Buck supposed if he were a teenager, this situation would be ideal.

He had turned out to have secret magical powers, and they were undefinably potent. He was going to learn to harness those powers for self-defense, and his best friend would help to teach him. On top of that, the girl he had mostly accidentally masturbated to the previous night was now standing across from him, carrying a smile that implied a whole lot of things.

On paper, that sounds ideal, but pressing concerns both old and new bloomed in Buck's mind as Adagio took a seat next to him on Sunburst's couch. For instance, how was he going to get through the day without causing a disaster?

Starlight looked like she was about to scream, but Sunburst had reacted quickly, whispering in her ear, and the two had excused themselves to discuss the situation.

Adagio shifted in her spot next to Buck, and her smile disappeared. A cold, protective fury rose in her gaze.

"I can't taste you, Buck. What have they done?"

"Oh, that's...they gave me this. It's a changeling stone." Buck reached into the front of his shirt and held the artifact up. Adagio sniffed at the stone like it was a particularly offensive cologne.

"So their short term solution was to put a gag on your magic. Effective, if a bit barbaric." Adagio's tone was icy and clinical. "How are you feeling? Has the stone affected your mood at all?"

"You care?" Buck raised an eyebrow. Adagio moved as if she would stroke his cheek, but then her hand dropped back into her lap.

"Of course I care, Buck."

"Well, I'm fine."

"You're lying."

"'scuse me?"

"You're lying to me."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because, in the time I've known you, you have never once said the word 'fine' and meant it." Adagio said with a wry smile. Buck could see Scoots start to fidget behind Adagio. He gave her a quick frown that he hoped she interpreted as a message to keep her mouth shut.

"And how are you doin'?"

"Fine, Buck. Just fine." Adagio's smile turned a bit sharp.

"Absolutely not!" Starlight's voice rose from behind the door of Sunburst's bedroom. It was followed by some placating shushing noises and a quiet but tense negotiation.

Sunburst was doing his best, and that set Buck at ease. If Sunburst was alright with Adagio showing up, that had to count for something.

"Did you come here to start shit again?" Buck said.

"No, Buck. I came to make sure that you were receiving a proper education. Is that going to be a problem for you?" Adagio said, shoulders square.

"Depends on how you wanna act. I don't want tonight to end in tears."

"Both of us know that I'm the most qualified to lecture on this subject." Her eyes were filled with not seduction but determination. "Honestly, this should be my class, but I understand choosing to come here, considering the circumstances."

"So you won't cause any trouble, then?"

"If you ask; I'll leave." Adagio said.

"Can I have you word on that?" Buck offered a hand, which Adagio stared at for a second.

"Yes. I'm going to help you, Buck." The handshake was curt and businesslike. Adagio grimaced.

Before, just touching Buck's hand could send a little shock through her, helping her to gauge his mood. Now, there was nothing but a flatline of emotions. She had never noticed how well Buck could hide them.

"No, you won't be doing anything, because I won't let you sit there and mess around with these two while they try to learn about magic!" Starlight stomped out of the study.

"Ah, of course. Should I assume you still think of me as a menace, despite my contributions to your cause?" Adagio smiled.

"Starlight, she could be a huge asset to us. Could you please just give her a chance?"

"Sunburst, you know full well that she's only ever helped us for her own self-interest!"

"Not entirely," Adagio interjected, checking her nails. "I fully intend to help our two most promising young minds to reach their magic potential. I even came with a bargain for you."

"Whatever you're selling, we aren't interested!"

"Starlight, be reasonable!" Sunburst said.

"Oh, I'm being reasonable. It's reasonable to suspect that Adagio just wants to sit around, leeching off whatever spare energies happen to leak off our practice. She's scavenging!" Starlight spat.

Buck frowned over at Adagio, whose smile turned up in faux ditziness.

"Why, Starlight, what an excellent idea! That's exactly the sort of deal I hoped to make today. In exchange for whatever energy Buck happens to give off, I'd like to attend these sessions and offer my own knowledge!"

"Why, you-"

"And, I'll even throw in this little chestnut as a bonus." Adagio reached into her purse and produced a book bound in a dark leather of dubious origin. It had some old ponish runes written on the front, but Buck didn't need to read them to know what they said.

"Is that...?" Buck started.

"Stygian's Book of Spells. That's right. I'm willing to offer access to a repository of magical knowledge unlike any that your superiors can possibly provide."

Sunburst raised a finger, but Starlight shushed him.

"And all you have to do is let me contribute to your back alley magic lesson," Adagio said. Sunburst was nearly salivating at the thought of opening the book.

"But it has to be in old ponish! How would we even read it?" Starlight said.

"Oh please, Old Ponish is not nearly as idiotic as english. It's syllabric, like, oh...katakana. Sunburst, you're a fan of lore; I'm sure with proper study you could pick it up quickly." Adagio said. Starlight glared at her, but Sunburst stroked his goatee.

"I learned Gaelic in school. And Klingon. This shouldn't be too hard."

"Hah! Nerd!" Scoots blurted. She took a moment to read the room, then tried to shrink into the couch.

"Come on, Starlight. Let her at least hang out. She's got a lot to offer, and she's makin' a good point." Buck said.

"She's just trying to use you again, Buck." Starlight said.

"I know! I know, alright, this is just about my magic--this is all about my magic, but listen! Just wearin' the stone isn't good enough, is it? Just shuttin' it off isn't gonna cut it. I need to learn how my magic works, and Adagio knows it better than anyone. As long as nobody gets hurt, I don't mind letting her take whatever runs off."

"So she can gain more power!?"

"So she won't go hungry." Buck placed a hand on Adagio's shoulder. She couldn't taste him, but she could feel the look of concern on his face, though she refused to look at him.

"If I were you, I would get my hands on every advantage I could. You're free to call me names if you like, but you obviously need me. Is your pride really worth the safety of everyone here?" Adagio said. For a moment, the fierceness in Adagio's eyes was reflected in Starlight's.

"Fine. But Buck, if she acts up, it's on your head."

"What? What am I, her keeper?"

"Your power is what she wants, so if she decides to go rogue, you're the only one in a position to deny her that power. It's on you." Starlight said. Adagio sneered.

"Fine, fuck, whatever! Can we get back into the magic lessons? Ditzy's doin' stew again tonight, and I don't wanna eat it cold." Buck said, sitting back. Adagio felt a bit colder without the touch of his hand.

Starlight sighed.

"Now that you hopefully have an understanding of the fundamental theory of magic, we can get a bit more complicated."

The chalkboard was flipped over, revealing a chart with a whole lot of symbols throughout it. Adagio discerned its meaning at a glance, but Buck squinted at it and frowned.

"Mother of fuck." Buck grumbled.

"What the heck is all that?" Scoots said.

"It's a graph!" Sunburst chimed in. He pointed a ruler at the chalkboard. "Magic phenomenon has been interpreted into many different categories and schools of thought."

"Thus creating an endless stream of academic pedantry among arcane scholars." Adagio rolled her eyes.

"This is a simplified version of the Arcane Type Chart that is taught in Equestria. As I understand it, common core magic fundamentals describes four essential categories that encompass all spellcasting. They make up the axes of this graph. The X-Axis represents Order here on the left and Chaos on the right." Sunburst said.

"Order is a spell type categorized by a singular force of will. Order spells are about assuming direct control over forces, and strengthened by acts of loyalty and preservation." Starlight continued. Adagio snorted quietly.

"Obedience. Order spells are strengthened by obedience. That is why the signature users of order magic are alicorns." Adagio said.

"Chaos magic is characterized by a variety of intentions clashing together. Chaos spells revolve around drastic changes to the structure of things. It's strengthened by emotional disharmony and bursts of inspiration." Sunburst finished.

"Okay, slow down, so down..." Buck said, writing frantically.

"What's on the Y-Axis?" Scoots said.

"Well, at the top, you have Ethereal magic. This is magic relating to things that can't be touched, like gases, atmospheric forces. Note, the further up you go on the axis, the more esoteric the spells become. You go from wind and temperature to vaguer concepts like the mind and soul." Sunburst said. "At the bottom, there's Telluric forces, which have to do with physical matter, like earthen materials and living things."

"That's pretty vague." Buck said.

"Right, it is. That's because no one spell can be fit perfectly into any category. Instead, we chart them based on the way they behave when unleashed. Arcana spells; that's spells that involve manipulating pure magical energy, are in the Order/Ethereal quadrant, while Transformation spells fall into the Chaos/Telluric quadrant because they involve a drastic paradigm shift of an object's core components."

"Is that what you do with water, 'dagio?"

"No, Buck. What I do is Transmutation. It's a basic restructuring and manipulation of a physical substance. That's Order/Telluric."

"How's that different from Transformation?"

"Transformation is turning one thing into something else. Though they are both close to the Y-axis, sort of like two sides of the same coin." Starlight said.

"Fuckin' hell. Okay, so what the fuck kind of magic made that shoggoth that we fought?"

"...we're not exactly sure," Sunburst said carefully. "Even after studying the tentacle Adagio gave us, we couldn't figure out the exact signature."

"Oh, call a spade a spade, Sunburst. Its signature kept changing rapidly and it turned a non-magical animal into a rampaging monster. That's chaos magic. Dark magic, in other words." Starlight said gravely.

Buck scratched his head and frowned.

"Ooh, Dark Magic! That was a popular term back in my day! Teachers and allumni waggling their hooves going; 'Don't you dare tap into alternative magic sources! Then you might rival a unicorn's natural reserves, and we don't want to upset the status quo, now do we?'" Adagio mocked.

"Here we go." Starlight rolled her eyes.

"Indulge me. Before you go about demonizing Buck's magic, let me offer an alternative outlook." Adagio rose, dropping Buck a little smile. She pointed at the bottom right quadrant. "While some philosophers--" Adagio looked pointedly at Starlight. "--enjoy placing moral definitions on different types of magic; I want it to be clear that magic has no will of its own. No concept of good and evil, light and dark. Some posit that Chaos magic is an intrinsically evil force due to the exploits of a certain draconequus throughout history, but Chaos and Telluric forces are the fundament of all life. They are the force of creation. Likewise, ponies tend to place a moral high ground on the Order/Ethereal quadrant, but every power-hungry unicorn in history has used an arcane bolt to menace someone, and far more dastardly individuals have used enchantment spells for dark ends.

"Speaking from experience?" Starlight hissed.

Adagio smirked. "The point is, Dark and Light spells are not Good and Evil. It's like comparing a diurnal creature to a nocturnal one. Is an owl more wicked than a bluejay for staying up late?"

"...no. It's just different." Buck said.

"And yet owls are often perceived as dark omens for calling out in the night and having big, bright eyes. Sound familiar, Buck?" Adagio said.

"I guess that's what you get when the world is run by morning people." Buck laughed.

"Precisely." Adagio returned to her sitting position and noticed Buck looking just a bit less stressed.

"So, so, what's with all those symbols? Are those spells?" Scoots said.

"No, those are magical creatures. Magic is a natural element of Equestria, like oxygen or water. Every living creature in Equestria has some modicum of magic in them. Obviously, some more than others. Each type of magical creature has a signature, a spell type that can place them somewhere on this chart. Creatures of the same species tend to have the same signature. For instance, Diamond Dogs are known for creating the Geomancy school of magic, and within that category, an individual is likely to specialize in transmuting one or two specific minerals. Geomancy falls under the Order/Telluric quadrant. On the other side, there's dragons. Many of their spells tend to be destructive and volatile, with an emphasis on fire. That puts them in the Chaos/Telluric quadrant." Sunburst said. "A creature's placement on the chart determines their magic's outer limits as well. If you know your magical creatures you might see a trend. The closer a creature is to the axes of the chart, the more potent their power theoretically is. However, creatures further away from the axes tend to have a wider range of spells at their command, as their affinity to their primary type is weaker."

"So, where do ponies fit in?" Buck said.

"Ponies tend to hover right around the center. Pegasi are in the Ethereal/Chaos quadrant, Earth ponies are in the Order/Telluric quadrant, and Unicorns are right in the direct center of the chart as the most magically diverse of all creatures currently known." Starlight said.

"Yes, and they never shut up about it," Adagio said.

"But wait, if they're in the center, does that mean they're super strong, but they aren't very flexible?" Scoots said.

"Exactly. The more mana reserves a creature has, the more they naturally lean toward one type of spell. This is componded by another unique quality; each individual is said to have exactly one magical aptitude, described by what they call a cutie mark. Their 'special talent' so to speak." Starlight said.

"Oh, I know this one. Cutie Marks are like a symbol that represents the one thing that a pony is good at. In Ogres and Oubliettes, that usually means skill training." Buck said.

"But it's much more than that! Cutie marks are still largely a mystery to equestrian scholars! The exact process that causes them to manifest is unclear, but it has something to do with self-actualization! Not just that, but cutie marks don't just represent a singular ability; some of them represent domains of power!" Sunburst rambled excitedly.

"What do you mean?" Buck said.

"Let's say your cutie mark is...a bobby pin. That could mean that pony is good at, I don't know, piercing things." Sunburst said.

"Sounds terrifying, but sure."

"Well, a bobby pin doesn't just stab things, does it? It's used to hold things together when there's a rift. If you accentuate that idea with magic, you could potentially end up with a pony that can hold together or pierce through all sorts of substances or other magics! Imagine the possibilities!"

"Yes, it's said that the more general a cutie mark is, the more possibilities it can contain. A cutie mark of a lightning bolt usually means elemental affinity with electricity, but a cutie mark of a party hat could place the domain of general festivities at your command. That could mean influence over party favors, balloons, etcetera. As you can imagine, a large swathe of pony academia is centered around interpreting cutie marks, much to the chagrin of other magically potent creatures that don't have a convenient signpost to their arcane aptitude. It is the easiest way to identify what an individual spellcaster is capable of." Adagio said.

"Sounds vague." Buck said.

"Oh, it's another source of constant debate. Some theorize that all creatures have a cutie mark, but only ponies display them externally. Either way, understanding a cutie mark is a traditional method of identifying the properties of one's magic."

"Which is what we're going to work on today!" Sunburst said. "Identifying your magic! You two are humans, so you obviously don't have cutie marks, but if you manifest a magical aura, we should be able to determine where it fits on the chart, and once we do, we'll have a great place to start your training."

"Okay, how do we do that?" Buck said.

"You use the equation." Starlight said.

"Okay, but how do you do it, though?" Buck repeated.

"I already explained it. You come into contact with a spell source, you decide what you want to do with it, then you push it with a degree of emotional clarity. It's not rocket science."

"No, it's fucking magic! It just feels like you're leaving out a lot of mental gymnastics and prep!"

"Calm down. It's not that hard. You've literally done it accidentally."

"Well, I don't wanna do it accidentally in here." Buck huffed.

"It might be easier to grasp if you have an example. Sunburst?"

Sunburst stood before the couch and brandished a pebble of quartz.

"Note, he's using quartz crystal as a spell source. Quartz is a natural conductor for arcane energy, and typically has a tiny bit of power in it."

"Then how do you use it to shoot those big laser beams, and stuff?" Scoots said.

"Practice. And a lot of calculations and study. I've spent a lot of time learning to optimize spells I draw from components. In this line of work, You have to make a lot with a little."

"Relatable." Buck said.

"Just firing up a basic cantrip like this can take a lot of concentration. It's still hard for me." Sunburst said.

He closed his eyes and mumbled under his breath. A swishing tinkle sound preceded a pale yellow glow. The quartz disintegrated into dust, but a sparkling mote of yellow light glimmered just above Sunbursts' palm.

While Scoots and Buck stared in awe, Adagio's eyes slipped down to the table covered in paperwork and notes. There was a small box of similar quartz crystals, on the side of which was a logo that read Everfree Quarry.

"Why's he whispering?" Scoots said.

"Sunburst finds it easier to invocate the spell instead of visualizing it. It's just how he processes things." Starlight explained.

The light flickered, then fizzled out. Sunburst scratched his head.

"Oof. Well, there you are! That's magic, basically. Who wants to try first?"

"Not it." Buck said.

"Pick me, pick me!" Scoots said, raising her hand.

"Looks like it's you by default, Scoots." Sunburst smiled. "Take this piece of quartz. It's the most basic component we can get our hands on." Sunburst passed a pebble to Scoots. She rolled it around in her hand, then thrust her hand out with a dramatic flourish.

"Hah!" Scouts shouted.

Buck cringed, but instead of taking a ki blast to the face, he looked at Scoots and saw...nothing. Scoots tried doing it with a fist, then a thumbs up, then a pointing finger, looking increasingly ridiculous as she went on.

"Aww..."

"Just yelling isn't going to work. You need to focus." Starlight said.

"But focus on what? I don't get it!"

"The aura. Imagine a glowing aura." Starlight took a piece of quartz and demonstrated. Unlike Sunburst, she didn't have to focus on it. A cyan glow enveloped her pointer finger.

"But I've never seen my aura! How am I supposed to imagine it!?"

"This would be easier if we knew your magical species..." Sunburst said.

"It's not an exact science; it's...well, once I got my hands on a spell source, it was easy for me." Starlight said.

"Well, of course it was. You are obviously the reflection of a unicorn." Adagio said. Everyone stared at her, all at once.

"...how do you know that?"

"Well, it took me a bit to figure it out, since unlike everyone else here, you are entirely bereft of even a trace of magic. By all accounts, you taste like a dead body without the rot."

Starlight's eye twitched.

"'dagio, come on," Buck said automatically, earning a quick smirk from Adagio.

"You, Starlight Glimmer, have a tunnel-visioned perspective. Everything in the world, you see under the tip of your horn. You want to change things, take control, make the world better. And like a sensible person, you believe magic is the way to make that happen." Adagio continued.

"Yes." Starlight said.

"You have all the hallmarks of a unicorn; power-hungry, objective-driven, easily frustrated by things you can't use your "towering intellect" to solve like an equation. The way you're perceived, the society you live in, the people around you; if you had magic, you would fix it all with a wave of the horn-er, hand."

"Yes." Starlight said through gritted teeth.

"Because you understand the nature of power. At least a little bit. That is a trait that all unicorns share. And before you get short with me, I don't mean to imply that's a bad thing. It's one of their few redeeming qualities, and--lucky you!--you have that quality without having to be a unicorn. Sunburst has it as well, but it's softer and gentler. Warm, in other words." Adagio turned to smile at Sunburst, who gently took Starlight's hand.

"And how do you know Sunburst is a unicorn?" Starlight said, yanking her hand away from Sunburst and crossing her arms.

"He tastes like one." Adagio shrugged. "He has all the qualities of one, with perhaps a bit of pegasus mixed in. A go-getter, but he recognizes the value of discretion."

"This is starting to sound like horoscopes." Scoots said.

"Ooh! Adagio is totally a Scorpio!" Buck said. "And, uh, Starlight, you're...a virgo?"

"Actually, yes. I am."

"All magical species have a distinctive signature, as you've said. I just happen to have a talent for sniffing them out." Adagio said.

"Is your cutie mark a nose?" Scoots said. Buck snorted.

"No, Little Birdie. When I took pony form, my cutie mark was a gold diamond over a treble clef." Adagio said.

"A what?" Scoots said.

"A musical symbol that represents notes over middle C."

"A what?"

"It's the key of G4." Buck said.

"G4? Like generation four?"

"I like to think that mark represents my ability to rise above any circumstance and excel. Or it could denote my magnificent singing voice, or perhaps-"

"Can we please focus!?" Starlight barked.

"Very well. The point is, I can detect magical auras, even identify their flavor. Coupled with my skills of deduction and perceptiveness, it gives me a distinct advantage in any situation involving magic."

"Is that...have you been reading our emotions the entire time!?" Starlight exploded. Adagio's grin turned devilish.

"Yes, I can detect your every impulse, Starlight Glimmer."

"Oh yeah? How about you detect THIS impulse!" Starlight said. Sunburst grabbed her hand before she could raise a middle finger.

"'dagio, cut it out. We're all in this together, right?" Buck said. Adagio flashed him another smile.

"He's right, of course. I'll offer this tidbit as a peace offering. Little Birdie?" Adagio said, strolling over to Scoots. She trailed a finger through Scoots' hair and relished the shudder that shook the small woman.

"Y-Yeah?"

"You taste like light steps and a quickly beating heart. You taste like brashness and avoidance. Like a pair of fluttering wings. There's a reason I call you Little Birdie, and it's not simply your loose lips." Adagio purred.

Through the sudden blush, Scoot's eyes shot open, and a current of excitement ran through her.

"Am I a batpony!?"

"You're a pegasus." Adagio groaned. "Pegasi are the ponies I least despise, if only because they tend to smartly flee when they see me coming." She closed Scoot's fingers around her piece of quartz and lifted her hand. "Is that exciting to you?"

Scoots nodded quickly.

"Now, let me think...I've been watching you, Little Birdie. You're a sprinter. You don't think in images alone, do you? You think in terms of space. As in, how quickly can you reach this point? How far is the target? Am I right in assuming that?"

"Y-Yeah...when Rainbow Dash trained me, she taught me to think about the finish line and how to get there!" Scoots squeaked. Adagio frowned at the name drop.

"I see. In that case, don't worry over the aura. Close your eyes. Now, think about a hummingbird's wings...how it hovers and flits between flowers, how it dashes to and fro."

"Okay..."

"Now...what lies beneath its wings?"

"...the wind?"

The curtains in the room unsettled just the slightest bit. Scoot's hair began to shift as if tossed by a breeze.

"Is it working?" Scoots said. Adagio took a few steps back as the papers on the coffee table were unsettled.

"Hold on. You're not exactly stable yet." Starlight stepped around Scoots, marking the hardwood floor with a piece of chalk. She worked quickly, drawing an ornate circle filled with runes around Scoot's feet.

"What are you doin'?" Buck said.

"I'm putting down a spell circle. This acts as a matrix to help give the spell order and focus. These formulas are ususally reserved for big, complicated spells, but in this case, it will take some of the burden off this cantrip." Starlight mumbled a few fast and dirty calculations, then finished the circle with a pair of small wings between Scoots' feet.

"You've been conjugating arcane calculations in the middle of the battlefield?" Adagio said.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Sunburst beamed.

"Focus, Scootaloo. Imagine the power gathering. The wind beneath your wings, right in the palm of your hand."

A swirling mass of purple fog whistled into existence just above Scoots' palm. The quartz disintegrated.

"Now, open your eyes."

"Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh! I did it! Look you guys, I did it!" Scoots flapped an arm, her eyes full of stars and wonder at the tiny purple zephyr in her hands. In an instant, the wind rose, and Scoots' whole body darted backward like an arrow. Luckily, Starlight moved to intercept and caught her by the shoulders.

"Careful! Ethereal magic like that can be unpredictable!"

"Right, right, right...sorry." Scoots deflated.

Starlight looked askance and saw Sunburst gesturing.

"But that was a good job! Even I didn't get it right on the first try, and neither did Sunburst!" Starlight smiled.

"Really!?"

"Really. It looks like your power is small, a bit smaller than Sunbursts', but it's enough to put some oomph behind your spellcasting. Now that we know you're a pegasus, we've got a strong base of spells we can consider for you, though the components won't come cheap." Starlight said.

"So I'm a spellcaster!?"

"Yes." Starlight said.

"YES!" Scoots turned and hugged Starlight tight, jumping up and down. Starlight looked at Sunburst, Buck, even Adagio, with panic in her eyes.

"Okay, Scoots, okay, maybe give her a little space, huh?" Buck said.

"Huh? Oh, uh, sorry. Sorry!" Scoots sheepishly wandered back to the couch, blushing. Adagio gave her a polite round of applause.

"Excellent work, Little Birdie. I'm sure you'll be soaring the skies in no time." Adagio said.

Scoots squeed and vibrated in her seat, her feet tapping rapidly at the ground.

"Alright, that went well!" Sunburst said, writing down notes. "Buck, you're up next."

All eyes turned to Buck, who had the expression of a man being invited to the gallows.

"Uh...you sure about that? I mean, Scoots nearly got launched from just a tiny bit, and I'm like...'dagio, what am I like?"

"Like a geyser inside of a fire hose, Buck."

"Yeah. That. Can we all just acknowledge that I don't want to get any of you killed?" Buck spoke quickly, almost comically, but the look in his eyes was a terror that Adagio found familiar and a bit nostalgic.

"We have safeguards in place. There's a ward around this room that will prevent any of the magic from escaping." Starlight said.

"So instead of blowing out the windows, we'll just hotbox my magic and get reduced to chunky salsa. Great."

"If it gets out of hand, all we have to do is touch you with the changeling stone. It'll be fine." Sunburst said.

"I just...I'm really afraid of losing control. Even a tiny slip-up could cause some serious damage. What if I accidentally tear open a rift again?"

"Then we'll seal it up. We're prepared for that." Starlight said. "The most important thing is that you calm down."

"Telling someone to calm down has literally never calmed anyone down!" Buck snapped.

"Okay, okay. Buck? Breathe. Will you sit with me?" Sunburst soothed. Buck nodded and sat down in the middle of the floor.

"I know this is scary. Your body is doing something new and unexpected, and we don't completely understand it. Think of it like puberty."

"But I was a late bloomer!"

"Hm. Knew it." Adagio smiled triumphantly.

"I know, brother, I know. But I need you to trust us on this. We're going to figure this out. But first, we need to get an actual look at your aura. This is going to be challenging. You need a clarity of intent and a strong emotion. Can you do that?"

"I don't know, man. I don't know. What do you mean by clarity of intent?"

"Clear your mind, Buck." Starlight said.

"That's literally the thing I'm worst at in the world!"

"Okay, let's just focus on relaxing. Deep breaths, Buck. Let's take it slow." Sunburst said. "You're not in any danger. We're all here, watching out. If something goes wrong, we'll help. But we won't do anything until you're ready."

"I'm ready. I'm ready, I can do this."

"That's right. You can. Now, take a deep breath. I'm going to take the necklace off."

Buck shut his eyes. Sunburst removed the necklace slowly, placing it carefully in Starlight's hand as if he were handling a radioactive isotope. To everyone's surprise, Buck did not spontaneously combust. Adagio was hit with a wave of angst, needling anxiety, and the taste of a shaken bottle of seltzer. She wondered if Ditzy had been torturing the poor man or if Buck had been torturing himself.

In all likelihood, she reasoned, it was both.

"Okay. Not blowin' up. That's pretty cool." Buck's shoulders slumped, and he exhaled, slowly.

"Now, what do you see in your mind?"

"Oh, the usual worries. And some things I don't want to mention. Uh, a short story idea I've been kicking around and Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai is playing on loop in the background."

"That's a bop." Scoots said, from where she was hiding behind the couch.

"I've also got a one-page review of The Shape of Water. Spoiler alert, it's rad."

"Haha! You would say that!" Scoots laughed.

"What's The Shape of Water?" Adagio said.

"Your relationship with Buck, basically." Scoots chuckled.

"Shut up, Scoots!" Buck said. "Yo, did you know the dude that made that is workin' on a stop motion Pinnochio movie over in Portland right now?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be a musical."

"That sounds really interesting!" Sunburst said.

"You need to clear your mind of distractions if you want to cast spells, Buck." Starlight snapped. Adagio glared at her for a split second, then returned to her neutral countenance.

"Yeah, that ain't happenin', chief. Can't control that." Buck said. Starlight threw her hands up.

"Don't worry about that. What would you say is the strongest emotion you're feeling right now, Buck?" Sunburst said.

"Anxiety. Also peckish, for ice cream."

"Okay. You won't need a spell source, since you are one. In your head, do you think you can get a hand around anxiety?"

"That sounds like a therapy question. Which reminds me, I gotta call Silver Spoon." Buck said, pulling out his phone.

"You know Silver Spoon!? She still hasn't paid me back for that bet she lost!" Scoots also pulled out her phone.

Adagio smiled as she tasted Starlight seething.

"You guys made a bet?"

"She took me on at ping pong, and then got salty after she lost. I thought she started a rumor about me but turns out it was Pip."

"Who? Nevermind. What was the rumor?"

"He said I was gay."

"Scoots. You are gay."

"No, I'm bi, it's totally different!"

"...is it?"

"Well, it's a spectrum." Sunburst offered.

"That's true. That's true. Damn, man, I hope Pinocchio is as imaginative as Hellboy 2 was. One'a my favorites. You seen that one, 'dagio?"

"No, I haven't. What's Hellboy, Buck?"

"Yoooo! Okay, so these scientists back during World War 2--"

"BUCK! FOCUS!" Starlight accentuated her barking retort with a clap.

"Oh, shit that's right. We were gonna do magic."

"Yes! We were! That's why you're sitting on the floor!"

"...Do y'all wanna take a break and watch Hellboy?" Buck said, scratching his head.

"What in the world is going on here? Weren't you just freaking out!?"

"Yeah, but I think got a little lost somewhere in the anxiety spiral and swung back around to chill. Sometimes it be like that." Buck shrugged.

"Why can't you just focus on spellcasting like you focused on Adagio's ass for three months!?" Starlight shouted.

"I don't control the hyperfixation! And lemmie tell ya, sister, if you were into girls, you'd fixate on that ass, too! Tell 'em, Scoots."

"I mean, it's a really nice butt."

"Thanks Scoots."

"Ugh, this is impossible!" Starlight said.

"I think it's cute," Adagio said.

"You're not helping!" Starlight snarled.

"Do you want me to?"

"NO! Buck, I'm begging you. Please just try to manifest your aura. We all know you can do it. Just give it a go."

Buck shut his eyes and wiggled his fingers. Nothing.

"Nope, sorry. Now there's nothin' comin' out."

"Try harder!"

He tried again, but all Buck managed to produce was a little fart noise.

"Nope, no magic. Just poop."

Starlight looked like she was ready to throttle Buck, but Sunburst stepped between them.

"Okay, tensions are high. I think Buck might have the right idea. Maybe we should take a break."

"This is an important training session, and I'm not letting it turn into a movie night!" Starlight said.

"Well, I mean, look, we brought ice cream, and Sunburst has Netflix. We could watch whatever, man." Buck said. Adagio chuckled. Starlight pulled her beanie over her face and let out a muffled scream.

Scoots replied to a text.

"Silver Spoon says the offer is still up for therapy. Free session to start!"

"Oh shit, that's right, I was about to text her!"

"THAT'S IT! I'M TAKING A WALK!" Starlight stomped over to the kitchen, then out the door with the tub of ice cream in one hand and a metal scoop in the other. The door slammed, and the residents looked at each other uneasily. All save for Adagio, who was covering an impish smile with her hand.

"...I should go make sure she's okay." Sunburst said.

"Yeah...I'm really ballsin' this up, aren't I?" Buck said. Sunburst smiled and patted his head.

"We just need to take some time and help you through this. Magic is a little different for everyone, and you're obviously a special case. Don't beat yourself up, alright?"

"Thanks, brother. Tell her to save us some ice cream, huh?"

"Sure." There was a hug, and then Sunburst was out. Despite the advice, Buck slumped back down to the floor and stared at the ceiling.

"This's high school all over again," Buck mumbled.

"...Little Birdie? Could you excuse us for a moment? I'd like a private chat with Buck."

"Oh, uh...are you okay with that, Buck?"

"Sure. She's on the level today." Buck said, not looking over.

"Well, alright. I'm gonna...go see if Sunburst needs some backup!" Scoots scampered away.

As it turned out, Sunburst did not need any backup. He leaned on the wall a few paces down from the door to his suite and gave Scoots a little nod as she caught up. Starlight Glimmer was pacing back and forth inside a dome of shimmering cyan energy. She was gesticulating her way through a rant, but no sound was coming out.

"What's going on here?" Scoots said, finally.

"Zone of Silence. An underrated spell that does what it sounds like."

"...is she going to be okay?"

"Starlight just needs to gather herself. Sometimes it takes a bit."

Starlight continued on with her silent tirade, occasionally scooping spoonfuls of ice cream into her mouth.

"...is she gonna share that?"

"I doubt it."

Adagio thought to placate Buck, then to seduce him, then to jab at him, and she knew that none of it would work. She could taste the weight of emotion pressing down on Buck, and it was nearly alien to her.

Instead of her usual strategies, Adagio decided to join Buck on the floor, lying next to him, hopefully at a comfortable distance.

"I don't understand how you feel, Buck. Can you please indulge me, and explain?"

"What's to explain? I had an anxiety downswing, tumbled into a round of associative ping-pong, and drove away my teachers in the process. I didn't think I'd do good today, but I didn't think I'd screw it up so fast, either."

"You expected to fail?"

"When you live in my world, you get used to it."

"That's a cruel perspective to place on yourself, Buck."

"After a while, you get used to bein' a screw-up."

Chilling despair crept into Buck's words, lying just under the mountain of frustration he was carrying. Adagio shivered but refused to be beaten back.

"Buck, do you trust me?"

"That's a big question," Buck said, then sat in the silence that followed.

Adagio waited patiently for his response.

"I know you're trouble, but I also know that you don't wanna do me no harm, 'cause you don't wanna lose my magic. I trust you to be yourself, I guess."

"Well, there's an informed opinion. Dashingly pragmatic, as well." Adagio smiled.

"Maybe I'm learning a little bit from you." Adagio could taste his smile. Part of her wanted to taste his lips right now, but she pushed it away.

"Would you like to learn some more?"

"Please. I'm rattlin' in the wind out here."

"Generalized advice and equations aren't going to get you anywhere. Your mind obviously doesn't work that way, nor does it react well to a high-pressure lecturing environment. You're an artist; your education happens in a studio and in the wild, not in a study hall. And putting that aside, I never liked that stuffy old equation. How can you boil things like emotions and intentions down into tidy little letters? The old scholars taught it that way because the equation allows a small mind to wrap around the concept. Magic is more complicated than that."

"Okay, so I'm not crazy, then."

"No, Buck. You're intimidated because you're imaginative. People with a linear mindset lean on the equation and spell circles to create matrixes for their spells, but your mind doesn't operate linearly. Your mind, as I understand it, works from the middle out, going in every direction at once. For someone powerful and creative, magic is full of possibilities, but if you don't learn to project it, you will never be able to interpret those possibilities into action. Until you learn to let go, you won't be able to conjure even the simplest of cantrips."

"But if I just let it fly, if I lose control, everyone's at risk! I feel like I'm the only thing stopping a volcano from erupting, and everyone is treating it like it's no big deal!"

"They were trying to make you feel comfortable. They know what's at risk, but they don't want to treat you like a walking explosion. You're lucky to be surrounded by people like that."

"That's why I don't want to put them in harm's way!"

"So, what, you'll just sit around letting them fight your battles instead? Will you bottle up your power until it explodes? Everyone here knows you aren't that stupid."

"Starlight thinks I'm a fuckin' idiot."

"And she's a narrow-minded twit. Why care what she thinks?"

"She's just tryin' to help, and so's Sunburst. Everyone's counting on me to get control of this, otherwise, I'll just be another monster they have to take down."

"It won't come to that, Buck."

"You don't know that."

"I do, because I won't let it. They mean well, but their methods don't work because they don't understand what triggers your magic. Not like I do. Every time your magic has flared up, it's been due to intimacy or extreme stress. Stress is a common instigator of magical mishaps, but intimacy is different. I've never seen intimacy act as a trigger for magic until now."

"...I'm not about to get 'intimate' with you, 'dagio."

"Yes, I'm very aware that you've chosen to wear a leash. Intimacy doesn't necessarily mean sexual contact, Buck. Intimacy just means closeness to another person. Let me help you."

"Okay, but what if you're wrong? What if I lose control and someone gets hurt? What if someone sees what I'm capable of, and then the people Sunburst and Starlight work for come for my head? What if I really do turn into a monster?"

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"I understand what the problem is."

"You do?"

"I do. Sit up, Buck. You're going to be fine."

Adagio rose into a cross-legged position, and after a moments' deliberation, Buck rose to face her.

It was an unexpected development, to be sure. Adagio was certain until now that Buck was a beautiful bauble she had found just past the shallows and brought to the surface. She understood now that this was false. Buck was something shining and golden that she tried to pluck from the sand, but it was stuck fast, entombed under layers of societal debris, stony traumas, and weighty repression. There was far more than a powerful trinket buried here. Adagio took a second to catch her breath, and she began to dig.

"Give me your hand." Adagio tasted a tentative trust as Buck offered his hand.

"Am I supposed to close my eyes?"

"Not yet. I want you to look in my eyes, Buck. Beyond this room, there's nothing. There is nothing but your eyes, and mine. No one to judge you, no one to condemn me. There is nothing but you and I, and magic."

"Okay..."

"Buck...since the moment I met you, you've been holding back your emotions. You are terrified of feeling things openly."

"Oh, hi pot, my name's kettle."

"Ah-ah. We're talking about you right now. Just now, I caught a glimpse of it. Here you are at the precipice of discovering your potential, and you are immediately flooded with anxieties about how it could go wrong. You defeat yourself before you even try. I can only imagine what you've experienced to make you so cynical."

"Ouch. Just dress me down, why don't ya?"

"I'd love to, Buck." Adagio smirked.

"Stop that."

"I need you to understand that whatever it is you feel in my presence, there's no reason to bury it. You can't hide your feelings from me, Buck, so don't try to. Just let them come. Embrace them."

"But no pressure." Buck's smile tasted like a sour grapefruit. Adagio's smugness matched it blow for blow.

"None, whatsover. I won't tolerate your reticence when it comes to magic."

"Fair enough."

"Now, close your eyes. Buck...what would you say is the emotion you feel the most keenly and frequently?"

"I don't think I can really narrow that down."

"You don't think you can? Or is it that you don't think you should?" Adagio traced her fingers along Buck's knuckles. She could see the beginnings of a blush in his cheeks.

"I think you know me a little too well, 'dagio."

"Be honest."

"Lust." Buck said. Adagio frowned.

"Wrong. Close, but wrong. I've spent plenty of time tasting you, and while lust is an...intoxicatingly ubiquitous flavor of yours, it's not the primary."

"Well, why don't you tell me then?"

"Your primary emotion is passion. You flare and crackle with it, Buck. You feel passion for so many tiny innocuous things throughout the day, and your eyes are always wandering in one direction while your thoughts go in several others. You taste like so many things, Buck, even under all the weight you carry, you feel things so fiercely, it...I'm rambling."

"Thank you."

"Hm?"

"No one's ever described me like that. Thank you." Adagio saw a fragile smile on Buck's face.

"Hold your hand out, like this...like you're catching rain, or offering change." Adagio lifted Buck's hand, cradling it in hers.

Buck hummed with effort, but nothing came out.

"Still nothin'." Buck grunted.

"You don't need to strain, Buck. Let it come to you. Just let it out."

"But if I lose control, I'll go nuclear!"

"You won't. You've done it before. I've seen you use magic."

"What?"

"When you sang on our first date. You captured the crowd and held their attention implicitly from the first bar of your song."

"That's just karaoke."

"No, Buck. Everything stopped. Every eye and ear came to you at once and stayed. That was magic. At game night, you nearly sent the whole table to sleep. Starlight dozed off entirely. When you mocked Quibble Pants, he felt the blows in his soul. I could taste it. When you took me to the dressing room on the boardwalk and fucked a blushing confession out of me, that was magic. When I was overstimulated on that horrible little pillbox of public transit, you cast a song of calm on me that allowed me to get to work."

"That's all just coincidence!"

"Songs are among the oldest invocations known to intelligent life. A Bard's song has power, and you are nothing if not a Bard. You don't even need to sing. With the right amount of focus, you won't need to invoke your spells at all."

"Because the song is in my heart?"

"Yes, Buck."

That's corny as all hell."

"Implying you aren't?"

"Ooh...got 'em." Buck was trying not to smile, now, but Adagio could taste his mirth and a spreading relief. He had missed their rapport just as much as she had. "Okay, so magic's been slippin' out of me. We already knew that."

"No, Buck, even if you didn't mean to, you've cast spells! Sunburst and Starlight think that your little pebble will help you control your power, but it's just a lid. What happens when you leave the lid on a boiling pot?"

"...It eventually boils over."

"Exactly. A lid doesn't control the temperature, a lid simply traps the heat in. Your power has been repressed for so long, you don't even know what it's like when it's properly unleashed. Did you know, when magical creatures hold their power and emotions back, they begin to suffer? Sloth, constant exhaustion and sudden outbursts are common symptoms of mana constipation. They're all just bubbling pots."

"Bubbling pots..so, wait, we're not trying to get at the water in the pot, we're trying to..."

"Let off some steam?" Adagio tasted a sudden spike of heat from Buck. His lust tasted like spicy hot chocolate, and the hint of it on the tip of her tongue nearly made her drool. Buck peeked with one eye to see a devilish grin across from him.

"I said enough of that. I'm spoken for." Buck growled.

"Oh? And is that you speaking, or her?"

"Just stop with the flirting."

"You don't really want me to. I can taste it."

"What I want is for you to respect my boundaries. If you cain't do that, I'm callin' this whole thing off." Adagio buckled under the spotlight of Buck's glare. The rebuke stung as if it had struck her across the cheek.

"I understand." Adagio said. Buck's gaze softened, but the flickering lust remained.

"Right...so the aura is the steam, then?"

"Yes. Your magic is the water, your intention is the burner and the spell is--"

"A ladle?"

"Yes, that will do just fine. Let's focus in on the steam, hm? Breathe, Buck...I want you to hold the handle of that pot in your mind." Adagio said, her voice dipping low.

Buck's hand hovered, reaching slowly for a lid that wasn't there. Adagio could feel the heat gathering in his palm.

"Good...now give me the name of something you're passionate about. Don't think. Just speak it."

"Reading stories. Writing stories. Telling stories." Adagio's heart began to speed up. Buck's beat at the same rhythm. There was the tiniest spark in his hand, like a dying matchstick.

"Excellent. What else?"

"Cartoons. Movies." Buck's hand started slipping away, but Adagio held fast. She thought her hands would catch fire at any moment, but she refused to let go.

"More. What else, Buck? What else do you love?" Her voice rose.

"Comic books, podcasts, video games, roleplay...!" Buck's hand trembled as a mote of pale red light blinkered into his palm.

"More! What else do you love, Buck!?" In her mind, she was begging to hear her name.

"Uh, the uh, the beach! The ocean! Sweets and soul food and so many kinds of music! I love dance, and poetry and things that fly and swim and run and jump. The feel of a cool breeze and the satisfaction that comes after cumming so hard your toes curl!" The ember bloomed into flame. Pink sparks and a crackling ball of red fire warmed Adagio's face. It trembled and shifted forms quickly, uncertainly.

"Yes! Yes! What else, Buck!?"

"The, the way that Sunburst doesn't always know what to say, but he knows when to say it! The way Starlight can't hep but smile when Sunburst takes her hand. The way Scoots fidgets when she's nervous. The way Dinky Doo is always looking for rocks and leaves and bones. The way Ditzy holds me." Buck's voice got quieter, but the flame in his hand stopped its shifting. It ballooned into a cartoonish red heart, pulsing with pink light.

Adagio's emotions coagulated under the venom of that woman's name. It sat smugly on Buck's tongue in the space meant for Adagio. Her next words came out low and careful.

"What else, Buck? Tell me what else you love."

"...the way you look at me. Like I'm a strange light you saw while wandering in the forest, and the sun is going down, but you're not scared, you're smiling and following the light, because you want...because you need to know where it goes. You look at me like a calamity, and you look at me like an unspoiled night sky. Like I'm..."

"Sublime?" Adagio whispered.

"Yes." The heart shuddered and grew again. It twisted and shook, and its flames brought sweat to Adagio's face. Buck's hand was glowing like a hot poker, but it didn't matter. The heart bubbled and waved and seemed for all the world like a star about to be born.

Adagio had a catastrophic thought. She could drink it all in, let it burn her to cinders. Swallow it down and consume it before it could consume her. It tasted so hot and so violent and so, so good.

But then she looked at Buck, and her thirst melted away. His lip was quivering, and his jaw clenched. The heart flared.

"Buck?"

"Adagio, I'm scared. I can't do this. We shouldn't be doing this!"

"Buck, it's okay. I have you."

"This is too much!"

"No, Buck, this is you. This is who you are. You'll be fine.

"How can you know that!?" The heart drummed a panicked beat.

"Please, trust me. I won't let you burn down. Take a deep breath..."

Buck inhaled. The heart inflated.

"Now, let go."

To call it a firestorm wouldn't be exactly accurate. In the days to come, Adagio would cross out names and diagrams and descriptions in her journal, trying to piece together all that she saw.

The red hot heart of flame floating in Buck's hands pulsed with his heartbeat, getting faster and faster until Buck's eyes opened to reveal a blinding white glow.

Buck's jaw dropped as the red heart sent blooms of pink flame into the air like twirling bottle rockets. They burst against the ceiling, and the embers that came tumbling down unfolded into dancing images. In the chaos, Adagio barely registered the sight of countless red illusions playing out a thousand little scenarios. A child raising a sword for the first time, a moth emerging from a cocoon. Figures embracing and swinging into a waltz, and countless others orbiting through the space, shifting and breaking and combining into new forms.

The heat was immeasurable. Adagio felt Buck's energy blaze up her arms and into her chest. She felt Buck's impulses as her own. She fought the urge to dance, to draw, to write, to sing, to take Buck to the floor and tear his clothes off. She felt his heart twisting under an impossible weight, yet the blaze of his passion brought a burning blush to her cheeks and a wetness between her thighs.

Adagio feared that if she let go of Buck's quivering hands, she might float off into space and be burned among the stars. Sweat was rolling down his face. She began to speak to him, but a din rose amidst the illusions. It sounded like a brass band, then an orchestra, then a barbershop quartet. Despite the obvious strain, Adagio could hear a gentle harmony finding itself in the chaos.

"'dagio, I can't see! What's happening!?"

"Buck, you're doing wonderfully!" Adagio tried to placate him, but the noise drowned her out. A soothing song playing far too loud sang through the space, and as the images rotated around them, another flare erupted from the heart.

The walls of the suite disappeared, and suddenly Adagio and Buck were hurtling through a galaxy, then they were flying over a sun-dappled ocean, then they were sitting on a hill overlooking a moonlit pond.

Adagio looked around in awe and jealousy. Of course, her Dazzlevision spell had filled an auditorium and conjured realities, but it had come at the cost of the emotional energy of all present.

Buck was creating a shockingly potent illusion with his own power, and he was doing it accidentally.

"Don't be scared, Buck! Feed the flame! This is your power; let it fill you!"

The red heart in Buck's hands shuddered, and suddenly the scene shifted again. They were on a balcony overlooking a dying star. They were in the shade of a dead giant's sword; they were in the depths of a forest made of twisting steel. The sparkling fireworks all around shifted to dragonflies, then birds, cars, blades, and people.

The pink flames surrounding the heart charged up Buck's arms, and suddenly he was nothing but a blazing suggestion of a human silhouette. His eyes shone through it, straight into Adagio.

The heart twitched, and Adagio felt a twinge of pain in her chest. She looked down and saw an odd lump forming near the top of the heart. Another joined it, then they extended outward, bending gently and sharpening.

Horns.

The same horns were forming in flame atop Buck's head. Behind him, a pair of slender wings slid from the pink blaze.

Adagio had seen this figure in a reoccurring nightmare.

It was a presence that terrified and charmed her. A demon that threatened to send her willingly to her knees.

Adagio's hair blossomed to its full, resplendent length. Equine ears popped from her head, and fins unfurled from her back. She was full to the brim, and yet the power kept flooding her, overflowing just as it did on their first night together. She thought she had grown acclimated to Buck's power, but she was wrong. She was floating in a scalding bath of his emotions, and it felt as if she would catch flame if she didn't get out.

Adagio heard a frantic pounding at a door that must have been a few realities away. Her mind drifted to the possibilities. She could harness this power for so much more than a simple doorway home. She could change the world. Both worlds. She felt the mana flowing through her, swirling, blazing. It was a feast fit for an empress, and it was in the palm of her hands.

"Adagio...?"

It was Buck's voice. It was all around her, calling from the burning stars and everything beyond.

"Yes, Buck?" Meek. Her voice was tiny, nearly an echo.

"Is this what you wanted?" Buck's blazing hands raised the horned heart before her eyes. Adagio saw it up close, and her eyes watered. It was beating, but in the flames, she saw scars and slashes too numerous to count.

She reached, then immediately pulled back with smoking fingertips. Buck pushed the heart closer, but the heat was unbearable. Adagio shrunk away.

"Stop, Buck! Stop!"

The burning figure wavered. In the corners of his eyes, Adagio saw blue flames pool and slide down his face. Buck pulled the burning, horned heart back and held it against his chest, doubling over. He shook, and it was like the whole of creation sobbed. The illusions melted like heated wax, and the imaginary space flickered.

A door in space crashed open.

Adagio wanted to say a million things in that moment. She was a manipulator, a social monster, and Buck was far from the first powerful entity she had come into contact with. But every scheme she could conceive fell to pieces as she watched the pink flames turn red, then blue, then hiss into cracked obsidian.

There was a flurry of movement, but Adagio's thoughts were trapped in the sight of Buck solidifying like an urn in a blast furnace. The same pink flame sparked through the cracks, but it was dying.

She wanted to placate him, to chide or poke at him, find some string in his heart and pull it, but her hollow schemes burned to ash.

In the dying light, Adagio saw the shadow of her sisters as they turned away.

Don't leave me. Don't run. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I can fix this; just let me fix this!

The trauma of Adagio's own loss dragged her down, away from the heat and the fury.

Home waited with open arms.

The three words she might have said, the words she knew Buck wanted to hear, were drowned in an instant.

She expected an explosion, but the song ended prematurely. The stories untold spinning around her head faded into phantoms of fireworks in the night sky.

Two pairs of orange hands held Buck's arms. He was like a statue now, but Adagio could see his face in the stone. There wasn't anguish there, despite the blueish flames streaking down his cheeks. It was the placid, not-quite-frown of a man who had been reminded of his place.

Starlight placed the changeling stone necklace around Buck's neck, and the aura disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Buck sat straight and blinked. There were tears on his face.

"Are you alright?" Sunburst said, looking him up and down.

"Y-Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. That was...that was all pretty intense." Buck sniffled.

"What the heck was all that fire stuff!?" Scoots said.

"That was Buck's aura. I may have been a little overzealous." Adagio said.

"Overzealous!? It looked like you were trying to rip a hole in space! Was that your plan all along? Were you going to escape to Equestria!?" Starlight said. Adagio held up a finger and didn't entertain Starlight for even a second. Her eyes were trained on Buck.

She had tasted far too many familiar emotions in the chaos. But that could be addressed later, or preferably never. There were more pressing matters at hand.

"Buck...those images and sounds, is that what it's like in your mind?" Both of them looked equally shaken.

"Well, not all the time...but mostly, yeah. I'm an idea guy." Any hint of trauma was gone from Buck's face.

"How do you manage it? How does your head not burst at the seams?"

"Well, I'll tell you one thing; I'm never bored. A lotta people out there wonder about inspiration or where good ideas come from. And that's ridiculous to me."

"Oh?"

"Everybody is full of good ideas, they just don't notice them. Me, I can't help it. S'why I write."

"Dude, there was like, pteradactyls in there! And people banging! It was awesome!" Scoots said.

"You should read some of his short stories." Sunburst chuckled.

"It's all trash." Buck shrugged.

"Unpublishable? Sure. Trash? Debatable." Sunburst helped Buck to his feet, then suddenly perked up. "I saw some of the end of that, and we need to write it down, Starlight! Adagio, can you tell us everything that happened in there?"

"Yes, I can. Just a minute. Buck? Are you alright?"

"Well, my magic is fine. Got a whole hell of a lot of it, too."

Adagio rose to her feet, then placed her hands on Buck's cheeks.

"No, Buck. Are you alright?"

"...Are you?"

A meaningful silence filled the room.

"Oh! Hey, lookit that, your hair's back!" Buck reached out and touched Adagio's glorious mane. Little pink sparks followed his fingers for a moment.

"Hm? Oh yes, rapid hair growth is a well-known side effect of magical transformations."

"Like a super saiyan!" Scoots said.

"A what?" Adagio said.

"Let's not. 'dagio, why the fuck did all that happen? I'm about as confused as a condom on a banana farm."

"Well, Buck. We managed to get your aura out, but you began to shape your mana reserves into illusions, seemingly on instinct."

"And the, uh, the getting caught on fire part?"

"Oh, that was definitely demonification of some sort."

"Oookay. That's a bad." Buck's legs gave out. Sunburst and Scoots carefully let him down on the couch.

"That depends on your perspective. Regardless, it seems that learning to release your magic in controlled bursts is going to be your primary challenge. But, congratulations, Buck! You're a spellcaster." Adagio stuck out her hand, and after a bit of hesitation, Buck shook it.

"Thanks, teach."

"Ah-ah. We're colleagues. I understand your magic just as well as you do, Buck. But, if we work together, I'm sure we'll get a firm handle on it."

"Thanks, senpai." Buck smirked. "Why don't I feel, like, evil?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, don't people usually turn evil when they transform into shit like that? What did I look like?"

"You were like a statue!" Scoots said.

"And before that, you were engulfed in red and pink flames." Adagio said.

"What does that mean!?"

Sunburst and Adagio shared a glance.

"Well, that's a very good question, isn't it?" Adagio said, smiling. "And to answer your question, no, you don't turn 'evil' when you absorb a large amount of magic. It's more like you become...exaggerated. Whether its good or bad is up for interpretation."

"Are we just going to ignore what happened here!?" Starlight said.

"No, as a matter of fact, we aren't. I'm changing the details of our arrangement." Adagio said.

"What!? You're the one who came in here and tried to sabotage Buck!"

"Sabotage? I managed to draw out Buck's magic! It's clear to me that what he needs is to be away from the pressure of this classroom. Buck is sensitive, and magic is driven by emotions."

"I suggest therapy." Sunburst said, patting Buck's shoulder.

"I'm workin' on it!" Buck smiled.

"I suggest a private tutor," Adagio said.

"And you want to be that tutor." Starlight said.

"That's right."

"There is no way in hell that's going to happen."

"I'm afraid it's not up to you! Buck? How would you feel about coming upstairs to learn magic with me? It will be less theoretical and more hands on, and we can take breaks at your leisure."

"Will you treat me to lunch if I say yes?"

"Of course, Buck."

"Sure, sounds good to me."

"Buck, are you out of your mind!?"

"Starlight, I appreciate what you're tryin' to do, but 'dagio's gettin' results, and she ain't never told me to 'calm down'."

"You caught on fire!"

"Magical fire. I was turning into somethin', but you stopped me, so thanks for that? As long as I've got this lil' guy, I should be alright." Buck said, touching the changeling stone.

"I'll still be more than happy to let you read this tome, so long as you afford Buck and I some privacy. That way, you can focus on your own star pupil." Adagio said, gesturing at Scoots. "Everybody wins."

"There is no way we're going to let you take Buck behind a locked door after all the trouble you've caused!"

"Now, hold on, Starlight. Adagio has a point. She's spent time getting to know Buck intimately. We should at least consider her expertise." Sunburst said.

"I'm also willing to provide detailed reports of Buck's progress, though I don't expect us to go very far. This is all meant to be remedial, right Buck?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I just need the fundamentals so I can get by without getting bodied."

"And I can provide that without the need for graphs and equations. You are more than welcome to compare notes and offer advice in the meantime, but Buck and I will see to the development of his magic."

"Buck, you're making a mistake." Starlight said.

"Maybe. But it's my mistake to make." Buck stood again, having found his posture. Sitting in his shadow brought an odd shiver to Adagio. Starlight glared at Buck, then at Sunburst, and finally, put her hands up and sighed.

"Fine. Just remember to keep that changeling stone on hand in case there's any funny business." Starlight said.

"Shall we?" Adagio tried to take Buck by the arm, but he pushed past her, out of Sunbursts' suite.

Down the hall and up a few floors, Adagio tapped a few buttons, then sighed.

"I can never get this thing to work."

"What, that food delivery app?"

"Sometimes I feel that these smartphones were invented exclusively to annoy me!"

"Alright grandma, give it here." Buck chuckled. "Ooh! Curry, from Saff's place?"

"I thought you'd appreciate it." Adagio smiled.

"That's uncharacteristically thoughtful of you." Buck said, passing the phone back.

"Who says I'm not thoughtful, Buck? The entire reason I'm here is because I thought you needed help, and what do I find? You being forced to do magic under obvious duress! You're very welcome, by the way."

"Why you gotta push on her so much?"

"You mean Starlight Glimmer?"

"Yeah. I know she's kinda pig-headed, but she obviously means well, so what's your beef?"

"She's the one with the 'beef' as you say. I push because she needs to be challenged. She has a narrow worldview that is highly characteristic of unicorns. That, and it's entertaining."

"You're mean." Buck said flatly.

"You like it when I'm mean." Adagio smiled.

"I don't like it when you pick fights."

"Oh, so you expect me to sit by while you get screamed at for not grasping magic fundamentals? Exactly how long should I have watched you fail before interceding, Buck?"

"All I'm saying is you don't have to act all antagonistic. They're my friends."

"Starlight Glimmer is no one's friend."

"She's doing her best."

"And so were you, but if you tell a fish that it must climb a tree, it will spend its life wondering why it can't."

The door opened, and Buck found himself in a room that had almost grown nostalgic. He remembered waking up next to Adagio. He tried to put it from his mind.

"I do appreciate your help, in spite of everything."

Buck turned and looked at Adagio for a moment. She didn't need to taste him to see how sad he was.

"Would you mind if I sat down?"

"...Of course not."

Buck sat, Adagio noticed, on the edge of the couch he had chosen when he told the story of his childhood. A part of Adagio deflated as she realized the distance between them had grown so much. She sat an arm's length away, wondering what could be going through his mind. Buck stared across the room and fiddled with the damnable stone around his neck.

"I wish you would take that thing off. You're usually bursting over with emotion, and not being able to taste it is uncanny."

"Oh nooo, you can't read my emotions anymore; now you'll have to talk about them instead. How terrifying for you." Buck said humorlessly.

"I think that's what I missed. The sass. It's nice to have you here again, if only briefly." Adagio said warmly.

"It's actually really cold in here. Would you mind turning up the heat a little bit?"

"You can do it yourself, Buck. Though, I'm surprised; you've never complained about the temperature in here before."

"I was bein' polite." Buck crossed the room, poked the thermostat a few times, then sat back down. He took his time, leaving Adagio to wonder if he was relishing the distance between them.

"I take it you want to take a short break from training after that spectacle you created. I can only imagine how emotionally draining it must have been."

"I'm fine. I just need a breather."

"I hate it when you lie to me."

"That's rich, coming from you."

"I never once lied to you, Buck."

"Not directly, sure."

"I told you exactly what I am."

"After I caught you out of disguise."

"What's your point?"

"Nothin'. Let's get back to it."

Buck removed his necklace and placed it on the table. Adagio distressingly didn't notice any difference. The lukewarm temperature remained. She still couldn't taste him.

"Very well. Show me your aura. We're going to focus on keeping it low and in control. Remember the boiling pot. That seemed to work for you."

"Right." Buck held one hand out, just as before, then held the other out for Adagio.

"Remember how you felt before. Hone in on it..." Adagio said.

Buck shut his eyes. He released a long, drawn-out breath, and Adagio felt the sweet, spicy taste of his emotion bubbling up from inside.

"Good...let it come to you..."

A few fading red sparks gathered in Buck's hands...then fizzled out.

"S'not happenin'." Buck said glumly.

"Buck, you need to let yourself feel the passion. If you don't embrace your emotion, the mana can't flow."

"I'm trying!" Buck said. He grunted and managed to accomplish exactly nothing.

"Buck."

Buck kept trying to force it out, to no avail.

"Buck, stop. That isn't going to work. If you don't acknowledge your emotion, nothing will come out. What's on your mind? Tell me."

Buck inhaled sharply and stared at Adagio, pulling his hand away.

"Ah. So you're still upset."

"It hasn't been that long, 'dagio."

"Hasn't it? It feels like it's been years since we've spoken."

"It's only been a few days since the fair."

"No, I mean quality time. The trolley doesn't count. That was simple charity."

"You were hurting."

"And you rescued me, despite your own feelings, when you could have let me suffer. Why?"

"It was the right thing to do."

"You trusted me to save your...family, as you put it."

"Yeah."

"And when I asked if you still wanted me..."

"I said yes."

"So, where do we go from here, Buck? I know that you need to learn magic, and you're willing to pay me with your mana, but what else? Why did you agree to take me on as your tutor?"

Adagio waited for Buck to play dumb and say he wasn't bothered like Sonata would. She waited for him to grumble and groan about it, maybe punch a hole in something like Aria would. Instead, Buck sat and crossed his arms, taking on the pensive look that had made Adagio smile countless times before.

He had a strong poker face, and despite the emotional distance, Adagio couldn't help but admire it.

"I missed you. Even after what you did, I miss you, Adagio."

Adagio smiled and moved to embrace him, but Buck put a hand up.

"But magic is tied to emotion, right? So I don't think we're gonna get anywhere until I get this out. You hurt me, Adagio. You could've told me at any point that I had magic and that's what you were after. You could have sat me down and explained it to me, and it would have been fine. You didn't need to pretend to care about me. You didn't need to come into my life. It could've been business. For fuck's sake, if I could just give you all my magic, I would!"

"Buck..."

"But you chose to lead me on. You chose to date me and act like there was a chance of us having somethin' together. You pretended to be interested in me, and you pretended to be my friend, and you pretended to want me, and I knew, I knew, somewhere inside that you couldn't love a human, but I acted like you wouldn't rip my heart out anyway, because I could see that even under all the scheming and all the seduction, you were just like me."

"What?"

"You're someone who lost a love that meant the world to you. You're lonely. You seemed like the first person in my life to really understand that feeling; even though we didn't talk about it, it was there, and I could see it! I thought that you needed someone to warm you up and make you laugh and make you feel seen! But now I know there was never a chance of that. Because you're a siren, and I'm a human, and no matter what I did or what I might do, I'll never be enough for you."

"Is that why you chose her? Because she's human?"

"Ditzy treats me like a partner. And she ain't ever lied to me."

"Everyone lies when they're dating, Buck. I'll have you know that statistically speaking, most human relationships fold after a few months because no one can keep up the facade for much longer."

"Oh, just like you." Buck glared.

"You're no saint, yourself. Do you think most women would be enthused to hear about your little reputation around town? The one you never bothered to tell me about?"

"That's different."

"Is it? Because as far as I know, it's something that you're profoundly ashamed of, and if I had to guess emphatically, you didn't tell me because you thought it would alter our relationship. And like most secrets, it became obvious after a little digging." Adagio said icily.

"You looked me up?"

"You weren't hard to find. Did you know you have a bit of a fanbase?"

"Oh christ." Buck groaned.

"What I'm trying to say, is that we both have done things we aren't proud of. Being with you, it threatened my pride."

"...go on."

"When I was with you...for the first time, I started to feel shame for what I was. Drinking you felt wrong and wrong is...not something that should concern a thing like me. From the first night we spent together, I knew you had a wellspring of mana inside you. But I also knew that if I told you, everything would change. You would look at me differently. Like you are now."

"Adagio, you were my lover. My friend. If you just explained your case, I would've understood."

"Well, I'm doing it now. Do you understand?"

"I think so." Buck crossed his arms. "But it still hurts."

"Let me fix it, then."

"How do you plan on doin' that?"

Adagio balled up her fists. She felt the arms of home opening wide once more, waiting for her to dive in. She remembered Sonata's advice, and though her pride thrashed and screamed in the depths of her soul, she gritted her teeth and faced Buck.

"I'm genuinely trying to help you. Your friends mean well, Buck, but they don't understand your magic the way I do. They'll have you running in circles until you burn out. You need me, and, even though it's hard for me to admit, I need you, too. Not just to feed on your magic, but your presence." Adagio looked at Buck like she was waiting for a response. All she got was a tender look that was as infuriating as it was comforting. He was letting her finish, and that meant she had to.

"Because, when we're together...you make me happy, and I know that if I let that happiness go, I'll never find it again. I need you, Buck, and not because of your magic, but because of who you are. So please, I need you to trust me. Let me help you master this power of yours. I'm the only one that can."

Buck let Adagio take his hands. She had tears in her eyes, and through her impassioned speech, she shook with conviction.

After an awkward silence, the pair looked down in unison and saw that the red, beating heart of flame had returned, floating just above their hands. Buck blushed, but Adagio looked at him pleadingly.

"...okay. I trust you, Adagio."

"Thank you, Buck." Adagio sniffled.

The red heart flickered with pink flames, and that pair of curling horns emerged from the top.

"So that's my cutie mark?"

"Yes, Buck."

"Why's it got horns?"

"I don't know, Buck."

"Why're the flames pink?"

"You love pink! You're wearing a pink scrunchie right now."

"I am? Oh shit, I am, aren't I? You know, I'm sorta relieved. I almost expected it to be a dick."

"That's ridiculous!"

"What? I didn't want my 'special talent' to be fuck shit! Sue me!"

"Oh, please. You're not like the others, Buck. You're not a pony."

"Well, what the hell am I, then?"

"I have no idea." Adagio smiled.

"Oh, great." Buck rolled his eyes.

"Buck?"

"Yeah?"

"That was an excellent showing."

"Thanks."

"You can let go of my hands, now."

Buck cringed away, and the flames guttered out.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry 'bout that." Buck stammered, but his protest was cut off as Adagio threw herself into his arms. She buried her face into his chest and finally seemed to relax as Buck stroked her hair.

A quiet moment passed, with Adagio clinging to Buck, showing honest emotion for once, even if she feared it. Buck had a storm of thoughts roiling in his head, but the most pressing of them was to let this space linger. This quiet, gentle space where they were allowed to be vulnerable.

"There's, uh, something I've been meanin' to ask you since you showed up today."

Adagio's heart rose into her throat, and she pulled back, trailing a finger along Buck's chest.

"What is it, Buck?"

"Can you teach me prestidigitation?" Buck said, eyes full of wonder.

Adagio sighed, smiled, and shook her head.

"Yes, Buck. I can teach you prestidigitation."

There was no space for silence in the hours that passed at Sunbursts' desk. Before him sat the makings of a detailed illustration of what he had seen of Buck's aura. The word pink was underlined with a few question marks around it, and the strange, stony illusion that had surrounded Buck was described as an equal mystery.

"We only caught the end of it, but what a display! How much of that was illusion, and how much of that was pure aura?" Sunburst said as he took down his postulations.

"Sunburst." Starlight said.

"I have so many questions! Did you see that aura he was holding to his chest? I couldn't quite make it out!"

"Sunburst?"

"Some of the illusions were aura, but the walls were like windows into another reality! I know Buck is imaginative, but how could just manifesting his aura result in something so drastic?"

"Sunburst!" Starlight shouted. Sunburst whirled around in his chair, the smile on his face nearly manic.

"Yes, Starlight? any thoughts?"

"Tell me you have a plan." Starlight said.

"Huh?"

"Your best friend is locked in a room with one of the most dangerous entities known to human and pony kind. Tell me you have a plan." Starlight said. Her arms were crossed, but Sunburst could see the trauma in her eyes. His excited ramblings stopped immediately.

"The plan is to let Buck handle this."

"Buck couldn't handle a spaghetti dinner! What makes you think he can handle a master manipulator!?"

"I don't think you're giving either of them enough credit."

"You can't honestly expect me to trust Adagio 'Under Our Spell' Dazzle!"

"Can you trust me?"

Scoots took a scoop out of the rapidly dwindling tub of ice cream and watched the exchange like it was a soap opera.

"Tell me right now that you have a real plan!" Starlight snarled.

"You want Buck on our side in this fight? This is how it happens."

"What?"

"If I know my best friend, there is only one way this goes. Buck knows that magic can be used for good as well as evil, but magic has mostly just been a misfortune for him. Now he's in a situation where he can't ignore magic anymore. He has power, so he's a target. But you know all of this already."

Starlight nodded.

"Buck is creative. He's a self-proclaimed idea factory. He has more power than the rest of us, sure, but he's averse to causing harm. So what do you think he'll use his magic for, Starlight?"

"He's a good guy! And he's not dumb; he'll use his magic for good, and he won't let Adagio push him around!" Scoots chimed in.

"Once he has a firm grasp of magic fundamentals, do you honestly think he'll pass up a chance to play around with his magic? It's an art form he's never tried, one that's only limited by mana reserves and creativity. You saw what his mind conjured up by accident; imagine what he could do on purpose! If we just let him experiment, maybe Buck will finally see that magic isn't all doom and gloom. After that, all we have to do is remind him that there are people out there using magic for evil and that he has the power to make a change. Buck will want to help because that's just the kind of guy he is, and we have Adagio to thank for showing him the way."

"But he said he wanted to learn magic for self-defense only! Does that sound altruistic to you?"

"If we give him time, I'm sure he'll come around. We just have to let him play for a bit."

"That's...wow, I didn't even think of that. That's almost diabolical." Starlight said, smiling.

"Well, sure it is! It involves Adagio. I know she's dangerous, Starlight. And I know you don't trust her, but what she wants, first and foremost, is Buck's magic. She's seen that just pulling his strings doesn't work. She's being fed, and she won't let her meal ticket come to harm. That makes her predictable. That paradigm is one that we can work around. For all of Adagio's faults, Buck is safest when he's with her."

Starlight nodded slowly, taking it all in.

"You know that Ditzy won't like this one bit, right?"

Sunburst took a breath as if preparing to bungee jump with a long rope.

"I know. That's why I want you to talk to her about it."

"WHAT!?"

"What's wrong?"

"Sunburst, why?"

"Aren't you two old friends?"

"Well, that's not exactly, well, I mean, it's that we aren't, it's complicated!"

"Did you guys....date?" Scoots said, looking up from her phone.

"No! Circumstances just sort of brought us together, and it was a really hard time, and can we not talk about this right now?"

"If it's too much for you, I understand. We could just let Buck handle it. He's her boyfriend, after all." Sunburst said.

"But this doesn't look good! How do you think Ditzy is going to react when she finds out that Buck is taking 'private lessons' from his evil ex-girlfriend?"

"Not well, I'm assuming." Sunburst said, not looking up.

"Someone on her side needs to explain that we're going to monitor his progress and make sure that she doesn't brainwash him or something!"

"That's a good point."

"And if he goes over there, he's going to look really suspicious! She's going to think something is up."

"Right."

"So she needs someone reliable to explain that the situation is being handled and that we have a plan."

"Excellent idea!"

"I'll drop Buck off, and we'll explain it together. It won't be easy, but I'm sure Ditzy will listen." Starlight said, eyes filled with determination.

The door slammed open.

"Guys, check this shit out!"

Buck was smiling ear to ear as he pulled a bemused Adagio by the hand.

"What? What's going on!?" Scoots sprung up.

Buck pulled off his necklace and tossed it to the floor. Then, he held out his free hand, and a shower of red sparks shot from his palm like a roman fountain. Scoots dove behind the couch.

"WOAH! Okay, okay, hold on, hold on..." Buck stammered.

"Breathe, Buck. Pull it back just a little bit." Adagio said.

Buck smiled at Adagio and nodded. As Buck exhaled, the stream of mana died down into a small pink flame. It flashed and sputtered a few times, then shifted gradually into a floating cube. The cube barely retained its form, warping and twisting while Buck tried to hold it together.

"You've learned a minor illusion only a few hours!?" Sunburst ran up with a notepad. The cube spun slowly, the expanded in size, wavering.

Scoots crept up and poked at the cube.

"Eek! It's still super hot!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Buck said, letting go of Adagio's hand. The cube burst into a little shower of sparks. "Still gettin' a handle on it, it's really tricky!"

"You've been teaching him illusions?" Starlight said.

"Just the one, so far."

"You've been teaching him illusions, instead of something practical, like arcane bolts?"

"That's what he asked me for, yes."

"Issat a problem, Glimglam?" Buck's eyebrow rose.

"...No! I'm sure you'll make more progress; it's only been a day. Speaking of, are you ready to head home? It's almost sunset."

"Oh shit, is it that time? Yeah, I guess I ought to be getting back. S'almost dinner time. You ready, Sunburst?"

"I'm taking you home." Starlight said.

"Okay, why?" Buck said.

"You'll be glad I did, trust me." Starlight said.

"...alrighty then. We all good? Sunburst, you got enough data?"

"Oh, there's never enough. But this is a good start! You go home and rest, Buck. You'll need it."

"Whaddya mean, I-ooooh fuck! Ohh, shit, it's like my brain just ran a marathon, holy shit..." Buck clutched at his head.

"Annnd there it is. Let's get you home, big guy." Starlight patted his shoulder and ushered Buck away. For just a moment, Adagio and Starlight met eyes. There was no smirk, just a moment's stare that spoke volumes.

"Take care, Buck. I'll see you next week." Adagio said.

"See ya, 'dagio." Buck said.

The ride home was one of the most awkward that Starlight had ever experienced. She couldn't wrap her head around this man. One minute, Buck was yammering on about everything but the point, and the next, he was sitting in solemn silence, staring out at the orange glow of the sunset. He had a hand to his temple, looking off into the distance with a face that Starlight recognized from the feeling alone.

"You're playing with fire, you know."

"Pretty sure she's a water type, not a djinni."

"A what?"

"A genie. You know the sort—someone who was trapped in a shit situation for a long time, despite their power. I guess 'dagio's kinda like that, now that you mention it.

"You know genie wishes alway come with a catch, right?"

"I wish we could all go fishin', before it gets too hot out. That'd be nice, right? I bet 'dagio likes fishin'. I bet Ditzy would, too."

"She's just trying to lure you into a false sense of security so she can pull the rug out from under you."

"And do what?"

"I don't know, but I know better than to trust her, so why don't you?"

Buck was silent for a while. At a glance, Starlight saw the simmering anger on his face. She wished he would scream in her face like he had before. It was easier to be mad that way.

"You know, people always expect the worst outta genies, then act surprised when they pull a trick on 'em. Think about it; if you were enslaved for thousands of years, and only ever released long enough to grant the wishes of someone insane enough to acquire your lamp, wouldn't your first thought be to stop this person from gaining power? I mean, there's the spite, sure, but the kind of person that would use a genies wishes is probably the kind that doesn't care the genie was enslaved, so is it wrong to fuck with 'em? I don't think so."

"There's no excusing what she's done, Buck."

"I get it. I get it, I do. But I just keep thinking about how things could've been different if gandalf and the gang gave the dazzlings a chance. If they had tried to reason with them."

"Starswirl? If the pillars had given the dazzlings a chance, they would've all been killed. The dazzlings were, and still are, a menace."

"But Adagio isn't. She apologized to me. Again."

"She's manipulating you."

"She just needs a friend. Maybe that's all the Dazzlings ever needed. I know how fucking stupid that sounds, but just look at how much Sunnybun changed after Twiggy and the gang gave her a chance."

"That was different! She never hurt anyone!"

"She was going to. You weren't there, Starlight. She was gonna throw the whole student body at a world filled with laser-shooting ponies. We were just kids, man. She was gonna use kids to start a war. And despite all of that, look how far she came."

"Adagio isn't like Sunset Shimmer."

"When she gets frustrated, she's so much like her. Especially when she apologizes. Sunset had to make a lot of apologies back then, and it was never easy."

"Ugh. You're delusional!"

"Maybe I am, but I keep thinking about how many monsters I've killed in video games and at the table. How many stories I've written where it's a sword in the beasts' heart that saves the day. How different would it be if I could just talk to them?"

"You need to focus. Why were you holding her hand?"

"My powers have something to do with intimacy; at least Adagio thinks so. I can't get it going unless I'm touchin' on her."

"Just her?"

"I dunno."

"How are you going to explain this to Ditzy, Buck?"

"Ah, shit, that's right." Buck pinched the bridge of his nose just as Sunbursts' car came to a stop in the parking lot of Buck's apartment. "Shit, shit, shit."

"I'm going to help you. Don't worry."

"You? The certified hater? You're gonna help me defuse this volatile situation with my girlfriend? Should'a sent a poet. Or Sunburst."

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny."

"I try."

"Whatever, Buck. I'm helping, whether you want me to or not."

"Guess I better get used to that." Buck grumbled. "But thanks."

As they made their way down the apartment hall, Buck heard the tell-tale sounds of Dinky making a commotion. It brought a smile to his face until he made out the words.

"I don't wanna! I don't wanna!"

No sooner had Buck turned the handle did Dinky Doo come barreling out of the apartment. She ran smack into Buck, then squeezed him with all the strength that her tiny arms could manage.

"Woah! Hey, Dink! What's goin' on?" Buck smiled.

Dinky Doo looked up at Buck with tears in her eyes and snot on her face.

"Mama's bein' mean to me!" Dinky fussed.

"What? Are you for real?" Buck said, squatting down. Dinky nodded through her pouting scowl. Buck looked over at Ditzy Doo, who was sporting an apron and one of the most exhausted frowns Buck had seen outside of his bathroom mirror. Across the living room, Buck could see Dinky's handiwork, a pandemonium of lego sets that had been accrued over four birthdays scattered across the round dining table.

"Dinky made a mess, and she doesn't want to clean it up." Ditzy said.

"I was making a spaceship, but Mama said I won't get no dessert if I don't put my blocks away, but there's a whole buncha blocks, and they're all mixed up and I finished my homework but I dropped my crayon under the couch and I can't find it, and I was supposed to set the table and it's almost dinnertime!" Dinky wailed.

Buck flashed Starlight a stink eye when he noticed her look of irritated incredulity.

"I see, I see. That sounds serious." Buck nodded sagely. "Sounds like mistakes were made."

Dinky nodded and messily rubbed her eye.

"I didn't mean to, Buck! You gotta believe me!"

"I believe you, Dink. You want hugs?" Dinky squeezed Buck around the neck. "Oookay, okay. It's alright, Dinky. We're gonna figure this out. You're alright." Buck said, patting the child on the back.

Ditzy waved at Starlight with an apologetic smile, but Starlight was having a hard time meeting her eye.

"Whadd'a we do when we make a mistake, Dink?"

"We try an' fix it..." Dinky sniffled.

"That's right. Now, it sounds like there a whole lotta mess, and it's real complicated. How 'bout I help ya fix it? Would that be alright?"

Dinky nodded against his neck.

"How about you start putting the blocks in your lego bucket, and I'll get the crayon?"

"Okay, Buck!" Dinky said.

"Wait, hold up." Buck said, reaching into his back pocket. With a ready handkerchief and a gentle hand, Buck cleaned the gross from Dinky's face. "There ya go."

While Buck searched under the couch and Dinky swept a bunch of legos into a glitter-covered bucket, Starlight stepped over to Ditzy, who was in the process of finishing up dinner. It smelled like chicken and cheese and herbs, and it instantly reminded Starlight that her personal food pyramid was four-fifths Chinese takeout.

"You can have some if you want." Ditzy said.

"Huh?"

"It's chicken alfredo stew. Buck and Dinky's favorite. You don't have to stay for dinner, but if you want to take some home. I don't mind." Ditzy said, stirring the pot.

"It's...strange seeing you as a cook, after all this time." Starlight blurted.

"Well, there's some things you just gotta do when you have a kid," Ditzy said. She tasted the broth and frowned. "Hm...help me out. What do you think?"

Ditzy held up the spoon to Starlight's lips, and after a moment's hesitation, Starlight tasted it.

"I don't know. It's a tasty, but maybe a little bland?"

"Paprika, I think." Ditzy smiled, reaching for her spice rack.

"I just wouldn't think you'd want to keep cooking."

"We don't have to talk about it." Ditzy said quietly.

Starlight looked over her shoulder and saw Buck and Dinky absorbed by the menial task of collecting toys. They seemed to be in their own little world.

"I'm actually here to talk about Buck." Starlight said.

"Oh no. Did something go wrong? Is everything okay?"

"He's the most annoying man in the world."

"You don't mean that." Ditzy rolled one eye and returned to her stirring.

"He has a hard time picking up the most basic fundamentals."

"Well, it's magic. It probably doesn't make any sense to him. Doesn't make any sense to me, either. Just give him time. Buck's smart. He'll find a solution if you just give him a chance." Ditzy said, smiling. "Maybe try bribing him with sweets. That works on Dinky sometimes when she doesn't wanna do her math."

"There's...he did make progress today, but there's a...a hitch."

"What do you mean?"

Starlight leaned over to whisper in Ditzy's ear.

While Buck chatted with Dinky, he failed to notice Ditzy Doo cast a sudden glare in his direction. Starlight placed a hand on her shoulder and gently led her out into the hallway, where they could talk.

"Who's that lady, Buck?" Dinky wondered as she and Buck put down placemats. The lion's share of the cleanup was already done.

"That's GlimGlam. You met her at the fair."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Whaddya mean, nuh-uh?"

"She knows Mama, I think. " Dinky said. "She has pretty hair. Can you make my hair like that?"

"What, like, purple?"

"No, like swishy! Swish!"

"Oh, uh, I dunno. Maybe? I'd have to look up some tutorials, or somethin'."

"Whassa tutoriel?"

"It's like uh, it's like text book, sort of, but someone narrates it."

"What's a narrates?"

"Well, it's like..."

"Holding hands. Why do they have to hold hands?" Ditzy said.

"I don't know. There's still a lot to learn about Buck's magic," Starlight said.

"He didn't...turn into anything, did he?"

Starlight frowned and stared at the floor.

"No. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. He can't, you can't let him, you can't let her do this!"

"She didn't make him turn. At least...we don't think she did. We think that might have just been him."

"No, no, no, this is her. She's trying to turn him into a monster! Starlight you have to promise me.. Promise me she won't take him and turn him into a monster!"

"We're doing everything we can. In the meantime, just...let me know if his behavior changes. If he shows any signs of changing, or some kind of anomaly happens around him, just let us know and we'll handle him."

Ditzy went pale.

"Not like that. Not like that." Starlight said, but the horror on Ditzy's face wasn't far from her own.

"I won't let it happen. I swear it."

Ditzy put a fist to her own mouth, trying to gather herself. She shook her head slowly.

"...Why do they have to hold hands?"

"We're going to figure this out. This is just temporary."

"As long as he gets what he needs to control his magic, it's okay." Ditzy said. She looked over and smiled. The mess had been cleaned, and now Dinky was sitting on Buck's lap while he quietly read from a colorful picture book.

"Wow. I didn't know he could sit that still." Starlight said.

"You sound like Dinky's teachers." Ditzy sighed. "She's been having trouble focusing in class."

"I guess they have that in common."

"They have a lot in common, really. It's kinda uncanny. They just sorta get each other. Please don't give up on him, Starlight. I know Buck can be a little difficult, but he needs us, just like Dinky needs him. I need him too."

"I won't. Sunburst would never let me." Starlight chuckled.

"Do you want to come over for dinner sometime? You could bring him."

Starlight's only response was silence.

"I know things have been weird, Starlight. But with Buck here, things were almost normal for a while. It was like a dream. If you wanna come over some time, and get away from all this crazy stuff, you're always welcome. Both of you."

Dinky Doo looked up from where Buck was reciting the Dr. Suess book in front of her. She smiled and waved and Starlight, summoning a sharp anxiety.

"I should go." Starlight said, finally.

"Starlight...is it Dinky?"

"I'll think about it, but I should go. Buck?" Starlight spoke up.

"Yeah, GlimGlam?"

Ditzy saw Starlight scowl.

"Rest up. We'll see you next week."

"Sure thing." Buck said.

Starlight shared a nod with Buck and left without another word.

As she settled into the front seat of Sunburst's car, she drew in a rattling breath. Her fists clenched, and her forehead came to rest on the steering wheel. For a while, she sat there shaking until she finally wiped her eyes and started the engine.

Dinner was delicious, as Buck had come to expect. It was so delicious that he and Dinky tucked into it without a word while Ditzy smiled and took her time. There was lots of big news, as well. Dinky had found a bug she hadn't seen before on the playground, and the summer rush was starting to even things out at Sugar Cube Corner. It seemed like it was a pleasant day for just about everyone, and though Buck knew a difficult conversation hung over their heads, Ditzy didn't say anything about magic or Adagio.

Instead, Ditzy reached under the table and took Buck's hand, refusing to let it go until it was time to clean up. Ditzy put Dinky to bed while Buck cleared the table, and now Buck was whistling a bit of 'Don't Worry, Be Happy in front of the sink. While his hands automatically went through the dishwashing paces he'd developed over years of food service; his mind tried to stifle the ideas that were crackling like fireworks across his imagination. The sight of Adagio's excited eyes lit by the glow of his aura sat heavily in the background of his imaginings, making him feel so many ways he couldn't keep track.

Just as he was beginning to unhook from reality and start dissociating into the dishwater, Buck felt Ditzy's arms slide around his waist from behind.

"Hey, Muffin." Buck said. "Is Dinky good and tucked in? You need me to do a bedtime story, or somethin'?"

"No, she's knocked out. I just wanted to come and squeeze you."

The pleasant squish of Ditzy's breasts against his back brought a little reminder. Buck had been so focused on magic stuff he hadn't had time to take care of himself today, and now involuntary excitement was rushing into his crotch. Buck thought then to turn around and try last night again. To sweep Ditzy off her feet and give it to her gentle and sweet like she deserved, but then he remembered his situation. This wasn't the time.

"So...I guess Starlight told you about what went down today."

"Mhm."

"Are you pissed at me?"

"Uh-uh."

"That's a relief."

"I know that you're learning magic to protect yourself, and I know you're doing it to protect me and Dinky, too."

"From myself."

"Starlight said you were having a hard time, and you did what you had to do. I believe that."

"But...?"

"You know how I feel about Adagio."

"I know, but-"

"You don't have to explain it, okay? If you think this is the way to get a handle on your magic, then that's just how it is. I trust you, Buck." Ditzy squeezed him tighter,

"Okay. Thank you for that. Thank you for trusting me." Buck said. He suddenly had a hard time choking the words out.

"But I don't trust her. She's obviously after your magic, and she's tricky. I need you to promise me that you won't let her trick you."

"I won't, Ditzy. I promise."

Buck dried his hands and slid them over Ditzy's. Her presence was like an anchor that kept him tethered to the world.

"Buck?"

"Yeah, Muffin?"

Ditzy's arms went slack and fell away.

"Turn around."

What Buck saw brought heat rushing into his cheeks. Ditzy was wearing a long white T-shirt; the kind that she slept in. She was wearing absolutely nothing else, not even a bra, and the bashful smile on her face, the way she swayed nervously on her heels, and the hands clasped over her lap told Buck everything he needed to know.

"Can we do some more couple stuff tonight? I know last night didn't go good, but I thought we could try something different?"

Buck's words caught fire and tumbled off a cliff. In the place of suave words and clever flirtations, his mind conjured up about sixteen different names for titties. The way that Ditzy's impressive rack was squished between her arms banished any intention besides addressing the hardness in his pants.

"Uhh..."

"No?"

"Yes! Two-hundred percent, yes. Like a monument to the concept of 'Yes', with Roundabout playing in the background."

"Huh?"

"Roundabout is by the band 'Yes'. What'd you uh...what'd you have in mind, Muffin?"

"Come on, ya big big goof." Ditzy giggled, leading Buck by the hand. She sat him down on the couch, knelt between his legs. As she fiddled with his belt, Buck leaned forward and cupped Ditzy's chin, raining light little kisses on her lips.

"Buck...Buck, cut it out, I'm tryin' to-hey! Alright, Mister, that's it! No hands!" Ditzy said, slapping Buck's hands away.

"But I wanna touch boobs!" Buck whined. Ditzy smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Just sit still, okay? I wanna take care of you this time..."

Buck's cock announced its presence with a light slapping sound at Ditzy's cheek.

"And there's the little big guy..." Ditzy murmured. "Gosh, he's, uh, he's bigger up close."

"Well, I don't like to brag."

"Shh. I'm tryin' to concentrate. Lemmie just..." Ditzy's brow furrowed as she tried to figure out where to start. Her eyes focused on Buck's cock between blinks, then went off-center once more as she kissed gently from base to tip. Her fingers closed around the base of the shaft and squeezed while she peppered Buck's tip with affection.

"Buck, could you maybe scooch forward a little? I wanna get'im pointing straight up."

Buck nodded and shuffled down until his ass was almost hanging off the couch.

"Is it weird that I wanna boop your nose with my dick?"

"Why?"

"'cause you're too damn cute."

"I can be other stuff besides cute, you know..." Ditzy pouted, stroking Buck's cock with light fingers.

"Ahhh..." A moan slipped out of Buck as Ditzy's fingers glided over his glans.

"Hm?" Ditzy blinked, then traced around the back of Buck's glans, right under the lip.

Buck moaned again, his cock pulsing in Ditzy's hand.

"You're sensitive back here, huh?"

"Issat surprising?"

"No, I just thought most guys were like...nevermind. One sec." Ditzy lifted her shirt up, got a little stuck in there, then tossed it across the room, letting her breasts drop heavily into Buck's lap.

Buck's hands came up, intent on grabbing mammaries, but Ditzy smiled and pushed them away.

"No hands! Me and the girls are gonna bully this dick that's been bullying me!" Ditzy spit into her palm, then started jerking Buck slowly. Her mischievous smile was totally alien to Buck.

"Are you about to...hhhaahh! Okay, okay, you're the boss!" Ditzy swirled her tongue around Buck's cock head, shutting his protests off in an instant.

Buck sat back and let Ditzy work. It was a far cry from the aggressive wringing out that Adagio subjected him to after game night, but it was more sloppy and cautious than the sensual slurping from the make-up sex they'd had. Ditzy wasn't super sure what she was doing, that was clear, so Buck tried to banish the image of Adagio's lips slipping down to the base and let out low, encouraging grunts as Ditzy wet his cock with her spit.

"There...nice and slick. Now let me..." Ditzy mumbled. She guided Buck's length into the canyon of her cleavage, then frowned as it slipped out.

"Need some help?"

"I got it, I got it, just lay back!" Ditzy's mouth scrunched into an expression of concentration, once again filling Buck with the urge to kiss her over and over again until the end of time. After a few slips, Ditzy got Buck settled between her breasts. A thin stream of saliva drizzled over his cock head for good measure, and then Ditzy sandwiched the shaft between her breasts with a light slap.

Buck was caught in a totally new feeling. He'd done all sorts of things for cash, many of which he wasn't proud of, but no girl pays to give a boob job. It's simply not done.

It was like being trapped between two soft, squishy cushions. Only the very top of his tip was visible as Ditzy squeezed down and bounced her breasts in his lap. Her pace was uneven, but the heavenly softness was so sweet and tender Buck worried that he might not be able to go back to hand jobs after this.

"Ooh...lookit that face! Did no one ever give you one of these, Buck? Is it good? Do you like my big boobies rubbing all over your little guy?" Ditzy giggled, rolling Buck's cock back and forth between her breasts.

"Fuck...fuck...this's...fuck, you're good at this, Muffin!"

"Shh...Dinky's sleeping right in the other room...!"

Ditzy's breasts came down again with a soft slapping noise. Buck grunted and whined as she leaned down to pepper his tip with tiny kisses. The tenderness of it made Buck's brain fire like a stalling engine.

"It's been a while for me....but from the way you're goin' on, I guess it doesn't matter." Ditzy said. Her bouncing breasts had started off slow, but now she lifted them and squeezed down on Buck's tip, rubbing her breasts up and down and a faster pace. The look in her off-center eyes was almost innocent, but the smile on Ditzy's face seemed like a dare. How fast could she go before Buck's low grunts turned into moans?

Buck covered his mouth and held on, but his hips started rising to meet Ditzy's breasts as she tortured his tip with her pillowy vice.

"You're already starting to twitch a lil' bit..." Ditzy bit her lip and picked up the pace. Buck's breath got shakier, and he shut his eyes, focusing on the pleasure and the soft hums of exertion that Ditzy made.

The build-up was slow, but Ditzy kept a look of concentration on her face while she pleasured Buck. Soon enough, Buck's grunts turned into breathy moans as he approached the finish line.

"Is my big strong Buck gonna cum? Gonna cum all over Ditzy's boobies?" Ditzy spat another wad of spit on Buck's cock and sped up even more. The lewd slapping sound and the slippery squeezing pushed Buck closer and closer to the edge. His concern fell away, and he let himself lose to the pleasure.

Buck's hands shot out and grabbed Ditzy's shoulders, and then he started thrusting desperately upward into Ditzy's cleavage. Through his grunts and twitching eye, he caught Ditzy's furious blush and her demure, downcast eyes.

"Fuck...fuck!

"Eep!" Ditzy squeaked in surprise as Buck fired off a thick load, then another and another. Buck stroked her shoulders as he caught his breath, waiting for the orgasmic haze to wear off. His eye finally opened, and he saw Ditzy with a thick, ropy strand across her face. He had cum over her eye, into her hair, and all over her breasts.

"Geez..." Ditzy peeked at Buck with one eye. Her little smile hadn't left.

"Oh man, hold on!" Buck sprung up and returned with a hankie. "I got it, I got it."

"You really go off when you get there, huh?" Ditzy laughed, and Buck laughed right along with her.

"Maybe you're just talented, Muffin. Those were freakin' fireworks."

"Maybe give me a little bit more warning next time?"

"Next time? That seems like a once a year sorta thing...unless you wanna spoil me?" Buck smiled.

"Hmm...maybe if you're good." Ditzy said. Now cleaned off, she hopped up in Buck's lap and let their foreheads touch. Buck's hands slid down to grab her ass.

"I'm good! When am I not good?"

"I think you're bein' pretty naughty right now, Mister Purple Prose."

"Yeah? Is that what you want?" Buck growled, cupping Ditzy's breasts and lifting them up to his face. His kissing and licking made Ditzy mewl and hum, but after a few moments under his affections, she felt him hardening beneath her again.

"Buck...wait."

Buck let go and pulled back. Ditzy took his hands. The smile on her face was impossibly sad.

"I know I said we'd figure it out, but...I don't think I can do penetration. Some stuff happened, and..."

"And it was traumatic, and you're still recovering."

"It was a long time ago..."

"It don't matter how long ago it was. If it's still fresh, it's still fresh. And it's okay. I'm not mad, Muffin." Buck squeezed her tight. Ditzy buried her face against his neck and started sobbing. All Buck could do was stroke her back and give her this moment. She had to be safe here, in his arms. He needed to be that safe space for her.

"You are! You're mad at me!"

"No, Ditzy, it's okay. It's okay."

"I didn't think...I didn't think it would be like this, I'm sorry!"

"You're alright, Ditzy. I've got you."

For a while, that's all there was. Buck holding Ditzy tight as she wept against his neck. In time, her breathing slowed, and she pulled away from Buck, wiping her puffy eyes.

"I'm sorry about that...I just...when I think about it, I feel so broken, and I know you need more, but I can't, and I just, and this is so not sexy...I ruined it, didn't I?"

"Ditzy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Ditzy's eyes went wide. She searched Buck's face for any malice or jokes, but all she got was earnest care. A gentle warmth lifted the heavy shame from her shoulders, and she nodded quickly, and Buck's lips came to hers.

The tears turned joyous as she held him close. He hadn't gone soft. It didn't matter. Buck started to pull away, but Ditzy's held him there, sitting in the sweet bliss of his affection until she had to come up for air.

"Not broken. Hurt. You need to heal, Muffin."

"Therapy is expensive..."

"Well...I know a girl. Offered me a free consultation. Might could get a discount goin' on future sessions. I could let you take it instead."

"But what about you, Buck?"

"What about me? I've got a little change set aside, remember? I could probably hook you up with a treatment plan usin' that. No problem."

"Buck..."

"'sides, it's Silver Spoon. I'm pretty sure she's in lesbians with Scoots, an' she's tryin' to use me as a 'in' 'cause she went and ballsed it up. Which is funny, 'cause I don't even know Scoots super well, but I guess we're bros now, so-"

"Buck! What about your mental health? Who's gonna take care of you?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm gonna do this for you." Buck kissed Ditzy's forehead. "You've been takin' care of Dinky, and you've been takin' care of me. It's about time I paid you back some, don't you think?"

She was crying again. Ditzy took Buck's face in her hands and kissed him over and over.

"Hey...hey, it's alright! We're in this together, okay? You and me, and Dinky too. You're not alone, Ditzy Doo. Now, I think it might be time for you to turn in."

Buck rose, but Ditzy clung to him. Her arms were around his neck.

"...you're not gonna let go, are you?" Buck chuckled.

"Uh-uh."

"You're gonna be mad if I don't sleep with you and Dinky tonight, huh?"

"Uh-huh."

"Will you at least let us get into pyjamas?"

"Mhm."

"Okay. Can I kiss you some more when we get in bed?"

"Please."

Buck lifted Ditzy and carried her like a princess back to her bedroom. The rest of the night was pure peace, and after an indeterminate amount of time spent smooching in the darkness, Buck finally drifted off.

In the space between waking and private, senseless fantasies, Buck remembered his Dad's lessons.

A man gives freely of himself.

A man believes a woman.

A man loves.

For the last few years of his life, Buck hadn't felt like much of anything, let alone a man. Finally, as he lay with the family he had found, he was starting to feel it. Starting to feel that maybe he could be the pillar that stopped the sky from falling on top of Ditzy and Dinky. Maybe he could be something like a man after all.

It was like he was turning solid and sturdy. He was sure if he tried his hardest, he could bear the weight. There was a sort of pride in that—the pride his father had.

Buck felt that pride fill his chest, but as he sunk feet first into the endless horizons in his head, he realized something crucial that he had missed.

Pride and Happiness are not the same thing.

Author's Note

Sometimes I feel that the pacing in this story is a little erratic. I personally prefer slower chapters like this where you can see the beating heart of the narrative, but I also feel the constant urge to speed ahead into the big heavy stuff. It's a tough balancing act, and I'm only just starting to learn it.

Song Review: Mona Lisa compares the smile on a beautiful woman to the mysterious smirk of the titular classic painting. There is a kind of thrill that comes in trying to read another person's intentions, especially when you've already got some history with that person. I'm fond of the way Nat King Cole smiles and croons his way through this dreamlike melody, like he's appreciating the subject of the song from across a dining room table.
"Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there, and they die there
Are you warm? Are you real, Mona Lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art?"
Sometimes, relationships don't exactly end. In my experience, the strong ones simply change as the people involved grow into more complete versions of themselves. Nobody ever said that romance was a straight road.