The Apprentice [PiE] (WiP)

>You've been warned about her.

>Stories are told and rumors spread of her sorcery and pacts with the devil.

>Parents told their children she would eat them if she got them alone.

>No one has ever witnessed such acts first-hand, but they don't stop the accusations from flowing.

>They wonder how she wasn't purged in Lionhart's holy crusade.

>Probably trough some form of trickery.

>Some say that if you go deep into the forest at night, you can see strange lights coming from her direction.

>Sometimes they hear explosions or exotic animals.

>Beings not of this region or even of this world.

>But no one is ever brave enough to investigate, so the claims remain rumor and fables.

>Everyone avoids her on the occasions she comes into town.

>Mothers will drag their kids inside and men will cease all activity to watch her.

>This cloaked, hooded woman would walk through the village carrying a small basket.

>Just another errand run, you thought.

>Everyone else remained on edge, however.

>She's an outcast, and the townspeople would remain she stay that way.

>One afternoon, curiosity finally overcame fear in your adolescent mind.

>You want to know the truth.

>Is she really a witch?

>If not, maybe a misunderstood woman can find acceptance.

>And if she is, you will be hailed as the town savior.

>This should be easy.

 

>You watch the hag closely as she wanders through town.

>Oddly enough, she exchanges some strange powders, roots, and some mushrooms for normal food.

>A few more odds and ends are traded for as well, but nothing too unusual.

>She hardly speaks, except to the vendor she's bartering with.

>She seems to be giving him the better deal in the trade as well.

>When the witch decides her time here is done, and with her groceries in hand, she makes her way back through the village and into the woods.

>You keep a healthy distance behind her to avoid detection.

>She walks along the dirt path, unnerved by the foggy, dark, and just overall creepy atmosphere.

>As you duck into bushed and behind trees, you can't help but keep an eye out into the forest as well.

>You've heard bad things about this forest, and you don't intend on becoming another addition to the story of the Lost Children.

>At one point the woman stops.

>Just stops and stands there, as if she detected someone was pursuing her.

>You freeze your every muscle and quiet your breathing with an open mouth.

>A minute or two goes by before the woman continues on her way.

>You stay frozen for a bit after she starts moving again before you resume following her.

>'That was a close one,' you thought.

 

>The whole walk takes an hour before you finally come upon a small hovel in a clearing in the forest.

>You stay away for the moment and keep to the undergrowth.

>Spying on the woman from afar, she enters her home.

>All is quiet for a minute or two, but then a flash.

>A flood of purple light escapes the windows.

>Motivated by morbid curiosity, you slowly creep from your place in the bushes up to the window.

>Peeking up over the window sill, you spot her mere feet from the window, but facing the other way.

>You quickly duck your head back beneath the edge, grateful she hasn't seen you.

>Again, you decide to peek up into the window.

>Maybe you can see if-

>OH MY GOD, WHERE DID SHE GO!

>As a chill runs up your spine, you are spooked right out of your skin.

>"What are you doing?" comes a voice from behind.

>You jump, spin around, and force yourself into the wall of the house to get every possible milimeter between you two.

"NO PLEASE DON'T EAT ME I DON'T EVEN TASTE THAT GOOD I'M SORRY I'M SORRY!!!"

>You devolve into a fit of tears and broken gibberish.

>The witch just stands there, her eyes overshadowed by her hood.

>And then a smile creases her lips.

 

>You cower against the wall, at mercy to anything this woman decides to do with you.

>Will she turn you into a frog?

>Will she bake you into bread?

>What if she skins you to-!

>A soft touch on your shoulder ceases your wild thoughts.

>"Hey. Please calm down," she says.

>...

>That's not the scraggily voice of a witch.

>You turn your head to look at her hand placed on your shoulder.

>It's light-colored and smooth.

>That's not the wrinkly, long-nailed hand of a witch either...

>With tears still on your cheeks, you look up to meet her gaze, but only see the shadow of her cloak.

>But her smile and soft lips calm you further.

>You finally speak.

"S-So... Y-You're not going to... Eat... me?"

>The woman cocks her head to the side, her smile disappearing for a moment.

>And then she laughs.

>Was it something you said?

>"Eat you?" she asked for clarification.

>You nod.

>Then she quickly shakes her head.

>"No, I'm not going to eat you."

"Are... Are you sure?"

>She nods.

>"Positive."

"You're not going to turn me into a frog? Or bake me into bread or something?"

>Again, she shakes her head.

>"No, dear."

 

>Well.

>Don't you look like the biggest creep.

>Stalking this lady all the way out here and then peeking in her window.

>Only to get surprised by the one person you were hiding from.

>You should probably work on that.

>The woman's hand is removed from your shoulder and is instead extended down towards you.

>You accept her assistance and stand.

>"Come inside," she said. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

>You would enjoy that, actually.

>You nod your head and follow her around the house, only now realizing that in mere seconds, she moved quite the distance unnoticed.

>She holds the door for you and lets you inside.

>There was a collection of books on shelves around the house.

>A rack of beakers and glass tubes sat on the counter; some brought to boil by a small flame.

>Her bed sat in the corner and a table and two chairs in the center of the room.

>An owl sat up near the ceiling.

>It's solid stare pierced your soul.

>It in itself was almost terrifying.

>And then it let out a little 'Hoo'.

>"Owlicious," said the woman. "Say 'Hi' to our guest."

>"Hoo."

>A trained owl!

>You've heard stories of people doing it, but never thought it was really possible.

 

>The woman set a tea pot over a wood stove, takes a place at the table, and removes her hood.

>She shakes and brushes her long, purple hair with her hands to get it straight.

>A pink and red stripe accents her gorgeous hair.

>Her eyes are kind and face is smooth.

>She is definitely not the old hag she was made out to be.

>The woman motions for you to join her at the table.

>You take your seat and continue looking about the one-room house.

>The next thing you notice is a large, jewel-encrusted, gold crown-tiara thing sitting in a display case near her bed.

>Is this lady royalty?

>Or just a collector of emenities?

>"So what's you name?" questions the woman.

>Your attention snaps right back to her.

"Huh? Oh! My name is Anonymous."

>You hold a hand out across the table, which she meets with her own.

>"That's an odd name for a human," she comments.

>Wait, what?

>"My name's Twilight," she introduces. "Twilight Sparkle."

>You give a short laugh.

"That's a funny name."

>"And Anonymous isn't?" she asks with a smile.

"Yeah, you're right."

>The owl comes down from it's perch and rests on Twilight's arm.

>"Anonymous. This is my pet, assistant, and good friend, Owlicious."

>"Hoo." responds the owl.

"Nice to meet you."

>"Hoo."

 

"So..." you start. "What do you do out here?"

>"Well. I like to study in physics, chemistry, and other sciences. The seclusion helps."

"Is that all? Everyone seems to think you're some kind of monster or something! Like, demons and stuff! Eating children and signing a pact with the devil."

>Twilight gives a friendly laugh and shakes her head.

>"Oh, no. Nothing like that at all. Believe me, I've heard the whispers. It's a little hurtful, but I understand how someone acting mysterious would be deemed otherwise."

>The tea pot starts to whistle loudly.

>Twilight points an open hand towards the stove.

>With purple, glowing eyes and an aura around her hand, she envelops the tea pot in a similar aura and lifts it from it's place and set it on the able between the two of you.

>She also pulls two tea cups and plates from the cupboard.

>Your eyes go wide and you choke on any and all words.

>Twilight takes the tea pot in her hands and pours you a cup.

>She notices your panic-stricken face.

>"Anonymous?"

>You fall back out of your chair and scoot yourself away from the table to the wall.

>The rumors were true!

>"Anonymous! What's wrong?" asked Twilight as she stood from her seat.

"Y-You were... Magic... Witch!" you shout while pointing an accusing finger at her.

>"Oooh..."

>Twilight smiles and sits back down.

>"Ah, okay. I should have realized that's what it was. Please take a seat. I'll explain."

>You don't want to be here anymore, but to avoid any wrath, you slowly climb to your feet, set your chair back, and sit down.

 

>"Please don't be scared," pleaded Twilight.

"Y-You're a witch..." you mumble.

>Twilight took a sip of her tea.

>"I prefer the term 'sorceress'," she said. "Witches are more dark magic and rituals. I prefer to practice more conventional magics."

"I had no idea magic was even real. I thought it was all fairy tales."

>Without a word, Twilight extended a hand and telekinetically grabbed a book off a nearby shelf.

>She placed it down before you with the cover up.

>'Schools of Magic' read the cover.

>"This is an elementary book," explained Twilight. "It explains the basic schools of magic. Take a look."

>You carefully open the cover, expecting it to explode in your face somehow.

>Miraculously, nothing happens, encouraging you to delve further.

>The table of contents details each particular school.

>You decide that instead of reading, you can just ask for a layman's explanation of everything.

 

>First on the list...

"What is... Alteration?" you ask.

>"That's where we can manipulate the physical world or natural properties to suit our needs," explains Twilight. "You can make a flower grow in the winter, let yourself breathe underwater, turn your skin into stone for protection, or even paralyse others."

>That last one kind of unnerves you.

>Hopefully this question doesn't turn out bad.

"Can I... Can I see it?"

>"A demonstration? Sure."

>Twilight looks around the room for something to perform on.

>She levitates over a scrap of tree bark.

>"Telekinesis is also Alteration in a basic form," she explains.

>And without a word, her eyes glow and she presses her hand to the bark on the table, causing it to lightly glow.

>You watch as the texture and color of the object begins to change.

>It turns a neutral grey and you can almost hear the fibers of the plant crack as they harden.

>When Twilight finishes, she simple hands the piece over to you.

>It's a lot heavier than it was and hard as a rock.

"That's amazing," you comment.

 

>Next on the list is Conjuration.

>"In a nut shell? Summoning," explains Twilight.

"Like demons and monsters?" you ask.

>Twilight politely shakes her head.

>"Not quite, but yes. There's a darker side to Conjuration, but it usually involves black magic and rituals. Like I said, I don't practice it."

"You don't practice summoning? Or black magic?"

>"Black magic," clarifies Twilight. "Here."

>She stands from her place and lifts both arms to her side.

>Both hands glow along with her eyes.

>With a quick motion, and a flash of light, you see a ghostly wolf materialize before her.

>You're off-put by the creature she decided to summon, but come to when she crouches to pet the newly-arrived minion.

>It walks around the table and sits before you, almost begging to be pet.

>You cave and scratch him behind the ears.

>The wolf's response is to rapidly tap his hind leg on the wooden floor.

>With a hand pointed at the summoned creature, Twilight's eyes glow once more as she dismisses it.

>It fades from under your hand just as it had when it arrived.

 

>Destruction was the next topic in the index.

>"It's pretty straight-forward," said Twilight. "Control of the elements. Fire, Ice, and Lightning."

>Holding her hands about a foot apart in front of her, her eyes glow once again.

>A small flame appears between her hands.

>It quickly grows into a small spinning ball of fire.

>Twilight decides to show off by spinning it around her body, leaving a small comet trail wherever it went.

>Then she got gutsy and started flying it around the room and over your head.

>It broke into several more balls and soon the house had a small pyrotechnic show going on.

>In a spectacular finish, they all met in the middle of the table.

>Before they crashed into each other, they flew straight up, twisting around each other.

>They hit the ceiling and exploded into a brilliant circular wave of flame.

>And then it dissipated.

>You applaud your host, who bows like a true performer.

 

"What is Illusion?" you ask Twilight.

>"Manipulation. Like Alteration, but mental more than physical."

"What can you do?"

>"Plenty, really. You can strike fear into someone to make them not want to fight. You can also calm them down or anger them too. Invisibility also falls under this category."

"Ooh. I'd like to see that."

>Twilight smiled and held her hand above her head, the other on her hip.

>Eyes glow, and she snaps her finger.

>A thin veil of smoke shrouds her.

>When it dissipates, she is nowhere to be seen.

"Wow!" you exclaim.

>Twilight moved around the room, which you could spot from the ripples from the contours of her body if you looked closely.

>"It's a handy spell," said Twilight. "But it takes some getting used to. I've tripped over myself more times than I can count."

>With another snap of her finger, Twilight comes back into view.

 

"What's Restoration?" you ask.

>"Healing, basically," says Twilight. "Cut yourself, and patch yourself up. It can't restore limbs or anything, so don't get any ideas."

>Damn, she beat you to it.

>Think of something else, quick.

"So if I get sick or something, you could heal me?"

>"A little. I'm not too well-versed in the subject. I barely know the basics."

"Oh. Okay. That sounds like something that would be very useful around town. You would think the priests would be better at it?"

>Twilight scoffed.

>You turn your head up at her.

>"Nothing," she said. "Anything else?"

>Aside from the next section on Necromancy, there's nothing.

>Twilight says she doesn't like that sort of thing.

>According to her, that's the darker, more evil magic.

>The one your village fears.

>It's probably best to leave that one alone.

 

>The two of you sit around the table and continue sipping on your tea.

>You ask a million and one questions about magic and if anyone can learn it.

>You deeply admire her skill and knowledge in the subject and across all schools.

>Twilight is deeply appreciative of your interest and enthusiasm.

>Frankly, she's just happy to have someone to talk in-depth about her talents and knowledge.

>Taking a look outside, the sun is starting to get low in the sky.

>"I think it's about time you head home," she said. "We don't want your parents to get worried."

>You pouted and kicked at the floor.

"Aww... Alright..."

>You stand and head for the door.

>Twilight meets you at the door to say goodbye.

>She puts a hand on your chin and lifts your head to meet her eyes.

>"Hey. If you want to come back tomorrow, I'll be happy to show you a thing or two. If you're willing to learn, that is."

>Your face lit up.

"Wow! You really mean it!"

>She nods, and you jump and cheer.

>"Just meet me back here tomorrow, alright?"

"Yeah! Thank you, Twilight!"

 

>Rushing off home, you can't wait to get to sleep to make tomorrow come faster.

>You quickly slow down, however, once you realize that everyone still thinks she's some kind of evil witch.

>And you've been gone all day, about the time she was last seen in town.

>A sinking feeling hits the pit of your stomach.

>She'll be the prime suspect!

>If you can get home fast enough, maybe you can avoid any possible consequences.

>Your legs carry you as fast as they can down the foggy dirt road.

>That also begs the question of magic.

>You can't let anyone know.

>You need a cover.

>Coming back into the village, you find your house and enter.

>You hysterical mother is the first to greet you.

>"Where have you been!" she cried.

"I'm okay, mom. Really. I just got lost in the woods."

>"Oh thank goodness that witch didn't find you! We may have never seen you again!"

"Actually, mom... She did."

 

>Your mom pushed and held you at arms length and lightly shook you by the shoulders.

>"What did she do to you!" she demanded.

"Nothing, mom. I'm fine. She fed me bread and tea and helped me back home."

>Your mother, still suspicious, let a sigh of relief and hugged you close.

>"Please don't scare us like that again," she said. "You know of the dangers of the forest. Twilight is the most dangerous time."

>You almost laugh, but hold it in.

"Mom? I got a question. Can I go back tomorrow? She said she needs an assistant to work for her."

>"Hm... Go do your chores," she said. "I'll talk to your father when he gets home."

>That's a big 'no' more than likely.

>You do as your told and go to bed.

>Tomorrow can't come soon enough.

>You don't care about their decision.

>You want to become the apprentice of Twilight Sparkle.