The book Alex had been given looked ancient and weathered, but every bit of it felt like it was brand new in his hands as he looked through the various pages to see what was towards the back of the book. This proved to be even worse than all of the plodding explanations of magical theory towards the beginning of the book as the later pages were devoted almost entirely to thick grids of rune diagrams with the handwritten annotations in the page margins mentioning notes made regarding spells earlier in the book without even listing a page number to go along with it.

Something about that handwriting nagged at the back of his mind as he flipped back to the first few pages of the book with a frustrated sigh. “Why does this have to be so boring to read through? It’s not even talking about casting spells or anything, just about breathing exercises.”

“It makes sense to me, Alex.” Snails was literally reading over his shoulder as the two of them sat at one of the lunch tables after school. The orange colt was snuggled up next to him so they could both look through the book at the same time. “A lot of magic is about being calm while you learn how to do it so that you can figure out your own personal shortcuts to get the effect you want. Rarity told me that when she saw I was struggling to pick up a quill and getting frustrated.”

“This is why I never got my driver's license,” Alex said, skimming through a few pages. He stopped when his eyes landed on a certain spell. “Snails, Christmas came early.” Unable to contain his smile, he shifted the book to give Snails a better view.

The current page displayed a diagram of what looked like a beach ball and had the words 'must teach efficiency refinements only to trusted students’ written in the margin, along with nearly half of the runes that formed the spell diagram being marked with tiny x’s in the upper right corner or their portion of the grid.

“Wow. You got a master’s cheat copy?!” Snails almost squeed, leaning over Alex's shoulder. “That's so cool! I remember reading about things like this being fiercely protected by spellcrafters so nopony else could duplicate their spells perfectly, or cast them as quickly.”

“Let's see what else is in here... Poison, Confuse, Zero Gravity, Sleep, Seeker Mine, Quake, Mini...” Alex whistled, skimming a few pages. “Aqua knew a lot of spells. Huh, she didn't know the Water line. That's surprising.”

“Maybe they’re in the back of the book where the writing’s all dense and crowded? I know I was having trouble reading even a few lines there. Maybe it’s some kind of safeguard so someone who doesn’t know many spells doesn’t cast something they can’t control?”

“Nah, I think it's set up to go easiest to hardest,” Alex explained, flipping to the front of the book again. “The front has all the base elemental spells and the lower level status effect ones and gets more advanced as it goes on.”

“Maybe it’s because I broke centuries of tradition by gifting a non-siren the ability to cast water magic?” Sonata’s voice came from above the pair suddenly, and without any warning whatsoever, causing Snails to yell and dive under the table.

“Sonata, why are you at the school?” Alex questioned, looking up at the siren in question. “Ya gave Snails a heart attack.”

Sonata floated down carefully, landing on the grass in front of Alex and crouching down to peek under the table at Snails. She looked a little different from her normal everyday appearance outside Twilight’s castle. Instead of a normal, earth pony tail she had a long, dolphin-like appendage with the flukes colored the same as her two-tone mane, and a frill that ran down the entire length of her spine from head to tail. Small fins decorated each leg and replaced her ears, while her mane hung from her head and neck like fresh seaweed, and dripped with water. Her lower legs, patches of her muzzle, and most of her tail were covered in fine blue scales that looked almost like sequins as they reflected the late-afternoon sunlight.

“Well, first I wanna say I’m sorry for scaring the little colt. You can come out little guy, I only bite adults.”

“Sonata, not appropriate, even if he wouldn’t get the implication.”

“Right, right, cut me a little slack, would ya? The other thing is I wanted to give you a hug after hearing about what happened the other night. You weren’t home yet, so I came looking for you. I know what it’s like to be blamed for things you have no control over, Alex, and I want to help you.”

“Wow... you’re pretty. I like your scales.” Snails seemed to catch himself, sneaking a glance at Alex. “Um, I'm Snails. It’s nice to meet you, Miss Sonata.”

“Oh, please just call me Sonata. I hate titles, they make me feel old.” She smiled sweetly at Snails and leaned in to plant a quick kiss at the base of his horn. “But thank you, and it’s nice to meet another friend of Alex’s.”

“Nice look, really digging the Vaporeon aesthetic,” Alex said, giving a thumbs up. “More pony friendly then the ‘big fish-horse’ look you got under all of that magic.”

She winced and shuddered while shaking her head. “Oh, ugh, ew. No way. This is what a healthy siren looks like. I still felt like I was nothing but skin and bones when my sisters and I were up on that stage in the other world.” She took a step forward, and her nostrils flared briefly. “Mmmmm, so you’ve been the source of that ambient self-loathing scent? That’s so bad for us, but so tasty.”

Alex frowned and closed the spell book. “Don't sniff me like a dog, Sonata. It’s strange.” He kept any further comments to himself; Snails was too good of a kid to get an earful of problems he wouldn't even tell Fluttershy.

“I wasn’t sniffing like a dog. I was... oh. Right. I suppose it would look a little like that if you can’t see or taste the same things I can.” She giggled and backed a few steps away before sitting down and curling her tail in around her legs. “Think of it more like someone taking a deep breath as they go past a Burger World?”

“Is that like a Hayburger?” Snails asked, looking from Alex to Sonata in confusion for a few seconds. “Wait... does that mean you want to eat Alex?”

“No, well... no. Maybe a nibble on his darker emotions every so often, but he’s still too young for anything other than that.”

“Huh?”

“Yes, please remind me of my regression to puberty. Because that's what I need to be thinking about,” Alex all but snapped, his voice taking a hard edge.

“Oh Alex, I’m sorry. I meant it more that other ponies would freak out about it.” Sonata walked closer and gave Alex an affectionate nuzzle to the side of his neck. “I owe you so much, I didn’t mean to make you angry at me.”

Taking a calming breath, Alex wrapped an arm around Sonata. “I'm sorry, I just... Have a lot on my mind. Past few days have been rough.”

“I understand, Alex. I’ve been busy too ever since the other day with your arms... oh, right. I’m supposed to apologise for that too.” She chuckled and took a deep breath before stepping back. “So, um, yeah. I’ve had to make a few tough decisions lately about things, and I decided I want to stay here in Ponyville, with you. Aria can pop back and forth whenever she needs to and Adagio can handle all the court stuff and visit a couple times a month. I want to be with the friends I’m making. I want to help, Alex, not just be a bystander.”

“Uhhhh, this is all getting kinda serious. I, uhh, I think I’m gonna head home for dinner. See you in class tomorrow, Alex.” Snails hesitated for a moment, his eyes stuck on Alex. Stepping over, he gathered his courage and gave him a quick one armed hug. “I hope you feel better.” Pulling away with a heated face, he quickly made his way out of sight with his tail hanging low.

Sonata blinked at this, and her head turned to watch Snails for a while as he walked away. “Huh. I wasn’t expecting to see that, even if you are cute, Alex.”

“What are you on about?” Alex asked, rising up and tucking the book under his arm. “He's just being Snails.”

“Oh, so you mean he’s always around you, and paying attention to what you say, and giving you hugs followed by a cute blush? Does he always have a slight waddle to his step when he walks away from you, or is that new?” Sonata curled up and rubbed herself against Alex’s hips as she walked around behind him from one side to the other. “Or is this all stuff you just haven’t been noticing?”

“Nope! I'm not thinking of a minor like that, nope!” Alex shook his head quickly, in the hopes of dispelling the notion. “Keep your thoughts to yourself, reprobate.”

“Alex, he’s your age. Maybe not mentally, but he sure is physically.” Sonata giggled and leaned against him. “I think maybe he was trying to get out of a situation with his crush and a pretty mare in the same area. Male teenagers do tend to have some...control issues if they feel interested.”

“That doesn't make it any better!” Alex snapped, feeling his face heat up. “I'm still older than him. There's a reason adults don't date teenagers, too easy to take advantage of the younger person.”

“I’m not saying you should make the first move, but don’t shoot him down and break his heart if he wants to spend time with you. I know I never made the first move in exile, but I also didn’t turn down anyone I was interested in.” Sonata blinked as a thought crossed her mind, and she quickly took a step away from Alex. “Oh... right. That has all sorts of gross implications when you’re over a millennium old with a teenage body.”

“Eeyup,” Alex agreed, beginning to walk home. “So... Staying in Ponyville, huh? You sure you want to? I have a pretty bad streak of luck going. I'd hate for you to lose your heart too.”

“I can be more help to the surface than I can underwater stuck in a gilded cage, Alex, and if something tries to take my heart they’re going to have to wear me down first and catch me unprepared.” She followed at his side, her voice quickly perking back up as she began to swim through the air. “Though, I’ll admit that I wouldn’t mind spending more time with you and Twilight. I’m trying to decide which of you I like more.”

“...Sonata, are you going to start hitting on me?” Alex questioned, giving her an odd look.

“I’ve got no problem waiting a few years if that would make you more comfortable with it?” She smiled up at him, then bumped her head against his hip. “In the meantime, I can help you practice swinging that keyblade around by giving you some targets to attack.”

“That actually sounds like a good idea to me. Both of you are going to need as much practice as you can get.” Lee stepped out of the shadows, Amber eyes glanced between them. “I've established a base in a clearing in the Everfree.” A portal opened behind him, drawing more than a few stares. “Shall we?”

“Uh, Everfree...I’m going to have to drop my stuff off at home, and tell Fluttershy where I’m going and who’ll be with me for that, otherwise I’m pretty sure she’ll panic.”

“Are you saying I don’t know how to use my magic effectively?”

Lee dismissed the portal in exchange for another. “It would be best if we didn't burn daylight. Do what you must.” He gestured to the portal, watching them impassively. “A direct line to Fluttershy's cottage.”

Eyeing the portal cautiously, Alex pulled his hood up. “Glad I brought the coat?” Taking a breath, he stepped into the black pillar. An otherworldly haze filled his vision; a black tunnel with a dot of light at the end. The walk was disquietingly silent, and Alex couldn't stop himself from sprinting the last few feet. Sunlight greeted him, as did the various animal sounds he had become accustomed to.

Discord stood close by the portal, holding a glob of it between two talons and stretching it like fresh gum. “Hmmm, interesting. I think I could duplicate this effect easily enough. Is this from a friend of yours, Alex, or did you make this lovely little tunnel all by yourself using that book Sparklebutt gave you?”

“Nah, Aqua would have had a glider, she wouldn't have needed the corridors,” Alex explained, pulling his hood down. “Xemnas opened it.”

“You humans and your strange names…” Discord’s eyes narrowed slightly. “This is about the attack, isn’t it? You know, I had to grab Fluttershy by the tail last night to keep her from flying off after you when you ran off with Twilight. I fear that herd ‘protect anything that looks young’ mentality is going to get her hurt someday if I don’t put so many wards on her that you could swing her around as a weapon instead of that key.”

“What was I supposed to do?” Alex questioned, moving towards the door. “I have Aubade, I have to use it. Great power and all that Spider-Man stuff.” Shifting his backpack, he stopped. “Sorry. I shouldn't be taking this out on you.””

“It’s fine, Alex. Frankly I’d rather you vent a little every now and then since I’m willing to listen. I’ll let Fluttershy know you’ll be out late, and that I’ll be watching you to make sure you don’t get too hurt. It’ll give her and Screwball a night alone together to chat about mare stuff if they want to.”

“Right, right.” Alex sighed, opening the cottage door and hanging his backpack on the coat rack. “Xem said he put together something in the Everfree.” Stepping back out, he pulled the door closed. “Mind if we take the long way?”

“I assume you mean walking there?” Discord took a step to the left, and one to the right at the same time, splitting himself down the middle for a moment before both of them regenerated the missing half. “I suppose having me beside you would scare the local wildlife that aren’t effectively Fluttershy’s pets away.” The figure on the right snapped and conjured a set of hiking equipment.

“I suppose that leaves me to stay behind and relay the message?” The one on the left snapped and conjured an apron to wear, and nothing else. “Fine. I suppose I could indulge in a little ‘mare talk’ myself.”

Alex tried and failed to stifle a giggle. “You done talking to yourself, Discord? Or should I give you a bit of alone time?”

“Very funny, young man.” The two responded in unison before both burst into laughter. The one with the apron walked into the cottage, with the deep belly laughter subtly shifting into a higher-pitched giggle as it walked. “I’ll send some dinner to the two of you if you stay out late enough. Just make sure Alex gets home in time for bed.”

“Yes, yes, I know, be a good ‘Mom’s Boyfriend’ and be responsible.” The other Discord held out a hand for Alex and gestured for him to follow before he began to walk towards the forest. “I’ll just run a quick scan for any new structures, unless your friend told you where the place was?”

“He said a clearing but not much else.” Staring at Discord’s hand for a moment, he gingerly took it. “He probably already took Sonata there.”

“Ah, now that does simplify things. I’ll just run a scan for your fishy little friend instead.” Swishing his tail, Discord strapped a pair of fancy goggles to his head. “So, we’re taking the long way. Finally decide to get some things off your chest?”

“Maybe? I mean, I figure I can always use the exercise too, since I’m going to need to get stronger if I’m going to be fighting.” Running his free hand through his hair, he glanced off into the trees. “I’m not... sure how to start this kind of thing.”

“I’ll see about getting you a membership at the gym in town. I’m sure you could adapt to using a few pieces of pony equipment. As long as you don’t overdo it you should be fine. Did you remember to bring your little book of war spells?” Discord brushed aside a few branches, moving them carefully out of Alex’s way as the goggles highlighted the easiest route to their destination.

“Yeah, I did.” Alex nodded, attempting to pick a topic to focus on. “Last night sucked a fat one. Two ponies are gone, Applejack hates me and Apple Bloom and her friends won’t even look at me.”

“One pony and one zebra, technically. They’re different enough to be counted separately.” Discord shook his head and let out a sad sigh. “Heartless aren’t even supposed to exist in the kind of numbers that showed up last night anymore. That was the entire reason Aqua shared keyblade use with nearly every intelligent species on the planet. I suppose it’s time for me to see if they’ve been doing their part in their realms and this is just a localized Everfree problem…”

“Jack all they’ve been doing,” Alex said rather bitterly. “I don’t need this shit. Not on top of a second puberty. Not when I have to deal with someone falling head over heels for my dumb anime ass.”

“Oh? You have someone with their eye on you? Am I going to have to give them the ‘dad’ talk about hurting a member of my family?” Discord almost appeared gleeful at the prospect as he looked back over his shoulder. “Is it a colt or a filly? Wait, wait, don’t tell me….the little cream-coated redhead with the lisp and glasses?”

Alex groaned, feeling his shoulders sag. “I didn’t even realize it until Sonata pointed it out. I don’t need this, I really fucking don’t. I got Horsey Kruger doing whatever the fuck she wants in my head, a family who hates my guts and I’m making one of my friends walk home all funny. An underage friend. Just... fuck it all!” Summoning Aubade, Alex hurled it into the woods, where it thunked into the bark of one of the larger trees.

“Walking funn…” Discord paused and laughed. “You’ve got a colt interested in you? Just explain things to him about why you’re not comfortable with things like that. Ponies are fairly easy-going about things, and there’s no chance he’d even think of trying to force you to do something you aren’t okay with. Is it the one with the long neck who looks like genetics handed him the ugly stick and he fell down the stairs carrying it? He was polite last night.”

“You’re one to talk, Frankenstein!” Alex snapped, turning on his heel. “Don’t talk shit about Snails, kid gets enough of that from that little pink thot and her grey suck up.”

“Ah-ah-ah, think about what you just said, my boy.” Discord smiled as he reached over and wrapped one arm around Alex’s shoulders in a hug. “See, we’re both learning things about you and how you feel about him. You don’t have to act on those feelings, not by any means, but knowing they exist is helpful.”

“I don’t have feelings for Snails,” Alex denied, squirming in Discord’s grasp. “I’m not screwed up in the head like that.”

“Very well. We can consider that matter dropped for the time being. We’ll see how you feel in a couple years when he starts getting back into a more proportionate form. I also wouldn’t worry too much about the Apples. The younger one’s just scared and her older sister’s angry about losing another family member. Sonata’s been pretty clear to Fluttershy and I on a few visits that she’s debating a number of options pertaining to you and Twilight saving her and her sisters from an eternity of misery and pain. Fluttershy told her that it’s all up to you, and made it clear that courtship had changed a lot over the intervening centuries.” He froze and grabbed at the words that had just left his mouth, desperately trying to pull them back in. “No, no, that wasn’t supposed to slip out. Bad chaos!”

“Gee, thanks for reminding me that the fish-pony wants to jump my bones too,” Alex hissed, pulling his hand away. “Aren’t you supposed to be better at this?”

“My boy, I’m a being of chaos. One of the biggest sources of small-scale chaos is relationships. I have a bit of a weakness for finding them intriguing, and they’ve been fun for me as well, but I’m not about to push you into anything. Just push those worries to the side. You and everyone else involved have a lot of growing to do. Focus on the now instead of worrying about what might happen. Leave all that probability nonsense to my sister.”

Discord’s entire body wiggled for a moment and he coughed up a hairball that dissolved into a pool of rainbow fluid. “Ugh, no. None of that. No worrying about her, not right now.” Reaching out with his paw, he gently ruffled Alex’s hair. “Feel good, getting that all out?”

“Not much, no.”

“That means you feel at least a tiny bit better. You really need to stop bottling everything up, Alex, or you’re going to run the risk of something nasty growing in all that emotional pollution. You and I both know there’s a number of things that can go wrong if you let yourself fall into darkness.”

Alex didn’t reply, nor did he pull away when Discord wrapped him in another hug. He merely returned the hug, letting Discord guide him to the clearing where Xemnas and Sonata waited. The sight that greeted them was almost comical, with Xemnas soaking wet as Sonata threw a bunch of small balls of water at him rapidly. They rose up from a river that flowed near the clearing, and launched across the open space just slow enough to be seen individually rather than looking like sideways rain.

“Alright, that’s enough of the sustained use. Clearly you don’t seem to have many problems if you’re drawing from a water source.”

“It depends. Moving the water takes some energy, but my sisters and I have so much spare food still built up that raw energy isn’t going to be a problem. If I don’t use a water source, though, I can get dehydrated quickly.” Sonata responded with a confident smile.

Discord kissed Alex's head before pulling way. “Alright, you should still have your practice blade, so that's one less thing to worry about.” Clearing his throat, he pulled away and waved over. “I see you two didn't waste any time.”

“Hi there!” Sonata immediately turned and waved at Alex and Discord. “Xemmy wanted me to show him how siren water manipulation worked, but don’t worry, I haven’t damaged him by trying to force water magic into him. I learned my lesson.”

“You have not the means to hurt me, Sonata,” Xemnas informed, turning to Discord and Alex. “We haven’t properly met, you may call me Lee. I am the Superior of the Inbetween.”

“Discord, Lord of Chaos and randomness. And you would be…” Discord snapped his fingers, causing a shower of confetti to rain down around Lee. “A nobody. That was supposed to turn your clothes into frosting as well. Good to see the old senses are still properly tuned.”

“Wait, what?” Alex turned his head to stare at Discord. “You...you can’t do anything to nobodies?”

“I’m unfocused chaos, Alex. Lee here doesn’t exist, in the metaphysical sense, which means my type of chaos can’t directly affect him. All that probability nonsense belongs to one who shall not be named,” Discord informed. “I could use my powers to indirectly hurt one, like say, causing a tornado, but that would be too much effort to be worth it for just one nobody.”

“Interesting. I wonder if that limitation applies to all versions of you in the multiverse or just the one in front of me.” Lee mused.

“I can’t speak for others like me, not even other me’s that are near-perfect copies. Each world has its own funny little set of rules, and even I have to acknowledge that my power has some limitations. I’m not quite a god, after all.” Discord gently nudged Alex with his elbow. “Your turn, Alex.”

“What? For exposition?” Alex questioned, turning to look at Lee. “So, uh, magic practice? I got a fancy spellbook Aqua wrote.”

“Well, that is a good thing to have. I was thinking a more general combat practice to start with, but maybe we should go over the spells that are in your book first?” Lee walked up to Alex and knelt down briefly. “If nothing else, it will expand my abilities.”

Alex studied his face for a moment before gingerly passing the book over. “Just don’t get it wet. Thing’s over a thousand years old.”

“That’s a copy, Alex. Celestia would never give you the original edition of the book her teacher kept as her personal log for combat spell formulae. I’m pretty sure that if she’d been a straight stallion back then she’d have been hitting on Aqua instead of eyeing me as her ‘exotic meat’ of choice.” Discord walked away after that, snapping his fingers to summon a hammock that fixed itself upside-down between two trees.

“Good to know,” Alex grunted, watching Lee turn through the book. “See anything new yet, Mansex?”

Sonata blinked and then began to giggle behind Lee’s back while he himself studied the pages with an utterly blank expression. “Crawling fire and fission firaga are new to me, as well as a few other elemental spells, and most of the rest of the book is full of minor crippling magic. Why use a spell to slow enemies down when you can simply stop them from acting at all?”

“Maybe you don’t have the energy for Stop?” Alex questioned, holding in a laugh. “I think it’s better to know more than one option for any given situation.”

“Options are always good. I remember Aria telling me that about some silly space shooter game she liked to play, but I didn’t get it. Options are better in spellcasting, since if you know just what to do you can get a lot more done with simpler spells.” Sonata walked over and hopped up to float just behind Lee’s shoulder so she could take a look at the spells he was looking through. “See anything in there for amplifying sound to harmful levels? If a base spell exists I might know a siren or two that could help refine it.”

“No,” Lee replied, turning to look at her. “There are no sound spells.”

“Oh, darn. I mean, okay, I guess it’ll be nice to keep one way Sirens have to attack things private, but all I can do other than sing is throw water and heal people. I haven’t been attacking at full strength either, mister ‘you couldn’t possibly hurt me.’”

“And why not?” Lee questioned, closing the book. “There’s no reason to hold back.”

“Because I don’t like hurting people who aren’t trying to hurt me? I had to do a lot of things I don’t like doing for a long time just to get by, just to get just a morsel of extra emotional food. I didn’t want to hurt you just for the sake of hurting you when I could have a little fun with it instead.” She waved at Alex. “Have him hit you with a water spell. I know he can use it now, and he doesn’t have over a thousand years of emotional baggage about causing suffering to deal with.”

“Alex would be better served learning new spells,” Lee said, passing the book back to Alex. A series of whooshing buzzes followed, several silver-bodied beings appearing from the ground around him. “And what better to test those spells on then a few nobodies?”

“Wait, I haven’t had time to actually learn anything from the book yet. I got bored reading all the breathing and meditation stuff at the beginning and looked ahead to see what else was in there.” Alex summoned Aubade to his hand, the real one, and took up a stance that felt defensive to him as he tried to look around the clearing and see which of the dusks moved first.

“Uh, duh, you could use your water magic Alex.” Sonata giggled from above after the brief taunt.

“I would take the time to study a few spells.” Lee leaned against a tree, impassive eyes studying Alex’s movements. “We have a few hours before us, after all.”

“And how much time do I have to figure out how to learn a spell before your goons attack me?” Alex snapped back as he tried to open the book with one hand.

Lee thought for a moment before responding. “Five minutes.”

“Five minutes?!” Alex growled and dropped Aubade before flipping through the book to the first elemental spell, fire. He stared blankly at the small arrangement of various runes, then flipped back to the previous page. “I hadn’t read far enough to figure out how to actually understand the damn spells yet.”

“I can help!” Sonata floated down next to Alex and flipped the page back to the fire spell. “Rune grids were still a big deal back before we left so this is pretty easy. For the fire spell you have two basic varieties, and a minor optional enhancement on one of them. There’s a version that surrounds you with a ball of fire for a few seconds, and one that launches a small ball of flames where you’re pointing.” Sonata indicated the left half of the diagram, then the right half.

“Burn, repel, surround, protect. Those are the four concepts to keep in mind for the one that burns anything that comes close. Don’t think of them when I’m next to you or I will make you wear wet panties home.” Sonata’s voice turned harsh for a second as she made her threat, then back to her normal bubbly tone as she continued. “Then there’s burn, project, combust, and...expand? Huh, that last one’s written in. Looks like the person who used this book didn’t like the fact that the basic fire spell doesn’t explode a little. Does that help?”

“Why would it explode?” Alex questioned, raising his eyebrow. “That’s not what it’s supposed to do.”

“Well, that’s what the option is with the higher tiers, usually. Turn a little ball of flames that burns just one thing into a bigger ball of growing fire that can burn multiple things. It wouldn’t really do much with a spell that has this little power in it, except catch a group of tiny enemies, maybe affect an area as wide as the length of your keyblade. If you don’t want to do that you can leave that last rune off easily by not thinking that you want to expand it. Try focusing on that second spell for a bit and, maybe point your keyblade at your target? You don’t have a horn, so we’ll have to use either that or your hands to focus your magic.”

“Right.” Alex nodded. Lifting Aubade back up, he moved a bit away and aimed at one of the Dusks. Sucking in a breath, he thought on the keywords Sonata had told him. ‘Burn, project, combust.’

“Alright, now while you’re thinking on the words, or the runes, some people do better when they think of the image than with the word...anyways, give a little push with your magic on each one as you think it, and then a bigger push as you finish the last one, and that should cast the spell. You should be able to figure out how to make this easier on your own, and everyone developed their own little shortcuts for spellcasting back in the day.”

A moment passed before a ball of fire erupted from Aubade’s tip and slammed into one of the Dusks. The nobody put up no fight as the flames consumed it. Alex stumbed back, Aubade nearly whacking him in the face from the sudden motion.

“Wow...that was pretty good for your first fire spell ever. Wanna go over another spell while we have time?” Sonata clapped her forehooves together briefly. “Let’s stick with the basics, though. More powerful spells take more energy, and burnout is kinda painful when you’re just learning.”

Alex flipped to the next page that had an element other than fire listed, though now that he knew this wasn’t some treasured relic he quickly dog-eared a page marked with a spell called ‘flame blade.’ Sonata walked him through the next one, which was significantly more complex than fire because it seemed to have a bunch of built-in bits to protect the caster and those that were considered allies. This made sense when completing the spell brought down a bolt of lightning between the two nearest Dusks and scorched the grass while shocking both of them.

“Okay, this is so cool…”

”Hey Alex, you going to the dance tonight?” Nicole’s voice came from behind him as he walked down a hallway flanked with lockers.

Alex took a quick look down at himself and sighed in relief as he saw a plain, and more importantly flat-chested t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants on a body that was old but familiar as compared to his more recent dreams. He spun around and smiled at the sight of a familiar face that wasn’t a family member. “Oh, hey Nicole... which dance was it again? I kinda lost track of time and I was deep in thought.”

Nicole giggled and quickly leaned in to surprise him with a kiss, one that he broke quickly by stumbling back. “I really should have asked you weeks ago, but I was hoping you’d ask me instead. I should have guessed you’d be nervous about anything more intimate than hanging out and watching a movie or two.”

“Well uh...” Alex blushed, feeling his tongue refusing to work correctly. His heart beat rapidly, thoughts coming in quick bursts before slowing to a trickle. He found he lacked any real experience to fall back on.

Nicole stepped in closer and gently poked him between the eyes before running her hand down his head and cupping his cheek. “You don’t have to say ‘yes’ now, or no, but get back in touch with me before the end of the day at least, okay? Treat me right and I’ll make sure we both have a great time tonight if you say yes though…” She darted in and kissed him again while sliding her hand down to rub at his groin. “If you get my drift?”

“I-I uh... wha?” Alex sputtered, unable to form words beyond random utterances. He stepped back; staring at her with wide, disbelieving eyes and with his face quickly turning red.

“I had a feeling that’s the kind of reaction you’d have. You’ve always been just a little distant even when it’s been just the two of us. Think about it, Alex.” She giggled and began to walk off with a slightly exaggerated sway in her step.

“Dude, you just got asked out by a solid 8. Go for it, she wants you to tap that ass!” Some random guy behind him shouted, probably a jock.

A sudden pit formed in his stomach, the overwhelming urge to puke his guts out falling over him. Running past the gathered crowd, he burst into the restroom. Managing to keep his bile in, he rushed into a stall and began to vomit into the toilet. The door opened once more behind him, but he couldn’t really afford to pay any attention to what someone else might be doing. His eyes squeezed tight as it felt like he was puking up everything he’d eaten for the past week. By the time he was done, his tongue was coated in a thick, foul taste.

At some point he’d collapsed onto his knees, and he could hear someone, possibly more than one someone, laughing behind him. His eyes opened, and he let out a startled cry as the toilet bowl mere inches from his face was filled with something thick, black, and bubbling.

“Fuckin’ faggot probably puked at the thought of a girl kissing him. Look at that long, girly hair.” A male voice spoke in a way that you didn’t even need to see his face to know he was sneering.

“Oh shut up, Josh. I think his hair looks totally cute the way it blows with no wind. It’s so...hot and exotic.” This voice was female, and sultry...familiar in a strange way to Alex.

Alex could feel his heartbeat speed up as he slowly stood up and a long lock of wispy, star-filled hair fell into his view. He couldn’t help but whimper a bit as he reached around to the back of his head and pulled a handful of it into view, only for the tingly hair to continue growing in his hand until it hung down past his waist. The toilet bubbled in front of him, the thick mass in the bowl jiggling almost as if it was laughing at him too.

Stumbling over to the sink, he turned the faucet and stuck his head under, desperately trying to wash the taste from his mouth. His tongue stretched out slowly, followed by a painful tug at his jaw and nose and a ghostly laugh that echoed in his head briefly.

“You’re not real,” Alex whispered, taking a few steps back. “You’re not real. Just a dream,” he repeated to himself, trying and failing to avoid looking in the mirror. A black furred pony face stared back at him with blue, slitted eyes and a mouth that was slowly dropping open in horror.

Two strong arms wrapped around his torso from behind as he bumped into someone, most likely ‘Josh’ as those hands began groping at his flat chest while something else was pressed against his rear. “Whoa, careful there sweet cheeks. What’s the matter, see a spider in the sink while you were fixing your eyeliner? Did you not notice the urinals when you came in, or were you hoping guys wouldn’t see a hottie like you strutting in here like an open invitation?”

“Get off me...” Alex pleaded, trying to pull away from him. “Just leave me alone.”

Josh squeezed again, and this time there was some give to Alex’s chest as well as a small spark of alarming pleasure that spread through his body. “Aw, come on honey. You can’t just walk into the boys’ room and not leave without at least giving me a kiss since I caught you. Heh, maybe you should give me something more than that since you’re protesting.”

Alex shuddered and whimpered softly as his entire body briefly locked up. “I said get off me...” He knew it was a nightmare, that it was Nightmare. Despite the knowledge, he found himself at her mercy, unable to break from her torment.

“You little slut…” Josh squeezed again, and Alex’s chest seemed to deform as if it was clay being molded. It hurt, too, his entire rib cage felt intensely sore as those large hands created a pair of heavy breasts that stretched out the thin shirt he was wearing. “What makes you think I’m gonna get you off without getting something in return?” That rubbing against Alex’s ass returned, this time more prominent and distinctly stiff.

“I swear to god, I will hurt you,” Alex seethed, trying to summon Aubade. “Get off...” he repeated, drawing his leg back and swinging it back into Josh’s crotch.

“Oh fuck, you fucking teasing bitch!” Those hands vanished, letting Alex free as their owner clutched at his injured balls. The fact that he was free didn’t seem to stop things, though, as Alex felt his ears burn as if licked by flames briefly. All sound ceased until something on top of his head began to twitch and swivel through his strange new hair.

Panicking, he ran for the door and pulled it open to get out of there as quick as he could. He couldn’t help but notice his breasts awkwardly bouncing on his chest, creating a painful tugging sensation.”Fuck me, that was close.” His eyes widened and his hands shot to his throat. That wasn’t his old voice, that wasn’t even Xion’s voice. That was the voice that echoed in the back of his mind with laughter earlier.

“Alex! What were you doing in the boy’s room? Did you forget to check the door before going in or something?” Nicole stood against the opposite wall, holding a small stack of books on either side of her body. “Come on, books are heavy, girl, and I don’t need to be carrying two sets. I’m not your boyfriend.”

Blinking, Alex stepped over to Nicole and held his hands out, only to have one of the sets pushed into them and up against his chest vertically.

“I can’t believe you came to school without a bra on, and with a chest your size. What’s next, Alex, a miniskirt with no panties?” Nicole whispered harshly, and Alex felt his ears twist and swivel suddenly to hear her better. “At least your coat getting matted by your shirt hides your nipples, but you are bouncing all over. I don’t want a bunch of guys drooling over you thinking they have a chance.”

“I don’t... what?” he blinked in response, staring at her like a deer in headlights. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re kidding, right? We’ve been dating for three years...you were up to your eyeballs between my legs last night. Did you hit your head or something today, or is this how you think you should break up with someone?”

Alex felt his face heat up suddenly as a ‘memory’ of that view played in his mind, but something was off, the details fuzzy. What even was Nightmare planning now? He didn’t get time to ponder the sudden swerve when Nicole pulled him into a kiss...again. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and he could only stare ahead in shock and embarrassment as he began to pitch a tent in his sweats in the middle of the hallway.

“Mmmmm,” Nicole moaned into the kiss as she backed him up against the lockers, taking a dominant stance as one hand reached down to stroke him through the cloth. “Moonrise came early today, unless you want me to use it on you for once?”

“...Wat?” Alex asked, finding his body submitting to hers. “What are you talking about?”

“You forgot? How could you forget something you told me about your own body?” Nicole gilled and stopped stroking Alex, only to slide her hand between the black-coated skin of his belly and the waistband of his sweats. He could feel her hand on him, the warmth, and it only made things worse as he gasped from the sensation. Then there was a strange tug, and an odd sliding feeling followed by emptiness as she pulled her hand up and out, holding his junk like some kind of sex toy. “I guess I get to wear it and have fun until you can remember how to take it back.”

Staring at the removed appendage, Alex officially gave up trying to figure out Nightmare’s plan. “What are you even doing, Moon Horse? Trying to give me kinks or something?”

Nicole seemed not to hear him as she lowered her ‘prize’ to her own groin and carefully slid it in place. “Mmmm, now that always does feel weird. I’ll hold onto it for the rest of the day, and I’ll see about giving it to you after the dance, or maybe during. Wear something red, it’ll look great on you.”

Alex blinked, standing in the hall as Nicole walked away. After a moment, he slide down to the floor. “What the fuck just happened?”

Things blurred, and Alex found himself laying on top of Nicole. She was smiling up at him and he could feel a warmth that he’d never really experienced before as she pulled him back down on top of her and began kissing at his neck. “What do you mean ‘what just happened?’ That was the best night we’ve ever had together, and I’m so glad you let me try it again. It felt fantastic.”

‘No... this isn’t... your dreams are my domain, girl! You aren’t supposed to be having good ones!’

“What are you even talking about?” Alex questioned, allowing Nicole to more or less maul his neck. “This isn’t some weird attempt to get me to into your kinks? I thought you were better than this? And for the record, I’m a guy.”

“Oh I know you’re sort-of a guy, Alex, but right now you’re my cute mare.” Nicole giggled and shifted her position slightly to nibble on one of his ears. This also caused something to twinge and shift inside of him, and a slight ache within his abdomen. “And I’m the stallion that just ravished you.”

“What the hell was that?” Alex frowned, reaching down to touch his abdomen. His ear flicked, trying to escape from her mouth.

Nicole giggled and switched ears, giving a teasing bite to the other before kissing him on the forehead. “Not a fan of the ears tonight, dear? You’ve been acting funny all day, but you enjoyed yourself so much at the dance. Hey, roll over real quick. I gotta go pee.”

“Uh... sure?” Complying, Alex rolled off her. “Don’t taaaaaHHH! The fuck?!” Alex felt himself seemingly hollow out as he rolled away, and he blushed as he both heard and felt something pop out of himself, followed by a leaking sensation. “Oh, oh god, NO! Nope, nope!”

‘I agree, this is too weird even for me, but we’re both stuck until your brain decides to stop.’

“My brain is not doing this!” Alex snapped, glaring vaguely at the ceiling. “We wouldn’t be here if you weren’t screwing about in my head!”

“Alex, what are you even talking about, or to? Is this that ‘Moony’ persona you keep talking about? The one that keeps laughing at you when you screw up?” Nicole paused, half-facing away with a black horse-penis drooping from her groin where she’d placed Alex’s earlier. “You were great, if you’re worried about things. I might even give this back to you in less than a week this time, unless you want to be a little...risky?”

Putting his head in his hands, Alex let out a long groan. “Please just let me wake up. I need to wake up. I’d even put up with Diamond Tiara over this insanity.”

Nicole simply shook her head and walked out of the room, then the room faded, and Alex was left alone in a grey mist, in an alien body even compared to his new one. “Fuck me…”

‘I’m pretty sure she fucked both of us. Too bad it wasn’t real. I’d get a new body and you’d get your insipid brain back.’

“Oh god, please don’t let that be the only way to get rid of you…”

“Wait...you’re over a thousand years old, what kind of boost does a charm for ‘longevity’ give to someone who’s nearly immortal?”

“Granny Rondo is over ten thousand. That’s ancient even by siren standards.” Sonata held out a small envelope to Alex with one wing. She’d apparently decided to pretend to be a pegasus today. “It’s even got a thank you note from Granny! That’s like super duper rare!”

“Oh, uh...wow.” He really hadn’t expected a number that high, but he quickly took the envelope and pulled out the letter that had been left inside for him, which had a small cloth pouch attached to it. “I guess I’ll have to write something back thanking her for the gift?” He unfolded the letter and began to read.

Dear Alex, I hope this letter finds you in the same good health that your actions allowed my granddaughters to return to this world in. I must thank you personally at some point for bringing them back alive. Until such a time as a proper ceremony is able to be performed, please let it be known that you are to be considered a knight among the sirens, and to be treated with all the respect that title entails when within our undersea kingdom, and that you may request the aid of our royal house if you are ever in trouble in another country. Your grateful queen, Savage Rondo.

“...I never expected to be knighted. That’s actually pretty damn cool.” Lowering the letter, he smiled at Sonata. “You tell Adagio and your grandma that I’ll have to stop by to visit for the ceremony.”

“I’ll make sure to include that when I write back to her, but it’ll be awhile before we develop a way to make sure you don’t drown.” She moved a little closer and poked the cloth pouch with her wing. “Don’t you want to take a look? The shells are pretty.”

“Alright, alright. Hold onto your feathers.” Carefully folding up the letter, Alex slipped it into his pocket. Opening the pouch, he carefully extracted a few of the shells. “You’re right, these are pretty.”

A single shell in particular caught his eye. Depositing the rest back into the pouch, he held it up to his eye. “Sonata, do you know what kind of shell this is?”

“That’s it, that’s the one. The others in there are just decorative, but that’s our good luck charm shell! Our old legends say that the first siren queen, Thalassine Symphony, decided to settle and build the palace where she did because of those pretty shells. The royal crown and multiple pieces of jewelry are made from them, but they’re not exclusively for the royal family.”

“So... a Thalassa shell?” Alex asked, closing his hand around the shell. Another piece of the games, now sitting in his hands. Another reminder of who he was now.

“Hey, if you knew what it was called why did you ask?”

“You know, when the original Xion died, all that was left of her was a Thalassa shell.” Sighing, Alex clutched the shell to his chest. “The universe just isn’t going to let me forget what and who I am now.”

“Did... did it have any other meanings in the games? Maybe it’s not all bad like you’re thinking?”

“They were good luck charms that sailors kept to ensure safe voyages,” Alex responded, opening his hand. “You know... That gives me an idea.”

“What kind of idea?” Sonata gasped and then immediately tackled Alex to the ground. “You’re not thinking of running away, are you? Don’t be crazy, Alex!”

“Gah! Sonata! I was not thinking of running away!” Pushing her off, Alex sat up. “Liz and Sarah had a thing that summoned them to other worlds, maybe I should make one? Shell’s about the best thing I could use.”

“Well, okay, I guess. I mean, it’s not like there’d never be a chance to get another if you wanted one to keep for yourself. They’re really only ‘rare’ because the animal they come from only comes out of hibernation to breed and die off about every twenty years, and the meat tastes horrible, so we don’t harvest them for food either.”

Reaching out, Alex pet her head. “Hey, I appreciate the gift. Don’t think I’m ungrateful or anything.” Getting to his feet, he closed his eyes. “Alright, focus on the object and implant the message... But what do I say?”

“Why not just say what you feel? Honesty feels good after all.”

’I am a puppet of Nightmare Moon and she will destroy you all if you get in her way of bringing back eternal night?’

Alex rolled his eyes. Ignoring the narcissist in his head, he began to say whatever came to him. “So, this is Alex Lionheart. If you need help in a fight or just someone to talk to, I’m game. Just call me up and I’ll show up with a big dumb key-sword to do the thing.”

A ball of water smacked Alex in the face, and burst like an overfilled water balloon. “Big dumb key sword? Don’t sell yourself short, Alex, that thing’s more than a weapon.”

“Will you stop doing that?!” Alex spluttered, wiping his face off. “You know damn well that wet clothes are not fun!”

“I never found them annoying unless what got them wet was sticky or they just never dried out properly. You should be wearing a sports bra to train anyways, and those are designed to dry quickly if they’re made well.”

“Considering how often he trains against your water constructs, a swimsuit might be better.”

“Fuck that, Lee, it’s getting too cold for this shit.”

“Oh...oh right, human bodies, cold being uncomfortable is a thing. You could try modifying a fire spell to warm up and dry off, unless you don’t feel you’ve read through the book enough to know how to do that?”

“Hello~ Chaos guy over here~” Discord called, teleporting over to Alex. Waving his paw around, he drew the moisture out of Alex’s clothes. Collecting it into an orb, he tsked. “I think this belongs to you,” he told Sonata, chucking it at her face.

Sonata reacted quickly, deflecting the water upward and separating it into smaller balls before they started to orbit her head. “Gotta be faster than that to use my own water against me.” She stuck her tongue out at Discord before opening her mouth to suck all the water back in. “Mmmm, refreshing though.”

“Note to self: waterproof clothes,” Alex muttered, glaring at Sonata. “Okay, can we get started now?”

“Well, yeah. What did our great and emotionless instructor have in mind today? More blasting nobodies, or more practice dodging things?” Sonata turned to address Lee with that last part.

“Sparring.” Lee raised a hand, conjuring a pair of portals. Ahuizotl and Iron Will stepped into view, both clad in black coats. “We all need to hone our skills.”

“Iron Will will show the little heifer how to fight,” the minotaur declared, summoning a set of wild looking spears. They floated behind him, tips glinting in the sun.

“Must you continue to speak in the third person? That only happens with me in Daring Do’s books because her ghostwriter wants to add drama.” Ahuizotl growled at the minotaur while drawing his odd spikey guns. His tail-hand placed a small can of cat food on the ground. “A little more warning next time would be nice, though. The little kitten is going to knock over all of the cans I hadn’t put away yet.”

“Where’d you find these two chucklefucks?” Alex questioned, summoning his training keyblade. “And why is one of them a monkey dog?”

“Wandering, lost and alone, having been either devoured by heartless or killed by some unknown assailant.” Lee pointed to Iron Will while mentioning heartless, and then to Ahuizotl. “And Ahuizotl was being attacked by a monster with silver claws and red eyes before something else attacked him from behind and stopped his heart. I found two more today, and they are recuperating in a cave nearby.”

“Who?” Alex locked onto Xemnas. “You tell me right now, Lee.”

“A zebra and a large red stallion. He hasn’t said a single thing yet, and seemed dazed.”

Sonata’s eyes widened and she smiled. “Alex, that’s gotta be Big Mac! If you bring him home, then Applejack won’t hate you anymore!” She practically began dancing in place at this revelation.

“Take him to the farm, now,” Alex insisted. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do with these two numbnuts, but you take Big Mac to Sweet Apple Acres.”

“I think a little girl like you should take more care in who she attempts to insult.” Ahui tilted his head slightly, and used the side of the bladed gun barrel to scratch an itch along the side of his neck in an almost careless way.

“Iron Will thinks it’s time to teach a few lessons. It’ll be like old times.” The minotaur bore a cocky grin as one of his spears twirled around to point right at Alex.

“Very well. None of you kill each other, understand?” Lee waved a hand and opened up a dark portal behind himself. “Though I expect Discord will see to that.” Turning his back to them, he stepped through the portal and vanished.

Iron Will chuckled and looked between Sonata and Alex. “So, which one of you girls is gonna be the first to feel Iron Will’s spear?”

Ahui groaned and shook his head. “I thought you had a wife, and one of them is clearly still growing.”

“...Iron Will should probably rephrase that, shouldn’t he?”

“You think?”

“Hey, uh, Alex?” Apple Bloom’s voice came from behind him a few minutes after he sat down to eat his lunch with Snails. “Can Ah ask you a couple questions?”

Alex paused, carefully turning his head to Apple Bloom. “Sure, if it doesn’t involve me getting kicked in the chest by your sister. It’s been aching enough as it is lately without me having to worry about adding on even more pain.”

“She ain’t gonna find out. Ah just, Ah have some questions...about Big Mac. He... he doesn’t seem quite right.” Shuffling on her hooves, she glanced at her own flank. “He... he ain’t got his cutie mark...”

Sighing, Alex gestured to the seat across from him. “Take a seat, Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom hopped up quickly, and pulled a small bundle off her back to quickly unwrap it while offering Snails a brief nod. Her own lunch was a salad with apple bits scattered throughout it.

“So, questions.” Alex snapped, pointing at Bloom. “Ask away before we get called back in.”

“What happened to him? Why is his mark missin’? Why was AJ so angry with you when Twilight seemed to know more?” She fired off three questions rapidly before biting her lip in thought. “It...it’s not some kinda cutie-mark-erasin’ disease, is it? Ah ain’t even got mine yet.”

“His heart was stolen,” Alex explained, taking a bite of his tuna sandwich. “He’s a nobody now, he doesn’t exist. Not like you and me, not anymore.”

“But he acts almost exactly the same as he did before. Ah’ve caught him frowning instead of smilin’ a couple times, is that why he just feels off?”

“Oh, look, a Blank Flank, the Freak, and the Slowpoke all together.” A familiar, and annoying voice announced the approach of Diamond Tiara before anyone else had noticed her in the immediate area. “Three pathetic excuses for ponies.”

“Well of course I’m a terrible pony, I’m a great ape,” Alex responded, leaning over to look at her. “Maybe you need glasses?”

“Hmph, shows what you know. Everypony knows that if something can speak that means it’s part pony.”

“Uhhh, that’s not true, and Alex is from a dif-”

“Nobody asked you, Slowpoke.”

"I am not a SLOWPOKE! I-I can cast spells, and I d-do know magic, but it's all about bugs and learning." Snails stood up on the bench and glared at Diamond Tiara, his voice full of anger.

"Oh, yeah, sure, and I'm Nightmare Moon's secret child. Go ahead, Slowpoke, cast something harder than basic levitation or telekinesis. I'll even give you a couple bits if it surprises me." Diamond Tiara grinned as she reared up to place her hooves at the edge of the table so she could stare right at Snails with all the contempt she could bring to bear.

’That filly did not come from my loins…’

‘What, you actually have kids out there?’ Alex questioned, putting his sandwich down. “Look, we’re in the middle of something here. Go take your self-esteem issues somewhere else, Headpiece.”

Snails hesitated, and he glanced over at Alex with a slight smile.

“Awww, isn’t that cute, the Freak and the Slowpoke care about each other. Are you already planning something for Hearts and Hooves day?”

“You leave Alex alone! H-he...w-we’re all s-sick of you, Diamond Tiara!”

"I don’t see any magic. You're just a lying little slowpoke. It'd be better for everypony if you just broke your horn off, that's how useless you are."

Apple Bloom just sat there stunned as the two of them actually taunted Diamond Tiara back. She’d always been told this was wrong, but Alex looked perfectly calm as he did it. Gears began turning in her head as she slowly and carefully chewed on her salad.

"I AM NOT A SLOWPOKE! Y-you want proof I can do magic? Fine! BALLOON!" Snails’ horn flashed and blinked a bit, but an aura soon burst to life around it as the spell came to mind, and he lowered it to point right at Diamond Tiara.

A number of large translucent balls popped into existence around the pink filly, and she turned her head to look at them with wide eyes before lifting one hoof off the edge of the table to prod the one that had landed in front of her. “Huh, I guess you can-”

The balloon popped, loudly, and with enough force to leave a crack in the wood of the table. Diamond Tiara shrieked in a combination of surprise and pain as she was knocked back and off-balance...directly into the balloons that had appeared behind her. These also popped, and she was knocked forward and under the edge of the table where she’d just been leaning. She almost immediately started sobbing in pain.

Alex leapt from his seat, and with a heave of strength he didn’t know he had, shoved the table out of the way. “Cure!” he shouted, a trio of bell-like flowers appeared above the sobbing filly, covering her in yellow particles.

“Whoa!” Apple Bloom tumbled off the bench as the table was shoved aside, but she quickly picked herself up off the ground and headed for the building. “I’ll get Miss Cheerilee, that looked serious.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. There were two versions in your book. I must have used the grid for the wrong one! I-I meant to lift her off the ground and hold her in place for a few minutes, not hurt her!”

Alex looked back at him, giving Diamond another dose of Cure. “That doin’ anything for you, Diamond?” Alex asked, changing his gaze to the filly. “I can do a few more casts but, this is gonna wear me out.”

“I-I w-want my m-mommy!” The filly screamed and continued to sob even as a small crack left in the hoof that touched the first balloon sealed back together from Alex’s spellcasting.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you!” Snails whimpered and backed away.

Casting Cure again, Alex felt a general tiredness settle over him. “Snails, just take a breath okay? Sit down and wait for Ms. Cheerilee,” Alex instructed, casting Cure one last time before his weakening body forced him to kneel down.

“Alright, alright students, clear away.” Cheerilee’s voice was heard soon after, and a quiet shuffling of hooves on grass could be heard as most of the other students parted to allow their teacher and Apple Bloom to approach. “Alex, Snails, if one of you could help me get Diamond Tiara onto my back, I would like to speak with the three of you inside. Now.” There was no harshness in her tone, but there didn’t need to be for the words alone to convey a sense of disappointment.

“Y-yeah.” Alex nodded, wrapping his arms around the sobbing filly. Taking in a breath, he eased himself up, adjusting Diamond’s extra weight. “Can you come a little closer? I don’t want to risk carrying her that far.”

Cheerilee moved up right next to Alex and knelt down slightly to make it easier for him. She let out a soft sigh as another thought crossed her mind with the sobbing filly so close. “Let me see...Rumble, could you fly to Diamond Tiara’s home and tell whoever answers the door about her being hurt at school, please? Don’t give them any details other than that, I don’t need them to jump to the wrong conclusion.”

“Yes Miss Cheerilee!” A grey pegasus colt nodded and immediately started flying away towards the more opulent part of the small town while Cheerilee waited.

Easing Diamond onto her back, Alex steadied himself. “Come on, Snails. Sorry about your questions, Bloom.”

“It’s okay, Alex...this was kinda worth it.”

“That’s not funny, Apple Bloom. I know she’s been teasing you all horribly, but...nevermind.” Cheerilee quickly walked back into the schoolhouse without slowing down or even looking back to ensure that the other two students she’d told to follow her were doing so. They were, of course, with Snails keeping a somber pace and looking like he’d just killed his favorite bug.

“Thank you for coming to pick Alex up, Fluttershy. I’m afraid there was an incident at lunch today involving Alex and two other students.” Cheerilee’s voice came in through the open window of the schoolhouse clear enough for both Alex and Snails to hear. Diamond Tiara had been taken home earlier in the day.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy gasped. “He isn’t hurt, is he?” A beat passed before she asked. “He didn’t get into any fights, I hope.”

“We have a problematic student who likes to belittle others. She’s made comments multiple times about Alex. Smelling meat on his breath, smelling blood on him, claiming that he’d licked his lips while looking at her. According to Alex, Snails, and Apple Bloom, she approached the three of them and began making her usual taunting remarks, including using a word for unicorns that has gotten her in trouble in the past, and, well, Snails retaliated...with a spell he claims he saw in a book Alex received recently. Alex actually helped the filly after the spell hurt her, and Snails claims that there was another version he was trying to use…”

Fluttershy was silent for a moment before speaking. “Princess Celestia sent him a spell book a few weeks ago. He’s been practicing after school.”

“Yes, well... I’m afraid I have to do something because it’s Alex’s fault that Snails was even able to cast a spell like that. The filly is getting two weeks of after-school detention for instigating the situation, repeated taunting, and for using an anti-unicorn slur multiple times. Alex and Snails will be getting one week of detention served at lunchtime, to keep the three of them apart in their punishments, and I also need to insist that Alex not bring the book to school anymore. I’ve already told him this, and I’m waiting for someone from Snails’ family to come pick him up still. I hope you understand.”

Alex sighed and looked over at Snails, who was still sad and simply staring down at his desk. “Hey,” he whispered, trying to sound cheerful. “It’s not your fault.”

“I’m the one who cast the wrong spell. It’s not your fault to be punished for me doing something wrong. How could I know the right runes were on the next page?” Snails didn’t really whisper in response, but he did keep his voice a little below his normal speaking volume. “Her getting hurt is my fault.”

“It sounds like he’s already punishing himself to me.” Fluttershy’s response came through the window a few seconds later.

“He’s not a bad colt. Apparently, according to Alex, Diamond Tiara has been taunting Snails like that since he came here. He broke down crying the first time she ever used that word, so I’m not all that surprised that something like this happened. She’s been warned in the past about this kind of thing, which is why she’s getting the harsher punishment.”

“I’ll make sure he leaves it at home, I promise Cheerilee,” Fluttershy assured. “I’ll talk to him about keeping the spell casting off school grounds, too.”

“I wouldn’t ban all spellcasting on school grounds. He apparently healed the filly completely before I even got out there. I would actually feel better if he felt free to cast that on any students who manage to hurt themselves seriously enough for it to be a problem. Anyways, he’s inside, waiting. I’m sorry to take up your time for this, but a student was injured.”

“Oh, it’s no problem, Cheerilee. I’m sorry all of this happened.” The door opened a few moments later, revealing a rather worried Fluttershy. “Come on, Alex. We can talk more about this at home.”

“Yeah, I’m coming.” Rising to his feet, Alex fought off his remaining fatigue and gave Snails a quick hug. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, just do better next time.” His advice given, he pulled away from Snails and made his way over to the door.

“Y-yeah. Thanks Alex.” Snails sniffed softly, and offered a smile before putting his head back down on the desk.

“So your little friend stood up to a filly that was bullying him and trying to bully you and another filly? I say she deserved what she got, and you healed her so the pain went away quick enough. She’ll probably have forgotten most of it in a week or two anyways.” Sonata took a bite out of an apple while watching Alex do a few sit-ups. “How much longer are you going to do those? I know it’s later than Xemnas usually shows up when he wants us to train, but I’m kinda bored just watching you.”

“The way I figure it, I need to build up stamina if I’m gonna be using a ton of spells,” Alex argued, glancing at her. “If you’re bored, you can be my water boy.”

Sonata seemed to pause in thought for a moment, then shook her head quickly. “If I’m gonna be a boy for you it’s not going to be to give you water. I can do that just fine as my normal female self.”

Alex snerked. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Sonata.”

“Hey, you laughed. That’s an improvement. Usually you just get all flustered when I tease you about adult stuff.” She popped the last of the apple in her mouth and then carefully swallowed before hopping down from the resting bench she’d been sitting on. “So, whatcha actually need help with? Most of these setups don’t look like you’d be all that comfortable using them.”

“Yeah, I noticed that. It’s all geared for ponies.” Alex stopped for a moment, looking around the room. “I probably should have seen that coming.”

“You know, if you were about three feet taller I’d suggest having Discord transport us to a minotaur gym. You have almost no muscle mass compared to them, but at least there’d be some body structure similarity there.”

“Are you calling me shrimpy?”

“No, I’m saying minotaurs are tall and bulky. You’ve seen Iron Will yourself, and he’s not even one of the stronger ones from what I remember...unless minotaurs have gotten small over the last thousand years.”

“Whatever.” Getting up, Alex made his way over to one of the machines. From a first glance, it appeared to be a leg press of some kind. “Come over here and help me with this.”

Sonata walked over and looked at the machine, finally ducking down under the padded bed and pulling out a large grip so that the bed lowered enough for Alex to climb on. “Blech. Whoever adjusted this last needs to brush their teeth.”

“You could just turn into a unicorn and not have to worry about it,” Alex commented, laying down on the bed. “Okay, let’s give this a try. Sonata, you’re my spot, got it?”

“Okay. First thing I spot is we need to make sure you can get your legs positioned comfortably, but not extend them fully without pushing on the weight pad. So move those legs.” Getting a little hooves-on, she moved Alex’s legs into the correct position and then carefully adjusted the height of the back pad. “There! That should be perfect! Now let’s see, how much weight should I set it on for a quick test push?”

“How about none?” Dash stepped into view, looking at Alex with a frown. “Now, I know you’re not thinking right. I don’t know anything about humans, but what I do know is that you’re supposed to know medicine. Is it okay for human foals to be doing this kind of thing?”

“I’m not a foal, I’m a teenager!”

“That’s even worse, then, isn’t it? Your bones are growing, and if something goes wrong you could break something and then never grow right. Why would you risk crippling yourself? Worse, why would you risk enduring the ‘child’ treatment for the rest of your life? I know you hate that overprotective crap, but... yeah. Kids do dumb things.” Dash ducked under the backrest and pulled the grip out to let it down to its lowest point.

“Yeah... this wasn’t our best idea, Alex,” Sonata admitted, her ears sweeping back. “I’m sorry, I know you’re still an adult were it counts the most, but she has a point.”

“Rrrrgh, fine, what do you suggest I do then, Dash? I get tired too quick during training with Xemnas, and the other day I could only cast Cure a few times before I just wanted to fall asleep. How am I supposed to help protect ponies when I can barely fight?”

“Aerobics, you goof,” Dash replied, whacking Alex with her wing. “I can grab you in the morning before school for a run. But! You have to promise not to do any training that isn’t supervised. Also, I want you to take a run on the treadmill here so I can see how far you can get before you start to slow down.”

“That... that’s actually smart, and reasonable, and not condescending at all. Yeah, thanks Dash.”

“Hey, I remember what being a teenager was like. Buncha hormones washing around in your brain, can’t really think straight. We all did dumb things as teens and you’re no exception now that you are one again.” Rainbow Dash smiled before doing her best impression of Spitfire at the Wonderbolts Academy. “Let’s go, recruit, get your sorry markless rump over to that treadmill!”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!”