128 - Next Time on … The Apprentice!
Extended Holiday
Ch 128: Next Time on … The Apprentice!
Act 20
Pensword looked across from his desk at Lafayette. “So, how was the base while we were gone? Did anything bleed over from Ponyville on Tuesday?”
“Everything was magnifique, Commander. The monster problem was dealt with swiftly, and without incident. However, the scouts are requesting permission to extend their mission by another six days.”
“Mission? I didn’t assign them any missions before leaving. What mission are you talking about?”
“They were scouting the perimeter of the forest to determine locations that required further fortification; however, they claim to have picked up some type of trail, and wish to see if it is hostile.”
“Very well, but I want more guards on the trail as well. Get a supply train further in to follow them. I want to give the scouts support, in case something happens.” He shivered. “I do not want to upend another of those spider nests.” He paused. “Actually, contact Hammer Strike. See about him releasing the rest of the mercs to follow, and take care of anything that might be found by the scouts.”
“It will be done, Commander.” Lafayette gave a low bow.
“Good. Now, you will still be in command for the time being. I have been putting this next trip off for a while, but I can no longer afford to do so. I … I am going to see the origins of the Demon. Keep up the good work. The reports I’ve already seen show you have a good grasp, and … I see you worked on the memorial garden as well. Do you think it’ll be finished by spring?”
“You do me far too much credit, Commander. The people you have here have been very welcoming. It is only with their help that I have accomplished what I have.”
“Those are the signs of a good leader. A good commander listens to those who have been around longer than they have. He or she doesn’t rock the boat too much, and makes sure orders are able to be carried out.” Pensword chuckled. “Besides, folks trust you.”
“I am honored, Commander.” Lafayette gave another bow. “I must be off. I have the watch on the south wall tonight.”
“... And that’s when Aria here decided to break free from her shell,” Vital Spark finally finished as he fed the chick another morsel of meat. “I figured you’d want to see her as soon as possible. The fragments of her egg shell are over there, if you want to examine them as well,” he said as he motioned to a glass jar that had been frosted over on the inside.
“Well, good job,” Clover said as she took the jar in her magical grasp. “This will prove interesting for my research.”
“Just don’t use all of them, Clover. I’d like to hang on to a few pieces, just in case. You never know when you might need a powerful reagent like that. Isn’t that right, Aria?” he asked as he stroked the chick’s feathers. It had been such a short while, but the cryophoenix was maturing at a rapid rate. She already seemed near ready to fly. She trilled in pleasure at the attention.
“Don’t worry. I’ll just use a few for now,” Clover assured him. “Still, now that you got it to hatch, you can work on training her to boost your magic when you need it.”
“You mean like a familiar?”
“Not quite, but a similar relation. Phoenixes tend to bond to their masters, and thus there can be a latent magic bond between them. The fact that she is a cryophoenix means this could prove highly beneficial to you.”
“Wouldn’t that hurt her at this stage?”
“I didn’t mean actually performing heavy magic draining actions yet; simply going over the basics.”
“Not sure if I’m comfortable doing that to her just yet. I mean, she is only a couple of weeks old.”
“It never hurts to know the fundamentals,” Clover told him as she began levitating books over.
“I’ll read up on the theory. Still not going to focus on teaching her that just yet, though. Anyways, what’s been happening over here?” he asked as he opened the first book, and began perusing the table of contents.
“Not a lot. The guard have been running their drills, and students have been barely making it past the basics.” She sighed.
“Seriously? I thought they would’ve gotten further than that by now. Didn’t Shining put the fear of Faust into them?”
“Miss Sparkle has been a disruptive influence,” Clover admitted tersely.
“... Say what now?” Vital cocked his brow. “How would she be disruptive? I thought she was more eager than anyone to learn more about combat magic.”
“She is constantly subverting me when I am assigning reading material, despite my reminders that Star Swirl did not invent magic, nor was he the only one who was good at it. She consistently insists that they should be reading his theories on magical concepts and treatises when, as I’m sure you recall, his writings don’t work well for just anyone. Not to mention what I’m assigning is the original concept written by the original mages who discovered them, not by his shameless grabs for credit!” A loud clap sounded as she slammed a book shut in her magic.
Vital winced. “Ouch. Have you considered threatening her with barring from your course? I mean, Unity is technically Hammer Strike’s domain, and he’s put you in charge of teaching the mages. If she’s interfering with that, you probably have the authority to act.”
“Unfortunately, there are very good reasons why I don’t want to cause that kind of trouble, reasons that are my own. And I am not at liberty to talk about them right now.”
Vital shrugged. “Fair enough. Do you … maybe want me to talk to her? Just as a friend, I mean. I’m usually pretty good at convincing people to see the others’ perspective, or at least to listen somewhat.”
“If you can. I swear, half the Unicorns in my class don’t even get the first paragraph of Star Swirl’s notes.” She sighed. “If he were here right now, I’d strangle him.”
Vital chuckled. “Well, if you want to, I could point you towards a glamour he left behind. That might be a start.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not quite as satisfying,” Clover sighed. “Just remember, Vital. Most people here only know Star Swirl based on records from the past. And who do you think wrote most of those records?”
“Tribalist Unicorn scribes?”
“Mostly Star Swirl personally, unfortunately. And he was far from humble.”
“Headstrong? Didn’t really listen to what others had to say? Always insisted he was right, and every other option was wrong, because he didn’t come up with it himself?”
“Have you ever heard of Somnambula? Rock Hoof? Mistmane? Flash Magnus?”
“Can’t say that I have. Then again, I’m not exactly the best Pony to ask about that either. You already know why.”
“At best, most Ponies think they’re myths and legends from the past. They should be as famous as Star Swirl himself,” she groused, before adding another book to Vital’s pile. “Mistmane’s primer on healing and nature manipulation.”
“Ooh! I’ve been wondering when I’d be able to learn more advanced healing magic. Celestia only taught me the basics.” Vital grinned. “And if their stories are interesting enough to be recorded in legend, I can’t wait to read up about them.”
Clover gave a sad smile. “You’d have liked her. She was a generous mare, always giving, no matter how badly it cost her.”
Vital frowned in turn. “You’re right. I would have. I used to know someone just like that once.” He sighed. “We had a lot of happy memories together. She’s moved on to a better place now, though.”
“You get started on those. I’ll go see what else I can dig up,” Clover told him as she turned and stalked deeper into her bookshelves. Vital could almost swear he saw the tiniest glint of light streak to the floor as she left.
Hammer Strike was at his desk when he sensed something from the window. A moment later, Derpy landed in her mailmare uniform, and smiled. “I have a letter for you, Lord Hammer Strike,” she said in her adorable tone as she reached around, and opened her satchel. She nosed around inside it for a time, then withdrew her head with said letter clenched between her teeth. Finally, she walked up to the desk, and dropped it onto his paperwork. Hammer Strike glanced upwards, and noticed a shiny new badge on her uniform.
“I’m your official mailpony by royal decree,” Derpy explained as she followed his gaze. “Twilight’s, too. That means I can help Dinky with her hobbies now, and I don’t have to worry about rent.” She grinned. “So, thank you.”
“That’s wonderful to hear.” Hammer Strike gave a soft smile. “Everything still stable in Ponyville?”
Derpy gave him a confused look. “Ponyville is always stable.” She giggled. “We just adapt to handle the crazy.”
“Kinda what I meant.” Hammer Strike shook his head softly. “Anything else of major importance?” he asked as he opened the letter.
“Well, Twilight’s talking about digging underground at the old fort to build more labs. Mayor Mare is working on setting up the Winter Wrap Up teams for the year. The flower sisters panicked, because one of the new weather Ponies let a little too much snow fall overnight. So, I guess it’s just the same old thing so far.”
“That’s good.” He nodded as he began reading the message. “That should be all. Have a safe trip back.”
“Do you have any mail you want me to deliver for you?”
“I just got back recently, so I have to run through things, in order to have proper responses sent out.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you later.” She smiled, turned towards the window, and took off through it, leaving not a single paper out of place in the office.
Dear Hammer Strike,
I am writing to inform you that I have completed my current obligation towards my publisher, and therefore am free for the next few months to look into the matter for which you have requested my services. Please be aware that I am heading to the Canterlot Archives, and from there, I will attempt to find leads in regards to your query. I’ll be in touch, should I discover any relevant information.
Sincerely,
A.K. Yearling
“That at least settles that,” Hammer Strike commented to himself.
A scroll appeared in front of Hammer Strike in a cloud of blue smoke. The seal indicated it came from Pensword. After taking a moment to put Daring’s letter away, he reached over, and unrolled the message.
To Lord Hammer Strike,
To be filed in the offices of the head planner:
This is to verify and assert authority in the Thestral quarters to construct a set of airship docks to house and supply up to six warships, four of which have been hovering around the area, namely the Revelry, Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Under clause six of the quarters laws, I am allowed to expand necessary buildings as needed. Please respond as soon as you are able with the necessary documentation.
Signed,
Commander Moonkissed Pensword.
Another scroll was behind this one.
Hammer Strike,
I hope that letter is of the correct tone and information for your files and the city archives. That being said, please help. I don’t know how to build an airship dock, and considering our rate of expansion, we really need more docking ports. Any advice?
Pensword
Hammer Strike gave a soft chuckle as he read the message. He put the scroll off to the side as he looked to the map to figure out dimensions and scaling of the land, and where things were located. After some calculation, he pulled out a blank piece of parchment, and began drawing some designs.
Pensword stood outside the Thestral quarters as he looked about the area, then up to the castle walls. He scanned over the longhouse and the beginnings of the fortifications being built around it. He knew the Pegasus Hall of Paragons was still under construction on the other side of New Unity, and couldn’t help but chuckle at the symbolism of the inadvertent placement. The sun would rise and touch the Hall of Paragons first, then set on the Thestral longhouse. Then the Moon would rise to touch the longhouse first, and set on the hall’s side.
A moment later, a scroll appeared in front of him with Hammer Strike’s seal. Pensword broke it, and looked over its contents, before grinning at the paper that had been attached inside. Hammer Strike had accepted the request, and even gone so far as to incorporate a moon and star motif into the design to denote the docks would be Thestral owned. He walked over to an observation table, one of the architects had left behind, and laid the scroll across it, placing rocks at the corners of the paper as Thestrals gathered around.
“Okay, everypony. Here are the first plans for the docks. I’d like for us to begin tonight. That means we need to split our builders. Half will continue to focus on building the fortifications. The other half will assist with executing the plans. We want to have the first dock up and operational by the end of the week. You think we can do that?”
“Does the moon shine?” one of the Thestrals asked, and everyone laughed.
Pensword smiled gratefully, then returned to take a closer look at the plans. “Actually, we have to move a little more to the north.” His eyes widened. “Apparently, we’re in charge of the merchant docks as well. So yeah, House Pen has a merchant dock writ on top of our military airship docks.” This time, it was his turn to grin. “Well, come on, then, let’s get building!”
Night Terror gazed with some confusion. “Um, aren't we still on New Unity lands?”
“Yes, and that means that while we pay taxes to Hammer Strike, we can charge docking fees, storage fees, fees for use of the future marketplaces to be set up. Frankly, this authorization will be a large economic boon for us. And to top it all off, it will force those elites in Canterlot to deal with Thestrals, if they wish to sell their goods in New Unity,” Night Coin, a Thestral with a full moon with the symbol for a bit inside it as his cutie mark, replied.
Night Terror just looked at the empty land. The Thestrals had been working steadily to clear it away for some time now, even before she’d arrived. With all the empty space available, it was a simple matter for the architects to start marking out the outlines for each of the buildings. A quick glance at the plans revealed not only docks, but housing and warehouses for workponies. “So, you plan on having all that done in just a month?”
“Oh no, lass,” Night Coin chuckled, “We plan to have the military docks, and two merchant berths done in a week. In two weeks, we hope to have the first of the warehouses built. Once we’ve got those up to code, we can focus on the rest.”
“You can really work that quickly?”
Night Coin chuckled. “You’ve seen us in the hunt, lass. Just watch what happens when we craft.” Then he winked at her.
Pensword nodded, and grinned. “The first warehouse will be a monument to Thestral craftsponyship, made completely from stone quarried, blocked, and mortared by our own expert hooves. As I’m sure you’re aware by now, little Terror, stone is a specialty of ours.” He turned to Night Coin. “I’d rather we reduce the monetary risk a fire could bring.”
“Couldn’t agree with you more, Commander,” Night Coin beamed.
“Oh, Moon Trestle!” Pensword called.
“Here, Sir.” A Thestral mare with a wild green mane and glowing yellow eyes smiled as she offered the commander a bow. Her coat was a rich navy blue that shone glossily in the moonlight.
“Excellent. I want you to set up a meeting with the Dwarf representative in New Unity. We need their metal for the docks. Tell them we’re willing to trade one minecart of onyx, one minecart of blue volcano glass, and one minecart of obsidian for their assistance.” He frowned. “If that isn’t enough, let me know. And find out if they like Thestral jewelry, dream catchers, or anything else we can make.”
“Of course, Sir.” She left in a flurry of wings to glide towards the castle wall. The other Thestrals began to fan out, joining their fellows to assist in surveying the grounds, while others flew off towards the Ghastly Gorge to see about securing the routes they’d need to begin the work.
Pensword looked to Night Terror, and smiled kindly. “Come. Let’s retire to the longhouse. I would like to hear what you’ve learned while I’ve been away.”
“Aren't you going to help out here with the building?”
“Are you kidding? I would just get in the way, and make more of a mess, if I tried to help.” He chuckled, and shook his head. “One of the most important rules to being a good leader: be humble enough to know when to step back, and let the experts do their job.”
Grif awaited Pensword on the training yard. The Pegasus was making progress in his physical training, but was still somewhat behind thaumically. Grif was sure he’d figured out one of the factors that was hobbling his friend, but he needed to be sure. He practiced stances, and fluid strings of attacks with his new blade. The katana shone and flashed in the sunlight as he moved, and he was certain he could feel the wind itself divide on the razor edge.
A few minutes later, Pensword entered the training yard, wearing nothing but his fur and feathers. “I am here.” He sounded happy.
“Good,” Grif said as he sheathed the blade. “Now let's start with something simple. Make a crystal for me.”
Pensword didn’t even close his eyes as he extended a wing, and concentrated. Grif sensed the Pegasus’ thaumic field shift and move, and watched as the crystal took shape, before falling into the support of Pensword’s feathers. The crystal itself was cylindrical in nature, with two sharpened points on either end.
“There’s the problem,” Grif said, shaking his head. “You need to stop doing that.”
“Doing what?” Pensword asked.
“You're pulling the energy through your body to your wing to make the crystal. That’s two major mistakes.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything till now? You’ve been watching me do the same thing ever since I started using my field in the first place.”
A blast of wind proceeded to hit Pensword, powerful enough to make him step back. Grif hadn’t so much as blinked. “What are the rules to channeling thaumic energy?” Grif pressed.
“I … I don’t know. I know my field is weak, and I didn’t want to pull from myself to weaken myself. And I was told this was a good way to get it going, since air is all around us.”
Another blast of wind hit him. “How does the thaumic field exist on your person?” Grif pressed. “What form does the energy generally take?”
“A small layer around us.”
“So why, if it is a layer around you, would you need to pull energy from one place through your body to another, when the energy you need already exists in that area to begin with?”
“Because I liked the feel along my wings, and I was using it to strengthen my field faster. The strain along my wings and back was harder. I figured it would get my field up faster.”
Grif shook his head. “All you’re doing is wasting potential energy. You’ve been cutting your gains in half, and you get very little for the end result. You need to will the energy from the point of origin. Otherwise, all you do is develop a habit, and form an arbitrary rule for yourself that causes you to spend more energy, while doing more harm to you than good.”
Pensword gaped, then sighed. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, Pensword. Improve. Now try again. This time, make a crystal by willing it into existence at that point. No channeling. Remember what I said, and make it happen. Try making one at the tip of your muzzle.”
Pensword lowered the crystal from his wing gently to the ground, then crossed his eyes to look at the tip of his muzzle. He focused, gathered his will, and let it go. Much to his surprise, the crystal appeared almost instantly. Its was twice the size of the last crystal, and spherical in shape. A series of spikes jutted out from it, making it look more like the end of a mace than a crystal. He cut off the flow quickly. “Woah!” he gasped as he caught the ball with both wings. “That … that was a surprise. I … that went faster than I’m used to. I haven’t made something that big accidentally for at least two months now.”
“It’s easy to set arbitrary rules for yourself,” Grif said with a shrug. “I know I’ve done it more than a few times, but believe me, that can lead to a lot more pain in the future. From now on, I want you to make three crystals a day at random times and random places on your body. The next time we have a lesson, I want to see you able to call up the energy without much effort.”
“I will do so on one condition. It will be random times, when I am alone. I will not do so in public or around others. And this will be on top of my own training in morning and night of six crystals at front hooves, wing tips, and ears.” He paused as his left ear twitched. “So, Grif, question. How many aspects do I have? I know I have air, water, and spirit. Do ... do I–can I create anything outside those aspects?”
“If the proper aspect is available,” Grif explained. “Some are harder to grab onto than others. My aspect field is earth, chaos, and wind, but there’s plenty of aspect energy here.” He opened his palm, and the air above it seemed to distort for a moment. Then a small shining slightly yellow diamond plunked into his hand. “And voila, lux, the light aspect.”
Pensword looked at the crystal as it shone in Grif’s talons. “So, you want me to try that? Maybe I can try a moonlight version,” he mused.
“Is the moon out?” Grif said sarcastically as he look into the sunlit sky. “I thought it was still daylight a minute ago.” He looked to Pensword again. “Unless lux is in your aspect field, it’s easier to stick to what's available. You’re not ready for creating it yet.”
“Ah, well, maybe I can try later tonight, then. Still, just to clarify, you want me to make a lux crystal now as well?”
“I want you to try and see what's present in your environment, and make crystals from aspects not in your field: stone, light, fire, if it’s available. Your field should be like your sword, but the environment should be your quiver. Knowing what's around you could save your life.”
“Okay, I will keep that in mind, and, you’ll tell me what crystals?” He paused as he held out his wing, and furrowed his brow. Two crystals appeared in his wing time this time. Grif could tell one of them had been channeled like the first one Pensword had made earlier, but two solid aspect crystals were now cradled in the Pegasus’ wing: a lux crystal and an earth crystal. Pensword panted slightly as he proffered the crystals. “Sorry about the pull, but that was the only way I could get stone to appear at my wing tip this time.”
“No it wasn’t,” Grif chuckled “but I’ll let it slide this once. You did well. Just remember, the aspect needs to be present. You don’t need to touch it to form it into a crystal.”
Pensword placed the crystals down, and looked at Grif as he tried again, creating another earth crystal. Pensword sat down smartly as his breathing became labored. “Woah, I … okay, I know what I am going to be doing now. Just … I better bring some stone with me while traveling now.”
“Go take a break. I have to meet with Hammer Strike. Tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to disperse thaumic crystals safely.”
“Understood. A small power nap, and then I need to run around the ramparts,” Pensword replied with a tired smile. “Gotta sharpen all my claws.” He paused. “You got time tonight before you turn in? I need to share something with you.”
“I’ll let you know. Hopefully, but I make no promises.” And with that, Grif took to wing. A moment later, Pensword followed his example, but turned back towards the castle to reach his personal quarters and the bed that called for him.
Twilight smiled as she placed the last book away on its shelf. Her reorganizing of the Golden Oaks Library had gone swimmingly, and she felt relaxed and rejuvenated. Spike sat on a chair nearby, his legs dangling as he fussed with his crest. The spines had been itching like crazy lately, and a hint of a point had begun to form at their edges. His babyish face had begun to take on a slightly angular definition as he passed a silver coin idly between the claws of his free hand. A comic book sat open on the table before him. Finally, a knock sounded on the door.
“That’s odd. I could’ve sworn I turned the sign to closed for the re-cataloguing,” the princess mused.
“It’s probably Hammer Strike or one of the others. You heard the Gantrithor when it came in,” Spike said with a shrug as he turned another page in the book, before letting out a frustrated growl, and scratching vigorously at the base of his spines, yet again.
Twilight sighed. “If you keep going like that, you’re going to pull your scales off.”
Spike seemed too frustrated to really say much to that, so Twilight returned her attention to the door. She opened it, and smiled at the sight of the familiar white Unicorn. “Vital Spark! Welcome back. What brings you to the library today?”
“A bit of business, and a bit of pleasure.” Vital chuckled. “Equestria didn’t fall apart while we were gone, did it? No evil villains, no takeover attempts, no strange happenings?”
Twilight giggled. “Nope. Just the same old Ponyville. Though Spike’s been dealing with some … let’s call them growing pains.”
Vital quirked an eyebrow as he looked Spike’s way. The young dragon shook as he clung both arms around his sides to try to wait out the irritation. “I see what you mean. Have you tried Meadowbrook’s anti-itching cream?” Vital hovered an ornate book covered in Eastern Pony characters. “It’s right here in Mist Mane’s book on healing potions and magic.”
Spike moaned as he pulled his tail onto his lap, and started scratching over the spikes at their base. “I’ll take anything at this point. Just make it stop. Please!”
“Sounds like we’re going to need to make a trip to Zecora’s place,” Vital said as he chuckled, then smiled sympathetically. “She’s likely to have the ingredients we need on hand. And while we’re on the way, Twilight, you and I need to have a little talk.”
“On what?”
“Twilight, I’m Clover’s apprentice. She talks to me about a lot of things. What do you think I’m here to talk about?”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Vital Spark, you’re not going to get me to budge on this. Star Swirl is the most brilliant mage to exist in Equestria’s recorded history,” she said as she levitated a set of saddlebags onto her back, and began to stuff them with supplies.
“And I’m not going to debate that point,” Vital Spark said as he cast an ice spell down Spike’s back. The Dragon shuddered, then sighed in relief as the itching dulled. “However, you’re forgetting a rather important fact.”
“And that is?” The pair of them strolled out the door with Spike in tow as he read happily from his comic book.
“We’re not students from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. We can’t read old Ponish, and even if we could, we can’t exactly crunch all those numbers and formulae you and Celestia are able to handle so easily. If you want me to put it in more relatable terms, think about foals. Do you start feeding them solid food right from the get go?”
“No, but–.”
“They need time for their bodies to develop, before they can handle it, right? Their teeth need to grow in, their digestive system needs time to become stronger, and their immune system needs to reach a point where they can take in foreign substances without risk of infection. Like it or not, Twilight, the same principle applies for students in the magical arts. We need the milk before we can move on to the greens.”
“You know, he is making sense,” Spike pointed out as he flipped to the next page in his book. “I can’t understand half of what you’re saying sometimes, when you get into one of your magical idea moments, and I’ve lived with you my whole life.”
“But … but….”
“And, if I might point out, the spells you’re trying to have the rest of the class learn aren’t exactly combat oriented. Most of them are guards. They need spells for their chosen line of work. Why else do you think your brother worked with Clover to create a prescribed list of references tailored to combat instances both civil and non? Are you saying your brother, the last Captain of the Guard, the one who was, by far, the most skilled of all the Guard in Equestria, is wrong?”
“Now that’s just not fair,” Twilight complained.
“I pray you and Grif will both forgive me, but,” he cleared his throat, “excuuuuuuse me, princess. Nobody gives a buck.”
Twilight gasped, and her eyes began to water. Spike covered his mouth with a clawed hand.
Vital turned, and laid a hoof on the princess’ shoulder. “Look, Twilight. Sometimes we’re wrong. And as a guy who’s literally had his flank handed to him what has felt like thousands of times by Murphy, and just about everypony else at New Unity, I can tell you from experience that it’s okay to be wrong. What matters is that we’re willing to admit it when it happens, and move on with what we’ve learned.” He smiled kindly. “And you can pen that lesson to Princess Celestia, if you want to. It’s a valuable one to keep in mind.” He levitated a handkerchief out from his own saddlebags, and dabbed at Twilight’s eyes and cheeks.
“I’m … going to have to apologize to everypony, aren’t I?”
Vital chuckled. “Probably, but knowing how much everyone loves and respects you, it’ll pass, and everyone will be able to look back and laugh. Now come on. I think Spike’s suffered long enough. Let’s see about getting that cream for him, before my ice melts the rest of the way.
Hammer Strike hummed to himself as he turned another page in the book before him, taking in the Latin script describing further power of thaumaturgy. He needed to re-evaluate the power between the group in order to determine further progression for each of them.
Grif let himself in, deciding that the Pony lord probably was about to stop him from knocking, anyway. It’s not like this was a surprise visit, after all. Hammer Strike had scheduled the lesson.
“Sorry I’m late. I finally managed to get Pensword around that hurdle we talked about,” Grif offered.
“Good,” Hammer Strike replied as he finished reading the page, before looking up to Grif with glowing eyes. “Hold still for a moment, and let me gauge this,” he said, glancing back at the book again, then back to Grif. After a few glances, he began muttering his thoughts aloud. “Terra, Entropy, and Aer,” he hummed, turning a few pages back in the book.
“Yeah, it’s been that way since the evokers broke my field during the war. Why bring it up now? Is something wrong?”
“The opposite, actually.” Hammer Strike shook his head. “The strength of your field is actually at a stable level that could use some strain in order to progress further. I’m not saying you need to practice making crystals more, or that you need to try different aspects, but that your field is able to take on a passive aspect, such as the three I mentioned earlier.”
“Is it safe? I mean, I did die last time.”
“Your field at the time was unable to handle the third aspect. That’s why you had such a violent reaction,” Hammer Strike explained. “Now, however, it’s been growing in power steadily, and has reached its own capacity limit. I can help push things further, but this is a significant choice for you to make. What aspect, of the list you know of, would you like to have added? If you want to know about what they would do to you as a passive, I can give you a general idea.” Hammer Strike raised his hoof to add on. “If you happen to be unsatisfied with the result, I can also change this aspect, after you pick it.”
“Hmm. Just so I’m aware, this includes compound aspects, too?” Grif asked.
“Only up to a second tier, third at most.”
Grif thought about it for a moment, reviewing the list he knew in his head, considering the options based on how they might aid his current style of combat, and the way he used his thaumic field. “Would … momentum be doable?”
“Being a third tier, this may temporarily weaken your other aspects, in order to take in the necessary drain,” Hammer Strike explained. “This would allow you to mess with your own momentum at first, and potentially the momentum of others.”
“And I’d still have access to my air aspect, after my field recovers?”
“You’ll always have access to it, so long as it is in your field. It just may not be as strong for between a week to a month.”
Grif smiled. “Then let's go with momentum.”
Hammer Strike nodded as he held out his hoof, a gentle blue glow of fire rising from it as two yellow crystals took form. After they finished forming to a decent size, they began to shrink, and a new white crystal began to form between them. As the new aspect continued to form, he reached into his coat with a spare hoof, and brought out a red gem. He rolled his eyes, then placed it back into his pocket, and rummaged around again. This time, his hoof emerged with a green one. Once the white crystal had finished forming, he placed the green crystal to the side, and repeated the process. This time, a soft grey crystal took form. As soon as it was finished, Hammer Strike let out an exhausted sigh. “Better than the last time I made compound aspects, at least,” he muttered.
“Is this going to hurt?” Grif asked as he eyed the crystal warily.
“You’re more likely to not remember it,” Hammer Strike commented.
“Then let's do this!”
“Grif … I already did it,” Hammer Strike commented, gesturing to the clock in his room. Twenty minutes had passed since Grif last looked at it. After a moment, a feeling of vertigo washed over him.
“You weren’t kidding about me not remembering anything,” Grif said, wide-eyed. “I almost feel like somewhere in another universe, a bunch of people just got very angry at us.”
Hammer Strike gave a faint chuckle. “Let them be angry, then.”
“Any side-effects I should know about? Aside from possible weakness, I mean.”
“Besides the feeling that the world just passed you by for however long, nothing major. Remember to focus on the aspect, and practice with it. Toy with it gently at first, to test the waters. Then, as I know you will do, plunge head first into it, and make it your own. Should you not like it, as I said before, just come back to me, and we can change it. But once you commit to it, I can’t change it without significant work.”
“Will do, I guess. Give you an update when we get back?” Grif asked.
“Try not to dive head first immediately, Grif. There’s a reason I want you to start slow. If the aspect doesn’t agree with you, it will result in hardships in the future.”
“I’ll be careful,” Grif assured him. “Thanks for trusting me with this. I’ll talk to you later.” And with that, Grif made his way back out of the office, and into the hall. He managed to keep his gait straight, but decided against flying for now, until his senses finished readjusting.
Grif hadn’t told Pensword what he was planning, so it was of little surprise to him when armed Thestrals barred his way to the newly restored lodge. “Evening, gentlecolts. I’m here to speak to the clan heads and the chieftess’ representative.”
The armed Thestrals looked at Grif, before whispering among themselves. “We’ll see you onto the main floor in two hours. You’ll meet with the Clan’s mouthpiece. Unfortunately, most of the heads have returned to Ys, but their representatives here have the same authority, much like you have with Warrior Hammer Strike.”
“I must meet with all in authority, by right of this.” Grif produced a small onyx plate from under his armor. The image of a wolf howling had been carefully engraved into the plate. “Do the Thestrals honor their tokens?”
The guards scrutinized the plate, then looked warily at one another, before responding. “We will get you a meeting in thirty minutes. The clan chiefs and representatives must be gathered. The Wolf and Fox representatives are hunting in the forest right now. We can feed you some vampire fruit bats in the main floor of the lodge while you wait, if you wish.”
“I will wait here,” Grif insisted. “You may inform me when they are ready.” With that, the Gryphon proceeded to enter into a meditative stance as he had been practicing with Zecora, and it was in this stance he remained for the next while, ignoring the flow of time around him.
Thirty five minutes later, Pensword exited the lodge, and cleared his throat. “We are ready for your meeting.”
Grif took a minute to exit his meditative stance. He took a few deep breaths to finish, then stood. “Lead the way.” His tone was formal, a sign of respect for Pensword’s station at this time as he followed him.
Pensword nodded, and opened the door, holding it silently for Grif as a sign of respect for the guest, but a rabid curiosity burned in his eyes. The interior was exactly the same as it had been the night Grif had spoken to Kel’leam only a few months prior. The bonfire still burned, and the mountings and symbols shone with a fresh silver polish. Row upon row of tiered seats had been set up, and the bonfire’s light reflected off the eyes of the many clan leaders and representatives as they scrutinized the newcomer.
When Grif had been guided to his place in the middle of the room, Pensword took flight, and alighted in the last empty seat to gaze down at his friend. The Wolf Clan leader stood, and nodded to the Gryphon. “We have gathered to honor the ancient call. As leader of the Wolf Clan, it is my right and my duty to address the token. Tell us, what is it that you desire of us, Grif Grafson, leader of all Bladefeathers?”
“I can see by your faces that many of you are shocked to see this in my possession, and possibly more shocked that I could present such a token. I will start by assuring you it was not given to me by Pensword. I would not take such a sacred object from his hoof. And if I had, it would no doubt hold the bear on its face. I assure you, he held no knowledge I possessed this. Does the Wolf Tribe recognize the hero Long Fang, who served Luna in the army during the Third Gryphon war?”
“The Wolf Clan recognizes Long Fang, Grif. Colonel, warrior, and one who was lost to the Nightmare saving those in Canterlot upon our Chieftess’ fall.”
“It was he who gave me this token, after we threw open the gates of the fort the Gryphons knew as Featherbrooke together. Today, the Ponies now call it Longflanks. Long Fang and his troops had been captured, and I freed them. For that, he passed this token to me, given to him by Gnarled Fang, leader of the Wolf Pack of his time. As you know, this token grants me one boon from your kind, a favor that can neither be denied nor withheld from me. And it is today that I come to claim it.”
The chief looked about the room nervously, then focused his gaze once more on Grif. “We … are ready to hear.”
“I intended not to do this meeting for many years, and under more kinder conditions, but recent events have forced my hand. As such, I use this token to demand the rite of apprenticeship from Day Moon of the line of Pen. He will fill my quiver, and sharpen my knife. In return, I will make him a hunter of things in the dark, for I am the Raven.” A hint of a smile pulled at his beak, when he heard a few gasps. The Thestrals, like many Native American cultures of Earth, believed the raven a trickster.
Pensword shuddered at the claim. The council room dropped into a hushed silence. The very flames of the bonfire dropped low. At last, the chieftain spoke. “That is not within my power to grant, for the child is not of my clan, marked though he may be for the training.” He looked to Pensword. “That choice falls to his guardian to decide.”
Pensword rose to his hooves, and cleared his throat. “I, Pensword of the house of Pen, do hereby accept your demands on the behalf of my people, in accordance with the ancient laws. I do hereby commend Day Moon’s safety and well-being to your talons, while working beneath your wings. Guard him well, and train him well. And Faust help you if any harm should befall him before he is prepared.” He bowed his head, and spread his wings wide. The council repeated the gesture, and the bonfire surged upwards as the bargain was struck, filling the room with its light, and casting Grif’s shadow far upon the walls behind him. Many a council member gasped as they pointed to the shadow, for it had taken the form of a great black bird with its wings outstretched. Pensword’s gaze remained neutral as he looked upon his friend. “Tonight, as is tradition, you shall dine at my table, while you speak to Day Moon.”
“I thank you greatly for this meeting, and this honor. Know that I have kept this token close to breast, and I have spoken of its purpose to no one. I return it to you as a sign that faith between us is unbroken.” Grif handed the token to the representative of the Wolf Clan with a small bow of the head.
The chieftain held up a wing. “You speak of the Raven, and you are asking for the White Wolf.” He looked at the token. “We will accept this token, but come the end of the week, you shall have a token of your own, with a raven, for legends spoke of the day when the Wolf and the Raven would join to defeat the shadows born of ice.”
“I would ask that, aside from the training of your people’s axes and knives, you will have a qualified expert teach him the use of the small crossbow. I will teach him the sword personally.”
The chief nodded. “His father will teach him the crossbow, for he is already in charge of the other duties, as is his role as the father. As for you, who have claimed the title of the Raven, know that we will support you, so long as you continue to act in accordance with the prophecy. Request what you need of us, and it shall be provided. We will support the Raven.”
Grif nodded. “Then I will end my audience wishing you great honor, brother Wolf. I hope this mutual trust between us remains unbroken. Let us shake, and signify this pact in the presence of all those before us.” He drew a knife from his bandolier, and pricked his palm, before offering his talons to the chief.
“We look forward to many years of trust, brother Raven.” The Wolf Clan chief flew down to the bonfire, and drew his own knife. He pricked his hoof near the joint, and held it out. Grif seized the spot, and the two’s blood mingled from the wounds. The two separated, and Grif shot a wink to Pensword before turning to leave the chamber with a slow, methodical pace.
They waited for the doors to close behind Grif, and then the Wolf Clan’s chief turned to Pensword. “You will be commissioned a Raven token with a sword on one side and a feather on the other to be given to Brother Raven. Ensure the Moon’s Embrace is included above it.”
“I understand.” Pensword nodded. “It will be done.”
“They by the authority vested in me as the voice for this body, I hereby declare this council adjourned.”
When Pensword arrived at his suite, he found a large box waiting on his desk. Pensword was confused, before walking up to it. A note at the top told him to open the box. He took his knife cautiously, and cut the twine around it. Then he tore off the wrapping paper to find a wooden crate with no markings on it. He slid off the box’s lid, and his eyes widened in surprise. The wooden rail equipment that he had ordered stared him right in the face.
He had no warning, before he was tackled from the air as Moon River nommed on his ear. “Play?” she asked.
“Yes, play. Play.” Pensword, no, Matthew giggled. “Let’s build us a railroad.”
A few hours later, Night Terror showed up to help prepare the dinner. A watertight basket with some fresh meat had been tied to her back. A fretful frown broke her neutral mask. She was worried. Today, she had fun, actual fun hunting, snaring, and even skinning the rabbits. She had three large male rabbits to cook for dinner. Those concerns came to a stop, however, as she entered Pensword’s quarters, and found the floor cluttered with wooden tracks. She took to the air, using her wings to hover as she gazed down curiously at the new landscape that had been built up. The tracks rose up mountains of pillows, through tunnels of scrolls, and over the bumpy hills of a rumpled blanket.
What stood out most, however, was the sight of Commander Pensword playing with a black engine, making chugging noises like a foal. Moon River was busy pushing a small green engine at another part of the layout. Night Terror nearly flew into the ceiling as Lunar Fang’s adept hooves grabbed the carrying baskets her.
“Oh, rabbit!” Lunar Fang exclaimed. “This will go nicely with the vampire fruit bat tonight. Thank you, Night Terror.” She beamed a smile at the filly. “Go on. You’ve been working hard enough. I’d say you’ve earned a little rest. Why don’t you go join Pensword and Moon River? I’m sure they’d love to have you.” She nudged the filly forward. “Go ahead, and play.”
“P-play?” Night Terror stammered. “Play what?”
“Trains!” Pensword chimed with an excited giggle. This made Night Terror even more nervous. Pensword had never acted like this before in all the time she’d known him. “Come and build a train at the railyard, find your engine. You can pick which one you like best, then push it around the track.” He grinned as he flapped his wings. “Next time, I am so going to order an enchanted set for weather simulation.”
Moon River cooed excitedly as she clopped her hooves together in agreement.
“Don’t mind him,” Lunar Fang spoke up, patting Night Terror’s head reassuringly. “It’s nice to see him this way. I don’t get the chance to see this side of him often, not since his village was torn apart.” She nudged the foal with her muzzle. “Go on now. You earned it. Have some fun.”
“I … I guess?” Night Terror squeaked in worry. “What, exactly a I supposed to do?”
“Have Fun,” Pensword repeated as he giggled. “There is no lesson, no tasks, nothing to learn or do. Just follow your imagination.”
Night Terror shook her head. “A noble doesn’t have fun. They must remember that they–.”
“Play, please?” Moon River suddenly hovered in front of Night Terror, fixing her with the devastating power of her big sad eyes. “Please?” she begged again.
Night Terror gulped. Then she trembled. She stood against that gaze for an impressive five seconds, then finally caved. “Fine, fine,” she groused, “but I don’t know what you are getting at or planning.”
“Yay!” Moon River cheered as she embraced the startled foal around the neck, and nuzzled her briefly, before zooming back to her engine. Pensword and Lunar Fang shared a knowing smile.
And so Night Terror found herself pushing another black engine around the track without any cars. She felt incredibly silly, but the other two seemed to enjoy it well enough. Lunar Fang’s voice carried out from their small kitchen as she sang, and Pensword and Moon River continued their antics. Eventually, Night Terror stopped, and sat down, holding the engine mutely in her hooves as a startling realization crossed her mind. “You're … including me, just for the sake of it,” she said.
“Well, duh,” Pensword replied with a laugh. “No clue why there would be something behind having fun. After all, all work and no play isn't good for mental wellbeing.”
Night Terror just nodded her head up and down on autopilot, not even noticing as she pulled the engine closer to her chest.
“You can have it, if you’d like,” Pensword spoke up, breaking her thoughts.
“Excuse me?” Night Terror asked as she shook her head to clear it.
“The engine. I said you can keep it. It looks like you like it.”
Night Terror blushed awkwardly as she quickly lowered the train back to its track. “Oh, um … th–thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Pensword said, then laughed again. “Cheer up, Night Terror. No need to blush. It’s nice to give somepony a gift every once in a while.” He winked at her, then waved invitingly with a wing as he trotted over to join Moon River, attaching a set of passenger carts at a miniature train station for the long journey that lay ahead.
Night Terror gaped after him, then looked back down at the train. She reached down, as if to pick it up again, then pulled her hoof back, and shook her head, before retreating to a chair in the far corner. She barely managed to keep back the tears as she thrust her thoughts aside. She had a mission to fulfill. She couldn’t forget that. She couldn’t disappoint her father.
…
She couldn’t.
Hammer Strike couldn’t help but smile as he worked. One of the things that would always be comforting to him was a steady repetitive motion of manual labor. He hummed to himself, swapping out tools as needed as he continued riveting and binding the base of the new weapon to the Gantrithor. The designs for the elemental cannon had been amplified, making for a much bigger shape than initially planned. This required a more durable binding to the ship and a manual connection to the thaumic relays.
The large drum of metal chambered two thaumic crystals with several mechanisms holding several others together in an almost web-like manner, linking the back of the cannon to the chambered crystals. The first crystal was a pale red, the other of a deep red, both touching each other as they finished a circuit leading towards the barrel of the cannon. At the tip of the cannon’s barrel, a pure white crystal waited to focus the energy of the other two crystals into the physical world around them.
His smile widened as he finished bolting the cannon down. He had cleared the air in the direction the cannon was facing, ensuring that orders were kept to maintain the safety of all New Unity. After some minor adjustments in the aim, he did a few last minute checks. The skies were clear. No civilian or guard appeared to be within range. Both air and ground had been properly cleared. He continued checking off his mental checklist as he scanned both the elemental cannon and the horizon.
Finally, he nodded, and locked the controls of the aim, ensuring the movement of the cannon was halted to fix on the empty space ahead. He Looked over his shoulder, and gave a nod to Circlet, who watched on the side, prepared to offer readings on the overall structural integrity of the Gantrithor. She nodded in turn.
Hammer Strike turned back towards the controls, and flipped one of the switches, “Elemental Cannon test one, powering up,” he commented aloud as thaumic energy appeared in his eyes. He looked over the cannon, and focused on the energy drain and stabilization. “Cannon batteries are looking are maintaining a stable energy gain, and seem stable. Time for initial charge is approximately fifty seconds. Brace for fire.”
He sighed as he pulled the central lever down, and the cannon roared. A light began to shine from the central crystal in the barrel, before suddenly shooting outward in a direct beam of solid white light that bled softly into red. He looked out into the distance, and gauged the distance of the beam to approximately seventy-five yards. “Cannon is ending at a moderate distance. Energy of the beam is–.” He looked over the beam with his thaumic vision. “–Stable across the entire length.” He glanced down at the cannon itself. “Cannon is currently running stable. Energy gain and consumption is stable.”
The scarred Pony smiled to himself as he looked to the beam once more. The two aspects had fused perfectly to creating a beam of thaumic energy, specifically one attuned to the aspect of fire. Anything the beam touched would be burned away, and leave anything that didn’t evaporate in flames. After five minutes of continuous testing, he nodded, and reset the lever, shutting the beam down. After a moment he flipped the initial switch once more, depowering the cannon. “All right, that’s a success. Circlet, would it be possible for you to announce the all clear over the speakers?”
“Okay, what was that?” Grif’s voice asked a few seconds later as he approached his lord.
Hammer Strike turned with a manic grin. “Grif, allow me to introduce the Elemental Cannon, MK II.” He gestured to the cannon.
“It’s bigger than the other one,” Grif noted. “I take it this means that large red sideways pillar of energy was your test fire?”
“You did get the warning I sent out, right?” Hammer Strike chuckled. “Yes, the same mechanics are in play with this one. The cannon uses the energy from the core, and projects it through the two aspect crystals inside, currently one of energy and one of fire.”
“So then, you can essentially program the energy from the bloodstone core into whatever thaumic equivalence you need through the crystals?” Grif asked.
“It should be able to handle most things. A beam of elemental energy, a flamethrower, high pressure water cannon. All of them effortlessly.”
“What about the more solid aspects, like stone or metal?” Grif asked.
“Certain aspects can’t be used, sadly, unless in junction with specific other aspects, but it is possible.”
“You're going to make firing keys for this, right? I mean, I’d prefer if me and you alone could fire these things, if we’re talking that much power.”
“No, I wanted everyone to be able to fire this thing freely,” Hammer Strike replied sarcastically. “By Tartarus itself, of course I’m making firing keys! I’d be a moron to leave this thing capable of firing freely,” he finished, opening the side panel, and removing the two crystals inside, placing them inside his coat.
“Just double checking. The last thing we need is these cannons getting out of our control,” Grif noted.
“Yeah,” Hammer Strike nodded. “To think, though….” A new smile formed on his face. “I have plans for the MK III already.”
“Should I be worried that the only time you seem to smile like that is when you're making implements of death?”
Hammer Strike chuckled. “Oh, trust me, Grif. You’ll know when you should be worried.”
Grif knocked on the door, only for the door to swing open on its own. He saw that the floor was covered by wooden railway tracks, bridges, switches, a roundhouse with a turntable, and just a general mess. “We’re in the dining room, Grif,” Pensword’s voice called out.
“Any reason why it looks like a train shop just exploded in here?” Grif asked as he did his best to avoid the tracks.
“Because the package Pensword ordered arrived, and he and the foals have been building and playing trains all afternoon,” Lunar fang said with a chuckle. “You’ll see the photos later. We even got Night Terror to play along for a time. Day Moon planned out the routes, while the others pushed trains around the layout. Matthew’s been dominant nearly all afternoon.”
“I see,” Grif said as he finally made his way into the dining room.
Pensword sat with a happy grin on his face, wearing a striped engineer's hat. The children all were chatting and smiling while Night Terror took an unenthusiastic bite, before returning her attention to a small black wooden engine that had been set next to her plate. Moon River reached over, as if to touch the engine, only for Grif to witness Night Terror hiss a warning to the young foal. Moon River shrieked in delight as she drew her hoof away from the engine. That shriek was soon replaced by a grin as she noticed her godfather.
“Hi,” Moon River called, waving her hoof excitedly as her wings flapped behind her, causing her high chair to wobble. The table had been laden in a carnivorous feast. Rabbit stew steamed in its thick gravy-like broth, while vampire fruit bat sat in an apple glaze reduction. Lastly, some wild boar meat had been cut apart, and the extra juices spilled out to be absorbed by the fruits that had been cut up on the platter.
“Good evening everyone,” Grif offered a nod and a smile towards his god daughter. He made his way over to her, and gave her a peck on the head. “Hey there, Moonie.”
“Hi, Uncle Grif.” It was garbled, but all could understand the foal’s meaning. An open spot had been left between Moon River and Day Moon for Grif to sit. Across from them, Inigo, Cristo, Fox Feather, and Lunar Fang smiled goodnaturedly. Pensword sat at the head of the table next to Night Terror.
“Thank you for inviting me,” Grif said, looking to Pensword. “This looks delicious.”
“I hope so,” the Pegasus replied. “I kind of got lost in playing with my foals and Night Terror, so I didn’t help.” His ears wilted slightly.
“None of that,” Lunar Fang chided. “You need to play, and let Matthew out of that stuffy library of his. It feels good seeing your mannerisms again.”
Grif chuckled at the exchange. “So, who begins?”
“You do,” Night Terror spoke softly. “You are the head guest of the table, so you begin with the first dish. Then we begin to pass the food around.”
Grif nodded, and served himself a helping of stew, before offering the ladle down. “So, Day Moon, did Pensword explain what happened?”
“Only that you want to start my training,” Day Moon began. “He said I’m going to be an apprentice to you.” He looked worriedly at his plate. “I … I don’t know if I want to, with how you’ve been treating dad.”
“You know what the difference between a guard and a warrior is, Day Moon?” Grif asked.
Day Moon shook his head. “They’re the same thing. Just one is more elite than the other, I think.”
“The Guards, or at least as they are in Equestria, polish their armor, sharpen their spears, and parade around attempting to be threatening. But when the danger arises, most of them lose track of themselves. Their courage crumbles, and they panic.” Grif looked at Day Moon. “Warriors take that fear, and push past it. They use it to motivate themselves to keep others from having to face that fear. I know you are afraid, Day Moon, but which do you want to be: a colt playing at war or a stallion who makes a world where colts can afford to play at war?”
“I want to help the world,” Day Moon assured him. “I just … don’t think I can withstand your training sessions as I am now.”
Grif chuckled, and shook his head. “You won’t be starting at the level I have your father at, Day Moon. I will push you a bit harder than normal, but we’ll start small,” he promised.
“Then I accept,” Day Moon agreed. “But do I have to sleep in your house, then? You know, live under your roof, eat meals with you, that sort of thing? Or is it a different type of apprenticeship?”
“You aren't so far away that you’d need to do that, at least not for many years yet. Still, you must be prepared, because if I need to take you away, you have to be ready to go.”
“You mean I get my own duffel for emergencies?” he asked with a grin.
Grif nodded. “We’ll be learning to hunt both the nightkin and the earthborn monsters,” Grif explained. “Nightkin are the type Shadowbane was made for killing. Earthborn are the more mundane type.”
“Oh, that sounds interesting. Shadowbane will probably be excited to be going after what he was made to hunt.”
“I’ve requested that you learn to use a small crossbow on top of other weapons. Hopefully, it will give you something to use, until we can figure something else out,” Grif explained.
“Grif has asked that I be the one to instruct you in that regard,” Pensword said, “along with the tools I need to teach you as a proper Thestral. Lessons will be before bed each night.”
“You’ll be joining me for exercises in the mornings now, too,” Grif continued. “We start early, so you may need an alarm clock or something.”
“Okay.” Day Moon spoke.
“What time?” Inigo and Cristo asked at the same time. “We want to come, too.”
“We start at five thirty,” Grif told them. “If you show up, you're welcome to run.”
“Yay!” the two foals cheered as they embraced their brother.
Grif looked at Pensword, and chuckled. Pensword just shared a knowing look with his friend.
“Now come on. It’s time to eat dinner, before it gets too cold. Grif can ask all the questions he needs after you’ve started those meals of yours,” Fox Feather chided the foals.
“I think questions can wait until after the meal,” Grif said, taking a bite. “This is too precious to waste.”
When the meal had finished, and all rubbed their stomachs contentedly, Grif rose from his place, and gave a bow. “Thank you, friends, for your hospitality. The food was splendid, and the company more so.” He turned to Day Moon, and patted his head three times, before sending him a wink. He pecked Moon River on the cheek as he passed her, and flashed Day Moon another wink. Suddenly, for some reason, a memory flashed through Day Moon’s mind about Wukong's story, how his master had hit him on the head three times to signal that he was to meet him on the third hour after midnight. Grif thanked his hosts again, and made his way out as carefully as possible.
Day Moon nibbled at his meal, while the others were busy talking and chatting. The sun set, and the moon rose. While Pensword and Fox Feather slipped away to their bedroom, Lunar Fang looked at the other foals. “Okay children, let’s take our time, and enjoy tonight’s adventures. “Day Moon, don’t forget you have a hunt to go on tonight. Go and pack your things.”
Day Moon gaped at her.
“Well, go on. March, young colt,” she said sternly. She couldn’t help but smile as Day Moon stuttered into action. She hadn’t expected Grif to give the signal so soon, but she had faith he knew what he was doing. She turned to face the other foals. “Now then, who’s going to help me clear up all these dishes?” She chuckled as a collective groan filled the room. Keeping the rest of the children busy wouldn’t be a problem tonight.
“I’M GOING TO TEACH YOU TO MESS UP MY LAB, YOU LITTLE RED MASS OF ARCANE REFUSE!” Clover shouted, not for the first time, as she fired another bolt of magic at a small red blur that was dashing away from a freshly turned over lab table.
“... Is it just me, or is that thing actually making Clover madder than the nobles? I mean, I’ve never seen her this bad, like ever,” Vital noted as he raised a shield to deflect a blast the imp had reflected using a mirror nearby.
“Well, to be fair, Trixie isn’t exactly thrilled with the little beast herself,” Trixie noted as she wrapped a bitten leg in a few strands of cloth.
“Well, at least we’ve got the most valuable things here in this box. There’s no way it’ll be able to break through my forcefield to take them, so Clover’s lab will remain intact,” Vital said casually as he sat on a small, unadorned crate, even as his horn continued to generate the barrier he’d conjured up.
Clover herself continued to give chase as magic circles covered the areas she’d left, giving the imp less and less areas to run to. When Trixie was done wrapping her leg, she proceeded to add her own contribution as light and dark magic weaved webs around the room, drawing the imp towards the dark energy and away from the light. The imp charged Vital Spark’s forcefield greedily, and in an almost panicked frenzy. It collided against the barrier repeatedly, until it finally shattered, before bee-lining it for the crate. Vital Spark fired off several beams of ice magic, leaving the path behind and around the imp slick, without actually touching the creature itself. It always seemed able to dodge at the last second. The imp crowed in triumph as it threw a ball of smoke Trixie’s way, obscuring the Unicorn’s vision, before it knocked Vital off onto his rump with a well placed fireball. It lifted the lid, and jumped in, its demented laughter echoing behind it. That laughter soon trailed off to a scream as the heavy sound of an iron lid snapping shut filled the room. The shriek of metal sounded within as the shrinking charms were dismissed, and the iron walls of the box inside the crate grew back out again. Moments later, the crate welded shut, and dozens of glowing chains wrapped themselves around, each embedded with runes of power and binding. A heavy iron lock was the last thing to land on top, clicking into place, and activating the full extent of the containment seal Clover had planted.
“How does that feel, you little cretin?” Clover growled as she stomped over, lifted the crate, and shook it violently several times with her magic. “Was it worth it now? Was it?”
“... Wow. Did it seriously mess up your lab that badly?” Vital asked as he flinched.
“It nearly got to my samples of the egg, Vital. You don’t even want to know the kind of havoc that little monstrosity could have unleashed, had it succeeded,” Clover noted. “I hope whatever hell Grif sends this to, it has an appropriate punishment for those who would mess with a mare’s lab.”
“Imps don’t generally manage to slip through the cracks easily, though, do they?” Vital mused as he rubbed his chin. “At least, from what little lore I could find back on Earth. I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject, but aren’t they generally summoned by a mage to do their bidding?”
“Unfortunately, some summoners don’t bother to dismiss them properly afterwards,” Clover explained. “Thus, they wind up in random areas of the planet, and propagate outside of their realm.” She moved to Trixie, and began removing the strips of cloth from her leg. “We’d best have a look. Imps are known for having a powerful bite.”
Trixie turned to look away as Clover removed the coverings. The older mare stopped for a minute to stare at the last layer. She seemed more shocked by the lack of blood than anything. She turned to check the wound, and seemed even more surprised. “Vital spark, did you see her bite, administer a healing spell or something?”
Vital shook his head. “I was too busy trying to keep a straight face with the lie, and maintaining the barrier. What happened?”
“Nothing. Just the imp must have only winged her,” Clover noted as her horn glowed momentarily. “There, Trixie. That should numb the pain. A good night’s rest should be all you need after. Why don’t you head to bed while Vital Spark helps me clean up?”
Trixie looked confused for a moment at this unusual show of tenderness from their teacher, but sighed, and nodded. “Trixie does feel a little tired. Thank you, Clover.” She turned to the door, and left with a small limp. When she passed the threshold, the door closed gently behind her, and locked noiselessly. As an added incentive, Clover cast a muffling spell over the door to prevent anyone from overhearing them.
“Vital, you and I both saw what happened. That imp chomped into her leg. It shouldn’t have been that shallow,” Clover said.
“Are you suggesting a spell? Some sort of corruptive influence?”
Clover shook her head. “Imps are darker beings. Such a spell would have only made the venom in its bite activate.” She caught the stallion’s look, and shook her head. “It’s harmless to Ponies normally,” she assured him.
“But?” Vital pressed.
“The only time I saw a reaction like that was when Luna caught the wrong side of an imp, when she was a filly,” Clover noted.
“And just what are you inferring?”
“Vital, how much has Trixie changed? You think she’s a different Pony than when she had the amulet?”
“Are we talking power, personality, or physical traits?”
“Yes.”
“You know, that gag is starting to get really old. If this were a story, I’d figure the readers would be starting to get tired of it,” Vital noted. “And you already have a log on the changes she’s made, Clover. You had me clean your lab. You can’t have me do that and not stumble across some of your notes.”
“Suppose she were to go through a metamorphosis like that of our own dear Twilight. Do you think she would be able to handle it?”
“We don’t even know all the facts behind Twilight’s ascension in the first place, at least from a magical standpoint, so to ask me if I think Trixie would be able to handle it seems … well, kind of reckless, if you ask me.” Vital furrowed his brow. “This kind of talk isn’t usually like you, Clover.”
“You remember how Star Swirl was working on an Alicorn ascension spell, then. I helped him with the basics of that research. One of our hypotheses was that a subject would start showing signs of such changes beforehand, such as heightened endurance.” Clover looked at Vital. “You know me too well to know I don’t like to play in maybes, so tell me here and now. Do you think she could handle it?”
“I don’t even know the kind of toll it would take on a body. It’s not like she and I go on Grif’s training regimen together. Is she stronger? Clearly in the magical department. As for physically … well, the way she was climbing the thousand steps, she’d probably have a ways to go … unless she was acting that way for my benefit,” he mused. “She is a good showpony….”
“Keep a close eye on her, then,” Clover said. “If anything strange happens, let me know, all right? If I’m right, it will be imperative that Miss Lulamoon receives the support she will need. If I’m wrong, well … nothing will change, will it?”
“It’s one thing to put on an act to deal with a lesser demon, Clover. I’m not about to lie to my marefriend. I’ll keep an eye on her, but I’m going to bring this up.” He raised his hoof to cut Clover off. “I’ll make sure to keep the theories out of it. I know better than to scare her like that. But I am going to find out just how far she’s changed physically. If what you say is true, … well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
“Just be careful, Vital Spark. Based on my studies, Alicorns have a stronger instinctive reactions to things. I know the two of you are … close. She may get protective or be prone to fits of irrational jealousy.”
“Around heat, or all the time?”
“Oh, Faust, I forgot about heat!” Clover facehoofed. “Yeah. Have fun with that,” she offered as she waved her horn, and the tables replaced themselves. Beakers and bunsen burners moved to their places, shattered glass reformed to become the different instruments they had been before breaking, books repaired their minor damage and wandered back onto their shelves. “There we go.”
“... Why do I get the feeling I’m going to want to stay in human form when that time comes around?”
“Provided your genetic material wasn’t already too altered previous to your acquiring a way to stint it,” Clover noted. “The enchantment doesn’t make you immune, unless you are immune in your base form.” Then she smirked. “Good luck, lover boy,” she chuckled.
Vital Spark glowered at her. “I hate you so much right now. Anything else? Maybe you’re going to ask me to summon some high level entity from another plane of existence to form a contract with? Perhaps carry Mount Everhoof on my back?” he asked flatly.
“All lessons for another time,” Clover said, shaking her head. “For now, you should sleep, and I should get this imp to the meeting place.”
“I don’t know whether to balk, or just walk away to study up on the subjects.” Vital sighed. “Probably both. I’ll see you later, Clover. If Trixie strangles me to death, take good care of Aria.”
“Will do,” Clover said cheerfully.
The door slammed shut behind the Unicorn as he left.
Grif waited on the eastern battlement. The area was quiet, as Grif had dismissed the night watch for the time being. Ping, or Nanami as she chose to be called, leaned against the wall nearby, while Clover went over the magic circle for the seventh time. in the center of it, a crate rattled and jumped angrily. Grif had his katana out, and admired it as it glowed in the night. He hoped this would be enough to tell Day Moon where they were. He traced the fiery hamon carefully with a claw, feeling the fire-like waves it depicted dancing in his very being.
“What is that?” Nanami’s voice flowed out through the night air like water as she stepped forward in her warrior’s garb. Her father’s gift had been strapped to her side, and she gulped heavily as she approached the warrior.
“We visited a friend on our way home from Gryphonia. He gave me a puzzle box, and when I solved it, there was a die inside. I rolled it, and this sword appeared. It’s apparently bonded to my soul.” He offered it to her to examine.
“Grif, do you know what this is?” Nanami ran her hand over the blade as a flare of energy arced across the metal.
“A blessed masamune,” Grif said, giving her a wink. “I’ve managed to read a few of the things you brought with you. Translation trinkets aren't hard to use when you have someone who knows the language.”
“One that has been severely tampered with,” she said as her mouth set in a grim line. “There is another power here, ancient, but not divine in nature. You’re fortunate the manipulation didn’t disrupt the power of the blessing itself. This blade could have easily become cursed or worse.”
“And I would be the last one you would want with a murasame,” Grif nodded in agreement.
“This is different from the magics I’ve encountered before. It isn’t Unicorn, but it appears to be similar in nature. The sword is upset. It was forced to bond with you against its will, because of that magic.”
“If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say it’s Alicorn,” Grif noted.
“If it is, then count yourself lucky. We don’t have much on that race, but our records indicate they played with forces they ought never have touched, and they paid the ultimate price for it.” She handled the sword expertly, before handing it hilt first to the Gryphon.
“I’ll strive to be worthy of the sword’s trust.” Grif nodded, taking it back. “Now where is he? You think he missed my signal?”
“It is its respect you need to focus on, Grif,” Nanami warned cryptically as she stepped back into the shadows. “The moon will come soon enough. Give him time.”
Day Moon landed upon the battlements, and looked nervously at the jumping crate. “Wh-what’s in the box?”
Grif stepped forward, and shook his head. “That’s a lesson for later. For starters, let’s work on your kit. This will be the basic equipment I’ll be expecting you to keep on you on top of your armor and Shadowsbane. Are you ready for this? I’ll be teaching you how to use most of it over time.”
Day Moon nodded. “I am.”
“Very well.” Grif signaled to Nanami, who laid out a long square linen sheet, and began to place things out on it. Grif pointed to each new item, and listed it by name and purpose. “Steel wire, thirteen yards of it, along with a basic tool kit. You’ll be learning how to make bait and set traps using these and simple things you can find around you. When you run low on wire, you’re going to have to start refilling it from your own pay. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir. But … pay? I thought apprentices weren’t supposed to get money.”
“You’ll get a cut of any bounties we bring in,” Grif explained. He pointed to a familiar white stick. “You know what chalk is, I take it?”
“Every foal does. But how is chalk supposed to help us with monster hunting?”
“Certain types of nightkin follow very specific rules. For instance, a circle line in chalk can protect you from spirits and anything possessed of a spirit, as well as many physical monsters.” He turned to a bag of marbles. “This is a sack of one hundred and twelve small glass marbles. These aren't toys, and are not to be bet in marble games with other colts. These marbles could, and probably will save your life one day.”
Day Moon cocked his head in confusion. “And how are these supposed to help me?”
“Because, if you need to flee a vampire, cast them before your path, and don’t look back until you enter a holy place, your home, or cross rushing water. A vampire will be forced to count and sort all the marbles before it can chase you,” Grif explained
Day Moon’s gaze rose slowly to meet Grif’s. “You’re telling me that vampires still exist?” He looked worriedly at the bag of marbles. “We … don’t have to fight them right now, do we?”
“They have proven to resurface when everyone thinks they're gone, so I’d rather you be prepared. And no, we won’t be hunting vampires immediately. They’re too far above your level right now.” Grif pointed to a small leather pouch. “Now this little container here holds purified salt. It is to be used in the same manner as chalk, generally against fey or related monsters. When unbroken, it forms a wall thats impenetrable to them, and them only. You following so far?”
Day Moon nodded.
“I’ve included religious symbols from most of the major gods of the races found in Equestria as well. Not every nightkin is affected by Sleipnir or Faust. Remember that.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I’ve also included an alchemy kit and a medical kit. You’ll be studying alchemy with Clover, and herbology with Fluttershy at various points. I’ve started you off with some of the basics: blood lily, wolfsbane, nightshade, various herbs that you’ll find out the usefulness of. I’ve included flint and tinder, and a small vial of water sanctified by the Winds. Later, you’ll need to find a priest or representative of the deity closest to you to provide you with more. This is your basic kit. It’s likely we’ll be adding more to it over time, but these are the things that you should always have on you. Is this understood?” Grif asked him. This time his face and voice carried a stern no-nonsense tone.
“So, do I need to sleep with it?” Day Moon asked.
“Because a shadow is looming over someone very close to us, and I’d rather you have this on you, in case you need to defend that someone.” Grif produced a small stack of surprisingly thin books. “These are primers on the subjects you need to learn. That means they will help you prepare. There will be more books, but these are where I’ll have you start. I’ve also included a bestiary on the things we’ll be studying first in our lessons. I don’t expect you to have the books on you at all times, but you will study them. Agreed?”
“Agreed. I’m guessing dad’s going to change my schedule to accommodate this training?”
“Understand, Day Moon. What you’re starting now isn’t something you can ever put down. This is a lifelong choice, and I’m giving you one last chance to make it yourself. After tonight, monster hunting will be your career, your life, until the day you are either killed in the line of duty or retire. Are you ready to accept that?”
“I ... I don’t know,” Day Moon finally responded. “I want to, but I don’t know if I’d be strong enough to handle it. I mean, nobles making fun of my intelligence? That was easy. This….” He scuffed his hoof on the stone for a time. “I just … I need to be present for one thing, just one.” He sighed. “If I agree to this, there will be no secrets, right? You won’t hold anything back from me, and I won’t be able to from you either?”
A shadow fell across Grif’s face as he looked down on the foal. “Day Moon, if you take this path, my life will be in your hooves, just as yours shall be in my talons. There are many secrets I must keep for other business, but on this, the art of monster hunting itself, I won’t hold anything back from you.”
Day Moon took a deep breath, then sighed. “You probably already know this, Grif, but my mother was murdered. My brothers and I swore we would see those responsible punished. I ... I want to be there when we make the killers pay. If you can handle that, then I’ll do everything I can to be the apprentice you need.”
“If that's what it takes, then I’ll do everything I can to help. Now we have one more thing to finish before you head back. So tell me, Day Moon. I need you to say it out loud. Will you hunt with me?”
Day Moon nodded. “I will.”
“Then tonight, we will cover an important subject: invocation.” Grif turned to the crate. “Do you know what that is?”
Day Moon shook his head.
“Invocation is the practice of invoking the name of a higher power to accomplish a goal you could not do on your own,” Grif explained. “I’m still rather new to it myself, but it’s important to know this, especially since some creatures cannot be killed or banished by any physical means.”
“I … suppose that makes sense,” Day Moon responded thoughtfully.
“For tonight’s lesson, I will be showing you the principle based on an imp Clover caught in her laboratory. An imp is a lesser being that escaped from Tartarus. They are generally very small, and stand with an ape-like posture. They are anywhere from blood-red to fiery-orange to sickly-pink. What makes them difficult is they can take themselves apart and put themselves back together, meaning tearing them apart with any weapon does nothing. Have you got all that?”
“They come in many shades of red, they’re small, can cause mischief in homes, and can’t be killed by a weapon normally. I’m guessing that includes Shadowsane?” Day Moon asked.
Grif nodded. “To kill an imp, you need to break their hold on this world by using a higher power to cast them out. For now, I simply want you to watch, while I demonstrate. Nanami will serve as my backup, in case something goes wrong. Clover is mainly here for magical support.”
“Okay.” Day Moon nodded as he looked intently at the cage..
Grif nodded to Clover, who released the imp. It was a sickly reddish color, and it growled through large yellow fangs as it hopped from the crate, only to be stopped by the protective circle. Grif stared at the beast as he raised the katana to be parallel with the ground, blade facing upwards as he bowed his head, and mumbled something Day Moon couldn’t hear. The wind around them began to blow, coming in random gusts from different directions. When Grif lifted his head and began to speak, the katana’s gentle glow became a bright light pulsing with each line along the length of the blade.
“By the sanctity of this seal, and by this blade of sacred steel.
Because of this beast whose acts profane, I invoke their sacred names.
By the power of Shinatsuhiko, goddess of the south wind, I cast you down.
By the power of Borrum, god of the east wind, I break your dominion on this plane.
By the power of Zephyrus, god of the west wind, I cast you out.
By the power of Njord, god of the north wind, I send you down.
And by Silap Inua’s divine breath, I send you back to the darkness that spawned you.
Leave, and be cast down!”
Upon that final line, both Grif and the imp snarled at each other, before Grif lunged, and impaled the beast. It screamed in agony as the fiery glow enveloped it. Day Moon watched the demon’s form burn to ash before Grif. When its deise was complete, its ashes scattered on the wind. Without a word, Grif sheathed the katana, and turned to look at Day Moon to gauge his reaction.
The foal’s eyes were wide with shock. “I need to find my own names now,” he muttered. “Still, you want me to do that someday, too?”
“You may need to, yes. Nanami will help you to find a being who you can form a bond with to let them invoke their name. I know your people worship the moon, but as her name has been lost to you, I don’t see how it’s an option.”
Day Moon looked to Grif with a faithful smile. “But someday, that name will be found again. Till then, Uncle Pensword’s given me another name to use, the name of her guard: Polaris.” As he spoke the name, the stars flashed momentarily, and the starlight shone brighter.
“The polekeeper, defender of the order of the heavens, maestro to the celestial dance. An interesting choice. Fitting, in a way,” Nanami noted. “His lances are a powerful force to have on your side, as is his skill in combat. Tell me, do you know how to make the contract?”
Day Moon shook his head.
“Have you a shrine?”
“Personal or communal?” Day Moon countered.
Nanami smiled. “Now you’re thinking with your head. Either will work for the sake of establishing the link, but it may be better to keep it private for now. The less people who know of the contract, the easier it will be to surprise your enemy with it later. You will require an offering, of course, something with which to appease him, and entice him to accept you. Even then, it may not be enough. Most divines require their contractors to prove themselves, before they are willing to lend their aid.”
“So that will take time, then, time that I hope to have to discover how to create this on my own. I hope that’s okay with you, Grif.” He rubbed his forehoof nervously. “Since you’re my master now, what should I call you?”
“Grif is fine.” He ruffled Day Moon’s mane. “But don’t worry about it. Trust Nanami as you would trust me. Think of her as your own personal big sister. She wants you to succeed as much as I do, and her training as a priestess is a great source of knowledge. Don’t shun it. Use it.”
“And to tell you the truth, it won’t take nearly so long as you think.” Nanami smiled gently as she pat the foal on his back. “Let’s go visit your elders, hmm? I believe they may know some of the best offerings Polaris enjoys from your people. Any time you wish to enter a contract or go on a hunt, the most important thing you can ever do is research.”
Day Moon smiled. “We’ll go as soon as my lesson is finished,” he promised.
“No. For now, Nanami will instruct you. If she is willing to, I will let her handle this matter. She has more knowledge of invocation and higher beings than I do, anyway.”
“We’ll start immediately,” she promised. “Come along, little cub. You’ve got a long night ahead of you.” She clapped her hands together, and grinned. “In the words of my most revered great uncle three times removed, ‘Now we can do research!’”
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Things are coming along nicely with the town and fortress of New Unity. Especially given local quarrys and the tuneling there should be no difficulty aquiring decent to top grade building materials. The biggest problem is usually traveling far enough to decent hills and muntains to access teh seams, or digging through soft fertile material to depths to reach underlaying worn rocks etc.
Something tells me if one imp has escaped, it will be of intrest either because it was used to force a temporary breach at least and then scout, or to cause a point of weakness that will remain weak and so can be abused further to enable more scout, distraction imps and enable further actions to those entrained?
I have this feeling that at the rate Hammerstrike is going with the Gantrithors main weapons, that by the time he reaches the Mark 7, he will be using Griffs teaching, which Griff got from him in the first place? and turning the Gant itself into one immense Harmonic Elemental Core in the centre of a magic field Coaxial Spine Cannon. If all focused in th one direction. Or, just as capable of producing and directing multiple agile radial beams of energy.
Poor Spike. Starting off with itching, he could end up with all sorts of treatments from Zecora. Drink this, eat that, rub this in all over, ride this train. He might just end up sat in the cauldron, or stuck 12 foot up on a tree trunk, upside down, by his spines, slowly getting covered in tree sap.
Dobby has a sock? I wonder if its the Black 5? Or something with far deeper significance in symbology. I hope so, she would lovely in Forest Green with Gold trim.
Day Moon and other might be Apprentices, but hopefully theyll be getting trained with items and methods far better than the common base stuff popularised. Reminds me that Flim and Flam need checking in on again? Or is Griffs Grey Clerks following those leads as they Domesday Equestria and surroundings?
Cannot they simply ask Luna for the name of her moon?
I have a feeling it is either Selene or Artemis.
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They can, but that wouldn't be the Moon's true name, it would be what Luna calls her Moon. They need the Moon's true name.
Well you have certainly shown your opinion of Starswirl through your writing. I look at it from the story's and the writer's view point. The other pillars simply weren't in development until this season, so its natural you wouldn't hear from them until now.
I saw the promo of the first episode for season 8 on youtube. It seems that Twilight and her friends have started their own multi-cultural & species school in poniville. Its also interesting to see that the map works for other ponies and about the place that Starlight and Sunburst are from. (I've only seen the first 5 minutes in i'll watch the rest when i have time.)
Whenever I read this, I'm reminded of other HIE stories, particularly the Chess Game of the Gods group. So many good characters wasted..... I sorta ship Seth son of Griffin North (Human turned Gryphon) & Gilda with Night Terror. It popped into my head while reading about Night Terror in this chapter.
As for my thoughts on how the King Thorax thing works in this universe' I came up with a concept I'm simply calling the Strong Minds.
In Changeling society the "Strong Minds" are the equivalent of nobles, their duty is to lessen the stress of running the hive. They are basically normal drones who happen to be born with strong independent minds, each of with their own personality. Like Queen Drones they take time to physically and mentally to mature, but are far less resource straining than a Queen Drone. "Strong Minds", act as proxy leadership for the Queen, insuring her will is carried out for anything that requires special attention or needing micromanagement of the regular drones. The danger of "Strong Minds", comes from their very independence; while a part of the hive, they can do things on their own, even things the Queen would distaste. They can also in the right conditions leave and form their own hives like with what happened with Queen Mimi and her husband (I forgot his name). Now having an independent mind doesn't mean that they'll have a strong personality, Thorax has a weak personality, and was probably only kept in order to keep his older brother Pharynx in line. Pharynx, was popular, a model changeling, but he was loyal to the "hive", not the Queen; which is why he allowed his brother to overthrow her even though he preferred the current life style under her leadership.
This is my take on it.
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Ah. That is true. Perhaps it shall be learned when they go visit the Zebras of long ago. Yes, they still have that bit of 'history is future' to deal with. I know that it will be Hammer Strike, Pensword, Grif, and Vital Spark on that adventure. The unknown is if any of their loved ones go along for the ride. Perhaps a bit of temporal displacement is what Trixie needs to trigger the next level of Grey Magic.