To be a Pony Pt. 5 - Kanako

 Kanako stumbles upon an interesting style of fighting, and seeks to learn more about the art of bladecasting.

Synopsis
Kanako's side of the story begins with him heading to Lynna's room and meeting Whirlwind in the hall as the latter just finished playing a game with Lynna. Upon being questioned Kanako explains that he wanted a quick warp to Canterlot to search the libraries for a skill called bladecasting, in hopes of being taught the basics of it. Whirlwind didn't know anything about it, but suggested that perhaps ERAC's own databases would have information on the subject.

Kanako begins to travel toward the main databases, only to remember that the various terminals around the base could access it as well. He himself was actually directly in front of such a terminal, and quickly began searching for anything related to bladecasting. What information ERAC's database had on bladecasting was very minimal, with the only concrete details being about how meteoric platinum is one of the best materials for it and some snippets of basic duelling techniques. Kanako, while disappointed, had expected this, and so went back to his original plan of heading to the Canterlot LIbrary as a unicorn.

HIs initial thoughts upon walking into the LIbrary are derailed upon seeing how massive the inside was, but he is quickly brought back on track when one of the library aides comes over to him. Kanako quickly explains to the aide what he was searching for, and the two head down to the royal archives to search for any ancient documents that may have survived over the milennia. Thankfully, he hits the jackpot upon finding a couple scrolls detailing some bladecasting drills written in an ancient language. Though Kanako can't read it, the diagrams tell him that he has found what he was looking for, and can now go see the Princess to talk about it.

The solo travels to Princess Luna in disguise as Princess Celestia in the audience chambers as she accepts a new petitioner. The earth pony mare, named Clean Sheet, humbly requests some way for her and her foal Curiosity to have a better home during their stay in Canterlot. Though Luna laments the fact that the refugee camps weren't coming along as quickly as she wants them to, she is able to help set the mare up to have her child stay at one of the foal care centers on the south side of Canterlot with a reduced rate. Clean Sheet gratefully accepts Luna's aid and leaves with joy in her steps, and the day continues on afterwards.

Eventually, only Kanako is the last petitioner for the day. There was a slight bit of mutual scrutinizing, as Luna was worried about how much Kanako knew of her and the Anathemite's situation and Kanako wondered who was behind he Celestia mask, but it passes and Kanako opens up by asking Luna about bladecasting. Luna responds by asking him what he wants with the skill, and Kanako explains that because there are multiple different people, planets, and threats waiting in the universe or multiverse, he wants to learn bladecasing in case he may need it for a future enemy. He also requests to learn teleportation from a mage as well. Kanako offers to show Luna the rest of the documents he found, but Luna forestalls that to ask him a simple queston: Why will he fight? What will he fight for?

Kanako responds that he wants to fight for the family he has on worlds far from Equestria, the family he briefly had on Gensokyo, the new friends he's found here in Equestria, and for anyone else he may befriend in the future. Protecting this world or any other is an added bonus. He asks if the question was some kind of test, and Luna confirms that it was, stating that to truly bladecast one must have a purpose or conviction for someone or something. Upon confirming that Kanako's conviction would not falter, Luna calls in Captain Great Esteem to instruct Kanako on how to bladecast, as well as setting up sessions to teach him how to teleport. Before he leaves their company, Kanako also inquires as to whether or not Luna will open Bladecasting up to be taught again, either to the military or to the public, as well as for non-unicorns. Luna assures him that when there is time she will work on that, and dismisses him. She and Captain Esteem discuss Kanako's physique for a few minutes before Esteem takes his leave. Kanako himself announces his departure not long after, unfortunately upsetting an observing pony who saw him vanish into thin air.

The next couple of weeks are spent forging his blade, exercising, bladecasting training, and learning how to teleport, the combination of these often leavin him exhausted by the end of the day. At the end of one of these days Lynna calls for him and suddenly warps him into her room to give him a present. She revealed to him a silver necklace with a white cloud in the center, infused with Nihility to allow him to transform into a pegasus or a unicorn without having to call on her to do so. She explains that the magic is tied to him, and if he concentrates on the image of being a pegasus or unicorn he will be able to morph into either of them flawlessly. There will be a couple seconds of delay initially, but once he does it often enough the time will be reduced to a negligible amount. Estatic at the gift, Kanako hugs Lynna fiercely and thanks her for the gift. The two of them exchange goodnights, and after Lynna warps him back to his room, he falls asleep.

Trivia

 * To be a Pony Pt. 5, like To be a Pony Pt. 4, is also split up into two halves. However, unlike Pt. 4, the split is because of the fact that it covers two separate perspectives--Lynna's and Kanako's--while they are acting within the same length of time. The fact that both halves took up at least fifteen pages on Word documents also meant that this was a good idea.
 * Bladecasting comes from the My Little Pony fanfcition The Immortal Game by AestheticBrony, to whom Kanako gives full credit for the idea.
 * Despite intially coming with the pegasus and unicorn forms, the necklace lost most of it's power following the defeat of Operation Moonscald due to the Nihility siphoning that Vocus pulled off. Because of this, only one of the two forms could remain, and Kanako opted to keep the pegasus form. This depowering also meant that the Morph Necklace Lynna gives Curiosity later on only had one form because she didn't have the power anymore to have more than one.