A Soul of a Monster.

“Well that’s interesting.” Starswirl said as he watched a battle unfold before him. The scene in front of him was that of his three apprentices duking it out for reasons he didn’t know. At his left was another Starswirl just standing there. The five of them were on an open field. One of the three drew a big circle around them. It also looked as if it was two on one. “Ahhh, so that’s it.” He thought. “My two prized pupils are weary of their status.” He was happy about that for a moment, but his expression went from that to being stern. He then looked at the Starswirl on his left. He coughed, getting the other one’s attention. The pair of Starswirl’s looked at each other, the left looked proud, the right just confused. “So how far back do I go?” He asked himself.

The other Starswirl chuckled a little. “I remember this.” he said looking back at the fight, raising a shield of magic. The other Star just gawked a little as he turned his head to the fight. A bright light, a loud boom and a huge gust of wind then swept him off his hooves. It pushed him back a few feet, making him drop with a thud. The second Starswirl lowered his shield and walked up to the first. “Apologies. You know all about time jumping.”

“Yes, I know.” The first said picking himself up. “How far back? If you please…”

“Twenty minutes.” The second said as he turned back to see the fight was just about over.

“Thank you kindly.” The first said as he performed the spell and disappeared. He reappeared in the same spot but it was twenty minutes before that point. “Right… hide. Where?” he mumbled to himself as he found himself a bush. Not even a minute past as his first two students showed up.

“Damn that girl.” Scaramouch said stopping and stomping her hoof down. “How long did it take us to learn that spell?” she asked looking back at Harlequin.

He walked just a bit slower then Smooch but caught up just the same. “It took us about a year to master it.” He said stopping next to her.

Starswirl’s eye twitched a little. “Is this really how it started.” He thought. Haven’t I taught you better?”

“It took her a month…” Smooch said. “A MONTH!” she repeated.

“Hay hay hay…” Quinn jumped in front of her and looked at her with such a look that told her ‘I Know’. “Look.” He started looking around a little. Most likely to see if Dow was within earshot. “We just need to face the fact that she’s a prodigy.” Quinn said taking a step back. “But we can’t let her show us up to Master… I’m sure he won’t play favorites.” He said, ending with a sigh.

“But at the same time Master’s keeping a closer eye on her then he ever did with us.” Smooch finished what the pair were both thinking at that moment.

Starswirl thought on that for a few seconds and quickly came to the conclusion that it was true. He was keeping a close watch on her. His apprentices were mistaken however. She is a prodigy, but that’s most likely because she haves a mind much more developed then your typical filly. In fact if the story she told him was true, even just a little. She’s twice their age.

“If you feel that threatened by me, then why not do something about it?” The pair jumped at the sudden voice next to them.

Starswirl jumped a little too. Thankfully not being noticed. He smiled as Lavender drizzled into existence. She was standing behind Quinn. “I really need to learn when she does that.” He said sighing silently.

Quinn turned around as Smooch stepped next to him. “And?” Smooch asked.

“You two want a piece of me anyways right?” Dow asked rhetorically. “Why not get it over with.” She said turning to the open field they ended up in. “Lets do it Sumo style.” She said smiling.

“Sumo. Style?” the other three said simultaneously.

“Right.” Dow said turning to look at the pair. “We draw a circle around us and apposing sides try their damn-ness to push each other out.”

The pair looked at one another, Starswirl smiled. “That seems way to simple.” Smooch said skeptically.

“And the catch to Sumo?” Quinn asked bluntly.

“No catch. Rules are simple.” She said turning back around, looking at the field. “Either the first to force the other to step out of the ring wins or the first to force the opponent to touch the ground with any part of the body other then the bottom of their feet… hooves, wins” Lavender thought for a second. “Manes and tails are not included.”

“So… She’s the one that temped them to fight.” Starswirl thought. He then smiled and shook his head in silence. “Now I don’t feel like being so stern with them.” Starswirl’s smile vanished when Dow smiled suddenly. He was taken aback a little. Lavender’s smile sometimes appeared like that of a monster. This was one such time. “What’s she wanting to prove?”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Five minutes later a large circle was in the middle of the open field, courtesy of Starswirl himself. After the terms were met, he decided to come out and show himself. He agreed to referee and drew up the circle. He was currently standing in the spot his future self was a moment ago. The other three inside the boundaries of the ring. “Ok then…” Dow started by stomping her hoof down. “Sumo's supposed to be performed without the use of magic, so I am changing it up a bit. Of course this is your first time hearing about this so I guess that don’t mean much.” She ended with a smile. The other two harrumphed. “So hears the deal. Use whatever magic you like that doesn’t involve any forms of levitating your opponent.” Lavender said.

The other two looked at each other then over at Starswirl. He had a face that looked just as puzzled. “Agreed. What else?” the pair said simultaneously.

“We’ll have ten minutes to win.” Dow said as she turned and started slowly walking. “Me verse the both of you.” She stopped halfway from the center of the ring. “We start here.” She said turning back around. The other two follow her steps and went on the opposite side. “Good. We ready?” Lavender said smiling.

“Ready.” The pair said, making a stance as they did. Dow followed suit.

“Sensei?” Lavender asked, holding her gaze at her opponents.

“Ok…” Starswirl sighed. “Ready… Set… FIGHT!” The pair started yelling as they both charged at Dow. Dow just smiled as she evaporated like smoke.

When the pair saw that Dow wasn’t in front of them anymore they slid to a halt. The two looked around for a few seconds before each other. “Well that didn’t work.” Smooch said.

“Your damn right that didn’t work!” Starswirl yelled at them, ending it with a cackle.

“Was that really your plan here?” Dow’s voice came from behind the pair, but when the two turned they didn’t see anything. “I mean. Just how long has it been? Just over a half a year now. Right?”

Suddenly Quinn felt something kick his side. “Gotcha!” he yelp pouncing in that general direction, but he didn’t feel anything there.

“Wait a second.” Smooch said. “Haves it only been six months?” she asked as she got kicked by something too. She then tried and pounced, only to catch nothing as well.

“This is a dual of unicorns. Lets See Some Magic!” Dow’s voice rippled through the air as both adults were hit on the head.

“She’s right.” Smooch said just before she engulfed herself in an orb of magic and expanded it a little. Causing Quinn to jump back and the both of them heard a yelp from a near by filly. “Did I get her?” she asked.

“Nope…” Starswirl replied. She’s still standing.

Suddenly the pair saw Lavender evaporate back into to world. She was smiling. “Now we’re having fun.” She said, and then went back into the stance when the dual first started. Causing the other two to do the same. “You two know I only know a few working spell yes?” she asked.

“Sure we do.” Quinn replied.

“But we know better.” Smooch added. The pair not taking their eyes off of the filly.

“Ohhhh, but big sis…” Lavender said as she makes a cute wide-eyed face. “I’m just a little girl.” The pair rolled their eyes. Dow then laughed. “AAaaaaahhh, Fine. Have at Thee!” she yelled then charged at the pair.

The pair stood their ground for a second then Quinn made his horn into a flamethrower. He made a wall of fire in front of Dow, forcing her to stop. Then Smooch jumped up and shot a barrage of icicles at Dow. However Lavender just jumped around a little. None of them hit her. Smooch landed in front of the wall of fire as it died down to reveal Quinn slowly walking through. “And how was that; little know it all?” Smooch asked.

“Stupid.” Dow said bluntly. “Fire and Ice… Really?” she asked as her backed away.

“HAY!” Smooch yelped and charged at Dow.

However Quinn put a hoof in front of her. “Culm yourself. She’s just trying to get you to be stupid.” He said looking over at Starswirl for a second. For that second it looked like he was drinking tea, enjoying the show.

“You do tend to blow up more then most ponies.” Lavender said still backing away, smiling a little more. This time Smooch didn’t do anything but smiled herself. Lavender stopped walking when the other two looked ready to attack again. “There we go. Round two then?” She said, and then started swaying her head from side to side. Her opponents puzzled by that of course. It was like, she was moving to the beats of music no pony was hearing but her. Then that when the pair noticed the ground. The ground was moving too.

“What the?” Quinn asked looking down. The pair of them noticed that the grounds movement was based on Dow’s head bobbing. “

“When she cast another spell on us?” Smooch asked as she felt the ground’s soft sway was getting stronger. It was to the point of it feeling like a small earthquake. The pair started stumbling a little.

Dow started giggling as her head started bobbing harder. The earthquake grew in strength as a result. She then started dancing a little too.

“Damn it!” Smooch yelled as she started up a spell of her own. She covered Quinn’s and her hooves with a glow of her magic, making both of their hooves stay on the ground no matter what. “Quinn? You think you can help out here?!” She asked, straining a little.

“Right.” Quinn replied. The earthquake seemed big enough now that they would’ve fallen if Smooch didn’t use her magic. However, the scent of vertigo was still with them. Quinn shot a few bolts of magic at Dow, missing every time. It was pure dumb luck that the last one hit. Knocking Lavender back a little. Not enough to do harm, but at least her spell was broken.

“FINILLY!!!!” Smooch screamed as she broke her own spell. The pair feel like the two of them had just ran on the spot, in circles for hours. Quinn nearly threw up.

“That was a little boring on my end students.” Starswirl blurted out. He was currently enjoying what seemed to be a jelly spread crumpet. “I’m sorry, Lavender over there was dancing while you two just stumbled about.”

“Soo… No earthquake.” Quinn said, looking up at Dow. She was still smiling. It was devilish this time round. She was waiting for the pair to recover. “So Hay? Why aren’t you taking advantage here?” he asked. Both Smooch and Dow deadpanned at Quinn. “What?”

“You think I could just push you down?” Lavender asked.

“Yeah. Don’t you dare give her the win!” Smooch yelled at Quinn causing Dow to laugh.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Eight minutes past from the start of this dual and both sides weren’t making things easy for each other. Scaramouch and Harlequin were trying to best a little girl but before the pair could really do anything, Lavender always attacked first and with such weird spells. There was the first two. Making her invisible to the pair, then forcing vertigo on them. The next few were odd too. Making it look like she was a lot faster then she actually was, then causing the pair a great deal of fear by forcing them to have no scents at all, and then the last one so far. The three of them were all in the center of the ring all standing face to face to face. They all were looking up at the moment. The second Starswirl was next to the first by this point too.

“Why can’t we move?” Smooch asked as all three put their heads down.

“See, you can move.” Dow said sarcastically.

“YOU KNOW WHAT SHE ASKED!” Quinn screamed at Dow.

Lavender just smiled. “Touchy.” She said. “I developed this spell off of something I saw years ago.” She said turning around, forcing the pair to do the same. “I guess I stole it really.” She started walking, forcing the other two to do the same. The pair were trying their hardest to stop themselves but couldn’t do a damn thing. The trio’s shadows were somehow connected and drawing out a peace sign on the ground. “It’s called Shadow Possession.” She said as she kept walking.

“Wait… Shadows.” Smooch said pondering. By the half way point Smooch started up a spell of her own. She was thankful that this didn’t seem to effect magic too. Her horn glowed as clouds started covering the skies.

Quinn noticed what Smooch was doing and followed suit. His horn started glowing. “Oh Celestia I hope I don’t kill her.” He mumbled as his horn glowed just a little brighter. The pair were on the edge by the time Lavender noticed it was starting to rain. She stopped and turned around and saw her opponents were using magic “Ahh. Thank you Dow.” He said as a light started forming behind the clouds.

One of the Starswirls chuckled. “I remember this,” he said raising a shield of magic. The second he did, a bolt of lightning struck down in the center of the ring, causing enough light to dissipate the shadows on the ground, and a gust of wind to blow all around them, making the second Starswirl fall. The three down in the ring, some how, miraculously, were still standing on all four hooves. That’s when they all saw the pair of Starswirls talking to each other.

Apologies. You know all about time jumping.” One said.

“Yes, I know.” The other said picking himself up. “How far back? If you please…”

“Twenty minutes.” The one said as he turned back to see the fight was just about over.

“Thank you kindly.” The other said as he performed the spell and disappeared.

Starswirl saw that the trio stopped and were looking over at him. “What?” he asked.

“You’re teaching me that later Sensei. Lavender said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The last minute of the fight was a little anticlimactic, but it was to be expected. All three were on the edge of the ring and were tired to the point of collapse, nearly out of juice and sore from all that work. Yet for some reason, it looked as if no pony was going to back down. For one side, the pair felt as if this fight was going to determine their futures, or rather it felt like, in order to have a future at all, was to beat Lavender Shadow no matter what. As for Dow, she was clearly having the time of her life. The more the fight went on, the more it showed. It just started out as a giggle but by this point in the dual, she was cackling maniacally and exhausting more energy at the time then she had. The other three were concern but it really wasn’t the time to dwell on that. Starswirl just awaiting the climax patiently but he did seem like he was getting a little bored by nine minutes in.

The match ended quite abruptly as well, when Starswirl announced that there was only a half a minute left. The pair got desperate. By now all three of them had just enough energy to just keep standing. Scaramouch and Harlequin gawked at each other and nodded in agreement. The pair decided in silent to do whatever it takes. The problem is that neither of them had anything left, so they ended the fight the same way it started. The pair charged at Lavender, screaming at the top of their lungs. Dow in turn looked as if she tried to become invisible again. However she to was out of energy so she instead braced for impact.

The two crashed into Dow, causing her to fly upwards and like a slow moving scene, she fell outside the ring. “And that’s Game.” Starswirl said trotting down to the victors. The two ponies still standing cheered at each other. Prodigy or not, both of them expected an easy victory. Neither could’ve predicted just how weird and ridiculous Lavender’s spells were. All her spells deliberately messed with their minds say for that last one. She stole it? The two agreed that it was just weird. Starswirl stopped next to them smiling.

“Master. Just where, did… did you find… this girl?” Smooch asked, as both his apprentices were glaring at him.

Starswirl chuckled a little. “She’s one of Celestia’s best.” He said as he looked over to Dow. Smooch and Quinn gasped at the sudden revelation and gawked at Dow. Lavender was lying just outside the ring, fast asleep.

“You know, Just how old is she?” Quinn asked turning his head to Starswirl.

“I think she’s five by this point.” He replied.

The pair went wide-eyed. “No… Just no.” Smooch said. “I don’t care if she is a prodigy. I just thought she was small for her age.”

“I had a similar reaction.” Starswirl said chuckling.

Quinn just stared at the sleeping filly. “Master…” he said bluntly. “I noticed something while we fought.”

“Oh?” Starswirl said as he and Smooch looked up at Quinn. “And that would be?”

“She haves no Aura…” Quinn said with a hint of fear in his breath. Whenever I see her magic, I never saw her horn glow. Not once.”

Starswirl’s smile disappeared. Sure he saw that too, but just how was he supposed to know of a being’s from another existents inner workings. He sighed, knowing that they wanted an answer. “I’m sorry my students, I wouldn’t know.” He told them truthfully. “I don’t think she even knows.”