An Earthling Earth Pony at Celestia's School of Magic: Year One

by Halira

Rating: everyone
Tags: Mystery, Science Fiction, Raven Inkwell, Adventure, Human, Original Character, Luster Dawn, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Chancellor Neighsay
Length: 172248

Turnip is an earth pony in twice the sense because he was born on Earth. Now he is going to attend the school of magic in Canterlot, but finds it is now under new administration.

It is 2058, years after millions of humans on Earth were transformed into ponies, and contact with Equestria via an extra-dimensional portal was established. An entire generation has grown up with humans and ponies sharing the world and magic being as ordinary as technology.

Turnip Jones was born on a small farm on Earth but has always dreamed of being more than a farmer. Now, he is getting his opportunity to prove that he can be a great mage by attending Celestia's School of Magic in Canterlot. However, the school may not be what he expected it to be.

Part of the Pandemic Universe

Cover art by Little Tigress

Published 2024-02-09 20:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2025-02-01 00:36:07 UTC

Chapter 1

August 26, 2058

I sat down in my seat, barely able to contain my excitement. Bouncing in my seat, I got a few strange looks from the students near me, but I didn't care; I was here!

“Please, students, try to get seated quickly so we can begin orientation!” the white unicorn mare with the purple and pink mane standing in front of the other staff shouted while smiling. In the corner behind her, I spotted Professor Applebloom and had to stop myself from hopping in my seat even more than I already was.

“Wow, earth pony must be lost,” I heard someone nearby mutter. I decided to ignore it. There were always going to be people trying to put me down. The fact that Professor Applebloom was on staff here just confirmed that an earth pony could do magic, too!

The whole staff sat in two large rows of seats at the head of the auditorium. Most of them were unicorns, but, in addition to Applebloom, there was a pegasus, and sitting directly beside Celestia at the head of the seats were a pair of humans, a man and a woman. Magic was not just for unicorns.

“What's with the humans?” someone else near me whispered to their neighbor.

“Don’t know. Maybe it’s some ambassadors or something?” the neighbor replied.

Sitting next to Celestia indicated they were important, so ambassadors was a good guess. I still thought they had to be on staff, though. The man looked like some stereotyped wizard from the old movies with those robes and staff, maybe a Korean one, since he looked Asian. The woman was middle-aged, had short brown hair, and was definitely of northern European ancestry. She was dressed in a business suit, which made her look more like some company CEO than a mage. Neither of the humans were smiling

“Why are their non-unicorns on staff? What can I possibly learn from the likes of somepony like them?” some filly asked in a haughty tone.

“Dang it, there's always got ta be at least one of y'all in every class,” a colt said in an exasperated tone.

“What, pray tell, do you mean by saying that, you uncouth…yuck…rural pony?” the haughty filly shot back.

“Ya know what ah mean,” the colt replied. “There’s always some high-nosed rich pony that thinks they’re better than everypony else. Guess we found out who it is early on.”

GGGOOONNNGGG

I covered my ears with my hooves, and so did everyone else, including most of the teachers and the princess. The unicorn that had told us to take our seats now had a large gong and mallet floating in her magic beside her. She smiled and floated them over to a corner.

“There now,” the mare said in satisfaction. “Now that everypony has quieted down, let me be the first to welcome you to this school. I’m Professor Sweetie Belle. I cover a few different magic subjects, primarily more advanced topics that you won’t be dealing with in your first year, but I also teach music, writing, etiquette, and serve as a school guidance counselor. In addition, a few of us run a camp for young ponies during the summers and routinely help out with other colts and fillies. The thirty of you will hopefully be around each other for the next four years, provided no one flunks out. I hope everypony can make some great friends during that time, so let's not be so rude to one another.”

I had no intention of flunking out. I’d pushed myself in school to this point; I could keep pushing myself. From everything I'd heard, the Equestrian schools were much easier than schools back home, so failing seemed unlikely to anyone who made it this far.

Professor Sweetie Belle partially turned and pointed a leg at the princess. “I know you’re all eager for it, so let me introduce Princess Celestia and let her say a few words!”

There were hoovestomps and cheers as Princess Celestia stood up and spread her wings, even from the ponies that had been critical of the teachers earlier. The princess smiled and waited for the cheering to subside.

“My little ponies and foals visiting from Earth, founding this school has always been one of my proudest accomplishments, and it brings me joy to see that it continues to operate and shape minds so many centuries after I commissioned it. Today, you join a long line of students who have passed through these halls on their way to shaping our history. I do not doubt that I will be hearing much more about each of you in the coming years,” Celestia warmly greeted the class.

There were more cheers and stomps, and the princess waited for these to quiet before continuing.

“This year is going to be a little different than years past. It has been a while since we last overhauled our standards. This is not the first time we have made radical changes to how things are done in the school’s history, and it likely will not be the last,” Celestia informed us.

There was some quiet murmuring among the students at this. I assumed she was talking about the admittance of non-unicorns to the school. I hoped she didn’t point me out. I didn’t want to be put on the spot right away.

Celestia held up her wings higher, which seemed to quiet the whispers. “There are going to be a considerable number of changes. These were necessary because Equestria’s circumstances have changed since the heyday of this institution. I have tried in the past to limit how fast our society has advanced, fearing that rapid advancement could destabilize our society, but now we are faced with a massive influx of new ideas, technologies, and other pressures from beyond our borders. Earth is now starting to open magic schools of their own, and the Earthlings have constantly impressed me with what they can accomplish. In a few years, they will present something this school has never had to contend with: serious competition from other magic schools. Already, we are starting to have friendly competitions to display students' skills, and both worlds will be watching these competitions to see who has the best students. In order to stay the premier magic school…nay…to even stay relevant, we must adapt. Otherwise, we will be left behind. Equestria must return to being at the forefront of magical knowledge and capability.”

“I heard she’s really competitive. She gets really into it and hates to lose,” a student whispered.

“Didn’t you hear?” another student whispered. “We were beaten in the magic games last year, and she fired half the staff after that, and most of the rest retired out of shame!”

“Equestrian mages outclassed by Earthlings? This cannot be allowed to happen. The princess continues to prove her wisdom if she decided to clean house after such a humiliation,” the unicorn colt seated in front of me whispered haughtily. He was sitting beside the stuck-up filly who had been called out earlier.

“A few years ago, I brought in an outsider to suggest how to update our schools and keep us competitive, one of our greatest critics from Earth,” Celestia continued when it quieted down. “While she made plenty of recommendations, the previous administration of this school was stuck in their ways and refused to act on them. Now that the previous headmare has retired, I am appointing a new leader of this school who will make the changes that need to be made.”

Celestia turned and faced the robed human man on the other side of her. “Allow me to introduce your new headmaster and allow him to say a few words. Please give him your full attention.”

The entire audience was still and quiet with shock as Celestia sat down. Bringing humans on staff was one thing. Appointing a human to be headmaster was another. Did she have that little faith in her existing educators that this seemed the only solution?

The man slowly got to his feet. He stood there, staff in one hand, looking impassively at us all.

“I have reviewed all your files, and I can’t recall a single one of your names because not a single one of the files stood out to me as anything other than bland and uninspired. There is no pony of great power, no prodigy, no one to inspire confidence. I’m sure I could go down to the local orphanage and find half a dozen foals with more promise than the lot of you. You are everything wrong with the Equestrian education system. If this is the best Equestria has to offer, it is in a sad state indeed,” the man said in a dry, bored tone.

The teachers all gasped, apparently as shocked as me and the other students. We were so shocked that we couldn’t even gasp. I noticed two people didn’t look surprised: Celestia and the human woman. Celestia was the one who picked this guy out to lead, so she must have known this was coming. The lady probably agreed with him.

“Perhaps you can be a little nicer, Headmaster,” Celestia whispered loudly. “These are twelve to fourteen-year-old foals who need encouragement.”

The man rolled his eyes. “However, I’ve been told to try to look at the positives. What I said before means you have nothing but an opportunity to impress me. The bar is set very low to do that at this point, so it shouldn’t be that much of a struggle. It is my sincerest hope that every single one of you impresses me beyond my wildest expectations.” He smiled at the end, and it looked like smiling might have been painful for him, likely because he did it so little.

This new headmaster wasn’t making any friends with the students or teachers. I had a bad feeling about what kind of changes would be implemented.

“Now, we shall discuss how things will go this year,” the man said, standing stiffly. “The thirty of you will be divided into three smaller classes of ten each instead of maintaining a class of thirty. This allows smaller class sizes and your teachers to work with you more individually. The ten in your group shall all attend the same core classes together and room in the same area of the dorms together. You shall each get a personal advisor from among the faculty, and they shall give you additional instruction one-on-one. Every student shall receive a ranking each week from one to thirty. At the end of the year, unless I have been sufficiently impressed by more than twenty students, the ranks twenty through thirty will be sent home and told not to come back. Our teachers have better uses for their time than instructing students that aren’t going to accomplish anything.”

The unicorn colt raised a leg high. “Sir! What if everypony passes?”

The man scowled. “Passes? If you are part of the bottom third and fail to impress, you didn’t pass, regardless of your grades. Each grade level will have fewer students than the last. By the time you are ready to graduate, only five of you currently present will remain–unless a miracle happens and there are too many good students to let go.”

“I will not be sent home! My parents paid good money to get me into this school!” the haughty filly from earlier shouted.

The headmaster smirked. “Congratulations, you just became the first to hold the rank of number thirty.”

She turned red in the face. “I am-”

The headmaster waved dismissively at her. “I don’t care what your name is or who you are related to. It has ceased to make a difference. You declaring you earned any right to stay because of money gives me a low opinion of you. Whatever your parents might give the school pales compared to what Earth investors will give if we show our capability, so I don’t care if they get angry at your dismissal. You don’t want to be number thirty? Impress me. Show me that you aren’t just a spoiled filly who thinks having money makes you worth my time.”

He put his arm down and looked around, then pointed right at me. “You! You will be our starting rank one. Don’t introduce yourself or say anything; I'm not interested, but an earth pony getting into this school is at least showing some signs of being a hard worker…which is…something. I believe competition breeds results, so I am introducing an element of competition to our curriculum. Whoever is ranked number one at the end of the semester will receive a reward for their trouble: any single item for sale anywhere in the city that a minor can legally buy at the time of the final ranking for the year, regardless of price. If you want to waste the reward on a piece of candy, you can, or you could buy a unique artifact. If it is for sale in the city, and there’s no age restriction on its purchase, it is yours. Let’s see how long you hold onto your spot. Ranks can change based on grades, accomplishments, attendance, and by impressing me. While I won’t be teaching, I will be stepping into your classes from time to time to observe.”

At least a few other students were looking at me. It was the first day of class, and I already had a target on my head. I figured there would be, but it would be because I’m an earth pony or an Earthling, not because the headmaster directly put the target on my head. Other students were going to want that reward. I was tempted to not even try to be number one. What did I want that could be bought anyway? However, I was also determined to prove that I deserved to be here, and that meant doing the best I could. If I didn’t impress this guy, I could end up being sent home, and I couldn’t live with that.

He sat down. “My words may seem harsh, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want each and every one of you to succeed. While I admit to being demanding, I do not intend to be cruel. I honestly hope that you all impress me, and I have no reason to send any of you home; it would certainly make returning this institution to glory an easier task. However, I have a mandate to make this school the best magic school in existence, and I will not embrace mediocrity to spare your feelings. That would be a disservice to this institution and a disservice to you. Professor Sweetie Belle may now continue with the orientation.”

A filly raised her hoof. “Headmaster, sir! You didn’t tell us your name.”

He smirked again. “I’m the Headmaster; that’s all the name you need.”

Professor Sweetie Belle bolted up out of her seat and to the front of the professors, smiling broadly.

“That sounds like an excellent segue for me to start introducing the staff!” she said, so oozing with enthusiasm that it had to be forced. “I’ve already introduced myself, and you met the Headmaster. I don’t know his name either, and I don’t know anyone on staff who does, so don’t feel bad. Most of the staff is new, including me. So we will all be figuring this out together–including some of the policies our Headmaster just announced.”

She pointed to Applebloom. “Let’s get the non-unicorn introductions out of the way first since I’m sure you’re all wondering about them. This is my friend Professor Applebloom! She teaches alchemy, Botany, and a few other science courses. She may be an earth pony, but her alchemy is top-notch!”

“She’s also mah aunt,” the country-seeming unicorn colt whispered proudly. That was interesting. Maybe this colt knew some secret alchemy information through his aunt. He seemed nice enough that they might be able to be friends.

She pointed to the pegasus. “This is my friend Coach Scootaloo! She doesn’t teach any magic. She is going to be teaching nutrition, and she is in charge of your physical fitness courses. Being physically fit and eating right helps you with your magic, and she’s a great coach. She is also the assistant guidance counselor if I’m unavailable.”

Sweetie Belle pointed at the human lady. “This is Professor Newman. I’ve never actually seen her cast a spell, but she seems to know a lot about magic and can pick up whatever you might be doing wrong and tell you how to correct it. She will be teaching magic fundamentals and theory classes as well as magical literacy and terminology. She also teaches an advanced course on spell melding–that’s combining two or more spells into one to create a new effect, but it can be hazardous if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Moving on to the unicorns,” she continued, pointing to an older mare with glasses. “This is Professor Raven Inkwell. She is the only holdover from the previous faculty, but even before she was a faculty member, she had been an aide and advisor to the princess. She’ll be teaching several mathematics courses, as well as illusions.”

Sweetie Belle pointed at a pink unicorn. “This is Professor Luster Dawn. She’s the youngest professor on staff. She’ll be covering transmutation, teleportation, and combat magic.”

She pointed to an older stallion. “This is Professor Neighsay. He will teach the history of magic, Equestrian history, and all courses dealing with artifacts and relics.”

She pointed to the last unicorn. “And last but not least, this is Professor Glitter Drops! She’ll be teaching about elemental magic–that’s spells focused on fire, water, earth, wind, and light.”

“You forgot one,” Headmaster said sourly.

Sweetie Belle jumped. “Oh, yes! Not present is Professor Psychic Calm! He teaches about dream magic and serves as the school psychologist, which is different from just being a guidance counselor. If somepony has issues that are too much for me or Scootaloo to deal with, we refer them to him. He’s pretty old and tends to sleep most of the day and keep to himself, so you may not see him outside of class unless you get referred to him for counseling. You may not see him even then–he can be a little odd. You’ll likely see and meet our three groundskeepers when you are going around campus; one of them is a kirin, so don’t be shocked by that. We have a full-time librarian, and we also have three cooks. I try to help out in the kitchen when I can.”

“But they chase you out because they don’t want the school burning down,” Professor Scootaloo interjected.

Professor Sweetie Belle pouted. “I'm not that bad.”

“Yes, you are,” all the faculty said in chorus.

“In addition to being Headmaster, I’m the school doctor. I don’t want anyone coming to me with food poisoning or severe burns. Stay out of the kitchen; that’s an order,” Headmaster grumbled.

Princess Celestia stood again and smiled at Sweetie Belle. “Your cooking may need work, but you have many other excellent qualities. Thank you for doing an outstanding job introducing the faculty and welcoming the students.”

Professor Sweetie Belle bowed her head as she returned to her seat. “Thank you, Princess.”

Princess Celestia looked at the students. “As the Headmaster has explained, our standards are getting much more rigorous than they have been in the past. The magic games that I mentioned previously not only earn the school notoriety but also earn the school funding from investors. The schools on Earth are currently very popular with these investors, so they have been getting a lot more of their money. While I would like to expand and improve the facilities here, the Equestrian budget is not endless. We are holding the games here for the first time this year. First-year students will not compete in the games, but I expect you to be on your best behavior when they come. Most of the second and third-year students, and some fourth-year students, will be competing in the games in six months, and I hope you show them your full support.”

“I’ve already sent home all the riff-raff from the older classes that weren’t up to standard,” Headmaster said. “We have a much more focused group of students in the upper classes now.”

“Leaving us with a lot of angry parents screaming at us,” Professor Inkwell said in an exasperated tone. “And many of those students that remain are focused because they are terrified of being dismissed as well.”

“And because of that, I’m sure they’ll perform much better than that dismal last-place finish this school endured last year,” Headmaster said.

Last place? No wonder Princess Celestia had gotten mad enough that she decided to allow such drastic changes to the school.

“But we must remember that this is a school, and the focus is on education, not competition,” Princess Celestia continued. “With the exception of those specializing in combat magic, the fourth-years will abstain from the games to focus on their studies. While we do want to ensure every student gets a well-rounded education, each of you will be determining a specialization by the end of this school year. In addition to your other studies, you will do additional coursework in your specialization, and it is your specialization that you will compete in during the games.”

I already knew what mine was going to be: alchemy. I doubted I could even do any of those other types of magic as an earth pony.

Celestia spread her wings. “Now, if you would all step outside, we can start assigning who your classmates and dormmates will be, and you can start learning about each other and building friendships that I hope stay with you for the rest of your life.”

Everyone got up from their seats and start heading towards the exit. When I got out to the aisle, I hurried to meet up with the colt who said he was Applebloom’s nephew.

“Hi! I’m Turnip Jones,” I greeted.

He blinked and smiled as we continued walking together. “Hello. Good ta meet ya, Turnip. Ah’m Bright, Bright Pear, that is. Kinda cool haven’ an earth pony make it into the school. Mah ’brother will be might thrilled ta hear ‘bout it. He always told meh that earth ponies can’t get ta go to this school. Might happy to be wrong on that…or might not, seein’ as he’s too old ta go now. Excuse mah speech. Ah live on a farm.”

I chuckled. “It’s okay. I’m from a farm, too, out in Kansas.”

“Kansas? Where’s Kansas?” Bright asked as we reached the outside.

“Oh, it’s on Earth,” I said.

He stopped in his tracks. “Kansas is on Earth? Is it near New Yolk?”

“Uh, I think you mean New York. It’s in the same country, so, sorta,” I answered. “You interested in New York?”

He shook his head. “Nah, but mah aunts go ta Earth sometimes, and the portal is at that New York place, so they talk about it more than other places on Earth. They say it’s the biggest dang city they’ve ever seen. Is Kansas big?”

“Big and empty,” I answered. “Lots and lots of farms. Lots of people yelling at each other about water.”

“Why water?” he asked in confusion.

I shrugged. “Not enough of it. People are only allowed to use so much, and nobody is ever happy about how much they get to use. It limits how big of crops we can have, but they say if we use too much water, we’ll use it all up, and all the farms will fail. I’m not really into farming, so I don’t understand the details.”

“Yeah, ah ain’t in’ta farmin’ either,” Bright replied. “Mah whole family farms, side for my aunt Applebloom, and my sis, who went here. Ah want ta be like my big sis. Ah want to be a hero, like mah aunts. Ah’m goin’ to learn combat magic and join the royal guard like her. She’s an officer and does all kinda fancy magic ta fight monsters. Bam bam bam!”

“Oh, look, the dirt pony and the dirt pony with a horn are bonding! Isn’t that sweet?“

We both turned to see the snooty filly who was complaining that she deserved to be there because her parents paid good money for it.

I frowned but then smirked. “Oh, look. It’s Miss Thirtieth-place.”

She stomped. “I’m Prim Tape! Of the Canterlot Prims! My family has more money than your whole little dirt towns put together!”

“Yet not enough to buy some manners.”

We all looked up to see Professor Newman standing there, arms crossed, glaring down at us.

Prim backed away. “What I meant to say-”

“I would have you apologize for your behavior, Miss Prim, but apologies mean nothing if they are not sincere, so it would be pointless,” Professor Newman dryly said. “What I will do is remind you that the princess has little use for officials who sit around insulting their constituents. Your family holds a number of official positions in the government, does it not?”

Prim licked her lips. “It does.”

Professor Newman nodded. “Behavior like this often comes from a foal’s home. I wonder what the princess would think if she found officials in her government who spoke this way about the majority of her subjects. A simple investigation could uncover such information.”

Prim’s eyes went wide. “Please don’t.”

Professor Newman smiled. “Did I hear a please? Perhaps I was mistaken, and your parents did teach you some manners after all. I will withhold doing any investigation, but if I hear you using the term dirt pony again, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?”

Prim nodded in a hurry. “Yes, professor.”

Professor Newman turned her gaze to me next. “And you, Mister Jones, shall not insult anyone else’s ranking. Rankings can change quickly, and you could find yourself at the bottom after a few bad days, trying to work your way back up. Ponies may remember you mocking others’ rank when you need assistance, and that would not bode well. Do I make myself clear?”

I nodded just as fast as Prim had. “Yes, professor.”

Her eyes shifted to Bright. “As for you…I found no fault in anything you said or did, but that could be because you hadn’t had the opportunity before I intervened. Your aunt told me about your father. He thinks before he speaks. I advise you to always remember to do the same. It helps keep you out of trouble.”

He nodded. “Yes, professor.”

The professor turned and walked away. Prim stuck her tongue out at the professor’s backside.

“Stupid human, doesn't even have magic,” Prim muttered.

Professor Newman stopped and looked back. “Did I hear you say something, Miss Prim?”

Prim yelped and stepped back. “No! Nothing, professor.”

“Hurry and line up for your dorm assignments, then,” Professor Newman instructed.

I turned and looked up at the school building. Here I was, beginning the first year of my studies at Celestia’s School of Magic, and I intended to be one of the students who graduated. This was the beginning of my bright and glorious-

“Stop standing around gawking and follow instructions, Mister Jones.”

I jumped and hurried into place. “Yes, professor!”

Chapter 7

I caught up to Bright in the hallway right after class with Miss Raven ended.

“Hey, why were you sitting with Red instead of me?” I asked, feigning offense.

He blinked and rubbed the back of his head. “Ya see…ya was late gettin’ ta class, and Red didn’t want to sit next to his there no-good sis. He ain’t half-bad, for one of them there nobles. If ya’d been there on time, ah’d have sat next ta ya for sure.”

I cuffed his shoulder gently. “I’m just pulling your tail. I know I was late both times, and can’t blame you for not saving me a seat. I can’t blame Red for wanting to escape Prim when he can. Sharing a room with her must be miserable.”

Bright looked relieved as he nodded. “Yep, Red was tellin’ me all ‘bout how she always lorded over him that she was the primary heir to their family estates, and he’d only get the leavins’. She seems to think she’s better than her brother just as much as everypony else.”

“I’M GOING TO FRY PRIM’S MANE!”

We turned to see Hannah marching down the hall, horn lit, dragging the struggling form of Summer behind her.

“Hannah, don’t do this!” Summer cried, trying to get a grip on anything. “It will be okay. I can take care of myself.”

“She threatened you. That is not okay!” Hannah growled.

Bright stepped in Hannah’s way. “Whoa, missy! What’s goin’ on?”

“It’s not that big a deal!” Summer insisted, looping both her forelegs around a nearby bust of Starswirl the Bearded while still floating in Hannah’s magic. That probably wasn’t a good idea. If Hannah started pulling her along again, it would just topple and break the bust.

“You didn’t get this mad about her getting on my case or when she mouthed off before,” I said.

Hannah finally dropped Summer, who landed on the floor with a thud but who didn’t seem to mind the sudden crash landing.

Hannah grit her teeth. “That was just mouthing off like the spoiled brat she is; this was a threat! I’m going to teach that stuck-up priss a lesson she’ll never forget!”

I frowned. “That’s not a good idea. Her magic is stronger than yours, and since none of us are trained in combat magic, she’d win any fight through brute magical force. The only pony in class who could beat her is Summer.”

Summer stood up and shook her head, making her lion-like mane flap everywhere. “I’m not fighting her. I’d get in trouble, and none of you are either because I don’t want you to get in trouble. My village leader told me things like this might happen, and I can’t let ponies like that make me feel afraid or angry. I have to be brave and not let her get to me. She’s just trying to scare me.”

“She’d be expelled for sure if she hurt Summer. Ah don’t think Prim would risk that,” Bright said, sounding confident. “Summer’s right; it’s all talk with no action.”

“What exactly was said?” I asked.

Summer looked down. “Nothing specific. She just said that if I didn’t go home, bad things would happen to me.”

“See! That’s a threat!” Hannah said in outrage.

“A pretty vague one,” I countered. “I don’t think any of the teachers would accept that as justification for trying to fight Prim. We could just go to Headmaster and tell him…or one of the other teachers. Miss Raven has to still be close by.”

Bright frowned. “Ah ain’t sure. Bein’ honest is all well and good, but tattlin’ ain’t a good look either. Ah got in trouble before for bein’ a tattle, and ah learned mah lesson. Maybe if Prim said she was goin’ to do somethin’ in particular, but what she said ain’t got no detail. Ah ain’t tattlin’t that somepony has bluster. Ah don’t want that kinda label.”

Hannah stood up straight. “I’m not just letting this go. If you don’t want to say anything, that’s fine. I’m not putting it on you, but you can’t stop me from doing something. I won’t fight Prim–you’re right, that could only go badly for me. I’m sure the priss has gotten at least some private magical tutoring, so she probably knows more than me besides being stronger, but I am going to go straight to Headmaster and say something. I can’t let her think she can get away with threatening my friend. As someone who wants to join the royal guard to protect ponies, I think you can understand that.”

Bright and I looked at one another and then back at Hannah.

“We’ll walk with you to Headmaster’s office,” I said. “We can’t confirm she said that since we didn’t hear it, but we can say she has been disrespectful to other students and insulted Summer for being a kirin. Those things we heard.”

“If we’re asked ‘bout it. That would be answerin’ a question, not tattlin’,” Bright reasoned.

“Just don’t tell my mom. She can’t find out,” Summer insisted.

Hannah looked at Summer. “Why? Shouldn’t your mom be allowed to know that you are being picked on and threatened? It isn’t good to keep that kind of thing from your parents.”

Summer shook her head vigorously. “No! She can’t control her temper as well as me. If she heard Prim threatened me, not even her kitten would calm her down. She’d burn down the dorm building in her rage and get fired! I can’t let that happen.

I didn’t want her mom to get fired, but even more than that, I didn’t want her mom burning down the dorm building, maybe with me in it.

“We won’t tell your mom,” I assured her.

“But what if Headmaster does?” Summer asked worriedly.

Bright shook his head. “Ah don’t think he will. He like as not won’t remember she even is your ma.”

Hannah nodded. “He does seem to care very little about our personal details, even our names. I doubt he’d bother to remember who our parents are.”

“He might not even care when you report this,” I cautioned.

“I’m still going to try,” Hannah insisted. “Let’s go.”

It only took us about two minutes to walk to the Headmaster’s office. When we arrived, the door was cracked open, and voices were coming from inside. We paused outside the door to listen.

“Headmaster, I must insist you do more to secure that staff. It is one of the most powerful artifacts in the realm, perhaps only surpassed by the Crystal Heart and the Sunstone. It shouldn’t be so carelessly left lying against your chair.”

“Correction, in my hands, it is stronger than either of those objects,” Headmaster replied to whoever was speaking to him.

Hannah went wide-eyed as we continued to listen. She was at this school to learn about artifacts, right? I suppose knowing that Headmaster had an extremely powerful one that he carried around with him impressed her.

“All the more reason it should be secured!” the other speaker continued. “You use it in substitution for a horn, but such an item could wreak untold havoc if the wrong individuals took control of it.”

“Did I not say it is only that powerful in my hands? Its power is a small fraction of its full capability if used by anyone else. You pay as little attention to what is said as the students,” Headmaster said in a bored tone.

“That isn’t confirmed. It is a completely undocumented artifact, and what little is known about it is from my limited observation. If you would allow me to better study it in a secure-”

“You tire me, Neighsay. The staff stays with me. It is an extension and enhancement of my power. I will not be parted with it so you can do experiments.”

Neighday snorted loud enough to be heard in the hall. “Hear me, Headmaster, I will not be the only one to notice the staff's power level. There will be questions asked. I question where such an object could have come from. That is no work of Earthlings, and there is no record of such a staff in Equestria. It shows up in your possession, yet we know nothing about you, not even your name. Who are you?”

“What’s it matter who I am?”

“Every member of the faculty has a documented history except you. Humans that have immigrated to Equestria and been granted citizenship are few. That Newman woman even has a well-documented history, but for you, there is nothing. It is as if you appeared out of nowhere. Are you a changeling?*

“No, Neighsay, I am not a shapeshifting insect. The princess knows my identity and has put her faith in me. That should be enough for you. You are distracting me from reading reports. Be off with you.”

Summer started to say something, but Hannah put a hoof over her mouth. Neighsay must have been leaving because we heard hoovesteps from within the room coming in our direction. We all quickly backed away from the door.

Neighsay exited the room and glanced questioningly at us as he did so.

“Are you foals eavesdropping?” Neighsay asked, sounding annoyed. "It is a poor habit, a sign of delinquency. What is the meaning of this?”

I thought of an answer fast. “We needed to talk to Headmaster, but we wanted to wait until you were done talking about whatever you were talking about because it would be rude and disrespectful to interrupt.”

Neighsay sniffed. “I suppose that is so. Very well, your actions are forgiven, but don’t make a habit of listening into private conversations.”

“The door was cracked, so it can’t have been that private,” Bright muttered.

Neighsay raised an eyebrow at him. “You are Applebloom’s nephew, are you not? You are to write for me a hundred times; I will not contradict my elders, and turn it in to me by the end of the week.”

Bright looked annoyed but sighed and nodded. “Yes, professor.”

Well, at least it wasn’t just me and Prim getting into trouble.

Neighsay smiled. “Very good. Hurry about your business. You may be on a free period, but it won’t last forever. You do not want to be late to your next class.” He then turned and walked off down the hall.

“Not sure ah like him,” Bright muttered.

“You’re just mad you got in trouble,” Hannah replied.

“Yeah, that’s so,” Bright agreed. “Let’s get this over with before some other professor takes offense at us bein’ here.”

We shuffled into the room, with me knocking on the door as we did. Headmaster was at his desk, staff leaning against his chair, reading reports. He did not look up at us as we entered.

“So many interruptions,” Headmaster said, sounding bored as usual. “Earth pony, kirin, whatshername, and whatshisface, what can I assist you with? Make this brief; I am a busy man.”

Hannah strode forward, dragging Summer along once again. “Headmaster, sir! My friend Summer was threatened by one of the other students!”

Headmaster finally looked up from his work towards the pair. “Threatened, you say? Who is Summer?”

“I’m Summer, Headmaster,” Summer squeaked. “Hannah is making a much bigger deal about this than she needs to.”

He looked at them consideringly. “Perhaps. What was the nature of this threat?”

“Prim told Summer that if Summer didn’t drop out, something bad would happen to her!” Hannah announced.

Headmaster gave them a half frown. “Who is Prim?”

“Prim Tape, she’s the rich filly who you declared was starting at number thirty in our class,” I informed him.

Headmaster pulled out a scroll and looked it over. “Ah…that one…I see–more potential than the majority of the students in your class if she applied herself, but she has so little discipline; how disappointing. I’m not fond of people making threats, even vague ones. In fact, I take great personal offense at it. I will have her brought to my office and give her a stern talking-to. Do not worry about the issue anymore. You may leave now.”

We’d figured out by this point that being dismissed by Headmaster meant leaving immediately, so we hurried out the door.

“That went better than I expected,” I said. “I didn’t expect him to care.”

Hannah nodded. “I was right to insist on talking to him. What do you guys think about what Neighsay was saying before? I kind of figured that his staff was some sort of magical artifact, but I never imagined that it would be that powerful.”

"He said it was stronger than the Crystal Heart or the Sunstone,” Summer said. “I’ve heard of the Crystal Heart, and I know it is really powerful, but I never heard of the Sunstone.”

“I have,” Hannah replied. “I’ve read about every famous artifact. The Sunstone is what moved the Sun and Moon in ancient times before Celestia or Luna were even born. The old unicorns broke it and were forced to move the Sun and Moon themselves until Celestia and Luna came along.”

“So that shiny stick has more power than the thing that moved the Sun and Moon?” Bright asked in disbelief. “Seems mighty dangerous to have just laying around.”

“And nobody has ever heard of this artifact before now, and it just shows up with Headmaster, who nobody knows where he came from,” I added in.

“So, it has to come from Earth,” Summer said.

Hannah shook her head. “The cost to make something like that would be astronomical. It takes a lot of money and effort to make thaumically active materials on Earth, and they tend to be less efficient than Equestrian materials. You have to have big crystals to hold a lot of power on Earth because of that inefficiency, and if that thing is as strong as Neighsay says, Earth wouldn’t be able to make it on such a small scale as a staff you could carry around. It would be a huge thing that nobody would be moving around. Even in Equestria, it would be extremely difficult to contain that level of power in native materials, and it would take a truly exceptional mage to figure out how to do it, like Princess Twilight level–and she thoroughly documents everything she does. Plus, how would Headmaster end up with it?”

“We can’t know that without knowing who he is,” I said. “I never heard of any powerful human mages. A few humans have strong magic, but that magic always does one thing or a range of things–like superpowers. I know a famous illusionist human, but that’s all she does and can do: illusions. She can’t learn to do anything else with her magic; that’s all it can do. So, they don’t have mages.”
.
“But Headmaster is supposedly a full-fledged mage,” Hannah said. “He said the staff is explicitly tuned to him. That indicates someone made it for him since he can’t do his magic without it. That leads us back to asking who made it.”

“Celestia?” Summer suggested. “She’s the one who appointed him, and she’s really powerful–powerful enough to make something like that. She’s also got a motive to do so. She needs a powerful mage leading the school, and she wasn’t satisfied with the mages she had.”

“Maybe, still seems strange,” Hannah said with a shake of her head.

I looked around for a clock but didn’t see any.

“We should head towards the next class,” I suggested. “We don’t want to stand around too long and be late, and we aren’t going to figure out the secrets of Headmaster standing here talking about him, but let’s make that a goal before we graduate. We’re going to discover who Headmaster really is.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Bright agreed. “Next class is Elementary Defensive Magic. Ah’m lookin’ forward to it.”

I blinked. I knew that was one of the courses I was having substituted out for the moment. That meant my first substitution class was coming up. I needed to look at my revised schedule and determine what I was taking.

I pulled the appropriate scroll out of my saddlebag and unrolled it on the floor to read.

Introduction to Artifact Safety with Professor Neighsay

Chapter 32

Classes resumed the next day, and business as usual. There was no discussion of Psychic Calm’s death, and all the professors, including Headmaster, were present and accounted for. None of them were taking any additional leave, although breakfast had a subdued atmosphere where there was far less chatter than usual.

Professor Newman mercilessly sprang that verbal pop quiz on us, which we had been expecting the other day before class was canceled. I got my answers right, but it was clear that the extra two days had dulled the memories of some of our other classmates. Bright and I hadn’t studied together that morning, and he seemed at a loss when asked his question. His embarrassment was only partially mitigated when Newman called upon Lunar Light next, only to find him sleeping at his desk. That earned Lunar detention. I guess we would know where Lunar would be at least once this week, excluding class.

Her class continued, with her discussing a particular magical technique. However, Twilight Glow seemed to have an issue with the details of the lesson.

“Professor, that makes no sense! Shouldn’t the fire rune be placed in the jointed position? That would reduce the tension much more,” Twilight protested.

Professor Newman raised an eyebrow at him. “You are quite confident in this?”

“Yes,” Twilight confirmed smugly.

Professor Newman stepped aside and gestured to the area in front of the podium. “If that’s so, perhaps you would like to demonstrate to the class how I am incorrect. Stand in front of the podium and center the channeling matrix…hmm… let's go with a ponylength and a half in front of you and about a ponylength elevation—no, instead, make that two. Do not put much power into it. You are demonstrating the concept, not trying to do any more. Work slowly so everyone can see what you are doing. Hold one moment before you begin.” She turned towards Prim. “Miss Tape, please join me in the corner; I have something important for you to do.”

Prim seemed confused but left her seat and joined Professor Newman in the corner. Professor Newman bent down and whispered to Prim, giving her instructions the rest of us couldn’t hear. This continued for over a minute before Professor Newman stood up and walked away. Prim stood but didn’t return to her seat. Instead, she stepped to the side to get a better view of what was happening in front of the podium.

“You may come up and demonstrate now, Mister Glow,” Professor Newman instructed. “Remember, ensure the class can see what you are doing, including Miss Tape. Miss Tape must have a clear view.”

Twilight gave Prim an apprehensive look but did as instructed. This exercise was lost on me since, as an earth pony, I lacked the inherent ability to see runes being placed in a spell that was reserved for unicorns, kirins, Earthling crystal ponies, and, of course, alicorns. That didn’t mean an earth pony couldn’t place runes in a spell, but they had to know what they were placing where without actually seeing what they were doing. The channeling went through their body into the ground rather than using a specialized bodypart like a horn that could project runes anywhere within a certain range of the unicorn or kirin—crystal ponies were a whole other matter that I wasn’t sure of the full details. This was done instinctively with most earth ponies, just like unicorns could instinctively do a few simple spells without knowing what runes they were using—like their light spell and levitation, which were simple spells with few runes in their most basic forms. However, there were more advanced forms that required them to know what runes they were using.

Anyway, I had no idea what Twilight was doing beyond what had been explained to me, even if my classmates could see it. I could understand what was about to happen intellectually, but it was invisible. All I saw was his horn glowing with soft violet light.

Twilight must have been taking his time because this took much longer than most spellcasting, lasting well over a minute. He seemed very focused.

FLAAAMMMM!!!

I jumped back in my seat, as did most of the class. A fireball hung in the air, contained within a semi-translucent pink shield. Twilight had jumped back as well, and his horn had ceased glowing. However, Prim’s horn shone brightly with pink light as she gritted her teeth with concentration. The fireball extinguished after several seconds, probably having burned up all the oxygen within the shield. Prim then released the shield, looking like she was winded.

“Excellent work shielding that quickly before it could damage or burn anyone, Miss Tape. I knew you had it in you. Consider yourself a hero for today; that could have hurt someone,” Professor Newman complimented. “You may now return to your seat and relax.”

My initial impression was that Prim had been the cause of that, but I suppose that wasn’t the case. She still looked tired as she returned to her seat but was also smug. I hoped she wouldn’t spend time bragging about doing something she only did because the professor had instructed her to look out for it and act.

Professor Newman walked over to Twilight and looked down on him. “My apologies for letting you do that when I knew what would happen, but experience is the best teacher. Tell me, what went wrong?”

Twilight looked downward, ears sagged. “I didn’t listen to you and thought I knew better.”

She shook her head. “No, that isn’t what went wrong. There’s nothing wrong with testing new ways of doing something rather than accepting what you’ve been told. It is part of how we advance magic. I’d advise ensuring you have safety precautions in place whenever you do this since things like what we experienced can happen. No, I’m asking why your channeling spell matrix turned into a fiery blaze?”

Twilight looked up and seemed to think before looking down again. “I have no idea. I can’t think of why it would do that.”

“Then that is your homework, the entire class’s homework. You are all to draw out what Mister Glow did and come up with an answer on why that spell construction did that. Don’t let this discourage you from considering new ways of doing things, but make sure you consider all the implications of your idea first and ensure you have help to shield your matrixes.”

“Yes, professor,” Twilight replied. “How’d you know exactly what would happen?”

She smiled. “You forget, I was an aid to an earth mage who experimented extensively for years without knowing how things should work. There are benefits to working without knowledge of the rules; it means you are more likely to try a wide range of things while trying to determine how to do something. This also leads to watching any number of spells fizzle or literally blow up in your face. You aren’t the first to try that particular combination of runes in that formation. I’ve already seen it tried and the results. Don’t consider it a failure; it's just not the result you were after. Consider it learning a new way to make a blaze. Now, take the time to figure out why that happened so you can build on the experience. Class is dismissed.”

“Ah can’t believe the professor let Twilight do somethin’ dangerous like that,” Bright said as we walked to our next class.

“She seemed to be prepared for it,” Summer said.

“By putting Prim in charge of protecting us,” I said darkly. “Why did she put Prim in charge of that?”

“I hate to compliment her, but Prim is fairly good with shields in our combat magic class,” Hannah said. “She’s not great on offense, but her defense is the best in class. She can even keep back all of Lunar’s spells, and even Bright, Rocky, and Onyx can’t do that. They’re usually dodging instead of shielding after the second or third blast. Prim can hold him off indefinitely.”

Bright grimaced. “Yeah, Lunar’s a real monster when it comes to his attacks. Ah don’t know how she can hold him off.”

“We can only put so much power into our shields at our age, so they aren’t that strong. It just comes down to the fact that we have weak shields. Prim had personal training in shielding before she even came to school, so she has more experience. I heard her bragging about it,” Summer said.

“What about Red? Shouldn’t he have had that same personal training?” I asked.

Summer shrugged. “Maybe, but he doesn’t seem to have any talent for that stuff. Everypony in class can overpower him, and he can’t seem to overpower anypony. Some ponies are just better at some things than others.”

I flicked my ears. “Do you guys spend a lot of time fighting one another? That doesn’t seem like something we should be doing in school.”

“Professor Dawn believes in practical experience, which means facing off against live opponents. It’s about half instruction, half practice—or maybe it is about a third practice, half instruction, and the rest is demonstration,” Hannah explained. “Nopony is going to get hurt. She always stands close by, watching closing. She’ll throw a shield between us whenever there’s any chance one of us will get hit by something that could hurt us."

We turned a corner, and I stopped and stared at the hall. It wasn’t the normal hall, but instead a long metal corridor lined with identical statues of a unicorn mare placed every few yards from each other on both sides of the hall. All the windows were gone, and metal doors were between each group of two statues. Each statue had its hirn lit, giving light to the windowless corridor.

“What’s wrong, roomie?” Bright asked with concern.

I looked at him in disbelief. “What’s wrong? How can you ask that when the entire hall is different?”

“Different?” Hannah asked in confusion. “Different how? It looks the same to me.”

I looked back at the hall to point but paused as I was about to raise my hoof. The hall was back to normal with wood paneling, the standard doors, paintings, busts, and potted plants scattered along the sides. There was no sign of the corridor I had just seen.

“None of you saw a completely different hall a moment ago?” I asked, befuddled.

They all shook their heads.

“Eyes must be playin’ tricks in ya,” Bright said.

My eyes couldn’t have played that elaborate trick on me, and that was a very detailed thing to see. It had just been there. Why hadn’t they seen it? Was someone playing some sort of trick on me with illusion magic?

“Do you know any students that are good at illusion magic?” I asked. “Someone has to be trying to pull something with me. I’m sure I just saw another hallway.”

“Professor Inkwell’s illusion class isn’t until next year. So nobody has shown what they can do with it yet,” Hannah said. “What did you see?”

“A long metal corridor with statues of some unicorn mare that acted as lamps,” I explained.

“That sounds interestin’ an’ all, but why would somepony make ya see somethin’ like that? What would they get out of it?” Bright asked.

“Yeah, if they were going to try to scare you or something, they’d make an illusion of a monster or something,” Hannah said.

“Maybe they want Turnip to think he’s crazy?” Summer suggested.

“Sounds like something Prim might do just to mess with me,” I said darkly.

“But she’s never shown any illusion magic, and she doesn’t go around casting spells on other students. She could get in serious trouble for doing something like that, and she won’t risk that,” Summer protested.

“Unless she thought she could get away with it,” Bright counterpointed.

“Why wait until now to do something like that when she hasn’t done it all semester?” Summer asked back. “I don’t think she did it.”

“Well, we’re about to go to Inkwell’s class, and illusions are her thing. We can ask her who could have done it and how,” Hannah concluded.

That was true. I was already fairly confident that it was Prim pulling some trick on me. I just needed one of the professors to catch on to it.

Chapter 51

I shivered as snow fell. Ponies typically didn't feel temperature as strongly as humans, but we could still feel it if it got cold or hot enough. Why couldn't their train station be indoors? This was a big city, not a smaller town like Ponyville. I hadn't packed any warm clothes... or any clothes for that matter... when I left for Equestria. Every other pony waiting was dressed in sweaters and scarves. I felt like an idiot, standing in the snow and shivering.

A light and warmth suddenly appeared a short distance from me. I turned to look and saw Summer standing there, her hoof upturned with a flame on it.

"You looked a little cold," Summer said. She was unclothed as well. I suppose kirin didn't need anything to keep them warm.

"Thanks," I said, "but you don't need to do that. You're going to get a cramp holding your hoof like that. It's my fault for not packing for the weather."

Hannah walked over, a long scarf wrapped several times around her neck. "I didn't even have anything to bring. I had to knit this."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know how to knit?"

"Why the surprise?" she asked, sounding mildly offended. "Am I not girly enough to knit?"

"Who says knittin' is girly?" Bright asked. "Ah knitted mah scarf with mah ma. Took meh a long while to get it done. Turned out pretty good."

"Maybe I should learn to knit," I said, shivering again.

"Kinda hard with no horn," Hannah said.

"It can be done. Apples have knitted for generations," Bright said proudly.

Hannah gave him a dry look. "And the fact they pass down their knitted items indicates they prefer to avoid it when they can."

Bright seemed to consider this, then shook his head. "Never thought of that, but simply ain't true. Gotta repair and fix those clothes up. They're still work. Think that's why we keep 'em, because they need the love and care of generations. Seen Auntie Applebloom sittin' down fixin' up that shawl of hers. She said she had to spend a lot of time fixin' it up when she first got it. Had a lot of tears in it from cat claws—last owner was kinda a crazy cat pony before she passed."

Hannah laughed. "Crazy cat ladies come in all worlds, it seems."

Summer chuckled. "Don't I know it."

I smiled briefly but swiftly turned my head as I heard the blare of the train approaching.

"Train from the north incoming, outbound to Ponyville, Appleloosa, and southern territories!" the station master called out. "Please clear the area next to the tracks to allow for passengers to get off the train."

This was it. I was going to face my parents.

The train slowed down, brakes screeching. Steam spread from it like it was letting out a long breath in the cold. I stood back waiting for the doors to open.

"Turnip Francis Jones! Why are you standing out in the snow with not so much as a scarf?!"

My ears sagged. It seemed I didn't need to wait for them to get off the train to deal with my parents.

"Haha, d-definitely sounds like a mom," Hannah said, choking back a laugh.

"You are going to this weird magic school and they didn't teach you standing around in the snow stark naked can get you sick?! Are they this stupid, or do you have rocks in your head?!"

"She doesn't sound happy," Summer said worriedly.

"No, she sounds about right," I replied as I looked for which window she was yelling from. The steam from the train was making it hard to tell. Mom had some good eyes if she found me in all this.

"Your middle name is Francis?" Hannah suddenly snickered.

"Did that just register?" I asked, resigning myself that I would have to wait for the steam to clear. "Don't spread that around. It's worse than Turnip."

"Ya could always change your name. Ponies do it all the time," Bright suggested.

"Not until I've earned a better one," I replied. The steam was clear now, but whichever window Mom had been at must be now vacant. That meant she was on her way to give me an earful directly in my ear. "You guys mind getting right in front of me? I need a barrier."

"How brave of you," Hannah sarcastically said, but she did step in front of me.

I saw the shadow through the steam first. There was no mistaking that shadow. There were earth ponies, and then there was my mom. Few earth ponies could compare with her stature, and she was as strong as four other earth ponies put together. People said Wild Growth was the strongest earth pony on Earth, and in Equestria the names of Applejack and the Pie sisters were frequently brought up in those discussions. On an academic level, I understood those ponies were stronger. On a personal experience level, I knew no pony who compared with my mother. There was only one Wonder Root, the behemoth of the plains.

She stepped out of the fog of steam, and ponies scattered in her wake, staring. I didn't blame them; the only mares I knew that could compare to her height were alicorns. She could buck boulders and rip a bush out of the ground with a single yank like she was plucking a blade of grass. Her hoofsteps were hard and heavy, and I could feel the vibration as each landed.

Hannah's bravery faltered as my mother approached, and she fled to hide behind me. I didn't even have a sarcastic comment to give her. That was what any sensible pony would do.

Mom reached me and stared down at me as if wondering if she made a mistake giving birth to me and whether she should shove me back in her womb to incubate longer as if I was half-finished. I could probably still fit in there with her size.

"Why are you continuing to stand there in the freezing cold, you dog-brained idiot?!" she snarled. "We didn't come here to witness you getting pneumonia!"

"Hello, Mom. Did you have a pleasant trip?" I asked neutrally.

Dad stuck his head out from behind Mom's flank, not brave enough to stand between his wife and her prey. For a stallion his size, it would be comical if he tried.

"We had a wonderful trip, son," Dad greeted me. "Your mother's right. If you don't have any warm clothing, it might be best if we moved this reunion inside. You could get sick."

I noted that while Dad was wearing a heavy sweater, hat, and scarf, Mom was wearing nothing at all, just like me.

"Wow, your ma is as big as mah pa," Bright said, looking up at my mom. "Never seen a pony as big as Pa. She might actually be bigger."

Mom glared down at Bright. "And I see you are associating with riffraff that don't have any manners as well."

"Never good to talk about a mare's size," Hannah said in a harsh whisper to Bright. Summer just stared in horror at the sight of my mom.

"He is right, Mom. You are big," I said, continuing in a neutral tone. "You might want to tone down the aggression. Equestria expects a yearly monster attack, and they haven't gotten one yet. They might think you're the yearly monster."

Mom stared down at me, assessing. "Mouthy as ever. I see that hasn't changed. This school could have taught you some manners. I don't know where you get it. You must get it from your father."

Dad peeked out from behind her again. "I'm sure he does, dear. I take all the blame. We might want to get inside soon. You know your knees don't do well in the cold."

She continued to look me over. "And have you lost weight? What are they feeding you here? You're a growing colt. They can't expect you to grow if they starve you. How will you ever get to be a big strong stallion like your father if you don't eat right?"

I glanced at Dad, who was still mostly obscured by a single one of her legs. I was still growing, and I came up to at least his chin. I must have grown some if I came up that high on him.

"I'm sure Turnip can recommend a restaurant to us so we can get some food and get out of this cold," Dad suggested.

"Can I introduce my friends to you first?" I asked neutrally. "I don't want to be rude."

She glanced at Bright again. She then turned her gaze to Hannah, who was still taking shelter behind me. Her gaze then turned to Summer, who was still gaping at me. Her gaze lingered on Summer, taking in every alien feature of this completely foreign tribe of pony.

"That one is your friend as well? What is she?" Mom asked suspiciously.

"That's Summer Blaze; she's a kirin. They're related to both unicorns and dragons. They catch on fire when they get mad," I explained, still neutral.

Summer quickly bowed her head. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am."

Mom snorted. "Pleasure to meet you, sweetie. At least one of my ungrateful son's friends has some manners."

"The filly behind me is Hannah Moonbow. She's from Earth as well, and the colt next to me is Bright Pear of the Apple family—if you've heard of them," I continued, always neutral.

She gave Hannah a passing glance and then looked at Bright again. "I've heard of the Apples. Aren't they supposed to be an earth pony family?"

"Mostly earth ponies," Bright corrected. "Pleased ta meet ya, ma'am. Turnip's been lookin' forward ta your visit."

If he meant dreading this moment coming, he was right. I had felt the impending dread.

"Nice to meet you," Hannah said. Mom raised an eyebrow at her. "Nice to meet you, ma'am!" Hannah hastily amended.

"Good to meet you, foals," Mom replied. "I'm Wonder Root, and this handsome stallion is my husband, Green Sprig, the best farmer in Kansas."

"You flatter me, dear. It's a pleasure to meet you all," Dad said, still mostly obscured by Mom's leg. "Dear, we really should continue this indoors. We don't want Turnip catching a cold. The kirin filly looks like she is furless in a few areas. She might be feeling the cold as well. We don't want her getting sick just because she was showing solidarity with our son, do we?"

Mom grunted. "I suppose her loyalty is commendable, but you did hear she's part dragon and can catch on fire, right? I don't think the cold is bothering her that much, and her mane at least makes a natural scarf. Quite pretty, really. Is this why you ran off, you little devil? To get in the company of exotic fillies? I don't mind that reason too much. I was wondering when you would start noticing colts and fillies were different. Seemed like you were taking your time figuring that out. It had me concerned."

I didn't give her a facial response to that, but I wanted to. Yes, I already knew there was a difference between fillies and colts. Who didn't know that?

"I guess we don't need to hire that exotic dancer after all," Dad said, sounding relieved. I had no idea Mom had considered that, but it didn't even shock me. Glad I wouldn't be dealing with that. It would have made me very uncomfortable, but Dad would have had a heart attack.

Summer blushed. I hoped my mom did not get the wrong idea from that. I also hoped Summer did better than this through the rest of today. Mom was not your average mare, and she did not always have average solutions to problems. Summer might end up blushing a lot.

"I'm sorry, but I don't actually know a good restaurant. I don't have money, so I don't ever do any shopping or go eating out," I explained.

Mom looked me over. "You have been subsisting on cafeteria food? No wonder you look so scrawny. Oh well. We have money—not sure how much money. What is five hundred bits worth?"

"Um... it's worth five hundred bits," Bright said. Real helpful, Bright. I honestly didn't know if that was a lot of money or not. I knew from general observation that prices on most food ranged anywhere from a bit for something small to twenty bits for something really large and involved, and the price of most goods usually fell within that range.

"Five hundred bits is like a common week's wages," Hannah explained. Trust Hannah to know that.

"Should be good enough to feed two adults and four foals then," Mom reasoned. "Lead the way to the nearest restaurant so we can see what counts as food in this place." She glared at me. "I'm giving you that instruction, you lazy, good for nothing! Lead the way and show some hospitality to your parents!"

My dad stuck his head out and looked around. "Let me see... if this is a week's wages, and judging by the price of food on the train... six ponies... adjust for capital likely having highest prices... Dear, I think we should skip any desserts or appetizers."

"But Turnip is all skin and bones!" she protested.

"We have to manage our finances, dear. We could ask for a private meal without his friends, if you prefer," Dad suggested.

"No, I want to get a good read of them," she objected.

"Then we keep our spending in line," Dad asserted.

She sighed. "As you wish. You control the checkbook."

I had to smile a little. I had already told her that I never ate out, but she still expected me to at least know where to find a restaurant. Mom might be critical of me... all the time... but she expected me to be observant. That never changed. I don't know how many times I had been yelled at growing up for failing to notice some small detail. I suppose I should be grateful to her for that. She taught me to pay attention.

"Stop grinning like an idiot, colt," Mom growled. "You are still in so much trouble for forging our signatures and running off that you should be on the ground begging for our forgiveness, but here you are, standing in front of me, arrogant and mouthy as ever. The one good thing I can say about you, you little runt, is that you've always had some nerve. Get that from your father, too. I'm glad you did. A good stallion has to have a backbone, even if it does make me want to throttle you."

I wondered how my mom would react to me running in fear of trees. It was best not to let that detail slip. She'd give me more than an earful for such an embarrassing display as breaking down in terror at a forest.

"Glad to see you, Mom," I finally said. "I missed you."

She stared at me, unblinking, then took a step forward. All my friends took a step back, but I stood my ground. She gave a long snort and then she moved like a viper.

"My mouthy little colt! Do you have any idea how much I missed you?!" Mom cried as she grabbed me into a hug. I struggled to breathe as she continued to crush me up against her barrel with her powerful forelegs. "Every day, I've been wondering if you are alright. I've been wondering what I did wrong. I've been wondering if you are safe and whether I would ever see you again!"

"Dear, Turnip needs the function of his lungs. You know how strong you are," Dad warned as I was starting to turn blue. He didn't sound quite right, kind of muffled.

"You should join us in our hug!" Mom cried. She then relaxed her grip on me a little as she looked around. "Um, where are you?"

"Underneath you, dear. You're sitting on me," Dad answered.

She stood up, still holding me like a stuffed toy, and turned around. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I'd live. I wasn't so sure about our son in your death grip. You know how you get when you get emotional," Dad replied.

Mom grabbed him into the hug, and he and I were mere inches from each other's face.

"Hi, Dad. Sorry about this," I said.

"Please tell me you are passing all your classes," Dad said in a firm tone as Mom snuggled us both.

"Yeah. I'm passing everything," I assured him.

He nodded. "That's good. And, Turnip, I'm content to just sit back and let your mother give you a piece of her mind about all this business, but if you ever try to pull something like forging our signatures and running away again, it will be me you answer to, not your mother. Do I make myself clear?"

I gulped and shivered, although the warmth of my mom's embrace was keeping me toasty.

"Perfectly clear, sir. So…. does this mean I can stay?” I asked nervously.

He stared me in the eyes and his eyes betrayed nothing. “We shall see.”

Chapter 60

It was about an hour later when Newman walked back in, flanked by Stockman.

"Good news! Princess Twilight has resolved the matter with the Heart of the Forest, and the forest is retreating. The crisis has passed!"

Everyone in the auditorium cheered.

Newman crossed her arms and smirked. "And now you can all assist in cleanup and repair to the school."

Just about every student let out a distressed groan.

"No groaning or complaining," Newman said as she started walking in. "I want you to form into groups of three. Once everyone has gotten into your groups, you are to go out and start surveying the main building for damage. Once I have a full account of what damage has been done here, we will do the same with the dorm buildings."

"I am not a common laborer!" Gilt Leaf protested.

Newman looked at him. "But you are a master of a craft—a specialized laborer. I'm assuming that some of the detailed work on some of the school's paneling may have been damaged. I would be shocked if it were not. It is a much bigger job that needs expert care that I cannot entrust to the students. The school will need to hire someone to take care of it. I presumed your company might be interested in the contract to do so, given how profitable it will be, and you are already here to claim dibs on it. Not to mention the fact you need to recover money after your accountant stole . . . excuse me . . . you haven't confirmed yet . . . allegedly stole from you, but I suppose we could hire someone else . . . say . . . Pleated Yolk."

"Charlotte, don't you have some sort of word for this . . . overkill . . . I believe it was," Inkwell said with exasperation.

"I am simply saying that he can choose to let us go to his competitor instead. I understand he may dislike me too much to agree to anything I suggest. We've already established how such things guide his decisions," Newman said innocently.

Inkwell sighed. "Mister Gilt, I apologize. My colleague's primary tactic when faced with opposition is to incite. As a successful businesspony, you must recognize this as her negotiating tactic—paired with her frighteningly extensive knowledge of others and their dealings. The school would deeply appreciate your assistance, but you are free to do as you choose. If you do choose to help us, I will make sure it isn't Professor Newman who negotiates the terms with you. I assure you, I will speak to Headmaster about it and ensure it."

Gilt Leaf glanced at Newman, and I noticed a slight flinch at her gaze, before looking back at Inkwell.

"Well, of course I will assist. I simply wanted to remind everypony that I have specialized skills, no more. My wife and colt will join me in helping survey the damage," Gilt Leaf replied haughtily.

Inkwell smiled and nodded. "No one will fault you for wishing your skills to be utilized fully. I don't expect repairs to be done today, but you can get a good survey of the damage to the embossing and give us a proper financial estimate for how much it will cost us to have you repair it, along with a timeframe. I will present it to Headmaster when he returns."

Gilt Leaf gave a small bow. "Of course, Professor Inkwell." He then gathered up his family and headed towards the door, making sure to give Newman a lot of space as they passed.

Inkwell turned her attention to us. "I want Turnip Jones and Bright Pear to remain with me. I expect that somepony will come to check on you soon. Hannah Moonbow and Summer Blaze, please join your parents in helping survey the damage. Rocky Road, you stay with me as well; I would expect somepony will come to check on you as well. Lunar Light . . . um . . . I hadn't heard if you were getting visitors."

Lunar looked away. "No, no one is coming."

"Then you are with me, Mister Light," Newman instructed. "I prefer to keep you close by so I don't lose track of you. I am going to gather some of the other strays. Come along, you as well, Mèng."

Stockman gave an irritated flap of his wings. "Can you stop saying my name? You're going to get the students doing it."

"I'm not even saying your name. Have you heard me say 'Hǎo Mèng' even once? I'm leaving out half the name and mispronouncing the other half," Newman said defensively.

Stockman looked her in the eyes. "How about I try addressing you by another name? After all, as a spymaster, you've got a lot of them. Some of them, I'm sure, some people will be quite fascinated to hear."

Newman grunted. "Fine, you win. I just won't call you anything."

Stockman scowled.

She looked at him. "Oh, don't give me that look. I've been in service of the family for longer than you've been alive. I may not have witnessed your birth, but I was there when you were being potty-trained. No one here knows you as well as I."

"Why do you always have to be this way?" Stockman said in frustration. "I'm not a little colt; treat me like an adult."

She pointed at nothing in particular in the distance. "You had your chance to go out and make your own life—you still do. If you insist on keeping so close, you can expect me to behave likewise. I never asked you to hang around so closely. Your social skills are worse than mine. You should be out socializing, maybe trying to find romance. You're a healthy young stallion. You've got the exotic allure of being from Earth. Mares should be throwing themselves at your hooves. You should be living a happy life with a family of your own, not worrying about me.”

"You don't push him away!" Stockman fired back.

Newman blinked, and her eyes very briefly drifted to us before locking back on Stockman. "That's an entirely different situation, and you know it. It's also one we aren't going to discuss here. So help me, if you decide to push this conversation here, I will see you fired from your job and find some way of confining you to Mountain Shade."

Stockman sneered. "Wow, way to respect my independence. That's a bluff. I don't think you could convince any princess to do that, and I don't think you would even do it if you had the power to convince them. Still, I'll be quiet, but we're having a long conversation later."

"Charlotte . . . you need to be nicer to him. I know you're stressed about . . ." Inkwell said quietly. "But you can't treat him like that. You can't just keep driving everypony that cares about you away."

Stockman shook his head. "Don't waste your breath trying to reason with her. She'll do the same thing to you eventually. She always does. She's too scared. All you can do is leave or choose to not let her get away with it. I'm not letting her get away with it. I'm too stubborn. I know her harsh words are hollow, and I know she isn't going to run from this school. She can't get rid of me. If she keeps trying, I'll take the matter up with Princess Luna."

"We're done discussing this matter," Newman said harshly. "Change of plans. You will escort the majority of the strays on a survey of the damage. I think I'll just keep Mister Light with me—I don't trust him not to try to slip away unnoticed in a group setting. Raven can keep Mister Jones, Mister Pear, and Mister Road with her."

Stockman looked around. "Gather up the strays, fine. I can do that. I'll see you later tonight." He then walked off.

Newman looked at Inkwell. "Stress to them they are not to go digging into this."

Inkwell sighed and stared downward. "I will, but I'm unsure how successful I will be. If you had just treated him nicer and not tried to drive him away, you wouldn't have to worry about this at all. You're smart, but you've sabotaged yourself this time. You let your emotions get the better of you. Be glad that most of this auditorium wasn't paying us any mind. Luckily, these foals already know about your former position as a spymaster and can assume that you got involved with a lot of dangerous things in the past that you don't want coming back to haunt you or those around you, so there's not much to explain. That you earned numerous enemies, too many to list, who would do you harm is no surprise, as is the idea you've used a number of aliases yourself that could be damaging if the wrong ponies heard them being used."

Newman grunted. "Thank you, Raven." She looked at Lunar. "Come along, Mister Light. Let's go check for damage.”

"Guess we should get going too," Hannah said, getting up to go join her parents.

"Yeah," Summer said, getting up and heading towards her parents.

As Newman and Stockman left the immediate area, Inkwell bent down to whisper to us. "I'm going to head you all off from digging by directly telling you what's going on. Stockman's adopted mother is Professor Newman's old employer. Stockman hangs around because he hopes to see his adopted mother by being near Professor Newman. Professor Newman has been around Stockman for decades, so there is a personal connection between them that goes beyond business. Stockman and his siblings are all refugees from China who are the biological foals of a very important pony. China thinks it can use them as leverage against this pony if they capture them. China also hates Professor Newman's old employer and wants her dead—for entirely unrelated reasons. Since China is likely watching Professor Newman, given her decades of service to that family, she prefers to keep the members of that family away from her, practically driving them away with her abrasive attitude. You now know the important details, so your curiosity should be sated. It's a tragic situation, and you shouldn't get entangled in it."

Inkwell seemed to be special-delivering us all the information and tying it up in a neat little bow, but there was a huge missing element. Why was Newman tied to the school? If she was always running, why had she hunkered down at a school that had more contact with the Chinese, thanks to magic games, than almost any other institution in Equestria? She didn't even bother to hide her identity. She put herself on display and basically drew the target on herself.

I tried to look through a chess lens. She puts a high-value piece out in a spot in what seems a very vulnerable position. The only reason to do that is if you want your opponent to move to take it, or you want your opponent to think you want them to take it. Ultimately, the fact that it is there is going to disrupt your opponent's game plan. There's this obvious trap sitting there, but at the same time it is such a valuable piece to remove from the board. Newman was a master strategist; she wouldn't expose a valuable piece like that for no reason, and her opponents would know that. If there's no obvious danger for striking at the piece, it leads to her opponents having to spend a lot of time figuring out the gambit she's playing. Of course, this would be much harder than chess, since her opponents wouldn't know the positions of all her other pieces or even the identities of them all—only know that there is a very obvious looking trap.

So . . . do they believe she is just using herself as a distraction? If that's the case, the school is not what they should be looking at. At the same time, they could anticipate that she expects them to view her gambit as a distraction meant to draw eyes to the school and look elsewhere as a result, but knowing this is her plan could force them to refocus on the school since she is trying to . . . this was way too complicated. It all depended on how far back and forth the parties involved anticipated the other expecting the other to figure out, and always one step forward for good measure. It was an endless, inescapable cycle.

In the end, I believed the strategy was to just create a gridlock. She's buying time. Time for what? If the Chinese realized the same thing, did they know what she was buying time for? If they didn't, what was their counteraction to this? The best answer seemed to be to bite the bullet and do something that breaks the gridlock—remove her from the board, even if it risked triggering a trap. So, there probably was a trap, and Newman expected it to get triggered, and she expected it to be triggered quickly.

"Ya seem deep in thought there, Turnip. Ah can practically see the steam comin' off yer ears. What ya thinkin' 'bout?" Bright asked.

"Chess," I answered.

Author's Note

There's a little play going on with how dhe pronounce his name snd how it is supposed to be pronounced for anyone interested in wordplay.

Chapter 2

“I can’t believe we get to room together! What were the chances? I laughed as Bright and I headed toward the dorms directly across the street from the school.

Bright watched me prance and chuckled. “Ain’t no mystery. Ah think she might have been dedicin’ who roomed with who on the spot and already seen us hangin’ around each other. Most the pairings she made seemed ta be ponies who’d been talkin’ ta each other.”

“Ewww! I can’t believe I must be in the same class as you two dir- as you two farmers!”

We turned and saw Prim close by us, making a dramatic gagging gesture. Did this filly have nothing better to do than cause us trouble? I wondered who her roommate was. I hadn’t been paying attention. Bright might know. He seemed to have noticed more than I did.

A red colt walked up beside her and pushed her mouth closed with a hoof. “Now, Prim, dearest sister, making such a face in public is not becoming of one of our stock, nor is it likely to earn the Headmaster’s approval. We must learn to be friendly with the colts and fillies we shall share instruction with. Let us not forget that most of the Element Bearers came from humble roots. I dear say, I believe this one colt made the claim he is an Apple, which makes him closely related to the great Applejack. Is that not so, valued classmate?”

Bright blinked a few times as if trying to figure out how to process who was speaking to him. “Urh, ah’m Bright Pear, and Applejack is mah aunt.”

The red colt smiled broadly and extended a hoof while his assumed sister rolled her eyes. “Good show! I’m Red Tape. I believe you have met my darling sister, Prim Tape. I do apologize for her behavior. She is somewhat disgruntled that she has to attend this academy, but our parents insisted upon it. I fully take her side on that matter and would rather she be enjoying the luxuries of our estate right now, instructed by private tutors. It is I who should be burdened by proving myself, not she. But, alas, my parents take a very traditionalist view to all things.”

“Oh,” Bright replied, clapping his hoof to the rich colt’s. “It’s alright. Mah family is kinda traditional too.”

Red gave a beaming smile as he set his hoof down. “Splendid!” He then looked at me. “And you! An earth pony at the school of magic! What a wonder to behold. I do not believe I have yet to catch your name, good sir.”

Well, Red Tape seemed nicer than his sister. Maybe this was a chance to make another friend.

“I’m-” I began.

“Mister Jones!”

I jumped. “I didn’t do anything!”

Professor Newman approached us and looked down at me. “You will follow me to the Headmaster’s office.”

I backed up a step. “What did I do?”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Did I say you did anything, Mister Jones? Come along. The Headmaster does not wish to be kept waiting.”

“You should probably promptly make haste if the Headmaster requires your presence,” Red Tape said. “You do not wish to be seen as disobedient, do you?”

“Uh, no. I don’t want to be that,” I agreed.

Professor Newman started walking back towards the school. “Then follow along, Mister Jones.”

I hurried to catch up and fell into a trot beside her.

“Um, so, you’re from Earth too?” I asked.

She glanced down at him. “That should seem obvious. Hominids died out in this world long before ponies learned how to speak.”
.
“Hominids?” I asked in confusion.

She sighed. “Species relative to humans, Mister Jones.”

“Oh, I didn’t know Equestria had those,” I replied.

“Not in many thousands of years,” Professor Newman said.

“So…where on Earth are you from?” I asked as we entered the school building.

She stopped and looked at me. “Mister Jones, I am a citizen of Equestria. Where I was born is a private matter. Do I make myself clear?”

I gulped. “Very clear, professor.”

She sighed. “Don’t be so terrified of making me mad. Let’s say that I needed to get away from all the stress, and the princesses were kind enough to give me something to do that was away from it all. Sure, Equestria has its issues–stuck-up nobles, buildings a little too small for humans, random monster attacks, and let's not forget the traditional annual villain trying to take over the world. Still, I’ll take that over all the things I was worrying about back on Earth. Even if I have to make occasional trips to Earth for these silly games, my life on Earth is still behind me, and I intend to keep it that way. So don’t ask about it.”

I blinked a few times and held up a hoof. “Um…can I ask what you meant about random monster attacks and annual villains trying to take over the world?”

She chuckled, the first legitimate sign of happiness I had seen from the scary professor. “If you make it through your four years, you’ll get to see your fill. Don’t worry; you are safe here. I would say this is the safest place in the city.”

“Safer than in the palace with the princesses?” I asked, not able to keep the doubt from my voice.

“Oh, definitely safer than there. Where do you think most of the villains head to first when trying to conquer this place? The palace is probably the worst place to live in the city if you are concerned about being safe from attack,” Professor Newman answered with a shake of her head.

I hadn’t considered that.

She started walking again. “Come along, Mister Jones.”

The Headmaster’s office was halfway down the second-floor hall and had a large pair of double doors for some reason. They opened on their own as we approached. That was kinda gimmicky, but at least we didn’t have to open them ourselves. They looked heavy. We stepped in.

The room was dimly lit because the curtains were drawn shut, letting in only a tiny sliver of light. The walls were lined with bookcases, which about a quarter of the shelves had scrolls instead of books. The Headmaster sat at his desk at the far end of the room, reading a scroll while writing on another scroll. His staff was leaning against his chair. Professor Applebloom sat beside the desk and waved to them as they entered. The doors shut once they were entirely in the room.

The Headmaster glanced our way. “Please wait just a moment.” He then turned his gaze to Professor Applebloom.

“Applebloom…,” Headmaster said slowly and dryly. “Can you explain to me how our kitchens ended up with ten large crates of apples and an invoice from Sweet Apple Acres requesting five hundred bits? I’m asking you because…well… I’m sure you can fill in the rest.”

Professor Applebloom flinched. “Well…you see, my youngest nephew just started attending here. He’s never been far from home, and ah felt like bringing him a taste of home, ta make him feel good about bein’ in the city. He’s the only foal left out of me, and mah siblings foals-”

The Headmaster stared at her.

“-and the grown ones haven’t started havin’ their own foals yet. Not that ah’m ready to be a granny yet, seein’ as ah’m only forty-seven, which ain’t that old. Forty-seven is like the new thirty-one-”

The Headmaster continued to stare blankly at her.

“-but ah’ve hinted to them that they won’t be young forever and should marry and settle down-”

The Headmaster yawned widely.

“-although mah oldest nephew and his wife have been actin’ kinda secretive lately, so there may be some buns in the oven that-”

“You want foals in your family to spoil, and your nephew, whats-his-name, is the only available one at the moment; I get the idea, but you’re paying the invoice out of your next paycheck, professor,” Headmaster finally said. “Don’t ever bill anything you order to the school again without authorization from me.”

Professor Applebloom flinched again. “Yes, sir.”

Headmaster raised a hand and beckoned us to come forward. We walked up to the desk. The Headmaster pulled out a different scroll and started looking it over.

“That earth pony, hmmm,” Headmaster said as he looked over the scroll. “You present something of a problem with how our current curriculum is set up. Putting you in a class where you’re expected to teleport, transmute things, do fire magic, and so on seems to be setting you up to fail.”

I lowered my head.

“Some artifacts can let you channel your inner thaumic energy much like a unicorn uses their horn. My staff functions for me in that manner,” Headmaster continued.

So that’s how the Headmaster performed magic well enough to be in charge of a magic school. I looked at the staff leaning against his chair. It looked like it was made entirely of blue crystal except for an odd spot in the center that looked like an hourglass made out of some pearly-white stone. I wondered where a human got something like that. That wasn’t something that would just be lying around on Earth, and what was he doing for magic before he got that staff? Did Professor Newman also have something like that? There didn’t seem to be anything obvious on her person.

“I’ve spoken with Professor Neighsay about whether this would be a feasible solution,” Headmaster said, still reading whatever was on the scroll. “However, he says it would take him time to make, and he also does not feel comfortable entrusting such an object into the hooves of a first-year student who hasn’t yet taken his class on artifact safety. That makes it a solution for what to do for future years, but not this one.”

Professor Newman crossed her arms behind her back. “Turnip Jones is one of two scholarship students who aced the magic fundamentals and theory test. He deserves every chance to succeed.”

I’d aced it? Wow…I had no idea. I mean, I felt like I did well on that section, but it had been a very long and complicated section. There’d been a few questions that I’d been very unsure about, and at least two that I literally just guessed about the answer.

Headmaster looked up at Professor Newman. “Who is Turnip Jones?”

“The earth pony,” Professor Newman clarified. Wait, he really had forgotten my name? I assumed the report about me was on his desk. How’d he forget my name?

“What an unfortunate name,” Headmaster mused as he looked back over whatever he was reading. “Let’s see, you mentioned your interest in alchemy ninety-four times throughout your application.”

“You counted?” I asked in disbelief.

He glanced at me. “It was something to amuse myself with.” He looked back down at the report. “Very well. I hate to give special treatment to any student, but it seems that we will be forced to do so in this case, and it is my fault for not having a plan in place for a non-unicorn meeting the requirements for entry. I will not punish you for my oversight. While you will be taking most of the same courses as your classmates, the courses with professors Luster Dawn and Glitter Drops will be delayed until next year. Instead, you will take extra courses in the sciences with Professor Applebloom and artifacts with Professor Neighsay. You may need to do extra work over the summer to catch up with your classmates on the subjects you are missing this year, but you are used to hard work, aren’t you?”

I stood at attention. “Yes, Headmaster, sir!”

He made some notes on a different scroll. “That’s settled then. Professor Applebloom will be your advisor, of course, but Professor Newman will be the one to draw up your altered class schedule. You may report to your dorm. Professor Applebloom, I expect you to report to the kitchen and help the staff figure out what they are going to do with the sudden excess of apples they have. Ten crates of apples take up a lot of storage space.”

“Yes, Headmaster,” Professor Applebloom said with a nod.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Why aren’t you moving? Get!”

Applebloom got up and ran for the door, which opened on its own just in time for her to not smash into it.

“You two as well!” Headmaster ordered.

“Come along, Mister Jones,” Professor Newman instructed.

Once we were outside the now-closed doors to the Headmaster’s office, Professor Newman looked down on me. “I have some matters to attend to, which include working out your class schedule. You will report to your first class tomorrow with your classmates, as that is my class, and I shall have your schedule ready for you then. You should have no problem finding your way to your dorm room. Don’t dawdle; the groundskeeper who supervises the dorm will already have to repeat herself to you about dorm policies. Don’t keep her waiting overly long to do so.”
.
“Thank you for standing up for me in there,” I said. I wasn’t just being polite. I didn’t expect her to speak up on my behalf.

She nodded. “Your scores on that test indicate you understand the fundamentals and theory of magic well. That is a good foundation to build on. While I don’t expect perfection, I expect you to do well in my class, as much of it should be a review for you. Don’t disappoint me, Mister Jones.”

“What did the Headmaster mean by I have an unfortunate name?” I asked.

She raised an eyebrow. “In some circles, Turnip is a slang term for an idiot, which is why I don’t address you as such. I know earth ponies have a fascination with farm produce, but I don’t understand what goes through their heads sometimes. Be on your way, Mister Jones, and don’t be late for my class tomorrow.”

Chapter 3

There were three dorm buildings, each supervised by a different groundskeeper. One dorm building had the third and fourth-year students, one had all the second-year students, and then there was mine, which had all the first-year students. Each dorm building had three floors, and my class was on the third floor. That meant lots of stairs to climb because elevators were rare in Canterlot. Luckily, I was an earth pony who grew up on a farm, so a little extra workout running up the stairs didn’t bother me.

As I reached the landing, I saw someone was in the way, and I tripped and collided with them as I tried to stop.

“AHHKK! This is why there’s no running allowed on the stairs!” the pony I collided with hollered.

“Sor-” I started to say but stopped to gape.

In front of me, lying on the floor, was a creature wholly engulfed in black and pink flames.

“Someone get the kitten!” a student yelled.

Huh?

A unicorn filly walked over with a tiny tabby kitten held out in front of them using their magic. She held the kitten out towards the flames. Oh no! Was she going to toss it in?

“Awww, so cute!” the flaming monster said, and its flames suddenly went out, leaving behind what looked like a brownish-green mare, but she had scales in some places, along with what looked like a ruddy-brown lion’s mane and a single jagged antler.

The strange mare grabbed the kitten and rocked it like a baby. “You are so cute! I can’t stay mad while looking at you!”

“Mew!” the kitten happily meowed.

The creature set the kitten down and turned, and looked at me. “Okay, I’m calm again. No running on the stairs. Someone can get hurt.”

I was still staring. “Um…who are you?”

The creature stood up. “I’m Groundskeeper Spring Fling, but you can just call me Spring. I’m in charge of supervising and maintaining this dorm building. I’m guessing you’ve never seen a kirin. Are you one of our students? I thought they were all unicorns.”

I blinked. Kirin…right. “Yes, I’m a student. I’m Turnip Jones; I’m supposed to be in room 4J.”

She nodded. "Just down the hall on the right. Your luggage should already be there. Let me go over the house rules. You already heard no running on the stairs. There’s also no running in the halls, no running in your room, no jumping on the beds, no stomping, no staying out after nine, lights out by midnight, no loud music, no physical fighting, no dogs, no birds, no hammering nails into the walls, no level four or higher spells, no hazing, keep your room clean, do not leave any clutter in the halls or stairs, and find Miss Pretty Purrface or a fire extinguisher if I get angry–preferably Miss Pretty Purrface; I don’t like fire extinguishers and they leave such a mess.”

“Mew!” said the kitten, who I assumed was Miss Pretty Purrface.

“Oh! Don’t let Miss Pretty Purrface into your room. She’s supposed to be out patrolling the halls. Don’t let her get outside the building, either; she’s an indoor sweetie kitty,” Spring concluded. “If you have any problems, my room is room 1A.”

“Got it!” I said.

Spring Fling picked the kitten up, who quickly lodged itself in her mane, and the kirin and the kitten took off down the hall.

I looked at the filly who had brought the kitten over. She was gray-furred with an orange mane; her mark looked like a wrench and a hammer. “Hi, I’m Turnip! Nice to meet you. Thanks for saving me from the angry kirin.”

She chuckled. “I think the building catching fire would require us all to be saved. I’m Hannah.”

I blinked. “Hannah? Are you from Earth?”

“Yep! I’m from good old Mississippi,” she said with a smile. “Never thought I would get admitted here. Taking that test for that scholarship felt like a super-longshot, but here I am! Oh…and don’t mention angry kirins. My roommate is a kirin, and she gets kinda stressed if you mention angry kirins. I think living in kirin villages must be pretty traumatic.”

“There’s a kirin student?” I asked. “I didn’t see her during the orientation. Where was she?”

“Oh, Summer was in the restroom the entire time. I had to take a quick tinkle after the presentation and found her hiding in a stall,” Hannah answered. “She was terrified the faculty would notice that they’d admitted a kirin, and they’d say it was a mistake and send her home. If only she’d come to the orientation, she’d have seen you and felt more secure about being here. I mean, she’s at least got a horn…well…antler, but it does the same thing.”

I looked down the hall where Spring had her face up to a door and was talking to it. “Come on out, Summer Wummer! Miss Pretty Purrface wants to see the bestest new student at the school of magic!”

“Mew!” the kitten echoed.

“Oh, and Spring is Summer’s mom,” Hannah added in. “I think Summer is hiding out until her mom goes away.” She jumped. “This is my chance to tell you about the rest of our class! I’ve already learned everyone’s names and which rooms they are in!”

“Oh, that sounds-” I started but got cut off as she grabbed me with her magic and dragged me to the first door of the hall.

“This is the room for Twilight Glow and Lunar Light. I think Professor Newman put them together because of thematic naming,” Hannah said as she pointed to the door. “They’re out right now looking for the library, so you’ll meet them later. They’re both stallions. This class is a little stallion-heavy, which doesn’t bother me. Supply and demand, baby!”

“What?” I asked but didn’t get an answer as she hauled me across the hall.

“This is the room for Red Tape and Prim Tape. They’re twins, but brother and sister, and I don’t think they like rooming together. They haven’t said anything about what they want to specialize in. Maybe they don’t know,” Hannah said thoughtfully. “They’re also stinking rich! You know what that means? Networking! Investing! Great ponies to know. We are so lucky to have them in our class.”

“Oh, that sounds-” I started, but she was already moving to the next room, taking me with her to the open door.

“This is your room!” Hannah announced.

Bright waved at me from inside the room, which had beds on either side of it. “Howdy, roommate. See ya met Hannah. She’s got some spunk!"

“Yeah, she’s-” I started, but Hannah was already off to the next room, and I had no choice in following her since she still hadn’t released me.

Bright stepped out of our room behind us. “Ah’m goin’ to go explorin’. Talk to ya later!” I watched him head for the stairs and leave me to deal with the terror of Hannah.

The next room had two colts sitting outside it, trying to contain smirks as they watched me get literally dragged along the floor.

“This is Onyx Swirl and Rocky Road,” Hannah introduced. Onyx had pitch-black fur with a white mane, and Rocky had brown fur and a white mane; both looked pretty muscular. “They’re training in combat magic to join the guard, like your roommate. Have any plans for dinner, Onyx? We could share a dish.”

Rocky snickered as Onyx looked away and rubbed the back of his head.

“I…uh…Rocky and I were going to get s-something small and go for a j-jog,” Onyx stuttered.

I decided to come to his rescue. “And what are you intending to specialize in, Hannah?”

She released me at last. “I’m going to become an artificer! I had to come to Equestria to learn how because thaumically active materials are obscenely expensive back on Earth. How am I supposed to practice my work if the practice materials cost millions of dollars?! That’s just not practical or cost-effective! I’d never be able to master artifacts on Earth. But here, materials are just lying around all over the place. People toss them in the trash like junk and use them as currency. From a financial perspective, this was the only choice I could make for my future.” She batted her eyes at Onyx. “A future we could have together.”

Onyx pushed Rocky and pulled his door shut. “Sorry! Rocky and I have to do that thing at that place before it gets too late. You know, curfew! We’ll see you around, Turnip, and uh…Hannah.” The two of them quickly ran towards the staircase.

“Hey! No running in the halls!” Spring shouted as she walked briskly after the pair.

“Mew!”

I didn’t know if Onyx was interested in Hannah as well and was too insecure to deal with her coming onto him or if she was sexually harassing someone who wasn’t interested. She should probably tone it down in any case.

“So, that just leaves Summer, right?” I asked her.

I was hoisted back into the air by her magic. “Yes!” she exclaimed and carried me to the last door of the hall.

She dropped me on the ground outside the room.

“Ow,” I whimpered

Hannah knocked softly on the door. “Summer, I distracted your mom, and she’s gone chasing after Onyx and Rocky. I’m coming in.”

Okay, that put the whole coming onto Onyx thing in a different light. However, it might be a worse light now. Hannah might be a teeny bit crazy.

She opened the door to reveal a similar-looking room to mine and Bright’s, except this one had a kirin filly the color of spicy brown mustard with a bright red mane.

“Look, Summer, this is Turnip! You aren’t the only non-unicorn here,” Hannah announced proudly, pulling me into view. “Turnip, this is Summer Blaze, my awesome roommate.”

I was still on the ground, and I might have had some splinters in my rump from being repeatedly dragged along hardwood floors, but I still raised a hoof to greet her. “Hi, I'm Turnip, Turnip Jones.”

She blinked in confusion as she looked at me. “Hi, I’m Summer. Are you okay?”

I picked myself up off the floor. “Yeah, I might look scrawny, but earth ponies are tough.”

“You’re right about the scrawny part,” Hannah said. “Do you get enough to eat? You barely weigh much at all. I don’t think I’ve ever dragged a pony around as easily as I just did you. We need to get some food in you.”

Did she drag ponies around like that regularly?

Summer hurried over to a corner and grabbed a box with her horn…antler’s magic, and floated it over to me. “If you’re hungry, you can have these—they’re cookies. My mom made them for me, but she made way too many. Don’t worry about taking them all. She always makes more, lots and lots more. I’ll never run out. She’s been showering me with attention since I was hatched.”

Hannah nudged me while smiling. “Isn’t that cool? Did you know kirin hatched from eggs before today? Because I did not. Who knew Equestria had an intelligent monotreme species and that they’d be a close pony relative?”

A flick of flame appeared on Summer’s hooves. “Kirin are ponies, not a close pony relative.”

“Actually, kirin are fully ponies and fully dragons.”

We all turned to see a colt who looked like a male unicorn version of Twilight Sparkle; he even had the same stripe in his mane.

He coughed into his hoof and then raised it and raised his head. “During the Age of Grogar, a small part of what would eventually become the unicorn tribe and a now-extinct subset of dwarf dragons were melded together into one species by Grogar’s wild magic, so the kirin tribe was born. They are fully ponies and fully dragons, the only species capable of interbreeding successfully with both ponies and dragons. I read about it in Nomi Clature’s The Complete Evolutionary History of Ponies: Volume One. It’s a very fascinating read.”

Hannah hurried over to the colt and pointed at him. “And this is Twilight Glow! He’s a bit of a nerd, and he’s got a thing for Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Argh! Why must I be in the same class with all these freaks!”

We all turned to see Prim outside her room door, glaring at us. She then advanced towards us.

“Seriously, we have Hannah, the crazy Earthling mare. We have a filthy backwater kirin. We’ve got an apple farmer. We have an earth pony, and-” She sniffed Twilight Glow as she got close to him, then pointed a hoof at him in disbelief. “-and we have a nerdy Princess Twilight fancolt who creepily dyes his fur and mane to look like her!”

Twilight Glow backed up slowly. “N-no, I don’t.”

Prim smirked at him and touched a hoof to her nose. “The nose, knows, commoner. That’s high-quality dye, and I do have to compliment your stylist for their work. However, I recognize the brand by its smell. Those aren’t your natural colors. Judging by how much you must have on for me to still pick up on the smell after it has fully set, they aren’t even close to your natural colors.”

Twilight Glow looked like he was holding back tears now.

“Sister! Must you be so callous with your words!” Red Tape yelled as he stormed out of their room and towards them. “This brazen superiority complex and brutish behavior is exactly why our parents chose to send you here! Yet, you still fail to take corrective action. It is like you don’t want to have your inheritance! At least you prove me right. I told them that sending you here would solve nothing.”

Prim stomped as she turned to face her brother.

“Please, don’t stomp. You’ll bring my mom back,” Summer whimpered.

Prim didn’t seem to care. “Why did they have to room me with you?! There are plenty of other noble fillies in our year that they could have roomed me with, but instead, they put me in this freakish class with you here to constantly chastise me! This school is out to get me, and I want to go home!”

Red gave her a knowing smile. “You are free to go home anytime, dear sister, but you know what will happen if you do.”

Prim seethed. “No! I am not going to lose it all. I am Prim Tape of the Canterlot Prims, and I will get what is owed to me by birthright! I am not going to be disgraced!” She whipped her head around and glared at me for some reason. “And I will not end the year in the bottom third of the class. Watch out, dirt pony, you aren’t going to hold that first-place ranking for long!”

We all watched as she stormed away to the stairs and down them.

“Hey! No stomping!” Spring yelled from somewhere below.

“Well, my parents always said to try to say positive things about people. To say something positive, you have to admire her determination, and she has a very impressive sense of smell,” Hannah said.

Twilight Glow did break down crying at this point

This was going to be an interesting school year.

Chapter 4

August 27, 2058

The rest of the first day passed rather calmly. The dining hall was in the main building, and the majority of our class ended up eating together at the same table–except for Prim, who had gone out to the city somewhere to dine, and Lunar Light, who couldn’t be torn away from the library.

Students from other classes and years gave our table plenty of looks. Everyone knew it was because of me and Summer. The two of us really were the only two non-unicorn students in the entire school. I was unsure if there were any other students from Earth than me and Hannah. There wasn’t any visual clue to something like that. Even names weren’t a surefire way of learning if someone was from Earth since there were plenty of ponies from Earth who had adopted Equestrian naming conventions. There were even ponies from Equestria who had adopted Earthling conventions–although that was less common. One of the bigger clues was whether they said things like anyone, someone, everyone instead of anypony, somepony, everypony. Equestrians almost always inserted pony into their terminology.

Nobody from the other classes bothered me or Summer during dinner, but that might have been because of the Headmaster, who sat at the head of the dining hall eating what looked like a roasted boar–which I wondered who had cooked it and how the other students felt about seeing it. Still, despite his bored expression as he ate, he was clearly watching everyone in the dining hall, and all were on their best behavior as a result.

The first night at the dorms was primarily quiet, aside from hearing Spring Fling chew out Lunar Light for almost breaking curfew by arriving back at the dorms with a mere minute left to spare. I kept to my room and unpacked my meager luggage, which consisted of a few pictures of my family, a few books, and my Donatello Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Generation 10 action figure with ninja-kicking action–Bright didn’t see the appeal. My parents said they would get me the seventy-fifth-anniversary figure next year. I’d have to pick that up over the summer break. Bright’s side of the room was also primarily pictures of his family, which were much more numerous than mine. He also had a sword, which somehow was not against dorm rules. We didn’t have to worry about bathroom supplies because the school provided those, just like food in the dining hall. Most of us didn’t have much or any money, and the school couldn’t have us starving or unsanitary.

It was a new place, and I wasn’t used to sharing a room, so it took me a while to fall asleep. I dreamed about how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were in school, but they were constantly being sent to the principal’s office for not holding a pencil correctly. Then, the dream suddenly paused.

“Greetings, Turnip Jones. I’ll try not to take much of your time. I just wanted to ask if you had any questions or concerns about the school.”

“Who is this?” I asked in confusion.

“I am Professor Psychic Calm. This is a dream. I’m checking on each student and ensuring no one is having problems before classes start. Do you have any issues you wish to discuss?”

“Uh, I can’t think of anything right now. Is anyone else having issues?”

“Sorry, I maintain complete confidentiality with those I speak to, so I cannot reveal that information. If you have no questions or concerns, I’ll release you. I have many students to check on, and this form of communication takes me much longer than it once did.”

“Oh, well, guess I’ll see you in class then.”

“You are not currently scheduled for my class this semester, and since I operate here, few of my students ever see me in class, so seeing me is unlikely. Enjoy the rest of your sleep, along with your first day of classes.”

Riiiiiinnnnnnngggggg[

I fell out of bed. “What’s that sound?! A fire alarm? Did Spring catch fire again?”

There was a click, and the sound stopped.

“Ya ain’t never heard an alarm clock, Turnip?” Bright asked.

I looked at him. Next to his bed was an old-timey wind-up alarm clock with a dimple clockface and two bells on top.

“Not like that one,” I answered. “We haven’t used alarm clocks like that for longer than my grandparents have been alive. I’m not sure my great-grandparents even used them. I’ve only seen something like that as an icon.”

“What’s an icon?” Bright asked.

Right, Equestrians didn’t have cell phones. Few had any form of phone, for that matter, and the majority of places didn’t have electricity. It was only now starting to occur to me how separated I was from certain things I took for granted. I may not have been from a city, but we still had phones and electricity.

“Have you ever used a computer?” I asked.

Bright nodded. “Yes, Princess Twilight had one of those doohickies put in the library back home. Ah heard the library here has ‘em, too.”

“Icons are the little pictures you click to make a program pull up. We have programs that do electronic alarms, and most of them sound nothing like that,” I explained.

Bright blinked. “So, y'all sleep in libraries back home for the computers to wake ya up? Mah aunts never told meh that. Earth is strange, but ah bet ya get a lot of readin’ in.”

I stared for a second. “I think your aunts might have left a lot of details out in describing what life on Earth is like.”

He shrugged. “Well, they sure as didn’t mention y’all sleep in libraries, so they must have. Hurry up and get outta bed. We don’t wanna be late for breakfast and then class.”

I sighed. “I’ll tell you about Earth over breakfast.”

We made it down to the dining hall, saddlebags empty except for quills and paper. Breakfast was pancakes, apple juice, and sliced apples. As we ate, I explained to Bright and Summer what Earth was like while Hannah chimed in.

Bright finished off another apple and looked at the two of us questionably. “So, your town is called Munjor, and it is in a part of Kansas, which is in a part of Earth called the United States?”

I nodded. “Right.”

He then turned to Hannah. “And your town is called Jackson, and it is in a place called…Miss Sipi–which ain’t the name of any mare, and it is also in the United States place.”

“It’s Miss-is-sip-pi,” Hannah sounded out. “But you got the rest right.”

“Munjor is much much smaller than Jackson, though,” I clarified. “Jackson is about the size of Canterlot, while Munjor you can see the entire town after walking five minutes.”

“I think Jackson is bigger than Canterlot, honestly,” Hannah chimed in. “I’m not sure how many ponies live on Canterlot, but I’m not sure it would even qualify as a city back home, maybe a mid-sized town. You could fit like five or six Canterlots in Jackson, and Jackson isn’t even that big a city. There are cities on Earth you could fit a hundred Jacksons into.”

“Munjor isn’t anywhere near that. Munjor barely qualifies as a town,” I lamented. “Most maps of Kansas don’t even bother to include it. There’s like two hundred people there. You were talking about your aunts visiting New York City, right? New York City has over twenty-five million people living in it.”

Bright blinked. “No way! That’s darn near half the number of ponies in Equestria! That many ponies couldn’ live in one city.”

“There’s a bunch of ponies in New York City, but most of the people living there are humans,” Hannah corrected.

“That’s worse!” Bright exclaimed. He pointed to the Headmaster. “Look how big humans are. You can fit two grown ponies and a foal en the same space as one of them there humans.”

Summer shivered. “Humans scare me. They’re so big, and they eat other creatures. What’s Headmaster eating now?”

I looked at where Headmaster was sitting. It was pretty easy to make things out. He was in full view of all the tables.

“It looks like bacon, eggs, and sausage,” I said.

“What’s bacon and sausage?” Summer asked, cringing down in her seat.

“Pig,” Hannah answered. “He was eating a boar last night. Seems like he has a taste for swine flesh.”

Summer whimpered.

“I wonder where he gets the meat,” I said. “It doesn't seem like it should be that common in Canterlot.”

Bright waved a hoof dismissively. “Not that hard. Mah family raises pigs to hunt for truffles, but we get too many, so we sell to them there griffins. Ah know what happens to the pigs, ah ain’t no fool, and mah family ain’t the only farmers who do the same. It ain’t pleasant to think about, but takin’ care of an excess of pigs gets expensive, and turnin’ loose just leads to a bunch of wild hogs causin’ destruction and attackin’ ponies. Plus, money is money, and most farms always need more of it.”

“Still, it can’t be cost-effective,” Hannah said. “Meat has to be a pretty penny in Equestria. Where would he even find a butcher? Earth has pony butchers, but I didn’t think Equestria did.”

Summer gaped in horror. “Earth has ponies that kill and chop up critters?!”

“Well, yeah,” Hannah said. “They were meat workers before they were ponies, or their parents were, and they just sorta kept doing it because that’s what they knew how to do, and it provided food for humans. Humans are still the dominant species on Earth, and it just makes economic sense for ponies to do things that earn them money from humans.”

Summer looked at me with big, tear-filled eyes. “You said you grew up on a farm on Earth. Does your family hurt critters?”

I shook my head. “No, we kept chickens, but we never sold or butchered them. We just kept them for eggs.”

She smiled at me. “That’s good.” She then looked at Bright. She frowned and started steaming, literally. “Unlike some ponies that murder critters!”

“Ah don’t even like farmin’!” Bright protested.

“Kirin student.”

Everyone in the dining hall turned to look at Headmaster. He was still focused on his breakfast, but he now had his staff in one hand.

“If you catch fire in the dining hall, I will be forced to douse you with water. Please control your temper,” he said in a monotone. He didn’t raise his voice, but it projected to the entire hall

Summer raised a hoof as if she was answering in class. “My name is-”

“I don’t care,” Headmaster said, cutting her off. ”Control your temper.” He then looked up. “All students should now take your plates to be cleaned so you can make it to class on time. If anyone damages their plates, they will stay behind to help the staff clean. The last to deliver their dirty plates to the staff will also be helping clean. Oh-and you have to bring your own plates to the staff. It is good to be helpful, but you also have to have responsibility for what you are using.”

“But aren’t we graded on attendance?” a student at another table asked. “Won’t we be late to class or miss class if we stay to clean?”

Headmaster nodded. “Yes, so you best not be last. Don’t break anything, either.”

“That’s not fair! Somepony is going to miss the first class no matter what!” another student protested.

Headmaster went back to eating and didn’t reply. He seemed to have lost all interest in the students. A member of the staff delivered Headmaster a plate of pancakes.

Students immediately left their seats and started levitating their plates off the tables. A line quickly formed to give the plates to the staff.

I looked down at my pair of plates and mug. I’d have to stack the smaller plate and my mug on the larger plate and carefully carry the large plate by mouth. There was no way I could avoid being last in line. It was the first day of classes, and my attendance was already going to suffer. If this happened every day, the only way I was going to make it to my first class was if I got up earlier, ate earlier, and was out of the dining hall before everyone else was done.

Bright, Hannah, and Summer were looking at me.

“Ya know, one of us could let ya get in line ahead of us. He didn’t ban students from doin’ that. We can probably clean plates faster,” Bright suggested.

I smiled at them and shook my head. “Nah, go ahead. No matter what, someone has to take the hit, and it could end up being one of you in the future. Go ahead. I’ve got it this time, and I’ll just make sure I get here earlier in the future. First class is Fundamentals and Theory of Magic, and I aced that part of the exam. Ptogesdir Newman said so. So I can survive being late. Being late isn’t so bad anyway. I’ll probably drop a few ranks and get this target off my back.”

“If you’re sure,” Summer said, sounding anything but.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I confirmed.

“I don’t see any overall benefit if we end up being late instead of him, and he says he knows the material. That makes him being ladt the net least negative impact. Let’s get moving,” Hannah said before grabbing her dirty dishes with her magic and joining the line.

Bright frowned. “Ya still will have more trouble washin’ dishes than us.”

“I got this,” I insisted. “If you keep hanging around here worrying about me, you’ll be late too.”

Summer nudged Bright. “He’s right. We’ll be late if we wait too long. He isn’t going to change his mind, so we need to go.”

Bright reluctantly started moving along with her. “Still don’t seem fair.”

I watched them get in the rapidly shrinking line. By the time I gathered my dirty dishes, the line would be gone. I carefully started stacking my dishes. Bright was right. This wasn’t fair, but I knew things would be harder on me because I was an earth pony, so there was no use complaining about it.

Making my way to the place to turn in my dishes was slow going. I was half-tempted to rush since I was going to be cleaning dishes whether I dropped mine or not, but Headmaster was still sitting at his table eating, and even if he didn’t seem to be paying attention, he’d proven that he was very aware of what was happening around him. He’d likely think I was being a troublemaker if I dropped my dishes now and they broke, which could only lead to a more significant drop in my ranking. I was almost certainly dropping out of first place because of being late to or missing class; I didn’t want to fall to the bottom third.

I finally got to where the cook stood and passed him the dishes.

“So, where do I go to wash?” I asked him with a sigh.

The cook looked over to Headmaster, who looked up from his meal at me.

“You don’t, earth pony. You go to class,” Headmaster answered.

I blinked. “But you said-”

Headmaster grinned. “I said the last one to return their dishes needed to help wash. What is on my table?”

I looked at his table, and realization sunk in. He had lots of dishes, some with food still on them. He hadn’t even finished eating yet. The person who would be helping wash dishes was the Headmaster. He’d planned it all along.

“Students need to pay more attention to what is being said to them. This is a school of magic where following directions can prevent a spell from blowing up in your face. If students don’t comprehend what is being said to them, they can’t follow directions,” Headmaster said. He then sighed. “Such a disappointing lot of students; not one paid attention. No wonder we finished last place last year. Move along, earth pony. I have dishes to wash. Pay attention in the future.”

Chapter 5

It took me a while to find the classroom I was supposed to be in, and when I did, it was not because I’d figured out the room labeling or even where the room labels were but because the door was open, and I heard Professor Newman lecturing.

“Mister Jones, so good of you to join us,” Professor Newman said as I walked in the door. “You are running five minutes late, and that shall be noted. Thankfully, you didn’t miss much more than the beginning of my opening monologue. There are no assigned seats, but they are first come, first serve, and there is now only one seat left. Please, take it. I have left a book out for you on the desk.”

I looked around the classroom. The classroom floor had four tiers of elevation. The room had plenty of space, and it seemed designed for a bigger class. The entire left wall was covered in bookcases, the right with windows. The bottom tier had the teacher’s podium, a blackboard, a teacher’s desk, and Professor Newman–who looked comically large compared to the desk and podium. However, the oversized blackboard looked more normal beside her. The next floor level had three desks, each sitting two students a piece. The next level had two more desks, spaced so they could see between the gaps in the first three.

My ears lowered after I surveyed the seats to find where I was supposed to sit. The only open seat was next to Prim. First come, first serve meant nobody wanted to sit next to who might well be the class bully—even her twin brother, who was sitting at the head of the class near the window with Bright. Prim and I were in the back row away from the window, closest to the door.

“Sit down and stop staring, Mister Jones,” Professor Newman instructed. “You can look around after taking your seat. Your seat has that much going for it. Remember to stay after class. I will give you a note excusing your tardiness for the next.”

I reluctantly went to take my seat next to Prim and had to wait for her to move her saddlebags, which looked like they were made of violet silk with pink ribbons, off my seat and setting them on the edge of the table. I took my seat and set my plain brown saddlebags on the floor. Prim gave me a disgusted look.

“Now that we are all here, we can get to the actual details of how this class will go,” Professor Newman addressed the class. “When I am speaking, or I call upon someone to answer, I expect everyone else to be silent. It is distracting for me, and it can be distracting to your classmates who are trying to pay attention. Not to mention, it is rude. When you are doing individual activities in class, you are free to whisper with your neighbors, but I don’t want anyone shouting across the classroom. There will be assigned reading on most days, along with an occasionally assigned project. However, there will be only one test, the final. That will determine your final grade. I may give you a ten-point bonus on the test if I feel you have a better grasp of the material than you showed on the test and were having a bad day. After all, some students panic on tests. It won’t be more than ten points, so don’t count on me giving you a free pass. You demonstrate you know you understand the material by how you do in class throughout the semester. Oh…and anyone caught cheating on the final will be immediately failed. Don’t think you are too clever for me to catch. I am very good at detecting what you are doing.”

She walked over to her podium, picked up a textbook, and held it up. “These are your textbooks for this class. You are to keep them in good condition and return them at the end of the semester. You will need to visit the library for additional reading during the semester. I have provided the library with the reading list, and our librarian, Moon Dancer, has multiple copies of each book for you to check out. She may be able to direct you to additional reading if you are curious about any of the subjects covered in this class.”

She gestured to the blackboard where many runes had been written. “Much of the early classes will be dedicated to studying runes. Runes are the coding of all magic, whether you are aware of it or not. Another way to look at them is that they are the elements of magic, like the atoms in any matter. While unicorns are most aware of runes, this is not strictly reserved for unicorns. When a pegasus takes flight, they use a spell that allows it, with specific runes. They may do this by instinct, but it is no different than any of the spells you may cast. The same can be said of the power earth ponies put into the soil or into trees when they buck them for fruit–even the muscles in their body are flowing with a passive spell filled with certain runes. You need not be aware of runes to utilize them but to advance to higher levels of magic, you must understand the coding of spells and how runes will interact. To reach the highest levels of magic, you must understand runes on such a fundamental level that you can create new runes, but that last shall be beyond the scope of this class.”

She walked away from the blackboard. “Another important factor in all magic is thaumic energy. Thaumic energy permeates everything, and many things, you included, produce their own thaumic energy. Runes are made up of thaumic energy. Consider runes the processed and ordered forms of thaumic energy, while other thaumic energy is generally raw and unordered. Different spells require different amounts of thaumic energy to work. Your body produces and stores thaumic energy, and your thaumic flows allow you to utilize what you have stored. The most powerful magic users produce at fast rates, store vast amounts, and have thaumic flows that allow them to utilize vast amounts of thaumic energy. Your recovery time from casting spells is determined by how much your body can produce, but your thaumic flows and storage ability determine how far you can naturally reach when casting powerful spells. The most powerful spells are beyond most, for they can never hope to store or utilize the thaumic power required of them. However, just because you can’t cast a spell alone doesn't mean you can’t learn a spell. Casters can pool their thaumic power together in the casting of a spell to accomplish feats that none of them can do alone. Celestia and Luna may be able to move the sun and moon easily, but a strong group of unicorns can do it by pooling their combined power. There is power in cooperation.”

She walked back to the podium and picked up a bracelet. “One of my duties on this staff is assessing the capabilities and potential of each student, along with catching any mechanical problems or blocks a student might have with their magic early on so we can find solutions to overcome them. This is a recent invention. It simulates one of the powers of the Earthling crystal ponies by measuring the power of whoever holds or wears it. You radiate power, even when you aren’t using it. This doesn’t tell you everything about your capabilities, but it gives you a general idea of your power. The more power it detects, the brighter the gems glow.”

I noted that nothing was glowing in the bracelet at the moment, despite the fact Professor Newman was holding it. Did that mean she had no magic?

Professor Newman gently tossed it on the desk that Summer and Hannah were sitting at.

“Each of you shall try that on, see the result, and pass it on to your neighbor. Keep this up until everyone has had a turn. I expect to hear no hazing of students for their results. I don’t expect it will glow brightly for most of you, only faintly. This puts your power in perspective. If one or more of you do get a bright glow, do not think too highly of yourself for it. I know a mare named the Great and Powerful Trixie, whom this bracelet would glow brightly, but her skill and range of spells are minimal. Far weaker unicorns accomplish much more with their magic. Power is one thing, but power without skill means little. Even the weakest caster can accomplish much more than a mighty one if they know more and have mastered more. The weaker’s need to work harder can be seen as an advantage, for they must strive to understand more to do great works while the powerful often foolishly take for granted that their power is all they need.”

Hannah was the first to try slipping on the bracelet. I couldn’t see it from where I was sitting, but I could see her ears and how they sagged as she looked at the results. She then passed it on to Summer. The difference was immediately apparent when she put it on because I could see the glow from where I was sitting, even though I couldn’t see the bracelet.

“Very strong,” Professor Newman commented. “You look like a mid-level four–exceptionally strong for your age or a full-grown adult–stronger than half the faculty. You may reach level five by maturity. As for you, Miss Moonbow, you seem to be a low-level three. That may advance to a mid-level three by the time you mature. Please continue to pass the bracelet on to your neighbors.”

The following table had Red Tape and Bright Pear. Red was the first to try and looked at his result impassively before passing the bracelet to Bright. Bright looked at his result and shrugged.

“Two high-level twos, both of you should settle somewhere in the three range by the time you are grown. Most adult ponies are in the three range, and most foals your age are somewhere in the twos, so do not be discouraged by the result. Remember, with study, what will separate you from average ponies is not your power but your skill. If I had a magical problem, I would take a single well-studied level-three mage over a dozen level-fives who didn’t have a clue what they were doing,” Professor Newman said. “Keep it moving.”

So it continued through the class, with Professor Newman naming off numbers as she watched the results. Over and over again, it was much the same—lots and lots of twos, sometimes a three. It seemed like Summer might have the strongest magic power in the class.

The bracelet was passed to me, and when I put it on, I saw a similar dim glow to the ones I’d seen from Rocky and Onyx, who had both been declared high twos. That wasn’t upsetting. I had no belief that I was anything special when it came to magical power.

Prim practically yanked the bracelet out of my hooves with her magic as I took it off. When she put it on, my heart sank at the sight of the much brighter glow the bracelet gave off.

Professor Newman nodded. “Mister Jones gives us another high-level two, and it seems Miss Prim is a high-level three who may reach four by maturity. Miss Blaze is stronger, but you do slot in solidly as the second-strongest student in this class. For context, while these tests are newer, and we can only speculate about measurements of other ponies when they were young, Princess Twilight Sparkle is believed to have been a high-level four when she was around your age. Starlight Glimmer was believed to have been already a six. I’m glad we have no future Starlight Glimmers in this class; such a student would be such a massive headache that I have no desire to deal with. It is essential to teach them to restrain that kind of power because it is too easy for them to overload spells and inadvertently cause mayhem and destruction.”

The professor turned and looked at Summer. “I’m already expecting some incidents of Miss Blaze accidentally pouring too much power into a spell and causing chaos, but she isn’t so powerful that it should be a regular thing. Miss Blaze, I will schedule some sessions with the counselors. My concern is that any such mishaps might cause you enough distress to go ablaze, complicating the teachers’ efforts to undo any side effects of overloaded spells. While I'm sure you already practice some calming exercises, I want you to be even better prepared to maintain calm, just in case. You will inevitably make mistakes, and mistakes are a valuable growing experience that no one should be ashamed of making while learning magic, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do what we can to limit the damage. Do you understand, young mare?”

“Yes, professor,” Summer answered, not seeming upset about what had been said to her.

Professor Newman smiled at her. “I am also your assigned advisor if you were unaware.” She turned and looked at Lunar. “And yours as well, Mister Light. I will have a special time to meet with each of you one-on-one to get to know you and help you figure out the best ways of achieving your goals.”

She then took the bracelet back from Prim, and even up close, I didn’t see even the faintest glow in the gems as Professor Newman held it. It had started glowing lightly when I had just touched the thing before I put it on, so just having contact with it was enough to indicate someone had magic. Professor Newman had no magic at all. How did the school end up with a professor teaching magic who couldn’t even perform it? It seemed like it should have been an essential qualification.

Professor Newman saw me staring at the bracelet in her hand and quickly stuffed it in her pocket.

“The first of class is an easy day,” she said as she stepped back towards the podium. “For the remainder of our time together today, I wish you all to read the first chapter of the textbook while I draw up some letters for Miss Blaze’s counseling sessions. I will ask a few of you some questions about the content before releasing you. I expect you to read the second chapter before tomorrow and be ready to answer questions about it at the beginning of class.”

I opened my book and flipped past the table of contents, preface, and about the authors sections to find the first chapter.

“Do you have to wave your hoof around all over the table? It’s disgusting,” Prim muttered as she used her magic to open her book and turn the pages.

“I can’t turn the pages without my hooves,” I whispered.

“Sounds like an earth pony problem that shouldn’t have to be mine,” she whispered back. “You’re spreading dirt all over the table with your dirty hooves.”

“My hooves aren’t dirty.”

“What have you been walking on then?” she asked. “I’m pretty sure it’s your hooves. If you are going to share a table with me, you shouldn’t be so disgusting.”

“I didn’t want to share a table with you. It was the only seat available. If you were nicer, maybe someone else would have sat with you, so I didn’t have to sit with the filly that her family doesn’t even like!”

Professor Newman stood up from her desk. “Mister Jones and Miss Prim, Human hearing may be weaker than pony hearing, but that does not mean I am deaf. While I think the concept that everyone can be friends is an absurd one, we are all capable of being civil and avoid deliberately saying hurtful things. You’ll both be serving a one-hour detention with me at the end of the week.”

“What did I do?” Prim and I asked in chorus. Really? She thought I was the one in the wrong here?

Professor Newman sat back down. “You may both consider that question during your detention. For now, please continue reading, and I advise you two to keep silent if all you’re going to do is squabble with one another.”

Great, I was the first student in our class to get detention–well, tied for first. This was not how I wanted to start the school year.

Chapter 6

My next class was Mathematics with Professor Raven Inkwell. Of all my classes, this was the one that I was looking forward to the least. I was at a magic school, and here I was, taking a class in the most boring, most mundane subject ever.

I arrived only a minute late to this class, and although it earned me a raised eyebrow from Professor Inkwell, she didn’t comment on it.

The classroom was set up almost exactly like the previous one had been. However, unlike Professor Newman’s classroom, which had been barren of all decoration, Professor Inkwell’s classroom had plenty of decorations…and almost all of them involved Princess Celestia in some way. There were photos of Princess Celestia–a few with a younger Professor Inkwell standing near the princess, paintings of Princess Celestia, marble busts of Princess Celestia’s head, and a large poster that had a stylized version of Princess Celestia made out of triangles with the words Our Great Leader written below. Everything was framed except the bust, and all the frames looked expensive.

If I had to guess how Professor Inkwell stayed on as part of the faculty when everyone else left in shame or dissatisfaction with the direction, it was because she had an overwhelming desire to please and prove herself to the princess. If the princess wanted better results, Professor Inkwell was determined to deliver, no matter how unorthodox the changes to the school might be. Of course, this was just my guess. I’d seen people worship the ground certain ponies they respected walked on before, and the decorations made me think I was seeing it again.

Being late, I was left once again getting the last seat. However, this time, it looked like I would be next to Hannah since Prim had surprisingly moved next to Summer. Maybe she decided that Summer was worth her time if Summer was the only student in our class with more magical potential than Prim. Perhaps Prim thought she had a better chance of rising the class ranks if teaming up with the strongest in class. Prim’s ambition might be stronger than her distaste for kirins…or maybe she was trying to prove she could get along with other students and decided the filthy but powerful kirin was easier to get along with than the filthy earth pony with no power of note. The ways of grade school politics would make any politician’s head spin. Whatever the case, sitting next to Hannah seemed preferable to sitting next to Prim.

Before taking my seat, I went to the front of the room and passed the note excusing my tardiness to the teacher. Professor Inkwell took it with her magic, not seeming concerned that I just had it in my mouth, and read it with a mere glance before putting it on her desk.

“Thank you, Turnip Jones. That seems to be in order. You may take your seat,” Professor Inkwell instructed.

I did as instructed. Hannah gave me a weak smile as I sat down, but her attention focused primarily on Summer and Prim. Jealousy maybe?

Professor Inkwell floated a long pointer over to the podium and rapt it against it a few times to get our attention.

“Greetings, students. I am Raven Inkwell,” the professor introduced herself. “You may remember from orientation that I am the last holdover from the old faculty, and I stayed because I was not ready to retire on the note of failure. I don’t do much for formalities. I served the princess faithfully as her personal aid for years before taking this position, and while I am proud of my work, I have had enough formalities to last a lifetime. Since some minor show of respect must be shown to the faculty, you may address me simply as Miss Raven. Again, greetings!”

“Greetings, Miss Raven,” several of us said in a disjointed chorus, catching the hint.

Miss Raven smiled and nodded. “While I have a reputation as a stiff bureaucrat in many circles, especially with older nobles who had to deal with me as the princess’s aid, I try to do my best to dispel that notion. I want you all to be at ease in my class, and while learning will always be our primary objective, we can have some fun now and again. I think that learning while having fun helps lessons sink in better.”

Her smile slipped. “That being said, that doesn’t mean I don’t hold high standards. When you turn in work to me, I expect to see all your work on how you came to the solution. It isn’t just about getting the right answer; it is about understanding the process. Mathematics is a system of processes, and so is magic. If you can learn and master mathematical processes, you’ll have an easier time learning and mastering spells.”

She floated a scroll in front of her and adjusted her glasses. “I can see you all here by mere headcount, but I still want to call roll so that I can put faces to the names. I am familiar with Summer Blaze and Turnip Jones due to their notoriety as non-unicorn students, but the rest of you are only names on a scroll for me at the moment. Let’s change that. Prim Tape, where are you?”

Prim raised a hoof. “Here, Miss Raven.”

“Good, good,” Miss Raven said as she looked at Prim and returned to the list. “Where is Red Tape?”

Red raised a hoof. “I am before you, Miss Raven.”

She looked at him and then Prim. “You two are twins, correct? From the Canterlot Prims?”

Prim smiled broadly. “That is correct, Miss Raven.”

“Indeed it is,” Red said with a nod.

Raven nodded. “I am familiar with your family. They are a rather demanding bunch, but they are at least dedicated to doing their jobs, which is more than I can say of some nobles. I hope you continue the trend.” She looked at her list again. “Bright Pear?”

“Right here yonder, ma’am,” Bright said from beside Red.

Miss Raven smiled slightly. “Clearly from the Apple family. Applebloom is an accompanist alchemist, and your other aunts have done much for Equestria, so I hope you do them proud.” She looked at her list again. “Hannah Moonbow?”

“Right here!” Hannah announced herself.

“Hmm,” Miss Raven said as she looked at Hannah. “Hannah is a name of Earth origin, but Moonbow seems like a name from somewhere in Equestria. Do you have mixed parentage?”

Hannah shook her head. “No. Moonbow is my old human family name. I don’t know the tribe…which I feel ashamed for not knowing for sure…Lakota, I think…but it is from a Native American tribe. It isn’t directly related to Navajo or Pueblo–those are the ones who are naturally immune to ETS.”

Miss Raven nodded. “Interesting. I didn’t know there were groups of humans that independently had similar naming conventions to Equestrians. That is something new I learned today.” She looked at her list again. “Lunar Light?”

Lunar suddenly jerked his head up. “What? Yes? Can you repeat the question?”

Miss Raven arched an eyebrow at him. “I am calling roll. Would I be mistaken if I assumed you were a bit of a night owl?”

Lunar sagged in his seat. “Just a little, professor. I tend to stay up late reading.”

“Well, do try to get proper sleep. You clearly have been dozing before you even got here if you missed, I said Miss Raven will do,” Miss Raven said.

He hung his head. “Sorry, pro–I mean, Miss Raven.”

“Just come to class better rested next time,” she said before reviewing her list again. “Twilight Glow?” she immediately turned her gaze in his direction. “I’m assuming that is you?”

He blinked in surprise. “How’d you guess?”

“The coloration,” she answered as she adjusted her glasses.

“It’s a dye job!” Prim proclaimed.

“Sister, do not embarrass our fellow student!” Red chided.

Twilight Glow looked ready to cry again.

Miss Raven smiled at him. “Don’t let her get to you. There is nothing wrong with having an idol. You might not believe this, but I have a bit of a thing for Princess Celestia.”

We all looked around the room at the numerous displays of the princess in question.

Miss Raven chuckled nervously. “Or…perhaps you easily believe it. Well, to let you know, Twilight Glow, I’m your advisor, and I will be happy to tell you a few tales about Princess Twilight that not even her biographers know about.”

Twilight Glow practically squeed.

She looked at the last table. “And, by default, you two must be Rocky Road and Onyx Swirl unless I have random students in my class who don’t belong.”

“I’m Rocky,” Rocky said.

“I’m Onyx,” Onyx said.

Raven looked them over. “What a strong-looking pair. I think I recognize your likeness, Onyx Swirl. Would your father have been Onyx Shield of the royal guard, by chance?”

Onyx beamed. “Yes, ma’am! That he is, and my grandsire, and his before him.”

Raven nodded. “I know your grandsire and met our great grandsire. Your great grandsire was captain of the guard when I first apprenticed at the castle as a filly not much older than you. Excellent guards, all three of them. They were all highly devoted to the princess. I’m sure you’ll continue the tradition. Although, I don’t believe any of them attended magic school. They all went straight to the military academy. It is curious to see you here instead of there.”

Onyx shuffled his hooves on the table. “Well, the thing is, and not disrespecting my dad, grandsire, or any of the others, but the guards don’t seem to do much when a legitimate threat attacks Equestria. We always have to rely on the Element Bearers or some other great hero to save the day. I want to be a guard, and I will be, but I want to be a better guard, one that doesn’t need somepony else to come to save the day.”

“Hmm, it seems you, like the princess, desire a higher standard than what we have become accustomed to. Perhaps you are the type of youth our nation needs more of,” Miss Raven replied thoughtfully.

“Oh, I could do with a few more colts like him,” Hannah snickered.

I rolled my eyes. She really did have a thing for him.

She looked at Rocky. “And you, Rocky Road. Do you wish to be a guard as well? You and Onyx Swirl look like spears forged from the same metal.”

Rocky nodded proudly. “We are. We grew up together and always talked about what Equestria needed. There are powerful ponies in my family–my grandmare can lift more than anypony I have ever seen, and her little sister is none other than Pinkie Pie. I might not be as powerful as them, but I’m the first unicorn in my family since my grandsire, so I want to learn how to utilize what I have to my fullest potential. I can be a guard, but a better breed of guard if I learn all I can about magic.”

Miss Raven smiled. “Truly admirable, and both of you come from such distinguished lineages. I hope you both help support and push each other towards your goals.”

She looked at me, then at Summer. “Then, finally, we have the true oddballs of the school, venturing where none of their tribe has striven. I admit I’m unsure how to teach either of you beyond this class, and I feel a little intimidated by it. In my youth, I am ashamed to say I thought great magical power was reserved for unicorns. However, I have been privileged to witness ponies such as Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy do wonders. I also watched in amazement the recordings of the great Wild Growth, as well as less notable but still powerful ponies from Earth such as El Capitan, and I have learned the folly of my tribalist thoughts in the face of such displays of might.”

She sighed. “Even then, I still subscribed for some time to the idea that it took great power to achieve greatness, but then I was humbled by the likes of Sunburst, Sunset Blessing, and Star Tracker, who are all weaker in magic power than any of the students currently attending this school. Yet, they pushed the boundaries of what we understood possible with magic. I watched a humble pegasus colt, no more than ten years old, who couldn’t manage the magic to fly, stand, and win against a beast that had pushed the Element Bearers to near defeat. I have encountered one thing after another that has forced me to reconsider my misconceptions. When I say I am intimidated to be teaching you, it is not because I doubt your ability to achieve great things but because I doubt myself, for I am not anywhere near that level of greatness. Still, all I can do is my best, as those I witnessed did.”

She went to the front of the class and faced us all. “So I say this, as an old mare who has had her misconceptions dashed and torn apart, I am going to do all I can as your teacher to help you continue to push the boundaries and make this school the greatest magical school there is once again. This school has endured humiliation after humiliation these past few years, but we must learn, grow, and evolve to meet the future. I count those humiliations as a wake-up call and look to the future, knowing we are laying the foundation for something better, and I am proud to be part of it. I hope you join me in that pride.”

There was hoove-stomping all around. Not a single one of us abstained.

Well, so far, the dealing with the faculty was going a hundred percent better than I had feared. Miss Raven certainly was friendly. Professor Newman seemed a little more businesslike, and I still thought she was wrong to give me detention, but she also seemed to make no judgments about students who weren’t unicorns, and she had stood up to me to Headmaster. Headmaster was an enigma, and he appeared to have disdain for the students but no more disdain for me and Summer than he did for anyone else. I wondered if he had the same disdain for the faculty–probably not; he remembered their names. Remembering their names was more respect than any student got. He, at least, was willing to make some compromises to help me out.

Miss Raven lit her horn, and the blackboard suddenly filled with mathematical equations.

“Now, it is time to get to work, students,” Miss Raven announced. “Pull out your scrolls and quills; it is time to start with pre-algebra. If you haven’t looked at your schedules in detail yet, you shall be having class with me and class with Professor Newman every day because our subjects are critical to establishing a good foundation for your magical education. Your classes with other professors will rotate day by day.”

I hadn’t gotten a chance to look at the revised schedule I’d been given. I just kind of went where I was told. I knew everyone had a free period after this class. I’d take a look then.

Chapter 8

Author's Note

I'm just getting a quick chapter to keep the content flowing. I worked 55 hours last week at my job and have been exhausted. I have two days off this coming week, so I can hopefully have a slightly longer chapter next week.

Chapter 8

It took me a while to figure out exactly where to report to class with Neighsay. Eventually, I found the room I was looking for but was shocked to learn that it was not a classroom but his office.

He looked up at me from where he was reading at his desk as I entered. “Mister Turnip Jones, you made it on time, if just barely. Close the door behind you and take a seat.”

I did as instructed and then looked around for a seat. Neighsay’s office was dimly lit, with dark red curtains drawn over the windows, an equally dark red carpet that reminded me of dried blood, and bookshelves lined with scrolls and massive tomes. There were also two large lockers with padlocks on them. The only seat in the room seemed to be the one Neighsay was sitting in behind his desk. Not knowing what else to do, I sat down in front of the desk, just far enough away from it that he and I could still see each other.

He grimaced as he looked at me. “It seems ill-advised to have admitted a student incapable of performing the essential tasks to pass his classes, but that is what our administration has decided to do. Honestly, in the old days, such a thing would never have been allowed, but the rulebook has been tossed aside in this desperate gamble to right the course of this institution. I can’t say I find any way this could correct our course, only worsen it, but the princess has given the headmaster ultimate power in deciding how things shall progress, and I can only do what I can to try to make something of this farce. Honestly, there is innovation, and then there is absurdity, and this clearly falls in the latter category.”

Okay, I was now in agreement with Bright. I did not like Professor Neighsay.

He floated a scroll over and dropped it on the floor before me. “That is your assigned reading list. All those books are available in the library. If at any point one of them isn’t because it is checked out, you may come to me, and I will loan you a copy, which I expect to be returned in perfect condition. Your first assignment will be to read Sun Orchard’s discourse on the history of artifacts and provide me with a one-thousand-word essay by the end of the week explaining how you think artifacts most impact the realm–and do not plagiarize. While we are supposed to meet three times a week, it will be more often just at the beginning and end of the week, with me assigning you tasks to complete in the interim. By the end of the semester, I will be testing you on the proper care for artifacts, giving you a list of artifacts of which you will give detailed explanations of the risks that improper care of each, in particular, can bring, how to minimize those risks, and what the best course of action to take if for some reason a problem arises. I will do some demonstrations on and off that I expect you to take careful notes on. Do I make the expectations clear?”

I nodded. “Yes, Professor Neighsay.”

He nodded in return. “If you demonstrate to me to my satisfaction by the end of this course that you have retained the lessons, you shall be granted access to an artifact allowing you to use your magic much like a unicorn can. You will be allowed to use it for the rest of your time at this institution, including the breaks, but upon graduation or termination of your enrollment, you shall return it to me. Perhaps if you excel well enough, you can create a replacement while you still have the capability. While I do not think that is likely, I do not dismiss it as a possibility. I would like it if you impressed me, Mister Turnip Jones.”

“I hope I can impress you, Professor Neighsay,” I replied, feeling it was the only appropriate response.

He smirked. “Well, you at least know how to be respectful. I have a question for you. You are from Earth. Have you heard of any human matching Headmaster’s description, or can you discern anything about his origins?”

I shook my head. “I’ve been curious about it–everyone I know has been, but there isn’t anyone on Earth I know of is like him. He looks like he is Asian, so maybe he’s from China. I heard they have a lot of strong magic users there, but not many people know much about them because China keeps everything secretive. That’s only a guess. He could be from anywhere in Asia, or he could be from somewhere else entirely and just have Asian ancestry. I wish I knew more to tell you.”

“Hmm, it is more information than I had, at least,” Professor Neighsay sighed. “Humans all look alike to me, and I’m unfamiliar with features common to different regions of your world. The China hypothesis might be worth pursuing since the Chinese school performed the best in the last two years’ games. Having two humans on staff frustrates me to no end.”

Since Neighsay seemed willing to vent, I decided to try to pry for some information, especially if he was also frustrated by Professor Newman.

“I noticed that Professor Newman didn’t get any reaction from the artifact that tests our magic power. Does she have no magic?” I asked.

He grimaced. “None that I have been able to detect. If there is any, it is exceptionally weak to the point of uselessness. The woman was an errand runner for a great mage for nearly thirty years. I suppose over those decades, she learned much about magic from her employer. I’d have preferred we employ her former employer, and that mage previously worked at this school but has not been seen in the last two years, and her whereabouts are unknown. She was nearly eighty years old with power no greater than yours, so perhaps she died–pity. Professor Newman primarily teaches foundational courses, and her advanced course could only be taught better by her former employer and Starlight Glimmer, so I have fewer qualms with her presence here compared to Headmaster, who is a complete unknown.”

“Well, if I notice anything odd or telling about Headmaster, I’ll let you know,” I replied. It didn’t hurt to be in the good graces of my teachers, particularly one my ability to stay at this school past the first year depended on. Neighsay might even end up giving me clues about Headmaster’s identity in turn. Was I a brownnoser? I had a very brown nose, like my fur, and brownnosing could open doors. I didn’t need to like Neighsay, but I did need him to like me.

Neighsay looked me over. “You do seem to be the observant type, the observant type who asks questions and knows how to speak to those in authority. These are the traits of a good student. You may count me as moderately impressed.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Professor Neighsay.”

“I have been involved with education and politics most of my near hundred and thirty years of life, and I can say from experience that those traits are also the traits of a smooth talker and opportunist. I am older and wiser than you, young colt, and am wise to you,” Neighsay continued dryly. “Not that it is terrible to be those things if you channel that to the greater good–after all, most great leaders have a gift for speaking to others and taking advantage of opportunities, and this school is not just training mages but also leaders. Still, you bear watching.”

He was nearly a hundred and thirty? He certainly didn't look it. I would have guessed he was in his sixties. Prolonged lifespans and youth were a sign of having strong magic. It was why a pony like Applejack looked young enough to be Professor Applebloom’s daughter, even though Professor Applebloom was Applejack’s little sister, or why Starlight Glimmer still looked like a young mare not even ten years older than me, even though she was well over sixty. Magic expanded lifespans. If Neighsay was that old, he must be pretty powerful.

I had a sudden vision of my entire class gathering for our fiftieth class reunion, and all of us looked old, except for Summer, who would still look like she was fresh out of college. That would be weird.

The fact he could tell I was brownnosing and prying for information was enough to make me decide to stop trying to get more out of him for the moment.

“I will do my best, Professor Neighsay. Um…so, what are we doing the rest of class?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Neighsay answered. “You have your assignment. I expect you to have it ready for me next time we meet. Make sure to double-check your spelling and use good hoovewriting. I don’t want to have to decipher what you have written. If I can’t read it, you don’t get credit. You are free to go about your own business until your next class. Be on your way. We will meet again on Friday.”

I left his office unsure of what to do with myself. After double-checking my scroll, I saw my next period was lunch, then onto Physical Education with Coach Scootaloo. The only adjustments to my schedule this semester had been this class, and on the rotating day, I had Herbology with Professor Applebloom instead of Elementary Elemental Magic with Professor Glitter Drops, and I had two adjustments next semester as well. My heart sank as I also read I was going to be required to take summer classes to catch up on the four classes my classmates had that I didn't, but would eventually have some free periods next year when my classmates were taking classes I took this year, so there was some tradeoff.

That class had been particularly short, so I had a lot of time on my hooves before lunch. Maybe it was time to find the library.

Chapter 9

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 10

I returned just in time to meet Bright, Hannah, Summer, and Red heading into the cafeteria.

“Ya missed a great hot and tootin' lecture!” Bright said as I came up to them.

“Yes, Professor Dawn was a major change of pace from the previous two classes,” Red agreed.

Hannah sniffed. “Not my cup of tea. No profit in her type of magic unless you want to be a mercenary, and that has too much risk. Dead people can't spend their income.”

Summer seemed to shiver. “I thought it was a little scary. I don't like violence. All those blasts that she did are worse than a bunch of the villagers going nirik. She could have destroyed a lot of things.”

Bright waved a hoof dismissively. “Nah, she had it under control. She's an expert.”

Hannah rolled her eyes and then looked at me. “So, how did the class with Professor Neighsay go? Did you learn a lot about artifacts? I'm kinda jealous you get to start on that already while we have to wait until next year.”

I flicked my tail. “Not much to say. He gave me a report to do by the end of the week, along with a reading assignment, and that was it—no lecture. He dismissed me early, and I went looking for the library. Neighsay did try to find out if I knew anything about Headmaster since Headmaster's probably from Earth. He doesn't seem to trust him.”

“Headmaster does cloak himself in a fog of mystery, so a little mistrust might be prudent under normal circumstances,” Red said. “However, Headmaster has the princesses' utmost confidence, so I wouldn't fret too much about it.”

“He did say he wasn't happy about Prim threatening me, so I guess he can't be that bad,” Summer chimed in.

I kept my suspicions that he might be a defector from China to myself. If it turned out to be not the case, I would look silly for suggesting it.

“Ah ain't really concerned about him,” Bright said. “Let's go get our grub before there's a long line.”

We headed into the cafeteria, and worry about a line was immediately put to rest as we saw plates of food floating through the air to where students were sitting. A quick glance around showed the person responsible for this to be Headmaster, who stood gripping his lightly glowing staff near where the food was typically served. There were a lot of plates and mugs moving through the air, and I wondered how he kept track of it all without colliding something into a student.

We took our seats at our long class table. Everyone was present, including Prim, who had chosen to eat elsewhere during the last two meals. At the head of our table sat Professor Inkwell. I glanced around and saw the other professors spread out among different tables. We took our seats at the far end of the table since those were the still open seats. Within seconds, a plate of salad, a plate with a slice of apple pie, and a mug of some sort of juice were deposited in front of us, along with forks.

On my leg was my always-present pony strap, which I used to strap the fork in place so I could use it. The others had no need for this since they had horns and could levitate their forks with ease. I looked around to try to spot Professor Apple Bloom and was pleased to see she was also using a pony strap, as was Coach Scootaloo.

Before I could dig into my food, Professor Inkwell got up from her seat and headed to the head of the cafeteria, and Professor Sweetie Belle and Professor Newman joined her. Professor Sweetie Belle stepped in front of the other two and lit her horn.

“If I could have your attention, students, I have some announcements,” Sweetie Belle said, voice carrying, likely because of a spell she was casting. “First off, I hope all returning students had a wonderful summer. I also hope that everypony's first day of classes this year is going smoothly. I need to let everypony know that attendance for lunch is mandatory. This isn't just when you eat. Because it is the only time we can guarantee the entire student body is together, it is the faculty's best opportunity to make school-wide announcements. We will also be having speakers come to talk to you from time to time during lunch. You don't have to be perfectly silent during these talks, but we ask that you speak to each other in whispers if you do speak. There will be spells enhancing the speaker's talk and reducing noise from elsewhere, but they only do so much, so don't be rude and get too loud.”

She gestured to where Coach Scootaloo was sitting. “Next, you may have noticed that all the professors are eating at tables.”

Professor Newman bent down and whispered something to Sweetie Belle.

“Correction, all professors except Professor Psychic Calm, who rarely leaves his room due to medical reasons and would be sleeping around this time anyway. He's at a very advanced age for his magic level,” Sweetie Belle corrected.

I was told he was old, but I hadn't realized he was so old he was bedridden. Why was he even teaching? The guy should be retired and relaxing. Advanced age for his magic level could mean he wasn't that powerful, simply a master of his craft.

Sweetie Belle continued. “While you are free to chat with any professor sitting near you at your table, please don't leave your table to chat with a professor at another table. We are here to eat and hear announcements, just like you, and if we have to spend our entire lunch answering questions and explaining things to a line of students, we lose that chance. Unless it is an immediate emergency, contact us in class or at our offices. We will change where we are sitting regularly, so don't think that the current professor at your table will be the only one to ever sit near you. We want to get to know students better, so expect us to casually chat with our neighbors and take time to get to know everypony over the course of the semester.”

That seemed okay. It meant I would get a chance to chat with Apple Bloom at some point. She was my advisor, so I'd get that chance anyway, but every chance was valuable.

“That's everything from me. Professor Inkwell has some things to say, then Professor Newman,” Sweetie Belle concluded, then returned to her seat.

Raven Inkwell stepped forward and lit her horn. “I'll be quick. Signups for extracurricular activities will take place at the end of the week, here in the cafeteria, one hour after sundown. While these are not mandatory, they are an excellent way of building camaraderie, friendships, and having some fun. I hope that most of you will participate.” She then headed back to her seat.

Professor Newman stepped forward and clasped her hands behind her back. “I cannot use magic to project my voice, so forgive me if I seem to be yelling,” she shouted. “We have received word that there are Chinese envoys in town. Do not engage with them. Do not answer their questions. If any of them cause you any problems, please immediately report it to a faculty member. Do not invite them onto school grounds or into the dorms. They caused trouble with the previous administration, and they were banned from this campus as a result. We must suffer their school visiting for the games; we do not need to suffer those envoys. That is all I have to say. Please enjoy your lunch.”

They pestered the previous administration? That was before Headmaster had come to the school. The only holdover from that administration was Professor Inkwell, and she certainly wasn't from China. Actually, Professor Newman hadn't been part of that administration, but hadn't she been the personal assistant to some mage on staff before? If they had caused trouble before, she and Professor Inkwell would be the ones still here who had to experience it. I wondered what they'd done and been after.

I looked over at Red. “So, has anyone pulled your sister to Headmaster's office?”

He'd been lifting his fork to his mouth to take a bit of his salad but paused. “No, nopony has pulled Prim aside for a meeting with Headmaster as of yet. Why? What has my dear pernicious twin sister done now?”

“She threatened Summer,” Hannah growled.

“It wasn't that big a deal,” Summer quickly said.

Hannah glared at her. “You shouldn't be such a doormat. You need to stand up for yourself.”

Summer looked down. “You don't understand. Many ponies are always going to say mean things to me. They don't want kirins attending magic schools. They say we're dangerous. I can't fight back, and I definitely can't let myself get angry. I have to stay calm and take it, or they'll kick me out and never let a kirin in again. My entire tribe is depending on me showing that kirins are safe to have here.”

“That's a hog-troth full of pressure ta be under,” Bright said sympathetically. “Ya sure everythin' will alright?”

“It has to be,” Summer murmured.

“We'll look out for you, don't worry. You might have to keep your temper in check, but we don't,” I said. I then remembered something. “You did seem to start to lose your temper when we talked about pigs on farms.”

Summer started to steam visibly. “Please, don't talk about that again.”

I quickly shook my head. “I won't, I promise, but it shows that there are still things that get under your fur. You seem to be very protective of animals.”

Summer seemed to relax. “My mom always has had some pet around or animal she was mending back to health. My grandparents say they took her to visit Fluttershy's animal sanctuary when she was a foal, and the experience really impacted her. She was always taking care of some animal or another after that. We have several birds, two dogs, and a few lizards back home. My dad is caring for them while we are away, but she still has a kitten to keep her company here. I'm used to having animals around. They're like a part of my family. I can't stand the idea of somepony hurting one.”

“I understand, but it's something that can be used against you. You have to be careful about that,” I cautioned.

“Quite right,” Red seconded. “I’m sad to say that duplicitous ponies would not hesitate to pounce on such a weakness if it were known. I'm sorry to say that my sister is such a pony, and she would take full advantage of this knowledge to put you in a compromising situation.”

“I'll be careful. I will have those counseling sessions, and I'll talk to them about this and see if they have suggestions,” Summer assured us.

“Just be careful,” Hannah said with worry.

I decided to change the subject, lest we end up doing Summer harm by letting Prim overhear us. Prim seemed caught up talking to Professor Inkwell, but that didn't mean she'd not notice.

“What sort of extracurricular activities are there?” I asked.

“Not sure,” Bright replied.

Red finished chewing a bite of his salad before answering. “Oh, the normal fare. There is the buckball team, cheerleading, drama, painting, chorus, band, culinary arts, gardening, and fishing. Our family has attended this school for generations, so one member or another has been involved with all the clubs at some point.”

“There's a fishing club?” I asked in confusion with a hint of worry as I looked at Summer.

She noticed me looking and smiled. “Don't worry. I don't get worked up about fish. We have to feed the cats and dogs meat to keep them healthy. Where do you think we get it?” Her smile dropped as she looked at Red. “As long as the fishies are being caught to feed critters that need meat and not just for sport. Hooking them causes them pain and fear, and doing it for fun is pure animal cruelty. I prefer catching them with nets; at least that's a little less painful.”

“All catches are donated to feeding the destitute and starving cats of Canterlot, I assure you, dear lady,” Red said. He looked around the cafeteria. “However, I'm wondering if some of the normal activities may end up being cut due to a lack of students to fill the rosters. The new administration has reduced the size of the student body, and that may mean not all clubs will be able to fill their ranks with an optimal amount of ponies.”

“I hope buckball is still on. I want to join the buckball team. I've got a great buck!” Hannah said proudly.

Bright smiled smugly at her. “Not as good as mah'n. Mah aunts were a great buckball players. Taught meh everythin' there is to know.”

She gave him her own smug smile. “Well, if you know everything, you can play one of the other positions while I buck. Knowing is good, but then there's pure talent.”

Summer looked at me. “What do you want to do for activities? Since you're an earth pony, the buckball team will certainly want you.

I shrugged. “Not sure. I'm not too into sports. Drama seems like too much work. Gardening feels too stereotypical for an earth pony, and I could go a million years without ever farming something again. If it doesn't bother you, then maybe fishing. It's laid back and gives me time to study while I wait for something to bite. Maybe I can use the fish to make friends with your mom's cat. It might be a good idea to have him like me if I ever get back to the dorms late. What about you?”

She looked down. “Oh, I don't know. I don't want to do anything that gets me too much attention. I might try painting. I enjoy crafts, and my specialty is wood-shaping, so maybe adding some paint to fancy my creations up might be a good idea.” She looked at Red. “What about you?”

Red held his head high. “The stage calls to me. I have the heart of a thespian, and this year shall surely bring my greatest performance.”

Lunch was actually longer than a standard class period, which was nice and meant there was no need to rush eating and plenty of time to socialize. It also gave time for our food to settle before going to our next class. Soon, it would be time to get our revived energy ready for Coach Scootaloo.

Chapter 11

When we got to the grounds a few minutes early, we were met with a visibly frustrated Coach Scootaloo watching a sunglass-wearing web-winged pony stallion meddle with a phone on a tripod.

There were many names for that tribe—night pony, amazon, thestral, nocturns, cave ponies, forest ponies, urbanists, dream ponies, and sometimes bat pony, although the last was considered derogatory and never said in their presence as they tended to be much more aggressive and vicious than the other tribes, making it your fault if one of them mauled you for saying the forbidden term. The sunglasses were standard among their kind during the day because their eyes were highly sensitive to light, and sunlight was often too much for them. They were fewer in number than the other tribes, tending to gather together in conclaves in the bigger Earth cities where they were still outnumbered by almost every other tribe, but were able to get some voice in local politics by pooling enough of their numbers. They rarely traveled to the countryside and rural areas, as that left them isolated from their tribe, and though they were never truly alone when asleep, they still longed for the company of their kind when awake—they claimed day ponies, as they called the other tribes, could never fully understand them. It was said they were even fewer in number on Equestria than on Earth, having one city and a few small towns, all deep in the Foal Mountains, their numbers having been decimated to near extinction in some long-ago conflict. They were a strange tribe with magic and instincts that felt alien to the other tribes, putting them on the fringes of pony society. I'd seen them on TV before, but never in person, not until now.

“Do we really need this newfangled tech thing?” Coach Scootaloo was saying to the nocturnal pony.

The stallion grimaced. “This thing is a very simple phone design that is almost thirty years old. It is hardly newfangled. Unfortunately, modern phones need constant Wi-Fi access to do basic tasks, and Equestria lacks Wi-Fi. So you are going to be dealing with this vintage relic.”

“Sounds like the old version is better,” Scootaloo said.

“If you like limited storage and a tiny fraction of the processing power, it doesn't even come with a drone function or standard hologram keyboard projection, but this serves its purpose here,” the stallion grumbled. “Your headmaster wants a visual record of your class working out for promotional purposes. This is how you get it. Worry about your class, and stop worrying about what I'm doing.”

“I've never seen a bat pony before,” Summer said in wonder.

The stallion spared us a dirty look.

“Don't call them that. They don't like it,” Hannah said. “They say if you insult too many of them, the Queen of Nightmares will give you bad dreams.”

“That's just a foal's tale that she does that, but still, you shouldn't call them that if you want to get along with them,” I added.

“Oh, sorry,” Summer said. “Do you mean Luna when you say Queen of Nightmares?”

I shook my head. “No, it's a pony back on Earth, but they say Luna gifted her with great power. There's all kinds of stories about how she scares foals, but I've never met anyone who was visited by her.”

“I have,” Hannah said as Onyx and Rocky walked up. “There was this bully back in school, always picking on weaker foals. The Queen of Nightmares apparently took issue with this, and she came into his dreams. He wouldn't say what she did, only that she confronted him, but whatever she did shook him. He never picked on a foal again. He actually became kind of a nice guy after a while. There's all kinds of stories about how she comes to punish bad foals.”

The stallion stopped what he was doing to look directly at us. “That's right. She happens to be my big sister…adopted sister, and if you foals ever visit Earth, you better be good, or she'll get you.”

“Don't try to scare them,” Coach Scootaloo chided. “I don't think your sister would appreciate you using her to scare them.”

The stallion shrugged. “She's cool with it. She gets a kick out of being the monster under the bed that mothers use to warn foals into good behavior. Having people afraid of her gives her some warped amusement, especially since once you get to know her in person, you have a hard time being afraid of her. She's so dainty, bakes you sweets, and jumps in terror at unexpected noises—not exactly monster material.”

“That doesn't seem so bad,” Summer said, perking her ears up.

The stallion gave her an evil smile. “However, she's a whole other story when asleep and uses nightmares to help teach ponies lessons. It is never just a punishment. She isn't about just intimidating you into doing what she wants. Her nightmares are to teach you about yourself or give you a new perspective—so you can be a better pony or less of a walking piece of horsecrap. I've been on the receiving end of one of those once. I admit that I deserved it; I was being a total jerk to someone who didn't deserve it, and my nightmare sis decided she had enough and did something about it.”

Scootaloo sighed. “We're in Equestria. Nopony needs to worry about her.”

The stallion looked back to Scootaloo as Prim approached. “But I heard next year's games will be held at the Skytree Institute of Magic. That's basically on her front lawn. Best to know what they're in for.”

“Next year, not now,” Scootaloo reiterated. “Are you done setting up that doohickie?”

The stallion nodded as Twilight Glow and Lunar Light arrived. “All good to go. Have fun with your gym stuff.” He then spread his wings and flew a short distance to be under the shade of a nearby tree.

“What a strange pony,” Red commented.

“Earthlings are weird,” Coach Scootaloo said with an exasperated sigh.

“I'm an Earthling, so is Turnip!” Hannah protested while pointing at me.

Scootaloo rubbed her head while looking down. “Sweetie's going to be mad at me. Don't put your hoof in your mouth on the first day, Scoots. You've got this. You deal with foals all the time,” she muttered. She then looked up and smiled. “Well, weird is just another word for unique and interesting!”

Not the most graceful save ever.

“Anyway,” the coach said as she scanned us with her eyes. “Looks like you are all here now, so we can begin. I'm Coach Scootaloo. A little about myself—you might notice that my wings are tiny; I was born with underdeveloped wings, and they never grew to full size. I can manage very short flights—enough to get me over a big gap that I might not be able to jump, come down softly from a height, or hover for a few seconds, but I've never been able to fly properly. I found other ways of using my wings and became a good athlete. Just because you don't have earth pony strength and pegasi flight doesn't mean you can't all be athletic.”

I raised a hoof. “Um, I'm an earth pony.”

She rubbed her head again. “Right…I kinda had this speech planned out for a bunch of unicorn students.” Summer raised a hoof, and Scootaloo facehoofed. “Okay, I get it.”

“You're doing great!” the stallion yelled from his shady spot under the tree.

“Don't know if he's trying to be encouraging or sarcastic,” Scootaloo muttered. “Alright, everypony…and everyrin-”

“Everypony is fine,” Summer interjected.

Scootaloo visibly took a deep breath. “Okay, everypony, I know that you are all at magic school, and your focus is on magic, but a strong and healthy body helps with that just as much as it helps with an athlete. Using magic can take a toll on the body. I heard about a pony who once strained herself so much using magic that she literally started bleeding everywhere, and her fur was so soaked in blood that it seemed to be black. I hope nopony here ever has to strain themselves that much, but it highlights what magic can do to you when you are pushing yourself hard. It is important that you keep yourselves healthy and fit with regular workouts and good eating habits. These are important to everypony, not just mages, and anypony can learn how to properly care for their body. That's why I'm here, to ensure you learn the right habits to keep you fit.”

“Do you think she left bloody hoofprints everywhere she walked, and everything she touched, she ended up smearing blood on?” the stallion asked.

Scootaloo looked at him in disgust. “How can you even think about that?”

“How can I not?” he countered. “I mean, the imagery is just so…wow.”

“I presume she did, and I presume it hurt a lot,” Scootaloo answered in exasperation. “Can you stop interrupting? You are distracting me while I'm trying to stress the importance of physical fitness to my students.”

The stallion held the little thumb nubs on his wings up. “Sure thing! You're doing great! Hey! I was told I needed to be more supportive and complimentary and not so crude and mean. Am I doing a good job?”

Scootaloo gave him a forced smile. “You’re doing great!”

“Great!” the stallion called back. “You know, the trick is that every time I want to call you a technologically impaired hick, I say you're doing great. Who knew it was this easy to be supportive and complimentary? I will be the most supportive and complimentary pony on this planet.”

“Great…” Scootaloo said with bemusement.

“You're doing great!” the stallion reiterated.

Well, at least I wasn't bored by gym class so far.

The coach stood up straight as she could and spread her wings, which were indeed fairly tiny.

“Okay, students! I think we have had enough talking. I'm about action,” she announced. “I want you all to put your saddlebags in a pile near me. Afterward, we'll do some stretches and then jog a few laps around the school building to warm up. Then the real workout can begin.”

So much for not being bored. I hated running.

It ended up being ten laps around the school, which I found nine too many. I wasn't at all winded by it. Being an earth pony did come with certain advantages. I was just bored. Hannah and Bright kept pace with me the entire time, as did Rocky and Onyx. Summer had started tiring out around lap five, and Red not long after that, although both eventually finished the entire ten laps. Twilight Glow fell flat on his face on the ninth lap and was taken over to the shade by Scootaloo. Lunar Light looked like he might end up falling over, too, but eventually got through the tenth lap. One of us was struggling more than the others, and the way she was panting, the sweat she was dripping, and the greenish hue of her face almost made me feel sorry for her.

Prim passed in front of Coach Scootaloo to complete another lap. Her jog at this point was barely more than a crawl as she struggled to put one hoof in front of the other.

“Am…am…am I done…yet,” Prim panted as she glanced at Scootaloo.

“That's only seven, but I think you're done all the same,” Coach Scootaloo said as she looked Prim over. “Sit down in the shade. I'll get you some water.”

Prim pulled her tongue back in her mouth and set her jaw as she picked up pace just a little. “No! I'm…I'm going to finish this! I'm not going to be outdone by everypony!”

“No, you are going to sit down and take a break before you hurt yourself. That's a direct order,” Coach Scootaloo said firmly. “Everypony else is done. Part of fitness training is knowing when you have pushed yourself too much. You're severely out of shape. If you push yourself too hard, you will make yourself sick and possibly tear a muscle. We'll get you where you can do the ten laps, but it isn't happening today. Sit, relax, and get something to drink. You'll be doing light stretches for the rest of the class to make sure you don't cramp up—along with the half the class that had a hard time doing ten laps. They also pushed themselves hard, just not as hard as you.”

Prim sat, and there were tears in her eyes as she looked at the coach. “But I can't afford to fail!”

“You aren't failing this class on day one, don't worry,” Scootaloo assured her. “Shade, now. The others mentioned can join her over by our supportive light-sensitive stallion.”

“Great effort!” the stallion called out. He then climbed the tree he had been sitting under, startling everyone who watched. Climbing trees was not something hooved creatures typically did, at least not most tribes. There was a reason they were sometimes called forest ponies.

Scootaloo shepherded Prim, Summer, Twilight, Lunar, and Red over to the shade, got them some water, and then focused on walking them through some stretches they could do while sitting. The stallion was probably watching, hidden among the branches of the tree. That left the other five of us standing around in the sun, wondering what we should be doing.

“Ah thought that there Twilight Glow was outta shape, but the prissy filly would be plum worn out tryin' to feed a bunch of sleepin' chicks,” Bright remarked.

Rocky stretched and flexed. “Well, some of us are more natural athletes than others.”

“Yeah!” Onyx agreed and raised a hoof towards Rocky, who clapped it with his own.

Hannah batted her eyes at Onyx. “How do you feel about athletic fillies who can keep up the pace with you?”

Onyx pushed himself back, butt sliding across the ground. “I…uh…they're…nice….”

A wandering part of my mind wondered if Rocky and Onyx were more than good friends. They were always in each others' company, and Onyx was clearly uncomfortable with a filly hitting on him. Other than being together all the time, there wasn't any strong evidence for it. The pair had been friends before coming to the school, and they were roommates, so it made sense that they would continue to hang around each other. I guess that part of my brain was only wondering that because a small part of me wanted to see Hannah flabbergasted that she was coming on so strong to a gay colt, just for the amusement factor. She’d get over it, but that might mean she'd transfer that interest to some other colt in class since she made it clear on the first day she thought she had pick of the litter due to supply and demand. That made me hope Onyx wasn't gay because I wasn't sure I could deal with a filly coming onto me like that. Red probably wouldn't return the interest of any non-noble. Twilight and Lunar didn't seem her type. Bright was a possibility; he was athletic and reasonably well-connected. She might indeed have pick of the litter. Summer might be the most appealing filly under normal circumstances. Summer was quiet, sweet, and exotic, but I think every colt might also be a little wary of her, considering any argument with her could result in her bursting into flame. The threat of immolation was a turn-off. Love might be described as a burning fire, but I doubted that most wanted that to be literal. Still, that was more appealing than being with Prim.

I decided to save Onyx again. At some point, he might owe me a favor. “So, Hannah, Rocky and Onyx obviously work out. Bright grew up on a farm. I'm an earth pony. How'd you get to be so strong and athletic?”

She stopped tormenting Onyx to look at me. “I may not have grown up on a farm, but I still grew up doing a lot of heavy work. My parents are salvagers and ran a scrapyard. Even when I was too young to use my horn, I tried to help out. We were always pulling appliances and cars apart to get usable parts or scrap metal. It was hard work, and even when I got to using my horn, I would still put a harness on and haul things around, just out of habit. Doing all that built up my muscles.”

“Gathering metal is cool. My dad is really into metallurgy,” Onyx said.

Hannah immediately started making doe eyes at him again. “And what are you into?”

“I…uh…stuff…”

Welp, I'd done my best to save him, but some people couldn't allow themselves to be saved. I decided to try once more since I had nothing better to do.

“Do you think that stallion over there really is the Queen of Nightmare's adopted brother?” I asked Hannah.

Hannah took her eyes off Onyx again, this time to look at the tree the stallion was hiding in the branches of. “Not sure. He does seem to be from Earth since he knows all about phones, but he seems a little young to be her brother. She's been in that position for over thirty years, so she's got to be in her fifties, if not older. He doesn't even look like he's thirty, so that's a huge age gap. I think he's just making things up. Who from Equestria would know any better?”

“I heard him say next year's games were being held somewhere called Skytree, and the coach didn't correct him, ” Rocky said. “Is Skytree on Earth?”

“Yeah, it is,” I confirmed. “It's a newer city that has massive trees.”

“It isn't that big. It's like three times the size of Canterlot,” Hannah added. “The trees are supposed to be the biggest in existence and break the rules about how tall trees can get. They say some residents track time by where the trees' shadow falls on the city because it is like a giant sundial. They also say there is a big forest just beyond the city that has zombies in it, but I don't believe that part.”

“I heard everyone in the city is secretly a ninja assassin,” I added.

“That one's just silly and stupid,” Hannah said with a snort.

“Next year, we’ll be the ones competing in the games. Guess that means I'll get to see if all the stories about Earth are true,” Rocky said with a grin. “I don't believe cities get that big. I'd believe the stories about zombies in the woods before I believe a million ponies can live in one city.”

Going back to Earth was a troubling idea. I wondered if there was any way I could get out of doing the games.

Scootaloo returned. “Alright, while they are doing some light stretches, you five will be doing a legitimate race. Just one lap around the school. After that, I'll have you join the others in relaxing, and we can start discussing nutrition.”

Ugh! Someone save me and send me back to regular magic classes.

Chapter 12

The last class on the day had been Writing with Professor Sweetie Belle. The class wasn’t going to be a standard writing class. Yes, there would be writing lessons about properly writing letters and reports, but much of it focused on how to read spellbooks and write down spells. Writing spells was a bit of a complicated endeavor. Yes, you had to know the runes, but you also had to see the layout of the runes for a spell. Runes were not put in a spell in dimensions like you would read words on a page. Runes could overlap, be combined, and were often placed on a three-dimensional plane; sometimes, you had to account for where a rune would be when. This required more intricate ways of writing spells down without overcomplicating things. This required learning an entirely new way of writing. It was like going back to kindergarten all over again. It made my head swim, but I did my best to try to follow along.

With no more classes on the day, we were free to do what we wanted. Bright went off to do some strength training with Rocky and Onyx. Red said he had a correspondence that he had to have mailed out. That left me with Hannah and Autumn. We all decided to do some sightseeing around town. Twilight joined us at the last minute—Lunar had taken off to the library immediately after class, although none of us saw him leave.

“So…what should we go see first?” I asked..”It’s all new and strange to me, so I’m not picky.”

“I’m the same. I’m happy to see anything. It’s just nice to get away from school for a little while,” Summer said.

“I want to see the main shopping district,” Hannah said. “It would give me an idea of what the going rates for various materials are. I know they are much cheaper here, but I'm not sure how much.”

“I’d like to see Twilight Sparkle’s old family home,” Twilight said. “We can only see the outside since her parents are still alive and live there, but it would be nice to see. Did you know that her mom was an alumnus of our school, just like her?”

“Not surprising,” I replied. “What did she study?”

“Combat magic,” Twilight answered. “Both her parents were in the Lunar Guard when they were younger—it operated even before the return of Princess Luna. Her dad was typically in an office, filling out paperwork, but her mom was the type who was always on the front lines fighting monsters. Her mom eventually got court-martialed, and her dad resigned his commission soon after that; that was not too long before they got married.”

“Twilight’s mother got court-martialed, really?” Hannah asked in surprise. “What did she do? Did she kill someone?”

Twilight shook his head. “Repeated failures to follow orders. Her mom was always the type to jump straight into the action, resulting in her often disobeying commands to stay put, hold her ground, or guard something. She knew a monster was nearby, and she’d go charging off to fight it. You can’t be a soldier if you can’t follow orders. She later became a comic book author, using her experiences in the guard for inspiration.”

“She made comic books?” I asked, even more surprised. The princess having a comic book creator as a parent seemed somehow more far-fetched than some rogue guard.

“She writes them; she doesn't do the art or anything like that,” Twilight clarified. “Her writing is in reasonably high demand among comic publishers.”

My ears perked. “Maybe they have some of her comics on sale in the city.”

“You have money?” Hannah asked.

I frowned and shook my head; Summer did as well.

Hannah sighed. “I don’t have much, and I’m supposed to save it for emergencies.”

“I have money. I’m not as rich as the Canterlot Prims, but my family is fairly well off—new money is what the Prims call people like us. I would be happy to get you each something, as long as it isn’t too expensive,” Twilight said. “My parents would get mad if I went on too much of a spending spree.”

“New money?” I asked.

“Entrepreneurs, they have self-made fortunes instead of inherited ones,” Hannah said. “What do your parents do?”

Twilight rubbed his head with a hoof. “My parents have a fleet of small cargo ships in Manehatten, six ships in all, with plans to get more. They ship to and from the Griffin, Zebra, and Dragon kingdoms. We don’t own the cargoes; we just transport stuff, but it makes a fair amount of money, enough for us to live comfortably, even after paying for upkeep and crews.”

I considered this. Getting stuff bought for me seemed like a good deal. Twilight might be making this gesture to try to buy into our good graces. He didn’t seem to have made many friends outside of his roommate, and it was questionable how strong that friendship was since Lunar seemed to take off without him repeatedly. Twilight Glow idolized Twilight Sparkle, which meant friendship was highly important to him. More friends benefitted me much more than a comic book, but what option would gain me more points with him, accepting or turning down his offer to buy things for us?

”You don’t have to do that for us, but thanks for offering,” Summer told Twilight.

Well, it seemed the choice was made by someone else. Summer likely hadn’t even considered weighing the options; she just did what her first positive impulse was. It was endearing. Seeing her behave that way made me feel ashamed of myself for weighing what was useful.

“You can hang with us all the same,” I assured him. It seemed the right thing to do. “Perhaps we should skip the shopping district for today, especially since most of us don’t have money.”

“I really could-” Twilight began.

“No!” Summer insisted, stomping her hoof. “You aren’t spending your money on us. That’s your money. We can go look at the house you want to see. I’m sure there must be other interesting things along the way.”

She was only being firm, not angry. There was no sign of smoke, but Twilight still jumped at the stomp. Considering how quickly he melted at Prim’s bullying, someone seriously had to help this guy with his confidence.

“I’m fine with seeing this house,” I said supportively as I looked at Hannah.

Hannah sighed. “Fine, we can go look at the Twilight house. I’d probably only upset myself by seeing how much I still can’t buy. One day, I’ll strike it big!”

I chuckled. “Be sure to buy me a comic when you do.”

She grinned. “I’ll do better than that; I’ll buy you some hundred-year-old first edition.”

“Um…do you have any idea how much that costs?” I asked skeptically.

She raised her head high. “Nope! But I’ll be so rich it won’t even matter!”

We all laughed at that. It wasn’t that funny, but the enthusiasm for which Hannah declared it somehow made it funny. We then headed out towards the Twilight house with our Twilight leading the way.

The buildings in town were all alabaster white. The streets alternated between grey, white, and blue. There were occasional trees with tiny fences around them. Plenty of ponies were walking around, but as many as I would have expected in the capital city of Equestria. Most of the ponies were unicorns, but there were still pegasi and earth ponies about, just in lesser numbers. We even spotted a pair of humans in business suits dining at an outdoor cafe. They looked comically oversized for the table and stools they were provided, like adults sitting at a tiny foal’s tea party.

A kirin stallion walked by and stopped to wave at Summer, who paused to wave back before the stallion continued on his way.

“You know him?” I asked.

She seemed startled at the question. “What? Oh, I’ve seen him before in my village, but I don’t really know him. Still, it’s nice seeing another kirin around here.”

“Wonder what he’s doing here,” Twilight said as we continued on our way.

“He runs a shop back in the village, so he might be gathering stock or meeting with a supplier,” Summer replied. She then paused and pointed. “Look! A park!”

“That’s Canterlot Central Park,” Twilight identified. “The quickest way to the house is by cutting through it.”

“Guess we know which way we’re going,” Hannah said. “Summer is excited about it, so let’s go see.”

Summer frowned. “Are you not interested in the park?”

Hannah shrugged. “Not exactly what I would be coming to Canterlot to see, but it might turn out to be a nice place to hang out and relax outside of class. I’m sure Turnip will be happy to see it.”

I cocked an ear. “Why would you be sure of that?”

She looked me over. “Well…you’re an earth pony, and there’s trees and grass and dirt—”

“That’s tribalist!” I protested.

She frowned. “Are you not interested in seeing more of all that?”

“Well…I am, but—”

She grinned. “You can take the earth pony away from Earth, but they’re still an earth pony. Don’t worry, I still think you’re cool. Feel free to make any comments about unicorns being a bunch of physical weaklings you want.”

“But you’re pretty strong,” I replied.

“And you don’t want to farm or mine or do any other stereotypical earth pony jobs,” she replied back.

I chuckled and raised a hoof to her. “Okay, fair.”

Hannah clopped her hoof against mine. “Fair.”

It was unclear how big the park was, looking at it from the outside. I could see where it ended to my left and right, which was about the size of a city block. How far it went in front of us was the mystery. Some earth ponies had senses that could tell them, in a general sense, how far vegetation stretched.I wasn’t one of those earth ponies. The path going in winded, and trees obscured where exactly it went or ended. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all.

“I hope this isn’t like New York City Central Park, where we can get mugged,” Hannah said.

“I’m sure that park isn’t that bad, and neither is this one,” I said.

It would be embarrassing to admit I was nervous. Yes, I liked vegetation, as Hannah said, but I was from Kansas, and vegetation in Kansas meant something very different than what this was. There were no woods in Kansas, none that I’d ever seen, and I’d never been anywhere that had woods. The most enormous vegetation I had come across was corn fields. Corn stalks could get reasonably tall, but not like this. There was something scary about woods in general. I knew this wasn’t a forest, but it was still far more trees in one place than I was used to. The fact it was in the middle of a city made it all the more unnerving.

“You okay?” Summer asked.

I pulled my eyes away from the trees. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

“You seemed nervous. Kirins have to pay attention to how other kirins are feeling; it’s a safety thing. I can generally tell how ponies are feeling,” Summer explained.

“You’re an empath?” Twilight asked, astonished.

Summer shook her head. “We’re not empaths or anything like that, but we learn to read body language well. Turnip’s body was very stiff, his ears were slightly flattened, his tail was a little too low, and his eyes were staring at the park without blinking enough.”

“Hmm, you’d make a killing as a used car dealer,” Hannah said. “So, what’s up, Turnip?”

“Are your earth pony senses picking up something about the park?” Twilight asked.

I debated lying briefly but decided I might as well tell the truth. “I’m not used to being around a bunch of trees. The idea of woods makes me jumpy.”

Hannah started laughing, and I gave her a dirty look.

“I’m sorry; I shouldn’t laugh. It’s just so un-earth pony,” Hannah said. She got control of herself. “But you’re here at magic school, so why should anyone be surprised? Are you going to be okay with this? We can go around. If you need to prove something by going in, I’ll have your back for that. I’ll give you all the support you need.”

I smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll go in. Summer was looking forward to this. I don’t want to disappoint her. I can have a little courage.”

There was a boom, like thunder, despite it being a clear day. We all looked up at the sky; there were lights. A wave in so many colors…

Twilight yelled something, but I don’t know what; I was so sleepy…

Chapter 13

I woke up in a bed, but it wasn’t my bed. There was a pale blue curtain around it. Was I in a hospital?

The curtain drew back, and Headmaster stepped through.

“You’re awake. Good,” Headmaster said as he took a seat beside the bed. “You’ve been out for nearly five hours, the longest. How are you feeling?”

“A little headache, but not too bad, I guess,” I replied. “What happened?”

“You had a surge. It exhausted your magic reserves, which in turn exhausted you. You were taken to Canterlot Hospital, but the student with an unhealthy obsession with the Princess of Friendship alerted me to what happened. I had you transferred here to the school nurse’s office once I convinced the doctors you would be fine after resting here.” Headmaster answered.

My headache was minor, but I did want something for it. “Where’s the nurse?”

“I’m the nurse,” Headmaster replied. “I’m going to give you a few pain pills. You may take one as needed for pain once per four hours. Make sure you snack on something right before you take them. I have some apples here for this one. I doubt you will need more than one. If it persists, don't hesitate to get in touch with me. What you primarily need is rest. Under the circumstances, you and the others are excused from class tomorrow to rest. I will alert your teachers, and you shall not be penalized for the absence.”

I hadn’t noticed that there was a side table, but it had a bowl of apples and a jug of water. Headmaster picked up an apple from it and handed it to me. I grabbed it with my fetlock and now noticed how weak I felt. I’d really used up all my energy.

“I never heard of anyone but newborn foals surging, and they don't get like this because of it,” I said as I looked at the apple.

“It is uncommon but not unheard of. Newborns don’t suffer for it because their bodies haven’t fully established the various passive spells that are always active that come with maturity. In fact, if you were just a year or two younger, this might not have exhausted you either, but you are old enough that the spells maintaining your earth pony strength and your ties to your cutie mark need a regular flow of power, so you suffer when that is suddenly disrupted,” Headmaster explained.

“My ties to my mark were disrupted?!” I asked in horror as I tried to lift the covers to look at my flank.

He put a hand on the covers to stop me. “Don’t worry. It doesn’t take that much power to maintain that, and your mark has its own reserves separate from yours that typically kick in if something like that happens. Its first priority if something jeopardizes the connection is to restore the connection. It will do this even if completely severed. It knows where it belongs and devotes all power towards staying or returning there. This is also why rehumanization spells never worked on transformed that got their marks; the marks would fight back against any spell that tried to take their place away. Your mark is fine, and your strength will fully recover in a few hours. You should eat; that helps with the process.”

I took a bite of the apple. I didn’t have a lot of appetite, but he did say I needed food and rest and that the pain pill, which I very much wanted to take, needed me to eat first. It occurred to me that I might get very tired of apples by the end of the semester, considering how many Professor Applebloom ordered that still needed to be eaten.

Another thing occurred to me, and I had a sinking feeling. “You said I was the last one to wake up. Did my surge hurt anyone?”

“No, you didn’t hurt anyone; you just weren’t the only one who surged,” Headmaster explained. “The kirin filly and your friend, who seemed far too concerned about whether this would be able to earn her profit in the future, both surged at the same time as you. On campus, your roommate, the Apple colt, surged while doing a workout with two other students and ended up putting a large weight through a wall with his levitation before he passed out. There may have been others, and I’m confident there were, but they were elsewhere in Equestria or managed to go unreported if they were here.”

“Why did we all surge?” I asked, confused. There had to be a reason we all surged at once, some trigger.

Headmaster seemed to weigh whether to say anything for a moment. “I’m sure you’ll hear about it soon since everyone saw it. There was a massive sonic rainboom. Rainbooms are typically the result of Rainbow Dash, but this was the result of some colt. It may take a decade or more, but it would seem Miss Dash has some up-and-coming competition. The rainboom in itself was a surge, and the phenomenon has been known to trigger surges in others before. I don’t have any further information about the colt as of yet, but Princess Celestia is looking into it,”

“Oh,” I replied. Not sure what to think of that. “Why’d I wake up last? Was my surge worse?”

Headmaster sighed. “You ask an excessive amount of questions. The others were not so inquisitive. Your surge was not too bad, as it didn’t do any damage to anything. The kirin, Summer Blaze, had it the worst. However, you have your earth pony strength that is always passively on. Your surge sapped that, leaving you far more exhausted as a result. It should recover by morning.”

“You remembered Summer’s name!” I gasped. He gave me a dirty look, and I flinched. “Sorry. You just never seem to know students’ names.”

“I am a medical doctor by trade. I always remember a patient, Turnip Jones,” Headmaster replied flatly.

“Oh.”

I think that was the most concrete information about the Headmaster’s history anyone had gotten. Yet it raised even more questions. Why was a doctor put in charge of the school? What was a doctor doing with a superpowered magic staff?

He frowned at me. “I see the questions forming in your head and will tell you now you won’t get your answers beyond this—I was not the first, second, or even fifth preferred option to run this school. However, those who were preferred were either busy with other things or refused the job. I was recommended by two of them and coerced into taking the position. That doesn’t mean I take this no less seriously or will be neglectful in my efforts to restore this school to its former glory. I was given a task, and I intend to do it.”

He set a handful of pills down on the side table and stood up.

“I recommend you eat at least one more apple and take a pill. After that, you are free to return to your dorm. Your saddlebags are at the foot of the bed. Don’t push yourself too hard. You still need plenty of rest. If your lack of strength or headache persists, or if you have any other health issues, you know where my office is,” Headmaster instructed. He then turned and left.

“Oh! You’re finally back! Miss Pretty Purface was getting so worried!” Spring exclaimed as I entered the dorm building.

“Mew!” Miss Pretty Purface echoed from somewhere in the mass of Spring Fling’s mane.

I still felt weak and didn’t look forward to climbing all the steps to my floor, but I’d manage it. I smiled at Spring.

“I’m okay, just tired. Is Summer alright? I was told she surged as well.”

Spring’s ears sagged. “She’s upset. What happened wasn’t her fault. Nopony could have anticipated something like that happening, and nopony got hurt. Yes, there was some damage—”

“Damage?” I asked in shock.

“Oh, you must have already passed out by then,” Spring said dejectedly. “Summer ended up burning a few trees and some grass. The pegasi and the unicorns were able to get the fires out before they spread. It really shook her, though. She was the first to wake back up, and she woke up to seeing ponies putting out the aftermath of her surge. I didn’t see it, but I was told it was big. I’ve tried to comfort her and tell her it's not her fault, but as soon as I brought her back from the nurse’s office, she locked herself in her room. I didn’t want to make a scene by forcing my way in. She’d be mad at me if I did that. She needs rest anyway, and I’m trying to give her space. My husband says I need to let her set boundaries, and I’m trying to do better with that.”

“I’m sure she knows you are trying, and there’s nothing wrong with worrying about your kid. I know she worries about you, too,” I told her.

Spring sat down, and the kitten jumped out of her mane and started rubbing against her.

“I know,” Spring said, sniffling and petting the adoring kitten. “But she’s getting older; she’s starting to transform from my little filly to a young mare. She’s thinking more complex thoughts. Her tastes are getting more sophisticated. She doesn’t depend on me as much anymore. Sometimes I feel like she goes out of her way to show how independent from me she is, and I respect that, I do, but I still see her hurting and all this pressure she’s under, and all I want to do is hug her and tell her everything will be alright, and have her believe me because she’d never believe her mommy could be wrong. In a few years, it will be me going to her for all the answers and reassurances. I’m just a simple village kirin; she’s the smart one attending this big school. She already knows more arithmetic and things from books than I do, my smart little filly.”

Oh, boy…I had no idea how to deal with this. I just wanted to go lay down…well, lay down after I checked in on my friends to make sure they were okay. This sounded like stuff Spring needed to talk to another adult about, preferably an older one who had gone through having their kids grow up. Was there a faculty member I knew had kids? Probably multiple, but I was sure Professor Applebloom had grown kids. This sounded like a good problem for Professor Applebloom to deal with, not me. Why was she venting to me?

She lifted Miss Pretty Purface back into her mane and stood up. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be venting to a student. I’m just worried about my daughter. She’s probably been worried about you. Maybe she’ll talk to you. If she does, can you try to reassure her that everything will be alright?”

I smiled again. “Yeah, that’s no problem. I would have done that anyway.”

She nodded. “Thank you. Lights-out has been pushed back an hour for your floor since I know everypony has been worried about their classmates. Do try to keep the noise down. The rest of the dorm is trying to sleep. I’ll be making my rounds up there right before the extended lights-out time to make sure everypony gets to sleep.”

“Mew! Mew!” Miss Pretty Purface declared.

She started to turn to go down a hall but paused. “Oh! And tell her that I am very proud of her for getting her cutie mark. It is very rare for a kirin to get a mark. I guess that kind of magic is just weak in our tribe, but most of us go our entire lives without one just fine. She is so special for getting one, even if the circumstances were scary.”

I blinked. I rarely paid much attention to ponies’ marks unless I saw them regularly, so I hadn’t even noticed that Spring and Summer didn’t have them—although Summer must have one now. I rarely thought about my own, which was a pair of quotation marks around a few letters with gaps between them. I honestly had no idea what my mark meant, though I never admitted that to anyone. Whenever anyone asked, I just told everyone that the meaning of ”Rd Bn Te Ls” was a secret only I knew. I considered dozens of things the mark could mean, but nothing ever seemed to line up right. The local CMC branch back home thought it was fascinating since letters, while not unheard of, were still rare in cutie marks. I really should start paying more attention to others’ marks.

Still, if I was going to encourage Summer, her new mark probably was an excellent place to start. We needed to impress Headmaster, and a kirin with a cutie mark certainly sounded impressive.

“I’ll be sure to tell her that,” I assured Spring.

Chapter 14

By the time I reached my floor, I was too pooped to poop. Most of my classmates were milling about in the hall, chatting with one another, except for Summer, Lunar, and Prim.

“Ah! Our last crippled comrade has returned!” Red said as he saw me.

Hannah, who was sitting, gave me a weak smile. “Hey, Turnip. How are you feeling?”

“Like I had just run up Mount Everest without a break,” I answered as I flopped down on the floor in front of the stairs. “How are you feeling?”

“Like a semi truck ran over me repeatedly, so about the same as you and Bright,” Hannah replied. “Can’t manage the magic to turn the handle on my door.”

“Ah feel like I just spent three weeks tendin’ all the trees on mah family farm without a break or help,” Bright said, who was lying on the floor beside Hannah.

“At least you didn’t hurt anypony with that weight you were levitating,” Onyx said. “I’ve seen weights thrown before, but never through the wall, the next wall, and the next wall.”

“Yes, if Professor Dawn had not reacted with such a vigorous shield, you would have likely decapitated her. An impressive display by the professor in the wake of a surprise attack,” Red said.

“Ah didn’t mean to,” Bright said wearily. “Ah was already sleepin’ like a babe by the time that weight was through the first wall.”

Rocky laughed. “Only pony I’ve ever seen chuck a weight like that is my granny, but I don’t think Professor Dawn would have been able to block something she chucked.”

“I turned the sidewalk under my feet to crystal,” Hannah said mirthlessly. “I actually made thaumically active material, and I didn’t even know what I did or get to keep it.”

“Oh..what did I do?” I asked, wondering about the result of my surge.

“Stiffened up like a board,” Twilight answered. “Or more like a rock. It was a good thing because you were the only one that Summer’s flames hit, and you should have been burned to a crisp, but whatever you did protected you from that.”

I blinked. I had heard some powerful earth ponies could harden their bodies to shrug off just about any attack. There was a super powerful earth pony in Mexico called El Capitan, who I had heard adults gossiping about—earth ponies tending crops loved to gossip. He was one of those scarily powerful ponies, only a step or so down from alicorns, and he had crossed the US border to track some cartel guys he had been hunting. Usually, the USA had no problem with people beating up cartel members, but he had practically leveled a city block of El Paso fighting with them. The army had to be called to force him back across the border. While they were doing it, he took a direct blast from tank artillery to the face, then quickly demolished the tank with his hooves without showing a sign beyond being dirty that a piece of heavy artillery had hit him; he didn’t even work up a sweat doing it. I guess that kind of protection is what I did, only it took every reserve I had and then some to manage a fraction of that for a few seconds.

I looked at the door at the end of the hall. “How’s Summer doing?”

Hannah gave the door a sad look. “She’s recovering faster than us when it comes to the magic. Her levitation is already working again, but she refuses to come out from under her bed covers and won’t let anyone but me in the room. She let Bright in for a minute to see that he was okay. She’s been crying. She’ll probably want to see you’re okay. She thought she hurt you.”

“You are all taking your exhaustion better than my dear twin sister,” Red said with a dirty look at his room. “She spent an hour or more whining incessantly about how sore she was from gym class and how she hadn’t been allowed to finish her pathetic physical performance and went straight to bed after our last class. She must have tired herself out from all her drama because she napped for a few hours while events were going on with the rest of you, but now she’s gone back to crying about how sore she is and her headache—which is almost certainly a result of her excessive crying. It is downright embarrassing to have a pony of noble birth carry on in such a manner.”

“Lunar is in bed already. He said he didn’t want to fall asleep in class again tomorrow,” Twilight said after glancing at his room.

“At least Headmaster’s pain pills seem to be working. My headache is already gone,” I said. I looked at Hannah and Bright. “Did he tell the two of you that he’s actually a doctor?”

“Well, he said he was the school nurse,” Hannah said.

“And dishwasher,” Bright added in.

“Clearly a man of many hats,” Red said.

I weakly shook my head. “I mean, he says that being a medical doctor is his actual trade and that he was coerced into taking the job of Headmaster.”

“Ah didn’t hear that from him. He’d just said he didn’t mind washin’ dishes, and he’d always been the one to wash dishes after dinner for his family growin’ up,” Bright said.

That suggested a humble beginning but didn’t provide much else. Oh well.

As I forced myself to stand up, I decided to follow through with my decision to take note of my classmate’s cutie marks. Onyx and Rocky were too far down the hall for me to get a good look. Red’s was a white heart with a red stripe that bisected it straight down the middle. Hannah’s was a stack of coins. Bright’s was a pear with an apple in the center. Twilight’s was a star surrounded by little red hearts.

“I want to get to bed soon, but I want to check on Summer first,” I announced.

“I think we all want to get to bed. We were just waiting to see if you got back alright,” Twilight said. “I’m going to turn in for the night.”

Bright yawned and forced himself to his hooves. “Ah, as well. See ya in a minute or so, roomie.”

“I shall be retiring for the night, too,” Red said as he headed towards his room.

“Sleep tight!” Rocky said.

“Don’t let the parasprites bite!” Onyx declared right after. The two of them promptly headed into their room.

Hannah stood up. “I’ll walk with you. I need Summer to let me into the room anyway; otherwise, I’m sleeping in the hall.”

It wasn’t fun walking to the end of the hall, and I expected walking back would be equally unpleasant. It seemed like walking was even more miserable now after walking to the dorm. Perhaps climbing the stairs had just taken that much energy out of me. Still, I made it to the end of the hall with Hannah and waited as she knocked on the door.

“Summer? It’s me. Can you unlock the door?” Hannah asked. “Turnip’s here with me.”

There was a click, which I assumed was the door being unlocked. It happened quickly, which meant Summer was either right next to the door or her magic was already working with enough skill that she could turn the lock without much effort.

We entered the room, and it was confirmed that Summer hadn’t left her bed and was entirely cocooned by her covers. Hannah promptly headed to her own bed and slowly climbed into it.

“Hi, Summer. You’ll be happy to know that Headmaster remembers your name,” I said as I made my way next to her bed.

“He needs to know my name to kick me out of school,” Summer said dejectedly.

“It isn’t that—”

Summer sat up quickly and looked at me with big eyes. “It isn’t that bad? Is that what you are going to say? I damaged part of the park. I went super nirik in public. I almost hurt you. That’s bad, really bad!”

I shook my head. “It was a surge caused by outside factors we couldn’t control. It wasn’t your fault, any more than it was Hannah’s fault she ruined that section of the road by turning it into crystal. Heck, Bright nearly killed a professor.”

She frowned. “So maybe we’ll all get kicked out of school. That feels worse.”

“Hey! Headmaster might be a bit…antisocial…but he did seem to legitimately care about whether we were all okay,” I protested. “He didn’t even mention the damage. He just wanted to make sure we got to rest. He seemed to blame it on whoever that colt was that surged, at least as far as I could tell.”

“I was thinking it might be a sign of something special,” Hannah said from where she was lying in bed. “I mean, it only seemed to impact us, and we are all friends. Didn’t the Element Bearers all get their cutie marks on the same day as Rainbow Dash doing her first sonic rainboom? Maybe we could all be like the future Element Bearers? That has to impress Headmaster, and there's got to be some way to monetize that.”

Summer frowned at Hannah. “I don’t think so. Aren’t there supposed to be six elements? There's four of us.”

Hannah flipped her tail. “Well, that colt that did the rainboom would make five, and that just leaves one friend we haven’t met yet. Five of the Element Bearers knew each other for years before they met Twilight Sparkle. I’m sure we’ll meet our sixth friend eventually.”

It was a fun theory, but I wasn’t sure it worked. “You might make an interesting generosity since you offered to buy me that comic; Bright is an Apple, so maybe he’s honesty, and Summer has all kinds of Fluttershy vibes, but what the heck would I be?”

“I don’t know, maybe loyalty?” Hannah suggested. “You don’t seem the laughter type, and magic doesn’t work either, so loyalty it is.”

“Or maybe Bright is loyalty, and you are honesty,” Summer suggested, seeming intrigued by the idea, intrigued enough to finally perk up her ears. “We shouldn’t stereotype ponies based on backgrounds. There’s no reason to assume Bright is honesty automatically.”

I wasn’t sure I would make a good loyalty or honesty, so I still wasn’t sold on the idea, but I could still run with the suggestion since it did seem to improve Summer’s mood. “Well, by that token, we shouldn’t assume you are kindness. You are the most magical of us. You could be magic. Speaking of magic, you haven’t shown me your new mark yet?”

Hannah sat up in her bed. “New mark? I didn’t hear anything about a new mark. I didn’t think kirin got marks.”

Summer sighed, lit her antler, and her bed covers unwrapped from around her so we could see her flank. Clear as day, standing in strong contrast to her normal coloring, was a picture of what looked like a blue campfire.

“Blue flame,” Summer said, sounding ashamed. “My fire when I surged wasn’t normal; it was blue. I got my mark for my flame.”

That explained why she wasn't excited about her mark. Going nirik and burning things was what she least wanted to do or be associated with.

“You weren’t angry,” I stated as it occurred to me. “You burned without getting angry. Do kirin newborns do that when they surge?”

She shook her head. “Just when they get angry during a surge, which happens often. The rest of the time, it is many of the same things unicorns do during surges. We tend to keep our newborns in caves until the surging stops so they can’t burn anything down when they have a temper tantrum.”

“You keep your foals in caves?!” Hannah asked in disbelief.

Summer shrugged. “They’re nice caves, and we’re fully dragons in addition to being fully ponies, so they are technically dragon whelps and foals. I'm technically a whelp. Big dragons keep their hatchlings in caves. So it isn’t a big deal we do since we’re dragons. There have been a few kirin who wanted to get in touch with their dragon roots that left to go to the dragon lands. The big dragons laugh at us and call us pixie dragons, but they let us stay with them because they find us cute. I heard a few kirins married big dragons, and at least one had an egg clutch with a big dragon.”

Hannah frowned. “Won’t the big dragons start inheriting things from ponies if that happens?”

“Some, I guess,” Summer said with another shrug, unconcerned about the long-term implications of the giant fire-breathing dragons getting an influx of pony DNA. She seemed much more worried about being associated with fire.

“Well, since you are fully pony and fully dragon, you shouldn’t be ashamed of your fire. Fire is just a natural part of being a dragon. It’s part of you,” I stated firmly.

“A destructive part,” Summer countered.

“And my strength can’t be destructive?” I asked. “I sure that rainboom could have done some damage—since it made us surge, and some of us did damage as a result, it definitely did damage, at least indirectly. It’s all how you use what you have. Your fire is different. It came without you getting angry and was a different color. That’s something special. Maybe that’s something that could impress Headmaster. Impressing Headmaster is what we need to do to advance to the next year.”

“Me summoning fire while not being angry isn’t a big deal. We kirin can summon our fire without getting angry; it isn’t hard. We just can’t help but summon it when we do get angry,” Summer said as she lifted a hoof, and a small red flame appeared on it before winking out. “Still, I guess you are right that blue flames are different, and other stuff can be just as destructive. I’m just scared, and I don’t even know why they were blue or how I made them blue. They’ve never been blue.”

“Maybe one of the professors can help you figure it out,” Hannah suggested. “But, can we do this tomorrow? My head still hurts, and I want to sleep.”

“Yeah, tomorrow sounds like a good idea. Talking to a professor can’t use that much energy,” I said. “Maybe, Professor Glitter Drops? Isn’t she the one that does the elemental magic? Fire is elemental, right?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Summer agreed, still not sounding enthusiastic.

I stood back up. “I’ll walk with you over there tomorrow. By the way, your mom said that she is very proud of you and very proud you got a cutie mark. I think you should make some time for her. I think it hurts her feelings that you avoid her. She knows she doesn’t have answers for you, but she’s got love. There’s nothing wrong with having your mom tell you you’re special.”

Summer sighed. “Every parent tells their kid they are special. She’s just so pushy with it. It gets to be so much.”

I looked down to the floor. “Not every parent tells their kids they are special. You should value it.”

Hannah sat up again. “Turnip, is there something going on with you and your parents?”

I sighed and shook my head. “They’re on Earth, and I’m here, and it can stay that way. Summer should be happy to have supportive parents.”

“Oh, Turnip…I’m sorry,” Hannah said.

I headed to the door. “Talk to your mom, Summer. She loves you.”

Chapter 15

”RISE AND SHINE!! I’VE GOT BREAKFAST!!”

I opened my eyes and blinked at the sunlight pouring in through the window. This was quickly followed by disorientation about what time it was.

“She hollers as loud as mah Aunt Applejack,” Bright groaned from across the room.

“What time is it?” I asked, still blinking.

“Uh…nine,” Bright replied after a moment. “Ah turned off the alarm so we could sleep in.”

So we missed breakfast. Spring Fling must have noticed. I wondered if we were the only ones.

I sat up. “How are you feeling?”

Bright rolled over in his bed and stretched. “Headache’s gone and not so sore now.” His horn lit up with a pale yellow light, and his alarm clock lifted briefly before setting back down. “Ah can lift mah clock, and ah couldn’t last night, but it’s still a strain. Don’t wanna do too much of that.”

I rolled out of bed and put my hooves on the floor, testing to see how I was doing. There wasn’t any soreness, and I was confident walking wouldn’t be an issue, but I still felt weak.

“I’m doing better, but not a hundred percent yet,” I announced.

”SUMMER WUMMER, I MADE PANCAKES!!”

I chuckled. “Let’s hope that Summer and Hannah don’t still have headaches. Spring’s yelling might make it worse.”

“Not goin’ to make Summer feel better havin’ her ma yellin’ Summer Wummer,” Bright said as he got out of bed.

We left the room to see Spring Fling setting up a small table in the hall with four pancake-laden plates, a syrup pitcher, and four glasses of orange juice.

Spring finished setting up the table and smiled at it. She then turned towards the door at the end of the hall. “Summer! Come eat breakfast!”

“Um, Spring, ma’am, you might want to not single Summer out like that if you are preparing breakfast for all of us. It might embarrass her,” I said.

Spring blinked, and her ears sagged .”Oh.” Her ears perked again. “Foals! Hannah, Summer! Your friends are here already! You need to eat to regain your strength!”

That was better, but it was probably a bit late to make Summer feel less embarrassed.

It took a moment, but the door opened, and Hannah stepped out. She smiled and looked back into her room.

“Summer, come on. You know we missed breakfast,” Hannah instructed. She stood in the doorway for a minute before stepping aside while Summer came through, her tail tuff dragging across the floor.

Spring gave her daughter a tight smile. “Well, you’re all set. I’m going to go help out the other groundskeepers. It takes a lot to keep this place looking fancy, you know. I hope you enjoy. Don’t worry about cleaning up after. I’ll get it.”

As Spring turned to go, Summer looked up.

“Mom!” Summer called out. Spring looked back, and Summer smiled. “Thanks for breakfast.”

Spring smiled. “You’re welcome.” She then turned and headed down the stairs.

Bright sat down next to the table. “Looks good, blueberry buttermilk pancakes.”

I joined him at the table. Hannah and Summer came over as well and sat down.

“I forgot to put on my pony strap,” I said as I looked at the fork.

Hannah lit her horn, and a glow enveloped the fork near her plate. It lifted for a second before going back down.

“I need a pony strap too. I might be able to use my horn to do this, but I think I’d tire myself out trying,” she said, looking sad.

Bright used his horn to lift his fork and then put it down. “Yeah, meh, too.”

Summer lit her antler, and her fork lifted, twirled a few times, and set it down beside the plate.

“I can use mine with no problem, but I’ll feel bad using my magic when none of you can,” Summer said.

Hannah chuckled. “Wish I could recover as fast as you.”

Bright leaned over and looked at Summer’s flank. “Ya got a mark! Ah didn’t know kirin got marks! Did that happen after that there surge?”

Summer pulled the bush of her tail around to cover her mark from Brught’s view. “Yeah, it did.”

“It’s kind of a sore point for her,” Hannah said. She frowned at her pancakes. “I don’t have a pony strap. I haven’t needed one since I was able to start using my horn.”

“Ah never had one. Family said they didn’t need any funny Earth gizmos to use tools,” Bright said.

“What’s a pony strap?” Summer asked.

“It’s a strap that goes around your fetlock that you strap simple tools to. When humans first transformed into ponies back on Earth, they developed it to help ponies, particularly non-unicorns, use human tools. Many of them didn’t like using their mouths to do things,” I explained. “It’s a simple design, but it's different from any old strap. It’s able to stay secure and comfortable while keeping the tool secure. You might be able to use some other random strap, but it will either be uncomfortable, or it won’t be secure to your leg or keep the tool properly secure. You need a proper pony strap for that.”

Hannah poked her pancakes with her hoof. “Guess we can just use our mouths and hooves. Will have to skip the syrup unless we want to get our hooves all sticky.”

“If you can’t finish making it up the stairs, I will pick you up and carry you, Miss Tape. We could also return to the nurse’s office and have you spend the day there.”

We all turned to look at the stairs. It took a moment, but Prim came into view, looking exhausted. Professor Newman was behind her, ducking under the ceiling. What was going on?

Prim gave us all a dirty look. “What are you staring at?”

“Miss Tape, they are simply concerned about what is happening,” Professor Newman said. She then looked at us. “Miss Tape also had a surge yesterday and failed to report it. I took note that she wasn’t using her magic in class and found that she was magically exhausted in addition to having muscle soreness. I took her to Headmaster, who checked her out, and he determined she was recovering from a surge. She has been given the day off from classes to recover.”

“How's that theory you had going, Hannah?” I asked.

“Uh…well…I guess it needs some work,” Hannah replied, bemused.

Prim shook her head. “This isn’t fair. I’m going to fall behind. I don’t care if these lowlifes do, but I can’t afford to fail.”

“Calling your classmate’s lowlives has just extended your detention with me later this week, Miss Tape,” Professor Newman said. “And your health matters more than a day in class. I admire your determination to succeed. I would not have taken you as such a hard worker by my first impression of you. If only you put as much hard work and determination into your manners. However, you will fall further behind if you hurt yourself by not allowing yourself to recover. Get some rest.”

Prim growled under her breath and went to her room. She slammed her door behind her.

“Guess we aren’t asking her if she wants to join us,” I remarked.

Professor Newman came to the top of the stairwell and continued to stoop so she didn’t hit her head on the ceiling.

“Miss Blaze, you must report to Professor Calm tonight at seven for a counseling session. The rest of you may join her for support, but only Miss Blaze is required to be there,” Professor Newman instructed.

“Why? Did I do something else wrong?” Summer asked, voice squeaking.

Professor Newman shook her head. “You’ve done nothing wrong, filly. Your mother explained that you were under a great deal of distress. The CMC normally deals with simple counseling issues, but they advised you might need a professional considering the layers of issues you might be dealing with. Professor Calm will see to it. His room is on the top floor of the fourth-year building. You’ll see a staircase at the end of the hall that leads into it.” She turned and looked at Prim’s door. “I’m scheduling you one as well, Miss Tape. You will report tomorrow night at seven. Missing this session will be frowned upon.” She looked back at Summer. “That goes for both of you.”

The door opened again, and Prim stuck her head out. “Why do I have to see him? I don’t have any mental or emotional deficiencies.”

“We had two instances of you pushing yourself when you should have stopped and rested in the last two days, both of which could have resulted in serious injury. This could be early signs of a pattern, which is unhealthy behavior. It is part of my job to assess problems students may have in reaching their full potential, and I have determined you need someone to help ease your overconcern with failure,” Professor Newman replied.

“You want me to fail?!” Prim asked in shock.

The professor smiled. “I’m not your enemy, Miss Tape. I would have you fail occasionally, but only so you can reach your highest potential, which I have assessed is quite high. Failure is something we must all face from time to time in our lives. We cannot grow properly without failure. It teaches us better than almost any other lesson if we take time to learn from it. This is what separates a master of a craft from an amateur. The master accepts failure and uses it to build. The amateur fails and gives up. You seem to have a debilitating fear of failure that leads you to reckless action, and I fear it would lead to you giving up once you suffer a large failure. That must be addressed.”

“IF I FLUNK OUT OF THIS LOSER SCHOOL, I’LL LOSE MY INHERITANCE!!” Prim screamed at the top of her lungs. She then slammed her door shut.

“Ah agree we won’t be invitin’ her to share breakfast with us,” Bright remarked.

Professor Newman sighed and walked, still crouching, over to Prim’s door and knocked. “Young mare, I’m required to see your room.”

“Why?!” Prim yelled from somewhere inside.

“To see if your surge caused any damage,” Professor Newman answered. “I advise you to cut down on the yelling as well. That uses a lot of energy, and you must rest and recover. Come, open the door, allow me to inspect, and I can leave you be for the rest of the day. I have had enough of your theatrics for today, and I hope you have also had enough of them.”

“Wouldn’t my dear bootlicking brother have alerted you if there had been any damage?!” Prim yelled.

“It is days like this I regret giving up using the Lord’s name in vain,” Professor Newman muttered in English.

“What she say?” Bright whispered.

“She was complaining in a religious sort of way,” Hannah answered.

“She callin’ on some god to smite Prim?” Bright asked.

I shook my head. “More like complaining that she gave up the practice of calling on a god to smite people.”

“Oh…ah see. It must be one of them strange Earth customs. Can’t blame her. If ah knew any god, ah’d might ask them real polite-like to smite Prim,” Bright said.

“That’s horrible!” Summer protested.

“Well, ah said ah’d be all polite-like ‘bout it.”

Professor Newman gave us an unamused look and knocked on Prim’s door again. “Do I need to get Headmaster here to deal with this, Miss Tape?”

The door handle slowly turned, and the door cracked open. Professor Newman pushed it the rest of the way open and stepped inside.

“I feel a little sorry for Prim. Professor Newman is being kinda mean,” Summer said in a low voice.

“It’s for Prim’s own good,” I replied.

“Yeah, but she could be nicer about it,” Summer countered.

“She strikes me as one of those fair but no-nonsense types, and I’m sure she was dealing with Prim’s nonsense from the classroom all the way here,” Hannah said. “Would you be able to keep your patience that long with Prim?”

Summer gave Prim’s doorway a long look. “I don’t know.”

Professor Newman emerged from the room after a few minutes and looked at us once more. “Mister Pear, you will be sharing a one-hour detention with the others at the end of the week.”

“What ah do?” Bright asked in disbelief.

“Figure that out between now and then,” Professor Newman said.

“Am I getting detention?” Summer asked.

Professor Newman raised an eyebrow at her. “Did you or your roommate do something to earn a detention?”

“Damage at the park?” Summer suggested.

Professor Newman shook her head. “That wasn’t your fault. I find no reason to give you detention. Make sure to make it to your counseling session tonight. I expect to see you all in class, bright and early, tomorrow.”

Professor Newman then pulled the door shut and headed down the stairs. She’d never mentioned if she found anything, and I doubted Prim would share if she did.

“Ah’m so confused,” Bright said, dejectedly.

“If it makes you feel any better, I haven’t figured out why I got detention either,” I told him.

“Not particularly,” Bright muttered.

Summer suddenly got up from her seat and walked towards Prim’s door.

“What are you doing?!” Hannah gasped.

“I’ve got to try,” Summer asked as she reached Prim’s door. She knocked twice. “Prim? Do you want to have breakfast with us? Food will help you recover your strength.”

“I don’t need any generosity or pity from a half-dragon freak!” Prim shouted from within.

Summer briefly started to steam, and I inched farther away from her in fear of the possibly coming blaze, but she gave herself a shake, and the smoke disappeared. Her ears were sagging again.

“Okay. Hope you feel better soon then,” Summer replied before returning to the table.

Hannah gave Summer a sympathetic pat on the back as Summer sat beside her.

“You’re right, Turnip. I don’t think my Elements of Harmony theory holds water. Prim is no Element of Harmony. She’s just despicable,” Hannah said.

There was certainly nothing harmonious about Prim, yet it was still odd that the rainboom had impacted her. That made a full half of our class that had been affected while seemingly no one else had. It couldn’t be a coincidence. There was no way the odds of something like that happening were feasible. If it was specific to our class, why just the five of us and not the other half of the class? Four of us were closer friends together with each other than the rest, but Prim was a major…and I mean major…break in that pattern, and Red was close to being a member of our close friend circle, yet he hadn’t surged. Summer and Prim had the most potent magic in class, but I was among the weakest. There had to be something we were missing, something that tied it all together to make it make sense.

I didn’t have enough information to solve that mystery. It was something to set aside, along with the mystery of who Headmaster was, where that staff came from, and why the Chinese were after a few people in Equestria. There were a lot of mysteries to solve, and all I could do was go through my days and hope to gather more information where I could.

Chapter 16

We were barely done with breakfast before it was time for lunch. Considering lunch was mandatory, and eating was something we were encouraged to do, we decided to go to lunch. Prim must have had the same reasoning as us since she followed shortly behind, although she didn’t dain to speak to us.

Ultimately, lunch announcements didn’t turn out to be very important. Professor Inkwell re-reminded everyone about extracurricular sign-ups. There was a brief announcement that three classes were temporarily relocated while repairs were done to the walls. There was another reminder that we were not to engage the Chinese in conversation. Finally, one of the groundskeepers gave a lengthy condemnation of students peeing on the school lawn that went on for an uncomfortably long time with equally uncomfortable detail. It was common for ponies to find some grass away from walking paths, if not next to a bathroom. It was like farting; it was a little embarrassing if someone noticed you, but not a huge deal like it was for humans caught doing the same thing—though you needed to have some courtesy to avoid places someone was likely to step in or come close to it. Heck, in farming communities like the one I came from, ponies were actively encouraged to relieve themselves near certain crops since it gave nutrients to the soil. However, I was curious what student had soaked the ground so thoroughly that it remained a puddle for the groundskeeper to step in rather than seeping into the soil.

Our classmates all asked after our health, including Prim’s. I wondered if Professor Newman had literally hauled her out of class in front of everyone. Prim didn’t seem particularly pleased with our classmates asking her about her surge.

The professor at our table for lunch today was Luster Dawn, and she took an instant interest in speaking to Bright regarding the large weight that had been thrown at her head.

“You know, levitation should not be dismissed as an offensive ability, and not just for throwing things either,” Professor Dawn explained to Bright as she nibbled at her salad. “Moving a small object, such as a pebble, at high speeds with levitation can achieve a similar result to the Earthlings’ bullets from their guns, perhaps with greater penetration and accuracy. Such a technique would be somewhat barbaric in terms of how brutal and gory the wounds it would inflict would be, but that doesn’t diminish that in a dire situation, it can be an effective technique against a foe. The benefits of such a technique over a typical horn blast are that the mass of the levitated object lends force to the impact, making it so you need less power to achieve similar results to a high-power horn blast. In a prolonged fight with another foe, it is important to manage your magical reserves, as the first to exhaust them will inevitably lose the battle. Using this kind of technique gives you strong offensive potential with a much lower drain on your magic reserves.”

Was this something she considered just as academic theory, or had Professor Dawn actually weaponized random pebbles on the ground to be high-penetration homing bullets? Also, what sane person's reaction to someone chucking a large weight at them that could have killed them was to go, you know, that was cool, but do you know an even better way to kill someone? Combat magic seemed a bit grisly for my taste.

We did find out that Professor Glitter Drops wasn’t going to be available right after lunch because she would be teaching a class at that time. If we wanted to catch her, we’d have had to catch her before lunch or wait until after classes were done for the day. That meant we weren’t seeing her until much later, leaving a big gap in our plans for what to do after lunch.

“Ah guess we just mosey back to the dorms and relax,” Bright said as we exited the cafeteria.

“Sounds like all we can do,” Hannah agreed as she watched Prim doing precisely that.

I spotted Professor Newman heading to her office, which indicated she didn’t have a class right after lunch. Professor Newman seemed like she might be one of the professors who had more insight into many of the things I was trying to puzzle out.

“You guys do that. I’m going to go check on something,” I said as I started after Professor Newman.

“Oh, okay,” I heard Summer say in confusion as I departed.

I knocked on Professor Newman’s door and was greeted with. “You may enter.”

Professor Newman’s office was a little different from her classroom. There were books everywhere, piles and piles of them in every corner, creating a labyrinth that had to be navigated to reach her desk. A quick look at the titles showed many Equestrian spellbooks, but there were also books about history—both Earth's and Equestria’s, books on political science, economics, genealogies, philosophy, religion, and even books on physics, chemistry, and biology. There were bookshelves, but despite the hundreds of written works on the floor, these were vacant of books or scrolls, instead being decorated by, of all things, action figures, really old ones. There were no decorations on the walls aside from a single clock. The window curtains were kept wide open, letting in plenty of light. There were a few filing cabinets beside her desk, with several tomes, writing materials, a typewriter, and a table lamp. There was a small area in the corner that had a curtain drawn around it that looked like there might be a cot behind it.

I wasn’t sure what I had expected of her office, but this cluttered mess wasn’t it.

She was sitting at her desk, reading a scroll. “Mister Jones, what can I do for you?”

I closed the door behind me, now noticing there were even more books behind the door that had been previously piled up but knocked over by the door. I didn’t think I did it. They’d been knocked over before, and no one had ever bothered to pick them up.

“Hello, Professor Newman. I just was curious about some things, and I heard that you previously worked for a pony who was here during the last administration,” I answered.

She looked up from her scroll at me with a frown. “Hmm, Headmaster had said you asked a lot of questions, and when I asked Professor Neighsay how his session with you had gone, he had also remarked about your inquisitive nature. That aligns with my research into your behavior and quirks, so I am not surprised, but it is always good to have information personally confirmed.”

“Research into my behavior and quirks, professor?” I asked, feeling a little uneasy.

She looked at the clock on her wall. “Twenty-three minutes to go.”

“Twenty-three minutes till what?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Something that is no concern of yours. I was merely trying to decide if I have time to deal with you now or if I should put it off. I’ll deal with some of what I need to deal with involving you now.”

Now, I felt even more uneasy. I’d come here on a whim to ask some questions, but it seemed like she had already been planning something involving me.

“Is this about my detention later this week?” I asked.

She shook her head again. “That? No, that is a minor disciplinary matter. This is much more serious. Come closer and sit anywhere you like, just not on my books. I don’t want to raise my voice and broadcast things to everyone, and I prefer to keep private discussions private. I think you would prefer that as well.”

As I got closer to her desk, she pulled a jar that looked like it had blue and purple fire contained within from of one of the desk drawers. She wrote a quick note, unscrewed the lid of the jar, and dropped the note in. It was consumed instantly.

“What is that?” I asked as I sat down in front of her desk.

She screwed back on the lid and put the jar away. “This was a gift from Twilight Sparkle. It is sealed dragonfire from her assistant, Spike. It lets me send messages quickly to a certain individual. I was telling them that I was going to go ahead and have this conversation with you. I’ll tell Headmaster in person later. Don’t bother asking who because I won’t tell you.”

“Oh,” I replied.

She folded her hands together on top of the desk and looked at me. “To answer your questions that I anticipated before I get on to other things, I did work for a powerful mage for years. She has taken off and left me to figure things out independently. She was tired of being where anyone could find her and decided that her self-imposed exile to Equestria was not enough, so she retreated to places unknown. Yes, it was the Chinese that harassed her and made her decide to do this. No, I do not know where she is or if she is even alive. No, I will not tell you why they were after her. Do these answers cover the lines of questions you had for me?”

I blinked a few times, feeling extremely nervous now. “It covers most of what I was going to try to find out about and some things I hadn’t.”

She smirked. “I like that you say trying to find out about instead of ask about. It is always best to try to get someone to give up information on their own. You are very like me. It is part of why I was fascinated with you after researching you. You say most; that implies not everything; go forward with your other questions.”

Since this was already so strange, I decided to shoot for the moon. “Can you tell me about Headmaster and his staff?”

“No, and you should know better than to ask, but it was quite bold of you. I recommend not doing that in the future. Broadcasting what information you are looking for is a good way to have your sources clam up,” she answered. “Anything else?”

I shivered. “I’m not sure what’s going on here. What do you mean you researched me?”

She smiled and chuckled. “My job for my old employer was more than mere assistant. She valued information above all other things, and I was what you might call her spymaster. I bring those skills to this job and adapt them. I gather information about everyone and everything and have a vast network of informants who do information digging for me. Several times now, you’ve heard me tell students that I assess them. I’m also the one who reviews the applications and decides who should be recommended for admission and who shouldn’t—although Headmaster has the final say in the matter. I have a lengthy review process, of which your application and accompanying test are only the beginning. I learn everything there is to know about an individual before recommending a student’s admission. If I don’t think you’re worth the school’s time, you have very little chance of being admitted to this school. Did you not notice I have never had to ask a student their name? I don’t need to. I can match every name to every face and give a fairly lengthy biography of the individual.”

I stared at her. “You do that with every applicant? That doesn't seem realistic. There have to be hundreds of applicants, maybe thousands.”

She nodded. “True enough. I only do it with applicants that catch my eye. It would be too many otherwise. I am only human, after all. I’m sure this brings more questions to your mind, but you must reserve those for some other time, as we have other business to discuss, and I have other matters to attend to in a few minutes that can’t be delayed.”

She reached over and opened a filing cabinet, fingered through the files before pulling out a manilla folder and plopping it down on her desk.

“This includes your application, along with your permission slip from your parents allowing us to bring you to Equestria and care for you during the school year, along with a few other files on you,” Professor Newman announced. “Can you guess why I might be pulling this out?”

Oh no! She couldn’t know. I wouldn’t even be here if she knew. Then again, maybe she had only recently found out.

She opened the folder and pulled out a sheet from it. “I take your silence not to be ignorance but fear. I understand. I would be petrified if I were in your position. I find every individual has a story to tell, and you can find arcs through their lives. Let’s cut the liar-revealed arc short by having you come clean about this.” She then tossed the permission slip down in front of me on the floor.

She definitely knew. I was in so much trouble. I’d probably get expelled.

I gulped. “Am I going to be kicked out for forging my parents’ signatures?”

“I had debated not admitting you. Your actions were dishonest; technically, they were illegal. That’s not the type of student we want,” she answered. She pulled out another sheet. “This form is a duplicate of that form, and it has your parents’ actual signatures.”

“What?!” I gasped.

She nodded. “I knew the original signatures were forgeries as soon as I saw them, and poor ones at that. They didn’t remotely resemble your parents writing. You must think us to be stupid if you thought that would work. Upon the return of the form, I debated what to do before requesting a friend attend to it before you left home. Your parents were understandably furious, but my friend was able to talk them down, convince them to allow you to attend, convince them to allow you to think you’d gotten away with the deception until I dealt with you, and sign the forms for real. While you were sneaking off to get on the bus that would take you to the portal to Equestria, they already knew where you’d gone and what you were doing. Did you really think you could have made it here without them stopping you otherwise? You are not nearly as clever as you think. They’d have caught up to you by the first bus stop. Don’t underestimate the drive of a parent to bring their runaway home.”

My mind was reeling. “I don’t know how you convinced them to sign, but why did you? Why didn’t you just throw my application in the trash?”

“A good question,” she replied. “You’re intelligent and ask many questions, but you’re hardly the only foal with those traits. Your magic isn’t anything to speak of, and you haven’t demonstrated any unique magical talents. You have a remarkable grasp of the fundamentals, which contributed to us originally offering you admission, but others can learn those things, so it is not as special as you might think. By all rights, I should have told Headmaster to withdraw the offer to admit you, and in a just world, I would have; you certainly deserve to face consequences for your actions. However, one of my sources of information, one who rarely shares much with me but one who shouldn’t be ignored when they do, shared that you and your friend Hannah had additional value that might not be obvious or discernable, and I decided to take a chance on you against my better judgment, and show you unearned mercy. Yesterday, I saw a sign that you have some other value confirmed when you surged in reaction to that rainboom. I don’t know what it means yet, but I’m willing to attribute it to my source being right. You’re not being dismissed from this school, not right now. However, if there is any sign of academic dishonesty, not even your unknown value will save you. I will go directly to Headmaster, demand your expulsion, and have you back on your farm picking turnips before the week is out. Do I make myself clear, Mister Jones?”

I gulped. “Yes, Professor Newman, ma’am.”

She got up and stepped around the desk, picking up the form from the floor. “I hope this talk has humbled you and taught you some valuable lessons. You’ve done grievous harm to your relationship with your parents, and you’ve cast a shadow of suspicion over yourself that will be hard to banish. Trust, once lost, is hard to rebuild, but I would be a massive hypocrite if I never gave second chances. You’re to write an apology letter to your parents and have it to me by the end of the week. I will see to it that they get it. They will be visiting here during the winter break to personally chew you out, and it will be up to you to figure out how you’ll earn back their trust. I won’t assist you in that. You’re lucky I am doing as much as I am. Now, I’m very busy and need to attend to other things. Be on your way, Mister Jones, and don’t make me regret being merciful. I do not take well to having my mercy abused.”

Chapter 17

I spent most of the afternoon in bed, claiming I needed to rest. I did need rest, but I was still trying to recover from my meeting with Professor Newman. I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, trying to enjoy the feel of sunshine through the window. That was hard because I was troubled.

Professor Newman treated me like an idiot, and honestly, I felt like one after she pointed out how easily she saw through my forgery and pointed out that my plan would have fallen apart without her intervention. It made me feel small, and I was ashamed to face my friends. Sooner or later, they'd ask me what I was talking about with the professor. What was I going to tell them? I could lie, but lying felt particularly bad at the moment. Telling them the truth revealed me as a liar, at least someone who had tried to lie to the school to attend, and it could turn into people asking if I lied about other things to get admitted. I hadn't, but the suspicion would be there.

I also wondered how much of the faculty knew what I had done. Was this something Professor Newman had kept to herself, or had she told the other professors? Headmaster probably knew, and there seemed to be at least one more mystery person who knew, based on that dragonfire message she had sent. Who could that be? Twilight Sparkle had given Professor Newman the dragonfire. The stories said Twilight Sparkle had sent Princess Celestia messages by Spike's dragonfire, so it could be Princess Celestia—this was her school, after all. It could be to her old employer. She said she had been her old employer's spymaster; maybe she hadn't stopped doing her job and was still sending reports, even if she wasn't sure if her old employer still lived—that showed some serious dedication if it were true. The last possible option I could think of was whoever told her Hannah and I had some additional value.

That was a puzzling new mystery. Why just me and Hannah? Summer, Bright, and Prim had been impacted by the rainboom as well. She hadn't said anything about the pegasus colt that caused the rainboom either. Maybe it was because Hannah and I were both from Earth; that was the only other thing that the two of us shared that the others didn't, but why would that matter? Aside from the crystal ponies, in which the Earthling versions had completely different magic from the Equestrian versions, there wasn't anything really that different between Equestrian and Earthling ponies.

Maybe her source was from Earth, and she didn't know about the others as a result. That was a possibility, but what had either of us ever done on Earth that would have attracted the attention of whoever this source was? My town didn't get that many visitors, and aside from studying what I could about magic, I never really did anything special. There had to be hundreds of unicorn foals in Hannah's hometown that she'd have to stand out from, and she was likely not the only one who had shown any magic skill. There had to have been thousands of Earthling foals who had applied to go to this school. The chance to apply hadn't been a secret. This school had very strong standards; everyone here was smart, even if they spoke more rustically like Bright did or were bullies like Prim, or seemed to be primarily jocks like Rocky and Onyx; they were all very intelligent; otherwise, they wouldn't be here. I hardly stood out in that, nor did Hannah. I doubted we were even among the smartest here. We hadn't even seen the other students in the first-year class beyond the ten of us in our hall. There might be even stronger or more intelligent students among them. No, being smart and gifted didn't work as a reason.

Assuming that it was the case, it was an Earthling source that had informed Professor Newman about us, and that source hadn't known about the others because they weren't on the right planet to notice them, that still left what was so special about all of us. Hannah's initial theory about us being tied to the Elements of Harmony actually felt tempting to take seriously, especially since there were now six foals confirmed. However, there was still one glaring issue wrong with that, Prim. Nothing would make me believe Prim was tied to any Element of Harmony. She was a stuck-up bully who looked down on everyone else. Then there was me. I certainly didn't feel very tied to an Element of Harmony, especially after being called out on my deception. How would someone on Earth even know something like that anyway? It was an attractive theory, but only attractive to our egos. It didn't hold up to scrutiny.

Maybe it was something genetic? There could be something genetic that would make us all react to a rainboom, and it could be just a side effect this mysterious person wasn't aware would happen. That also had problems. How would this person even know that much about my genetics or Hannah's? I hadn't ever actually gone to a hospital, not even to be born. We had a local doctor who made house calls, and while I assumed he was a good doctor, he wasn't anything special. He wouldn't have ever come in contact with Hannah either. He really was strictly local, and the chances of him being part of a secret cabal of mad doctors trying to engineer super ponies were pretty much zero.

There were mysterious powerful ponies like the Queen of Nightmares and her five siblings, whom Princess Luna had granted power. They supposedly knew everything about every pony on Earth, but the stories said that Luna bound them with special magic rules, kinda like genies in the old stories were bound by special magic rules, and one of those rules everyone agreed about being an absolute rule was that they couldn't reveal information that they knew about ponies. If they knew anything special about me or Hannah, they wouldn't be able to tell Professor Newman about it. Even if the stories about them having to keep that information secret weren't true, it still didn't make much sense. Neither Hannah nor I had ever been visited by the Queen of Nightmares or her siblings. Heck, they'd probably not be too thrilled about us leaving Earth if they thought we were that special. They supposedly used powerful ponies to act as their agents since they were bound by so many rules about what they could personally do. They'd want us for themselves, to use as their tools. No, they didn't make sense to be her source.

There was one other possibility. There were these people called Storytellers back on Earth. They knew things that nobody else knew. They were the closest thing to seers that there was. They were called Storytellers because they'd describe events like telling or showing a story, and it could seem like that was all they were doing, telling you a story. What they were really doing was giving you secret knowledge about things that had happened, were currently happening, or could happen. A lot of people claimed to be Storytellers, but they usually were rather quickly caught in their lies. All it took was one false story. The preacher back home said the word for Storyteller used to be a prophet, and false Storytellers should be called false prophets. I figured any true Storyteller probably wouldn't advertise it. They'd never get a break from people trying to learn things from them. I wasn't even sure they really existed or if they were just something people made up, and it caught on as a widespread belief that made zero sense when you thought about it—like the belief that forests around Skytree were filled with zombies or that everyone in that city was a ninja assassin. Plus, if there was an honest-to-goodness real Storyteller who had seen something special about me and Hannah, why would a Storyteller tell Professor Newman about it?

Considering all these options, I wondered if I read too many comic books or not enough—heirs of magic doohickies, experiments by mad scientists, genetic deviants, magic gods’ chosen, and prophesied ponies, I think I had checked off all the big boxes for comic book origins. Oh, I hadn't covered aliens yet! Was there some alien interference I could dream up to fit this situation? No, not at this time, other than the fact I was technically an alien in Equestria, but that applied to every Earthling, not just me and Hannah, and there were some terrifyingly powerful ponies back on Earth that neither of us would ever have a fraction a the power of. Given how many millions of foals were on Earth, there had to be some equally powerful foals out there that put even Summer to shame. Whoever told Professor Newman about us didn't care about those powerful foals.

This was hopeless. I didn't have enough information. I'd love to know what was in those files the professor kept, but I certainly wasn't going to go breaking into Professor Newman's office to find out. She made it clear that I was one wrong step away from being sent home, and I wouldn't risk that. After today, I had serious doubts about my being clever enough to pull something like that off undetected. I'd thought I was good at gathering information and being sneaky, and it was frightening how easily she could see through me. She said I was like her. I wasn't sure I could ever go to the lengths she described when it came to gathering information. Today was a day to make me feel outclassed and small.

There was a knock at my door. Bright wouldn't knock. He would just come in.

“Yes? You can enter,” I called out as I turned over and sat up.

The door opened, and Professor Inkwell entered. She looked around the room and sighed. “Hello, Turnip Jones. I'm just checking in on you. I saw you leaving Professor Newman's office earlier, and you looked rather down. I asked her about it, and she said you are like her, so I came over here.”

I blinked. “I don't understand.”

She walked over to the window and looked out it. “She didn't give me details about what was discussed, but she said you are like her, and I know her well, and I know why she ends up looking dejected like that. You messed up, probably big time, given how you looked. I don't know what you messed up on since she is keeping that confidential, and I don't need to know, but I do need you to snap out of it. Your friends aren't confining themselves to their rooms…aside from Prim Tape, who I will visit next. However, you're my priority at the moment. You need to relax, but you also need to be around others. Socialization is important to pony mental health, especially Earthling ponies. That spell did a number on all of you when it came to that.”

“Being alone for a few hours isn't that bad,” I replied.

She frowned. “If you were an Equestrian, I would agree, but you aren't. Isolation is a form of torture for those of your origin. I have a dear friend from Earth who does that to herself sometimes. She thinks it is her way of paying penance. I say it's utter nonsense. I don't know if you see it that way, but I won't tolerate you doing whatever this is to yourself. I care too much about my students, all my students, to allow that.”

“It isn't that bad. I mean it,” I insisted. “It takes a couple of days for that kind of thing to take a toll. I just needed to process things.”

“And have you done so?” she asked as she looked Bright's family photos over. “It has been hours since your talk with her.”

“Not really,” I answered, then decided to dig. “You said you know Professor Newman well. Is she always so thorough in her research?”

Inkwell chuckled. “She is very thorough, yet never satisfied that she has been through enough. I hope you don't share that trait, though I see you share the trait of always trying to get more info. Trying to find out all you can is all well and good, but when it gets to the point of obsession, it isn't good. You've pondered over whatever this is for long enough with no progress. Take a break and have some fun. You can get fresh perspectives when you aren't tied up in your thoughts and only your thoughts. If you stick to yourself, you can never bring anything new to the equation.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” I replied.

She giggled. “Of course it does. I'm a smart mare. Not to brag…well, maybe a little. I've personally had to give many an important pony a dressing down for being too hard on themselves, even Princess Celestia. You've tarried long enough in here. Go spend time with your friends.”

I got out of my bed. “Good luck with Prim. She's not been very nice with any of us.”

Inkwell sighed. “Look, I understand you don't get along, but don't dismiss her. Yes, her family paid a lot of money to get her in here, but she still wouldn't have been admitted if Professor Newman saw nothing worth recommending to Headmaster, and I trust Professor Newman's judgment. Prim's much rougher around the edges than some of you others—she’s a spoiled, entitled brat, to be honest—but I have seen plenty of those over the years. Still, despite that, it doesn't mean there isn't anything worthwhile in her. It just takes time and effort to hammer away the rough edges. That may or may not happen. I have seen my share of failures, too. That doesn't mean I won't try my darndest to help her be her better self rather than her worse self. With luck, I've got four years to accomplish that. With even more luck, it won't take four years. At the very least, she seems to be a hard worker. She's impressed all of us with how dedicated she is to doing well rather than being given a free pass because she's rich. I suspect she'll have risen out of the bottom of the cellar when the next rankings are announced, if only for that display of effort.”

“And I'm not going to stay number one,” I replied, a little discouraged.

“I disagree with Headmaster for seemingly opening a competition for that top rank. It never mattered so much before. All I can say is don't stress the rankings too much beyond keeping in that top two-thirds of the class,” she gently said. “Being number one isn't the goal. Getting a good four-year education in magic is. Trying to be number one all the time never ends well, and even some who seem mediocre can go on to do great things—like Sunburst, who flunked out because he couldn't cast the majority of spells he was required to learn but is now one of Equestria's greatest mages, or Starlight Glimmer, who never even had formal magic education. I can't think of who the last first-ranked student was who went on to be notable.”

“Twilight Sparkle?” I guessed.

The professor shook her head. “She might have been if she had graduated, but she took off to Ponyville in her final year. Our current librarian ended up graduating first in that class. There's nothing wrong with being a librarian, and she's highly knowledgeable about a wide range of fields, more knowledgeable than me, but it isn't a field that we tend to celebrate the greats of—unless you’re a librarian, I suppose. I graduated first in my class, but I'll go down as but a background character in the annals of history, not that I mind. Don't fret about being first. It's not all that it's cracked up to be.”

“Why is the librarian not teaching if she's so knowledgeable?” I asked in confusion.

“A job has been offered by multiple administrations, but she prefers to study rather than teach, and she prefers self-study. Being in a library gives her access to all the books she could want,” Inkwell explained. “Still, if you ever need to research something, which I'm sure you will, she wouldn't be the worst pony to ask for help.”

I smiled. “Thank you l, professor. You've been very nice and made me feel a little better.”

She nodded. “Just looking out for my students, and I hope I have half as much success lifting the spirits with your wealthy classmate and don't end up having to add to her woes by giving her additional detention for disrespecting me—I may give her a pass on it if she does, given this isn't a classroom setting. Now go spend time with your friends.”

Chapter 18

Author's Note

This chapter is very raw and unedited. I have a lot of stuff going on right now with family health issues and work, but wanted to get something out this week. If you see any errors, be sure to let me know and I'll correct them.

Chapter 18

“I think this is the fourth-year dorm,” Hannah said as they came up to another door.

“That there is what ya said about the last two,” Bright replied.

Hannah grinned. “But we're out of other options it could be, so this has to be it.”

“She's got a point,” I said.

Summer dug at the grass nervously. “I hope I'm not going to be late.”

We all entered the building and immediately found an earth pony stallion standing on two legs, mopping the floor. He paused his mopping and looked at us. “Summer Blaze? That you?”

She nodded. “Yes, sir. Is this the fourth-year dorm? I have an appointment with Professor Psychic Calm, and I was told he was in this building.”

The stallion nodded. “Yep! Top floor. Please, keep your voices down as you go upstairs. These fourth-year students study extremely hard, so they like to keep things quiet. It's still early in the semester, but they're already hard at it. You don't have to be completely silent, but keep your voices to a whisper. However, the last floor before you reach him you do need to keep absolutely quiet. Those are the top students, and they get pretty intense about no noise—which works out, since the professor sleeps all day, and he probably appreciates they don't end up waking him up. Also, keep it easy on the guy, he's not in great shape. Oh! And if he has anypony in there with him, don't freak out about her. She visits sometimes.”

The stallion went back to moping, and we all looked at one another.

“Why would we freak out? Who might be there?” I asked.

“Best not to say. It will spread rumors,” the stallion replied. “Just don't freak out if she is there. She comes and goes as she pleases, and is an old friend of the doctor."

We gave each other apprehensive looks, unsure what to say about this mystery pony that would supposedly freak us out, although I was sure we were all speculating about it.

We headed up the stairs, one flight st a time, until we reached the top floor. As we went down the hall, we passed a unicorn who was reading in the hallway. As a fourth year, he was much bigger than us, basically full grown, and looked more like a stallion than a colt. He gave us a curious look as we passed by him, his eyes lingering longer on me and Summer than the rest, but didn't say anything to us.

At the end of the hallway was another stairwell, much more narrow than the main. We had to climb it single file, because of how narrow it was, and there was no source of light on it aside from the light that filtered up from the hallway below.

Summer led the way, and it only took a few seconds of climbing before she bonked her head on something, causing her to yelp in pain. She lit a small flame on her upturned hoof to give us all some light, and we could see the stairs ended abruptly at wooden trap door. She lit her horn and gently lifted it, revealing a room only slightly better lit than the stairway we currently occupied, although we could she flickering light, perhaps from a fire other than Summer's.

“Summer Blaze, I presume, and by the sounds of hooves on my stairs, you brought your support system. Please, enter, and make yourself comfortable,” a male voice said from within the dimly lit room. It was slightly raspy, as if each word took effort, and lacked any emotion to it. He could just as well be telling us to take out the garbage or reading a book in monotone.

We all slowly filed up the stairs, with me bringing up the rear. When we reached the landing, we found ourselves in a room with no windows, save one small one in the corner that was mostly shuddered. There was a fireplace with a small fire that looked to be in danger of going out. Like all professors, Professor Psychic Calm had many bookshelves, these ones all filled with books, but it was too dark for me to make out any titles. There was a single couch and a single chair. The chair was occupied by an old stallion heavily wrinkled with his flesh sagging. He was darkly colored, looking almost like he was burnt, and there was a dialysis machine hooked up to him with a currently unused oxygen machine close by. His webbed wings looked slightly tattered and fragile, not because of any injury, but by sheer age.

I also noticed a dark figure standing in the corner of the room. While clearly a pony, whoever it was stood taller than most, although not as tall as Princess Celestia, they were cloaked, and the shadows of the room obscured any further detail about them. The figure neither moved nor said anything to acknowledge our presence. The groundskeeper below had said she, in reference to the professor's mysterious visitor, so I presumed this figure was a her. It suddenly occurred to me who this pony must be, even if she did not want to bring attention to herself.

“Excuse my medical equipment. My health is not what it once was. Age catches up to us all in its own time. It is a natural part of life,” Professor Psychic Calm said, still in monotone. “Summer Blaze, please take a seat on the couch. The rest of you may pick anywhere out of the way to sit. I ask that you not riffle through my possessions, and only speak if Miss Blaze or myself asks you to give your perspective. Miss Blaze, you are free to speak whenever you wish. This session is for you.”

Summer cautiously climbed up on the couch and eyed the cloaked figure in the corner. “Who is that? Why are they here?”

The figure lowered her hood, revealing herself as Princess Luna. Summer and Bright both gasped, while Hannah and I showed no reaction. I'd thought it was obvious. Why were the Equestrians the ones to fail to figure it out?

“Be not alarmed, my little pony. I was merely visiting my son. I visit him frequently to see to his health. I don't intend on interfering with your session,” Princess Luna calmly explained with a smile.

“Son?!” Summer gasped in disbelief. She turned her gaping look to Professor Psychic Calm “You're Princess Luna's son?!”

Princess Luna having a son was news to me. I figured it was news to everyone. He wasn't a young guy either, so how had she managed to keep it a secret for so long? It also didn't make much sense. With how old this guy appeared to be, Princess Luna would have had to have given birth to him while she was still imprisoned on the moon. Unless there was a secret colony of ponies on Equestria's moon, that seemed unlikely.

“Not biologically, but that title is not without merit,” the professor answered, still completely monotone. “This session is about you, Miss Blaze, not me. Is the princess going to be too much of a distraction? I can ask her to leave if needed. I'm confident she doesn't want to impede your care.”

Summer rapidly shook her head. “No! She can stay. I'll pretend she isn't even there.”

The professor pulled out a notepad and grabbed a quill with his wing, gripping it with his wing thumb. “Good. Let us begin. Do you know why you are here, Miss Blaze?”

She lowered her head. “Because I set part of the park on fire.”

He made some notes. “Do you truly believe that to be the reason?”

She looked up at him. “What other reason could there be?”

“You tell me,” he said in the same monotone as he made another note. in

She frowned and rubbed her forehooves. “I guess it is because I'm stressed that I'm going to get kicked out of school for catching things on fire, and no kirin will be allowed back into the school and it will all be my fault.”

He made a few more notes. “That seems a more reasonable explanation on why you were sent to me. Tell me, do you think the administration was not aware that kirin turn into fiery niriks when angry?”

“Well, yeah, I'm sure they did, if they know anything about kirin at all,” Summer answered.

He nodded. “So, why do you think they should be upset if you occasionally go nirik?”

“I'm supposed to keep my temper under control!” Summer protested.

He looked at her. “You are how old, Miss Blaze?”

“Twelve,” she answered.

“So, you are getting ready to be a teenager,” Psychic Calm observed in the same dry monotone.

“I guess so. Why do you ask?” Summer replied.

“Are teenagers well known for being even-tempered in kirin villages?” he asked.

She blinked. “No…not at all. They get watched like hawks and if they get too angry the village elder dumps them in the river to calm them down.”

He made some more notes. “I see, and do you think pony foals elsewhere are known for being even-tempered through their teenage years?”

Summer looked unsure. “Um, I'm not really sure. I've never been away from my village before coming to this school. Can I ask my friends?”

“If you wish,” Psychic Calm replied, gesturing with his free wing towards us.

“Teenagers are moody,” I immediately said.

“Not every teenager, but a lot of them,” Hannah clarified.

“It's a stereotype thing, but ain't not true. Ah sure know some of mah cousins made a fuss when they were teens, an' don't even get meh started on my sis,” Bright said.

“I recall your sister. She had more than one visit with me during her time here,” the professor said in a bored tone.

Bright blinked. “Mah sis? Ya sure?”

“Perhaps it was another Apple family unicorn,” the professor backpedaled.

I'd seen Bright's family pictures. He had a huge family, but they were almost all earth ponies. I only remember seeing three unicorns, a lone pegasus, and one of the Equestrian crystal ponies out of all the pictures. One of those unicorns was Bright, and I presumed another was his mother, and the last to be his sister. There just weren't any other Apple unicorns. Bright had said his sister attended this school previously, and graduated, so that was the only person who made sense.

Summer laid her head down in frustration. “Well…it doesn't matter if it’s normal or not. I can't afford to get angry. I don't know why you even bothered pointing out it’s normal.”

“I am merely pointing out that it seems unreasonable that the administration would expect a filly going through this stage of development to not behave like a filly going through this stage of development,” Psychic Calm explained. “You seem to think that is a reasonable expectation, so please, explain why you think that. I wish to understand the reasoning behind your perspective.”

Smoke started to float off Summer's mane. “Are you trying to make fun of me?”

Psychic Calm calmly shook his head. “No. I only wish to understand your reasoning, and help you understand your own reasoning. I was once one of six. The others, who some might consider my siblings, tried to make those they aid understand the world through concepts that many would find negative but are things that serve essential evolutionary purposes that we would not survive without—fear, anger, lust, silence, and even accepting our own mortality and embracing death. I step away from strong emotion and instead trust in calm logic. That is what I bring to therapy. The first step in understanding what ails you is to first calm yourself, and then consider your problem with a dispassionate logical assessment. This does not discredit that your emotions are real, and that there may be legitimate reason to feel the way you do, but it is important to see if your emotions are running wild and clouding your judgment. So please, take a deep breath and consider the question I posed as one outside looking in.”

Wait…one of six siblings…could claim Princess Luna as a mother…one of the siblings focused on fear…this was one of the Queen of Nightmare's mysterious siblings, the ponies that Princess Luna granted power to on Earth. He certainly didn't look very special. Luna was supposed to have given these six great power, and great magical power normally extended lifespans. That didn't seem to be the case, because I had my doubts this guy would live to see our graduation.

Summer scowled, and the she must have at least partially caught fire, because the next instant she was physically trying to stamp out a flame on the couch she had been laying on.

“Sorry! Sorry!” she bleated as she stomped at the flame.

Princess Luna lit her horn and the fire went out. “Don't fret over this, my little pony, I will see that the couch is mended. Continue with your session, and don't read any ill will in my son's words. He means only to aid you, and is far older and far more experienced than you.”

Summer looked at the burnt spot on the couch and inched away from it, then seemed to think better of it and inched forward so she was covering the spot from view.

Psychic Calm set his notepad aside and looked directly at Summer. “Do you know this school used to do entrance exams in the auditorium?”

Summer blinked. “No, I didn't. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Twilight Sparkle took one of these entrance exams. The test she took was an older test to measure the foals' power levels that existed before the most modern methods you may have encountered on campus,” the professor said. “She was asked to do an impossible task, one that foals would not be aware was an impossible task, but trying to force it to happen gave the testing administrators the opportunity to measure the foals' magic output. It was a surprisingly cruel test for the school to administer, given it left the student feeling like they were failing. When I came here I recommended that the administration cease these types of tests, fearing they were damaging to the foals' self-confidence at a delicate stage of development.”

“That's nice of you, but I still don't understand,” Summer said in confusion.

“Twilight Sparkle had a similar incident to you. A rainboom triggered a surge, and it happened right in the middle of this test. My understanding was she was well on her way to passing, but the surge happening while she was already pushing herself as hard as she could caused magical chaos. She made a dragon grow to full size from an egg, and she turned several ponies into plants,” Psychic Calm explained.

“Turned them into plants??!!” Summer gasped in horror.

He nodded. “I would consider that considerably more serious than setting things on fire, not to mention damage done to the school when a full grown dragon burst through its roof. For this, she was instantly granted admission and even granted the honor of becoming Princess Celestia's first personal student since Sunset Shimmer, an honor the princess had been reluctant to extend to anyone since her previous student's fall from grace. Now, having heard that, what new perspective do you have on your own incident?”

Summer shook her head in confusion. “I don't understand. Why would they be so quick to admit her after she did so much damage?”

“Two reasons,” Psychic Calm answered. ”First, they saw her potential to do great things. Second, they saw her potential to do great harm. As a student of this school, they could guide her to the first option and away from the second. While administrations have changed, they all could agree that powerful ponies with potentially dangerous magic are better off being trained and guided to use their power responsibly for the greater good rather than to be sent off into the unknown, potentially bitter, and become a threat to themselves or others. The princess expressed deep regret that they never found out about Starlight Glimmer when she was a foal, and stated that she nearly did irreparable harm to Equestria before Twilight Sparkle took her under her wing.”

“So…they aren't going to kick me out…because they think I'm dangerous?” Summer asked, ears drooping.

“Not dangerous, but have the potential to become dangerous,” Psychic Calm corrected. “Out of all the first-year students, including your friends, your position is probably the most secure. That is not an absolute. If you slack off in your studies or go out of your way to make yourself a problem, that could lead to the school choosing to part with you. However, the combination of factors surrounding you would lead them to making that decision as a last resort. They understand that you have potentially dangerous magic. They understand that your control isn't perfect and occasional incidents may happen. They also understand you are a pony entering puberty and all that entails, and don't expect such a pony to be perfect in controlling their emotions. They also wish to foster good relations with the kirin tribe and dismissing the first kirin to be admitted to this school could sour relations, especially if the reason was the kirin was only doing what is natural for a kirin to do and not a legitimate academic reason. As long as you are making legitimate efforts to control your temper, the occasional outburst, even if it causes damage, can be overlooked. Don't take this as you having a free ride through school. If you underperform you may still be dismissed, and if you clearly aren't attempting to control your temper that could also reflect poorly, but you need not worry that because you have a slipup here and there that you will be immediately dismissed. What happened with the rainboom surge was no fault of yours.”

Summer frowned. “This doesn't feel like therapy. It feels like you just telling me a bunch of information I didn't know.”

Psychic Calm finally cracked a smile. “How can logic prevail without the facts?” He then did a pained grunt and pulled his head close to his body. Luna hurried to his side.

She looked briefly back at us. “I think that is all the session he can manage for today. I hope that he has put you more at ease. But, for now, it would be best if you depart.”

Summer wordlessly got down from the couch, giving the burnt spot a forlorn look. She then looked back at Psychic Calm and Luna, but they didn't seem to be paying her any further attention, and Luna was engaged in changing out something in Psychic Calm's medical stuff—it looked like a bag on his side that hadn't been visible due to his wing covering it. The bag smelled so awful I could smell strong enough that it made me feel ill as soon as she had removed it from him. The stench was enough to get us all moving quickly back to the stairs. What even was that? It smelled like particularly putrid diarrhea. I didn't understand how either of them could stand being near it without vomiting.

Still, I hoped this resolved Summer's fears. It certainly added a new layer of interest in our faculty. We had a very unusual and star-studded one.

Chapter 19

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 20

“How'd detention go?” Hannah asked as I approached my friends in the auditorium.

I flicked my tail. “Long and boring. Prim and I had to stare at one another silently for an hour.”

“Oooohhh, staring into one another's eyes for an hour, how romantic,” Hannah snickered. “Should I be ready to hear about your upcoming date?”

I gave her a dry look. “Not even close.” I looked around. The room was packed with students, except for the center area, which had several tables with displays. “What are we waiting on? Shouldn't we be signing up for clubs?”

“Professor Inkwell has to show up and introduce all the clubs, and I think a few club heads are still missing,” Summer explained.

Professor Inkwell was indeed missing, as was Professor Newman, who I knew would now be heading the chess club. It was odd that Equestrians had a chess club. It seemed unlikely that both Earth and Equestria would develop that game independently of one another. It also didn't seem like the type of game that would get popular quickly moving from Earth to elsewhere. It made me curious. I'd been putting my curiosity about things on hold for days, but the way the two professors had been speaking to one another got it going again, and now I was seriously considering joining the chess club so that I could better watch Professor Newman. She and Professor Inkwell had something secret going on, and if something was secret, I wanted to find out what it was.

“Ah think a few students are goin' to be disappointed,” Bright said. “The number of clubs looks a lot smaller than mah sis described. Some must have been cut.”

“Well, there are fewer students than before and also less faculty. Headmaster didn't just purge the student body when he took control. He purged the teachers—although I'm sure some of them quit on their own,” Hannah replied.

“Third and fourth-year students can head clubs. I heard a professor say so,” I interjected.

“Still fewer third and fourth-year students than before,” Hannah said. “I heard there were whole other buildings for housing students nearby. Now all the student body is housed in the buildings that used to be meant for fourth-year students. I wonder what they did with the rest of the dorms.”

“They got rid of a whole school building, too,” Bright added in. “Less class space now.”

Hannah snorted. “It looks like they've still got buckball. I wonder how it works. A buckball team only needs three players—six if you keep alternates. I'm sure there are a lot more than six who want to be on the team, and the upperclassponies have a leg up on those spots.”

Bright grinned broadly. “Ah know the answer to that. We form multiple teams that play against one another. We have a school championship, and the winner gets to play against other schools. If ya are the best, it don't matter if ya are from the younger class.”

Hannah grinned eagerly back. “That means we can get a team of six together and become the champions. You, me, Rocky, Onyx, Turnip, and one more.”

I shook my head. “I'm not into sports. I'll be skipping out on it.”

Hannah pouted. “But this is our chance to be the only team that actually has an earth pony. I heard the other first-year class has a pegasus.”

Summer's ears perked. “They do? There's another student at school who isn't a unicorn?”

I was as surprised as Summer. “I sure didn't see any pegasis during orientation.”

“I think he might have been late arriving. He isn't the same colt that pulled off the rainboom if you were wondering,” Hannah quickly explained. “I heard he's really into ice magic and has Professor Glitter Drops as an advisor.”

I looked around the crowd, hoping to spot this pegasus colt. He had to be on the same weird type of class schedule as I was and was almost certainly getting private artifact classes with Neighsay so he could use an artifact next semester going forward. It would seem easier to have us both in class at once instead of two different private sessions, but maybe there was some scheduling conflict. Ice magic made some sense for a pegasus. They could cool and condense water vapor so they could make ice. This might typically take a very powerful pegasus to do on their own or a group of pegasi, but a pegasus with a special talent for it was always possible. I was actually relieved at the thought of him not being interested in alchemy, as I would assume most non-unicorns studying magic would try. It meant I didn't have him as a rival.

I finally spotted him. He was over in a corner, posing in front of several fillies. His fur was light blue with a darker blue mane with white streaks. He had a pretty impressive wingspan for a colt our age, as big as most adult pegasi, and that might translate into a colossal wingspan when fully grown. From what I could tell from a distance, it looked like his cutie mark was a bunch of ice cubes. The colt certainly thought he was a stud, but the fillies didn't seem that impressed with his displays of his wings. He might have impressed pegasus fillies he was used to spending time with using those wings, but I doubted most unicorn fillies found them as appealing. I didn't think that kind of thing appealed to earth pony fillies, either. I knew for sure I wasn't attracted to pegasus fillies’ wingspans and couldn't understand the appeal.

Twilight Glow came over beside us. “I know him. His name's Hail Storm. He's the son of one of my family's trading ship captains, Captain Awesome.”

The four of us turned to look at Twilight with befuddled looks.

“Captain Awesome, seriously? Who the heck gets named Captain Awesome?” I asked. “I know some pegasi have big egos, but calling themselves Captain Awesome has to be up there with the biggest egos ever.”

“Captain Awesome is an earth pony, but his mom, Sea Squall, is a pegasus. She's Captain Awesome's first mate,” Twilight explained. “All of them are pretty impressed with themselves. Sea Squall is a Wonderbolt reserve who rarely gets called up to do anything but still touts herself as a Wonderbolt. Captain Awesome gets in trouble for pushing the ship through conditions he shouldn't, but he hasn't wrecked any ship…yet. Hail Storm is nice enough, but he has a big head. Both his parents are super supportive…maybe a little too supportive, because they cheer him on even when he does something boneheaded, but given who they are, I suppose that isn't a big shock.”

“A showboater,” Hannah decreed. “Well, glad he isn't in our class, even if he is in our year.”

“He really is a nice enough guy,” Twilight reiterated.

“We haft ta talk to him,” Bright said eagerly. “We can have the only team with a unicorn, earth pony, and pegasus.”

“I'm not signing up for buckball,” I repeated for the umpteenth time.

While Hail Storm had distracted us, Professor Inkwell and the missing club heads entered and took center stage. There was Professor Newman, Coach Scootaloo, Professor Sweetie Belle, that night pony that had set up the cameraphone during the gym class, and four other unicorns I assumed were third or fourth-year students. Professor Sweetie Belle looked ready to cry. Maybe the two professors had confronted her about her disgusting office.

“Hello, students, and welcome to this year's club signups!” Professor Inkwell announced loudly. “I'm sure these clubs will be a fun and character-building experience for you all!”

There were plenty of hoofstomps in response to this, including mine.

Professor Inkwell's smile slipped. “Unfortunately, due to various limitations, some clubs will not be available this year, including the very popular drama club.”

Professor Sweetie Belle broke down crying.

“Which means there will be no attempts to make a low-budget Bridleway musical this year,” Professor Inkwell continued.

“This is the worst possible thing!” Sweetie Belle wept.

The older professor raised an eyebrow at Pinkie. “Really? What if it was the chorus getting cut instead?”

“This is the second worst possible thing!” Sweetie Belle corrected.

“Would you like me to list other things that could happen that could be worse?” Professor Newman asked the distressed mare.

“No…” Sweetie Belle whined.

“Consider it more time to do great things with chorus now that your time isn't going to be split,” Scootaloo said in a comforting voice.

“I suppose so,” Sweetie Belle said, wiping her eyes with one of her legs.

Professor Inkwell gave Sweetie Belle a pat on the back and then looked back at the students.

“Here is our updated listing for clubs. There will be buckball, which Headmaster thinks encourages physical fitness and camaraderie. We have chorus, which Professor Sweetie Belle begged Headmaster with her face to the ground to be spared, so be sure to thank her for doing all she could to save that. We have a new club called the AV club…which deals with those Earthling electronic gizmos. Chess, which is a tradition that we won't be getting rid of anytime soon. Debate team, which I will be heading myself. Cooking, for it is a useful skill for everypony to know. Writing, which will cover writing short stories and poetry. Art, which will broadly cover painting, drawing, and ceramics. Finally, the nature lovers club, which is exactly what you think it is—you learn about plants and animals.”

No fishing club. That was what I had initially wanted to try, but with it unavailable, chess now seemed the most appealing option by far. However, the nature lovers club might complement my alchemy. However, it might be a lot of work. I didn't want to add a lot of work to my existing classwork. Chess seemed the least work, so that's what I would do.

“Drama is dead?” Red gasped. “Oh! What cruel fate?!”

Prim walked up to him and smirked. “Oh, don't worry, dear brother. Drama is never dead while you are still around, and that sadly seems to be the case.”

He smiled back at her. “This play has yet to begin in earnest, dear sister, but once the climax has run its course, there will be but one of us here. I intend to be the hero of this production.”

I rolled my eyes. Those two were tiring with how much they went at each other. I was rooting for Red, but when he got into it with Prim, I didn't care much for him either

“There's an AV club?” Hannah asked in surprise.

“Wavering about buckball?” I asked.

Hannah grunted. “Maybe, I don't know. My parents and I always found lots of old electronics, and we'd fix up some things like TVs and old computers with my parents sometimes, and I always enjoyed it.”

“Fixing TVs is kinda tough to do,” I said. “It's all little chips and processors and stuff.”

She shook her head. “You have to cannibalize a lot of them to get enough parts to make one work, and it takes a lot of patience, but you can do it. I'm not sure it was worth it, financially speaking. It's a lot of work for something you'd have to sell at a discount. Still…I liked it.”

“But ya were supposed to do buckball with meh,” Bright protested. “Where's all that tough filly stuff?”

“Well, I didn't know there'd be an AV club,” Hannah replied.

“What about spendin' time close to Onyx?” Bright tried.

Hannah blushed. “I can cheer from the sidelines."

Bright looked at Summer. “What ‘bout you?”

Summer blinked. “I'm going to do art. Mom might be disappointed I'm not doing nature lovers, but-”

“Ah meant, are ya interested in doin' buckball?” Bright asked.

Summer blinked again. “Um, I don't even know how to play buckball…so no.”

I realized what was going on and patted him on the back. “Hey, we don't have to do everything together, and you can form a solid team with Rocky and Onyx. We can all do our own things.”

He sighed. “So what ya doin' instead? Ya were talkin' ’bout fishin' before, but that seems to be canceled.”

“Chess,” I answered.

“Chess?” he repeated.

“Chess,” I confirmed.

He flicked his tail. “Alright, we do our own things.”

We made our way down to the center, which took some time, considering the throngs of students. The number of students might be down from last year, but it was still a lot of students. The buckball signup was predictably packed with ponies trying to sign up, but most of the other tables were busy as well. The chess table, with Professor Newman sitting dourly behind it, had barely any action.

I waited for another student to finish signing up, a colt who looked too stiff and high-nosed to be anything but a noble. He didn't even glance in my direction after he finished signing up and walkied away. So much for forming lifelong friendships. Just what I needed: another Prim.

Professor Newman sat, arms crossed in front of her, as I sat up on the table and signed the registration with a quill in my mouth.

“I'd have figured you be signing up for a different club, Mister Jones,” Professor Newman said as I put the quill down.

“This seemed like less work,” I answered, deciding to be totally honest.

She snorted and seemed like she was trying to choke back a laugh. It took her a few seconds to recover.

“Perhaps we aren't as similar as I originally thought,” Professor Newman said as she finally recovered. “I need to keep busy, so I actively seek out work to do. I'm surprised you told me that so directly.”

“No point in lying, and you seem hard to lie to,” I answered, deciding to keep with the direct honesty.

She smirked. “My dear colt, a pearl of wisdom for you is that truth is the best lie anyone can use if they use it effectively. As for the chess club, I think you might find it more challenging than you think. Don't believe that I'll make it easy for you all just because Professor Inkwell pressured me into taking this position. If I'm going to do something, I will put real effort into it.” She looked past me. “Speaking of it being challenging, I think you may wish to let the next student in line sign up.”

I looked behind me, and my ears fell. Prim was standing right there.

“Out and of the way. You are blocking my way,” Prim practically growled.

“This would be a flick-knife opening, a rare opening, but an intriguing one. Using it either throws your opponent off guard or lulls them into believing they are superior,” Professor Newman said, sounding amused. “Let's see how the game progresses. I hope you don't chicken out.”

Maybe I should have signed up for buckball instead.

Chapter 21

So, it turned out that nobles had a very high opinion of chess, and I was the only non-noble in the club. Every other pony in the club was the heir apparent of some noble family or another, and that included Prim—but not Red because that would be a huge faux pas on his part to sign up for chess while Prim was still the heir to their family, even if the future of that was in doubt. It might have been nice to know about this social rule before signing up because now I wasn't just in a club with a bunch of noble kids, but I was also breaking unwritten rules, which earned me additional disdain from them.

I was right about it coming from Earth. It had come over extremely early after contact had been established and had become highly trendy among nobles and the rich. There had been a few minor changes made to the game; primarily, all the pieces had been renamed. The king was Celestia. The queen was now Luna. The bishops were now unicorns. The knights were now pegasi. The rooks were now Twilight Sparkle and Cadence, although they both played the same way. The pawns were all earth ponies because what else would an earth pony be to these nobles? I suppose they must feel we were lucky because the minor tribes like the kirin, night ponies, crystal ponies, obscure and isolated tribes (which, to be fair, were only rumored), not to mention any creature that wasn't a pony, didn't even get representative pieces, which said something about the noble worldview.

Luckily, I didn't have to spend much time with the club during the introduction day, and attending this club wasn't mandatory (though it could look bad if I didn't). Professor Newman introduced everyone since she already knew everyone's names (and likely didn't want to listen to nobles talking about how great they were during introductions) before giving a long speech about the history of chess, the value of learning strategy, and how this can be applied in students' lives. We were told when and where meetings would take place and then dismissed.

As I was leaving, Professor Newman stepped in front of me. “Mister Jones, I would like to have a quick, private word with you if you would.”

I sighed, just wanting to find my friends, but nodded. She then led me out into the hall and bent down beside me. I was shocked to see her give me a sympathetic smile.

“I know that this club is not particularly friendly to people outside the nobility, and I can understand if you are having thoughts about avoiding it. I would not blame you for that, and it is your right to do so, but I want to plead the case for you to attend,” she said.

“Okay,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“Despite your desire for a low-stress, low-effort club, I think you could benefit from this club. There is the strategy aspect, which I already explained, and that I think you would take to that well. You are a very bright colt, though your inexperience is quite glaring—given how poorly executed your scheme to attend this school without your parents’ permission. You could benefit greatly with more experience in critical thinking and stratagem, and chess is an excellent game to develop these skills.”

I blinked. “Are you telling me that the biggest issue you had with me lying to get into school was how badly I did it?”

She frowned and shook her head. “Oh, no, I have bigger issues with it—primarily that it was an extremely hurtful thing to do to your parents. Your actual credentials for attending the school were fine, so there was no lie there. It was the betrayal of your family's trust and the poor treatment of them that I was most offended by. Also, I learned you turned to such an action without at least trying to negotiate it with them or write to us for help in convincing them. You should have at least tried to do it the honest way before turning to duplicitous means, but you didn't. These things are what most offended me, in addition to the lie itself. The fact you are bad at lying is just inexperience; I can't be offended by that.”

“Oh,” I said, even more unsure what to say about that.

“Another reason you should attend is to learn how to deal with people you don't particularly like and who don't particularly like you,” she continued. “This is a skill often overlooked and underdeveloped. We just tell people to accept they will be in this situation and tell them to deal with it. It really should get more time in school to develop. I know these nobles will have some friction with you, and you learning how to stay calm and cordial around them will serve you well. The same could be said of them; they need to learn to work with people they think are below them and have some respect. You don't have to like someone to respect them, and I want these nobles to learn that non-nobles aren't inferiors in skill, just as I want you to learn that there may be more to these high-nosed brats than being high-nosed brats. Even when at odds with someone, you should respect their capabilities. Underestimating them is one of the worst mistakes you can make.”

I grunted. “Alright, I'll give it a chance. You seem really into this for someone who didn't want to do it.”

“If I'm going to do something, I'm going to give it my all,” she replied as she stood up. “I hope you have a good rest of your day, and enjoy your weekend.”

As I was returning to the dorms, I bumped into Hannah.

“Hey there, how did AV go?” I asked as I started walking beside her.

“It's alright,” she replied. “That night pony we saw back in gym is the head of it. He says his name is Baxter Stockman, and I can't shake the feeling that I know that name from somewhere.”

I frowned. “Yeah, I think I've heard that name before, but I don't know where. It is definitely an Earth name, but who names their kid Baxter in the twenty-first century? That's an old-timey name, and he didn't look that old.”

Hannah shrugged. “No idea. Anyway, he's kinda cool. He's got lots of electronics from Earth, though most are a bit out of date. He says that he has to have the older stuff because Equestria has no Wi-Fi. He's even got a whole bunch of drones that communicate via radio. He was thrilled when he found out I was from Earth. I think Equestria's lack of technology drives him nuts.”

“If he's from Earth, why's he even here then?” I asked.

She shrugged again. “Don't know. Maybe he just wanted to go and see what's out here. The best part of the day was when Headmaster came to check on us. Baxter Stockman and Headmaster got into a name-calling argument right there in front of us! Everyone else is terrified of Headmaster, but not Baxter Stockman.”

“A name-calling argument?” I asked, confused.

“It started with Baxter saying something rude about Headmaster, then Headmaster said something rude back, then it just escalated to all they were doing was calling each other names, trying to outdo one another. It was hilarious.”

“And Headmaster didn't threaten to fire him for that?” I asked in disbelief. “If I were Baxter, I'd be worried about my job.”

“Headmaster just got exasperated and walked off. He never threatened to fire Baxter, though he did threaten to send Professor Newman to deal with him. That shut Baxter up in a hurry.”

“Professor Newman is kind of scary. She knows things about everyone here. She could probably blackmail him or something.”

She giggled. “You know what they say. Knowledge is power. I guess that goes to show that having magic isn't everything, even at magic school. They probably all know each other outside of school if they are all originally from Earth. How many Earthlings are permanent residents in the city? It makes sense that they get to know one another. It might also be why Baxter can get away with so much.”

“Hey! Wait up!”

Bright came hurrying up to us just as we reached the dorm building.

“Ya guys really missed out by not signin' up for buckball. It was great!” Bright exclaimed as he caught up to us.

I wasn't so sure he was wrong, but I had made my choice, for better or worse. “Oh? What happened?” I asked.

He grinned. “Coach Scootaloo brought in three Wonderbolts to talk to us. They told us all about how they enjoyed playin' buckball when they were younger. She even got Commander Rainbow Dash to show up! Rainbow Dash, Flag Flyer, and Drizzle.”

“Except for Rainbow Dash, never heard of them,” Hannah said. “Still, I’m happy with my choice.”

“Flag Flyer had been a star in the professional buckball league before bein' a Wonderbolt; he'd been third all-time in air blocks before he quit to join the wonderbolts. Drizzle…well, she's still a Wonderbolt, kinda bottom of the barrel, but still a full-fledged Wonderbolt, and that's still better than what most them pegasi that try to be Wonderbolts achieve,” Bright replied.

“You’re an Apple who is from Sweet Apple Acres; don’t you see Rainbow Dash all the time?” I asked.

“Yeah, she parked her cloud house out over the orchards. She and mah aunt Applejack spend a lot of time together. Sometimes ah come across them layin’ out in orchards together, doin’ nothin’.”

“Doing nothing?” Hannah asked.

“That’s wha’ they say,” Bright confirmed. “Just hangin’ out doin’ nothin’ for hours. Sometimes, they even fall asleep out there doin’ nothin’. They say doin’ nothin’ is mighty tirin’.”

“So, why are you excited to see her?” I asked.

“Well, ah got to see her and two other Wonderbolts,” Bright replied. It made no sense to me.

“Sure the poser pegasus loved it,” Hannah said.

Bright shook his head. “He didn’t sign up for buckball. Disappointed a bunch of his classmates.”

“What did he sign up for instead?” I asked.

Bright snickered. “Art. Guy thinks himself the perfect model for it.”

I rolled my eyes. Well, Summer would have to deal with that. That club should be interesting since they were mixing a strong ice student with a strong fire student. Ice and fire typically didn't go together very well.

“Well, he's the son of a pony that can't quite cut it to be a real Wonderbolt, so it sounds like he’s pretty mediocre,” Hannah said. She shook her head. “Sorry, that was mean to say. I just don't like showboaters. It always leads to big promises that they can't deliver on and somebody losing money because of it. My family has been burned a few times by people who talked big and couldn't back what they said up. However, I don't know the guy, so I shouldn't judge.”

“What did everybody else sign up for?” I asked. “I'm unlucky enough to have Prim in chess with me.”

“Just can't shake your rival, huh?” Bright snickered.

“Seems not,” I agreed.

“Onyx and Rocky are in buckball with meh,” Bright informed us.

“I saw Red going to debate, Summer to art, and Twilight went to chorus,” Hannah informed us. “I didn't see Lunar around. Either of you see him?”

Bright and I both shook our heads.

“The guy seems like a real loner type. He might not have signed up for anything. It isn't mandatory,” I said.

We still hadn’t gone inside as Summer came hurrying up, looking excited.

“Hey! I got a date!” Summer exclaimed.

Hannah’s ears went erect. “A date? With who?”

Summer smiled happily. “With that pegasus, Hail Storm!”

I guess fire and ice could go together.

Chapter 22

October 16, 2058

The first semester marched on. Things had been calm for the most part. Classes continued as usual, and I felt I was doing reasonably well. I wasn’t first in year’s class anymore; another colt who wasn’t one of our classmates was. I wasn’t even the best out of our class of ten. Twilight currently was way ahead of me, but I was ahead of Rocky, Onyx, Lunar, and Bright, which made me dead center in class rankings—not great, but not terrible. I was doing great in Professor Applebloom’s class and doing exceptionally well in Professor Neighsay’s, and those were the two most important classes. Professor Inkwell’s class was where I was struggling. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make math fun for me. I knew my grade in that class was bringing my ranking down. It was the only class I was struggling with.

Chess Club met every Saturday afternoon, and each meeting felt like a battle. Professor Newman always chose the matchups. While I did get to play against everyone in class, the majority of my games ended up being against Prim. There was no denying that the professor was trying to make us get along, and we kept our behavior in check, at least during our club meetings. The one good thing was that I did end up winning most of my games against Prim, and I knew constantly losing to an earth pony made her furious. She did win every once in a while, and she was always insufferable when she did—at least until I reminded her of our overall record, which always brought a familiar sneer to her face. She would then remind me her class ranking was higher. So our tit-for-tat continued every week. We kept cold and distant from each other in our classes. At least there were no further detentions.

A habit I had gotten into was studying early in the morning before leaving my room for breakfast. This morning, Bright was studying right along with me since there was a rumor Professor Newman was going to give a verbal pop quiz on various unconfirmed magical theories. That wouldn’t count towards the final grade, but it felt embarrassing to have her call on you, and you have no idea what the answer to her question was. It also gave the impression you weren’t retaining the lessons, which meant no aid on the final grade from her if you bombed the final.

“Starswirl’s Theory of Magical Growth,” I prompted Bright.

Bright scratched at his horn. “Uh…is that the one where havin’ a bunch active thaumic flows in a non-magical environment will eventually cause the active flows to change the non-magical stuff to magical over time?”

I shook my head. “No, try again.”

He scratched at his horn some more before shaking his head. “Ah don’ know. What is it?”

I put the flashcard aside. “Magic grows faster in a species when regularly exposed to new magics that are not part of the sources they evolved with. Magical species that isolate themselves and have little contact with new magics have their magical development as a species stagnate. The hows of that are pretty complicated, but I think she just wants you to know the basic theory, not the advanced stuff.”

Bright nodded. “Ah got it now. Ah’ll get it if she asks.”

I went to the next flashcard. “Remis’s Theory of Faith?”

“Um…ah know this one. Give meh a moment,” Bright said as he closed his eyes. “The more faith, trust, and belief a large body of ponies have for one pony can cause that pony’s power to grow far beyond their normal limits. That’s it, right?”

I nodded and set the card aside. “Technically, it is individuals and individual since it doesn’t apply to just ponies, but that is correct. That’s supposed to be partly why Celestia has so much power; all of Equestria has faith in her and her power, and if they lost that faith, her power would be weakened.”

“And any other pony could gain more magical power if enough ponies had faith in them, right?” Bright asked.

“It would have to be a lot, like hundreds of thousands or millions, but yes,” I answered.

He grinned. “So, we just got to go convince all Equestria we’re the greatest ponies ever, and we’ll get real powerful. Easy, right?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah…no…I don’t think it is that easy. I don’t think that kind of faith is easy to get, and I think most ponies are skeptical of some nobodies having all that ability.”

He shrugged. “Ah can dream big. What’s the next question?”

There was a knock at one of the neighboring room doors so loud it interrupted me before I could continue.

“Foals! Every foal! I need everypony to gather in front of the building right away!” Spring Fling shouted.

Bright and I looked at each other, wondering what was happening, before getting up and doing as instructed.

It wasn’t just our floor; it was everyone in the dorm building that was being summoned. When we reached the outside, we saw similar gatherings happening at the other dorm buildings. Whatever this was, it was a school-wide issue. Had something happened? Something had to have happened.

Summer and Hannah had come out together, but Hail Storm had quickly headed over to Summer after we got outside. Hannah frowned and stepped slightly away as he did. She had not warmed up to the guy, and his relationship with Summer hadn't gone away. They didn’t do much for their dates. They went on walks or sometimes studied together. He didn’t seem that bad to me. He did like to brag…a lot, but he seemed to be legitimately nice to Summer and regularly complimented her, particularly her large flowing mane and tasseled tail. She hadn’t gone nirik with him, so he must be doing something right.

I spotted Prim over next to her noble friends. I wasn’t sure I would call the three friends, to tell the truth, more like ponies that tolerated one another because they thought the others had had enough social standing to hang around. Out of the group of three, Prim was not the queen bee; she was a flunky. One of the other fillies had a much higher social standing than the others, and Prim had to walk around giving lip service to how great that filly was. I imagined she hated it and had no idea why she put up with it. Still, Prim always smiled and simped about how right the filly was about everything and how pretty everything she wore was…even when it was obviously hideous. She could get along with people she didn’t like. She just didn’t get along with people she thought were below her, like me.

“Foals! Your attention, please!” Spring Fling called out as she stepped into a clear area near us.

We all gathered in a semi-circle around her. I could see the other dorms were doing the same around their dorm heads.

“Foals, I have some very sad news,” Spring Fling began. “Last night, Professor Psychic Calm passed away. Classes will be canceled for today and tomorrow. I know some of you knew him, and there will be a viewing of his body tonight, one hour after sundown. He will be transported back to Earth tomorrow for burial.”

My ears flattened. He died? I’d never met anyone who died. Maybe I had, but not that I knew of. Sure, I’d only seen him for a few minutes and only spoken to him once, but he was still someone I had met. He’d also helped Summer when she was having a hard time. Despite how little I knew him, his death shook me up.

“He’d been ill and in declining health for a while but passed peacefully in his sleep, attended by Princess Luna,” Spring Fling continued. “I never met him, but I heard he was a great pony. Princess Luna is in mourning because she was very close to him and may be unavailable to tend to nightmares for the next few days. Please don’t be alarmed if you have a nightmare during this period. Luna shall return to attending to them soon. She has done this before during times of mourning. In addition, the AV club and chess club will not be meeting this week. If any students are having trouble due to nightmares or distress about the professor’s death, Professors Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, in addition to Coach Scootaloo, will all make themselves available to help, as will I.”

She levitated out a parchment from her saddlebag and looked it over, as if making sure she covered all the details, before setting it aside.

“One last thing,” Spring said. “Guests will be visiting the school tonight and tomorrow to pay their respects. Many of them are powerful and influential figures, so please be on your best behavior around these guests. We don’t want to embarrass the school. That covers everything that I know. If you have any questions, you can ask any professor.”

Spring walked over to Summer and hugged her. Summer was crying and didn’t resist her mother’s embrace. Hail Storm stepped back from the pair, head lowered, giving them space. I didn’t know if he should be doing that or making his own effort to comfort Summer.

I was surprised when Baxter Stockman came walking quickly over towards our dorm. However, before he could reach us, Hail Storm, of all ponies, ran to him and hugged him. The grumpy AV club leader seemed slightly taken aback but quickly wrapped a webbed wing around the colt, pulling him tighter into an embrace.

“Didn’t expect that,” Hannah quietly said. “I guess Hail Storm knew the old pony.”

Baxter held Hail tightly for a few more seconds before whispering something. Hail wiped his eyes, sniffling, and nodded before allowing himself to be led away towards the school building.

“And I guess Baxter was coming here just for him,” I said, wondering what connection the pair shared. I’d never seen them around each other before, but they behaved like they were very close. It was even odder because Baxter was seldom the gentle and kind type, and Hail’s ego would never let himself be seen crying under normal circumstances.

“Goes to show there’s more to ponies than ya might think,” Bright said. He lifted his leg just a tiny bit as if trying to hide the gesture while still trying to get our attention. When Hannah and I looked in the direction he indicated, we saw Prim retreating, head also bowed, towards the dorm building.

“Maybe she had some counseling sessions with him as well,” Hannah said as we watched Prim retreat. “I feel kinda bad. Nobody is going to try to comfort her, and I don’t think she’d lower herself to seeing one of the CMC for that kind of thing.”

I was still shaken as well, and I didn’t know if I could explain what I was feeling to my friends. I could really use someone to talk to right at that moment, but I didn’t feel like I had the right to be so shaken up by this. I barely knew the professor, and he hadn’t ever done anything for me. Bright and Hannah didn’t seem as shaken, nor did most of our classmates. I didn’t want to explain how upset I was or show them; it felt selfish to feel sad.

Gosh darn it. I was going to regret this.

I wordlessly, and probably to my friends’ shock, hurried after Prim.

“Prim! Wait up!” I yelled.

She paused, wiped her face, and turned to look at me. Her eyes were red from crying. “What do you want, commoner?”

I caught up to her and looked her in the eyes. I had started crying while running, but I still held her gaze.

“I want to play a game of chess,” I said.

She looked at me in a mix of outrage and bewilderment. “Chess? Now?! What are you even thinking?!”

I set my jaw. “I’m thinking I want to focus on something other than what I’m feeling right now, and class is canceled for today. I don’t want to try to be happy, and I’m not really sure I want to be comforted, either. I want to focus on something else. I think you might feel the same way. You and I aren’t going to lie to each other and tell the other that being upset is okay or try to make the other feel better. Right now, I don’t need my friends; I need my nemesis. I need my nemesis so I can feel angry and don’t have to think about how bad I feel when I don't have the right to feel bad.”

She stared at me, still in disbelief, then shook her head.

“You are such an idiot,” she growled.

She looked past me, maybe to see how the other ponies were taking today’s news, and then she gave a resigned shake of her head.

“Fine. It’s a dumb idea that only a stupid alien earth pony could come up with,” she hissed, ears sagging as she did, “but if you are so eager to let me prove how superior I am by beating your incompetent flank, I won’t begrudge you that. Let’s go find a board.”

And so, somepony died, and Prim and I went to play chess to pretend we didn’t care.

Chapter 23

We sat in the classroom where the chess club met in usually. As far as I knew, no one used this classroom for anything else since the only things here were a few tables, chairs, and chess sets. I sat, staring at the chessboard. I reached with my mouth and moved an earth pony forward before sitting back and waiting for Prim’s move.

“Why do you do that?”

I looked up at her. “What?”

She looked at my piece. “Why do you always make the same opening move? You always move the earth pony in front of Luna forward to start the game.”

I shrugged. “It works for me. It gives me plenty of options to move more versatile pieces. I beat you most of the time. Why change a game plan that works?”

She snorted and levitated forward one of her pegasi from behind an earth pony. Prim tended to change up her opening moves every game. Maybe she was trying to be less predictable, but it rarely helped her. In my opinion, a sound strategy outweighed throwing my opponent off their game with unpredictability. It didn’t matter if she could predict my opening move; I had a plan and would keep to it until there was a need to change it.

I moved an earth pony forward from in front of my Celestia.

Prim smirked and moved her pegasi back to its opening position. Okay…that wasn’t a good way to develop the board.

I moved a unicorn out.

She moved that same pegasus again, jumping to a different space, safe from my unicorn.

I moved Luna forward.

Prim retreated her pegasus back to the original opening position, and only now did I realize her strategy. Crud, I had to get that pegasi off the board next time she moved it, but there was no move I could make that would guarantee I could take it. Prim was going to force a draw by the threefold repetition rule.

“That’s not a winning strategy,” I growled.

She smirked deeper. “But it isn’t a losing one either. If I have an overall losing record against you, it is better to force the draw than suffer defeat.”

“That’s just cheap! That’s abusing an obscure rule!” I fussed.

She smiled broadly. “Are you going to cry over it?”

“No!” I snapped. “It just defeats the whole reason for playing the game if you are going to force a draw straight out of the gate. Where’s all that talk of being superior? You aren’t very superior if you don’t win.”

She glared at me and stomped a hoof on the table, knocking over most of the chess pieces. “Oh, is that how it is? You’re always so insufferably clever, but when I decide to do something clever, you pitch a fit! You’re a hypocrite.”

“No, I’m not!” I shouted back. I then blinked in confusion. “You think I’m clever?”

“The alternative is saying some complete idiot is repeatedly beating me, and I won’t have that,” Prim hissed. “You’re either clever, or I’m so stupid I can rarely beat an idiot. You’ll find me having anything good to say about you exceedingly rare, so take the compliment I graciously gave you and like it, dirt pony!”

“You aren’t supposed to call me that,” I growled.

“The human isn’t here to give me detention, and it's your word versus mine that I said it,” Prim haughtily replied.

I groaned. “Why did I decide to deal with you today?”

Prim’s ears sagged. “Because neither of us want to deal with the thought of death, and fighting with each other is a good distraction.”

The fight left me as I was forced to think about the dead professor again, and I laid my head down on the table.

“Oh yeah,” I whispered.

“Yeah,” Prim said quietly.

I looked at her. “Did you know him? Did you have to do any counseling with him?”

She shook her head. “I saw him once while visiting the fourth-year dorm. I didn’t speak to him. He was disgusting, but he reminded me of what my great-grandmare was like before she passed away—just the way he looked like he was faded. Hearing he died just hit me with thoughts of my great-grandmare again. I miss her.” She shook her head. “Not that it is any of your business!”

I didn’t snap back. “I met him. I didn’t get to know him, but he seemed nice. I’ve never known of anyone I met dying before. I’ve never had to deal with death.”

“Lucky you,” she spat. “I cried for a week when my great-grandmare died. She was the only pony in my wretched family who didn’t think it was a mistake that I was ahead of my rotten brother to inherit. It isn’t even like I’m going to inherit soon anyway. My grandmare is still well, and my mother is next in line after her. I’ll be old before anypony needs to worry about me inheriting, but they’re all so eager to see me fail and be dismissed. They all hate me and think my brother is oh-so-charming, oh-so-clever, oh-so-perfect, and oh-so-much-better-than-me. He’d have murdered me in the womb if he could.”

“You don’t have anyone to vent to, do you?” I asked.

“No, I don’t have anypony to vent to, dirt pony,” Prim hissed once again. “And why do you Earthlings have to use words like that? Anyone? Just say anypony like a real pony.”

“I am a real pony,” I insisted. “I was born a pony, as were my parents. My grandparents were human before being ponies, but we’ve been ponies for three generations. We use the term anyone because there are more people than just ponies.”

“If they aren’t ponies, they don’t matter,” Prim asserted.

I slammed a hoof down on the table. “You are in this school because a human thought there was something worthwhile about you. Professor Newman was the one who chose you out there of thousands of possible students. Your riches alone couldn’t get you in. I personally don’t see what she thought was worthwhile.”

Prim flattened her ears. “What are you talking about?”

“Professor Newman was the one who went through selecting students for admission out of all the applicants and presented her choices to Headmaster for approval. She’s basically the admissions officer for the school. She researched every student here, so she knows everything about them, and for some reason, she decided to let you in.”

Prim bared her teeth. “And she let my brother in as well.”

I shrugged. “Maybe that’s the reason why. Maybe she wants to see the two of you face off and prove yourselves against one another and see who is the worthy heir.”

Prim flicked her tail violently. “She should not be meddling in my family’s affairs!”

I smirked. “What would have happened if Red got admitted and you didn’t?”

She stared at me for a few seconds, then looked away.

“He’d probably supplant me,” she whispered.

“And she could have done that, just removed you from being heir, but she didn’t. She’s giving you your chance to prove yourself. How about getting off your high horse and be grateful that a non-pony decided to give you a chance.”

Her sneer returned. “Oh, but she could have also admitted me and left him out. She’s giving him a chance as well. If she researched everypony here so well, she’d know how vile he is and would have stopped him. His envy and lust for my position knows no bounds. He has been plotting my downfall since we were six.”

“Really? Six?” I asked skeptically. “I doubt it. I’m sure he is now, but a six-year-old doesn’t have that kind of drive.”

“You don’t know my brother as well as you think you do. Red’s only desire is everything he doesn't have,” Prim said, but only with a hint of anger. Her tone was mostly filled with defeat. “You think I’m vile? That only means you haven’t paid my brother as much attention as you should.”

“He’s vile to you, I’ll admit that, but you go out of your way to show you deserve it,” I said, looking her in the eyes. “Maybe if you were a little nicer to others, you wouldn’t be fighting for your position.”

“It is my duty as heir to assert my family’s social standing. I’m not going to belittle myself to commoners,” Prim replied.

“But you’ll kiss some noble filly’s rear end if she outranks you, right?” I asked, smiling. I knew she had to hate that. I had seen how forced her smiles were around those noble fillies.

She looked me back in the eyes. “If that’s what standing calls for, then yes. I would embarrass myself and my family if I didn’t. I wouldn’t expect you to understand that. You commoners don’t know your place or social structure. Everything you do is an embarrassment. I’d educate you, but I think it is beyond your capability to understand.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know how you look at yourself in the mirror. Do you have no desire at all to be better than what you are? What’s the point of school if we don’t grow?”

She tilted her head. “What’s your goal for being at this school, Earthling? Do you just want to have fun and play with magic you normally wouldn’t? I know you’re into alchemy. How can you do that back on Earth when the ingredients are hard to come by outside Equestria? You’ll spend four years here, if you’re fortunate, learning all those skills you’ll never be able to use, then you’ll return to your forgotten farm in your forgotten town and farm your namesake food stock. All that knowledge gained, yet the natural order will continue, unchanged by whatever growth you believe you’ve had. You are the most pointless student here. I’m at least fighting for my birthright. What are you doing? Maybe Headmaster and Professor Newman enjoy watching ponies struggle against the pointlessness of it all. In the end, you’ll always end up a farmer or perhaps become involved in some other common trade of the lowborn, if you are adventurous, but never a mage, and my brother or I will lead our house, leaving the other to try to squeak out a living as a common bureaucrat, and the choice will be made on Headmaster’s whim, yet it will still maintain the natural order of things. Humans have a sickening idea of fun. Equestria was better without contact from Earth.”

It hurt, but she had landed a strong blow with those words. What was I going to do after graduation? She was right about my prospects as an alchemist on Earth. I couldn’t even import most of the things I would need because they either were contraband at the portal, or they were something I would have to harvest myself because there was no market for the item. For the first time, it hit me that if I wanted to be an alchemist, I had to stay in Equestria. Was I ready to leave Earth behind for good? Would I even be able to? I had no idea what Equestria’s immigration laws were.

Prim stood up, looking smug. “I think I have won today’s game. Thank you for the distraction, but I need to return to studying. As I said, I have my birthright to protect. Enjoy contemplating your humble future.”

I watched her leave, then looked at the chess set with its toppled pony pieces. No one had survived on that field of battle. Prim thought she won today, or at least did a draw, but I think we had both lost.

Chapter 24

The viewing of Psychic Calm took place in the auditorium. I sat in the seats with Bright, Hannah, and Summer. Not every student attended, but there were still a lot. There were also many people from who knew where that were present, including some humans. All five alicorns were present in the front rows, as well as the five element bearers who were Princess Twilight’s friends, all the faculty, and a strange human dressed like an old medieval plague doctor. If Psychic Calm was who I suspected, a sibling of the Queen of Nightmares and one of the ponies that Princess Luna entrusted power to, then it wasn’t surprising he had such a turnout. There was no coffin. Psychic Calm’s body sat on a pedestal like he was simply sleeping. All could see him.

Princess Luna took to the stage, standing before the body. She gently touched a hoof to him and then bent down and kissed him on the forehead. She then turned and faced us.

“Thank you all for coming to show your respects to Psychic Calm. This is the second time I have had to stand before a body of one who inherited my power, and the third one such has passed into true death. It has not gotten any easier with each passing, and I do not believe it will get any easier with those who will follow,” she said, grief heavy in her voice.

She walked behind the pedestal and faced us again. “Psychic Calm was born human, a psychologist who often left patients off-put by his seemingly emotionless response to their struggles, but they came to value his lack of judgment for their deeds. He often took on troubled cases with dark histories, humans, and ponies that many would find beyond redemption. Though not all were saved from their darkness, his success rate was astonishing and a testament to his dedication to helping patients overcome their struggles. While many may have sought retribution against these individuals, he sought only peace, and so he claimed his title, Warden of Peace.”

“There is so much I can say about his tenure on Earth, doing the job I granted him, but few here would understand what I am discussing, and I do not want to stray into things that may be kept secret,” Luna continued, she looked at an odd collection of humans and ponies that were gathered together in the front row. “I see that the elite guard has come to carry him home. They are the ones who would care most about such talk, and they already know it in their hearts. I will not trouble this assembly with those matters. I do, however, wish to take this time to thank those guards. They serve faithfully, dedicating almost every moment of their lives without a day off for years, decades in some cases, to keep their charges safe while also acting as advisors, confidants, and errand runners to their charges. It takes a special type of person to fill such a role, and I cannot express my gratitude enough for their work protecting those I consider my descendants.”

That seemed like a horrible job. Never getting a day off? That sounded like a nightmare.

Luna sniffled. “Rest well, Psychic Calm. You chose to rest over immortality, and I cannot fault you for that. May Harmony preserve you instead of the Story.”

That was a strange thing to say. Did he really have the option of immortality? What was that last bit even about? I heard Equestrians reference Harmony before like it was some sentient force, like a god, but what was that about a story? Did it have something to do with the storytellers back on Earth? I hoped I wasn’t the only one completely lost about what she just said.

Luna returned to her seat, and the strange plague doctor human stood up and approached Psychic Calm’s body. He kept his distance and circled behind it before looking at the audience.

“My name is not important, but I am one of those that Luna claims as a descendent. Psychic Calm was a brother to me, even if not by blood. More than that, he was my counselor and friend who helped me get beyond my hate for one of the most influential people in my life.”

He looked at the body again. “When I was under consideration for my position, I held a great deal of hate and resentment for the one I sought the job of, even though I had worked for him for years. I was what you might consider his hunting dog. He would direct me to root out the location of some villain, and I would use my intelligence and cunning to find my prey. I accomplished a lot, but my predecessor still had my ire because he robbed me of getting my justice…no…my revenge against my first prey. As you might understand, it was a major barrier to me getting his job. Psychic Calm counseled me and helped me overcome my illogical hatred for the pony who avenged my sister instead of me.”

He slowly lifted his hands to his face and removed his mask, revealing a pasty white face and bloodshot blue eyes. He pulled back his hood, showing his completely bald head.

“I fear germs, mold, bacteria, disease…all the things that bring death. Strange, I know, considering I came to Equestria to escape the threat of immortality, but it’s true. I rarely remove my mask or any of my other coverings, except only to wash them. I need my protection from all those unseen things,” he said quietly. “This mask even has goggles to protect my eyes. I normally see the world through a tint. Since this may be the last time I see my brother, I wish to look upon him with my vision unfiltered.”

So it continued with people coming to say things about the now-deceased professor. Princesses Celestia and Twilight Sparkle spoke, as did several other professors. Most of those didn’t have stories but talked about how good a pony he was. A few students came up as well, and all of them had stories about how Psychic Calm helped them overcome this or that problem. I was shocked at how little crying there was. The only pony I had seen cry was Luna, and the strange plague doctor man was the only other to shed a tear. Everyone seemed sad, but I was shocked that almost no one had tears. Maybe they had already cried for him earlier that day and had nothing left, but it felt like a betrayal that no one was crying. Most of the professors kept their heads down.

Finally, Headmaster stepped up to do his speech, which would be the last, and we all waited for his words.

He stared at Psychic Calm silently and continued staring for a minute, then another, and then an uncomfortable other, not saying a word. Was he going to speak or not?

“I…I’m sorry. I can’t do this,” he said at last before hastily retreating from the stage and out the door.

Professors Newman and Inkwell exchanged a look between each other and hurried off after him, leaving the other professors, along with the rest of us, still gaping in shock. A moment later, Luna followed after the trio, and then Celestia followed after her. Baxter Stockman then took off after them. The plague doctor quickly followed suit, and then Princess Flurry Heart went after him. The crowd started to mutter.

It was Sweetie Belle who decided to take it upon herself to step forward to the stage.

“Thank you all for coming,” she said to us. “Forgive Headmaster, this seems to have shaken him more than the rest of us and maybe shaken several more than it initially appeared. I must now ask everyone to exit in an orderly fashion, so our guests from Earth can start preparing the body for transit. This wasn’t planned, but I think also giving tomorrow off from class is for the best. Be ready to return to class the day after. Thank you all again for coming and showing your appreciation and respect for Psychic Calm.”

We all started to exit, talking amongst ourselves quietly as we did. Everyone in the previous audience did. Maybe we were all just eager to say anything after sitting silent for so long, as our conversations were not very deep.

“Is Sweetie Belle the vice headmare?” Hannah asked. “I assume that someone is the vice principal or whatever, but they’ve never really said who. She seems to step up a lot.”

“So do Inkwell and Newman,” I said.

“True,” Hannah replied. “They seem to have clearly defined side jobs, though. Inkwell is in charge of clubs, and Newman is the admissions person.”

“Sweetie Belle is a counselor,” I reminded her. “I’m not sure there is a vice headmaster.”

“There should be,” Hannah protested. “Who will be in charge if Headmaster decides to take a week off or something? He seemed pretty upset. He might need more time to mourn.”

“I don’t know. Maybe Neighsay? He was the head of a school board or something way back in the day,” I suggested. “But then again, he didn’t step up just now. I still think it is nobody.”

“Ain’t it all strange like seein’ Headmaster get all emotional?” Bright asked. “Ah ain’t never seen him get upset like that.”

“I guess they were close friends,” Hannah said.

“I know it sounds bad, but I’m glad someone other than Luna got distressed,” I said. “It just felt wrong not to see anyone crying.”

Summer, who had been following close to us, stopped, and a few flicks of flame could be seen coming off her that made other students quickly give her space.

“Maybe some of us are doing our best to keep it together. Did you think of that?” Summer demanded.

I stepped back. “Easy, Summer. I understand. I just felt unnerved that everyone was so calm. I didn’t expect so many eyes to be dry. People should cry when someone dies, don’t you think?”

“Where’s your colt-friend?” Hannah asked her. “Shouldn’t he be here, comforting you?”

Summer’s ears fell. “I haven’t seen him since this morning. He took off without a word. He hasn’t been in his room either. I don’t know where he is, but I know he was very upset. I didn’t know he was close to the professor. He never said a word about him all the time we’ve been dating, even though I told him that I had a counseling session with Psychic Calm.”

“Sounds like he’s keeping secrets from you,” Hannah said smugly.

“Hey! Lay off the guy,” Bright protested. “Ya’ve had a burr in yer tail about him since before ya met him. He makes Summer happy and treats her right; that’s all that matters. Ya don’t need to like him, but ya can’t be constantly raggin’ on him ta Summer.”

I squinted as I looked across the fields towards the dorms. “Well, I just spotted him. He’s going into the fourth-year dorm building.”

Summer frowned. “I don’t think he knows any fourth-year students besides the head of our art club, but they were in attendance here.”

“You don’t think he’s going to Psychic Calm’s office, do you?” Hannah asked. “Not ragging on him. It’s the only thing there other than the students.”

“Runnin’ kinda late ta be doin’ that if he were,” Bright said. “If he were tryin’ to be all sneaky-like, he should have done it when everypone was still attendin’ the viewin’, not after we are gettin’ out.”

“It’s still the only thing that makes sense,” Hannah asserted.

My curiosity had a hold on me. “We should check. He shouldn’t be trying to sneak in there.”

Summer looked unhappy. “I don’t like the idea of spying on Hail.”

“Don’t you want to know what he’s up to, why he wasn’t at the viewing, and what his connection to Psychic Calm is?” Hannah asked.

“Well…yeah…” Summer conceded.

“Then let’s go,” I said as I started walking towards the dorm.

A new mystery was afoot.

Chapter 25

The majority of fourth-year students hadn’t returned to their dorms. It was quiet, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the feel of the place was being impacted by the fact someone had died just a few floors above. I knew that was silly and superstitious, but I couldn’t help but feel it. Even though we didn’t see Hail Storm, we kept quiet, fearing that we might alert him that we were following him.

I kept my ears on alert for any talking. The theory was that he was here to go into the deceased professor’s room, but there was always the chance he was here for a student. I never heard anything as we ascended the stairs to the top floor and finally came to the final stairway that led into the shadowy, open room. We all looked at each other and crept up the stairway.

The fireplace was unlit, though the curtains were still closed, making the room extra dark. I couldn’t see my muzzle in front of my face.

The fireplace suddenly ignited in a flash, and I jumped in shock.

“It’s just me,” Summer said, sounding exasperated. “We needed light.”

“Where’s your coltfriend?” Hannah asked as she looked around.

Summer looked around as well. “I don’t know. Maybe we were wrong, and he didn’t come here.”

“Or he’s hiding because he doesn’t want to get caught,” Hannah suggested.

“He wouldn’t hide from-” Summer began.

“Closet, there,” I interrupted, pointing to a closet door that was cracked just barely open. I had heard something move within just a second before.

Hannah bore a smug grin as she walked over to the closet. “Hiding in the closet? How predictable can you get? Come on out. We know you’re in there.”

“No, I’m not,” came the reply from within.

Bright gave the closet an incredulous look. “Come on, dude. Do ya really think sayin’ that was goin’ work? Now ya just embarrassin’ yerself. Come out.”

The door opened the rest of the way, revealing Hail Storm. There wasn’t much in the closet other than him, only a large closed trunk that Hail was doing his best to block the view of.

“What’s in the trunk?” I asked.

“What trunk?” Hail replied, raising his tail and spreading his wings to obscure our view of it further. Sweat was starting to appear on his head. There was a misconception on Earth that humans had the most sweat glands of any creature. They certainly had a lot, but two creatures exceeded humans in number of sweat glands per inch—ponies and their closest native Earth relative, horses.

Summer stepped forward. “Hail, what’s going on? Why are you sneaking into Psychic Calm’s office? Why are you trying to hide that trunk from us? What’s in it?”

Hail glanced back at the trunk. “It’s…it’s…”

“It’s something that doesn’t concern foals.”

We all turned to see Headmaster sitting slumped in the corner. I was sure he hadn’t been there just a moment before, but he looked like he had been sitting there for a while. He looked tired and sad.

“Hail Storm, you know better,” Headmaster said as he slowly got to his feet, using his staff for support.

“But, uncle-” Hail Storm said through tears.

Uncle? Headmaster was his uncle?!

“And you know better than to call me that,” Headmaster said with an exasperated shake of his head. He looked at the rest of us. “Keep that relation confidential, or I will be very displeased. Do not ask Hail Storm to explain it. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” we all hastily replied.

He looked back at Hail Storm. “Step out of the closet and close it. Those aren’t for you.”

“You don’t know that. Nopony knows until I-” Hail Storm protested.

Headmaster raised his staff and slammed the butt of it on that floor. “Enough! You are too young to try. It is improbable any would react to you anyway. Maybe in a few years, we can try, but that will not happen today. Now step away from the closet and shut it, or you will leave this school tonight and never return.”

Whatever this was, this was no minor issue. Was Hail Storm trying to steal something from Professor Psychic Calm? What did he mean by any would react? Any what?

Hail stood his ground. “It was unlikely any would react to you, but here you are. I should get my chance.”

“Eventually you will, but not now,” Headmaster replied. “Final warning, or I will be forced to tell your parents you have been expelled. Do not think you being my nephew protects you.”

Hail Storm reluctantly stepped out of the closet and shut its door.

“I know you are unhappy, but the slam was unnecessary and juvenile,” Headmaster chided.

“I am a juvenile, or so you want to regularly remind me,” Hail Storm said bitterly. “Would have really hurt for me to see? You said it yourself; none of them will probably react to me. Even if one did, I would be satisfied knowing it was waiting for me, and I could wait. If none did, then at least I would know that and be able to accept it. He was going to let me try.”

“I don’t know why he even revealed to you that he had them. I’m going to find a much more secure and secret location for them after today,” Headmaster said, sounding even more exasperated. They must have been talking about Psychic Calm, but I was still confused about what was in that trunk.

Hail Storm glared at Headmaster. “Do we even know they’re in that trunk? Maybe Psychic Calm was murdered, and they’ve already been stolen.”

“They have not; they were the first thing I checked when I found out he passed away,” Headmaster answered. He let out a long breath. “I see this is going to be a point of contention that will become too much of a distraction from your studies. You say you will wait and be patient if one reacts and that you will also accept it if none do. Do you mean that? Can I hold you to your word, or is your word worthless?”

“My word is good!” Hail Storm said, defiantly spreading his wings.

Headmaster gestured with his staff, and the closet door opened; the trunk levitated out and landed on the floor in the middle of the room.

“Then let’s end this distraction now,” Headmaster announced. “All of you present can gaze upon them and touch, and if nothing reacts, then it is done with, and there will be no questions. If anything does react, you must wait until you are ready for answers, although I promise those answers will eventually come. Do I have the agreement of all the foals here?”

“We don’t even know what’s being discussed,” Hannah protested.

“And you will know little more after today. Do I have your agreement that if anything reacts, you’ll be patient waiting for answers, and if nothing reacts you’ll put this matter to rest and never discuss it again?”

“Ah agree,” Bright said.

“Me too. I don’t want Hail to get in trouble, but this seems important to him,” Summer said.

I looked at the trunk and back to Headmaster. “I’m going to wonder what this is all about, no matter what, even if I keep quiet about it, but I promise not to discuss it or seek whatever is in that box out if I see it today.”

“Turnip, there’s a time an’ place to be honest and plain ‘bout that kinda stuff, this ain’t it,” Bright whispered.

Headmaster frowned. “You will be troublesome during your stay here, I can already tell. Still, that counts as your word, and I will accept it. If you break it, if any of you break it, you will not be attending this school any longer once I find out—and I will find out if it happens. You could blame my rash nephew for dragging you into this, but you stuck your muzzles where they didn’t belong, and you will be held to account if any word about what you discovered here leaks.”

He didn’t allow us to respond further before gesturing with his staff, causing the trunk to open wide. Hail Storm practically sprinted to it as soon as it did.

“So eager for what is likely disappointment,” Headmaster observed as he leaned against a wall. “Please be quick. I don’t want to be here.” He rubbed his arm absently. “It feels filthy being here. It feels like sacrilege. None of us should be here.”

I watched Hail rummage through whatever was in the trunk. He seemed to be taking his time at it, and there appeared to be multiple objects within, although I couldn’t see what was within. Headmaster could see with his human height, but he seemed only to be giving the objects within a minimal interest. He just looked uncomfortable, and his eyes were bloodshot. I believed him when he said he didn’t want to be here, and I wondered why he was here and not some other faculty member. Someone among the faculty must have noticed Hail Storm or us and said something, but why wasn’t one of them taking care of this? The obvious answer was that they didn’t know about this trunk, and Headmaster didn’t want them to discover it.

“Were you close to Psychic Calm, Headmaster?” I asked.

He looked at me and frowned. “You ask so many questions. It is none of your concern.” He looked at Hail Storm. “I think you have gone through everything in there at least twice, if not more. I saw no reaction. Now honor your word and forget about this.”

Hail dejectedly stepped away from the trunk.

“Your turn, Summer Blaze,” Headmaster instructed.

Summer jumped. “Me? I don’t know anything about this.”

“And once you have had your turn, you won’t have reason to wonder what’s in the trunk and try to find out,” Headmaster said. “Go check the trunk. Touch everything inside at least once. Step away if nothing happens after touching everything and let the next person take their chance.”

“And if something happens?” Summer asked worriedly.

“You’ll step away and agree to wait until I say you’re ready to find out more, which may be years from now,” Headmaster answered. “It is unlikely anything will happen. Take your turn so we can move this along and get out of here.”
.
“But why am I second?” Summer asked.

“Because I said so. Move it along,” Headmaster instructed.

Summer went up to the trunk and looked in. “It’s just a bunch of weird-looking white rocks.”

“Very astute observation. Now, touch every one of them so we can get this over with,” Headmaster ordered.

It only took her a few seconds to do as instructed. “Um…okay, I did that.”

“Now step away so Bright Pear can try,” Headmaster instructed.

“Ya remembered ma name!” Bright exclaimed.

“Your name is going to be mud if you don’t hurry up and take your turn,” Headmaster said with annoyance. “Touch every stone, and then let Turnip Jones try.”

Bright hurried and did as instructed. Nothing seemed to happen, so he stepped away from the trunk. It was now my turn.

I walked over to the trunk and looked in. There were indeed about a dozen odd-looking white stones thrown haphazardly within. They were all perfect alabaster white, and every single one had either rounded edges or straight lines for edges, but none seemed jagged or broken. None of them even looked like they were fracked or missing any chips. Shapes tended to be geometric but like they had been melted or flattened, and sizes ranged from no bigger than a pebble on the small end to about half the size of my head on the larger end.

Fearing I’d get snapped at for taking my time, I started touching stone by stone, beginning with the larger ones. I continued at a fast pace until I got down to three remaining stones, all small. Then, something happened as I touched a little one that looked like a bent pyramid.

“Damn it, Jones, why do you have to be such a troublemaker?!” Headmaster said as he hurried over to the glowing stone my hoof was touching.

I withdrew my hoof, and the light went out. “I just did what you told me to do!”

Headmaster looked even more annoyed as he bent down next to the trunk. “Indeed you did. Sorry for snapping at you; it was unfair of me. This is just another complication I would rather not have had to deal with and had honestly thought there was no chance I would be dealing with. Which one was it? Which one reacted to you?”

I pointed. “The bent pyramid one. It was also warm to the touch.”

Headmaster nodded and grabbed the stone, depositing it in a pocket within his robe. It never lit up or anything else as he handled it.

“I’ll explain this to you, I promise, but that won’t be anytime soon. It will likely be years from now, even if I have to track you down on Earth to do it, but I will explain it and give this stone to you when I do. However, you aren’t prepared to deal with this yet. Never tell anyone who isn’t currently in this room that this stone reacted to you. That goes for the rest of you as well. You could be in grave danger if the wrong people knew you had seen these stones. You, in particular, Mister Jones, would be in great peril if the wrong people found out a stone reacted to you. Guard that secret with your life because that may be what is at stake,” Headmaster said as he stood back up. “You don’t need to touch the others. Only one will ever react to you. Step away and let Hannah Moonbow take her turn. Hopefully, she won’t be as troublesome.”

I stepped away, thoroughly confused about why a rock lighting up when I touched it was a big deal. Hannah eagerly stepped forward to look within but frowned as she gazed upon the contents.

“I thought these might be artifacts of some sort, but they just look like normal rocks, and you need crystals to make proper artifacts. I never heard of it being done or possible, but are they artifacts made of intact geodes?” Hannah asked.

“Miss Moonbow, have you ever wondered what being last place in your class rankings is like? Just keep asking questions rather than doing what you are told, and you needn’t wonder,” Headmaster snapped.

Hannah gulped and immediately started touching the stones one by one. Her ears sagged as she touched the last one, and nothing happened.

“Artifacts are supposed to be my thing,” Hannah said mournfully.

“Forgive me if I sound like I don't care, but I don’t. Life is full of disappointments,” Headmaster said. “Off with you all now. I have to figure out where I am going to secure this trunk. Do not speak a word about these stones to anyone. I am willing to expel any of you that do—that includes you, Hail Storm, and don’t think for a second that your parents will be able to plead your case to me and make me reconsider.”

We all exited the room and returned to the next staircase before we dared speak to one another about what had just happened.

“What were you thinking?!” Summer demanded of Hail. “Stealing from Psychic Calm’s office? Are you insane?!”

“If a stone reacted to me, it would be mine, so it wouldn’t be stealing,” Hail replied.

“No, you don’t own any of those things. They were the dead professor’s…or the school’s…or…I don’t know, but they don’t belong to you,” Hannah said.

“How did you even know he had them? What are they?” I asked.

“So…we ignorin’ Headmaster’s threat to expel us for talkin’ ‘bout this?” Bright asked nervously.

“We aren’t talking about them with anyone who wasn’t there, and we won’t,” I replied.

Hail looked around as if confirming no one was around, then dipped his head and whispered. “I saw them being given to Psychic Calm. I knew what they were because I have seen them before. My uncle has one; it is embedded in his staff. The rest of that staff is just for show; all the power is in that little stone. It amplifies his magic power, and it amplifies it a lot. They only give their full power to one user, and that user is predetermined, but you never know who it is until the stone reacts with that user; anypony else trying to use one can only use a trickle of the power or none at all.”

“And you wanted to have your power amplified,” Summer surmised.

“I’d be the strongest magic student on campus if I had one,” Hail replied. His ears then sagged. “But none reacted to me. It was a tiny chance. They only react to one person each out of everycreature alive—ponies, humans, griffins, dragons, even diamond dogs, or anything else intelligent that can use magic…that’s billions of possible creatures with each stone. To have one react to you is like a one in a ten billion chance. I still wanted to try.”

“Which is why Headmaster was so confident that none would react to us,” Hannah said, then looked at me. “Except, Turnip turned out to be the one in ten billion chance. That’s unbelievable that happened. It seems like it would be an even lower chance than one in ten billion that one of those users would find their stone, especially since they were hidden away.”

“Unless somethin’ was pullin’ some strings,” Bright said.

I recalled something. “A while back, Professor Newman told me that Hannah and I had someone recommend us as students. She never said who, and it wasn’t clear why they wanted us here, only that Professor Newman took it very seriously. Could this person have known something?”

“No stone reacted to me,” Hannah reminded me, throwing a wrench into my theory.

“Kinda crazy that one of them stones found its way to Headmaster if the odds are that bad,” Bright observed. “An’ now there’s two that them stones found here at this here school, Headmaster and Turnip. What kind of odds are those?”

“Practically impossible,” Hannah said thoughtfully. “You’re right. There has to be some other force at work. Hail, are you sure they work that way?”

Hail nodded. “When my uncle got his stone, Princess Twilight was there on my dad’s ship, and I overheard-”

“Eavesdropped!” Hannah challenged. “This sounds like a conversation you weren’t supposed to hear.”

Hail shuffled in place. “Well, it’s not my fault if they didn’t do more to hide the conversation from being overheard by ponies below in the ship’s cargo hold.”

Bright looked around. “Like us? We’re talkin’ about this in a stairwell. Anypony could be listenin’ on a lower floor, just outta sight.”

Summer looked fearfully around. ”We need to end this conversation now! I’m not getting expelled over this. Headmaster will eventually explain it all to Turnip. We don’t need to figure it out.”

There were nods all around. I hated it, but she was right. I would get my answers, just not when I wanted them. I was going to have to be patient.

Still, for some reason, I longed to touch that stone again soon.

Chapter 26

We didn't talk about the stones anymore that day, and Hail Storm clammed his mouth shut when I tried asking him about how Headmaster was his uncle. He wouldn't even mention if he was his father’s brother or mother’s brother or if there was any other extended family or where they came from. It was pretty safe to assume that the parent was originally from Earth. That would line up with the earlier mystery about there being multiple ponies from China that those Chinese guys were looking for. If they, at some point, had those stones before giving them to Psychic Calm, that would be an incentive to track them down—at least, it made sense if China knew about those stones.

With no other means of getting information, it was off to the library to research.

I figured it would be easiest to research Hail’s mother since she was a Wonderbolt. There had to be some story about her in the library newspapers, but that quickly hit a dead end.

“You are looking for a Wonderbolt Reserve story in the newspapers?” Moondancer asked me in disbelief after I inquired about it. “There’s unlikely to be anything like that. The main Wolderbolt team is the elite of the elite, and part of why they put on so many shows for the public is to keep their skills in top shape for when they are needed to help fight for Equestria or tackle weather disasters. However, Wonderbolt Reserves are merely flyers who have demonstrated they are moderately skilled and serve as a militia force when Equestria needs them, and there are hundreds of them. While some of them do occasionally come in to substitute for a main Wonderbolt from time to time, most of them never see any action at all, aside from one or two training days at the academy every year or helping support the main team in dealing with some rogue weather or monster in their region. They’re typically only called on if an emergency is too much for the main Wonderbolt team, palace guard, princesses, or Element Bearers to deal with alone, which is rare.”

That wasn't very reassuring to hear. “Would there be a news story if she turned out to be from Earth?”

Moondancer shook her head. “No, it isn’t that uncommon. Of the twelve full-time Wonderbolts, one was born on Earth and migrated to Equestria at a young age, and two others had parents born on Earth. There are plenty of reserves with some Earthling heritage. Nopony would think it is worth writing a story about unless she did something that earned her infamy. They’d probably be quick to point out she had Earthling heritage then.”

I blinked. “Why’s that?”

Moondancer waved a hoof. “It is popular right now for newspapers to run stories critical of Earthling ponies due to the situation with the Everfree.”

“Situation with the Everfree?” I asked in confusion.

She adjusted her glasses. “Have you been living under a rock? The former humans that migrated here have upset the balance of the Everfree with their unorthodox methods of pushing the forest back so they can build homes.”

“What’s the Everfree?” I asked, feeling stupid for asking.

She gave me a flat look. “A forest.”

“Just a forest?” I asked, still confused.

She adjusted her glasses. “The Everfree is not like other forests; it behaves almost like a territorial animal rather than a location filled with flora and fauna. The Earthlings have stolen land from it, and their tactics make it fear them. It isn’t willingly going to lose acreage, but it isn’t willing to fight them, so it has started aggressively expanding in other directions, disrupting other communities. We have towns that are now regularly under assault from plundervines and timberwolves that have never had those kinds of problems before, and everypony knows it is because the forest is fleeing the Earthlings and their destructive slash-and-burn techniques.”

I decided it might be a good idea to keep the fact I’m from Earth to myself, at least around the locals.

I sat next to the librarian’s desk and sighed. “Okay, can you recommend any books about magic stones?”

She frowned. “I will need more details than that. Magical artifacts are an extensive topic. Or are you discussing gemstones used as power cores for an artifact?”

“Are there plain stones that can do that or ones that can grant a pony power on their own?” I asked.

Moondancer sat considering. “There are the Elements of Harmony, the Sunstone, Grogar’s Bell, and the Alicorn Amulet. I suppose the Crystal Heart might fall under that category as well. Those are all extremely powerful artifacts that are all single stones. I have some limited reading material on the Elements of Harmony and Crystal Heart, but the Sunstone, Grogar’s Bell, and Alicorn Amulet all fall under the restricted section, and what’s available for students on those subjects are little more than passing references.”

“Are they all made of the same material?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, I know a lot, but I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t even know what the Sunstone looks like, and there are conflicting references about what the Elements of Harmony look like. There isn’t much confirmed information about any of these things, including what they are made of. The best I can say is that the Alicorn Amulet, Grogar’s Bell, and the Crystal Heart seem to be all made of completely different materials, but that is only based on witness accounts of their appearance, not verified study, so I can’t give you an answer,” Moondancer said apologetically.

That wasn’t helpful, but I suppose all I could do was read the books for myself. “Alright, well, what books should I read to learn about all those things?”

She raised her head high and started listing. “History of the Two Sisters by Lofty Tome references the Elements of Harmony. Journal of Friendship by the Elements of Harmony extensively describes the Elements of Harmony, Crystal Heart, and passing descriptions of the Alicorn Amulet. Forbidden Artifacts by Arcane Black references Grogar’s Bell and the Alicorn Amulet but only briefly describes the purported powers of each, and by brief, I mean a single paragraph each. Late Unicornia History by Princess Blueblood the First Elder, written only two centuries after the fall of Unicornia and based on her family’s oral history, references the Sunstone’s importance to pre-Equestrian history. Prophecy of the Stars by Star Singer references the Elements of Harmony and Crystal Heart, primarily focusing on their weaknesses. History of the Crystal Empire by Topaz Gleam references the Sunstone in passing and extensively describes the Crystal Heart and its effects. Speculative Lost History Before Tamberlon, The Reconstructed Fragments of the History of Tamberlon, The Grogarian Era, and The End of the Grogarian Era, all written by Primal Passion, give multiple references to Grogar’s Bell and minor references to the Sunstone. The Discordian Era once again by Primal Passion—she had a thing for confirmed periods of history that were missing all of their written records, but she has done extensive archaeological study in the field—references the Elements of Harmony. When Ponies Were Livestock by Master Krik references the Sunstone; it is the only major work describing the deep pre-history of our planet that predates even what archaeology can tell us. History of the Tree of Harmony, by Twilight Sparkle, gives extensive descriptions of the Elements of Harmony and their effects. Gusty the Great, author unknown, references Grogar’s Bell and has minor references to the Sunstone—although I should note that that book is believed to be heavily fictionalized with the intent to entertain a younger audience with only kernels of truth, leaving it more as legend than history, despite it giving us most our tales concerning the lost first alicorn, Gusty the Great. Gusty’s Folly: the Rise and Fall of Skyros, by Dubious Draft, references the Sunstone and the Alicorn Amulet—but the sources for that book are as dubious as the author and are mostly conjecture with wildly speculative interpretations of ruins and ancient art, but is much more critical of Gusty than the mainstream stories present and is worth at least a read. The Biography of the Great and Powerful Trixie, by Trixie Lulamoon, has our best physical description of the Alicorn Amulet and only detailed contemporary description of its effects, but the author’s reliability is highly questionable. Journal of the Two Sisters by Princesses Celestia and Luna references the Elements of Harmony—but scholars believe that this work has been heavily edited and censored by Celestia over the centuries, and the early copies have been systematically destroyed—conflicting information from what we know when reading early references to it supports that theory. I wonder if the princess even remembers the truth of her erased history. Finally, Sunburst’s History of the Battles of Harmony gives extensive descriptions of the Elements of Harmony and their powers, as well as the most detailed scholarly study of the Crystal Heart. Most of these can be found in the history section.”

I stared at her for several seconds, sure I wouldn’t remember half of what she just said—unsure if I could remember any of that, before responding, “Is it possible you could write those down for me?”

She rolled her eyes, levitated over a quill and sheet of parchment, and began writing. It was probably a good thing she wasn’t a professor. She might know as much or more than most of the professors, but I don’t think any student could deal with her just dumping that much information on them at once and expecting them to remember.

I took her list and started looking for the books. It was easy to find most of them, except for the Gusty the Great book, which was in the section with common foals’ stories. I thought she’d said something about a lost alicorn, but it had a picture of a pegasus fighting a menacing-looking ram on the cover. It was the only book that had cover art.

Reading these books would take a very long time, so I just started flipping through the pages to determine the most leisurely read. Not surprisingly, it turned out to be the Gusty book, so I guessed I would learn who the heck Gusty the Great was. The following two most easy to read were the Journal of Friendship and the Journal of the Two Sisters. I decided that I would read one of those two next.

The book was short and only took about half an hour to read. The ram on the cover turned out to be the Grogar guy, and his bell stole magic from other beings. That didn’t seem to be what those stones were all about, so I decided I didn’t need to read up on Grogar’s Bell anymore. Grogar had ruled the entire planet sometime in the distant past, and it was his magic that had shaped ponies from dumb animals that were bred for food by prior intelligent races to intelligent creatures—although this seemed to be more accident rather than intentional, just his wild magic warping them from what they’d been. He’d reigned for a long time, and his magic had spread across the world, changing things so much that the world was unrecognizable from what had come before.

He’d been a real survival of the fittest type of guy, reveling in the creatures created by his magic fighting each other for dominance. What he’d never counted on was one of those warped creature types, the ponies, rising up and fighting him, and certainly not them winning, especially since they were scattered tribes who differed dramatically in magic, environments, and body types. Gustyy was the one who ultimately defeated him by taking his bell and casting him down off a mountain with a great wind the likes there had never been before, for no normal wind would dislodge the ram from where he stood. Gusty had been a pegasus, but defeating the mad ram had earned his ascension as the first alicorn. Gusty had then gone on to found the city of Skyros and ruled over all ponies in their first golden age—of which there had been four, the fourth of which we were currently living in. The first had been the reign of Gusty the Great; the second had been the early coalition of the three great tribes; the third had been the reign of the two sisters before Luna’s fall; and then, finally, the age marked by the return of Luna and the rise of Twilight Sparkle, Cadence, and Flurry Heart.

The Sunstone had been held first in Tamberlon, Grogar’s fortress, although he had taken it from someone unknown early in his rise to power. Gusty took it to Skyros after Grogar’s defeat. It was what controlled the sun and moon in ancient times, before the princesses and before the unicorns. It was beyond ancient; it was prehistoric, and no one knew who made it or where it came from, only that the planet would die without it controlling the sun and moon. Anything before Grogar existed only in myth and legend because all traces of those things had been lost during his terrible and long reign. It wasn’t even certain how long Grogar reigned. It could have been decades, centuries, or even millennia. All anyone was sure of was that it was long, and all that came before was lost…except the Sunstone. Considering Grogar didn’t want a dead planet to rule over, him making sure the Sunstone was safe was probably a good idea. This book didn’t mention what happened to the Sunstone after Gustu took it to Skyros or what it looked like. It didn’t say what happened to Gusty or Skyros either—only that there’d been a long dark age after the fall with tribes living in isolation from one another, yet the sun and moon still rose and set on their own.

Since I was learning Equestria’s history, I moved on to the Journal of the Two Sisters. It was a slightly longer read, taking me just over an hour to get through. This one said that the princesses had been the last refugees from the fall of Skyros, but a scholar's note stated that this entry was believed to have been edited more than once. It said early versions had been found, which also listed them as having been from Canterlot, and others still mentioned an unnamed village that has since been lost. There were also conflicting edits about whether they’d always been alicorns or not. It seemed that Celestia didn’t want ponies to know the truth and had altered her story more than once. Being from Skyros might legitimize their claim to power, so using that for a story made sense. There was no mention of the Sunstone or Grogar’s Bell, but it did talk about how they’d found the Elements of Harmony at the Tree of Harmony, growing right beneath their castle. The Crystal Heart was mentioned, but it was only mentioned as the heart of the Crystal Empire from which the Crystal Empire had been built. It also mentioned the unicorns having to raise and lower the sun before they began doing so, indicating something had become of the Sunstone, even if it wasn’t mentioned. It felt like I was skipping over a lot of history between the time of Gusty and the time of the princesses—at least centuries if not thousands of years.

The book also contradicted the claim they were refugees from Skyros by saying that the Crystal Empire was one of many pony nations that had risen after the fall of Skyros. It had been around for centuries before Sombra came to power, yet Celestia said she had just had her hundred and fifteenth birthday shortly before the battle with Sombra. Equestria proper had three of those other post-Skyros nations join together a hundred and twenty years before the battle—making Celestia younger than Equestria and much too young to have ever been to Skyros, which near as I could tell from these haphazardly written histories had existed two or three thousand years ago. Celestia must not have been very good at catching her continuity errors. I was surprised nobody called her out on it. The book did mention that it was Luna, not Celestia, who had been the Element Bearer for Honesty, so I guess that tracked because Celestia seemed to have an issue with that element. There were also notes that it was believed that large sections of the text were flat-out removed, not even revised, things Celestia wanted to be forgotten altogether. I kinda wanted to ask Luna what the truth behind all this stuff was, her being the honest one and all.

I looked at the Journal of Friendship. “Well, I guess I’ll finish my history lesson.”

“That is a fascinating selection of books you have before you.”

I turned to see who had spoken and fell off my stool when I saw Princess Luna standing there, gazing upon the books I had gathered. Her eyes were still bloodshot from crying, and I could tell she was forcing herself to try to socialize. She was trying to put on a brave face despite her grief for Psychic Calm.

She looked at the two I had already read. “Gusty the Great? I read that book as a filly. I learned the truths and the fictions of it later in life. And my old journal? Or, at least, a modern fabrication of it. I confess I find it an invasion of privacy to have so many ponies reading my private thoughts.”

I looked at the journal. Well, I had wanted to ask her.

“How much has it been changed?” I asked her.

She raised a quizzical eyebrow at me. “Changed? I have not read it in many centuries. I suppose the language may have needed updating if modern ponies were to read it.”

She didn’t know. Oh…poop…I did not want to stir up drama between the sisters.

Before I could say anything, the book lept off the table, held in her magic, and she began flipping through the pages, scanning the entries. She began to frown.

“I see,” she said as she closed the book and set it back on the table. “My sister and I will have to have a discussion about some of her creative edits and deletions. That so many entries were deleted does not bother me as much as you might think, for there are things there…mistakes I made…arguments that we had that I am deeply ashamed of. I think she may have done this as a kindness to me. Kindness was one of her elements, and it may have guided her in this. In the case of the arguments and some of her deleted entries, perhaps they are things she would just as soon forget as well. I will have to rub it in her face that she did so poorly at writing some of her fictions. Tia is as poor a playwright as she is an actor.”

“What's fiction?” I asked. “I kinda guess the Skyros thing-”

Luna smirked. “That one is obvious to any reader paying half-attention to what they are reading, but who among our subjects would question my sister? No, we have never set our eyes on Skyros, not even the ruins. We were born mere mortal ponies, orphaned at a young age, and taken in by Starswirl as his wards. Starswirl, despite his brilliance in many fields, had some strange ideas about genetics that were deeply wrong and best forgotten, and we were not only his wards but his test subjects. He did care about us—loved us deeply, don’t mistake that, but he had unfounded reasons for believing in our greatness compared to others. We became great because he pushed us and instilled in us the belief that we could be great, not because of who our parents were or our parents' parents; the potential was in anypony. I loved that cranky old mage; I’d prefer that he be remembered for his contributions to magic, his valor in fighting evil, and his love for me and my sister, not for his misguided and dangerous beliefs. I will not fight my sister’s edits, but I will have a long talk with her.”

A tear fell from her eye, and I felt guilty. She was trying to be pleasant and ignore how much she was hurting for her adopted son, and I made her think of another long-departed loved one.

She turned to look at the unread books, maybe trying to hide her tears from me.

“Such an odd collection of books. What is the connect—” She paused as if considering. “Oh…I see. I have not been forthcoming with you about why I came upon you, my little pony. Your headmaster informed me of your encounter, and I wished to see what kind of foal the item reacted to. I see you have an inquisitive mind.”

My ears flattened in fear. “You aren’t going to tell him about me doing research, are you?”

She shook her head. “I could hardly blame you for your curiosity. I can tell you that you will find no answers here, at least regarding what you’re searching for. I can only advise patience, just as he had. Your stone crossed unimaginable distances to find you; have faith that it will come to you again, in time, but first, you must learn and grow.”

“So, focus on my studies and do better at math,” I replied.

Luna stuck her tongue out in disgust. “I cannot stand the subject. Tia was always better with facts and numbers, while I was better with more abstract concepts. This is carried over to her students, who all possess encyclopedic knowledge of various subjects but tend to be less creative. Sunset Shimmer was an exception, a young mare who abounded in creativity, and I wonder if things would have gone differently with her if I had been her teacher instead of my sister—not that my sister isn’t an excellent teacher, just the wrong type of teacher for one such as that. My own much more limited number of students have been…well…let us call them…unorthodox—yes, that’s the word, and I am proud of every one of them. I hope you find teachers you form a strong bond with during your studies, for they can impact the course of life more than you know.”

“So you think math is less important?” I asked, hopeful of getting out of studying so hard for it. I also wondered how unorthodox she was talking about when it came to her students. I hadn’t ever heard of her having students. They must keep very low profiles.

She sighed. “It is important, and you should do all you can to excel in your studies, but that is not what I mean by grow. That object you stumbled upon is a reflection of its owner, yet it starts as a blank slate. What kind of reflection do you want it to be? You should be a good friend who knows kindness and empathy. You should develop a strong sense of right and wrong. It shall learn your nature, be it good or ill, so give it the best nature to learn. This is how you should grow. Worry not about what else it may be capable of or its origins; only worry about what example you will set. That is what is important.”

She talked about it as if it were a living thing. Artifacts were tools. They knew nothing about friendship and kindness and didn’t make moral judgments. They didn’t seek out their owners—owners who didn’t even know they owned the stone. Were those stones alive? Was this an artifact, or was it a baby?

“Do you have one of those stones, Princess?” I asked.

She shook her head again. “No, and I don’t know what I’d do with one if I had it, nor am I sure it would be good for me to have one. However, I did help in acquiring the trove we currently have. It was a unique experience. I will not give you further details on their origins or the full extent of their power. You are not ready to know. Focus instead on what I instructed.”

That was disappointing. “Well, thank you for sharing all that information with me. I was not looking forward to reading all these books. Most of the others seemed a little dry.”

She looked at the stack of unread books. “There is nothing wrong with learning about where we come from, although I wonder how accurate most of these would be at describing it. Much of our history has been lost to legend, and although I know the truth of much of it, I wonder if some things should remain forgotten if only to ease the pain. They say we should learn from history to not repeat mistakes, but I find that foolishness always finds a way. Even knowing the tragedies of the past, ponies will quickly march down the same path, believing themselves somehow above their forebears and not realizing that no matter how society may seem to advance, ponies never change. Ultimately, we are still those same primitive ponies huddled together in straw huts and caves, only now with more tools at our disposal. That is the true lesson of history.”

I smiled. “The world cannot go mad because it has always been mad.”

“A good turn of phrase,” Luna agreed.

I bowed my head. “Thank you again for sharing with me, and I’m very sorry for your loss.”

She turned away. “Thank you. He will…he will be missed. I must now take my leave. Stay out of trouble, Turnip Jones.”

I watched her walk away. Was she what I expected out of a princess? She seemed wise, knowledgeable, timeless, sad, and very forgiving. I guess that is what I would expect of a benevolent immortal being. I was still confused about the stones, but I believed her when she said I wouldn’t find the answers in these books.

As I got up and turned to leave, a throat cleared.

“Um-hmmm, forgetting something? Return the books to their proper spots,” Moondancer instructed.

I sighed. I didn’t remember exactly where those were. This was going to take a while.

Chapter 27

The sun was setting as I left the castle and headed back to the dorms. Equestrian sunsets weren’t like sunsets on Earth. They happened much more rapidly. It started with bright daylight, and then, in an instant, the hues of light would change, lasting for about a minute, sometimes two, as the sun rapidly lowered. Only the stars would give light a minute later, and a minute later, you would see the moon rapidly rise in the sky before simply seeming to hang in place. Some people on Earth believed the stories of the princess controlling the sun and moon were just things they told their subjects to control them, but those people had never seen an Equestrian sunset or moonrise.

I stood in place through the process. The sudden change in light often took time to adjust to, and ponies took longer to adapt to light changes than humans. It was best not to walk around half-blind while my vision was adjusting.

The area between the dorms and the castle was clear of ponies, even the road leading to and from the castle. Celestia usually ended her court and stopped seeing ponies for the day about an hour before sundown. That meant most of the parishioners were long gone, though I could barely make out dark shapes near the entrance, indicating the guards were still on duty.

I heard heavy echoing hoof falls on the road near the school, and I gasped as I turned to see what the commotion was.

It turned out to be no commotion, simply a carriage, but unlike most Equestrian carriages, this one was not drawn by a team of ponies but instead drawn by one massive horse—not a pony, a legitimate Earth horse. The carriage and horse had no rider, but the horse was led by a human, with a few other humans and ponies making a circumference around the carriage as it went down the road. I realized who they were; they were those elite bodyguards who had been at the funeral, and that meant that the cargo on that carriage was probably Psychic Calm’s body, now on route to the Crystal Empire and the portal back to Earth. They were taking him home to be buried.

“Hehe! Come here, Mister Butterfly! I wanna play!”

I turned again to see who was giggling; a little distance away was what looked like a much younger foal, gleefully jumping in the grass, trying to catch a black butterfly so big I could see it even at this distance. The light around where the foal was jumping and playing seemed brighter than everywhere else, although I didn’t see any light source. They were so far away that I couldn’t tell what tribe they were, yet something seemed incredibly off about the foal, which made my fur bristle, though I could see no signs of danger. Was the foal wearing a cloak? That was making it harder to tell anything about them. What foal goes outside in a full-bodied cloak?

As my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I looked to the left and right, scanning the area for the foal’s parents. Canterlot was generally a safe city, but leaving a foal alone after night still seemed wrong. There was no sign of anyone, just the now approaching carriage.

When I looked back at where the foal had been, there was no sign of them, nor did that area seem any brighter than the rest. That was strange. Where did they go? It was a big open field between the dorms and the castle, only broken by the road. Could the foal have crossed all that area to someplace else that quickly? I was sure I would have heard galloping if they had, but I could see no sign of them nor hear anything but the slow progress of the death carriage. I was confused, but my fur unbristled, which was good…I guess.

The foal was gone…I think it was a filly, based on the sound of her voice, but the carriage was approaching. I decided to wait and watch them pass by.

A human woman was leading the way of the grim group. She was dressed oddly, with bushy white furs around her shoulders and leather clothing dyed gold, white, and green. The multicolored leathers made me imagine they were made of the hides of slain ponies, though I doubted this was the case. On her head sat a crown of laurels adorned with a pair of wings like some crown of a Greek god. Her hair was long and golden, pulled back in a ponytail behind her. However, her skin was deeply tanned, as if she had spent a lot of time outside in the sun, yet I imagined it would be quite pale otherwise. She had no weapon on her that I could see, even though all her companions, even the ponies, seemed to carry some visible weapon ranging from knives in sheaves to guns in holsters. I took her to be the leader of the group. She certainly made herself stand out. One of the ponies came up to speak with her, gesturing towards me. She nodded before raising a fist, which brought the group to an abrupt halt. She then walked alone towards me as the others stood alert.

“Greetings,” she said as she stopped in front of me. “You are Turnip Jones?”

Something about this woman reeked of danger, even if she was unarmed and strangely dressed, and even more dangerous than her armed companions. She wasn’t tall for a human or even tall for a woman, but she was still tall enough to tower over me like a giant and close enough to me that towering over me was the appropriate way to describe it. She was thin, yet muscular, based on what I saw of her clearly exposed arms and thighs—I suppose athletic would be the best way to describe her. Her eyes were blue and held no warmth or mirth, only cold judgment. I had no idea how, but I felt like it would be easy for her to hurt me if she chose to do so. She carried herself as if she was ready for an attack at any minute and supremely confident she could put down any attacker.

I couldn’t help myself. I stepped backward before answering, “Yes, that’s me.”

She stared down at me as if weighing everything there was to know about me by my appearance. “You were staring at an empty field just a few moments ago. May I ask why?”

“There was a young filly playing in the field…though it could have been a colt; I didn’t get a good look,” I replied, uncertain why she was curious. “They were completely cloaked, and no sign of their parents. Didn’t you see them?”

She looked out at the field. “That field, just a few moments ago?”

I took another step back. “Yes, ma’am.”

“We are always on the lookout, and all our eyes are good. We also have a pony with us who has exceptional night vision. None of us saw anything. Could you have been mistaken? A trick of light?” the woman asked.

Her questioning whether I saw what I saw made me mad, and I stepped forward. “I’m sure. She was laughing and playing as she jumped at a black butterfly. I heard her voice clearly.”

She frowned. “A black butterfly? That’s interesting. I will have to consult with my employer about that. Have you seen this foal before or the black butterfly? I would be most interested in hearing about the latter.”

“I suppose I may have seen a black butterfly at least once in my life before this since butterflies come in all kinds of colors, but it isn’t anything I would normally see, and I’m certain I never saw that foal before,” I answered, wondering why the butterfly and not the foal was the interesting part. “Why are you asking me about this?”

“Curiosity,” the woman bluntly answered. “I think we’ll meet again, though it may be a while before we do since I have no reason to be in Equestria for a while. However, your school games will bring you back to Earth starting next school year, which brings opportunity. I’d like to hear if you end up seeing anything like that again when next we meet.”

“Who are you, and how do you know my name?” I asked.

She smirked. “How I know your name should be obvious for a pony with a cutie mark like yours, and you will be included in my report. My employer sees far, but their gaze does not extend to Equestria, so it is good to tell them about curiosities we happen across. They’re always interested in hearing about oddities, and you, Turnip, are an oddity. My name isn’t important for you to know, and I have come to guard my name as closely as my employer guards theirs, but I can tell you I have recently risen to be the captain of their Elite Guard. Do not worry; I mean you no harm, nor does my employer.”

I gave her a nervous smile. “So, the weapons and everything are just for show?”

She shook her head. “I cannot claim we never have to get violent, nor can I claim my employer’s deposition is always gentle, for no one would employ people like me and certainly not my comrades if they didn’t expect there to be blood spilt, but I can say that they are virtuous…even if they appear mad as a hatter sometimes.”

“Mad as a hatter? What does that mean?” I asked in confusion.

She frowned again. “Ask your human teachers about that terminology. I have tarried too long. I recommend that you hurry back to your dorm. With Psychic Calm gone, I expect the wolves to begin moving in, perhaps quickly. However, our duty is to return Psychic Calm to Earth and not become embroiled in the conflicts of other parties, so we will not be staying to aid you. Still, I hope we meet again under more pleasant circumstances.”

“One last question before you go!” I said hurriedly as she was turning away.

She turned back towards me. “Yes?”

“What’s with the gettup? Why are you dressed so odd?” I asked. I felt silly for asking, but it was such an odd outfit.

The woman sighed as she picked at her clothes. “I told you, my employer sometimes seems mad as a hatter. They decided that I needed to stand out when on official missions, especially ones that may be diplomatic. I personally find this uniform beyond absurd. I think they were going for a valkyrie aesthetic, but it is just so…never mind. I made my objections, and they were heard and overruled—other than toning down a few elements that would have interfered with my freedom of movement. I must now swallow my pride and wear it. Anyway, have a good evening. I have a body to return to Earth.”

I watched her walk back to the group with the carriage. Valkyrie? I had no idea what that was. Well, that was how I’d refer to her since it was shorter and more catchy than her job title. She was Valkyrie, captain of the Elite Guard, and hopefully, it would be a long time before I saw her again. Why the butterfly? What was significant about that?

It was easy to guess she must have spoken with either Headmaster or Princess Luna and learned about me, which meant she was aware of those stones as well. It seemed a lot of people knew about these stones. Then again, these guys entire lives revolved around protecting guys like Psychic Calm, so they’d probably be informed about anything involving them, including Psychic Calm having those stones and what they were. They weren’t hanging around to protect the stones, despite implying that people would come looking for them without Psychic Calm guarding them. That meant even more people knew, and not all of them were friendly—if this counted as friendly. If that was the case, I probably didn’t want to have my stone in my possession. That must be why they said I wasn’t ready.

Maybe I should learn a little more about defensive magic. This was starting to seem very dangerous, and I didn’t even know what the stones did other than enhance my powers and learn my nature. What did that even mean? What powers did I have to improve? My earth pony strength? I suppose being a little stronger might be nice, but strength was overrated. Plenty of ponies would still be way stronger than me, even if my strength were enhanced, and physical strength wasn’t much of a weapon if anyone wanted to use it for that. It required me to be right up next to something, and I could still struggle to move something if I didn’t have proper leverage or secure enough footing. There were my other earth pony powers for growing things, but mine were relatively weak, not useless, but weak. I could keep a plant healthy longer than I should be able to with minimal care and maybe get it to grow in poorer conditions than were ideal, but that wasn’t very special; any earth pony could do those things. I was utterly unremarkable in the magical sense. There was that one thing I did back when I surged during the rainboom, but that was completely defensive, not something anyone could utilize for anything else and crave to take unless there was some use for making myself as stiff and rigid as a statue that I wasn’t thinking of—beyond occasionally avoiding getting hurt by something that should have done severe injury. I doubted it compared to a proper unicorn shield spell, especially since it immobilized me. I couldn’t think of any power that stone could grant me that anyone would be desperate to get. What had Psychic Calm been doing that protected the stones? A frail old pony like that didn’t exactly make an imposing defense.

I looked around nervously, thinking more about what she said about wolves closing in. I didn’t know who the wolves were, but I suddenly wanted to return to the dorm surrounded by my friends. I quickly hurried on my way.

Chapter 28

I woke up and saw sunlight.

“Crud!” I shouted, rolling out of bed.

I got to my hooves and looked at Bright’s clock. Professor Newman’s class had already started. I was late, very late. This was not going to do my ranking any favors. Why hadn’t Bright woken me up?

After hastily gathering my books into my saddlebag, I rushed out the door. I wouldn’t get any breakfast, but if I ran fast enough, I wouldn’t completely miss class.

“Why the frantic pace, dear chap?”

I stopped and saw Red standing just outside his door, looking curiously at me.

“I need to get to class. Are you just skipping?” I asked.

Red smirked. “I appreciate your enthusiasm for learning. It is an inspiration to us all, but you seem to have forgotten that we were given the day off.”

I sat down. I had forgotten. Now I felt like an idiot.

“Don’t feel bad, chum. We can all get disoriented when first waking up. It should incur no shame,” Red said cheerfully.

“I suppose you are right,” I agreed. “Thanks for not laughing at me.”

“I admit, I did have the slight temptation, but I was able to restrain myself from doing such a thing as it would be in poor taste,” Red confessed, looking down in shame.

Well, at least he hadn’t laughed. “So…why are you standing out in the hallway? Avoiding your sister?”

He shook his head. “No, dear sister has currently left the room vacant so she can go study in the library. I am hoping to come upon our comrade, Lunar Light. You see, he has shown surprising deftness in our combat magic class, struggling only against dear sister, who can hold him at bay by sheer magical brute force. I…well ..I am embarrassed to say I have not shown the same aptitude. It is my aspiration that he can help me get around a particular block I seem to have. However, our classmate is a slippery fellow, and it is quite difficult to determine where he may be at any given moment. He is not currently in his room, and nopony is aware of where he may be…as per the usual. I determined the best course of action is to stand vigilant, studying in the hall, for whenever he inevitably returns to his room.”

Going to the library was getting crossed off my list of things to do today. If Prim was in the library, I was going to avoid it.

“Have you seen Bright, Hannah, or Summer?” I asked.

Red pointed at the room at the end of the hall. “Hannah and Summer have sequestered themselves in their room. Our kirin friend seems quite distressed this morning, and Hannah is attempting to raise her spirits. As for our Apple friend, I believe he is with Onyx and Rocky. Coach Scootaloo is doing an unofficial buckball tournament today in hopes of raising student morale, so the trio may be competing. Twilight is studying with my sister.”

“Twilight’s with your sister?” I asked in shock. “I’d have thought he’d be too lowborn for her. She’s made fun of him.”

“That was before she knew he’s heir to a major shipping business. It’s new money, but it's still a potential business relationship worth fostering. My sister may have a foolishly narrow view of who is worthwhile to have good relations with, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t going to put in an effort when it is obvious enough to get through her thick skull,” Red explained, barely keeping the contempt out of his voice.

I wanted to march to the library and tell Twilight that Prim was only willing to be his friend for his money…or future money, but that meant having to deal with Prim. I’d talk to Twilight some other time.

“Hmm,” I replied. “Maybe I’ll see my advisor after getting something to eat.”

Red shook his head. “I would not recommend that today. Professor Applebloom and Professor Sweetie Belle seem quite swamped with students needing counsel. The CMC founders are doing all they can to care for students today in light of the recent passing of our aged professor. As for the other professors, nopony seems to know where Headmaster, Inkwell, Newman, or Stockman are; Neighsay and Luster Dawn are performing routine maintenance on the school defenses since the year is getting late and we haven’t had our inevitable yearly crisis as of yet. Somepony mentioned that Glitter Drops decided to take the free day to visit relatives.”

I blinked. “Are you Equestrians really that serious there is going to be some villain or monster attack every year?”

Red shrugged. “Some years get missed, but it is normally like clockwork, and a missed year usually ends up with multiple such issues the next. I am told the Element Bearers are on high alert. There is the situation down at the Everfree that has been growing steadily worse. Perhaps that will qualify, and we can escape any trouble locally. If so, it wouldn’t be the first time the crisis turned out to be the Everfree deciding it was not satisfied with its allotted territory on the map and rapidly overran nearby settlements. While I hope all goes well for those ponies, I confess it would be a relief if nothing happened to Canterlot this year.”

It would be a bigger relief for me if it wasn’t the Everfree because if it was the Everfree, then many people would be pointing at Earthlings to blame. I didn’t even think referring to those ponies as Earthlings was fair. They’d been in Equestria for over thirty years, and many of them were born in Equestria. They may have Earth heritage, but at this point, they should be considered Equestrians. However, their actions made actual Earthlings, like me, look bad.

That still left me to figure out what to do. Should I try to figure out what was happening with the fillies? Maybe I could try to see what Neighsay and Luster Dawn were doing. I wouldn’t be able to find out how the defense operated, but they might tell me some things. I could go try to get brunch since I missed breakfast. I could also try to find out anything about that filly I saw last night since that was weird and caught Valkyrie's attention. I could also watch the buckball tournament and give my classmates my support.

“Well, I hope nothing happens this year, and the Everfree thing works itself out,” I replied, turning towards the end of the hall. “I’m going to see what’s going on with Summer, though I already have an idea. Good luck with finding Lunar. He should have a cutie mark in disappearing.”

“He does seem accomplished at that,” Red agreed. “Good luck with your own endeavors. Give our kirin friend my warmest greetings.”

There were voices as I approached the door. Should I listen in before knocking? It might let me know what I was walking into. No, Red was watching, and if he told them I had listened, they might get mad.

“Hello? Hannah, Summer, are you there?” I called out as I knocked.

The door opened, revealing Hannah’s scowling face. “Why are you yelling?”

I stepped back. “Just announcing myself. I didn’t know it was going to be a big deal.”

“Summer has a migraine, so try to be a little quieter,” Hannah said, face softening slightly.

“Oh, sorry,” I replied. “Sorry, Summer.”

Hannah leaned forward and whispered, “I think she’s trying too hard to hold her anger at Hail in check. It is literally hurting her. She needs to blow off some steam, but I don’t know how to safely do that without someone getting caught in an inferno.”

I looked her in the eyes. “If that’s the case, aren’t you afraid of getting caught in an inferno?”

“I’ll be fine,” Hannah assured me. “Stockman installed a sprinkler system and fire extinguisher, and Professor Glitter Drops taught me how to make a shield to protect myself from extreme temperatures—I can’t hold it for long, but I only need to hold it long enough to get out of the room. The professor also did something to the walls, floor, and ceiling to make them fireproof—that doesn’t protect all our stuff in here, but the dorm won’t burn down if Summer has an incident.”

“And Summer is okay with all these extra precautions being taken because of her?” I asked.

“She’s the one who insisted on it,” Hannah said, glancing back into the room. “You know she is worried she’d hurt someone if she gets mad, and she doesn't want to accidentally hurt me or anyone else in our dorm.”

“But trying to bottle it up is hurting her,” I reasoned. “So, we need somewhere she can let it all out without doing any major property damage or damage to people.”

“Yeah, but I don’t have any ideas. This is Canterlot. There’s nowhere she isn’t in range of something or someone she can burn. Kirin typically live in small communities near caves and rivers where they can safely get away from everyone if they need to blow their tops. Big cities and kirins don’t mesh well,” Hannah said, looking glum.

I looked around. “Well, what if we just got out of the city altogether? A day trip to somewhere else?”

Hannah looked at me like I was stupid. “We can’t do that without an adult. Who would take us?”

“Spring Fling?” I suggested. “I mean, Summer’s mom has to understand better than anyone Summer needs to get somewhere she can just do an angry scream…followed by a big blaze. She’d also probably have some ideas on where to go. It isn’t like she never gets angry, and her blazes are probably much worse than Summer’s, being an adult and all.”

“I’m not sure Summer would be happy running to her mom for help,” Hannah said skeptically.

“She’ll be less happy with a migraine or blowing her top around campus,” I countered.

Hannah sighed. “Fair enough. You go try to find Spring and I’ll try to convince Summer this is a good idea.”

She shut the door, presumably to focus on Summer. That left me to try to figure out where Spring was at—even though it was deep into fall. Okay, that might not have been the best joke.

I walked back towards Red, who was reading a book. “Hey, since you seem to know what everyone’s up to, do you know where Spring Fling is?”

“Not with absolute certainty, but I am aware that all the groundskeepers were previously aiding Coach Scootaloo in setting up an impromptu tournament field,” Red answered. “I do not know if they have completed their undertaking, but they may still be in the vicinity of the grounds even if they have finished.”

I nodded and smiled. “Thanks, Red. How do you find out so much about what people are up to?”

He grinned. “I simply inquire about the comings and goings of those I see, and ponies oftentimes inform me not only of their affairs but also of others. Casual conversation is an excellent tool for such things. For anypony who wishes to rise up the social stratosphere, that pony must keep abreast of what those around them are doing and maintain a good rapport with as many others as possible. It is no great skill, just sound wisdom and the power of pleasant conversation. We are at Celestia’s School of Magic, formerly the School for Gifted Unicorns, and most who graduate here will go on to fill key roles in the government or other critical areas. It is in the best interest of all who attend to be cordial and in good repute with each other—something dear sister may never understand.”

There was one pony Red was failing to do that with, his sister, but he had clearly established himself as her rival, so I guess that was to be expected. I wondered if he got along with her friends. From what I’d seen of her so-called friends, they likely wouldn’t stand up for her. It was kinda sad. I’d feel bad if Prim didn’t go out of her way to prove she deserved it.

Still, for all Red’s charm and demeanor, After interacting with him for months, I had a feeling that underneath it all, he wasn’t too different from his sister, and all his smiles and friendliness were just an act. It came from the way he looked and behaved towards his sister. Even though she was terrible, she was still his family, and anyone who treated their own family, their twin, like that would certainly have no trouble treating anyone else worse. I detested Prim but believed her when she spoke about her brother. With Prim, the contempt for others was on open display, and there was at least some degree of honesty that came with that. With Red, there was a wolf in sheep’s clothing going on. I’d rather trust the wolf outside the coup that showed me they were a wolf than the one inside the coup pretending to be just another chicken. I was perfectly fine being friendly with him and was wary of calling him out on his nature, but it felt like a good idea to keep him at a distance and never discuss any sensitive information near him. I wondered if anyone else saw what I saw. I also wondered if Red knew I saw through him. Prim sucked at chess, but I had a feeling her brother was a different story, and I didn’t want to be facing him.

I kept my smile on. “Sounds like good advice. Thanks again for the information.”

He bowed his head slightly. “Pleased to be of service.”

Author's Note

Not a lot of feedback, on the you decide, but I may give Turnip a turnip later on.

Chapter 29

“Now arriving in Ponyville! Please make sure you double-check that you take all your belongings!”

“Come on, Summer Wummer! We’re here!” Spring said as she practically pranced in the aisle.

Summer gave her mother a dirty look. “Mom, please, no Summer Wummers! I’m not five anymore!’

Spring’s bouncy demeanor dissipated. “Sorry, Summer. I’m just excited to be going on this trip, just you and me-”

I cleared my throat, and Hannah just stared.

“Well, you, me, and your friends,” Spring corrected. “Come on, this will be fun!”

Summer silently got up from her seat. Hannah and I also got up. Hannah put on her saddlebag. I hadn’t bothered to bring mine, nor had Summer. Spring’s ears sagged as she gathered her saddlebag and put it on.

I looked around as we got off the train. The train station dock was surprisingly big compared to what was supposed to be a small town. There were a pair of ticket booths and at least a dozen benches to wait for the train to arrive. Many ponies were getting off the train, and just as many were getting on. It wasn’t just ponies; several humans were walking around, a griffin, and several other species I couldn’t identify. They were the minority, but they stood out. Nobody even batted an eye at seeing a pair of kirin get off the train.

“The map is over here,” Spring said as she trotted to a billboard with two large maps. One looked like a map of town, and the other looked like a map of train stops across the continent.

“Why do you need a map?” I asked. “Haven’t you been here before?”

“Oh, it’s been years since I was last here, and the town has grown. We want to get to the sanctuary quickly, and I could have us wandering the town for hours if we were going off my memory,” Spring explained as she looked up at the town map. “I know the sanctuary is on the edge of town, or at least it was, but I want to find the shortest path to it.”

I looked at the map momentarily, seeing many locations that didn’t mean a thing to me but were marked as notable landmarks. It didn’t take long to spot Flurtershy’s Animal Sanctuary. It may have been the edge of town at one time, and it technically still was…on two sides of it. The town had grown past one side of it and there was an arrow pointing off the map saying to New Eden, which had to be the Earthling settlement since no Equestrian would name a place that. There was a lot of town between the You Are Here label and the sanctuary.

Hannah stared out in the distance. “You know, I didn’t get to see much of the Crystal Empire. It and the portal station back on Earth were the only things that made me feel like I was on a whole other planet than Earth, but looking at that just gave me a big reminder.”

I followed her gaze and saw a big building made out of crystal shaped like a tree. It must have been a good distance away, but it still towered over everything else in town by several stories. It did indeed look like something you could only find on some alien planet.

In the old days, people imagined alien civilizations as super-technologically advanced things with an understanding of science that made Earth look like something out of the Stone Age. Then, people started to hear tales of what they were really like. Those super-technological civilizations had existed…in an early stage of the universe before Earth had even fully formed. Something had happened to them, wiping them all out. After that, they never advanced to what we would consider the industrial age, and even Equestria, before first contact, would have been considered unbelievably technologically advanced, the zenith of what could be done. Earth was the most technologically advanced planet that supported life. Humans were the most technological civilization. With that in mind, people started reimagining life on alien worlds after finding all that out, and I had to agree with Hannah that crystal tree building was the first thing I’d seen in months that drove home the idea that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

"That’s Twilight’s castle,” Spring said as she stepped away from the map. “Thing doesn’t just look like a tree; it grew from the ground like a tree. It’s somehow tied to the Tree of Harmony, but nopony told me how. Anyway, I figured out the shortest parh to the sanctuary. Fluttershy’s got a nice little stream that flows through there where Summer can take a dunk in when she goes nirik.”

It seemed to me that there were closer places that we could have gone if the goal was just to dunk Summer in water. This trip might only be a sneaky way for Spring to visit the sanctuary.

It still took us a while to cross the town. Ponyville turned out to be a bustling tourist hub. There had been crowds everywhere, especially around Ponyville’s more odd-shaped buildings. It was made worse because they’d apparently just elected the first new mayor in decades, and the new mayor was giving her victory speech mixed with some lifetime achievement award for the very elderly previous mayor outside of town hall. The old mayor was in attendance and looked ancient. I think I heard something about ninety years of service. How did a town keep the same mayor for nearly a century? Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised. My hometown had the same mayor for the last thirty years; if he kept running, I could imagine him being mayor for the next thirty years. Whether it was a small town or a big city, career politicians always stayed in office forever.

The sanctuary had a big ivy-covered wall that ran along the town side. I suppose that made sense to have. They didn’t want wild animals wandering into town or people wandering into the sanctuary. Still, it was a little intimidating.

“This wall is new,” Spring said as she stared up at the top of the wall. She looked left and right. “There’s got to be an entrance around here somewhere.”

Summer took a deep breath before waving at a nearby earth pony stallion. “Hey! Do you know where the entrance to this sanctuary is?”

The pony pointed off to the left. “‘Bout a block down that way—big Jurassic Park doors, ya can’t miss ‘em.”

Summer looked confused as he walked off. “What do Jurassic Park doors or blocks mean?”

“They’re Earth references. I’m guessing he’s originally from Earth,” Hannah explained.

We weren’t far from the Earthling settlement. It was just beyond the sanctuary on one of its sides. Its residents probably walked to Ponyville because of how close it was.

“So…how far is a block?” Spring asked.

“Not far,” Hannah said as she started walking in the indicated direction. “It isn’t an exact length, but it will be a minute, three at most if we keep walking that way.”

It turned out to be just over a minute of walking before we came up to a massive pair of wooden doors with a smaller wooden door inside one of the doors. They were big doors, but they weren’t that impressive, and there was no sign or anything to declare this the animal sanctuary. I was honestly a little let down by it. They must need big doors for moving big animals.

Spring went up to the smaller door, but before she could knock or push on it, it swung open, and some weird snaggletooth goat thing stuck its head out.

“I’m sorry, visiting hours end in twelve minutes. Fluttershy and I have a date for tea,” the thing announced. “You’ll need to return after teatime is over.”

“But my daughter needs somewhere secluded she can go nirik!” Spring protested.

The thing gave her a sympathetic look. “That sounds too bad, and believe me, I might normally be up to seeing a kirin turn into a fire monster and terrifying a bunch of wild animals as that could lead to so much chaos, but dear Fluttershy might not like that, and I try to avoid upsetting her. Why don’t you take her to that insufferably boring speech Diamond Tiara is giving? I’m sure a pony catching on fire would liven that up a bit. On second thought, hold off on doing that. They might ask Fluttershy to help calm the panic. That would seriously interfere with teatime.”

“What the heck are you?” I asked.

It looked at me, its eyes widened, and then it frowned. “Someone else will have to explain who I am to you because I see you and what’s connected to you, earth pony, and you look like trouble I don’t want to get involved with.”

Spring raised an eyebrow. “Trouble you don’t want to get involved with? You?! Since when do you avoid ponies who look like trouble?”

“How do I even look like trouble?” I asked in exasperation. People always accused me of being trouble, but this was the first time someone said I looked like trouble.

He gestured vaguely in my direction with a paw. “I mean, you have both Harmony and the Story digging their little tendrils into you, which would normally make you interesting. I like messing with anycreature that they’ve latched onto. The Story usually doesn’t even mind that I’m doing it since the Story understands there’s nothing worse than being boring, and it also is always fun to mess with Harmony’s playthings, even more so because I think Harmony gets annoyed, and that’s extra fun. These fillies also have connections to those two, but unlike them, there’s a third force connected to you. It gives me the shivers. I’m uncomfortable being near anyone it connects to, so I’m ending this conversation now. Please leave and don’t come back. Good day, sir!”

The weird goat thing slammed the door shut.

“Oh!” his voice called out from the other side. “The rest of you can come back in an hour and a half to resolve that whole nirik issue, but not the troublesome earth pony. He needs to scamper off somewhere else, preferably far away, or back to Earth...and then off to someplace I wouldn't visit like Kansas or something. Toodles!”

We all stared at the door for several seconds before anyone spoke. Did he know I was from Kansas or was that just a coincidence?

“Um, I’m not up on everything Equestrian, but I’d put money on that was Discord,” Hannah said, wide-eyed. She then looked at me. “And he really doesn’t seem to like you. What did you do to make a god of chaos not like you?”

“I don’t know,” I answered. “Are you sure that was Discord?”

Spring nodded. “Yeah, that was definitely Discord. I met him last time I was here. He and Fluttershy are kind of a thing, I think. He normally is ready to terrorize anypony for his amusement, though it is mostly harmless, but he seems to want to avoid you. I’ve never heard of him deliberately avoiding anypony. What’s so different about you?”

“I don’t know,” I repeated.

“He said Harmony and the Story have their tendrils in you…in all three of us,” Summer said. “I know about the Tree of Harmony and the Elements of Harmony, so I guess there’s some bigger thing that actually is Harmony, but what was that about a story?”

“I think that’s Earth’s equivalent to Harmony, the thing the Storytellers can tap into, but I don’t know much about it,” Hannah said. She looked at me again. “Do you know?”

I shook my head. “I really don’t, but he didn't seem to care one bit about that. He was worried about some other thing, that thing that scares him, but I have no idea what that is.”

But I did have an idea of how it got a connection to me. It must have gotten a connection when I touched that stone, and it lit up. I knew a little about Discord from reading the Journal of the Two Sisters, and he didn’t seem the type to be scared of anything. He was practically a god. If he was scared of whatever had formed a connection with me, and he was that powerful, how scared should I be of it? I promised to wait for answers, but it looked increasingly like I needed to know what I had accidentally gotten myself into.

Chapter 30

Since I was not welcome at the animal sanctuary because I made Discord nervous, I was left to wander Ponyville by myself. How wise it was to let a twelve-year-old wander around an unfamiliar town by themselves was highly questionable, but this was Equestria, and Equestrians had different ideas about these things.

I wanted answers, and there was a giant crystal tree that had the princess who knew more about magic and strange artifacts than anyone else.

It took a little while to get there, but it wasn’t that difficult, considering anyone could see it from anywhere in town. It made it easy to tell where I was in town no matter how I wandered about. I was told Skytree was like that, just look at the tree and you’d know where in town you were.

There were ponies taking pictures outside the castle. They were using old-style cameras, really old ones with flashes that weren’t phones, like the ones that would have been used back on Earth nearly a hundred years ago. Equestria was weird when it came to technology. They had access to Earth technology, easy access, especially since companies on Earth were eager to expand to Equestria, and Equestria had abundant thaumically active materials that sold for extremely high prices on Earth, even in small quantities. I had seen on the map that Ponyville had a gem mine. That one little gem mine was probably worth all the oil fields in the Middle East combined because those were thaumically active gems. Ponyville’s residents could be living like kings and queens, but trade with Earth was limited, especially when it came to Equestria’s rich resources. Of course, I was only going by what Hannah had told me. Hannah cared much more about that kind of stuff than I did. Still, if she was right, it was kinda strange they didn’t sell more to Earth and buy more advanced technology with the proceeds.

I walked up to the doors, and not knowing what else to do, I knocked. The tourists seemed shocked. Did I just do something wrong?

The door cracked open and a pink earth pony mare with a purple mane stuck her head out.

“Princess Twilight has no scheduled appointments for today. State your business,” the mare said gruffly.

“I was hoping to ask the princess for help regarding a magical artifact, or maybe get access to her library to research if she wasn’t available,” I replied.

She frowned. “Name?”

“Turnip Jones,” I answered.

“Name of the artifact?” she asked.

“I don’t know what it is called,” I answered.

“Do you have it with you?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Brief description of the artifact’s appearance and known abilities?” the mare continued.

“Are you able to help me?”

“I’m noting all information to present to the princess and she will decide. I repeat, a brief description of the artifact’s appearance and known abilities?”

I sat down and made some gestures with my forehooves. “Um, a stone, pearly white, about this big, and it is shaped like a bent pyramid. It glows when I touch it but not when others touch it. I don’t know exactly what it does, but someone mentioned it will enhance my abilities and learn my nature.”

“Are you researching out of academic curiosity or do you have a pressing concern regarding the artifact?” the mare asked.

“Um, both?” I answered.

“What is the pressing concern?”

“I’m concerned it might be dangerous, and I was told that others may want to steal it, but wasn’t told why. Oh, and Discord is suddenly afraid of me, but I can’t confirm it is because of this stone, but it is the only unique thing I can think of that I have a connection to that might make him afraid.”

The mare raised an eyebrow at me. “Discord is afraid of you?”

I nodded. “He said I had something connected to me that gave him the shivers and made him nervous, but he didn’t elaborate. He sent me away and told me to stay far away from him.”

“Well, that’s a new one,” the mare replied. “Alright, wait here while I go find out if the princess will meet with you.”

“Oh…you don’t have a messenger or something for that?” I asked, a little surprised.

“The princess keeps a very small staff. It is me, the pony who cleans, and the royal book putter-upper,” the mare answered.

“Don’t you mean librarian?”

She shook her head. “No, I mean book putter-upper. The princess has a habit of leaving books scattered everywhere and she needs somepony to put her books away. Likewise, I’m the pony who interviews ponies at the door rather than a guard because the princess doesn’t like the idea of having a guard.”

That would explain the lack of uniform. I wondered if she called the maid a maid or just the pony who cleans.

The not-a-guard-but-very-much-a-guard left and I waited. A few of the tourists started taking pictures of me. Perhaps Princess Twilight didn't get that many petitioners and me being here was a rare occurrence. That didn’t bode well. That meant she must only deal with urgent matters, and I would hardly call my issue urgent.

As I was bracing myself for disappointment, the door reopened, fully this time.

“The princess has agreed to see you,” the not-guard announced.

The tourists took more pictures of me, and all the flashes were slightly blinding. The flashes were enough to make me hurry inside. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust after the camera assault, but when they did I was left questioning them. We were in a large room that was larger than the base of the tree. Furthermore, it had doors that didn’t line up with any exit outside, which indicated there was even more to this already impossible floor. Oh, and there were windows, because of course there were windows when there were no windows visible outside.

“The Earthlings call the castle the Tardis Tree, and talk about somepony called Doctor Who, and things called police boxes, though I don’t understand the meaning of any of that,” the not-guard explained, noticing my shock. “You have an Earthling name, do you understand it?”

I shook my head. “Might be an old-timey reference. I don’t know what that means.”

“Pity,” the not-guard said, sounding legitimately disappointed. “Oh, well, follow along. The princess is in the fifth library.”

“How many libraries are there?” I asked.

“Twenty,” the mare answered, and started walking towards a door. “Don’t worry, library number five is close by.”

We went through one of the side doors and a short distance down what looked to be a ling hall there was an open door. Within, Princess Twilight was seated at a table with a massive stack of books, reading one of them.

The princess looked up as he entered. “Hello there! Turnip Jones, was it? Jones sounds like it is a name from Earth. Is that where you are from, or are you from New Eden?”

“I’m from Earth. I’m the first earth pony attending Celestia’s school,” I answered.

“Oh! Applebloom had mentioned to me she had an earth pony student. I am pleased to meet you!” Twilight said cheerfully. Her smile then slipped. “It seems you are also the foal that had one of the truestones react to him. I wasn’t given the details about who it was, but it must have been you by the description that you gave my attendant.”

I finally had a name for the stone, a truestone. The fact that the princess knew about the incident and what they were called, and was willing to tell me at least that much was enough to get me excited.

“I never intended to touch the stone or go looking for it. I-” I started, but Princess Twilight held up a hoof to silence me.

“I understand. Headmaster made an error in allowing you all to touch the truestones, one he has already apologized for to me and the other princesses,” Princess Twilight said. “What’s done is done, and can’t be undone. We just have to accept it happened and adjust to it.”

“What is a truestone? And why is Discord afraid of me?” I asked.

“I honestly don’t know why Discord is afraid of you. Although, he hasn’t actually had any contact with Truestone owners that I have observed. Truestones could be considered a force of absolute order, or at least, a fragment of absolute order. If so, that might make anything focused on chaos uneasy,” Princess Twilight replied, although most of that seemed to be her speculating to herself. “As for what a truestone is…that requires some explanation. Do you understand how thaumically active materials work?”

I shook my head. “I only know you can do magic with them or turn them into artifacts.”

“That’s true, if a bit simplistic,” Princess Twilight agreed. “Thaumically active materials have trace amounts of thaumic matter, that’s concentrated thaumic energy. By trace, I am talking about particles, not even the size of atoms. We as magical creatures also have these particles in us. They are what allow us to utilize magic.”

“Not even the size of atoms?” I asked in confusion.

She nodded. “Not even the size of atoms. Now, a truestone is different. The entire thing is concentrated thaumic energy, one big piece of it. It is one of those particles of a colossal size and scale. It radiates thaumic energy on a large scale as well. That trunk you found them in was no ordinary trunk. It was a device that hid that thaumic radiation. Due to the level of thaumic energy they radiate, they can enable the casting of very massive spells.”

“Which is why people would want them,” I concluded.

She nodded again. “They are very dangerous if the wrong person obtains them. Fortunately, only their owners can utilize the Truestone’s full strength, but anyone can utilize some of the strength of a Truestone, even if not the owner, and even at diminished power, they are still extremely powerful. This gets further complicated if a truestone ends up finding its owner and building the bond. It can cause the truestone to be…how should I put this…it can cause the truestone to be disagreeable with anyone who tries to use it in a way the owner wouldn’t approve of, actively resisting use or refusing to work. They aren’t alive in any traditional sense, nor do they communicate, breathe, eat, or reproduce, but the ones that find their owners have personalities, and their personalities reflect what they learn over time from their owners.”

“And why did this stone decide I was its owner?” I asked, surprised that we were talking about these stones like they were able to make decisions…maybe they could.

“It didn’t decide, it came into existence to be your truestone. In theory, everyone has a Truestone, waiting to find its owner. It's just that almost none of them will ever be united with their truestone. The truestones come from someplace VERY far away, and have to be found and brought here. They have no method of traveling on their own. There’s no easy way to reach where they come from, and acquiring those ones you saw was a major undertaking that isn’t likely to be repeated anytime soon. In terms of probability, the majority of those ones we have will still never find their owners.”

“Headmaster did say something about that,” I replied. “But mine found me, and one found him. So something seems weird about all of you saying they can’t find their owners.”

The princess’s ears sagged. “You’re right. It does defy the odds, and I have no idea how it is being done. It isn’t just you and Headmaster, there are others that were acquired that found their way to their owners, two of them on the very expedition to get them! There’s an intelligence at work, and we don’t understand it or its intentions. Given what has already happened, I wouldn’t be surprised if every single truestone we obtained ends up finding its owner at some point, even though that should be statistically impossible.”

“And you don’t want them to find their owners? What’s wrong with them finding their owners?” I asked.

“Finding their owners can lead to unlocking their full potential, and that’s dangerous,” Princess Twilight said nervously. “The longer a truestone is with its owner, the more its power is unlocked to be utilized by the owner. If the wrong type of person is the owner, they can do horrible things on a massive scale with their truestone. Also, someone can force a more benevolent owner to do things for them. This is why you aren’t to ever let anyone know you have bonded with a truestone. There are people out there who would not hesitate to try to capture or coerce you into doing their bidding. The truestones are dangerous enough if the wrong people get them while still not finding owners, they are far more dangerous if they have an owner and that owner is doing the bidding of someone vile or is someone vile.”

“That explained what Luna said to me,” I replied. “She wants a good owner for the truestone, someone who wouldn’t use that power for selfish purposes. It would also make the truestone resistant to anyone else trying to use it for the wrong purposes because it would refuse to do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Princess Twilight smiled. “That’s very perceptive of you. That’s good, because that means your truestone will become perceptive as well, and more aware of someone trying to misuse it.” Her smile slipped again. “Still, sorry for saying this, but you’re very young and your personality and beliefs haven’t fully solidified. I, like her, believe it’s best to keep you separated from your truestone until you’ve grown up a bit more. You’re also far more vulnerable than an adult, and we don’t want anyone foalnapping you and trying to force you to do things for them. You need to focus on friendship, being a good pony, and maybe pay a little extra attention in any class that might help keep you safe from harm, all while keeping information about the truestone to yourself. Can you do this for me?”

“Where do they come from? Can’t the bad guys just go get more of them from wherever you got them?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No, when I said very far away, I meant it. They’re from your universe, but not your planet, and the planet they’re from is extremely far away, even by outer space standards. It took a spaceship with an alicorn powering it to reach it and return. They don’t have the kind of tech that went into making that ship and they don’t have that kind of power to get it across multiple galaxies. I doubt we will be making any future expeditions since it’s a massive undertaking and the planet, though uninhabited, has perils that are threats to even alicorns.”

What?

“How did you even know about this place, or the stones, or how to make the ship, or how to get there?” I rattled off in rapid succession. None of these details made sense.

She smiled. “We had an informant and guide who isn’t likely to be friendly to anyone trying to get the truestones for malicious purposes. As for why we got them, that’s something I’m afraid I’ll have to keep the full details from you for now. All I can say is there is something big coming in a few years, and we need every resource we have available to deal with it. The Elements of Harmony, alicorn magic, and all of Earth’s technology are not going to be enough on their own for this threat. Don’t worry, we have a plan, and the truestones are a small but important part of that plan. This is a colossal undertaking and will require humans and ponies working together with all their talents and ingenuity to succeed. You may be called upon to help when the time comes, as may many of your friends, and the details will be given to you then. You should hopefully be grown when that happens…if our calculations are right. If they’re wrong…well…let’s hope they aren’t.”

“And I suppose I’m supposed to keep that to myself too, even though my friends may be called to help as well and putting themselves in danger,” I said, more than a little angry.

She gave me a sad look. “Turnip, everyone is in danger. If we fail, that’s it, no more Earth, no more Equestria. Everyone’s life is at risk. What is coming is a threat on a level that neither Earth or Equestria has ever faced, and I have faced a lot of potentially world-ending threats. I know how serious this is. Whether you and your friends help or not, failure means the end for everyone. There will be no one hero if we win, it will be a collective effort, but that still requires all our best and brightest doing their part. We have a better chance of success the more we have working people to save us. Any single person’s participation could mean the difference between victory or defeat.”

I stepped backward. “And they might come for me if they know I have a truestone connected to me?”

“No,” she answered. “What’s coming doesn’t care about you or your truestone. People that might want to hurt or control you are motivated by greed, ambition, or desire for power. I call those types the villains of the year. They’re definitely bad guys, and a threat to be taken seriously, but they are ultimately in as much danger as everyone else. What’s coming is motivated by unwavering hatred. It doesn’t particularly care about you, me, the book-putter-upper, or anyone else; we are all equal targets, and equally just ants to be squashed. Me and my friends can’t overcome this foe on our own. You have to keep this secret, we can’t let fear of what is coming overwhelm us. The more people know, the more chance panic can spread, and if there’s too much panic, it can hinder our efforts to stop this. Please, promise me you’ll keep this private, at least for now.”

My ears sagged. “Why are you telling me then?”

“Because I am trusting you, and unlike your friends, you can’t seem to leave well enough alone,” she answered. “Also, unlike your friends, you have a truestone connected to you, and that is a valuable resource we need. I’m unsure if your friends will be called upon to help or not, although I suspect they will, but you definitely will be. Knowing that, I feel you are owed at least some limited explanation. You went seeking answers, so you’re getting them, and the burden that comes with knowing. Let your friends live a little longer without that burden and just be happy foals learning their lessons in school. The harsh reality of what is coming may upset that innocence all too soon. Don’t worry, they won’t be unprepared. The change in administration that occured at your school this year was no accident.”

I could see it. They placed a truestone owner in charge of the school and a spymaster who was very picky about who to admit as the admissions counselor. Luster Dawn was a student of Princess Twilight’s who had fought major villains in the past. They gave us the CMC founders to help us foster close friendships. They gave us someone with direct ties to Princess Celestia’s government in Raven Inkwell. Neighsay kept the illusion that everything was school as usual since he’d been involved with education administration for years, but they didn’t put him in an administrative role. Baxter Stockman had lots of knowledge about Earth tech which could be important if human tech was also a part of this. Psychic Calm was the one who had possessed the truestones and was one of Luna’s adopted descendents. As for Glitter Drops…I didn’t really know much about her, but I’m sure she contributed to the overall goal as well. Everything helped prepare me and my classmates for the coming conflict without being overt about it.

Looking down, I answered. “Alright. I’ll keep it to myself, for now.”

“Be the best friend you can be. Take time to appreciate your friends and know that we are fighting for everyone, including them. I have work to get back to. My aid will show you out. It was nice meeting you, Turnip.”

As I was leaving, I had continued to think about how everything was being carefully planned, and wondered why had I, an earth pony from Kansas, been included as part of that plan long before they realized I was going to be the owner of one of those truestones? I could find reasons for each of my classmates being there, but I made no sense.

The only answer that was plausible was someone had known one of the truestones was mine and had put me in a place to come in contact with it. Newman said that someone had said I might be important. Who could have known, and if even the princesses had no way of knowing who owned what truestone, how had this person known? Newman was unlikely to reveal her source, so I saw no way of finding out.

I’d keep the secrets I was entrusted with, but I was going to be watching the faculty closely with a new perspective on what was really going on.

Author's Note

Another week having worked 60 hours. I am very sore and tired.

Chapter 31

I waited by the train station for Summer, Hannah, and Summer.

Trains came every twenty minutes, loaded and unloaded for about ten minutes, and then were on their way again. I only saw this happen twice, but the pony who walked back and forth checking tickets let me know when I asked. Ticketmaster, is that what those people were called? People boarding and leaving the trains seemed to be fifty percent tourists and fifty percent residents. coming and going for whatever reason. Did they commute to work? Did ponies here have a lot of free time for travel? It was interesting to see how many there were, and I could easily tell which were residents and which were tourists. Tourists practically announced themselves with how much they gaped, the cameras they carried, and the pamphlets they were constantly looking over. Even the ones who didn’t do these things or have these things could be picked out with only a little observation. They would look around as if trying to get their bearings on where they were, meaning they were unfamiliar with the area.

While watching the second train offload, I blinked and watched as none other than Professor Newman got off. Was she here to collect up students, namely me and my friends, who were taking an unauthorized trip away from campus? Was I about to get a lecture and another round of detention?

Professor Newman looked around, but it wasn’t the same type of looking around that the tourists were doing; she wasn’t looking around to get her bearings; she was looking at people, looking for someone in particular. That didn’t bode well at all.

Her gaze passed over me, and I was sure she had to have seen me. I was sitting on a bench and there wasn’t anyone particularly close to me to cause me to be lost in the crowd. However, her search through the crowd continued despite that, not even reacting to my presence. That should have been a relief, but I felt annoyed instead. She saw me and didn’t even care.

Professor Inkwell stepped off the train a moment later, joining Professor Newman. She smiled and seemed happy, contrasting Professor Newman’s usually stern or stone-faced demeanor. Professor Inkwell exchanged a few words with Professor Newman and then began looking at the crowd as well, again seeming familiar with the town and instead looking for someone. When her eyes passed me, she smiled wider, waved, and spoke excitedly to Professor Newman. Professor Newman gave me another glance and a passing disinterested wave before resuming her search for whoever it was that she was looking for. I guess they weren’t here for me or the others. Neither of them attempted to come over and engage me in conversation, and after initially waving at me, excited to see me, Professor Inkwell resumed her search of the crowd. I was less annoyed at this because she at least acknowledged my presence and took the time to wave.

A pale blue unicorn mare with a white mane came galloping over to them and, of all things, hugged Professor Newman—or at least Newman’s legs. To my shock, Newman bent down and gave the mare a proper hug; she even gave a warm smile. Newman smiled at times, but it was never warm, more like amusement or being smug. While they were hugging, Inkwell’s smile slipped into a frown as she watched the pair, but the smile returned as the unfamiliar unicorn and Newman finished their hug. What was that about? Inkwell never displayed any sort of prejudice about humans and seemed to go out of her way during her off time to spend time with Newman, so it seemed strange she’d be annoyed at a human and a pony hugging. Maybe she didn’t like the mare for some reason and didn’t want Newman to know.

Newman seemed to make introductions between the two mares, and the pair gave each other hoof bumps and what looked like polite greetings. There was no sign of the previous displeasure on Inkwell’s face. I still had no idea what that had been about, but it did let me know one thing about Inkwell, she knew how to perfectly hide what she was feeling, and sometimes the mask slipped.

Seeing the two professors away from a school setting was interesting. Was this just getting together with a friend, or was this making contact with one of Newman’s many sources? The way Newman hugged the mare and smiled suggested this was a close friend, but it was hard to imagine Newman having close friends. She didn’t seem the type who was willing to open up to anyone like that. Maybe it was a ploy because she knew I was watching. I could believe that.

“Hey, Turnip!”

I looked behind me to see Summer and Hannah running up to me, with Spring Fling following behind at a more leisurely pace.

“Hey,” I replied. “I didn’t see any animal stampedes. Did everything work out okay?”

Summer nodded, smiling. “Yes! Miss Fluttershy is familiar with kirins and knows how to keep me isolated from the animals so I wouldn't upset them. I didn’t even need a dunk in her stream. She had a sandy area away from everything else I could release all my pent-up anger without burning anything.”

“She a little bit of glass. No blue flame, though,” Hannah added in.

“I think that only happens under special circumstances,” Summer said. “I haven’t figured those out yet.”

“But you will, I’m sure. My filly can figure out anything!” Spring said as she reached us. Summer gave her a weak smile.

“So, what have you been up to, oh terrorizer of Discord?” Hannah asked.

I shrugged. “I went to Princess Twilight’s castle. I figured she might have a clue why Discord got nervous around me.”

“How’d that go?” Hannah inquired.

“She saw me but wasn’t sure why Discord was nervous around me, but she was interested in seeing the earth pony student at the school. Applebloom had apparently mentioned me,” I answered. All those things were true, even if I left out more significant revelations. I felt terrible for doing so, but I would keep my promise.

“It’s great that she even saw you,” Spring said. “I heard she tried admitting anypony to come see her before, but she got overwhelmed with ponies asking her advice about every frivolous little thing. She wanted to help, but it was too much for her. Now only a few ponies get admitted into her castle. It’s quite the honor to be seen.”

“Yeah, I had to go through a sort of interview to be let in, but not any worse than the first time going to the library at the castle,” I said, slightly chuckling. “Did you three see Professor Newman and Professor Inkwell?”

“No, are they here?” Hannah asked, looking around.

I pointed in the general direction I saw them go. “They got off the train and went that way with some mare. I know they spotted me; Inkwell waved.”

“We didn’t see them. They must be visiting a friend,” Summer replied.

Spring shivered. “I don’t like that pair.”

I blinked. “Why not?”

Spring gave herself a shake. “They always come up to me together, asking why this or that isn’t done yet. I’ll sit there explaining myself while Professor Newman just stands there, looming over me like some monster. Then I get nervous and start rambling, and she keeps standing there, looking at me like the school is about to fail and it is all my fault—the school is in no danger of failing; that’s just the way she makes me feel. Anyway, I keep rambling and starting to sweat, and then Inkwell will always swoop in and tell me she understands and I’m doing an excellent job, then Newman will ask how Muss Pretty Purrface is doing—like I’d tell her!”

“Why not?” Hannah asked. “Maybe she likes cats.”

“For dinner!” Spring exclaimed. “I won’t have my precious kitty get eaten by her! You’ve seen Headmaster. Humans eat critters!”

“Um…humans don’t typically eat cats,” Hannah replied. “They keep them as pets, just like ponies do. In fact, I’ve never seen Professor Newman eat meat. She might be a vegetarian. Some humans are.”

Spring shook her head. “I still don’t trust her. She could be just waiting for the chance for fresh kitty meat.”

Equestrians had strange ideas about humans.

Author's Note

Short chapter to wrap Ponyville up.

Chapter 33

After sitting through a lesson on differential equations that seemed to slow down somehow time to stretch a single hour into nine—or at least that was how it felt to me, we finally got to ask Professor Inkwell about who could be making me see things and why.

I sat in front of Inkwell, her horn glowing as she stared into my eyes.

“I do not see any trace of magic that would only impact your vision. Are you sure this was localized to you?” Inkwell asked as she continued to search my eyes, for I didn’t know what.

“The rest of us ain’t seen nothin’,” Bright confirmed. Hannah and Summer nodded in silent agreement.

She frowned as she let her horn’s light wink out. “Hmm, let me think. Come over here, Bright Pear. I want to see if a spell was cast to shield you from seeing an illusion. It is a more advanced tactic that could have been done, which requires simultaneous spellcasting of multiple spells, but it is an alternative explanation. It is also something that I wouldn’t expect any first-year student, even a strong one with an affinity for illusion magic, to be able to pull off. Only one of our fourth-years or a graduate could manage it, talented ones. This would be well beyond what any of your classmates are capable of. It would take careful planning, even for me, to manage a set of spells that elaborate. Still, let me check for it. Never rule anything possible, even if unlikely, out until you test for it.”

Bright did as instructed, and Inkwell relit her horn while examining his eyes. As she did, I reconsidered my earlier assumption that this was a case of Prim trying to mess with me. While I was willing to believe Prim had more talent and skill than the average member of our class due to her private tutoring before coming to this school, the idea that she could do something that even Professor Inkwell would have to put a great deal of effort into seemed somewhat far-fetched. It also seemed to be far too much work for a simple prank. I might not have been the most industrious of ponies, but I doubted even the hardest working students at the school would ever put so much work into trying to make me believe I was crazy and seeing things. @as it Discord? He was powerful enough to pull it off and he didn’t seem to like me, but he also seemed to want to avoid me altogether, and messing with me like this was not avoiding me. He’d mentioned forces that had connections to me, with me having a force that wasn’t connected to Hannah or Summer. Could this third unknown force be at work? Why did it even care about me?

Inkwell released her magic. “There’s nothing.”

“Ya’ve got pretty eyes,” Bright said.

Inkwell smirked. “Thank you, young colt, but the compliment isn’t going to get you any bonus points in my class. Anyway, I think we can rule this out as any traditional illusion spell.”

“What can it be then?” Summer asked.

“Is Turnip just delusional and seeing things?” Hannah asked. I gave her a dirty look for that, but she ignored it.

Inkwell looked at me, frowning slightly. “Has this happened before—you seeing something that others did not?”

There was one thing.

“The other night I saw a filly playing with a black butterfly in the fields just outside the campus,” I answered. “Those people who were taking Psychic Calm’s body back to Earth were passing by, and one of them asked me what I had been staring at. After I told them, they said they never saw the filly or butterfly. They seemed more interested in the butterfly for some reason after I told them what I had seen. This was right after sundown that night.”

“They were more interested in the butterfly?” Inkwell asked, seeming confused.

I nodded.

“I’m not an expert on Earth culture, flora, and fauna. Do butterflies, black or otherwise, have any special significance on Earth?” Inkwell asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not that I know of. A butterfly is just a butterfly,” I answered. I looked at Hannah to see if she knew, but she just shook her head, seeming as confused as I was about why it was an important detail.

Inkwell sighed. “Perhaps Charlotte—Professor Newman—might have some idea what the significance of that is. She is familiar with more obscure knowledge that covers fields those bodyguards may be interested in.. It isn’t that important to this discussion anyway…at least…I don’t think it is important. The important part is that there was another instance of you seeing something that others didn’t. I have a theory on what this is, but it is a field I lack knowledge about. I have a feeling that there’s no current member of the faculty that is going to be particularly helpful with this if my guess is correct. I only know of three ponies in Equestria that have any real familiarity with the field. There may be more on Earth, but I’m not familiar with those ones. It will take me time to get in contact with any of them. Two of them are very busy and the third I’m unsure of the current whereabouts of…or if they are even still alive…I assume they’re alive since they’re a few years younger than me and there would have been news, even if it only got gossiped about for a only a day, if they’d passed away. They’re seclusive, but not that seclusive. Maybe Professor Newman or Moondancer knows where they are. Neighsay might as well. He personally instructed her back when he was last teaching regularly. It's been decades, sixty or more years, but he does tend to keep tabs on anypony he personally instructed. I know he followed my career, so I’m sure he followed hers.”

“What do you think it is?” I asked eagerly.

She shook her head. “I prefer not to say until I consult with one of those ponies. I’m out of my depth when discussing it and may be only considering it because I am so unfamiliar with it. For right now, you need to hurry on to your next class. Be prompt in getting to lunch as well. I know there should be some major announcements today. I’m not even sure about what all the details of those announcements are myself.”

Bright, Summer, Hannah, and I all shared a look. Bright gave a shrug which Hannah quickly mirrored. There was nothing to do but wait for lunch.

Professor Neighsay’s class wasn’t particularly interesting. I couldn’t talk about the truestones with him, despite the fact it would probably earn me a lot of brownie points with him considering he was so fascinated by Headmaster’s staff..I’m sure he would love to know that it wasn’t the staff that was important, but the small stone that was embedded somewhere within the staff and that one of these stones had decided I was their special person as if the truestone was a pet.

So I slugged through his lecture, taking notes, before being dismissed early once again.

Using my free time before lunch, I decided to check out the hallway again, to see if I would see a different setting again. After nearly half an hour of walking up and down the hallway and checking every crevice for any type of device or artifact that might have triggered a spell, I was no closer to understanding what had happened. I had no idea what had triggered it. If it happened once, there should be some way of making it happen again, but I was clueless about the how.

Lunch time came, and I was among the first in the cafeteria. This wasn’t the first time this occurred, but what was odd was Headmaster wasn’t in the cafeteria. I was fairly confident that he was almost always the first to arrive. He seemed to make it a point to see all the students come in. Why he made a point to do this, I didn’t know. Headmaster had a lot of odd eccentricities, and even after a few months of observing him, I knew barely anything more concrete about him than when I started. I hadn’t even figured out where he lived yet, something I had managed to do with just about all the other faculty—at least where they lived in general, like I knew the CMC founders commuted back and forth from Ponyville every day, most of the professors had houses somewhere in town, Stockman lived with his tribal community in the Canterlot mines, and Newman actually seemed to lodge in the castle for some reason. Where Headmaster went when he wasn’t at school was a mystery to everyone. No one ever saw him leave campus, but there were times he was gone. He likely teleported in and out, but to where was unknown.

I got my lunch and took my normal place at our table. More students had been drifting in while I was getting my food, and a more considerable stream began as I sat down. The next student to join our table was Hail Storm, who didn’t sit at his normal spot. He sat across from me.

“Hi, Turnip, how are you?” Hail asked in a singsong voice.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “If you want to know how Summer is doing, you can ask her.”

“But she hasn’t talked to me since the other night,” Hail said pleadingly. “Is she still mad?”

I shook my head. “She went and took some time to go nirik yesterday. I don’t know how she’s feeling after that. Ask her, and take some time to apologize.”

Hail cowered in his seat. “She went nirik?”

“She’s a kirin. They do that when they get mad. You knew she was mad,” I said dryly.

“She hadn’t gone nirik earlier when she was dealing with me,” Hail countered.

“She was holding it back because she has self control. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially you, or do any property damage,” I countered back. “Just talk to her. I don’t think she would appreciate you asking all her other friends about how she’s feeling instead of asking her directly,” I looked at the door of the cafeteria. “And it looks like she is coming in now, so you’ll have your chance.”

He looked and cowered again. “Hannah’s with her.”

“So?” I asked.

“Hannah will criticize me,” Hail explained.

“And avoiding Summer is going to make her feel better?” I asked. “Hannah’s going to be around her a lot. They’re roommates and best friends. You have to deal with it. Why are you so afraid of Hannah? Where’s your pegasus pride?”

Hail grimaced and retreated back to his normal seat as Sweetie Belle went to the normal spot for making announcements. “Students! Please keep the noise down as you are getting your food and taking your seats.nI have several important announcements to give.”

A few more of our classmates were already starting to take their seats at our table. Bright took his next to me.

“First off,” Sweetie Belle said. “Headmaster will be gone for a few days to assist a pony in a certain sensitive magical matter. He instructed me to take care of his duties while he was gone…which apparently includes dishwashing. So, if you are being sent to the Headmaster’s office for anything you are to find me instead. The other members of the faculty know when I’m teaching and won’t send you to me when there’s a schedule conflict.”

Sensitive magical matter? What did she mean by that? Perhaps he was moving the truestones to a more secure location. I guess that also settled the question of who the vice headmare was if Sweetie Belle was taking temporary charge.

“Next, the headmares and headstallions of several schools will be visiting tomorrow and staying for a few days as we make plans for the upcoming magic games. I will introduce them to you during lunch tomorrow so you know who they are,” Sweetie Belle continued. “I need every student to be on their best behavior. We don’t want to embarrass our school in front of the heads of the other schools. You should know that for most of these school leaders this will not only be the first visit to our school that they have made, but also their first visit to Equestria. You are representing not only our school but our entire world, remember that. Some of them may stop to speak with you as they tour. Be respectful and try to answer any questions they may have…with the exception of anything that may be sensitive information—that last applying primarily to the fourth-years. Still try to be respectful when explaining you can’t discuss those things if they come up.”

Fourth-years had access to sensitive information? What kinds of sensitive information? Sensitive to who? If some of them were expecting to move into government positions after graduating they might already be assisting or interning with them, and that might give them limited access to some government secrets. I suppose I technically had access to sensitive information when it concerned the truestones. Did Professor Sweetie Belle know about them? Were there other things than the truestones the school was protecting?

“Next, I know some of you who were in the dream magic classes were wondering who would be instructing you now that the teaching position is vacant,” Sweetie Belle continued. “We’re still considering our options for a permanent replacement for Psychic Calm, and we are compiling a list of potential candidates and it may take some time before we start interviews. In the meantime, Princess Luna has graciously agreed to substitute. I am unsure if she will be available outside of class for any assistance, as she has plenty of other duties to take care of, but this still should be an exciting opportunity for those of you taking those classes. Remember, this is not permanent. It is only lasting until we have found a proper replacement.”

There were a few excited mutters from over near the third and fourth year tables. Dream magic must not be available for second-years. It certainly wasn’t on the first-year list of classes. I knew Luna had personal students, so it wasn’t shocking that she would be willing to teach. I could understand the excitement of having an alicorn princess for a teacher, but I wasn’t jealous…at least, not very jealous. Sadly, there was almost certainly going to be a new dream magic professor long before I had a chance to take the class, probably before the school year was out.

“Lastly, Princess Flurry Heart may be at the school on and off for the next few days. While she is not the headmare of the Crystal Empire school of magic, she is deeply involved with it, as a pet project of hers, and she will be accompanying her appointed headmare on the tour. While she is head of a client state, she is still a princess of Equestria, and you should be extra respectful of her,” Sweetie Belle said, seeming uncomfortable. “Be respectful even if she makes some…disparaging comments about the school. Her school is freshly established. For those of you who saw many of your classmates exit this year in the scaling back of our class sizes, you may see them again during the games…as part of Crystal Prep Academy. Flurry Heart was quick to establish a large student body by poaching our former students and faculty. She wishes none of you ill, and cares deeply for your well-being, but she believes heartedly in the old ways when it comes to education, is wary of how many things are being introduced from Earth so quickly. She worries that what makes Equestria be Equestria may be lost in all this rapid change and is doing what she thinks is right to maintain our culture. Don’t let her comments upset you. Consider it a difference of opinion. That is all the announcements, please enjoy your lunch, and be prompt in getting to your next class.”

My friends had joined the table while Sweetie Belle was talking.

“Doesn’t the Crystal Empire control that there portal to Earth? Why does Flurry Heart keep it open if she don’ like Earth stuff that much?” Bright asked in confusion.

“I don't think she dislikes Earth. I think she is just worried about keeping our culture,” Summer explained.

“And she can control what comes in better by controlling that portal. That’s probably part of why so few Earth goods make it into Equestria. She isn’t stopping it altogether, she sees the value, but she’s throttling it,” Hannah said.

“I heard Princess Celestia agrees with her, and only changed what goes on at our school because she’s competitive and hates losing,” Summer said.

Red overheard us and looked our way. “Yes, it is quite the gossip among the nobles that the princesses are in strong disagreement with one another on how much of Earthling culture and technology to allow through the portal. Princesses Twilight Sparkle and Luna want more, while Celestia and Flurry Heart prefer less. Princess Cadence has yet to state any strong views one way or another. However, since she operates in an ambassadorial role since turning the Crystal Empire’s governance over to her daughter, it might be most prudent of her to remain quiet on such matters rather than take sides.”

“And how do the nobles feel?” I asked him, figuring he would know.

Red sighed. “They, like the princesses, are divided into two camps. The larger camp prefers to keep the Earthlings, their goods, and their influence, out. The smaller camp sees the Earthlings as an opportunity to expand their own house influence through trade. As for my house, my esteemed grandmare has yet to express any particular opinion upon the matter, nor has my beloved mother. As for my dear sister and I—”

Prim looked up from her meal to glare at her brother.

“—dear sister clings to the past and her antiquated belief in her superiority to all, while I would welcome the opportunity to have new trading partners,” Red concluded.

Prim set her fork down and sneered at her brother. “Tell me, dear brother, who all seem to think is soooo smart, what is the primary source of income for our house?”

Red raised his head proudly. “Textiles. We produce the best cloth available. All the greatest fashion designers eagerly purchase from us.”

She smirked. “And with that in mind, what happens when there is suddenly access to all the cloth and textiles from Earth? How goes our house’s fortunes then?”

“Ponies will see that we produce a superior product, so it will have no major impact,” Red asserted. “It only gives us access to the Earth market to sell to.”

She looked at him like he was stupid. “Are you that dense, brother? You would lead our house to ruin. Perhaps our product is of better quality, perhaps it is not. I believe that it is. However, how much are we capable of producing? That is the crux of the problem. It matters not how much better our product is, what matters is the Earthlings can outproduce us, dramatically outproduce us. Will we continue to enjoy market dominance when the Earthlings can flood the market with their inferior product at prices that we can’t possibly hope to compete against? No, we must keep their cloth and textiles out of Equestria or the order that gives our family its wealth and power will be disrupted.”

Hannah snorted. “Sadly, Prim’s right on that one. Earth companies would drive you guys out of business. They might flood the market specifically to drive you out of business and then raise prices afterwards when they have the market cornered.”

Prim pointed at Hannah. “See?! Even the trash-digging Earthling agrees with me. Perhaps I’ll get her a job with one of our producers after we graduate since she has the business sense you lack, dear brother.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer not to work for someone who refers to me as trash-digging,” Hannah replied, ears flattened.

Red smirked at his sister. “At least I have the manners to retain our best employees, dear sister. Something that will be your undoing and our house’s, if you remain the one in line to inherit.”

Prim stuck her nose up. “I barely interact with the help. We hire people for that. So it doesn’t matter if they like me or what I think of them. They never have to speak to me, and I never have to lower myself to speak to them.”

Professor Glitter Drops, who was at the head of our table today, smashed her hoof on the table, making us all jump. “I’ve had enough listening to the two of you for today. I try not to get involved in students’ personal squabbles, but sometimes it gets to be too much. Red Tape and Prim Tape, you are both serving detention with me after the last class today. Anypony who decides to needle either of them about it can join them. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, professor,” several of us answered in chorus.

The professor threw her hoofs up. “And no discussing economics at the lunch table! You are twelve or thirteen years old; you should be discussing games or books, or buckball, or whatever it is that is popular with foals these days, not bucking economics and international trade! Grief! Who the heck put together a class of students that behaves like this?!”

Professor Newman, that’s who, and it only now occurred to me how odd we all were. It didn’t stand out as much with a class full of students like us, but if we were in any typical class at any typical school, our interest in subjects like this would probably have us ostracized as weird. She had assembled a class full of students who paid an unusual amount of attention to the world and events happening around them—not only an unusual amount for people our age, but for people in general. This school was supposed to be training future leaders, and it seemed Professor Newman had taken that idea to heart.

“So…um…who won the buckball game yesterday?” Summer asked, seemingly searching for a way to change the subject.

Bright sighed. “Fourth-years. They were just too dang fast and big for the rest of us. It twern’t fair. Ah couldn’ even see over them when they stood up close ta meh.”

“Well, at least it was just a friendly game, and nothing official,” Hannah said. “You missed out on seeing a giraffe.”

Bright waved a hoof dismissively. “Nah, ah’ve seen all the critters over at Fluttershy’s place. Ya forget where ah’m from? Seen ‘em a million times. Ma and Pa have even had meh go do chores over there sometimes. Ever try ta clean up elephant droppins’? Ya haven’ lived till ya haft to clean up a turd that big. Stinks worse than a hen house after the hens got themselves a bag of chocolate—don’ ask. Pinkie Pie is banned from feedin’ chickens.”

“She fed chocolate to chickens?!” Summer gasped.

“Ah said don’ ask,” Bright reiterated.

“She could have killed them!” Summer exclaimed.

Glitter Drops leveled a hard stare our way and both Bright and Summer both crouched down a little. Was it wrong that I was curious whether the chickens lived or not? I’d ask some other time.

Chapter 34

“I’ve been learning a lot of information about the faculty lately,” Twilight Glow said as we waited on Coach Scootaloo to finish setting up volleyball nets. “Did you know that Professor Inkwell is the second Inkwell to teach at this school? Her mother taught at the school for nearly fifty years, never retiring. She supposedly fought a mechanical pig when she was young, and helped Princess Celestia hold off one of the many invasions of Canterlot. They say she could barely walk when she was in her final years and had a strange paranoia about gophers.”

“Fascinating,” I said, trying to feign interest.

“And Professor Glitter Drops was foalhood friends with Tempest Shadow, who went on to serve Earth’s Queen of Nightmares for years as head of her guard. The two still send the other letters,” Twilight continued.

Hmm…that was mildly interesting, at least more interesting than Inkwell’s gopher-fearing mother. Maybe Glitter Drops actually knew more of the truth behind the fiction when it came to the Queen of Nightmares and whether Baxter Stockman was really her brother.

“I heard one of Hail’s parents might be one of Headmaster’s siblings. Have you heard anything about that?” Summer asked innocently. I raised an eyebrow at her, as did Hannah. She was treading into forbidden territory.

Twilight blinked in shock. “No…I didn’t. I can’t imagine that being true. They're both ponies, and he’s a human. Both of them were born after the ETS pandemic ..or I think they both were. The last documented transformation of a human to pony or pony to human was almost thirty years ago. They’d both have been too young for that.”

“Well, they're both over thirty, so there is a chance, right?” Summer asked, still sounding shy and innocent.

“I suppose it is possible,” Twilight conceded. “I still don’t see how. It was primarily partial humans that were turned into ponies post-ETS. There were ponies that had been humans that were turned back into humans, but most of those were within a year or so of the pandemic. Tempest Shadow is the only known case of an Equestrian who chose to be human. If Headmaster has magic, he could have been a partial who turned back to full human, but he still seems too young. To make that kind of decision he'd have to have been at least our age back then, which would put him in his forties or fifties now, and he doesn't seem that old...although, he could have longevity due to power. We'd have heard about a human that strong, though. There are a few well-documented magically strong humans, but none of them march Headmaster's description. It's like he appeared out of nowhere. I considered him briefly as an Equestrian who turned human, but there's no possible match."

“How do you know all this?” Hannah asked.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “I had originally formed a theory that Professor Newman was an Equestrian who chose to be human. It has just never made sense to me that an older human who was born before ETS knows so much about the inner workings of magic. So I researched every case I could. Unfortunately, the only case I found was Tempest Shadow’s, and Professor Newman definitely isn’t Tempest Shadow. I’ve seen pictures and read interviews. They don’t look remotely similar, and Tempest Shadow never demonstrated that kind of range of magical knowledge. Tempest was a warrior, through and through, not a magical scholar…she was also a cripple who couldn’t use her horn for much more than high powered blasts because it was shattered at a young age.”

Most of my classmates winced and looked ill at that news. Unicorns were very protective of their horns, and the idea of one being shattered must have had made them sick to their stomaches. I guess that might explain why Tempest decided to go human. What was a unicorn who couldn’t properly cast spells? Better to be a human...or anything else.

As if my thoughts were some summons, our pegasus coach who couldn’t properly fly walked over to us.

“Hey! No calling ponies crippled because of things like that!” Coach Scootaloo said hotly, spreading her undersized wings. “Just because some of us have to adapt to use our abilities differently doesn’t make anypony a cripple.”

Twilight lowered his head. “Sorry coach. I meant no disrespect.”

The coach lowered her wings and gave them a light shake to unfluff them. “Good. Try not to let it happen again. As for your earlier theory I heard you discussing, Tempest is definitely not Newman. I don’t know all the details about Professor Newman, but I’ve met Tempest, both before she was human and after. For your information, her broken horn was not her main motivating factor to decide to be human. Her main factor was something else, something I tried to help with and failed.”

Twilight nodded. “I know. She had no cutie mark, and you and the other CMC help ponies find and understand their cutie marks. You can’t even do a full permanent transformation spell on somepony who has a cutie mark, only short-term spells. It's part of why there haven’t been more Equestrians to do it. Adults without cutie marks are exceedingly rare, and nopony is going to let their foal do something like that.”

Scootaloo sighed and hung her head. “Yeah. It was a big disappointment for her and to us that we couldn’t help her find hers. Sometimes, no matter how hard you work at something, you still fail. She became a human so she could stop worrying about it, afraid her lack of a mark declared her to be without purpose. It saddens me that she felt that was her only path that gave her purpose. Cutie marks are great, something to be proud of, but they don’t have to define us, and we can define and redefine them as needed. However, she felt like she was defined by the lack of one, and it was a tragedy that somepony so talented felt that way.”

She shook her head. “That's ancient history now, and I hope she’s found happiness in her decision. I still do cutie mark counseling. I know all of you have your marks, but sometimes marks can get confusing. I’m always willing to help…outside of class ..if any of you ever want help understanding your mark and what you’re supposed to do with it. I can help if you also just want help with any personal identity issues you might be experiencing. Just because you understand your mark doesn’t mean you understand your place in the world.”

Prim snorted. “Well, I certainly understand my place in the world.”

“Debatable,” Red muttered.

The rest of us just rolled our eyes.

I looked at my mark of broken letters. I never really understood it, or what I was supposed to be doing with it. I wasn’t the only one. Summer was eying her recently minted blue flame mark with a look of unease. Coach said that marks didn’t have to define us, but they were a big part of our identity. Could we really understand who we were and who we were meant to be without understanding our marks?

“Enough of that for now,” Coach Scootaloo said. “Let’s play some volleyball!”

After class, I lagged behind to speak with the coach. I was not surprised when I saw Summer do the same, although she seemed shocked to see me also lagging behind.

“Coach, we need cutie mark counseling,” I said.

Coach Scootaloo blinked. “Two of you? I was kinda expecting you, Summer, but not you, Turnip. Are you hanging around to support your friend?”

I shook my head. “I want some help with my mark, too. I’ve never really understood it.”

“Oh, well, then I guess I can do some counseling with both then,” Scootaloo replied. “Can you help me get this volleyball net down? This session might take a while, and I can give you each a letter excusing you from Sweetie Belle’s class today. She won’t mind, not for this. After all the dishwashing she has to do, she will probably not be at her best in the next class anyway.”

Summer immediately lit up her antler and the net unhooked from the poles and began folding.

“Being able to levitate things sure makes tasks easier,” Scootaloo said as she watched the net fold. “We can leave the poles out here. Turnip, can you carry the net? We’re heading back to my office.”

Summer set the net carefully on my back and the pair of us followed the coach back into the building.

Coach Scootaloo’s office was on the ground floor next to the cafeteria. It had various trophies and ribbons on display, not all of which were first place awards, though there were some. There was also a lot of Wonderbolts memorabilia scattered about, along with a scooter, a pair of skates, a pair of filing cabinets, open lockers packed with various sports equipment. There seemed to be more stuff than there were proper places to store or display it, but things still looked fairly tidy.

“Set the net on the desk for now. I’ll put it away later. Let me get your cutie mark files,” Scootaloo said absently as she headed over to the filing cabinets.

Cutie Mark files? She kept files on student cutie marks? That seemed weird. It was also exciting. Had they already researched my mark? What did my file say?

The coach took a minute or two searching through the cabinets. I was able to see that the drawer she was looking through was packed with folders and papers. If every drawer of those cabinets was the same, there had to be an extensive file on every student at the school.

She removed two folders and carefully carried them back to her desk before sitting down.

“Let me see. We’ll start with you, Summer,” Scootaloo said as she opened one of the files and looked in. “Your blue flame mark, what do you think it means?”

She shrugged. “That I’m capable of burning with a blue flame. That doesn’t seem like something that should define me. I haven’t even managed to do it again.”

Scootaloo smiled. “That might be what it means on the most basic level, but cutie marks mean things on multiple levels. Let’s try to go deeper than that. What is a blue flame?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s just a flame that is blue instead of red and yellow.”

“Did you know blue is the hottest color of fire?” Scootaloo asked.

She shook her head again. “No, I didn’t. So I burn hotter?”

“Presumably,” Scootaloo answered. “We still haven’t gone deep enough. Now that we have identified what a blue flame is on a basic level, let’s try to think about what a blue flame can symbolize. Fire, other than being fire, can be symbolic of a lot of things.” She paused to look at some notes in the file before continuing. “Some of the things we brainstormed as possibilities include anger, passion, hope, commitment, a promise, destruction, danger, protection, rebirth, warmth, insight, or it can represent light in the darkness, breakfast….ignore that last one; Sweetie Belle shouldn’t have listed that. It can mean one of these things or many. Once we have established that, we can add in the connotation of it being blue.”

“So what does it symbolize with me?” Summer asked in confusion.

Scootaloo shook her head. “It’s not for me to define what your mark means to you. I’m just giving you a framework to consider deeper meanings and a few ideas to start you off. It can mean one of those things, multiple of those things, or something else entirely. Also, what it means to you can change over time, and that’s okay. As we get older it is common to redefine ourselves.”

Summer looked down, ears sagging. “I was hoping you could just tell me what it means.”

“I don’t tell you who you are,” Scootaloo gently replied. “I told you some details about what a blue flame is and gave some insight into what symbolic meanings it can have after the default basic meaning. My friends and I got our cutie marks around your age. We understood the basic meaning of our marks right away, that we were going to help ponies with their cutie mark problems and do it together, but it took time for us to learn to dig into the deeper individual meanings of our marks. My friends and I share a similar mark, but it isn’t the exact same mark, because, close as we are, we aren’t the same. Mine features one of my wings. What do you think that means?”

Summer looked at the coach’s wings. “You have little wings?”

Scootaloo chuckled. “That’s true, but they aren’t just something I have, they’re a symbol. For me, it’s about turning things perceived as a weakness into a strength. It’s also about adapting to what I have and being proud of who I am. It’s also about persistence and dedication, as well as freedom. I said cutie marks can have many meanings, and I think they should. If a cutie mark describes what makes you special it shouldn’t have just one simple answer about what it means. It is a complex piece of symbolism that incorporates many elements. I didn’t learn everything my mark means all at once, and I still learn new things from time to time, or reconsider elements. You aren’t going to know everything your mark means right away. It is a process that continues as you continue to learn about yourself. I would be shocked if a twelve-year-old could give me a detailed explanation of their mark because you are still learning about yourself. A few years ago you wouldn’t have even been capable of considering questions like this, and these are questions that take a lifetime.”

“I still wish I had a straight answer,” Summer grumbled. She then took a deep breath and smiled at the coach. “Still, thank you for giving me some leads on what to think about.”

“Anytime,” Scootaloo replied. “After you have had a few days to think about it, come back and you can discuss your ideas. I can help you refine them.”

Summer’s ears perked up and she gave a silent nod.

Scootaloo closed the first file and opened what I presumed to be mine. “Turnip, I know Applebloom got a chance to look at your mark a few months ago and didn’t know what to make of it at the time. The three of us have been brainstorming about it since then and I’m more prepared to discuss it with you than she was then.”

“You discussed me?” I asked in surprise.

The coach pointed at the filing cabinets. “We discuss every student. Every day we sit down and do a review of a few students’ marks and even some of the faculty’s—grown-ups sometimes need help with their marks too. We’ve covered everypony at school’s cutie marks at least three or four times by now in our discussions.”

Talk about dedicated to their work.

“So…what did you come up with for me?” I asked, feeling hopeful. Even if it was just a lead like Summer got, I would be happy with that.

Scootaloo chuckled. “Alright, English phrase. Read between the lines. Look at your mark.”

I looked at my mark. Read between the lines? What did she mean by—

After looking at the letters it hit me, and I facehoofed. How had I missed that?!

Scootaloo laughed out loud. “Don’t worry. Everypony misses things that seem obvious sometimes.”

I frowned. “But why am I missing letters?”

“Well, that gets deeper into the meaning,” Scootaloo answered. “You can now see what the big picture is now that you are mentally filling in those missing pieces. There could also be the idea that you are what’s between the lines.”

“Come again?” I asked in confusion.

“Without those missing pieces you just have a bunch of random letters. Those missing pieces are important. Likewise, you can be a missing piece between a bunch of random ponies or things, giving them greater meaning,” Scootaloo explained. “We’ve observed you among your friends. You are kind of the piece that pulls the group together. That doesn’t necessarily mean leading or anything like that, but without you, your friend group would be more fractured. Also, on a different meaning, we’ve also seen you gathering knowledge from every source you can. Every foal at this school does research…you’d all make Twilight Sparkle proud…but you tend to spend more time filtering through what you hear from others, trying to build a bigger picture instead of just learn about a single subject. You can thank Professor Newman for pointing that out to us when she overheard us discussing your mark. We would have missed it.”

That made me think back to Twilight Sparkle. “Is there something bigger going on with this school? Are you all preparing us for something big that is coming?”

The coach blinked and then bit her lip, as if considering something.

“Why do you ask that?” she finally replied.

“Because something is off,” I answered. “The school removed most of the student body and left us with only the students that have an unusual interest in everything happening around them. I’m only going by my experience, but there’s an unusual amount of combat magic focused students compared to other fields, and those students are doing live combat sessions in their classes, which hardly seems normal. You’ve got a former spymaster for an admissions officer-”

“Former spymaster?” Summer asked in confusion.

“Newman,” I clarified.

“She was a spymaster!?” Summer asked in shock.

“Yes, and she used all those skills to learn everything about us before we were admitted. She basically knows your life story,” I informed her.

Summer crouched down. “I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

I sighed and continued. “Anyway, you have Newman assembling the new incoming classes and being way more selective than I’m guessing even Ivy League colleges back home are. You had ponies like Psychic Calm teaching here who had way more influence both here and on Earth than they ever let on. Luna is willing to substitute teach here even though she is extremely busy. To top it all off, we have Headmaster, who is so secretive you have to believe he is hiding something big. You say I read between the lines? That’s a lot of lines.”

Of course, I didn’t mention Princess Twilight had told me directly that something was coming. I would keep that secret.

The coach’s wings were quivering.

“How do I get caught in these situations? These students are too smart for my own good,” she whimpered to herself. She then took a deep breath. “Okay, I guess that is a good display of your cutie mark in action. Can you two please keep all of that to yourselves and not spread it among the students?”

“If you tell us what’s up you have my promise,” I answered. I looked at Summer who just nodded in a daze. “Are we being prepared for something?”

“Yes, but I don’t know what. So I’m not withholding information from you on purpose,” Scootaloo answered, holding up a hoof as if making a pledge.

“You must know something,” I insisted.

“I can honestly say that all of the faculty is aware we are preparing students for something big, but most of us don’t actually know what we are preparing you for,” Scootaloo answered, still holding up her hoof for a moment longer before lowering it. “My best guess is that is more general preparedness for the future than any one thing. I know that since Earth and Equestria have made contact, threats have gotten bigger, and they can’t always be solved by the Element Bearers going off and blasting something. Sometimes we need teams of heroes in different places at the same time, sometimes we need better diplomats, sometimes we need better researchers. We do have a bunch of really good ponies at these jobs, but despite that, they can only do so much and be at so many places, or they could find themselves captured by some villain or something. We need more ponies who can assist or step in when we are facing a crisis. We can’t rely on the same old heroes to always save us. We have to up our game when it comes to training the next generation to confront these challenges, and that generation is you.”

“It can’t be that bad, can it?” Summer asked with a whimper.

“I don’t mean to scare you, but it is,” Scootaloo replied, looking down. “You might not have heard, but Turnip, since he’s from Earth, would have heard of the Cataclysm of Riverview. It was a big disaster that happened almost thirty years ago now. It was the first time in a long while that we lost, even with Twilight Sparkle on the scene. It could have been worse, but a whole city still basically got leveled, and all because we were facing new types of threats and challenges that we weren’t prepared for and didn’t have enough ponies who were capable of facing. Earth is filled with technology we don’t understand and the mages there dream up things we have never even considered. Thirty years have passed, and I don’t know if things have gotten any better. It seems like they’ve gotten worse since the Earthlings constantly push the boundaries of what is possible and we haven’t advanced much at all.”

“Um, if you’re concerned about not understanding technology, why aren’t you teaching us about it?” I asked.

“Why do you think we started the AV club?” Scootaloo answered pointing a the camera phone on one of the shelves. “We aren’t prepared to open study into technology here yet. We don't have the experts and we don’t have the materials. I know I can barely figure out how to do simple things on a computer, and that phone thing might as well be the most complex artifact in Equestria to me, but you probably know a hundred times more than most of our faculty when it comes to that. The AV club is kind of a test ground to show the princesses that we can teach students about technology and to see who among the students has an aptitude for it. Part of why Headmaster is on his current mission away is the pony…person… he’s helping might agree to come help us develop a science program at our school if we help them. That’s part of why he’s seeing to the matter personally. Having such an influential science person on the faculty would go a long way toward convincing Celestia to let us open a program. Even if she doesn’t agree, they can still at least teach students the concepts. That’s preparing them much more than we are now. Even if Equestria doesn’t technologically advance as a whole, we need our future leaders and heroes to understand what they’re dealing with.”

“And the magic?” I asked.

“Luster Dawn and Glitter Drops are considered Equestrian mavericks when it comes to magic, and Professor Newman is extremely familiar with the ways one of Earth's most notorious and influential mages worked and developed new spells. We had a top of the line guy for dream magic with Psychic Calm, and replacing him is going to be tough,” Scootaloo explained. “We’re trying to hire more mages from Earth, but all the best ones are getting scooped up by or already running schools on Earth. For right now, Headmaster has filled the faculty with ponies who are willing to push the boundaries and be open to new ways of doing things.”

I frowned. “Including Neighsay? He seems a bit more traditional to me.”

Scootaloo sighed. “We needed an artifact teacher and we needed somepony in that field with experience teaching. He isn’t opposed to developing new stuff, but…yeah…you are right that he grumbles about it. However, the guy is very protective of Equestria’s interests, and if we are doing something to advance Equestria to meet growing threats, then he’s with us.”

Summer and I looked at each other, each considering what we were hearing.

“You foals are impressively smart,” Scootaloo complimented. “I’ve been teaching for years, and I have never had to deal with classes like the ones I deal with here. Yes, I’ve had a lot of smart, even brilliant, students over the years, and there have been very few I would use the word dumb to describe, but never such a concentrated group of highly intelligent and observant foals class after class. It’s a little overwhelming and intimidating—I’m pretty bright, but I know I’m nowhere near as smart as Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, or all the other faculty members. It will be a challenge, getting our school back on top, but I’ve never shied away from a challenge, and I have nothing but confidence in the foals of this school. Now, head off to class, and take time to think about your cutie marks with the information I gave you—and keep the rest of this conversation private. We don’t want a bunch of wild rumors flying everywhere.”

Keep secrets, that seemed to be the primary goal of every adult I encountered. Would it really be that bad if the students found out the truth? I guess I would never know.

Chapter 35

The next day came, and classes progressed uneventfully. Summer and I didn’t discuss the school’s real purpose…at least, I knew I didn’t. What Summer did when in her room with Hannah, I had no way of knowing. If she did, neither of them said anything about it over breakfast or through our first two classes.

As I was making my way to Applebloom’s office, I came across Professor Sweetie Belle in the hall, escorting some unfamiliar ponies.

“You see this paneling? It was installed a hundred and four years ago, after the fourth changeling invasion. A large part of Canterlot burned at the time, and the school suffered severe damage. Darkquill Inkwell, mother to our current Raven Inkwell, helped lead the charge to retake the school, and was in charge of repairs afterwards,” Sweetie Belle was saying to the ponies.
The group following her included five stallions and two mares, all unicorns. One of the stallions, a dark yellow stallion with a brown mane and a bandana, yawned widely. One of the mares, an older, teal unicorn with a purple mane and glasses, frowned.

“It was a hundred and three years ago, young mare,” the older mare with glasses said in a haughty voice. “Please get your facts straight. I know I taught you better. You are embarrassing me.”

Sweetie Belle gave a sheepish smile. “My mistake, Headmare Cinch. I meant a hundred and four school years ago. I should have clarified. Oh, and thank you for calling me young. I worry I’m going to out-age my older sister sometimes.”

“You two are roughly the same when it comes to raw magical strength, so you needn’t fret about that,” the glasses-wearing mare said. “You’re at least two decades away from having noticeable gray in your mane, maybe three. You could dye a gray stripe, it might make you look more like a figure to be respected.”

Sweetie Belle’s ears flattened. “I’ll keep that advice in mind.”

The stallion yawned again. “Blah blah blah. I’m not really interested in paneling. When do we get to see the classes? I want to know what you Equestrians are teaching.”

“Brazenly admitting you want to gather intel on the competition?” asked the final mare, a violet furred mare with earrings, necklace, and a braided yellow mane.. She seemed younger than the others, about Headmaster’s age, although it was always impossible to tell for sure due to how magical power could prolong youth.

Another stallion, a gray one with a white mane, chuckled. “The islands need to have some advantage over someone. Let them get their little leg up on the Equestrians. Tell me, do the earth ponies, pegasi, and humans pat you on the head and rub your ears, telling you what a good job you did, whenever you do even the simplest of tasks? You brushed your mane all by yourself! Who’s a good boy? You are! Yes!”

The bandanaed stallion sneered. “Unicorns are a very important part of the islands. We contribute a great deal to our nation.”

“Of course you do. Keep on brushing your pretty mane and get dressed in your pretty headwear. Good boy,” the gray stallion chortled.

“Can you be civil, Arcane?” a bearded stallion asked.

The gray stallion looked at him with a smirk. “Yes, I can be.” He looked at the bandana wearing stallion. “Isn’t the right, good boy?”

“We will get respect,” the bandana-wearing stallion snarled. “Yet even the Equestrians disrespect us. Their headmaster just up and decides to take off right before we arrive, leaving us with his vice headmare giving us this snore-worthy tour? The disrespect is never-ending.”

“You should be honored to walk these halls,” Cinch said, nose in the air. “It’s a shame that the current administration of this school seems to have less respect for them than you.”

“Everypony, please!” Sweetie Belle shouted. “You will get to see the classes in due time. I am very sorry Headmaster is away.”

“I’m not,” Cinch said. “I don’t want to have to endure seeing a human in charge of the school that I dedicated decades of my life to before being cast off by him and his reforms.” She then seemed to take notice of me. “And here we have evidence of the nonsense the human headmaster has brought to this school. Behold, an earth pony student in what should be a unicorn institution.”

I took several steps back as all eyes turned towards me.

Sweetie Belle hurriedly put herself between me and these headmasters and headmistresses. “Headmistress Cinch! You will not behave this way towards my students! These are foals! I know Flurry Heart would never tolerate that kind of behavior if she saw you doing it.”

Cinch looked down briefly before turning her gaze to Sweetie Belle. “Excuse me, you are quite right. It was wrong of me to put your student on the spot in such a manner, and for that, I apologize. I’m sure the colt is doing the best he can do in a school that is not made for one such as him, and considering he is here he may have a head for understanding the concepts, which is commendable. We still must face the hard truths that this school cannot help him in any meaningful way, considering he lacks the ability to cast spells. I can deal with the school’s decision to admit kirin, considering they have spellcasting ability. My administration had even been considering admitting them—if we could resolve the fire issue, but the admission of earth ponies and pegasi is absurd.”

Well, I knew at least one pony out of this group that I didn’t like. Was she the old headmistress of this school? I was glad she was gone.

The gray stallion shook his head. “You are too quick to judge. We who live in Skytree know the power of earth ponies. The idea of admitting the earth ponies and pegasi may be a radical idea, but if we wish to push the boundaries of magic then radical ideas must be tried.”

“No one doubts the power that earth ponies can reach,” the bearded stallion said. .”With our vast numbers on earth, we have many earth ponies of great power that can do things the average earth pony could only dream of doing, but what if we have been underutilizing earth ponies all along? What if even the average earth pony is capable of so much more with proper training? Shouldn’t it be we, the school’s of magic, that help them realize their potential?”

The jewelry wearing mare shook her head. “I like the sentiment, Bob, but the problem is that we don’t know enough to do that. We need more time directly dealing with those powerful ones to know what is and is not possible, and how they do the things they do. We don’t need an average earth pony student, we need one that is exceptional—at least until we have things figured out. There may be many of those earth ponies, but not so many that we can just find good candidates easily.”

The bearded stallion, Bob, raised an eyebrow at me. “Maybe this school has. You know who their admissions officer is. If anyone can find one that meets those criteria, it is her.”

The jewelry mare blinked. “I was not aware you had any interactions with Charlotte Newman.”

Bob chuckled. “Oh, far more than you know. Her old employer and I collaborated on a major project once. It was nice meeting the mare face-to-face after she had been pillaging my ideas for years. I’m not even angry that mare stole so many of my ideas. They were all ones I had abandoned, but she used them to advance our knowledge and saw potential where I didn’t. If knowledge is advanced, then I’m content. I don’t need the fanfare for coming up with the basic concepts. I’m not that arrogant and prideful. Anyway, Newman entered her service during our collaboration, so I am very familiar with her and her capabilities. She’s a formidable and capable woman who is very good at finding diamonds in the rough.”

So, Newman had a reputation that went beyond the school. I already suspected Newman had specific reasons for admitting each student, and this just reinforced that idea.

“I don’t know this Charlotte Newman person, but I do know who you are talking about when discussing her employer,” Arcane said. “I worked for her, back before the Cataclysm of Riverview. That one knew how to take chances and push the boundaries. Professor Sweetie Belle, you wouldn’t happen to know what became of her, would you? Or perhaps this Newman person knows?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “Vanished without a trace. Not even Professor Newman knows where she is, and that human can seemingly find anypony. I’m sure the princesses know where she ran off to, but they’ll respect her privacy. Sometimes ponies just want to retire in peace.”

“Pity,” Arcane lamented. “I so wanted to speak with her again.”

“Just as well,” a gold colored stallion with a red mane said, speaking up for the first time. “Her research led to the Cataclysm of Riverview, and she started preaching far more radical cultural ideas after that. The world would have been better if she died in the Cataclysm.”

“I’m not shocked that a pony from China would say such things,” the jewelry wearing mare said.

Chinese? Did they have anything to do with the diplomats?

The Chinese stallion smiled. “And I’m not surprised the mare that was gifted her home and that place’s secrets by that loose canon is coming to defend her. What would you be without what she gifted you? I predict some reading teacher in a secondary school that nopony would even care about.”

The jewelry-wearing mare’s eyes narrowed. “Watch yourself, buddy, and don’t you dare look down on regular school teachers. Yeah, I had planned on being one, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It is something to be proud of. I opened my school because some of her work deserved to be shared with the world. I’m an educator. I didn’t open my school for fame. I opened it to instruct students and help give them the tools to make a better world. I would have been giving them tools to do the same as a reading teacher. Chance just gave me something to teach that no one else could.”

Some of her work? That was interesting phrasing.

“My mistake. I had assumed you had a higher opinion of yourself and expected others to bask in it due to your regalia,” the Chinese stallion said, dipping his head. “If you are interested in sharing her secrets with the world, I would be very interested in doing a deeper tour of Wabash Manor.”

“Not on your life,” the jewelry-wearing mare growled.

“I think we should deescalate a bit,” Bob said. He then looked at me. “Professor Sweetie Belle, would you be opposed to us asking this young colt a few questions about his time and education here? I’m sure all of us are very interested in hearing his opinions about these things, and I’m confident we can all keep civil with a student.”

“I’m supposed to be heading to Professor Applebloom’s office for class,” I informed them. It was the only thing I could think to say. I was more than a little intimidated, and I wanted to be away from all these ponies as soon as I could.

Sweetie Belle sighed. “I’ll give you a note to cover your tardiness. I won’t let them grill you too hard.”

“Okay,” I said, gulping.

Bob stepped forward. “I suppose I should start this off, considering I was the one to proposed it. What’s your name?”

“Turnip Jones, sir,” I said, dipping my head slightly.

The stallion smiled. “You are from Earth? Jones is a common last name on Earth.”

“Yes, sir. I’m from Kansas,” I answered.

“That’s not too far from me, or Headmistress Gillmore. I’m based in Pony Hope, and she’s based in Denver, so we are only one state over from you,” Bob said amicably. “Tell me, what prompted you to apply to this school?”

I raised my head. “If I stayed in Kansas, all I would ever grow up to be is some farmer. I wanted more than that.”

“Ambitious, I see. Nothing wrong with a little ambition. Ambition drives us forward,” Arcane commented.

“Drives some of us forward, true,” Bob remarked. “You didn’t completely answer my question. Why this school, and what do you hope to gain by learning here? Surely you could have pursued other careers. Earth ponies don’t have to be farmers.”

“I read about Applebloom learning alchemy from a zebra, and realized that was magic an earth pony could do. When I found out Professor Applebloom was going to be teaching here, I had to apply,” I answered, standing a little straighter.

Bob looked at Cinch. “Would you say alchemy is something he could reasonably expect to do after getting an education here?”

Cinch gave a reluctant looking nod. “I suppose so. The most acclaimed alchemist in history was Mage Meadowbrook, and she was an earth pony. Applebloom is the most acclaimed of the currently living alchemists, even if she is nowhere near Meadowbrook’s level, and if she is teaching here it is reasonable for any student wishing to pursue that field to attend here. I still think he isn’t benefiting from the majority of the classes. Perhaps some specialized junior study program might work best for students like him, not a full magic education.”

“He wouldn’t be learning that stuff on Earth,” the bandana-wearing stallion said. “We don’t have the right materials. That’s fine by me. I don’t want to have those featherbrains or farmers having any more power on the islands than they already do.”

Were unicorns second-class citizens in the Caribbean Confederation? Specifically unicorns? That just seemed weird.

Arcane gave an amused snort and smirked, but didn’t taunt the island pony any further.

The jewelry-wearing pony smiled. “You’ll all be surprised to know I have actually secured an absolute prodigy in alchemy.”

Cinch gave her a doubtful look. “An Earthling school secured an alchemy prodigy for it’s staff? I don’t see how.”

“Oh, you misunderstood, I have a prodigy student in alchemy,” the jewelry-wearing mare clarified. “She’s only in her first year, but she is a true marvel. I can’t wait until next year’s games so I can see how she matches up against Applebloom’s students.”

“And who is teaching her and where are you getting the materials?” Arcane asked, sounding confused. “You surely don’t have any alchemists that can compare with Applebloom.”

“She’s a self-study, at least as far as the alchemy goes,” the mare answered. “As for the materials, that’s a secret.”

“You aren’t engaged in some high-level illegal black market dealings, are you, Gillmore?” Arcane asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

The jewelry-wearing mare shook her head. “I promise you, I am not, and no one at my school is. You’ll just have to wait and see until next year. I have several prodigies in this year’s new class, and they are going to push Wabash Manor to victory in next year’s games. This year I think we still have a decent chance, even if my best still aren’t ready to compete. I’ve got a few good combat magic students.”

There was a student of alchemy my age at Wabash Manor, and she had access to materials while still on Earth? Prim might be my rival, but was there someone out there that could be my real academic rival?

“But you don’t have what I have,” Arcane said, smirking evilly at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “And what do you have?”

“I have Tempest Shadow instructing my combat students,” Arcane said, grinning broadly.

“YOU WHAT?!” Gillmore screamed. “That’s not fair!!”

The bandana-wearing stallion hung his head. “Crud. Guess I know what area my students aren’t going to be pulling first place in.”

“It can’t be that bad,” Cinch said, sounding skeptical.

All the other adults stared at her as if she had just said something incredibly stupid. Twilight Glow had mentioned Tempest Shadow before. Was she really that good? Better than Luster Dawn? Wait…wasn’t she supposed to be human? An Equestrian who turned human?

“….or maybe it is,” Cinch corrected, glancing back and forth at all the eyes looking at her and seeming to reassess her position. “Combat magic is so barbaric and violent anyway. It figures that an Earth-based school would excel at it.”

The Caribbean stallion looked at the one stallion who had not said a word through this entire exchange. “What do you think, Ivanoff? Do we have any hope of taking down students trained by Tempest Shadow? She’s a legend.”

Ivanoff, a brown-furred stallion with a dark purple mane, shrugged. “In Russia, we think it is better to listen and watch than express our mind. Speaking too much only reveals your weaknesses for others to exploit or reveals your strengths so others can prepare for them. It is like poker, you cannot win if you reveal too much. I shall keep my thoughts to myself. Russia’s greatest asset is silence, but please, keep speaking.”

“Hmm, so mysterious,” Gillmore said as she batted her eyelashes at Ivanoff. “I wonder what the Indian school is like. They need to hurry up and field a team.”

“They’re a mess. They’ve yet to have anypony step up and give a clear guiding hoof. They’re just a bunch of random nobodies, who have never contributed anything significant to magical discourse, teaching with no overarching vision or philosophy. It’s disgraceful. It will be some time before they can participate. I wouldn’t be surprised if some South American, Western European, or Mexican school was ready for a big stage before they are, maybe even some school in Africa,” the Chinese stallion sneered.

“Someone with a European accent might be nice,” Gillmore said wistfully. “An African might be interesting. If I were born human, African-American would have been half of my heritage. I never had much interest in it, but it might be interesting to reconnect with that.”

“Are you seriously only interested in new schools from elsewhere so you can find a potential husband with an accent? Are you so shallow?” Arcane asked in disbelief.

“A mare has to have personal goals. Is that so wrong?” Gillmore asked mirthfully. “I’m just having a little fantasy. It may be unrealistic, but it is nice to dream. Don’t mind me. Do you have any cute young stallion professors at your school?”

“You’re not going to have any trysts with my faculty! There will be no making out with the competition!” Arcane declared.

“Lighten up. I probably won’t flirt with your faculty,” Gillmore groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Probably?!” Arcane shouted in dismay.

She ignored him and looked at me. “I have a question; do you have any significant magical power or aptitude in anything?”

I looked down. “Well ..I aced the magical fundamentals test that was used for admissions, and I was told very few students managed that, but I don’t have any significant magical power. I’m pretty average.”

“Aced it?” Cinch asked in disbelief. “It must have been a very dumbed down version of the test if an earth pony managed that.”

“Newman doesn’t give easy tests, and she’s in charge of admissions here,” Bob interjected. “That displays a talent and dedication to study that is admirable.”

“Perhaps,” Cinch conceded. “I still question the usefulness of it for a student such as him. Surely he doesn’t need to understand all the fundamentals for alchemy.”

“The fact there have been few truly great alchemists suggests the opposite,” Bob disagreed. “Perhaps they need better understanding, and what better place to gain that than in an institution dedicated to the study of all magic.”

“Almost all magic. There are forbidden arts,” the Chinese pony corrected.

Bob rolled his eyes. “Of course, of course.”

“Not that you are as concerned about that as you pretend, given you’re so interested in touring Wabash,” Gillmore muttered.

The Chinese pony gave a stony look at Gillmore. “So, do you confirm the rumors are true? Wabash Manor houses forbidden magic?”

She smiled sweetly at him. “Oh, we just have armed guards, strong technological defenses, strong magical defenses, no fly zones, magic free zones, high walls, security cameras everywhere, and death traps because we get a kink out of it. No other reason. What happens at Wabash Manor, stays at Wabash Manor. Don’t worry, I know no forbidden magic to cast on you and your students, nor does anyone at my school, and we don’t yet have a body count when it comes to people who want to go snooping where they shouldn’t—I hope to keep it that way. I may have been personally trained by Tempest Shadow, but I dislike violence. I like quietly sipping coffee while watching my students refine their skills, enjoying a good meal with friends, or curling up with a good romance novel, not listening to the cries of pain from intruders who thought they were clever enough to get through our defenses. That always ruins my day—worse, it upsets my students, and nobody makes my students scared and afraid and gets away with it. Understood?”

The Chinese stallion grunted. Did she just threaten him? She talked about intruders like she had dealt with them before, and it hadn’t ended well for the intruders. Her saying yet to body count meant no one had died trying to invade Wabash Manor, but the possibility was there. She also pretty much confirmed Wabash Manor had access to forbidden magic. I didn’t know that there was magic that was straight out forbidden. What made it forbidden? It had to be dangerous somehow. Newman’s old employer had been tied to the Cataclysm of Riverview. Was it magic like that? Magic that could level an entire city? What kind of school was Wabash Manor? She had mentioned teaching just some of Newman’s old employer’s magic, but was very clear in saying some, not all.

There was one thing I pieced together listening to all these ponies talk. The schools weren’t just schools. They were points of political power within their nations, each possessing secrets and resources that they guarded. I knew our school had Headmaster and his truestone holding staff, along with the other truestones, and whatever hidden goal we were being prepared for. Wabash Manor clearly had secrets and resources that they were guarding. The Russian school revealed it had secrets by refusing to say anything. The Chinese school was clearly interested in learning the others’ secrets, and I got the impression the Skytree school was too, even if they weren’t so obvious about it. Bob and his unnamed school seemed nice enough, but he’d been involved with Newman and her employer at some point, which looped back around to the forbidden magic. That also meant our school had connections to forbidden magic because of Newman. Lacking any magical ability, she wasn’t able to perform it, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t familiar with it and how it worked, especially since she had served under its main practitioner for so long. Did she share any of those secrets with our faculty?

There were some other common threads. All the schools except Crystal Prep Academy…which I assumed Cinch was now headmistress of…seemed deeply interested in combat magic. The only reason they would be interested in that was if they expected open fighting at some point in the future. Fighting what? Were they all working towards a goal of fighting off the same threat or were they preparing for clashes with each other? Some of the schools seemed friendly with one another, but others seemed openly hostile to one another. Was that just friendly competition between schools, or was it something deeper? Gillmore’s way of speaking to the Chinese stallion implied something deeper. Suggesting the Chinese snooping around her school could lead to a body count was about as hostile as you could get, yet she seemed friendly enough to everyone else. We didn’t seem that friendly with the Chinese either. The closest to friendly anyone seemed to be when it came to the Chinese was that Bob guy, but he was friendly to everyone.

There were a lot of pieces and I wasn’t sure how they went together. I needed one or two more pieces to see the entire puzzle.

Sweetie Belle lit her horn and a quill and parchment appeared, floating in the air a short distance from her face. She quickly wrote a note and then both the quill and parchment vanished.

“Turnip, I just sent a note to Applebloom excusing you for your tardiness. I think you should be hurrying to class,” Sweetie Belle said firmly, but with a smile. She then looked at the various other school leaders. “And we need to get on with the tour after this minor sidetrack. We have a lot to see before the lunch period. I also want to briefly check on my class to make sure everything is going well with the substitute. I left a detailed lesson plan, but the substitute isn’t a mage, so he might struggle answering some questions about the assignment.”

“You’d have available substitute mages if your headmaster hadn’t dismissed us all,” Cinch said critically.

“Are we going to get a name for him?” the bandana-wearing stallion asked. “I am not referring to him as Headmaster. We are all headmasters!”

Gillmore gave a polite cough. Cinch raised an eyebrow at him.

“Or headmistresses,” he amended.

Sweetie Belle raised a hoof. “You can direct that question to Headmaster when he returns late tomorrow. Headmistress Cinch, I understand you have some resentment about what happened, and I sympathize with you—I honestly do. However, that was not a decision that I made and it happened before I was hired. If you wish to express your feelings about the matter, please wait to do so with the responsible party. I will ensure you get time with him to do so. For the record, I am very impressed with how quickly you got the new school going and I hope everypony there is doing well.”

Cinch unclenched her jaw a little. “Yes, they are doing well, considering the circumstances. They are a very resilient group of foals, and I know they will be eager to display their capabilities during the games. Thank you for your warm words, professor,” She looked at me. “I believe I heard your professor give you an order, young colt.”

I instantly took off at a light gallop down the hall. I had wanted to overhear what Headmaster’s actual name was, but it seemed like that was going to remain a mystery.

Author's Note

Ballad of the Magical Schools

Verse 1:
In halls of ancient magic, where secrets long have dwelled,
A young earth pony listens, as stories old are spelled.
Of changeling invasions and paneling so fine,
But whispers speak of mysteries, beyond the school's design.

Chorus:
Oh, the schools of magic, more than they appear,
Combat spells and alchemy, and secrets we should fear.
Earth ponies and unicorns, in halls they never shared,
What future are they building, what battles being prepared?

Verse 2:
Headmistress Cinch remembers, the old ways set in stone,
While Sweetie Belle leads forward, to paths yet unknown.
And Turnip stands between them, an earth pony so keen,
Observing all the pieces, of this mysterious scene.

(Repeat Chorus)

Verse 3:
From Wabash Manor's stronghold, to Skytree's combat lore,
Each school guards its secrets, behind a gilded door.
The Chinese seek forbidden arts, the Russians stay so still,
While Caribbean unicorns, fight for respect and skill.

(Repeat Chorus)

Verse 4:
Newman finds the diamonds, hidden in the rough,
But who's her former employer, with magic oh so tough?
The Headmaster remains unnamed, a shadow in the night,
What plans does he envision, beyond young Turnip's sight?

(Repeat Chorus)

Verse 5:
So gather 'round young students, and listen to this tale,
Of magic schools and mysteries, that make the bravest quail.
For in these halls of learning, where knowledge is the key,
The greatest lesson might just be, what we can't yet see.

Final Chorus:
Oh, the schools of magic, more than they appear,
Combat spells and alchemy, and secrets we should fear.
Earth ponies and unicorns, in halls they never shared,
What future are they building, what battles being prepared?
What future are they building, what battles being prepared?

Chapter 36

My class with Applebloom was nice enough. She told me that the entire class would be going on weekend field trip in a few weeks to the Foal Mountains, something all the upper level classes had already done this year. She and I would be gathering supplies while on the trip. That would be my first real supply gathering trip, and my first real chance to see more of Equestria. I’d walked around Canterlot and Ponyville a bit, but this would be my first time going off into the wilderness. It was a little scary, considering it was forests and mountains, and I struggled with just the trees in the park. I wasn’t going to let that get in my way. I’d go by the park every day so I could get more used to trees. If I could master the park, I’d be fine in the forest. How much worse than the park could it be?

It was off to lunch after that. I wasn’t as early to lunch today, given it was an alchemy class day instead of an artifact class day, so I arrived at the cafeteria roughly around the same time as my friends.

“Hey, Turnip,” Bright greeted me as I came up beside him just outside the cafeteria door.

“Hey,” I returned the greeting. “Did you hear about the field trip?”

“What field trip?” Summer asked.

“We’re going on a field trip?” Hannah asked. “Where to?”

“We’re going to the Foal Mountains,” I explained. “We’ll be staying at someplace called Mountainshade, doing nature walks in the forest, and visiting some ruins or something.”

“The old Kingdom of the Night,” Summer whimpered.

Hannah gave her a quizzical look. “Kingdom of the Night? That sounds ominous. I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s the only country Equestria ever forcefully conquered,” Summer explained. “There was a war a long time ago. The Kingdom of the Night started it, I think, but they lost, they lost badly. They say that Princess Luna killed almost everypony in the old capital, the Hallowed Shades, because they refused to surrender. The cave ponies…nocturnal ponies… thestrals… whatever you want to call them, were almost completely wiped out, and the remaining ones were put under Equestrian rule. The kirin tribes were so scared of Equestria after seeing that that we isolated ourselves for over a thousand years before contact was reestablished. We were afraid Equestria would do that to us too.”

“Why? Were the kirin at war with Equestria as well, or were they allied with the Kingdom of the Night?” I asked. I had a hard time even believing such a thing happened. Luna didn’t seem like the type to put an entire city to the sword.

Summer shook her head. “No, but the idea we had was the Equestrians were willing to wipe out any tribe of pony that wasn’t one of their three tribes. We were different from them, so were the cave ponies. We didn’t know the details about what started the war, just that Equestria almost killed off a whole tribe of ponies. Maybe it was because they weren’t earth ponies, pegasi, or unicorns. Would they do the same to the kirin? Our ancestors weren’t willing to take that chance. We retreated into the mountains and hid.”

“Maybe your ancestors were misinformed. I don’t see Luna doing something like that. She seems nice, and she seemed very close to Psychic Calm, and he was a nocturnal pony,” Hannah said.

Summer shrugged. “Maybe, I don’t know. It’s been over a thousand years. Maybe things have changed.”

We stepped into the cafeteria and I immediately noticed a long table had been set up where all the headmasters and headmistresses were sitting in a line, easily able to view the entire student body and be seen in turn. Everyone seemed to be casting looks that way, and more than a few of the older students were giving extra attention to Headmistress Cinch. She had been their old headmistress. I wondered if they still felt some loyalty to her, or felt the awkwardness of having her here more keenly.

“Guess them leaders are all here,” Bright remarked.

“I met them in the hallway an hour or two ago,” I said.

“Really?” Bright asked in interest. “What they like?”

“Interesting,” I said, not elaborating too much.

Sweetie Belle stepped forward and got everyone’s attention. “Students, hurry and get your food so we can begin with announcements. As you can see, we have visitors at the school, so let me remind you to remain on your best behavior.”

“You’d think we were causing trouble all the time with how much she repeats that,” Hannah said with a smirk.

I certainly had been accused of that, though none of it was my fault.

I glanced a short distance away to see Prim chatting with her friends.

“The mares do look refined, don’t they?” one of Prim’s snotty friends was saying.

“Don’t you know? That older one is Headmistress Cinch. She was the headmistress until this year,” another of Prim’s friends said. “Really, she should rightfully still be headmistress, rather than that dreadful human.”

Prim and her other friends immediately fell in line with agreeing with the filly. I knew the general pecking order in that group, and knew that filly was the one they all kissed the flank of. She must come from some more important family. She could say that cat urine smelled like roses and all the others would rush to agree.

“I’m sure they are all Earthlings anyway,” the top filly continued. “That makes them all either former humans or descendents of humans, and they don’t belong in polite Equestrian society.”

“Are you being a closed-minded twat again, Daffodil?” Red said as he came up to the group, smiling.

“Don’t embarrass me, dear brother,” Prim practically growled.

“Oh, you are continuing to hang out with this trio, so I can add nothing more to that,” Red replied.

Bright joined me in looking at the group. “Guess they didn’ listen to the professor about bein’ on best behavior. Think they’ll start yellin’ at one another and causin’ a ruckus?”

I shook my head. “No, they are too concerned about embarrassment to do that.”

“They might get embarrassed by me going over there and slapping that Daffodil filly on her pointy nose,” Hannah growled. “I don’t belong in polite Equestrian society? What’s so polite about it?”

“Calm down, we don’t want to get in trouble,” Summer pleaded. “We know how mean and nasty Prim is, so it isn’t that shocking her friends are the same way. We’re already on thin ice after what happened before. Don’t get us in deeper.”

“Only on thin ice because we decided to figure out what your coltfriend was up to,” Hannah muttered. She took a deep breath. “Fine. I won’t go starting trouble with that stuck-up mule of a pony. Let’s just get our food and get to our seats. Looks like we have Inkwell as our professor at our table today.”

I glanced over at our class’s table and confirmed Inkwell had already taken a seat at the head of it. She seemed on edge and doing her best not to look at Cinch. Inkwell was the only carryover from the last administration, so she might have strong feelings about seeing Cinch again. Maybe she was worried Cinch would see her as a traitor.

We got our salads in relative silence, only broken by Bright and Hannah exchanging a few brief comments about the local professional buckball team’s recent playoff appearance. Summer and I weren’t really into buckball, so neither of us paid it much attention. Hannah was nice enough to levitate my tray for me on the way back to our table, saving me the effort of trying to balance it on my back. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do that balancing well, most earth ponies were very good at balancing things on their backs, but it did slow me down, and ran the risk of me making a mess if someone bumped me—something that was always a risk in the cafeteria.

We were just sitting down when Sweetie Belle started talking again..

“Alright, students, I know many of you in the second through fourth years are all very curious about Headmistress Cinch being here. She has come today as the new headmistress of Crystal Prep Academy,” Sweetie Belle announced.

There were a few muted whispers from those respective tables, but nothing I could clearly make out.

Sweetie Belle gestured at the rest of the adults at the table. “Since the majority of you are already familiar with her, let me give the others a chance to introduce themselves and give a few brief words first.”

The first to stand was Ivanoff. “I am Ivanoff Rasputin, of the Saint Petersburg Institute of Magic of Mother Russia. I hope the upcoming games are very sporting.”

Rasputin? Like the mad monk from history? I suppose it might make sense for a name Russians associated with magic.

The next to stand was the bandana-wearing stallion. “I am Obeah De Santiago, from the Havana Unicorn Studies School, located in the Caribbean Confederation. I hope we learn much from each other.”

The next to stand was the Chinese stallion. “I am Wū Shù of the Ponies’ Magical Research Institute of Beijing in China. We hope to show our dominance in the games.”

No speaking of sportsmanship or friendly competition or learning, just we intend to crush you,—charming. No wonder no one seemed to like him.

The next to stand was Bob. “I am Bob the Unicorn of Bob the Unicorn’s School which is located in the United States of America. I am enjoying my time in your country and hope that we learn much from one another.”

His name was literally Bob the Unicorn, seriously?! Who the heck names themselves something like that?! And his school name didn’t have any grand title either. I was pretty sure I heard snickering around the cafeteria, including from our table. Bob had to have heard it, but he seemed unconcerned about it. He must have long ago gotten used to it.

The next to stand was Gillmore. “Hello, I’m Jordan Gillmore of Wabash Manor. Our school is also located in the USA. We’ve only been around a few years, but I’m very proud of my students, and I hope that they, along with all of you, have a fun and engaging experience in the upcoming games. I look forward to meeting and speaking with all of you.”

Well, she seemed nice enough. I did notice they went out of their way to put Bob between her and Wū Shù at the table. Those two sitting next to one another might have provoked a fight. I also noted that Prim seemed taken aback at the mention of the school’s name, and it took me a moment to realize it was because it was a name that sounded like some rich person’s home. Did Prim seriously not think there were mansions or ponies with wealth on Earth?

Next up was Arcane, who stood with a smile. “Greetings. I am Arcane Swirl of the Skytree Institute of Magic, located in Skytree, South Carolina, which is in the United states for those of you unfamiliar with Earth geography. Our school motto is from the ruins of the cataclysm we rise. Our city was born of adversity, but is one of the most stunning in the world—any world, and we hope that our magical prowess stacks up to the lofty image of our home.”

Well, that was a bit more flamboyant introduction. Guy certainly sounded proud of his town. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see it. Skytree was named Skytree because the heart of that city had a grove of trees that were supposedly taller than mountains. I had enough trouble with normal trees without having to deal with super mega colossal ones.

That only left one pony, Cinch.

Cinch stood and looked out at the body of students. “It is with a mix of pride and sadness that I come here today, headmistress of Crystal Prep Academy. Your former classmates are doing well, and I expect they shall do well in the games. I wish they had the opportunity to do it here, where they had already established friendships and a connection at a place they called home, but your villainous human headmaster seems not to care for them or for proper magical instruction or our culture and heritage. I am sorry, but I must see to your defeat in the games so I can prove that this injustice served no purpose.”

Wow….I expected her to say something confrontational, but—

My thoughts were cut off as Professor Newman suddenly stood up from the fourth-year table.

“Oh, no, Charlotte, don’t do this,” Inkwell whimpered.

Cinch looked at Newman with contempt. “Do you have an issue with what I just said, human?”

“You caught that?” Newman asked. “Good, I was afraid I would have to explain it, and I wasn’t sure how to simplify it enough for you to understand.”

There were gasps. There’d been a gasp or two at Cinch’s calling Newman a human, but nowhere near the number that happened when Newman basically just called Cinch stupid to her face. Sweetie Belle immediately ran to place herself between the two.

“Please! This is supposed to be about friendly school competition and cultural exchange. There’s no need for-”

“Sit your flank down, Sweetie Belle. This is being dealt with now. You cannot diffuse this. Cinch has directly insulted our school and our mission. It is time for a lesson,” Newman barked.

“A lesson?” Cinch replied with a contemptfull laugh. “A lesson from who? You, human? What are you going to do? Lecture me? You have no magic to back your strong words. You are nothing but bluster. It must be the main thing you rely upon to try to prove you belong here when you obviously don’t.”

Newman pointed at the old headmistress. “You, me, magical duel, now. I will set the terms of engagement.”

That elicited even more gasps. Everyone knew Newman had no magic. What was she even thinking by challenging a unicorn to a magic duel? She couldn’t possibly hope to win.

“Please, Charlotte, don’t humiliate her like this,” Inkwell continued to whimper. I had to raise an eyebrow at that. What did Inkwell know that the rest of us didn’t? Did Professor Newman have some way of winning a magic duel without using magic?

“This really isn’t necessary,” Sweetie Belle continued to plead. “We need to all retake your seats and-”

“A formal challenge has been made. It is up to Cinch about whether to accept or not,” Arcane injected.

“It would look extremely bad for her if she refused this, like she was afraid of a human,” Wū Shù added in.

Gillmore and Bob shared a look I couldn’t read. Most of the rest of our faculty looked horrified, except for Inkwell, who looked ready to cry. The other school leaders looked amused.

“I’m personally curious how this human plans to pull this off,” Obeah said. “You don’t issue that kind of public challenge unless you have some confidence in success.”

“I am curious as well,” Ivanoff stated.

Cinch looked around, as if weighing her options, and then shook her head in disgust. “Why am I even debating this? It is absurd. Why would I engage in such a pointless display? It is obvious who would win such a confrontation, and I won’t belittle myself by entertaining it.”

Newman smirked. “Alright, so you confess you aren’t qualified to beat a human in a magic duel. I understand. You are old and outdated, after all. You’ll be taking your earlier words back, then?”

Wow…Newman sometimes had biting remarks, but never like this. She was goading Cinch as hard as she could. Would Cinch take the bait? Should Professor Newman even want to have Cinch to take the bait?

Cinch’s face was contorted now with rage. She probably had never had anyone speak to her like that.

“What are your terms of engagement, human?” Cinch hissed.

Newman smiled broadly. “We’ll take a page from Tempest Shadow’s combat training playbook. This involves completing a combat objective with heavy restrictions. It encourages creative thinking and problem solving.”

“And what are the objectives?” Cinch asked.

“We shall have a combat area that I will define in a moment. Your goal will be to remain stationary and hit me with a stun spell. You cannot use any other active spell against me or my environment. I must stay within a certain set of prearranged boundaries that are all within your sight, and I cannot put any other individual or object between you and me as a shield. You must hit me with the stun spell within four minutes from the start of the duel.”

“And what is your goal?” Cinch asked.

“To not get hit by your stun spell, obviously. You win as long as you remain stationary and hit me with the stun spell in the allotted time,” Newman explained. “I cannot leave my area to come strike you, and the only weapon I am allowed to throw at you is—” She paused and looked around, walked over to a table, and then picked up a bunch of grapes. “These should do nicely. Oh, and my running commentary on how you are doing, of course. This is a lesson. Please try to pay attention so you can learn something.”

“That does seem like a way Tempest Shadow would set up a combat exercise, but your standards are unfair, even by the terms Tempest would set up. You have no hope of avoiding a spell cast by a mage as accomplished as Cinch—certainly not for four minutes with Cinch having unobstructed line-of-sight,” Arcane said in disbelief.

“Then let this be a learning experience for you as well,” Newman replied. She looked back at Cinch. “Do you accept my challenge and terms of engagement?”

Cinch looked both baffled and amused. “Very well, human. If you are determined to show how powerless you are, I won’t deny you that chance. I accept. I am ready to put an end to your arrogance."

My first thought must have been the same as everyone else’s in the class—that Professor Newman had to have lost her mind if she thought she could win this with just a handful of grapes, but I still had to look at Inkwell who was shaking her head.

“Charlotte, you can’t humiliate her like this,” Inkwell continued to mutter.

Author's Note

Verse 1:
In the halls of Celestia's School
Where magic reigns and knowledge rules
A challenge issued, tensions high
Newman and Cinch, about to vie

Chorus:
A duel of wits, not magic might
Grapes as weapons, an unusual sight
Strategy over spells, a lesson learned
Expectations upturned

Verse 2:
Headmasters watching, curiosity piqued
Bob and Gillmore, their interest leaked
Cinch's confidence, Newman's guile
The cafeteria tense all the while

(Repeat Chorus)

Bridge:
Inkwell's worry, Sweetie Belle's plea
A clash of old and new for all to see
Four minutes set, the stakes so high
Who will triumph? Who will cry?

Verse 3:
Earth pony Turnip, watching in awe
As the duel unfolds, breaking every law
Of what he thought magic should be
A lesson in creativity

Final Chorus:
A duel of wits, not magic might
Grapes as weapons, an unusual sight
In Celestia's School, on this day
A new approach had its say

Outro:
Questions linger, as lunch goes on
What just happened? What have we drawn?
From this clash of old and new?
In magic's realm, nothing's true

Chapter 37

We all watched as the headmasters moved their table, and Newman drew a chalk border upon the floor. As she did, she would pause to move anything that was within the border out of It—a stool, a smaller table, a pair of large potted plants. She shifted these all to the back wall of the cafeteria, which had been largely vacant of any furniture, aside from a table that had a bust of some unicorn—which she shifted over slightly to make room for the various things that she was adding to the wall. She seemed to take an excessive amount of time adjusting this table in particular, moving it one inch one way before pulling it back a few centimeters. Perhaps she had some obsessive-compulsive disorder that demanded everything be just right. It seemed unlikely, given the state she preferred her office, but who knew.

The large open area did give her room to move around, so she could theoretically continue dodging blasts for some time. Cinch’s small area she was supposed to remain stationary in was a few feet outside Newman’s border and was a small square just big enough for Cinch to stand with her legs spread out if need be. It lined up evenly with the center of Newman’s area, meaning that she wasn’t any further away from anything on the right of the area than the left.

If I had to guess, I assumed Newman would stay towards the back of her drawn area, as that would give her more reaction time to any of Cinch’s blasts, but not all the way back, as she would need room to move backward in some cases. Humans were notoriously more nimble than ponies, but I wondered how nimble a woman as old as Newman was. She had to be at least reasonably nimble if she thought she could dodge Cinch’s blasts. I didn’t see any surfaces that would be conducive of ricocheting spells, so Cinch couldn’t get clever trying to do something like that. Cinch would have to aim directly at Newman. Cinch was currently sitting in her assigned area, watching Newman with intense attention. The old mare was probably trying to determine what Newman’s strategy was.

I was still confused. What did it prove if Newman did win? That Newman was quick on her feet? That was nice and all, but it didn’t seem that big a point, and didn’t seem to discredit Cinch’s insults in any way. What was the point of all of this?

Inkwell was chewing on her lip as she watched Newman set up the border.

Newman finished her outline of the area and walked towards the center of it, after first grabbing her grapes that she had left sitting on the unicorn bust table.

“I think the arrangements are now all in order. If the visiting leaders would be so gracious, they can act as referees to judge whether the rules laid out in my terms of engagement are being maintained,” Newman said.

The visiting school leaders, who’d all been shifted off far to the right along with their table, gave collective nods.

Newman looked at Sweetie Belle. “And if you would be so good as to keep time, that would be very helpful. Remember, exactly four minutes, beginning from the second the first shot is fired. Don’t give us running updates about the time, just announce when time is up.”

“So, are we finally ready to begin?” Cinch asked as she stood up.

Newman smiled. “Pick how you choose to stand and open fire.”

Cinch took a few seconds adjusting her standing position before suddenly lighting her horn and firing off a blast at Newman.

Newman casually stepped back and to the left, keeping her eyes on Cinch, and her arms crossed behind her back. The blast missed and connected with one of the potted plants behind the border, causing it to rock violently.

“Careful, you don’t want to make a mess,” Newman said, not seeming too concerned.

Cinch fired off another blast, immediately followed up by two more. Newman sidestepped once and was missed by all three.

“Predictable,” Newman taunted, laying on an exaggerated tone of disappointment.

Cinch frowned. “How did you know the trajectory of all three blasts?”

“Do you really expect me to tell you?” Newman asked, sounding amused. “I told you, you are predictable.”

Cinch snarled and fired off four blasts in rapid succession. Newman did two rapid steps, first backwards and then to her right. Nothing connected with her, but the potted plants behind her got pelted with blasts, and one potted plant fell over.

“So messy,” Newman chided.

Cinch unlit her horn. “I’ll give you this—your reaction time is impressive. You must have practiced. What prompted that? Do you have a lot of angry unicorns shooting at you? I wouldn’t be shocked.”

“Enough angry unicorns that I found it prudent to practice,” Newman surprisingly confirmed, she then started stepping to the side.

Another blast suddenly went straight at Newman at high speed, but missed completely before knocking over a chair. Cinch’s horn had never lit. What just happened? Had someone else fired? It seemed to have come from Cinch but her horn wasn’t glowing.

Newman laughed, never taking her eyes off the headmistress as Cinch starred in shock.

“Yellow Seal’s aura masking technique, how quaint,” Newman said mirthfully. “Students, take notes. This is a technique that hides the corona around your horn despite you actively holding your power at the ready. It also hides any runes for any spells you might be casting. It’s great for surprise attacks.”

Two more blasts went at Newman, but she dodged both with a single step as she tossed a grape at Cinch. The grape connected with Cinch’s horn and the headmistress hissed in pain, but didn’t leave her spot.

“There are some notable drawbacks,” Newman went on to explain as Cinch shook her head, likely trying to clear it after he sudden jolt of pain. “One, it dramatically slows down how fast you can cast spells, and, two, it makes your horn even more sensitive to impact than it normally would be. It was very impressive Cinch could cast two blasts in that quick succession while using that technique. Bravo to you, Cinch. That was a very impressive feat.”

“Is that a violation of the rules?” Arcane asked.

“No,” Gillmore answered. “Cinch is not allowed to cast any active spells, but that is a passive one, and it doesn’t impact the environment or Newman directly or indirectly. It is allowed.”

Cinch glared at Newman. “How?! How did you know the blasts were coming? You started moving before I even fully released the spell, and you shouldn’t have been able to see any sign I was casting.”

“Did you not hear me just explain to the students it slows your casting time? Did you not know this yourself?” Newman asked. “As for the rest, I stand by my previous statement—you are predictable.” She then quickly pelted Cinch’s horn with another grape, causing the headmistress to cry out in pain again.

“You might want to drop using that technique. It is giving you additional vulnerabilities and doesn’t seem to be helping,” Newman suggested. “If this keeps up, I will manage to stagger you, and that would cost you the duel. It is not my intention to win that way.”

Cinch rubbed her horn gently and looked at Sweetie Belle. “Can I get a time check?”

“You have just under two minutes remaining,” Sweetie Belle informed her.

Cunch lowered her head and started rubbing it. Newman threw another grape at her that struck the horn, causing Cinch to scream, but she braced herself so she wouldn’t move.

“Cute, you were going to try a surprise attack by trying to fire while pretending to rub away a headache, ignoring your continued vulnerability that aura masking is giving you. It may have worked against a lesser opponent, but you don’t seem to understand who you are facing,” Newman said.

Cinch looked up. “How are you doing this?! Even a skilled mage shouldn’t be able to predict with such precision when I am readying a spell. I am going out of my way to avoid giving away anything with body language.”

Newman tilted her head slightly. “Are you going to cry because you can’t beat the big bad human with your fancy magic? Please, don’t do that. You’ll embarrass yourself even further. Instead, just imagine what my actual spell casting students will be able to accomplish if I can do this.”

Cinch’s horn lit, and she fired, Newman stepped to the side. Cinch fired again, and again Newman stepped to the side. This continued for several more blasts, each never connecting.

Newman sighed. “You seem to be off on your aim.” She then patted her chest before putting her arms behind her back again. “I’m right here. You seem to be aiming at my legs and shoulders.”

Cinch then fired off three blasts. Newman didn’t even step to the side, she just turned her body slightly. All three blasts missed. It did seem that Cinch was aiming where Newman described. Why was she doing that? Newman even seemed to know Cinch wouldn’t take a shot at her torso. Why? Why not the torso?

“Try again?” Newman suggested.

Cinch fired off four more blasts and Newman turned her whole body, never taking her eyes off Cinch. The blasts went right by her and she returned to previous stance. Again, none of the blasts seemed to go near Newman’s torso. Why was Cinch avoiding that area? Newman would be forced to at least jump out of the way if that was targeted.

Cinch’s eyes went wide. She took several deep breaths then hung her head.

“I concede. Even if I did more to win, I would lose,” Cinch said bitterly.

“Precisely,” Newman said with satisfaction.

There was a heavy stunned and quiet awe throughout the cafeteria. How had Newman done it? None of us in the same position could have dodged and anticipated attacks like that. I was sure the adults couldn’t either, considering the looks on their faces.

“I’m sure you all wish an explanation of what just occurred, and this is a lesson,” Newman said, looking around at the cafeteria. She then turned and looked at the visiting leaders’ table. “Bob, you can start us off. You have my full permission to tell them how I was able to anticipate Cinch’s attacks. I’m sure that is the primary question on their mind. We will get to the others in a moment.”

Bob nodded and stood up. “I am very familiar with Charlotte Newman. Headmistress Cinch, you were operating under a failed assumption. Charlotte Newman may not be able to cast spells, but she is not without magic. She does not advertise this fact, but it is public record on Earth for anyone who chooses to investigate."

I blinked. This was interesting. I was sure I wasn’t the only one who assumed she had no magic. Why had she never mentioned it? Was it simply because we'd never asked? It couldn't be much magic, considering the artifact that measured magical power didn't seem to react to her.

“Charlotte Newman can see thaumic energy and runes,” Bob continued. “This isn’t an ability she turns on and off, but how she experiences the world. I am fairly positive that Yellow Seal’s aura masking technique did nothing to hide your spellcasting from her. All it did was give her more time to react. My experience with her is that she can recognize and analyze spells at an astounding speed. She always knew where the blast would go. Since she could see the runes, that included runes for trajectory. She quite literally could see everything you were doing and your intent, even if the rest of us could not. There is no casting a spell in secret around Newman—I'd advise never casting any spells that you wish to keep a trade secret when you are near her; she will learn them, even if she can't cast them."

"If she really was some sort of spy, that's some serious magical espionage potential," Hannah whispered in wonder. I had to agree.

Newman smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Bob. Now on to the next part—Jordan, can you suggest how Cinch could have counteracted me being able to anticipate her blasts? I'm sure Cinch considered this already, she isn’t as much a fool as I made her out to be, but we’ll get to why she didn’t take those actions in a moment. There was a reason, an important one, but first, identify the appropriate countermeasures to my dodging, whether I was able to tell where the blasts were going to go or not.”

Jordan stood. “That answer is simple enough. She could have simply used wider blasts that you could not as easily dodge. I’m confused about why she kept using such small pinpointed blasts. That made no sense, especially if you were showing a proficiency in dodging. Any student past the third year should be able to make a wider beam, and certainly the headmistress should. It is not that advanced a technique, far less advanced than the one she was using to hide her spellcasting. I also had no idea why she was avoiding your torso. Aiming at your extremities only made dodging easier. Tempest would have had me running laps as a foal if I kept aiming blasts at my opponent's extremities."

Arcane nodded agreement. “I was confused about how she continued dodging until Bob explained it, but I was equally confused why Cinch used such small blasts when it seemed obvious what to do to limit the effectiveness of your seeming precognition."

“I as well,” Obeah said. The others also nodded, including Bob.

Newman walked to the back wall of the cafeteria, stepping over a downed potted plant and next to the table that had the unicorn bust on it.

“For that answer, we will turn to the mare in question,” Newman replied. “Headmistress Cinch, can you explain to all those assembled here today exactly what this is that I'm standing next to? The item I took the time while setting up to ensure you saw?”

Wait...she was fiddling with that table for so long as part of her plan? It never seemed that important. She hadn't done anything other than adjust it back and forth in position.

Cinch continued to hang her head, only raising her eyes briefly to look. “It is a bust of the Headmaster Topaz Diamond, the third headmaster of the school.”

“And what is significant about it?” Newman prompted. "Does it possess some magic power?"

Cinch licked her lips. “No, it does not. It is important because it is the only surviving depiction of him. It is irreplaceable. It is an important part of our school history.”

“And what would have happened if you used a wider beam to try to fire at me?” Newman asked.

Cinch looked up, looking tired and defeated. “Has it not become clear to everypony here? Do I need to spell it out?”

“Then I will,” Newman answered. She looked at us. “If she had used a wider beam she may have hit me and won, but if I had attempted to sidestep then the remainder of that beam would have gone straight to what was behind me. I had strategically positioned myself to make sure of that, that is also why she never fired at my torso. A missed shot that was targeted there would have gone straight at the bust. She would have struck the table or the bust, potentially destroying it. In her eyes, that would have been too much of a loss, even for the sake of victory. Know your opponent, students, and prepare your strategy accordingly. I won as soon as I was allowed to define the area of engagement. I knew, even provoked, she would still restrain herself from doing anything to endanger this bust.”

I'd honestly never seen that bust before, and was fairly certain it hadn't been in the cafeteria before today.

Newman stepped towards Cinch and bent down so she was at Cinch’s eye level.

“Headmistress Cinch, you were faced with a scenario where there was no positive outcome and had to make a choice between whether winning was worth what you would lose to achieve victory or losing and preserving that which you valued. I think you made the right choice. Preserving tradition and history is a very important, and it is not worth merely winning a duel if you lose those things. Further, you did it under emotional and psychological strain from my constant verbal attacks and the physical pain I inflicted, yet you never lost control or lost sight of what could happen. You are a great mare,” Newman gently said.

“Why were we dismissed?” Cinch asked in a low voice that carried in the silence.

“This school’s current mission is not just to push the boundaries of magic, but to forge leaders and heroes who are capable of making hard choices, like the one you just made. Crystal Prep Academy is lucky to have you, because those students and faculty that were let go, while very talented, were not the ones that were capable of making those kinds of choices, and they need a leader who can. It was hard, painful even, having to judge each and every one of them, but the judgment had to be made," Newman answered looking downward.

"So, it was you who decided," Cinch said bitterly. "It was you who arbitrarily decided who had value and who did not."

Newman sighed. "I cannot say if I was always perfect in my judgment, I suspect I wasn’t, but I did the best I could in my recommendations. Your students and faculty still have value, even if they can’t make those hard decisions. Equestria needs skilled mages and experts like them, but it also needs those like we are trying to forge here. For a long time, Equestria has benefited from having heroes who could go and defeat any threat with friendship and rainbows, and it was wonderful that was the case. I wish it could have remained so. However, the world is changing, and friendship and rainbows are no longer going to be enough alone, and there are going to be many situations where there is no completely positive outcome to a situation, even in the best outcome. We need to prepare for the future. We shall do our part here, training those who will have to fight the hard battles and make the hard choices, and you shall do your part by continuing to train all those who keep Equestria working right in the meantime. I wish to apologize for some of the things I said to goad you. They were merely tools to push you. It was manipulative, and I’m sorry for that, but there were lessons to be taught.”

Cinch looked down at the floor and then stood. “I need some time alone. I am not accepting or refusing your apology, nor anything else you said. I am still too emotionally invested in what just occurred. I can’t trust my judgment one way or another until I have regained control of my emotions.”

“Understandable,” Newman said, standing up as well.

“The old teacher’s lounge is still available if you wish some privacy, headmistress,” Sweetie Belle was quick to chime in.

Cinch nodded and wordlessly walked towards the exit of the cafeteria..

“One last thing, headmistress,” Newman called out.

Cinch turned, ears flattened, to look at Newman.

Newman pointed at the bust. “While I forgive our students for not knowing, our school faculty seems to have a distressingly limited knowledge about the items of historical significance held at this school. I was able to walk that thing into the cafeteria earlier today without a single person raising an eyebrow, and not a single one of them picked up on why you were hesitating to use a wide attack. If I can confirm it is alright with our headmaster, would you be willing to take time from your busy schedule to give them an extended tour and explanation of all that is housed here?”

Cinch blinked and looked at our faculty. “It is indeed distressing. I will consider it, if the offer is made.” She then frowned at Newman. “Your point is made. Now, please get that bust somewhere safe before some klutzy student that hasn’t figured out how long their legs are knocks it over. I wondered why it was in here rather than housed somewhere it wasn’t at risk of being destroyed in a juvenile food fight.”

Newman nodded. “I shall attend to that immediately. My apologies for that as well, but it was part of the strategy from the start.”

Cinch nodded in return. “Understood.” She turned around and started walking again before pausing and looking back. “Remind me to never play chess against you.”

Newman smiled. “Only if you are eager to lose.”

Chapter 38

The great part of Coach Scootaloo’s class was that Scootaloo always had to spend time setting up something or other. This always provided the class time standing around to socialize. We could socialize in the dorms, or socialize in the cafeteria, but those all compartmentalized us to some extent. We were with our roommates in the dorm, in our own secluded rooms. We were in our usual seats in the cafeteria, with our usual neighbors that we could normally speak to. Here, in the fields outside the school there were no barriers. It allowed interactions that we typically didn’t have throughout the day. I could interact with Twilight, or Red, or Onyx, or—

“Farm pony, are you part of some extended plot by Professor Newman? What’s she plotting?”

Or Prim.

I smiled sweetly at her. “You’re being surprisingly direct today. Your pointy-nosed friend put you up to asking questions? Was she born that way or have an accident?”

“Her parents paid for a nose job, and that was the nose job, if you’d believe it, chum,” Red said.

“Ponies here pay to have that done?!” Hannah asked in disbelief.

Prim took a step back. “That’s her natural nose. Saying otherwise is just baseless slander.”

“Poor filly,” Bright said.

“It is a noble’s point! It’s considered a sign of noble breeding,” Prim insisted.

“Which is why she had to have it surgically done instead of being born that way,” Red said, smirking. ”I’m just glad that you, dear sister, seem to also demonstrate you aren’t much of a noble with your very common looking nose. I hate looking at you enough as it is.”

She glared at him. “You insult my breeding then you insult your own, dear brother.”

“Our family, luckily, has let in new blood within recent generations, so we don’t have as severe an inbreeding problem,” Red said.

“As severe?” Rocky asked.

Red shrugged. “It is the harsh realities of noble life. I plan on marrying outside the nobility when I’m of age; it fosters healthier offspring. Sadly, I doubt anypony outside the nobility would touch dear sister.”

“Well, I deserve a noble husband anyway,” Prim asserted with a snort.

“You certainly do,” Red replied. “Just keep the nephews and nieces away from me. I suspect they’ll be born with more than one toe on each hoof.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “We’re all part of Newman’s plots, Prim. She chose you, for whatever reason, to be here just as much as she chose me. She already said what her plots were, training us to be able to make the hard choices.

“Like not slapping you and your friends for being snots,” Hannah said.

“Well, we already knew about Newman’s ability,” Rocky said proudly.

“Yep, got the drop on all the rest of you,” Onyx added in.

Twilight blinked and looked at them. “How? You didn’t say anything about it yesterday when I was talking about my research on her.”

Rocky grinned. “We only found out yesterday. We figured after listening to you, we would just go up and ask her.”

“Yep,” Onyx agreed. “She told us all about her ability, but also told us not to talk about it with anypony until after lunch today—said she had a surprise planned. Gotta say, that whole duel thing was a surprise. She must have known Headmistress Cinch was going to mouth off about our school.”

Twilight gaped. “You just straight out asked her?”

Rocky shrugged. “Seemed the easiest way of finding out the truth. Not sure why you didn’t try that before doing all that research.”

Okay, so maybe it was as easy as just asking her. Although, I suspected that if they had asked at an earlier date she would have given a more cryptic answer. She likely only told them because she was about to reveal that information publicly anyway.

“Okay, students, let’s not talk about inbred marriage. None of you should be worrying about that kind of thing,” Scootaloo said as she came over, followed by Stockman. “Last minute change of plans for today’s lesson. I was inspired by Professor Newman’s performance, and decided we should try something similar.”

“We’re going to have to dodge stun spells?” Summer asked worriedly.

“Well…no,” Scootaloo answered. “We'll use water balloons instead. The exercise is simple, you’ll all pair off into teams of two each. I have the lines drawn for each group. One of you will be throwing water balloons, the other dodging. Instead if a time limit, you’ll be limited by ammo. Once your initial stick of water balloons is used up, you’ll switch places and Baxter here will bring a new stick if water balloons.”

Stockman lifted up his leg which had a phone attached. “I used my phone to randomize the groups. First group is Prim Tape and Onyx Swirl. Second group is Red Tape and Hannah Moonbow. Third group is Twilight Glow and Summer Blaze. Fourth group is Rocky Road and Bright Pear. Fifth group is Turnip Jones and Lunar Light….where’s Lunar Light?”.

We all pointed at a nearby tree Lunar was napping beneath.

Stockman used a wing to shield his eyes, despite wearing sunglasses already, and looked in the direction we indicated. He snorted, walked over to a large pile of water balloons, picked one up with a wing, and lobbed it towards Lunar. It didn’t hit him, but came close enough that the resulting splash did.

“I’m working on it!” Lunar shouted in fear as he jumped to his hooves. He then looked around in confusion. “What’s going on?”

“Turnip’s your teammate; he’ll explain it to you,” Stockman answered.

“Try to be a little nicer if you’re going to help out,” Scootaloo chided.

“What? He needs to be alert. He isn’t the only one who wants to take a nap. Especially since I’ve been helping everyone out all morning,” Stockman replied. “Baxter, can you substitute teach my class? Baxter, can you film this? Baxter, can you help set up this activity I just dreamt up two minutes ago? Mister Stockman, I’m facing existential dread because I’m fifteen and haven’t figured out the meaning of life; can you explain it to me?”

Scootaloo’s ears sagged. “You were nice to whatever student was having the existential crisis, right?”

“I told them they are fifteen so they should go play some video games,” Stockman answered.

“....Most Equestrians don’t have access to video games,” Scootaloo replied in a troubled tone.

“Now that's a crisis. I feel very sorry for Equestrians,” Stockman said.

Stockman behaved this way around most of the professors, but he tended to hang around Coach Scootaloo more than the others, so there was always some back and forth going on with them. I think he hung around Scootaloo, despite it putting him in sunlight, because he felt like he could be more useful. From what I could tell, Stockman knew next to nothing about magic. He wasn’t a teacher; he was just the tech guy on staff…and there wasn’t much tech to use. He must have been bored most of the time, and despite his protests, I believed he was more than happy that anyone wanted his help.

Twilight raised a hoof. “Um, coach? Aren’t we at an inherent disadvantage in doing an activity like this? Not even counting Professor Newman’s ability to see magic and anticipate where blasts are going, she’s human, and more agile than we can hope to match. Ponies don’t typically so much dodge things as try to outrun things. We can’t physically match what she did.”

“She also implied she’d been practicing that kind of thing. Kind of crazy that someone practices being shot at,” Rocky said.

“Yeah, she wrote Tempest Shadow for a training recommendation. She ended up using a top of the line automatic baseball pitcher on a turret that would fire high-speed baseballs. It had a sensor to make sure the balls were always aimed directly at her. I actually helped set the thing up,” Stockman said. “She was hardly perfect at it when she first started. She got nailed by baseballs constantly—got some nasty bruises and worse since those things were firing at over ninety miles an hour. This water balloon thing is extremely tame and easy compared to what she trains with.”

“Um…how fast is ninety miles an hour? I don’t know Earth measurements,” Onyx asked.

“More of a USA measurement than Earth one,” Stockman clarified. He scratched his chin with his wing thumb. “Not sure how to do a good example. Let me try this, I've seen Equestrians play baseball. You guys treat it as a sort of way of showing off agility since just pitching a ball, swinging a bat while standing on two legs, and fielding all require a ton of practice and training to even do on a basic level. Baseball on Earth is a whole different beast. Humans are expected to be able to do all those things inherently, so they tend to focus on raw power and precision a lot more. When an Equestrian pitches a ball in baseball. it goes at about fifty miles an hour on average, oftentimes slower. So those balls are going almost twice the speed an Equestrian can pitch. Humans, at least the professional baseball players, can actually hit over a hundred miles an hour pitching. Getting hit by a ball thrown that hard can fracture bones.”

The Equestrian foals gaped. To them that must seem insane, but I’d seen humans play baseball before. Ponies typically didn’t get to be play beside them because it was considered exceptionally unfair to the pony. At best, you might have a pony pinch runner, if a team could afford a spot for just that. In areas that had a high pony population the MLB teams found ways to make a spot on the roster for that pony pinch runner.

Prim put her nose up high. “So what? Humans might have a few minor situational physical advantages, but can they really compare to what a unicorn can do? Professor Newman certainly went out of her way to set up a contrived situation where she had the advantage, but when is anything like that ever going to really happen?”

“Are you familiar with crystal ponies from Earth?” Hannah asked. “They aren’t like the ones here in Equestria. The ones on Earth can drain your power right out of you and completely neutralize your spells. When some baddie knows they are going to be fighting unicorns, they always bring one or two crystal ponies along with them. I wouldn’t be shocked if there’s some Earth-type crystal ponies over in New Eden—that’s practically in our backyard.”

“What if ya are pinned down, like when any of us are dueling Lunar Light?” Bright asked. “Ya can hold that shield up as much as ya can, but ya aren’t able ta do much else—least not with magic.”

Prim snorted. “I'm a noble. Why should I even be fighting?”

“I would also like to add in simply being magically exhausted,” Coach Scootaloo said. “Even without ever being in a combat scenario, you are still capable of magically exhausting yourself. I’m not talking about being just tired; I’m talking about completely depleting your thaumic reserves. When this happens, which can happen during normal day to day activities—if you aren’t careful, you are magically helpless for anywhere from a few minutes to a few days. What you can do physically matters a whole lot more when your horn needs a rest.”

“Well…I’d just have servants do what needs to be done while I recover if that happens,” Prim asserted, seeming less sure of herself.

Stockman looked around. “Hey! Can the servants for this snot-nosed filly please come out? I didn’t know you were hanging around just in case she got herself in trouble.” He looked around. “Anyone? Hello! You guys playing hard to get?”

“I think she gets the idea, Baxter,” Scootaloo quickly said. “There’s no need to embarrass her.”

“Some people can’t understand things unless they realize how stupid they sound,” Stockman replied.

Scootaloo covered her face with a wing. “To think you are related to so many influential ponies and you act like this.”

“They’re the influential ones, not me,” Stockman said dismissively. “I also got to see those same influential ponies lose their cool as soon as they were out of public eye. They throw hissy fits about how moronic other people are. They may have to be polite when dealing with fools because they’re public figures, but they still think the fool is a fool. I don’t have a public image to protect. I’m free to say it like it is. This filly wants to say ridiculous things? Fine, but I’ll make sure she understands how preposterous she sounds. Oh, the servants will do it for me….give me a break.”

Prim turned red in the face. “I refuse to be spoken to by some lowborn-”

“Lowborn?” Stockman laughed. “Filly, you really don’t know who you are talking to. Those that I’m related to make your humble little batch of cloth merchants look like nothing. I don’t particularly care. I think a person should be able to stand on their own merits, not the merits of who they are related to. I don’t know your family, but I know how you act, and you don’t seem to have much going for you when you strip your family connections from you, not that those connections make half as much difference as you think.”

“That’s not true,” I objected, getting everyone to look at me in shock, especially Prim. “She is an extremely hard worker, who pours a ton of energy into doing well in classes. She refuses to give up, and she refuses to fail. She’s got her issues, serious ones, but she does have her strengths.”

“Why are you defending me, earth pony?” Prim asked. “I don’t need it.”

I looked at her. “Because insulting the capability of my rival insults my capabilities.”

Prim frowned slightly, but didn’t reply.

“That’s an interesting view of things,” Scootaloo said. “But you are right, Prim Tape is a very hard worker. Let’s get started on the activity.”

We separated into our assigned pairings. Lunar Light yawned and scratches at his chin.

“So…what are we doing?” Lunar asked as he yawned again.

“We are replicating Newman’s duel with Cinch using water balloons,” I explained.

He blinked. “Oh ..well…can you explain it a bit more specifically to me?”

It was only then I realized he wasn’t at lunch.

“You chose today of all days to miss lunch?!” I asked in complete disbelief.

“I fell asleep,” he explained sheepishly.

Of course he fell asleep. I only knew two primary things about Lunar Light—he fell asleep frequently and he was apparently very strong in combat magic class.

“One of us is going to stand in the bigger area and try to dodge the water balloons, the other is throwing from the smaller square until there are no more water balloons. You can’t do anything else but throw balloons. No other magic,” I explained.

“She and Cinch had a water balloon fight?” Lunar asked in confusion. “That’s not something I would expect either to do.”

“Cinch was using stun spells instead of water balloons,” I said flatly.

He yawned again. “That makes more sense. I assume Newman won?”

“Yes,” I answered, and raised an eyebrow at him. “Why’d you assume she win?”

“I’ve seen her dodge baseballs. It’s something she does consistently every Saturday. She almost never gets hit. Sounds like it hurts a lot whenever she does get hit, and that’s usually what brings a stopping point to her exercise. I’m surprised she hasn’t been seriously injured, but she comes into class every Monday with no sign of injury. Headmaster must heal her up,” Lunar explained.

I tilted my head. “And you take time to watch her every Saturday?”

He blushed. “You probably guessed, given the duel you described, but she’s a master strategist who is always ten steps ahead of everyone else. She’s got ties to one of the most important mages of the age, and she might possibly know forbidden magic, even if she can’t cast it herself. She’s worth watching—and she’s easier to keep track of than Headmaster, that guy just vanishes without a trace and doesn’t have any records about him; can’t learn anything at all about him. It’s like he just appeared out of nowhere one day and nobody knows anything about him other than he’s a powerful mage and he knows medicine; it’s frustrating. Aren’t you curious why we have humans from Earth here?”

Well, I knew Hail Storm is his nephew, and he wasn’t the first choice to run the school, someone recommended him. I’d keep that private between me and my close friends.

I smirked. “Well, you might have learned it is to prepare us to face bigger challenges than Equestria is used to facing if you hadn’t fallen asleep and missed lunch. What do you do all night that makes you so sleepy during the day?”

He hung his head and shook it. “Sleep, but It doesn’t help much.”

“Getting pelted with a water balloon should wake you up. I’ll throw first and you can dodge,” I said.

He yawned again. “Sure thing.” He then went to get into position.

“Oh, and we do know one other thing about Headmaster,” I said as I took my spot.

His ears perked up. “What’s that?”

“He prefers to wash the dishes,” I said with a chuckle.

Lunar seemed to consider, as if this made him realize something deeper. “That he does.”

Chapter 39

We finished classes for the day. Me, Bright, Summer, and Hannah all decided to do another excursion out to the park. This would be our first joint trip to the park since our incident with the rainboom. Bright, Hannah, and Summer had all made individual trips to the park, or come in pairs, but I hadn’t made another attempt to visit the park since that day. I was nervous, but I was bound snd determined to face the terror of trees.

“Um, roomy, ya feelin’ alright?” Bright asked as we approached the park.

“Yes. Why do you ask?” I replied.

“Cause ya keep goin’ slower and slower,” Bright answered.

Hannah chuckled. “Are you still freaking out about trees?”

“No…but don’t laugh. Trees are scary…to everyone else, not me,” I replied.

“I think you might have that turned around,” Hannah said with amusement. “Come on, pick up the pace. We’ll defend you from the big stationary plants.”

“Ya’ll should come out ta Sweet Apple Acres. That would get Turnip over his fear of trees. Can’t be scared of those butes.”

“Why is your name Bright Pear if you’re an Apple?” Summer asked.

“Ah’m as much a Pear as an Apple, all of us at Sweet Apple Acres are. Mah granny was a Pear, an’ mah grandpappy was an Apple,” Bright answered. “The Pear orchards are ours, gifted by my great grandpappy—on mah granny’s side, an’ as much our birthright as the Apple ones. One day, after ah am older and married, them Pear orchards will be gifted ta meh. Mah family will keep them safe and tended till ah retire from the royal guard ta tend them mehself.”

“You seem to have your whole life figured out,” I said, mildly jealous.

He shrugged. “Ah know who ah am. Ah’m an Apple. Ah’m a Pear. Ah’m a farmer, but ah also want ta defend mah fellow ponies—like mah sis’. Mah brother will take the Apple orchards, ah shall have the Pear orchards, and mah sis’…well…she still has ta figure out what she wants after she retires from the guard, likely marry into some other family, like my great great grandaunt married into the Oranges.”

Hannah chuckled. “Is your family on a quest to conquer all the fruits? Ready to get the lemons, strawberries and grapes?”

“Ain’t got no relatives in those families yet that ah know of…there might be a Grape…but they is pretty distant,” Bright replied.

“I was kidding,” Hannah said, bemused. “Never heard of unicorn farmers, at least not in Equestria.”

“Ah only inherit the Pear orchards if ah marry an earth pony mare to make the new matriarch of the Pear clan,” Bright clarified..”Farmin’ is earth pony business, an gotta make sure we keep at least one earth pony husband or bride in every weddin’.”

“That doesn’t seem very fair,” Hannah said.

Bright looked at her. “Why not?”

“What if you fall in love with a pony that isn’t an earth pony?” Hannah asked.

“Then ah don’t inherit, mah brother will take both orchards, or mah sister, if she marries an earth pony. Gotta keep the farms in the hooves of the earth ponies—although, she don’t view herself as a farmer, so she might not even then. It’s okay ta have one pony in a couple that ain’t an earth pony, or ta have non-earth pony youngins’, but ya got ta make sure earth ponies keep in the family. Farms will fail without ‘em.”

“Hmm, it seems the unicorn nobles aren’t the only ones concerned with bloodlines,” I observed. “I wonder if pegasi are as picky.”

Bright looked at me, ears flattened. “It ain’t nothin’ like that. We just gotta keep our farms thrivin’. Can’t be doin’ that without earth ponies. Ya come from a farm; ya should know.”

Humans farmed well…maybe not as great as earth ponies, but they were still very effective farmers who had been doing it for about ten thousand years, which was longer than ponies had, even by my best estimates of sketchy pony history. I was fairly certain a farm could survive and do well with other pony tribes running it.

“Maybe it is easier with earth ponies, but not impossible,” I suggested. “Ponyville is a farming community, right? Yet it still has plenty of non-earth ponies. Aren’t any of them farmers?”

“Some of them,” Bright conceded. “But none of them compare with farms like ours.”

Summer stopped. “Well, we don’t need to think about that kind of stuff right now because we’re here.”

We all stopped and looked. There were the trees on the outskirts of the park, just as I remembered them. We were standing exactly where we had been standing when the rainboom had happened, I was certain of it. There was no sign of any damage to the trees or the pavement around us, no sign of what our surges had done. Someone had come and cleaned all the damage up, and done so completely that there was ln’t any trace even a detective could find. If not for the memory, people might claim it never happened. We knew what had happened, and I, who had only now returned, felt unease as I looked at the park.

Bright gave me a bump. “We’re with ya. It will be alright.”

“Yeah, it is just a park. The rest if us have come plenty if times since then. It really isn’t that interesting,” Hannah confirmed.

“And we haven’t had any other surges,” Summer said supportively.

I shook my head. “Thanks. I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Just tell us if it gets ta be too much for ya,” Bright said.

“I will, but it won’t,” I assured them.

We walled up towards the path that cut through the trees. I kept close by my friends, keeping them within touching distance. I was walking faster, but only because I didn’t want my friends to get any further ahead of me.

“Dang, you really do have a fear of trees,” Hannah said. “Don’t feel ashamed. Everyone has stuff they’re afraid of. I won’t laugh anymore.”

“Once we get through the trees it opens up quickly to nice green grass. You just have to get past these trees,” Summer assured me.

I gulped and nodded.

We walked closer to the towering trees. As we got close, they blocked out the sun, like a building would, only they weren’t buildings. Their long greedy branches reached out, trying to steal the sunlight from everything below. There was no room for flowers or grass at their base. The trees took everything. Monster plants, heavily armored, uncaring about the needs of other plants. How could nature make such cruel things?

The path went between the trees, and I shivered as we passed between them, choosing to look down at the dirt. It was hard packed dirt, There hooftracks, light ones. The dirt was packed hard enough that no one’s hooves really dug into it. All there was was light dust on the path to hold the memories of those many hooves. The shade from above made it difficult to tell that it was even daylight. It just kept going. The path eventually curved, then curved again. How far did this go?

Then there was sunlight, free from the clutches of trees.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Hannah asked. “People wouldn’t even pay for such a boring experience.”

I looked up. There was plenty of grass, a few hills, a stream that ran through the park from somewhere beyond the trees, and a white painted bridge curved over it. The entire area was surrounded by a wall of trees in all directions, and there were a few smaller trees standing isolated in different areas of the park, but these ones had flowerbeds below them. There was a playground off in the distance with many foals playing, and there were a few ponies having picnics on blankets here and there.

I took a deep breath, pulling in the scent of grass. The scent if the trees was still strong, but if I focused on the grass, the dirt, and my friends, I could ignore the trees.

“Yeah, this is much better,” I confirmed.

“Let’s go walk over the bridge, and we can go play at the playground,” Summer suggested.

“Ain’t we a little old ta be playin’ at the playground?” Bright asked.

She shrugged. “We aren’t much bigger than them. We’re getting old enough that it won’t be long till we hit our growth spurt, and then we will be too big to play on the playground equipment, then we’ll feel bad because we never took the chance when we had it.”

I never thought of things like that. I suppose it wouldn’t be that bad to just be kids. How often did we get to be just kids when we were out on our own at this school, far from home, and our parents? I suppose Summer wasn’t far from her mom, but her dad and home were far away. Bright’s family was a train ride away, yet I never saw him go home for a weekend—I wondered why. I thought about my parents…they’d be here soon enough, and I would be explaining myself and my deception to them. I’d written them the letter, and Professor Newman said she would ensure it was delivered. I had tried to not think about what their reaction was, but suddenly I found myself wondering.

Playing on playground equipment seemed a good enough distraction.

“That sounds good to me,” I replied.

Hannah shrugged. “We’re primarily here for you, so that’s what we’ll do. I think we should still try spending some time next to one of the trees after that. You know, to get you through your phobia.”

I looked out of the corner of my eye at one of the trees before diverting my eyes again. “Yeah, we’ll do that.”

So we walked towards the bridge, my tension easing the further from the treeline we got. The trees blocked out the ability to see most buildings in town, making the park a pocket of wilderness that hid within the midst of the city—neither city or wilderness aware of how close they sat.

We walked onto the bridge and propped ourselves up on the wooden railing. We weren’t big enough to see over it, but we could see through it fine enough. The stream curved through the park exiting out through the trees. I’d seen it in town. From what I could tell, it came down high of the Canterhorn mountain, went through town, right past one if the castle gates, and it eventually went off the side of a cliff on the far side of the city. I hadn’t actually seen where it exited the city. I wanted to see a steep fall off a cliff about as much as I wanted to see trees. Earth ponies didn’t really appreciate heights. Our hooves belonged planted on solid ground. We didn’t want to be high up in the mountains. We didn’t want to feel like we were in the sky.

I lowered myself back down to stand on four hooves again. “Let’s go see the playground.”

“You okay?” Summer asked.

“I’m fine. I-” I began, but I paused as I looked out at the playground.

There were swings, seesaws, merry-,go-rounds, slides, and sandboxes. There were many foals playing, primarily unicorns, but a few pegasi and earth ponies, even one griffin chick.

And jumping and frolicking among them was a foal in a cloak.

I started heading at a brisk trot towards the playground, never taking my eyes off that foal.

“Turnip! Wait up!” Hannah yelled as my friends came galloping after me.

“Why are you running?” Summer asked.

“It ain’t that interestin’” Bright said as he came up beside me.

“Do you see the foal?” I asked, refusing to take my eyes away from the cloaked foal. Every time I had seen something before it had vanished when I had looked away. I was not going to look away for any reason.

“It’s a playground, there’s lots of foals. Which foal?” Hannah flusteredly asked.

“The one in the cloak!” I answered as I slowed down, reaching the playground’s edge. The foal was still there. I hadn’t turned away. It’s face was turned away from me, so I couldn’t see, but the fur on my body was rising again, and despite the warm sun, I felt a chill. That sense of dread and wrongness that I felt last time was back.

“We don’t see no cloaked foal, roomie,” Bright said.

“No cloaks anywhere,” Summer confirmed.

“Can you point the foal out?” Hannah asked.

I stood on the edge of the playground and pointed right at the frolicking figure. Several other foals ran right by it, not stopping or looking at it. I knew, just like my friends, they couldn’t see it. I was not just seeing things; it was right there. As long as I didn’t look away, it would remain. I was sure of it.

“There ain’t no cloaked colt or filly there,” Bright said.

I put my leg down and started marching right at the foal. I was going to find out what it was.

“-if you go out to woods today, your in for a big surprise-”

I stopped. That was definitely the foal singing…the filly…it was definitely a filly by the voice.

“If you go out in the woods today, you better be in disguise-”

It wasn’t frolicking, it was dancing and singing, and it had something in its forehooves. Was that a human doll? It was do old and raggedy looking it was hard to tell.

“For every bear that ever there was-”

I took a step closer. What was that smell? It smell awful. It made my fur rise even more.

“Will gather there for certain because-”

I took another step. I only needed another few steps and I would be close enough to speak to her and see her face.

“Today’s the day-”

Another step. The smell was so bad I could barely breathe.

“-the teddy bears have-”

One last step. I was ready to reach out. I would learn the truth.

“-theeeeiiirrr picni-”

Something collided with me, knocking me down. I lost sight of the filly.

“Oops, sorry about that,” a younger colt said as he shook away some dirt he picked up when he had fallen to the ground after running into me. He went off Immediately, laughing with some friends.

I turned to look, but the filly was gone.

Chapter 40

We headed towards the castle. Inkwell was the ideal professor to go to, but she would have gone home for the day at this point, and while we knew she lived somewhere in town, we didn’t know exactly where. There was one professor we knew exactly where they lived, well, more than one, but one that we knew where they lived out of the ones who lived in town. We knew Professor Newman lived in Canterlot Castle. She might not know how to help me, but she’d know how to find Inkwell. Inkwell might have gone to her to find whoever it was that was supposed to know something. Maybe she had already done that and could direct us to whoever that was. I needed answers and intended to get them.

“Can you describe what you saw a little more?” Hannah asked as we walked down the streets. “Was it just a filly? Was there anything else?”

“Um…she had a doll and was singing Teddybear’s Picnic,” I answered.

“Any other details?” Hannah prompted. “You were focused on her for a long time. You must remember more details. It could be important.”

I did my best. “The doll was human, it was really old. The cloak was brown and plain—it was dirty. I’m pretty sure she’s younger than us. I couldn’t see her face. She was turned away from us. I don’t know what tribe she is. There was a smell…a really horrible smell. None of the foals were reacting to her being there.”

“Well, we already knew you are the only one who sees these things,” Summer said. “That’s not saying these things aren’t real. Just saying…I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“It tweren’t just seein’ things though; it was also hearin’ and smellin’,” Bright said. “Ya almost got ta see if touch worked.”

“My fur was standing on end and I felt a chill when I saw her, both times,” I said. “I didn’t feel all that with the hallway.”

“Well, she sounds kind of creepy, so that’s not a shock,” Hannah said.

It was late, so the line to get into the castle was non-existent, but the guards were still at the gate.

“Kind of late. Evening library study?” one of the guards asked as we approached

I shook my head. “We need to see Charlotte Newman.”

The guard stood up. “Our resident human? I was told she taught over at your school. She rarely has guests, and typically leaves notice with us if she is expecting any. Is she expecting you?”

I shook my head. “No, but this is very important. Can you let us in?”

He frowned. “I can’t just let a bunch of unexpected foals into the guest quarters. The library is one thing, but those quarters are living space. Think about if it was your home and the ponies who were supposed to be watching it just let random ponies come in. I’m sure you’ll understand.”

“Can’t ya send her a message sayin’ we need ta talk ta her?” Bright asked.

The guards looked st each other and the one that was speaking to us sighed. “Names?”

“Turnip Jones, Hannah Moonbow, Summer Blaze, and Bright Pear,” I answered.

He jotted some notes down. “Reason for visit?”

“I have a magic problem that is causing me a lot of distress and I need help,” I answered.

He raised an eyebrow st me. “If this is something to do with your schoolwork-”

I shook my head. “A problem with my magic, not schoolwork. I’m seeing things and it has something to do with my magic.”

He blinked. “The human might not be the one to go to then.” He looked to one of the other guards. “Go ahead and get the dragonfire. Weird magic problem inflicting a foal sounds like something she’d want to deal with.”

“You’re messaging Princess Celestia?” Hannah asked in shock.

The guard was now in the process of writing a note. “No, it’s getting late, shift is changing. We are sending you to Princess Luna. She is getting ready to set up the night court and she’ll hear your petition for aid. She tends to deal with more of these kinds of requests compared to Princess Celestia anyway. Celestia tends to deal with issues involving financial aid or government policy and so on; Luna deals more with monsters, maladies, and other stuff that needs more direct and immediate attention without all the bureaucracy.”

“Ya think it is worth getting’ a princess involved?” Bright asked.

The guard shrugged as he finished the note and tossed it in the dragonfire. “It sounds like some type of magical malady. I’m not sure how serious it is or not, since I’m no expert, but Luna would have our ears if a foal came seeking help with a magical malady and we didn’t send them on to her. She doesn’t get as many petitioners as Celestia does, so you aren’t taking away from anypony’s time. Some nights she doesn’t get anypony….which I guess is s good thing, since that means less ponies are having immediate trouble. She doesn’t even bother showing up to court half the time unless we message her that there is a petitioner. Most petitioners come on behalf of villages needing financial or legal aid or about some law or tax policy—that’s all Celestia’s domain.”

“Don’t let it bother you if she seems happy you have some malady,” one of the other guards said. “She gets bored, so she likes it when somepony needs her assistance with some problem.”

I guess everybody wanted to feel needed, including alicorn princesses. Didn’t Professor Sweetie Belle say that Princess Luna might not be available outside of class when substituting because she was busy? She didn’t sound that busy.

We sat for about a minute before a scroll suddenly appeared in the air and dropped in front of the guard. He unfurled it, silently read it, and then rerolled it up.

“You have been admitted to night court,” he said. “Go straight in. The court is held at the main throne room—big double doors if you keep going straight. There are also signs, so you can’t miss it. Don’t go wandering off anywhere else; the guards on duty know that you are petitioners, and will detain you if you go anywhere but night court.”

Bright raised a hoof. “What if we have to go to the lit’ colts room?”

The guard’s brow narrowed. “Hold it, and fon’t let it out while you are in the throne room.”

“But what if ah really need ta go?” Bright persisted.

The guard pointed to some bushes off to the side. “I suggest you go now. Watch your step, that’s where I go, and I have a bigger bladder than you.”

“Eeww,” Hannah said.

“What? Better than going in the street,” the guard said. You don’t know how many petitioners I’ve seen just take a dump while in line. Then we have to go through the whole hassle of getting somepony out here so nopony steps in It. Just go in the bushes.”

Okay, not the way I expected the seat of government to operate.

“Bright, do you actually need to go to the bathroom?” I asked.

“Naw, just wonderin’ is all,” Bright replied.

“Um, I might,” Summer said in a whimper.

The guard pointed at the bushes again. “Watch your step.”

We finally made it to the throne room after waiting several minutes for Summer while she de-leafed the bush in her quest to clean herself up. The throne room was big, with a long red carpet that ran straight to a raised dais where a pair of thrones sat—the only seats in the place. There were a pair of guards at the base if the steps before the throne and a pair just inside the door—there’d been a pair just outside as well, all bearing purple and black armor with the lunar crest. Princess Luna sat on one of the thrones looking regally down at us.

“You may approach the throne sjd present your petition to Princess Luna, the Princess of the Night, Mistress of the Moon, Duchess of Western Hoofland, Countess of Mareport, seventh-in-line of succession for the Saddle Arabian throne, Governess of the Night Ponies, High General of the Lunar Guard, Patron of Foals, and Dreamwarden—fourth to hold the title.”

I had no idea what many of those titles meant, as I had no idea where Western Hoofland, Mareport, or Saddle Arabia were or whether they were significant places or not. Did Governess mean like the political official Governor or did it mean caretaker? Why did Night and Moon need separate titles? I could guess what High General of the Lunar Guard meant easily enough—exactly what it said it was, and Dreamwarden must be a title related to her dream related duties—which made me wonder who the previous three had been and whether that title predated Equestria itself.

Luna rose and looked at the guard “You reduced the number of title, courtier. Thank you for that. However, could you please try to shorten the list a little bit more.”

The guard looked at her In shock. “More, your highness?!”

She nodded. “Yes. We can think of at least four of those titles that could be abstained from, and one that could stand to be shortened.”

“But I’ve already shortened it so much,” the guard said, sounding horrified.

Luna smiled. “And while we appreciate your valiant efforts to reduce it from ithe previous five minute oration—very much so, we feel just a tiny bit more can be done.”

He used to list titles off for five minutes?! How?!

His ears sagged. “As you wish, your highness.”

She nodded and looked at us. “Sorry for the delay in addressing you. Our courtier is newer to his position, and has great enthusiasm and dedication that makes us proud, but we are still smoothing out a few wrinkles when it comes to formalities.”

“You’re supposed to have bowed,” the courtier guard whispered loudly to us.

“Only one of these ponies is our subject, and we wouldn’t want to put Bright Pear in such an awkward position in front of his classmates or have any of them lower their head to a foreign power. The lack of bowing is forgiven,” Luna said.

“Sorry, your highness,” the guard quickly said, looking embarrassed.

I looked at Summer and she gave me a puzzled look.

“She’s right. The kirin tribe isn’t formally part of Equestria. Didn’t you know that?” Summer informed me.

I shook my head. My knowledge of these details was kinda thin. I was actually more interested in the fact Luna seemed to know all our names and recognize us on sight. Yes, she had seen us that one time we visited Psychic Calm, but I was still surprised she recalled us so easily, and seemed to know both Hannah and I were from Earth.

“Turnip Jones, we believe it is you who had reason to speak with us concerning things you have been seeing. May we ask what prompted the decision to seek our aid today? Has their been a significant incident?” Luna asked. “We are aware of the hallway incident and the incident regarding seeing…a certain individual that we prefer not to discuss. Has there been yet another?”

I gaped at her. “You knew?! How did you know?”

“Raven Inkwell,” Luna answered. “She went to Charlotte Newman for help, and Charlotte Newman got Raven an audience with me. Poor Raven is always so over-concerned with not being a burden on us that she sometimes fails to realize how eager we are to help. Charlotte Newman is more practical, and not afraid to ask for our aid.”

“But you know what this is that I’ve been experiencing?” I asked, brimming with hope.

“We have a strong suspicion,” Luna clarified. “We’re actually awaiting two guests to help shed some light on the subject. First, please, answer the question. What prompted tonight’s visit?”

“I saw the filly again,” I answered. “We were at the park, and I spotted her on the playground. She was singing and dancing with a doll. I kept my eyes on her and almost got close enough to touch her, but a colt ran into me and made me lose sight of her for a second, and she vanished in that second.”

Luna frowned. “We see. We advise you not to attempt to touch anything you have a vision of in the future. It may be harmless, or it may not. However, we do know that visions are meant to be seen and heard, not touched. We don’t even know the ramifications of what may have happened if you had managed this feat, but we expect it would have ended with a far more distressing outcome.”

“Is that there filly that Turnip keeps seein’ dangerous?” Bright asked.

Luna pressed her lips together, seeming to think about this before answering. “Not in and of herself, but she represents dark magics that have long been banned from Equestria—for good reason. It is troubling that Turnip is seeing her. We know her whereabouts, and we were already planning on making a trip to check her status after we learned of the first vision. We will not give further details of her, some things should not be spoken of aloud.”

“What about the hallway I saw before? Is that where she is?” I asked.

Luna shook her head. “The hallway, as it was described to us, was a place we were unfamiliar, and not the location of the filly. We had to consult another to determine where this hallway may be, and it was confirmed it was at a location a great distance from where that filly is located. We advise not trying to interact with that hallway if you ever see it again. It is a very dangerous place. Trying to interact with a vision can have devastating consequences to you. What was not truly there can impact you over great time and distance if you do. It is better to observe and take note of all you see and hear, for these things have meaning, even if the meaning eludes us at this time, but never interact.”

The double doors opened behind us and Professor Newman and an unfamiliar pegasus mare stepped in before the guards closed the doors behind them The pegasus mare looked around the throne room with curiosity.

Luna smiled. “Charlotte Newman and Sunflower Smiles, thank you for coming as we requested. Sunflower, I hope the summons were not too distressing for you?”

The pegasus shook her head. “Confusing but not distressing. I’m more than willing to help a foal in need, but I’m not sure what need you have for me.”

Luna pointed at me. “This is Turnip Jones, also from Earth, one of the students at our magic school, and he may also share a certain gift that you and I both possess.”

Sunflower’s ears flattened. “Oh dear, I’m very sorry to hear that. It isn’t as bad as my variation of it, I hope.”

Luna gave her a look filled with concern and sympathy. “You haven’t been caught in any recent situations where you didn’t have drawing supplies at the ready, have you?”

Sunflower held up a leg where there was a band that had several colored pencils strapped into it. “Don’t worry. I never go anywhere without it. It’s been a while since I was in a situation like that.” She held up her leg for examination, rotating it slightly to give Luna a full look. “See? No injuries. I haven’t taken any bites out of it in a long time. No drawing in blood.”

My ears flattened and Sunflower noticed. “That’s a really rare thing, and I’m the only one who does stuff like that. I don’t know your situation, since this power seems to manifest differently for everyone, but I’m sure you don’t have to worry about that. Sorry if I scared you. I have to draw when my experiences happen, it overwhelms everything else, and if I don’t have anything to draw with…well…my subconscious mind apparently thinks my blood makes good enough paint.”

Luna nodded. “I had never heard of it manifesting in such a way before you. I’m glad you have found a way to be ready for whenever it unexpectedly happens. You aren’t one of our ponies, but we…I…wish nopony to have to suffer from their gifts.”

Sunflower shrugged. “It isn’t so bad, especially now that I always have art supplies at the ready. It is a little scary for those around me, especially if they don’t know about it beforehand, but I’ve gotten to see and go so many places because of the things I have drawn. I'm living my dream."

Newman stepped forward and looked up at Luna. “Next year’s games are in Skytree. The year after that they are at Wabash Manor.”

Okay, that seemed an odd bit of information to throw into that conversation.

Luna frowned at the news. “I see. That does provide some context.”

Sunflower’s ears perked. “Something happening at Skytree and Wabash Manor?”

Newman nodded. “Turnip’s visions seem to indicate as much. Things are moving towards their final conclusion and the powers that be are eagerly making their final nudges. That Skytree and Wabash would be involved is a shock to no one, making such visions redundant information, as such visions tend to be. Still, this is no business of foals. With your permission, Luna, I think by observing you, Sunflower, and young Mister Jones that I can devise a way to temporarily block him from having further episodes. You’d have to be the one to implement this method, but I think I can design it, now that I have three such subjects to observe.”

Sunflower laid her ears back. “You knew a way to block me from having my episodes and you never said anything?! Do you know how many times I had to walk around with my hoof bandaged because I got caught with no art supplies?!”

Newman looked down at her. “Three, that I know of, but you can correct me if it was more. However, I did not know a way at the time, but now that I have three individuals in my presence with the ability I can observe you well enough to discover the nature of the magic and devise a countermeasure.”

Sunflower turned and gave her wings a little flap. “It was five times.”

“Thank you for letting me know. It was sloppy of me to have missed two,” Newman replied.

Luna licked her lips. “Your magical genius never ceases to make me proud, Charlotte, but I am not sure blocking these visions is an appropriate action to take. While the information provided so far from Turnip’s visions isn’t obviously useful, there is some possibility they add new layers to what we know. The fact he has had two such visions about…well, that one was never considered significant in and of themselves.”

“Visions of who?” Sunflower asked, looking at me.

“You aren’t familiar with them in that form, but you have encountered them in another,” Newman said. “One of the visions had the individual in question holding a very old doll and the other had the individual trying to catch a black butterfly. Does that ring any bells?”

Sunflower shivered. “Yeah…it’s impossible to forget that, unless you tried to block out the memory. It’s been a long time since I thought about that doll, and I remember the butterfly mark. Are they still in Skytree? I haven’t had word of them in years—not that I asked about them.”

“My information may be out of date, but I doubt they have left Skytree,” Newman said and looked to Luna for confirmation.

”I checked just recently. They are still there. Magic such as that, even if it is on Earth and not here, is something that I take extreme precautions about. It is forbidden for a reason,” Luna said. “Still, they have remained out of trouble, showing no signs of malice, and Earth is outside my dominion. My descendants keep a regular watch and would have said if there were any troubling developments. They’ve secured ownership of the appropriate wilderness outside the city and fenced it off—I believe the government there has marked it as an area to protect endangered species. Most foolish enough to violate the area are quickly dissuaded by the inhabitants.”

I thought back to the stories I had heard about the forests outside Skytree. They seemed like tall tales, but was there actually something to them?

“So…I l’m not just seeing things? I’m not crazy?” I asked.

Luna looked at me. “You are gifted with the ability to have visions. This can manifest in different ways, unique to the individual—my sister and I have them in dreams, while Sunflower Smiles goes into a trance-like state where she draws something. What you see can be from the past, the present, or possible future. It can take place anywhere. Often times what you see is cryptic, with no clear indication why it is important, but do not doubt these visions are important. The visions do not necessarily need to involve your past present or future, most times they do not, but merely be references to things that can significantly impact others.”

“They are overly cryptic and an unreliable source of information, easily misinterpreted,” Newman said dismissively. “They are a distraction from your studies. There is nothing we can learn from visions that a network of spies can’t keep us already abreast on.”

“Why so cynical about visions?” Sunflower asked.

Newman groaned. “Because they border on religious experience and give people the idea that God is talking to them, and that God has a special purpose for them. They go and misinterpret what they are seeing, misinterpret what their reaction to it should be, and then project their own wants and desires as God’s will. God doesn’t talk to people like they are prophets, people are judged by God for their actions, but he does not guide those actions—because if he did, he’d do a much better job of it all. An individual’s actions are always their own and can only they can take the blame for them.”

Sunflower raised an eyebrow at her. “Don’t you think you are being a little reactionary to things that happened with you?”

Newman crossed her arms. “It was a lesson learned, and one I paid a heavy price to learn. I will never presume to speak the will of God again when all I do is project myself into it. I will never do such blasphemy again. When I am judged, I will not defile myself by falsely claiming I was doing God’s will instead of my own.”

“Do not worry,” Luna informed Sunflower. “Newman is still very functional and effective at what she does, having tremendous foresight gained through extreme caution and planning—though she can be bold when needed. It’s just that certain subjects seem to pull old hurts to the surface. We actually tried to convince her to be headmistress of the city’s magic school, but she flatly refused having a direct leadership role, although she made excuses about not being able to cast spells and various other things.”

Well, that was one of the multiple candidates who were ahead of Headmaster. I honestly wasn’t shocked.

“Maybe they were just excuses, but better that I be an effective tool in more capable hands than a leader who brings others to ruin,” Newman said. “As for the matter at hand—I believe it is up to Mister Jones if he wishes to have me devise some method of blocking his visions, although, if I do devise this, it would need to be a powerful being, such an alicorn, that would implement the spell. Interfering with the influence of Harmony or the Story is no small feat. Let the colt decide what he wants, and we can make it happen.”

I stepped backward as all eyes turned on me.

“This seems like a big decision. Do I have to decide right now?” I asked.

Luna looked at Newman, and Newman shrugged. “I can still get the information together. The additional time might allow me to come up with better solutions. I would like to find a way of storing the countermeasure in an artifact that can turn the ability on and off, but that would take me more time to figure out how to do, and it would require me to consult Neighsay on how we would best go about accomplishing it—he and I don’t have the warmest professional relationship. If I did that, that would also require me to broadcast young Mister Jones abilities to the rest of the faculty.”

“That might be advisable, considering he may have additional episodes that they may be witness to,” Luna said.

Newman nodded and seemed in thought. “I am also concerned with the timing of the first episode. What happened. That was right after Psychic Calm’s funeral. What trouble did Mister Jones get up to right before then?”

Newman knew about the truestone incident? Luna seemed to know too.

Luna frowned and seemed to consider as well. “That is a concern. We can’t rule out that triggered something. We know so little about the nature of those things.”

Sunflower looked between them in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Things you don’t need to know about,” Newman answered “But out of courtesy for your assistance, I will give you a very brief explanation. Mister Jones has been claimed by an object that your spouse has one of—a very special object from a very faraway place.”

Sunflower looked at me in shock. “You let a foal come in contact with one of those things?! Why would you do that?!”

“A mistake in judgment was made,” Newman answered. “He doesn’t have it. We are keeping it from him until he is properly ready for it.”

“These things are dangerous. My spouse once accidentally leveled an entire office building with theirs, and it really was a pure accident!” Sunflower protested. “They said that it was only using a tiny fraction of the power it was capable of during the test. We were lucky it was an abandoned building and not one with people in it, and you let a kid touch one of those things?!”

“A severe lapse in judgment, not mine, but one that happened and we now have to accept the consequences of,” Newman said calmly. “One of those consequences may be that it unlocked this ability with visions before the ability would have naturally come to light.When did your experiences begin, Sunflower?”

“I don’t know…sixteen, maybe fifteen years old,” Sunflower answered.

Newman nodded. “That’s in line with the other Storytellers and Seers I have researched .Mister Jones’s age is an outlier. He may have developed the ability on his own eventually, but the stone may have triggered an early development of it. I don’t believe a foal his age should be exposed to such things. It is traumatic for teens developing this ability; I can only imagine it is much worse for a preteen.”

Sunflower came up next to me and draped one of her wings over me. “Well, I’m going to be in town for a while—I’m not sure how long: weeks, months, permanent. Since I’m here, I can mentor him. I know how frightening the visions were for me when they first started, and how long it took me to find some level of peace with them. Mine might manifest differently, but the feeling…the aftermath is the same. There is no controlling them or when they happen, but you can control how much you let them impact your life.”

“If I can block them then that is a form of control,” Newman said.

Sunflower looked at her. “I’m not sure you can. I think you are trying to mess with things you don’t fully understand. You should know better than most of us the dangers of messing with forces you don’t understand.” She suddenly frowned. “You do know that.” She shook her head. “You didn’t need to manipulate me. Just ask for my help. Can you not help yourself or something? You have to manipulate people into doing what you want, even when they’d be willing to without the manipulation? Is it just that much in your nature that you have to do it?”

“I still want to examine you, Luna, and Mister Jones and try to determine a way of blocking it if possible, as a plan B,” Newman said, not denying she manipulated Sunflower into offering to mentor.

Luna sighed. “Charlotte Newman has her faults, but she is well-intentioned. Turnip, do you wish to let Sunflower Smiles to help mentor you? Nopony can teach you how to control your visions, that is beyond us, but she can teach you how to approach them so they don’t disrupt your life. I do think you being as young as you are and experiencing this is concerning, but I agree with Sunflower that you shouldn’t try to block them. They can be a force for good, if you don’t try to read too much into them. They are a tool, and a tool is only as good as the craftspony using it.”

I looked up at Sunflower. “I think I’d like to be mentored and try to work through this.”

Luna nodded. “Very well. Charlotte, you may still observe the three of us and determine what you can by observing the thaumic flows around us, but treat it as simply research to expand knowledge.”

Newman gave a half bow. “As you wish, Luna. Although, I may still pursue a method of blocking it. You are aware one of our enemies possesses this ability as well. My sources tell me Soothsayer still to this day helps develop the enemy’s plans. I would be very keen on blinding them of her vision.”

Sunflower’s ears sagged. “I remember her. She’s still around?”

“She’s still around,” Newman confirmed.

“And a subject that we shouldn’t be discussing in the company of foals,” Luna quickly intervened.

Sunflower gave me a pat on the back. “You all should hurry back to your dorm. I won’t be starting with you tonight, but I will soon. Your professor will let me know how to find you.”

Newman stepped forward. “Not heading to the dorms yet. I still have observations to do. Don’t worry; I won’t take long.”

“Should we be hanging around for this?” Hannah asked.

“Stay,” Newman instructed. “Turnip should not be walking to the dorks after dark by himself.”

She’d never been concerned about students walking back and forth from the dorms to the castle before. Why the change?

Summer stepped forward. “Princess, why do you say that filly represents dark magic? Is she going to hurt Turnip if he touches her? He tried to touch her today.”

Luna looked back and forth at her guards. “Guards, I am about to discuss a forbidden subject. This knowledge is not to be discussed with anypony. Do you understand?”

Chapter 41

Luna sighed and looked at us again. “I have met her. She is not cruel or intent on causing anypony harm. Quite the opposite, she only desires to play and have companionship from foals she perceives to be her age. However, what you see as a little filly is actually older than any of you; in some interpretations she is much older than even me, even if the body is not, a being from the infancy of your universe. She is a construct created from the dead, a product of the forbidden art of necromancy. She is also a foal, an eternal one, incapable of aging, and with very limited ability to emotionally and intellectually develop beyond the age you see her. This means she can hurt you not out of intent, but out of ignorance.”

“That there filly that Turnip’s been a seein’ is a zombie?!” Bright asked in shock. Summer whimpered and cowered down.

“That isn’t quite the right word. A zombie is a single reanimated corpse that is mindless. This filly is made of the parts of many, and she is fully sentient,” Luna explained, as if considering what to call her instead. “Please understand, this is not a creature intent on devouring you. It is a creature that wants friends and to play. A perfectly normal set of desires for a foal, but problematic given it is a form of undead.”

“There’s also the matter of what happens when you touch her in a vision,” Newman said. “We have had isolated cases of things moving through visions. Sunflower can tell you all about that creepy doll pulling that crap constantly years ago. To this day, I don’t know if that doll is an actual doll or some manifestation of power that is beyond all understanding, but it seems to go where it wants to go.”

“I still have nightmares about that doll,” Sunflower said, shivering again. “I’d just be going about my day, turn around, and scream because there was that doll, just sitting there. I could walk right up to it, pick it up, examine it, feel it in my hooves, but as soon as I turned away from it, it was gone until it decided to pop up somewhere else later on to give me yet another heart attack.”

“What…what did it do?” Summer asked fearfully.

“Never did anything, just sat there, being scary!” Sunflower exclaimed. “However, if I could touch that doll, even though it probably wasn’t really there, you might be able to touch this filly. I don’t understand how it works, but it is possible.”

Vanishing as soon as you turn away sounded way too familiar. I felt a sense of dread about what I had almost done.

Newman cleared her throat. “The point is, if you touch her you might manifest her—move her from where she is to you, and even if that is only as long as you are directly looking at her, that could kill her. You are the threat to her in this instance. She can only get so far away from her creator without the magic that made her failing. It is a considerable distance she can go, about a fifty-mile radius, but offworld from her creator is obviously far beyond that boundary. Despite how distasteful it is that she even exists, she is still a sentient being with thoughts, feelings, and some semblance of a soul, one that is not responsible for their existence, and only guilty of being lonely and wanting to play. It is no one here’s intention to kill or destroy her. Anything that lives has its right to life unless it presents a constant intentional overt threat to the lives of others. She is no such threat.”

“Dark and forbidden magic doesn’t always have evil intent or widespread destructive power. Oftentimes it is dark and forbidden because it creates situations such as this, where there are no morally correct choices to deal with it, despite there clearly being a serious problem. No matter what we do involving her and her creator, we are doing wrong. As such, we choose not to take direct action. It is a deeply tragic situation,” Luna explained.

This whole thing was disturbing, but I was confused. “Okay, so I’m dangerous to her if I make her suddenly be here for real instead of just a vision of her, but how is she dangerous to me or anybody else if she just wants to make friends and play?”

Luna looked at Newman. “Can you explain it to him?”

Newman nodded. “She just doesn’t know any better is the short explanation. There are a lot of things that can hurt you that won’t hurt her—everything from physical damage to poison or more. She can lose limbs and it is only an inconvenience for her until someone sews them back on, so her concept of danger is very limited. She can put you in potentially very dangerous situations because she doesn’t recognize the danger to you. You can try to advise her that something could hurt you, and I’m sure that she’d listen and choose some other activity, since she really doesn’t want to hurt you, but that requires you to first know what is coming. It is easier if you are also around anyone who has a lot of experience with her who can anticipate her thought processes, but when you aren't, the risk something bad happening goes up exponentially. In addition to this, she has undead guardians who may hurt you to keep you away from her. They fear outsiders finding her and doing her harm, and if you aren’t familiar to the guardians then you are seen as a potential threat that they must protect her from.”

“I know of one instance where she captured a venomous snake and was eager to show off her new pet, not understanding her pet could do others serious harm when the bites and venom did nothing to her,” Luna said. “Things like this are not uncommon with her. It is childlike innocence, but it is potentially deadly in its innocence.”

“The solution to avoid all this is very simple,” Newman said. “If you are a participant in next school year’s games, don’t go wandering in the woods outside of Skytree. Do that, and no one needs to worry about you having any run-ins with the filly.”

Hannah shook her head. “I’m confused. Is this necromancer person something from Equestria that made its way to Earth? We didn’t even have magic forty years ago, but you’re saying this filly is older than a thousand year old princess.”

“The soul within her is older than me, by a considerable margin,” Luna clarified. “The necromancer himself is not particularly old. He is a younger stallion. His power manifested early, and he created the filly to be his playmate and companion when he was a colt younger than all of you. Those that watch him thought he would dispose of the filly when he outgrew her, but they underestimated his love for his foalhood companion, and they underestimated her desire to live. All his creations house a fragment of his soul, the mind of some past life, and most seem to understand that they are to be animated or put to sleep as he has need of them. This filly is also a fragment of a past life, but a much more alien form of life, and she clings hard to her new existence that differs so much from what she originally was. She loves experiencing life. In anything else this would be heartwarming, but with her…with her it is just a further complication in what is already a complicated situation.”

“So…what do we do if we run into Frankenfilly?” Hannah asked.

“Think about what I’m going to do for you for disobeying me about going into the woods and do your best to make it back to civilization without her following you,” Newman said flatly. “She’s easily distracted, you can likely figure something out to allow you to make a break for it.”

“Won’t that hurt her feelings?” Summer asked.

“Her coming into contact with civilization and causing a panic would hurt her far more and cause far worse fallout than hurt feelings. The kindest course of action is avoidance,” Newman said gruffly. She then gestured at Sunflower and me. “Can you two go stand closer to Luna? It helps if I can see all of you together.”

We did as instructed. The guards seemed a little ill at ease about us getting close to the princess. She held up a hoof and they relaxed. Newman sat down, crossed-legged in front of us.

“Aren’t you going to write this down?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I will later, but writing gets in the way of my thought process. Don’t worry; I will remember all the details. Now, hold still, and let me observe. This won’t take long.”

She cupped her chin in her hand and leaned on her elbow, just watching the three of us.

“Curious,” Newman said. “I had not anticipated that. Very curious.”

“What? Is something wrong?” I asked.

“Wrong?” Newman asked. “No, I don’t think wrong would be the word, just unexpected.” She stood up. “I apologize. I won’t be able to gather sufficient information by observing you three alone. I will need additional subjects, and may not be able to devise something even then. There’s an unforeseen complication.”

“I presume you will share with me the details of this complication?” Luna asked.

Newman nodded. “I will share the information with you and with Sunflower, if she wishes. In fact, I can tell her the news she most eagerly wishes to know. The details are too complicated for Mister Jones, and things he does not need to worry about. He only needs to concern himself with whatever coping mechanisms you can teach him.”

Sunflower stiffened.

“As you suspected, your abilities will not work in Equestria,” Newman told her, looking her in the eyes. She looked at Luna. “I suspect your ability will not work on Earth.” She looked at me. “If I suspect correctly, your ability will work both on Earth and Equestria. I need more subjects from both Earth and Equestria with this ability to fully confirm this, so do not take it as fact. There are two distinct forces at work, and while Luna and Sunflower seem to have a separate one each, you seem to have both. That means if one is unable to operate because of your location, then the other will be. I cannot confirm they would operate in the same fashion, or have the same priorities. This would require further observation, or, more frankly, simply await the other force to do what it will when you are next on Earth.”

“You can determine that so quickly?” Sunflower asked skeptically.

Newman smirked. “No, I can only tell you my working theory based on what I see. I see all the thaumic forces at play around you, and can easily distinguish one from another. I am not fully sure exactly how these forces operate. I will record my findings in a few minutes and begin the painstaking and time consuming task of study and drawing out the various possible interactions. This is not a priority task for me and more subjects are needed for me to make a fully informed declaration of what is happening, subjects who are hard to come by. You all have my working theory, you may cautiously use that as you please.”

“Would you be able to design the blocking technique that you had suggested?” Luna asked.

Newman shook her head. “Not with Mister Jones. I am unsure how the two forces fully interact since one is currently dormant, and I suspect one or the other will always be dormant. I prefer not to meddle with such a thing. It might be possibly devise a method that could block yours or Sunflower’s, if needed, and use the one from Sunflower to blind Soothsayer, but I would still prefer more subject observation to do this—a subject other than Mister Jones, since his interactions are too complex to suggest standard behavior.”

“Why can’t you tell me about these forces?” I asked, feeling frustrated. “You know I’m smart.”

She looked at me. “I do not understand them myself, but if you wish, I’ll give you the brief rundown. Harmony and the Story are two extremely similar forces. Harmony is specific to this universe. The Story is specific to our universe. Consider them guiding forces, forces that try to nudge events in specific directions. There are many ways they may do this, but one way they try to nudge things is with the seers and storytellers, who will have visions. Sunflower, being from our universe, has a tie to the Story. It takes action through her by giving her visions. Harmony does the same with Luna and her visions. These two forces can’t cross the universal divide, they are constrained to their own universe. Their goals may align at times, but at other times they may not, as Harmony and the Story are motivated by different overarching goals themselves. Harmony tries to…for lack of a better phrasing…preserve tranquility and happiness. The Story is not so much concerned with tranquility or happiness; the Story doesn’t want things to get boring. Somehow, both Harmony and the Story have gotten their hooks in you, which means you are getting visions from Harmony right now, but when you return to Earth you may be hit by the Story giving you visions. I am unsure if this will take them same methods, since it is two different forces at work with two separate sets of goals. Their goals do overlap at times, and they may overlap with you—I hope so, for your sake. There is a possibility they are communicating to coordinate what visions you receive, though I am unsure how they could be doing this. However, the fact your visions here deal with subjects from Earth does suggest that is what is happening.”

“So…Harmony is talking to me when I’ve been getting my visions, not the Story?” I asked.

“Unless you have had such an experience on Earth that I am unaware of,” Newman answered.

“So, my visions I’ve had are to nudge things towards tranquility and happiness?” I asked.

“A good point,” Luna said. “I will prioritize checking in on the filly as soon as possible to determine if there is something causing distress. However, I’m at a loss at how your other vision could relate to Harmony’s priorities.”

Newman sighed. “I’ll check with Jordan and see if anything odd has happened at Wabash lately. If not, she will at least know that she might need to potentially up the security there. Anyone actually getting into that hallway Mister Jones saw could lead to a major disruption of tranquility, to put it lightly.”

Sunflower gave me a wing-pat on the back. “See? You’re already doing good with your visions. They're a heck of a lot more useful than mine typically are. Maybe the Story just enjoys being cryptic with its visions; I’m jealous.”

Newman looked at Luna. “I think we have done all we can with Mister Jones for today, and as one of his teachers I am primarily concerned with him keeping up with his studies, of which this is a major distraction. Are you ready to send him back to the dorms now, or was there something else? These foals have had enough excitement for today.”

Luna smirked. “I heard about your duel with Cinch, so you contributed to that excitement. That was uncharacteristically dramatic of you.”

Newman adjusted her shirt and looked down. “A lesson needed to be taught and I was getting tired of hearing her insult our school administration. Sometimes it is necessary to do something dramatic to change course. I’m sure I will hear no end of students questioning me about strategy and my abilities after today. They already started with the older students. They are going to be insufferable tomorrow morning.”

Luna chuckled. “You’ll just have to cope with being admired.”

Newman grimaced.

Sunflower gave me a grin. “Well, it was nice meeting you.” She turned and looked at Hannah. “Oh, and you too! Sorry that I didn’t say hi. It is good to see two subjects of my drawings at last.”

Hannah blinked. “You drew me? One of your vision drawings?”

Sunflower nodded. “You and Turnip, both. Newman’s agents were quick to make off with them. I drew the two of you….oh, it must have been back around February.”

“I’d prefer you hadn’t revealed that,” Newman said with a groan.

“Why?” Sunflower asked..

“Because I prefer it not be known that I used drawings from a strange pegasus as a factor in my decision to admit two of our students,” Newman growled. “It was but one factor, but I do not want it to be known it was a factor at all. What would those that weren’t admitted say when they hear I used such a factor in my decision making process?” She took a deep breath. “But perhaps a person who was once admitted to a college she didn’t even apply would not understand.”

Sunflower blew a raspberry. “I’m sure their situation isn’t as serious as mine was.”

Newman shook her head. “We don’t know how serious their situation is, but it is serious enough for you to draw them. Don’t be so dismissive of your own capabilities.”

Sunflower rolled her eyes. “Sure thing, Miss Visions-Are-An-Unreliable-Method-of Gathering-Information.”

Newman smirked. “You’ve grown, filly. You would never have said such a thing to me when we first met. You grew a backbone.”

“I’ve been through some stuff and seen things,” Sunflower said, spreading her wings. “These foals weren’t even alive when I was that timid filly.” She lowered them again. “But you’re right. I know better than to blurt out secrets. I just felt like things might be safer here—somewhere I didn’t have to always watch what I said and didn’t always have to look over my shoulder, not to mention being free of my visions. It seemed like a nice deal. I assumed that is sort of why you are here. Let me guess, you being here is part of some long-term stratagem that the rest of us could never understand.”

“Something like that,” Newman grumbled. “I preparing the next generation for what’s to come.”

“The old dragon asks about you. She wants you back,” Sunflower says.

“So I heard, and have been hearing for years. The old dragon can worry about someone else. I will not be their pawn. I have chosen my course,” Newman answered.

“There’s a lot at stake,” Sunflower stressed.

“And how is the old dragon’s track record at overcoming challenges? They can’t even get an old woman to answer their summons, and have to send others to beg,” Newman said bitterly. She then looked at us. “Can the four of you go? Sunflower may be trying to be cryptic, but she’s bad at it. Take that as tonight’s lesson. If you are going to be cryptic, be better at it than this than this.”

Author's Note

This was originally part of last chapter but I had to divide it in two die to length.

Chapter 42

Typical dinners on campus were less formal than lunch and less hurried than breakfast. Dinner didn’t have as narrow a timeframe for when you could have it. Students could get dinner in the cafeteria anytime between sundown and supposedly midnight—I say supposedly because first-year students and second-year students had dorm curfews that came long before midnight, so I had no way it verifying that they kept serving food that late. There were some other quirks, if you arrived early some of the dishes might not yet be available. If you arrived late some of the dishes might not be available then either, although it would be because they’d be eaten compared to not finished being prepared. Class seatings were more fluid at dinner, and we weren’t required to sit at our class table, even though that was what most of us inevitably did. There were also no professors present at dinner, or rarely present. That meant there was more chance of the random food fight occurring, since there was no authority figure to stand in the way of the chucking of food. There was also the option of taking our dinner to go, which is what my friends and I chose to do.

We took out dinner bundles out to a picnic bench that was set up between the dorks and the main school building. It was night, but there was street lamp near the picnic bench that provided plenty of light—it wasn’t electric, but it glowed when it was dark out all the same.

“So, how are you holding up after that whole meeting with Luna and Newman?” Hannah asked me as we sat down. “You were pretty quiet the entire time.”

“You were quiet, too,” I pointed out. “How are you doing after finding out a drawing got you into school?”

Hannah shrugged. ”She said it was only one factor, not the whole reason .Getting drawn by a storyteller just means I’m special. I can’t be stressed about that.”

“Ah wish they drew meh,” Bright said. “Guessin’ ah ain’t so special.”

“I think because it is the Story that made her draw, and the Story is based on Earth, it wouldn’t know about you or Summer,” I replied..

“I don’t really need to feel special by having somepony draw me. It seems like it could be a bad thing,” Summer said. “Discord said that Harmony and the Story had their hooks in me, just like Hannah and you. There might be the same with you, Bright. You weren’t there for him to see you.”

“Ah’ve seen Discord before, he ain’t never said nothin’ like that,” Bright replied.

“And whatever that stone comes from would be the third hook in me. Maybe whatever is letting the other two talk to each other so I can have visions from Earth while I’m here,” I concluded. “Unfortunately, they aren’t going to say much about that.”

“They said that there pegasus has a spouse that has one, and they blew up some buildin’. That’s somethin’,” Bright pointed out.

“Also means there is going to be another truestone owner somewhere in the area,” Hannah said.

“One that blew up a building,” Summer said warily.

“Well, only once, by accident,” Hannah replied.

Bright shook his head. “We should do somethin’, somethin’ fun.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Hide an’ seek?” Bright suggested.

Hannah shook her head. “Newman said she didn’t want Turnip outside alone at night. Hide and seek would put him by himself.”

I worried about that. They’d mentioned that some people might try to use me if they knew I was connected to a truestone. They’d just told everyone in the throne room that I was. Luna’s guards should be trustworthy, and Sunflower seemed nice enough, but the more people who knew a secret the more chance there was of it getting out.

“How about truth or dare?” Hannah suggested.

“That might be fun,” Summer replied.

“Ah wouldn’t be an Apple if ah were scared of truth or dare,” Bright said confidently.

Hannah smirked. “Great, you can start us off. Truth or dare, Bright?”

Bright raised his head high. “Truth!”

“Who’s prettier, me or Summer?” Hannah asked nonchalantly.

Bright blushed. “Now…that ain’t a very fair question.”

“It’s a simple question,” Hannah replied.

Bright put his head on the table and covered it with his forelegs. “Summer.”

Summer blushed.

Hannah fluttered her lips. “I suppose I asked for that one. I can’t really compete with a kirin. She’s got the exotic beauty thing going on.”

“Sorry,” Summer said, blushing deeper.

“It’s fine. Don’t apologize for being pretty,” Hannah said, waving it off. “Okay, Bright, you can call on someone now.”

Bright uncovered his head. “Hannah, truth or dare.”

“Dare,” Hannah answered immediately.

“That was quick,” I said.

She shrugged. “Figured he was going to turn the question on me, only with you and him. I didn’t want to have to decide which one if you was less homely.”

“Thanks for that,” Bright replied, ears flat. “Uh ..let me think of a dare.”

“You didn’t have something ready?” Hannah asked, amused.

“Naw, was goin’ ta do like ya said,” Bright confessed.

Hannah gave him a pouty face. “Awww, too bad.”

Bright sighed. “Levitate up that there bench ya are sittin’ in without getting’ off it.”

Hannah blinked. “I can’t do that. Not with me on it. You know that. It would be like trying to lift myself.”

Bright shrugged. “Starlight Glimmer does it.”

“Starlight Glimmer is the most powerful unicorn there is,” Hannah countered. “How about I try to lift the one you and Turnip are sitting on instead?”

“Fine, try yer best,” Bright conceded.

Hannah lit her horn and the bench below me was enveloped in her magic aura. The bench shook and I steadied myself on it.

“Whoa!” Bright cried out as the bench continued to shake, almost losing his balance.

The bench rose about an inch or two off the ground and then abruptly dropped. Hannah panted.

“Okay, I managed it. Dare complete,” she said proudly. “You two are heavier than I thought you’d be.”

“It was probably Turnip. Earth ponies have thicker bones,” Summer said.

I shrugged. “Guilty as charged.”

Hannah caught her breath and looked at me. “Well, since you were the one who made that a struggle, you can be next. Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” I chose.

“Tell us a deep dark secret about yourself,” Hannah challenged.

That took me aback. Deep dark secret? I had lots of secrets, and many if them I had promised not to say anything about—promised very important people that I wouldn’t. What could I possibly answer without getting in trouble.

I lowered my eyes. “I forged my parents signature on the permission form to let me attend school here.”

All three of them gaped at me.

“I didn’t expect you to lean that hard into the deep dark secret thing,” Hannah said breathlessly. “What the heck, Turnip?!”

“You ran away from home?” Summer asked in disbelief.

“Ya faked the form that let’s ya be here?!” Bright asked in equal dismay. “They’ll kick ya out if they find out!”

I kept staring down. “Newman knows about it. She got my parents to sign the forms for real. She also made me write a letter apologizing to them. They’re going to come visit during the winter break, and I’ll have to explain myself to them. I’m kinda dreading it.”

*I bet. That is going to be a really awkward conversation,” Hannah said.

“That’s putting it lightly,” I replied.

“You should be sure to thank Professor Newman. It sounds like she saved you from being expelled,” Summer said firmly.

“Mah folks didn’t want meh attendin’ either,” Bright said quietly.

We all looked at him.

“But didn’t your sister attend here?” I asked.

He nodded. “An’ she don’t want to come back and help with that farm. They think they lost her ta this place.”

“Your Aunt Applebloom doesn’t farm,” Summer said.

“That’s different. She still comes by ta help with the harvest, her and her youngins’,” Bright explained. “Candy don’t want ta farm at all. She still comes by the farm ta visit, but there’s…there’s a tension whenever she does.”

“I thought you admired your sister,” Summer said. You always speak highly of her. She hasn’t visited you or you her either, now that I think about it.”

“And you never visit home and your family never visits you here,” Hannah added in.

Bright nodded. “There’s…there’s a tension ta it all. Ah’ll be goin’ home for the break, not sure if Candy will be there. It ain’t her fault; she’s got a job to do, an’ sometimes that keeps her away. That’s why she ain’t visited meh. Mah parents don’ really understand that. Mah aunts do, but they ain’t the ones runnin’ the farm. Aunt Applejack is there and works on it, but she don’t control it, mah parents do. She ain’t never been married; she ain’t continuin’ the family, so the farm can’t belong ta her. Aunt Applebloom could have took the Pear orchards for her an’ her young, but she left them for meh and mah siblings. She an’ her young still help out at harvests. Said it was only right for a pony bearin’ the Pear name ta have ‘em after ah was born.”

It sounded like Applebloom had inadvertently dumped a lot of pressure on Bright by doing that.

“But your parents did sign the permission form to allow you to attend,” I observed.

He nodded. “They ain’t goin’ ta stand in the way if ah want ta attend. They can be mad, but they ain’t stoppin’ me. We Apples have a way of doin’ stuff, and we don’t block others’ choices, even ones we don’t like. Ah promised them ah would return to get mah inheritance when ah retire from the guard. Candy said straight out she tweren’t goin’ ta do that.”

“Sorry to hear all that,” Hannah said sympathetically. “My parents were fully supportive of me coming here. They wanted more for me than being some unicorn working in a junkyard. They taught me to always seize the opportunity.”

I took a deep breath and looked at Summer. “Truth or dare?”

She slumped a little. “Truth. I know what’s coming.”

“Why is your mom here and not both your parents?” I asked.

She rubbed her hoof against the table. “My dad, he’s a good rin, but he’s very protective of me and mom.”

“That just makes his absence all the more strange,” I pointed out.

“Let me finish,” Summer replied. “He can get mad easily if he thinks either of us are being mistreated, and…well…we’re kirin; not controlling our temper has consequences. He wants to be here, but Mom and I convinced him that he would do more harm than good if he were. Mom told him they needed to have somepony looking after the animal hospital back home, and she’d keep an eye on me. Mom and I’ll be going back home during the break. I know it seems I try to avoid my mom, but it is just that she gets to be too much. I do like having her here, and I miss seeing my dad.”

“It sounds like the more things change the more they stay the same,” a new voice said from nearby.

We all looked to see Headmistress Cinch approaching us from a nearby bush.

“Sorry for eavesdropping from behind that bush, but I wanted to hear students being students when an adult isn’t around. It seems like you are just like my own, and the students that have attended this school for generations. May I sit with you?” Headmistress Cinch asked.

“How long were you listening?” I asked.

She raised an eyebrow. “A considerable amount if time, considering I had been relaxing behind that bush already when you came up to this picnic table. May I join you?”

“You can join us,” Summer said, scooting closer to Hannah to give Cinch room to sit.

“Thank you,” Cinch said as she sat came and took a seat beside Summer.

“What were you doing behind the bush?” Hannah asked.

“Relaxing, as I said,” Cinch answered. “I have always enjoyed the evenings here in Canterlot. I was there before the four if you ever sat on that bench, and could not help by overhear all that was said. That particular spot is one that I long retreated to after sunset to sit and gather my thoughts. I haven’t quite found the right spot in the Crystal Empire to replicate the experience. I’m a little surprised…perhaps a little disappointed…that none of your elder students came out to see me. It was well-known back during my tenure here that I would spend an hour or two in that spot every evening, and they used to come to me sometimes when they had problems they didn’t feel comfortable discussing in my office. I thought with my visit that some would take the opportunity, but ..well, it has been some time I suppose.”

“Oh,” Hannah replied, seeming unsure what to say about that.

Cinch looked at me. “Some of the things I heard were concerning, including much about you, but fear not, I am not going to interfere with the situation. Your current faculty seem to be involved and it would be improper for me to try to put a stop to how they deal with things, even if I disagree with some of what I heard.”

“Thank you,” I quietly said.

She looked at Bright. “I recall your sister well. She was quite the troublemaker on campus, often getting into misadventures and clashing with the noble students. If that filly hadn’t been so talented, and I hadn’t thought that she had often been provoked into her clashes with other students, I would have sent her home. Still, I recently encountered her in the Crystal Empire and was pleased to see how well she had taken to her career path. She is a very talented spellcaster with a great deal of integrity, and the guard is very lucky to have her. I fully expect she will ascend the ranks quickly. I hope you follow the same path, albeit with fewer fights and trips to the headmaster’s office.”

“Fewer fights, not no fights?” Hannah asked.

Cinch cracked a smile. “I can respect a pony standing up for themselves and their friends. This school should not be in the habit of producing doormats. Candy Apple accepted her consequences with no argument, but never apologized for standing up for others,—that is respectable. Your human professor has my respect for doing just that earlier today in response to me. I still don’t know how I feel about her presence and the school’s current direction, but I feel comforted in knowing that your faculty is still willing to show that the school’s honor is to be defended.”

“Thank ya for sayin’ that ‘bout mah sister,” Bright said. “Ah thought ya might have been not so nice to her.”

“Why is that?” Cinch asked, seeming genuinely confused.

“Ya’re just so big on tradition, an’ this school has mostly been for nobles. Mah family, we ain’t nobles. Ah thought maybe ya wouldn’t support some outsider. Ya didn’t seem to like earth ponies attendin’”

Cinch looked away. “I see, and I understand how you might have thought that. There were many noble families over the years that believed I would give their foals free passes to do as they wish because of their noble birth. The truth is, this school has always been a potential avenue for social mobility. If a student was low-born, but had the talent, they could use this school as a springboard into better circumstances. While lower-born unicorns have always been the minority at the school, they have always produced some of our most accomplished students. They had to work harder to get into the school, and they had to work harder to prove they belong. They never took their attendance for granted. Still, it was always unicorns, and I’m still unconvinced a full magical education is worthwhile to an earth pony or pegasus…although I had already been exploring the possibility of kirin admission before my dismissal. There is adaptability and there is throwing tradition out the door altogether. I like to believe I am adaptable. I am of noble birth, but I was outranked by almost every other noble in my class and in the faculty. I had to fight to reach a position of authority. No, not every student needs to be a noble, but they should have the tools they need to succeed.”

“Oh,” I said, not sure if she had made me feel any better.

She looked at me. “And you…I won’t discuss your deception with permission forms…that seems to have been addressed already. I would have sent you home, but knowing what I heard about your other ability…you said visions…knowing that, I am unsure what I would have done. I’ve had two students who ended up being seers under my watch here, separated by many years. It is a truly rare ability. The most recent one was still many years ago—Star Singer, that was her name.”

Cinch took a deep breath. “Star Singer could be troubled at times. She always saw the disasters that were on the horizon long before others. She had one really good friend on campus, one that struggled with making friends, Sunset Shimmer.”

We all stiffened at the infamous unicorn’s name.

Cinch nodded. The pair if them seemed only to have each other for friends. Sunset Shimmer was the most talented student I had ever taught, even more talented than Twilight Sparkle. Sunset Shimmer was one of those ponies like your current administration wants to encourage, always pushing past what was traditional, always pushing the boundaries, always making hard decisions. I wonder sometimes if I should have done something to force those two to be friends with anypony than just each other. Star Singer had her visions, and Sunset Shimmer listened. Some of those visions included the vision about Nightmare Moon’s return, which turned out to be a good thing in the end, since that gave us back Princess Luna in the end, but at the time it seemed a portent of doom—it always seemed like portents if doom. She saw the return of Sombra as well. Again, another seeming portent if doom that turned out alright in the end.”

“That’s promising,” Summer said. “It means Turnip’s visions can turn around and make things better.”

“I agree,” Cinch replied. “The point is that Sunset Shimmer only heard those portents of doom, and it impacted her in ways that shaped the world we live in. She went to your world, upsetting a balance that had kept you and us safe from an unimaginable horror. She did this all because she believed there were threats on the horizon that Harmony could not overcome alone, and because of her actions she created a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Cinch stood up and left the bench. “Be careful with visions. Remember they are a tool of Harmony, meant to help bring peace. I don’t know what you have seen, but I can assume it was frightening. Don’t make dramatic choices based on them. It leads to sorrow.”

Author's Note

Echoes of Canterlot

Verse 1:
In Canterlot, as twilight falls,
Four friends gather near the halls,
With dinner bundled, stories shared,
Of visions, stones, and secrets bared.

Chorus:
Oh, the echoes of Canterlot,
Where past and present intertwine,
In Truth or Dare, we learn a lot,
About the ties that bind.

Verse 2:
Hannah's sketch, a fateful draw,
Bright's family farm, tradition's law,
Summer's fire, kept in check,
Turnip's form, a risky trek.

(Chorus)

Verse 3:
Behind the bush, Cinch appears,
A voice from bygone school years,
Of Candy's fights and Singer's sight,
Of Sunset's fall and Luna's light.

(Chorus)

Bridge:
But beware the seer's gift,
For visions can make spirits drift,
In chasing shadows yet to come,
We might lose the battle we've already won.

Final Chorus:
Oh, the echoes of Canterlot,
Where past and present intertwine,
In Truth or Dare, we've learned a lot,
About the ties that bind.
And in the end, we'll find our way,
Through magic, friendship, come what may.

Chapter 43

We got to the cafeteria early the next day for breakfast. The other school leaders were already there, although their table was still off to the side where it had been for the duel the previous day. They were all present, chatting quietly with one another as they ate.

“Wonder if they’ll be by our classes today,” Bright said as he took a bite of cereal.

“Probably at least one,” Hannah replied. “Wouldn’t be shocked if they went by Newnan’s after the duel yesterday.” She took a bite of an apple and then looked at the door. “Although, things look like they are about to get interesting.”

I looked to the door and saw Headmaster strolling in walking with his staff. The cafeteria quieted as he walked through the cafeteria.

Headmaster reached where his normal seat was, stopped and stood, looked around, and gestured with his staff towards his normal table and chair which had been pushed up against the wall. They levitated towards him and returned to their normal place. He then went to the food line which quickly stood aside so he could go to the head of the line. The cafeteria workers hurried to the back kitchen and returned with a plate of bacon and eggs. He accepted it with a brief thanks and took it back to his seat and sat down. A cafeteria worker hurried over and sat a glass if milk down beside him, which he also thanked them for.

“No greeting for us?” the Chinese headmaster loudly asked.

Headmaster looked over at them, chewing on a piece of bacon. “For those of you I like, greetings and welcome. For those of you I don’t, I hope to see you gone soon. It is for you to figure out which is which.”

“I hope I am among those you give welcome,” Gillmore said. “You seem tired. I’m guessing you’ve been busy.”

“Don’t go digging for information; I’ll give you nothing,” Headmaster replied.

“How about a name?” Arcane asked. “We’ve been wondering what we were to address the mysterious human headmaster of Celestia’s School of Magic as.”

“They do deserve a polite answer, sir. It is just common courtesy,” Sweetie Belle said as she stood up from the third year table.

Headmaster took a few more bites of food and leaned back. “A name? I suppose it would be confusing if you addressed me as Headmaster. Let me consider…”

“Your true name would be preferable,” the Chinese headmaster replied.

“We don’t always get what we desire,” Headmaster replied. He took a sip of his milk and set his glass down. “Let’s go with Moonrise Prayer.”

“Did you think that up on the spot?” Gillmore asked.

“Does it matter?” Headmaster asked. “You have a name to address me as. Be happy.”

“Should the students address you as Headmaster Prayer from here on out?” Sweetie Belle asked.

He shook his head. “No, they shall continue to simply address me as Headmaster, as shall the staff and faculty. The name is only to satisfy this bunch.”

“Would that name indicate you consider yourself an heir to Sunset Blessing?” Arcane asked. “It seems the natural follow-up to her.”

“Believe what you wish,” Headmaster said dismissively and resumed eating. “However, perhaps you’re reading too much into it. There is a certain lunar princess that is near enough to here—one with much more progressive views than her sister.”

“So, you claim Luna as a patron?” the island headmaster asked.

Headmaster took another bite of food and washed it down with milk before answering. “I claim nothing, I was only adding another possibility, as I can also add that it could remind me of a song, or it could be my real name. I felt it necessary to point out there were many possibilities given that the headmaster from Skytree seems to have an unhealthy fixation on his former employer. I think it is a deep-rooted feeling of his inadequacy compared to her.”

“Perhaps you’re playing with us is a form of deflection from your own insecurities, human,” Cinch said.

He looked at her flatly. “I did hear about your duel yesterday. If any is questioning their inadequacies after that, it is you, or perhaps you would wish a new duel, with me. I promise to not beat you through strategic outmaneuvering, as you were before. No, I would simply outdo you at your own game, for I do cast spells, and I can do so better than you. Is that your wish, to be beaten in front of the student body a second time, only much more thoroughly this time around?”

Cinch did a dismissive gesture with her foreleg. “I don’t have the stomach for it, and won’t be baited into a second such confrontation aimed at my humiliation. You demonstrated you have magic quickly upon entering, and I have to presume that the princesses put someone of great skill in your seat. I will concede that you could probably defeat me if we dueled. I still question your attitude towards us, and whether it’s a show that you’re not to be trifled with despite being a human in a unicorn’s field—or perhaps it is because of you being a complete unknown or the fact you are so young. I’m not familiar with human ages, but you are what, in your twenties?”

“Thirty-four,” Headmaster said before taking a bite of egg.

“Young to hold such a high position, far younger than any of us,” Cinch countered.

Gillmore coughed. “Not all of us…I’m also thirty-four, and don’t spread that around. It’s hard enough finding a good stallion without them thinking I’m old.”

Cinch rolled her eyes. “Who cares? You are the head of a school. You shouldn’t tie your self-worth up in some romantic idealism.”

“Well, maybe I legitimately want to get married and have foals of my own,” Gillmore countered. She sighed. “But it isn’t relevant to what’s going on right now. If he’s the same age as me, but leading this school, he’s probably very good.”

“You did quite literally pop up out of nowhere with no known history, so forgive us all for being curious,” Headmaster Bob said to Headmaster, speaking up for the first time. “Add to that the fact you are a powerful spellcasting human, which is unheard of. There are plenty of humans with magic, but forgive me for using the phrase that their magic is normally a one-trick pony—it does something specific. I have a human cousin who has phenomenal magical power, far beyond any human I had previously met before today, perhaps stronger than any pony in this room, but her power is restricted to the use of a few specific abilities. She can’t go around levitating things or casting spells that have nothing to do with her specific ability. Your own Professor Newman possesses a simple yet easily underestimated ability, and again, that doesn’t extend to casting spells. You seem to demonstrate the full casting range of a unicorn, and that is quite fascinating. I must wonder…and this is only a theory I am throwing out…about whether we truly are dealing with a human. Sunset Shimmer managed to masquerade undetected as a human for twenty years while on Earth. Is it far-fetched to theorize that a human who has no history or even name is in fact anything but a human?”

Headmaster set his fork down and looked at Bob, frowning.

“Your reputation for your analytical mind is well deserved, that was a well-reasoned question to ask,” Headmaster replied.

Bob bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement of the comment.

Headmaster picked up his fork again. “To end this round of questioning, let us assume that your theory, being very sound, is true. Let us all assume I am a unicorn in disguise, perhaps to further this school’s desire for diversity, or perhaps to hide some deep dark past, or maybe I just get some sort of kink out of being human. Would accepting this theory make our guests all feel better about my status as leader of this school?”

“Well, is it true?” Arcane asked.

Headmaster shrugged. “Think what makes you most comfortable.”

“So,” Gillmore spoke up. “In summary, we have been given a name that is highly unlikely to be your real name, and is likely chosen to give us as many avenues as possible for us to speculate about. We still know nothing of your history. You could be a human, unicorn in disguise, and if we have already opened that second possibility we could add anything else in disguise as well. We can assume the princesses know who you are since it seems highly improbable they just pulled some random person off the street with your capabilities, but they have also not been forthcoming about information about you since it is highly likely there have already been numerous requests to them to reveal information about your identity. The only direct answer you have given us about your identity is that you are thirty-four years of age, and given how little else is confirmed about you, this could well be a lie. Does that cover everything?”

“I think that sums it up well, Headmistress Gillmore,” Headmaster replied.

I could add that we also didn’t know where he resided when not at the school, and that he was eating a lot of bacon if he were a pony in disguise, Any pony would be vomiting on the ground after a single piece since our stomachs couldn’t properly break down meat proteins. However, I doubted they wanted students speaking up. I looked over at Newman, who was at the second-year table to see her reaction, but she was calmly sipping tea. Applebloom was at our table and seemed a bit worried. Inkwell wasn’t present, but that wasn’t uncommon for breakfast.

Headmaster refocused on his food and seemed to take no more interest in the visiting leaders. I refocused on my breakfast as well.

“We should eat fast. We don’t want to be late for class,” I said.

We went through classes normally. The school leaders did stop by Newman’s class briefly, but only observed the lecture before moving on. Inkwell’s class was equally uneventful. It was an Applebloom class day for me, and I was in for a treat.

“Come along, Turnip. Keep up,” Applebloom instructed as we walked towards the castle.

“Do we have to get permission for this?” I asked.

“Yes, ponies can’t normally just go into the princess’s private gardens, but I was given permission to do that,” Applebloom assured me.

We stepped onto the short line. There were two ponies ahead of us, so it would only be a moment or two. Applebloom adjusted her shawl.

“That shawl looks very old and worn. Why don’t you get a new one?” I asked.

She touched it again. “I would never replace this. This was my great aunt Goldie’s. I inherited it from her when she passed on. It marks me as the one who keeps the history and lore of my family.”

The ponies In front if us were waved through, and we as well. We entered the castle.

“Bright was talking about his family…your family. He said his parents didn’t approve of him going to school here,” I said as I followed her down a side hall.

She sighed. “My brother worries a lot about keeping the farm in our family; the Apple orchards and the Pear orchards are a lot to take care of. We need all the hooves we have available. My foals help out the best they can, but it would be best if Bright took over the Pear orchard.”

“You aren’t there. You didn’t choose the life of a farmer. Those Pear orchards could have been yours,” I pointed out quietly.

She stopped and looked at me. “Is my nephew having second thoughts about his promise?”

“I don’t think so,” I answered quickly. “It just seems like he is doing it out of a sense of responsibility, not because it is what he wants. He also talked about his sister, Candy.”

Applebloom sat down. “Maybe him taking on all that responsibility is my fault.” She looked up. “I’d gave up my inheritance to my brother’s foals back when Bright was very young. Nopony thought much of it back then. There were three foals and two farms. Getting me and my foals getting taken out of the equation just made things easier. It only started getting complicated when Candy and my brother had a falling out. Now there were two foals and two farms, and then Bright said he wanted to go to school here and join the guard.”

“Couldn’t you just nominate one of your foals to take over the Pear orchards?” I asked.

“I could, but Mac is set on Bright inheriting. The fight with Candy made him dig his hooves in. My foals grew up understanding they weren’t going to be in line to take either orchard, and while they are helping out for now, they have plans that they’ve made for their futures, ones ah wouldn’t take away from ‘em,” Applebloom said with a sigh. “This is an Apple family issue, not yours. Ah appreciate you lookin’ out for Bright, and you can let Bright know that if he needs to talk, I’m here for him, and I’m in his corner no matter what.”

“I’ll let him know,” I replied, noting her small slip into rural speech.

She stood up. “Let’s be on our way then. There’s plants to observe, and lessons about what they are used for to learn.”

Chapter 44

November 8th, 2058

I was doing my best to keep away from the windows and not look out them as the train sped down the track. Bright sat next to me, looking out eagerly, as did Summer, who was sitting directly across from him.

“Alright, students! We’ll be coming to our destination soon. Please, exit quickly and orderly when we arrive,” Sweetie Belle called out. “This train station isn’t like Ponyville’s, the Crystal Empire’s, or Manehatten’s. This is primarily a shipping station. We don’t want to be in the way of the workers as they try to load their good ls onto the train. Can anypony tell me what goods Mountainshade is known for?”

“Lumber?” a student from one of the other first year classes suggested.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “I can see where you would think that, but these woods are actually protected. Anypony else have any ideas?”

“Glowmoss,” Hannah said confidently.

Sweetie Belle smiled. “That is indeed one of the major exports. There are two more. Anypony else?”

“Iron and high-quality gemstones,” Hail said.

“Iron is indeed one, but the gemstones here are normally low quality—not something that would be in demand,” Sweetie Belle replied. “Can anypony come up with the third?”

Quiet stretched out over several seconds. Apparently nobody knew what the third export could be.

“The answer is marble,” Sweetie Belle informed us.

“What’s glowmoss?” I whispered to Hannah.

“Exactly what you think it is with that name. It is moss that glows in the dark,” Hannah explained. “People like to use it in street lights since it is more efficient than someone coming out and lighting each light individually and Equestria doesn’t have an electric power grid to support electric street lights. Some people also use it to light there home, as an alternative to candles or lanterns. It comes in a variety of colors. You can keep it alive in most conditions, but to get it to grow in the first place you have to grow it somewhere without sunlight—sunlight stunts its growth. I’m guessing glowmoss farming is pretty profitable.”

“Oh,” I replied. The explanation made sense.

Sunlight suddenly flooded through the windows, despite it being close to sunset. I rushed a look and was relieved to see that we had exited the forest. We were slowing down as we entered a town with a large mountain in the background. The buildings were all plain stone with windows and doors chiseled out. Moss grew around the windowsills and doorways, encircling each one. The area was fairly hilly, and the majority of the buildings looked like they were regular houses with small gardens growing on the hills beside them. There were a few larger buildings close to the train station that I guessed with warehouses. The roads were all paved and there were even paved walkways going up to each house. A larger road cut straight through the middle of the town towards the mountain.

“This is supposed to be a city?” Prim asked in disbelief. “This hovel barely qualifies as a village. It is just a few scant houses.”

“This is the outskirts,” Sweetie Belle informed her. “The primary city is in the mountain.”

In the mountain, not on the mountain?

“We have to go into some dirty and dank cave?!” Prim asked in disbelief.

Sweetie Belle scowled. “Please do not voice such opinions to any of the residents here. That would be ride and give our school a bad reputation with the locals. This is the largest city between Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. Almost eight thousand ponies call this place home. You may find that it is a lot more pleasant than a dirty and dank cave.”

“Yes, dear sister. It is best not to insult potential future business partners,” Red said.

The train came to a stop and Scootaloo stood up. “Okay, everypony, let’s get moving. We don’t want to miss the sunset!”

What was special about the sunset?

We all carefully left our seats, grabbed our saddlebags, and walked single file to the exit doors. When we got outside there were plenty of earth ponies moving wagon cargo to the back cars of the train. Most of the wagons had sealed crates, but there were a few metal wagons that were hauling large blocks of stone. The train dock was large, larger than even Ponyville or Canterlot’s, so we weren’t really in their way.

We all milled snout once we were off the train, with no immediate direction from the CMC founders. What were we-

The sun set behind the tree line, and there was an immediate change in the environment. Along the sides of each paved area, moss started to glow with a soft blue light. Around each windowsill and doorway the moss lit up in a variety of colors. Every color of the rainbow was represented in the moss. I saw one house that actually had six different colors around their doorway, making a rainbow. There were even a few garden areas that were ringed by the moss.

“Wow, that’s pretty,” Summer breathed.

“Yes, maybe,” Prim said grudgingly. “In a quaint, rural, sort of way.”

Sweetie Belle walked a short distance onto the main path and turned and looked at us. “There we are. We can see the glowmoss in full effect. It gives a certain charm to this area, especially since they don’t bottle it like it normally would when we see it in our street lights. I think it gives off a much more dramatic effect this way. Now that we’ve seen that, we can make our way to the mountain and find our lodgings.”

Applebloom stepped up next to her and looked back at us. “Follow close!”

We walked down the main road going towards the mountain. There were a surprising number of earth ponies going about their days, despite it being after sundown. The road to the mountain was broad, and we had to all step to one side more than once as earth ponies pulled heavy looking wagons loaded with crates or stone towards the warehouses near the train station. Ponies were active at their houses, tending their hillside gardens, watering the moss that adorned their doorways and windowsills, talking with neighbors, and we even passed a bunch of younger foals playing ball. There were also ponies with saddlebags going to and from the mountain along the same path as us, and those returning always seemed to have plenty of groceries in their bags. They were polite and friendly, greeting us as we passed or waving, although none stopped to speak with our teachers. It felt very odd seeing so many ponies up and about after sundown. Anywhere else you would see some, but most ponies tended to retreat home after dark, aside from the nocturnal tribe who were so few in number that you rarely saw them anyway. We hadn’t seen any of that web-winged tribe as of yet, despite this supposedly being their largest settlement.

As we got close the mountain, the road opened up into a large plaza. There were earth ponies setting up stalls. Just now setting up stalls? It seemed like it would be time for them to closing down their stalls for the day.

At the end of the plaza was a massive entrance into the mountain. There were mining tracks that exited out the sides of the mountain next to it, and ponies unloading the contents onto carts. There must have been fires burning somewhere just inside the entrance because I could see flicker of the light. The most striking thing were two massive statues that stood just outside the entrance. There was a statue of Celestia and a statue of Luna but unlike any statues of them I had ever seen. The statues’ bases were covered with moss—a midnight blue moss for Luna’s and a bright golden moss for Celestia’s. That wasn’t the most striking thing about them. Both statues depicted the princesses in full battle armor, and both seemed to be snarling down towards those who were going to pass through the mountain entrance.

Sweetie Belle signaled us to stop.

“As you can see, ponies here work on a very different schedule,” Sweetie Belle said with a grin. “This is first and foremost a night pony settlement, and their day is just beginning. Some of them may be coming out very soon to frequent the market here, assist with transport of goods, or just visit friends. The earth ponies don’t have a full nocturnal schedule, but the do tend to begin and end their days much later. The two tribes work in concert to mine the mountain for resources and grow the highly valuable glowmoss.”

“What’s with the statues?” a student from one of the other first year classes asked. “The princesses look so mean.”

Sweetie Belle frowned at the towering statues. “This settlement doesn’t date back that far, but this entire region was once the Kingdom of the Night. The only capital ruins are only a short distance from here, and are currently being…well, they are try to make them habitable again, though that is a big undertaking that may take generations and only recently started. The Kingdom of the Night was conquered by Equestria after a terrible and bloody war, and the natives likewise see the princesses as conquerors, not the peace-loving ponies we know and love. Those statues reflect the princesses the night ponies ancestors knew, the ponies that mercilessly put most of their population to the sword.”

“The princesses would never do such a thing!” another student cried out.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “It was a long time ago. The Kingdom of the Night started that war, but they underestimated the capabilities of our princesses to defend their subjects and take the war to the night ponies. The old night pony mobility was proud and arrogant and refused to surrender, and the common pony living on the area only understood that they were being invaded and they needed to defend their homes. If none of you is very familiar with night ponies, one thing you should learn is that they are fighters, and they can and will lay down their lives to protect others. They didn’t understand the meaning of the word surrender back then, even when it was clear they were hopelessly outmatched. It was a slaughter.”

“The princesses would never do that,” the student insisted.

Sweetie Belle sighed and hung her head. “I’m sorry, but it is true. In the old capital thousands upon thousands of bodies still litter the ground where they fell in combat, skeletons at least, even after all this time. The old capital isn’t just a huge complex of underground buildings, it is effectively a tomb. For a long time, ponies couldn’t even safely enter the capital, because the collective mind magic of the fallen night ponies created something dark and evil that roamed those halls. It was finally conquered some moons ago, but ponies still fear going there. If you are unsure what to do when you graduate and want to earn some good money, the excavation lead is always hiring help…although most end up quitting the job after a single season. The work of reassembling the skeletons and trying to identify them for final burial is ghastly and morbid. I did a single-season tour as a worker for the excavation; I’ve seen what is there. I will never go back down there; it is too horrible.”

Not exactly a great endorsement for the excavation efforts.

“The history of the War of the Night will be taught in your history class, even if you did not learn it in primary school, and the previous administration did not teach about it,” Sweetie Belle announced. “There were no good guys in that war, only villains, victims, and those that tried to do their best in a complex situation where there were no positive outcomes. We say that the future will be filled with situations we’ll have to make hard choices, but there were situations in the past that we have collectively chosen to forget where we also had to make hard choices. Whether we made the right or wrong ones is worth debating. We need to study that history all the more now so we can learn from it and do better.”

I looked at the statues again. On a second viewing, maybe they didn’t seem so much protectors, but more like monsters standing watch outside the city. Was that how the night ponies view led the princesses? Were the princesses monsters always watching them for any sign of wrongdoing? Did the night ponies expect any misdeed would bring down the wrath of Celestia and Luna? Were the statues a warning to the night ponies and not anyone visiting?

“I’m starting to understand why you kirin hid rather than risk the same thing happening to them,” Hannah whispered to Summer. Summer said nothing. She just gulped as she stared at the statues. The other students all shared looks of unease as they gazed at the frightening depictions of their benevolent rulers.

While our teachers let this all sink in, the night pony locals started to emerge from the mountain. Most seemed to be carrying saddlebags l, and a few paused briefly to look at us, follow our gaze, then quickly divert their eyes from the statues. These ponies had to pass between those statues every day, and they didn’t even seem to want to look at them.

While most of the night ponies that emerged from the mountain were various dark shades of fur, one emerged who was pearly white with a pink mane. She instantly caught everyone in the class’s attention since a night pony who had so bright of coloring was an extreme oddity. She looked at our class before smiling and waving.

“Welcome to Mountainshade!” the mare loudly greeted us. “Please, come under the mountain and see the bounties of those who never abandoned their mountain home!”

Sweetie Belle gave the mare a short bow before standing up straight. “Greetings, Lorekeeper of the Mountain. I feel as if my students are in for a bit of a culture shock. Try not to yell them too many scary stories.”

The mare laughed out loud. “Not too many, but just enough. Come! We recently opened our second proper hotel since you were here last, much bigger than the first that you stayed at, and we have rooms ready for all of you there. We hope you give it a good review as we continue to try to open our doors to the rest of Equestria.” She suddenly seemed to notice Summer. “What’s this? An antlered one?”

“A kirin,” Sweetie Belle explained. “Those of you secluded to the mountain may not be familiar with them. Back when the antler tribe still existed, before the unicorns split off from it, a portion of the tribe was caught in Grogar’s wild magic along with some dragons, so the kirin tribe was born, fully pony and fully dragon.”

The mare looked at Summer with consideration. “The fusion of creatures during that era is well-known, for we still must deal with the terrors of chimera, manticores, bugbears, timberwolves, changelings, and more that long ago drove us from the primordial plains to safety of the ancient mountains. It is not shocking that ponies were caught up in the magic as well, as we were already changed many times over by the magic of that era, hence the formation of our many ancestral tribes from the proto-ponies that came before. We even have long suspected that changelings were an early such fusion of ponies and insects, though we do not know if it is true. (our kind didn’t do any record keeping back then beyond what was spoken back in those days, and long memories of the past could be forgotten in a monster’s stomach if the wrong pony fell prey to them. Perhaps our ancestors knew of kirin, but we have long since forgotten. Still, we bid you welcome, lost cousin of antler tribe descent. I hope your closer cousins, the unicorns, treat you well.”

Summer blinked. “Um, thank you, Miss Lorekeeper, ma’am. You seem to know a lot about really old history.”

The mare laughed again. “Not as much as I would like. I am merely the keeper of our oral tradition, and oral history tends to get fudgy on the details. It is like speaking of a dream. There is a sense of what happened, but you never can be fully sure. Still, it is our heritage, and being perfect about the details is not as important as maintaining the memory. We remember much the other tribes have forgotten because we don’t bother with the specifics. Just like a dream, details are easy to forget. Focus on specifics too much and you may forget it all.”

Comparing things to dreams, that sounded pretty standard night-ponish to me, even if this pony looked a bit different than was typical of that tribe. They might have given her the position she held just because she stood out so much. What would that have been like, being marked from birth to be special just because of the color of your fur? Did she accept it or resent it? Maybe I was speculating too much and it wasn’t like that at all.

Scootaloo signaled us with a wing. “Let’s get moving. I’m ready for a good meal after that long train ride.”

Chapter 45

The inside of the mountain was hard to put into words, but our group of 12-year-olds, selected for our keen observation skills, was certainly trying to make sense of it all.

"This is otherworldly," Summer said breathlessly, her eyes darting from one marvel to another, clearly cataloging every detail.

"It's like something out of a dream," Hannah added, her gaze fixed on the intricate architecture, hands itching to sketch what she was seeing.

"It's okay," Bright concluded, his affected nonchalance betrayed by the intense focus in his eyes as he took in every aspect of our surroundings.

I noticed the way the glowmoss seemed to pulse faintly, almost like it was breathing. My mind raced with possibilities, but I kept my observations to myself for now, trying not to think about the forest that lay beyond this underground wonder.

Glowmoss was everywhere. For a tribe that famously didn't like sunlight, this place was very well lit. The main path went down to what seemed a commercial area with many shops, but there were branching paths that twisted and curved through the sides of the massive cavern, sometimes seemingly going straight upward at a slope no one could possibly walk. There were homes carved right onto the cave walls, at all manner of elevations. Some of these homes had doors that exited into sheer drops of fifty feet or more.

"How do night ponies live comfortably like this?" I asked, my curiosity finally getting the better of me.

Sweetie Belle seemed to hear me. "Because this isn't sunlight. Bright as this may seem to be, the light is far less intense than sunlight. It is a myth that their tribe hates light. They don't like light that is too intense for their eyes."

"How do they tell day from night down here?" Twilight Glow asked, his horn glowing faintly as if making calculations.

Sweetie Belle pointed to a large clockface on one of the cavern walls. "They can track time just fine. Clocks are common here." She looked at Prim. "And what's your opinion?"

Prim looked around, her nose wrinkling in distaste. "The night ponies did a good job decorating their cave, but it is still just a cave. This much work would be better served in a proper city, but they choose to live in caves, like primitives. Their ancestors may have had to live in caves for safety, but there's no reason for them to keep doing it."

The lorekeeper turned and grinned, though she seemed a bit taken aback by Prim's bluntness. "Live in a city above ground and get exposed to your nasty sun? I think not. We have a city here, and the mountain lets us do things you day ponies never could do. This is a night pony city, you horn-heads would never be able to live here. You softies aren't built for it."

"Earth ponies did help you build this place," Applebloom pointed out.

The lorekeeper nodded, her expression softening. "That they did, and we are grateful. We could never have carved this all out ourselves, and they would not have known where to shape the earth without us. It was a team effort. Even now, they mine deeper into the mountain with us being their eyes. They get the metal, the stone, and caverns to grow our precious glowmoss—which, I confess, they are better at growing than we are. We get the real bounty, the mountain."

As we made our way to the hotel, our minds were buzzing with theories and questions, though we kept most of these to ourselves. I found my thoughts drifting to the upcoming forest expedition. Applebloom had mentioned it earlier, and the mere thought sent a shiver down my spine. On one hoof, the chance to apply my alchemy studies in the field with Applebloom herself was a dream come true. After all those one-on-one classes, seeing the plants and minerals we'd studied in their natural habitat was thrilling. On the other hoof... trees. So many trees.

The hotel stood at the end of the market area, its two stories making it one of the tallest structures we'd seen. As we entered, I couldn't help but feel relieved to be surrounded by stone walls rather than wooden ones.

"Greetings, students from Canterlot!" a night pony mare greeted as she hurried down the stairs. "I have rooms at the ready for all of you. The entire second floor is at your disposal. The kitchens are hard at work preparing your dinner."

As we followed her upstairs, each of us was silently noting details about the construction, the lighting, and the overall design of the building.

"We don't lock doors here," the mare said. "If you wish not to be disturbed, there is a violet cord hanging on the latch inside that you can place on the latch outside." She pushed the latch on the first door she came by and opened the door. "Inside each room you will find three beds, a table, three stools, a clock, a bathtub, and towels."

"What if we need to relieve ourselves?" a student asked, voicing the question we were all thinking.

"There are chamber pots underneath each bed," the mare said. "The pot has a lid with crushed lavender to mask the scent. The housecleaners replace the pots at two hours after sundown each day—they do this even if there is a privacy cord up, so be aware. If you need it changed before then come to the front desk and let us know."

"Doesn't this place have plumbing?!" Prim asked in disgusted disbelief, her voice dripping with disdain.

The mare nodded. "It does. The tub has hot and cold running water. Urine and feces are needed for the glowmoss farms, and we do not waste. We don't want that stuff in our water system anyway. I personally can't understand how you day ponies drink from the same water system you pee in. That seems unsanitary."

Prim broke down into an incoherent stutter, her face a picture of horror.

Sweetie Belle lit her horn and pulled Prim back into the group. "Thank you. Our students are here to get an education, and learning that different communities handle things like waste management differently is important."

As we picked our rooms, Bright and I decided to bunk together in room nine. Hannah and Summer took the room next door, and I saw Hail and his friend choose the room across from where Sweetie Belle and the other teachers would be staying.

Flopping onto one of the beds, Bright grinned at me. "Well, Turnip, looks like we're in for quite the adventure, don't ya think?"

I nodded, moving to the window to peek out at the glowing cavern. "It's amazing. I never thought I'd see anything like this." My eyes drifted to the cave entrance, barely visible in the distance. Beyond that lay the forest, and I felt my stomach churn at the thought.

Bright, noticing my sudden change in demeanor, sat up. "Ya thinkin' 'bout them trees again, ain't ya?"

I sighed, grateful for his perceptiveness but also feeling a wave of anxiety. "Yeah. I know we've been working on it with those trips to the city park, but this is different. It's a whole forest out there. And Applebloom will be watching us the whole time."

"Now, don't ya go forgettin' all the progress ya've made," Bright said, his voice encouraging. "Remember how ya couldn't even look at the oak in the school yard when we first started? And now ya can walk right up to it!"

I couldn't help but smile at the memory, but it was tinged with worry. "You're right. And I appreciate all the help you, Hannah, and Summer have been giving me. It's just... this is my first real alchemy expedition. What if I freeze up when Applebloom asks me to gather ingredients from a tree? She doesn't know about my phobia, Bright. What if she thinks I'm not cut out for alchemy?"

Bright's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait a minute, ya mean ya never told Aunt Applebloom 'bout your fear of trees? Even with all them one-on-one classes?"

I shook my head, feeling a fresh wave of shame. It was bad enough hiding this from Applebloom, but knowing she was Bright's aunt made it feel even more like a betrayal. "I couldn't. She's *the* Applebloom, Bright. She revolutionized modern alchemy with her understanding of botanical components. How could I tell her that her star student is afraid of trees? She'd lose all respect for me."

Bright scratched his head, looking conflicted. "Aw, Turnip, ya know that ain't true. Aunt Applebloom's a right understanding pony. She'd want to help ya, not judge ya. Heck, she's helped me through plenty of tough spots."

"Maybe," I said, unconvinced. "But I can't risk it. This expedition is too important. I have to prove I can do this. And... well, it's not just about me. You're her nephew, Bright. I don't want her to think you've been wasting your time trying to help me overcome this stupid fear."

Bright looked even more concerned now. "Turnip, ya ain't never a waste of time. And Aunt Applebloom would be the first to say that. But I get it, it's your secret to tell or keep. Just know that if ya change your mind, I've got your back. And I know Aunt Applebloom would too."

His support meant the world to me, especially knowing the position it put him in with his aunt. "Thanks, Bright. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"That's what friends are for!" Bright exclaimed, though I could see a hint of worry in his eyes. "Now, what say we do some explorin' before dinner? Ah bet this hotel's got all sorts of interestin' stuff to see!"

As we headed out to investigate our temporary home, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness about the upcoming expedition. The night pony city was fascinating, but the real test lay in the forest beyond. It wasn't just about facing my fear of trees; it was about proving to Applebloom—and to myself—that I had what it takes to be an alchemist.

We ran into Hannah and Summer in the hallway, and Bright quickly filled them in on my concerns about the forest trip and my decision to keep my phobia from Applebloom.

"Oh, Turnip," Hannah said, her voice full of concern, "are you sure that's the best idea? Applebloom could probably help if she knew."

Summer nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and what if something happens during the expedition? Wouldn't it be better if she was prepared?"

Their worry was evident, and it made me second-guess my decision for a moment. But then I remembered the look of pride on Applebloom's face when she told me I'd been chosen for this expedition. I couldn't let her down.

"I appreciate your concern, guys, I really do. But I need to do this on my own. I've come this far, right? Remember how I managed to identify five different leaf types in the park last week?"

"And ya even touched the bark of that big elm tree!" Bright added enthusiastically, though I could tell he was still wrestling with keeping this secret from his aunt. "That was huge progress."

Their support warmed my heart, even if they didn't fully agree with my decision. "Thanks, guys. I don't know what I'd do without you all."

"Well, ya ain't gotta worry 'bout that," Bright said, throwing a foreleg around my shoulders. "We've got ya covered, through thick and thin... and through every last tree in that forest!"

As we continued our exploration of the hotel, I tried to focus on the excitement of applying my alchemy knowledge rather than the dread of the forest or the anxiety of hiding my fear from Applebloom. This wasn't just an adventure; it was a chance to prove myself, to put everything I'd learned into practice, and to take another big step in overcoming my fears—all while keeping my composure in front of my idol and my best friend's aunt.

The night pony city was just the beginning. The real challenge lay in the forest beyond, where the raw materials of alchemy awaited discovery. And with my friends by my side and my determination to impress Applebloom driving me forward, I felt ready to face whatever came our way... even if it was covered in leaves and bark. Still, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that keeping secrets from Applebloom might complicate things, especially with Bright caught in the middle. But that was a problem for tomorrow. For now, there was a fascinating underground city to explore, and I intended to make the most of it.

Chapter 46

An hour before sunrise, I stood waiting at the mountain entrance. I wasn't feeling great about who my company was. Professor Applebloom was there, which was great, but not one but two of Prim's stuck-up filly friends were with us; both were giving me dirty looks. Their dirty looks were helpful in a small way—they made me irritated enough that I could forget for a moment that we were going out into a densely wooded forest.

"How long do we have to wait?" one of the fillies whined in that Canterlot noble accent.

"The lorekeeper shall be here shortly. Going out into the woods without her is highly inadvisable," Applebloom replied.

"Why?" the other filly asked. "You know everything about the outdoors."

Applebloom glanced towards the entrance. "These woods are unfamiliar to me. I am very familiar with the Everfree. There are many other ponies who are excellent outdoors ponies but if they weren't familiar with the Everfree, I wouldn't recommend them going into the Everfree without a guide familiar with it. The wilderness of Equestria can be dangerous, and it is easy to miss signs of that in underbrush. I wouldn't want us stumbling into a monster because I didn't know their typical prowling grounds. I could probably deal with most monsters, but it is best not to encounter them and risk putting you in danger. We need a guide."

"But if we're ever expected to go out on our own and collect ingredients, shouldn't we be learning about the monsters and how to deal with them too? Aren't there monster parts that go into potions?" one of the fillies asked. I blinked, that was a surprisingly reasonable question, at least, far more reasonable than I expected coming from one of Prim's snobby friends. Nobody at our school was stupid, but I wanted to think Prim's friends were.

Applebloom nodded. "You should learn about them, but not at this stage. You aren't currently capable of properly dealing with a monster, even with instruction. Your focus at this stage should be on botanical and mineral ingredients. As you advance through your combat magic classes, we'll eventually come to where we go out looking for the monsters instead of trying to avoid them, but that is still a few years down the road. It is important to note that unless you are in specific need of something from a monster, it is always best to avoid them, even when you are confident you could deal with them. Encountering a monster always presents a risk to you and those with you, and even defeating a monster can have unforeseen side-effects, as it might cause the monster to move to new grounds, making a previously safe area dangerous or have other impacts on the ecosystem."

"Which the ponies of the mountain appreciate you taking the time to consider."

The lorekeeper walked up to us. She was wearing a black bandana made from some sort of thin fabric. She wasn't carrying any gear or saddlebags.

"No gear?" Applebloom asked.

The lorekeeper shook her head. "We should not be venturing far beyond the treeline. Going deeper into the woods is inadvisable as it is currently hydra season. I only need something to shade my eyes from the sun when it rises. If we encounter a hydra or other creature, it is best to retreat in any case. I am no slouch in close combat if retreat is not an option, and familiar with techniques that dissuade the local beasts from pushing an attack. We also have you with us, an esteemed hero."

Applebloom nodded. "Well, hydras don't typically move too far from water, even to pursue prey. I wasn't aware there were suitable water sources here for them to be a threat."

"The summer melt extends marshes further and thus persists for several months after summer has ended. The season is almost done. The marshes shall soon diminish back to their regular area, and the hydras shall retreat back with them," the lorekeeper explained.

"Marsh? You mean like an icky swamp?!" one of the fillies gasped in disgust.

"Marshes are excellent for growing many ingredients, but we won't venture that far, only into the regular forest. We aren't properly geared for wetland travel, and I am not going to take you right into a hydra breeding ground," Applebloom assured her.

"We shall travel to the south of town," the lorekeeper informed us. "The woods are safest in that direction. It is farther from the marshes than the north or west, and the nearest regular grounds for other dangerous beasts is many leagues away. There are some poisonous plants in the area, so keep close and do not wander from the trail I set."

"What about the east?" one of the fillies asked.

The lorekeeper shook her head. "That is going towards the Hallowed Shades; those lands are rocky badlands, not suitable for your purposes."

"There are some things out there, but not as abundant as in the woods, and not the type of things I had planned for today's lesson," Applebloom confirmed. "Let us be off then."

The lorekeeper pulled her bandana down to cover her eyes. It was thin enough that her eyes were barely visible still just behind the cloth. She started walking out the entrance of the mountain, and we followed.

The town outside was quiet. The stalls for the market were currently closed. No earth ponies were up and about, but there were a significant number of night ponies. Some of them were standing around, chatting, but there were even more in the air. Night ponies were a winged tribe, like their cousins, the pegasi; ponies with wings needed to fly and they certainly did not do that under the mountain—at least, not for a significant time, not in the confines of a cavern. It figured that they would come out of the mountain to fly around where there was more space.

I couldn't make out the trees well in the dark. The forest was just one big shadow that extended all around the town. That made it feel a little easier.

"I thought there would be more mountains," I said. "I don't see any mountains in the distance."

"You can see them from the other side of the mountain; the range extends on for many leagues. This is the furthest mountain down the range, though the terrain gets hilly from here on out, but no more mountains," the lorekeeper explained. "Those hilly areas are what cause the marshes to seasonally grow. The rains come, they roll downhill, and they pool between the hills. You go further east and the marshes and forests bordering the mountains disappear, at least on the north side of the range. The mountains block rainfall from reaching that area."

"That seems like it gets dry pretty quickly. Why so quickly?" I asked.

The lorekeeper looked out towards the mountain. "The old capital, the Hallowed Shades. That land is cursed—nothing grows there. It dries the land beyond where the land was already getting less rainfall."

"The shadows have been destroyed," Applebloom said. "My sister was there. She saw them come to an end."

"Perhaps," the lorekeeper conceded. "The land still remembers. The groundwater is too deep, and the stone too thick. The surface above the ruins has been a dustbowl for centuries, with only a few hills guarding our area from getting hit with the dust."

"Your ancestors didn't have the same respect for your environment. They ruined the land where they made their capital. It isn't a curse, it is just environmental degradation," Applebloom said with a sigh. "They hollowed out all the ground in the area. They made it so roots could not grow deep. Trees can't grow above the old city. There was already a rain shadow over the city, so it wasn't getting much rain."

"Grass and shrubs could have returned, but the lingering hatred within the old capital kept anything from growing," the lorekeeper countered. "You all say the shadows are gone. I believe that you have broken their power so they are no longer a threat, but I believe they still linger. A thousand years of animosity does not die in one battle. The grass has not returned, nor do any shrubs grow. When I see those return, then it shall be time for us to reclaim our ancestral home, but not before. We shall not risk the shadows, even if they are diminished."

"Well, hopefully some grass will start growing soon," Applebloom responded, sounding exasperated.

"There is nothing wrong with hope," the lorekeeper said. "Keep close, we head south."

We walked in silence for a minute or two before I decided to break it.

"So, why are you two interested in alchemy?" I asked Prim's friends. "It doesn't seem like a very unicorny field."

The one that I knew was higher in the pecking order raised her nose. "My family has specialized in perfumes for generations. Our family fortune is based on their sale. Perfumes are among the things that can get imported from Earth and we find ourselves suddenly facing new competition in the market. My family decided it would be best if I studied alchemy so I could better devise new perfumes in the future and keep us on top of the Equestrian market."

"Is that what you want to do, or what your family wants?" I asked.

"Does it matter?" the filly replied with a sniff. "I want to maintain my family's importance, and if this is what it takes, then I shall duly do my duty."

The other filly lowered her ears. "My family runs a large chain of apothecaries. Unfortunately, one of our recent medicines had...unfortunate side effects. They told me I need to study alchemy so they can save face and show their commitment to ensuring all future generations are the best when it comes to devising remedies."

That filly didn't sound like she was happy with the instruction and was less enthusiastic about doing what her family told her, but I decided not to push it. I supposed nobles had their own pressures they were under, even noble foals.

"I think I miss teaching at regular schools sometimes," Applebloom said, making me and the two fillies look up at her in surprise as we walked. "Don't get me wrong, teaching at our school is an honor, and I am very happy to be able to teach my craft, but small town schools with younger students had smaller worries. I miss having most of my classes being filled with students whose biggest worries were some petty playground arguments. The stakes are bigger here, and students are carrying a lot more on their shoulders. That makes my role all the more important, but also makes me feel a lot more pressure. Try to remember that whenever you are dealing with anypony at the school, whether they be student or professor, everypony is carrying a burden."

"Do you...do you know where we currently rank, Professor Applebloom?" the filly with the apothecary family asked.

Applebloom sighed. "You are currently number nineteen of thirty in your class. Aroma is currently twenty-first out of the thirty, and Turnip is currently thirteenth out of the thirty."

"I'm in the bottom third?!" Aroma, the perfumist family filly asked in disbelief. "The bottom third gets dismissed at the end of the school year according to Headmaster!"

Applebloom nodded. "If they fail to impress Headmaster. Believe me, I'm not happy with his policy. I'm not sure anypony among the faculty is, but he makes the decisions regarding that. All I can say is do your best. The rankings are constantly in flux."

Aroma stopped and pointed at me. "How's he doing so much better than us? He's an earth pony!"

Applebloom stopped and looked at Aroma, and Aroma instantly recognized her error.

"Not that there's anything wrong with being an earth pony," Aroma hastily clarified. "But this is a magic school and he can't even do things in most of the classes!"

"Turnip has a specialized program this year where he is taking classes with me and in artifacts, and he will transition to the regular program next year, if he makes it to next year," Applebloom informed her. "You two also have a specialized program, since you are opting out of combat magic and elemental magic—the same classes Turnip currently is opting out of—in favor of classes with me and with whoever ends up being our new dream magic professor, so you are getting equal special treatment. Part of why you two may be lagging behind at the moment is because of the dream magic, given that faculty position is still in flux, making it harder to do well. I hope Headmaster takes into consideration how that is impacting students in that class at the end of the year."

"You have no dream magic professor?" the lorekeeper asked. "I suppose I am not surprised. Few of my tribe would be happy teaching at a day pony school."

"We had Psychic Calm at the start of the year, but he passed away. Princess Luna is currently substituting, but she isn't really available outside of class to help students with anything they are struggling with," Applebloom explained.

The lorekeeper cowered slightly. "The dread princess of the night is instructing them? I suppose that is an honor, but one I would prefer not bestowed on me in their position. I know of Psychic Calm, and am unsure if I could have dealt with him either."

"Why not him?" I asked.

The lorekeeper shook her head and lowered her voice. "Ones such as him and the dread princess are far more dangerous confined sick in bed than a bloodthirsty army at your doorstep. Our ancestors who committed the most egregious sins against Equestria fell long before the capital was breached. You can put walls between you and an army, you can raise spears against the mightiest of warriors, but everypony must eventually sleep. Once you have broken the rules that must never be broken there is no winning against such a foe. The rules protect us from the dread princess...and I suppose now her heirs as well. Our ancestors learned that in blood and terror. Every few generations there is somepony who thinks they can break the rules, and do so with abandon, thinking they can avoid justice; they do not live long after. Even when trapped on the moon, the dread princess was ever vigilant."

"Is there really nopony you can think of that might be interested in teaching at our school?" Applebloom asked as we passed by a hill garden.

The lorekeeper frowned. "Well...there is one...the Earthling night pony running the excavation team."

Applebloom groaned. "Anypony else?"

"No, not really," the lorekeeper answered.

"That's a bust then."

"What's wrong with that pony?" I asked.

"They're an Earthling, probably," Aroma replied with a flip of her mane.

I glared at her. "We already have Earthlings on staff."

"A good point, Turnip," Applebloom quickly interjected. "The fact the excavation leader is an Earthling is probably the primary reason she is even the excavation leader—she lacks the same cultural taboos that the night ponies here have about the Hallowed Shades. The reason she doesn't work for us is that...how do I put this...she doesn't have the right temperament."

"She means that bat is exceedingly rude and tactless," the lorekeeper explained.

"Says the night pony who just used a slur for night ponies against one of her own," Applebloom replied.

The lorekeeper snorted. "She is not one of our own. She is descended from humans. She has no ties to our culture or our heritage, yet she tries to be its caretaker. I would like nothing better than to see her gone and her desecration of our old capital put to an end. She was a ward to Master Krik, so she should be more than adequate to teach dream magic."

"Who is Master Krik?" Aroma asked. "That's a weird name."

"One of Psychic Calm's adopted siblings, another of the ones that Luna gave power over the dream realm on Earth. He was best known for having ordered his own tongue ripped out shortly after he transformed into a pony from being a human," Applebloom explained. "He passed away a few years ago. I don't question that she should know her stuff, but she just isn't good with other ponies. I guess I'll have to report to Headmaster there aren't any good options here."

"W-wh-why would a pony do that?! Why would anypony rip their own tongue out?!" the apothecary filly asked in horror. "That's horrible!"

"I have no idea," Applebloom confessed. "I met the guy once. He was just plain weird. I've never heard of any other pony doing something like that. His title was Warden of Silence. I guess he took that very literally. He used to use some sort of sign language to communicate, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. He could make five or six quick gestures, and Luna and his ward could somehow get paragraphs of information out of that. He also had this strange laugh that sounded like a mix of a choke and a rasp. It made me wonder if there was more wrong with his voice than just not having a tongue."

"Earthlings are strange. Why question what they do?” Aroma stated haughtily.

"Hey! We don't go around having our tongues ripped out," I protested.

The lorekeeper held up a wing and brought us to a stop. "We are here. Please, stay close. There may be fewer dangerous creatures here, but there are toxic plants that you do not want to wander into."

I stopped in my tracks and stood as rigid as possible to control the shaking in my legs. It seemed like a solid wall of trees, with no visible path between. Thick bushes were below the trees, masking what lay behind them, and I could only see one or two trees deep because of how thick the vegetation was. How did those bushes grow with the trees suffocating out the light and nutrients? Did rain even reach the ground here, or did the trees guzzle it all down before it had a chance to fall so far?

"I don't see a path," Aroma stated.

"There isn't one," the lorekeeper said dryly.

"We're supposed to walk through the bushes and everything else?!" Aroma asked in disbelief. "I'll get filthy! I'll get leaves and branches stuck in my mane!"

"That happens in the wilderness," the lorekeeper replied. "Keep close so you don't get anything dangerous stuck in your mane. Professor Applebloom, if you would, could you clear us a small path, perhaps five ponylengths." She paused and pointed with a wing. "There."

"The foals won't have the benefit of a strong earth pony in the future, so I prefer they do the work," Applebloom replied.

The lorekeeper rolled her eyes. "Very well. Unicorn fillies, please use your magic to separate the branches where I am pointing. Be careful not to snap them."

"They'll snap back in place if we don't hold them," the apothecary filly replied.

"Are you incapable of keeping them held for five minutes?" the lorekeeper asked.

The filly seemed to consider. "Five seems a bit much. That's a long time to hold my magic, even if I'm not doing anything really complicated."

"Maybe you and I can take turns at it so neither of us wear ourselves out," Aroma suggested. "Whatever it takes to keep those branches off of me. I'm not messing up my mane! They've probably got disgusting bugs crawling around on them."

The apothecary filly nodded and looked at me. "Why are we doing all the work while he doesn't have to do anything? It's a forest; this seems like something earth ponies should be taking the lead on."

"Who said he won't be doing anything?" Applebloom asked. "Trust me, he'll be pulling his weight. As for earth ponies taking the lead in a forest—we have some strengths when dealing with plantlife, but this growth is completely wild and harder to manage, and earth ponies don't typically make our homes in forests—harder to grow a proper crop in the forest, at least, traditional crops. Night ponies are also known as forest ponies; they do better here than earth ponies."

"Although we tend to move through the canopy and only go down to the underbrush as needed. We also don’t tend to cultivate anything in the woods; we only learn where best to gather and know not to overgraze an area," the lorekeeper said. “Come, fillies, open up the underbrush, unless you wish to try climbing trees. I would find it very amusing to watch a day pony try to climb a tree without wingthumbs. It may start raining soon, so we should hurry.”

“You don’t know if rain is scheduled?” Aroma asked in disbelief.

The lorekeeper laughed. “We are far from pur feathered cousins’ settlements. The weather does what the weather wants to do out here. It doesn’t act on a schedule.”

“That’s barbaric!” Aroma squealed.

“Um…that’s normal anywhere but Equestria,” I said defensively. Yeah, hurricane season brought some semi-scheduling to rain back home, but we didn’t exert much control over the weather other than that—some small, localized showers, that was it. The government would pitch a fit if pegasi were doing weather manipulation on a large scale. It had side-effects elsewhere when they did. Come to think if it…that should prove true for Equestria as well. Whose weather was getting disrupted because of Equestria controlling its own?

“Things work differently in different places,” Applebloom insusted. “The weather is wild in places close to home too. The weather over the Everfree is uncontrolled, and is actually highly resistant to pegasi trying to do anything to it. The Crystal Empire’s is the same. It doesn’t matter how many pegasi you throw at those storms; they won’t be turned or break.”

“Hmm,” the lorekeeper grunted. “Bad examples. Both those places the weather is unnatural. Better to speak about the Griffin Empire, the lands far south, or the lands across the sea. That forest we have tales about. It was promised it would be forever free, and it intends to keep itself that way. As for the north, up past the Crystal Empire…that is best left alone. You day ponies already made a mess of that.”

“What do you mean we made a mess of it?” Aroma asked defensively.

“Your ponies remember, if only in fragments. What do you think those Hearthswarming tales are about?” the lorekeeper replied. “We tarry too long. Open the path, fillies.”

Chapter 47

Trees... why did gathering and identifying herbs have to put me so close to trees? Their branches, covered with teeth-shaped leaves, twisted and curved all around me, a thousand jaws ready to devour me. The wind rustled them, and the branches rattled at me.

"What's wrong with you?"

I wasn't sure who had asked the question. It was one of Prim's snotty friends, that was for sure, but my mind had a hard time differentiating them at the moment.

The forest was bathed in shadow. The trees had stolen the light.

"He's just staring. Is he seeing something?"

Did they not see the monsters?

"Turnip, look down at the ground," Professor Applebloom quietly instructed.

I couldn't do that. My eyes were glued to the horror in front of me. What would happen if I looked away?

"Lorekeeper... can you please cover his eyes?"

"What's going on, professor?"

"What's wrong with the weirdo?"

I jumped away as something reached for me. Was it one of the branches grasping for me, ready to steal me away as they had already stolen the light?

"I shall not continue that attempt. We can't have him running blind through the woods. There are real dangers here, unlike the ones he imagines."

"I have something that can calm him, but I have to get him to drink it," Applebloom said. "That could be a challenge."

"Did he get into something that's making him hallucinate?"

"Oh no! Hold still! We don't want to get it on us!"

"There are no hallucinogenic plants in these woods. There are some out by the marshes, but they require far more water than is found here. Even they wouldn't cause this without ingestion," the Lorekeeper explained.

"I don't think this is a hallucination. It is something else," Applebloom said. "Which of you has the best magical grip?"

"Um... me... I guess."

"Very well. I don't like doing this, but I need you to grab Turnip and hold him still so I can get this calming agent in him. He's probably going to panic when you do it, so you have to hold him tight."

"Are you sure? He's weird, but I wouldn't want anypony doing that to me."

"The Lorekeeper is right. If he runs off into the forest he could get himself hurt. This is less than ideal, but necessary for his safety."

I was right! I knew the forest was dangerous!

"The biggest danger is there are Last Breath Roses in season. You can't smell their pollen from a distance, but one sniff of them can be lethal. There is no cure. They kill within seconds. We can't have him running around where he can go right into a bed of them."

I heard a rustling and I jumped away again.

"Ack! What was that?"

"Probably just a squirrel. You're being as much a scaredy weirdo as him."

"Seemed a little big for a squirrel. Perhaps it was a boar," the Lorekeeper said, seeming uncertain.

"A boar! Is it going to gore us?!"

"Both the Lorekeeper and I can deal with a mere boar. Our focus is on Turnip," Applebloom said. "Posey, get a good grip on Turnip so I can administer this potion."

"Yes, professor."

Something caught hold of me. I tried to struggle against it, but it was too strong. The branches seemed like they were closing in, ready to rip into my flesh.

"Hurry, professor. I'm not sure how long I can hold him. He's strong!"

"Aroma, get his mouth open while Posey holds him!"

"Me?!"

"Just do it!"

I screamed as my mouth was forced open. All I could see were those green teeth. Did they intend to go inside me and rip me up from within? Something went into my mouth... liquid... sap from the trees? It tasted like honey. Didn't bees sometimes store honey in trees?

Something big and heavy jumped on me and held me down on the ground.

"You can release your grips, girls. I'm going to hold him till that potion takes effect. He's not strong enough to buck me off. You did a good job. Thank you."

"Why is he acting like that?"

"It's a panic attack. A reaction to a phobia. I had known he'd gotten nervous around trees, but I hadn't expected it was this bad," I heard someone—Applebloom—say. I was starting to feel very tired.

"He's scared of trees?! What kind of idiot is scared of trees?!"

"That was rather rough," the Lorekeeper said dryly.

"Ah was afraid he would bolt and get himself hurt or run into somethin' really dangerous like a hydra or those Last Breath Roses. Ah had to do somethin' decisive and didn't have time to be gentle. Ah ain't lettin' one of my students get hurt like that," Applebloom replied, sounding out of breath as she slipped into her more rural accent.

"I would have made myself more aware of the severity of such a phobia if I knew it was present before taking him into the woods," the Lorekeeper said critically. "Will that potion knock him out?"

"On its own, no, but he's used a lot of energy in that panic, so it may," Applebloom replied. "If it does, I can carry him back and we can reschedule this trip for another day."

"We might as well reschedule, between this weirdo ruining everything and that wild boar roaming about," Aroma started.

"Please, don't be critical of him. He tried to put on a brave face, but his nerves clearly weren't up to it," Applebloom said. "Everypony is afraid of something, often many things. They may seem silly or ridiculous to the next pony, but that doesn't make the fear any less intense. Maybe he felt shame at his fear and didn't want to say how bad it was. If he wasn't so scared of ridicule, he might have been more open about it."

"And I don't think that was a boar," the Lorekeeper said. "I'm not sure what it was, but boars are very territorial. It would have charged us, yet whatever it was is gone, or gone better into hiding. I thought I saw somepony shadowmelding, though it could have been a trick of the light."

"What's shadowmelding?" Applebloom asked.

"A camouflage ability some of us night ponies have. It lets us blend into the shadows unseen," the Lorekeeper explained. "It is not the shadowmelding that bothers me. Those that can do it will do it when going out in the wild alone. What bothers me is that if anypony from the town had been present here, I would have expected them to offer assistance upon seeing our distress, but whoever this was kept out of sight. That makes me uneasy."

"All the more reason to call this trip short," Applebloom said. "Posey, that yellow grass growing by your back hoof—gather up some of it. That is sourgrass. When it is boiled, it makes an excellent headache relief. Turnip will likely need some of that, and so will I."

I'd been finding it harder and harder to keep awake or pay attention to anything around me. Where were we again? What was on top of me? I couldn't seem to recall. It didn't seem that important either. I was just so sleepy.

There was more talking, but I couldn't tell what was being said anymore. I wasn't even sure what had already been said. It was too much work.

I opened my eyes and saw a soft blue light. Was it morning or evening? Where was I?

"Good, you're waking up. Take time to orient yourself."

I blinked and tried to look around for whoever spoke. I turned my head, just now noticing it was in an extremely fluffy pillow that felt like it was going to envelop my head, and tried to find the speaker. After turning my head to the left then the right, I saw Applebloom sitting at the end of the bed. She smiled at me.

"I underestimated how long that potion would knock you out. How are you feeling?" she asked.

I stopped to consider. There was a little pressure behind my eyes, not quite a headache, but something that felt like it wanted to become one. Everything else about me felt fine, if a bit stiff. I glanced around. We were in a small room with just this one single bed and a nightstand. There was one door, one window, and that blue glowing moss surrounded the doorway, the windowsill, and the ceiling.

"I'm alright, I guess," I answered. "This isn't my hotel room."

She shook her head. "No, this is a private room in the city clinic. Do you remember anything from before you fell asleep?"

I closed my eyes and tried to remember. We were going on our field excursion. I had just stepped into the path the fillies had opened up and...

Oh no.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked, sitting up and hanging my head.

"Definitely not. I am a little disappointed you didn't trust me enough to tell me how bad your phobia was, but I'm mostly relieved you are alright," Applebloom replied gently. "Are you sure your head doesn't hurt? Headaches are common after knockout potions."

"It feels... I'm not sure... like there might be a headache later but there isn't one yet, if that makes sense," I answered, trying to find the wording.

Applebloom nodded. "I've got some potion ready for that. I'll get it in a moment or two—be warned, sourgrass draught tastes awful, but it will keep that headache at bay."

"I think I'd rather drink that than have a headache," I replied. Had she mentioned sourgrass before? I think she might have. I wasn't sure.

"I do have an important question that didn't occur to me until after I already had you on my back and walking back to town," Applebloom said, sighing. "I know you sometimes have visions. I had assumed that this was a response to a phobia, but I forgot your unique ability in the moment. Did you have a vision?"

I shook my head. "No... this was all my stupid fear of trees."

"I'd thought so, but I couldn't rule the visions out," Applebloom said with a nod.

I hung my head lower. "I can't do alchemy, can I?"

Applebloom sighed. "Your phobia adds some complications, but it doesn't make it so you can't be an alchemist. I'm going to do what I can to help you with your phobia, since that isn't just disruptive to your career path but to your entire life. I'm going to have to get some help doing so. That requires me discussing it with other ponies. Is it alright for me to do that?"

I weakly nodded. "Okay."

She took a deep breath. "Now onto the hard part. Turnip, when ya are having that much of a problem with somethin', ya need to let me know. Ah know you feel embarrassed. Ya don't need to feel that way. Ah can't help ya if ya don't let me know these things."

"Being afraid of trees is stupid. Who is afraid of things like that?" I asked bitterly.

"Well... you, so that invalidates it as stupid," Applebloom answered. "Do you know that Princess Celestia, the most powerful magical user in all of Equestria who can move the very sun, is terrified of chickens?"

I looked up. "Chickens?"

Applebloom nodded. "She will literally run away at the sight of one. I know some hens and roosters can get bad-tempered at times, but I highly doubt the most aggressive cock would stand much of a chance in a fight with an alicorn, much less Celestia herself, but she'll still run in terror if she sees one. Makes no logical sense, but it is what it is."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you sure she's scared of chickens, or are you just making that up to make me feel better?"

"I have personally seen her bolt at the sight of one. She also refuses to judge any contest involving a chicken, and won't go near a henhouse," Applebloom assured me. "To be fair, I think she may have had a bad run-in with a cockatrice when she was young, or so Luna explained, and that led to an irrational fear of chickens. Every fear starts somewhere."

"What's a cockatrice? I've heard of them, but don't really know."

She blinked. "I forget sometimes that you aren't from Equestria. Cockatrices are monsters, left over from the Age of Grogar. They have the head of a chicken but the rest of them is more like some sort of reptile and snake. They can turn any creature that looks them in the eye to stone. Apparently, that's what happened to Celestia. She got turned to stone and sat that way for a week after before anypony could do anything to reverse the effect. They can actually be quite friendly, even affectionate, if you know how to treat them, and their feathers are an excellent alchemical ingredient."

"Do they live in forests?" I asked, looking down again.

Applebloom looked away. "Yeah, they do. I'll find you some help with this phobia. We'll work through it throughout the year, and if it still needs help after that, we'll have a chance to pull out the big help next year."

"Big help?" I asked, curious why it had to wait.

"I think you foals call her the Queen of Nightmares, but her name is literally Phobia Remedy," Applebloom said with a smile. "We'll only resort to that as a last-ditch effort, if we can't work through this ourselves. I'll try talking to Luna and see if she can help at all as well. I'm willing to do all I can to help you."

I shivered. "Will she give me nightmares?"

"In all honesty, probably, though I can't say for sure, but if she does, they are nightmares with a purpose," Applebloom answered. "I warn you, Luna might try something similar. The Queen of Nightmares and Luna are cut from the same cloth, and Phobia Remedy learned her methods from Luna. It's just this is Phobia Remedy's specialty while only a side tool of Luna's. Luna will end the nightmare; Phobia Remedy will not. She will force you to face your fears. That can be intense. I'd rather not put you through that if we can resolve it ourselves."

I shivered again. "Yeah, I'd rather try to work this out without her if I can. Foals tell stories about her back home. She's the monster under the bed."

"How's your head?" Applebloom asked.

"It's starting to hurt," I answered.

Applebloom got up and headed to the door. "I'll get the sourgrass draught."

Well, meeting the Queen of Nightmares required me to go back to Earth, which wouldn't happen until next school year's games. Plenty of time for me to figure out how to beat this phobia.

I laid back down. Why had I let myself embarrass myself in front of Professor Applebloom like that? I could have told her. It would have been embarrassing, but not as embarrassing as breaking down like that. On top of that, I'd embarrassed myself in front of Prim's friends. They were sure to tell Prim all about it, and I was in for a new round of taunts and mockery from her. She'd be insufferable. There'd also be gossip. Everyone would be talking about it. This was going to be horrible.

The door opened again, and I looked up, expecting Applebloom, but instead—

"Hey, Turnip! Auntie Applebloom said to bring this here potion for ya to drink, said it would help ya feel better," Bright said cheerfully. Summer and Hannah followed in behind him.

My ears folded. "You already heard what happened?"

"Applebloom told us the gist of it, but Prim's friends gave more elaborate descriptions of it. I threatened to tie their tails in knots if they didn't stop telling everyone about it," Hannah said grumpily.

"I guess all our work trying to get you better with trees didn't work out," Summer said sorrowfully.

Bright levitated the mug full of potion to me. "Here ya go. She said it tastes like hogswill, but ya got to drink it."

I took it in my hooves and put it to my lips. My tongue instantly pulled back from the taste. It tasted so sour that my lips puckered.

"Tastes like hogswill, told ya," Bright said. "Make sure to down it all. Ya need to follow Auntie's orders. She knows best."

I grunted and forced myself to drink. Maybe I could down it all quickly and try not to taste it.

"Did you get hurt? Is that medicine for something?" Summer asked.

The taste still lingered in my mouth as I squinted and tried to ignore the taste. "It's just to stop a headache. I wonder if I would have preferred the headache to this taste. I didn't get hurt."

"Well, if ya ain't hurt, do ya want to head out and go explorin' with us?" Bright asked. "This city is really strange."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean just go wandering around on our own? Won't we get in trouble for that?"

"No, the professors pretty much encouraged us to do it, as long as we got back to the hotel on time. They apparently hired a bunch of ponies to keep an eye on us so we wouldn't get lost or anything," Hannah explained. "I noticed one of them tailing us when we walked over here. They weren't making any attempt to hide."

That tickled my memory about something. Someone hiding, but I couldn't remember what. Maybe it was from when I was dreaming.

“A little sightseeing wouldn’t be so bad,” I replied. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 48

It didn't take long to take notice of our shadow once we left the clinic. As Hannah said, he was very obvious. He kept a respectful distance, but always stayed within twenty feet of us. Glancing around, I spotted two other night ponies doing the same thing, indicating nearby students, even if I couldn't see the students. Did the school pay for this? Seemed like it would be expensive if they did. Although, I suppose they couldn't put a price on student safety.

Paths with low walls curved and crossed over the vast chasm that was the cave, and I could see bridges above us. Some of the paths were wide enough to be called streets, though these seemed more the exception than the rule. There seemed no barrier between business and residential areas, with houses being right up next to businesses—and some businesses probably doubling as the family home. While this was uncommon in Canterlot, it wasn't that uncommon in Equestria as a whole, or, at least, that's what I'd been told. I'd seen that sort of thing when I was visiting Ponyville. The big difference between Ponyville and here, other than what the buildings were made of, was that the area between buildings was more often than not wide open air and a swift drop into the chasm below. The glowing moss was everywhere in every color, giving off a rainbow of dim light.

"I can't imagine living in a place like this," Summer said as she looked around.

"It is built for ponies with wings. I imagine Cloudsdale would be just as weird for us," Hannah said. "I'm betting our watchers don't just watch us, but all the ponies that can't fly, whether they be earth ponies, unicorns, or night pony foals too young to fly. Seems like a unique business venture for cities like this. I wonder how profitable it is."

Bright stopped, walked over to the edge of one of the bridges, looked over the side, and quickly retreated.

"Yeah, that there's a big ol' drop. Ah can't even see the bottom. Wouldn't want a foal fallin' down there," he said.

"Probably not the school paying for it then. Guessing it is just standard. They likely fund it with taxes and such," Hannah said, humming, then sighed. "Not really profitable then. Just public service."

I smiled and rolled my eyes. Everything involved how profitable it was with her. It wasn't like this was a business she could get into.

"Look here! It looks like a pet store. Let's see what they have," Summer said excitedly, pointing a hoof.

I turned to look and gasped as I looked upon something that definitely wasn't a pet store.

Before me, a giant brass sphere twisted and turned. Connected to it by arms were smaller brass spheres, circling it like planets, and even smaller brass spheres were joined to those by arms. As I looked upon it, the walls and floor looked like they were brass as well. I wasn't looking upon something that was here. I was having a vision.

"Turnip? Something wrong?" Hannah asked.

"Don't distract me. I'm having a vision. If I look away I'll lose it," I said quickly.

"Oh—" Hannah replied in shock. "You haven't had one in a while. Try describing the details to us. That way we can all remember, just in case it is important."

That made sense. Sunflower had told me to keep a journal to help keep track of what I saw, but I didn't have that handy.

"It's some sort of large mechanical brass sphere with a bunch of other brass spheres attached to it by arms. Those spheres on the arms are moving around the big sphere really fast," I said.

"Like an orrery?" Bright asked.

"What the heck is an orrery?" Hannah asked.

"It's this big doohickie that the planetarium has," Bright replied. "It has Equestria in the center, and the sun and the moon are attracted to it by arms, and there are other planets attached to it, further out. Whole thing is clockwork or somethin'. It tracks movement of stuff in the sky."

I knew what he was talking about, and this did bear some resemblance to that, but these weren't the sun and planets.

"No, it is kind of shaped like that, but now that I'm looking at it closer each sphere is made up of lots of parts that are rotating as well. The arms aren't spinning them around in the same types of orbits as planets around a star, they're going in all kinds of weird orbitals. I think you'd be knocked silly by one of those spheres on the arms if you stood too close, and you wouldn't even see it coming," I replied. "Each of those little parts has runes that change as they rotate. The walls and floors have runes too, and those are rotating as well. The arms are spinning the other spheres around... I know what I'm looking at. It's a spell... or something that can display spells anyway... in mechanical form."

The way everything was constantly rotating, spinning, and changing made it hard to focus on any one thing. Everything was in constant motion and it was almost hypnotic to look at. There was a light within each sphere that I could see peeking through as each rotation and movement happened.

"There's something in the spheres, giving off light," I continued. "The floor... it is interlocking circles that keep spinning, presenting different runes, the ceiling as well. The walls just keep changing runes constantly."

Bile rose in my throat and I had to turn away and cough.

"Turnip!" Summer said, rushing over to me.

I wiped my mouth and looked back to where I had been looking beforehand. The vision was gone. Instead, I was looking at a building. The building was one story, off on its own pillar with a bridge connecting it. Hopefully the pets in there didn't go running off the side after they were adopted. Above the door was a painted sign showing a bird in a birdcage and some fish in a fishbowl.

"Ya okay, roomie?" Bright asked.

I nodded, licking my lips. "Yeah, that thing was just making me feel dizzy watching it. I don't know how anyone could stand in the same room as that thing without starting to feel sick because of all the movement. With so many parts moving, it made me feel like I was moving too."

"You said it was a mechanical spell?" Hannah asked. "Not sure I've ever heard of something like that."

I shook my head. "It was no single spell. The way the runes kept changing meant it couldn't be just one spell. Maybe something to display spells—and with how many moving parts there were, it would be displaying extremely complicated spells. We're talking hundreds... maybe thousands of separate runes."

Summer frowned. "That's more than complicated, that's practically impossible. Nopony can cast a spell with that many runes involved. There's too much to keep track of, and one wrong rune would destabilize the whole thing. It would blow up if something went wrong, like it did in class that one time. What would a spell that complicated even do?"

"Maybe that's what the thingamajig is supposed ta do, help ya cast super complicated spells," Bright suggested. "Can't rightly ponder what kind of spell ya'd be doin' though."

"Well, I'm guessing that must be a vision of the future then. I don't think anything like that exists. It sounds way too complicated for any spell mages have discovered," Hannah concluded.

"We should tell the professors about it," Summer said, then she sighed. "And I really wanted to see the pet store."

I looked at the building again. "We can tell them in a bit. It isn't that urgent."

"'Spose taking a gander at that there pet store wouldn't hurt anythin'," Bright agreed.

Summer frowned. "Are you sure?"

Hannah pulled her into a hug. "We're in this city to experience the culture and learn how they live. We can't very well do that if we're running back to the professors to tell about another one of Turnip's visions. Let's go see the pet store."

Summer smiled. "Okay. Let's see the cuddly pets!"

There were plenty of pets. Cuddly was not so abundant.

Summer looked at a large furry spider in a cage. "I'd pictured more cats, dogs, maybe bunnies."

"There's at least fish and birds," Hannah said, gazing into a fish tank at a bunch of multicolored fish.

Bright looked into another cage. "What even is in here?"

He jumped as the sand in the cage rustled and a huge beetle came scurrying out and right up to the glass.

I looked into a cage that had a bat hanging upside down from a perch. "This one's at least a mammal."

The bat unfolded its wings and turned to look at me at the sound of my voice. It let off a short excited squeak before releasing its grip, giving a sloppy flap of its wings to slow its fall, landing on the bottom of the cage, and then crawling over to me, letting off another squeak.

"It seems to be tame. Does it want food?" I asked.

A night pony mare came beside me and put a berry in the cage. The bat squeaked excitedly and grabbed the berry before stuffing it in its mouth. The night pony stuck the thumb from her wing in the cage and gently rubbed the bat's chin. The bat made odd little sounds as she rubbed, but they seemed like happy sounds.

"A little food and a little affection," the mare said. "That’s all this pup wants at the moment.” She stopped rubbing and reached for a small blanket that was in the cage and pulled it over the bat pup. I watched the bat fold its wings as the blanket was pulled over it but continued to chomp on the berry without objecting to the blanket. “This pup is only eight weeks old, freshly weaned. An ideal age still to bond with an owner, if you are interested."

I stepped back. "Sorry, we're just tourists. We were just looking around."

The mare chuckled. "I kind of guessed that. We don't have any unicorn or kirin foals around here, and I know all the earth pony foals. I've never actually seen a kirin outside an illustration before today. Nothing says a tourist can't adopt a new pet. I can include a guide book on proper care of a bat."

"We don't actually have any money," Hannah explained.

The mare frowned. "Disappointing to hear. Oh well, you are free to walk around and observe the animals. Please don't tap on cages or tanks—it upsets them. You wouldn't like someone banging on the walls where you live. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask."

"Ya keep bugs as pets?" Bright asked, looking back at the beetle cage.

The mare turned and looked at him. "They aren't the most popular, but some insects can live a long time, and they are easy to care for. Ponies mainly get them for the sake of wanting to say they have a pet, but don't want to invest much time into one. The beetle is at least interesting to watch, as are the fish—as long as you keep these fed and their tanks clean, they are low effort. If interested in more active pets that you socialize with, we have the bats, birds, mice, snakes, and some of the spiders."

Summer looked at the spider. "Spiders can be affectionate?"

The mare shook her head. "No, not really. They can get to where they are comfortable with you. They understand that you bring food, clean their tank, and don't intend to hurt them. After that, they will let you handle them and generally desire to stay near you and not hurt you. Snakes... it depends on the snake. Some of them can get affectionate, or what counts as affection with a snake, by actively seeking you out to cuddle with, but most are much like the spiders in that they merely tolerate you."

"Snakes cuddle?" Summer asked with interest.

"You've got body heat to share, and they know you won't hurt them, so they'll get close to you to get warm and safe. You will keep them safe and keep them warm, maybe feed them. It isn't about affection," the mare clarified.

“I heard snakes will protect their owners, is that true?” I asked.

The mare chewed on her lip. “Not in the way you think. If they are perched on you and you show signs you are being threatened by something—something that they identify as an outside threat—they will get defensive and may lash out at anyone or anything that tries to attack you. This isn’t because they care about you. They are protecting their territory, their safe area, that the invader is violating. It’s the same as if they were invading the snake’s nest to an extent. The snake doesn't care about the nest, but it is their territory and safe spot. It doesn’t like invaders threatening its safe spots—particularly if the snake is in the safe spot.”

It seemed like snakes were friends of convenience. I didn’t think I would care for a snake as a pet.

“The bats are great, I guess,” Summer said as she looked in the bat cage where the bat pup had finished its beery and was now happily curling up in its blanket. “But why are there no cuddly animals like cats, dogs, or bunnies?”

The shopkeeper blinked and pointed at the window. “Did you fail to notice a large fall outside? There is not much room for such pets to run around, and one wrong jump or misstep could send them plummeting to their deaths. Some of the earth ponies in the outer town keep them, but they’re also in green fields, not in the cave. We don’t dislike those animals, but they are not suited for this type of life. Bats are as cuddly as it gets here, and they are quite cuddly.”

The shopkeeper let off a weird squeaking noise and a bat came flapping out from some corner and landed on the counter next to her.

“See, quite loyal, and eager to be with their pony,” the shopkeeper said as she grabbed up a piece of fruit with her wing and offered it to the large bat perched on the counter. The bat let off a squeak and grabbed the piece of fruit, shoving it in its mouth. After it finished eating she extended a wing towards it and it crawled onto the wing. She lifted her wing and put the bat on her head. The bat accepted this perch with no complaint, blinking as it looked around from this new vantage.

“Probably not the best pet for you, Summer,” I said as I considered. “They seem friendly, but it might have trust issues if you suddenly caught fire while it was perched on you.”

Summer frowned. “Yeah, I can’t imagine it would like that at all. I have that issue with other pets. That’s why I try not to let them get on me to much. I have no idea how that kitten puts up with my mom. Ky mom starts showing signs of anger and the kitten will lean down from the top of her head and pop her on the nose.”

Bright chuckled. “Smart cat. Dies that work every time?”

Summer shook her head. “No, not every time. but it makes her hold her anger in check long enough to get her kitten safely off her during the times it doesn’t. The kitten knows to give her some space if she does this.”

"Pets learn their owners' mannerisms well," the shopmare agreed. "Bats aren't quite as smart as cats, so a little pup might not recognize the signs of an upcoming fireburst for what they are, and it would also likely get far more alarmed and terrified by a fire—which likely will hurt their eyes, even if they are clear of it, which they'd have a harder time doing than a cat. No, they wouldn't make you a good pet. I'm not sure what among my stock would be comfortable dealing with an owner who suddenly catches on fire, even if they become accustomed to it."

I walked over and gave Summer a light bump. "Not everything always works out. Let's go look around some more. Maybe there's a comic shop somewhere."

"What's a comic?" the shopmare asked in confusion.

"Think that's a big no on there being a comic shop," Hannah said with a smirk.

That was disappointing. I looked at the shopmare. "What do foals do for fun around here?"

"Climbing is the most common pastime—though none of you look like you can climb," the shopmare replied. "During the evening, some of them go to the outer town to play games with the earth pony foals. While in the caves we also do drawing, painting, and catching bugs. There's also the theater and the waterpark."

"Waterpark?!" Hannah exclaimed. "You have a waterpark?! Why didn't you lead with that?!"

"Where is this waterpark?" I asked. "I didn't see anything like that when I was looking around."

The mare pointed to the floor with a hoof. "You have to go down to the bottom of the chasm. For a night pony, it isn't a long trip, but for a day pony... you may be walking for a while."

“How long’s a while?” Bright asked.

The mare sat and considered. “If you know the way…maybe thirty minutes. If you don’t know the way…depends on how badly you get yourself lost.”

Summer frowned and swished her tail. “How far away is the theater?”

The mare pointed up and to the side. “Up one level and you can’t miss it since it is a large building. Admission is free to both the waterpark and the theater since they are among the primary ways we keep foals entertained and we don’t expect foals to have money. Refreshments and such do cost money.”

I sighed. “I guess we’re going to the theater.”

Hannah gaped. “But…waterpark…”

I shook my head. “I can already see the misadventure. We’d be wandering around for hours. unsure where we’re going. The professors would send out search parties for us. We’d get scolded. We’d all lose class rankings. After all that, we’d never find the waterpark. Do you want to go through that?”

“But…waterpark…” Hannah repeated.

“Turnip’s right, Han. We’d be fool ta go trapsin’ off lookin’ for it,” Bright said.

Hannah gave Summer a pleading look.

“I wasn’t really sure I wanted to get yelled at for turning some pool into a stream bath,” Summer said. “We can see the waterpark next time. The theater should be fun.”

Hannah let out a long, defeated, breath. “Fine. We can go see the theater. Won’t be as much fun being there knowing that there’s a waterpark.”

“Thanks for all your help, ma’am,” I said to the shopmare.

She waved a hoof. “It was a slow night. You gave me a little entertainment.”

Summer waved us all to the door. “Come on, let’s go see the theater.”

Chapter 49

The underground theater was way too stuffy. I tried to see around the night pony foals fidgeting in front of us, but at least the moss gave off enough light. Though honestly, I wasn't sure you could even call this a play.

The shadow puppets wobbled back and forth - they were supposed to be night ponies, I thought. Someone moved pictures of forests and mountains behind them. Then this huge chicken shadow loomed over everything, and all the foals actually screamed. Huh. Maybe Celestia wasn't the only one freaked out by chickens.

"Ah have no idea what's goin' on," Bright whispered.

Summer leaned over to me. "I think they're on some kind of journey and now they're fighting a giant chicken monster," she said, but she sounded as confused as I felt.

"This is lame," Hannah grumbled, sliding down until I thought she might fall off the bench. It creaked super loud.

"Ya get what ya paid for," Bright said with a laugh.

"We didn't pay anything..." Hannah stopped. "Oh."

"Just try to enjoy it. I mean, it's... different?" I watched as the shadow ponies fought the chicken in ways that real ponies definitely couldn't move.

One of the little night pony foals spun around and glared at us. "Hush! You're interrupting the show!"

"We're being rude. Be quiet," Summer whispered, like she wasn't talking too.

The show got even weirder. The ponies somehow beat the chicken and went into these spooky woods. A bunch of black birds - crows or ravens or something - swooped down to attack them. The shadow ponies ran back and forth screaming until another pony showed up and made the birds calm down. But then - get this - a regular-sized squirrel appeared and all three of them completely lost it and ran away. The foals were cracking up. I was definitely missing something here.

Then everything went wrong.

The world twisted sideways. There was a squirrel right in my face, but not like the shadow puppet one. This squirrel had glowing red eyes and made this horrible scratching noise that hurt my ears. It wasn't just scary - it was evil. And it was trying to attack me!

I jumped back so hard I almost fell off the bench. Then it was gone, just like that. My heart was going crazy.

"Ya okay, Turnip?" Bright asked. I could hear the worry in his voice.

"Maybe this... super exciting... play got to him," Hannah said, trying to joke but I could tell she was concerned too.

I looked everywhere but the squirrel was gone. "You guys didn't just see a squirrel?"

"Yeah, the shadow one the heroes ran away from." Hannah gave me a weird look. "You're really getting into this."

All the night pony foals were staring at me now, which made everything worse. I dropped my voice super quiet. "I think I had another vision."

"Of a squirrel?" Hannah asked like I was nuts.

"A really evil squirrel," I said, my voice shaking a bit.

"How do you know it was evil?"

"It was trying to kill me!" I whispered back.

"A squirrel wants to kill you?" Hannah's voice cracked like she was trying not to laugh.

"Sssshhhhssshh!" One of the night pony foals was really mad now.

Bright frowned. "That's two visions real close together. We gotta tell the professors."

"Yeah, we should go tell them," Summer agreed quickly.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Fine. Not like the play was any good anyway." She muttered under her breath, "Bet we wouldn't see killer squirrels at the waterpark."

The shadow puppet people kept going with their show. Now the heroes were getting sucked into some giant hole with all the scenery.

We left the theater and headed back to the hotel. Professor Sweetie Belle was in the lobby, drinking tea and reading a newspaper.

"Professor Sweetie Belle, Turnip had a couple of visions," Summer said way too loud.

Sweetie Belle put down her tea and paper, raising an eyebrow at Summer. "You might not want to announce that so loudly."

Summer's ears and tail drooped. "Sorry."

"No need to get downtrodden about it, just be more mindful," Sweetie Belle said with a smile. "Turnip, come tell me about your visions."

I walked over to her table. "I had two. First there was this weird machine thing covered in runes. And then there was a squirrel."

"A squirrel?" She looked as confused as everyone else had.

"I know it sounds weird, but it was trying to kill me!" My voice squeaked a little. "It was really dangerous!"

She blinked. "Alright, let's accept that at face value. I know a bunny that can be downright nasty—not a killer, but still very mean, so I suppose a killer squirrel isn't out of the question, even if it seems like a fairly small threat. Tell me more about this device."

I told her everything I could remember about the first vision. Summer, Hannah, and Bright jumped in with stuff I'd told them that I'd forgotten to mention. Sweetie Belle just sat there listening.

When we finished, she made this weird grunt. "I've never heard of anything like that. Something that big would be talked about if any academic knew about it. You didn't see anything in the vision about where it was?"

I shook my head. "It filled up the whole room, but I don't know where the room was."

"Well, wherever it is must be huge to have a room just for that thing. And it'd need lots of power too," Sweetie Belle said, thinking out loud.

"Maybe it's from the future?" Summer suggested. "It looked really complicated."

"Maybe..." Sweetie Belle said slowly. "Though I didn't hear anything about electronics. What you described doesn't sound like it uses advanced technology, but that might've just been out of sight."

"Ya think somethin' like that's real?" Bright asked.

"It could be," Sweetie Belle said carefully. "You'd need a really good mage and engineer to build it - might not even be the same pony... person... Actually, it might be human-made. They're better at making complicated machines, and they are more likely to consider ideas ponies have not."

"So it's somewhere on Earth?" My stomach felt weird thinking about that.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "I'll ask Professor Newman. She keeps track of Earth stuff and she's good at finding secrets. If what you saw exists, it could be really dangerous. We need to look into it."

"Why would anyone make something like that?" Summer asked.

Sweetie Belle frowned. "Whatever those spells are for, it can't be good. If it exists, it's dangerous for everypony. The princesses need to know." She looked at the big clock on the wall. "Good thing you all came back. We need a class lesson. Stay in the hotel while I get everyone else back here."

"How are you going to do that?" I asked.

She went to the front desk and talked to the night pony working there. They went out a side door and came back a minute later, nodding. Sweetie Belle thanked them and came back.

"All taken care of. The chasm guards will tell everyone to come back," she said, picking up her tea again. “Maybe you should take a few minutes to wash up. It might take the class some time to get back here, depending on how far they wandered.”

“Did ya pay the guards ta keep track of us?” Bright asked.

Sweetie Belle blinked. “Well, as much as anyone pays. They have sales tax and such to fund that sort of thing. So, in as much as I spent money here. I paid them. I simply let the town constable know that we would have a class of about thirty students wandering about and to keep a general eye on them. They don’t want any tourists getting hurt or lost. I actually had a little bit of a scare earlier when they reported they lost track of Lunar Light, but they found him wandering around some of the deeper caves later on. That foal is hard to keep track of, so I shouldn’t be shocked that he managed to slip even their notice. At least he wasn’t hurt, even if he was wandering further than I prefer.”

“I suppose a wash wouldn’t be that bad. Still wish we had gone to the waterpark,” Hannah said dejectedly.

Sweetie Belle smiled. “But then you would have missed out on authentic night pony shadow plays, and those are a rare treat!”

Hannah gave her a flat look. “Whatever you say, professor.”

“Someday, I will have to expose you to experimental blackbox theater. You foals don’t get enough exposure to the arts,” Sweetie Belle continued.

Hannah turned and headed to the stairs. “Yep, definitely need that bath.”

“Or perhaps a trip to Bridleway to see a proper musical!” Sweetie Belle persisted.

Hannah groaned.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing a musical,” Summer said, seeming like she was trying to placate Sweetie Belle’s feelings after Hannah’s rejection.

Sweetie Belle gave her a gentle smile. “Kind of you to say. I know all theater isn’t for everypony, but I think everypony should at least give things a chance. I actually have an ulterior motive for wanting to go see a Bridleway play. My daughter graduated from our school just last year, and she got a job with one of the theater companies there. She’s only getting bit parts and a few understudy positions at the moment, but everypony has to start somewhere. I want to get a chance to go see her perform on the big stage.”

“Oh, I didn't know you were married,” Summer said.

Sweetie Belle gave her a baffled look. “Married? I’m not married, and never have been. My sister has always been hung up about wanting to be married to her prince charming, and I know Applebloom has a wonderful marriage, but it’s not really my thing.”

Summer gasped and blinked. “Sorry, I just assumed…since you have a daughter.”

“There are plenty of single parents out there,” Sweetie Belle replied. “Both my parents are living and my sister still was the one that practically raised me, with them only showing up on holidays. Rarity did a fine job on her own.”

“You had both your parents and they weren’t involved in raising you?” Summer asked in shock.

She gave Summer a gentle smile. “At the moment, your father isn’t involved with parenting you. Do you doubt that he loves you just because he isn’t as involved right now?”

Summer shook her head. “I know he loves me.”

“Good. and I personally think that it is good that students get to come to a school and live away from their parents,” Sweetie Belle continued. “This is the part of your life where you really develop who you are, and I don’t think you should live it in your parents’ shadow. Forgive me for saying this, but I personally think your mother should give you more space, even if she is well-intentioned. Living with my sister, I did get influenced by her, as growing up with my parents before that influenced me, but it gave me more freedom to figure out who I was away from my parents. We should have many influences. This school gives you a chance to get those. You are surrounded every day by ponies of diverse backgrounds, and you come in contact with cultures you might never have experienced otherwise. That let's you chart your own course for your life and not just be a copy of your parents.”

“This school is for Equestria’s future leaders, not the followers,” I said, reflecting back on Professor Newman’s words.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yes, and leaders have to learn to think for themselves, and that includes forming their own identities independent of their parents. I have lived my life helping ponies find out who they are. Aiding in self discovery, that is my ambition as an educator—to give students every tool I can provide for them to find themselves, not to dictate to them who they are or should be.”

She set her tea aside. “I disagree with many things the Headmaster has done. I think he is too harsh, too demanding, but I don’t disagree with the fact he has broken the same tired mold this school has been in for too long. We need change, and to have things shaken up. We need to stop churning out carbon copy mages who are barely discernible from one another in their skills and beliefs. We need something new.”

“Will he really dismiss a third of the class at the end of the school year and send ‘em home or is it bluster?” Bright asked worriedly.

She sighed. “I don’t doubt he will. Keep your grades and performance up, so you aren’t on the chopping block.”

I wasn’t likely in danger of that, considering I was linked to a truestone and someone, somewhere. had a vision concerning me. Hannah and Summer were fairly safe as well—Hannah for the sane vision as I featured, and Summer because dismissing the school’s only kirin student might upset the kirin tribe. However, Bright was someone who could be in danger. I needed to make sure I always helped him study. I didn’t want to to have him go away.

“What about the squirrel?” I asked.

Sweetie Belle blinked. “I have no idea…just be wary of squirrels, I guess.”

Chapter 50

December 15th

Before we knew it, the holidays were upon us and the mid-year rankings. I finished the semester at a respectable ninth place. Why was I ninth place? I had no idea. I was doing well in all my classes... except for mathematics... yeah, that was probably why I wasn't ranked higher. At least I was passing the class, if only by the skin of my teeth. Hannah was ahead of me at seventh. Summer had clocked in at number two, and Bright was mid-tier at fifteenth. The person at the top mid-year left a sour taste in my mouth.

"This just goes to show how superior I am," Prim said, nose in the air as we all looked at the board that had been put up at the entrance to the dorm building.

"Still can't beat me at chess most of the time," I muttered.

Twilight Glow was in the third spot. Red was in twelfth—and looking darkly at his sister. Rocky and Onyx were in the nineteenth and twentieth spots, respectively, and both of them looked shaken at how much they teetered on the edge. Hail Storm was just ahead of them at eighteenth. Lunar Light was in the twenty-first spot, but wasn't present for me to judge the reaction to being the only one out of our part of the class completely in the crisis range. I felt bad for the other two classes; they had overall worse numbers across the board. None of them had secured one of the top three spots, and they had far more students in danger of dismissal. Hail Storm's class did have the number four student... but also had three of their ten students in the bottom third.

I knew I wasn't going to fall to the bottom third, and I'd only worried about Bright. Now that I saw he wasn't in immediate danger, I had other things to worry about.

"Students, I know you are all excited... or horrified... to see the class rankings, but everypony needs to take their seat and eat. We have announcements to do," Sweetie Belle announced, standing next to Headmaster as he sat and ate... I think he was eating some sort of omelet.

We all made our way to the cafeteria line. Students who were doing well tended to chatter excitedly. Those doing not-so-well had a gloom about them that left no room for talk. Hannah and Bright spent time congratulating Summer on her high ranking, and Summer accepted the compliments bashfully. Prim wasn't getting the same round of congratulations, as Aroma, the ringleader in Prim's little clique, was in the crisis zone, and all that clique was busy trying to console her and tell her how unfair the rankings were. I doubt Prim wanted to press the fact she was number one in those circumstances. Red had decided to congratulate Twilight about his performance, and Lunar Light had slipped in at some point, yawning as he got in line without looking at the board. I kept silent, brooding on what was to come.

After we all reached our seats, Headmaster wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood.

"Congratulations on making it through the first semester without dying," he greeted.

Some of us shared confused looks, me included. That hadn't seemed like a possibility at any point.

“You have all seen the rankings. For those of you at the top, you’ve done adequately. For those of you at the bottom, at this point, I could care less if I see you again. If you want to change that, you have half a year left,” he continued.

A few students actually whimpered.

“But we still have that half year, and much can change,” he continued. “For now, the holidays are upon us. For those of you staying with us through the holidays. meals will be continued to be served on the regular schedule. For those of you going home for the holidays, I hope you take the time away to relax and get your heads in order, and I expect you all back promptly by the night before classes resume. Students that can’t prioritize where they need to be may get my displeasure.”

He sat back down and pulled a piece of apple pie over to himself.

Sweetie Belle, who had been standing at attention beside him the entire time. gave us all a warm smile.

“We have a group who will be doing Hearthswarming carols this evening outside the main building, if anypony wishes to join, and there will be a massive feast tonight with extra treats and presents for all,” she announced. “I hope everypony can enjoy themselves and focus on the holidays with friends and family. For right now, Professor Newman is going to treat you to an Earth song from one of their holidays that falls near this time of year…she lost a bet to me and she’d better honor it.”

Newman. who had been at the forth-year table, stood up, giving Sweetie Belle a disgusted look.

“I can’t believe you are making me do this,” Newman complained. “This is why I avoid gambling.”

Sweetie Belle smiled back at her. “You have a wonderful singing voice. It would be a shame if none of the students ever heard you sing. They could use more exposure to Earth traditions and culture anyway.”

Newman grunted and walked iver to stand beside Sweetie Belle. Headmaster stopped eating, gentle put his fork down, and focused his attention completely on Professor Newman.

Newman looked around at us.m, put a hand up to her throat, and took a deep breath, before lowering her hand and grasping them together in front of her.

“Hark, the herald angels sing. Glory to…the newborn king. Peace on Earth and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciled-”

I closed my eyes. She was a good singer. and the song was both relaxing and comforting. It took me back to happy Christmases where I sat staring up at the brightly lit tree.

As she reached the chorus, something unexpected happened. a voice joined hers.

“O come all ye faithful. Joyful and triumphant. O come. ye, o come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold him. Born the king of angels-”

I opened my eyes and stared in shock. It was Headmaster. He still sat. but had joined in chorus with Newman. She didn’t even bat an eye at it.

“O come let us adore him-”

I looked across the table and saw Lunar Light had silently joined in. He had unreadable look on his face.

“O come let us adore him-” Hannah joined in tentatively. She looked at me.

“O come let us adore him-” I joined in, not being able to help myself.

“Christ, the Lord!” We all sang in concert.

The rest of us went silent as Newman continued with the main song. As she did, Stockman walked over from a corner to stand beside her. Headmaster shared a brief glance with him, and nodded. Then the chorus came again. This time, Newman, Hannah, Lunar Light, me, Headmaster, and Stockman, all sang it together loudly.

“O come all ye faithful.
Joyful and triumphant.
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him.
Born the king of angels.
O come, let us adore him.
O come, let us adore him.
O come, let us adore him.
Christ the Lord!”

The song came to an end. Newman quietly returned to her seat. Stockman returned to his corner. Headmaster returned to his pie. Some of the students were staring at me, Hannah, and even more do at Lunar Light. Some were staring at Headmaster. I never knew before today that Lunar Light was from Earth, but that display certainly indicated as much. I didn’t mind the stares. For right now, in this one rare moment. I felt a pang of homesickness.

Hannah wiped a tear from her eye. “I didn’t know I needed that.”

“Such a peculiar song. I don’t know what an angel is or where Bethlehem is. Can you explain the significance of this song?” Red asked.

“Yeah, it was nice and all, but we’re confused,” Rocky said. Onyx nodded along in agreement.

“I think it's about the return of some king,” Summer said. “Is that right?”

“It’s a religious song. We have a religious holiday called Christmas around this time of year, but people celebrate it even if they aren’t that religious,” Hannah explained. She then gave Lunar a dirty look. “And you never mentioned you were from Earth!”

He yawned and smacked his lips before answering. “You never asked.”

“I didn’t know, and I’m your roommate,” Twilight said.

Lunar shrugged.

“Do we really need their weird Earth cults infiltrating Equestria?” Prim asked snidely.

“You are supposed to be exposed to diverse cultures,” Coach Scootaloo chided. She was the professor at our table today.

Prim frowned and looked down. “As you say, professor.”

Summer looked at me. “Are you wishing you could go home for the holidays? I notice you were quiet earlier before the singing.”

That brought me back to my earlier discomfort. “No need. My parents are coming here.”

Scootaloo blinked. “Oh, yeah…I was supposed to tell you that your parents will be arriving at Canterlot station in two hours. We already have a hotel room for them in town, and you are allowed to give them tours of the school and bring them to meals. Professor Newman said she expects you to visit her with them at least once while they are here.”

I gasped. “Two hours?!”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yep! Sorry I forgot to mention it. Seeing Headmaster sing kind of distracted me. I never knew the guy had a soft side to him. He’s normally the why are you making me take time away from staring down my nose at you to deal with your nonsense type of guy. Anyway, you must be excited. Hope everything goes well.”

Excited? That was one way of saying it. A better way of saying it was shaking in my fur and ready to cry.

Bright gave me a pat on the shoulder. “Want us to come with ya ta meet them? Ah know ya’ve heen dreadin’ this.”

Prim gave me a wicked grin. “Scared if what we’ll think of your backwards Earth farm parents?”

“Naw, he’s scared they’ll take him away. He forged their signatures to get in here. Stop trin’ to shame ‘em,” Bright said, then instantly covered his mouth.

The whole table, including Coach Scootaloo, stared at me. Way to go Bright. I didn’t need the whole school knowing that.

“They signed the permission papers for real afterward, so I am here with their permission. Newman knows about the entire situation,” I hastily informed them. “But, yeah, they aren’t happy about it—not about me being here or about me forging their signatures.”

“You forged your parents signatures, and you claim to have some moral superiority over me?” Prim asked, smirking.

I looked her in the eyes. “I wanted to be here. You don’t want to. I did what I thought I had to do. You aren’t the only one with ambition. They eventually relented and signed the forms.”

“I hope they decide to haul your flank back to Earth where you belong,” Prim snarled.

“Prim Tape!” Scootaloo scolded.

“There has been an update to the rankings.”

We all turned to look at Headmaster.

“Prim Tape has been moved to fifth in rankings, all those who were previously fifth or higher have moved up a ranking,” Headmaster announced.

Prim beat her hoof against the table in frustration.

“Lets change that to eighth. Again with everyone else moving up a rank,” Headmaster saud, not even looking at her. “Would you like to continue?”

Prim withdrew her hoof from the table. “No. I think I have had enough.”

“Good,” Headmaster said. “Another update is Turnip Jones is being moved to fifteenth in rankings, with all those who were previously above him moved up a rank. I was not aware of the matter you mentioned. I’m sure Professor Newman had her reasons for keeping it private, but now that I know, I cannot ignore it.”

Well. heck. Wait…he was lying. He knew. Professor Newman sent him a message about it. I suppose he couldn't admit knowing, but I still hated him pretending he didn’t already know, and cutting my rank for it.

Prim smirked at me. I glared back. My ability to do numbers might be worse than hers, but I knew the fall from ninth to fifteenth wasn’t as far as the fall from first to eighth, even by the numbers.

I looked at Bright. “I wouldn’t mind the company, but don’t you have your own train to catch?” I asked.

“Ah’ll be goin’ back ya Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow. Aunt Applebloom has some stuff she needs ta take care of before we go back,” he answered. “Ya’re welcome ta come visit us, all of y’all.”

My parents are coming into town tomorrow. I’ll come back you up Turnip,” Hannah said.

“My mom has to hang around here, so dhe won’t mind me delaying visiting home an extra day. You know how clingy she is,” Summer said.

I smiled. “Thanks, guys.”

“Thanks for gettin’ meh moved up a rank. ‘Preciate it,” Bright said, chuckling.

I gave him a light kick on the side. “What are friends for?” I turned and gave Summer a smile. “Hey, congratulations on being number one.”

Summer blushed. “Um, thanks.”

Prim ground her teeth together so hard I could hear it. That made me smile wider.

Chapter 52

I hadn't expected to find an Indian restaurant in the middle of Canterlot, but that was where we were. It didn't call itself Indian, but the aesthetics and menu screamed Indian. I'd only gone to it because it looked different, and explicitly called itself Tasty Treat, compared to the various other restaurants that seemed to have really fancy sounding names—which I could credit Prim for previously informing me tended to equal small portions.

"Indian? Why is there an Indian restaurant in Equestria?" Mom asked as she looked around.

"Well, Equestria has had contact with Earth for more than thirty years," I said dryly.

She pointed to a sign. "That sign says proudly in business for forty years!" I'd overlooked that, and it did throw a wrench in my theory.

"Auntie Applebloom says that Earth has been seedin' Equestria with stuff for millions of years with random portals openin'. Maybe a bunch of stuff from this Indian place yer talkin' 'bout got found by ponies somewheres and influenced 'em," Bright suggested.

Mom blinked. "Maybe... Turnip, pay attention to this colt. He's a smart one."

I rolled my eyes. Until I had been punished earlier that day, my class ranking had been six ranks higher than Bright's, and it was me who had to help him study. Still, it was only a tiny chip at my ego.

An older unicorn mare walked up to us, levitating menus. "Hello, and welcome to the Tasty Treat! I am Saffron Masalla, owner of this establishment. Do you wish a booth big enough for you all to sit?"

"A single booth for all of us would be fine," Dad informed the mare. I'd actually hoped that he wouldn't indulge Mom's desire to grill my friends and divide us up so my friends were at a separate table. That clearly wasn't happening. I wasn't shocked. Dad usually let Mom have her way unless there was some financial issue involved.

"Right this way," the owner said and led us to a booth in the corner. There were lots of rugs and depictions of elephants everywhere. Did Equestria even have elephants? The colors on everything were yellow, red, green, and brown.

We took our seats and the menus were passed out to us.

Mom looked over her menu. "This spell that taught us Equestrian is really spiffy. I can read this better than I can read your father's seasonal plans."

"My hoofwriting is a bit of a mess, to be fair," Dad said as he looked over his menu. "The prices seem more reasonable than I expected."

"Does that mean we can splurge on dessert?" Mom asked.

"No," Dad said without looking up from his menu.

"But Turnip's so scrawny," Mom protested in disappointment.

"We don't even know how his stomach will respond to this exotic food... or our stomachs for that matter. We also have to consider the number of mouths we are feeding. Small amounts can add up," Dad reminded her.

Mom grunted. "Fair enough. I don't want my colt getting an upset tummy."

We made our selections in silence and informed the owner. I wasn't really sure what I ordered. It said it was spicy, but three-fourths of the menu said spicy, so it didn't stand out.

"What are we doing after this, Green?" Mom asked.

My dad considered. "As much as I would like to check in at the hotel, I think going to Turnip's school, seeing his living conditions and meeting with that one professor should be our priorities."

Mom nodded. "Sounds good."

I looked at my friends. "If you haven't picked up on it, my parents have a certain dynamic. Mom is big, and she does most of the heavy lifting and hard manual labor around the farm. The most back-breaking jobs are simple to her. She also tends to be present whenever my parents are negotiating the price of their crops. Dad manages all the finances and makes all the plans. They make a good pair since my dad is really smart, but because he isn't taken very seriously-"

"I take your father seriously, and you had better, or I'll plant you in the ground!" Mom immediately protested.

"-by many others, due to him being slightly short for a stallion," I continued, "he needs Mom there to give him some presence. Everyone gets a little intimidated by Mom when they see her. It lets dad do a lot more favorable negotiating."

"Everyone is scared of me except your father—he's my handsome and brave stallion!" Mom said happily as she nuzzled my dad. Urgh! Get a room!

"Well, excuse me, ma'am, but I think you say too many mean things to Turnip," Summer said. She immediately crouched down and looked like she wanted to hide under the table after saying it.

Mom snorted. "Have some backbone, filly! Do you have grass for a spine? Even Turnip looks me in the eye and doesn't flinch when he mouths off."

"She did speak her mind despite being clearly afraid, dear. I think that is the definition of bravery," Dad said quietly.

Mom chewed her lip. "I suppose it is, but she still needs to stand her ground after she says something. If you think something is going to earn retribution but it's still worth doing, then stand tall, don't let anyone see you flinch, no matter how much your knees feel like jelly. Show your conviction, filly."

Summer pulled herself up and looked my mom in the eyes. "You say... too... many... mean... things... to... Turnip." A little bit of smoke was coming off her mane, a precursor to a fire.

Mom laughed. "I like this one! That was backbone. Turnip, don't lose this one!" She stopped laughing and returned Summer's gaze as Summer's tail started to catch fire. "Turnip ran away from home, betrayed my trust, left us to worry about him, and dismissed my life choices and his father's as meager and pointless. Turnip is lucky all I'm doing is saying some mean things."

"Your mother wanted to go chasing after the bus we knew you were on. I convinced her that she could only get herself into trouble by demolishing a bus," Dad informed me. "She's had four months to calm down, but it's been four months of worry and unresolved anger. I think she is doing remarkably well. I half expected she was going to just jump out of the side of the train, even if there was no exit, when she first saw you. I was already preparing explanations and excuses for it."

What my dad wasn't saying was how he felt. He'd hide behind managing Mom so he didn't have to say how he felt.

I looked at my dad. "What did Newman's agent say to you to convince you to sign the permission forms for real?"

Dad sighed. "Cutting through all the quiet talk and going straight for the throat, he gets that from you, dear."

I narrowed my eyes. "You didn't answer."

"Be more respectful of your-" Mom started to yell, but Dad touched her side and brought her to a stop.

"It's okay, dear. He could have more tact, but he is right, and his point valid," Dad said gently.

Mom gave a small hop in her seat, shaking the booth with the force of it. "Fine! They told us about how many foals applied to go to this place, and how only four out of all of Earth were getting to go, despite tens of thousands applying. They also told us that you were the only earth pony admitted, the only earth pony who has ever been admitted, and how much of an honor and special that was. They said the worst that could happen is you flunk out, and you'd be sent home anyway. They also said... they asked... they asked if you had this much drive and ambition to go if you would be satisfied with your life you could make on the farm or resentful of us if you were made to stay home."

"So we signed the paper, but requested the chance to come see you come the holidays—both to confront you and to see whether your ambition was working out the way you wanted it to or if you were having doubts," Dad concluded. "The agent agreed, so here we are."

"We got your letter," Mom said. "We didn't expect that."

For once, I didn't look her in the eye. "Professor Newman made me write it."

"This Professor Newman is the one who sent the agent?" Dad asked.

I nodded. "She's like the admissions officer. She's also, apparently, a former spymaster, and she knows just about everything there is to know about every student she admitted. She says she recognized the forgery with your signatures as soon as she laid eyes on them... she knew what your hoofwriting looked like."

Dad raised an eyebrow. "How did she get samples of our hoofwriting? We have never sent her any mail or spoken with this unicorn."

"She's actually a human," I corrected. "And I don't know how she got samples of it, especially from a world away. Newman is kinda scary with how much she plans and plots things out. She can't cast spells, but she beat the school's old headmaster in a magic duel without ever casting a spell, just using strategy."

"Good for her. Fancy magic is overrated," Mom said. She looked at us and seemed to realize what she just said to whom. "Um... yeah... overrated... but not useless. Not useless at all! It just shows that you can't rely on it for everything."

Way to sloppily save it, Mom. I know you don't think much of magic, you don't need to pretend. I wouldn't tell her that straight out, but she wouldn't say she didn't respect magic straight out, so it was fair.

"Why do you have a magic professor who can't cast magic?" Dad asked in confusion.

"She was the personal aid to some famous unicorn for years. Everybody seems interested in that unicorn's magic, but nobody seems to know if she's even alive still. Newman was with her so long she must know at least some of it," I explained.

"A famous unicorn from Earth that went to Equestria?" Dad asked, frowning.

I nodded.

Dad gave Mom a look, and she frowned. What were they in the know about that they weren't saying?

Dad sighed. "Sorry, I'm being disrespectful trading glances and stuff. I think I know who is being discussed, but you're too young to have likely heard of her. She was very famous back in the day, then just kind of dropped off the face of the Earth."

"Well, she went to Equestria, so technically she did literally drop off the face of the Earth," Mom said. "From what I heard, Equestria bought her from the government. The government considered giving her up like giving some country nuclear weapons or something. It was a big deal."

"She was dangerous, that's why it was a big deal. Her magic blew up a city once, and it is said she knew the secrets of the transformation magic that made it so ponies were on Earth. Countries, especially China, would kill to obtain her, or try to kill her so she couldn't be used by anyone else," Dad explained. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you being involved with someone so closely tied to her. Nothing good comes from being associated with her."

"Newman says she doesn't even know where her old employer is. She might have died. We can't hold it against everyone who ever dealt with her," I said defensively.

"I'm still not comfortable with anyone so closely tied to her for so long," Dad reiterated. "If you are so determined to go to a magic school, what about Bob the Unicorn's school? He has no ties to her. At this point, I'm wondering if his is the only magic school that isn't tied to her somehow."

"I don't want to go there. I'm where I want to be," I asserted firmly.

Mom bent over the table. "Don't talk back to your father, you mouthy little colt!"

I looked her in the eye. "Do you or don't you want me to speak my mind?"

Mom stared then sat back. "Mouthy little colt, good backbone."

Dad did a light cough. "Be that as it may, we're still your parents and still responsible for your safety, even when you're away at school. Letting you stay in an unsafe situation is irresponsible. Keeping you on the farm without letting you attend magic school seems unjust, but you don't have to attend this one. Bob the Unicorn's school is not associated with anything dangerous, and it's closer to home."

"Listen to your father. He is trying to compromise with you," Mom said.

I tensed my muscles. "There is no compromise. This is where my friends are. This is where the best alchemy teacher is. This is the only school accepting an earth pony at this time."

"I don't want Turnip to leave," Summer said.

"Ah don't wanna lose my roomie," Bright said supportively.

"Turnip's one of us. He stays," Hannah said firmly.

Dad looked at each of us. "We'll table this discussion for now. We still have to see your school and meet with this Professor Newman."

I relaxed slightly, but was still on edge. All I could do was wait.

Chapter 53

Author's Note

Chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I intended, but I saw few ways if dividing it up.

Chapter 53

Before going to the dorms or touring the school, the priority was seeing Professor Newman. She wasn't present at the school but was instead at the castle.

The guards informed us that while my parents and I were expected, my friends were not permitted to see Professor Newman. They wished me luck and went their separate ways. Fortunately, the guards didn't make my parents wait in the long line—they'd already been given descriptions of my parents, as Newman had that information readily available.

A guard led us deep into the castle and downward. There was only one staircase that descended, but the next level seemed to curve downward as we walked the halls. The elegant decorations and paneling gave way to solid blocks of stone, and there were no windows. Lit globes gave off light, and I wondered if they were filled with glowmoss from Mountainshade. Wooden doors appeared occasionally but were infrequent.

"Are you leading us to a dungeon?" Mom asked, smiling as if unsure whether she was making a joke.

"Canterlot castle has no dungeon," the guard replied. "Although, if there were a dungeon, it would probably be around here somewhere."

"These are living quarters?" Dad asked skeptically.

"These are where the human, Charlotte Newman's, living quarters are," the guard answered.

Mom's smile slipped. "Turnip, how much further is it?"

"I don't know," I answered. "I've never actually been here. I went to see her here once, but I got sent to the princess instead."

"Just a little further," the guard informed us.

We walked in silence for a while longer, the path still curving. We came to a door that looked like all the others, and the guard took up station next to it.

"Just knock. I will guide you back when you are ready to leave," the guard informed us.

My parents looked at me. I guess it was my responsibility to knock. I went up to the door and made three quick knocks which echoed loudly.

"You may enter," Newman called out. "Mind your step as you enter. Raven hasn't been allowed to do what she wishes in my quarters as she did in my office."

"What's that mean?" Mom asked.

"It means it's a mess," I answered as I pushed the door open.

"It is not a mess. Everything is where I can find it," Newman protested as the door opened.

There were books scattered everywhere in piles. I didn't see any furniture at all, nor any sort of decoration or window. There were two additional doors, both closed. The room was about the same size as a classroom back at school. Newman was lying on her back, a book held open above her head, reading.

"This is worse than your office," I said as my parents followed me in. I had my back to them, so I couldn't see their reaction to the room.

Newman set the book aside and looked at us. "I'm old enough that I don't particularly care what people think about my housekeeping. Close the door and take a seat anywhere. Please, don't knock over any of the stacks of books. They are arranged as they are for a reason."

I didn't look around much. I found the first clear spot I could and sat down. Mom and Dad looked around disapprovingly. This probably wasn't giving them a good first impression. It took them nearly a minute to find somewhere to sit, primarily because Mom took up extra space and they wanted to sit together, but they eventually settled.

Newman sat up and then stood. "Mr. Jones's parents, welcome. I have a question—not a very important one, just a curiosity. Neither of you had the last name Jones before choosing your current names, nor did any of your parents when they were human. The first Jones in either of your lines was five generations back. So why did you give your son the last name Jones?"

Dad blinked. "You dig deep for information. I didn't even know I had anyone with that last name as a great-grandparent."

"Me neither," Mom agreed. "How did you even find out? Why look into something so trivial?"

"There's no such thing as a trivial detail. Only details that are harder to contextualize and use," Newman replied.

"Then our answer isn't just to satisfy a curiosity," Dad reasoned. "What do you get out of knowing?"

Newman chuckled. "Truly, just curiosity sated for now. It also helps me fill in the psychological profile I've put together of you. Whether it has another use down the line, I don't know."

"I think we prefer to keep that information to ourselves then," Dad replied. "Never good to give the person you're dealing with every extra they want. They come to expect it."

"As you wish," Newman replied. "Forgive my lack of accommodations. My quarters are fairly simple. This is my main space. I also have my bedroom and another room that doubles as both kitchen and bathroom. These quarters were never designed to be living quarters, but they had few places in the castle that could both accommodate someone of human size and give me the privacy I prefer."

"What was it built for?" Mom asked. “It seems a miserable place to stay.”

"It's a location of historic significance," Newman explained. "This entire hallway used to house the Night Guard and their offices before Luna returned and they built proper barracks in the city. Twilight Sparkle's mother actually got dishonorably discharged from the Night Guard in this very room—failing to follow orders and endangering her squad with reckless behavior was the given reason. Twilight Velvet was always quick to jump into any fray, quite passionate about taking initiative when defending others. Admirable, but not very good for following orders when told to hold back and maintain position during a monster attack. You can see where the Princess of Friendship gets her adventuring spirit despite seeming at first just a bookworm. You can learn much about a person based on the character of their parents."

Dad fixed her with a hard gaze. "No trivial details?"

Newman nodded. "No trivial details. What kind of things do you think your son inherited from each of you? You are two very different people. What did your marriage forge?"

"A mouthy, disobedient colt who refuses to respect his parents," Mom grumbled.

Newman chuckled. "And I believe your husband has a history of disobedience as well. What did his parents say about you?"

Mom stepped back, knocking over a stack of books. "How do you know about that?"

"What can I say? I dig deep," Newman answered. "Would you like some coffee?"

Mom turned around and started trying to pick up the books. "Sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Please, don't do that. You'll only disrupt the order further," Newman said. "I can get us some coffee, and I believe I have some danishes. Please, just relax while I get those."

Newman exited through one of the side doors, and I heard the sound of running water in the other room.

"What exactly does this professor teach?" Dad asked me.

"She teaches fundamentals and magic theory—the whys of how magic works. She also heads the chess club," I answered.

Dad chuckled. "Of course she'd head the chess club."

Mom made a disgusted look at the door Newman had gone through. "The bathroom and kitchen are one? Why?"

"If this is an old guard station, she might not have much choice," Dad answered. "I imagine trying to remodel this place would be a nightmare, especially anything involving plumbing. That room is probably her only water source, and she needs water for both the kitchen and bathroom. It likely was the garrison bathroom back in the day."

"Lucky she gets to have meals at the school then. We're essentially in their old locker room," I muttered.

Professor Newman returned, holding a tray with two steaming mugs and a third non-steaming mug, along with some cheese danishes. She set it down on the floor by my parents and walked back to her previous spot.

"Two cups of coffee and a glass of orange juice, along with some snacks," she announced.

"Nothing for you?" I asked.

"I ration my own food. I also try to avoid eating around certain times," she explained. "Have no fear, I'm not trying to poison you. Such a thing would bring me no benefit, and I'm actually too ignorant about most poisons to employ them. There's also one of the princess's guards sitting outside who would have serious questions for me if I poisoned my guests."

"You poisoning us wasn't even something we would have considered," Dad said as he looked at the danishes.

"Forgive me. I was assuming Turnip might have informed you about my former profession, and you may have had some wild ideas as a result when I didn't take any food or drink myself," Newman apologized.

"You were Sunset Blessing's spymaster?" Dad asked.

"I prefer to say aid, and my duties covered a wide field of things. My former employer was always very interested in knowing what was going on beyond her walls. Information is power, after all," Newman answered.

"Yet you continue to operate as an information gatherer. If she's your former employer, who are you gathering information for now?" Dad asked.

"The school's interests, of course," Newman answered calmly. "I'm committed to assembling the best student body to meet the school's goals. That requires vigorous research."

"And what are the school's goals?" Dad asked, pressing forward with the questioning.

Newman chuckled. "Yes, I see where Turnip gets his habit of asking questions. I'm guessing he hasn't been fully forthcoming with you, since he has asked these questions to myself and Princess Twilight and been answered."

Dad looked at me, and I didn't flinch from his gaze. I would have told him... sooner or later.

He looked back at Newman. "I prefer to hear it directly from you."

Newman nodded. "As you wish. Equestria is faced with a dual crisis. On one hand, we have magical stagnation. The old ways of education only focus on learning the same old spells and the same old ways of thinking. This must change. On the other hand, we face a crisis, not only in Equestria but on Earth as well, of growing threats that the stagnant old guard of leaders are frankly ill-equipped to face. Starting this year, we have dismissed the majority of the student body so we can focus on the students who can innovate, lead, and think outside the box. We need to train the new wave of leaders, researchers, and mages with the tools to think and adapt to rapidly changing situations and escalating challenges. Every student I picked to be at this school is someone I think can make a difference. I have no time for followers and drudge workers. I need leaders and thinkers."

"And you think a farm colt from Kansas fits into these big plans of yours?" Mom asked skeptically.

Newman grabbed a very large book from beside her, opened it, and pulled out a large folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and revealed its contents to us.

"I'm quite confident," Newman said.

It was a drawing. There were several ponies in it, but only two had visible cutie marks—mine and Hannah's—and there was a visible kirin. We looked a little bigger than we actually were, and we were all staring up at something out of sight in the sky. I didn't know what the drawing was supposed to be about, but I knew what this kind of drawing meant. Newman had never shown me this before.

"Sunflower Smiles made a drawing of me, Hannah, and Summer?" I asked in disbelief.

"I can't actually confirm that the kirin pictured is your friend, but that is definitely you and Miss Moonbow," Newman said, folding up the paper and reinserting it in the book. "It isn't very informative or revealing, but you two are definitely pictured, if a bit older."

Mom stomped a hoof. "I'm sorry, can we back this up? I'm confused. What's with the drawing?"

"Sunflower Smiles is a Storyteller. She tells her stories with drawings," I explained.

"And has been mentoring your son, since he has begun to manifest visions as well," Newman added. "I hope he has explained this already."

"If Turnip is getting himself into something dangerous—" Mom began.

"We don't actually know that based on the drawing," Newman quickly interjected. "These types of foretelling are extremely vague, and it is best not to read too much into them. What we can safely read is that Turnip will be involved with something of significance in the future. I would rather have him equipped to deal with whatever that situation is than not."

"Do you have any guesses or theories as to what it is?" Dad asked.

Newman shrugged. "Staring at the sky is a bit too vague for me to guess at the meaning. He already has had one episode with something in the sky, but it wasn't whatever this has pictured. Has your son told you about the rainboom incident?"

Both my parents looked at me. This time I did flinch.

"I'll take that as a no. Honestly, I'm quite encouraged by your son's tight lips. Keeping information close and not blabbing it about are important," Newman said. "I will leave it to him to tell you about the incident, but I will say it doubles down on the fact that he, along with the others, are people of significance. I would rather have such people trained to think, adapt, and be prepared with as many tools as I can provide. He isn't going to get those tools and experience plowing fields. He also seems to need his friends, based on the drawing and the rainboom. They happen to be here."

"Along with Prim," I muttered.

Newman sighed. "You and that filly, your bickering tests my patience. She was impacted by the rainboom, which could be a fluke, but it could be important. You two should try to get along."

"Well, she starts it each time. Tell her," I said defiantly.

"Is some filly bullying my son?!" Mom demanded.

Newman sighed again. "While Miss Tape is often the primary instigator, both are guilty of saying and doing unacceptable things to one another, and both have served detention for it. At least both are at the point they respect one another's capabilities, which I'll claim as a victory. Not everyone is going to like everyone else, and kids will have their fights. If they can at least respect one another on an academic and professional level, even if they detest one another, that will be good enough and a valuable lesson about life. I advise you let your son manage his own affairs with the filly, and I will continue to discipline them whenever either gets too far out of line with the other."

She looked at me. "I don't particularly like Miss Tape either, Mister Jones. Listening to her for more than a minute gives me a strong desire to smack her, but you know as well as I that filly has the strongest work ethic and drive to succeed in your class. I chose her to be admitted, and even I was pleasantly shocked at how much of a hard worker that filly is. I believed her mutual rivalry with her brother would push both into new heights, but she has blown me out of the water in terms of response. If I can manage to break her of her more loathsome traits, Equestria will be receiving a great asset to their nobility. They probably are getting an asset even if I can't break her of her classist views."

I flicked my tail. "She's still a snot-nosed bi—"

"Language, Mister Jones. Do you want to start the new semester off in detention?" Professor Newman interrupted.

"Mouthy little colt, behave yourself in front of your teacher!" Mom scolded.

"Turnip feuding with another student isn't our priority, dear," Dad said firmly. "The more pressing issue is what our son has gotten himself into. This woman is saying she wants to involve our son in dangerous things because of a drawing of all things."

"I never said there would be any danger. Only that he has some significance," Newman clarified. "Sunflower only draws things of significance, but the drawings are always cryptic about what that significance may be. I don't take too much time trying to figure out the significance of visions, I only note there is some and move forward."

"And now you have this Sunflower pony filling his head with this vision nonsense?" Dad demanded.

Newman shook her head. "No, I have Sunflower helping him cope with his own visions. He has been having visions of things he should have no way of knowing about on and off for the past few months. These can be troubling, and it helps to have someone close by who can empathize with his situation since they go through it themselves. For the record, I was all for creating an artifact to block these visions, but Turnip is opposed, and there are some complications that make making such an artifact problematic at best. I'm still not happy a thirteen-year-old is having visions. I think they are an unnecessary distraction, and they can become a problem if he tries digging too much into their meaning. Trying to interpret visions leads to nothing but trouble. It is better to just note something as significant and monitor accordingly. Sunflower had a vision of your son. I'm monitoring him accordingly, not trying to dictate or influence what will happen involving him. My focus is completely on his education."

"And what has our son been having visions of?" Dad asked, turning his attention back to me.

I shied away. "Well... there was this creepy hallway with a bunch of statues. There was an undead filly singing children's songs. There was this big brass mechanical spell thing... and there was a squirrel."

"A squirrel?" Dad asked in confusion.

"A very scary squirrel," I clarified.

"Two of those four have been identified and are being monitored," Newman said calmly. "That would be the filly and the squirrel."

Dad raised an eyebrow at her. "You know exactly what squirrel to monitor?"

She smiled. "Surprisingly, yes. It is a particularly nasty little thing that I would not want to be trapped in a forest with. I won't give the details, those are classified, but I will confirm it is a very scary and very mean little squirrel that wants nothing more than to kill. It's no global threat. It is only threatening to anyone who gets close to it—a very simple creature that has an understanding of see a thing, kill a thing."

"So... just some rabid animal?" Mom asked.

Newman shook her head. "Oh... rabid is not the word. This is far worse than some diseased animal. I personally think it should be destroyed. I don't like destroying anything—I feel destroying something loses you all potential value, including knowledge of how to counteract similar things. However, I see no value in keeping that little monster around, but I don't make these calls. It just wants to hurt people. I already know how it functions, and we have more passive subjects that can be studied. It isn't an effective weapon because... well... it's a squirrel. It isn't a good test subject. It doesn't provide any benefit. It is just a blight on existence. At the end of the day, it is essentially a murderous squirrel, only capable of what a squirrel can do."

"It's still scary," I muttered.

Newman nodded. "Oh, I agree. I wouldn't want to be caught out in the woods with the thing hunting me. People underestimate how intimidating something small can be, and how much harm they can do. It's agile, and can climb trees. It is small enough it is hard to hit, and still has claws and teeth. It can do some serious damage in a short period of time if you aren't ready for it. Luckily, it is too stupid to be an ambush predator. After the first attack, or if you know it is coming, it is easy enough to prepare for. It's when it takes you by surprise that it is really deadly. However, Turnip is already at a significant disadvantage on a squirrel's turf, considering he has severe dendrophobia. On the plus side, that phobia makes it much less likely Turnip will ever go wandering into that squirrel's territory, making it so the vision isn't representing any danger to him."

"Dendrophobia? What's dendrophobia?" Mom asked in confusion. Oh no, I didn't want her to know about that!

"Turnip, is that true... about the phobia?" Dad asked cautiously. Was he trying to hold back a laugh? I couldn't tell.

I looked away.

"That would be my answer," Dad said, and he sighed.

"What's dendrophobia?" Mom asked again, stomping in frustration.

"I'll tell you in private, dear. Telling you in front of Turnip would be an unnecessary and cruel blow to his pride," Dad said. "It's a phobia. Phobias are irrational fears, but the fear is real. He doesn't want to feel judged."

"So... he's afraid of spiders or something like that?" Mom asked.

"I'm not afraid of spiders," I quickly stated.

"Is it heights?" Mom asked. "I'm afraid of heights. I don't think it is irrational. Earth ponies should have their hooves safely on the ground."

"I'm not scared of heights either, Mom," I said in exasperation. I was a little nervous about heights, but not like I was about trees.

"Dear, he's embarrassed, and he'd rather you not know," Dad firmly said, touching a hoof to her side. "I promise to tell you later. Let the colt have his pride."

Mom settled. "Fine."

"Speaking of preserving his teenage pride, I think we should focus back on why you are here," Newman said. "While having him leave would be very damaging to his pride, which you seem to have some concern for, the more pressing issue would be that no one else can provide what we can in terms of his education. I have secured him a mentor for his visions, and while I will document his visions, I'm not going to try to use him for anything regarding them. Only one other school can provide such a mentor, and they will try to use him for his visions. Second, he is an alchemy student, and we have the best alchemy teacher available. Earth doesn't even have a proper alchemy program. Wabash Manor has... something... but I think we would all agree Wabash is not the safest place to be."

I looked up. "Why is Wabash unsafe?"

Dad visibly grit his teeth. "It's your professor's old employer's old home. She was there for a long time and she had so much security around that place that something had to be going on there."

"The security is still there," Newman said with a smirk. "A lot of security for a school with less than forty students total."

He looked at her. "Did things go on there?"

"I can't very well tell you that. My reputation would be ruined if I told you," she replied. "Anyway, alchemy is Turnip's path to being a mage, the only real path he has, and this is the best place for it. Crystal Prep is the only other school with a legitimate program, and I doubt their very conservative headmistress will be admitting earth ponies any time soon. That leaves letting him attend here or telling him to go back to the farm, when it is clear that isn't his ambition. I put a lot of effort into assembling the student body here. I'll fight for it, and each individual student."

"Is that drawing the only reason you chose my son?" Dad asked.

Newman frowned. "That drawing is the only reason I kept your son after I saw him betray your trust. The offer to attend had been extended before I came into possession of the drawing."

"Then why?" Dad pressed.

"I extended the offer because he is someone who has everything working against him but he still has the drive, mind, and audacity to push through. My old employer was among the weakest of unicorns. She didn't even start learning magic until her forties, and she wasn't even a unicorn or pony before then. Yet, despite having every factor against her, she rose from that to become one of the most renowned mages of the era. I have to respect an underdog with a mind and the gall to see seemingly insurmountable challenges and say they're going to figure out a way. Both Equestria and Earth may face challenges in the future that seem insurmountable. We need people who see insurmountable challenges as problems that can be overcome, preferably smart people, like your son.”

Newman paused and looked at me. "And you still have something you need to give your parents—an apology. I know you wrote a letter, but you need to say it directly. Your father is trying to preserve your dignity and pride, but failing to apologize directly diminishes your dignity and your credibility—your integrity. The blow to your pride is worth preserving that."

I looked at my parents who in turn looked expectantly at me, and my ears sagged.

"Mom... Dad, I'm sorry for the things I said about farming. It isn't for me, but it was unfair of me to say that only people who are happy being insignificant could find it appealing. You aren't insignificant. I'm also sorry I forged your signatures and ran away from home. It was beyond stupid on my part, and it caused you a lot of worry and hurt. On top of that, I wasn't brave enough to make my case to you about attending here and didn't give you a chance to say yes or no... I just assumed the worst. That reflects on how I think of you, and it was wrong. The fact that Professor Newman's agent was able to convince you to sign them for real shows how misguided I was. I have betrayed your trust, insulted you, and been ungrateful for your love. I see how wrong I was, and I'm sorry."

"That sounded sincere," Newman said, not giving my parents a chance to respond. "Now, you must tell them about the one other matter that requires you have a specialized education—the other matter they will like the least. You have my permission to speak of it with them."

"What thing we will like even less than the matter of your visions, your forging our signatures, and running away?" Dad asked darkly. "Have you done something to get in trouble here?"

"That's one way of saying it," Newman confirmed.

Mom strode over to me and stared down at me, burying me in her shadow. "What did you do, mouthy colt?"

I turned my face away from her to look at Newman. "Do you have the authority to give me that permission?"

Newman blinked and frowned. "That is actually a very good question. Hmm... I may have overstepped myself."

"But now I have my parents wondering and there's no getting out of that without telling them," I grumbled. She did this on purpose!

Dad pushed in underneath my Mom. "What have you gotten yourself involved in?”

I took a deep breath. "My friends and I followed a colt somewhere we shouldn't have gone, and we came in contact with something we shouldn't even know about. When I did... it formed a bond with me. They are keeping it away from me, saying I'm not ready for it. They are going to let me have it eventually. I'm its owner. It chose me and that can't be undone, and they need every one of these things to grow strong with their owners. They haven't told me why, exactly, but there are big things coming."

Mom tilted her head. "That was a lot of things, somethings, its, and theys."

"I got that you were involved in something big that you have no business being involved with," Dad said in an emotionless voice. He looked at Newman. "Something that Turnip cannot get out of, and being involved with is dangerous."

"Tell us what you got yourself caught up in!" Mom demanded with a stomp.

"They aren't going to tell us," Dad said, not responding to her stomp at all, despite the heavy leg coming down right next to him. "I actually respect Turnip doing his best to stay vague. He might have stumbled into this responsibility, but he is taking it seriously." He stared at Newman. "And you aren't the one in charge of whatever this is. Turnip questioned whether you had authority to let this slip, which means there are others above you calling the shots. I'm not going to ask you to betray their trust, but I am going to ask if my son is in danger."

"If the wrong people became aware of his connection, he would be. We have no intention to let anyone find out. We're going to do everything we can to keep him safe. It is harder to do that when he isn't close by for us to watch. A farm in Kansas likely has very little security," Newman explained. "And don't think he can just choose to separate himself from this. If his name drops to the wrong parties, he will be sought out, regardless of whether he is studying magic or plowing fields. I'm sorry that I can't undo your colt's mistake, but the damage has been done and we must accept the consequences."

"And are these visions connected to that as well?" Dad asked.

"Our current belief was Turnip was already going to start having them, one way or another, but contact with... the thing... jump-started his visions, making him start having them years before he normally would," Newman answered. "It's possible the thing sought him out specifically because he had that potential. We honestly don't know why the bonds that form happen, only that they are unbreakable."

"Did he get a pet?" Mom asked. "Is it like Spike the Dragon? I heard Princess Twilight got a dragon when she went to school here. We couldn't very well bring a dragon onto a farm. It would burn up the crops!"

I still didn't know what to think of what the truestone was. Was it a living thing? Was it an artifact? Was it just a rock? They said it learned from me, learning to copy my magic and make it greater, but also learning my personality and values, and copying those as well. It would always be just a rock, but so much more than a rock. Did it fit into any neat category?

"It isn't a pet... even if I agreed your example of Spike met the qualifications of being a pet," Newman said.

Mom stomped again. "Well then, I need a better answer. My husband might accept you being all vague, but I won't. Not with my son's safety involved!"

Newman blinked. "I see... I'll attempt to meet your demands, although I can't promise anything." She walked over to the entrance door, opened it, and spoke briefly with the guard in a hushed whisper.

When she returned, she sat down and sighed. "This should not take long. It is rare for any request for aid to ever take long at all. I hope she doesn't make too much of a mess."

Mom narrowed her eyes. "Who—"

There was suddenly a flash of light, accompanied by the sound of several stacks of books being knocked over.

"Huzzah! The princess of the night is quick to come to thy aid!" Princess Luna proclaimed, spreading her wings wide and raising one of her legs in triumph.

Newman looked around at her fallen piles of books in disgust.

Luna folded her wings against her side and looked around. "I see I have scattered your belongings. Fear not! After many years of observation, I have finally determined the method of your perplexing organization system—I still think it needlessly complicated, but I understand it. I will restack your books properly before I go."

Newman seemed to relax. "Thank you, that saves me a little bit of my headache. As for my main headache—" She pointed a finger at my mom. "Turnip's mother here has made it quite clear she isn't going to be satisfied with us giving her vague answers about the little item Turnip touched that he shouldn't have touched. I need your permission to tell her... or have you explain it to them."

Luna frowned and turned her head to look at my mother. My mother could have stood shoulder to shoulder with the alicorn.

"Quite the imposing figure. Turnip Jones should be grateful to have such a pony at the ready to defend him and his interests," Luna complimented.

Mom stomped yet again. "Flattery will get you nowhere! I want answers!"

"And not at all intimidated by an alicorn," Luna mirthfully mused. "I will answer your question, but I must stress this is highly sensitive information. This is something you talk about to no one, not even in the vaguest of details. You must behave as if clueless about the matter. If confronted about it directly... lie. Anyone knowing about this puts your son and your household at risk."

"Not happy about lying, but okay," Mom replied.

Luna sat and lit her horn. The area between her and my parents lit up with hundreds of small twinkling lights that seemed to float like dust in the air.

"What your son encountered is something called a truestone. Explaining what a truestone is can be complicated," Luna began. "Do you know anything about physics? I have been told trying to begin explaining it from a physics perspective helps immensely."

"Not particularly," Mom replied. Dad just shook his head. Dad was smart, but he was smart when it came to farming and doing business with the crops. He wasn't any sort of scientist.

Luna smiled. "That's alright. I will keep this as simple as I can, though I may be giving some technically incorrect details for the sake of simplification. All magic comes from something called thaumic energy. It works differently than much of the other energy types, though it still has governing rules that line up with the rest of physics. One rule that is universal to even thaumic energy is that matter and energy cannot be destroyed, only converted to one or the other. You can consider all matter to be highly concentrated energy."

The floating lights all came together in one location, forming one spot.

"Now, if you condense enough matter and energy down to a single space, you create something called a singularity," Luna continued. "An example of a singularity would be what you would call a black hole—it has such density that the very laws of physics seem to strain against it, though they are technically still in effect, just under very extreme conditions. Thaumic energy isn't as impacted by something like a black hole... for physics reasons that would be too complicated to explain. However, you can do essentially the same thing with thaumic matter and energy—condense it down until it is essentially a singularity. A truestone is a thaumic singularity."

"It's a black hole?!" Mom asked in horror. "My son touched a black hole?! How is he not dead?!"

"It is a thaumic singularity, so it doesn't have the same gravitational impact. Black holes are dangerous for their gravity, but a thaumic singularity doesn't give off gravitational force in such a way," Luna explained quickly. "What it does do is radiate thaumic energy at a very high level. It contains an enormous amount of energy potential, more than my sister and I are capable of harnessing. These truestones also form a bond with a single person each. They seem to come into existence only to interact with that one person. In theory, there is a truestone for every living person... at least in your universe."

"So... it gives more magic power than an alicorn?" Dad asked.

"In theory, it can eventually do that, but in practice, it doesn't reach those heights," Luna answered. "The truestone slowly reveals more of its potential over time as it continues to interact with its chosen bearer. This is a slow process, and its power is filtered through the capabilities of the individual it is bonded with. While it does provide a significant immediate power boost to the individual while in physical contact with it, one that will grow in time, it is still far short of what an alicorn can utilize. Most people are mortal, and it would simply take far too long for the truestone to unlock its full potential, far longer than their lifetime. Despite this, that is still a huge amount of thaumic power that can be expected to be harnessed, and that makes them and their bearers highly sought after by those who are aware of their existence. Because of their bonded nature, anyone who discovers a truestone's owner will seek to control not only the truestone but the owner as well. This is the danger to your son. Even if we keep him away from the truestone, anyone who discovers that he is bonded to it will seek to control him before seeking out the truestone. They need the bearer and the truestone in physical contact.”

"If something happened and the truestones were stolen and seized, those that stole them would immediately start looking for Turnip," Newman added. "Through careful study and observation, I have determined that the truestones have... let's call them strings... that link them to their owner. These only appear after the owner touches their truestone for the first time, but once fastened, they do not go away. Anyone with enough study can trace the string back to its owner. They can find Turnip no matter where he is. He put a target and homing beacon on his back the second he touched that damn rock."

"And in the meantime, we can't let a foal be running around with such a powerful force," Luna continued. "We do wish to give the truestone to your son eventually. It is actually safer in his possession because that shortens the string. Anyone can technically find the string if they know what they are looking for and trace it to both ends. If those ends are spread far apart, that means they are more likely to stumble on the string."

"Can't you like... get rid of the truestone? Destroy it?" Mom asked.

Luna shook her head. "I don't think you appreciate what being a singularity means. You cannot destroy a singularity... and if you could, I would dare say that could be catastrophic, since that means releasing all that energy at once. The only way to safely get rid of a truestone is kill the bearer... which is yet another option some may take if they learn Turnip bonded with a truestone. Your son requires more protection than you can give."

"He needs to become responsible enough to be allowed to have the thing in his possession, and he probably needs to learn how to defend himself. These are things he needs a proper magic school for," Newman concluded. "Also, most of those people who would go looking for truestones are back on Earth. Keeping him in Equestria, at least until he is ready, helps keep him safe."

This was actually far more than I had known before. I hadn't known about the string thing. That was kind of scary. Right now, there was some invisible string between me and that truestone that anyone with the knowhow could find and trace. I didn't know where they were keeping the truestone, but it probably was at least some distance away from the school by now. How far did that string stretch? How many people could potentially spot it? There were lots of mages in Equestria, at least a few of them might notice it by accident when conducting some experiment. They just had to be in the right place at the right time.

"I don't understand. If you made them you should be able to get rid of them," Mom asserted worriedly.

"We didn't make them," Luna corrected. "Their origins are... complicated. We don't fully understand their origins ourselves, or their purpose. What we do know is going to remain strictly guarded. Obtaining them is no small feat, requiring extremely advanced magic and technology to accomplish. The ones we have will be greatly sought after due to that difficulty.”

Newman grunted. "I'm guessing the effort to obtain the ones we have attracted attention of a worse sort. I wouldn't recommend another try of that for another few decades at least, ideally centuries. You don't go baiting a tiger and expect to walk right back to where you baited it safely. I don't think anyone in their right mind is going to try anytime soon, even if they figured out how. I'm betting even the old dragon is keeping her distance."

"I expect she is," Luna agreed. She looked at my parents again. "You have your answer. I know you may wish for more, but that is all I can give you."

"What's that thing going to do to my son?" Mom demanded, undeterred.

"If I had to guess, increased strength, durability, endurance, maybe a bit more plant-growing power. The truestones typically act to enhance the natural capabilities of their owner, and the owner, in this case, is an earth pony," Newman answered. "Atypically, they can be coerced to do more, but we're going to try to avoid that. A truestone gives its owner a bottomless thaumic reserve when in contact with it, and can drastically enhance their thaumic flows. We don't let irresponsible young colts run around with that kind of power. Your son needs to learn some responsibility."

"We can't disagree with that," Dad said grimly. "Dear, Turnip needs to stay enrolled in this school. We can't protect him."

"I can protect my son against anyone!" Mom protested.

Dad looked up at her. "You're big and strong, but that doesn't make up for our weaknesses. We aren't prepared to deal with powerful mages or men with guns. We're just simple farm ponies. I don't like that Turnip has gone and gotten himself into all this trouble, but they have one of the rulers of Equestria here confirming it. As soon as Princess Luna showed up, I knew this was too big a problem for us."

"But—" Mom started to protest.

"How easy is it to spot that string you were talking about?" Dad asked Princess Luna.

Luna sparked her horn and a light enveloped me.

Mom gasped and covered her mouth. "What... what is all that? Why is he glowing like that, and you said one string—there's more than one string!"

I tried looking at myself, but it was hard to tell much other than I was glowing from where I stood. There was no mirror, so I had no way of looking at myself properly. What did Mom mean by more than one string?

Newman walked over to me. "This is how I see the world. Most of this glow is just the passive thaumic radiation your son emits. Every magical creature does the same, including you. As for these strings—" Newman made some gestures above my head. "These little ones up here tie your son to Harmony. Luna has similar ones when I look at her. At least part of Turnip's visions come through these." She made another gesture. "The ones that are bundled together like a rope are tied to the Story—the rest of the visions come from there. If you were to follow them, you'd see it leads to the closest portal to Earth. These strings would become less distinct once they cross the portal. The final chord that goes off in the other direction would be the one tying him to his truestone. Luna only has this area highlighted for you. but I can see these strings extend straight to the walls and through.”

“That’s Newman’s magic power. She can see all the thaumic energy,” I explained for my parents' sake.

Dad looked at me and things that I couldn’t see because I had no mirror.

“Where do those other strings end up, particularly that one you say goes through the portal?” Dad asked.

Newman shrugged. “I assume it is like Harmony’s strings. Once it reaches Earth it just kind of fades out into nothing. The Story and Harmony don’t really have locations they are at. They just kind of are. I expect Harmony’s strings would behave similar to the Story’s strings if Turnip is on Earth, only with them sending a rope of them back to Equestria. There’s no getting away from one or the other putting itself on display for anyone looking at the thaumic energy in the area. I am unsure if a Earthling crystal pony would pick up on these or not.”

“So he will still seem to be an oddity even while here. People will wonder why he has a tether going through the portal,” Dad concluded.

Newman nodded. “I am among those. The Story shouldn’t be able to do that, and it doesn’t do that with Sunflower Smiles, who has her own ties to the Story. This needs more study.”

There was an urgent knock at the door, breaking the conversation. Without being given permission, a different guard than the one that escorted us down to these room ls came in, looking distressed.

“Princess. I have urgent news. The Everfree Forest has suddenly done a massive expansion into New Eden. Plundervines, timberwolves, and hydras are flooding into the town!”

Newman sighed. “The Equestrian once a year curse strikes again. We figured it would be the Everfree. It was going to strike back at New Eden at some point.”

Luna grunted. “The Everfree is always a hassle to deal with. I hate fighting plundervines.” She looked at the guard. “I presume the Element Bearers are already making their way there?”

The guard nodded. “Yes, Princess.”

Luna spread her wings and gave them a flap. “I suppose I should be on my way to assist. Maybe, if I’m lucky, I can convince Twilight to let me figure out how to bring about a resolution, and let her and her friends be the ones dealing with protecting the populus.”

“Bored being the backup?” Newman asked.

“I just really hate dealing with plundervines,” Luna replied.

“Well. it is unlikely you’ll be able to get your way. Twilight and the others are within walking distance. If you don’t hurry, you may have nothing to do but deal with plundervine cleanup,” Newman said with a smirk.

Luna gave a long dramatic sigh. “Guard, alert my Night Guard captain to deploy a division to search and destroy any straggling monsters that may wander into surrounding areas—give extra attention to Pomyville. I presume my sister is already giving orders to the regular guard to protect the infrastructure. I will be heading to New Eden presently.”

The guard nodded. “As you command, princess.” He then hurried off. closing the door behind him.

Luna gave us one last look. “My apologies for having to make a quick departure. I hope that I have helped. May your visit to Equestria be pleasant.” She then lit her horn and vanished.

“I am going to need to attend to some matters as well—unrelated to this current crisis since I am no magic hero. So, I must bid you goodbye. If you have any further questions for me, I will be present for breakfast at the cafeteria,” Newman said. “The guard shall see you back.”

“Shouldn’t the Tree of Harmony keep plundervines at bay?” I suddenly asked her.

She waved it off. “Glad you noted that detail. I’m sure the princesses, the Element Bearers, and Starlight Glimmer have all noted it as well. Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ll figure out the issue and deal with it. That’s what we have heroes for. Be on your way, Mister Jones. I shall see you at breakfast.”

Chapter 54

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 55

We caught up to Hannah and her parents about twenty feet from the dorm's entrance. Hannah stood next to them looking annoyed while they paced in tight circles near the building's stone steps, at least until they spotted us. When they did, they rushed across the grass to meet us. I hadn't gotten a good look at them before, but I was a little surprised to see that while her dad was a unicorn, her mom was an earth pony.

"Oh cher, y'all made it out dat fire! Thank de Lord," Hannah's mom exclaimed as she reached us. "We been waitin' on dat fire department to show up. Dey sure are takin' their sweet time, ain't dey?"

"It was out before ya got to the stairs. Ah tried to tell ya, but ya didn't hear," Bright explained.

"I told you!" Hannah protested in frustration.

Hannah's mom looked confused. "But dat fire—"

Summer lowered her head. "There's a top-of-the-line fire suppression system in our room... in case I lose my temper. When kirin lose our tempers, we go nirik, and burn. It isn't a matter of whether it will happen, but when, because we're very emotional. They had to have things prepared for that."

"See, I told you!" Hannah exclaimed, glaring at her parents.

"Summer lost her temper at her dad right after you left, so the fire suppression system actually went off twice," I added.

Summer flicked her tail, which sparked briefly despite being soaked. "You didn't need to tell them that."

Bright took a few steps back, putting himself at arm's length from her. "We're outside. Ya might want to do that thing to dry off. Is this enough space?"

"What's she going to do?" Hannah's dad asked, his ears twitching nervously.

Summer backed away until she was a good thirty feet from both us and the building, positioning herself in an open patch of lawn. "I think we have enough space so nopony will get burned. I'm going to let loose my temper to dry myself off. It will only last a moment, but you don't want to be close to me when I do it. I don't have fine control like my mom, and that means I might burn you if you're too close. Even the steam can hurt you if it hits you. Don't worry, as long as you keep your distance, you'll be fine. This doesn't hurt me, just in case you are worried about that. Kirin are fireproof."

We all retreated another ten feet back, forming a loose semicircle away from where Summer stood. She double-checked the distance to the dorm building before closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, and lifting her face towards the sky.

"WHY'D YOU HAVE TO EMBARRASS ME!" she screamed as her form seemed to go black and flames erupted from her body. It only lasted a moment before she reverted back, with clouds of steam rising from her coat and swirling in the afternoon air.

"Feel better?" Bright asked her.

She kept her eyes closed and nodded. "It feels better getting it out. Give me space for another minute while the steam clears."

Hannah's mom gripped her daughter tightly, pulling her back another step. "She done dis 'round you before, baby?"

Hannah struggled against her mother's grip, but there was no way a unicorn filly could break an adult earth pony's hold. "She's not going to burn me, Mom! Let go!"

I smiled at Hannah and chuckled. "Looks like your mom and my mom would get along great."

Hannah continued to struggle in vain against her mother's grip. "She's not normally like this, but fire freaks her out. Mom, let go! The fire's gone!"

Hannah's dad came up to her and touched a hoof to his wife's leg. "Honey, it's okay. The fire is gone, and Hannah needs to breathe."

"Come on, Mom. I'm fine!" Hannah said, still struggling.

Bright tilted his head. "Yer ma sure talks all funny-like."

"She grew up in a very rural part of Louisiana, the bayou never really left her. I'm honestly surprised none of it rubbed off on Hannah," Hannah's dad said, chuckling slightly. "It's okay, hon, the fire's gone."

Hannah's mother bit her lip, looking at Bright, but finally released her daughter.

Hannah rubbed her shoulder once she got loose, then gave Bright a dirty look. "Don't make fun of how my mom talks, like you have any room to."

Bright stepped back. "Not tryin' to cause a stir. Just noticed she don't talk like ya do."

"Well, I grew up somewhere nobody talks like my mom, but there's nothing wrong with how she speaks," Hannah explained.

"But she didn't talk like that earlier," Bright said.

I thought back to another pony that had speech patterns that shifted.

"She's like your aunt. Professor Applebloom only uses her accent when she gets emotional or when she's back on the farm. This is the same thing," I explained.

Bright blinked. "Oh... mah sis does that too. Ya could confuse her with one of them nobles when she's on guard duty, but soon as she gets home, she's talkin' like she never left the farm. Seems too much work in mah opinion—not too honest neither, hidin' yer roots. Pa don't seem to care when Aunt Applebloom does it, but he gets right hot mad when mah sis does."

Not my business, but they really needed to work that out.

"You didn't answer me earlier. Has she done dis 'round you before?" Hannah's mom asked.

Hannah looked at Summer briefly before looking back at her mother. "Technically... she's lost control once before, but I don't remember it. It was during the rainboom incident I wrote you about—she had nothing to do with me passing out. I passed out because of the surge I had. Summer surged too, which is why she ignited, but it didn't hurt me at all."

"The school thinks she's safe enough to be around other students, and they did put in that fire suppression system, just in case," I pointed out. "What Hannah did during her surge did just as much damage, and might have been more dangerous for all we know."

"But she can ignite at any time," Hannah's mom replied nervously.

"Summer's got more control than that!" Hannah shouted. "She's my friend, the first one I made here. Stop making her feel bad!"

Hannah's mother chewed her lip. "First friend, 'ay? Just be careful."

"And no fussing about the fact they're co-ed dorms! Nobody's going to do anything," Hannah continued.

Hannah's mother's brow narrowed. "Anything else, cher?"

Hannah blinked and looked down. "Um... can I get some spending money for next semester?"

"No, it cost your father an' me most of our savings just to make this trip... such a greedy filly. I don' know where you get it," Hannah's mother said with a snort.

Her dad stepped in. "We aren't broke, don't worry. We just need to tighten the purse strings a little. Not having you around means we're getting less done at the scrapyard, which means less income, but we'll be okay."

"And we had to hire dat help to watch the yard while we're gone. That's an extra cost," Hannah's mother mumbled.

Her dad walked over to her and patted her on her back. "But that's okay! You're going to be making tons of money once you start making your own artifacts, and I'm sure you'll give us a little. I'm sorry about the misunderstanding with your friend. It looks like you've made a few, and I'm overjoyed to see you finally being appreciated."

Summer blinked. "You weren't appreciated back on your world?"

Hannah's mother gave her husband a dirty look and kicked him on the shoulder. He rubbed it briefly but looked chastised.

Hannah's ears sagged. "Let's not talk about that." She then forced a smile. "Hey! How about we all go to Ponyville and see Bright's family farm... once the trains are running again."

"Mah folks won't mind. Friends are just like family, an' family is always welcome," Bright said cheerfully.

"What is going on with the trains?" Hannah's dad asked. "As soon as we got off, they were shutting everything down and telling the people who were waiting to get on that they couldn't board."

Bright waved a hoof. "Everfree Forest is gettin' all aggressive-like. There's always some villain or monster or somethin' every year. This year, them woods decided they don't like that New Eden place none too much and are on the attack."

"How far away is this?" Hannah's dad asked.

Bright gestured off in one direction. "Not that far, really. If ya get up to the edge of the city cliff, ya can actually see Ponyville in the distance, an' the Everfree and New Eden are just past that."

"Ponyville is like the suburbs of Canterlot, and New Eden is like a suburb of Ponyville," Hannah explained.

"Not rightly sure what a suburb is. Lot of folk from Ponyville do work here, an' tourists for Canterlot usually come on out to Ponyville too, but it ain't like Canterlot," Bright said. "New Eden and Ponyville's boundary ain't too clear. Most agree ya go out past the animal sanctuary an' yer gettin' into New Eden, but ain't exactly clear exactly when."

"If it is dat close, are we safe?" Hannah's mom asked worriedly.

"They keep telling us that it isn't anything to worry about," I informed them.

Bright nodded. "Yeah, nothin' to worry abo—"

"CITIZENS OF CANTERLOT! PLEASE EXCUSE THE DISRUPTION, BUT YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY TAKE SHELTER! THE EVERFREE HAS OVERRUN NEW EDEN AND A PORTION OF PONYVILLE, AND IS HEADED IN THIS DIRECTION! FOR YOUR SAFETY, TAKE SHELTER!"

Summer hopped in place. "We have to head to the auditorium. My mom said that if we ever got that alert, that was where students had to shelter!"

Bright just stood still, gaping. "It's headed this way... that means it overran the tracks..."

"Bright, we need to move," I told him.

He just kept staring forward. "Mah sis was guardin' the tracks...."

Hannah's mother growled. "Dat colt ain't moving on his own." She then walked over to Bright and hoisted him on her back. Bright didn't even fight or react.

Her dad looked at us. "It's probably quicker for us to go to your auditorium than try to find our hotel. Can you lead the way?"

"Follow me!" Hannah said as she started galloping towards the main building. The rest of us quickly followed.

"What kind of threat is this forest? How does a forest attack?" Hannah's dad asked as we ran.

Summer shook her head, mane blowing as she ran. "Don't know. Bright would know, but he's in shock."

I tried to remember. "Something about vines... timberwolves, hydras... I heard Princess Luna discussing it before she took off to go help, but I'm not completely familiar with what they were talking about. She mentioned hating plundervines a few times." For me, my biggest fear was trees, and I might not know much about the Everfree Forest, but I knew it had plenty of trees.

"My parents can help deal with timberwolves if they get this far. We get them sometimes out near the Peaks of Peril. Monsters made out of wood are scared of fire. Even I can ward one off," Summer said confidently.

"Let's hope that's unnecessary," Hannah replied.

A quick glance back showed Summer's parents had emerged from the dorms and were trying to shepherd the remaining first-year students who hadn't gone home for the holidays yet. There were four: two I recognized but didn't know well since they weren't in our class, the remaining two were Rocky and Lunar. It kind of made sense those two were still here. Lunar's home was back on Earth, so it was unlikely he'd head home, and Rocky lived in Ponyville, so the trains shutting down had to have stranded him just like it had for Bright.

We reached the main building at the same time several other students from the other years did. A few of the students I recognized as fourth-years were at the door. They looked at us as we got close.

"Turnip Jones and Summer Blaze, you're talked about enough that we don't need to ask your names. Who are the other two?" one of the students asked as he made some notes.

"I'm Hannah. Hannah Moonbow, and that's Bright Pear on my mom's back—these are my parents," Hannah answered.

The student made some notes. "Alright, you're accounted for, and your parents are welcome to shelter here as well." He looked at Bright. "What's wrong with him? Is he sick or injured?"

"His sister was on guard duty at the train tracks near Ponyville. He's worried about her since they've been overrun," I said quietly.

"I see... well, we haven't heard anything about casualties yet, so hopefully she is okay," the student replied. "Any idea how many first-years are still here? You're the first ones we've seen."

"There's four more on their way behind us with Summer's parents. I think everyone else has already left for the holidays," I answered.

He nodded. "Eight out of thirty still here; thanks for the heads up. We know how many second-years are here and how many went home, so we just have to figure out how many thirds. We haven't seen any of those yet... they could have all gone home. Hope somepony shows up soon so we don't have to go looking. Anyway, go inside and head straight to the main auditorium. Professor Inkwell and Professor Dawn are directing things in there and will give you more instructions."

"Headmaster isn't here?" Summer asked.

"We believe he left town earlier today. At least, that's what Professor Inkwell said," the student answered. "Anyway, head inside. Looks like the rest of your classmates are arriving, and we need to record who's here quickly. The forest isn't here yet, but who knows how much time we have. I hope the rest get here soon, but as soon as we get the order from Professor Dawn, we're going to seal the doors."

Was it just the two professors? Had all the rest already gone home? Perhaps some of the others were assisting in city defense. I knew Newman was at the castle, but doubted her abilities would be much help here—how do you strategize against a forest? Neighsay might be aiding the city with its defenses. Glitter Drops had already left town before all this began, so she was out. I suppose the three professors from Ponyville were all assisting with combating the forest already.

Well, it was time to head inside and hunker down. It was like a tornado drill back home. Everything would be fine.

Chapter 56

The auditorium was less packed than it had been during the orientation. I did a quick count—five students grouped together near Professor Dawn, two more to Inkwell's left made seven, there were three more standing in front of her to bring it to ten, and two more strays a little further back. That was a count of twelve students, not counting us, which made it sixteen. There'd been four more fourth-years outside, so nineteen students in all. It looked like the remainder of the fourth-years were listening as Professor Dawn gave them instructions near one of the side doors. The ones huddled around Professor Inkwell next to the stage must have been second-years since the students outside had said they hadn't seen any third-years. There were what looked like two sets of parents with those. The kitchen staff, the second and fourth-year groundskeepers, and Baxter Stockman were all also present, but they were hanging back near the top seating, watching and listening—probably just trying to stay out of everyone's way. The only voices were those of the professors, who spoke briskly, giving instructions—the louder of which was Inkwell's, but that was probably because she was on stage and had the best acoustics. The second-years and their parents seemed to range from anxiously pawing their hooves together to cowering as they listened to her. Equestria may have had yearly crises, but that didn't seem to make the anxiety any less for the locals as the danger headed towards them.

Not knowing what else to do, and because all the younger students and their parents seemed to be doing it, I decided to go check in with Professor Inkwell. My friends and Hannah's parents followed me, with Hannah's mother still lugging Bright along on her back like a sack of luggage.

Inkwell paused what she was saying and gasped as we approached. "Bright Pear! Is he alright? Did something happen?"

"The colt is just having some emotional shock, no injuries," Hannah's dad explained. "Are you in charge here?"

Inkwell looked at Professor Dawn and sighed. "Seems I have to be. It is just the two of us here, and my colleague is focused on our defenses. That leaves me to deal with non-combatants."

"There's going to be fighting?" Summer asked, ears flattened. She then looked at the fourth-year students. "Students are going to fight?"

"We hope not, but we have to be prepared," Inkwell answered. "The fourth-years have had several years of magic defense classes by now, so if there is fighting, they'll be utilized. They've trained for this, but I'm sure Professor Dawn will do her best to keep them out of harm's way unless there's no choice. We aren't going to have any younger students do anything but stay sheltered. You are too young and inexperienced to help with the defense."

"How much real danger is there?" Hannah asked.

Inkwell shook her head. "I honestly don't know. The Everfree has gone on the attack before, but it has always stalled in Ponyville. It completely overrunning a town and heading this way is rather unprecedented, and it seems barely interested in Ponyville at all. It must be really peeved. I would have thought it would have stopped once it overran New Eden, since New Eden is likely the source of the forest's anger, but clearly, that isn't enough to satisfy it.”

"Why are dese woods mad at a town?" Hannah's mom asked. "You act like dey think."

"As I explained to these other students, the Everfree has been under attack from New Eden for some time. They've been using slash and burn tactics to try to push the forest back for their settlement. The forest has been growing in other directions to escape them, but I think we all anticipated it was going to strike back eventually," Inkwell explained. "As for sentience... it is hard to say. There is some sort of animalistic intelligence to it. The only true sentience is if... no... they couldn't have done that..."

"Done what, professor?" one of the second-years asked.

Inkwell sighed. "The Heart of the Forest, that has sentience. If they threatened the Heart with their slash and burn, it would take immediate response. It would be a violation of the treaty."

"Treaty? What treaty? Treaty with who?" Summer asked.

"The treaty with the forest, promising it would be forever free. It is a very old treaty, made with a creature that hunkered down in the woods ages ago—over eight hundred years ago, if I'm not mistaken. We promised not to disturb it. The forest grows out from it, marking its territory. Ponies are not allowed to tame the forest. Typically, it will just shift the forest growth if ponies start encroaching, maintaining its acreage. It has moved many times, but the Heart's core area is never disturbed. If they attacked the Heart, that would definitely peeve it off. It would go looking for the pony that made the treaty with it—Celestia," Inkwell explained. "Given how much time has passed and how much the forest has shifted, it is hard to pin down exactly where the Heart is. I doubt the princess remembers where it is, exact details like that are hard to remember after eight centuries. If she did remember and this is the case, she'd never have let New Eden settle so close.”

"You didn't have maps of this?!" a different parent asked in disbelief.

Inkwell scowled at the mare. "I'm sorry, have you ever tried to read a map that was over... say... two hundred years old? You might make out a few locations, but the coastlines and scaling are rotten. We haven't even completed a world map of our planet yet, so we have huge blank spaces not far from our borders and general blobs that are supposed to represent land for whole nations we don't know the actual geography for. Do you know the geography of Zebrica? No, you don't, because we have no map, just a blot that says it is across the ocean. We have wilderness territory in our own nation that is basically just squiggles on the map with no details. Do you think our maps were better eight hundred years ago? No, they weren't. They make modern maps look practically perfect. With all that in mind, we have no clue where the Heart of the Everfree is."

"Okay, okay, no need to get so defensive..." the parent replied, stepping back.

Inkwell stomped. "This is why we had to overhaul the whole education system. We weren't advancing. In fact, we are falling backward. We should know where that stupid thing is, but we don't, because we let knowledge be lost and barely learn anything new. If the problem is that we blundered into a situation because we forgot important information, it makes what we are doing here matter all the more."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But that's not what's important now. If that is the Heart of the Forest, the alicorns can't beat it back, not without doing more damage than it will, and they won't do that. They have to negotiate with it. That can take time, and that time means we should be certain Canterlot is going to be hit by the Everfree in the meantime.”

"Will the heroes know that is what they need to do? Do we need to tell them?" a second-year student asked.

Inkwell spent a few seconds considering this in silence. "Celestia will realize what needs to be done, but she is here in Canterlot and can't go out there and leave the city undefended. As for those out in the field... Luna may not be aware of the treaty since it was made while she was on the moon, and Twilight Sparkle may or may not know about it. I don't know how to get word to them. I don't even know if I'm correct. If Headmaster were here, he could reach them and get a message, but nopony knows where he is right now."

"What about Professor Newman?" I asked. "She keeps track of everyone. Surely she knows where he is."

Inkwell blinked. "You're right." She turned and looked towards the other gathering. "Luster! I need your aid!"

Luster Dawn paused in talking to the fourth-years and looked to Inkwell. "What is it? Is somepony in trouble?"

Inkwell shook her head. "We need to get Headmaster, and the only one who might know where he is would be Charlotte Newman. You're the only one here that has a hope of safely searching him out. Can you go to the castle, consult with Charlotte, and go find Headmaster?"

Luster Dawn frowned. "That would leave our defenses completely in control of our students if I go."

"I'm not completely useless on that front!" Professor Inkwell protested.

Professor Dawn shook her head. "I suppose not, but you really need more if the forest reaches the school."

Inkwell tightened her lips together and closed her eyes, taking another breath before opening her eyes again. "I will do what is necessary to bolster our defenses, distasteful as some of those options are, but we need Headmaster. Please, Luster."

Luster Dawn furrowed her brow. "Distasteful? What are you suggesting?"

Inkwell licked her lips. "Plants are going to assault us, right? Seems like we need some earth pony magic on overdrive."

Wait... they weren't talking about me, were they?

Luster Dawn gasped and looked at me before looking back at Inkwell. "You can't be serious! He's a first year! He's too young! He's not even been in my class yet!"

Oh, no! They were talking about me! Were they insane! What was I supposed to do?!

"I don't like it, and won't utilize him unless I have to, but you know we have a secret weapon that only he can use," Inkwell replied gravely. "We are here because we can make hard choices. I won't commit him unless needed, but I am keeping the option on the table. If the worst happens, even you might not be able to stand against the forest, and I'd have to be considering this option anyway. Find Headmaster so we don't have to utilize Mister Jones's unique capabilities."

Luster looked at me unhappily for a moment, then sighed. "Fine... I'll bring Headmaster back. I hope the castle guard doesn't give me too much of an issue. You better prep Turnip before shoving him into action."

Rocky walked up beside me. "What are they talking about, Turnip?" he asked me. "Have you been holding out on us and have some special magic? Wouldn't be shocked to hear it. Always was kind of weird that you were a student here."

I couldn't answer him. I had nothing in the way of special magic on my own. No, the only thing they could be talking about was giving me my truestone and hoping that would boost me up enough to do something. I'd never done anything with that stone. Could it make that much of a difference?

"Turnip's not allowed to talk about it," Hannah informed him. I knew she had to guess it was the truestone, even if she knew next to nothing about what a truestone was or what it was capable of doing. I'd never told my friends any details about truestones, only that people desired them and would hurt me or foalnap me to get mine. However, she and my friends did know it was a big deal.

"Well, you seem to know. Am I not as special as you?" Rocky protested.

"They found out by accident. They aren't supposed to know," I told him, coming to Hannah's rescue. In truth, I didn't even know what I was capable of doing with the thing. I only knew that it was power.

"And none of you will be given any further details. You only need to know that your friend might have an ability we can utilize if the need comes. I hope it does not. Professor Dawn is right; he is completely unprepared and untrained, and this would be putting him directly in harm's way. I won't casually risk a student like that. He is a last resort option, only to be used if our defenses are failing," Inkwell informed us as Luster Dawn started giving some final instructions to the fourth-years.

"Hey!"

We all looked up to the top of the seating to see Baxter Stockman had stood up and started walking down towards us.

"The pink unicorn can stay here. I'll go to the castle with the message. They'll let me in," Stockman said. "The professor can stay here. We don't need to start talking about throwing some kid with no training into trying to defend this place."

Luster Dawn gave him a doubting look. "They'll let you waltz into the castle during a crisis? You? I'm the personal student to Twilight Sparkle. They'll let me in. I don't see why they'll do the same for you.”
He frowned at her. "They'll let me in."

Luster stomped. "I'm not trying to be elitist or contrary here! I'm not like that! The castle is going to be on lockdown. This is a legitimate concern. We can't have someone wasting their time by going there only to be turned away. If you have a reason they'll let you in, great, but explain it to us so we know that we aren't wasting time."

Stockman gave a nervous flap. "I can't give a full explanation. If I have to say something... I'm an individual under special protection by the crown. I can retreat to Canterlot Castle at any time for my own protection."

"He did say he was the Queen of Nightmares' little brother. That probably counts as important to protect," Hannah reminded them. Stockman looked relieved as she said it.

"Well, he could have just said so. No need to be all mysterious," Luster Dawn replied. "Hurry up and get that message to Professor Newman so we can get Headmaster back here and get word out to Princess Twilight about what we suspect is going on."

I watched Stockman make his way to the exit. Something didn't seem right. Why had he looked relieved when Hannah spoke up? He might be the Queen of Nightmares' brother, but there was some other reason he was protected, one he didn't want known.

Chapter 57

A single third-year and the groundskeeper for that building finally showed up right before Luster Dawn ordered the doors shut. They'd been out caroling on the far side of the city, so it had taken them a little longer to get back to the dorms. The groundskeeper reported that all the other third years had already departed the city. All students were therefore accounted for. Now, there was nothing to do but wait.

Bright was sitting on one of the lower seats, slowly dragging his hoof back and forth across the floor.

"You feeling a little better?" I asked him as I sat down beside him.

He looked up at me. "Not really. Ah'll feel better when ah get word 'bout mah sis and the rest of mah family. Sweet Apple Acres ain't too far from the woods. We can fix it up if there's damage, that's no big thing. Ah'm just worried 'bout mah folks. Mah pa is big an' strong, really big an' strong, like yer ma, but he ain't no fighter. Mah ma is a unicorn, but she don't know any combat spells. Mah sis is awesome, an' does know how ta fight really well, but..."

"It's okay. I kinda wish my parents were here instead of their hotel so I knew they were safe," I replied.

"Ya seem less worked up 'bout it than me," Bright said, head sagged.

I shrugged. "I just have a hard time imagining anything being a threat to my mom. I know, logically, that she's no match for that forest, but I still can't picture it, you know? You saw her. She's huge."

"Well... mah sis's location has been overrun, so easier for me ta picture it. Can't stop picturin' it," Bright replied.

I looked around at the other students. Most were gathered into small groups. Hannah and Summer were both with their parents. Most of the fourth-years, save one, had all gone out to the balconies to stand guard and be ready to mount a defense. The one remaining fourth-year stood by the entrance as a last line of defense.

"I think the waiting is getting to me more," I said. "We're just sitting here, knowing what's coming, and waiting. I know I should be scared, but I just want whatever is going to happen to happen. The sooner it happens, the sooner it's over with."

"Or the longer it continues," Bright corrected. He shook his head and looked around. "Ah hate bein' stuck in here, not knowin' what's goin' on. Do ya think they would even tell us if they heard somethin'?"

"I don't know. Maybe? Professor Inkwell seems mostly open. You heard her tell everyone about me," I answered.

"Do ya think she really would have tossed ya out there ta fight?" Bright asked. "Seems kinda insane ta ask outta ya."

"She hasn't said she still won't, it's just less likely with Professor Dawn here. Me being used was always a last resort according to her," I replied. "Not sure what I could do. If it is trees out there, I'd probably just panic."

Bright looked at Inkwell, who was reading a book—which seemed like a strange thing to be doing at a time like this. Then again, what else was she going to do? Preparations had been made, and she was just waiting like the rest of us. That must have been how she was distracting herself. It still seemed weird. How could she concentrate on what she was reading?

"Ah think that might be the idea. If ya surge because ya're panickin', that's maximum power, ain't it? Yer magic is strongest when in an emotional state," Bright responded. "She's goin' ta do what she thinks is best an' she ain't goin' ta care what happens ta ya if it means it buys the rest of us time."

"I'm sure she'll care," I replied, but that didn't deny Inkwell would probably still do it. She'd opened a whole can of worms just saying that I was an option and saying it right in front of everybody. She wasn't going to back down after doing that.

I looked around again. Hannah looked like she was playing some sort of board game with her parents—was that Monopoly? How'd they find a copy of Monopoly in Equestria? Summer and her parents were... humming? It sounded like they were humming the Christmas carol that had been sung in the cafeteria earlier that day. It was strange thinking that was just this morning. Summer must have taught the tune to her parents. Did she remember the tune but not the words? It seemed everyone was doing their own thing to distract themselves.

The entrance cracked open and the fourth-year conferred with someone on the other side before shutting the door.

"Plundervines have been confirmed within the city limits," he announced.

"What do we do?!" one of the second-year's parents asked, practically trembling where they stood.

Inkwell put her book down. "We continue to wait and count on our students and Professor Dawn to protect us."

"But you said those things are coming for the princess. We're the closest building to the castle!" another parent protested.

"I'm aware, but that doesn't change anything for us," Inkwell replied calmly.

"But you're putting our safety in the hooves of a bunch of students!" they continued to protest.

"And I have faith in them. This is why they are here. They are the ones who will be organizing Equestria against these kinds of issues in the very near future. Have faith in the program," Inkwell replied.

"If this kind of thing happens again in the future, are you going to put my son out there to fight?" another parent demanded to know.

Inkwell looked at them directly. "If I feel they are ready, then yes. That isn't today. Our fourth-years are ready, these students don't yet have the capability to defend us. I'm not going to do that to them."

"You were ready to do that with the earth pony!" another parent yelled, pointing at me. "I don't see anything special about him, but if you were ready to do it, why aren't you doing it? You should be taking every action to defend our foals! At least prep him to do whatever he is supposed to do, just in case. He's sitting around like he doesn't have a care in the world while our foals are in danger!"

I didn't like how quickly these adults were turning on me, and I could see other students were looking at me with similar looks as the adults. Even Hannah and Summer's parents were giving me considering looks, along with the kitchen staff.

Inkwell took a deep breath. "Turnip Jones is one of our foals too. He is woefully underprepared to face the dangers out there. He has one attribute that could buy us time, but could put him in mortal danger. If that was your son or daughter, would you want me utilizing them immediately if they were in his position, having one untrained attribute that could buy the rest time? How much prep can I give a thirteen-year-old in these circumstances? It takes years to prepare ponies for this kind of thing. There's nothing I could do to prepare him in this little time."

She looked at me. "That being said... Turnip, please follow me. I'm not taking you out to fight the forest, but I'm going to do what I can to get you ready just in case. That will be done in another room, away from this tension. Bright Pear, if you would, can you accompany us? I'm sure Turnip would appreciate having someone to lean on."

Bright stood up. "Yes, ma'am."

"I can come too!" Hannah announced.

Inkwell smiled at her. "I appreciate your loyalty to your friend, but I'm sure your parents, along with Summer's, want you to stay here with them. Your parents will be worried if you aren't with them."

"What about me or Lunar?" Rocky asked. "We're in his class, and our parents aren't here."

Inkwell gave him a tighter smile. "I must apologize, but no. There are a few foals here that know what I might be asking Turnip to do, and they only know by unfortunate accident. I prefer to keep those that know to a minimum. One of the things you need to learn is that those in command may need to keep information secret, with good reason, and you need to learn to respect that."

I shifted uncomfortably. There were going to be so many rumors about me going around school once the new term started. Rocky didn't look very happy about being turned down. As for Lunar... where was Lunar? It took several seconds to spot him off on his own in a corner... asleep. Well... at least he wasn't mad about being left out.

We followed Professor Inkwell out the side door. She shut it behind us and then lit her horn, looking around.

"How in Equestria does Charlotte manage this?" Inkwell muttered in exasperation as she looked around.

"Manage what?" I asked.

She sighed. "I have a small confession. I know your truestone is in the building, but not exactly where. I'm going to use a spell to track your connection, but I need you two to make sure I don't run into anything as I do. This spell will impair my vision while I am using it. Professor Newman apparently sees this way all the time with no issue. but I’m not used to it.”

“We can do that,” Bright replied. I nodded my own agreement.

Inkwell looked at me and seemed to be tracing with her eyes the various invisible strings I knew were there. It took her a few moments before she seemed to locate the appropriate string, but once she did. she started walking. We followed close behind.

After less than a minute, Bright darted in front of her. "Watch out! There's a table to yer right yer goin' ta clip."

"Thank you," Inkwell responded as she made an adjustment in her path.

"How were you so calm in the auditorium, professor?" I asked, curious. "You were reading a book like nothing bad was going to happen."

She chuckled. "Is that what you saw? You are usually more observant."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She smiled, still following the path set by the string. "How many pages did you see me turn?"

I thought back. Did I see her turn any pages? I'm not sure if I did or not. Was she just pretending to read?

"There was a lot of tension in that room," she continued. "The Moonbows had been setting up that game for the better part of an hour without having actually started playing. I'm not familiar with what they were playing, but I doubt it takes that long to set up. Lunar Light was squeezing his eyes so firmly shut I wonder whether it hurt. So many little details just below the surface that I could continue to name, all betraying the tension ponies are feeling. When we return, you should take a closer look at what you're seeing. I forgive you for not noticing; you're under stress as well."

Her horn stopped glowing. "I can relax that for a moment. I can now tell which room it is likely in—Neighsay's office. Let's hurry over there and I will do the spell again once we are within.”

I flicked my tail nervously. “Do all the professors know about the truestone now?”

She nodded. “Yes, it was decided that it was essential that we know for your safety. I’m guessing Neighsay has it for a combination of study and trying to determine an effective way of keeping it close to you while keeping it hidden.”

“Oh…he hadn’t said anything to me about it during class,” I replied.

“He had no need to, and it wasn't urgent that you find that out. The more it is talked about, the more the wrong ponies may overhear. I’m only discussing it with you now because we aren’t in danger of encountering anypony in the halls due to the crisis,” Inkwell said. “While you may not see or be aware of everything that is going on, we are taking steps to ensure your safety as well as every other student. Just trust us that we are aware of your situation, just as we are aware of situations with other students. and we are quietly taking care of things.”

“Situations with other students?” I asked.

She raised a hoof and shook her head. “Not your concern. Just like we keep your situation private from parties that don’t need to know, so shall we keep their secrets. Their safety and privacy is as important as yours—respect that.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I quickly replied.

She turned and headed down the hall. “Good. Now let’s find this stone and see if you can do anything with it.”

Chapter 58

Where Neighsay was hiding the truestone was easy enough to find. It was in a trunk, covered by one of his curtains. That was all easy. Actually getting the stone turned out to be much more challenging.

"I should have expected this," Inkwell muttered as she examined the trunk.

The trunk had literal glowing chains wrapping it tightly, all intersecting at a circular mass of runes that I didn't recognize at all.

"You can't open it?" I asked.

"Doubtful," Inkwell answered with a sigh. "Artifacts aren't Neighsay's only specialty. He is also very good with binding enchantments and locks. These aren't standard runes. They are custom-made ones. That makes them much harder to decipher how they interact. There are very few ponies who could figure out how to break this lock... and I'm not one of them."

"So... this was a waste of time," I said.

Inkwell snorted. "Not the most graceful way of saying it, but you are correct. There's no way of getting into that trunk. It is dangerous to even try."

"What do we do now?" Bright asked.

"We head back to the auditorium and wait, and announce Turnip won't be of use so nopony tries to pressure him again. Come along," Inkwell answered..

We were halfway back to the auditorium when Stockman came running up to us, looking extremely distressed.

"What's wrong?" Inkwell asked as he reached us.

"She's walking to the Everfree!" Stockman blurted out.

Inkwell blinked. "Who's walking to the Everfree?"

Stockman stomped and flapped his wings in agitation. "Who do you think?! I told her we needed to find him, but she said she couldn't do that. I told her about your suspicion and she just took off! I tried to get the guards to stop her, but they said they had no grounds to restrain her. You need to do something!"

Inkwell took a step back in shock. "What? Why would she do that? That's beyond dangerous!"

"You know her. She doesn't care about her wellbeing. She just sees something that has to be done and goes out and does it. She's always been like this. You need to go stop her before she gets hurt!" Stockman insisted. "She's no Element of Harmony or any other type of great hero. That forest is going to eat her alive!"

"I'm... I'm sure she has some sort of plan... She always has a plan," Inkwell replied, still seeming in shock.

"It doesn't matter if she has a plan. If a timberwolf gets her, she's still dead. Go do something. I can't drag her back on my own. If anything happened to her... just help me, please," Stockman said, near tears.

Inkwell covered her mouth. "I don't know what to do. She can't have gotten far on foot, but the plundervines are already in the city."

"Who ya talkin' 'bout?" Bright asked.

"Professor Newman," Inkwell said with a mix of exasperation, worry, and fear. "She's apparently decided to deliver the message herself or try to reason with the Heart of the Forest on her own... I'm guessing the latter."

"But... doesn't she lack any spellcasting ability? No offensive capability at all?" I asked.

Inkwell closed her eyes. "We have to trust she has a plan. She's going to be alright. She's going to return to us safely, and I'm going to give her a piece of my mind for worrying me like this." I wasn't sure if she was telling me that or talking to herself.

Stockman stared at her in shock. "You aren't going to help? I thought you and she had something together with the way you fawn over her! She's going to get herself killed! If you aren't going to help, I'm going to go find someone who will!"

Inkwell scowled and lit her horn. "No, you won't."

A magic shield surrounded Stockman. He banged on it then gave her a death glare. "You can't maintain this forever. You'll have to let me go."

Her horn sparked, and Stockman immediately fell to the floor. What... what just happened?!

Bright stepped back in fear. "What ya do? Did ya kill him?"

"Don't be so dramatic," Inkwell chided. "I put him to sleep. The princesses are going to give me a sentence for this for sure, since using sleep spells on ponies without their permission is illegal, but I had no other choice. He was going to charge after her and get himself hurt. I don't just have a duty to protect students. I have a duty to protect everypony at this school, including him. I don't know what Professor Newman is thinking or planning, but I know she is outside my reach and all I can do at this point is trust her—but believe me, if she had tried taking off out there while she had been right in front of me, I'd have done the same thing to her. I can endure her anger at me for the action. I can't endure seeing her get hurt."

"But... you said you broke the law," I replied, still in shock at what she just did and how calm she was about it.

"Students, you're at this school to learn to make the hard choices and the tough calls. This is one of those. My other options were trying to restrain him indefinitely—which he correctly guessed I couldn't—or letting him go. I wasn't going to let him go, so that left this. I hope the princesses understand my reasons and are lenient with me as a result, but if they choose a harsher punishment, I will accept it."

"They aren't going to make you step down as a professor for this, are they?" I asked.

"I won't speculate on that. It isn't important right now," Inkwell replied. She looked out a window. "Please, stay safe, Charlotte.”

"What ya goin' ta do 'bout him?" Bright asked, pointing at Stockman's sleeping form.

Inkwell gave Stockman a passing glance. "Leave him where he is. He'll wake up in a few hours with a mild headache. With luck, this entire ordeal will be over by then."

I looked at Stockman, who seemed to be sleeping soundly. He seemed to have been really attached to Newman. I hadn't realized they were that close. Why didn't he try to bring Newman back on his own? She might be a great strategist, but she didn't really have any way of fending Stockman off. He should have been able to do it. She might be nimble on her feet, but he was a grown stallion who could fly. Worst case scenario, he could have made himself enough of a nuisance she would have no choice but turn around. Why'd he need Inkwell's help? I doubted Inkwell would tell me if I asked. She'd already given me a lecture about how she would guard others' secrets. This felt like something that should just get a repeat of that lecture.

As we walked back towards the auditorium, Bright looked at Inkwell.

"Is Professor Newman goin' ta be able ta deal with the Heart?" Bright asked.

"I don't know," Inkwell said, voice strained. "She can talk her way through a lot of things, so she isn't the worst negotiator, but she also tends to use her talking to incite rather than to calm. That means she isn't the best negotiator either."

I remembered her duel with Headmare Cinch. Yeah, she spent a lot of time provoking the headmare. She did take a nicer tone at the end, but that was after Cinch had already conceded, not during the duel. The Heart was coming for a fight—a fight with Princess Celestia. It seemed unlikely it would even care about any attempt Newman made to negotiate.

"We have to trust there is a plan," Inkwell repeated.

There was a sudden loud bang and crash.

"What was that?!" I asked, hunkering down.

Inkwell frowned and looked at the window. "I presume that's the plundervines reaching us. Let's get in the auditorium, quick. Ponies are going to be panicking."

"Uh... should we still be leavin' Stockman sittin' unprotected in the hall?" Bright asked, looking back the way we came.

Inkwell let out a long breath. "I think he'll be alright, but just in case, you two go grab him and bring him to the auditorium." She then continued down the hall.

"By ourselves?!" I asked.

"It's less than fifty ponylengths! You'll be fine!" Inkwell called back.

Bright stared at her departing shape. "Ya know, if she just told us ta pick him up and take him with us ta start, we wouldn't hafta do this now."

I thought about her reading earlier. "She's under just as much stress as the rest of us. Let's just get him and get back to the auditorium. It's not that far."

There was another crash and slam outside that made us both flinch. We didn't discuss it further; we galloped back to where Stockman was.

As we reached our goal, Bright lit his horn and his aura engulfed the sleeping night pony. "He's too heavy. Ah can't carry him far like this. Ah'll lift him on yer back instead."

There was another crash; it seemed to be much closer to us this time. I was very tempted to look out the window to see what was going on.

I bent down to make it easier for him. "Hurry up then. We need to get moving."

Bright hoisted Stockman on my back and tried adjusting him so he wouldn't fall off. Stockman's weight was negligible for me, but he was still much bigger than me, and I needed to be careful, otherwise he'd fall off.

There was another crash, much louder and closer than all the previous ones. I turned to look and froze. A big black thorny vine had broken through one of the windows down the hall and was slithering into the hall like some giant snake. I wanted to scream, but was too shaken to do so. The trees were sending out their limbs to suck the blood from us just like they stole the water from the ground.

"Move it, Turnip!" Bright yelled.

That was all the prompting I needed. I took off, ready to escape the viney horror. I needed to get to the safety of the auditorium where there were no windows that those things could get in! Bright yelled something else, but I couldn't tell what. I just needed to get to safety!

Something hit me hard in the face, and I fell to the ground. What? What just happened? I touched a hoof to my muzzle. Was my nose bleeding?

"Get up! You dropped Stockman! We need to help Bright get him!"

I looked up and saw Lunar Light standing there, horn lit. He wasn't looking at me as he fired off a series of horn blasts past me. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be in the auditorium.

"Get your head screwed on! The vines have Stockman!" Lunar yelled, still firing blasts and not looking at me as he spoke.

I looked back and gasped. A vine had grabbed Stockman's leg and was dragging him back down the hall. Bright had his horn lit and was trying to pry Stockman out of the vine's grip as Lunar's blasts continually pelted the vine.

"I know you are afraid, but that doesn't matter right now! My blasts are barely doing anything to this thing, and Bright isn't strong enough to break the vine's grip. We need you to get up and help!" Lunar yelled.

Go back towards the vines? Could I even do that? I saw Bright's aura engulfing the end of the vine that had Stockman by the leg; it didn't seem to be doing anything. Lunar's horn blasts were connecting with the vine every time, but the vine wasn't even flinching. Before long, Stockman was going to be pulled right out the broken window.

Trembling, I got to my feet. That vine wasn't going to get him! I didn't know what I could do, but I wasn't going to let the trees get someone! With a loud cry, I charged towards the vine.

After running back to Stockman, I bit down on the end of the vine that was encircling Stockman's leg. It tasted extremely bitter, enough so that it made me want to puke, and one of the thorns dug into my face. I pulled and, with Bright also still pulling with his magic, we managed to get the vine to release Stockman. Lunar immediately started bombarding the end of the vine with blasts as it released, which seemed slightly more effective than his previous blasts at the thicker parts of the vine that were further back. Bright immediately took action, trying to get Stockman back on my back.

"Hey, Apple colt, you need to use your horn to keep him secure on Turnip's back as Turnip runs. I'll try to keep the vine back," Lunar instructed.

As soon as I had Stockman secure again, I started running, this time making sure I felt for his weight. Lunar kept firing blasts non-stop. That had to be using a lot of energy. How long could he keep that up before he wore himself out?

There was a sudden sharp cracking sound like a whip, and Stockman's weight vanished from my back.

"Turnip, Lunar, help meh!" Bright called out.

I turned to see that two more vines had appeared and grabbed hold of Stockman and Bright by their legs. Lunar had already turned his blasts to those vines, but they seemed to be having no effect. I froze, staring. What could I do? I couldn't pry both of them free, and the original vine was still there, ready to grab anyone that got close!
"Let them go!!!"

A large black and red shape came running through the hall from the direction of the auditorium. It took me a second to register that it was Spring Fling in full nirik mode, completely engulfed in flames. She ran straight by me and Lunar towards the vines. She bucked the one that was gripping Bright and the vine seemed to scream as it released Bright and whipped backwards burning. Spring continued and did the same with the one holding Stockman with the same result of a screaming and burning vine retreating. The original vine, as if suddenly aware of the blaze, started retreating as well.

Spring looked back at us. Her eyes white hot with no signs of pupils. "Get them out of here, now!" She then turned back and continued her fiery assault on the vines, forcing them further and further back.

"I can get Bright if you get Stockman. I think we can go slower this time. Summer's mom seems to be a match for the vines," Lunar said as he lit his horn.

Bright stood up. "Hey! Ah can walk on mah own! Help meh get Stockman back on Turnip's back."

They got him back in position and we started moving again—this time a little slower, despite the screams of the vines behind us. I kept my eyes forward and didn't look back.

Chapter 59

"What in Celestia's name...?" Inkwell gasped as we returned to the auditorium. "Lunar Light! What were you doing out there? When did you even slip out of here?"

"When they didn't return with you, I slipped out the door. Nobody ever notices me," Lunar replied.

Summer ran in front of Inkwell to face us. "Where's my mom?!"

"Fighting plundervines," I answered. "They got in the hall, and they nearly got us."

Summer's dad instantly started running for the door, as did Summer, but Inkwell lit her horn and grabbed Summer, lifting her into the air before she could make it very far.

Summer erupted in flame. "Let me go! I need to help my mom!"

"Calm yourself," Inkwell instructed. "Your father can go help her, but you do neither of them any favors making them worry about you. Calm down, or I'll use a fire extinguisher on you."

Summer's flame didn't extinguish, but her tone became more pleading as her dad left out the door. "But I can help!"

"You wish to help?" Inkwell asked. "I seem to recall your mother telling me proudly that you have basic first aid training. There are supplies just behind the curtain of the stage. Your friends and Stockman look like they have some cuts and bruises. Plundervines aren't poisonous, but open wounds still need to be cleaned and bandaged."

Summer's dad stuck his head back in through the door. "Spring's alright! We're going to stand guard out here in case any more of those vines show up. They seem to be afraid of our fire."

Inkwell nodded. "Understood. Just do your best not to cause too much fire damage to the school."

Summer's dad looked directly at her. "Your mother and I can deal with some plants. You be good for your professor."

Summer's flames died out, and she hung her head, pouting. "Fine. Please, stay safe."

"Love you, baby filly," Summer's dad said and retreated back.

A quick gush of flame came off Summer's back. "I'm not a baby," she muttered.

Inkwell released Summer and put her down. Summer went to go search for the first aid kit.

Inkwell then turned her attention to Lunar.

"You, young colt, are to serve detention with me for a week once the new term begins," she said sternly.

"A week?!" Lunar protested.

"I assume you don't need me to explain why. Would you prefer a month?" Inkwell asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I helped save them! That's not fair!" Lunar protested even louder.

She shook her head. "That may be true, but you still violated safety procedures and instructions. We must accept consequences whenever we violate such things, even when violating the rules is the right call. If there were no consequences, there would be chaos. You should always weigh the consequences of your actions in your decision making. You seem to have made the right choice in this situation, but there are still consequences. The consequences of you not having broken the rules may have been worse than you serving detention. If it makes you feel better, I will be submitting myself for discipline after this entire affair is over. I have made several errors in judgment and I have broken at least two rules. The rule-breaking I feel was justified, but I still must accept the consequences of that. I wish I could justify my errors in judgment—even if no rule was broken in their case, they deserve the far harsher judgment."

Lunar lowered his head. "Fine, but I wish you would at least give me a little praise for helping out."

"You did do the right thing, but don't seek praise for doing the right thing. Do the right thing because it is right. Expecting rewards, even praise, for your actions makes your morality mercenary," Inkwell replied. She then smiled. "Don't worry, my detentions aren't so bad. Be happy it isn't Professor Newman or Professor Neighsay giving you detention. Those are miserable. Maybe we can find a fun, yet productive, way of having you serve your time. How do you feel about gardening?"

Lunar gaped. "Eh? Is that the best thing to suggest right now?"

"Perhaps not," Inkwell agreed.

Inkwell straightened up and addressed the room. "This room should be secure since it has no windows. I'm going to briefly step out and check with Professor Dawn to see how the defense is going. The plundervines are going to try to wrap this building up and will likely try to penetrate all the windows, grabbing whatever they can, but that should be the extent of the assault. We aren't the main target."

"You're just going to leave us alone in here?" one of the parents asked in disbelief.

Inkwell met his gaze steadily. "Tenor Voice is here, ready to defend you. The rest of the students here might be less trained, but most of them have at least some training, save for Turnip, and they've got strength in numbers. This is also the most secure room in the school. If this room is breached, that means our defense has fallen." She paused, her expression softening. "I need to go see to them. I'm sorry. I wish Headmaster was here, or Professor Newman, or Neighsay, or even Sweetie Belle. As you can guess, I'm not an experienced crisis leader. I'm used to just relaying the leaders' orders. Me, along with Professor Dawn, are going to do our best despite that. We won't let anything happen to you."

"You aren't very good at reassuring people, you know that?" Hannah's dad said with a hint of amusement.

Inkwell shrugged, a small smile playing at her lips. "I apologize for that. I wish I were better at it. All I can offer are my assurances. Do I seem particularly worried about our situation? It is because I know we'll get through this safely, even if the building sustains some damage. I've seen nearly eighty years of disasters and invasions. This is a rather minor one."

Inkwell was nearly eighty? Well... she looked good for eighty. She had some grey streaks, but I would have thought her sixty at most. Then again, I had heard that Luster Dawn was the only professor under forty years old—well, besides Headmaster. Sweetie Belle, who was considered young by faculty standards, had mentioned once that she had briefly instructed Luster Dawn when Luster was a filly. It was odd. They said over and over that they wanted to change things and innovate, but they had all these old professors.

The main door suddenly opened, and Professor Newman stepped in.

"Charlotte!" Inkwell cried out, her voice carrying a mix of relief and joy.

Newman nodded as she quickly surveyed the auditorium, her sharp eyes assessing everyone present. "Raven, good to see you well. Is this all the younger students?" Her gaze fell on Stockman's prone form and she immediately started walking towards him. "Is he hurt?"

"He's just asleep," Inkwell explained, her words coming out in a rush. "He said he was going to take off after you, and I couldn't let him put himself in that kind of danger so I... well... you know..." She trailed off, stammering slightly.

Newman knelt beside Stockman, her movement surprisingly gentle as she touched her hand to his face, brushing it softly. "Headstrong colt, what am I going to do with you?" she whispered. Looking up at Inkwell, she added more firmly, "Thank you. His protective streak doesn't pop up that often, but when it does, you'd think he didn't have a brain in his head.”

"Who are you?" one of the second-years' parents asked. Their colt immediately started whispering the answer, causing their eyebrows to shoot up in shock. "You're Professor Newman?! You're human!"

Newman stood up, her posture straight and commanding. "I see everyone here still has basic observational skills. Let's not waste time on such negligible details." Her tone shifted to one of strategic assessment. "On my way here, I noticed several broken windows in the building. I've instructed Professor Dawn to make some adjustments in her defensive strategy. We shouldn't have to worry about any further breaches."

Her voice remained analytical as she continued, "Princess Twilight is making her way here with her friends via hot air balloon, and although I couldn't get close, I spotted a large magical thaumic center within the mass of vines entering the city. I presume that is the Heart of the Forest. Given that Princess Twilight is also heading this way, I assume she has realized who she needs to deal with. That is good—things are progressing well, and this should hopefully be resolved soon. We just have to wait it out."

Inkwell's face brightened with a relieved smile. "That's good to hear. I was so worried when I heard you had taken off. Stockman seemed to think you were going to try to take care of things on your own."

"What a moronic idea," Newman replied curtly. "I have no authority to treat with that entity on behalf of Equestria, and trying to combat it directly could only end in disaster. I was simply trying to better assess the situation. Something I couldn't do from within the castle." Her attention suddenly shifted as she noticed my injury. "Mister Jones, why is your face bleeding?”

Summer came running over, first aid kit levitating alongside her. "He got injured by a plundervine. I'm going to bandage it!"

Newman gave a curt nod. "I see. Do try to be careful." Her gaze shifted to Summer. "Where are your parents, Miss Blaze?"

"In the hall, guarding against more plundervines getting in," Summer explained.

"That will no longer be necessary," Newman stated decisively. She turned to address the kitchen staff. "Go fetch the adult kirin. Have them escort you to the cafeteria to gather food and beverages—focus more on the beverages. I hope this is over quickly, but if it isn't, we need to eat and drink. We can't have anyone getting dehydrated." Her attention snapped back to Summer, who hadn't moved. "Miss Blaze, I believe you told me you were going to attend to Mister Jones's injury, but you're standing there like an idiot. That is not decisive action. Get on with your task."

Summer immediately began pulling bandages and disinfectant from the first aid kit. I winced as she started cleaning the cuts along my muzzle—the disinfectant stung, but her hooves were surprisingly gentle as she worked.

"What do you want me to do?" Inkwell asked over the sound of Summer muttering quiet apologies each time I flinched.

Newman pointed at Stockman's sleeping form. "Wake my would-be protector up. I need a flying pony, and he's who we have." She turned to address another pair of parents, while Summer carefully began applying the bandages. "Mister and Mrs. Moonbow, if the need arises, would you be able to quickly disassemble significant parts of the auditorium seating?"

Hannah's dad blinked and looked at the seats thoughtfully. "I suppose that wouldn't be too hard. The connecting joints look to be fairly—"

Newman cut him off with a sharp gesture. "I'm not interested in the details, just your affirmation.”

"Hey! I don't see why we should be taking orders from a human!" the parent exclaimed, clearly shocked to discover the Professor Newman he'd heard about wasn't a pony.

Newman turned to face him, her stance shifting subtly but meaningfully. "Gilt Leaf, father of Vintant Leaf—a misnamed colt if I ever heard of one. You run a business that does custom embossing work for buildings and furniture—a rather specific niche, but one that works well enough in Equestria where everyone wants to put their mark on everything. While you have some success at business, you choose your subordinates poorly, as evidenced by the fact your head accountant has been skimming money off your books for years without your notice."

The parent gaped in shock. "He what? How would you—"

She held up her hand, cutting him off. "I am not finished. As I was saying, this oversight and your speciest views suggest a very narrow mind incapable of fully accounting for most possibilities. While your son shares your regrettable views about non-ponies, I find that, unlike you, he understands that he doesn't have to like the person giving him good advice in order to listen to it, and just because someone is more likable to him doesn't mean they have his best interests at heart. When he eventually inherits your family business he will turn it into a much more profitable enterprise because of this. Your son is much smarter than you, and when I say jump, your son jumps, no matter how much he may grumble about having to listen to a 'dirty human,' because he has the wisdom at the end of the day to know that I'm operating on an entirely different level than he is capable of, and he isn't going to screw himself over by letting his prejudices get in the way of his own self-interest. Follow your son's lead. He's smarter than you'll ever be." Her voice took on an even sharper edge. "Oh... and take time to review those accounting books yourself when this is over and see how much your drinking buddy has been taking from your pockets as he laughs loudly when you joke about dumb humans."

Wow... how did Newman ever make any friends?

The stallion's wife patted him on the back, her expression a mix of concern and embarrassment. "Let's just let the human do what she wants, dear... and we'll look into what she accused after we get home."

Inkwell, who was now standing over Stockman with her horn lit, gave Newman a frown. "That could have been a little more gentle. You have enough enemies as it is without making more."

"There's a time and place for gentle," Newman replied as she continued to assess the situation, her eyes never stopping their constant scan of the room. "Let me know when he's awake. Mister Road, when the kitchen staff returns, please assist them in setting up a station.”

"He's waking up," Inkwell informed her as her horn dimmed.

"Good. Méng, can you hear me? I have a job for you," Newman said.

Stockman sat up a little too quickly for someone who had just woken up. "Méng? Who's Méng?"

"I told you before, I'm not calling you by the name of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle character. You have no need for an alias anyway—especially since you all but broadcast your identity," Newman said firmly.

"She's in a bit of a mood," Inkwell informed him quietly.

"I picked up on that," Stockman replied dryly. He then sighed, his expression softening. "At least she's alright." His eyes suddenly widened. "Wait... was I asleep? What happened?"

"Méng!" Newman snapped.

He turned to look at her, wincing slightly. "What?! I just woke up and my head hurts!"

"I'm sorry, but I have an urgent task that needs to be done and you are the only one who can do it," Newman replied, her tone softening slightly.

"Um... I don't have any of my equipment with me right now, so I'm not sure what I can help with," Stockman replied.

"I need you to fly to Twilight Sparkle's balloon and give her a message. You're the only pony with wings here," Newman informed him.

Stockman groaned. "But it's cold!"

"Méng!" Newman snapped.

Stockman stood up, his wings rustling with irritation. "Fine. Fine. What's the message?"

"The Heart of the Forest is at the southwestern market square," Newman answered.

He nodded. "Easy enough. Let me just go find a good window. I'm not going to try to take off from the ground with all those vines out there." He started walking to the side door, muttering things in English that were very inappropriate to be saying around foals.

Inkwell gave Newman a disapproving look. "You could have been nicer to him. He was really worried about you. You scared him by running off the way you did."

Newman briefly paused. "I'll make it up to him later. He understands that I need things done immediately during a crisis without all the backtalk."

"The name thing was completely out of line," Inkwell persisted.

Newman grunted. "I think it was a ridiculous choice of alias. Baxter Stockman, really?! Anyone over a certain age from Earth would see through that in one second—not that it mattered with him yapping about who his sister is. Still, I'll do something to make that up to him all the same.”

Inkwell surveyed the room with practiced eyes. "I'll try to ease some of the tension and raise some morale. Your methodology may give ponies confidence that someone competent is in charge, but that's as far as it manages the fear. These ponies are afraid."

Newman's expression softened fractionally. "As you wish. Find some minor tasks to keep the others occupied. I've already delegated most essential things, and most of these ponies are no good in a fight. I may steal the third-year away later to help with rotations, but I'm hoping things don't drag on that long." Her voice sharpened. "Oh! Have someone keep an eye on Lunar Light. That colt will wander off as soon as you take your eyes off him."

"He's already pulled it once," Inkwell assured her. "I won't let it happen again." She hesitated before adding, "Do you wish to consider Summer Blaze for rotation? I know she is only first-year, but a kirin might be useful."

Newman's response was immediate and firm. "Unlike her parents, she is far too uncontrolled with her powers. I don't want to have to deal with the school catching on fire in addition to everything else."

Summer's shoulders slumped as she listened, her ears drooping slightly.

Inkwell crossed the room to pat Summer's back encouragingly, then moved to Lunar, bending down to whisper something in his ear. The two of them walked away together, already deep in conversation.

Newman strode purposefully toward the fourth-year standing at the door. "Come with me. You need to relieve whoever is the most tired out of the other students in your class. Professor Dawn may not understand that you may not have the same thaumic reserves she has. We need to start a rotation system until this is finished."

As Newman departed, Hannah sidled up next to me, her eyes bright with recognition. "I knew that name seemed familiar! I knew it!"

Summer looked between us, confusion clear on her face. "I don't understand."

"Me neither," Bright added, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

"I may have heard it once," I admitted, trying to remember. "I never really watched that cartoon."

Summer's confusion deepened, her head tilting. "What's a cartoon?"

The question caught me off guard. "You guys don't have cartoons?"

"Think my aunts mentioned 'em once," Bright offered, pawing at the ground thoughtfully. "Never seen one. Think they have 'em in Manehattan. Never been there."

Hannah's face lit up. "When we go visit the other schools, I'll make sure to show you two all the Looney Tunes cartoons. You have to watch Bugs Bunny!"

"Oh..." Summer's brow furrowed. "Is he friends with... what she say... the teen turtles?"

"No, no," Hannah laughed. "Looney Tunes are comedy and Turtles are superheroes, like Power Ponies." She turned to me, eyebrows raised. "You never watched Ninja Turtles?"

"Not a lot of people in my town had televisions," I explained with a shrug.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "No TV?! You are really pushing that stereotype that Kansas is boring."

"Well... it is," I defended, then added quickly, "and I said not many people had TVs, not no one. I'm pretty sure I saw that cartoon at least once." I glanced toward the door Stockman had left through. "So... do we call him Stockman or do we call him Méng?"

Inkwell materialized beside us, her expression stern. "You respect him and call him Stockman. Professor Newman really shouldn't have done that. I agree he could have chosen a better alias, and he isn't making much effort to protect his identity, but that is how he has asked to be identified."

Something in her tone made me press further. "His name sounds Chinese. Is he one of the ponies those Chinese ponies want?"

Inkwell's frown deepened. "Let's not discuss that, and let's keep discussion of his name in general to a minimum."

"Ya know Turnip is just goin' ta dig fer information somewhere else if ya don't say anythin' ta him now," Bright pointed out, earning a knowing look from Inkwell.

She sighed heavily, glancing around the room before speaking in a lower voice. "He is of Chinese origin and, yes, he is one of the ones they seek... hence the alias." Her gaze swept across the gathered students and parents. "And respecting his privacy goes for the rest of you too. We have a responsibility to protect our own, and he is one of us. I know some of you might not care for Earthlings, or perhaps you have a prejudice against night ponies, but he is someone the princesses have given shelter and a promise of protection, as well as citizenship in Equestria. If you can't honor anything else, honor those things."

The room had settled into a strange calm. Stockman, Newman, and the fourth-year were gone. Lunar and Rocky were examining different corners of the auditorium, clearly planning the food station setup. Hannah's parents were methodically collecting scattered Monopoly pieces from a game that had never really begun. Small clusters of ponies had formed, their quiet conversations creating a gentle murmur throughout the space.

"Think ya can look at my leg, Summer?" Bright asked, breaking our thoughtful silence. "Little sore where that there vine gripped it."

Summer's professional demeanor returned instantly. "Sure," she said, moving to examine his leg with careful precision. "Looks like you got some minor thorn pricks on it—a little bruising too. I'll get some antiseptic for the pricks, but we don't have any ice to put on it for the bruising."

"That's fine," Bright said, watching Inkwell move purposefully between the various groups. "Newman sure did take control fast when she got here."

"I think Inkwell was more than ready to let her," I observed, noting how the older professor's eyes kept tracking to the door Newman had left through.

Hannah's mouth curved into a knowing smile. "I think Inkwell has a thing for strong authority figures. I mean, what else could she find attractive about Newman?"

The suggestion caught me completely off guard. "Attractive? What do you mean?"

Hannah gave me the kind of look usually reserved for particularly slow students. "Well, it's obvious Inkwell is romantically interested in Newman. I don't really know for sure if they're a thing or not, since Newman doesn't really seem interested, but it is obvious with Inkwell."

"Are ya sure?" Bright asked, sounding as confused as I felt.

Hannah's exasperated look shifted to him. Summer chuckled as she carefully applied antiseptic to his leg.

"Colts are clueless," Summer said, the amusement clear in her voice.

“Clearly,“ Hannah agreed.

I rolled my eyes. Fillies.

Chapter 61

It took a few hours, but my parents eventually arrived as I was outside inspecting the dorm damage with Inkwell and Bright. Broken glass crunched under our hooves as we picked our way around the scattered debris. Rocky's parents had already arrived, and he had joined up with them near the entrance.

"Aww! Mom, I need to breathe!" I cried out as she galloped across the courtyard and grasped me into a hug before I even realized she was there. She was so fast and so strong.

"My mouthy little colt! You're safe!" Mom cried as she gripped me tightly against her chest. I really was struggling to breathe, my hooves barely touching the ground.

"Oh my," Inkwell said in surprise, taking a step back from Mom's enthusiastic greeting. "You have quite the formidable-looking mother. I'm not sure how your bones aren't breaking. You're more durable than I thought, Turnip."

My bones might yet break. Mom was way too strong. I was going to die by love!

"Dear, it looks like his muzzle has been injured. You may be causing irritation to the injury," Dad calmly said from where he stood a few paces away.

Mom instantly released me, setting me back on my hooves, and started inspecting my face. "You have been hurt! What happened? Did one of those horrible vines get you?!"

"We got into a bit of a scrap with 'em," Bright said, showing off his bandaged leg.

"They weren't poisonous, so it is just some thorn pricks. It isn't a big deal," I assured my parents, stepping back slightly to escape Mom's probing hooves. I noticed my mom had a bandage on her foreleg. "Looks like you got into a fight with them too."

She pulled her leg back. "Yes, one of them got ahold of me. It took a lot of yanking to snap it."

"Snap it? Took everythin' we had just ta get 'em ta let loose. Don't think we coulda snapped 'em," Bright said.

I couldn't help myself; I smiled. "That's my mom for ya."

A pony in light armor came running up to Inkwell, their armor plates clattering as they pulled up short beside our group. They whispered something in her ear as she intently listened. Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth as she gasped.

"Thank you for thinking to bring us the news. Be on your way. I know we weren't your destination," Inkwell replied to the pony. They nodded and ran deeper into town, hoofbeats echoing off the stone walls.

Inkwell turned to Bright. "Your sister has just been transferred into Canterlot General Hospital." She raised a hoof as Bright's ears suddenly flattened against his head. "Don't worry, it isn't too serious. She sustained a broken leg and several sprains, along with some bleeding due to thorns, but she should make a full recovery. She has been placed on medical leave for the next six months.”

"Can ah go see her?" Bright asked, stepping forward anxiously.

Inkwell frowned, glancing at the darkening sky above the damaged building. "I prefer students not go off on their own just yet, and it is getting very late," Her eyes passed towards my parents where they stood beside me. "I can't leave the school grounds while messengers are still coming and going. So little of the staff is here as it is. If Turnip's parents are willing, they can escort you."

Mom gave Bright a sympathetic look across the debris-strewn courtyard. "All he needs to do is ask. We can't keep my colt's roommate worried about his sister."

"Presuming he knows the way to this hospital," Dad interjected, carefully stepping around a fallen piece of masonry. "We're not just tourists to this city or this country, but this entire world. It took a lot of asking directions just to find this place—even though we'd been in bucking distance of it earlier."

Bright nodded, already turning toward the gate. "Ah know the way. Mah aunt had ta get treated there once. Visited it lots of times while she were there."

"I expect they'll have gotten the message and be on their way there themselves, but if any of your family comes by here, I'll let them know you have headed to the hospital to visit Candy," Inkwell assured him from where she stood near the entrance steps.

"Your dorm wasn't too damaged, was it?" Dad asked, looking up at the building's damaged exterior.

I shook my head, glass crunching under my hooves as I shifted. "Our floor is fine, but the first floor has some broken windows and stuff. They're cleaning it up now, and going pretty fast at it. There's some world-ending crisis every year, so they've got repair down to a science."

"This happens every year, or something like it?" Dad asked, brow creased. "Perhaps you should come home on the holidays.”

Bright shook his head, stepping carefully around a chunk of fallen stonework. "That won't help none. Somethin' almost always happens every year, but it can happen anytime durin' the year. It happenin' this late this year was kinda a fluke. Last year it was Queen Chrysalis. She pops up about once ever' four or five years, tryin' ta take over Equestria. She hit us durin' the summer. Weirdo wood changelings everywheres. She tried replacin' Celestia with a copy when ah was a lil' tike. Sometimes the crisis is so localized ya don't even know it happened until after it is done an' over with—it could have destroyed the world, but never got past whatever village, temple, ruins, or wherever because of heroes. Let's go see mah sis."

"You seem less shook up about her now compared to a minute or two ago," I observed, falling into step beside him as we crossed the debris-scattered grounds.

He shrugged as we headed toward the road. "She's alive an' will recover. That's all ah need ta hear ta feel better. Still want ta see her. She'll be mad she's gettin' sidelined fer so long."

I smiled. "Well, where's the hospital?"

Bright gestured with his nose toward one of Canterlot's gleaming spires rising above the rooftops in the distance. "This way. T'won't be too long ta get there."

The hospital was busy...like...really busy. I guess that wasn't shocking. There had just been a crisis. Ponies were being wheeled on beds and wheelchairs in droves through the crowded entrance hall. The waiting room was packed, with injured ponies spilling out into the corridors. The line to reach the check-in desk snaked around support pillars and stretched nearly to the doors. My ears flattened against the cacophony of voices and movement. There seemed to be a lot of line-standing in Equestria. It wasn't just the number of lines. Today it was the number of injured. Most of the city didn't have Luster Dawn and our fourth-year students standing guard over it during the attack like our school had.

We got into line.

What really got to me was the crying. I could catch snippets of conversations as we made our way through the crowd. Ponies were crying because they were scared. Ponies were crying because their homes were destroyed. Ponies were crying because loved ones were hurt or missing. The school had it good. We only had a few minor injuries and some easily repairable damage. It seemed others hadn't been so lucky.

"They like ta tell the stories of Princess Twilight and her friends savin' Equestria. Stories always leave this part out," Bright said, ears sagged as he looked around at the chaos, taking steps as the line advanced. "Could be worse. Could be they didn't come save us."

"The school is probably the safest place we could have been during this," I observed, pressing closer to our group as another gurney rushed past.

Bright nodded. "We're there ta learn how ta prevent this. Ya heard the professors—worse is yet ta come. Gotta train up a new generation to be better. Gonna start hittin' from Earth too, threats everywheres gonna get bigger and badder. Ya gotta ask yerself, are ya ready ta stand up and defend everypony?"

"Everyone," I corrected, side-stepping to avoid a nurse hurrying past with medical supplies. "These threats are coming to Earth too, and that means it isn't just ponies in danger. Even if I stayed in Kansas, this will eventually come home. I don't know what I can do to help, but I don't want this happening.”

"We've already got it. You just watch the news and you'll see nothing but suffering. I'm glad we don't have a TV," Mom remarked, pressing closer to Dad as another group of medical staff rushed past. "Wars overseas, people starving, riots in streets, dictators doing who knows what—it's all very depressing. Makes me appreciate Kansas. It may be dull, but nothing like this ever happens. I'd feel safer with you there."

I looked down at the polished floor, watching the bustle of hooves reflected in its surface. "Kansas won't stay safe forever. You know that mechanical spell thing I was told you about? They said that thing could possibly cast spells that are unimaginable right now. People could be casting bad spells that make what happened at Riverview look like a firecracker, and Riverview makes this look like nothing. Nowhere is safe from things like that. I've seen the thing. I know it's real...or will be real...or whatever. I can't see that thing then see this and not want to do what I can. Even if all I can do is give some early warning that it is coming, that's doing something—actually, that's doing a lot. It means someone might be able to do something to stop these things before people get hurt. I need to be close to the people who can take action, not living out in the middle of nowhere."

"Mah Aunt Applejack was at Riverview," Bright said in a quiet voice, barely audible over the surrounding commotion. "She weren't there right when it happened, but she came inta the town right after ta help, she and her friends. She said she never felt so helpless, like nothin' she did was good enough ta really make a difference. None of 'em want ta talk 'bout it. They just say it was bad, worse than they ever did see."

"It was bad," Dad agreed, shifting to let a wheelchair pass by. "They still won't show videos of it. People say it is too disturbing. Our town actually has a refugee from Riverview...old Fallow. He said he watched every house on his block collapse all at once, and if he had been even a minute slower being evacuated he would have been buried under the rubble—probably dead. The fires raged for days. You couldn't even go outside or tell if it was day or night because of all the smoke in the air. Hard to imagine seeing your entire neighborhood and most of your city gone in just an instant, and then people came and said that what could have happened could have been astronomically worse—scary to think about. They say it was like a nuclear bomb hit them. The majority of the ponies living in the city lost their homes, along with a lot of humans. You'd have thought they just abandon the city after that, but they rebuilt." He looked around at the crowded hospital corridors. "People surprise you with how resilient they can be. Canterlot will recover from this before you know it."

"But you can't put dead people back together," Mom countered, her voice tight. "I don't want my colt standing on the front line of these things."

"Next in line!”

We turned toward the desk as the line cleared ahead of us. It was now our turn. One great thing about Equestria was they could quickly move a line.

Bright rushed up to the counter. "Ah came ta see mah sis, Candy Apple. She's a royal guard, but she got hurt. Where is she?"

The nurse on duty checked through a few books, their pages rustling in the busy air of the waiting room. "Room fifty-two, second floor of the Sunset Grace Wing. She can have visitors. To reach it you—"

Bright was already moving toward the stairs. "Ah can find mah way! Thanks!"

"Wait for us! You are supposed to have chaperones!" Mom called out as she hurried after him through the crowd. The rest of us followed, weaving between clusters of waiting ponies.

Bright reluctantly stopped running after a minute—not because of any of the yells he was receiving to not run, but because the halls were simply too cramped with ponies in motion for him to run without running into someone.

It took us about ten minutes of walking to finally find Candy's room, navigating the maze of busy corridors. It was a smaller room that she was sharing with three other guards who had been injured. It was fairly easy to tell which pony Candy was; she was the only mare out of the ponies in the room. She had a deep red coat and purple mane and was lying on her back with one leg supported above her in a cast and sling. Her eyes lit up and she smiled as she spotted Bright.

"Lil' bro! Come ta see mah glorious battle wounds?" she asked as he climbed up on a stool beside her bed. "Careful now! Don't go fallin' off that there stool and needin' ta get a room of yer own."

One of the other patients snickered from their bed. "Can-can's suddenly gone country! If only sarge could hear her."

Candy grit her teeth and growled as her horn lit. The curtains around the other patients' beds suddenly drew closed around them, which elicited outright laughs from the ponies in the beds.

Candy released her magic and smiled again at her brother. "Sorry. Peanut gallery don't hear meh talk like this much. Ah'll give 'em a lesson after ah heal up." She looked at Bright's leg. "Looks like ya had yer own throwdown."

Bright glanced at his leg briefly. "Just some scratches, a vine got hold of meh fer a minute, but ah got loose. What happened? How ya get so hurt?"

Candy looked past him at our group standing in the doorway. "Tell ya in a minute, but ya seem ta have forgotten yer manners! Ya haven't introduced meh ta yer friends. Really, Ma would die at ya bein' rude like that."

Bright sat up straight on his stool. "Oh! This is mah roomie, Turnip Jones, and thems his folks visitin' all the way from Kansas...that's a place on Earth."

Candy seemed transfixed by my mom. "Wooowee! Yer as big as mah pa! Ain't never met a mare so built. Ah'd hate ta get in a wrestlin' match with you."

Her eyes moved to me. "Ya seem ta be missin' somethin'...is yer horn so small it hides in yer mane?"

I shook my head and then smoothed my mane back. "No, I'm an earth pony. The first earth pony to attend the school."

"Wonders never cease!" Candy laughed, then grit her teeth in pain. "Eh...probably should keep the laughter down. Wonder how Caramel will react when he hears about this. Gonna be jealous as ah don't know what.”

"So...what happened?" Bright pressed, leaning forward on his stool.

Candy looked back at him. "Well, there ah was, guardin' the train tracks. Nothin' much had been happenin'. It was pretty dull, and had meh longin' fer my pipe, but ah was on duty. Then, all of the sudden, them vines come barrelin' out of the forest faster than a pack of jackrabbits dodgin' a twister. Didn't know plants could ever move that fast! Meh and the boys, we were holdin' them back, all heroic like, but then a pack of them timberwolves, four of 'em, followed the vines."

Bright gasped. "Did ya beat those timberwolves good?"

Candy chuckled. "Yeah, we got 'em with some concentrated horn blasts...but we couldn't focus on the vines and the timberwolves both...so...well...let's just say that gettin' trapped by a whole mess of those vines don't feel too good. Wish we coulda held our position and stopped the vines, but at least we stopped the timberwolves 'fore they got any further. Ya sure didn't want any of them fellers gettin' ta Canterlot."

"Ah'm just glad yer alright," Bright said. He looked up at the cast. "Mostly alright."

She groaned. "Gonna be miserable havin' ta wait this out back on the farm. Ma is gonna be frettin' over meh all constant like, an' Pa...well...ya know Pa. How'd yer school hold up?"

Bright smiled. "We did good! Turnip an' ah got into a match with some of them vines in a hallway, but we got away. There was some damage to the buildin's, but Professor Dawn did a good job keepin' most the vines back, her and the fourth-years."

"Luster Dawn?" Candy asked, lifting her head slightly.

Bright nodded. "Yep! Ya know her?"

"Seen her in action once or twice. She may not be a Starlight Glimmer, but she sure can swing spells faster than ya can believe. Ah sure ain't never want ta get in a magic duel with her—no desire ta have mah fellow guards see meh get mah tail handed to me—gotta keep mah pride. She's a tough one, alright."

"Ya say keep yer pride while layin' in a bed with a cast," Bright replied.

"Battle scars, bro. Battle scars," Candy chuckled.

"Candy."

We all turned toward the doorway where a massive red stallion with a blonde mane, basically equal in size and build to my mom, had stepped in.

Candy looked at him from her bed. "Evenin', Pa. Ah'd get up ta greet ya, but...well."

Their dad frowned and looked at Bright, then looked at Bright's leg.

Bright sunk down in his seat. "Mah leg's fine, Pa, just a little scratch."

I noticed that their dad also had a bandage around one of his legs. He nodded to Bright then silently gestured with his head for Bright to leave.

Bright instantly jumped down from his stool. "Yes, Pa. Ah'll just wait down in the lobby."

"See yer bein' talkative as ever, ain't ya?" Candy muttered. "Then again, figure ah'm about ta get an earful."

Mom walked up to their father and held out a hoof. "Hello, I'm Turnip's mother. Our colts are sharing a dorm room at the school."

Their dad looked at her upraised hoof and casually tapped his against it. "Pleasure." He looked us over. "Later."

"Think Pa wants some time alone with mah sis," Bright said as he slipped past the two massive ponies.

"Yep," his father replied.

Dad touched a hoof to Mom. "Come along, dear. We can't have that colt off on his own. This place is far too busy for that."

"Is Ma here?" Bright asked.

"Nope," his dad answered.

"Oh," Bright replied. "Well, I'll get going." He then hurried out of the room.

I followed after him and met him in the busy hallway.

"Your dad's a little scary," I remarked.

"He's not that bad, but he an' sis are probably gonna argue. He just doesn't say much when around groups of ponies—he's shy like that, but can sure say a lot when yer alone with him," Bright explained. "He's had ta have been worried. Sis an' Pa might argue a lot, but they do care 'bout one another."

"You seemed a little scared of him," I said, slightly concerned.

Bright blinked. "What? What do ya— Oh! Ah get it. Naw! Not scared of him, just not wantin' ta get caught in the middle of whatever argument he an' mah sis were gonna have. Ah know he can seem scary since he's a big guy, but he's pretty gentle. Ya should understand, with how big an' scary yer ma seems. They're gentle giants."

"I wouldn't call my mom gentle," I said, slightly amused.

"What was that, mouthy colt?" Mom asked as she stepped out into the hallway.

"Nothing, Mom. I love you so much," I said sweetly.

She stomped. "What did I do to get such a disrespectful colt?! Why can't you respect your parents like your friend?"

"Candy seemed to mouth off to her dad," I pointed out.

"Yeah, don't be like her," Mom replied. "Double don't be like her, since she ended up in the hospital after fighting monsters."

"It was the vines that got her, not the timberwolves," I reminded her.

Mom held up her leg. "Yeah, I saw those vines. They seemed pretty monstrous to me. Think I'd rather be fighting wolves.”

"Um...ya know timberwolves aren't actually wolves...right?" Bright asked, shifting away from a medical cart being wheeled past.

Mom blinked. "What are they?"

Bright made a bunch of vague gestures with his hooves. "They're a bunch of wood an' like green glowy magic. They're kinda shaped like wolves, got claws, teeth, an' all, even hunt in packs, but they're much bigger, much scarier, much more dangerous. They don't hunt ya because they need ta eat—they gots no bellies. They hunt ya just ta try ta kill ya."

She stared at him. "Have you seen one of these things?"

He nodded. "Yeah, a few of 'em wandered into our farm when ah was a tike. Aunt Applejack got rid of 'em."

"By herself? How'd she do that?!" I asked.

Bright laughed. "Turns out, ya can stun them by throwin' rocks in their maws. They sit there gaffin' on the stone and ya can take the time ta break 'em up. Once ya break one or two of 'em, the pack runs away."

"And your sister couldn't do the same thing?" my dad asked.

Bright shook his head. "Don't think so. The ones ah saw when ah was little were stragglers. They just wandered a little too far from the woods. The ones today were bein' egged on by the forest. Don't think they'd retreat so easy. Ones ya break apart will reassemble an' turn tail when it's just a few of 'em wanderin'. Forest is what controls 'em, an' the wanderers ain't really followin' any particular orders. Today, they had orders. They'd keep reformin' an' keep comin' till they were burned to bits—or till they run inta somethin' that scares 'em too much ta follow orders, somethin' they don't stand any chance against—like an alicorn or somethin'. Somepony like Princess Twilight can just casually blow 'em ta bits. They ain't messin' with that. They'd retreat an' try ta find a different way ta go where they're goin'."

Dad frowned. "You described them like some sort of magical creation of the forest, but the way you describe their behavior is more like living creatures. A robot dog doesn't care about self-preservation, but a real dog does."

I thought about it. It reminded me of something else, my truestone. It was just a rock, but the way it had been described to me seemed almost like it had thoughts, feelings, and desires. Maybe where there was magic there was life.

I jumped out of the way of a bed as a pony pushed it by. It nearly ran right over my tail. It was still a busy hospital, and we were standing in the middle of the hallway, so it wasn't that surprising in hindsight.

"Let's get down to the front waiting area before someone ends up needing a doctor," Dad said.

Chapter 62

Christmas wasn't celebrated in Equestria, and it came several days after Hearth's Warming. The celebrations for Hearth's Warming had been fun, but they were over, and now Christmas had come with no fanfare or excitement.

The day began with nothing to say it was different from any other. The alarm clock rang for far too long, and I had to walk across to Bright's bed to shut it off. I don't know why I didn't just move the clock next to my bed. I was alone in my room since Bright had gone home for the holidays, yet every morning I still expected him to silence that annoying clatter.

I had the floor mostly to myself. The only other classmate who remained on campus for the holidays was Lunar Light—at least, I assumed he did, but I never saw him go to or from his room. I caught glimpses of him from time to time. Even Hannah was staying with her parents in their hotel. My parents couldn't afford to let me stay with them in theirs.

I went into our little bathroom, easily mistaken for a closet. It consisted of a sink, a toilet, and a small shower stall with no tub. There wasn't even a mirror or window. I suppose we didn't technically need those things, but it always made me want to just get in and out of the room as fast as possible. Perhaps that was the idea.

I quickly did my business in the toilet and took a shower. I skipped brushing my teeth, though I knew that always annoyed Bright, as it was my habit to only brush right before bedtime. I doubted my teeth would fall out if I only brushed once a day. I shook myself dry rather than try to towel dry myself. That was another thing that annoyed Bright when I did it, but he wasn't here, so I didn't need to worry about the critique. Honestly, he grew up surrounded by earth ponies, and he should know how much of a pain towel drying was for us. For a pony born in a barn, he got so finicky about things like that.

My ears perked as I heard something out in the hall. Nobody should have been around, unless that was Lunar, but Lunar never made that much noise. He was typically so quiet, you could call a church mouse loud by comparison. About the only time you ever noticed him was when he was talking to you directly.

Not wanting to show too much eagerness about the noise, I hurriedly attached my strap and headed to the door. My ears sagged as I found that it was not Lunar outside.

"What are you staring at, dirt pony?"

I stepped out my door and shut it behind me. "Hello, Prim. What are you doing back so soon? Your family get sick of you already?"

Prim was hauling a large trunk with her, likely the cause of the noise.

“Didn’t the human already reprimand you for saying such hurtful things to me?” Prim snarled.

I looked up, pretending to think. “I don’t seem to recall that.”

“I quite clearly remember having to spend a detestable hour staring at you in her office,” Prim snapped.

“Oh, that’s what that was for,” I replied as if just realizing.

Prim did another pull at her luggage with her magic. “And you try to depict me as the bully in our interactions.”

“You did open up this conversation with calling me a dirt pony,” I said flatly.

“Why are you here, dirt pony? Shouldn't you be visiting your farm on earth, doing whatever farmers do when they aren’t dealing with crops?” Prim asked, yanking on the trunk again.

“My parents came here to visit. They’re in a hotel nearby. You still haven’t answered why you’re here,” I replied.

She stopped yanking her trunk for a moment to glare at me. “I was just sick of watching my family fawn over my brother. I decided I had enough of a break. and returned so I could better study in peace.”

I watched as she started yanking the trunk with her magic again and looked at the stairwell and back to it.

"How far have you been hauling that thing? I know your magic is strong, but that trunk looks heavy," I remarked. It could just he the distance she hauled it. If she walked all the way from her home to the school carrying anything that big in her magic it could wear her out over time. I wasn’t sure where she lived, but I assumed it was somewhere in the city, so there was a chance she walked the entire way.

"Far enough. I'm almost back to my room," Prim hissed as she pulled at the trunk. It was barely moving.

"Your thaumic reserves must be close to used up by the looks of it. It looks like you're having less and less pull on that thing. You're going to give yourself magical exhaustion," I said, watching her continue to yank.

"I can make it! I'm not a weakling!" Prim announced, giving the trunk another big yank with her magic. It lurched forward about an inch. Getting it up the stairs must have depleted her.

"Will you let me help?" I asked.

She glared at me again. "I don't want your help!"

"I didn't ask if you wanted it. I asked if you would let me. Nobody is here to see you getting help but me, and I won't tell anyone."

She gave the trunk another yank and collapsed down to the ground, panting.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying not to sound worried.

She waved a hoof absently at me. "I'm fine! I have just had a very trying morning. I suppose you can be allowed to help with my things. Dirt ponies should be the ones doing common labor anyway."

"You're welcome," I said dryly.

I grabbed the trunk handle with my mouth and gave it a yank. It practically flew forward, and I had to hold on tight so it didn't go flying.

"Don't damage my things!" Prim snapped.

I released the trunk. "Sorry, I had been expecting it to be heavier the way you were struggling. I forget my own strength at times. You know, it isn't that heavy. You might have been able to manually pull it yourself."

"I'm not lowering myself in such a way," Prim retorted. "Just be careful with it."

I wanted to just leave it sitting so she would be forced to lower herself that way, but knowing Prim, she would stubbornly continue to attempt it with her magic until she hurt herself. Reluctantly, I reclamped my mouth onto the handle and started pulling it along more gently.

We entered her room. Even if I had never been there, it would be simple to tell which bed belonged to whom. Prim's bed covers were frilly and pink. Red's were... well... red.

"Put it on my bed," Prim instructed.

Getting it into the room should have been good enough, but whatever. I took the extra few steps and hefted it onto her bed.

I had never taken a detailed look at the room before this and decided to take the opportunity. Other than the bed covers, the first thing that stood out was there was a chalk line drawn through the literal middle of the room, going straight to the bathroom. Posted on either side of the bathroom doors were two competing sets of rules.

Each set of rules seemed targeted at the other sibling, and they went from petty—like no humming—to kind of explicit—like never put yourself in a position where your sibling can see your private parts. The list was extensive, including when the other could use the bathroom, how long they could stay in the bathroom, forbidding each other to have friends over, how bright the lights could be on either side of the room, tidiness issues, snacks allowed or forbidden by either sibling, and even whether they were allowed to read letters from home near each other.

"You really are a control freak," I said as I read through the rules.

Prim walked over to her luggage and popped open the trunk. "Half those rules were placed on me by my dear brother, so don't lay it all on me, dirt pony. He even tried to forbid me from reading in the room because my turning pages annoyed him."

"I see that one didn't stick," I said, double-checking to make sure nothing similar was listed.

"I tried countering with the same ban on him, and we both eventually agreed that it was too counterproductive to follow through on," she said. She then levitated a large pouch from her trunk and fished out several large gold bits from it and dropped them in front of me.

"These are for your service. Mother says we should tip the help when it is not in our employ," Prim said, nose high.

I looked down at the coins. I had spent enough time in Professor Applebloom’s class to know they definitely were gold, not the normal brass things I saw traded around. That probably meant they were worth considerably more, even if I didn’t know enough about Equestrian currency to say how much more. I wasn't expecting so much as a thank you, but I would take getting paid for my trouble. This did seem a little much. Did Prim deliberately overtip me, or was she just that clueless about the value of money?

I wasn't going to ask. Asking might have her take them back. I didn't have my saddlebags with me, but my strap was on, and I wedged them between my fetlock and the strap. They should stay in place, provided I didn't do a lot of galloping. My parents likely had something to hold money on them. I'd pass the coins onto them when I met up with them.

"Oh, and I hope the tip ensures you don't go blabbing that I allowed you to bring my luggage into my room," Prim said in her normal high-and-mighty tone.

"Don't want to be caught breaking a rule?" I asked.

She blinked. "Rule? What rule... oh... no... there is no rule broken. The rule forbids friends over. You are no friend, perish such an absurd thought! I just don't want anypony to know I may have required assistance or let my brother believe I begged for it. It is quite humiliating. Plus, am I not your rival? Would you have it be known your rival was so worn out after carrying her luggage up the stairs she needed assistance? It makes you look weak as well if I look weak."

So the tip was hush money. Great. Whatever. I'd already told her I wasn't going to tell anyone, but if she wanted to bribe my silence I wasn't stopping her. At least I had a little spending cash... well... at least I could repay my parents a little, anyway.

"Whatever you want, Prim," I said tiredly. "I'm going to go meet up with my parents. You get some rest or something."

"I'll do as I choose," Prim retorted.

"Of course you will," I said as I left the room.

"And close the door behind you!" Prim shouted.

I sighed and walked back, pulling the door shut.