//------------------------------// // Chapter 25: A New Magic // Story: The Side Character is a Deer // by Deergenerate //------------------------------// Johan groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, once again the morning sun was pouring directly into his eyes. The deer had a killer headache right now, and the light wasn't helping. It only became worse when he realized that the blinds were already closed, meaning that there was little he could do to solve his problem. Johan growled, turning over with a snarl. As he did it, in an instant, he felt some kind of force pass from his chest, up his spine, and then into both of his antlers. Then, a split second later, he felt it shoot out, and heard an explosion that shook the room, knocking him from his bed, and kicking dust into the air. The deer quickly sat up, coming face to face with a massive hole in the wall, where there had once been a window. In the far distance, he saw a lightning bolt rocketing away, without a cloud in sight. It didn't take a genius to tell where it had come from. He quickly looked up towards his horn. Electricity was arcing between his horns, dancing from one to the other as if he had a pair of tesla coils attached to his head. Johan couldn't help but gasp as he brought his hooves up towards his head. Just before he made contact with them, the door to the room slammed open, and Derek, Twilight, and Spike rushed into the room, staring between him and the hole in the wall wide-eyed. "D-did Johan do that?" Spike asked jaw dropped. Twilight and Derek were both staring in silence, similarly shocked. Twilight was the first to get her bearings, her eyes instantly turning towards the Deer's antlers. Magic still danced between them, instantly filling her with cheer and glee. "Sweet Celestia!" She suddenly cried. Initially, Johan thought that meant she was freaked out or something. It rapidly became apparent that that wasn't the case when she rushed to his side, crouching down in front of him, staring at his horns like a child enthralled by a bug on a stick. "Lightning magic!" She cried, bringing a hoof up. She quickly retracted it when a bolt zapped from Johan directly into it, giving her a bit of a static shock, and making her mane stand on end. It did nothing to stop her overall excitement. "This is amazing! I've never seen magic like this before!" She said, walking in a circle around Johan. "Don't you guys control the weather?" Derek asked, stepping closer to the two. "Well, yes, but we have little control over the ionic forces of thaumatic lightning." She said, pulling a ruler out of nowhere, measuring the space in between both of Johan's antlers. "Instead, we have to use the natural electricity stored in the stratocumulus lining of artificial clouds to control them." "Artificial clouds?" Johan asked, incredulously. "Ionic forces of what?" Derek similarly asked, blinking twice. "I'll explain all that later." Twilight grinned. "But now I have two creatures I have to teach magic to! Oh, this is so exciting!" "Youch... that sounds stressful..." Derek hissed through clenched teeth. "Not at all! This is going to be just as much a learning experience for me as it is for you! Come on, I want to start now!" She said, turning and rushing out of the room. Derek was quick to follow after her, eager for more "Don't I get a say in this?" Johan hissed slightly, looking up at his antlers. "I mean... I don't even know how to work these things..." "Eh," Spike said with a shrug as he casually pocketed crystal shards off the ground to eat later. "If anyone can teach you how to learn how, it'd be Twilight." "That's a good point." Johan groaned, sitting up. He turned his gaze to the front door, grimacing slightly. "I wouldn't want to cause any more holes in the wall though." "Ah, you're fine Johan." Spike laughed. "The tree usually fixes itself on its own. Plus, it means I can have more snacks." Johan straightened up slightly, blinking twice. "Snacks?" "Oh yeah, Dragons eat gems," Spike said, popping one of the crystals into his mouth and chewing on it like it was a piece of popcorn. "They taste really good by the way, kinda like rock candy." Johan's jaw dropped. "You must have like, diamond-hard teeth to be able to eat that kinda thing." Spike shook his head. "Nah, we are just magically able to do it." "Wait, hold on, I thought only Ponies and Changelings were magic..." he shot a quick glance up to his antlers. "And... deer too apparently." "Nah, they are the only races who can like, naturally use spells. Dragons are full of magic. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to breathe fire." Spike said, happily puffing out his chest. "I can do other stuff too, like sending scrolls with my fire breath, but that's a me only thing." Johan nodded down at him. "Hmmm, I guess that is a fair point. I don't imagine something getting as big as those dragons at Canterlot without a little magic in their systems." He said, turning to slowly follow after Derek and Twilight. "Excuse me, I'm gonna go after them." "Yep. Take things slow though. Sudden movements might set off your antlers." Spike said, taking a couple of steps after the Deer. "I'll come with you, just to make sure nothing goes wrong." A warm smile suddenly came to Johan's face, staring down at Spike and not paying attention to what was in front of him. "Yeah. Thanks, man, that's actually really nice of you-" He was interrupted when he was tackled by something large, fluffy, and white. Johan let out a cry as he hit the ground, another bolt of lightning shooting from his horns out of the hole towards the ground, where it struck a tree sheering it of all its branches and scorching it black. Johan landed on his back with a crash, looking up at what had just tackled it. It was Aralez! Johan coughed and sputtered as the dog attacked his face with his tongue, covering the deer in a thick layer of slobber. "Oh yeah, him. He just sorta showed up last night, and invited himself in when we were bringing you indoors after you got struck by lightning." Spike chuckled as Johan pushed the dog off him. Johan instantly sprang up. "Wait what? I was struck by lightning!?!" Spike blinked twice. "Uh yeah." The dragon explained. Johan spun around to stare at him, shooting another lightning bolt into the air as he did. "Excuse me what?" He cried in a panic. "How am I alive!?! How is everyone so calm about this!?" "D... Didn't you know?" Spike asked, furrowing his brows. "No!" Johan cried, bringing his hooves to the side of his head. "Well, all of a sudden last night you stood up while we were reading comics and started acting really weird," Spike explained in a calm fashion. "Don't you remember any of this?" "No! I just remember blacking out all of a sudden and then..." he paused... The lightning did explain why he suddenly could shoot lightning all over the place. "M... maybe I stored the lightning in my antlers?" "Yeah, that makes sense..." Spike said with a nod. The deer paused then shook his head. "Yeah, let's just go with that..." he said, turning his gaze back to Aralez, who was excitedly prancing in place. "Now, what are we going to do about him?" "I'm sure Twilight'll be fine with you keeping him... gonna have to come up with a dog bowl and dog bed for him somehow..." Spike explained, scratching the side of his head. "Maybe my old bed would be good." "You're old bed? Isn't that a little weird for a dog to sleep in a proper bed?" Johan asked as the two turned to walk out of the room, Aralez eagerly following him. "Nah, I used to sleep in a basket." "Excuse me what!?!"