Aether, Heir of Chaos

by Arcane Anonymity

Prelude to 'A mare's inquisitive behavior'

Ouch.

I think something shifted...

Nope, still good. Phew. Where was I?

I had my arm in a sling, since having it straight would pull the skin in uncomfortable ways. I stopped bleeding because... well, I call it a 'recovery template', basically it's what my body would be like uninjured. Despite the broken blood vessels, the magic 'remembers', and bridged the gap on my command.

Kind of like a mending spell or one to staunch bleeding, but one that didn't act on the wound itself.

If you are wondering why I don't blast the offending magic with my own, it's for the same reason you don't try to sear a papercut. For more severe wounds, it's better to just place little bits at a time to speed it up a tad, while the doctors do their jobs.

Less painful that way.

Even a papercut feels either burning-hot, or freezing-cold when dark magic is involved. Don't get me started on what order magic does to me.

I got back to my room, not having much desire to do anything after that ordeal... well, I gave Shining Armor warnings of some dangerous guys from 'fiction', but mostly the main and giant bad guys. If there was a guy or girl that looks like so and so, or maybe a pony with this or that theme, the danger levels could go from 'dangerous', to 'very dangerous', 'extremely dangerous' or even 'apocalyptically dangerous'. I gave them the monikers and titles too, so that he knows that when someone that so much as looks as someone with the description for 'The King of Evil', it's better to not get involved. Good thing that saying 'extenuating circumstances' and good old speaking authoritatively can get you out of nearly anything if you use them well - doubly so if you do have recognizable authority and an actual reason.

Prince Aether was simply 'recuperating from an arduous procedure involving the stabilization of a pony's anomalous thaumic system and the purging of a parasitic influence on the same' and blah blah blah, I got a magical being to blast his own parasites, I deserve the rest - and the princesses too, since they had to provide reinforcements and do the paperwork. Luna and Cadence stayed behind to make sure his magic doesn't act up again, while Celestia took care of the paperwork. (Hehe, the process is more streamlined than it looks like, since Celly is good at delegating tasks to those she can trust; she has more free time than readily apparent)

Then, both of 'me' were formally tasked with finding outsiders and preventing extradimensional threats, in addition to everything else... eh, I am the most qualified and knowledgeable guy. Not to mention that I do things differently - I investigate and study, work things down to their base principles... and twist. Sure, Twilight and many others do the same 'find the smallest part' study, too, and I use their help whenever possible to make sure everything is going smoothly - it's that twist, that combination, or that curious new use what keeps me... well, where I am.

In all senses.

I do things that everyone can enjoy, rather than simply for my own amusement (it just so happens that it amuses me anyways), so I am in a good standing with everyone; I have, and keep, friends. I put enough thought into my actions that I don't lose myself to this magic, but use it enough that it doesn't leak by itself or put my life at risk from lack of 'feeding'.

This 'Lord of Chaos' thing requires excruciating effort on my part... dang it, I think the personas are leaking again, wait a sec...

As I said, it's difficult - I have the power, sure. I can steal control over the sun and the night. Bam! Just like that, right from under the princesses' noses. I can be anything I want, even someone else...

If I want to avoid screwing up royally (both the world and myself), I have to stay true to at least a portion of myself/the task in everything I do. It's best if I do magic in accordance to my engineering background, or if I can fit it so some model of a game, or a character, or a setting... or a cutie mark. If I'm going to push myself to the limit, then I have to at least stay true to an aspect of my original personality. (Yes, I'm aware that a personality can change over time due to maturity/trauma/boredom/whatever; I'm talking about what my personality is at the time).

Back then, I used four times as much energy as Discord did when doing most things (thought the amount I have in reserve is so absurd that it makes little difference), and I could only use either a 'little' bit at a time via focus, or making at least an outline and a skeleton of a procedure for the magic to follow and avoid... accidents.

Skybloom Sanctuary, Yggdrasil Citadel, the full form of my staff, all of the other artifacts and places... I used a lot of power on each one, but thanks to all of the support and effort behind each endeavor, I 'merely' tired myself out, instead of the alternatives.

Oh, and leading. Making sure that anyone under me is deployed to at the least 'good' effect. Thank God for 'leadership through following the right subordinate', or else I would have never figured it out... well, as Celestia said, I should give myself a little more credit and admit that I would have figured out a way to do something eventually, but this way allowed me to come up with Yggdrasil and everything that is keeping this world together.

Dusty and Cinnamon came out of the small bathroom, wearing only their hats - I didn't ask, and I didn't want to know.

"Not as a human, you didn't."

Hush. I had the perfectly reasonable thought that cleaning up the bathroom would get their full uniforms dirty.

They became concerned over me, of course, and both trying to speak over one another made it impossible to understand either of them. Well, the back of the hand that held the bottle had a couple of cuts, while the palm of the one that was in contact with him was slashed up more fiercely, but it was all good so long as I did not do anything that pulled on the skin.

I could still move my index finger a little, and the hand of the bottle as a whole, so I simply gave Dusty scritches and explained the situation. I was still a little upset, though; years of having aching hands and fingers hindering or annoying me, then suddenly being at my peak, then I get injured?

Still, they made me feel... happy. Even if it was just the first day and I wasn't minding them too much, there was already a little something there. I hate being lonely, and, though I rarely feel like that even if I am alone, snuggling with a pony spreads a pleasant warmth and makes me feel like everything is going to be alright. It's the magic, and yet, something more; everyone can feel it, just go get your family, or a close friend and... do things! A healthy handshake, a hug, watching the sunset with your significant other - magic simply makes it easier to notice, the way a little blinking light draws your attention.

It's the reason the Elements of Harmony are so... so... it's the reason they are. I used the rainbow magic I stored as a catalyst and tapped into it a little, and tied it to my staff; a sort of pseudo-awareness not quite on that level, but around the Alicorn Amulet's, to ensure that the new functions I added would not be misused by anyone.

Even me.

Whew! Were they surprised when I told them that! When we get to that, I'll give you a more detailed account of the events.

After the thing in the hospital I didn't feel like doing much of anything, so I just kept reading some books on magic (which the girls insisted on getting for me); those few hours felt like the whole day, and burned out my motivation to actually move. Lunch came and went, a simple if tasty tomato soup, steamed salmon (a gift from Gildebeak, by then trying to sleep off his two black eyes and slightly sprained wrist), and a slice of lemon meringue pie for dessert... quite delicious, as many things; Cinnamon went to the main kitchens for it and their own lunch, since I wasn't about to talk them out of what they saw as simply doing their jobs again - double now that they had a very good reason to do them. Eh, it gave me more time to read up, an excuse not to use my own kitchen or make something (not that I had any skills worthy of note in the kitchen, or even that many pony-friendly recipes), and an excuse to not to try to take lunch with others in the castle... I could read in peace, which was important since the subject could get rather boring at times.

I still needed to perform a knowledge test to get the papers on my education, after all, and my math was already beyond most. History wasn't that big of a deal, as was geography, since normal information like simple facts were not something I could easily forget any more. Problem being that I had to acquire the knowledge in the first place, and reading was the safest option, no matter how boring it could be to read some of the sections. (Do ponies really need to go into that much detail or did Celestia feel like making my tests more difficult to account for my enhanced memory?)

Still, a plan began to form in my head. Little details from before, otherwise random comments from the ponies, seeing a character from a videogame... the new 'system' was starting to form. An incredibly ambitious project, literally spanning the entire world and reaching a little beyond, having such a humble beginning as a way to use my magic more efficiently until such a time I could use it without said assistance. Training wheels for magic snowballed into a way to ease the world's nature problems.

And the maids? Dusty just stood there through all that time (FOUR. HOURS) and randomly working a kink out of her bones, waiting for me to ask something of her, even though I said she could go do whatever... I (and the others) have the sneaking suspicion that she's like... a fourth Windigo or something. She's a pegasus, but she can stay still like its the most natural thing in the world! Willingly! Not to mention her love of high flying and frosty clouds.

Eh... let me elaborate. Pegasus ponies only stay still when resting in one way or another (sometimes not even then), never under any other circumstances - they are always looking at other things, or using their hooves and wings. It's the reason why waiting rooms include a book or two in addition to the latest magazines - yes, in Equestria, waiting rooms have up-to-date periodicals at all times.

Only guards and such train for being still without distractions, and even then, they make constant shifts in their awareness to cover all possible angles and such - and their shifts are shorter than the others (well, they have more breaks). Some, like doctors, use great dexterity to make careful movements and their powerful eyes to keep all details in mind... but even when waiting, their minds are in high gear, ready to spring into action at the slightest hint something was wrong. Fluttershy is a special case, since she 'trained' herself to be as still and gentle as possible (not that she had to try all that hard for the last one), due to all of her animal friends.

Sweet mercy, Fluttershy... she seriously contemplated not moving at all for six months that one time a bird's nest fell on her back. Mama bird insisted on getting her nest back on the tree, so it wasn't necessary in the end.

"She's a natural at staying still; just one more oddity to her. Even another animal- or plant-talent pegasus can't quite do that."

Trying to get a pegasus to forcibly remain still is a sure-fire way to cause them to freak-out. Seriously, it's over nine in ten odds of heightened emotions/sensitivity in those circumstances - the exceptions are mostly plant/animal talents, artisans, or those with one or more non-pegasus close relatives (well, I heard about some martial artists... though that's related to the guard thing).

In a good amount of cases, some might even go insane and suffer a small breakdown. Now Dash's 'I've got to fly' doesn't sound so childish any more, huh? Pretty much any pegasus you point at will be at the least weirded out/uncomfortable when forced to be unmoving without a purpose for more than a few minutes (most can convince themselves to do so if you can get them to think it's important, but it's going to bore them to tears, even most exceptions).

Dusty just so happens that doesn't, barring having to stretch or pop a joint, be it forced or willing; almost like a meditating unicorn sage or something. Well, Windigos are even worse than a jittery caffeinated pegasus, since self-aware ones are stupidly rare, but I was experimenting with the resonances... the effects are quite curious. She could also be a descendant from the local equivalent of the snow ladies on top of that, since she took way too well to the icy aspects of weather magic; picked them right up with little trouble.

(Also fits in with the fact that I just can't seem to attract the company of normal ponies further than acquaintances - all of my inner circle of friends and closer are non-standard in one way or another. Or a Griffon.)

"Strange ponies flock to you, particularly mares (though that is of no surprise given the gender ratio). What was I trying to say? Ah, right ... I am so proud!"

Your approval fills me with dread, Discord.

Back to the Windigo/pony resonances, though. It does play on some patterns I've noticed, and it was the reason that made me think that Windigos aren't native to the world - there are little indicators that they were something... different; the transit effects tried to 'ponify' them, and then all that failed halfway in. I still don't know if there are aware ones because of the ponification, or they lost their awareness due to the failure of the transition. Windigo magic behaves weirdly and on top of that it doesn't really depend on anger and disharmony as their bodies do; unlike Zero's, which had 'only' been a case of being too powerful for his own good (for something so insane, it's otherwise surprisingly stable and resilient to the change in shape - when not full of dark parasites, that is).

Still, I was trying to find something to get Dusty to stop staring at me like I was going to hurt myself if she let me out of her sight. Again.

I needn't have bothered, as I heard Fluttershy call my name because she really, really wanted me to hear her.

The problem being that it was at Royal Canterlot Voice level. Remember when I said that chaos magic tended to do 'amusing' things if you don't hold it firmly?

I tensed up, dropping the book I was levitating, and predictably hurting myself; I cried out from the burning sensation, and heard an 'eep' and the sound of a pegasus's backside hitting a wooden floor. Dusty herself was halfway to a heart attack and Cinnamon had nearly teleported to her side. Not literally, though.

"Ow." I quickly stood up, returning my arm to where it didn't hurt, and spoke. "Fluttershy, is there a reason you're contacting me like this?"

I wasn't feeling any burnout from either the dreamwalking or the hospital visit any more, just a sort of tiredness that comes with laziness, so I turned into a pegasus and popped a large tv screen in the middle of the room.

Well, the inevitable meeting finally happened.

There was Fluttershy (adorably scared stiff), Twilight (sighing and fetching the smelling salts), Bon-Bon (face-hoofing, thus not seeing the corresponding screen at their location)... and Lyra.

"-!"

And no. I am not in love love with Fluttershy, either. Discord, do not even THINK of giving them a technically-correct but incredibly-misleading comment about it.

And NO. The average Griffon is much worse than Lyra when it comes to humans - Lyra 'merely' likes to study about other cultures; their stories are just an interesting facet of the whole. Of course, then it came down to me opening up a whole new world full of its own civilizations and stories and music to her, so it was only obvious she'd want to talk to me. And there was the whole 'dreamscape adventures in another universe' thingy we had going on, too.

Ow, ow! Doc, you don't need to poke!

Time for my check-up, back in a few! Remember, if Discord tries to get you to test one of my projects, make sure it's the interdimensional care-package version, because you WILL need the manual for the full version.

Comments

[Arcane Anonymity]

3536548

Because she lived in Canterlot and is under the tutelage of a princess that has multiple reasons to teach her about etiquette? Being socially awkward is not the same as being ignorant.

Plus, she was already there.

[Big time brony]

Did you mean pay our was that supposed to be pie?

[Lazaro Sol]

Really? I think the king of a alien race that has thrived In travel throughout the multiverse can handle your "full version" without a manual. GIVE ME YOUR WORST!!

Foolhardily,
King Lazaro Sol of Ziolia

[Arcane Anonymity]

3539308

... oops.

Yes, I did.

3538707

Nope! That never passed through my mind when I wrote that.

I was thinking of this.

"And, because the only thing that could stop a wish from Nothing being granted was Nothing, the wish was granted."

3539331

The manual for the staff alone is many hundreds of pages long, you know. And most of the full version of anything can be used in conjunction with a whole lot more.

Think of the SKIP version as something small, but functional and individual. If you want, you can connect them, but you're going to have to work out the kinks yourself.

[Lazaro Sol]

3543470 kinks are my specialty! Only a different kind of kinks...
Either way I can handle it! And if I can't my son can just Bering me my tardis back.(if he's not being attacked by angel statues or daleks)

[Classy Toad]

And there's the whole 'Fluttershy wanting to be a tree' thing.

[Fireeaters]

Now to channel a guest that was on 'Equals Three', "Manuals are for pussies, my friend!"