> The Sorcerer of Equestria > by Artemis Prime > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1: A Sorcerer's Rebirth Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO POV. NEW YORK CITY.  Screams and cries of pain could be heard inside a hospital room, a woman laid in bed as she was surrounded by doctors and nurses "That's it, Mrs. Rogers. Just one more big push." The doctor said "GGGAAAH!" The woman screamed loudly one more time as she pushed. Soon the cries of a newborn infant filled the rooms as the doctor and nurses cleaned the baby and made sure the child was breathing right. Once done they bundled the small child in a blanket and handed the child to the woman "Congratulations Mrs. Rogers. It's a beautiful baby boy." The nurse smiled, the woman wept tears of joy as she held her son in her arms, smiling down at him "... Aaron. My little Aaron." She said as she held her baby close, wanting nothing more than to protect and love him.  18 Years Later. Aaron's POV "You fucking worthless brat!"  Crash! The sounds of shouting and a bottle smashing against the wall rang out as I gasped in pain, feeling the sharp broken glass of the bottle cut my cheek "Ah!" I yelped in pain as I held my now bleeding cheek, my father was in another one of his drunken rages, I was at the end of the hall and I could still smell the scent of alcohol on his breath.  "I said that dinner needed to be ready when I woke up, didn't I?!" My father stormed over to me and pushed me against the wall. My father was a large man, both in height and weight, he had a bit of muscle on him due to working as a landscaper.  "Y-Yes, but-" "So why the fuck didn't you cook fucking dinner?!" "T-There isn't a-anything to cook. W-We didn't go grocery shopping…." I said, averting my eyes as I was too scared to even look up at my father. "Why didn't you go shopping then? You got money, you little shit!" My father slapped me hard against the face, leaving my cheek now red from both blood and the force behind his slap. I had a simple newspaper route to earn a little bit of cash, although everything I earn my parents take or force me to buy things for them. "I-It's not a lot-" "No excuses! Go wash up and cover that face, I don't want anyone seeing that shit on you." My father spat in my face before walking away. I held back my tears as I made my way to the bathroom and shut the door, walking over to the sink. I winced as I pulled out a piece of glass from my cheek. I yelped in pain as I opened the cabinet, luckily I found one last band-aid inside and quickly put it on to stop the bleeding. I shut the cabinet and looked at myself in the mirror. I wasn't much to look at, I had white skin with a bit of a tan due to me working a lot outside, mostly to get some distance away from my parents. I have brown hair that covered a bit of my eyes and reached down my neck. It's been awhile since I had a hair cut, and I had light blue eyes. I was 6'0 but was built like a twig due to malnourishment. My clothes weren't anything special either, a dirty green shirt, ripped up jeans, and socks with a few holes in them.  I washed my face clean and looked at my hands, they had blisters on them from all the years I've been put to work and had a few cuts. I took a deep breath and tried to think of the few things that helped me get through life. If you can even call this life. I thought about my favorite superhero, Captain America, and my favorite TV show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Sure the show was for kids, but it helped me a lot growing up. I would watch it on the TV in the living room late at night or whenever my parents would be out. The jokes, lovable characters, and world drew me to the show. As for Captain America, I found a few of his comics while rummaging through a dumpster behind a McDonald's to find something to eat. When I first read it I was hooked on it. Seeing Captain America, a skinny kid turned mighty superhero inspired me to push on. Not to mention the lessons I learned from the two, how I should always do the right thing no matter what and never let greed or selfishness guide my actions.  I finished cleaning my face and stepped out of the bathroom, walking down the hall I passed the living room, seeing my dad and my step-mom. She was a young woman, in her late twenties, with blonde hair, brown eyes, and white skin.  "What are you looking at?" My step-mom, Leslie, asked while smoking a cigarette. Two years after I was born my mother passed away in a car accident and my dad blamed me for her death, which I guess is the reason why he treated me like this. He met his new girlfriend a few weeks after the incident and they were a match made in Hell. She treated me just as bad as my dad, using me like her personal slave and even forcing me to buy her new makeup. I glanced away and soon walked towards the door, putting on my shoes as I walked out the house. My house, like me, wasn't the best looking. It was rundown, the paint peeling off and the wood seemed to be moldy. I walked over to my bike and started riding off towards the grocery store. I took a deep breath and sighed softly, riding my bike gave me a small bit of peace, like I was flying and nothing could hurt me. I felt free.  "I wish this could be my life…" I said softly, I looked up at the clouds and smiled sadly, thinking back to my mom and hoped that she was up there resting. HALF AN HOUR LATER I was riding back to my house, the groceries I had in a basket at the front of my bike but I had to pedal a bit slower so as to not accidentally drop them. As I was pedaling I looked over and saw one of my neighbors, Mrs. Schneider, checking her mail. She saw me and waved at me. "Aaron, happy birthday! I can't believe it's been 18 years already. You grew up so fast." Mrs. Schneider smiled, I completely forgot. It is my birthday, but it's not like my dad does anything for me.  "Thanks, Mrs. Schneider. I almost forgot today was my birthday." I chuckled. Mrs. Schneider walked over to me and handed me a small gift wrapped box "Happy birthday." I gasped as I looked at the gift, I didn't expect this. Mrs. Schneider was one of the few people I knew who treated me kindly. I opened the gift and saw that it was a recorder. "For whenever you have an idea and don't want to forget it." She explained. I smiled at her and gave her a hug, thanking her for the wonderful gift "Thanks, this means a lot. Listen, I gotta go, but it was nice seeing you." I waved goodbye as I then pedaled my way back to my house, tucking the recorder in my pocket. Grabbing the groceries I went inside and went to the kitchen, upstairs I could hear thumping and moans. "Crap…" I groaned as I now had to listen to that. I shivered in disgust as I started cooking, trying to block out the noise as I cooked. After half an hour I cooked some pasta with marinara sauce. My dad and stepmom came down and soon started eating their food, I sat in silence as I ate, the two talked as if I didn't even exist. Until my father spat out some of the food and threw the plate off the table. "Gah! The hell?! The fucking food taste raw! Are you trying to get me sick, you little shit?!" My father screamed at me. "N-No! I-I-I swear I didn't-" Smack! My father backhanded me across my face, knocking me to the floor. I quickly reached into my pocket and turned on the recorder, luckily my father was too busy taking off his belt to notice it. "I raised you! I kept you even after you killed your mother! And this is how you repay me?!" My father raised his hand and started beating me with the steel buckle of his belt. I whimpered and cried as he beat me, trying in vain to shield myself from him when suddenly he stopped. I looked up with tear stained eyes and saw my stepmom had stopped him. "Stop, baby. You shouldn't be using this." My stepmom said sweetly before she then stomped on my hand with her heel. "You gotta make sure the little brat knows to stay in line and not fuck up!" She shouted. The two laughed as they teamed up together to beat me. I could do nothing but lie there and take it. After what felt like an eternity, they finally stopped, leaving me on the ground, bruised, bloodied, and beaten. Tears streamed from my eyes as I quietly cried, fearing that if I'm too loud they'll come back and continue beating me. "No more! No more!" I thought as I balled up my fists. I shut the recorder off and silently snuck out of the house. When I closed the door, I pulled out my dad’s phone which I snuck from out of the living room and dialed 911. NO POV. High above the sky, past the clouds, there were two figures watching down over the world, watching as things transpired between Aaron and his dad and stepmom. One of the figures wept in their hands as they saw the cruel acts that were happening to the poor boy. The figure turned to the other and pleaded. "Please… he doesn't deserve this! He's a good boy. I'm begging you, give him a chance!" The figure pleaded. The other, a female with a pair of wings like an angel and a horn on her head, looked down at the boy as he dialed the police on his father’s phone, rage and heartache building inside her as she nodded. "I cannot turn a blind eye to this injustice, not anymore. Especially when children are involved." The female figure with wings and a horn said, a flash of light glowing from her eyes. Fate shall be changed, and soon, for the poor boy, where a better life will be in store for him. Aaron had stolen his father's phone out of the living room as he and his stepmom were asleep. He then dialed 911 and called the police. It took a while but the police soon came to the house, banging on the door.  "NYPD! Open up!" The police officer called out. Aaron's father opened the door, confusion written on his face as he stared at the two officers "We received word of a domestic abuse call coming from this residence."  "Abuse? That's crazy! Ain't nothing happened here!" Aaron's father said, flatly denying this. "He's lying!" From the end of the hall Aaron stood there, his face badly bruised and beaten. Holding up the tape recorder, he played it and the sounds of both his father and stepmom abusing him could be heard. "He and my stepmom have been abusing me for years since I was two years old! They treated me like a slave, forcing me to cook, clean, shop, and work for hours and hours and hours, years upon years!" Aaron shouted, tears in his eyes. The police officers were quick to go in and cuff Aaron's father. Aaron's stepmom came downstairs to see what was happening and was soon handcuffed as well. The cops read them their rights and led them to their car, shoving the two into the back. One of the officers walked up to Aaron with a sympathetic look in his eyes. "These two will be taken into custody. Will you be willing to speak up against them in court, young man?" The officer asked. "I didn't suffer all those years just to sit back and watch. I'll gladly speak up against them." Aaron said, the officer nodded and then handed Aaron his personal number. "When a court date is set I'll let you know. I'll even drop you off there, too." He offered. He looked in sympathy at Aaron and said, "You may not remember me, but I met you after you were born. Your mother and I were friends in high school. We were still friends even after high school. If you ever want to talk, call me, Aaron." Aaron thanked the officer with tears in his eyes and hugged the officer, thanking him. Aaron watched as they soon drove away, for once in his life he could actually have a good night's sleep without the fear of another beating. NO POV, 3 HOURS LATER… As Aaron slept a figure appeared by his bedside, looking down at him. The figure was surrounded in a faint glowing hue and wore a white gown, the figure of the being appeared to be female. The woman slowly leaned down, her delicate hands gently caressing Aaron's cheek. "You grew up in such a harsh life, and yet you have a heart so pure and full of light. I'm so sorry, my sweet boy, but I promise that you will have the life you deserve after the court trial." The woman then shed a small tear as she leaned down and placed a kiss on Aaron's forehead before she disappeared with a tearful smile. > Chapter 2: A Sorcerer's Rebirth Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Days Later, Courthouse, No POV… Aaron was sitting down next to his lawyer, one provided by the state, as they all awaited for the judge to begin the hearing. Aaron glanced over and saw his dad and stepmom sitting over on the next table with their lawyer, the two staring at him so intently that it felt like they were staring right into Aaron's soul. Aaron gulped and shivered in fear until the hand of his lawyer touched his shoulder. "They wouldn't dare try anything in here, and with the evidence you have this case will be an open and shut one." The lawyer comforted Aaron, this helped ease him tremendously as Aaron let out a small sigh of relief. Finally, the day he has been dreaming about is finally at hand. He can finally say goodbye to the nightmare that was his life. Aaron looked up and saw the Judge appear on his desk and slammed his gavel. "I am the honorable Judge Brown. This court is now in session. Mr. Johnson, please begin your opening statement." The Judge said. Aaron's Lawyer, Mr. Johnson stood up and cleared his throat. "Thank you, your honor. What we have here today is a clear case of domestic abuse caused by the parents of my client. Medical records, statements by the officers who arrived at the scene, as well as the tape recorder provided by my client clearly proves that my client was in a hostile home environment and has been a victim of abuse since he was a child." Mr. Johnson finished his opening statement. "Mrs. Cheng, how do you plead?" "Not guilty, your honor." The few people in the courtroom talked amongst themselves after hearing this, many called them out saying that they had no real case and that they were guilty, but a few took their side and theorized that Aaron was just overreacting. The Judge slammed his gavel to retain order in the courtroom. "Mrs. Cheng, please begin your statement." "Thank you, your honor. Ladies and gentlemen, my client is a man who goes above and beyond for his son, working day and night to provide a home, food, clothing, and a loving household for his son. Sixteen years ago my client lost his wife, and he has been raising his child on his own for years. The long nights, the stress and hardships of parenthood, a single parent at that, and doing everything he can to give his son a good life. Is he perfect? No, nobody is. But he gives it everything he has." Mrs. Cheng finished her statement, her words convinced a few more people in the court as they were now sympathetic of the two. "Mr. Johnson, your rebuttal." All eyes were now on Aaron's lawyer. "Your honor, my client has suffered physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of his father and stepmother, if you can even call them that. Mr. Rogers and his girlfriend have taken out their frustrations on his own son, blaming him for his own problems and shortcomings, even going so far as to blame his own child for the death of his wife. For the people in the courtroom who have children, let me ask you something: Would you go out of your way to harm your own child on purpose?" "Objection, your honor." Mrs. Cheng tried to cut off Mr. Johnson, but fortunately the Judge silenced her. "Aaron Rogers is a remarkable young man. He has suffered for years under the hands of his abusers, and yet he carries on and stays strong." Mr. Johnson sat down and the Judge spoke up. "Mrs. Cheng, anything you wish to say?" "Yes, your honor. If you look here, this is an incident in which Aaron Rogers broke into the local McDonald's and attempted to steal from the restaurant. In the report his father not only paid for the damages but also paid off for all the food his son had ruined. My client looked out for the well-being of his son and gave up his hard earned cash to prevent his son from facing serious consequences." The bailiff took the report from Mrs. Cheng handed it to the judge who proceeded to look it over. "Aaron Rogers, do you acknowledge that this report is true?" Judge Brown asked, Aaron nervously nodded. "B-But-" "But this shows that my client is a father who is merely doing what he can for his son with what he has." Mrs. Cheng continued. "Although I guess it doesn't help if the child is a delinquent who blames others for his problems."  "Objection, your honor." Mr. Johnson stood up. "If my client was truly a delinquent as my opponent claims then why would he be stealing food in the first place? Clearly my client was starving and saw it as his only option, a clear sign of negligence."  "Your honor, I'd like to-" "No." A voice called out as Ms. Schneider stepped forward. "Ma'am, this is a courtroom. You can't just barge in here unannounced! Your honor." Mrs. Cheng tried to object. "I'll allow it, if she has a good reason for disturbing an ongoing trial." Judge Brown said while looking at the elderly woman. "You have the floor, ma'am."  "Thank you, your honor." Ms. Schneider walked up to the stand and sat down. "I have known Aaron for years, he is a young man with a kind heart, a gentle hand, and a strong sense of what is right. Has he made mistakes? Who hasn't? Does he always do what's right in the end? You're damn right he does. What I've known about Mr. Rogers, his father, if you can even call him that, is that he has been taking his problems out on Aaron since he was a child. I know this because I've heard the yelling and screaming every time for years when I walk by while I'm walking my dog. Mr. Rogers even had the gall to scream and curse at me, telling me to, and I'm putting it lightly, 'mind your own f'ing business, you old hag'. I have wanted to call social services for a long time, but I was afraid to do so out of fear. I'm just glad one of us finally worked up the courage to do so, because I know that Aaron never should have suffered from this for so many years. I'm sorry I didn't do more, Aaron. But I'm glad you finally took your fate into your own hands." Mrs. Schneider stood up and walked over to Aaron at his table and hugged him, which Aaron returned the gesture. Mrs. Schneider turned back to the judge and said, "If you have any sense of justice as your standing indicates, Judge Brown, I hope you make the right choice and put away the real monsters in this courtroom today." Mrs. Schneider walked back to her seat in the audience and sat back down. Judge Brown just sat there, looking down in a pensive state. Then he took his gavel and hit it down a couple of times. "We will recess for two hours." Judge Brown said. "After that, based on the character witness testimony of Mrs. Schneider about Aaron Rogers as well as the evidence presented by Aaron Rogers, I will deliver a summary judgment. This court will be back in session in two hours." Judge Brown slammed his gavel down one more time, after which he got up and walked to his office behind him while everyone filed out to get something to eat while they waited for court to reconvene. 2 hours later, No POV… "Alright, this court is back in session." Judge Brown said, slamming his gavel down. "Before I deliver my summary judgment, I will say that it was not easy coming to this decision. But after hearing the character witness testimony of Aaron Rogers from Mrs. Schneider, the only one who treated him with kindness despite the life he was forced to live, I have made a summary judgment in this matter. Mr. Rogers, Leslie Carter, stand up." Aaron's father and stepmom both stood up and looked at the judge, their lawyer standing with them. "It is the summary judgment of this court that for the charges of child neglect, abuse, and exploitation of the past 16 years, that you are hereby sentenced to 40 years in Rikers Island without the possibility of parole." Mr. Rogers and Leslie both looked horrified at the judge. "Furthermore, I'm also putting in place a no-contact order, effective immediately. If you two ever try to contact Aaron, whether by yourselves or by proxy, your sentence will be increased to life without parole. Also, any assets you have, as well as any monetary gains you forced out of him, will all be going to Aaron, and the money you forced him to use on yourselves will be paid back as part of your legal fees. Bailiff, get these two monsters out of my sight." The entire courtroom erupted in cheers, as the ones who started to be sympathetic to Aaron's father and stepmother turned against them after hearing Mrs. Schneider's testimony. Aaron's father and stepmother both looked at him with murderous looks as the bailiff and his co-bailiff dragged them away. "This is far from over, you little shit!" Aaron's father said angrily, not realizing the judge could hear him. "After what you just said, the sentence is now life without the possibility of parole." Judge Brown said, slamming his gavel down. "And to make sure that you cannot contact him, you will be placed in the maximum security wing of Rikers Island, no allowance of contact with the outside." Judge Brown then looked at Aaron with a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry for what they did to you, young man. But I can only imagine how much you must be feeling right now." "That I'm finally free?" Aaron said, tears of happiness falling down his cheeks. "You can't imagine how long I've been waiting for this day to come. I just wish my mother was here." "I'm sure she was, young man." Judge Brown said with a smile. "I also came to the decision that, with the help of the State of New York, you will be given a proper home, furniture and food included, as well as a monthly stipend until you can get back on your feet. The officers who were witnesses to your plight told me of the decrepit conditions of your current home. So until your new home is chosen, which will be fully paid for, you will have to stay in your old one. But we will make sure you have plenty of food to last you for the next two months. Just try not to go overboard if you can." Judge Brown smiled in good-natured humor. "After how little I've eaten over the years because of their abuse, your honor, I can't promise you that, but I'll try." Aaron said with a tearful smile. Judge Brown just laughed and said, "Then eat to your heart's content. I hope you make the best of your life, Aaron. You deserve it after all. This court is adjourned." Judge Brown said, slamming his gavel down one last time as he stood up and walked over to Aaron, shaking his hand. “Good luck, young man.” “Thanks.” Aaron said, smiling. As the judge walked away, Aaron walked out of the courtroom with his lawyer and was swamped by reporters, some of whom were inside during the trial. One of them ran up to Aaron while holding his microphone in Aaron’s face. Mr. Johnson was about to push him away, but Aaron waved him off, to which Mr. Johnson nodded and allowed the reporter to speak. “Mr. Rogers, Carl Jenkins from ABC7 New York.” The reporter identified as Carl said. “Tell us, after suffering through this for all this time since you were two years old, is there anything you have to say now that your father and stepmother, if you can even call them that, are finally getting the justice that they deserve?” Aaron just looked down and thought about his response for a few moments before he looked back at Carl and smiled. “All I can say is that I'm finally free.” Aaron said, a smile on his face. “I will always do the right thing, like my favorite superhero, Captain America, despite what I've been through. No matter what comes my way, I will always stand tall and be on the side of justice, just like Steve Rogers, aka Captain America.” Aaron then left and got in the car with his attorney, leaving for his home. “Did you get all that Johnny?” Carl asked his cameraman as Aaron got in the car with Mr. Johnson. Aaron looked out the window as the car began to move, a huge smile on his face and tears of vindication falling down his cheeks. Deep down, he knew Judge Brown was right, his mother was here today, and she was always on his side. — 3 hours later, 5:30 PM, Home, Aaron’s POV… After getting a bunch of groceries with Mr. Johnson’s help, even though I invited him to stay for dinner to thank him, he politely declined, saying he had another case, but he was willing to help me with the groceries first. After we shook hands and said our goodbyes, I called Mrs. Schneider and invited her to dinner after I got it ready and cooked it in two hours. She happily agreed and said she would even bring Sparky, her dog, who was also nice to me, like he knew about my plight all along. Sparky alway held a sympathetic look in his eyes, like he knew, but obviously he couldn’t say anything. I think that’s what tipped Mrs. Schneider off to what was happening. While I thought about all of this, I grabbed a couple of New York Strip steaks and slapped them on the propane grill I bought for some of the food I bought. I had coated the steaks in a coating of mesquite barbeque seasoning. While the steaks were grilling, I had the pot of buttery garlic flavored instant mashed potatoes on the side burner of the grill and checked on that. While I was thinking about everything that had happened, including the events of today, I just smiled and sighed. Everything that I had been through was all a test, and it seemed like I passed. I’m just glad that I will never have to see their faces ever again. An hour later, I set the two plates of steak and potatoes down on the table after I cleaned it off from what happened three days ago. After I set the plate for Mrs. Schneider on the spot across from where I was going to sit, I heard the doorbell ring. I smiled as I also heard barking, knowing exactly who it was. I ran to the door and opened it, smiling at Mrs. Schneider, who smiled back. Sparky, despite being 9 years old, seemed to have been given a second wind and jumped me, licking my face happily. “I'm happy to see you too, Sparky.” I said, giving Sparky the ear scritches he always liked getting from me whenever I was able to stop and say hello. “Sparky, you want some steak?” Sparky barked once while panting with a smile. “Come on in, Sparky. You too, Mrs. Schneider. Thanks for coming.” “I wouldn’t dream of not coming, Aaron.” Mrs. Schneider said with a smile. She walked up to me and gave me a hug, which I returned. After we let each other go, she looked at me and said, “How are you holding up?” “A lot better now that they’re gone.” I said with a smile. “I know you don’t eat meat because you’re vegan. But because this is a celebration, would you care for a New York Strip steak and buttery garlic instant mashed potatoes just this once?” “Well…” Mrs. Schneider said, looking unsure. Then she smiled and shrugged. “One steak won’t hurt. And you’re right, it’s cause for a celebration. You’ve earned it after all.” “Thanks. You first.” I said, opening the door for her all the way, after which she walked in and unleashed Sparky, who immediately hopped into my arms and licked my face. “Okay, easy Sparky. We’ll have dinner soon.” I said, setting the dog down, whose tail was wagging. We walked into the dining room where a plate was for me and Mrs. Schneider each, but I grabbed one more steak and set it in Sparky’s dog bowl and set it in front of him. He started eating it with gusto while me and Mrs. Schneider sat in front of our own plates. “Dinner is served, Mrs. Schneider.” I said to my only friend, digging into the mashed potatoes first. “Wow, this is really good, Aaron.” Mrs. Schneider said, complimenting my cooking. “Where did you learn to cook this good?” “You'd be surprised.” I said with a chuckle. After dinner was done, I was washing the dishes while Mrs. Schneider was sitting in the living room with Sparky, who was asleep with a full stomach. After I put the last dish on the drying rack, I walked up to Mrs. Schneider who put her hand on my shoulder. “Aaron, I know that you have been through a great ordeal, but you haven't faced anything yet to truly test you, ones that truly make you battle your own morals and sense of justice. Yes, I know you have a strong will after living the way you have, but a single event can bend that will, and when that day comes that you face that ordeal, you must ask yourself: ‘Am I strong enough? Can I hold up my own beliefs?’ You must be ready for that day." I just looked at her with shock and awe at what she just said, not expecting her to say something like that. I place my hand on top of her own while letting a few tears fall. “You know something, don't you, Mrs. Schneider? Your gift again?” I whispered. She silently nodded and smiled. Then she wrapped me in the warmest hug I had ever had in a long time. “Just know that you were like the grandson I never had. And no matter where life takes you from here on out, I'll always be proud of you, Aaron.” Mrs. Schneider said. After we let go of each other from our hug, I knelt down next to Sparky, who was whimpering. I patted his head and scratched his ears. I'm smiling a tearful smile at this point. “One day, we will see each other again, old friend. But it seems momma is right. And I'll always love you, Sparky. You were always so good to me. You were like the best friend I never had. Goodbye, my friend.” I said with one more ear scritch and pat on his head. Sparky gave me a light lick on my nose and walked out the door with Mrs. Schneider. I swear I almost heard a voice in my head when he looked back at me before turning to walk down the sidewalk with Mrs. Schneider. I learned to never question Mrs. Schneider's gift. So after I put on some pajamas and climbed into bed, I went to sleep with a smile, knowing that Mrs. Schneider was right: I was someone who she could be proud of. — Dreamscape, No POV… Aaron was still sleeping in his bed when he heard a voice that sounded familiar but then he heard something only one person had said to him. “My little soldier, you finally made it.” The female voice said to Aaron. And that was when he realized that it was his mother that said that. But it couldn’t be possible. His mother died when he was two years old. Groggily he opened his eyes and when he looked to his left, he saw someone who he thought looked familiar to him, but he did not recognize the woman before him who was caressing his head like a mother would their child. “Who… are you?” Aaron asked, despite not knowing who this was, he felt at ease from her caressing his head, like he knew her from before. “Do I know you?” “Yes, Aaron, you do know me.” The woman smiled. “I used to call you my little soldier, because I would tell you stories of my favorite superhero when I was a little girl. And I was the one who made sure you found those Captain America comics in that dumpster. They were once mine. You may think you may have been alone when you were dealing with your father, but I was always watching over you ever since I had to go.” Aaron’s eyes went wide at what the woman had just said. His eyes welled up with tears as he realized who she was. “M-Mom? Is that really you?” Aaron asked, tears streaming down his face. She smiled and nodded, pulling him into the biggest hug that she could muster for Aaron, openly crying herself. “Yes, Aaron. I’ve been waiting for you to arrive for a long time, my son.” Aaron’s mom said. “What do you mean?” Aaron asked, wiping his eyes. “You’ll see, Aaron.” Aaron’s mom said, walking down the hallway. “She helped me bring you here. She and I were in agreement to give you a fresh start in a place that you seem to be very fond of. But I’m sure you’ll recognize her. After all…” Aaron’s mom looked back at him with a smile and said, “She’s the mother of two of that place’s former princesses.” Aaron scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out who his mom was talking about. But then his eyes went wide when he realized who she was talking about. “Lady Faust helped you bring me here?” Aaron asked, shocked. “She’s actually for real and not just a fanmade character?” His mom giggled and ruffled his hair as she said, “You were always smart for your age, my little soldier. Yep, I think you’ll be just fine. But first…” His mom knocked on the door, and after a pleasant ‘come in’, she opened it and waved her son through. “I’ll be there when you leave, son. But this is something you must talk to Lady Faust about yourself.” I nodded and walked through the door, and when I stepped through it, I was in a house, or mansion, I don’t know. All I know is the interior seemed familiar to me. “It should seem familiar, young man.” A regal, almost motherly-sounding voice said from the top of the steps. When I turned to the source of the voice, I was mesmerized by how human she looked, well, almost human. She looked human as far as her body, because instead of hooves like a normal anthropomorphic pony, she had human-looking legs and feet with beautiful shoes on her feet like she was out of a Greek painting. If I had to guess, her outfit made her look like Hippolyta from Wonder Woman, but with modern shoes. Her face was tell-tale that she was a pony, though it looked mostly human as far as her head, her muzzle was slightly extended, and the ears on top of her head instead of the sides and a horn and a pair of wings coming out of her forehead and back respectfully. Her mane and tail were a deep auburn red and her fur and feathers were a white-cream color. “After all, I designed it based on one of your favorite, what did you call them? Superheroes? Fascinating concept.” Lady Faust said with a smile, walking down the steps. “Though I did try to base it off of the movie version of him. And because of the nature of where you’re going and the powers you’ll have, I figured it would be most appropriate to have a base of operations like the original.” “But why me?” I asked, almost hysterically. “Why am I so special, out of so many other billions of people who are fans of your world, Lady Faust. Why choose someone who was nearly killed because of abuse like myself? What makes me so special?” I just see Lady Faust staring back at me, again with a motherly look and smile to match. I was surprised when she walked up and pulled me into a hug. I may have been surprised at her strength, but I for some reason didn’t want to pull away, lest I upset her. “Because despite the fact that you had been through so much, you still remained strong in the face of adversity. And that is why I think you would be the perfect candidate for this, and your mother and I are not the only ones who think so.” “Who else?” I asked, wondering who else knew about me. “Ahahah, no spoilers.” Faust said, pulling back from the hug and booping me on the nose, making me chuckle. “When the time comes, he will reveal himself to you. And no, it’s not that old stuffy Starswirl the Bearded Ego. You would think that he learned from his mistake with Stygian, but nope, went right back to being his old self.” I laughed out loud, the thought of calling Starswirl the Bearded ‘Starswirl the Bearded Ego’ just to get him riled up for screwing up trying to learn the magic of friendship by burning his bridges with Stygian all because of his mess-ups of not acknowledging Stygian as an equal. “Yeah, that sounds like something he would do.” I said while still laughing, having already gotten over the fact that Faust was just like any other mare, she preferred to be treated as such and as such preferred to act like such around others. “It’s pretty pathetic. I know without a doubt I would never make that mistake as a sorcerer…” All of a sudden, my train of thought stopped as I then realized why I recognized the interior of the house, and who Faust said thought I was a good choice. Only three certain words came to mind… ‘Multiverse of Madness’. “Stephen Strange?” I replied in awe. “He knows about me? But doesn’t he realize that our Earth thinks he’s fictional?” “I would answer that, as your mother said, you are quite smart, smarter than most ponies your age. But our time is up.” Faust said, smiling as she handed me a ring with a ruby. “This is connected to the ethereal realm. If you ever need guidance, or if you ever want to see your mother, just go to bed while wearing it.” I took the ring and slipped it on my left index finger, seeing it fit perfectly. Before I knew it, I was engulfed in an ethereal glow and when I looked down at myself after the glow disappeared, I saw I was in sorcerer's clothing, like the ones from Pathfinder. “Not only will that ring be your connection to the ethereal realm, but it's also the source of your own inherent magic.” Lady Faust said to me, looking at me with a serious look on her face. “But while you train under Stephen Strange, who can only show up at your version of the Sanctum Sanctorum, but can't go outside of it, you must always wear that ring. Then one day, once you've truly mastered your magic, you can remove it and access the ethereal realm and use your magic without it. But never lose that ring, for there are dark forces that are conspiring for Equestria’s and the Crystal Empire’s downfall, and you're the one who can defeat it, but only once you've healed from the trauma of the past and allowed the magic of friendship and love into your heart.” She then smiled and gave me another motherly hug. “But I think you will be just fine. I wouldn't have chosen you if your mother wasn't so insistent.” “Yeah, she is always like that, but she means well.” I said as I laughed. After I pulled away from the hug, my mom came into the room. I hugged her tightly but gently, to which she returned the gesture wholeheartedly and began to cry with a smile. “We'll see each other again, Mom. Don't cry.” I said as I hugged her. She sniffled and shook her head, still smiling. “I'm not sad, Aaron. I'm happy for you.” My mom said, smiling. “You're getting to fulfill a dream that from what I saw with Faust, so many people can only dream of doing. So not only are you going to train your magic with Dr. Strange to face the coming darkness, you'll be carrying the hopes and dreams of so many children and adults on your shoulders to protect Equis. Even though you have magic, go and be the little soldier that I know you are, my son.” I nodded as I turned around to face Lady Faust and I closed my eyes and said only six words, “I'm ready. Beam me up, Scotty.” The next thing I knew, I passed out and felt cold.