Starlight stood smiling at the front of our class. "Rarity's not feeling well today." She floated a pointer over to tap at the board. "So I'll be going over something else while she recovers. Let's touch on something suddenly relevant. David." She grabbed me with her magic, floating me to the front of the class.

"This." She pointed at my hovering form. "Is a kirin, as you are aware." Many heads nodded at that. "There's another kirin visiting, and tensions are... high. But do any of you understand why?"

I raised a split hoof.

"Not you." Starlight smiled at me. "That's cheating. Anycreature else?" No hands or hooves raised. "For the kirin, their fire is one of the greatest things about them. They praise it, almost worship it, inside themselves and around themselves." With a spark of her horn, a little bonfire appeared in front of her. "I know a little fire magic," she admitted. "Just a touch. Now, behold, fire." She waved at it.

"You all understand most creatures have one element, hm?" Most heads bobbed. "Good! Ponies tend to be earth or air. Pegasi and griffons for air, earth ponies and yak share earth, for instance. Hippogriffs, just to give an example, are air and water hybrids, with individuals often showing a strong preference for one, though some sit right in the middle and enjoy it there."

Ocellus raised a hoof. "Ma'am?"

"Changelings are whatever element they feel like." Starlight brought her hooves together. "It's just a matter of what they study, and what form they're in. A changeling sea pony could make reasonable use of water, but not as well as a good actual sea pony. Close enough. You, Ocellus, could learn to wield all the elements you put your mind behind."

Murmurs spread, creatures impressed at the idea. "Now, before you think changelings are too special, ponies are, in some ways, similar." She curled a hoof at herself. "If I pressed too far into air studies, I'd get wings, and with them, I could fully master air. Too much earth, and I get earth pony. The classic 'alicorn' is a pony that has done both of those things! An alicorn, just by being an alicorn, can usually practice, with magic, most elements, but the 'classic two' come most easily."

She turned a hoof on me, still floating there as the demonstration. "Then we have David. Technically, you could say he is an alicorn of sorts. Earth and Fire, at once. That earth part is very irritating to the kirin. Earth is not supposed to be with fire, at least if you were to ask them."

Starlight suddenly put me down on my hooves. "Which is the problem, since David, I'm told, has no interest on giving up his earth magic, or his human magic." She rolled her eyes. "Don't even mention he has a third kind of magic to the kirin. It's tangled enough."

I flushed self-consciously under the scrutiny of classmates as Starlight concluded her lecture spotlighting my peculiar predicament. Her sympathetic yet matter-of-fact delivery outlined core quandaries without overlaying excess judgment either way.

Still, unease stirred under myriad curious gazes now freshly aware of brewing elemental tensions tied to my unorthodox transformation sequence. Awkward hoof scuffs punctuated the trailing silence following revelations of traditionalist dissent.

Then Silverstream raised an eager hoof, unable to contain quivering enthusiasm. "Ooh! Ooh! If David's a kirin alicorn, doesn't that make him extra super powerful and important?!" Eyes shone envisioning exponential awesomeness no doubt.

Before I formulated coherent reactions, Ocellus chimed agreement, wings buzzing softly. "He does kinda combine all sorts of special talents, doesn't he?" She beamed my way heedless of gathering blushes. "Bet there's crazy strong hybrid magic just waiting for you to uncover it!"

Even aloof Smolder perked with interest hearing this suggestion. "Hey yeah, that'd show up those fire snobs if you whipped out some badflank mashup they've never seen before!" Sudden schemes glinted imagining the chaos potential.

Starlight hastened raising a gentle yet firm hoof, sensing my building panic as unwanted attention piled assumptions atop me. "Easy students, let's tread lightly with projections, however well intended..." She smiled reassuringly my grateful way. "Untested talents often carry unforeseen costs after all."

I let out a slow relieved breath as scenarios spawned by innocent idolization slowly unraveled in our teacher's compassionate wisdom. Specialness alone cured no ills; only serving others manifested miracles that uplifted all.

Starlight nodded, meeting my eyes warmly across chastened students now pondering impulsive words more carefully. "Alicorn is a measure of respect given for an achievement, not a measure of power. David is still learning his elements, even if he's dipped a hoof into either and embraced them, he's still a beginner. So... Even if we were to call him that, he's not suddenly some great wizard that will fix things by force."

She started tapping at me, specifically the wounded parts. "As you can see, he's not interested in physical conflicts anyway. He needs our support, not our calls for him to become a superhero. Let's save those for the comics, hm?"

A few dissapointed noises drifted through the room, but the too-excited calls had also died. "Very good. Are there other questions about cretures and their elements while we're on the topic?"

Gallus raised a hand. "Hey, Star. What about not-ponies and not-changelings?" He hiked both thumbs at himself. "What about griffons?"

"An excellent question." Starlight strode to him firmly. "We don't know about griffons, truth told. Maybe they could learn more than the air they start with, and maybe not. Like the yaks, their elemental restriction may be, entirely, something their society made up. Yaks think earth and its strength is simply the best. Griffons prefer to soar and fly and think little of the other elements. Nature, nuture? Perhaps you could prove it one way or the other?"

Starlight sat in front of Gallus' desk, meeting his gaze. "I'd like to see that. Keep me informed." She brought her hooves together. "In fact, I will give extra credit to any creature that manages to touch another element, however small. That goes for any creature. Pony or not. If it isn't one you already had, reach in a new direction."

I perked up as Starlight concluded her impromptu lecture by opening up intriguing avenues for further exploration. Her offer of extra credit for tangible demonstrations of elemental flexibility sparked fresh curiosities within.

I raised an eager hoof as students buzzed excitedly. "Hey since we're already bending expectations, maybe we work together mixing our specialties too?" I gestured around the classroom. "Like, what if I tried wielding air through a pegasus conduit, or Yona channeled fire through kirin me?"

Noticing some bewildered stares I clarified sheepishly: "Just, seems friendships themselves tap elemental power here...so maybe uniting our gifts unlocks more than we'd manage solo?" I scuffed a self-conscious hoof. "Plus, teamwork's kinda Magic of Friendship 101 right?"

Starlight beamed approvingly. "Excellently reasoned! Collaboration multiplies potentials." She addressed the class broadly: "Do feel free attempting weavings with others - I want to see that work."

Turning my way she winked slyly: "I foresee certain fiery tutors receive eager new students shortly..." Laughter echoed together as imaginings took flight on wings of curiosity kindled in this place of learning.

She went on to less exciting topics, resuming where Rarity had left off. Even if I was trying to become less awful at social bonds, I still wasn't that interested in fashion or what covered my shame, not that clothing seemed very mandatory on that world.

A paper bounced off me. I grabbed it in my magic and brought it over, uncurling it.

Hey, David!

Meet after class? Let's burn things!

Lightning and Fire, Classic Combo,
Gallus

There was a little picture of a griffon on fire under that. There were no doubts left as to who had left that. I saw nothing wrong with the general idea. If I could be a two-elemental creature, why try to hold that away from the others? I gave a thumbs up, as best I could. Having two fingers allowed it better than one big hoof.

The way he nodded, I figured he got the idea.

We put our attention on Starlight and tried to, or at least I tried to pay attention for the rest of class, typing away notes for later.

With the ringing of the bell, the class was over. I barely made it to the door when I was tackled, Gallus casually riding me out into the hallway. "Aw, yeah, let's do this." He snapped the fingers of his right hand, lightning crackling between them. "I may not look it, but magic's pretty fun, especially when we're going things I like doing. So, fire, how do we start?"

I turned a long ear back at Gallus. "First, why are you riding me?"

"Because you're a horse?" He squeezed me with his legs. "And because we're pals."

"Solid logic." I grabbed him with my magic and pulled him free, putting his pouting self on his own feet. "Your legs work, so use them."

"Fine, fine." Gallus rolled his eyes. "Seriously, where to? My house or yours could go up in flames if we try there."

"True..." I trotted out of school with him following behind. "I can think of two places. Do you prefer on the ground, or under it?"

"On it?" Gallus hiked a brow as he followed. "Was that a trick question?"

"On it it is." I headed to where Spike had offered some practice, not too far off the road. "A quiet place with fewer things to set on fire on accident."

"More dirt, less wood, yeah..." He nudged the ground with a foot. "I can dig it, alright. So, step one?"

I considered that. What was step one? "For me, it was envisioning me place with fire. Fire is a big friend of my people. It keeps us warm. It cooks our food. It powers... everything... Fire's a big deal. Do griffons have that kind of connection?"

Gallus scrunched his beak thoughtfully at my question, talons flexing restlessly. "I mean, we use fires plenty keeping cozy or cooking grub, sure." He shrugged watching puffy clouds drift. "Just kinda happens without much fuss though, not like we gotta bow before it or beg permission."

Noticing my curious look he explained further: "Like we'll gather branches for a bonfire bash no prob, but the actual spark just comes from smacking rocks without a buncha ritual, yeah?" He laughed suddenly. "Heck starting fires by clawing lightning strikes looks way flashier! Why trudge for tinder?"

Gallus struck a pose claw upraised dramatically. "BOOM! Roasted!" Tiny bolt zapped a nearby bush obligingly smoldering as he cackled. "Now that's more griffon style, baby!"

Sobering slightly he peered my way inquisitively. "Yeah though guess you pony types venerate elements way deeper huh?"

I chuckled at Gallus' bombastic lightning summons but considered his question seriously. "I'm not a pony, to start. My people did worship fire, for a long time. We got over it. This is personal as much as anything else." I went over to the fire Gallus had started. "Consider this. Put your hand out, feel the heat, listen to the sounds it makes."

Gallus came closer, peering skeptically. "It crackles. It's... kinda warm, sure? Now what?"

"Feel it. Not too close you get burned, but know it could burn." I thrust a hoof half-into it. Being fire resistant is nice. "It's like the lightning that made it, but without the flash, without the bang. Burning, always burning, brighter without the sudden... Feel that."

He put out both hands, feeling that warmth. "Yeah... Yeah, alright... I get where you're going, I think." He nudged some grass onto the fire, encouraging it. "It's like the lightning, but... different, yeah." He flashed a feral smile. "So..."

"So think about it and stop asking questions right now." I elbow him in the side. "Just feel it right now. When you got that, we can try more."

Author's Note

Gallus wants fire, right now. Fire! All the fire. Burn baby! Is this a good idea?

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