Astral Vision

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart @Samurai Equine Astral's forehead showed an anime-like sweat drop at Dynamo's immense enthusiasm, clearly the blue pony was dedicated to the world of gaming. Astral had great respect for this passion, as gaming brought many ponies and other creatures together. "Sounds to me like you and Pastel have a quest Dynamo, one might call it a 'friendship quest'. I look forward to seeing some positive results from this objective." Astral then turned his head to Samurai, and lowered his voice as if to address a concern. "Hey Samurai, I notice you've had a pattern of believing Pastel's every claim for danger, and I'm just a little curious. With your cube in mind, this 'Final Premonition' pony, and even the possibility of a town curse, are you anticipating a major threat? I wouldn't blame you for being concerned, but I also hope you're not too worried."

@Pastel Heart Astral raised his brow at Pastel's challenge, then chuckled. "Very well, I'll take you on once we get there. You're going down, Pinky." (Insert Patrick Tubby meme) @Samurai Equine As the group began to make their way to the arcade, Astral caught sight of a familiar pony passing by. It turned out to be Samurai, the pony who Astral had first met. "Greetings Samurai, how's the day been for you? Any more progress with the cube?"

@Dynamo Pad Astral was making a reference to 'Street Fighter'. Walkway was the main clue, but no worries. And yes, I'm a fan of certain memes as well, mainly Spongebob ones.

@Pastel Heart @Dynamo Pad

Astral was glad to see Dynamo back in high spirits, and the mention of an arcade brought curiosity to his eyes. "Sounds like fun, I'll tag along. Let's just hope they don't have a 'Walkway Combat' machine, I'm pretty good at that game."

@Dynamo Pad Astral was in awe of Dynamo's speech, he had not seen this confidence in a pony for quite some time, and was proud to see this one rising above their fears. "I'm happy to hear it, Dynamo. Spoken like a true friend, I would be proud to stand at your side for the future. Now, perhaps we should take a break from magic training. Does anypony have something they wanted to do today?"

@Pastel Heart @Dynamo Pad Astral's face soon grew adorned with a sad smile, but it was a smile all the same, because he admired the passion in Pastel's words of encouragement. "Pastel's right, Dynamo. Bullies are never something you want to face alone, especially if you already have low standards for yourself. But that's a thing of the past, you're not alone now, and you haven't become what those bullies wanted you to be. I know it still hurts, and you can't completely forget the past, but what you should focus on is your current happiness and your future." Astral continued to try and raise Dynamo's confidence, but there was only so much he could say. Astral knew this inner darkness could only leave Dynamo when he chose to let it out.

@Dynamo Pad Astral's face degraded to a stern expression upon Dynamo's sadness. He had seen this disappointment in many other ponies, including himself. Astral walked over to Dynamo, and sat down beside him. "Listen Dynamo, I know what it's like to feel the way you do. Anyone can become jealous of others' talents, especially if it's something they want to be good at themselves. But the fact is, if we focused so much on what others thought or the goals they accomplished, we'd forget to worry about ourselves. You for one are different from any other pony, not because of your current hindrance in magic, but because you're you. Being yourself is something that no one else can be, so just focus on getting the spell right at your own pace; and if it wasn't clear already, you have friends to help you push forward." @ExplosionMare Astral sighed at the sound of Pencil's worry, and got up from his sitting position to set things right. "Don't worry Pencil, allow me." Astral's horn glowed once more, and in a flash of magic, Pencil's appearance was restored to normal.

@ExplosionMare Astral looked stunned, nearly frozen in place staring in the direction of Pencil. That look of shock soon turned to delight, as Astral soon smiled as brightly as the sun. "Bravo, Pencil! Given that I can't see you, you got the spell right on your first try! You clearly have potential in magic." Astral was proud to have successfully passed this spell to another unicorn, especially in such a short time frame. "Hold on a minute Pencil, wherever you are. Dynamo needs assistance." Astral trotted towards the gamer pony who lied flat on the green landscape, he hoped there was no lasting damage. "Are you alright Dynamo? Do you need to take a break?"

@Dynamo Pad Well, if you wanted it to backfire again, I imagine that would give you and Pencil more time to chat. (I believe you said this before) Feel free to make it backfire if you want more comedy to ensue, though hopefully you'll get the spell right when there's an imminent threat in the story.

@ExplosionMare Astral was delighted to see Pencil joining the magic lesson, knowing this spell would be incredibly useful for any unicorn. Turning towards the mare, Astral delivered his instructions clearly and efficiently. "Alright Pencil, right now we're learning how to become invisible. This spell can be great for combat, studying, or other purposes. Now first you need to focus, magic is a matter of mental willpower after all. Just clear your mind, concentrate your magic, and the spell should work. Just make sure you're thinking of being invisible, and not anything else."

Fair enough, I just don't want it to be that Astral discovers the truth too soon; otherwise, where is your cube going to be used?

@Samurai Equine The fact that plots are moving so fast is a good sign. Normally you'd think it would be difficult to navigate through a sea of comments every time, but I'm glad to see everyone manage. Btw Samurai, the character you mentioned called 'Final Premonition', I'm a little curious. Since Astral is currently trying to discover the origins behind the mayors' divide, will he discover more information on Premonition as well? I imagine you don't want to introduce the character or his background until the second half of the RP.

@Dynamo Pad "Precisely, Dynamo. No one is perfect with spells on the first try, especially some as advanced is this. Now try again, just clear your mind and focus. Think of nothing, and your image will reflect that". Astral waited to see any changes in results, he knew Dynamo had the potential, he just needed to uncover his own capabilities. Astral wondered if he had the potential to teach magic to others, as Celestia had taught him. He chuckled at the possibility, but what mattered right now was Dynamo's progress.

@ExplosionMare Astral sensed another presence, and turned his head to see a new pony in sight. She looked familiar to Astral, who soon remembered her from the concert yesterday. "Hello, Pencil right? I was just teaching Dynamo here how to use an invisibility spell. But for the moment, it seems he doesn't have a 'leg' to stand on." Astral couldn't hold it in any longer, and began to laugh so hard he was nearly in tears. @Dynamo Pad Astral's laughter soon ceased, and he made his way over to the panicking gamer pony. "Alright, Dynamo, no need to panic. I've got this." Astral's horn began to radiate a turquoise glow, and in a flash of magic, Dynamo's legs were once again visible. "Ok Dynamo, that was a good start, but we need to keep practising. Pencil, care to join us?"

@ExplosionMare I'm teaching Dynamo how to use a new spell at the moment, and there's already a bit of comedy taking place. If you wanted to take part in the event, you could sit next to the tree with Pastel and watch, or you could even take part in the training. The choice is yours.

@Dynamo Pad Astral looked shocked, but then smiled from ear to ear. He nearly choked from trying to stop his laughter, as he didn't want to seem rude. "Well Dynamo, the spell sorta worked. *snort*, but only on your legs." Astral thought Dynamo kinda looked like a duck, but he only hoped that this wouldn't discourage him, magic was difficult to master after all.

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart "Thanks Dynamo, I'll keep your offer in mind. Now come along, I know a good spot for practice" Astral led Dynamo and Pastel to the outskirts of town, and stopped once they reached a large tree. Green fields surrounded the area, and the sun shined brightly above. "Perfect, we're here, I saw this place when I first pulled into Friendshire. Now Dynamo, to start with the spell, you first need to concentrate. And remember, magic is a matter of mental willpower; so if you think you can become invisible, you will. Now try an attempt, I'll let you know if you succeeded." Astral stood patiently, watching for any signs of progress.

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart Astral smiled knowing that Dynamo was willing to learn, but he also wondered what Pastel had in mind for vengeance. "Great to hear Dynamo. Now then, just so we don't cause too many magical mishaps inside my home, how about we do this outside?" Astral said as he placed the book in his satchel. However, before turning to leave, Astral grabbed on more book off the shelf and handed it to Pastel. "'Equestrian Folklore & Legends', a real adventurous treat for anypony. Feel free to read this while you watch Pastel."

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart Dynamo began to hear laughing close by, and the force that held Pastel gently returned her to the ground. As the magic faded, the form of Astral was once again visible. "Sorry about that you two, maybe I got a little carried away there. That's the invisibility spell. It can give you an edge in combat, but it can also be utilized when you don't wish to fight. Some unicorns use it for pranks, others for research, but it takes a calm mind to master this spell all the same. The best part is that this spell can be cast onto other ponies in close range, so Pastel could be invisible too. Do you think you're up for learning it?" Astral said questioning the gamer pony.

@ExplosionMare That's a very kind offer, I'll keep it in mind once I draw Astral.

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart What the other two didn't know was that Astral had, in fact, conjured a spell that made him invisible. Since he wanted to give Dynamo and Pastel a hint of the spell he used, Astral decided to have a bit of fun. He snuck up behind Pastel, lifted her into the air, and began making silly noises. "Wooooo... Dynamo, I am a spooky ghost. Wooooo..." Astral struggled not to burst out laughing, as he feared he might drop Pastel by accident.

@Pastel Heart Well for now, Pastel's biggest challenge in the story is whether she'll stay in Friendshire or not, so it could be a good thing to deal with that plot right away. Afterwards, just look at the qualities your character may need to improve on. For example, she has a lot of energy, but what if that eventually causes a large problem? If so, she could learn to be more patient, while still keeping her energetic personality of course.

@ExplosionMare Not much has happened on day 3 yet, so no worries.

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart Glad to hear eagerness from both ponies, Astral began to lead the two through the town, until they eventually came across a parked travel cart. The roof was tiled blue, and a light brown glaze adorned the wooden exterior. Clearly, somepony had been polishing it. "There she is, home sweet home. It might be a little bit cramped, but do feel free to come in." Astral then opened the door and walked inside. There was a bed inside, a folding travel table, and even a small wardrobe. However, the most impressive sight was the large bookshelf leaning against the wall, there had to be at least 50 books piled. "Don't worry, I always keep these organized. Now let me see... Creature manuals, Equestrian folktales, Canterlot Magi..-AH! Here we go." Astral used his magic to pick a book off the shelf; the book seemed old and worn out, as if it had been read thousands of times. "Now then, if we're going to practice your combat magic Dynamo, there's one spell here I should teach you that isn't just for combat. Now, with most spells, it's a matter of utilizing mental power to invoke the magic. But for beginners, it can be better to revise the spell out loud, similar to your Harry Trotter novels. Once you master the spell, you won't need to say it out loud anymore, though some still do for dramatic effect." Astral then flipped to a random page in the book, and began to chant an unknown spell. "Cornu lumine praediti, celare a facie mea!" Astral then vanished into thin air, but it didn't seem like he had teleported again.