Up to Fate

by Onomonopia

Entertain

Pinkie hadn't moved in hours. She simply sat cross-legged with her forehooves resting on her legs. Her eyes were closed, her breathing was soft and her body was motionless. As she floated in the star chamber, what star-Swirl called his training area, most would mistake her for either meditating or sleeping. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference. But Pinkie was doing neither of those. She was in her mind, speaking with somepony. Or rather, someone.

Within her mind she was in total darkness, with nothing in sight except for her and a small table in front of her. On that table was an egg, an egg that was a blue-white color and rested gently on the tip of a toothpick. And that egg was where all of Pinkie's focus was on. Making sure that egg stayed on that point and didn't fall. For if it did, the bird inside would die.

'Concentrate,' Nabu said from behind Pinkie. The helm floated around behind her, but instead of taking on his godly form, he was simply the helm wearing his amulet and cloak. No body, no divine light. Just his item floating next to the pony. 'When wielding my power, precision is key. Right now how much power you draw from me and how much you use is constantly fluctuating. We must remedy this as rapidly as possible.'

"You already said this," Pinkie muttered. The moment she did so, the egg tipped sideways and nearly fell off its perch. It was only when Pinkie focused her thoughts once more that the egg returned to its upright position.

'Because it bears repeating,' Nabu warned. 'You are used to your body, your rules...your strength. When you fluctuate in concentration, it is simply a difference of being strong enough to push something compared to shoving it. Nothing of consequence. But with my power it is a far different story. A lapse in concentration with my power will make the difference between being strong enough to wipe out a foe and strong enough to wipe out the universe. A mistake that cannot be made.'

"I've got it," Pinkie grunted. Once more the egg nearly fell to its demise, yet Pinkie was able to stabilize it in time.

'I see. Do you still have it if your family was under fire by attacks from a foe beyond reality?'

The moment Nabu said this, Pinkie imagined her family running from fire as it rained from the sky. She gritted her teeth.

'Or how about if you have to fight against a thousand foes, each of who has enough power to wipe away reality?'

This time Pinkie imagined herself alone against an army of a thousand Nabu's, knowing that she stood no chance. She took in a deep breath and tried to focus.

'Or what if you failed? And everything you fought for was gone? Including your husband and son?'

CRACK!

Pinkie knew what that sound meant, so with a heavy heart she opened her eyes to see that the egg has been reduced to liquid. Well, the egg, the table and the very reality around her were all liquid now. She had no idea how that was even possible.

"I said that I had it," Pinkie sighed. "Until you distracted me."

'You will deal with far more than distractions while wielding my helm,' Nabu warned. He looked at the egg for a moment and in the span of a thought it was returned to normal, along with everything else. 'And this will be the result unless you learn how to wield this power.'

"Yeah, I only need to learn how to master absolute power in a short amount of time or else I run the risk of wiping out everypony I've know and loved. No pressure."

'Well, at least you've kept your humor consistent,' Nabu noted. Then he noticed the dark look on Pinkie's face. 'Perhaps a break is in order.'

Pinkie opened her eyes and returned to her world, sighing as she reached up and removed the helmet from her head. She placed it down next to her and stared at the infinite stars twinkling over he head, finding the sight calming. 'If it is any consolation, you are coming along quite well.'

"So who was Kent?"

'Pardon?'

"Kent. When we first met you muttered something to yourself about making a promise to Kent," Pinkie reminded him. "Since you've said numerous times you don't have any friends, Kent must have been closer than a friend to you for you to hold on to a promise to him. So who is he?"

'...Kent Nelson. My previous partner. The Doctor Fate before you.'

"I'm still not a doctor."

'But you are right. He was something more to me. When his family discovered my tomb, an ancient trap that a foe of mine had placed on it claimed the life of his parents when they freed me. Leaving him an orphan. I...took pity on him and made him into my son.'

"Aw, so you're a dad too? Why didn't you tell me?" Pinkie giggled.

'I could hardly be called a parent. Within a matter of weeks, I had aged him to a man, trained him in nearly all form of the mystic arts and prepared him to be my perfect host. And then we began our work of maintaining order. A work that lasted for a very long time.'

"How long are we talking?"

'Millennia. Longer than any human should be alive,' Nabu replied. 'Across time and space. Across multiple realities. But even after his physical form had long since deteriorated, he stayed with me. Inside my amulet. Aiding me. Giving me...an ally.'

"Family, is the word you meant to say," Pinkie corrected. "And he was in the amulet?"

'If you say so. He, alongside Inza his wife, stayed with me in the amulet for a long time. I can house the souls of the previous Doctor Fates within my amulet. But Kent talked me into freeing nearly all of their souls. He said that their battle had ended and that it was time for them to rest. But that he would be there to keep me company. And he did, even after Inza moved on. He kept me company longer than most. But, eventually, even he had to move on.'

"And you've been alone, trapped down in that temple I found you in for...ever?" Pinkie asked.

'I was not trapped. I am never trapped. Nor am I alone. For the original wearer of my helm, the very first Doctor Fate, still resides within the amulet. He has been in there so long he has become...a part of it. He gave up his sentience long ago, but his soul lives on. It...guides me, sometimes. Like how it was what guided me to this world. To you.'

"Geez...and I thought having a god inside of a helmet was hard to wrap my head around. Now I've got past souls and previous wielders..."

'It is best if you remove it from your mind. All you should be focused on right now is learning how to master my power,' Nabu instructed. Pinkie looked down and found the table with the egg in front of her once more. 'Now come. This time, do not let me distract you. I am tired of cleaning up your mess.'

"And an attitude like that is why the other souls left."

†

Star-Swirl had seen a lot across two life times. Moments of wonder and awe. Sights of terror and violence. And yet nothing he had ever come across was as strange nor thought provoking as whatever it was that Lil' Cheese was trying to make with his alchemy kit. The foal had been bored out of his mind and begged for something to do. After both of his parents had failed to provide him with anything, he came to the wizard. Who gave him an alchemy kit. Star-Swirl's mind was not what it used to be.

Yet even he realized his mistake as he looked down at the blobs of now living bubblegum that had both managed to stick the young Pie to the ground and build a fortress out of toilet paper rolls. He needed to fix his mistake. With a wave of his staff and a flash of his horn, the gum was gone, the young Pie freed and his toilet paper rolls stacked just the way he liked.

"You are very skill at getting into trouble," Star-Swirl said to Lil' Cheese. "It has barely been fifteen minutes since I left you alone with that kit. Yet you brought an army of inanimate objects to life and had them revolt against you the moment they gained sentience. I do not know whether that makes you one of the worst alchemist I've ever seen or one of the best."

"I'm sorry Mr. Star-Swirl, but I'm just soooooooooooooooooooo-"

"Stop it."

"Bored!" Lil' Cheese finished. "I mean, mommy's in that weird room all day training, so I can't play with her. And daddy's no fun anymore, ever since he became boring."

"I heard that."

"Hmm, a young mind is a terrible thing to let go to waste. Especially one as creative and...let's say unbound as yours," Star-Swirl muttered. "Let me see what I can do about this."

Star-Swirl headed towards one of his closets and opened it up, nearly being buried a moment later by the avalanche of stuff that came crashing down. He popped back out and began to dig through his stuff. He couldn't teach the foal magic, even he wasn't that crazy. He also didn't dare give him an magical artifacts, as that might spell the end of all of them. The foal had brought gum to life with a foal's kit, Faust only knew what he would do with a real artifact.

But then Star-Swirl's hoof bumped into something that he hadn't touched in a long time. A board game that had been popular before the rise of Tirek. A game about dungeon crawling, forest exploring and managing a bank account. Yes, this would work.

"My colt, sit down at the table for a moment and I will show you something that will end your boredom forever...or for the next hour, I don't know the attention span of a foal," Star-Swirl said. Lil' Cheese was at the table in a moment, eyes wide with excitement as Star-Swirl's horn flashed and a moment later, laying out the board before the young colt. "This...is the kingdom of Eternius."

"It's a cardboard square."

"Perhaps if you look at it like one. But with a bit of magic..." Star-Swirl let his horn glow once more and the kingdom came to life before the young colt's eyes. Towns that had tiny, paper ponies living in them. Forest of cardboard that housed monsters within them. Accounts whose glare could freeze even the greatest adventurer. Eternius was reborn. "The kingdom comes to life."

"This is so cool!" Lil' Cheese said as he gazed around the entire board. "A living game! How do we play?"

"Well the first part is simple. We create a character for you," Star-Swirl said.

"Okay. I want to be like mommy."

"You mean a pony?"

"No, like, her wearing the helmet."

"Ah, you mean a mage, a user of magic."

"No, I mean her when she's wearing the helmet. When's she freeing ponies and helping others."

"...you mean a hero?"

"Close. I mean her at her full power!"

"You want to be a god, don't you?"

"That's the one."

"Mage it is," Star-Swirl said. As he said this, a paper version of Lil' Cheese in a mage's robe appeared on the board and waved up at the real Cheese. "Now then, you are about to take your first steps into this world. Are you ready to begin?"

†

"Good Faust, is that the time? Time for bed," Star--Swirl said. It was only by chance that he had looked out the window to see that the sun had long since set and the moon was near it's apex. "I promised her I would have you in bed at sundown! If your mother finds out I let you stay up this late she may just erase me from existence without the aid of Nabu."

"Aw come on! I've almost found the secret of the cola caves!" Lil' Cheese exclaimed.

"Tomorrow. I promise. Now hurry, to bed!" Star-Swirl hurried. Lil' Cheese hopped off his chair and headed towards the stairs, only to stop halfway up and smile at the old wizard.

"Hey, Star-Swirl?...thanks...that was the most fun I've had in a long time."

Lil' Cheese waved to Star-Swirl, who waved back slightly before Cheese took off up the stairs. Star-Swirl watched him go before he glanced down at his raised hoof, before looking back at the game that was still on the table. And as a smile crossed his face, he found that he was in agreement with the small colt.

That was the most fun he had in a long time.

Comments

[astromormy]

Wow, you did not waste time. Barely up for five minutes, and you're already updated.

[Onomonopia]

10282762
It must have been fate

[astromormy]

10282775
Lol, I don't suppose it's fated that you release a second chapter tomorrow, given that would be the standard release window, excluding the site failure.

[Venerable Ro]

Hey, looks like Starswirl's a pretty fun DM.

[Onomonopia]

10282777
I might to get back on schedule

[badninja]

The joys of D&D. It really makes me wonder just how desperate Fate was to select Pinkie because unfortunately she will always be easily distracted, hopefully it does not bode well for her family.

[Awesometacular]

Nice, but I really don’t like it when Faust is used as the god expression instead of the canon Celestia one. It really breaks the immersion using show staff names instead of the proper in universe names as the ponies properly use in canon.