Chapter Nine- Rising Tensions (Part 1)
I should've figured there’d be others that had Infinity Stones. I don't know why that didn't cross my mind. Probably because I was so focused on adjusting to living here and learning how to use my own stone, that I didn't even think there'd be anyone else with one.
Marcus thought to himself as he tapped a pencil on his notebook with his hoof. It had been a week since his encounter with the Time-Stone-wielding sorceress, and for the past three days, he'd been doing his best to learn magic from Princess Twilight Sparkle.
"Coal… "
Doesn't help that I pretty much got my ass kicked by someone that skilled. I can only teleport with the stone. Well, just barely, but that's not nearly enough.
"Coal!"
This is so frustrating, I'll need to figure out how to improve quickly with the infinity stone in order to be on Faerie's level. Maybe I can- “OW!” His thoughts were interrupted by a light prick to his rear end. He whirled around to find a small thumb tack stuck there. He couldn’t stop the sudden bout of anger that swept over him. “Was that really necessary?!”
“Sorry, but I’ve been calling your name for the past ten minutes. Is something bothering you, Coal?” Princess Twilight asked as she pulled out the tack from the charcoal alicorn, stifling another yelp.
Blinking away the pained tear and rubbing his smarting rear, Marcus, for his part, had utterly forgotten that he was sitting at a small wooden desk with her Majesty in her personal library at the Castle of Friendship for magic lessons. After his encounter with Faerie, he had asked for extra lessons with magic, only to find… it wasn’t quite what he’d been expecting.
“Sorry, Princess, but I’ve been… preoccupied with something that happened after work. Can you explain again what we’re learning today?” Marcus asked sheepishly, but when he actually looked at the board, he groaned.
Magic History and Origins 101.
“We’re going over the history of magic, Coal, it’s the best way for you to have a better understanding of magic. It’ll make things easier for you when we get into the simpler spells that have a fascinating history to them,” Twilight explained, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
Marcus couldn’t exactly judge anyone for liking certain things, but he wasn’t so thrilled to learn about how the first plate was levitated. If that actually was in the history books that is.
"Princess, is this really necessary?"
"Of course Coal! Learning history is an essential part of magic. It'll take a few weeks to cover the basic history of it, before getting actual experience," she explained. Upon hearing that, he couldn’t remain silent anymore.
“...are you for real?” Marcus asked incredulously, feeling his frustration grow as he continued.
Twilight’s starry-eyed thrill drained from her being and her expression fell.
“What do you mean?” Twilight was flummoxed by Marcus’s response. “It’s only right we cover the historical milestones of magic along with your own.”
“I’m sorry, Princess, but I came here to learn Magic, not history!” Marcus insisted, “I don’t care about the first plate levitated or-or… how the first unlocking charm helped some noble open her jewelry box to get the necklace she wanted in time for some pointless soiree! I need to learn Magic itself, the basics of casting, what spells would be good to start off with, what could help me in a tight spot or be useful in a given situation! All this ‘history?’ It’s just a waste of my time!”
“Waste of time?!” Twilight furrowed her brows, sounding insulted. “Learning history is never a waste of time, and magical history should be respected as it teaches us not only the accomplishments and failures of magic, but also the dangers and risks it can pose if not properly used and respected! I do not appreciate your tone, Obsidian Coal…”
“I’m sorry, Princess, but I don’t have a lot of time, I have to meet Princess Celestia in a week! I also have my job at Sugarcube Corner, and my mission to worry about. I need to learn magic as fast as possible,” Marcus pleaded. “I already know how to levitate small objects now.”
“That’s not enough, Coal, the more you know about magic, the easier it'll be to use it. History is important as it’ll keep you from making the same mistakes others have made in the past,” she explained, glaring at the alicorn.
“Well, I don’t need to know a whole bunch of advanced magic like you!” Marcus argued, “So, please, I really just need enough for me to have a handle on my own magic!”
“...Fine,” Twilight sighed with weary irritation, “maybe it’s best we call it a night. I can’t force you to learn something you clearly have no interest in, but I expect you to respect how I teach, Coal. We’ll resume our lessons Friday afternoon, maybe then you’ll have a clearer mind and cooler head.”
Letting out a sigh, Marcus understood where she was coming from. A brief moment of reflection reminded him of how much of a sour mood he had been in since his fight with Faerie Tail.
Heh, ‘sour’ is putting it lightly.
“Alright, I’m sorry… I guess I do need some time to clear my head.”
“It’s fine, Marcus, for now, I think you should head home,” Twilight suggested as she turned to put her teaching tools away, but Marcus caught it just before she’d turned her back to him.
A tear welled up in Twilight’s eye, and suddenly he felt like an ungrateful jerk. The waves of guilt crashing into him were almost enough to get him to act, but there was just too much tension to cut through. All he could do was mutter a quick, “Good night…” before leaving with his ears folded back and head hung low.
Making his way back to Sugarcube Corner, Marcus was conflicted. On one hand, he stood by his assertions that he needed to learn useful magic as soon as possible, especially since he had a deadline.
Emphasis on ‘dead’.
On the other hand, he knew he should be grateful to Princess Twilight for being his tutor and he could understand that she must have felt happy to teach him what is essentially her passion. Yet, here he was, rebuking the historical element of her lesson and calling it a waste. He still thought so, yet he couldn’t shake off the guilt he felt of denouncing Twilight’s lessons even after voicing his reasons.
Sighing, he muttered to himself, “I’ll apologize properly the next time I see her.”
Once he entered the Bakery, he suddenly was tackled to the ground. “Hiya Coaly! What took you so long?!”
“Ugh… You’d think after living here for two weeks, I’d learn how you keep surprising me every time,” Marcus stated in a pained tone, standing up as the pink mare clung to his back. “Anyways, I actually… may have made a mistake at The Princess’ place.”
“What did you do? Was Twily trying to teach history again? I mean I’d probably fall asleep if I tried to learn. Then again, when Twily starts to nerd out I kinda doze off from time to time,” Pinkie giggled. Marcus rolled his eyes at her but smiled regardless.
“Glad I’m not the only one… I was actually learning the history of magic, but I really don’t have the time to learn stuff like that. Maybe when I’m done with what I need to do, but right now I can’t afford to waste a single minute to find the other stones. I need to learn magic so I can find them faster,” he explained to her. Pinkie finally hopped off his back as they made their way upstairs to their rooms.
“Well, why not ask Middy for help?”
“Middy?”
“Midnight! You know the big blue dragon that gave you the glowing rock before?”
Oh, she means that Midnight… At least I think that’s his name.
“Why do you think that guy would help me?” he asked, raising a brow at Pinkie before she suddenly got really close to his face.
“Well duh! He was using magic too! At least it looked that way, and no offense to Twily or Rarity, but I think he’d do a better job explaining everything for you to understand faster! I mean, I understood everything he said last time… Even if it was really boring,” Pinkie said sheepishly. In a rare moment of realization, Marcus took hold of her hoof in both of his.
“That’s it! If the big guy is willing to teach me, maybe it’ll make it easier to learn from Twilight and start getting into the advanced stuff! Thanks, Pinkie! Oh, uh… mind if you come with me tomorrow? I don’t think I can go to a dragon’s cave by myself,” he asked, letting go of her hoof. Her cheeks reddened slightly for a brief moment.
“O-Oh! Sure not a problem at all, Coaly!” she replied in a bit of a daze. What was this feeling washing over her? Why did her face feel so hot all of a sudden? “A-Anyway! Have a good night! We’ll head back to Middy’s cave after work tomorrow!”
Rushing into her room, Pinkie began to frantically fan herself with her hoof, making her way toward her bed and burying her face into her pillow.
Geez… when did it get so hot in here!?
Meanwhile, Marcus had entered his room and plopped down on the bed. Shifting around to get comfortable, he found himself staring at the ceiling curiously. “Wonder what that was about? Never seen Pinkie get like that before…”
*Ping*
Great… another message.
LD
Don’t forget to check the notes I left on your phone… They’ll help you with mastering the six Infinity Stones.
Rolling his eyes, he began to type with his hooves.
Me
I know.
Right now I am focusing on learning how to use my horn to wield magic.
LD
Don’t get… Horny :D
Me
Did you just make a joke?
LD
I’ve been alone guiding souls to the afterlife for millions of years. It’s not every day I get to talk to another being.
Me
I get it, and it's a good joke. Have a good night or day or whatever time it is for you?
LD
You as well Marcus, remember that it is imperative that you get the stones.
Me
You still haven’t told me the real reason why I’m gathering them.
LD
When you get a second stone… I’ll tell you more.
Groaning in annoyance, Marcus exited the app, switched to his music, and connected his headphones to his phone. He began to play Go The Distance, by Roger Bart on repeat. It was a song that had always been one of his favorites, one that he couldn’t help but hum the tone out loud to himself. He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he recalled a conversation he had with his sister when he was still in high school with her.
“Don’t you get tired of listening to that song, Marcus? There are better songs out there you know?” He remembered her asking him, slightly annoyed by him listening to the same song again on repeat while they were driving to school together.
“Hey! This song is all about finding a place to belong in Emmy! It’s actually a hopeful song about going out of your way to find a place in the world.” Marcus recalled saying to her, before mumbling under his breath. “It also has a good melody too.”
“You’re lame, you know that?”
“Look, it’s from one of my favorite movies I watched a lot when I was a kid. Dad bought that movie for me on my birthday. It means a lot to me. Just one more time okay?”
“Fine, just one more time.”
“Thanks, Emmy, besides… you like this song too,”
“Only because it’s a good song. No other reason.”
Lost in his memory, he was unaware that he had started singing instead.
~I have often dreamed of a far-off place.
Where a great, warm, welcome will be waiting for me.
Where the crowds will cheer
When they see my face
And a voice keeps saying “This is where I’m meant to be!”~
While he was singing, he was unaware that outside his door, a certain party pony was listening in on his melodious voice. It was something that she wasn’t expecting to hear this late at night. In fact, given all that she’d learned about him in the past two weeks, she wasn’t expecting to hear any singing.
~I will find my way.
I can go the distance.
I’ll be there someday, If I can be strong
I know every mile, will be worth my while
I would go most anywhere to feel like I… beloooong.~
“Wooooow… I didn’t know Coaly could sing~” Pinkie whispered, feeling warmth in her cheeks once again. “If I knew he could do that… Then maybe we can do duets for Birthday Parties!”
Pinkie immediately clamped her mouth shut as she heard Marcus talking under his breath through the door. “Huh? Thought I heard something… Hmm… Probably just one of the Cakes getting something to drink or something.”
Figuring it was time to turn in, Marcus turned off his music and went straight to bed. Deciding that she should also turn in for the night, Pinkie quietly closed the door and made her way towards her room for a good night’s rest. However, after hearing his voice, she couldn’t help but wonder what song he was singing. She never heard anything like that from any singers before. What was that device he was using and… why did he look sad? She wasn’t sure why, but she really wanted to give him a hug.
What’s more confusing for her though, is why her heart was beating so fast? That has been happening a lot lately whenever she was around Coaly. Maybe after a good night sleep she'll be fine in the morning.
The next day after work, Marcus and Pinkie had both packed their satchels with snacks and water for their visit back into the Everfree Forest to meet with the dragon once more. They followed the same path they had taken when Marcus had gone on autopilot and just recalling that day was a little embarrassing.
“Hey, Coaly! Remember last week when you totally blanked out and ran like a mad pony trying to get that stone?! You were like-”
“On full autopilot, I know, I know, you’ve brought it up three times already,” Marcus replied, feeling his cheeks heat up from embarrassment.
Just thinking about that day was not only humiliating, but also a little frightening. He had completely lost control of himself and could have gotten someone killed or worse, gotten Pinkie killed. He had almost lost it again when Faerie appeared with the Time Stone. At least when he was fighting a terrifying dragon, he got the Space Stone out of it, but the problem now lay in how little understanding of the one stone he had in his possession
Speaking of a certain dragon, the two had arrived at Midnight’s cave.
“Looks like we’ve made it, Pinks. You think he’ll try to roast us again?” Marcus asked with a cautious look.
“Nah! I think he’ll be happy to see us!” replied Pinkie with perky optimism.
“If you say so, but just in case, stay behind me, my body can take the heat-” Marcus tried to explain, but his mouth was suddenly shut by Pinkie’s hoof.
"Nope! We're friends, Coaly, and friends watch each other's backs," she said, skipping ahead of him.
"At least stay close to me!" Marcus shouted, following after the mare.
"Duh! That's what watching each other's backs mean!" she retorted.
Letting out a deep sigh, Marcus and Pinkie continued forward, eventually arriving at the cave. The two looked at each before they both cautiously crept into the cave. As they made their way inside, their gaze was drawn to the walls, which were lit by a glow of turquoise blue radiating from further in. The two of them shared a curious look before Pinkie gestured to Marcus, nodding her head forward while keeping her eyes on him.
Marcus hesitated, looking towards the glow, then back at Pinkie Pie, and balked at the slight stink eye she was giving him. Sighing, he took a deep breath and was about to call out-
“I know you’re here. I can smell you,” interjected a familiar, growly voice that was edged with the barest hint of grumpiness.
Marcus blew a raspberry at having been interrupted, but then cleared his throat and responded, “Uh- Midnight… Raze, was it?”
“Midnight Blaze, thank you very much,” corrected Midnight as the glow dimmed, darkness flooding back before it was parted ever so slightly by a familiar pair of large turquoise blue dragon eyes, narrowed at the two ponies, as he wearily asked, “What do you want?”
“Hiya Middy!” Pinkie spoke up, “So, Coaly here needs a little help and we thought you could be just the dragon to give it to him!”
“I’ve already ‘given it to him’,” Midnight growled, seeing Marcus wearing the Space Stone around his neck. “What else could you want from a dragon outcast…?”
Pinkie gave Marcus another stink eye, more forceful than the one prior, and he got the idea. So he stepped forward, and stated. “Midnight Blaze, I… I’ve encountered another Infinity Stone.”
For a long moment, Midnight said nothing though they could still see his eyes, how they narrowed ever so slightly, before finally, he responded, “Explain.”
Marcus regaled Midnight of his meeting of Faerie Tail, the possessor of the Time Stone. He seemed exacerbated as he told of how she’d confronted him, tried to force him to give her the Space Stone, how he’d refused and tried to fight her, only to get his tail hooved to him, and how he seemed to sway her to give him a chance (he still wasn't quite sure how that’d happened) but refused to give him the Time Stone. In addition, he shared how Faerie Tail had warned Marcus that unless he could prove himself, she’d be back.
"And that's what happened."
"Coaly… why didn't you say anything about this before?!" Pinkie shouted, her gaze hardened.
"Because… I didn’t want to worry you, and I didn’t want to drag you into this mess," he answered, earning himself a quick slap to the face. "... I deserve that."
"You Pinkie Promised Coal!"
"Yes… And I'm sorry, but like I said, I'd do whatever you want. Can we talk about this later?"
"Fine! But you better be ready, Coaly! Cause when you least expect it, I'm gonna make sure you regret being a dummy!"
Marcus felt a slight tingle in the back of his neck as he began to suddenly feel like he was going to regret making that Pinkie Promise. It wasn’t until he heard a loud cough, that he turned his gaze back towards the dragon who was trying to get their attention.
"You two done?"
“…so the thing is, I need help. No- I need training!” Marcus emphasized, “I was barely able to do anything against Faerie Tail, and unless I can get better at magic, or better yet, at wielding the Space Stone, andifIdon’timpresshershe’sgonnabebacktotakethestonefrommeandIdon’tthinkI’llbeabletostopherorconvinceherotherwise!”
“Woah, woah, woah! Calm down! Take a deep breath and calmly tell me what it is you want?” Midnight asked, finally stepping out of the darkness, revealing his large size. He was still rather rotund yet boasted considerable muscle. His sapphire blue scales looked shiny and resplendent, and even his black mane seemed strangely lustrous, but it contrasted with the antisocial vibe they were getting from the dragon. “I gave you the stone after you proved you could be trusted with it. What more do you want, pony?”
“Okay, okay… What I want is for you to train me. I know, I’m asking for a lot, especially since you’ve trusted me with the Space Stone, but I barely know how to use it. I’ve had it for only a week and it’s been a disaster. I got my ass handed to me by some total stranger who came out of literal nowhere! Honestly, I’m surprised she even let me live! So please?” Marcus begged, bowing his head to the dragon before him. “Please, teach me how to use magic, I’ll do my best to learn everything from you. I just need to show Princess Twilight-”
“Stop, hold on… Princess Twilight?” Midnight sounded perplexed. “As in… the Princess of Friendship? The Element of Magic? If you know her, why not ask her to instruct you?”
“Well, I tried learning from her, but… I could barely understand what she was teaching. I’ve been stuck on the same lesson for the past few days and I feel like I can do more… I just need help understanding it,” Marcus explained, feeling guilt starting to take over after hearing himself. He really was acting like an ass.
Midnight rolled his eyes, but it seemed he was willing to listen. “What exactly is this… lesson you’re having trouble with?”
“Magic History and Origins 101,” He replied, Pinkie Pie pulling out the book from her mane and handing it to him, before his head whiplashed back towards Pinkie. “How did- ?!? N-Nevermind.”
“Ugh, say no more,” Midnight rested his head onto his claw, propping himself up. “I never took those sorts of ‘lessons’ in particular interest myself. It’s so frustrating when the” - he held up his claws and did air-quotes - “‘teachers’” - he put his claws back down, “insist on explaining this pointless babble over who charmed this or what hexed that- Just get to the actual knowledge of spell work and magic craft, for the love of Celestia!!”
“I know, right?!” Both Marcus and Pinkie shouted at the same time.
“Honestly, I just want to get to the actual lessons, not learn how the first spoon was levitated,” huffed Marcus, but then he added with a guilty tone, “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, but Princess Twilight didn’t appreciate my, my…”
He struggled to find the right words, so Midnight did it for him, smirking, “Lack of enthusiasm?”
“Yeah,” Marcus nodded. “That.”
“Sooooo! Think you can help him out, Middy?” Pinkie asked, giving her best puppy dog eyes she could muster. “Pleassseeee!”
Midnight wasn’t moved in the slightest by the pink one, but the look he gave Marcus seemed more receptive, so he took a deep breath, and spoke, “This Faerie Tail… she’s an unknown, and whatever her intentions, that makes her a threat. She already has one Infinity Stone, and she’s proven she’s willing to take another by force.”
“So…. is that a yes?” Marcus dared to smile hopefully.
Midnight gave Marcus another look, before shrugging, “Oh, what the heck, I’ll give it a shot.”
Marcus smiled even bigger, and Pinkie Pie threw her forelegs around him, saying, “YAY!”
“But…” Midnight raised a foreclaw, bringing the exuberance to a halt. “I don’t work for free.”
“Oh! Uh… well, I don’t have a lot of money-” Marcus was already afraid of the direction this was going.
“I have no interest in money,” Midnight waved it off. “But… I wouldn’t say no to some delicious foodstuffs.”
“Oh, no problem!” Pinkie Pie smiled, “I can make you lots of yummies over at Sugarcube Corner! Cupcakes, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, candies, pies-”
“Uh, are you sure you want food like that?” Marcus spoke up, eyeing Midnight’s belly.
“I haven’t enjoyed home cooking or baked goods in a long while,” Midnight sighed with sarcastic drama, before he raised up his belly and let it bounce, “Just look at me! Wasting away to nothing…”
Marcus was honestly not sure whether Midnight was kidding or not, but then he saw a dangerous gleam in the dragon’s eyes and decided it was probably better to hold his tongue.
“Uh- Okay! Pinkie and I will bring you some food and drink whenever I come for my… lessons? Would that work?” Marcus asked.
“You don’t have to bring something every time you come,” Midnight assured, “I’ll let you know when I want something and you can bring it the next time you come. So! Let’s discuss what you want to learn and I’ll think up what sort of lessons to teach you.”
“Thank you! I won’t let you down! But…”
“But what?”
Marcus sighed. “But, I don’t want to just ditch the princess, she’s been kind enough to help, I’d just feel like I'd be a total dick if I just quit and jumped to learning from someone else.”
Midnight smiled at that. “Even before she became an alicorn princess, Twilight Sparkle was renowned, not simply for being the personal pupil of Princess Celestia, but also for her diligence in study and practice of the magical arts,” Midnight explained, his tone laced with evident admiration. “She is perhaps the youngest to become a sorceress and her works and accomplishments in her studies, magical or otherwise, have been noteworthy and regarded with such significance that many unicorns in certain circles hold her in high esteem… or regard her as a threat.
“After becoming a princess, she has largely remained the same pony, and that frustrates certain individuals while assuring the common pony of her good intentions. Princess Twilight, despite her accomplishments and success, does have her… shortcomings, and that in and of itself is a problem for her.”
“What do you mean?” Marcus asked, finding this strangely fascinating.
“Ooh, ooh! Like this one time, when Twilight thought she was gonna be tardy on a friendship report, she tried to make a problem to solve and wound up causing a huge ruckus with an enchanted doll!” Pinkie Pie remembered. When Marcus gave her a baffled look, she shuddered and said, “Don’t ask.”
“The pink one is correct,” Midnight nodded. “Twilight Sparkle puts too much stock in her own way of doing things because it's how she was taught by her old mentor, so she’s trying to do the same thing with you. What she fails to understand is not everyone has the same ability to learn in the ways she did. Which isn’t a slight against you.”
“Well, she has taught me a few things but she keeps piling on all this history and other stuff that just seems redundant and pointless. I am grateful that she's teaching me, but I want to learn spells, not read how they were made.” Marcus sighed, feeling conflicted.
“As I said, not everyone learns the same way,” Midnight affirmed, “and unfortunately, Princess Twilight feels the way she was taught is the way she must teach you, and she won’t hear a word otherwise.”
“So then what do I do?” Marcus asked.
“Learn from me. I can teach you a kind of magic you would be hard-pressed to find even amongst the best unicorn wizards,” Midnight bade, “What I offer you will not only give you the edge you need against the likes of Faerie Tail, but also improve your abilities to learn the sort of magic Princess Twilight wants to teach you."
"However, I must point out one thing before you even consider learning anything from me." Midnight paused, lifting his paw up and pointing directly at the Space Stone. "You'll need to understand and master the power of the infinity stone you currently possess. I can help you in that matter as I've had experience with it. For now, I suggest you continue training with Princess Twilight for the time being. Once you've come to understand the stone, then I'll teach you what I know."
"Alright, where do I start?" Marcus asked.
"You can start by feeling it, listening to it, and connecting with it. That is the first step."
The very next day, Marcus felt nervous for the first time in a while since his arrival here in Equestria as he made his way back to Princess Twilight’s castle. After talking with Midnight, Pinkie Pie suggested that he should at least apologize for his behavior to the Princess as the guilt would only continue to weigh on his mind. Not that he needed convincing.
Once he had arrived at the Castle of Friendship, Marcus inhaled deeply as he brought his hoof to the door.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
The door opened, and the alicorn was greeted by the young dragon, Spike, Twilight’s assistant. Immediately he frowned ever so slightly and snubbed, “Oh, you’re back…”
The little dragon’s reception to his arrival didn’t bode well for Marcus as he let out a sheepish grin towards him. “Hey, Spike, I’m here to see the Princess.”
“She’s actually writing a personal letter to Princess Celestia. She’ll be out shortly, but I wanted to ask, why did you yell at her?” Spike asked, folding his arms and tapping.
Marcus’ ears folded back as his expression soured. He took a moment to choose his words carefully before taking a deep breath.
“Spike, look, I’m sorry for losing my cool with the Princess, it’s just… Well, I thought her lessons would be more about magic than ‘history’ and other things that feel rather pointless. I’ll admit that I was being a real ass to her when she was being kind enough to teach me. Anyways, I came here to apologize to her and ask if she can still continue to teach me.”
Spike’s brow raised as he looked at him suspiciously, before letting out a deep sigh of his own and gesturing for the stallion to come inside. “I get it, Coal, I really do. I’ve lived nearly all of my life with Twilight. She doesn’t have bad intentions, but I’ll admit that she does get carried away when it comes to sharing her interests with others.”
“I’ll try to be a bit more patient with her and more understanding as well,” Marcus said, as he followed Spike inside the castle towards the library. Once the two entered, he saw Twilight set what looked like a letter down on her desk. “Hey, Princess, I just dropped by… to apologize for my behavior the other day.”
“Thank you, Coal, and…” Twilight gathered herself, trying not to glance at the letter she’d just read, before taking a moment and then saying, “I want to say that I’m sorry too. I realize that… not everypony learns the same way and not everypony teaches the same way. I guess I just thought I should teach you like Celestia taught me. But you’re not me, Coal, and I’m not Celestia. I shouldn’t have tried to project that relationship onto our own.”
“No, I totally understand. I guess I should have been a bit more patient,” Marcus explained, as he let out a cough. “Anyways, I am willing to try harder to be a better student. That is, if you’ll still have me?”
Twilight smiled warmly and nodded, “Of course, Coal! And I promise to be a better teacher, and more sensitive to your thoughts and feelings. I had a chance to think it over, and… you’re right! You came to me to learn about magic, how to control it. All the historical things I added before are… frivolous. Except for the parts about the ethics and responsibilities regarding magic and its power. I’ll teach you what you want as long as you listen to what I say about respecting magic, the power it can have, and the dangers it can pose if misused.”
“That’s fair, and I’ll be sure to pay attention,” Marcus added, extending his hoof out towards the princess, to which she gladly accepted and the two shook hooves.
“So Spike mentioned you got a letter from Celestia, what was it about?” Marcus asked before finally taking a load off by a nearby seat cushion.
“The Princess wrote that she won’t be able to meet you next week due to a dispute between the Griffon Kingdom and the Zebra clans about certain trade goods Equestria has. So she’ll be gone for the next three months,” Twilight explained.
Marcus made an inward sigh, finding that unexpected development to be quite a relief. “That’s good hear, at least for me. I don’t think I was ready to meet her.”
“It’s unfortunate, but don’t think that you won’t meet her,” Twilight said with a teacherly tone, “She still intends to meet the only alicorn stallion she knows to exist.”
“I still find it hard to believe I’m the only one. Aren’t there others out there?” Marcus asked, tilting his head.
“If there are, no one has met them,” Twilight shrugged. “Apart from the Sisters, alicorns are made, not born. Most of the time it seems to be earning a worthy accomplishment that makes a pony into an alicorn, such as truly embodying your cutiemark. Like I did.”
Marcus could only nod in response. “Well I better get back to Sugarcube Corner before Pinkie comes back here with Mr. ‘Needs a New Personality’ and he starts belittling me again,” Marcus commented, earning a laugh from the baby dragon and a disapproving glare from the lavender alicorn.
“HA! Good one, Coal!” Spike hollered.
“No, it isn’t. Coal, you really shouldn’t be talking bad about Sombra, you’re better than that.”
“You’re really gonna defend the guy who has literally insulted everyone, especially all of our friends?” Marcus said, folding his hooves as he started to pout. “Sides, he really does need a new personality.”
Twilight took a moment to choose her words, but fairly responded, “I know that Sombra has been… difficult. But unless we keep trying with him, he never will reform and he’ll never learn to appreciate friendship and all the things in life that are truly worthwhile. I’m not saying we just forgive his bad behavior, we certainly can’t let him get away with his misdeeds. But we also need to teach him why those actions are wrong and help him understand why.”
“What if he doesn’t want to change? He certainly doesn’t seem like he wants to,” Marcus pointed out.
“Discord didn’t want to change either… until he understood friendship himself and didn’t want to lose it,” Twilight reasoned. “True, Sombra is very different from Discord, but it’s still the same fundamental lesson and intention. We just have to convince Sombra that friendship is worthwhile! Maybe… maybe it just takes the right gesture or words, or perhaps the right individual to get through to him.”
“In that case, it might not be Pinkie Pie who can do that,” Marcus shrugged ruefully. “No offense to Pinks, she’s a saint, but I really think someone else should handle his reformation.
“Maybe you’re right,” Twilight considered Coal’s words with a small hum. Sweet as she was, Pinkie Pie was… manic, random, and silly whereas Sombra, despite his abrasive behavior, was more mature, cultured, and sophisticated. Wait…
Her brain hatched an idea, and Twilight said, “I think you’re right, Coal! I think somepony else has a better chance of getting through to Sombra.”
“Really? Who?”
“I need to discuss it with Celestia first,” Twilight said quickly, scribbling something down at the bottom of her letter, “but for now, is there anything else?”
“Actually, just what time will our next lesson be?”
“Friday, at four o'clock sharp! It’ll be on sensing magic, so be sure to read up on that sensory spell in the textbook I gave you! Have a good rest of your day, Coal!”
“You too, Twilight, and same to you, Spike.”
“See ya, Coal!” Spike waved as the charcoal stallion exited the library and made his way out of the castle.
Once Marcus had returned to Sugarcube Corner, he saw both Pinkie Pie and Sombra exit the restaurant together. Seeing Pinkie skip happily always made Marcus smile. Sombra, however, was muttering something, but he couldn’t quite make it out.
“Heya, Coaly! Whatcha doing?” she asked, smiling at the charcoal stallion.
“Just got back from Twilight’s actually, went better than I thought!” Marcus said, grinning at the party pony before hearing a scoff from the former tyrant. Marcus kept his patience but couldn’t hold in a steeled “...What?”
“Tch! No one cares about your pathetic meeting with that accursed princess! Now if you don’t mind, you're interrupting us!” Sombra spat, almost snarling at Marcus.
Marcus could practically feel the veins in his head begin to pop out as he gave the unicorn a strained smile. “Well, I wasn’t talking to you now, was I? I was talking to Pinks, my friend, who I care about and don’t insult every five seconds.”
“Be glad that I don’t have my powers, peasant! If I did, you would be wise to know your place!”
"But you don't! So, you can't do anything to me." Marcus rebutted, glaring down at the former tyrant.
"Come on you two, there's no need to fight," Pinkie said, stepping between the two stallions with her hooves pressed against their chests.
“Tch! Whatever, I’d rather not waste my time with this nobody anyways,” Sombra let out a huff before shoving his way past Marcus. “Let’s go Pinkie Pie, being in the presence of this peasant is giving me a headache.”
“Oh, sure! Gimme a second!” Pinkie responded, before turning towards her roommate. “I’m so sorry about Sombry, I really don’t know what’s gotten into him lately?”
“Hmm… Well, at least he called you by your name this time. That’s gotta count for something, right?” Marcus suggested, still glaring at the dark stallion before turning to face his friend. “Hey, Pinkie… There’s something I gotta do right now, but I was actually wondering if you’d like to take a walk with me in the evening today, there's something I need to tell you?”
“O-Oh? S-Sure Coaly! That’s a fantastic idea!”
“Alright, I’ll see you then, and… good luck with Sunshine over there, if he blows a fuse and tries anything. Let me know, I’ll set him straight,” Marcus said, trotting back to Sugarcube Corner, leaving the pink mare stupefied.
It was usually hard to catch the party pony herself off guard, but somehow this stallion she had only known for a few weeks had continued to surprise her time and time again. Pinkie felt her cheeks begin to heat up as she just stood there in complete and utter shock. Something that the former ruler of the Crystal Empire didn’t like one bit.
That peasant is starting to get on my last nerves! Who does he think he is to interfere in my affairs? If only I had some of my magic, I’d have that welp groveling at my hooves!
“Can we go already!? The last thing I need is for that wretched princess to scold me again for returning late again!” Sombra snapped, letting out a snarl before gaining the party pony’s attention.
“W-Wuh? Huh? Oh! Right, sorry Sombry, Hehehe… Let’s get you back to Twilight’s place, I’ll let her know that our walk took a little longer because of me, alrighty?” Pinkie replied, her cheeks still slightly red as she began to trot ahead. Seeing that only irritated Sombra more, but he decided not to say anything for the time being.
I'll bide my time for now, that alicorn pretender will make a mistake and when that happens… I'll be there to ensure he endures the same humiliation as I have.