Archmage - Chapter 34 “Lessons”

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The sun wasn’t even up yet, and Archer was already lathered in sweat. He pushed the muscles in his legs as he ran around the track for the fourteenth time, intent on finishing his 3-mile run before dawn. The next lap burned away easily, leaving only two left. Two other guards entered the track then, but he gave them no more than a cursory nod. They knew he could almost always be found here, and seeing him was no big deal. Still huffing, Archer finished his last two laps, taking a long walk around to very outside of the track to let his muscles cool down.

A quick shower and a spot of shampoo later, Archer was ready for the day. He braided his tail with magic and hoisted the saddlebags onto his flanks before leaving his quarters, intent on the main Canterlot library. When he arrived, the receptionist smiled as he approached. The sun had just peaked over the horizon. He was the first patron to arrive that day.

“Can I help you?”

“I’d like to check out a study room, please.”

“Certainly. Would you like any reference material?” The receptionist slid from behind the desk, lifting a key from its peg on the wall and nodding along to him.

“I will. Here, everything I need is on this list.” He pulled a slip of paper from one of his saddlebags, listed with several reference tomes he’d need for the essay she had assigned him. Archer levitated it to the smiling mare, who glanced over the listed books before tucking it away in her own saddlebags and walking off.

“Perfect. Here you are, room number seven. I’ll return with these shortly.”

“Thank you.” Archer gave her a warm smile as she deposited him at one of the library’s many study rooms. These usually housed study groups of four or more students, or sometimes small meetings, recreational or otherwise. But Archer needed both the reference books and the quiet to complete Twilight’s task for him. He had just finished the foreword of Twilight’s book when the receptionist returned with her own stack of three.

“Here you are, Mr…?”

“Archer.” He replied, taking the books from her with a warm smile. “Thank you very much.”

“Of course. I’ll be at the front desk if you need anything.” She left him then, and Archer turned his attention to the book. His first assignment as the Archmage’s student. He wasn’t about to let Twilight down. With a confident smile, he began reading…

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“Sir?”

“Hmm?” Archer glanced up from the long scroll he was writing on.

“The library is closing, sir… I’m afraid it’s time to leave.”

“Huh? Really?” Archer’s gaze passed over the three books open to various pages, and the clutter of notes and paper littering the table. Out of the study room’s solitary window, he saw the late-evening sky painted dark purple. “Oh. Wow, how about that. I’m sorry, give me a few to clean up.” Archer mumbled, finishing his sentence on the report before levitating all of his material into his bags. The librarian stood by patiently, and when he had cleaned up all the material, she locked the door behind him.

“I’ll take those for you-“

“I was going to check them out.” Archer clipped her off. “I’m… Not quite finished.” He added with a faint blush.

“Oh. Okay, then…” She gave him a wary look before padding off towards the front desk. Archer checked out the three reference books and left the library without another word, going straight to his quarters. There, on the cramped, small table he had, he continued writing. It was much more difficult, and he had to keep all three of the reference books along with the quill levitated at the same time. As night fully descended over Equestria, he was still writing furiously. He was determined to finish the report, no matter what. Only when dawn’s first light cracked over the horizon and he was on his third rough draft did tiredness begin to set in. His eyes were so dry, the scroll was beginning to get fuzzy. He finished out the third rough draft with a sigh, knowing he would have to make a fourth when he woke later on that day.

Which wasn’t very far off at all. He slept maybe four hours before waking mid-morning. He left his room only to retrieve a few items from the kitchens before setting in to work again. He munched toast while he wrote, going through the fourth rough draft carefully. He had the rest of that day and the morning tomorrow to make sure everything was absolutely perfect. He was interrupted when a knock came from his door.

“Enter.” He stood at attention as the door swung inwards. After a blinking pause, he snapped a salute. Bastion stepped into his room, frowning down his nose at Archer. “C-commander.” Archer stuttered. He was nothing short of surprised to see the commander of the guard in his room.

“Stop that nonsense, Archer.” Bastion firmly batted his hoof away from his temple. “You’re not a part of the guard right now. No need to salute me.”

“S-sorry sir.” Archer blushed. He lowered his hoof, looking up at Bastion’s imposing form. “What… Brings you here, sir?”

“And stop calling me sir! Sheesh!” Bastion grumbled, sweeping past Archer towards his desk. “What’s she got you working on? Using shadow magic to cut down droves of changelings? Harnessing the very ley-lines of Equestria to blast dragons out of the sky?”

“N-no s-Bastion. I’m studying elemental magic…”

“Haw!” Bastion roared as he pulled the first rough draft of Archer’s report from amongst the others. Archer swiped at it, but Bastion shouldered him aside roughly. “What, gonna burn the forests with fire? Rupture the land beneath the hooves of our enemies? Oh, I bet she’s gonna teach you how to freeze someone solid!”

“N-nothing like that!” Archer grumbled, re-asserting himself. His crimson magic clashed against Bastion’s telekinetic field, having no effect. “Give me that!”

“Oh what the fuck.” Bastion frowned at his report. “What’s this baloney about ‘connections’ and ‘feeling the land?’ Have you gone soft on us, son?”

“I said give me that!” Archer growled, forcing his way through Bastion’s grip to grab the scroll. He ripped it in the process, groaning as the report split into six different parts. “Great.”

“Heh. Sorry.” Bastion gave his shoulder a playful punch, which felt like getting a hug from a hammer. “I just came to check up on you. You haven’t forgotten about our little deal yet, have you?”

“No, I haven’t.” Archer grumbled, rubbing the spot as he dumped the shredded remains of his first draft into the trash bin. “I’ll ask her about it when the time is right.”

“Hhmph. Don’t forget it.” Bastion turned towards the door of Archer’s quarters with a serious look on his face. “You’ll have your place as captain of the Elite Corps after your training is complete. And after that, I’ll see what I can do about putting you in my spot. Don’t forget, Archer. You might not be a part of the guard right now, but you’re still devoted to it.”

“Y-yes, sir…” Archer sighed.

“What?!”

“Bastion! Yes, Bastion! Now go!” Archer slammed the door shut on the commander, groaning as he heard the large unicorn stomp off down the hall. He turned back to the report, frowning intently. After a few moments, he picked the scroll and quill back up, and resumed writing.

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“Good evening, Twilight.” Archer forced the smile onto his lips, praying it appeared at least a little bit genuine. He quietly closed the door to the library Twilight had more-or-less commandeered as her office behind him.

“Hello Archer.” Twilight returned the sentiment, beaming kindly at him. “How’d your study go?” She stood at one of the few tables, with four scrolls laying open before her. He appeared to have caught her in the middle of something, but she trotted away from the papers without a second glance.

“Perfectly, I should hope.” Archer furrowed his brow as he pulled the report from his bags, smoothly handing it off to Twilight. She nodded and took the scroll from him, but blinked when she saw how long it was.

“Wow. How long is this?”

“Twenty-three thousand, four hundred and twelve words.” Archer returned, turning for the door. “I’ll leave you be for a bit, then?”

“Sit tight, Archer.” Twilight stopped him. “This won’t take me long.”

“Eer… Twilight…? That’s going to take you at least an hour to rea-“

“Fifteen minutes.” Twilight glanced at him as she unfurled the first foot or so. “At most. Sit tight, I’ll be done momentarily.”

“But… What about reviewing and grading and-“

“You either pass or fail, Archer.” Twilight muttered half-mindedly. “Just sit down already. I’ll be with you in a moment. Review your notes or something.” Twilight left him standing dumbfounded at the door, while she began to read through his report. He honestly hadn’t expected this. He thought she’d at least take the evening to review. Instead, she just launched into it, giving him hardly single moment to rest. He never knew being the Archmage’s student would be so tiring. With a soft, inaudible sigh, he went to sit on one of the nearby chairs. It didn’t take Twilight much longer than ten minutes to finish reviewing his work.

“Very good, Archer.” Twilight said, levitating his report back to him. “You’ve got a very good basic grasp on the elements. Now, let’s help you with your connection. Follow me.”

“Y-yeah.” Archer slid from his chair, following after Twilight with a frown on his face. Was she really pushing him this hard? True enough, he had a very good grasp on the elements, but connecting to them already? She was insane.

“Do you know what a partition is, Archer?” Twilight asked, walking briskly through the halls of the castle. Archer trotted to catch up, though his face was screwed up with concentration.

“I’ve heard of them. Don’t they reflect magical energy?”

“In small doses, yes. Any moderate spell will easily break or slip through a partition, but all the incumbent energy surrounding Canterlot won’t. You can’t form a proper connection to the elements without being free of magical influence. Normally, one would do this by taking a trip somewhere far away from other unicorns. Instead, we’re going to enter a partition, so you’ll be devoid of any interference.” Twilight descended a long staircase as she spoke, and turned the corner towards one last door. Through that door was the castle grounds, and nearby, the hedge maze. Archer felt some sense of apprehension at being in a partition. He wasn’t entirely sure why.

“Twilight, why are we doing this again?”

“Because you wanted to broaden your horizons.” Twilight said simply. “I feel it’s best to start teaching you about elemental magic first, rather than some of the others. Why? Would you rather have started elsewhere?” She asked, giving him only a quick, cursory glance. Archer swallowed hard and ducked his head down a little.

“I was just curious. And I’m not entirely sure I’m ready to make the connection yet.”

“Oh trust me.” Twilight chuckled, leading him towards the hedge maze. “I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I didn’t think you were prepared.” As they began navigating the twists and turns of the maze, Twilight explained exactly what she wanted him to do. “Meditate while you’re in the partition. Specifically, think about the four elements, and which of them you would be best suited to. Take into consideration all of your flaws and perks. All of them. Leave none by the wayside.” At last, they rounded one last turn, and sitting in the middle of the small garden clearing was what appeared to be a large, soapy bubble. Archer eyed it with apprehension. Twilight continued talking.

“You’ll find it’s kind of nice being inside the partition… Coming out for the first few times is rather tedious, but you get used to it. You might get a headache, though… We’ll see.” Twilight shrugged and smiled at him. “Any questions?”

“What do I do if I make the connection right away?”

“You won’t. Not immediately, anyways. It’ll take you a day, maybe two, of serious meditation.” Twilight glanced at the partition once more before looking back to him. “And, depending on the connection you make, it might influence how I teach you from here out.”

“What do you mean by that?” Archer’s eyes narrowed.

“I mean your element is defined by your personality. And vice-versa. One of the lesser reasons I wanted to start you on elemental magic first was so I can determine what type of pony you are, and how best to instruct you. Granted, you’ve already done an assignment for me, but that’s just one assignment. I can’t tell much about you or how you react to instruction without knowing more about your magical affinities, personality, or elemental type.”

“I see.” Archer sighed. So she was scoping him out. This wasn’t a test as much as it was an evaluation. Well, he would show her. He’d show her all she wanted to know about him. “Very well. I’ll get to it, then.”

“You know how easy it is to lose track of time while meditating. I’ll return for you in the morning. Good night, and good luck.”

“Good night, Twilight.” Archer frowned at her as she turned and left. Once the last bit of her tail had disappeared behind the hedge, he slipped out of his saddlebags and walked towards the partition. So far, being her student was nothing like he had imagined it would be. If this was what it was going to be like until Bastion deemed him fit to take over, he was going to be very, very tired. With a sigh, Archer slipped into the partition.

“Woah.” Twilight had been absolutely right. Inside the partition, he could feel nothing. It was almost like shutting off a light switch. All of a sudden, there was no more humming. No incessant, toned-out buzzing sound. He was at peace. With a giddy smile, he walked around in as large a circle as the partition would provide, feeling and seeing things in an almost completely different light. It was sublime. He felt free and unhindered. If this was what a partition did, he was thoroughly going to enjoy spending time in here.

But he soon reminded himself of his duty. His new teacher had a task for him. To gain her trust and ask her the questions on his mind, he was going to have to do as she said. As he had practiced several times before, Archer cleared his mind and let his breathing slow down. Soon enough, he was calm and relaxed. Meditating inside the partition was incredibly easy. There wasn’t even any sound to distract him. He was alone and unhindered. His thoughts began to turn to the elements.

“Earth, water, air, fire… Which of these am I best suited to?”

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“Archer.” Twilight’s soft voice roused him from his most recent meditative state. He blinked unevenly a few times before spotting his new mentor. “Good morning.” She said with a cheery smile. “Long night?”

“You could say that.” Archer frowned, slowly rising to his hooves. He felt rested and relaxed, but gone was the chill night air, replaced instead by the brightness of day. He had meditated all night long, and through a fair portion of the morning, it would seem.

“Do you think you made any progress? How do you feel?” Twilight asked, beckoning him out of the partition. He followed hesitantly, and almost immediately regretted the decision. The headache-inducing drone of magical energy was agonizing. He wanted to scream, it hurt so badly. Clenching his teeth and ignoring the onset of nausea, he looked back to Twilight.

“Huh?”

“Ooh. The partition. Right. Breathe, Archer. Relax.” Twilight smiled at him as he struggled to bring his senses back under control. Following her advice, he took several easy, deep breaths. The humming didn’t abate, but the headache and nausea did. He began to slowly tune it out, letting the sounds become negligible white noise once more. “I asked if you felt like you made any progress.”

“Progress. Right. Yeah, I think I did.” Archer ran a hoof through his mane, frowning as he tried to bring the memory of what he had meditated on back to his mind. “Fire.” He said at last. “My element is fire. I’m passionate and strong, but I have a temper, and can be difficult to control.”

“I figured as much.” Twilight said calmly, slowly sitting in the grass opposite him. “Your reports indicated you had a bit of a rebellious streak when you were a recruit. And some recent events indicated your temper problem.”

“If you suspected something, why make me meditate all night?” Archer could tell he was irritable, but he knew it was only thanks to the droning and the slowly-returning headache.

“It’s necessary for you to gain a connection to the elements. This is the same way I did it, Archer. First and foremost, you cannot gain the connection without the partition, and not without travelling a great distance to get away from the influence of Canterlot. Secondly, you must medidate to clear your mind, and allow yourself to connect to the natural energies of the world around you.”

“Wouldn’t the partition block those energies?”

“The partition blocks magical energies. That is to say, the energy of one specific pony or spell. It does not block the natural leylines of power that course through the world around us.” Twilight looked around, opening her forelegs. “The elements are always around. They permeate and endure through all things. The air that swirls around you, the grass beneath your hooves, the blood pumping through your veins, and the lights in the sky. Air, earth, water, and fire. They are ever-present, with or without the partition.” Twilight lowered her hooves back to the ground, her gaze resting squarely in his eyes.

“Your element is fire. Next time you enter the partition, think on that. Try to feel that element, and all it stands for, in your heart. In your mind. Let it’s energy fill you. Then, as careful as you can be, seize that energy. Make it yours. Guide it. But don’t command it. That is your next task, Archer. You will make the connection with your element. And after that, you will connect with all of the elements. Seek me out when you have connected yourself with fire. Take as long as you feel is necessary.” Twilight stood and walked away then, though the cold and even tone she addressed him with made Archer feel like a scolded foal. He knew she was only teaching him a lesson, but it somehow felt like she was angry or upset with him. Then again, with what he and Bastion were planning, she had every right to be… He wondered if he would ever get the nerve to tell her their plans, or if it would be best to try and keep her in the dark. If they even could keep her in the dark. With another soft sigh, Archer turned back to the partition.

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The connection to fire went easier than he thought. By late-evening, he had summoned a small, respectable fire. Every time he felt himself get too close, come too near to controlling it, he backed away. Instead, he guided the fire, turning it back in upon itself if it grew too large, but keeping it big enough to crackle merrily. After reporting his findings to Twilight, she tasked him with making a connection to all of the elements. That part was trickier than he thought. But with her help, he managed to control all four. Water was, of course, the trickiest for him. But since Twilight’s own element was water, she assisted him by controlling her own small body of water, and letting him try to take that control from her.

In one short week, Archer had learned elemental magic. He didn’t know if he should feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, or shame that he had done so just to get on Twilight’s good side. In the end, he decided he didn’t feel too strongly one way or the other. He wasn’t pleased that he did it just to gain her favor, but he wasn’t happy that he had accomplished something any other unicorn would take at least a month to do.

One thing he did know for sure, though, was that he couldn’t ask Twilight the most important question just yet. She had other plans for him. Shortly after his connection to the other elements, Twilight began instructing him in nature magic. He was tasked with repairing the parts of the hedge maze he had damaged, and making sure they flourished. She stressed time and again that the most important part about nature magic was simply having knowledge. Therefore, she would be giving him assignments throughout his education that would continue to develop his understanding of the plant and animal life of Equestria and it’s neighbors.

While it took him a little bit longer to feel the plants as Twilight instructed than he would have liked, Archer picked up the ability three short weeks into his training. Soon enough, he had repaired the damage to the hedge maze he had incurred during his elemental training, and was assisting many of the gardeners, either by helping plants grow, putting others to rest, or lending what knowledge he had learned to their own situations. He even became friends with the eccentric Gable.

After nature magic, however, Twilight had a task for him. It wasn’t one he had been expecting, let alone prepared for. When she sought him out in his quarters, he was both quizzical and miffed. Why would she come to him? Shouldn’t he have been answering her summons? Rather than draw attention to it, he ushered her inside and looked at her expectantly, if hesitantly.

“Archer… I’m about to ask you a very odd and personal question. I hope you’d understand I wouldn’t ask this outside of anything but a purely professional capacity.” Something was bothering her. Archer had spent just enough time with the Archmage that he was beginning to be able to read her. What it was, he couldn’t pin down. But she was obviously hung up on something. Cautiously, he answered.

“Of course… I wouldn’t expect it of you… What’s on your mind?”

“Well…” Twilight gnawed on her lower lip, looking down at the floor for a long while. When she finally looked up to meet his eyes, it was with a furious blush. “Have you ever made love to somepony?”

“PFFT- WHAT?!” The question caught him completely by surprise. Here was Twilight Sparkle, the Archmage of Canterlot, the pony who was responsible for unearthing the great library, and together with the Elements of Harmony had saved Equestria on more than one occasion. Yet she was asking him something so ludicrous as this! “Pray tell, Twilight, what in all of the cursed heavens would make you ask a question like that?!”

“My motivation is of no concern to you, Archer!” He could see anger and frustration flash through her expression. She even spread her hooves and raised her head a little higher. He had never paid it much mind before, but he suddenly realized how much taller than him she was. Not to mention threatening. The air seemed to hum with power as she glared down at him. “Answer the question.”

“N-no, I haven’t.” Archer whimpered. Being a guard pony, he didn’t have much fear in his heart. He was as courageous as any other guard. Even more so than some. But Twilight’s expression and posture exuded a sense of power he knew he didn’t want to trifle with. “I’m a virgin.”

“Thank you.” Twilight sighed, letting her muscles relax a little. Archer could almost hear the hum of power in the room subside. “Then I have a task for you. As soon as you are able, you must lose your virginity.”

“Forgive me for asking,” Archer was afraid to look at her. Instead, he focused on the carpet beneath their hooves. “But why?”

“It’s necessary for you to learn shadow magic.” Twilight said simply. His head snapped up immediately.

“You’re going to teach me shadow magic?”

“As much as I can. Truth be told, I won’t really be the one giving you the lessons. But I will guide you to the one who is.” Twilight frowned a little bit. “It’s complicated.”

“I understand… But…” Archer’s heart pounded against his ribcage. Was she unwittingly giving him the tools both he and Bastion sought? Or did she know the plot happening behind her back? “Isn’t that powerful magic? Do you really think I’m ready?”

“Indeed,” Twilight sighed. “Shadow magic is very powerful and can accomplish some pretty impressive things… But I think you’re prepared for them. Well, as prepared as anypony like you can be, I suppose…” Twilight sighed and turned away from him. “The reason I’m asking is this: Some shadow magic users don’t need to understand the connection shared between two ponies to have some abilities the night grants them. But the magic of the night, and of the shadow, is that of creation. Without the knowledge of what it takes for two ponies to come together and create life, you won’t be able to harness the full power of the night.” She looked back at him over her shoulder. “As long as you remain a virgin, you will be unable to open yourself completely to the night, and all the power it offers you.” She turned back towards his door. “Try to lose your virginity if you can. If possible, don’t make it some one-night stand with a bar hussy… Try to find somepony special.”

“But… My vows to the guard… I promised-“

“You’re not part of the guard anymore.” Twilight cut him off. “You’re my student. And none of my students will go without learning the full power of the night. If you refuse me in this, I’ll have no choice but to cease teaching you. Or, at the very least, teach you other things.” She tapped a hoof. “Like friendship. That’s a very powerful school of magic. I mean, you and Gable seem awfully friendly-“

“No.” Archer cut her off. He silently cursed himself for jumping on the opportunity like that. If Twilight even had the slightest suspicion about the plan he and Bastion had, he had just given her valuable insight into his objective. “I’ll… I’ll do it. I may need some time, but I will do this for you.”

“Not for me.” Twilight said curtly. “I already know everything the night has to offer. This is for your own benefit, Archer. I’m trying to teach you a very powerful and very valuable branch of magic. If you refuse, I’ll teach you others, but I might take on a different student full-time.”

“I understand.” Archer bowed his head to her. “I won’t fail you. I promise.”

“Good. Thank you, Archer. I expect an update at least once a week, though if you keep to your current track record, you’ll have accomplished the task by Friday. Good night, Archer.” Twilight turned and left, closing the door behind her. Archer was alone in his chamber, though he felt the heat of embarrassment and anger well up within him. He looked out of the window at the nearby mountainside, still sporting the dark, jagged scar Twilight had left upon it long, long ago. He remembered that night well. That was the same night Bastion had came to him with their plan.

“I’ll lose my virginity.” He growled, eyes fixated on the wide marks on the mountainside. “If it means having a power like that, I’ll do anything you ask of me…”

Author's Notes:

As promised, I'll be updating the story a lot more frequently from here out.