Training
Pete had been given the full all clear a few weeks ago, and was now allowed to go back out on assignments again. He had missed the mission to lure the herds of zombies away from the castle, but with his knowledge and Shining Armor leading the team, the mission was a success. The hordes had turned their attention of Ponyville for the time being. Both pony and human knew this was only a temporary solution and eventually they would have to do something more permanent, but that was for another time. Currently Pete was in the barracks teaching the guards about how to deal with zombies in different situations.
“Sometimes you don’t have the correct equipment to destroy a zombie’s brain.” He said raising his hands showing he had nothing. “If you can’t kill a zombie the only thing you can do is run. Don’t try and hide. They don’t have the best eyesight, but their hearing and smell is much more advanced than any you’ve dealt with before. If you can, run away as fast as you can, take a path that has many sharp turns and changes in elevation. Their muscles and bones are brittle, a good fall could even end with a zombie having broken legs, but don’t think this will stop them. They’ll keep on coming, but they won’t be able to come at you as fast. This gives you time to get away. Even if they’re out of sight keep on running, change your direction though. If a zombie doesn’t know where you are it will keep on going in the direction it knew you were last for a good time.” Pete told them. “Alright class dismissed.” Pete said and the guard began to disperse. Pete gave a depressed sigh and his shoulders slumped. He started off in the direction of the castle.
“What’s got you down?” Shining Armor asked seeing Pete’s depressed state.
“Your sister.” Pete answered, Armor raised an eyebrow at this. “Somehow she decided to become my magic tutor so I could control my new magic. Strangely enough though, for a pony who’s so proficient in magic. She has no idea how to teach anything!” Pete said raising his hands into the air.
Armor started to chuckle. “Are you sure it’s not that you just don’t know how to learn anything?” he asked.
Pete gaze him an angry stare and a loud huff. “I know how to learn perfectly fine, but I’ve found if something just comes to you naturally you don’t typically become a great teacher when you try to teach someone else.”
“So you’re saying since she’s so natural at it, she doesn’t know how to teach it effectively?” Armor responded.
“Put simply, yes.” Pete told him.
“Well good luck to you. I know how she can get sometimes.” Armor said chuckling.
“Hell of a lot that will do for me.” Pete said waving goodbye and continuing towards the castle.
Pete found his way through the hallways until he made his way to the library. He walked in and immediately noticed the purple mare sitting at a desk reading a book. He closed the door behind him loud enough so Twilight could hear it. She looked up and saw him walking over.
“Good you’re here. Ready for today’s lesson?” She asked him.
“As I’ll ever be.” He responded rolling his eyes.
“Hey, at least try to take this seriously.” She told him sternly. Pete simply sighed and nodded his head. “Good let’s start where we left off. The history of magic. Magic has been in the unicorn lineage for longer than-” Twilight began to lecture.
Pete simply spaced out as he always did. He didn’t see how being lectured about the history of magic was going to help him use it any time soon. Pete began to do what he always did during these lessons. Continuing where he left off at the ‘Daring Doo’ books he began to count all the books in the bookshelf in front of him. Currently he was at four hundred and thirty six.
“HEY!” Twilight shouted breaking him out of his counting. “Are you even paying attention?”
“No” Pete answered.
“How do you expect to learn anything if you don’t pay attention?” She asked.
“I don’t know. How do you expect me to learn how to use magic from its history?” Pete countered.
Twilight simple bit her lip and started to look around wildly. “I don’t know, okay!” she told him forcefully. It surprised Pete a little as she was normally so calm. “I’ve never tried to teach anything before. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I’m normally the one trying to learn something.”
Pete now realized that Twilight didn’t know what she was doing. She’s always tried to learn everything. Now that she’s the one teaching, she’s trying to teach everything. He chuckled lightly. “Twilight, why didn’t you just say you didn’t know how to teach?” Pete asked her.
“I don’t know.” Twilight answered putting her head in her hoofs. “I just thought I would be able to do it. I guess I was wrong.”
Pete walked around the table and put a hand on her shoulder. “Twilight, no one person can do everything.” He told her.
“Well I feel that I should at least be able to do this. Magic is my special talent.” Twilight told him.
“Yes, learning magic.” Pete responded. “If you put your mind to it you could learn any spell you wanted to. Teaching is a whole different concept altogether.”
“So what would you do?” Twilight asked.
“Pardon?” Pete responded.
“What would you do in my position?” Twilight elaborated.
Pete thought for a good while before coming up with a good answerer. “How should I know?” He said with a smile. Twilight punched him in the arm. Pete simply chuckled.
“You’re not being very helpful.” Twilight told him.
“Well I’m not trying to be.” He responded.
“Are you ever going to stop being a pain in my side?” Twilight asked.
“Previous experiences point to no.” Pete answered.
Twilight sighed and reached over to pick up a glass of water and have a drink. However, just as she was about to grab the glass it was surrounded in a black aura and moved just out of her grasp. Twilight got an annoyed look and reached for the glass again only for the process to repeat. Twilight was mid-reach when she realized what was happening. She quickly looked up at Pete who had his hand outstretched towards the glass and it also had a dim black aura surrounding it. Pete let his hand drop and let out a breath.
“You did it!” Twilight said ecstatically.
Pete was gathering his breath. “Yes, yes I did.” He said slightly short of breath. “Can I go get something to eat now?”
“Absolutely not.” Twilight answered. “We’re finally making some progress here, and I don’t plan on losing this opportunity.”
Pete sighed. “Fine, so what did you have in mind?” He asked.
“I suppose first question being, do you know what you did?” Twilight responded.
“I used a levitation spell to move the glass a few inches.” Pete said unsure of himself.
“Good, now do you know how you did it? What did it feel like?” Twilight asked.
“It didn’t really feel that unusual. I just felt what I would feel if I moved the glass normally, granted to was definitely more tiring than just moving it with my hand.” Pete told her.
“That’s probably just because you aren’t used to using magic just quite yet.” Twilight said scribbling some notes on a pad of paper. “I think the next thing to do would be to see if you can do it again?”
Pete nodded and looked at the glass of water again. He extended his hand again and the same black aura began to form around it. The aura was very dim, but it was still there. The glass of water started to glow as well. It was a constant flickering, the aura’s intensity was constantly changing. Eventually the aura became steady and the glass began to move slightly along the surface of the table. Pete let out a breath he had been holding and closed his eyes. Bringing his hand back he began to rub his temples. “I think that’s just about all I’ve got in me for today.” He told Twilight. “Damn my head hurts.”
“That’s probably a magical backlash. Your body and mind still only have a limited source of energy. Use it up and it could give you some pretty severe migraines depending on the power of the spell you’re trying to use.”
Pete gave a small smile still rubbing his head. “See you can be a good teacher once you get a little experience.”
“I know you’re just trying to make fun of me, but right now I’m in a good mood and don’t really care.” Twilight told him.
“Aw, but the reactions are the only reason I try to make fun of people.” Pete responded.
“Well that’s too bad. Now how about we go get something to eat. I’m starving.” Twilight said.
“I’ll second that idea.” Pete said standing up and stretching his arms and legs as he did so. As he did his pant leg rose up a small ways exposing the newly healed scar that took up a good part of his leg. Twilight saw the scar and had trouble looking away from it. Pete noticed and stopped stretching. “You know I never got the chance to thank you.”
“Thank me?” Twilight questioned.
“Yeah, thank you. For saving my life, for teaching me magic, and really just for being there.” Pete told her.
“Well, that’s what friends are for.” Twilight said to him.
“I suppose so, but still I just wanted you to know. It really does mean a lot to me.” Pete said with a small smile.
Twilight gave a small laugh. “Alright come on, let’s go get something to eat now.”
“I won’t complain.” Pete responded following her out of the library and starting towards the dining hall.