[Time Unknown]

[Roxxie’s POV]

I found myself back on the traditional looking temples in the mountains, while wearing a white gi with a black belt tied around my torso like the last time I was here. During the first time, I was training with Cyan to hone our skills in martial arts. If there’s one thing he and I love, it’s kung-fu movies, especially ones that takes place in some part of Chineigh, where the hero trains diligently with the masters of a temple like I was in order to get strong enough to defeat evil villains. Though some of the styles shown weren’t suitable to my tastes, there were others that I would TOTALLY get down with practicing to help me win future fight matches.

Getting back to the present, the whole place was deserted compared to the last time I was there. I walked around the front of the temple as I tried to look for Cyan or the monks that were here before. “Hellooooo? Anyone out here?” I asked loudly, my voice echoing through the emptiness.

Damn. Where is everyone? And I was looking forward to pinning Cyan down and kiss him like I did before… Damn did he look cool with that get-up. He was like a young Bruce Leek. Actually, if Teala was interested in mastering more than one sword style, she might be interested in practicing those sabers I sometimes see monks use. She’d probably look cute with a gi herself.

“My, don’t YOU have a soft spot? And I thought you’d be tough like your name,” a cocky, male voice called, which interrupted my thoughts, as if he was responding to them like a mind reader.

“Who goes there?! If you’re here for a beating, then you’re certainly asking for it with THAT kind of tone!” I exclaimed while I was scanning my surroundings in my fighter’s stance.

“Someone’s a little touchy. Alright, I’ll show myself, but you better be ready for the surprise,” the voice called before I felt some rumbling under my hooves. I saw the pebbles and rocks around me were clattering as they moved themselves into one designated point until they started piling and stacking one another. It looked like there was a pony forming as I started to see two pillars of rocks piling up to look like legs. Then there was the torso, arms, and finally a head on its shoulders.

Once the figure was complete, white, glowing eyes with no irises or pupils appeared on its head, along with a tail and mane that spiked forward, also glowing the same color. “Whadda ya think? Too showy? Do I look buff? Hold on, let me just…” The rock stallion said with no mouth to use for speech before he stretched and popped out his new body, the stones making it up shifted to adapt his movements. He stretched in a way that was kind of boastful, as if he was like a body builder posing for the cameras (and I will tell you right now that no matter how buff those guys look, I honestly don’t think they’re that strong), even though his frame was more lean than big and buff-like. “Gyaaaaagh, there we go. Takes me a bit to adjust,” he finished.

My eyes widened at the freaky thing that developed before me, and rubbed them to see if I was getting delusional. “… Alright, you got twenty seconds to explain what the fuck you are, and what you are doing here, or I’ll shatter that new body of yours back to the pebbles they really are,” I threatened while popping my knuckles.

“Easy there sweet cheeks, I’m not here to get rough… Well, probably not yet anyway,” he said, which tightened my fists even more. “Alright, introduction time. I am the manifestation of the Earth Magic you’ve recently come across, and since you’ve finally awoken me, I’m here to help you hone your Earth Wielding skills as your new Guardian.”

“Wait… YOU, are basically what I have in HERE, to move rocks?” I asked as I pointed my finger to him, then my chest.

“You got it,” he replied.

“So shouldn’t you be like, I don’t know, a GIRL? Like I AM?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m also like the representation of your strongest characteristics and personality, both inside and out,” he explained. “You may have some soft spots, but you’re DEFINITELY more masculine compared to other mares in your world.”

“MY world? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh yes, that’s right, this isn’t the world you’ve always known. We’re basically in your dreams right now. You’ll be seeing me here most of the time.”

Huh… I guess that makes sense. I mean having someone like him being here is TOO out of the ordinary to happen in the real world.

“Well DUH. I’d think you’d already know that by now,” he said, which had my eyes widened.

“W-wait… Can you read my mind?” I asked nervously.

“I sure can sweet cheeks,” he answered. “I’m a part of you, so not only can I hear your thoughts, but I can see, hear, and experience everything you’re going through when you’re not here. Which includes how you had butterflies in your stomach when your coltfriend called you cute earlier, or how attractive you thought he was when you saw him in that get up the last time you were here.”

My faced heated up as he described those instances to me like I was an open book. “C-Cyan’s not my coltfriend you know!” I defended. “We’re just close friends!”

“But that’s not how YOU want things to go between you two right?” He asked. “No, what you YOU want, is a little something like this.” He turned his back toward me, wrapped his arms around him, and started to make moaning and kissing noises like he was doing it with someone in front of him. “Oh Cyan, take me and make me a real mare~,” he moaned playfully while imitating my voice.

My whole head was heating up, and my muzzle scrunched up as I watched, both embarrassed and almost disgusted at what he was implying. “C-Cut it out you bastard!” I exclaimed. “That is NOT what I want from us AT ALL!”

“That’s not what your face is telling me,” he said before he finished his act, and turned back to me. “Anyway, back to what I was saying before, though you have some tender moments now and then, you display qualities that some would mistake you for a guy, and since THOSE weigh over your feminine qualities, you see me the way I am now. Cocky, stubborn, brash, while at the same time honest, loyal, and friendly if ponies don’t step over certain boundaries. Those and then some describe who you are, with some being more masculine than others.”

“So I’m pretty much some kind of backwards freak, is that what you’re saying?” I asked with a furrowed brow.

“You’re different, yes, but no freak,” he argued. “You aren’t the first Wielder who had Guardians that portray the opposite sex. There are stallions who are more effeminate compared to others, and they have female Guardians. Why, seeing how Cyan is for as long as you’ve known him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he fits into that category.”

“WHAT?!” I yelled in shock.

“Oh come on now, even YOU have to admit he can be strange in some areas compared to other colts. Sewing your damaged clothes, treating your wounds, and from how you recently found out, played tea parties with Teala and brushed her mane afterwards? It’s a good thing there are less guys than girls in your world, or he’d be a freakin’ punching bag by now.”

“… *sigh* Alright, you got me there,” I admitted. “But that doesn’t change how much of a great guy Cyan is. All of those things you described just shows how much he cared for us, and made sure we were doing okay. If anything, that just makes him a better stallion than others, even if they have my ‘masculine’ qualities. Plus, I’ve seen him acting more like a regular guy sometimes just being with me. We’ve roughhoused, got dirty, chilled, I could think of others, but it shows how much of a good balance he has with himself, and it was great to see how relaxed he can be around me when he wasn’t with his uptight parents.”

I looked down on and smiled as I recalled those instances before I continued. “He accepts me for who I am, no matter how different I am from other girls. That’s only the tip of the iceberg for why I love him, and it’s only fair I should accept him for the way HE is. If anyone lashed him out on that, then they’ll have to talk to my fists.” I looked back up to the rock pony and punched into my open palm. “So if you really ARE my Guardian, AND you’re going to teach me everything I need to know about my Earth Magic, you better not diss him or Teala while we’re doing this, or we’re going to have some problems.”

“Fair enough,” he said before things around me started to fade out of sight. “Looks like we’re running low on time. There’s only one thing that’s left to be done before we get started next time you’re here.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“It is tradition that the Wielders name their Guardians once they make their first encounter, so if I could get something cool sounding, that would be great.“

A name huh? Well that shouldn't be too hard to come up with. The guy's made of rock, and he's been bugging me like crazy over the past twenty minutes or so. I think I know just the name that would fit.

“Pebbles,” I said.

“… What?” He asked.

“You need a name right? So I’m calling you Pebbles,” I clarified.

“WHAT?!”

“Hey, don’t get sassy with me. You’ve pushed a BUNCH of my buttons today, or tonight, whatever time it is right now. I WOULD have given you something cooler if you weren’t such a jackass, even though I’m technically calling myself that since you’re a part of me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what some ponies referred to me as. SO! Since I can acknowledge that, AND my ‘masculine’ qualities, it would only fit that I give you a name that balances things out. Pebbles is what came to mind, because not only can they bug the crap of me when they get stuck on the inside of my hooves like you do, but it’s also what you’ll turn out to be if you rub me the wrong way,” I threatened.

“Urgh! FINE! Pebbles it is then,” he replied. “Don’t think I’m gonna go easy on you in our first lesson tomorrow.”

“Heh, I wouldn’t DREAM of it. Bring it on then, I dare ya.”

“Oh I WILL, I promise you that. Until then,” he finished before everything faded out, and my vision turned black.

[Teala’s POV]

“Cyaaaaan? Are you here? I’d like to continue where we left off,” I said as I walked along the same beach I was on the last time. I wasn’t sure why I was brought back here, but if Cyan comes back like before, despite how cheesy it was the last time, I found it better to ask questions later and just go along with what’s going on in the present. One thing that was different this time than before was when I came to, my trusted rapier was beside me. I didn’t know how it got there, but I wasn’t going to leave it by itself. So I strapped it across my waist before I went to find my darling, but so far, I haven’t had much luck.

“Ugh. Honestly, how did things end up this way anyway? It’s like I lost him all over again,” I said to myself as I walked over to the ocean waters, sat down, and just let my hooves get soaked as the waves moved back and forth while I stared at the sunset over the horizon. At a closer look, I noticed the sun wasn’t moving at all. It was frozen in place while the sky was still in a constant blend of colors consisting of yellow, orange, pink, red, and blue as it got further away from the sun. “Well that certainly can’t be right. Did something happen to Princess Celestia that the sun is staying like this?” I asked to myself.

“No Teala, that is not the case, and you won’t be seeing your dearly beloved again here anytime soon,” a feminine, majestic-like voice replied, which had me jolt up and drew my rapier before I quickly scanned my surroundings.

“Who’s there?! Where are you?! What have you done with Cyan?!” I pressed loudly.

“Calm down now, I didn’t do anything,” the voice responded. “The Cyan you know here is only a part of your dreams that you’re in right now. The real one I can only guess is safe and watched over by the one called Lumina that Nil explained.”

“How do you know that?! That’s only something everyone in the circle knows, and no one else! If you are not an enemy, then you better show yourself, or I’ll find you if I have to,” I demanded.

“I was going to do that anyway, but you better be prepared for the surprise,” she responded before I felt something unusual around my hooves.

I looked down, and noticed the ocean water was acting strangely, flowing in a way that would be impossible to accomplish by nature itself. The water before me started to swirl upwards, as if it was getting sucked through a vacuum tornado. I took a step back as I saw another patch of water doing the same thing a few inches away from the other, while trails of water were flowing and trailing up in a spiral. The two patches of water rose to where I could make out were legs before the tips converged, and started to make the hips and torso. The two spiral water trails connected to where the shoulders would be, and extended outwards to create the arms. Finally, a pony-shaped head was formed after the neck as the two spirals then moved to its back once the arms were finished. Once the head was formed, water sprouted from the top to make a flowing mane, while I could see a tail sprouting behind her. The movement stopped, leaving a tall, petite, yet curvy mare figure made of the crystal blue ocean waters formed with parts of her body shined from the sun’s reflection. At the head, white, glowing eyes with no irises or pupils opened up while two large, wing-like water figures unfurled from her back. Some water splashed off the sides of the wings, which added the finishing touch to her unique, yet beautiful entrance as the sun shined the droplets that made them look like moving stars.

I stood there wide-eyed from her appearance as the hand that held my rapier trembled from fear. “W-what… What are you?” I stuttered.

“Allow me introduce myself,” the water mare replied. “I am the embodiment of your Water Magic, and as of tonight, I will be teaching you the ways of the water as your new Guardian.”

“W-wait… Embodiment? Guardian? Teach?” I asked with confusion.

“Yes. I am the magic that has been watching over you since the day you were born, but unable to reveal myself to you until you were able to tap into your powers,” she explained as I slowly sheathed my sword. “As I am a part of you, not only do I see, hear, and experience everything you’ve been through in the real world, I also share some of your stronger personalities and characteristics.”

“Wait, ‘real world?’” I asked. “You also mentioned ‘tonight,’ when clearly the sun is still over the horizon… Albeit frozen in place.”

“Do you not question the strange situation you’re currently in, including the last time you were here with your beloved?” She asked.

“Well… A part of me was, but…”

“You wish to continue what you were having with Cyan. I know all too well,” she finished for me.

“Y-you do?” I asked.

“But of course, I am a part of you after all, and because of that, I can hear your thoughts,” she replied. “I can even see some of the dreams you’ve visualized in said thoughts while you’ve read your romantic novels as well. Such as how you imagined Cyan and yourself fighting side by side against a band of pirates before finishing the victory with a kiss; how you imagined Cyan as a spy whose charms swayed your hard-to-get, yet devious behavior; and let’s not forget the one time you ran into one of your mother’s erotic novels and you—“

“OKAY OKAY I GET IT! Just please don’t say anymore!” I exclaimed with my whole face heated up from how she was so dead on with my fantasies, and I prayed to Celestia that she wasn’t going to go into too much detail with the last one.

The water mare giggled at my embarrassing expense before she continued. “Anyway, like those fantasies, this is only one of those dreams while your body in the real world is still asleep. I can only see you in these dreams, and I will be teaching you how to use your magic as a Water Wielder from this day forward.”

“W-well… If you’re here to help me, then I most appreciate it,” I said. “I honestly don’t know where to begin since I can only float a blob of water from a small body of it. Plus… I need to start doing what I can to protect my friends as well.” I looked down at the sand with a furrowed brow. “I have sat on the sidelines while watching Roxxie and Cyan grow stronger in both strength, and mentality for too long. It’s time I start doing my part, especially since my love has been branded a criminal. He’ll need both Roxxie’s, AND my help, now more than ever, and it’s about time I give back everything Cyan has done for us, and then some as I’ll show him how much he means to us… How much he means to me.” I looked back up to her while keeping that same expression. “Please teach me what I need to know, and I’ll follow to the best of my abilities.”

“Excellent Teala Crystalwaters,” she responded with a nod. “I am only here to make the introductions, and act on the tradition between Wielders and Guardians before we start the following morning.”

“Tradition?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes. Specifically, the name you’ll give me as your new Guardian,” she responded.

“I get to name you? Like one would for a newborn foal?”

“Indeed. If you have trouble coming up with one, most Wielders usually get inspiration based on the element of magic they’re using.”

Based on one’s element huh? For me, that could be plenty of things. The name of an ocean, maybe a lake, perhaps a form of water that comes down in such a way?

“How does… Misty sound to you?” I asked.

“Hmm… I like it. Misty it is then,” she replied with a nod. Soon though, everything around us started to fade out, and I was shocked at the development. “Well it appears our time is up for now. Any last questions before I see you off until next time?”

“Just one,” I replied as I took off my rapier from my belt and held it up. “Why is my rapier here? I would think that won’t be needed for something like my Water Magic.”

“Different ponies have different ways to display their skills,” Misty explained. “Believe me when I say that you’ll be putting your years of fencing will be put to good use. That I’m sure of.”

“Well alright then. Plus, just holding this thing makes me eager to take on ANY kind of challenge,” I commented with a determined smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you Misty. I will see you again soon.”

“Indeed. OH! There’s one thing I’d just like to say,” she said. “Take a look through your parents’ ‘private library,’ and you’ll have an answer to a question that was on your mind not too long ago. Until then Teala Crystalwaters, farewell.” She waved her ripple-like arm at me, and I returned the gesture before everything around me went white.

My parents’ private library? But that’s where I… Oh dear, I may not remember what question was on my mind that day, but I pray to Celestia that there won’t be any new ‘novels’ I accidentally come across and glue myself to reading… And especially not letting my imagination run rampant.

Next Chapter: Chapter 22: Lumina's Inner Conflict Returns, Breakfast in Bed, and a Few Surprises Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 11 Minutes