Mages of Etheria: The Infinity Matrix

Chapters

Little Things
Not All Rainbows Lead to a Pot of Gold
Advanced Training: Endurance
New Kid on the Block
Confrontation
The Next Stage
The Buid-Up
Mages of Etheria Q&A: Whatcha Wanna Know?!
Mages of Etheria Q&A: ... Answers?
Day 1: Trial 1
Day 1: Fight 1,2,3: Clashes and Washouts
To The Readers...
First Day, New Beginnings
Data Page: Team Symphony

Little Things

The next day went on without much happening. Students were generally getting to know each other and were getting along fairly well with their teams... well, most of them, anyway.

"I'm telling you, that's the best name."

"Dude, we are not calling ourselves the Misfits. What kind of message are you trying to send?"

"Um, an honest one?"

Sunset Shimmer, Digit Spellweaver, Trixie Lulamoon, Amethyst Luster, Zesty Blitz, and Nox Moonrider had had three meetings already. And for three meetings, they had argued on what to call their team. Nox and Amethyst had especially been arguing on one name in particular. "Look, you said you weren't a team player, but maybe at least make an effort?"

"I am."

"Gah!"

"Okay, let's all just calm the heck down." Digit was apparently now the voice of reason on this team, something Trixie seemed to have a problem with. Actually, she seemed to have a problem with the whole team.

"Who made you team leader?" Trixie asked.

"Um, I'm not. I'm just saying we need to calm down and figure this out."

"What if we use the first letter of our first names and make an acronym?" Zest asked, hanging from his usual position.

"That could work..." Digit though about it and found a problem. "... Except it’s kinda hard to make a reasonable acronym with five consonants and a vowel, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah. Haha. Didn't think of that," Zest said, scratching his head.

"Obviously."

"Trixie, rude!" Amethyst said in a disapproving tone.

"What, it's not like he's come up with any good names."

"And you have?"

Sunset looked at Digit, who was rubbing his temples. "It's gonna be a long week, huh?"

"Oh yeah. Very."

"Welcome to Basic Magic Plants! My name is Miss Roseluck!" On the third day, the class was introduced to Roseluck, another very... interesting teacher. She had a perky attitude and always wore bright colors. For example, today she wore a rose red dress, green sandals, and a bright red rose in her hair. On her arms were bright green vine-like armbands that extended from her elbow to her wrists. "So, let's get right into it. Who can tell me what plant this is?" She held up a blue flower with five long petals. "Miss Sparkle?"

"The Poison Joke," Twilight answered. Never gonna forget that one ever again, she said, laughing quietly to herself. Her teammates had the same idea.

"That's correct," Roseluck sang. "Who can tell me what this one is?" Next she pulled out a flower with bright yellow center, surrounded by orange and bright teal petals. Electricity arced around the flower. "Miss Applejack?"

"That's a zap apple flower," said Applejack, standing up. "It's the third sign of the comin' o' zap apple season."

"Correct again!"

"Um, Digit?" Amethyst was shaking Digit, who had fallen asleep ten minutes into the class.

"Hm?" Digit opened an eye to look at Sunset. "What's up?"

"Um, class, that's what's up."

"Meh, I'm not really a plant guy."

"Won't this be important when we have a test to write?"

"Hehe. I guess." He sat up and looked at her. "You know, sometimes you sound like Twilight."

"I'm goin' to ignore that, but take it as a compliment," she said, turning back to face Roseluck.

Next few hours went by like a typical school day: class, break, class, class, class, team meeting. Again, they argued on what to call themselves. Next, they had Physical Education.

"ALRIGHT! LISTEN UP!" The class wasn't saw what scared them most; his voice or his figure. He had tanned skin, bright yellow eyes, and dark blue buzz-cut hair and a goatee. His bulging muscles made him look twice as intimidating when coupled with his chiseled eight-pack and barrel chest. He wore a gray sleeveless sweatshirt, a pair of blue military camouflage trousers and black boots. "MY NAME IS IRON WILL! I WILL BE YOUR GYM INSTRUCTOR!" Oh, and he tends to shout when he speaks.

"Huh, I heard that he's a Minotaur," said Twilight. "Or was that just another false rumor?"

"Oh, no," answered Fluttershy. "He is a Minotaur... well, half Minotaur."

"That explains the physique."

"Wonder which side of the family that comes from," asked Rainbow. "Either way, having a kid would be painful for one of the parents, or both, depending" she added, snickering.

"Rainbow Dash, please!" Rarity turned slightly red at her friend’s lewd statement. "Have some decency and refrain from such lewd fprms of humor."

"What?" Rainbow asked, smiling.

"TODAY, I WANNA SEE WHAT EACH OF YOU IS MADE OF! SO GET ON THE TRACK, AND GIVE ME 30 LAPS!"

"Oh what?!" was the reply from most of the class.

"What was that?" Somehow, Iron Will sounded even scarier when he was calm than when he was shouting. This was proven when everyone immediately hit the track.

At the final lap, Sunset and Twilight were jogging at the back, along with a group of others, including Fluttershy, amethyst, and Rarity. "So... how're things... going... with your team?" Twilight asked Sunset, struggling to breathe.

"Could... be better." Sunset fared no better. "Rainbow's ahead... as usual?"

"Yeah."

Meanwhile, in the lead, Rainbow, Zest, Applejack, and Digit were fighting for first, four trails of rainbow, blue, red, and orange. Rainbow overtook Zest in the air, Digit was neck-to-neck with Applejack on the ground. "Come on slowpokes, at least try to keep up," Rainbow called out to the back. Zest smiled and began to inch forward. Then, they crossed the finish; Rainbow, then Zest, the Digit, then Applejack.

"Hoowee!" Applejack leaned over to catch her breath. "That was some run. How'd you get so fast?" Applejack looked at Digit, who was being held upside down by Zest.

"Practice... dedication... a bunch of bullies you aren't able to outrun... and another bunch of people that won't stop laughing at how slow you are." He gave a thumbs-up and he was released, landing on his feet with acrobatic precision.

"Wow, ah always thought you were the popular type."

"We all gotta start somewhere."

"And yet, you're still slower than me," Zest added, resting on Digit's head.

By the time everyone had finished, nobody could stand on their own. What happened next didn't make it any better. "Now," Iron Will said, his voice calm, but not scary this time, "I've tested your endurance. Now I want to test your strength. I need a volunteer." Applejack raised her hand. "What's your name?"

"Applejack, coach."

"Well Applejack, let's see what you've got." He went over to the corner of the room and brought a large punching bag. "This is a Pound Counter. It measures your total output power in your attack." He hung it up from a long chain that extended from the ceiling. "Go ahead." Applejack took her stance; legs apart, one in front of the other, arms by her side, head down. Then, she lunged at the sack and, in an explosive display of power, kicked it with such force, the resulting shockwave sent a few students staggering back a few inches. The bag flew off its hook and landed a good fifteen feet away, sand pouring from a rip in the material. Applejack smiled. Iron Will checked his tablet. "Congratulations, your hit power was... three thousand five hundred ninety-two." Everyone gasped. Then there was chattering. They could tell that the kick was strong, but with nothing to compare it too, they didn't know just how powerful. Iron Will face-palmed. "It means her hit has the same amount of force as a ten-meter-tall diamond golem."

There was a collective, "Ooooh," from the room. "Okay, WHO’S NEXT?" Everyone took turns, but no one came even close to Applejack. The closest competitors were Rainbow with 3204, Pinkie, with 3289, and Digit with 3447, which wasn't enough to knock it off the hook, it was enough to punch a hole in the bag.

Afterwards, they had Nature Studies. Their teacher was a dark-skinned woman with a light gray and white stripped Mohawk and deep cyan eyes. She wore a long grayish-purple skirt with a slit down the right side, a white halter top that exposed her midriff, and purple sandals. She had three white marks on each cheek and a series of white tattoos on her arms and legs. On her exposed stomach was a gray stylized spiral sun. "Good day, students. I am Zecora. In this class, you shall learn about flora and fauna." She moved over to her desk. "We will learn about the many forests in our land, and maybe someday, we will get to see them first-hand." She talked about the Everfree Forest and its unique eco system; the magical plants, the dangerous beasts, and even the way its natural magic energy can have various effects on various life forms. That was the final hour and a half of the day, after which everyone went home or to their dorms.

On the fifth day, things got a little more interesting. More teams were finalizing their name changes and any other alterations they wanted. Some teams split up and some teams grew. Sunset was unsure about what would become of her team.

"Five days and still no name." Everyone was getting a bit worried. "Come on, there has to be something we all have in common that we can work with."

"Face it Sunny," Amethyst said, "We just ain't made to work together."

"I don't believe that." Sunset thought for a while. According to Nox, everyone had some kind of problem, but from what she could tell, they had each found a way to get over it, especially considering that nobody was bringing up their past problems. Not a lot to go on.

"Hey, where's Trixie?" Zest asked. "I haven't seen her since third period."

"Me neither," said Amethyst.

Suddenly, Trixie burst through the door. "Trixie has arrived," she announced, rolling her tongue at "arrived".

"Speak of the devil..." said Zest.

"And she shall appear," Amethyst finished with a smile.

"Oh, shut it."

"Or what, little girl?"

"Or you'll face the wrath of the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"You wanna go, Trixie? Because I've got a lot of steam to blow off!"

"Would you both knock it off?" Digit teleported between them before they could get close enough to start throwing punches. "We're on the same team here."

"For now," Amethyst added as she walked back to the bleachers and went back to her phone.

"Okay, there's been some pretty slow progress, so I have an idea for a good team building exercise."

"Which is?" Sunset asked, her curiosity suddenly piqued.

"A team project that could quite possibly speed up the naming process."

"Again I ask, which is?"

"A team sigil." Everyone stared at him.

"That..." Amethyst attempted to argue, but nothing came to mind, "...is actually a pretty good idea."

"Agreed," said Sunset.

"Sounds like fun," added Zest.

"Whatever," Nox added, blankly.

"Fine," Trixie said, rather reluctantly.

"Okay, let’s get started."

Ten minutes later...

"Okay, so maybe this is going to be a little bit harder than I thought." They had before them a massive canvas. Each of them took a side and drew about three sketches each of what they think their team sigil should be. However, to two people had any similar ideas.

"Yeesh," was all Sunset could say as she saw the variety of sigils.

"I hate to be the one to ask such a negative question," Amethyst said, "But do we have anything in common?"

"We all have something terrible in our past." Again, they all looked at Nox. How could any one person be so gloomy?

"Wow. Dude," Sunset said. "I'm pretty sure it's very well near impossible to depress Pinkie, but I think you can pull it off."

"Just being honest."

"Then the truth don't just hurt," Amethyst said, "It totally sucks."

"Okay, new plan. Wait here." Digit left the room and headed down the hall.

Meanwhile...

Zecora had one of the largest classes in terms of the volume of work, so she was one of those teachers that stayed back in class an extra hour or so. Today was no exception. The only difference is that she had a visitor. "Come in." Professor Creed walked in. "Professor Creed, last of a dying breed."

"Please Zecora," he said smiling. "How have you been?"

"A little busy with work, but every job has a quirk. Are you here to discuss the issue I brought up with you?"

"Yes. From what I can tell, the group's member's individual performances are outstanding, but they seem to have a problem working together. Some of them get along, but not all six at once."

"Change is difficult, that we all know, but in time, closer will they grow."

"True. I just fear they may fall apart before they even get that close."

"Have faith, Professor. As you once said, 'Doubt is your only oppressor.'"

Professor Creed smiled. "Zecora, your wisdom and enlightenment knows no bounds." He looked at his watch. "I'll be off then. Bye Zecora."

"Where were you?" Sunset asked, as Digit walked through the door a few minutes later.

"I think I found something to get us together. Now, it's a known fact that none of us can sit still... mostly," he added, looking at Nox, who shrugged. "So, what if we go on a hunt?"

"Um... what?" Sunset ran the though through her head. "O... kay. Where's the treasure?"

"Remember when a kangarat escaped the science lab last year? We're going to find it."

"It might not even be in the school anymore."

"Oh, it's here alright."

"I'm in," said Amethyst. "Ain't like I got anything better to do right now."

"Count me in," chimed Zest.

"Whatever," Nox droned.

"Why not," Sunset shrugged.

They all looked at Trixie. "Fine. Yeesh."

"Okay. Let's get going."

They searched the whole school until the sun began to set... then kept searching. Amethyst walked around the back of the school. As she turned a corner, she bumped into Sunset.

"Oh, sorry," they said in unison.

"Any luck?" asked Sunset.

"Nope," Amethyst replied. They walked together, checking the school parking lot. They searched each van and bus. "Hey, Sunny, is it okay if I call you that?" asked Amethyst.

"Sure," Sunset replied.

"What do you think of Trixie?"

Sunset nearly slipped off the crate she was standing on in one of the delivery vans. "Wait, what?" she asked in shock.

"Like, what do you think of her as a teammate?"

"Oh," Sunset sighed in relief.

"Wait," Amethyst said, "Did you think I meant...? OH HELL NO! I DO NOT SWING THAT WAY!"

"I'm sorry," Sunset said, blushing. "It's just the whole issue with you two can be translated differently."

"Let me translate clearly: I do not like Trixie." Then she calmed down. "Sorry. I kinda lost it there for a sec."

"I should be the one apologizing for thinking the way I did. But what do you mean?"

"Like, do you think she's the reason that we can't solidify this team?"

"Not really. She can be a real pain, but I think she's just compensating for something else. But-"

"Do you think I'm the reason?"

Sunset stared at her blankly. Amethyst was popular and confident, but she was still human. Sunset had never expected to see this side of her. "Absolutely not. Why would you say something like that? You've actually been making an effort."

"Yeah, well, I seem to have this curse where every time I'm in a group, I never seem to get along with them. Plus, I'm a bit of a trouble magnet, and that's putting it lightly."

"Well you haven't gotten into any trouble and you get along pretty well with Digit and me."

"Haven't gotten into any trouble yet. Besides, I've known Digit for a while, and you just seem like you could relate to the whole rejection story." Sunset raised an eyebrow. "No offense," she quickly added.

"None taken. But honestly, I think we each have a part to play in the problem. The only reason we aren't a team yet is because we let little things get to us and it's breaking the bonds before they can even form. I learned that while I was with the Rainbooms during the Battle of the Bands."

Amethyst smiled. "Smart and she can shred on a guitar. How is every boy in the school not on top of you right now?"

"I guess their afraid I'd brainwash them and try to form my zombie army again."

"Take your own advice, Sunny," Amethyst said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Its good advice." Sunset smiled and she smiled back. "Thanks. Now let's find that rat."

"FOUND THE RAT!" The yell was followed by a red blur crashing to the ground behind the van they were in.

"What? Where?" the two girls asked in unison.

"On the school field. C'mon!" He darted off, the girls following close behind.

Amethyst pulled out her phone. "Yo, Digit, Zest found the kangarat! It's at the school field. Sunset and I are headed there with him right now!" When they reached the field, they saw it... kind of. It was a light brown blur, streaking across the field.

"Gotcha!" Zest shot towards the field where the creature was. Keyword, "was". He zipped across and missed, slamming into the wall at the other end while looking back to try spot the rodent. "Okay," he said, pulling away from the wall and trying to regain his balance, "This thing is going DOWN!" He shot across again, missed again, and crashed into the barricade behind the girls, who dived out of the way before they became shock absorbers.

"WATCH IT!" Amethyst yelled. "This isn't working. It's too fast."

"Back in class last year, Miss Zecora said that to catch these things, we need to try to predict their movements; find point 'A' and predict point 'B'." They looked up to see Digit standing in front of them, with Nox floating cross-legged behind him, his midnight blue wings stretched out to full length. "Sorry, we were looking for Trixie. She should be here right about..." He held up his finger and looked at his watch.

In a flash of pale pink light, Trixie appeared at the top of the bleachers. "Trixie is here,” she announced. "And the rat is mine!" She shot a bolt of winding, pink energy at the creature, but missed. The rodent hopped at blinding speed towards Trixie. As it approached, Trixie backed away, firing more binding spells at it. "Eek! Stay away you rat!" She tripped over a step and fell, losing the grip on her wand. She kicked at the rodent, who kept coming. "No! Stay away! Shoo!" Then it landed on her lap. She shrieked so loudly, a mandrake would bury itself without trying to compete.

"Hey boy!" Sunset waved her hands at the creature from across the field, gesturing for it to come over. "Over here. Come on, mama won't hurt you."

As it hopped off of Trixie's lap, a streak of red zipped past her. "Point 'A'," Zest said, as he skidded to a halt with the kangarat in his hands, "Meet point flippin' 'B'!" He stared at it with venom and victory in his eyes, which faded in about five seconds. "Awww," he said, petting the furry creature, "You are troublesome, but you're just so adorable!"

"I agree," Amethyst said, coming up behind him to scratch the kangarat's head. "They better not dissect him. Otherwise, there's gonna be a war!"

"Well, this was nice. The lost now found for no price." The next day, Zecora stared at the cage containing a small fuzzy creature that resembled a mouse, but with long, kangaroo-like legs. "Good deeds come in every shape and size, but all good deeds deserve a prize." She looked around the classroom and smiled. After the class, she held back Sunset. "Someone in your team, or do I dream?"

"Well, Zest caught it," Sunset replied.

"I see..." Zecora moved to her desk and began writing on a slip of paper.

"But Trixie was also a big help."

Zecora stopped to look at her. "Really?"

"Yeah. She helped keep the rodent still long enough for Zest to catch it."

"I see." She kept writing.

"Also, Amethyst helped keep it calm so it didn't run away again, Digit built the cage so it would be comfortable, and Nox helped feed it."

"And you, Miss Shimmer?"

"Not much, I just got its attention and helped Amethyst for a while."

"Do you remember the first thing I said when I saw this creature in its little bed?" She gestured to the animal, which was asleep in said little bed.

"Something about finding the lost without paying?" Sunset asked, unsure.

"The other thing," Zecora replied, blankly.

"About how good deeds come in many forms?"

"Exactly." She handed Sunset six slips of paper. They were all folded and had the name of a member of her team. "Never sell yourself short, Miss Shimmer, or that light of yours will only get dimmer."

"Thank you, Miss Zecora."

"We are not calling ourselves the Kangarats!" It was now Nox versus Amethyst and Zest.

"Aw, come on," Zest said, once again in his usual upside-down position. "Dude, that's the perfect mascot for our group."

"If we were still in elementary school. Besides, how does that even work?"

"It's small, but mighty," answered Amethyst. "Besides, it showed how well we can work together as a team."

"Not all of us were involved."

"Direct or indirect, it still counts."

"However," Trixie interjected, "If Trixie hadn't held it down, you never would have caught it."

"Held it down?" Amethyst pulled out her phone. "More like 'it stood still trying to understand why you were so scared of it'."

"Excuse me?"

Amethyst held up her phone. It showed a video of Trixie backing away from the kangarat. Then falling. Then screaming like a little girl. 'Ah! No! Stay away! Shoo! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!' Amethyst smiled. "That."

"If anyone sees that video, Celestia help me I'll..."

"You'll what?" Amethyst placed her finger on the send button on the screen.

"Nonononono! Please!" Trixie was now on her knees, pleading. "Don't send that. I'll be ruined!"

"Calm down." She closed the video, smiling. "What kind of person do you think I am? Yeesh."

"Well, ahem, um..." Trixie said, getting up, "Trixie thanks you for not being a total bitch."

"Yeah, well, you compensate for ten, so..." Amethyst replied, grinning. Then, Sunset walked through the door before they could go any further. "Hey Sunny."

"Hi Amy. Have you seen Digit?"

"Over here." Digit was standing on the wall... sideways. "Check it out. New dimension warping spell."

"Nice. Oh, Miss Zecora said I should give these to each of you." She handed out the slips to their respective owners. Digit opened his. In his shock, he lost concentration and fell off the wall. "Omygoodness! Are you okay?" She ran to his side.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked, excitement burning in his eyes. "It's a First Call Mission Slip."

"What?" Sunset opened hers. "It is."

"Woohoo!" Zest fly circles above them in excitement.

"What is it exactly?" asked Amethyst.

"This means..." Sunset started.

Digit finished. "We can start taking high class assignments... next week."

"Wait, don't we need to go through some kind of orientation?" Amethyst asked.

"Not anymore," Digit replied, "And I don't know about you guys, but I don't intend to wait long."

"So, what are you doing this weekend, Sunny?" As they left the school grounds, they talked about how they intended to spend the weekend.

"I'm probably gonna hang with Twilight and the girls for a while," Sunset replied. "Not sure about anything else."

"Ugh, you're depressing me, girl. What of a girl's night out, you and me?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother or anything."

"Hey, I'm asking you. It'll be fine."

"Well, okay." Sunset turned to the guys. "What are you guys doing?" she asked.

"I'm staying with my sister for the weekend," Digit replied. "Zest's sleeping over, but I'm still waiting for Nox to reply." Then a thought came to mind. "What if we all just hang out this weekend?"

"High school boys and girls under the same roof?" Amethyst asked with concern. "Not sure that's a good idea."

"Okay, first, my sis'll probably be there. Second, Nox isn't a problem and I can always reel in Zest."

"Hey!"

"Third, it'd be fun getting to know each other."

"True. So, two became five. And Trixie?" Amethyst inquired.

"What about her?"

"Will she be there?"

"Well yeah. She's part of the team. Oh, this is our stop." Digit and Zest branched off at the path leading to the boy's dorm. "Gotta get packing. Later."

"Seeya girls," Zest said, waving.

"Bye," Sunset and Amethyst replied. "Well, this'll be an interesting weekend," Sunset said as they headed to their dorm.

"Yeah," Amethyst replied. "And a long, eventful one at that."

"Wow. So you guys caught the kangarat and got a First Call slip? Things are looking up, huh?" Sunset had just finished telling a now pleased Twilight about her day. They stood in the corridor where their rooms were.

"Yeah. It was kinda fun. We're planning to hang out tomorrow."

"Oooooh, progress," Twilight said with wide eyes. "Well, good luck."

"Thanks. Bye." She walked back to her room, where amethyst was sitting cross-legged on her bed, meditating. Trixie had already left. "I've gotta try that one of these days."

"Clears the mind," Amethyst inhaled, "Calms the spirit."

"Sounds like fun." Sunset got on her bed, assuming the same position. They each opened an eye, and began to laugh.

"I think it's a great idea, son."

"Mom, you know I don't get along well with others."

"And yet, you haven't complained about them, nor them about you."

"How am I supposed to trust them?"

"Trust is earned. You once quoted a friend on this same topic. Something about taking a leap of faith?"

"And look where that got me."

"They aren't like them."

"And you know this, how?"

"Because you still attend team meetings don't you?"

"I..."

"Just give them a chance. The fact that you all have some past issue doesn't make you any less incompatible. In fact, it means your practically made for each other. And no, you are not misfits."

"Fine. But I'm holding the 'I Told You So' card."

"Fine by me. I doubt you'll get to use it."

Digit stood in front of the mirror on his dorm room wall. He stared. "Well everything seems normal," he thought out loud. "No pain, no voices. That's good. He went back to packing.

You okay? He heard a female voice.

"Yeah." He replied.

"Well, okay. I'm taking a cookie."

"Don't get fat."

"Not sure if that's possible."

"Hey," Zest called from his end of the room, "Is this get-together a good idea? All things considered?"

"Dude, you're not supposed to be the worried one," Digit replied smiling. "It'll be fine."

"Haha. Yeah. You're right. What could happen?"

Not All Rainbows Lead to a Pot of Gold

Digit and Zest were sitting in Sugarcube Corner, waiting for their remaining teammates. It was a common spot for students. After all, they had some of the best pastries in Central Etheria... and most other regions. Digit was sipping on a cup of iced coffee, while Zest chose some tropical-citrus fruit concoction. There was a large plate of cupcakes in front of them, which Zest was wolfing down like he didn't eat last night. Digit was wearing a light blue sleeveless hoodie with dark blue outlines and a gear-like symbol on the back, light beige khaki shorts that reached his shin, and black and blue boots. He also wore a pair of fingerless gloves, a dark blue scarf with light blue lines running through it like a circuit, and his trademark googles. Zest donned a bright orange hoodie with a red lightning bolt across it, gray shorts, and orange, red, and white boots. He wore a fingerless glove on one hand and an armlet on the other and had an orange headband with red lightning bolt. "Dude, slow down. You're gonna get sick, then someone's gonna have to carry you."

"Nope. Won't be a problem," Zest replied, wolfing down another cupcake.

"Leave some for the rest of us, will ya." Amethyst and Sunset walked in. Amethyst wore a bright purple tank top, blue short-shorts, and blue and white high-top sneakers, as well as armbands on each arm and had her hair tied into a long ponytail, reaching the small of her back. Sunset wore a pink tank top, orange capris with red lines going down the side of each leg, and white and orange sneakers. Her hair was also in a ponytail, though shorter than Amethyst's.

"Hi girls. Glad you could make it," Digit said, warmly.

"I see Trixie isn't here yet?"

"She'll be here."

"If you say so."

"Okay, so I didn't want to come initially..." They all looked back to see Nox standing behind them. "... But it's not like I'm doing anything this weekend. So..." He paused when Zest zipped over to hug him. He turned into mist and drifted away, materializing behind Zest.

"Good to see you too, Nox," Digit said in response. "Now, one more..."

It took another five minutes or so for Trixie to arrive. She walked in wearing a white shirt, light blue jacket, lighter blue skirt, and blue and white boots. She had on a hairclip that looked like a star sitting in a moon. "Trixie has arrived."

"Get a new catchphrase," Amethyst said, rolling her eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"Okay!" Digit shot up. "Let's get going."

"Where exactly are we going again?" asked Amethyst.

"It's called the Rainbow Spring Forest. And yes, it's as nice as it sounds."

"So, this is just a hiking trip?" asked Sunset.

"Yep."

"This is gonna be awesome!" Zest was practically ready to shoot through the roof. Nox just sat there, watching. Thinking. Digit saw the look on his and gave a look saying 'I know how you feel. But it's going to be fine.'

The Rainbow Spring Woods had its name for a reason. The streams and springs all had a magic, light-refracting property that caused rainbows to form. Another magical property was that plants could grow there in virtually any season; you could get roses in winter here. But in addition to its rich plant life, a lot of creatures occupied the forest, sentient and otherwise. It was beautiful and colorful... well, most of it anyway. A patch of the forest, about a quarter of the whole area, was dark... like basically pitch black. Nothing that grew there was normal; not the plants, not the animals, even the magic energy was off. Nothing. In this area, there was a cave. In the cave, there were workers. Many workers, garbed in black, all had either black or dark gray skin and razor sharp teeth and claws. They were pulling up a stone statue with the image of their queen: a young woman with purple hair.

"Be careful with that!" They queen now stood at the entrance to the room they were in. "That marble was very difficult to come by."

"Yes, my Queen," they replied in unison.

"My Lady," another came from behind her. He wore a long, black cloak opened and was clad in silver armor on his shoulders, lower arms, lower legs, and torso. "You have a call."

"Ugh, great."

"Whoa!" Amethyst, Zest, and Sunset were awestruck by the sight of the forest. Trees of all colors and varieties sprouted everywhere, Dancing Dahlias swayed in the wind, and rainbows arched in the sky above them, crossing in various patterns. "This is amazing!" Amethyst was completely awestruck. She had done a lot of sightseeing, but she had never had something hold her attention like this.

"Wow, you guys are way too easily impressed," Digit said. "You haven't even seen the magic." Digit tapped a tree with his hand and it began to shake. The branches began to fold and twist until they became a single large branch. Two green holes appeared on the surface of the tree and a larger black gap appeared beneath them from which a groan could be heard.

"Is that... A TREANT!" Sunset had heard of treants. They were strong, wise... and highly territorial. She backed away, as did Amethyst.

"Ha! You scare too easily," taunted Trixie. "It's just a little treant."

"Little? Are you blind?" asked Amethyst. "If that's the baby, I don't know if I want to meet the mother."

"Don't worry," Digit said, leaning against the living tree, "It's fine. Unless any of you have tried to cut him down?"

"Nope," they all replied in unison.

"Good. Then we're safe." They saw a number of creatures, from breezies and parasrpites to golems and manticores... nice ones, luckily.

Amethyst ran up to meet Digit. "So, what do you intend to gain from this little hiking trip?"

"Not sure. Just hoping something'll happen and help the team bond."

"Those're some pretty high expectations."

"I like being optimistic." Soon, they came to a clearing.

"Hey, can we take a break for a few minutes?" Sunset asked. She wasn't exactly built for physical... well, anything. And neither was Trixie. The difference was that Trixie had too much pride to admit it.

"HA! Tired already?" She was clearly strained, but tried to hide it, rather unsuccessfully due to her, visibly, heavy breathing.

"Trixie, we've been walking for over almost an hour and a half straight!"

"She's right," said Digit. "We should probably take a break.

"Now you're making sense," Zest said, collapsing floating down to the ground.

"And now I'm eating snacks," Amethyst added as she pulled a snack bar from her backpack.

"Hey there, big sis." The queen sat on her large crystal throne and spoke to the image in the large crystal pillar in front of her. "How've you been?"

"What do you think? And don't call me 'big sis'. I am not your sister," the other replied in a sour tone.

"Sorry. Yeesh. Just trying to be nice."

"This is not the time for niceties. We have a schedule to keep and I am not in the mood for anything else. You're just barely keeping up."

"Wow. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the cocoon today."

"LISTEN BRAT!" The other figure had gone from sour to spicy. "This is not a game. You know your part. You know what to do. You know how to do it. SO DO IT!"

"DON'T YOU DARE YELL AT ME!" The young queen had now lost her calm, sweet voice and replaced it with one of burning anger. "You aren't my mom or my master or my boss! I don't care if you're in charge of running this whole fiasco on this end! So don't think for one second that you can raise your damn voice at me!" She paused in though. Her anger disappeared and she smiled once again. "Come to think of it, I should be the one running things, not you," she said with a smile.

"Excuse me?" the other replied in shock. "How old are you again."

"Sixteen physically and biologically, twenty-four mentally, and over a hundred based on my achievements."

"I have roamed this world for over a hundred and fifty years... A HUNDRED AND FIFTY! What makes you even close to being as qualified as me?"

"How about the fact that I've actually accomplished more than you in a shorter period of time?"

"What?"

"You have tried three times to conquer a single region. The first time, about a hundred and twenty years ago, you tried and got pushed back by a rebellion. Five years later, you returned with dark magic... and still failed. You returned recently for another attempt. Tell me, did you succeed?" Silence. "Thought so. I, on the other hand, have claimed many magic hotspots located in forests all over Etheria. Do you know how long it took me to claim this forest? Three days. It took me three days to claim this entire corner of the forest and bind it to my magic. In addition, I do have a reputation for being able to manipulate people... without the use of magic. So tell me, who is still the younger one?"

"IMPUDENT FOOL! If the boss didn't have such a soft spot for you and didn't think you were absolutely vital to our cause, I would kill you where you sit."

"Would you? Or would you send your minions to distract me and then take a cheap shot."

"I would drive my blade through your heart and rip your head off myself! And as if you have never taken any cheap shots yourself."

"Touché. But at least I got somewhere with it. Backstabbing below the belt only got you blasted halfway across Etheria... which, I guess, would explain your sour mood?"

"DO YOUR DAMN JOB! And don't push me, otherwise, I do not care how valuable he thinks you are, I will hang your head on my wall!" The other woman smashed the communicator on her end, causing static to appear on the young queen's crystal, at which she threw a rock using her magic.

"Ugh! That damn wretched old bitch! Who the hell does she think she is?"

"My Lady,-"

"WHAT!"

"Apologies." The man in the armored cloak that called her earlier was standing at the entrance to her throne room.

On seeing him, she calmed down. "Oh, Blackbane. Sorry. Come in. What is it?"

"Some of the watchers have detected odd life signatures in the vicinity."

She looked at him in shock. "What? How? I would have felt a new presence if it entered the forest. Are you sure it isn't just a bunch of newborn cragodiles or something?"

"No. They seem to be, from their description... mages."

She froze. Then smiled. "Really?" She leaned back in her chair in thought. "Send a few dozen scouts. Test them. If they resist, send the shock troops. If, by some miracle, they can't handle it, send the reavers."

"The reavers? I doubt that will be necessary. From the reports, they appear to be adolescents."

"Never underestimate your opponent, Bane. But fine. Although you should probably tag along, just in case. And take a visual crystal. I wanna watch."

"As you wish." He bowed and disappeared into his shadow.

"This day just got better," she said as she leaned back into her large throne. "A plus-one for my resume."

"Um, is... is this s-s-safe?" Sunset asked, trying as hard as possible no to act terrified out of her mind.

"Sure it is," Digit replied. "I've done it at least a dozen times."

"And?"

"It was fun." They were standing at the edge of a cliff, across a waterfall, looking at the lake at least 500meters below.

"What? Are you afraid?" Trixie asked Sunset.

"Aren't you?"

"HA! Trixie is scared of nothing! I've beaten an Ursa Major single-handedly!"

"Okay, one, I'm pretty sure it was an Ursa Minor," Amethyst interjected. "And second, are you sure that's the real story and not the one you remember while you were curled up like a ball, hiding in a hollow tree?" Trixie glared.

"Trixie runs from nothing and hides from nothing."

"Oh yeah, you're right. 'Cause you can't run when you're cowering in paralyzing fear and you'd just scream in the face of... 'danger'. Even better." Amethyst joined Sunset in giggling as they remembered the issue with the kangarat.

"It could've bitten me." They kept laughing as Trixie pouted, trying to plead her case.

Sunset snapped back to the present. "Can we get back to the real issue?" she said.

"I should've packed a swimsuit... or at least a change of clothes," said Amethyst, looking back down. "Why would you not tell us about this?"

"It was a surprise." Digit looked around and realized something was missing. "Hey, were are Nox and Zest?"

"UP HERE!" Nox and Zest were floating an extra hundred meters above them.

"I'm not involved in this," Nox said, forming a cloud from mist and laying down on it.

"Okay," Digit said as he wrapped himself and the three girls in a bubble shield. "On three. One...two..." Three never came before he rolled them off the cliff.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" It was quite a long way down.

As they dropped, Zest shot passed them. He stopped moments before he reached the surface and a shockwave followed. The surface of the water shimmered. A few moments later, they hit the water and the bubble popped, soaking everyone in it. The water splashed viciously, engulfing even Zest as the wave crashed down. Sunset was the first to emerge.

"That... was... INSANE!" She gasped for air, as did Amethyst when she emerged with Digit.

"Let's never do that again," said Amethyst.

"Let's do that again," Zest cried, "This time, I wanna be in the bubble!"

"Did you not just here me?"

"Hey," Digit said, looking around, "where's Trixie?" No answer. "Can she swim?" No answer. Digit dived back down into the water. He emerged about eight seconds later, carrying Trixie on his back. She coughed and gagged and gasped for air. They all swam back to the shore and settled on the grassy ground.

"Omigosh, Trixie! Are you okay?" Sunset said, genuinely worried. Amethyst ran to her side.

"Don't... touch me! I'm... fine," she replied as she struggled to breath.

"Sheesh. Sorry for caring," Amethyst replied as she backed away. "So the 'Great and Powerful Trixie can't swim, huh?" Amethyst mocked. Trixie would have responded had her lungs not been clogged with magic water. Zest floated down, soaked, as did Nox, who was the only one dry. "So," Amethyst started as she turned to face Digit, "What the heck was THAT?!"

"It's called the Resonance Lake. The water has a special magic property of adapting and taking on the properties of the magic around it or in contact with it. When Zest flew down, he was building up a lot of wind energy, which hit the water when he stopped, which made it softer and lighter."

"So it takes properties of the magic energy that hit it? So if you threw a fireball...?"

"We would've been boiled alive in seconds. Lightning's better. It's more of a tingle, kinda like a massage. But it really depends on the quantity of energy."

"Why didn't you just fire a wind blast at it?" asked Amethyst.

"If the energy hits the water at an angle, the effects are a lot more... unpredictable; spontaneous combustion, flooding, freezing-"

"Wait, spontaneous combustion?" Sunset asked, imagining the horror of being roasted alive above a body of water; the horrible irony.

"Yep. The nature of the magic no longer counts as a factor. It just becomes random." He looked back at Trixie, who had finally caught her breath. "How're you holding up?"

"Fine, of course," she replied. "So now what? We walk around in wet clothes?"

"You afraid you'll catch a cold?" asked Amethyst.

"I was asking in case your fragile body count handle it."

"Fragile?!"

"Okay, everyone, chill... pun not intended. Remember what I said about the water taking on the property of the magic that hit it? Zest used wind magic. Zest, the second part."

Zest placed his hands on the ground. "You might feel a nice relaxing tingle," he warned. He sent currents of bright red electricity arching across the ground and to each of his soaked companions.

"Aaaaaaah! Ah... aaaaaah!" Sunset went from pain to pleasure in less than two seconds. "Whoa. It's like all my worries just melted and vanished."

"Same here," said Amethyst. Trixie just collapsed in relaxation.

"So that's the effect of lightning? Nice." Sunset looked down. "Hey, my clothes are dry!"

"Mine too," said Amethyst.

"Was that the effect of wind?" asked Trixie.

"Yep. That's why Zest had to do the dive. We needed enough wind energy to make sure it all dried up and fast. I usually do this when I come here with my sister. I use it to get rid of tension."

"Cool," said Amethyst. "Wait, you have tension?"

Suddenly, they heard a rustling in the bush. "Did anyone else hear that?" asked Zest. There was another rustle. They each got into a fighting stance, magic charged in their fists, wings, and magic items. "Whose there?"

The rustling shifted to neighboring bushes until it traveled around all the bushes in front of them. "I think the 'who' is more than one person," Digit stated.

They stood, ready to react. But Trixie got tired of waiting. "Show yourself!" She fired a bolt from her wand into the bush in front of them. As it hit, a rather big, brown figure jumped out and dashed towards them. It reached them before anyone could get a shot in. It crashed into Digit, revealing it to be a massive, beastly hyena with brown fur with dark brown marks and a rough, dark brown mane.

Digit stared at the hungry green eyes as it smiled evilly at him. Then he knew. "Really? This same trick since elementary school?" The creature smile turned from hungry to happy. The creature stepped off him. "Relax guys," Digit said when he saw everyone aiming at the fearless creature, "She goes to our school."

"WHAT?!" was the unanimous reply.

"What? Don't recognize me?" said the beastly hyena. It began to morph, losing about two feet in height and two feet in width. Its brown fur turned to dark tanned skin and its mane was now long brown hair... but still wild and spiked forward. She was wearing a light brown t-shirt, dark brown shorts, and light brown flip-flops. She wore a necklace of what looked like five wolf teeth and beaded bracelets around her wrists. She had dark brown marks on her arms and legs, one on each cheek, and one below each eye. "Hey guys."

"Savannah?! What the actual hell?!" Amethyst was still recovering from the revelation. "We could've blasted you."

"Nah," Savannah replied, smiling, "You would've missed." Savannah followed the group on their hike. She explained that she lived close to the entrance of the forest and usually came there to relax.

"I thought your home was close to the Everfree Forest," Amethyst inquired.

"Yeah. But I'm staying in this one now, just to see which is better. So far, so good."

"Isn't it kinda dangerous?" asked Sunset.

"Yeah, well, I've kinda learned how to deal with most of the problems. There are the usual problems like manticores, whomping willows, parasrpites, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera." Suddenly, she stomped the ground. The quake caused everyone to fall.

"What was that for?"

"The unusual problems." She pointed at a tree, in which there were black figures pinned to trees. As they pulled off they revealed themselves. They were about three to four feet tall, had razor sharp claws and teeth, and were pitch black with glowing pale blue eyes.

"Changelings!" From what Sunset had heard from Twilight, Changelings aren't that big a deal. "There's only three of them. We can handle them." At that moment, odd green bolts fell from the sky above; at least a few dozen. Then Sunset remembered. 'Changelings aren't that big a deal... on their own. When fighting a group, things can get a bit... rough.' "Oh boy."

"Stay together," said Digit. Immediately, everyone formed a circle. Digit felt Zest tap his shoulder. It wasn't Zest. As he turned, a black fist flew across his face, sending him to the ground. He turned to see the Changeling as Sunset hit it with a fireball.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Where's Zest?"

"YAAAAHOOOOO!" At that instant, Digit covered the group with a bubble as Zest hit the ground with incredible speed, sending out a shockwave that wiped out a good dozen of the Changelings... which were replaced by another two dozen.

"Okay," Digit said, charging up magic in his fists, Sunset, Amethyst, and Savannah doing the same, Trixie lit up her wand, Zest brandished his whips, and Nox a pair of ornamental daggers, "let's have some fun."

The school grounds were always open, mostly because the staff held their meetings there on weekends. This weekend was no exception... except for the fact that only five members of staff were present, four of whom were waiting in the staff room. Princess Celestia and her sister, Luna, had called Zecora and Professor Creed for a private meeting. The last guessed was known only to the royal sisters. "So, who is this mystery guest of ours?" asked Creed.

"You'll see," replied Celestia. "He should be hear any minute from now."

Low and behold, at that moment, a shadow appeared on the ground next to them. From it came a shadowy figure, whose image was cleared up as it came to full view. He had long, platinum blond hair combed back, deep green eyes, and wore a long white cloak with gold trimmings over a light brown suit, white shirt and white shoes. "Apologies," he said, "I would have been here eight point three seconds earlier, but I had a little... problem with some associates."

"And you are...?" asked Creed.

"Professor Spellbinder," she said, shaking his hand. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Professor Creed, Professor Zecora."

"Ah, yes, I remember you. You assisted with the summer training regimen last year."

"Quite an impressive success, though I should expect no less."

"Thank you."

"Professor Spellbinder is a member of my advisory council," added Celestia. "He helps around the school from time to time." She got up and walked to the center table. "Now that we're all here, we can proceed." The center table glowed and a bright light shone from it.

"Professor Creed, designation: Law."

"Professor Zecora, designation: Flora Fauna."

"Professor Spellbinder, designation: Pentagram."

"Principal Celestia, designation: Sun Keeper."

"Principal Luna, designation: Moon Keeper."

"... Processing... processing... Confirmed. Welcome." The table began to disappear in sparks of light, revealing a secret passage. At the bottom was a large dark room, lit only by the round, glowing crystal table in the center, along with the ten glowing crystal chairs that surrounded it. They each took a seat on one side.

"Begin transmission," said Celestia. Instantly, five figures appeared in the five chairs opposite them: one pale pink, one blue and white, one dark purple, one pale mauve, and one brown, designations: Love, Shield, Quill, Cheer, and... a smiley face? Celestia shook her head while Luna face-palmed.

"He always has to open with a joke," said Creed, smiling.

"See, he gets it," replied the brown figure, cheerfully.

"How old are you again?" asked the pink figure.

"Oh, just a few millennia. Don't worry, I won't be going away any time soon."

"I don't think that's the problem."

"No, but this is." Celestia used the table to bring up a 3-D picture of a book from which three pages were removed and magnified. Each page had the picture of an item: a sphere, a cube, and a pyramid.

"You must be joking," said the brown figure.

"I wish I was. And anyway, that would be a very expensive joke, one even I cannot afford."

"But I hid those things away centuries ago after you-know-who tried to use them. I was so proud of his progress... until it involved enslavement and destruction."

"I didn't know you cared," said the blue and white figure.

"Sure, I made the place a little chaotic, but that was for fun. You alter gravity for fun. You distort space for fun. You don't suck up the world's life energy and use it to enslave people for fun... or do you?"

"Really?" Celestia asked with disapproval.

"Just kidding. OF COURSE YOU DON'T!"

"So," the mauve figure finally spoke up, "Why am I in this meeting? I don't deal with magical items."

"No, but you do deal with information and detail," Celestia replied.

"Well, when you have to mark a grade-schooler's assignment that looks like a cockatrice trying to write cursive, you’ll need to learn to read the extra-fine print." Then she figured it out. "Let me guess. You want me to go through the archives and find out if there are any loopholes or notes that could give anyone access to these items?"

"Yes."

"I'll need a name," she brought out a pen and paper. "I have no idea what I'm looking at right now."

"The Trinity Jewels."

The mauve figure's pen broke in her hand. "WHAT?! Nononononononono and NO! I am not getting involved in that mess! Are you kidding? It's cursed." She regained her calm and added, "With all due respect, Princess, do you know how many people have done research on this topic and lived? Zero. You know how we know? Because there's no record of anyone who did!"

"Relax, Cherilee. But I wouldn't come to you if it weren't absolutely necessary and I had any other choice."

The one called Cherilee thought for a while. "F-F-Fine," she said, hesitantly.

"Thank you. Now, no one person knows the location of the three items."

"I though he scattered them across Etheria," said the pink figure, gesturing to the brown one to her left.

"That doesn't mean I know where I sent them," he replied. "Sure, I have an idea, but not an exact location."

"Good," said Creed. "That means none of us is in any immediate danger."

"Magic hotspots have been popping up unusually lately," said the dark purple figure. "But they only seem to appear for a fraction of a second before disappearing."

"Ah, that's the temporal flux spell I placed on them. Much harder to find an artifact that moves, especially if it docks in sub-space."

"Impossible to find using any locator spells if it doesn't exist in that dimension," Luna said.

"Precisely!"

"Hmmm. Zecora, do you know anything about these items?"

"Individually, not much; but collectively, a bunch," she replied. "I heard the stories as a child, of a power so great and wild. One that could warp space and bring an end to a race; that could warp reality and distort causality."

"Those... are not very good bedtime stories," said Cherilee.

"Nope," said Creed, "That's some grade-A nightmare fuel right there. How does a child sleep after hearing a story like that?"

"Cautiously," Zecora replied.

"Okay then, we'll keep an eye out for any abnormal abnormalities," said the purple figure.

"We'll watch for any dark magic spurts," said the pink figure.

"I'll have a rapid response team ready," said the blue and white figure.

"I'll watch out for any chaos magic," said the brown figure, as the holographic pages turned to paper planes and flew in complex aerobatic maneuvers. "This doesn't count."

"Well, I'll get searching," said Cherilee. "Oh, sweet Faust, I know I'm going to regret this 'cause it's going to come back and bite me in the-" She cut the transmission. The other's followed suit.

"Well then," said Celestia, "let's get to work."

"This is not work, THIS IS CRAZY!" Amethyst had had enough of fighting the annoying little ones that attacked them. But now, the group was neck deep in five to six foot tall versions of the little scouts. These ones had actual hand-to-hand combat skills. But so did Amethyst. One lunged at her. She caught it by its arm and slammed it against the ground before throwing it against its companions. As another attempted to kick her, she caught its leg and threw it to Savannah, who greeted it by hammering its head into the ground with her fist.

"Fun, right?" Savannah asked, smiling.

"Not really," said Sunset, firing a large fireball and using a bolt of teal energy to amplify the explosion.

Zest ran past a group of them, grabbing about four in each whip. He swung across, clearing a bunch of pitch black figures, then hammered them into a crowd of Changelings. As they struggled to untangle themselves and get up, he flicked both whips, sending a trail of red lightning across them. On reaching the tip, they emitted a massive explosion that obliterated the pile. "BOOM BABY!"

"You enjoy this too much." Nox was effortlessly dodging the claws and kicks from a group of five at once. He caught the first one and stabbed it in the heart... if it had one. He spun and cut across the torso of the second. He ducked under the claws of the next two and slashed across each of them as well. He simply jumped over the last one. It stared at him, then attempted to attack as it moved, it saw the knife in the ground in front of it glowing, which then exploded in a cloud of purple, electrified smoke.

"Nice! Cool dudes don't look at explosions," said Zest as he crushed a group of Changelings with a rock using his whip.

Trixie had no problem blasting the creatures from afar. "Feel the wrath of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" She charged a large magic bolt and sent it to a group the orb floated in the air in front of the group before it was detonated by a follow-up blast from her wand. She levitated a rock and crushed it with an invisible force before sending the pieces pelleting at the swarm in front of her like machine gun bullets.

Digit ran through groups of Changelings, pummeling them with his energy-coated fists. Grabbing one by the face, he used his free hand to burn a rune into its chest before throwing it at a group. The rune glowed and emitted a massive explosion. "Okay, it's been fun," he said, "But all good things must come to an end."

"How is this a good thing?" Amethyst cried as she and Savannah delivered a double lariat to about three Changelings at once, beheading them all.

Digit charged up a massive amount of energy in his hands and gripped them, turning them into massive swords which grew at least a hundred meters. "So long..."

"Hit the deck!" Every heeded Zest's warning and hit the floor.

"... And thanks for all the fish!" He swung the two swords in semi-circles, forming a large circle that cut through everything in the vicinity: Changelings, rocks, Changelings, trees, more Changelings, and more everything else.

"Wow," said Sunset as she got up.

"Maybe try opening with that one next time, hun," said Amethyst.

"Where's the fun in that?" Digit asked as his constructs dissipated into pixel-like sparks.

"So who’s next?" asked Trixie.

"Never say dumbass stuff like that out loud," said Amethyst. "Do you want them to send an angry dragon at us next?"

"We don't have dragons, sorry to disappoint," said a voice, which was followed by clapping. They turned to see a figure garbed in a black hood with armor in his lower legs and arms, shoulder, and torso. On his left shoulder was a symbol of a purple heart with a crack down the middle. "I am impressed that you survived the scouts and the shock troopers simultaneously. I trained them myself."

"And you are?" Digit asked.

"The guardian of the one who has laid claim to this section of the forest." The man materialized a large scythe with a skull head from which the blade protruded. "And the one who will end your lives a bit earlier than you may have expected."

"HA!" Trixie stepped forward. "Come and try me."

"Um, Trixie," Amethyst said, "That guy has a big-ass, scary-ass, deadly-ass scythe."

"And this wand took down an Ursa Major! It's more than a match for him."

"Did you now? You know, I've slain a few beasts myself." He kept his scythe to his side.

"Then let us see how you do against the Great and Powerfu-" She was cut off when the man's fist slammed into her stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs, also causing her to cough up quite a lot of blood. He turned and delivered a roundhouse that sent her flying into a rock, smashing it on impact.

"TRIXIE!" Amethyst ran to her side. The neck of Trixie's shirt was stained with blood. She didn't respond to Amethyst's cries. "Dammit Trixie, answer!"

"Oh hell." Sunset turned to see the man leaning against his scythe.

"I wonder how you beat an Ursa Major if you can't even take a simple punch. Unless you're telling me you avoided all its attacks?"

Savannah looked at the man with intense fury. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" She charged at him.

"No, WAIT!" She couldn't hear Sunset cry out to her.

Savannah tried several times to land a blow, but the man dodged all her attempts. Finally, she tried to knock him off his feet with a sweep kick. He jumped over her leg, but saw Zest darting towards him. "Gotcha," said Zest, smirking. His smile vanished as the man's smile appeared. Just before impact, the man brought both fists down on Zest's back like a hammer. He crashed into Savannah, who was below him, and the momentum from his earlier movement carried them forward. The man returned to leaning on his scythe, still smiling.

"Nox, Sunset," Digit said, "Cover me." Nox took to the sky and let loose a knife storm. The blades were coated with purple lightning, streaking towards the man. The shadowy figure ducked, dodged, and deflected the incoming blades with uncanny precision. Once the rain of knives ended, he looked up to see a purple spark in Nox's hand. He threw it to one of the knives and the lightning arced through them and linking to the knife in the middle of the array... right in front of the man. All the knives detonated in a pillar of purple light and black smoke. Nox scanned for signs of the man, but saw nothing but the scythe as the smoke cleared.

'It's never that easy,' he thought. He was right. He felt the presence behind him and brought his arms up to his face just in time to block the savage kick that set him plummeting to the ground. Sunset telekinetically caught him and set him down next to her. She felt a gust of wind behind her and ducked under the man's leg. The air pressure generated from the kick carved a small arc into the ground in front of them. Sunset teleported away as Nox readied his blades. He slashed at the man viciously, but fully in control. As the man stepped back, Nox stretched his leg so his foot was behind the man's. 'Now.' He had him right where he wanted... or so he thought. As the blades made contact, something stopped him, as if his whole body suddenly refused to move. He looked down and saw the man's hand at his right shoulder, his finger just touching the joint.

"Nerve cluster," he said. "Can't move there's foreign magic in you." He leaned back. Nox braced himself for impact, but was saved when a teal bolt of energy hit the man, knocking him away from Nox. Sunset readied another shot, but the man was too fast. He appeared in front of her and swept her legs off the ground. His spin built up momentum, which he used to hammer Sunset's head into the ground while in mid-air.

"HEY!" The man turned to meet Savannah's foot cross his face. He recovered quickly and looked at her. He lunged forward and caught her before she could move, delivering a barrage of blows to her stomach.

Nox regained his movement and lunged at the man. "Hey, step off!" The man turned to see him and side-stepped out of the way. As Nox turned, the man's powerful fist slammed into his chest, sending him crashing into an already groggy Savannah.

"Huh. Maybe I should up the training difficulty," the man said. "They must be getting soft if they can't handle you six... wait, six?"

"HEY!" The man turned to see Digit, a highly condensed ball of blue energy in his hand with streams of light spiraling around it. "Suck on this!" He flung the bolt at the man, who caught it, just before it exploded in a brilliant display of fire and sparks. He ran to Sunset and helped her up. "You okay?"

"My face hurts," she replied, "and I'm not sure, but I think I just ate grass."

Digit smiled. The others began gathering themselves. Amethyst was trying to heal Trixie, her hands glowing bright purple as the healing spell began healing fractures and bruises. "Come on you idiot," she said as she pumped magic energy into her body. "You can't go down like this. What was all that talk back at school, huh?"

"Really? Because she seemed to go down fairly easily to me." The six, still conscious members turned to see the man. Soot covered the armored plates and the right sleeve of his cloak had been shredded by the blast, revealing a series of marks and symbols.

"What..."

"The..."

"Hell?"

They looked as the man dusted the soot and ash from his outfit. "Great. Do you have any idea how tough it is the wash black? It's tough finding which part is dirt and which part is cloth." He looked up at them. "It was fun evaluating you, and although you don't seem to be constituting any kind of threat, I still have to kill you."

"I-I'll ask again, who are you?"

"Well, it's only common courtesy to know who killed you. I am know by many names, many, if not all, of which you are clearly not worthy of knowing, let alone saying. But for your efforts, you may call me Blackbane."

"Digit, what now?" Sunset was expecting an answer. But Digit just stood, but he wasn't analyzing his opponent, he already had... and he was paralyzed with fear. The strong killing intent mixed with high-level dark magic was a pungent smell to any mage, one that many feared for the shear destruction it could cause. "DIGIT!"

"Y-You don't own this forest," Digit said.

"Well, not all of it," Blackbane replied. "In case you haven't noticed, this entire area is coated with the queen's essence. She has infused the very soil at your feet with her magic, giving her technical claim over the land."

"What are you doing here? What makes this area so important that that she would need to link herself to it and keep watch?"

"She just likes the scenery and hates being disturbed, especially if the disturbance damages the forest's natural beauty."

"Who is she?"

"Like I would tell you," Blackbane replied with more venom in his voice. "You are barely even worthy to know my own name."

"Why did you attack us?" Sunset asked. "We didn't damage anything."

"It was an order. I do not disobey. I do not ask questions that are irrelevant to the task."

"But there must be something she needs from here. You don't just bind yourself to a place because of its beauty."

"Perhaps."

"Do you know what it could be?"

"I do not. So far as I know, this forest is only known for its rare beauty," he said. "But I wonder why you would ask such questions," he said as he raised his scythe. "Such information is of no use to the dead." A mass of black energy covered the blade. "What was it you said? 'So long... and thanks for all the fish'." He swung the scythe, sending a blast of dark energy at them.

"Oh Faust!" Sunset turned to see Digit, his hands glowing and sparking wildly.

"GET DOWN!" As the wave approached, they were engulfed in a wave of blue light, which brightened with time. As the wave hit, the light engulfed them.

"Oh?" Blackbane looked up to see the scorched earth, trees, and grass in front of him. "They must have escaped."

"What do you mean they escaped?"

Blackbane turned around to see the silvery-white visual crystal floating next to him with the image of his queen. "My Lady, the intruders have been repelled."

"I told you to bring them to me!"

"My apologies, My Lady. One of them knows a long distance teleportation spell, which I foolishly did not plan for."

The young girl thought. "Don't worry about it. Get back home. Did you get any of their names?"

"Sunset, a curious one; Trixie, either brave or foolish, I'm not entirely sure; and Digit, quite resourceful."

"Digit, huh," the queen thought. "Why does that name sound so familiar? Anyway, head back. That will be all.

"Yes, My Lady."

The group reappeared at the entrance to the forest. "Holy cow!" Sunset was shocked. "That's a lot of magic."

"Worth it," Digit grunted.

"You okay?"

"Kinda... not really." He held a black blade with a red liquid glistening on the tip.

"Holy shi-"

"Ssshhhhh!" Digit held raised his shirt, revealing a faint scar on his stomach where the wound had been. "How's Trixie?"

"Unconscious," replied Amethyst, "but I managed to heal her cracked ribs and restore most of her magic. Whatever that guy hit her with was hard."

"I don't know about you guys," Zest said, floating lazily, "but I'm done adventuring... for the next three weeks. SLEEPOVER AT DIGIT'S!"

“Is anyone not curious about what the hell just went down in there?” asked Amethyst.

“We can talk about that when we get to Digit’s.”

They all looked at Zest, then to Digit. Digit shrugged. "Why not. Sun's already going down."

"Um, hello? Girls in the vicinity," Amethyst mentioned, gesturing to her fellow girls.

"My sister'll take care of that."

Amethyst thought for a while and looked to Sunset for a second opinion. Sunset shrugged. "I don't have a problem."

"Okay, fine."

"WOOHOO!"

Nox was the only one that had no enthusiasm for this. Digit came up next to him and held his shoulder. "Dude, we need to talk."

Advanced Training: Endurance

Advanced Training 1: Endurance

After walking for about an hour, Digit, Sunset, Nox, Amethyst, Zest, Trixie, and Savannah were standing in front of a tall apartment complex, about five floors up. "Your sister lives here?" asked Sunset.

"Yeah," Digit replied. "When she graduated, she decided to move out and get her own place. It's pretty close to her school."

"And what school would that be?"

"The Starswirl School of Advanced Studies."

"Whoa, that's big! That's one of the most prestigious schools in Etheria!"

"Who’s your sister anyway?" asked Amethyst. "I've never met her.

"You will soon," Digit responded as he swiped a keycard over the sensor to open the door. "She's home." They took the elevator to the third floor. Luckily, no one was in the lobby or the elevator. What would they say when they were asked why they looked like they just got into a fight with a powerful warlock? 'Oh, we did get into a fight, but not with a warlock. He was this tall guy with a big-ass scythe and a punch that could turn your lungs into a vacuum. That's what happened to her,' they'd say, pointing to an unconscious Trixie on Amethyst's back.

"Dang, she is heavy!" Amethyst kept adjusting Trixie's angle so they wouldn't fall over.

"Don't worry, we're here." They stopped in front of a well maintained wooden door with the number '305' plastered on it in brass. Digit knocked on the door.

"Coming!" A few seconds later, the door clicked and opened and there was a girl standing in front of it. She was like a carbon copy of Digit: long, snow-white hair with blue streaks on the side, bright blue eyes, and a fairly tanned skin tone. She stood at about 5'10', just about two or so inches above Digit. She wore a white sleeveless crop top, light blue short-shorts and blue flip flops. She did not look pleased. "Oh, it's you."

"Hi Pixel," Digit groaned. "What's up? You look terrible."

"And you look like shit."

"Jerk."

"Train wreck."

"Fat ass."

"Dumbass."

They glared at each other for about a good five seconds before bursting into laughter. "HAHAHAHAAAA! Never gets old."

"Like you apparently."

"Aw, aren't you sweet," she said, embracing him in a rib-cracking hug. "Who're your friends?"

"My teammates, Amethyst Luster, the unconscious one's Trixie Lulamoon, you remember Zesty Blitz, Nox Moonrider, Savannah Wild, and Sunset Shimmer."

"Pleased ta meetcha! Sunset Shimmer, huh? So you're the one..."

'Here we go," thought Sunset.

"... That helped beat the Sirens? Cool."

'Not what I was expecting.'

"Oh, you thought I was gonna ask about the whole she-demon thing?" she asked, noting Sunset's shocked expression. "Past's in the past. Come on in." Her apartment was roomier than they had imagined. When they entered, there was a hallway to the left that led to the bedrooms and bathroom. To the right, the entrance to the living room, behind it was the kitchen. There were two flat screen LCD TVs, one with cable and another with a PS4 connected to it. Behind the TVs was the balcony that gave a beautiful view of the town. "You may wanna clean up first. Then tell me why you look like you just got into a fight with a powerful warlock." They looked at each other in an 'I told you so' manner. "Bathroom's first door on your left down the hall. Girls can use the one in my room, that's the door on your right."

"Princess, we need to talk." Zecora, Spellbinder, and Luna had left the lounge, but Creed held Celestia back.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's about that group."

Celestia thought for a while. "Ah," she said, realizing who he was talking about. "What about them?"

"With all due respect, is there any reason you put the six most different people in the school on the same team? I mean, the only thing in common between them is their proficiency in their work and something rather horrible related to their past."

"I understand your concerns, but something tells me that isn't your only problem."

Creed looked for ways to word his statement without sounding paranoid. Impossible. "It's Digit. You know he's a-"

"Yes, I am fully aware. Why?"

"The others are the same. The items react anytime they use magic, and we both know that there is a limited number of those in the school."

"You think it could be them?"

"I'm scared that it's them. I heard the story of the Guardians. When united, they were unstoppable; no evil could get past them. But when there was as much as a crack in the unity, the consequences were rather..." He couldn't find the words to quantify the devastation.

"I understand your concerns. Keep in mind that I am always... almost always prepared for any occurrences. Digit himself is aware and is doing everything in his power to control his abilities. I doubt any of his teammates know."

"I doubt they know about the other thing as well. It isn't the kind of information you'd proudly give out."

"That hasn't been a problem for years."

"No, but if it comes up along with his untamed power, we may have a big problem."

"Don't worry, Creed," Celestia said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "everything is under control."

"... and so Digit teleported us out." Sunset finished telling Pixel about their run-in with death Rainbow Spring Forest.

"Ugh, that place used to be so peaceful," Pixel said. "What of your sleepy friend?"

"She's awake. Thanks again for the clothes."

"No problem."

Pixel was bigger than all of them, so the clothes were a bit oversized. Sunset was wearing a long pink hooding and blue shorts, Amethyst was wearing a red t-shirt and track pants, and Trixie came out wearing a white tank top and blue shorts. The boys borrowed some of Digit's unused clothes. Zest wore a yellow t-shirt and blue shorts, Nox wore a black tank top with matching track pants, and Digit wore a blue sleeveless top with black shorts.

"You guys owe me, big time!" Digit had never worn those before, and he wanted to. That was the whole point of leaving it at his sister's place: so no one could ask him for it.

"What?!" cried Zest. "Dude, after everything we've been through, and I'm not just talking about today. Is money really the main issue here?"

"Yes," Digit said blankly. Nox said nothing.

"You guys were lucky," said Pixel.

"You have no idea," said Digit. "Hey, can I talk to you... alone?"

"Sure." They got up and went to her room.

"Um, what are you doing?" Amethyst asked Trixie as she tip-toed to the door. "That's an invasion of privacy."

"So is a guy putting his hands down a girl's pants, but I don't see anyone doing anything to stop it," Trixie said. "To double it up, most girls enjoy it."

"Not the point," Amethyst said, face-palming. "Besides this is different." Amethyst thought for a while. "You could just use the internet, you know?"

"What?"

"Look, we're growing up. It's natural to have uncontrollable... urges. But I doubt Digit and his sister are into the whole... sibling fetish."

"WHAT?!" Trixie's face was now as red as s ripe tomato. "Are you crazy?! I just want to know what's so important and personal that they had to lock the door!"

"You sure? 'Cause you look a bit... hot, if you know what I mean," Amethyst added with a smirk.

"Y-You have problems! I told you-"

"Okay, okay. But then again... WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU LISTEN IN ON SOMEONE ELSE'S PRIVATE CONVERSATION?! HAVE YOU NO DECENCY?!"

"Ssshhhhh! Do you want them to hear?"

"Look, Trixie, let’s just leave 'em be," said Sunset. "It's probably a family matter we should stay out of."

"True that," agreed Amethyst.

"... Fine," Trixie surrendered.

"Okay, who wants to show the boys that girls can kick ass in Call of Duty?" Amethyst asked, cracking her knuckles.

"Count me in," Sunset said as she made her way to the living room.

Meanwhile

"Dampener spell?" Pixel asked, noting the rune Digit carved into the door.

"Neither side can hear the other."

"Huh, Blackbane and the Changelings. Sounds like the name of a rock band."

"Yeah, kinda," Digit replied.

"Well, if they keep to the forest, there shouldn't be too much of a problem. But what of you?" Her voice was suddenly filled with concern.

"No voices, no pain, no mirages... I've been good for almost five months since the last time."

"Well, that's good news. And the powers?"

"Betting better. Crystal and Blaze have been helping and a few teacher that know gave me a few tips. And I also got this." He pulled down the neck of his shirt to reveal part of a large Q-shaped rune with what looked like chains wrapped around it.

"Strong binding spell," Pixel commented, admiring the architecture of the mark. "Princess Celestia?"

"Rune by Celestia, chains by Luna. So even if it happens when I'm not in control, they'll know."

"Nice. So," she added, cracking her fingers, "the usual?"

"Yes, please." He turned around, lay down and Pixel proceeded to massage his back.

"Dude, there are more knots in your right shoulder blade than in the twisted trunk of a three hundred year-old tree."

"Yeah, fighting a powerful mage and nearly dying will do that to you."

Meanwhile

"Sunset!"

"I got you! Watch you're back!"

"Nox, we're getting hammered! Where the hell are you?!"

"Really? I'm watching you. Dude, I told you I hate Greenband."

"Dude, it’s close-quarters. I thought you'd be good at it."

"Hey, Zest?"

"Yeah, Amy? ... Oh no. Don't you dare!"

"Bye-bye." Bang! "WOOHOO! Winner by total annihilation, the girls!"

"NOOOOOOO!"

"Whatever."

"No fair! You both had shotguns!"

"Yeah. And your bots were on hardened while ours were regular. How was that fair?"

"You said make it a challenge."

"Hey Zest?"

"Yeah Sunny?"

"Just accept the fact that you just lost to a couple of girls."

"What?! What of Nox?"

"He accepted it the moment you chose Greenband." Zest eyed Nox.

"What? I'm not going to lie or fake that we even stood a chance."

"WOOO!" Sunset and Amethyst high-fived, then low-fived, then chest-bumped. "We rock!"

"Wanna put your money where your mouth is?" They all turned to see Digit and Pixel standing behind them.

"Oh, you're done?"

"Yeah." Digit looked at Zest and shook his head. "A whole summer of practice, wasted."

"Dude, it was Greenband."

"What? Didn't you learn your lesson when you went up against Star?" Digit face-palmed. "Okay, so who wants to go up against the champions next?" he asked, gesturing to his sister and himself.

"Uh huh. Yeah, nope. You're on your own with that suicide mission," Zest said, backing away. Nox manifested a cloud and laid down, pretending to sleep. "Got any food?"

"I had clothes for each of you..."

"*cough* mine *cough* *cough*"

"Check the fridge."

Zest opened the fridge. "Sweet Valhalla! Take me now!"

"Digit. Digit. Digit... ARGH!" The sound of crystals shattering echoed through the young queen's cave every so often. "Why can't I remember?"

"Perhaps it has been a while."

"No. The sound of the name is too fresh in my head for it to have been that long. It must have been less than a year. Ten months, tops."

"Perhaps a friend."

"Nah. I'd remember." Soon, she gave up... for the time being. "Anyway, where are Nightshade and Descent?"

"Out on a hunt. They'll be back soon."

"Sooner than you think." Bane looked back at the throne room's entrance to see a Skyborn with dark blue ethereal wings, dark blue hair, and dark blue eyes. She wore a dark purple flight suit with a dark gold lightning bolt running diagonally across it, a black crop-top flight jacket, and black boots. "Miss us?"

"I only noticed you were gone when I couldn't hear you beating the life out of my troops," Bane replied. "Where's Descent?"

"Right here." From behind Nightshade came a figure dressed in a similar attire. His flight suit had a hood with a design like a mouth with razor sharp teeth and he wore a black cloak instead of a flight jacket. His dark blue hair was hidden by his hood and his dark blue eyes were barely visible through his black tinted flight goggles. He was carrying a rather large, brown, scaly creature over his shoulder. "I have no idea why we changed jobs if I was still going to do all the heavy lifting."

"Well, you're the big strong man, aren't you?"

"I used to take that as a compliment."

"And now?"

"It signifies when I'm being screwed over by my partner."

"Enough squabbling you to," the queen said calmly. "I'm starving. What do we have for dinner tonight?"

"Well, we have a light vegetable salad made from a variety of herbs I picked up from the forest and marinated for three days..."

"Um, I'm not eight Bane."

"For dessert, we have a delightful strawberry soufflé made with water from the resonance lake..."

"Ooooh, me like," the queen said, drooling. "And the main course?"

"Dragon meat steak."

Then, she bored her fangs. "Yummy," she said, smiling.

Sunday was uneventful. They slept through the whole day due to their little... scuffle and eating a large meal... a very large meal that took all morning to make, and the rest of the day to finish.

"Thanks again, sis."

"Anytime, bro. Try visiting more often. Saturday night was fun. You guys sure you don't need a lift to school?"

"Nah, we're probably gonna need to burn off the four-course meal we made and ate yesterday."

As they walked out of the building, they waved to Pixel, standing at the entrance. Sunset and Amethyst with looks of utter disbelief on their faces. "512 to 104. And the 104 were all bot kills and suicides," said Sunset.

"That's more than two times the gap we gave Zest and Nox," said Amethyst.

"Told you guys it was suicide," Zest said. "Then again. I was wrong. It was a massacre!"

"I'm surprised Trixie didn't attempt to prove how 'great and powerful' she was at video games," Amethyst commented.

"I don't have to prove anything. I would've mopped the floor with you all!"

"Uh huh. So, anything happening in school today?"

"Crap."

"What is it, Digit?"

"Name finalization."

"... Crap."

"Okay, how about a temporary name? We'll change it after about a month. That should be enough time."

"And what name will we use?"

Digit simply smiled.

"Are you sure?" asked Celestia.

"Yep," replied Digit.

"And a one month trial? Well, okay... there. Team Spark has been entered into the system."

"Thank you."

Later

"Team Spark? Really?" Amethyst was the first to comment.

"I didn’t see you making any better suggestions."

"Touché."

The day was relatively uneventful. Biggest thing was the separation of Eco Enforcers into the Earth Elements and the Forces of Nature. Now, team meeting were being held. Until...

All students, please report to the auditorium for a special announcement.

"Well, let's hope something interesting happens," Sunset said, "Because I am bored out of my mind right now."

"I hear ya," Amethyst said.

The auditorium was packed. Students were sitting together in their respective groups. Team Cross sat between Team Harmony and Team Crunch. "Hey, Twi. Hey girls," Sunset greeted.

"Hey Sunset," Twilight replied. "How did the trip go?"

"It was... good... I guess..."

"Uh huh," Twilight grinned.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Celestia spoke as the student started to settle, "I hope you have had a good first week? As you may know, only students who have gone through orientation may start taking missions this week. However, things have changed." There was a lot of chatter and debating on what could possibly have changed and why. "This year, your orientation... will be an external assignment." There was a loud gasp amongst the students. "That's right. You will be tested by going out into the field and performing a task arranged by Vice Principal Luna and myself. However, I have heard that some of you have received First Call Permission Slips. In which case, teams will competing for who gets called on higher class missions and assignments. While others will be oriented by team, your teams will be oriented together."

"That's new," said Twilight.

"That sounds awesome," said Rainbow. "Wish we got one. We already have our permission to start next week."

"Good luck Sunny," Pinkie said, hugging Sunset, "and your whole team. Oh, have you guys picked a name yet?"

"Team Spark." They stared. "It's temporary."

"Ah."

"Well, at least you final have a name," said Rarity.

"Now, the teams competing are... Team Symphony..." a large musical not with headphones and waves around it appeared on the screen behind her, "Six Storms..." a lightning bolt cutting a cloud in half, "Forces of Nature..." a wheel of water, earth, fire, wind, and lightning around a giant tree, "Team Spark..." a bright orange flame with a grinning face and sharp teeth, "The Illusions..." a five-point star with a moon in the middle, at which Trixie cringed, "and Team Xplosion," a mushroom cloud. "The trial will be held from Wednesday to Friday in two weeks. Prepare yourselves, for this could be one of the toughest tests of your time in this school."

"Three days?" pondered Twilight. "Talk about pushing limits. What could it possibly be?"

"They probably have to fight off some horrific monster," replied Rainbow, imaging a dragon.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because fighting a horrific monster would be awesome!"

"Say what?" Applejack asked, confused by her logic.

"I hope not," said Sunset.

"Now, you may return to whatever it was you were doing. However, this is not a way for you to dodge assignments and skip classes. You will continue with your academic studies without a hitch. Otherwise, you will be disqualified and unauthorized to attempt any external missions until next semester. Now, off you go."

That week, teams involved in the trial hurried out of their class so they could get dibs on the gym and the field to train. Team Spark, however, had their own personal spot.

"Are you sure?" Amethyst asked as they approached their training ground. "I'm pretty sure it was abandoned for a reason."

"Trust me. It's fine," replied Digit. "Nox can vouch for it."

"Why me?" asked the shadowy boy.

"Because you are one of the few people that have been here with me. Don't worry. It's safe, secure, and structurally sound. Plus, it's abandoned."

"I've heard bad things about abandoned places," said Sunset.

"Yeah, well, this place is different. Oh, we're here." They stopped in front of what looked like a massive factory. Concrete pillars, metal vats, generators, and trucks filled with unknown materials surrounded the complex. On the front was a sign that read "Elixir Processing Complex". Below it was a sign the said "CONDEMNED. KEEP OFF!".

"Um..." Sunset was even less confident to go in. "Why was it condemned?"

"Nooooobody knoooows," Zest said, imitating a ghostly voice.

"Knock it off," Amethyst said, punching him.

"Plus, we've got coaches."

"Really? Who?"

"Same guys that trained me when I wanted to enter the academy."

"Us." They looked ahead and saw Pixel in black and pink track pants, pink sport bra, white trainers, and black jacket with pinks racing stripes. Next to her where three other girls and two guys: two wore blue flight suits with a golden lightning bolt cutting vertically across it and black boots, the difference being that the upper part of the girl's suit was open and hanging around her waist, revealing a light orange crop top, matching her orange hair and eyes, while the guy had blue hair and green eyes suit was in two pieces, his jacket open to reveal a white tank top. Another guy had indigo hair, matching eyes, and wore a cloak over a white shirt, gray trousers, and black boots. The girl standing next to him had chestnut hair hidden by a cowboy... cowgirl hat, bright hazel eyes, and wore an orange shirt tied up to be a crop top, blue jean short-shorts, brown chaps, and brown boots. The last girl wore a white sweater over a blue shirt, a long pale blue skirt, and white sandals. "Hello again. It's been a while."

"Yeah, three days, to be exact," Digit replied grinning.

"Wow, sharp as ever," said the older girl in the flight suit.

"Guys," Pixel said to Digit's group, "Meet my old team while I was at the academy: Surprise Strike, Aerial Ace, Chrome Midnight, Harebell Dust, and Sapphire Droplet." The two teams greeted one another. "So, who’s ready for the workout of their life?"

No reply.

"Well, any luck?" Celestia asked Creed. The four of the five teachers, Zecora being the missing one, were once again gathered in the lounge after the students had left the school.

"Same reactions," Creed replied. "But I still have no idea what is reacting to who. Spellbinder has been helping with that though."

"I see. Well, Zecora is still in the Everfree trying to see if anything there can help us. If the item's magic can be felt here, either it's powering up or it's closer than we think. And neither one of those is a good thing."

"Incoming message. Members assembled.

They made their way downstairs and took their seat. Their companions popped up soon after. The brown figure was now designated... giant chocolate banana split?

"What? I love those. Then again who doesn’t?"

"Can we please get down to business," said the mauve figure, a lot less cheery than usual. "And please stop using those absurd pictures. This is a serious issue."

"Wow. Someone's in a pissy mood."

"Yeah, involuntary insomnia will do that to a person," she snapped.

"Cherilee," Celestia said giving her an eye a mother would give a rude child.

"Sorry, Princess. I haven't slept in three days straight. I'm kind of... edgy."

"I understand, but I told you to do a little research, not engross yourself in it."

"I know. But this is what I meant by it being cursed. Every time I find something, it somehow disappears when something else comes up. Every loophole seems to have a failsafe. It should be impossible for anyone to find the items, let alone use them."

"Use them? Why not?" asked Spellbinder.

"Ah, of course," the brown figure said, hitting his forehead. "I added another special precaution in case of the near impossibility that anyone found the items. They need my permission to use them."

"How?" asked the blue figure.

"I need to cast an activation spell on it by injecting my own magic into it. And no," he added, looking at Spellbinder, "They can't just accumulate raw chaos magic from the atmosphere and add it themselves. The flow and concentration of energy will be off. It won't work."

"Well, that's a bit reassuring," said the blue figure. "Any other "special precautions" we should know about so we can make Miss Cherilee's work a bit easier?"

"I'll let you know when I remember," he said with a smirk. "Where's the fun in telling you everything?"

"But I don't get it," said Cherilee, "Won't the Elements of Harmony be able to stop whoever control's the power?"

"That's the thing, we're not sure," said Celestia as she brought up an image of what they knew as the Tree of Harmony. "My sister and I were not the first ones to wield the Elements. Before us were the Guardians of Harmony, six powerful mages that discovered the magic of friendship and how those virtues could be turned into a powerful anti-darkness power."

"That will never stop being cheesy," said the brown figure.

"As I was saying, the first time they went up against someone who possessed that power, they didn't even attempt it alone. They sought the help of six others who discovered six other virtues that could banish darkness." Six other points lit up on the tree. "They were called... the Elements of Heroism."

"Heroism?" Cherilee asked, flipping through a book. "Never heard of that one before."

"Try the Lost Elements of Virtue."

Cherilee froze. "But... according to research, that's an ancestral power. It can only be wielded by those of particular lineage... and that lineage must be pure."

"Exactly. Which is one of the reasons I'm holding the trials."

"If any of our students were part of that lineage, I'm pretty sure we would know by now."

"We do," said Creed, "The question now is who... curse you Zecora."

Cherilee stared blankly. "S-Seriously?"

"Yes seriously." Surprise was hovering over Zest. "You need to improve your endurance."

"By crashing into a wall?" Zest asked, confused and, admittedly, a bit terrified.

"Exactly. Later, I'll teach you how to fly through it."

"Why don't we just skip to that part?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Everywhere!"

"Come on, Digit," called Pixel, as Digit tried to keep a concrete pillar from falling on his head, "I thought you had a hit count of over 3000?"

"3641, to be exact. I got better."

"Uh huh. I'm not seeing it."

Harebell was walking around him, making adjustments to his posture. "Ya gotta push up with yer whole body, not just yer arms," she said in a strong country accent. "If not, they'll snap like twigs holdin' up a barn filled with hay from the pressure." Suddenly, she was in front of him, adjusting his arms. She stood at 6'4''. Her Amazonian figure had earned her the very name. Digit reddened slightly as her breast came to his face. Then she leaned forward. His arms straightened, suddenly. "Oops, mah bad."

"N-No problem," Digit said, forcing back the redness.

"DIGIT!" cried Sapphire, "I saw that!"

"What?" he asked innocently.

"That pervy look in your eyes."

"Don't forget the blushing," added Harebell, causing him to avoid eye contact.

"And the sudden strength to hold up a thousand pound concrete pillar," Pixel added, earning her a glare from her younger brother.

"Seriously, you're in the middle of a training exercise," Sapphire said, disappointed. "I always thought you had more self-control than Zest. Now I think I see where he gets it."

"Hey," he said, dropping the pillar sideways, "I'm a sixteen year-old boy with hormones and a girl... Amazon with her you-know-what's in front of me. By all means, sue me for my natural biological wiring."

"Fair point," said Harebell.

"Really?" asked Sapphire, a bit confused. "I always thought you hated guys that did that."

"Digit actually ain’t bad, just... a boy. Ah think we can use that to our advantage."

"You won't try that with Zest?" Pixel asked, curious.

"Hell no! Have ya met the guy? He'd tumble over ya as an excuse to get a good grip."

Pixel burst into laughter. "Okay, just don't suffocate by brother, alright, Amazon? Those jugs could be used as airbags."

"Haha," Bluebell laughed sarcastically, "Real funny."

"Am I missing something here?" asked Sapphire.

"I think we both are," replied Digit.

Meanwhile, Aerial was training with Nox to help increase his speed by throwing electrified clouds at him. Nox managed to dodge a good majority, but that became a problem when Aerial started throwing two at a time, which he managed for about three minutes before getting sandwiched between two high-voltage clouds.

Trixie, Sunset, and Amethyst were running laps to build up endurance. Amethyst was doing fine. The two other mages, not so much. "This... is... suicide," Sunset said between breaths.

"I think... that's... the next... exercise," Trixie said, huffing.

"What, suicides?" Trixie nodded. "Crap."

"C'mon ladies, put your back into it," Pixel cried from the stands. "Amethyst left you behind like three laps ago. How're you holding up, Digit?"

Digit was now doing press-ups... with his legs straight up... on one hand... balanced on Harebell's stomach. Each time he went down, her breasts were mere inches form his face. Two voices sounded in his head. One said, "Come on, just a little further. Going lower works out your arms more." The other said, "Dude, have some respect for her and yourself. And get some self-control while you're at it." Her stomach was firm, but she moved constantly, watching how quickly Digit could regain his balance. "Ah never too ya for the pervy type, Digi."

"Digi?" he thought. "Really? We're using my old pet name now?" "I-I'm not. This was all your idea." At one hundred, he got off her stomach.

"Uh huh, ah believe ya," she said, unconvinced.

"Okay, everyone in." Digit's teammates were all sweaty and tired, but managed to drag themselves to meet Pixel and her team. "Okay, you guys have done pretty good, but next is the main event. After a ten minute break, each of you will spar with each of us."

"Oh ho ho, we are so dead," said Zest, staring at Chrome, who cracked his knuckles while eyeing him.

"Y'got that right," Amethyst added, staring at Harebell, who had tied the string of her hat and wore it round her neck. "Anyone know a good hospital nearby?"

"Yep, but it's a ten minute walk... unless you can fly." They looked up to see a winged figure flying towards them. The blue creature landed on Digit's head, its pink scales shone brilliantly in the sunlight, as did her bright yellow eyes. "Don't mind me," she said, "I'm just here to watch."

"Hey, Sparks," Digit said, scratching the dragon's chin. "Where have you been?"

"Off the corner of Boredom and Insanity. But now, I just wanna see some action!"

New Kid on the Block