-” Applebloom hesitated for a second. “-Sarius.” She finished before running off to the barn.

“Ya made quite an impression on my little sister, Sarius. You become more amazing every minute I spend with ya.” Applejack complimented.

I chuckled. “Thanks, AJ. That means a lot, but my business here is concluded. So I need to go and visit the next pony on the list.” I stated. I was about to walk away but quickly turned back to Applejack real quick. “But I’ll be back to try some of those apple treats you and your family make. That’s a promise.” I finished.

Applejack chuckled and smiled. “Ah’ll hold you to that, mah friend. Take care now.” She waved.

“Back at ya.” I waved back and left Sweet Apple Acres.

As I walked along the path back to Ponyville, I pondered on which pony I should visit next. I recalled that Fluttershy was the furthest one from Ponyville and the farm Applejack lived at was along the way as well as the Carousel Boutique, which is where Rarity is. In fact, I was able to see the shop as I crossed the bridge into Ponyville. So I decided Rarity was next. I walked up to the front door and took a minute to compose myself for what would come next.

I knocked on the door. “Coming~” I heard Rarity sing-song.

The door opened revealing Rarity with glasses on, but her eyes were closed. I won’t lie, she looked attractive with those glasses on. “Hello and welcome to the Carousel Boutique.~ I am Rarity, the owner and designer of the store. How may I-” She cut herself off when she opened her eyes and looked at me with her blue eyes. “Oh, Sarius! I… wasn’t expecting you so soon, darling.”

“My apologies. I came from Applejack’s place and unlocked her potential, before that I was saving Fluttershy from a manticore. Then-”

“WHAT?!” Rarity squealed with widened eyes. “Is she alright?!”

“Yes. She is, don’t worry. The manticore didn’t hurt her and I didn’t hurt the manticore much. Everything’s fine.” I said, trying to calm Rarity.

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. Sorry for screaming at you, darling. It was very unladylike.” Rarity apologized.

“No need to apologize for screaming. You were scared for your friend and I understand that and that doesn’t make you any less of a lady.” I said with a friendly wink.

Rarity giggled. “So do you want to come in?” Rarity asked, moving over and gesturing to the room.

“Sure, I came to visit you after all.” I said as I walked into her home/workplace. Rarity was indeed working as I saw pony manikins with unfinished clothing on them. The place was a lot bigger inside than it looked from the outside.

Rarity walked in front of me. “So, how do we go about unlocking my potential? I’m very eager to know what I’m capable of.” Rarity mused.

“Rarity!” A young voice squeaked out. A white filly with a light purplish and rose streaked mane & tail came galloping down the stairs in a panic. “I heard you scream, is everything o-” The filly was cut off when she laid her green and now widened eyes on me.

“Oh hey, Sweetie Belle. I’m afraid I’m to blame for your sister screaming. I just told her something happened to Fluttershy.” I stated.

Sweetie Belle began to blush a bit. “Hey. Sarius. Fancy seeing you again. What’s the occasion?” She asked, trying to keep her cool. She failed a bit, but it was cute nonetheless.

“I’m going around and visiting Rarity and her friends to unlock their potential. My Crystals suggested I do so.” I explained.

“My sister has potential? Also crystals?” Sweetie Belle inquired with a squeak.

“Yes, darling. Your fabulous sister indeed has potential. Oh I hope it’s the potential to be even more fabulous.” Rarity crooned.

I chuckled. “ I doubt your potential will be something like that. At least I’ve never heard of one’s potential making them more fabulous. Now just stand in front of me and hold still.” I stated.

Rarity did as I asked and I placed a claw on her forehead, making sure to avoid her horn. The Crystals floated out of me again and floated in the air as I reached into Rarity’s soul, extracting the hidden power within. Once I grasped her potential, I yanked it out. Rarity’s horn came to life and began sparking traces of pure magic I was familiar with and elemental energy. To top it off, 8 of the 11 crystals glowed. The only ones that didn’t glow; were the larger crystal and the Light and Dark Crystals which were white and black respectively.

The Crystals were absorbed back into my body again. “Wow… those were pretty.” Sweetie mused.

“So what’s my potential darling?” Rarity asked, very interested to know.

“Being a Black Mage.” I say simply with a smile.

Rarity looked at me with horror. “A B-black mage?! I have the potential to be evil?!” Rarity shrieked, clearly freaking out.

My eyes widened when I realized my little mistake. I shook my head and claw rapidly. “Nononono. You’re misunderstanding. Though I should have been clearer, so my bad. The kind of Black Mage I’m referring to is a magic user that utilizes the elements. It is referred to as the Black Arts sometimes but I assure you it’s not inherently evil.” I explained as clearly as possible.

Rarity calmed down. “Are you sure?” She asked nervously.

“Yes. Completely sure. The kind of Black Magic you can use are spells that, again either utilize the elements or pure magic to do damage. There are only a few spells that are favorites of assassins and such. Bio is one example, it’s a spell that poisons a target.” I explained with a bit more detail.

Rarity took in every word I said and when she understood it all, she sighed in relief. “Okay good. You had me extremely worried.” Rarity stated.

“I’m really sorry for giving you the wrong idea. I should have explained it instead of just saying it.” I apologized. “Anyway, I’ll teach you the basics, though I suspect it’s technically no different than using your unicorn magic. It’ll most likely just be a different application.” I added.

“So what, just use my magic?” Rarity asked rather simply.

“Yes and no. Like I said, it’s likely a different application meaning it’s used a bit differently than when you use your unicorn magic. I suggest doing the same thing you always do just instead imagine something like fire or ice being created from your magical energy.” I instructed.

Rarity attempted to do that but nothing happened. I tapped my chin with my claw thinking. “Hmm. Perhaps you don’t have the power to create the elements from your energy.” I muttered to myself. “Rarity, did you get any knowledge in the past few minutes?” I inquired.

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “I… don’t know. Was I supposed to gain some?” She replied.

“That’s part of my current theory, yes.” I responded.

Rarity stared at the wall, seemingly in deep thought, then she shrugged. “I don’t believe I did. All I have in my head right now is a bunch of mumbo jumbo science stuff, I think.” Rarity spoke.

“That’s it. That mumbo jumbo stuff is what you need to refer to for using the element magic.” I replied.

Rarity looked at me, surprised. “Really, are you sure? I don’t even understand any of it.” Rarity noted.

I shook my head. “You don’t have to understand it, you just have to know that knowledge is needed to use Black Magic. Besides, after a while you’ll start to understand it anyway. For right now, you just have to focus on one recipe in your head and let your body do the rest.” I explained.

Rarity raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Recipes? Am I using magic or making a cake?”

“The term recipe is thrown around more often by chefs and individuals that make food dishes, but it’s a universal term for a set of instructions that need to be followed for a certain product or outcome. Alchemists use recipes and they don’t make food. If you prefer, guide can be a better and less confusing term to use.” I explained.

“Oh. So you said just focus on one recipe or guide and let my body do the rest?” Rarity asked.

I nodded. “Trust me, since the knowledge is there your magic should automatically make the adjustments, just as long as you keep the guide in your head. Then you just pick a target and use your magic.”
Rarity narrowed her eyes, indicating she was focusing really hard. She was staring at one of her pony manikins quite intensely. Her horn started to glow and I suddenly felt compelled to say something. I had a feeling she was about to do something a bit stupid.

“Uh Rarity. Are you sure you want to-”

I was cut off when the manikin spontaneously caught fire, which quickly engulfed the entire manikin from one spot. Rarity’s horn stopped glowing as she loosened up her eyes to take in her work, then she smiled and started hopping in place.

“I did it! I don’t know how, but I did.” Rarity cheered.

The fire wasn’t shrinking and was threatening to reach out to whatever was in reach to spread. “Rarity.” I said, trying to get her attention. It didn’t work as she was still being gleeful. “Rarity!” I shouted this time.

Rarity snapped to attention and looked at me with shock. “What, darling?” She nearly shouted back.

“Were you planning to set just a manikin on fire or your entire home/workplace?” I asked simply.

“Just the manikin. Why do you-” She cut herself off as she looked at the fire that was now igniting a second manikin. “Sweet Celestia!! Sweetie Belle, find the fire extinguisher quickly!” Rarity squealed as she and Sweetie Belle were about to head to what I assumed was the kitchen.

“No need, ladies.” I spoke trying to help calm them down.

Rarity quickly turned to me. “What do you mean by-” She was cut off again as I opened my maw. “NO STOP!! YOU’RE GOING TO-”

Instead of fire shooting out my mouth, it was a stream of water right at the fire. The force of the stream pushed the manikins against the wall, and the fire was about to set something else ablaze before I aimed the stream for the rest of the fire, extinguishing all of it. Once I knew the fire was gone, I stopped the stream of water. I moved my mouth around a bit and spat out a little bit of water that stayed in my mouth. I turned to Rarity and smiled. She and Sweetie Belle were completely baffled, and at a loss for words.

I raised an eyebrow. “What? Did you really think I would be stupid enough to try to use fire to extinguish fire? It never ends well, trust me. Besides, I can do more than breathe fire or use energy.” I stated.

Rarity shook her head. “Uh thank you, darling. I’m glad you were willing to jump into action so quickly.” Rarity complimented.

I smile. “That’s always my plan, being ready to spring into action when needed. Anyway, you’re gonna need two new manikins now.”

Rarity giggled. “Oh not to worry. I have plenty of those to use.” Rarity walked up to me to look at the mess that was made from her attempting to learn how to Black Magic. “So… did I do okay, at least?” She inquired.

“Yes. You did okay. Just… keep in mind that the spells you use are still elements. The elements exist all around us, using Black Mage magic just helps spread it or takes the element and magnifies it. So the fire you created was just you causing a lot of friction, or basically the term for when two things rub together, which caused combustion, and thus fire was created. If you don’t control the element it’ll act like it always does.” I explained.

“Alright. Duly noted.” Rarity said.

“Your Black Mage potential will grow over time as you use them and you’ll gain more experience. Over time you’ll be able to use stronger variations of those basic spells and use advanced spells. You’ll figure out how to use the advanced spells as well.” I stated.

“You’re sure I’ll figure it out?” I nodded. “Okay then. Well I’ll make sure to get the practice in. Thank you, darling.” Rarity said.

“Will I see you again, Sarius?” Sweetie squeaked. She had a blush on her face.

I chuckled. “Definitely. Later ladies.”

They waved bye to me as I walked out the door. I began walking into town with the Sugarcube Corner next on my list. I began approaching the oddly shaped store after a few minutes. I could already hear Pinkie Pie being herself as I walked into the building.

The inside still smelled so sweet and inviting. I saw Pinkie bouncing around cleaning the place. Seeing her being so full of energy reminded me of myself a long time ago. She noticed me out of the corner of her eye and gasped. She ran right to me like a blur and smiled at me.

“Hi, Sarius. I’m so glad you came to visit me. It’s always exciting to meet new ponies or dragons in your case. Are you excited because I am? Very much so. Like so exciting that I-”

I cut her off by softly grabbing her mouth. “I get you’re excited, Pinkie but try to ease up on the super fast talking okay?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Mkay” Pinkie said with a muffled voice. I let her mouth go. “So what exactly are you going to do? You said you were releasing everypony’s potential but never told us how you would do it.”

“Just stay still. I know it’ll be difficult for you but it’ll make it easier for me.” I instructed.

“I’ll try.” Pinkie said as she went as stiff as a broad.

I blinked. “I’m glad you’re able to stay still but you should relax. Being too tensed up will make this take longer.”

Pinkie breathed out and relaxed. I placed my claw on her head and focused. My crystals appeared out of my body and hovered there. I spent a bit of time locating her potential but eventually found it and unlocked it. The gold crystal was the only one to glow. I removed my claw from her forehead and the crystals returned to my body.

“Ooo, what was that? What did it mean?” Pinke inquired.

“That was my crystal indicating your potential is unlocked. As for what the sole glowing crystal meant, since it was just the gold, it basically tells me your potential is an extension or upgrade of a power you already possess.” I explained.

“Oooo. What is it, what is it, what is it?” Pinkie asked, resuming her bouncing.

“Well, it’s… kinda difficult to explain. Your potential allows you to sense anything, whether it’s another individual or an object that doesn’t originate in your world, and know exactly where it is.” I pause for a second. “Oh it wasn’t as difficult as I thought.. Anyway, you can only sense something within a 30 mile radius and I can only assume there’s a limit to how many things you can sense and keep track of.” I explained.

“Ooooo, that sounds neat. How will I know when I sense something?” Pinkie inquired.

I tap my chin in thought. “I mean, you’ll know for sure when it happens. I can’t really say what to expect since it’ll be different for everyone.” I answer with as simple of an answer as possible.

“Oh I guess that makes sense. So is that it?” Pinkie asked.

“As far as I can see that added something new. As for whether or not it affected anything else about you, I couldn’t say. You’ll have to figure that out on your own, I’m afraid.” I answer.

“Okie Dokie Loki.” Pinkie bubbled. “So are you leaving now?” Pinkie asked with a hint of sadness.

“Yeah, unfortunately. But we’ll see each other again, Pinkie. I promise.” I replied with a warm smile.

“You Pinkie Promise?” Pinkie asked as her lights lit up.

I blinked. “Yeah. I Pinkie Promise.” I repeated.

Pinkie was a bit confused. “You don’t know the Pinkie Promise gesture do you?” I shook my head which made her smile. “Oh okay. Then I’ll teach you.” Pinkie did a set of hoof movements and said “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” while doing them. “Now you try.”

I lifted a claw, made a cross gesture over my heart and carefully placed my claw on my eye while chanting, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” I gave her a smile.

Pinkie bounced in place in sheer happiness. “Yup yup. That’s how it goes.” Pinkie gleed.

I chuckle at her bubbly and good personality. “I’ll see you later then.” I lower my claw and begin walking out the door.

“Make sure you come back. You don’t want to break a Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie warned.

I walked out and to my next location: The Golden Oaks Library. It was on the edge of town and was literally a library home bought into an oak tree. I reached the front door and knocked on it. I took a minute to look around and see how spacious the space around the tree is.

I heard the door open and turned to see Twilight standing in the doorway, since she used her magic to open the door. “I was expecting you. Come in, Spike just made some tea.” Twilight beamed.

I walked in and took in the sight of Twilight’s home again. It was a literal library inside of an oak tree and furnished and modeled to be a home. The books were all organized by alphabetical order. Spike walked over with a hot cup of tea and offered it to me. I took it and took a sip.

“Mmm. That’s good.” I said.

“Thanks.” Spike gleed.

Twilight walked over after closing the door. “So how are we gonna do this?” Twilight asked, getting to the point.

I took another sip, turned my tail into a claw and gripped the tea cup as I walked to Twilight. “First relax and-”

I was cut off as Twilight zipped past me to look at my tail, totally bewildered. “Amazing. The tip of your tail can turn into an additional claw. This is fascinating.” She marveled.

I blinked. “Uh. Yes it is fascinating. If you really desire it, I can let myself be analyzed by you at a better time. For now I need you to relax so I can unlock your potential.” I proposed.

Twilight snapped out of her fixation. “Right, sorry.” Twilight apologized as she walked back in front of me and started to relax.

I placed a claw on her forehead and like before my crystals appeared out of my body and hovered above us. I searched her soul for her potential and was surprised to find it rather quickly and that it was massive. However when I tried to unlock it, I couldn’t. Something was preventing me from unlocking her potential. The glow of the crystals got my attention, specifically the master crystal since all of them were glowing and humming.

I pulled my claw away and the crystals returned into my body. Twilight and Spike were baffled. “What’s my potential?” Twilight inquired.

I shake my head. “I don’t know.” I answered, still a bit surprised about this.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Didn’t you unlock my potential?” Twilight was puzzled.

“I was unable to. Something was preventing me from doing so.” I disclosed. “However, I can tell you that whatever your potential is, is immense. A game changer even and that it has to be unlocked naturally.” I added.

“Unlocked naturally? How?” Twilight asked.

I shrugged. “Again, I don’t know. I can’t do anything else, sorry.” I sighed.

Twilight shook her head. “No it’s fine, Sarius. I apologize if I was rude.” Twilight apologized.

“It’s cool, Twilight. When you do unlock your potential naturally, I’ll be there to help guide you through it.” I stated.

“Thanks.” Twilight replied.

I click my tongue. “So, since I can’t really do much here, I’ll head off now. Thanks again for the tea, Spike. It’s great.” I complimented before drinking the last bit of the tea.

“Thank you.” Spike stated.

I bidded them both farewell and walked back to town. I did a quick check in my head, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight even though I couldn’t do anything for her. All that was left was Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. I looked up to the sky and saw a few clouds, but I couldn’t tell which was Rainbow’s house. So I flew up to look.

All the clouds right over Ponyville were just simple clouds. So I flew around the outskirts of the town and found a house on top of a big cloud. I flew up to it and something flew past me really quickly. When I turned to see who it was, I just saw a rainbow blur. I didn’t have to guess who that was as I gave chase.

It didn’t take much or long to catch up to Rainbow. Rainbow had her eyes peeled to the front, so when she finally looked right a bit she saw me, flying right next to her. I smiled at her and she gave me a smirk.

“Oh, you think you’re fast huh? Well try this.” Rainbow spoke before accelerating faster.

I knew she was trying to see how far she could push me until I resorted to my wing thrusters, but I wasn’t ready to humor her yet. Using the wind, I sped up and managed to catch up to her. She looked at me, a bit shocked. She shook her head and went faster. I chuckled as I flew up quite a bit of distance and started diving at a small angle.

I wasn’t trying to catch up to Rainbow through a dive, I was using the dive to adjust my wings. My wings slowly shifted into airplane wings. Once they did, I was going faster and flew out of the dive and towards Rainbow dash. I caught up to her again and she groaned. She flew straight up and took a dive like I did. She used it to pick up speed as the air around her tried to fight her back but she broke through.

She performed a Sonic Boom and her rainbow mane became a literal streak as she flew around. I blinked and was impressed. My wings shifted back to normal as I decided she earned it. “Tsubasa Henka.”

My wings transformed into energy thrusters and I went nearly full throttle. I broke the sound barrier as well, caught up to Rainbow, and pasted her all in a matter of seconds. Rainbow stopped in her tracks and watched me in sheer shock. I slowed down and stopped to hover in front of her.

I smirked. “Was that fast enough for ya?” I teased.

Rainbow blinked. “Whoa. I thought those wings were just for combat.” Rainbow stated bemused.

“Sure, they are but their main function is allowing me to travel at high speeds by air. As you just witnessed. By the way, your sonic boom was different from most.” I pointed out.

Rainbow smiled. “That’s because it’s a Sonic ‘Rainboom’.” She corrected me.

“A Sonic Rainboom, huh. As in a rainbow sonic boom?” I asked.

“Yup. I break the sound barrier and I create a rainbow streak as I fly around, hence Sonic Rainboom.” Rainbow mused.

“Cool. So is that your house right there?” I inquired pointing to the house on the cloud nearby.

Rainbow nods. “It’s nice being a pegasus, you know. Not that I’m being racist, but being able to have your house on a cloud you can move around is pretty sweet. I can literally take my home anywhere.” Rainbow gushed.

Rainbow and I fly over to the cloud and she lands on it. I started lowering to it but Rainbow went wide-eyed as she quickly warned “Careful! You don’t want to fall through-” I landed on the cloud and was not falling through it like she worried. “-the cloud. Huh. I guess dragons can land on clouds then.” Rainbow finished.

“Tsubasa Henka.” As I say that my wings return to normal.

“Wait what did you say?” Rainbow asked, confused.

“Oh, it’s Japanese for ‘Wing Change’.” I answer.

Rainbow tilted her head. “Japawhat?”

“Jap. A. Knees.” I spelled out. “It’s a foreign language from where I’m from.”

“Japanese.” Rainbow repeated. I nodded. “Okay. Cool.”

I walked over to Rainbow. “Did you want me to unlock your potential here or inside?” I asked.

“Right here is fine. I actually want to find out what my power can do the second I get it!” She said excitedly.

“Okay, but you shouldn’t rush into it. Trust me. Sure, using an ability or power is the best way to gain experience in using it but it’s very dangerous if you don’t know how to control it. Just wait until I tell you what it is first, okay?” I implored her.

“Okay, Okay.”

“And try to stay still and calm if you can.” I added.

“I’ll try but I’m not good at that.” Rainbow pointed out.

I chuckle. “I can definitely relate.”

I repeat the process of unlocking Rainbow Dash’s potential the same way I did the others so far. I found her potential in her wings which shouldn’t be surprising. The gray crystal glowed for a minute before the glow faded. Rainbow dash stayed still like she said would try to do.

“So, what is it?” She said in anticipation.

“Control over the wind.” I say simply.

Rainbow Dash blinked. “What?”

“You can control the wind.” I repeated.

“So what does that mean to me?” Rainbow inquired.

I smirk. “Well, you like being fast and flying. So controlling the wind will help with both.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened in excitement. “Ooo. Now we’re talking!”

I chuckle. “So, here’s the basics: like I’ve instructed the other girls. Imagine the wind blowing around you as an extension of yourself. Considering how fast and maneuverable you are in the air, I imagine being able to do things with your wings like blowing wind in a specific direction isn’t out of the question.” Rainbow is following what I’m saying but I sense she doesn’t really get it. “How about I demonstrate?”

I unfold my wings but don’t flap them. Rainbow watches me closely as I make the very air around me blow in a circle. The air becomes a wind and by repeatedly spinning it around me, it literally becomes visible. Suddenly, I start floating off the ground. My wings are still spread out and not flapping.

Rainbow’s eyes widened in shock. “Whoa! How are you floating without flapping your wings?”

“Simple. I’m directing an air current so it’s blowing into my wings thus lifting me up. But I have to get the air current to pick up speed by flowing in circles around me and I can only manage this much because I’m so heavy. For a pegasus such as yourself, it’ll be far easier to fly around with just the wind.* I explained as I softly dropped back onto the cloud, folding my wings, and made the wind stop. “Now you try.”

Rainbow unfolded her wings and attempted to get the wind to blow into her wings. But nothing was happening as she just stood there looking constipated. “I know it’ll be hard to imagine it, but picture the air around as your blood-”

“Wait, what?!” Rainbow looked at me with slight horror.

“Let me finish. Your blood is constantly flowing through your body in streams. But the blood can’t flow until your heart beats and sends blood through the stream. Now imagine the air is like your blood going through your body and you are the heart that’s pumping the blood. I know it’s not the best visual but it’ll work.” I finished.

Rainbow pursed her lips as she reluctantly visualized it. After a minute, the air started moving. Abelit slowly but it was moving. “That’s it. Keep at it. Move the air around.” I encouraged her.

The air slowly became a current that blew into her wings but she wasn’t lifting off the ground. I shook my head. “You can’t just make the air blow into your wings. You have to build up the speed and power of the wind. Focus on making it flow around you in a circle, like I did. Then once it’s made a few laps, push it into your wings.”

She followed my instructions and the wind was going around and around then flowing into her wings. She started lifting off the ground. She had an expression of awe. “I’m doing it.”

I nod. “Don’t let up though. Keep the air going.” She did just that and she was able to stay off the ground for a good minute before she dropped to the cloud out of breath.

“Haa. That was. Exhausting.” She spoke between breaths. “I haven’t been this out of breath in a long while.”

“You did good though. Again I know I didn’t give the best visual but overtime you’ll be able to pull it off without it. And if you can come up with a better visual then stick to that.”

“So what now?” Rainbow asked.

“For now, keep at it. You’ll need to practice with it. All I can really give you is some advice on how to use it. Truth is, you and the other girls have to figure out the best way to use your newfound powers on your own.” I explained.

“Understood. I’ll keep at it.” Rainbow said with gusto.

“Awesome. I’ll be going now. Fluttershy is the last one on my list. Though I probably should have started with her.” I muttered the last part to myself.

“Just take your time with her. She might be the least self-confidant pony I know, but I know she can be awesome and do incredible things if she tries.”

I smile. “I will, don’t worry. I can at least relate to her shyness and lack of experience with socializing.”

“Ha! A dragon like yourself is shy and antisocial. That’s funny.” Rainbow chuckled.

“I was at one time. Before I became a hybrid.” I clarified.

Rainbow looked at me and saw how serious I was. “Oh… Sorry. I wasn’t trying to make fun of you.”

I give her a small smile. “I know. I want to believe ever since I became a hybrid and half of my DNA being turned into Dragon DNA, my personality and temperament improved greatly.”

“Well while I can’t say it’s a big difference since I don’t know ya that well or before you changed, but if being shy and antisocial was part of who you were before then I can say it’s a good change.” Rainbow complimented.

“Thanks. I better get going now. See you later.”

“Yeah. Later. I’ll want another race when I get a good handle on my new power.” Rainbow smirked.

I smirked back, “I look forward to it.” With that, I jumped off the cloud and flew off.

After flying for a few minutes I reached Fluttershy’s cottage. I walk up to the front door and knock on it. Someone comes to the door and opens it slowly. I see Fluttershy peeking through the doorway to see who it is, once she sees me she opens the door fully with a smile. “Oh, Sarius. You’re back.” Fluttershy said.

“Yup. I visited our friends and unlocked their potential. You’re the only one left now.”

“Okay. Come on in then.” Fluttershy stepped to the side and let me through. I walked in and was able to see the inside of the cottage.

The inside of her cottage had the typical furniture to expect from a house but Fluttershy has numerous homes and beds for various animals. There was a staircase leading upstairs and a door that led to the kitchen if I was correct. There was another door that should lead to a bathroom.

I didn’t see the animals but I felt their presence. I assumed they were hiding from me since I was a dragon. I wasn’t bothered since I understood, unlike other humans or ponies in this case, they were responding to a natural instinct. It’s not like humans or ponies didn’t have natural instincts but more they have a stronger understanding and common sense.

“Oh, I’m very sorry about my animal friends. They’re usually so excited to meet new ponies.” Fluttershy then looked at me and started frowning. “Oh, but you’re not a… pony.” She said hesitantly.

“It’s okay. I understand you’re trying not to hurt my feelings but please. There’s no need to beat around the bush. I am exactly what I look like. And I know just how much it scares others.” I put on a smile. “So don’t worry. I won’t hold it against them. They are simply listening to their instincts. I’m sure they’ll come around when they no longer sense they’re in danger.”

Fluttershy’s frown instantly turned to a warm smile. “Yes. You’re right. Go ahead and take a seat. I’ll go make you some tea.” With that, Fluttershy walked to the kitchen.

I sat on the couch and ended up using the whole space so I just sat on the floor. It wasn’t uncomfortable for me, thankfully. For the next few minutes, I sat in awkward silence feeling the scared gazes of Fluttershy’s animals while she was humming to herself in the kitchen. Fortunately the silence was broken by a new voice that wasn’t Fluttershy’s, unfortunately I would quickly realize the owner of the voice has quite the ego and mouth.

‘A dragon in my home?! I thought she was scared to death by them?’ The voice was male but it was soft and had a slightly high pitch. I turned my head to the owner of the voice. It was a white rabbit.

The first thought I had, which wasn’t since it always popped into my head whenever I see a white rabbit, was the Killer Rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. My first ‘real’ thought was: ”Did this rabbit just say ‘his’ home, not Fluttershy’s?”. As I thought that I raised an eyebrow.

The rabbit narrowed its eyes on me. It obviously wasn’t scared of me which I couldn’t tell if it was a good or a bad thing. ‘The nerve of you to make yourself at home like this. She may have let you in but don’t think this means you’re welcome.’ The rabbit then seemed to scoff. ‘I bet you can’t understand a word I’m saying can you, you oversized lizard.’

I narrowed my own eyes back at him slightly but I also gave him a smirk. The smirk must have had a reaction since he stopped glaring at me. “You must have some nerves of steel to mouth off to a dragon of all things like that.” His beady eyes widened in surprise and my smirk faded. “Also ‘your’ home? What makes you think the cottage belongs to you? That’s some ego you got, little bunny.”

The bunny didn’t say anything for half a minute. ‘You understand me?’ He asked with surprise.

I raised an eyebrow at the stupid question. “Really? You have to ask that? Of course I can.”

‘How?’

“Now that’s a better question. My aunt is Mother Nature and I gained her ability to communicate with animals.”

The rabbit deadpanned at me. ‘Am I expected to know who that is?’

I roll my eyes. “Meh, not really but you at least should know she’s very important. She gave life to everything after all.”

The rabbit blinked. It seemed like what I was saying was flying over his head. I shouldn’t expect a rabbit to understand things about higher beings like gods. ‘Well, since you understand me. Then I’ll vocalize my complaints; as far as I’m concerned you’re not welcome. So get out of here.’

I looked away from him and snorted. “Nah. The only way I’ll leave is either of my own choice or if Fluttershy asked me to. I’m not gonna let a rabbit order me around.”

This must have set him off since he hopped onto my head and started hopping in place on my head and occasionally pounding his feet on my head while saying some colorful words. It didn’t hurt or bother me, but it was a bit annoying. Though I did have to commend the little furball for having the courage to do this to a dragon. Naturally any other dragon besides earth or ice dragons would either scare him away or straight up swallow him whole. I honestly found it amusing now.

Fluttershy came back with the tea in a cheerful mood then she saw the rabbit angrily stomping on my head with little effect. “Angel! Stop, he’s a guest. You shouldn’t treat him like that.” Fluttershy quickly put the tea cups down and flew over and plucked the rabbit off my head. Angel protested against it. “Oh, I’m so sorry for his behaviour.”

I give her a small smile. “It’s fine. While it wasn’t my intention, I did set him off. And it’s not like he was hurting me. Though I will say he is quite gutsy.”

“Okay.” Fluttershy put Angel down and he just stared at me. “Angel behave please.” She pleaded.

‘Why is he in my home? Get rid of him.’ Angel demanded.

“I told you, he’s a guest. It’s not kind to let somepony in just to kick them out.” Fluttershy said.

Angel chriped angrily. ‘I don’t care! I don’t like him! He’s not welcome!’

“Angel please.” Fluttershy was starting to sound like she was in a losing battle.

I sighed and stood up getting the attention of both Angel and Fluttershy, the former was a little scared. “It’s clear Angel doesn’t want me in here. So I’ll go outside.” I said, wanting to resolve the situation.

“No, stay please Sarius. Angel doesn’t want you to leave, right?” Fluttershy looked at Angel expectedly.

Angel smirked a bit. ‘Yeah. I want him to leave. It was nice not knowing you stupid lizard.’

Fluttershy gasped. “Angel! That’s rude. Apologize.” Fluttershy tried to demand but her voice was betraying her.

Angel gave Fluttershy a raspberry. ‘No.’

Fluttershy was about to say something when I stopped her. “Enough.” Angel and Fluttershy looked at me again. “It’s obvious he’s gonna keep fighting you on this. I’ll go.”

Angel kept a smirk while Fluttershy looked a bit ashamed that her rabbit was getting the better of us. “But…” She started to speak.

I give her a small smile. “It’s okay. I’m only going outside. We can just talk out there.”

Fluttershy seemed a bit sad. “O-okay…”

When I was about to take a step towards the door, I felt something tug on my tail. I turned to see a squirrel pulling my tail. Fluttershy, Angel, and I were all surprised by this.

‘D-don’t l-leave.’ The squirrel spoke. It sounded kind of young. ‘Angel is just n-not very friendly to others but F-Fluttershy.’

Angel scowled. ‘Hey! I let you all live here.’ Angel protested.

‘M-maybe so. But you’re still mean to us.’ The squirrel retorted. ‘If Fluttershy wants you to stay, y-you should stay. Please.’ He added, saying it to me.

‘Squil is right.’ A new voice spoke out. We looked around and saw it was coming from a bluejay sitting on Fluttershy’s shoulder. It sounded like a female. ‘This is Fluttershy’s home no matter what Angel says. So she has the right to decide who stays and who goes.’

“Bete, Squil.” Fluttershy uttered. “Thank you.” She sounded genuinely happy her animal friends were standing up for me. I was too but more because they weren’t scared of me anymore.

All it took was one or two to speak up and the rest of the animal’s Fluttershy was tending to, came out of hiding as if they were in agreement with both Squil and Bete. Angel made a very soft and high pitched growl. I’m pretty sure he groaned.

‘What the hay?! You’re all gonna let a dragon into my home?’ Angel protested.

‘Zip it, Angel!’ Bete snapped as she hopped over to Fluttershy’s other shoulder to glare at Angel. ‘This isn’t your home. It’s Fluttershy’s. And she’s the sweetest creature around to allow all of us to stay with her without any complaints.’ I heard her chirp but her voice scoffed. ‘You’re taking advantage of her kindness because you’ve known her the longest. Honestly, I think she gives you more attention than you deserve.’

‘What?!’ Angel started grinding his teeth in annoyance. ‘Listen here you blue canary-’

“That’s enough Angel!” Fluttershy shouted, cutting off Angel as she turned to glare at him. But the glare she was giving felt very powerful, almost unnatural for a pony. “I will not have you saying such mean things. Not about the other animals or Sarius. Sarius is staying. End of story.” She declared with a firm resolve.

I wasn’t the only one that was shocked and taken aback by her outburst. All of her animals stared at her, Angel was intimidated. I got the feeling Angel still wanted to argue but the glare Fluttershy was giving him was denying him and even scaring him into submission. Angel actually backed down by turning around and hopping away to a bed slightly larger than him and laid down in it. He then started watching me.

Fluttershy’s intense glare ended not too long after Angel hopped away. I had no idea what kind of power was behind that glare but I definitely sensed something familiar. It wasn’t until I started searching Fluttershy’s essence, with my minor ability to scan others, that I realized what kind of power her glare had; Energtris.

Fluttershy turned to me with a sad expression. “I’m really sorry you had to see and hear that, Sarius.” She then noticed I was looking at her with a very surprised look. “Is something wrong?”

I shook off the shock. “No. It’s just that glare you gave. I sensed some real power behind it.”

“Oh, you mean ‘The Stare’? Yeah, I don’t really know much about it other than it’s very powerful. I’ve only used it a few times but everytime I did I, um, controlled animals. It’s even worked on a cockatrice.” Fluttershy answered.

My eyes widened a bit. “Whoa. You’ve stared down a cockatrice?!” I asked slightly bewildered.

“Oh, um, yes…” Fluttershy meekly answered.

“That’s incredible. The Stare must have some protective aspects to it if you were able to make eye contact with a cockatrice and not get turned to stone instantly. More often than not, a creature that can petrify via eye contact does so in an instant.” I explained.

“Oh, I know and it’s not that… impressive.” Fluttershy rebutted.

I shake my head. “You’re wrong about that. It’s truly incredible. I sensed you used Energtris in that stare.”

Fluttershy blushed from my compliment and gave me a surprised look. “Ener… what?”

I blinked then pursed my lips. “Right. I didn’t tell you about my power. First; it’s pronounced: Ener, Tris.”

“Ener… Tris.” Fluttershy repeated, I nodded. “Energtris.” She said again.

“Yup. It’s basically energy in its purest and rawest form. But it’s also very powerful and difficult to control. I had to seek my DNA father out just to learn the basics of controlling it and not have to worry about it raging out of control. It’s also extremely versatile so it’s most likely impossible to master.” I explained. “When the crystals showed me everypony’s potential, your’s and Twilight’s were the largest after Celestia and Luna. And seeing you use The Stare in action, I’m practically convinced your potential involves Energtris. Which is rare in any creature that isn’t a dragon.”

Fluttershy looked surprised. “A-are you sure?”

“Almost certain about it.” I answer.

“B-but, I don’t want to have something that can s-shoot lasers and b-blow ponies up.” She said somewhat fearful of her potential now.

“You won’t have to. As I said, Energtris is extremely versatile. You can use the energy in so many different ways. I may mainly use it offensively but I can use it defensively as well. And it’s not like Energtris is all about explosions and lasers. Someone I know very well mainly uses it to heal others and she’s very good at it.” I said, trying to reassure Fluttershy it wasn’t that bad.

“Oh, okay. I’ll try to learn to heal too then.” Fluttershy responded, perking up a bit.

“That’s fine but you’ll still need to learn an offensive or defensive skill to protect yourself at least. It’ll be best to learn one of each, in my opinion.” I suggested.

“O-okay. If you think so.” Fluttershy replied, feeling a bit worried.

“It’s okay, Fluttershy. Just think of what I’ll teach you as Martial Arts. You’re not learning it to harm others, only to defend yourself if needed. A famous individual once said: It’s better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it. Plus it’s good exercise.” I smile with a friendly wink.

The wink made Fluttershy blush a bit. “A-alright. I’ll do my best then. I just hope I won’t have to use it.” Fluttershy stated.

I look at the tea Fluttershy brought out. It was clear it was getting cold. “For now though, let’s just sit and enjoy the tea you made.” I retake my seat on the floor.

Fluttershy blinked. “But, what about my potential?”

“I’m still gonna unlock it, I just want to relax and chat with you for a bit. Besides, the tea’s getting cold.” I pointed out.

Fluttershy looked at the tea cups then she made a slight gasp from the realization. “Oh, you’re right.” Fluttershy sat in a chair that seemed a bit too big for her.

Fluttershy reached out and somehow managed to grasp a tea cup with her hooves then took a small sip. She sighed contentedly. I reached out and grabbed my tea cup using my claw digits like fingers and looked at the tea in the cup. I hesitated taking a drink, not because I had a suspicion it was poisoned but because I was trying, and failing, to figure out how ponies can pick up and hold things with their hooves. It was absolutely baffling.

I then noticed Fluttershy was looking at me with a look of concern so I took a sip. It was still warm and it tasted very good. While I much preferred cold tea over hot, I knew there was still merit for hot tea. The tea did taste differently than what I’m used to but I chalked that up to a different setting.

“Is it… to your liking?” Fluttershy asked with both worry and curiosity.

“Yes. Very much so. I must say you make some really good tea.” I complimented.

Fluttershy blushed at that and instinctively tried to cover her face with her mane, which was cute. “T-thank you. I’m glad you like it.” I smiled in response. “Um… if you don’t mind me asking, how are you able to understand and talk to animals l-like me?” She asked.

I take another sip of the tea. “I don’t mind at all. In fact I was expecting you to ask so I can gladly tell you.” I take yet another sip to wet my throat for talking. “Honestly, it’s rather easy to answer. The ability comes from two separate but connected sources. One is my aunt who is Mother Nature also known as the Deity of Life; Naturius. She breathed life into Reality as a whole, so that includes; people, ponies, animals, plants, trees, and even the things that have a lifespan to an extent like stars. The second is my DNA father Asgorath. He is the Deity of Creation and Naturius’ brother. He created everything else including knowledge. So in a way, he created languages.” I take a moment to breathe. “You could say my ability to communicate with animals is a combination of the fact that my aunt created the animals and my father creating the language they use to speak to each other.” I finally finished.

Fluttershy was listening very closely and seemed like she understood it all. “Oh wow. That’s amazing, Sarius. Is it all true?”

“Eh. Who knows.” I say to her with a friendly wink and smile.

Fluttershy giggles. Her giggling really warms my heart, it was innocent and cute. Much like the pony herself. “So are there… any other Deities besides your aunt and father?”

I nod. “Yes. They are considered the Primordial Deities. When my father created Reality, he also created Deities, who in turn created the elements, space, time, and other things I can’t name off the top of my head. Those Deities not only created these things but they govern and control them. There is even a Boundless Law that states; ‘Deities must not be killed under any circumstance.’”

Fluttershy cringed a bit at the word kill, her ears rolled back for a second before perking up a bit. “Wha… what would happen if they w-were…” Fluttershy hesitated not wanting to say the word. “K-k-k-killed?” She meekly finished.

I look at her for a minute then look at the nearby fireplace that was unlit. “Well, to put it simply; what they keep under control will run wild. As an example: imagine the fire of a fireplace or campfire. The warmth and comfort that fire brings in the cold and the dark. It’s controlled, contained. Then the Deity of fire suddenly dies. That fire will rise and explode into an inferno. Literally. Since the Deity of fire created fire and controls it, if it dies all fire across Reality will become uncontrollable and spread like, well, wildfire. Anything that uncontrolled flame touches instantly catches fire and spreads very quickly. It takes a couple days for a large lush forest to burn down from a fire, but without the Deity holding it back, it’ll take 30 minutes. Give or take.”

Fluttershy had a horrified look on her face. “And that’s just using the Deity of Fire as an example. Imagine what would happen if the Deity of Time or Space bit the dust.” I paused for a second. “Actually, don’t imagine it. I’m not liking the image so far. But that’s why the law exists. And everything in Reality is aware of this law.” I take a sip of the tea to clear my throat. “All the Deities are passive. They aren’t good or evil since the things they created are either used or turned good or evil. They also mostly keep to themselves. Only Asgorath and Naturius are known for socializing naturally since one created everything and the other gave life to all beings.”

Fluttershy was unable to speak for a bit. “That’s… terrifying.” That was all she managed to say.

“Yea it is. But the Deities are very powerful so it wouldn’t be easy to slay them plus they’re immortal so you have no need to worry.” I said, trying to reassure her. “I would know, I felt against one.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened a bit. “Oh no. What… happened?”

“He was corrupted by something very… malicious and I had to fight him to help break the control of whoever was controlling him. It was my most difficult battle because I had to hold back so I didn’t accidentally kill him but I also had to fight seriously since he was very powerful. Thankfully I managed to loosen the corruption’s grip enough for it to leave his body.”

Fluttershy calmed down again. “That’s good.” She takes another sip of her tea and I take a sip from mine. We drank the rest of our tea in silence which was only a couple minutes.

Once we were done, I stood up. “Alright, it’s time.”

Fluttershy put her cup down and got off the chair and stood up. “O-okay. What should I do?”

“Just stand still.” I place a claw on her forehead.

The Crystals appeared around me as I began searching her soul for her potential. As I figured it didn’t take very long, her potential took up a large portion of her soul. I undid the lock holding it back and it flowed through her soul like a raging torrent. I lowered my claw from her forehead and as expected all 11 Crystals were glowing. Fluttershy’s body was covered with a familiar sky blue aura.

Fluttershy’s pupils became dots as she felt an overwhelming amount of energy flow through her. “Oh my, I feel really energetic. Is this how Rainbow Dash feels when she’s flying around?” Fluttershy looked like she was about ready to dance in place from how much energy she’s getting.

“Fluttershy, breathe.” I ordered. It was a bit stricter than I wanted but I knew exactly what she was feeling and how hard it was to handle. Fluttershy started breathing but still looked anxious. “Deep breaths, Fluttershy. Focus on taking deep breaths in and out slowly. That will help with calming yourself.”

Fluttershy inhaled a great amount and exhaled. She repeated this several times and I could sense her energy was calming down. “Good. Now just imagine all that energy you feel being weighed down by weight only you can move. That’s my best method for controlling it.”

Fluttershy was quiet for a couple minutes then she sighed. “O-okay. I think I got it.” She said, not sounding sure of herself.

I decided to sense her energy and confirm for myself. Sure enough, the energy that was threatening to burst was calm and controlled, and the aura around her was gone. “Very good. Trust me when I say the image of your energy being weighed down will always be in the back of your mind, you just have to remind yourself the weight holding it down can only be moved by you.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay.”

“I hate to do this to you just after you learned to control it, but I’ll teach you the three skills you should know.” I take a quick look around. “Let’s step outside for this.”

Fluttershy blinked. “H-huh? Why?”

“You’ll understand, trust me on this.” I start walking to the door and then open it.

Fluttershy wants to rebuttal but she follows me outside anyway. Once we get outside, I look for a spot away from her cottage, animal shelters, and farms to start her lessons. It was actually down the hill her cottage was built on but before the natural bridge over a small river. I turned to the empty space that’s to the left of the bridge as you walk across it, then I softly stomp a back claw so a small pillar of earth pops out. Fluttershy jumped a bit at that.

“Alright, so first off; an offensive skill. It’s a very simple but important one. Watch what I do.”

Fluttershy watches me closely, her nervousness to learn an offensive skill returning in full swing. I lift my front right claw and turn it so the claw points are pointing up. I focused my energy into my palm then had it form into a ball in my palm. This caused my claw to glow then an energy ball formed in my claw.

Fluttershy stared at the energy ball. “Wow.”

“This is what I did.” I paused waiting for her to listen to me, and she did. “First, I lifted the weight on my energy just a bit so a small amount can be used. Then I had that energy focus around my claw then I pushed it out and compressed into this energy ball. You can do quite a bit with this but for now the only application I’ll teach you is a concussive shot.”

I demonstrated by pointing my palm towards the pillar I made and with a tiny amount of energy, shot the ball at it, like hitting a ball in ballards. The ball flew at the pillar at roughly 60 mph and hit it dead on. The pillar was undamaged but there was an indication left that something hit it.

Fluttershy was confused about what I did. “Um… wasn’t it supposed to… blow up?” Fluttershy asked.

“No, because I purposely made the energy much less reactive and volatile and more solid and stable. Or in other words, much less like a blast and more like a punch. The concussive shot is an energy ball that is meant to impair, stun, or knock something unconscious. It’s relatively harmless unless it’s fired in rapid succession or hits the same spot multiple times.” I lower my right claw and turn my head to Fluttershy. “Now you try. I don’t expect you to get it on the first try, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work.” I finished.

Fluttershy lifted a hoof and switched from looking at her hoof and the pillar a few times. “Um… I don’t know if I want to do this.”

I let out a sigh. “I’m not surprised you’re reluctant on this.”

Fluttershy lowered her head, seeming both sad and ashamed. “I’m… sorry.”

“It’s fine. I understand you don’t want to fight. No one does.” I turn to look at the sky. “Truthfully, I don’t want to either.” I admitted.

I can sense Fluttershy turn to look at me. “You don’t?” She sounded a bit surprised. “Then why do you?”

I lower my gaze to the pillar in front of us. “To protect and save others. To fight for them. What’s the point of having this power, if I don’t use it to do some good things? Especially since I brought this on myself.” I go silent for a bit as I quickly drift into a stupor. “I should least make the most of the second chance I was given even if I don’t deserve it.”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked. I snapped out of my stupor. I turned to meet Fluttershy’s gaze and realized what I said due to her confused and concerned look.

I pursed my lips as I turned my attention away from her eyes. I was now pondering if I should tell her as I could see her trying to make eye contact with me again. I let out another sigh. “Alright, I guess you should know.” I turned my head to look at her. “But I won’t tell my story to just you, I’m going to tell the others too.”

Fluttershy blinked in surprise. “Really? You’re gonna tell our friends?”

I nodded. “And the princesses.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, that’s good to hear.”

“Anyway, back to practice. Take a shot at the pillar and try to not blow it up.” 

Fluttershy turned her attention back to her hoof. I watched her as she attempted to summon energy into her hoof with little success. Using my energy sense, I could see her energy was in her hoof. All she had to do was bring it out and focus it into a stun ball. But she was having difficulty with it.

“I know it’s not easy to draw out the energy, so picture you’re holding a baseball in your hoof.”

Fluttershy looked at me with a puzzled look. “Baseball?”

I mentally slapped myself in the face for not realizing she wouldn’t understand anything about Baseball. “Right…” I held up a claw and created another energy ball. “Then use this as reference.”

Fluttershy focused on the ball in my claw. Nothing happened right away but I could see the energy in her hoof was trying to form the object she was looking at. Slowly but surely, she created an energy ball in her hoof. It took a good 10 minutes but I knew she only managed to create it that fast, thanks to using my own energy ball as a reference.

Fluttershy was still focused on my energy ball despite the fact she made her own, so I decided to point it out. “Fluttershy, you did it.”

Fluttershy looked at me a bit confused but she turned to her own hoof anyway. She smiled at the sight. “Oh…. my. I did it. Yay.”

“Fluttershy, stay focused. I know you’re happy but if you let your focus slip, that energy ball may blow up in your face. So-”

I was caught off by her gasping as she started holding her hoof away from her. “Y-y-you never warned me about that.” She was clearly freaking out which did show when the perfectly round energy ball was shifting its energy around.

“Fluttershy! Deep breaths!” I ordered. Fluttershy let out a small squeak at me raising my voice but she complied, taking deep breaths and calming down. 

“Good. I’m sorry I raised my voice. I can’t have you freaking out when you’re doing so well. Now, just because I said it may blow up doesn’t mean it will. It’s only happened to me and my family like-” I paused and recollected. “-a couple times. And it was with the same amount we’re using. The worse outcome is the resulting small explosion singing your hoof and face but that will quickly heal.”

Fluttershy looked at me, still worried but in control. “A-are you sure? Will it really heal that fast for me?”

“Yes. Believe it or not, but my secondary healing factor is my most powerful because it uses Energtris. If my track record of Energtris users is on point then every user automatically has that healing factor. So I don’t see why you wouldn’t.” I summarized.

“Wow.” Fluttershy was amazed at that but she quickly became confused. “But didn’t you say Energtris is rare in non-dragons?” I nodded. “So does that mean other dragons are users as well?”

I smiled. “I figured that question would come up. Realistically, yes they are. However, not all dragons can utilize Energtris. At least not to the extent me and my family can. So as far as I know, they don’t gain the benefit of the healing factor. They’ll still heal faster than most creatures though. And as for the dragons that can utilize Energtris, the way they use it isn’t quite the same way as us. Elder Dragons are the first to come to mind. Their mere presence causes changes in the weather or environment they’re in. That’s their way of using the energy. Because of that, Elder Dragons are considered ‘natural disasters’ and should be avoided at all costs.”

I take a moment to catch my breath before continuing. “Dragons like my Sensei can’t really draw out Energtris in it’s true form, but still put it’s verstiality to good use by converting it to another form of energy they can manage. Since Energtris is the source of all energy, it’s very easy to convert it to other forms of energy but very difficult to revert. As it stands; I’ve yet to meet another dragon, other than my father and one other who can use Energtris the same way me and my family can.” I finished.

“Oh. So do Elder Dragons and dragons like your sensei have the healing factor since they can use Energtris in some way?” Fluttershy asked in a somewhat intelligent way.

“Kinda. The natural healing of Elder Dragons is much faster than normal dragons but it only activates when the Elder Dragon isn’t in battle. As for my sensei and others like him, they do gain some benefits but since they’re converting the energy into something else it’s not as potent. So in a way, they do but not in the same way as you and me.” I explained.

“Oh okay.” Fluttershy acknowledged. I noticed how Fluttershy’s energy ball hasn’t shifted or fluctuated in any way, meaning she was still in control despite listening and talking to me. I smiled which made Fluttershy blink in confusion. “Why are you smiling?”

“The energy ball you created has kept its shape and form despite the fact you’ve been talking to me.” I pointed out.

Fluttershy looked at her hoof and gasped. “Oh my. I-is that a good thing?”

“Yes. It means you have good focus. But now you should give it a test against that pillar. I still need to teach you the defensive and support technique.”

“R-right.”

Fluttershy finally turned to the pillar, extended the hoof with the energy ball out to it, and with a slight push of energy fired it. Unfortunately her aim will need work as the ball flew past the pillar and hit a rock behind it. Additionally, when the ball made contact with the rock, it exploded and completely destroyed the top half of it. Fluttershy’s eyes shrunk to dots and I pursed my lips. The resulting explosion scared her animals.

“Oh my… I-” Fluttershy stopped, seemingly at a loss for words.

“It’s… fine. It was small in scale thankfully. Though this means you will have to work on manipulating the energy more thoroughly.” I say trying to reassure her. It was not as bad as she thought.

“O-okay. If you’re sure.” Fluttershy said.

“I am, trust me. Now that you know what you need to do for that, let’s work on the defensive technique.” Fluttershy turned to me to watch. “To start off, you’ll be doing the same thing you did with the ball; focus your energy but into both your front legs this time.” I demonstrated by holding my arms up in a cross block. “Then again you’re gonna push the energy out to form a barrier. Like this.” I pushed my claws forward and created a thick energy barrier in front of me.

Fluttershy gasped which made me look at her. “Is that what you used to save Shining Armor?”

I smiled. “Yes actually. Though the barrier at that time was much stronger. What I used then was my signature defense technique ‘Energtris Shield’, while this is just a simple barrier.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Now you give it a try. Remember, focus your energy into your front legs then push it out to form a wall.” I instructed.

Fluttershy did as instructed. She held up her front legs in an x, having slight difficulty with standing on her back legs while focusing her energy into her front legs. I can sense her energy circulating in her legs then with a slight push from her legs and energy, the energy in her front legs came out and formed an actual wall. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but I did tell her to form a wall.

She looked at me for confirmation and I nodded. “Good. That was a really good first attempt though you made an actual wall and not a barrier. But still well done.”

Fluttershy smiled. “T-thank you.” She lowered her front legs with a sigh and the wall disappeared. “Oh. It’s gone.”

“Only because you weren’t maintaining it. You can make it so it lasts for a short while but that requires better energy control. Something you don’t have just yet.” I stated.

“And how will I get better?”

“Practice. Plain and simple.” I answered with a smile.

“O-okay.” Fluttershy didn’t seem to believe she could get better.

“Have more confidence in yourself. I know how difficult it is to control and use this power, but I’m certain you wouldn’t have the potential to wield it if you couldn’t handle it. Just practice when you can.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I will…”

“Now finally the support technique. I won’t lie, I’m not good at healing with this power but I know how to do it. Basically you extend your energy out and imagine it acting as your external healing factor. I can’t really demonstrate it since it’ll require someone to be injured to show how effective it can be. Perhaps you can practice with your animal friends.”

“I do tend to animals that get injured. Maybe now I can heal them instead of bandaging them up.”

“Yes, but your energy will need to recover so don’t forget how to tend to them. And running out of energy when you need it most is a stressful situation. Take it from me.”

“Oh, I won’t forget it.” Fluttershy looked at me for a bit as if contemplating something. “Um, Sarius…”

“What’s up?”

“Since you and I share the same power. What exactly comes from that?” Fluttershy asked very curious to know.

“Basically, we can help each other by giving our energy to the other. We can sense each other’s energy which kinda acts like a tracker so if you need to find me, you can by sensing my energy out. And additionally, you can gauge how strong or how much energy another Energtris user is.”

“I… can?” Fluttershy asked curiously. I nodded. “Can you… show me how strong you are? If you don’t mind, of course.”

I blinked and became a bit worried. “I can… but are you sure about this?”

“Y-yes. Why?”

“Well…” I pause. “My power might be… too much for your mind to handle right now.” Fluttershy didn’t seem to be bothered by that idea. “I mean, I just unlocked your potential and taught you some basics today. Sensing my power as you are right now…” I pause again. “Again it’ll be too much.”

“I understand, but I want to know how strong I could be.” Fluttershy stated.

I remain quiet for a minute before letting out a sigh. “Alright, but just know that what you do sense may not be what you are capable of reaching. As I’m sure you’re aware, dragons have ridiculously long life spans and thanks to that, there’s theoretically no limit to how powerful they can become. And this is just for dragons, I don’t know if the same works for non-dragons. The only non-dragon users I know are two girls from my own world. So you’re sure about this?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes. I am. I’ll be fine.” She smiled warmly. “Since you’re here to make sure nothing bad happens.” I blushed a bit from that.

I reluctantly walked away and leapt across the river then turned to Fluttershy. “Here goes.” I told her so she could prepare herself.

I then closed my eyes and focused, removing the imaginative weight I placed on my energy and let it all out. When I opened my eyes, while I couldn’t see it I knew their color changed from dark hazel green to sky blue and were glowing. My wings spread out on their own then my energy blanketed the air around me and rose up above the tree lines of the forest. I started floating into the air automatically from the amount of energy leaving my body. It was as if my body couldn’t contain all the energy I had but I knew that wasn’t the case. I was simply not holding it back or controlling it. Even though only Fluttershy could sense how strong I was, the aura my energy was creating was bright and large enough to be seen from miles away.

I looked at Fluttershy to see her face was mixed with wonder and horror. I could sense the fear in her and while she was trying her best to fight it, it unfortunately beat her as her eyes started staring into the distance and her body gave way, forcing her to fall onto her abdomen. I immediately took control of my energy, forced it all back, and replaced the weight as I rushed over to her with major worry and concern.

“I knew this would happen...” She didn’t react to my approach or show any sign of movement. I placed two claw tips on her forehead and used my energy to force her brain to function again.

She blinked several times as she let out a deep gasp as if her lungs were devoid of air. “W-w-w-what h-happened?” She said completely unsure of what transpired.

“To put it simply; your brain shut down.”

“What?!” She shouted for the first time since I met her. “H-h-how am I-”

“Your energy kept you alive by acting as a brain. It would only do that for so long though.”

“O-oh… so why did my brain shut down?”

“If I had to guess; prey mentality.”

“Prey mentality?” She asked, confused.

I nodded. “It’s most likely safe to assume that in Equestria, ponies are at the top of the food chain?”

“Top of the food chain?” Fluttershy asked, more confused.

“Right. In my world, humans see themselves at the top of the food chain because they’re more intelligent than other animals. But humans are still relatively weak and frail so they can be easily killed by other animals. Basically, humans are predators and prey. So I assume ponies are the same way.”

“Oh… well, yes but not really. Other races are just as smart as ponies.”

“And I’m willing to bet it’s because of Celestia and Luna being two of the most powerful beings that force all races to treat each other fairly, correct?”

“Mhm.”

“Okay so since you tend to the animals you should know everything about prey and predators. The prey mentality I’m referring to is what goes through the mind of the prey when a predator is near. Since I’m a dragon and you’re a pony, I think your mind shut down when you felt my power and presence due to the prey mentality.”

“But I know you weren’t going to eat me.”

“I know. I could sense you fighting the fear and trying to prevent it from happening but nothing’s more powerful to primal instincts.”

“O-oh. I’m sorry.” Fluttershy apologized in a quiet tone.

“It’s okay. Good news is, you’ll overcome it with time. It’s just a matter of mental training. Though I will warn you that mental training takes a lot longer to set in than physical training.” Fluttershy managed to stand back up again, having her strength return to her. “So despite mentally passing out, did you get a good sense of scaling?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Y-yes. It was the last thing I remember before…” Fluttershy paused. “W-will I be that strong?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Like I said, I’m unsure of how this power works for non-dragons since it’s a rare thing. The two girls I mentioned have kept up with me in terms of power but I am leagues ahead of them in terms of experience and energy levels. You may become this strong but you need to keep in mind that my current level is barely half of my power due to energy loss. And eventually I’ll slowly grow stronger past this point.”

“That makes sense.” Fluttershy answered simply.

“I believe that’s everything I needed to teach you. The rest will come with practice and experience, trust me. This is a power you need to experiment with a lot.”

“Experiment.” Fluttershy repeated. She then giggled. “I didn’t expect I would be doing something Twilight does.”

I chuckled. “I guess it does. The only thing I need to tell you is that your energy will recover on its own. There are specific things you can eat or drink that will help restore your energy. I would definitely recommend you drink a lot of clean water and eat healthy. It will help immensely.” I looked around just in case the sight of something would jog my memory. “Anyway, I’ll take my leave now. See you later Fluttershy.”

“Yes. See you later, Sarius. I… enjoyed the time we spent together. I hope to see you again.” Fluttershy said with a genuine smile. I blushed a bit and after a second so did Fluttershy after she realized what she said and what it implied. “Oh, my. I-I-I didn’t mean anything by that. Please don’t misunderstand.”

I chuckled lightly and waved a claw. “It’s okay. I’ll be honest, I’m actually looking forward to seeing you again as well.”

I then turned away from her and as I walked away, the tip of my tail morphed into a claw to wave bye to her. After walking out of her line of sight, I unfolded my wings and took off into the air. After flying up 1 and half miles, I looked around trying to find a place I could stay for now since I didn’t exactly have a place to live in yet. I found a mountain not too far from Ponyville to the north-west and flew in that direction.

After reaching it, I noticed there was a large cave at the top. I landed on a large ledge that went around the peak of the mountain and the cave then looked into the maw of the cave. While it was faint, I could sense a dragon was here. I knew the dragon was long gone since the smell and sensation would have been stronger. I could also tell it’s been gone for a long while due to the same reason. I started walking into the cave to check it out at least.

When I walked all the way in it opened up to a wide open cavern. The smell and sensation was at its strongest here but it was still faint, a clear sign that again meant the dragon was long gone. Though I could sense this was filled with gold, gems, and other valuable items that dragons tend to hoard. I was able to tell due to the residue being left behind by all the gold and knowing how dragon hoarding works since I was half dragon.

Naturally everything the dragon hoarded was gone, either the dragon took it when it left or perhaps the residents of Ponyville collected it somehow. Regardless, I had a place to either stay or frequent as I exited the cave. I walked to the edge of the ledge and looked out upon Ponyville. I could see the same mass of connected clouds and Canterlot to the east. I laid down and made myself comfortable as I relaxed for a while.

I was unsure what Equestria or the future had in store for me, but I knew that eventually things would get very very bad. If I was right, the entirety of Reality was at stake. I had no clue about the being that considers itself as ‘Extinction’ and it wouldn’t be easy to find out. Thankfully I knew some individuals I can ask that should know something. Even though the premonition I had was horrible, I had the feeling I had plenty of time to prepare and stop it. So for now since I had unlocked the Mane Six’s potential, well five out of six, I can focus on confronting Kasulis and finally fulfill the promise I made to someone.

Kasulis was right, we will need to work together. But I couldn’t bring myself to trust him, not after everything that’s happened between us. At least, not yet. I’ll need to find out if what he said in our dream was the truth. So as I sat and relaxed, I began to think of a way to get the truth out. The whole truth of Kasulis.