//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: The Mage's Jump // by Marvelous Cheshire //------------------------------// THE MAGE’S JUMP BY GENOSABER CHAPTER 17 I sighed and checked my watch one last time, noting it had been over half an hour since I arrived. Tucking the timepiece back into my pocket, I turned to Fei. “Go wake Scootaloo and have her come out here, I’ve given Alex enough time.” She nodded and jumped off my shoulder, triggering the enchanted pads on her paws as she moved silently up the wall and into the open window. A few minutes later the back door opened as Fei bounced out with a still half-asleep Scootaloo in tow. “Morning Mister Reinhart,” she muttered with a yawn. “Good morning Scootaloo,” I replied, giving her a polite smile before looking up at the closed window. “I’m guessing your parents haven’t woken up?” She shook her head. “I tried to wake them, but they're both pretty tired.” I nodded and turned to Fei. “Would you mind taking her to the library, I’m sure Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Sapphire should be there by now.” She nodded and guided Scootaloo over to the makeshift teleportation circle I had set up. As soon as they touched the gem in the center, they vanished, arriving safely at the library. Turning back to the house, I couldn’t help but grin slightly at what I planned to do. It was no secret among the Black Circle that I took some joy in finding new ways to wake up lazy recruits. Reaching into my hat, I produced a small crossbow-like slingshot, a pair of earplugs, and a bright red materia the size of a marble. After a moment of preparation, I aimed the slingshot at one of the few trees behind me. Even with the earplugs, the sound was almost deafening as the materia struck the trunk, destroying most of the tree and leaving only a burning stump behind. As soon as I removed the earplugs as my hearing returned, the sound of Alex shouting reached me from within the house. “- Grab Scoots and get in the basement.” I quickly tossed the slingshot, hat, and plugs to the side and turned towards the house as Alex leapt from his bedroom balcony. Reacting quickly, I relaxed my stance as Alex tackled me, knocking us both to the ground. Alex pulled his arm back, his sword morphed into an armoured sleeve and gauntlet, ready to strike the supposed threat to his family, before stopping at seeing my deadpan expression. “Tabarnak Trace! What’s wrong with you!?” he shouted, before looking up at the burning stump. In a calm, almost serene expression he asked, “Why, exactly, is my pear tree now a burning stump?” I reached into my waistcoat pocket and retrieved my watch, bringing it to his face. “You were supposed to be up half an hour ago. I told you a few days ago to be up by dawn, and even warned I have little tolerance for those that cannot follow simple orders.” Alex scowled as he stood up, gesturing to the stump. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve worked on that pear tree?” I sat up and shrugged. “I like to be creative in my methods. Besides, trees can be replaced with little trouble.” ‘Though Laura would have had my head if she saw what I had done.’ “Alex!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she appeared in the doorway, a panic evident on her features. “I can’t find Scootaloo anywhe-” she stopped as he eyes focused on the still burning stump, then onto me. “Your daughter is fine,” I assured her as I stood up, dusting myself off. “I had Fei wake her and take her to the library to meet up with the other crusaders.” She nodded as her body relaxed a bit, before trotting over beside Alex and turning back to the stump. “So… why is Alex’s tree on fire again?” I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. “I used what is called a fire materia on it. It’s what caused the sound that woke both of you, as well as a few neighbors and nearby animals most likely.” I dropped my hand to my side and looked at them. “Now before either of you press the subject I would like to make an offer. I will fix the tree to it’s original condition, and you will drop the topic altogether, agreed?” They glanced at each other before nodding. Alex said, slowly, “Double the yield, make ‘em ripe and sweet. All is forgiven.” I rolled my eyes and nodded, quickly dropping to my knee and reaching by into my hat again as I pointed my free hand at the stump. “Watera.” At my command, a small burst of water shot forth from the ground around the stump, drenching it and extinguishing the fire. After another moment, I twisted my body and flung my other hand at the stump, sending a small green materia flying towards it. As the materia connected, it glowed brightly before being absorbed into the stump. Immediately, the stump began to grow rapidly, new life sprouting from the charred remains. Within seconds, the tree was restored and full of ripened fruit, without even the slightest trace of the fire visible. Nodding in satisfaction, I turned back to Alex and Dash. “You’re lucky I had one of those left. Good restoration materia is a tad hard to come by.” Alex walked over to the tree, inspecting it carefully. Dash followed behind, looking a little worried. She turned to me and whispered, “He loves that tree.” He reached up, plucked a plump ripe pear and bit into it. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment, and smiled. Dash flashed her normal overconfident grin me. Alex wiped the juice from his chin. “I’ll get my chef at the theatre come help. Simple Pleasures loves to cook for-” I held up hand. “No. If I had wanted her to cook, I would have hired her. I prefer to do things on my own if I can, with only as much assistance as necessary.” “I can respect that. Would you like to start working in the kitchen?” “That would be nice,” I said, picking up my hat and dusting it off. “I have a rather large order to fill and only so many hours to get it done.” I gestured to the six large carts placed near the doorway. Alex stared at the cart for a moment before turning back to me. “Want any help? I’m sure an extra pair of hands couldn’t hurt.” I paused, unsure of how to answer. ‘It’s… been some time since I’ve had someone volunteer to help me with cooking, and even then it was only for events where it such help would be needed….’ “I-I suppose. I don’t really need the assistance, but it would be rude of me to turn down an offer from my host.” “You two have fun with that, I’m going back to bed,” Rainbow said with a yawn, turning and trotting back into the house. Alex followed behind his wife, stopping in the doorway before turning to me once more. “Coffee sound good?” I gave a nod as I walked over to one of the carts and began rummaging around in one of the bags. “That would be very much appreciated. I still have to get some things ready, so there should be plenty of time for you to go through any morning rituals you might have. Or just making the coffee, Whatever you choose.” He nodded and headed inside. After a few moments of searching, I shot up and turned my head to the door, raising my voice to ensure he heard me. “And for Luna’s sake, put some bloody clothes on!” (Five hours later) Rainbow Dash yawned as she trotted lazily down the stairs, following the unique mixture of scents coming from within the kitchen. Looking inside, she couldn’t help but blink in surprise at the sight before her. Flying about the room were a number of small creatures Dash could only describe as the cross between a ball of fur and a bat, each with a red pompom on its head. They were systematically picking up trays and flying them out the back door before coming back in for another. “Good morning Mrs. Dash,” the half-elf commented as he glanced in her direction. “Uh, morning,” she replied, still staring at the little flying furballs. “Um, what are those things?” Trace tucked his watch back into his pocket and craned his head back. “Moogles,” he stated, before grabbing a potholder and reaching into the oven. “...And those are?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking at him in confusion. “Creatures native to Gaia’s astral plane, commonly used by mages and members of wealthy families as messengers, though they also happen to be useful when you need various objects carried over a short distance quickly but are low on staff,” Trace explained, pulling a pan out of the oven and setting it on the counter and turning around. “Would you mind letting Alex know the last dish will be out in a minute, just need to let it cool a bit.” “Sure...” she replied absentmindedly, still looking at the moogles oddly as she trotted out the back door. Once she had stepped out the door, one of the moogles flew up to Trace. “Kupo?” “Hmm? Oh, that was Alex’s wife, Rainbow Dash,” Trace explained, walking over to the fridge and extracting a bowl of ground spices. “Ku… po?” the moogle questioned, looking at Trace oddly. “Yes, his wife,” he repeated, gently sprinkling the spices over the dish. “Ku, kupo?” the moogle asked as it landed on the counter. Trace sighed. “Technically the proper term for her kind is ‘pony’ or ‘pegasus’ if you wish to be specific, but yes, he is very much aware she is a talking colorful equine, they are the dominant species in this world,” he explained, setting the spices aside as he inspected the dish. The moogle nodded silently, before looking over the dish. “Kupo?” “This? It’s an old elven dish I wanted to try.” Trace grabbed a pair of oven mitts and lifted the dish. “Simple vegetable bake, seemed like it’d be enjoyable for ponies… well that and it’s delicious and I haven’t had it in years.” The moogle jumped onto his shoulder as he made his way outside, turning its attention to Alex and Rainbow Dash and watching them chat while Trace set the last dish onto the tables. “That’s the last of it,” Trace announced as he walked over to the couple. “Positive? Did you double check?” Alex asked. Trace nodded. “Don’t worry, Twilight gave me a list. All that’s left is what Pinkie and Applejack will be bringing.” He looked down at Rainbow Dash, gesturing to the tables. “What do you think, Mrs. Dash?” Dash moved her gaze over the dozen or so table set up, half of them covered by trays of food. “Think you made enough?” she asked with a sarcastic grin. Trace shrugged. “Perhaps. But it’s certainly much less stressful than the usual parties I have to help cater for around this time.” “How bad is it then?” Dash asked. Trace tapped his chin in thought. “Last year’s family gathering had about… three hundred and fifty attendants. I had to prepare enough food to feed at least half that more or less on my own.” Alex stared at the mage for a moment. “"That's... a lot of people. The Roberts family only had about 90 or 100. Had a killer lobster boil..." He paused as Trace and Dash turned a shade of green. "That would interest no one else but me and maybe Matt.” “So thankful my relatives from the coast opted to cook their own food last year,” Trace muttered under his breath, before turning his attention back to Alex. “Unfortunately my family is one of the larger houses on Cardia, which makes the annual party each winter solstice all the more stressful for myself and several other members.” “So why do it?” Dash asked. “I mean, I doubt they’d force a family member to do something like that, unless your’s are a bunch of cruel monsters.” The mage chuckled slightly. “Nothing of the sort, I actually volunteered to help cater.” He walked over to the only cart with anything left in it and began rummaging through the bags. “While I’ve prefered a modest lifestyle, my family is wealthy enough that many of my relatives choose to show off that wealth. Living in large mansions and hiring servants to do most of the work. I opted to help out because I wanted to give most of them a chance to spend the holiday with their own families, rather than have to work for a bunch of snobs that only barely know how to take care of themselves.” “Sounds like you don’t care that much about them,” Alex mused. “I care deeply about them. I just find their choice of lifestyle to be one that will become problematic in the future,” he said. “Thankfully most of them aren’t completely snobbish, and only hire servants for part-time work or important events where they themselves at the time are unable to take care of things. Though I worry for the future generation of the ones that rely on the family’s wealth, I fear they may never truly know what our house stands for.” Dash’s eyes narrowed slightly, “What does it stand for, exactly?” “Simple. That above all else, family is the most important part our lives. Even if we were to lose every coin we had, so long as we have our family by our side, everything will be okay. It is something that I, and every member of the Reinhart clan has been told throughout our lives. And is something we all hold true to our heart.” His expression darkened for a moment, his voice gaining a hint of bitterness to it. “Well, most of us do anyway, one relative has decided that our nobility is far more important to them than the ideals of the family.” Not wishing to dwell on the matter, Trace cleared his throat as he finally retrieved a simple cloth sack from the cart. “But enough about that, I believe it’s time to pay the moogles for their service.” Turning to the creatures in question, he snapped his fingers. In an instant, the entire herd of moogles compacted in front of him. “Kupo?” they all said at once. Smiling, Trace set the sack down and pulled it open, revealing a pile of chestnuts filling the bag. Without warning, the moogles descended upon the nuts, giving Trace barely enough time to jump back as they began devouring the treats. “Are they.. always like this?” Dash asked, staring at the feeding frenzy with a mix of fascination and horror. “Disturbingly enough, yes,” Trace answered nonchalantly, watching the mass with a bored expression. “Kupo nuts- or ‘chestnuts’, as they’re called here- are the most beloved food of the moogles, which is a problem as they are incredibly rare in their area the ethereal plane.” After a few moments, the moogles finished their meal and floated back up in front of Trace, satisfied smiles on each of them. “Ready?” he asked, earning eager nods from the mass. “Very well then. Thank you for your assistance, and I hope you will be willing to return in the future if you are called upon.” Trace brought up a hand, chanting a series of verses in an unknown language before snapping his fingers and causing a large magic seal appear underneath them. In an instant, a blinding light enveloped the moogles, before vanishing a few seconds later to reveal an empty space where they once floated. “... Well, now that that’s settled, why don’t we finish setting everything up before Pinkie and Fei get here?” The mage asked, spinning around to face the married couple. Alex looked around, “Alright, what’s left to do?” “Not much, mostly just getting dishes and silverware out, as well as setting up these,” Trace answered, pulling a bundle of staves, each one of similar design and topped with a red gem, out of the largest cart. “Magic torches, keep the area warm and provide light if the party goes on till late in the day.” “You go ahead and set the table big guy, I’ll help out skinny here.” Trace snorted at Dash’s comment, but smirked as he handed her a bundle of staves. With that, the trio split up as each of them set about on their chosen tasks. “We’re here!” Pinkie shouted as her and Fei came around the corner, a decent sized cart full of various baked goods in tow. “Just in time,” I said as I finished sitting up the last staff, brilliant flames surrounding the gem as the enchantment took hold. “Everyone should be arriving so-” I stopped as I finally turned my full attention to them, noticing the patches of white powder covering Fei’s hair and clothes. “...Fei, what are you covered in?” “Flower,” She responded, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. “Turns out my new body has trouble lifting bags of flower that weigh almost as much as I do.” I sighed. “Alex, do you mind if-” “Not at all,” he replied, not looking up from his task. “Thank you,” I said, before turning back to my daughter. “Go clean yourself up, I’ll be back in a moment with a change of clothes.” She nodded and ran into the house as I took a deep breath and focused on my destination. “Warp.” In an instant, the world vanished around me, replaced only by an endless darkness for a split second before I found myself in the library’s living quarters. “Perfect, didn’t think the spell would be as precise as to put me exactly where I needed to be. Guess this world’s magic is having an effect on my own,” I mused absentmindedly as I walked over to where Fei kept her clothes, grabbing a simple kimono before making my way to the lower part of the room. Just as I began to repeat the spell, I picked up voices from the main room. ‘Twi, Spike, and her parents most likely, probably getting ready to head to Alex’s.’ Shutting out the voices, I cast the spell once more, reappearing back in Alex’s backyard. Without hesitating, I turned and made my way into the house and towards the bathroom. Giving the door a simple knock, I wait for a moment before the door opened slightly, allowing Fei’s hand to poke out, allowing me to pass the dress to her before darting back through the opening as the door shut once more. Opting to wait for her, I sat down to the side of the door and crossing my legs, taking a deep breath before extending my senses out, scanning the magic. “What’re you looking for?” ‘There’s an old elven belief that the magic within a domicile carries with it the history of it’s residents. I thought I had picked up something… odd, about this house when I was waiting earlier.’ I concentrated on the energy around me for several seconds before I finally found what I was looking for. ‘Faint, no doubt it was quite some time between the previous resident moving out and Alex moving in.’ “So what are you getting?” ‘... Sorrow. The previous occupant was, even with how weak the memory is, clearly distraught over something… A loss by the look of it. Something so personal that it’d be next to impossible to replace. Perhaps if I dig a bit deeper I can-’ I was brought out of my trance by a soft tapping on my shoulder. “Dad? You in there?” Fei asked, looking at me curiously. I blinked in confusion for moment, before recalling why I sitting here in the first place. “Sorry, guessing I zoned out a for a minute there.” I sighed and rubbed my temples, feeling a small headache forming. Fei chuckled. “Yeah, I can see that,” she said, giving a small smile before leaping forward and wrapping her arms around me. “Thanks again. For everything.” “Fei,” I started, draping my arm around her. “I have told you several times in the past, there is no need to thank me so many times. I did what I did because I care about you, and because it was the right thing to do.” “That’s where you’re wrong,” she argued as she pushed herself away, looking me squarely in the eye . “I can’t thank you enough dad. For adopting me and helping me adjust to my new life, as well as working to ensure I actually get a real childhood. Back in Gaia, it was you that paid for my lodgings and helped me get recruited by the Order, as well as assign me as your second in command.” She stopped and touched her chest, directly over the sigil. “And before all that, you sacrificed years off your own lifespan to save my own.” My eyes grew wide for a second. “Fei, I-” “I researched the ritual Trace,” she said, adopting a tone I hadn’t heard since before meeting Twilight. “Considering my condition, and the effects of both Siegfried’s blade and the necromancer’s magic, it would have taken at least two, possibly even three, decades off your lifespan.” I opened my mouth to speak, but was immediately cut off. “And don’t even try to say that’s not a big deal, anyone with half a brain would tell you that you’re wrong.” I remained silent for a moment, trying to form a response, before simply smiling and pulling her into another hug. “You have a point, guess I have a habit of downplaying my actions.” She chuckled once more. “Yeah, but at least we know the pride of the elves doesn’t have as much an effect on you as others of their blood.” I let out chuckle of my own as I tightened my embrace, holding my daughter for a few moments in silence. Well, relative silence. “Think I may have finally figured out why she was turned into a ten-year old.” ‘Oh?’ “Well, it’s been about… ten years since everything with the necromancer occurred, correct?” ‘Yes. Why?’ “Just confirming. Anyway, you essentially brought her back from the brink of death that day by using your own blood, which I will get to in a second, and it was ten years ago. Simply put, the magic used for it linked with the magic used in the ritual. Which is where your blood comes in. “It made her ten years old as that is the age of her “rebirth” in a sense. How old she would have been if she had been born that day. It also means one other thing that I’m sure you can figure out.” I blinked and looked down at Fei as realization dawned on me. ‘You mean…’ “She is indead of your blood Trace. It first came to me when I recalled the spell used to send you and Twilight here. It’s designed so that only the chosen party- in this case Twilight- can pass through, but those that share the blood of the common family in the ritual- in this case, the Reinharts, such as you, your sister, and your grandmother- can also use it, Fei should not have been able to come here at all by that logic unless-” ‘Unless she was related to the Reinhart family by blood.’ “Exactly. And I think she knows this on a subconscious level, seeing as how quickly she attached to you after signing the papers.” Zero paused for a moment, before speaking again. “So… yes... you’re a father both in the legal sense and biologically. Congratulations.” ‘Not used to this kind of thing, are you?’ “I have more knowledge and experience with dragons and the undead than I do children and parenthood.” I felt his essence vanish before I could reply, leaving me to sit and ponder this new information. “Mo chuid fola féin (My own blood),” I whispered, making Fei’s ears twitch. “What was that?” she asked as she pushed away, sitting down in front of me with a quizzical expression. I simply smiled. “Nothing important,” I said and I stood up, helping Fei up afterwards. “We should probably head back out, see how things are going with the setup.” She smiled and nodded, following me as I made my way to the exit. As we neared the door, I picked the sound of Alex talking to someone. “- Don’t see why not, I’m sure everyone else will agree they’re more than welcome to join us, and there should be enough food prepared for a couple extra guests.” “More than enough, really,” I interjected as I stepped out, see it was Matt he was speaking with. “Honestly there’s enough food here it’s likely the guests will be able to take some of it home by the end, so one or two more ponies wouldn’t hur-” I stopped as I noticed a hint of green out of the corner of my eye. Looking over, I found myself staring at an all too familiar green unicorn mare. Slowly, my surprised look turned into a light glare, causing the mare to adapt a nervous expression while Matt and another pony, this one a beige earth mare with a pink and blue mane and tail, to look between us in confusion. “Am I missing something?” Matt asked, raising an eyebrow. “Your friend here has been hanging fish in places I go by every now and again for some insane reason,” I answered in a sharp tone. “Always placing them in my path. If this were Gaia it’d be seen as some kind of insult towards my heritage.” At that, the mare’s eyes grew wide in shock. Before she could say anything however, Matt suddenly burst out laughing, causing both of us to turn to him in confusion. "I know you're not going to get the reference but is she chanting 'the power of Celestia compels you' whenever she sees you?" he asked as his laugh died down to a chuckle. I stared at him for a moment, before sighing and turning to the mare. “I’m just going to cut right to the point, who are you and why have you been hanging fish from trees that I would be passing by?” The mare chuckled nervously “Well, Matt told me you could could use magic, and I wanted to see how it worked for myself.” I raised an eyebrow. “So why the fish? You could have just asked and I’d have been happy to give a demonstration.” “I thought you’d be more willing to use magic if you didn’t know you were being watched, that’s why I waited till you took paths that were less populated,” she defended, before adding, “Though I guess that plan kind of got ruined when you started spotting me while I was trying to hide.” I gave a light chuckle. “Yes, though that is not the only reason.” She raised an eyebrow. “One, mages in my home reality are taught that our skill in magic is a gift, and should not be wasted on tasks that can be easily performed on our own. Two, my magic, at least the more readily available spells, tend to be more focused on combat and destruction, so I’m not exactly going to just use it in somewhere populated. Three, I have something akin to an allergy when it comes to fish, even the stench of it makes me gag, and for future reference, hanging something like that up around one of dark elf blood, such as myself, would be considered a rather grave insult.” She folded back her ears. "Oh... I am so sorry... I didn't mean to offend. I was just hoping to study your magic without the observer bias. I sincerely hope you will accept my apology." I smiled and waved my hand dismissively. “Apology accepted. You were unaware of fish’s effect on me, and in that regard the only one I can blame is chuckles over here,” I said, waving a hand at Matt. “However, if you are honestly interested in studying my magic, I could always give a demonstration, even answer any questions you may have.” Her ears perked back up in an instant. “Really?” “Certainly,” I answered, turning my head and mumbling to myself, “Let’s see, it’ll take a while to get some of the more delicate rituals prepared, not to mention, with this current weather, the chances of finding the proper reagents are slim...” I turned back to the mare. “It’ll take some time for me to get everything I’ll need ready to give a full demonstration, Do you think you could wait until Spring, about… two months in? Gives time for things to settle down after the season and for me to gather what I’ll need.” Her eyes went wide and she drew in a sharp breath before pronking about and squeaking out a screams of joy. “YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!” After a minute, the mare stopped in her tracks and began mumbling to herself. “Need to revise my notes, start figuring out which questions to ask… ” her rambling became incoherent for a second, before she snapped her head towards the rest of us “I’ll be right back!” she exclaimed as she teleported away. … Only for her to reappear just a few meters away, looking around in shock before blushing nervously. “Eh, heh heh... Magic surge,” she stated, seemingly embarrassed by her uncontrolled magic. After a moment, she remembered her plans, quickly turning and galloping away. The earth pony mare gave a tired sigh and shook her head. “I’m sorry for my marefriend’s actions. She can get a little excited whenever a new human shows up.” I waved a hand. “It’s fine, really,” I replied, holding out a hand. “Trace Reinhart, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” “Bon Bon, and the overgrown filly you just had the joy of meeting was Lyra,” she responded, shaking my hand. “As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I need to go remind her it’s considered rude to just up and leave in the middle of speaking with somepony.” “Please, go easy on her,” I stated. “She was merely excited, I doubt she meant to come off as rude by leaving so suddenly.” I gave a quiet chuckle. “And I may have been guilty of acting in a similar fashion when I was younger.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said with a small smile. “I’ll be back shortly, once I’ve gotten Lyra to calm down.” I bid her farewell as she trotted away, before turning to Matt. “You have some rather… interesting friends.” “"Life is never dull with those two. Its like a sitcom,” he replied with a chuckle. I nodded absentmindedly for a moment, before turning to him in confusion. “What’s a sitcom?” The remaining guests all arrived within the hour, several of them bringing more food and treats, as well as small gifts to be given to friends. Once everyone arrived, they quickly set about passing out gifts, filling their plates with food from each of the tables, or simply chatting with each other. I, for the most part, resigned myself to discussing my world with Twilight’s parents, both of them curious about where Their daughter had been sent to. “I must say Trace, your world’s history is fascinating, if a bit…” Night Light gulped a little, “violent.” This just as I finished telling them of the Light Warriors. I nodded. “I don’t deny it, but I suppose that is the greatest difference between humans and ponies. I am not ashamed of what my kind has done, thought I am in no way proud of it. Much of what they did was done because they had little choice. Fight and kill, or be killed... ” Night Light nodded solemnly while Velvet gave a somewhat concerned look. “You mentioned your grandmother was one of these ‘Light Warriors’, if so, that would make her well over a two hundred years old from what you said. Are humans really capable of living that long?” she asked, hoping to change the subject. I shook my head. “Not normally, there have been a few cases of humans living that long, but generally such longevity is restricted to the elves. No, what really happened is a bit more complicated. “About five years after the defeat of Chaos, my grandmother, about twenty seven at the time, came in contact with what is known as a ‘Chaos Seed’, one of the fragments of that god’s power that had been scattered throughout time and space, which also brought your daughter to my world. The chaotic magic inside trapped her in a petrified state for roughly a hundred and fifty years before being released. Less than a year later, she married my grandfather, had a son who went on to marry the bastard child of a dark elf and some pompous high elf noble, and they went on to bring my sister and myself into this world,” I explained. “So while technically she could be considered two hundred, biologically she is only in her eighties, which is still an impressive age.” I paused and took of sip of my glass. “Though, considering her stubbornness, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if she did live past a hundred.” “Something tells me it runs in the family,” Velvet commented. I shrugged. “Well, stubbornness is a trait most humans have from what I’ve seen.” I smiled as I leaned my head. “I’ll admit, I’ve gotten in over my heads a few times due it myself, but I was fortunate enough to have wonderful friends by my side.” Night Light chuckled and shook his head. “Yeah, I’ve had a few run ins with some… less than pleasant folks when Princess Celestia would travel to other countries. Glad I had my squadmates by my side back then.” Velvet groaned. “Dear, don’t go off one one of your old stories from your time in the guard, I’m sure we’ve taken up enough of Trace’s time. Besides, Didn’t you want to meet Twilight’s friends?” Night Light rubbed the back of his head, giving an embarrassed look. “Right, sorry about that,” he replied, before turning to me. “It’s been a pleasure speaking with you Trace, perhaps I’ll get to tell you some of my old stories another time.” “Of course,” I replied, giving them a smile as the couple nodded and made their way to where Twilight and her friends were gathered. Once they had left, I turned my attention back to the party. Within seconds, I caught sight of Rarity passing Twilight a small giftwrapped box, quickly placing a hoof and shaking her head as Twilight attempted to open it. They exchanged a few more words before Rarity seemed to bid Twilight farewell and trotted off, leaving Twilight to stare at the gift in confusion. Raising an eyebrow, I finished off what little was left in my mug and made my way over to her. “Something wrong love?” I asked, kneeling down beside her. She jumped a slightly as her head snapped towards me, before relaxing and giving a small smile. “No, just… thinking,” she replied after a second of hesitation. “What about, if I might ask?” I inquired, placing a hand on her withers. “Rarity’s behavior. When I tried to open the present she stopped me and insisted I wait till I get home,” she explain. “I’m honestly a little worried as to what could possibly be in this box that she wouldn’t want me to look until I was home.” “I’m sure whatever’s in there can’t be that bad,” I said, offering a reassuring smile. “It’s Rarity afterall, I don’t recall her being the type to give her friends anything dangerous or questionable.” “Questionable is a possibility, at least in an embarrassing way,” Twilight whispered, earning an amused snort from me in response. “Though I see your point,” she sighed. “I’m probably just overthinking things, it’ll probably turn out to be nothing serious, and I’ll have just made a fool of myself for getting worried.” “Know that feeling all too well,” I commented, earning a small giggle from Twilight. “But on the topic of gift...” I stood and made my way over to the carts, Twilight following close behind. “It’s not much, but I hope you like it.” I reached into the bag and retrieved a black rectangular box secured with a ribbon, passing it to Twilight. She set Rarity’s gift down before calmy removing the ribbon and opening the box, revealing a simple silver necklace with a small (by pony standards) amethyst shaped like a heart set in the center. Flipping it over, she spotted the small engraving on the back of it. “Grá, saol, agus eolas?” she read slowly, looking at me in confusion. “Love, life, and knowledge,” I translated. “Old elven saying, meant to be the three things high elves consider most important.” I smiled. “Bit of a personal touch on my part I guess.” Twilight returned the smile in kind. “It’s beautiful,” she commented, before looking down nervously. “I’ll be back in a second.” Before I could respond, she vanished in a flash of light, appearing just as quickly, Rarity’s gift replaced with a blue wrapped present. “Sorry, had to go back to get this,” she said, floating the present over to me. Carefully, I took the present, opening it to find what appeared to be a folded lump of black cloth. Raising an eyebrow, I pulled the cloth from the box, letting Twilight take hold of the box as I quickly unfolded the cloth into a longcoat. “I got Elusive to make it,” Twilight explained as I slipped the coat on, quickly buttoning it up. “I had him base it off your old robe, I thought it would fit better with your normal wardrobe.” ‘Light, flexible.’ I folded up the collar, revealing that it could cover my face just as my old robe did. ‘Practical, at least for a black mage. And she has a point, this does go well with my outfit, not to mention it’s easier to get on than the robe. Turning to Twilight, I kneeled down and pulled her into an embrace. “Thank you Twilight, I love it.” She smiled and returned the hug, wrapping her forelegs around me tightly. I gave a contented sigh, relaxing in her grip as I felt a small burst of joy from her. Eventually, Twilight pulled away, stopping midway to plant a quick kiss before breaking the embrace entirely. “Mind lending a hand?” she asked, holding up the necklace. I nodded, carefully pulling it out of her telekinetic grasp before placing it around her neck and hooking the two ends together. “How does it look?” she inquired as she took a step back. “A wonderful compliment to a beautiful mare,” I answered, earning a blush from Twilight. “Y-you think so?” she asked nervously. “Absolutely,” I stated, placing a hand on her cheek. “I cannot say this enough Twilight: you are a beautiful, wonderful mare, and I could not be happier knowing you and being with you.” She looked down as her bush darkened. “I love you Twilight, and there’s no one else I’d rather be with.” “I love you too Trace,” she replied, a hint of pride in her voice. I smiled before glancing back towards the party, noticing a few of the guests looking in our direction. I chuckled and rose from my position. “Seems we’re attracting a bit of attention,” I commented, gesturing to the crowd. “Shall we return to the party, my dear?” Twilight nuzzled my neck before trotting towards our friends, smiling like this was the best day of her life. (later) “I’ve attended dozens of annual parties with my family, and only one Hearth’s Warming,” I mused as Twilight and I were walking home. “I have to say, I think I prefer Hearth’s Warming.” Twilight giggled. “Let me guess, it’s much more peaceful than Reinhart family gatherings?” “Oh so very much so,” I said with a quick nod. “As much as I love my family, having to help plan a party that includes every single member… well, let’s just say that if I had to choose between that or taking a mission to take down a Hydra that was attacking a village, I’d probably take the hydra.” “It can’t be that bad,” she insisted. “Three hundred and fifty people,” I stated slowly. “All scattered across Cardia, Ivalice, and Elfheim. I mainly handled catering, which means I had to keep track of each and every members tastes and diets based on where they lived. It was a hectic nightmare that generally resulted in me getting very little sleep for the week or so leading up to it.” Twilight smiled. “Okay, I’ll admit that does sound rather stressful.” She glanced back at the cart she was pulling. “They certainly enjoyed themselves” she commented, looking at Fei and Spike asleep against the contents of the cart. “I would hope so. The crusaders didn’t seem to give them a moments rest,” I sighed. “Though I have to admit, I was a little cautious about how Fei’d react in a crowd, even with people she knew to an extent. Seems being with the crusaders helps her interact with others,” I took another moment to look at her. “I just hope that still applies when it’s time for her to go to school.” “She’ll be fine, Trace, I promise,” Twilight insisted as we arrived at the library. I gently lifted Fei while Twilight floated Spike onto her back before throwing a tarp over the supplies and heading inside. Once upstairs, I tucked Fei into her bed before turning to Twilight. “Think I’ll head out onto the balcony for a bit. The night seems rather peaceful tonight, would be nice to cool off and relax after the party.” I motioned towards the balcony. “You’re welcome to join if you want,” I offered. “I’ll be out there in a bit,” she responded as she tucked Spike in. I nodded and headed out, leaning on the railing as I stared up at the moon. ‘Luna, thank you for providing such a pleasant end to a wonderful day’ I mused as my gaze drifted across the seemingly endless expanse stars, a full moon shining brightly in the center of it all. After a few minutes, Twilight made her way onto the balcony, saying nothing as she stood against the railing, leaning against me as I wrapped my arm around her. We remained there for what seemed like hours, not saying a word, but instead simply enjoying the comfort of being together on such a peaceful night. Nights like this had always been one of the few joys I never lost back on Gaia. Whether I had finished a hard day of training, got back from a stressful mission, or simply couldn’t sleep that night, staring up at the clear night sky always helped me relax and forget the troubles of the day. After a while, Twilight finally broke the silence as she grabbed Rarity’s gift from the table near the door, stepping away from the railing and bringing the box in front of her. “Suppose I should probably find out what’s in here,” she sighed. I shrugged. “As good a time as any.” Cautiously, Twilight lifted the lid until she could peek at it’s contents, before eyes went wide and she quickly slapped the lid back on. “Um, everything alright?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Y-yes,” she stammered quickly, a light blush forming on her cheeks. “So… what was the gift?” I reached for the box, but stopped as Twilight pulled the box away. “Nothing, nothing at all,” she stated, her blush deepening. “Twilight, please, let me have a look.” I said, dropping to one knee. “I can promise that no matter what’s in there, no matter how embarrassing or bizarre, I will not think any different of you. If you choose not to, I will accept, but I would really like knowing if it would do no harm to you.” I gave a sympathetic look. “Please?” She looked away nervously, debating her options, before sighing and setting the box down in front of me. Calmly, I grabbed the lid, slowly lifting it away from the container to reveal- “Socks? Really?” Sure enough, there were four purple and black striped socks folded in the box. I gave Twilight an odd look. “I have a feeling this is some cultural misunderstanding on my part, but I honestly cannot see what you got so worked up about.” “Well, you see...” she leaned in and whispered into my ear. “There considered… ‘bedroom wear’ by ponies.” “Bedroom wear? Seriously!?” Zero exclaimed, before dissolving into a fit of laughter within my head. “Twilight, I mean no offense to you in particular when I say this: Ponies have some odd fetishes,” I commented, lifting on of the socks up and inspecting it. “I honestly cannot see how these would be considered ‘sexy’. If anything, I’d say you’d probably look cute in them.” “Y-you can’t seriously be expecting me to wear those!” Twilight stammered, her voice louder than it should have been. I winced and rubbed my ears. “I’m not expecting anything, merely making an observation. As far as I’m concerned it’s your choice alone to wear these or not.” She opened her mouth to object, only to stop and look down in thought. After a few seconds, she looked back up. “I-I’ll think about it,” she replied nervously, carefully placing the lid back on the container. “But for now, I think it’s time we head to bed, it’s getting pretty late.” I let out a yawn. “Couldn’t agree more love,” I said as I followed her back inside.