Zikkar and the Student

"Hah! Beat that you stupid lizard!"

Shining Armor sighed. He'd ask why the Princess had given him this assignment, but the proof was right in front of him. Where exactly was that kobold getting so much magical energy?

"Zikkar not stupid! Little horse is stupid! Not even able to make simple cone of ice!"

The Inside of the observatory was scorched, frozen, and even blown apart in several locations, the only reason it hadn't been worse being the sergeant's liberal use of shields. Zikkar had been fascinated with the constantly held barriers, but had lost that interest the moment Sunset had started displaying her proficiency with fire spells.

Zikkar had refused to have any of it, and had decided to display his own prowess...hence the shields.

Another explosion rocked the tower, a new corner of the lower floor frozen by Zikkar's example of an ice cone.

"Hah! Cones? Beams? What are you, a joke? Where's the flare? The skill? Show me something interesting, like this!"

The two competitive magic users were in the center of the room, Shining himself standing high above on the railing that circled the upper part of the tower, keeping himself shielded constantly, and flaring temporary shields wherever he thought they might damage the superstructure of the tower itself. Sunset's next demonstration of an explosive fireball certainly making his preemptive notion worthwhile.

"Graaagh. Zikkar see nothing but fire from stupid horse!"

Shining would have gone whiter if he could, as the sorcerer sprayed something liquid that appeared from nowhere, as the reptile had nothing but his belt and pouch on him. But...was that table...melting?

"Oh...well that's new. Is that acid?"

Sunset had lost all anger, replaced near instantly with curiosity. She was looking closely as the compound Zikkar had unleashed eventually stopped eating away at the table, leaving it looking as if it'd been put in a furnace for a few hours.

"Never seen a spell do that before!"

"Because all little horse use is fire! Other horse only show shield. Not enough. Need...what was common word...variety!"

He reached into his little pouch again, and Shining watched closely this time, having noticed the sorcerer had done so many times when casting his spells. Was that...a piece of flint?

"And it's pony, not little horse, repulsive reptile!"

"I am noble kobold, putrid pony!"

The two were practically throwing sparks in their glares, as the kobold muttered again, holding the flint out just before...

*****

Not too far from the tower, two parents and their lavender filly were entering the wing of the castle that held the magic school for which their daughter was to be tested.

"Oooh! Look at the pretty flare momma!"

Twilight Velvet looked up just in time to hear the detonation that came from the other side of the castle, her ears tilted back, while Night Light also looked on in awe. The observation tower had a very small mushroom cloud contained in a pink bubble. Night Light recognized that shield work, as he'd helped the guard train that particular unicorn.

"No worries girls. That's contained just fine. Let's go find ourselves that testing room and see what they have in store for our little one."

*****

Coughing, wheezing, and little bit of groaning permeated what was left of the top of the tower. Shining had felt the growing energy as the tiny titan had prepared his next spell, and had shielded accordingly...himself, the tower, and Sunset. Surely the caster didn't need the defense, right?

"Hah! Zikkar show pony real fireball! Zikkar win! Now, teach Zikkar pony magic!"

As the dust settled, Zikkar soon stopped celebrating as the pony he had been verbally poking was now staring him down, her horn charged. This time, he could feel the power it was holding, and for a moment, he wished he was staring down a dragon's maw instead.

"You call that a real fireball, pipsqueak? I've been holding back this entire time you weakling! Even Celestia has admitted I have more potential that any other unicorn she's met, and I'm just getting warmed up. I'll be a Princess, just you wait!"

She was staring him down, trying to figure out where he was getting all that energy he kept expending without looking tired at all. She'd noticed him pulling tiny things from his pouch, but that didn't make any sense to her.

"Now, feel the wrath of Sunset Shimmer!"

Just before she could cast the spell, however, three things happened in quick succession.

First, all the shields went down, the reason being Shining had just plum run out of juice when his shields took the hit from that fireball.
Second, a wave of rainbow energy swept through the tower, shocking Sunset from releasing her spell, which sputtered out. Zikkar more felt then saw the wave of energy, and couldn't shake this feeling that...something had changed.
Third, they all felt an incredible magical surge from the castle, followed by a dragon's head breaking through the roof of the faraway wing of the unicorn school.

Looking out the window from his position, Shining could only say, "Just how strange is this day going to get?"

Sunset watched on in wonder, a nagging feeling in the back of her head. Before they'd told her to stay in the tower and wait for something Celestia was sending her to help her studies, she'd been ready to enter the forbidden sections of the libraries...and she couldn't help but feel like she wasn't supposed to be here right now.

"Zikkar not feel right. Zikkar...take nap."

Sunset turned to watch as the kobold conked out.

"Well, if his spells are anything to go by, he might be a better fountain of information than some stupid archive."

And so, she turned away from the scene, and the thoughts of forbidden knowledge.

*****

It was late night, and as Celestia exchanged the celestial bodies, she couldn't help but feel something wasn't quite right. Sunset was using her magic to repair her study tower, and hadn't objected at all to not only her own student, but had actually looked happy to be told she'd get to be part of the tutoring of their new protoge'. One Twilight Sparkle. She held the same potential she'd once seen in Sunset. Maybe, just maybe, having the younger filly around would turn Sunset back on the right path.

She sighed, looking up at the moon that held her sister imprisoned.

"Just a few more years, sister. Just a few, and we can be together again. Please...come back to me."

Just before she could lay to rest, she heard another explosion from the nearby observation tower, and only shook her head.

"At least she has somepony...no, someone to help relieve her stress. I just hope he lets go of his self loathing. I can feel the heart of a warrior as noble as you claim your race to be, Zikkar. Prove me right."

She giggled and settled herself in her chambers, a piece of cake floating over for her midnight snack. As she enjoyed her confection, she wondered at all the strangeness of this one day, and smiled. Things were looking up for her. Two personal students, a new magic to explore, and Zikkar himself.

"This will be a Summer Sun Celebration to remember."

Author's Note

Comments and critiques welcome!!!