Alex

I flew around the Empire a maximum of three times before my guilt took over. I looped back around and flew in through the window I shattered. Running through the castle, I made my way to the bedroom, where Alexandria was passed out on the floor.

"Wake up." I commanded, going over to her fallen body. I pressed two fingers against her wrist, heart beating in my throat. "Wake up!" A weak pulse beat against my finger. Small, slow and faint, but unmistakably there.

"Alex?" she said faintly, opening her eyes slowly. "Is that you?"

"Yes. Are you alright?" I asked worriedly. Without warning, she punched me in the face, knocking me back. She grabbed me up and threw me onto her bed, where she hit me three more times in the stomach.

"Are you insane?!" she shouted.

"Am I insane? You're the one who attacked me!" I answered, pushing her off of me.

"I almost died because of you!"

"So? I almost kill you all the time and you've never gotten this angry before."

"This is different! You got blood all over my clothes!"

"That mind attack made you bleed?" I asked curiously. "There's a 'it's that time of the month again' joke here somewhere."

"Yes! I had blood coming out of my eyes and ears and mouth and nose!"

"And head, and shoulders and knees and toes?" I asked.

"Alex, I'm going to kill you!"

"Kill me? Alex the Great?"

"What's so great about you?"

"I'm great and powerful! You're just jealous of how amazing I am."

"I am great also! Although I'm great in the sense of morality. Unlike you, I'm a good pony who does good things!"

"Why are you so mad anyway? You survived, didn't you?"

"It's not about that! You know I can't stand blood!"

"What? How is that even possible? You have to prick your finger whenever you do alchemy. How can you be hemophobic?"

"Okay, when you almost drown in your own blood, you can come and tell me how it's not something to be afraid of. Until then, I would like to limit my bleeding to quick-clotting finger-pricks!"

"I've never seen you this mad before." I said, mildly amused.

"You've never pulled BS like this before, either. I ask you a few questions and you need to melt my brain? That's harsh, even for you."

"I'm sorry, but if you kept asking questions, you'd figure out my plan, and if you figure out my plan, you'll try and stop me, and if you try and stop me, Conjure and the General will get involved. I can take you, no problem. Conjure would require a little work. I can beat War on my best day, his worst. If you three work together, well, consider my plans foiled."

"Jokes on you, because I already know what you're doing." she said, matter-of-factly. I hated when she acted like she was omnipotent.

"Is that so?" I asked, slightly panicked.

"Yes, it is so. Here's the deal: I'll let you do it, so long as you make him promise to leave Conjure and Robert out of it. If he lays a finger on either of them, well, fighting's not really my thing, but I will destroy him!"

"Good luck with that." I snickered.

"Let me rephrase that: Leave Conjure and War out of it, or Sombra dies. One way or another. I don't care if I need to get Princess Twilight or Silver Rift, but I will make sure that he is buried." she said simply. "Do we have a deal?"

"Hm… fine." I grumbled. "Lord Sombra will leave them alone."

"Thank you. If you don't mind, I have some studying to do, so please, can you please go spar or something."

"Fine. I'll see you later." I said, leaving the room. "And this stays between us, got it?"

"Oh, but of course." she said, shooing me out. I made my way downstairs to the armory, where I sat down and pulled out my book I had hidden behind the weapon rack. I opened it up, my book of magic, and searched through it. I found the passage I was looking for: Regeneration spells.

"Regeneration is of the most complicated and difficult of magic. Only a unicorn with years of practice and stupendous natural talent can accomplish even a simple regeneration, such as repairing a missing toenail. Not every unicorn has the strength to accomplish such a spell. Should you have the ability, the incantation needed is below." I read aloud. Hm. That's a little upsetting. Seems I'd have to wait a while longer. Even so, how was I supposed to get Alexandria's goody two-hooves ass to cast it? I flipped through the book, searching for an answer when my eyes fell on a chapter titled Telepathy.

"Telepathy is the transmission of information from one being to another without using any of our known sensory channels or physical interaction. A telepathic link can only be established between close blood relatives (brother-sister, father-daughter, etc.) or those who share a strong emotional bond. Once a link is established, a telepathic link can be used to communicate across great distances, share images, stimulate nerve centers, and even to establish a rudimentary form of mind control." I read. "Mind control? I think I found a way."

"What's up, Alex?" asked the General, walking in briskly.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were bodyguarding Sparkle."

"I was bodyguarding Princess Sparkle, but our meeting with the UNE went surprisingly well. Turns out, we were just arranging a speech our services all those years ago. Anywho, what are you up to?"

"Just reading this stupid magic book. I lost a bet and now Alexandria has me reading this. If I fail the quiz she gives me, I owe her ten bits. It's hard, this magic crap. You understand, right? To know how it feels to be unmagical?"

"Hey! I have magic!" he raged.

"Really? A magic Earth pony?"

"Yeah. Did I stutter?"

"No, I just have trouble hearing bullshit." I said. "Oh yeah, you're magic, and Twilight Sparkle is queen of changelings!"

"I do too have magic."

"Oh, I totally believe you. You're magic, Fluttershy is a kick-ass sergeant, and I'm a human!"

"Oi! Two of the three! I am magic, and Fluttershy is a kick-ass sergeant! Or she was, anyway. She could walk into this room and challenge me to a boxing match and I will genuinely decline for fear for my life."

"Well, that settles it: You are a pussy."

"Shut up. Your workout just got doubled."

"Yeah, whatever, I'm hungry. Wanna give me some of your blood?"

"You know, I'm trying to help you control your cravings. I'm not helping you by letting you stay addicted."

"I don't care, give me some blood."

"Fine. Last time." said Robert. "Let me go get my knife."

"No need. Just give me your arm." I said, reaching forward. He gave me his arm, which I promptly sank my fangs into it. I clamped down and ripped a piece of flesh out of his arm, leaving a hole about the size of a softball in his arm.

"Gaah! I told you to have a drink of blood, not to rip my arm off!"

"Sorry." I said, chewing slowly. "I let my hunger get the best of me."

"It's fine. Gives me an opportunity to show you my magic." he said, grasping his bleeding arm. He began to glow dark green, and his arm slowly stopped bleeding, replacing the missing flesh that I had torn off.

"What is that?!" I asked.

"I call it 'Vitality', Cool, huh?" he said, light fading. He removed his hand, revealing his perfectly unbitten arm.

"Regeneration spell?" I asked. "How is that possible? Only really strong unicorns can do that."

"Well, I have special magic. My magic doesn't affect things physically. I sort of just buff up people's abilities. Including my own healing."

"Can you do it again?" I asked with anticipation.

"Not without paralyzing myself." he said. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." I said crestfallenly.

---

Alexandria

"Fine. I'll see you later." she said, walking out of the room. "And this stays between us, got it?"

"Oh, but of course." I said, mushing her out. "Let's hope that works." I sat back on my bed, a little uneasy. I felt a bit uneasy, both at the memory of my bleeding and at the deal I had just made. Something wasn't right.

"I need a backup, in case she actually succeeds." I said to myself, grabbing my spellbook. I flipped through it, searching for something on souls. I found it and began to read.

"The soul is a temperamental and unstable magic that exists within every living being in the universe. Not to be confused with the Shine, which is the life force of a body, a soul is the will and passion existing in a being. Souls have a very precise balance that, should it be disturbed, would cause the soul to collapse upon itself. While a soul collapse typically ends in coma or vegetation, in extreme cases, it can end in complete separation of a soul and, theoretically, create a new body, creating two distinctly different beings. After a soul is split, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to recombine the two halves, especially if the soul splits unevenly." I read. "Should two soul-haves recombine, it is not possible to recreate the perfect balance that the original soul had, pre-separation."

"Making plans?" asked Conjure, leaning in the doorway.

"More like taking inventory." I said. "I hope I never have to use the spell I'm looking at."

"She's not going to succeed in reviving Sombra." he said. "She doesn't have it in her."

"How did you know?"

"I've known what she was planning since the day I laid eyes on her."

"Why haven't you stopped her yet?"

"She's not hurting anypony. In any case, I am in no place to try and stop her. This is her destiny."

"What do you mean?"

"Me and Princess Twilight figured out why Sombra asked to help you. He needed to plant a seed of sorts, make somepony who would fight to their dying breath, trying to revive him. Enter: Alex the Great."

"I see." I said, looking at him with worry and fascination.

"She's not bad. She's just… doing what she was meant to do."

"So, you don't think she'll succeed?"

"Not without the help of a super powerful unicorn. The only ones who could possibly help her would be me, Twilight, my kids, and yourself. I doubt anypony on that list would intentionally help bring back King Sombra. Just don't get involved. It'll work out."

"Conjure, can I ask you a favor?" I asked.

"Shoot."

"Can you teach me regeneration magic?"

"Why?"

"Well, it's supposed to be one of the most difficult magics and I would like to test my skill."

"I suppose we could do that. Just know that it will be difficult. You will not be able to cast even a simple regeneration spell for a few years. It will take complete and total focus."

"Of course. I will be completely dedicated to these lessons. I'll put the work in, I swear."

"Okay. I'll put together a lesson plan. We'll start first thing in the morning." he said. "Um… Alexandria? Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Your nose is bleeding."

"Is it really?" I asked, tilting my head back. "Oh it's nothing, me and Alex were wrestling a little earlier and I guess she messed up my nose."

"Speaking of which, you did a real bang-up job on that healing spell you did, when Alex attacked you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can feel the magic you did. It left a residue of energy, which I picked up on. I was able to infer what happened." he said, turning to leave. "She got you good, didn't she?"

"Yes. Please don't ask what we were fighting about. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Alright. As you wish. Well, I have to go. Have a good day." he said, walking out.

"Why did I ask to learn regeneration?" I asked myself. "This nosebleed is pissing me off."