Lux Festus, the youngest and last wielder of the Philosphers Stone sacrificed himself to save the future of Earth from the darker side of humanity. However, God had other plans for the early teen, besides the afterlife.
Lux Festus, the youngest and last wielder of the Philosphers Stone sacrificed himself to save the future of Earth from the darker side of humanity. However, God had others plans for the early teen, besides the afterlife. Which of course, was a reincarnation to another world! But Lux failed to comprehend the sheer differences between his world of alchemy and the new world of magic.
Will Lux be able to understand and regain the childhood he had lost, or will his past life catch up to him? Find out in Season 1.
Heaven on Earth. A phrase that most would deem to be impossible to apply in reality, but not for Lux Festus at this very moment. The kid laid motionless on solid ground, like all his energy was zapped from him and he couldn’t complain, as what he had done made his impending doom predictable.
Only his fading eyes resembled any form of life so he chose to make do with what he had and stared into the boundless night sky shining light below the canopy of newly-sprouting trees, birthed from his final stand.
The moon gave thanks to the dawn of a new age by illuminating the foliage around the forest, revealing swarms of fireflies floating away from their hiding spots and dancing along the skyline for Lux to spectate.
This is for the best, Lux thought, his mouth barely able to make a sound, all of this pointless bloodshed can finally come to a close…
His past alchemy instructors had always pestered him about life flashing before his eyes on the brink of death.The optimistic Lux of the past would laugh at the lecture at every turn, yet he could finally understand the poetic beauty behind it.
It all flowed into the poor kid in a matter of seconds: His desired enlistment into Aide Academy, the gruelling training to upstage his fellow up-coming alchemist prodigies and the fool-hardy joy he experienced when he reached the top and gained the Philosophers Stone as his duty commanded.
His skin went paler by the second and his eyelids grew heavier with every blink, not just the fatigue of death gripping his form but from the treasured gem of the world he swore to use for his nation, lodged in his chest, had its fiery sparks of life drained from the spherical jewel.
Unusable. Just as he expected.
All that was left was for oblivion to embrace the soul that laid trapped in his moral shell.
Heh… dying is much colder than I imagined
From black to white, the surroundings shifted into the unexpected as, to the kid’s surprise, his originally unmoving body had regained mobility. The more unnerving circumstance however, was that he was unclothed and his skin bore a translucent blue.
“So there IS such a thing as the afterlife,” Lux stated aloud to the bright void, “and here I thought I’d be eviscerated into the universe. Though,”-
He took another glance at the presumed afterlife and facepalmed-
“I’d rather be erased than spend all eternity wandering a plain of absolute nothingness.”
Another double-take and Lux strolled through the expansive wasteland to find at least something to do. And in a few minutes of boredom and a gradually expanding sense of panic, he reached his answer as a voice spoke out.
“Welcome my dear child,” it echoed. In response to the emergence of an unknown presence, the boy stood still and showed his classic ‘I am not affected by this whatsoever’ look, in case the thing decided to pop in front of him for the sake of giggles.
“May I ask who I’m speaking to?” Lux questioned. “Cause me going under a loopy episode before my inevitable demise is slowly becoming more plausible by the second.”
The voice chuckled at the peculiar comment. “I suppose it would be easier if I unveil myself before you. Don’t be afraid, child, as I mean no harm to you.”
Once Lux had noticed the voice could be heard from behind, he turned around to discover the mastermind behind his current predicament.
It was a human to Lux’s relief, resembling an old man built like a viking who wore: a silky white toga latched onto its left shoulder with gold strings laced along the edges, wooden sandals that shone like they were fresh from the chopping block, carved to perfection and a blood ink tattoo on both of its palms that bore the same sign as the Philosopher’s Stone.
Although he had never seen the figure in any textbooks in the academy, its ethereal warmth and resolute smile, only a father could replicate, was all too familiar to Lux, “Are you… God?” he exclaimed in a shocked tone, tapping his fingers on his hands in suspense, while his emerald eyes remained unblinking towards the otherworldly figure.
“I believe you already understand son,” it said, stroking its curly beard, “and I must say, the form you imagined for me is quite flattering!” To emphasise God's appreciation, it flexed their muscles like a typical bodybuilder. Flux took no time at all to twist his neck the other way.
“P-please stop that!” Lux ordered gently, his cheeks heating up that rivalled his fire alchemy. “If you truly are God, could we be somewhere else than here? I feel like I'm going blind.”
The God returned its gaze towards Lux who was squinting at the figure with every blink. “Oh! I’m sorry about that my boy, this space hasn’t been used since I made it during the Earth's creation so I felt no need to decorate.”
Instead of a snap of a finger or a chant like Lux expected, the dull space took no incentive from the God as it warped into an assortment of colours and solidified. The area became a rose garden that Lux would find no difference between the backyards of snobby high-class residents from his town, adorned with a marble gazebo and a classical table set made of oak.
“Now if you please son,” the God said as he sat on a chair, sipping a cup of coffee that popped out of nowhere on the table with a range of pastries and drinks, “would you take a seat? And have a treat. It should ease the mood”
Lux nodded warmly at the much cosier environment and sat in the chair opposite to the God. He would ask how he could taste anything without his physical body but since his last bountiful meal happened weeks ago, he chose to forgo his curiosity and embrace the feast. He grabbed a piece of toast and shredded it out of existence. The taste was something that Flux couldn’t put his tongue on but it was the best thing he ever ate since chocolate cake so he wasn’t complaining.
And so he continued while the God paused at the chomping display and smiled lovingly. “I’m glad your appetite hasn’t changed, the pounds of food I could see you eat in a minute was beyond astounding even for me!”
Lux froze mid bite and slowly returned a glazed donut back on its plate. “Uhm, sorry…” Lux whispered, so quietly that no one could pick it up.
“Oh no worries, I’m just teasing you,” God replied, undeterred by a low-pitched apology, “but I think I’ve done enough of that. At this point, I can sense you understand that I don’t do this idle chatting for every soul that passes the veil.”
“Is it serious? L-look I’m sorry about all those missions from the Belicus government-” Lux wallowed. He had a feeling it was leading up to some horrid punishment for what he blindly chose to do but God put that thought at ease with a knowing wave.
“No, but you’re on the right track my boy,” God said with much less enthusiasm than before, “you see, I may only watch from the confines of my realm, but I can’t help but…humbly apologise for what your birth had done to you. The path of alchemy is supposed to be a road to new life, wondrous experiences and yet you suffered a fate no seasoned adult should swallow.”
God placed its elbows on the table and held its head in its hands; eyes shut as if pondering the next words carefully while Lux stiffened in his seat, awaiting a response.
“With every new conduit born from the Philosopher's Stone I saw their hunger for power grow more and more prominent,” the God gripped its hands together with its eyes closed in shame, “when I created it for the first 20 humans, it was a branch of trust. I had fulfilled my desires to create the universe and so it was humanity's turn to shepard life beyond my interference.”
Lux could see the figure’s face shrivel up as it covered its face with its hands, still held tight, avoiding his unrelenting gaze “Yet a few million years later, they use it for war and personal gain, gate-keeping its power to a select few on the excuse of regulating its conduit. The hoarding of such might resulted in assassinations and invasions that I know you’re all too familiar with.”
Lux solemnly nodded. Calling back to the hundreds of attempts on his life from desperate organisations, unprovoked. He knew the responsibilities of holding that Stone and yet the brimmed excitement he once held for the position died out in a matter of months.
“Yeah,” he replied, watching the starry night sky that mirrored the scenery he saw on his deathbed. “I always thought of the Conduits as heroes. People that do nothing but help their friends and country, to protect them from harm. I know I wasn’t the only one who wanted to be like that but it didn’t make it any less special.”
The Philosopher's Stone held the ability to grant alchemists the control over life. Not the concept itself but through the 20 signs of alchemy, which the average person could only use one depending on their dominant genetics passed from the first human alchemists; two if they trained hard enough. As simple as it sounded, the process took years to master just one sign although Lux didn’t understand why.
The recall of basic knowledge brought another memory to light as he thought back to the first spells he made with it and how he hopped around the training grounds after every success to the chagrin of his friends and classmates.
Man I’m gonna miss the feeling of electricity in my hands.
Unfortunately, his time to recall old times came to a close when God stood up from his chair. “You however, reverted the world into the paradise I once called perfect. Now the lives I cherished can start anew and hopefully come to understand the importance of love and friendship through such a sudden reset,”
Lux got out of his own chair to stand in front of God as it motioned a hand for him to do so. Once he was close enough, the originally towering God that stood half a foot taller than the kid, knelt down to meet the boy at eye level, “and for that I must thank you, my child. If it weren’t for your sacrifice, billions more souls would’ve damned themselves for a false ideal.” God said sincerely, to which Lux had no response. The Bringer of Life was thanking him? It was surely something to take to his grave -or to his new life if it was gonna come to that.
Eventually, Lux bowed in courtesy. “Please raise your head sir, that doesn’t change the fact that I was apart of that cycle to begin with… the blood I’ve spilt was still my choice,” Lux choked on those last words, the atrocities still weighing on his mind, “but as lovely and wholesome this chat was, I think it’s time you send me to heaven or hell.”
The God blinked a few times, dumbfounded at the kid.
He thinks he could go to Hell… how could I let things end this way? No matter, it only proves his worth even more than before.
“Oh heavens no!” God answered, waving its hands in front of its face. “I need to make amends, child. And I know just the thing.”
Lux tilted his head with a blank face. “So what do you have in mind?”
“I haven’t done this for any human but I believe you have the right to do more with your mortal life. Which is why I shall reincarnate you into a new body!” It boomed enthusiastically. “You’re a child wise beyond your years Lux, and though as much as your kind praise you for it, that isn’t how a child should be. You should have fun, play around, make friends like all 13 year olds do…”
The boy raised his eyebrows in shock. He had been aiming towards mastering alchemy and his duty as a Conduit to even think of doing other things, so with the prospect dangled in front of him, the kid gave God a thumbs up. “I see nothing wrong with it. Another shot at life WOULD be fun,” Lux replied in a playful tone while nodding to himself, “maybe now I can figure out the fuss about adulthood!”
Sweat glistened on God’s face. “I assure you my boy, I know you more than you think. The new life you will discover shall be a chance for you to fulfil your greatest wishes,” it stated, continuing onwards as the God walked about the marble pavement, “I have found the perfect body for you to inhabit, a kid your age. Poor thing had an accident and his soul is passing on as we speak…”
At the end of the patio, a red door appeared into view but it had no wall to portray a room beyond it. And yet, when it opened itself like a spirit drew the handle, a glistening light shone past it and twisted into a portal-like substance that Lux couldn’t decipher.
Best not to think about it
God smiled at Lux as he walked to the door. If Lux were any other kid, they’d probably embrace God in a plethora of cuddles and smiles before leaving. But to him, that was no way to show love to such a figure, his own father was an easy example of where that would get him. “Thanks for everything sir,” he called, turning back to God one more time, “hope to see you again someday… oh and please tell the passing soul I said hello.”
God smiled affectionately and that was all the encouragement Lux needed to hear as he took a deep breath and jumped into the glistening embrace of the abyss.
God watched as Lux dived into the portal and willed the doorway to crumble into dust, erasing the portal from reality.
It smiled- actually no, he was grinning ear to ear. God may have not been a man in body, but he was man at heart and it made him chuckle to foresee the gigantic scale of confusion Lux will encounter on his first day. Still, the being could welcome the fact that Lux would find peace eventually, as the body that it honestly was growing to love, vanished and left behind a boundless mass that surveyed the universe from a seat beyond mortal understanding.
Lux sure is a modest kid…he’s definitely Lady Aer’s descendant that's for sure. Perhaps I should visit her and tell her the good news. Her bloodline will bring the world into order just as I had promised.
Yet the being prayed that Lux would find it in his heart to forgive it, because although God loved him… it could not tamper with the fate the kid chose to take.
Darkness had overtaken Lux’s senses once the portal fully enveloped his consciousness. However in no time at all, he could feel a cool breeze on his skin and hear ambient noise unlike the spiritual plain. He had a small sense of doubt that God was only placating his worries before sending him into the afterlife but he couldn’t deny what he was feeling at the moment..
He’s alive again!
Though his eyes were still heavy, which was rather from exhaustion or from his soul acclimating to the new body.
Now first things first, where am I right now?
Lux finally forces his eyelids open and views his surroundings. He laid in a comfy blanket on top of a large flat rock and he could see a wall of wooden planks barring what looked like the mouth of a cave, given that there was a door as well.
His fatigue died down after a few minutes of recuperation which allowed him to take a closer look. The cave walls had: bookshelves adorned with books of varied colours and titles, another blanket beside his own on the opposite end, many medical ailments were scattered on the floor and many gems trailed along the rocks. Wait a minute…
“Gems this close to a caves entrance,” Lux spoke out loud to himself, “rather I’m in an undiscovered part of the Earth, which is the worst news possible, or something else is happeni-”
Lux paused. That wasn’t the same voice that normally came from his vocal cords! But in the moment of slight panic, he breathed out to relax. Of course his voice is different, his body isn’t his own.
However, on attempting to facepalm while chuckling at his short-term memory he felt pain in his forehead- no more like a new appendage. He could only assume that he slapped himself too quickly which resulted in his wrist landing before his palm. However, the answer unveiled itself when he lifted the blanket to see dark grey fur covering his body…with hooves.
“Huh…HUH!”
Lux took numerous panicked breaths while wide eyed, stroking the fur on his chest. Or he guessed ‘barrel’ would be the appropriate term. He knew there would be roadblocks but stuff like understanding the person's life and relationships, not acclimating as a wholly different and quadrupedal species.
“Ok phew… ok, this is NOT what I expected!” Lux grumbled, standing upwards while wobbling on his 4 hooves. “But, it’s not like I can walk up to God and ask for a change. Best to use what I've got and roll with it.”
It was like that old phrase his friend of a classmate used to quip at every opportunity, ‘don’t cry over spilt milk’ and this situation felt like the perfect time to take it to heart.
Step by step, he trotted his way toward the mouth of the cave built as a home and stared at a particularly large reflective diamond and witnessed his full appearance. If his limited knowledge of zoology gave him any hints, Lux was now a colt bearing a dark coat that was puffy as thunderclouds. His mane and tail were an electric yellow though the mane was more eye-catching as it sleeked along his neck before unravelling at his forehead. Speaking of his forehead, a bud of a horn was sculpted there. When he tapped it, he didn't feel anything but vibrations which indicated to Lux that the organ was probably just bone.
Well, at least its a body I can get behind... the height will probably get on my nerves though.
And so he headed to the door after a few tumbles and pushed the door open, seeing the vastness of trees and bushes while a cacophony of singing birds and screeching creatures, unknown to Lux, echoed the area. For whatever reason though, a place as normal as a forest made the dark coat on Lux’ body stick up.
Rather it be a biological fear of the unknown or the sense of unease for his otherworldly circumstance, it didn't matter. What mattered was finding civilisation and find a semblance of other sentient life.
So he attempted out of the door and onto the forest grounds, only to trip over his hooves and eat dirt.
Lux’s face had disappointment written all over it. “Maybe I should get used to walking before I run. Baby steps and all.” Lux chuckled apathetically before gagging and coughing out dirt lodged in his throat.
He brought himself upright and scraped the dirt from his fur before his ears perked up upon the shuffling of near-bye foliage followed by the clattering of shattered glass. Lux turned to face the sudden disturbance to find an uplifting sight. It was a dark furred stallion like himself, but older and with a fiery crimson mane.
“Son?”
Forgoing the traditional hello or any casual greeting, the frazzled stallion hastily heaved Lux onto his back and headed inside before gently lowering his head towards the blanket the kid had escaped from moments ago. Gravity set its course and Lux slid onto the sheets. Once the crimson maned stallion felt the weight vanish, he moved from every corner of the home, before setting sights on a bowl of numerous fruits. Some of which Lux didn’t recognise.
“Oh sweet Celestia, you’re awake Darkloud!” The sweat brooding from its fur was evident of the stallion's panic as he returned to Lux’ side with the stem of a lunar skinned apple.
He took the strange looking apple with his hoof and while his body quickly acclimated to the sensation, Lux’s mind did not, staring perplexed at his instinctual action. Hooves working like hands shouldn’t be possible yet he could feel the smooth texture of the apple like he was actually gripping it.
Don’t think about it Lux… pony physics isn’t on the priority of questions right now
And said question at the top of the list was about the name the stallion called him… ‘Darkloud’. Must be the name of the passing soul God spoke about, Lux thought so I guess that means I’m Darkloud now… nope that just sounds wrong. Still, that same veil of misdirection will prevent him from being sent to a mental pony asylum, if they even exist, so Lux concluded he should steal some information from his ‘father’ before acclimating to whoever ‘Darkloud’ is… even if it meant being called a dead person, or colt in this scenario.
“Uhm, who are you?” Lux asked.
Lux- or Darkloud as he should call himself, watched as his ‘dad’ sent a pitiful glare his way. “Oh blazes, did you hit your head on that cliff?” he paced around Lux’s bed frantically while muttering to himself. Lux had expected to hear white noise but the low pitched whispers were surprisingly picked up. No doubt his pony ears at work. “I-I should’ve known you’d do something so reckless… but walking up to a hydra what in Celestia’s name were you thinking? If I hadn’t bucked the fear of Celestia into that lizard, who knows what it could’ve done!”
He cowered into a fetal position and wallowed into a cacophony of ramblings. “If only Raindrop were here, she’d have a convoluted way to jog that memory lickity split. She always had a spell for everything…”
Lux peered down at him as the stallion fell silent, forehooves over his face to avoid the puffy eyed face from becoming visible to his son. It failed poorly.
Lux had endured many things in the past, from strict instructors to arrogant pricks but what could really make him eye twitch was an upset individual, especially when he was the cause.
So in an attempt to diffuse a situation he couldn’t know, Lux hopped out of his blankets and slowly crept to the crying stallion, patting him on the back, “please cut down the water works, I-I’ll be honest with you though, I don’t have any idea what you mean… everything before the hydra incident is really hazy. I don’t know how it happened but I’m guessing it's amnesia so maybe the classic ‘talk about your life story’ cliche will work.”
The stallion steadily raised his head and nodded, returning to a standing position and smiling lovingly at the colt. “Sorry kid,” he wiped his tears and gave his best game face, “how about I try that method before it becomes permanent or something.”
The short rundown of the Darkloud’s life was simple enough for the dimensional hopper to understand. The considerate stallion before him was his father, Heatwave, a former salespony in Manehatten.
“Though I like to see myself as more unorthodox compared to the average corporate snob. I mean, why sell artefacts and relics if you didn’t earn them in the first place”
Lux smirked at the statement. Back in his days as a Conduit, the academy had acquired many support boosting artefacts after a fair share of battlefield clean ups though the only tools he took to battle were worn by foes he faced personally. “Yeah, I can get behind that logic. Like, trophies are just metal cups if you didn’t win them”
Seeing that Heatwave finished his monologue and restocked a variety of fruits from his basket, Lux walked to a shelf nailed into the cobble wall, above a cooking station built entirely with smooth stone. The colt hopped on top of the stove and extended himself on 2 hooves to reach the shelf.
He flicked his eyes to the cover of the first hard worn book in his vision, reaching past the piles of unused sticky notes and taking the jungle coloured book from its resting place. Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone… wait, that one has wings! So pegasi also exist. Anyway, the read sounds like a cool adventure series. Just the kind of book I need to cure myself of this human to pony relapse I’m currently on.
Unfortunately, Lux underestimated the limits of a bipedal pony as his front fell forward to correct itself, resulting in the colt tipping another object from the shelf before falling off the stove sideways.
Lux’s instincts took hold and committed to the roll until his legs were directed towards the floor,stretching them outwards to slow his rotation and with a heavy clop, Lux impacted the floor without any injuries.
And although the book flipped to the ground along with him and suffered minor dust particles on its pages, the other item wasn’t so lucky. A crash rang across the home which signalled Heatwave to zip beside Lux.
“Darkloud, you're still recovering, nows not the time to make the shelf a personal... jungle.” The stallion paused once he set his gaze on the fallen object, a picture frame. The glass had scattered around the wooden frame from the surprise impact with the hard ground, but the image held inside struck a chord with Lux, yet he couldn’t understand it.
The picture had Heatwave and an even smaller Darkloud together. The little rascal was laughing his ass off while pointing a hoof at the stallion who was covered in chocolate pudding, red eyes glaring, unamused at the camera. Meanwhile, said rascal was floating while cascaded in a sunny yellow glow. And to the right was a sky blue mare with a mark of a dark cloud dropping raindrops on her flank, giggling at the kid’s antics while holding him and a magical aura.
Maybe that’s how they use alchemy here… he pondered, but as he looked closer, the cogs turned in his head. She had an electric mane that swirled and puffed out like clouds, but her only eye open from her laughing revealed the same hue of electricity Darkloud had which was the final nail in the coffin.
“Is that mom?”
Heatwave picked up the broken frame and stared at the picture solemnly. “Yep, Raindrop had a lot more patience with you than I did. I believe this was on your 8th birthday. You decided it would be hilarious to place a bucket of chocolate pudding over the door, one accident later and your mother came in with the camera.” The stallion made an awkward chuckle before replacing the glass on the picture and hoisting it back to its previous location.
“She seems like a nice woman…” Lux lowered his head, the use of past tense on Heatwave’s part made him feel as if he should respect his privacy, even if it’s information he should have access to. “I-I wish I could remember her.”
Heatwave took his eyes off him but returned just as fast, squinting at the child. “Firstly, it’s ‘mare’ not ‘woman’. What dictionary did YOU read?” he shook himself out of his confused mumbling to reaffirm his attention towards his son. “Secondly, that’s not your fault kid. That blazing hydra came out of nowhere, you couldn’t have avoided it… no pony could.”
The son and father sat in silence for a long time while a cascade of raindrops crashed outside the cave. Heatwave smiled for the first time since Lux had met him and backtracked to the front door, shoving it open. “I should get moving, there was quite a few stuff I dropped so I need to quickly restock ‘em. Make yourself at home… hopefully something in here can help you with that memory problem even just a little.”
And in a flash, Heatwave galloped into the rain. Lux sat there for a few seconds, taking in everything so far.
Heatwave must’ve had a bad time… at least he’s still charging on. Still, I wonder why we are in a forest like this instead of an actual house in Manhatten, wait no- Manehatten I mean! And where is Raindrop?
He grabbed the book still resting on the ground and climbed into his blanket. Warmth enveloped his body and he opened the first page.
“Well, nothing can rest your brain better than a good book. Il think about what I'm gonna do next… so then ‘As Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat zapped her energy and slowed her every step-’”
Six weeks had passed since Heatwave came across his son awaking from the mishap with the rogue Hydra and he couldn’t help but worry for the colt.
The first problem that came to mind was the sudden amnesia Darkloud experienced. He could comprehend and speak to him without effort ,which was promising, however he couldn’t remember anything prior to the attack. In fact, most of his vocabulary that he revised with the foal in school went over his head.
Heatwave had to give him multiple lessons on the basics of Equestria lore and vocabulary. Though, he honestly expected Darkloud to respond how he normally did: loud, obnoxious and bored out of his mind.
So Heatwave felt both concerned and proud that Darkloud soaked the knowledge like a sponge. Perhaps his brain was merely recycling what was lost from the rekindling of information, but it was like Darkloud was a whole other colt.
His blank idleness while listening to his lectures, his studious eyes that peered into Heatwave’s soul like electricity, (something only the colt’s mother could do to him) and the extensive note taking for hours with no breaks, all of it did not compare to the bouncy troublemaker he raised.
Conclusion: This new Darkloud’s personality was the antithesis of the old Darkloud and he didn’t know if he liked the change. Of course, all parents want their foals to be interested in the real world and apply themselves, but the result came from traumatic circumstances which shouldn’t be healthy. It honestly freaked him out a little.
At the moment, Heatwave had exited from Ponyville to trade his wares of fresh fruit and vegetables with the townsfolk. He always enjoyed conversing with the nice ponies, especially Fluttershy who was an angel in his eyes, and Applejack who never failed to buy a bulk of his apple boxes while he was in business.
Heatwave strolled back to his humble home etched in a mountain only to open the door and find that Darkloud had vanished…
Oh no no no no! Not again! The Everfree isn’t kind to foals; I just instructed him about this a week ago!
A heavy wave of panic rushed through the stallion as he dashed into the cave and around the area. He may have been an earth pony, but if the average pegasus saw Heatwave leaving a hot trail in his wake, they’d think somepony was flying too close to the ground.
“D-Darkloud?”
...
“SON!”
The forest critters squealed at the sudden increase in volume while crows swarmed the sky, including a low gasp across the bushes a short distance away.
A quick flash of fire and Heatwave stood three steps away from Darkloud who had a pile of sticky notes with the symbol of the a triangle on each and pencils laced around the grass.
Heatwave raised an eyebrow at him. This is new behaviour.
“What are you doing here son?”
“Just uhm… drawing” Darkloud replied, still surprised at the speed and fury his father oozed
“Drawing,” Heatwave mirrored, increasingly sceptical of the weird habit his kid gained out of nowhere. Darkloud thought drawing was boring; buckball was more of his speed. But should he really second guess the weirdness after his over-flipped personality… probably not, “why do that out here than in the cave. Surely you remember that the Everfree Forest is home to many creatures that would happily gobble you whole?”
Darkloud stared back at him for a few seconds, the father could practically see the steam seeping out of his head.
“...I’m uhm, trying to get my cutie mark.”
The stallion sighed, “Kid, a few days ago, I told you about how they work. They don’t just appear after doing a random thing. The action has to mean something deep inside your being; without a spark like that, it won’t work.”
“I know, I know but I just… well it felt like a normal characteristic somepony my age should have. And plus, if they really show what you’re good at,” -Darkloud pointed to Heatwave’s flank which presented a desert landscape with a sand temple erected at the center,- “then I feel like I should try finding it sooner than later…”
Darkloud hung his head low while bringing out the legendary technique all foals inherently achieve, the puppy dog eyes. Heatwave however, stood unmoved by the display in front of him, letting a small crack of a smile escape from the surface before hoisting the colt onto his back and collecting the scattered materials.
“Listen kid, not having a cutie mark at your age isn’t unusual at all. In fact, I know a filly from the Apple family whom I mentioned to you. She doesn’t have a cutie mark either and she’s your age. Ponies seem to forget how wondrous it is to have such a boundless sea of potential while you're young. Believe me kid, treasure hunting has been my calling for a long time but the work has led to its fair share of troubles. It almost feels like I’m locked into this path with no way to change it… doesn’t change that I love this job but you get the point.”
The foal relaxed into his coat as he strolled back to their home and set the colt on a chair.
Really doesn’t change that I love this job… It led me to you after all.
Dangit, at least I had a good excuse at the ready… that would've been embarrassing! Lux brainstormed, being careful to maintain his default blank face.
His previous attempts at using alchemy was a complete bust. He tried stretching or pulling some kind of muscle in his horn to shoot out fire or wind like he normally could but nothing happened besides his horn feeling sore from the exercise. Yes, he did expect his skills to diminish a bit without the Philosopher's Stone but returning to 0 was mildly frustrating.
So he resorted to retracing his steps from the simple methods of casting spells. Conduits, along with the access to tap into every sign, could also absorb the energy from the stone and fire out the chosen spell the brain thinks about, meanwhile the spells for the normal alchemist ,referred to as Casters, require a more time consuming approach; such spells should be childsplay for Lux to do, no pun intended.
Casters used alchemical symbols that represent a way of life drawn on any surface to project a spell, however the production and activation of the symbol can only be done from the interaction and brain frequency of a compatible user.
Lux held one of the sticky notes with the symbol of fire he drew with a hoof. He had seen Heatwave use his teeth before but he’d rather die than get germs in his mouth so he took to learning the lesser evil. There were a few botched attempts however, he eventually got the hang of it
Ignis…
No sparks flew from the note
“Ignis!” He spoke out loud yet even the full call of its name provided no warmth to the sign. The colts face scrunched together in frustration and used every ounce of brain power to produce at least something of worth, thinking: thermal energy from the core of thy soul, oxygen as the breath of thy life, may both converge into this source as an offering in return for the warmth of the world
“IGNIS!”
The note flew from his hoof, carried by a gust of wind to which he deflated onto his bed, exhausted. He never had to perform a whole chant to produce fire even when he was omitted to the academy though he did like using them when he wanted to show off with a highly unsafe spell. Lux could practically hear that dreaded laughter from his old classmate rival, Zelus, if he listened hard enough.
Meanwhile, Heatwave sat on the other side, boiling eggs for breakfast while keeping his ears perked up in case his kid was doing something even more ridiculous. Shouting strange phrases was one of them.
He walked over to the slumped colt and stroked his back to comfort him. “May I ask what’s the matter this time?”
“It’s my spells dad!” Lux grumbled, red embarrassment invaded his cheeks as he responded. “Usually, I can shoot fire from these signs and yet… nothing.” He lowered his voice at the last word, the disappointment on his face was immeasurable.
But the lowered face of disappointment grew to even worse embarrassment when Heatwave bellowed in laughter, flipping onto his back and rolling around in great haste.
“Hehehehe kid, magic doesn't work like that. Sure there were ancient runes used before Celestia's rule but that's all in the past,” Heatwave flipped himself upright and had a light grin on his face, clearly enjoying the adorable pouting Lux was emitting, “magic comes from within you, just like every other creature in this world.” To make a point, he tapped on Lux’s horn in a playful manner that made him giggle and immediately shut his jaw, struggling to shift his reaction from a giddy idiot to a serious student.
Heatwave continued his speech, smirking as he did. “It takes practice channelling said magic, especially for foals that have a low mana pool but it's a fundamental part of a unicorn so it’s easy to at least use telekinesis.”
Lux frowned as he connected the dots. Telekinesis was not one of the signs alchemy could do so there was only one horrific conclusion. Magic isn’t alchemy.
He reckoned that he was gonna have a much harder time with the new system of power than before and he mentally shuddered at that fact.
So this is how those failing students felt… I hate this!
“Let’s review with the basics to get you started,” Heatwave said, grabbing one of the labelled sticky notes from Lux’s most recent attempt, “here, when you think about levitating this note, what do you imagine?”
Lux raised an eyebrow at the question, yet shrugged and shut his eyes. His mind wandered to the image of a disembodied hand grasping the note in its fingers.
“I see a glowing hand picking it up”
“Like a monkey's hand? Strange imagination you got there kid but if it works, it works,” the stallion concluded, “now focus on that thought, hold your breath and tense those muscles”
The young colt did as told and at last, he felt something he was familiar with. A feeling of warmth and energy had filled his body as his mane stood up in excitement.
Finally, Lux opened his eyes to witness his horn glowing in a yellow light. His eyes shone in amazement at the prospect of this new source until he looked at the paper under the same yellow glow. Despite the pencil lead on the note that glowed a golden hue,
It didn’t even hover.
And in a flash, the joy and nerdiness he oozed from his face vanished in an instant. “Oh,” he said in a monotone voice, “that was uh… anticlimactic.”
Heatwave still held his smile, laying down to meet his son at eye level. “Kid, you shouldn’t feel down about it,” he stroked Lux’s mane which put him at ease. Being pet like an animal felt strange but comforting so he stood still and let himself enjoy the moment, “you’re learning everything from scratch! All foals have to start from somewhere and hey, you now know what you need to work on!”
Lux nodded. It’s not like he hadn’t worked hard to master his abilities beforehand, electricity was especially tough to control but he shivered at the projected image of an older him unable to use magic. If the use of magic is the norm for unicorns, he refused to be the minority!
Heatwave backed away once he saw his son regain his active vigour. “Sorry,” Lux apologised, “I’m not really used to being at the bottom of the barrel. Still, thanks for the pep talk Dad,”
“I don’t think you need to worry son, I may not be the most suited teacher,'' the stallion replied, tapping his head, “but the books your mother hoarded in here taught me a few things. Besides, you’ve had trouble with magic before uh… the incident, so it’s nothing new. Short story, you’re still developing.”
Lux walked out the doors as if ignoring his fathers last sentence. “Look I don’t think me being a foal is any excuse to have no talent in magic.”
“Probably because that talent of yours hasn’t been realised yet. Wait until you finally have a magic surge before you complain.”
…That's a new term. “Excuse me?” Lux turned back to face him.
“A magic surge. An event every early foal experiences, where their magic goes out of whack and performs feats beyond their level subconsciously. And after such a process, the foals' mana pool will increase and provide a higher level of casting ability and efficiency. Or that's what ‘Basic Magic Casting for Gifted Unicorns’ told me.”
“And that’s a problem for me because?” Lux asked, the pit in his stomach growing by the second.
Heatwave shook his head roboticly. “Kid… we’ve talked about this many times,” but he regained his sense of self as he saw Lux tilt his head, “oh right. Amnesia.”
The fiery stallion coughed into his hoof to regain composure and continued. “I don’t know why but you never had a magic surge since me and your mother raised you, so by my guess, I imagine your mana pool is quite small than those your age,”
Lux’s face dropped. “N-not that you won't have one at all!” Heatwave placated, deflating into a sigh. “It’s just abnormal. If only your mother were here, she'd be much better with encouraging speeches…”
Lux waved his hoof “I get what you mean dad,” he said as he continued walking into the forest, “in fact, I’m gonna prove that little book wrong. Weak or not, I'm gonna get better no matter what! Be right back.” And so the colt disappeared into the foliage.
That colt never slows down, I guess that's one thing that hasn’t changed about him…
As well as his stupid naivety!
“Hold up kid, at least tell me where you’re going before you do something!”
Heatwave sat at his store among the line of shops of different colours and products in Ponyville’s shopping district. Being as the store is his only line of income, he does his best to be there on time, every 7:00 in the morning to 2:00 in the evening. Although being in the Everfree Forest had its extreme downsides, it wasn’t without untouched artefacts and endemic ingredients which were goldmines to sell… if they sell.
His shop, ‘Heat n’ Wares’ was built from his own blood sweat and tears and the hardworking stallion was proud of it. The shack was his lifeline after all as well as his and his son's ticket out of danger.
A little more, he thought, just a little more…
“Howdy Heatwave!”
“Huh?” The stallion snapped out of his mind and got back to his post to see a mare with an orange coat, a western hat and a cutie mark adorned with apples.
“Applejack, a pleasure to see you again. Same bulk as usual?” Heatwave made sure to put on his best smile for her. Customer satisfaction was his top priority while on the job, especially with returning ponies.
“Yep, d’em Vineapples 'ave been getting better and better ah tell ya,” the country mare tosses two hefty bags of bits onto the counter, leaving Heatwave starstruck. “The family and I have even found out that it gives our apple cider such a kick it’ll getcha skippin’ like a piglet!”
“A-Applejack, this doesn’t look like the 200 bits I normally charge,” the stallion combs his head as he chuckles awkwardly. The Apple family has been well acquainted with his business ever since he brought Vineapples on stock, which made them frequent visitors and yet they were always on a routine so the fact he could feel an increase in weight from both bags made his sweat drop. “I must assume you need a larger supply this week?”
Applejack shook her head, chuckling as she did so. “Aw nah friend, Granny just wanted to thank ya for the cordial relations between our businesses so we thought we’d surprise ya with somethin’ a lil’ extra.”
“But-”
Before Heatwave could even interject, Applejack placed a hoof over his mouth. Her grip was too tight for even a breath to peep out which was expected given her hooves-on lifestyle at Sweet Apple Acres. “Now now sugarcube, we all agreed that you deserve it. Just think of it as a small donation for a promising future together.”
Heatwave knew very well to agree when an Apple had set their mind on something, so once his mouth was released, he breathed in, out and nodded.
“Alright Applejack, thanks a lot. I won't forget this.”
The sun was setting and Heatwave was finishing up at his store, taking any items that weren’t sold back into his cart and preparing to hit the road and see what his mysterious son was doing. As he did so however, a mare with a red mane smelling like roses trotted towards him with a welcoming smile.
“Another good haul, eh Heatwave?” asked Roseluck. Her flower shop had been a close neighbour with Heatwaves ever since he set up shop so it was no surprise that he got acquainted with her and her sisters.
“I’d say so Rosey,” Heatwave kept his focus on lifting the last artefact onto the cart. A book with only 1 page called the ‘Clever Memory Book’ but strangely, it was as heavy as an anvil. “Applejack came by for her usual bulk of Vineapples and a few more ponies came by for ingredients. Still, I don’t get why my artefacts aren't… getting… sold!” Heatwave heaved one more time and the Book flipped into the cart with an iron thud.
“Like that book for example, it can literally archive information written inside it and regurgitate it when the pony thinks of the specific topic -Darkloud has written enough nonsense into the thing for me to figure that out- but ponies aren’t impressed at all, yeah the price may be a bit excessive but not all of my artefacts are...”
Rose listened carefully until the stallion turned back to face her, indicating that he was finished. “Don’t stress yourself dear, not every pony has a taste in stuff like that, but that doesn’t mean you’re failing.”
“Rosey, you know as well as I do that ingredients aren’t enough for the amount of bits I’ll need. The only reason I'm still able to increase my funds is because of the Apples! If I keep going on like this, it’ll take another couple months before I can stably afford a place here, let alone the rent.”
Heatwave’s jaw hangs open, just noticing Roseluck’s face lowering at his gradually escalating tone. “I-I’m sorry Rose, I just don’t know how long I can do this anymore. Darkloud is getting older and I need to give him a life worth while… it’s what Raindrop would’ve wanted for him.”
Roseluck backed away from him and sighed. She had known Heatwave long enough to know he’s as stubborn as a mule when it comes to his life decisions. Ponyville was a friendly community who cared for each other through thick and thin so in her eyes, there was an easy option, yet the stallion could only see it going poorly. She could deduce that his wife had some correlation to his mood but since she hadn’t met her, Roseluck couldn’t say that to him. Instead, she’d try once more to help her friend from the gutters and hugged her business neighbour.
“Heatwave, your fair nature is admirable but I plead for you to talk to Mayor Mare about this. And I mean the full story, not just the snippets you’ve been giving her.”
Heatwave glared out to the sun, pretending to ponder about her words. “Thanks Rose but I’m not vulnerable enough to need help, I still have a chance to set things up the old fashioned way and that’s what I'm gonna do.”
“But what about Darkloud dear? f you’re doing this for him then you should take as much help as possible. What if he gets hurt there or worse? The Everfree Forest is no place for a foal, it’s a miracle you’re still free of any accidents. Just think about it Heatwave, if not for a friend, then for yourself or at least your son.”
Roseluck retracted from the hug which prompted the stallion to latch himself onto his cart. It took every bone in his body not to shudder, if she ever knew what had happened to Darkloud months ago… Damn me and my pride. He sneered at himself. She’s right, stocking enough bits for a healthy lifestyle was taking too long and if he kept it up, the chances that Darkloud or himself would bite the dust will continue to increase. He had to at least try.
With a sigh and a quick smile, he returned to his old chipper self.
“Thanks Rose, I think I’ll do that. Sorry it took so long for this stubborn idiot to get it into his thick skull, I’m really blessed to have you as a friend.” Roseluck returns his smile as she watches him drag his cart towards town hall. “Please tell your sisters I said hello as well.”
“Certainly dear, best wishes to you!”
The carefully articulated doors never felt so daunting to Heatwave as he stood by them. He did agree with Roseluck that he needed to see if there's a chance rather than not but he couldn’t help but quiver at the unforeseeable future. Still, he had to let go of his pride if he ever wanted to see Darkloud live peacefully in the place he loved so dearly, so he steeled himself and pushed open the doors.
Walking into the Mayor’s office, he saw Mayor Mare at her desk, shuffling through an array of reports with a youthful excitement on her face. The familiar sight washed away Heatwaves nerves, finally gaining the courage to go through with what he should’ve done long ago.
“You never stop, do you Mare?”
The previously occupied Mayor glanced upward toward her visitor, scoffing lightly at the remark, “You’re one to talk Heatwave,” she replied as the mare got out of her chair to meet him face to face. “You’ve been at your store longer than your own home nowadays. Continue like that and your mane will grow grey before your 30's.”
The stallion raises an eyebrow and smirks cheekily. “Like your own?”
“Oh hush!”
The two share a laugh while the light of the sun brimming from the office windows disappeared along with the sun to make way for the night.
“Anyway enough about me dear,” Mayor Mare readjusted her glasses that took a crooked angle during their hearty banter, “how is Darkloud nowadays. Last time you mentioned the little colt, he was getting better with his magic day by day. I told you taking a more practical approach would give better results than throwing books at him.”
“A-actually, that's exactly why I’m here.”
“Oh, do tell. Has he gotten himself into trouble again? Foals his age do take drastic measures for their cutie marks, believe me when I say Ponyville has had multiple fiascoes involving such a motive. I’d be happy to help.”
“No no it’s not that! Look Mare I-I,” Heatwave sighed deeply to reset his stuttering while Mayor Mare watched him steadily, wise eyes focused knowingly on the stallion.
“Heatwave, no matter what problem that’s troubling you, I’m willing to support you. It’s my duty to help ponies in need and even more so for a friend. You can tell me dear.”
Heatwave wasn’t complaining about that. Mayor Mare had been the biggest support he’s had since entering Ponyville and if it weren’t for her advice, he couldn’t imagine how Darkloud would’ve grown up. Yet that was exactly why his throat ached for his next words.
“Alright, I’m sorry… I really should be honest with you.”
“But what do you mean dear?”
“I… well I -ugh what the hay- I lied about our current residence,” he hung his head low so he could deter his shame from being witnessed, “ever since Raindrop passed away, our funds have taken a nosedive so I had no choice but to take the cheapest option of land… the Everfree Forest.”
The air grew cold and the stallion didn’t need to look up to see the worry on Mayor Mare’s face. Mostly because the floor was reflective.
“Sweet Celestia Heatwave! Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Mayor Mare shouted as she cupped his cheeks, craning his head to where their muzzles pushed against each other. “The Everfree Forest is no place for a stallion, let alone a colt. You can’t be serious.”
“Really, it hasn’t been too much of a struggle, but I came to realise that things need to change. Darkloud got injured a few weeks ago and it's just dawned on me how hard it is-”
“Hold your horses a second Heatwave, Darkloud got hurt. When did that happen?” She narrowed her gaze at him, causing Heatwave’s coat to stick up.
“About seven weeks ago, he only suffered a nasty bruise on his leg from some falling debris a hydra caused… but he’s not been the same,” the stallion retracted from Mare’s clutches and walked to the window, resting his forelegs onto the windowsill, “ever since he woke up from the shock, it’s like his whole personality flipped for no reason. A-and to top it all off, he’s forgotten everything prior to the attack, minus comprehending and knowing common Equestrian. I think it’s amnesia but it doesn’t make sense…”
Mayor Mare stood beside Heatwave completely puzzled. “I’m no doctor but I’m not sure amnesia could make somepony forget about everything while still retaining a stable hold on reality. Memories don’t just disappear dear, they are only repressed; if Darkloud truly had amnesia, he’d still have some form of his personality and besides, if he hadn't hit his head, physical trauma couldn't be the cause, which leads only shock, which isn’t a cause for such a problem. Especially one so severe.”
“I know that. Every time I try to confront him about it, he just dodges the question. I… I don’t want to come to conclusions but I think something is going on with him, magically or not. It’s starting to worry me.” Heatwave grimaced, placing a hoof over his eyes.
He really wanted to stick to the amnesia plot as much as Darkloud wanted to, but after the substantial amount of logic Mayor Mare displayed, he couldn’t keep it back anymore. All those joyful memories he had with his boy were gone and replaced with a whole new colt. A Darkloud who spoke quieter than any point in his life, a Darkloud who thought magic was about runic scribbles, a Darkloud who took to studying without complaints. He may be less troublesome but that doesn’t mean he wanted to keep it that way
“Even more of a reason to let me help you dear. I can find a nice house for you and your son with a reduced rent until you get back on your hooves, then you can schedule an appointment to a psychiatrist for him and see if something happened. Heaven knows I have enough bits to keep me afloat here.”
Heatwaves mouth unhinged for a brief second. Was it that easy? Celestia bless this mare!
“Besides, the Summer Sun Celebration will be happening soon, so what better way to introduce Darkloud to Ponyville like a fun holiday celebrating the new year?”
Mayor Mare gently guided the stallion out of her office and sent a smile his way “Don’t worry dear, I should be able to register you into a vacant home by the time the festival ends in 3 days time so make sure to pack everything you need from your old home and relax. Darkloud will love it here.”
Heatwave nodded with a reinvigorated smile as she shuts the doors. “Yeah, I’m sure he will.” And as he walked out the building greeted by the starry night, he noted to himself to pay Roseluck back for the push she gave him.
Only a few days left until you can kiss that place goodbye kid, just wait a little longer.
However, said colt in question was also staring out into the night from the comfort of the steps toward their cave house.
Heatwave’s late… wonder what's taking him so long.
Lux broke from his concentration and glanced to his left where a bunch of scattered rocks lay. He lit up his horn and stressed his muscles, levitating the rubble in the air while rotating them around his body for a minute. However, the comforting glow flickered and vanished afterwards, resulting in the rocks accepting gravitys call back to the floor.
The two thousand six hundred and fourth attempt was leagues better than his first try but he knew there was more to it. With his alchemy practically powerless in Equestria, magic was his only method of strength besides physical training. Perhaps a part of him wanted to regain some semblance of strength he lost but really, it annoyed him to no end that he was far from average in Equestria standards.
-Flashback
“Hehehehe, kid magic doesn't work like that. Sure there were ancient runes used before Celestia's rule but that's all in the past.” Heatwave flipped himself upright and had a light grin on his face “magic comes from within you just like every other creature in this world.” he tapped on Lux’s horn in a playful manner that made him giggle and immediately shut his jaw, struggling to shift his reaction from giddy child to serious student.
Heatwave continued, smiling as he did “It takes practice channelling said magic especially for foals that have a low mana pool but it's a fundamental part of a unicorn that all can do.”
-End Flashback
“This stuff is supposed to be easy… alchemy was easy so why can’t this be easy?” Lux ignored his own rhetorical question as fast as he called it out, shaking himself and smiling towards the moon in a proud stance. “Well, I'll just keep it up for a while and continue working extra hard with good old reliable. A workout routine never hurt anyone… or anypony, damn I really gotta get used to this Equestria talk.”
Lux grumbled, jogging in one spot before running out of the cave and onto a mud path leading to Ponyville. I’ll get my legs in shape and meet dad on the way back. Win win. Then again, it was getting more and more disturbing on how well he was taking to calling Heatwave dad. The poor stallion sees him as his unfortunate son with a case of amnesia, but to him, Heatwave is just a friend he met.
Calling him dad would be dishonour to the Darkloud that passed on, but it isn’t like he can just tell him about his real identity, the guy would think he’s a total lunatic… right?
With his magical hold on telekinesis gradually passing the unicorn standards his dad talked about, he refocused his efforts on building muscle. Lux may have been running and climbing a lot during his time in the Everfree Forest, but he never felt tired at the end of it, so that prompted him to test his metal at the moment. Lux performed the many exercises he did in the academy and was able to catch wind of the differences with his human form. The stamina, speed and strength was about comparable to when he graduated but paled when he became a Conduit, but that wasn’t a fair comparison to him since he was juiced up on life energy unlike everyone else.
Lux chose to continue his old routines to regain some of his former vigour: a 4 mile run, 200 push ups and bucking trees until he couldn't do it anymore, which was improvised from punching trees. Simple but tiring. A good kind of tiring but still tiring.
He had to wake up with aching muscles for a few days but having dealt with that kind of feeling ten-fold for months in the academy, he didn’t complain completing the various foraging runs Heatwave took him to help with.
He honestly enjoyed Heatwaves company. Humans are social creatures just like ponies and despite what Lux was forced to believe about friendship and parental figures in his old world, the colt could appreciate the presence of a friendly individual.
He waited for Heatwave to buck a nearby tree where several shady green apples with thorny protrusions on the skin, while Darkloud caught them in his magic before the vine-like spikes hit the floor and internally poisoned the fruits. As he concentrated to levitate the apples into Heatwave’s basket with built in wheels, he couldn't help but enjoy the simple nature of the rural lifestyle and pondered to himself.
Is this truly what I want?
-Flashback
Inside the walls of the Alchemic Institute for Direct Education’s academy, or Aide academy for short, Lux sat on a sturdy plastic seat in an auditorium packed with children like himself.
Most chatted to friends from beyond the school walls, a couple of them waited patiently for the ceremony to begin and one, Lux himself, tapped his feet in a rhythmic motion. Excitement was palpable on the boy's face with a grin wide enough to ignite a sense of unease within his seatmates and eyes peeled to the center of the stage where the beginning of his life will unveil itself.
Eventually, the clock struck 9 and the sign of Ianuae sketched on the floor ignited, wisps of energy erupt from the ink to accumulate and expand until it stretched into shape. Then, the mass of alchemic power finally revealed a humanoid shape and disappeared, revealing an old man who greeted the bustling kids with a confident smile. Principle Vir.
He was a sophistical man well in his 80s, yet his face brimmed with the youth of a 30 year old, further encapsulated by his ruby eyes that shone with passion. The only evidence of his age was his hair that gleamed a sleek silver, swept back and well groomed along with a goatee beard that faded as it reached his cheeks. He wore a classic auburn suit adorned with the Aide academy logo and a gold chain that exited his chest pocket and entered the interior of the suit.
“Wow, so that’s the legendary Guardian of Life… thought he’d be taller.” A nearby child commented while scoffing in an annoyed expression. Lux balled his fist at the admittedly low witted insult and was about to get out his seat to shut him up but a frazzled girl beat him to the punch.
THWACK
“Keep it down Zelus! That man has connections with the Bellicus government and mentored the previous Conduits before we were born, have some respect if you don’t wanna get eaten alive in here.”
The grumpy one rubbed the bump on his head while keeping an eye on the girl's fist. “Jeez Ira, take a chill pill will you? I was just messing around.”
Lux relaxed back in his seat while peeking a glance at the two bickering with each other. He had a feeling that they were going to be a blast to hang around with but introductions were too early in his view since Principle Vir was clearing his throat to which Lux deduced was his way of saying ‘Quiet down and pay attention before I make you’. The eager kid bet his enrolment on that conclusion. After all, the Principle and his staff have viewed his progress ever since he could remember, giving him quizzes and assignments under isolated walls and fluorescent lights.
Lux thought of the new friends he would be able to meet during his time here. The idea of him surrounded by happy companions while going through a campy school adventure sounded like some cliche slice of life novel.
Not that he read one, he just understood the patterns in his literature tests. Still, the thought was enjoyable to Lux.
Zelus and Ira eh? Maybe a quick hello wouldn’t hurt-
“Ahem!” Principal Vir boomed, his voice rang rampant through the auditorium which caught many of the obnoxious chatters by surprise. Lux even saw Zelus and Ira who froze in place at the wrong time as they were grabbing each other's collars mid argument.
The room fell silent in a matter of moments.
“Greetings unpolished gems of the future,” he spoke, sheer authority oozing from every word, “I’am Caligo Vir, your soon to be Principal of the finest academy that graced Bellica's land.” The older gentleman paced toward the edge of the stage to have a better look at the rookies. “I’ve seen thousands come and go, but I can tell that every one of you holds the potential to be the best of your craft.”
He retreated to his original position and fixed his tie before continuing his speech. “Expected that everyone read their entry pamphlets,”- a couple kids behind Lux whispered in worry to which the scruffy haired kid giggled to himself at their obvious error -”expected that MOST have read the pamphlets, you will be aware that we offer a variety of courses. One of them shall be the gateway to your success once you breach these walls in 7 years time.”
The principal drew his hand into his fancy suit pocket, pulling out a remote and with a click, a projector above the room activated, lighting a presentation on the curtain wall.
It showed multiple of the courses Lux was familiar with: Engineering, Health and Social work, the Bellicus Elite Cadets and many more regular jobs people would want to work towards.
“However...” Mr Vir grinned with pride as he turned his glare to Lux. It made the boy return to a straight face, as if feigning ignorance, “we have a special course, only for the brave and determined to take,” his voice grew louder, “a chance for glory and fame that will await the worthy graduate should they not keel over under the 3 year pressure!”
Lux bent his back closer to get a closer look at the next and final slide on the presentation. Whether Lux wished to or not, and he did wish to do so, it was his destiny to partake in the final course.
“The Conduit Training Program!”
-End Flashback
By the time Lux finished reminiscing, the haul of Vineapples were successfully piled into the basket by the rim.
“By the thousand yard stare, I'm gonna takes a guess and say you got something planned.” Heatwave commented, sending a light smirk his way as the colt shook his head frantically.
“Nope, no running into the unknown without your permission this time.” Lux said, which granted him a knowing glare from his father.
“Kid, you can’t hide things from me. As mysterious as you want to make yourself believe, I’ve seen that look enough times to know what it means. So what's up?”
Lux peered at the lowering sun with a blank look on his visage. Well, he’s my dad for a reason. Might as well
“I was just remembering some stuff.”
Heatwave almost snapped his neck to double check on his son. His eyes gleaming with hope.
“Really… so you mean your memories are returning?” he asked cheerfully “Uhm, yeah you can say that. But enough of that, right now,” Lux pointed to the moon that steadily rose, “suns down and the forest is gonna get dark. You told me we were gonna be moving to that Ponyville place soon so we better get moving before the big guys wake up.”
The stallion gleamed with a grin that Lux hadn’t seen on him since he arrived in Equestria which resulted in the colt mirroring the image for himself.
“Right you are kid, I really should’ve checked the time, now let’s high tail it back and get our stuff ready for transport. Trust me son, you’re gonna love Ponyville!”
And by the time the duo were halfway to their destination, the moon rose above their heads which provided them little light to show their way along the mud path. Since Lux didn’t want to take any chances with a sudden surprise orchestrated by the Everfree critters, he resorted to using his horn like lantern, which proved fruitless as the pathway only grew a tad more visible.
“Sorry dad,” Lux lowered his head in shame, “I haven’t tried stuff past telekinesis yet so this will have to suffice.” Heatwave closed his eyes with a smile still plastered, as he faced his strangely melancholic son, “Darkloud for the third time this week…”
“It's not your fault.” “It's not my fault.”
The grown stallion couldn’t help but chuckle at his kid's sarcasm. “As I was saying, if I foresaw the amount of apples currently ripening, I would have brought the lanturn.”
“And if I didn't blank out into memory lane and picked up the pace, we’d probably be back by now.”
Heatwave nodded awkwardly, scruffing the colt's mane to shut him up. “Indeed, but it's a good sign. Your memories are coming back and soon and more will reveal themselves until everything clicks together for you. Once we settle down in Ponyville, I’ll set you up with a psychiatrist to speed up the process, and then we will see how it goes! But first things first, there's something going on there so I want to surprise you. I'll give you a hint, a very important pony will be there.”
Lux mentally shrunk at the idea of a psychiatrist. He wasn’t going to remember anything now matter what they do since… he wasn’t there. All he has is his other world stories that would send him to the mental asylum and this time, he confirmed that such a thing exists in Ponyville.
Speaking of Ponyville, he couldn’t lie to himself that he was particularly intrigued about the humble pony town. The way Heatwave talked about the many colourful landmarks in the area such as the Town Hall, Sweet Apple Acres and Sugar Cube Corner… The little colt REALLY wanted more details on the sugary sweets but he supposed he would experience them later. While he devilishly grinned to himself, mentally determined to find the famous Cakes after Heatwave completed his rental plan, their home finally came into view under the light of his magic.
But something felt wrong to both of them…
It was a given since the Everfree was a place anypony would feel uneasy, but the foreboding dread that put them on edge was at a higher level than the normal Everfree chill the two were accustomed to.
Silence cut their conversation immediately which was just enough to allow the boys to sense slight rhythmic tremors in the soil.
The final nail in the coffin however, came just as fast as the tremors ceased once the glow of Lux’s horn that covered the grassy field had been invaded by shadows.
A low snarl peered from 3 angles just above them and with a slow tilt upwards, they met the many eyes of a terrible creature.
“HYDRA, RUN!”
Being in the line of danger wasn’t new to Lux. He had been in battles against hundreds of soldiers from competing nations and succeeded more times than not, but those were people using spells he’d seen in his proctor exams millions of times.
Creatures were never used in the battlefronts since they didn’t have the genetic sequence required to use, let alone comprehend alchemy, so a single offensive spell would be all it took to end the poor fuzz balls.
This is why the only non-human things he engaged with were alchemists with the affinity for Antimony alchemy. The last time he faced that kind of practitioner was his cheeky classmate who would paint the symbol on an object and with a few chants, she could turn it into many creatures like a rabbit or a bear, enhanced greatly by the seal of the spell.
But nothing could prepare the colt for a monster that originated from a myth.
The hydra towered over the Everfree canopy, its trio of heads scowling at its next meal with eager jade eyes. But what worried him most lay with the middle one. It had two hoofprints bruised into its cheek
-Flashback
Lux- or Darkloud as he should call himself, watched as his ‘dad’ sent a pitiful glare his way. “Oh blazes, did you hit your head on that cliff?” he paced around Lux’s bed frantically while muttering to himself. Lux had expected to hear white noise but the low pitched whispers were surprisingly picked up. No doubt his pony ears at work. “I-I should’ve known you’d do something so reckless… but walking up to a hydra what in Celestia’s name were you thinking? If I hadn’t bucked the fear of Celestia into that lizard, who knows what it could’ve done!”
-End Flashback
This hydra had to be the one that his dad scared off, and the most likely reason on how the real Darkloud was sent to the pearly gates.
Rage boiled under Lux’s skin but his body moved on its own, galloping into the house to which his father followed, post-haste.
What can I even do! My magic is practically useless, my alchemy skills are void here and I can bet my life that things got a grudge against dad and Darkloud… who's technically me!
The two retreated as far into the homely caverns as they could and the left head followed, burrowing itself inside the crevasse while snapping through the wooden wall.
Heatwave took the initiative and covered his body over the colt, shielding him from the jaws of the beast, only a meter away from certain doom.
“K-kid, please listen to me,” Heatwave anxiously shifted his gaze from the Hydra chomping on the appliances and Lux again, “I know it looks VERY bleak right now but we are gonna get through this alright? It can’t keep trying forever…” Lux nodded, eyes unnaturally widened. He could still see the damn Hydra under Heatwave’s hindlegs.
Unblinking. Unmoving. Snarling.
That thing wasn't going to leave, and he knew it. Its neck barely fit inside the cave and all the shelves latched on the walls were scattered across the ground, anything that sat on them shattered or spoiled itself on impact.
Come on, me Lux murmured, there is no danger that can’t be avoided, now think!
He frantically scanned the liminal space for anything he could use and eventually, a light bulb flashed in his head.
“Idea!”
He focused on the shattered glass littered beside their cowering positions, focusing on it with as much concentration as being watched by a carnivorous lizard could give him. The glass glowed the yellow hue he’s familiar with and tossed it at the hydra's eye.
At last, the monster blinked.
It roared in agony as blood poured from the cornea and trickled to its cheek.
“S-son, what in Celestia did you do?” Heatwave shrieked
“Getting us out of a grim situation dad, now get ready!”
The beast pulled its neck out of the cave, dragging along the crumbled furniture and appliances in its wake until the entrance was open once more.
He wasn’t going to wait for another head to bury itself back in, so he rolled out of his fathers hooves and made a break for freedom.
“It's do or die dad, MOVE!”
To be honest, he didn’t have to make that plea since the fiery stallion had already caught up with him, muttering something in his breath that the colt couldn’t understand.
They successfully passed the monster as its healthy heads attempted to soothe the left one that was barking animalistic profanities to the skies. If he were not running from a destructive beast, he would feel a hint of pity, but their lives were on the line and if the creature still wanted them for supper, Lux was prepared to try anything to halt its advances.
“Looks like I’ll need to bring you to Ponyville faster than I expected, hehehe” Heatwave’s attempt at humour didn’t amuse Lux as they returned to the mud path and mentally prepared for the long period of panic and anxiety.
If they had enough time, they could get out of dodge before the heads stopped bickering amongst themselves.
But that hope was for naught as Lux glanced back at the distracted hydra one more time only to see the middle one slam itself into its siblings to get their attention.
All 3 roared and made a u-turn towards them,
God, where is my luck?
Meanwhile, just a couple miles from the horror show, Ponyville felt more safe than ever. With the Summer Sun Celebration on the rise, the chance that any pony would be asleep was an astounding 0%.
However that probability should be raised to a miniscule 0.1% cause an annoyed unicorn mare felt like it was about time to break it.
Twilight Sparkle lay on her bed, clogging her ears with a fluffy pillow to no avail. Golden Oaks Library was meant to be as silent as a library should, but the cacophony of party noises and chatting ponies blasting through Twilight's bedroom door didn’t help at all.
The tale of The Mare of the Night was prophesied to come true today and she required a stable environment to study about the illusive magical macguffins, the Elements of Harmony.
Something that would be as easy as a foal trying to use a successful age spell.
So she waited for the party to clear up, which she was becoming more and more uncertain about, glancing at the birdhouse clock every couple minutes and got to pondering.
How long would it take before she packed her stuff and ran for Canterlot? Cause at the moment, she was predicting 2 days.
Whilst she shut her eyes, a little purple dragon opened the door, further increasing the volume of the irritation beyond it.
“Hey Twilight! Pinkie Pie’s starting Pin the Tail on the Pony, wanna play?” he asked expectantly, holding a lampshade above his head like a helmet to protect himself from the bombardment of colourful confetti.
“No Spike, all the ponies in this town are CRAZY! Do you know what time it is?”
“It's the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration, every pony has to stay up or they’ll miss the princess raising the sun,” Spike answered clearly, “you should really lighten up Twilight, it’s a party.
“Ugh! Here I thought I’d have time to learn more about the Elements of Harmony, but silly me, all this ridiculous friend making has kept me from it.” she grunted to herself, tossing around her bed, side to side.
That was until she laid her eyes on the moon. It was like any other night, a carving of the devilish mare, Nightmare Moon laced on its surface.
“Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape and she will bring about everlasting night” Twilight monologues, rereading the Mare of the Night tale from memory.
“I hope the princess was right, I hope it really is just an old ponytale-” unfortunately, her frequent monologues always end, and this one was no different as Spike pushed her door open for a second time. A smile blistered on his face.
“Come on Twilight, it’s time to watch the sun rise!” Spike cheered and with a slight groan, Twilight turned to follow spike only to twist back to her window as she heard a concerning sound.
An echoing roar bellowed far, far away as she could see flocks of birds taking refuge into the night and away from the origin of the roaring creature which Twilight immediately recognised was the Everfree Forest.
Maybe there are noises worse than below her. But since Celestia will be arriving soon, she felt confident that the threat would be solved even if it was dangerous.
“Something wrong Twilight?” Spike asked as he peaked through the creak of the door
“Uhm. yeah Spike, I'll be right with you”
So with a nervous gulp, she followed her favourite and only assistant out of her room.
Whatever was out there was not gonna ruin her night.
This is it. That blasted Hydra was gonna ruin their night permanently! The father and son duo had been galloping for the past 20 minutes and the beast was still locked on them. If the colt didn't know any better, he’d assume the kaiju reptile had heat seeking vision, but instead of tracking body temperature, this creature could track them from pure spite.
They had literally tried everything to halt the progress of the embodiment of vengeance: zig-zagging through trees, jumping over crashing rivers, leading other hostile creatures in its path, you name it.
But the best it did was slow it down and with how his muscles ached from the constant physical trials, he gravely understood that his body was at its limit.
To be fair, the old him would’ve keeled over at the fourth river without the battery pack that was the Philosopher’s Stone, but he expected the daily exercises would provide enough strength to escape the clutches of any Everfree monster.
“Dad, huff I-I don’t think I can keep running!”
“I know kid, I know but huff please keep pace with me. You're strong like that.”
Lux gritted his teeth, attempting to regulate his breathing but it was for nothing. The adrenaline coursing through him was losing its ‘fight or flight’ energy and entering the ‘crash n’ burn’ phase.
Heatwave glanced back at his son as the determined colt gradually lost ground between himself and the jaws of the hydra moving trees in its wake.
“Ugh, last chance.” The stallion murmured, shifting his gallop to a jog until he was parallel to Lux and hoisted the frantic colt onto his back.
“D-dad, what are you-”
“Take some time to catch your breath kid! Trust me, these legs have more steam to burn.”
And Lux had no choice but to listen, gasping for air like he was rescued from drowning.
Okay, there must be something we can do…
Time was wasting and he needed an out fast, holding one hoof on Heatwave’s fur to stay on board and using the other to rummage through his leather pouch for anything useful.
Though he only grew more frustrated at the contents. “Berries, not hungry. A survival knife, too small to do any damage, a father-son bracelet. Ughhhh,” he hastily shoved it back into the pouch, “I-no, WE aren’t kicking the bucket tonight, God gimme a sign here!”
And whether God actually answered or not was up for debate as Lux took one last scrounge through the bag to find something at the bottom…
That glowy sticky note? DAMMIT
With no options left, he took a deep breath and tossed the cursed piece of paper towards the ever spiteful creature. The piece of paper spun around the air and stuck on the beast's leg unharmed, but if it was gonna at least give it a papercut, he’d take it.
When you said I’d have a life that fulfils my wishes, God, I expected a humble slice of life experience, not a horror story with a gruesome end! He thought angrily. I swear to the heavens, if this was all a sick twisted joke, Imma stomp my way up there and blast you with Ignis-
Wait, is that smoke? Lux cut himself off as the tiny piece of paper spewed smoke from the sign.
A fiery glow later and the unstoppable hydra buckled under its leg, cast ablaze…
And at the right moment too, since Heatwave's legs gave out and slumped to the floor panting heavily while glancing at his son who rolled a few centimetres away during the tumble. At last, Lux could see it in full view. The once dangerous creature bound in shadows became a beacon of fire kicking near-by trees to quell the flames on its leg.
He pulled out more of his signed notes from his bag and tried connecting the dots “Ok so alchemy DOES work here but what makes it work?” he asked himself. “The sign aligned with the spell and Ignis activated it so the glowing must be the success of the generation process…”
He swore he could see mathematical equations panning around his face until they swirled into the formation of a familiar mental light bulb “I got it!” Lux concluded. “My magic IS the generation signal”
-Flashback
Finally, Lux opened his eyes to witness his horn glowing in a yellow light. His eyes shone in amazement at the prospect of this new source until he looked at the paper under the same yellow glow. Despite the pencil lead on the note that glowed a golden hue,
It didn’t even hover.
-End Flashback
Lux finally had the pieces together. All those attempts, he believed the first step was already complete the moment his generic makeup interacted with the sign, but he was skipping it all along. No wonder he couldn’t use it!
And like the fire he could now control, a fire in his eyes grew just as hot as he pulled all his sign notes with magic and one by one, the signs shone the same golden colour. “Who's the coward now huh?” he roared, slowly trotting towards the 3 headed menace while casting the fireballs one at a time.
Heatwave could only watch in both horror and a hint of pride as balls of fire shot out of the drawings and connected with the hydra’s necks, resulting in the beast reeling backwards. Still, the kind of magic his son was showcasing was nothing like the magic the stallion was used to.
Personality upturn, sudden amnesia, unorthodox magic. Nothing made sense with him anymore.
“Holy Celestia, I don’t know how you’re doing that kid but this’ll do nicely!” Heatwave cheered, lifting himself off the floor “Now let’s break for it to Ponyville ASAP-”
But the colt didn’t budge.
“Uh son, you've done enough. W-we should get going now… kid?” Heatwave’s voice cracked under pressure as he awaited for a response but the foal was transfixed. His eyes lighting currents of electricity with how focused he was on the creature that gave them the worst hour of his new life.
The hydra finally got to its senses once the heads took a look at each other's faces who all wore a plethora of nasty burn scars, and turned around to flee, so Heatwave prepared himself to walk up and slap the foal for his reckless abandon but once again, the world had other plans and Heatwave knew it might just be the final straw.
The hydra's tail swished clockwise, which toppled trees, uprooted soil and most importantly.
Was headed directly towards his son’s side.
It may have only been a second in reality.
It may have been a minute in Heatwave’s mind.
But it didn’t matter because he had already made his decision. And tackled him away from the crossfire.
The second Lux awakened from his frenzy, he realised he was buried in soil, dazed, confused and shocked at the same time. The first second, he was finishing the hydra for good and the next, he was sent flying into a nearby bush.
“What the hell happened?” He muttered as he got up and shook the dirt from his fur, glancing back at the carnage. The first and most important thing of note to the colt, was that the hydra was nowhere to be seen, to which he happily sighed in relief. It would have saved him a ton of trouble if he understood the changes in the mechanics of alchemy sooner but what's done is done.
Secondly, the landscape following their path of escape was unrecognisable: trees were uprooted and broken like twigs, the grass was charred from his previous blazing assault and not a single hint of wildlife was present. It almost looked like the aftermath of an artillery strike, which he could state as valid since the kid had escaped 3 of those back in the day, but he didn’t want to continue reminiscing because there was one last piece in his mental checklist that was yet to be ticked.
He called out to the wasted forest. “Dad?”
But he wasn't where he last saw him. The skid marks from his previous tumble were still etched in the mud path. “Maybe he fled to Ponyville? Damn, guess I’ll have a long lecture ahead of me,” he knocked on his horn playfully, “Principle Vir never liked my tunnel vision. For good reason too, glad my teammates were always forgiving… in their own way.”
Nodding to himself from the nostalgia, he walked towards the lit up Ponyville to see what his father has planned to top this-
“Cough cough… Ughhhh”
Lux froze in place. That deathly sound was all too familiar to him as the child soldier could understand all the signs of death, like he met the being himself, so he twisted his neck to see the poor creature that failed to survive their situation.
But his eyes shot open when he noticed the fallen.
There lay his father Heatwave, his body crumbled under a fallen tree crushing his back. The soil around him became saturated in blood, indicating a critical wound on his stomach and a sickly purple bruise that indented his left side, implying to the observant colt that the stallion had fractured his rib cage.
“D-Dad… NO!” Lux screamed, dashing towards his dishevelled form and pushed his forehooves onto the underside of the bark attempting to move it. However, his muscles cried in agony on contact; no matter how much force he put into it, the tree refused to make way.
Finally understanding the fruitlessness of his efforts, the exhausted colt sat on his flank and stared at Heatwave, broken and scarred. Not like it was a new feeling but it still hurt all the same.
“Cough…k-kid?” the stallion called, his voice low and heavy. “I-I'm sorry hehe- cough cough, you know, I thought I’d see you grow up before I kicked the bucket… make friends… start a family and all that. So close too…”
“Dad, p-please don’t talk like that,” Lux placated, “just hold on for a little while.” His horn lit up once more, grasping the tree with a tight hold but the glow flickered into nothing which left the colt panting heavily.
“Don’t strain yourself kid, if you catch mana burn in these woods, then none of us are surviving this,” he whispered, focusing all of his energy into maintaining his basic functions, “now here's what you’re gonna do son, you’re gonna head into Ponyville and get to Town Hall. It’s a tall historic looking building. Go inside and ask for Mayor Mare, she's an old friend of mine, inform her of what's happened and she should take care of the rest.”
Lux closed his eyes. At this point, the emotional backlash had died down, there was nothing he could do and he knew it. But at least the colt could find solace that an afterlife would exist for him to rest, reunited with his wife and son… wait, now that Lux pondered it, he thought it would be best to give him some hope.
“Dad, t-there's something I have to tell you. I-”
“You’re not the Darkloud I know are you?”
“Huh, but… but how?”
“Kid, no kind of amnesia I’ve heard of switches your personality and gives you strange magic, besides there are cases of possession in history so it's not too much of a stretch. I just went along with it because I-I didn’t want to face the truth. Just seeing you alive again was motivating enough for me to continue living my life. I hope you understand. My son was the best gift my dear ever gave me, so even if you aren’t my son in spirit, I can’t help it.”
Lux nodded in sympathy. The mind is a fragile thing and people were willing to accept anything favourable in opposition to the logical one, but it still wasn’t fair to Lux. This stallion who he bonded with for a few months, this stallion who had aspirations for the future with his son, this stallion who radiated kindness and love was dying for him, a kid who couldn’t even reciprocate.
“P-please, may I know your name, little one?”
That last sentence broke Lux’s heart. But why, he thought. It was the first time he was referring to the real him, so why would the change in phrase force his eyes to wander elsewhere?
“It's Lux, Lux Festus. Supposed dead-boy walking and practitioner of the alchemic arts.”
“Heh, Lux huh? What a strange name, just like your vocabulary. I hope you will take this chance and run with it as well as you can Lux. Have fun, be a kid and live your dream or whatever it is… don’t end up like me.”
Lux couldn’t help but choke up at those words, gripping his loose forehoof with his own. “S-sure sir, and thanks for everything you've taught me. And if it makes you feel better, I’ve been to the afterlife before, so take it from me when I say you will see Raindrop and Darkloud again.”
Heatwave gently smiled at him. “Yeah, that’s…that’s…”
And so his fiery eyes glazed over and flickered into embers while his voice lowered itself enough to where only Lux’s pony ears could pick up.
“Honey? Kid? Oh wow, you won’t believe what I’ve been through”
And then, they went blank. The hoof Lux gripped grew cold, and it was over. Heatwave had perished. Lux may not have been his real kid, he may not have grown up with him and he may not understand the bond they shared, but he was a better father than he could’ve hoped for.
At this point, Lux didn’t know what to think anymore. He thought this new world would allow him to leave his old self behind and embrace a normal childhood but of course, the jaws of the Everfree had to clamp down on it. He had to see people suffer and die at a young age and this world wasn’t going to change it for him.
He shook his head frantically in an attempt to shake those thoughts, walking to the edge of Ponyville with just the stuff in his pouch.
“So this is Ponyville…”
The town resembled that of a rural village in a middle class area which was a favourite of Lux. Not too poor to where he’d snap his gaze upwards in sympathetic pity but not too rich to get ridiculed by stuck up nobles, a nice humble place with a friendly community.
Or that's what he assumed since a large group of ponies were still awake chatting and laughing with each other.
Lux gazed at the sight with a deadpan, cranking his head upwards to face the moon.
“It’s the middle of the night,” he grumbled. Yet he knew it wasn’t his place to judge these ponies and for all he knew, there could be a culturally important festival happening all for that important pony he was hinted about. So he steeled himself and continued his journey into the town on a mission.
Find the town hall…
“Wait, where is it?”
He sighed on the spot, realising that he has two options: wander the confines of a town that he has zero experience in traversing or ask a stranger for directions. The latter was the obvious choice in Lux’s eyes since the colt felt like he’d fall asleep any second.
He glanced around the vicinity of the bustling street and equipped his thinking pose ,aka, rubbing his chin with his foreleg and raising his left eyebrow while the passing ponies chuckled at the cute foal’s antics.
At first, he looked at a pegasus mare with a messy yellow main and a cutie mark adorning bubbles. “Hmmm, wait, does she have amblyopia? Cool, but I know myself well enough to know I'll probably blurt it out somehow. Best avoid that outcome”
At his second glance, he spotted the beefiest pony he ever saw. A white furred earth pony -wait no, he just noticed the tiny wings sticking out, so pegasus actually- with a sleek mohawk for a mane, a barbell for a cutie mark and blood red eyes that held enough intensity to make Lux’s old drill instructors quake in their boots. “Nope! That dude will probably bench press me for starting a conversation- who else…”
“Oh!” had escaped his mouth once he laid eyes on a raspberry coated mare. Her mane and tail swirled and swayed, resembling cotton candy and her cutie mark showed fresh flowers smiling cheerfully. “Now that seems like the kind of pony I can ask.”
So, putting on a glistening smile, he strolled over to his target. Once he was noticed, the mare lowered her eyes to see the colt's gaze and smiled back.
“Oh hello dear, are you new to Ponyville?”
“Yeah, sorry for the bother but would it…huh, how'd ya know?”
She chuckled sweetly, “I teach the only school in Ponyville little colt and since I have every student memorised, I’d at least know your name if you did live here,”
And on the dime, she ruffled his mane, “especially somepony as adorable as you.”
Lux shrugged in response; his cheeks gaining a rosy tint. “Y-you don’t even know me, miss,” he shook off the embarrassment, “a-anyway, you’re right and if it wouldn’t inconvenience you, would you point me to Town Hall?”
“Oh that won't be a problem at all dear!” the mare explained. “The Summer Sun Celebration isn’t one to miss. Besides, I’m heading there anyway, just follow me alright?”
And with a turn of the hoof, she walks away whilst peeking over her shoulder to see if he’s following.
It’s not what Lux was aiming for but if she was going to get him to Town Hall anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to brave a festival. Especially if it was fun. So he nodded at her and followed her direction.
Eventually, the colt and his escort ended up at the doors of the Town Hall. Lux gazed at the assortment of colourful streamers and balloons laced around the entrance which popped in comparison to the historic architecture.
“Thanks for the directions miss,” Lux said, bowing his head in respect. It was a rule to always thank his superiors that way so the action was coded into him and he didn’t expect to break the habit any time soon. “I’m… uh, Darkloud by the way. Perhaps I’ll see you around.”
The mare blinked for a moment, a little surprised at the formal tone, yet caught herself and chuckled. “Aww how sweet of you Darkloud. And I’m Miss Cheerilee, should your parents move here, I’d love to see you in class.”
“... of course.”
The mood had immediately soured and Cheerilee could tell. Watching many foals learn and play gave her a keen sense for those who were under the weather and those senses were blaring like an alarm.
Lux leered at the starry sky, as if contemplating something and walked into the joy of the festivities.
It’s not her fault, she didn't know… he repeated to himself until he snapped himself out of his trance when he bumped into the hindleg of a minty green unicorn.
“Oh, sorry.” Lux apologised, retreating to the lunch table and jumping onto it. “Now where would this Mayor Mare be…” It took a mere 10 seconds for the colt to realise he was trying to find a needle in a haystack. For one, he had no clue who Mayor Mare was or what she looked like, and even if he did, it would be impossible to find her in the sea of ponies flooding the interior of the hall.
Grimacing at the failure of his mission. Lux resided in carrying a glass with his magic and scooping some apple juice from a fruit punch bowl.
“I guess I'll have to wait till morning. Aaand now I have nowhere to sleep,” he moaned, facehoofing himself and stretching his bottom lip revealing his pure white teeth, “drats, and here I thought my library napping days were over.”
Still, he was famished from the recent tragedies rolling his way so he deduced it would be beneficial to embrace the festivities for a while longer as he sipped on the apple juice.
And his eyes lit up.
“Wow, who knew apples could taste this good!”
He then proceeded to drain the whole glass in a flash and hungrily raided the pastry section to a neighbouring berry marked pony’s chagrin. Gulping down the last piece of treats that looked sweet, his stomach panged in signal of a belly well fed.
“On second thought, I can get used to this.”
Lux stood in the center of the crowd of ponies staring up at the stage with anticipation as the lights dimmed down and the music died out.
He did ponder on why they left so much room in the center but the colt wasn't complaining. Imagining himself quashed under the legs of so many ponies just wasn’t his style, so he glanced about to see if there was anything else to do and to his bemusement, he saw a bipedal lizard with emerald scales riding a lavender unicorn who was avoiding a rather jumpy pink mare.
Ok that’s kinda hilarious but that begs a question… there are dragons in this world!?
He wasn’t arrogant enough to believe he knew everything about the land of Equestria but he thought he would’ve at least found something about other mythical creatures existing from Heatwave’s little study shelf.
…
His ears dropped. He really needed to get on with himself if he hoped to have a good life or whatever God told him. Seriously, he was preparing to believe the being was pulling a sick joke on him or something.
Luckily there was a distraction that caught his attention as a yellow pegasus orchestrated a flock of birds to sing a tune with such grace and harmony, he couldn’t help but smile at the remarkable display. There was no music to Lux’s ears better than nature after all.
After the short performance, a spotlight came to life and directed itself towards the bottom stage where a beige coated mare stood proud. Her mane was grey and wavy which would indicate she was in her elder years, however that didn’t sit right in Lux’s analytical perception because when comparing her stature to any other mare, she doesn’t look a day over 40, no matter what the triangular glasses wanted him to believe.
Maybe hair dye exists here. Or grey is also a natural colour. Given I’ve seen fur and manes of the whole colour spectrum, I wouldn’t put it past this world.
“Fillies and gentlecolts!” The mare welcomed. “As the Mayor of Ponyville, it is my pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration.”
This gained a crowd of cheers throughout the hall while Lux smirked knowingly. Finding out who Mayor Mare looked like was at the top of his priority, so to complete that task before the end of the celebration was a bonus in his eyes. With that finished, he felt like it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy the fun once this announcement was over.
So he took the time to crank his head to the moon again. Lux couldn't help it since the scope of it was so vast and beautiful. It was a hobby in his old life to combat some of the boredom he faced following late hours of alchemic study and it just continued to click whenever he felt the urge to do something. He really needed to ask about the unicorn face on the moon though, perhaps he could find a library to get some answers…
Until the face was gone.
“What the… the unicorn face!”
Lux furrowed his brow in confusion while the lavender mare from before widened her eyes in surprise and took a look at him. Probably because he pointed it out.
“And now, it is my great honour to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria. Princess Celestia!”
Following another chorus from the bird choir, a snow white pony on the 1st floor’s podium pulled a rope and opened the curtains behind her to reveal no princess.
“This can’t be good.” The mare next to Lux commented which led the colt to poke a hoof on her foreleg.
“Excuse me, but how is this bad?”
It looked like she was going to answer him, but was interrupted by the smiling pink pony jumping up and down. “Oh, oh, I love guessing games! Is she hiding?” She then drops her head to the floor as if the Princess would be there.
“If the Princess was an ant, maybe.” Lux answered with no sarcasm whatsoever.
“She's gone!” The snow pony exclaimed in shock, which had the crowd panic in retaliation.
“Hmmm, if she's not an ant then perhaps she's the air. Oh that’s genius!” The pink one responded before her jaw unhinged into a scream.
Lux and the crowd looked back to the podium to see a fog of glistening stars followed by darkness push itself forward and twirl into a circular field of starlight.
“Oh no, Nightmare Moon.” the lavender one lightly shrieked.
Nightmare Moon huh? Yeah, Lux had no clue about this pony, and whoever it was going to be, he had to assume it wasn’t a nice pony judging by the lavender ones blatant fear.
Finally, the mare revealed herself. And in Lux’s purely subjective opinion, this Nightmare Moon pony was more cool than intimidating. Her fur was jet black as the darkness she appeared from, had wings and a horn bigger than any pony he saw and was probably double his size. Her mane flowed elegantly like it was in a ghostly form with the pattern of the stars Lux gazed at so often. Her armour shone like diamonds with both her cutie mark and chest-plate adorning the crescent moon. But the most eye-catching part about her according to the colt, was her eyes. The iris was a teal blue and where the sclera would be white, there was a lighter shade of the iris and her pupils slit like snakes, as if peering into his soul. The strength and authority she exuded was astounding to the adventurous foal.
He had to get closer.
As the folks of Ponyville banter with Nightmare Moon, Lux passed through the shivering crowd until he was just under the podium where she stood, laughing.
“Why am I not royal enough for you?” she questioned, her voice sleek like ice. “Don’t you know who I am?”
“Oh, oh more guessing games!” the pink one riled. “Um hokey smokes.”
“You’re Nightmare Moon.”
The crowd gasped and cast their gaze onto the individual, Lux. Nightmare Moon peered her head to meet his eyes specifically, which made the hair on his fur stick up but his own eyes stayed firm, stone faced, preparing himself for a nice chat or a battle.
“Well, well. Of all the ponies to remember my name, it had to be a foal. Still, 1 is better than none so let me humour you my subject,” she smiled at him in a slightly patronising manner, “could you please tell these ignorant ponies about why I’m here?”
“I don't know… what are you going to do?” Lux raised his eyebrow to try displaying a bit of dominance towards the threat, but it only gave him a mocking chuckle in return.
“Aww that's a shame. Very well, I’ll do it myself,” she turned to face the crowd, “remember this day ponies for it was your last.. From this moment forth, the night will last. Forever!”
Nightmare moon cackled, her moonlit mane twirled like a whirlwind and thunder boomed into the room. Lux gritted his teeth and pulled a few spell notes from his saddle bag. The tags had a triangle with a horizontal line cut a bit above the center.
Drats, I guess I did use up all of my fire signs. Oh well, I can work with this.
“Seize her, only she knows where the Princess is!” Mayor Mare bellowed to the guards as they flew toward the mare of the night. Lux could feel the danger flickering all over the place, so he knew he had to act. He stuck a note onto his hoof and aimed it between Nightmare Moon and the guards.
Aer!
A beam of wind shot in its assigned direction, connecting with the lightning which resulted in a mini explosion, successfully preventing the guards from being harmed.
Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened at the display and cracked her neck to face him again. Her face oozed both puzzlement and annoyance.
“Do my eyes deceive me? A new form of ancient magic and from you…what an interesting little thing you are.” Her form transformed into its spectral fog and grabbed Lux in its clutches.
“Shoot!” he shouted in surprise, kicking back his forehoof to blast another gust of air but the note shrivelled into dust once a powerful blue magic covered it. With no form of escape and only the lavender unicorn and Miss Cheerilee rushing to his rescue, Lux could only curse himself for the situation he got himself into.
I never thought I’d live to see the day I’d be in the position of a damsel in distress… I’m never gonna live this one down.
The night could not get any worse for Twilight! First, Celestia was missing which was already stressful enough for her to handle, then Nightmare Moon showed up and basked the world into eternal night which will prove to be a disaster for everyone's schedule over time and the agriculture business.
But the most horrific problem of them all stunned her the most. She foalnapped a colt!
“Darkloud!” Miss Cheerilee shouted, eventually stopping to a halt along with Twilight.
“You know him Miss?”
“Not really, he was a foreigner I helped take to Town Hall. Oh, how scared he must be…”
Twilight would be inclined to agree, but having seen what the foal could do, she had doubts. This Darkloud, a colt probably at her age when she got her cutie mark, stood face to face against Nightmare Moon without any sense of agency and used unfamiliar magic… without his horn!
Twilight shook her head frantically, “don’t worry Miss, I'll try with all my power to get Darkloud back, you can count on me!”
And with that, Twilight galloped back to Golden Oak’s Library with urgency. No pony, let alone a foal, should be in Nightmare Moon's hooves if she had anything to say about it, so she knew her next course of action. Find the artefacts that sealed the mare of the night in the first place.
The Elements of Harmony.
Lux was ejected from the fog's hold and would’ve hit a wall face first if he didn’t tuck and roll, slamming into it with his back. Pain shot up his body once he slumped to the floor, but the colt pulled himself off the concrete, concentrating on his breathing while stretching a few limbs for signs of lethal injury.
No sprains or cuts, just a bruise. That’s manageable
He turned his focus to his location. From what the colt could gather, he stood in a regal castle and he could notice that whoever lived here hadn't returned. Roots and vegetation encapsulated the stone pillars holding the crumbling ceiling from falling under gravity's call. The windows lost their glass with only pieces of the frame being the only evidence of their existence and at the end of the hall, there lay a circular podium but with nothing on top of it.
Lux walked up the steps and stood in the middle of it to look through the framed window, his most obvious and biggest escape route, only to notice that he was about 6 floors high judging by the number of windows from a distant tower.
He frowned. “Doesn’t matter what I do, I always end up back in this damn forest one way or another…” Darkloud turned to face the open staircase on the other side, “though, broken castles must mean some sort of knowledge. Perhaps I can find something new before Nightmare Moon-”
“Leaving so soon little colt?” The air ran cold and Lux steeled himself to meet the sound of his perpetrator who bent her neck to meet him at eye level, their muzzles so close to connecting with each other.
Lux scoffed, smirking at her. “Well, being held captive against your will doesn’t induce a lot of hospitality in a guest.”
Nightmare Moon’s widened her smile, revealing her sharp teeth. If Lux didn’t know better, he’d assume she was a carnivore. “Royalty don’t need to follow the intricacies of our subjects, besides you should be honoured foal. You are in the presence of the most powerful creature in all of Equestria.”
“Most… powerful?”
To Nightmare Moon's surprise, the colt didn’t look afraid of that fact, nor did he laugh like it was a nonsensical joke. He was looking at her with a gleam of respect and…admiration?
“Ahem, obviously little one. Now I believe you hold something valuable that I must seek,” she returned to her formal stature, averting her gaze to the window behind her, “that archaic magic you demonstrated before me, how did you acquire such magic, foal?”
Lux waited like a statue with his eyebrow raised and hoof on his chin, pondering his next move.
So she took me for my alchemy skills…maybe she wants to learn it, but if I give her the information then she could just kill me. And if I refuse, it could lead to the same outcome. There really is no winning here…unless.
The colt broke from his position and prostrated himself in front of the mare. “I apologise, your majesty but to do so would most likely spell my demise by your hoof, yet I don’t wish to upset you so how about a compromise.”
Nightmare Moon peered at him, her slit pupils narrowing to wander deeper into his very being. “Very well, speak.” She commanded and so Lux obeyed.
“You see, I need to get stronger, I know that with all my power at this moment, it won't be enough to combat the threats that will come my way. Without strength, I’m no help at all… so here's my ultimatum! If you could teach me magic, I can teach you my skills. We both get what we want and I don’t lose out, is that satisfactory?”
She shut her eyes as if deep in thought. “No”
“What?”
“Your magic does seem impressive but it holds no candle to the might of my magic! For a colt to have such arrogance is almost amusing,” she chuckled coldly, grinning at Lux menacingly.
“A life of servitude added to such an ultimatum shall suffice. Your demise, as you put it, wouldn’t be a particularly fitting end for you, so I do encourage you to take this deal.”
The mare cooed, circling around him as he followed her gaze. “Think about it colt, you will be able to do anything under my hoof. Money, power, it shall be yours. All that's required of you is to listen and obey my orders. My words are your life and you will be wise to follow it, I do not tolerate disobedience nor cowardice.”
She stopped circling him and cupped her hoof to his chin, as if scanning for any hint of defiance. “Your answer is obvious colt, yet I need your word.”
Lux gazed into the abyss and took to the confines of his mind for an answer. On one hoof, he would gain a vast amount of knowledge and power merely by serving Nightmare Moon and despite her rather destructive entrance, she did look like a fair ruler if he stayed on her good side. But what about the other ponies? He pondered. If she's serious on maintaining eternal night, no sunlight will be available, which means no photosynthesis, no plant growth and no food for everypony. So unless they convert to carnivores, which I highly doubt, there could be world wide chaos! I…I can’t do that to them. I help people, that's been my entire life, and I refuse to do the opposite.
Nightmare Moon frowned, like she could read his thoughts and tossed him to the side. “Foolish foal, so much vigour and pride, yet no hunger for what's necessary. And here I thought you were different.”
Expanding her wings, she glided towards the window and saw 6 ponies in a courtyard with a podium holding various spherical stones.
“Observe, and I shall show you the error of your ways little colt.” she leered as her horn emanated a blinding white glow, forcing Darkloud to shut his eyes and wonder what she plans to do.
Twilight snapped to reality, picking herself up and quickly scanned the unfamiliar surroundings to find both the colt and Nightmare Moon who had the stone covered elements hovering around her while cackling fiercely.
She inaudibly gasped at her monstrous form but turned to see the colt, who she knew as Darkloud. Just like before, the colt stood stone faced in the heart of danger. She couldn't imagine the volume of recklessness that was on display but she couldn’t think of that now.
“Release the colt Nightmare Moon, your problem is with me!”
“And if I refuse. What could you possibly do?”
Twilight furrowed her brow and skidded her hoof along the concrete like a bull ready to charge. Her horn sparked to life.
“...you can’t be serious.”
The two proceed to charge towards each other while Darkloud watched. That was until Twilight teleported to the stone elements, confusing the mare of the night for just a second before she stirred backwards.
Her horn glowed again, grasping at the stones that sparked with pink electricity as they interacted.
“Just one spark, come on…”
But it was for naught as Nightmare Moon phased in front of her and sent her flying. She would’ve taken a nasty skid across the floor if Darkloud didn’t catch her mid air with his own magic. Sweating from concentration, he let go, resulting in Twilight landing on her flank.
“Sorry, I'm still working on it.” He said with an apologetic smile.
Twilight gave him a gentle smile of her own. “Thanks for the help Darkloud. Besides, I think we’re done here.” The stones became electrically charged, connecting to each other…
Until they didn't.
Nightmare Moon smirked and with a stomp, broke the stones into several pieces. The world turned upside down in Twilight's eyes. The 6th element didn’t appear and Nightmare Moon had won.
She failed to save Equestria.
She failed to save her teacher.
“You little foals, thinking you can defeat me!” The mare boomed, her voice echoing along the hall. “No matter what magic you throw at me, without the elements, you will never see your beloved princess nor the sun. For the night shall last forever!”
Twilight's ears drooped in defeat, yet he instinctively had her foreleg blocking Darkloud from Nightmare Moon.
“I guess it’s do or die!” He called, grabbing more of those runic pieces of paper from his bag and going into a battle stance. Twilight couldn’t help but marvel at the colt’s undeterred bravery, so young yet so strong. It was infectious.
She steeled herself and stepped forward, ready to do whatever she could to stop the looming threat.
That was until they could both hear numerous voices calling for Twilight, ascending the staircase.
“Uhm, are they your friends?” Darkloud commented to Twilight. And it all clicked, her eyes dilated and shone with determination.
“You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that?” She smirked, proudly facing the mare of the night. “Well you’re wrong, because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!”
The 6 ponies confidently smile at her while the shattered shards glow a multitude of colours and hover in the air, separating and floating towards each of them.
“Applejack who reassured me when I was in doubt represents the spirit of honesty,”
“Fluttershy who tamed the manticore with her compassion represents the spirit of kindness,”
“Pinkie Pie who banished fear by laughing in the face of danger representing the spirit of laughter,”
“Rarity who calmed the sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of generosity,”
“And Rainbow Dash who could not abandon her friends for her own desire represents the spirit of loyalty. The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenger you threw at us!”
Nightmare Moon growled in annoyance. “You still don't have the sixth element, the spark didn’t work!”
“But it did. A different kind of spark,” Twilight turned to her friends and Darkloud behind the group, who was still confused about the whole situation shifting to the power of friendship trope, “I felt, at that very moment, I realised how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realised that you all… are my friends!”
At that moment, a purple light shone from above her, revealing a sixth element with her cutie mark etched in the stone.
“You see Nightmare moon, when those elements are ignited by…the spark that resides in the heart of us all, it brings the sixth element, the element of…Magic!”
Well that was… something.
Lux was incredibly perplexed about what just happened. The 6 ponies he met at town hall appeared out of nowhere, gaining strange jewellery which they called the Elements of Harmony and blasted Nightmare Moon into nothing with a super powered rainbow beam.
Lux smiled at them as they slumped to the floor, recuperating from the mega rainbow blast. He felt encouraged by his decision as he found a new form of magic even stronger than whom he was going to align with, though it would be a whole new story trying to unlock such strength.
He mentally noted it for another time and knelt down to the one called Twilight, lending a hoof.
“That was quite the sight to behold, you doing okay?”
Twilight peered upward, still groggy from the sudden energy, but had enough to smile, taking the gesture and standing up. “Thanks Darkloud. You’re a brave little guy standing against Nightmare Moon like that, you should be real proud of yourself.” Twilight said, patting Lux’s head to the colt's bemusement.
Meanwhile, the others conversed about their new jewellery they acquired which led Applejack to speak.
“Jee Twilight, I thought you were spoutin’ a lot a hooey, but I reckon we really do represent the elements of friendship.”
“Indeed you do.” A new voice called, which took Lux by surprise, jumping backwards and igniting his horn, but when looking at the mares, they didn’t look alarmed at all.
Do they know this voice?
Suddenly, light enveloped the castle interior as the sun rose back in place. A white light descended from the day and shot into the room before it vanished to reveal another alicorn.
Lux thought she looked like the exact opposite of Nightmare Moon, and if the bowing mares told him anything, he could successfully assume that she was Princess Celestia, the pony who was expected to show up at Town Hall.
However, Lux didn’t want to bother with the pleasantries of Twilight's conversation because he caught a glance at something that broke from Nightmare Moon’s armour. It was an alicorn smaller than Celestia with blueberry fur and a sky coloured mane. She looked both stressed and tired with how she struggled to stand, so he walked over to her.
“Need a hoof Miss?”
“You…you are-”
“Darkloud yes, though it’s in your best interest if you stand. A fragile stance does nopony any favours.”
So with slight hesitation, she took his hoof and rose from her position.
Jeez, is everypony gonna be taller than me?
“Princess Luna…”
And immediately, the serenity Luna held vanished in an instant once she saw Celestia. “It has been a thousand years since I’ve seen you like this.” Celestia said, standing in front of Luna while Lux watched from her side.
“Time to put our differences behind us, we were meant to rule together, little sister.”
The mares gasped in shock while Lux nodded to himself. It did make sense to him as Luna and Celestia were both Princesses, a family title, and their cutie marks of the day and night resembled only of the alchemic signs he knew of that combined two existing ones. Pondus.
“Will you accept my friendship?”
Everypony was on the edge of their seat, awaiting her response while Lux, feeling the tension from Luna’s face, placed a hoof on her wing. She snapped back at him in shock but with a nod and a smile from the colt, she returned the gesture, dashing towards her sister.
“I’m so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister…”
“I missed you too.”
Witnessing such a tearful embrace almost brought Lux to tears. He never could imagine what having siblings would be like but he had held many friendships in his old life that he’d refer to as brotherly or sibling bonds. But he immediately broke from the joyous trance.
Crap, I forgot all about my mission with Mayor Mare! I better dash.
Lux crept along the hall and was two steps down the staircase until he was assaulted by a pink blur.
“Oh my god, I don’t remember seeing you around here little fella!” Pinkie Pie squealed, bouncing as she held onto his shoulders. “You must be new to Ponyville, this calls for a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party along with our ‘Welcome back Princess’ party!”
“T-thanks for the suggestion uhm… Pinkie, but I really gotta talk to the Mayor.”
“There is no need to rush little colt,” Celestia interrupted, “if it isn’t much trouble, I am fairly intrigued on how you ended up here”
Twilight decided it would be the right time to bring her side of the story. “You wouldn’t believe it Princess Celestia, Darkloud had used some form of ancient magic! It was probably why Nightmare Moon took him here. I didn’t know what to think about it.”
“Ancient magic,” Celestia questioned, “is this true Darkloud?”
“Y-yes your majesty. It's not that impressive though.”
“Not that impressive…” Rainbow Dash zoomed in Lux’s face, squishing his cheeks in excitement, “that was awesome! Spewing those gusts of wind from those paper thingies without a horn threw Nightmare Moon through a loop. That alone makes you pretty cool in my books.”
Lux noticed he was how hard he was blushing from embarrassment and pushed Rainbow away. “Please stop that, it’s embarrassing.”
“Anyhow I believe we should travel back to Ponyville before the denizens get worried,” Celestia called, teleporting multiple carriages linked with guard ponies, everypony hopped on a carriage, leaving only one carriage that had room which was where Twilight sat..
“Come on now Darkloud, your parents are probably awfully worried. Don’t want to keep them waiting.”
…
This gonna get awkward soon
Inside town hall, Lux sat on a chair, finishing his gruelling tale in the Everfree Forest. He put all his effort into focusing entirely on his voice, not bothering to see the mane six who were listening behind him.
“So yeah…Dad’s gone, his last words were to send me to you. I would’ve been here earlier but the whole Nightmare Moon fiasco took up most of my night.”
Mayor Mare was on the opposite side of the desk, her mouth agape and her eyes watering with tears.
“Oh…oh my dear, so you were his son,” Mayor Mare cracked, wiping her tears under her glasses, “Heatwave was such a lovely stallion, helping anyone who needed it. To think he’s… oh sweet Celestia”
“Oh you poor thing!” For the first time from Darklouds perspective, Fluttershy spoke, latching onto Lux’s chest in a tough, tearful embrace. “It must have been tough living in the Everfree Forest for so long...”
"ack! uh- c-can you, ugk."
“Now hold your horse's sugar cube, y’er breakin’ the poor foal,” the solemn-faced Applejack said, pointing to Lux whose skin was slowly losing colour, “believe me, Ah’m just as upset as the next pony. To think Heatwave was all bright as rain a few days ago…”
“Oh. I-Im sorry…”
Fluttershy released her deadlock grip on the colt which allowed him to breathe life into his organs for a few seconds.
“Phew anyway, as I was saying, I want to know what will be done with me since I’m technically on my own,” Lux sunk into his chair, preparing himself for whatever tedious task that would most likely be thrown at him, “I don’t mind living alone though, I’ve done it a few times so you won't have to worry about me, then again, I don't know if you'd allow that…” The frantic colt continued to mutter to himself as Mayor Mare consoled him.
Meanwhile, the mane 6 huddled together in a circle, all having pity etched on their faces.
“W-we can't just leave him can we?”
“The poor darling has clearly gone through enough in his foalhood, as much as I trust the caretakers of Canterlot Orphanage, I’m still concerned with his health.”
“Well then, what options do we have, adopt him ourselves?”
The 5 stared at Rainbow Dash like she just solved the most convoluted puzzle of all time.
“What?”
“That’s a super duper adorable idea! I bet either of us would make great moms.”
“Pinkie please, we don’t even know if the lil’ colt would want that. His ol’ man would rather come back from the grave than let Darkloud live in worry…”
“I certainly think so, just look at him.”
Pinkie directed their eyes back to Darkloud who had his hooves squishing his cheeks. “Please ma’am, I don’t care about the living conditions or such. If it has a roof and some food, I'll be set. Just something about an orphanage doesn’t sit right with me.”
“I’m sorry dear but I can’t do that, you’re too young to live in your own home. I’m afraid we will need to hand you over to the caretakers. Trust me Darkloud, they are very lovely ponies who’d love to help you.”
“Aight then, point taken, but who's gonna do it?”
“Not me! Don’t get me wrong, he’s really cool and all, but I can’t bring him to Cloudsdale with me. Cause unicorn and all”
“I’d love to, but Sweetiebelle is strenuous enough to take care of, let alone a colt so fool-hardy”
“Oh oh, I can do it! But if anypony else wants to, I won't argue. Taking care of a foal does sound like fun but I’m not sure how well I’d be.”
“And I don’t know if the lil’ guy would appreciate life at the farm…Twilight, Fluttershy. What about y’all?”
“I-I don’t know, I've never taken care of a foal before a-and if the animals don’t like him, I wouldn't know what to do.”
“Me neither, I don’t want to leave him like that, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for such a responsibility.”
On the other end of the room, Lux had stopped chatting with Mayor Mare a while ago, raising his ears to listen to their conversation. It warmed his heart to know that they wanted to help him but at the same time, he didn’t feel like he wanted to be raised again. His first parents were a mere memory to him and his next breath of parental love died out before a year passed. He sighed at the emotional weight placed on him, at the moment, and jumped off the chair to face the mares.
“Really girls, you don’t have to burden yourselves with this. I know I’m strong enough to handle a measly orphanage for a few years, and all of you must have lives you gotta get back to. So again, thank you for rescuing me but I'll get out of your hair.”
All of them looked torn as they saw the colt wandered towards the doorway and opened it with magic and a bit of effort, but on the other side was surprisingly Princess Celestia.
“Darkloud, please wait a moment. I believe your fate has yet to be decided.”
Lux tilted his head at the Princess, frowning. “But they all have a reason not to take me, I'm not going to burden them with handling me.”
“But they didn’t say no… Twilight,” she turned to her pupil with a gleam of motherly intent in her gaze, “if I were to choose, I think you would be the best candidate to care for Darkloud.”
“W-what?” Twilight jumped in surprise. “But I have no experience taking care of ponies, I wouldn’t be prepared at all! Can you imagine the amount of lists I’d have to make to stay on track?”
“From what I’ve seen from Darkloud during our travels, he has quite the fascination for magic as well as his affinity for an ancient form of it. I predict that after a few days, the two of you will be quite fond of each other. Sometimes it takes just a few moments for a bond to bloom, planned or not.”
Darkloud and Twilight glanced at each other, but while Twilight was lost in thought, the colt leaned into her barrel.
“U-uhm Darkloud?”
“To be honest, I wouldn’t mind that at all! That magic I saw in the castle is too good to pass up and I do want to get better at my craft, so who better than the student of one of the strongest ponies in Equestria!” He cracked his head upward to meet Twilight, his face brewing with electricity and passion. “I don’t care what you wanna see me as: son, brother, student, either way I get to live with somepony and that's all that matters. So what do you say?”
Twilight stood silent as the room beamed with tension but in the end, she smiled down at him.
“Well, if the Princess believes in me, how can I not?”
Almost everyone in that office cheered and on that day forth, Lux would be able to live in Ponyville and live a life of peace and harmony. And he would intend to keep it that way with all his power. Yet one thing still bothered him which needed to be corrected for the near future.
“Hey, can I ask a favour?”
“Of course what is it?” Twilight responded
“Can I be called Darklo instead? It's like a nickname of mine… it just feels more natural to me.”
Everyone nodded in understanding to which Lux…no, Darklo smiled. Throughout his whole experience, he didn’t know what to think about himself. Darkloud was somepony else and keeping the name would be like identity theft in his eyes and Lux was the name of a human long gone now. His story ended so it was time for a new beginning, so a new name would feel much better. Something that was passable enough as a nickname while straying away from the identity the body once held. It was his journey and he was going to use it to the best of his ability.
From the little time he had experienced with his new guardian, Darklo was content with the change of pace. No more worrying about mythical beings knocking on his front doorstep, no more fumbling over foreign terminology and, most importantly in his eyes, no more trouble with using magic.
Apparently, Twilight’s home was a literal library and a scholar under the most important pony in all of Equestria, so he felt set for the life he wanted to live. However,
“Okay,phew. okay. Spike, meet Darklo. He will be living with us from now on.” Twilight said at a fast pace before zooming upstairs. “I'll just be up here for a bit, hehe… now where’s that book on raising foals, I NEED to make a list RIGHT NOW.”
A short awkward silence rang throughout the library once the door slammed shut, but is was kindly interupted when Darklo extended a hoof towards the dragon. “Nice to meet you Spike. I don’t think we got acquainted before.”
“Oh right, you’re the colt that Nightmare Moon napped,” Spike replied while giving the hoof a fist bump, “who knew Twilight would want to adopt somepony heh, I mean I’ve been with her my whole life and even I didn’t expect that.”
“It was Celestia’s work. I probably would have headed to an orphanage if she didn’t give her a push.”
“I expected as much especially with how uhm-” Spike pointed up to Twilight’s room, “Twilightly, Twilight is right now. But hey! I always wanted a guy I could hang with, so I don’t see any problems. Welcome to the family Darklo.”
Darklo nodded with a genuine smile. Even though he just met the little dragon, he could tell that they were gonna get along just fine.
“Thanks Spike. So while we wait for my mom…or sister… teacher? -You know what, I’ll go with big sister- wanna do something fun?”
Spike beamed at the colt and grinned. “Of course! If I know Twilight, she’ll be up there for a while, so how about…” the enthusiastic lizard brought out his thinking pose before snapping his fingers and opening his eyes.
“Oh, I’ve got one. Can you show me how you did that ancient magic stuff? I’ve never seen something like that before with those freaky symbols and all.”
Darklo pondered the idea before nodding in acceptance. He still couldn’t grasp on how his alchemic abilities transferred to the world, especially with the new changes to it, so the colt viewed that it wouldn’t be a problem. Just gotta keep up the ancient magic shtick and no one will ever question me.
“Sure, I can do that. Follow me bro.” The colt walked to a seat and sat there while Spike took the neighbouring one, leaning his hands on the table as Darklo took a criminally short book from his pouch with a ton of effort.
“Woah, isn’t that book too small? It’s got only one page. Jee if Twilight saw that, she’d flip.”
“You aren’t wrong Spike, but that's only what the ‘Clever Memory Book’ wants you to believe.” Darklo grinned as he placed a hoof on the open blank page. “Sign of Fire”
And moments after, ink bled onto the page, revealing the information within. Spike’s mouth dropped in shock. “Wait… so you're telling me that this thing can just show you anything? That’s amazing! Twilight would DEFINITELY flip.”
“It isn’t like that bud, it can only show the stuff that’s been written into it so not everything is shoved into this. Plus the more you write, the heavier it gets. Kind of a pain if you ask me.”
Spike leered at the page and narrowed his eyes in concentration. Once he finished reading, he returned his gaze to the colt. “So you need to know the specific attributes and science of a spell you want to use in order to perform it and the sign will only activate when a familiar form of magic interacts with it. Am I right?”
Darklo smiled proudly. “Mhm, it’s that easy. There are about nineteen more but I’m pretty sure I can only use two, though I do know how to merge them… I still haven't attempted it though.”
The colt took a mental note of his next practice session before Spike interrupted him. “You really know a lot about this… where did you find this information?”
“Oh, uhhh. A ruined city! Yeah, my dad was an adventurer and a real good one at that. He took me to a couple abandoned places and I came across these writings on the walls. So I wrote all of it in this book and tried them out. That’s all.”
Darklo sweated a bit as his muzzle scrunched up to avoid letting out a chuckle no one would find truthful, while Spike stared at him innocently before shrugging.
“Eh, sounds about right. Sucks that it requires magic though, I’d love to shoot out fireballs or gusts of wind…” As Spike stood daydreaming about the possibility, Darklo tilted his head, perplexed. He never did think about the possibility of other creatures being able to use alchemy here. Yes, it could’ve been taken with him to his body but as far as Darklo remembered as Lux, alchemy came from the channels of the body and soul so if he came in a world without a body accustomed to the arts, it wouldn’t work.
So in conclusion: if Darklo could use it, it would be possible that other unicorns could use it too. All it needed was magic and knowledge after all, and he didn’t know if he should be worried or not. What if other things changed? Could I use the rest of the signs even without the Stone? Ughh too many unanswered questions I'll have to test in seclusion. I guess I’ll need to find a ‘me’ space for myself sooner than later…
Luckily, the colt could forget about stress for a little longer as somepony opened the front door, revealing Applejack. “Greetin’s Spike and nice to see y’ah doing well sugarcube. Y’all seen Twilight? I just need a few extra hooves to help me win a bet Big Mac made.”
Darklo raised an eyebrow at that reason. "The Element of Honesty asking for somepony to help them win a bet that the other indented for just them? How devious."
"Heh, in ma defence, he never said I COUNDN'T get help, so I'm not lying."
The two chuckled lightly as if they already expected that kind of banter to happen and Spike decided to answer the actual question. “Twilight's in her room right now. Though you should probably wait until she stops panicking over this guy.” Spike smirked, lightly elbowing Darklo in the shoulder.
“For your information, I don’t know why she has to. I can take care of myself easily. No preparation needed.”
Applejack smiled solemnly at the colt, eyes almost peering through him. “I know it looks pretty excessive, but I think that's just Twilight’s way of saying she cares about ya. Not a problem with being independent though, and for a colt, you got d’at in spades. You really are like your pops Darklo…”
Deciding to ignore the sour mood brewing, Darklo put on a knowing smirk. “Man do I know it!”
The sun beamed down on Sweet Apple Acres as Applejack and Twilight paced the dirt road back to the barn, a basket of apples on their backs, while Spike and Darklo followed them and tossed the imperfect ones to the floor. Or more specifically, Darklo was following beside Twilight as Spike lazed on her back with the basket.
“Thank y’all kindly for helpin’ me out. I bet Big Macintosh I could get all these Golden Delicious in the barn by lunchtime,” Applejack said, taking an excited jump in the air, “if I win, he’s gonna walk down Syrup Street in one of Granny’s girdles.”
“No problem at all Applejack, but I’m glad the goal is lunchtime, all this hard work is making me hungry.”
“Meh, it was okay. All that bucking back in the Everfree is paying off, in fact, I think I could go for another half an hour.”
“Mhm, practice does make perfect sugarcube. Maybe you wouldn't have been such a bad apple in our family as I thought.”
“Too late to take him now.” Spike interjected, “now let's get back, I’m also kind of hungry.” Twilight and Darklo turned to look at the sitting dragon with a deadpan expression. “What?”
"Spike, you have no grounds to say that in all honesty. Given you aren’t on the ground at all.” Darklo argued with a light grin which resulted in the 2 mares chuckling at the joke.
“Har har, Darklo. Here, I’ll get us something.” Spike then committed to scrounging through the apples of varying quality until he came across one that shone like rubies.
Twilight’s eyes dilated in hunger. “Wow Spike, that one looks delicious-” However, she wouldn't know if it tasted delicious as Spike devoured it in one bite, “Spike!”
Darklo shook his head, “Low blow buddy, low blow.”
Before Spike could even interject, he burped out fire which shifted and twisted until it became a scroll. “What the-” Darklo gasped, “you can do that?” Spike nodded proudly.
“It’s a dragon thing,” He said and took the scroll to read it, “now lets see… ahem, hear ye, hear ye, from your grand royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce the Grand Galloping Gala will be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot on the 21st day of uh yadda yadda… cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle, plus one guest.”
The mares stared at Spike, absolutely dumbfounded and transfixed by his words until a second later, where they looked at each other excitedly. “The Grand Galloping Gala!”
“The Grand Galloping what now?”
The two danced and pranced around while Darklo stood bewildered at their antics and Spike went from unamused to gagging when he spat out two tickets from fire. The colt caught them in his magic and peered at the fancy embroidery.
“Huh, so these are the tickets. How uhm, expensive.”
“Wow, two tickets! I’ve never been to the Gala. Have you boys?” Twilight asked.
“Nope, I never even left the Everfree Forest until recently. Plus, Spike said he was with you all his life so wouldn’t you already know if he had been there?”
Twilight flinched and rubbed her head, a rosy hint popping from her cheeks. “Oh… right. Still, I can’t wait to go, there’s so much fun to do there.”
“Fun…fun?” Applejack raised her voice at each word. “I’d love to go, well shacks, if i had an apple stand set up, ponies to be tryin’ our taste if it’ll tell the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres?-”
Darklo decided to drown out their conversation at that point, as he got the message and shifted beside Spike. “So bro, what even is the Grand Galloping Gala?”
“Oh, it’s just one of those frilly girly events they do every year. Many high class ponies get invited to celebrate, especially to meet with Princess Celestia and bring out business. But it’s all a load of fancy talk. Not good enough for my masculinity.”
“Yeah you tell me, big events like that are a little too posh for my tastes and- WOAH INCOMING RAINBOW!”
By the time Darklo had said incoming, Rainbow Dash crashed into Applejack and Twilight, sending all the apples scattered across the floor, muddied or squashed.
Welp Big Mac, count yourself lucky.
The whole day was what Darklo would call chaotic, and as a colt who lived in the Everfree, that wasn’t something he could state without a guilty conscience. One by one, Twilight’s friends heard about the extra ticket to the Gala and paraded her with their dreams of going there. Rainbow wanted to impress the Wonderbolts, Pinkie Pie wanted to throw a huge party, Rarity wanted to marry a royal Prince, which the colt found to be the most unlikely, and Fluttershy wanted to visit their garden.
To be honest, if Darklo also had two tickets and were to choose who should go, he would’ve chosen Applejack. It wasn’t just because she was the pony who he had the most connection with, 3rd to Twilight and Spike, but because she wanted to do it for the future of her family and her business which Darklo couldn’t help but respect. The others just wanted to do something for themselves. Maybe Rainbow had a shot because she wanted to up her career path but if that were necessary, so few ponies would be in the Wonderbolts.
Anyways, it led to many unwanted favours and the volume of the bickering had gained the attention of the Ponyville residents which brought the incentive for everypony to chase after Twilight and the boys. One comedic run later and it led to the 3 getting cornered behind an alleyway.
Spike spoke up, clearly terrified if the rhythmic tapping of his claws had anything to say. “Uhm, Darklo, a-any ideas?”
“Alche- I mean ancient magic needs a sign to be drawn Spike, I didn’t expect us to be fighting for our lives! Twilight, you’re good with magic! Teleport us or something.”
Twilight flicked her panicked gaze between them and the mob of overly helpful ponies before charging up her horn, which made a bright light, enveloping them with a bang.
And from said bang, they were now back at home. Twilight was left on the floor, panting from the added stress of the spell while Spike and Darklo were covered in soot, their scales and mane spiked unnaturally from the shock of the teleportation.
“Woah, this is certainly a strange feeling.” Darklo said blankly, while staring into space.
“Could you warn us next time?” Spike commented, swiping the soot from his face.
“I didn’t even know it was gonna happen,” Twilight groaned as she stood up with some effort, “now quickly boys, lock the doors!”
And so they did as they were told. They dashed around every doorway and window to lock them tight and erased any trace of light from the library. Once they were done, the family sat back to back with each other and gave a sigh of relief.
“Phew… you know if they keep this up, I might just go with you just to shut them-” But he was cut off by the sudden activation of light that filled the library, revealing Twilight’s friends with expectant smiles standing by an upstairs room. “Excuse me, but I'm deadly certain we put this place on lock down, HOW did you girls get in?”
“I squeezed through the gaps of the window limbo style and let everypony in!” Pinkie Pie gleamed with amusement.
“But… how is that-”
Twilight immediately puts a hoof over his mouth. And took a deep breath to-
“YAAAAAAA” Scream. “I can’t decide, I just can’t decide. It’s important to all of you and I just can’t stand to disappoint any of you and giving me gifts and doing me favours won’t make any difference because you’re all my friends, and I make you all happy and I can’t. I just CAN’T!” And so the overwhelmed unicorn cowered onto the floor while everypony and the dragon watched in surprised sympathy.
Darklo however, had an annoyed look on his face as he walked beside Twilight and stroked her back. “Jeez girls. All you had to do was state your case and wait for her response, you didn't need to parade her like a circus animal for everypony to take a shot at. Rather you all apologise or I’ll take that ticket myself!”
The sudden outburst from the usually soft spoken colt made the mares flinch, but they lowered their heads and Applejack stepped forward. “You’re right, sugarcube, we truly went mighty overboard on this one.” She said to him before looking down at the mare. “Twilight sugar, I didn’t mean to put so much pressure on you. And if it helps, I don’t want the ticket anymore, you can give it to somepony else. I won’t feel bad, I promise”
“Me too,” Fluttershy interjected as she hovered over to her, “I feel just awful that I made you feel so awful.”
“And me too, it’s not right upsetting your friends”
“Nor is breaking and entering your friends domicile, Pinkie.” Darklo commented, making Pinkie put on a cheeky smile while sweat glistened in her mane.
Rarity chose to speak up. “Besides the rather uncivilised visit, Twilight, It was unfair of me to try to force you as I did.”
“Yyyyyes!” Rainbow Dash cheered. “That means the ticket is mine! Aha, I got the tiicket, I got the tiicket~”
Nopony laughed nor smiled as they stared daggers at the pegasus. “Y-you know, I haven’t perfected my signature moves for the Wonderbolts anyway, I don’t need that ticket either.”
Applejack tried to lift up the mood, especially since Darklo was squinting at Rainbow like a predator. “We all got so gung-ho about going to the Gala that we couldn’t see how ungung-ho we were making you.”
Twilight finally took her forehooves from her eyes and smiled at her friends. “We’re sorry…” They all said which calmed Darklo enough to mirror a smile of his own.
Twilight arose from her position and regained her stoic demeanour. “Spike, take down a note.” And on cue, Spike pulled out a scroll and quill from nowhere. Darklo was seriously wondering whether or not Spike had magic but he’d figure that out later since he had a feeling on what Twilight was going to do and butted in.
“Hey Twilight, can I also add some stuff?”
“Sure Darklo, as long as its relevant to this lesson learnt.”
The eager colt went on his hindlegs for a moment and presented a salute to his sister before she spoke.
Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
Twilight paused and raised an eyebrow. “Princess Luna?”
Darklo tilted his head, unsure of the fuss while he smiled anxiously. “Well, she’s also a Princess so she has the right to know of our progress. Plus, you never know, she might want to read them.”
A few seconds of nothing and Twilight nodded to Spike as he followed and wrote it down.
Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
I’ve learnt that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings and also understanding your friend’s stresses, but without enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. Giving one friend priority over another only illustrates a level of friendship which should never exist between a group of tightly knit groups. So though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala.
Sincerely, your faithful student and a thankful colt,
Twilight Sparkle and Darklo
“What?!” Twilight’s friends shouted in surprise while Twilight and Darklo remained calm and resolute.
“If my friends can’t all go, then I don’t wanna go either.”
“The best way to win is not to play… wise words Twilight.” Darklo patted her side in approval which led his newly appointed sister to grow a shade of red.
“Thanks Darklo… Spike, you can send the letter now.”
And Spike does as he’s told, opening a window and letting smoke take the scroll into the wind. I will NEVER understand how that works, will I? The colt questioned internally before Fluttershy walked back to Twilight.
“Now you won’t get to go to the Gala either.”
“It’s okay girls, I couldn’t possibly enjoy myself without my best friends there with me,” she then turned to Darklo, patting his mane, “or this little guy either.” And so, everypony performed a group hug, forcing the colt to be pulled into it but it didn’t bother him. Nice moments should be taken in after all.
However, Spike looked like he was going to barf all over with how violent his attempts at holding it in were. “Well wallop my withers Spike-” But before Applejack could storm over to lecture him, Darklo blocked her.
“If last time showed me anything, I believe we got mail.” And the colt was shown to be correct as Spike spat out another scroll.
“A letter from the Princess, that was fast!” Twilight said.
Spike took the letter and gave it a read.
To my faithful student and fearless colt,
Why didn’t you say so in the first place?
“Seven tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!”
Everyone cheered in excitement but as all things must happen, hunger does too and Twilight’s stomach rumbled from all the excitement. She gave an embarrassed giggle to which Rarity responded. “Allow us to treat you to dinner.”
And so, everypony fled the library besides Darklo, who had his ticket in his magic and Spike, who looked dejected once the last ticket left his claws. “How come I don’t get a ticket to the Gala?”
“If you really wanna go, you can use my ticket, I don’t mind.”
“Really? Thanks Darklo, you're such a great fri-” Fortunately, Spike was interrupted by another burst of a letter.
And once for you Spike.
The last ticket put the dragon into a giggling heap as he frolicked out of the library while the colt followed, peering to the moon.
So the Princess is a troll eh? Interesting new information.
“Alright Darklo… you almost got it!” Twilight said in an encouraging tone as she coached the colt through a new spell to add to his admittedly lacking magical capabilities. His horn sparked vigorously while his coat gleamed with sweat as he held a spherical golden barrier around him.
“Now for a stress test. Spike?” The unicorn called Spike stood by her side, holding multiple pebbles the size of his palm. Once the command was set, the eager dragon tossed a pebble at the barrier one at a time while Twilight recorded it on a clipboard.
And although Darklo's barrier remained sturdy after twelve pebbles were thrown, the surface of contact grew more and more cracks by the twentieth. By the thirtieth pebble, the barrier was flickering from the pressure so badly that it shattered on impact, resulting in Darklo being hit on the muzzle by the victorious piece of stone, and deflating to the floor. Exhausted.
“Man… phew, another failed attempt…” Darklo grumbled, struggling to stand up until Twilight lifted him with her magic with ease and rested the upset colt on her back.
“Darklo… just because you read and understood the theory of the spell doesn’t mean you were going to master it immediately,” Twilight lectured soothingly, “and besides, for a first attempt, you held on quite well for somepony who just started. Have some faith, you’ll get better in due time.”
“Are thirty pebbles equivalent to a unicorn’s basic attack spell? No, I don't think so.”
Twilight sighed in response. The colt has had this ‘be perfect’ mentality ever since she started mentoring him on spell casting, he’d ask for help to learn a spell he read about, she’d do it for him and when it didn’t work how he hoped or Celestia forbid, it failed, Darklo would get all mopey and shove his head into the theory book for an hour before he even attempted it again. It almost reminded her of herself when she was a filly, minus the depressive episodes.
“Darklo, you should know by now that you're just a colt, you shouldn’t need to worry about using these sorts of spells until you're older. The fact that you still want to practise at least proves to me that you’re really passionate about learning, and believe me when I say passion plus time equals exponential growth, it’s what got me to be who I’am today.”
“Twilight’s right Darklo,” Spike added with an understanding smile, “just keep it up and you could rival your sister someday. And you still have your ancient magic to fall back on when you’re stuck.”
While Twilight smiled and raised an eyebrow at Spike as if to say ‘let’s not get too hasty’, Darklo nodded in appreciation, smirking back at them. “Thanks guys, I’m just SO hyped up about the prospect of learning all this magic stuff,” he directed a hoof around the library shelves to emphasise his point, “that I got a little too carried away when I meet roadblocks so early.”
“Well I know just the thing to make you feel better.” Twilight beamed, opening the door and exiting the library with Spike in tow. “Hayburger?” “Hayburger.”
The trio were strolling through Ponyville’s market at a leisurely pace, so they could take a left directly to Hayburger. Meanwhile, Darklo felt as if the magic that had drained from him during the stress test refilled into his system. The feeling was almost like eating until his stomach was full, just after he was craving for food and boy was it reinvigorating.
The colt hopped off Twilight’s back and walked along with her. However, Twilight herself had her muzzle scrunched up while her eyes squinted to which Darklo recognised as her thinking pose.
“Is something bothering you?”
“Oh, I just find it weird that you WANT to learn self defence spells in the first place. Sure, I expected telekinesis and light spells, but the attack spell, shield charm and restraining magic… I just don’t get it.”
“Well…” Darklo struggled to put his reasons into words. It was true that he didn’t have to learn offensive spells at the moment since his alchemy could make up for it. Plus, said himself that he wanted a quiet life. So why did his heart still race in both fear and excitement when he faced off against his enemies? Why was he genuinely frustrated when he couldn’t perfect a spell on the first try? Deep inside, he had a feeling on why. “I… I just don’t want to be the reason someone gets hurt. I’ve been through enough life and death scenarios to know that ancient magic won’t be enough to save the ponies around me. So should it happen again, I wanna be ready.”
Twilight and Spike chose to stay silent at his answer, both recognising that whatever they say will only sour the mood even more. Poor colt, he’s been through a lot hasn’t he? Yet he’s still here trying to overcome his fears. He really is like Shining Armour in that sense.
However, the silence that brewed was interrupted not by a sound but a feeling. The ground shook in rhythmic succession while everypony who was outside vibrated parallel to the tremor.
Darklo’s eyes widened, teeth clamped and body frozen. The tremor…
-Flashback
It was a given since the Everfree was a place anypony would feel uneasy, but the foreboding dread that put them on edge was at a higher level than the normal Everfree chill they were accustomed to.
Silence cut their conversation immediately which was just enough for the boys to sense slight rhythmic tremors in the soil.
-End Flashback
“H-hydra-” Darkloud cracked under the name of the creature. His heart pumped with adrenaline and his muscles tensed. The terrified colt attempted to will his brain to move them out of the way or at least push Twilight and Spike away from the imminent danger, but his mind could not agree no matter how much he mentally yelled himself into action. Darklo’s breathing rapidly increased like he had run a marathon as his bulging eyes looked to his hooves.
He was shaking. He, a past Conduit who endured numerous battles, was shaking.
No no no, let me move, let me move, I need to move, move, move, MOVE!
“Woah Darklo! Deep breaths. What’s wrong?” Twilight said, surprise and an exuding sense of worry written on her face as Spike followed suit, attempting to sooth him by running his claws through his coat like a comb which was dripping sweat by the touch.
“W-we need to go… it found me, that blasted hydra found me! P-please we need to-”
“STAMPEDE!” Rainbow Dash yelled from the air, acting like a siren to the Ponyville residents who ran indoors and barricaded their homes.
Darklo finally blinked, the panic ironically draining out of him as he looked to where Rainbow pointed. It was a dust cloud and a herd of cows were racing towards the bridge that connected the town to the rural land.
“S-stampede?...oh, uh. Please forget that ever happened.”
Spike and Twilight shook their heads, clearly indicating their response but they had no time to delve into that sudden event as a different threat was approaching at record pace.
“Heeeeeey, this maakes myyy voiiice sound siiillyyy.” Pinkie Pie interjected as she vibrated along with the beat of the tremor.
“Pinkie, run! And that goes for you boys too.” Twilight ordered, the adrenaline slowly taking a hold of her, and while Spike obliged and sped to a nearby building for cover, Darklo stared at the bridge with a new found determination, eyes bursting with fire as he galloped towards it.
“Darklo, what the hay are you doing!” His sister shrieked, but Darklo only heard white noise. How dare you make me look like a coward… coming out of nowhere and spooking the daylights out of me… and now, you think you're slick trying to hurt my friends? You will pay for this!
And so the colt instinctively sped to the end of the bridge, dragging his hindleg along the soil to create a sign. Once he was finished, Darklo jumped back and cast it. Ignis!
A wall of fire erupted from the floor, providing a deadly curtain between himself and the threat. Charging his horn, he mentally prepared himself to fire an attack spell at the first dumb cow that was stubborn enough to jump through the flames.
But as foolhardy as the plan was, it wasn’t necessary as through the gaps of the wall, he could see Applejack reining them in while directing them away from the bridge so they could stop and lie down.
So the colt breathed in, relief flushing into his body as his muscles relaxed and heart beat slowed. He was safe. They were safe. The fire wall dissipated by the will of his thoughts, and he turned to the cows, who left over the horizon after what looked like a misunderstanding given that Applejack didn’t look angry or annoyed with them.
No, those emotions were on a different mare. “DARKLO what was that?” Twilight shouted as she stormed towards him. Suddenly, his sister looked taller than before, as she oozed disappointment. “Applejack had that under control, you didn’t have to jump in. What if you got hurt or the cows actually jumped through that fire, what then?”
“I-I was just trying to help.”
Spike wandered beside the unicorn and tugged on her fur. “Give him a break Twilight, he was clearly shaken up by the whole ordeal. Maybe, we should talk this out some other time.”
Spike’s logic did appear sound, so Twilight relented, stretching her face with a hoof to relieve some of her built up stress. “Your right Spike. Sorry, Darklo. Just… if you're going to help, please try to keep a cool head okay?” Darklo nodded apologetically like a foal that disobeyed their parents. “Good, now let's go great Applejack, Pinkie will probably want to have a party in her honour so we better get going.”
Town Hall brimmed with colour and festivities, a crowd of ponies gathering by the doors to witness an award ceremony for a very important pony. Darklo stood beside Spike and Rainbow Dash and stared into space.
I can’t believe I went off the rails because of that blasted stampede. Now Twilight’s gonna give me a new one when we get home… glad Spike has got my back though.
At the podium, the lavender unicorn stood, shuffling a pile of flashcards in preparation before smiling proudly and beginning her speech.
“Welcome everypony, today we are here to honour a pony we can always count on to help in matters great and small. A pony whose contributions to-”
“Did you see Applejack’s slick moves out there? What an athlete, though I gotta admit that the fire wall Twilight’s little guy made was pretty cool too, but back on topic! She’s gonna help me with my new flying trick and I know it’s gonna be SO awesome.
“Exactly Rainbow. And-”
Twilight continued to get interrupted by her friends while Darklo stared into the sky, but it was day time, so no moon to look at. Yet the last thing he wanted to see were the pony's stares at him. Encouraging, sympathetic, disapproving? It didn’t matter if it was out of sight, out of mind.
At last, the introductions had ceased and ponies began to cheer for the guest of honour only for the pony to be late… by 1 minute as Applejack tipped and fell over many ponies just to get on the podium. It kind of reminded Darklo of the time when he first attempted to walk on four legs, the bags under her eyes were proof enough of what happened with her.
Applejack acted like a tired Pinkie Pie on that stage, or a hypothetically tired Pinkie Pie, thinking her reflection was a fun thing to fiddle with. Eventually, the mare dragged the trophy with her teeth, which brought a trail in its wake. And at that, Darklo had an idea to escape the uncomfortable situation for a few minutes.
“Hey Applejack lemme get that for you!” Darklo activated his magic and levitated the trophy a centimetre from the ground.
“Oh heheh, thanks Darkloud.” Applejack said, walking to the other side to push the floating object along with her.
Yep, tired indeed.
“So, can I ask why you're bucking the whole orchard on your own?” Darklo said, watching as the exhausted Applejack bucked a basket of apples.
“It’s Apple Bucking Season and Big Mac hurt himself, so it’s all up to me to finish things.”
“What about the filly my age, can’t she help you just a little bit?”
“Applebloom? Nah she wouldn’t be able to handle the work, besides she’s got schoolwork to do.” Applejack dismissed, leading Darklo’s mind to wonder about school. He may need to ask Twilight about that later but there was a bigger task at hand.
“Well how about I lend a hoof instead?”
Applejack immediately flinched, resulting in her bucking at the wrong angle, which would’ve led to an apple landing on her head if Darklo didn’t catch it and placed it in the basket.
“Nope, no way no how, partner.”
Darklo frowned, the gears in his mind ticking from thinking. “Applejack, you're gonna drive yourself crazy if you keep this up. How about taking a nice nap to regain some of that Apple precision.”
Applejack shook her head as she attempted to walk around the colt, only to catch her leg on him and trip over. “An Apple never backs down from a challenge and Ah ain’t gonna let up. Now, please could yah leave? Thanks for bringin’ ma trophy though.”
With nothing left to bargain with, the colt sighed and walked away.
A few minutes of it and he came across Twilight.
“Good to see you’re feeling better Darklo, how’s Applejack doing?”
Darkloud scratched his mane. “Well, she’s sleep deprived for sure. She plans to buck all the apples in the orchard this season. Impossible in my opinion but she won't take no, nor help for an answer.”
Twilight groaned in frustration. “Alright, head back home. Spike has prepared lunch for when you arrive. I'll take a shot at her.”
And so they separated. But as Darklo left the land of the Apple orchard, he pondered to himself. I highly doubt that Twilight’s gonna break through Applejack’s stubbornness. Sleep deprivation DOES elevate negative emotions so it’s the most likely option. But what could I even do? If we can’t convince her to give in now, then how can we do it when she deteriorates even further…
Darklo stopped in his tracks, turning the gears in his head while he equipped his thinking pose. And a few seconds later, the metaphorical light bulb brightened above him.
“Oh right! If she won’t listen to us, then there are at least a few ponies she might listen to.”
Darklo returned to the orchard grounds, but instead of wandering around for Applejack, he stood at the doors of a huge barn house. A waft of apple themed products hit his nostrils through the expanse of an open window which indicated that the family were inside.
Quickly, Darklo combed his mane and pulled off his best welcoming face. It was true that he had heard of Applejack’s family before, like Big Mac, a granny and Applebloom, but he never visited them until now. He was unable to foresee how they would react to a new pony knocking at their front door. Still, if Heatwave liked them, then they can’t be as irritating as his anxious mind was making it out to be. And so he breathed in and knocked on the door.
“Eh? Now who could be knockin’ this time. Applebloom, be a dear an’ get the door.” a heavily western sounding mare said through the door.
“In a sec Granny.” A younger country girl-like voice followed and eventually, the door opened. Behind it was a pale yellow coated filly, she had a rosy mane that puffed out like a pillow which had a cute pink bow attached to it.
Wow, for once I’m actually a bit taller than somepony. I wonder if we could be frie- hold up Darklo, you know why you're here. Get to it!
So Darklo internally coughed to not look like a staring creep, and focused on her flickering orange eyes before speaking.
“Ahem, sorry to interrupt your dinner, but me and Applejack’s friends are getting worried about her and I thought you guys should know.”
Appleboom blinked at him for a few seconds, making Darklo feel as if something was on his face. “Now wait just a gosh darn minute… you’re the colt that battled with Nightmare Moon!” to emphasise her excitement, she hopped around Darklo with a skip in her step. “Darkloud, if the Ponyville News Board is true?”
“Oh.” Darklo relaxed again. He continued to forget that most of Ponyville was there to witness his failed attempt at resistance. “Yeah, that’s me, though I prefer Darklo. But anyway about Applejack, could I come in and talk with your Gran? I think she’d like to know.”
The eccentric filly nodded and walked towards the kitchen with Darklo following her. “So what is going on with ma sister? Is Apple Buckin’ Season provin’ too much for ‘er? Big Mac expected her to wait for his recovery by now, but she still hasn’t let up.”
“And that's the problem. She’s not sleeping at all and it’s greatly affecting her. If she keeps that up, I predict that she’ll lash out and hurt somepony or crash under the exhaustion. I thought her family could get through to her.”
Entering the kitchen, Darklo saw the rest of them. Both whom were at the table preparing a large apple pie that he smelt before. Granny was a lime coated mare with a frail body, her movements stiff and solid while Big Mac was a bulky red coated stallion who had the face of a gentle giant. However, he had a cast on his left forehoof which was probably the injury that caused Applejack to spiral.
“Did you get all that Granny Smith?” Applebloom asked.
“Dang nabbit, I shoulda known Applejack would overdo it,” the older mare said, shaking her head as she did, “that filly wouldn’t know quitting if it hit ‘er in the face.”
“Yeup” Big Mac added, adorning a face that exuded ‘I told you so’.
“So do you think you could talk her into an 8 hour rest?”
“She better sonny!... uh- what's your name?”
Darklo was about to answer, but the filly bounced beside him and wrapped a hoof around his neck, stunning the colt. “This is Darkloud, Granny Smith. Though Ah guess he likes Darklo better, he’s the same colt that fought Nightmare Moon and lives with Twilight!”
“Uh, yeah w-what she said. Though I wouldn’t call it a fight-”
Suddenly, Granny Smith peered towards him, one eye analysing him until she relaxed herself. “Well I’ll be… I know that dark coat from anywhere. You’re Heatwave’s colt arn’cha?”
Though the name drop was unexpected, the colt followed along. “Yeah, that’s right. He told me a lot about your family and your business. Said you guys kept him going.”
“Aw shucks, you really got y’er father’s stoicism kiddo, he was such a hardworkin’ stallion. Give ‘em an apple cutie mark and he’d fit right in with the family.”
“I’d bet.”
Big Mac had eventually grown exhausted by the constant banter, given his blank stare at the window that showed a third of the orchard de-appled. “I don’t wanna intrude granny but I think we better stop Applejack sooner than later.”
And so, Granny Smith relented. “Alright, we will go give ‘er a piece of ma mind, but then the pie will go cold…” Though, as the problem came to be, the old mare thought of a solution and smiled gently. “Actually, Darklo sonny, would ya care to join us for lunch? We can go get ‘er right after and the food won’t spoil. ‘ow about it?”
Darklo scrunched his muzzle in contemplation. “You sure? I don’t wanna intrude-”
However, the colt was cut off by Appleboom who had retracted her hold of him a minute ago. “Aw it’ll be fine Darklo, we got enough pie to go ‘round. Plus, I wanna know how you did that hornless magic of y’ers. Yah think I can do that too?”
“No idea, but to answer your invitation Miss Smith, alright then.”
The family had finished their meal with Darklo and it was more of a blast than the colt expected. Applebloom had a lot of questions to ask about his alchemy which he happily obliged with and was especially pleased that he also didn’t have a cutie mark, though he didn’t know why. And Granny Smith had a lot of stories to tell about the orchard and even some stories about his father. Big Mac didn’t say much but he occasionally added something to the conversation that was interesting.
At the moment, they strolled up towards an apple tree that Applejack was trying, and failing to buck.
“So dad actually sold you a relic that made you younger?” Darklo asked, intrigue brimming on his face.
“Y’ep, was a few days revisiting ma youth till it cracked. And the family didn’t know about it so they got the scare of their lives when I stocked more apples than the both of ‘em. Heh, fun while it lasted.” Granny reminisced.
By the time they were done, they were next to the exhausted mare who lay on the floor, back on the grass, using every fibre of her being to look up at them. “Oh, hehe, hey Granny. I'm just about done with half of the orchard. It should be done in a few more days.”
The four only peered down at her with pitiful glares. “Sugarcube, y’er gonna tire yourself to death fer pete’s sake! As y’er Granny, I must ask ya to hit the hay.”
Applejack’s eyes widened, revealing her bloodshot eyes. “Come on Granny, I'm almost done. Look at the horizon,” she directed her hoof towards a field of trees void of apples. “I did all that without ANY help. I can do the last half on my own too!”
“B-but Applejack…” Applebloom interjected, but she stayed silent so Darklo added, “That doesn’t look like half to us.” Both of them point to the other side where rows and rows of unpicked trees led to the horizon, leaving Applejack’s mouth agape.
“Wa, b-but d’em apples, they were, they…ughh” she said before passing out in a muffled haze.
…
“...I’ll just get Twilight” Darklo stated, however a bright light followed his words and made it easy.
“You called?”
“Wait, how did you know I needed you?”
Twilight shrugged and gave a sheepish smile. “Sisterly instincts?”
That’s a load of bull…
Finally, Applejack had woken up in a haze with Darklo peering over her.
“You alive? Okay, good. Now Applejack, I understand doing things on your own feels much better than asking for help. Believe me, I know. But sometimes, there is going to be too much on your plate that you can handle. So please see reason and let others know before you keel over.”
Applejack paused for a few seconds and relented. “Alright.”
“Sigh. Thank you. Now sit tight and let's get working ourselves. Sis, would your friends mind?”
“To help a friend? Absolutely.”
Applebloom paced between them, also relieved of the situation coming to a close. “I can help too if yah like. It’s what friends do right?”
Darklo stared at her amazed. “Friends? Well, sure. I'll take your word for it.”
This resulted in the unicorn mare shrieking in delight. “Ohhh, your first friend. I knew you could do it.”
Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
My friend Applejack is the best friend a pony could ever have, and she’s always there to help anypony. The only trouble is when she needs help, she find it hard to accept it. Everypony should aim to be independent, but a life of solitude is not how anypony should live. So while friendship is about giving of ourselves to friends, it’s also accepting what our friends have to offer and also understanding when you need to put your hoof down when somepony is hurting themselves physically or mentally.
Your faithful student and thankful colt, Twilight Sparkle and Darklo.
“Phew I’m glad that’s all over,” Spike said as he entered the group sitting at the table sipping apple juice, “luckily, I know just the treat to celebrate!” And so, he pulled out the most disgusting muffins of all time with worms and a smell that exuded toxic waste.
“Okay, who in their right mind could intentionally make food like THAT!” Darklo asked, utterly appalled at the culinary disaster.
Applejack awkwardly chuckled. “Hehe, well I may have done a couple of favours before yah set me straight.”
The sun beamed across the territory of Equestria, lighting the land in its warmth. This was especially true with the humble orchard of Sweet Apple Acres, the fruit embracing the product of life as their own. Under one such tree, was Darklo who sat on a surfaced root while scribbling a myriad of engravings on the sole of a set of hoof pads.
"Okay, perfectly symmetrical. Now watch this Bloom." The studious colt said as he turned to a hoof-made bench in front of him where the Apple family's filly sat, already watching intently. The two had frequently visited each other at this specific location since they were formally introduced which gave the colt enough time to fulfil some latent questions with his alchemy along with demonstrating them to his first friend his age.
"Ah'm ready Darklo!"
With the nod of approval, he equipped the golden laced pad onto his hooves and tapped each one against the bark to test their durability.
"Okay. Everything is set, now here we go." Darklo shifted his weight and bucked towards the sky, bullets of wind skyrocketing out of the troposphere. Following this, he performed the same action again, but instead of another barrage of air, a blast of fire erupted from his hooves which only reached the highest point of the trees before dissipating into smoke. Excellent, just one more step before I can feel the currents coursing through my skin again!
"Woah, Ah fought you could only use one at a time. Ah mean," Appleboom proceeded to grab Darklo's hoof to investigate the written sign. It had what looked like the Star of David etched into the leather, "there is only one on each."
"Well you're not wrong Bloom," the smiling colt responded, clearly loving the chance to do the teaching for once, "you see, the power of fire, or Ignis as its said to activate from, is an upside down triangle, while air's sign, or Aer, is drawn with a normal triangle." At the call of each phrase, the shape of each element lit up and returned to normal. "So I'll be able to use both without the need to draw one in the situation. I mean, those notes aren't the most efficient source to use."
"Yah sure I can't do that too?" The filly asked innocently.
"I've only been able to use them by imbuing them with my magic but, only one way to find out, I suppose." Darklo replied with a shrug, tossing her a pre-made fire note which she caught in her teeth.
"Uhm, put that on your hoof. If it works... I will NOT be held responsible for a burnt jaw."
"M'kay." Applebloom stuck it on, as told, and closed her eyes.
...Nothing happened.
"Try saying it aloud. Remember, you need to empower it with magic. All ponies have it right?"
"Yeah, obviously, we wouldn't be livin' if we didn't... Ignis!"
Once again, nothing. The enthusiastic filly drooped to the floor, checks puffed out. "Aw, still nothin'..." Darklo couldn't help but take a stroll down memory lane. Her disappointed face almost mirrored his own during his many failed attempts at remastering the art. So understanding her point of view, he patted her back.
"Bloom, we haven't gone through ALL the possibilities yet. From what I read in the ruins, about 2 signs will work for you. Like me for example, I can only use fire and wind." Darklo kinda lied through his teeth with that statement. He had forgotten to test the rest of the signs since Twilight lectured him on staying out of danger, taking to a normalised method of study to placate his sister. Still, he didn't know if magic could even be manipulated out of the body by earth ponies and pegesi so for all he knew, he was stringing her on. But looking at that face, hopeful and determined as he once was, he couldn't push himself to be up-front. "I know you can do it, it will just take more time and experiments. Now, how about I ask my sister to buy us ice cream for the day."
Bingo. Applebloom's demeanour had turned a complete 180, a giddy smirk plastered her cheeks while her eyes gleamed like fire. "Do Ah?" She answered, the innocent sarcasm so thick, it could be cut with a knife. The filly let go of the note and galloped with Darklo back to Ponyville.
The note guided itself along the air and landed onto the soil, the drawing facing towards the sky.
And then it flickered, puffing out a hint of smoke.
The happy foals made their way across the Ponyville pathway towards the Library. But the colt noted that there was a large abundance of ponies outside. It wouldn't be so strange if they weren't crowded into one place.
"Uh, what's happening over there?"
"Ah don't know Darklo, maybe somepony is putting on a performance." The two of them nodded to each other, instinctually recognising eacho others desires and pushed their way through the crowd, which was remarkably easy given their small statures. Eventually, they got to the front of the crowd and the fist thing they laid eyes of was a remarkable show stage with colours and add-on's built to impress. On said stage was a smug looking mare with a blue coat and lilac eyes, wearing what Darklo thought was a wizard's cloak and hat. It was strikingly similar to the attire in Aide Academy, only given to students who graduated at their specified course to keep as a memento of their well earned grades.
Does she know alchemy too? Maybe this will be worth the watch- wait what's Twilight and the gang doing here?
Darklo had just noticed Twilight watching nervously in the crowd while the others stood by her. The colt lightly jabbed Appleboom to follow him and as they closed in on their location, Rainbow Dash, well, dashed towards the mare. "So, 'great and powerful Trixie', what makes you think you're so awesome anyway?" the unamused pegasus said, finally revealing her name to the newcomers.
"Aha! Why, only the great and powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish. The dreaded. Ursa Major!" Trixie dramatically roused, pride scraping from her voice as the special effects on the stage lit up and sparked into an eruption of fireworks and dazzling colours. The end of the spectacle revealed the 2d image of the 'Ursa Major'.
"An Ursa Major... I've heard of it before, but how dangerous is it?" The colt asked, facing his sister with a gleam of both amazement and curiosity.
"It's a creature endemic to the Everfree forest. Legend has it that they are larger than an adult dragon." Twilight responded, ignoring the sudden appearance of her little brother. "But they are normally territorial creatures that stay in deep caves to protect their young. It's a wonder how Trixie even encountered one, especially in a populated town like Trottingham. I'l have to give 'Guide to Magical Creatures' another read and do some fact checking."
Darklo nodded. If what Trixie was claiming was true, although a stretch given Twilight's information, then he was definitely going to stay around. Maybe he could get some tips on magical tricks from her, though her attitude might make it difficult.
And the colt and his companion did just that. However, what Darklo was witnessing left a blank stare on his face. After a duo of colts hyped her up, each of Twilight's friends who were present hopped onto the stage to bring her down a few pegs. Applejack tried a rodeo trick but was out-staged by a rope that constricted her with snake-like movements, leaving Applebloom appalled. "What in tarnation was that! So much for an honest-to-heart magician..."
Darklo could help but agree as he continued to watch while the filly helped untie Applejack from the magical rope. Rainbow Dash was up next and did as her name implied, flying as fast as possible, which was impressive, albeit, going from dash to crash when Trixie blasted her with a clumsy spell. And Rarity got up last, egged on at a slide comment about her style, but was repaid with her hair becoming a nature reserve, bringing her to tears and galloping away from view.
The colt could ignore the boasting and arrogant nature of the magician, who he realised was just using plain old magic, as everypony should have the right to validate their success, especially if it helps other ponies in someway. But what he couldn't get behind was the disrespect she showed with her competitors. The goal was to do better than them, not make them look bad.
The display had given Spike the same idea, shaking his head while clicking his tongue. "Well Twilight, guess it's up to you. Come on, show her what you're made of."
"But Spike, I'm nothing special," Twilight glanced at Darklo and Applebloom momentarily, "flaunting a lie like that wouldn't make me a good role model."
"But you are! Darklo isn't gonna think any less of you just 'cause you want to prove yourself." He answered, but Twilight ignored it, backing away from the crowd.
"Hey, don't drag me into this. It's her choice!" The colt interjected while Applebloom tilted her head, confused over the situation. Though, the conversation did catch Trixie's attention.
"So you choose to run away, unicorn. Why? Too scared to challenge the excellence of a pony greater and more powerful than you?"
"I-I dont-." Twilight struggled to make any words before making an excuse and speeding back home.
The three of them looked to her fading figure, one disappointed, another unsure, and a third mildly irritated. Applebloom sighed before getting a bright idea and turning to Darklo. "Why don't you try Darklo?" She asked, getting the colt to turn towards her.
"I don't see the need, Trixie is only doing what her job entails. Entertain." He stated, tapping his hoof while avoiding his friends gaze. "Besides, you can't measure or prove power."
"But look what that pony has done to ma sister! Look how she made y'ers sister feel. Yah gotta do somethin'."
"Yeah, surely you can blow her hooves off the ground with your ancient magic! Besides what will feel better: watching as that pony messes with our friends or avenging your sisters honour?" Spike cheered, placing both claws on his shoulders.
"Ey, keep her out of this-"
"Pleeeeease~ best friend." The filly said as she decided to commit a war crime and unleashed the strongest puppy dog eyes Darklo had ever seen. His heart melted with only a single glance and he wasn't going to wait any longer to feel the long term effects, so he groaned in defeat.
"Fine, but even if I win or lose, Twilight doesn't hear about this, deal?" The two nodded eagerly, which got the grinning magician's attention.
"Ahaha! So the little colt wishes to play? Go on now, show the adults what you can do. I LOVE a good show." Trixie goaded, beckoning him onto the stage while the crowd stared, whispering about the familiar figure.
Darklo, scoffed at the playful remarks, standing firm. "The last thing I want to do is play Miss Trixie, I'm more of a work kind of pony." He said, walking towards the stage, and to everypony's perspective, the colt... hovered.
A steady whirl of wind swirled around his hooves while he continued to make his way on stage without a glow of his horn or any of the notes he usually carried, leaving everypony starstruck with their mouths unhinged, including Trixie and minus Appleboom who was grinning maniacally.
"And with work comes mastery, and with mastery comes efficiency. Enough efficiency to where magic can be awakened from within. So tell me Miss Trixie," the colt peered down at her with a blank face, making sure he didn't appear to be rude to an older pony, "could you meet me at eye level? I'd hate to keep looking down at you, it hurts my neck."
The crowd awed at the shocking display while the magician gritted her teeth. "Why, you insolent colt, you dare mock Trixie?" she grumbles, igniting her horn and shooting a blast of energy his way. The colt propelled himself upwards and avoided the attack. He was not amused.
"I wonder if assaulting a foal will land you in a jail cell... oh well, not like I'll stick around and find out. I made my point and that's that. I'm out." Darklo said, turning his back from Trixie and floating over the crowd before landing on solid ground and galloping to who knows where.
The night invaded Equestia as it always did, bringing a calm darkness across the lands and Darklo loved it, gazing at the moon while resting on a grassy field. He did admit to himself that he should've just left with Twilight like a mature adult, yes he did it for the purpose of another but Applebloom and Spike definitely had vengeance on their mind.
Miss Trixie did seem rather pissed. Getting outdone like that would probably hurt anypony, though. For petes sakes it's her job to act like that, I mean, who'd wanna watch a timid pony do magic tricks?
As he continued to stargaze, the colt had pondered on the whole situation and nodded to himself, resolute. "Yeah, I should probably apologise." He rolled upright and walked to her stage at the town square. But it wasn't there.
Instead, there was a wagon that had the same wood holding it together as the stage boards he refused to walk on. A convertible stage that's also a vehicle? Now THAT is what I call convenient.
The colt made his way towards the wagon's door, and with a deep sigh to relax his nerves, he gently knocked on the wood. A few seconds after waiting by the wagon, he could hear the shifting of sheets and the sound of hooves landing on hard wood. "Huh? yaaawn who in their right mind dares disturb the great and powerful Trixie during her beauty sleep?"
Trixie then opened the door with her magic, the magician looked almost the same as usual, the only difference between her show persona being a few strands of hair lying out of place and a stare that screamed 'don't bother me'. "Oh, it's you." Her voice was dry, but not venomous which was a positive in Darklo's eyes. "Here to gloat, little colt? 'Cause Trixie doesn't care and would much appreciate some shut eye."
"Sorry, to bother you at night Miss Trixie. I just- uhm, wanted to apologise for what happened at your show." the magician raised her eyebrow at him, sceptical of what he meant. "I didn't mean to make you look bad in front of your audience, it was really rude of me. It's your show and it's your job to make things entertaining. Still, I'm not gonna forget how you put everypony down just to boost your own. You should show your own magic instead of using others as stepping stools. It just isn't cool, or show any strength on your part."
"Hmph, your apology shall be granted. Be grateful! For I don't forgive such transgressions so easily. I shall admit that your magic is..." the mare paused, as if trying to think of a less gratifying word, "different. But you have a long way away to outshine a mare as powerful as I."
Did... did she not hear my word of advice at all?
Darklo couldn't help but shrug. If the mare was going to at least take the apology, then everything is now even and he can leave without a guilty conscience. "Fair enough, your magic IS impressive. Tell me, how long have you been practicing that style of magic?"
"Oho? You wish to peer at Trixie's craft? Well Trixie is tired, take this and scram. Nice chat colt!" Trixie answered, tossing a book at his direction which he caught in his magic before the magician shut the door.
"Well goodnight I guess." Darklo added, checking the cover of the book. '100 Ways to Impress: The Show is Yours!' Yep that seems like a Trixie book. Well some of her spells did look pretty useful, I'll just take this back home.
Unfortunately, his plan would be turned over his head when two blurs zipped past him, causing him to spin like a twister and skid along the dirt. "Woah, watch where you're running." The two, who had recognised as the colts worshipping the magician before, impatiently ignored them and stopped near Trixie's wagon and banged on the door with haste and panic in their movements.
"TRIXIE COME OUT!"
Ask and they received, as Trixie jumped out of bed and dashed back at the door to see her invaders. "Trixie thought she said the great and powerful Trixie did not want to be disturbed! Did you put them up to this?" She pointed at Darklo, who only walked a few paces away.
"I don't even know their names."
Trixie groaned in response. The colt could understand it though, the colts were practically sticking to her with no breathing room, so to be interrupted by them while trying to sleep would make anypony annoyed.
"Ahahah... we- we have a tiny problem." The fat one weezed.
"Actually, it's a big one." The skinny one corrected.
"What is so important, that you cannot wait until morning to disturb Trixie." For the first time, Darklo heard the venom in the mares voice in that sentence. But that venomous look was replaced with fear and shock when a bellowing roar cascaded the night.
Darklo turned behind him to see a bear the size of a house, it had spectral blue skin that resembled his form in God's world. The rage filled eyes and its silver claws were the only other points of note about it along with the star plastered on its head.
Darklo spoke first, tossing the book to the side. "Well, it's not a hydra at least." Immediately after his obvious statement, Trixie screamed, her mane spiking outwards like electricity shot through her skin and bolted away, which made Darklo and the colts do the same. They sprinted in the opposite direction as the Ursa Major crushed her wagon, screaming in fury.
The squad of ponies had run for as long as they could but at some point, they could tell that they reached an impasse when they were forced to stop at a dead end of houses. Going around them would only mean the Ursa Minor would crush them while pursuing them, endangering even more lives than necessary.
"Great and powerful Trixie, you've got to vanquish the Ursa!" The fat one cheered
"Yeah, big wish so we can watch!" The skinny one said.
"It took a lot of trouble to get that thing here." The fat one added... What? Darklo asked in his head as he turned to face the ignorant colts.
"Wait, YOU brought this here, are you out of your little pony minds?" Trixie questioned with a knowing fury.
"Do you even REALISE the damage that thing will do to the town?" Darklo added, mimicking the magician's movements, exuding a sense of pressure from their gazes.
"But she's the great and powerful Trixie!"
"Remember? You defeated an Ursa Major."
As if the Ursa wanted to call that bluff, it roared in her face but Darklo set up a 2 dimensional shield to act as an umbrella for them. "Uhhh okay then, stand back!" Trixie ordered, the confidence she once displayed waning with every second as she ignited her horn and tried a variety of tactics. From the snake rope to a thunder cloud, but it only ended up boring the creature.
"Huh, well that was a dud."
"Hey at least she tried. Now everypony has to deal with your mess" Darklo shook his head while the Ursa roared once more, scaring the life out of the others, which resulted in the three dashing away from danger.
Now the Ursa only had one target in its sights. Darklo.
I guess I'm all that's left between this thing and a ruined town. But I'm no longer the scared fool I was back in the Everfree. Now I have the knowledge and know-how to beat creatures your size!
His heart revved its engine, his eyes locked onto the beast and his hooves scrapped the soil as the signs on his pads glowed. "This time, I wont lose!" and his hooves shot a mini tornado of air, shooting him towards the Ursa, sending a full blown tackle at its head.
It dug its feet into the ground slightly sliding from its original position, and clapped its paws to catch the colt. But he was ready.
Darklo kicked his hindlegs to face the moon and shot a point blank fire bullet from his front hooves, onto its head while the knock back careened the colt in the air. A singe of ash overtook where the white star used to be, the beast roaring in agony from the assault.
"Come on now! You want ME buddy!" Darklo yelled, flying along the already torn up road while the Ursa followed.
I don't really need to beat it, just send it back to the Everfree and lose it in the vegetation. Worked with those cockatrices, it'll work again.
The Ursa eventually gained distance with the hovering colt, pouncing on him with a paw. The colt's thoughts went by in a single second but it might as well have been a couple minutes as he blinked and smirked to himself. His horn ignited and grabbed a rope from a barrel, shooting it like a bullet in their direction, allowing him to bite it as it flew by, taking him with it before the Ursa committed to its swing that banged on the concrete, kicking up dust in its wake.
The colt flipped, turned and eventually had his hooves facing the ground, skidding to a halt before barrelling into a poor pony's window and set off once more.
At that point, he could see the bridge that would exit Ponyville and smiled proudly. Finally, I'll get a well earned victory for once!
The colt hovered to the ground, skating along the floor like he had roller blades, leaving small jets of fire behind him.
The Ursa jumped and hung on a building for leverage before pouncing towards Darklo with haste, forcing the colt to break away from the bridge and slide out of harm's way. With no more room to fly, Darklo dodged and weaved around the Ursa's lethal slashes. But a fly can only do so much until the larger animal finds their mark, as the creature finally connected with Darklo's side, sending him flying into the rubble of Trixie's wagon.
Well shi-
Despite the activation of his shield spell, the force immediately shattered the barrier, cushioning, but not relieving him of the collision. Pangs of pain shot up his back and he whelped, gritting his teeth as he tossed the debris aside with a magical push.
"Heh, ouch- alright then, you got me good. But you ain't seen nothing yet!" The hyper-focused colt, flared his horn and his hooves shone with fire and wind, converging until they vanished, leaving sparks of electricity to flow through his skin.
The Ursa lowered its head, growling at the instinctual threat looming before it. "You see Ursa, what you see before you isn't fire or wind. But it needs to be just right for a third whole new combination to occur. Too much fire and it becomes smoke, too much wind and it becomes hot air. But when the power of both signs are JUST right..."
The lightning zipped its way around Darklo's horn like a conduit, displaying a force of magical energy exuding from it. "It becomes my favourite element. Lightning!" A beam of pure golden energy, surrounded by electricity, streamed from its source and slammed into the Ursa's chest. It flew back a few meters, flinching from the high voltage coursing though its muscles while the once unbridled fury turned into fear.
Once the offensive spell subsided, the creature lifted itself from its slouched position and fled back to the welcoming arms of the Everfree forest, though it made a huge crack in the bridge on its way out.
...He did it.
After so long in the body of another, he finally felt like himself again. The tunnel vision diluted itself and his blood slowly regulated its flow, he manually blinked and he could see a crowd of ponies he didn't know were there. Staring at him, mouths agape with looks of shock and amazement. Through the sea of colours, he could pick apart a few of them like Trixie and the colts who each had an eye twitching from the display that was unveiled to them, and Spike along with Twilight.
The dragon had his hands over his mouth, attempting to not let out a peep while Twilight had an expression that Darklo could't understand. Was it worry, anger, concern or amazement. He couldn't tell and it didn't matter as he gave the crowd a salute. "Heh, see? Now THAT'S how you put on a show. And I didn't choke that time! Oh... and sorry about the bridge."
Just as he was about to walk towards them somepony else hovered above him and lightly gripped his shoulders to keep the colt in place. "Oh no, Darklo. You're- you're bleeding!" Fluttershy stuttered. Darklo didn't get what she meant though, he didn't feel anything-
Until he did. The adrenaline had finally died down, which granted him a wave of pain to stab through his back, forcing a grunt out of him. "Woah, uh, I guess I am." He turned his head to see that his back was in fact bleeding, most likely from the shrapnel that hit him on impact, the fortunate side was that the would didn't have any excess material lodged into it. "Eh, it doesn't look too bad. Don't worry Fluttershy, it'll heal."
"... little brother." Twilight leered over the colt in what he could now recognise was worry. "What the hay did I tell you about jumping into danger like that?"
"You said to only jump in when I have a plan. I did, and it worked."
"Still, you're injured for crying out loud!"
"And it'll heal. I'll go see a doctor if that'll calm you down."
Twilight sighed, understanding that getting this colt to know the words 'flee' was impossible and ruffled his mane. "Well, it was still some impressive magic. Glad you're learning."
Darklo smiled. "Well I do have a great older sister to call on." Twilight mirrored his expression before she turned to face the magician who walked into view.
"Trixie, during our show, you asked me why I ran away from showing off in front of everypony. So let me ask you the same question. Great and powerful Trixie, why did you run away when you've vanquished an Ursa before?" Twilight questioned with a cocked eyebrow.
But unlike her usual flare, Trixie responded in a normal apologetic tone. "I-I made it up, nopony can vanquish an Ursa Major, I just said it to make me look better. I didn't mean for anypony to get hurt from it, I promise!"
The crowd glared at her in discontent but Darklo shielded her from their stares, even though the shocks electrifying his back wasn't helping. "Wait -ow!-. I know it looks like Trixie did a bad thing, but is having an ego really a crime? She said to herself that she didn't mean harm by it. The point is, that although she did lie, that doesn't mean she's not strong or great. She's just a magician wanting to entertain."
The colt, still in pain, gave Trixie a big smile which finally turned her frown back to its dramatic smirk, ruffling the colts mane like every adult pony has the urge to do. "Of course, the great and powerful Trixie is still great and powerful. Trixie will continue showing everypony just how powerful Trixie really is! You shall see someday."
And with a smokescreen, she galloped into the night and into the horizon. Hope she WILL return someday. I kind of feel sorry about her wagon though.
Meanwhile, the colts from before were crawling away from the scene, only to be stopped by Darklo. "Now, we may be the same age, but I believe it goes without saying that leading an Ursa Major home is a stupid idea-"
"Actually, that was an Ursa Minor." Twilight added. "Ursa Major are much bigger- wait, Snips, Snails, you two caused this?" Twilight switched moods from teacher to strict parent as the brother and sister threw disappointed looks their way.
"Ehehe... well, we're sorry that we woke up the Ursa Minor."
"We just wanted to see some AWESOME magic."
"Yeah! And the way you vanquished that Ursa Minor was AWESOME! Think we could do that stuff too?"
Darklo performed an obviously sarcastic thinking pose. "Hmmm, maybe when you two learn your lesson. Got anything in mind sister?" The colt sent a sadistic grin her way.
"Well for starters, they can clean up the mess. And what do you say Darklo. Should I give them number 25?"
"Uhm, I wasn't there to see number 25 but I'll go along with it!"
"Oooh number 25, yes. And I think I deserve it too."
"I think you're right." Twilight smirked, charging her horn and cascading a purple aura around the guy's philtrum and exploded into hairs, forming a gentlemen's moustache.
Wow, punishments here are pretty tame compared to the academy. Eh, they are colts after all... hold on if that was an Ursa Minor, how big an Ursa Major?... I gotta keep training.
The hospital was surprisingly short on patients. given the rampage of an Ursa Minor in the town, but the employees could thank the only patient in their care. Nurse Redheart wrapped a long, sterile cloth around Darklo's waist and secured it, clearing the wound of anything harmful while excess blood smeared onto it. To his left, Fluttershy, Twilight and Spike sat on chairs by the window.
Fluttershy was watching the treatment with the utmost interest. It always warmed the colts heart to see how much she cared, even though they hadn't conversed much since Rainbow's friend came crashing into town. She wasn't the element of kindness for nothing.
Spike meanwhile, was watching Twilight as she wrote a letter to the Princesses while Darklo joined in when he felt like it, reading the first page of Trixie's book he recovered from the wreckage.
Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
I have learnt a very valuable lesson about friendship and I have learnt an unforgettable lesson in confidence and ego. I was so afraid of being a show-off, that I was hiding a part of who I am. My brother helped me realise that it's okay to be proud of your talents, and there are times when it's appropriate to show them off. Especially when you're protecting your home, friends and family. It shouldn't matter how anypony sees you, as long as you know you're doing enough to be happy, that's what counts.
"So Twilight, now that Darklo showed her whose boss, do you NOW believe you're the most talented unicorn in all of Ponyville?" Moustached Spike asked, nudging Twilight's side as she wrote the final part of the letter.
"Well, yeah."
"Right on sister. I wouldn't have gotten this far if I didn't have somepony like you with me-YOAWCH!" Darklo squealed, making Fluttershy flinch, and Nurse Redheart chuckle.
"Now you're going to need to stay and rest while that heals. Come back in 4 days and we can check to see if its better."
"Heh, sure thing Doc." Darklo responded, gritting his teeth.
"Oh and I'll visit you daily... just so I know you're doing okay." Fluttershy added in a pitch just barely high enough for everypony to hear.
"Fine by me Fluttersh-yow! Jeez, it's tight enough Doc."
Twilight held in a laugh of her own at the colt's restraint and turned to her assistant. "So how did things go with Rarity?"
"Eh, she didn't go for the moustache."
"You know Spike, that moustache has nothing to do with who you are, maybe you should just try being yourself."
"Ooor maybe the moustache wasn't enough, maybe I need a moustache AND a beard!" Spike stood prideful of his revelation while Twilight shook her head and Darklo blinked rapidly, wondering what a moustache had anything to do with visiting Rarity.
Oh... ooooooooooooh. Wait are inter-species relationships a thing?!
Darklo sat on his bed, hooves dangled over the side while his gaze lay stuck to the door. In light of the injury that laced on his back, Darklo could do nothing but follow the advice of the doctor and stay resting. But nothing could've prepared him for the boredom that overtook him.
Every book in his vicinity was read and re-read during the days of his unexpectedly longer period of recovery, leaving that option even more brain-draining, and there was something about asking Twilight for help that made him shiver in pride. Yes, Darklo respected his sister a lot and would do anything for her. But the other way around...
My pain, my problem.
Understanding that it was to try gaining mobility or suffer another hour tapping away at the oak walls, the colt lifted himself off the bed and landed on the floor with a clop.
The result of the impact left a minor sting along his back, but the pain was leagues easier to handle than the surges of agony he felt after the Ursa Minor altercation. "Phew, even longer rest required, my ass. I know you mean well Doc, but I ain't waiting anymore." Darklo monologued, as he walked towards his desk and pulled out a marker in a magical glow.
"Now with Spike off on Canterlot business and Twilight on the roof, tuning that lightning rod for today's storm, it's time I take this chance." The colt grinned at the marker and made his way to the center of the room, before delicately drawing a sign on the wooden floors. It was the shape of the female gender symbol along with a cut off circle connected to the top, resembling an unfinished 8.
Darklo analysed the drawing for any mistakes in the design and once he saw none, the colt nodded to himself. "Ah the symbol of Mercury, Principal Vir really loved this spell, especially in his hay day," Darklo stepped a few meters away from the symbol and faced it, "albeit, I was never as good as a Conduit, but I know just enough to test my theory." The colt's horn flared and the mercury sign glowed in a golden hue. Darklo shut his eyes, concentrating deeply "Alright then world, show me where you stand with me!"
Lord, my body is yours to direct. Open the doors beyond space and allow your hand to send me to my destination by your will. Ianuae!
At first, the colt felt no disturbance, until his fur flared and an ethereal glow enveloped him. By the time, Darklo opened his eyes, the sensation dispersed and he noticed that he stood, not by the walls of his room but dead in the middle of the sign. The colt grinned like he got a present he always wanted for Hearth's Warming.
"Heheh... they work, by the Lord, they ALL work! YES WOOO!" Darklo exploded in cheers and child-like wonder, bouncing around until the door opened.
Wait wha- The colt froze mid jump, standing on his hindlegs while the infiltrating pony looked towards him, concern and motherly disapproval plastered on her face.
"Darklo, you need to stay in bed. Nurse Redheart made that very clear." Fluttershy entered his room and swooped over the colt, picking him up and carrying him to bed. "I don't want you to reopen that nasty wound before it fully heals."
Darklo sighed in apologetic defeat. Fluttershy had promised to visit him during his involuntary house arrest and she followed through with it. The colt couldn't lie that the gentle mare was a treat to have around, she always kept the door open so he could chat with her and made delicious meals that would give Spike a run for his bits. But it was at times like these where he would find grievances with her boundless kindness.
"Fluttershy, I feel perfectly fine. The cut doesn't even hurt anymore and I can move pretty well, you JUST saw me a second ago."
"I-I know you want to get back on your hooves again, but please understand that we are asking this because we care." Fluttershy unwraps the bandage and flies out of the room momentarily, returning with a clean one and applying it. Darklo looked at his mirror behind him and saw the wound had practically closed, the only evidence of his injury being a dark line that reached his shoulders, but in Fluttershy's eyes, it might as well have been the same as it looked prior to meeting Nurse Redheart, crimson oozing from the open skin and muscles visible to sight. "Just give it one more day and I promise, Twilight will let you outside again and you can do what you want."
Darklo smiled at her. "Well fine, but you promised. Anyway, why did you even bother to check up on me? Surely you would be back at home with the animals for the upcoming storm scheduled today?"
Fluttershy hovered away from Darklo's bed and took a cloth from the kitchen before returning and cleaning up the marking the colt left on the floor. "Don't worry, I left Angel in charge while I'm here, and the storm won't be here until the next hour anyway. I'll be leaving once Twilight is done."
"Uh huh, so basically you're here because Twilight thought I'd do something..." Darklo plainly stated, "well, she wasn't wrong so- wait a minute, you put the rabbit in charge?" The colt scowled deeply. He had already come in contact with the white menace before and he wasn't going to do that again. "That little guy shredded my room and got Spike tied up. You're sure they're safe with him."
Fluttershy awkwardly chuckled. "Yes, Angel can be quite the handful, but he's really sweet when you get to know him. He will be fine."
"Well, who am I to disagree with a mare that could talk down a dragon?" The rhetorical question left a smile on her face as she opened the curtains of his window.
"Please Darklo, t-the dragon just needed a bit of... help." She squeaked at the last word when she noticed that the dark clouds invading the sky crashed a cascade of rain across Ponyville. "O-Oh no, the storm, it's already here! But why so early? I-I gotta go Darklo, I'll be back tomorrow!" The mare sped through her monologue as fast as she moved to the door and opened it.
Fluttershy dashed out into the storm, but one lightning strike later, and she skidded back into the house, shivering. "I...I can't" The frightened pegasus paced around the library room like Twilight would on a difficult question. "Will they be alright, oh Angel please be alright!"
Darklo slipped out of bed and walked down to her. "Fluttershy, I'm sure the animals can spend one night alone." He patted her head to calm her down, which proved ineffective given the shivering didn't cease. The attic trapdoor opened up and Twilight came out, the coat dripping with water before she shook it off.
"Oh Celestia, Fluttershy I'm really sorry, the weather patrol must have brought the clouds faster than anticipated. You will need to stay here until it blows over..." Twilight's face is brewed with concern before turning to Darklo. "Brother, please make some tea. And mind your back!"
Lighting up at the idea of finally being allowed to stretch his body, he saluted his sister. "Right on sis." He strolled his way towards the kitchen and turned on the kettle while setting a few cups and placing tea bags in two of them. The colt sneakily glanced at the mares who were peering out the front window and grabbed the coffee grain tin, transferring a teaspoon of it into his cup.
Nothing is better than a time inside and a cup of coffee.
Darklo's ears flicked as the ding on the kettle rang out, and he poured the hot water in the cups. Once ready, he grabbed them in his magic and walked back to them. "Alright, tea on deck and ready for a nice night- uh what are the two of you looking at?"
Both mares turn to Darklo. "I-its Applejack and Rarity, they are still out there!" Fluttershy responded.
"Hold on, I'll get them in." Twilight said, slamming the door open and calling out their names, which eventually got their attention. Rarity rushed inside while Applejack slid to a halt at the door mat.
"Woah nilly, is a tree really the best place to be in a lightning storm?"
"That is if you have a magical lightning rod protecting your home like we do. Come on in." Twilight greeted and grabbed a cup of tea from Darklo.
"Oh, well we are MOST grateful for your invitation."
"Thank ya kindly for y'er hospitality-" Applejack was about to walk indoors until Rarity stretched a hoof out and pointed to her muddy hooves, her face oozing a slimy sarcasm.
"Do be a polite house guest and wash up, please why don't you." The remark left the Apple mare in an annoyed heap, grumbling at the situation.
By that point, the house was being invaded by water puddling by the door so the colt, impatiently ignited his horn. "Allow me." The mud on Applejack's hooves became unstuck and levitated in the air before being tossed outside while the door shut along with it.
Applejack smiled warmly at him. "Thanks for that sugarcube." Darklo nodded and they joined Rarity and Twilight.
"Some storm huh? The pegasus ponies really outdone themselves this time, faster and stronger than ever before I tell you."
"Though... I w-wouldn't recommend heading home now. The storm is really intense." Fluttershy added as another lightning strike made her flinch.
"Fluttershy you're here too?"
"She overstayed her welcome, taking care of me and is stuck here," The colt chided before sliding more cups for each mare, "tea?"
Rarity grabbed it with her magic while the rest sat down with theirs. "Thank you darling. And in light of the storm, getting back to the boutique would surely be a problem."
"Well you all are welcome to stay over, Spike is out on Canterlot business so it's just me and Darklo tonight." Twilight then gasped giddily. "You, Applejack and Fluttershy should totally stay over! We'll have a slumber party, I've always wanted one of those."
The two mares blinked in shock and checked nervously. "Oh Ah don't know... Ah think I had a few chores at the barn that Ah needed to get done. Ah can't possibly stay here... with Rarity."
"And I do believe I had an engagement that completely slipped my mind. Ahaha woo hoo, oh silly me, I can't possibly stay here all night... with Applejack."
"I-I think it's a nice idea..."
"Then it's settled!" Twilight brought out a book with pillows on the cover, to which Darklo grabbed a hold of and checked the title.
"'Slumber 101, all you've ever wanted to know about slumber parties but were too afraid to ask."
"My own personal copy, it's a fantastic reference guide, you should see the table of contents. I've been waiting for a chance to use it, and today's the day!" Twilight jumped about like a toned down Pinkie Pie, staring at her friends with big, beady eyes. "This is going to be SO much fun!"
Rarity and Applejack took momentary glances at each other in disdain to Fluttershy's confusion, before Darklo caught their gaze with one of his own that oozed 'don't ruin this for her.'
They smiled awkwardly. "Uhm what do we start off with?"
Twilight grinned, making the young colt realise what he had gotten himself into.
The ponies gathered around each other, taking turns in dabbing sterile mud from bowls and smothering it on another's face. Eventually, it was Darklo's turn and all he could do was sit and take it as his ecstatic sister covered his fur with mud.
Some had gotten so close to his lips that it intellectually forced him to blow it away like he was whistling. "No offence girls, but why must I partake in this?" Darklo said, the colt's face scrunching in unamusement which only squished the mud closer to his skin.
"Come on Darklo lighten up a little," Twilight smiled at him, "a little makeover never hurt anypony. And besides," She brings out the book, "It's in the book, so it's gotta be right."
"Ah kind of agree with the colt." Applejack interjected as Rarity stamped cucumber slices on her eyes. "This just seems highly unnecessary. I mean, what's even the point of this?"
"Why, it enhances your complexion of course." Rarity smirks at Applejack, laying on her pillow to relax in the moment. "I expected Darklo to be dismissive but you have no excuse darling. Your face could really use it."
"Uhm, how about we just follow the rules..." Fluttershy looked concerned, however she wasn't even facing anypony in particular, given that she had cucumber slices on her face.
After Darklo turned Fluttershy's pillow to rotate her in the right direction, he sighed to himself as he swallowed his pride and put the cucumber slices on, tuning everything out to focus on himself. The book didn't say anything about girly talk so he wasn't going to do it.
Shutting his eyes, he reached into the depths of his mind for a funny memory to pass the time.
And he found it.
-Flashback
"Alright newbies, that ends your first lesson in this program." The bulky professor said to a dozen students in the lecture hall, his whole presence clear and aggressive like his eyes. Or shades, they are so dark that no one in the room could see past them. Lux included.
And although the possibility of a mystery to start his indoctrination into the Philosopher Program felt inciting, there was something about the professor's demeanour that made him shudder.
"Now, as a welcome to our toughest education system, I will be giving your homework," A toothy grin came from the professor, "Read and memorise to page 43 before next week. Trust me, failure will not end well in the long run."
The students nodded, sweating bullets at what kind of malevolent nature the teacher. It almost felt like he wanted someone to test it. Everyone exited the class and the majority made a break for it to the cafeteria.
Damn, Professor Crudele really has them spooked. Not like I wanna test my luck either
Lux strayed from the fumbling group and walked to the indoor garden. A waft of rose and jasmine greeted his nose once he opened the glass doors, navigating through the flora of a multitude of plants and insects along a marble pathway until he reached a gazebo with a few chairs for students to relax.
With a head turn to make sure he wasn't being followed, he sat on a seat and equipped the 'Basics of Alchemy' Booklet the demonic teacher needed them to memorise, as well as a few note pads and pens. Welp, the practical lessons wont be up till 2pm so might as well make the big man happy before I do the good stuff.
And so he did just that. Reaching the 34th page with note taking before a wave of boredom crashed his mind. It was mostly stuff he already knew and could put into simple notes easily: Bellica, the country Lux was born in, is the most advanced country in the world due to the high migration from war torn countries that raised their population to 434.6 million in the past century. The reason for such a refuge count? The Conduit. It was essentially a secret weapon that provided absolute certainty in protection along with major opportunities in alchemic industries. However, as there is only one Conduit, other countries would want it for themselves to gain the same benefits.
One such country being Perduellis, a nation far east of the globe. They were the first to claim the Philospher's Stones a long time ago before the Bellicus government were able to secure their Conduit, and they have been at their throats ever since. Lux would've felt bad for them if they weren't using that power for global conquest beforehand. Out of spite of what occurred, they decided to erect an anti-trading blockade at their boarders to deny any Bellican citizen from trade or travel. The country south of them, Sicarius, continued to have a tight relation with Perduellis, so they did the same while deploying spies into Bellica to retake the Philosophers Stone. They have been known as the Ghost of the East from their underhanded military tactics after all.
Finally, the last countries of importance were Socius, who is North of Bellica, and Aequus which is an economically thriving island in the middle. Both are allies and have gained mutual support through industrial partnerships. Socius provided an export on the latest support artefacts while Aequus improved their economy in return of the current Conduit's employment.
Lux shook his head to bring himself out of the hour of exposition he just wrote in note form and put the equipment back in his bag. But just as he arose from the chair, he realised someone was watching him, arms folded and eye twitching in annoyance.
"Oi punk, what the hell are you doing out here?" The guy grumbled, making Lux tilt his head in confusion. It isn't everyday where a person he's never met just comes up to him asking for trouble.
Lux shrugged. "Getting Professor Crudele's stuff in my head like a person with common sense, you?" The boy could already see the shaggy punk's eyes glow red as he stormed toward him and grabbed him by the collar. Though to the kid's credit, he wasn't holding on hard enough to crease his uniform.
"Me? I'm just checking the competition like a person with common sense," the sarcastic use of his own words aside, the punk gave him a smirk, "and beside my sister, the rest of our classmates are total losers. With how they were acting in the cafeteria, I thought they'd run away from the academy with their asses clenched."
Lux raised an eyebrow. Sister... classmates... oh! He's in the program too. What was his name again? Zelus if I remember correctly "So then, uh Zelus if I recall. What's your business with me."
"Merely to stay out of my way punk. Only one person will get that stone and it'll rather be me or Ira, not some random nobody."
Lux grinned at him, gripping his arm and torso before flipping Zelus over him. But as expected, the student recovered quickly and back-flipped back on his feet. "Sorry pal, but there isn't any fun without competition. Still, I look forward to seeing what you can do."
The two stared at each other meticulously, wind circling around them as if a tornado was about to begin and plants being blown backwards from the pressure.
"Is that a bet punk?"
"Mhm, but please. Call me Lux."
Darklo finally opened his eyes after his long daydream, only to realise that his mane was unusually tight. Like each follicle was trying to break off his scalp. Along with that, the mud that previously battered his face had disappeared.
Beside him was Rarity, who was looking rather smug at Applejack while Fluttershy and Twilight watched. The striking difference however, being the appearance of hair straightening rollers in their hairs-
Darklo practically jumped from his pillow. "Dammit!" His slid his hoof over his hair to be met with plastic. Yep, they really did it to me.
The mares finally noticed Darklo, which resulted in a giggle from Rarity. "Oh why don't you look splendid Darklo. How are you feeling?"
"Like my hair is splitting from the hinges."
"Great minds think alike sugarcube." Applejack commented, looking equally as annoyed as the colt. Fluttershy, attempting to quell the mood, hovered her wing over Darklo's back, and although it did nothing to hinder his mood, the colt shifted his mouth into a smile to appease her.
"Oh, wow this is exciting. Makeovers check!" Twilight excitedly cleared a tick on her sleepover book and made the rollers disappear at the flick of a horn. The aftermath immediately relieved the stress Darklo was feeling. And for all the fuss of the girly stuff, he had to admit his mane did feel softer to touch.
"Oh oh, now we gotta tell ghost stories. Whose first?" Twilight giddily looked across the room for a volunteer. The phrase 'ghost stories' sent Fluttershy into a panic as she flew behind Darklo at such an angle that it looked like she was a filly.
"U-uhm can we please not-"
"Me!" Applejack boomed, getting everypony's attention. As much as Darklo felt sorry for the cowering pegasus behind him, it was rather this or the chance to find another girly topic to tick from the list so he put on a smile and listened dutifully.
"Ah'd like to tell y'all of the terrifying prissy ghost, who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary neatness. Ever heard of it"
...
Darklo immediately knew what the earth pony was jabbing at, and it wasn't amusing anymore. But he predicted that the banter was going to keep going no matter what he did and he was right.
"Not really," Rarity deadpanned, "but I got a better one, it's the horrifying story of the messy, inconsiderate ghost who irritated everypony within a hundred miles!"
"Eep!" Fluttershy yelped while gripping onto Darklo's hindlegs.
"Girls, if you're gonna make a ghost story, do it with more oomph than that," Darklo chided, "you gotta get descriptive if you wanna spook the pants of ponies." Darklo coughed a bit, to clear the air and nodded to Twilight who smiled eagerly at what was coming next. "Here lemme show you. Also try tuning out Fluttershy."
Lightning struck by the tree, turning off all the lights in the room. The only light source appearing in the center from Twilight's shenanigans. "The night was cold and stormy, just like right now. Two brothers had entered their house and went to their basement which reeked of death and putrid vomit, but what was on the ground was why they were there. A crude drawing of a rune lay there, written in blood. You see, prior to this, the brothers lived happily with their mother until a sick accident left her a corpse. The brothers were so riddled with grief that they turned to any magic that would resurrect her. They took their mothers lifeless corpse and placed it on the rune while the maggots were still digging into her skin.
"And with a few incantations indescribable to the ears, the body was enveloped in shadows and muck while the two watched. But what exited from the sludge was not their mother... no their mother didn't have a jaw that unhinged to the floor leaving a gaping void of a mouth, no their mother didn't have limbs that were shrivelled and boney as windegos and cracked under their malnourished muscles, no their mother didn't have hollow eyes that revealed a set of shrivelling eyeballs that peered into their souls...no... IT WAS A DEMON!"
Lightning stuck once more as the shivering ponies shrieked in fear of Darklo, who suddenly had his mouth elongated in the shadows, and hollow eyes. But, Twilight settled them down by turning on the light, revealing Darklo with the mud from the face mask dripping from his chin while drawn in creepy eyes glided to the ground.
"Ghost stories. Check." Twilight happily said, ticking it off while Rarity and Applejack backed away from each others grip and Fluttershy retreated from holding Darklo.
"I-is it over?"
Darklo nodded. "Yeah, I think that's all."
From that, Darklo was introduced to many more activities like smores making and pillow fights (a personal favourite). But the joyous activities didn't stop the opposites from bickering. But at least, that would be over as everypony got into bed.
Twilight and Fluttershy shared the main bed while she left the spare one from Rarity and Applejack.I don't know if she can read the room or not. Unless she's trying to fix the problem which wont work.
But he tried to keep his sister's logic out of the way since he had to take Spike's bed. It was cramped and uncomfortable but he had been in worse resting places so he steeled himself and attempted to drift off. Though, the chances of that happening decreased from 40% to 0% as the self proclaimed friends fought for the bed like it was a war zone.
The colt sighed and slipped out of his resting place, hopping onto the bed to confront them, who were tugging on the blanket at the moment. "Alright both of you, what is it this time?"
"Oh darling, right on time. Tell Applejack that she needs to let go!"
"Nah sugarcube, she's being ridiculous, ya gotta tell HER to let off!"
The two continued their tug of war, failing to notice that Fluttershy was the only pony laying in the other bed before it was too late. Twilight loomed over her brother, absolutely fuming.
"Enough!" Twilight yelled. "It says right here in the book, that the number one thing you're supposed to do is have fun, and thanks to you two, I wont be able to tick that off."
"Ah've been tryin' my darndest to get along."
"No, it is I, who have been trying MY best."
"In my eyes, BOTH of you are making fools of yourselves," Darklo spoke up, his tolerance reaching a breaking point, "I know that you two have lifestyles that are complete opposites but that doesn't mean you need to be so aggressive about it." To prove a point, the colt points a hoof to Fluttershy, who had Twilights sheets over her. "Hell, Fluttershy has a greater reason than any of us to be upset, yet she's been nothing but cordial and respectful."
Darklo facehoofs to the bickering mare's shame as Twilight huffs, climbing back into bed with the pegesus. "First sleepover ever and it's a disaster... can anything else go wrong?"
"Don't jinx it sis-" Twilight definitely jinxed it, as a lightning strike hit a tree from outside the home, causing it to break open and allow the head to tilt slightly towards a near-bye building.
Everypony who was in bed got out to witness the scene. Applejack took the opportunity to hound on Rarity about loose branches but Darklo ignored all of that, patting Fluttershy's leg. "Fluttershy, you think you can fly over and push the tree onto the road?"
Fluttershy stammered in responce. "B-but I could get struck by lightning!"
"That, I can give a solution for." Darklo gave her a serious glare before conjuring a shield over her. "I don't know if the remote nature of the spell will weaken its use, but it should stop at least one unlucky strike. You could face a dragon for minutes, you can totally push that tree in a few seconds."
It may have taken a few seconds for Fluttershy to stop shuddering from fear, but once she did, the mare gave Darklo a resolute nod. "Alright, I trust you." And so, she flew through the window and got close to the broken tree, pushing the tree to the left of them. Eventually, the pegasus' strength had paid off as the head snapped from its base and crashed onto the cobble path.
Although a vengeful strike of lightning tried to steal the small victory, Darklo's shield held strong until Fluttershy zoomed back into the safety of the house, allowing the colt to let go of the dwindling spell.
"Phew, well crisis averted. Now back to the two of you." Darklo turned back to his original targets of his rant. "If you took some time to think about it, besides the times you were subtly insulting each other, the sleepover was still fun right?" They only kept their gaze away from the colt which granted them a snicker from him. "Case closed. You don't have to like everything about somepony, but you should see the big picture and understand that their differences are what makes them special. That they are what makes them friends."
Twilight nods in approval while Fluttershy smiled cheerfully at the change in mood. The gem lover and apple lover finally looked at each other. "Huh, well. Ah'm sorry Rarity. I just got caught up with all the minor annoyances that I kinda went overboard."
"And I should apologise also, your life is yours to live and I should have the grace to respect that."
They hugged it out which made Twilight pat her brother on the head. "I must say, you're getting really good at these friendship problems."
Darklo shrugged. "I wouldn't call them problems, friends don't break up easily, they just need a reminder on how their actions can affect others."
Twilight turned to everypony in response, happiness rejuvenating from her. "So how about we continue?"
Most agreed, except Darklo who yawned at the question. "I think I'll just hit the hay. I wanna be all energised when I can finally go outside. In fact, I'll write that letter I know you're gonna send to the Princesses, so have a good sleepover, alright?"
"Alright then little brother, have a good night."
The mares gave him one last nod before heading downstairs to continue the fun while Darklo grabs a scroll and quill in Twilight's bed.
Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, It doesn't surprise me that two ponies with generally opposing interests would butt heads, but what does surprise me is how far ponies are willing to express it. Still, with a bit of a push, I was able to see that they really did get along deep down. It's how I learnt that no matter the appearance, habits and background, anypony can become friends with eachother if they bother to interact and understand one another, as if we are not open to accepting change, what does that say about us?
From just your fearless colt, Darklo
Finishing the scroll, he places it on the nightstand for Spike to send tomorrow and burrowed himself in Twilight's bed, closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.
Heh, butt heads. We really had that on lock didn't we Zelus?
The Everfree was as wild as ever, but the shadowy figure paid no mind. After all, they knew the place like the back of their mind. They dutifully strolled along the mud path that led to their destination and whistled rhythmically as they did. Ponyville had always looked to lively from where they could see, yet they knew that once they stepped foot on those grounds, the music, the joy, the fun would all cease and convert into the ghost town the figure was all too familiar with.
If only they would let me talk with them. The figure pondered, but they had to forego that thought as the path became increasingly more difficult to navigate. Twisted and snapped branches littered the pathway and litters of dead leaves scattered along it. The sight didn't look odd at all to the figure, the creatures do tend to get aggressive when they become territorial. No. It was the smell that was different.
A faint waft of burning charcoal scented the air, even though no fires could be seen in the surroundings, while a nauseating sickness overwhelmed their nostrils. It was as if death was near, and that was when they advertised their sight from the path and onto the left where a rather large tree lay tumbled, covering a lifeless earth pony in its embrace.
The shadowy figure gasped. "Oh...oh poor soul." The body was already showing signs of decay, the dark fur was slowly shedding and blots of puss and gasses were bubbling up from within the skin. Though, the stallions eyes were shut, which indicated to them that somepony else was around here, but didn't bother to bury him.
The figure sighed, it was going to be gruesome and very uncomfortable, but if her homeland taught her anything, it was that all creatures must be treated with respect, even the dead. They would not let their soul live in pain.
Darklo awoke from a deep sleep, eyes puffy and legs weak. Though, the colt couldn't necessarily blame anypony about the predicament except himself. Yesterday, he decided to make use of the free time he had away from Twilight's clutches, which meant a full 2 hours of experimenting with all 20 of the signs he had ingrained in his memory.
If memory served him right, Darklo had got stuck practising with the most difficult of the 20, Custodio. The embodiment of gold that took power from the sun in order to reinforce his mind and body from outside forces. Even when he was Lux, his affluence over the sign was almost nothing, just a single shield against something before it shattered metaphorically, but when one could simply dodge or outpace the enemy, it didn't matter. Well, Principle Vir thought it mattered. The countless nights of training his mental fortitude was evident of that.
Besides the recollection, he recalled focusing his magic from the painted symbol of the sun intentionally marked on his forehead but getting no results. Just a tingly sensation through his fur. Call it tiredness overtaking his mind or stupid stubbornness coursing through his veins, he increased the pressure of the sign with a flick of the horn for a better result. The price for that: going unconscious in the middle of Ponyville's garden and waking up in the middle of the day.
Darklo sat up abruptly, clutching his head from the sudden headache. Damn, it's not as bad as mana burn, but exhaustion never gets easier. He stood in the fields until the pangs banging his head vanished and his muscles relaxed themselves.
"Alright then, back to Twilight's... who's probably going to ask where I've been all night," Darklo sighed in a serene panic, "maybe I can say I slept over at Applebloom's and got her in on the lie... but then I'd have to face Applejack."
The colt got to walking, resigning himself to his fate as he passed the busy shops. Wait no, they weren't busy at all. In fact, the houses were different too, doors and windows hastily boarded up while the colt could catch a glimpse of a few eyes that appear and reappear in quick succession. Darklo raised an eyebrow at the odd situation, muzzle scrunching in suspicion. Okay... a ghost town of a shopping district at this time of the evening? I call magical macguffin running amok.
The colt went from a stroll to a gallop, quickening his pace towards the tree-house. However, he didn't have to go that far to find out about the desolate area as a pony was right in front of him. They wore a draped cloak that hooded the pony's facial appearance, it had also hid the pony's body besides their limbs which had a pattern of stripes etched in their fur. The sight was honestly strange in Darklo's eyes, but it was rather getting the answers from the unknown figure or a Twilight with strict sibling mode on max so steeled himself, curling his lips and entering the mystery pony's view.
"Uhm, hello there stranger. You got a minute?" Darklo introduced, putting on his best welcoming face for whatever will meet him. What he saw was not what he expected however, the pony swept back its hood to reveal a zebra instead.
"Oh my, a pony who isn't cowering away, what would you like to know today?"
Darklo stared for a moment, eyes striking electricity in analysis of the striped life-form. Well, if a dragon and cows can have sentience, then it really shouldn't surprise me that other animals are similar. I'm gonna have to ask Twilight for some references.
"Uhm, I merely wanna know why everypony has gone into hiding like a global pandemic has just been announced?" Darklo tilted his head to the side to emphasise his confusion which unintentionally looked adorable to the zebra.
"I believe that the fault is on me, though not by my intent, as the chance of everypony fleeing when they see me is 100 percent."
"But why though? You seem like a decent enough pony- no, zebra sorry." Darklo pursed his lips in frustration at the lapse in judgement which granted him a chuckle from the zebra.
"It's quite alright dear colt, may I ask for your name for a later date? I have some work which will be much easier at this rate."
In responce to the sequway into an introduction, the colt smirked and gave a salute in a bipedal stature. "It's Darklo ma'am. Bringer of ancient magical arts and apparent friendship extraordinaire." He enthusiastically extended a hoof towards the zebra.
"And I'm Zecora, resident of the Everfree Forest. I collect medicines and brews, all made to get a pony back to their best." Zecora accepted the hoof-shake, smiling at the colt.
Wonder what the rhyming stuff is for. He pondered a few answers in his head from cultural things to a gimmick only Zecora does as he watched her scrape her hoof over the ground, uprooting it in the process.
Darklo had to admit that the random action was quite odd, even if it was his first time meeting a zebra, so he put on his best innocent face, honed from the weeks in his sisters care and walked beside Zecora. "Why are you digging up the path? Not to be rude and all but I don't see what that's gotta do with medicine."
Zecora chuckled lightly at him before shaking the mud from her hoof. "There is no harm in curiosity little Darklo, there is just a flower that blooms on roots that extend out of the Everfree and since Ponyville is the only area on safe land, this was the only place I could go."
Despite all the loopholes in wording Zecora used to rhyme his name, Darklo understood the message. In his eyes, Zecora was just like any other pony he's met and it made his lips curl in distaste that the ponies he trusted and respected would rather board themselves away than try to understand her. He really hoped it wasn't just a case of racism (seriously, he thought that didn't exist in Equus) but it was becoming a possibility and he didn't like it. So with a quick sigh he asked with a determined gaze.
"Can I help you out then?"
Applebloom couldn't believe what was happening right now. It wasn't old news that a strange pony that wonders the Everfree Forest occasionally comes to Ponyville to reek havoc but since she never saw them face to face, the eager filly didn't want to belive in the dastardly rumours. Unfortunately, her sister wasn't as skeptical as she was.
Once the first sighting on the pony had alarmed the residents, Applejack yanked her by her neck and dragged her into Sugarcube Corner where Pinkie Pie hid, beckoning them inside. Eventually, all of Applejacks friends had took refuge, talking horror stories of the mysterious figure. At least Twilight had her side on this.
"So girls, what makes this figure so suspicious?"
"Well, she comes into Ponyville... and stalks the market!" Rainbow Dash answered, fear jitterbug from her voice.
"Ohhh how terrifying." Twilight commented, clearly finding a joke in the totally serious evidence. It was followed by a ghostly 'ooo' from Applebloom be her side, face smug and sarcastic.
"Are ya sure they just want to shop 'round like any other pony?"
"Ya don't understand Applebloom!" Pinkie Pie stood on her hindlegs, moving towards her in a stalking motion. "They are evil, have you seen how they scrape and play with the ground like they are plotting something?"
"Or maybe they are upset that nopony is around to talk to?"
"Applebloom, that's enough! Leave the talkin' to the adults." Applejack strictly guided her frustrated sister towards the window and away from the talk.
It wasn't fair. When her friend, Darklo was around, they treated him like an adult so why couldn't they do the same for her? At least Twilight was trying to talk them down by how she commented on their superstitious beliefs like potion brewing and witches.
To get all of it off her mind, she gazed out of the nearby window and rested her hooves on it. But in a few seconds, she saw something. It was a strange striped pony with golden jewellery that wrapped around her neck and hooves. That was most likely the famous pony. But what caught her eye over the digging habit Pinkie mentioned was that Darklo was with her! He was bent right beside her, getting his hooves dirty as he cracked the ground for his accomplise to swipe the specs of rubble away.
"Aye, there she is now. And Darklo's with 'er too!"
"Darklo is what?!" Everypony yelled, immediately filling the space by the window to observe them.
"You see darling? That evil enchantress has clearly put your poor brother under a curse. We need to stop her!" Rarity dramatically swept herself off her hooves and laid on a couch she pulled towards herself in a blue haze.
"Girls, there is no such thing as curses. Also, that's not a suspicious figure at all. She's a zebra."
"B-but the stripes, they look so unnatural." Applejack squinted at the assailant, hooves shaking from the idea of her sisters only friend becoming lost to her.
"That's just how zebras look. And you should really trust my little brother more. After all, you and Rarity of all ponies should know how well he does with judging character."
The group of friends huddled together to further their heated discussion, leaving Applebloom out of the loop while she tapped at the floorboards in frustration. She hadn't been this peeved since the time a small forest fire invaded the secret hiding spot she and Darklo went to. If only Applejack wasn't so tired, their little grotto would've bee n saved. Still, she knew it was not the time for idly waiting by for the grown ups.
She will prove them wrong one way or another.
"If Darklo thinks she's alright, then what do Ah need to fear?"
Zecora and Darklo had finished their round in Ponyville, collecting beautiful flowers that were shockingly open and blooming underground. He would question it, but like Pinkie Pie, there are just some things in the pony wonderland that won't make sense so he continued his pace.
The two had made it past the boarders between the Ponyville territory and the Everfree Forest and the feeling of both dread and excitement flooded the colts senses. Sure, the foreboding glowing eyes had reminded him of the many mistakes he made in those woods but there was something about the natural greenery and unbothered landscape, untouched by magic, that made it feel like home. Rather he ment his home as in earth or his Dad's cave, he didn't know and he didn't care. All in all, the feeling was a nice change of pace.
"It is quite a shock that you used to live here little colt, as the monsters that roam could give anypony quite the jolt."
"My father and I lived here for a long while so I know my way around. Plus I can fend for myself." To emphasise his point, his hooves glowed and sparked with electricity, flowing throughout his body before dissipating with a thought.
"And I cannot disagree with such, I had only found one other pony in these woods but I believe he didn't like me a bunch."
"More like he saw you were different and avoided you?"
"Pretty much."
"..."
Frustrations over what could be his late father's racism aside, he couldn't help but chuckle. "You never let up the rhyming do you. Is it like a culture thing?"
"Zebrica has a deeply rooted history with encorporating language with rhyme, so for me, the art was to be carried on. It became second nature with time."
Darklo nodded as they passed the poison joke fields and took care to avoid their pollen. However, that was interrupted by the slight shuffling of shrubbery.
"Alright, you've been at this enough, come out so we can have a civilised chat." Darklo ordered, turning around to see his best friends revealing herself. "Applebloom. What are you doing out here?"
"Ah was just curious on what ya were doin' with her...but I also wanna stick it to my sister that being afraid of another pony is wrong!" The awkwardness the filly excluded slowly transformed into the stubborn confidence that Darklo had grown to respect Applebloom for which got the colt to smile.
"Well, I can't say no, just stick by us and mind your footing. Poison joke isn't something to laugh at."
Zecora nodded at that warning. "It would be wise to listen to your friend. A time of trickery is not a kind of day you wish to spend."
The filly skipped in the air out of joy and hurriedly caught up with them, ready to make the trip, before another interruption got their attention.
"Applebloom get back here!"
"Darklo, wait just a second."
Both foals could hear their respective siblings calling their names, one with more anger than the other. They turned backwards the second time to see the main 6 (or that's what Darklo is going to nickname their group from now on) galloping towards them and stopping right onto the poison joke field.
"Uhm gals, you don't wanna-"
"Applebloom, Darklo, what in the hay are ya doing next to her. Get over here!" Applejack ignored the colts warning, deciding to approach them with haste.
Zecora, at the sight of hostility, adorned her hood into position and backed away into the fog rolling in, leaving the foals in their care. "Beware, beware ponies of the foals, for that flower will play tricks with your souls."
From that final warning, she vanished into the fog, leaving them at the mercy of their sisters. "Ah specifically told ya to listen to me and ya didn't listen. Come on now sis, we have some talkin' to do." Applejack grumbled her words, hoisting her sister onto her back and carrying her home.
Everypony else followed her from behind, partaking in their own chat.
"Darling are you alright? Did the zebra do anything?"
"No way you didn't get cursed without fighting back. If I know you, you'd go kabam kapow," Rainbow Dash kicked the air mid hovering, "before she even knew what hit her!"
"Girls, Zecora never did anything to me, she just needed to find some flowers as ingredients for the med-"
Pinkie gasped so hard, Darklo couldn't help but stop what was saying to give her a hardened stare. "Potions!? I knew she was doing some super sneaky creepy witchcraft! Maybe thta how she inflicts curses on ponies..."
Twilight groaned in annoyance along with her brother. "For the last time Pinkie, there is no such thing as curses. And there are positive practices that correlate with potions and chemistry, we can't dub her as dangerous without talking with her. And since Darklo isn't injured or looks distressed, I'm likely to believe she's a nice pony."
Darklo swished his tail in approval, raising his chin in a smug pose. "Exactly. You can't make a judgement until you make a fair observation."
At that moment, a light bulb lit up in his head. If his recollection was true, they had all stepped on the poison joke so they will most likely hunt for Zecora one way or the other. That way, they can confront her without any hesitation and give him an excuse to show them that their just plain racist... except Twilight. After all, Zelus never pranked his sister during his enrollment so why should he?
The colts grin reached his ears as he twirled a completely invisible moustache as Twilight leaned close to his face as he walked. He froze.
"I should also ask before I forget. Where were you last night?"
"..."
There was no way out of it.
Darklo groaned as he awakened from his bed, greeted by the raised sun. He flipped the covers and front flipped onto the floor like an acrobat.
"Okay now. Let's see what prank the flower gave Twilight." He monologued, leaving his room and entering Twilight's. Luckily for him, she was already awake, eyes still baggy from the stress of her friends bombarding her with suspicions.
"Sleep well sis?"
"Urrgh, could've been better... Spike, why are you staring at me?" Darklo glanced over to the lizard who had his jaw agape pointing at Twilight's horn. Darklo didn't want to pay mention to it until he gave his sister the full story but with the cat out of the bag, there was no chance.
"Well, I was going to leave that until you were ready but... you're horn has gone dead."
Twilight raised her brow as she patted her head and felt a flabby piece of bone rather than a rigid horn. She fell silent and her eyes flew open like saucers. "...AAAGH!" The unicorn fell backwards and landed on the rim of her desk, frantically fiddling with her most prized weapon. "I-I what, this...this is impossible." She mumbled, eventually whispering under her breath "were the girls right? Could Zecora really have-"
Foreseeing the misunderstanding brewing, Darklo shoved his hoof onto his sisters mouth to get her attention. "Sorry that I didn't mention this before, frankly I was too tired of all the ignorance your friends were doing that I just went to bed. Don't worry, I know the cause. And no, it isn't Zecora's fault."
Twilight flicked her gaze toward the colt, face brimming with hope. "So this is not permanent? Please Darklo, just get to it already!"
"Hold your horses Twilight, I'm getting to it." He made a light cough to clear the air as Spike walked beside Twilight in support. "The symptoms your dealing with is merely a prank made by the flowers known as poison joke. They are plants endemic to the Everfree as I recall and can mildly change any creature that interacts with their pollen."
"But if that's the case, which book is it referenced in?"
"I...ughhhh" Darklo stammered at the question. Most of his reading in the library was just on magic control and other skills involving physical benefit, he didn't really bother with stuff like flora. To be honest, he wouldn't have known about the flowers if Heatwave didn't warn him about them on his first week in Equestria. "The source is trust."
Twilight sighed. "Well although it's receiving to know what the cause was, I have no idea on how to cure it! I've never read about poison joke before."
Darklo nodded, head held low since his original strategy to calm the waters was not as effective as hoped. Until he had a bright idea. "Well, Zecora knew about the flowers too, and she also said she does medicine and tonics so if anypony can figure out a cure, it would be her!"
In a flash, the colt sped towards the front door empowered by electricity. "Don't worry, I'll be back in a jiffy. Just keep the girls occupied while I get it all sorted."
"Wait Darklo what have I told you about going alone?!"
But it was too late as the colt had already made headway towards the horizon of Ponyville, though she could hear a slight "Come get me if I aint back in an hour!"
Twilight sighed with a smirk on her face. "He doesn't stop for anything does he."
"Nope." Spike confidently replied. However that wasn't the only thing that would appear as her friends and Applebloom came barrelling inside.
She has a lot of explaining to do.
Thanks to the speed granted to him by his lightning alchemy, (Seriously, regaining that power was like walking on water for the first time) the colt only took a quarter of an hour to get from the outskirts of Ponyville to Zecoras home in the Everfree Forest. Correction, it was more like a hut. It was as if she had taken a page out of his father.and etched their house into the confines of nature, though instead of a mountain, she chose a tree. Tiki masks were strung along the stem and the roots while an iridescent herd of fireflies cascaded by the canopy.
The colt could almost feel as if he were getting deja vu from the built in tree home but he shook himself out of the nostalgia and made his way towards the door, knocking on it once he was in range.
After the 3rd rhythmic tap on the door, Darklos ears picked up a faint "come in" from beyond the wooden walls and although he found it strange that Zecora would just let anypony in, he obliged and let himself in.
The interior was just as relaxing as the exterior. Rows of mysterious bottles stocked the shelves, stacks of ingredients lay in barrels or hooks along the walls and an already bubbling cauldron stood dead and center where Zecora was sitting.
The Zebra averted her gaze from the cauldron and onto the new visitor. "Ah little Darklo so we meet once more, I would guess that it is the cure for your friends ailments that you have returned for."
"Heh, for a non-witch you got some keen foresight." Darklo chuckled at his own joke, only to go straight faced as he noticed no hint of laughter from Zecora. "Uhm, sorry. Jokes are more Pinkies thing. Anyway, do you already have it prepared?"
Zecora returned back to the cauldron and cooled the fire below, allowing the hot liquid inside to settle. "Almost little one as although I have most of the ingredients ready for your arrival, I have ran out of something that 'only becomes dangerous once' to ensure the brews survival."
Darklo stared with a confused expression towards the zebra. "Do you really not know or is this an excuse to make me do a fetch quest for you?"
"If I leave to find the last ingredient, the brew could grow to hot or cold, ruining the cure. That is unless you can do it for me if you're quite so bold." Darklo had a feeling that it would be a bad idea. Even as Lux, he had never dabbled in potion making so it was likely he'd mess up somehow, and with the addition of his paranoid caretakers possibly ignoring Twilight's knowledge, he nodded understandingly.
"Point taken." And with a click of the doors hinges, he leaves the hut and sighs. "Okay then, 'something that only becomes dangerous once'..." The colt continued turning the gears in his head while he paced Zecoras front yard, stomping his hoof every time an incorrect answer hit him. "Poison dart frogs? No no, they are always poisonous. Mushrooms? But some are healthy, I don't know how I'd know which is which."
Maybe it was the sheer concentration that got Darklo to be distracted, as he couldn't pick up the sound of his name echoing out to him. That was until a hoof tapped his shoulder, resulting in the colt jumping in suprise and sending a sweeping kick in the direction of the perpetrater. Luckily, the blow stopped mere inches from Applebloom's head.
"Oh! Ugh, sorry about that Bloom." Sweat beads from Darklos fur as he retracted his hindleg and shone an apologetic smile.
Applebloom waved it off after blinking away her suprise. "No worries Darklo everyone gets scared sometimes. Though, Ah've never seen ya react like that before."
"Hey, just cause I like tussling with enemies doesn't mean I'm not scared. That's just what bravery is: Having fear but doing it anyway." He folded his front hooves in a defensive manner, cheeks red from embarrassment.
"Well that's alright," the eager filly manoeuvred around Darklo and walked towards Zecoras hut, "Ah'm just gonna get that cure from Zecora so my sister can finally stop yappin' about how dangerous she is-"
"Hold it." The colt gently grabbed her by the tail, forcing her to stop in her tracks. "Already asked, she's just missing an ingredient, though she's made it a riddle of sorts. 'Something that's only dangerous once'." Darklo let go once he saw that he had gained her full attention and equipped his thinking pose. "I've narrowed it down to something poisonous but I've ruled out any creatures or plants too big to fit in a cauldron. Any ideas?"
The filly fiddled with her pink bow, sticking out her tongue in deep thought. It was almost comedic in the colts eyes, mentally giggling at the image. Eventually, Appleblooms eyes shot open and smiled. "Ah think Ah got it!"
"Fire away, I'm all ears."
"I remember when we were makin' apple cider months back, we were experimentin' with usin' Vineapples from y'er dads stocks, and Granny mentioned that we had to clip off the thorns with scissors cause anything touchin' the tips would inject a toxin that would make it deadly to eat. Makin' it poisonous only one time!"
"Oh..." To be honest, Darklo completely forgot about the Vineapples, the colt only remembered that Heatwave and him picked them clean to sell. His father even told him about the fact about its poison to avoid mistakes.
Darklo hoofpalmed. "Thanks for the extra mind Bloom. Now we have the ingrediant down." His face returned to its determined gaze as he galloped through the foliage before turning back. "Follow me, I remember where they grew. Let's get this done before Twilight can't hold her friends back."
And so, they ran together through the forest. Applebloom gave him an awkward smile in responce. "Uhm, Twilight couldn't hold them back half an hour ago."
"... drats!"
The adventurous foals finally had the hut in their vision once more with a Vineapple carefully floating in Darklos magic. The journey to get one was rather easy. They were able to reach the field of Vineapple trees without any dangerous creatures blocking their path, so Applebloom bucked a tree which resulted in one falling and being grabbed by Darklos ethereal hold.
"Hopefully, we made it in time." Applebloom commented, stopping just by the door.
"I think we-" Unfortunately, Darklo first assumption was proven wrong immediately when both foals heard a ruckus inside.
"Girls please, we can't know for sure if Zecora did that. Darklo had literally told me that those flowers we stepped in were the reason, did you all forget that?" Twilight said. Applebloom and Darklo sighed, realising that they were a little too late, and opened the door.
It was the first time Darklo had witnessed the others and their pranks, so he had to hold a laugh when he saw Rarity's fur and mane, long and thick like a poodle and Applejack whose stature was the size of his leg.
"Then how do ya explain how Darklo and Applebloom are missin'? She clearly made them into stew!" Applejack pointed towards the cauldron that was tipped over, spilling the contents that was going to be their savior, while Zecora hastily readjusted it upright, mildly annoyed.
"Just look around you darling, the decor clearly spells doom. How can you not see that?"
Pinkie replied by sputtering random noises while her mouth was snapped shut, performing some weird dance.
"Settle down, the kids are fine, however I find it quite rude to barge in and destroy the home of my design."
Rainbow got up from a pile of tiki masks and scoffed at Zecora. "After what you've done to Darklo and Applebloom, we have EVERY right to. And this is pay back for what you did to us." She tried to fly into her and tackle to Zebra, but miraculously swerved to the left and crashed into a wall. "OW...see! You're making me look ridiculous!"
Finally, Fluttershy made a comment in a voice so deep and masculine that Darklo would've never expected it. "You made me-"
"Alright pause right now!" Applebloom ordered, closing the door while Darklo followed behind her.
"Yeah, what she said. This little racist trip of yours must come to an end."
The main 6, besides Twilight who only had mild relief on her face, stared at the foals with bewilderment and suprise.
"But... but how, we gon thought y'all were turned into soup!"
"Applejack, ya highly underestimate us if ya think we'd let ourselves get boiled. We just went out to get some stuff for Zecora." Applebloom held her head high, proud of her accomplishment while tilting her head towards the colt. "Ah think ya should give her the apple."
"Oh right. Speaking of which Zecora, here's you go, a Vineapple which can 'only be dangerous once'" Darklo followed up his words by floating the fresh thorny apple towards the zebra.
She grabbed a hold of the stem happily. "I knew you would be able to solve my riddle, though the addition of your friend and other ponies certainly threw me through a fiddle."
Twilight decided to clear the air for everypony involved, smiling at the foals. "I'm glad you both are still in one piece. We're you able to get the cure Darklo?" She asked, hope brewing from her words.
The colt and filly deadpanned. "That's the thing sister. We were ABOUT to, but your cure just got spilled on hard floor a moment ago."
"Mhm" The two nodded in synch with each other, leaving Twilight conflicted.
"Oh... Zecora we are really sorry about this. I tried to tell them why this was happening but they just wouldn't listen."
"Now now Twilight, we had ample reasoning to believe in the worst. Like what's with all the masks."
"They are emblems from my homeland, reminds me of my youth, oh so grand."
"And the creepy rhyming?" Rainbow leered.
"It's a sacred part of their language," Darklo added, "it's just apart of her culture."
Everypony in the wrong lowered their heads apon realising their misjudged fears. "So Twilight was right... it was just a prank from poison joke, not some curse?"
"For the last time, there are no such thing as curses. But at least we end on a good note. Anyway," Twilight averted her vision from Zecora, even though she was talking to her, "is there still enough for the cure?"
"Hmm," The zebra peered into the reduced contents. "I think I can make some more for everypony, thanks to the foals efforts, the cure shouldn't work like a phony."
"And do we need to drink that?" Fluttershy asked in her.
"All you have to do is take a bath and let the contents take the stage," Zecora trots to her potion table where an open book laid, displaying all the steps for the cure, you can find the process on this very page."
Twilight flinched. "Wait, so it WAS in a book? I checked every relevant scripture, how could I have-" the unicorn had went to the book and flipped it onto its cover, revealing the title, Supernaturals. "Oh... I kinda skipped that one. It seemed like it was more supernatural than natural."
Twilight attempted a cheeky smile and Zecora chuckled. "Perhaps you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, though I I'm relieved this is all over."
"Not really." Applebloom jumped in the air to catch everyponys attention. "The townsponies are still terrified of her, we can't just leave it like that."
Everypony nodded in agreement and left the hut to end what Darklo perceived as non-pony racism.
After an hour of getting everypony informed and used to Zecoras presence, the towns perception shifted quite quickly. At least Darklo could feel at peace that he wouldn't have to deal with that ever again. But he knew better, the world is big and not everypony had the same outlook so he would need to stay prepared for such encounters.
The colt watched the main 6 rest in the cure-filled bubble bath produced by the spa and smiled at their progress. They had all gone back to their normal selves and he could tell it was a job well done by the fact that Twilight was writing the next friendship letter to Celestia- wait.
"Twilight, don't forget to add Luna and me on that letter!"
"Don't worry, it's a habit at this point."
Nodding to himself, he rose from the pillow he was resting on and stood by Zecora and Applebloom.
"So how are you liking the new change of pace?"
"It's like a whole new Ponyville than before, no looks of fear or contempt to be seen anymore." She replied while patting the kid's heads. "And I owe it all to you, foals."
Applebloom chuckled at the sensation. "We're both happy to help, that's what friends are for right Darklo?"
The colt in question gave her a hoof stomp of approval. "Certainly Bloom. Whenever there is somepony in need, we are here to solve it. The more problems we solve, the smarter and stronger we get!"
The strange remark about self improvement felt almost new to the zebra. The colt was odd to begin with; having a kind of magic unshackled by his horn while a determined glow of electricity oozed from his eyes. It was unlike any foal she had ever seen before.
"Little Darklo, you can answer only if you want to, but is there a reason why improving yourself at your age is of such importance to you?"
The colts gaze softened as he took the time to look at the main 6 and Applebloom before responding solemnly. "I just want to keep everypony around me safe. T-theres just something about letting chance take the wheel that rubs me the wrong way, so if I'm going to be in a situation where I must act, then I want to be ready for it." Zecora closed her eyes, absorbing the information given to her while pondering.One so young yet so mature, but youth is still youth, that's for sure.
Her wise eyes returned to meet the colt and smiled. "A noble goal like that will take time and patience, but I may have a few methods that could help if it holds such importance." And with that, Darklo's face hardened once more, mouth grinning at the implication.
"Any kind of help is a good thing. I think I'll take you up on that offer Zecora, or should I say teacher?"
"Such questions will have to wait until a more suitable time, as I need to clear up a few things of mine."
"Oh okay. Until we meet again again then." Zecora nodded and left the spa. Once the click of the door was in place, Darklo felt a nudge from his side.
"Hey, Ah wanna go too. Ya still promised to teach me that ancient magic stuff." the eager filly curled her lip in annoyance while Darklo chuckled awkwardly. He kind of forgot about the tutoring session they used to do. Wasn't really his fault since their original meeting place had set ablaze and became off limits, but he did admit that he was still curious about seeing the effects of alchemy with somepony else. Just how strong could they be? Can non-unicorns really use it?
Darklo reaffirmed himself and gave a smirk to mentally ignore his previous shame. "That's fine by me, we needed a new meeting spot anyways. We can get back to working through the signs and seeing if any work for you. Deal?" The colt extended his hoof to her.
"Deal!" Applebloom agreed cheerfully as she bumped her hoof with his four times and stomped the floor in sync. And so their friendship solidified along with a new handshake to boot. With both of us together, nothing can go wrong!
The day was ceased by the colt of the hour as Darklo equipped a saddle bag from the banister with a giddy grin. It had taken a lot of scheduling between himself, Twilight, Applejack and Zecora but they were finally able to pick out the right date for himself and Applebloom to visit Zecora for a special lesson.
And it just so happened that the day was today! He took a few moments to check all the contents inside the bag: capsules of ink, piles of paper and some quills for fresh sign painting, the signature 'Clover Memory Book' to document his knowledge, bottles of water for hydration and a lunch box filled with an assortment of vegetables. Darklo nodded to himself that everything was in place, closed the bag and left the house to the border of the forest to meet his guardians en route.
Eventually, the colt reached its destination. Skidding to a halt in front of the mares, a trail of electricity in his wake.
"Sorry I'm a little late, just some last minute preparations but everything's in order now." Darklo said.
Twilight gave him a knowing smile. "Really now, or was it just an excuse to use more of your tricks?" The electricity that powered the colt, vanished to hide how true those words were.
Applebloom smirked gleefully. "Wouldn't be the first time he pulled a stunt like that."
Darklo chuckled nervously, sweat beading from his coat. "Cut me some slack girls, can't blame me for wanting to keep practising."
"Settle down little colt, they are only pulling your tail," Zecora said, beckoning the young foals to follow her, "besides, the day is young and Twilight has a parade to organise for tomorrow so hit the trail."
Both of them nodded and stuck by Zecora as they entered the forest for the hundredth time. 99 times more than statistically possible but the two most adventure seeking kids would take that achievement with stride.
Twilight watched as they dissipated into the greenery and hardened her gaze towards Ponyville. The unicorn was honestly conflicted about letting Darklo visit on this day specifically, given that they would most likely stay during the parade, avoiding the chance of the colt seeing the Princesses again. Still, the colt was very excited about finding a suitable time and this was the earliest one.
While deep in thought, Applejack gently patted her back in support. "Don't worry 'bout them sugarcube, Ah'm sure they will enjoy what Zecora has for them, let's just make sure the parade is in order and do our best!"
The encouraging words were rather successful as Twilight smiled thankfully towards her friend. "You're right Applejack, the Princesses come first, and by Celestia's name, I wont let them down. With me at the helm, nothing could possibly go wrong!" The lavender unicorn galloped down the hill towards her home with Applejack in tow, ready to check on Pinkie Pie's progress on the baked goods.
Her friend is right, nothing could possibly go wrong!
Zecora's hut was as mystical and atmospheric as the last time they visited. In fact, it had been doubled since everything was cleaned up after the irrational fiasco Twilight's friends were responsible for. The two foals sat beside each other and while the filly was practically vibrating on the couch, Darklo was still as a statue, awaiting Zecora's words.
"Now then children, to be your guides throughout the day, I must inquire what you would wish to learn or improve on. So speak your minds without delay."
The introductory order surprisingly threw the colt through a loop. It was obvious that they would be working on different things but he had predicted that Zecora already knew what to do, given how confident she looked when she presented the idea. It resulted in a few blinks of confusion from him before resting his front hoof on his chin to think.
Applebloom meanwhile, already had her mind set up. "Ah wanna learn how to do what Darklo can, all that stuff he does with those magical runes looks so fun!" The goofy grin the apple filly held suddenly broke for a second. "But Ah haven't gotten anythin' to work so far... but Darklo has done nothin' but continues to support me. So if it's somewhat possible, Ah'm gonna do it!"
Zecora nodded understandingly and turned to meet Darklo's eyes which lit up in gentle sparks. "Unfortunately, the arts of your runic magic isn't something I'm familiar with. However," The wise zebra walked to the front door and took a long bamboo stick that rested beside the frame, "a few of my exercises should breath a different light into your plights, I'll get them ready in a spiff."
And so Zecora left her hut to prepare whatever session she had cooked up for them, leaving the foals alone. The silence, although calming to the colt, couldn't help but feel a sense of unease in the air. "Darklo?" Applebloom said, her voice a little shakey.
"Uhm, yeah?"
"Are ya sure this will work?"
Darklo responded by patting her side. "Really sure, I've already done the calculations. Magic is in all of us so using them is possible, it's just easier for me cause this little guy"- the colt tapped at the edge of his horn- "makes the process simple."
"But what if you're wrong?" Darklo paused, staring at the filly with concern. She had been so cheerful and eager a moment ago, so he had no idea why it would flip so quickly. "What if y'er talk about 'bolstering ma muscles to push the magic out' isn't possible. Ah...Ah really wanna do this, seeing all the wondrous stuff ya can do, I thought learning it would deepen our friendship like never before. Y-Y'er my first friend Darklo... Ah just want somethin' I can talk about with you and this was the best option." She averted her gaze to the floor, looking at her hooves in thought. "And hey, if we're lucky, we can get our cutie marks doin' this together... Ah just wish Ah could see some sort of progress."
Darklo could do nothing but watch his best friend spit all of her concerns out like an open faucet. His first friend his age, somepony who could understand him and his strive for self empowerment just broke down in front of him. And what pained him the most was that he recognised this before.
-Flashback
Lux had awoken in an area he was very familiar with. A desk full of historic scrolls, lines of bookshelves that stocked books of varying colour and sizes. Man, I really gotta stop with the late night study sessions. He thought to himself before sitting up and stretched his aching muscles, resulting in a satisfying sensation coming from his body.
Once he finished, the student checked the clock and the window to his left which showed the moon lowering itself into the horizon and the hands revealing the time. 6:42. A sigh escapes his mouth and he power walked out of the library and into the hollow hallways. In just a few more minutes,the lights will switch on and the speakers will goad everyone awake for preparation of their breakfast and first lesson at 8:00. As long as he got back to his room, no one would know about his very unhealthy sleeping positions in the library. Unfortunately, something else caught his eye. There was someone by their room, ass on the floor while sobbing in the fetal position.
Already up? Dude must be stressing about the practical test... Lux checked his phone in his pocket and saw 6:45. Eh, 15 minutes before the day begins. Guess I got time. So with his goals in order, he carefully walked towards the person and knelt beside him.
"Hey, bud. Something on your mind?"
"Huh?" The person wiped his tears and looked up at Lux. Unfortunately, his memory was hazy about this particular person besides his squeaky male voice, so he only recalled the chat they shared. "Oh, Lux. What's Mr 'I'm so perfect' doing out here before morning hours?"
"Let's just say I slept in the wrong place. What about you? Scared of the exam today?"
"Well duh, it's literally an elimination process. Failure will get us expelled from here!"
"Look pal, as long as you stick with what you have learned, you will ace it. No use feeling like a failure before it even begins-"
"YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!" His voice boomed throughout the halls, which made a few lights appear under some of the apartment doors. "You just don't... could you stop and listen to yourself? How can someone like me, who can only throw earth pellets pass a test like a mock battle against freaks like you that blow shit up like it's second nature!"
Lux had found out the sheer difference that the student was trying to tell him. He focused everything on getting better and training his mind, yet he never took the time to see what everyone else was doing.It would be cheating if I peeped on their progress was his line of thought, but that mock battle truly showed him the grim difference between himself and most of his class.
Just one stream of fire was all it took to defeat that student. And it was supposed to be a warning shot too. It was at that moment that the child had realised that the top was a lonely spot, yet he had to keep going. This was his life and he wasn't about to let it go.
End Flashback
Fortunately, Darklo had something that Lux didn't in that scenario. Experience. So with a long exhale, he smiled at her. "Bloom, no matter what transpires during today, you need to know that you're still my friend. The fact that you are taking things so far just to know me a little more is something I haven't seen from anypony. So believe me, that drive, that determination WILL make it all worth the wait." To lighten the mood, Darklo decided to boop her on the snout, resulting in her face to scrunch up adorably. "Now show me that Apple family resolve I've grown to respect!"
The room fell quiet once more, but Darklos gaze softened when he felt that sense of unease lift itself away, looking at Applebloom who grinned thankfully. "Thanks Darklo, guess Ah really needed that."
"No need to thank me, that's what friends are for."
Finally, Zecora returned, which got the foal's attention. "I have finished all the tribulations for the two of you, now follow me and we shall begin the lesson in just a few."
And so they nodded at each other, resolve filling their bodies as they followed their teacher to the lesson.
Darklo honestly wasn't expecting a method of training like this. At that moment, he was in the center of a small pond with only one leg latched to the water, the other was crisscrossed which forced the colt to maintain balance and focus. Of course, such an exercise would be easy to complete but what made it difficult was the fact that he had two bubbles of water encased in his magic, circling his head. The strain to his horn wasn't much, but it was enough to irritate his muscles and it kept the colt in constant discomfort. Along with the slippery motion the mud had underneath his only hoof supporting his balance, he had to maintain significantly more effort.
Applebloom on the other hand, was on more solid ground, if balancing your head on the bud of a bamboo stick counted as 'solid ground'. The stick was wobbling rhythmically and the filly wasn't holding up much better if her sweating coat and fearful swaying gave anything away.
And by the bank of the pond lay Zecora, studying the writings in the 'Clover's Memory Book' analytically. "Hmm, the volume of runes that can be achieved is really astonishing young Darklo, are you able to use all 20 as you say so?"
Darklo shut his eyes even harder, opening his mouth to speak with sheer concentration. "With varying levels of effect yes."
"And they all work with the primary construction of a rune specified to them, along with a line of connection between the mind, body and soul... though, I can see merit in these factors, the body portion confuses me. If magic is how these runic signs activate like you say, what does it have to do with the body then?"
Darklo raised an eyebrow at that... until it clicked, and drops of liquid escaped the water bubbles. He was thinking about it wrong. He was still thinking like Lux. Manipulating the channels directly was impossible in the old world, which is why the focus for alchemy training was strengthening the body, to allow easier access to their channels. But here, magic is a logistical factor that can influence those channels. Because the channels ARE magic. It almost baffled him that he didn't even consider the possibility which, now that he thought about it, made a lot of sense. Every time he had used alchemy, he had the same feeling as when he used magic, just without his horn.
"Huh... to be honest, I never thought of that. I just assumed that's how it went 'cause improving those three specifically was what helped me awaken my abilities." Darklo replied, both happy that a potentially demeaning misconception had been corrected and frustrated for the same thing. "H-hold on, so does that mean-"
"Mhm indeed, perhaps the fault for young Applebloom's struggle with the runic arts didn't lie with her more, but instead, was at the fault of the mentor."
That was the final nail in the coffin. Darklo's eyes shot open and the mud gave way, flipping his body backwards and landed in the puddle with a heavy splash. Moments after, the bubbles of water broke from their magical hold and drenched the colt's face.
"D-Darklo, are ya okay?" Applebloom asked worriedly, hopping off her position to pick him up. The mud seeped into the filly's coat as Darklo averted his shook gaze towards the ground. "Darklo?"
"Heh, well what do you know?" An effortless chuckle escaped his dry lips, attempting to prevent tears breaking from his eyes. "All this time, you were giving everything for this friendship... how ironic is it that I wasn't putting in that same effort? I mean, I should know how this power works inside and out and yet I messed this up and led you on." Silence filled the jungle as Zecora watched the two in contemplation. But it all faded once the apple filly laughed wholeheartedly, leaving Darklo to send his brain into factory reset. "Wait... what the- hey why are you laughing?!"
"Hehehehe~, Darklo. Didn't we just have this conversation a few hours ago?" Applebloom said cheerfully, cupping her hoof to Darklo's wet cheek and directing his gaze to meet hers. "This friendship goes two ways. So who cares that either of us make mistakes? The fact is still that we are in this together and we WILL keep doin' things together so long as we have the strength to do it. Ah'm certain that Ah wanna keep at it, so are YA willin' to keep teachin' me?"
The sense of deja vu was not lost on Darklo as the tears finally cascaded downwards and merged with the pond water, yet he couldn't help but smirk. "Heh, sorry bout that. Guess I still have a lot to learn, especially with you." And with that, the foals hugged it out which relieved the spectating zebra.
"So now with both of you on the same page, I believe it's time for you to put your respective strengths onto the stage."
The next day had arrived but it didn't stop the foals from their current objective. Darklo had made valiant progress since yesterday, hovering 5 water bubbles as he walked around the grounds. Applebloom on the other hand, had her hooves planted into the mud while in the center of a runic symbol of an upside down triangle with a line cutting through it horizontally.
"Alright Bloom, it's all about your magic. Earth ponies are all about physical power, so just think about how you feel when you're bucking a tree. Remember the tenseness in your muscles, the adrenaline of the impact and the resilience to see it through... on 3."
Applebloom focused intensely at the painted symbol, front hooves rearing to be let loose and once she heard that 3, she reeled back and slammed them into the floor. At first, nothing occurred like every other time. But before a groan could escape their mouths, the sign glowed an orange light and in place of it was an earth wall that reached the lowest branches of the forest.
Their mouths were left agape at the sight for a few moments until it broke into excited laughter, rushing towards each other in an aggressive hug. At last, there was progress and unlike before, they were on the same page.
"Wow... Ah can't believe it. It really is possible. Yahoo!" Applebloom giddily hopped around the equally happy colt like Pinkie Pie would, along with a sing-song voice. "We're gonna get our cutie marks, we're gonna get our cutie marks~" She paused for a moment to check her flank, only to find nothing at all. "Aww... and I thought that was work."
"Eh, lets not get too hasty, it will happen eventually. Lets just enjoy the moment." Darklo gave her a resolute nod which the filly obliged.
"Yeah, Ah guess you're right. Just wish ya could say that to Diamond Tiara..."
"Diamond Tiara. Whose that?"
Applebloom face fell into a grimace, surprising Darklo. "She's a bully from a rich background. Most towards me and other blank flanks."
"You mean ponies without cutie marks?"
"Yeah! Ah just don't know what her deal is." The filly paused, almost as if completing a really tough puzzle. "Actually, are ya even in school?"
"..."
"Ah take that as a no?"
"..."
"Ya really need to talk to Twilight about that."
"Fair enough." Darklo agreed as they eventually walked back to Zecora's hut to tell her the good news. She had congratulated them with a celebratory meal. As Darklo took a bite out of some home made pasta, the colt had pondered a few things. The idea of school would certainly help him out with the general knowledge he may have missed, but also...
Oh yeah, Twilight's letter, today is technically her deadline day. And with the parade happening, there's no way something could need fixing. Guess I should take that load off her shoulders.
So with that, he took out his quill and paper to write something when he goes home in a few minutes.
Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Throughout my time here, many ponies have praised me for the special tools I possess and frankly, I've grown to understand how much it's gotten to my head. I thought that because I was the only one to use it in practice, I understood everything about it. I was wrong. If it weren't for some wise criticism and a very determined friend of mine, I think things could've gone poorly for my friendships. So I guess the lesson of the week is to always believe you can do better. Even in areas you believe you're best at.
From your fearless colt, Darklo
"And done!" The colt folded the paper and placed it back in his saddlebag. "So with that, I think it's time we head back. I didn't expect we would make so much progress, but now that we have," Darklo nodded towards his friend, "I think we will check out the parade now." Both of them fled from their seats and the colt flew the empty plates into the sink with his magic before they got to the door.
"Thanks f'er everythin' Zecora!"
"No problem my little foals, it warms my heart to see how enthusiastic you both are towards achieving your goals."
They smiled at her for their final goodbye and they prepared to open the door only for it to suddenly shoot open, slamming the foals into the wall with a thud.
"Zecora! I need your help." Twilight came barreling inside with a weird round fly creature in her teeth, while Darklo and Applebloom held their heads to alleviate the pain.
You know what? Shouldn't have jinxed it, of course something would need fixing when I'm away... Oh well, let's see what it is this time.
Well damn... that was easy! Darklo thought to himself. The reason for such a sense of accomplishment would be the piece of paper in front of him. It was basically a test sheet composed of maths, science, history and all the basics that foals would learn at a school.
However, it baffled him about how oddly simple it was. Besides history, which he made sure to read about in Twilight's library -stories like the Tales of the Two Sisters and the Origins of Hearts Warming were especially interesting- every other subject was something a 10 year old could 100% complete, let alone a 13 year old with a very strict education. But they didn't know that of course.
In front of his vision, Miss Cheerlie sat by the desk of her office, busying herself with piles of tests herself, correcting them in a red coloured quill. He could tell since the cheerful smile that once fell on her face during the Summer Set Celebration was now one of a disappointed mother. It wasn't until she set the 6th one down that the teacher took the time to check on the new students progress, only to straighten her hunched position when she realised he was watching her.Motionless.
"Uhm, Darklo. are you having trouble?"
"No, I'm done."- Cheerlie was already beside him, analysing the answers the colt had written. Once she mentally confirmed the answers, she picked up the test to check the back side of the paper. Her eyes budged open and Darklo tilted his head, confused at her unnecessary reaction. Is solving fractions and distillation questions that impressive?
The teacher flicked her gaze from the paper to the colt who awaited a response. "Sweet Celestia... Darklo, this test was today's general assignment. And- wait." Cheerlie returned to her desk and marked it in quick succession. Eventually, the quill dropped back into the red ink canister without even interacting with his test paper and Cheerlie raised her head to meet the colt head on. "It's all correct. Well done Darklo, I don't know what Twilight has been doing with your home schooling but I must say, it works."
Oh, right. Of course they would believe the knowledge came from his sister's teachings. It wouldn't be that surprising to think the student of Celestia would take great efforts for his future. However, she never had to teach him in the first place, his past life made sure of that. After all, failure meant everything and it didn't matter who it applied to. Lux. Darklo. He was no failure.
"Yeah, my sister's methods are really simple to understand, so stuff like this doesn't take much brain power." Cheerlie had sworn she saw an arrogant smirk lift his cheeks as the office door opened. Beyond it was Twilight, she had her glasses equipped that glistened in the light.
"Thanks again for being so accepting over having a transfer, I would understand given how much work you do for this school."
"Nonsense Twilight, I wouldn't be a teacher if I left a student out of the fold. Let alone a student with so much potential." Cheerlie averted her gaze from the unicorn to smile at him. It was like her youth was coming back to her. "He got full marks. Really impressive for his age, but I shouldn't be so surprised, he's in your care after all."
Twilight rubbed her head in embarrassment, "oh I don't know about that, Darklo puts just as much effort as I do."
"Well, either way, I believe this enrolment test is over," she said with full confidence as she ruffled the colts mane, the cheeky smirk fully plastered on, "so Darklo, please go to the classroom tomorrow by 9 and we will get everything sorted."
And so with a nod from Darklo and a prideful smile from his sister he agreed. "Sure thing, I hope to impress!"
The classroom was all the same to Applebloom, foals talking and laughing at each other's jokes while the teacher wasn't about, and the loudest ones of all couldn't be more obnoxious. To her left, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were snickering at something they thought was funny. It was probably herself again if their flickering glaces gave her any guesses. Snips and Snails were play-fighting at the back of class over some robot toy and everypony else completely ignored her.
It was sickening. The only thing she had was just her thoughts, the booklet and pens on her desk and the introductory title on the board that would give away the topic of the day.Cutie Marks... at least it's somethin' interestin'. At last, the bell rang and every rambunctious foal swept into their seats to put on their fake halos like every other morning. But what came through the door was something nopony expected.
Cheerlie entered the class with saddlebags filled with the school equipment and an ever so popular cheerful smile on her face. Nothing unusual. However, the colt by her side was the one in the spotlight. They all could recognise that electric mane and shady coat from anywhere, after all, who wouldn't remember the colt that took a stand against Nightmare Moon?
"Hello class! I know this will be very sudden to you, but after some careful consideration, the school board has decided to bring in a transfer student. He's been through a lot so please treat him with care and respect." Cheerlie said and gently pushed him forward. "Now then, could you please introduce yourself to the class?"
Applebloom watched intently as Darklo exhaled his irrational fears out of his body and showed his teeth to the class. "Well, I'm Darkloud Sparkle as the adoption papers say but please call me Darklo, much easier on the tongue. I like learning magic and physical activities and I hope to get along with everypony here!"
Silence fell into the classroom as the majority of the foals mentally noted the general stuff and got to whispering. Snips and Snails looked as if they had seen a ghost when they caught eyes with the colt that lectured them long ago. And Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were pointing at his lack of a mark, chuckling. Applebloom was not going to let that continue so she clapped her hooves together, which got Darklo's attention immediately. He got on his 2 two hooves to whisper in Miss Cheerlie's ear (Seriously, that colt felt like a griffon with how many times he switched.) and whatever he said made the teacher nod understandingly.
"Of course Darklo, there's a vacant seat just on her right." And that was that. Darklo had sat on the seat beside her.
Maybe school wont be so boring after all. She thought to herself and how right she was. Cheerlie started it off with a lecture on cutie marks which sparked an entertaining debate, caused solely by a single hoof in the air.
"Yes Darklo, do you have a question?"
"Uh yeah, so I know that cutie marks are basically a showing of what you're good at. But why are they deemed important in societal standards?"
The shocking question caused a mental riot with the students as they whispered and gossiped about the blasphemy the colt was spitting. Diamond Tiara was happy to voice those words directly. "What do you mean? You literally just answered your own question. They show you have talent, separating the useless from the useful and that's that."
Darklo shook his head in discontent, his proffesional tone minorly cracking as he continued. "Uhm, that isn't what I said at all. A cutie mark isn't a show of superiority, if that were correct, how would we get cutie marks in the first place? You're essentially saying that everypony was useless before they get their mark, including yourself, so, by omission, your whole statement falls apart."
"O...Omission? Talk all you want, using big words it wont put a picture on your flank, newbie!" Diamond smirked to herself at her clever insult but to her surprise, the colt looked as if she didn't say anything. It made her blood boil. And Darklo was clearly enjoying it, if the pearly whites he flashed gave anything away.
"We are here to talk intellectually about the state of the world, not to cast flame on another's appearance. Now where was I- oh right. The point I'm trying to make here is that everypony has their talent before their marks even appear so it's essentially just a confirmation of finding their best trait or accomplishment. Take Bloom for example," Darklo grabbed the filly and reeled her close, seat tipping to the side to follow the shift in weight, "she doesn't have a mark yet, but that doesn't stop her from being an excellent listener and a hard worker. So conclusion: We shouldn't be so hasty when it comes to having a mark or not since the talent is already a part of us."
Red practically flushed from the filly's cheeks, hiding her face under her hooves to avoid suspicion. However, no amount of visual disturbances would stop everypony minus Cheerlie and Darklo from heckling giddily.
"Darklo, please leave me outta this." Applebloom whispered through gritted teeth.
"Why not? I know what I'm talking about."
And with a commanding "settle down" from Miss Cheerlie, the laughter ceased, prompting Silver Spoon to echo a chuckle into the silence. "Ooooh now I understand. All of this bravado of yours is just a silly front to impress the blank flank. How hilarious!" The noble fillies ruptured into a second wind of laughter, though nopony was laughing with them this time. Infact, the blank flanks in the back were sending daggers the pompous filly's way.
Diamond Tiara reveled in the attention and grinned towards the pair, forcing one to cower away from sight while the other kept their gaze on her, eyelids heavy from the lack of clever jabs. "How adorable, though I suppose you're ment for each other anyways. Blank flanks stick together am I right?"
"Diamon Tiara, Silver Spoon that's enough!" Miss Cheerlie finally broke the foals line of sight, attention at last, focused on the right pony. "I had just said to not cause trouble with the new student and here you fillies are..." A tired sigh escaped her lips, though it was found unnoticed by the students, and she attempted to plaquate them with a reassuring smile. "Now, if you could apologise to Darklo and Applebloom, that would be very sweet of you."
"But-"
"Diamond..."
"Ugh! Fine," The fillies expressions were anything except apologetic, "we're sorry."
Applebloom was almost swept off her hooves. The most stuck up fillies she ever knew, apologising to her? Even if it was half assed, the apple filly would only dream of such a scenario happening, yet Darklo didn't see the achievement he made, he just gave them an understanding smile. "Thanks, whether you mean it or not."
Play time had reached it's peak with everypony squabbles into their groups to create some fun for themselves. Be it pretend games or friendly sports, everypony was doing it with a joyous smile. Darklo was the exception, but not how one would think.
The colt lay behind a tree, facing away from the playground mayhem while reading a book. The same book that got from Trixie during her visit. He was almost through the entire book as he was noting the basic information of the 92nd trick.
'With a combination of sparkling energy and the manipulation it's light, you can create shapes and artistic images that will surely wow your audience for your opening act.' Oh, so this was how she made that little animation of the Ursa... hold on a minute Darko sat himself upright and checked his hooves. They still had his hoofpads on, adorning the symbols of air and fire. Couldn't it be possible to just create the symbols with magic?
His mind sparked in intruige of the possibilities. If he could break the need for a physical symbol, using the other signs would be just as easy as fireing them off from his hoofpads. Yeah...yeah that would completely change how I fight now. Maybe reaching my level as a Conduit wont be so much of a pipe dream after all. This will require some testing!
"Hey Bloom, I think I just got an idea." Darklo craned his neck to the branch above him, which sturdily held the filly. Though, only a grunt escaped her lips. "Uh Bloom," the colts voice grew a little concerned as an aura of unease could be felt in the air, "you doing okay?"
"Oh nothin' serious. Just thinkin' about cutie marks. That lesson gave me alot to think about..." Applebloom loomed over the branch to meet Darklo's gaze. "It's just, Ah've always been so gung-ho about gettin' my cutie mark, but Ah'm really stuck on what Ah need to do. Sure, somethin' apple related seems like a start, but Ah'd have thought Ah'd have it by now. What am Ah missin', Darklo?"
"If getting that mark is what you want to do, then I'll figure something out. There's gotta be something out there that you will love doing, aside from playing with dirt."
Darklo hid a smirk from the filly above him who was clearly unamused at the comment. "May Ah remind ya that Ah ain't the only one that likes playin' around. Don't think Ah didn't see all those symbols plastered around the school grounds."
"Touche, touche."
The colt decided to leave it at that and got to testing the waters of his magic. He charged his horn, which generated a couple sparks in the air. He concentrated really hard, slowly but steadily forming a circle, or that's what it looked like. "Eh... that seems more like an oval than a circle. No matter, I just need to stretch it out a bit more-"
"Woah, cool fireworks!"
The sudden noise instantly threw his concentration into the waters as the the shape fizzled out into nothing, granting a light grunt from the colt. Once again, a random mishap caused him to fail at something. Darklo was slowly getting annoyed at that pattern, yet now was not the right time to fume his frustrations as he still had two fillies watching him from behind the tree.
"Uhm, you girls need something?" Darklo asked, fumbling to put on a reassuring smile.
The orange coated filly smirked cheekily, like he had said something funny. "Oh we don't need anything per say. We just wanna talk about that AWESOME debate you had with Diamond Tiara! She desperately needed a mental thrashing and BOY you delivered."
Darklo's ears flicked in deterrence of the unusual tone pitches the filly employed in her language, and yet he shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "I was just giving out my opinion, if she gave a better counter point than 'I am better' then I would've just left it at that."
"Still a win in my books! The names Scootaloo, and this is Sweetiebelle. Nice to meet you Darklo." One nod of approval from both parties later, and the colt got a quick flash of remembrance jolt through his brain when locking eyes with Sweetiebelle.
"Oh! You must be Rarity's sister, I believe she had mentioned you once."
"Yeah, and she's mentioned you more times than I could count. Never imagined she'd act like mom a day in my life, but I guess that's over."
With the way Sweetiebelle talked about her mother, Darklo could already implant an image in his head. A middle aged pony dressed with clothing from the 90s and puffy curled hair squishing his cheeks dotingly. Well, putting Rarity into that position doesn't sound like that hard of a stretch but hey, I'm not her sibling so who am I to judge? Darklo fained a grimace and nodded in accordance. "Yeah, I guess that would be strange to see," however, his instincts betrayed him as his magic happily glowed along with a smile, "but putting all the introductions aside, it's really nice to meet some new ponies. Trust me, telling the same tale about Nightmare Moon got real old."
"Well, we don't need to know about that stuff anyway. We were there, you doofis!" Scootaloo tagged on. "In a matter of fact, Applebloom was with us too. Which reminds me, when did the two of you meet? It seemed you were pretty close with her if the last lesson gave anything away."
"I mean not everypony would stand up to Diamond Tiara for a stranger."
Is... is something wrong with that? Darklo pondered deeply. These colts and fillies constantly regal Diamond Tiara as some sort of evil mastermind but all she has that Darklo found particularly powerful was her passive aggressive words, but even that meant nothing to a child like himself. These foals would not survive the real world, let alone the Academy he studied at, if some down talking was too difficult to overcome.
"Well, why don't you ask her?" The colt answered cheekily as he pointed his hoof to the branch above him, resulting in the girls looking up and having the freight of their lives seeing Applebloom laid on the hard wood, watching them analytically. "Did you hear that Bloom?"
The filly sighed and nodded to her friend. "Alright,long story-short, we met at the barn after some complications with ma sister. And after that, we've been the best of pals." Although her bored tone felt forced, she couldn't hide a sincere smile in reminiscence of the last few weeks. Scootaloo snickered at the sight, granting her a side eye from the tight knit friends. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing at all. I just wasn't expecting something so short. Especially for a friendship with a nickname basis."
"A friendship of many weeks will do that. Besides, I do that with everypony. Think of it like a signal that you have my trust."
The two newcomers locked sight with each other and huddled together, whispering some sort of plan. At that moment, Applebloom hopped off from the branch and landed beside her friend without any difficulties. "What kind of bollocks do they have planned?"
Darklo shrugged comically ."No idea, can't predict ponies you just meet."
Eventually, the duel hug broke apart and they swarmed around them, blocking their exits from both sides as they smiled gleefully. "Hey, so we've been thinking... what would you say about being friends?" Sweetiebelle asked.
"I mean, with the four of us, getting our cutie marks would quadtroople! We would be like a team."
Silence filled the air for only a few seconds as Applebloom revved her excitement until it burst, resulting in the filly bouncing around the group like a Pinkie Pie on somepony's birthday. "Ah can't believe this, more friends for the road!"
Her bountiful enjoyment was infectious to the colt, it reminded him of his own group of friends. Rowdy, idiotic but inseparable. "Don't worry, if we really doing this, she'll grow on you."
"Heh, she already has." Sweetiebelle took the initiative and latched onto Applebloom, ceasing her round of excitement once and for all. And as if on que, they huddled together, extending one of their hooves into the center.
However, their excitement dulled over as their mouths laid open, unsure on how to proceed. "So how do you girls want to do this?"
"Oh, how about a team name. Ya know, so ponies know what to call us when we are together."
"A team name? Yeah, that sounds like a start. Alright everypony, get to thinking!" Scootaloo announced and for the last few minutes of recess, they passed through names that were rather too boring like Applebloom's 'The Friendly Four' or too girly for Darklo's taste like Sweetiebelle's 'The Filly Friends'.
"What about The Courageous Crusaders? I think that fits us pretty well."
Everypony curled their lips in deep thought until Scootaloo shook her head "I don't know, I'm digging the crusader part but the name is missing something... oh I got it!" The eager pegasus whispered her idea to the foals in the circle and with a nod of approval from all of them, the name was set. "Alright everypony, on 3."
And so, the 4 foals had their name. Something which will stick with them for the rest of their childhood, something which will act as a symbol for all ponies that interact with them, something which will mark the beginning of their friendship.
Canterlot Castle, an area brimming with royal history and prominence. Onlookers could only dream of the extravagance that laid inside its fine stone walls, imagining pristine hallways adorned with paintings of the Princess' liking, bountiful catering from the world's most talented chefs and most importantly, the Royal throne room where all the power lies.
But what these onlookers tend to overlook is actually in plain sight, as although Celestia is renowned as a glorified world figure, the same cannot be said for Princess Luna. And the worst part was that she knew it.
The idea is really easy to recognise when the only act of social interaction in a castle full of ponies, is with her sister. It isn't like she actively avoided the ponies working there. In fact, she had tried making small talk with as many of her guards-ponies as she could. Unfortunately, the best string of words she got from them was "Please, I like to work alone."
But the fearful aversion of their gaze and the sweat that pored under their armour betrayed their words. Luna had already caught on to the fact that the acts of her alter ego had put her into a tight spot with her subjects and in all honesty, it was eating away at her.
Thine subjects must know the difference so why doth they understand?
At the moment, she sat in the dining hall with a plate of pancakes presented to her by the chef. The poor thing was shaking head to hoof before she successfully put the plate down and zipped back into the kitchen with shocking haste.
Luna sighed longingly, looking towards Celestia who sat on the other side. Her tray had five more pancakes than her own, though that can be faulted with her sisters unusual apatite. "Your breakfast, just how you like it your highness" the chef catering to her sister was much more jovial than the last one, adoration and respect oozed from his tongue without any hesitation. It frustrated her, if only a bit.
Once the sisters were the only ponies in the room, they got to eat their meals. Celestia could see through her sister's vacant facade, which prompted her to pour some wine for her. "So sister, how has the dreamscape been holding up. Find anything that interested you?"
"Neigh, it was just another night of ponies having more nightmares when I come to grace thine presence." Luna answered in a monotone voice, focusing entirely on eating her pancakes to avoid Celestia's concerned gaze.
"Luna, I can tell that Nightmare Moon has done a lot to you. Done a lot to the both of us. But we will get through this. My little ponies just need a little more time to accept your ascendancy to the throne."
"But how shall that occur whence everypony avoids thyself. We don't understand how thou do it sister."
"All it takes is just one pony to talk to. And if I recall, you do have a fair share of options. Have you considered asking the element bearers for help?"
"We have visited their dreams before, though it seems that our darkness effects them, still. We aren't sure that they will-"
Fortunately for Celestia, Luna's grievances were swept under the rug as a spiral of emerald flame burst into existence and transformed into a scroll that sat on Celestia's lap.
She took it with her magic and took a peek into its contents, smiling with opportunity as she saw the writing of the sender. "I still believe you have a shot with the elements, but if you don't want to, there is also another that sees things much more differently than the rest. Surely he will appreciate your company."
Celestia then floated the scroll towards the Moon Princess, to which she caught it in her own magic and opened the scroll to read it.
Dear Princess Luna,
I know I've never solely written to you, but I feel as if I should change that today. I've noticed that outside of friendship lessons, Twilight only writes to Celestia, so I thought I'd do the same for you. I do have you to thank for this exciting new life in Ponyville after all. So how are you doing? I'd imagine getting back into the rope of things would be rather difficult given your thousand year absence, but if you're anything like the mare I read about in those history books, then I know you will rise to the challenge!
In fact, it was those books that let me discover your ability to infiltrate dreams. It's quite amazing really. Making such deep connections with everypony you visit must be so uplifting, you should visit me sometimes. It would be a nice excuse to get to know each other, though please inform me if you wish to do so. (My dreams can be rather hectic).
So yeah, hope your holding up alright, and could you please tell Celestia that Twilight and I will be unavailable for the day, we have a community race in the Running of the Leaves (Dumb name, I know) to run. (Though really, I'm there to shut up Rainbow and Applejack, those two will not stop competing over stuff and it's getting annoying)
Your sincerely, Darklo
After she finished reading the scroll, confusion was the only hint of emotion she could muster. While yes, she had grown accustomed to hearing of the colt through the many late night readings of their friendship lessons, it was still quite the surprise to hear that Darklo wanted to reach some kind of understanding with her. Her. The mare that literally kidnapped him and attempted to hurt him.
Any other colt in that situation would be traumatised, vowing to never see their perpetrator again. Though, Luna supposed that Darklo wasn't a normal colt by any means, managing to have a casual conversation with Nightmare Moon of all ponies while keeping his cool was a prime example.
"Darklo... thy little subject is more unpredictable than we thought."
"I do admit, he is somepony that I never thought I'd see in our current society. Both his magic and mannerisms are strikingly similar to our ponies a thousand years ago, though that could be due to his unusual lifestyle in the Everfree Forest. If he were alive, I'd imagine dear Starswirl would've taken a liking to him..."
"That reminds me, hast thou figured out why Darklo has the arts of old? We hast not seen runes like that since we were a filly. Surely, those teachings have become lost to time since our absence."
"They had. Once magic became a more relevant system in the eyes of the newly founded Equestrian monarchy, the runic practices were cast aside. So wherever Darklo learned of such power, it must be ancient. Possibly before we were even alive!"
"And with such potency too, we must admit that it's rather odd. Hast thou asked the little subject?"
"Unfortunately, we have rarely had the chance to speak, though Twilight keeps me updated on his progress. Apparently, he said that he found them on muriels inside an ancient ruin with his father and wrote it down. But that's all he's told us, no specific location or anything."
Luna closed her eyes in concentration. The more they talk about him, the more of a mystery the colt becomes. "What about his parents?"
"Well, Darklo has already informed us of his father, Heatwave. He was a salespony in Ponyville and a talented explorer as well. Unfortunately, he had perished in a hydra attack with the little Darklo as witness. As of now, he speaks not of his mother. Though by his implications, I assume that she's also deceased."
"And Twilight, hast she found anything else?"
Celestia shook her head. "No, my student has taken to her role as a sister very seriously. I don't think she is aware of the gaps in little Darklo's past."
"Then it would seem that the work lies with us." Luna said, her muzzle scrunching up and turning her royal visage into one of a concerned mother, a face was more indicative to her sister. "We wish to trust the colt, however there is too much mystery with him that we cannot ignore. We shall be back in our chambers now. Good day, sister."
And so, the Princess exited her seat and walked out of the cafeteria, which was the unanimous signal for the catering staff to peek their heads out of the kitchen door.
Luna made her way back to her quarters, walking towards her balcony with a silent pep in her step. Luna didn't know why she wished to take a look at the scenery outside the castle walls, her sunken eyes would mostly beg for her bed and let sleep fade away the stress for the next night. But there she was, solemnly gazing down at the faded area that was Ponyville.
The place that the child currently resides.
The moon princess squinted her gaze towards the humble town, as if contemplating something. That colt... she thought, the more we learn about him, the less sense it makes. If what he tales about the ancient ruins were true, then surely the parents would capitalise on it, saving themselves from financial ruin. Yet, they still resided in the Everfree. So why keep a forgotten secret under lock and key if evidence of it's existence was prevalent?
As she continued to rattle her tired brain, Luna could think of only two explanations to the matter:
1. Darklo withheld the information from his parents, which was very unlikely. From what she recalled, he primarily used runic magic that coincided with the elements, so hiding such flashy powers would be almost impossible for the colt.
2. The colt never knew he could use runic magic and therefore, his parents would believe the muriels were about a myth. There could be room for such a possibility, but that wouldn't explain why he is so adept with the power. Ponies of old took years of their lives to master just one rune, which did not add up when comparing to Darklo, who Twilight had recorded to use six different runes: Fire, air, earth, teleportation, mental protection and lightning. The last one being a mix of multiple runes. Rather he is a prodigy never seen before in Equestria or...
3. Darklo was hiding something from everypony. Luna had no doubt in her mind that this was the most likely case. Everything about the colt's past has been purely from his own recollection, so it would be very simple to leave out details.
But she had to be sure. If she were to confess her worries to Twilight, there could be a chance that they would take it seriously due to their new found connection to the colt. Celestia might, but knowing her sister, she would only act if it's something threatening-
A threat? She couldn't believe herself. Was she really trying to prove that Darklo, who indirectly rescued her from Nightmare Moon, was a threat to Equestria?
But she couldn't help but feel unsure when thinking about him. At this moment, she just had to put her feelings to rest. For both her consciousness and her subjects.
Her horn glowed a magnificent galactic hue, tapping into her magic while thinking of her target. The air around her pushed outwards as the lunar princess hovered from her position and finally opened her eyes to reveal pure white. To anypony watching, she was motionless, but that was only because her consciousness was not there.
From her perspective, she was flying through a vacuum of space, eclipsed by numerous stars scattered around the dimension. Eventually, Luna stopped herself, looking at a vacant grey door, which there rows after rows of, however unlike the majority, it didn't have a cutie mark plastered on its center. The one thing that made its owner known was the occasional shock of electricity that rode along the wooden frame, despite the fact that wood isn't a conductive substance.
Luna exhaled deeply as she extended a hoof to open the doorknob. Okay, we may only have a few seconds to scan the little ones mind, but hopefully, it shall be enough and I can sleep with a clear mind.
And so, the door opened and the light beyond it embraced the whole dimension, leaving the moon princess to drift off, but not for long.
Please may all my fears be pure paranoia...
At first, Darklo only had silent anger filling his veins when Twilight and himself decided to join the Running of the Leaves along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Those two had been at each other's throats for so long that their competitive attitudes were beginning to turn to other ponies. Twilight was one of them, and he was not about to let them disrespect his sister without consequences.
However, that venomous spite soon converted into childish joy once he got his legs running through the forest track. He almost forgot how much he enjoyed running, from the feeling of the wind coursing through his mane, to the rush of excitement he felt when he watched as the environment blurred together from the speed of his gallop, his peripheral vision unable to keep up with the ever-changing scenery.
And with the group of racers a few meters behind him and the fact that he hadn't seen either Applejack nor Rainbow Dash race past him after they tried confusing each other, the colt could do nothing but smile as he thought to himself. Man, I should put running back into my training routine. Heh, guess NOT getting chased by monsters can make it really relaxing.
Blissfully, Darklo zoomed through the forest while manoeuvring around trees that held buckets of sap, which were there as an obstacle. Though, the colt felt that his lead was far enough to which ruining another pony's fun wouldn't be worth it. So he continued onward until he saw something other than trees, it was the finish line. Other ponies were there to watch the racers finish and a red ribbon was laced along the finishing pole . Definitely for the winner to make a grand entrance, and he was gonna be the one to do it.
Unfortunately as he ran, he noticed that his hooves were straining under the pressure; his constant running pace being the major culprit. Still, he wasn't about to let that stop him from victory, leading the colt to jog to the end and save his muscles the backlash.
Jeez, once again I go all out, only to remember I'm still human. If only I still had the Philosopher's Stone, I probably would have enough energy to run for triple this distance! Oh well, I've got alchemy for that. Though, I still have fourteen more to practice with and at this point, I wont have enough muscle memory to make headway with them all. Hopefully, with the information I've piled up, I'll be able to master them all in peace...
By now, Darklo was only a couple meters away from the finish line, many ponies were cheering for him on the side lines, not limited to the newly formed Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rarity, Flutershy and Miss Cheerilee. That was when he picked up the pace, and made a break for the ribbon.
And in a second, Darklo's body broke through the ribbon with a strong jump, inciting the crowd to cheer for their first place racer...
But something was wrong.
Darklo hadn't risen from the dirt yet, and for good reason. Custodio (The Protection Sign) had detected an outside force in his mind. There was a tingling pain that tickled his head, which was evidence that the sign was attempting to ward something off.
Darklo kept his head low, not wanting the crowd to see the visible stress he was under. He wondered who would try to invade his mind, and he could only think of one pony who had such a skill. Luna? It was just a mental thought, but apparently that was all it took for the tingling feeling to disperse.
"Uhm Darklo, are you okay?" Sweetiebelle asked, concerned with his friend's condition along with Applebloom and Scootaloo as they approached him.
There was no answer for a few seconds, that was until Darklo slowly stood up and showed his face to them. Faining an awkward smile. "Sorry about the scare, I didn't realise how tired I was." The colt gave a chuckle while he scratched the back of his mane, granting him a light smack on the side from the apple filly.
"Gosh darnit, ya got me worried for a minute! What happened to pacin' yourself?"
"Well, you know me Bloom. It's rather go big or go home. Right Scoots?"
"True, but that only works if you make a cool finish. Shoving your face full of dirt doesn't fit that bill."
The joke led to an infectious boom of laughter staring with the Crusaders and ending with the whole crowd watching. Darklo laughed along with them, but it didn't stop the foreboding ache in his chest. If his assumptions were right and Luna took a peek into his head, then things could get complicated.
And he didn't like that at all.
Luna's consciousness finally re-entered her physical form as it slumped to the stone. Her mind was still hazy due to the use of the spell, and the fatigue from her lack of sleep wasn't doing it any favours. The princess shook herself, like a dog leaving the rain, to escape the fatigue and crawled back into her quarters and into her bed.
Sleep wanted to take her into its embrace, but she refused to do so until she could comprehend what she saw. Luna had definitely looked through Darklo's eyes and heard everything loud and clear, but the view of the race wasn't anything notable. It was the little colt's thoughts that caught her attention.
There were some parts of his vocabulary that she had never heard of before like 'man' and 'The Philosopher's Stone'. She could infer that, whatever the stone was, it was something like an energy source that the colt must have used prior to visiting Ponyville. Could it have been the reason for his use of the runic magic? She didn't know and neither did she know what 'man' meant.
The most troubling piece she could uncover however, was his thoughts during his race to the finish line. Apparently, he called the ancient magic, alchemy. But that wasn't how the word was used. She may have been centuries out of the social norm, but even Luna knew that alchemy was still a common practice in Equestria. It was the study of potions and concoctions, a profession not in relation to magic at all. So why would he call it that?
Finally, she remembered a phrase that chilled her body to the bone, I am still human... like those creatures from beyond the mirror portal? As plausible as it sounded, that dimension has been kept as a mystery with the exception of the Royal Princesses and if a human had made their way through, Celestia would've known and harboured them in the castle, she wouldve have let them wonder Equestria alone and be victim to some body swapping scenario. So it still begged the question: why does Darklo identify as one and how does he even have knowledge of their existance?
Eventually, her eyelids grew too heavy to keep open, forcing them shut and she slowly felt her body relax, preparing itself for sleep.
She couldn't fight it anymore, and worst of all, Luna didn't feel any less concerned about the colt of the Everfree. How she will share this information is beyond her, but at least she got what she wanted.
Darklo had an assortment of fears he had to take care of at the moment. The foreboding thought on what Princess Luna would possibly do with the information she discovered was especially dangerous. But there was also an underlying fear he'd been attempting to suppress ever since he arrived in Equestria. If he hadn't been forced to come to terms with hiding his human secrets, he would have thought about how his world was doing. Was it safe now? Are people living better? Is the Bellican government still around? All questions he will never have an answer too, making it all the more nauseating to think about.
Strangely though, there was a 3rd fear. One he thought he'd never feel again since he departed from earth. And that...
Was a manic fashionista!
"Hmmm, that fabric certainly won't do! Lilac wouldn't go with your coat at all, white will look much better as a primary. Though perhaps we can add some sequence WITH lilac to make up for the dreadful lack of colour." Rarity mumbled, pacing around the Boutique with thunderous speeds, adding, measuring and taking off portions of fabric attached to Darklos body.
"Rarity, I'm really thankful that you wanted to make me a suit for the Gala. Really I do, but you don't need to put in all this effort. Just a plain old tux will suffice." The colt said calmly, though the suffocating feeling of hardened fabric pushing onto his skin was changing his mood by the minute.
"Oh nonsense darling! This will be your first ever debut to Canterlot and let me tell you, the nobles can be quite cruel despite their pristine lifestyle. I'd rather save you the trouble with a suit that'll leave them thinking, 'wow, now that's a colt with class!'"
Well, Darklo couldn't say she was wrong about that. If these Canterlot nobles were anything like the Bellican elites then he would make sure to avoid them as best as he could.
People and ponies like that love putting class and hierarchy into everything they say and do, making it their entire personality. Just thinking about them and their grins of self indulged superiority made his blood boil, which was pretty bad considering his body temperature was already rising under the suit. Tsk, keep those idiots out of your mind, man! Those bastards aren't here to screw you over anymore.
Thankfully, the snow coated blur of a mare finally stopped herself to take a gander at his attire. Though, her analytic gaze never left her, which kept the knowing colt on edge as memories of an equally manic women took headway into his mind.
-Flackback
It was supposed to be a typical day for good old Lux. Wake up, finish 5 hours worth of pursuing his academic prowess, kick his classmates' asses in the practical sessions, sleep, repeat. But tonight threw a wrench into his plans as he stood in the middle of Ira's room, dressed in a frilly crimson gown and highly visible makeup. In his opinion, he looked like a clown!
Lux was already familiar with the unhealthy obsession Zelus' sister had for fashion. But he only saw the small things that tipped him off, like the fact that she never styled her uniform the same way twice in a row or the outrageous ass whoopings Zelus relieved whenever he trash talked her accessories. He didn't expect he'd need to worry about being held against his will.
Eventually, the menace exited her jungle of a wardrobe after a long 10 minute adventure, skipping gleefully towards him while holding a cannonballs worth of make up products that he stared at with masculine horror. Beside her was a rabbit the height of her knee. It had sleek purple fur, groomed daily by its master and hollow black eyes whose pupils adorned the symbol of the power that brought it life. Antimony, or more commonly known as the summoning sign. Lux had to admit that the summon was pretty cute, if he disregarded that the little guy was carrying a mountainous pile of lady clothes.
"Ohhhh Lux, I gotta say. Thanks for agreeing to help me pick out an outfit for tommorrow evening! There were simply too many fabulous choices and I'am in DIRE need of a second opinion."
Lux gritted his teeth, attempting to smile for his friend. "Yeaaah. When you said you needed help picking something, this wasn't what I had in mind, but suuure I'm happy to be of use."
The responce must have been satisfactory to Ira's ears since she laughed giddily while hopping in circles around the stone-faced guy. "Eeee~ I KNEW I could count on you!" Ira said, setting down her equipment and grabbing some fancy branded lipstick, smothering it on his lips. "Cause I know Zelus would be useless. For a big brother, he sure does love to thrash about and run off when I want to cash in a favour..." She added, her peppy tone converting into a low growl at the mention of her brother. Typical sibling behaviour.
However, Lux could understand why Zelus would rather find excuses to take him around Bellica than play dress up with his sister. This is so embarrassing!
"Well, you know Zelus, he's got alot on his mind with his training and all. Besides, may I ask why you need to dress ME up when you're the one whose gonna wear it?"
As he asked that, Ira had stepped back to admire her work, giving his whole body the analytic stink eye before grinning maniacally at the poor guy. "Oh that's simple Lux. If it looks great on a guy, it'll look great on me! Now hold still, I just got another spark of insiratioooon~" She then, ventured back into her wardrobe.
Meanwhile, the rabbit sorted through the clothes pile, probably ordering his torture in a neat separate cluster. "Pst, Lepus. You gotta get me outta here! Open the door or something." Lux hopelessly whispered, but to the dude's dismay, Lepus only turned to meet his pleading face for just a second before responding to him with an evil smirk and returning to his duties. Dammit, blasted rabbit is just as crazy... wait, maybe Zelus can help!
In one last desperate attempt, Lux pulled out his phone and messaged Zelus, or 'Bro-menace' (if he wanted to use the name he saved his number as) and typed frantically.
[Dude, your sister has me cornered in her room. She's tryna end me with dresses and feminine shit, send help!]
Lux waited for only a minute before the [...] showed up to indicate that his friend was answering. However, what was replied was not what he hoped for, forcing him to internally grimace, lie down and accept his fate.
[Idiot. You're on your own!]
-End Flashback
Darklo instinctual shuddered at the memory. So many dresses... But at least he was being forced into an outfit he could get behind, and it was much faster too as Rarity gave herself a nod of approval and unbuttoned the suit, levitating it behind the colt with a flick on the horn.
"Oh this will do nicely. Now, no peaking just yet. I want to see the looks on everypony's faces when they see their magnifique designs!"
Taking a sigh of relief, Darklo nodded. "Yeah, no problem." And although it took a moment, the mane 6 arrived and gathered around Rarity, who carried more optimism than usual. The colt could at least admire that about her. Not everyone or pony can have such a love for their work, so even though fashion will never be his thing, it wouldn't stop him from appreciating the effort it took to make them.
"Now then darlings, prepare yourselves for the suit and dresses of your lives. Voila!" Rarity sung as she sprung the curtains to the side to reveal everypony's dresses. Darklo had to admit that they all looked very nice. They all had their own charm and fit the pony who would be wearing them, plus he couldn't lie that his suit made even his awful fashion sense sparkle at the design.
The suit was pure white, which glistened like snow to make it pop with his dark coat. The bow tie both smelled and was coloured like lemons, though it came together with the pitch black pin of a thundercloud stuck on the center. The cuffs were laced in a lilac sequence with bright yellow gems adorned along the rim and the mid traces of the suit. Finally, the piece that brought it all together was the masquerade mask which he personally requested. It had a mystical pattern of lighting, fire and wind clashing together in a snowy and electric haze. Now I wont have to worry about any petty nobles identifying me at the party. The perfect disguise if I say so myself.
While the mane 6 stayed silent, their faces adorning more of hesitance than excitement (though the colt didn't understand why), Darklo smiled respectfully to Rarity. "Wow, I really dig the suit Rarity. I didn't think I'd be that impressed but damn is that thing cool! The other dresses look great too. Right girls?"
"...ehhh." They all erupted into many groans and hesitant noises.
"I-is something wrong with them?" Rarity asked nervously.
"Girls, I may not be clothes savvy but those dresses look just fine, what's with the hesitance?"
At last, Applejack dispelled the silence to answer the fashionista. "Well, Darklo's right. They ARE really nice Rarity, it's just... not what Ah expected." The rest nodded along in agreement.
"Then why the long faces? Just say what's on your mind. I can take a fair amount of constructive criticism, especially for an event so important to you all."
"Uhh alright then-" That sentence lead Applejack to make a lot more than fair criticism of her dress which gave way for a domino effect as the rest decided to voice their opinions.
The sight was baffling to the colt, since many of the criticisms just wouldn't work on clothing. I mean... balloons on a dress Pinkie? Think of the practicality.
But although Darklo was thinking on how to shut them up, Rarity had promised them all new designs by using their visions. It almost made Darklo shudder when he saw Rarity as they were about to leave. Chattering lower jaw, unnecessary blinking in one eye. Typical signs of gradual insanity. Jeez, Ira and her are more alike than I thought. Well, besides the malicious tendencies but still. I don't think leaving her like that will do any good, but Ill need a good excuse...
The colt took his time walking to the door as he surveyed the place carefully. Maybe there is some mess I can make and clean up. Or maybe, oh! A solution came before him on a silver platter as by the stairs, there was an equally concerned Sweetiebelle peeking around the corner. "Hey Twilight, could I stay around for a sleepover? I've never done one with Belle before."
Twilight, who was already tapping her hooves to get the colt to hurry up, raised an eyebrow at him. "Uhm, you mean Sweetiebelle? You sure have a nack for nicknaming your friends. Rarity, would that be okay?"
"Of course darling, he can stay." The snowy mare replied, reverting to her white blur of a form as she picked up numerous rolls of fabric to the sewing station. "Sweetiebelle dear, could you show him up to your room. And keep the door open, I won't tolerate from either of you, and Darklo will go home immediately if such a thing occurs, okay?"
"Alright sis." Sweetiebelle said, though her tone indicated a hint of annoyance to Darklos ears. And so, the colt made a u-turn back through the Boutique and up the stairs while following behind his friend. "Sisters am I right? Can't trust a colt and a filly to do things together."
Darklo just gave a nod and they continued along the upper floor. Eventually, they arrived in her room and to Darklos mild surprise, it wasn't outrageously jam packed as he expected the sister of a fashionistas room would be. Just a simple, normal room with a fancy looking bed and-
Man, her room is bigger than mine!
"Uhm, have you ever been in a fillys room before?" Sweetiebelle asked, who noticed his vacant gaze. At least before hand, as the question grabbed him out of it and lead the colt to look back at her.
"Well yeah, I've been in Appleblooms before. Hers was pretty cosy. It's just, yours puts both of our rooms to shame."
"You can thank my parents for it. Mom and dad gave my sister a pretty hefty pile of bits to fund her Boutique and she used it well." The sweet filly then hopped onto her bed and snuggled into it. "But let's get to the chase Darklo. I may not know you too well, but I DO know that your thousand yard stare normally means somethings on your mind. So what's up?"
"Wait, what gave you that idea?"
"You underestimate how much Applebloom knows about you."
... Well damn. Deciding to ignore the indirect call of flattery, he hopped onto the bed alongside her but he only chose to sit on the other end. "Well, I'm just concerned about Rarity. Her friends weren't too happy with their dresses," Darklo then proceeded to shimmy closer to Sweetiebelles ear and whispered, "and their suggestions were definitely not improvements. Like... balloons, are they serious?"
"Gee, and I thought YOU had poor fashion sense."
"Hey, using the same clothes isn't poor, it's efficient and cost effective."
Sweetiebelle shrugged while shaking her head in disbelief. "You have a lot to learn. But anyway, I don't think there is anything we can do for her."
"Why not?"
The snow filly proceeded to rise from her laying position and placed her front hooves on his shoulders. "Darklo, I'm her sister. Trust me. When she gets into that state, there is no stopping her," She said with confidence, "the best we can do is help her out when she needs it."
Darklo sighed in defeat. He could already foresee how upset she'll be with the new designs but if tagging in here and there would at least lose the load, then he'll do it. "Alright then, I'll be downstairs. Wanna tag along?"
"Sure thing. Hope you know about colour pallets cause I sure don't."
The hours following the trip downstairs were nothing but hectic. One of the mane 5 would come around from time to time to give their criticism and it was simply driving Rarity through a loop. It was like having to deal with annoying customers for a full shift of work. They are gonna snap eventually and Rarity will be no exception.
Darklo and Sweetiebelle attempted to at least lighten her stress but they came to realise that fashion was a tough work.
"Dears, this is maroon not ruby." "No no, the stitching needs to be directed at 82° like Twilight wants." "Why don't the two of you go and play? I'll handle this on my own."
Short story, their help was useless and both Rarity and her hair was getting worse. She is erupting into song for crying out loud!
But eventually, the dresses were finished and everypony was pleased... except for the literal designer and the foals who shocking have a better eye than the adults.
"Those dresses look like somepony just added anything that looked nice and called it a day." Sweetiebelle commented once she caught sight of the finished product.
"Agreed. But hey, the original dresses are still up in Rarity's room and we still have some months to convince them about their poor choice of outfit, so maybe we can salvage this." Darklo said hopefully.
But following their banter, Spike hurriedly barged through the front door.
"Hey everypony, you're NOT gonna believe this!" The eager dragon had to take a few moments to catch his breath. "Have you heard of Hoity Toity?"
"The big fashion hot shot in Canterlot?" Twilight responded.
And it must have been the answer since Sweetiebelle slivered near his ear to say, "For somepony who knows who Hoity Toity is, she sure don't know much about fashion designing."
"Correct, and he's heard of your fashion show, Rarity (more like I told him) and he's gonna be there to see your dresses!"
"T-these dresses?" The sisters asked in unison, delirium taken a hold of one more than the other. Meanwhile, Darklo glared nervously at his little brother, silently cursing him for the impromptu wrench in the works.
If I know one things for sure, its that good old Rarity wont survive the day if I dont try something. So once again, he surveyed the room with more desperation than his last look around until he noticed his suit; tucked away in a corner and fresh for use. It was then, a less than satisfactory idea rang in his head. No... no I'm not that kind of guy... but Rarity- but my pride! But Rarity- but my dignity!
After a deep contemplation, he exhaled anxiously and steeled himself. "Alright... for Rarity."
In about a few hours, the moon had shown its face, reflecting its light down at the fashion show in an attempt to lighten the mood.
It proved ineffective to the audience however, as they looked on at the models and their unorthodox dresses with confusion and bafflement.
"Ugh, those dresses are simply hideous!" The famous Hoity Toity exclaimed, the professional venom oozing from his voice while he watched the mane 5 walk down the stage. "It's like the designer randomly added on anything in their garden. This is a mockery to fashion! Whoever made these should consider a change in profession."
While the mane 5 were slowly realising how ridiculous they look, Darklo was peeking behind the curtains of the stage as he fiddled with his suit. Sweetiebelle had other things to consider over what her friend was going to do as her sister was close to becoming a heap of tears and broken dreams. "It's over Sweetie, I tell you. OVER!" She resigned to hiding her face in her hooves while Sweetiebelle rubbed her back. "I should've told them no... now my career is going to be in mud!"
"I don't know Rarity, maybe Hoity will really like the suit you made for Darklo."
"Darling, only 1 good suit isn't going to impress him enough! And with so many repulsive designs, who knows if he'd even believe I made that one..." she continued to hide into herself while Sweetiebelle turned to look at Darklo who was sweating and breathing irregularly as he looked at the dissapointed crowd.
"I...I can't do this, I can see some faces I recognise. Dammit, I'm never gonna live this down!" He whispered frantically, though it was interrupted when Sweetiebelle disengaged from Rarity and went over to pat the colts back.
"Darklo, you've gone up against some dangerous stuff in Ponyville, and with an audience too. Surely, you can do this."
"Belle, this is different! Battle excites me, it helps me disassociate from spectating eyes. Plus, those spectators normally are cheering me on. With this, I could be a laughing stock!"
"But, what about Rarity? I know that this is uncomfortable for you, but is a little bit of embarrasment worth it?" She pleaded him, blasting the colt with a mean set of puppy dog eyes and although their power didn't hold a candle to crippling might of Appleblooms, it was enough to reconsider his standing.
"..." And so, Darklo took a deep breath and on the que of the mane 5 returning backstage, he exited the curtains where the crowd eagerly awaited something better. "For Rarity..."
But before he strayed down that runway, he glowed his horn and generated a small sign on the wood using sparklers as the source. It was shaped like a circle, but had a horizonal line that cut through the center which would allow it to create ice. And although that alone wouldn't do anything good at the moment, by stomping his hooves through it while adding a bit of fire and air into the mix, a common alchemical reaction occurred.
Glacio
Once spoken in his mind, the sign erupted into a haze of fog that invaded the whole stage, leaving the audience amazed at the new chance of pace and gifting Hoity Toity the chance to readjust his shades in intruigue. "Oh?" Was all he let out, but he was about to say more than that once Darklo finished things.
The colt walked to the end of the stage, albeit with some hesitance in his steps, while charging lightning through his horn which gave the fog an electrifying look. Eventually, he paused once the crowd could he him in shadows and lifted the fog aside with telekinesis, revealing himself and his suit.
The sight of it had the crowd oo'ing in awe while the hot shot fashion designer finally retracted from sniffing the air, smiling for the first time in the show. "Now that's much easier on the eyes. It's obvious an electrifying radiance and passion was put into this piece."
Now the hard part... Darklo thought as he pulled the fog back onto the stage, covering him once more.
In the eyes of the crowd, they only saw a shadowy figure of the colt once again, but this time he levitated into the air while his horn glowed brightly.
"What the- he's floating? How is he doing that!?" A crowd member shouted in awe.
"Were you not at that Magic show before? The little guy had done that there aswell." The pony beside them questioned while they still kept one eye on the spectacle.
And eventually, the light stopped and the fog dispersed from the colt to reveal...
Darklo in a rainbow coloured dress.
The crowd cheered as he gently flew around the confines of the stage, making sure to add in some loops and a trail of lightning behind himself to liven up the routine. Darklo however, kept his eyes focused on anything but the crowd; the notion of showing himself off to a crowd kitted in feminine clothing reddening his cheeks. Dammit, I gotta quicken up the pace before I explode!
And so the colt tried to using the teleportation spell to swap each dress onto him while they were still under the effects of a size lowering spell. He counted both his lucky and unlucky stars that the show required a few hours of set up, as the amount of spells he'd have to use wouldn't have been worth the attempt.
But shrugging off that thought, Darklo showed the audience each dress while adding a small routine into it. Like bouncing around the stage in hops and summersaults with Pinkie's dress or shooting a mini firework spell into the sky for Twilight's dress.
Darklo, although greatly disturbed, had slowly noticed that the crowd wasn't laughing at him as he expected. They were genuinely enjoying the show. It kind of baffled him since he knew fairly well that if a person saw him in something like this, they'd be laughing their asses of at the absurdity, Zelus most especially. He had even noticed Hoity Toity remove his shades to catch the entire showcase with his undivided attention.
Thankfully, once he had gone through every dress, he switched Applejack's dress with his own and released the size alteration spell. Ah, much better!
Though he was definitely tired, the fuzzy pain he was feeling near his horn was evident of that, he dissipated the Glacio sign, allowing the fog to clear up, giving everypony a bow.
"Ah bravo! Bravo! Now those are the kind of dazzling designs to be expected." Hoity Toity cheered, climing onto the stage to meet the colt. "Are you the designer? I've never met a fashion prodigy so young, but if your parents allow it, I could make you a star little one!"
Darklo immediately shook his head. "Oh no sir, these aren't mine. Those are Rarity's work. Infact, I regret to inform you that the dresses you saw first were mine. You see, I thought of an idea to boost the awe and cheeriness of the crowd where I'd make something bad which would lower their expectations only for Rarity's work to blow them out of the water." The colt lowered his head. "Please forgive my deception, I only wanted to help my sister's friend succeed."
As Rarity and the others, who had taken off their horrid dresses, the fashion hot shot furrowed his brow before re-equipping his glasses and combing his mane. "I see, so those were merely a ploy... you have cunning little one, style even, but I highly suggest you keep the designing to the professionals." Finally, he went over to Rarity who had recovered from her crying fit moments ago. "Miss Rarity, Il admit that my expectations for you were very low after that first act, but now that the context has been revealed, I must say your expertise is purely divine. If it isn't much trouble, I'd love to sponsor your Boutique, and whatever your answer, Il be watching your career with great interest."
It looked as if the stallion had broken the poor mare from how she stuttered with her words. "Y-ye-yes of course sir I'd be honoured!" But fortunately, the nervousness subsided once they got backstage as she began squeeling and hugging the poor colt to death. "Oh I can't believe it! Seriously darling, you saved my career from an inevitable end. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"
Darklo was helpless against her grateful grip and he could only look to Twilight and Sweetiebelle for help while his cheek was being nuzzled savagely. "Really Rarity, it's not a big deal. I just didn't want to put you through more stress than you were feeling."
"Well you surely made a big deal about wearing those dresses. Didn't matter though, you rocked those outfits." Sweetiebelle chimed.
"Thanks for reminding me..." Darklo responded through gritted teeth and flushed cheeks. "But I believe someponies owe this cuddle menace an apology."
At last, Rarity release her hood on the colt as Twilight and her friends look to the snowy mare apologetically. "Yeah, Darklos right, we should've been more considerate of what you made for us." Twilight said
"Fashion means alot to you, so we shouldn't have acted like we knew better..." Fluttershy added.
"Though if we didn't act like that, we wouldn't have seen little Darklo in all our cute dresses! Totally worth it~" Pinkie giddily sung, making everypony chuckle except for Darklo, whose coat was shining red at this point.
"PINKIE, shut it!"
Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
Today, my great and talented friend, Rarity had learned a special lesson. To know when to put your hoof down as when you try to please everypony, you please nopony. Meanwhile, her friends have learned to let the professionals do their job as they know how to make something special out of their work. Basically, the customer is always right is utter bollocks.
From your faithful student and fearless colt, Twilight Sparkle and Darklo Sparkle
"Oh, you added your last name this time?" Twilight rhetorically questioned as she saw the wording on the fine print while resting on a pillow in the Carosel Boutique.
"Yeah, I feel like I've gotten comfortable enough with it. Besides, I gotta admit that my full name sounds rather cool."
As they talked, Rarity steadily approached Darklo and gave him a smile. "Again darling, thank you for helping me snag such an opportunity. With Hoity Toity in my corner, marketing my Boutique will be so much easier." She cooed gratefully as she stroked his mane. "Please, if you ever need anything made, just ask alright?"
Darklo pondered it for a minute until he came up with something. "Actually, I've got something in mind." He whispered his idea into Rarity's ear and both smiled once he retracted and went back upstairs where Sweetiebelle was waiting.
"Always the selfless little foal, his father certantly raised him right."
"What did he ask for Rarity?" Twilight asked along with Spike who was resting beside her.
"Yeah, what was it?"
Rarity giggled softly and merely replied. "A mare never spoils her clients orders!"
Another day, another few hours of pursuing my educational prowess. Darklo thought knowingly. The couple days he experienced at Miss Cheerilee's school was a mixed bag for Darklo, as the subjects taught were incredibly easy for his age. Maths? Easy. Science? His previous education was literally built on the knowledge of the subject. Geography and History? A little tougher to learn but like every new subject, learning gets better with time and it was working wonders for him. Equestrian however, was a weirder factor. English was no problem in his old world, but he had surprising just came up with the revelation that everypony was just speaking plain English to him.
It definitely brought up a couple questions in his head. Am I actually speaking another language and my language is just being translated or is Equestrian just conveniently English in this world? It wasn't something he had to answer, but having it at the back of his mind wouldn't hurt.
Short story was: his experience in the school was essentially a place to rest, meet his friends and locate any specs of new knowledge. And that was happening in the present moment, as Darklo shifted out of his seat after an hour's worth of history. He quickly grabbed his saddlebag and walked out of class with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Well, that was an interesting lesson. Now I know that we've got a lot of powerful beings out there but a being of pure chaos? That's wild," Darklo began mumbling under his breath as they left towards the playground, "maybe there is a being of pure order too, like some sort of balance spectrum that keeps the universe in check. Plus, how does something like Discord even come into the world? A concept can only begin at the start of the universe, so did it make the world instead of a God? Was there a purpose to it, or am I just way off my speculations?"
"If you really want my opinion, I think Twilight's eggheadedness is rubbing off on you." Scootaloo playfully bumped into him, snapping the colt out of his daze. "Keep that up and we might have to call you Professor."
"Alright alright, but it's not like I do it on purpose. I mean, who doesn't love a bit of theory making?" Darklo protested calmly as they eventually arrived at a basic bench in slight disrepair and took their seats. Applebloom and Darklo on one side, Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle on the other.
"Theories? Not really, but I do dabble in my fair share of gossip. Rarity is like a cesspool for that stuff." Sweetiebelle snickered to herself, likely remembering a particularly funny one. "I heard that Prince Blueblood's fiance caught him sleeping with a mare sized pushie!"
"No way!"
"But how is that gossip? A Prince likin' plushies isn't bad at all."
Meanwhile, Darklo's cheeks reddened while thinking very carefully. "Uhm... Belle, did Rarity tell you this?"
"Uh, yeah. She seemed awful nervous about it so I thought be worth mentioning, though she was talking about it with her customer just fine, so I don't see what got her mane in a twist."
The answer had the colt staring into space, his mind a little more well versed in the art of 'child friendly talk'. Okay, I wasn't expecting a royal drama to be the highlight of the day, but anything's possible. Also, better have a mental note to stay clear of this Blueblood fellow.
"Hey, Darklo. Y'okay?" Applebloom asked, though the concern was less than before as she gently poked his side, instantly breaking him out of his inner monologue.
"Eh, don't worry about it. We've seen enough of your little thought sessions to work around them. It comes with the Darklo package!" Scootaloo chimed with a wink at the end, which resulted in a cacophony of laughter throughout the group.
"Hahaha, yeah... heh. I guess so, just don't get bored of me 'kay?" Darklo asked with his signature shit eating grin on his face. It granted him a side eye from the Apple filly.
"Darklo. Buddy. Ya can shoot elemental magic from your body and have an element bearer for a sister, gettin' bored of ya is impossible."
The colts ears flicked in appreciation and his smile said the same thing. "Heh, from that criteria, we can't get bored of you either. Guess that makes both of us special or something."
The two of them giggled for a few seconds while the foals on the other side were flickering their gaze between each other and the adorable sight before them. But once they calmed down, Sweetiebelle brought out their lunch boxes with her magic and enthusiastically raised her hoof in the air. "Alright then Crusaders, now that all that's settled, let's eat up!"
The group nodded and got to eating their meals, occasionally sharing food with each other. It brought a smile to Darklo's face, reminding himself of a couple down time session he had with others: from practising martial arts with Zelus and Ira to chowing down on canned foods with his squad, the nostalgia was there and the colt didn't want it to go away. Unfortunately, it did.
"So this is where you blank flanks were. Gotta say, seeing you all chatting like normal ponies instead of performing some idiotic trick to get your cutie marks is kind of strange. Are you feeling well?" Diamond Tiara snarkily grinned as she came into view, Silver Spoon mirroring her every move at her side.
"Buzz off Tiara, we can do other things without YOU nosing about." Scootaloo glared daggers at the filly as she hopped from her seat to meet her gaze snout to snout. "Now if you don't mind, leave us alone and go do whatever before I make you."
"Oh come on Scoots, we know very well you could out chase me. With your wings that is. Oh, I'm sorry I forgot, your teeny little wings can't even lift you off the ground!" To emphasise her point, Diamond grabbed Scootaloo's left wing and stretched it out to its maximum wingspan which was not a lot.
"How pathetic." Silver Spoon added as they laughed at her, leaving the pegasus embarrassed. She held her head low in shame and backed away.
"Hey... only my friends can call me Scoots."
"Oh, you mean only Darklo? He IS the only pony who likes giving such unnecessary and down right stupid nicknames." Diamond grinned at the colt once the words escaped her lips, but to the filly's dismay, Darklo only raised his eyebrow at her.
"Unnecessary? Maybe. I don't have to do it after all. But stupid? I just shorten their names down. By that logic, most ponies would be calling your name stupid, Diamond. And we both know you're not." Darklo pointed a hoof at her to copy Diamond's method of torment. "You can bash me all you want, but I know my way around psychological warfare."
It was true. Principal Vir, Zelus and even Ira on occasion had a way with words that could leave many unprepared people annoyed or even upset with just a few minutes of interaction. And although Darklo could see the resemblance with Diamonds demeanour and those of the Belican Elites, she was a foal. All of her acts must have came from somewhere and she's only regurgitating what she's seen. It would be unfair in his eyes to tussle with somepony who has a lower mental faculty than him. It was weird that he was the same age as them to begin with.
"Oh really? Cause last I recall, my daddy had informed me of your little 'orphan-hood'."
...
"Excuse me?" Darklo's demeanour immediately shifted. His logical and passive visage was overtaken by shadows and an indifferent frown. The unfamiliar sight made his friends spines crawl from the pressure while Silver Spoon grew more concerned herself.
"Uhm, Diamond. I think that's going too-"
"Oh hush Silver Spoon, it can't be something he hasn't heard before. I mean, no mommy and a dead daddy? Of course it would be the talk of the town upon his arrival. He was an Everfree Dweller, the poorest of the poor. It's a wonder he survived so long in there, although his parents probably shielded him 'till the end, how sad."
"Diamond enough!" Silver Spoon was shouting at her, the fear oozing from her voice as she and the Crusaders watched the colt leave his seat and approach the inconsiderate filly.
"Silver Spoon quiet! That doesn't matter anymore. He got to hook up with an important pony and has everything he could dream of. Shouldn't he be reminded that just cause he has an element bearer as a family member, he shouldn't remember his place as a commoner?"
"Diamond."
"Oh? Something to say Dar-" It finally dawned on the filly that she had made a grave error. When she turned away from Silver Spoon, her snout was touching Darklos, and she could see death. Darklo was nothing short of furious, his eyes struck her like unrelenting thunderclouds and his teeth growled in a snarl that could eat her alive.
"Need I remind you that there are some realms of insults that are taboo to say?" His magic flared and fireworks sparked on the ground bellow her, revealing it was the air sign the Crusaders were familiar with. "There are some things that you can get bucked in the face for, and you need to hood your tongue with those. Cause someday..." The filly could feel a breeze of wind press against her from the sign under her hooves. "You might get thrown."
And immediately on cue... a frog landed on Diamond's head?
The unexpected turn shut Darklo from his silent rage and left everypony else flabbergasted.
"...eeeeeeeeeee!" Diamond squealed, running away from the group while the frog hopped off her. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!"
"Diamond wait! It's already off you." Silver Spoon shouted, but it was too late. The filly was out of earshot and once she realised this, she sighed. "I'm sorry Darklo. I didn't think she'd go that far."
The colt shrugged in response. "None taken, I should've kept my cool. Though I wasn't kidding, she could get in trouble if she doesn't learn to stop hurting ponies."
"I don't know if she can... but only time can tell. I'll go find her. See you all." Silver Spoon followed Diamond's path before she flinched, as if noticing an error in her system and turned back to them with a tsk. "That doesn't mean we are all chummy. I intend to keep my friendship just as much as yours!"
Darklo nodded in acceptance. "Fine by me." Eventually, she was also out of sight and the colt smiled to himself, turning back to the group with a frog that hopped onto his back. "Well, Silver Spoon isn't that bad after all eh girls?...girls?"
Darklo tilted his head in confusion as he saw the girls cranking their heads to the sky and once he did the same, he noticed what the cause of that random frog was. It was Fluttershy, carrying a cart full of frogs of different variations and species. She steadily flew down to meet us and scooped up the renegade frog. "Oh my, I'm so sorry. I didn't know why Susie hopped out of the cart like that, she's always been so obedient."
The Crusaders gathered around her and while girls ran to the cart to see the frogs, Darklo shrugged his shoulders. "No idea, maybe Pinkie had a twitchy tail at that moment. Still have no idea if she causes the disasters or if the disasters cause her but I bet Twilight would love to figure that out!"
At the mention of the Pinkie sense, Fluttershy, shuddered momentarily. "Well... it might be possible. We haven't had a Pinkie moment since Winter Wrap Up."
"Oh. Right. Winter Wrap Up eheheh~" Darklo awkwardly chuckled as he recalled his first ever Winter Wrap Up.
-Flashback
Darklo, Twilight and Spike were strolling through a snow-ridden Ponyville with a new-found purpose which was finding something to do for the event. But so far, it was a bust as they were denied to help with the flying team by Rainbow cause of the obvious.
"You both don't have wings, dummies."
So they decided to test their luck elsewhere by the frozen lake. "Alright Spike," Twilight said resolutely, "what else can we help with?"
"Well, the ground teams job is to cut up the ice on the lakes for the flyers to carry. I think Pinkie Pie is leading it."
The trio met up with the ever so happy Pinkie, skating along the glacial lake without a care in the world. That is, until she spotted them and slid to a halt beside them. "Hey big and little Sparkle! And hey Spike!" The studious dragon waved a greeting towards the party pony, while the 'big and little Sparkle' took a moment of silence to ponder how silly that nickname was. "So, you all wanna take a spin with me? It's super easy."
Pinkie then proceeded to pull out two pairs of ice skates from her endless poofiness of a mane and tossed them towards the pair. They even matched their sizes perfectly.
Does the mane actually have a portal sign in there? And how does she conveniently- oh never mind, it's Pinkie.
The pair slid on their skates and got to breaking the ice. Twilight wasn't having a good time, slipping and sliding all over the place and eventually slamming into a pile of snow, prompting Spike to waddle over and pull her out of the freezing trap. Darklo however, skated around the lake with grace as he copied Pinkie's bipedal stance very quickly. Wow, this is kind of fun! It's almost like using fire to skate about the place... wait a minute.
The colt grinned to himself as the hoofpads glowed by his will. That was when Pinkie paused mid jump, frozen still while her tail twitched like a ghost had a hold of it. "Oh no! Something's gonna fall, jump for cover!" Pinkie screamed in a siren-like warning, sliding off the lake and into a pile of snow.
Something falling? The colt looked in the sky to see nothing but clouds. Heh, man Pinkie, you're so ridiculous. The blades on his skates grew red with fire and he continued his dance, turning and spinning with a steaming hot trail of melting ice behind him. "Don't know what the fuss is Pinkie, nothing's gonna fa-aaaaall!"
And by the aid of some sort of divine intervention, Darklo had skated on top of an already cut-out circle of ice and the added pressure caused the miniature ice sheet to flip, tossing the naive colt face first into the chilly depths. "Darklo!" Twilight shouted in a heap of panic, quickly igniting her magic and levitating him back to the surface and brought his shivering form towards her.
He was nothing short of cold. He ignited a flame on his hoof for the slightest touch of warmth, though it was futile as he still felt like a walking ice cube as his teeth chattered and his fur flattened, still dripping wet. "Huh," Pinkie commented, zipping back to the trio, "I guess YOU were the falling thingie. Who could've known!" The colt attempted to make a response, but all that came out were stutters while the pink mare checked her unmoving tail for another sign.
"W-what was tha- that?"
"My Pinkie sense silly. All of Ponyville knows about it-"
Twilight wasn't listening to her however, as she bolted to her tree-house with Spike in tow. "Sorry but we gotta go, Darklo could go into hypothermia at any moment!"
-End Flashback
"Oh, so that's why you were off school on Monday." Scootaloo chimed.
"Yeah, as big of a help as my fire alchemy can be, it takes time for the hypothalamus to put everything back in order."
"Hypo-what?" The Crusaders tilted their heads in confusion and even Fluttershy was looking at him like he used a foreign language.
"Hypothalamus? The organ in your brain that stimulates thermoregulation?" Fluttershy nodded her head, understanding the wording clear enough, though that wasn't the same for his friends.
"The part that stimulates your body to reach its optimum temperature, along with other factors?" Applebloom and Sweetiebelle slowly nod in acceptance of that answer, Scootaloo however...
"Ugh, the part that helps your body go hot and cold."
"Oooh I get it," The pegasus proclaimed, "Why didn't you say it like that in the first place?"
"More like I need to give you a lesson on key terms in bodily functions." Darklo reached into his saddlebag, which got the Crusaders flickering glances at each other, foreseeing the Twilighting that was upon them. That was until a saviour spoke up.
"Uhm, since your classes are done for the day, how about you all help me bring these frogs to Froggy Bottom Bog." Fluttershy hovered in between Darklo, prompting the colt to pay full attention to her and the Crusaders to wipe the sweat of their heads for the arrow they dodged. "You see, these stragglers need to be there by today so they have a chance to find a mate, and what greater place than the most populated ecosystem of frogs?"
"Sure. No problem." The Crusaders responded. "But how can we go with you?"
"Cause I'll just fly." Darklo's hoofpads shot air from them once more and hovered in the air, granting a quick side eye from his friends."
"Oh... right. You could probably fit in the cart but I don't know if il be able to carry it."
"Well, same problem, same solution. Bloom, show us what you've learnt." Darklo cheered, lightly pushing her towards the cart and handing her a pen and ink from his saddlebag. With only the slightest hesitation, she slid under the cart, painted a symbol it and touched it until the ink glowed orange.
As she got out, she saw Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo's jaws drop while Darklo was stomping his hooves on the ground to clap for her. "Perfect! A nice air symbol. Couldn't have done it better myself Bloom."
The Apple filly, eventually grew to like the praise as she raised her snout in the air proudly. "Heh, Ah do have a mighty fine teacher after all."
Darklo couldn't find those words any more true. Watching his friend get better and better with the craft he put his life into was nothing short of beautiful. Maybe she can rival me someday... heh, lets not get TOO ahead of myself.
Though he was interrupted by two fillies grasping each of his hooves. "You taught her and not us?!"
"Uh... to be fair, I've known her for longer and-"
"Could you teach us too?" The enthusiastic fillies asked with stars in their eyes, leaving Fluttershy confused over the situation and Applebloom shrugging at the colt as if to say 'do what ya want'.
Man, maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew.
Eventually, the group landed in Froggy Bottom Bog and Fluttershy decided to order them into teams to quicken the pace. Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle carried the treefrogs to the humid den on the east and Darklo and Applebloom guided the bullfrogs into the deeper part of the swamp on the west while she took the rest towards the shallow end.
With the extra hooves, they were all finished in half an hour and gathered back to the cart and sat near it to watch the frogs. "Aww look at them go." The unicorn filly squished her cheeks at the sight of two frogs hopping around together. The rest relaxed on the grass and checked their flanks to find no marks.
"Darnit, Ah thought that frog helpin' cutie mark was all ours." Applebloom groaned and the rest beside Darklo followed suit. He refused to say it outright but, frog helping marks are kind of dumb. I'd rather stay blank than that!
Fluttershy lifted herself from her relaxed position and smiled down at the group. "Thank you for the help Crusaders, I can't thank you enough."
"No problem, anything to help, Fluttershy. Plus, I can't think of a better way to hang out with my friends." In light of his words, the colt pulled the girls into a hug. Actually, I can think a lot of places... BUT why would I say that?
"Aw that's so sweet of you." The gentle pegasus ruffled the colts mane, which was a pleasant feeling. Maybe too pleasant for comfort, as the colt folded into her heavenly grasp immediately. It took her by surprise, but it didn't stop her from smiling and holding him warmly.
"Having fun Darklo?~" Sweetiebelle asked while everypony chuckled. The colt had finally realised his mistake and quickly leapt backwards in a defensive stance. His coat was almost as red as Big Macs if the observers looked close enough.
"That- that was nothing. We shall never speak of this again." He said firmly.
The goofy grins on the Crusaders stayed present while Fluttershy raised a hoof in understanding. "It's alright Darklo, everypony needs to relax from time to time."
But although the wave of embarrassment continued in Darklo's brain, his ears picked up many ponies galloping towards them and once he turned around, he noticed Twilight, Spike, Pinkie and Applejack bolting it towards them.
Eventually, they reached them and Spike rushed to hug Fluttershy's leg. "Oh Fluttershy, you're okay!"
"Of... course I am. What's wrong?" Her guess was just as good as the Crusaders, since they gathered around the older mares for answers.
"My Pinkie Sense went off. So I thought you were in deep waters!"
"Well, Darklo and Applebloom were in the deeper part of the waters so maybe you misinterpreted it?" Fluttershy responded, thinking of anything that could shield her from the implications of an unknown Pinkie signal involving her.
"Well, I don't want to sound rude but HA, I told you so!" Twilight said with a snarky pride that Darklo had only seen after she got a hold of his test results. "I can hereby conclude that the instinctual art of Pinkie Sense is purely coincidental and scientifically invalid."
Darklo watched on, but he had a gut feeling that something was wrong and the rest could feel it too. The water was moving an unnatural way and a putrid gas surfaced the swamp, catching the noses of everypony in its vicinity. And as Twilight kept rambling, the group finally saw the perpetrator of whatever Pinkie predicted.
"..." Darklo's veins froze and his heart broke from its rhythmic beat as the colt bared witness to a familiar squad of heads arise from the waters and glare down at them.
The colt knew what it was. No...
Those piercing jade eyes, the scaly hide, the towering size over the roof of the canopy. And what was worse, was the eye the left head kept closed and the scorch marks that riddled two of the heads on the right. No, no, no, no not you... not you!
The rage and bloodlust could almost be tasted on the beast as it locked eyes with the colt. All four. The beast had grown a fourth head to boot.
Stop... leave me alone. Just get out of here.
It bared its teeth and grinned maliciously at him. It's eyes blared at him in recognition and roared at the group.
His brain wished for him to move, to break out of this trance and get his friends and loved ones away from the demon that ruined him. But he couldn't. While everypony else ran the other direction, Darklo could only maintain a widened stare up at it, his ears rung in distress and his mind frazzled as it called back to that one night. Move...move... MOVE DAMMIT!
At last, the main head (the center head that had its right side blistered by hardened soot) lowered itself to meet him at eye level, revelling in the pain the colt was under. He had done this before, he had warded off the beast before, so why does his muscles lock in place? Why doesn't his horn flare up in defiance? Why does he not resist?
He couldn't tell, but the colt couldn't do anything about it. He was a deer in headlights and it wouldn't stop until he was hit. The head opened its mouth and lunged at him, ready to end its vengeful crusade, until.
CHOMP
A wall of pure earth had erupted between him and the beast, resulting in the head getting a bite out of the soggy dirt. Just enough of a shock to restart his heart and get him to blink. "Wha-"
"Darklo!" Applebloom had had called behind him and once he looked back, he saw what occurred. An earth symbol was drawn below Appleblooms feet.
She...she saved me.
"Come on, move your flank and run!"
"Don't have to tell ME twice." The duo galloped through the muddy waters of the swamp and were gaining on their friends who had a head start. Though, when Darklo attempted to cast a teleportation spell so they could reach them instantly, his horn didn't even glow. "What?!" Try as he may, the colt couldn't do it and his alchemy wasn't doing much either as the symbols on his hoofpads didn't glow in response to his will at all.
It made him wonder. Am... am I really THAT scared? I can get everypony out of dodge if it just lets me, so why wont it work with me?! But that was a thought for another time as they finally caught up with the runners while the four headed hydra marched its way towards them, jaws opened wide and eyes flaming for vengeance minus the new member of the group that mirrored its brothers.
As fate made it, Spike couldn't hold onto Twilight for long and his muscles gave way, releasing his grasp and tumbling to the floor. "SPIKE!" Twilight and Darklo blared, both turning back to get him. But the creature grinned at the colt, both amused and spiteful as it turned itself around.
The tail! But it was too late, Twilight had fully committed to grabbing Spike from the muddy floor and the tail had swiped 90 degrees already, a mere meter away from his big sister and little brother.
Time had paused itself for the colt, as if to extend his suffering further. His heart raced, his horn ached from the strain of forcefully pushing magic out and his mind cracked in an emotional heap.
You can't... you can't do this to me, God. What lesson are you even trying to teach me? That life is unfair? Cause I learnt that long ago. That you can't save everyone? Bullshit, I can! I trained SO hard to keep them alive, all those late nights repracticing, all that magic tutoring, I don't wanna freeze up now... just... please.
I don't want to be the cause of the suffering of others anymore...
And with that, his conscience went blank.
Twilight blinked as she noticed a orange blur swipe at her. She tried to activate her teleportation spell on both Spike and herself, but it wasn't fast enough and the tail was a hair away from colliding with her. In that moment, she hoped that her friends would find it in their hearts to move on, especially Darklo. Oh Celestia, Darklo... I'm sorry you have to see something like this agai- wait what?
Her split second thoughts were interrupted when she felt as if her whole body was yanked backwards with the speed of Rainbow Dash. Though, she stopped in the air just as fast and she frantically looked around to see what in Equestria happened. She first set eyes on the hydra who have finished his swipe across the mud, it's faces just as shocked as hers. At least, there was not sign of Spike or his mangled corpse anywhere beside the beast. It gave her some hope.
"T-Twilight?" A shaky voice asked, whom she knew was Spike as the desperate unicorn looked to her left to see her assistant.
"Spike! Oh, thank goodness your still...alive." Twilight gradually slowed down as she observed Spike closely. His eyes had expanded wide and pointed his claws below them, but what baffled her was that he was caught in a golden aura of magic. In fact, she too was covered in that light. And there was only one pony powerful enough to save her and Spike from the brink of death that had a magic aura coloured like that.
Excitedly, she followed Spikes finger and cheered. "Thanks Celestia! I don't know how you made it but- wait...what?" The sight Twilight observed was definitely not Celestia carrying them. It was the dark furred colt that she had grown to love. But something was clearly wrong with the unicorn.
For starters, the colt was surging with magical energy that shot out and hit trees, puddles of water and even the hydra's body. Meanwhile, his eyes were no longer there, overtaken by a white glow and his face was the most chilling. No anger, no sadness, no nothing. He was just staring blankly at the hydra.
"It...it can't be." Twilight pondered out loud as the magic hold vanished, dropping them into the shallow, swampy waters. Hurriedly, her friends and the Crusaders had turned back and lifted them out. So now, they only had to focus on the matter at hand.
The colt had made his first move since the apparent awakening and held himself in his aura, allowing him to fly at the beast with breakneck speeds. The hydra attempted to snap its jaws on the tiny figure, but he was too fast for it and the advantage was tipped even more into the colts favour when he uprooted several trees from the soul and continued to slam them on its heads and necks like they were baseball bats.
And as comical as it looked, the tactic was working as giant mounds of teeth were flying out of the hydra mouths and stuck themselves into the soil. Eventually, the far right head caught its jaws around the colt, but it was clearly by choice since Darklo erected a shield around him that continued to grow and grow until the hydra's lower jaw snapped off, splashing into the swamps depths and invading the natural blue and green into bloody crimson.
The onlookers could only watch in both horror and amazement while the magical force that used to be their friend and family member called in thunderclouds from the sky and continued wailing on the creature.
Twilight couldn't believe the sheer ferocity that lay inside the colt. Just looking at the bloody mess the hydra was currently in made her stomach turn, but Darklo was still fighting and the hydra was definitely rethinking its life decisions as all 4 of them roared in agony.
Fluttershy plugged her ears, shaking incesently from the cries of the creature. "It's pleading. And apologising too, but I don't think Darklo can hear it... oh I can't watch!"
Meanwhile, a rather panicked filly tugged on Twilight's leg, hooves rattling from the gory sight. "Twilight... what in the hay is goin' on with Darklo?"
"I-I think it's a magic surge. But he's 13! This should've happened when he was so much younger."
"How young?" Applejack asked worriedly.
"I barely remember how mine happened. That's how young!" Sweetiebelle commented, further insinuating the concern all ponies were feeling. But Twilight most of all. She had recalled her own magic surge, rendering how she turned her parents into inanimate objects and generated a small whirlwind before Princess Celestia swooped in. And that was classed as a late blooming surge.
This however, was even more late and even stronger than her own. Perhaps Darklo's surge is being amplified by his emotional state. Now that i think about it, he did show signs of PTSD whenever he thought a hydra was around...
Still, she didn't have time to come up with theories because if something didn't stop the colt, he could destroy the whole swamp. And the surrounding towns and villages have surely seen the storm and the floating trees from miles away, perhaps it could be seen from Canterlot.
"That's it!" Twilight beamed, pulling Spike towards her in a magical hold while she brought out a note and quill. "Get ready Spike, we are gonna need some help!"
Dark... The colt's thoughts perfectly described the scenery before him, being the exact opposite of the white expanse where God decided to meet him. He attempted to look at his hooves, but he couldn't move at all, not a single tinge of life could be felt throughout his body. It would've surged a tidal wave of panic into him if he didn't feel so calm.
It should've been concerning, yet he couldn't care about the unearthly experience that plagued him. He wanted to panic, to squirm for even the slightest bit of movement and break out of the place, but it was like his mind wasn't his own anymore. The colt was trapped, and he had to deal with it. For a few moments at least, since a bright light lit up in front of him which only grew larger and larger. It was only until the light fully enveloped the colt's vision that he was able to blink.
But once those eyes shut, the space around him must have immediately shifted as Darklo's next sight at the place became something familiar.
He was looking up at the sky, riddled with clouds that overtook the sun and from the corners of his eyes, he could catch glimpses of buildings built from sandstone.
Okay, this is pretty trippy. Then again, Twilight would probably call this hysteria- wait... Twilight, Spike! Darklo instantly shot up from laying down and stood upright. Wait. That didn't feel right. He exclaimed as the colt definitely felt like he used his forehoof to bring him on two legs. He had thought he got out of that habit by now, but he had no time to think. Twilight and Spike might be in critical condition and he had to get back to Froggy Bottom Bog and fast.
He instinctively smacked his cheeks to get himself together, until the feeling of miniature nails and multiple protrusions scratched his skin. He paused, slowly looking downwards to see his body.
He had hands. He had legs. And his Conduit uniform too. He couldn't believe it.
"I'm... I'm myself again!" Darklo, or Lux in this sense, took a spin-take and inspected himself before watching his fingers curl in and out. "I really am me again... but how?"
Reasons were way out of believable explanation, but he had to lay them out. And so he did, while pacing back and forth on a concrete path and tapping his chin, deep in thought.
"Okay, so maybe God brought me back here after I kicked the bucket against that hydra? No, that would've been my last chance at life if that were the case. And I don't believe God would make all that fuss for Equestria just to plop me back on Earth... if this is Earth. Perhaps I'm going under shock and this is just me hallucinating. Likely possibility, I was REALLY losing it back there. Third guess...uhm, all of that horse crap was a dream. If so, WOW am I a vivid dreamer! But that wouldn't explain why I didn't wake up in that forest I made, and instead, woke up laying on the sidewalk in..."
It was at that moment where Lux fully took in his surroundings, and his mind raced as he observed more carefully. It was a flat mudscape, still saturated from prior rainfall and the only way to not have muddied shoes, other than taking residence in a personally made shelter that a dozen poor souls called home, was to stick to the cobblepaths that looked like they intertwined into the center of the place where a large statue stood tall. It was a man, jacked and naked while he stretched his hands out to welcome the people below who knelt as low as they could go to pray to it.
Speaking of the people, there were waves of them scurrying the streets. From the common folk buying high quality food from the spirited vendors to the priests to holy followers preaching the Lord to anyone who would listen, it was nothing short of friendly and joyful.
But the veteran boy had seen this before from a different angle and he wasn't about to see it a second time. He could feel the blistering heat of the sun continuously stab though his back along with the once joyous community turn to look up at the sun in horror. Most ran way from Lux, trampling on each other as they rode the wave of panicking individuals, leaving those underneath at the mercy of the danger. Others took off their common clothing to reveal some military uniform underneath, drawing signs on the mud or equipping gloves with various symbols on their hands and began striking back at the heat with water and ice.
But it was for nothing. Lux knew it already. Why? Because once he cranked his head upwards to face the sun that was turning the very air into a steaming pot was not the sun at all. It was a ball of purely condensed fire that spanned an entire block, carried by a single figure casted in shadow that gave an unnatural smile from above. And it made his heart ache.
Cause that smile was real. Unfiltered. Not burdened by consequence or any logical thinking. It was all real.
Eventually, the shadowy figure threw the ball down into the poor town and in an act of instinct and desperation, Lux dashed towards the nearest group of people, a lady holding her baby and a few old men guiding her away. "Hold on!" He screamed, and the Philosopher's Stone responded to his pleads when he slammed the ground and erected an earth dome around them. But it was for nothing, the blazing hurricane pushing through the town immediately broke through the dome on contact and erupted his vision in a multitude of fiery lights.
Lux shut his eyes to protect his vision from the light show that assaulted him, but upon opening them, the landscape changed again. It was the same town, but under ruin. Unsupported buildings and shelters collapsed into the mud, set a blaze and growing more uncontrollable. The sky was covered with dark clouds, most likely from the overwhelming amount of ash and smoke pluming from the remnants of the place and the people...
The people were scattered, some lifeless, some clinging onto life. It's just as before... he thought, breathing as slowly as possible to prevent his stomach from unleashing its contents. The Siege of Sacrum.
He took a step forward but immediately clamped up when a hot, sticky hand latched onto his wrist. His skin felt like it was fusing with whatever got a hold of him, as the heat that welded them together shot through his arm like an automatic rifles full clip was unloaded into it. "AH! What the-"
Lux had turned his head to understand what was ailing him. And he wished he didn't. He wished he never remembered. It was the woman and her baby from before, but the pair were unrecognisable. Their skin had slid and bloated in unnatural locations like wax and had burn blisters that bloated the body. The baby even had a rather large one that reshaped his left eye. Speaking of their eyes, they had none. Only the retinal fluid remained inside those abyssal windows and dripped down their faces like tears.
But the worst part of them was that they were no longer separated. The baby's legs and lower torso were sunken into the mother's chest as sludge made of muscle and melted bone hardened onto the skin, leaving the poor thing trapped in the same place it entered the world from.
Lux couldn't take any more of a glance at the abomination as he screamed and pulled on his arm to release it, but the hand that caught him had already melted into sludge and hardened quickly. There was no escape.
It was at last, something else spoke, and it came from the mother. Her jaw unhinged until the chin was a millimeter from her neck, revealing the bubbling mess that was her tongue cascading along her misshapen gums and charcoal teeth. "Why? What did you gain from this that was so worth it?"
"I-I didn't, I was an idiot and I realise that now, but there is only so much you can blame me for, I was only following orders!"
"'I always thought of Conduits as heroes. People who fight to protect their country and friends.' Those were your words right? Some hero YOU were. As long as you don't suffer, its not your problem, eh?"
Lux desperately tried pulling his arm to break it free, but it was for nothing as the fleshy mess had hardened over his skin and refused to move. The boy flinched at her words and averted his gaze to the chaos around him, which was shockingly less stressful than the monster before him. "Just stop! Leave me alone."
But then the sounds of snapping bones and seeping flesh could be heard and Lux took a peek back at the thing, maybe he wanted to get it over with, maybe the guilt he felt was egging him to see his mistakes, but he did take a peek and it left him speechless.
The baby had moved. The back of its head latched itself into the flesh of the woman, locking its position into looking up at Lux. And it spoke while its scattered teeth slammed against each other, in such a childish tone that it made all of the boy's hairs stick up. "Hide all you want child, you will always be like us on the inside. And eventually, your new friends will realise that. Hehehehehe"
"..." And with that, the boy's mind fractured and he couldn't take the torment of the world. So he did the only thing he could think of, "AAAAAAAGHHH!" he set his free hand ablaze and chopped his hand off.
And with the only restraint unshackled, Lux bolted it through the wasteland of smoke and fallen debris. It didn't matter where he would end up at this point, as long he could leave Sacrum. He passed even more melted bodies hopelessly pleading for help, screaming as loud as their charred vocal cords to perform which created a chorus of poorly mashed notes that blasted his ears like rubbing chalk on a chalkboard.
But at last, Lux could see the vastness of land, clear of any misery and made a quick dash to it, ignoring his still bleeding arm that was slowly regenerating in a green light, by some miracle.
However, darkness blew over the surroundings, seconds after he past the hellscape which made Lux ' legs buckle and crash onto the floor. He could visibly see himself shaking as he watched his sweat drip from his face, that aged older than he should look, and hit the floor.
But it wasn't a floor, because if it were, why did the sweat create a chain reaction of ripples like one would see skipping stones in water?
"Oh God no, not again!" Lux protested as he hastily picked himself back up, only his legs to drop through the void and soon, his torso and head followed. Luckily, the adrenaline from his most recent encounter fired up again and gave him the strength the swim up to the surface, gasping for air.
Though, the realm was not about to let him off easy. It never would. So, in a slight moment of relief, Lux felt something grab his leg and when he gazed down into the abyss, his mind scampered as he saw a skeleton that gripped onto his ankle, determined to pull him under along with the unholy pile of skeletons that pulled on it like an anvil. The fact that their, nor his bones have snapped under the force was almost astounding.
But the boy couldn't think about anything through the fear and guilt of what flesh he knew laid on those bones. The happy times they could've had only to be dusted by a boy who didn't know better. And so, the hold became too strong and he dropped into the darkness.
At least it was peaceful bellow the shadowy water, it was cold and mind numbing but at least there was silence. Anything was better than the maddening choir of demons that shrieked over Sacrum. Eventually though, the realm had enough with the water-like hold it had and let go of Lux as he fell on solid ground.
"Owch..." The boy struggled, but managed to stand up and look around. Darkness, darkness and more darkness. "Guess nothing has changed much," He then inspected his shorter arm and noticed that the hand was almost reformed, just the skin was left to regenerate, "thank the Philosopher's Stone for the automatic Sano, though. Healing alchemy is such a nice bonus."
"Could it heal your head though?" A familiar scruffy voice asked him, to which Lux turned around in shock. It was Zelus and Ira. Both had their backs turned to him but Lux didn't care as he happily walked towards them.
"Z-Zelus, is that you bro? God, I don't know how the two of you managed to find me, but we can make this work! So here's the plan-"
"Its impossible, Lux."
"... what? Ira what do you mean?"
"She means, you can't run from this," Zelus responded, but his voice grew more distorted as he continued, "but who are you to care? You're in a better world. And us?" they both creepily rotated their heads until they snapped at 180° like an owl and their faces were covered in shadows and unnaturally monstrous eyes and teeth, whose smiles reached where the tip of their noses would've been, "we aren't even here."
Lux instinctively backed away from the impostors that laid before him, eyes shut and mouth trembling. "God dammit! Just make it stop already. I'm sorry okay?! I'm sorry!" The kid gave in and curled into a ball as his past walked over to his lowered form. "I just wanted to help... help people, help our country, other countries. Hell, even the whole world. But I was naive, and so many have suffered or lost themselves over my dumb ideals of peace and unity." Though, in typical Lux fashion, his tearful expression subsided and he lifted his head out of his hands to meet the monsters face to face. "But that's even more of a reason for me to work my hardest in THIS world. 'Cause here, the world is already at peace. And I have nothing to worry about. You may see me as the bad guy, but I will NOT stop trying to do what I've dreamed of since the beginning. Do your worst!"
In a spark of determination, Lux got out of his ball of comfort and entered a defensive stance. But he didn't have to, as a beam of blue light blasted the impostors and blew the darkness away, leaving a vast starry space in its absence. The sudden shift greatly confused the boy as he stood there, tired and exhausted. "Man, this is one hell of a psychedelic trip."
"Please don't be alarmed child, as this realm was not a mere artificial trip." A new, but albeit, gentle voice rang through the stars which made Lux sprung back to life and bawled his fists.
"Okay, what now? Cause at this point, I'm DONE with this damn freak show." Lux shouted, to which the voice responded by appearing before him. The dark blue coat, the galactic mane, the moon cutie mark. He figured it out immediately.
"L-Luna?!"
"GREETINGS HUMAN LUX, DO NOT FEAR FOR WE HAST COME TO HELP"" Lux immediately clogged his ears to avoid hearing the sheer vocals of Luna's voice
"Woah, Luna quiet down. That's not how you make peaceful conversation."
"BUT THIS IS THE CANTERLOT VOICE WHOM WE ALWAYS USE FOR THINE SUBJECTS!"
"Well, whatever reason you have, times must have changed. So could you please lower your voice to my level?"
"... Is Thus Appreciative?"
"A little lower."
"... What about this?"
"Okay, that's better. Thank you. So why are you here? You never came into my dreams even after I sent you that letter... minus the time you searched my mind but- wait." , Lux finally connected the dots and looked at himself. His eyes blew up like saucers and the boy shook in fear.
"Oh... oh damn. S-so I guess the jig is up eh?"
"It appears so. Though as we said, do not fear anything child. We are merely here to discuss a few things and therefore, restore thou mind."
"M-my mind? But I'm just dreaming right? Actually now that I think about it, how am I dreaming? I was running from that blasted hydra a second ago."
"That is due to the overwhelming amount of stress combined with the shocking revelation of thou magic surge occurring."
"Wait what? Magic surge... like, that limit breaking event my dad talked about.Its happening now?!"
"As we speak."
Everypony had chosen to take cover under the protective might of Twilight's shield and a few of Appleblooms earth walls, and since the fight was happening a fair distance away, only some rouge debris had scraped their defences. The unicorn mare had to admit that her handwriting was a far cry from all the letters she's wrote before, but time was of the essence and she knew that.
Dear Princess Celestia,
As you are most likely aware, a very horrific phenomenon is occurring down at Froggy Bottom Bog. Its about Darklo. He's erupted into a magic surge and is currently attacking a hydra whom I assume is the catalyst of this mess. I know you were able to calm me down when I had a magic surge, so I thought you could do it again. Take care.
From your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
While Twilight gave Spike the letter and he blasted it with transportation fire, Darklo was still beating the hydra to a pulp. It was a wonder that the thing was still alive, given its numerous bruises and dislocated jaws, though it had buckled under one knee from the amount of blood loss and the colt could sense it.
Darklo raises his forehoof into the air and the storm that plagued the swamp swirled and condensed itself until it was the circumference of a house. For the first time in the fight, the colts face dislodged into a wicked grin which was even more unsettling than the vacant stare he gave off moments ago. The hydra shrieked back as the booming cracks of thunder crashed through the cloud.
But as they watched, transfixed by the fight, Twilight had noticed something. Hold on, lightning... on hydra... whose in water... and we- "EVERYPONY GET OUT THE WATER!" Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs as she and Spike dove out of the shallow waters and onto dry land. Just everypony else followed suit, the colt threw his hoof down and so did the lightning. A single beam of pure electrical energy shot down at the hydra and the swamp it laid in, generating a disturbing light show for all to witness.
Once the light ceased, the hydra was no more, just a charred mess of muscle while a few bones could be seen underneath. It even twitched from the time to time due to the excessive voltage. The water was completely evaporated, revealing the fish and frogs to be piles of charred goop. Applejack made sure to cover Fluttershy's eyes once she caught a glimpse of that.
Finally, the center point of the scenery had revealed itself through all the steam. Darklo, still floating above the tree line, had reverted back to his vacant gaze while staring daggers at the remains of the hydra.
The moment was bleak and quiet. Nopony wished to make a sound, in vein of catching the rouge colt's attention. But some couldn't do that for long. "So what's gonna happen?" Scootaloo whispered.
"The catalyst is gone, so he should revert back to normal... so why is it still active?" Twilight pondered. Though, everything was alright for now as the colt was just floating idly in peace as nothing that there to threaten him.
But then, a golden light appeared before them and out came Princess Celestia along with a squadron of the Royal Guard. "So my little ponies, I got your message. Luna shall be handling it as we speak, so I'll be keeping you safe for the time being."
Everypony snapped to attention as they stared at their ruler and the supercharged Darklo, whose eyes were now locked onto them. "Not the right time Princess!" Spike said.
Fortunately, there was a look of hesitance in the colt's face as he laid eyes on the group, especially Twilight, Spike and his friends. Maybe he was regaining conscious, or maybe it could recognise that they weren't threatening him. But either way, the magic coursing through the colt wasn't liking it at all. His horn flared and began generating a mini tornado as he held his head in agitation.
Immediately, Celestia got to work and used her own magic to erect a cylindrical barrier around the natural disaster, which was a wise move since the fallen boulders and trees used by the colt in its previous fight fell back to the ground once the presence of the wind ceased. Meanwhile, the royal guards formed a circle around the group and as the unicorns constructed sets of colourful barriers around them, the earth ponies and pegesi held their shields and spears in the direction of the colt. It was not as a means to hurt their target, but merely an act of principle for them.
With their safety about 99% certain, the group felt more comfortable to talk specifically Fluttershy who still looked worried about everything. "Y-you said Luna is handling him. Where is she?"
"My sister is back at the castle infiltrating little Darklos mind, where she should be able to quell the well of emotions and inadvertently restore his consciousness, which will allow the colt to regulate his magic properly." Celestia dug her hooves into the mud and added a bit more power into the shield as she saw a slight crack in it's base. "Though, it won't be an easy mission. The unconscious mind is such a raw fickle of emotions unlike a conscious mind. Darklo will most likely be in a lot of anguish if Twilight's theory about the cause of the surge is true. But don't worry, my sister has faced many demons in that realm and she won't fail now."
But even all the assurance in the world couldn't stop everyone from worrying, that didn't mean they had no hope though. And so they watched patiently, awaiting any sign of their little friend waking up.
Come on Darklo, Ah know ya can do it!
"Thou art taking this much better than we expected." Luna commented as she paced around Lux, who sat criss-crossed whilst tapping his leg. "With how cautious thou were to keep this secret, we expected a more emotional response."
"Well, I literally had to go through hell for a few minutes. So honestly, I don't have the energy to freak out any more. Even your outdated vocabulary doesn't surprise me... even though you were talking normally when we first met."
"In our offence we just prefer speaking as such. And yes, ... thou dreams were. Certainly an experience to behold with thine eyes. Thou have been through much turmoil, child."
"Hold up, Princess. How much did you see?"
"Enough to answer a few questions we were going to ask thou anyway."
"Questions? Well, guess I can't hide anything from you anymore," Lux concluded solemnly as he stood up and met Luna's wise gaze, "but before I scratch that itch of yours, I have one thing I need to make clear."
"And that is?"
"I want you to promise me that you will NEVER speak of this to anypony." The boy pointed nonchalantly at her to emphasise the seriousness of his words. "Being called out as a dimensional hopper and a body snatcher, although technically true, would literally change my life for the worse. And I'm not willing to lose what trust I've built so far."
"Thou wish to bargain with thine ruler?" The moon Princess raised her chin so she could look intimidating. Though, that had no effect on the boy as he nodded his head.
"...please?" He asked respectfully.
"Hmph, very well." Luna smiled faintly and turned away from Lux. "Would thou kindly walk with us? We have much to discuss." Another nod and the two were off on a journey through the expanse of space, though Lux could tell that there was no destination in mind. "So now, Lux. Thou art a human, are we wrong?"
"No, you're dead on. Though I find it fascinating how different our worlds are. Like, back on Earth, our planet, humans are the only intelligent creature alive. But here, many things we'd call myths are both existing and sentient!"
"Mhmm," Luna hummed inquisitively, "so how did you escape through the mirror portal? That artefact only has a three day window per year, and Celestia hasn't informed me of a rouge human."
Lux raised an eyebrow in protest. "Uh, what mirror portal? I got here by dying and meeting God."
"God? Whom is this 'God' thou speak of?"
"He's like the creator of my universe. He's also the reason why alchemy existed there." Lux responded and the realm answered by shifting a star into the image of the being in question.
"Alright, we believe we understand now. So this 'God' is the cause of your experience in this colt's body?" Lux nodded firmly.
"It IS strange how different your humans are to those we've seen before. They have thou biological structure but come in many colours like us."
"Huh, that's interesting. But yeah, we only come in black or white." Once again, the world shifted into what looked like a training room where an image of Lux, Zelus, Ira appeared, battling each other for the sake of pride while their teacher watched.
"But, thou skin is peach... and thou adult is brown. Why do humans call each other black and white if that's not the colour? And besides, why separate people by colour in the first place?" Luna lowered her head as she could meet eye to eye with the smaller boy, who frantically waved his hands around.
"Woah, woah! I did NOT agree to chat about racism, please move on to something else, would you?"
"Fair enough child. My next plight concerns thou runic magic. Did thine world also have that skill?"
"Why yes, it's been a fundamental source of our society since the Earth's creation. Especially the Philosophers Stone, anyone using it becomes a Conduit and those lucky guys get treated like your ponies treat princesses."
"And thou were one of them?" Luna asked, staring at the red jewel that was etched in his palm. Lux inspected it carefully, silently reminiscing.
"Yeah, Conduits were like superheroes in Bellica. Everyone wanted to be like them, me included. Heh, what a twist of fate that I turn out to be the opposite." Lux stopped in his tracks as he looked to the floor while Luna watched. "I mean, you saw what happened. The elites told me it was a military base disguised as a civil town... but they lied. They didn't send us to weaken Perduellis' forces, they deployed us there to send a message. And I did that, the death, the agony, the conflict, that was all me. I must have looked like the devil to those people... and though I took things into my own hands, those three thousand will always be there to remind me of who I really am."
Lux didn't know why he was letting everything out, but his mouth just kept moving and the tears were let out of their prison, streaking down his face. "I sometimes think God made the wrong decision with me. There were many people he could've chosen to have this wonderful life, yet here I am. I've already led a pony to their death and failed to protect my friends just like before. God said I'd change for the better, so why do I feel like I'm going down the same path?"
And suddenly, he felt a strange urge as he stared off into the starry realm, like he should do something. He had seen most ponies do it unprompted, but he thought it was just a part of their culture. But it seemed it infected more than just ponies as Lux opened his mouth again and began to sing his heart out.
Author here! I don't know what demon haunted me to put songs in this, but I guess I'm doing it. However, I suck at making songs and noone wants to read a song they can't sing to. So every song I put in will be a parody of an existing song. Plus, I will use coloured text to indicate who is singing what but unlike the letters, Darklo/Lux will be yellow instead of the base colour. The song of today is Little Do You Know by Alex & Sierra. Here's a link to the instrumental version for the full experience.Little Do You Know- Alex & Sierra (Instrumental) Enjoy!
Little do they know That I'm trainin' while they're fast asleep Little do they know I am held back by my memories Little do they know I'm not the awesome colt I wanna be Little do they know I am a person of lies
Underneath the shell, I stay chained up by the beast I hide I've held it inside 'cause there's no one whom I can confide I'm ready to move on, but pushin' forward is another plight Little do they know I am a person of lies
You're fine, alright They'll help you even in your darkest blight You're fine We promise to support you through this fright You're fine You are safe under the night So lay your head on me
Little do you know I sense your pain as I'm fast asleep Little do you know A beast like yours is slowly drownin' me Little do you know I'm tryin' to mend my troubles piece by piece Little do you know I I'll love you 'till the moon dies
You're fine, just fine They'll help you even in your darkest blight Just fine We promise to support you through this fright Just fine You are safe under the night So lay your head on me
You're fine(I'm fine), alright(alright) They'll help you even in your darkest blight You're fine(I'm fine) We promise to support you through this fright You're fine(I'm fine) You are safe under the night So lay your head on me
Lay your head on me So lay your head on me 'Cause little do you know I I'll love you 'till the moon dies
As the final verse of the song was spoken, Lux's body had reverted back into his colt body, laying his head snugly on Luna's coat who had also sat down for him. He didn't know how to feel at the moment, as firstly, the thought of resting his head on a thousand year old deity like she were a large dog felt like he was committing some sort of heresy. And secondly, he was snuggling into somepony like some child. Which he is...
But that's not the point!
But the soothing atmosphere along with the peaceful sensation flowing through his muscles refused to act on his embarrassment, only allowing a slight blush to exit his cheeks. "Uhm, I know we sang a song about this and all, but did we really have to do this?"
"We thought it was very necessary, child." Luna responded lovingly, giving a genuine smile as she did. "One shouldn't be ashamed to want a minute or two of comfort with another pony. It's only natural for social creatures such as us."
"I mean, you're right but... okay fine, this is kind of nice, but this doesn't mean anything."
"Fair enough, thou fault in stallion pride shall be kept a secret. Though, if thou friends dreams told us anything, it never was a secret to begin with." Darklo rolled away from his position, clearly done with Luna's teasing.
"Alright, I feel much better now so I think I'm ready to get back in the drivers seat. Do you have anymore questions?"
"Actually yes." Luna arose from her previously comfortable position as her galactic mane blended in with the environment around them. "Art thou fine with leaving thou old name behind?"
"Heh, I've been Darklo for a long while now. And besides, it's a name of my own so it's grown on me. I like it, and that's all I need."
Luna nodded and her horn glowed dark blue, encompassing the world in a bright light. And as the colt's vision and consciousness slowly faded, he listened to Luna's final message.
"Now when you awaken, just keep in mind, little storm bringer. We shall always be here if you need to talk."
SNAP
Darklo's eyes shot open as he stared blankly at what looked like a spiral of wind. "What the hell happened while I was out?" he mumbled inquisitively, inspecting the endless whirlwind he was in until the colt laid eyes on his glowing horn. "Oh, I almost forgot I was going under a magic surge... OH SHIT MY MAGIC SURGE!"
Darklo immediately focused his efforts on shutting off the magical pathways in his horn and eventually, it worked as the horn finally fizzled out. But then the colt began descending quickly from the sky as the hurricane subsided. Darklo tried to use air alchemy, or even fire, but neither would activate, leading him to panic.
Oh crap, how much magic did I use? Shoot shoot shoot! Why am I so exhausted? Uhh, oh wait. I'm still at the swamp, so I should be underneath the water. It'll be disgusting, but at least- Darklo twisted his head to look at the ground, only to see a steaming crater where the lake should've been. OH COME ON! Unfortunately, he realised he had to accept his fate and closed his eyes, preparing for the impact.
But it never arrived, puzzling the colt until he inspected his surroundings and witnessing his body wrapped up in a purple magic. A very familiar purple magic.
"DARKLO!" The emotional cry of a familiar unicorn mare pulled him to the floor and gave him a bone shattering hug. "Oh Celestia, I'm SO glad you're alright!"
"Ack! yeah no worries, Luna had to give me a good pep talk but it all worked out in the end."
Eventually, everypony gathered around the pair and gave them a reassuring smile while Darklo's friends went to hug him as well. Sensing that their mission was complete, the guards let down their professional facade for just a moment and ride along with the mood. Meanwhile, Celestia closed her eyes, letting everything flow over before opening her mouth. "So then little Darklo, although I may not have seen what my sister has, you've probably have a new letter to send to somepony. Do you not?"
"Yeah, i think so. Twilight, Spike, would you mind lending me a hoof?"
And with and from his adoptive family members, he took a scroll and quill and began to write.
Dear Princess Luna,
Today has been nothing short of an emotional experience, however thanks for your help, I think I'll be able to continue pursuing my ideals for as long as it takes me. But overall, I learnt that it's okay to feel guilty about things in the past as long as you don't let it control your life. I should think of this as a brand new start in my journey, and you should too. Nightmare Moon may be a part of you, but those days are over. It's now your era to show your worth. So until next time friend!
From your unlikely friend, Darklo.
The day was finally over and the night had erupted over the tree house. Twilight, Spike and Darklo were all asleep, but their dreams went completely different directions, as Spike became a muscular dragon saving Rarity from another bigger dragon, and Twilight became Celestia's right-hoof mare. However when Darklo awakened into the realm, he noticed that it was a place he never could've thought of.
The walls were painted with stars and solar systems and the windows were clear as day with framed that were laced with silver. The floor was a sky blue rug that felt soft to the touch and the bed was royal sized with starry quilts, pillows and somepony he knew.
"Luna?"
"Hello little storm bringer. Let's have a chat, shall we?"
"Alright, onto experiment number 14." Twilight stated clearly to the colt 20 feet away along with Spike who sat on her back, as he usually does. Meanwhile, a group of ponies watched on from random benches laced around the community park, prepared to watch the famous colt do something groundbreaking, which was especially true for a rosy maned mare and her two sisters who had front row seats. "You ready Darklo?"
"Sure thing, fire away sis!" Darklo ordered confidently and the unicorn obliged, firing an array of attack spells at the colt, who responded with a barrier faster than a cowboy could quick draw their pistol. Once the magical bullets landed on the defensive barrier, they rather dissipated on impact or were deflected into the sky and fizzled out.
Twilight continued the onslaught while Spike tallied down the number of attacks she was using, and the only sign of Darklo struggling was the look of concentration in his eyes. Eventually, the colt observed that Twilight's firing rate was slowly decreasing which allowed him to dispell his barrier, swerve to the right and fire his own offensive spell coated in alchemic electricity. However tiredness did not mean that his sister slacking. She immediately erected a barrier of her own that absorbed the shot on contact, though shockingly, a small crack was made, surprising the unicorn and causing a chorus of claps from the passerby audience.
"Woah, that's really impressive Darklo! You've definitely gotten much better with your magic, especially in such a short time frame."
"I wouldn't say a few months is a short time frame, but you're the expert here."
"Spike, the clipboard please." Twilight requested and Spike delivered, handing over the sheet of information for the mare to analyse. "Oh my, if we compare your results from when we first started to now, you're magical capacity has increased drastically by 640% and you're magical intensity 450%!"
"Wow, that's about a 5.45x growth rate on average. Is that the exact multiplier of a magic surge?"
"Well no, most ponies have a varied level of magic locked in themselves that's been restricted and built up for foals protection, so the magic surge will release all of it in one go once the body realises that it's matured enough to endure the strain."
"And since the average age of maturity for a magic surge is about 5 years old, you've had 8 more years worth of magical build up, which is why yours was so explosive."
"Exactly Spike, you're kind of like me in that sense, I was also a late bloomer and boy was my magic surge quite the trouble for those examiners."
"Okay, I get the magical capacity part, but how has my magical intensity grown that much?" Darklo asked inquisitively as he trotted next to the pair, which put him in range for a classic pat on the head.
"That, I have a few assumptions." Twilight smiled proudly at him. "Like those late night practice sessions you do in this very park, or the times you've been experimenting with your magic. It's like a muscle, after all. The more you use your power, the stronger it becomes."
"Oh, right. I guess that makes sense- wait you knew about that? How though? I made sure to leave when you were asleep." Darklo stammered until he caught eyes with the purple lizards who was whistling to the side innocently.
"It's alright Darklo, I don't mind that you want to keep practicing, but please tell me next time. If Spike hadn't told me before I found out, things might have ended a little differently."
Darklo nodded, albeit, with a little hesitance due to that last sentence, and they walked out of the park and back onto the street. "So what's next on the chopping block?"
Twilight lifted her nose in the air and gave a relaxed smile. "Glad you asked, we are heading into the Everfree to meet Zecora and have a taste of her homebrewed tea."
"Ugh, tea... isn't that just water with leaves?" Spike asked, his tongue sticking out from disgust.
"Uh yeah, no hate Twilight but I'm more of a coffee kind of pony."
"Coffee? When did you even try coffee? Haven't I told you that stuff is bad for you" Twilight raised her eyebrow in suspicion while the colt shrugged complacently.
"It just tastes nice. My taste buds don't lie to me and tea just tastes like water to me, I'm with Spike on this one."
"Well maybe you haven't tried a good brew before. Trust me, you will love it."
"Doubt it." The colt and dragon said in unison, resulting some light hearted banter between the sibling unit. That was until a couple eccentric fillies zoomed towards them, 2 of which separated in different directions to play hide and seek while the unicorn filly stopped near the colt.
"Darklo, look what I made for us!" Sweetiebelle excitedly pulled out a crimson cape adorned in a cute golden emblem of a galloping pony. Though, on closer observation, Darklo could tell that his friend was telling the truth as the cape looked a little scruffy and the threads were still visible around the ridges. Still, it was a gift and he sure wasn't about to let that go to waste so he took it and equipped the piece of clothing.
"Oh wow. This is sick, Belle. You definitely outdone yourself with these."
"Gee, thanks." And so, she sped off to participate in what her other friends were doing. Eventually, Fluttershy came into view, who was guiding them a second ago before they ran off to play.
"We are going to Zecoras through the Everfree to try some of her special tea," Twilight said happily, "though some of us don't seem to understand how good tea is." Her eyes slinted at her brothers as they averted their gazes, clearly knowledgeable of her wrath. However, that wasn't what made Fluttershy jump in shock.
"T-The Everfree Forest? Oh, I don't know how you keep visiting there, it's way too dangerous for ponies."
"Well, we aren't just any pony, we have a Celstial scholar, an Everfree veteran... and a dragon."
"Hey! Why didn't you give ME a fancy title?"
"Alright, if you want one so badly 'great and glorious assistant'." While Spike gleamed in approval of the rephrasing, Twilight watched the fillies hide around the most ridiculous places.
"So what's with taking care of the girls?"
"Oh, Rarity needed some time to herself and so I agreed to let them sleepover for the night." The words 'sleepover' had caught the colts attention as he looked back to the gentle pegasus.
"You sure, you can handle them Fluttershy? I know my friends well and... they aren't exactly the most chill bunch."
"Oh, it'll be alright Darklo. Besides, do these angels look like they'd cause trouble?" And on cue, the Crusaders lined up and put on their best halos 😇. Though, as much as it fooled Fluttershy, Darklo was unamused. He knew those glistening puppy dog eyes from anywhere and as their most common victim, he had a job to do.
"Hey, how about I join you girls. It's gotta be better than sipping tea anyway."
"Sure, I'd love to have more company." Fluttershy responded as Twilight looked at him stonefaced while the Crusaders cheered loudly.
"Yeaaah Cutie Mark Crusader Sleepover is now at full capacity!"
The group had just entered Fluttershy's House and things already became hectic as the fillies immediately tried to go into the Everfree for monster catching cutie marks. Seriously, the talents they come up with is insane! But once Fluttershy logically denied that request, they rushed around the place, scaring the birds around the house and even bouncing on Angel's bed which woke the rabbit.
"Hey, g-girls, can we please settle down?" Fluttershy hopelessly asked while the chaos continued and Angel was tapping his foot angrily at Darklo. "Hey, it wasn't my fault they landed on your bed. Consider it revenge for the chaos you put me and Spike under during that dragon incident." The little menace squeaked and pointed to the other animals, trying to make his point. "Buddy, I'm not Fluttershy. You won't be successful if you think charades will help me understand."
"He's saying you should stop them before they cause more of a mess."
"Oh right." Darklo paused before clearing his lungs. "Alright Crusaders, stand to attention!" He shouted, which they all heard and listened to, sitting in front of the colt. "Good work. But I'm not the leader tonight, that's Fluttershy's job so please be nice." Silence filled the room as the fillies flicked their gaze back from Darklo to the pegasus, forcing the colt to whisper in her ear. "Set up a game or something."
"Oh right. Uhm, how about a game everypony?"
"What kind of game?" Applebloom questioned while tilting her head along with her friends.
"Let's go with a quiet game."
"..." That's the best she could come up with? Darklo thought, but then again, it was Fluttershy he was talking about so who knows. The game might have been something she played before.
"All you need to do is stay quiet for the longest. I'm the running champion, I bet you can't beat me." The mare smiled innocently before filling her lungs full of air, initiating the quiet game.
1...2...3
"I lose!"
"Me too!"
"Me three!"
And the trio were off again, making Fluttershy exhale dissapointedly. "Please girls, you will wake the animals."
"... huh, guess I'm now the champion." Darklo concluded, though his light hearted joke was ignored as Scootallo, Applebloom and Sweetiebelle draped a rug and basket over themselves to replicate some kind of beast and glided towards Darklo.
"Rawr, I'm a creature from the Everfree Forest. I am going to eat yoooou."
Darklo glared non-chalantly at the bootleg monster and smirked. "And I'm Darklo, monster hunting extraordinaire and practitioner of the runic arts, you are no match more me, beast."
"We shall see about that!" The monster edged closer to him but by a stroke of divine retribution, the rug caught on a nail with resulted in the three barrelling out of the covers and into a table, breaking it.
Realising their mistake, they looked down in shame. "Oh, we're sorry Fluttershy, guess we aren't much of monster hunters after all."
Fluttershy sighed in relief, finally seeing that the havoc was over. "That's alright girls, Il just have to get that fixed another time-"
"No worries, I got this." Darklo interrupted, moving to the broken pieces and grabbing them all in magic. With a few moments of observing the broken pieces, he put them together and nailed it like a jig-saw puzzle until it was complete. But the end result looked a little less like the original. "Oh, damn. That nail doesn't look like it should be there. Sorry."
"It's okay Darklo. A table is still a table, Il just repaint it another day. Now then, it's time to go to bed little foals." Fluttershy responded and pushed them all upstairs with her head.
"Awww, but we arent tired yet." The fillies said instinctively but the mare didn't listen, though Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle thought of something else. "Maybe we can do some rune magic stuff! I've always wanted to fly around like Darklo does."
"Uhm girls, it's much too late for-"
"Yeah! Darklo please can you teach us? You promised us a lesson."
"I-I know I promised but not tonight. Trust me, Il schedule it as soon as I can." The colt placated, though, Darklo's eye twitched at a certain problem once they arrived in the guest room. "Uhm, there's only one bed." He said, hopping on the bed and observing it's size. "And I think only 3 can fit in here. Oh well." Darklo walked past them and out the room. "Il just take the couch."
But the colt was halted by Fluttershy, who blocked his path. "Oh no, you need to do that, you can take my bed if you can't fit, and it's got enough room."
"Fluttershy, thanks for the offer but I'mma have to decline. I basically invited myself, so I'll take the more humble accommodation." Darklo continued his march downstairs after looking back at them one last time. "Goodnight girls."
Fluttershy carefully watched the colts descent out of sight, and sighed. She had come to terms with Darklos stubborn nature ever since he foolhardedly battled against an ursa minor, but she thought he'd loosen up with his friends around. Yes, he looked happy, but there was just something foal-like that was missing from him and the kind pegasus couldn't put her hoof on it. Either way, she silently hoped he would figure it out someday and got back to tucking the girls into bed.
Darklo walked through the first floor of Fluttershy's cottage and laid on the couch, levitating a blanket to cover himself with. It felt slightly unnerving in the dark, as a couple of the animals were sleeping on the hard floor while the birds slept soundly in their birdhouses, completely unmoved. It was like one ding of a bell would wake them all up.
Attempting to relinquish that thought, he turned his head to the nearby window.Maybe a bit of outdoor scenery can help with some shut eyes. Huh, the stars are quite abundant tonight. Wonder what the special occasion is- woah what the heck?! Unfortunately, his minute of star-gazing came to an abrupt end when a falcon landed on the windowsil and shot a commanding gaze at him.
Once he fully understood the creatures identity, he sighed in relief and pushed the blankets off, climbing onto the windowsill and opening it. Immediately, he could feel the force of wind pusuhing against his fur. "Rough night out there eh?"
"Caw!" The renegade falcon extended its wings in what looked like a way of accepting the colts invitation as it flew inside and roosted on the arm of the couch. Darklo locked the window again, so the sleeping critters wouldn't catch any noise and sat back down to meet the majestic bird at eye level.
"Well make yourself at home, I'm sure Fluttershy would love to have you here. Just don't bother me nor the animals. I'm gonna get to sleep and they already are. So don't be a bad roommate 'kay?"
"Ca caw..." The falcon replied in a lower pitch than before
"Good, or I hope you're agreeing to those terms." Darklo threw the covers back over himself and shut his eyes, preparing himself to wander into dreamland. And those minutes of silence, were spent pondering to himself while the tired falcon hopped onto his back and ruffled its feathers on the blanket. Man, I should probably think about setting up a alchemy lesson if more ponies wanna ask. Wonder how Scoots and Belle will do with it...should I maybe give them separate signs that benefit their skillsets or just start with fire like I did with Bloom? Spike's a good scheduler, maybe I can ask hi- ouch! "Mr falcon, watch the claws!" Darklo said, prompting the creature to relinquish its hold.
With a sigh, Darklo activated his horn and pulled the falcon off him, setting it inside the blankets with him. "That better?"
"Caaaaw..." The falcon pridefully puffed its plumage like it were a softball and rubbed its neck on the fabric.
"Il take that as a yes." The colt smiled and buried his head on the couch pillow, gently stroking the falcons feathers as his muscles relaxed and hid eyes fell heavy.
...
But the silence was immediately cut what sounded like Sweetiebelle sang a song that carried its way downstairs and into every creatures earholes Darklos included. It was like she was using her normal voice right next to him and by what Darklo could presume as pony logic, the walls began to vibrate from the sound waves, free ordiments and plant pots tipping dangerously far.
"Uuurggh, what got Belle into a musical mood this time?" The colt peeked his head out of the covers, to the falcons chagrin and spotted a horrible sight. The animals were awake, and they weren't happy. Harry the bear was standing up, growling above his head as if he could see the filly through the wood whilst the birds flew out of their perches to tweet their protests. And worst of all, Angel had hopped onto the couch and gave Darklo a scowl, arms crossed and eyes exhausted.
"Hey, for once, I'm on your side! I didn't think they would be singing themselves to sleep." Angel continued to burn his thoughts into his brain, resulting in the colt groaning while the falcon watched under the covers. "Alright then, gimme a second." Darklo conceded, his horn ignited again and a golden bubble erupted from it which took up half of the room. Once it was fully constructed, the sounds from the outside was merely white noise, allowing the animals inside the barrier to calm down. Eventually the animals outside the barrier connected the dots and walked/flew inside.
The combination of small and large critters piled around the couch was almost suffocating, but it was rather that or let the critters go on a wild rampage, so the colt had no choice but to make it work. "There, you happy now?" Angel nodded proudly, smirking widly at the kids discomfort. "Gee thanks, little rascal. You're just like Lepus, you know that?" Angel raised an eyebrow at the random name drop but shrugged hopping off the mass of creatures. And so, he shifted among the fur and feathers until the colt found a comfortable spot and let himself go limp. Strangely enough, the falcon was still resting beside him, rubbing its head on his chest which made him chuckle.
"Eheheh... Alright lil guy settle down. That tickles! And goodnight everyone. Sorry for the disturbance." Darklo whispered as his consciousness drifted off. Though the short chirping and growls of appreciation at least gave him comfort before everything fell black.
Reality returned to Darklo as quickly as he left it as his ears could pick up a sequence of panicked grunts and apologies. "Sorry, sorry. Oh! Sorry Harry, could you wake up Darklo? It's urgent!"
"Grrooor."
"I know, while I'm glad he helped you get back to sleep, I need his help... I can't go into the Everfree Forest alone!"
Darklos cognitive thinking finally snapped back to consciousness once the infamous phrase entered his ears as he opened his eyes and teleported out of the admittedly comfortable blanket of animals to meet Fluttershy. "What do you mean the Everfree?" Darklo took a second to yawn, a consequence of being abruptly woken up. "Can't it wait 'till morning?"
"No no, you don't understand, the girls went in there to find one of my chickens!"
"..." Darklo facehoofed. "Of course they would pull something the minute I left, dammit."
"W-Why aren't you scared. Shouldn't you be worried?"
"Fluttershy, scared isn't even the half of it. But I can at least be assured that Bloom has the power to stay safe. As long as they don't split up, they should be able to live long enough for us to find them." In a flash, Darklo draped the CMC cape over himself and ran out the door. "You coming or what?"
"O-oh, right!" And so she followed suit behind the colt and they ventured into the woods where the trail led. Meanwhile, the falcon flew on top of the cottage and observed their departure, wisely pondering the safety of its harbingers before gliding into the same direction.
The moon had reached it's apex, shining its light down on the pair. Though, the sight was rather strange as the older mare steadily and fearfully crept behind the stone-faced colt while he held a barrier around them, powered by lightning from his alchemy. "Fluttershy, for the last time, nothing's gonna jump out at us. Animals are clever creatures, so they won't pick fights with things that seem too risky like this electrical barrier."
"I know, b-but that won't stop some from trying. And what if we run into a Cockatrice? They will just turn us to stone!"
"Then I'll kill it. Petrification DOES end once they are dead due to the link between their magic and their victims. I thought that was a no-brainer."
Fluttershy gasped in shock, turning into a completely different pony as she paced beside the colt. "Darklo, not everything needs to be a life or death situation. These creatures only do what they do to survive, so its not right to end them when there are alternatives."
"Alternatives, like what? Once a cockatrice has its gaze on you, it becomes a question of 'can the beast stay alive before their target dies?'. I mean what am I supposed to do, politely ask it to stop glaring at me?"
"M-maybe?"
Darklo shook his head. In any other situation, he'd accept Fluttershy's pro animal talk and move on, but there were just some things he couldn't except. Should anypony be in danger, morals shouldn't be put to factor. It was like Principal Vir would say to him, "Action comes through logic, inaction comes from emotion, but both are limited to you, and you alone."
Damn dick. Even when I'm away from your cruel ass, your teachings manage to stick somehow.
"Oh Darklo, I think I see somepony!" Fluttershy said, leading the colt to squint his eyes and in fact, see a pony standing near some mountains. Actually, there was a smaller creature right next to them, giving Darklo enough insight to know their identity.
"Hey, I think that's Twilight and Spike. Didn't think their little tea trip would take 'till midnight but woo, am I glad I avoided that." Darklo picked up the pace along with the pegasus and eventually got close to them. "Twilight, Spike. What you guys doing standing around like...that."
The colt wasn't met with the colourful purple coat and scales he was used too, he couldn't even pick up the scent of lavender with his nose. All that greeted him was a still statue of Twilight and Spike, the image of horror etched on their faces. Immediately, the colt's mind raced for possibilities.
God dammit! And just when we were talking about those cockatrice... how am I gonna even find the one that did this? He thought to himself, staring at the floor with pure concentration. Fuck it, I dont care what Fluttershy thinks, Il wipe out their entire species if I have to. They arent gonna get away with this!
A soft hoof rested on his back, prompting him to look back at the gentle mare with a look of panic. "I-its alright Darklo. We just need to find it, and look, there's still footprints."
Darklo exhaled deeply and nodded. "Alright. Let's just make this quick... wait. Those tracks are going where the girls are going..." A single pause and the colt was gone, electricity trailing the direction he ran, leaving Fluttershy to squeal in fright and fly in pursuit.
Many ideas flooded into his mind and most weren't good. What if they got petrified too? Can I find the cockatrice in time? And can the statues break? What happens to them if that occurs? Argh, no time to think, just go! He bounced on trees and sped along the path of tracks until he finally saw something new, which made him hit the breaks.
It was the girls, but they were watching a strange piller of earth. "What should we do with it?"
"Well, it's not the chicken we were after so can't we just leave it here?"
"Ah'm not so sure, we'd be leavin' it to die in there. I think Il let it out."
"WAIIIIT!" Darklo shouted, making the fillies flinch and turn back to face their friend, whose hooves were covered in mud. "Are you all alright?"
"Woah, chill Darklo. We're fine."
"...huh?" Darklo went under a minor factory reset as he looked at the minature earth prison.
"Yeah, I caught the little rascal in a dirt pyramid so it couldn't turn us to stone."
"Oh... Well great job Bloom. Can't believe I doubted you for a second." Damn, how did I forget that... must've been the heat of the moment. Rubbing his head in embarrasment, the colt returned to his serious self and walked beside them, listening to the speaking and constant pecking of the cockatrice inside the prison.
The three looked mildly nervous as they watched the colt stare at it, though Sweetiebelle thought to address it more than anypony. "So, uhm. What's with the thousand yard stare buddy?"
"Nothing much, just found the cockatrice that turned Twilight and Spike to stone."
"..."
"And you know how to turn them back right?" Scootaloo asked.
"Yeah, and even if ya don't, Zecora's hut is just few paces away-"
"That won't be necessary Bloom." Darklo placated, igniting his horn and constructing the sign of Glacio (the ice sign) above earth pyramid. "Once the thing is lifeless inside a frozen block of ice, Twilight and Spike should be reverted. This should only take a second."
"Wait what?!" The Crusaders sprang in the air and zipped in front of the colt.
"Uhm girls, step aside please. You could get ice on your tails."
"No, we can't let you kill it, Darklo." Scootaloo stated defiantly.
"Yeah, it's got a life too. We don't know if it's got a family or not!" Sweetiebelle chimed.
"Ah know ya wanna save Twilight and Spike, but there's gotta be another way." Applebloom said worriedly.
"Girls, you can't talk with an animal like that! It'll put you in stone, seconds before you can even say 'what's your name'." Darklo grunted, the sign of glacio chilling the air around them. "It's the logical choice with the least amount of risk and I'd rather have my family on Equus than a being without reason, now please get behind me. Before I do something Il regret."
The fillies tensed up at those words. Although they were 99% confident that the colt was just bluffing, there was still that 1% crawling in their minds. It was his family's life at stake so maybe. Just maybe. He'd pull the trigger.
Luckily though, the draw landed on the majority as Fluttershy finally caught up to them. "Darklo, please don't... oh. T-thank Celestia you haven't done anything yet."
"Fluttershy!" The Crusaders cheered, running towards her. "You can tell the cockatrice to release Twilight and Spike can't you?"
"Uhm, I-I don't know. But I can try..." Fluttershy responded meekly, but once she looked to Darklo who had the eyes of a hungry beast, she steeled herself. "Alright. Applebloom, release it please."
And the apple filly obliged, drawing an earth sign and stepping on it, leading the earth construct to sink back into the ground, revealing the cockatrice. Everypony, except Fluttershy, ducked for cover under a big tree root, which left her to observe the creature. It was like a chimera of sorts, comprised of a chicken head and the lower body of a snake as it slithered towards Fluttershy and gave her a look of contempt.
"Uhm, excuse me. You turned my friends into stone back there, would you be kind enough to release them? It would be much appreciated." Unfortunately, the spiteful little creature didn't take kindly to her words and gave her a red, petrifying stare. The fillies gasped when they saw the mares hooves slowly shine like stone at the corner of their vision.
Darklo was gritting his teeth in frustration, tapping his hooves like a certain rabbit he knew. "See, it ain't working. Now let me just-" But as he was about to vault over the root and blast the pest to oblivion, his actions were interrupted by Applebloom holding him.
"Come on, Darklo. Just wait a little longer, she's got this."
"But she's literally stone to her waist now, if I don't do someth-"
"Pleeeease? Just trust me on this."
"..." The puppy dog eyes... the god damn puppy dog eyes! "uuugh, fine. But if this goes wrong, I'm crushing the thing wether you like it or not."
With the pair finally on the same page, they returned to watch Fluttershy and for once, only Darklo was surprised at what was displayed.
"You really think it's nice to turn ponies to stone? They weren't even trying to hurt you, your mother would be ashamed!" The mare had apparently gained a backbone and stared daggers into the cockatrice, terrifying it and wavering its petrifying hold on its target. "Do you even know how much stress you put that colt under? I mean, how would you feel if somepony just showed up and turned YOUR family into stone, huh?"
By some miracle, the cockatrice backed away in fear while Fluttershy maintained a sturdy appearance, her face inches away from it. "Now you're going to return my friends, Twilight and Spike back to normal and I BETTER not catch you doing that again." And the creature instinctually obliged as the stone that crept up Fluttershy's waist shattered. "Do I make myself clear?"
One quick nod and the cockatrice ran away with its tail between its legs. Darklo merely watched the tiny rascal flee into the thick greenery. Did... did that really just happen?
He just watched, dumbfounded as the Crusaders exited their hiding spot and hugged the mare happily while Fluttershy looked back at him. "See Darklo? Everything's alright now and nopony got hurt."
"I...I guess so. But how did you even do that?"
"Oh, Fluttershy has some cool stare powers that can control animals!" Scootaloo explained. "She did it on the chickens while you were downstairs."
Well, I guess that's another crazy thing I can add to the list. But his thoughts were interrupted by the faint rustling of bushes and a familiar unicorn and dragon escaping from them. Seeing them, made the colt sigh in relief as he walked up to them. "So, how was your trip?" Darklo said, grinning cheekily.
"Ugh, come on Darklo! But if you must know, the tea was amazing. Spike enjoyed it too." Twilight shifted her gaze to her assistance who looked back, ashamed.
"Well, I guess I underestimated Zecora a little."
"Uhuh." The colt puffed his lips, unconvinced. "But aside from that, how in blazes did the both of you get caught glaring at a cockatrice? No way you got caught by surprise when keeping your guard up is the number 1 rule in this forest."
Darklo pointed at them in a lecturely tone, almost mirroring Twilight which felt mildly freaky to the mare in question. "W-well, we kind of got distracted."
"Yeah!" Spike interjected. "We came across this weird tombstone on our way back and Twilight wanted us to pay respects to it."
Darklo raised an eyebrow at his sister who chuckled awkwardly. "It's the most respectful thing to do right?" And at those words, Darklo could recall an army of graves flash through his mind which resulted in a somber nod.
"Yeah. Your right, sorry for sounding a little broody."
"It's alright brother. Would you like to see it?"
"...Yeah, I think I'll do that." Darklo turned back to face the the hugging group. "Fluttershy, could you bring them back to the cottage? I'm gonna go back with them."
"Oh, of course. Just be safe, now come on girls let's get back to bed." Fluttershy guided the fillies home with a lot less struggle than hours ago while Darklo followed Twilight and Spike along a steep path.
Dear Princess Celestia and Luna,
Today's lesson wasn't something I thought I'd need to address, but I've still got more to learn so here we are. My go-to responce against dangerous threats has always been to fight back before they strike first, but thanks to my friends and a very gentle pony, I see the merits in taking a passive stance before resorting to action. Still, time will only tell if I can put this lesson into practice.
From your fearless colt, Darklo.
Finishing the letter, he looked over the paper to observe the grave right in front of him. The plaque bore no name, no date, nothing but a row of lilies lining the base of the stone.
Calmly, he flew the scroll into Spike's hands and let the two watch as he sat down, lowered his head and connected his front hooves. He hadn't thought about how ponies see religion, they don't have a God nor do they worship any other deities other than the Princesses, but even so, the colt had seen through the heavenly veil and reached an understanding with a higher power. So he stayed like that for a minute, wishing the mystery pony a safe passage into the pearly gates.
Though, the identity of the mystery pony did come to his head. "You know, I like to think that Dad's under here. The grave seems new and his corpse wasn't too far from here, so there's a possibility, right?"
Twilight gave a sympathetic smile of approval while Spike walked over and laid a claw on his back. "I guess so. But that shouldn't matter anymore, your dad will always be with you no matter the form he's in. I mean look at me, I don't even know my parents and I came out just fine."
Although mildly depressing, Darklo smiled back at the dragon and nodded. "True, you really are the best brother a pal can ask for. Even better if you agreed to join me on my training routines." The colt grinned as Spike paced backwards, claws pressed out.
"Woah, maybe dial it back a bit. I don't wanna be a sweating heap!"
"Never stopped me before."
Spike rolled his eyes and walked away with Twilight. Darklo was about to follow them until he looked back to the grave after hearing a caw behind him. The falcon from before had met his gaze as it perched on the stone with one eye flaring into his soul and reignited the fire within. The colt smiled at the bird and waved goodbye before wandering back into the green.
I'm free to make my choices here. God gave me this chance and so I'll keep going. No regrets!
Darklo sat idly on a chair, kicking his hooves back on the desk while rereading his notes from the Clover Memory Book. Meanwhile, Spike sat next to him and revised the notes Darklo had passed to him, correcting and adding things as he saw fit. "Hm, you sure they can handle this Darklo?" The dragon turned to face the colt as he set down his book. "I mean no offence to your friends, but they don't seem like the most patient ponies, especially when learning."
"Huh?" Darklo readjusted his sitting position while attempting to understand Spike's concerns. "Don't worry Spike, I'm pretty sure they can pull it off. Besides, I was able to teach Bloom so how hard can Scoots and Belle be?" Spike shrugged and returned to revising the notes diligently. "Trust me bro. This day will be just fine, I've got you to back me up after all, Spike 'the Great and Glorious Assistant'." A quick grin from Darklo seemed to ease the lizard's thoughts if the innocent smile mean anything, as Spike checked the clock on the bark of the library and placed the notes into his bag.
"Heh, I guess I'm pretty great," Spike mimicked pridefully, "though I don't see why you need me. I can't do the stuff you do."
"Exactly!" Darklo got off the chair and booped Spike on the nose, baffling the little dragon.
"W-What?"
"It's BECAUSE you can't that will make you perfect to help me. I know you've been reading the transcripts in my book for a while now, so maybe a different perspective on my style will work better for them. Hell, it was my lack of insight on it that hindered Bloom for a while so I can't solely rely on myself. I'm no teacher after all, I'm a learner and who better to help coach me than a guy whose been with Twilight for so long?"
Spike took a second to ponder what Darklo had just said, Me? A teacher? Can I really do that, I haven't been much help these days so how?... His thoughts were overtaken by a wave of anxiety until he looked back at Darklo who walked to the front door. Ugh, snap out of it Spike! Darklo trusts that you got this and he hasn't been wrong yet, so why stay on the side lines again?"
Spike's face calmed himself until he felt purely resolute and walked beside Darklo who was talking to somepony. Somepony he knew very well (Maybe a little too well). Rarity.
"I'm so sorry the shipment took so long, I just had so many orders and the time I had to recover after Sweetiebelle's little mishap was too much to focus on your request."
"Oh, that's alright Rarity!" Darklo nodded sympathetically, his formal smile never leaving him. "As long as it was done before the Grand Galloping Gala, I don't care how long it took." Spike scratched his scales in confusion while he looked at the finely wrapped gift, adorned in a blue ribbon which floated into the house and onto the desk.
"What's in it?" Spike questioned, resulting in the ponies glancing back at him.
"Oh nothing Spikey-wikey, I'm just repaying the favour for Darklo, nothing more."
Spike's eyes became hearts at the nickname, but Darklo didn't feel the same way as his fur shivered. Uggh, that sounds like something a doting grandma would say, how he can interpret that as a charming pet name, I will never know. In fact, how does that even work? Wait, if I were to like somepony as well, would that be bestiality or- Okay! I think I'm done thinking about this. "Y-Yeah, it's just some nice clothes for the Gala. You'll see them soon."
"Anyway Darklo, I hope you have a wonderful evening with the girls. I know Sweetiebelle is," Rarity cooed as if she knew something more, "if I know my sister, she should be here right about-"
"Sorry I'm late!" And the older sister was right on the marble as a snow coated filly ran towards them. "Me and the girls were just doing some finishing touches on our new meeting spot."
"Meeting spot?" Darklo asked, rubbing the back oh his head in thought. "But we never made a meeting spot, at least when we became friends and all."
"Hehe, that's because it was a surprise! You gotta see it, Applebloom spent hours on it." Sweetiebelle innocently grinned as she held Darklo by the hoof and guided him to the forest. Spike just watched their figures get smaller and smaller, completely zoned out of the situation until Rarity tapped him on the shoulders.
"Make sure the girls don't go too crazy alright?"
"O-Oh! Of course Rarity. See you around!" And so, the anxious dragon sped after the pair like his legs were wheels. meanwhile, the fashionista nodded to herself and wandered inside the library.
"Oh Twilight, the boys are gone now. Ready for our girls night out?"
"Just a minute!"
"Belle, you don't HAVE to drag me over. I got 4 hooves for that."
"Oh sorry about that. I'm just really excited." She finally realised her mistake and hastily let go of his hoof, smiling awkwardly as Spike caught up with them and tripped from the excessive running. "Now look alive, our Cutie Mark Crusading Clubhouse!" Spike and Darklo followed the direction of her giddy gaze and the two had to admit that it was worth the surprise.
There they saw a small wooden house etched into the bark of an apple tree: there was shudders, a door, a fence around the base of it. The normal stuff with the exception of a few loose nails around the more difficult spots. Though, what caught Darklo's eyes most of all was the staircase, as it was made out of solid earth and the steps looked like they could fold back into itself. Most likely a special touch from Applebloom.
Spike's jaw eventually closed itself as he picked himself up from the ground and clapped his hands. "Wow, this looks amazing. Right Darklo?"
"Agreed. The place looks like an adult made it, but who better to blow expectations out the water than Bloom?"
"Ah'm glad ya like it Darklo." Applebloom said, walking out of the clubhouse door and waving at them from above. She then stuck a sticky note on the edge of the stairs poured earth pony magic into it, forcing the steps to respond and fold inwards, making a slide. Spike watched in awe as she drifted along the slide and Scootaloo followed her down on her scooter, both halting near them while the stairs reverted to their original position.
"A retractable staircase eh? That's pretty smart Bloom, and I love what you've made. It's amazing!"
"Ehehe, aw shucks Ah just wanted to impress ya. It's not a big deal."
"Well, consider me impressed."
Spike had a sudden feeling of deja vu while watching the pair talk, not like he'd seen this before, but more like the dragon had been in their shoes. However, he couldn't put his finger on it so he decided to shrug it off and cough faintly. "Well, let's not keep ourselves waiting, should I set everything up in the club house?"
"Yeah, that will be great Spike. And he's right, best get this session started." Darklo followed Spike into the clubhouse as the Crusaders looked to each other.
"So Applebloom, you've been through this before. What kind of stuff do you think he had planned for us?" Sweetiebelle questioned, which led the apple filly to look to the sky.
"My guess, we are going to be startin' with usin' fire runes and then work our way through the rest one by one. That's what he did with me."
"Alright! This is going to be awesome." Scootaloo cheered as they joined Darklo into the clubhouse.
"Uhm, what is this?" Scootaloos face had turned from excitement to a hint of boredom when he cast his gaze on the chalkboard that Spike set up. It had a long list of symbols and annotations around them and the title at the top read 'General Alchemy'. "I thought we'd be learning how to use runic magic, not medicine."
"Don't let the title fool you Scoots. I'm just paraphrasing what the ancient civilisation wrote. They call the runic arts alchemy, so I will as well. It's that simple."
"But aren't we here to learn one sign at a time?" Applebloom tilted her head, her mind jumbled at the sheer amount of information on the chalk board. "Cause there's no way we are gonna remember all that, as much as Miss Cheerilee wants us to."
Spike decided to calm to waters by jumping onto the podium that Darklo leaned on. "Oh Darklo isn't going to teach you that just yet."
"What?!" The Crusaders suddenly erupted.
"But you promised we could try it."
"Yeah, you did it for Applebloom so why not us?"
"Not gonna lie Darklo, but that's kinda cruel."
"Please, please settle down, I have a valid reason for this." Darklo tilted his head to the side, revealing his awkward smile to the fillies. "Look, I'm not going to get you all to practice just yet. Not because I don't believe you can do it; we have evidence against that." Darklo winked at Applebloom while he continued. "But because I realise that I went too far with my tutoring the first time. Bloom may have learnt earth alchemy, but that was mainly through trial and error and my lack of insight on the general portions of it. So Spike and I have agreed that we should start off the session by laying out the fundamentals before we go into the practical parts."
"Twilight always said to me that nopony can hope to learn if they take a test before reading the content, and I say that notion works well with any kind of education."
"Well said Spike. So do you all understand?"
Applebloom nodded immediately and Sweetiebelle followed, but Scootaloo didn't budge. "If we get this basic stuff done right now, can we get to the cool stuff next time?"
"Of course. You have my word."
Scootaloo shifted her gaze from Darklo and Spike to the long annotations on the chalkboard before sighing and returning to her usual self. "Well, lets ace this already!"
"That's the spirit! I knew you would all be ready for the challenge." Darklo beamed at them while Spike walked towards the board and flipped it to the other side, which was a lot more simple than the nonsense behind it, adorning the title of 'Alchemy 101'. The fillies stared at the board, dumbfounded while the colt maintained a goofy grin. "Sorry for the rouse, I just had to be sure you were all serious about this. Don't worry, this shouldn't take too long, so may I bring your attention to the board. These are the 20 signs that had been documented!"
And the oblivious colt had already lost his students as they blankly skimmed writing and symbols drawn on the board. "I'd like you all to note this information down and take a few minutes each day to revise them. Some translations are explanatory with the signs, but it will be necessary to understand the kind of power you wish to project."
Hesitantly, the Crusaders took out a sheet of paper and wrote them down. While he waited for them, Darklo also caught Spike doing the same thing.Heh, I knew it. Let's see what you got buddy! After all eyes were back on him, he smiled and took an eraser in his magic and wiped it all away, prompting Scootaloo to raise her hoof.
"Got a question, Scoots?"
"Yeah, uhm, could you explain a few of those? There's just a few that aren't very explanatory." Scootaloo drew a few circles around the signs in question with her mouth and showed it to Darklo. "Like Caelum and Inane. What do they do?"
"Oh right. I guess those ones aren't too easy to imagine." Darklo nodded to himself and took Scootaloo's paper, pointing to the symbols they were assigned to. "Caelum, known as Heaven through translation, is a sign of benevolence which gifts the casters allies with a boost in their abilities. I say it's one of kinder forms of alchemy, second to Sano and Amplificare." Darklo's smile that he firmly held at the time suddenly turned sour as his hoof lowered to the sign below it. "But Inane is like the brother to Caelum. Closely related, but opposites in every way. It allows the caster to drain the energy of their victims, granting them a temporary, but extraordinary boost."
Applebloom and Sweetiebelle added that to their paper as Darklo handed Scootaloos back with a serious expression. "If I had to guess, this sign is by far the most cruel and dangerous one of them all. The ancient civilisation must have confused magic for energy just as I had, and you all know what can happen if a creature is drained of all its magic." Every creature in the room shuddered at the thought while Darklo internally grimaced. He knew well enough that the words he spoke didn't come from foolish theory. He saw the consequences a practitioner of that sign could do, and they were not pretty.God, bless those poor souls. Just imagining those pale boney bodies is enough for me... Can't believe I had to clean up Ira's vomit after that too. Thanks a lot Ira!
Darklo shook himself out of his thoughts when he noticed Spike glancing at him and the board. "Oh right, I'm getting off track. Lets move on." The colt walked to the board and drew three arrows that connected to each other in a circle. "Now, Bloom already knows this so I'm going to make this a little fun for the rest of you. Here I've made a positive feedback loop where-" Sweetiebelle raised her hoof immediately. "Yeah?"
"What a positive feedback loop?"
Darklo hoofpalmed, it felt like the 'hypothalamus' conversation all over again and frankly, the kid was not having it, wondering bleakly if their education was worse or his was just too prestigious. Probably the latter. Luckily, Spike picked up on his brothers furrowed brow and spike in his stead.
"It's a cycle of factors that continue to snowball, or increase. Like how a virus can infect a cell and reproduce, making more virus' to infect more cells."
"Well put, brother." Darklo's patient demeanour returned as things were put back into place and coughed into his hoof and directed it to the loop on the board. "As Spike correctly stated, this loop uses multiple factors that will continue to increase and it is primary that you know this, since the 3 factors that I shall mention are very important if you want to get better at alchemy. Finally, the fillies looked like they were being attentive as their kept their gaze on the board. "I'll start it off with a simple one." Darklo wrote down 'Mind' on the top of the circle. "Would any of you like to tell me why the mind is a necessary starting point?"
Applebloom had put her hand up while the rest had their hooves on their chins in thought. "Yes Bloom?"
"'Cause ya can't do something from within if ya can't understand what you're doin'"
"Correct." The colt smiled proudly at his first ever student. "All beings that have the gift of reason and intellect are capable of using alchemy. Though, that doesn't mean it's easy. Alchemy DOES require a good understanding of the world around themselves so I hope y'all like studying." Darklo grinned widely, clearly enjoying Scootaloos groans of frustration. Anyway, would anypony else, besides Bloom, want to guess the next one?"
No pony spoke for a few seconds, prompting the colt to sigh knowingly. "Alright then, think of it like this. The mind of alchemy is like a forge-pony building a sword as that forge-pony knows how to make the weapon and therefore, can perform it. If I say that the sword is the second factor in that analogy, what is the second factor for this?" Silence filled the room again, but Spike put his claw in the air.
"Oh oh I think I got it! It's magic, right?"
"Heh, well you're probably correct."
"Probably?" Every creature asked in confusion.
"I say that cause the ancient civilisation called it the body. But, I feel like that isn't too necessary as magic is the main factor that allows one to wield alchemy."
"Wait, so all them exercises ya made me do was for nothin'" Applebloom pouted her cheeks, remembering the long runs Darklo coached her into on their first few lessons.
"Hey now, I didn't say strengthening your body wasn't effective. Earth pony magic comes from your physical capabilities, after all. It's just focusing on that wont help for every creature. Now where was I?"
"Magic." Spike commented.
"Right... so magic can help one put those thoughts into action and fire out the desired sign."
"But how would other creatures train their magic if they can't use it like unicorns?" Sweetiebelle questioned.
"Glad you asked. Every creature, from what I've seen, has some sort of role in the world that connects to their magic. Earth ponies with their strength, pegasi with their flight, unicorns with their natural magical affinity, so on and so forth."
"W-what about dragons?" Spike's voice crackled a little, which got the colt's attention as he looked at him hopefully.
"I think dragons would be on the same boat as unicorns due to their affinity with fire magic." Darklo smiled and patted his little brothers head. "So don't worry 'bout that bro."
"But... what about me?" Scootaloo asked worriedly, everypony now looking at her lowered gaze. "I can't even fly, I mean just look at these wings!" To make her point, she flapped them like a humming bird, which only pulled her a few centimeters off the ground before landing again. "Did you really do all this just to tell me it's impossible?"
"No. No I did not." Darklo shook his head firmly as he watched Sweetiebelle and Applebloom put their hooves on their friends back in comfort. "Although I admit, training your magic will be difficult, you still have magic which will be enough to make it work. A forge-pony can make a sword out of wood and rope if they are cunning enough, so you too can use your magic to perform alchemy with enough tutoring. I promise."
At last, Darklo could see the light spark from the orange filly's eyes and a smile shaped her lips. "R-really?"
"Really. I'll gouge my left eye if I'm wrong!"
"..."
That comment left every creature scrambling in a panic, spouted words like, 'don't do that' and 'you're not serious right' which prompted the colt to chuckle. "Come on, you ever heard of a joke?" No creature gave him a response, unless violence counted as one, since Darklo felt a light jab bruise his left shoulder.
"Don't joke around makin' promises like that! We trust ya word already, so none of that horse radish. Ya hear?" Applebloom gave the colt a firm look which actually made him avert his gaze.
"Uh, sure thing. Sorry."
"Apology accepted." She reverted back to her innocent visage and returned to her seat near the Crusaders, obviously proud of herself.
Man, and I thought the puppy dog eyes were deadly... The colt thought with a sweat as he coughed into his hoof and reset the flow of the lesson. "So now, can anyone figure out the last one? Think carefully now, as it's not as obvious as the others." Applebloom raised her hoof again, but was shut down by the colt. "I know you know it Bloom, let your friends exercise their brains for a moment." The filly nodded in compliance while the rest pondered the answer. Eventually, Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo nodded at each other and spoke in sync.
"The soul!" Darklo's eyes shot open in amazement, blinking vacantly before writing it down on the board.
"Huh, yeah you're both right. Well done. Maybe these lessons wont be as hard as I thought." The colt grinned with pride as he looked back at them, quills at the ready. "The soul is, in fact, the final piece of the puzzle, as it's a semblance of your mentality and will. Because of it, you're able to endure and survive the back lash that alchemy can bring. To put this all in full circle, the forge-pony is the mind, the sword is the magic and the soul is the durability of the sword. One to know it, the other to guide it, and the last to endure it. If you are able to use these three factors in tandem, then using alchemy should theoretically be as simple as breathing, and will only become more potent as you grow along side it."
Every creature nodded in understanding. However, Sweetiebelle stood up and scratched her cotton candy mane. "But there were times where you couldn't use alchemy yourself. Does that mean losing just one factor shuts you off from alchemy?"
"Unfortunately yes. Back when I had my magic surge, I had completely ran out of magic which closed my alchemic abilities and things like doubt, shame or cowardice have the same effect. So be sure to keep a mental note on your health when using them."
Darklo kept his mouth shut for a few minutes as he watched the Crusaders talk to each other, debating and re-correcting any mistakes in their notes. Meanwhile, Spike skimmed through his notes and hopped onto Darklos back, putting the paper in front of his vision. "Wait, but what about the Philosophers Stone? You said there was 20 signs, but there is 21 if you count them all." The statement snapped the fillies into attention as they mentally counted the signs and raised many eyebrows at it.
Dammit, they really gonna make me spill it all in one lesson eh? Darklo sighed and erased the stuff on the board, replacing it with the Philospher Stones sign. "Well, I was gonna get to this for next time, but if you all insist... sit back down cause I have a story to tell." The colt left the pedestal and sat with them in a circle.
"What kind of story?" Applebloom asked.
"An origin story of alchemy. Though a bit of it will require some benefit of the doubt, so keep that in mind." But although he looked relatively calm, Darklo was mentally scrambling for ideas. He may had made a schedule for what he was going to teach, but he was planning on fabricating a more ponified explanation after he finished the first lesson. But now, he had to make it up on the fly. Or maybe I can sprinkle some half truths. It's not like they will find ancient information that'll discredit me so... "Okay, so have any of you thought of how the universe was made?"
"Uh not really," Scootaloo replied, "we have the big bang to answer that."
"Well, lets say the ponies of old speculated that it was due to an almighty God."
"But is there even evidence for that?" Spike studiously claimed.
"Of course not," Darklo answers, despite the irony of his words, "but in their defence, pre-equestria had nothing BUT speculation about the origins of the universe. But let's imagine there was a God and long ago, they created the universe. Once they were finished, God decided to make life on Equus, building 10 mares and 10 stallions from a particular element for each one. Ignis was built with fire, Custodio was built with gold, so on and so forth. God then named them after the symbolic meaning of their elements, and transformed the desolate wasteland into a nature-filled paradise with a variety of creatures to inhabit it. It was perfect.
"However, God wished for the ponies to steward the world without his interference and to do that, he entrusted them with the Philosophers Stone. A powerful artefact that granted them control over life, or Creo in old translation. Everything was peaceful until Inane, in an act of defiance against their immortal lives, decided to do the unthinkable and fused the Philosopher's Stone into herself, gaining all of the abilities alchemy could bring. changing God's creations into her design. After that, the 19 ponies of God joined forces to defeat her and eventually won with the help of Inanes brother, Caelum. But Inane did what she set out to do and stripped ponies of their perfect existence, rendering them mortal and limited. They say that it was because of her decision to stray from God that resulted in the Lord's inaction, allowing generations and generations to pass as they intended. And that is how they think alchemy came to be... what do you think?"
Frankly, Darklo had expected the unhinged jaws and raised eyebrows which was the right assumption because every creature shook their heads in disbelief. "Yeah, that makes no sense at all. So they thought every pony was related to each other? Shouldn't that have led to complications down the road?" Spike commented.
"And if a Philosopher's Stone really existed, there would be records of it. I mean, the power to control life itself? Nopony would pass up on discovering it!" Scootaloo criticised.
"Plus, God sounds so cruel. They wanted to give them a perfect existence and didn't help them?" Applebloom murmured.
He wasn't gonna lie that they had good points. In fact, he had similar criticisms, passing them off as metaphorical stories to help the old understand the mystical power that was alchemy. Though, he literally witnessed the man upstairs so he had no choice but to take it at face value, despite the flaws. Drats, why didn't I ask God about the begining the Earth while I was there? Oh right, existential panic over the afterlife and all.
"Okay, I get it. The story has it's flaws, but it was enough to satisfy the old civilisation before the formation of the Alicorn diararchy. And hey, isn't it more fulfilling to believe we were here for a purpose rather than not?" The question did rattle a few brains among the circle but they eventually smiled in understanding. "Well then, I guess for the first time in this club house, I say that this session is abjured! You all may all go about your business. See you all next Sunday!"
And with that, everypony left the place one at a time. Sweetiebelle and Applebloom walked out while rereading her notes, intrigue written on their faces while Scootaloo zipped past them with haste and rode her scooter out of sight. At last, it was just Darklo and Spike left which prompted the dragon to hop on his back.
"Shall we get going? Cause man that lesson made me hungry."
"Heh, sure thing Spike. I could use a good glass of water, my throat is a little sore." Darklo honestly answered as they followed them out. "Say, you thinking about giving alchemy a shot now? You definitely have the talent for it."
"You think so?" The colt couldn't see the dragons face, but the rhythmic bouncing of his feet gave him an idea of his excitement.
"Totally. I should be fine with teaching now that the general stuff is out the way so as long as your back there every Sunday evening, I'll happily help you out."
"Yeah, I'd like that. You're a really awesome colt, Darklo."
For some reason, Darklos stomach tensed. He had a feeling why, but he didn't want to admit it. Luna made it clear to him about who he is and there is no place in time, past nor future, that should hold him back.
"Well, it's finally time." Darklo coached to himself, standing in front of a mirror to fully observe his suit. After what seemed like ages, the most important event to ponies had arrived, but the colt couldn't lie and say he wasn't nervous. As he straightened his bowtie and took a present outside, he pondered the kind of ponies that would arrive there.
It'll be a no brainer that the high class will be present along with some significant figures from famous companies... I'll have to stay clear of them, shouldn't be difficult to tell them apart from the nicer folk. Or I hope so.
Eventually, Darklo reached the appropriate destination, a grassy plot of land south of the Boutique where the mane 6 waited. Pinkie was having a fun time jumping on a conveniently placed trampoline, to Rarity's chagrin while the rest watched Twilight scurry through a heavy book. "Sup everypony. Are all the preparations done for the day?"
"Oh hi Darklo. Glad you're here, I think I've got this spell down for us." Twilight stood up from her position cheerfully and tapped applejack on the side. They must have made a plan before he arrived since the Apple mare nodded and pulled an apple from her saddlebag, placing it on the floor in Twilight's range. One stream of magic later and the fresh fruit mutated into a carriage only seen in a fairytale. Everypony oo'ed at the marvel before them while the colt tilted his head in hesitance.
"We really gotta ride something that looks like a carnival ride?" Darklo asked, eyebrow raised as he analysed his sister's creation. "Damn, I really should've asked Spike to make an Ianue sign in Canterlot while he was there."
"And that's not all. Fluttershy, do you have them?"
"Yes, of course." In perfect timing, four mice resurface from Fluttershy's hair and promptly jump from their cosy habitat for Twilight. Though, it was a shock to see what form they would become after the magic settled, as what laid before them was what Darklo believed to be an amalgamation of a horse body and a mice head. It was so strange that everypony scrunched their faces.
"Uh, is that even ethical?"
"Don't worry about it brother, they'll be back to normal by midnight so- hey!" Twilight's attention was quickly shifted when Opal jumped from her hiding spot and pounced on the micey horses, resulting in the creatures jumping in fright and running off with speeds previously impossible in their smaller forms. "Come back!" Twilight called out, but it was for nothing as they were already long gone. She turned back to her friends, head dropped low. "How are we gonna get to the Gala now?"
Rarity swooped her mane in preparation to speak, but Darklo beat her to it, shoulders shrugging in advance. "Eh, I could pull it if y'all want."
"Now hold on there, as much as Ah can appreciate ya wantin' to help, that carriage would need at least two stallions to pull it. None of us want ya to be tired by the time we reach Canterlot so how about another idea?"
"Trust me Applejack, I got this. It's nothing Amplificare could handle."
"Amplificare?" Rainbow Dash questioned, hovering above the colt quizzically. "Now what runic mumbo jumbo is THAT?"
"Hehehe, Dashy you're so silly, it means amplify so it must boost Darklo's physical abilities by who knows!"
"... Uh, Pinkie. How did you know that?"
"Well duh, Amplificare. Amplify. It's in the name Darklo."
"Huh, I guess so." Darklo just nodded with pursed lips. With how many times Pinkie randomly spoke truths on instinct, he half expected the same to happen here, though, perhaps the colt would note to take the pink mare more seriously than before. Meanwhile, Spike walked over to the present that the colt brought with him, eyes fixed on it.
"Hey Darklo, isn't this that present Rarity gave you? Why did you bring it here?" Realising the dragon's intrigue, Darklo smiled expectantly at him.
"I brought it for you buddy. Go on, take a look inside." After being goaded on, Spike sunk his claws into the wrapping until the contents revealed itself.
"Woah! Is this what i think it is?" Spike took out the stuff from the box, showing a fashionable dark suit and a jade tie to everypony, which was the perfect fit for the dragon holding it. While Spike inspected the fabric, Darklo gave a goofy grin, scratching his chin in the process.
"I noticed a while ago that you didn't have an attire prepared for the Gala, so I thought I'd use that favour for you." The colt averted his gaze from the group as a chorus of awe's that followed. "I-It was just a gesture, dammit. I didn't have anything better to ask for anyway."
"Gesture or not, I'm definitely gonna rock the Gala in this fit! Thanks bro."
"Seriously, you're all gonna love it in Canterlot." Spike turned his head to the side, checking on the group chatting and laughing in the carriage. Meanwhile, Darklo pushed along the road, pulling the cart thanks to the sign of Amplificare painted on his forehead, listening to Spike intently as he kept his eyes on the Castle ahead. "Rarity, I know you're gonna love the Crown Jewels, not to mention the Princess' garden would be so nice to visit with Fluttershy. Oh and we GOTTA check out my favourite donut shop."
Darklo presumed that the lizard had realised nopony in there was listening, given how his excited ramblings stopped. "Anything you think I'd like, buddy?"
"Oh, well... I think the archives will be open to the public. Though, nopony really goes there on these occasions."
"And what's in it?"
"The big stuff like Equestrian history, ancient texts on magic and all that. I think it'll interest you if you can get past the boring things. Something you wanna take a look at?" Darklo pondered it as he walked, immediately noting it down in his brain. It would be more worth his time than mingling with the nobles like a snobby suck up and nothing would feel better to him than finding a new spell or a fresh piece of knowledge that would be useful.
"You know what? Yeah, I think I'll stop there." The colt responded contently.
"Then we got ourselves a plan. Full speed ahe-"
"Spike, I pull at my OWN pace thank you very much."
"Oh, right hehehe... sorry."
"None taken." And after a few minutes, he stopped at the front gates of the palace. The colt wiped the sign from his head and tossed the pulling equipment aside as he waited for Twilight and her friends to get out, who were more enthusiastic about it than he was. he could tell since they and the bystanders erupted into song about how great the Gala will be.
There must be some sort of cartoon logic to this instinctual singing stuff. I mean, I never sung on improv yet it still happened to me so...
Eventually, the tunes ended and Spike slid in between them, a childish grin on his face. "Yeah! This IS gonna be the best night ever. And you wanna know why? 'Cause we are gonna spend this time at the Gala togeth-"
"Spike, sorry to burst your bubble but they already skidaddled."
"What?" Spike checked his surroundings and confirmed the colts statement. "Of course..." The dragon rested his chin on his palm before Darklo went up and patted him on the back.
"Well, no time like the present. Wanna help me find the archives? We can do some other stuff along the way."
"Sure! Better than walking through alone." Spike promptly climbed onto the colts back which made him snicker as he walked into the entrance.
"You sure love using me as a mode of transportation bud."
"What can I say? It's comfy and just my size. Like a chair."
"Oho, I guess it makes sense. I'm quite the 'chairful' colt after all." The unexpected comment must have caught Spike off guard as Darklo could hear a clear chuckle behind him, making him deadpan for a second. I wasn't trying to be funny...
Eventually, the colt escorted them through the halls and into the main event. What greeted them was a ballroom filled with fancy ponies. Luckily enough, very few of them had that annoying look of superiority that Darklo was expecting as many were only conversing warmly with anypony passing by. The colt strafed through them all with expert precision, passing the professional orchestra that caught Spikes attention and the dance floor where a few couples were mingling.
Oh my, is that a foal? Who brought their kid here?"
"Ah, I believe that is Miss Sparkle's adoptive brother. Her pet is on his back like a lazy cat after all."
"Oh right, should we say hello? That magic he knows might be useful for our company, and if we could gain favour with the elements that defeated Nightmare Moon, who knows the sales we could get!"
"Please keep your mouth shut dear, he-"
"Can hear you? Yeah, but I'll decline. Have a lovely evening." Darklo gave a plastered smile and fled the area, Spike gifting the couple an extended tongue until they were out of view, arriving to the end of the room where the glorified statue of Celestia stood.
But once again, there seemed to be something important missing.
"Where is Luna's statue? Wouldn't she have gotten one commissioned for the event?"
"If I had to guess, she's probably not participating in the event to begin with." A light grimace formed on his lips as he twisted his head to partially meet his brothers gaze.
"But why? Surely it would be best for her to use this social event to convince the ponies of her reform. Why pass up this chance, is she shy or something?" The seriousness of his voice seemed to shock Spike, and he himself felt the same. Why am I so peeved about this? Luna is literally a princess, she can do what she wants. Yet... Darklo pondered it even further, recalling the absurdly long line the visitors made just to greet Celestia and the idle chatting of the ponies discrediting the moon princess' name. She shouldn't let them neglect her like that...
"Ah, if it isn't Spike, I thought you'd be with Twilight at the entrance. And is that little Darklo with you, I'm glad we could meet again." Ears flicking at the familiar voice, he turned around to see Mayor Mare wearing a crimson suit and a professional smile.
"Oh Miss Mare! It's a pleasure to see you here. Having fun at the party?"
"Oh shucks dear, you don't need to add on anything special. Just Mare will do, though I should've guessed that you'd share your parents respectful nature."
"Well, respect is the doorway to the soul for a reason." The colt felt the weight on his shoulders vanish, which indicated that his passenger had left, so he flicked his eyes to the side where he caught the dragon climbing onto the pantry. Now that he's out of the picture, I guess it would be a good chance to gain some insight about my parents. She's the Mayor after all so she's gotta know something I don't.
"Say... I know this sounds sudden, but how well did you know my dad?"
"Why, we were pretty close! He came to visit me from time to time for advise. Still, I do wish he told me about your previous situation sooner. That numbskull..." For the first time in Darklos perspective, the Mayor had a hint of frustration showing from her quaking lips. "I suppose that little amnesia problem still hasn't gone away eh?"
"... huh?" Darklos body went under a factory reset, flinching so hard that it looked like the poor thing was vibrating for a millisecond. "Uhm, how do you know about that?"
"He didn't tell you? Oh, I guess he didn't have the time since- never mind! Your father told me about it a while ago and don't worry, I no longer feel it to be necessary that you take a therapist. You seem to be doing fine since your stay and I believe that after all that transpired, you'd rather want to start anew. Right?" Darklo knew that Mare was just being considerate, but with the way she knowingly glared at him, as if she was looking through him. It felt wrong.
Does she know? Drats, of course the amnesia plot wouldn't have worked for long! But wait, perhaps I'm thinking too far head, or maybe she just doesn't care?... Well, she's giving me an out, might as well take it. "Right. But still, I think I should have a right to know them." Darklo closed his eyes, attempting to pay no mind to any wandering gaze. "I mean, when I saw an old photo of us, I couldn't help but be ashamed. That one image is all I can remember of my mother and my dad... I'll never learn more from him."
"Hey it's nothing to be ashamed of, little one." Mayor Mare soothed, putting a hoof on his shoulder for comfort. "Everypony has there problems, but it takes a very great pony to look past them. And if the ramblings of an old mare can help you out with that, then I'm happy to help."
"Old?" The colts vigour returned immediately with a smirk in tow. "That grey mane ain't fooling me, you don't look a day over 30!"
The comment almost took her by surprise for some reason, but she recovered immediately with a chuckle. "My, my. You certainly have your fathers charm. Though, I don't see how else he reeled in your mother."
Darklos horn flared up and hovered a glass of punch and orange juice before sharing it between them. "Speaking of my mother, what can you tell me about her."
"Well, Raindrop never came through Ponyville as frequently as your father, but I recall that she was a very stoic mare when she worked around here, though you should've seen how quick she flips when Heatwave was in her presence. The dear graduated from Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorn with a degree in Magical Artefacts and travelled Equestria to test them."
"That's a job?"
"Why of course. There needs to be ponies that can safely test anomalous creations, or else we could have some horrid consequences. In fact, I believe the two worked together in their jobs, your mother tested them and then your father sold them at a reasonable price. They made good headway with it, made some interesting discoveries here and there, they even had a particularly expensive crimson amulet for sale. I would've loved to have it but some backdoor merchant got there first. So sad that things went downhill after what happened to her..."
"What DID happen to her?" The tesnion in his voice became more prevalent.
"That's the thing dear, I don't know. She just up and left with no explanation or reason. It really did a number on the poor stallion, though his co-workers kept him afloat... oh sweet Celestia, if he only told me about his situation sooner-"
"Hey, it's alright Mare. In the end, all of us want to take the blame so we shouldn't beat ourselves up over it. I'm happy now, you're still doing fine and I bet his friends are trying to move on. He'd want us to keep living our best lives...it's what he wanted for me after all..."
"I... I see. I'm just glad you're recovering little one. I'm sure Celestia made the right choice letting you stay with Twilight."
"Yeah, that I'm sure." The air felt uncharacteristically bubbly and the colt felt a different kind of weight lifted off his shoulders. They may not be his first parents, but just knowing more about them and their relations with others made him feel more fulfilled than when he entered the world. Yet, something felt off and it wasn't him this time.
"Oooooo I can't believe I'm finally here! I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala, I'm at the Galloping Gala~" And finally, the pink mare arrived at the party and began bouncing around the ballroom in a sing song manner, blatantly annoying the noble ponies as she continued. As for Spike, he caught on immediately and attempted to catch her before something happened.
"Huh, Pinkie DID say she wanted to make the ultimate party at the Gala." Darklo averted his gaze to the doorway, where a pair of guards were stationed. "Sadly, I'd rather not stick around for the train wreck she's gonna cause the nobles."
"Fair enough. I'll stay around and keep her out of trouble the best I can. Hope you have fun tonight little one!" So with a quick wave towards the humble Mayor, the colt zoomed towards the closest guards near him. 2 snow white stallion with a blue mane and golden armour, though every guard he met had the same look so it wasn't necessarily special. However, their personalities definitely made them more memorable.
"Excuse me sir."
"Huh? What the hay do you want brat, can't you see we are on duty?"
"Stoneheart, please have some restraint. You're talking to a colt here! What do you need kiddo?"
"Uh, can I have some directions to the castle archives?"
"... Did I hear that correctly Luster?" The brooding guard apparently named Stoneheart gave his colleague a nudge on the rib. "Somepony ACTUALLY wants to visit that musty old place. You don't think the brat could be a spy or something?"
"Come on Stoneheart, not every creature you meet outside of royal uniform is a criminal in the making."
"Doesn't hurt to play it safe." The two of them continued to bicker with each other like siblings until the colt slammed his hoof into the flooring.
"Sorry kiddo! We got a little carried away." Luster tapped his helmet while smirking awkwardly.
"'We?'"
"Oh can it! Anyways, it's at the very end of the hall behind us. You should find a spiral staircase. Go up to the top floor and you should find a door with a silver platelet on it. Can't miss it."
"Thanks sir." Darklo gave him a thankful smile, being sure to pay no mind to the grumpy guard staring daggers at him. "Though, if your friend wants to do something fun, he should take a look at the chaos right in front of him." The colt pointed behind him at the resident Pinkie Pie performing a combination of instruments to all the ponies dismay while Spike and Mayor Mare tripped over the confetti and confections trying to catch up to her.
"OH WHAT THE HELL!" Stoneheart grunted, bolting towards the scene.
"Oh no... I better stop the dumb mare. Have a nice time kiddo!" And so the friendly one bolted to the scene, prompting Darklo to close the doors behind him, silencing the chaos within, and walking down the hallway.
"Well, lets hope I can find something useful there before dawn. Shouldn't take too long."
"..."
Wait a minute, that guard was a girl?!
Episode 14 (Part 2/FINALE): The Moonlit Apprentice
A gentle beat of instrumental hoofsteps echoed through the tower as the colt climbed the spiral staircase. The peaceful ascent allowed him to take his mind off from the presumed chaos that has most likely blasted through the ballroom, though it did make him ponder how his friends were doing.
Hopefully, Pinkie wont get into too much trouble with the guards. Though, if my encounter with that Stoneheart fellow gave me any clues, Id be counting my lucky stars for such an outcome.
As he continued his arduous climb, he took the time to peer out of the gape ways on occasion. It was a sight to behold, looking down at the bustling town that surrounded the castle as it held firm on the side of the mountain. Though, the view above the land could keep him entertained for hours. It was just relaxing to Darklo when he looked to the stars as they overtook the sky and glistened in a beautiful pattern.
He supposed that he was fortunate to be in a world so reliant on magic, as the starscape one could find 'inspiring' on earth was extremely limited due to light pollution.
Eventually, the endless staircase ended as he walked through the hallway on the top floor. "Okay, so a big door with a silver label- ah there it is." The search didn't take long at all, since the place was just a couple steps away from the staircase. "Well, let's see what I can find!"
With a single swipe of the horn, the doors pushed forward, revealing the archives within. It was mostly what he expected: long lines of shelves housing a horde of scrolls and books, a world record of zero windows in the room for protection purposes and a barred off room shut off from the rest of room by lock and key. The only thing that seemed out of wack was a rather expensive and well kept book stuck to a piller whilst entrapped in chains.
"Huh...seems like an evil item or something," Darklo paced around the book and tapped on the chains to test if some kind of magic would react, "best not to get in trouble with the guards on my first visit. Alright, let's see what I can find."
And so the hours went by and the colts resting spot was piling with scrolls and books by the minute, diligently copying any useful information on a separate scroll for home use. He really felt at ease in the silent walls of the archives, it was like he was back at the library scrounging through iles of books while Ira, Zelus or both siblings would slide in for an engaging conversation.
Man those two numbskulls... for all the annoying shit they did, I couldn't have asked for better friends. I just wish I could've apologised for everything. They deserved that much.
Darklo smiled in reminiscence as he tossed the last book into its designated place, tossing his body backwards so the chair tilted 90° as the colt stretched his front hooves. "Welp, this was definately the best decision I could make here. Hours of pure silence and unbothered peace along with some new spells for the road. How could this NOT be a win?"
Darklo grinned at the ceiling before grabbing his sheet of paper and scrummaging through the contents he copied into it.
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Mirage Charm- The spell shall result in a mirage of your primary target to be generated which can be manipulated however the user likes. To put into effect, focus your mind on the object or organism while pushing your magical energy through a targets eyes so it can reflect into the image you want. Auditory effects not included.
Phasing Spell- This spell will allow one to pass through a solid object like it were a liquid. Requirements of effect: Advanced Level of Spellcasting, high magical stores and a steady mind. To work, one must diffuse their magical energy through their limb or their entire body and vibrate said energy rigorously. Sign of a successful phased limb should be transparent skin but if the limb is still vibrating, the magical energy is rather not plentiful enough or the speed of vibration is too slow. WARNING: NEVER USE FULL BODY PHASING SPELL WHILE ON SOLID GROUND. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Conduction Charm- An intermediate spell for safety issues in case of a lightning strike and light magic attacks. A prime defence against pegasi jokesters. To put into effect, one must close their branched magical circuits to prevent the voltage exiting through the muscles. Instead, link your main magical circuit with your magical storage organ and your horn whilst spinning a small amount of magical energy around the tip of the horn. This should create a suitable enough charge to attract a polar energy source towards the horn where it can be safely passed into your magical storage and converted to energy. Be Advised: Advanced offensive spells or higher could slowly rupture the storage organ membrane if it isnt strong enough.
Sealing Curse- With the power of spiritual manipulation, matter control, magical preservation and the freeze spell combined, the user can place a living or ghostly organism into a secure object where they will be preserved as if they were turned to stone. Recommend this spell for hostile spectral forces as it has less strain on magical reserves. Note: Reckless use of this spell on an innocent pony will lead to your incarceration of 10 years in Tartarus. Stay mindful.
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He had to admit that the array of spells weren't as much in quantity as he'd hoped as although his reading escapade led him through thousands of cool spells, they were rather blocked off with ridiculous requirements or had side effects that he'd rather not take.
Man, and I really wanted to make a huge shield over a town.Stupid two pony minimum rule! Would've been so much better in case of invasions from outside forces. Then again, is Equestria at war with any nation? Probably not. Oh well, I'll just keep it memorised.
And so, the colt stuffed the piece of paper into his saddlebag and headed toward the door, wondering how everyone is doing below.
Alright, lets see what the friendship crew has gotten themselves into-
CLANG!
The sudden noise made Darklo jump like a cat, twisting himself to face the noise with his horn ignited. But nothing was there, the archives looked the same as he entered it. But not exactly per say.
There was actually a thing that was moved, the lock to the restricted section. Its iron plating was slumped onto the hard floor along with the chains that slacked below the bars which was almost a king to be removed. Immediately, pangs of curiosity overtook his brain as he pondered the possibilities, imagining angel and demon versions of himself whispering in his ears.
"That lock was meant to be closed. Since it isn't we can most likely predict a trap!"
"Oh come on, if it was really a trap, this random stranger could've easily gotten us with THAT kind of stealth."
But think about the consequences. If we get caught, we could face incarceration. And even if we don't, how are our friends going to see us the same?"
"Such a worry wart. Remember what that Stoneheart gal said? Nopony comes up here. We arent getting caught as long as we replace the lock."
"And do what? Look at the stuff in the restricted section. It's restricted for a reason. We could be easily cursed just by walking into that room unprepared."
"So we wont touch anything. Besides, we are too curious to look back now. If somepony is going to get a free chance to peek at the unknown, it might as well be us than a pony with cruel intentions. "
"Yeah... I made my mind up." Darklo blankly stated to nopony in particular and slid the chains out of the bars, opening the gate before walking inside.
The feeling felt gradual, but there was a looming sense of dread that crawled through his fur as he paced the stone covered halls. The rats and spiders had made their homes in the multiple crevasses and corners of the place, but they made sure to stay clear of the many artifacts and scrolls that lines the shelves.
"Huh... there isn't a single book in sight. All this stuff must be pretty old then." The colt monologued, yet it was a strange thought.
Why are there no modern scriptures in here?
Surely, there would've been one evil bastard that would try the impossible in the 1000 year jump but nothing. Everything he could see dated far back if the discoloured papers told him anything. And the artefacts, each one was held under magical chains as if to contain the evil within them. A few even bounced around trying to reach him, yearning for escape like a rabid dog and the pungent smell of decay wasn't doing any better for Darklos stomach.
While holding his nose, he took one of the scrolls that looked the safest and gave a quick read of the introduction.
"'The Art of Immortality. Live your whole life hijacking the bodies of unicorn foals and uncover the secrets only undiscoverable to the mortal pony.' Yikes, I'm just glad the old Darkloud was already dying or there would be some thoughts I'd rather not pull on." Darklo frowned as he placed the scroll back in its position, choosing to forgo reading the specifics of the spell while he looked around at the beasts of knowledge stocked before him. "And if that was considered tame in here, I'd rather not check anything else... damn, this was a waste of time."
Sighing deeply, he walked back to the entrance until he saw something in the corner of his eye. A mosaic. The thing looked like one of those tainted windows one would see in a church and seeing that it was the only window in the entire place, it was meant to catch his attention.
The mosaic portrayed an alicorn in the center. Though it looked like it, since the wings were crimson red unlike her coat which bore a pure white, the antithesis of his own. Along with her messy charcoal mane and equally bloody crimson eyes glaring down at him, she had a plastered smile which didn't portray kindness, love nor evil as he imagined the designer was aiming for. It looked- no, it felt maternal in nature yet twisted in a way that made it feel wrong on this particular mare.
What was most concerning was the strange amulet she had in he telekinetic hold. It looked like a ruby gem held together by the image of an alicorn but an eerie red aura was bouncing off of it, connecting to the crying masses on the bottom of the mosaic, whom were all consumed by blue fire.
Darklo had no explanation for why such a disturbing peice was in the restricted section instead of an art gallery. He wasn't an artist at all and yet, he felt so connected to the window without even knowing its context. But after another minute was staring, he noticed a detail that made his spine crawl.
T-That symbol surrounding the alicorn... an arrow that has two lines through its stem like feathers. It has to be it....
"Inane..." Darklo whispered under baited breath. He just couldn't believe it, the symbol of the void that embodied the very nature of greed and evil was apart of Equestrian culture. Yes, it could be a coincidence but there was still a chance and that thought worried him.
How could it exist? I mean, magic is the primary source of power, not alchemy! Did God send someone else before me? No, he clearly said that I was the first... man, this doesnt make sense. Just who is she?
"You wish to know of her storm bringer?" The unexpected follow up to his own thought snapped him out of his mind, turning back to face the suspected pony with an apologetic smile.
"Uhm, before you ask. The lock had broke on its own. Please believe me." Darklo lowered his head in respect to the much taller alicorn that strolled toward him.
"Raise thine head storm bringer. We arent upset at thou, it was precisely our doing that approved thine adventure through the forbidden catacombs."
"Huh... But why? And scratch that- where even were you, I never saw you come in!" The colt flicked his ears in a confusingly annoyed manner which made Luna chuckle respectfully.
"Hehehe, though should know that our magical prowess is naught to be trifled with. A simple invisibility spell was enough to observe thou in action and I must say, thou make the most adorable noises when frustrated." Luna continued her restrained laughter as the colts ears flapped randomly and his cheeks pouted along with a dissapointed frown.
"Don't you know it's rude to watch someone like that?"
"We don't see any wrong with a little observing. It was a common past time me and my sister conjured which helped us become closer so I thought I'd do the same for thou."
Still creepy, Luna. Though because you're royalty and it was done in you're own home, I'll let this go... for now.
"We promise, we did it for a good reason too." Luna had stood beside him and pointed a hoof at the horrid shelves. "Though we have finally understood your point of origin and your motivations, -all noble if we recall- we were still concerned with your morals. With how thou were raised as a human, it was only natural that thou gravitated to strength and knowledge as a source of solice but we had to be sure that thou had limits."
"I see..." The colts sweat cascaded down his skin at the notion. In Lunas eyes, he could still be a threat, which he could understand but it still hurt a bit. He really thought they connected well enough in the dreamscape to be fully trustworthy. "Anyway, do you have any insight on this mosaic? I don't think I've seen this pony in the history books."
As Luna glanced up at the image, her gaze hardened resolutely. "Ah... we thought we'd never look at that mare ever again. To think sister actually commissioned this."
The reaction through Darklo through a loop, understanding the deep connection this mare must have. "So, you know her?"
"Unfortunately, she was the first enemy we had to face once we ascended the throne. Snowlily Voidwalker, the false alicorn. She was as most unicorns were at that time, prideful and seeking glory but as her efforts didn't give her the results she wanted, the mare resorted to dark magic, sacrificing many pony lives for her experiments. Eventually, she massed enough power to push the natural order and became an alicorn, bulldozing through Equestria as a twisted game of hers. If we and our sister weren't there to stop her, we couldn't hope to guess what she would've done next."
"And the amulet?"
"We don't have much information on it. It was called the Alicorn Amulet and was probably how she transcended into an alicorn, but I must imagine to price of such an artefact would've been devastating. Perhaps that would be the best assumption of her fate post vanishment."
"Vanishment?" Darklo questioned, his eyes sparkling with wonder and curiosity as the moon deity spoke. "Did you not send her to Tartarus like you normally do?"
"It was our plan, but after many wars and surprise encounters, she never appeared again following the new year. Her base of operations was still intact however which helped stock at least 4 of the shelves thou see before you."
The colt took another glance at the agglomeration of knowledge in the room. The stench of evil was still pungent in the cramped quarters and it was desperately searching at the wind, hungry for a misfortune pony to grasp their claws into. To think almost half of this came from one pony...
"She was certainly our most capable adversary before thine sister banished us to the moon. We will never agree with her methods, but she did gain the results she wanted in the end..." Promptly, Luna lowered her head, walking back into the library with Darklo as she firmly reattached the lock onto the bars. "May her mistakes be a lesson to thou, storm bringer. The laws of nature are a strict and cruel mistress. Attempting to break the universal norm will always result in dire consequences."
Darklo nodded understandingly, though his mind was settling in another place as his thoughts wandered off to a similar person.
"Is something on your mind Darklo?" Luna asked carefully, lifting his chin towards her while gifting a sympathetic glance. These specs of love and care were way too much to handle for the poor colt, like usual. It was becoming such a pattern that he wondered if all ponies just have an interest ability to melt his heart.
Darklo sighed in defeat and smiled back half-heartedly. "It's nothing. It's just my old world had a person kind of like that Snowlily fellow." He retracted from the princess' hold and solemly stared back at the sign of Inane on the mosaic. "He was a hero... my hero."
-Flashback
The academy training grounds. If a student on the Conduit course ever hoped to make it to the top, this was the place they should be in. And a typical day in those reinforced walls was occuring at the moment as a scourge of fire and water danced along the battlefield while Lux and Zelus were inside.
Lux bobbed and weaved away from the punches and kicks coming his way as he kept his eyes trained on the balls of water that spun around Zelus like a hurricane. Eventually, the brash kid made his move, combining all of the water in his hold into a giant ball of condensed liquid and threw it down at the kid.
The sight made Ira cheer for joy from behind the stands while Lepus, her rabbit summon, blankly stared at the spar with vague disinterest. "Come on brother, tie it up already!" The essentric girl shouted which Zelus must have heard given he clenched his teeth in focused frustration.
However, the lack of an audience didn't deter the young alchemist as he grinned and generated a small sphere of wind and threw it into the incoming attack. Though it looked like the effort was fruitless, a single clench of his fist resulted in a massive gust of air that blew up the water ball, flooding the whole floor with water.
Clasping his hands together, one glove with the aer sign and the other with the ignis sign, sparks of electricity began to flicker from them making Zelus flinch in anticipation.
May the warmth of the land power the clouds of my hands, while the guardian of the wind guides my hands to their rightful target. Ignis, Aer... Lightning! After finishing his mental incantation, he slammed his hands to the floor.
But instead of the sound of volts passing through the water and into his adversary, the lightning only met a sheet of ice that covered Lux' feet, freeing him from the prison. It took the kid by surprise, looking up to see Zelus, the sign of glacio on his glove that was firmly on the floor.
Both of them smirked at each other, the adrenaline of their spar sparking a greater fire in them than ever before. They readily rushed at each other again, choosing to fight with icicle blades and flaming fists before a figure jumped in between them and caught their hands with ease.
It was almost an instant, but the ice and fire on their skin were enveloped by a black void before vanishing back into the figure. Despite the added frustration of their battle being cut short, Lux smiled in admiration at the person.
"Cyprus. You're back!" The kid excitedly stated, bouncing up and down at his side.
"Heh, no battle in the middle east can keep me down Lux. Infact, I had enough time to raid the stores while I was at it. Take a pick kids!" Cyprus slid his bagpack off and opened its contents, revealing packs of gems and jewelry that shone with an expensive bling.
"Eh? Why jewelry. You know that stuff is for show offs." Zelus commented, hands on his hips as he stared at the items, unamused. "Could've at leat brought back artefacts."
"Nu uh uh Zelus." The older soldier wagged his finger at him cheekily. "All foreign artefacts are given to the Belican Elites for testing, I can't go against protocol little guy."
At least one of them was happy as Ira came running and greedily grabbed a couple golden watches and necklaceswhile Lepus jumped onto Cyprus' arm and snatched a rather generous . "Aww these are lovely. Thanks Cyprus!"
"No problem, Ira. They'd look better on you than a filthy Perduelian could ever pull off." The soldier complimented as the rabbit hopped onto her shoulder to help equip her earrings.
But as much as Lux liked the guy, he never saw any benefits to slandering other nations. Better to beat an enemy at their own game than stoop to their level as he'd say, but even though there wasnt anything wrong with it, Cyprus was a man with different priorities.
"Say now, how is your raining coming along Lux?" Cyprus asked with a cheeky grin, ruffling the kids messy hair while he was at it. "It's been a long time since someone developed a new form of alchemy. Lightning right? Have you gotten better at it?"
"It's still in its early stage... I still need to recite a full incantation to use it, but I think I'm getting better at it."
"Not better enough to escape my flash freeze trap though. Just you wait, I'll make my own combined form of alchemy soon!" Zelus said bombastically, aggressively pointing his finger to Lux and then to Cyprus. "And you, I hope you've enjoyed your time in the front lines cause that Philosopher's Stone will be mine in a few months!"
The proclamation incited the soldier to laugh while the students watched him, the Philosopher's Stone gleaming at Zelus and Lux from his palm as he held it in front of them. "Hehehe... still full of determination I see. That's at least something I like out you, kid."
"Hey!"
"It's just... I hope you all will realise just how brutal the battlefield is. No amount of training and preparation will let you walk into hell with a straight face. And as a Conduit, you have to act like a devil to pass those gates." The scenery began to flash back and forth, from the Cyprus surrounded by his greatest fan to the Cyprus sitting on a throne of bodies, all of which were so pale and skinny, it looked like the bones were piercing through the skin. And their smile, one that he used to see as hopeful and passionate was now a sinister mockery of the Conduit he used to know. But that was long ago.
Now he sat on a battlefield overseas, sitting by the lifeless corpses of both friends and foes. But was there really such a thing? 'Cause as the tired boy looked to his hand and stared at the jewel that brought him to hell, he wondered.
If Conduits need to be devils... what does that make those who Conduits answer to?
-End Flashback
"I just wish things could've been as black and white as it is here." Darklo said under his breath, the shame evident in his voice. "Simple good and bad, no lying masses and alarming secrets to worry about."
"Darklo, as much as we love that you see Equestria in such high regards, our world is also no stranger to the acts of deceit. We believe you have encountered the nobles from below?"
"Yeah. Overheard a couple wanting to interact with me to boost their reputation. Not like I expected ponies of status to genuinely talk with me anyway so... oh! And there was that scandal with Prince Blueblood I heard from my friend, Im glad I havent seen that fellow yet."
Luna flinched for a mere moment, as if the very name of that stallion brought back some unsavoury memories. "Sweet Celestia, we dont know why she gave him any sort of responsibilities... b-but yes, Canterlots nobles have been around for generations, passing their torch to their offsprings. But we can see that most have grown soft and complicent with the status of their ansestors. From charitable and charming businessponies of our time to arrogant fools that would rather sniff the bits in their pockets than talk with anyone below their rank. We really need to get them in line once we step back into politics... if that ever happens."
The two had made their way out of the library on instinct, walking down the halls together for a change in scenery. The time he's spent with the wise alicorn has granted him a sense of security he never felt before, in fact he has felt comfortable around her ever since he gave her a hoof in the Castle of the Two Sisters. There was just something about her that allowed him to speak his mind. No matter his age, status or origin, she accepted everything he gave her without question. So when he saw her face droop at the pretence of 'if', like the stars she orchestrated couldn't align for her, Darklo couldn't stand by and leave her like that.
Not again, not like me... "Is Nightmare Moon still on your mind?"
"Huh?"
"You... well. You took the time to test me for a few hours instead of going down to the party with your sister and everypony is just acting like you don't even exist. So I can only guess that you're scared. Scared of how your ponies perceive you."
Luna paused glancing at the colt carefully, starlit eyes awkwardly watching his every move. And that was all the confirmation that Darklo needed to open the flood gates. "But that's not you anymore! And what's isolating yourself going to do to make your situation any better? Isn't your jealousy of your sisters popularity the driving factor for your descent to evil? You need to be down there. Convince them whole heartedly that you are a nice and kind ruler like you truly are... like I KNOW you are.
"It's just INFURIATING! Everypony is literally scared of you -hell- even my own friends are. It's like they see you as a ticking time bomb or something when they are intentionally causing such a scenario. And they are avoiding you all for what? To save their skins, to play it safe, to stay away from the 'Mare of the Moon' when she's literally the nicest pony I've ever known -hell- the ONLY pony who could even understand what I've been through without thinking I'm crazy? WhyDoYouHaveToSufferAloneWhenYou'veGoneThroughTheWorstShitImaginable.JustWhyCan'tTheGoodPeopleWinInAnyWorld?!-"
"Darklo..." The moon princess had wrapped her wing around the colts body while she wiped his streaming tears with her magic.
I...I was crying?
While his mind was hitting a factory reset, Luna tried her best to hug the smaller pony, close enough to where she could feel his irractic heartbeat. "Darklo... thank thou, really. We... no, I can't be happier to know that somepony other than my own sister sees me in such a way. And I know you have encountered pain far beyond your age should handle but I say that it has gifted you with a sense of compassion and drive like no other. You fought with my alter ego, combated numerous dangerous beasts alone and pushed the limits of magic a colt could never do, all for the safety of those you love." Luna smiled lovingly at him as the colt averted his gaze in an embarrassed haze. "So I don't care who you see yourself. Whether you're Lux or Darklo, Human boy or colt, you will always be my little pony while you're still here."
"Uhm... thanks. That means alot Luna." Once the colts heartbeat finally paced itself, the alicorn let go of her winged hold on the colt to which he stepped back from her, face lit up like he just had a revelation. "Say... I actually tried to negotiate with Nightmare Moon before I knew anything about this world. Of course, she upped the stakes and I refused obviously but I did genuinely consider my options back then. But now..." Darklo smirked at the Princess, a familiar look for arrogance mirroring his exact face from their prior negotiation. "I want to give you a request!"
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"I'd like to become your apprentice!" Darklo said with his chest, stunning the alicorn briefly.
"Excuse me?"
"Well, Twilight is Celestia's apprentice per say, so me learning under you would round us out. Plus, we can use the nobles tricks to our advantage. If I am tied to you and I'm seen as a hero to the ponies then by logic, you would be good too which will make it easier to get them to accept you." Darklo slithered to her side and put a hoof on her shoulder, her body too big to wrap his hoof over her neck. "Besides, I'd rather learn from you than Celestia, she seems a little too relaxed for me. And wouldn't it be amazing to make a better student in shorter time than your sister?"
"Heh, speaking in the language of sibling rivalry I see. Well, I do admit that the proposition DOES peek my interest storm bringer. But I can't just accept you that easily. Flattery or not."
"Eh. Why not?" The colt frowned worriedly, until his mind sparked a realisation. "Oh! You want me to prove myself? OK just give me a spell and I'll learn it in a day, just watch me!"
Observing the colts vigorous spunk, she chuckled at the childish innocence at play.
No matter how old he had to become, he's still a child at heart. "Oh no dear storm bringer, being taught under an alicorn was a very high honour in my youth and it probably still is. This is why the alicorn dynasty had constructed a method to allow worthy students to connect with such powerful royalty. But let me tell you something storm bringer. From my 48 years on the throne, around 450 unicorns came for my tutelage and 0 succeeded. Do you know why?"
"Uhm... I think you're gonna tell me anyway-"
"It is because the method revolves around a spar between the alicorn teacher and the unicorn student. To gain the respect of the teacher, the student must land a solid hit on them before they are defeated."
...what?
At that point, the colt understood what was being asked. His muscles clenching in both excitement and stress. "So you're telling me that I have to fight you? How did Twilight even do this with Celestia?"
"Oh, you should know Celestia, she's not much a mare for tradition but I feel like this test would be sufficient in testing you as a fighter. You are much more akin to the young warriors of my old battalion than the scholars of today so in respect of those who fought an died for me, I will be giving you this one chance to impress me Darklo. You may begin when-"
Luna blinked and Darklos hoof was centimeters from her face, electricity sparking from his fur, which made a harsh impact as the alicorn was pushed back from the force. Darklo grinned, satisfied with the first strike, until he noticed how un-fur like the point of impact was. The shockwave subsided, showing a blue forcefield covering the princess who gifted the colt a smirk. "Already so eager. Very well then storm bringer!"
Suddenly, her horn glowed brightly, making the colt instinctually jump back and cast a shield. And from the impact, he was blown back through the hall and into a window, falling down the tower. The colt blinked the shock of the assault away and stuck his back hooves into the bricks while the princess flew down in pursuit.
Glacio! The sign formed under him, allowing the colt to skate down the tower as the bricks covered in ice. Luna shot blast after blast at him while he swerved from certain doom until he reached the floor where his hooves were enveloped by mini-tornados, allowing him to fly through the trees of the garden.
Both expertly manoeuvred around the trees while the animals ran to the floor for cover. "Running isn't going to help you~" Luna cooed right behind him. It was almost spooky how much she was enjoying this.
"Man, you're scary when you fight!"
Darklo had eventually reached the lake in the center and dived inside, stopping Luna in her tracks as she pondered the colts game. She carefully analysed the waters until a sudden whirlpool shot out it, revealing Darklo in the center.
Luna shot a beam of energy into the spiral of water while the colt created a shield out of it, turning the air into a field of steam. But Luna was just as fast, as she barreled into Darklo which disrupted the whirlpool and tackled him to the floor. "Sorry this didn't go how you hoped storm bringer, but I certainly had fun... huh?"
The alicorn had dispersed the dust that arose from her landing, showing her the lack of a Darklo under her. Snapping back to the lake, she saw that the colt was still in the same place with no air or fire keeping him afloat.
A mirage charm! Luna concluded, but as she was about to take off, the plants wrapped around her hooves while the ground below her cracked and crashed her body into a tree. Darklo eventually crawled out of the tunnel he dug underground, surveying the damage with a smile.
"Alright Luna, no need to wait it out. I clearly hit you-"
"Did you?" Darklo instuntually used amplificare and jumped up to kick Luna with a firey blaze. But it missed her by a few inches. This allowed the alicorn to grab him in a telekinetic hold and toss the colt into the air.
Dammit, curse this tiny little body and its stupid quadreped dynamics!
While the colt lay ragdolled in the night sky, Luna flew beside him with a branch in her hold, swinging it down at him. So in a split decision, he shot a bullet of fire through a sign he hadn't used in a while. Telum!
As the fire passed through the sign, it transformed its shape into that of a spear which telekinetically clashed with the enhanced branch. And so the duel was on where they flew through the skies and converged to clash on occasion. The result creating a spree of sparks that perfectly blended with the stars.
On the 15th clash, they noticed that their weapons were losing strength, so they nodded at each other in accordance and dissapartated them, preferring to fly back down to which they continued their chase.
Dammit, if this keeps up, Il run out of magic and the test will be over! I need something and quick... wait. So I just need more magic.
Darklo grinned to himself, speeding by an angry Fluttershy whom instantly reverted to a scared mess upon the realisation of the danger. The colt focused his energy on converging the clouds into one miniature ball of thunder while he evaded Lunas blasts. Once completed, he flew upwards as Luna shot another beam at him. Finally, the lightning shot from the clouds and conducted into his horn, charging him with electrical energy that would dispell the blast.
But that didn't happen. In a precise movement, Luna redirected her shot around the colt and back at him, forcing him to activate an electrified shield before he was sent flying into a large window.
Twilight just stood by the doors with Celestia, dumbstruck on what the hours have done to her friends. Pinkie Pie had pie cream and confetti all over her coat as well as two guards who were attempting to escort her out of there, to no avail. Rainbow Dash was in the middle of ponies who looked at her with discontent as most were covered in food or drinks. Applejack was nowhere to be seen, Fluttershy eventually barreled inside with the garden animals due to dangerous beast speeding around or something. Rarity was beating the brakes off of Prince Blueblood, for a good reason hopefully and Spike lay stuck in the Royal cake as Mayor Mare attempted to get him out. Conclusion: The day was a disaster!
I didnt even get to talk with the Princess... wait.
Twilight took another look around the devastated ballroom for a particular dark colt in a white suit, but there was nopony of the description. Quickly, she excused herself from Celestia and dashed towards Spike who licking the icing from his scales while the Mayor was cleaning him with a towel.
"Spike... where did Darklo go? Wasn't he with you?"
"Well yeah but then we had a whole fiasco with Pinkie Pie that he didn't want to stick around for, so he left for the archives."
With the right answer being said, the exhausted unicorn sighed in relief. At least through the crowd of peeved nobles and a probably disappointed Celestia, it could at least be a positive that Darklo had a good time.
"Phew... thats nice. I'm just glad he didn't have to see this mess." Twilight zapped all the leftover icing on the dragons body away and looked to the outside to clear her head, watching the stars while a strange cloud closes in on itself.
"Oh Celestia, if I knew about all the set backs sooner, I probably would've gone with him. Speaking for which, the night is almost over... where is he -WHAT THE-"
CRASH!
The whole crowd gasped in shock as they snapped their heads toward the sound,finding a small colt covered in powerful electricity that hastily picked himself from the floor. He back flipped to a safe distance as Princess Luna flew inside and shot an array of spells at him, leaving both Twilight and Celestia flabbergasted.
Is... is this how it feels? Watching your younger sibling do something stupid? Ughhh Im too young/old for this!
On the other hand, the younger siblings were full of smiles as they engaged each other, as Darklo surrounded the thousands of glass shards around him like he would with water and slammed it into each blast that came barrelling towards him. Eventually, it was clear to the colt that he had backed himself against a table, so he dived under and kicked it towards the princess who batted it aside with ease.
However, one moment was all it took for her to loose sight of the colt. That was when the crackling of thunder escaped her ears to which she looked up, seeing Darklo hanging onto a chandelier while pouring all of his electrical energy into his horn, revealing his full face to the audience.
Meanwhile, Luna stood her ground, charging a surge of her own magic which shook the ballroom furniture. Once the colt jumped down and they got near and nearer, the audience closed their eyes in fear of the inevitable shockwave while Stoneheart and Luster Purge released Pinkie to try and stop their collision. But they were too far to reach them.
And finally... they paused, but not by their own will. The colt had immediately sensed a magical hold locking him in place and was going to release his attack until he noticed that the telekinetic power wasn't Lunas signature blue, but a purple one more akin to his adoptive sister. Oh no...
From Lunas view, she too was about to fire her spell until a familiar golden shield blocked his view, so she deactivated her attack in time, looking back to see a look of sisterly disappointment from Celestia. Oh no...
Once Darklo was let go and landed on the floor, he chuckled awkwardly at the crowd he had just noticed. "Uhm... sorry for stopping by?"
"Darklo! What in the name of Celestia were you doing? Also cancel your magic before that spell gets out of control." The colt blinked confusingly until Luna pointed at his horn to which he looked up and saw the ball of electrical power, a little too big for size.
"Ah dammit!" He attempted to push the energy back into his magical circuits but it wouldn't go back. The power was too unstable to return to its previous state so he was forced to fire it through the broken window where he made his entrance. The following thunderous explosion made in the sky was surely a sight to behold for everypony, Darklo included as he looked amazed at the conductive potential of his efforts.
Unfortunately, the nobles regained their demeanour and opened their mouths in protest. "So Nightmare Moon cause another mess. And I thought we would be rid of her."
"Shut it Mrs Rich, what if she attacks us next?"
"And that colt is getting more dangerous by the minute! She must have bewitched him or something!"
So one at a time, most of the higher class ponies fled the ballroom in a hurry, rather in distaste for everything that happened or fear of the display they witnessed. This only left the guest ponies, the princess and the guards who stared at the newcomers.
But unbecoming of what the spectators expected, Darklo began to let out a chuckle, which sparked the moon princess to do the same, eventually catapulting into cheerful laughter. The sight left everypony concerned besides the pink mare of joy herself.
"Woah, they must really like eachother if they can do my infecting laugh tactic so easily, let me join!" And so Pinkies voice joined the choir of happiness.
"Hey, what's so funny? You both were fighting each other without a care in the world, do you know what could've happened if you harmed somepony?" Twilight lectured.
"And as lovely as it is to see you like this dear sister, I have to agree with my pupil. This activity was rather reckless."
Finally, the howls of laughter died down as Luna wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh I know, I know. It's just, it's been 1000 years since I had fun with a battle, especially against somepony who can make me work for it."
"Oh come on Luna, that's an exaggeration and you know it." Darklo grinned while he sat down in a heap of exhaustion, folding his front hooves, though there was definately a hint of annoyance on his lips. "I didn't hit you once. Hell, I don't think I even saw you sweat."
"Oh you don't give yourself enough credit young storm bringer." Luna replied, shining herself around to show a light bruise on her back. Quickly, Celestia cast a spell over it as the bruise vanished almost instantly.
"But, when did I... oh."
"Mhm, remember that tree you sent me into, I hit a branch before I was able to teleport. Where do you think I picked up my weapon?"
Now it was the colts turn to be flabbergasted. In all reality, he didn't think he'd be able to contend with her at full strength, so to finally see the stairs of potential extend further for him, it was a dream come true. "So does that mean?"
"Yes Darklo. As the first ever pony to be my friend in this generation and as the first student to complete the Trial of Tutilage under my supervision, I hereby grant you the title of my Moonlit Apprentice."
"... heh, WOOHOOO!" And so, Darklo bounced in the air along with Pinkie Pie who somehow knew he was going to do that, smiling ear to ear. At last, he had something bigger to work for. No longer will he move along with the day and train for future threats. Now, he had somepony to impress, somepony to turn to, somepony to gauge his growth with.
And despite all that he encountered and the personal worries that latched onto him like a savage ghost, he finally felt powerful. Just like home.
God, sorry I doubted you... I promise you that I will make this life worth while and protect your creations with everything I can. Il make Zelus proud, Il make Ira proud... Il make you proud.
