Archmage Chapter 19 - “Tender Loving Care”

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Following her self-realization, Twilight became awfully cheerful. At the cycling of the sun and moon later that morning, both Celestia and Luna made passing remarks on her improved behavior.

“It’s nothing bad, Twilight,” Luna had to explain herself when directly confronted her on the admittedly odd behavior. “You just seem awfully happy…”

“Hmm… Why is that, do you think?” Twilight pondered out loud, tapping her chin with her hoof.

“I can speculate.” Celestia said quietly. “You might not like the implications, though…” Twilight gestured with a hoof anyways, smiling at her. “Well… My thought is this: When young foals are given their cutie marks, they’re incredibly happy. Right?”

“Of course.” She confirmed.

“Why is that?” Twilight blinked at the odd question. This was elementary knowledge.

“They’ve discovered their special talent. The thing that they’re good at, or most importantly, their purpose in life.”

“Right. Their purpose. Twilight, when you received your mark, you still felt somewhat unhappy. Did you not?” Twilight’s heart nearly stopped. She thought over it long and hard. Initially, she thought she was supposed to study magic. Studying sure made her happy. But even she suffered fatigue now and then. And studying the same subject for an extended period of time tended to make her cranky.

“I mean, after the initial rush, I guess you could say that…” Twilight muttered gently. “I… Would be happy studying for a while, but right around the time I discovered the legend of Nightmare Moon, I felt rather unfulfilled… Like I wasn’t really accomplishing anything with my life.”

“And then…”

“Then you sent me to Ponyville… I made friends, and I became rather happy, I guess…” Twilight furrowed her brow. Had she been happy? “I… Oh my goodness, I wasn’t… I wasn’t happy. Well, for a while I was… For three years. After that, I was just kind of going through the motions. Wake up, read, spend some time with friends, sleep, repeat…” Celestia nodded at her explanation and continued on.

“My hypothesis is this: you weren’t happy, because you technically weren’t fulfilling your purpose in life.” She nodded to Twilight’s cutie mark. “You weren’t the Archmage. Now, that you’re in the position your destiny says you would be, you’re finally becoming happy.” It made sense to Twilight. The previous few years living in Ponyville had been bland and unremarkable. She had felt unfulfilled. Bored. Now, though, she was living her life in an exciting environment. Day in and day out, there were problems to fix, or issues she needed to address. Ponies were mailing her questions on specific spells or requesting her input with one ceremony or another. She had started to sit in on committee meetings, just to learn the proper procedures. Passing unicorns in the hall would smile and address her as ‘Archmage.’ Every now and then, they would ask her for advice.

She was only two schools of magic away from being the most knowledgeable unicorn in existence. She was the Archmage, and she was very, very happy with herself.

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“Luna?” Twilight poked her head into the princess’ bedroom cautiously, peering about. “Are you here?” She had received the note just a few minutes ago, requesting she come to Luna’s room right away. Rushing more from curiosity than anything, Twilight had arrived in short order.

“In here, Twilight.” She followed Luna’s voice through the main library and bedroom into the adjoining kitchen. Much to her surprise, Luna was busy over a hot stove, using her magic to stir several steaming pots of food simultaneously. Twilight was assaulted with the mingled delicious smells, all of them making her mouth water like mad.

“What are you doing?” She asked incredulously. Twilight didn’t know Luna could cook. Why would she want to? The kitchen staff at the palace could make anything and everything at a moment’s notice, and was on standby the entire night. Luna could make one call to the kitchen and have a five-course meal ready in half an hour. Why would anypony ever want to cook in the palace? Twilight thought she had the kitchen in her quarters as more of a formality than anything else…

“I thought I’d cook us dinner tonight.” Luna smiled at her, lifting one of the wooden spoons out with a small helping of the stew inside. She hovered it close to Twilight’s lips, the hearty-looking liquid still steaming. “How does it taste?” Twilight hesitantly sipped at the broth, rolling Luna’s concoction about her tongue thoughtfully.

“Oh my goodness… I’m… I’m blown away. If you called me away from my books for this, then I can’t say I’m angry with you. Wow!” Luna chuckled and offered her another spoonful, which Twilight accepted eagerly.

“I figured we should… Ahem… Take some time to get to know one another a little more.” Twilight narrowed her eyes suspiciously, looking up at the princess.

“No joke?”

“No joke.” She smiled down at Twilight, nudging her with her hip. “I think I owe it to you.”

“I… Wouldn’t take it that far. But what brings this whole change about?” Twilight asked, leaning close to take a hearty sniff of the stew.

“I guess you could say I just got over my fear… I realize you might not be around forever, so I want to spend as much time as I can with you…” She leaned in and gave Twilight’s cheek a soft kiss, making her blush slightly. Luna was going to the trouble of cooking a meal for her, just to impress her. Twilight smiled slightly and nuzzled her neck, suddenly feeling rather bad for saying the things she had to Luna just two days ago.

“It smells delicious.”

“It’s almost ready. Do you want to set the table for us?”

“Sure.” Twilight grabbed two bowls, spoons, and all the necessities and began to set one of the tables in Luna’s library bedroom for them. There were already several candles lit on the table, so she didn’t need to go through the trouble of doing that herself. She nearly reprimanded herself for even thinking a candlelit dinner was okay. Twilight didn’t feel that way, did she? Candles at dinner were so cliché. It was almost painful. But still… She didn’t blow them out.

“Here we are.” Luna emerged from the kitchen with two steaming pots, smiling at Twilight as she set them on the table. “Hope you’re hungry… I made a lot.”

“Starved.” Twilight immediately began dishing both of them hearty portions, inhaling the sweet scent of stew. Luna was apparently quite the cook. She had made a potato stew with thick broth, chunks of broccoli, mushrooms, and diced cilantro. It had a creamy and thick texture, with enough body to fill her up, but it wasn’t bland or uninteresting. Twilight powered through her first bowl eagerly. The other was filled to the brim with full ears of cooked corn, which Twilight doused with butter, salt and pepper before eating long rows of in one bite.

“I haven’t had corn in a long time.” Twilight moaned, wiping the buttery mess from her mouth with a slightly embarrassed smile. “Where did you get it?”

“Imported from Trottingham. I had the kitchen buy some from the market just yesterday.” Luna munched at her own ear happily, and with quite a bit more poise than Twilight. Blushing, Twilight wiped at her lips before setting in on the second bowl of stew a little less eagerly.

“Thank you, Luna.” She said quietly.

“No big deal, Twilight. I’ve been wanting to cook for a while now.” Luna smiled and sipped at her stew. “The whole fiasco with the courts and the shields and all of that drew me off. Now, it seems things might calm down a little.” Twilight looked down at her own bowl of stew, pondering her words.

“Do you really think so?”

“Hmm?”

“That… Things are going to calm down now?” She sounded more hopeful than anything as her eyes met Luna’s. She was given a genuine smile and a gentle touch as Luna spoke quietly.

“I have the feeling that, with your help, Equestria will see the calmest and most peaceful time it’s ever known.” She sounded so sure. Twilight felt her heart beat faster at the gentle touch and the heartfelt words from Luna. She couldn’t stop herself as she leaned forward and eagerly pressed their lips together.

“Hmm…” Luna’s soft moan of approval spurred Twilight on. The kiss grew more intense, and Twilight could feel the very tip of Luna’s tongue peek out of her mouth. She broke away with a heavy breath, panting slightly as she looked up at Luna.

“Bed?”

“Bed.”

They nearly ran for the nearby four-poster, both of them stretching out languorously on the silken sheets. Twilight immediately tucked up against Luna’s chest, though her lips were far too busy kissing all the way up and down Luna’s neck. The princess shivered against Twilight, and she could feel the soft vibrations of another heated moan. It spurred her on again, her mouth opening to make her kisses a little more wet, a little more heated…

“Ooohh, Twilight…” Luna muttered softly. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this…”

Oh yes I do… Twilight thought as her lips nipped at a soft portion of skin near Luna’s jaw. The princess wrapped her hooves around Twilight, drawing her hips tight. Twilight found her legs opening readily, the heat between her thighs almost too much to handle. Luna did nothing to assuage the fire in her crotch, but instead helped stoke it. She gingerly drew Twilight’s ear between her lips, rolling the sensitive flesh in a soft circle. Twilight gasped as the tingle of pleasure shot down her spine and directly into her marehood.

“L-luna!” She stuttered softly, blushing as Luna continued to tease her ear. “Th-that tickles. Aah!” Luna’s hoof slid low down Twilight’s back, settling just above the base of her tail and pulling her tight.

“I’ve wanted you for so long, Twilight…” Luna didn’t have to do anything more than breathe the words, her lips so tantalizingly close to Twilight’s ear. “All those weeks of nothing, I’m dying here… I want you so badly. Everywhere. Everyway. Please…” Twilight swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest as she softly nodded.

“Okay… We have all night.” Twilight moaned into Luna’s neck, shuddering slightly.

“Kiss me.” Luna muttered softly. It wasn’t a request as much of a command, or maybe a statement of intentions, since Luna quickly ducked her head down, mashing her lips tight against Twilight’s. The movement was so quick, so strong, Twilight couldn’t have stopped it even if she wanted to. The way Luna’s tongue immediately pushed into her mouth, pulsing and swirling like mad, Twilight couldn’t focus properly. She drew heavy, panting breaths through her nose, whimpering as Luna took absolute control.

“Mffh!” Twilight was suddenly sandwiched between the bed and Luna as the princess rolled on top. She stretched out, using Twilight’s open legs to her advantage. Twilight suddenly had a very firm knee rubbing against her sensitive parts, grinding hard enough to touch her pelvis. It was an intoxicating, torturous experience. Luna’s coat was soon slick with Twilight’s arousal, making the fine hairs slide against her marehood with incredible ease. She whimpered and panted, but couldn’t beg for more as Luna’s tongue was making for a very effective gag.

She didn’t have to beg, though, because Luna was of like mind. The kiss broke, leaving a shining strand of saliva between them, which Luna slowly trailed down the length of Twilight’s body. Her mind was in a haze. She hardly even realized what was happening until Luna’s ravenous mouth plastered tight to her crotch. Twilight’s back arched with a sudden gasp, and her senses were kicked into overdrive. Pleasure ripped through Twilight’s midsection, gripping her muscles in an iron hold and not letting go even a little. She shuddered and twitched as Luna’s tongue slid deep inside of her before pulling out to flick her clitoris rapidly.

“Aah! Hmm-nn! I’m, I’m-!” Twilight couldn’t stop it. After an untold amount of stress and too many days without relief, Twilight’s first orgasm was inevitable. Crying out with rapturous release, Twilight bucked her hips against Luna’s mouth and grunted in a very uncivilized manner. Relief, like a cool rainstorm, washed over her in waves. Her chest rose and fell as she drew breaths in through her nose, her vision swimming in the aftermath of what was possibly the best orgasm of her entire life.

“That was fast.” Luna teased, kissing Twilight’s stomach softly. She groaned and let her hooves fall to Luna’s mane, stroking the ephemeral strands with a gentle touch. At least, as gentle as she could manage with how badly she was shaking.

“You try going without for weeks on end.”

“You try going without for a thousand years.” Luna shot back in return. Twilight grimaced and let her head fall back down.

“Sorry…”

“Don’t be.” Luna smiled as she rose above Twilight, standing over the prostrate unicorn with a teasing smile. “I have you here to help me burn through all the stress.” Twilight blushed furiously as she looked up at Luna, her breathing finally returning to some semblance of normalcy.

“Can I?”

“Of course.” Luna immediately lay down on her side next to Twilight, smiling as they shared a quick, passionate kiss. Twilight could taste herself on Luna’s lips, the gentle muskiness only all too arousing for her. She switched roles with Luna, gingerly guiding the princess onto her back and kissing her way down her body. She left damp marks behind where her lips pressed into Luna’s chest and stomach, all the way down to the smooth dip before her hips. Luna groaned when Twilight put a fair amount of pressure into her stomach, and drew a hissing breath through her teeth as Twilight gave her a teasing nip.

“N… No teasing.” Luna whimpered, her hips squirming in the most seductive, teasing way. Twilight smiled up at her, kissing the gentle dip in her hips again.

“Hmm… You don’t like being teased, do you?” Twilight’s tone was a mix between curiosity and demure intent. Luna glanced down at her, blushing a little more. She was awfully cute when she blushed.

“No…” She whispered, her breath catching in her throat as Twilight kissed the very edge of her marehood. She could smell the faint scent of arousal already, the intoxicating musk nearly making her dive in then and there.

“Wonder why…” She continued teasing, moving down to Luna’s thigh. The princess groaned and rolled her head to the side, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Nightshade… Was an incorrigible tease.” She panted through Twilight’s continued teasing, though Twilight was listening intently. “He… Would do it relentlessly. With no end.”

“Hmmn, did you get upset?”

“Only teasingly, but yes… It seemed to spur him on, if anything.”

“Haahn… Did you do anything about it?” Luna’s sudden lack of movement made Twilight look up at her, at the wide grin she had on her face. Twilight was suddenly regretting her question.

“Oh, yes I did…” Time for another question she was going to regret.

“What… Did you do?”

“I showed him the true meaning of teasing.” Twilight swallowed, her bottom lip just barely brushing Luna’s damp marehood. Her inquisitive gaze spurred Luna into explaining. “I tied him up and made him watch while I pleasured myself.”

Twilight coughed out loud, grunting as she looked up at Luna with wide eyes. “You didn’t.” She choked, panting to recover her breath.

“I did. And I’ll do with you if you ever become like him.” Luna teased, her hips squirming again. “So you might want to get to it.” While Luna didn’t have to do much to spur Twilight into action, this made her take to her task with gusto. While she licked, though, Luna kept talking. “Though, I might- hmmn! Just do it anyways… It was -aaahh… Awfully fun-nnh!” Twilight dragged her tongue up the entirety of Luna’s flared marehood, her tongue sliding over the slick flesh with an intoxicating sort of ease. She moaned into Luna’s crotch, her tongue rapidly getting more and more wet with the combination of saliva and arousal present.

“Haahn… Mhff.” She moaned and started to alternate between long, pointed licks and sliding her tongue inside. Luna’s reaction was nothing short of pleasurable, and Twilight savored the taste that clung to her tongue. It wrapped itself into every little crevice, and Twilight felt like no matter how much saliva she worked up, no matter how many time she tried to suck the taste off, it wouldn’t leave. She loved it. She wanted more. Luna wanted more. Her hooves slid under Luna’s thighs and up onto her stomach, holding Twilight’s face closer as she delved deeper, pushed her tongue along the warm, slick surface of Luna’s most private area.

“Twilight,” Luna moaned, her head rolling back and forth slowly. “I’m really close…” Luna was quite the opposite from Twilight, in that she was at least coherent in the throes of lovemaking. Twilight would have been gasping and whimpering like a helpless foal at this point, or any point, since she was completely hopeless as a lover. But Luna was enjoying herself, probably just as much as Twilight was, so she kept on. Her tongue was restless, pulsing and twisting eagerly, folding in upon itself and poking about within her. Luna would gasp and moan, her back arching now and then, but steadily increasing in both volume and frequency.

“Twilight!” She finally gasped. “I’m… Hnn-AUGH!” With a very un-princesslike grunt, Luna lifted her shoulders up from the bed, her hooves gripping Twilight’s head and pulling it tight against her own pelvis. Twilight gave light, muffled groans as her mouth was suddenly filled with a vile-tasting liquid, almost completely dissimilar to the arousal she had tasted so far. At first, she wanted it gone. It was disgusting and almost made her gag. But soon after, it changed in consistency and flavor. Her tongue was soon wrapped in pleasantly musky, thin liquid, the kind that made her moan and lick harder.

“S-stop,” Luna pleaded with her, but she didn’t pull Twilight’s head away. “I’m… Ah! Ooh, no more! Twilight…” She didn’t really want to stop, but Luna’s pleading was beginning to grow desperate. “Twi… Twi, I’m gonna… I’m gonna cum again if you keep go… Go-ing!” Luna’s hooves shot into the sheets, her back arching as Twilight brushed over a certain spot deep within Luna. It was round, and actually felt somewhat solid. Twilight searched for it again, her curiosity out-weighing Luna’s whimpering. She found it, the very tip of her tongue pressing against the solid sphere a little more firmly. Luna cried out loud, her eyes clenching shut in response.

“Woah! What is that?” Twilight asked, looking up at Luna. Her tongue pulsed a little, the beginning of soreness. But Luna looked down at her with a half-lidded, glazed-over expression.

“Don’t. You dare. Stop.” She panted. Twilight grinned and delved back in, ignoring the dull ache in her muscles as she searched for the solid part again. “AUGH!” Luna gasped as Twilight found it again, her stomach twitching firmly. The spot had grown! Twilight wasn’t imagining things, the solid bit had actually grown in size, becoming easier to find. Now, her tongue was sliding around the outside, exploring just how large it was. If she had to guess, it was about an inch, maybe a little more in diameter.

“Hnn… Twilight, don’t stop. Please. I’m gonna cum again.” Luna panted, her eyes now firmly clenched shut. Twilight obliged willingly, her tongue circling the solid sphere several more times before pressing up into it firmly. Luna’s breathless gasp told Twilight she had climaxed once again, to say nothing of the way Luna’s muscles flexed around the invading tongue. Twilight moaned at the refreshed taste of release on her tongue, her hot breath washing out over Luna’s midsection. Twilight’s hooves rubbed gentle circles into Luna’s stomach, calming her down, relaxing the twitching muscles one by one.

“Oh goodness…” Luna moaned, her eyes still closed as her chest rose and fell with deep, smooth breaths. “That was… Incredible… Twilight, I… I…”

“Shh.” Twilight stood and straddled the princess, leaning her head in for a soft, passionate kiss. “Don’t talk… Not unless you’re going to tell me you love me.” Luna chuckled and nodded her head, returning the kiss with a deep breath inhaled through her nose.

“I love you, Twilight Sparkle. More than anything this world has to offer…” Twilight’s heart hammered in her chest as Luna spoke, her soft words striking a chord somewhere deep within her.

“I love you too, Luna… So much.” Twilight whispered back, her lips hovering just above Luna’s. “You’re so amazing, I don’t want to miss another minute without you…”

“Nor I you, Twilight.” Luna’s words came faster, more heartfelt as she reached up to pull Twilight closer. “I’ll spend every second I can by your side. I’ll never leave you again.” The next words she spoke made Twilight freeze. “Marry me.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Her mind raced. She felt her legs grow weak. Twilight managed to find the strength for one word and one word only.

“Yes.”

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“Archmage! Over here!” Twilight lifted her head to spot the frantically-waving unicorn across the interior garden. She smiled warmly and trotted over the lush grass to meet him.

“Gable. Nice to meet you at last.” Green Gables, or just Gable as the palace staff called him, was the palace’s lead greenskeeper. He was also the head of the committee opposing the movement for more buildings and unicorn superiority in Canterlot. He was a stocky unicorn, just a little bit shorter than Twilight herself, but with a brilliant yellow mane. He wore it long and free, the locks falling gracefully around a toned neck and muscular shoulders. His coat was a pale ochre color, which seemed to highlight the vibrant hue of his mane. He struck Twilight as the sort of unicorn that wasn’t a stranger to a hard day’s work, like many of the Canterlot elite seemed to be. His mark was a series of olive branches twined together, their leaves in full bloom and colored a dark, lush green.

“It’s an honor, Archmage, truly an honor.” He was eccentric, or as some would venture to call him, ‘twitchy.’ Twilight chuckled as he took her hoof and shook it vigorously, smiling stupidly the entire time.

“Just Twilight is fine. If I may call you Gable?”

“That’s what they all call me ‘round here, Arch- Twilight.” He corrected himself, chuckling nervously. Twilight fought the urge to tell him to relax. Luna had cautioned her about Gable, and his eccentricity. One just had to take it in stride, and try not to be put off by him.

“Thank you, Gable. Have you taught anypony before?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes! I teach the entire groundskeeping staff myself. Pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns alike. Some of the other unicorns don’t know the first thing about nature magic before they get on with the staff, while others already know a good deal. Either way, I’ve taught unicorns who are very, very good at magic, and others who aren’t very good at all. I think I know the right way to start with you.” He smiled confidently at her, bouncing a little on his hooves. “Do you want to get started right away?” Twilight smiled and nodded firmly.

“As soon as we can.”

“Right this way.” Gable turned and trotted off, spurring Twilight into a short gallop of her own to catch up. He spoke as they trotted through the garden, his tone steady and easy despite the somewhat rapid pace he kept. “The palace has a total of forty-seven gardens, each with an area ranging in size from forty-three square feet to eight hundred and ninety-three. The grounds are four square miles in size, and include the royal hedge maze, the fountains, the main lawn, and the ballroom courtyard.” He ducked into a side-passage, one that Twilight wasn’t entirely familiar with. She reminded herself that Gable was an employee with the palace first and foremost, and probably knew the inner hallways and ins and outs better than she did. She updated her mental map of the palace as he trotted along, squeezing past other bustling ponies. Some of them stared at her incredulously, like they were appalled that the Archmage would stoop so low to take the service corridors. Others just blinked once and went about their ways, though with a small smile on their lips.

“I supervise most of the major maintenance issues with plant life both in and around all the gardens. Each garden has their own attendant whose job is to know every last inch of the garden. This one here,” He emerged into a regular hallway before stepping out into another garden. “Is the one I am personally in charge of.” Twilight was stunned with what she saw. A small cobblestone path wound it’s way in a lazy pattern through the garden, meandering aimlessly through beds of vibrant flowers and among tall bushes. A small fountain gurgled happily near the far wall, cool clear water flowing from the spout and down a series of stone dishes into the basin at the bottom. Twilight could see two fish lazily circling one another in the basin.

The grass was lush and thick under her hooves, and she didn’t leave a print behind her when she followed Gable’s path. It sprung right back into place, leaving no trace of any passing. Gable continued to speak, explaining the garden specifically. “This is the fourth-largest garden in the castle, and is Celestia’s private haven. Other ponies are free to come and go, but she sometimes asks them to leave so she may have the garden to herself. During that time, nopony bothers her. She sits there at that bench, watches the fish, and thinks about how to run Equestria.” Gable slowed down a little, coming to a stop next to a beautiful rose bush. “There was a time when she would spend nearly every night here, looking up at the moon. I heard her once, by accident… She was signing a lullaby to Luna.” Gable sighed and shook his head.

“Sorry. I’m getting sidetracked. Magic. Right. Celestia has agreed to let me use this garden to instruct you over the course of however many days it takes for you to grasp the magic. You’re a powerful unicorn, and have a very comprehensive grasp on magic in general. So, aside from specific spell-forms and formulas, I’m only going to instruct you in the fundamentals. Sound okay?” Gable finally came to a stand-still, arching his eyebrows expectantly at Twilight. She smiled and nodded at him firmly.

“Perfect. Let’s begin.”

“Right. Do you love somepony?” Twilight nearly coughed.

“Wh-what?”

“Do you love somepony?” He repeated himself, tilting his head to the side slightly. “Seems like an easy question.” She frowned slightly at him.

“I do, but I fail to see how-“

“Good! This will be easier then. Because you love that pony, you want to see them flourish, right?” He cut her off, his eccentricity returning as he bounced slightly on his hooves.

“O-of course,” Twilight rolled with it, still frowning but answering his questions.

“The magic of nature is much like that. It’s a will to see things flourish and grow, to be prosperous and healthy. When things are sick, you want to make them better. When they grow old, you help ease their passing. When they’re young, you nurture and protect them, to help them be strong.” Twilight nodded as he finally got to the explanation. “You see, I have a certain love for all plant life… From the delicate Trottingham Fern to the malicious Everfree Rose, I can see the beauty and purpose behind much of anything that grows.” He gestured around to the garden, smiling to himself. “Gardenias, Tulips, Ferns, all of the plants in this garden I know like the back of my hoof. I know what purpose they serve, be it simple pollination or defense of the creatures that call it’s roots home, I’ve helped guide them. You see,” He gestured Twilight closer to the rose bush they stood next to. “This bush here is Everfree Rose. It’s thorns are tipped with a debilitating venom that causes lactic acid to build at extraordinary rates. If you’re pricked with this, walking a quarter of a mile will exhaust you beyond the capability to move.”

“Wow, really?” Twilight frowned and looked at the plant. The thorns were much larger than a regular rose bush, and had a slightly lighter hue to them.

“Mhm. That’s why the rose’s petals are so vibrant. Much like a snake is brightly colored to warn would-be predators of it’s deadly venom. It’s a beautiful bush, but predators use this to hunt down prey. What’s more, the rose emits an irresistible scent… Here,” Gable leaned in and sniffed deeply, moaning with a smile on his lips. Twilight mirrored him, giving a soft moan herself.

“It smells like… Like nothing I’ve ever smelled before.”

“To many vegetarians, it’s irresistible. To predators, the smell is noxious. They give it a wide berth, but will watch their prey eat the leaves, which carry the same poison the thorns do. They’ll pounce shortly after, and either take the exhausted prey there, or chase them down. Fascinating, isn’t it?” Twilight shuddered at the thought of being chased through the Everfree Forest by some timberwolf after eating a few petals of the admittedly delicious-smelling bush. She backed away slightly, suddenly very afraid.

“You see,” Gable smiled as he followed her. “Everything in nature has a purpose. Once you learn that purpose, you can better help the plant to grow and be healthy. Make sense?”

“Perfectly.” Twilight chuckled nervously.

“Nature magic isn’t just plants, though. It’s animals, too. Much of what I do is simply knowledge-based. I hear you’re good at studying, so I’ll recommend a few studies and books for you to brush up on, but for the most part, what we’ll be studying ourselves is just basic theory.”

“Sounds good.” Twilight grinned at the chance to study some more. Lately, she had found herself at a disappointing lack of material to study.

“Right then. Follow me.” He turned away and trotted through the grass towards the solitary tree in the middle of the garden. Underneath it was another stone bench that looked to have been there for a very, very long time. “This is the first tree ever planted in a Canterlot palace garden.” He laid a hoof on the trunk, smiling at Twilight as he gestured for her to mimic him. Twilight reached out to lay her own hoof on the trunk of the tree. “Close your eyes,” Gable said in a soothing voice. “And feel for the heartbeat of the tree… Listen to the sap flowing through it’s veins. Hear the wind sigh through the leaves and the branches…” Twilight did as he asked, her eyes closed as she focused on the bark beneath her hoof. At first, she felt nothing. Just the rough texture of bark and tree. But then something interesting happened.

“Oh. Oh!” Twilight’s brow furrowed, but her eyes remained closed. “It’s… It’s breathing.”

“You can feel it, then. See? It isn’t just earth ponies with a special connection to the living things around them. Feel the pulse of the tree, Twilight… Let it speak to you.” Twilight narrowed her focus, clearing her mind of distraction as she felt the tree beneath her. The soft sound of magic filled her ears, adding a beautiful undertone to the sound of the wind through the trees. She breathed in time with it, her chest rising and falling slowly. In and out.

“It’s old.” Twilight said softly. “It’s very old, and very sick…”

“You’re right. What’s wrong with the tree, Twilight?”

“It’s dying… Old age.” She opened her eyes, looking at Gable with a worried expression. “You weren’t kidding when you said this tree was thousands of years old… How could it have lived so long?”

“The princesses, the greenskeepers, myself… We’ve all fought to keep this tree healthy and alive. Alas, I fear it’s time has come… This is the last bloom we’ll ever see…” Twilight looked up at the branches of the wide old oak, frowning as she noticed then that many of them were barren and shriveled. It still had a fair amount of it’s leaves, but close to half of the branches were dead.

“How… How do you go about this?” Twilight asked quietly.

“Like this. Follow my lead, Twilight.” Gable and Twilight backed away from the tree. His horn began to glow with a pale blue aura, the scintillating sound sending a shiver down her spine. She followed his energy, matching the output and formulas as he spoke them to her. Together, their magic reached out to the tree. She watched as the blue and lavender fingers of magic slid over the trunk and branches. Before her very eyes, the tree shriveled away into nothing, it’s branches dropping and disappearing into the soil. The whole display nearly made her cry. It was awfully sad, watching a tree die. Beside her, Gable seemed to be going through the same thing. As she glanced at him, she saw a tear sliding down his cheek.

“It’s done,” Gable stood up after they were finished. Where the tree had once stood was now flat ground and a stone bench. “But go stand on the spot.” He wiped a hoof over his eyes, sniffling slightly. Twilight gave him a moment to collect himself as she went to stand in the lush grass where the tree had been just a few short moments ago. It was an awfully humbling experience. She was standing in the spot where some living thing had previously stood against the test of time for longer than she would ever draw breath on Equestria. This space had been inviolate since before Luna had been sent to the moon. Before Ponyville had been founded. Now, she stood there, with nothing to stop her.

“Just like you did with the tree.” Gable nearly startled her as he stepped up to her side. “Feel the ground, Twilight.” She flushed a little and nodded before focusing on the ground beneath her hooves. At first, she felt nothing, just the soft texture of grass and firm ground. But then something brushed at her… A soft, small filament of nothing. Almost like a strand of spider silk touching your face as you walked down the hall. She nearly jumped, but soon grasped at it, seeking the source.

“Woah…”

“Say hello to your tree, Twilight.” Gable smiled as she opened her eyes at him. “Your test from me is this: Give this new tree a strong foundation, firm roots, and a healthy start. If you can do that, I will train you in nature magic. Provided you pass this, I will happily hand over my spot on the committee.” Twilight swallowed hard before smiling at him.

“Thank you, Gable. I appreciate it very much.”

“Here’s the thing, Twilight. You will not be an expert at nature magic. Being an expert takes a long, long time. Years. Much of it is knowledge, and quite a bit is just plain experience with the way things work. If you can do this.” He pointed to the roots. “You will have proven yourself to only have the ability. Which is enough for me to relinquish my spot on the committee. But you will not be a master for a very long time to come. With or without my help. Do you understand?” Twilight mulled his words over for a long while, thinking on what he said.

“So... If I fail this, it isn’t the end?”

“No it is not. It’s my duty to help you, Twilight. Pass or fail, I will help you learn the magic of nature. But.” He strode up next to her, nodding at the ground beneath her hooves. “Pass now, and I can fast-track you. Make it so you learn the magic faster than anypony I’ve ever taught before.”

Twilight grinned at him.

“Sounds like a deal.”