The Sorcerer squinted as his eyes where assaulted by some unknown enemy. He quickly flipped off the bed, and looked towards his new adversary, he was greeted by a pair of blinds fluttering in the breeze. The Sorcerer scolded himself, Ponyville had to be the safest place he had ever been in. After a few calming breaths the Sorcerer looked to Twilight's bed to find it empty. Taking a quick glance to the window, the Sorcerer realized it had to have been mid morning.
The Sorcerer went to the main lobby of the library, and looked around for any sign of the purple mare or even the vicious little dragon. On the central desk was a open letter, curiosity getting the better of him the Sorcerer decided to take a glance. The letter took time for the Sorcerer to understand, he was sure Twilight had said she would be gone for the day, and the Sorcerer could read all he wanted to. Or at least in theory, many of the letters where similar while others were strangely different.
The Sorcerer looked around the spacious library, walking to a bookshelf he took a book at random. When he opened it he recoiled. The book was in tiny print that seemed to swim in small squiggly black lines. The Sorcerer placed the highly advanced tome back and decided to look else where.
After a few minutes of searching the Sorcerer found a section of brightly colored books filled to the brim with childish cartoons. Though degrading the Sorcerer selected a few and placed them around a cushion. He began to read the books slowly finding similarities in their respective languages, and actually began to enjoy the books. Many had cheesy plots and silly characters,as the Sorcerer read he began to understand the words more clearly. After reading yet another silly book with only a few stops to decipher the words, the Sorcerer took another crack at the letter.
Dear Blaze Mane, or "Arcane"
I was asked by a few Canterlot professors at the Royal Academy to give a lecture. I won't be back till the evening, Feel free to read any books in the Library or explore town. I found a few extra bits before leaving that I left on the kitchen table, feel free to get a snack in town. I hope to be back soon.
-Twilight Sparkle.
The Sorcerer had to pause a few times to gain a bit of understanding, but when he finished he was touched by the generosity of these ponies. He hadn't even known them for a full day and they where treating him like a member of their own family. He felt like maybe he could at least try to return the favor.
The Sorcerer was interpreted from groaning by his own stomach.
The Sorcerer had found a few vegetables on the kitchen table as well as a small pouch filled with a few yellowish coins stamped with the words "1 bit". After eating the healthy meal the Sorcerer took the pouch to the bedroom and put it in his bags. For the next few minutes the Sorcerer wrestled with the cloak, hat and bag to all aline on his body properly. After a few frustrated attempts to utilize magic with limited success the Sorcerer finally had himself dressed.
The Sorcerer left the Library around noon. He had to squint his eyes to the dazzling display of colors as ponies walked around town. The Sorcerer looked until he recognized one of the mares from yesterday trotting pass.
"Fluttershy." The Sorcerer called.
The mare jumped to face him, "Oh, hi Arcane."
"Where are you going?" The Sorcerer asked.
"Just to the market." She said, hiding behind her mane. "I'm getting some food for my animal friends."
"Perhaps I could help." The Sorcerer offered.
The mare smiled and lead him to the center of Ponyville where many vendors were selling their wares to eager customers. Many of the stalls sold only 1 or 2 specialty items which seemed a little odd to the Sorcerer. But he accepted that not everything here would make a lot of sense. Fluttershy timidly lead him to a stall that had 3 very large,gruff earth ponies selling heavy bags of food.
"I would like to buy a few bags of feed." Fluttershy nearly whimpered.
"What was that? You need to speak up!" One of the burly stallions huffed, but was silenced by another.
"She's hear to buy some feed like always." The second stallion turned to her. "That will be 20 bits."
"Oh my, it was 15 last time, and that's all I brought." Fluttershy said worriedly. "I'm afraid I don't have enough."
"Then have a nice day," The stallion turned, before he left the Sorcerer spoke up.
"Do you like wagers?"
The larger earth ponies all turned to him with harsh glares.
"Whats the wager?" They spoke.
The Sorcerer thought, then smiled. "I happen to be in possession of a few bits myself. If you can solve a riddle even a young filly could answer we will pay you 30 bits, but if we win we get it for 10 bits."
The stallions huddled,and in hushed voices spoke amongst themselves. When they where done the largest stallion shook the Sorcerer's hoof. "Deal."
The Sorcerer spoke. "You have a minute to answer this riddle, and each one of you gets 1 answer. What building has the most stories?"
The stallions stood dumb founded, they turn and spoke to each other again, one of them asked.
"Can we have another minute."
The Sorcerer nodded and let them continue to converse. When they seemed to reach a decision they all turned with a large smile on their face.
"I'm from Manehatten myself and no building has more stories than the Equestrian state building." The stallion smirked. "That will be-"
"Wrong." The Sorcerer snapped.
The stallions shook their heads in disbelief.
"The Royal castle?"
"Try again." The Sorcerer replied. "You have one here."
"Is it the Ponyville dam?"
"Nope, and that's your final guess." The Sorcerer couldn't believe they hadn't guessed it. "Its a library."
Two of the stallions where enraged but the biggest laughed heartily. "I guess a filly could get that one. That will be 10 bits please, just as we promised."
After Fluttershy paid the biggest stallion the others angrily dropped the bags of food on the Sorcerer's back in spite. After assuring Fluttershy he could manage the Sorcerer followed her outside the market where Applejack and a bulky red stallion where talking. The big stallion trotted over and took the bags from the Sorcerer's heaving corpse, and lightly tossed them unto the cart.
"You alright there partner?" Applejack asked.
"Well I just carried those for quite a ways so I'm a bit winded," The Sorcerer began, but Applejack rolled her eyes and pointed to the stall not even 20 yards away.
"It wasn't balanced very well." The Sorcerer defended weakly.
"Yuuup." The stallion replied, then left.
After saying goodbye the Sorcerer went to explore the rest of the town to see what else he could discover. A silvery glint of light caught his eye, when the Sorcerer looked he could have sworn he saw an armored pony duck into an alley. The Sorcerer shook it off as his own paranoid imagination.
While the Sorcerer walked in the less populated area's of town he was interrupted by a toll of bells. Out of a nearby bright red building young ponies where sprinting out of. A group of these ponies charged in his direction, in the center was the three fillies from yesterday.
"Hi ya Arcane," The creme colored redhead waved. "Its us, Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie bell!"
"Can you show us some magic?" They begged.
The Sorcerer quickly though, he could barely move things, how could he preform any magic? The voice had promised his skills would be unaltered, yet that seemed far from the case. The Sorcerer scratched his head when he remembered something! His hat had a very basic enchantment on it, if it still worked.
"Alright just give me a minute." The Sorcerer brought the wand out of his bag and placed the hat on the ground. As he prepared himself a group of fillies and colts gathered to watch eagerly.
The Sorcerer managed to use his magic to hold the wand, which felt much easier than any other task he had attempted. He lifted the wand and taped the wide brim selves times and cried. "Sol Pila!" Then lifted the hat, and held it upside down.
At first nothing happened, and the young ponies began to lost interest until one cried. "Look!"
From the hat arose multiple, multicolored orbs, they shone and floated lazily away from the Sorcerer. Gingerly the fillies and colts tried to touch them, when they did the orb would darken, then pop in a bright flash of smoke, then two smaller orbs would be left. The little ponies began cheering as they chased the orbs around. When the orbs would finally land or become too small, they popped one final time, and vanished. The Sorcerer continued making more, until the little ponies tired. It was a simple spell, commonly called "wizard lights" they were an easy spell to manufacture and the Sorcerer was glad his gamble had paid off.
Parents had shown up to retrieve their little ones, but let them play for a bit longer. One such mare was playing with her daughter. She was grey, with blonde hair and bubbles for a cutie mark. She lead her daughter around and popped as many orbs as she could. When she turned in the Sorcerer's direction he was quite confused. Her gold colored eyes where in complete opposite directions, yet still she managed to pop more than any filly or colt with normal vision.
"You would be the new pony in town?" A gruff voice said behind the Sorcerer.
Turning, the Sorcerer meet 2 armored ponies, one was a white unicorn in gold armor with an electric blue mane, the other an ashen grey pegasus with silver armor, and a lavender mane.
After the Sorcerer nodded, the pegasus continued. "There is a Royal competition in town today and all unicorns are invited to attend."
But the tone in the Pegasus's voice told the Sorcerer another story, it wasn't an invitation, it was a demand.