After the supper he had with the princesses and castle's staff, Andromalius returned to his room, his mind aimed at reading and learning. Partially, his sudden desire to read stemmed from the words Princess Celestia said to him, and he needed a distraction. She never once raised her voice or glared at him, but he got the message nevertheless.

For a while, he focused on the book "The Basics of Magick" by Starswirl the Bearded. It was written in an outdated, elaborate language – the same Princess Luna spoke. However, Andromalius could still understand what he was reading.

All ponies possessed some form of magic. Earth ponies had a way with flora, sometimes with fauna; pegasi could control weather and fly better than their wings would otherwise allow; and unicorns could shape magic into spells. The first two forms of magic were largely unexplored, for they were natural and required barely if any training. However, the spells unicorns made were quite different. Andromalius summed it up as a sort of programming language; if right symbols are combined, a spell is born, and then can be cast. Same could be applied to programming, considering that words and functions didn't do much on their own, but together, they could make more than most people could imagine.

The symbols the book talked about largely depended on what the caster intended to do and how they imagined it would happen. A list of symbols presented in the book pertained to objects, concepts, and actions; combining them in a thoughtful manner would result in a spell. However, the power of the spell was defined by how much magical essense - mana - was used in the process. And if one mashed the symbols together without any thought, it could result in a catastrophe.

"You should be careful with the Princess of the Day," Inanna's voice appeared as she manifested by his side, interrupting his reading session, "From what I know, she's a benevolent and kind ruler, but if she were to be angered... Well, let's just say you don't want to be on the receiving end of that. That's like being buttfucked by a dragon cock without copious amounts of lube."

"Got it," Andromalius nodded, ignoring the sexual remark, "But... I've not done anything, have I?"

"That's maybe true, but... there haven't been a demon on the Surface in over a few thousand years," Inanna lowered her voice as her expression became serious, "She might not know much about demons, but she sure knows you're not supposed to be here. Or, at the very least, she thinks you're not supposed to be here."

"What do you mean?" the hell stallion asked with interest as he slowly put down his book.

"Think about it, Andro... if the Spirits or some other powerful beings didn't want you here, would you still be here, seen, heard, and felt by ponies?" Inanna crooked a brow, "I seriously doubt that. So, you might just have a purpose here."

"If I do, I don't know what it is," the corners of his lips slightly lowered, "All I want is... to go home. But I know that it's not happening anytime soon, so... I don't really know what I should do. Outside of, you know..." he nudged the book, "Learning."

"At least you'll learn some interesting stuff," the succubus said, "Remember what Princess Luna told you about battle magic? You should think about that. I'd say it'd be really good for you to learn that. The world outside of cities and main roads isn't really that safe. Sure, most of Equestria is safe, but if you ever find yourself deep in the wilderness... you'd better be prepared."

"Makes sense," Andromalius nodded in agreement, "But, I don't know... What if Princess Celestia finds out about it? She's already thinking of me poorly, and I bet that she wouldn't want me to learn anything even remotely related to battle magic."

"What, are you afraid?" she smirked.

"Well, yeah. I mean, there is a reason why she's centuries old," the hell stallion pointed out, "I'd be really dumb not to be at least slightly afraid of her."

"Yeah, you do have a point," Inanna agreed, "But if you learn to defend yourself... you'll have a better chance at fighting whatever tries to harm you."

"But..." Andromalius tried to protest, but the succubus cut him off.

"You are a scared little foal, that's clear now..." she sighed deeply, "Look, you need to man up. Pick up your damn balls and get to work. Someone as big and as strong as you shouldn't be as afraid. Tell me, do you want to keep sitting on your ass in one place, afraid to do anything in fear of someone punishing you for it? Do you want that?" a pause ensued with Andromalius having nothing to say, "I bet you don't. So, get to work. There's a whole new world here for you, and you're afraid to explore it? If I were in your shoes, I'd damn well make sure I explore things. Someone like you should definitely not be afraid to see the world. Fucking hell, you should have mares lined up to suck you off. But who would get interested in you if you keep sitting in one place forever, huh?"

A pause ensued as the hell stallion took a few moments to process what Inanna had just told him.

"Yeah, what I said might be a bit pushy, but for your own sake, you need it," Inanna continued after she slightly calmed down, "I get it, you're afraid because you were thrown out of your world. Family, friends, all that you knew – gone," she leaned in and lowered her voice, "But you won't get it back by sitting and waiting. Hell, you don't even know if you can get it all back. So, you best treat it as if it's gone forever. Don't sulk in the corner, wishing for it to return. You know... do something about your situation. Improve. Even if you don't have a plan, just start doing... something. Take all the opportunities that you have. They are here now, but they might disappear if you just wait."

"A-alright," Andromalius nodded hesitantly, but then admitted, "Yeah, I think I needed that one... I really didn't do much when I was, well, back home. Maybe transporting me here was the way of the universe to tell me 'stop wasting your life'?"

"Could be true," the succubus nodded, "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Now that I think of it... I do want to learn battle magic," the hell stallion admitted, "Learning it will do me good in plenty of ways, that's for sure. And... blowing things up is fun. Luna did tell me that I should be careful, and I will be careful... but a little bit of fun here and there won't hurt as long as I make sure I do it safely, right?"

"Never personally blew stuff up, but yeah, that makes sense."

"And right now, I'm going to visit Luna and tell her that I accept the responsibility, and that I'm ready to learn."

"That's the spirit!" Inanna smiled at him widely, "Go on, conquer the world, stallion! Show it that you're worth something!"

Filled with determination, the hell stallion stood up from his bed. Inanna was right – being so afraid wouldn't do him any good, especially in the long run. He had a whole world to explore and learn about, and he wouldn't just stay in one room reading books. In the corner of his mind, sticky fear tried to control him, to force him to stay low. But there was one thing he understood – he might've been average in his old world, but the new one had so many possibilities that he could and should explore to become someone who would be remembered. A big part of him resurfaced inside his mind, telling him that he wouldn't be content with doing nothing while the world goes on. He realized that he now was a part of this world, and he had to go along with it. Let it carry him into the future, and he would shape his own how he wanted.

Andromalius made his way out of his room and headed to the nearby guard.

"I want to see Princess Luna," he said to the guard, and the latter nodded with a 'follow me' gesture. And while the initial push to action started to fade away, the hell stallion knew that, if he could keep this desire burning, it would remain with him. And so, he walked with his head high, his eyes exploring the castle. Before, he was mildly interested and fascinated by it, but now he was looking at all the intricate details. The carvings in the columns, the swirls of paint on the white walls, and the beautiful stained glass on the windows. The candles were flickering from time to time as wind passed through the hall, bringing the cool of the night into the castle. He welcomed this wind, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled the scents. From far away, the scent of wood and grass was carried; and there were animals, but he didn't know which scent belonged to which. However, he knew that all of it was waiting for him to see with his own eyes.

Soon, he reached the personal office of Princess Luna. The guard knocked on the door.

"Enter," the voice of the nightly alicorn replied. The guard opened the door and presented Andromalius to the princess, "Oh, hello Andromalius. Come in."

The guard stood outside while the hell stallion entered the office and closed the door behind him. For a moment, he just stood there, uncertain.

"Well, come on, don't just stand there like a virgin's cock, act," Inanna said in his head, trying to help him out of the doubts he had.

"I... I thought about battle magic," Andromalius slowly began, "And I thought about the warning you gave me... I understand that battle magic is dangerous, and I swear I will do everything possible not to mess up."

For a moment, Luna just looked at him, and the hell stallion wondered if he said something wrong. His words could've been better, he realized, but he didn't want to add anything more lest the princess would doubt him. Despite how awkward it might've sounded, he meant what he said, and he knew real magic was no toy to mess around with. When he was playing games, there was no consequence to his actions; he could replay any section of any game however he liked, and at the end of the day, he could just reset it all to start from the beginning. When he played games, he hurt no one and destroyed nothing that couldn't be immediately restored. With real magic and real spells, the stakes were much, much higher.

"This is no formal oath, but I must admit there is honesty to it," Princess Luna finally replied, "Very well, I shall teach thee battle magic," she stood up from her armchair and stretched, "All this paperwork maketh me feel cramped. Let us take a walk."

Andromalius followed the alicorn, and the two exited the office and walked along the halls of the Canterlot Castle. For a time, they walked in pleasant silence, although the hell stallion was anxious and excited to learn. He imagined creating fireballs, chains of lightning, and many, many more spells he knew from the games he played. Whenever he could, he picked Destructive Magic in Heroes of Might & Magic 5, for it was extremely powerful when used right. With it, he could turn a seemingly hopeless battle in his favor. On the other side, however, he very much enjoyed Light Magic, for it allowed to enhance his troops on the field, heal them, and even resurrect them, bringing them back from death. And unlike the spell Raise Dead, the troops were brought back permanently and didn't disappear once the battle was over.

"I sense thou hast questions about magic," Luna said, interrupting his thoughts, "I might be able to answer them."

"Is it..." Andromalius hesitated for a moment, "Is it possible to resurrect someone? To bring them back from death?"

"There are, but you should better learn how to prevent death," she replied, "We do know healing spells, and I might be able to teach them to you. All in its time, however."

"But if there are ways to resurrect someone, what are they?" he kept pushing.

"This isn't something I would want to discuss, but I shall sate thy curiosity one and only time, Andromalius," Luna replied and then lowered her voice, "Dost thou know what necromancy is?"

"Yes, I do," he replied, lowering his voice as well.

"Then thou knowest that it can be used to resurrect, but... in a twisted, often malicious way," she continued, "Necromancy is forbidden in Equestria for a reason, and I hope thou art not asking me to teach thee. First of all, because it is, as I said, forbidden, and thou wouldst get thine horn removed for practicing it. Second, I don't know it, so I'm unable to teach even if I wanted."

"No, I don't want to learn that," Andromalius shook his head, "I just thought there could be something... um, in a good way, not... necromancy."

"Thou shouldst leave that thought, for it hath destroyed many," Luna told him, "Those that die should stay dead, and the living should not think of bringing them back. I wish to end this conversation on this note, if thou pleasest."

The hell stallion went silent, somewhat embarrassed of his question. Learning how to bring people from beyond the veil wasn't something he thought about, but the tantalizing thought of doing it haunted him. Many times in his life, he thought about it. Wouldn't the world be a better place if good people didn't die as often as they did? Wouldn't it be better if people could stay just for a little while longer?

He shook his head; Luna was right, he would be wise not to think about it, for it was a void waiting to swallow him. Death was a terrifying thing, and many would want to avoid it, to live forever, and yet the reality of things was different than the wishes of those people.

"But... how did you live this long?" Andromalius wondered aloud, but then mentally slapped himself. For all he knew, it could be a very personal or even hurtful question.

"Alicorns like my sister and I are ageless," she explained calmly, "Although, not much is known about being an alicorn. We were the first in many centuries, and the last alicorns are all but myths and legends. All things considered, I don't think we are immortal. We can be wounded, we can get tired, and we need food to survive. So, to answer thy question... I don't know why we live as long as we do. 'Tis our natura, this is the only answer I have. It might not satisfy thee, but... it is certainly better than nothing, is it not?"

Andromalius nodded in response. He wasn't infatuated with the idea of immortality, but what he saw nudged him towards it. Princesses of Equestria were both centuries old and possessed powerful magic, and just reading about it wouldn't make him think about all the possibilities of this world. No human is known to be immortal, magic doesn't exist, and myth are only partially true if at all. Immortality might become possible with science, but then, as someone once said, 'magic is just science we don't know yet'. In Equestria, magic might just be a branch of science, for all he knew.

"How long doth thy kind live, Andromalius?" Luna asked with interest.

"I don't know, maybe around seventy years on average?" he replied slowly, "And each year is three hundred sixty-five days, but every fourth year is a day longer."

"Maketh sense for a world that is not controlled," the princess commented, "Our year is exactly four hundred days. Four seasons, and each of them is exactly one hundred days. However, one day is twenty-four hours, each hour is sixty minutes, and each minute is sixty seconds. 'Tis from an old system, older than my sister and I, but it proved to be a good one."

"Huh, weird, we have the same system of hours," Andromalius said, his brows slightly up.

"Well, it seemeth the similarities of our worlds do not end on language alone," the alicorn let out a soft chuckle, "In any case, we have arrived. This is a special training hall for battle magic."

Princess Luna opened a small door, and both of the two had to duck in order to enter. Andromalius' sides almost brushed against the sides of the door. Once they entered, Luna lit the candles surrounding the hall, and revealed to the hell stallion that it was an upper half of a sphere, which was completely devoide of any features outside of some blue crystals embedded into the stone. Various scorch marks were present almost everywhere in the hall.

"Now, let's start with basics..." Luna said as she opened a hatch in the floor and pulled out a practice dummy, which she proceeded to place in the middle of the hall, "Oh, and I almost forgot... there is something we need to test first," she dug through the equipment in the storage compartment until she found a ring. It consisted of two parts, which were connected by a hinge, as well as a small latch, "I shall need to place it at the base of thine horn to measure thy magical reserves."

"Alright," Andromalius nodded, and then Luna locked the ring around the base of his horn on the muzzle. She waited for a moment, her eyebrows going up.

"Remind me, how much experience dost thou have in magic?" she asked slowly, keeping her eyes on the ring.

"Nothing until I appeared here, why?" he replied, growing anxious.

"If all is correct, then thou hast one hundred and seventy-two mana," Luna said, "Keep in mind that the average magical reserves of an adult male unicorn is around twenty-five to forty. In other words, thou art in the top one percent, nay, a hundredth of a percent of unicorns," she looked at him, astonishment in her voice, "This is unprecedented. Thou... thou hast seventy more mana than the unicorn with the highest known magical reserves."

"And... what does it mean for me?" Andromalius asked carefully despite jumping in joy on the inside. Not only he would be able to do magic, he would be able to do more than he ever expected.

"Well..." Princess Luna recomposed herself and removed the ring from his horn, "First of all, thy magical reserves shall grow with training, so I expect thee to reach at least three hundred mana if not more... And for the practical application, thou shalt be able to cast more spells without rest than anyone else except my sister and myself. And thy potential for learning spells is tremendous. Frankly, it throws me off my hooves – I did not expect thee to have such a big magical reserve."

"And... what about that unicorn, the one that has the most mana after me?" he asked with interest.

"She's not much older than thee, hath much to learn yet, but even with her best efforts, she might barely reach thy current level by the time she is thirty," Luna explained, "However, she most likely shall be able to rival thee when it cometh to spells and their usage. She is an extremely talented unicorn. But let us focus on the training now."

Andromalius nodded and waited for her to begin the lesson. After she took a few moments to focus once more, she looked at the training dummy.

"So, the most basic form of combat involves hurling concentrated balls of raw magic at thy opponent," Luna started, her horn glowing, "Thou needest but merely focus on the target and send a ball of magic at them with thy thought."

A ball of blue light appeared at the tip of her horn and then flew to the dummy. It exploded on its chest, pushing it back and leaving a small scorch mark. The sound of impact was unlike any other Andromalius had heard before, and reminded him of something electric, but at the same time, it couldn't be properly described without saying something redundant like 'it sounded like a magical impact'.

"Now, thou dost not have to use much mana for it," she continued, "But the more mana thou usest, the more destructive the force becometh. Raw magic hath kinetic force along with a burning effect, so it hath decent stopping power, and 'tis one of the main spells all guards are trained to use. Let me see thee try."

Andromalius nodded and focused. An orange ball the size of an apple appeared at the tip of his horn and then flew into the training dummy. It exploded on its chest just like Luna's, but sent it further back, and the scorch mark was deeper.

"Hm, perhaps slightly too much, but still within reason," Luna commented with a slight frown, "In any case, thou didst well. Thou hast precision and power despite being untrained. Now, let's try something more advanced. For example, lightning. 'Tis not as controllable as simply throwing raw magic at thy target, but 'tis paralyzing. Make sure thou dost not put too much into it lest it burn through. The guards use it to knock criminals from their hooves, for the electricity renders them unable to move. As thou canst understand, thou run a risk of killing thy opponent if thou puts too much power into it, so beware."

The alicorn charged up her horn, and sparks appeared on it. The air ionized, a tiny crackling sounded, and then a loud zap occured. In that moment, a lightning emerged from her horn and immediately struck the training dummy. However, it remained visibly unharmed.

"Imagine a rainy day with thunder outside, and thou needest to channel the lightning through thine horn and then to thy target," Luna explained, "This is a rather simple spell, and that is why it's widely used by the law enforcement."

With a nod, Andromalius focused. There it was, the thunder. A broken, branching line stretched from the dark clouds to the ground down below. A lone tree stood in the field, and the lightning struck it. The horn of the hell stallion electrified, and then an electric arc stemmed from it to the dummy. However, instead of leaving no mark at all, the lightning burned its head completely as a loud crack exploded across the hall, forcing Luna to fold her ears.

"This would... certainly be destructive, but I'd like thee to have more control over it," she said after the ringing in her and his ears died down, "I suppose the lesson for tonight would be about control, for it is one of the most important parts of learning battle magic. If thou hast no control, the spells are just as capable of destroying thee as thy target."

For the next few hours, Luna proceeded to teach Andromalius how to control his magic better. Just as she said, he had great potential, but it would certainly do him good if he learned proper control and focus first. He might be excited to learn, but battle magic required a clear mind, one devoid of distractions. Andromalius didn't expect to learn fast, so he agreed to Luna's proposition, and he did his best to learn from her. As the lesson progressed, he found out that she was much like him when she became an alicorn. All of sudden, she gained tremendous, unprecedented potential, and it would've gone out of control if not for her teachers, to whom she was grateful to this very day. They might be gone, but their lessons stayed with her, and she wanted to make sure Andromalius was taught just as well as she was.

Luna now realized how dangerous it would be to leave him all to himself. As she told him, he would be able to learn by himself, for he had all the prerequisites for a great magic user; however, self-taught battle magic would most likely result in a terrible accident that could've been prevented if he had a proper, knowledgeable teacher. And so, the alicorn promised to teach Andromalius and to guide him as well as she could to make sure that he wouldn't hurt others, knowingly or otherwise.

It was her responsibility now.