//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: The Mages Journey // by LunarLocket //------------------------------// Connor slowly opened his eyes and rolled out of bed onto the floor. It was much too early to be walking, after all. After about ten minutes of lying on the suddenly comfortable floor he slowly dragged himself to his feet and went to open his curtain. He slid open the blinds and recoiled from the light that flooded the room. He shielded his eyes for a moment before they adjusted to the light. He looked out his window to check the time and saw it was about an hour until noon. He walked out of his door and down the stairs to the kitchen, only to find that Twilight wasn’t there. He was confused, Twilight was usually awake at this hour. He walked up the stairs to check if she was in her room. He knocked on the door. “Twilight, are you in there?” “Ugggghhhhhh.” “May I come in?” “Uggghhhhhh” Connor took that as a yes and walked in to a very interesting sight before him. Twilight was on the ground in a small purple heap. Connor walked over to her and poked her in what he assumed was her side. She let out a small eep followed by a groan. she then managed to untangle herself from her blankets and drag herself up from the floor. She looked up at Connor with her eyes almost shut. “Morning Connor.” She sighed. “Good morning Twilight.” He said happily. “I’m going to go make breakfast. You can come down anytime if you want some.” He said as he left the room and heard a small grunt as what he assumed was an agreement. He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He opened the cabinets and her fridge and realized that the only thing he knew how to cook in her entire inventory was eggs. ‘Oh well’. He thought as he cracked open two eggs and began making them. He cooked both of them until they were over easy and slid them out of her pan and onto a plate. The smell was intoxicating. It smelled like no knowledge of how to cook anything besides eggs and stews. He began to eat when he heard hoofsteps making their way to the kitchen. He turned to see Twilight hanging her head in a way that only seemed to be possible if you were tired. She walked over to Connor and placed her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes again. “What are you doing?” He asked to the head currently lying on him. “I’m tired. Please don’t move. Your shoulder is comfy.” Connor laughed as he turned to her. “Well sorry Twi, but I have to go if I’m going to be on time.” He said. She groaned as she got up from his shoulder only to walk over to another bench and lie down again. Connor got up from his seat and walked over to the sink and washed his plate. After he put it back he walked to the front door and said goodbye to Twilight as he walked out the door. He walked down the street and noticed he was getting a lot less looks than usual. This was an improvement from how it was when he first got here. He turned the last corner and walked into the spa. “Afternoon Lotus.” He said with a smile as he walked in. “Ah, hello Connor. Please take a seat over there and I will explain how your first day will go.” He walked over to the chair and took a seat for a moment before Lotus walked up to him. “So, for your first day you will be working the massage room.” “And?” He asked, expecting more. “That’s it dear. We are having you work the massage table because we know you will absolutely get more customers coming in with those amazing massages of yours. So get back there, your first customer is scheduled to come in in about five minutes. Also, could you get some attire more suited to the job? All I ever see you wear are those black and gold robes.” “Well, I don’t exactly own anything else here. Who would I talk to about clothes?” “You can ask your client when she gets here. Now go back there and get ready.” Connor let out a small sigh and walked back to the room and entered to the same sight he saw the previous day. He took a deep inhale through his nose and smelled the mint that seemed to permanently reside in the room. He stood by the entrance to the room when he heard a knock. “Come on in.” He said as he opened the door for his client. A white unicorn with a curly, royal purple mane walked in. ‘This is one of Twilight’s friends isn’t it?’ He thought to himself as she turned to him with a look of surprise and happiness. “Oh Connor dear! I was not aware that you worked here!” She said with a smile. “Just started today. You are my first client.” He said kindly. “Go ahead and lie down. Would you like any type of aromatherapy?” “No thank you dear.” She said as she lied down on the massage table. “I prefer just the regular mint scent that this room has.” “Understood. Where will you be getting this massage today?” “I’ve been having some aches in my neck. I’ve been sewing a lot lately and I seem to have an ache i can’t get rid of.” “Well alright then.” He said calmly as he began to massage her neck. Rarity let out a small sigh of happiness as he worked. “Goodness darling that feels just amazing. What are you doing?” “Just my hands.” “Well they feel fantastic.” “Thank you. So Twilight tells me that you make clothes right?” “Yes dear. I make all kinds of clothes for all kinds of ponies.” “Well Lotus told me to ask you about getting some new clothes for work.” This seemed to make her have a complete seizure as she tried to get up from the table. She looked at him with the biggest smile he had seen since Twilight first saw him. “Will you really let me?! I would absolutely LOVE to be the first clothing designer to make clothes for a human! Just think of the publicity! Also, I could make clothes based on those robes you are wearing right now! Is this the fashion where you are from? What fabrics do they use? What do they use to get their dyes? What sewing methods do they use to make their clothes? I want to know everything!” Connor felt a little scared and overwhelmed at the same time but quickly thought up a solution. “Just lie down and I will tell you all about it.” This seemed to quell Rarity’s insatiable curiosity about clothes. He took this moment of peace to go back to the massage and start answering her questions. “I won’t be able to answer most of your questions because I’m not the most knowledgeable in the area of fashion but I will try my best.” She let out a small moan of pleasure before asking her first question. “Is this the style where you are from?” “It is quite popular among mages. But beyond that, no.” “Alright. Next question. How have you been cleaning that robe? It should be at least somewhat damaged from your time here if you have been washing it.” “I know some cleansing spells. Just some simple magic. It doesn’t hurt the robe or take away its color. Just cleans it.” “You’ll have to teach me that spell sometime. How about you come to my shop after you get off work so I can get your measurements?” “Sounds like a plan.” He said calmly. Rarity stopped with the questions so Connor took this as his cue to stop talking. He finished the last of the hour long massage and said goodbye to Rarity. He walked out of the massage room and up to the front desk to get his next client. Lotus looked at him and gestured towards a pony that seemed to much bigger than all the others he had seen thus far. He was a large red stallion with a half of a green apple on his flank. Connor walked over to the stallion. “Hello, my name is Connor. I’ll be your masseur today.” He said with a professional smile. “A’hm Big Macintosh. Nice to make your acquaintance.” “If you’ll follow me we can start the massage.” Connor said politely as he led big mac to the back room. “So where do you need the massage?” “Mah neck’s been botherin’ me. It’s plantin’ season so ah’ve been doin’ a lot more work with the plow.” He said as he removed the large yoke from his neck and dropped it to the ground with a much louder thud than Connor had expected. Big Mac lied down on the table and relaxed. Connor walked over to him and began his massage. After about a half an hour Big Mac spoke. “So, Connor, was it?” “Yes?” “What do you think about all the recent happenins with the griffins?” Connor stopped the massage for a moment. ‘They have griffins here too!?’ He thought to himself. “I must apologize, I haven’t been here long enough to know much about politics. Could you inform me about what is going on?” “Well, the griffins’ve been gettin’ very aggressive and building their army despite the fact that no country has gone to war in at least 200 years.” Connor furrowed his brow. War was such a common thing on Earth. To think that there was peace for over two centuries among the citizens of an entire planet stunned him. “Have they launched an attack?” “No, not yet. Princess Celestia has been keepin’ em back with words but everyone fears that soon, that won’t be enough.” “Well that is... concerning.” “It sure is friend. Its got me worried that Equestria will have to build an army again. Lotsa folks ain’t ready for that. We are a generally peaceful country. The worst crime we’ve had in this last year was somebody’s shop got burned to the ground. The criminal was quickly caught and jailed. I would go so far as to say that that was the worst crime in probably the last ten years.” “Well that is a crying shame. Peace really is a valuable thing.” Connor said in a melancholy tone. “Eeyup.” Big Mac didn’t say a word for the rest of the massage and left after Connor was done. Connor got up and walked to the front desk and looked to Lotus. “Who’s next?” He asked with a small, sad smile. Lotus looked down at some papers on her desk. “Well, nobody, it looks like. I guess it was a slow day.” She handed him his pay. “You earned forty bits today! You will be paid commission after each job so you don’t have to worry about making it to your next payday.” She said with a grin. “You can go home now if you’d like. Or you can stay here. With me.” She said in a low voice with a flutter of her eyelashes. After a mile of sprinting like a madman, Connor stopped to catch his breath. After he finished breathing so heavily he couldn’t think, he looked around and realized he was in the market of Ponyville. He began looking for Rarity’s boutique and after a few minutes of walking, he located it. It looked somewhat like a circus tent mixed with mannequins of ponies. He knocked on the door. “Come iiiinnn” Rarity said in a sing-song voice. Connor opened the door and looked around the room. It was quite spacious and there were mannequins wearing all of her latest creations all over the store. A pony with orange curly hair and a yellow-orange colored body was looking at a dress. He looked to his left and saw that Rarity was working the counter. He walked up to her. “You wanted to see me after work?” He asked her. “Oh that’s right! SWEETIE BELLE!!!” She yelled in a voice too loud for one so small. “Coming sis!” He heard a higher pitched voice call out. A small unicorn with purple and pink curls came bounding down the stairs. “Sweetie, be a dear and watch the shop for me while I go take Connor’s measurements.” “Got it sis!” She said cheerfully as she hopped onto a small stool behind the register and smiled proudly at her current responsibility. “Follow me please.” Rarity said to Connor. He walked up the stairs after her and into a room with even more mannequins, but these mannequins had unfinished projects on them. Dresses that still needed certain pieces added to them, jackets with holes in them and things of the like. He looked over at Rarity who at the moment was gathering all the necessary supplies with her magic. The air smelled like dust, even though the shop itself looked immaculate. “Come here please Connor.” she said in a happy voice with what looked like ten different measuring tapes floating around her. “Hold still, this will only take a moment. Raise your arms please.” The measuring tapes flew at him and went around various parts of his body as if she was measuring every last aspect of his very existence. They moved various parts of his body so that Rarity could get every necessary measurement. Then, suddenly, the measuring tapes stopped. Connor looked up, still somewhat awestruck by how fast she got the measurements needed. “You can go now. I have all that I need to make your clothing. It will be done by tomorrow.” “You work that fast?” “Of course dear, I’m the best at what I do.” She smiled at him as he turned and walked away. On his way home he realized something. He never told her how he wanted his clothes to look. ‘Oh well,’ he thought ‘if she’s as good as everyone says then I have nothing to worry about.’ He turned the last corner and began walking towards the library. The second he entered the door he was assaulted by a storm of purple happiness. “DO I GET TO LEARN HOW TO CAST MAGICAL FIRE NOW?!!!” She yelled excitedly in Connor’s face. “Twilight, you’re yelling.” “Oh, sorry,” she said with a blush “I was just really excited.” “It’s fine. And yes.” “WOO!” She threw a hoof in the air in celebration of finally being able to learn what Connor kept from her the previous night. “I’ll go set up the wards!” She said as she ran outside with her trademark enthusiasm. Connor laughed to himself. He couldn't help but love how happy she was about learning something new. It was a very infectious kind of happiness, as if just being around her made him feel better. He smiled at his thoughts for a moment before walking outside to teach Twilight. He walked out the back door to their usual training spot. Twilight was smiling eagerly at him. “Alright then, let’s get started shall we?” He said with a clap of his hands. “Gladly.” She said with a smile. “Ok then. So, casting fire is actually a lot more difficult than just creating it. The process of casting fire is similar to the way you create it. There are two ways of casting fire at this level. First, you create your fire.” He said, holding up a blue fireball in his hand. “The first way of casting it is to send your magic out through the fire, creating more of it in front of the original, creating a trail. This method sends out weaker, but more spread out fire. The longer your trail, the more magic it will drain from you, so be careful.” He held both his hands out and flames formed on his palms then launched forward like snakes striking at their prey. They coiled and lashed around but their end point always stayed where he aimed them. He moved his hands left and right, incinerating the land the fire touched. “The second way of casting it builds off the first but is a bit more powerful. You begin casting the magic as if you were going to make a trail, but you stop it a small distance from your hand and allow it to build. The result will be a fireball. To cast it, you simply point your hand at the area you would like to hit, send a surge of magic into the ball, then cut off your magic. The ball will fly from your hand and explode in a small ring of fire around where it hits. This area can be bigger or smaller based on how long you charge it.” He demonstrated by holding up his hand and created a small stream of fire that stopped about a foot from his hand and began spinning in a small ball, as if the fire wanted to move forward. Then, when it got to about the size of his head, he launched it. It flew in a small arc and blew up in a sphere of blue flame that expanded about eight feet in every direction before hitting the ward and burning out. The result was an absolutely charred crater in the ground. “Now you try. I want to see how quickly you learn. Try the first method of casting I showed you.” Twilight stepped in front of him and shut her eyes in focus. She summoned forth the blue flame with ease. She shut her eyes tight, trying to replicate what Connor showed her. Her flame began slowly growing from its original position, slowly but surely becoming longer. She opened her eyes and aimed her horn at a particular patch of grass. The flame slowly crawled towards it then made contact and burned the grass to a crisp. Twilight stopped casting the flame and looked to Connor. “So how did I do?” She asked, breathing heavily. “Good. If you practice more, your flames will be quicker, more powerful, and burn much hotter. Now try to cast a fireball at the same spot I did right over there.” He said as he pointed to the black circle on the grass. “I’ll try.” She said with determination. She focused her power and a small trail of flame began slowly collecting at a point roughly a foot from her horn. The ball grew to about the size of Connor’s fist before she cast it. It hit slightly off center from where Connor cast it and exploded with a small ring of blue fire and extinguishing before touching the wards. “Why did your fireball make a sphere explosion when mine only made a ring?” She asked, frustrated. “Practice. The more you use combat magic, the more you get a feel for it and get better at manipulating it. All you need to do is work at it and try to get a feel for the magic a bit more and you will improve. Also, I noticed you created your flame much quicker today. Nice job!” He said with a smile. Twilight beamed at his praise. “I was up pretty late last night practicing.” “So that’s why you were so tired! You need to sleep more.” He scolded. “I know. I just really wanted to get better.” She sighed, lowering her head. “You did get better. But sleep is important.” He said while running his hand over her mane. She looked up at him with her big, violet eyes. ‘She really is beautiful.’ Connor thought. ‘Wait. Where did that thought come from?! I am a human and she is a pony. She can be cute but not attractive.’ With his thoughts somewhat calmed, he returned back to his conversation. “Do you want to go get dinner? I’m starving.” Twilight looked up at him and smiled. “You know I could just make us dinner right?” She said to him. “Yeah, but now I get to pay you back for the dinner you bought me when we first got here. So let’s go!” He walked back into the library with a smile and a spring in his step. She looked up at him and followed him in. “Connor! Where are we going?!” Twilight yelled after him as he walked out the front door. “The only restaurant I know. Duh.” He laughed as she caught up with him.  “We’re going to Bread Basket?!” She asked, her face lighting up with joy. “Hell yeah we are!” He said jovially They walked for a while side by side before arriving at the restaurant. After a moment of waiting, they were seated. The same waitress they had before came back and was noticeably less surprised to see Connor this time. “What’ll you have?” She asked in a dismissive tone that basically said ‘I’ve been here too long’. “I’ll get the carrot stew with the bread bowl again.” Connor said. “I’ll get the same.” Twilight agreed. “All right then. Your order will be out in about ten minutes.” Connor turned over to Twilight. “Hey twi, I have a question.” He asked. Twilight smiled, plenty of people called her twi but when he said it it made her feel warm. She wasn’t sure why. “Ask away Connor.” “Can you explain what’s happening with the griffins?” Twilight’s face darkened. This was a topic that worried her but he needed to know. “The griffins are building their army and have been making a lot of threats at Equestria and its citizens.” “That’s what Big Mac told me too. I was wondering if you know why?” “Nobody does. That’s why we’ve been so worried about it. It’s like they are going at us like this without any provocation, what would they do if we responded? We don’t want to fight, but it looks like that is what we are heading towards.” “I’m sorry.” Connor said, seeing the distress that this caused her. “It’s nothing you could have stopped. You don’t have to apologize. Oh look! Our food is here!” She said, noticeably perking up. They ate their meals in silence, choosing to savor the taste of the food and each other's company. They finished their food and relaxed in their chairs. The waitress came by and dropped their bill. Connor took the ten bits for the meals out and payed. They left shortly after and walked home in silence. Connor looked around and saw that the sun was close to setting. They arrived at the library and walked inside. Twilight swung the door shut with her magic. “I’m tired.” Connor stated. “Me too.” Twilight agreed. “I’m gonna go hit the sack.” He said with a yawn. “Same here. Hey Connor?” “Yeah Twilight?” "Can I sleep with you tonight?" A million different meanings for that sentence flashed through Connor’s head in an instant. He banished them all immediately and turned his focus back to Twilight. “Why?” He asked cautiously. “I’m feeling very unnerved with all this talk about war and fighting and I would feel much better if someone was with me.” She said timidly. He thought about it for a second before he came to a decision. “Sure, why not.” He agreed. “Thanks connor.” She said in a tired voice. Connor went and lied down. Twilight soon followed suit and lied down next to him. ‘Strange,’ Connor thought. ‘It’s nice to have someone with me.’ He fell asleep with a head full of unanswered questions and Twilight’s warmth beside him.