I felt calm.
Which was weird, because I'd never really felt calm before. Or anything at all, to be honest. I probably should have been confused, but for some reason, I wasn't. I didn't understand what was going on, but I felt content that I would understand eventually.
The first thing that came to me was touch. It felt strange, feeling the ground beneath my hooves, a sort of gentle breeze floating lazily through the air. I could feel other things, too. The beating of my heart, the fur of my coat, my lungs expanding as I took my first breath. It felt strange. I had never had a heart before. Or a coat, or lungs. But I decided that it was a very good thing that I did.
Next, I felt my eyes open as I saw the world around me for the first time, millions of electrical signals rushing through my brain as the sight of the world rushed into my mind.
It was a bit boring, if I'm being completely honest.
Around me, I saw blue. An endless blue expanse, stretching off in every direction imaginable. Well, not blue, it was more of a cyan. Yeah, a sort of cyan void. That seemed right. I didn't know how I got here, but looking down at myself, I felt comfort in seeing my body. It was funny to think like this, I know, but just having a body was fascinating to me. I could see a white coat, stretching down to my hooves, which were tipped in a shiny, almost polished lavender. I gave one an experimental kick, chuckling as it responded to my command.
I turned my head, looking back at myself, also a new manoeuvre. I liked to think that I was getting the hang of controlling this thing. I saw a long, lavender tail, tipped with a sort of teal, and a couple of light blue wings sitting patiently by my side. I flapped them experimentally, revealing a slew of lavender feathers hidden beneath the primaries. I smiled. I think I liked these colours.
Raising a hoof to my face, I felt two tiny little horns protruding from my forehead. I somehow knew enough to know that these weren't normal for most ponies, and they felt different from a unicorn's. They didn't feel too magical… Shifting my weight, my attention was brought to my rear hooves, which felt… different. Looking back, I could see a number of sharp looking claws. I knew that they couldn't be normal either, but I didn't know how. If I wasn't a pony, then what was I?
I decided I would try and decide later, it wasn't really important. So, I decided to put one hoof in front of the other, making my way forward. Walking was clumsy at first, but I soon got the hang of it. Walking felt surprisingly natural, like I had done it before. Of course, I knew I hadn't. I was sure I didn't exist before a few moments ago. Was that how ponies came to be? They just 'woke up', like I did? Except, I didn't really wake up from anything. I was never asleep. I didn't know why, but I found it funny. Another new feeling.
Time passed quickly, walking at a steady pace through the void. I didn't have any specific place in mind, but I knew that I would know my destination when I saw it. As I walked, I kept musing about different topics, usually coming back to where, who, and what I was. I didn't have any answers yet, and I had more questions than I could count, but I was determined to find out anything that I could.
Would I be alone forever? Hopefully not. I would have liked to speak to somepony else at least once. Would I ever leave my void? Possibly. I did like it here, but I did want to get out and explore the wide world I knew was out there. What was I? I had no idea. I wasn't a pony, that much was clear, but I wasn't really anything else either. Dragon? Draconequus? I had no answers. Who was I?
I stopped in my tracks. Who was I? I couldn't just keep calling myself 'me' forever now, could I? That would seem a lonely existence, all by myself until everything just… stopped…
I decided I wouldn't worry about it.
I just needed to keep walking, and I would find something eventually, I just had to!
So I kept walking.
And walking.
And when I thought I would finally just give up, to sit down and forget it all, I saw it.
In the distance.
I wasn't sure what it was, but it was something.
So I ran.
I ran towards it, stumbling and falling over my own hooves a couple times, but I ran. I ran and I smiled as I closed in on the object. Soon, it began to come into focus, and I slowed to a stop as I stood before it.
A door.
A door made out of a sort of purple crystal, with an ornate silver handle, standing tall and proud, folding the void around itself. Where could it lead? My ears twitched as I thought I could hear voices through the door. I knew they were voices, they just couldn't be anything else! It was wonderful, finally hearing something besides the clip-clop of my hooves on the ground.
I took the handle in my hoof, but I hesitated. Would whoever was behind the door want me? I mean, as far as I knew, there could be nobody else like me anywhere in the world. Was I a freak? I knew I wasn't normal.
No. I was determined to see the world, and I was going to do that, freak or not.
Pushing down on the handle, I felt the door click, opening towards me. Smiling, I pulled it open as wide as I could, stepping through it, and into the world for the very first time.
Around me, I saw a hallway of pale purple crystal, doors lining the walls, a large glass window at one end. I gasped, rushing over and pressing my muzzle up against it, looking out into the world.
What I saw would stay with me for the rest of my life.
A quaint little town, with ponies of all ages, sizes, colours and species going about their daily lives. The buildings were a pleasant pale yellow, with pinks dotted sporadically around, giving the town a sort of cute little fantasy feel. Beyond the buildings, I could see a farm, with what had to be hundreds and hundreds of apple trees. For as long as I had lived, which wasn't saying much, mind you, I had wanted to see lush green trees. Maybe I could finally taste an apple or two? I smiled at the thought.
Beyond that though, in the distance, was possibly the most amazing thing of all. Past the rolling hills, and the magnificent train, past the forests and plains, was a castle. Set into the side of a mountain, was a glorious castle. But even that wasn't the greatest part in my opinion. Behind the castle, rising slowly in the sky, was the sun.
I smiled wide as I felt the warm sunlight on my face for the first time, letting it warm me as I stood there by the window. I felt like I was floating, lost in a dream. For the first time, I felt truly happy, and in that moment, I decided that it was my favourite feeling of all.
Now, I could have stayed there forever, and I probably would have, given the chance, but I was once again reminded of the voices.
I pulled myself away from the window, my ears twitching as I listened. I headed to the other end of the corridor, smiling at the door that held my void, before heading off to find whatever was speaking.
Wandering through the castle, I didn't see many others. Though I did come across a rather peculiar room. It had a fireplace embedded in one of the walls, with a table set in front of it. Surrounding the table, a few comfortable looking couches stood, giving the room a sort of cosy air to it. Though I did notice something. On the mantle of the fireplace, there were three photos, sitting in simple wooden frames. One contained five ponies, all smiling for the camera. They all looked happy, and I felt the memories made within this photo were special to many. The second, a picture of two alicorns, one light and one dark. I felt as if I knew them, but I couldn't exactly place the names.
The last photo though, confused me. It was turned down, as if the owner didn't want to see the photo contained inside the frame. I picked it up, looking down upon the photo. It was simple, just like the rest, but this one felt slightly different somehow. In the frame sat two figures. A purple alicorn, and a baby dragon. They both held eachother close. They were family, I could deduce that much, even though they seemed to be of two completely different species. It felt… sad somehow. It was as if the memories associated with it were painful, as if the people in the photograph had passed away. It was disheartening to think about.
I put the photo back, face down on the mantle of the fireplace. I didn't want to feel sad anymore. There was nothing about the photo that even suggested that it was sad, but somehow, I just sort of knew, felt the aura around it…
I crept back out of the room, back on my path towards the voices, the crystal walls glinting in the light as I passed them. That did help me to cheer up somewhat.
As I neared the voices, I could start to make out some of their conversation.
"You sure you're okay? You've been through a lot over the last few months."
"For the last time, Pixel, I promise, I'm fine! You worry about me too much."
"I know, but you're one of my best friends, Splight, and it was hard for me, seeing you like that…"
"Heh. You're a dork, you know that?"
Rounding the corner, I could see two creatures. They were both facing away from me, sitting at a round crystal table with a number of tall thrones surrounding it. I silently entered the room, standing close behind them. They didn't seem to notice me at first, so I decided to do my best to introduce myself.
"Hello! Who are you?"
Wow, alright, that felt weird. And was that really what my voice sounded like? It sounded funny. A bit high pitched. I liked it.
Both of them had jumped and were now staring straight at me, eyes wide. One was a white pegasus with a blue mane and glasses, and the other... Well, I couldn't really place it. They looked like a big purple dragon, but there were a couple things that didn't quite sit right with me. Some sort of weird dragon-pony mix? That was actually kinda cool.
The two glanced at eachother, obviously pretty bewildered. Was I using that word right? Bewildered? Probably not. Either way, I probably could have handled that better.
The pegasus turned to the dragon-pony. "Splight?" He muttered skeptically. "What did you do?"
The dragon flinched. "I didn't do anything! I've never seen this thing before in my entire life!"
They both fell silent, obvious tension between them. Was I a thing? I didn't think I was a thing. And did it even matter?
Maybe, maybe not. All in all, I didn't really mind. So what if I was a thing? I was going to be the best thing that had ever lived! It sounded like being a thing was bad though…
"So, uh…" the dragon looked down at me anxiously. "Do you have a name?"
I stared. I didn't think so. Was that bad? I shook my head, fiddling with my hooves. I could feel their eyes on me. I was getting a feeling from this, and I didn't think I liked it.
The dragon hesitantly moved towards me, holding out a claw. "I'm Splight. And that's Pixel." They pointed to the Pegasus, who was looking on nervously. I took their claw, shaking it. Pixel waved, managing a little smile. "So where did you come from, little pony?"
I smiled. I knew that one! "From that door back there! With the big blue void!"
Both of them stared at me, concern written across their muzzles for a moment. "Splight?" Pixel asked. "Can I talk to you for a second?"Was this bad? Did I say something wrong? I watched as Splight let Pixel drag them out of the room, closing the two large doors behind them, leaving me alone. This didn't feel good, but I couldn't put a hoof on why. Was there something wrong with me? I knew I wasn't normal, born of the void, without name or purpose. Maybe I was some sort of mistake, a glitch in the code of the universe. Maybe. But I couldn't really be an accident, right?
I sat down on one of the many thrones surrounding the massive crystal table, one with a sort of rainbow coloured lightning bolt on it. It looked kinda cool. I waited as the others talked outside. They were discussing me, I knew that much. What else could they be talking about? Some random pony-dragon hybrid showing up without any explanation, materialized from the void. I didn't know much, but I did have enough general knowledge to know that this wasn't normal.
My ears twitched as I managed to catch some of their conversation.
"Okay, so what do we know about them?" I could hear Pixel pacing. "They came from the void, which I didn't even know was possible, it being a void and all, they don't have a name, memories beyond today, or anything of the sort, despite clearly having enough general knowledge to get by, and most importantly…" He paused, sighing. I could feel the anxiety in his voice. "And most importantly, they look like us…"
"And I don't think they had any real gender." Splight spoke up. "I can identify with that…"
I crept closer to the door, my ears twitching as I continued to eavesdrop.
Pixel stopped pacing. "All I want to know is how there's another… whatever you are…" He paused. "Another dragonpony…"
"Yes, but take note of the fact that we're both still here." Splight explained. "When Twilight and Spike fused to create me, they weren't exactly running around afterwards."
Pixel hummed quietly. "So they weren't created through a spell, or at least not the same one that caused you… Any other ideas? You're a lot better with magic than I am."
Splight thought for a second. "Well, they obviously have a connection to the void, and a connection with us, but the only way I could think of something like that being created would be some sort of aura transfusion… I think I may have a book on the subject in the library…"
Pixel fell silent. It was almost if I could feel his realization, pieces of a puzzle coming together in his mind. Granted, I had no idea what those pieces were, but it was still a nice feeling nonetheless.
"What?" I heard Splight ask. "So you have something?"
Pixel's pitch rose. "Okay, this is probably a stupid idea, but remember back when you… broke down, as it were?" Splight nodded. "Well, you were sort of… leaking magic…"
I pushed the door open, peering through the crack. Pixel was back to pacing, his wings flapping enthusiastically. He looked a lot less anxious, which was good I guess.
"So you're saying a little bit of me escaped into the void?" Splight was obviously concerned. "That doesn't sound safe…"
Pixel shrugged. "I mean, yeah, it's just a theory. Besides, it's all we've got right now."
"But what about you? If we came together to make... that, then where do you come in?"
Pixel fidgeted. "Well..." He stared down at his hooves. "I did spend a lot of time with you while you were out..."
Splight smiled at that. Out? What was that supposed to mean? Like, out to the shops, or unconscious? Eh. I'd have to learn the lore later. But the real hit was being called a 'that' again... Being regarded like I was nothing... like I had no equinity... I don't know what happened, but it fired something inside me... filled me with a feeling I hadn't felt before, but knew full well what it was, and what I was about to do. I was mad...
"I'm not a thing!" I yelled suddenly as I threw open the massive crystal doors. "I may not look like it, but I'm a pony just as much as you are! You can obviously accept whatever they are, so why not me, huh?! Yes, I'm a freak! And maybe I was never supposed to exist! But speaking about me like I'm some sort of puzzle to be solved isn't helping anyone! I'm not a 'that', I'm a me! I might have been born an hour ago, but I'm not stupid!"
Pixel and Splight stared at me as I stood fuming in the main hall. Y'know, I felt a bit better after that. Getting my thoughts out and yelling a little kinda helped. Heck, I didn't even know I could be that loud. And now that I thought about it, my throat was a little hoarse... Heh... another new feeling. No shortage of those today.
Slowly calming down, I looked up at the two in front of me. Sighing, Splight stepped towards me, leaning down and embracing me in a hug. "I know how you feel…" they said simply. "You're new… Strange… Not something that some ponies want to see…" Wow, not really helping my mood here, Splight. "But you're you… and everything around you is a brand new experience… for everypony… and that's scary…"
Pixel walked up to us, fidgeting nervously. "Hey, sorry about… all that… probably could have handled that better…" I nodded as Splight let me go, letting me trot up to him. "But hey, new beginnings, right? Let's get you some food. You hungry?"
I nodded, and he smiled, leading the way to the kitchen. Things calmed down after that. While Pixel scrounged around for something for me to eat, Splight and I compared ourselves. It seemed that I was more pony than dragon, which I guess was nice, spawning in a town of ponies and all.
After that, we discovered that I could eat gems, which was amazing. Pixel had found a couple topaz, which were the most fantastic things I had ever eaten. Granted, they had been the only things I had ever eaten in my relatively short existence, so I really didn't really have the greatest gauge of these sorts of things. Point still stood though.
Anyway, while Splight read up on void dynamics, Pixel sat with me and tried to come up with a name for me. After a while, we settled on a name that I thought sounded rather pretty...
Mystic Quartz...
I thought it was funny. Mostly because not even Celestia knew where I had come from, hence the whole mystic thing. Still unclear on who exactly Celestia was, by the way. Splight liked the name. Said that Mystic Quartz was a particularly rare gem. Tasted pretty bland apparently, which was honestly a little disappointing. Just quartz in a fancy suit according to them.
After that, Pixel took me on a walk through the void. It was a little nostalgic for me, revisiting my birthplace… Was still pretty boring, if I'm being completely honest. We did find a couch though. Couple bits and a raisin between the cushions. Probably the most interesting thing to come out of the void, even considering the only other option.
Splight ended up doing a few tests. Most of them were pretty simple, just general knowledge I had no idea I had. We did find out that I was far-sighted though, and needed glasses to read. Pixel managed to fish out an old pair of his. Didn't help much, but I thought they looked pretty handsome on me.
As the sun began to dip, Splight led me into one of the many guest rooms in the castle. My very own room. It wasn't much now, just a bed and a desk, but I knew I could make it work. I smiled as I climbed in bed, snuggling under the covers. Soon, I was alone again, the lights dimmed. Seeing the shadows dance across my walls, I went over the day's events in my head, playing back my limited existence. From the void, to the rocky beginnings, to where I was now, everything just seemed… right.
I didn't know where I was headed, and I wasn't even sure if the general populous would accept me as they eventually had with Splight, who had become my sort of unofficial parent, but all in all, I was content that everything was going to be amazing.
Author's Note
Really hope you enjoyed! If you did, I recommend you check out dragonponesplight, which this fic is based on!
But anyway, Happy Birthday, Star. You're an amazing friend, and I love being a part of this amazing little community you've created! Here's to another year of cute dragonpones!
Cheerilee rubbed her temples. In front of her, sat in her favourite comfy chairs, were a small white pegasus, and what could only be described as an unholy testament to the fundamental laws of magic and science, all wrapped up in an, all things considered, rather friendly dragonpone. Though, the relative warmth of the pair could not mask the head-splitting absurdity of what they were asking of her.
"So... you're telling me," she started slowly, rolling the words round in her mind, making sure she fully comprehended the situation. "that you two are now the parents to a two-day-old dragon-pony-dragonpony hybrid, who possesses the combined intellects of at least two fully grown adults, spawned out of what is essentially an infinite broom closet, and your first instinct was to send them to preschool."
Both of the creatures in front of her blinked, glanced over at one another, then shrugged.
"In our defence, we haven't really done much like this before." Pixel said, shuffling his wings uncomfortably, his gaze cast downward.
Splight ruffled their mane in discomfort, turning their gaze to Cheerilee. "Okay, so listen. Mystic is an anomaly, we all know that. And I believe that they still have to find how they fit into this world, make sense of who they are, all that." Splight glanced away. "I went through a similar time myself. It was... well, complicated seems like a good enough word."
Splight paused, tensing a little, continuing. "Twilight tried her best raising Spike, and yeah, I think she did a pretty good job. But this is a whole new deal. Mystic isn't a baby dragon. They're not easy like that. They're a full-grown hybrid. At least, as far as we can tell. All I'm saying is, we're lost on this, and thought you could help."
Cheerilee nodded slowly, taking in Splight's words, short of the fact that it was in fact quite difficult to raise a live dragon. The fact that she knew this was not to be questioned by her students, their parents, or official Equestrian law officers. "I... do suppose I could watch over them for a few days..." she said, Splight and Pixel smiling at each other. "Though I will require a few details."
Cheerilee took out a clipboard, a couple of forms held within, and along with a favourite pen, she began to take down some details.
"So, what would be Mystic's full name?"
"We've just been calling them Mystic, really." Splight responded. "Though, I suppose Mystic Quartz would be appropriate. It's not official or anything, but Mystic likes it."
Cheerilee nodded, jotting that down. "Now, how about species? Of course, they don't exactly seem to fit into any of the three common races."
Again, Splight responded. "As far as we know, Mystic seems to be a similar species to me." Glancing away, they twiddled their claws. "Though, that doesn't exactly help matters all that much. Even I'm not sure what exactly I am. Sure, they may have aspects of a more typical pony mixed in there, but unfortunately I'm afraid we're not quite sure."
Cheerilee stared back and forth between the dragonpone and her clipboard, eventually deciding to leave the space blank for the time being. Probably for the best.
"How about age?" She asked again. Surely this would be a lot more straight-forward.
Pixel shuffled in his seat. "Well, as far as we know, they're about a couple days old. Though they have the mind and body of a pony around ten, maybe? Really, it's not too clear."
Splight nodded. "Though they do show an unending curiosity not uncommon in fillies and colts significantly younger than they themselves appear." they added.
The teacher nodded, jotting down '2 (days)', of course with a healthy portion of question marks. Of course, not the best answer possible, but it was at least an answer. Hopefully she could keep this train going for a while.
"And how about gender?" Hopefully she would be able to get at least some kind of answer. Celestia knew she needed that right now.
Pixel hesitantly shrugged. "So far, we haven't really figure that out. At the moment, it's as much of a mystery as them." He motioned to the dragonpone. "The furthest we've been able to get is that they're nonbinary, so that's something, I guess. Maybe in time as they develop as their own pony, they'll begin to lean one way or the other, but so far, nothing."
Cheerilee should have known better than to hope for an easy answer.
"Well…" Cheerilee smiled awkwardly. "I suppose that's enough…?" It wasn't really a confirmation of anything. She was still pretty uncertain about all this. What should she expect from Mystic in the classroom? She did look quite a bit older than a lot of the ponies in her care. Would she be ostracised? Would she be able to keep up with lessons? Would she excel? It was all a lot to be nervous about.
"I suppose they can come in tomorrow. Of course, if you will allow." Cheerilee watched the two, glancing between them. Both of them nodded, and after some polite small talk, she quietly ushered them out, all saying their typical goodbyes, see you soons, all that. Of course, Cheerilee couldn't help feeling that she was extremely unprepared to handle whatever this child could throw at her, though she was determined not to let them get to her.
Then again, if all else failed, there was always alcohol.
This was dumb.
This bag was heavy.
Why did it have so much stuff in it?
Pixel and Splight guided me up the path towards Cheerilee's school. We were still quite a long way off, but that was fine with me. Truth be told, being outside was pretty amazing. I had stepped outside for a little while the day before, but this was the first real time I had ventured out beyond the castle and into Ponyville. Everything was so pretty! The houses looked like they were straight out of a fantasy book, and everypony was so colourful and nice! For the most part anyway.
Of course, both Splight and me were getting quite a few stares, and I felt as if I knew exactly why. I'm not sure how I knew, but I did seem to have quite a few foggy memories both from Splight and from Pixel. It was a little surreal. I could remember things that had never happened to me, experiences that I had no part in, and secrets not meant to be shared. It was a little like I was dreaming them up.
Either way, I still shrunk behind Splight and Pixel whenever those ponies began to stare. Splight continued to walk on, seemingly uncaring about what they thought. But I knew better. It didn't bother them as much as it once had, but it still got to them sometimes. I suppose I just needed to learn to ignore them, like Splight had.
I shifted my bag with a wing, trying to alleviate the discomfort. Splight had packed me so many things it was a wonder that my pack could hold it all. Books, quills, a few pots of ink, sandwiches, and a big blue sapphire for good measure. I understood that they were excited, but this may have been a little bit excessive.
As we walked through Ponyville, I smiled. There was a light breeze, carrying the scent of the forests into the humble little town. Leaves softly scattered across the pathway as the sun shone down, warming the soft earth below. It was nice. A small stream ran through the town, the soft sounds of running water filling the idle air. As we proceeded, I could see many different ponies going about their day. I felt as if I knew some of them, a sort of idle familiarity. Of course, those memories were not my own. I wonder if I would ever formally meet any of them some day.
Leaving the town behind us, we headed up into the hills. I was a little excited about the day ahead, but I couldn't help the nervousness creeping in. I knew what was happening. Of course I knew I was different from the others, that fact couldn't be avoided. I knew, I was bigger, weirder, and that I had spawned out of a boundless blue void. I didn't know how ponies were made, but as far as I knew, it sure as heck wasn't that. I decided not to think about it all that much.
As we neared the top of the hill, I looked towards the school building. It looked like a tiny house, painted brightly like a children's toy. I have no idea why I found that so amusing, but I did. Ponies were spilling inside, a lot of them much smaller than myself. Some of the bigger ponies were standing outside, idly chatting to pass the time. Passing them, they began looking at us, their chats stopping for a second. I shrunk behind Pixel, following him inside as the eyes followed me, tracking my every move.
Inside, I was met with rows and rows of desks facing a large green chalkboard, little ponies setting themselves down for the day. While Splight went to chat with the teacher, Cheerilee, I assumed, Pixel fidgeted a little. "So, um…" he started. "have a good day at school I guess?" He shrugged, and I chuckled.
"You're not very good at this." I smirked at him.
He laughed quietly. "Mystic, I'm lost here. I am way too young to be a parent."
I smiled, understanding well enough. I gently nuzzled against him, just as Cheerilee headed up the front of the room and called attention to herself. Splight met up with Pixel, the both of them heading out the door together, both of them saying their goodbyes for the day. I waved back, smiling.
I knew well enough that things were moving pretty fast for them, and I really did appreciate how well they were handling things so far. Hopefully school would be at least a decent experience for me.
"Ah! Everypony," Cheerilee announced, quickly trotting over to me and guiding me up the front, "We have a new student today! I would like you to meet Mystic Quartz! They'll be attending here for the time being!"
As I looked out onto the sea of maybe fifteen or so ponies, all appearing significantly younger than me, their eyes staring blankly into my soul, I weakly waved, unsure of what to say.
Then the chatter began.
"She's so big!" "What's with their wings?" "Did you see that dragon bring her in?" "Why does he have two horns?" "What are they anyway?" "Do you think he eats ponies?" "Why have I never seen them before?" "Look at her claws!" "Do you think they're nice?" "Did they come from the Everfree?" "How old is he anyway?" "Where do you think he's from?"
I continued to stare blankly, my smile wilting a little as the chatter continued. I was beginning to feel a bit unsure about this whole thing.
The class was snapped out of its chatter by a couple hardy stomps by Miss Cheerilee, the hollow hardwood thump echoing through the classroom. "Quiet, everypony." She waited a second, placing a gentle hoof on my shoulder, smiling down at me. "Why don't you go and find a seat, sweetie?"
I nodded, heading forward through the rows of desks. All eyes were still on me as I placed one hoof in front of the other, glancing around the room for an empty desk. The front row was filled, as was the next, and the next, and the next. Eventually, I found an empty spot near the back of the class, setting down my heavy saddlebags and climbing into the seat, my claws tensing idly.
An awkward silence fell over the class as everyone tried their best not to stare at me. Looking for something to occupy my hooves, I set one of the pots of ink on the edge of my desk, looking bashfully down at my hooves.
"Now!" Cheerilee called out, smiling. "How many unicorns do we have in the room?"
The class murmured in confusion as maybe six or so unicorns raised their hooves.
"Good! Now, can any of you tell me how magic works?"
One filly, a small white unicorn with a curly purple mane spoke up. "Um, well, you focus really hard, then you imagine what you want to do, and then… you just sort of… make it happen?"
Wow her voice was squeaky. I think her voice cracked about 86 times during that sentence. A feat to be sure.
Cheerilee smiled. "Almost, Sweetie Belle! Does anypony know how magic enables us to do those things?" She glanced around the classroom, not really looking for an answer. Of course she was going to explain it, but it took me a minute to realise that my hoof was raised.
Cheerilee beamed as she saw me. "Yes Mystic?" I looked up, blushing a little before I regained my composure. Well, I was in this now, I guess. Suppose I should go all in. It was time to go off.
"Well, I suppose we should begin with discussing the innate magic present in most natural or heavily populated locations. This of course is caused by a large amount of life, either sentient or non, existing in a state of harmony with one another, generating a magical field that can be tapped into by all magical creatures, not limited to unicorns, but also to pegasi and earth ponies too. Of course, unicorns are the most easily able to tap into this field, using their horns as a magical anchor or conduit to channel magic into something that can affect the physical plane. Both pegasi and earth ponies have magical conduits but are unable to actively channel magic from the common magical field, relying on their innate abilities and natural affinity. If the magical field is not present, most ponies have a magical reservoir, converting the field into mana, which is detected as their own individual aura, or as an expression of themselves. Tapping into this magical reservoir allows the user to use more powerful magic but will often leave to user drained and vulnerable to unexpected or unwanted effects of volatile spells such as curses or charms. Using a pony's magic to effect the physical realm in small ways such as telekinesis, or even higher tier magics such as teleportation often do not leave a strain on the user, provided they are experienced enough to channel safely and effectively."
As I finished speaking, I felt everypony's eyes on me again.
Maybe general preternatural dynamics wasn't the best place to start.
Maybe I should have stayed quiet.
Maybe I fricked up.
…
"What?" called out a colt.
The rest of the class chattered in confusion, until Cheerilee called out again.
"Okay everypony, I um… I suppose this calls for an early recess."
A few of the students cheered, scrambling out the door and onto the playground, while I was left fidgeting uncomfortably at my desk, wondering if I had done something wrong.
While Cheerilee left for her office, I saw a couple of fillies approaching me, brows furrowed and hooves stomping on the hardwood floor. Even though walking across it normally didn't make all that much sound. You had to actively try to make any real sound like that. Listen guys, it's not hard, I can show you.
"Who do you think you are?" A small pink unicorn asked, screwing up her face. The tiara situated atop her head made it readily apparent to anypony looking on the kind of pony this kid was.
"I uh…" I started, before the other filly cut me off, a grey earth pony with a thick white mane and bright blue glasses.
"Did you really think you could upstage us like that, smarty pants? Are you even supposed to be in our grade?"
I was taken aback. I stayed silent as the both of them continued to get up in my face.
"Look at him. Why is he even here? Probably an accident." the grey filly continued, really getting into the swing of things.
The pink one smirked. "Yeah. I bet he was never even supposed to be here anyway! Look at you. Are you a boy or a girl, anyway? And just look at those horns!"
I blushed red, covering my horns with my hooves, staying silent.
After a few moments of silence, the pink filly scoffed. "What, you're not going to say anything? Do you even know who I am?"
I shook my head. I had literally never seen these two in my entire life. And I'm sure it was the same for her. Was she some common figure I needed to know about? Celestia I hope not.
She scoffed again, but somehow harder this time. "I'm Diamond Tiara! Everypony knows that name! And you don’t! What, were you born yesterday?"
Ooh! I know this one! I nodded enthusiastically, smiling a little as my hooves fell back into my lap. "Close! It was a couple days ago actually!" I bounced happily in my seat, though I was not met with the same enthusiasm.
The both of them stayed silent for a moment, before Diamond Tiara spoke up. "Are… are you serious…?"
I nodded again. "Yup! I came out of a void!"
Tiara just stood there. "I… um…" She shuffled in place awkwardly, before turning to her companion. "Silver, how do I respond to that…?"
Silver shrugged, before backing off a little, prompting Tiara to reluctantly do the same.
They both huffed loudly, making a point to turn their backs to me, just to assert how much better than me they thought they were. Before strutting off, Diamond Tiara smirked, flicking my inkpot with her tail, knocking it off the table before running quickly out into the yard.
I watched it fall for a second, before it was caught in a weak green aura.
"Ignore them. They're meanies." I looked over to the speaker as they shakily placed the pot back on the table with their magic. The squeaky white unicorn from earlier, Sweetie Belle I think, finished rummaging through her bag, eventually pulling out a large magnifying glass. "You can come hang out with us if you want. We're by the big tree near the river."
As she walked out the class, I was left a little confused by the whole deal. Digging out the sapphire, I decided to follow.
I sat on a log by the river, gnawing on my sapphire. It was hard to get through, but I was managing. I continued to gnaw off small chunks of the rock, chewing on those like popcorn kernels as I watched those three fillies. I knew Sweetie Belle, but I didn't think I had seen the other two. A pale-yellow earth pony and a tomboyish orange pegasus, who just happened to be holding the magnifying glass I had seen earlier. She was holding it up in the air while she fluttered just above the ground, her eyes pinned to whatever was on the ground in front of them.
"C'mon, Scoots!" the yellow one piped up, a thick southern accent extremely apparent. "How're we gonna be Cutie Mark Crusaders firefighters if there's no fire t' fight?"
"I'm… trying…!" The pegasus responded through her teeth, trying her best to hoist the magnifying glass higher into the air. Eventually, she grunted, landing back onto the ground and spitting the glass onto the dirt riverbank. "Ugh… we're never gonna get it to light! Why can't we just get Sweetie to do it?"
Sweetie huffed. "Rarity said I couldn't do that spell anymore. I only singed my mane once, it's not like I set fire to her fabrics! I learned my lesson after the other four times! I don't get why it was such a big deal!"
"Say, why're we try'na do this anyways? We already got our cutiemarks." the yellow one asked, kicking at the ground in frustration.
"Duh, for fun!" The pegasus smirked. "Just wish we could get the dang thing going though…"
The trio glanced around idly, before Sweeties eyes fell on me.
She pointed, jumping up and down as she chattered at her friends, the squeaks of excitement making it hard to translate what in Equestria she was saying. Now, over the last couple days of my comparatively short life, I've come to be suspicious of anypony pointing in my general direction. I mean, I get it, I know, new hybrid and all, but sometimes I wished they could just… not.
This did not feel the same as all those other times.
This felt significantly worse.
This felt like chaos incarnate.
And y'know what?
I was okay with this.
Sweetie Belle dashed over to me, grabbing my hoof. "Mystic's a dragon! Maybe they can help!"
I stared at her, and she stared back. Eventually Sweetie got the message and let my hoof fall back into my lap as she chuckled bashfully.
As the others came over, the pegasus called out. "Hey, you’re a dragon, right? That's so cool!"
The yellow filly chuckled, formally introducing the three. "Howdy there! M'name's Apple Bloom, this is Scootaloo, and that there's Sweetie Belle! I think y'all've met." I nodded to her, happy to finally be able to put names to slightly overeager faces.
"Hey, do you shoot fire!?" Scootaloo asked enthusiastically, her wings fluttering wildly as she borderline climbed over her friends to get closer to me.
Both of the others chuckled idly as I looked on, a tad baffled by this whole meeting. "Sorry." Apple Bloom apologised. "She's a might excited."
"Oh, uh… No, it's no problem." I replied, fidgeting a little. "I um… I don't actually know if I can shoot fire yet. Or at all, really. I actually haven't learnt how to do much of anything yet. I don't even know how to fly yet."
"Hey, wanna try?" Apple Bloom asked. "We've got some dried leaves over there that we're try'na set alight!"
I thought about it for a bit, before deciding, sure. What the heck. I doubt anything could go wrong. Didn't need a reason, just trusting three fillies trying to set a fire in the schoolyard. Sounded good enough for me.
The three led me over to a small pile of dried sticks and leaves, all watching me intently.
I stared at it, completely unsure of what the heck I was supposed to do. The pile itself was incredibly unremarkable. The sort of thing that would hold a small flame but smother itself out as soon as all was said and done, which didn't look to be all that long in all honesty. So should I just blow on it? Or maybe it's like throwing up, but fire comes out instead! That could work! Okay Mystic, time to follow those dragon instincts that you of course no doubt obviously have.
I focused a little, breathing in through my nose, trying to fill my lungs with as much air as I possibly could. My lungs were great! I had made them myself I think! Feeling heat begin to stir in my chest, I focused on mentally stoking the flames. How I did that, I had no idea. It just sorta happened. The heat rose to my throat, making it a little hard to breathe. Opening my mouth, I felt the fire expand inside me, becoming almost uncontainable.
Boy I hope this is actually fire breath and not Equestria's most disappointing case of heartburn.
As the flames reached the back of my mouth, my nostrils began to smoke as ash filled my mouth. It was actually a lot less annoying than you'd think. I'd never had barbeque, but this is what I imagined it tasted like. My mouth was super dry now though.
As the heat reached a fever pitch, I focused on channelling my flames, furrowing my brow as I aimed them directly at that measly pile of twigs.
And then I let it go.
The fireball exploded from my muzzle with a sickening boom, the recoil actually pushing me back a little, my glasses flying off my nose. I stood a little dazed as ponies from all over the playground turned to look. What used to be a small pile of dried off sticks and leaves was now a smouldering crater in the dirt, soft blue-green embers burning brightly as soft flames licked at the grass.
Everypony stood stunned, while I was left to retrieve my glasses, rubbing my quickly cooling muzzle. "Woah!" all three Cutie Mark Crusaders cheered in unison, staring back and forth between me and the crater I had left.
The fireball left me dizzy, but I was able to regain my composure fairly quickly, stomping out any spreading flames with a claw, careful as to not burn my coat. I was lucky that this hadn't done any real damage. Though I had never honestly thought that I would ever be able to do something this powerful. The crater was about a half meter wide and a few centimetres deep. Not all that impressive on its own, but I was weirdly proud of it. Guess I had a lot more in common with dragons than I thought.
As the heat in my chest died down, I glanced back at the school playground. A lot of the colts and fillies were staring at me, but I felt as if it was different this time. There were less stares of morbid curiosity, and more of… well, just of the regular kind of curiosity I suppose. And of admiration. And I suppose of wonder? I dunno. Last one seemed far-fetched to me.
All I knew was that I was beginning to like it here. I felt as if I finally had some place that I belonged, where I had friends. Sure, there were downsides, Tiara being a pretty big one, but I was going to be here for those too. All I knew was that I was going to be here for a very long time.
"There's no way they're going to be here another day… I am absolutely going to have to expel them…" Cheerilee muttered as she poured her third glass of wine. "It's only the first day and they've already set off a fireball in the yard…"
She paced around the classroom, frantically glancing out the window. "Besides, they're much too intelligent for a place like this!" She took a shaky sip from her glass. "I wouldn't want to hold back a student from their full potential, now would I!?" Cheerilee felt manic. She was usually rather good at hiding it from the students whenever feelings such as this came up, but today, there were only so many early recesses she could issue.
She idly stroked the bottle of wine, losing herself in thought. "What am I going to tell Twilight? Or, Splight, I suppose? Or whoever else is responsible? The pegasus maybe? Should I hold a parents meeting? No, I had one yesterday…" She muttered, losing herself a little.
"Okay, Cheerilee, calm down. Everything is under control." she told herself, as she did not in fact have anything remotely under control. "Just go out there, call the class in, and have a talk to Mystic's parents when they get- Oh sweet Celestia!"
Suddenly, Cheerilee's attention was ripped from the half empty bottle of wine, leaving it standing on the counter as she rushed out into the yard to fetch the garden hose to douse the great oak tree which had mysteriously and violently caught fire. Though the source of the blaze could not be determined exactly, a mere coincidence that it shared the same blue-green colouration as Mystic's fireball, it was safe to say that Mystic's attendance at Ponyville Elementary would soon be coming to an abrupt and heated end.
