Chapter 17 - ... Did You Think I Was Serious?
Wade had slept through the entire day, and the night to go with it. I woke him up at seven o-clock and we made our way to the training hall once more. Twilight was already up, and had lain out a spread of breakfast foods on a picnic blanket. Don’t know why she didn’t just bring in a table, anything must be better than eating on the hard floor.
“Do we get to eat first?” Wade asked, “Cause I honestly could eat a horse.”
“Is that some sort of sexual euphemism?” Twilight asked, an odd look on her face.
And so it begins...
“No, horses are generally always several hundred pounds heavier than a human,” Wade explained, “and due to the fact that they aren't intelligent on earth, some cultures do eat them. saying I’m hungry enough to eat a horse means I think I could eat a lot, that's all."
“So, food?” he asked me, looking at me pleadingly.
I was rubbing my face in agitation. “Fine, we’ll eat first before we train. Hopefully some food will help you think before you speak!”
He absently rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Sorry,” he said.
Wade and I sat down on the blanket, grabbing plates and filling them with food. Wade still seemed sheepish about before. “It’s fine, just be aware of what comes out of your mouth. If you anger the wrong individual, your life could become a lot more difficult,” I took a bite of tofu bacon, grumbling, “Believe me, I would know.”
“So, what did you get up to after I conked out?” Wade asked.
I grinned. “I explored the castle, ordered a sword for you, humiliated the guard, and made some training exercises for us to go through. A rather productive day, really.”
“Well that sounds… productive, as you said,” Wade muttered around a mouthful of eggs. “What was that about a sword?”
“I was serious when I said I was going to push your training. I came across a blacksmith by the name of Muramasa, a gruff stallion, but very down to earth.”
“Wait, Muramasa as in the legendary demon smith Muramasa from Japanese legend?” He asked, choking on a mouthful of food.
I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Never heard of that legend. Anyway, I ordered a sword to be made for you. It’ll be a rapier, the blade made of tempered steel. I’m going to teach you a bit of swordplay before my time is up.”
“How did you know to get a rapier?”
“Based on your figure I assumed that you relied more on speed than brute strength. Since you’re not weighed down by heavy muscles, you should be able to move nimbly on your feet. If I had gotten you a greatsword, you would’ve had trouble even lifting the thing, let alone swinging it.” I leaned back and smiled. “All these little aspects paint a bigger picture Wade. Being observant can help you in troubling situations, especially on the field of battle.”
“Could you teach me to dual wield?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I’ve never had access to two swords before. If you want to learn how to dual wield, you’ll need to look for another teacher.”
“Oh. Fat chance of that happening here in ponyland.” he griped.
“Equestria,” Twilight corrected, sipping at a glass of orange juice.
Also known as the land of ponies.
“So this rapier… was it anything like the sword I already have?” Wade asked, partially morphing his eye into the female human form. He dragged the sword itself out of his eye, the emerald sheen glistening in the morning light.
I couldn’t help but wince as he did so. I wasn’t even sure how the eye could accept the sword as suitable storage. “I didn’t even know you already had a sword…” I rubbed my chin, inspecting the crystal blade, “It’s not quite like the sword you currently own, which appears to be a cutlass. A rapier was originally designed for fencing, but branched out over time. It’s a sword that allows the wielder to strike fast with clean cuts. However, against heavy armor, you might be at a disadvantage.”
He gestured beyond the walls, “You’ve seen what they consider armor, right? Its freaking gold. A guy with a wooden spear could beat one of them up, and if that's the best they can come up with I highly doubt I’d have much trouble with anything else in this world… I do think I should look into getting a helmet, however.”
I snorted, “Never assume you can easily beat your opponent. The guards armor are enchanted to withstand much,” I took a sip of orange juice before continuing, “Furthermore, do you think Minotaurs are going to be wearing light armor? I haven’t met one myself yet, but I highly doubt they’d go into battle wearing simple leather armor.”
“I’ve only ever seen one myself,” he admitted, “and all he was wearing was a loincloth. So I don’t really have a lot of room to guess as to what their main armor is. So I guess I’ll just assume I can’t win any battle I may find myself in?” he asked cheekily.
I huffed in agitation. “Don’t get cheeky with me just yet. Besides, as far as I know, you have no experience with a sword. Later today we’ll be heading out to the training ground so you can watch me duel with a guard. I’ve been given a challenge and I want you to be there, It’ll be a good learning experience for you.”
“Oh, already make a friend?” he asked, shoveling another spoonful of eggs in his mouth.
“Not sure. After I beat down a private yesterday the drill sergeant asked me to come back for another match. I don’t know anything about my opponent, but they’ve no doubt heard about me. I’ll be at a disadvantage.” I responded, poking at the tofu bacon. I’m amazed I was able to swallow even one of them.
“So… should we try to get a look at them beforehand? Hey Twilight, any luck at a second form prototype yet?”
“Yes, actually. Here, I finished the first form, just unicorn for now but you can choose which gender. The one with purple accents activates the male form, the one with green accents for the one you had yesterday. I still haven’t managed to implement age, so its standard grown up body type.”
She pulled a keychain out of her saddlebag. The small metal books were white, a spiralled corkscrew for their spines.
I outstretched my palm and Twilight passed it into my possession. Sadly, I would be forced to use the female form for the duel today. In fact, I would have to use it for the rest of my stay. It would be strange for a pony to disappear only for a new one to pop up. “Thank you Twilight. Also, before I forget, I have a few questions regarding these forms. I noticed yesterday that I was easily able to stand on my hind legs without suffering any ill side effects. Did you have anything to do with this?”
Twilight started at the question, wiping her mouth. “I will admit, I’m kind of in the dark as to your physical anatomy. In the transfer between your own form and the forms I’ve made, I didn’t want there to be any disconnect from your body being weaker than your natural one, or not being able to move in a way that you would normally find natural. As such almost all the joints in the form are double jointed. As well as that, I made the muscles more flexible.” She took another sip of orange juice.
“As it stands, every being has three types of muscles. White muscle is slow and strong, it’s your main muscle type for endurance. Red muscle is weak but fast, it’s mainly your flexible muscle for quick bursts of energy. And pink muscle is in between the other layers of muscle, and is both fast and strong. Pink muscle is usually the least frequent of the muscle types found within a ponies body. I basically just made that the only muscle type in these forms, however,” she explained.
Well that answers that. “Well, it seems ‘Pink’ muscle is best suited for me. It certainly helped me greatly yesterday when I dueled Private Gears.”
“Gears?” Wade asked, perking up. “As in Grinding Gears? I met him the last time I was here, Celestia got him and two others to let me acquire them. I stupidly made a mixed form of them, though. How was he? He seemed kind of… young.”
“He was young, yes, but a skilled warrior. His age is a hindrance, but something that can be worked around given enough training. I made an example of him in front of the guard after he whistled at me.”
He looked at me incredulously. “And you let him off with the basic low point of a warning? I would have thought you’d leave anyone who’d do that a bleeding mess on the floor…”
I wore a cold smile. “Oh, I had this wonderful idea to turn him into a rug. It would’ve really given my home some personality. However, Lieutenant Elegy Esper cut me off and punished him accordingly.”
“Elegy… did you just run into everyone I met here the last time? Wait, don’t tell me, you had tea and crumpets with Captain Slash.”
“I’ve never even heard that name before. I did, however, run into a sergeant Knox. Not the friendliest individual.”
“Never heard of him. I guess you could say… he was a teacher of… hard knocks?” Wade asked. Both me and Twilight groaned as he made the terrible joke.
I pinched the bridge of my nose in agitation. I wasn’t even sure why I was agitated. Must be a side effect from living by myself most of my life. “Finish eating so we can return to training. If you’re able to crack jokes, then you’re awake enough to deal with magic.”
“Yes sir,” He said, finishing off his food. “Hey Twilight, wheres Spike?” he asked, sliding his sword back into his eye before morphing back to normal.
“Still in bed,” she replied, “If he sleeps any longer, he’s going to have trouble sleeping tonight. Thanks for reminding me.” With that, she got up and walked out of the room.
“So what first?” Wade asked, glancing at his watch. “I only have thirty two ‘magic’ according to my watch. I won’t be able to go as long as we did yesterday, which in itself wasn’t very long.”
I grumbled in annoyance. “How am I supposed to teach you magic if you have almost none to use in the first place!? Didn’t you tell me your magic levels recharge every night?”
“They usually do!” he snapped back. “I’ve gone down to one ‘magic’ before, had a good nights sleep and had it topped off. No matter how low its gotten before it’s always gone back up to normal, and its been steadily getting stronger too. I don’t know what’s different now, I guess it’s just a side effect of using everything up in one go?”
I sighed and stood up, stretching my back. “Well… how about this then: I’ll get you acquainted with the last ‘tree’ of magic: Fire. After that, we’ll call it a day so your magic supply can recharge to its fullest.”
Wade stood up and stretched as well. “I guess… we just leave this stuff out for Twilight to clean up? I’d think Spike would want some… speaking of smaller creatures, have you seen Ferdinando?” he asked, looking around.
I shook my head. “I saw him with you yesterday, but I haven’t seen him since then. Bats are normally nocturnal creatures so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still sleeping.”
“I guess you’re right, he’ll turn up when he wants to. So... fire. Is it just a standard fireball, a stream of fire from the hands, or what kind of permutation?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes as he gave me a smug grin. Did he actually think he was impressing me with the use of permutation? “First spell consists of a fireball. From there it becomes a pillar of fire, to eventually covering an entire battlefield in flames. At the top of the tier you have the tome Valaflame. Valaflame utilizes the power of the Sun and was a tome created by higher divines. I have yet to try it, but due to the tome's connection with the Sun, I theorize that I may be able to control the motion of the star with sheer magic alone. That’s the power Valaflame holds.”
If I don't kill myself in the process of doing so.
“Dang,” he muttered, taking the tome Fire from me. He read the tome like the ones before it, learning the spell with frightening agility. “Fire,” he uttered, a pulsating ball of flame formed in the cup of his hand, floating above at about an inch or two.
“Hey, quick question. Can I burn myself with this? Like, if I just stuck my finger into the middle of this ball, would that be an insanely stupid idea?”
I deadpanned at him. “Let me put it this way, Wade. When I first studied the magic, I accidentally set myself on fire. I was lucky to be near a river.”
He blinked and eyed the ball of fire. “Don’t poke the ball of fire, got it.” He threw the ball at the dummy. It punched right through and melted a hole in it, before restructuring itself.
*Womp womp*
“Oh shut up,” he groused at the ‘victory’ music.
I chuckled and reached inside my robe to pull out another fire tome. “This is the next tome you’ll be able to learn, Elfire. How about a small demonstration?”
I focused on the glass dummy, my eyes narrowed in concentration. The room slowly began to heat up as the floor beneath my target began to turn red.
I raised my hand and flicked my wrist upward. Instantly after a huge pillar of fire erupted from the floor, completely encasing the dummy. When the flame eventually receded, all that remained was a small pile of ash.
A flurry of fireworks erupted from the ceiling, along with a catchy celebratory tune to accompaniment it. The dummy slowly reformed, it looked like it was struggling under some unseen weight. It eventually finished, having taken a full minute to reform.
Interesting, a higher grade was given when I went with pure power rather than ingenuity. I wonder what it would take to break this setup.
“So…” Wade asked, looking at the newly reformed dummy, “I guess you hit one of the upper letters? And was I just dreaming that, or was that tune from Final Fantasy?”
I tilted my head as I thought back to the midi, “I’m not really sure, I never played any of the games before. I’m more interested in how strong the magic holding the dummies together really is.”
I turned towards him once more. “A quick lesson, Wade. Magic, like anything else, has its breaking points. Magic follows rules of its own, just as the nature of this world follows the rules of science. If you can overpower a spell or enchantment, the magic will overcharge and fail.”
“So… are you going to break the princesses toys? Because I am not specifically against that.”
I grunted and glared at the accusing dummies. “I have a few ideas. I’ve been meaning to try out an attack I’ve come up with. It’ll certainly put the princesses magic to the test... but, not right now. That can be saved for a later date, right now I want you to practice using Fire, and for the love of God, please don’t black out again.”
“Don’t worry,” He assured me, looking at his watch, “I’ll make sure to keep track of it this time.” He conjured another ball of flame with an uttered word, tossing it at the dummy again. More of the same. With the next shot, he tried to do something different. I watched as he fed more magic into the ball, and then began to compress it.
I watched in amusement as he struggled against the force, making headway with each attempt. before long he managed to shrink it significantly, almost as small as a ping pong ball. He threw it and it exploded upon impact. There was nothing left of its upper torso, completely melting into a glaze over its midsection.
Wade suddenly turned to me with a questioning gaze, “Is there multiple ways you can screw with the spell? Just by itself?”
“You can summon multiple fireballs at once and have them circle around you. It’ll cost more magic to keep them active, but you’ll have more ‘ammo’ to quickly use. Even seconds can mean the difference between defeat and victory in battle.”
Wade muttered and tried to copy what I had told him. He managed to get one fireball to hang in the air, but as soon as he summoned the second one the first dissipated. “Uh... okay.” He tried again with similar results.
“You need more focus if you want to utilize such a technique. Try holding the fireball in a levitation spell as well, and never forget about it when creating your next ball. Keep tally in your mind, even a weak link such as that can be enough to keep the spell empowered.” I guided him.
He summoned another ball of fire, keeping it hanging in the air as he tried to summon another one. He was sweating from the effort, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He slung it at the dummy, missing it as it splashed against the floor. He threw the second one immediately after, getting the same result.
I nodded encouragingly. “Better, all you really need to do now is practice and enhance your magic. Eventually, your goal should be to use this magic without any hand motions. That shows you have some level of mastery over this magic.”
Wade raised his watch to look at it, his face falling into a shocked expression. “I’m at nine, should we call it a day?”
I sighed. “We may as well, don’t need to have you blacking out again.”
I took the tomes and placed them into the bag I brought with me. Tying the opening closed, I slung it over my shoulder. “So, any plans for today then?”
"I didn't really, I was just expecting to be training day in and out. I mean, I guess we could get started with sword training if you wanted, but if I'm supposed to be learning with a stabbing weapon that might not be such a good idea."
"Well, Muramasa said he’ll either deliver the sword to me when it’s done, or I can go pick it up in person. I was thinking we can visit the blacksmith to check on the progress of your sword and then head on over to the training grounds."
"Oh, okay," he uttered. He started morphing, slowly shifting in height. Within seconds the adorable bat version of Fluttershy was standing before me.
I transformed into the female form. Wade looked at me in confusion so I explained my decision, "If I were to go out in my new male form, no one would recognize me. It would only lead to confusion and questions that I don't want to answer. Also, Muramasa is expecting me specifically. If I go in asking for the sword, he'll refuse to give it to me, and for good reason."
"Makes sense," he replied. "So we can just show up whenever?"
"Indeed," I confirmed as I levitated my bag of books, "I just need to make a quick stop at my room to return these tomes. After that, we'll meet with Elegy Esper. We should have him guide us so the guard knows we have access to restricted areas."
“Seems odd that he’d be one of our guards,” Wade mused. “I thought he was a super high rank or something, wouldn’t it make sense to put no name grunts on guard duty?”
I shook my head. “Not necessarily. The fact that two high ranked members of the guard are placed on guard duty signifies that what they are guarding is important. Also, unlike greenhorns, they are less likely to make the mistake of leaving their post or start snooping around.”
“Oh, so shall we go?”
“So we shall.”
I led the way out of the training hall, making a quick stop at my room to leave behind the books. Once that was finished, we made our way to the entrance of the wing where two guards were.
I made my way to the guard on the left. “Good morning, Elegy Esper. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll need another escort today.”
“Uh…” Wade started, pointing at the guard I was speaking to, “That’s not Elegy Esper, Elegy Esper is blue,” he stated dryly.
I snorted. “You’ve been here for over a month and you don’t know about the armor yet? The armor is enchanted, a full set changes the outward appearance of the pony wearing it, allowing civilians to easily identify the guard.”
I might have only learned about that yesterday, but I would’ve thought Wade would know this. Didn’t he have a job working for the government?
“Oh, learn something new each day, I guess.” Wade squinted at the guard and inspected his face closely. “Sorry for not recognizing you,” He stated blithely.
“The same for me, Wade,” he responded. “I must admit, that is certainly a more… aesthetically pleasing form than the last time.”
“Give me a break,” Wade said with a laugh, “Slash was mixed in, and he isn’t exactly the greatest looker, you know?”
“Indeed,” he replied, turning to me, “So where to, Arch Magus Robin?”
“You already got them calling you fancy titles?” Wade asked me, a hint of amusement leaking its way into his tone, “Dang, you sure work fast.”
I ignored the jab as I eyed Elegy Esper. “Lieutenant… how much do you know about Wade here?”
Elegy Esper turned towards the other guard, giving him an apologetic look. “More than can be talked about freely in given company. Apologies son, classified.” The other guard gave a short huff, facing forward and ignoring us to the best of his abilities.
We walked away, and when we were sufficiently out of earshot, Elegy Esper returned to the previous line of conversation. “As to the specifics of your question, there are few individuals privy to the truth of Wade’s existence, myself included. You already met another yesterday, the young Private Grinding Gears, as well as Captain Slash, the head of the CCR and Wades ‘co workers’ there have all been sworn to secrecy on the matter. Does that answer your question, Arch Magus?”
I followed in silence as I thought about what he said. If that’s the case, than perhaps it would be safe to share with him who I really am. While it may compromise my position, it could also build trust. “It does indeed Lieutenant. Also, I suppose given the current company, there is no harm informing you that I’m also similar to Wade in species.”
Elegy Esper didn’t look the least bit surprised. “I suspected as much, although, I wasn’t told so. Your stance, it wasn’t learned from watching minotaurs as most suspect?” he asked with a hint of a smile.
I couldn’t help but chuckle, it would seem that not all of the guards are single minded. “It wasn’t indeed. That posture is what I’m most familiar with.” I frowned as I considered my own words. Given the stance I took yesterday, what opponent would the sergeant set me up with? “Tell me Lieutenant, yesterday Sergeant Knox requested that I return for a match between myself and an unknown individual, as you already know. Do you have any information that might shed some light upon my opponent?”
“Unfortunately not,” he replied. “I have heard rumors of a friend of his from the Gryphon Empire being within the city this past week, but I have no solid proof that they would be your opponent. I’m not complaining, but I have been unable to gather any relevant information due to my current duty. Not many rumors pass into a restricted area.” He stopped suddenly at the entrance of the building. “Not to be rude, but you have as of yet to give me a clear destination. Am I to assume you wish to go to the training field once more?”
“Actually, I wish to return to the blacksmith Muramasa. I want to see how the progress of the sword is coming along, and it would be best if Wade accepts the blade himself if it’s finished.”
“Understood. If you would follow me?” He set out at a trot, slowing down as he waited for us to follow. We followed him through the city as we returned to the forge. The heat could be felt even before entering the building.
“The heck is this place?” Wade asked.
“This is the main forge of the master blacksmith Muramasa. Every piece of gear for the guards comes from his forge, and he has even on occasion crafted pieces for the Princesses, and other members of royalty.”
I glanced back at Wade. “Wade, behave accordingly and try not to antagonize him. He seems to be the kind that doesn’t accept tomfoolery in his presence. Also, it’s unwise to annoy the one who’ll be crafting your weapon.”
“Yes sir,” Wade responded.
As we entered the heart of the forge we came across Muramasa, wielding a hammer in one hoof and slamming it upon a heated piece of metal, slowly shaping it into a chest guard.
When he became aware of our presence he submerged the metal in a tub of water. Steam arose from the barrel with a hiss as the metal cooled. Once he was satisfied with the piece, he placed it off to the side before turning towards us.
“Arch Magus Robin, welcome back,” He greeted.
I acknowledged him with a nod. “Hello to you, Master Blacksmith Muramasa. I have returned to see the progress of the blade, and this time I’ve brought along the student I had told you about.” I finished, indicating Wade.
“A pegasus? Nay, a thestral,” he said, peering at Wade over his anvil. “A unicorn teaching one o’ the winged. Ye sure are an odd one, Magus.” He levered himself down onto all four hooves, shaking the ground with his weight. He crossed over to a cupboard beside the doorway, withdrawing a sword wrapped in cloth from its depths. It was about as long as my own sword, but was significantly smaller in terms of width.
To say I was surprised would be an understatement. I understand the making of a blade doesn’t take long, but I would have thought that a blacksmith with the title of master would be backlogged with orders. Perhaps my extra money had something to do with this. “You’ve already finished the blade? That was incredibly fast, it must have taken you most of the day and night to complete it.”
“Ach, ye wound me with such unkind words,” he drawled, holding the cloth covered sword forward. I took it in my magic and pushed aside part of the cloth. Once more I was surprised by what I saw. I handed the blade over to Wade, letting him unwrap it himself.
It was a rapier, the blade tinged red with a handle laced in silvery thread. arching around the handle was a weblike guard, while from the hilt two more wings sprouted forth.
“This…” Wade trailed off, trying to form words, “This is magnificent. Thank you, master blacksmith.”
He gave Wade a critical look, a slight sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Think nothin o’ it lass. Are you sure a rapier were an appropriate choice?” he asked, turning his attention to myself. “This filly is soft, with muscle in all the wrong places. Yer sure ta have yer work cut out fer ya.”
I laughed softly. “Indeed I do, but I believe she has what it takes to become a decent enough swordfighter. At the very least, I plan on teaching her the basics.”
I gave a short bow to Muramasa. “Thank you again, Muramasa, your skills were not unfounded. It was a pleasure doing business with you.”
“Aye, twas fun to work with steel once more. I mixed in ruby dust, to better hold the enchantments ye requested. Ye’ll also notice the pommel, a sapphire to draw in ambient magic to fuel them. I have ta ask, ta make sure I ain’t losing my memory at a young age,” Elegy Esper gave a low snort, instantly falling back into a placid expression. “Did ye no’ tell me jes yesterday ye was bringing in a male student? My eyes may not be the greatest, but even one like me can tell the difference ‘tween a stallion and a mare…”
I grinned, recalling what Wade told me regarding his ‘condition’. “I can explain for the confusion. You see, my apprentice here is actually a changeling with a strange affliction. He constantly changes between forms, but his original gender is indeed male. I’m simply referring to him as a female so as to not confuse others.”
Muramasa let out a bellowing laugh. “Ye be excusing me my merriment, ain’t often I have the like o’ ye through here. Only three before ye that been changeling what I’ve worked with.” He got a contemplative look on his face. “Ye know what? I was goin’ ta give ye a plain pseudo leather scabbard as per yer masters wishes, but this, however, calls fer somethin’ special.”
He crossed the room, opening a chest almost as big as he was. He dug around in it for a few seconds, pulling out a sheath of black, glossy material.
“Used ta be in the olden days,” he stated, handing it to Wade, “A changeling Queen or King would use their molt ta construct the weapons and armor fer their elite scouts and chosen warriors. This here is from a Queen what is living in Ponyville at the moment. Cannae quite remember her name. Its a bit longer than yer sword, but it should still fit it almos’ perfectly. Changing chiton, shifts its own shape ta fit around with its surroundings. Durable ta boot.”
I raised an eyebrow as I inspected the black material. “That material sounds like it would be difficult to come by… “ I hummed, feeling around for another bag of bits. I had only a thousand left on me. “I don’t feel right leaving debts unpaid. I have a bit more to pay for the chitin, if you wish.”
“I wouldn’t dream o’ it,” Muramasa stated, waving my concerns away. “Ye gave me a chance ta work with steel again. Its nothin but gold, gold, gold with this lot. Never any variety. Iffin ye wanna repay me, send more work my way. More crazy fillys like yerself what like working with steel.”
I sighed. “I’m afraid that I’ll be departing Equestria within the week. I don’t know if I’ll ever return to Canterlot, but I’ll be sure to let others know of your prowess within the forge.”
“Tis all I can ask.” He turned towards Wade, “An you filly, iffin ye find yerself back in the area be sure to bring some coin around, I’ll lay down an order fer some proper changeling armor.”
“I’ll be sure to…” Wade said, uncertain on how to continue.
I gave another short bow to Muramasa and exited the building, Elegy and Wade following close behind. Once the heat of the forge was at our backs, I turned to Elegy. “Lieutenant, do you think my opponent would be available at this time?”
“Again, I do not know Arch Magus,” He replied. “I do not suppose it would hurt to check though. If I know Knox, he probably had his fighter up and waiting since sun up.”
“Then I suppose now’s as good a time as any to see who my next opponent will be. Hopefully they will provide me with a suitable challenge.”
“As you desire.”
Elegy led the way, Wade and I following close behind. Before long we came to the training ground, soldiers practicing their morning routines.
“So you actually came!” called out a familiar gruff voice. Looking over, I saw Knox making his way towards us. “For a while there, I had thought you had chickened out. There's no shame in running from the unknown, after all,” he said snidely.
I gave him a cold smile. “Actually, I rather enjoy dealing with the unknown. Mysteries to be solved and such. If that ‘unknown’, however, happens to be something dangerous… well, no harm in eradicating that which is unwanted.”
“Hmph,” he let out, averting my gaze to look over Wade, “So you brought a cheerleader? Better hope she has a strong stomach, Magus.”
I rolled my eyes. “That cheerleader you're referring to happens to be my apprentice. And besides, unless you plan on removing any restrictions, there shouldn’t be a reason for her to lose her stomach.”
Knox let out a slight grumble of discontent. “Well if you’re so ready to fight, then I have the perfect opponent for you. Hey, Pummel! That mare I was telling you about, she’s here, get your flank up and get ready to fight!” From behind a towering wall, I heard a grunt of annoyance. Clambering to his… hooves… was a minotaur, dragging a huge broadsword behind him.
“You said she’d be here earlier,” he complained, digging around his left ear. Whatever he found, he flicked out with disdain. “I had just fallen asleep, I was having the most wonderful dream about pudding…”
I raised an eyebrow as I looked the minotaur over. This was certainly an interesting development. I had never fought against a minotaur before, but I’m confident enough in my abilities to be able to hold my ground. “I apologize for arriving late, however, seeing as I’m here now, I’m more than ready to begin the match with you.”
Pummel looked me over with obvious disdain before he turned towards Knox. “Her? You said it would be a challenge, not another random mare. She does know she could get hurt, right?”
Wonderful, a stereotypical meat head. I let out a huff of agitation and turned towards Knox. “He’s not the only one disappointed. I thought I was going to be fighting a proper warrior, not an overgrown child swinging a toothpick.”
The minotaur gave a snort of anger, scuffing at the ground with his hooves. “I take it back, I’m ready to fight. Do you care if I break her legs?”
“First to ten points wins the match,” Knox said with a smile, “If she somehow gets injured during those ten rounds, well then she can always forfeit, can’t she?”
“FFFFFF,” Pummel let out with a great flare from his nostrils. “Well filly, are you ready to fight? Cause I warn you now, I will not hold back due to your physical disabilities, or gender.”
I chuckled as I addressed Knox once more, “So, I’m assuming there are no restrictions placed on this match? Besides killing of course.”
“Hmph. Same rules as yesterday, for your own safety. Blunting charms will be implemented, and RE-spelled after the fifth round. Don’t think I didn’t see what your sword did yesterday.”
I closed my eyes and smiled. I wasn’t even aware of my blades ability to negate enchantments until yesterday. I would have to look into that at a later date. “Yes, I’m aware of my swords ability to negate enchantments. It’s due to the strong magic held within the blade.”
I re-opened my eyes and glanced at Pummel. “If you have no qualms with breaking my legs, I hope you don’t mind if I claim your horns? I can think of more than one use for such a thing.”
Pummel’s eyes glazed over with rage. “I was just going to break your legs, now I promise I’ll separate at least one from your body. See how arrogant you are after that. If you even could nick one of my horns, I would gladly give it to you out of shame. As it stands, the only thing you will be leaving here today with is weight loss.”
I began to make my way to one side of the arena, not even turning to address the minotaur as I responded, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The minotaur took his position, levering his sword onto his shoulder with frightening ease.
“If you wish to back out lady, now's the time,” Knox warned.
I chuckled as I drew my blade. I stood up on my hind legs, holding the blade out in front of me. “I see no reason to back out. I’ve faced much worse, and in actual combat as well. I think I’ll come to enjoy this little skirmish.”
Pummel didn’t even wait for me to finish, bringing his blade down in an overhead slash. I simply side stepped, dodging the large blade with ease. Honestly, I had hoped I would be given some form of challenge, but this is just pathetic.
I hopped back a pace, cracking my neck as I inspected the minotaurs blade. “All the power in the world won’t aid you if you can’t even hit me. I suggest giving up now and retain what little dignity you have left.”
Pummel let out a scream of rage, swinging wildly with his blade. I casually dodged each strike, taking notes of the battle. Everything from my opponent's stance to which hand he preferred. Apparently I was muttering aloud as my opponent started to scream at me.
“WHAT!” a swing to the left, I dodged over it. “ARE!” a swing back to the right, trying to catch me off guard. “YOU!” He raised his blade above his head, was he even taking this fight seriously? “SAYING!” he slammed his sword downwards, using the flat of the blade like a hammer.
I narrowed my eyes, calculating the swing trajectory and time of impact. I dodged at the last second, bending my hind legs. I pushed off of them, letting them carry me back towards the blade. Time to have some fun.
I landed on the blade, standing upon it as I gave my opponent a tired look. “I was contemplating on replacing the couch in the living room of my home. It doesn’t really fit with the rest of the room, and I think a different pattern would really liven the place up.”
“What?” Pummel asked, huffing with exertion.
“Oh, just rambling aloud.” I quickly ran up the the length of the sword, slamming the pommel of my blade into his face. I worked with my momentum, jumping to the right and slamming the flat of my blade against the minotaur's head. Pummel staggered to the side, but he managed to remain upright.
“You… are dead.” he muttered, returning his sword to its ready placement on his shoulder.
So much for this remaining a sparring match.
He let loose with a flurry of strikes, holding his sword with both hands.I was hard pressed to dodge most of the strikes, being forced to parry a good amount of them. Pummel sensed this and pressed his advantage, swinging his sword powerfully and with abandon. He wasn’t simply trying to best me in a fight, he truly was trying to kill me now. Well, if he wants to treat this as a real battle than I have no qualms about going all out. Thankfully, I read Arcwind before leaving the castle this morning. I reached out to the tome, letting the wind flow around my body.
If Pummel noticed, he didn’t show it. He made a sliding lunge, trying to skewer me right through the middle. I shot forward, time seemed to slow as my brain processed images at the speed of a supercomputer. I once more ran up the length of his blade, jumping once I reached the end. I slashed my sword in a diagonal strike, aiming for one of his horns. I landed behind the minotaur, my sword still extended as I cut off the flow of magic.
The entire process took less than three seconds.
I grunted and flourished my sword, turning around to face my opponent. Pummel started and quickly turned around, confusion across his face. The sudden movement caused his left horn fall off and land upon the ground. Clean cut all the way through, it hardly looked like it had ever been attached.
Pummel picked it up slowly, and tapped it to where it should have been. As if simply touching it there would have reattached it like glue. It fell back to the ground, and he turned a frightened glance towards me. “What in Tartarus are you? No pony is that good!”
I gave him a cold smile and took a step towards him. Pummel let out a frightened shriek. Throwing his hands up in the air, he ran as fast as he could away, crying for his mother the entire way. It continued all the way until he disappeared out of sight, and even past then.
Knox had a sheepish look on his face, and let out an angry grunt. I could sense everyone on the field looking at me, and I heard a few hushed whispers. Some of them were amazed by my abilities, going over the fight with their friends. Others were more interested in putting my flexibility to the test in the bedroom.
I tried to block those ones out.
I sheathed my blade and returned to all fours. I trotted over to the horn and picked it up, inspecting it closely before stuffing it within my robe. I’m sure I could find a suitable use for it. Finished, I made my way towards Wade, a small smile playing at my lips. “Let this be a lesson. Having the most power doesn’t guarantee victory. Sometimes speed alone is enough to best the greatest of opponents.”
“That. Was. Awesome!” Wade shouted, holding out a hoof for a high five. Realizing his mistake, he lowered it for a fist… hoof bump.
I rolled my eyes at his childish display, but returned the gesture none the less. “Indeed. Of course, when I spar with you we’ll be taking things slow.”
Any excitement vanished as I told him my plans. His face paled as he processed my words.
“Uhh… thanks. I’ll need it.”
“What, is your student not going to fight? Both of you just going to leave?” Knox asked, a scowl on his face.
“Dude, you may not get this, but your guy left, screaming in terror too. I think that counts as a win for my master,” Wade rebutted.
“The match is a draw, and therefore inconclusive.” Knox stated in a satisfied tone.
I shrugged. “Very well, I can accept that. Tell me Sergeant, would you be interested in fighting me next perhaps? You seemed confident in your own abilities.”
“I… I can’t fight, I have recruits to train!” he spouted, turning away from us. “You there! What do you think this is, a leisurely day spa? Get back to work, the lot of you!” He made no further effort to address us, making his way through the crowd of suddenly hard working recruits.
“I think he likes you,” Wade stated flippantly.
I snorted. “He’s a coward and a fool. Still, I got my prize, so I’m more than satisfied with this little diversion.”
“Thank you for putting him in his place,” Elegy Esper stated. “He’s been deserving of being knocked down a peg for a while now.”
“Of course, however, I would consider replacing him altogether. He seems like the one to stab another in the back.”
“He may be a coward, but he’s a decent taskmaster. He just has no idea how to rise above his station. I think this will be a good development for him.”
I grunted in disapproval. “Well, you would know best. Now, I don’t have any other plans for the day so I suppose we could get started on your swordplay, Wade.”
“Seeing as I now have a sword I can use, that might be for the best,” he admitted.
“Then we may as well return to the castle for now.”
We did as such, returning to the castle. Standing outside the front door was Twilight, Rarity and Spike.
“Hey! Hey guys!” Spike called out to us, “We were just about to go out to Donut Joe’s! Wanna come with us?”
I pushed down my annoyance as I responded, “We were actually just on our way to practice swordplay. Perhaps at a later date.”
“Oh come on, you can swat at each other with metal sticks any time, can’t you?” Rarity asked.
“I only have a limited amount of time here and I wish to use as much as possible training Wade,” I argued.
“It won’t take much time,” Spike muttered, “Just enough time to relax for a bit, get a bite to eat…”
You know what, fine. It’s not like I’ll be losing anything, I’ll let Wade decide. I turned to him. “It’s your time, so I’ll let you make the decision.”
His stomach growled and I resisted the urge to facepalm. “I… I guess I am pretty hungry. If you think we can take the time off, then sure, I’m down for food.”
I sighed in defeat. “Very well, lets get something to eat then.”
“Yay!” Spike proclaimed, “You won’t regret it, Donut Joe’s has the best doughnuts ever!”
"Yes, well, lead the way then."
I dismissed Elegy, thanking him for his assistance before we headed back out into the city.
We made our way through Canterlot, pausing to see the sights every so often. Eventually we made our way to Doughnut Joe’s. I assumed as much of course since we stopped in front of the building. I still couldn’t read any of the script.
"So Robin," Twilight started, "You went out on your own yesterday, right? Did you experience any... problems concerning communication?"
I shook my head as I examined the colorful building. "I did not. Of course, I wasn't required to actually read anything. The verbal language sounds exactly like English to me, but the written language is completely foreign. An interesting phenomenon."
"Hmmm," Twilight hummed, "And how far did you get from Wade? Its interesting to hear that the spell is still active when he's unconscious, but if we can get a baseline on distance that would be much more helpful."
"Well, I had left the castle entirely and visited the blacksmith as well as the training ground. I had no problem conversing with others, even without Wade nearby. The translation spell actually slipped my mind."
"Interesting, you made it all the way to the forge? That’s over three miles away, to think that the spell extends that far..." Twilight trailed off, pulling a pad and quill from seemingly nowhere.
We stepped into the doughnut shop, the smell of bread and sugar permeating the air. "Is that so? Well, sounds to me like that can be both good and bad. Insulting others in another language is a favorite to some, of course."
"We've had problems, to be sure," Twilight stated, walking up to the counter. "Hey Joe, can I get a bearclaw? Thanks." She paid for her treat, and turned back to myself. "The spell completely negates any attempts I've taken to teach Wade to read or write our language. No matter what alterations I make to the curriculum, all that comes of it is gibberish." She paused to glare at Wade, "If only we could figure out how to turn it off without permanently disabling it, we could actually make some progress..."
I simply shrugged as I looked over the list of items, unable to read any of the selections. I huffed in annoyance and inspected what was in the glass display case instead. "Do you have any jelly doughnuts?"
"Do we ever!" 'Joe' stated with a smile. "As you can see on our menu, we have raspberry, strawberry, truxleberry, blueberry, boisonberry, apple, banana, zap apple, peach, tamarin, mango, and butterbean. All freshly baked this morning!"
A shame I can’t read your menu than. "I'll take a raspberry doughnut then." I withdrew my bag of bits and handed Joe a single coin. Hopefully there won't be a difference in the price.
Wade pointed at a corkscrew and asked, "Can I have that one?"
"Sure thing miss, same as the rest, one bit." He turned to Twilight, and she paid for him with a roll of her eyes.
We made our way towards Rarity who had already claimed a booth for us. Surprisingly, she went with a powdered doughnut much like myself.
"So how are Wade’s studies progressing?" Twilight asked.
I grabbed a pair of utensils from the counter, a fork and a knife. over excessive, but I’d rather not get the powder on my cloak. I cut the doughnut into four squares, bringing one of them up to my mouth. I felt the corner of my lips twist into a smile as I savored the taste. I swallowed before choosing to respond to Twilight’s question for Wade, "So far so good. Wade has a basic understanding of the four aspects of my magic. He could actually learn all the spells over time without my help now. What I plan on focusing on is his lack of control. Also, I plan on working on his lack of magic."
I hummed in thought as I leaned back against the seat. "I also need to work on his ability to 'duel wield' the magic. And to add to all that, I plan on teaching him some swordplay."
"Swordplay?" Twilight asked, "Oh, so that's what you were doing at the forge. Shining Armor told me that dealing with the smith was a pain, how did that turn out for you?"
"That's the second time I've been told that. I for one found the smith to be rather enjoyable to talk to. Gave me a good deal on the blade and did a marvelous job to boot."
"I've been meaning to ask about that," Twilight stated, casting her gaze to the blade tucked between Wade’s shoulder blades. "Is that changeling chiton? That must have cost you a fortune..."
I smiled triumphantly as I looked over the black material. "The chitin of a changeling Queen to be exact. Muramasa was kind enough to include it, free of charge. Even turned down payment when I offered it to him."
"What? But... but Shining said-"
"You do realize that everything your brother tells you isn't exactly how the world runs, right?" Spike interrupted, getting a glare from Twilight. "I'm just saying, this is the same pony that didn't tell you he was getting married until a week before the wedding. It's not that his word is untrustworthy, it's just... he may be a bit absentminded."
"I... I guess you're right," Twilight admitted. "So what kind of sword did you end up getting?" she asked, craning her head to better look at the handle.
I nodded at the blade. "The blade is steel with magical enchantments to improve toughness. It's highly tempered and can withstand quite a bit of pressure. Also, like my own blade, I decided to give it an elemental edge. If you will it, Wade, the blade should erupt into flames."
"That... sounds awesome and dangerous," Wade said, looking back at his new sword. "I assume the same rule about fireballs applies."
"Steel? You actually went ahead and ordered a blade in that metal?" Twilight asked, a bemused look on her face. "What are you, made of money?" She looked back at the sword like it would grow legs and walk off. "A sword completely made of steel, and a case made from changeling chiton..."
"Whats all the fuss about dear? Its just a metal stick made to hit other ponies, right?" Rarity asked around a mouthful of white powder.
"Rarity, with the bits that thing should cost, you could make a line, every season, without losing any profit, for over five years."
Rarity did a double take, looking at Wade's sword as if it was made out of solid gold.
"Huh," she stated in a dazed tone.
technically I didn’t even purchase the blade. If anything, it was a kind 'donation' from my universe’s princesses. All my work included was simply ‘collecting’ the needed amount.
I chuckled as I thought back to the past. "I wouldn't settle for anything less than the best. He mentioned some other metals such as Meteorite and Silver. Meteorite sounds foolish and Silver is too weak of a metal for intense combat. Gold was another option, but... well, using gold for armor or weapons is simply incompetent." I took another bite of my doughnut, careful with the powder.
"The guard has been using gold for centuries, and Equestria is obviously still around. So exactly how does that strike you as incompetent? Equestria has been protected up until now, and isn't just due to magic. Equestria has the top of the line equipment for a grade A defense force. We have the best protection bits can buy. Nopony has even dared to attack us for over one thousand years!" Twilight declared with a smile.
She can’t be serious, can she? For someone so smart, she certainly is blind.
I deadpanned at Twilight. "That's only because your princess's control the Sun and the Moon. The possible repercussions of removing those two could affect the whole planet. In truth, Equestria's weaponry is outdated, the guard is poorly trained and there is no defensive positions to hold within the country. You may have the bits needed for protection, but you should be devoting your time to revolutionizing science. The guard has become slack due to the constant times of peace and prosperity. And, last but not least, there are no forts and very few points which could be used strategically in case of attack. Remove Celestia and Luna from the picture, and Equestria could easily be overpowered by its neighbors."
"And that'll never happen!" Twilight said happily. "Luna and Celestia would never be 'taken out of the picture', as it were."
"Except when Luna was taken over by a nightmare for a thousand years," Wade spouted dryly.
"That was one time!" Twilight snapped.
"Didn't Celestia get her butt handed to her by Ex-Queen Chrysalis?" he helpfully added.
"That... that was an event that wasn't ordinary in any sense of the word! She stole my brothers love and used it as a weapon!"
"Face it Twilight," Wade chewed at the last bite of his doughnut. "Both of your princesses have been 'taken out of the picture' at one point or another. And when anything truly dangerous goes down, they just turn to you and your friends and expect you to deal with it."
"But... that's just..." Twilight trailed off, chewing im-passionately.
I shot Wade a small grin, congratulating him on winning the verbal dispute. "So, what have you three been up to today?"
"Well, I can't say for Rarity, but Spike and I were visiting Princess Celestia for teatime. It was really pleasant. Princess Celestia never gets any time to herself nowadays... unfortunately we had to cut short our visit because of Day Court."Twilight sighed.
"I myself was attending to the post office, to see about freeing up my supplies," Rarity said, daintily wiping away some of the powdered sugar collected around her mouth. "I had to sign so many forms! A veritable mountain of papers! Who knew a shipment of Lamia silk would cause me such trouble?" She gave me a critical once over, "I also have been working on… something special. It's nowhere near done yet, but once it is it'll be simply to die for!"
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. Was she serious before about making me some new clothes? "There's no need to go over the top on the matter. I'd be quite satisfied with a simple gown. Any new clothes would be a welcome change."
"Trust me darling, when I'm done I'll have a garb you'll be hard pressed to take off! And no, that isn't a subtle way of saying you won't be able to take it off. I shouldn't have to elaborate on that, but with with mares like Suri Polomare butchering the name of fashion, it is a common concern. I shouldn't laugh, but ha! Serves her right for using substandard adhesive in her designs," Rarity flouted.
"Right... anyway," I turned to Twilight, curiosity creeping into my tone, "Do you think it would be possible to meet Celestia? I've been curious to know if she's... different from my own. Luna has already proven to be a wonderful conversationalist."
Twilight immediately brightened at the praise. "Yes! I'm sure she would love to meet you! She sure seemed interested in you due to what Luna told her, I'll be sure to run it by her in tomorrow's tea-time. I'm sure she won't mind putting off one day of Day court, she's always talking about how she's been wanting to take a day off."
I smiled and leaned back. "Well then, perhaps I'll get to see her tomorrow. Until then, however, I'll be busy training Wade." I glanced in his direction and smiled. "We should make our way back to the training hall now. I want to see what you can do with that blade."
"Have fun you two, we'll be around here for a bit longer. We come here so infrequently I think it would be good to let Spike have another doughnut-"
"Yahoo!" Spike yelled, rushing to the counter with a smile.
Wade and I swiftly returned to the training hall, and we both changed back to normal. The first thing I had him do was a series of stretches. Once that was done I drew my sword, and demanded that he take a ready stance.
Wade muttered to himself as he got into position, "Turn sideways so as to present a lesser profile for an opponent to attack, while simultaneously making it easier to extend your attacking arm," he said, following his own steps, "Tuck submissive arm behind you to prevent it being attacked," he placed the back of his left hand so it was touching the small of his back, "Back foot flat, front foot pointed forward. Foil extended into pronation, with the palm facing downward..."
He finally noticed me looking at him in amusement.
"What?" he asked, a slight blush overtaking his face. "I haven't done this in years, I don't even know if I'm remembering this right."
"Tell me, are you getting ready for a play," I asked, referring to his posture, "Or are you actually going to fight in a stance you're uncomfortable in? Yes, there are numerous stances in swordplay that can be considered baseline, but you don't have to follow them. You, as a swordsman, need to find both a posture you are comfortable with and one that doesn't leave you open."
I held my blade in both hands, tucking in my arms so the sword was close to me. My knees were bent, one leg slightly extended, almost as if I were prepared to leap.
"Take a look at my stance. I'm turned slightly to the side so that I'm less of a target, but I'm still able to keep an eye on you. My knees are slightly bent, ready to push me in whatever direction I must travel. Finally, my arms are loose, but not limp. I need to be ready to block any strike that may come my way. Your starting posture is more than a style in battle. It will let your opponents know how capable you are in battle. Sometimes that alone could be enough to win a fight."
"So what do you do if it turns out your stance isn't good against your opponents? Do you just improvise?" he asked.
"That's one option. Another would be to simply fight dirty if you need to. I'm no saint, Wade, and battle isn't for the faint of heart. People die, and I'd much rather go home in one piece a coward then sent home in a bag," I advised.
"So... you wouldn't mind if I did... this?" he said, drawing out a dagger with his left hand. "One hand for attacking, parrying and riposte. And the other purely for blocking and deflecting. What do you think?" he asked, twirling the dagger in his left hand and dropping it like a fool.
"The idea, not my fumblefingers," he elaborated, picking up the dagger.
I inspected the dagger, considering his proposal. "That could prove useful if done correctly. Not only that, but if the dagger is strong enough, it could be used to support your blade to stop larger weapons. However, I'm not skilled in the art of duel-wielding. You'll have to test your abilities on me if you wish to get any practice in."
He extended the tip of his sword towards me, testing a probing jab. I laughed, easily swatting it away and throwing him off balance.
"Do you think this is a game Wade? Treat this as you would a real battle. Attack me with everything you got or else," my eyes grew cold, "I may end up killing you."
I watched as his pupils dilated in fear. "All right then," he said, swinging with invigorated fervor. I calmly dodged, tracing the arc of his sword as I moved. He repositioned himself, swinging straight at my head.
Good, he was starting to take this seriously now. I swung my blade, the sword singing through the air. My blade quickly returned to my side, seemingly having done nothing.
"Ha! You missed!" Wade called out.
"Did I?" I replied coyly. I freed a hand from my sword, and tapped briefly on my right ear, giving him a smug grin.
He mimicked me and tapped his own ear. Well, he tried to anyway, he instead tapped the flesh where his ear should have been. His fingers came back slick with blood, and he wildly looked around. He eventually found his severed ear, lying beside him in a pool of his own blood.
"I had a thought," I started, bringing myself back into a ready position, "One thing your morphing is especially good for is that I can hurt you as much as is necessary," I gave him a feral grin, "and the next day we can continue all over again, without any trauma persisting."
"Dick move!" Wade yelped, slowly morphing the flesh where his ear should be. He replaced it with another ear besides his own. It was pure black and seemed to belong to some reptile. He repeated the morph to his other ear. "That reminds me though, can I see if I can acquire a morph off of that horn? I wanna see if I can do that off of a detached body part. If it works, you could potentially have as many minotaur horns as you want," I cut him off as I lunged at him, piecing him in shoulder with the point of my blade. He yelped in pain and attempted to counterattack which I easily dodged.
He morphed over the wound, again replacing it with the same black scaled material. "Well, as much as many times as I'm able to morph into him in a given period, anyway. I already have a minotaur morph, but he didn't have nearly as large-" He barely dodged out of the way as I attempted to remove his jaw. "Horns! I was going to say horns!"
"If it will shut you up, then yes, you can try." I swung my blade in an arc, slicing a fine cut along the length of his sword arm. He stumbled back in pain. "For now, focus on the fight. Refrain from allowing your mind to wander too far. Concentrate on the now, not the later. After all, if you won't survive to see another sunrise, why bother?"
I flourished my sword, hopping back and falling into a defensive position. "Now, come at me again. I always believed experience was the best method of learning, and you won't get much if you simply stand there trying to dodge me."
Wade charged forward, aiming the tip of his sword at the center of my body. I dodged to the side and promptly punched him in the face with a free hand.
"The entire body must be your weapon, not just your sword," I chastised.
I watched as he held his face in pain, and I let him get a hold of himself. He eventually morphed his nose, the skin changing a different color opposed to the black scales as before. He flicked his hand at me, letting the blood from his wound fly in my direction.
I dodged the spray of blood and gave him another poke on the other shoulder. He hastily healed the wound, along with the one on his arm. It wasn’t a bad idea to use blood like you would use sand, but the method of execution was sloppy.
He aimed a jab at my shoulder and I batted his blade to the side, lunging in with another poke. He barely managed to deflect my strike with the dagger. I disarmed him of the dagger, twisting my blade and spinning it clockwise. The pressure caused Wade to lose his grasp and I followed up with a flick of my wrist, wrenching the dagger from his grasp.
I huffed as I sent his blade to the floor, the sound of metal on marble echoing around the hall. "Better, I suppose, but your movement is still sloppy. At the risk of sounding cliche, you need to have power behind your attacks, but with a serene state of mind. As I've stated earlier, any power you may posses is worthless if you can't even hit your opponent."
I turned my body so I was fully facing him, my sword pointed at the ground in submission. "The flow of battle is like a rhythm, a beat to follow. Find that beat, join with it, and you can control the flow of battle."
I eased my body, letting go of its rigid posture. "I want you to try to hit me. I won't retaliate in any way, only dodge. See if you can find the tempo. Reach a state of serenity. If you can't do this, then you have little hope of defeating me."
These were some of the last words I uttered over the next few hours. Wade tried to follow my instructions, but he struggled at every turn. Blood coated the floor, evidence from my attacks. along with that, strips of his flesh - three left arms, one right arm and even a foot and a dragon tail - littered the ground like a macabre set of puppet limbs.
Wade collapsed, turning over onto his back as he breathed heavily. His sword fell from his grasp. His breath escaped from his lips, before breathing in heavily, greedily taking in fresh air.
"I... I can't…" Wade struggled to say more, but it was lost due to his hyperventilating.
I sighed and sheathed my blade, walking over to his prone figure. "Very well, we'll call it a day then. You made some progress, but you still have much to learn." I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Let's head to bed early tonight. We'll rise early and start this all over again. Magic followed by some sword play."
"Haflghghle," Wade muttered, weakly raising his right arm about three inches off the floor. I took that as a sign of understanding and left the training room. Upon reaching my room I deposited my bag of books to the floor beside my bed. Without hesitation I fell to the mattress, closing my eyes as I tried to relax my mind and body.
However, I couldn’t stop thinking about Wade. Some would say I was being cruel to him, and they would be correct. I was essentially shoving a month’s worth of training into a single week. I was pushing his body beyond the breaking point and further.
With a sigh I calmed myself and allowed the sweet embrace of sleep to consume me.
It would be another long day tomorrow.
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Just to get an idea, how many people would like to see something done with the Support System of Fire Emblem? I have something in mind, but as of now nothing is set in stone. I just want to get a small tally to see what some people think.
thumbs up if you're interested.
Thumbs down if you're not interested.
I was trying to read for the gore part, but didnt find. I then realized that robin cut wade's ear off, and slashed multiple times. I am way too used to gore to the point that I dont recognize it. thank you mortal kombat
Really want to see how Gilgy would react to this method of training, as well as a fight between the two.
6263772
It's an important part of any Fire Emblem game, definitely go for it.
where was that "chat" robin was going to have about the tracking charms on wades gauntlet mentioned last chapter?
... Did they clean up the blood and body arts? Because if not a maid, or Luna herself, is going to freak the fuck out.
6263836 I didn't think it was all that gory either, but I know some people are easily squeamish. It was more of a warning that I am introducing blood and gore into the story. It will only ever be mild, however. Certainly not to the point where I'll have to raise the rating from Teen to Mature.
6263866 You may just get your answer if everything goes according to plan.
6263867 I know it's an important part, but I couldn't think of a good way to introduce it. That's changed now, but I'm still iffy about it. My idea is similar to how some writers introduce a character 'chapter' at the beginning of the story. I'm thinking I'll do the same, but show the progression of relationships instead.
6263914 All good things come to those who wait.
6263914
He did arrange a 'chat' with Princess Celestia this chapter did he not
6263933
Spoiler (not really): Let's just say the maids got extra pay!
I just looked at the summary again. It says his name was Madison, which is a girl's name (I cant be arsed to go and reread the beginning) so why is he adverse to being female?
6263977 Because he is, and always was, a guy. Madison, by technicality, isn't a girls name. It is used mostly by females, but it is also a male's name.
The sparring match against the Minotaur was entertaining and watching Robin introduce Wade to swordsmanship was awesome. Great chapter.
6264019 'kay.
well, on the one hand, he is pushing Wade to develop his own style, adapting and changing to try and hit an experienced master who so far has yet to tap into his bag of tricks, while also teaching him in the school of literal hard knocks. Plus teaching him how to tap into, and expand his magic. Then again, I think he purposefully skipped over teaching Wade how to draw magic out of the tomes, while making him be efficient is all well and good, it does not prove conducive to experimentation like Wade seems to enjoy doing.
*Adopts cable voice from the Deadpool game* DAMN IT WADE!!!
6263954
*cue Clash on the Big Bridge*
G: You did what?!
*smashes Robin through a wall*
R: He can regenerate!
G: Doesn't mean there was any need to chop him up like that!
Luna: ENOUGH!
Or they might just have apprentices fight it out. Now as to which one Gilgy picks, that's up to the authors..
Your talk about forging actually makes me quite angry. It's not your fault, most people are ignorant about forging unless it's something that interests them. Also rapiers were the final evolution of the Longsword. As you come closer the the Renaissance longswords become thinner since good steel becomes easier to make and armor starts to fall out of style. The sword pictured rubs me in all the wrong ways ( I know it's from a video game but it annoys me) the sword's balance point is somewhere in the middle of the blade since there is no distill taper meaning that the sword gets thinner as the blade gets longer. The grip is unusable as it is mostly sharp and jagged. The blade looks quite heavy and looks more at home on a Longsword rather than a rapier. Adding ruby dust to the blade would be fine but I'm not sure if it would turn steel red. I don't really have enough gemstones around to see what would happen. All in all the first time wade uses that sword in combat he will be off balance trying to wield an unwieldy sword and would die horribly. Unless his opponent sees the blade and dies of laughter first.
That all said I'm enjoying the story so far, I'm hoping that you don't make robin into an edgy mess by the end of this.
Y'know, I'm really starting to hate this arc. It's just so... boring. All the info dumps and one up manship is grating on me, and it's made all the worse because I know that most of it is in no way relevant to the story proper. It's cool that you had fun making this and all that... but it's just not for me.
I'm just looking forward to seeing Robin get back to see what mischief Trixie has gotten up to in his absence.
If you keep writing as great as you've been doing, I think I'm going to have a very hard time disguising my smiles and laugher in class. So far so great.
6264086 i had the same thought XD
6263867 Any post Fe4 Fire Emblem game, sans Fe11.
Love the story.
.
Have a smile
I hope your not running yourself dry with all these consecutive chapter releases. That's the last thing we need, a story that's booming for a few weeks and then tappers off to oblivion.
Gratz on being featured once again.
Yayyyy. This is funnnn.
That sword thingie was kewl too. Huzzah. Still excited to see Robin returning to his/her home universe.
6264306 I have no doubt that you are 95% correct regarding the art of forging and swords. I am ignorant of how it all works. Should I ever do something as stupid as order a blade like I have described in the story I'll be sure to remember to attempt to bash my enemies to death while they laugh at me
6264342 I can understand that. It is incredibly long and I didn't expect this when I started writing it with the other author. I can see how it could get boring. There will be more chapters to this arc, however, as the crossover itself ran roughly 100K words. If I may make a suggestion, refrain from reading the rest of the crossover until Robin returns to his own universe. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you.
6264517 I prefer these smiles, they fit me so much better:
6264518 These chapters were actually all done in advance. Months were spent writing this crossover.
6264555 Thanks!
It's going to be hilarious to read Twilight's reaction to Robin's training method when she sees that room tomorrow.
6264929 Sorry to say you'll have to read Flutter's side of the story if you want to see her reaction, and yes, she does show up a bit after Robin leaves.
6264954 This is amazingly hilarious
6264306 Welp that is the problem with how games make things LOOK good. The blade itself is from Final Fantasy 7 and is even longer than it looks in the picture in the story. Here is an image of the actual size.
img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110225233725/finalfantasy/images/3/3e/GenesisCGModel-CrisisCore.png
thanks for the update!!
6265047
shame that we have to wait for them to be published.
6265322
Sorry, I have a couple chapters to realease between my current one and this crossover. Sorry for the inconvenience.
6265595 it's all good. I just started reading this story today, and i'm just waiting for your version of the cross over. I can wait.
Funfact...Long sword is only 1kg at most.
Great sword is somewhere around 1.2-3kg.
6265280 that thing is about the side of a great sword....almost as tall as you ....
6265280 ... Of course it's final fantasy... All their weapons are shit. I mean with some minor modifications it could be usable, but it just looks bad
6266265 Ah, well, it's actually supposed to be that way. Think about it, it's Luna. She's still trying to reintegrate into society and 'loosen up', but also trying to remain somewhat formal.
As for Robin's personality, you're more or less spot on. Robin is pretentious, yes, but mostly within the fields which he has studied in. He sees himself as the most magically powerful individual on the planet and has yet to be proven otherwise. He has a high intellect and is willing to take risks to further his research. He will not, however, attempt to out-shine an individual who clearly has more knowledge in a field than he does.
That sword....BEAUTIFUL! Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core! I LOVE IT!
*evil laugh*
When Robin first cut off his ear, all I could think was 'Sweet! A toy you can break!' I'd probably enjoy stabbing and cutting up a person Wade if I ever had to learn sword fighting.X3
Rather disappointed that Robin, clever as he is, would call himself a coward after intellectually recognizing that there is no such thing as a fair fight earlier on (unless this was just a minor error and you meant to say that he would be 'called a coward').
“As it stands, every being has three types of muscles. White muscle is slow and strong, it’s your main muscle type for endurance. Red muscle is weak but fast, it’s mainly your flexible muscle for quick bursts of energy. And pink muscle is in between the other layers of muscle, and is both fast and strong. Pink muscle is usually the least frequent of the muscle types found within a ponies body. I basically just made that the only muscle type in these forms, however,” she explained.
Someone wants for anyone using her charms to be 'History's Mightiest Disciple'.
6263866 you know, speaking of Gilgy, anyone else think of him when reading this part?
technically, I don't care about errors, as I make the same ones.
Also,
Google!
Fun fact: Muramasa is, in fact, not entirely legendary. There was an actual historical swordsmith by that name, famously considered one of the greatest smiths to ever live - and, as legend tells it, so violent and bloodthirsty that his blades became bloodthirsty and evil also, driving their wielders to indiscriminate murder and suicide. Also by legend, he is considered to be forever second-best to another historical, but also often fictionalized, swordsmith by the name of Masamune. Although they were not actually contemporaries, a particularly famous story tells that one day, they had a contest to see who was truly the greatest smith of all. They would take the finest blade the had forged and hold it into a rushing stream to cut whatever driften by, and whichever sword proved itself sharper would be declared the winner.
Muramasa's sword proved itself to cut everything that touched it: leaves, twigs, fish, all was severed in half on its edge. Masamune's sword also cut everything that it touched - but instead of being bisected, the fish, the leaves and the twigs would put themselves back together on the other end, as if they had never been harmed.
Muramasa laughed at this and proclaimed himself the winner, saying "what sort of smith are you, that your blades cannot cut anything at all?" But during their contest, a monk had passed by and watched the proceedings. When he heard Muramasa's boasting, he said: "You are indeed a great smith and your work is impeccable, but it is a bloodthirsty, evil blade. It will cut anything without discrimination. It cares not if it severs heads or cuts apart butterflies. The second blade is by far the better: it will only cut that which is deserving, not needlessly destroy what is innocent."
And that is why Masamune is considered the greater of the two.
The smith is annoyed by guards becuase they make him forge decorative pieces that they then coat in magic to make them usable.
Lol Wade's channeling Best Pony and Scootaloo. But yeah I agree wholeheartedly.
I like how twilight got some sense knocked into her head.