The Little Curiosities

by Comma Typer

Dark Magic for Dummies

“…and for Canterlot City proper, there’ll be some gusty winds coming in from the coast helped out by the local weather team as they redirect cold air to the city. Over the weekend, there’s a one-hundred percent chance of cloudy days all the way in a Sunday night thunderstorm charging into Monday morning. And as always, if you are an able pegasus, you can chip in for the storm by hauling up water from a nearby lake! And that’s the weather!”

After the commercial break, Open Skies flies to the employees’ lounge, taking a sip of water and hanging out with pundits, technicians, and other reporters taking drinks and snacks.

“So I heard that you’re volunteering for the weather team,” Sunshower says, chewing on donuts and sipping on coffee. “They’re just gonna let you in like that?”

“Oh, they will. I mean, it’s a job I can work on the weekends. It’s bonus money!”

“But do you even know how to use weather magic? I’ve been moving fluffy clouds around since I gained these wings and I still can’t get the storms out right.”

“That’s because it’s a community effort! But there’s also actually being good at it yourself too. I wanted to be super ready for it, so I practiced and got myself a book from Equestria! Look!” and he pulls out a book from his bag.

Sunshower’s eyes widen in horror. “Um, that looks like it’s been necromanced back to life.”

“Yeah, it’s the Necumulicon!” He knocks some dust off the book. “I have a contact who told me it’s Old Ponish for Book of the Sky. Pretty cool, huh? Said it has super effective techniques that’s fallen out of use for hundreds of years!”

“Skies, are you sure you can trust that contact of yours? This has Don’t read me written all over it.”

“Nah, he’s trustworthy. Besides, if it’s forbidden stuff, the weather team could just, you know, stop me because it’s illegal or something. I mean I’m just one pony. Mess the weather magic up and I’ll just zap myself silly and I’ll return the book. What’s the worst that could happen?”

---

Storms ravage Canterlot City and tornadoes close in from all sides. Police squads and the weather team try evacuate everyone out of the eye of the tornado-hurricane-thunder hybrid with rain strong enough to sting. Lightning sets trees and buildings on fire while winds strip away roofs and cars into the turbulent sky.

Standing at a nearby hill, Sunset and her plucky classmates withstand the tempest, wearing their geodes around their necks as a battered city lies ahead. “Are we seriously doing this again?”

“Hey, at least it’s the weather!” yells Rainbow. “I can totally handle this!”

“Except we’re not all pegasi, Dash.”

“And seriously?” Twi cuts in. “A weather reporter caused all this?”

“Welcome to Equestrian Earth,” Sunset replies, “where dark magic can corrupt any well-meaning rando’ into causing city-level destruction.”

“Hey! I resemble that description!”

“That was more of reality-level destruction. And transformation.”

But lightning strikes again, scaring everyone out and Twilight charges forward. “Less talking, more saving the world! Let’s go mares!”

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

“Welcome to Equestrian Earth,” Sunset replies, “where dark magic can corrupt any well-meaning rando’ into causing city-level destruction.”

I don't see how that's different from before the transformation.

in any case, we see the other side of the multiversal black market. When unscrupulous ponies aren't pilfering former human homes of anything unfamiliar, they're offloading artifacts that they'd rather not be associated with. I've joked about CHS putting together a dark magic awareness program, but at this point, the whole dang planet could use one.

[Eroraf86]

10446437
I need a whole SERIES of the Rainbooms acting in an official capacity as the local experts on dark magic. Sort of like a cross between the Divine Bacon Blogs and Hunts The Undead.

[Venerable Ro]

Honestly, considering what that book probably is, they got off exceedingly lightly.

And methinks they need to tighten customs juuuust a smidge.

[justheretoreadstories]

10449073
Agreed, I'm surprised there was no undead with the name that book has.