Moving Forward, Wrought with Danger

by Odayama

Chapter 10

“Hey Octi!” Vinyl shouted out towards the inside of the house. “I’m home! I hope you don’t mind company!”

Tom looked around the room that he had entered. The room was two different colors, as if someone had made a spell to create another room with a wall missing for the other room. It was clear that the two sides had different styles, with two long...chairs?... on either side. A large instrument on one side of the room looked like an oversized fiddle. On the other side was a strange...shrine? Something was on the other side of the room, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Frankly, he didn’t care at the moment. He just wanted to rest.

A few hoofsteps was heard from the kitchen. “Vinyl, how many times have I told you, warn me beforehoof when you’re bringing compannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnny….” Octavia had just stepped out into the living room when she saw the newcomer with her friend, her eyes wide in surprise.

Vinyl chuckled nervously. “Hehe…yeah…about that…you see, I kinda just stumbled upon him this afternoon. Octi, this is Tom. Tom, this is my best friend Octavia.”

Tom merely nodded at Octavia, acknowledging her existence. “Good Evening.” He looked back to Vinyl. “I need to rest. If there are no beds available, I will take out my bedroll. Just a space will do.”

“Oh, you could just take my couch if ya want.” Vinyl patted the long seat on her side of the room. “Rather comfy. I sometimes crash on it myself I’m up late with gigs.”

Tom didn’t understand what she had just said, but he was too tired to care. He started to take off his breastplate.

“Vinyl, can I talk to you privately?” Octavia clearly showed her discomfort, but she tried her best to hide it.

“Wha…? Oh, sure.” Vinyl walked over to her friend, but then turned back to look at Tom. “Oh, anything I can get ya, Tom?”

Tom looked lost in thought, but then shook out of it. “Hmm? A cup…I will open one of the wine bottles I bought.”

Vinyl nodded, but then she noticed that she was being pulled by her tail into the kitchen. Vinyl looked at Octavia. She lowered her voice, suspecting what was wrong with her friend. “Okay, look Octi. I know that he’s different, and he does seem a bit rude at first, but...”

Octavia had a panicked look on her face. “Vinyl, what is that...thing? It’s one thing to have one of your other dj friends, but...but...what is...?”
Vinyl lifted her hoof to stop her friend while she opened the cubbord for some cups. “Octi, I stumbled into this guy at the edge of town. After seeing what this guy is like, I’ve taken it upon myself to see he don’t cause trouble, ‘aight? Even his friend thinks it’s good for him. I need you to just be nice to him. He already caused a scene earlier, but had himself shown his place by the Dash. Hopefully, we’ll see a better dude in the morning.” She smiled. “He’s actually a chivalrous guy, even if he’s blunt and rude.”

Octavia blinked, not exactly sure what was being said. Against her better judgement, Octavia trusted her friend.

Vinyl walked into the living room, with three cups in her magical grasp. “Hey, Tom. Mind if we have some of the wine too?”

Tom looked at the cups being levitated in front of him. If he didn’t live with wizards at his guild, he’d probably be unnerved about this. But he simply poured wine into the three cups in front of him, then placed the bottle onto the table in front of him. Grasping one cup in his hand, he held it while Vinyl gave the other cups to Octavia and herself.

Lifting the cup, with a goofy grin, Vinyl shouted “To a new beginning with new friends!”

Tom, unamused, simply raised his cup and said “And to good health.” With a strong swig, Tom drank the cup in one go. The others drank leisurely at the wine.

Tom looked at the bottle, then poured himself another cup. “Good wine. If I did not buy ten bottles, I would ask of you to bring me back there, Vinyl.”

Vinyl grinned. “I know, right? Berry Punch has the best, even when low on stock.”

Octavia looked at Tom, clearing her throat. “Excuse me, Mr. Tom. I just have to ask you of something.” Tom looked at Octavia. “I normally practice my music early in the morning. If you are going to sleep here, are you going to...?”

Tom shook his head. “I have many bards show up at my guild, playing many songs early in the morning. If you wish to practice your art in your own home, there is nothing stopping you from doing so.” He took another swig, then grabbed his bedroll. “I’ve had a stressful day. I’m going to sleep now...if you don’t mind.” He seemed to shoehorn that last bit, remembering Newtolm’s lessons of being polite.

“ ‘Aight. Night, Tom. We’ll talk in the morning.” Vinyl finished her drink, and both ponies got up to leave the elf with his thoughts for the night.

---

Rainbow Dash guided Newtolm back to Twilight’s castle. Newtolm, struggling with his new form, made a bow towards Rainbow Dash. “Thank you, Ms. Dash.”

“Please, stop being so formal. I’m not used to it. And I said before, just call me Dash.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Anyways, how did you do that earlier? I could have sworn that I had broken bones there, and now they’re not broken at all.”

Newtolm smiled. “As a psychic, I have learned powers that can help others. Unfortunately, that power I have does not heal the injury, it just...moves it to myself.”

“So, that pained look you had...”

“Was your broken ribs becoming my broken ribs, yes.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Newtolm with a worried look. “...I was mean to you before, claiming you were a spy, and stuff...And yet, you did that for me. Why?”

Newtolm tilted his head. “Why? I help those who are in need. Anyone...or, anypony in this case, is not going to be left injured because of my friend’s insensitive actions. If it was not for his pride, he probably would have healed you, anyways, but I was closer.”

Rainbow Dash looked at the distance towards where she thinks Tom is now. “Yeah, that friend of yours...He’s such a jerk.”

Newtolm nodded. “Yes, he does not seem to hold onto the lessons I have taught him to be nice well, does he?”

With a raise of her eyebrow, Rainbow Dash gave the weirdest look. “Wait...lessons? You’ve been giving him lessons on...how to be nice?”

Newtolm nodded. “Yes. Would you believe that he was such a grouch in the past that he kicked peasants to get them to fight back and stand up for themselves? He believes that everyone has to fend for themselves, and he used to beat that message into every cowering person that approached him. I finally got him to stop the kicking, but he is still expecting there to be warriors ready to defend their homes.” Newtolm lowered himself so he was only an inch off the ground instead of a foot, so he could be more level with Rainbow Dash. “...Dash...I must thank you, from my deepest gratitude, that you not only shown him the warrior in you, but the fact that you won by staying conscious after that deadly blow. He needed someone to beat him in combat to show that he is not the strongest. You truly are a wonderful mare.” He took Rainbow Dash’s hoof and kissed it, like a gentleman would of his world. It was still weird that he had this new form, but that wouldn’t stop him from being a gentleman.

Rainbow Dash took her hoof away, blushing from the praise and this act of Newtolm’s. “Well, yeah, I’m awesome, but you don’t have to...”

The door opened by a wide-eyed Twilight. “So...can you teach me that kind of teleportation? I can teleport too, but I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

Newtolm and Dash looked at Twilight, taken aback by the interruption. Newtolm cleared his throat. “Well, my lady, that might be a little difficult. There is the magical version of that power, but I do not know if they have the same properties. And even if I did know, I do not know if your magic is the same. Anyways, as much as it would be nice to teach, I believe there are some more pressing matters.” He said as he pointed to his hat.

“Oh, right. You just disappeared into that door you made, and I kind of lost track on what was happening. I tried looking at any books I had about teleporting, and found nothing of that kind that you did.” Twilight had a couple of books levitating around her. She ushered Newtolm to come inside. “Dash, do you want to come in too?” Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash.

Dash was sort of in a daze, but was shaken out when she heard her friend call her name. “Wah...? Oh. Nah, I got to get more food for Tank.” She looked towards Newtolm, who was starting to walk inside. “So, after you get that hat off, how long are you going to stay?”

Newtolm stopped to look at the both of them. “I need to find my other friend, Juno. If there has not been any talk about a bear walking through town, then he would probably be in the forest. Then the three of us would probably have to find the creature we were fighting before it causes any more damage” Newtolm gasped. “...Oh dear...I completely forgot about that, did I?” Newtolm gave a sigh. “I just hope that thing does not make a move tonight. You might need some people...I mean, some ponies to stand guard tonight.”

Twilight and Dash looked at each other. Twilight spoke. “We...we don’t really have anypony guard the town at night. It’s been very peaceful here since we’ve defeated the major threats to Ponyville.”

“...But, surely, you must have those same warriors who defeated those threats, then. You are probably going to have call upon those warriors.” Newtolm walked into the hall.

“Well, ya lookin’ at two of them.” Dash proclaimed.

Newtolm’s ears perked up, then turned around to look at the two. “Well, if that is the case, then that saves myself a lot of trouble. I would have talked about this sooner, but the hat transforming my body, then Tom fighting you, Dash...” Newtolm shook his head. “I-I should stop rambling. Please, call upon these other warriors who have triumphed by your side! This is important!”

Dash looked at Twilight. “Well, if this is important, I’ll go get the others. You help with his hat problem.” And with lightning speed, Dash took off into the sky to find their friends.

Twilight looked back to Newtolm. “Well, if this is important, then I should try to get that hat off now.” She looked at her bookshelf, pulling off books to look at their titles.