//------------------------------//
// Warning and Training 
// Story: A Spiritual Journey 
// by HalfAngelHuman 
//------------------------------//


*Aether*

"I'm back!" Spirit announced as he opened the hut door.
"Spirit!" Akroma said, sweeping her son up into a tight hug. "I saw what happened with the Manticore! Are you hurt? Anything broken!?" she said, oblivious to Spirit turning blue.
"Akroma! He can't breathe!" Fazz said from the the couch.
"Hm?" Akroma responded, taking notice of Spirit's face. "Oops," she said, loosening her grip. "Sorry honey."
"It's okay mom," Spirit said after his body turned to its natural color. "Wait, you saw what happened with the Manticore? Can you tell me what happened to it?"
"You mean you don't remember?" Akroma said nervously. Spirit shook his head.
"All I can remember is Kalinka getting stabbed and getting very angry," he said, putting a hoof on his forehead. "The next thing I know, the Manticore was gone." Akroma closed her eyes and sighed, walking towards the couch.
"Come sit down, Spirit. We have something to tell you."
"What is it?" he asked, sitting between his parents.
"Spirit," Fazz said. "You killed the Manticore."
"W-what!? Now way!" Spirit yelled.
"It is and you did," Akroma said. "When Kalinka was stabbed, you became angry. So very angry."
"The thing is," Fazz said. "The angrier you got, the more it looked you were losing yourself. Losing yourself to your emotions."
"Losing myself...to my emotions?" Spirit said.
"I have a theory," Fazz explained. “It might have something to do with you being a Changeling/Unicorn hybrid. From what your mother has told me, when a Changeling becomes agitated, they begin to turn feral. Their magic also becomes stronger when they feed off of emotions. The strength of a Unicorn’s magic is influenced by their emotions, rage giving one of the strongest boosts. I believe that when you became enraged, you unknowingly began to feed off of your own rage. You became less feral and more...frenzied.”
“Frenzied?”
"What we're trying to say Spirit," Akroma said, giving her son a hug. "Try to keep your emotions in check, especially your anger. We don't want you to become something...darker."
"Okay, I'll do my best."
"Great!" Fazz said, jumping off the couch. "Now with that out of the way, Spirit follow me." he said, walking towards the door.
"Huh? W-where are we going?" Spirit asked, following suit.
"We're gonna have a training session!"
"Really? Are you sure?" Spirit asked cautiously.
"I wanna show you some spells that I know and see if you can do the same."
"Well okay." Spirit said, walking out the door.
"Don't get too crazy, alright?" Akroma called after them.
"We won't!" They said in unison.
"...I'm going to have to bandage somepony up tonight. I just know it." Akroma said to herself, pulling out a puzzle box.

*Great Aether Meadow*

"Okay Spirit," Fazz said, standing across from Spirit. "I want you to shoot me."
"What?"
"Shoot a bolt of magic at me. That way I can show off my first spell." Fazz said, his horn glowing white.
"Well, if you say so..." Spirit said, firing a blast of green magic at his father. Fazz closed his eyes as bolt grew closer. His horn began to glow brighter with each passing second. His eyes flashed open, as white as his horn, as his horn began to surround him with magic.
"Shīrudo!" Fazz shouted, the white magic forming a barrier around him. The bolt dissipated when it collided with the barrier.
"Woah!" Spirit said in awe.
"That was my 'Shield' spell," Fazz said, his voice sounding distant. "And this," the barrier shattered, the shards flying to his hooves. "Is my speed spell: Supīdo!" he said, disappearing in front of Spirit.
"Huh!? Where do you go?" Spirit said, searching for his father.
"Behind you."
"Huh?" Spirit said, turning around. Nothing.
"I said 'behind you'!"
"What?" Spirit turned around again. Nothing.
"C'mon, step it up!" Fazz said behind him. Spirit turned as fast as possible to catch him. "You're too slow!" Fazz said next to him. Spirit turned again, finding himself surrounded by four copies of his father. "What's wrong Spirit, can't keep up?" They said, running circles around him. Fazz disappeared again, only to appear in front of Spirit. He smiled at Spirit, his breathing as calm as he began. 
"And finally," he said, the shards climbing up his body to his horn. "Pawā!" Fazz's horn began to grow longer, rivaling the Royal Pony Sisters. "Ngh!" Fazz grunted as more magic began to swirl around his horn. "And now," he said, jumping into the air. "Release!" Fazz boomed, firing the charged magic at the ground.

*Aether Hut*

“And done!” Akroma said, fitting the final puzzle piece in place. “I wonder how training’s going?” she muttered as the she began to place the completed puzzle back in its box. The room suddenly shook violently, causing Akroma to drop the puzzle prematurely. “Well, I guess that answers my question.” she said, looking out the window. Her eyes instantly widened as she took notice of the puzzle, now disassembled. “...Pony feathers.”

*Great Aether Meadow*

The resulting impact rocked Spirit's world, figuratively and literally. Spirit peered down the crater the blast had created, finding himself unable to see the bottom. Spirit fell on his plot, the demonstration of strength filling him with excitement and fear.
"That was the power spell: Pawā." Fazz said, landing in front of Spirit. "These spells were created by your great-great-great-grandfather as a way to separate ourselves from other Unicorns."
"A-amazing!" Spirit stuttered, unable to move.
"Now," Fazz said, helping his son up. "It's time to see if you can do the same. Let's start with Shīrudo, shall we?"
"O-okay!” Spirit said, closing his eyes. Green magic slowly shrouded his horn, the effort of using his magic in a different way getting to him.
“Don’t force it, Spirit. Let it happen naturally.” Fazz advised, watching his son strain. Spirit relaxed slightly, the magic flowing to his horn slowly becoming less of a hassle. His horn began to flash, waves of magic trickling down his body. “That’s it Spirit! You’re doing great!” Fazz praised, his own horn gathering magic. “I’m going to fire a small beam of magic, okay? I want you to try to block it. Got it?”
“G-got it!” Spirit said through gritted teeth as he struggled to hold the magic together.
“Here it comes!” Fazz warned, shooting the magic at his son.
“S-shīrudo!” Spirit yelled, forming a small barrier around himself. The magic bolt tore through the barrier like it was there, hitting Spirit square in the chest. He fell on his back, the wind knocked out of him as the world started spinning. Fazz sighed as he helped Spirit up again.
“I kinda expected that. I didn’t get it right on my first go either. Let’s try again!”
“I think we’re gonna have to try again later, Dad. I think I’m waking up.” Spirit said as his vision began to distort.
“Okay,” Fazz said with a smile. “Remember what your mother and I told you about your emotions.”
“I will Dad.” Spirit said as everything faded to black.