JUL 22 Sunday.

I carefully move my magic, drawing out a spell matrix with precision and speed, while also doing the same once again to my side.

Over time as my skill in magic has grown I've gotten deeper into more advanced things. The Healer's test made me learn a few advanced healing spells and I'm building a good library of them so far. But the further I go the harder progress becomes and the more time it takes to make any progress.

At the moment I'm trying to draw out two spell matrixes at the same time, a feat that's proven frustrating and difficult in the past and continues to be. Then again advancing to a Master Rank caster in either type of casting method is no easy feat and something very few ever accomplish.

Ironically enough I could somewhat be considered a master in spell crafting because I've made a rune, almost, it would be on a technicality as that is true but lacks context. For most things becoming a master isn't really that clear cut, it can be tricky and depend on interpretation.

There are good ways to measure what rank you are but those are more milestones than anything and often are treated as accomplishments that need substance to back them up. That's to say that it's not as easy as casting two spells at once to become a Master Rank caster because while that is technically the main goal it's not so simple.

For perspective, different professions are more and less strict about what a rank really means and how you fit into one. Healers have very firm ranks and to be considered a master you need to know and be able to cast a massive variety of healing spells, you also need to pass an actual test to advance and prove what you can do.

For something like a carver it can be a specific type of carving, things like feathers and other details that are far out of reach of a normal craftspony could be considered Journeypony rank skill. For Runic Casting the ranks have some hard milestones, like multi-casting spells, but also other things like your knowledge and skill in casting.

For these ranks they aren't based on a test like healers, but instead skill and knowledge, along with others agreeing to the fact. Sure you could focus really hard and learn to cast two simple spells at once, but a master who can only barely cast two spells wouldn't be recognized by others. You would be a master by technicality and while you may have the rank you would not have the recognition.

And that's if that was the only requirement, which it is not. A master not only needs to be able to cast two spells but ANY combination of two spells, you need to master multi-casting. At this point, I can cast two basic Candleflame spells without too much difficulty, but I can't do that with advanced spells, let alone master spells.

A spell rank is also up to a lot of interpretation, but the general rule for spell ranks mostly has to do with the number of rings a spell has. Novice spells are one to three, advanced are three to five, and master six and up. And Grandmaster spells are so far beyond anything else that you can't really measure them this way.

To become a true master spell crafter I would simply need to make a Master Rank spell, and I could probably do that actually. I also have the knowledge for the rank and with the Love rune most would probably agree with me having it if they knew and I made a Master Rank spell.

To become a true Master Rank Runic Caster and be fully cemented into the rank, I would need to cast any two spells and need to be able to cast a Master Rank spell. This entire thing varies from Pony to Pony though and this is just what's commonly agreed on by others. Ponies are just too varied and magic too wide a thing to make a firm rank for casting it, but this is the best we have.

I started practicing a few weeks ago, mostly light practice trying to get the magic split right and get used to the motions of it all. With a month or two of practice time, I probably could cast two advanced spells, it would still take a dozen seconds to draw them out but I could do it if I trained for it.

I've started my journey to becoming a Master Rank, it will be slow and time-consuming but I've reached the point where I can start to walk down this path. I can't just learn to cast everything though, I need to be slow and build up this skill which will take a long time.

I also don't even know a Master Rank spell, mostly because there aren't any in the public library for obvious reasons. If I wanted some I'd need to either join a group that has some, not very appealing, or I'd need to buy them for an extreme price. Master Rank spells are expensive and rare, mostly because they are hard to make.

Luckily for me, I have a different source, asking Celestia for some, or at least asking her when I'm ready. This is where the last part about being a Master Rank caster comes into play, skill. Small spells don't need much control over your magic to cast as they use little magic and it flows into a spell matrix easily.

Advanced spells can be a bit harder to control as they use much more magic. The magic can fight against its bonds and even losing a little control can cascade through the spell matrix and end very badly. With how much magic a Master Rank spell has you need extreme amounts of control over your magic to cast them without exploding.

Learning Master Rank spells, having enough control to cast them, and then also learning to cast two spells at once. All of this while also having the knowledge to back up the spells used, makes a master a true master. It also explains why there are so few Ponies who make it this far, and Grandmaster Rank is even more terrifying.

One of the milestones for them is casting a Grandmaster Rank spell instantly, something very few have ever done. I sigh as I feel my magic run low, slowly drinking some apple-flavored tea to recover. I've spent the past hour just trying to get better at drawing out two basic spells at once.

Casting two spells is a large leap in difficulty from just one. I need to form a complex magical structure without using my hooves and then fill them with magic while making sure nothing slips from my control, and that has happened a few times already. It's why I'm practicing with the basic Light spell so that the uncontrolled magic is small enough to just dissipate instead of killing me.

That is a large risk when learning to cast two spells at once, losing control, because the only thing worse than one exploding spell is two at the same time. I stand up with a stretch and look over to see Entropy grooming Philomena as they sit on my new couch, after my decision I bought one to add to the apartment.

It's a normal cloth couch with some nice comfy cushions, all in a deep brown, and I set it up near the back of the main room near my window. It's facing the outside so I can have a nice view but after three days of owning it, Entropy has gotten more use out of the thing than me. She splays out on one side on her back and just sleeps like a log, it is cute though.

I smile at them and whistle, Entropy turning her head to me. "Almost done." She caws out and I nod before going to grab my things and she continues to clean Philomena. Philomena has been visiting often again, she did show up less for a while but something has brought her back.

I need to regain my magic, and I've spent the last few weeks studying hard for the upcoming healers test, so I think it's about time I got some fresh air. I grab my saddlebags from my workroom and glance over to a box on my shelf, one containing my now-refitted suit courtesy of Rarity.

She took some extra time it seems and really resized it well, it fits perfectly and it should be great for the Gala in a few weeks. I put my saddlebags on and grab some treats along with a notebook in case I need it before walking back out to see Philomena dozing off on the couch and Entropy sitting on top of it waiting for me. "Up for a trip to Ponyville?" I ask her quietly.

She tilts her head a bit and nods before flying over and landing on me, only waiting a short second before teleporting us away. I brace my legs a bit as we reappear and I feel the cool summer grass underneath my hooves. I spend a moment just standing on the forested cliff partly overlooking Ponyville and enjoying the quiet.

After a minute I open my eyes and cast the Wing spell before taking flight, Entropy right behind me as we start to glide down to the small town. I don't have much of a reason to visit Ponyville, I guess I could check in on one of the mares? Or just chill and enjoy the afternoon. Both?

I think as I fly down and after landing and dismissing my wings I shrug and just decide to do both. I haven't seen either Pinkie or Fluttershy in a long while, but out of the two, I think I'd prefer some quiet conversation. The city might be fun but sometimes it's just too much to deal with, much like Pinkie.

As I walk through the small town I keep to its edge, making my way closer to the Everfree forest and eventually stopping at a path that seems to have been renovated even more since the last time I was here. I came here over a year and a half ago to give Fluttershy a crow, it really has been a while, I wonder how that crow is doing?

The path now has some bricks embedded in the soil at the center for a smoother walk and a few more railings at sections that have drop-offs, even small ones. The path is peaceful enough and I can't help but agree with Fluttershy's choice of location, she really did pick a nice place.

It is kind of interesting that such a nervous mare would pick a location so close to the Everfree, I could tell from being in the air that there are only a few miles of regular forest before it becomes much more wild. A few more miles after that and you enter the Everfree, I guess she's more capable than you'd assume at dealing with nature.

After walking for a while I arrive at a small bridge, now with a nice railing and some better floorboards, and Fluttershy's cottage just beyond it. I can sense many small living things inside including who I presume is Fluttershy, along with... Wait, is that a raccoon?

I nearly stop walking as I notice the largest animal she has, a raccoon of all things, I wonder where it came from? I leave the thought alone as I walk up the steps to her porch and knock on the door, stifling an amused smile as I sense her jump a bit at the sound.

There are several moments of silence before she walks over and opens the door a bit, eyeing me for a few seconds through the crack. I smile at her, "Hello Miss Fluttershy, it's been a long time hasn't it?" I use a soft and friendly tone as I don't need to startle her more.

She blinks and smiles shyly before opening her door more. She's grown since we last met, not by too much but a few inches, I still tower over her though. She's also changed in appearance, looking less like a young mare and more like a proper adult, her body changing in some more subtle ways to reflect that.

"O-Oh! Shade! R-right? I didn't forget that, did I? I'm so sorry if I did!" The nervous pegasus is about how I remember her to be. I nod in agreement with an unoffended expression as it has been a long while. "Good, umm, it's nice to see you too... Do you need anything? Hello, to you too little one." She is less nervous when greeting Entropy.

Entropy flaps her wings a bit, "Hello pretty." I chuckle a little as Entropy seems to still remember her nickname for Fluttershy. Fluttershy smiles more and moves some of her mane behind her head before looking at Entropy, inspecting her as if looking for an injury.

I can guess that she probably has some form of training when it comes to handling animals but even if she sees something in Entropy's illusion that isn't right I can just brush it off with an excuse, she's very unlikely to push back on it. "Not much, I was passing through town and thought I might come and ask what happened to the crow I left in your care, and see how you are doing." I am mostly honest as I am curious but I'm mostly here to check up on her and maybe learn more about her.

She keeps her shy smile but her ears perk up some at the mention of the crow. "Her? Oh, would you like to come in? Is it more comfortable?" She offers uncertainty but seems to settle down a bit more after learning who I am and why I'm supposedly here. I nod gratefully and she steps back when opening the door.

I notice that her home seems even more furnished than last time. Several new paintings, a few drawings, and a good amount of potted plants around her living room. It's not a massive space but it's cozy and she's set up several places to sit and relax.

She leads me over to a table and looks nervous about me being in her home, or maybe she's just this nervous normally? I honestly don't know enough to tell. Still, I am respectful and even slump a bit to appear shorter as I sit down at the table. "I can get some tea if you like?" She again makes a kind offer.

I shake my head as I don't particularly need it at the moment, which ends up with her sitting across from me in a slightly awkward mood. "So how is that crow? I hope things went well, I still feel a little bad about not being able to find them a home myself." I break the awkwardness quickly.

Again her ears tilt upward a little more and she nods slowly. "She was, for a while the poor dear just wouldn't interact with other birds." She looks genuinely sad about it but keeps smiling. "She was very well-behaved though, and I found her a home with a nice caravan." She says happily, a small bit of pride buried under everything.

I nod and settle in more. "That's good to hear, I really did worry for her for a while, but it seems I picked the right Pony to leave her with." I compliment her and she shifts on her hooves a small bit, looking bashful but not disagreeing. "I am curious if you don't mind me asking. What do you actually do here?" I ask curiously trying to keep the conversation going.

She raises a brown very slightly. "Why bring her here if you... sorry, that came out wrong." I wave it off. "I rehome and rehabilitate animals for release. Along with studying them, kind of." She keeps her words very humble but it catches my interest regardless.

I guess it's not a massive surprise, she works with animals and takes care of them. Plus she has to have some form of income, I just never would have guessed it was from research. "Really? It sounds impressive, I've researched a few things before, and dealing with animals seems like a hoof full by itself."

She again looks bashful. "It's really nothing like that, I just send drawings and notes to some Ponies who actually research them... Thank you though." She adds softly after a second. "S-So, what do you do? For work I mean." She asks as we both settle in for a longer conversation.

I notice a few animals in the cottage with my senses, most being out back in a smaller area with a grass field. However, a few are upstairs and I also notice one or two nearby in other rooms. "I've done a few things, not anything in particular at the moment though, I'm volunteering at a hospital as well," I reveal, not seeing any reason to hide that fact.

She looks a bit shocked, but not massively so, smiling widely for a small moment. "That's amazing, I know an uncle who went into healing." I make a mental note of that. "It's a really brave thing, from what I heard-" She tries to compliment me but is cut off.

I knew it was there but I wasn't sure if she would notice it. On the stairs to her second floor is a small bunny trying to work its way down the stairs to the main floor, struggling to fall down each one. "Oh no! Angel, don't do that." Fluttershy quickly leaves the table and hurries over to the stairs as the tiny thing falls down another one.

I guessed it was Angel but wasn't sure as the bunny is tiny, much smaller than he was depicted in the show. I feel that his life magic is fine, I think he is probably just a baby then. Fluttershy scoops up the tiny bunny in a wing with a worried expression, "Oh, not again. You poor thing, you can't keep doing this." She quickly starts to inspect the bunny in worry.

The tiny bunny for its part seems pleased that it got the mare's attention and just grabs onto her fluffy wing. I chuckle a small bit and Fluttershy looks back at me slightly embarrassed. "Let me guess, he won't sit still for a moment will he?" I ask with some humor and Fluttershy nods slowly while hiding some of her face in her mane. "I know that all too well."

Entropy chirps in indignation at my words and I just roll my eyes. "Shush you, I'm not the one who found out how to break into the leftovers cabinet now am I?" I tease Entropy a bit and get a soft peck to the hoof in response, something I don't even react to. "Brood all you like, you're just mad you can't have them all to yourself," I say with a laugh.

My little routine with Entropy gets Fluttershy out of her embarrassment, getting her to walk back over as we talk. By the time she's back to the table, she actually giggles a small bit. "I've had a few like that, even a raccoon who can open jars." She adds her own bit and seems more relaxed.

I grin, enjoying the unserious and simple conversation, it is a nice change of pace. "You should see the pet my friend has, they go absolutely crazy for grapes." She gives me a confused look. "A Phe... Dove. It will fully dive at you if it sees one. So, what trouble is he in?" That gets a mix of amusement and mild concern from the kind mare.

She keeps a wing to her side as she cradles Angel and the rabbit spots us. Curiously, and living up to his future reputation, he's not that frightened by Entropy. The tiny thing just stares at Entropy for a moment before burying itself in feathers, almost looking smug.

Fluttershy holds the rabbit close and glances at the stairs. "N-No trouble, just, well." She uses a hoof to pet the tiny white ball of fluff, something I would try if I didn't know better. "He just won't stay in her room, he keeps following me everywhere." She says with some concern in her tone.

I nod as that seems about right. "I can understand that, Entropy very rarely leaves my side. She sticks to me like glue, don't you Girl?" She chirps and flaps her wings to hop up and sit on my head, almost as if to one-up Angel. "She also won't stop doing that, she makes a good shade hat though." I joke and Entropy gets in on it by fluffing out her wings like a hat.

That earns me another soft giggle. "It shows." I tilt my head at that, just enough to not knock off my new hat. "I-I mean, that she trusts you so much. You raised her, right?" I nod, remembering mentioning it to her before. "Most of the young ones I get also stay close, although many can't go back to the wild."

Interestingly her tone is not completely sad at that, despite her kind nature she seems to understand nature better than I'd expect. "Ya, I'm honestly amazed I even ended up with this beautiful girl, I got her egg from a seller saying it was... Not viable. It's also impressive you run this place by yourself" I chose a more delicate word after a second pause.

She smiles at Entropy and mimics a few bird calls, an impressive skill I myself was never able to get down. Entropy tweets a tune back in response, "You really taught her so well, she even sings!" She gets some more excitement in her voice. "What else does she know?"

Entropy takes that as a cue and to Fluttershy's surprise flies right out a nearby open window in seconds. "W-Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to give her a command!" She starts to panic a little. She makes a few bird calls but Entropy still doesn't come back. "I'm really really sorry! I-I'll go find her!" She says quickly.

I hold up a hoof to stop her. "Don't worry about it," I say with a steady but firm tone, trying to stop her from panicking as much. "She can get very energetic when something catches her interest, she'll be fine," I say in a reassuring tone while watching Entropy in my senses. I see her fly around and quickly find a plant of some type.

Fluttershy doesn't look convinced and looks out the window, whipping her head around trying to see Entropy. "B-But, we're near the Everfree, if she goes far it could get dangerous." She sets down Angel on the table and actually looks determined under that mess of nervous worry. "I- I'll go get her!" She starts to walk over to a back door.

Before I could stand up to stop her and insist, and before she could open the door. Entropy comes flying back in through the window, swooping quickly through and landing near Fluttershy. "EEP!!" The mare jumps and covers her face with her wings as Entropy lands very quickly in front of her.

I smirk at Entropy and just start chuckling, trying my best to not fully laugh at Fluttershy's reaction and Entropy's actions. Fluttershy hears me and peeks out of her wing feathers, looking around before hearing a soft chirp and looking down to see Entropy, happily standing there with a flower in her beak.

Entropy places it on the floor at her hooves, "Pretty." She caws out before hopping back over to the table and flying up to sit on the tabletop again, she and Angel eyeing each other. I hold in my laughter as Fluttershy looks a mix of stunned and confused while looking at the flower, slowly picking it up with a hoof over a few beats of silence.

"It seems she wanted to find something nice for you, good Girl." I scratch Entropy and see Fluttershy look more embarrassed after she realizes what just happened. The flower she has is a simple Lilac flower, the deep purple standing out in the room. "Sorry if she plucked one of your flowers." I apologize as I'm not entirely sure if the flower was hers.

She smiles very softly and shakes her head slowly, the embarrassment quickly fading to an off form of relief and happiness. "No, it's fine. Sorry for overreacting." She mumbles and walks back over to us. "T-Thank you Entropy, it's lovely." She says sweetly and gets a happy caw back in response as she picks up Angel again and sits down at the table, the panic quickly fading.

I nod and after a moment take out my teapot. "I have some tea that's good for calming down, do you like mint?" I ask and she nods slowly. I cast a spell to fill the teapot with water. "And no worries, it's far from the first time she's gotten somepony worried, normally it's just me though. But she's too cute to stay mad at." I joke to relax the mood.

Her ears flip up quickly. "Y-You don't need to be mad, she was being nice." I can't hold it and just chuckle at her, smiling widely.

I take out my teacups and fill one before passing it to her. "Yes, I suppose you're right." I glance out the window and see a few small animals milling around, watching her drink the tea with some hesitation. "You know? That reminds me of all the pranks she's pulled on me." I say and start to dive into the conversation to relax her.

Again it seems animals are the best way to go, as she relaxes a bit and smiles more as I start my tale.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. :]
Current year is 996

I decided to check in with Flutters, it was fun to write even if it’s not too interesting of a chapter. Any ideas to add to the test? I have a good idea of what I'm doing but some impute would be nice, only if you what though.