Words of the day completed, email checked, and teeth brushed, I was ready to greet the day. I had breakfast, chatted idly a moment, then headed off to school.

Starlight was waiting patiently. She spotted me, face brightening. "There you are." She trotted towards me. "The pony of the hour. Have a moment?"

I glanced at the hanging clock there in the courtyard. "I'm early, so yeah. What's up?"

Starlight turned to lead the way inside. "I heard you're rushing to get Gallus his credit. I'll be sure you get some points. It's a team effort, and what kind of friendship school would we be if we ignored that?" She laughed as she arrived at her office, waving inside. "But this isn't about that. Somecreature's come to visit you, specifically."

I perked an ear, approaching hesitantly. "Someone good?"

"I think so." She rubbed at her collar. "Better than the last."

I went inside to see a kirin seated on the other chair in the room. Starlight swiftly took her usual seat. "This is Dusk Spark. Dusk Spark, David."

Dusk was a female kirin, a subtle difference. She was older, in her 50s? "Hello, David. I was hoping you could spare a few moments for me." As angry as the first kirin had been, she was calm and welcoming. Fire and cold, indeed. "You've done a wonderful thing."

There wasn't another seat, and I didn't feel like sitting, so I just stood there. "Nice to meet you, Dusk. What did I do?"

"You." Dusk pointed at me. "Found the warmth and connection of fire. Most ponies don't, unless they are born a kirin. But you were not scared of it. You grasped it between your hooves and made it your own. Quite lovely..."

I shifted awkwardly under Dusk Spark's praise, scuffing a hoof self-consciously as she described my fiery transformation so poetically. Given recent attacks over impure elemental lineages, accolades felt unusual from a visiting kirin.

"I uh, kinda stumbled into things more than courageously embracing fire..." I admitted to her lyrical assessment. My tail curled anxiously recalling volatile accusations only soothed by a gifted book on kirin customs days before.

But Dusk's serene features simply crinkled warmer still at my halting honesty. "Dear child, destiny's embrace selects those already walking the threshold however uncertainly." Her horn glimmered scattering motes resembling fireflies seeking sustenance drawn by instinct alone.

"Yours became flame, but fate's call manifested nonetheless." She leaned forward, dark eyes twin hearthfires in her dusky face. "Take pride in following your nature thus, however great the trials still ahead." Gentle certainty suffused her words despite my lingering doubts.

I stood a little taller as confidence kindled sparking fresh quirks of nascent power feeling her faith's warmth wrapping protectively. Teacher Starlight watched approvingly this unexpected change of temperature regarding my controversial origins.

Starlight cleared her throat. "Ma'am. As my student, I would like David to not be attacked in the future. Can I get a gaurentee of that?"

Dusk touched her cloven hooves together. "He has passed the first test. His flame is not so frail that the first gust of wind would blow it out. However..." She gestured, for me to come closer? "There remains a problem. Our little spark remains... troubled. Little one, why do you cling so tenaciously to that other element?"

I tensed. There it was. "Because I like magic."

"All magic?"

"All magic," I echoed. "Every bit... Earth is just one element, but I know things beyond that."

Her eyes glimmered. "Beyond that? Curious little flame, I would love to know more..."

I tensed as Dusk Spark's friendly facade cracked subtly, old tensions reemerging as she pressed about my "impure" magical pursuits. Teacher Starlight stirred, ready to intervene if this visitor reneged on civility.

But I stood firm meeting Dusk's suddenly razor-sharp gaze unflinching. "The magic you call impure comes from my people beyond this world." I lifted my head proudly though nerves jangled within. "It lets reach to parts of what I used to be."

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise but I pressed on emboldened. "Earth, Fire, and Human needs sustain me in exile. Rejecting any would maim me as surely as losing a limb." My voice softened pleadingly. "Please, I respect your ways and mean no insult retaining mine."

I bowed respectfully but remained resolute before regal Dusk arising from that gesture. "There is space enough if we walk together, not warring over differences."

The clock's ticks punctuated the heavy silence enveloping my appeal. But Teacher Starlight and I stood united amidst uncertainty, committed to elevating discourse from demands towards dignity affirming all.

The kirin messenger weighed my words thoughtfully before inclining her graceful neck slightly in concession. "Your unique path thus laid cannot conform to traditional trails, this is truth..."

She met my anxious eyes directly. "Reverence endures the right of all souls to seek sustenance by customs calling them most clearly across strange seas." Her flickering smile returned wan but concilatory. "Let flames fuse someday, perhaps..."

Dusk took a slow breath. "Know this, if you turn me away, then it is done."

I blink. "What is done?"

Dusk pointed at me. "You will not be a true kirin. You will not be welcome among us as one of us. Are you alright with that? We are a tight clan. As one of us, you would be cared for."

My face somehow became even blanker. "Wouldn't be the first time. I didn't fit into the clans of my home. Why should I here? I have a family, which is a step up. I will stay with them."

"I hear such pain." She tapped her finger-hooves together gently. "Such pain... You erupted into flame in defiance, and in defiance, you will burn..."

Starlight sat up in her seat. "David should get to class."

My ears pinned back as Dusk Spark's poetic pronouncements took a melancholier turn. This kirin elder clearly sensed deeper hurts beneath my defiant embrace of 'impure' magic born more from necessity than noble ambition.

Teacher Starlight's reminder tugged me gratefully back from cold memories threatening my fragile composure before classes even started. I dipped my head respectfully towards Dusk regretfully. "Apologies, but I should get to class..."

Dusk studied me with an inscrutable gaze before sighing softly. "Another time then." She stood gracefully nodding to Starlight. "I appreciate the audience and mean no disruption to scholarship's schedule."

As she turned to depart, Dusk half glanced my way with a flickering smile. "Flickering wicks oft gutter lacking proper fuel and care..." A tiny flame manifested upon her elegant horn momentarily as emphasis. "Should you desire understanding your new fires beyond mere defiance, I remain open to further civil discussions, little spark."

And with that intriguing invitation suspended amidst swirling smoke trails, my polar kirin caller excused herself leaving behind roiling thoughts that promised to distract throughout morning lessons at the very least.

I shook my head at where she had been. "Not sure it'd be smart to take that..."

Starlight shrugged. "I won't tell you to, or not to. That's your decision. I'm just trying to be a good counselor." She hopped down and circled the desk to give a gentle hug. "Go on to class. The faculty is behind you, so there's one clan you did well with."

I smiled at that, stepping back. "Thanks." I fled off and away. The class that day was friendship signs through the clans of ponies and known creatures. That sounded far more fun than dealing with kirin.

I slid into an open desk just as the lecture was beginning on unique friendship gestures across various species. Exploring positive emotional expressions suited my jittery mood way better than brooding over heavy debates on destiny and magic's proper forms!

My eyes lit up spotting familiar faces amidst the scattered students as Professor Fluttershy gently recounted notable bonding rituals. Smolder slouched arrogantly near the back clearly present only under administrative protest. But she smirked in what passed for social acknowledgment my way.

Yona waved enthusiastically nearby before Silverstream bubbled over with excitement spotting me. Fluttershy gently guided the gregarious hippogriff's chatter back towards educational channels with practiced finesse.

Ocellus offered a tiny smile sensing my gaze as she scribbled notes studiously. I settled in feeling tension ease surrounded by these eccentric but earnest companions all fumbling together towards connection using shared steps or wholly invented ones!

As lonely as I had been, I seemed to have a family in that world, more than one, if one counted. I smiled, thinking about them all. I had more and increasing friends... It could be so much worse.

"Even critters have friendship signals." Fluttershy pointed to a squirrel, then a rabbit picture posted on the board. "They can be far more difficult to notice for a creature." She pointed at all of us. "But, if you pay attention and take the time, you can hear them."

That Fluttershy insisted animals could be talked to hardly felt out of character for her. I raised a hoof. "All animals have a few universal words."

Fluttershy perked at that. "Oh? How lovely. Would you share what words you've learned?"

So I went over the universals. I am scared. I am angry. I am curious. You don't scare me. How to try to not trigger some of those and invite others. Be calm, be slow, and be quiet...

Fluttershy clapped with joy. "You've dealt with critters before, haven't you?"

I smiled at that. "Not in any professional way. I just like them, so I don't want to scare them, and I want them to feel safe enough to come closer."

A pleased murmur rippled through classmates as I outlined gentle gestures for bridging divides between species. Even aloof Smolder managed an approving toothy grin my way at the tips for not triggering defensive aggression.

Professor Fluttershy beamed, clearly delighted to discover a kindred spirit who relished gently coaxing connections across Communication's trickier frontiers. "Oh I simply must introduce you to some of my shyer forest friends soon!" she gushed, wings fluttering animatedly.

"Your empathy and patience would help tremendously building trust with feral populations we're nurturing self-sufficiency for prior to releasing." Noticing puzzlement she quickly clarified: "Oh nothing fancy dear, simply supplementing the occasional meal while they recover from injuries and such out in my cottage."

Murmurs rippled regarding Fluttershy's absentminded revelation of informal animal rehabilitation initiatives many had never considered. But her sunny smile soothed skepticism as she described healing wings and psyches through therapeutic soundscapes and nutritional support.

As the lecture continued exploring unique courtship dances and scent exchanges, I felt heartened realizing even beyond ponies connection crossed unimagined species lines. If frightened foxes could befriend fluttering pegasus through her compassionate treatment, perhaps there was hope still for this peculiar kirin to someday reconcile external demands with his own identity.

Besides, a chance to pet a wild critter? I was alright with that... I nodded with a decision. I'd visit her, later.

With the bell, the class ended with cheers and smiles, most happy with what they had learned. I turned to leave to find Yona in my way. "Hey, Yona. What's up?"

Yona nodded at me. "Hear you get into fight. Why not call Yona? She smash." She stomped one hoof on the ground, making it shake. "You okay?"

"It's okay!" I held up my hooves quickly. "No fighting going on. That's over."

"Good." She leaned in at me, looming tall. "Hear they don't like earth. Too bad! Earth not ask opinion of stupid fire." She rolled her eyes with a huff. "They bother again, Yona show them!"

That reminded me. "I doubt it... but are you going for Starlight's extra credit?"

"What? Why?" She looked legit baffled. "Yaks do earth. Not need other element." She reached out to give heavy pattings on my head. "You strange one, do earth and fire? Not yak, do, um... Kirin things? No, Kirin mad. Do David things." She nodded, confident in her logic.

Author's Note

Class time! Nice class time, I vote.

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

Join my discord to chat!