Sunday, October 5th, 908 AB (the next afternoon)

After last night’s disappointing meeting, Cure had definitely felt a little down. He spent the morning looking over spells and studying the book he’d bought in Canterlot, trying to figure out where he could make little changes here and there, but aside from finding nearly-identical patterns in spells that were also in the book he didn’t really make any progress.

While working on the “Spell Scanner Mark II” idea he hears a knock at the door. With a quick scenting he identifies the ponies as Dawn and Solar, so he doesn’t bother removing his horn before opening it to let them in. “Hey Dawn, hey Solar. I didn’t expect you two so soon after… ya know. You both alright?”

Only bothering to float one guest mat out of the closet, Cure stacks his parents’ mats off to the side and lays it out as the two walk in, then shuts the door with his levitation behind them.

Walking up to him, Dawn leans into a nuzzle that turns into a hug, “We’re fine. It got pretty ugly last night, but… we’ll get through it.”

“Yeah, dude… are you okay? I uhh… I’m really sorry how my dam acted. I guess I’d never really thought about it beforehoof, but once sis said something it just kinda clicked. Probably not the best time for it, though, so … yeah,” he finishes with a wince while flopping on a mat.

“Nah, I’m fine,” he insists. “I’m not gonna lie, that’s not how I expected it to go, but these things happen.”

Dawn lets go of Cure, brushing down his side as she goes to lay on his mat, getting a fond smile from Solar. “What in the hay are you working on, Cure?” she asks, looking over the assembled materials.

“I’ll show ya in a sec. You two want anything to drink? A snack or anything?”

“Nah, we ate lunch just a little bit ago. Thanks though.”

“Cool. Is yer sire okay with me at least? I don’t wanna say something to upset ya, but he looked like he was gettin kinda pissed at yer dam last night before we left.”

“He’s got no problem with ya. He actually wanted to talk to you about your offer, but we didn’t tell them we were comin over, just that we were goin out. He probably knows, but he’s got afternoon patrol, so...” he trails off with a shrug. “You should totally go with one of your parents to the station, though. Just ask for an appointment with Sgt. Bulwark if he’s not free to see you when you show up. I think he’s there most evenings.”

“Sounds good. Maybe I’ll meet my sire after he gets off work tomorrow and head over there. Dunno, I’ll hafta talk to him first. My mom or dam may wanna go too, just to know what’s goin on firsthoof." Focusing back on Dawn, he explains, "So… as far as what I’m workin on here…” Cure holds up the sheet of bark he’d removed from the tree yesterday. “This is, for my purposes, a sheet of paper, okay?”

Getting attentive nods he continues, “This,” holding up a pot with a plant in it, “is a branch that fell off the maple tree out back, which is also where the sheet came from. My dam and I tweaked the branch right before they went into town to get groceries, so it has some roots and kind of a diffused vein thing going on, right?”

“Ah, this is the thing you talked about last night,” Solar says, getting a questioning look from Dawn. “He’s cheating. He’d mentioned this last night, but I kinda forgot with everything that happened afterwards. My bad, dude.”

Cure waves away the issue. “Meh, no problem. So what I was just about to do is take this sheet and merge it with these veins, thus keeping the sheet alive so I can use it to write with. Sort of.”

Dawn looks over the setup slightly bewildered. “Why would you do that, though?”

“Just watch. I’m about to show you my second or third most awesome cheat, roughly. I haven’t actually sat down and ranked ‘em yet. It’s up there either way!” he declares, pointing a hoof high in the air. Done with the showponyship, he places the sheet against the mesh surface while powering his horn.

With his talent acting on both pieces he merges the sheet to the branch and the supporting array of veins, making the sheet look similar to a square shaped leaf, but with straighter lines like a ruled piece of paper. “Viola!” he declares.

Focusing back on his task, he picks a spell he already knows inside and out. First, at the top the word "Light" appears centered and in large letters, then, in smaller print, "Prepared 05 OCT 908AB" appears below it. From there on a brief description of the spell is written out. Next, the actual runic formula for the spell appears.

Once the runes are finished Cure adds lighter brackets around certain rune sequences with lines trailing to the side, boxing in alternative sequences that can change the color, focal direction, or origin point for the light, all with brief explanations of the effect. Other areas are noted where additional power can be expended to increase the brightness or duration if the caster is not going to actively channel the spell.

The end result is the most detailed and thorough version of a spell diagram Solar has ever seen.

“This is what I was gonna spend the next few hours doing. Now check this out.” Casting the Illusion spell, he recreates a perfect facsimile of the sheet hovering in the air for both unicorns. Floating over a quill, normal ink, and a piece of paper, he copies the spell onto the page and passes it to Solar to look over.

“You’re absolute cow manure,” the colt says.

Dawn finally catches on as well. “Wait, you can scan spells if they’re on something that’s alive?”

“Yep. Perfect memorization, too, since I’m leveraging my talent. At some point I’ll probably find a better spell to “imprint” something from a crystal into another pony’s memory too, so I’m hopeful I can come up with a whole series of teaching crystals that will take a typical pony and turn them into a walking library of spells with minimal effort on their part.”

Done reviewing the spell diagram, Solar passes it back to Cure. “I know there’s spells that let you view another pony’s memories. I’ve only heard of them, though. They take a lot of magic, so I doubt you’ll be able to do those anytime soon. Not without passing out, at least.”

“Have you ever tried group casting?”

Solar shakes his head no. “You only do that for rituals and stuff, like they used to do for the sun before the princess or for group teleportation. A pony that’s good at the spell can move several ponies all providing power. Why?”

“It works with closely bonded ponies, so you and your dam, sire, or maybe even Dawn. I don’t know the exact requirements, but you two seem pretty close for siblings, so I bet it would work. It works with my mom and I and I’ve only even known her a few years. Love her to bits, though, so…” he finishes with a shrug.

“So basically you can borrow their magic to make the crystals. Yeah, that sounds like it should work fine. You really do cheat, don’t you?”

“At literally every single opportunity, yes. If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.”

“I’ll be sure to never play cards with you then,” Solar jokes with a teasing smile.

“HA! I know yer joking, but I actually showed my sire how to cheat at shoe toss to win a drink a few weeks back. Remember I said I can detect heat?” Getting nods yes he explains, “Did you know that earth ponies can warm ourselves with our TK auras?”

“I’ve heard of that, yes. There’s a massage place in Baltimare that’s famous for it.”

Cure looks over to Dawn and says, “Remind me to give you a massage one of these days, babe. You’ll need yer brother to carry ya home, though.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Cause there ain’t no way you’ll stay awake for the whole thing. My sire has managed once ever to stay awake through the whole thing, and that’s cause I didn’t do his hooves. Then again, I think that’s an earth pony weak spot like you guys and yer horns or pegasi and wings.”

“I’ve never had a horn massage…” Dawn says thoughtfully.

“I can give ya a preview if ya want. Nothing too intense or, like I said, you will fall asleep.”

Eyes lighting up in wonder, she nods excitedly and lays her head down on her forelegs.

Cure walks over to sit on his haunches, putting a little weight on her withers. He continues his story as he starts massaging just at the base of her neck. “So anyhow, I gave all my parents and myself heat sensors on our faces and I added a few to my back and sides too, right?” Glancing down he quickly says, “My hooves will take a few to get really heated up, by the way.”

Solar watches on in amusement as he can see his sister’s eyes go half-lidded as Cure works his way around her mane, gently but firmly massaging down from the back of her neck to the front while avoiding her throat area and moving gradually up towards her head. “Uh huh, you mentioned that when you showed us the horn. I think we kinda got distracted by that, though.”

“Understandable. Well anyhow, I was tellin my sire he could use the hoof trick to heat up the stake, right?”

“Ah, and then he can see it with his eyes closed, right?”

“Yep, sorta. It’s not exactly vision, but anyhow I told him to go stand by the stake and heat it up and trash talk his buds, okay? So then I was like, “Just have them blindfold ya and bet ‘em you can still hit it, maybe even challenge them to spin ya around a bit.” Well he told me the next day he won at least one drink like that. The stake didn’t stay warm very long though, being metal and all.”

Cure’s kneading around the base of Dawn’s ears at this point. Solar is having a hard time not laughing at his sister’s face. The only word that comes to mind is “bliss” as she’s barely got her eyes open, is clearly not hearing a word Cure says, and… may actually be drooling a little. “I think my sister is drooling.”

“Eh, let her. I have prestidigitation to clean that up with. A little drool never hurt anypony.”

“You realize you have to marry her now, right?”

Cure dismisses the suggestion. “I’m not aware of any such law, though I suspect she’ll never leave me if I promise her one of these every week or two. That’s what my mom keeps tellin me anyhow.”

“Sissy? You still awake?”

“Uhhuh”

“Okay. Let’s see how much longer that lasts. He’s just gettin to the good part.”

“I’ve actually grown some soft skin over the edge of my hoof, so I don’t think you’d normally want an earth pony messing with yer horn like this, TK field or not,” Cure explains as he starts rubbing on both sides of the base of Dawn’s horn. “Of course, I’m also using my talent to gently massage the muscles while I’m kneading the skin. Between the heat, massage, and direct muscle stimulation this should be pretty relaxing.”

“I know it feels pretty good to get it filed down every so often. This looks a little more intense than that.”

“Yeah, well, you know how much it hurts when you take a hit while the juice is flowing. Well, not now since I kinda fixed that for ya,” he says, Solar interrupting with a thanks.

“And you have my undying gratitude for that alone. Just being able to cast through a hit is… it’s a game changer. That’s a unicorn’s top weakness.”

“Eh, that and melee, but yeah, so anyhow, as bad as that used to hurt, this probably feels about that good to her.” Looking down her back, Dawn’s tail is lazily shifting back and forth behind her just like a really relaxed puppy getting its ears scritched would. “Oh yeah, she’s feelin that alright.”

“I’m not 100% sure I should even be here for this, dude. If she was a little older and had her mark I’d be worried right about now.”

“Trust me, this is a completely platonic thing. I wouldn’t feel weird massaging you either. I keep the professional separate, remember?”

Getting an approving nod from Solar he continues, “Granted this is a bit intimate, but there’s nothing sexual about it. Well, at least not for me. Though I do wonder what would happen if she channeled a tiny bit of magic in her horn while I did it.”

Smirking, Solar says, “Channel a tiny bit of yours in through your hoof and find out.”

Meeting the colt’s eyes, Cure asks, “It won’t hurt her?”

“Nope, it’ll probably feel really good. Two unicorns can do that with our horns.”

“That’s not like… a marriage proposal in unicorn land is it?”

“HA! No, just like you said… something that’s considered pretty intimate.”

“Not like… sexual intimate right? We’re too young.”

“I wouldn’t tell you to do it if it was. She is my sister after all.”

“Ehh, you’re smiling a little too much for me to believe ya. Sorry dude, but I can spot a fib pretty easily anymore. I don’t think yer lyin exactly, but I’m sure whatever would have happened woulda mortified the poor filly.”

With a big, shit-eating grin Solar just says, “Yeah, probably.”

Snorting, Cure finishes the quick massage by leaning over and given Dawn a chaste peck right below her horn. She doesn’t react at all. She’s still awake, he thinks. Her eyes are open, partially, but aside from her tail lazily swaying back and forth she’s otherwise unresponsive.

“Yep, she’s either asleep or damn near.”

“Huh. I’ll hafta try that sometime. If you can avoid kissing me that’d be great, though.”

“I dunno dude, you see how I am with a fiery unicorn,” Cure jokes, getting a snort from the red colt. “Maybe if you get through basic alright I can give ya a “one free massage” coupon.” Rolling his eyes at Solar’s hoof pump he continues, “I’m gonna start doing cosmetic procedures for ponies here soon, probably. That’s actually one of the things I wanted to talk to yer dam about. So I’m kinda not sure where to go from here.”

“I was hoping she’d put in a good word and introduce me to see if I could get an internship or apprenticeship or whatever. Even if they don’t want me healin ‘cause of my age I could at least do the projector thing with a crystal and help the doc with diagnosing stuff a lot. Now I’m not sure if I should still approach the clinic or just go to Baltimare and talk to somepony at the hospital there.”

“Why wouldn’t you just go to Baltimare anyhow? They’d probably pay more and you’d have a lot more to do. Also, more doctors to work with. They just have one here and a few nurses, so if anything big happens they usually send a pegasus to fetch the doc during off hours.”

“The train ride. I’m young enough my parents wouldn’t want me goin alone. I’d rather work at the clinic until I’m at least twelve and my parents are more comfortable letting me go to town by myself. I know my dam wouldn’t mind going with me, but with three foals on the way that’s not a long term solution.”

“Yeah, true.”

“I guess I could ask my great grandsire to have somepony meet me at the train and escort me to and from the hospital, but I don’t really want to start askin favors from him.”

“Why not?”

“I dunno, dude… I know Grandpa Brick is a former guard and whatnot, but something just makes me not want to owe anypony anything if I can help it. Paranoia I guess, just like the whole foalnapping thing was. There’s no huge flaming rush, though, so if I have to wait until I’m older then that’s what I’ll do. I can still do the cosmetic thing on the side if I have ponies sign a waiver. I could make a fortune with just that, so money will never be an issue for me.”

“Yeah, you could get rich off that alone if yer careful.”

“If I ever wasn’t sure something is safe I wouldn’t do it. My talent gives me, as far as I can tell, absolute control over that stuff.” Cure lays down next to Dawn and leans into her side, giving her shoulder a small bump. She starts to stir with a yawn. “How ya doin there, sleepyhead?”

“Mwa” she blurts out, finishing her jaw-splitting yawn.

“Indeed,” he agrees with a sage nod.

“That was nice,” she says, sedately leaning her head on his withers.

“It seemed like ya enjoyed it. Maybe I just need to give yer dam a massage and she’ll come around, huh?” Both siblings snort at that, though Dawn gives the idea a considering look.

“Dunno dude, that could work," Solar agrees, "I’ll ask if she’s down for it when we get home.”

“So, what do you think the odds are that she’ll give me a hard time if I work at the clinic?”

“Zero. She’s really good with cleaning spells and does a lot of clerical work for the doc, but she’s gotta realize that if she’s driving away a pony that can legitimately heal it’s not gonna go well for her. Especially if Ms Gale finds out why.”

“Ms Gale? Is she the office manager?”

“I think so. She’s a super-cheery gray pegasus that I know is in some kind of administrative role at the clinic, but I don’t really know what everypony’s exact position is. You’ll like her, she’s very friendly.”

“Good to know. Either way, I don’t want to get your dam in trouble. I’m not that petty.” Cure pauses in thought a second, then amends, “Usually, that is. And I would never want to cause your family problems.”

“I don’t think anypony could blame you for not wanting to be subjected to that. I’d suggest the same thing as with Sgt. Bulwark. Just go with a parent and talk to ‘em. Stars, we could go right now. The staff there know who I am, after all.”

“Eh, I’d at least want my mom or sire there. They’re the business ponies. I’m not tryin to make big bits, but I don’t want to just leave money on the table if it’s negotiable. Maybe we could go when you’re available, though. I’m sure they’ll have me demonstrate my talent, but having somepony there to vouch for me helps a lot, otherwise they may laugh me off before I even get the chance.”

“When are they getting home?”

“Not for a while. They left just before you got here. Before they get here, I want to teach you how to make scrolls like that one there, okay?”

“Sure dude, that sounds useful.”

“It is,” Cure quickly agrees.

Cure’s posture shifts, drawing Solar’s attention more fully to the young colt. The look Cure gives him seems like it belongs on a worried parent, not some foal half his age. With a seriousness that the colt rarely displays he commands, “When you get older and are out there doing patrols and whatnot, you will keep, at a minimum, one charged long range teleport scroll and one strong shield scroll on you at all times.”

“Even if your horn is disabled somehow you can still activate a scroll. Ideally you’ll have a whole stack of uncharged scrolls that, should the worst happen, you can charge up during down time and keep on you, then make more when the opportunity arises. You can not go out there assuming everything will be fine just because nothing happened last time, or the time before that, or the hundreds of times you went out before.”

“Dude you sound like you’re preparing for war. Do ya know something we don’t?”

“Si vis pacem, para bellum, my friend. I’d hate to have to come to yer funeral someday because you didn’t spend a hundred bits a month on some ink and parchment and spend a couple hours making scrolls. You don’t need it for Basic, but when you deploy you’re gonna take a book with ya and yer gonna come home with it still full, I hope. But just in case…”

“Yeah, I get it. It’s a good idea,” Solar agrees, placating the blue colt and getting an approving nod in return. “I bet they’ll supply ink and paper too, so all it would cost me is the time and magic.”

“Good. In the meantime, now that you’re good with yer physical fitness I really recommend you spend at least an hour or two a day at the range. I’ve learned some stuff about our physiology that gave me theories about how we generate magic. That may be physical, but our reservoir, as best I can tell, is entirely metaphysical. I’ve found no evidence of a biological storage unit for magic, at least.”

“I’ve not read a lot of theory books on it, so I don’t know… I’ve always heard that better physical fitness helps a little, at least.”

“That seems true,” Cure agrees with a nod, “Having more muscle and less fat will allow a unicorn to generate magic faster, all other things being the same. I suspect there’s more to it than that, so that’ll be your next training objective. We need to find some way for you to burn off your magic, be it lifting things, charging crystals that you then discharge, or whatever.”

“Those are all good ways to use your magic up, but they’re gonna make ya tired too,” Dawn comments from Cure’s back.

“Yep, but that’s the point. Your body gets used to that “workout” and eventually what used to make ya tired just doesn’t anymore. Instead it takes twice as much. Or three times. Who knows what the limit is. How many times a week do you exhaust your magic, Solar?”

“Uhh, never. I actively avoid doing that because then I feel like crap.”

“Start. Like, today. Get used to feeling like crap, because your physical training is basically done, now it’s time for the metaphysical. I don’t know if my healing thing does anything to help there, but it’s worth a shot. Wanna find out?”

“Ugh. Yeah, sure, I guess.”

“Sweet! Let’s see what you can do, Solar. Time to rise and shine, Dawn.”

“I’m awake, shattap,” the filly says as she slides off of Cure. “It’s your fault I’m tired now.”

“I did warn you. So how’d the horn massage feel anyhow, at least the part you remember?”

“Amazing,” she gushes with a big, tired smile. “It’s like you were massaging my brain out my ears.”

“Huh. Well, we don’t want that. Glad to hear it was nice, though.”

Cure grabs a few scrolls and quickly enchants high tier versions of the transmutation spell on them without charging them up at all. Solar watches in horror as he realizes what Cure’s about to have him do.

“Oh dude, come on! I’ll be sick after two of those.”

“Perfect!” Cure happily shouts while clapping. Dawn just smirks at the byplay. "Here ya go, Solar. Charge up as many as you can. Before you start, let’s do a little prep work. I’m gonna go get some food ready for ya. Also, you’re okay with me usin my talent on you for this, right?”

“Ugh, if it helps then yes, please do.”

“Great!”

Cure trots outside to the garden and, after gathering up some supplies for a snack, runs back in the house to clean and cut everything up. A few minutes later Cure carries a bowl full of salad in and sets it in front of Solar.

Dawn smirks at the colt from the cushion as he walks back in the room. “Did you just go outside with yer horn on?”

“Ah fudge! I keep doing that! That’s twice in two days. I swear, this thing’s too friggin convenient and I keep forgetting.” He quickly runs to the back door, cracks it open, and takes a look outside. Fortunately the coast is clear.

Returning to the living room he says, “There’s nopony out there, so I guess I’ve gotten lucky again. Still, I need to put a freakin sign up or something. No prosthetic horns beyond this point,” he says, motioning towards the back door. “That oughta raise an eyebrow or two when we have company.”

“Ya think?” she asks.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Alright, Solar, you charge up those scrolls then I’m gonna put yer system into overdrive. Don’t be surprised if you feel hungry in a few minutes. Bathroom’s that way, just in case.”

With a slightly concerned look, Solar picks up the first scroll. Holding it to his horn he charges it up and, after a moment, sets it down. “Not a great feeling.”

“Yeah, well, get used to it. Being able to operate like that may save yer life someday.”

“How often do you run yourself dry?”

“I come close several times a day. I only overdid it really bad once. I basically knocked myself out for like two hours on the second or third day after I got my mark.”

“Fine, fine.” Charging the second one has an impact, Cure can tell. Solar looks like he’s drugged.

“Okay dude, let’s see how fast you recover with a boost.” Cure puts his hooves on the red unicorn’s side and pushes with his magic, telling Solar’s system to burn off the fat stores as quickly as is safe to generate magic as fast as possible.

He can see the nutrients being stolen from his fat reserves and diffused throughout his body. Sending a similar “hurry up” order to Solar’s gut and intestines also charges that pathway, something Cure doesn’t want to spend a lot of time paying attention to.

The process is far from instantaneous, but within about five minutes Solar is definitely looking a lot better.

“You okay, bro?” Dawn asks, rubbing his side with a hoof.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m alright. That’ll definitely take some getting used to. Well, I think we can chalk up another thing your cheating talent can help with; magic recovery. Freaking ridiculous. How’s that even work?”

“The same thing that powers our body is at least partially responsible for generating our magic. We metabolize food to generate magic, which is why you feel sluggish when you use a bunch and why you recover faster when you eat, especially sugary stuff. Magic is, after all, just another form of energy, so it has to come from somewhere. Unicorns have more of the “make magic” cells in their body than the other tribes.”

“We get the kind that heal, strengthen, give endurance, and help with the TK aura. I don’t know what all pegasi get, but I’m pretty sure they have an aura that lets them walk on clouds, deflect lightning, and maybe does something with wind, heat, or water.”

“How in Tartarus do you know all that?”

“Scans and experiments. I’m testing something new in myself to see if I can make a cell structure that does all three. I’ll let ya know how it works out sometime around April.”

“April? Why April?”

“Because I’m doing it in very tiny increments in case something goes wrong so I don’t explode or something.”

“Good policy.”

“I agree.”

“So wait,” Dawn says, “you’re going to potentially have all three tribes’ abilities in six months?”

“Possibly, but I’ve already got two out of three right now,” he says, tapping his horn. “I’d know if it was working at all if we had a cloud. I don’t have any pegasi in on the secret though, so no way for me to test. Technically, we all have all three tribes abilities, it's just a matter of ratios. There's a reason lightning blows trees in half but doesn't fry ponies. It's because we all have a tiny bit of the pegasus ability in us.”

“I know there’s a spell that can give unicorn wings, but…”

“That spell also takes a whole lot of magic to cast, is my understanding.”

“Yeah, how do you know that?”

“It’s a high level conjuration spell. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it’s draining. I don’t know if it actually alters our aura’s properties to match what a pegasus’ does or if it substitutes magic wholly as a replacement.”

“I… uhh… have no clue, dude. I’ve just heard it can be used for scouting if needed, but is too draining under most circumstances. I think you can pour less energy into it but then it doesn’t last as long.”

Hmm… Twilight must have poured a bunch in so Rarity wouldn’t fall prematurely. That makes sense if she didn’t know exactly how long the wings would be needed. If she could pour enough juice in to get hours out of it maybe I could get two or three minutes, just to get an idea of what flying is like.

“Really? I may need to find that spell diagram then. Regardless, guess what your new training regimen is gonna look like,” Cure says with a smile while dangling two more scrolls in front of Solar.

“Can you do me too?” Dawn asks.

“Yep, I think we should all do this every day, if possible. It’ll benefit us immensely in the long run. I only have enough ink for a few more scrolls though."

"I still say you should be coming to the range with us, Cure. It’s a heck of a lot more fun than charging scrolls or lifting stuff."

"It’s really tempting. If I could come up with a way to do it without risking somepony asking about the new unicorn in town I would at least consider it."

"Basic Invisibility! Isn't that in the library book?" Dawn asks.

The basic version of the spell is, as the name implies, very basic. It breaks after a few steps, too much movement, or when a unicorn casts a spell. It can also be seen through by the unicorn aura if they’re paying attention. Cure compares it to stealth technologies that don’t exactly make a plane invisible, but instead greatly reduces their radar signature.

"Yeah, but casting anything reveals you," Cure points out.

"No, I don't mean for at the range," she says. "Cast it on yourself."

"Okay gimme a sec, I haven't tried it yet." Cure reviews the spell and finds that it actually is similar to the illusion spell he's been using all along. With a quick dry run first he's confident he has the spell down.

Dawn watches as Cure fades from view. Once he's gone she says, "Okay now change something like your coat color. Do something that's completely internal magic, nothing with your horn."

"Good thinking, sis. Internal magic shouldn't disrupt the illusion barrier."

"Huh. It worked. Okay, so I can turn invisible and change colors. Then what?"

"Duh, Cure. You wait till the train is pulling up, turn invisible, disguise yourself, and pretend to walk off the train with everypony else. Just use colors that don't stand out like light brown, gray, or off-white. Something nopony will pay attention to."

"Ahh… then we can meet up and go. I need a name and a cutie mark. Or I can just go blank. That's probably better, actually."

"Just pick whatever name. They don't write it down at the range or anything. There’s never anypony there in this town anyhow," Solar explains as he takes a bite of the salad Cure made. "Can't freakin believe I'm hungry again."

Cure fades back into view, now with a darker blue coat, closer to royal instead of the typical sky blue. His mane is a few shades darker as well; a deep forest green rather than his normal emerald. He's completely covered his mark in a flap of fur-covered skin that seamlessly blends in with his coat.

Dawn walks up and looks him over from front to back. Poking at his flank, she can't tell where the seam is on the patch of fur. She notices right away that his face looks slightly different, with narrower cheeks and a more angular muzzle. He also changed the size and shape of his horn slightly. The couple changes make it impossible to recognize him, and he even changed his scent. With an approving nod she bumps his shoulder. "Nice disguise, Cure. I would never assume it's you."

Cocking his head in confusion, and with a deeper, more mature voice and a slight British accent the colt says, "Cure? Sorry, miss, I'm afraid I haven't a clue who this Cure fellow is."

Dawn takes a half step back at the unexpected voice and manner of speaking.

He turns to Solar, who's paused mid-bite in shock. "Pardon my intrusion upon your meal, my good sir. I was just on my way home in Trottingham and encountered some bizarre phenomenon. A brilliant flash of yellow filled my vision and, for a brief moment, I felt a rather intense pulling sensation. Could I trouble you to direct me to the nearest guard station?"

Solar quickly swallows the food in his mouth, coughing slightly as some refuses to go down easily. "Uhh, not funny, Cure. That is you, right? I could see him having something crazy like this happen…"

Sighing, the blue colt shakes his head. "Never mind, if you both are incapable of rendering assistance then I shall find it on my own. Good day to you." As he walks to the door the knob is encased in a yellow aura, matching the glow of his horn, and pulled open before he trots outside, shutting the door behind him.

Dawn points a hoof at the door and looks at Solar asking, "What the hay just happened?"

He shrugs and begins saying, "I don't kn-" before cutting himself off when the back door in the kitchen bursts open, Cure, sans horn, tumbles in as if was thrown before jumping up and slamming the door closed.

Running into the living room he frantically asks, "DID YOU SEE HIM? A DARK BLUE COLT? WE GOTTA STOP HIM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"

Both siblings leap to their hooves and are about to go sprinting out the front door, only to pause at the boisterous laughter coming from behind them.

"Oh my Stars! Your faces! HAH!" Switching his voice back he says "Might I trouble you for a spot of tea?" and falls over laughing again.

Dawn doesn't hesitate to tackle him. Standing over his prone and laughing form she feebly whales on him to no effect due to his improved durability. Rolling on the floor and laughing, Cure lets her get her kicks in before he stops on his back looking up at her.

"I ran all the way home from Trottingham and this is the greeting I get?” Waving a hoof in her face he adds, “No more massages for you, missy!"

Solar lays back down and goes back to eating with a sigh while Dawn flops back on Cure's cushion, forelegs crossed with an angry scowl.

The scowl is redirected at Solar when he starts chuckling. "Okay, that was actually pretty funny, I have to admit. Let's see it again, no invisibility this time."

"Are ya sure? The rearranging my face thing may look weird," Cure says while standing back up.

"Eh, go ahead. I'm curious,” he insists while Dawn mutters “I’ll rearrange yer face…” under her breath.

Both unicorns pale slightly as Cure, now facing them, changes back to the other colt's appearance. The color change isn’t a big deal; his coat, mane, and tail just gradually darken like a slider is being moved down a scale. It’s the shifting of bone under his skin that unsettles the pair. Once he’s done he spreads his forehooves and shouts "Ta daa!” while waving his forelegs up and down.

"Where's your horn?" Dawn asks, looking him up and down critically.

"Oh, right!" Both siblings are further horrified when Cure pulls the horn from a pouch of skin under his left foreleg pit, then tosses it up, catches it like a circus seal catching a ball with his TK aura, and sticks it in place on his head again, hooves-free. Once again he spreads his forehooves and shouts, "Ta daa! Again!"

When both just stare at him like he's nuts he scowls back muttering, "No applause? Y'all stink. Let's see you do that."

"You're crazy, aren't you?"

"We're all crazy, Solar. The important thing is that we channel the crazy into useful things. Besides, it's not like I'm throwing your horn around." Narrowing his eyes at the older colt, he leans forward and lowly says "Yet" then smiles.

"Well. That's not terrifying. Aaaanyhow, this seems like a good way to get you to the range, Cure. What's your alias?"

Smiling wide, Cure answers in the altered voice, sans accent. "Thomas Riddle, at your service" tipping an imaginary hat he adds, "but you may call me Voldemort."

"Riddle, got it."

The smile on Cure's face becomes a pout. "Aww."

"How about we start going tomorrow?" Dawn suggests. "We need to get home soon and Solar isn't going to be casting anything for a little while."

"Sure, okay. We can do scrolls another time then. Are you two coming back to run after dinner? I think everypony else is going tonight. Crosswind and Glacial may stop by too. I bumped into them in town Friday night."

"Yep, we'll be here, Cure," Solar agrees. Finished with the food he walks over to the kitchen and puts everything in the sink. "Ready to go, sis?"

"Yep." Dawn hops up. Apparently she's forgiven Cure for the prank. She trots up to him and gives him an affectionate nuzzle, just as the front door opens and Title walks in. She stops at the unexpected scene, causing Deed to almost run right into her, with Vines peeking over their backs.

Cure, his voice changed to the fake one, yells, "Bloody Tartarus! You said they would be gone for hours! Quick, grab everything and run!"

Solar and Dawn both whip their heads to look at him, horror on their faces.

"Real funny, Cure. Stop being a brat," Title casually says as she walks in the room, Deed following as Vines takes off the harness to the small pull cart behind her. To the amusement of the parents both siblings give him a whack this time. "I'm guessing he deserves that."

"Could you actually tell it was me or is it just because we're here?" he asks, ignoring the dual punches.

"The latter, though you're a bit thick for a unicorn."

"Yeah, sport, you're a bit on the wide side to be convincing. What's the getup for?"

Vines, finished getting free, walks up to him and looks him over. "That's weird. You even smell different. I hate to admit, honey, but I don't know if I would even recognize you if you changed your posture and mannerisms a little."

"Well aside from my overall body shape there's nothing to identify me. No mark, different face, colors, scent, voice, eye color." Holding up a hoof and opening his mouth he adds, "I even changed my teeth and hoof imprint some."

Turning to his sire he explains, "Dawn suggested a way for me to go to the range with them. I'll probably start doing that after school tomorrow." Cure gives his parents a quick explanation of the plan.

Title suggests he uses the restroom at the station to change, which makes all three foals feel kinda dumb since that invalidates the need for the invisibility altogether. The only thing he’ll need to do is watch for anypony paying attention when one colt goes in and another leaves.

Dawn realizes something else was different earlier that she hadn't thought of yet. "How'd you change the color of your magic?"

"It's a cantrip," Solar explains before Cure can. "It only lasts an hour, but your aura can be whatever color you want."

"Yep. I just casted it to break the invisibility spell. It's only a few runes, that's why you didn't notice it."

"Oh. I thought that was the invisibility breaking I felt. Okay, well we'll see you after dinner for our run. Bye everypony!"

Cure had given his parents a run down of everything else that the three had discussed while helping out the few groceries away. Vines had asked him to change his appearance and scent back almost immediately. Something about him not being him sent her maternal instincts into a tizzy.

He wonders if they’re amped up due to her pregnancy. There could also be some kind of evolutionary instinct at play. He suggested maybe something was twigging a "my colt is sick" part of her brain she wasn't conscious of and acquiesced quickly when it became obvious how much anxiety this was causing her. For the next hour she might as well have carried him around by his scruff with how she hovered over him.

He thought it was adorable and ate the attention up without reservation.

Momma mode finally placated, the family had dinner, got ready, and stood outside waiting for everypony to show up for their run.

Crosswind Drift and Glacial Breeze are the first to arrive. Wind Shear joined them too, something neither he nor his parents expected. Next, Heavy Lift trots over with his twin sisters riding pony, one immediately fluttering onto Cure's back and nuzzling into his mane while the other gives him the narrowed-eye stare. Ferric Shine arrives just a moment later, with Delta Coast right behind her.

Cure approaches Ferric and tells her about the book he bought in Canterlot. He promises to let her borrow it after the run, a prospect that excites the dark red filly.

Rising Pitch, Sapphire Sprint, and Dawn Glow all come together before Dawn pulls Cure to the side while waving the parents to follow.

Surprised by the action, Cure follows along. “So… what’s up? Somethin wrong?”

"No, I just wanted to let you know that when we left earlier we bumped into our sire on the way home. He happened to be patrolling with Sgt. Bulwark. They're both coming with Solar. I hope you're not upset," she finishes nervously.

"Nah, that's fine. It just saves me a trip, that's all. Thanks for inviting them, Dawn. That was good thinkin." Looking towards town, Cure puts some magic through his eyes. Sure enough, Gleaming Haze, Solar Strike, and Staff Sergeant Iron Bulwark are approaching at an easy canter and out of their armor.

Cure hadn't really focused on the sarge when he gave his statement; he was too caught up with the events and ensuring he played the part to really make note of the gray stallion's build. The armor also had made it difficult to tell how much bulk was it versus him before. The answer is overwhelmingly him; he's a solid hoof taller than Deed and a half hoof wider; approximately the same build that Cure plans on being when he's fully grown.

"Yep, there they are. They'll be here in just a minute."

"Mom, dad? You're the business ponies here. Why don't you two think about how you wanna approach this. I trust your judgment here, whether it's a free service I offer for the guard or as some kinda sports medicine trainer. I'm fine either way. Pardon me a second, I need to deal with something quick."

Trotting away, Cure calls out, "Hey Wind? Mind if I have a word?"

Following Cure off to the side she immediately starts, "Hey I hope you don't mind that I came, sissy said she ran into you Friday and you had a bunch of ponies running. I didn't expect this many, though," she finished while looking towards the three still on the way.

"No, I'm perfectly okay with you being here. I wanted to talk to you about something that happened the night we fought. Nothing bad," he quickly adds, "but just something I haven't had an opportunity to bring up. My special talent is very unique, okay?"

"... Okay?"

"When we fought I used it to make sure I didn't hurt you accidentally."

"So?"

"So I just wanted to let you know. Part of the talent lets me see injuries. Remember how you were teasing me about your sister's chest?" Cure can see the instant it clicks for the filly. She turns almost as red as Dawn and her wings start to lift.

Before she bolts, Cure raises a hoof, "I assure you, Wind, before my time is up I will certainly use my talent on thousands, maybe tens of thousands of ponies. Think of me like a doctor; that's the same thing I have told everypony else. That's why the sergeant is here tonight with the medic that looked over your wing. Recognize them?"

"Oh. Oh! Wait… is he's Dawn's sire?”

“Yep, I found out a few days after our fight.”

“Huh. I didn't realize when we met at the parlor. I shoulda with those colors. My sire has mentioned him before. Why's the sergeant here though?"

"I'm going to offer my healing services to the guard. I approached Dawn's parents about it last night. I'm a healer, Wind. Do you realize what that means?"

"No?” she answers, clearly a little confused. “What's special about that?"

"I may be the only pony alive that can safely use advanced healing magic. I think maybe the princess can too, but other than her and me the best pony healers can barely fix a scratch. If you lost a wing and came to me I could put it back on, even days later."

That finally got through to her. Certainly there's some horror stories that pegasi are told about losing a wing, so the idea of getting it back afterwards shocks her out of whatever concern she had before. Cure watches as her wings clamp tight on her body at just the thought of injuring them.

With a grimace she quietly mumbles, "... and I fuckin picked a fight with ya. Flamin Tartarus."

"Eh, we're friends now, though, right? Look, I wanted to give you a heads up alone so you didn't freak out like you were about to. Every pony here but Heavy's sisters, Dawn's sire, and the sergeant have had me use my talent on them. Them and a half dozen others. It's not a big deal."

"Alright. That's fine I guess. If I ever got hurt I'd want ya to fix me up anyhow I suppose. Did you have to heal my wing after we fought?"

"There was a little strain from pinning you, but no actual injury. I didn't damage yer wing, Wind. I wouldn't do that to a pegasus over a silly foal's fight."

"Fair. I mean, if you were a unicorn I would expect ya to use magic too, since you couldn't beat me otherwise, ya know?" she says with a smug smile.

"Uh huh. I'll let ya have the win tonight. I need to talk to the sergeants and get these ponies movin."

Smirking in perceived victory she follows Cure back to the group.

"Alright, sorry for the delay everypony. First I would like to welcome Staff Sergeant Iron Bulwark and Sergeant Gleaming Haze. You'll note the resemblance to Dawn and Solar, of course, as he's their sire. Also, welcome to Wind Shear, Crosswind Drift's older sister."

"Many of you are aware of something I have asked you to keep quiet for the past month. You don't have to anymore. I've been telling ponies that my special talent is to help ponies stay in shape or to get healthy. That's true, but only a part of my talent. In addition to that, one of the things I can do is heal ponies. Not just scratches, but other injuries and illnesses as well."

"I have only had my cutie mark for a month and I was keeping quiet about what I could do because the other first few times I healed anypony the reaction was basically, "If ponies know what you can do they'll come take you away." I've since been assured that is not the case."

"My talent works like a unicorn’s health scanning spell, but in addition to seeing what's wrong I can also direct my magic to fixing it. That's why we can run as far as we can without feeling it. Normally you'd get fatigued as your muscles wear out. With me healing you that won't happen. You just keep going until you stop or you literally have insufficient fat reserves to power your muscles."

"A typical workout with me is worth five or more normally, and since you're leaving fully recovered you don't get tired or sore afterwards. You can come right back the next day fresh and ready to go again. I need to speak to the sergeants for a moment, then we can get started."

Cure, his parents, and the sergeants step off to the side while the few foals that weren’t already aware discuss the reveal.

Turning to face Sgt. Bulwark, Cure simply says, "I'm sure you have questions."

With an affirming nod the sergeant says, "A great many. Your talent registration form came across my desk just today. I believe that answers a couple of them."

Cure can't help but sigh at the news. They had gone to city hall the day after meeting with the attorneys. He wasn't happy with the requirement, but the alternative meant not only breaking the law by not registering, but he would also not be able to legally offer services for payment.

They had elected to limit the number of ponies able to view his information to only those that are considered "need to know", which would mean the local guard and, presumably, whatever government agency is responsible for keeping tabs on the ponies that have the potential to either save or end a lot of lives; probably some three-letter-agency under the crown.

"I figured the local guard commander may be made aware of a restricted talent classification in their jurisdiction. How far up the line will it go?"

Sgt. Bulwark chuckles at the colt's reaction. "Son… if Her Highness isn't reading a copy of that form with her morning tea within the next few days I'll eat my armor. Do you know how many times I have seen that form?"

"Once?"

"HA! No, I think you're the sixth, but the other five were when I was downtown and I was just being made aware. You're the first in my jurisdiction, though."

"And here I was thinking I may get to live a somewhat normal life. Have you been ordered to observe me or did you come to run?"

"I'll be honest with ya, son. The answer is both." Waving a placating hoof he continues, "Don't stress yerself. This is just how it works. You wouldn't want hundreds of ponies with potentially dangerous talents going around with nopony aware at all. Just keep doin what yer doin and nothin will change."

"Fair. Anything you want to know before we run?"

"Just one thing. I can't help but notice you're a lot more mature than the colt I spoke with a month ago. I just need to hear it… Was everything with Washout legit?"

"Yes,” Cure definitively answers. “He was way out of line. I specifically told him to take a moment to look at the situation. He responded by getting in my face and asking who I was trying to tell him what to do. It was completely inappropriate and, as you said, unprofessional."

"Agreed. I just had to be sure."

"I understand. I'm sure Thunder Dance told you that we all made up?"

"Yep." With a soft smile he adds, "She said you bumped into her filly and bought her a sundae. That was very kind of you."

Shrugging, Cure explains, "Life's too short to hold grudges, and I got a new friend out of it. You can't have too many of those." Getting agreements from the sergeants, Cure looks back to the group. Like any collection of foals his age they've become completely disorganized. "I had better get everypony moving. Are you two running normally or am I hitting you with my talent?"

"Talent, please," Haze immediately calls out, getting a laugh out of the parents and a disappointed sigh from his commander. "Not all of us have that earth pony endurance, sarge," he comments defensively.

"Actually your two are able to keep up with most of the earth ponies until about ten kilometers. They struggle from there without help, but Solar is going to soar through Basic, I'm sure. "

"It sounds like he'll be fine," Sgt. Bulwark agrees. "I'm going to go without, if I can. I think I can go ten klicks easy enough."

Discussion more or less done, everypony returns to the group.

"Okay everypony, let's get moving," Cure calls out. "My parents are on point, just follow their lead. I'll be moving up and down the group, so if I see anypony struggling I'll come up and give ya a little tap."

"We'll stop every few kilometers to rest a moment. Just give me a hoof bump each time we stop and I'll fix ya up, then we'll go again until we decide to call it a day. Pegasi, I don't know how exactly your flight works, but don't use it at all tonight. The goal is to strain muscles and that won't happen if you’re cheating. Just wave a wing at me if you're really struggling and I don't notice."

"Let's go, mom!" he shouts to Title, who takes off with Vines and Deed behind her. Solar and Dawn go next with the earth pony fillies and Heavy all following behind them. The pegasi go next, followed by Cure and the two sergeants.

It becomes painfully obvious that the pegasi are not conditioned to running any kind of distance. Cure spends most of the run bouncing between the three of them and occasionally running ahead to top off Sapphire and Heavy. Everypony else can at least make it from one break stop to the next easily enough.

Cure catches the pegasi cheating a few times, though he's pretty sure it's just instinct for them to start channeling their aura. As best he can tell it lightens them somehow. It reminds him of something from a video game, actually.

Mass Effect, specifically, had Element Zero or "eezo" that gave physics the middle finger and allowed for the increase or decrease of an object's mass. That allows for greater acceleration like when pegasi corner hard or are taking off.

It would also reduce gravity's pull and make them bounce rather than go splat when crashing, something he remembers from the cartoon, aside from a few examples that seemed to be more for comedic effect.

Curious whether they know, he asks during the run, "When you fly are you somehow reducing your effective mass? Is that how you're able to get off the ground and make fast turns?"

Sadly, neither of the three have any idea, and all he gets back is versions of "no clue" or "What the hay does that mean?"

It's Dawn's sire that explains, "Actually, that is the working theory. I'm surprised you know physics well enough to recognize the difference between mass and weight, Cure. Dawn and Solar keep saying you're smart, though."

"It's the only thing I can think of that would explain how they get off the ground without wings ten times as big. Ponies are not even slightly aerodynamic. Does it reduce drag too?"

"Uhh… I think?" he says, looking at Bulwark to see if he knows. He just frowns and shakes his head no, indicating he doesn't.

"Wind, when you fly do your ears get blasted back and yer eyes dry out?"

"Only if you go really fast. Like, faster than us three can get up to."

"Huh… What about staying warm? I would expect you to freeze with high speed flying in the winter. Wind chill can kill a pony unless your magic keeps you safe."

"It does," Haze cuts in. "A pegasus that's out of magic can freeze at high speeds, but they can just stop on a cloud to warm back up."

"Oh wow, that’s useful. Thanks."

Aside from some chatter and a bit of grumbling from the three pegasi the run was fairly quiet. Most of the ponies were breathing too hard to really talk, even if they didn't need nearly as much help from Cure.

At the end of the run everypony waded into the pond to cool off. The temperature had definitely fallen a few degrees, but the thicker winter coat that had started coming in over the last week mitigated that, especially with everypony running hot from the jog.

Cure had to almost be pulled away from watching the three pegasi as Crosswind and her sister had started wrestling almost immediately and Glacial had ended up getting pulled in to team up on the older girl. He had a hard time not staring, or at least not too much. Three wet pegasi fillies flipping around in the water was a difficult spectacle to walk away from.

Most of the earth ponies had broken off after thanking him and were talking about school, so he joined the adults, Dawn, and Solar to see what the sarge had to say about his offer to assist the guard with physical conditioning.

"Definitely. I'm very interested. I wish I'd had ya three months ago. We just had the intra-guard squad competition a week ago. I can't fathom what a difference a year of conditioning like that," he waves his hoof at a random path, "would make. We'd easily place on fitness criteria alone."

"I bet money I could have every earth pony in your squad doing a 1200 kg draft pull inside six months if we hit the gym too. I don't know what a unicorn or pegasus could get up to, but wings and horns use muscles too."

"Wait," Haze calls, "what do you mean about horns?"

"Your horn muscles get tired after casting a lot, right? Don't you get a sore horn after a lot of spellwork?"

"Yeah…"

"So why couldn't you build up endurance in those too?"

Haze stops to consider for a moment and eventually has to agree.

"So yeah, you could just dry run through the runic alphabet nonstop until yer horn is about to fall off, then I fix it up and yer ready to go again. After a few weeks you can go basically nonstop, or at least enough you'd run outta magic way before getting sore."

"That's usually not a problem since, as you say, magic runs out first, but it would be great to use for spell training when yer not actually casting…"

"Yep. Dawn and Solar are both what you'd probably consider expert casters right now. I've been working with them both for a month. Flash yer sire the alphabet, you two."

Flashing the alphabet is simply running through the standard set of runes while casting a cantrip that shows what runes a unicorn is hitting without actually committing enough magic to cast anything. It's a great teaching tool that Cure found in the back of the primer he originally found the light spell in. Speed and accuracy are the goal, both of which the two have in spades.

Both sergeants adequately impressed, Cure and Dawn break off to let the adults discuss terms and rejoin the rest of the foals playing around in the water.

Solar and Dawn had come by for the scroll training Cure insisted they get started on. There's a lot of material to cover, so it'll be a few sessions before they get a good feel for it since they can't properly cheat like a smart pony should. Solar plans to get some additional supplies in Baltimare, a trip he'd agreed to take Dawn and "Riddle" on whenever he went after he got Cure's parents' okay.

Showered and prepped for bed, the family is all piled together with Vines being the massage victim for the evening. From atop her back he asks his mom how negotiations went.

"Bulwark was thrilled, honey. He seems like the stoic type, but the prospect of kicking tail at next year's competition definitely excited him. Apparently he's got a bone or two to pick with some of the other sergeants between Baltimare and the capital."

"Yep, he's definitely all aboard the cheat train, son. I think ya really impressed him knowin how the other tribes did their thing too. He said they have a training budget and it sounds like yer gonna get a chunk outta it, but don't get yer hopes up too much. He said it'll hafta be performance based pay."

"That's fair," he says as he's grinding away at Vines' hips. "I probably will come out ahead as long as he can keep his troops from screwing around much."

"That won't happen. The idea right now is for you, your sire, a sergeant, and five squaddies to go to Baltimare once a week on Friday afternoon and hit the gym at Base Carol, alternating groups each week. They can book two hour chunks and don't hafta pay. He said as long as you two are careful you can work out for free. You won’t start for a couple weeks though since he has to get approval and there’s a holiday comin up."

"Nice! Dad, is that okay with you? I really only need you to come the first time or two. I think a six pony fire team is enough to get me there and back safely."

"It's not a problem, sport. It'll give me a chance to get some weightliftin in too. I'm sure there's stuff that runnin doesn't get."

"Alright, well don't feel obligated. You know I'm more capable than a normal foal."

Leaning over Deed's back, Title asks, "Hey weren't you gonna work on yer tree?"

"Nope, next week. We did the clone seed thing last week, input slot is next week. The seeds should be ready in a few days."

"Ah. I need to go dump magic in. Kinda forgot with the whole scroll thing," she says, climbing out of bed.

"Dam, ya still hangin in there?"

"Mmhmm"

"Good, once mom gets back I'll tell you about the pegasus thing I figured out."

Carefully getting down of his dam's back, Cure sits by her shoulders to work on her neck. A moment later Title walks back in and snuggles against her other side.

"So I got a look at what pegasi are doing while we ran; at least a glimpse, that is. Haze said my theory is the working one, so it's either correct or nopony has come up with better. Ya listening dam?"

"Hmm?"

"I'll finish ya off in just a sec, just bear with me here. It looks like they are able to decrease their effective mass. That's how they can get off the ground and accelerate so quickly. That's also why they don't break their everything when they crash. They're hitting as if they're a fraction of their actual weight."

"Ah, I bet that factors when they're standing on clouds too."

"It sounds like it, mom. Something Haze said makes me think they can burn magic to enhance their aura kinda like we can enhance our strength. If they run outta magic their aura will still keep 'em warm though. At least to a point."

"So… pegasi never get cold unless they run outta magic, more or less."

"Right, I think. Maybe in extreme cold they could, or high winds."

"How bout you, son? Did the water feel cold at all?"

"No but I'm not a good test subject because of other upgrades. I could try lightening my weight but I'm still under 20% conversion of mitochondria."

Hopping off the bed, Deed calls him over. "Just like yesterday, just get yer visualization thing goin on "lighter" alright?"

Cure trots over in front of his sire and holds up a hoof. "Lemme get it going in my head. I'm not sure how to "think light" exactly."

"What if you think about having less mass?" Title asks.

"That's even more abstract… and technically not possible or correct. Less effective mass."

"Same diff," she shrugs, "just imagine gravity isn't holdin ya down and yer floatin away."

Cure frowns in thought for a second. That sounds almost like being on the moon, and damn near every kid has imagined being Neil Armstrong at least once. "I think that helped. Thanks, mom. Alright pa. One small lift for a pony; one giant lift for ponykind."

"Dunno how giant it is,” Title comments, “but whatever works. I think he's ready, babe. Try not to throw him through the roof."

Just like the day prior, Deed loops his forelegs under his son and carefully lifts him up. "Umm I'm not sure. He may be a little lighter?"

"Hold me straight out, dad. Don't move yer legs at all, okay? And stop channeling magic at all."

Deed follows his son's instructions and can tell a difference right away. He can hold the colt up, but probably not for more than a couple minutes with his forelegs straight out like that.

“Okay I’m going to try to kind of toggle it on and off a bit. If I get too heavy just drop me, I’m ready for it.” With Deed not using any magic at all, he is straining slightly holding Cure straight out in an awkward position. Once Cure gets his “moon versus earth” visual working right it becomes really obvious that the colt is suddenly several kilograms heavier.

Deed quickly lowers him to the ground with a nod. "Yep, that definitely worked. It’s not a huge difference, but it’s noticeable when I was already strainin a bit. I guess yer right about the weight, mass, whatever thing. Want me to toss ya out the window ta see if ya bounce?"

"Har har. Maybe come April when I'm fully converted. Still, this is the first proof we've had that my project is working. It also means that pegasus wings are not strictly needed to fly."

Deed climbs up on the bed on Title's other side, sandwiching the mare between he and Vines. Cure hops back up on the bed to resume his dam's massage.

"How would you fly without wings, Cure?"

While working on his dam's withers he explains, "Well you do need something wing-like to control pitch and roll; it's mainly a source of propulsion that's needed and something to generate lift. Wings do all of that at once but you could have an engine for thrust and artificial wings for pitch and roll."

"Even somewhat early human airplanes could sustain flight speeds over a hundred kph. That would get us to Canterlot in under six hours. Maybe five even. And that's crap from a hundred years ago. I dunno, maybe in twenty years if I'm rich and bored I'll give powered flight a try."

"Hmm. I bet if you can reproduce the pegasus aura that'll help a lot."

"True. Given how small their wings are relative to their bodies I bet they reduce their mass by 80% or more. An airplane with a crystal powering it instead of hundreds of kgs of fuel and with its mass reduced even half would probably be pretty fast. That's still a "bored rich adult" thing I think. I'd rather make a pegasus jetpack instead."

"A what?"

Now moving up his dam's neck, he can tell she's starting to get sleepy. "A propulsion system a pegasus can strap on. It may double their speed or more. I'll have to look at shield modification options and any spell that has a push mechanic to see if it's feasible, but neither of those sound too difficult."

"Aren't they fast enough already?" Deed asks.

"For normal stuff yes, but think of pegasi scouts running air patrol on a dragon or griffon border. Having a speed boost option may be the difference between life and death. I damn sure wouldn't wanna be up there without some kinda fallback."

"Language," Vines huffs out.

Rolling his eyes, Cure starts on her ears. "I told Solar the same thing. Always have a fallback. That's why we spent the evening working on scrolls. No horn needed emergency supplies. It's almost criminal that squads don't have them as a standard kit."

"Maybe you can convince Bulwark they're worthwhile."

"Huh… good idea, mom. I'll make a dozen books for 'em. Some shields, sleep, paralyze, signal flare, a few missile attacks, and an emergency teleport. If I don't power them it would only cost me about ten bits each and take an hour or so.”

"That may be overkill, Cure."

"That's the best kind of kill, mom."

"... predator brains, I swear."

"Hey if yer not the predator that means yer the prey. I ain't nopony's prey, no matter what species I am."

"Uh huh. You are very scary. I'm shakin in my hooves," she mocks while waving a hoof in the air.

"Ya know… if I didn't wanna traumatize yer fragile pony mind I'd respond to a taunt like that. It’s a good thing that one of us is a mature adult." Vines seems like she's almost asleep at this point, so Cure starts on her back hooves first. As soon as he does she lets out a happy hum.

"Whatever you say, widdle Wavey poo." Deed just snorts a chuckle out and watches the byplay.

Cure pauses his massage. Looking up at his mom from over his dam's back he smiles at the smug looking mare. Then his smile becomes a bit more toothy. Sharp, needle-like, and toothy. And it keeps getting wider until the smile goes almost all the way back to his ears. The smug smile dies a quick death. Then he just goes back to massaging his dam's hooves without saying a word.

Deed and Title both just stare in wide-eyed terror, not moving an inch while Cure moves from one hoof to another while humming a lullaby. With his dam asleep he finishes the massage, climbs up against her side, looks over her to his other parents, and in a deep voice with a hissing echo sound he says, "Goodnight mother, father. Sleep well," before snuggling into her side and getting comfortable.

After a minute of absolute silence he sits up, looks at them, and in his normal voice simply asks, "Really?" with hiked brows.

"Damnit, Cure! Don't do that kinda crap!"

"Oh please, you started it. Now get your silly prey brains under control and go to sleep," he says, melodramatically rolling his eyes. Standing up, he walks over and gives each a hug, a kiss, and a loving nuzzle while muttering under his breath about "buncha skittish ponies and their damned panic instincts" before snuggling back with his dam and going to sleep.

Deed looks to Title, lets out a sigh, and says, "I don't think ya should taunt 'em, babe. You remember how he said humans had almost unlimited access to information and entertainment, right?"

"Right. No more provoking the crazy ape brain. Got it."

"Goodnight, babe, love you" he says, giving her a nuzzle and laying down.
"Love you too, honey," she replies, laying her head on his withers.

Fortunately, sleep did not elude them for long at all.

Author's Note

Happy Turkey Day!

Enjoy a delicious dinner of words! Savory, delicious words! w00t!