//------------------------------//
// Darker Magicks 
// Story: Nocturnality 
// by Kotushk Fier 
//------------------------------//

	It has been six months since the Summer Sun Festival ended. Much has happened, including my new training.  



"Novalis, pay attention! You've already proven inadequate at controlling some schools of magic. If you have any hopes of passing my spellschool, you will need to be more disciplined. Now, AGAIN!"

Sighing, I picked myself off of her floor. The smell of singed fur, likely mine, permeated the air within the midnight chamber. Focusing my inner reserves, I felt my horn begin to glow. Dark green light arced from the base to the tip, and it crackled viciously while causing the air to literally burn. Fine ash fell around me as I channeled the hatred I was unfamiliar with towards a large stone statue. 

The statue, a joke from Celestia to Luna, raised incredible rage within me. Apparently, Celestia had thought it would be funny to make a statue depicting the time Discord had kissed Luna. The first time I had seen it, I had let loose a rather powerful bolt of lightning at it. 

"I understand that you don't appreciate this statue anymore than I do, but Celestia says you may only destroy it when you master anything I can teach you. Until then, I have to 'protect' this tasteless gift."

With those words, Luna lazily crushed my spell in midair. The returning energy from the cancelled spell surged through my body, lighting it up like a candle. Struggling against the pain, I worked on focusing my returned energy into a new spell. The air around me chilled instantly as I let loose a blast of void energy. Instead of simply burning the air, this new spell killed everything in its path. I could feel the many miniscule organisms in the arc as they died, feeding their life into my magical disc. 

"Not bad, Novalis, but not good enough, either. I hope this doesn't hurt you too much..."

I braced myself as she let loose a flash of brilliant white light, which negated and neutralized the darkness of my spell. The resulting explosion of energy seared my mind, and caused me to scream silently in my head. I reached deep within my mental reserves, and succeeded in absorbing my violent energies. 

"Princess Luna, why must I learn these strange magicks again? They're violent, harmful, and go against everything in our world."

"Everything in pony world, Novalis. Outside the kingdom of Equestria live many races. Dragons, Gryphons, and Diamond Dogs come through often, But some of the other races, like Medusans, Chimereans, and Hydras are both rare and exceedingly dangerous. If you are going to be my ambassador outside of our lands, you simply must be able to protect yourself." 

I nodded my head and rose shakily to my hooves. 

"That's enough for now, Novalis."

"I can continue, I'm not exhausted yet..."

"WE SAID THOU HAST TRAINED ENOUGH!!!"

A shattering blast of sound and air sent me tumbling through the air; I saw stars when my head cracked loudly against the stone chamber walls. Before I had even recovered, I felt Luna's soothing healing magic surround me.

"Oh dear student, I apologize for losing control like that. Are you grievously hurt anywhere?"

"No, Princess. I apologize for disobeying you."

Luna's magic lifted me effortlessly and brought me into her hooves. Her worried (but incredibly beautiful) face came into my vision as her warm legs and wings surrounded me. Her large and luminous turquoise eyes scanned my face briefly, causing my heart to flutter before she began to scan me with her ethereal touch. A trickle of her power flowed through me, mending my exhausted and burnt body, repairing miniscule fractures in my skull, and even repairing the wear and tear the darker power left on my mind. 

After healing me, I expected to be released immediately. Instead, she held me in her embrace and nuzzled me, whispering into my ear.

"I'm truly sorry for losing my temper. Of course you wouldn't know, Novalis. You were only trying to learn your lessons. Don't worry, for I will tell you eventually why I lost my temper. But not right now, you are not ready."

Caught in her soft warmth, with her magic only just having receded from me, I was unable to form a coherent sentence. 

Her shining and gorgeous eyes locked onto my own. The warmth of her body surrounded me, and her scent muddied my senses. My heart raced heavily, but my mind slowed. Every detail of her face and form was imprinted into my mind, vividly and eternally. My eyes widened as her face neared mine, her eyes half-lidded. Her sweet breath washed over my face, causing my heart to instantly stand still. Slowly, her lips neared mine, my mind completely scattered. Eventually her soft mouth made contact with mine, reminding my heart that it could beat, even if it wanted to race at the speed of light. Her sensual and beautiful lips moved over mine, coaxing a response from deep within my primal subconscious. She held the kiss for several long moments before releasing, leaving me panting for breath. Staring down at me, she opened her mouth to speak...

"Hmm, do you really have such high feelings for me?"

My mind snapped back to reality quicker than lightning. I could feel a heavy blush creeping up my throat, and my eyes rose to meet hers. Her expression was inscrutable, denying me access to any of her inner thoughts. Deeply ashamed, I quickly turned and bolted from the classroom.

"Novalis! Wait!"

Not heeding her voice, I raced from her room, her side of the castle. I raced from the castle entirely, blurring through Canterlot until I stood outside of my own home. Streaking through the house, I slammed into my room, leaped onto my bed, and locked the door behind me. 




{I can never show my face in Canterlot again...}