****

Shallow Shale

Moonlit Echo

At the moment I felt like Gennady, that giant of a Minotaur was really a sales pony and not the miner he claimed to be. For the whole ride under the mountain he was ‘Ari this’ and ‘Ari that’, exulting the many amazing things Ari had apparently done.

I thought the ‘Alicorn’ had only been here a couple weeks.

Not that it mattered, I was convinced the Minotaur must be brainwashed with how he went on and on, or related to the element of laughter. Though I think either one is scary, the latter thankfully very unlikely.

It was good and all that Ari had rescued those two ponies, brave of him to rescue the stallion from the slave traders, and honorable of him to escort them home. But all those actions a changeling would do just as easily! Just look at the solar guards, regular citizens, and even the princess of love herself; they were all impersonated by changelings and we didn’t even notice that they had been replaced. I had stood and looked the princess of love in the eye for weeks and never seen the falsities that lay there, the lies Queen Chrysalis spouted. No pony had.

What had hurt most of all was waking up, looking at the solar guard above my muzzle in confusion, only to watch horror as his face burned away. The green flames revealing the grinning face of a changeling.

For the months following there was sweeps, identity checks, and distrust among the guards. Who was real?

My world had been turned upside down.

But now, this Minotaur and his buddies were convinced this ‘Alicorn’ was going to save the world that he was sent to us by a god, and blah, blah, blah. It was the biggest load of crock I had ever heard. Save the world from what? They wouldn’t tell me. Which God? They don’t know.

Anyway, you can not imagine how relieved I was to be off that train and on my way to this imposter.

If only this Minotaur would shut up…

“And then my sister took over and it was all ‘rumble rumble’. She actually could move that boulder! I mean, I may have loosened it, but she was amazing! Anyway with that-,” He continued on and on like this.

I simply nodded along, walking beside him, and thinking of how nice it will be to hear Princess Luna’s words of thank you for-

“OW! HEY! What is the idea Gennady?!” I looked back over my wither as the bull released my tail, I quickly tucked close to me, the brute.

He was frowning at me while pointing at a double set of ten foot tall doors, “I said, ‘we are here’.”

“You’re sure this is the one?” I raised an eyebrow at my guide. He had us backtrack three times now.

“Of course I am! The sign says ‘Kapera’s Enchanted Forge’; it is exactly like my sister said it looks like.”

I looked at the store and frowned, “It says that it’s closed.”

“No it isn’t.” He stood there with the door partially open, motioning for me to follow.

We weren’t supposed to be here. I could feel that as soon as I followed him into the dimly lit shop, but he walked through the store like he owned it, calling out before he stopped.

Looking up from the display case I saw why, he held up two cloaks, standing at the bottom of a staircase leading to a second floor.

“Come on they must be upstairs! You can finally meet him and get rid of your doubts. We can finally get this out of the way.”

Eventually we stopped in front of the most likely door; it was glowing pink with magic. Obviously it had a spell on it.

When he opened it though my world stopped for a second, I was right.

The changeling queen was standing there, about to have roast zebra. The weird scaled pony, giant rodent, and even taller Minotaur were nothing to me as I locked eyes with Queen Chrysalis.

I had to tell Luna.

“Gennady,” one of them called out in a confused voice.

My legs moved faster than I thought possible, sending me down a couple of steps and over the railing in seconds. Landing with a heavy thump, I looked back for a second only to see a pair of Minotaur hooves following, coming down on top of me.

Scrambling out of the way, I headed for the nearest barrel, on my way to the door. They were full of spears. A heavier thud echoed through the shop just as I knocked over the barrel, letting them clatter, knowing the Minotaur wasn’t far behind me. I grabbed two in my hooves, sending them flying at cracked open front door, before I grabbed a third one in my hoof.

“HELP! HELP! CH-.” My cry for help was cut off as I was forced to duck, a butcher knife flying where my head had been.

Before me was something out of a nightmare. The queen of the changelings stood, hissing at me with murder in her eyes. Beside her was some sort Franken mare, the front half of her scaled while the back half was furred like a pony. She also had a horn, her magic holding up several daggers. And behind those monsters a giant rodent was snarling at me, sharp teeth bared as it crouched. While the giant Minotaur siblings looked very serious, the ‘little’ sister holding the maneless sobbing zebra like a buckball.

“Seriously Moonlit Echo, I thought you understood what Ari was about?”

I didn’t have time to humor him or pity the zebra at the moment though, while I had been gawking at the lineup something cold and metallic had snaked around the hind hock.

As I jumped backwards from the chain they pressed forwards, crouched, and ready to attack me.

“Come on Echo, I told you, you can’t handle his mares! They are- Hey guys where is Ari anyway?” At this point everyone was ignoring the bull’s questions. But where was Ari?

Kicking away another chain enveloped in pink magic, I focused back on the situation at hand: surviving. They obviously had no qualms inflicting pain on ponies if the bound mare is a sign. Who was I kidding? This was a changeling! Death was certain unless I could defeat her, which I couldn’t, at least not alone.

I was outnumbered so I had one option: I had to hope to lose them outside, get the city guard. Even if they were a mixed species guard they were better than nothing. Glancing at the changeling’s back again I saw that she was missing a wing, exactly like I thought I saw. I shuffled backwards again, keeping my eyes trained on the closest threats: the mares, Ari’s mares apparently. He was the changeling king alright, no doubt about it now.

A warm breeze wafted in behind me, telling me I was almost there.

“BUCK!”

Dodging to left, the thumps of daggers impaling the spot I had been reached my ears. I deflected another rogue dagger with my spear. Franken mare had forced me to move, launching the daggers at me, too many to deflect at once.

Good thing they can't fly.

Taking a deep breath, I flapped my wings and took to the air, soaring over the surprised beings as I made my way back upstairs. There had to be a window up here somewhere.

Thunder echoed behind me as my wings folded up and I abandoned my spear, galloping down the- SHIT! The Franken mare just appeared in front of me.

Planting my hooves down, I braked and spun around, terror dominating my mind. I was dead, so dead, and behind me was an immovable wall of muscle. The Minotaurs stood there, daring me to try and get by them.

Below me the creaking of wood and grunts resonated above my heavy breathing, the front door, it was my only way out. My eyes darted between the murderous mare behind me and the wall of muscle in front of me…Wait, wall that is it! If I couldn’t see past these cows then neither could the mare, meaning I will only have ten seconds at best before she can see where she will teleport to.

“Look can’t we just talk Echo? This is really important-.”

Grabbing my dropped spear, I spun around, feeling the shaft brush the wall. Feinting a throw at the mare, I ducked and spun around, hurtling the spear at the heifer. She clutched her shoulder and bellowed in pain, pinned to the wall as I made my break for it.

Down the stairs, a flap of my wings and I soared over the incoming rodent, the sound of hooves clamoring behind me. Maybe five seconds to make it to the door now.

However I still had one last obstacle in my way: Queen Chrysalis.

She was squared up in front of the door, it was still cracked open, the spears shafts cracked but otherwise holding strong. Even if she was missing a wing she still terrified me. At nearly seven feet tall she towered over me, had an impervious shell, and was magically a powerhouse. She had defeated Princess Celestia!

I feinted to the right before resuming my course for the door. The gap was closing in, but she hadn’t moved from her position. Buck me. There was only three feet of the gap above her horn; I would have to fly directly over her horn to make it, a perfect kill shot.

Her horn…Feinting to the left, I kept an eye on her horn, it wasn’t even sparking.

Something felt off here, but the clamor behind me demanded I continue to the gap. Folding my wings, my nose breathed in the scent of the street, and my front hoof gripped the frame. My muscles ached as I attempted to propel myself forward through the gap that was an inch too narrow for me.

“THIEF,” An angry voice called from behind me. I could feel my muzzle twist into confusion as I looked at the beings in the street, some workers from the surrounding shops stopped what they were doing and stood, eyes boring into me.

Buck, they had them fooled...Or were they changelings too?

“CHANG-AHHH!“ My cry morphed into one of pain as the crack tightened, slamming the door into my ribs, and almost knocking the breath out of me.

I wasn’t dying here!

Stuck in the door crack I started bucking, each of my hooves making contact with something. One hoof kicked away something warm; the other hit something smooth and metal. These were double doors. Keeping up the pressure with my hoof I felt the pressure ease up on my chest before I suddenly shot forward into the street.

Yes, now to get the guard!

My legs wobbled with my horrible landing, my chest hurt, but I took off down the street anyway.

I didn’t need to look back to know I was being pursued, the ground rumbled behind me as the streets grew empty. Clearing the way maybe, I wasn’t stopping to think about that or check.

Turning left, I nearly collided with a squad of city guards. There were two earth stallions and three Minotaur bulls, perfect!

“HELP ME!” I stopped to catch my breath, “In the name of-.”

“THIEF! STOP THAT THIEF!” The same voice yelled from where I came.

As they heard that the guards turned their spears to my throat, I was surrounded and running out of time. “WAIT! Wait a second! They are lying, I have nothing on me, see?” The bulls raised an eyebrow at me, “They are changelings or league with the changelings, check their eyes if you don’t believe me! You have to help me fight-.”

My plea was interrupted as they came around the corner. The changeling queen wasn’t among them; it was just the Minotaurs and the rodent. Were they escaping as we speak? And where was the changeling king?

“Is this the thief?” The tallest bull said, addressing the golden rodent while looking at the bleeding heifer.

“No! I-,” One of the spear shafts spun around and hit me in the head, not hard; it was a warning from the stallion.

Hooves shuffled on the dirt side street as the yellow demon bared her teeth at me, “Yes! That is the scum that broke into my shop. I had just closed my shop early when my apprentice’s brother came over for a visit when he barges in, trying to steal my new designs. In the scuffle he even injured my apprentice! Do you know how behind that is going to put my orders?! Cuff the bastard; I’m bringing him to the office.”

“Wait, he has made some pretty big-.”

The tall bull shrunk under the gaze of the two taller Minotaurs and the snarling bundle of golden fur, “No, you listen here! I’m having this scum deported back to where ever he belongs. So you shackle him up or I will!” Turning to the heifer she continued, “Dinny be a dear and grab those pony shackles we have in the back and don’t be a hightailed mink about it!”

“Now Kapera-,” the shortest bull started only to be interrupted by one of the stallions.

“We will see you there mam,” the taller of the stallions saluted the crazy she demon. “Shackle him!”

The tan bull saluted the stallion, “Yes captain!”

My jaw dropped at his words, spears lowered as I was forced down and shackled. I struggled against the Minotaur’s hold in vain, dirt filling my muzzle as I tried to talk. I swear the other stallion was scuffing his hoof on purpose, making more dirt blind me.

What the hell was happening?

****

Somewhere on the Narrow sea

Ari

I shot awake, spluttering as salt water gagged me, filling my nostrils, and blinding me all at once. Around me squeals rang out and hooves clattered. Trying to open my eyes or back away from the onslaught was proving futile, it was like I had a pressure washer to my face.

What the hell?!

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA, RUN YOU FILTHY WHORSES, RUN!”

That voice was male and sounded oddly familiar. But I couldn’t get my eyes open to see just who it was, not that I knew many guys here, stallion or otherwise.

Damn that salt water stung, I still had the cut on the back of my head.

Eventually my brain woke up that I remembered my feathery appendages, so I raised my wings, using them to block some of the spray. It wasn’t perfect but it allowed my eyes to squint against the sudden assault.

What I could see through my feathers was a lineup of figures, shadowed by the bright daylight coming from behind them. They were shorter than me, even the tallest one in the center was only six feet at best, and they were holding whatever was spraying us.

Anger started to fill my mind, almost crackling to me as I squinted at them, thoughts fading. They were the reason I was here, and unfortunately for them they were on the wrong side of the ‘unbreakable’ bars.

With a snort I rose and charged forward, the mares sticking to the back and leaving me a free path. The water stung at my wound and eyes as my hooves closed the distance, forcing myself against the water, almost there. Dropping my wings from my face I collided with my target. Well, a target, I didn’t exactly aim.

Hitting him was not as satisfying as my instincts said it would be.

The sound of the water stopped as we rolled on the slick floor, in fact I couldn’t hear much besides our grunts as I grappled my unknown foe, trying to stomp his face in. I couldn’t see much around the spots of color with this sudden change of light either, and as to my other senses, well, they were still recovering from the rude wake up call.

Claws dug into my back as my shorter opponent tried to choke hold my chest, trying to avoid my stomping hooves and gnashing teeth.

Instincts screaming at me to dominate him, arching my neck, I snapped my teeth down at him. Until finally my mouth found purchase on something rough, almost like leather. A horrible gravelly squeal rang in my ears just as some other being landed on my back, something very familiar, it felt like a Diamond dog. Hell no. I faintly heard the sound of metal clinking as I began bucking. My foes grunted and squealed loudly in my ears as we moved up and down wildly.

Suddenly something sharp and long wrapped around my wing, cutting into it like a razor, and filling the air with the smell of iron.“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH,” I screamed as I came crashing down on my side, releasing the ear from my teeth as I tried to escape whatever had my wing.

Wings are apparently very sensitive to pain, as are horns. It was all the extra nerves I guess, pain and pleasure in the same area.

“YOU FUCKER!” I yelled as a boot connected with my forehead, sending my pain to new heights,it was almost like I was hit in the-

My whimper cut through the air as I attempted to curl into a very small ball, I wanted to vomit, shit, and cry like a baby all at once.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here boys?” The two diamond dogs removed themselves from my body and I curled further into myself. Fuck, how could I kick men there? “I SAID, what do we have here boys?!”

That voice was familiar but I just couldn’t place my hoof on it.

An unpleasant chorus of gravely whimpers sounded by my head, adding an auditory form of pain, “A Alicorn Ar-.” The smell of iron spiked in the air again as something swung through the air, my eyes remained scrunched in pain.

“I CAN SEE THAT IT IS AN ALI-CORN! But do you mutts see where he is NOT?!” Negatives sounded out, “Well,” the voice turned sickly sweet then, as the weapon wrapped around my wing dug further into my flesh, stealing another whimper from me. “I see a fully mobile Alicorn, when I left him he was strung up!” I opened my eyes as the tallest figure turned around, his back to me.

“SO WHORSES,” he yelled as something soft swept over my ear. “Can any one of you explain to me WHY he is walking around like he owns the joint?!”

In front of him I could see the mares cowering at the back of the cell, huddled together. A dark whip smacked the floor, drawing whimpers.

“Do we get to do this the hard way?” The smell of arousal hit my noise as the soft item passed over my muzzle again.

That voice…The sweet edge was familiar, almost like that skeeveball- Shit, I looked closer at the boots. They were engraved with a golden ‘A’, that fucking cat was a slave trader after all. I guess this what he meant by 'take care of my mare', fuck.

“B-boss we need these ones, we need to make-.” A wet smack followed that sentence as the whip came back and slapped him into the bars, which in turn shot the unconscious dog at the mares. They scattered away from the prone form of their jailer.

A quick crack of his whip and a new dog stepped forward, his tail club tucked between his legs. Had I not been in pain I would have laughed at the irony of a cat leading a pack of dogs, but I was more worried about what this bastard meant by ‘the hard way’.

“Any whorse want to step up and tell me how he managed to get free,” the blades jerked my wing and looking over at it, I saw I wasn’t too far off the mark. He had a whip made of serrated blades wrapped several times around my wing, just before the joint, I could see the dark red droplets drip down the whip.

“Really? No one wants to own up?! Well, I guess I’m going to have to make another trip to Zebrica and pick up some more product, maybe look at some pastel ponies. Thank-,” he stopped and I gasped, uncurling slightly as I saw a familiar zebra tumble forward. A yellow mare still had her hooves outstretched, having thrown her to the dogs.

Why had she done that? I thought we were all against him, he was selling us to the highest bidder or to his clients, whatever, we were nothing but bits to him!

The ship swayed as crackles sounded in my ears, my anger growing at the sight.

Maniacal giggles echoed as more dogs stepped forward, grabbing Ayodele, and the yellow mare to her horror. Ayodele merely shook in place as she was placed before Arch, clamping her muzzle shut as we gazed at each other. Her eyes saying exactly what I felt, we are fucked.

While the other mare squealed like a pig, “Wait! Wait, I can help you!” The soft caresses swept over me faster, tan hair appearing in my peripheral vision. It was getting kind of annoying, crackling sounded as i thought that, heck that was annoying too. Start meditating and you start noticing every little creak and click.

“And why pray tell would I need help from my cargo?” Arch turned his attention to her, we all did, and I felt my horror grow as she spoke again.

“B-because I know his plan,” I could see the mare lean into something as my anger and fear grew, the desire to hit the mare rising.

In a sickly sweet voice he quered, “And what is his plan dear?”

“He-he plans on d- AAAAHHHHH!”

Ayodele had broken free of her captor and shot forward, sinking her teeth into the other mare’s neck.

Relief swept through me at her action that had been too close. But, like all my actions and thoughts seem to be, I was wrong.

The whip came down on her flank, cutting her hide, red streaks appearing. Her scream of pain was muffled as her jaw stayed locked on the traitor’s neck, causing in more screams and squeals to come from the equestrian. It felt surreal to me, the air crackling even as my body seemed to freeze, and the tears flowed from my eyes for a change. This wasn’t supposed to be like this.

All the other mares cowered as the remaining nine mutts stood as a lineup before them, too afraid to act.

As the crazy bastard continued to whip Ayodele, ‘accidently’ hitting the golden mare more and more frequently, I was trying to figure out what to do. My own pain was fading to merely a nauseous sensation, which was tolerable. All was recovering except for my wing, which was a steady throb of pain. Pain, anger, and- Fuck! *Crackle* I can’t focus with that god damn tail swishing over my face!

The more I focused on my annoyance the more I noticed a new sensation, or I should say I heard it, a-Fuck! I lost my train of thought again. That damned…Glorious tail.

Following it with eyes, I ignored the crackling in my ears as I timed it, one, two, and...

“RAAAAAAARRRRRRWWWWWWW!” Everypony folded their ears. The dogs clutched at their ears and collapsing as Arch tried to detach me from his tail.

That left the mares free from his assault, but I couldn’t spare them a glance. I was his newest target. On my hooves now I fought to remain upright as he chased his tail, or rather, he chased me since I attached his tail.

I tried to keep behind him. Clamping my teeth together harder as he twisted his right wrist, trying to pull me around with the razor whip, while he beat on me with the whip in his other hand. I was starting to see spots as the pain was building up, my stomach threatening to desert me, and I knew I had to get away from him. This just wasn’t working.

Pulling back on his tail I attempted to bring down, back with me, “FUCCCKKKK!” That only drove the blades in deeper, I didn’t think they could go any, any, I couldn’t hold in the screech as it covered up the crack I had felt in me.

I couldn’t feel my wing.

Silence rang over the room, my mind growing silent as a quiet fizzing started, pushing aside of all my other plans and worries as the thought repeated itself.

I can’t feel my wing. I couldn’t feel my wing. My wing is gone!

Where was, oh there it was, but when, when did I grow…I blinked as the tail slipped through my teeth, “B-bone?”

Contemplation forgotten as a boot connected with my jaw, sending me back just like I wanted, only problem was he didn’t come down with me. He dropped the whip that was wrapped around my wing, going to grab the remaining whip with two hands. Slightly dazed as pain dominated my mind, I stared at him in confusion, my anger crackling below the surface. I kept it down though; it wasn’t helping me, unless lying beaten on a slimy floor was my goal.

Forgetting the mares for a second, how do I end the pain, this battle? He looked ready to kill me, huffing, and winding up for a lashing.

He wouldn’t kill me, right?

The look in his eyes spoke pain, he would. His scent told me of anger and arousal, a strange combination. Garish clothes attempted to show off his body and I didn’t quite care right now. I wanted to vomit, then beat his sorry ass, help these mares…Mares, I wanted my mares, and he was being a right annoyance about me leaving.

This cat should die, this time it wasn't just my mares motivating that homicidal thought, no, this little fuck thinks of us as playthings, bits, a fucking paycheck!

But first...

Arch brought the whip down on me and I couldn’t even bother to move, my skin almost numb from the pain built up. That pathetic amount he was trying to give me nothing compared to what I was already feeling. It was strange, to feel so much pain that you don’t feel, like my body was shutting down those impeding nerves. I had never felt this way.

I was supposed to be better than him, an Alicorn.

Groans and whines came from in front of me, behind the pompous sadist. And I couldn’t help but notice he was sporting a little tent right now. Was he getting off on my pain?

He was getting off from their pain.

The crackling was louder now, covering the sound of the whip as it came down again and again, crimson flying in my vision. Where the hell was that sound coming from?

*Crackle*

It annoyed the hell out of me. Here I was trying to figure out how to kill this sadistic tom and something had the gall to distract me. It was-

Ayodele was staggering over now, the other mare still unconscious, Arch hadn’t noticed her, and I couldn’t focus on her.

All I could hear was- My eyes widened as I realized my ears twitched but couldn’t track the noise, it was internal. Holy fuck! It was one of the sounds I hadn’t gone through yet, I hope anyway, I had gone through so many already…It couldn’t hurt to try this one, not more than I felt now anyway.

Focusing my attention inward I gritted my teeth against his onslaught of lashes. There it was, I think, it was hard to describe going inside your mind. You saw some things like they were in front of you, in you, when all that was there was the back of your eyelids.

That was what I saw though, something that couldn’t be there, cords, channels of yellow light coming from what must be my source of magic. It was too bright to see a shape, but it felt right, real to me.

But the image in my head, the channels of power that may or may not be they were irrelevant. What did matter was the sound that I could ‘see’ they gave off. In my mind they crackled, sparking in time with my annoyance, almost like my emotions were connected to their function…It could explain the fact that my instincts don’t call for me to use magic often, my instincts come from anger mostly. That suggestion to use magic usually happens from my actual brain, the logical part. That was also irrelevant now, sure I had found my channels, but my focus on it was fragile, pain bordering on agony now. Passing the field of numbness and returning with a vengeance.

As I have been searching for the magic inside me the slavers had slowly recovered, Arch had kept whipping away at my flesh.

Now, how did I use this magic?

Chrissy and Lyric hadn’t mentioned this step yet, Kapera had said I had to ‘force more magic’ through my channels. How do I force an intangible energy to do my will?

“RWAAAARRRRR!”

My eyes popped open, before me a bloody and determined zebra was hanging onto his tail. The dogs that had started to move again were forced to cover their oversensitive ears, the mares looked uncertain, maybe…

“FIGHT BACK! THERE ARE FOUR TIMES AS MANY OF US THAN THEM!” I had to yell above Arch to be heard, and even through my wavering vision I saw their eyes change slightly. Maybe one more push, “I AM ALMOST THROUGH THIS INHIBITOR, YOU CAN HANDLE THOSE PUPPIES!” And I believed they could, they were like earth ponies, strong.

Focusing on my magic, trying to ‘force’ it to listen, ‘remove this shackle’ I tell my magic. No response. I still don’t know what the hell I’m doing!

Arch heard me as well, the slight smell of fear coming from him, before I could even blink he clamped his jaw shut and grabbed her, nails extended. Now she was screaming as her coat turned red, his claws digging in. As I struggled to my hooves again, he was off through the open door, and she was a whimpering mass on the floor. The dogs, well, I was tuning out their screams now. Karma was a bitch.

FUCK. As I finally stood, I could hear the dripping of blood, mine I’m sure. The skin ripping wider as I struggled to move, the crackle of my channels barely staying in my focus as I felt a new form of agony.

I just needed more power, magic.

If I asked Kapera, I’m sure she would point out how inexperienced in fighting I was. I was a foal in world. Heck, I would take her heckling over this this any day.

Where was that bastard going?

Following him anyway, I staggered up the stairs, into the light. Blinking at the daylight, I looked around. It was a deck, clean, bright, and surreal from the scene below. Sails billowed, birds called out to each other, and the wheel was steering itself. The deck was also empty, free of that bastard. Where-

Then his voice reached my ears, turning I saw a door cracked open, which was probably the captain’s quarters.

Who was he talking to?

Creeping closer I tried to make out what he was saying, “…mer, you have to. He-,” someone responded, sounding far away like they were on a telephone. Peeking into the room I saw I was close, he was talking to a pink jewel as he had a head set styled device on, with pink jewels over his ears.

As he prattled on as I narrowed my eyes at him. It was too late to stop his transmission for help but I could still listen in while I try to get my magic to listen.

Okay, the first step was to feel the magic and I could now. Next, next I had to ‘force the magic’…That seemed wrong, it responded to my thoughts before. Why did I need to force it? Better yet, how? The crackling seemed to flow like my emotions, it was jumping around when I annoyed, and…I let my anger bleed through, thinking of how everything was going wrong. My channels shrunk as I thought that, most anyway, magic was streamlining from the mass in my center to the ones going down…To my hooves.

It was all clicking now.

When I was acting on instinct I was angry, instincts that brought my magic to my ‘earth’ pony attributes, amplifying my strength. Earth ponies holding the same, slightly smaller, shape as our ancestors, which is where the instincts stem from. When my logical side was in control, the channels seemed evenly balanced. Then…I thought of flying, gearing up my muscles for a flap. I watched in my head as the channels changed flow again, most of the magic going to my side channels, my wings.

Following logic didn’t work out though.

You would assume then that focusing on performing magic, or a ‘spell’ as Kapera had put it, would be the answer. But the answer is no. Asking my magic to remove the shackle did not cause any change in my channels besides them sparking with my annoyance. If ‘foal magic’ was the think and shoot type, then maybe a spell was like they had on earth? A set of words, a planned complicated string of thoughts, like…‘A bright lightning bolt shooting from my horn.’

Nothing happened, but an idea did occur to me.

Perhaps I couldn’t force my magic, but I could make a spell, watch my channels as I say the sounds, words.

Wait was it-.

And I was flying backwards. Looks like spacing out wasn't the smartest move when my opponent is still alive.

Fu- Wait, was that a flicker?

I stood shakily; grimacing as I tried to dodge his boot, just because he was terrified didn’t make him declawed. Distance, I ducked behind the mast, letting him expel his energy and trying to figure what I thought that caused the sudden surge.

Ducking a boot coming at my head, my vision swam.

Fu- a flicker on my channels and another boot coming at my head, was it that sound? FU- The channel that seemed to run between my eyes flared more. Fuck. And it died as I said the whole word, okay, so ‘FU’ is a magic word, and the swear word isn’t.

My ears folded back as I heard something coming up the stairs behind me. Just great, focusing the only magic word I knew I felt a heat build, between my eyes, and I grinned a little at Arch’s expression. He looked like he was going wet himself; my horn must be doing something, perfect.

Focusing more on the word, my fur felt hot, but the release didn’t come.

Where was the magic? It felt like more and more pressure was building behind my eyes, my channel was blinding in my mind, but-

“GLUR! RAW-.” The Diamond dog was sent back as I automatically kicked him back down the stairs, swaying a little as most of my magic had left my legs, most of the feeling had left them really. ‘GLUR’ this you-

I was blown back as the pressure released from my horn, the world turning white as I was flying back into-.

...
...
...
"Ari?"
...
"Is he breathing?"
...
"So that's why they rule a country!"