Chapter 16: The Grind Date(s)

=== The Conversion Bureau: A New Age, A New Era ====== Chapter 16: The Grind Date(s) ===

<< Inspiration for the title and chapter theme: De La Soul - The Grind Date

   Also of note, whenever I refer to ‘lengths’, 1 standard Pony length for this universe is .5 meters >>

Everything appears to be in working order with this building. Quite a work of art and engineering, if I do say so myself. Yes, the four Conduits of Terra should greatly enjoy this... as shall I...

==========

* ACT I *

[ Equestria, November 17, ??? ]

The day Luna described had now come, as the ten Bearers and Conduits came out to a supposedly unremarkable patch of land on the outskirts of Ponyville. When they arrived, they saw Luna and a mixed team of assistants, who they figured were the ones helping to construct the edifice in question. The only question was... where exactly was the edifice in question?

"Okay, Princess Luna, you asked us all out here to show us a house or some such. I don't mean to sound ungrateful or ignorant, but I don't see anything out here," Blue Vague said, a touch confused as to what was supposed to be going on. In fact, everyone except the engineers and Luna were thoroughly confused as to why there standing there with nothing to see apparently.

Luna just smiled that wide grin that Equestrians smiled whenever they were ready to pull an okie-doke on someone. "Well, my little Ponies, that is indeed a good question. I would ask that you all move about ten lengths lengths back and to your collective right, so that I might answer that question."

With that, the cluster of Ponies all moved the indicated direction. Luna's horn glowed a rich cobalt blue, as a rather sizable house began to 'materialize' out of nowhere. From bottom to top, the house appeared as if Luna was drawing a giant invisible curtain from over the edifice.

The four Ponies new Equestrian home was a stunning sight for the former Humans not used to having their own places to style. It was constructed in the Brownstone style of architecture from the turn of the 20th Century on Earth; Luna feeling it would be a nice touch using a reasonably popular Earth architectural style. It appeared two stories high, and more than large enough for 4 adult Ponies and however many temporary guests (like say, another seven temporary guests). The facade was gray colored limestone, which was imported from the Dragon-controlled deserts quite a ways away from Equestria proper. As the contingent of Ponies looked around the outside, they noticed an observatory like structure along the roof, which Luna stated was a landing area for Pegasi to enter from the very top and come down. They also noticed large storm doors, which lead to the basement, which Luna stated would be a particular interest for the four Terran Ponies.

Red Blaze was definitely impressed with the workmanship on the outside. "Wow, they even got the trim colors like ours. It gives it that nice little flare and makes it distinct from a regular Brownstone in the Domes."

Golden Storm and Rainbow Dash perched themselves atop the house on the Pegasi landing area. "I wonder how hard it would be to get clouds to sit up here along the landing spot. I mean it's obvious from R.D.'s house that clouds stick to themselves just as well here, I dunno about them sticking to something 'solid' though." Rainbow Dash just shrugged as she never really tried it herself.

Midori Hana touched the limestone with a forehoof; she could still feel the energy in the stone from whatever cutting process the Dragons used to score the blocks for shipping. "Wow, this must be what Dragon Magic, or whatever equivalent they have, must feel like. Definitely different than Equestrian Magic, but it all feels related somehow." Luna chuckled at how strong an inquisitive mind Midori had, she was definitely her father's daughter.

        As she sent off the engineers and construction workers to return to their homes, she began to speak to the rest of the eleven as Dash and Storm floated back down to the ground. "Alright. To the Four Conduits of the Elements of Terra, this is myself and my sister's gift to you all. This building is a fully furnished and outfitted home for you all while you are in Equestria. As you look around inside, you will notice that the construction is quite similar to the dormitories at the Isegawa Clinic back on Earth."

As all twelve of them walked inside and marveled at the internal construction, they were indeed reminded of the dormitories back on Earth they all shared. In fact, it was effectively a reduced version of said dormitories, built to house four instead of ten at a time. The only real difference, besides the clinical white replaced by wood grain, was that the recreational room held various board games and a magic-driven film projector, instead of the digital projector and computers the four Terrans were used to. There was also a spiral staircase leading up to the landing area on the roof, and stairwell leading down to the basement.

"Oh wow, I recognize a lot of these games. Although they are obviously Pony equivalents, they look all the world just like the classic board games we had in America back on Earth," Blue Vague said, as he levitated out the various boxes to quickly scan over them. The Terrans also wondered what they'd need to convert the digital films back home into reels and audio tracks for use as well.

While they thought about this, Luna broke them out of their reverie in order to get down to business for the day. "You all will have plenty of time in order to sort out your entertainment options during the evening. However, we have more pressing business to attend to for today. So, I would like to direct the eleven of you to the basement."

        As they all stood in the rather spacious basement, the twelve remarked just how plain it looked compared to the rest of the house. There was an exception though, a rather innocuous looking raised slot exactly in the center of the basement. As the twelve stood around it, Luna began to explain just why this barely furnished basement was the locale of interest for today. "Alright, my little Ponies. You may all be wondering 'Why does Princess Luna have us standing in this rather unadorned basement around this somewhat plan looking slot?'. Well, this would be why..."

With that, she materialized a hand tool, very much reminiscent of a screwdriver. "TRAINING FIELD DRIVER, ON!!" She shouted as she engaged the tool in the slot and charged it with her magic.

Everyone stood confused for a few seconds as to what exactly she was talking about... until they felt a massive surge of energy coming from the slot now with the tool sticking out of it. Within a few seconds, their entire location seemed to morph into a open field of sorts.

"Woah, just what in Equestria was that?!" Twilight exclaimed, never feeling any sort of magic like that before.

"This is a revised version of a spell I devised while Head Mistress of the University for Advanced Magical Studies. It is simply known as the Projected Training Field. It takes anyone present within a confined space, such as the basement we were in, and transports them to a pocket dimension of the user's creation for up to six hours at a time. The spell specifically designed to never last more than 6 hours, since the expanse created is functionally infinite in all directions, and we wouldn't want Ponies getting lost in an infinite pocket dimension if we can at all help it.

"The rules of this place are quite simple. First, one cannot perish here, if anyone incurs a life-threatening injury, the spell is immediately dispelled so that the Pony in question can be attended to. Second, only the original user of the spell can alter the conditions of the space. Third, If the user ever falls unconscious, the spell is immediately dispelled, again to prevent Ponies from getting lost or stuck in the sub-space. Finally, fourth, the original user of the spell can at any time disengage the spell, which would return everyone to where they were when the spell was cast; however, regardless of how the spell was dispelled, it cannot be used again by that user for at least twelve hours."

Luna then pointed at the screwdriver-like tool now resting on a raised pedestal as tall as the stallions there, "That screwdriver-like device is known as the Training Field Driver, it contains condensed mana that is used to execute the spell should someone of insufficient power wish to use it, although one must first install the Training Driver Slot. Note, one does not need to know Explicit Magic to use the spell, it works with any creature that can channel the mana of Equestria. Similar to one casting the spell themselves, once used and then dispelled, the device cannot be used again for twelve hours, for safety and recharging concerns."

Golden Storm raised a hoof, and was recognized to ask a question. "Princess Luna, there doesn't seem to be any real concerns for space in-between the various settlements and cities and all. So why go through all this trouble to train us here and in this manner?"

Luna thought for a few seconds, and then responded. "Well, the proper answer to that question is twofold. First, to be perfectly honest, myself and my sister have next to no idea what exactly Terran Magic is capable of. Therefore, as much as you all will be studying and practicing how best to use your two forms of Magic, I will be recording and analyzing the nature and effects of Terran magic should they be invoked during said practicing. It would be the easiest for me to do this in this space, rather than have you all scattered all over the outskirts of town, at least for the time being."

That statement concerned the four Terran Conduits especially, they were hoping against hope they could get some kind of guidance from the Royal Sisters in that regard.

"The second answer goes back to some very old practices. Before the development of this spell, the University was fledgling in terms of maintain prestige and membership, despite my direct patronage. This was because the University was seen as a bit wild and uncontrollable. This was due to the propensity for the various magical experiments and training to result in untold amounts of property damage and, unfortunately, deaths amongst the students and bystanders. In fact, the first year I introduced the spell to the wider faculty, we reduced our collective damage payouts by 500% and death toll by 1000%."

The six Bearers of Harmony and Spike were a bit taken aback by how matter of fact Luna was when discussing such widespread death and destruction. Soon though, all eleven of them came to an understanding to just how serious an undertaking this all was; Luna could not afford any of them dying in some accident, or destroying some large expanse of property.

"I can tell by the looks on your faces and in your eyes that you are starting to realize how serious an undertaking this is. I do not want you all to fear this venture necessarily, but you all must respect the fact that the magic our new friends and compatriots contain is almost an entirely unknown entity. There is so little solid information, that we are basically having to play this all by ear, so to speak. Therefore, I have to take every precaution I can, and take every opportunity to analyze this magic that I can. However, we cannot even truly discuss their practice of Terran Magic, until the four of them are trained in their new bodies. Until they come to a true understanding of their Equestrian bodies, both in a physical and spiritual sense, the Power they contain, I fear, will remain largely incongruent."

        Luna broke up the group of eleven by race. The goal for today was some moderate physical training for everyone; although Luna could tell by Twilight Sparkle and Rarity's professions and natures that they weren't going to make the best Unicorn physical trainers. Despite the fact Unicorns were more spellcasters than anything, one's body still had to be maintained. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, though, could more than handle themselves training Storm and Hana. Luna thought to herself that eventually Spike was going to have to do something if he wanted to stick with Twilight like he did, but trying to hunt down a Dragon to help Spike was going to be a major hassle. She figured she'd have to talk to Celestia about that anyway, knowing there were some things in that regard she was trying to handle back in Canterlot. With that, Luna began conjuring up pads and pencils for herself, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash to record their charge's progress on, and probably record the process of the other Elements of Harmony while they were at it.

        Luna addressed the Conduits collectively before the exercises began. "While I'm sure that you all are anxious to learn the practical applications of your magic, you all must first physically adjust to your new bodies. Physical attunement to self is vitally important to properly channeling magic. Blue Vague and Red Blaze, although Unicorns are average physically compared to Earth Ponies and Pegasi, mana still must be circulated through the body to the horn in order to invoke Explicit Magic. The more attuned your mind is to your body, the easier it becomes to channel mana. Golden Storm and Midori Hana, since you do not have a specific appendage to focus your magic through, you must focus on channeling mana throughout its entirety, as you learn more and more what your bodies are physically capable of. They all go hoof-in-hoof, so the more you utilize those bodies of yours the more you will understand."

Luna directed the four unicorns into practicing a body calming exercise in order to more fluidly channel the mana around them. Rainbow Dash took some cloud stuff and cloud dye, while Applejack took some flagpoles, and both constructed courses to begin physically training both the Terran Conduits and making sure that their Bearer mates haven't been slacking off too much while on Earth.

As an hour or so of this went by, all of the Terran Conduits began to feel the strain of the exercises starting to pile up on them.

This is way harder than I thought it was... no wonder it seemed like couldn't invoke the Element of Water before...

If I used my Element of Fire my state, I'd probably burn down everything around me for a least a few dozen yards...

Ugh, only an hour into this and my wings are already tired. I didn't think Rainbow Dash would be this much of a taskmaster...

Wow my legs already feel like someone has been strapping weights to them. I don't know how Applejack does this day in and day out...

Despite their fatigue, all four of them pushed on; with Spike participating in the Earth Pony course-running since there really wasn't anything for him to do while with Twilight and the other Unicorns.

 The Unicorn exercises had now evolved to what Luna called the Inertia Test - where a Unicorn had to move a sphere with magically-induced variable inertia, using their force projection to move it at certain constant speeds and control it to stop at certain points and change direction. It taught both force projection (moving the sphere) and control (keeping it on course and changing its direction). Rainbow Dash tested the agility of Golden Storm by having him disperse clouds in sequence, all at hard angles to each other. Applejack began training Midori Hana in leg strength and stamina; having her both pushing and pulling objects of varying weights against increasingly rougher terrain. This went on in various intensities for the rest of the training session.

        By the end of the sixth hour, the four Terran Ponies were stretched out on the ground, half-asleep due to exhaustion; while the four non-trainer Bearers helped cleaned up, somewhat tired themselves. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, while helping Twilight and the other put everything away, wondered what hell Luna would devise for them later, once the other Ponies were far enough along handle themselves. Luna just smiled politely as the weary Terran Conduits trotted over to the center of the sub-space, Luna having already recorded all the training results for the day and teleporting away the equipment.

"My little Ponies, as this first day has shown you, there is a lot that goes into effectively using your natural and super-natural gifts. Although I will need to study the data more closely to make some precise projections, I believe that a couple of weeks of these types of exercises will be enough for the Conduits to sufficiently acclimate to their bodies, in order for myself to start teaching Equestrian Magic formally. As I leave you all for that day, I want you all to take care and rest yourselves. A body that improperly recovers cannot gain full benefits from physical training. And now, I bid you all a good evening, and I will see you all tomorrow."

With that, the six hours ran out, and the space evaporated. The group of twelve found themselves back in the basement of the Conduit's new home. Luna placed the Driver in a chest with a magic lock, and gave the unlock spell to the four Unicorns there, before teleporting back to Canterlot to raise the Moon and the night sky for the evening.

-===-

        After the Bearers of Harmony left to go back to their homes for the evening, the four Conduits all took showers to get themselves cleaned off, and then they all started discussing the day's events.

Blue Vague laid out on a body sized cushion in the recreational room, finally able to start thinking straight now that he was starting to relax. "I don't think I've ever done that much in one day before."

"I would have never guessed that casting could cause that much physical strain, shows you what I know," Red Blaze said, her head still hurting some after the all the mana she had to channel during the Inertia Test.

"My body hasn't been worked like that since Basic Training. Rainbow Dash would make a damn good athletic trainer for Pegasi should that whole Wonderbolt-thing not pan out," Golden Storm said, taking care to use his wings too much until he got some sleep.

"Applejack had to have gotten inspiration from watching old football dramas for her training, there is no way she could have thought of something like that otherwise," Midori Hana said, wondering if she ever ran that much in her life to that point.

Blue Vague began to think about things. "You know, we've only been Ponies for a couple of months weeks to a couple of months in my case. I honestly didn't think we'd be this far along. I dunno if you chalk that up to being given the bodies of mature Ponies to start with, or whatever have you."

"You know, it might also have to do with our Terran Sparks. I mean we can't be just like every other run-of-the-mill Pony out here," Golden Storm reasoned.

"Speaking of which, I didn't think Pinkie Pie was that fast or strong. I mean you'd think she wouldn't have to be. But then again, given she is a confectioner and avid sugar fiend, she probably would have to be doing something physical to not be overweight," Hana began to contemplate out loud. Pinkie Pie did have a certain deceptive strength and speed within her, probably due to all the antics she loves to setup.

"I know right. Fluttershy is a much better flier than she lets on. I mean I'm not going to pretend that she's on Rainbow Dash's level, but she's definitely doing something right," Golden Storm added, thinking back on how Fluttershy performed on the same agility tests versus himself.

"Rarity also surprised the both of us. I guess working day in and day out at that shop, and going out in the wilds for gem hunting gave her stamina we would have never guessed at," Red Blaze added as well. She and Vague were impressed by how long Rarity was able to run the Inertia Test course, given she didn't the same class of magical power as Twilight.

Vague began to try and put everything in perspective. He was a bit annoyed at first that Luna didn't start teaching them magic right from Day One, but as the exercises went on, it became apparent why she was holding P.E. class before anything else. "I can only shudder when I think of what Luna will have in store for us whenever she decides to teach us Equestrian Magic proper. Apparently, this is only the warm up to that. I won't say that I like having to undergo this physical re-education, but I guess that's necessary when you're, well us."

All four of them continued on in that vein, until one brought up an extremely salient point.

Blue Vauge began with something that had been rattling in his head since around halfway through the session. "Here is a strange thing that happened to me while I was doing the Inertia Test - for a time, I stopped thinking to myself with my original name. At first it didn't seem that strange, but as time went on, it kept happening. Now when I stopped at the end of the day, I went right back to doing it. I just wanted to ask you all what you thought that means, because I'm honestly at a bit of a loss."

The other three didn't answer immediately, because all three of them also had the same experience. The intensity of the exercises they were doing seemed to make them start thinking more 'Pony' than 'Human'.

"You know Vague, I was thinking the same thing to myself as well. Honestly, I think I have an good idea of what it could mean..." Midori Hana started, well before she was interrupted

"Us beginning to think of ourselves as Ponies instead of Humans-in-Pony-Bodies?," Golden Storm asked out loud, he was already starting to think of what this meant going forward.

"Yeah, I mean, this isn't like my own issues. This is more like, we have our old human self on one side of the mirror, and our new Pony self on the other side," Midori Hana said, visibly putting her forehooves up like two people looking at each other through a mirror.

"Hrm, it would stand to reason. I don't think we're supposed to think of ourselves as totally converted Ponies or Humans just conveniently stuck in a Pony body. I think we're supposed think along a line you've used with us before, Vague - we just have to think of ourselves as ourselves now," Blaze said, still wondering just what that line actually meant.

Blue Vague himself was still trying to think of what exactly that line meant.

Myself as Myself... I mean, we're obviously Ponies now; but the process didn't erase our Human memories, our human tendencies, our human personalities... It just seemed to overlay everything Pony on top of it... Man, so many things we have to sort out, and who knows how much time we got to sort it all out...

After the brief philosophical discussion, Hana yawned and made motions that she was going to go ahead and turn in for the night. Shortly after, both Golden Storm and Red Blaze followed her. Blue Vague sat in his cushion-chair for a little while longer, just thinking a bit more to himself before he eventually retired for the evening.

Grandpa, I dunno if you heard me before, or if you can still hear me while I'm over here, but I'm honestly confused... Am I just supposed to try and assert my human self over whatever my Pony self is supposed to be? Am I supposed to figure out what my Pony self is and then roll with that? Or am I supposed to formulate a new self that's neither one nor the other? I just don't know gramps... I just don't know...

After contemplating those thoughts for awhile, he figured he wasn't going to answer it tonight, so might as well just sleep on it and get ready for tomorrow. He drug himself to his room and the assuredly comfortable bed awaiting him. He levitated the covers snug under his chin, and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

        Meanwhile in Canterlot Castle, the two Royal Sisters went over the data Luna collected from the first day of exercises with Conduits of Terra.

"This data is quite interesting, Lulu. What do you suppose it says about your four new students?"

"What do I think it says? I think it says that those four, and probably the rest of the Converts, are going to quickly catch up to where an average Pony of their race and relative age should be. It will be up to them whether they push themselves further than that though. Even the two most athletic of their collective group, the Bearers of Honesty and Loyalty, still have quite a ceiling above their heads."

"So in other words - just how deep is their desire to progress and grow? I think we won't have to worry about that out of the Converts, it's our Ponies that I worry about in that regard."

"It is definitely hard to say just how deep their desire to grow goes. I don't want to call our Ponies complacent, but I do worry if that is starting to set in, in some circles."

"And what would make you think that, Lulu?"

"Before I was banished, the University was a place of intense development. Our techniques that we use today were refined through a lot of trial and error. Now, I just don't feel the same spark of inventiveness out of the many schools that have sprung up since then. I still think there are plenty of places to grow and expand, not in terms of just territory and the other obvious physical things, but more growth as a species. The humans were effectively forced to grow and evolve, or risk death to themselves. Here, we might not be on the verge of collapse, but it is still no good to have our people become complacent and stagnant."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Learning from those Converts and those that still remain human. There are many things that humanity has developed that I believe we can learn from and adapt for ourselves, without losing what makes us 'us' so to speak."

"It seems that you learned one of the lines one of your new students loves to speak from time to time."

"You don't start bringing in foreigners without learning some things yourself. Especially if you are bringing them over to stay, like we are. I do believe we'll change for the better though, even if that isn't readily obvious when it starts to happen."

"It seems like we're trying to attack this problem from a pair of angles."

"Ah yes, how are the negotiations coming along in that regard, Celly."

"The Gryphon Consulate is about as divided as ever. Apparently the clans that aren't of the King are still all over the place. I don't know how the Gryphon leaders live with being so consistently paranoid."

"You know they'd call it 'being cautious' so I wouldn't worry myself in that regard. On the other front, how are the Dragon Elders treating your requests?"

"The usual, a lot of cryptic language and obfuscation. Then again they are a species where a lot of the population are nomads, so it would be hard for them to say anything definitive."

"Yes, even with our long lives and accumulated knowledge, we still don't have much reliable first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of Dragon society. Just bits and pieces second-hand from the various nomads that we can get to speak to us. Do you think Spike can help us make inroads in that regard?"

"Possibly to help us figure out how to even get an audience with the Elders themselves. Past that, I highly doubt it."

"Quite a lot of mysteries floating around. To say nothing of what our allies on Earth are dealing with."

"Yes, many of the self-professed Elite in the Domes are grumbling about not having outright control over the levers of political power. I'm desperately afraid of what might happen if this situation persists and we introduce Magic into their equation."

"Celly, you know I'm just as concerned as you. I cannot even begin to study Terran Magic until the Conduits understand their Pony bodies and become proficient at Equestrian Magic. Even if they don't perfectly assimilate into our way of thinking, they have to understand and accept what kind of being they are physically. Otherwise, their Terran Magic will come in fits and spurts, which would be no good for any of us."

"I understand that much. We will have to unseal it and just trust things won't be upturned too quickly. If what that robed figure told us a week or so ago bears out, attempting to put this off too long or ignoring it is not a viable option."

============

** ACT II **

        Another twelve days or so passed. Another twelve days of the Terran Ponies learning to psychologically attune to their new bodies in the most efficient way that Luna could think - flat out physical training and practice. Her hope was for the four Converts to get whatever a Native just knew innately. She was attempting to forge the spiritual connection that all Ponies had to have to even begin on the road of being proficient in their Magic. On the twelfth day, her instincts bore positive fruit...

It just clicks... like I'm trying to figure out a puzzle... and now, this flash of insight...

So that's how it works... I don't even know why I didn't see that sooner...

If I thought "Airplane with Legs" was a stupid thought before... I definitely don't now...

This is so much fun. I never thought this would be anything resembling fun... but it just works for me somehow...

[ Equestria, November 30, ??? ]

        On the thirteenth day of training, Luna felt confident enough in her new students that she could end the P.E. classes and move on to the true meat of her lessons - applied Magic, her favorite subject.

"Well my little Ponies. I do believe that we can formally put an end to the pure physical aspect of our lessons."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The four Terran Ponies for finally being able to move onto Magic Training proper, and the Six Bearers for being able to not feel like they were in school again.

Luna developed that same devious smirk she did when she first threw them headfirst into their physical training. "Now we get to move on to the real fun. Applied Magic 101, with yours truly as your Professor."

A sudden sense of dread came over all ten of the Bearers and Conduits with that statement. They knew that Luna was a very inventive mind, and the fact they were against the clock meant that she was probably going to throw the four Conduits into a baptism of fire, and the six Bearers might get caught in that wake.

"Oh don't be scared. My lessons are perfectly safe, even that isn't apparent at first. For example, HEADS UP!" Luna shouted as large stone manifested instantly and was launched straight at Blue Vague.

"WHAT?!" Blue Vague shouted in response as he instinctively manifested a blue shield to try and guard himself against the boulder, which promptly crashed into the barrier and dispersed in a cloud of magic dust.

"Ok, seriously, what the hell was that Princess?!" he shouted, forgetting all manner of decorum in his rage as the shield remained around his body.

"I will forgive your sudden lack of decorum for your Professor, and only ask you to notice what is surrounding you," Luna responded with almost dissonant calm.

Blue Vague finally saw that the shield that surrounded him was not of Luna's usual cobalt blue aura, but of his royal blue aura. "Woah wait, how did I even... huh?"

"Lesson One: Magic borne of pure instinct is incredibly powerful, but also incredibly unreliable. My goal is to take your burgeoning instincts in your various schools of Magic, and have you consciously link and invoke them. Also of note, had you, Conduit of Water, not been able to produce the Reflex Shield, the boulder would have crumbled to dust on impact anyway, with little to no damage to yourself physically. That was simply a test of magical reflexes, if you will."

Blue Vague had managed to calm down as the shield dispersed on its own. "I see, I guess it wouldn't do any good to ask for a warning if you intended it to be a reflex test."

"Indeed not. Now, to move on to the real lesson for today. Each of the four Conduits of Terra will train in a specific aspect of their magic until I feel that you all are proficient in it. While this may feel like remedial classes for you all, Bearers of Harmony, I would like for you to still pay attention - it may do you well to have a bit of a formal refresher."

        Luna then again broke everyone up, mostly along the lines of the informal practice sessions back on Earth. After altering the Training Field to represent four distinct training spaces, she went to each one with each group to explain the exact nature of their tests.

The first looked like a baseball field, although it stretched for a good five-hundred Earth meters from the throwing zone at where home plate would have been. "Alright, Twilight and Spike, you all will be overseeing Blue Vague as he practices his force projection. The test will be similar to the one you did on earth, except I prefer to work with spheres instead of cubes. That said, your goal is to throw the sphere generated for you, onto the target out in the field. The display to your right will show you how close you were once the sphere strikes the ground the first time. The field will also return each sphere here to the throwing zone, once it rests on the ground for 10 seconds. I want you to remember, Conduit of Water, this is not merely a test of pure magical force, as the target can be anywhere within the marked field. This is to test how well you can judge how much force to apply to an object, in a macro-sense."

Blue Vague looked at the spheres; they seemed to be about the same size as softballs.

Luna then teleported to the second test field with the other two Unicorns. There were floating rings of all various sizes, along with several objects along the ground. "Rarity, I will have you overseeing Red Blaze and her practice in magical control. The premise of this exercise is relatively simple. Red Blaze is to levitate these drones through the floating rings in front of her in the order indicate by the number floating above each ring. All you have to do, Bearer of Generosity, is press the button next to you when she is ready to begin; this will start a timer on each ring on how fast she is to levitate the drone through it. If the drone successfully passes through the ring within the allotted time, the black number will glow green. If you go out of order, take too long to pass through, or clip the ring, the number will glow red. This is to test you magical control and flow in free space, and how quickly you can adjust to changing conditions while maintaining said control and flow."

Red Blaze looked at the insect-like drones and somewhat ornate floating rings, wondering just what kind of strange layouts Luna had 'programmed' into the rings

Luna teleported to a cloud-platform above the three ground-based testing areas, where the three Pegasi stood waiting. "Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, you all will oversee Golden Storm's practice in cloud formation and rain generation. Not to get too far into the reeds, but all Pegasi have the ability to condense water vapor and what is known as 'cloud-stuff' into various storm clouds. Your test is to make increasingly larger storm clouds using the same amount of base cloud-stuff. This means you will have to use more and more of your Weather Magic in order to have the cloud remain contiguous before it reaches critical mass, when rain can then be actively triggered. As you can see, this basin will vaporize varying amounts of water, and if you look above, I have already seed clouds in place. We will measure how long it takes for you to condense all the given water vapor into a storm cloud, and return that vapor back to the basin as rain. Just so that it is easier for you to see what water you are working with, the vapor will appear slightly darker than it otherwise would."

Golden Storm looked at the massive basin, partially filled dark blue water, and wondered just what sized clouds he'd have to form.

To round out the explanations, Luna then went to a large field with several planting rows. "Applejack and Pinkie Pie, you all will oversee Midori Hana as she practices accelerating plant growth. While plants and animals grow perfectly well on their own here in this realm, a major part of Life Magic's repertoire is to accelerate or decelerate growth and repair in living organisms. To wit, your objective with this test is to bring these plants to bloom and/or fruiting stage. Since this is a Training Field, the seeds, once planted, will immediately grow to near-blooming or fruiting stage of their life cycle. This is something quite difficult to replicate in real-world conditions, therefore many Life Magic theories are developed in this space or by similar methods."

Midori Hana looked at the planting rows and within herself, trying to figure out how Earth Ponies even started doing what Luna said they did.

Now that she was done with the explanations, Luna returned to the center of the Training Field, in order to oversee all of the tests as they were being conducted. Simultaneously, all of the Terran Ponies began their magical exercises.

        Blue Vague went over in his mind the parameters of the test. He was to simply use his magic to launch each softball-like object towards the glowing target and hope it landed close enough to count. So, he began doing just that.

"Hrm, this test seems easy enough to start. These balls are about the same weight as the those softballs we were juggling before Hana thought to add a live Pegasus stallion to the objects being tossed around," Blue Vague said as he launched another ball for a square hit.

Twilight chuckled a bit in retrospect about the idea of two Unicorns juggling live Ponies. "Yeah, I think Luna designed this stage of the test for you could to adjust to how much power you need to launch the balls, along with the fact there is almost no wind to affect the flight path. But I can't think it would be this 'easy' for much longer."

Vague was 15 for 15 so far, and like Twilight, felt there was some kind of twist coming. They'd both be correct in that prediction.

"Well I..." he began to say before yelping as he almost toppled over trying to lift one of the balls with too little initial magic. They had 'mysteriously' become quite dense and heavy, and at the same time he was feeling changing wind speeds in the air. "Ugh, suddenly these balls went from feeling like they were stuffed with rubber foam to feeling like they were formed of molten lead. Not only that, but even as a Unicorn I can feel the wind having changed here."

Twilight tested one of the balls still in the throwing zone, and indeed found the balls seemed to be of random weights now. I figured there was more to this than Princess Luna was letting on... she immediately thought.

        Red Blaze was having similar initial success with the flight path test. The patterns were simple enough to visualize in her head and the drones didn't show any real resistance to her magic.

"You know Rarity, I can't think that this test would remain so simple for too much longer. They way Princess Luna was speaking was that she believes heavily in resistance training of all kinds," Red Blaze said, thinking out loud as another trial came back with a perfect score.

"Indeed Blaze. I would not be surprised if these rings have some tricks to make passing through them more difficult going forward," Rarity responded as the drone returned and the rings began to reset.

No sooner than when Rarity said that, the next path did show that the rings had some pretty devious tricks in store. Some of the rings started spinning in place, others were moving all about in some kind of orbit around an invisible point, while others seemed to change their shape to be a rather tight fit. She too felt the winds change, although in her case, they began to swirl about in random fashion.

"Well I really shouldn't be surprised by this, but still I am. Apparently that was just the warm up to the real test," Blaze said as she sighed heavily. This was going to be quite a trial going forward.

You just need to stay calm Blaze, I can see now Luna isn't going to let you get off without testing your patience, in more ways than one... Rarity thought to herself as she could already hear the buzzes and see the red numbers pop up.

        Golden Storm found rain-cloud making to be a rather neat venture. As far as he could tell, Pegasi were like conductors of the various gases in the sky, and he was developing the sense that he could tell a cloud to form wherever he wanted to.

"You know, this is pretty fun. It's kinda funny that I can make a cloud rain just by hitting it hard enough once it turns dark gray."

Rainbow Dash agreed about how fun it was to be able to manipulate clouds to one's heart's content. "You know, a lot of Pegasi pranks depend on cloud manipulation. I know this one Pegasus mare who always seems to be able to generate lightning out of nowhere. Sometimes I wonder if she knows more than she's letting on."

Fluttershy was a lot more practical about her use of clouds. "I really don't think pranks are worth it sometimes. I mostly just use clouds for a little shade or some extra fresh water for my animals." Rainbow Dash scoffed at how small Fluttershy seemed to think sometimes.

Golden Storm went on with his cloud formation, when he was surprised by almost slipping straight through the cloud he was working on, as it seemed to be breaking up on its own. "Woah, what's going on? Is there some kind of trick to cloud walking that I'm not getting, because I almost fell through the cloud I was working on here. I don't think I should be falling through clouds that are this much bigger than me."

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes for a few seconds, and figured out what the problem was. "Yeah I see why you almost fell, apparently there is some wind shear coming through where you are supposed to form the clouds for each trial. Not only that, but I don't think you have your cloud-stuff spread out right for the size of cloud you're makin'."

Golden Storm just chuckled as he righted himself on a more stable part of the cloud. "Well it wouldn't be a real trial if there wasn't some twists and turns. I just hope it doesn't get worse than this."

Judging by the stories aboutPrincess Luna back at the University, I think there are gonna be a lot of twists and turns in these lessons. I just hope everyone will be alright in the end... Fluttershy thought to herself.

        Midori Hana just sat as she was trying to figure out the best way to invoke her Life Magic. She was staring at a near-fruiting tomato plant, Luna figuring those would be the simplest to learn how to manipulate first. "Hrm, the Earth Ponies back at the St. Louis Bureau usually sang to the plants to help them grow. But I don't have the slightest clue of what to sing to them."

Applejack sat with her looking at the plant as well. The Apple Clan methodology of farming really didn't rely on a lot of direct manipulation of the plants to get them to grow, mostly just adjustments throughout the growing season so that they produced an overabundance of fruit; instead of just getting the trees to grow faster, which would have been exhausting and impractical given just how expansive a typical Apple Clan orchard was.

Pinkie Pie stared at the tomato plant as well, trying to figure out if she could figure out something about the tomato that could be a hint to Midori. Although she had little experience in making plants grow, and she really did not like reliving her humorless upbringing on the Pie Clan Rock Farms, nevertheless she was going to help her new friend in her lessons as best she could.

Pinkie Pie then suddenly had a flash of insight. "Hrm, I was just thinking... what if each plant had its own like... wavelength or something. Like if you channeled magic into it, but changed it to whatever the plant liked, then it would spike the growth up."

Midori Hana thought about it for a few seconds, and figured it was like special formulas of fertilizer and the different soil conditions that optimized the growth of each plant. So it should logically go that a specific application of Life Magic would do the same thing, just a whole lot faster. "Alright then, that should work... whenever I figure out what each plant wants..."

Applejack then took a deep breath. She knew the suggestion she was about to make would sound absolutely insane to any human or Convert who didn't experience it first-hand. "Just try asking it."

"What?" Midori Hana asked incredulously.

"You heard me. Some plants here are a lot more complicated than others. One of the worst are the Zap Apples that Granny Smith grows. But anyway, just try it. I think you'll see what I'm getting at," Applejack replied with all earnestness.

Midori Hana figured that look in Applejack's eyes and her status as Bearer of Honesty meant that she was at least not outright lying to her. But still, asking a plant what kind of magic it wanted, it sounded totally crazy. But she was as at a loss as what else to do, so might as well try it. "Ok then, but if I don't get a response, I'm totally blaming you."

Midori Hana then closed her eyes to concentrate. She found herself in a sort of ethereal dreamscape, everything looking like it was in chalk outlines on a blackboard in some respect.

I am really not going to get used to this for awhile... she thought to herself

She sat in front of the tomato plant again, and figured there was no real reason to beat around the bush.

"Ok, um, tomato plant? Could you tell me what kind of magic you want?"

The tomato plant did not respond.

"Ugh I figured this really wouldn't work..." Midori Hana said aloud as she rolled her eyes. As she made to leave the dreamscape, she bumped into some written characters.

"OWW! Ok how do I even get hurt... wait a minute..." Hana said before realizing there were words in front of her.

[ We would like to hear jazz music. We kinda like jazz. ]

"Um, I don't have anything to play music with, and I'm really not that much of a singer." Hana replied aloud.

She began to think of if there was another way to get the plant to respond her magic in a way that was more concrete. She then had a flash of inspiration - if she thought of Life Magic like light, maybe the plant had a favorite color or pattern or something.

"Hey tomato, do you have a favorite color. I might not be much a singer but I think that would be a way for me to get the magic you want to you."

She got no response from the plant for awhile, until she saw another chalk message appear in the background.

[ We like the color purple. So if you shine purple magic on us, that'll do just fine. ]

"Hrm, a red fruit that likes the color purple. Oh well I'm not going to argue," she responded aloud again. "Is there anything else that you'd like along those lines?"

The tomato responded more readily this time. [ No, just regular purple magic-light should work. Also, you're one of the first Earth Ponies our kind has met in some time, that didn't think to apply their magic or whatever by singing. It just seems to be the thing you creatures do, we guess. ]

Midori Hana didn't know whether to be complimented on the ingenuity, or to be freaked out that a tomato gave her such a complex response. She thanked the plant and left the meditative dreamscape.

Pinkie Pie was keenly interested in what the plant had to say once it was apparent that Hana was awake again. "Alright Hana, so you're back with us. Did you get it to say anything?"

"Well, it didn't so much talk so much as it wrote on a chalkboard, that somehow I was a part of... I'm still trying to figure out how that works but that's neither here nor there right now. Anyway, I learned two things, if I want to sing to it, I need to learn jazz. Short of that, if somehow I can make my Life Magic appear 'purple' to it, then it'll work just the same," Midori Hana responded.

"Well I don't have a saxophone on hand. So I guess we'll have to go with the second option," Applejack said, figuring it was as good a lead as any.

Midori Hana then entered another meditative state. This time she appeared before the same plant in a more standard environment. She looked around for some kind of lamp or other light source, and found a console with three dials. Each was marked with a different primary color of light: Red, Blue, and Green.

Hrm, since all these dials are set to maximum, I guess the light should come out totally white when I turn it on...

When she flicked the switch, it indeed came out completely white. She didn't notice a response for a little bit, until she looked at ticker at the top of the console.

[Can you make it purple like weasked, wefind white pretty boring...]

Alright then, here goes nothing I guess...

As she turned the green dial completely to zero, she figured a standard violet would be good enough to start with, so she turned the red dial halfway down as well.

[A little more bluish, and you'll have it...]

Okay then...

She turned the red dial down a little more, and suddenly heard a little fanfare.

[That's perfect, just keep producing that, and we'll get you full grown tomatoes in no time!]

Well I'm glad to see it’shappy, or would it be they’re happy, I dunno...

As Hana came out of her meditative state again, Pinkie Pie was smiling brightly. "Hey look, you did it. These tomatoes look yummy. I wonder if you can actually eat tomatoes grown in here?"

"Wow... I can't believe that worked. If I told anyone how I did this, they'd think I took a few blows to the head too many," Midori Hana said, staring at how nice and ripe the tomatoes looked.

Applejack noted Hana's sentiments. "Yeah, that's why the Earth Pony instructors are pretty vague about how to grow things through Life Magic. It's so strange at first blush, any human would find it too outrageous to accept without doin it themselves."

Luna was observing things from her central position, a smile on her face regarding how the four Terrans were starting to get a handle on things; even if they weren't exactly successful at their trials on the first, second, or even tenth go-around.

"Practice makes perfect, that's true of any skill that has to be developed. You all are learning that the Magic we wield is not a simple thing to learn, but learn it you all must."

Ugh, these balls, for as heavy as they are, sure are easily affected by this wind... and now I gotta hit a moving target...

Ok, the ring actually seems to be tryingto avoid the drone now. These things must have minds of their own or something...

I feel like I'm trying to build a house of cards in a wind tunnel... but I'll be damned if I let this thing beat me...

These flowers’handwriting is terrible... how am I even supposed to read these requests?

        At the end of the days training session, the four Terran Ponies, while not as physically tired as they were during the physical training, seemed mentally exhausted and visibly annoyed by the trials they were all given.

"Ok, Princess Luna, the swirling winds, the variable weights..." Blue Vague started to ask, like a golfer who couldn't figure out the conditions.

"The rings seeming to have minds of their own and actively avoiding where the drone is flying..." Red Blaze added, head still spinning a bit from trying to follow the drone.

"The wind shear seeming to know exactly where the weak points of the cloud formation is..." Golden Storm added, almost wondering if there was some invisible thing that was specifically out to ruin his clouds during his trial.

"Those flowers at the end apparently confusing calligraphy with 'artistic scribbling'..." Midori Hana added, clearly annoyed to hell by the decorative flowers that seemed to be more interested in being artistic in their writing than being legible.

"What's up with that, seriously?!" they all asked with some emphasis and in unison.

Luna quietly drunk from bottle of water she had on hoof as she took the complaints and queries in stride. She then gave her response. "Quite frankly, you should have expected as much..."

All ten of the Ponies and Spike were taken a back a bit by the response.

Luna then continued, "I'm effectively giving you four a cram course in how to be a Pony. That is why the trials accelerated in difficulty as far as they did in this first day. If I can give one bit of advice in completing these trials, and what I will set before you in the future - try and take a holistic approach in examining what is set before you. There is no difference between you four, and Ponies I had to take in fresh out of basic courses back in my days of running the University.

“They had a similar lack of perspective because, before that point, they just focused on the one thing they knew they were good at. To be a scholar, to truly excel regardless of what racial Magic you have, is to learn that what you are good at is only a piece of the much greater whole of Magic, and of Life itself. It is your job to find the other pieces to this grand puzzle. Bearers of Harmony, as this experiment continues to march through time, it would be best if you all remembered that admonition as well."

With that, Luna returned to Canterlot for the evening. The ten Bearers and Conduits were left to contemplate the last lines she left with, how their specialty was only a piece of a larger whole.

==========

        As all ten of the Conduits and Bearers wound down before going to bed for the evening, they all took some time to contemplate further just what that line Luna left them with meant for each of them.

I'm the Element of Magic, my Cutie Mark is being good at Magic in general. I wonder what she meant... Twilight thought.

She looked out over her balcony at the town. She saw all the different shops, all the different Ponies, most of them non-Unicorns. Everyone had a talent, but most seemed to have something else they branched off in. She then thought of the Princesses - Celestia probably got her Cutie Mark when she realized she was the Avatar of the Sun, and Luna the same she realized she was the Avatar of the Moon. But their magic was far, far more expansive than just solar or lunar related spells. As she thought about this further, Twilight began to come to some realizations.

Is that why you created the University at first, so long ago Luna? You knew that Ponies had to be learned and proficient in things beyond their specific talent. I guess I'm no different; even if my talent is in magic in general, there is far more that I can do that doesn't have to deal directly with my Unicorn Magic...

        Rarity walked around the work area of her shop. She saw the various machines she brought with her money as her business grew from a small shop selling amateur hoof-woven works, to now an increasingly efficient and professional enterprise. Yet something persistently bothered her. She took out an old book of generic Unicorn spells, 1001 Spells Every Unicorn Should Know. As a younger adult, she would try and try and practice these spells, but it seemed like she always had some kind of block that made it hard for her to use magic that others developed for herself.

Maybe this is what Luna meant when she said what she did. My Gem Locatorspell and the weaving and machine-working spells I've learned have gotten me this far. But even then, I know there is more out there I can learn. So why am I still having this mental block when it comes to learning other Ponies' spells...

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. How could she not figure these things out, why did she have to consult some outside source? Everything she had ever done she done and developed herself or learned on her own. That's when she began to realize what was holding her back.

I guess that's the reason why I always freeze when I use someponyelse’s Magic - my own pride. I'm so caught up in doing everything myself, I won't even go and ask for help from a good friend whose talent is magic itself, for goodness sakes. I guess I know who I need to go talk to if I want to start getting past this...

        Pinkie Pie laid in her bed at Sugarcube Corner. She stared at the walls and ceiling, wondering just what about what Luna said to them all, that made her all of sudden get so introspective this evening.

I'm a party pony... that's what I'm good at. But I'm also the Element of Laughter, so that means I'm good at making other Ponies laugh and stuff. But what if the way I throw parties now don't make them laugh and have a good time...

She thought back to the reason why she held herself back while at the Los Angeles Bureau and the Isegawa's dormitories. She didn't want the humans to be put off by the way she thought to throw parties, and make Ponies and people laugh. As she turned over in her bed in thought, she too began to put two and two together.

Everyone doesn't laugh at the same thing. Everyone doesn't want to have a party in the same way. If I keep thinking I can just do the same thing all the time, I'm gonna get left behind, and they're gonna find me stale. And I can't have that now can I?

        Applejack looked out at the farm, as most of the apple trees had shed their leaves for the year. She thought about what the admonition about maintaining a global perspective would mean for her.

The Apple Clan has always grown apples, it's just what we do. But that's not all that we are ableto do though. There is nothing about being an apple farmer that makes it so that I couldn't grow anything else for myself, or learn other trades or skills. So what is it that's makes me so nervous when I think that way?

As she thought about it, she then thought of Apple Bloom and her knack for repairs and refurbishing seemingly anything. She stared at the Cutie Mark Crusaders impressive tree-house. Apple Bloom did an amazing job of repairing it, yet the hereditary stubbornness about finding her Cutie Mark now, combined with her childish lack of patience made it difficult for her to realize just how good she is at it.

Apple Bloom is an excellent repair-mare, yet she's so hard up about tryin all kinds of stuff to find her Cutie Mark, she won't stop and just try and do something she's obviously good at; really all the Cutie Mark Crusaders are like that. Maybe I'm the same way in a sense. I'm throwin myself so deep into this apple orchard that I lose perspective, apple farmin ain’tthe end all and be all of everything. Maybe... maybe I'm afraid that if I find something else that I like to do, I'll forget about this place...

        As Fluttershy looked out at the Everfree Forest, she contemplated her desire to help those animals she found near death whenever she could, just like those butterflies that saved her from a terminal impact with the ground that day of Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom. As she looked out further, she thought about all the animals she couldn't get to, and how that related to all the animals the Conservation Movement couldn't get to on Earth.

There are so many animals out there that I can't help, and it makes me so sad... sometimes I wonder if I should keep going on with this. How many can I really save? Am I doing the right thing by saving them? I... I just don't know...

She walked to a window that overlooked some of the pens and enclosures. Even though she was a Pegasus, still had a sense for how the animals felt; she figured she had a strong Earth Pony link from somewhere in her ancestry. She opened the window to read the winds, and they felt calm; almost as if the animals wanted to calm her and let her know they appreciated everything she did for them. She then noticed one of the left over brochures from the Conversion Bureaus. She thought of the humans that had already gone through the process, the broken souls that, while not completely repaired by Ponification, seemed rejuvenated nonetheless.

That's right... even if I can't personally help every single animal in the world that needs help, I can still do what I can. Even if I can't heal the hearts of every single human on Earth, I still have to do what I can. That is what I believe it means to be the Element of Kindness, and I'm definitely going to live up to that title.

        Rainbow Dash looked up at the wall at her limited edition Wonderbolts poster. She still harbored the dream of one day seeing herself on an edition of those posters in their uniform. Yet the more she thought about it, the more it seemed there was something even bigger she wanted to reach for.

My whole life has been wanting to be part of the Wonderbolts. That's what I wanted every since I was a little filly going to my first flight camp. But now that I've seen a whole other world, and now that I'm working with Golden Storm and Fluttershy so closely... it seems like this dream to join the Wonderbolts, it just seems... small all of sudden...

She flew up to the top of her house-tower, and sat on the dome at the top. She looked out the Equestrian night sky, Luna's Moon glimmering like a spotlight’s reflection in a sea of indigo. She then looked out at Ponyville, over on the edge of the Everfree where Fluttershy lived in her cottage. She looked at the opposite edge, where Sweet Apple Acres was and Applejack's barn. She looked in town, and although she couldn't see them directly, she thought about Pinkie, Rarity, and Twilight's residences and places of business. She then thought about the new house heading south out of town. The four Conduits of Terra had integrated so far into their group, it was like they were a big batch of ten instead of just four and six always together.

I have all of my friends, including the four from Earth. Even if they weren't the holders of that mysterious Magic, we'd still be good buds, I'm sure of that. I have this great town of Ponyville that's become my second home. Even if I was born in Cloudsdale, I love this place too much to just leave it behind. I have all of Equestria, I'd do anything that the Princesses tell me to do, because I have too much loyalty and respect not to ignore them. And there is Earth too. Even if we're only sevenmonths or whatever into this thing, I can feel a bond forming there too. There are so many I wanna help now, there are so many I've become friends with. That voice always talks about the New Age,well... I gotta see it through; the Wonderbolts are gonna have to wait until we forge that New Age, whatever it ends up being.

        The four Terran Conduits had some more immediate concerns, but Luna's admonition to see the larger picture made them stop and consider their individual trials from a larger perspective.

Man, I never thought that Equestrian Magic was this hard... I mean the premise sounds so simple, throw the ball onto the target. But then everything starts changing, the balls start changing weights, the wind starts swirling, heck, even the target starts moving... it's like... it's like... Oh man why didn't I notice this earlier, it's just like water... I have to always adapt to circumstances, just like how water always takes the shape of its container... and I have to read the lay and conditions so the water flows the way I want it to, instead of just throwing it out there and hoping I get a chance to correct it with a later attempt...

Ugh, those rings are so damn random... I mean some of them were spinning, others were moving, still others seemed like they wanted to shrink whenever I got the drone close to it... and then some of the paths don't have any rhyme or reason to it... just like... just like how fire seems to have a mind of its own... Wow, leave it to something that's centuries old to bury the lesson really damn deep in the reeds... I've got to maintain my control over fire, otherwise it's just going to start doing what it wants to, and that means consuming anything it can...

Ugh, stupid clouds and wind shear... I really, really think that those winds are out to get me... every time when I think I got it just how I want it, something happens for my clouds to get blown apart... ugh why is this so hard to do... why... why... wait, why am I even trying to fight the winds in the first place... and why do I keep getting surprised by it... I get so much tunnel vision just trying to jam the clouds together, I'm not even paying attention to how I do it... How am I supposed to control and master the winds and the weather, if I'm just trying to brute force everything?  I don't, that's what... I have to flow with the winds when I make my clouds...

I don't get it, that first plant was pretty nice, and was clear when it wrote what it wanted... but those roses almost seemed to be mocking me or something when it wrote in that, whatever that was... I dunno what to think about it honestly... If I don't understand what these things are telling me, so to speak, how am I supposed to help them grow?  I got to be able to read them, I have to figure it out... Maybe I'm not asserting myself when I ask them what they want from me... I have to be just like the earth... I have to be solid and steadfast in my questioning, but also supportive and nurturing... that should be the best way to get a proper response out of them...

They had all in a roundabout way come to the same conclusion - if they were to truly progress in their learning of Equestrian Magic, they would have to try and perceive the larger scope of the test and the applications of the potential lessons. Similar to a three-dimensional puzzle, if they did not consider all the potential angles for solving a problem, they'd be severely limiting themselves in terms of potential solutions, if not outright closing themselves off from one.

        Over in Canterlot Castle, the two Princesses once again discussed the data Luna collected in her observations of the four Terran Conduits.

"They are progressing quite well, although did you really have to pull your 'Unwinnable Training' trick with them, Lulu?"

"You mean our 'Unwinnable Training' trick. I needed to see how they all reacted to a roadblock. The scenarios I put before them are certainly passable, but not with their current mentality. Then again, they are forgiven for that since they've only been under my wings learning magic for a day."

"I'd assume you gave all of them a bit of the 'New Student Perspective' speech as well?"

"That goes part and parcel with the little trick. Exercises work best when one isn't allowed to become complacent and automatic during their execution. Our magic is invoked by will; if they stop thinking while they do it, then they are just acting like machines."

"That is indeed true, and they will need very strong wills to control the power still residing within them, in both respects."

"I have a good feeling about those four, though. The fact they thought to confront me about how the tests were constantly changing, meant they were still focusing on passing them, and were noticing how the conditions always seemed to change to make the test increasingly more difficult."

"What about the Six Bearers of Harmony. Do you believe there are things that they should learn under you as well?"

"Eventually, but right now we have to get the four Conduits of Terra up to their level as quickly as we can. I did, however, ask them to consider a few things during this period. I want them to keep a wider perspective of things, to not limit their thinking to just their particular talents and how they used them until now, and to always consider new perspectives on life, especially as we continue to absorb bits and pieces of the human population."

"Speaking of wider concerns, I'm still not having much luck with either the Gryphons or the Dragons."

"Just keep at it Celly, something will open up for us on those fronts. I can't say for certain where or when, but I just believe it will."