Solid Script Equestria
Chapter 24: Chapter 22: Returning, New Members and Powers
Previous Chapter Next ChapterThe train ride back to the guild was both calm yet tense for some. I was sitting in one of the higher class cars with the royal, elements, Spike and Echo, and the three former slaves that decided to come along with us. I had a certain hybrid sleeping on my lap with a changeling laying against my shoulder, playing with her spider while their canine friend was watching the world go by through the window.
I smile to myself as I run my hand through Mei’s mane, the little kirin having cried herself to sleep after I welcomed them. I knew that these three would have a lot to do once we get back to town, so I knew I would be there for them every step of the way.
‘Weird, I almost sound like my mom.’ I think to myself with a small laugh. I tear my gaze away from the slumbering kirin, and turn my attention to the other occupants of the train car.
Twilight and Cadence were fussing over Rainbow and Shining, the duo being the most injured, mostly from being on the front lines apparently. Luckily that isn’t saying much, Rainbow just had a sprained ankle and mild magical exhaustion while Shining had a bunch of bruises from testing how much damage his Lightning Emperor’s armor could take.
AJ and Pinkie were talking about how to prepare a party for all of us when we get back for helping take down the market, with Spike and Echo adding their own inputs.
Sonbāsutā was asleep, he apparently used a bit more magic than anticipated getting through all the guards while protecting pretty much all the slaves we were able to find then free.
Though, when my eyes drifted over the royal sisters, I reflexively pulled Arakunia closer to me. It was made clear that at least one of them was still sore for the changelings after the royal wedding. It took nearly an hour of arguing for me to get it through their Alicorn skulls that Arakunia would be coming with me to the guild. They were adamant on just leaving her alone, trying to explain how she would be a spy for Chrysalis or some crap like that. While Luna eventually decided to leave it alone, Celestia wasn’t so reserved. I was two minutes away from using my magic on her if Arakunia and Twilight hadn’t come in to stop us.
Two Hours Earlier...
“No way in hell! I am not leaving her alone!” I yell to the ignorant solar mare.
“Lex you do not understand the changelings like we do, you have never even met one before now! It may seem innocent now but before long it will grow into nothing more than a love sucking monster!” She yells back. The both of us were standing on opposite ends of the table, glaring at each other, an overturned tea set between us.
“So what?! Have you ever thought that Chrysalis is an outlier?! That she and her swarm were the exceptions to her kind?! And besides, she is a child! And you want to just send her away?! What if she was a griffon, or a diamond dog? Would you just send her away too?” I demand with anger.
“It is not that simple Lex. Like I said, she may be innocent now, but once she has begun to get hungry again she will not stop sucking the life force from any who she comes across!”
“Are you retarded?!” I yell, slamming my hand on, then through, the table, much to their shock, my magic beginning to flare. “You think that once she gets hungry, she will just take without any thoughts?! Do you really have that little faith in other creatures!?”
I breath heavily, my glare not moving from my face. Celestia's regal mask was all but toss out the window half an hour ago so she was just as visibly angry as I am. I am about to go off again, before somepony clears their throat. Turning to the entrance, we see a certain unicorn standing at the entrance.
“Um, is this a bad time?” Twilight questions, shifting her hair a bit, covering her left eye. Celestia and I look to one another and sigh, taking our seats. I quickly use my Arc of Time and repair the table and tea set.
“What do you need Twilight?” Celestia questions, though I notice the lavender mare shifting on her hooves with one of her hands behind her back.
“Um, it isn’t me that needs something.” That earns her some raised brows before she steps to the side and turns her head. “It’s ok, we’re right here.”
We watch as a familiar insectoid walks out from behind Twilight, her arachnid friend on her head.
“Arakunia? What are you doing up? You should be resting.” I say, walking up and kneeling before the changeling, who just shakes her head.
“I wanna go to the guild.” She says quietly, and I can hear the undertone of sadness. I look to her and Willow seriously.
“Kuna, what happened?” I ask, laying my hands on her shoulders. She shifts on her hooves before Twilight kneels next to her.
“It’s ok. Lex said you’ll be joining Fairy Tail, and we look out for one another. Now, tell Lex and I what’s wrong.” She says softly, and I could see Celestia’s raised brows in my peripherals. I guess Twilight was the last pony she would expect to be accepting of the changeling.
“I-I’m scared. I don’t wanna be here any more. I heard some of the guards saying a few got away, and I don’t want them to come back!” She says, her voice growing with each word as tears threated to leave her eyes. Without really registering what I was doing, I had pulled the changeling close and let her nuzzle into my chest.
“Shhh, shhh, its ok. Nothing is going to happen sweetheart. We won’t let anyone touch you. If you spot anyone who you recognize as from the market nearby, find a member ok? We’re all your family now, and we would sooner blow this place up than let anything happen to you or the others.” I inform, my voice somehow soft and steady despite my rage at this place. I am not sure how long I was holding her for before I gently pushed her back, the filly wiping her eyes again.
“Twilight, can you take her back to the others and have Star, Azure and Wind stationed by the tent?” I request. The mare nods and gently takes Arakunia’s hand, leading her out the tent and back to her friends. I release a small sigh and turn to Celestia, who looks to me with an odd look.
“Do you still think she is nothing but a love sucking monster?”
I am not sure why I was being so confrontational and protective about not just Arakunia, but also Ammy and Mei, but I really couldn’t care less. I knew these three needed some rocks of stability, and by gods I was going to try and be it. I didn’t stay in the tent to overhear Celestia’s responce to my retorical question, but I knew our ‘relationship’ was going to be backtracking to professional for a while.
‘So long as she doesn’t mess with Fairy Tail, Fairy Tail won’t mess with her.’ I think to myself with a very slight scowl towards the solar princess, once that luckily escaped all but the targets attention. She just responds with a small glint in the eyes, one I knew was meant to say ‘talk later’.
Most of the trip passed in silence for me and my three charges, but I knew I had quite a bit of paperwork for these three once we get home. Aside from simple citizenship papers, I would need to see if I can enroll them in school. Arakunia was the youngest at only 7, Amaterasu was 8 and Unmei was the oldest at 10, only two years younger than the CMC. If I remember correctly the age in which ponies are accepted into the likes of Cheerilee’s class is 6 years old, so I know I don’t need to ‘homeschool’ them.
And then there was teaching them magic. I knew that as members they would eventually learn magic, but they were far younger than the CMC, so they would have an even harder time learning it. Arakunia can’t even levitate things yet. Though, I could sense the dragon side in Mei just waiting to be unleashed if her very slight magic surges during their escape and her naming were any indications. It went unnoticeable by all but the most magically sensitive of us, AKA me, the princesses, and oddly, Trixie and Twilight.
I am shaken out of my thoughts as I see Ponyville coming up fast, much to the girls excitement. I smile to myself and take out the keys to the guild hall.
“Hey Pinkie! Catch!” I call out before tossing the pink mare the keys, who then begins to giggle and speak faster than a rapper about what she is going to be doing for the party. I just smile and gently shake Mei, who awakes with a mute yawn.
‘Are we there yet?’ She questions, rubbing her eyes.
“Almost. Take a look.” I say, the kirin and her friends looking out the window as the town gets closer, getting a faraway view of the guild hall and barracks. I smile to myself as I see the reflection of their excited faces, though I am worried as I see a small crowd gathered at the train station. I guess the town wanted and remaining members wanted to greet us as soon as we got off the train. It didn’t take long for the train to come to a stop, the rear cars opening up before ours. I take a deep breath and stand from my spot, the trio of former slaves falling in line behind me.
“Remember girls, stay close to either me, or a member of the guild. Don’t wander off, and if anyone tries to give you trouble, just yell.” I tell the trio as the others leave the train car. They nod and the four of us walk out, seeing some the members all greeting those from town.
“Hey Lex!” I turn as see Rarity, Silk, Fluttershy and the CMC, walking up with proud smiles. Though, they pause as they notice a certain trio trying to hide behind me.
“Oh, whos that?” Silk questions, trying to get a good look at them.
“Just some new members-to-be.” I reply, turning to the trio. “It’s ok you three, these six are more members of the guild.”
It took a second, but eventually Mei stepped out from behind me, followed by Ammy. Though, Arakunia stayed behind me, clearly scared of meeting new ponies. I sigh to myself before turning to the changeling. I can tell she is trying to find a way out, but I stop her by picking her up and cradling her in my arms, much to her surprise. I keep my back to the others and focus on my love for others, the aura of my emotions calming the little nymph down.
‘Wait, nymph?’ I think to myself in confusion. I had been referring to her as a filly this whole time, so how did I know she was called something different now? I mentally shrug, I’ll worry about that later.
“Girls, I need you six to Pinkie promise not to freak out or attack, or do anything that would resemble a threatening act.” I say seriously, my back still turned to the others. They looked confused, but all went through the motions. I take a deep breath and turn, the six newcomers all going wide eyed at the nymph I was holding in my arms.
“Girls, meet Arakunia.” I say with a soft smile, the nymph shyly waving from her position on me.
“S-s-she’s a changeling?” Rarity stutters, reflectively placing herself in front of Sweetie Belle, who looks more curious than scared.
“Yes, she is. She was being auctioned as a slave when we got to the market, and there was no way I was going to let her go after that. So, I decided she and the other two are coming to live with us at the guild.” I state sternly, the others taken aback at the finality of my tone.
“She. Was. What?!” I look with wide eyes at a now very angry Fluttershy, noting how her ears seemed to become almost more feral and her muzzle changing shape slightly, a pair of fangs beginning to poke out.
“Um, Fluttershy darling, you’re using Bat Takeover again.” Rarity says, the yellow pegasus blinking and laughing sheepishly.
“Oh, you found a Bat?” I question, placing Arakunia down.
“Um, yes. I met one a week ago, and the reason I had been studying about the Takeovers is because I seem to reflexively take on a bat’s attibutes when I am angry.” She explains softly, her ears and muzzle going back to normal.
“That just means you are more accustomed to that animal in particular. Though, it is surprising that you would be more accustomed to a bat of all things and not, like, a bunny.” I say in thought.
“So, your name is Arakunia?” I look and see the CMC walking up to the trio, the changling hiding behind Mei and nodding.
“Cool, mah names Applebloom, Applejack’s little sis.”
“I’m Sweetie Belle, I’m Rarity’s sister.”
“Names Scootaloo, and I am Rainbow Dash’s honorary sister.” They then group together and I see where this is going.
“Hey, try not to blow out our eardrums please!” I request quickly, the three fillies pausing and giggling sheepishly.
“Er, right. Anyways, we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, or CMC for short.” Scootaloo explains in a normal tone, much to my relief.
‘Oh, so I guess you three made a group about trying to find your Cutie Marks?’ Mei questions, the other all looking around in confusion.
“Who said that?” Sweetie questions.
“Mei did. She’s mute, so I gave her the ability to use Telepathy to talk to others.” I explain quickly, rubbing the kirin’s mane.
“Uh, yeah, that’s the point. Unfortunately it hasn’t been going well. We were thinking that maybe joining Fairy Tail could help us with that, but so far no dice.” Scootaloo finish’s, slight disappointment clear in her voice.
“Oh yeah. That reminds me. Are you three doing anything tomorrow afternoon?” I question, the trio shaking their heads.
“Perfect, meet me at the guild after your class is done.” The trio raise brows but nod nonetheless before turning their attention back to the new trio.
“So yer Arakunia, and yer Mei, what’s yer name?” Applebloom turns to Ammy.
“My name is Amaterasu Shiranui.” The pup says with a smile.
“Ama-what Shira-huh?” Scootaloo questions.
“Amaterasu Shiranui. It’s the name of a sun goddess back on earth.” I explain quickly, the trio still a little confused.
“Um, you can just call me Ammy, if you want.” The pup says with a small grin, the CMC nodding with their own smiles.
“Nice to meet you three!” The CMC say in unison. I chuckle a little before looking over the dispersing crowd and spotting Mayor Mare talking with Luna and Shining.
“Sorry girls, but we’ll need to cut this meeting a little short. There are some things I need to talk to the mayor about with these three.” I inform, earning six sounds of disappointment, which itself earned a quartet of giggles from myself and the three mares with me. With that, our mix-mashed group separated, Rarity and the CMC heading one way, Silk, Fluttershy and the trio of girls following me towards the mayors location.
‘Hopefully this goes as smoothly.’
It had, for the most part. It went without saying that Mayor Mare, or Joanna Mare as I learned her actual name is, was shocked as I walked up with a small changeling in my arms, but a quick word with Luna managed to get the situation across. The walk through town though, was definitely not great. More than a few ponies bolted into the nearest building upon spotting Arakunia in my arms, while some simply stood and stared. There was a few that looked ready to try and confront us, but a quick glare with both my eyes active made them freeze in their tracks.
I went through all the paperwork for citizenship, health and the like with the trio and Luna present at town hall. It took a couple hours, mostly because I found that both Ammy and Arakunia were illiterate and Mei was self taught, resulting in quite a few mistakes. But, we powered through it and managed to get all the paperwork filled out. I also filled out some forms that would recognize me as the trio’s legal guardian incase there is any trouble.
Luna took the sheets and said she would be personally going over them to prevent any nobles with contacts in the records department from ‘accidently’ losing, burning, or destroying the papers. I can’t even describe how relived I was at that. Again, I am not sure why I was feeling like this to the trio, but again, I placed that on the back burner to worry about later.
After everything was taken care of at town hall, Joanna escorted us to the hospital where Nurse Redheart and Dr.Stable went over some medical tests on the trio. They were of course scared, so we made sure they would all be in the same room, and with me present. We found that, going off pony standards, Mei and Arakunia were healthy, if a little underweight, while Ammy was barely on the precipice of suffering from protein deficiency, so it went without saying she was going to be on a moderately high protein diet for at least a couple of weeks.
After all their medical test were finished, we headed out and towards the guild hall, the trio all bouncing on their hooves and paws in excitment to see where they were going to be living from now on.
‘Oh, I am so excited! A home, a real home!’ I can hear Mei mentally cheering, somehow resisting the urge to just run circles around me.
“You said it, I can’t wait to get there!” Ammy cheers from above me. I was carrying the canine on my shoulders at her request, Ammy wanting to get a better view.
“Excuse me, miss Justine? Where are the three of us going to sleep at the guild?” Arakunia questions, earning a slight chuckle from me.
“First off, you don’t need to call me Miss Justine. You can call me Lex, or anything else really. Second, the guild actually has some rooms built into it, as well as some barracks in the back for members who don’t live here in Ponyville. Ordinarily you would live in the barrack with the other members, but for the time being, I would feel a little better if you three stayed with me in the guildhall itself.” I respond, smiling as said building gets within view.
‘Call you anything...’
I raise a brow as I see all the members standing outside the guildhall, along with Celestia and some of the royal guards. Though, it didn’t take long to figure out why when I notices the lack of a certain pink earth pony.
“Let me guess! Pinkie locked everyone out while she sets everything up?” I call out, everyone turning to me and my charges, a few members nodding to my question. I roll my eyes and make my way to the doors, and knocking.
“One minute please!” I hear Pinkie call from inside before hearing the distinctive sounds of the locks being undone. The door creaked open enough for me to fit through, the guild being blanketed in complete and utter darkness. Many smile as we see where this is going, though some who have never been here before looked confused.
All of us quickly filter into the guildhall, my charges clinging to me in fear of the darkness before the lights come on.
“SURPRISE!” Everyone cringes slightly as Pinkie both yells this, and shoots off her party cannons, revealing the guild hall covered in decorations, the tables covered with food and drinks that surpasses the opening of the guild, several banners hanging off the ceiling reading ‘Welcome Back!’, ‘Congrats on Taking Down a Black Market Selling Illegal Contraband!’, and ‘Welcome Amaterasu, Unmei, Arakunia and Willow!’
“Well, we all knew this was coming!” Rainbow states loudly, causing an uproar of laughter. I chuckle a little as well, turning to my confused charges.
“Girls, I think it’s time for you three to experience your first parties curtesy of one Pinkie Pie.” I say with a grin, stepping away from the trio long enough for Pinkie to Wave Boost herself to the girls and pick them all up in a hug.
“Yuppers! I throw a party for everypony that comes to Ponyville, or in this case, everydog, kirin and changeling!” She cheers, seeming to try and hug the air out of them. It didn’t take long for the trio to get what was going on, and at least attempted to hug the pink mare back. I couldn’t stop the smile crossing my face even if I tried.
“Well? What are we waiting for? Let’s party the Fairy Tail way!” I call out, all the members roaring in agreement. I give a proud smile as the others begin to disperse into the party, Pinkie somehow grabbing my phone and starting the music. I shake my head and smile.
I am starting to understand the characters feelings now that I have a guild of my own. I just love Fairy Tail.
The Next Morning...
I slowly pry my eyes open, a soft yawn escaping my mouth. I go to roll onto my side, only to be weighed down by something on my chest. Or I guess I should say someling.
I giggle quietly as I find Arakunia curled up on my chest, Willow resting in her mane. Glancing to the sides of the bed I see Amaterasu curled into a little ball on my left, holding my arm like a plushy, and Unmei sleeping facedown on my shoulder as well. I couldn’t help the thoughts that rapidly bombarded my mind as I gazed over my three charges.
‘They’re so CUTE!’
I am sure I had a gleeful grin on my face as I allow my gaze to go over the three girls with me. After the party these three were practically asleep on their hooves/paws, so I ended up levitating them to bed. But, as I was tucking the trio in, I saw their faces begin to contort into discomfort and fear. I guess they were having some nightmares.
Without any real reasoning or promoting, I managed to sneak myself into the bed with them, and they immediately clung to me in their sleep, relaxing as they were reassured that I was nearby. It wasn’t long before I fell asleep behind them. I am sure some would see this as creepy or something, but I somehow knew that that was what they needed to get a good nights sleep. But as a precaution I used the dreamwalking spell and kept an eye on their dreams with Tantabus.
Speaking of, turns out some of the things that have been popping into my head as of late, like knowing Arakunia was a nymph and not a filly, and how to keep my voice stern, yet soft, came from Tantabus. She still had some knowledge taken from Luna it turned out, and she just added it to my mind for simple corrections for the most part. I was really grateful for that.
Though, she had been almost distracted when I was watching over the trio, almost like their was something on her mind. I just ignored her for the time being, focusing on taking care of the kids. Odd, I am almost acting like Adam does. He’s great with kids, just not so great with other teenagers.
I am brought out of my reverie as I feel a certain canine beginning to stir, a small yawn escaping her as she snuggles up to me. I smile as I sense the other two waking up as well. It didn’t take long for the trio to open their eyes and notice they are piled on me. I just gave them a warm smile.
“Morning girls.”
“Good morning.” They reply. It took a second before they began to untangle themselves and let me stand from the bed. I stretch my back, several satisfying pops going out from my back along with a soft sigh escaping my lips.
“Well, time to get ready for the day girls. So, straight to the bath for you three.” I say with a smirk, the trio looking to one another before we all head to the washroom attached to the bedroom. I am really glad the washrooms have all the amenities, including a bath big enough for the three of them.
It took about a half hour before I managed to get the trio all washed up, spending a little extra time to make sure the holes in Arakunia’s arms and legs are actually dried. I then spent another couple of minutes getting the trio’s manes and tails groomed, then gettting them dressed. We got lucky in that AJ and Fluttershy lent the trio some of their old clothes until we can get Rarity to make them some new clothes.
Once we are all ready, Requiping into Levi’s original outfit myself, we all left the room and headed down to the main hall. I could smell some eggs, turkey bacon and hay bacon cooking. I can see the others beginning to drool just from the smell alone, so I knew they would love the food when it is finally ready.
Once we made it to the main floor, I see a few members groggily hanging out, most with some smoothies for their hangovers. I chuckle a little at their misfortune, before turning to the entrance to the kitchen, seeing Spark and Flora.
“Hey guys, three omnivore breakfast specials, and a veg omelette please.” I request, the duo nodding and getting all the ingredients. I smile to myself and head back to the main room, seeing the girls looking at the request board with wide eyes.
‘Wow, that is a lot of different jobs.’ Mei thinks aloud.
“Yup, that is why all the members have such variety of magical powers.” I explain, walking up behind them. “Fairy Tail is a wizards guild after all. Every member you see on the list there, has their own magical abilities, some of which you three likely saw during the raid.”
The trio look to the list, Mei reading and telling the other two who has what magic.
“Awesome.” Ammy whispers. I chuckle a little before hearing the ding of the food, seeing a trio of plates with some scrambled eggs, a mix of turkey and hay bacon, oranges and some hash browns next to a veggie omelet with turkey bacon for myself. I smile and levitate the plates over to a table before directing the trio to the table.
The girls look a little confused at the food on their plates before seeing some of the other members, and myself eating it. Slowly the girls each began to take some food in their forks and then eat. There was a beat, then the trio began to eat rapidly, blissful smiles on their faces.
‘Oh my gods this is amazing!’ Mei cheers, Ammy and Arakunia nodding in agreement. I chuckle to myself from behind my cup of coffee, watching at the girls devour their food at a pace I would expect from a bunch of kids.
“Hey Arakunia. I was meaning to ask, but if you can eat the food that’s here, how does eating love work? Is normal food like a snack?” I question. Arakunia swallows what’s in her mouth and nods.
“Yup! Changelings can eat normal food, but we don’t get nearly as much of the nutritional value as every other creature. Love is like having a three coursed meal, while the normal food is just a snack, no matter how much there is. We can also use what we eat to create resin within our bodies, the stuff that was used to restrain ponies during the invasion.” She explains before taking another bite of her eggs.
“Huh, cool.” I say simply, before noticing the sound of a quill on paper. It didn’t take long to figure out why.
“Twilight if you wanted to ask some questions, you can do it without the invisibility spell on.” I say, looking to the side of the table, before hearing the shimmering of magic as Twilight becomes visible with a sheepish blush on her muzzle. The girls barely paid her any mind as she sat next to me.
“Sorry, still not really used to changelings, let alone a filly.”
“Nymph.” She looks to me with a raised brow. “A young female changling is referred to as a nymph, not a filly.” I explain, Twilight writing it down on a notepad of hers. I smile and shake my head before grabbing the empty plates from the girls and myself and sending them to the dish pit. I quickly teleport to my room and grab a bit bag before heading back to the main room.
“Alright girls, now we have to head to Rarity’s to get you three sized for some new clothes, then we have to head to the school house to see about enrolling you three in the school.” I inform. With that the four of us leave the guild and head into town, we had a few things to handle today.
Later that Afternoon...
The four of us headed back to the guild, a few pairs of clothes already made by Rarity in my arms, while the girls were carrying their new school supplies in their new backpacks. After they were measured by Rarity and we were informed she would need a couple hours, we went around town, buying school supplies for the girls. Of course there were plenty of ponies that were more than skittish when seeing my-the girls.
Luckily no one was stupid enough to try and confront us while shopping, though I did see many looking intrigues as we bought school supplies of all things, as opposed to anything else. Once we had all the supplies, we headed back to Rarity’s and found she had completed a bunch of clothes, but they were plain and uninspired looking. That changed a second later when the girls tried them on, and Rarity used her Colour magic change the colours to fit the girls completions.
Now Ammy was wearing a red and orange t-shirt like her hair with black stripes and a pair of black kids jeans. I think there were a few accessories that we could make later that would really pull the look together.
Arakunia was wearing a dark green blouse with a purple spiderweb pattern on the back and a black skirt. I had to admit, she was adorable when Rarity was gushing over her, causing her to blush green again.
Lastly, Mei was wearing a blue kids dress that clashed really well with her natural coat and scales, with some cobalt blue designs similar to those on her arms running along the sides of the dress. I had to physically stop myself from scooping the three of them up into a hug, they were that cute looking.
I smile to myself as we arrive back at the guild, intent on heading up to the girls room, only to pause as we see a trio standing at the bar, two of whom were familiar to me, but one we have never seen before.
“Capper? Cobalt?” I call out, the two males turning to me, while the third was a female Minotaur with blue skin and black fur on her legs and a black ponytail. She was wearing a pair of tan cargo shorts and a tight blue t-shirt, and was standing slightly behind Cobalt.
“Miss Justine, I was wondering when you would be back.” Capper says, walking up with a smile, one that just grew as he saw the trio beside and behind me. “Well I’ll be, you three sure cleaned up nice.”
“Um, thank you. It’s good to see you again mister Capper.” Ammy says softly.
“Ditto, nice to see you three again.” He replies. I smile to him before shifting my attention to the Minotaur duo.
“Cobalt. What are you doing here? And who’s the girl behind you?” I question seriously. Cobalt sighs and takes a seat at the table before him.
“I’m here to get work. Now that that market is down, I need a different line of work. If it’s consolation, that place was easily my very last choice. Turns my stomach that I was forced to work there to make ends meet. Not much work for an ex-soldier these days. The girl as you put it is my niece, Bertha Will.” He motions for the girl to walk forwards. She does so hesitantly, glancing around at all the members present.
“Will? Any relation to Iron Will?” We turn and see Gilda and Fluttershy walk in, Angel resting on the latters shoulder.
“Oh, I take it you took part in my little brothers Assertiveness Class?” Cobalt questions.
“Um, yes. It didn’t end the way any of us expected, but it did work in making me more assertive and gave me a little more confidence.” She replies, idly petting Angel before turning to Bertha. “So, if you are his niece, and Iron Will is his brother...”
“Y-yeah, Iron Will is my dad. Though that isn’t saying much.” She replies evasively. Just from her voice, I think she is in her mid-teens or a little younger.
“Let me guess, he is always gone with his class to the point your uncle had to raise you?” Gilda asks with a raised brow, both Minotaurs nodding.
“Figures.” I mutter to myself before looking the duo over again. Looks like Cobalt’s healed up nice from our fight, some bandages around his chest and arms, with some visible scorch marks and scars in the shape of lightning. I had to admit, those scars were badass. Though, Bertha looked a little thin compared to most human or ponies I met around her age, and she was actually around my original height but with a smaller bust. She was flatter than Levi and RD.
“Alright. I hope you guys realize there is more to joining Fairy Tail then just asking.” I say, heading to the bar.
“We are aware. Miss Song was just informing us about the first exam, though she didn’t tell us where the outposts are located.” Cobalt replies.
“Good. For the time being, you three are welcome to stay in the barracks until you think you are ready to tackle the first test and join up. We are going to be holding the MPF exam in a little over a month to re-record everyone’s scores and promote any who make it to their next rank. Until then, you three are considered F-class wizards, so you can only go on E-class quests, and must be in the company of at least one other wizard.” I explain, going behind the bar and taking out the emblem stamp before turning to the trio of girls. “That goes for you three as well. Though, I don’t want you three going on any jobs without me.”
The girls nod and the six of them walk up. I decided a while ago for members to get their marks first, then to go through the tests to show their courage. Since there are members who already went through the examination, the others can ask for advice and even directions, but they would still need their own bravery to enter the Everfree in the first place to get to the training hall.
Capper steps up first and gets his emblem on his right bicep, being ash grey with a blue outline the same shade as his hair. Cobalt gets his on his right pec and had it be black with a green outline, and Bertha had hers on the back of her right hand, having it navy blue with a white outline.
Ammy walked up next and had hers being purple and black, followed by Mei who’s was orange and red, then Arakunia, who got hers being cobalt blue and misty silver, all on their right shoulders. I think this is becoming a trend with groups.
I smile to myself and check my watch, seeing it is around 12:30, so school should be finishing up today, since it is Friday. I check the kitchen and see Flora and Spark in there, getting their ingredients for lunch.
“Hey guys, why do you six ask Flora and Spark for some food, I have some work to do.” I say, the six new members nodding as I click the bell for Flora and Spark to come out. I smile to myself as Spark hands the six of them some of the menus we made a while back, Capper reading them for the kids, while I head to the entrance to the guild.
I was only waiting for about fifteen minutes before the CMC came walking up the pathway, all looking curious about what this was about. I quickly go over my mental notes and nod as they walk up.
“You wanted to talk to us Lex?” Sweetie asks. I just nod and motion for them to follow. The four of us leave the guild and use the teleporter, appearing in the training hall. I lead then over to one of the practice ranges before turning to them.
“Do any of you know why I asked you here today?” I question as the trio take a seat on the bench.
“Eenope.”
“No.”
“To teach us magic?”
I turn to Scootaloo who looks to me with a raised brow. I smile and nod before holding out my hand, summoning a spell matrix in my hand.
“That’s right. It took a while, but I found a couple magical styles that fit the three of you.” The trio cheer and bounce in their seats, Scootaloo buzzing her wings.
“Woohoo! Finally, we get magic!” Scootaloo cheers, the other two joining her cheering.
“Alright Alright, calm down girls. First things first, I am going to show you how your new magic works before using the download spell. Like the others, the info will stay in your heads for about a month, then it will fade, so be sure to actually study and practice with your magic before it fades.” I explain, the trio nodding.
“You’re up first Sweetie. Since you have such a strong love of winter and the cold, I am going to be teaching you how to use Snow magic. As the name implies, it allows you to control snow and frozen winds, allowing for a few interesting attack and defences. You can strike with a rapid blade of snow and wind, White Fang, and you can even make snow copies of yourself to avoid damage.” I explain before turning to the range, the unicorn looking to me with an excited smile.
“White Blizzard!” A relatively strong wind appears from my hand, along with the snow, creations a small flurry that blows the wooden target over.
“While it might not look like much, the White Blizzard is useful for dispelling illusions and increasing the strength of other snow and ice based spells.” I explain, dispelling the spell and turning to the trio, Sweetie looking to me with stars in her eyes.
“Woohoo! I wanna do that! I love snow!” She yells in excitement. I chuckle a little at her excitement before looking to Applebloom.
“AB, you told me about how you wish you could learn how to help others, how to learn their magic as well. Well, I think I found one that could be helpful for that. Mimic magic. As the name implies, it allows you to temporarily copy and use other wizards spells. Now, I can’t actually show you how it works since I would need to mimic someone else’s magic, and that’s a little difficult since I am the one teaching it in the first place.” I explain.
“That’s ok. So, ah can copy other members magic?” She questions.
“Basically, but it will only be temporary. Since you are still young, the magic you mimic will only last for a day tops, and a couple hours at least. But, that will come in handy since you can throw opponents off by using one magic style at once, then if you run into them again, you will be using a different style.” I explain, before placing a hand on my chin in thought and looking up, seeing a bunch of clouds passing overhead through the skylight.
‘Hmm, maybe.’ I look down to the trio of fillies. “Hold on a sec, I’ll be right back.”
I activate my Wings enchantment and fly up and through the skylight, coming to hover right before a cloud. Unlike back on earth, it was cartoonishly fluffy, like wool, and I knew that Pegasi, thestrals and griffons could interact with them like they were blankets or something.
With a small amount of hesitation, I fly above the cloud, looking straight down at it, and dispel my wings. I half expected to fall straight through the cloud and plumit a few dozen feet back to the training hall, but to my slight surprise and excitement, I landed on the cloud with a small bounce.
‘Guess it works. I wonder if this is how Goku felt whenever he was riding Nimbus.’ I think to myself before looking over the edge of the cloud and down to the girls. I chuckle a bit before digging through the cloud and jumping down, activating my Wind magic once I get close to the training hall.
“What were ya doin?” Applebloom asks.
“Oh, just checking if my Mimic magic works with things like inherent magic. Basically, with that magic I can stand on clouds like Pegasi.” I reply with a smirk, AB smiling as she gets the implication. I smirk and then turn to Scootaloo, who looks very excited.
“Now for you Scoots. You’re an athlete, and love the speed, so I have two magic styles you can use in tandem. High Speed and Freerun.” I snap my fingers and summon a small pair of red sandals with a small jewel on the heel. “Put these on.” I say, handing them to Scootaloo before summoning my own. The little pegasus nods and places the sandals on her hooves, the jewel on the back glowing slightly as the material shifts to fit Scootaloo’s hooves.
“Now, Freerun is a form of athletics magic that works by increasing the wearers speed and agility to allow for several physical feats not normally possible. For example...” I trail off and run towards the wall before jumping, the magic in the sandals working like springs and letting me do a couple flips before landing feet first on the wall. I smile and cross my arms, the girls jaws hitting the ground as I stand vertically on the wall.
“Freerun allows for the gravity on the soles of the sandals to be altered to fit the wearers needs, like running or stopping on walls or ceilings. This is really handy if you need to escape a fight, but you are in a dead end.” I explain, calmly walking down the wall to the floor. Scootaloo’s wings buzz rapidly in excitement.
“So, what about High Speed?” She questions in excitement. I just smirk and use my High Speed, vanishing from their sight and appearing behind them like Ichigo from Bleach, much to their confusion.
“High Speed is just that, increasing ones running speed, or theoretically flying speed, to ludicrous level, allowing for strikes that would normally be pretty weak, to be very powerful.” I explain, the girls jumping as they realize I am behind them.
“Woah! So, I could go that fast too?!” Scootaloo questions with an awed smile.
“Yup, and like I said, you can combine High Speed with your Freerun for a variety of moves. For example.” I crouch slightly and take off with High Speed, running up the wall then along the ceiling with my Freerun, before jumping down and towards one of the wooden targets.
“Falcon Heavenward!” My kick hits home, and shatters the target to splinters. I keep up my pace, running along the floor before jumping up to the ceiling and standing there with a grin.
“Awesome!” The trio call, Scootaloo being the loudest. I chuckle and jump down, the trio all fidgeting in their seats. I pull up Archive and get the download spell ready.
“You three ready?” The trio nod and I hit ‘enter’, the progress bars appearing above their heads and filling up quickly. Since it is only the three of them, the download doesn’t take very long at all. The girls blink a couple times as the info is downloaded into their minds, before Sweetie walks up with a determines glare and raises her hand, the matrix appearing and a very small breeze with some snow blows out of her hand.
“Alright!” Sweetie cheers, her voice cracking slightly. I laugh a little as the trio begin to talk about practicing their magic on their free time.
‘Perfect timing for you three. Now I just need to think about what to teach the newcomers.’