"Panicking is a free action," I sang out to nobody, at least nobody in the world I existed in. "Ah, alright, so give me a will save for no reason at all." I could see their rolls and hear their cries. Laughs echoed for my ears alone. "Nice roll. Do you open that door?"

I drew my hooves back when the game ended, to realize Twinkle was staring at me, on the other side of my room. "Woah, hey."

"Hey." Twinkle hopped to her hooves. "You sounded animated."

"I was running a game. People pay for me to be animated and adventurous." I struck a pose, or tried. "Am I bothering?"

"Me? No. Not even the first time." She pointed at me. "I was there, before, watching you do this before I knew myself, remember?" She hopped up onto the bed and sat next to me. "This has been humbling."

"My running my games?"

"No." She flopped against me. "Watching my other self. She's... so much smarter, I hate to admit. She feels more mature, and knows more, and... Compared to her, I feel like an infant, even if I am aware I'm smarter than most other ponies I encounter."

I blinked, surprised Twinkle was wrestling confidence issues I hadn't expected. Her little form slumped against me as she nestled into my warmth.

Gently, I lifted her chin. "Hey, someone else shining doesn't dim your light." I stroked her shoulder. "Don't sweat it. You'll grow into your gifts in time."

Twinkle managed a half-grin. "I know...just hard realizing how far behind I seem."

I pondered her uncertainty before smiling inspiration struck. "You're already examining at least one magic in a way she isn't."

She perked up a bit and I went on: "You're looking at things from a different perspective." I floated the keyboard away and grabbed her, pulling her up into my 'lap' for a hug. "Also, you're cute, if that helps."

"It does, actually." She flopped there to her belly. "Also, you've admitted a lot today."

"I did?"

"You did." She peeked over her shoulder. "You don't see me as a mewling foal anymore, which is good. I'm not."

I turned an ear back and slipped to my hooves, floating her beside me. "I'm going to head outside. Coming with, or not?"

"With." She flapped her wings, getting onto my scaled back. "Where are we going?"

"I want to check on Gallus." I trotted from the library with spirit. "Let's see how his fire's coming along."

Twinkle settled between my shoulders, tiny hooves clinging tightly to avoid bouncing off as I trotted eagerly towards our destination. I felt her tension unwind gradually as my steady gait and the sunshine soothed away her dour mood from earlier.

Soon enough, raucous noises identified the clearing where I'd led fledgling pyro Griffon Gallus days before. Twinkle peered round curiously as we entered the impromptu training ground now scarred by tiny craters amidst scorched grass and blasted tree limbs.

In the center loomed Spike directing the chaos, while an airborne Gallus lobbed sizzling projectiles his way with fierce glee. The adult dragon deflected bolts almost lazily, scales untouched despite blistering impacts exploding tree trunks nearby. His casual corrections aimed wild shots harmlessly skywards when lethal accuracy threatened surroundings.

I blinked stunned by the razor's edge balance between unleashed power and mindful restraint the playful lesson somehow maintained. Twinkle oohed admiring fiery fanfares lighting the arena, innocent delight belying lethal potential. Yet oddly I sensed form and focus emerging slowly through the mentor's patient discipline elevating rawness into skill.

"You two having fun over there?" I called out teasingly amidst the impromptu artillery duel. Twinkle squeaked, ducking instinctively as an errant bolt sizzled past and I settled beside amused Spike.

Spike waved for Gallus to come down and join us. "He's doing great. A natural! I didn't expect a griffon to take to fire like that, if we're being honest."

"That's on you." Gallus landed before us with a smokey huff. "Don't give us a chance and we can't show you what's up. David did, and now I got this." He threw his hands wide, one crackling with electricity, the other burning with new flames. "And I'm loving it. Fire, Air. Both me." He slapped his cheeks with the two, the energy evaporating as he made contact. "That still tingles."

Twinkle slid down to the ground. "You are doing quite well. I'll be honest... I've only recently mastered force magics. Unicorn magic, if we're being blunt." She colored faintly at that. "I can't have you two showing me up..." She spread her wings. "In this world, I should have easy access to Air and Earth, correct?"

I gave her shoulder an encouraging nudge with my nose. "Getting a late start handling two whole elements would overwhelm anycreature. Be proud of tackling one sphere solidly before stretching further!" Nearby Gallus nodded agreement, not usually sympathetic.

Spike waved airily. "Yeah, take your time - princess pony there started on basic telekinesis same as the rest of the unicorns." He grinned Twilight's way. "Took her weeks getting apples to even wiggle at first!"

Twinkle flushed slightly but smiled back bolstered by our support. "Ha, well I did bypass wobbly fruits at least." Her tiny laugh softened retrospective embarrassment at normal limitations. "But you're both right - one step at a time it is."

She ruffled feathers regaining poise. "No reason I can't start sensing earth currents and air flows while improving force skills. Eventually the elements should converge intuitively."

"Maybe we all support each other learning somehow?" I ventured brightly. "Like a study team of sorts?"

Twinkle tapped her chin. "The rest of you would be working on fire magic. I'm not learning fire magic, not yet. Wind and Earth, remember? Maybe some force in there."

Gallus shrugged. "Magic is magic. Practice more and worry about labeling it less. Are we studying it, or actually getting good at it?"

Spike laughed lightly at that. "My avian student has a point." He nipped at Gallus, almost knocking him over with sheer bulk. "He often does, if you can get past the put downs."

"Hey!" Gallus threw a fireball at Spike, but it washed over him harmlessly, as if a dragon could be burned. "I always have a point!"

"About that." I sat and raised a hoof at Gallus. "How is your fire going? What I saw looked pretty impressive. Is it natural now? More than little puffs, at least."

"Way more." He clapped his hands, tail lashing with a grin on his face. "So much more. Thanks for hooking me up with Spike. He has a big mouth, which is good for teaching, I guess."

"Think you can show us some of what you've picked up then?" I waved a cloven hoof at some nearby targets. "I know Spike's already impressed but it'll inspire the rest of us!"

Gallus ruffled feathers nonchalantly but I spotted a fierce grin tugging beak tips. "Eh, guess I got a trick or two now worth seeing..." Casually he launched himself skyward, wings beating strongly.

Circling twice building anticipation he suddenly thrust both forelimbs outward unleashing twin jets of writhing flame spearing battered logs. The radiant torrents twisted in elaborate arabesques guided by clenched talons like myriad fiery serpents obeying his whims.

With a final flourish he dispelled the crackling columns then flashed down snatching the torched timber and casually crushed flaming fragments within ruthless grip. Droplets of molten wood pattered down as he flung the remains aside and landed arms theatrically wide soaking up our stunned applause!

"Hah, just a sample!" He nodded smugly my gaping way. "Bet we can get you breathing multi-colored fireworks someday!" Spike just smoldered quietly, mentor's pride plain across noble features seeing eager potential unleashed responsibly.

I clapped softly. "Very nice. Hm... But maybe there isn't a griffon fire?"

Gallus inclined his head. "Griffon fire? I'm a griffon. I just did fire. What more do you want?"

Twinkle seemed to pick up on it. "He means an evolution. A step. A pony with fire." She waved at me. "A kirin. A griffon with fire..." She waved at Gallus. "Still a griffon?"

"Huh." He squinted at me. "Well, what'd you do? Is there a next step I didn't do yet?"

"Sitting this one out." Spike crossed his arms, sitting up tall. "Dragons don't have a next step. We're already perfect, thanks."

I snorted at that show of self-pride. "You keep being perfect... Remember when I was going over feeling fire? I was feeling out my connection to it, and how deep that connection ran. Think about all the ways fire has changed not just your life, but helped the people who made you, and made them, and made them. Go back as far as you go. You were always fire. Just find that, and grab it tight."

Gallus descended from storm-dancers, didn't he? Maybe answers lay in ancestral memories, not external forms. "Your kinship with winds and lightning goes deeper than mine, friend." I let tiny flames flicker demonstrate. "If transformation awaits, that fire comes from within."

I suggested gently: "Try relaxing and imagining fierce skies - instincts could guide you deeper."

"Fierce skies..." He closed his eyes. "If anycreature else suggested this, I'd already have punched them. Fierce skies..."

But he did imagine them. I can tell because of what happened next. Densely fired skies, lightning dancing, the heat unbearable, until it was, or so I was told later. With a keening bird-like howl, Gallus combusted. All of him, on fire, in an instant.

Spike jumped back with a heavy thud. "Uh, that supposed to happen, or should I be freaking out?"

Twinkle inclined her head at Gallus. "That is either intentional, or we have to explain why Gallus expired. I will hope it is the first."

Assuming the best, I clapped Gallus on. "Fierce skies. Hold it!"

"Fiercest," he growled out, fingers clenched tight. "I am the fierce sky." He threw his arms out, fire billowing. Some of it washed over me, but, like Spike, that wasn't hurting me. His arms were brilliantly flame, feathers of those fires draping down.

Gallus was no griffon. He was a phoenix, the fire controlling itself slowly as Gallus seemed to gather himself. "I am... the fire. I am... the fierce sky." He flicked his fingers, sending fire splattering about. "Woah, this feels... good." He laughed with joy. "Why didn't you show me this before?! Wait 'till the teachers get a load of this!"

We shielded ourselves instinctively as fiery shockwaves blasted the clearing, kindling trees instantly. But fascination doused caution beholding fiercely flaring pinions framing Gallus amidst billowing flames!

Gleeful laughter echoed between detonations as testing talons directed devastation, marveling at responsive conflagrations engulfing all touched. Spike rumbled approval - dragons never spurned beautiful carnage after all!

But I winced thinking how Rainbow Dash might react finding her favorite napping trees ignited so exuberantly. "Maybe tone down the indiscriminate immolations while you adjust, hotshot?" I waved at the buildings barely visible awaiting errant embers. "Last thing we need is angry townsfolk, and they'd have a good reason to be pissed."

My feeble joke penetrated his entranced glee somewhat. Gallus blinked, thoughts clearly racing wildly behind the fierce eyes. "Ha, right...don't wanna scare the plebes I guess." He smirked seeing us unharmed still. "But you like the dramatic entrance yeah?"

I chuckled ruefully surveying fresh scorches surrounding the casually hovering phenix. "Kinda hard to ignore nearly getting roasted even fireproof! But hey, guess the fierce skies came through big time for you huh?"

Gallus pumped still-wreathed fists eagerly. "You know it! This power's no joke - I better grab some flight practi--"

Abruptly the wreathing flames engulfing his form sputtered out leaving only a very startled (and very feather-less!) griffon yelping in dismay before crashing rudely down amongst cinders. We rushed over hearing inventive cursing underneath charred logs...

I found Gallus, knocked dizzy, but looking alright other than that. "Phoenix is not like dragon, or kirin... You're going to have to get used to that." I waved at the fires. "Spike, can you put those out?"

"Oh, on it." He gathered a great heaping of dirt and took flight to bomb the fires out.

We had a new creature to greet, even if we already knew his name.

Author's Note

Good job, Gallus. Pity phoenixes don't stay in active forever. Maybe with practice? Still, fire griffon!

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