mylittlejamjar | Spell 1 [Visual]

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Spell 1 [Visual]

[This holiday season, the scroll feed is proud to present... a bleary-eyed sky-blue pony with white bed hair that encompasses his entire head. Groggily, he pushes himself semi-upright and smacks his lips, blinking off his sleep.]

...hhh...where...where in the world am I, do you suppose?...Archimedes? Archimedes, are you about somewhe- oh.

[Enough cognisance has been regained that he suddenly notices his hoof, and he examines it for a moment.]

...mm. That's odd. I don't remember turning into a shetland pony. Let's see now...

[Finally getting up, the old equine trots around a bit, giving himself a once over.]

Beard's still here, unusual, that. The rest seems OH! Oh, that had better not be a tattoo down there. Ngh... won't rub off. No, that won't do, I'm not going through that nonsense again. Now, where I w...Hmm. Glasses still there, that's good. Pointy hat? Yes, yes, that seems to be in good nick. Bit crumpled, but nothing a goo- ...by george, is that a horn on my head?!

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Call me Luna. Should you have need to, distinguish me from my other selves by the fact that I am no longer classified as royalty.

I myself have had... more than a fair share of experience with both sides of the coin, as well as with other worlds. To whom might I have the pleasure of speaking with, good sir?

[You know, now that she's insisted so vehemently that you aren't Pony Merlin. Oh wait.]

[Oh, and courteous too! He's starting to like her.]

Merlin, at your service, madam. The world's most powerful wizard- Oh! Erm, rather, my world's...most...powerful...(by george, this is getting convoluted. I should've just stayed asleep...)

Ah. Perhaps I was mistaken, then; while the likeness is not perfect, you do bear many similarities. The Star Swirl that she spoke of was, at one point far in the past, this world's most powerful.

You are in a variant of the world of Equestria, Merlin. A power that is not your own has brought you here, and many, myself included, believe it is the land itself that has changed you into the form you are in, as a protective measure to prevent the influx of humans and other such creatures.

If you desire, I can answer any questions you may have, though I cannot promise that every question has an answer.

Hm. Well, for a start, I wonder if you could explain this scroll to me. For a moment, I thought it just showed talking magic pictures like an animated storybook, but...would I be wrong in saying that it's some sort of scrying tool? Like a 21st century smartphone in paper form?

[Smartphone? Luna has to think about that one for a moment. Then she slowly puts together what Donatello had told her about the iDons...]

That would not be entirely inaccurate. I believe their initial purpose was merely to transmit messages, but sometimes, things progress in unintended ways.

As a warning, though, they are not very secure, even past what you have seen. I would not rely on them as a foolproof method of transmitting sensitive missives.

Ah. Duly noted.

Now, both you and Miss Pie have made a lot of mention of alternate realities. Are doppelgängers from parallel worlds a common occurrence here?

In this particular circumstance, yes. Myself and Pinkie Pie are amongst those who have... alternates. Perhaps you would consider us the dopplegängers, as this is not the Equestria we originally herald from. I am certain my native self will make herself known at some point.

Well, if she does, then I certainly hope she's at least half as polite and intellectual as you are, my dear.

First impressions are important. I assure you, the three of us here all have our own varieties of... [She can't help but let a chuckle leak out.] ...lunacy.

Regarding your horn: Given that you are a wizard - assumedly human? Forgive me if I am mistaken - then you should have little problem working out the process. Consider your horn to be your magical focus; like a wand that has been placed upon your head.

Oh... OH, now that is VERY fascinating. So the ponies here have actually evolved to harness magic? Well I never... (chuckles)

Ponies are the dominant species of the land; while we have not progressed in society exactly as humans do, I am certain you will find certain similarities, simply with accommodations made for the differing body types and higher general magical environ.

Ah, very good. Quite convenient as- Oh! Heh heh, I almost forgot: I appear to have developed some sort of image on my...erm...hindquarters. Does this magic that transported me here make a habit of tattooing people while they're asleep?

Ah... not precisely.

That would be what we refer to as a "Cutie Mark". It's a sign that you have found the talent that is most suited to you, and is generally an indication - albeit often a subtle, difficult to decipher one - of what said talent is. It is... a natural part of maturity in a pony from these lands.

Really? Well... another fascinating example of natural selection in a magically-charged world, I suppose.

Your world was not as magically inclined?

Not for the most part, no. Magic wielders like myself are few and far between, no matter how far down human history you go. Probably just as well. People get their knickers in a twist enough about technology and science. Put magic in their hands too soon and who knows what could happen.

Little different, particularly knowing the humans I have met. Perhaps they are not the most stellar examples of the species, but I know that many innovators were driven by greed or sloth - thus, magic likewise would evolve as science did, a tool to increase profits and reduce labor.

Hrmm. Well, that's one way of looking at it, I suppose. Though I'd prefer not to associate innovation and discovery with base flaws, thank you,

Understandable, particularly since the discovery itself is rarely if ever done in the name of those flaws. Innovation is practical application of discovery, however, and thus the practicality often comes in the task of patching a weakness caused by such a flaw.

I suppose we are just mincing words, however, and have slightly differing views on the matter. Regardless, I do not believe they would treat a magical renaissance any differently than they would an industrial one.

Mm, perhaps not, but you never can tell with these things...

At any rate, if technology keeps progressing the way it currently is, then in a millennium or two, my world should have something nigh-indistinguishable from sorcery. Then, if some wizard, witch or warlock accidentally turns a friend into a frog in broad daylight, anyone passing by will think they're just playing with the latest MorphPod or Zaptooth or what have you.

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Spell 1 [Visual]

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