Understanding (FINISHED)

[SteelEagle]

 

"It was wonderful working with you, Starry. I hope you can get a grasp over the Reisa," Twilight said to the Coltkatan pony, who bowed and slowly left. Twilight sighed and allowed herself a moment to relax.

 

It had been a wonderful idea and not one she necessarily disliked moving forward with. There were many ponies who would seek her advice regarding magic naturally and by opening up some elements of her own archive she thought she could help ponies with magical questions and issues. Her personal archives were home to some of the rarest and most exquisite  pieces of magical knowledge and literature ever written, along with her own research data and collections. She had dealt with several ponies today with an open door policy which upset her guards a little, but she had more than a few safeguards in place. More importantly, she was helping ponies and she couldn't help but appreciate all of the varied ways and means ponies tried to conquer their magical destinies.

 

And how she could help them, really, was by being there, answering questions, and helping them locate that which was important t their own understanding of magic. It was somewhat unusual to find a pony coming to her that had a firm grasp of what he or she was trying to do but it wasn't unheard of for somepony to come to her less for help and more for a simple discussion.  Starry hadn't been that mare, but no doubt somepony would come in soon like that. Twilight went about cleaning the archives and prepping the small experimental lab she had temporarily set up. After a few minutes of cleaning and getting a small drink, she opened the door and allowed the next guest of hers in.

 

"Welcome to the Archives! How may I help you?"

[Novaburst]

There were those who believed that friends were the greatest power. Twilight Sparkle was one of those ponies, but Shadow Scribe was not. Friendship didn't matter in the long run, because the friends you had would die off. Of course given he'd never had friends, because he'd been busy training himself in combat magic under his uncle, and dark and chaos magic as well,  Shadow didn't know much about the power of friendship.  Approaching the Princess once he entered, he'd smile at her softly and then look around for a moment. Finally he said.   "By any chance are there books on runic magic?" asked Shadow Scribe. "Or enchantment, actually?" 

[SteelEagle]

 

It wasn't that she was expecting anything other than a unicorn but he was a striking example of the species. A pitch black stallion with unusual eyes- it was true that she saw many ponies daily and thus she could fill quite the album full of unusually statured ponies with strange visages, but it didn't mean any new one wasn't a treasure in its own right. And he didn't really look odd, simply just striking. It was almost as striking as his blunt and forward questions. She appreciated that because at least she didn't have to question if he knew what he was looking for or was simply lost in the weeds of magical instruction.

Rune magic and enchantment were not the most common avenues of magical instruction in Equestria, but neither were they entirely too rare. Enchantment was often sought by earth ponies who wanted a taste of something more obviously magical than the subtle magics they were afforded. Rune magic in Equestria was less well known because of its relative difficulty and lack of practical application outside of a few very specific areas of focus. It was unusual for ponies to ask about either in comparison to more common forms of magic, but certainly nothing she wasn't prepared for.

"Oh, of course I do!" Twilight said with no small hint of excitement. Her horn lit up and a few rows of a few shelves lit up. "They are here and here! Each section has been alphabetized within their own fields. What is your interest in Rune magic and enchantment, if you don't me asking?" Twilight asked with all the pleasant curiosity that was her natural want in times of study and education.

[Novaburst]

"Well if you honestly must know, Princess it's part of my special talent..." said Shadow Scribe, looking at her. She was certainly good...no. Bad brain. Stop thinking about things like that. Banishing those thought from his head,  Shadow Scribe sighed for a moment.  "I've got a lot of reading to do. To be honest, I prefer learning hooves on when it comes to magic,  as I've never been a big fan of learning magic this way...."  He'd say, as he went over to one of the shelves and pulled out a beginner's guide to Runic Magic. There was a lot he had to learn. "There's also another reason that I need the books on magic..."  

 

He'd light up his horn and his sword, the Red Sun Blade appeared near them, but deactivated. Right now it appeared to be a simple hilt, but with a gem that had a lot of runes carved into it. "You see this blade is a sort of Family Heirloom, and I'm trying to figure out how it works. I'm also trying to make a duplicate of it, Princess. But my efforts i that regard have been total flops..." said Shadow miserably.   "My uncle will be so mad that I haven't made any progress with what he's taught me in runic magic, or the other forms of magic that he taught me...." said Shadow sighing. 

"Also tell me, Twilight. Do you take apprentices in Harmonic Magic?" 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight understood that study was not everypony's chosen form of magical instruction, even if for her own bits it was easily the most efficient way to process the immense amount of knowledge needed to accurately regulate all the minor points that went into the most powerful of magics. It wasn't the strength or potential of a pony that really determined what type of magic they could cast, after all. It was how the smallest details were used and configured and how they could manipulate the larger strands of the aether as a pony manipulated it. Still, that was simply her perspective on the matter. There were as many ways of learning as there were ponies and it was one of the greatest and most powerful qualities of a pony, their ability to find new and incredible ways to absorb information. He was more of a hooves on learner and somepony whose magic was more readily attune to this, two things that went together very well.

 

Then there was the subject of his family heirloom. Magical weapons weren't too uncommon in terms of artifacts for Equestria. While she existed for hundreds of years in relative peace, her ancient past was as exciting in the history books as most others. Since magical weapons held little import to the Royals, those that were distinctly made and maintain by families were left out of the Royal Guard's coffers. And with it being a sword made from runic magic, doubly so. Twilight's eyes sparkled as she examined it. "May I?" She said with all the anticipation of an overeager foal as she levitated it close. "I can certainly inspect it for you, though I would advise against trying to duplicate it. Magic evolves and changes over time, even if the specifications are the same- aether changes, after all. Learn first, then when you're ready, take it up with a aetheral blacksmith at the Royal Armory. He could probably give some great advice on how to replicate it, and it can be a registered magical weapon- allows for access to more specialized forms as well," she said, sighing at the last request. It was one she had heard often.

 

"I'm sorry, but you can't really...learn, Harmonic magic. It is the magic of friendship; friendship is the key. Have that, and you will have the essence of Harmonic magic. Now, let's see what we can do here..." she said, materializing a pillar with an indent in it, placing the sword in it. Strange purple and black whisps of smoke surrounded it. "So, what's the story behind this piece?"

[Novaburst]

"The sword was made in the Pre Unification Era, according to my uncle.  It's a blade that has more than a few special properties to it, Princess, I've managed to enhance it with a few spells of my own. I still haven't figured out what all it can do, although I was able to create a runic magic item of my own..."  He said, levitating over his armored shoes out of one of his saddle bags. These were supposed to give the strength of an Earth Pony to him, but didn't. They instead gave it when he didn't need it, or when he did need it, they were going to malfunction and strip him of the strength that he needed at that time.  "These boots were my creation, my first "success" with runic magic, if you can call it that. They work, but they don't work like I want them to." 

 

Friendship was the key to harmonic magic? Had his uncle been wrong? Was Friendship a worthwhile magic? The words of the Princess put doubts in his mind about the lessons of his uncle, and how his uncle had refused to allow him to make friends. Thinking about that, for a moment he was confused to say the least, presently, but he didn't allow himself to focus on his confusion.  "So, tell me Princess. Have you ever been out past the Crystal Empire, in the Frozen North? My uncle would love to meet you! He'd love to study how you were able to ascend into Alicornhood, assuming you let him. He's raised me ever since I tried to get into Celestia's school for the gifted, but failed the entrance exam. "  He said, with a smile on his face. 

"Also, Princess. Would you mind if we eventually became friends?" 

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight studied the sword. Runic magic was a very interesting subset of magic, one not often utilized for magical weapons or other artifacts of required use. Runic magic was far less stressful to the aetheral plane and thus easier to work with if one knew how to work runes, but only somepony who could work runes would understand it, and runes had another large effect. Positive or negative, a matter of perspective. Most runic artifacts were inert purely because it only worked when being used by somepony of the same blood. A sword, for instance, would lose all magical properties if wielded by anypony who wasn't a relative or ancestor. This made their value as weapons limited, and more so, their value outside of familial ties very low. This was true of well-made pieces as well as poorly made ones. Still, they were all very great works of art.

 

She compared the two pieces, with Shadow Scribe showing his newer piece. It had all the tell tale signs of something not so mastercrafted, though still quality on its own. The base runic enchantment was off; he had not succeeded. Still, they shared something in common- blood ties, something she could track with the aether. Her horn lit up and her eyes went white as she dove into the mysteries of the blood. Knowing the aetheral effects of Shadow's work allowed her to follow the ancestral lines of aether on the old device. Once she did that, deciphering what it could do was a matter or work and moments rather than toil and days. Finally she was done, and the sword was gentle placed back down, its old runes lighting up brightly as Twilight flashed a big smile.

 

"For starters, it is a very interesting design. Most Pre-Unification magical weapons that exist today had more obvious effects. Sturdy, hard to have them simply wither on the vine. Now, the actual effects of this sword aren't all that stupendous, but it has several of them and they exist layered in deep, with redundancies woven in. Primarily, it acts as an aetheral sever. Even a near miss from this can cause grave harm to a target by severing their connection to the aether, if only momentarily. All Equestrians are, by nature, magical. By cutting off their connection to magic you can cause sickness and a general sense of imbalance and ill-ease. While not as 'exciting' as shooting lightning or something else suitably flashy, it is nonetheless very effective. And, currently, an illegal form of combat- I would advise against trying to copy that. Secondly, it 'attaches' to the severed strands of aether and draws power from it. This is reflected by making it lighter and more capable of cutting through targets. It has the side benefit of increasing the amount of time a near-miss can effect the intended victims.

 

There are enough anti-magic pieces of armor to render most of it moot nowadays, but still fascinating. As for the boots; it is a common misconception that Earth ponies are stronger. They are not. Hence, your boots don't work as intended as the runes aren't capable of fulfilling your design. Earth ponies instead are capable of greater feats of strength due to their magically enhanced endurance. Their muscles aren't any tauter or thicker, but they tear much slower and they tire just as lethargically, at least in comparison to other species. Secondly, pieces of equipment can't be enchanted so. This would work in giving you such abilities in your legs perhaps, but nothing for the rest of the body. You'd need to formulate a bigger piece to have a more useful impact," Twilight said, writing notes and reading books as she trotted about the archive, always happy to expand her knowledge. 

 

"I've been very far north and very far south- past Whitescar to the north and Unyasi to the south, so yes. Your uncle would be welcome to visit me, and I never mind a friend- it's what makes Equestria tick, after all," she said with a laugh, levitating a glass of water over to him.
 

[Novaburst]

 

Quote

And, currently, an illegal form of combat- I would advise against trying to copy that. 

 

"Wait. I've been carrying a weapon that is illegal? I didn't even know about that, Princess. I'll have to...."

 

Shadow looked down. For what he was about to say was something that scared, and depressed him.  

 

"... Destroy the Red Sun Sword." 

 

"My uncle will be furious beyond belief with me, but since it is a weapon that is made for an illegal form of combat, it shouldn't exist Princess. This is why i am going to destroy it right now, even though I know my uncle will hate me for it." 

 

Shadow's horn began to pulsate with magic, but stopped when he heard what she said about his boots. 

 

"So THAT's what's been wrong with them. Too small of a surface area, and probably not enough Aetherial connections, am I right?" 

 

Shadow listened to what she was saying next. She'd be happy to have him as a friend? But he hadn't done that much for her. What had he possibly done to make himself worthy of her friendship? And was Friendship a valid source of powers, anyway? His uncle didn't think so. 

 

"i'll send a letter to my uncle to come visit, and he very well might Princess. You might get along well with him, but you might not. He's a grizzled Unicorn Battle Mage and is in charge of several runic items that have been in our family for generations. Recently he passed the Red Sun Sword to me, saying I'd need it more." 

 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight's eyes grew large at the mention of destroying the sword. It was a very silly thing to do! Artifacts were infinitely more valuable kept whole than destroyed. Sure, one could benefit from studying the base aetheral particulates that made up any magical artifact. That was always a worthwhile cause. But to destroy it out of hoof because you believed its mere existence was trouble? That was a matter all together separate from the legality of certain forms of combat in modern Equestria. Luckily he grew distracted, which allowed Twilight time to calm down and allow the conversation to roll back to where she could help him. When it was time, she spoke.

 

"You don't need to destroy the sword. Simply...don't use it. Considering the circumstances that would find somepony in need of a weapon in Modern Equestria unless they are in the employ of the Guards or REA are exceedingly rare, that shouldn't be hard," she said, sighing to herself. Despite alarmist commentary contrary to what she just said, Equestrians were after today than they had ever been, and very rarely was that safety actually violated. There were forces that worked in the dark against the light but if you were a simple pony walking the streets and roads of Equestria you'd be hard pressed to have a bad time, let alone be in danger. No reason to use it, also no reason to freak out about its very existence. Back to the boots.

 

"Yes. That and the basic idea isn't workable- again, there is nothing to replicate about an Earth Pony's strength, so focusing aether on that causes misfired connections as well. Refocus on what is magical for better results,"Twilight summoned some glasses of water, "thirsty?" she asked, offering the glass as she drank hers. Gave her time to consider what Scribe meant by calling his grandfather a 'battle mage'. Such terminology was inaccurate as battlemages in the traditional sense hadn't existed for over a thousand years. Since much of the Guard and REA were unicorns spell craft was common enough that 'battle mages' were of very limited value. That and the training they had undergone back when they were in use was so expensive that it was cheaper, and more effective, to train a platoon of normal Guardsmen than it was for a single battlemage. Still, she wasn't going to shut it off easily. "It would be a pleasure to meet him. I'm sure he has many great grains of insight!" she said, always excited to speak with the older generation.
 

[Novaburst]

Shadow levitated over one of the glasses using chaos magic, rather than normal magic be.

 

"You see, my uncle didn't just teach me the secrets of Runic Magic, Twilight. He had more than that, including knowledge of both dark magic, and chaotic magic at his disposal. He didn't view either as taboo, and well personally I don't either.  Having the sword though is too much of a temptation,  Princess. This is why I am giving it to you, a gift from me to you. You might love to study it, and you have more than enough time on your plate in order to study it,  while I've got a lot of work to do according to my uncle." 

 

His sword was levitated over to her with dark magic,  putting it in front of her. 

 

"The sword is yours to do with as you please, Princess. "

 

When she mentioned the boots, Shadow thought about it. Her ideas were more than sound. No wonder his creation had been going haywire. Thinking about it for several moments, Shadow nodded finally. "I can see where my mistakes were in making them now, Princess. Thank you. You know, you'd be my first friend, actually?" 

 

Shadow then asked her.   "Could you help me create a legal version of my sword? Not that I doubt I could, but I just don't want to create something that could potentially endanger other ponies because of it malfunctioning at the worst possible times...." said Shadow to the Princess of Friendship. 

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight had more magical artifacts than there were stars in the Manehattan sky by a longshot, and it was approaching the sky above Ponyville at this rate. Many ponies knew of her interest in the arcane and had gifted her family artifacts for eternal preservation while many others were recovered by one of many organizations she had made. Dangerous relics needed to be kept safe and secure after all. Weapons weren't anywhere near as dangerous as others. Even when enchanted, the magic was focused in very obvious points and areas, which was easier to counter than most artifacts and their less defined points of artifice. Nonetheless, she received each gift with the same warmth and each dangerous piece of gear with the same careful application of protection.

 

"Thank you for this gift, Shadow," she said, waiting for him to be done with it. She then levitated it. Next to her a small section of space perhaps no bigger than a strand of manehair opened up. Into this purple void was the sword sucked, stretching the materials and thinning them until it fit into and then popped out of existence. At the Keepers headquarters located in inter-dimensional space there were several dozen archives magically enchanted to keep artifacts held for further study, safe and secure. The sword floated into an open slot and an inscription was made over the deuterium box that it was held in, with latches and straps of enhanced adamantium keeping it secure as it was slotted in with a dull thud. And thus would the sword be kept until she had time to study. "I will ensure it stays safe and sound for as long as I'm around."

 

She took the gift as he continued speaking about the type of magic he knew how to use. Or in the case of chaos magic, believed he knew how to use. Chaotic magic was inherently anti-harmonic and anti-Equestrian in philosophy yet it did exist in some corners of the nation. It was also something that operated more or as a sapient parasite than anything else. You worked with it, you didn't control it or us it. It worked with you as long as you gave it what it wanted, eve if you didn't know. Most chaotic mages suffered in some manner. The most powerful unicorn practitioner of chaotic magic alive spent half of his life convinced he was a kitten. Others were mad or had lost their home lives, couldn't pronounce certain letters, or even changed genders and age randomly. Chaotic magic was fickle and dangerous, if still powerful. Shadow likely knew that, but the lack of any obvious issues spoke to future issues with it. "Chaotic magic is inherently too unstable for any real long term use. Make sure to be safe."

 

First friend? "Well, I am honored to be your first, Shadow," she said, purposely leaving dead the question of why. Back onto magic. "Have you considered not making a sword? Aggression is inherent in an arcane weapon. The very act of their creation begs response. Perhaps make something for protection rather than engagement? Enchanted clothing is a popular one."

[Novaburst]

"I know how to use chaos magic, but I don't use it Princess. It like my sword was one of my  "trump cards"  but I don't need the sword anymore. A weapon like that is too dangerous for the hooves of ponies to possess, and thus I gave it to you. You said to be careful with my chaos magic? I am. Don't often use it, unless there's a serious problem that my other forms of magic can't handle." 

 

When she asked him about enchanting clothing instead of making a sword, Shadow considered it. On the one hoof, it was a safer option but held it's own risks. For example his enchanting clothing could cause the clothes to drain his magic. It was one of the reasons he was reluctant to do so, but there were other reasons as well. Enchanting was not his strong suit, and Runic Magic was hard to get right for him. 

 

"If I were to try my hand at enchanting clothing, I'd need to learn more about enchanting... more about runic than I do know. Given most of my creations mess up, as you saw with the boots...." 

 

He'd then say to Twilight. 

 

"Though I rarely use chaos magic, I've noticed my attempts to replicate that sword earlier in life mess up more often than not. It's like I can't get the runes just right on anything I've tried to make so far. Still, I'm going to keep trying, my friend. Say, Twilight. If I do convince my uncle to come here, you think you might be able to hire him for a job or something so he has a reason to stay somewhere a lot safer, as he is an older Unicorn?" 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight sighed. Ponies vastly overextended themselves when considering the innate dangers of certain forms of magic. Enchanting could not sap your magic. Nothing from the aether could sap the aether. Sever, disrupt, obfuscate? Of course, and many did so. But they were to an item the works of expert craftsponies in the world of enchantment. The idea you could create a sweatshirt that would leave you writing on the ground in agony due to the forced leaking of aether from your aura was a bit silly, yet a common enough fear in the community of magically gifted ponies as to render it an educational necessity for the future. Still, he likely needed more experience. The best experience was practice.

"Well, you tried an enchantment that could't work regardless for the boots, so I wouldn't use that as a barometer of how good you'd be at this. Not even I could have made that specific enchantment work- I've explained that already. What you do is start simply. Simple shirt, simple enchantment. Do that a few times. Make it so the easy stuff is routine, then move on to progressively more powerful enchantments. It should be noted that standard clothing can only be enchanted so much. To achieve truly effective enchantments you'll need to invest in pre-enchanted clothing," Twilight said as she started to levitate more intermediate works on enchanting towards him.

"Also, read these. They are all excellent aides for any enchanter, and should smooth out any rough edges you have. As for your uncle, I can't promise to hire him. I haven't even met him, and there is a lot of vetting that goes into a job like that. What I can say is that he'll get a fair shake at any job he applies for."

[Novaburst]

Shadow listened to her. So the key was to start out smaller with his enchantments, rather than go for the big ones initially. It was worthy a shot. Pre-enchanted clothing might be useful as well, or at least that's what she thought. But... he wasn't so sure. His uncle had told him time and time again not to rely on the works of others, but to do the tasks himself and become stronger for it. Was such a Philosophy flawed on a critical level? For once Shadow was confused. Had everything his uncle taught him been wrong?

 

No, it couldn't have all been wrong. His uncle had mentored him after he had failed the entrance exam at Celestia's School for the Gifted. Sure he couldn't hatch a Dragon Egg, not many other than Princess Twilight could succeed at such. As she levitated the books on intermediate enchantment towards them, he caught them in his magic. 

 

"I will send my uncle a letter that you will give him a fair chance.. Knowing him he's probably already on his way to Ponyville because I gave you the Red Sun Sword." 

Shadow lowered the books nearby before approaching Twilight and hugging her. 

 

After a moment he'd blush, and let go before saying. 

 

"When my uncle does arrive, please don't take offense if he tries to put you through your paces magically through a magical duel. It's just his way of getting to know powerful individuals, anyway. He likes to talk shop a lot about magic, and is a bit obsessed with developing newer spells, and new magical relics. You should have seen his wagon, it's a magical masterpiece in and of itself... something I'll probably never be able to replicate." 

 

Shadow summoned a scroll, quickly scribbled down a request for his uncle to come to Ponyville and talk with Princess Twilight, before teleporting it with his magic to his uncle's wagon. 

 

"Letter's delivered. Oh, and Twilight, thanks for becoming my friend." 

 

[SteelEagle]

 

The hug was unexpected, but not unwelcome. She always did enjoy helping ponies and while Shadow was definitely an unusual case she enjoyed helping him all the same. He, like some others she dealt with, were far more concerned with what they were capable of making and defining themselves with material goods than they should be. Relics, enchanted clothing, badges of honor and special carts- these were all things that mattered so little as to be pointless to the extreme. It was the relationships forged through friendship and the magic of harmony that everypony possessed. This world didn't rely on magical artifacts. The only time they mattered is when they channeled what was already known or solidified what was felt, and all major artifacts were Harmonic in nature because the magic of friendship, of social relationships brought to blissful heights, was the most powerful magic of all.

"I'm glad I could be your friend, Shadow Scribe. If you need anything within reason, feel free to ask! I hope you'll continue to make friends and experience the joy it can bring," she said, letting go of the hug as she prepared herself for his uncle. Okay, so he was one of those types- concerned with power and magic duels and such. If there was one thing she had learned as Princess it was that everypony with a fetish for power would challenge you about anything, and unicorns seemed to love the idea of magic duels. The idea had lost its luster a long time ago as far as Twilight was concerned as they all drastically misunderstood the power of magic and what she was capable of. Sighing, she spoke. "I guess that's to be expected. He won't be the first or last. Well, at least it should be entertaining. Anyway, it was nice meeting you Shadow. Where are you heading to next?"

[Novaburst]

"As far away from Ponyville as I can be, as my uncle will be irritated. My training in magic has not been to a level he'd deem satisfactory while I was on my own, and in addition I gave you the Red Sun Sword.... "  Shadow was scared of what his uncle was going to do to him when he found out that Shadow had given the Red Sun Sword to Princess Twilight. Sure she was Royalty, and the blade was an illegal weapon. But it probably wasn't going to matter to his uncle. Multiple scenarios ran through Shadow's head, as he let go of Twilight. Shadow nervously looked at her for a moment, and then thought of something. There was a way that his uncle could be placated, potentially. Twilight had QUITE the assortment of magical relics at her disposal. His uncle had mentioned he'd love to see some of them, but Shadow wasn't sure how to bring it up. 

 

"Friends do each other favors, right?" asked Shadow, still new to the concept of friendship and not sure what it entailed exactly. "Or how does Friendship work exactly?" asked Shadow, the concept was something he didn't fully understand yet. Given most of his childhood had been spent under a harsh training regime with his uncle, and only recently had he been allowed to come out into the world, Shadow had a lot to learn about life. Shadow's horn lit, and he made a copy of the books that Twilight had levitated near him earlier, putting them into a set of saddlebags that he summoned nearby. 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

It was always hard to explain friendship to somepony, especially somepony who seemed to think the concept alien. It was so ingrained into the Equestrian psyche that she was at a loss to explain her friendless start. That was what made her uniquely suited to dealing with such problems but it didn't mean she had the easy answers on hand for every friendship problem imaginable. In this instance she felt unqualified to a degree because of his upbringing and focus. She had been magically focused as a filly and Starlight had sworn off friendship in pursuit of her friendless utopia, but they both shared the same general concept of being aware of it. Understanding it, if not really wanting it in Twilight's case or abhoring it in Starlight's.

Nonetheless, she could at least make a few statements in order to help him out. Let it never be said she didn't try her best! "Friends can do friends favors. Of course when you are friends you don't ask friends to do something they wouldn't be comfortable with, because friendship asks of you to consider how the friend responds, what they would think, and not ask of them something that you think would offend them. With that on mind, never be afraid to ask, but make yourself okay with an answer you may not want. With that out of the way, what do you want to ask me?" She asked, happy to hear a friend's request even if based on his points of interest and expertise she had a somewhat good idea, or believed she did, regarding what he would be asking of her.

[Novaburst]

Shadow looked Twilight in the eyes, and thought about what she had said. So asking her to do something she thought was wrong was out of the question, but how could he hide from his uncle? Knowing he didn't want to have a huge boulder 'lobbed' at him to test his telekinesis, or his other magical abilities Shadow realized something. The moment his uncle found out about the Red Sun Sword, he was most definitely in trouble.  Shadow began to work up the courage for what he was going to say. How should he word this request? He wasn't even sure Twilight owned a large number of magical relics. If she was anything like his uncle, she likely had a few at least. Hopefully anyway, and that was what Shadow's request was going to plan on, as if there was one thing he knew capable of distracting his uncle? It was the study of magic. 

 

"When you do encounter my uncle, if you have any old but relatively harmless but still virtually unknown magical relics could you try to keep him a few days in Ponyville, so he doesn't go back to that hellish part of the Frozen North by having him help you 'study' said Relic, Princess?  Trying to find a way to prevent him from hurting himself out there, as he's too old to be "whacking" Frost Wolves with weapons, or magic. I keep trying to encourage him as does most of our family to move. But perhaps if it came from you as a favor you ask of him, he might be more willing to listen to an Alicorn Princess." 

 

Having his uncle move to Ponyville was for his own good. Shadow knew that Rune was too old to deal with the dangers of the Frozen North. The Everfree alone would present enough of a problem to keep his uncle out of, but that was beside the point. Sighing, Shadow hoped the Princess of Friendship would be able to convince his uncle to get out of the Frozen North for a warmer climate. It was safer for Rune, and would mean Shadow didn't have to worry about him. As Shadow thought about that, he asked.    

 

"So would you be willing to help me, my friend? Oh, and one other thing. Please don't tell him that I gave you the Red Sun Sword. " 

[SteelEagle]

 

Relics. She had many of them. Inside of her Keeper's fortress she had an untold number. Untold because some of them had reality bending properties that made numerical systems pointless in keeping track of them all. She had more than a few that were perfectly harmless and she would have no cause to not show somepony. Didn't mean she was pleased with it, but for all of it she was willing to show them to ponies of certain skill sets. There were hundreds such artifacts, actually. Many more were not to be trifled or observed outside of the Keeper's headquarters, but still, she had enough to pique the interest of an intelligent stallion with a love of relics, magic, and the unknowable nature of the aether. She nodded in accordance with his question. "I can see what I have that may interest him, Suffice it is to say, I have many, many relics, and some that he can observe. I'll make sure to get some out for him. That should be an exciting day!" She said, never having lost the love of the inner workings of things. She was a scientist as much as she was a powerful practitioner of magic, after all.

 

"That should keep him a few days. Aether knows how long I've spent on them, along with a whole host of specialists. Relics are almost always endlessly interesting and full of information for those with the wit and capacity to look deeper. Maybe-" she began before a swift knock at her door. "Come in?" She asked, eyebrows raised. The door opened and two guards trotted in.
"Your Highness, the Ambassador is here."
Twilight's eyes lit up.
"Ah! Okay, good. Tell him I'll be in there in a few minutes."
"Yes, Your Highness," and with that the two were off. Twilight gave her new friend a hopeful sigh.
"Saddle Arabians are always so punctual. I wish others were....anyway, I do have some business that I must attend to, sadly. It's been a great pleasure meeting you, Shadow. Please keep in touch, okay?"

[Novaburst]

Shadow nodded, and made his exit.  He would indeed stay in touch with the Princess. Perhaps she could motivate his uncle to get the buck out of the Frozen North, as Shadow didn't want him there. It was mainly his concern for his uncle, and as his uncle had raised him that could be understandable. Still, today he had made his first friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Oh, this was going to be fun. Later he'd have to pay the Princess a visit when she wasn't so busy with affairs of state. But hopefully she could remember to distract his uncle for a few days, at least from going back to the Frozen North. 

 

[Thread is complete.]