AiE: Tex-Eques [Chapter 5]

>Luna finally shows up.

>She isn’t happy.

>”We have come to speaketh to thee about thy absolutely disgusting behavior.”

>Here we go.

 

“So what exactly did I do?”

 

>She seems to hesitate.

>Oh sweet Jesus what did you do?

>”You… You had the gall to slap my flank! Tis’ a most undignified gesture, insulting even!”

>Wait.

>So you slapped a horse’s ass?

>Damn, you must have been really, REALLY hammered.

 

“Was ah’ really that far gone?”

 

>”’Far Gone’ or not, twas’ an intolerable act. We should have your head at the guillotine, and Our sister surely would oblige. However, as you were under the influence, we shall allow it to go by with merely being locked away here for the next week as We are your friend. You shall be brought food twice a day and you shall be denied alcohol indefinitely.”

>You got off easy this time, Anon.

 

“Ah’ understand.”

 

>She takes leave and you return to your game.

 

 

“Prepare to trade shifts soon. I do not want anyp0ny except myself or the servants bringing food entering or exiting this room. Are We being clear?”

 

>”Crystal, ma’am.”

>You trot off to your chambers again.

>You feel the Nightmare creeping on the edges of your mind again and force her back.

>Not now.

>You head down to the library.

>There was research to be done.

>You gather the things you need from storage, which you drop by along the way, and find the books you need in the Library.

>A few on enchanting, a realm of magic you weren’t familiar with.

>Well, you knew a bit, but not much.

>You had something planned.

 

>You’re lying on your bed, staring at the ceiling.

>Bored.

>Bored, bored, BORED.

>You’d given up on cards a LONG time ago.

>You’d literally never been more bored in your life.

>There’s literally nothing to do.

>Suddenly, door opens.

>You recognize one of the guards; he’s the one who shot himself in the leg.

>He had a few other guards accompanying him.

>”We heard you got locked up in here. We were kind of interested in playing another game of… what was it… Poker?”

>Entertainment!

 

“Ah’ reckon that’s  a mighty fine idea.”

 

>Oh what will you win today?

 

>Two days had passed.

>It seems that enchantment is trickier than you thought.

>Besides the elaborate magic needed for the bonding, you also need an item to bond the magic to.

>And the complexity of the spells themselves were absurd.

>Not only did you have to know how to cast the spell you wanted to enchant the item with, but you had to cast the enchantment spell at the same time.

 

“How frustrating…”

>You hear hoofsteps coming your way.

>”Sister, what art thou doing? Tis’ past sunrise.”

>The tone of her voice is suspicion.

>She notes the books you’re reading.

>”What praytell art thou researching enchantment for?”

>You couldn’t tell her the truth.

“Tis’ in case We need a way to restrain the human of course! We do not know if he hath any magical powers that he hath not revealed.”

>She eyes you warily, but seems to accept your story.

>”Very well. I shall leave thee to thy work.”

>She leaves.

>That was close.

>You couldn’t let her know this was more for liberation of the human than restraint.

>You needed to move your research, but to where?

>An idea hits you.

>You shall move your studies to your Retreat off to the South and continue work there.

>You let out a yawn.

>The move shall not be today.

 

>You’re waiting.

>It’d become a daily thing for you and your new poker buddies.

>Every day at about the same time they’d join you for a game.

>They’d been getting better too; you’d actually lost the last game you played.

>Finally they arrive.

>You’ve got the table set up.

 

“Welcome, gentlemen. Shall we begin?”

 

>You wouldn’t lose to them again.

 

>Finally, the last books.

>That night you had managed to move the books and other materials without your sister knowing.

>The retreat was, as always, kept in good order by the servants who worked there, and guarded by a squad of your finest guards.

>You begin your research again.

>You had been practicing the process this morning, but your Sister’s interruption had broken your focus.

>Now you were alone and ready to make a second attempt.

>A simple shielding spell, nothing too complex.

>You close your eyes and focus your energy into your horn.

>The small gem on the table begins to fill with magic and you begin implanting the spell.

>After a few minutes, the process is complete.

>You take the item in your telepathic grip and focus.

>Sure enough, a barrier appears around you.

>It gives out.

>You need more practice it seems.

>That bond wasn’t strong enough.

>You pick another gem and begin again.

 

>You manage to return before morning.

>You return to your chambers and remove your hoofguards, chestplate, and crown, putting them on a mannequin about your height.

>You yawn and curl up on your bed, using telekinesis to cover yourself in the sheets.

>You get comfortable and go to sleep.

>However, your dreams are not without a visit from the Nightmare, that voice in your mind formed of your negative thoughts and your own powerful magic.

>Again, you run through the darkness, her maniacal laughter echoing through the void of your mind.

>You've had this dream before.

>However, the laughter was louder than last time.

>It scared you to death, the thought of the darkest parts of your mind becoming the dominant ones.

>It could hurt your sister, your subjects...

>Anon.

>No; you couldn't let it run loose!

 

"No! No more!"

 

>You're left alone in the dark recesses of your mind.

>She was gone.

>For now.

 

>You sigh and look up at the ceiling again.

>Three more days until you could leave this damn room.

>Been too long since you’ve really gotten to stretch your legs.

>You stretch and manage to get yourself out of bed.

>You’ve taken to sleeping in your boxers; jeans weren’t exactly comfortable.

>You rub your eyes and gather some new clothes before heading to the bathroom.

>You run the water and enter after setting your clothes on a nearby shelf.

>As you soak you think about that horrible face.

>Is that really part of Luna?

>You begin to wash yourself and let the thoughts slip away.

>You finish and get out before drying off and picking up a straight razor.

>You start shaving again after applying some shaving cream to your face.

>It takes a while, but you finish up and rinse your face.

>You take a towel to your face and get dressed.

>You head back to the main room and put on your hat and holster.

>Revolver safely stowed away, you grab your belt and slide it around your waist.

>You’d removed that buckle and stuck it in a drawer.

>It was ugly as fuck and you didn’t want to wear it.

>Fucking magic and shit.

>You sit down at the table and await your food to be brought in.

>Same time every day for the past few days.

>Today would be no different.

>You start thinking about home.

>How’s the farm holding up without you?

>Hell, they’ve probably found a replacement already.

>Family?

>Worried most likely.

>Course’ there isn’t much you can do about it.

>If Luna can’t figure out how to get you back, then there ain’t nothin’ to do about it.

>You’re stuck here.

>You shake your head, trying to get rid of the thoughts of home.

>You need to get used to being here.

>Right after you get out of your current imprisonment.

>Three more days, you remind yourself.

>Three more.

 

>Three more nights.

>Three more nights you have to master this enchantment spell.

>One more time.

>You begin the spell again and this time it holds.

>Time for the more complicated one.

>You can’t afford to mess this up.

>You need to get this right as soon as possible.

>What’s more, you can’t just preform the normal spell.

>This spell creates an elaborate pair of butterfly wings that allows an earth pony or unicorn to fly and use all the abilities given to a Pegasus.

>His pride wouldn’t allow him to use such a thing.

>You need to adjust the spell some.

>Yes, Pegasus wings.

>Those seem much more appropriate for him.

>Much more attra-

>You shake your head as you feel heat on your face.

>You won’t think of him as such; he’s a different species for starters.

>He’s also your friend.

>Your ONLY friend.

>You can’t afford to lose him because of foalish affection.

>Your sister wouldn’t take kindly to it either.

>She had a strong dislike for the human, and his own attitude made the conflict between them worse.

>Still… why were you doing this?

>You knew why.

>You wouldn’t admit it, but you knew why.

>You need a test subject.

>You call for a maid, a unicorn with a mint green coat.

>”You requested my presence, your highness?”

 

“Yes. I require an assistant for a spell.”

 

>”What could I do, your highness? I am but a maid.”

 

“Hold still.”

 

>You close your eyes and focus.

>A spiral of magic shoots from your horn and encloses the maid like a cocoon.

>When the shell goes away, a winged unicorn is left.

>Not an Alicorn obviously, but the same in physical appearance.

>She flexes them, looking at them in awe.

 

“Tis’ a modified spell. It shall wear off in three days’ time. Thank you.”

 

>The maid leaves and you find a gem.

>Time to see if you can get this to work.

>You focus with all your might.

>The gem fractures and shatters.

>You frown.

>That’s not good.

>You compress the spell, working in a mental trigger as a sort of way to turn it on and off at will.

>That went even worse; the gem turned to dust.

>This would take time.

 

>Yep, another game won.

>That day you’d won another game against your new “Poker buddies”.

>Not bad.

>Now it was back to… ugh… Solitaire.

>God fucking dammit.

>Two more days.

>Two more.

 

>That night you have another vision.

>It’s clearer now.

>You can make out two vaguely familiar blurs.

>”…Warned…my sister…!”

>”…can’t have…. Can I?!”

>”…would defy me?!”

>”I would!”

>You shoot awake.

>If these nightmares kept up, you’d become unable to function during the day.

 

>The gems are lasting longer, but they’re still not holding up permanently.

>You’ve tried just about everything.

>It’s not working.

>You growl at your own inability.

>Your own inability.

>Your heart sinks as your realize that your sister would probably be capable of this feat.

>No!

>You were not only Alicorn, but a princess as well!

>She was not your superior!

>You wanted to do this!

>You WOULD do this!

>You HAD TO do this!

>New determination, you begin trying to manipulate the spell again.

>You had one more night to get this right.