• Published 21st Jan 2015
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The Awakening of a Tactician - Mountainmanmad



A young man decides to attend a convention with his friends dressed as his favorite character from the Fire Emblem series. Next thing he knows he's in Equestria.

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Chapter 18 - Pretentious Nobles, Future Plans, And An Invitation

I awake the next morning feeling refreshed. The warm bed beckons me to return to slumber, but I push it away with a sigh. Training with Wade yesterday garnered... less than satisfying results. At this rate he'll grow stronger, but he still lacks the mental fortitude of a warrior. He also lacks skill... and speed... and…

I sighed and rubbed my face, chasing away any last remains of sleep. I got up from the bed and walked over to the bag of books. I shifted through them, letting Flux and Nosferatu rest at the top. Wade said he wanted to focus on the dark arts, and Nosferatu is a powerful spell. However, it is also highly devastating when used incorrectly. Hopefully he can reach that level while I'm here so I can monitor his use.

I know I told Wade it would be a while before he reached the next level, but... that was before I actually started training with him. It was scary how quickly he picked things up, even his swordplay got better in the hours we spent sparring. I've been holding back, but at the rate he's going I'll need to push him harder.

I hoist the bag up and over my shoulder, walking out the door to my room. I step next door to Wade's and place my ear against the frame. I can hear steady breathing coming from inside the room. I open the door and walk up to Wade's side. I take a moment to glare at his watch, I still need to talk to Luna or Celestia about that. I need to know the reason before I can intervene. I shake my head and place my hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him.

"Time to wake up Wade."

Wade woke up only to push away my hand with incoherent mumbles. I immediately returned to shaking him, rougher this time.

"Wake up Wade, it's time to get started again. I'm only here for a limited time, or did you forget?" I asked, prying the blanket from his clenched fingers and tossing it to the floor.

"I'm up, I'm up," Wade claimed, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He levered himself into a sitting position, wincing as the soreness of yesterday's activities overtook him. I’m not surprised, seeing as he went to sleep without returning to his original form.

He amended that, first morphing into some demonic being, then back to himself. The process was terribly slow compared to his previous morphs and I found myself growing impatient.

What can I say, I’m a morning person.

Wade suddenly sprung up from the bed, his goofy grin once more plastered across his face. "C'mon!" he playfully called, passing me into the hall. "Are you just gonna stand there like a lump? We got training to do!"

I grinned as I followed him out. "Well then, I guess you're ready for a full day of intense work. I got a lot planned so I hope you can fight through it all."

I laughed as Wade groaned in annoyance.

Moments later and we found ourselves in the training hall once more. I dropped my bag of books and pulled out Flux, handing it to Wade. "Since you said you wanted to focus in Dark magic I decided we'd spend today working with that. I want to get you to the next level of Dark magic while I'm here. By doing so you'll unlock the spell Nosferatu and I want to be here when you do. It's a powerful spell, but dangerous in the wrong hands. I need to make sure you don't do anything stupid, such as destroy your soul and the like." I explained, waving a hand for emphasis on the matter. He shouldn’t be able to do such a thing with dark magic, but Wade had proven to be a special case.

"Okay, so just ignoring the fact that you just talked about my soul getting destroyed like it was as common as a jogger checking their step meter; How about you give me a rundown on all the other dark spells, so I know at the very least about them them before practicing with them? Just so I don't go into this blind."

Wade twisted his arm and checked his watch, his face falling into a shocked expression.

"One forty nine?!" he exclaimed, "That’s… how? I don't…" Wade turned to me, a stupefied expression on his mug. "That's almost a third of the entire energy I've gained in the last month, in only two days! Have you been zapping me with some sort of spell, like the one you tried the first day to restore my energy? I mean, like when I wasn't looking or something?"

I laughed. "Not at all, you've just been growing stronger. From what you've told me, I suspected that you haven't really used your magic much over the time you've been here. At least, not repeatedly and to the point of exhaustion. It's also possible that my own magic had an effect on your increase in power, but I'm not positive about that."

I grew serious again, getting us back on topic. "Now, I want you to pay attention for this next part; I'm going to explain some Dark spells and their uses to you. You already know Flux, so I won't need to explain that one too you. Ruin is a spell that creates an X like pattern of dark magic. It attacks almost like a slash, but of magical properties. It is fast and deadly. Waste is a wide area attack that creates a fog of dark magic. It is harmful to all who enter it, even the caster. This attack is suitable for a large group of enemies, but use it at a distance so you don't get caught in the spell. Luna is a powerful spell that summons numerous balls of dark energy. When hit, it ignores all magical defenses. For example, the guards armor are enchanted with spells to increase defense. Luna would bypass those spells with ease. Another spell that comes to mind is Yotsmungand, which summons souls of the dead to haunt the living. Should any of these wisps touch their enemy, they will be harmed, but more importantly, poisoned with dark essence. There are other spells, but those few are the most well known."

"Wait, that's not all of them," Wade interrupted, "I remember you saying something about...Dracula! Vampire!" He scrunched up his face, trying to remember. "Nose ferret?" he asked hopefully.

I grunted, may as well explain it in detail now that it’s brought up. "Nosferatu... the next spell you'll learn in the Dark arts and arguably one of the most powerful spells. Not because of it's power in battle, but because of its uses. Nosferatu allows you to drain the life energy of any biological life form and take it for yourself. You can virtually steal the life of a being, in some ways, their soul. Now, the more powerful a being, the larger their 'life pool' usually is. For example, Celestia and Luna will have a much deeper pool than compared to the average pony. Nosferatu is dangerous because stealing an individual's life energy can be done either quickly or slowly over time. Also, it's a surefire way to kill a being who is semi-immortal. However, I don't know if this spell can kill true immortals."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I had the strangest sense of Deja Vu, explaining all this to him. "Wade, life energy is pure and can almost never be truly corrupted. It is arguably the driving force of this world, possibly the universe. It is pure raw power in its natural form. Because of this, it has amazing healing abilities. Taking in life energy will increase your body's recovery rate drastically. Even if you're on the verge of death, enough life energy can bring you back to a stable condition. In time, and with practice, you'll be able to not only divert energy from your enemies into you, but into others as well. You'll also be able to surrender your own life energy to help another in need."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Pay attention to this, the moment an individual's life pool runs dry, they die. There is no maybe, they will die. Life energy will always replenish over time, but the more you take, the longer you'll be debilitated. keep this in mind if you ever decide to share your own source."

"And finally, the darkest reason why this tome is so special. With this spell, you are able to raise the dead. By using your own or anothers life energy and forcing it into a corpse, you will create an undead weapon. You will never be able to bring back the original soul, but the Dark magic will create a false one. The animation will be utterly obedient to you and will obey your every command. The corpses are somewhat intelligent, able to make decisions on their own to preserve their own life."

I grew sheepish, rubbing the back of my head. "Of course, Equestria's Harmonious magic within ponies has some... interesting side effects on the end product. Intelligence seems enhanced in some regard, most likely due to the harmony conflicting with the dark magic. This would be good, but ponies are peaceful by default so... they don't exactly make the best warriors. The first time I brought a mare back to life she hugged me, nuzzled me, and called me master. It was... a rather disturbing experience really." I ended with an awkward chuckle.

“Sounds cute,” He contributed. “You know, aside from whole undead thing. Nothing creepier than something with the flesh falling off.”

"Actually, the flesh wasn't falling off at all. The skin repaired itself upon contact with the dark magic. Its muscles grew and it became stronger. Of course, that's not the strangest thing. No, the strangest thing was that the phantoms, which is what these zombies are called, are actually able to learn. So, in short, you can create undead ponies fit for war that are semi-sentient, but still have a slightly loving nature by default."

"Holy crap," He uttered. "So what, your version of Equestria has shit-tons of undead ponies still running around, just randomly helping out and stuff? Reminds me of this story my friend told me about a DnD game a friend of his played. He played a necromancer, and traveled the land helping the populace. He rose the corpses of the deceased, creating a workforce of unintelligent puppets. He did this so that they could tend to the lands, and allow the populace to spend their time following their own pursuit of knowledge."

"Turns out the GM was using him as a misunderstood BBEG for another game he was running. He kept on cycling their sessions back and forth on each other, and in the end the necromancer died. Not in a battle of magic and physical strength. Not in a struggle of intrigue between opposite forces." He fixed me with a wide smile. "The Necromancer lay dying in his bed. The guy finally interacted with the other group, and he RP'ed his butt off."

"He cursed them, for the destruction they had sown with their ignorance. For the progress they had destroyed in their fear of the unknown. For looking at that which they did not understand, and only seeked to be rid of it. And then he died, of old age on a bed in his tower." he shook his head. "It might have just been fiction, but I always liked the moral of it. In the end, the one guy that was bringing corpses back from the dead wasn't trying to take over the world. He just wanted to see it grow."

He let out a sharp cough, "Of course, then we have the actual dingbats in this reality. Some jackass started trying to make an army out of shambling corpses, and the princesses ended up putting a stop to it," he let out a low laugh, "If the history books are anything to be believed, anyway. Anyway, ever since cremation is standard, so as to not let the forces of magic bring back the loved ones who have passed on and use them for bad things."

I simply stared at him as he told his story. It was clear he wasn’t finished yet, but I had to wonder why he was even bothering to tell me this story.

"A shame the many have to suffer for the deranged rudeness of a single individual, if what you're saying is true then an entirely new race could have risen up over here. And since the whole rotting flesh thing wouldn't have been an issue, families probably would have simply welcomed them back with open-"

He stopped suddenly, understanding crossing his features. "Oooooh, I get it. Sorry for rambling on. So that's why you have such disregard for them, huh? That's what happened, they found you giving life to the dead, and they immediately thought you were bad, right? That's how you got stoned in your Equestria..." He trailed off, an uncomfortable silence filling the air between us.

I glared at him for a few moments longer before speaking, "That's right. I was curious about Dark magic and the uses it could provide. I experimented with a corpse, creating the phantom. Celestia found it, destroyed it, followed its trail back to me and instantly labeled me a threat to Equestria. And I don't think you understand the phantoms, Wade. They don't get their souls back, they are still very much dead. The Dark magic creates something similar to a false soul, bound with the one who created it. They are completely obedient to their master and will either attack or ignore all others."

"Okay, okay, I get it. It's not sunshine and rainbows, and the revived are just thralls. But really, you only managed to get one going before she stuck her nose in it? Did it exude a powerful energy or something that led her to it like a beacon?" he asked.

He continued before I even got a chance to answer, "Hey... using this magic, how... uh... 'visible' is it?" he asked, gesturing to the books. "I'm not going to be painting a bullseye on my back by being careless, am I?"

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the books. "You're actually asking me that? Think about the spells you've already used, rather powerful and visible, don't you think? Not only that, but they are the weakest of all the other spells. By using this magic, you will show that you are a powerful mage. So in a sense, yes, it's possible you'll become a target for others. Of course, if anyone threatens you, just deal with them."

He contemplated my words, looking at the floor in thought for several moments before lifting his head. "I... understand," He replied. "So, what do you want me to do first? I have a full tank, and I honestly feel raring to go."

I grinned and tossed him Flux. "Today we're going to focus on Dark magic, since that's what you originally wanted. I want you to unlock the next tier before I leave, so we'll study that for the day, and possibly the next."

"Understood."

He read through the book again, much quicker than before.

He started by throwing small orbs of inky blackness at the glass dummy. He didn’t bother to change the shape or size of them, focusing more on getting used to the spell itself.

I gave criticism and guidance when it was needed. It seemed that Wade had a talent to run into every issue concerning this magic. I corrected him multiple times on his form, throw and control of the Dark magic.

Several hours of training passed before something decided to break the monotony. That something in question turned out to be a pony.

Their coat was a glossy white and had a silky shine. Their mane was in pristine condition, the blond color shining brilliantly. They had a horn jutting out of their forehead, labeling them as a unicorn. Their voice… whiney, petulant and snobby.

I already hated him.

"What in the name of Faust are you!?" he yelled, standing in the doorway. He wore elegant clothing, much more so than the average pony would wear. Much to my displeasure he fit the role of ‘noble’ rather well. His cutie mark was easily visible from the way he posed, standing sideways in the doorway with an accusatory hoof pointed towards us. His mark was a compass rose colored both gold and blue. Perhaps he used to be an explorer?

I might have given it more thought if I wasn’t distracted by the looks of disgust he was shooting me.

"Um..." Wade preceded, looking him over. "Two bipeds practicing magic in a hall the princesses cordoned off? You do realize you're in trouble now, right?"

"Hold your tongue you, you, you, you, vermin!" he shouted, directing his attention at Wade. "This building belongs to me, and has since I was born! And there is no way my aunties would ever tolerate such trash here!"

Aunties? He must be referring to Celestia and Luna. Now that I think about it, Luna said she confiscated this wing from their nephew. If it’s true, than by extension of royal blood he would be considered a prince.

Guess who just earned a place on my shit list?

I huffed and withdrew Rexcalibur from my sack, reading it as I spoke to the unicorn, not even bothering to look at him, "Yes, the training hall obviously belongs to a bastard prince who has no idea what his title truly represents." I shut the book and held it under my arm. "Since you don't know what we are, I'm going to have to suspect that you were not told of our existence. Figures Celestia and Luna don't trust anything with you. If you have a problem with us being here, go talk to them."

I almost want him to attack me. I’ve had some pent up frustration as of late and I’m just dying to release it.

"I refuse to be talked to in such a manner!" the 'bastard prince' yelled back. "And you will not speak of my aunties in such a familiar tone! Out! Out with you I say!" he sparked his horn levitating me above the ground. He barely gave Wade a second glance as he tried to remove me from the room. He was struggling, looking like he was lifting something several times his own weight.

"I'll rid the hall of you, and then contract a team of exterminators to check out the rest of the building!"

I’ve had enough of this, talking down to me as if I was worth less than dirt. I didn’t survive this long because of luck, and I’d show this fool exactly who he was dealing with.

I grunted and reached out to the magic surrounding me. It was incredibly flimsy, and I had no problem breaking his hold upon me. I fell to the ground feet first as the prince tried to comprehend this change of events. I didn’t give him the chance to. I flicked my wrist and ice began to grow from underneath him. The ice began to creep upwards, encasing his legs, then his upper body.

The pony struggled as the ice consumed him, but he was unable to escape the prison. Seconds later and his neck was stiff. He released a bloodcurdling scream before his head was encased, the terrified expression frozen on his features.

God I love magic.

"Um... not to sound ungrateful," Wade started, pointing at the new lawn ornament, "But doesn't doing that in real life cause death?" He flinched as one of the pony's eyes twitched, looking straight at him.

"Nyeagh, okay, God. Guess that answers that question. So how long can he stay like that?"

I placed Rexcalibur within my robe, eying the frozen pony. "He'll remain frozen indefinitely if simply left like that. Of course, he'll die in an hour from frostbite. Or I could smash him now and watch his frozen, shattered body parts slide across the floor. Actually... that sounds like it would be interesting to watch. Or maybe I could set him on fire and time how long it'll take for the ice to melt, that would be an interesting experiment..." I trailed off, rubbing my chin. I got the satisfaction of watching the pony’s eyes turn to me, the fear evident behind them.

"So… what are we going to do with him? He's an asshole, to be sure, but we can't just let him die because we don't like him..."

"I suppose you're right, but still, I think everyone would be better off with him dead. I think we both know what will happen should I simply let him go," I surmised, walking over to the icy being. I glared at him through the ice. "I say we pay either Celestia or Luna a call. Have them deal with this fool."

"And if we can't find them in time?" Wade asked, moving from side to side and watching as the noble’s eye continued to track him. "Or they can't get here in an hour? I'm all for passing our problems off on someone else, but maybe we should do something with him in the meantime. I brought my stun baton, we could just taser him if you unthaw him," he offered.

"Very well," I sighed. I outstretched my arm, focusing on the ice. It instantly began to melt, freeing his head, than his torso, and finally his hooves. The pony was shivering from the cold... or my intense glare. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to sit there and be quiet. If you start yelling or you run away, I'll kill you, simple as that. Understood?"

I hate nobles so very much. They remind me of those pricks back in high school who thought they were better than everyone else. They act like they’re God’s gift to earth. I have absolutely zero tolerance for them.

"Y.y.y.y.you... you c.c.c.can't d.d.d.d.do this t.t.t.t.to me," he whimpered, passing out cold.

"I… guess we don't need the stun baton now?" Wade asked

"Nope!" I chirped, "He can simply be left there for the moment. I'm sure someone will come looking for him eventually. Until then, however, back to training!"

"You're not even the least bit concerned about him?" Wade asked, gesturing to the passed out pony.

"Not in the slightest. I'll keep an eye on him, so when he does come around, I can deal with him."

I froze a couple manacles of ice around his legs, carefully implemented so he wouldn't develop frostburn in his legs. A small ring went around his horn, as well. It would do nothing to stop his magic, but it would make it easier for me to snap it off.

We continued on as if he had never even interrupted us. I expected Wade to work, so that's what he did. He practiced magic till we received our next visitor.

"What the hey is he doing here?!" Twilight yelled out from the doorway, pointing at my work of art.

I merely shrugged. "He came waltzing in here demanding that we leave. Even had the audacity to try to carry me with magic. After that I froze him in ice, defrosted him, and he passed out. I was hoping you could wipe his mind with a spell of some sort. If I were to do it, I would destroy it."

Mostly out of spite.

Twilight blanched at that, but left and quickly returned with a glass of water.

She tipped it down the unconscious ponies throat, grinning at us as she did so. "I don't dabble in memory erasing spells, but I do know enough about potions from Zecora," Wade suddenly jerked, a ball of flux going wide and missing all of the targets. "To create a slight amnesia draught. It should only wipe out the last few hours, so I hope you didn't keep him overnight." Her horn flashed, and the ice encircling his limbs turned into rope.

"I'll just take him," she said with disgust, lifting him into the air. "And drop him off with a maid or a guard."

I waved a hand, waving her away. "That would be for the best. Personally, I wanted to cut the bastard’s horn off, but the fact that I at least got to humiliate him was good enough for me. I want to speak to Celestia or Luna today as well, preferably Luna as I have a few questions to ask her."

I turned back to Wade, frowning at him. "And don't think I didn't see that. You need to learn better focus, even in the most serious of situations..." I trailed off, thinking aloud now, "Maybe I should attack you while you focus your attacks on the dummy. That would be good training..."

I decided to follow through on my threat, smacking him on the top of his head randomly, and shouting in his ear every once in a while. It didn't serve to improve his aim.

I grunted and backhanded him once more. "That should be enough magic for now. Tell me, what's your magic at? Also, have you felt any connection with the ancient language? No new spells ingrained into your mind?"

He looked at his watch. It had dipped down to thirty two. "Also, no. Nothing new in my mind, is that a bad thing?"

I shook my head. "It's not a bad thing at all. You've been studying the magic diligently lately and it's only a matter of time until you learn the next tier of spells. When that happens, you'll know immediately. The ancient language will be ingrained into your mind and you'll always know how to write the spell books."

"Wait, does that mean I'm going to level up?" Wade asked, smiling. I responded by giving him another smack upside the head. "I do like the idea of writing up some more books that Twilight won't be able to read..." He mused on this for a few more seconds.

I chuckled, imagining Twilight's frustration as Wade wrote books to use a magic she didn’t have access to. "I always found it enjoyable to write my own books, and I jumped at the chance whenever I achieved the next tier of magic. I plan on advancing your Dark magic skill for the most part. Since you already know all the basics, you can learn the spells of other tiers on your own time, given enough practice."

"Will I get more than one spell or whatever each… level? And is that going to be it for now? Or are we gonna get back into sword… training… Man, that sounded so much cooled in my head," he groused.

I laughed once more and drew my sword. "We may as well return to swordplay for the time being. Since morphing takes away some of your magic, you need to have some in reserve to heal any wounds you may suffer."

"You could just refrain from cutting me so much," Wade retorted.

"I could, or," my smile grew sadistic, "I could be a little rougher with you. Tell me Wade, has your tolerance to pain increased lately?"

He gave it a few seconds of thought. "I don't think it's so much a pain tolerance," he stated, shaking his head. "Everything still hurts as bad as the first time I endured it. But it seems I have gotten slightly better at ignoring the pain... even if I still can't stop myself flinching at every little thing..."

"Then your focus for now should be controlling that flinch. If you lose a limb in battle and act like nothing happened, it could instill fear into your opponents. If someone fought you without prior knowledge, they could be tricked into believing that they are fighting an immortal being." I explained.

"But how can I do that?" he asked, "I can't shake my fear that every strike is going to hurt, and my assumptions so far have been right! It hurts! every time!"

I grunted and flourished my blade. "Than conquer your fear. Know that it will hurt, but also know that you are strong enough to withstand it. If you let fear fill you, than it will consume you. You're stronger than that, Wade. For the short amount of time I've known you I can tell you're a strong willed individual. You will overcome the challenges placed before you."

Wade withdrew his sword from its scabbard, the tip licking the air between us. "If you say so. I just wish you had advice for not being afraid."

My face softened significantly. "Fear is something we must all live with. We all suffer through it in our lives at one point or another. I can't give you any advice that will make you braver, only prepare you." My mood brightened somewhat as I tested his blade against mine, "Now, stand still so I cut your limbs off. Let's see you work on suppressing the pain!"

Needless to say, he didn't follow this command very well. After the first slice, Wade was driven to avoid the pain as best he could. Which in turn translated to him running around like a chicken with its head cut off, desperately trying to dodge incoming crippling strikes.

Numerous times as my blade bit into his skin he passed out, lasting no more than a few minutes at a time. We continued this for several hours, never letting Wade get a break from my relentless onslaught.

Eventually, I sheathed my blade, leaving Wade to collapse to the floor, breathing heavily. Various limbs were strewn across the floor, streaks of blood staining the marble floor. I sighed and cracked my neck as I looked over the ‘battlefield’. "Well, if it's any consolation, at this rate you'll be much faster. Still, you won't instill much fear into your opponents if you simply run around like a fool."

"Question," He huffed out, "What would you do against a sort of...berserk effect? Like, if it was inflicted on you?"

Well, that’s an interesting thought. I never had to worry about status ailments before. I furrowed my brow in thought. "Hmm... that's a good question. I never considered a situation like that. I think the first thing I would do would simply be to try and control my emotions. If the spell is too strong, however, sheer willpower alone might not be enough to save you. I've never had to deal with status ailments and I have no set plan for dealing with them..."

That needs to change. Considering more universes and laws are now available to me, it wouldn’t be surprising for such things to exist. It always seems to come back to mental fortitude though. I need to hone my mindscape even further now to combat these new threats.

"I won't be the first to admit it, but I've been told by many others that I seem to be... highly susceptible to various forms of mind control. I even have a dagger that-if I accidentally pricked myself with would send me into a rage- has an effect like that. By the way, mirror from the crystal Empire or something. Leads to a parallel world with sorta humans." Wade fixed me with a knowing look from his place on the floor. "They have anatomy like a humans, but they have just as many skin colors as the ponies. At least they aren't anthro."

I rubbed my chin, processing this new information carefully. "If that's the case than the dagger sounds to be more of a danger to yourself than your enemies. If that's the only effect associated with the weapon, I suggest limiting its use severely, even going so far as to discard it. As far as the mirror to the alternate Equestria... I don't care too much. It's possible the mirror doesn't exist in my universe and even if it did, I would have no use for it." I grumbled to myself, "I already dealt with high school once before, I don't want to have to deal with that again."

"Highschool?" He craned his neck to look at me better. "I never mentioned high school, how the hell did you know? You said yourself you haven't encountered it, so how the heck would you know?"

I was torn from my thoughts regarding the portal as I looked at him in confusion. "I did tell you I watched the show, correct? I am very much aware of the movie and how it went. While It would be interesting to visit the world it could also lead to potential dangers. An entire other universe connected to my own... the risks it presents are simply unfathomable. It might be best if I simply destroy the mirror should I ever come across it."

"Movie? Well that's stupid," Wade claimed, rising to a sitting position. "If you have a TV show about colorful little horses, why the heck would you make a movie about them being hu- Oh wait, to sell more toys and make money. I got it, capitalism at it's finest. How that reflects on our versions of Equestria, I don't really know. As for the dangers... well apparently if the old goat Starswirl didn't want to just deal with it, he sent it over to another world. Kinda irresponsible, but he's long dead. Nothing to be done about it now."

Oh Starswirl, you crazy bastard. "That sounds like something he would do. Starswirl was an interesting geezer to be sure. He was actually incredibly smart, but his eccentric personality conflicted with it at times. I’ll never forget the first time I met him. Never would have thought we'd become magical collaborators."

"How'd that turn out?" He asked. "The way Twilight goes on and on about him, he was kinda like her. He continuously say your magic isn't real magic too?"

I laughed, harder than I had in some time. The idea of Twilight and Starswirl getting along was unfathomable to me. "T-Twilight Sparkle like Starswirl!? That's a good one. While I can say that both of them studied diligently, Starswirl was much more eccentric than Twilight. Not only that, he was willing to take a look at a situation from another perspective, something Twilight isn't too good at. Furthermore, Starswirl saw my magic as superior in some regards. He took on my point of view that while unicorn magic is much more versatile, my own had much more raw power behind it. Damn... I actually miss that old bastard..." I trailed off, my smile lessening as I thought about my old friend.

Wade let out a short laugh. "Maybe you should just tell Twilight you knew him, she'd probably get off your back... " His smile faltered as he considered that further. "On second thought, don't do that. She'll never leave you alone, ever again."

I smiled and stretched my back. "Maybe right before I leave I'll tell her a bit about him. That way she can get something out of it and I won't have to deal with her. Enough about that though, tell me, what's your magic level at?"

He looked at the watch encircling his wrist. "Thirty seven," He remarked dryly. "Odd, that's what I started at."

I glared at the watch, perhaps it was time to tell Wade exactly what I discovered about it. "Yes... that's not the only thing odd. I took a closer look at your watch Wade and... I found something strange about it... something I think you should know."

Wade perked up at this, "What, does it have some sort of hidden function? Please tell me they put some sort of energy blade thing that pops out with the right combination. That would be awesome."

... What kind of world does he live in!?

… Oh, right... Equestria…

I frowned and shook my head. "No, I'm afraid it's something more sinister than that. I was inspecting the spells ingrained into the device and I found a tracking spell among them. Along the way from creation to deliverance someone put in that extra spell to keep track of you. You're being monitored Wade."

Wade seemed to be at a loss. "That's... are you saying someone attached something to keep tabs on me? How? I've never even taken the damn thing off, and I think I'd have woken up if some sort of magic was being cast at my wrist. Magic in and of itself isn't exactly quiet or subtle, in case you haven't noticed," he joked.

"Oh really?" I snapped, "Coming from the guy who hardly uses magic himself. Magic can be subtle if cast correctly. Also, a spell doesn't require the caster to constantly supply magic to it. It could be dormant and the one watching could use a beacon spell, signaling you out. Or worse yet, the spell could be draining your own magic, just enough to keep it alive and without you noticing."

"O... kay," Wade said, looking at his watch with caution. "So I'm admittedly not the best equipped to notice something like that. Do you happen to know who's been watching me then? Just track it back to the source, right?"

I shook my head. "I couldn't discern any ID along with the spell. Even If I did, I wouldn't be able to track it without first knowing the host. I can, however, remove the enchantment for you. It shouldn't harm the device in any way... I think."

"Yes please," He stated glibly, holding his arm out. "~Eximpe~" He held it out and waved it like a metronome. "I don't exactly care about someone watching me, but I already have enough trouble with... screw it. Don't care about embarrassing myself anymore," He said after a short pause, "I can barely masturbate as it is after a long week. There are almost NO LOCKS on ANY of the doors here, and even for those that are, that doesn't mean jack diddly to a unicorn." He shuddered. "Knowing that someone's watching me though, that's just creepy."

I really didn’t need that much information. "I'd tell you to go wash your hands, but they're lying over there on the floor." With that little barb I took the watch from his grasp and held it close to myself. I closed my eyes and began to delve into the workings of the clock. It’s a fascinating experience, almost like a maze as I explored the inner workings and magics that operated the device. Eventually, I found the tracking spell, buried deep beneath numerous other enchantments. I focused on it and began picking it apart, undoing the spell one strand at a time. Eventually I managed to completely negate the spell, although I was unable to fully remove it for some reason.

Pulling myself from the mental battle, I handed the watch back to Wade with a smile. "It's done. It was much harder to remove than I initially thought. Whoever created that spell knew what they were doing."

Wade held it against his wrist and said the word to make it close. "~Eximpe~"

Surprisingly, it did nothing. The metal bands didn't close, didn't twitch, they just hung there limply. "~Eximpe~" Wade tried again, to no avail. I watched as he tapped the surface of the watch a few times, even giving it a few good shakes.

"Dude, you broke it," Wade deadpanned.

I blinked in confusion, looking at the watch. "It shouldn't be broken! That spell was only lying hidden within the other enchantments. Removing that specific spell shouldn't have altered the mechanics in any way!"

He swung it back and forth between us, "Shouldn't, couldn't, wouldn't, did. It isn't working, and it has NEVER done this before."

I glowered at the watch and snatched it from his grasp once again. "Give me that, I'll try to figure something out," I said, seating myself on the floor.

I studied the watch closely, mumbling to myself about whether or not it would be simpler to simply dispose of the device. After the brief argument with myself I closed my eyes and dove once more into the watch. Immediately pinpointing the spell I began to explore its workings in greater detail. It was then that I found the problem, the tracking spell was integrated with the main mechanisms of the watch. My heart dropped as I became aware of this, the only way to fix the watch would be to re-incorporate the removed spell. With much hesitation I did just that, completing it in only a fraction of the time it took me to remove it.

Once I was finished I opened my eyes and stood up, handing Wade the watch. "Here, try it now. I re-activated the tracking spell. I only hope I made some mistake..." I trailed off, ending in a whisper.

Wade pressed it against his arm, and the happy white light lit up once more. "Thirty seven," it still claimed.

"Okay... so should I just not wear it or what?" He asked.

I scowled at the innocent looking device. "For now you might as well, but I'll figure something out before I leave. I have a few guesses as to who implanted that spell. Either it was Celestia, Luna, Twilight or possibly one of those eccentric groups she told me about."

"Not Twilight," Wade shook his head, "She would have told me in great detail about it, whether I said I did or didn't want to know about it. Then she would have made me notarized and sign forms in triplicate saying something along the lines of 'I hereby give Twilight Sparkle even MORE leeway to watch me every minute of every day, leaving myself with absolutely NO privacy at all." He let out a low laugh at the end, the thought of it sounding almost too close to the real thing.

"And then she'd probably make me triplicate those as well. As for Celestia and Luna, why would they bother? They run a freaking kingdom, they don't have time to waste on a nobody like me," He reasoned.

I deadpanned at him, surely he can’t be this oblivious? "Right, a nobody who is actually a human which is a mythological creature in this universe. A creature that supposedly has vast information of futuristic technology that could revolutionize the world. A creature which, according to Luna, arrived from the stars and settled among the local populace, spreading knowledge and wisdom. Even if you aren't the smartest human in existence Wade, you still have knowledge in that head of yours that could prove useful to others. They don't even need you to know how the technology works. All they need is your head from which they most likely will forcibly take such knowledge."

"But if they just take the head, won't the tissue decay and become useless by the time they're able to set something up?" He asked, seemingly interested. "Do you have any mind reading spells? Or any spells that kinda do that as side effect?"

"I can enter others minds, but only through force. I don't have the finesse to sneak my way in, grab something, then make my way out again. I only ever read someone's mind twice, and both times it made the victim... deranged in some way."

A fate worse than death if you ask me. Perhaps with Luna’s insight during our original meeting I can lessen the damage I cause. Mind reading would be a useful skill to master.

Wade gave a grunt of displeasure, levering himself off of the floor. "Okay, so never use that if I learn it because it isn't precise. How about Jedi mind tricks? You know, heavily suggesting and all that jazz?"

I returned the question with a grunt of my own. "I don't know much about dealing with one's mind, Wade. I don't have much experience, which is why I caused my victims to become deranged. If you want to learn such skills, I'm not the one to be teaching them."

"So then," He said, coughing to change the subject. "The spell mixing. Do you have any suggestions? Any particular combinations you can think of that would be particularly effective?"

Finally, onto a topic that I can actually make headway in. "That's a good question. I was thinking Fire and Tornado would be good, or maybe Arcwind and Blizzard! The possibilities are immense!" My excitement faltered, "and I won't be able to experience myself..." I ended with a sigh.

No, I already got over this, no need to sink back into depression. “Since you still have enough magic you may as well focus on casting spells. You can choose to continue your focus on dark magic, or you can start to branch out."

"I already have all the basic ones, right?" Wade reasoned. "Can I even learn any more right now? Not exactly sure how closely the game mechanics mimic... 'real life', you know."

"well... as far as learning new magic, it actually follows the game's mechanics to an extent. The more you practice using the magic the closer you'll come to rising in rank. In the game spells went from E rank all the way up to S. It also seemed that mages earned experience faster when it was... in combat." my mouth grew into a small smile, a small wicked one at that. "Wade, we've already done some sword play, how about a magic duel?"

Wade took a quick glance at the dummies we had practiced on yesterday. He seemed to pale a bit as he struggled to form words.

"Would... it upset you too badly if I refused that offer? At least till I got a little better?" He asked.

I grunted in disappointment, but didn't press the matter, "Very well, this is, as I've said before, you're time after all. Still, I'll write up a couple of E class tomes for me to use in case you decide you want to. I'll write them up tonight so they're ready by tomorrow."

"I'd appreciate that," He said, giving a slight bow of his head.

It’s amusing, he said he wouldn’t call me ‘master’ and yet he’s given me more than enough respect. While I wouldn’t say our relationship is purely professional, he does seem to look up to me.

I nodded and sat myself on the floor across from him, motioning for him to join me. For all the work we’ve done, I don’t really know much about him. I don’t know his dreams… his desires, something I should have inquired about before I even started training him. "I've been wondering Wade... what are your plans for the future? Here I am, an anomaly in this universe, teaching you magic. Magic that should exist only in a video game. What do you wish to accomplish from here on out? What are your goals?"

"Well..." Wade hung his head in embarrassment, "My main goal is to get home. I can't stay here indefinitely, I'll die of loneliness. Sure, I can get minor interaction on and off with random humans every so often, but a majority of them I've met once and never seen again." He took a deep breath trying to get his thoughts in order. Meanwhile, I was already wondering how to break the bad news to him…

"The main reason I'm trying to gain strength... is because I'm afraid. I've seen many other Equestrias, and not all of the Displaced are SAFELY sane. The various ways they've managed to screw over their own worlds, I always come back to the question of 'what would I do if they managed to come here’? Answer: nothing. I'd run like the coward I am and let the world fall to pieces around me. I don't WANT to do that, but what choice would I have?"

I listened in silence, my hands cupped together as I rested them on my lap. I closed my eyes for a few brief moments before opening them again. I had to be firm, but gentle, something I’m not too good at.

I spoke softly, "Wade, that is a very admirable goal. To protect those who are weaker, to strengthen yourself to protect this world, you're the makings of a hero. But, with every hero, comes tragedy," I sighed sadly, "Wade... you won't be able to return home. You will never be able to return to Earth."

Wade shook his head in dismissal. "I know it's a long shot. I'm well aware of 'infinite earths', and the possibility of me ever finding the exact one I came from is infinitesimally small. But I can't just give up."

He walked over to his backpack, unzipping the side pocket and retrieving a certain yellow bodied plushie with pink hair.

"I told my sister I would get her 'a Fluttershy'. I got it, now I just need to get it to her, and I refuse to quit until I see her smile again."

I remained silent as I watched him closely. He was determined; I could see a fire burning behind his eyes. I sighed once more. "I hope you can accomplish that goal then. I've already accepted the fact that none of us can return home."

"As my old man once told me," He started, putting the plushie away, "The first step to defeat, is to accept it. I accept that it may be a possibility, but I refuse to just lay down and die without trying."

I cracked a small laugh at those words, remembering something similar my own father had told me. "Yeah, but did your old man ever have to deal with talking ponies?"

"Pink elephants, but that was self prescribed. He was always a happy drunk, but every so often he had something worth listening to."

I snorted, falling onto my back and staring up at the white ceiling. It was plain that Wade had not given up hope yet. It was admirable, but pointless all the same. While I may not be able to shift his mind, perhaps I could get him to consider an alternate future. "Out of curiosity, what would you do if you couldn't get back home? Do you think you'd settle down and start a family with a pony? Would you travel the world and see what it has to offer?"

"Hell no to the first thing," Wade let out in a huff. "They may be the same intellectually as a human, but I was taught for most of my life that viewing anything with fur and four legs as anything sexual was a sin against God." He let out a low laugh, "And yes, I fully understand that all of this," He gestured to the room, and the world beyond, "pretty much disproves my religion without a doubt. Nowhere in the good book did it ever say 'And on the eighth day, God looked upon what he had made, and said Eeeeeeehn, not good enough, imma make an infinite amount more, just for funzies." He devolved into a flurry of giggles, struggling to catch his breath.

"Regardless of that, I have a pretty solid mindset as to what I should or shouldn't find physically attractive. And I can not, in any circumstance, find anything even slightly animalistic the least bit attractive. Seeing as they are people regardless of their shape, I should feel differently, but I don't."

Wade sighed and leaned his back against the wall. "As to whether I would travel the world? I guess so, why not? I was working in an office building before I came here, and that was only to pay the bills. I mean," He turned his head to look at me, "I have an entire world to myself, that no other human besides yourself has EVER seen! I should be ecstatic! There are people that would have literally committed genocide to have a chance like we've been given. And my best idea for what to do to spend my time is sit inside and read a book," He stated bitterly.

I laughed as I returned his gaze. "I know what you mean, but look at from a different perspective. You don't know much about this world and what it contains. There could be diseases and creatures within this world that we've never seen or heard before. On top of all that, you're weak.”

I laughed as his response to my teasing was to pout at me. "You yourself have said you're weaker than most others Wade. Get stronger and accomplish your goals. Once you feel you're ready, go on a trip around the world."

My words seem to have struck a chord with him, and he returned my smile. "If I'm still here in a few years, then yeah, I will. If the Merchant's challenges things doesn't pan out."

I looked at him in confusion. "Challenges? Didn't he simply leave you here to rot?" I asked.

"Didn't I tell you this already?" He asked.

I raised an eyebrow and shook my head. I was starting to wonder if Wade had memory problems. Either that or I was causing them.

"Okay, so it might have slipped my mind. But I could have SWORN I already told you about this."

He took a deep breath, preparing for what would no doubt be an interesting tale.

"Alright, so I did tell you about the mirror portal, right? So anyway, when we were coming back, we got taken to the Void by someone... or something that claimed to be the merchant. He made fun of me for leaving Equestria, and said if I wanted to go home so badly he'd make something of a game of it. He said he hid eight pieces of a key, and once I found them all it would let me go home. He didn't tell me where they were hidden, but that their locations would be revealed soon enough. So I pretty much have a straight shot home, if I can overcome whatever he has planned."

I looked at him incredulously as he recited his tale. "And you believe what he says? More than likely he's playing you for a fool Wade."

"I insinuated as such, and he threw a hissy fit. In his own words, ‘I am a god, and my Word is reality. To lie would be to submit my creations to sadness everlasting. Believe my words or not, such is your freedom. Never will I say a lie, if you so need, then I so swear'. Of course, he still could have been lying. I know that, but he could have just left me alone to diddle around aimlessly, I have to assume he's doing this as part of a game. And every game has rules, otherwise they aren't any fun, right?"

I smirked at him. "Every game may have rules, but it's only fun for the one who sets them. Anyone can think of a game, but that doesn't mean it's going to be fair. At this point and time I'm not sure whether to thank the Merchant or murder him. He's given me a whole new life to explore, and powers that humans have literally only dreamed of obtaining. I am one of the, if not thee, most powerful being on this planet. My life back home was boring as a 'normal' scholar. I might not have even achieved the dreams I used to have. Now though... I can make dreams become a reality." I lifted my hand and snapped my fingers, causing a strong breeze to flow through the room. "Of course, I lost a lot as well. I'll never be able to see my parent's again... I'll never see my brother again and to top it all off... they're most likely all dead. 1500 years here could be a 10,000 years there. Of course, it could also only be a few minutes."

I suddenly burst out laughing, eliciting a confused expression from Wade. I noticed and waved it off, "Imagine if one day we all returned home and ended up where we left off, but with the addition of our new powers. If the other Displaced are anything like you and I than we wouldn't be welcome home with open arms, but with guns pointed at our heads."

"The only way anyone would figure me out is if I did it right in front of a group of people, each one with their phone ready to take a video. You know how we are; if a dragon landed in front us back home, torched a building, and flew off, you damn well know everyone who saw it would be swearing within the hour that some Taliban jackass with a flamethrower was responsible. As a species, we are hardwired to reject the fantastical, and regard it as insanity. I could walk around as the president and everyone would be absolutely convinced I was just a really good actor with damned good makeup on."

"True, but when we accept that something 'mystical' is actually real; more often than not we choose to reject it. New ideas and concepts are not easy to embed within the minds of the populace. Of course, most people are idiots who can't get their heads out their asses."

"Aside from the crass phrasing," a serene voice stated, one I recognized all too well, "your statement does hold a grain of truth. Would it not, however, be better to regard your own with optimism, as opposed to your thinly veiled pessimism?"

I snorted as I rose to a sitting position, turning my head to greet our newest guest. Standing there in all her glory was the white Alicorn. Accompanied with her was Twilight, jotting down some form of notes on a large scroll. "Always expect and prepare for the worst. That way you'll be ready for when it comes and it won't be joined with disappointment." I grunted as I removed myself from the ground, stretching my form. "I'm glad you've finally found the time to speak with us Celestia. I've been meaning to thank you for letting us stay within the castle."

"It was by my sister's action, not mine. Truly, I can claim no praise for involvement. It was only earlier today I learned of your presence. I hope you have been enjoying your stay, and that the premises have been up to your expectations. According to what my sister has told me, you will still be here for a few days. If it would please you, would you like me to arrange a guard to accompany you around the city?" she asked with a wide smile.

I shook my head, returning the smile. "That's very gracious of you, but I'll have to decline the offer of guards. I'd rather not attract too much attention to myself while I'm here. I can assure you I won't cause any problems should I choose to explore the city."

"I never meant to imply as such," Celestia said, her smile never wavering, "I simply desired to be hospitable. Twilight?" she asked.

Twilight’s frantic scribbling halted. "Yes Princess?" came her reply. Celestia simply gave her a pointed nod. "Oh, yes of course! Robin, Wade, we were wondering if you would like to join us for dinner tonight!" she said happily.

I gave a small nod of my head. "We would both be honored to join you for dinner tonight. I glanced around the room, searching for a window to look out of. Of course I found none, having forgotten that the room was fully enclosed for security reasons. I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment. "And dinner would be how long from now exactly?"

"If I am correct," Celestia started, a hint of smugness edging into her voice, something that had not escaped me, "It's just about half after two at the moment, and dinner will be at five o'clock sharp. It would mean the world to me," she said, a slight melodic trill entering her voice as she spoke, "if you would be present. We have much to discuss."

I held my outward friendly appearance, my calculating eyes the only indication that I may be hiding my true feelings. "Well then I'll be sure to attend. I would also appreciate it if it would be possible to remain human while eating, if that's not to much to ask."

Celestia's smile didn't so much as falter, "Of course, I wouldn't dream of forcing you to eat in a state you found uncomfortable. The guests attending us will be yourself, my sister, Princess Twilight, her brother Prince Shining Armor, his wife Princess Cadence My Love, and the seamstress Rarity, if she accepts the invitation. All maids assisting in the delivery of food will have already been briefed as to your... unique appearance. Rest assured, there will be no interruptions, especially by that of my nephew. I heard you had a brief run in earlier?"

I failed to stop the small smile that crept upon my face as I recalled the frozen prince. "Ah yes, we had a small disagreement earlier, but we managed to work things out. I'm sure we can put the whole situation behind us."

"Indeed," she replied, her smile unwavering, "I will look forward to the meal, and conversations we will enjoy. I'm sure you have a unique viewpoint, one that will be a refreshing change from our... normal day to day routine."

She turned to leave, but much to my annoyance, Wade called out to her.

"Excuse me, Princess?" He asked, Twilight giving him a warning look.

"Yes, what is it?" she replied, the look on her face one of honest confusion.

"I was wondering, you know how I acquire forms right? I was just wondering... if you wouldn't mind... might it be possible for me to acquire you? I didn't really have a chance to ask the last time we met..." He trailed off under Twilight's fiery gaze. Personally, I found it highly amusing.

Celestia pondered his request for a second, and then gave a slight smile. "I see no problem with such a request, but I must ask you to make it quick. I have already taken time off of my work to personally invite you to dinner, and I must be back forthwith."

Back for what? Honestly, it’s as if she needs to be present for every little event.

Wade stepped forward, and placed his hand on the side of her neck. Twilight gave a low huff of annoyance. The acquiring process had only taken half a minute. She whistled while she waited, but I noticed something rather peculiar. For a split second, her magic faltered, and I could have sworn her eyes had glazed over. I blinked in surprise, but when I took a closer look, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

After that, she took her leave, and Wade turned towards me.

I simply shook my head at him in amusement.

"What?" He asked.

I chuckled as I watched the two ponies leave, waiting until they had left the room. "A few things. For starters: you. I didn't expect you to ask for a form from Celestia and even less of her to agree to it. And, of course, our little conversation. It's quite clear that she doesn't trust me, or, at the very least, is unsure of what to make of me. My guess is this is going to be a rather eventful dinner..." I suddenly clapped my hands, making Wade jump in surprise, "But until then we may as well get some more training in. we'll spend roughly two hours training which will give us half an hour to get ready for dinner."

"Kay," Wade regretfully agreed. "And are you sure about her? I must have missed something, cause she seemed like nothing but nice from what I could see."

I sighed as I looked over the training dummies, the faceless figurines seeming to mock me. "Yes, I'm fairly certain about her. While previous events have made me somewhat bias in my standing, I simply can't bring myself to believe everything she does is out of kindness. She's still a ruler and a ruler needs to have some backbone."

I can already tell that this is going to be a stressful night...

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