Failure, Eternally Retold, Part One: The Human Element

by Kiernan

Chapter the Fifteenth: The Heart of a Sorcerer

The chamber of trials was the only section of the library not filled with paper. It was a large, stone dome with a bronze plating over the bricks. Bronze had proven an effective insulator for magic, meaning any stray spells from inside could not exit, nor could any spells from outside enter. It also kept spells from ricocheting off the walls and bouncing around the room. It collectively meant that any and all magic performed in this room had to be aimed and cast deliberately in order to have any effect. On either side of the room were small dugout boxes with a protective mesh so viewers of the spells cast within, be they spectators or second opinions, could watch and take notes in safety, and perhaps even learn something.

Kai stepped forward. "This is the first trial we'll have to face in order to remove Nik's curse. As it is a test of one's ability to perform magic, I will volunteer to face it for you."

"I suppose that's fair," shrugged Nik. "I can't really perform magic, anyway. Unless you count the magic of baking, that is..."

Kai shook his head. "That's not at all what I meant. The first test is a magic duel. One from the side of the challenger, which is myself, and one from the side of Gim, which he will decide for himself, will take our places and test our capabilities. At the end, if Gim-Palarcanus should deem us worthy with an audience with his master, then we shall have earned our first key."

At the other end of the room, Twilight and Golden Sky walked in. Twilight immediately ran over to join her friends. "Golden Sky gave me a copy of each of her research tomes!" she gushed, showing that her saddlebags had been stuffed with notes. "Isn't that just wonderful?"

Fluttershy smiled broadly. "Wow, Twilight. That's great news! Knowing you, I'd bet that you'll have them all memorized within a week." Twilight squeaked excitedly in response.

"Settle down, Twilight," chuckled Golden Sky. "I know you're excited, but there's a storm brewing in this room. I suggest you take your friends into one of the protective viewing booths."

Soon, the only ponies standing in the center of the room were the residents of the library. Each of them raised a hoof to the sky. Kai's hoof was the first to be effected, as a blue ring wrapped itself around his wrist. He had been selected as the challenger's champion. Before long, a red ring appeared around Terra's wrist. He was Gim-Palarcanus's selected hero. This seemed to come as a bit of a shock to all of them, as they had assumed Golden Sky would be the champion. With a nod, Kai chose to interpret this as having already earned his master's approval, and that the duel was more a formality than a real trial.

Golden Sky joined the others in the viewing box. "It seems your journey will be easier than Kai expected, Nikolas."

"What makes you say that?" asked Nik. "I thought Terra was quite skilled in magic?"

As Terra threw his cloak aside, revealing that his cutie mark was exactly the same as Kai's, the battle began. Kai struck first, lightning spewing from his horns to his wings, imbuing them with the power of electricity. Terra responded by slamming his front hooves against the floor, encasing them in stone. Flapping his wings forward out of sync with each other, Kai sent wave after wave of electricity at Terra, who was able to beat off every blow with his stone hooves.

"He is," answered Sky. "Terra is the most powerful mage of his class. That's how he ended up here. However, Kai is still leaps and bounds ahead of him."

It was Terra's turn to lash out. With another stomp, Terra sent a shockwave through the floor at Kai, knocking him into the air. However, Kai was light enough on his hooves that he was able to turn the launch to his favour, turning his wings from conduits for magic into implements of flight. Now, with every flap of his wings, a vortex of wind was formed, kicking up large clouds of dust in their wake.

"What do you mean, class?" asked Twilight. "Are you referring to the field of magic that he researches?"

"Not at all," responded Sky, shaking her head. "I am referring in this case to their ability to perform magic. While Terra is a master of his craft, and Kai is merely above average in his field, Kai has a certain quality that Terra can never hope to match, despite his best efforts."

"And what's that?" asked Fluttershy.

Terra had accentuated Kai's dust clouds with his own, causing a nebula through which Kai could not see. He could hear Terra moving around, and he could see the large boulders being lobbed at him as the exited the veil, but he could not pin down Terra's location. As a boulder flew dangerously close to Kai's face, he decided that the dust cloud had to go. Diving to the ground, Kai boosted the amount of air his wings could move, blowing the shroud away in a single flap. Terra slammed his hooves repeatedly against the ground, launching boulder after boulder at Kai. As Kai drew closer, he saw a golden opportunity, freezing Terra's hoof to the floor as he kicked another hole in the floor. Terra tried to pull free, but Kai was too quick, freezing his other front hoof. Now right on top of Terra, Kai set his own hoof ablaze, lashing out a final time at Terra.

"Stop!" shouted Fluttershy, rushing out onto the field. Kai's hoof stopped mere centimetres from Terra's face. "Don't hurt him! You're supposed to be friends, right?"

Kai nodded. "We are." The fire surrounding Kai's hoof exploded backward, erupting in a pillar of flame that didn't cause any harm to Terra. "I'd never actually hurt him."

Terra tried to regain his balance despite his hooves being bound to the floor. "Nor I him. This was merely a test of skill, and Kai won."

With a small burst of magic from his horn, Kai released Terra. "Besides, he wouldn't be much help to us if he were to spend the rest of our journey in the hospital."

"After all, It was pretty obvious that Kai would win that fight, anyway."

"What makes you so sure?" asked Twilight, stepping out onto the field with everypony else. "Why couldn't Terra have won that battle?"

Terra and Kai exchanged glances. Raising his now freed hoof, Terra pushed his puffy pompadour back, pressing it flat against his head. Twilight and Fluttershy gasped in surprise.

Nik was confused. "I don't understand. What's shocking about this?"

"Magic is the province of unicorns," explained Golden Sky. "Their shock comes from the fact that Terra can do magic at all. He's the most powerful earth pony sorcerer that ever there was."