//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Magic is a friend // by Blackdust //------------------------------// Flora's pov "I can't go any further. This is your wish. I can't be there as it will influence your decision," Flora's mom said, and then took note of the fear on her daughters face. "Those are the rules of the Stone, Flora. I wish I could go in there, if only to keep you safe..." Flora looked at the ground in slight disappointment. Then looked up at her mother and nodded saying, "I understand. I won't waste this wish." Then she turned her back to her mother and walked down the small path that lead into the hill. Not looking back in case she lost what determination she had in her right now. The tunnel was a lot longer than it appeared. It seemed to lead down and down, going farther than anypony had ever gone before. In her mind at least. But really, it was a natural tunnel that lead to a cave with a giant rock with a special rune carved in the front of it. She already had her wish planned out. She would wish for something to show her how to use her magic. So determined on getting the wording right was she, that she stumbled up the stairs leading to the Choosing Stone. Upon realizing this, she blushed slightly in embarrassment, glad nopony was down here with her to see that moment. Best not to tell anypony about.... She thought to herself, then looked up at the stone and saw the rune glowing a faint red color. Like the eyes of a sentinel spell. Well, I guess I have to say my wish now... "I wish that something, anything, could teach me how to use the magic I'm capable of using," she said, and closed her eyes. Hoping, praying, that her wish would be answered... Jackson's pov ...And then, he was falling. not very far, he knew that much, but falling nonetheless. And then he landed on something soft that let out a surprised squeak. He got up, groaning slightly and rubbing his temples as his head hurt from the sudden start and stop of motion. "Where in the nine pits am I now...?" He asked as he looked around seeing that he was in a kind of cave with a stone on a pedestal. "Get... off... of... me..." A voice wheezed out from underneath him. Flora's pov The sudden weight got off of her after she told it to, so it understood her just as much as she it. So she got up and rubbed her chest, as it was suddenly almost flattened into the floor from the thing standing over her. It looked weird. It didn't have any fur except on top of it's head. And aside from having cloth like things covering all of it's body, all it would need were some horns to be called a Minotaur. Jackson's pov As he looked at the pony- no. Unicorn. He realized just where he was. "Equestria... I'm in Equestria... What's your name? And why do I feel like this is a badly written fanfic now..." Jackson rambled, still trying to come to terms with just how I got here. I mean, he got there! "What? Oh... Um..." the filly started shifting uncomfortably before saying cutely, "My name's Flora Everglow and I need help using my magic!" "What? But I thought all unicorns knew by instinct alone how to use magic?" Jackson asked still confused. Flora's pov "Great... just like my mother... I keep trying to make my magic listen, but it just won't. I know that it's there, it just won't do anything," Flora told the creature before realizing she didn't know it's name or what it was or where it was from. So she decided to ask these three questions in a quick barely understandable flurry that caused the creature to pause and look at her in slight confusion as it tried to comprehend what it just heard. "OH!" The creature said after a few moments of trying to decipher what it heard, "My name is Jackson Greycastle. I'm a human from a different dimension called Earth. And I think I know why you can't use magic." "Really?! What am I not doing? Am I not focusing hard enough? Am I focusing too hard? Is it that I'm not visualizing what I want to hap-" "It's none of those," Jackson said, interrupting her frenzy, "It's that you're trying to FORCE it to listen. What you haven't tried, I'm assuming, is asking it to do what you want. Try treating it as a friend rather than as a tool. That might help you." "Wha- A FRIEND!?! HOW IS TREATING THE THING THAT MAKES ME THE PONY THAT I AM A FRIEND GOING TO HELP ME!?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO HELP ME!!" Flora yelled at the human in pure disappointed fury. Jackson's pov Wow she is mad. Jackson thought, backing up as she slowly started approaching him with tears threatening to spill out and murder in her eyes. Better act fast to avoid getting stabbed by a filly unicorn that I made mad... "Look, I only told you what I would help. If you have tried it before, then I got nothing, but this IS the land of friendship, right? So why wouldn't it work?" Jackson said, hoping his logic would help her see why he said what he did. Luckily for him, it did. She stopped mid-step and looked at him in amazement. "But... How do you know that it'll work... I might just mess up again..." Flora said, flopping onto her flank as she started letting the stress visibly get to her. "Hey, if it does work, then you'll be even more unique than the other unicorns. Keep that in mind when you use your magic, ok?" Jackson said, moving to her side and sitting down next to her. Which caused her to flinch unintentionally from him. Flora's pov Curses... I hadn't meant to flinch... But if he's right... I wouldn't be such a disappointment to mom and dad... Flora thought, trying to get herself up to trying it. Hoping it would work... To be continued...