Gallus gently rubbed his hands, talons clicking. "Alright, I felt it. Next step?"

I chuckled softly, sinking to a seat next to it. "Now feel it. Bring it inside." I tapped at my chest. "Bring it on in, not literally. Feel it inside, and let it burn in your chest. Let every breath have flame in it. Feel it."

"You are getting really into this." But he sat next to me and closed his eyes. "Feeling it..." Things grew quiet as he just breathed. I couldn't read his mind, only imagining what he was imagining in a two layer mental image. "Feeling it..."

It took about five minutes, but a little fire puffed out of his beak, and I giddily cheered.

He started with surprise. "What? I didn't do anything."

"You did. Imagine what you just imagined, and keep your eyes open. I saw you breathe fire."

"No way!" With a grin, he tried to capture that spark. "Awesome... C'mon..." He puffed bits of smoke, but the fire wasn't coming back. "What am I doing wrong?"

"You're excited." I put a cloven hoof on his shoulder. "But I saw it. It'll come back. You just have to feel that fire. It's your first little tiny kinda spell."

"Yeah... Okay!" He laughed breathlessly, a little fire escaping. He saw it that time, grinning. "Yeah! Yeah! Woah.... Fire...." He suddenly slapped me on the shoulder. "You gave me fire! It's... a little fire, but it's fire. I can't thank you enough."

I smiled warmly as delight dawned across Gallus' face beholding tiny flames dancing at his summons. However fitful those first firefly flickers, pride clearly ignited within discovering budding talents.

"It starts small, but grows in time." I let him savor the triumphant moment before practical concerns resurfaced. "Gotta learn control alongside the power though." Gentle puff dispersed the crackling seeds. "Unwise strengthening spells too quickly risks nasty backfires if you can't snuff surges."

Noticing his crestfallen beak I hastily clarified: "Not saying that'll happen! Just...patience pays with magic, trust me." I smiled sheepishly through my own scorched memories. "Start working on it daily even for a few minutes. See where practice takes you before pushing harder."

I clasped his shoulder reassuringly with a grin. "Besides, first steps always look wobbly! Once you consistently call little flashes intentionally, we can try growing out." Visions swirled of winging free wielding flames alongside airborne allies, lighting the skies gloriously.

But frost must precede such flights of fancy. "For now though, just breathe deep and let the fire find you." I swept a hoof towards the little campfire crackling comfortingly between us. "Can't force a connection - only tend the conditions allowing it."

Gallus spat a little fire, on his command. "Too awesome." He kicked at the bonfire, knocking it dead with some dirt. "Fire griffon! Ha, take that... The suckers back home said I was wasting my time." He folded his arms, looking so very pleased. "But here I am, a two-element griffon. It's official now, right?"

I shook my head. "Don't be in a hurry. You touched the fire, nothing more. Until you can do more than puff some flames, you're a griffon with a side of fire, not a fire griffon. Let it happen and grow into it." I turned my hooves at myself. "Now, me? A pony that falls into fire becomes a kirin. I don't even know what a fire griffon is, if there is such a thing. We may find out, together."

"Together!" He brought his hand to my hoof in a thunderous high five. "I can't even wait!" He hopped to his feet and danced in place. "Oh, wow, this is gonna be so cool! Stupid Ocellus was always so smug, look at me, I can do everything!" He huffed at that. "Whatever. I got two elements now, yeah!"

It was a fine reminder that he was, in the end, still a young college kid. He was immature, and it was lovely in a way. "Keep at it. We can practice fire together, even if I'm not sure if pony fire and griffon fire are exactly the same."

"Hey. Fire is fire." He waved a finger. "Let's burn it up!"

I chuckled at Gallus' irrepressible enthusiasm now that initial success unlocked fiery talents potentially. Clearly visions swirled of flouting social conventions through flash and spectacle. I hoped I could lend a calming hoof to it.

"Well magic manifests uniquely across species, so griffon fire might differ from pony flames somehow." I demonstrated a flickering hoof absently. "Like dragon fire gets enhanced by consumed gemstones I hear, but kirin aren't attracted to gems."

Noticing puzzlement I quickly clarified: "Just saying mystery still surrounds this, is all!" Another casual puff sent wispy smoke signals skyward. "Your inner fire could cook up totally new expressions. We'll discover them together though, no worries!"

Gallus ruffled feathers pensively clearly less interested in formal research over unleashing awesome displays soon as possible.

I smiled subtly seeing him wrestling the impulse to vent teenage passions against discipline's restraints requiring deeper roots. "Hey, even lightning needs clouds and time gathering right?" A stray spark winked empathetically his way. "Your flames will blaze brighter when conditions align inside too."

Gallus scuffed the turf with a wry laugh. "Lightning just happens bang, no patience about it!" But his resigned smirk acknowledged the wisdom. "Still, getting all obsessive cramping my style won't help either I guess..."

I bumped his shoulder affectionately with a grin all too familiar. "Careful focus cultivates the crops, but joyful play keeps your spirit fed too." I mimed a familiar fighter's stance, flames flickering. "Now c'mon, let's get back to balancing studies with a little smash practice!"

With a whooping laugh Gallus pounced after me, just to crash into the wrong kirin. The other kirin scowled at Gallus. "Leave. I have business with that one." He directed a single hoof at me. I was already starting to freeze over into stone.

Gallus slid between us. "Not happening, flame horse. You think you're the only one that can put up a fight around here?"

"That is a terrible mistake." The kirin slammed his hooves together, fire exploding from the impact. "I would hate to harm a child, but I will, if you refuse to get out of the way."

Gallus clenched his hands, lightning dancing over his talons as wisps of flames rose and flickered with it. "No, jerk. He's my friend, so, no, don't think I will get out of the way. He doesn't want to talk to you, obviously."

Things got real quiet as the angry kirin and Gallus stared each other down. I was so freaked I turned to stone again by instinct. Gallus was in the older pony's face not backing down about chasing him off though.

Part of me admired Gallus refusing to ditch a friend in trouble. But picking fights with a super powerful fire master seemed real dumb too. Before I could work up the guts to talk, Gallus was already lighting his claws up with sparks taunting the visitor to throw the first punch.

So I stumbled outta my frozen state and put a hoof on Gallus to gently pull him back. Last thing I wanted was my buddy burned to a crisp against impossible odds! Still, hiding hadn't helped before. It was time I stood up straight and talked things out with this guy right.

"Hey, um, sorry about the confusion earlier..." I managed not quite as brave as Gallus. "But I learn earth and fire cause both feel natural to me. Not trying to insult your ways, but can't quit half myself either."

I met that kirin's glare with my little flame. "Think we could try starting over and talk? I don't seek trouble with your folk but won't abandon friends or talents either. There's got to be a compromise yeah?"

I tried putting on a brave smile for Gallus' sake but inside I was all jelly legs and flop sweat praying this grump would take the olive branch! Otherwise we probably got seconds before fiery explosions started!

The kirin laughed at that. "Finally, some words." He fell to all fours. "Even if I hate them. Dirty flame, why shouldn't I stamp you out? It's what we do with guttering, filthy, flames."

I lit up, flames erupting from every surface I had, eyes going white. "Shut the fuck up."

The kirin looked surprised. "What anger. What was that word?"

Oh, right. Earth curses. "Shut up. I'm so tired of hearing people like you go on and--" He punched at me and hit my suddenly stoney face. Bits of rock flaked away when he drew his hoof back, but I wasn't hurt. "And on! God damn it, I won't face it in another world. You don't have a gun! The closest you have, we both have."

Gallus chuckled darkly. "No idea what half of what he's saying." He slapped his lightning and fire hands together. "But I like the sound of it. You wanna take us both on at once, or are you going to turn tail and get out of here?"

With him at my side, I felt confidence swelling. I wasn't sure if I could throw a punch, but magic wasn't a punch. Perhaps, the limits didn't work the same. "I'm not backing down."

The kirin growled darkly. "If you won't purify yourself... the least... The very least... you could do is learn what you are." With a glowing horn, he threw a book at my burning hooves. "Read and educate yourself." He half turned away. "If you decide you want to be true to what you've become, come to us, and ask."

Gallus glared daggers as the kirin backed away with what was left of his pride. "Yeah, back off." He wheeled around in front of me with a laugh. "We did it!"

I slumped, tension fleeing, flames fleeing. I was left in kirin form, nirik flames gone. "Can we not, in the future?"

"Wuss." He patted me on the shoulder anyway. "You did good! Today is just full of wins! I'm going to practice this fire. You--" He pointed past me, towards the treebrary. "Head home."

"Yeah..." That sounded like a great idea actually. "You did good."

He swatted my tail as I left and took to the sky with a victorious whoop.

I gingerly lifted the mysterious gift/peace offering with telekinesis, curious what knowledge it might contain. My strides towards home felt lighter - it had been harrowing, but somehow facing that fear left me walking taller. Tucking the new book away, I pressed into my new home. "Twilight, Spike, Twinkle?"

"Hello." Twinkle was there, smiling up at me. "I smell a new book."

I blinked at that. "That has a specific smell?"

"Am I wrong?"

The worst part was I couldn't say that. I floated out the kirin book and offered it to her.

With an excited squeal, she opened it and got to reading eagerly. "Where did you get this?"

"Did that jerk show up?" There was Spike, closing on us. "You okay?"

"I'm okay." I met Spike and soon we were hugging gently. "Good to be home."

"Good to have you." He squeezed me gentle before he let me go. "Food will be ready in about an hour. How'd school go?"

"Great, really..." I thought back on it, and Gallus' lessons. "I taught Gallus how to touch fire with his magic. Proud of that."

"Awesome." Spike chuckled as he turned for the kitchen. "I remember when I first got my fire going. That was a big moment for me... Poor Twilight was so scared I'd set the library on fire..."

I smiled warmly reminiscing alongside Spike about unlocking inner flames for the first time. "Yeah, it's really special when talent ignites, huh?" I peered towards the kitchen picturing a young anxious Twilight panicking over her familiar's sputtering sparks.

"Heh, Gallus looked ready to start blasting everything nearby to cinders seeing success." I rolled my eyes affectionately. "Luckily, he agreed going slow for control first."

I nodded gratefully as Spike passed a gem-garnished snack. "Still, felt good nurturing that breakthrough. Maybe he'll teach me air tricks someday!" My gaze drifted back to where Twinkle devoured arcane wisdom excitedly.

Spike put an arm out in front of me. "Be careful with that. If you fall into air like you did for fire, you'll get wings. There's not even a word for a winged kirin."

Author's Note

Would that be a good or bad thing?

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