//------------------------------// // Training and Shopping // Story: Marjoram // by Nekiyha //------------------------------// Marjoram stared into Celestia’s kind eyes, the first lesson of the day swirling around in his mind. “The key to controlling the dark magic is laughter.” Celestia had told him only moments before. Marjoram stared down at his hooves, and shook his head, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” “I’m not,” Celestia intoned, “For you to master dark magic properly, you need to be able to tap into joy and happiness.” “Yes, because I’m drowning in happiness at all times,” Marjoram returned blandly. “Why does him learning to tap into happy emotions have to do with dark magic?” Shores asked, who had asked to sit and wait in the sidelines of the room. “Magic isn’t traditionally divided into good spell and evil spells,” Celestia began, “Magic is essentially chaos that we ponies have access to. Given the proper training, any pony can innately tap into the magic around them, and bend it to some degree. Earth ponies shape the land, pegasi shape the weather, and unicorns can cast almost any spell imaginable. As time passed, and ponies began to learn the Way of Harmony, many spells were deemed cruel, and dark. Hence, why there are ‘evil’ spells, and ‘good’ spells. Magic is a force in Equestria,.and after so many generations of ponykind turning its back against certain types of magic, pony bodies have become sensitive to its use. So, for ponies to use it, they need to be trained, and have the capacity to use it developed. In Marjoram’s case, his potential was activated, and his body began to collect ambient dark magic, and collected more and more until the portion of storage that once held the energies used for light magic was all but gone.” “So his horn was overtaken by energy he didn’t know how to use?” Marjoram nodded, “Yes. In a nutshell.” “That doesn’t tell me how laughter is supposed to help!” Marjoram sighed, “Magic is controlled through willpower, emotions, and intent. Unicorns are trained to use willpower and intention, since the spells are less likely to blow up because of inner turmoil. Some spells do require emotions-” “So dark spells...need joy to work?” Shores’ face scrunched in confusion, “That doesn’t seem right.” “The many dark ponies didn’t think about happiness. That is why they were eventually overtaken by their own powers.” “Oh...okay,” Shores replied. She still looked confused, but didn’t press the issue. “I’d rather stab myself in the heart with my own horn then become anything remotely close to Pinkie Pie.” “You’ll do whatever is damned well needed!” Shores snapped, “It’ll do you good to lighten up a little.” Marjoram cast a glance at Celestia, hoping to find a hint of salvation. The smirk curling Celestia’s lips told him otherwise, “Fine! Good Creators mare.” “Think of it like meditation,” Celestia intoned. Marjoram closed his eyes, trying to ignore the stares of Celestia and Shores. He thought hard about what made him happy, what sort of things would make him laugh, and what generally made him feel emotionally alright. A cool breeze, smells of fresh pastries, the sound, smell, and feel of old parchment, Twilight’s laugh….the list began to form, and solidify. All the while, Marjoram controlled his breathing, and relaxed. Soon enough, a crooked smile tugged at his lips, and he felt one of Celestia’s hooves on his shoulder. “There. That’s the feeling you need to keep in your heart when you start training. Feeling that happiness, and love, will also stop you from building too much of the dark magic.” Marjoram breathed a sigh, “Good to know. What else?” “Well, now the levels of both magical energies have settled, I’d like to see if you can learn to cast spells as quickly as you did when you were first training. I’ve brought the instructions for a spell. Shores and I will stand to the side, and allow you to work. Remember, joy.” Marjoram nodded, looking at the instructions first. There was no point getting ahead of himself. Beside the piece of parchment lay a clear, stone bowl of water. Concentrate on what, or who, you would like to see. Think hard about why you want to view them, and your will will be done. Marjoram raised a skeptical eyebrow: a very simple spell, no incantation or ingredients. Thinking, Marjoram thought of his happiness, and found himself relaxing marginally. After a few minutes, Marjoram focused on Kafir, imagining him. When Marjoram opened his eyes, Kafir was pictured in the bowl, fighting a horrendous looking creature with a platoon of Celestia’s Guard. The creature was not one Marjoram recognized, but it was bleeding heavily, and seemed to be slowing down. Kafir, lunged past the guards, and stabbed his sword deep into the beast’s chest, killing it swiftly. Marjoram blinked, and the vision faded. He looked over at Celestia, who had a small smile on her face. Shores, on the other hoof, looked uncomfortable. “Isn’t scrying very illegal?” Shores asked quietly, “Since it could be easily used for spying? And communication with enemies?” “Yes, however, it is a simple spell that combines the two magical energies. Nothing he will cast will put him in jeopardy of being arrested, unless he uses them with bad intent. Marjoram scried well. Now, I’m going to show him how to sense the difference between them. You don’t need to be here for this, Shores. Go on, it’s late. Marjoram, I’m sure, will fill you in tomorrow.” Shores shifted her weight from hoof to hoof. She looked at Marjoram, who smiled, “You won’t overdo it?” “I promise,” Marjoram replied steadily, “The spells I’ll be casting will probably be exceedingly illegal. I don’t want you uncomfortable.” Shores nodded, “Good luck. Don’t kill yourself. Remember to sleep-” “Creators, mare,” Marjoram interrupted, “I’ll be fine. Go.” “Goodnight,” Shores left slowly, still clearly unsure if she wanted to leave or not. When she shut the door behind her, Marjoram relaxed marginally. “What don’t you want her to see?” Marjoram asked. “This lesson will likely hurt,” Celestia replied, “I don’t want her to worry.” “She always worries,” Marjoram looked sheepish for a moment, “I...I sometimes forget she’s not my real mother. She was there for Carnation and I far more than our mother was. Even now she acts more like a mother than mine ever did.” “It’s understandable, Marjoram. There’s no shame in that,” Celestia smiled warmly, “You and Carnation were young, and Sea Shores clearly wanted to be there for you both in ways I never could be.” Marjoram nodded, “That’s true. Now, back to the reason we’re here. How do I tell the difference between the energies?” “Cast an energy bolt at me, as you did with Nightmare Moon. Don’t hold back, you need to feel the difference.” Marjoram nodded. He braced himself, and closed his eyes. Tugging at the magic held in his horn, body, and the land around him, he let the magic build up in his horn before releasing it. It wasn’t as raw as the one that he’d used with Nightmare Moon, and was far less taxing on his body. Celestia protected herself with a magical shield, Marjoram’s magic was absorbed, “Did you feel it?” “It was magical, filled with thought and intent. Not emotion.” Celestia nodded, but a small frown appeared, “You’ll understand soon. Now, tap into your joy. Let me know when you’re ready.” “Will tapping into joy be any less of a pain in the ass at any time in the near future?” Marjoram asked. “You’ll get used to it. It will become habit soon enough.” Marjoram nodded, and thought of happiness as it slowly suffused his being. When he was done, he nodded, “I’m good.” “Now, you need to think of the things that fill you with rage, and hatred,” Celestia said, “or any ‘darker’ emotion that you have in abundance.” “Still keeping the happiness feeling in me?” “If you can. If not, thinking hard about a specific thing or person will be good enough until you master the technique.” Marjoram’s thoughts turned to Twilight and Spike. Their happiness, and the pursuit thereof, was one of his major drives in life. Thinking of them, while trying to think of everything that made him angry, was difficult, but Marjoram soon compartmented; keeping Twilight and Spike in the back of his mind, while thinking the dark thoughts in the forefront. Ponies’ refusal to understand that he was ill, ponies taking their families for granted, ponies taking their health for granted…once the list was started, the list continued to flow. Pinkie’s laugh, Rainbow’s ‘too cool’ attitude, murderers who got away on nothing more than a fluke. Soon, Marjoram found himself angry, and barely holding onto the thoughts of Twilight and Spike. Celestia nodded, “Now do the same thing. With emotions and all.” Marjoram tugged hard on the magic, fueling it mostly with emotions and willpower. The difference was startling; while good magic was shaped by intent, willpower, and emotions, darker magic fed and amplified the dark emotions. It felt slimy, and sickly, and heavy. Marjoram threw the magic out of his horn, and the magic exploded out of it like projectile vomit. It was black, green, and purple, felt and smelled foul, and Marjoram could swear it was a viscous fluid from how it oozed and bubbled. Celestia once more erected a shield, and the magic slid off of it, pooling into puddles before dissipating completely. Marjoram couldn’t help but feel shocked, and exhausted. He slumped to the ground, staring up where he could see the tip of his horn, trying to breathe through the throbbing of his horn “It’s astounding isn’t it?” Marjoram nodded, “It’s...profound. I don’t want Twilight to ever experience that feeling if I can help it.” Celestia nodded, “I’d prefer she didn’t, either. Now, that’s enough for tonight. I’ll teach you some more control tomorrow night, but we all want to be as rested for two Hearth’s Warming Eves as we can get.” Marjoram nodded, secretly thankful that Celestia had called it a night. He wasn’t sure if he’d been able to do much more casting. He felt tired, and his lungs ached fiercely, “I’ll see you tomorrow night.” “Keep focusing on your happiness, and keep trying to feel the different energies inside and outside your body. It will get easier the more you practise.” Marjoram nodded, and stood on shaking legs. Feeling tired, he made his way to his room. He collapsed on his new bed, the old one had been destroyed in the blast, and soon fell asleep. (LINE BREAK) Bleary eyed, and hating Equestria with every atom of his being, Marjoram had awoken at six in the morning, and had been unable to fall back asleep, much to his chagrin. After trying to get himself back to sleep without resorting to alcohol for nearly an hour, Marjoram reluctantly got up and tried to ready himself for the day. He had two days to find presents for Twilight’s friends, and Twilight and Spike for the makeshift Hearth’s Warming Celebration. Then he had a little more than a week to try to create paintings or drawings for Shores, Spike, Twilight, Celestia, and Luna. As exhausted as Marjoram felt, he knew he had to go into the streets of Canterlot to buy gifts. The stores would be busy enough before the last minute Hearth’s Warming rush, much less later in the day. Marjoram put on his boots, scarf, and cloak, and made sure his saddlebags were on correctly before making his way out of the palace. The journey took him longer than he’d liked, but Marjoram figured saving his strength for the shopping would be more appropriate than wasting it all before he left the castle. The cobblestones were covered in a light, fluffy layer of snow that shone in the early morning light. The walkways had been cleared already by pegasi, which minimized the slipperiness of the paths. Feeling chilled, and beginning to already feel his lungs complaining about the cold, Marjoram picked up the pace a little, hoping that he would feel a little warmer through exercise. Winding his way through early risers, Marjoram found his way to the shopping district. The elegant fountain in the middle of the square didn’t spurt water, but it was still as coolly beautiful as it always was, even with the lack of flowing water. Marjoram resolved to shop until he’d found something, however small, for everypony. Marjoram entered the stores farthest away from the palace first, and began to browse. This was a welcome thing for many of the still-half asleep store owners, since Marjoram wasn’t the type of customer to chat needlessly. The owners who were chatty at eight in the morning, did nothing but earn Marjoram’s ire, as he was not a pony who willingly woke up at almost any time of day, much less six in the morning. However, Marjoram did have luck in finding presents. For Rarity he found a bolt of elegant, hoofmade silk from the Chineighs. It was a lovely blue teal colour, that Marjoram thought would make a lovely dress. For Applejack, Marjoram found a bottle of her farms apple wine, that was almost forty years old. It was either going to be the best wine anypony had ever tasted, or it was going to be apple vinegar, and nopony could tell until the bottle was opened. It had taken a lot of rummaging, but Marjoram had eventually found a book on wildlife in the Griffon lands for Fluttershy. He had found the first few issues of the Power Pony comics for Spike as well, from the first run of the comic series before Marjoram was born. For Twilight, he’d found an ancient copy of The Theories of Magic, which was falling apart, but could be salvaged. For Rainbow Dash, Marjoram had walked into three different stores before finding a reference book, with plenty of pictures, about the history of the Wonderbolts. Marjoram didn’t know if the mare read, but didn’t really care. Rainbow could cut the pictures out to hang on her wall for all Marjoram cared, but he’d found something the mare was bound to at least appreciate. Pinkie Pie had been a challenge as well, but Marjoram had simply found the weirdest recipe book he could find and figured it would be good enough. The rush of ponies had increased by now, and Marjoram’s body was beginning to protest the cold, the activity, and the ponies. Marjoram began to make his way back to the palace, stopping briefly at the art supplies store to get more canvases and some paints. The way back was mostly uphill, something that made Marjoram regret his heavy saddlebags within a few meters of the hill. Marjoram grit his teeth, and pushed forward, promising himself a nap when he got back to the palace. “Hey! Marjoram, what are you doin’ out here?!” Marjoram’s ears twitched, and Marjoram looked across the bustling street to find Applejack and Rarity standing on the other walkway, already beginning to cross over to where Marjoram stood. Marjoram had to resist the urge to groan, instead standing awkwardly, trying not to block passersby. Rarity and  Applejack seemed to have been shopping as well, judging by the saddlebags. “I do believe he’s shopping, dear,” Rarity smiled, brushing her mane out of her eyes, “Just like us. Are you on your way back?” Marjoram nodded, “Yeah.” “We’ll walk back together then,” Rarity said brightly. Marjoram lead the way, expertly weaving through the throngs of ponies, and trying to keep up with the conversation Applejack and Rarity were having. Marjoram didn’t butt in, not wanting to waste the air, but it seemed the two mares were trying to pull him into the conversation anyway. Marjoram was pulled from focus on walking and breathing at the same time, when Applejack asked something. Marjoram half turned, “What?” He didn’t like how breathless and irritated he sounded, but didn’t care, trying not to slip on the occasional slippery part of the walkway. “Did you just finish your Hearth’s Warming shopping?” Applejack repeated. “Yes,” Maybe, if Marjoram responded with one-word answers, they wouldn’t expect him to talk. “We’re surprised you’re up and about so quickly, darling,” Rarity said suddenly, craftfully dodging a newspaper pony who's bike had drifted from the road to the walkway, “You were just so sick-” “Happens sometimes,” Marjoram bit his tongue, trying to remember to keep his tone at least neutral if he couldn’t manage polite. Marjoram twisted around, too late realizing his hoof had landed directly on a patch of ice. Thankfully, the ponies that had once been so crowded, parted for the falling stallion so he wouldn’t get trampled. Marjoram, reacting instinctively, used his magic to shield the saddlebags from the collision, and tried to get himself straightened, only to make the fall a little more pathetic. Landing hard, Marjoram didn’t have time to register the fact that he’d knocked the breath out of himself before hooves hoisted him up, and dragged him off the busy street, down a deserted side road. Coughing harshly, Marjoram had to fight to breathe before he could look up at Applejack and Rarity. Both of them looked very concerned. “I’m alright,” Marjoram rasped, “Really. Give me a minute, and we can make the rest of the trip.” “I’m sorry, Marjoram,” Rarity said quietly, “I didn’t think about your...condition. We should have saved the chatter for when we got back.” “Yeah,” Applejack agreed quietly, “I apologize.” Marjoram shrugged, “It’s fine.” “No, it’s not!” Rarity declared, “We need to remember that you have extenuating circumstances. That was careless of us.” Marjoram blinked, staring at the two mares, and not detecting a hint of pity. Shaking himself, Marjoram carefully rose to his hooves, and took a few cautious steps, “I’m good. Let’s go.” The rest of the way back to the palace was uneventful, and quiet. Two things that Marjoram appreciated. Mumbling an excuse, Marjoram practically fled from Rarity and Applejack, heading down to where the morgue had been. Marjoram stashed the presents deep inside a cupboard, and sunk into a chair. Letting his head hit the desk, he let out a moan. The next couple of days are going to suck.