Chapter 12 - Why Do I Get The Odd Ones?
It’s interesting how fast things seem to progress when you’re not paying attention. I had almost forgotten about the second meeting with Twilight. Once more she came to visit me, and alone as well. Had to keep Trixie back from tearing her throat out though.
Twilight wouldn’t stop asking me questions about me, regardless of the topic. Such questions ranged from how my magic worked, to the material of my clothing to my very anatomy. She’s a curious one, she is. I didn’t give her much information regarding my magic, however, beyond how it actually works. When she next asked me to train her as well, I declined, much to her annoyance.
I have enough on my plate as it is between Trixie and my own studies.
Once she felt she had ‘gotten to know me’, she departed, promising to return at a later date.
A full two weeks have gone by since I talked to Twilight. Since then Trixie has been getting progressively stronger with her magic. Every morning she would wake up at about six, have a cup of coffee, and begin practicing. She’s progressed so well, that I decided she no longer needed me watching her. I still offered criticism and answered any questions she had, of course.
I was working at my desk one day when I felt a vibration from my token. I grinned and took the book from it’s place within my Robe. The eye was glowing aggravatedly more so than before. It would appear that someone new had finally decided to contact me.
I moved the tome I was working on and placed it off to the side, letting my token take it’s place. I opened the book and found a rather lengthy entry on the first page. Hoping for a cry for help or the possibility of more knowledge, I was sorely disappointed to find that this being had mistaken my token for a mere book.
Dear Diary,
Twilight is a big fat stupid head. Its her idea that I start writing in this book. She seems to think that if I write down my thoughts and findings, I might progress in my magic studies. I think she just wants to keep me distracted since she can't get me to figure out what she's saying. 'Align the primary spell matrix with will of overriding whatever' and so forth. Why can't she ever just speak normally? She and Ex-queen Chrysalis are horrible teachers.
Well at least there’s one good thing about this stupid book. Seeing as Twilight can't read English, I can write whatever I want. As childish as that is. She can suck a dick for all I care. I don't mean that. I'm just frustrated. I've been here for nearly a month and I've gotten nowhere with the whole 'get home' problem. Not one of the other Displaced have been remotely helpful in that regard, and the whole 'human world on the other side of the mirror' was a total bust.
Seriously, they may have been 'human', but they looked like a humanized box of crayons, how did Twilight ever think I was a part of that world? It was funny seeing her face after the portal turned my skin green, though. Thankfull it turned back to normal after I morphed. I wonder why the portal transformed me into a teenager though? I was already human, you think it would have just left me as is, but nooo. Puberty sucks.
I still feel kinda bad about punching that girl in the face. Sure, she was an ancient sighren(whatever the heck that is, all I got out of Twilight is that they're serpent ponies that enchant with song.) but I should have been able to control my temper, regardless of any sort of 'musical mind control'(god, it sounds even stupider when I write it down on paper.). I've always been a violent drunk, but I never thought I could lose control without even an ounce of alcohol. I've avoided even regular beer for that exact reason. Not that hard to do in Equestria, though. I haven't been able to find any.
I've looked. There's this pony with grapes on her butt that always looks like she's drunk, but I've never actually seen her drinking anything. When I asked Annoying Pink, she just said that how she always acts.
Twilight just came back in, and asked what I had written down. I lied, telling her it was how magic felt when I tried it. She left with a satisfied smirk. I don't like lying, but I have to have some secrets, don't I?
No job perspective, either. I went by the Cupcake place to see if they needed any help, and got dragged into indentured servitude by Annoying Pink. She is seriously crazy. I worked for only about 4 hours, but I feel like I pulled a double shift or something, a day later. I obviously can't work under or around her, she's just too frantically energetic.
I guess I should put some of my findings in here, instead of my random ramblings.
Morphing. God, how the hell do I write about that? Feels weird. And my hands beginning to cramp. I guess I'm procrastinating. I gained the ability to morph from this glowing cube, from the book series Animorphs. But it works differently, in some areas from what I remember reading.
Whereas in the books they had a two hour time limit with each morph, It seems I can achieve a far longer duration, ignoring the time limit altogether. That is to say, I haven't been trapped in a morph yet. I might have very well have just not reached my limit yet. The merchant said it wasn't an issue, and so far I'd have to agree. But there's always the chance that he could have been telling a half truth.
In the books, they always had trouble with clothes. Anything that wasn't skintight was either shrunken out of, or torn to pieces when the morph exeeded(yes, I know I'm spellign, damnit, spelling that wrong. my horse, my horse for a proper spellcheck) the size of the clothing. I so far haven't had that problem. My clothes, as baggy as they are, seem to morph with me without fail, becoming my skin with a majority of my morphs.
As well with that, I appear to be able to morph from one form to another, without returning to my base human form first. They couldn't do that in the books either, although I still apparently can't acquire a new form from within the morph. That being said, I seem to be able to do partial morphs, as well as mix and match morphs after I’ve acquired them. I have managed to change Fluttershy’s hooves into the same emerald nail substance that Crystal’s form had. I’ve also give pretty much every one of my morphs Twilights horn. So yay about that, I can potentially do magic in any form. I’ve also given Spike Onyx’s claws. It was hilarious to look at, but ultimately I think I’d rather just completely morph her.
Originally, it took me about two minutes to complete a morph. I have somehow managed to get it down to 1 minute normally with no additional effort, but it seems that if I use my 'magic' energy I can shave it down to only 13 seconds. This is a bit weird, and uses up quite a bit more energy according to my watch. A standard morph seems to take between 2 and 7 'energy', while rushing a morph takes upwards of 20 in one go.
While in a morph that can perform magic, I don't seem to have very good control. Contrary to Twilight’s teaching methods, I seem to just be getting worse. Lifting even a tiny little nail seems to feel like I'm trying to bench a couch above my head. I follow her instructions as best I can, but they honestly make no sense. Sometime I think my translation spell might be giving me incorrect words whenever she gives me instructions. Wouldn't surprise me.
My Displaced (Crystal and Dante) morphs seem to have the ability to absorb magical energy, as long as it is from solidified magic, such as the alicorn amulet. I have 'eaten' a sword from Crystal, as well as a few shattered fragments from the sighrens necklaces. The first gave me a sword, but its appearance changed from its original. The sighrens necklaces gave me a knife that disintegrates and returns to my hand after its been thrown. While in Dante's form, I absorbed the alicorn amulet Twilight had in a display case. It gave me gauntlets which seem to release kinetic force, far greater than my actual punches. If only I was any good at fighting. Even with the help I've gotten, I'm still little better than a rank amatuer.
I'm getting tired. I guess with my next entry, I'll try and make a list of all my supplies, tokens and such.
Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea from Twilight, to start up this diary. It still feels weird though, This type of book isn't anything like the rest of Twilights books. I originally thought it was a token, but it didn't have a phrase, so it couldn't be. -That being said, I can’t help but feel a bit of nostalgia whenever I look at it. Is it similar to something I’ve seen in a movie or a game?-
Thank goodness it isn’t, though. I don't think I could live with the embarrassment if someone normal actually knew I was keeping a diary. As it stands, I had to make Twilight Pinkie Promise not to tell. I still worry that Annoying Pink is still going to find out somehow, and organize some sort of 'Congrats on writing a diary' party or something.
I know it probably wouldn't happen. But she is Pinkie Pie. God knows what she'll do.
I sighed in frustration, how is that someone could possibly mistake my token as a diary! Still, I garnered some interesting information from this person. it would seem that this individual is capable of transforming into any living creature. Not only that, but from the sound of it, this transformation also fully heals the body every time when used. A handy ability to be sure.
Of course, there’s another piece of information that I found interesting. Apparently this character had met with two others who have been sent to Equestria and labeled them as ‘Displaced’. I suppose that is a fitting name for us, all things considering.
Now, to make a decision. Should I make contact with this ‘Displaced’? It’s obvious he doesn’t realize he’s using my token as a diary. I could garner a lot of information from reading what he writes down.
I pondered the idea for a few moments before shaking my head. It may prove useful at times, but it could just as well be a wasted opportunity. He could very well use the diary to list trivial things about his life, leaving out more information regarding the Displaced. No, I should make contact with him and see where it goes from there.
I grabbed a quill and a bottle of ink, writing out my response.
Dear Displaced,
While I find your entry to be most humorous, I'm sad to say that using my token as a diary isn't exactly recommended. Considering you thought this to be an ordinary book, I'm assuming you don't know who I am. Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Robin, a tactician and expert strategist. I am a mage who wields the magic from Fire Emblem, perhaps you've heard of it?
It seems to me that you're having trouble learning how to use magic. While I know Twilight is an expert when it comes to anything magic, I wouldn't give her a position as a teacher. Perhaps this is where I can help. I am willing to visit and teach you how to use my magic until you understand the basics. If you're wondering if I'm qualified to teach, I actually already have a student, one who's progressing quite well under me.
I won't ask for anything in return other than information. Since this book has found you, I suspect, like me, you're also stuck in Equestria. Judging from the entry, you also have had better luck than me making friends with the populace.
If you're still interested in learning my magic, let me know by writing in this book. I will know immediately when you do.
Sincerely,
Robin
It’s been a while now since Trixie has become my apprentice and she is progressing admirably. If I can teach an egotistical mare how to use my magic, then surely I can teach another Displaced.
It wasn’t long until I got a response.
Testing, one two? Discord, I swear if you’re screwing with me I’ll whine and moan and complain about it to Fluttershy.
Sincerely, Wade.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. It would seem that Discord is a nuisance no matter the Universe. And yet… another difference between our worlds. The Discord here is once again set in stone. Yes, he will be released in due time, but not for quite a while now. It would seem that time flows differently in other universes.
I sat back in my chair and pondered that thought. How could time be different in various universes? It’s possible that time is heavily affected in the Void. From the little science I remember, I know that time can be warped if the situation is right. If that’s the case, then what’s the correlation between the Void and time?
I shook my head, this is no time to get lost in my thoughts. Wade is waiting for a response.
No, this is not Discord. Discord is a petty trickster and fool who is unable to grasp the big picture. Not only that, there should be no way of him knowing of alternate universes without you having told him beforehand.
Oh. I don’t know if that’s better or worse. Please never tell anyone ever that I wrote a diary? If you do, I will complain at you quite thoroughly. In regards to learning magic, If you think you’d be a better teacher than Twilight (Which at this point, I think asking an earth pony would net me better results than with her), then I would welcome you with open arms. Note that I would refuse to call you master, or sempai. If thats okay with you.
Sincerely, Wade.
I raised an eyebrow. The writing that was relatively decent previously was now sloppily done. I noticed multiple blotches of ink in various places through the paragraph.
I really hope I wasn’t making a mistake in offering to teach him.
Your secret is safe with me, although, there is no shame in keeping a journal. I have no problem teaching you magic, and I don’t require you to address me as your superior. The magic I have to offer is Elemental in nature and extremely powerful. It should also be said that learning how to use my magic will be time consuming and difficult. You will be required to learn another language as well as write your own spells. Although the setup is tedious, the rewards are great. I’ll most likely have to spend several days in your universe teaching you the language and the proper way to wield the spells. If you believe you’re still able to handle the studies, I will prepare immediately.
Sincerely,
Robin
I’m very much aware that just a few days would help him very much. However, I can still instruct him on how the magic works and how to control whatever amount he already has. Furthermore, I’ll leave him all the necessary tools needed to get started, including the translation book and the beginning tomes.
After that he can train at his own pace.
I currently have a translation spell attached to me, and I have no idea how to turn it off. I’d like to learn, and if learning a new language is required I guess that would be a necessary evil. If you can figure out how to turn off my translation spell(or if it arbitrarily decides not to mess with such lessons,) I would be willing, although It would more than likely take me more than just ‘several days’. More like a couple months. I’m a slow learner, and learning a new language from scratch isn’t exactly something a normal guy like me could possibly do in only a few days.
If you could possibly tell me what I’m doing wrong in my other magic wielding forms, that would also be appreciated(If that is even the same type of thing, or if you even have the ability to tell what someone is doing wrong when they describe ‘doing magic’ as ‘reaching inside, grabbing the weird feeling, and shoving it out a magically apt orifice/ body part.’ Twilight sure as hell doesn’t have a clue what I’m doing. Can you explain what a ‘spell matice’ is? Twilight can’t.
I thank you for taking time out of your undoubtedly busy schedule to indulge the interests of a guy like me, and if you’d be will I would welcome you heartily. Heartily? I don’t know why, but that sounds weird to me after I wrote it down.
Sincerely, Wade.
A translation spell, huh? Considering his origins it’s possible this translation spell is quite powerful. Still, it shouldn’t be able to translate a language that’s not even from the same universe.
Still, with every bit of information I learn from him, I become more intrigued. Perhaps I’ll stay longer than just a few days. A week should be good enough, at most.
My magic is significantly different compared to Unicorn magic. I myself am unable to use the magic of the unicorns. I can possibly help direct the natural flow of your magic, but I will be unable to aid in your lessons regarding unicorn spells.
It is no trouble at all. While I won’t be able to stay and teach you for several months, I could visit periodically to ensure your studies are progressing accordingly. At most right now I can afford to spend a week in your company. My own student is self sufficient, and while she will be annoyed about my absence, she will be fine. I’ll begin packing the necessary tools needed to instruct you as well as the tomes I may require while I’m staying with you.
See you in a bit,
Robin
I closed the book and returned it to it’s place within my robe. I quickly got up from the chair and hurried to the storage room. I looked around the room before spying a large rucksack, grabbing it as I returned to the living room. If I’m going to be teaching this guy my magic, then I need the same materials that I used with Trixie. I grabbed a tome of Fire, Wind, Thunder, and Flux. I also grabbed some more powerful tomes for me to use. I was venturing into unknown territory and I couldn’t afford to be taken unaware.
I was still stuffing tomes into the bag when I heard the door behind me swing open. I stopped what I was doing. This was the only obstacle I had to overcome; I needed to convince Trixie that I was only leaving for a short time.
I turned around and found a rather tired blue mare before me. Oh, right, I told her to gather some firewood and use Wind to cut the wood. I smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of my head. “Hey there Trixie. I got a call from another in the same position as me. He needs some help and I agreed to aid him. I’ll be gone at most for a week.”
Trixie seemed to grow interested when I mentioned the Displaced, but it didn’t remove the frown etched onto her face. “If you’re going to be gone for a week, than what will I do?”
I smiled. “Well, you’ve been studying a lot lately and you’ve been pushing yourself rather hard. Perhaps a week off from your studies would do you some good.”
She seemed surprised from my offer. Hell, I was surprised I offered her that much time off. I must be in a good mood. Either that or I’m going soft.
She smiled widely and began… helping me pack… with great enthusiasm to boot. I blinked in confusion. Maybe she wouldn’t be upset about this whole situation after all.
Within only a few minutes I had everything I needed.
I held the token close to me and concentrated on the energy of the void. I searched for the connection between Wade’s tome and my own. Finally finding it, I summoned a black portal leading into the Void. I shivered, watching dark wisps of tendrils emanate from the dark world. Even Trixie’s enthusiasm and curiosity seemed to die away to fear as she beheld the Void.
Steeling my nerves, I stepped into the portal, letting it close behind me. For the second time in my life I found myself in the void. However, I was no longer the weak man I was once before. No, I was immensely stronger. I noticed silhouettes moving out of the corner of my eye, slithering through the darkness. There were screams in the distance, laughing around my ears and an overall feeling of oppressiveness. It was… rather dull actually. I used to be afraid of this place?
I rolled my eyes and focused on the link between Wade’s world and my own. I quickly found it and began to make my way to the alternate universe.
I eventually stepped out of a portal, entering the alternate universe. I blinked, letting my eyes adjust to the sudden change in lighting. The first thing I noticed was a who I assumed to be Wade. He was a lanky individual with semi long hair. He was seated at a chair much too small for him working at a desk which was, like the chair, much to small. He had a look of confusion upon his face. It was rather humorous, perhaps I was the first to enter his world? It was obvious from his entry that he had met other ‘Displaced’ as he called them. Well, might as well introduce myself. Last thing I need is another enemy of possibly equal power to my own.
“Ah, you must be Wade. As you know, my name is Robin, and it would seem you are in need of assistance.” I greeted with a wide smile
He lowered his hand which held a ready quill. He most likely was about to message me asking when I would be arriving. He seemed… unsure about himself and this situation. “Um… hi, and yeah, I guess you could say I am.”
I nodded and looked around the room. It was small, and somehow felt cramped despite the small furniture. “I would be more than happy to help. If I’m going to be staying for some time, however, I may need a room of my own. Your room is rather… cozy.”
Wade seemed to flinch at my comment. Did he really not consider this before inviting me to his universe? Great, I’m going to have to sleep on a collection of pillows or something, aren’t I?
Wade fidgeted with his fingers nervously. “Oh, uh, well I guess come on and lets go see Twilight, this is her place after all. Sorry for just assuming you’d be able to stay, I guess I wasn’t thinking.” He stood up from his desk and stretched.
I nodded slowly, thinking aloud, “Yeah, I don’t exactly want Twilight on my case if I can help it. Considering this is her castle, can I assume she is already an Alicorn?”
Wade nodded, “Yeah. Are you familiar with the tv show and it’s movies, or in other words ‘future knowledge’?” he asked, hooking his fingers in quotation marks as we walked through the halls.
I gave a small laugh. “I am, although little good it has done me back in my universe. I only recently got freed from my prison, what about you?”
He seemed to dwell on this bit of information as I continued to follow behind him. We made numerous turns, seemingly wandering in random directions. “So you’re a stoner? I arrived after the main show, if I have my information right. I might be before or after the movies, I don’t actually know because all I know is that there are movies. I’ve yet to be introduced to a variant of the elements, and I hope to avoid that if possible.”
We turned at the end of the hall and came upon a dead end. Wade gave a huff of irritation as he turned around. Did he even know where he was going? I hummed to myself as I walked. “So the movies are present in your universe? I suppose they are technically cannon, but I never considered them as such.”
“Again, haven’t seen them. I only know that I’m after the show because I remember seeing the castle at the end of the series, in the promo when my sister was watching it. And due to what other Displaced have told me.”
I nodded. “I have watched the series from start to end, but only once. It’s been such a long time, hard to remember details after 1506 years. I get by with what I remember though.”
he stared at me in awe for a few seconds, then returned to his normal pace. “Dang, that blows. How much of that was spent in a rocky prison?”
I grimaced, a sour look stretching over my face. “When I originally arrived in Equestria I was 22 years old. For five years I’ve lived in the Everfree forest, practicing my magic and growing stronger. There’s not much else to do when all of life’s worries are stripped like that. Anyway, I spent three years in solitude before the Princesses finally found me. This was before the main series, by the way. Another two years of hiding and trying to escape their wrath and another 1500 years spent in stone. I’ve only been free for… roughly three weeks now?”
“Yeesh. Were you at least asleep, or were you one of the awake variants?” Wade asked, turning yet another corner.
“I suppose I was a mixture of both. Most of the time was spent asleep, but I was awake for at least twenty years over the millennia and a half.”
he gave an affirming nod. “Well thats good, in a sense. I met this one guy who had gone insane from his time. Celestia and Luna just let him keep up the garden he used to be imprisoned in. They couldn’t bring themselves to further punish someone who had degraded to mental retardation… He was nice too… for a rotting corpse…”
I raised an eyebrow at that one. Thank god I escaped such a fate as that. “Well, I’m certainly no corpse, but I feel lucky to hold onto my sanity. Between meditating, occupying my mind and sleeping I was able to ward of that path. There is nothing more precious than knowledge.”
“I’ll admit to a fondness for sweets, but that doesn’t last. I guess knowledge is quite precious… as long as you can survive to use it.”
“Very true, and I plan on surviving much longer than I had previously.” Robin’s voice grew cold, “And never again will I let Celestia think she is superior to me.”
The resolution was easily heard in my voice. I meant it just as well. Hopefully this universes’ Celestia won’t be a thick headed idiot. Wade spoke cautiously, “Just go easy around mine, will you? She isn’t overtly hostile, but she definitely has the ‘I’m doing this for your own good’ vibe down.”
I snorted and turned to face him. “That’s the main reason I don’t like her. She believes everything she does is for the greater good. She never takes the time to look at a situation from another angle. She is so single minded it’s amazing she can get anything done.”
“She’s maintained what is essentially a peaceful empire for over a thousand years, I have to assume she’s doing something right,” he replied.
I sighed. “I know, dammit I know. I guess I’m still just testy about the whole imprisonment thing. To be fair, we didn’t meet under the greatest of circumstances.”
We finally reached the main living room area, where we found Twilight talking to Pinkie Pie. The pink pony gave a huge gasp upon laying her eyes upon me. I blinked, and in that moment she had rushed over and wrapped her hooves around my midsection. It seems Pinkie is the same everywhere.
I grunted as she increased her pressure around my waist. I looked down at the pony, my expression wary. “... Nice to meet you too, Pinkie Pie. If you don’t mind though, I would like for you to let me go.”
She looked up at me with a wide grin stretching from one ear to the other. “Only if you Pinkie promise to stick around long enough for a party~” She suddenly gained a serious expression, “None of Wadeys friends ever stay long enough for me to give them a party! It’s the worst thing ever!”
My eye twitched in annoyance, the only indication regarding how I felt about the pony. I’ve already had to deal with this crap back at my place. The last thing I needed was another awkward party. “...I won’t Pinkie Promise anything, but I will consider attending the party. To be honest, it’s been some time since I’ve had anything with sugar.” Not a total lie, and hopefully I would be able to escape the arrangements at a later date.
Pinkie Pie squealed in delight, lifting me off the floor before letting go, leaving an after image in her place. “I’ll take it!” she called from the doorway, “It’s almost as good as a maybe!~ And I’ll be sure to make a super duper Cake for you, and a sugar marmalade wizzy ding, and maybe even a couple… Oh no!” She disappeared once more, suddenly appearing before me once again, “I forgot to introduce myself, and get your name! I can’t very well put your name on the cake if I don’t know it right?” She sat back on her haunches and extended a hoof, “My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but obviously you already know me.~”
I sighed in defeat and took Pinkie’s hoof in my hand. Her theatrics were amusing, but had a tendency to quickly wear on my patience. “Indeed I do. My name is Robin, at your service.”
“Robin… like a bird! Ooooh ooh ooh ooh! Idea! Awesome spectacular super duper idea!”
With that, she was once again gone without a trace, leaving me looking around for the absent mare. She made the dreaded connection between my name and the bird. I swear to god if she makes me a seed cake…
Seeing a lull in the conversation, Twilight chose this moment to step forward and interject her way into the conversation. “Hello Robin, and welcome to Equestria. My name is Twilight Sparkle.” With that she extended a hoof for a handshake.
I soon gave up looking for the pink menace and opted for the handshake. I wasn’t going to find Pinkie if she wanted to remain hidden. “It’s very nice to meet you Twilight Sparkle. I must say, It’s interesting to see you as an Alicorn.”
“Oh!” She exclaimed, “So you’re from an Equestria in a time frame from before now? Do you know me, and if you do, could you please tell me to back up everything I have in the library into a location across town? It’s… for reasons.”
I chuckled at that request. “I’ll be sure to let her know, but I doubt she’ll believe me. I haven’t told anyone besides my apprentice about the Displaced yet. I’m actually surprised you know at all to be honest.”
“Wade’s been here for a while now, I don’t know everything, due to a certain somepony’s refusal to write everything down…”
“Even if I did, you still wouldn’t be able to read it,” He pointed out.
“Regardless,” Twilight cut off, flustered, “If my parallel won’t believe you, just confront her about the secret secret diary she keeps inside Smarty Pants.” She turned to Wade, and let out in a low hiss, “Don’t tell anypony, okay? I’ve never told anypony about this, but if I can somehow save… for the greater good. My pride for pure knowledge.” She turned back to Me, “I don’t care what you do, but please get this information across. Having knowledge of the future can be dangerous, but something will happen which destroys all the books in the Library. Anything you could do would be much appreciated.”
I considered the proposition for a moment. It would certainly be amusing to watch my Twilight’s reaction to such a warning. She would probably spend weeks reorganizing the library. Still, I couldn’t afford to alter the future, it could lead to dire consequences. I shook my head. “While I understand the desire for perseverance, it can lead to drastic change. I’m sorry, but I can’t risk changing the future, even a little bit.”
Twilight chewed her lip in consternation, but let out a defeated sigh. “Alright, I understand. Didn’t hurt to ask though, did it?”
I smiled. “It never hurts to ask. Now, as much as I enjoy the small talk, perhaps we should get down to business.”
“Oh! Of course,” She gave Wade a pointed look, “So why exactly are you here, did you need Wade’s help in some regard?”
I tilted my head in surprise. He really did just invite me over to someone’s home without first informing the owner. “Actually, the other way around. Wade contacted me and requested that I teach him how to use magic. I plan on testing him rigorously which includes learning a new language, writing tomes, and practicing his magic.”
“What?” she directed her attention to Wade, “Am I not teaching you well enough? Are you dissatisfied with your progression? Going to another teacher won’t help if you just quit halfway through, you know this right?”
“I’m not quitting anything. Face it Twi, I just don’t understand half of what you’re saying. If I get a human teacher, I have at least a little bit of a chance in getting somewhere. I started out, and taught myself the bare minimum of how to use magic, by trying to do it first off. In all this time, in all your explanations and schooling I have not gotten a single bit better. Not even a little. I’m not trying to point fingers, but obviously something you’re saying is just being lost in translation, either due to my spell, or just our inability to converse what we both know of magic to each other.” He stopped, looking to me for some input.
Might as well give the explanation I gave Trixie, albeit, more in depth.
“The magic of unicorns is vastly different and complex compared to most other magics. Yes, it has a lot of uses, but it’s used mostly as a utility. The magic I have to teach you will be easier to use as it requires less prerequisites. All you need is to learn a new language and be able to write the tomes. Also, considering our… unusual situation, we Displaced should be ready for violent situations. My magic is highly superior in combat compared to unicorn magic.”
Twilight huffed, a sudden look of consternation on her face, “Magic isn’t supposed to be used for violence, It’s to interact with the world, and better yourself through it. Some try to twist it to their own desires, and it can be used to harm one another. But the true element of Magic is harmony, winding together to bind us in grace and happiness.
I deadpanned at Twilight. “Magic is anything but harmonious. It’s a force of nature and therefore chaotic. Through training and adaptation you can twist it to aid you in everyday tasks. What my magic focuses on is the raw power behind magic.” Honestly, isn't she supposed to be the element of magic? To just dismiss a new idea about a field is just stupid. Not only that, but she’s being hypocritical if she insinuates magic shouldn’t be twisted to our own desires. If that wasn’t true, then there would never be new spells.
“Then your magic is different than the magic of Equestria. The main principle of-”
“Twilight,” Wade cut her off, “Can I? In something less than almost a religious tone?”
She looked a bit miffed that he cut her off, but she gave him the go ahead.
“Equestrian magic is different from what you and I understand as magic through mainstream media. In a majority of the different Equestria’s, Magic is literally harmony. Solidified goodwill. Enough people in an area get cranky, and stop working with each other, start hating each other, the more the world around them grows bleaker. Eventually to the point of life refusing to perpetuate in an area. Vegetation won’t grow, water will become foul, and eventually the area will be overtaken by blight. There’s even creatures that thrive on this, Wendigo’s. They bring ice with them, and will carpet the land in snow, killing it even faster.”
He took a deep breath before continuing, “Harmony is made up of six ‘elements’, six representations of friendship. Of course each of these have their dark sides, but the Equestrians like to ignore those.” Twilight gave me a sharp shake of her head, mouthing ‘noooo’ at me, but I ignored her as I continued. “Generosity, Kindness, Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, and straight up Magic. Which makes no sense to me, how can friendship be magic if one of the components itself is magic? Like the chicken and the egg, who came first, all that jazz.”
He trailed off and looked to me for my opinion. Despite the small tangents he went off on, it was a decent enough explanation. Didn't he ask me for help to teach him magic? He seems relatively well informed in the field. Enough to be able to advance further on his own, surely? “Well, yes, I suppose that is a decent explanation regarding Equestrian magic.”
“It isn’t a complete description, however. Wade left out several key elements and-”
“It isn’t a contest Twi, just let him speak,” He cut her off, leaving her flustered.
I coughed before continuing, “Yes, well, the magic I wield is from a game known as Fire Emblem. It’s main purpose is for war, but I have discovered other aspects to exploit. This magic is elemental in nature and extremely powerful.” I turned to address Wade specifically, “I can teach you all four aspects: Fire, Wind, Lightning… and Dark magic.”
“I’m calling it right now,” He started, cutting off Twilight before she could break into another rant. “I wanna spec in Darkness. I don’t remember much about the games, but I know you can make a smokescreen. That would be absolutely perfect, and if I can expand it past a certain distance, It would be even better.”
A smokescreen? The closest thing to that would be Waste perhaps. He wouldn’t be able to utilize that spell for some time to come. I opened my mouth to voice these facts, but was interrupted by an outburst from Twilight.
“What?!!?” Twilight nearly yelled, looking at Wade with frightened eyes. “Wade, Dark magic is…evil! Unicorns that subject themselves to it have their minds torn away and corrupted, bit by bit, you can’t do that, I won’t let you!”
I rolled my eyes as I observed Twilight’s antics. yet again, I run the risk of being labeled a villain. Better explain myself this time arouind. “Humans are not as subjected to change as ponies are. Humans, in a word, are chaotic. Twilight, I have been using Dark Magic efficiently for five years now. Do I seem like an evil man who would cause harm to others?”
Twilight's’ eyes narrowed into a glare,“You’re offering to teach a friend of mine an extremely debilitating magic art. Do you really want my honest answer to that?”
I narrowed my eyes as well. I felt my anger rising at the implication she was setting. “The Dark magic I wield is more powerful then you can possibly imagine. It makes Sombra look like a colt learning magic for the first time. Now, let me get something through to you; Dark magic is not necessarily evil. Magic in all forms can be used for evil, Twilight. I have actually done feats of good using Dark magic.”
Twilight seemed to actually consider these words. Her posture was slightly slumped, a hoof trying to reach upwards to scratch at her chin but stopped through years of discipline. “I’ve used dark magic before. It was one of the worst mistakes of my life, and there isn’t a night that goes by that I don’t feel a trill of fear when all the lights go out. Fear of what I saw, of what I felt, of what I could have done or become.” She looked at me with a hoof pointed at Wade, “Look me in the eyes and promise me this is safe for Wade. He might not be my responsibility, but I do consider him my friend. If there is even a chance that this could harm him, then I won’t let you teach him. And that’s final.”
I looked Twilight dead in the eyes, my resolve firm. “Twilight, no matter what magic I teach him there is always a chance of him being harmed. When I first practiced my magic I caused myself many an injury. Of course, I had no one to instruct me. While I am teaching him I will ensure that he learns magic properly. Will he be injured? There is always a chance, and not even me being there will completely remove that.”
Twilight was silent for a few seconds, then once more replied, “Then can you at least promise me you’ll observe every caution you’re able? And that you’ll make it your end goal to pass your information without otherwise tainting or harming him directly, or by letting him take risks that could get him harmed otherwise?”
“Yes, I will caution him and share with him the knowledge I have regarding all aspects of my magic. I can’t, however, force him to choose how he decides to wield this magic. That’s something you’re going to have to talk with him about personally.”
Twilight wore a slight smile now, finally through being hostile. Thank god. I don’t need her permission to teach Wade my magic, but having her accept it would save me a lot of grief later.
“Then I guess that is all I can ask of you. I, Twilight Sparkle, hereby pass stewardship of my student to you, his new teacher. Treat him as an unpolished stone, and may he bring to you a shine when you are through.” she finished her cheesy line, and bowed her head slightly towards me.
I raised an eyebrow, not expecting such a formal transition. “I see, I’ll be sure to instruct him to the best of my abilities. I’ll be sure to treat him like... marble?”
Twilight wrinkled her muzzle in confusion. “Marble? But isn’t that widely considered as an already polished stone? Pinkie would know, if only she stuck around for a while longer, then we could have…” she continued on, muttering to herself.
I’m not having a conversation about rocks. I have much more important matters at hand. Without a second thought I ignored the question and turned to Wade, “When do you want to start your training?”
Wade smiled like a child who was told he could have a new toy. “As soon as possible. You said I have to learn a new language, right? As soon as I can get slightly competent in that I want to start training as soon as possible.”
I nodded and reached under my arm to grasp the translation book. I handed the book to him. “This here is the translation book I wrote for the ancient language. It may take you some time, but I’m confident you’ll be able to understand it soon enough.”
He opened the journal, peering at the first page. I wrote it so the first page held a table, indicating a code. it was a direct translation between the english letters and the Ancient Language counterparts. It would take some time to learn, but I’m sure-
“A translates to A? B Translates to B? Example; One by the wind translates to One by the wind... Oh. Ok. Haha, you got me with the trick book. Can I have the real translation starter package, please?” Wade asked, holding the book back out at arms length.
My initial glare slowly morphed into one of confusion. Was he being serious? Is that what he actually saw on the page? A mere translation spell shouldn’t be able to help him read a long dead language. I took the book back and read it over. My eyes narrowed before skimming towards the back of the book. I read over a small passage before looking back up at him. “The winds of eons flow ever due north, never misdirected from its path.”
He seemed genuinely confused now. Maybe he-
“O…kay… So does that mean they eventually go south or something? Seeing as they just go north, they have to get there eventually, right?”
I felt my eye twitch something awful. How the hell could Wade know this language!? How the hell could a stupid translation spell account for this language!? The fuck is going on here!?
Wade looked concerned now. “Or… am I supposed to recite a poem or something back? I will admit, I’m not sure what we’re doing right now.”
I didn’t respond, opting to stare at him for for a bit. A full three minutes passed before I finally found my voice, “Wade… how-”
“Wait, what did he say? Wade is your spell malfunctioning? Can you still understand me? CAN YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH.” Twilight was starting to panic, getting up close and personal to Wade.
“Yeah, I can understand you. And just so you know, if my spell wasn’t working, talking slower and louder at me wouldn’t help me all that much. Just so you know.”
I coughed, getting Twilight’s and Wade’s attention. “Wade, when you mentioned the translation spell, I originally thought that you were referring to a Unicorn spell that had been placed on you. No Unicorn magic should be able to perform what you just did. This language, first off, is ancient and considered dead in most cases. Not only that, but it’s very possible that this language doesn’t even exist in this universe.”
“What? What did he say? Did you understand what he said the first time Wade? That doesn’t make any sense, your spell is supposed to translate everything in a 300 hoof circumference.” Twilight succumbed to her habits, raising a hoof and roughly scratching at her chin in deep thought. “I don’t understand. While yes, any unicorn translation spell pales in comparison to the translation spell attached to Wade, it’s always been consistent in itself. Why would it not allow me to understand a certain language all of a sudden, while still allowing him to understand it? And why would it suddenly allow him to read a dead language, it hasn’t let him read any of our languages…”
She trailed off, muttering to herself for a few seconds before getting a glint in her eye. “You!” she pointed at me, “Don’t go anywhere! I need to get additional test subjec-I mean baseline volunteers!”
That didn’t sound good, hope she doesn’t do anything reckless. I ignored Twilight’s antics for the most part and continued to stare at Wade. “You’re a strange one Wade. Thrown into a future Equestria, abnormalities not normally present in the main show… and the ability to seemingly understand any language in existence.”
“Not really. I can’t understand any of Twilights stuff. Is this really not in english?” He asked, pointing at the book.
I shook my head. “It’s not in English, it’s written in an old and dead script from Fire Emblem. Perhaps you can only understand written languages…”
He shook his head as well, “No, Anything Twilight or her friends write in Equin or whatever isn’t readable. And apparently the script is too much different from english for my spell to allow me to learn it. According to what Twilight says, there's three different G’s, but when I just say ‘g’ it only sounds like one of the letters for her. I guess that's what you get when you have a thirty seven character alphabet.” He peered at the open pages of the book once more, trying to find a difference in the text.
I scratched my chin before sighing in defeat. “I don’t like leaving things unsolved, but I really can’t think of a reason for this. I suppose you should just accept this gift for what it is, a blessing. So, do you have any idea who Twilight is bringing back?”
He thought about it for a moment, but shook his head once more, “Not specifically. Not many people know about me in ‘that’ regard for her to just bring them over willy nilly. Theres the main six, the CMC, Rarity’s parents, ex-Queen Chrysalis and her girlfriend, uhhh… Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh. Not to mention all of Fluttershy’s animals, but I don’t think they’d be a viable ‘test subject’ for Twilight. If she so much as misplaced a hair or feather on theirs heads Fluttershy wouldn’t let her hear the end of it.”
“What about Celestia and Luna, do they know about you?”
He gave me a snort of derision. “Not to be rude, but of course they do. I’m basically living with the solar monarch’s personal student, and you know how she is. First thing she did was write ol sunbutt and tell her about me. I still haven’t been able to meet Luna though… I was kinda unconscious the whole time she was here…”
I grunted in acknowledgement. “That sound’s like Twilight, always writing to her teacher. Wade, I don’t hate the princesses, but I certainly don’t care for them. As long as Celestia doesn’t interfere with my teaching, there won’t be any problems. Luna had also better stay out of my dreams and memories… or else.”
He pursed his lips in a slight frown. “I don’t think she does humans. I mean, I’ve been here for over a month, and I have yet to have a single dream. One I can actually remember, anyway.”
“Good, then she should most likely stay away from me. Granted, she shouldn’t be able to breach my mental barriers, but this isn’t my Equestria. I’ll have to meditate at some point and reinforce them, just in case.”
“You’ll be teaching me that too right?” he asked, flipping through the book.
I shrugged. It was certainly an option, but that would take longer and required immense focus. “It’s something we can certainly work on. I achieved my barriers through meditation and the manipulation of my own magic. I’ve found over time that my magic is much more powerful than others, but my magic pool is significantly lower. Is it the same for you?”
“Uhhh… I don’t really have a ‘pool’ I can feel. Well I do have one, I guess, but I don’t know how to see or touch it or whatever. This,” he hitched the watch on his left arm over to where I could better see it, the glowing text of 62 showing up on the face of the blackened obsidian, “was made for me by the princesses. They made it so I could keep track of how much I have, and the little crystal on the side apparently saves a little bit of energy and makes it so I don’t faint from over usage. Before I got this, even one morph almost laid me low, I’d kinda be sunk without it.”
So the watch acted as a ‘fuel gauge’ for magic? That would be useful to notice any sudden fluctuations in one’s magic. “A handy device to be sure. So, the number shown represents the amount of magic you have left? Is 62 a large number for a magic user?”
he seemed to shrink back from my question, slumping a bit. “Uh… no. No it’s not. Do you know Spike? He’s a baby dragon. He can use dragon magic, but he only uses it to deliver mail. He has three hundred and something, according to this thing. Twilights is up past three million. Although she claims the higher your magic ‘power’, the more the watch exaggerates it. Apparently there's no current spell or otherwise that can completely accurately measure ones ‘magical worth’. So yeah. I am pretty dang low.”
I gave him a warm smile and patted him on the back. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll help you get that number up to acceptable levels. I’m curious though, do you think you can check my own ‘magic potential’?”
“Yeah, sure thing, “ He said, prying at his watch with his right hand, and failing to remove it.
“Empiro...Embolism? Ex...terra. Exalt? Ex...damnit, I can’t remember what the clasp phrase is, can I just open it manually?” He seemed stymied as he was unable to remove the watch. “Uh… I guess we’ll have to wait for Twilight, I honestly can’t remember how to get this thing off…”
I shrugged and reached into my bag. I was only curious about my ‘power level’, but it was unimportant. I took out Arcthunder and began to read it. I don’t know what Twilight had planned when she returned, but I’m a man who's prepared for anything; especially psychotic unicorns. “It’s no problem. We need to wait for Twilight to return anyway, so you can ask her then. Until that time, do you have any questions for me or for my magic?”
He gave it some thought before responding. “Can I learn it all, or if I start off on dark magic is that all I can get after that?”
I nodded my head. “You should be able to learn every aspect of magic. Usually the first process is learning the language, but that’s not an issue for you. Even though you can read the language perfectly, you still need experience before being able to learn more powerful spells.”
I patted the tome I was reading, now tucked under my arm. “Each aspect has a starter spell, all of which I currently have with me. Once you’re able to read the tome, you should be able to write it yourself. The magic works in a strange way compared to how it’s portrayed in the games. Once you learn how to write a tome, you will never forget the words needed to create the book. Advance in a field and more ‘spells’ will be ingrained into your mind.”
“So I have to write the spell to be able to use it? Is it like I imbue an object with magic and intent, and I have to have that to perform the spell or something?”
“That’s correct. Once the book is written and imbued, the tome will never fade. The magic that you imbue will work with the ancient language. In the games, the tomes had ‘uses’ before braking. In our case, the tome will be useable so long as it has enough magic to cast the spell. Every tome is associated with a single spell.”
Wade nodded in understanding.
“You said as long as it has enough magic. So how can you tell when it’ll run out, and how do you...er...’recharge’ it? Is that the right word?”
I chuckled. “You ‘recharge’ it by imbuing it with more magic. There isn’t technically a limit to how much magic can be stored in these books, but I wouldn’t force too much into it. I know how much magic is left simply by reaching out with my senses. Now, for a beginner like you, a spell will always be cast at a stable level of power. For a master like me, I can heavily manipulate it to my own desire.” I accented this fact with a snap of my fingers. A small spark of electricity appeared before fading away, “This will take time, but should you be able to master it, you’ll become quite powerful.”
I grinned as I saw Wade’s mouth morph into a large, excited grin. Looked like I had someone hooked. Good, better to be excited to learn something the find it a chore or a task. Wade seemed to be a decent fellow and am equally decent listener. I think I can definitely teach this guy a thing or two.
“Alright then. I assume you aren’t just going to give me a tome and say ‘try this’. So what do I do first?”
I smiled. “First, you need to be able to perform two basic spells. One of which is mandatory while the other is optional. I’m going to teach you how to ‘find’ your inner magic and control it with your will. Once that phase is past, I’ll teach you how to push magic into others, specifically your books.” I placed a hand on his shoulder. I began to transfer a little of my energy into Wade. My grin widened when I noticed his giddy expression, “Finally, I’ll teach you how to levitate objects with your magic, if you want to learn that spell.”
“Yesssssss,” Wade pumped a fist in victory, “I can already kinda levitate stuff. When I have a horn, or with Crystals nails or eye. It’s just REALLY hard. Nothing Twilight ever told me helped with that. Although it might just be the fact that I probably control my magic like a scrub. I’m probably the equivalent of trying to teach an eighty year old what an internet is. Currently.”
I snorted. “While I understand it may be easier to use magic in the body of a unicorn, you should learn how to use it in your natural state. You may find yourself in a situation where you’re unable to morph.” I dropped the sack to the floor, sometimes the easiest way to teach was to simply demonstrate, “Unlike unicorns, we don’t have an extension to help direct our flow. This is both a blessing and a curse. When I’m done, you should be able to levitate objects with ease by extending your hand and pushing your magic through your fingers. However, once you become accustomed to your magic…” My bag was suddenly surrounded by a light purple glow. The bag opened and books began flying out of the bag, circling around me. “You should be able to levitate multiple objects with ease and without any visible motion.”
“Sweet. I wonder…” Wade partially morphed his hands, digits becoming slender and thin while his fingernails grew. He raised his hands and tried to mimic my motions. I noticed a greenish hue become apparent around his fingers.
I immediately felt a foreign force of magic attempt to override my own. it was weak and lacked the control a skilled magic user would have. “I’m afraid you’re not quite strong enough magically to re-direct the flow of my own magic.” With that said the books floating around me returned to the sack. “Not only that, my physiology increases my resistance to most forms of magic. A little benefit due to becoming a mage from the Fire Emblem universe.”
“Well bully for you,” Wade muttered, morphing his fingers back to normal, “I’m not making a threat, but if I do happen to come across another mage from Fire Emblem, and if they’re a danger to me or others, will I even be able to fight them? If they have resistances similar to yours, I mean.”
I furrowed my brow in thought. “Should you ever find yourself in such a situation, take this into account. Not all mages from Fire Emblem are able to use all forms of magic. If you know which aspects they can utilize, you can come up with plans to take them down. Furthermore, mages from Fire Emblem are physically weak. They are not experienced in melee combat and have poor defenses. Attack them fast before they can cast a spell and the battle will be over before it began.”
“So does that mean I could potentially take you down with a Louisville slugger?” he joked.
I internally laughed and brushed aside part of my robe, revealing Levin blade. “I would advise against it.”
“Coooool. Hey, can you do spells with that too? I’ve practiced a little bit of swordplay, but I wont be the first to admit I’m not very good at it yet.”
“This is known as the Levin Sword. The blade is magical and harnesses the power of lighting. With the blade, I am able to attack from a distance by shooting out an arc of lightning at my foes.”
“So… Its a conductor? Cool. too bad it’s only good for one element, but the very fact that it can shoot lightning is in itself a-”
“I’m back!” shouted Twilight, dragging a beleaguered Applejack against her will, “Applejack, look at this, tell me if you can read it!” Her horn sparked, tearing the translation book out of Wade’s grasp. I grunted in annoyance, but it was unheard over Twilight’s theatrics.
"What in tarnation? Twi, I can't read none o' this chicken scratch, it ain't like nothing I ever seen," the disgruntled cowpony replied, shoving the book away from her face. Finally seeing the newest arrival, Applejack let out a startled gasp. "Whoa nelly Twilight, You didn't say nothin bout entertainin guests!"
I smiled warmly at the cowpony before bowing, "It's a pleasure to meet you Applejack, my name is Robin, and I'll be staying for a bit while I teach Wade here."
"Teach?" She thought on it for a couple seconds, before looking back at the book and continuing, "Oh, so yer learnin a new language? Guess Twilights teaching jes wasn't up to snuff? Uh, no offense Twi," she ended on halting tone, a slight blush forming on her face.
"I'm not giving up on that, by the way. If we can figure out a way around that translation spell, I am going to have him speed reading unicorne before the day is out. Swear to Faust. Robin," she pointed at the human in question, "Is going to be teaching Wade human magic. At least that's the idea. I wish him more luck than we've been having."
"Well shoot, I heard yall was havin problems, but I never thought it was all bad enough fer him to be goin and lookin fer another teacher... Well a pleasure ta meetcha Mistah Robin, Mah names Applejack. Mah family runs Sweet Apple Acres, distributors of the best apples yall ever done taste. Iffin ya stick around fer a bit, Ahll make sure ta fix ya up some of our traditional Apple family eats. For lookin after our Wade, it's the least we could do. Ain't that lil sis?~" She gave Wade a conspirational wink.
I gave Wade, who was rather upset now, a quizzical glance.
"Damnit, when the heck are you gonna let that go?" Wade turned to me. "Poison Joke. Don't ask. Long story short, if you ever find yourself in the kill... Everfree forest, look out for blue flowers. They're magic or something, and have random effects on whoever gets their pollen on them. Usually in a way that’s designed to be a 'joke' towards the person in question."
I placed a hand to my chin. Poison Joke… the name sounded familiar... “I seem to recall that from somewhere.” I reached into my bag and pulled out a journal and a quill. If there’s a flower with such a property, then perhaps it could have other uses. “I’ll need to make a note of that, perhaps I can find a use for it. From Applejack’s comment, can I deduce that you had turned into a female filly? Did it tamper or negate your morph ability?”
Wade sighed before explaining, "I woke up with a cutiemark, and actually thought I was a Applejack's younger sister. I went for most of the day like that, before I changed into Rarity and thought I was her for a while, and then I thought I was Twilight of all things. Everyone had lost track of me at that point, but a wingless Twilight wasn't that hard for Spike to notice rummaging around the library. I was confused at 'seeing an alicorn version of me', but after they got me the antidote all my other memories just flowed back."
Wade took a moment to shudder, allowing him to compose himself. "So it might have 'tampered' or 'negated' my morphing, but I wouldn't know. I didn't have the thinking capabilities to morph at the time. I just thought I was a normal pony, after all."
I spent the entire time writing down notes within my journal. This flower proved to be more interesting than I already thought. I wonder… could I weaponize the side effects of poison joke? From the way Wade described the situation, the changes occurred while he was asleep. Perhaps the flower had a toxic spore which altered sleeping patterns? I looked up at Wade, a malicious glint in my eye. “Thanks for sharing that with me Wade. I can already think of some… uses for such a flower.”
I tossed the journal back into the bag before returning my attention to Wade. Any indication of malicious intent gone from my features. “Now, I believe we should get started on your training. Is there anything you need to do before we begin?”
"Oh, right, we came over here to ask Twilight. Forgot completely."
"Forgot to ask me what?" asked Twilight, still holding the book. He jerked it out of her magical grasp and she gave him a sheepish grin.
"Robin and I wanted to know if you'd be willing to let him stay in the castle for the duration of my training? Just so he could keep a closer eye on me. This would also allow you to observe the teaching procedures of human to human magic...among other things."
Twilight had a confused look on her face, which quickly turned to one of excitement. "Oh, that'd be perfect! You could use the room right next Wades, that entire wing is pretty much empty. And there's more than a few rooms you could use for training. And if you ever need any materials, I'd be more than willing to supply them..." She gave me a hopeful look. I knew exactly what she wanted, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to give it to her. She could prove to become more of a hinderance to Wade’s studies. Still, she owned the castle, and there was little I could do without insulting her.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Twilight, you can watch the procedures and take notes as you see fit. I’ll even answer any questions you may have for me. You just need to obey two rules; Do not try to undermine my teachings, and when I am teaching Wade, you must wait until we are done before you can ask questions. Understand?”
"If I note any discrepancies between normal magic and your magic, may I ask about such an occurrence while the event is still fresh in my mind?" she asked, hopefully.
I grunted in acceptance. If that was all I had to suffer than it was a simply price to pay. Still… "So long as you don't cut me off mid sentence it shouldn't be a problem. Now, do you have any rooms that could be properly used for meditation?"
Twilight gave her fuzzy chin a scratch. "Theres any number of rooms that could be used for that purpose. There’s the one with the purple wallpaper thats simply soundproofed, the one room with the bear pattern all around the edges has a spell woven into it. The spell seems to aid in concentration, but I'd have to empty it out a bit, I've gone and cluttered it up with all sorts of things. Then theres the one with the painted floor, time seems to mover slower in that room, it might be good for meditation." She broke from her monologue, letting out a small cough. "You could also potentially use the one room where the entire floor is just one giant bed. Although I guess you'd want to stop the level of relaxation before you completely fell asleep... I guess I should ask you what you're looking for specifically? Wouldn't want to stiem your efforts with a bad choice based on a lack of information..."
… All of those rooms, even the time room, had oddities attached to them. Not only that, why the hell would I care about colors while I’m meditating? The soundproofed room would be nice… If it didn’t sound like a gaudy three year old’s bedroom. I shook my head. “Umm… while those rooms sound nice, they aren’t what I’m looking for. Perhaps it would be best if Wade and I found a place outside. I know this nice pond in the Everfree that’s rather serene.”
"You can't!" Twilight let out with a barely restrained yelp. "I mean... did Wade not tell you yet? We're currently hiding the existence of humans from pony society at large, there are many extremist groups that would leap at the chance to use him as an asset towards their own goals. Even here in Ponyville there’s a few ponies that still believe in humans from the old tales. If you can disguise yourself, then you can go out among the populace whenever you want," Twilight took a defensive posture, her head held high, "Otherwise I am under orders from Princess Celestia and Luna to take any measure to attempt to stop any 'immigrants' from jeopardizing Wades sanctity of life. As well as the life of all the inhabitants within Ponyville. If it got out that there was a so called 'mythical human' running around town, we'd be overrun by self proclaimed anthropologists and others looking to take advantage of the activity." She let out a low sigh, apparently disgusted at the lows her own species could stoop to.
"I would like to elucidate that I am not trying to insult or threaten you. I have, however, been given orders, so I am required to at the very least try to stop you. If you can safely leave without letting the existence of humans becoming well known, then feel free to roam. But if you can't guarantee that, then I'm going to have to ask that you remain within the... friendship castle, for the remainder of your duration here in our Equestria."
Well, this Equestria truly is different than my own. Humans considered to be mythological creatures? That’s an interesting difference. I suppose that makes me the equivalent of sasquatch. I hardly find it enjoyable to lock myself indoors, but better that than to get mobbed by ponies and become little more than eye candy. “If it’s that bad, then I’ll stay in the castle for now. Still, I don’t see why… actually… are they rather violent and looked down upon by most Equestrians?”
"Not so much violent..." Twilight trailed off. "Its just that all the old legends say they blanketed the land, and held weapons that spat fire and death. Those that believe they're real, are either afraid of them, or want to take advantage of their strange magics and technologies." Twilight stopped, leaning in close to me, "I myself have heard tales when I was younger of a chariot that apparently was able to fly to the moon. To the moon! From what I've seen of Wade - and the devices he had on him- These tales were grossly unfounded, but if I had just heard of a human living in canterlot, and I had no personal knowledge of him first off, I would more than likely dropped everything so I could have gotten in contact with him so I could divulge his secrets..."
"Ah heard more than a couple tales from a few mares...you know Lyra and Bon Bon, right?" Applejack interjected. "Lyra's a huge believer in humans, even has a group she runs… Sphere, I think? Anyway, she once told me about great big machines the humans would use to cultivate their fields. The way she went an spun it, humans coulda done twice what I do all season in only a single afternoon! I know I full well would hound Wade iffin I thought he could produce somethin like that..."
I turned to look at Wade with a raised eyebrow. “Wade, perhaps we should simply use your room for meditation. While I have little to fear from any fanatic groups, I’d rather keep a low profile while I’m here. If walking around is going to cause such an uproar, then perhaps we should limit most of our studies to the castle.”
Wade seemed to pick up on my double meaning, but Twilight gave a satisfied nod all the same.
"That sounds good to me. Oh yeah!" Wade stated, finally remembering, "Twilight, what’s the word?" He raised his watch, and Twilight gave him a look.
"You mean the clasp spell? You actually forgot it?"
"Give me a break, I haven't taken this thing off since I got it," He ignored the look of surprise she shot him, "What? I haven't really seen any need to, and its supposed to help me, so why would I take it off? Most the time, I forget that it’s even there."
"You jes forget that a clunky stone is tied to your foreleg?" Applejack asked.
"Its pretty light, and the edges are rounded. Again, it's like it isn't even there, except when I need it."
"Well you could still get sores from wearing something like that nonstop-"
"All damage when-"
"Yeah, I know the morphs repair cellular tissue. That’s still no excuse. ~Eximpe~"
The watch fell off his wrist with a click, and he stooped over to pick it off the floor. The muted glow of the watch’s surface disappeared entirely, leaving the surface black.
"Whats that doohicky do again?" Applejack asked with an upraised eyebrow.
I smiled to myself. Finally, the question I’ve been wondering about myself. I wonder how it works. does it monitor a specific aspect of one’s magic? What’s the powersource of the device? If I can find out maybe I could use it for myself.
"It allows Wade to-"
"No offense Twi," Applejack interrupted, "but if the past is any indication, yer gonna go off on a long winded explanation, we're-" she gestured to Wade and myself, "gonna get confused, then yer gonna explain it to us once more without the fancy speak. Can we just skip right to the end?"
Goddamn it Applejack!
Twilight’s face soured, and she responded in a slightly lower tone. She was obviously disappointed about not being able to give her lecture. I don’t blame her, I wanted to hear it!
"Fine. In the simplest terms I can manage, it shows how much energy Wade has, and the crystal on the side collects extra energy to prevent fainting or worse."
I watched as Wade pressed the watch to the side of Applejacks shoulder. I walked closer, my curiosity piqued once more. I watched as the watch came to life, accompanied with a number. Two hundred and fourty one. Didn’t Wade say his level was 62?
Wade visibly winced as he read aloud the number, "Two hundred and fourty one? But, she's an earth pony, how the heck does she have so much!?"
"All ponies have magic. Earth ponies are connected to the earth, and share their strength with it," Twilight gave a smile, satisfied with her explanation.
I looked at the number with interest. So the number accounted for magical connections between the individual and a secondary source? I wonder if the same would prove true for me and my tomes. “Wade, I’d like to run a little test if that’s alright with you. Could you please check my energy?”
He flipped the watch back over, and pressed it against my skin. It lit up with white life, and shone forth with-
"1337? Damn, that’s pretty high,” Wade said, impressed.
"Pretty low for a so called master of magic, though..." Twilight jibed.
I rolled my eyes and reached into my bag, grabbing Arcwind. I would’ve thought Twilight had learned her lesson by now not to judge a book by its cover. I skimmed a few words of the text inside before tucking it under my arm. “Alright, try reading my power now.”
The watch bloomed forth with light once more. Wade took a look before doing a double take.
"Seven… million? Seven million, four hundred and thirteen thousand… damn Twilight, he's over twice yours when he has those books..." Wade exclaimed, eliciting a frown from Twilight.
"That… that’s not possible, even with the expansive displacement differential there's no way it could jump up that high from a simple artifact. There must be something wrong with the watch. I'll send a letter to Celestia and ask her to fix it as soon as she's able. That okay with you, Wade?"
"Uh… sure, I guess," Wade said hesitantly.
I silently seethed at Twilight, amazed that she overlooked one little detail. Even if the watch had problems estimating magical powers at higher levels, it doesn’t change the fact that my own level is higher than hers. It’s not hard to tell she has little faith in me and my abilities.
I snorted. “These tomes are not just simple artifacts. The old language empowers the magic within the tome. It binds it together and from there, binds with me. Like a warrior who wields a blade, these books can be considered an extension of myself. They are weapons and powerful ones at that. A bit of practice and even Wade here should reach your level of power. Besides, I don’t know why you would send anything to Celestia to fix.”
"Would you send a cart axle to be fixed by a potter? Or have a cake made by a glassblower? Certainly, they might be able to do the task, and sometimes with surprising efficiency. But, you have to admit, they wouldn't be your first choices. Celestia and Luna made Wade's watch in the first place, so if it’s malfunctioning I should send it back to them. Have the one's who made it look into it. I mean, I could take a look and I might even make some headway, but this is the princesses we're talking about. If I even so much as get a single thread of magic out of place when I put it back together, the entire system could fail, and I'd have to have them fix it anyway."
I waved her off before reaching down and picking up my rucksack, “Yes, yes, the princesses are just so amazing. So, while you take care of that, I’ll help Wade with his studies. Better to start sooner than later.”
"But… hey!" she yelled, as I walked off down the hall and invested in ignoring her. I heard Wade behind me, keeping pace. "Fine! I think you should start soon too! Dinners at five!" And soon enough, we were out of earshot.
"You really know how to put her in a tizzy, do you have experience with your Twilight?" Wade asked, trying to keep up with me.
"Not really, but the personality is exactly the same. She was a bit peeved at me that I loath her teacher though, but nothing she could really do about that. I don't have a lot of experience with ponies besides Trixie. Lived in recluse most of my life. Well... kinda..." I sighed and stopped at a crossroad, looking both ways in confusion. Isn’t this the way we came from?
"Where the hell are we anyway? I feel like I'm in a maze.”
"We took a right, then headed straight five times, then took a left, so if I'm right, this door," Wade opened the third door on the right, "Is filled with pots… which it is not." He tried to quickly close the door, but I managed to see what lie inside. I wish I hadn’t. The walls were lined with pornagraphic images of Celestia, depicting her in a multitude of suggestive poses. I didn’t even think ponies could be that flexible!
"Thats a room filled with stuff we will never talk about, ever. I've been here before though, I think we need to go this way," Wade started, taking off at a brisk walk.
I groaned and quickly followed after him. “Remind me later to burn that room. On second thought, those pictures will make excellent target practice.”
I continued to follow Wade through the halls, wondering if even he knew where he was. I would start bashing walls down before I starved to death wandering the crystal palace. All hope died when Wade opened another door… only to find the same horrific room from before.
I’ll never look at a lollipop the same way again.
"Careful Harry," Wade stated, mimicking Hagrid from the Harry Potter films, "The stairs like to move~. And yes, I know that wasn't the character that said that line. I don't care. 'Use the force' said Captain Kirk in the movie the Lord of the Rings, and all that. Here we are!"
I rolled my eyes as we came to a rather… feminine door. Adorned to the surface was a multitude of bright and colorful stickers. I raised an eyebrow in question, but didn’t voice it. The more I learned of Wade the more questions that seemed to pop up.
Wade opened the door and entered the room, myself following close behind. Enough time was already wasted in the halls and I was anxious to begin. I dropped my bag to the floor and proceeded to sit down, crossing my legs. “So, before I can teach you any spells, you need to learn how to find your magic. The easiest way I’ve found in doing so is through meditation.”
"Oh, I already know how to find my 'magic'," Wade stated, executing a quick morph. His hair restructured itself into a blonde pixie cut, his entire body shrank and softened. half a minute later the transformation was complete and before me stood a thin female. To say I was dumbfounded would be an understatement. To have the ability to perform a complete transformation…
I watched as Wade seemed to concentrate before extending his hand and fingers. Moments later a glow surrounded the digits as well as his left eye surprisingly enough.
"See? I just can't access it in my human form."
I got over my shock quickly enough before I grunted in annoyance. “Then we need to work on that. Since you have magic in your body, you should be able to locate it. As I’ve said before, should you ever find yourself in a situation where you can’t morph, you would be defenseless. Since you know your flaw, work on negating it.”
"Yeah, yeah," He stated with a minor pout. He morphed back to normal, slipping his watch around his wrist and sealing it close with a muttered "~Eximpe~".
Wade returned to his original form and joined me on the floor, crossing his legs.
He repeated the same action before, focusing on pushing his magic into his hand. I could sense the magic, but it seemed to refuse to be let out.
"Okay, I'm doing what I did before, but without a focus it doesn't release. It just collects in the hand."
“As is expected from a novice of magic. You’ll find that unicorn foals have the same issue when first attempting to use magic. The magic pools in their horns, but they are unable to cast spells. It’s all about concentration. Instead of simply forcing the magic from your body, let it flow from you instead. Here, try this: imagine yourself gently nudging the magic into your index finger. Picture the tip of your finger as the horn of a unicorn. Once you have enough magical energy built up, begin to slowly release the floodgates.”
I moved through the instructions, giving him a guideline to follow. Wade watched in amazement as my finger began to glow softly before small wisps of purple magika began to lazily float around his finger. I smiled and cut off the flow, my purple digit returning to normal.
“Unlike most other forces, magic can be considered to have a mind of its own, in a way. Before commanding the magic, it’s better to form a bond with it. It’s a part of who you are, and like any other piece of you, you don’t want to place strain on it.”
Wade focused on the tip of his finger and began to channel his magic once more. I smiled as I both saw and felt his magic pooling into his finger. A green glow surrounded his digit, glowing constantly brighter. My smile soon vanished as the amount of magic stored in his finger began to reach dangerous levels. Before I could move in to help, Wade cut the magic off, letting the glow die away. His finger was blistered and cut, the magic having seared away most of his skin.
"Is… that supposed to happen?" He asked, partially morphing his hand and returning it to normal.
I sighed and shook my head. “You’re being too rough with the magic. As a force of nature it desires to be free from any bonds. What just happened is the result of you attempting to impose your dominance over it. Try again, but this time, be more giving. Let it flow from your body.”
Wade shook his hand, ridding it of any phantom pains he was experiencing. He held his hand out once more and focused his magic. I watched as he furrowed his brow in concentration, focusing and directing his magic. A green glow began to surround his finger once more.
Wade smiled as looked at his finger, wisps of darkened smoke slowly escaping from the tip.
I returned his smile. “There you go. Now, let’s practice this for a bit. Just feel the magic flowing through your body. I’ll let you know when we’re done.”
We continued on for a couple more hours, stopping once Twilight poked her head in and interrupted us for dinner. We followed her back to the dining room, Where she had placed out a spread of colored greens, apple pie and… smoked salmon? I raised an eyebrow at that, but remained silent. If this was a way to start good relations, they certainly went the extra step.
Already seated at the table was Applejack and Applebloom, the latter of which was smiling widely at me.
"Hi birdy!" piped Applebloom, standing up on her chair, "Applejack says yer teachin Wade human magic, are you really? Whats human magic like? Is it anything like grounding? Can anypony do it? We're having real meat for dinner! Do you like meat? Are you an omnivore like us? Usually we only have fake meat, and the flowers, but Twilight says this is real meat!"
"Hush up, Applebloom. Yer bein rude. If you let Robin get a word in edgewise, he might feel like answering. As is, yer shovin words down his throat like a hog shoveling slop down their gullet. Which reminds me, we need to talk to Bessy. She's been eating a lot more than usual, I think it's time for an intervention." At my upturned eyebrow, Applejack lept to explain, "We keep 'farm animals' to help bolster the life energy flowing in the land. The more the animals move around, the more evenly the energy gets distributed, thats jes farmin one oh one. Well, one of our pigs has been...becoming fat. Fatter than is healthy like. She doesn't move around as much, which is jes as damaging to herself as it is to the land."
"She's started smellin weird too," Applebloom supplied, "Like farts, but like sweat too."
"Applebloom! Rude!" chastised Applejack.
I took a moment to compose myself, trying not to laugh at the filly's antics. “Allow me to answer your questions applebloom. To begin with, yes, I am teaching Wade magic. It’s a special kind of magic that I was given, but it is not limited to me alone. Human magic is a very broad term since there are actually many different variants of magic. I am not sure what you mean by grounding magic, so you’ll have to explain that to me. Yes, anybody can learn to use my magic.”
I began piling food onto my plate, eyeing the fish with curiosity. “You claimed that you’re omnivores, correct? I find that surprising since ponies are herbivores in nature. Of course, I’m hardly going to complain, I was worried I would have to hunt in the Everfree during my time here.”
“The pony diet is mostly vegetarian, yes.” Twilight started, “But that's mostly because there's not enough animal life to support everypony. Physically, we're omnivores, but since meat, other than fish, is hard to get, we've magically altered flowers to contain the same nutrients found in meat needed for higher brain functions. Meat is a very rare commodity that's reserved for special occasions. Even princess Celestia only has meat about four or five meals a year. Most ponies only ever get any on Hearths Warming Day.”
Well thats interesting. I’m assuming that meat is hard to come by since most creatures on this planet are somewhat intelligent. But, to fix such a problem by altering the base nutrients of flowers… remarkable. I wonder if I could get the spell they use?
"Isn't that the same thing you said to me, word for word?" Wade asked.
"Its simple, short, and it conveys all the information it needs to. And yes, as a representative of not only the princesses, but of ponyville to any wayward travellers who might not be aware of true pony anatomy, I have that statement memorized to be fired off at a moments notice."
"Thats still cheating," he countered.
"Being ready for any occasion is not cheating! It's simply a good idea, no matter how one may look at it!" she replied.
"Last time we had meat was Hearths Warming!" Applebloom piped up around a mouthful of smoked salmon.
"Ain't had salmon like this in a long long while though, if I remember right..." Applejack trailed off, scratching her chin in thought.
I groaned as I began shoveling fish into my mouth. "Its been so long since I've had a decent meal! And this fish, oh god this is amazing. The last time I had meat was when I ate that manticore. A bit too sinewy for my tastes. Not to mention the tail is poisonous." I continued to gather food onto my plate, not noticing the stares I was getting.
Twilight chastised me, her tone never wavering. "Don't let Fluttershy hear you say that. Also, no hunting here until you memorize all the sentient and non sentient species. Manticores might not be intelligent in your version of Equestria, but they are here. If you're caught killing one of those without them trying to kill you first, you might be brought up on charges of willful slaughter."
"Twilight!" Applejack snapped, covering Applebloom's ears, "How about you use them brains of yours fer once? And while we're eatin, to boot!
"Ahm not a baby sis, I know perfectly well that animals out in the wild hafta eat each other, it ain't nothin new!"
Applejack took a long, hard look at her younger sister, before backing down with a sharp chomp on the fish upon her plate. "Fine, fine. I still think ya shouldn't be growin up so fast. Can we change the subject? Please? So Robin," she said, directing her attention towards myself, "Yer gonna be here for how long, do ya think?"
"At most I'll be staying for a week. Wade already made great progress today in his studies." I flashed him a smile, "if this keeps up, Wade should be able to practice magic tomorrow. Ah, that reminds me," I directed my attention to Twilight, "Is there a graveyard nearby that we could visit? Since Wade wants to focus in Dark magic, it would be a great place to practice."
"Grave… yard?" Twilight puzzled out, "Oh! You mean like a Nagaine ceremonial burial ground! Sorry, the closest we have to anything like that would be the passing service clearing, where we have public mourning services for the deceased."
Applejack gave Twilight another pointed glare, with a hidden shake of her head towards Applebloom. Twilight either didn't notice, or she ignored it completely. I'd like to think she isn't that heartless.
"Thats pretty out in the open though, sorry to bring us back to the 'hiding' concern..." Twilight paused, sizing myself up as she twisted her head to look at me in all angles available to her, "I could help you with that, you know. I happen to have an able horn towards transmogrification spells..." Twilight got a grin that I could only describe as evil stamped across her mug, "And I'm pretty sure you'd make an awfully handsome unicorn..."
I opened my mouth to rebuke, but closed it just as quickly. Despite the fact that she was obviously trying to undermine me in some way, the idea itself wasn’t all that bad. Disguising myself as a pony would help disguise myself in a number of situations. However, I’d rather not restrict myself to a body I’m not comfortable with. For now, I think I’ll pass on the offer. Still, might as well take her down with me if I can. I gave Twilight a sly grin. "Why Twilight, are you insinuating that I'm good looking? Next you'll be asking me out to dinner!"
Twilight laughed, a sharp trill that echoed happily throughout the room. "In all technicality I'm already treating you to dinner. And you're a bit... gangly for my taste." Twilight feigned a great deal of interest in inspecting my face, "If only you had an elegant spiraling horn coming out of your forehead... I can always arrange that for you, just so you know~"
I chuckled, but shook my head. "As much as I'm sure you'd love to see a new erection upon my head, I'm afraid I'll have to turn you down for now. Should I require to venture outside the castle, then I'll consider transmogrification spell."
Applebloom looked confused, casting glances between her sister and myself. "What's an erection? Is that like when all the apple family gets together and 'erects' a new barn? Cause we do that like five times a year. Is Robin gonna build a tiny barn on his head?"
I had only just begun to continue eating when I caught Applebloom's question. I began to cough heavily, my face tinged red with embarrassment. I honestly can’t believe I went there while a child was present. Yet more proof of how little tact I have.
"No sugarcube, an 'erection' basically just means somethin is sticking up, for lack of a better word. Like a horn would be, if Twilight turned him into a unicorn." Applejack flashed a glare at Twilight, muttering under her breath, "And that's the only description of that she needs to know for yet a few more years, ya got that Twi?"
"Crystal clear," Twilight whispered back.
"Wait, so Twilight is going to turn Birdy into a unicorn? Can you turn me into a unicorn? Ooh ooh ooh! How about a diamond dog! They can dig all around under the earth, and maybe I could get my cutie mark in underground tunneling!"
"Afraid diamond dogs don't get cutie marks sis," Applejack remarked.
"Agh. Okay, so thats no good. Ooh! Could you turn Birdy into a filly? Wade can already do that on his own but if Birdy could too they could both join the crusaders and we could all try to get our-" Applebloom cut herself off, looking back at Robin, "Birdy, do you have a cutie mark yet? If you already do you could still join us, it probably wouldn't be as fun though..."
I ran my fingers through my hair, calming myself after my little... episode. I redirected my attention to Applebloom, "Humans don't get cutie marks Applebloom, because humans don't have a special talent," I paused, thinking about my own answer for a moment before shrugging, "We essentially can be good at anything. Some humans are even able to find multiple talents. Regarding your club, I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I won't be here long, and I would rather not become a pony, let alone a filly." Despite my response I humored the thought, imagining myself returning to Trixie as a filly. I can only imagine how hard she would laugh at me. I could even feel my cheeks starting to heat up once more. How do I become so flustered around others!? I need to work on that. "A-Anyway, I feel I must correct you on my name. My name is Robin, not 'Birdy'."
"But a Robin is a birdy, isn't it? And somethin ain't sittin right with what you said. Wade got a cutie mark, even iffin it was just from poison joke. So it is possible, right?"
Twilight looked like she was about to say something, before she thought better of it. Composing herself, she started again.
"Well, it's not that it's impossible, but you have to remember that Wade only had a cutie mark when he was transformed into a pony. While it may be possible for Robin to gain a cutie mark when in the form of a pony -he may even already have one, there's no real way of knowing without experimentation-, the fact remains that in his neutral form, he can't gain one. Very few species on our world can, in fact only a few centuries ago it was considered common knowledge that Zebra's were too unfamiliar to ponies to gain cutie marks."
"But thats not true, Zecora has a cutie mark..."
"Yes, she does. But it was widely believed that it was only a tradition of tribal markings, to try and make them seem more similar to us. Scientists used the correlation between Nagas and Seaponies to disprove this though. While a seapony might have more similarities to us physically, none of them have cutie marks, whereas nagas do. "
Nagas can get cutie marks? Doubt they call them ‘cutie’ marks though.
"Anyway," Applejack interjected, "What I think Twilight's tryin to get at is that it don't matter none iffin he can or can't get a cutie mark. He is as he is, and his abilities will shine through all the same. Ain't that right, Robin?"
I nodded. "Indeed, although my abilities aren't necessarily something to be proud of, I suppose." I gave Wade a quick glance, "And I know that Wade will not misuse the magic I teach him."
"Well," he coughed, "I never intend to, but given my track record I don't really see myself going that way. I mean, I've been given what is already essentially superpowers and the worst thing I've done so far is mooch off of someone's hospitality," Twilight gave him a bemused look, "Forced hospitality at that."
"Wasn't there that one time you tried to prank Miss Cheerilee?" Applebloom put forth.
"I wouldn't really classify that as malicious, would you? It didn't even work, she just sat me down next to Sweetiebelle and went on with class like it was nothing new," Wade whined, ignoring Appleblooms laughter.
I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Class? You attended the local school?"
"Unwillingly, yes," he growled. "I morphed Sweetie Belle, and went in to see if I could get some laughs. The teacher just acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. She sat me down next to Sweetie Belle and went on with her lesson. Turns out she thought I was Discord. After we got that sorted out, I ended coming in the day after for show and tell. Not sure who's show and tell i was, honestly..." he said, sharing a conspirational grin with the young filly.
I chuckled. "Seems like Discord causes some mischief then? Well, hopefully I won't have to deal with him. Anyway," I turned my head towards Twilight, "I've been thinking, I'll accept taking the form of a pony if, and only if, I am able to decide when I transform."
"So I can choose the 'what' descriptor?" Twilight asked slyly, a chuckle escaping her lips.
I thought about that for a moment. It was obvious she was teasing me, but she brought up an interesting point. I knew next to nothing about pony anatomy and If I was given full control over the design of my body, I could make a mistake. I would be putting a lot of trust into Twilight with this. "Actually, yes, you may. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit curious to know what it's like to be a pony. So long as you give me the ability to decide 'when', I'll let you decide 'what'."
Twilight took a break from gnawing on her food to continue. "Well I was joking before, but I've been studying Wade's transformations for some time now. I think I should be able to enchant a piece of jewelry with a couple preset forms. They'd be based off of your own, however, unlike Wade’s method. In theory, all you'd have to do would be channel a decent amount to the piece, then keep a minute connection going for the duration of the transformation. Because as I'm sure a master of magic like yourself knows, transformation spells are always finicky."
"Why?" Applebloom asked.
"Well I'm glad you asked!"
"Whoa nelly here we go..." Applejack groaned.
"It's not going to be long winded. I swear! Gosh, sometimes you're just as melodramatic as Rarity. Anyway, the short of it is, everypony has magical resistance. Transformation spells are like putting on a coat. You may change your appearance, but it isn't your natural appearance. What happens is that your body will eventually fight against the transformation, fighting it off inevitably. So Robin," she directed towards myself, "How would you like to have the whole gambit of pony bodies? Say, an earth, unicorn and pegasus mode?"
I had been listening to her explanation with growing excitement and was now rapidly nodding my head. This is a spell I could very much utilize. "Yes, that would work quite well! It would be fascinating to see how my magic could work with pony magic, should that become accessible to me. I could discover some very interesting uses for the forms. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, for giving me this chance. And don't worry, I am aware that transformation spells can be difficult. I should have enough magic to constantly hold the spell up for a full day, not that I would need it for that long."
"Therein lies the beauty of a transformation spell attached to an object!" Twilight proudly declared. "It might take a substantial amount of energy to get going, but after it's activated it only takes a miniscule amount to keep it going. As long as you don't take off the charm, even a filly like Applebloom could keep the spell going for probably a few weeks without it falling apart..."
Really? than how long would I be able to keep it up? Glad Twilight didn’t call me out on assuming I could only hold it for a day.
"Really?!!?" Applebloom exclaimed, standing up in her chair and jostling the table.
"No." Applejack rebuked Applebloom.
"But Twilight said-"
"Ah know what she said, sugarcube. What I'm saying is no. And that goes for you too," Applejack pointed at Twilight with an extended hoof, "If I find you went behind my back and Applebloom manages to get something like that from Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo, Ah am gonna be one upset camper. Ya got me?"
Applebloom pouted as Twilight gave her confirmation.
"Anyway, I should be able to have a prototype ready for you first thing in the morning, if that's alright with you. I'll only be able to set up one form in such short time, but I'll make sure the first draft comes with a unicorn. Barring any complications, of course." Twilight finished up her explanation, sipping at her glass of water.
I mused aloud, “Yes, a unicorn should be first. I don’t want to be rendered defenseless, and being a unicorn is a good step to avoiding that.” my grin morphed into a grimace, “Twilight, while I know I said you could choose the descriptions, perhaps I could decide at least on the unicorn form?”
"Awww, but I have something in mind! Can I at least just do the first one, to see if you like it?"
I narrowed my eyes at her for a moment before relenting, "... Alright, I'm looking to blend in and seem inconspicuous, so you'll know best." I released a heavy sigh, "For that reason, I suppose you should decide on all my forms designs."
Please don’t let me come to regret this…
"I've seen enough humanized versions of ponies I know, so it should be easy enough to just reverse that, right? Hmmm… what body type would you prefer: small, medium or large?" Twilight asked, lighting up her horn and summoning a 2d graph. Detailed on the graph were three ponies, only the last of which I recognized. A young brown colt, a blue unicorn with a safety pin as a cutie mark, and Big Macintosh. After a couple seconds thought, she also added in a massive white pegasus.
All that muscle can’t be healthy.
"Or even super large, if you'd rather..."
I deadpanned at Twilight the moment she brought up the hulk pony. "Yes, because I totally won't stand out if I'm twice the size of most ponies." I looked over the graph, my hand on my chin in thought. "I think two medium, one of which I would like my unicorn to be, and a small should do. I wouldn't mind a colt form. After all, no ones going to suspect a child when looking for me, a mage. For that reason, I'd also like the colt to be an earth pony."
"As you wish. I'm gonna start off with a form that matches your own as closely as possible, just tell me if you'd rather some variation for the other forms. If I can refine the charm, then I might be able to give you a choice of forms for each race... yeah, now that I think on it, I should be able to make it so you can swap them around..."
“Yes, variation would be very appreciative and I would like a form for the unicorn that matches me. Will make it easier to get use to walking on all fours.” I gave a small bow of my head towards Twilight. I may act like I’m better than everyone, but I truly appreciate when others go out of their way for me. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, this will not only keep me hidden in your Equestria, but could keep me hidden in my own as well.”
"Well you're very welcome," Twilight blushed at the praise, "And I'll try to have the prototype ready by morning."
"Don't pull another all nighter, that isn't healthy you know." Wade admonished her.
"I know what I'm doing, I've been at this a far lot longer than you have, you know," she snapped back at him, copying his wording. "It shouldn't take me all night, anyway. Only a few hours, at most. For the prototype, anyway."
I grinned happily. “No need to rush it. I don’t need to leave the castle yet and you can’t rush perfection. I have the utmost faith in you, Twilight. Besides, while I’m here, you’re not the only one who may pull an all nighter.” I finished this with a grin in Wade’s direction.
"I don't like that look," he groused, "That look usually means pain and suffering. For me. In spades." He resigned himself to his fate with a tired sigh, finishing off the last bit of his food. "I'm already down to thirteen energy as is, I won't be able to go for much longer tonight..."
I rolled my eyes and stood up from my chair. I’ve hardly seen him use any magic today as it is, how could he be so low? I walked over to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. Like with Trixie before I began pushing large amounts of my magic into his body, feeling it being absorbed like a sponge would with water. Once done I smiled and gestured towards his watch, "What does it say now?"
He looked at it for a few seconds, then turned back to me.
"Fourteen." He stated dryly.
I blinked in surprise as I leaned over and down at the number. It was indeed only 14, a mere single digit increase from what he had previously. “But… that doesn’t make any sense. I pumped quite a bit of energy into you. That same amount allowed Trixie to teleport from the Everfree forest all the way to Canterlot!”
He tilted his head and considered my words, he looked just as confused as myself. I watched as he seemed to focus on a single point, ignoring everything else. I smiled triumphantly as I watched him search for the magic within his body. It was amazing how fast he learned. What he did next was even more incredible.
A yellow glow began to consume his hand, tendrils of lightning dancing across his fingers. I watched, mesmerized as the electricity seemed to condense, becoming something like a needle. Wade examined it closely before looking at the fork upon the table. Bringing the tip of the needle close, I watched as the electricity reacted to the metal. The yellow needle jumped between Wade’s fingers and the fork, dispersing into the air and letting off a loud snap in the process.
"Looks like it became another weapon. Not very impressive looking, is it? Add to that the fact that I already have a stun baton that can do this and more..." He trailed off, letting the needle dissipate back inside his body.
I ran my fingers through my silver hair, walking back to my seat. The electricity appeared eerily similar to what Thunder based tomes could create. But… he hasn’t learn a single spell as of yet!
"That, Wade, was an impressive show. Still, as you've said, it has little use in battle. Refine it, however, and it could become something more."
"How would I go about doing that? The masses of magic might be right there next to my own, but they aren't part of my store. All I seem to be able to do is pull them out, how would you go about 'refining' it, anyway?"
I grinned. "Magic is, despite what some might say, rather malleable. With will alone you could shape the magic to do your bidding. Take, for example, the little show you put on. That needle of electricity could become a pipe, or you could pump more power into it to pierce through flesh instead of simply stunning a creature. Magic can be limited by one's mind, which is why your first task is meditation."
"Yeah, yeah," He got up and took his dishes out to the kitchen, followed closely by myself and Twilight. Twilight took all of the dishes in her magic, and started washing them. Leaving us with nothing to do, we retreated back to the dining room to see Applejack and Applebloom getting ready to leave.
"You know how it is, we gotta get up bright and early."
"You should come to Sweet Apple Acres and help out!" Applebloom belted out, fixing a look of weapons grade adorable on myself.
I gave Applebloom a small smile. "Sorry Applebloom, but I need to focus my attention on Wade while I'm here."
Applebloom's smile faltered, and became a sad frown. She fixed me with a soul wrenching gaze, her eyes somehow becoming larger and larger.
"Are you sure?"
She set her lip a quivering, giving me the perfect pout.
I ruffled Applebloom's mane, skewing her ribbon. "Yes, I'm very sure. Also, pouting won't really work on me. My younger brother tortured me with one for ages so I've become a bit immune to such things. Nice try though."
"Awwwwwwww,' Applebloom pouted, splaying her ears backward, "No fair, ya gotta come by at least once before ya leave..."
"Applebloom, quit pesterin him. Iffin he says he aint gonna come by ya gotta let that be. Sorry Mister Robin, she usually aint this stubborn-"
"Ahm not stubborn!"
"Moreso than a mule, see?" Applejack stated with a short laugh as Applebloom glowered with a light blush. "If ya do find yerself near Sweet Apple Acres, feel free tah stop by for a few. We'll be sure tah fix ya up some good eats, the Apple family has the best apple products in all Equestria!"
"It's true," Wade supplied, "If you get the chance, you have to try the Apple's family cobbler. It's delicious."
"Sure tootin'!" Applejack agreed, dragging out a disappointed Applebloom with a somber sigh.
They left, Applebloom whining about Applejack not treating her like an adult, and Applejack retorting that if she 'acted like one' she just might.
Twilight had apparently finished up with the dishes, because she came back out to the dining room and reengaged in conversation with us.
"Wait, did they leave already? Drat, she keeps on leaving this dish here… I'll get it to her eventually. So Robin, Do you have a preference of a charm shape? Say, a foreleg guard, or maybe a necklace? Perhaps a keychain in the shape of a book would suit you better..."
“I think the keychain is a fine idea, doubly so for the book. Once more I thank you Twilight, such magic is unavailable to me and you’re helping me greatly.”
"Are you sure?" Wade asked me, "I mean, if the point of it is to help you hide your existence, having something that would automatically lead them to you would be stupid. Twilight, do you think you could make it change with him? Maybe make it so it looks like a keychain in its normal form, and then have it change into something else?"
"An interesting idea," Twilight admitted. "Putting two transformation spells might be a bit tricky though, wouldn't want them cancelling each other out...Needless to say the prototype won't have that."
"That's quite alright. I won't be leaving for some time now and I wouldn't want to intrude upon your hospitality any more than I have already. Now, Wade, are you still able to find and pull at your magic? It's still too early to sleep, and I want to push as much studying onto you as I can while I'm here."
"All right," he acquiesced, "There's still something there, but it's really small. I guess I'll just go till it's all used up, then we'll have to wait for it to replenish in my sleep."
I sighed in agitation. “I guess that’ll have to do. We need to work on increasing the amount of magic you have. If I remember correctly, morphing takes up a large chunk of your magic, correct? Then, from here on out, you are not to morph unless you need to leave the castle. Now, lets return to your room to continue our meditation."
The next four hours was spent in relative silence, broken only by myself as I offered advice and tips. numerous times I noticed Wade had actually fallen asleep while meditating. If the snoring wasn’t obvious enough to go by the drool certainly clued in on that fact. After waking him up for a third time I decided to call it a night. I myself was getting tired and Wade looked ready to pass out at any moment.
Retreating to my designated sleeping area, I was disappointed to see that the bed was much too short to sleep comfortably on. After asking Wade if there was anything larger, he suggested taking a mattress or two from the neighboring rooms.
Doing just that, I set the mattresses on the ground side by side, giving me plenty of room to stretch. With a soft yawn I happily slipped under the covers and surrendered myself to sleep.
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Well, this just tanked. Couldn't even bring myself to finish the chapter, with all the typos, plot holes, and poor pacing. Neither of you noticed that Wade never referred to himself by name in the first diary entry? How did Robin know it? *Sigh*
Ooooooooo, long chapters are always fun.
Hey, do you have plans for Robin to meet his female counterpart at some point in the fic?
6237109 I'll admit, I missed that bit, but I'd like to think I got most of the other errors. Already fixed the issue with the name.
I actually enjoyed the chapters. Watching Robin argue with Twilight was entertaining and the porn room made me laugh so much (Hope Wade and Robin bring that up to Twilight just to see her reaction). Additionally, I loved the Apple Family dinner conversation with the fake flirting, the meaning of erection, and the possibility of Robin learning to transform. Excellent chapter. Can't wait for tomorrow's update.
6237138
Afraid not. I've considered doing something comical with it, but more as a nightmare of some sort.
6237371 It doesn't have to be, I mean you could have MRobin and FRobin switch worlds for a chapter and see the different parallels that both worlds have. Not to mention the comedic value would be awesome.
Great chapter! SO AWESOME! I also liked the length! Very nice. Keep up the grand work!
Yay! Long chapter!
more please!
Uuuhhhhhhh..... Me no thinks this is right. But if it is; penises.
Edit:
Woops, forgot to praise you for the great chapter. Here; have some praise.
This is a joke, right?
“Sweet. I wonder…” Wade partially morphed his hands, changing the nails into a what looked to be [add description]. He raised his hands and tried to mimic my motions. I noticed a greenish hue become apparent around his fingers.
Seems like somethings missing there.
6237605
6237684
I truly thought I had taken care of those. Thanks for pointing it out, I made the change. I wished I had noticed it beforehand though. It makes me look highly unprofessional when I leave that stuff in.
6237625
I'm afraid I'm not following you.
6237931 no worries, even Pro's still make mistakes from time to time, it is called being human
There's a porn room? Interesting. This is the first time I've seen a Displaced crossover.
6237946
I'm just flattered you consider me a pro!
6238047
There will be plenty more on the way. Crossovers are more sub-plots, but can lead to fun shenanigans.
6238155 No, when I mean a Displaced crossover, I mean multiple Displaced meeting with each other.
6238197
Has someone done that yet?
6238226 So far, no. The current chapter is the only multi-Displaced crossover than i know of.
My chapter? There's only two here. Robin and Wade
Pretty sure this is suppose to be Wade, not Robin.
6239129
Thanks for pointing that out, I don't know how I missed it. I'm going to have to look over the chapters I upload. It's just getting bad.
6238155 your more then welcome
6240084 Well, you've got a huge crossover that you've apparently split into multiple chapters. There's bound to be errors. Do you have someone to help you our is it just yourself?
6240335 As of right now it's just me. I feel I don't need an editor for a number of reasons. For starters, (and I really don't want to sound pretentious here) I think I have a good grasp of the English language and grammar. Secondly, I'm paranoid about everything and I don't like the idea of having another individual 'touch' my story. Before I upload a chapter I usually look it over 2-4 times. This chapter had the most errors so far and some of them were horribly obvious.
I may have to rethink my upload strategy for the coming chapters of the crossover.
6240368 Okay, just wondering. Good luck with the rest of the chapters. I'm looking for to them.
Wow... a nice long chapter! I've seen a few crossovers with this story in the past but I have to say that this one is better then the others! If you are up for crossovers though... perhaps it might be possible for one between you and myself. I have a Displaced story called "By Sword and Gauntlet" and I would LOVE to get my character some magic for his normal form! He just got out of stone but It would be no trouble at all to make it to where Robin taught him the magic in the past! making it to where his equestria was a ways behind Robins and when he was in stone the Void somehow brought his universe closer to Robins in time! I feel like my character would greatly benefit from Robin's teachings not only in magic, but in concentration as well!
I think that at the current place in time it would be a little too soon for a crossover between us but perhaps in the near future it would become a more plausible idea!
Regardless of that, I hope you keep up the amazing work on your story as I greatly enjoy it!
This should be written big.
This should be written big.
This should be written small.
This should be written small.
Also you are missing a quotation marks at the end.
The "yer" should be written big.
And I think you meant "around" there.
This should be written big.
Do you mean "than" there maybe?
And that should be "an".
This should be written big.
So either it should be "Cool, too bad..." or "Cool. Too bad...".
I think it should be just "move".
"Canterlot" is written big.
This should be written small.
Names are written big.
In the rest of the chapter you wrote "Sweetie Belle", so you might want to change it.
This should be written big.
It should be either "Really? Than how..." or "Really, than how...".
That should be written small.
That should be written big.
On other note: Wow that was an unexpected long chapter. I liked it. Hope to see more from Wades and Robins interaction together soon.
6240859 Alright, I'll admit, there are a lot of capitalization errors. I figured there would be. I'll do my best to go back and change it when I get the time. Thanks for pointing that out for me.
6240878
No problem.
I liked how Robin was acting around Twilight, but i skipped part of the story, beause it was 10.000 words longer than i expected it to be, i lost interesst after more than the half, just because it was longer than i wanted to read.
If i would have really wanted to read much, i could probably manage that much, but for tonight it was to long.
6241521 Only the first part is going to be that large. I made the mistake of not splitting it in half. One of the issues was that I didn't see a good spot to brake. Anyway, I don't ever plan on releasing another chapter this long again.
6238233 Shagohad had quite a few displaced present for the wedding.
6240368 I know what you mean, but If you're using google docs than you don't have to give them the ability to change things. They could just use the comment feature, coloured bubbles that contain whatever they write. That way you have someone that can catch anything wrong and still have the peace of mind that your story is your's and hasn't been tampered with.
All I could think at a certain point was "POWER LEVEL ARE BULLSHIT". Anyway, wow, a lot going on here. Gives me plenty of ideas.
Everyone else in that room is just jealous their magic isn't "1337" like Robin's.
6246795 ok power level 7mill 413 thousand is understandable cause brain power and anitcane words the tactician is highly strong int so it would be that high but 13 into 14 ? I'm questioning this power level cause it's more then that I'm thinking its megatons more then millions (and no I'm not talking about in cpu memory)
Robin is 3L1TE H4X0R (1337)