Archmage: Square One

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Chapter 9: Sprinting

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“WHAT?!” I took a step back as my eyes went wide. “I’m going WHERE?!”

“Star, Relax.” Twilight lifted a hoof, but I batted it away, tears in my eyes.

“You’re sending me away?”

“No, that’s not it at all-“

“B-but, you just s-said I’m going back to Trottingham… D-did I mess up?”

“Star, relax. Allow me to explain myself.” Twilight took one step forward, but I retreated two. I could feel the hurt and betrayal welling up in my chest.

“Answer me!” I stomped a hoof. “Why are you sending me away?!”

“I’m not sending you away!” Twilight snapped, stomping right back at me, only hers carried a little more weight. Literally. I could feel the tremor from her impact through my hooves, and her voice stunned me into silence. “I’m sending you on an assignment. You wonder why I’ve been drilling you so hard on combat magic, Star, it’s because I don’t want you to be injured.” Twilight took a steady breath, lowering herself to her haunches. “I’m sending you to Trottingham to study the timberwolf territories. Which means you’ll be going through the barrier I’ve erected at some point in the near future.”

“Twilight, I… I’m not nearly ready-“

“Yes you are.” Twilight smiled at me. I could see tears building in her eyes. “You are one of the most rapidly-progressing, gifted, brilliant minds I’ve ever had the pleasure of teaching. Look at you, Star. Six months ago you could hardly handle four granite balls. Just two weeks ago I saw you lift five boulders while opening a lock with a key. Six months ago, you couldn’t tell me the difference between an Anterior and an Exterior arch. Just yesterday you implemented a transparency arc into your Fireflash spell, and damn near singed my flank.” Twilight shook her head softly, even as a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

“You’re more prepared than any unicorn I know, Star.”

“Twilight… I…”

“Furthermore,” She looked up with a sniffle. “You won’t be alone. Basil is going with you.”

“Basil?” I blinked in shock. “Why?”

“To continue your education, of course. And also to be your sparring partner.” Twilight smiled warmly, standing on all four hooves once more. “He’s a very skilled magician, and I’d hate to send him off the moment he returned to Canterlot, but I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“So… I’m not being punished…?”

“Not at all!” Twilight scrunched her nose. “I’m not sending you off as punishment, Star. This is a serious matter involving Equestrian security; one that I wouldn’t trust to anypony else. You’re to travel to Trottingham and take up residence in the Northern Library, a place I’m sure you’re familiar with.”

“Only all too much.” I breathed a sigh of nostalgia, remembering back to my days perusing the volumes in all of Trottingham’s libraries.

“Basil will continue your education, but during your time there, I want you to study the timberwolves behind the barrier I’ve erected. Be cautious, Star.” Twilight’s expression turned dark as she lifted a hoof towards me. “There are mysterious magics at work behind that barrier, ones that I’ve never seen or heard of before.”

“Hang on,” I frowned in return. “If you’ve never heard of them, what makes you think I stand a chance of understanding them? I’m no Princess, Twilight; I haven’t been around nearly as long as you have.”

“Sometimes, Star,” Twilight sighed patronizingly. “Sending a fresh mind into an unknown situation might grant new insight. Because of my foreknowledge, I very well may be biased in my observations, trying to attribute this unknown source to magic I already understand and know. But this magic doesn’t fall into any known field. It cannot be categorized, and as such, I struggle to understand it. Sending a new mind into the Timberwolf Territories is the only solution I can think of right now. I promise you,

“If I find a new approach to this dilemma, I will take it immediately, and you can return home to continue your studies at my side.” Twilight laid a hoof over her breast. “On my honor as a Princess and a Unicorn.”

“Okay…” I swallowed my doubt and apprehension, wiping the tears from my eyes. “I’ll do it. I’ll go back to Trottingham.”

“Thank you, Star.” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “It means the world to me that you agree.” She looked down at me with another faint smile, her wings ruffling as she turned down the hall. “And are you certain that I can’t coerce you into sparring?”

“You know what?” I glowered, falling into step beside her. “I think I ought to take you up on that.”

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The next two days were spent drilling combatives as much as possible. I enjoyed the thrill of battle, of magic going off all around me, and my adrenaline-fueled mind processing all of that information bit-by-bit. Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes felt like years. Every movement I made in the midst of fighting Twilight was precise, calculated, and efficient. What’s more, I began to improve. Even in two short days.

Granted, my body paid the price, but I was improving. One dislocated shoulder, a shattered rib, and two strained hamstrings later, I was able to hold my own against Twilight for a full fifteen minutes before exhaustion won out and I collapsed.

“That’s incredible, Star.” Twilight nudged my flank on the evening of our third straight day of sparring. “You’ve advanced so much in two short weeks. I’m impressed.”

“I’m impressed Lotus hasn’t murdered you yet.” I returned, favoring my right font leg. Twilight had trapped it in a snare spell when I was sprinting towards cover, and I had probably sprained the damn thing. Furthermore, my mane stuck out at wild angles, the product of a glancing lightning spell. “I need to go see her again today…”

“I’m sure she’ll understand. And you ought to tell her about your little trip coming up.”

“Oh yeah…” I sighed, remembering that particularly painful little conversation I had yet to have with any of my pseudo-friends. Lotus and I weren’t all that close. At least, not yet. And I hadn’t seen Golden Nugget in three days either. She was gone when I had returned home.

“Let me take a look at your leg.” Twilight leaned in, her horn glowing as her magic wrapped around my injured foreleg. “Aah, I thought so. A mild sprain. One moment.” She cast a spell on my leg, and I felt the throbbing pain subside immediately. “There you go.” She straightened once more before nudging my side. “Go see Lotus, and tell her I’m sorry. Oh, and try to come early tomorrow morning. Basil is cooking breakfast.”

“It’s about time I meet up with him.” I grumbled, plodding towards the door leading out of our practice chamber. “You’ve been talking about him nonstop the past two days.”

“What? He’s an exceptional cook. You’ll see, Star. Have a good night.”

“You too.” I waved at Twilight before making my way out into the hall. Much to my dismay, one of the guards passed by just then. Normally, they were stoic and calm, but this particular guard stopped in his tracks and stared at my frazzled, almost comically-inflated hair. I shot him a glare before plodding down the hall, my magic working to reign in the frizzy strands so I at least didn’t look like Frankenhoof’s monster.

As I suspected, my reception at the Canterlot Day Spa was monumental.

“Shower! Now!” Lotus barked the moment I stepped through the door. Gone was her friendly demeanor, replaced instead with a very strict, almost motherly sort of dominance. “What did she do this time?!” Lotus was right on my haunches, giving me quick nips and shoves down the corridor.

“Lightning,” I responded with a blush. Lotus’ hooves were right on the base of my tail, egging me on with ever-increasing urgency. “You can fix this, right?”

“Oh can I ever. I’ve half a mind to go and fix her.” Lotus growled, stripping my saddlebags off as we passed through the locker room. There were two other mares there, and they watched with wide eyes as I was herded past the lockers and straight into the shower area. “Close your eyes. This is gonna hurt.”

“YOW!” I jumped as hot water lanced straight into my side, setting my nerves aflame. “Too hot! Lotus!”

“Shush. I told you it would hurt. Now sit still.” She chided, swatting my flank as the scalding stream of water found its way towards my mane. Her horn glowed, gingerly pulling the shredded and fried remains of my hair ties out one by one. I grit my teeth and bore it in silence, thankful in some small part of my mind that Twilight had dulled my nerves to pain over the past few weeks.

“In all seriousness, Star, you cannot continue this training. It’s all I can do to keep your mane from falling out on a good day.”

“You’re exaggerating.” I growled.

“Hardly! You take good enough care of it on your own, sure, but this…” I could hear Lotus tsk-ing at me. “This is murder on anypony. Keep up this abuse, Star, and you won’t have a mane to call your own anymore. It’ll be right back to square one, growing it from the roots out.”

“I’d rather avoid that,” I grimaced. “All things considered, I do like my mane.”

“And so does Goldy.” Lotus’ voice shifted straight from murderous to scandalous in half a second flat. The mention of my newest pegasus crush made me stiffen on the spot.

“D-does she now?” I squirmed a little, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks, thanks only in part to the scalding water.

“Mmhmm. She came to me just the other day, thanking me for introducing you two. I’ve never played matchmaker before, so that was rather new and exciting.” Lotus began massaging my scalp in conjunction with the water, and I could feel my mane soak through, draping down my neck calmingly. “She wanted another date.”

“That… That’d be nice. I’m just going to be awfully busy for…” It all came back to me as I thought on it, and a frown crossed my lips. “For a long time.”

“Oh? What’s happening?” Lotus quipped. “Some new training regiment to run you into the ground even harder-“

“I’m moving to Trottingham.”

The showerhead hit the floor. I opened one eye to peer at Lotus, whose hooves were over her mouth in shock.

“Star, you can’t be serious.” She whispered.

“I am,” I sighed, turning away from Lotus a little. “Twilight asked me to go out there to study the Timberwolf Territories.”

“Is this to do with the attack six months ago?”

“It is.” I nodded. “She says a new and uninfluenced mind might lend some insight to the problem out there. She needs my help on this matter. And besides, it’s not like I’m going alone-“

“I should think not!” Lotus puffed up spinning me around to face her directly. “I’m coming with you.”

“What?!” I reared my head, looking at her incredulously. “Lotus, no! I’ll not allow it.”

“Like you’re going to stop me.” Lotus chuckled. “I don’t care what you say, darling, I’m coming with. You need somepony to look after you out there.”

“Basil’s going with me.”

“Who’s Basil?”

“Twilight’s aide.”

“Oh.” Lotus flagged a little, her posture slumping ever so slightly. “Can he cook?”

“I’ll find out tomorrow morning.”

“Can he take care of your mane?”

“I…” I shook my head a bit. “Wait, how is that important?”

“Darling, come on.” Lotus laid a hoof on my shoulder with a smile. “You’re hardly able to keep your hair on your head here in Canterlot. What makes you think you’ll be able to keep it all when fighting Timberwolves?”

“Nopony said I’d be fighting them,” I muttered. “Just studying.”

“Yeah, well, my point stands.” Lotus spun me around again, picking the showerhead up and guiding it over my mane. “I’m coming with, and you can’t stop me. I’m sure there’s a spa somewhere out there that needs a skilled technician.”

“But what about here? Aren’t you the manager of this place or something?”

“Bamboo can handle the place while I’m gone.” Lotus shrugged.

“What about Breeze?”

“Weather team transfers are about as easy as shaking hooves.” Lotus waved me off with a soft chuckle. “She’ll go where I go; of that I have no doubt.”

“Lotus, I don’t want to impose like this… You don’t need to follow me-“

“Oh yes I do.” Lotus chuckled, nudging my flank. “You’re helpless without me. You’d be bald in a week. Besides, I’m not doing it entirely for your benefit.”

“Oh you aren’t.” I deadpanned. “Who, then?”

“Why, my little Nugget of course.”

“W-wait, what?” I flushed again. “How does she play into this?”

“I’m assuming you’re going to tell her about your trip soon, are you not?”

“Of course!” I flustered. “I planned on talking to her tomorrow, if I got the time…”

“Well, she’s smitten with you. I honestly doubt you’d be able to go anywhere without her following after.”

“Great.” I groaned, hanging my head. “Three mares lives I’ve irrevocably changed.”

“Oh come on, don’t be so dramatic. It’ll be like a vacation, I’m sure.”

“That’s what you’re not seeing,” I shrugged out of Lotus’ magic, turning to her with a serious expression. “This isn’t some vacation, Lotus. This is a serious matter, one that Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia have tasked me with. I’m not going to Trottingham to visit my parents, or even to sit in some dusty library and read some books. I’m going to study these Timberwolves and see what’s going on. They’re dangerous creatures, capable of tearing a pony to pieces.” I raised a hoof to emphasize my point.

“This is not a vacation. This is a mission.”

“For you.” Lotus countered, turning me back around with a firm touch. “I sincerely doubt I’m going to be following you on your studying, Star. You just need somepony who can fix your mane when you come limping back.”

“Whatever.” I grumbled, resigning myself to a fresh wave of hot water. Though, in some small part of my brain, I was thankful I had a friend to follow me. Lotus actually cared, and while we weren’t the closest of friends, this spoke volumes about her devotion.

I just prayed I’d be able to pay her back.

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“No freebies today,” Lotus led me out of the spa and towards the reception desk with a teasing frown on her face. “It’ll be twenty bits.”

“Sheesh.” I frowned, opening my saddlebags and peering inside. “I don’t have that much on me… Can I run home real quick?”

“Only if I can come with.”

“EEP!” Gold’s voice made me jump and spin about, a flush rising to my cheeks already. “H-hey Goldy!”

“Hello yourself.” Gold chuckled, sneaking a quick kiss in. Lotus sighed happily behind us, and I shot her a quick glare. “Good to see you again. You mentioned home?”

“I-I did, actually. I’m short on bits…”

“Here, I’ll pay Lotus now, and you can get me when we get to your place.” Gold flipped open her own saddlebags and fished out a small pouch jingling with coins. She counted out twenty of them on the counter, which gave me a chance to stare at her haunches for a few moments. When she finished, Lotus waved the two of us off with a shooing motion.

“Get going, you two! And have fun!”

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved at Lotus as Gold led me out of the front door and onto the chilly street. “It really is good to see you again, Goldy.”

“You too, Star.” She smiled at me, draping one of her wings over my back. “I’m sorry to have bailed on you like that three days ago, but I had to check in.”

“I figured as much.” I nudged her playfully. “I was pretty busy that day too.”

“Getting your flank kicked by Princess Twilight?”

“Like you’d do any better.”

“Oh please! I’d fly circles around her, then hiya!” She chopped her hoof through the air dramatically, holding that pose like some karate star. I just shook my head and walked on, waiting until she fell back in step to speak again.

“Which reminds me, we have some talking to do.”

“Yeah, actually, I was gonna say the same.” Gold resigned herself to a moderate silence as we turned down Castle Road, and the vicious headlong wind hit us in our faces. We huddled close down the street until we made it to my home, shuddering a little as we stepped through the door. Gold unwound her scarf as I made for the fireplace to start a warming blaze. When I had the fire going, she was already seated on my couch, smiling faintly at me.

“So who goes first?” I asked, curling up beside her. She sighed softly and laid a wing over my back.

“I think I should start. Star, I… I dunno, I’ve got this thing for you.”

“Lotus told me.” I nudged Gold’s cheek playfully.

“Curse that mare.” Gold growled. “Well, she’s right. For lack of a better word, I’m smitten. You’re just so… Cool.” That word made my heart leap up into my throat. “You’re studying under the princess, and you talk about combat practice and sparring with her like it’s nothing. Not to mention between the sheets you’re a fiend.”

“What can I say,” I sighed, nuzzling into her neck gently. “It’s been a while.”

“For me too.” She went on, leaning into my soft gesture. “So, I dunno, I wanted to ask if you… Wanted to make this… Official?”

I paused for a while after that. My heart and my mind were at war inside, both of them screaming at one another to deny her so I could go to Trottingham guilt-free, or accepting her offer and breaking her heart in four short days. In the end, my mind won out.

“Gold, I think I should tell you what I have to say now before I answer.”

“You’re shooting me down, huh?” Gold sighed. I could hear the tears in her voice. “It’s okay. I’m used to it by now…”

“No, hear me out… I’ve got a good reason.”

“… Okay.” She turned to look at me. Our eyes met, and I sighed softly.

“Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia want me to go to Trottingham. My train leaves in four days.”

“Oh… Oh! So, wait, you’re saying no because you’re leaving for Trottingham?”

“Yeah…” I sighed, feeling tears of my own build up. “I’m sorry, Gold, I really am… You’re so beautiful, and the first mare to really pay any attention to me in… Gosh, in three years. I’m so glad I met you and that night was so incredible… I want to say yes, but I’m leaving for who-knows-how-long-“

“I’m coming with.”

“-And I’ll be… Wait, what?” Gold’s response stopped me dead. “You… You want to come with me to Trottingham?”

“Of course.” Gold shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s not like I’m doing anything important around here. And there’s probably a lot of prime digging up in Trottingham’s area, anyways. I’ve been wanting to at least visit up there for… Heck, about five years now.”

“Wait a second…” I frowned. “What do you do around here?”

“Well, you know the Apple Family Mines? Where Ponyville used to be?”

“Eer… Yeah…” I frowned slightly. The Apple family didn’t exactly have the most reputable of names.

“Well I work for them. I’m their chief geologist. My talent,” She lifted her flanks to rub mine teasingly. “Is excavation and prospecting. Seed Spitter’s had me here in Canterlot surveying geological maps for potential new mine locations.” She leaned in with a frown on her face. “For five years.”

“Five years?! That’s ridiculous!”

“I know! So I want a change of pace. One letter to the Apple Family Mines, and I’ll be on my way.” Golden Nugget smiled warmly at me, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. “I… I want to follow you, Star. So we can explore how we feel for one another, and so I can get a change of scenery under my wings. Look at some different maps for once, you know?”

I had to think about this. The greater part of my mind was saying ‘sure, why the fuck not? Lotus is already following you, and Breeze is probably hot on her tail. Basil will be along, too. What’s one more to join the party?’

But it wasn’t that simple. I didn’t even know exactly what researching this new magic entailed. For all I knew, I’d be shredded the moment I stepped past that barrier and into unknown territory. Did I really want to involve anypony else in this fallacy? Let alone somepony who cared for me, and who I might very well come to care for?

“Star, you’re spacing.”

“Huh? Oh.” I realized I had been staring at the fire for the past who-knew-how-many minutes. I shook my head and sighed softly. “I’m not saying I don’t want you to, Gold. Heavens know I want you by my side. That night was so wonderful, and I want a lot more like it… But this isn’t some field trip.” I looked back to her seriously. “This is dangerous. If my training with Princess Twilight is hard enough to break bones, then an actual fight will be lethal. I might die.” Saying those words made my heart leap into my throat, and a sudden realization of my own mortality descended on me.

’Holy fuck I might ACTUALLY die doing this…’

“B-but that’s okay. I… I’m okay with taking that risk. The question is, are you willing to let me take that risk?”

“Star,” Gold sighed, leaning in to hug me softly. “I don’t know you nearly well enough to make any decisions for or about you. Nor will I be entitled to for a long, long time… But I do want to follow you, to get to know you better. And, to get my rocks off.” She kissed my ear, eliciting a delightful shudder from me. The larger half of my consciousness was beginning to make a resurgence, and I felt more than a little inclined to take her up on her offer.

“Let me think about it, okay?” I managed. “I promise, I’ll give you an answer by tomorrow. But right now… I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“Okay.” Gold smiled and nipped my ear. “Think about it, but don’t kick me out.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I grinned as my lips introduced themselves to her neck. She groaned deeply, rolling onto her side to hold me properly. “Besides, I still owe you twenty bits.”

“You’re not going to make me earn those twenty bits, are you?” Gold asked innocently. I just grinned and rolled atop her, leaning in so my lips brushed the very edge of her ear.

“Maybe I am.”

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“Good morning, Star! You’re looking surprisingly well-collected this morning.” Twilight beamed as I meekly made my way into her quarters.

“Thanks, I guess…” I smiled at her, my head on a swivel in case somepony else decided to introduce themselves to me in a quick and unexpected manner. I was expecting an introduction that morning, after all. Best to not make it a shocking one.

“So, does Lotus want to murder me?” Twilight teased, turning her attention back to the book before her.

“Well, yes and no…” I replied, still searching for Basil. “She wants to follow me to Trottingham.”

“Oh?” Twilight looked back up from her book and arched an eyebrow at me. “That’s unexpected. Why did she want to come along?”

“She claims it’s to help me with my mane,” I pulled my braid through my hooves again, giving a soft sigh. “But I don’t know what her actual reasoning is. I can assume it’s because she’s worried about me.”

“That’s curious, because I have right here…” Twilight pulled a folder from a nearby table, passing it off to me easily. “A weather team transfer request from Fair Breeze.”

“Already?” I opened the folder to scan the official-looking document inside. “That’s awfully quick… I’m surprised.”

“So your party of four will leave in three days.” Twilight turned back to her book with a nonchalant shrug. “That’s fine. Just so you know, though, I can vouch for Basil’s safety. Your friends… Not so much.”

“I know.” I sighed, hanging my head. That particular part had been wearing on my consciousness since I’d left the spa just yesterday. “I don’t want them to be hurt either… But maybe the drive to protect them will help fuel my magic?”

“Possibly.” Twilight shrugged again. “It couldn’t hurt to have them along. I’m just shocked you’ve fostered such a strong friendship in such a short time.”

“Yeah, me too…” I sighed, looking around one more time. “Though it won’t be a party of four…”

“Are you saying Basil won’t be along?”

“No, there’s a fifth…” I sighed again. “Golden Nugget.”

“The geologist?” Twilight shut her book fully and turned to me, her expression drawn. “I thought she was the liaison between Canterlot and the Apple Family Mines.”

“She says she’s their chief geologist, in charge of excavation and prospecting…” I frowned in return. “She’s just a liaison?”

“I ought to know,” Twilight’s frown intensified. “She works with the Canterlot Preservation Society almost weekly. The preservation society and the apple family have been at each other’s throats ever since Ponyville was leveled.” Her eyes misted over then, and she gave a soft sigh. “That was a sad day… But still, lots of gems and metal come from those mines. Equestria’s industry has boomed since its inception. I just wish the town could have been spared.”

“What happened to Ponyville?” I asked. The foundation of the Apple Family Mines had happened well before I was born; almost eight hundred years ago.

“Well, it’s no small secret that I spent some years of my youth living in Ponyville; before I became a Princess. That’s where I met the other Elements of Harmony. The six of us had quite a few adventures together. Ponyville was a place of sentiment for me. To see it leveled to make way for mining operations made me awfully sad. Thankfully, one of the Canterlot Preservation Society heads cultivated the Appaloosian desert, making it into what it is today. Apple Fields.”

“That’s neat.” I surmised. “I mean, a whole town destroyed… That’s kind of rude, just for a mine…”

“It was an old farm town. When one of the Apple Family members explained the wealth of gems and ore beneath the town in conjunction with the C.P.S. head’s plan for cultivating a desert, a lot of the farm ponies were excited to help with the monumental undertaking. In fifteen short years, the arid desert had been cultivated into our greatest ecological asset. We lost Ponyville’s produce, but gained twice as much from cultivating the desert, as well as a massive amount of wealth from the mines. To be frank, I owe our solidified trade agreement with the Gryphons to the former Apple Family head.

“We’re getting distracted, Star. Learning that Golden Nugget isn’t just a liaison but the head geologist for the Apple Family means they were planning on excavating around Canterlot.” She raised a hoof at me, her expression serious. “If she’s offering to follow you to Trottingham, I have to ask you to allow her. If the preservation society learns this, they’ll be up in arms.”

“I didn’t realize it was that serious.” I sighed, shaking my head softly. “I’ll ask her to come along… But won’t we run into the same issue with the Trottingham Preservation Society?”

“Maybe we will, maybe we won’t.” Twilight returned with a slight shrug. “All I know is I don’t want Golden Nugget in Canterlot, where she has potential to upset a very delicate and hard-won political balance. I’m going to have a talk with the Apple Family’s head, to see if they really were planning on excavating around Canterlot. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

“Sure, no problem.” I felt a little bad that I had all but exposed Gold to Twilight and her Apple Family contacts, but she shouldn’t have lied to them in the first place. And I got my answer for taking her along to Trottingham. My hormones won out over my reason, and I found myself excited to have her by my side. “Hey, aren’t we supposed to be meeting Basil this morning?”

“He ought to be here any minute.” Twilight gestured towards the door. “He’s running a bit late. I can’t blame him, he’s been… ‘unwinding’ since his return.”

“Ah huh.” I blushed a little. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

“What do you think it means?” Twilight returned, her lips turning up in a positively scandalous grin.

“Question answered. May I help myself to some water?” I quickly changed the subject, glancing back towards Twilight’s kitchen.

“Go right ahead. There’s some juice in the fridge if you’re so inclined. It’s early, so I won’t offer any alcohol, unless you drank last night and you need some hair of the dog that bit you.”

“No thanks,” I shuddered and made my way towards the kitchen. “You know I don’t drink.”

“You really ought to.” Twilight called after me. “It helps, aah… loosen you up a bit.”

Basil arrived promptly after I had poured myself a tall glass of tomato juice, garnished with some celery I found. He pushed a cart into Twilight’s quarters, beaming as bright as day.

“Good morning, my beautiful Princess!” His voice was bright and cheery, and I found myself smiling at him.

“Stop it Basil, you old flatterer.” Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof as she blushed. “You’re running late.”

“Forgive me, my princess.” Basil stepped out from behind the cart and bowed low. He was a yellow unicorn with a vibrant green mane. His mark was, unsurprisingly, a sprig of basil leaves. “You two lovely mares aren’t the only ponies I had to cook for this morning. Speaking of, I presume this is Star Caster?” He turned to me with a smile and a hoof, which I took readily.

“Nice to meet you, Basil. You’re welcome to call me Star.”

“I get it now!” Basil lit up once more as he glanced between me and Twilight. “She’s your Star pupil!”

I could have face-hoofed myself into a broken nose. Twilight seemed to beat me to the sentiment, but the situation ended with both of us covering our faces.

“I’ll get started on breakfast, then.” Basil winked at me before hauling his cart into the kitchen, humming to himself.

“He’s… Eccentric.” I mused, turning to Twilight. She just gave me a forced smile.

“If only you knew, Star. If only you knew…”

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Breakfast truly was, as Twilight said it’d be, incredible. Basil whipped up some of the most delicious dishes I’d ever had the pleasure of passing over my tongue, and they filled me up to perfect capacity. Basil had a way of eliciting sensations from me I never knew were even possible.

“Honestly, Basil,” I swallowed my eggs (garnished with cilantro and the perfect amount of pepper) and smiled at him. “I would not be opposed to paying you for this.”

“Haha! I’m always glad to see ponies enjoy my cooking.” Basil waved me off. “I have plans on opening my own restaurant as soon as Twilight’s done slaving me out to the gryphons.”

“Hey, I needed some very important information from them!”

“No complaints here!” Basil raised his hooves defensively, albeit with a warm smile. “None at all. I tell you, some of those gryphons pack heat…”

“Basil!” Twilight flushed, glancing my way. “Is that really an appropriate topic of conversation for breakfast?”

“Hon,” Basil waved Twilight off. “You know you missed me and my corny jokes.”

“You slick bastard.” Twilight shook her head before turning to me. “You’ll have to forgive him. Basil’s an incorrigible poon hound… Or would you call it tail hound?”

“I don’t know what to call it, but it’s enjoyable.” Basil fanned himself dramatically. “Why, there was this one gryphon with a dick so big I-“

“AAHP!” Twilight’s horn glimmered as her magic sealed his mouth shut, her cheeks flushing ever brighter. “Save it for later, loverboy.”

“Mmhmm-mm-hmm!”

“Sorry.”

“No promises, Princess.” Basil worked his lips free of Twilight’s magic before shooting me another grin. “I hope you’re not some shy little filly who can’t handle this sort of thing?”

“I… Well…” I blushed about as brightly as Twilight just then, looking down at my plate. “I-it’ll take me a bit to get warmed up-“

“Like that gryphon.”

“Shush, Basil!”

“-But I come around eventually.” I glanced up at him once more, feeling rather foalish just then. I had just spent the night wrapped up in another mare’s legs, doing some truly erotic things. I ought not to be reduced to blushes and stammers when confronted with the opposite end of my bi-curious spectrum. “You’re not… One hundred percent gay, are you?”

“Only mostly.” Basil shrugged one shoulder. “I can have sex with mares, I just fail to see the appeal in it. Not to say I haven’t, just that it’s been a while, and I have my preferences.”

“Good. I’m guessing Gold can breathe easy now.”

“Wait a moment,” Twilight frowned at me. “You’re sleeping with Golden Nugget?”

“Eer, did I forget to mention that?” I flushed as Twilight’s frown intensified. “S-sorry.”

“Tread cautiously, Star. The Apple Family keep a close eye on their assets.”

“What do you mean?” I asked softly, feeling a slight bit of apprehension in my gut.

“She means you might find yourself indebted to the Apple Family for spending too much time between the legs of one of their employees.” Basil cut in. “Their contractors sign their life to the Apple family – every facet of it.”

“That can’t be right…” I felt anger build up inside of me. “They can do that?”

“Technically, yes.” Twilight sighed. “Prostitution is perfectly legal, even if it’s by proxy. Should Golden Nugget have half a mind, Star, she could retroactively charge you for her ‘services.’”

“Retroactively?!” I sputtered. “That’s insane! Don’t you have to, I dunno, agree to that sort of thing? Sign a form or something?”

Basil and Twilight both erupted into laughter, pounding the table with their hooves. I retreated into seething silence until they collected themselves.

“N-no, Star, my love. You don’t have to ‘sign a paper’ to have sex with a whore. And they can charge you after the fact. It’s how the Apple Family got half of their contracts anyways. Bunch of filthy liars and cheats.”

“Easy, Basil.” Twilight calmed him with a soft expression before turning back to me once more. “Just tread cautiously, Star. If you’ve already done the deed, then she’s got you in her hooves. If you trust her, then go right ahead. Not all of the Apple Family are crooks and thieves. You may have found a-“

“Golden Nugget amongst the shit?!” Basil cut in.

Twilight and I facehoofed in sync this time.

------

After breakfast had been cleaned up, we quickly moved down into the training chamber Twilight and I had been using for our sparring practice the past few weeks. Basil and I chatted a little more, and I found him easily relatable. He hinted at some sort of history with the Apple Family, one that didn’t end too happily for the parties involved. I wasn’t able to coax any more out of him before we arrived at the chamber, but I was glad he’d be along with me to Trottingham. He seemed an interesting – if comically unbearable – travelling partner.

“As you know, Star, we’ve been training you on combatives and sparring lately. You’ve been going against me, whom you have no hope of defeating, of course. But now we’re going to do something a little different.” Twilight stood between Basil and I as we squared off. “Basil is skilled and powerful, but not as much as I. You’re resourceful and intelligent, but not as much as me… So, with that in mind, you two will be dueling under my careful eye. I’m here to ensure you do not injure one another seriously. The duel is over when I say so, or one of you concedes. If I sense the danger is too much, I will intervene immediately. Do you understand?”

“I do.” I nodded to Basil.

“Just like the good old days with Spearhead, huh?”

“If only without the vicious revenge sex afterwards, yes.” Twilight rolled her eyes with a sigh. “Alright, get ready you two. Begin on my mark.”

I lowered my stance, looking across the way at Basil, who was doing the same. Our eyes met, and I knew I’d be in for another hard fight. Just because he wasn’t Twilight didn’t mean he wasn’t powerful. I only had a few short weeks of dueling practice under my belt, as it were. Basil probably had ten or fifteen years, plus some practical application if he was lucky.

“Three, two, one…”

I took a breath.

“Begin.”

The room erupted in light. Basil and I both cast the same spell at one another, our horns glowing brilliantly as the spell-forms took shape. Twin beams of bright light shot straight outwards from our horns, colliding in the middle of the room. The tile cracked and the floor shook, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. I watched in awe as Basil charged through the dust, appearing a few short feet in front of me.

His eyes were alive, dancing gleefully as he ignited another spell between us.

And then he vanished.

*paff* He appeared behind me in a flash of teleportation, and I wheeled about, a shield constructing before me. His next spell rocked forth, spraying off of and around my shield. The skittering lines of arcane energy danced around my hooves and above my head, but none of them touched me. I began preparing my own spell, and as soon as Basil’s assault was over, I unleashed it.

“Woah!” He gasped, dancing aside as a pillar of blue flame erupted beneath his hooves. I followed up with a shadow spell meant to snare attackers, the same one Twilight had used to snare me and sprain my leg just yesterday. Basil was caught, but his lips spread in a grin. My next spell surged forth, a crackling bolt of violent energy.

It erupted against his shield, lancing off and into the ceiling, raining dust and mortar on our heads. Basil was inside of a shadow shield, one conjured from the night. My snare spell would have no influence inside. I prepared my next two spells, laying one rune on the ground behind him, and another on the ground at my hooves. As soon as Basil emerged, I detonated them both.

Only to be overwhelmed as six tendrils of shadow magic shot out at me. My spell fizzled pathetically, the shadow magic wrapping around all four of my legs, my neck, and my torso. A desperate thought crossed my mind, and I closed my eyes. ’Help me!’

”Sorry, child.” The night whispered in my ear. ”I favor him more…” I felt the tendrils tighten, even as Basil grinned up at me. The night wouldn’t help me here, I wasn’t as favorable to her as Basil was. Thus, I had to rely on my own strength. Confidence and desire burned inside of me. I gripped the power of the day, forcing a bright ray of light into the room.

The tendrils evaporated like mist, and I fell on my hooves heavily, coughing as breath rushed back to my lungs. Basil was stunned for a half a moment, and I acted.

“RRAH!” Charging forth, I shot three rapid-fire bolts of blue energy at him, watching as he dodged two but the third hit him in his foreleg. The force of the blow snatched his leg out from underneath him, and his impromptu spell shot into the ceiling, missing my mane by a scant inch. I pressed the advantage, looming over him as bright chains of light wrapped around his body.

“I surrender!” Basil gasped, even as he was roughly shoved into the floor. The chains evaporated instantly, and Twilight’s magic gripped my whole body.

“Well done, Star!” She pulled me back and away from Basil, setting me on the floor a good distance away. “I’m impressed. You beat Basil, and his devotion to the night is phenomenal.”

“I… I won?” The whole situation seemed like it took half a moment, maybe less. The adrenaline thundered through my veins, and I felt myself quiver with pent-up energy. “I beat him?”

“Like a red-maned stepchild.” Basil winced as he stood up, favoring the leg I’d hit with my spell. “Well done, Star. You’re really good.”

“I… Wait, what? I won?”

“And broke his leg, seems like.” Twilight was standing next to Basil, her horn glowing densely. “That was masterful, Star. You very nearly had him with the two runes, but his devotion to the night allowed for a nullification arc… You reacted brilliantly.”

“Wow.” I plopped down on my haunches, blinking from shock. “I won.”

“Good job.” Basil smiled as he trotted over to me, clapping my shoulder. “But I’m just rusty from having my head buried in a book for the past two years. Once we get to Trottingham, I’ll give you a better run for your money. I promise.”

“Heh.” I flushed and pulled my braid through my hooves. “I… Thanks, I guess.”

“Come on, Basil.” Twilight nudged him aside. “I have some more things to discuss about your notes. Star, you’re free for the day. I’d suggest you go have a chat with Golden Nugget about her motives, be they sincere or otherwise.”

“Y-yeah, thanks…” I sighed and watched Basil follow Twilight out of the practice chamber. Once the door closed behind them, I stared at it for a long while.

’I won… Huh.’