Kiwe's Journey

by Mocha Star

An Interesting Evening

The trio sat at the table, finishing their supper in silence, save for some quiet rhythmic drum music from a record player in the living room. The relative silence was broken by Nangila snickering, followed shortly after by Crunch while Kiwe sulked and swallowed his noodles.

“Our son, this has been a very interesting day, of that we can all agree, yes? Please, let the joy of this morning and after school burn bright with you again.”

“Mother, I just…”

“Our son, you have not failed anyone of us, especially yourself. Do not feel embarrassed or ashamed of what happened.”

“Yeah, like I told you, it’s natural and was an accident you rushed the natural process and that’s not bad,” Crunch placed a forehoof on the table near Kiwe, “and no pony will know about it, okay?”

A long drawn out sigh left Kiwe. “Yeah, I know. But,” he glanced to his father, “it wasn’t that bad, I guess.”

“That’s my boy!” Crunch grinned and looked at his wife, who nodded once but let them have the moment. “Now, when you become older you won’t have to worry about learning what the changes to your body mean, you’ve got a good idea now.”

Kiwe blushed and hung his head. “Yeah, at least I didn’t get my cutie mark, right?”

His parents burst into laughter. “Our son, we are very grateful of that. However,” she calmed quickly, “I do wonder what it would look like.”

“Please, dear! He’s not old enough to handle anything like that. You know about-” He raised a hoof to guard his expression then he wiggled his eyebrows to her. She nodded knowing.

“Yes, poor mare. A most unfortunate mark for one so dark in coat, her spirits were at first broke. When she learned to use her gift, she learned to give many stallions a lift,” she chuckled then amended, “in spirits, of course.”

“Nice recovery, dear,” Crunch said sarcastically. “The point is, I think, that you’re over the effects of the potion and when you find a mare, or stallion-”

“Ew, no thanks, dad.”

“Is that a problem?”

“N-no, just I’m not like that.”

His parents nodded in approval of his answer and his father continued. “When you find your special somepony, you know how to make a potion for special nights when she’s… receptive.”

Nangila giggled and poked him with a hoof. “There is a potion that can make any mare in the mood. It works like a lotion to make everything smooth.”

Both the others blushed, Kiwe hanging his head and planting a forehoof against his head under his horn and Crunch looking slightly in awe at her.

“Dear, why don’t we use that?”

She leaned closer to him and replied in a sultry voice. “Who says I don’t use my lotion to aid in your-”

“I’m done, may I be excused?!”

Both adults looked at the colt. “Our son, you know you should hear your mother and father’s love spoken each day.”

Through his blush she showed a mixture of humor and embarrassment. “But not in such a way. Ugh, now I’m rhyming!”

His father tapped the table with his hoof. “Clean up your plate and you can go.”

“Thanks, dad!”

The colt stood from his spot on the floor and took the plate in his mouth. “Our son, practice your magic in your room and we will check on you soon. That rhyme was by accident I swear, it was not intentional, my dear.”

They shared a nuzzle while Kiwe moved to the garbage quickly and emptied his plate then placed it in the sink and cantered to his room to lie on his futon. He quickly lay on his yellow bed, then he covered his head with his pillow and groaned a lung full at the stress of his day. Hesitantly, he chose to stay where he was and let time pass, thinking about the calculus he had studied in class before a recipe crossed his mind.

Simple root vegetables, baked then served over rice with a cream sauce. No, not cream. A vegetable broth! The rice, cooked in vegetable broth instead of water will be better tasting and can be reheated easier. Salt and pepper the vegetables and saute on one side then put over the rice and bake for half an hour in the oven. Yeah, sounds like something I can make tomorrow for supper. I’m certainly gonna meditate instead of practice physically, he thought and moved his forelegs under his barrel to push himself up.

With a bit more effort then he’d have liked his muscles complied, pushing him up from under the pillow. He let his legs give way and he fell, chin landing on his pillow, then he sighed. “What’s with today?”

Three knocks against the doorframe got his attention. “Son, I see your ears moving so you’re not asleep. Can I come in?”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Crunch walked into the room and lay on the floor beside his son. “Would you like to talk about your day, it’s been rough, hasn’t it?”

“How could you tell?” he mumbled as his ears fell.

“I know when you’re stressed because you’re much happier, especially on physical day. Your heart wasn’t in it and we both noticed, so-”

Kiwe sat up and began a tirade about his day from the moment he woke up until that moment itself, panting with tears in his eyes he finished and hung his head. His father pulled him into a hug. “Son, I’m sorry you’ve had a bad day, all day. From having cold toast to the potion you made and everything in between. But, you know what?”

“What?” Kiwe whimpered in his father’s chest.

“Tomorrow is a new day. It’s still too early to sleep, but practice your magic and do some schoolwork. You’ll find it’ll be easy to sleep after that and when you awake you’ll have gotten over the worst feelings of today. You’ll remember them, maybe some for the rest of your life, but you’ll be ready to start anew, okay?”

A few seconds of silence followed before Kiwe pulled back and sniffled, using a foreleg to wipe his nose then the same leg’s hoof to wipe the tear marks on his father’s chest, much to his father’s silent dislike. “Yeah, that’s okay, I guess. I did get to hang with Violet, and she’s nice to me.”

“See, there you go. And now I know who you were whimpering about during the peak of your potion enhanced moment earlier.”

Kiwe gasped and shoved his father. “You said you wouldn’t tease me about that!”

They shared a smile.

“On that note, I’ve gotta go help mother clean up and prepare for tomorrow. You know how she likes to get everything organized for the morning. Cereal bowls set, cups and plates, something brewing or ready to be brewed.”

Kiwe nodded. “Can I have coffee tomorrow?”

“Meh, don’t see why not. Maybe you’ll get a mark in coffee drinking?”

When he was shoved again he stood. “Get out dad,” Kiwe urged, “I’ve gotta study and practice and I love you and mother, okay?”

“Somepony’s in a hurry to be alone,” his father acquiesced and moved to the open door. “Don’t stay up late, tomorrow is a new day, right?”

“Yes,” Kiwe felt a warmth in his heart that showed in his expression, “yes it is. And I’ll make it great.”

“Like always?”

“Like always!”

“Yeah! Air hoof bump,” he held out a hoof that Kiwe pretended to pound from a distance. “See you soon, want me to close the door?”

“Can you, please?”

His father nodded and closed the door unceremoniously. The colt turned to his desk and groaned. “Left my dumb bags by the door,” he grumbled and opened his door and made his way down the hall.

“-but he’s doing fine. He’s had a bad day, is what’s wrong. He feels like everything is going against him because he’s different.”

“I am still upset to know his heart is sad but am proud you are truly an amazing dad. When I see him look at you I can tell his respect for you is boundless and every word you say is taken to heart... but today was the first in a long time I’ve seen him so glum.”

“Dear, he’s a growing boy. He had a mishap with a potion that aroused him for an hour and gave him urges he wasn’t ready for, and that’s on top of the soreness from sparring with you.”

“But those are physical issues, dear husband. Those pass and heal, forgotten. Emotions last for life, it will bring him much strife… and what happened at his school is going to bother him longer than the memory of adult urges that have passed.”

Crunch sighed loudly and Kiwe could picture the strain on his father’s face. “I know, today wasn’t his day. Like I told you in the hall outside his room, he’s going to be just fine. Let’s just not be overly affectionate around him for the next couple days to let him mind calm and spirit balance. What do you think?”

“I think you are doing as a good mother must, building within our family, trust.”

Nangila purred and Kiwe heard her speak in a voice that he knew was trouble. “Husband, when you speak in rhyme you remind me of our first time. Perhaps I can make a brew that will make us act like our colt has, too.”

The sound of Crunch shuddering in excitement then the sound of kissing made the colt make a gagging sound. “Our son! Come over here and join us two, we were just talking about you.”

Kiwe moved around the corner with a sly smirk. “I could hear that when I was there, must you kiss so loud that I can hear?” He rolled his eyes after his rhyme.

“Our son, join us for a moment while we talk,” she patted the cushion beside her and he made his way over, pressing his head under her foreleg so she was holding him.

“What’s going on, mother and father?” he asked when he’d gotten comfortable in his mother’s shadow.

“You heard some of it, Kiwe. As your father it’s my job to make sure you’re taken care of, emotionally as well as physically, and I want to know what I can do to help you fit in more.”

Kiwe furrowed his brow. “I am fine as I am, father. There’s nothing to change about me, just them. The foals are mean to me because they don’t understand me, but I don’t know what to do,” he hung his head and his mother kissed his neck softly.

“Maybe a party? Everypony loves a good party and I know how to toss a good shindig,” his father offered a large grin.

“Nuh-uh. No way, not with these colts and fillies. It was different when I was younger and none of this,” he gestured to a stripe on his foreleg, “mattered. I’m almost old enough to get a job and move out but I don’t have any friends because they only care about how I look,” he pouted.

“Speaking in circles, a bad sign indeed. I feel our son has a mighty need. Husband, we should have a party at the park. It will be a nice place to play and have fun for the young and we can meet the parents of his classmates this way. What have you to say?”

He tapped his chin then shrugged. “I’m down for a party at the park. Kiwe?”

The colt thought for a moment then nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I guess that’s okay. If they’re mean they can just go away, right?”

“Yes, but that is not the reason we are having the gathering,” Nangila lay and held him close to her, “it is to make friends before you feel you have enemies. The worst thing to do is to let anger consume you, too. We will invite them into our lives with open hearts and I only hope that they,” she paused and blinked as a smirk tugged the corner of her mouth.

“Our son, I feel you should invite the ponies that mean the most to you. It should be the ones who bother your mind the most,” she rolled him to his belly and placed a hoof under his barrel, “and the ones that bother your heart as well.”

Kiwe blushed, but nodded. “All of them?”

“If you wish for your whole class to come, then you may, as long as it is alright with your father?”

They both looked at Crunch who shrugged. “Twenty foals at the park? I can make it happen,” he said smugly.

“One thing, though,” Kiwe said softly and waited for his parents’ undivided attention, “only pony music this time? I like mother’s music, but they don’t understand it…” he trailed off and his parents understood.

“Kiwe, I can make sure there’s no zebra music if that’s what you want. Last time we just thought,” Crunch looked to Nangila to finish.

“We thought it would be a kind way to introduce them to our family. We did not know they would misunderstand it so. It was the week we moved in and it was a party on a whim that came as quickly as a storm in my homeland, the same result only everything was not covered with sand.”

“Yeah, they just made excuses and left,” Kiwe grumbled. “Can we move to another city where we can start over?”

“Kiwe?! That’s… not going to happen,” his father said closing his eyes in resignation. “We understand you don’t like this part of the city and the school, but this is close to work and I can’t trot across the city everyday like when I was younger, it’s getting to be too much for these old legs,” he sighed and lifted a foreleg to look at it.

“Kiwe,” his mother said softly, “we understand you do not like where we live right now, but someday everything will be different and better. Maybe it will take until your mark arrives or a year past but know that hard times do not last. We may have to move at the drop of a hoof, but no matter what we will always live under a happy roof.”

Kiwe nuzzled his mother contently. “I know, mother. I just want a friend, though.”

“What about that colt across the hall?”

“Huh? Dad, you mean the one that dyes his coat colors and mane every week differently?” Kiwe scrunched his muzzle in thought, “maaaybe, but I don’t know. Can he come to the park party?”

“Of course he can,” Crunch replied, “I’ve been meaning to talk with his father again about a discount to the movies. He works at the theater,” he said excitedly.

Nangila’s ears perked and she sat tall. “Really? I think you should see him soon, maybe tomorrow after supper would be a good time.”

Crunch looked at Kiwe. “Your mother loves films.”

Kiwe felt his body shake as him mother nodded her head. “Yes, that I do. Very much so, actually. The first time I saw a film it was more magical than Celestia raising the sun,” she looked between her forelegs at her son, “you see, the sun rises everyday and every creature knows it, expects it, plans for it. But in the theater,” she sighed wistfully, “the lights are not natural and the film shows so much beauty and happenings from around the world. Places farther away than I could walk in a year, yet I can see and experience in my own city with my family by my side.”

“M-mother, y-you’re hugging me tight.”

“Oh,” she relaxed and nuzzled Kiwe, “I apologize, our son. I was recalling the film of the pegasi flying through the canyons.”

“Ah, yes,” Crunch nodded, “Canyon Flight, it was a good movie. But I like-”

“I know what you like, husband,” she scowled, “and we will have none of that in this house. Spirits should be left to rest in peace, not risen and made to scare foals.”

Kiwe snorted. “Zombies don’t scare me and they’re not real so-”

“Not the point I am trying to make, a soul one should never take. A body in the ground must lie lest it takes others with it,” Nangila fumed for a second. “...I am sorry, family.”

“It’s okay, mother,” Kiwe said rubbing a forehoof along his mother’s striped leg, “you just believe different and it’s not bad to do that, right?”

The look his mother gave him was unexplainable, but it made him happy. “That is right, Kiwe,” she bopped his nose, “and you are wiser than your years. We have settled the matter at hoof so go to your schoolwork and leave us to kiss loudly,” she said helping Kiwe up. She smiled as he galloped to his bags and took them into his room quickly, closing the door softly behind him.

He tossed his bags on the floor and took his math book out first, looked at it with a blank expression, then set it aside. “Science? Later. Ah, Introduction to Magic Usage for the Beginners of Lifetime Practitioners,” he recited and opened the book to the eighth page, skipping the contents and introductory parts. Taking a seat he began.

“To begin, basic levitation would be thought of as the standard spell and therefore the first you should learn, however the simplest is light itself. It is not enough to light a horn but to coalesce the energy to a point at the tip and hold it for as long as one can.

“Begin this exercise by ten minutes of meditation making sure to focus on the energy within your body and the conduits leading through your brain into your horn from your medulla oblongata, brain stem, spine, and the primary conduit sensor nodes along the neurological pathways through the spinal column to the femoral nerves.

“The path down the Palmar nerves to your hooves are the final conduits that connect you to one of the most common sources of magic, the ground and earth… Skip, skip, skip, ah, here we go.

“The thaumic energy converted is forty six to eight by three over twenty two, sum of… ugh, whatever! Sheesh, just get to the casting part,” he grumbled and flipped to the next page. “Three paragraphs of conversions for basic light, what a waste of ink. I can do the math later!”

He skimmed the page and grinned when he found the beginning of the spell. “To end spell cancel magic from hindbrain nodes six to one as shown in figure three and be certain to relax. To begin feel the magic from your hooves, tail, or if you’re skilled the skin beneath your coat. Feel it flow through the path shown in figure four, five, and six.

“Once it reaches the nerve complex at the base of the horn it will feel like a slight pressure as the node reacts and converts neurological energy and pressure into thaumic energy. The thaumic energy will naturally try to escape through the easiest path, which is the horn.

“In rare cases the node may be weak or damaged as shown in figure forty nine in chapter,” he yawned. “Boring, practice time,” he sat tall and clapped his hooves together. Beginning to feel the magic in the environment around him he followed the instructions and felt the energy go through his body and brain.

The pressure was slight but noticeable under his horn before it released like a sponge being freed of its water and he noticed light above his head. “Got this,” he said focusing the energy before he realized he didn’t finish reading the spell. In his moment of distraction the spell cast a beam of light toward the book the size of a pea and began to grow.

“Oh junk, oh no… cancel, cancel,” he said and squeezed his eyes shut. The scent of burning paper tickled his nose and he yelped when his eyes opened to the darkening pages in his magic book. “Father, mother!” he shouted and turned to the door, burning a swath as he turned his head. The door opened quickly and his mother tumbled into the room and quickly slapped Kiwe’s horn.

With a shout of pain the colt’s spell ended and he fell to his side, clutching his head. “Our son! Are you okay?!” she scooped him in her forelegs and held him close as Crunch joined them and placed a hoof on his son’s back.

“Owie,” Kiwe snickered. “I messed up the spell, mother.”

“That I can see and smell, a good reason you had best tell,” she frowned as she placed him on the floor.

He stood on four hooves and looked at the lightly curled carpet fibers from his miscast spell to the mark on the door. “I, uhm, didn’t finish reading the spell before I cast it,” he said. He looked into his parents’ faces and slumped at their disapproving looks.

“The potion earlier and now a ruined spell, what is the reason for this rushing through practice? I have told you before that reading the mix first is most important,” his mother admonished him sternly.

His father stayed silent, knowing she had more experience with magic and potions’ practical usage.

“Mother, father, I am sorry, I don’t know why I’m hurrying through it all but I’ll-”

“You’ll practice again and again until you get it right under my watchful eye so that if you make a mistake,” she pointed a hoof at the book and it’s lightly browned spell pages, “I can end your spell before a fire you create. Now go to your book and read the spell, your father will gather water incase it does not go well,” she crossed her forelegs over her chest in finality.

Kiwe turned to his book and reread the page, paused, then reluctantly began at the beginning again.

Time passed and after meditating properly he read the spell from cancelling to casting and resolving the energy into its final form and began the casting again. He completed it as the finished setting and when the room was cast in golden light he shouted in glee. His mother whooped in his triumph and picked him up, standing on her hind legs, hugging him tightly.

“You did it, our son! I knew you could without a doubt in my heart.”

“Thanks, mother! I have to learn the next spell now and show father and do this again to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.”

She chuckled and lowered him to the floor. “A fluke, you say? There are no coincidences, only things that happen or do not. Now how about you give it another shot,” she encouraged him as he cancelled the spell with ease.

“And I stopped it, too! This’ so awesome,” he shouted with a hoof pump as his father entered the room, Kiwe cast the small orb of light again. After a celebratory cheer and round of hugs, Kiwe was given a glass of grape soda as a reward before he returned with his mother to his room.

“Next spell is basic levitation. Mother, did you know there are three types of levitation?”

“Tell me of them, Kiwe.”

“There’s basic, where I can move stuff up and down by controlling the thaumic flow. There’s intermediate,” he gestured with his hooves, “where I can move things straight through the X, Y, and Z axis for three dimensional movement, and advanced where I can move items and alternate between the axes, causing rotation. There’s more to magic than I thought.”

“I agree that it is complex, but you can manage it with ease as quickly as you please.”

His father excused himself again.

“Mother, I appreciate the help. Without you here I probably might teleport my bed to the roof. By accident, of course.”

“Teleportation, is that not a very advanced spell beyond your power?”

“Yeah, I think so,” he tapped his chin in thought, “but mathematically the conversion to thaumic energy can be made for me to move something small like a bug a few inches at my current level.”

“You will do no such thing to a living creature,” she frowned a mother’s frown.

“No! No way, I’m nowhere near that crazy. It’s spirit would haunt me until I made amends and I don’t know how to make up to the spirit of a bug.”

She nodded. “And each may be different, so do not use them to test your spells or potions. Now, begin your next spell so I can smother you with kisses and hugs.”

He warmed inside at the affection and returned to his book.

Comments

[Armyidiot]

Interesting, very interesting. You've caught my attention. Do try to keep it.

[Jacob4046]

i'm into it keep it up

[Munro]

ok now i can see why twilights spell's can backfire so dramatically xD