Scroll 33- Ancient Teachings (Part 3)
Beyond the Skies- Ancient Teachings (Part 3)
Shortly after Brain had Calvin and the twins follow him out of the chamber, Twilight found herself in a rather awkward position. Since she was under the impression that what the Ancient was doing was going to take a while, the alicorn was left with two options: either wait patiently in silence for when they would eventually return, or try to make light conversation with Master Eon. Personally, if she had a choice, she would’ve cracked open one of the books that was brought in to try and read it again. Unfortunately, Hugo had already taken them with him, to be placed back inside the library.
Yet, before she could finalize a choice on what to do, Master Eon beat her to it. Since it had been some time since Calvin was last at the academy, the Portal Master wanted to make sure that he was doing alright. While it was a bit difficult at first, Twilight eventually was able to provide an answer for him. Yet, when she began to start talking about what had been happening recently, there was something that caught Eon’s attention.
“You and your friends were kidnapped?”
“Yeah. There’s a bit of a story behind that,” Twilight admitted, “Back in Equestria, we have a villain named Queen Chrysalis. She’s a changeling, a species that has transformation magic, but not the same as what Calvin can do. Previously, she tried to take over Equestria by impersonating my sister-in-law, Princess Cadance, on the day she was to marry my brother. When her original plan was thwarted, she tried to have her army invade Canterlot… only for that to backfire.”
“I see,” the Portal Master replied, “Forgive me, but I’m a little curious now. What makes these changeling transformations different from what we’ve seen from Calvin?”
“From what I can recall, it’s a particular ability that only Changelings know. It doesn’t require the use of an external source, like with Calvin’s necklace, and they can also change into inanimate objects,” she replied, “After her plan in Canterlot was thwarted, we hadn’t really seen much of her or the other changelings in her hive and assumed that she went into hiding. Only now do I know that this wasn’t done out of fear, but instead out of strategy, for her recent plan involved kidnapping my friends and I, as well as each of the members in the Royal Family who could possibly ruin her plans.”
“Yet, this plan was somehow foiled?”
“That I have Starlight to thank, though Calvin did play a small part,” Twilight smiled, “For context, while we were taken by her, Chrysalis had a few changelings act as ‘replacements’ of us, to make sure nothing seemed wrong. However, with some help, Calvin realized that they weren’t truly us, and with some help from Trevor, Raquel as well as the Cutie Mark Crusaders and some of the Apple Family, they were able to not only kick them out of the castle that I call home, but also provided Starlight and the others a chance to turn things around when thing seemed grim. Might’ve been what they needed to thwart her plans.”
“That’s… quite a story,” the Portal Master commented, “Though, if I may, where exactly is Chrysalis now?”
At that, Twilight now only looked at Eon with an expression of uncertainty, “That, we don’t know. Starlight tried to offer her a chance to make things right, but she swatted it out of her hooves and swore revenge before running off.”
“…Would it be possible that she might’ve found her way here?”
“If I have to be honest, I don’t think so,” Twilight shook her head, “When I had Calvin stay grounded at the castle, I locked the door to the basement as a precaution, so he didn’t try to sneak out. When I was rescued and came back, Sweetie Belle told me that they found it still locked, but they put a bookcase in front of it, just to be sure.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” the Portal Master let out a sigh, “With Kaos still at large here, I was concerned that this queen would inadvertently find a way to run into him, like with that Sombra figure you mentioned before.”
“If that did happen, I doubt they would get along,” the alicorn said, “Chrysalis doesn’t seem like the kind of creature who would be open minded to working with others.”
“You’d be surprised to the extent in which some would go to form alliances, if their interests happen to align, especially if they were enemies. Case in point, Kaos did that once with us, when one of his plans went awry a long time ago.”
That statement had the princess blink for a short moment, before he looked back at Master Eon with a shocked expression on her face, “Y-You’re telling me… that the Skylanders and Kaos once worked together? How exactly did that happen?”
“Well, a long while back, Kaos broke out a bunch of criminals known as the Doom Raiders, under the impression that because he let them free, they were going to listen to him and go along with whatever scheme he planned on doing,” the Portal Master replied, “However, instead, they went along with their own plans and ended up ignoring him. Since the Skylanders were wanting to put the Doom Raiders back in prison and Kaos had knowledge on their plans, we had an uneasy truce for a time. Of course, that truce was broken after the Doom Raiders were locked up. He tried to use the weapon they were making as his own. Since then, most of the Doom Raiders have just stayed in their cells and promised to do good while also helping the Academy on occasion.”
“Most? What do you mean?”
“By the time that Cloudcracker Prison was rebuilt, we pretty much gave them a choice. They could either head back into their cell or trade in their life of crime and use their powers to help train the next generation of Skylanders. Of course, there was a rather lengthy rehabilitation process involved that took about two years. Yet, by the time that passed, they were recognized as Senseis at the Academy and stayed true to their word.”
That caught Twilight by surprise. While it wasn’t exactly the same, what Master Eon described reminded her a lot of the reformation process she went through with Starlight. Of course, Starlight’s reformation didn’t take her two years to complete, and there were a few hiccups along the way. Yet, in the end, the same results were still achieved.
“I see,” the alicorn commented as a new thought entered her mind, “You know, the more that you mention this ‘Cloudcracker Prison’, the more that it reminds me of something that we have in Equestria called Tartarus. It’s a place where ancient and evil creatures are imprisoned, because they either were a danger to Equestria itself or because they committed heinous crimes of the highest degree.”
“Really now?” the Portal Master asked, intrigued by what she said, “What kind of crimes, if I might ask?”
“Well, the main creature I can think of is a centaur known as Lord Tirek,” the alicorn began to explain, “From what Princess Celestia told me, he and his brother Scorpan came to Equestria with the intent to steal all of Equestria’s magic a long time ago. However, unlike Tirek, his brother grew to appreciate how Equestrians lived and even went as far as to befriend Starswirl the Bearded. Scorpan tried to urge his brother to reconsider his plans, but when Tirek refused, he warned the princesses of his brother's intentions. This led to them acting quickly and having Tirek be imprisoned in Tartarus for the attempted theft of all of Equestria’s magic, while his brother was able to return home.”
“Hmm,” Master Eon replied, “Yet, no prison could keep hold of anyone or anything forever. Would it be safe to assume that was the case with Tirek?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Twilight let out a small sigh, “When Lord Tirek escaped, he set out to finish what he tried to start all those years ago. His goal was to steal all the magic of Equestria, so that he could rule over it with nopony to oppose him, and at one point, he was almost successful. Luckily, we not only prevented that from happening and had him cough up all the magic he stole, but also put him back in his cell in Tartarus under tightened security, to make sure that he wouldn’t escape again.”
“That’s quite an interesting story.”
Before either of them had the chance to continue their conversation, one of the doors to the chamber had opened. They turned around to see that Brain had returned, with Calvin and the twins following not that far behind him. “Oh! Welcome back, everyone. How did it go?”
“Well, the theory that I had established here before we left has been proven right,” the Ancient replied, “Not only did the artifacts enter a more active state with the introduction of magic, but I can say without a doubt that the artifacts they have are the same ones I remember. The abilities that both of the twins demonstrated confirms this.”
“I see,” Master Eon said as he turned to face them, “And what of Calvin? Were you able to discover anything with him?”
At this, Twilight was a bit surprised when he saw Brain shake his head, “That was something I wanted to do separately since, as you had said yourself, he is a student here. Therefore, before we begin, I wanted to know the extent of what he had already been taught, so I don’t end up teaching him things that he already knows. That, and I think that right now, his friends are a higher priority, since they aren’t familiar with their gifts.”
That had the Portal Master look over to both of the Arlott Twins, before he turned his attention back to Brain, “I believe that can be arranged. Though, I would need to talk to Buzz, to see who would be ideal for this. King Pen was a perfect fit for Calvin, since his Imaginator was of the same class that he teaches, so I would like to find a suitable mentor for both of them.”
At that point, Raquel chose to speak up as she looked at both Master Eon and Twilight, “Uh, I don’t mean to interrupt, but maybe we could have someone to… well, teach us the basics first? We’re still rather new to this, and I think it would be better if we knew the simple things first, before we try anything else.”
In Twilight’s mind, that was a rather valid point. No creature can be a master of magic overnight, and for some, it took months of practice to be familiar with some of the most basic spells. They needed time to get their footing and become familiar with what they now had first, before trying to do anything that was massively complex, so starting off something simple would’ve been the best way to start.
Yet, there was one small problem that came to Twilight’s mind. Despite this sounding like an ideal possibility, it was unclear as to who would be the proper teacher to help show them the basics. Under any other circumstances, she would volunteer herself to help teach them. However, there was no telling how different the magic of the artifacts was compared to Equestrian Magic.
“I believe that can be arranged,” the Portal Master replied, before he looked over to the Ancient, “Would you be open to helping the two of them on this matter? Not right at this very moment, but at a later date?”
“That I would,” Brain nodded, “After all, we’ve only just begun. There is still a lot they can learn, if they put their minds to it. Plus, given how I was the one who awakened their abilities, I should bear some form of responsibility for their growth.”
As Master Eon nodded his head and saw that Hugo had returned, that was when Twilight noticed Calvin and started up a conversation with him, “Hey, Calvin, how’s everything going?”
“Alright, I guess,” the Skyshifter shrugged, “Mostly, it’s been watching Brain while he’s helping out Trevor and Raquel. What about you? You’re not… bored, are you?”
“What? No,” the alicorn shook her head, “In fact, Master Eon and I were having an interesting conversation to pass the time while we were waiting.”
That had Calvin raise an eyebrow as he folded his arms. He was going to ask more about what kind of conversation she was talking about, but before he could say anything, the Skyshifter felt a familiar tendril tap his shoulder as he turned around to see Brain waiting behind him. “Calvin, do you have a moment?”
“Uh, sure?” he said, glancing over at Twilight briefly before he focused his attention on the Ancient, “What is it?”
“Well, I believe now is the proper time for us to look into your artifact.”
“Oh, uh… okay. Are we going back to your room, or-?”
“That wouldn’t be necessary,” Brain shook his head, “I wanted to do the procedure with your friends in there earlier, so that I had some peace and quiet to focus as well as access to anything that would be needed on the off chance something went wrong. Luckily, that wasn’t needed.”
At that point, Calvin looked over to Twilight, who just so happened to not be far away from him, before looking back. “Okay, but for right now, what would you need? I mean, you saw me transform earlier, but was there anything specific you needed to know?”
“Well, Master Eon mentioned that you had been a student here under the tutelage of one of the Senseis,” the Ancient commented, “Could you describe for me some of the things that you had been learning from him? It would give me a better idea as to what you know already and where there can be room for improvement.”
At that, the Skyshifter began to feel a little bit more relaxed. He first assumed that Brain was going to ask about something that would’ve been rather complicated to answer. Luckily, that turned out not to be the case. “Oh, that’s actually simple. Some time ago, with some help, I found out that I could create an Imaginator and transform into it.”
If Brain was able to raise an eyebrow, he was giving a look that was equivalent to that right now. “I remember that being mentioned, and personally, I’m a little curious. Could you show me this form of yours?”
“Any particular reason aside from just pure curiosity?” Calvin asked.
“I think I have an idea as to why,” Twilight spoke up, before she looked over at Brain, “Would it be safe to say that by observing Calvin’s transformations yourself, you can see what kind of power his necklace has?”
“That, and how much its power has possibly changed,” the Ancient added as he looked towards the Skyshifter, “Since it has been in your possession for quite some time, it’s possible that it had undergone some changes. If you would be so kind, I would like to see some of those changes, to understand more of your capabilities.”
“I guess that makes sense,” the Skyshifter scratched the back of his head and stretched his arms as the crystal began to give off a red glow. “Alright, let’s get started then. One imaginator, coming right up.”
Shortly after he said that, fire began to take form around him for a brief moment as he shifted into his Imaginator, Kai Chi. The first thing that Brain noticed was that his Imaginator didn’t exactly look too dramatic when it came to appearance. The previous times that an Imaginator had been made by some of the students on campus, their appearance made them stand out. However, Calvin’s Imaginator seemed rather simple by comparison and looked like any other elf that was on campus.
The second thing that he noticed was a distinct lack of any weapons. If this were any other Imaginator, they would have a weapon that compliments their particular Battle Class, such as a sword for knights and scepters for wizards. Instead, the only thing that Brain noticed was what looked to be a pair of fingerless gloves on his hands to go along with the martial arts gi and pants that he was wearing. Yet, the mention of King Pen being his teacher had the Ancient draw one possible conclusion.
“Well, this was… different from what I was expecting,” Brain commented, “Would it be right to assume that you are a Brawler?”
Calvin couldn’t help but smirk in this form as he folded his arms, “What gave it away?”
“To be honest, it was a bit difficult to tell, since you don’t seem to possess any weapons on your person. Then, I remembered who your teacher was and took a guess,” the Ancient admitted, “Would it be safe to say that you mostly let your fists do the talking, if you find yourself in the heat of combat?”
“Mostly, yes.”
That answer was enough that the Ancient looked back with a puzzled expression, “Mostly? Could you explain what you mean by that?”
“The last couple of times I was here, King Pen was helping me come up with a fighting style that was specific to me,” Calvin said, before he raised up his right leg as fire began to channel around his foot, “So, he taught me how to fight with my feet, on the off chance that I find myself in a battle where I can’t use my arms, even helped me develop some techniques to go along with it.”
That was something that Brain honestly did not expect. He thought that King Pen was just going to instruct him the same way as everyone else. Yet, to take the time to come up with something specific to him? That was no small undertaking. Of course, there was one thing about this that made the Ancient rather curious.
“That’s rather interesting, and does this apply to all of your forms? Or just this one?”
That had the Skyshifter blink as he tilted his head and gave the Ancient a puzzled look, “I’m not quite sure I understand what you mean. Could you please clarify?”
“The specific moves you mentioned. Is it just for your Imaginator, or do you have something similar for your other transformations?”
Now that he had a better idea of what Brain was talking about, the Skyshifter was quick to shake his head, “No, only this one. Why do you ask?”
“Well, the premise itself is a rather intriguing one. I’m just surprised that you haven’t decided to expand on the idea and apply it elsewhere.”
That left Calvin rather confused with what Brain was trying to say. Luckily, Twilight was able to piece together what exactly that meant and was quick to speak up, “You mean to try and come up with moves for the other Skylanders that he changes into?”
The Ancient couldn’t help but smile at that as he looked at both of them, “That’s exactly what I mean. When it comes to combat, if you don’t find ways to improve on or add to what you know, it makes you… well, predictable. You can only use the abilities you have so many times until you end up having to fight an opponent who knows what you can do and has developed ways to counter them.”
When he heard Brain say that, Calvin couldn’t help but think back to his fight against Blade Gunner in the MaguDome. However, it was a bit difficult to try and think on what Brain had suggested. While it might have been simple to do something like that with his Imaginator, most of the Skylanders that he could change into were characters that he was already familiar with, along with their abilities. So, how exactly was he supposed to simply add on to something like that?
“It… seems possible,” he admitted, “But where would I even start?”
“Try to think about it for a moment. When you think of the Skylanders, who or what is the first thing that comes to mind?”
“Spyro.”
“Ah, yes, the young purple dragon,” Brain smirked, “And tell me, when you think of Spyro, what else comes to mind?”
“Well, he can breathe fire, fly around and is known for going into fights head first,” the Skyshifter replied, “He can even send out exploding dragon heads and go into his ‘dark’ form. But how does that apply here? This is just saying what I already know-”
“Yes, but here’s a different question. You seem to be familiar with all the things that he can do, but what is something that you don’t see him do?”
That had Calvin’s train of thought come to a rather sudden halt. In his head, he could think of many of the attacks and abilities that Spyro could do right away. However, to think of something that he didn’t or couldn’t do seemed… rather difficult. It didn’t help that it had been some time since King Pen had him fight the dragon for training purposes, and the only reason why he won both times was because of a misplaced technicality that belonged to Buzz.
After a few minutes of thinking though, he heard Brain speak again, “It seems like you need some more time to come up with an answer,” the Ancient spoke, “How about, for now, you try to brainstorm a bit on what we’ve discussed, and we can put those ideas into practice the next time we meet? Consider it a homework assignment, if you want to call it that.”
Calvin couldn’t help but blink for a moment, before he looked back at Brain and nodded his head, “O-Oh… uh… sure.”
At that, the Ancient smiled, before he excused himself and left the chamber. Yet, it was as he was leaving that Trevor and Raquel were walking back over to join Calvin as he returned back to his original form. However, Brain’s departure left them a little bit confused. “Hey, is everything going alright? I thought Brain said that he was going to help you with your necklace?”
“He was,” Twilight spoke up before the young teen had the chance to speak, “Yet, Brain thought that it would be better for Calvin to take some time to think on what we were talking about.”
“Huh. That sounds a bit underwhelming.”
“Not exactly,” Calvin clarified, “We have an idea of something that could work for me. However, it’s not something that we can do right now. Brain wants me to think about it a bit more, so we can talk about it next time we meet.”
“Okay, but when is that next time though?” Trevor asked, “Because Brain did say that he was going to help teach us the basics for magic at a later date, too. We were going to ask him about when that might be, but he just left.”
“Maybe we can ask Master Eon on our way out?” the alicorn asked as they looked towards the Portal Master. Luckily, he seemed to be finishing a conversation with Hugo, as his assistant rolled up some scrolls of parchments and went out the door. “I mean, we’re pretty much done for the moment, right? Nothing else we need to do before we go back to the castle-?”
“I still have to go pick up Dusty,” the Skyshifter reminded her, “More than likely, she’s probably with the rest of her siblings.”
That small statement was enough to get the attention of both the twins, as Raquel couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, “S-she has siblings?”
At that, Calvin couldn’t help but give them a smile, “Oh, both of you are in for a surprise.”
End Scroll 33
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What about Hobbes? Why isn't he mentioned in the synopsis?
11184306
Um... wrong crossover franchise. Though, to be completely honest, I did not realize the naming until when you brought it up by coincidence. Maybe that's something to reference in the future... but to answer your question, since this isn't a Calvin & Hobbes story, there is no Hobbes.