• Published 11th May 2013
  • 9,166 Views, 636 Comments

Destiny's Call: The tales of a foreigner in a familiar land - Zenith Starwalker



Fate can be a fickle thing, or it can be wonderous. A human in a human equestria story; since they're so rare.

  • ...
40
 636
 9,166

PreviousChapters Next
Chapter 13: Trials and Resolutions

My awakening was brought on by a particularly bright beam of Sunlight forcing its way past my eyelids and into my retinas, burning a yellowish afterimage into my mind. I groaned in discomfort and covered my face with one of the round pillows that smelled faintly of lavender. Despite my uninterrupted and strangely dreamless sleep, I still didn’t feel like getting up from that insanely comfortable bed. I was feeling content to lay there and catch some extra Z’s when there was a series of knocks on the door that was not five feet away.

I let out a small whine of frustration before painstakingly dragging myself out of the bed and rolling onto the floor in a jumbled heap. I may have been an early riser when I felt like it, but last night’s activities left me with the desire to sleep in a couple extra hours. The persistent rapping on the door encouraged me to stop sulking on the ground and quicken my pace in answering it.

Why would anyone rouse me at this horrific hour? It’s barely six o’ clock!’ I mentally grumbled while fumbling with the doorknob, slowly opening it to glare at whoever disturbed my desire to laze.

On the other side was a man wearing a black coat tailed suit who was practically the picture definition of a butler. The businesslike and flat expression, the balding head with patches of gray hair at the sides, the penciled mustache… the guy was practically the twin brother of Alfred for crying out loud! That didn’t stop me from being a bit grouchy though, I was still rudely awakened after all.

“There a good reason for bothering me this early?” I voiced with a complaining tone, prompting a raised brow from the butler.

“You are expected at the Royal breakfast table sir” He even sounded like Pennyworth!

“Is there a specific reason why it’s held so unforgivably early?” I asked with frustration clearly evident in my voice.

“Their majesties felt it most sensible to ‘break the bread’ as it were, at a time corresponding to the end of night and the beginning of dawn” He explained, still wearing that calm and stolid expression.

“I see, since Luna’s shift is over and she formally passes on the ‘baton of responsibility’ to her sister starting at breakfast right?” I declared with hefty amounts of sarcasm.

“That is the predominant reason correct” He nodded, “They also wish to discuss important matters with you that require both of their expertise, otherwise they would have let you be until later. They sent me to fetch you and take you to them”

“Of course they do” I replied with a roll of my eyes, “Mind giving me a minute or two to get ready? I’m not exactly what you’d consider presentable at the moment”

He stooped in a servile bow, “Of course sir, I will wait here until you have concluded with your morning routine. Do not tarry for long though, it would terribly impolite to keep their Royal Majesties waiting”

“Perish the thought” I murmured to myself as I gently closed the door and made for the small cubbyhole that functioned as the tower’s bathroom.

I turned the knobs of the washbasin so I could splash some warm water on my face to clear away the remaining fatigue clouding my thoughts before grabbing a tiny hand towel and drying my face with it. In the cupboard below was a small selection of mouthwashes, none were titles I had sampled before. I was very much blindsided by the oddity that was named ‘Bacon flavor’ mouthwash alongside other amazing ‘Omelet’ and ‘Donut’ labels. I shrugged to myself after mulling it over a bit, those were breakfast flavors right? The tower’s previous occupant must have pulled plenty of all nighter’s that lasted well into the morning hours and breakfast flavored mouthwashes like these probably served as a stand in substitute for the real deal.

Twilight must be a strange girl if this sort of thing was a regular part of her wake up routine’ I confusedly pondered as I gargled the bizarre liquids.

I had to admit, the resemblance in taste to the real deal was uncanny. Granted the pit in my stomach that had decided to make its presence known with a rumbling growl was still unsatisfied, but it was a tasty novelty none the less. A small part of me compared it to a more practical version of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans (Although I highly doubted that they came in Bogey flavored variations). I finished up with my other restroom necessities before combing my hair so that the patch of bedhead wasn’t as noticeable. Contented with the level of fixing up I put into myself, I exited the miniscule lavatory feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Hah! I still feel like crap’ I instantly corrected myself, at least there was nourishing food for me in the cards, I was positively famished! I briefly slipped my only physical means of defense (in case Luna was still out for blood) through my belt loops and made for the wooden portal.

I swung open the door, fully ready to be escorted to the comestibles… err I mean their Royal Majesties! The valet guy whose name I’ve yet to learn looked somewhat surprised that I took all of two minutes to make myself decent. He emphatically expressed as much.

“That was rather expeditious sir!” I gave him a cross look in response with a tilting of my head.

“I said I’d only need a couple of minutes didn’t I?”

“Indeed you did sir, although I did not expect you to mean it quite so literally. Most of those I serve tend to… dawdle with their grooming habits” He spoke with no small measure of disdain.

“I don’t doubt it, but that will not be the case with me. When I say I need a specific amount of time, I mean what I say” I sternly declared, I won’t be anything like one of those starchy nobles or worse yet… a Blueblood.

God, I hope I don’t bump into him anytime soon. Or least not without a cattle prod, a banana cream pie, and a spray bottle filled with mace’ However, in my heart of hearts, I knew that an encounter with the blonde Ken doll of a man-child was highly likely since he resided in the palace as well.

“Very pragmatic of you sir, if you would follow me please” He motioned for me to follow him as we descended the many stairs of Twilight’s old study tower. I used the lull in conversation to ask about his name.

“So…I never caught your name” I slowly let out, unsure about how to politely ask while at the same time ignoring the fact that I was being a cantankerous dick earlier.

“It’s Shillingsworth sir, Jeeves Shillingsworth”

“Okay Jeeves, can you tone it down on the sir business please? It makes me feel more senescent than I’ve a right to be” Formal titles every once and a while don’t bother me, but people who constantly ‘sir’ this and ‘sir’ that are liable to get on my nerves.

“As you wish, young sir” He replied, making me groan in response. I ultimately let it go since he probably was conditioned to address his male charges as such.

We did not speak much more after that, Jeeves because of his objective oriented tunnel vision mannerisms and I didn't because I was tired of being sir’ed. I noticed that the castle staff had returned from wherever they were yesterday. Maids dressed in more conservative looking French maid uniforms cleaned house and kept everything neat and spiffy looking. Outside the windows in the Royal gardens, Agrarian groundskeepers trimmed hedges, pulled weeds, and tended the flowers. I even saw them catering to all of the various garden critter’s needs. I couldn’t imagine that kind of comprehensive upkeep came easily. I asked Jeeves why the Castle staff was largely absent the day before and he merely told me that they had Saturdays off.

I don’t know whether to feel relieved by that or insulted. Their absence is what put me on high alert yesterday!’ I inwardly scowled to myself about stressing over nothing.

After what felt like ten minutes of an agonizingly slow walking pace, we eventually reached the Royal Dining Hall as it was officially named. Jeeves opened the door for me to reveal something that could have been taken out of a Harry Potter book, the dining hall was at least as long as Hogwart’s hall (Likely used for similar populous and official occasions) and had atmospheric effects happening on the ceiling. White puffy clouds billowed and rippled in an invisible wind as they floated above the massive dining table, some of them even became rainclouds that unloaded their cargo of moisture in the form of mist like droplets that fell but left no water marks. I had to admit that seeing such a thing up close was pretty neat.

Way on the other end the Princesses themselves were seated across from each other, an empty chair at the foot of the table to their respective sides. I read between the lines and made my way over to them, keeping eye contact with wall on the opposite side of the room. I couldn’t feel either of their eyes on me so I was guessing that this was going to be more of a casual breakfast. Various platters of fruits and other breakfast items dotted the table cloth. My stomach chose that moment to growl in anticipation.

Aww...and here I was hoping it would be à la carte’ I wiped away an imaginary tear in faux disappointment.

I stopped next to the empty chair to address their Royal Majesties. I imagine that if I just chose to sit down and stuff my face without a word of acknowledgment, it would come off as being a little rude.

“Good morning your majesties” I didn’t feel like addressing them singularly since that meant directly speaking to Luna, who was still eyeing me with some aversion visible in her expression.

“Good morning Zenith! I trust you slept well?” Celestia cheerfully exclaimed, either ignoring her sister’s disdain or subtly discouraging it by being Sunshine and Smiles.

“Well enough, last night’s activities notwithstanding” I answered as I sat in the cushioned dining chair. I internally debated whether to dig in or wait for permission to start eating, I doubted that I could hold my voracious stomach at bay for much longer. Thankfully the Princess felt it opportune to answer my unasked question.

“Feel free to help yourself Zenith, my sister and I are mostly finished ourselves”

“Alrighty” I filled my plate with a little from column A and some from column B before settling in to stuff myself, properly of course.

“So how is today going to work out?” I asked as I bit down on the most buttery biscuit to ever grace my taste buds.

“We wish to determine the extent of your abilities; the prophecy itself was not precise enough to give us an idea of what you were fully capable of” Celestia explained.

“I haven’t much of a clue myself your highness; I’ve only been able to channel magic twice so far, and I’m pretty sure one of those times was an unconscious action” I said after I swallowed the rest of the tasty morsel.

“Care to be more specific?” Luna’s first words of the day to me harshly directed, earning a reproachful look from her elder sister.

“Sure” I paid her belligerent attitude no mind. It seems to upset her more anyway, “The first time was when I was just beyond arms reach of the Crystal Chalice, I remember resenting the fact that I had no means of grappling onto it when it decided to just float its way into my open hands”

“And you’re sure that this was caused by you?” The Sun Princess inquired.

“It was surrounded in a red aura; I don’t really see who else that could match” I shrugged noncommittally.

“I see…” She looked deep in thought as she processed that.

I used the silence to continue with consuming everything on the table. Waste not want not right? I decided to pointedly ignore the looks of disgust that Luna projected my way; I was well past the point of caring about earning her favor, and furthermore I was hungry. At least I was still using a fork instead of my face! I suppressed a satisfied belch as I finished my meal, feeling loads better and ready to take on just about anything.

“Art thou finished being a glutton?” Luna asked with a dry tone.

“Well… since that’s everything on the table, I suppose so huh?” I answered in kind.

At least she’s not trying to tear my face off or something. Bitchy Luna is better than murderous Luna any day of the week’ I cynically thought.

“Luna, stop antagonizing Zenith. I thought we went over this last night” Celestia was using the ‘big sister’ tone of voice. Luna grumbled something to herself but otherwise remained quiet and fumed.

“What about the second time?” She directed towards me.

“The second time was just last evening actually. When I set out in search of you, I realized that I had no way of actually finding you. There was no one else around to ask, and your guards have this nasty habit of not speaking even when spoken to by anyone else besides you two”

“They try their best; our guards are rather protective of us as one would guess. They’re all volunteers you know” Celestia informed me, something I wouldn’t have initially postulated.

“Why are they so unswervingly quiet anyways? I can actually count the number of times I’ve heard them make noise on one hand!” I asked, curious about their majesties armed escorts.

“To keep their identities ambiguous, because their armor masks their physical identities, their voices are the only other give away as to their ipseity. Of course, some take this a little too far, evidenced by your need to ‘inform’ me of their obstinance”

“I’m sorry that you had to have heard that, I’m sure even a muffled version of my whiny voice must have been grating on your ears” I apologized with gusto; the whiny voice was a terrible weapon to use, there was always the risk of collateral damage after all.

“Get to the point” Luna said irritably, “How did thou- …you manage to find your way to our sister’s tower without guidance?”

“Well that’s the thing. I did have guidance of a sort”

“Explain if you would, please” Celestia politely asked.

I looked up in deep thought, “How should I describe it, has anyone ever told you two that you have a very distinct ‘ambient quality’ about you?”

They looked at each other briefly before Celestia spoke, “We have been told that our presence has a calming or intimidating effect to those with highly attuned senses, but they could never tell which of us it originated from. Are you telling us that you can determine our location based off of our very magical auras?”

“Umm, yes. I can also partially tell your mood based off of them as well. For instance, Luna’s was of cold aggression towards yours truly a few moments ago. And now it’s of a surprised bafflement, kind of like yours is actually” I answered the straight faced monarch, but the confusion was there in her eyes.

“I assume that’s not a common occurrence around here?” I rhetorically stated.

“You are the first, is that how you found me the night before?” I nodded in affirmation.

Empathic magic, how fascinating” She remarked to herself in hushed tones.

“May we ask what your Mana Mark is?” Luna unexpectedly questioned me.

“I don’t have a Mana Mark” Was my laconic answer.

“Surely thou jest!? One does not retain such unique capabilities and not have a Mana Mark to show for it!” She exclaimed in bewilderment.

“Well, unless there’s a Mana Mark for invisibility then yes I can. And don’t call me Shirley” I esoterically remarked with a chuckle, before pulling up my shirt sleeve to show them the lack of any arbitrary mark.

“The more we know you Zenith, the more of a mystery you become” The Sun Princess silently spoke.

I nodded in agreement, “I am a pretty strange individual aren’t I?”

“So those are the only times you were able to cast any iteration of magic?” She continued her line of questioning.

“To my knowledge, those are the only times I’ve been able to cast any magic. Unless Harmonious Synchronization Events count as well” I added in response, remembering what Octavia told me. Hopefully the next time our paths intertwine it won’t be so awkward…considering our last parting moments.

Celestia shook her head as a negative to that, “No, such events are not made singularly. Those are more of a reflection of the ambient magic being expressed through multiple channels and depend on the ‘mood’ of the occasion if you would. They aren’t terribly common, I myself having borne witness to only a few dozen in the last five decades”

Geez… I’ve seen three in the past week alone! At least that means musicals shouldn’t be a recurring theme here’ I thought with a small amount of relief, I sing on my own terms darn it!

“I am aghast as to how this one can harness the Arcane forces without the manifestation of a Focal Gem” Luna remarked, clearly ruminating on the implications.

“Focal Gem? You mean those Bindi’s on your foreheads?”

“That is a strange name for it, but those are indeed our Focal Gems. When a Stellar Magi earns or discovers their subject of expertise, represented by their Mana Mark, they also receive a custom Focal Gem as well. It materializes out of the magical Aether itself, and allows for a Stellar Mage to channel more sophisticated spells” The Princess explained.

“I doubt it’s done their humility any favors, the folks around here are primarily Stellar Magi and most enjoy acting like the world revolves around them” I expressed dubiously.

“Do not mind them Zenith. They may think highly of themselves, but all Arcanians are considered equal under our watchful reign” Celestia said with forbearing pride.

“Just not all clothing, I can’t walk three minutes in this town without one of those stuffy nobles criticizing my choice of outfit! It’s not like I care or anything, but any kind of scathing attention thrown my way irks me on another level” I shook my head; I was getting off topic here.

“So Mr. Shillingsworth told me that both of you were necessary for something that had to do with me?”

“Correct, today we shall get you started on developing your potential for magic” Celestia calmly explained, giving me an idea of how my day was going to play out.

“And who shall be my instructor? Unless magic is only a self-taught process here”

“That would be us” Luna gazed menacingly at me, “Pray you don’t disappoint me”

I stared back at her blankly, “Sure thing Darth” I glanced over to Celestia, “What about you?”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to provide much in the way of training, day court starts soon and I am duty bound to my obligations as Regent of the day. Perhaps later in the evening we will be able to converse more”

I nodded, “Of course your highness, I understand completely. I’ll do my best to learn what I can of my latent abilities”

“So you are finally accepting that you are among the Trifects?” Celestia asked with a sensible tone, remembering my state of mind from yesterday.

I inclined my head forward in agreement, “I am your highness. Never you mind how I felt about it yesterday, nothing fazes me for very long” I reassured her.

She gave me a faint smile in response, “That’s good to hear. It would be a shame if you felt a loss of identity simply because you changed into something different”

“I am who I am, and no change of status is going to shake that” It just meant that I was a human that could fly, use magic, and was probably a lot stronger than your typical Arcanian; even agrarians. That was when an important question popped into my head that needed to be asked.

“Oh! I’ve been meaning to ask your highness, but how many Trifects are there?”

“With the addition of yourself Zenith? There are four. My sister, myself, and Cadence composing the rest” She explained.

I see... so no Twilicorn then. Or would that be Twifect?’ I humorously thought.

“Are there any other concerns you mean to voice?”

“No your majesty, I’m eager to begin exploring the possibilities of knowing how to formally use magic”

“Then we are of one mind. Do try and get along with Luna would you?” She pleaded before leveling an admonitory look at her younger sister, “And try to give Zenith a chance dear sister, his instruction in the Arcane arts may be important, but it would be prudent for all of us if you both play nice”

“Will do Princess”

“Very well sister”

We may have spoken at the same time, but only Luna dared acknowledge it with a glimpse in my direction. The Solar Princess politely excused herself from the table to attend to her royal duties. Leaving Luna, myself, and an ensuing and unpleasant silence alone in the great hall. As if sensing the dour mood, the white cumuli became full storm clouds that released thunder and precipitation. I slowly cleared my throat to break the intangible barrier that surrounded us. I fricken hated being thrust into these situations but at least I was making an effort to tolerate the currently lethargic Lunar Lady.

“So what’s the first lesson of the day teach?” I slowly asked, mindful of her foul mood.

“Walk with us” She commanded with a gesticulation of her hand, wearing an unreadable expression.

I did as she ordered and followed her out of the dining hall. Together we traversed a multitude of twists and turns that led us down countless corridors and hallways until we reached a set of doors leading into a large circular room. The padded walls and solid floor panels were a combination of woods and alloys. My guess was that this room was very sturdy for containing heavy duty spell casting. The room’s inventory consisted of a multitude of objects such as metal spheres of varying sizes, some kind of training dummies, Archery targets and other apparatuses meant for drilling routines; marking this as some kind of exercise room.

Minus the gym equipment of course

Luna walked to the center of the room before facing back to me. Her expression was that of a strict instructor about to evaluate a student’s ability by throwing challenge after challenge at them until they failed. It wasn’t a look that brought any reassuring safety with it, evidenced by my hand unconsciously moving closer to my knife sheath. After a minute of silently staring at me she spoke.

“Before we begin showing you the ways of magic, we wish to see how well you can handle yourself in a sudden combat situation. We’ll start you off lightly”

Her moonstone focal gem (Bindi) glowed briefly before she conjured three shadowy humanoid projections wielding poles with blunted spear tips.

“A trio of simple opponents should prove easy for someone who claims to be our equal no?”

So that’s how she wants to play? Fine, but this cat still has claws’ I unsheathed my blade and held it in a reverse grip. Glaring defiantly at the Lunar Monarch.

“If that’s how I’m going to earn the right to learn more about magic, then so be it” I spoke before dropping into a defensive stance, with the three shadow men slowly surrounding me.

We held the standoff for a few seconds more before the one to my right lunged forward with its weapon. I parried its pole arm away with my Tantō and jumped back as the shadow in front of me attacked with a sweep of its spear. The leftmost shadow man used the distraction to jab its weapon into my left arm. It stung like a red hot poker despite only being a magical projection, making me hiss in pain as I rubbed at the newly created sore spot. I could have sworn I heard Luna chuckle from across the room in morbid satisfaction, but I had no time to analyze the thought any further for the three shades charged all at once. I dove between the two on my left and quickly spun around, the momentum they built up meant that one of them didn’t get the chance to recover before my blade found its way into the neck area, causing it to dissipate into a cloud of black haze.

With one less combatant to deal with I suddenly had some more breathing room. The flipside to that was the remaining two increased their aggressive actions, forcing me into a defensive backpedal, at this point my blood was pumping and I could feel it pounding in my ears. My mental faculties cleared themselves of any errant thoughts and devoted all of their resources to the fight. I felt myself give into a kind of battle trance as I danced between the thrusting spears, my enemies’ moves becoming slower and clumsier to the point where I could have seen them coming a mile away with my eyes blindfolded.

The first shade made a critical mistake when it tried to nail me in an overhead swing, as it brought its weapon over its head I kicked out its legs from beneath it. The seemingly surprised shade dropped its shadowy weapon that I then proceeded to appropriate for myself and sink into its skull, making it go ‘poof’ in the same method as its fallen comrade. I didn’t even give the last shade standing a chance to move before hurling my blade into its chest, my Tantō sailing clear through its abdomen as it burst into nothingness before burying itself into the wall section right next to Luna’s head. To her credit she didn’t flinch, but I could see a kind of faint tremble in her eyes. She tried to magick my blade out of the wall before frowning to herself and removing it manually. She appraised it with a short cursory glance before speaking.

“This dagger…where did you get it? It’s resistant to our magics in a manner most similar to you”

“I found it stored along with the rest of my belongings. And don’t call it a dagger, that blade is technically more of a short sword”

I then recalled it over to me in a purely automatic motion, a crimson glow surrounding the weapon before prying it free of Luna’s grasp and returning it to its sheath. I stood there silently, fully realizing that I had just performed magic in a nearly nonchalant manner. The Princess also mirrored my shock at not being able to take hold of the blade with her magics, but seeing it yield to mine. I brushed off the surprise quickly and stood at attention.

“So! Have I proven worthy enough to learn under you, oh Princess of the Night?” I may have sounded a bit dramatic but she did just make me fight for it after all.

“Indeed you have, well done” She actually congratulated me?

Hey hey! Finally making some progress here!’ I inwardly high fived myself in celebration.

“Splendid, what are we going to start off with?” I asked with delighted fervor. I was going learn how to actively cast magic baby!

“Because your knowledge of this world’s magic is equal to that of a small child, we will have to begin with exercises suitable for one” Okay, so maybe she was being a bit condescending, but we all got to start small right?

“Fine by me” I shrugged in response. Something that actually seemed to trip her Royal Highness up.

“You are not bothered by this?” The expression she was making was hilarious; too bad I couldn’t take a picture. Guess I’ll settle for a mental snapshot.

“No, should I be?” I replied in an irksomely coy tone, causing her to scowl in disappointment. If Luna was still trying to push my buttons, she was just going to auto troll herself.

She huffed to herself before continuing, “Then we shall begin with simple levitation exercises”

She used her telekinetic grip to grab a trio of those metal spheres I saw earlier and placed them in front of me. The smallest was the size of a bowling ball and probably just as hefty, the second was the size of a beach ball and had a good deal more mass, and the third was the size of a tub-thumping boulder.

Must be Tom’s metallic cousin Jerry

“So teach, how do I harness basic levitation spells?” I asked the Moon Monarch.

She held up two fingers in reaction to my inquiry, “Utilizing magic in any form consists primarily of two facets. The first is merely an expression of will; to put it simply you have to will your magic to do something. The second requirement is having the reserves of magical power needed to cast the desired spell. As long as a magic user has the will to carry out a spell and the means to channel the power necessary, the possibilities are beyond limit. Elementary spells such as levitation do not require much in the way of focused mental effort so this should be easy enough. Each Mage looks upon their own internal pool of magic from a different perspective, but we would recommend reaching out with thyself and compelling the spheres to levitate towards you”

“So the magic will direct my actions?” I purposely probed for an abstruse reference.

“Partially, but it will also follow your commands” Luna even got the sage like tone down.

I can’t believe that actually worked. Okay time to focus

I stared long and hard at the smallest sphere before reaching out with my hand. When that did nothing I tried a different approach. ‘Maybe the magic here is an ambient energy field like the force. Something that I can intuitively access instead of trying to strong arm it’ I closed my eyes and cleared my mind, controlling my breathing rate as well. It was kind of like doing a little soul searching, but instead I was digging for an inner medium of power instead.

Sure enough, I found it in me and directed it to surround the small metal sphere and bring it closer to me. The energy traveled from the core of my being and into my hands, giving them a feeling I couldn’t quite pin down. It was sort of like having that prickly sensation in your limbs when the blood flow is constrained and when your hands felt completely numb. Only they weren’t numb, in fact they were thrumming with Arcane might, evidenced by a bright red glow encompassing both my appendages and the sphere I had directed the energies to. The weight of the sphere registered as a kind of pressure in my mind, although I can honestly say that it was feather light to the point of being negligible. I brought the sphere to bear and let it settle into the palm of my right hand, I held it up and down to gauge its actual weight. My enhanced strength meant that it was still very light, but I’d still say that it weighed the same as a weighted bowling ball.

“You grasp these things quickly; perhaps we won’t be spending all morning watching a Trifect struggle with lifting a simple training sphere” Luna spoke in a harsh judicial tone, but there was a small measure of positive regard underneath.

“It became easier to grasp the concept once I put it in terms that I inherently understand on a deeper level” I explained.

She waved a hand dismissively, “We do not wish to hear how you conceptualized the inner machinations of magic, we only care that you are capable of doing so. We will move onto the next exercise after you can levitate them all and stack them together”

That could be a little more challenging

I brought my inner magic to bear once more and tackled levitating all three spheres at once instead of individually. The first two were easy but the third one gave me pause, it was a lot heavier than it looked!

Ugh! Jerry needs to go on a diet

I remembered what Luna said about will having a significant impact on the outcome of using a spell. This was good for me, if there’s one thing I possess a lot of… its stubborn will. I delved deeply and shunted the power into my current efforts, the intensity of the glow around my hands tripled in brightness while the sensation of pressure in my mind practically disappeared. Jerry floated off the ground along with the other two spheres before I neatly piled them into a metallic snowman. With the task complete, I let the magic seep back into my center. I heard a slow clap emanating from the Princess, she wasn’t impressed by any means but at least she was appeased for now.

“Superb, you’ve proven yourself to be at least level with that of a small child”

“A child mage can levitate all that?” I expressed my doubts while pointing back at the pile of stacked metal.

Luna however ignored the question and took hold of the training dummies with her magic, inserting their staves into outlets on the floor. They were crude creations but were covered in the same heavy armor that the Royal Guard made use of. I had a feeling that offensive magic would be next on the list.

“Your next lesson shall be something that we hope is not taught to young children. Combat spells are a rugged practice that requires a degree of finesse and focus that are tested by the strains of battle. Despite how dangerous it can be, low level combat spells are still relatively facile. Try shaping your magic into a projectile and propel them towards the targets”

She demonstrated by forming a midnight black javelin of pure magic and letting it fly towards one of the dummies, entering through one end of the torso and exiting out the other as if it were not even there. The projectile dissipated just before it could burrow into the wall, possibly hinting at some kind of magic nullifying material in the bulkheads.

That is so cool. I think that I’m gonna put my own spin on it though

I built the energies up in my hands and mentally shaped it into a small serrated dart. This tiny package held a big surprise though, since I focused another command into its formation. I held up my right hand and mimicked a gun, aiming for the flat surface of the helmet forehead. I ‘thumbed’ down the hammer and sent the dart soaring straight into the helmet of the dummy I aimed it at. Luna stood to the side and remained clearly unimpressed. I smirked to myself and triggered the additional effect with one word.

“Bang”

The miniscule magic missile abruptly imploded in a contained but violent reaction. The gravity well it created began sucking the armored head of the dummy into a vortex of force that crumpled it and the helmet into a rigid lump of cloth and metal that promptly rolled off the shoulders and onto the floor. Silence dominated the room for the next thirty seconds as Luna stared in awe at the display of lethality. I would admit that I could be a bit of a showman when the opportunity presented itself.

“Astonishing…” She said after regaining her senses, “You managed to weave together a projectile and an implosive enchantment into one spell. Perhaps you are without question the chosen Trifect that the prophecy spoke of”

“Please don’t refer to me as a chosen one. Not only does it make me feel needlessly venerated, but bad things tend to happen to the ‘chosen one’ and everyone they care about, I’d rather that not happen” I carefully explained, still knowledgeably wary about this world’s penchant for exploiting themes like that.

She gave me a funny look, “We have no idea what you speak of, but we shall acquiesce none the less”

“Thank you” I inclined my head to her in gratitude, “Are we going to resume mangling these crude targets or move on to another application of magic?”

“You do not feel any fatigue? Combining spells like that is at least at the middle of the tier and costs a good deal of power, even we could not last more than a few hours casting such spells and not be weary by the end of it. And you have only just begun to realize your Arcane powers” She pointed out. Now that she mentioned it, my mind did feel a bit worn out, but I could still go another thirty minutes.

“Let’s resume training, I’ve still got a good half hour left in me yet!” I exclaimed with zest.

“Enthusiasm is good, but do not strain yourself Zenith. Overuse of magic for a neophyte mage results in a migraine most severe, we still remember ours even though it was ages ago” She spoke with a slight giggle and a self-deprecating grin.

Is Luna actually warming up to me? People sure change their attitude towards things quickly around here

“I am convinced of your highness’s wisdom on these matters, I suppose a recess is in order?” I proposed.

“We believe that to be a sound idea. Would-… would you like to rest in our quarters?” She tentatively asked, looking uncertain of herself.

“Uhm… sure?” I responded with a raised brow.

I didn’t sound very sure, but Luna smiled as her focal gem lit up and the ground surrounding us did the same. My senses were then assaulted by the alien sensation of standing on a platform that felt like it was moving in all directions but going nowhere all at once. The dull grays of the exercise room were replaced with the navy blue and blacks of Luna’s humble abode. I stared in annoyance at Luna for not telling me she was going to teleport us there.

“A little warning would be greatly appreciated next time, but that was certainly…a unique experience” I then paid more attention to my new surroundings.

Luna’s room was almost exactly what I would have expected. It was circular in nature since it was built inside a tower; the walls were essentially a panorama of the night sky with an assortment of stars, clouds, and Luna’s namesake in its full glory. Her balcony had a telescope pointing straight up, although I could see that she also had a good vantage point over her city in the same manner as Celestia’s did. Next to her veiled and luxurious looking rotunda bed was a dresser and a vanity mirror in the shape of a crescent.

Cute’ I drily thought.

“What dost thou think of our chambers?” Luna apparently slipped in her grammar when worried about someone else’s opinion as well.

“It is… adequate” I spoke neutrally but with sincerity too. I’m not really someone you’d ask for their interior decorating opinion.

She didn’t seem delighted with my ambiguous answer but pushed no further or made any allegations against my non obsequious viewpoint. I spotted a leather recliner and made my way to it before relaxing upon its cushiony goodness. I was about to close my eyes for some R&R but inquisitive Luna would have none of it, choosing to riddle me with a barrage of questions.

“Where do you originally hail from?”

“A place remarkably similar to this one in some respects, but vastly different in others” Was my equivocal answer, causing Luna to frown intensely.

“How were you so quick to realize that you were dreaming? We waited for the exact moment you fell asleep so that we could survey your mind. We were very surprised by the oddities that we found”

“I just did that one time, my other dreams were either bland or were strangely insightful. And next time try to knock before entering my dreams, the sanctuary of mind is one of the many things I hold sacrosanct” I looked at her vehemently to make sure she understood how determined I was when I said that, only backing down when she agreed with a quick nod.

“That place we saw in your dreams… Felucia you called it? If that wasn’t your home, then what was it?” She spoke with fierce curiosity.

Oh boy… how am I even going to begin explaining what Star Wars is to Luna?

“It’s just some place I’ve seen on the big screen, the actual answer is more complicated than I’m willing to explain. But suffice it to say, you won’t find it looking through that telescope of yours” I answered with a brief flick in the direction of said spyglass.

“That was not the answer we were hoping for, but we understand that you have your secrets…so long as they do not endanger our subjects” She warned.

“Quite the opposite actually, if anything the things I know of could only help them. But the world is not ready for such knowledge…not yet”

I neglected to mention that I also knew of things that could render this planet lifeless if misused. But again, it was nothing anyone else needed to know. Celestia knows and she was visibly distraught by such things. Speaking of whom…

“How long does your sister hold her day court?” It was my turn to ask some questions anyhow.

“It varies; sometimes my sister ends it as early as noon” She answered from her position on the bed, quietly observing me.

“Do you host something similar?”

“We do yes, but it is not as…occupied as our dear sister’s court” She said with a crestfallen look in her eye.

“Probably for the best, I hear those things can be tedious and boring as hell” I shrugged in my comfortable chair.

“But we would appreciate our subjects showing that they rely on us, even for such trivial matters” She responded with an agitated huff.

“Princess, I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who appreciate you for all that you do” I reassured her, even if I hadn’t seen the way she ruled previously.

“Do you appreciate us?” Luna suddenly asked, looking and acting a lot smaller than she usually did as she awaited my reply. I thought a moment before I spoke.

“As long as you keep the cycle of night and day in motion so this planet doesn’t end up looking like Ryloth, and also keep the night sky as breathtaking as it normally is, then I will always appreciate you Luna” I truthfully said, looking her in the eyes as I did so.

“We are…happy to hear that” She said with a slightly misty composure. It was only after she sniffled did she realize that she was acting out of Royal character, she then hastily excused herself and got up to make way for her restroom stall.

Geez, people here can get so emotional sometimes’ I dryly thought as I continued lounging on the chair.

Luna did not return for what was probably twenty minutes, I wasn’t surprised since women in general love to take their time sprucing themselves up or fixing themselves when their makeup starts running. Although I was somewhat shocked that Luna belonged to that category since she didn’t seem to devote that much of herself to her aesthetic charms, plus I didn’t see any kind of makeup on her; she didn’t really need it to be honest. I brought both hands to my face and groaned in exasperation, what was I just thinking? Luna’s wonderful and all, but I wasn’t going to become magnetized to her simply because she was being genial to me for a change.

When she eventually emerged from the Royal lavatory, she wore the same stoic face befitting of a reserved monarch, although she also looked worn down too.

“We apologize for our most unfit behavior; it is not often that we find someone who is thankful for our efforts in bringing the night. We found ourselves momentarily beholden to you Zenith” She then did something unprecedented; she bowed her head to me in respect. I was a bit taken by that, but I replied with equal candor.

“Princess, I want you to know that I will never judge you unfairly. If you ever need someone else to confide in besides your sister, you need look no further than to me for support” I held a hand to my chest as I said that to reinforce the notion.

“And we are most grateful for your compassion” She smiled in response.

“So now that I’ve rested a little, are you going to teach me more magic?” I asked hopefully, ready to get back to casting stuff.

She sighed and shook her head, “We are afraid not Zenith, the events of the past have caught up to us and we are most exhausted. We are in understanding if you feel disappointed” She said apologetically.

“No its cool, I’ve been meaning to observe the proceedings of the day court anyway” I fibbed. Truthfully I was a little let down that there were to be no more magic lessons today; it was just getting interesting too.

“Plus magic is a lot more intuitive than I would have thought, it won’t be long before I can start doing really complex stuff with it” I grinningly replied.

“Refrain from setting anything on fire if you would? Spells can be more combustible than one might think” I’d have taken it as a joke had she not looked so serious.

“Fret not your highness; I don’t plan on blowing up anything anytime soon” My reassurance seemed to ease her doubts at least.

“We are relieved by that, would you like us to teleport you there?” She politely proffered to me.

“Thanks for the magnanimous offer, but I believe I’ll take the second fastest way down” I said as I walked to her balcony.

“Rest well Luna” Were my last words to her before leaping over the edge much the same way I did last evening. The feeling of the wind rushing up to greet my ears and my wings gripping the air as I dived never got old.

I landed in the castle courtyard and bid everyone working there a good morning which they cordially returned with a friendly wave to accompany it. I walked through the cheerfully serene gardens with the intention of finding the main entrance to the palace and the throne room sub sequentially. I optimistically began humming a special tune from ‘Hello, Dolly!’ as I meandered along the courtyards many winding paths. I was tempted to strut like I owned the place too, but I remembered that I wasn’t that rakish... or a prince, I’d have to talk to Celestia about if I was to be formally recognized and if I could choose to forgo such formalities.

It wasn’t terribly hard to find the main entrance since there was already a congregation of people lining up just outside the doors. The gaggle of people was comprised mostly of the usual noblemen and women, but there was also a sprinkle of more casual looking folks as well. I usually shied away from large crowds, but I didn’t have much else to occupy myself with in the meantime and I doubt that they’d take kindly to me cutting in front of them just so I can bug the Princess.

So I decided to experiment with my magic again, only this time I channeled it in a way that encompassed my entire body and adhered to its every curve. With phase one complete, I willed the field to become transparent so that light passed through unimpeded, resulting in an active camouflage that behaved just like it did in Halo. The only telltale sign that I was even there to begin with was a faint outline that could only be seen if someone was meticulously searching for it, and only if I was moving across their line of sight.

It’s official… I love having magic on my side. Maybe being a pseudo Stu isn’t something to entirely bemoan’ I quietly mused as I stealthily waded passed the people impatiently waiting in the line.

I wasn’t able to avoid all of them, occasionally bumping into a person who felt like arbitrarily shifting in place, who then consequentially either glanced about in confusion or decided to blame it on their neighbor and start a petty dispute. I rolled my eyes at their antics; these spoiled adults were practically bratty children on the inside. I was worried that there was some kind of magical sensor that would expose me to the public, and therefore the guards’ anger at would could mistake as a potential assassin, but my paranoia was unwarranted since no such thing occurred. My cloak held up wonderfully as I sneaked up the stairs and made way for the throne room.

I had to time my entrance corresponding to each party of people being let in to have their concerns (complaints) voiced and mediated by the Sun monarch. Of course that meant waiting a good fifteen minutes for the next opening, I was sorely tempted to groan in boredom but held it together for the sake of my disguise. At long last the mammoth doors opened and both parties stepped out, one side looking particularly smug and the other visibly pouting in defeat. I didn’t know the details of their mundane disagreement and I didn’t care, I zipped past the gates as soon as they opened. The next party in line had to speak to some official looking fellow who was probably the court herald so I had some time to approach a bored looking Celestia. I dropped my cloak and shimmered back into sight, Celestia’s eyes immediately snapped towards me and her hands automatically lit up with was probably a defensive spell.

“Hey Sunshine! Miss me?” I wasn’t terribly worried about getting zapped; I did have my own magic after all.

Oy! Don’t get cocky kid, lest you leave yourself open for a rude surprise’ My rational side reminded me, making me tone down on my bluster when I realized that I was right to be wary of my own hubris.

When Celestia recognized my voice she immediately calmed down and shut off whatever spell she was cooking up. She then glared disapprovingly at me, clearly upset over something.

“Please don’t do that Zenith. I’d expect such things out of Discord, not you. I could have seriously harmed you!” She scolded me

Could Discord actually be here in the castle?’ I cautiously thought.

“You’re right, sorry for dropping in unannounced your highness. Sometimes my need for irrational skylarking gets the better of me” I implored her forgiveness, which she was quick to give with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“On another note… I see that you are making tremendous strides in your magical progress” The monarch remarked, clearly impressed herself.

“I guess so; it’s fairly easy to comprehend once you operationalize the concepts for yourself. I simply envisioned it as power within myself that I could harness and mold to any purpose I need it for. By doing so, I all but breezed through exercises like basic levitation, projectile spells, and even spell weaves. Luna wasn’t half bad of an instructor either, minus the rough initiation of course” I concluded my explication with a short chuckle.

“You’ll have to tell me more about it later, the next batch of quarrelsome plebeians is about to make their presence known”

“I could keep you company if you want?” I offered, having nothing better to do anyway.

“That’s most kind of you, but you’ll need to look like you’re important. Here” She handed me a blank scroll and a quill from a hidden compartment in the armrest of her throne, “Pretend to take notes with these” She pragmatically suggested.

“Isn’t that a little underhanded?” I asked with a raised brow.

“It is” She admitted with a curt nod, “But most of these disputes are trivial matters that can be solved swiftly, the ones that are not I can delegate to the bureaucracy. If Discord’s erratic personality can’t discourage them from dropping whatever it is that they’re fighting over, then I’m positive the red tape will”

“Discord runs the bureaucracy?” I said in disbelief, picturing the crazed ex-villain dressing up for the occasion.

“Of course he does! The Arcanian bureaucracy is so needlessly convoluted that Discord’s disorderly outlook fit perfectly with it. From what he once begrudgingly admitted to me and I quote, ‘I couldn’t make that bothersome mess of paperwork and contradictory regulations more chaotic if I tried… I love it!’ I’d say he finally found a productive use for his powers” Celestia remarked with a wry smile as the next group of people made their way to the throne.

I looked at the feather quill in vague amusement before tossing it aside and fishing a pen out of my pocket and clicking it. The noise briefly drawing the Princess's attention before she focused it on her subjects. Her bored expression was soon covered up in a regal mask that revealed nothing but shone with authority. The subjects stopped just shy of the dais and bowed respectfully to their monarch. The Princess’s voice reflected that same professionalism that one would expect from the Solar Sovereign.

“Good morning my precious subjects, what is it that concerns you today?” Celestia gracefully addressed her citizens with a matronly smile.

The somewhat portly fellow on the left wearing the classic top hat and monocle combo was the first to speak, “Good day your most radiant majesty! I am Cogsworth, owner and propriety of Mantelpiece clock industries. As you might know, I have holdings here in this city and throughout the whole of Arcania. Quite the ways since the company’s humble origins in my grandfather’s tinkering room” He pride fully boasted about his accomplishments as he adjusted his monocle.

“And the other debonair gentleman?” Celestia looked at him; he recognized his cue to introduce himself.

“Salutations your highness! I am Clockwork the timepiece crafter. I own a small but very successful trade here in this most prestigious of cities. Timekeepers Emporium may not be as large as my fellow ‘Entrepreneur’s’ business, but we pride ourselves with providing clocks that are as elegant as they are intricate!” Was his long winded introduction, complete with histrionic flair.

“And what is that you two wish to bring to my attention?” The monarch asked of the two gentlemen.

I had a feeling that this was where the debate regressed into finger pointing and hissy fits. I only paid half attention to everything while I doodled random objects from my spot at the side of the throne.

“I am convinced that Mr. Cogsworth has replicated one of my designs and marketed it without my approval!” Clockwork articulated with some indignation before fishing out what looked like a rolled up schematic and an advertisement for a fancy looking arched mantel clock. He then levitated the materials over to the Princess who looked them over; I couldn’t really tell the difference since all timepieces looked the same to me in my opinion.

“Look! Were it not for differing dial shapes and the obvious emblem change, they would be the exact same appliance!” The businessman asserted.

The portly one bristled as if insulted by the accusation, “I’ll have you know that I have done no such thing my good man! Mantelpiece industries is purely authentic in its contrivances and any such allegations to the contrary are as believable as the baseless rumors Concordian housewives relish spreading amongst each other” He clutched the lapels of his coat with a ‘hrmph!’ as he ended his defensive statement.

I know that it may have been pushing my ‘sway’ in official matters, but I chose that moment to pop a question.

“And does this violate any established copyright or patent infringement laws?” They both looked at me as if I had spoken in a foreign language.

“Copyright?”

“Patent Infringement?”

I had to resist the urge to face palm at both their ignorance of such elementary statutes and the very real possibility that this land did not operate under that particular tidbit of vital legislature. At that point the Princess decided to take the easy way out.

“I think that there’s a certain head of bureaucracy who would enjoy hearing your case, would you like me to refer you to him?”

They spared a brief glance and each other and both involuntarily shuddered at the idea, they likely had met the Lord of Chaos before and did not entertain the idea of meeting him again. The simultaneously bowed and spoke.

“That won’t be necessary your majesty”

“That’s quite alright your majesty”

And with that they departed, their quiet bickering between each other was completely muffled once the throne room doors shut behind them.

“I am appalled that there are no laws against plagiarism here” I remarked disdainfully, worried that the corporate fat cat might have gotten away with screwing the other businessman over. I’m all for Capitalism, but only when it’s backed by original innovation. It was yet another reminder that this land was a bit behind in terms of overall technology and legal ordinance protecting intellectual properties, but I digress.

“I never felt the need to sign anything like that into being, usually matters like those appear very rarely” Celestia explained with an exasperated sigh as she rubbed at her temples.

“Is that some kind of advanced writing implement you were using earlier?” She asked out of the blue.

“Yeah, it’s technically called a ball point pen. In laymen’s terms, it’s like a quill that has a well of ink running down the shaft of the feather; only it’s a little more tricky than that. The internal reservoir of writing fluid is dispensed via a tiny metal ball in the pen tip, which can be retracted and extended by pushing the plunger in the back which is connected to a spring that clicks the head into place.” I clarified further by pointing to and interacting with each component as I summarized the basics of an ordinary ink pen.

“Such a simple item when one thinks about it” The Princess murmured to herself as she mulled the idea over in her mind.

I then handed it to her, “Keep it as my humble gift to you. Perhaps you can find a means of mass producing them and rendering quills and ink wells obsolete like my people did in the centuries long since passed. I won’t even ask you to credit me for their introduction” I added in good humor at the end.

She accepted it with a heartfelt smile, “That’s very generous of you Zenith. This will spare me the need to constantly re-dip the tip in ink whenever I need to sign something or write a letter of response to my cherished student Twilight”

I shrugged indifferently, “It’s only a pen your highness. But if I could make your life even faintly easier, then I can say that I did my good deed for the day”

Figuratively and literally’ I ironically observed.

“Know that even the smallest deeds add to the ocean of goodwill out there, and know that I personally appreciate what you’ve done for me. This will make finishing paperwork much faster for me!” She gleefully spouted, until the herald announced the next pair of nitwits with an undoubtedly meaningless squabble they felt deserved the ear of their sovereign. It was going to be a long day court… that much was for certain.

And so half a day passed with torturous slowness, round after round of disputations passed through those golden doors. Shockingly, not a single justifiable altercation could be found among them, if there was ever a trace of me that envied Celestia of her job; it defenestrated itself out the window in sheer terror in the first thirty minutes of keeping her company in that grand chamber of ascendancy (and apparently it functioned as a complaint receptacle as well). In between bouts of supercilious whiners, Celestia and I chatted and exchanged amusing observations about each person entering the chambers, so it wasn’t entirely boring.

I found it incredibly enlightening when she told me the exact method of how she raised the Sun after I had pointed out how the gravity was the same here as back home, apparently her innate connection to the Sun allows her to appear as many thousands of times its mass; though only in a way that the Sun alone is affected. I then made a jesting comment asking if jokes about her weight were out of the question, getting harmonious laughter as my only response. I had to admit that I wasn’t expecting a millennia old ruler who rose the Sun each and every morning to be so…relatable. Or perhaps it was just me being socially challenged, regardless of which it was; I could safely say that the Princess was a delight to converse with.

Once day court was concluded and early evening began setting in, Celestia told me that she had one more obligation to attend to. And that occasion was the Concordian garden party, a little get together for the nobles hosted by the castle every other Sunday that was meant to encourage good relations amongst the high born families and strengthen ties between trade owners. The Sun Princess encouraged me to enjoy myself while she dealt with the sycophantic aristocrats who were already surrounding her and showering her with ingratiating compliments.

Of course the garden party was also legitimately a socializing event as well, so ritzy drinks and classy music were abound. Glowing lanterns suspended by a string that ran throughout the gardens cast an illuminating glow that allowed the nobles to see how well they could hammer wooden balls across the grass with their croquet mallets. Noblewomen gossiped amongst themselves and ostentatiously complimented each other’s choice of wear, while the men either discussed commerce agreements or which of the single ladies they thought and I quote ‘had the finest looking arse’. I decided to go along with it since I was curious to see what the specifics of the garden party entailed, although spotting both Octavia and Daring in the crowd made me more than a little hesitant to go out and mingle. I had already attracted the attentions of some of the party goers who whispered back and forth over the plainly clothed new comer who walked so casually alongside their ever magnificent Princess.

Face it Zenith… you have unresolved issues with both women that need to be addressed. Might as well kill two birds with one stone’ I steeled myself for the abhorrent task of hobnobbing it up with the locals and delved into the crowd.

“Would you care for some liquid courage? You look like you need it pal” A servant carrying a tray of martini’s offered to me.

“I’m afraid I don’t partake of the drink, but thanks for the vote of confidence” I snarked as I brushed past him. I made my way towards Octavia first since she was closest, I didn’t think she was part of the ensemble tonight which I found odd; instead she was idling away next to the punch bowl and generally looking like she had swallowed something that didn’t agree with her.

“It seems that we meet again my fair lady, looking good by the way” I sincerely spoke as I poured myself a glass with the ladle. It was true too, instead of her suit and bowtie attire, she was clad in a rather lovely strapless dress decorated with symbols of her Mana Mark.

“Better men than you have tried that line before and found themselves rebuffed quite expeditiously” She automatically responded before actually looking at me and having that spark of recognition light up in her eyes.

“Oh! Its-…you Zenith” She said nervously, twisting at the hem of her gown.

“You’ll have to forgive me for my abrupt departure the last we spoke, and for under-dressing for this most festive get together” Yeah, I decided to play the ‘obfuscating ignorance’ card; knowing that it would probably be more believable than just pretending nothing happened. She seemed to pretend that nothing happened either, although the tense chuckle she vocalized told me that it was still definitely on her mind.

“That’s quite alright. With how these people react to someone they see rubbing elbows with her majesty, you’d likely set a new fashion trend” She replied with a giggle.

“Somehow I doubt that, although her highness is an absolute pleasure to speak casually with. Very down to Earth once you really get to spend enough time with her”

“It still boggles my mind how coolly you can act around the monarchs of all Arcania” She spoke in puzzlement.

I shrugged, “They’re not much different than you or me, they’ve just been around longer and have an innate connection to the astral bodies is all” I reasoned.

“To say nothing of their authority” She acerbically murmured and downed her glass of punch, before she asked me an unexpected question.

“Would you care to dance?”

“Uh… I don’t know, I’m not much of a dancer” I anxiously tried to exempt myself.

“It’s just slow dancing, c’mon it’ll be fun” Without waiting for my response she took me by the hand and led me out onto the lawn where the other couples were slowly swaying with each other. I silently prayed that Daring didn’t happen to be watching or there would be hell to pay.

Once we made our way onto the small field where the other couples danced, we assumed the usual slow dance position; my right hand holding her mid back and my left hand holding her right at my shoulder level. We then commenced smoothly oscillating side to side as we moved along an invisible circle in the grass. Even though I typically hated these things, slowly rocking back and forth with the musician felt…nice for a change. I struck up a conversation as we peered into each other’s eyes.

“So what brings you to the garden party?”

“Members of the Royal Orchestra receive an invitation every so often, I don’t typically attend them. But I suppose I made an exception for this night” It sounded like there was more of a reason behind it than that, but I didn’t bring it up.

“And you?” She returned the question, “Why do linger here? Your summons by their Royal Majesties is over is it not?”

“I’m not free to speak about our discussion or what was revealed to me. But I can tell you that they need me for something important, so you can probably find me here if you needed me”

“I’ll certainly bear that in mind”

We didn’t say much after that, instead losing ourselves in the music. Cast adrift in a sea of melody. It didn’t even register with me when Octavia laid her head against my shoulder and sighed in contentment. As with all good things though, it gradually came to an end. With a heavy heart, I pulled away from the graceful woman and bid her farewell after explaining that I had someone I had to mend relations with. She told me that she understood and would look forward to crossing paths again in the future.

I set out in search of the adventuress, combing the crowds for her distinctive pith helmet and khaki uniform. I found her involved in a conversation with a very familiar looking gentleman wearing the snazziest looking pair of trousers I ever did see. I was indeed looking at Concordia’s own Fancypants, he was a tall man with an air about him that just chanted ‘classy’, he also wore a monocle like every other refined gentleman I’ve met so far. Unlike the other aristocrats though, I knew beforehand that Fancypants was the least priggish out of all of them.

I was unsure of how to approach this situation however, it would be bad form for me to just interrupt them in the middle of whatever arrangements they were discussing; something about the partial financing of her next expedition from what little I could make out amongst the buzz of general chatter. My decision was made for me though when the man spotted me and ushered me over with his jovial yet sophisticated accent.

“I say! Isn’t that the young lad who was your first rate companion from your last expedition Daring?”

“Who? Oh yeah… him, I don’t recall telling you I had a partner on my last trip” Daring said with suspicion, only sparing a short glance in my direction; still unhappy with me I take it.

“You seem to forget how well informed I am my dear! Don’t be bashful my good sir, come on over here and formally introduce yourself!” He beckoned with a pulling motion.

I obliged, but only because I already knew that Fancypants was a good guy. I waded past the constantly shuffling party goers and stood before the two of them.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance mister Fancypants, as you may or may not already know, I’m the guy who found himself caught up in Daring’s last escapade. Call me Zenith” I held out a hand which he proceeded to grab and shake energetically.

“Please, you can call me Nigel. Mr. Fancypants is my father’s name” He explained with a warmhearted chortle, “I must say, I find your choice of apparel to be…” He trailed off, searching for the correct yet polite description.

“Charmingly rustic?” I jocularly finished for him; he looked like I had just read his mind before bursting out into hearty laughter.

“A man after my own heart! You certainly know how to pick them Daring my dear!” He exclaimed between his hysterics, causing her to sputter in response.

“What are you talking about!?” She flustered, an intense blush appearing on her features.

“I saw that familiar glint in your eye whenever you look at him. It’s the same one my darling Fleur gave me before we became romantically involved!” He smiled like he solved a most entertaining puzzle.

“I... I don’t know what you’re talking about” She evaded, looking anywhere else but at me.

“I see, well perhaps I should leave you two to get reacquainted then? And do be sure to sign a copy of your next book for me when it comes out, you know how much I enjoy reading tales of your adventures don’t you Daring my girl?” She nodded timidly in response. Before excusing himself from our company though, he gestured me closer to him to speak his mind.

“A word of advice from an older man to one just in his prime, make sure the special women in your life know how much they mean to you” I was a little confused with how he worded that, but I nodded in agreement never the less.

He grinned roguishly before sauntering off and attracting a swarm of admirers in record time and vacating a major portion of the area we were in. All of whom were vying for his opinion on something or just brown nosing in general. Allowing me and Daring to have some alone time to ourselves as a heavy silence befell us.

“Wow… this is awkward” She broke the silence with an agitated sigh.

I slowly shook my head, “There are no awkward moments, just awkward people” I decided to address the metaphorical elephant in the room post haste.

“Listen Daring, I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you earlier. It was insensitive and a dickish thing for me to do, but I will fervently maintain that Octavia and I did nothing that was not platonic in the strictest sense. Can you find it in you to forgive me for my other transgressions though?”

She looked upwards as if giving it careful thought, before looking back at me and smirking, “I think I can do that, and I believe you”

She then crossed her arms together before adding, “Besides, it’s not like you’d have the courage to make the first move anyway”

“Excuse me?” I spoke in a wholly besmirched tone.

“Yeah, you don’t even have the pepper to-…” Was all she had time to say before I swept her up into a passionate kiss, surprising her greatly before she relented and pushed back into it, humming in euphoric bliss all the while.

I broke the kiss and gave her a fierce grin, “Never talk smack about my pepper”

“Are you kidding? I should have done that a long time ago if I knew you’d react like that” She replied with a satisfied smile, leaning into our embrace as the stars sparkled overhead.

Author's Note:

Wow...never before would I have imagined passing the 100K mark before, that pretty neat I guess. (How do I enthusiasm?) Anyway, I doubt I'll be able to devote much time to writing the next chapter since it's midterm season here at UCI. In fact I'm typing this from Ayala library on campus instead of studying like I should be, but I found this to be worthwhile enough to finish just for you dear readers. Until next time!
-Zenith

PreviousChapters Next