Shackles and Friendship

by Zaibatsu


Chapter 43 - If you do that with a pie...

Shackles and Friendship
Chapter 43 - If you do that with a pie...
Edited by Andy Grey
Pre-read by Andy Grey


“Still nothing?” Twilight asked after sipping her tea.

“I’m afraid not dear,” Rarity answered. “He’s surprisingly stubborn.” A few cubes of sugar floated from the small table and fell into Rarity’s cup. The two mares were seated across from each other at the Ponyville Café. “In fact I’m starting to feel rather guilty for prying. He clearly does not wish to talk about it.”

“Everypony in the hospital mysteriously fell unconscious,” Twilight argued. “Just because nopony was hurt doesn’t mean we should ignore the whole thing. Rodney’s the only one who knows what happened.”

“Well what about The Professor?” Rarity asked, she frowned after mentioning him. “Honestly, I feel betrayed. I expected more from a pony of his stature and reputation.” Rarity emptied her cup. “Putting a lady to sleep like that,” she added. “The nerve of him.”

“Well, I have sent a letter to the princess.”

“And?”

“She hasn’t replied yet,” Twilight answered. “So, again, Rodney’s the only one who knows what-”

“Madam, your orders,” a yellowish earth pony called as he arrived at their table. “A dandelion sandwich for you,” he offered the dish to Twilight, “and fresh salad with persimmon shaves for you,” he placed the last dish in front of Rarity in a practiced manner.

“Thank you Savoir,” Rarity replied. “Oh, this does look appetizing.”

“I’ll be sure to relay the compliment to the chef,” he replied before trotting on towards other customers.

Both mares took a moment to enjoy their dish before Twilight spoke again. “How is he though? Everything okay? I know it’s only been a week since he moved back in.”

“Not bad,” Rarity answered. “He can’t work just yet, so he spends most of his time in his room.” She looked at Twilight thoughtfully for a second. “Well, you should know, he drops by the library nearly every day now doesn’t he?”

“He has,” Twilight answered. “And that’s been bugging me for a while now.” Twilight took a bite of her sandwich before proceeding. “In the past he’s been an exceptional student,” Twilight’s expression suddenly became irritated, “when he’s not messing about. But now he has this amazing, almost starving drive to learn more.”

“I certainly hope that it won’t impede his recovery,” Rarity commented.

“It does. Which is why I refused to teach or train him until he recovers completely.” Twilight let out a sigh. “But he won’t listen. Earlier he tried attempting something on his own.”

“What? Like learning spells on his own?”

“Exactly. He just took a bunch of books, skimmed them, and tried whatever seemed to interest him.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad. Even I tend to try out new spells on occasions,” replied Rarity.

Twilight gave Rarity a serious look. “And what if he tried to teleport and failed?” Rarity grimaced at the thought. “Or maybe he discovers the principles of energy conversion and forgets to protect himself; he could burn from the inside out. Or, maybe-”

“Alright alright,” Rarity interrupted, not wanting to imagine the human in those horrific circumstances. “You’ve made your point. But still, Rodney’s not a fool dear. He wouldn’t attempt something so dangerous without proper guidance. He might be reckless and act foalish but he’s smart enough to ask for help.”

“Of course he’s intelligent, very much so even. But are you willing to leave it to chance? Magic is completely foreign to him! What if he fails to identify a danger in a spell? Remember, he’s not from-” Twilight leaned forward spoke in a quieter voice. “He’s not exactly from around here.”

“I suppose you’re right, dear,” Rarity agreed. “So then what did you do?”

“From then on, I realized that completely forbidding him from learning would only result in greater danger; for himself and possibly those around him. So, I agreed to continue teaching him if he would promise not to attempt anything magical on his own without my consent.”

Rarity gave Twilight a rather surprised look. “And he agreed to that?”

“What do you think?”

Rarity thought for a moment. “Hmm, I’d say he agreed.”

“He did,” Twilight replied, though in a way that suggested there was something more.

“But,” Rarity added, “knowing him, he would still do things on his own. He’ll keep to his word regarding new spells things you’ll teach. But-”

“But he won’t stop training by himself or experimenting on the spells he’s familiar with,” Twilight finished.

“Precisely,” Rarity replied, slightly surprised Twilight managed to speak her thoughts perfectly.

Both mares looked at each other for a moment. They started to giggle, which turned to full laughter seconds later. “Isn’t it wierd how easily we can predict his behavior?” Twilight asked as she giggled.

“It is,” Rarity agreed between laughs.

“Maybe because we’re so similar in behaviour? Sometime I wonder how his behaviour can be so pony-like.”

“He does, but it’s still rare for anypony to be read so obviously. Maybe because he thinks and acts too much like a foal?” Both mares couldn’t help but giggle and laugh some more. They weren’t insulting the human in any way. In fact, they didn’t quite understand why the notion was so hilarious. It just was.

Twilight sighed after the mirth ebbed away. “And let’s not forget he can create his own spells as well. It’s not perfect plan, studying magic always carries an inherent amount of risk and danger, but it’s better than nothing.”

A thought then came to Rarity. “Twilight, how did Princess Celestia teach you?”

“Oh,” a wide smile spread across Twilight’s face. “Well, during my first day she-”

“I meant,” Rarity interrupted, fearing the lavender mare would reminisce for hours to come. “How did she stop you from making those mistakes? And don’t tell me you weren’t like him back then; I know you Twilight Sparkle. In fact, I can imagine you being worst.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “That obvious?” Rarity smiled and gave her a nod. “The Princess once told me that, ‘the lessons that are ingrained are those learned by both mind and body’. I didn’t know what she meant at first until I tried doing something that was beyond me.” Twilight frowned at the memory. “I was hoping to impress the Princess with a new spell, instead I got hit with a massive backlash of magic. I was bedridden with a migraine for two days straight.”

“Oh you poor dear,” Rarity consoled. “I...had my own experience,” said Rarity with some hesitation. “In my early years I tried turning a dress I made in the very last minute a different color. The spell worked, mind you, just not on the dress.”

Twilight smiled slightly as she tried to suppress her suspicions. “Your coat?” Rarity nodded embarrassingly. “What color?”

“....Colors.”

“Sorry?”

“Colors, not color.” Rarity looked away. “I was green with polka dots of varying colors.”

For a split second, Twilight imagined Rarity with that description which caused her to giggle uncontrollably, despite trying her best to not laugh at her friend’s expense.

“I’m fine with Rodney practicing his magic at night,” Rarity continued, moving the discussion along. “I just hope he doesn’t blow up my home.” Remembering that both mares had yet to finish their lunch, they resumed eating, their eyes wandering to view the town and the coming and goings of ponies around them.

It’d been close to a month now since the dragon attack ruined Ponyville. The rubble and large debris were all gone, discarded or otherwise reused to rebuild and fix things. Several areas of the town still couldn’t get running water, the pipes under the street had yet to be fixed completely, as was indicated by the large cracks found over many streets.

Had anypony said that it’d only take a month for most of the town to be fixed, nopony would have believed. Not that reconstruction was slow, magic had always made even the toughest and largest tasks highly manageable. Rather, it was the time needed to prepare and plan the effort, contacting companies and ponies, organizing logistics and flow of supplies needed. If this was any regular incident, it would have taken Ponyville roughly three times as long to reach this point. Perhaps the fact that a dragon was responsible for the attack helped push everything along. No doubt The Princesses involvement also made the situation even more unique.

So, even though the effort was not complete, life in Ponyville had returned to normal. The ponies that were forced to camp at Sweet Apple Acres after losing their homes had left. Not all of them had returned to their homes, but many who did offered temporary boarding to those who need it. Enough so that nopony needed to sleep outside anymore.

Applejack had earned awards for being the most dependable pony, several times now. But there was no doubt that every member of the Apple family would be honored in some way. Already ponies were dropping by, either bearing gifts or offering their time to help with whatever needed.

But the Apple family were not the only ones who have earned the town’s appreciation.

“Excuse me.” A somewhat elderly unicorn approached the table.

“Clear Cut,” Rarity greeted, recognizing the old unicorn. “Twilight, this is Clear Cut. He’s a very gifted gem cutter.”

“How do you do?” Twilight greeted. To Twilight, he certainly appeared elderly. He stood with some sag in his posture, and his horn seemed to have lost its luster over the years. Perhaps the most distinguished feature was his beard, deep crimson, and unusually long.

“Well and unharmed,” he replied before he gazed away with a frown. “Thanks to your human I suppose.”

“Rodney is not my human,” Twilight corrected.

“Yes, of course,” he apologized, mentally scolding himself for that mistake. A box wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine appeared out of the saddlebag he wore. “I was hoping to drop this by your shop, Rarity, though I found it empty and thought to return tomorrow. But luckily I spotted you on the way back.”

“I don’t remember placing an order,” Rarity replied, gazing at the box.

“A gift, for the hu-for Rodney,” Clear Cut quickly corrected. “It is my thanks for saving the town and, I suppose, saving me as well. My shop is all I have.”

“I’ll make sure he gets it. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.” The glow around the box changed to a shade of blue as Rarity took it with her own levitation spell.

“And this,” Clear Cut continued, levitating an envelope from his bag, “is my apology to him.” Both Rarity and Twilight gave the envelope an odd and curious glance. “It was a long time ago, in fact I doubt he would even remember. He came by my shop with one of your orders, Rarity. Anyways my….greeting to him was less than courteous. Actually it was down right insulting.” He glanced away shamefully. “I’ll be honest, wasn’t quite sure what to think when he first came to town. Him and that strange blue fire of his.”

[AN: Happened in Chapter 18.]

“I’ll make sure he gets it,” Rarity repeated.

“Well then, I suppose that’s it. Looking forward to your next order,” he gave a nod to Rarity. “It was nice meeting you, Twilight. Come by my shop, The Perfect Cut, if you ever need professionally crafted gems or jewelry.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Clear Cut, though your work might be wasted on me. I’ve only used gems for magic and such.”

Clear Cut gave her a shrug. “Ah, you never know.” With that, he turned and left, trotting down the street and disappearing behind the many ponies going about their business.

“Well that was nice of him.” Rarity gave the envelope a look. “Sometimes I forget that Rodney actually fought a dragon. He really doesn’t behave like somepony who is capable of such a thing. It’s a bit surreal.”

“I wouldn’t believe it either if I hadn't seen him charging headlong towards the dragon,” said Twilight.

Rarity once again gazed at the ponies around them. “I think everypony won’t mind having him around now. Protector of Ponyville,” Rarity added jokingly, raising her hooves in the air in exaggeration.

“I just wish he didn’t have to fight a dragon to achieve that,” Twilight added.

“Are you saying that nopony would accept him otherwise?” Rarity countered. “You make it sound as if he had to risk his life for the town to accept him completely.”

“Of course not, everypony would have loved Rodney if they were willing to get to know him. There are plenty of ponies who already did, even before the dragon attack. He might like to tease and mess around, but he’s not hateful, and can be very attentive to ponies’ feelings. He’s funny, in his own weird way, and there’s rarely a dull moment around him.” Twilight smiled. “I think the best part is that he thinks differently.”

Rarity was caught surprised. She hadn’t really meant anything with that question, she just threw it out to keep the conversation going. It made her think.

“Speaking of Rodney,” Rarity started. “Is he still in the library?”

Twilight nodded. “I gave him some books to read, he’s not quite ready for the more advance spells yet. Spike and Shine Bright are keeping him company, I told them to make sure Rodney doesn’t try anything reckless. I already moved the more ‘dangerous’ books away, just in case Rodney tries to sneak a peek.”

Rarity hummed for a while, thinking as she stared at Twilight who had yet to finish her meal. “Twilight,” she called again.

“Hmm?” she replied, eating the last bit of her sandwich.

“Are you sure it’s okay? Leaving those two alone?”

“Of course,” Twilight answered. “The Princess herself sent her to help me keep an eye on Rodney. So far Shine seems capable of handling him.”

“That’s not exactly what I’m worried about.”

“Then what is?” Twilight asked innocently.

Rarity didn’t immediately answer. Academically Twilight was brilliant, there was no arguing that. But it was also clear to Rarity that Twilight lacked any real experience or aptitude for social matters. It had gotten better, of course. Rarity had seen Twilight grow as a friend and pony ever since that fateful day. But there was still one aspect that worried her. One that Rarity believed every pony, especially a lady, should experience in her younger years. In this criteria, Rarity had the superior knowledge and expertise in this compared to Twilight.

‘Subtle, or blunt?’ Rarity pondered.

“Aren’t you worried how they’re spending so much time together?” Rarity asked, attempting the subtle approach.

“Why should I? It’ll be best if they do. If Shine can learn to better handle and watch over Rodney, giving me more time researching his unique magic. In fact, I have a new theory that explains why his magic acts so violently.”

Most of what Twilight had just said flew past Rarity. It was clear to her that subtlety wouldn’t work. Twilight simply lacked the experience and knowledge to understand her hidden meanings.

‘Being blunt won’t work either,’ she deduced. Knowing Twilight, she would only withdraw from a forced confrontation. Should Rarity outright ask her suspicions, Twilight would only deny it.

Rarity would have to tread carefully. After all, it did involved two of her friends. If done too haphazardly or hastily, it could end their friendship. Rarity decided then that she needed to prepare, ensure there really was a chance.

‘Rodney first then.’

=========[Golden Oak Library]=========

“Spike, are there any runes in the library?” I walked around the main area, trying to find anything similar to what the book in my hand described.

“Well of course there are,” Spike answered, though he still kept his attention on the comic he was reading. Yeah that’s right, they got comics. “There’s a few in the kitchen.”

“What kind of rune is it?” I began making my way there.

“Mostly wards,” he answered, before glancing away from his comic and giving me a look. “Remember the fire?”

“Ah,” I murmured sheepishly. “Yeah I’ll make sure not to touch anything.”

“Is that why you keep insisting that I take the books from the shelves?” Shine asked, a brow raised.

“Yep,” Spike answered for me. “Can’t risk him accidently touching the walls or anything. Messes with the runes. Don’t ask why cause I don’t know. Twilight never told me.”

“Then why is he inside?”

“Because I got these,” I quickly answered, raising a leg and pointing at my feet. “Shoes. I’m not actually touching anything right now. It’s all about skin contact,” I clarified.

I continued to make my way to the kitchen, chains jingling with each step, when Shine asked another question. “In that case, why can’t you just wear mittens?”

“Mittens? Cause then I...hmmm.” I was about to argue that, with mittens I wouldn’t be as dexterous with my hands as I wanted. But Shine’s question did inspire another idea, one that made me question my intelligence.

‘Why hadn’t I considered wearing gloves? Pretty sure Rarity could easily make me some.’

‘You really think I know how the flow and creation of ideas work in the human mind?’

“Uhm, Rodney?” Shine called, her head tilted in confusion.

“Huh? Oh, no mittens wouldn’t work,” I finally answered. “Won’t be able to use my hands properly.” I wiggled my finger fluidly like worms for emphasis. “But gloves would.”

“What are gloves?” she asked.

That question stumped me for a second, although, after giving it some thought it sorta made sense. These ponies after all wouldn’t have any use for gloves. in fact, I think a horseshoe or a sock would be the better comparison.

“It’s like a fabric formed to fit comfortably around my hand. Designed to form without restricting movement.” I lifted a leg again, letting them see the white fabric showing on my ankle. “Like socks, just thinner.” I decided to leave the fact that leather tended to be used as the material for such things. I doubted these ponies would appreciate the fact that humans were wearing the flesh of animals. Hell, they’d probably freak out.

After making a mental note to ask Rarity for a pair of gloves - ‘Remind me to ask Rarity for a pair of gloves.’ - I finally made my way to the kitchen. Much as I looked though, I couldn’t find anything rune-ish anywhere.

“Spike, I can’t find any,” I yelled. Using a wooden spatula, I carefully propped one of the cabinets open, thinking there might be a rune on that wall inside.

“Chirp!”

“I found Peewee, though!” I added.

“What is he doing?”

I stared at the baby phoenix while it played in a bowl of oatmeal. “Nesting on your oatmeals apparently.”

I could feel Spike sigh irritably through the wall. “Yeah, he does that when you leave a bowl of oatmeals lying around.”

“Oh, sorry,” I heard Shine apologize. “I was saving that for later.”

I turned my attention back at Peewee just as he rustled the oatmeals about before nesting comfortably. Now I have no knowledge of Phoenix behaviour at all, so I can’t say for sure if I’m right in this; but I swear there is something wrong with this bird. He’s just an oddball. He would disappear randomly only to reappear, sometimes a day later, in the most random of places. Neither Spike or Twilight seemed to know how Peewee manages to get to the places he’s been.

I’m starting to suspect Peewee is blood related to Pinkie.

“You are one freaky bird, you know that?” I mumbled at him.

“Chirp!” was all he said before his eyes closed. With a shrug I just close the cabinet door and left him there to sleep on Shine’s oatmeal.

“So where are the runes Spike?” I asked again.

“Behind the fridge!” he yelled back.

“Shine could you-” I was about to ask, a finger pointed at the fridge.

“I’m on my way,” Shine replied. Already I could hear her hoofsteps approaching. I stepped back, giving Shine her space as she, with her pony physique, easily pulled and pushed the fridge to rotate away from the wall. “There they are,” said Shine, giving me room to look.

“Whoa.” Sure enough, I got a clear view of the runes, though it was far more complicated than I had expected.

Where a normal fridge would probably have a few coils and a cable sticking out of the back, the back of this fridge - and likely every fridge - had nothing. It was completely flat, which basically meant that the fridge was nothing more than a box with a door. There was, however, an immense number of lines, all connected in some way. I had to double check the book I had with me; it was difficult to separate each rune from one another.

“Uh, Shine? I don’t suppose you know how all this works do you?” I asked, pointing at the runes.

She shook her head. “I don’t read runes.” she answered.

I sat down on the floor, legs crossed with the book in the middle, while my chains clattered on the floor. Flipping over the pages, I tried to understand the design and functionality of the runes, but they remained elusive. It probably didn’t help that I hadn't read the book properly, and had only just skimmed most of it.

“There’s definitely more to it than just keeping things cold,” I mumbled to myself, the gears in my brain turning.

“Twilight once said to read from the beginning!” Spike yelled. “Like a sentence!”

“Thank you!” I yelled back, grateful for the hint. “Uh, where exactly is the beginning?”

“From the battery!”

“That makes sense,” I mumbled. With my ‘Sight’ it was easy to determine where the battery was, all I had to do was look for the bundle of fire attached to the fridge. “Oh hello,” I said out of surprise.

“What?” Shine asked.

I didn’t answer as my attention was too preoccupied with what my ‘Sight’ showed me. Yes, finding the battery gem was very easy - it was on the inside of the fridge, at the opposite side - but what held my attention were the runes. Or to be more accurate, the magic that flowed through them.

“Now that is very interesting,” I mumbled to myself.

“What is?” Shine asked again, but again I hardly noticed.

To me, it looked as if the magic from the battery gem was flowing through the lines that made up the rune. Like a tiny pipes. But that was not all. Upon closer inspection, the magic was also being shifted and molded around as it traveled on. It looked exactly like how I would weave magic into a spell, or how magic is weaved in general. Reading about it helped me understand how runes work, somewhat, at least, but seeing it drove the idea of runes home.

The simplest way I can describe it would be: runes are like circuit boards.

Now I might be a programmer, but I only know the basics of how my computer - or any computer - actually functions in the physical sense. I’m a software guy, not hardware. But based on my understanding so far, runes are like manufactured spells. Let magic pour through and it’ll keep weaving a spell and let it go at the end. Which is pretty much the same as casting the spell.

Now, that’s not to say that runes rival actual spells in strength. According to the book, if you duplicated a spell with runes it would only yield roughly twenty to twenty-five percent strength, when compared to that of its counterpart. Which is why runes were mostly used for simple functions, light sources, heating, and in this case, keeping the inside of the fridge cold.

In this world, magic had almost completely replaced electricity. Except that magic far outscaled electricity in terms of usability, availability, and in ease of access; magic is practically all around us.

I don’t know how long I sat there, open book atop my legs, just staring at the back of the fridge. I would’ve stayed there longer, if Shine hadn't snapped me out of it by shaking my shoulder.

“Rodney,” she called, practically right at my ear.

“Hmm, yeah, sorry Shine.” I cleared my throat. “Lost myself in thought there.”

“You also forgot to close your mouth,” she replied, glancing down. Following her gaze I looked down at the book which had a dark wet mark in the middle of the page.

“Did I seriously drool?” I asked, just as much to myself. I quickly grabbed my shirt and placed atop the page, hoping it would absorb the liquid before damaging it.

“Are runes really that interesting?” Shine asked curiously.

I smiled and looked at her with beaming eyes. “Very.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” I heard a familiar voice say. When we turned around, Shine and I saw Twilight standing by the entryway to the kitchen.

“Twilight,” I greeted with a smile. “When did you get back?” I started pressing my shirt down harder on the book.

“Just arrived,” she answered. “You didn’t hear me come in?” I shook my head.

“He sort of drifted away staring at your fridge,” Shine explained.

Twilight smiled as she gave me a look. “Yeah, he tends to do that.” She trotted inside and stood next to me. “You haven’t touched anything, have you?”

“Nope,” I answered confidently. “Kept my magic level in check, same as before.” She gave an approving nod, before her eyes drifted to the fridge and to the book in my lap.

“Interested in runes now?” she asked despite the obvious answer.

“Twilight, why do you keep hiding things from me?” I asked, exaggerating my irritation a bit. “First teleportation, and now this?”

“I’m not hiding them from you, I’m restricting them,” she corrected. “For teleportation, you’re not ready for the challenge yet. That spell is beyond your skills right now, you’ll only hurt yourself.” Her horn glowed as the fridge moved back to it’s original position. “As to why I never introduced you to runes, there are several reasons.”

“Which are?” I asked, arms folded to show my irritation.

“Well firstly, you can weave spells.” I raised a brow confusedly. “Aside from tools and machines, there are very few reasons why a unicorn would want to study runes. Runes are mainly used to spread the use of magic to those who can’t weave spells. In fact, many nations around the world trade with Equestria for machines and designs involving runes.”

I turned and looked at Shine. “Is that true?”

“It is. Runes make life a bit easier for both earth ponies like me and pegasi. I mostly live in the castle, though, so I only have a few things that actually have runes back home. My favorite is the sink. It has this little box underneath that cleans dishes for you.”

‘Does she mean a dishwasher?’

‘Probably.’

I contemplated this new information for a moment. “So basically, you guys trade in magic services?”

“That’s one way to put it,” Twilight answered, she sat on the floor next to me. “we manufacture and design runes based on demand, as well as supplying the battery gems needed to power them. We mostly trade for resources that Equestria, geographically, does not posses. So again, aside for the sake of trading, unicorns have little use for runes.”

I went silent again, still seated on the kitchen floor as I pondered everything Twilight had said. Mainly the part about runes being of little use to those that could weave spells. I still found that hard to believe. Perhaps it was because I see and think things from a different perspective.

“How many races are there that can weave spells like you and I?”

“If you consider total number of races there are, very few. Technically every race uses magic in one way or another; most do it naturally like breathing. There are even those who have managed to take advantage of magic elsewhere. For example the Zebras, being expert herbalists, have knowledge and uses for plants both naturally and magically. They’re the leading expert in herbal medicine and cultivators of exotic flora.”

“Don’t forget dragons!” Spike shouted.

“Yes, dragons too,” Twilight added, mainly just so Spike could hear her. “Although there’s very little information regarding dragon magic. Dragons that have fled their homeland, like the ones here in Equestria, have lived in seclusion and tend to keep to themselves.”

For a moment my mind wandered back to the memory of my encounter with Falnor. The way his flames could chase down targets like homing missiles, or how he could heal himself in minutes. Yeah, dragons were definitely more than capable of magic.

My hands unconsciously clenched at the memory.

“And gryphons? Do they use magic?” I asked, moving the discussion along.

“They do. At some level they use magic for flight, the way pegasi do, but unlike them, gryphons are unable to control the weather in any way. They’re actually Equestria’s largest buyer of runic machinery, with it they managed to control the weather to a certain degree. Though they never did like the idea of having to also trade battery gems from us.”

“Yeah, I bet they don’t. Not only do you guys have a monopoly on making and supplying runes, but you also monopolize the battery they run on.” I chuckled. “Not sure if I should criticize or applaud you guys on that. You’ve created a market for products that would only work with the help of unicorns.”

Surprisingly, Twilight looked proud. “For your information, we ponies have always been excellent traders.”

I let her have that and I closed the book. “I don’t know Twilight, I would still like to give runes a go.”

Twilight’s gaze drifted down as she considered it. “Learning runes is a costly, mainly because of the supplies needed to make them, and extremely time consuming. Unicorns that trade in runes spend years honing their craft. I can read runes rather easily, but by no means does that mean I’m an expert at making them. I may not even be qualified to teach it.”

I sighed at that. “So learning runes isn’t an option?”

“Well I won’t stop you, and you’re certainly welcome to read about them.”

I raised a brow, surprised. “Really? What happened to restricting and making sure I don’t blow myself up?” I asked jokingly.

“Runes aren’t all that dangerous, you would have to try hurting yourself for it to be dangerous. Still interested in learning?”

I gave another thought. “Yep.”

Twilight’s horn immediately glowed. “Then you’ll need these to get started.” A second later three thick books suddenly materialized in front of her, landing on the floor with a thud.

“Okay, now you’re just showing of,” I said irritably. Twilight just smiled before disappearing in a flash of purple light, only to reappear a few feet away, in the main area of the library. “Annoying!” I yelled.

“Here,” Shine offered, moving to stand next to me.

“Thanks.” Careful not to touch the floor, I placed a hand on Shine’s back and used her to pull myself back up. All my injuries had pretty much healed, and only that one rib was still giving me issues.

Once I got back to my feet, I made my way back to the reading area where Spike and Twilight were, the books Twilight brought burning blue as they hovered behind me. The light from outside the window had a tinge of orange, indicating that the sun was starting to set.

“I guess that’s it for today,” I announced. “I’ll be back tomorrow Twilight.”

“Remember your promise,” she reminded in a stern tone. “Don’t-”

“I won’t,” I interrupted. “Especially seeing as I’m living in somepony’s house.”

“Ha!” Twilight suddenly yelled, catching my by surprise.

Looking back, I saw she had a hoof pointed at me with a look of victory. “What?” I asked dumbstruck.

She smiled smugly. “You said ‘somepony’.”

I thought for a moment. “Huh, I guess I did. I suppose that happens when you hear the word in almost every conversation.” I then figured out why Twilight reacted the way she did. “You would consider that a victory for ponies over my kind?” I asked with a smile.

“I’ll take my victories where I can,” she replied proudly.

I chuckled. “Fine, you can have that. But be warned,” I raised a hand and pointed at Twilight while striking dramatic pose, “counting victories means you and I are at war Twilight Sparkle! Do you dare challenge me? The Champion of Humanity!”

Twilight just smiled as she rolled her eyes at me. “Go home, Rodney. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I smiled back and returned to normal mode. “See ya, Twi.”

“I’ll trot you home,” Shine offered, following me to the door.

“No thanks,” I said appreciatively. “I think I can find my way to the boutique without destroying something. You could open the door for me, though.” Shine moved towards the door and I followed, tired but still excited to start reading once I got back.

‘The letter.’

I stopped and sighed. ‘Right.’

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a folded paper and stared at it hesitantly. Today had been a good day. It reminded me of my days back in the castle. Back then, I would spend all day studying and learning magic with Twilight. No dangers, no worries, and no dragons or shapeshifting horrors to torture me. Wouldn’t mind Blueblood's company either.

As much as I would like to, I could not afford to ignore what happened. To be in the dark for too long could be very dangerous. As things go my life at the moment isn’t all that bad. But at the same time, I couldn’t ignore her words.

“One day you’ll find out who the liars are!”

“Spike,” I called, turning around. “Can you send this to Celestia for me?” I walked towards him and offered him the paper.

“Sure,” he replied casually.

“Rodney,” Twilight called in a long warning tone. Like a mother who just caught her child about to do something nefarious.

“Don’t worry Twilight,” I quickly replied. “It’s not a prank like last time, honest. It’s just a letter. Paper and ink only. No magic.”

Her suspicious gaze lingered for a moment before disappearing. “Well, ok then.”

I turned back to Spike. “Spike, if you would.” With the letter between his claws, Spike drew a deep breath and blew a stream of green fire. The letter instantly turned to ash before being carried out the window on a non existent wind.

“Done,” he spoke casually, before he went back to reading his comic. He would make an excellent geek.

“Thanks,” I replied, my gaze following the ashes as it flew away. I smiled mischievously. “If you do that with a pie, will it-”

“Rodney!”

=========[Canterlot Castle]=========

“You’ve crossed the line, Inquest,” Celestia warned. Her tone was cool and calm, masking her displeasure.

“I’ve crossed many lines in the past,” the old unicorn replied, not losing his ground. “Most for the sake of the mission you’ve given me.” Despite his condition, weak and injured, his eyes never wavered under the glare of both alicorns.

“Do we look to be in a gaming mood!?” Luna yelled angrily. “You acted beyond your station and authority!”

“I’ve captured an enemy!” Inquest defiantly yelled back, unflinching. “In all honestly I am surprised,” he continued in a calmer tone. “There was something out there, one that sent a dragon to attack Ponyville, and you want me to do nothing?” His gaze turned to Celestia. “What happened to ‘protecting my little ponies’?”

“Inquest, I have tolerated your behaviour because I consider you more a friend than my advisor.” The room went dim as the sunlight from the window suddenly waned. “But don’t you ever question me like that again.” Despite her keeping her calm tone, Inquest felt a sudden pit inside himself, which forced him to remind himself who he was talking to.

“I apologize Princess,” he spoke solemnly. “I spoke out of place. Yet I still stand by my actions. What I did, I did for the sake of Equestria.”

Celestia sighed. “And never would I question your loyalty. It is your judgment that we are losing faith in. Crea has told us what happened, and of your actions.”

“No doubt she’s told you that my suspicions of the ‘visitor’ was correct,” he added.

“True, she has,” Luna confirmed. “This Jo, a shapeshifter with aptitude for exceptional manipulation of the mind. If what both of you claim is true-”

“It is,” Inquest bravely interrupted. “I am not some senile old pony with delusions of reality.”

“Certainly not,” replied Celestia. “But your actions, forcing the elements into a spell induced sleep? By law, you would have woken up in prison. You even involved the human.”

“I was thinking clearly.” Inquest winced in pain as he accidently moved his injured hoof. “I had the foresight to prepare should I fail in apprehending the ‘visitor’. Or worse, if I were to fallen under the creature’s control. The elements would have been safe with Twilight, as I left her with a plan. She would have brought them to Canterlot, where they would be under your protection and ready to be called upon, should you need their aid.” Inquest drew a deep breath to calm himself before his emotions run rampant again. “As for the human, he was apparently the target all along. I’ll admit, that was a miscalculation on my part. But his involvement was inevitable.”

“All the more reason to announce your intent,” Luna argued. “Entering a battlefield against an unknown enemy, we thought thee wiser than this. Thou should have called for aid.”

“Enough!” Celestia yelled, silencing the two. “This argument is going nowhere. What is done is done.” Her expression turned kind as she gazed at him. “I know you did what you thought needed to be done. We will not question that again. However, it is also clear that you’ve stepped beyond your authority. Especially regarding the research wing.”

Inquest, for the first time since they started talking, gazed away in shame and regret. “It was...necessary. I needed to ensure that thing would not escape. Too dangerous.”

Celestia sighed. “Nevertheless, you will be punished for this. The nobles would not stand by silently once they hear what has happened to their investments.”

“The nobles can go buck themselves!” Inquest cursed.

“Inquest,” Celestia called in a motherly tone. “You know you don’t mean that. After all, aren’t you yourself a born noble?”

Inquest grumbled irritably. “Don’t remind me.” That made the alicorns smile in humor. “So, what now?”

“Now you rest,” Luna answered. “Despite our displeasure, you have still done your part. The creature still resides in the lab, and your prison remains strong. We shall handle the situation from now on.” Luna turned her attention to the door. “You may enter,” she called loudly.

The door opened to reveal Crea. She had to lower her head to enter while squeezing her body through the doorway. The room immediately felt much smaller once she stood inside.

“Your Highness,” Crea greeted the alicorns.

“Crea, please ensure that Inquest gets his rest.” Crea gave Celestia a respectful nod before both alicorns made their way out the room. Celestia stopped just after the entryway and looked back at the gryphon with a smile. “By any means necessary.”

Inquest felt his guts squirm nervously. “I hate you,” he mumbled under his breath, just enough for Celestia to hear.

“No you don’t,” she replied mischievously before closing the door.

“They are certainly a strange pair,” Luna commented as they walked down the hallway. Except for a pair of sentries on guard outside of Inquest’s room, the floor was clear of ponies. “So, what to do about this ‘visitor’. We need to act quickly before the situation becomes more complicated.” Luna thought for a moment. “I don’t suppose we could just eliminate the threat, could we?”

Celestia sighed. “Luna, you must abandon that archaic way of thinking. How many times must I remind you that-”

“Yes yes, we know,” Luna interrupted with a frown. “Tis a different age. Then what would you suggest we do?”

Celestia remained quiet for a moment. “Truth be told, the fact that this new ‘visitor’ wanted Rodney troubles me greatly. If possible, I’d like to know its motive.”

“You wish to interrogate it?” Luna asked, though it was more of a statement. “How? We could fall under its manipulations if we are not careful.”

“I believe that should be our first focus regarding this matter,” Celestia answered. “A way to protect ourselves from its control.”

Both alicorns trotted down the hallway silently in thought until a trail of ashes flew towards them, catching their attention.

“It appears that your apprentice also continues to seek answers,” Luna added.

“So it appears,” Celestia replied. The ashes formed in front of them, materializing into a single piece of folded paper, not the scroll that Celestia and Luna expected. “It does not appear to be from Twilight,” Celestia deduced, noting the lack of name or insignia.

“Rodney then?” Luna guessed.

For a split second both alicorns remembered the last message the human had sent, and quickly took several steps away from the parchment.

“You open it,” Celestia offered, the folded letter floating towards the dark alicorn.

“Clearly it is meant for you, dear sister,” Luna argued. “It would be inappropriate.” The glow around the letter changed from gold to dark blue as it hovered back and forth between alicorns; each pushing it away from themselves with their magic.

The most powerful beings in Equestria, each an embodiment of a celestial body, leaders of their nation, afraid of a piece of paper, sent from a human. A pity there was none to witness the scene.

“Oh very well,” Celestia resigned. “Once again it appears I will be the mature one.”

“We shall gladly admit our immaturity on this matter,” Luna replied victoriously with a smile, comfortably falling back to her archaic dialect.

Celestia braced herself as she hesitantly pried the paper open. After several seconds without any explosions, both alicorns finally opened their eyes. Knowing she was safe, Celestia started to read, though there wasn’t very much. The letter consisted only of a single sentence.

“It seems,” Celestia spoke, all humor gone, “that the situation has already become more complicated.” Celestia offered the letter to Luna.

I want to talk to her.

~Rodney

“I bet now you wish it had exploded, don’t you, dear sister?”

Celestia could only sigh.