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Wizard Anon by Anon

By grapenut
Created: 2022-07-20 20:04:15
Updated: 2022-07-22 18:57:22
Expiry: Never
sim

  1. Wizard Anon by Anon
  2.  
  3. https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/37320297/#q37322337
  4. https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/37349266/#q37410250
  5. https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/37630065/#37831879
  6.  
  7. ---
  8.  
  9. >It will work.
  10. >It has to work.
  11. >You sat on a bench in a park, holding a stick in your hand.
  12. >EL, MU, TAR, ZIK.
  13. >You drew the runes into the sand on the ground.
  14. >Doing it without any kind of visual reference, just out of your memory was complicated, but you were getting better at it.
  15. >Not good, per se, but certainly better than back when you chose to enroll here at the Canterlot School of Magic.
  16. >It was an easy choice, really.
  17. >Though it certainly didn't feel like it at times, your talent for spellcasting was not only powerful but also quite unusual.
  18. >Or at least so you have been told.
  19. >Signing up for formal studies was the best way of developing that talent.
  20. >But more importantly, the only way of reaching your goal.
  21. >Equestria.
  22. >The land where magic was as omnipresent as air.
  23. >Where animals could talk, people fly through the air, and spirits lived side by side with mortal souls.
  24. >The land where time could turn back, and even the Sun and the Moon moved at the behest of those with the knowledge and will to make them.
  25. >To you, it sounded like a paradise.
  26. >A promised land where you could do things without having the reality itself constantly get in your way.
  27. >The only place in the multiverse where you could reach your full potential.
  28. >The thought brought a smile to your face.
  29. >...
  30. >But for now, you were still here, on boring old Earth, drawing pictures in the dirt like a god damn caveman.
  31. >You had been gifted with the talent for spellcasting, yes.
  32. >But what you had most certainly lacked was the talent for art.
  33. >Which seriously sucked, because most forms of magic required you to draw the right runes.
  34. >Hence why you needed to practice.
  35. >It would have been laughable if it wasn't so painfully true.
  36. >Your great wizardly ambitions had been curbed by a few squiggly lines.
  37. >You sighed, swept the ground clear with your foot, and started over.
  38. >EL, MU, TAR, ZIK.
  39. >"How hard could it be to learn glorified writing?", you used to ask.
  40. >Very.
  41. >It was like trying to draw a square or a circle.
  42. >The concept was easy, but executing it was a problem.
  43. >How many people could free-hand a square?
  44. >No, not four loosely connected lines, but an actual square, with four equilateral sides and four right angles.
  45. >One in a hundred? One in a million?... None?
  46. >With runes it was kind of like that, only worse.
  47. >Imperfections had consequences, precision was paramount, and things could quickly cascade out of hand.
  48. >Especially if you planned on opening an interdimensional portal.
  49. >Anyways.
  50. >The weather was nice and calm, a tree was kindly offering you its shade, and the few people that walked past you paid you no mind, busy with lives of their own.
  51. >It was a peaceful environment, and you had the whole afternoon just for yourself.
  52. >You took a deep breath to center yourself, swept the ground clear, and started... all, over, again.
  53. >EL, MU, TAR, ZIK.
  54.  
  55. >You continued to practice until you noticed that someone has sat down next to you.
  56. >And though you have been too preoccupied to see her coming, now that she was here, Sunset Shimmer was a welcomed sight.
  57. "Sunset!" you greeted the bacon-haired girl in a warm, if somewhat surprised, manner.
  58. "How are you?"
  59. >"Hey, boss! I uhhh... I'm fine, fine, yeah."
  60. >She replied, convincing no one.
  61. >"Are you working on something? I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
  62. "No, you're not, I'm just..."
  63. >...
  64. "Learning how to draw."
  65. >She didn't know.
  66. >Nobody did.
  67. >Interdimensional travel was dangerous, to put it mildly, and there had been all kinds of rules about it, all of which could be easily summed up with a single word.
  68. >DON'T.
  69. >But you weren't going to let that stop you, of course.
  70. >It just meant that you had to keep everything a secret until you were ready.
  71. >And then, once you were through, the rules of this world did not apply to you anymore.
  72. >... you didn't plan on making it a two-way trip.
  73. >While you were busy monologuing internally, Sunset took a closer look at your drawings.
  74. >Being a girl, she did not have the same kind of talent as you, and the runes were completely alien to her.
  75. >But she was curious and at least a little bit interested in what you were doing, even if she could not do the same.
  76. >"You know..." she conspicuously scooted herself closer to you "Maybe they would work better if you actually had some mana to pour into them."
  77. >"How about I do you a favor and let you have some of mine?"
  78. >You turned to her with a blank expression and lazily scratched your chin.
  79. "Hmmm... naaaaah" you stretched your sentence as much as you could, "I think I'm good... it's just for practice, you know?"
  80. >"What?" She looked shocked and a bit hurt by your rejection.
  81. "But, if you've got more mana that you know what to do with, I could do YOU a favor and take it off your hands."
  82. "Maybe... if you promise to be good... and ask for it nicely."
  83. >You countered her offer with one of your own.
  84. >After a little bit of thinking, Sunset just rolled her eyes and leaned onto your shoulder.
  85. >"Fiiiiine, I'll do what you want, as long as it means I get to get off."
  86. >And so, you had yourselves a deal.
  87.  
  88. >You left the park with Sunset in tow and took her to your place.
  89. >Which, in your case, meant a single room apartment in the school's dormitory.
  90. >It was far, far removed from what you would call a luxurious lodging, but you had to make do with what you had.
  91. >If nothing else, it was a place where you could do things in private, and the entire building had all of its walls and doors well soundproofed.
  92. >Impatient, Sunset started to strip as soon as the door behind you was closed.
  93. >But when she was down to her shirt, you stopped her with a tap on the shoulder.
  94. >It was nice to see her so enthusiastic, but you had other things you wanted to do first.
  95. >With as much pomp as you could muster, you sauntered to your bed, took a seat, and pointed at the floor.
  96. "On your knees."
  97. >"Seriously?" she groaned with disdain and a hint of disgust.
  98. >You shrugged and waited for her to make her own decision.
  99. >It wasn't too late for her to just turn around and leave, but if she wanted to have sex, she didn't really have much of a choice.
  100. >She was going to submit.
  101. >"Yes, boss..." she finally gritted through her teeth, lowered herself in front of you, and sat down on her heels with her arms at her sides.
  102. "Very good, now bow."
  103. >You ordered and she obeyed, indignation visible on her face.
  104. "Good, now stay."
  105. >You stood up and used her time on the floor to undress yourself and fetch a few toys from your cabinet.
  106. >Your collection was fairly small, but it did cover the basics.
  107. "You look great on your knees..." you said, leaned in, and cuffed her hands behind her back.
  108. "...but don't think you can get away with that attitude just because we're friends."
  109. "You should be eager and happy to serve if you're expecting to earn a reward."
  110. >You pressed down on the back of her neck until her cheeks touched the floor.
  111. >But you didn't want to stress her too much, and so let her up after just a few seconds, trusting she got the message.
  112. >It cost you nothing to be nice, but it would have been irresponsible of you to mess her training up.
  113. >Aaaand you also didn't want to push your luck and end up having to find somebody else to sleep with.
  114. >So instead, you helped her sit back up, and talked.
  115. "What would you like to do, Sunset?"
  116. >"I want to cum," she replied eagerly.
  117. "That's going to hurt."
  118. >"And..." she looked up at you, dedication evident on her face "I want to be your slave."
  119. >"...please?"
  120. "As you wish," you said with a smile and put your harvester collar around her neck.
  121.  
  122. >It was a special kind of artifact designed for the harvesting of mana, but also served as a sign of your ownership.
  123. >Every boy in the school had one.
  124. >With a slight tug, you secured the clasp in its place and closed the seal.
  125. "There, you're safe now."
  126. >"Thank you..." She sighed a breath of relief as if you had just taken a burden off her shoulders that she didn't even realize that she was holding until it was gone.
  127. "I'll help you stand up."
  128. >You did as you said and raised her up, then spun her around to meet you face-to-face.
  129. >She was shorter and significantly lighter than you were, and moving her around like this was fun.
  130. >And on some level she must have enjoyed it as well because she began to blush.
  131. >Maybe you did too, you couldn't tell without a mirror, but you weren't ashamed of that.
  132. >There was nothing embarrassing about enjoying the presence of a pretty girl.
  133. >For a while the two of you just stood there, close, intimate, taken aback by each other's presence.
  134. >Gently you swayed from side to side as if in a dance.
  135. >Sometimes she'd give, sometimes you'd take, but she always ended up yours nonetheless.
  136. >You opened your mouth to speak but realized that words were no longer necessary, and your actions could speak for themselves.
  137. >You moved one hand over to her stomach and slid it under her shirt, then further up her chest.
  138. >Slow, deliberate, and all the while looking into her bright emerald eyes, waiting for some kind of a reaction.
  139. >A lip bite? A shudder? A flinch?
  140. >But none of them were coming.
  141. >She was neither asking for more nor offering you any resistance.
  142. >Just... accepting her fate.
  143. >Maybe she wasn't into it as much as you thought?
  144. >Or maybe you were doing everything right?
  145. >Either way, her pliability wasn't entirely without its own appeal.
  146. >She was almost like a living doll, nothing but a vessel for your lust.
  147. >Satisfied with her lack of resistance, you lifted her shirt and pulled it over her head.
  148. >Then, when it was halfway and still covering her eyes, you kissed.
  149.  
  150. >She moaned something unintelligible into your mouth, and you wrestled tongues for a bit.
  151. >She was into it, just needed a bit of a push.
  152. >With her chest exposed, you let your hands get in on the action and started groping her as well.
  153. >Pulling, pinching, and kneading her breasts as you would, accelerating her breath.
  154. >They were on the smaller side, most likely B cups, but soft and firm.
  155. >When you had enough, you pulled the shirt rest of the way over her head, and onto her arms.
  156. >Because of the cuffs, you couldn't take it off completely, but that was just a detail.
  157. >Then you laid her on your bed.
  158. >...
  159. >She was such a cute sight.
  160. >Half-naked, restrained and collared, just waiting for you to do with her as you please.
  161. >You moved onto her hips, pressing down and drawing little circles with your thumbs around her bones to tease her.
  162. >Then, in one smooth motion, pulled her skirt down her legs and tossed it aside.
  163. >She looked at you, shuddering with anticipation, and you took to exploring the rest of her body.
  164. >It was youthful and, from the neck down, shaved completely smooth.
  165. >Perhaps a bit thin, but still healthy and beautiful in every way.
  166. >You sat down next to her and put your hands to work.
  167. >One returned to her chest, the other moved to her crotch, making her gasp.
  168. >Her skin was hot to the touch and her heart was pounding, but you didn't enter her yet.
  169. >She was needy and wet, strewn out like an instrument for you to play, but above all, she was completely dependent on you to allow her pleasure.
  170. >That's why you were taking things so slowly.
  171. >You wanted to make it an occasion, make it last, and make sure that she enjoyed it as much as she could.
  172. >But... also to make her know that you were giving her a gift.
  173. >Ok, no, that wasn't accurate for you to say.
  174. >It wasn't a gift, it was a trade.
  175. >Her mana in exchange for your pleasure.
  176. >Magic was a strange kind of force.
  177. >While you had the ability to cast spells, you could not power them on your own.
  178. >For her, it was the opposite.
  179. >Full of energy, but lacking the ability to give it form or use it in any meaningful way.
  180. >That's why you needed each other.
  181. >Wizards and their batteries, masters and their slaves, you had to work together.
  182.  
  183. >One hand was drawing circles on her breasts, dancing around, and delivering the occasional flick.
  184. >The other giving her pussy a rub.
  185. >You slipped one, then two, fingers inside of her wet love tunnel, and teased her there as well, while rubbing her clit with your palm.
  186. >It did not take long for you to make her moan.
  187. >At first, she was quiet and hesitant, but liked, no, loved, what you were doing, and wanted more.
  188. >You took your time, teasing her and making her feel good, while also building up her need.
  189. >You knew her tells well and had no need to humiliate her or make her beg.
  190. >She was already obeying you, accepting your every touch, and there was nothing more for you to demand of her, or try to prove.
  191. >Good girl.
  192. >Your hand moved to her face, gently caressed her cheek, brushed away a few stay hairs, and gave her something to kiss.
  193. >She opened her mouth, you accepted the invitation, and dipped your fingers inside, playing with her tongue and doing as above as below.
  194. >You could have probably continued playing with her like this for hours and, lost in the pleasurable haze, she probably wouldn't even notice, but there was only so long that you could wait.
  195. >Your cock had been rock hard for a while now, and your body was demanding to join in on the action.
  196. >And while you didn't mind playing nice, you weren't the type to deny yourself for someone else's pleasure.
  197. >You pulled your fingers out of her and lubed yourself with her juices.
  198. >She squirmed in her place, searching for the touch that was there one moment, and gone the next, mewling for you to come back and finish what you started.
  199. >You grabbed her by her upper arm and her thigh, briefly ripping her out of her blissful reverie, and flipped her over onto her stomach.
  200. >"A-aaahhh... Anon!"
  201. "Having a good time?"
  202. >"Ye-yes, boss!"
  203. >You chuckled and positioned yourself behind her.
  204. >With her hands cuffed behind her back, and you pressing on her from behind, she had no choice but to lay flat on her chest, with her ass high in the air, and her face buried in the mattress.
  205. >You, on the other hand, could have your way with her any way you wanted, and the shirt-wrapped chain between the cuffs made for a very convenient handle.
  206. >Without much fanfare, you positioned yourself at her entrance and made your way in.
  207.  
  208. >Acting slow but forceful, you pushed hard and deep, forcing her walls to take the shape of your cock.
  209. >There was no going easy on her.
  210. >If she wanted to be yours, you'd take her the way you wanted.
  211. >Despite her wetness, she was tight.
  212. >Her position didn't allow her to relax, and she had to do all she could to even stay in place.
  213. >You rammed into her again, her body shook, and you pulled back on her hands.
  214. >Her legs scrambled to keep her ass in the air as she reared, then you loosened your grip and let her face smack back down on the bed.
  215. >She moaned, you grunted, and thrust in again.
  216. >And again.
  217. >Every time you pulled out, she slammed herself back onto you, hungrily taking you in.
  218. >When she tried to slack, you lifted her arms to twist her shoulders and forced her back in her place.
  219. >Bent, prone, defeated.
  220. >Any illusions of agency or self-control, crushed under your sexual assault.
  221. >Her body was forced to welcome its invader in a wet, warm embrace.
  222. >Overwhelmed by her senses, yet still demanding more.
  223. >Not too soon, she tightened around you even further, and you felt the approach of your own climax.
  224. >Then, with the last few powerful thrusts, you hurled both of you over the edge, spraying your seed right into her womb as she trembled under you with a powerful orgasm of her own.
  225. >As she did, a series of runes tattooed along her spine in near-invisible ink began to glow.
  226. >She hissed, but the mana released by her orgasm was quickly siphoned away into the collar, and the runes once again disappeared.
  227. >Still, you rubbed the sore spots anyway to relieve any residual stress that they might have left behind.
  228. "You okay?"
  229. >"Y-yeah..." she half moaned, half sighed "I'm fine."
  230. >"Could you PLEASE let go of me, now?"
  231. "Oh, heh heh, yea, sure." you chuckled, pulled out of her, and let go of her hands, allowing her to roll over on her side into a more comfortable position.
  232. >Then you took the collar off her neck but left the handcuffs in place.
  233. >She didn't need her hands for anything right now, and like all girls, she looked better in bondage.
  234. >The usually dim gemstone, which was the collar's centerpiece, now shone with a bright shade of orange.
  235. >A tell-tale mark of a successfully completed harvest.
  236. >Sunset curled up to get some rest, and you moved to your desk at the other end of the room.
  237.  
  238. >Carefully, you extracted the glowing gemstone out of its socket and put it in a flask of extraction liquid.
  239. >As soon as it touched the surface, the stone began to sizzle like a vitamin tablet, and the clear liquid began to fog.
  240. >The distillation process was the easiest while the mana was fresh, but it would still take a while.
  241. >With nothing better to do, you swirled the flask around to help things dissolve a few seconds faster, waiting until no light could be seen.
  242. >Then you poured the contents of the flask through a filter, took the stone out to be washed and reused later, and continued with the distillation process.
  243. >Adding a few drops of this, a pinch of that, mixing, cooling, and waiting as required, until, some twenty minutes later, you were left with a small flask of sufficiently pure edible mana concentrate.
  244. >A "mana potion," if you would.
  245. >Judging by the volume, Sunset had been even more pent up than you thought.
  246. >Not only did she give you enough to get you through your classes tomorrow with ease, but you could actually spend some of it right now.
  247. >With that in mind, you grabbed your own personal spell-book of every spell you have ever learned.
  248. >Sorry, correction, "every spell that you have ever been taught," big difference.
  249. >Then put the end of a glorified paintbrush in your mouth and started flipping through the pages.
  250. >Three spells, in particular, caught your interest.
  251. >By drawing the runes of a "dairy cow" spell on Sunset's breasts, you could make them start making milk.
  252. >If you did, then over the next two days her breasts would swell in size, causing her mild arousal, then start to ache, waiting for someone to get the milk out.
  253. >The milk itself would be entirely ordinary, with no special properties, ideal for feeding infants, and safe to drink for anyone who didn't suffer from lactose intolerance.
  254. >If it didn't get squeezed or sucked out in time, it would leak out on its own about a week later.
  255. >As was common for all entry-level spells, there were no lasting effects, and once emptied, her breasts would return to their original size.
  256. >Because a new set of runes would not absorb while the old ones were still in effect, it was impossible for multiple instances of this spell to stack.
  257. >But, by drawing new runes as soon as the old ones faded, it was possible to keep the spell permanently active, forcing her to either undergo daily milkings or suffer a constant leakage.
  258.  
  259. >Your second option was the "good girl" spell.
  260. >It allowed you to establish a certain trigger phrase that would make Sunset's brain release its feel-good hormones every time it was used.
  261. >The phrase could be used by anyone, but would only work if she thought that it was directed at herself.
  262. >In other words, hearing someone else being called a good girl in her presence would not activate the trigger, but a random stranger unknowingly using the phrase while thanking her for a job well done certainly would.
  263. >Also, barring some form of severe dissociative mental disorders, it was entirely impossible for anyone to trigger themselves.
  264. >The phrase didn't need to be a "good girl" either, it was just the one that was most commonly used, giving the spell its name.
  265. >Multiple instances of the spell could be stacked, each with the same effect, but encoding a different phrase.
  266. >Each release would cause the feeling of mild euphoria, and pleasant warmth similar to falling in love, or sexual afterglow.
  267. >However, overuse of the trigger could exhaust the brain's hormone reserves, leading to a days-long depression as her body physically lost the ability to feel happy.
  268. >Intentional over-triggering of the spell was considered to be a magical malpractice and presented grounds for disciplinary action.
  269. >The spell itself usually lasted just shy over a day, depending on circumstances.
  270. >The last spell you considered was known simply as "the itch".
  271. >Once its runes were drawn and absorbed into Sunset's skin, the affected area would quickly develop a severe itch, similar to being bitten by a flock of mosquitos or hazed by a bouquet of stinging nettles.
  272. >While entirely painless, the irritation was incessant, annoying to the extreme, and said to become unbearable within minutes.
  273. >More importantly though, due to being magical in nature, the itching was impossible for the girl to scratch, and could only be relieved by the touch of another living creature.
  274. >"Living" meant from the magical perspective, so while rubbing her sore spot on a tree wouldn't work, picking up a tiny pet hamster and using it to scratch herself would do the job.
  275. >If the contact was interrupted, the itching would soon return and continue unabated in the slightest.
  276. >The spell was commonly used either as a form of punishment or as a training tool to "encourage" touch-shy slaves into acts of greater physical intimacy.
  277. >The effects of the spell lasted for about six to eight hours, regardless of whether or not they had been suppressed, and multiple instances of the spell could be stacked on different parts of the body.
  278. >Which of these spells would you like to try out?
  279. >The choice was yours, but you could only try one.
  280. >There was no reason to be asking Sunset for her opinion.
  281. >It was her idea to give you her mana and help you practice after all.
  282.  
  283. >You moved back to your bed where Sunset was still resting on her side and sat down.
  284. >Then, you put your hand on her shoulder and caressed her all the way down to her knee.
  285. >She had such a nice figure.
  286. "Sunset?" you asked quietly, and she turned to give you a morose glare.
  287. "Roll over, we're gonna do magic."
  288. >She did as you said and rolled on her stomach, then raised her arms in the air and let them fall back down, struggling to keep them up for too long.
  289. "I need you to stay still."
  290. >She mewled and raised them again, bringing attention to the handcuffs.
  291. >"Please?"
  292. >Fine.
  293. >You freed her, and let her put her hands below the pillow under her head.
  294. >You thought about which spell to use.
  295. >Dairy Cow would do nothing for her training.
  296. >She hasn't really done anything to deserve The Itch, and it seemed a mean thing to just do for no reason, even if it would be a good lesson that you, not she, were in control of her body.
  297. >Meanwhile, with the Good Girl spell, you could reward her for her obedience and make her associate those good feelings with you.
  298. >Make her attached, and more likely to come back for future harvests.
  299. >Even if in reality, you would be hooking her up on her own supply.
  300. >Your mind decided, you put your spell-book down and made yourself comfortable.
  301. >With a few tentative strokes of your brush, you let her know where you would be drawing to make sure that she wouldn't twitch or flinch.
  302. >Then, you opened the mana potion, closed your eyes, and took a single measured sip.
  303.  
  304. >The liquid had neither a color, nor a smell, nor a taste, but it felt like Sunset herself and seared with ambition.
  305. >It was thinner than water, and felt like trying to drink the foam of an ill-poured soda.
  306. >Sizzling and disappearing into nothingness at the lightest touch with your skin, seeping into it, into you, as if you were a sponge.
  307. >You tried to swallow in reflex, but not a single drop would make it into your stomach, all absorbed through your mouth and your throat in less than a second.
  308. >At first, scorching like desert sun, then pleasant like a gentle summer breeze, it diluted and spread throughout the entirety of your being, and you saw.
  309. >With your eyes closed, you saw.
  310. >An ethereal, invisible glow emanated out of you, making you aware of your surroundings.
  311. >You, Sunset, your bed, your book, the brush in your hand, and as much of your room as the faint glow reached.
  312. >You did not see far, but you saw through solid matter, and from every angle, aware of the world around you as it was... as it... could be... as... as... as you could make it.
  313. >You ought to act.
  314. >Folding your perception of reality, you superimposed the book over Sunset's shoulder and used the drawings on the page as your template.
  315. >One day, there would be a time for experimentation and discovery, but it was not going to be today.
  316. >You traced the lines and, with a trance-like focus, channeled the mana within you into your glorified paintbrush, leaving an imperceivable scar of possibility in the certitude of reality.
  317. >ROK, SI, NAR.
  318. >Beneath you, Sunset held still like a statue, not daring to even breathe.
  319. >She knew her role well.
  320. >-my slave-.
  321. >Though the kiln of your will you fired the runes, forced the spell to solidify and the world to change.
  322. >... at least until the spell had faded or rotted away, as all magic, ALWAYS, inevitably did.
  323. >With one last stroke of your brush through the air, you expelled all the remaining mana out of your body in a simple cantrip "Glowing Trail," and declared your success.
  324. "It is done."
  325.  
  326. >Sunset sighed a breath of relief, happy that she hasn't been burned, melted, or exploded, and sat up.
  327. >You hugged her from behind, also happy that you haven't burned, melted, or exploded her.
  328. >Okay, there wasn't enough mana involved for the last one to happen, no matter how badly you might have messed up, but miscasts WERE a real danger.
  329. >If she moved, if you rushed, if you were distracted or trying to cast an unfamiliar spell...
  330. >...
  331. >Anyway.
  332. >She accepted your affection, then rubbed her shoulder once you let her go.
  333. >"Is this the part where you're going to tell me what you did?"
  334. "You'll find out," you smiled.
  335. >"Great," she said sarcastically, then rose from the bed to stretch out.
  336. >She interlocked her fingers and lifted her arms high above her head, arched her back, and stood on the tips of her toes.
  337. >Few of her joints sounded with sickly but relief-bringing cracks, and she returned on her feet, rubbing her wrists.
  338. >"I'm gonna take a shower," she said without looking back at you.
  339. >"Alone, if I may?" she halted you before you could even form the thought.
  340. >Eeeh.
  341. >There was nothing you haven't seen, or touched, before anyway and so you let her go.
  342. >Besides, you had more important things to do.
  343. >You changed your bedsheets and then moved to your kitchenette.
  344. >Food.
  345. >At Canterlot, the dorm rooms weren't just for lodging but instead set up like miniature versions of regular apartments.
  346. >Just... concentrated to as little of an area as possible.
  347. >Being a wizard did not free you from the regular needs of regular men, and a girl was expected to be more than just a battery.
  348. >She was a maid, a cook, a symbol of status, an entertainer, and a lab rat.
  349. >Not just a sex slave.
  350. >And since putting your collar on a girl required her consent...
  351. >Not only could you not count on having someone over every single day.
  352. >But there was also a constant competition between the many girls to win over their favorite master, and between the many boys to take control of the best slaves.
  353. >So, while cooking was by default a girl's duty, it was not a bad idea to know how to be self-sufficient.
  354. >That, and you were also hungry, so time was of the essence.
  355. >You decided to make crepes, and by the time Sunset finished her shower, you already had two plates ready to eat.
  356.  
  357. >She was hot, steamy, and wrapped in a towel that barely covered her from her bust to the top of her thighs.
  358. >You, in contrast, chose to remain confidently naked.
  359. >Your house was your castle, and the emperor did not need no clothes.
  360. >"Ooh, dinner! Thanks!" She gasped with surprise, no doubt expecting that you'd leave the cooking up to her, like most people would, and almost danced her way to the table.
  361. >But the brief moment of unexpectedly pleasant mood quickly soured on her, as she sat down and noticed your hand on the edge of her plate.
  362. >"May I please eat my food, boss?" She sighed, sounding tired.
  363. "Enjoy." You let go of her plate and started eating.
  364. >You did not do a bad job if you were to say so yourself, but Sunset seemed unimpressed.
  365. >And the taste was not the issue.
  366. >"Why couldn't you just let me eat?"
  367. "What do you mean? I did."
  368. >"You wouldn't if I didn't ask." She looked aside, her volume dropping slowly, as if unsure if she really wanted to keep talking...
  369. >Or "postpone her complaining until after you couldn't take her food away," you guess?
  370. "M-hmm..." you hummed with your mouth full.
  371. >"Can't at least you treat me like normal?"
  372. "Asking if you can eat IS normal."
  373. >"Really? Who did YOU ask then, hmm?"
  374. >You swallowed and looked at her as if wondering where she left the other half of her IQ.
  375. "Girl, boy, battery, wizard." You pointed out the obvious differences.
  376. >Different people lived by different standards.
  377. >It was literally the first lesson both of you have been taught.
  378. >"Beg for food, beg for bed, beg for a dick."
  379. >"Get on your knees. Put your hands behind your back!" She gradually regained her usual tone, as she braved to speak her mind.
  380. >"Hurry up! Drink this potion. Take off your clothes."
  381. >"Suck. My. Dick." She started imitating different voices.
  382. >"Was that a frown you ungrateful gnat?"
  383. >"Roll over, we're gonna do MAGIC!"
  384. >"Awwww, does somebody need to have her clothing privileges revoked?"
  385. >"Stay still, I know what I'm doing."
  386. >"No, she's going to bed, you sleep in the cage."
  387. >"You stopped counting, that means we start again from the zero."
  388. >"Coochie coochie cooo!"
  389. >You calmly listened to her rant, safe in the knowledge that only two of those lines came from you.
  390. >"I'm sick and tired of being treated like this!"
  391. >"Can't you all just stop?"
  392. >"Can't YOU, of all people, just STOP?"
  393.  
  394. >Sunset panted angrily, then nervously crossed her arms, realizing she might have done a mistake.
  395. >No "please," no "sorry," she waited for you to react.
  396. >What to do, what to do?
  397. >You couldn't punish her without teaching her that she should never open up to you like that.
  398. >You couldn't reward her without proving to her that defiance yields results.
  399. >...
  400. >You would choose silence.
  401. "..." you gave her a look.
  402. >Hopefully she'd interpret it as, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, because otherwise I'd have to hurt you."
  403. >She must have known that she overstepped her boundaries, or she would have kept talking, right?
  404. >Showing mercy would be the best of both worlds.
  405. >You really weren't sure if you were handling this right.
  406. >... you looked at her and finished your food in silence, and eventually so did she.
  407. >After the dinner you decided to call it a day.
  408. >You could use some time to think, and Sunset could probably use a hug.
  409. >You invited her to your bed, she accepted, and you covered under the same blanket, face to face.
  410. >"I don't want to be a slave," she confessed in a low voice.
  411. "Then why are you here? You're always free to leave."
  412. >"Do you want to get punched in the face or kicked in the balls? You're always free to pick."
  413. >You asked, and she countered.
  414. "I think you just need to give yourself to a good master, find the right person, and truly dedicate yourself to him."
  415. "I'm sure there's plenty of guys who'd like to have you for keeps if you gave it a chance."
  416. >"You're all nothing but a bunch of pricks."
  417. "Present company included?"
  418. "Your life would have been excellent as -my slave-."
  419. >"You..."
  420. >You smiled as the rune on her shoulder activated, its brief glow obscured from her vision, triggering just as she started to ponder the prospects of a permanent submission to you.
  421. >"You..." she pulled herself closer to you, searching for the right words.
  422. >She interlocked her legs with yours, and with her hands close to her chest all but begged for you to put your arms around her and keep her close, keep her safe, keep her yours.
  423. >"You're the least-worst of them all."
  424. >You forced yourself not to chuckle at that stellar review.
  425. >She was resisting.
  426. >She obeyed by rational choice, not by her heart.
  427. >But that would not last for long.
  428. >Sooner or later she would accept her role as a slave, obedient, dependent, and eager to serve.
  429. >Eventually, she was going to submit.
  430. >Would she be submitting to you though?
  431. >Did she have a role in your plan?
  432. >Did you want to spend the time and effort to make it happen?
  433. >With your mind burdened heavy, and a beautiful girl in your arms, it was hard not to drift off to sleep.
  434.  
  435. >In the morning you woke up to an empty bed, with only a vague memory of Sunset leaving.
  436. >Her alarm went off two hours earlier, calling her to attend her own roll-call and her own duties.
  437. >Her presence last night was evidenced only by a few strands of her multi-colored hair left in your bed, and two cups left on your table.
  438. >One of them was used, and the other pointed you to a thermos left on your counter.
  439. >Warm coffee!
  440. >Mmm... the girl knew how to be a treasure.
  441. >Anyway, you've dealt with your morning routine and then went to school.
  442. >The classes went about as usual.
  443. >You sat around, listened, answered a few questions, and practiced under the guidance of your teachers, each of them imparting you with knowledge from their own specific areas of expertise.
  444. >You learned new shapes, new runes, their meaning, purpose, effects, and their place in the wider context of the arcane arts.
  445. >Then, you practiced the older runes, drawing them out in black ink, then in pure mana, and giving form to patterns that were difficult to describe.
  446. >Would any artist be able to draw a pinecone if they had never seen one, based on a literary description alone?
  447. >It was kind of like that.
  448. >Throughout the day you burned through nearly all of your mana and could cast about one additional spell before you needed to do another harvest.
  449. >Also, you couldn't say that you had really "learned" any of the new spells until you actually got to try them out, with real targets and real consequences.
  450. >But everything you needed you wrote down to your spell-book and would review it later when things became relevant again.
  451. >For now though, the classes were over, and you were sitting in a cafeteria hanging out with your buddies.
  452.  
  453. >Big Mac, Shining Armor, Sunburst, and of course... Soarin.
  454. >All of them wizards, just like you.
  455. >"So, did you and Marble Pie have a happy ending?" Soarin asked Big Mac.
  456. >"Eeyup."
  457. >"Marble Pie? I thought you were with Sugar Belle?" Shining interrupted.
  458. >"Eeeeyup."
  459. "Wait, what? I saw you out with Cheerilee!" you asked.
  460. >"Eeeeeeyup."
  461. >Big Mac confirmed as taciturn as ever, not a single hint of sarcasm in his tone.
  462. >You looked at him, then at each other, in confusion and disbelief, all with the same question on your mind.
  463. >Three? At the same time?
  464. >But none of you, not even Soarin, felt like making an idiot out of yourselves by calling bullshit on Big Mac, or wasting your time by trying to interrogate him for any kinds of details.
  465. "Okaaaay..."
  466. >"Spitfire!" Soaring puffed out his chest, proud to brag about having scored with the captain of the girls' sports team.
  467. >To be fair, it was kind of impressive.
  468. >Sports girls were in high demand and it was rare to have one of them just for yourself.
  469. >"I spent the night with Cadance," Shining offered, clearly pleased with himself, "I think we've really clicked together."
  470. >He spoke with mirthful, blissful, semi-oblivious expression.
  471. >You still weren't entirely sure on how exactly he managed to seduce one of the teachers, but you were happy for him that he did.
  472. >"How about you, Anon?" Soarin inquired of you next.
  473. "Shimmer."
  474. >"Urrrgh, that bitch?"
  475. >Soarin and shining both groaned, and you winced.
  476. "I think she's okay."
  477. >"She tried to mind control everyone and blow up the whole school, DUDE!" Soarin protested.
  478. "Eeeeh, who didn't?"
  479. >"Me, you, him, him, him, him..." Shining Armor started pointing out everyone around the table, then every other person in the room.
  480. >You groaned and facepalmed.
  481. "Thanks Shining, that totally wasn't a rhetorical question."
  482. >You were THIS close to bringing up his ex-girlfriend.
  483. >Then Soarin continued, and even Big Mac started piling in.
  484. >"She literally turned into a literal demon!"
  485. >"Eeyup."
  486.  
  487. >How were you even supposed to react to that?
  488. >That everyone made mistakes from time to time?
  489. >That it was like one time, and it was like a forever ago?
  490. >You weren't even around when it happened.
  491. >That it wasn't her fault someone poured a gallon's worth of mana into her, and she couldn't control it?
  492. >Because, you know, it was kind of literally impossible for a girl to do that?
  493. >That demons were kind of hot, and you really, REALLY, wouldn't mind?
  494. >There were so many things you could say to that, but... you didn't.
  495. >There was... there was just no arguing with them about this kind of stuff.
  496. "Okay fine, I like her ass, I've got a type!" you threw your hands in the air and glared at them angrily "Fucking sue me!"
  497. >That... was the best argument you could make to shut them up.
  498. >You couldn't defend her... and, honestly, you weren't sure if you even wanted, or even cared, or even should.
  499. >You wouldn't blame a toddler for a firearm discharge, and you wouldn't blame a girl for a magical mishap, no matter what she did or said.
  500. >But not everyone saw things your way.
  501. >The table fell silent for a few moments, and even the other people around the room started glancing your way, their curiosities piqued by your outburst.
  502. >But then, almost as quickly, started ignoring you again and returned to their own conversations when they realized they were not going to see a fistfight.
  503. "How about you Sunburst, who were YOU with last night?"
  504. >You forcefully re-railed the conversation and started drinking so that no one would expect you to talk back.
  505. >Sunburst, who the rest of you almost forgot about until now, coughed, evidently caught off guard by your question.
  506. >When you first met, you wondered if he was actually part of the group or enjoyed having any company in the first place.
  507. >But it turned out he was just an introvert and was happy being part of things without taking the spotlight.
  508. >Sorry about that.
  509. >"I wasn't with anyone. I had enough mana from the day before."
  510. >That gave the rest of you a pause.
  511. >"Umm... you know you can fuck someone even if you don't need her mana, right?" Soarin asked with concern, and the rest of you nodded in unison.
  512. >Sunburst was an excellent spellcaster, but sometimes you worried that he was a bit too timid to be a wizard.
  513.  
  514. >"Eh-erm..." Shining interdicted, having noticed that his friend was feeling uncomfortable.
  515. >"Do any of you already have any plans for today?"
  516. >"I'll be helping Cadance and Twilight with re-organizing the library, and we could use a few extra hands."
  517. >"Sorry, but the sports team is playing Jumpball today. There's no way I'm going to miss out on that!" shared Soarin.
  518. >"I'm taking Applejack back on the farm for a few days," Big Mac politely refused.
  519. >"I'm going out on a date with Starlight," Sunburst chimed in as well, uncharacteristically choosing to not be the last to speak.
  520. >Then everyone turned their attention to you.
  521. >Well? What was your plan for the day?
  522. >Your first option would be to help out Shining at the library.
  523. >You'd be there with him, his girlfriend Cadance, and his younger sister Twilight, the nerdiest, dorkiest, and possibly also the smartest girl in the school.
  524. >You knew for a certain that Shining would not be angry with you if you tried to be personal with her, as the school was a free-for-all, and that kind of stuff was a normal part of every girl's duties.
  525. >The library would also be stocked full of books about magic, and present a great opportunity to advance your research into interdimensional travel.
  526. >Your second option would be to join Soarin and go watch the sports team play Jumpball.
  527. >Tanned skins, toned muscles, jumping, jiggling, grunting, skin-tight uniforms, sweat... not even Shining could blame you for preferring that over a dusty old library.
  528. >The games were very popular, always attracted a lot of attention, and would be a nice window into how exactly did the girls in Canterlot earn their keep.
  529. >It would also be a great opportunity to socialize, be it with your peers, or the girls themselves after the match was over.
  530. >Your third option would be to join neither of them and make your own program.
  531. >The school was full of opportunities for odd jobs that needed doing, and would earn you bits to spend on something useful, sometime later down the line.
  532. >New tools, fancy dates, artifacts, extra furniture, or maybe even an upgrade to your apartment.
  533. >Your stipend covered your regular living expenses, but if you wanted to have cool things, you'd have to earn them first.
  534. >Specifically, the school's mana factory always needed someone to do maintenance work and also paid reasonably well.
  535. >You would be too busy working to socialize or "socialize" with the girls working there, but some of them might be nice, and it would also be an opportunity to be a productive member of society and learn more about the intricacies of mana production.
  536. >So? How did you plan on spending your afternoon?
  537. >You knew that Sunset would be busy at the moment, but none of the choices would prevent you from meeting up with her later in the day when the spell you put on her was still active.
  538.  
  539. "I'll help." You shrugged, feeling good about yourself being a good friend.
  540. >The games could have been fun, but would not have gotten you anywhere, and you were in no particular rush to be earning extra bits for yourself.
  541. >Helping one of your friends was definitely the most moral way to act.
  542. >Your ulterior motives notwithstanding.
  543. >Soon, all of you have finished your meals and gone your separate ways.
  544. >Or, in your case, followed Shining to the library.
  545. >The campus, on which you were, and on which ninety-nine percent of your life was now taking place, was expansive and incorporated a lot more than just the dormitories and the classrooms themselves.
  546. >Workshops, cafes, parks and gardens... a gym, a cinema, and a spa... stadium, hospital and even a prison... the list went on and on.
  547. >Rightly, It was less of a school, and more of a small, independent, city within a city.
  548. >Encompassing all that its many resident students could need, or have to learn how to operate.
  549. >All within a 'walking distance' of everything else... though this last claim was often contested.
  550. >Everything to provide you with whatever you could possibly need... and to isolate you from the outside world as much as possible.
  551. >For the protection of all those within and those without, of course.
  552. "So... how's Twilight doing anyway?" You asked Shining as you walked.
  553. "Actually... wait, no... WHERE is Twilight anyway?"
  554. >You tried to think to the last time you actually saw his sister.
  555. >She didn't have the same classes as you, so it wasn't weird not to see her in school.
  556. >But you couldn't recall her anywhere else on the campus either.
  557. "I feel like I haven't seen her since... the start of the semester?"
  558. >You furrowed your brow at the poignant mystery.
  559. "You used to bring her along..." you murmured, "...is she okay?"
  560. >"Nnnh... yeah... I don't think she's been going out too much ever since I let her start living at the library."
  561. "Oh... I can't say I'm all that surprised... she loooooooves books."
  562. >"She sure does..." Shining ever so slightly sighed.
  563.  
  564. >"Holed up inside and reading all day, every day... it can't be good for her."
  565. >"I know, I know... she's always been like that, but now she does it even more."
  566. "You're worried she'll burn herself out on reading?"
  567. >"Twilight?" he chuckled, genuine, but not amused "Get bored of reading? The hell will thaw before that happens."
  568. >"No, I just wish she had other interests as well."
  569. ">Twily knows books, she LOVES books, she's the expertiest book expert to have ever experted... at books."
  570. >"But... who's going to want a girl that can only read?"
  571. >"She's talented and smart, but who's going to take her in?"
  572. >You realized what had Shining worried.
  573. >She might have been happy, but her market value was low.
  574. >He likely would not have used those words, but it was what it was.
  575. >"She doesn't meet that many people, doesn't have that many friends."
  576. >"I've even talked about it with Cadance."
  577. >Shining paused to stop himself from complaining too much.
  578. >"I'd be a lot happier if she was doing other things as well, like gardening, or sewing, or baking, or sports..."
  579. "Never put all of your eggs in a single basket," you nodded along.
  580. >If no one were looking for a librarian at the time of her graduation, her chances of having a good life after she left the school were practically zero.
  581. >"Exactly."
  582. "You're saying it like she's got a choice," you shrugged.
  583. >"I'm not going to kick her out of the library, Anon." He said definitively, anger rising in his voice.
  584. >Incensed that you would have entertained the idea of treating his sister with force.
  585. "Just tell her to go out more?" You quickly offered a more propitious interpretation.
  586. "You're her big brother. She'll listen if you talk to her."
  587. >You put your hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it away.
  588. >Perhaps not wanting to seem weak, perhaps guilty that he thought you were implying some other solution... which, in all honesty, you were.
  589. >She didn't have a place at the library, he did, and he could tell her to... go make some friends, or something... and evict her if she didn't.
  590. >"I didn't give her the place at the library as a gift."
  591. >"She's worked hard for it too. It's her reward. I can't tell her she shouldn't be enjoying it."
  592.  
  593. >Eventually, the two of you have made it to your destination, ignored the 'temporarily closed' sign on the front door, and entered inside.
  594. >The library was one of the oldest buildings on the campus.
  595. >A former monastery, convent, or something of that kind, repurposed for the modern age.
  596. >The ceilings were high and vaulted or made out of wood.
  597. >The door frames were low, painted with black and yellow stripes, and a constant danger to everyone's foreheads.
  598. >The hallways were lit by brass sconces holding electric candles, and the uneven wooden floors were covered by scrappy red carpets made out of synthetic fiber.
  599. >The whole building felt like some sort of a reverse museum... or a regular museum... or something between the two.
  600. >Where space allowed, the walls were covered, barricaded, with bookshelves, and interspersed with tables and chairs for quiet, independent study, making the place feel quite welcoming...
  601. >...except that it was also a disorienting, multi-level, maze of corridors, passes, and stairways, making the library a notoriously easy place to get lost in.
  602. >And it happened more than once, that someone had been locked inside over the night by accident.
  603. >Snuck away in one of the far-away corners, too engrossed in their readings that they didn't notice the place had already closed until the lights went off.
  604. >Today, however, the normally quiet hallways were even quieter than usual.
  605. >And instead of students, the tables were besieged with seemingly random books or loose papers.
  606. >Twilight and Cadance should already be somewhere around here.
  607. >And though you yourself could sometimes still lose your way, Shining knew the building well, and you managed to find the gentler half of your team relatively soon, even without having to call for them out loud.
  608. >Which still felt like a sacrilege even if the library was currently closed.
  609.  
  610. >"Shining!" Twilight excitedly jumped in her brother's arms and greeted him with a big hug.
  611. >He responded in kind and took the opportunity to also pet her head.
  612. >"Master." Cadance offered Shining a deep bow, much more controlled, but no less enthusiastic to see him.
  613. >"It's always good to see you Twilight, Cadance..." Shining let go and took a step back.
  614. >"You knew I wouldn't leave you, girls, at it alone... and I brought reinforcements with me as well!"
  615. >"Anonymous."
  616. >"Sir."
  617. >The two girls greeted you formally, with a curtsy and lowered heads.
  618. >In theory, presenting themselves for your inspection, and waiting for your permission to resume their business.
  619. >Twilight's greeting felt modest and genuine, proud to show off her form and proper manners.
  620. >She wore a normal study uniform, pleated skirt, shirt, vest, and a tie, that covered her from her knees to her neck.
  621. >It hid most of her features, giving her a feminine figure, and her flattened chest a smooth convex shape.
  622. >She had her hair in a bun, and her face was framed with thick-rimmed glasses.
  623. >Cadance's form was... different.
  624. >She too wore a west, but one with deep cleavage, and absolutely nothing underneath, allowing her considerable breasts to heave, jiggle and sway.
  625. >Spilling both from the middle and the sides as she leaned forward.
  626. >And were anyone standing behind her, her short, tight-fitting business skirt would have given them an obscene view.
  627. >It would be easy to imagine, just reaching out and... groping her, or tearing her out of her clothes, with a single swipe of your arm, exposing her for everyone to see... were it not for the last piece of her wardrobe.
  628. >A harvester collar with Shining's seal front and center, right above her collar bone.
  629. >She could have been the textbook definition of a trophy slave.
  630.  
  631. "Just 'Anon' is fine." you accepted and acknowledged them with a simple nod.
  632. >Twilight then turned her attention back to Shining, while Cadance seemed to be more interested in you.
  633. >"Anon, it's SO nice of you to be here... how are things between you and Sunset?"
  634. >She asked directly, speaking with a warm and pleasant tone.
  635. "Umm... fine, I guess?"
  636. >This was never going to not be awkward.
  637. >As a teacher and a counselor, she was supposed to be a figure of authority.
  638. >As a slave, she was someone to be... not 'disrespected' but... 'patronized' would have been fair to say.
  639. >You could never decide which of the two was the right way to approach her.
  640. >"Has she been disobedient or defensive?"
  641. >"Don't be afraid to tell me, or come see me in my office, if she starts giving you any trouble, and I'll help you work things out with her."
  642. >"Have you had trouble seducing any other girls?"
  643. >"Have you been getting enough sex?"
  644. >With every question she asked, you were growing slightly more concerned.
  645. >"I could help you find a girl you'd be happy with, or teach her a few tricks."
  646. "No thanks, I think I'm good right now."
  647. "Also, I don't think that..."
  648. >"Shiny doesn't mind!" She interrupted you.
  649. >"He knew what my duties were when he put his collar on me, and he wants me to succeed."
  650. >"All of my help would have been strictly professional."
  651. >You nodded, pondering, not sure how to feel about her offer.
  652. >You'd prefer to keep your relationship problems between you and the girls you were with, if possible.
  653. >And maybe you'd first talk to Shining about the last one, though you doubted that she'd lie to you about him.
  654. >Not while he was just two meters away, even if he wasn't paying attention at the moment.
  655. >You had no doubts about Cadance's experience, but asking someone to help you out with training your slaves felt like admitting failure.
  656. >"Any time!" she added with a whisper.
  657.  
  658. "ER, ERHMMM..." you loudly faked clearing your throat.
  659. "Something about books?" You saved yourself from being asked any more uncomfortable questions.
  660. >"We're here to help out with fixing the library. Twilight, tell us what you need us to do." Shining directed the conversation.
  661. >"Yes!"
  662. >Twilight took two papers from a nearby table and started talking.
  663. >"Every book has a specific place where it should be, the library sorts them by type, topic..."
  664. >You mentally fast-forwarded past most of her explanation.
  665. >"... I TRY to keep everything in order but it's too much work for me to do alone, so..."
  666. >The gist of it was that some people put some books in the wrong places, and it had to be fixed.
  667. >"... I made a list of what we need to do."
  668. >She showed you the first of her papers.
  669. >"Cadance and I, have already finished steps one through three, close the library, print the catalog, and distribute the pages to each respective section."
  670. >She showed you the other paper, which identified one of the bookcases by number, and listed which titles should be inside, shelf-by-shelf.
  671. >"We've also started with sub-steps of number four, check shelves for books that shouldn't be there, and take them out on the tables, which I HOPE we'll be able to finish off today."
  672. >"So that I can start with step five tomorrow, making a list of books that were in the wrong place..."
  673. >Twilight's to-do list continued but wasn't relevant to you right now.
  674. >Ssssskip!
  675. >"A-any questions?" Twilight stood nervously with her hands behind her back, as she finished her presentation.
  676. >"None, I think you've done a very good job explaining it, Twilight."
  677. "Things will be easier if we work in pairs."
  678. >"That's a great idea! Right master?" Cadance grabbed one of Shining's hands in both of hers, calling her dibs.
  679. >"Anon, will you take Twilight?"
  680. "Gladly."
  681. >You agreed and beamed Twilight a smile... though she seemed to have preferred to be with her brother as well.
  682. "..."
  683. >The four of you then split and started to work.
  684.  
  685. >It wasn't hard, but it was slow, and there was a lot of it.
  686. >The library had books about other things than magic, and even then, much more than just what was taught in the classes.
  687. >Entire sections were dedicated to topics that were never mentioned, or summed up and brushed over in a single lecture.
  688. >Magical creatures, though well documented, were rare and equally rarely mentioned.
  689. >History, while taught, was never part of the practice exams, and so deprioritized in favor of other, actually usable skills.
  690. >Medicine, while instrumental, was too advanced to be taught in a non-specialized academy, beyond the absolute basics.
  691. >It was good then, that you did not have to work alone, and you and Twilight managed to settle into a comfortable tempo.
  692. >You read the titles on the shelves, climbing up a step-ladder where necessary, and Twilight listened, checking if the books were on the list, and notifying you whenever one of them was missing, or out of place.
  693. "Hittite Rituals."
  694. "Mummification and suspended animation in the Old Kingdom."
  695. >You read the titles on the shelf.
  696. "On Human Sacrifice: what to do with a beating heart."
  697. >"Misplaced."
  698. >Twilight responded automatically, without taking her eyes off the paper.
  699. >You pulled the book out of the shelf and put it into her waiting hand to be added to the steadily growing pile on the table.
  700. "On the rituals of ancient Sumer."
  701. "On the rituals of ancient Minoa."
  702. "On the rituals of ancient Canaan... aaaaand that's it."
  703. >"Mmhmm!" Twilight hummed affirmatively and made another check mark on her list.
  704. >You climbed down and looked at the pile on the table.
  705. >"That's sixteen books in the wrong place and thirteen missing."
  706. >She was probably talking to herself, but you responded to her anyway.
  707. "That's a lot more than I'd expect."
  708. >"Yes, unfortunately..." Twilight nodded.
  709. >"Some people don't seem to THINK when putting things back in their place."
  710. >"Either don't think, or don't care, or don't do it right and only make it worse."
  711. >She vented, still mostly to herself, sounding irate but not in a serious way.
  712. >"Let's just move to the next section and see if it's any better."
  713. >You packed the ladder and followed after Twilight, chatting with her along the way.
  714. >"Thanks again for your help. It's been a long time since I had an assistant this good."
  715. "It's not a bad job..." you huffed, doing your best not to hit anything, or kill yourself on the stairs, carrying the ladder under your arm.
  716. "Not a particularly exciting one, but..." you thought about how to compliment what you were doing without having to outright lie.
  717.  
  718. "It's a, uh... very educational."
  719. "I'm discovering books that I had no idea even existed!"
  720. >"Oh, you're interested in that?" Twilight chippered up.
  721. >"The library has tons of books that no one seems to know about or bothers to read."
  722. >"Well... no one except me at least." She gritted through her teeth.
  723. >"Most people only come here for their textbooks, or to do their research for a specific project."
  724. >"Few people care to learn about astronomy, or geography or weather."
  725. >As you were well aware, being one of them.
  726. >"Are you up to something?"
  727. "Who? Me? Why would I be up to something?"
  728. >Twilight turned to you and brushed her hair out of the way.
  729. >"Sorry, I didn't mean to say that you were doing anything wrong."
  730. >"I wanted to ask if you had any project you were working on, anything interesting?"
  731. >"I'd recommend you something that could be useful to you if you'd like."
  732. "I can't say that I am, but I'll keep that in mind if I think of something, thanks."
  733. >Can't say, being the operative phrase.
  734. "How about you? Are YOU working on anything interesting?"
  735. "Shining mentioned you've been doing worrying amounts of reading lately."
  736. >"Did he?" She tilted her head, looking a bit surprised, confused.
  737. >"But... it's difficult not to! There's so much for me to learn here!"
  738. >She waved her hand, vaguely gesturing in the general direction of... uhh... the building you were in?
  739. >"And it's all so fascinating!" She ran off a few meters, without missing a breath.
  740. >"Every book is a mystery, hiding in plain sight, lost and waiting to be re-discovered, just because nobody bothers to try and look!"
  741. >"It's also kind of sad."
  742. >She stopped for a moment, looking, searching.
  743. >"Here!" She pulled one of the books out and ran back to you to show you something.
  744. >"One of Loew Bezalel's works. Not one of the original manuscripts, obviously, but see the notes under the line?" She pointed them out to you.
  745. >"He was always leaving his personal notes on the margins of his pages."
  746. >"Things he needed to do, jokes, random thoughts, grudges he had against his neighbors..."
  747. >"Most translations don't have them, since they're not part of the official text, but this one DOES!" She explained excitedly.
  748. >"And some of them are really fun to read!"
  749. >"Here! He complains about his bedsheets smelling like dog-barf and cat-piss after drying them out in the open, because the owner of the house across the street was throwing nibbled-off bones out of the window, and it attracted some strays."
  750.  
  751. "Uh-huh."
  752. >"It's so specific, and personal, and tells you how his life was really like!"
  753. >"And when you start reading them, it's like you're building a connection to someone with whom you're hundreds of years and thousands of miles apart."
  754. >"Sometimes I imagine... I wonder how it would be like to actually live there. A whole new world to explore. The sights, the sounds, the smells..."
  755. "You mean the dog-barf and cat-piss?"
  756. >"Okay, maybe I could do without the dog-barf and cat-piss... but doesn't the whole idea just excite you? How it would be like to be a completely different person, living a completely different life!"
  757. >Living in a different world?
  758. "Yes... it does."
  759. >Then you and Twilight made it to the next section on her list and resumed work.
  760. >It was a bit strange to be taking instructions from a girl but... eeeh...
  761. >Not every interaction between a boy and a girl had to be a domination-submission thing.
  762. >And the two of you had SOME things in common... and when she started talking, her enthusiasm was kind of infectious...
  763. >You climbed the ladder and started reading the titles again, while Twilight was checking if the books were on the list, again, just like before.
  764. >And it was... nyyeeeeeh... nothing to write home about.
  765. >At least until, out of the corner of your eye, you saw an interesting thing on the next shelf.
  766. >'Time, space and dimension: How to find your way, wherever, whenever, whoever you're going.'
  767. >Hmmmh.
  768. >You looked down to check on Twilight.
  769. >Her head was down, and she wasn't paying attention to you, still busy with her papers.
  770. >And she hasn't been double-checking your work at all today.
  771. >...
  772. >You had a choice to make.
  773. >Though it hurt you to admit, and despite the strength of your desire, you actually knew woefully little about how exactly you were going to make it to Equestria.
  774. >All the secrecy and precautions around spellcasting of that level meant that even basic specifics on interdimensional travel were hard to come by.
  775. >At least besides the ubiquitous "It's possible, it's dangerous, magic is involved, don't do it."
  776. >This relatively small book, less than two hundred pages by the look of it, could have been your way in.
  777. >A quick and easy way to start, or at least something that would have pointed you in the right direction, without having to ask someone and raise suspicion.
  778.  
  779. >Your first option would have been to steal the book.
  780. >You could simply 'overlook' or 'forget to mention' the book while reading what was on the shelf and have Twilight mark it as missing.
  781. >Twilight would not have noticed a thing, and even if she did, which she wouldn't, you could say it was a simple mistake.
  782. >Then you could simply take the book with you later on your way out and study it at home at your leisure.
  783. >And if you were quick, you could even put it back, literally anywhere else in the library, and it would have been lost among the hundreds of other books randomly misplaced by other people, with no one except you being the wiser.
  784. >Either way, just knowing that this book existed and where it was, had already been a small victory that made volunteering for a day of unpaid labor at the library worth it.
  785. >After all, you could always come back for it later... though you were unlikely to ever get another opportunity to steal it as easily as this.
  786. >Your second option would have been to NOT steal the book, and borrow something different and less suspicious.
  787. >Like... take Twilight up on her offer and ask her for a book about regular teleportation instead.
  788. >Though you could obviously not know for sure, your B- educated guess was that at least the basics of regular and inter-dimensional teleportation were going to be the same.
  789. >A hint on what kind of issues you could expect, and of course, serve you as useful, and un-suspicious, practice in its own right.
  790. >Your third option would have been to simply forget about it for now, and ask Twilight for one of her own recommendations instead.
  791. >Whatever she gave you likely wouldn't be of any practical use to you, but you felt like it would have made her happy that someone had shown interest in the same things as she did.
  792. >Getting the librarian girl on your side would have certainly made looking for other obscure knowledge faster.
  793. >IF she could have been trusted.
  794. >If she found out too much about your plans and decided to tell on you... your quest would have been over.
  795. >Lastly, you could have also done some combination of the above... but reading took time, and borrowing books without reading them was kind of rude.
  796. >And though she might have been the only one, Twilight seemed like the type that would care.
  797. >...
  798. >Well? What were you going to do?

Submission is Mandatory archive

by grapenut