Chapters The soft beeps of the medical monitors were all he had for company. He could see outside his room from this bed, but the world was still so fuzzy he couldn't make out much more than vague shapes, and color hadn't quite returned yet. Even the blue sky looked white, as if someone had added too much water to a painter's palette.
They had provided a button. With just a press, they promised the pain would ebb, but he had heard what happened when someone got too used to that. He didn't press it.
There was a girl sitting next to his bed. That much he could make out, in sharp detail. Her skin looked black where the sunlight from outside didn't fall on it—black and gleaming like a raven's wings. He could remember he knew her, but not too much besides that.
The others came and went, all bright colors of hair or clothes that were impossible to sort out into individual shapes, faces and names. They said things he couldn't make sense of, gave him water or food, then left. They had given him a TV, a source of distraction, but it was still so fuzzy he couldn't watch anything. Besides, watching television seemed to tire him more than doing nothing did.
She was the only one who stayed. When he slept she stayed in a chair beside the bed and read.
He was tired, but he was always tired, and though his body was relaxed, his mind refused to quiet itself. He decided to make an effort to talk to her.
"What are you reading?"
His voice sounded harsh even to him—like someone had taken a nail file to each of his vocal cords individually and given them a quick buffing. It hurt just to speak, which is why he had been quiet this long.
The girl glanced at the book, as if she hadn't thought about it in days and needed a reminder. She said it was a fable, about a world without pain.
Without pain. The thought filled him with an ember of hope, a little smile. The idea of a world without pain was one of the few things that didn't feel fuzzy, that made perfect sense to him.
It was probably for children. The drawings, at least, were bright and colorful enough for kids' TV, but it was a blur, like everything else. Still, it described a better world.
He fell asleep with a tired smile on his face, thinking of that other world.
***
Aaron awoke, the sand beneath him warm and soft. "Hm?" He didn't remember sand, or the gentle breeze that played across his skin. No pain. He rubbed at his eyes, expecting to find them bandaged. He expected pain to shoot up his arm at any moment from the motion. There was no pain. His vision cleared.
"Wow." A new voice, female. "What are you?" A strange creature approached, with the front half of a bird of prey and the back half of a horse. A hippogriff, he decided. "You're like, all—" She made a funny face and spread her hands, sharp talons glinting in the bright sun. "Not all there."
Aaron wanted to reply to her, but no words came. He was only sort of there. There was no pain, but there was hardly any other sensation.
"I'll get some help. You just." She aborted her thought and grabbed Aaron, waddling off on two legs. "You're kinda light!"
Aaron couldn't perceive himself properly, only that he knew she was holding him, and she became a little brighter for doing so, as if he was some source of faint light. He looked down at his hand.
Slightly glowing fur, only as solid as his own shadow cast under bright sunlight, just... less dark. Less visible. Not much more than that. He couldn't even feel his clothes, as if they didn't exist. As if he didn't exist himself, save that he could feel she was there, and heard her frantic steps. I think, therefor I am. The term came to him, and he wanted to smile. It was all he had.
"Auntie!" The hippogriff set Aaron down gently on a blanket. "Look what I found. Is it supposed to do that?"
A larger hippogriff sat up, female, regal of bearing. "Silverstream, what have you brought me." That queen of hippogriffs rolled to her hooves and hands. "It does not look well. Perhaps it—" She clucked her tongue against her beak. "Perhaps it is already too late. You shouldn't bring dying animals to me, niece."
"Auntie, please." Silverstream nestled near Aaron. "Can't we help them? They feel nice."
The aunt raised a fine brow. "How would you, never mind. Silver, your thoughts are as alien as this creature. If you think they are worthy of consideration, I will assume you speak the truth as you see it." She reached into her midsection, drawing out a little fragment of crystal. "They have one hope."
"One hope is better than no hope," sang Silverstream, bouncing a little in place. "Please!"
"If you can hear me." The larger one leaned over Aaron. "I am Queen Novo. If I give this to you, you will become one of mine. I will treat you fairly and well, but that fact will be unchangeable. If you do not want this, let me know now."
She offered the little crystal, the size of a single slice from a marble. It didn't glow, it just felt important, as if it were something she normally wouldn't share with strangers. Aaron thought about reaching for it, but he had no hand, arm, or anything else.
Silverstream clapped with building joy. "They said it's okay."
Novo shook her head at Silverstream, not comprehending the way her niece operated. "Then it will be done." She gently placed the slice on the nothing that was Aaron and worked a rope around him, attaching it to him.
And he gasped, suddenly real, suddenly breathing. They were dry and hungry and weak, but they were alive, and nothing was in pain, aside from the wants they could feel in their body. Their arms and legs felt strange, heavy and alien, but they could move them.
Silverstream leaned over them with a bright smile. "Now I can see you!"
Aaron grabbed her head the moment it came into view, and startled, aborting the motion without even finishing it. They were gaping instead at their own hands. They weren't human hands, attached to human arms. They were talons, at the end of feathery arms. They sat up slowly, dizzy, feeling a massive weight on their back.
"Haha! They're a hippogriff!"
Novo chuckled, deep in her chest. "Your senses work fast, child. That shard has given them two bodies, two forms. They are a hippogriff on land, and a seapony in the embrace of the water, just like you or I." She rose to her hooves with a sigh and moved a bit away.
"Welcome to our home." Silverstream waved wildly over the large hallway that was Queen Novo's throne room in Mount Aris. "Your home now too, come to think. I hope you'll like it! I also hope you don't mind my saying you're a pretty hippogriff mare." She grinned broadly, tail flicking to the side.
Aaron lifted a wing, just to let it flop, Silverstream's words settling on them. "Mare?" They looked down at themselves. They had the barrel of a pony, rounded on the belly. Leaning harder, they could see they were not a male anymore. They were a female. "O-oh! Um, thank you..." They frowned, not knowing how to respond. This was going to take some getting used to.
Silverstream flopped right beside her. "What's your name?"
"My name?" Aaron frowned a little. "My old name doesn't work so well." Aaron was not the name of a female hippogriff, as far as they could tell. "Ma'am? Please let me figure that out." Aaron struggled to stand up, shaking. "I hate to ask, after you helped me. But do you have anything to eat?"
She thought about it. "Yes. You can ride me if you want to."
That idea didn't settle well. "I think I need to learn to walk first."
Silverstream was more than pleased to show how one should walk, one limb at a time with a little hum with every step. "This and that and this and—"
Aaron was doing their best, placing one hand down, then another hoof forward, stumbling, but moving. "I'm actually moving." Sure, their voice was soft, female, but they were moving. Their life was returned, and with it movement, thought, sensation. The little things one takes for granted. The pitter patter of Silverstream's feet made Aaron smile. She was helping. She had saved them. "I owe you so much, but, please, where is that food? I'll do whatever it takes."
Silverstream nodded eagerly and stood upright. "This way, please follow me and do your best not to fall."
She trotted along in that easy, casual way that only came with practice.
Aaron trailed after her, only upright for having a wall to fall against a few times, but they made it out of that audience chamber into one that seemed far more suited to food, with long tables for a host of guests, and a whole crew of cooks busily at work preparing a variety of dishes. The aroma filled Aaron's lungs and set their mouth to watering.
"Over here, please." One hippogriff of many was waving them over towards an available seat. "What would you like, ma'am?"
"Don't call me that," giggled out Silverstream. "Novo is my aunt, not my mom. I'm not royalty or nothin'." She nudged Aaron in the side. "Auntie just lets me live with her."
"I—uh. She saved me. I would have died otherwise." Aaron ducked her head. "Calling me 'ma'am' is more than enough, thanks."
"As you wish, ma'am. What would you like to eat?" The hippogriff set a carved bit of wood in front of Aaron. The writing was alien, and yet Aaron could read it. It had a menu of options, so many looking delectable. "Anything on the board, and the chef will prepare it for you, hot and fresh. Anything not on the board, we can try to find, but if we don't have the ingredients on hand, we won't have a recipe to go on, and you may have to wait until tomorrow."
Aaron inclined their new head. "That is a long way to go for me. I'll take this." They pointed to the top of the menu. "They all look great."
"Haven't eaten in a while, huh? Don't worry about it. I'm sure Queen Novo won't mind you living with us." The servant laughed with his wings wide open. "You seem nice enough to me."
Aaron examined the hippogriff. Were they handsome? How did hippogriffs measure that? They seemed nice enough, as the servant had just said. "Thank you. Really. Oh, and some—" They caught themselves, realizing a glass of water was right in front of them. They grabbed it in both hands and drank in deep swigs. Their body recoiled at the sudden flooding, but she kept it down, and the massive thirst began to ebb. "Whew. That hit the spot. Thank you for the drink."
"Good luck, Silverstream. You have your hands full, it looks like." The hippogriff servant shook his head and went off.
Silverstream set a hand on Aaron's shoulder. "Now, you acted like you were surprised. What were you before you were a hippogriff, or were you another color? Or were you an owl?! Tell me!" She was very, very interested.
Aaron found that to be a little disconcerting, but she couldn't help but answer. "No. I was... human." The word tasted a little bit off, and Aaron tried again. "Human?" The word felt foreign and strange. "I was something else, and a man." That word felt odd too. "Male?"
Silverstream blinked with wide eyes at that. "Whoah. You must be so confused. If I woke up and I was a boy instead of a girl, I'd—I don't know what I'd do! I'm a girl, and so are you." She reached to poke Aaron gently in the front, where no curves were. Hippogriffs didn't have that where human females did. "It must have been super weird, turning into this. Did it hurt? Maybe the stone knew?"
The poke in the chest was uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt. They flinched back anyway, finding that contact too direct for someone they had just met. "It didn't hurt, and it wasn't weird, but it isn't what I was born with."
Silverstream tilted her head at that. "Are you mad, sad, or a little glad?"
The question caught her off guard, and Aaron paused. "Glad. I'm really glad. There were a lot of problems I have with who I was. This will make things so much better." Aaron flexed their new talons slowly, watching them with some amazement. "I can move. I can talk. You tell me things and I actually remember them a moment later, not hidden in a veil of pain."
Silverstream shrank back at that. "Oh, wow, that's more than a little deep. Were you feeling that bad?"
Aaron shrugged. "I dunno." They smiled, thinking about the possibilities. That included the delicious smells sifting in through their new beak, prompting their belly to rumble with desire.
"Sounds like you're ready for this." The servant had returned, placing a plate before Aaron and another in front of Silverstream. "Enjoy! And if you want anything else, let us know." He tipped his hat and left.
Aaron leaned in close to inspect it. It was a rich stew of thick cuts of meat—lamb or beef—along with a mixture of vegetables floating among them, with an airy loaf of bread to one side. A simple meal, but to one who had been dying, it looked like a feast. They remembered to use the utensils, picking up the knife and fork, cutting with a careful motion.
Their arms shook from the strain, but it was the weakness that came from being unused to moving, and the hunger they could feel urging them on. It didn't matter that it took a dozen cuts to get through a single piece of meat—they had food. Food they could actually taste.
The savory, tender flesh of the meat slid down her throat without too much chewing, each bite better than the last, the rich, salty broth tickling her tongue even between bites of bread. They ate the entire thing, leaving nothing but a clean plate behind, feeling far better when it was over.
Silverstream watched that process with fascination, picking at her own food—some kind of noodle dish with chunks of seafood—with far less enthusiasm. When she saw Aaron was finished, though, she offered over her plate. "Have it, if you're still hungry. I can get more. You need it a lot more than I do, if you were that sick before."
She reached for Aaron's face, gently brushing a few tears there. "Do you not like it? We could get something else."
"No!" Aaron shouted, just to turn red. "No, it's wonderful. It's amazing. These are happy tears." They sniffled with an almost hiccup. "Very happy. So much better than what I had before, and thank you for that."
Silverstream nodded. "Eating good food is better than eating nothing. Anycreature would be crying if they were dying, and then somebody gave them a good meal!" She rubbed at her own cheek. "I could barely imagine being in such a bad spot. But we rescued you!" She put her abandoned plate before Aaron. "Eat up until you're full."
They did, devouring every drop on that plate as well. Each bite was a gift, a reason to live. When she had finished it as well, that left them smiling softly at Silverstream. "I want to ask you things." So they did, without even a pause. "What is it like, being a hippogriff? I am one now. How do I?"
"How do you what?" Silverstream inclined her head with clear confusion in her tone.
Aaron groaned. "How do I be one?"
Silverstream shrugged. "You are one! Now it's your job to be yourself." She threw up her arms.
"Easy to say." Aaron clacked their new beak. "I'm not a little baby, who gets to figure that out without anyone judging them." They paused. "Actually, how old am I? This body, I mean. I'm not a baby, pretty sure. Adult? Old? I don't feel old. Teenager?"
"A hippogriff never reveals their age! At least, Auntie says that sometimes." She paused, putting a finger on her chin. "I think it means not to tell others how old they are."
"Good advice." Aaron hiked a thumb at themself. "But I'm asking you to say how old I look, not how old you are."
Silverstream grumbled under her breath. "Not fair..." She looked Aaron up and down. "Um, young? Younger than Auntie, I bet."
"Okay, so not too old." Aaron considered Silverstream. "Am I as young as you?"
Silverstream shrugged. "How would I know?" She took Aaron by the hand. "Come on! Let's go explore Mount Aris! Well, there isn't a lot of it left. The palace here has the most shiny things." She led Aaron outside, where other hippogriffs flew, danced, talked, and otherwise lived their lives. "Ta da!" She spread her arms and spun around.
Aaron ducked under a wing, backing up with a soft snort. "Wait a second." Aaron examined all the hippogriffs soaring around, taking note of which ones seemed older or younger. There were plenty who had more signs of age, and others with less. "I am—I think, an adult, a young adult." The term came easily enough, along with an assurance she knew what it meant, even if the specifics slipped her mind. "You can't be any older than I am, Silverstream."
Silverstream stopped spinning, tilting her head. "And why is that?"
"Because there are plenty of adults, but only a few teenagers, and none as young as us. You fit right in, so you've gotta be about our age." Aaron nodded with building confidence. She was a young adult hippogriff. "This is amazing." They had gone from crippled to a new world of wonder. Their tail wagged with building excitement. "I want to see everything, meet everyone." She took one step forward. "I want to know what it feels like to fly!"
Silverstream backed up and threw herself off the side of the mountain without any fear, without hesitation. The wind caught her wings, and she floated high into the air, twisting and twirling with her arms above her head. "Join me!"
"Here I come!" Aaron walked to the edge and pushed off it, arms outstretched.
But they had no practice. They fell with style, their wings flapping awkwardly in an attempt to catch them, but they did come down roughly, landing hard on the ground below.
Silverstream descended next to him, concerned but not worried. "First flights are rough. Come on! Let's get you fixed up and try again. Up we go!"
Aaron took her hand, laughing at the whole thing. "That hurt." But it was a local pain, and one already fading. It was a normal pain. Compared to what she had been living, it was just another sign of their new life. "Let's try again." She didn't even complain that she was getting dirt all over, having taken the fall on her forelimbs and rear, dragging them across the ground.
Silverstream dusted her off. "If you want, we can teach each other. I have never been to the land you are from. The ocean is my home! I want to hear everything!" She dragged Aaron to their feet, walking with her, fingers intertwined.
Aaron squeezed gently at that hand, cheeks warmed at the idle intimacy of that walk. "I'm a girl."
Silverstream blinked, pausing. "You sure are. Me too. Why'd you say that?"
"It's a big deal, for me." Aaron put a hand on her own chest. "I. am a girl. That is what I am. I am a young adult hippogriff girl, and I can't wait to experience all of it."
Silverstream giggled. "There is lots to do! But if you have ideas, feel free to share. The sky is the limit!" She hesitated at that. "Once you learn how to fly properly. Oops!" Silverstream grinned at herself.
"Exactly!" Aaron laughed with her, eyes alight with hope and joy. "I don't know what will happen, but I know I want to experience it all!" She hugged Silverstream, the two meeting in a fond embrace with little avian chirps of happiness shared between them. "This is new. All of it. It's new, but wonderful. Is this how a baby feels? No wonder they smile and cry so much."
"Told ya." Silverstream hugged Aaron. "You were really messed up. It's okay now. You're better, and we'll get you flying soon! It'll be easier, since you've got a second body to practice with."
Aaron backed a step. "Novo mentioned that, what second body?" She patted herself down. "I have one. It's pretty nice, so far."
"All hippogriffs have two." Silverstream grabbed for her dangling crystal. "So long as we have this. Come on, I'll show you." She began down the slope towards the beach far below. "It's real neat. I bet you'll love being a seapony too! Then I can show you some of my favorite places and, well, everything else!"
"Seapony?" Aaron thought on the word. "Like a mermaid?" But that wasn't quite right, and she knew it. "Show me." Aaron danced along after Silverstream to the warm sands.
The water lapped at their talons, Silverstream's feet disappearing into the waves with a sigh of relief. "Yeah, seapony! Isn't that cool? That's what we are, deep down. Whenever we get in water, then, well, you'll see." She ducked beneath the waves and was replaced with an aquamarine seapony. She splashed her powerful fin, sending water spraying. "I forgot how nice this is."
Aaron felt her curiosity going. She dared to advance into the water as the necklace against her chest gave a sudden powerful tingle. "Oh! I feel something happening!" Her feet changed, becoming fins, legs becoming one powerful tail. She dropped deeper into the water, lifting her face. "Hey, you're right! I feel so light."
"Just like you were made for it! Well, the stone makes it work, but it does a good job, yeah? You look like you belong." Silverstream swam in circles around Aaron. "It's pretty nice to have both homes. Though this one is colder than the sunlit one." She dove into the waves, vanishing a moment before she popped up, giggling.
Aaron swam up to her, trying their powerful new tail. "I feel so slick." Their body was slick and streamlined, made to navigate the waves. "I love it. I love every bit of it."
"Good." Slilverstream swam a little closer. "So, what's your name? Feel like sharing now?"
Author's Note
We begin a new tale. Come, walk with me. Swim, if you prefer. I got inspired and this chapter went on and on.
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Ariel gazed into the mirror, taking in the details of her form. Her eyes were a sparkling blue, her beak a little darker shade of her eyes. Her fur was a vibrant brown, but she was willing to admit it was perhaps a little too bright, from too much scrubbing and cleaning. She had a new form, at least from the one she used to have, and she liked it.
She swished her long tail behind her, barely fighting a giggle. "This is me!" The tip flicked up and down like an excited cat's tail. She giggled softly at that thought, the idea that some other creature would feel so very comfortable in their own skin, and be able to let it all out. "It is!" She held up her talons, taking in the way they flexed and moved.
She grabbed her crystal, caressing it between her talons. "And you're part of me." A pinkish glow seemed to shine from within the gemstone as if in answer. Ariel breathed slowly, just feeling the stone in her hands.
She felt like she was getting closer. She could sense something deep inside the stone, just waiting for her. "You are part of me," she let out in a slow sigh, focusing herself. "And I love me. All of me." As she did, she felt a tug inside her. She closed her eyes, clutching at her gemstone as it began to shine more and more brightly, shimmering with radiant light. With a sudden flash, she toppled, having turned herself into a sea pony without meaning to. "Oops!" That was the one spell she knew she could get from the stone. She turned back to a hippogriff, just as swiftly. "Sorry, sorry. You're not just part of me."
Ariel nuzzled her beak against the stone, gazing into it. "You are me, just as much as this swishy tail and perky ears." She giggled softly, rubbing her snout against it. "But I love me for all of me."
The stone glimmered, and she didn't transform. It felt like, mmm. She struggled to find words, but it was not unlike she was the one glowing. "I, mmm, think I have it? Starlight?"
She got no answer, which made sense, she realized. Starlight was at school, but so was Ariel, just in a different part of it. "Time to meet!" She let the gem fall back against her chest. "This hippogriff has a date, with destiny! And a magic teacher." Filled with confidence, she strode out into the hallway, waving at her fellow students on her way past.
Some were curious, some waved back, and others seemed mildly concerned at the new hippogriff prancing through the school, but she didn't let any of that bother her. At least until another hippogriff popped up. "Silver!"
"Ariel!" Silverstream grabbed Ariel in a fond embrace. "You are positively glowing." She nuzzled at Ariel's face, earning a laugh. "Literally! How do you feel?"
Literally? Ariel looked down over herself to discover that she was actually putting out a soft glow. "Oops!" She felt her face go red as she hastily turned the light off. "But I feel great! It was almost like the crystal was talking back to me."
Silverstream clapped with building excitement. "Magic! You're doing magic. Oh, no wonder little unicorns learn glowing first. It's so easy!" She laughed and hugged Ariel tightly. "Congratulations!"
"I didn't even mean to do that." But hugging Silver was fun, so she partook of it gladly. "I was just going to visit Starlight for some real magic lessons, now that I'm in the front door."
Silverstream nodded at that. "Is there more to magic? I don't know, but that sounds exciting." She angled her head sharply. "You're already doing more magic than hippogriffs normally do." She slid in to Ariel's side, walking with her. "I can't wait to see what you do!"
The two walked side by side to Starlight's office, talking about nothing in particular as they went. Ariel made sure to explain how she had found that moment of self-awareness, which helped her in her efforts. "As a hippogriff." She held up her gem. "This is us, part of us. Just imagine how you'd feel if yours went missing."
Silverstream flinched at the idea. "That sounds so wrong. Mine has never been gone, and I never want it to be." She grasped her crystal as if to be sure to avoid such a fate. "But I used to not have it."
"But we do now." Ariel hadn't existed before then, and had to take Silver's word for it. "Starlight? Ma'am?" She knocked on the door lightly. "Are you in?"
Starlight's voice sounded muffled by distance, but clear enough to make out. "Ariel, come on in."
Ariel waved at Silverstream before slipping inside to find Starlight seated behind her desk. "Hey, um."
Starlight inclined her head faintly. "Good to see you, Ariel. Adjusting to the school?"
"Absolutely! I love it here." Ariel settled into one of the chairs in front of Starlight's desk. Her eyes wandered up to Starlight's horn, her source of magic. She grabbed and held her crystal, source of her own, in theory. "I think I've made a big step forward. It's like I found myself, and the magic thing got easier. Almost."
Starlight lifted Phyllis with a bit of magic and placed them on the desk between herself and Ariel, if a little to the side. "That's wonderful! Can you show me?"
Ariel hesitated. "I can't really do much." She giggled at that. "At least not on purpose, yet." She closed her eyes with a sigh. "Part of me," she whispered gently, reaching for that relaxed state of acceptance. "Part of me," she whispered once more, opening her eyes. The crystal glowed around her neck, though she didn't turn into a sea pony this time.
Starlight sat up. Her own horn glowed as if in sympathy. "That is magic. It's not a big magic, but still, magic." She reached a hoof to gently trail over the crystal. "You're right, this is a big step forward. You've just reached unicorn foalhood levels of magic, and I don't say that in any insulting way. Most creatures never get that far."
Ariel bubbled with happiness, cheeks flushing with color. "Thank you!"
Starlight pressed her hooves together. "It only gets harder from here. Every step will take practice. I practice every day. But you made it over the biggest single bump in your way. Now you're climbing a gentle sloping hill that stretches out as far as you're willing to climb it. Are you ready? Can you do this?"
Ariel began to laugh. "I'll give it my best! If I can't do it, I'll at least enjoy the journey."
Starlight smiled at that. "Good attitude. Now, for a unicorn, it'd be about controlling things up here." She reached up and tapped the base of her horn. "For you, it'll be different. You have to get a feel for how you press and pull against that crystal of yours. Learn how to lean into it, or away from it. You have to make it dance with you. Am I making sense?"
"Dance? Oh!" Ariel did a little spin in place. "I like dancing. Okay, how do we start?"
Starlight smirked as she sat back in her chair. "Not literally." She lit up her horn bright enough for even an untrained creature to see its magic as she worked slowly through the letters of the unicorn magic system. "See how it wobbles and shakes? Each is a specific pattern. You have to practice with yours until you can do things like that too."
Ariel's eyes roamed over Starlight's horn. "Can you just tell me how?"
"I really can't." Starlight leaned forward. "I could tell a unicorn foal what they need to do, but you aren't one of those. You're in uncharted territory." She pointed to the crystal hanging over Ariel's neck. "That is your horn. You have to figure out how to make it dance its magic. Once you do that, I can start showing you what steps we need to take in that dance. For now, you're just dancing, wiggling. Learn to shake your flank before you get into specific dance moves."
Ariel craned her neck to peer at the crystal. "So no specifics? It'll be just me and it?"
"Yup." Starlight tapped her hooves together gently. "Like I said, uphill, for as long as you dare. That's the journey you're starting. Ariel, I didn't think you'd get this far, but you have, so I'm rooting for you. I want to see you get further, and I think you want that too."
Ariel laughed at that. "I definitely do! I really do! I love being me." She had never imagined that she could feel so very much herself, at all. "I will take this path. I will walk it until I find its end." She grasped her crystal between both hands. "Glow for me."
And it did, a gentle light, but it was one that came easier. Each time she coaxed it to glow, it felt simpler. It was part of her, she just had to practice flexing that finger. There was no one way to do it, and the crystal seemed happy to let her explore it. She wanted to make it dance like Starlight's had done, even if Starlight had said that would be a harder step than it had been before.
She pulled back her eyes. "You are a part of me, I am a part of you."
Starlight watched the practice for a few quiet moments. "Ariel, not to be a bother, but this will take a little time. I really should let the next student in, hm? You're welcome to come back if you have any questions."
Ariel pulled back from the crystal. "Um, can I ask one now?" She lifted the gem, giving it a slight swing. "Is it safe? Like, what happens if I try something and end up falling off a cliff?"
Starlight perked an ear at that. "Fall off a cliff? I wouldn't practice while I'm walking, but if you're worried about casting a spell, the odds of your wiggles happening to be some huge spell are vanishingly small, and the power you're putting into them wouldn't be enough to do anything disastrous." She tilted her head at Ariel. "Does that help?"
Ariel shrugged, slumping into her chair, just to almost melt from it, falling to her feet on the ground. "I get it. Right! Big long hill. No shortcuts, just a lot of climbing."
"Exactly." Starlight smiled at her eager magic student. "I look forward to seeing your progress."
Ariel happily padded back to the hallway, just to have Silverstream perk up with a smile. "You're back." Silver grabbed her friend, since that friend was entirely alright with random hugs. "How'd it go? Are you a super wizard now? Can I become one too?"
Ariel laughed brightly, walking with Silverstream through the halls of the school, happy for the company. "Not exactly. I'm a baby wizard, and I've been given crawling instructions." She nodded along with the mental image that summoned. "Only after I learn how to crawl do the waddling tips begin. It'll be a long journey."
Silverstream hummed cheerfully as she followed along, and there was a slight sway to her own steps, matching the way Ariel seemed to be almost bouncing as she walked. "But you can do it! And it's fun, right?"
Ariel nodded at that, having never considered the question before. "It is more super interesting, and I want to do it." She rubbed her crystal gently. "It'll become more fun as I do things, but every time I get closer, I feel happier." She tapped her feet on the floor. "My parents would probably say—" She trailed off on that with a little frown. Her human parents were a world away, and a life away. "Nevermind, um, yeah. Fun!"
Silverstream kept close to Ariel, though she let their momentary quiet be, unwilling to break it with her usual blabbering. Fortunately, Ariel seemed to be in the mood for some companionable quiet as they walked without words getting in the way of things.
Author's Note
One must take these things step by step, right?
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It was time. The Student Six stood before Headmare Twilight Sparkle. "Students. Today is an important day. It is your graduation. I have watched you all grow from scared young creatures into mature adults." She clapped her hooves. "Not from the school, but today is your chance to prove not just to me, but to the wider community that you are as I saw you, wizards."
She turned with a wave at a few severe looking unicorns seated at the back of the class. "I invited them here today to observe, document, and recognize your progress. This will be the first time in generations that any non-unicorn creature has been publicly acknowledged as a wizard." She took a calming breath. "Are you all ready?"
The students looked among themselves. Smolder grinned and stepped ahead. "Yeah, we're all set for this." She snapped her fingers, turning into two finger guns at Twilight. "Hit us with your worst."
Twilight laughed at that. "Fortunately for you, that will not be required." He horn glowed as she pulled a book over and opened it on a small desk. "The first challenge, each of you must read the spell written here, explain what it does, then cast it. This is a process any wizard must be capable of."
The students nodded to one another. Gallus bowed low. "I'll go first, if that's alright, Headmare."
Twilight backed away. "Please, go ahead, Gallus." She looked on with a hopeful smile, but kept herself otherwise quiet.
Gallus trotted up to the book, reading the page presented. "This spell is for summoning air, a gust of wind to do the caster's bidding, or to create a distraction." He twirled a claw along with the runes he saw. "It, uh, looks restrained? Not sure how, but it is." He tapped at the book with a sharp pivot of his head. "I'll cast it now, if that's cool?"
Twilight nodded to that. "Go ahead."
Gallus took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused. Fortunately, he figured, air was his element. He let the wind pick up around him as he spread his wings. Working through the runes presented, he gave his command to those eddies that swirled around him. Turning unicorn glyphs into a shout at the air itself, he began to glow with power.
The unicorns in the back leaned forwards as one. They were watching history.
Gallus spread his wings and gave an order to the swirling winds. With a forward flap of those wings, the magic gathered in the wind, creating a short buffet of air that washed over the witnesses as they took busy notes. Gallus settled his wings and grinned to Twilight.
Smolder smacked him on the shoulder with an open claw. "I get next. Wind gust? I can do that."
Twilight's horn glowed as she flipped to the next page. "You have a different spell. It'd be a poor test if you all used the same spell after seeing another perform it."
Smolder laughed. "Got me there." She trotted up to the book. "This is a little heat spell." She rubbed her hands together. "Not that I mind heat, teach, but it'd be really easy to confuse that with the flames I already make. Give that one to somecreature else. They'll need the help more than me."
Twilight waved her horn in a circle. The pages turned of their own accord. "This one then." She leveled a hoof at it. "Identify it, then cast it."
Smolder chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, yeah. Alright, this one is a little odd." She leaned in over the book, eyes darting from rune to rune as she silently mouthed out the names of them. "This should, um, whisper? A whispering spell? Neat!" She took a deep breath, fixed eyes with one of the witnesses, and blew her flames up into the air.
The three unicorns at the back blinked in unison as her voice echoed near them despite her flames being across the room. "Do I pass?" asked the whisper, entirely detached from those gushing dragon flames.
Twilight grinned at that. "Excellent work, Smolder." She gave a thumbs-up. "I'd say you passed with flying colors." She looked to the other nervous students. "Ariel, you're the one that started this. Why don't you go next?" She turned to a new page and a new spell.
Ariel gulped, but stepped up to the plate. She could feel the eyes of her fellow students on her as much as that of the witnesses. Looking over the spells as her hands shook, she studied the runes a quiet moment. "This looks like a transformation spell, to take something and make a glass out of it." She scratched her cheek. "Even if it wasn't made of glass or sand before?"
The witnesses muttered between themselves. One gave a sharp nod. The middle spoke up. "If you could cast this spell on that rock over there." All eyes turned to the normal rock, brought in for the purposes of the examination. "Take care that it does not break."
Twilight gave Ariel an encouraging smile. "Good luck."
Ariel nodded absently at that, focused. She spoke the runes out loud as she felt over her crystal. She went over the spell twice, a mantra of sorts. Just like a unicorn, just saying the runes did nothing, but helped solidify the flow of the spell in her mind. Confident enough, she pushed her will into her crystal.
Her body became coated in a thin sheet of frost as the spell's price was taken. A beam shot out from her crystal, engulfing the stone on its little pedestal nearby. It vibrated and shook as power seeped into it. With a loud pop like a cork escaping a tight bottle, the rock ceased to be. A cup landed in the same space, a bright blue with purple streaks.
The unicorns took note, scribbled furiously, then gestured for the test to continue. Twilight gently pushed Ariel with a wing. "Very well done. You pass. Yona, I think they would like to see your unique take on magic."
Ariel trotted over to Gallus and the others, happily accepting her hug friends' congratulations. Yona stepped up, looked the spell over, then stomped once firmly. "Pony spell for fireworks. Good. Yaks like make loud. Like make bright. Show world we here." She closed her eyes, only to flare them open with a glare. "Help make show!" She spoke words in the tongue of yaks, but it may well have been a magical incantation. Perhaps it was, given her style of magic.
The witnesses watched with awe as the power of her ancestors, the great and mighty yak spirits, was called down to do her bidding. They threw up their hooves and came down in harmony, fireworks exploding up from the great impact on the earth. The room quaked, but not enough to shake anything over.
Twilight stood firm on her hooves, only giving a short bob from the impact of power on the ground. Her eyes were more focused on those many streaks that exploded over their heads in explosions of red, gold, purple, green. The fireworks fell slowly like the last remnants of a storm as Yona let her mighty shout die down.
One of the witnesses clapped their hooves. "Very good." The others murmured agreement, quills busily noting things down. The speaker turned to the remaining three. "Silverstream. You can go next."
The hyperactive hippogriff shot her arms up into the air and gave a loud cheer before hurrying up to the book and frowning. "This, uh." She sat, examining it, but her eyes slipped off the book to take in details around her. "Oh, is that a new book on your desk, headmare?"
Twilight chuckled and nudged the side of Silverstream's head with a wing. "Eyes on this book, kindly."
But her eyes kept wandering, as did her attention.
Ariel hurried up, blocking the view of Silverstream. "Don't get mad at her, please. She can read magic, but she does it at her own pace. I, um, don't think she'll be ready quick enough to do it today. Silver? How are you doing?"
Silver gave Ariel a smile that fell. "I just need some time. Hey, Headmare?" Twilight gave her a curious blink. "Can I take this spell to the dorm and show you later?"
Twilight tapped a hoof at her chin. She glanced back at the unicorns, who shrugged in response. "You may, but they do have to go home." She rubbed her cheek softly. "We'll work something out. Thank you, Silverstream. Ocellus, while I do prize the effort you've put in, changeling spellcasters don't require special witnesses."
Those unicorns nodded as one. "They don't. She is good." They went back to their notes.
Twilight inclined her head to that. "Then we're do—"
"Wait!" Sandbar trotted up quickly. "I want a chance."
One of the unicorns let out an offended huff. "Earth ponies cannot cast spells. Even by the most liberal definitions of the word, they have no magic of any sort."
Twilight flipped an ear back. "I have nothing against you learning magic, Sandbar, but you weren't part of the class learning how to perform magic in non-unicorn ways."
"But I lived with them." He gave a hoof pump towards his friends. "I had to listen to them practice, and saw what they were reading. I was picking up! I want to try!"
Twilight gave a long sigh. "I understand, Sandbar, but it's not going to happen this year." She saw his crestfallen face and huffed. "You are free to attempt it." She willed a new page upright. "Please identify this spell."
Sandbar studied it, then nodded. "It's for creating ice." The unicorns snickered at that line, but he remained focused. He clapped his hooves together, rubbing them energetically. A dim green glow formed between them.
The unicorns watched with a critical eye. Ocellus, in the back, smiled softly. "You can do it," she barely whispered.
Sandbar's cheeks puffed out, his eyes growing hard. He strained with all his might. The green glow spread from his hooves to up his forearms. With a sudden yelp and a plunging of his hooves to the ground, a distorted ice chunk appeared in the air and clattered to the ground.
Twilight inclined her head. "That is not the shape the spell should have created, but you did create ice from a spell you properly identified."
The witnesses were silent. One looked to another, who looked to the third. They turned their eyes back to Sandbar as one. "You didn't cast it correctly." One thrust a hoof at Sandbar. "A wizard should be able to cast it properly."
The second nodded. "That wasn't a complicated spell."
The third curled their hooves back on themselves, then towards Sandbar. "But it was a spell, cast by an earth pony." They clapped once. "A historic event, even if the spell was imprecise."
Sandbar limply dropped his head to Twilight's desk and sighed with relief. The others cheered for him.
Twilight nodded towards the witnesses. "Thank you all for coming. Please bring word of our new wizards back with you."
One pointed at Silverstream. "We can't say she's a wizard. She didn't finish identifying, nor casting."
Silver pouted, but nodded in acceptance. "I will get it done."
Twilight beamed. "She's not the first wizard to go at her own pace. Let's not forget Sally the Slovenly, who cast no spell in a time less than an entire day, but whose talents can hardly be denied."
One witness nodded firmly at that. "Sally is a good example. She shall be judged on her merits. But we can't judge her today at the very least. The others pass. We have seen that they are wizards, and will spread the word."
Ariel gave a sigh as the witnesses departed. "That could have gone worse." She smiled up to her friends.
Author's Note
Sandbar comes in from the back. What's this? They have a metal chair!
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There felt like no avoiding it. "My new name is Ariel. I was Aaron."
"Ariel and Silverstream! Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Silverstream lifted her arms up to the sky. "Two ponies in the sea!" With a great splash, she sent a small wave crashing against Ariel. "Nothing wrong with the old name, but you look more like an Ariel, if you ask me." She let herself float on the surface for a while. "Isn't this relaxing?"
"I already love it." Ariel floated upside down, finding it to be easy. "I don't feel like anything is pulling at my feathers." She swished her tail. "Except for you, of course." She realized a moment later. "Not that I have feathers right now."
"Feels so nice and smooth, huh?" Silverstream circled Ariel easily with soft giggles. "In the water, we are sea ponies. On the land, hippogriffs. Either way, it's us. So welcome to both!"
Ariel took the invitation and began exploring the ocean depths, swimming through kelp beds and chasing after fish with Silverstream, delighting in their new bodies. In the sunlit zone she leapt out of the water with joy and crashed back in, letting the saltwater wash away the tiredness of their previous illness.
Under the light of a rising moon, Ariel settled next to Silverstream. The sand was different in the shallows, wet and clinging to her body, but that didn't bother either of them. She had her full arms and legs back, stretching them. "My legs are my tail."
"Basically." Silverstream shrugged. "I don't think about that too much." She sat next to Ariel. "Now that the day is done, we should rest. I have so much more to show you. It's gonna be great." She grinned ear to ear. With a half-pounce, she hugged Ariel close with undisguised warmth.
Ariel returned the hug without complaint. "Thank you for finding me." She stroked her hair. "That would have been a bad way to die."
"You were glowing," whispered Silverstream. "I can't just ignore glowing things." She nestled in warmly, nuzzling into Ariel's neck with happy little chirps. "Don't worry about it. I wanted to help, and I'm really glad you're okay."
"More than just okay." Ariel breathed in deep and held the breath for a while. With a woosh of the released air, Ariel snuggled in closer. "This is a life worth living. Just that, despite it all, I am getting tired. Can we sleep as a seapony?"
"Oh, sure, sure!" Silverstream hopped up though. "We have beds down there, but even without one, just close your eyes and relax. You'll float along, peaceful as can be. Trust me, it's super comfy!"
"And you'll be there?" Ariel stretched, standing up. "It's new. I like new things, but... I want you near me."
"Aw!" Silverstream grabbed Ariel's closer hand. "Come on, we'll sleep together then. You've had a super full day. You might sleep for days!"
Ariel stumbled after Silverstream into the palace they had started from, back up the hill. The climb was easy, with no pain shooting up her legs or making it impossible to breathe. Her body worked just fine, and if she wasn't actively struggling, she hardly noticed it existed.
Back in Silverstream's room, the door shut with a creak behind them.
Ariel was in a plain, simple, yet large bedroom. There were posters of various hippogriffs she didn't recognize, books on shelves, toys and trinkets about the place. It was clearly lived in, with little touches of personality sprinkled about, but it didn't strike her as excessively girly.
Silverstream led Ariel to that warm bed and the two settled. With a whistle, the lights went out. In what felt like an instant, Ariel's body surrendered easily to a blissful sleep, dreaming of potential futures ahead.
When she woke, the bed was empty, and the morning sunlight was bright, filling the room with natural luminescence. The world was clearer today, though Ariel wondered how much of that was the improved vision of a hippogriff and how much was the passing days.
She rolled from bed and bounced once just for the joy of the motion. "A new day!" With a happy smile, Ariel emerged from the room. She spotted a hippogriff walking past and waved at them. "Excuse me? Do you know where Silverstream ran off to?"
The hippogriff stared at Ariel a moment, blinking, and pointing off in one direction. "Said she had something to take care of. Never seen you before. I suppose you're the new arrival? Congratulations on your recovery. The queen would like to have words with you when you can manage, but you look spry enough for that."
Ariel imagined Queen Novo's face, that wise and tall figure. "Of course! I will, um, find you later." She scampered off down the hallway. "I need to go swimming first." She needed to do anything first, if given the opportunity. "I miss it." Being alive, really alive, was just great. She opened the door to the audience chamber and peeked in. Queen Novo was seated on her throne and smiled as she spotted Ariel. "Hi! Your majesty."
"Ariel." That was her name. She had picked it herself. "Yes, Silverstream told me about your name. Welcome to our home, truly. Now, you are likely wondering where my niece went." Novo sat up tall. "She is preparing to return to her schooling."
"Is that nearby? I can walk there." Ariel made a walking motion in place.
"You look far more eager today, in every positive way." Novo's voice was thick with warmth and affection. "I can only assume it was the transformation that was ill fitting. I had not considered that your species' anatomy differed. I trust it's not bothering you, from the way you're behaving."
"Nope." Ariel shook herself out. "I'm loving it, every bit of it. But seriously, where's Silver?"
"Silverstream is going to school, which is not near here. She'll have to catch a train, and go to Ponyville, and attend classes. She does this sort of thing regularly, going to a pony school. She returns for holidays, but lives most often there."
Ariel froze at the thought. "Did I—"
"No, this was not because of you." Novo spread her hands. "She enjoys the school. She learns lessons of friendship, and other things besides, to raise a teen into a proper adult." She considered Ariel a quiet moment. "You appear to be a late teenager yourself. You could attend a local school."
Ariel clapped her hands to her mouth. "I couldn't!" The idea of that struck her as terrifying, to leave Silverstream and dive headlong into that life, with friends and the possibility of romance and so many more things she hadn't thought about.
"Can't you?" Novo gestured for Ariel to join her.
"I made friends, with Silverstream." Ariel stood before Queen Novo, shuffling nervously. "I don't want to lose her that quickly. Can't I just go with her? Would that make her mad?"
"Mad? I should imagine not." Novo smirked at the idea. "She adores a good friend, and you two hit it off quite nicely. But, to be clear, you are both going to school, not to play. You will have to learn, and perform schoolwork. Are you ready? This is your choice."
Ariel's face set. "I already learned a lot yesterday, and I think I can handle it."
"Well, why not?" Novo spread her hands. "Go to the train station. I imagine Silverstream is there, waiting for the next train. Tell her I said you could go with her. Oh, one moment." She drew out a quill and began writing busily. "Headmare Twilight will need to know why she has another student, and that I am aware of it. Give her this, and do not lose it."
"I won't lose it." Ariel took that letter reverently in both hands, bowing deeply. "Thank you, your highness."
With her almost literal ticket to remaining at Silverstream's side, Ariel dashed from the hallway. "I'll get straight As!"
Novo inclined her head at where her newest citizen once was. "Straight As? I don't think they teach pengriffonship there." She shrugged and leaned back in her seat. "Send in the next supplicant, if we have one."
Ariel galloped from the palace towards the station she could see down the hill. That same scent of the city wafted through the streets, strange and alien to her nose. Hippogriffs passed by in droves, all living their lives. None paid any attention to Ariel other than a brief nod or idle wave.
A train whistled as she approached the platform, boarding passengers. That included one Silverstream, who stood alone at one end of the carriage.
"Silver!"
Silverstream looked up, catching Ariel in a tight hug. She didn't expect to catch a flying Ariel, but didn't look unhappy about it happening. "What are you doing here? I have to get to school."
"You mean we both have to get to school." Ariel squeezed one of Silverstream's hands. "I got permission, so let's study, together."
"Oooooh. We get to be in class together?!" Silverstream bounced on her talons. "This is exciting!" She waggled her feathered brow at Ariel. "The teachers call me 'slow'. They make me do extra homework."
"You're smart!" Ariel pumped her fists in the air. "You saved me."
"That's just one thing!" Silverstream stepped onto the train, drawing Ariel along to share seats on a bench. "I get a little overwhelmed sometimes. I want to learn, but I don't, um, always. Not the same way as others, that is."
Ariel relaxed at that, folding their arms. "You are perfect."
Silverstream blushed a little, unable to shake a grin. "Perfect? Mmmm. I don't think I'm that, but, wow, thanks." She leaned against her new friend. "You sure do know what to tell somegriffon to make them happy. I'm still kinda worried. Will you be okay if you have to do the homework too?"
"I have a letter." Ariel whipped it out of her pocket. "I hope they accept it. But, yes." She gently tapped the letter on Silver's beak. "I am alright doing some homework. If I pay attention, I won't have to do as much, and I can spend more time helping you do yours."
"Wow." Silverstream beamed at that idea. "I mean, if it's too much for you, you could sit with some of the others. They're nice too."
"I'll get to meet all the other kids at the school."
Silver burst into fresh giggles. "Ha, wow, do not let them hear you call them kids. But let me tell you about them!" She eagerly began explaining the Young Six, from big Yona to the shapeshifting Ocellus. "Some of them are boys, like Sandbar, he's a pony, and Gallus, he's sorta like us but not really. Griffon, not a hippogriff, big difference. Smolder's a dragon, a girl. It's fun!"
"And I'll meet them all." Ariel hugged herself, wiggling with growing excitement. "Is one of them a boyfriend?"
Silverstream scratched at the back of her head. "Not that I know of, but I do have my eye on somegriff." She rubbed at her own chest. "Not one of the kids, either.
That got Ariel's attention. "Who is it, if it's not one of the students." She started suddenly. "Is it me?! If it is, I—"
"No!" Silverstream shook her head furiously. "It's not you. You're a wonderful, gorgeous hippogriff, but, nah. Don't worry, we're still best friends."
Ariel relaxed, but laughed all the same. "Already best friend? I'm glad to hear that. So who is it? Maybe I can help you get him?"
Silverstream flapped a hand. "Ehhhh... Maybe later." She sat back, smiling faintly. "I haven't asked her name yet."
And yet, that was a clue. Silverstream had her eyes on another hen. A griffon, or a hippogriff? Ariel almost vibrated with curiosity. She wanted to help her new friend so badly, but pushing them away by being nosey felt like the wrong thing to do. "So, how long is the ride to the school? Is there food on this train? How many stops does it make?"
"So many questions." Silverstream spread her hands. "But that's okay! I want to know all these things too, and we have plenty of time." Silver hopped to her hooves. "They have a snack bar. Let's get something to nibble on."
The two went to do just that and watch the scenery pass by in relative silence.
Ariel could feel the train slowing after a while. "I hope that's our stop."
"Hmm?" Silverstream perked up at the sound of brakes, moving to one end to peer out the window. She clapped at the sights of Ponyville slowing to a stop before the window. "Yup! This is the part where I'd say to get your bag, but neither of us have any, so..."
Ariel rushed out to stand with Silverstream as the doors hissed open.
Before them stood a purple unicorn. "I hope you had a lovely train ride. Welcome to Ponyville station." Her eyes were on Ariel specifically, though they did dart towards Silver. "Who's your friend? I don't think I've seen her before."
Silverstream waved cheerfully. "Hey, Twi. This is Ariel! She's my new hippogriff friend and she's coming to school with me, but I don't think she's a student, yet."
Ariel pulled out that letter and handed it to the strange unicorn, who unfolded it, glowing with their magic. "I see. Silver, you know I'm to be called Headmare Twilight."
Silver colored, cheeks darkening. "Sorry! I thought it was alright since we're not at school." She pulled Ariel closer. "Ariel wants to become a student. What's the letter say?"
Twilight's eyes scanned quickly across it. "It would appear Queen Novo knows you're here, which is good, and she would like me to accept you as a student, which is less good." She smiled ruefully at that. "A little warning would have been nice, but welcome." She turned away from both, starting the walk from the station towards the school. "You are entering my School of Friendship. Are you familiar with the concept and how it shapes the world around you?
Ariel thought on that a long, quiet moment, walking with Silverstream. "I understand it well. The more friends I have, the happier I'll be."
"Exactly, but it's not so simple. Friends don't make friends." Twilight kept walking on that cobblestone path, past strange buildings with carved wooden signs and windows open to let in the breeze. "Except when they do. Friendship is a complicated path, and our school is about learning all the ways it can interact." She looked over her shoulder. "Do you have many friends?"
Ariel brushed her side against Silverstream's. "One right here. One day, many more, I hope."
"Even without knowing their names or faces, you can have a friend." Twilight lifted one hoof. "Maybe you saw them on the street, or spoke to them in the at the store while doing chores. But, it looks like you two are good friends, and having one is a great start. In fact, I'd like to make it your first assignment to meet the rest of Silverstream's friends."
Silverstream clapped at that idea. "Yay! I can show you around. See, they have lunch around this time. We can visit the cafeteria! Then there's the dorms, where we live when we're not going home." She giggled with growing excitement. "This is going to be so fun."
Author's Note
Welcome to Friendship School. Ariel looks ready to live their life completely, which involves friends.
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To a young hippogriff like Silverstream, Ponyville was a wondrous place, a town that defied expectations and allowed for peace between multiple species and ideologies. But perhaps its greatest wonder was that she was permitted to be there at all, away from the safety of her own people. But that changed, as she had brought one of those with her. "Presenting!" She waved at Ariel excitedly. "Ariel!"
Ariel gave an awkward little wave. "Hi, everyone." The murmur of conversation ground to a halt. There were five other teens at one table, a varied assortment of creatures. All of them stopped talking and stood up.
The pony smiled easily. "Nice to meet you. I'm Sandbar." He pointed at himself just to make that clear. "This is Gallus." He nodded to the griffin next to him. "I heard you met one of our favorite mares already."
Gallus ruffled his wings, fixing his gaze on Ariel. "Hm. Something about you." He tapped at his beak with thought. "Whatever, hey. You joining the school?"
"Hope so. I like studying. And friends." Ariel tried to smile. "Silverstream and I have a lot in common. She saved my life. And now I'm here. I'm so glad I have the chance to say thank you."
Ocellus, the changeling, waved excitedly. "Saved you? Silver, you have to tell us that story."
Yona, the yak, nodded firmly. "Yes, tell us what happen. How save?"
Silverstream snorted, nudging Ariel. "I found her glowing in the water. She was sick, really, really sick. I took her to my Auntie Novo, and she did this thing, and then, boom."
Ariel laughed at that, clacking her beak shut as she forced herself to stop. "Sorry, but yeah, that's basically it. You tell stories in a funny way." She hugged Silversteam to make it clear there were no hard feelings. "She found me when I was sick and with Novo's help, I'm all better." She flourished her arms to show it. "I was something else, but now a hippogriff."
The orange dragon, Smolder, cocked her head. "Not a hippogriff?" She looked Ariel over intently. "You look like a hippogriff now. Either way, welcome aboard. If Silverstream likes you, you can't be too awful."
Ariel breathed deep, settling in among the new crowd. "I hope not. I didn't do much, but I'm grateful."
"Sounds like Silverstream did plenty." Yona puffed up with pride.
The conversation slipped from Ariel to other school topics. Ariel perked at that. "A project?"
Smolder rolled her eyes. "Ugh, yes. We have to pick a culture and write a story about one of their holidays."
Sandbar thrust up a hoof. "It's a group project." He pointed at Yona. "I'm working with Yona."
"We smash project." Yona nodded with complete confidence.
Smolder hiked a thumb at Gallus. "We're teamed up."
The griffin squawked in a sour tone. "Yeah, 'cause we both want it over with quick."
Ariel grinned with the conversation. "That sounds like fun."
"Weeell, maybe not exactly. I'm pairing with Ocellus." Silverstream sat up with a sly smirk. "And that leaves you to pair with, um." She looked over the table, but all the creatures there had a partner. "Oh no." She slapped a talon on her forehead. "I'm so sorry. I totally forgot we had partners. We were going to discuss it this weekend and, uh." She flailed her arms. "Ariel happened."
Ariel held up her hands placatingly. "It's alright. They may not even expect me to do it, coming in this late and all. Um, which teacher is this again?"
Silverstream launched into a full-blown explanation of how they had six teachers instead of one, and each taught them a subject, and they were expected to learn those subjects and apply them to the real world in projects that helped others.
Gallus casually reached across and shut Silverstream's beak. "None of that answered her question. This one came from Rarity, so you'll want to talk to her. White, unicorn, pony if unicorn didn't give that away." He shrugged lightly. "Diamonds on her butt."
Sandbar huffed. "That's her cutie mark, not just 'on her butt'."
Ariel clapped gently. "Alright. I'll ask Rarity as soon as I can." She turned to Silver. "Do we see her today?"
"Sure do! Let's finish eating and we can get to class."
The conversation dimmed as they focused on filling their bellies instead, with just brief passes of things around the table and the murmured statement of where things were on the tray.
It was all very new. The food here was unlike anything Ariel had eaten before, or even heard of. A kind of baked flatbread covered in sweet honey, creamy cheese, and the pieces of fruit—plums and bananas—with a faint taste of spice. She devoured it with relish, sitting at that table with new friends. It was amazing. She felt her stomach filling, and yet wanted to eat it again.
They threw their plates in the bin to be washed, and headed for their classrooms. Smolder shook her head as they walked. "Now we have two excited hippogriffons. I thought Silver was one of a kind, but you look ready to explode with excitement. Should we just get ahead of things and explain what stairs are?"
Ariel blinked at the idea. "I know what stairs are. But—" She struggled for words. "The whole world, that's pretty new."
Smolder paused. "Oh, I guess so. Sure, sure, whatever. Glad you're enjoying it." She stomped ahead of the pack, taking the lead.
Ariel walked with Silverstream to a classroom that had Twilight at the front of it, nodding at each student as they came in. "Ah, come here please." She waved Ariel closer. "Class, we have a new student. She'll need your help and guidance to hit the ground running in the middle of a semester like this, but with friendship at her side, I'm sure she can manage."
Ariel looked over the assembled ponies and the handful of non-pony students. "It's a pleasure to be here, and I look forward to making a lot of new friends."
Twilight smiled. "Good attitude. Go ahead and take a seat." She gently shooed Ariel away. "Now, as we were discussing, Magic, it's used by every species of creature, but in very different ways. Magic is one binding element that runs all across the world and ties us together. Even the most closed off cultures use magic, though they may not recognize it by that name." She lectured with practice, drawing things on the board.
Ariel felt herself zoning out a bit. She shook herself firmly and refocused on Twilight and what she was saying. It was a new world, with magic. Knowing about it felt important, and a little exciting. She raised a taloned hand up into the air.
Twilight pointed at her. "Ariel? You have a question?"
Ariel bobbed her head. "Can I learn magic?" Several other students began to snicker. "What? Can't I?"
Twilight's smile was gentle, if a bit pained. "Magic is a rare ability in a species that does not inherently possess it. To date, there are only a handful of individuals who can learn magic. Most are unicorns." She pointed up at her horn. "Magic is our tribe's specialization. Hippogriffs, on the other hoof, do have magic. You're wearing yours."
Wearing? It took a moment for Ariel to home in on the dangling crystal around her neck. "This?"
"That." Twilight nodded. "A powerful artifact that allows you to switch seamlessly between two forms, one on land, and one on water. Item-based magic is quite popular amont many creatures that don't have magic 'built-in' as it were." She smiled encouragingly. "You're certainly welcome to try, but it's highly unlikely that you have magical potential beyond what that item grants you."
"Oh." Ariel took a seat at Silverstream's side, huffing quietly. "That's dumb," she groused quietly enough that only Silver would easily hear her.
The class went by smoothly after that and with the bell, they were unleashed into the halls. Silver pointed the way towards the next class. "If you do learn magic." She bumped gently into Ariel. "I wanna see! I bet it'd be really neat."
Ariel smiled at that. "I'll show it, gladly. But how would I even start?" The hallway they were walking along seemed devoid of any magical starter books. "Where would I learn?"
Silverstream considered the matter a moment. "We have a library. It's really great. It has lots of stuff, even some magic stuff." She hesitated, a paw rubbing at the back of her neck. "But mostly about the not-spells," she admitted with a pout. "I think you need a spell-user to share with you."
"Twilight's one of those." Ariel hiked a thumb back at the class they had left. "Maybe her?"
"Maybe?" They went into the next class, where Rarity was seated, waiting for her students.
Rarity saw Ariel and lit up. "Ah! I understand you want to take my class? How delightful! I look forward to helping you make wonderful and stylish outfits, darling." She paused as she looked over the hippogriff. "You look like you could use an outfit, speaking of that." She tittered gently. "I am teasing, to be clear, dear. I will gladly assist you with fashion, but only if you wish it. My class isn't just about that, or even primarily. Welcome!"
"Thanks." Ariel bowed politely at the waist. "It's a pleasure to be here. I'm Ariel."
"I heard." Rarity pointed a hoof at the desks. "Have a seat, darling and we'll get started, hm? Glad to see you already found a friend."
"Two," added Gallus, also present for that class.
Rarity smiled warmly. "Three is even better! You'll be the belle of the ball, I'm certain. I only hope I can help you shine." She flicked her mane with a soft, almost musical laugh. "Now then, class, let's begin! This class won't teach itself. Speaking of that, how are your projects coming along?"
She went around the class, checking in on the group project the students were doing together. Each of them took a turn describing their ideas to the other. As she settled on a different topic to focus on, the students eagerly discussed their ideas.
Ariel was content to listen, not entirely sure how she fit into things.
Rarity stopped at Ariel's desk. "Now, you, poor thing. You arrived so late in the semester, hm." She curled a hoof to her chin. "I don't want to overwhelm you, but I don't want to just leave you doing nothing, dear. Is there a project you'd like to work on?"
Ariel perked at that, hope shining in her features. "I want to learn magic. You're a unicorn. You know how to cast spells? Can you share with me? Teach me to glow my horn and make things float?"
"Oh. Well!" Rarity shook her head slowly. "There is far more to it than that. It would be rather irresponsible of me to promise I could teach you that level of magic when we've only just met." She considered Ariel a moment. "It's as much a matter of talent as it is of teaching."
"We won't know until we try." Ariel clapped her hands firmly together. "Please? I'll pay attention." Her tail whipped about excitedly behind her.
"Oh my, dear, I love your enthusiasm! That alone speaks well of you." Rarity folded her forelimbs. "Let's give it a try. But, I admit, I am not the most ideal teacher." She inclined her head. "I may be a unicorn, and I can cast a spell, but you want a proper wizard. Fortunately for you, there are two that work in this very school!"
Silverstream clapped excitedly. "Headmare Twilight, right?"
Gallus leaned forward in his desk. "Who's the other one?"
Rarity hesitated a moment before answering. "Counselor Starlight Glimmer. She also knows how to use magic and can teach you well, if you can convince her of the wisdom of trying." She chuckled at her own joke. "Now, is there a subject you'd like to explore in your project, Ariel?"
Ariel pointed at herself. "Can a hippogriff learn magic? I say yes."
"I also vote yes." Silverstream grabbed Ariel with one arm in a bright show of support. "That's two yeas!"
Rarity chuckled gently. "Keep up that spirit. Why don't you, Ariel, go speak to Starlight? I have to continue discussing the class project, but you can get started on your own, hm? I do wish you the absolute best, dear."
Author's Note
Time to take up a project! Ariel reaches for the sky, looking happy if she knocks a cloud around on the way.
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Ariel wandered down the hallway of the school. She was upright, walking on her equine feet with the soft clip-clop of her hooves as she looked around at the hints to the nature of the school around her. A framed picture of the student body with the staff behind them, and various plaques and medals on display. "Starlight, Starlight." She mumbled that to herself. "I know her name, but where is her office?"
She pointed at each door as she went past them, tail flicking behind her thoughtfully. "I hope she knows how to do this." A loud, sharp noise echoed through the hallway.
Clap, clap, clap. It came again, and Ariel followed it. The hallways twisted and turned in this strange place, and she wound up standing outside an open door, and beyond it, a pegasus pony. "Hello?" she dared softly as she came up to the door. "Everything alright?"
"It will be!" The voice sounded warm and soft. "I've got to get this window fixed."
Ariel relaxed with a strained laugh. A janitor! She was jumping at janitors. She felt quite silly for the whole thing. "Can I help?" She stepped into the room, seeing it was a typical office. Desk, chairs, the big glass window, and the tools to repair it. "I'm a fast learner."
"Thank you. That's nice to hear." The pegasus put a small blue orb on the floor, and it began floating upwards. "I'm using some funny tools Twilight provided." The pegasus pointed a wing at the floating orb. "That's supposed to help hold the window in place."
"But you're just holding the glass?" Ariel cocked her head, watching.
"I am indeed!" The pegasus pressed forward against the glass. "That orb's supposed to seal it in there, so I can stop holding it. This thing has... mmm... weight to it."
Ariel made her way closer to the glass, touching the sides. "Feels solid, I think." She didn't really know what it was meant to feel like, but if it needed to stay in place, why not just nail it in? The answer came to her just moments later. The edges of the school were made of thick crystal. Was one supposed to put nails in crystal? "I'll help you hold it up at least." She got in with the janitor and propped herself against the window to lend a talon or three.
"Aaaand release."
Ariel let go and watched, flexing her claws. The window stayed where it was, and she gave a pleased chirrup. "Wow!" She could see the orb was busily roaming around the edges of the pane as if making sure it was all sealed in place. "Magic?"
"Yup." The janitor turned to Ariel. "I appreciate the assist. Those windows get really heavy. Still, aren't you supposed to be in class?"
"I was just going to visit a counselor. She's an expert in magic."
"Expert? Hmm. Probably Twilight or Starlight then. What's the trouble?"
"I want to learn." Ariel gestured at herself as she fell to all fours. She could stand on twos, but four felt easier. Natural? Easier for sure. "They said not many other creatures manage it, but I want to try."
"Huh. Good luck." The janitor got their tools in a bag. "I have to get the old, broken, window out of here. You have a good day, kid."
"Wait!" Ariel grabbed for the janitor, catching a shoulder. "Which way was that counselor's office?"
"Uh, down that hall, last door on the left." The janitor pointed the way. "Hope it works out."
Armed with knowledge, Ariel thanked them and dashed off towards the door. Counselor Starlight, read the plaque on the door quite clearly. With a nervous, but excited, giggle, she knocked on the door.
"Come in," rang out a friendly female voice.
Ariel stepped through the doorway into the office. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting. She hadn't done any research at all, but she still felt like she had some idea of what a counselor's office would be like. A sofa to lie on, a notepad and pen to scribble with, a coffee machine for the one that stays up too late. A small potted plant was on their desk with a little tag that labeled them as 'Phyllis'.
She giggled at the idea of a named plant and came the rest of the way in. Anyone that named their houseplant couldn't be all bad, she decided to herself. "Miss Starlight?"
Starlight inclined her head. "Hello, but if you're going to use 'Miss', then Glimmer is what should follow it. You're a student?"
"A new one." Ariel hopped up into a chair facing Starlight, desk between them. "My name's Ariel, nice to meet you." She offered a hand.
Starlight met it with a hoof, touching, then shaking gently, though Ariel had to put in all the effort of grabbing. "Nice to meet you, Ariel. What brings you by today? Cocoa?" She reached for what Ariel thought had been a coffee machine and produced a mug of steaming chocolate instead. Her magic dropped several large marshmallows in it.
Ariel shook her head. "I want to learn magic!"
"You're a hippogriff?" Starlight looked over Ariel carefully. "And not a unicorn." She touched her own horn, considering that. "Many ponies want to learn magic, but it's rare for another species to attempt it."
"Rare, but not zero." Ariel lightly clapped her hands together. "Please? At least give me a chance."
Starlight shook her head. "That's not how it works, Ariel. You don't have a horn. That means you don't have a magic conduit, which is crucial to casting spells. But..." She turned to Phyllis, picking the potted plant up in a field of purple magic. "I don't mean to be harsh, but no matter how much Phyllis here wants to take a walk, they have no legs. No legs, no walking."
Ariel considered that. "I don't have any other magic though." She took the necklace from around her neck, holding it up. "Except this."
Starlight set Phyllis down and patted the plant gently as if it had just finished some trick. "It is magic. But is it your magic?"
Ariel closed her fingers around the crystal necklace. "Yes. Queen Novo gave it to me, and it saved my life. It's definitely mine."
Starlight opened her mouth, just to close it slowly. "Not exactly what I meant, but maybe I'm being close-minded. You know what? You're a rebel." She reached across to gently punch at Ariel's shoulder. "And I like that."
Ariel pumped her fist with excitement. "Really? Really really? Yay!"
"We can give it a try." Starlight brought her hooves together. "We may end up getting nowhere, but that's about the worst that'll happen. One thing." She raised hoof, flatside up. "Using magic, if you get that far, is a powerful thing that should be done carefully." She listed a bit to the side. "More carefully than I've done, if we're being honest." She sat up straighter. "Some creatures use it to harm others. That's unacceptable. Understand?"
Ariel's eyes widened at the very idea. "I would never! I want to make every, um, creature happy. It'd also be fun for me too. My magic should make smiles." She giddily shivered in place, tail swishing. "What's the first step?!"
"About that." Starlight sat back in her chair, one ear to the side. "I need to work out a lesson plan, and we need to figure out how well a hippogriff can channel magic through their portion of that orb." She pointed to Ariel's necklace. "I suppose we need to experiment first. If you just can't, we're done."
"Then we try some more!" Ariel leaned in closer, hope burning in her eyes.
"And if that doesn't work, we're stopping." Starlight spoke in a firm, stern tone. "We'll push, but only so hard. Twilight will be very upset if I let a student get hurt on my watch."
Ariel's smile vanished at that. "Hurt? Are you going to do something painful?"
Starlight waved a hoof at that. "No no no! But you might, if you keep trying to do something impossible and end up slipping in ways we don't even have words for. So let's go gently, hm?"
Ariel clasped her talons together. "Okay. Sorry." She stared at her feet. "I want to learn, but I'm not going to rush it." She took in a deep breath, sides swelling before she let it out with a hiss. "How do we start? I want to know if we're at least at the right place to start."
Starlight pointed up at her horn. "Everything I do with magic, I do through this. You won't, so, let me think. Hm. Hold it." Ariel held the crystal that dangled on her necklace firmly. "Like that, and feel it, deeper than the surface. Try to reach inside, with your mind. Feel what's coming and what's going."
"That's it?" Ariel searched inward. "I don't really..." She grumbled to herself. "You're right, it's not so easy." She grunted and grunted again. "I don't think it's working."
Starlight reached to pat Ariel gently. "I think you have homework now. Keep trying to feel it, until it feels like a part of you. If you can manage that, to feel it, we can proceed. If not, this may be a dead end. It has to be a part of you if you're going to cast spells through it." She stood and paced to the door. "I need to do some digging and thinking."
Ariel perked up at that. "And I should keep trying?" She clutched the jewel a little tighter. "I will! I'll keep trying, until it works."
"Don't push yourself too hard." Starlight guided Ariel out of the room. "For now, get to your next class." She waved even as her magic closed the door with a click of its latch securing.
Ariel lifted her crystal, allowing her to look through it for a moment. "What secrets do you hold?" she whispered to the artifact before shaking her head. "I have to keep trying." She walked the hallway back to where her friends were gathered.
The next few classes passed, and Ariel kept trying to find some bit of power within the pendant. It was warm in her hands, and could let her change between the two forms easily. It felt like it belonged to her, but was it actually a part of her?
At lunch, she sat with her friends, and the others explained the assignment they were working on. They excitedly talked about the pairs they had been assigned to and the things they planned to do, but Ariel was elsewhere, pondering the nature of her crystal.
"Ariel? Ariel? Hello?" Silverstream shook Ariel gently. "You in there?"
Ariel snapped back into awareness, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, yeah! I'm here." She flushed lightly at being caught so distracted. "You have one of these." She held up her crystal towards Silver. "Ever feel like it was part of you?"
"I have this." Silverstream showed off her own crystal pendant. "It was a gift. Queen Novo makes sure we all get one, so we can go between the sea and the land." With a pop, she began a sea pony, awkwardly perched on her bench. "Like this!" She shifted back and sat properly. "No, I've never thought that it was a part of me, but I'm glad to have it."
Ariel considered Silverstream's crystal fragment, then her own. "Mmm, but mine saved me." She rocked in place. "I felt like I was just going to fade away, but then she gave me this." She fingered the crystal, holding it aloft. "And with this, I became a hippogriff."
Ocellus spread her wings, buzzing them excitedly. "Wow! That's neat. What were you before?"
Ariel had seen exactly zero humans in that world. The word felt like it would only make things more confusing. "A different world, with different creatures."
Ocellus nodded at that, as if that made sense to her. "Wow! Neat. I'm glad you're alright."
"Me too!" Silverstream bounced once in place. "Why are you asking about the crystal though?"
Ariel tapped at it with a claw. "Because I want to learn to use magic, like we were talking about with Rarity, remember?" She sniffed the rock. "Starlight's pretty sure I'd have to use the crystal like a unicorn uses their horn."
Gallus flapped his wings once with a shake of his head. "And?"
"So I have to know the crystal before it'll work." Ariel closed her hand around it, sealing it from view. "Know it from the inside and out. It has to be me, as much as my fingers." She spread her claws in demonstration. "That's how you use the magic part of it. But I've never thought of it like that." She suddenly burst into giggles. "I only just got it."
Author's Note
Ariel has a mission! But that first step feels like a tall one. How does one become that close to a crystal?
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As clueless as she felt, her new friends were swift to support her attempts. Each had kind words and supportive encouragements to offer her as she walked through the school with a slight gap between them and her. It felt, in a way, like she had jumped to the most popular kid, and that was a nice, if mildly concerning, feeling.
Silverstream held up her own crystal. "I just wear it. It has one trick, which I like, but that's all I ever thought about. You want to go to the next step!" She giggled at that. "Not super long ago, I was learning that steps existed."
Ariel giggled with her friend. "Steps are weird. Sometimes they lead up, sometimes down, sometimes in a circle."
Sandbar looked back over his shoulder. "You two still on that?" He was smiling despite his teasing words. "Is that a hippogriff thing?"
The group laughed and chuckled together as they emerged from the school and headed across the bridge, water lapping gently in the river underneath it. They kept chatting as they went, a vibrant bunch that liked talking to one another.
Silverstream touched Ariel's hand with her hand, guiding it to her crystal. "Does mine feel different than yours? Besides the different shape, I mean."
Ariel spent some time examining them both. They looked similar to her eyes. It was like looking at the same species, but the more she looked, the more little things she could see. They were different individuals. She rubbed each, one in either hand. "Mmm." Comparing them made her start to notice subtle things about hers. "Silver, you are a genius."
Smolder snorted into a laugh. "You okay? That isn't a term most creatures use for Silver."
"Hey!" Silver chased after Smolder, the two starting a merry game, and soon both calling and cheering as they ran about.
Ariel's eyes were locked on the two crystals, humming gently with thought. She focused on the difference in texture, the way one felt slightly rougher. But why? "Silver's is a lot smoother."
Yona reached up a heavy hoof to Ariel's side. "Silver stone held longer. Yours new." She nodded with a soft snort. "Hers like her. Yours become you. Give time."
Ariel cupped her crystal in her palms. "I haven't had mine long, have I?"
She held hers up towards the sun, shielding her eyes with it even as she gazed through it, allowing her to see further into its depths. It was shaped like a teardrop, with a wide bottom tapering off to a narrow point at the top, where the chain looped to hang from. As she rotated it in the light, she could see some markings inside it, glittering from within.
As she gazed fixatedly at her crystal with new appreciation, her friends paused their walking to watch her and her expression of growing wonder. The whole group was still, watching and waiting as they saw something happening with the young hippogriff.
Ariel looked back at her friends with a shocked sort of smile. "Oh! Did I make you all just sit there?" Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry!"
Gallus waved that away. "Don't be. You looked like you were getting somewhere. What'd you see, or figure out, or whatever?"
"Um." Ariel considered the question, rolling her talon around her neck. "It's beautiful."
"Sure is." Smolder peered at it, eyes half-lidded. "It's a gemstone, not a rock." She licked over her lips. "Bet it's tasty. But what else did you learn besides it being pretty?"
Ariel smiled at Smolder and her directness. "That I'm starting to understand it." She laughed at that, more surprised that it was true. She handed Silver's gem back to her and hugged her own. "I feel a little closer to you, little rock friend." She giggled again. "Oh! I also see patterns in it, like there are things hidden deep inside it. Just like us. We have things hidden in us, waiting to be discovered."
Silverstream hummed softly. "What kind of patterns?"
"Well, see here." Ariel held out her gem, showing the way the light flickered and moved over its faceted face, shining and shimmering. "You have to watch the light on it, but it's not just a color thing." She giggled with growing excitement. "Now how do I, um, magic?"
Ocellus cooed with curiosity. "How? Do you have to 'magic' yourself first?" She looked up at her own horn, which began to glow. "My horn's different than your gem, but I imagine it like I'm getting warmer right here." She pointed to the base of her horn. "Then push it up." She trailed along the horn slowly. "Here, I can show you." She began to cast a spell, causing a simple glowing ball of energy to appear. It wobbled in place a moment before popping like a soap bubble.
Ariel and Silverstream were unified in their applause for the silly trick.
"That was amazing! How'd you do that?" Ariel peered at Ocellus, looking over her. But the answer was clear. Changelings had horns, like unicorns. The magic came from there. "Right. Right! Okay." She held up her stone. "So let's try this the same way. Get warm here." She shook her grasping talon lightly. "Focus." She closed her eyes tightly. "Feel it." She had a faint warmth around the crystal, as if it was near a fire.
The more she focused on it, the warmer it became. Others could see her efforts, her talons pinkening as blood rushed to the spot as if her hands were blushing. A faint pink glow grew from them, then faded to nothing. "I think I was almost there." Ariel sighed, slumping a moment, before bouncing with excitement. "I was almost there!"
Gallus slapped Ariel on the back with one of his wings. "Almost there is way closer than you were before. You get that, uh, glow into your crystal thingie and maybe you're there."
Ariel breathed deeply, rubbing at the crystal. "I can try again."
"Uh, we're not in a huge hurry." Smolder pointed the way. "I vote we get some snacks and refuel before you do that again. That looked like a lot of work, not gonna lie."
"A snack break sounds good." Ocellus wiggled excitedly. "I bet you're hungry." She lifted onto buzzing wings and darted ahead to one of their favorite snack stops, Sugarcube Corner. "This place is the best!" She chimed excitedly as she landed on the countertop. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake?" She spotted Mr. Cake emerging from the back and waved at them excitedly. "Good morning!"
Mr. Cake looked over the assembled youngsters. "It's not quite noon yet, but yes, hello to you all." He put down a heavy box he had been carrying and ambled up to the counter. "How can I help your sweet tooths today?" He smiled easily as the kids approached the counter and began to browse the goods in the display case. "You've made yourselves at home in this town, haven't you?" He was looking at Ariel as he asked.
Ariel nodded firmly. "Yeah, I think so. It's really pretty. Everyone's friendly." She sniffed gently at the air. "And this place always smells so, mmm." She thrust a finger at a baked good that was all looped on itself. "I want that one, please."
"I'll have another of those cream cheese horns." Gallus pointed with a wing to the delicacies in the display.
There was a chorus as they each pointed out their selections with hooves, wings, tails, or whatever they had that was up to the task. Mr. Cake hurriedly gathered them all out of the case and onto a tray for the students, arranging them tastefully. "That'll be six bits." He counted them off. "Including a little discount for our new resident." He nodded at Ariel.
Ariel gasped. "Discount!" She looked between her friends. "That's not fair!" She dug around and found a bit, placing it on the counter. "They've been helping me so very much."
Sandbar slid a coin up to join it. "It's no big deal. If somecreature's low, the rest of us help out. It's what friends do. And if he wants to give a discount, lettem!"
Four more coins soon joined it, contributed by other members of the band without complaint. Mr. Cake swept the coins off the counter with a nod. "All paid. Enjoy your treat. You work hard at that school, you deserve it."
Gallus squawked and fluttered his wings, eager to get to the treats. He grabbed the tray and hurried to a booth, the others trailing behind him as he set it in the center of the table, slid in and grabbed his to chomp into, beak becoming slathered in sugar and bliss. The others quickly did the same, filling the shop with happy sighs and satisfied noises.
Ocellus paused her eating, just to stare at Ariel as she took a bite. "Something wrong?"
Ariel lifted her crystal from where it had been dangling around her neck. "Nothing wrong, exactly, just excited! I feel so very close right now." She tucked the crystal away again. "But we do need fuel for all this fun stuff." She started munching on her pastry with a giggle. "Mmm, just as tasty as I'd hoped." She broke off a part and offered it to Silverstream. "Wanna try?"
"Trying new things!" Silverstream laughed brightly as she accepted the pastry piece and popped it into her beak." With a few satisfied munches, she swallowed with a happy almost purring chirp. "Very nice, yes. I like how it bends all around and around too, kinda funny!" She helped herself to one of her own treats.
Yona snorted loudly, slamming her hoof into the floor. "Want best snacks, try yak snacks." She deflated at that. "Not have yak snacks, sorry. Good though! Visit, try. You see."
Gallus flicked at one of the cream cheese horns, sending it spinning in place. "Don't know about those." He chuckled softly, snapping the horn almost in half with a crunch. "But if they're this good, I'd give them a try, sure."
Smolder poked a horn with a single claw. "I don't know, I've had yak cheese before, and it was pretty chewy and, well, rough." She took a delicate bite of her own food. "And they're tough as rocks." She smirked at that. "And dragons know how tough rocks can be. Worth it though."
Yona huffed at Smolder's review of Best Yak Foods. "Yak food for strong yak teeth." She bit into her filled doughnut so hard the filling squirted out, making a little mess on the table. "See? Too weak." She sucked on the bit of jelly she had pulled loose, sucking it into her mouth. "Too soft."
Sandbar shook his head at the sight. "We make foods for our own tastes. Ponies like soft foods."
Gallus leaned in with a smirk. "If I have the choice, I like my food with a little bite in it, that used to bite." She clacked his beak meaningfully. "If you get my meaning."
Ocellus hummed quietly. "I like plants. But some have thorns on them, so they can protect themselves." She considered that. "So you have to be careful picking them up, but then they're usually tasty." She nibbled on her sugar dusted scone joyfully. "Pony snacks are good."
Ariel considered all that as she worked on her food. "We have plenty of different snacks in my world, but I don't really have any favorites."
Silverstream was on Ariel. "Your world? Isn't, uh, this world your world and our world and his world and her world?" She pointed wildly about, trying to encompass the bigness of how much that world belonged to every creature present.
Ariel tittered with amusement. "It is. It's very big." She motioned in opposite directions as if trying to hug the world with her arms. "Um, but it's not my first one."
Sandbar leaned forward onto his elbows on the table. "Alright, story time. What world was your first then, Ariel? You can't just tease us like that."
Ariel rolled her eyes, but she was smiling all the same. "I promise to tell you every last detail." But she colored an instant later, realizing some parts that kind of needed telling. Well, maybe she could just casually not mention that part. "I was very sick in that other world. It was awful, days of sitting in a hospital."
Silverstream blinked softly. "Is that why you were so pale and sick when I found you? I'm glad we could help get you looking better!"
"It is." Ariel leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "I was stuck in a bed. I could see the rest of the world outside a window, but I couldn't get to it." She shivered with the memories. "I hated it, but I couldn't do much about it."
Smolder cleared her throat. "Were you a pony in your home world, or a hippogriff or somecreature else?"
"Somecreature else." Ariel bobbed her head quickly. "Somecreature you never saw before, I bet. It doesn't matter." She made shooing gestures. "They're gone, and Ariel the hippogriff remains, and I like being me." She flashed a bright smile, teeth dusted with sugar. "And I like having you all as my friends."
Gallus looked to the rest of the group. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't care where she came from." He gestured at Ariel. "She's been cool enough, and I want to see where she ends up with the whole magic thing. Show those unicorns they don't get to be the end all when it comes to that."
Silverstream's eyes shone with wonder. "That would be so cool!" She shook a fist. "Magic for everyone."
"Exactly." Ariel smiled, turning back to her snack. "I hope I can figure it out, but I'll know when I know." She let the crystal fall against her chest. "Thank you, all of you."
Author's Note
What's YOUR favorite sweet treat? Typos don't count.
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She spread her wings and took to the sky. Magic was nice and all, but she was a winged creature, and the experience of flight was a heady one as the wind gently brushed over her feathery and furred form. She considered all that was going on. How different things were from before, when she had been so very sick. Sick enough that even her human parents had been losing hope for her. But that was gone, as proven by her powerful wings that held her in the air so gracefully.
"I'm flying," Ariel laughed out to herself, closing her eyes, but only for a moment. She was also somewhere new, where who knew what dangers might be lurking about, ready to pluck a naive young hippogriff out of the sky. Or she could just crash into a building and make at least two people kinda upset, one of them being herself. Open eyes for fly time, yep.
She turned her focus to her dangling crystal, the center of so much of her magic, but also more than that. It was the thing that allowed her to switch forms from seapony to hippogriff. She considered her other form, but tossed that thought out. She didn't want to swim, she wanted to keep on flying. She soared around to the top of the school and casually perched on it, where she could look down at the students leaving for the day, though she felt a pang of disappointment that her friends were not among them.
But it was probably good that they weren't, she reasoned. She had to focus. She drew up her crystal to be even with her eye, getting a feel for how it moved and worked. She breathed slowly as she coaxed it to work for her, willing it to glow. It took less time than it had those clumsy first attempts, gently casting its light over her and everything in the area as she reached out with that finger she never knew she had. "I am me," she whispered softly.
As she did, it felt like she was getting more of a sense of just what that finger could do. She wiggled it to the left, then the right. Up, down. Each way, there were subtle variations in the light. It was light the whole time, and the same color even, but she could feel a difference, like it was vibrating or something if she focused on it. She traced a path through the air, watching the crystal's glow as it shifted with each tiny motion. "It's part of me."
She drew a heart shape, then a circle, a triangle. Each one made subtle differences in the glow, not only with each motion, but each shape was different, as if the crystal knew that she was drawing something, and the combination of the motions was, itself, a shape worth celebrating with a new shine. She wondered if she could combine the shapes. It took some doing to line them up just so, but soon she had traced out the heart, then the circle, and lastly the triangle. A new shade, the color actually shifting enough to be visible, if only for a moment. "Wow!"
Feeling giddy with her accomplishment, Ariel took a controlled plummet to the bridge that connected the school to the rest of Equestria. "I have it!" she cried out, to the surprise of one of the pony students walking past. She ignored their reaction in favor of heading back to the dormitories. Her friends would love to hear what she had learned. At least, she hoped they would be.
She pushed the door open to discover Yona being wrestled down by a bear as Gallus and Smolder cheered it on. Ariel gaped at the scene, trying to figure out if she should help, or go get help. "Um, hello?"
Smolder hopped into the air. "Hey, Ariel. We were just testing something." She landed by a wall to lean on. "That's Ocellus." She pointed at the bear. "And Yona's just showing off."
Yona pushed up from under Ocellus, rumbling with annoyance. "Not showing off! Proving even big changeling just changeling! Yak stronger!" The wrestling continued, the two trying to come out on top in great rolls and pinning attempts. Neither got anywhere for their efforts.
Ariel blinked slowly at that. "Wait, that's Ocellus?" She examined the bear, seeing little hint of the original form of the changeling. "Wow, you can become anything?"
"Anything," grunted out Ocellus, still distracted with wrestling with Yona. The changeling flipped over, turning into a three-headed dog that had its limbs get tangled up as it tried to gain purchase.
Yona sat on one of the heads. Though the others continued to struggle, she smirked. "Pinned. Yona win."
Gallus clapped with a laugh. "That's a win for Yona. Good job, now stop sitting on their head. Ocellus is kind of important."
Ocellus popped back into their normal form, giggling as Yona dropped to sit beside them. Despite their heated battle, they were nestled together as if nothing had happened, back to being best of friends. "I thought I was stronger, but you're stronger. You won."
Yona huffed softly, leaning into Ocellus. "You also strong." She patted Ocellus on the head. "But Yak stronger."
Ariel advanced with a slow nod. "Oh, well, if that's done?" Everyone seemed relaxed enough. "I learned how to do something! I made the crystal glow!" She held up the pendant. "I tried it a lot of times, but this was the first time it worked so well. Besides that, I even made it dance and change."
Smolder hiked a scaled ridge. "Really? That isn't much, but it's more than I got, unless you count colored flames." She snorted a little smoke. "Which I do." She flapped her wings excitedly. "Was it super neat? Changeling here can turn into any kind of animal."
Ariel paled a little at that. "It isn't that neat, but, watch." She held up the crystal and got it glowing easily. "Normal glow, now—" She focused on that extra finger, slowly drawing the shapes to make the glow dance through its new colors.
Ocellus shook their head slowly. "That's neat! Magic!" She made her own horn glow, imitating the dancing colors that Ariel had done. "You're really doing it."
Ariel nodded slowly as she let her gem hang back over her chest. "I did! And it was super interesting! I think I'm magic-crawling now, which means—" She did a drum solo in the air. "—It's time to get the next lesson from Professor Starlight! I'm ready to toddle!"
Gallus huffed gently. "Not sure I'm all in on this crawling to toddling thing. We're grown creatures, we walk just fine."
Smolder smirked at Gallus' outcry. "Right, maybe, but neither of us can do any magic, so let her toddle, she's toddling a way neither of us are doing at all." She fired a thumbs up at Ariel. "Keep at it."
"Yeah." Ocellus waved a hoof lightly. "I only do shape shifting and unicorn stuff is very hard." She reached up to touch her own horn. "But you are inspiring me. Um, if it's okay? Can I come with you when you go to Professor Starlight? I should learn to magic-toddle a bit more myself."
Ariel bounced lightly on her hooves as she grinned at Ocellus. "Sure!" She put her arms around Ocellus. "You be magic baby too!"
"Toddler," corrected Ocellus with a smile. "I know how to glow, and now, so do you." She patted Ariel's shoulder with a hoof. "Do you need some sleep? I think I might, after all that tussling."
Ariel threw up her hands. "Who can sleep when they're this excited?!"
The door opened, admitting Silverstream. "What's everyone so happy about? Share! I wanna be happy too!" She wriggled over to her friends, joining the hug as best she could. This proved easy as she snuggled in against her fellow griffon, a yak, and a changeling.
Gallus huffed at the snugglepile. "Ariel's made a step with her magic. A little step, but, sounds like, an important one."
"Show them," encouraged Ocellus. "Gotta get some practice in."
Ariel pushed back from the cuddlefest with a nod. She held her crystal and went through the motions, each time easier than the last. She even tried a few new shapes for the fun of it, coaxing out a brief purple flash from her crystal.
"Very nice," said Silverstream with a grin. "That is magic! But why did you use purple? What was different?"
Ariel shrugged, having not really considered that. "I wasn't aiming for a specific color, just a different one, and I got purple. Purple's nice enough." She made the crystal glow again, experimenting with it. "See?" It shifted between colors at her will, though she was still learning how to get any specific color.
Ocellus gasped with delight. "You can do different colors? Wow, I'm very happy for you." She applauded the show of magic.
Smolder puffed a little flame, which changed from traditional orange to a deep blue and back again. "With dragons, emotions are usually involved. Practice lets you change them around."
Ariel peered at Smolder curiously. "Then aren't you already crawling? You can already wiggle your magical finger."
Smolder smirked at Ariel. "That's kind of insulting, but that's fire, not magic."
Ariel shook her head quickly. "Dragon magic is fire! You're wriggling your magic finger."
Smolder squinted faintly. "Magic finger?" She lifted a claw. "You mean this one?" She looked at it as she gave it a wriggle. "It's pretty cool, but not magic?"
Ocellus waved a hoof frantically. "I think she means when we cast spells. It's like getting your own little horn to push and pull the magic with."
Ariel bobbed her head quickly. "Your fire is your horn, like my crystal. You can make it change. You're crawling!" She danced from hoof to hoof. "This is so exciting. I thought I'd be the only not-pony creature learning magic, but Ocellus is too. We can take the journey together." She nuzzled up to Ocellus. "And Smolder. This will be so exciting. I mean, it already is, really."
Smolder smirked as she got to her feet, giving her wings a flap. "It'll be alright, I guess." She puffed out a little red burst of fire. "Dragon magic, huh? Yeah, I suppose you could put it that way. It's a lot of passion and impulse, it's in our blood, it's us."
Ariel held up her crystal. "It's me! We're all learning how to use our magic finger."
Gallus shook his head. "Still lost on this 'magic finger' part." He made quotes with his very physical fingers. "But if it means you're all getting somewhere, cool." He tapped a claw to his chest. "Maybe one day I'll feel left out enough to try my wing at something new, but right now, I'm content just not having any magic. Besides, you all have a something . Smolder had her fire way before she could do anything with it." He pointed to Ariel and Silverstream. "You two got your magic crystal or whatever. Ocellus has a horn. You have something . That, whatever, 'magic finger'. Griffons don't got one."
Yona thumped a hoof on the floor, to start a little bassline. "Not feel left out." She was also in the club of creatures with no magic finger to be found, but she looked pretty pleased just being a yak, which was a great thing to be, if one asked Yona.
Smolder leaned against Yona with a nod. "Got that right. Feeling left out means you want something, and if you want something, you can get it." They met with a hand against a hoof with a clap, both satisfied for the moment.
Gallus lifted just to get to his bunk. "I say we get some sleep. We have school tomorrow. And today is over." He sank down into the bedding. "Wake me up when it's actually light out."
The others took the prompt, settling on their own beds. With a flick of the switch, Silverstream called out, "Night everycreature!"
A chorus of mumbles and mutterings answered her back as they all let themselves drift off. Tomorrow would be another day of learning and growing, and they were excited for it.
Author's Note
Do you have any magic fingers?
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Starlight clapped her hooves with a bright smile. "I'm impressed! I suppose, on some level, I shouldn't be, or less. You're a grown creature. If I say to do something, you can understand me, and reach for it. Then again, we haven't really tried this before. It's all new and exciting." She bounced a little on her seat, making it squeak beneath her. "Still, excellent work. You seem to have some basic control over your 'horn's output and frequency."
Ariel puffed with pride. "It's the most fun I've had in my life. Every time I try something new, I feel like I get closer to understanding it better." She flexed that magic finger of hers, making the glow of her pendant brighten, then go yellow, then blue. "So, I pass?"
"You more than pass." She reached over the desk to press a hoof to Ariel's beak. "Now, about your friend. That's an interesting theory you have. Dragon fire being their magic? Fascinating as ideas go, but there are some practical issues with delving into that."
Ocellus squeaked up from behind Ariel. "Problems?"
Starlight gave her two pupils an apologetic look. "If we accept that notion at face value, that sounds fascinating, but to explore it means having a dragon constantly puffing fire everywhere as they struggle to control it. That is, at the least, a mild fire hazard."
Ocellus opened their mouth in understanding. "I see! We don't want to burn the school down."
Ariel nodded along with that. "But, Smolder's a smart dragon. She knows she doesn't want to burn things down. If we just asked her not to, she could keep her practices to safe places."
Starlight cycled her hooves. "But where would those be? Equestria has far fewer stone caves to work in. And even the ones we do have are filled with flammable things inside them. Let's put that aside for now. I have two eager students before me." She sat up taller. "And both are ready to learn, without too much issue in the way. I will be using a different technique for Ariel than I would a unicorn student. You aren't a unicorn, nor close enough to one to ignore the differences."
Her eyes flit to Ocellus. "You have a horn. You could learn the unicorn way. In fact, I have a fair few books I could suggest to do just that. You don't need special tutoring, if you're self-motivating. On the other hoof! You could learn the way Ariel's learning, and it might be useful, as it may allow you to use your magic even when you don't have a horn."
Ocellus' wings buzzed with excitement. "I could do that?!"
Starlight spread her hooves with a smile. "Anything is possible with hard work and effort. But you'll have to study hard, and put in the effort. The bottom line is, as demonstrated by Ariel, if you learn how to flex that 'magic finger' without a horn, it won't matter if you have a horn or not at the moment. That changelings have access to magic is a known factor. It's just a matter of reaching for it when the obvious direction isn't there."
Ariel hopped up onto her hind legs to bow before Ocellus. "This is gonna be great!" She fell back to all fours. "Learning with a friend sounds way more fun than learning just by myself."
Ocellus did a hop of their own, turning into a bear as they rose. "It is!" She snorted in a bear way, ears on Starlight. "How do we begin?"
Starlight held up her hooves. "We need you both in the same place. Ariel, perhaps you could help Ocellus along. Ocellus has magic. They use it to shapeshift, much like your magic helps you change shape, come to think. Very similar. Help them learn how to move that 'magic finger' so they're just as good at it as you are."
Ariel turned into a seapony, then a hippogriff, then back again with a smile. Her amulet helped her with each change, a little flash with each transformation.
Ocellus followed along, eyes focused on Ariel's neck. Each time she changed, Ocellus shifted as well, becoming a changeling, a yak, a griffon, and back again.
Starlight smiled at the two. "I knew you two would get right into it. Go on." She made gentle shooing motions. "Come back when you're both moving that magic finger of yours. Ideally, I want you both to be able to show you can control the intensity and frequency of your magic." She pointed to Ariel. "Ariel does this with her glowing. How will this manifest for Ocellus? You tell me."
Ocellus turned their focus back to Starlight. "Oh! Okay! But, um, what will you be doing?"
Starlight tapped her hooves with a smile. "Thank you for asking. I'll be working on a lesson plan for both of you. Unicorn foal tactics would be a disservice. I need to translate unicorn spells to something you two can read and imitate."
Ariel rose up again. "Wow, really? We're lucky to have such an awesome teacher!"
Starlight scratched at the back of her neck. "Aw, I'll do my best, promise. Now, get on, both of you."
Ariel let herself fall down onto all fours again, racing to the door. Ocellus didn't bother with the transformation and simply flew after Ariel, eager to see what was next for them.
"Not safe?" Smolder rolled her eyes at the news. "What is? Seriously, I know how to not set things on fire." She crossed her arms with a scowl. "So I work outside for a bit, what's the big deal?" She prodded Ariel with a clawed finger. "You did not tease me with this just to tell me I can't. Forget Starlight. I'm doing it just because she says I can't! Show me what you've figured out."
Ariel fidgeted a little at that. "Well, um, okay?" She laughed nervously. "I don't think there's anything wrong with you learning. I don't think any creature that wants to learn should be anything but helped."
"Exactly!" She puffed smoke in her annoyance. "So where do we start? You said controlling the colors and stuff of my fire, right?"
Ariel held up her crystal with a smile. "This is part of me, like how your fire is part of you." Smolder nodded with that. "So watch." She made her crystal glow different hues. "I'm doing that, controlling it. It's not a big magic, but it's my magic. Your fire is your magic, control how bright it is. Control its color."
Smolder gestured with a wing at the crystal. "You have something to hold onto. That thing is not me." She brought a hand to her throat, rubbing over it. "Well, hm." She spat out a little plume of fire into the air and held it, belching out flames in a low but steady fwooosh that didn't spread too far, but shimmered with orange and yellow light. "Fire," she muttered, having to stop her fire a moment to speak, but she was gushing fire soon after, focusing on the flames.
Ariel watched the display with wide eyes. The fire flickered gently, a constant flow as Smolder continued to blow her flames into the sky. It was mesmerizing, in its own way.
Smolder fell backwards, heaving for breath. "Wow, okay, that, mmm." She rolled to her side. "That's gonna take some practice." She rolled up with a laugh. "But thanks, for showing me the first step, and not counting me out before I even tried." She offered a hand towards Ariel. "Appreciate that. Some creatures are way too quick to assume stuff about dragons."
Ariel smiled at that as she shook Smolder's hand. "I don't know if it'll work like this for you, but I'm rooting for you!"
"All I wanted." She hugged Ariel, if briefly. "Now, dragon breath colors are usually emotional. Look." She puffed out her fire, focusing on sweeps of colors as she imagined herself experiencing various emotional swings. "See?"
Ariel did. Each moment of fire showed a slightly different hue, from warm and inviting orange, to deep and dangerous red. "That is very nice! You have way more specific control than I do. I'm almost jealous."
"I'm all jealous!" Silverstream flopped over Ariel's back suddenly, hugging her fellow hippogriff warmly. "Show me! I don't wanna be left out."
Ariel waved the crystal about, giving it a few attempts before settling on a deep blue for it to glow with. "You have a crystal too. You use it every time you switch between your two forms. The idea is to reach it when you're not doing that."
"Ooo." Silverstream held up her own crystal. Hers was subtly different, as each hippogriff's was. "Okay. I saw you working on it. I can do it, I think? Gonna try!"
Ariel watched as Silverstream closed her eyes and stood still, the crystal dangling from its cord around her neck. "Reach for it, in your head. It's in the same place, but instead of changing shapes, try to feel it, like a good friend you want to hug."
Silverstream mumbled softly. "Like, reaching for a friend?" She slowly brought her hands up to wrap around her crystal. "I do like giving them hugs." She stroked the smooth stone gently. "Even though they don't feel the same from one to another."
"And your crystal isn't mine. Each is a precious different friend. Give your friend a hug!" She closed her eyes as she clung to her own gemstone. "That's the first step. The second is just practice, lots and lots of practice."
"That sounds less fun." Silverstream giggled despite it, and her crystal flickered. "Oh! Look!" She snapped her eyes open, waving her crystal excitedly. "I did it! I have my magic finger! I'm a baby wizard too!" She let out a wild whoop, flapping her wings.
Ariel clapped along with her dear friend. "You're closer. But there's more to it. You have to be able to make it glow whenever you want it to, then you have to start doing colors. But you're so much closer! Good job!"
Smolder puffed smoke from her nostrils as she peered at Silverstream. "Nice work. We got three crawling. Starlight better be ready for us. We'll toddle over and see if she can help us go further." She puffed out some deep yellow flames that grew rapidly in brightness before fading away to almost invisible. "I'm feeling ready for more."
Ariel shook her head. "Hold up. I know Ocellus is still practicing, and so should both of you. Just because you got one arm down doesn't mean it's time to burst into a walk. I'm excited too! Trust me. But let's get this first step down."
Smolder rolled her shoulders back. "Fair enough." She pulled her wings in tight as she closed her eyes. "Purple." She breathes out more of a blue shade. "Dang it." She breathed in, ready to try again without pause. "Orange." A nice deep orange hue flared up. "Yes!" She pumped her fists into the air as she opened her eyes. "C'mon, Silver. You can do it too."
Silverstream grasped her own crystal in both hands. "Gotta go find Ocellus. They'll wanna see this too!"
Ariel raised a hand to call Silverstream to pause, but the other hippogriff was already fleeing off to find their mutal friend. "She's really excitable."
"As if you aren't." Smolder smirked with a chuckle. "I think it's a hippogriff thing. It's adorable, but you guys get excited pretty easily."
Ariel tossed up her arms. "We just want to have fun and enjoy our lives. Isn't that worth being excited over?" She burst into soft giggles. "Way better than not being able to, trust me."
Smolder hiked a scaled ridge at that. "You're saying that like you have way too much experience with it. Is there a dark origin story waiting there? Because, if so, I want to hear this."
Ariel dropped her eyes to the ground. "Well, it's kind of a story I don't tell creatures often, but—" She grabbed a nearby chair and sank onto it. "It's kind of a doozy. It's from before I even was called Ariel."
Smolder tilted her head, giving Ariel her full attention. "Yeah? Tell me, please. It's not weird, right?"
"It's kinda a little, yeah." She shrugged with a helpless laugh. "Sorry?"
Smolder waved a hand at Ariel. "C'mon. Who am I gonna tell? You have my word, secret's safe with me." She mimed zippering up her lips.
Ariel rocked a moment. "Okay, so I was very very sick, a world away. I was dying, and helpless, and super sad. But then I was on a beach, and Silverstream found me. She rescued me!"
Smolder hummed at that. "Sick enough to die? Sounds like it was pretty bad."
Ariel laughed again, even more nervously than before. "Very. Very bad. The worst it could get. I feel so much better now." She thumped her chest. "I love this body. It's not the same one I had, by a lot, but it actually works, really well."
Smolder narrowed her eyes as she gazed at Ariel. "It works? Like how? Did you get the perfect body?"
"Compared the one I had?" She hopped up so high, she hovered on her flapping wings. "Yes! My old one was dying. This new one is so... chipper, and lively. I love it."
Smolder jumped back as Ariel hovered before her. "That's great! But like, how was your old one different?"
"Besides being super sick?" Ariel lowered to the ground. "It was also a guy."
Smolder blinked at that. "Come again?"
Ariel spun in place, gesturing at herself. "I was male! But that was the old me, not the me now." Looking from the outside, it was difficult to imagine Ariel as being anything other than the joyful female she was at the present. "Don't miss it. This body's way better."
Smolder took that news, with the feeling that she hadn't been prepared for what that would mean. "Male? Wow." She shook her head slowly. "You think you know a creature. Uh, no offense or nothing. The way you put it out there, it was, literally, a past life, right? Can't hold somecreature's past life against them. That'd be a jerk thing to do."
Ariel rubbed at the back of her neck. "I wasn't trying to hide it. Just, people have trouble imagining me as anything other than this." She shrugged with a little giggle. "And I am this. Hello. Now, let's practice that magic finger of yours."
Smolder shook her head, not willing to drop the subject quite yet. "But you were a male. You still remember that, right?"
"Hard to forget it?" Ariel inclined her head. "But I'm not that anymore. All lady."
"Crazy." Smolder punched Ariel on the shoulder and turned away. "Black!"
"Black?" Was that even a possible color?! Ariel watched with fascination.
Smolder huffed out black smoke from her mouth, casting up billowing shadows as the air darkened with it. It didn't last long, but it had been black, as promised.
Ariel applauded wildly. "Wow! You really are good at this."
"Aren't I?" Smolder let the last of her smoke fade away. "If dragon magic is fire, I'm already a wizard." She waggled her brows. "I just need to learn how to do spells with it."
Author's Note
The Young Six is sharing their excitement about this new idea. Starlight's gonna be busy.
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So it was that Starlight had three smiling creatures in her office, each with their eyes on her in complete attention.
Silverstream spoke first. "We've been working really hard! We all got our magic fingers!"
Smolder offered a smug smirk as she gave a little bow. "Done with your best lessons, now we want something new."
Ariel bobbed her head. "We're all ready. We can control our magic fingers really well."
Starlight turned an ear to the side. "So, no Ocellus?"
Ariel blinked at that. "Ocellus can already use unicorn magic, remember? They don't need Creature magic lessons."
Starlight curled a hoof to her chin. "Point. If they're not interested, not much lost there. Okay, if you're all serious about this, let's begin. We'll start with the alphabet. Not A through Z, mind you. Magic has a different one. I'll show you them with my horn, and you'll copy them with your magic finger. Once you learn these, and can replicate them properly, you are officially on your way to becoming a spellcaster."
Silverstream giggled, eyes alight. "I'll have a magic horn too!"
Ariel chuckled at that as she shook her head. "Not literally." She hugged Silverstream with one arm. "Let's go."
Smolder thumped the chair she was in. "Yeah, let's get started."
Ariel folded her legs under herself, adjusting so she could be comfortable. She curled a finger through her pendant's chain, not touching the crystal.
Starlight floated over a book and flipped it open to reveal strange runes. "Here they are, but written down, they're just squiggles. The letter 'Q' means nothing until you know how to read and say it too, right? So let's learn how to say these." She pointed to the first letter, and her horn began to shine. She trailed along the letter and her horn's light shifted subtly with each. "I'm doing a sweep first, just so you can see the differences. I'll go back, promise."
Ariel squinted at the air as Starlight showed off the first rune. It was one of those things that looked like nothing until you knew what you were looking for. At a glance, one could swear they were all the same in her glow, but each was different. She held her crystal, trying to imitate some of those letters for herself. The changes in her own color were obvious, as they did not match up perfectly to the ones Starlight was making.
But they were attempts, and Starlight approved with a gentle clap of her hooves. "There you go. You're not there, yet, but you're on the right path. Back to the first one." She pointed at it. "It has a name." Her horn's glow shifted to that first one. "And it's very useful in a lot of spells."
So the class began in earnest. Smolder's puffs of fire were the loudest thing as she did her best to follow along in her own way, with the hippogriffs focusing on their crystals. Each time, Starlight returned to that first letter, making sure everyone could make it well. "Good, you all have a fair grasp on 'A'. But now B." She slid her hooves to the second rune. "Don't rush. We won't finish this today, but each one you get down is a victory."
She moved on to C, D, E. Silverstream was quick to grasp these, almost getting F before anyone else. Ariel was amazed. "How are you getting these so quickly?!" She was still on C, which she felt so close to. "I'm amazed!"
Smolder was still on B. "Ugh, controlling my breath this exactly is hard!" She frowned at the fire she was blowing. It was missing a subtle change in hue for that letter.
Ariel moved around Smolder to hug her from behind. "Don't get frustrated. We're all learning, together." She rubbed Smolder's back soothingly. "You'll get it."
"Thanks." She relaxed into Ariel's touch, grateful for the contact. "B!" She puffed her fire in a controlled burst.
Starlight applauded. "B! Very good. If you can do that again, you have it."
Smolder waited a moment, before repeating the attempt, noting the subtle difference she had to make in the heat of her flame. But she did have it, and with a triumphant smirk, she went on towards C. The three of them made steady progress for the day until they were all quite tired from all the magic practice.
Silverstream stretched her arms out. "That was fun!" She reached over to pull Ariel into a hug. "I didn't know bringing you would get me into magic lessons! You're like the gift that keeps on giving." She nuzzled her fellow griffon intently. "I'm so happy you're here!"
Ariel hugged back tightly. "I'm happy I'm here too! There's just, something about Equestria that feels right to me." She offered an arm to Smolder to join in the hugging. "And thank you for being patient. I know this is hard work. I hope you're having a little fun?"
Smolder eyed Ariel before shrugging. "It's alright. Kinda like wrestling, but more fire." With a laugh, she stepped into the group embrace. "This is fine. Very nice. A good day."
Ariel chuckled along with her as they all pressed together. Starlight coughed gently. "You all did quite well. Here." She floated over a smaller book to each of them. "It has the alphabet in it. Feel free to practice the runes you know now. Don't bother with the ones you don't. It's hard without having an example in front of you of a unicorn actually doing it."
Silverstream picked up her book. "You won't teach us more?"
"We'll need another lesson," answered Starlight, holding up a hoof. "But that won't be today. You're all tired. And you have other classes tomorrow. We'll meet up in three days, so practice what you've learned until then. Practice is the biggest part of magic anyway."
Ariel looked over her own book. "Thank you for all your help. You're a really good teacher." She hugged her book close. "I'm so excited right now!"
Starlight flattened her ears back at the compliment. "Aw, thanks, but it's nothing. This has been interesting. I'm usually just a guidance counselor, not a teacher. It's a new thing."
"New is fun!" Silverstream clapped as she did a little dance on the spot. "Thank you for making this new for us!"
The three headed for the door together, each looking satisfied with what they had gotten out of the day's work. They made it into the hall when Ariel slowed. "Huh? Oh, right! Starlight said something about Ocellus earlier." She looked around, unable to find her missing friend. "Should we show her what we learned?"
Silverstream tilted her head. "We don't need to." She smiled softly. "Ocellus figured out how to do unicorn magic already, and the pony stuff is, just, stuff."
Smolder shrugged a wing. "Yeah. If she wanted to know about creature magic, she'd have been there."
"Okay." Ariel's tone seemed to imply she wasn't entirely sure of that, but the topic was dropped.
They walked back to the dormitory together, each carrying their books.
Gallus and Yona were deep in conversation. Yona looked up as the three would-be spellcasters came in. "Hello!" She waved excitedly. "Talk Gallus. Still mad."
Gallus crossed his arms. "Yeah, I'm 'still mad.' It isn't fair. Why don't griffons have any magic?!" He let his wings droop. "And Smolder gets magic too now? It's just Yona and me that can't."
Yona shrugged gently. "Yaks not magic. Yaks still great. Yona not worried."
Gallus shrugged along with her. "But I am! Don't you care?"
Yona grabbed Gallus in a powerful hug. "Care about you. Not care about magic for Yona."
Gallus blinked as he was squeezed. "Oh." He pushed at Yona to get some air back in his lungs.
Ariel joyfully joined in the hugging, nuzzling at Gallus. "Aw, don't be sad!" She didn't mind the struggling Gallus. "It's not your fault you don't have magic! You're just fine without it."
Gallus dropped low and popped out of the hug circle. "Cut that out. Look, it's easy to say that!" He made a sharp cutting motion through the air with a wing. "It doesn't mean it's true. Magic is amazing. And I can't do any."
Yona sniffled loudly as she rose up onto her hooves. "Can do good stuff without magic."
Ariel frowned with thought. "Well, hm. Think back, really hard. Have griffons ever had a story about any kind of griffon magic?"
Gallus narrowed his eyes in a sour glare. "They haven't." He tossed his head back to send his blue mane rippling. "They've had their share of treasures, but most of those are long gone, and I sure don't have any, so that's not gonna happen."
Ariel slumped as her idea fizzled out. "Well, okay, what do you have? Your flight, your eyesight, your claws and beaks!" She hopped up to tickle Yona with her own talons.
Yona laughed and rolled over, soon hugging Ariel above her. For all the drama happening with Gallus, she seemed perfectly happy as she was.
Smolder went up to Gallus. "Straight talk. You know I'm good for that." She punched Gallus on the shoulder. "You want magic? Whatever, let's figure it out. You have to have a magic finger wedged in you somewhere . We just have to figure out where it's hiding."
Gallus grumbled faintly, but he couldn't help but grin. "Yeah. Yeah! Smolder's right!" His smile faded. "But where do we even start looking?"
Smolder rolled her shoulders. "Tons of books in this place. Get researching."
Silverstream leaned against Ariel with a soft sigh. "We just got some." She waved the slender tome that Starlight had given them. "Could start there?"
Ariel hummed in thought. "Maybe. What do you think?"
"It might be useful?" Silverstream held it up and shook it slightly. "Maybe they put some notes about griffon magic in here?" She smiled, nodding her head eagerly. "It's worth a look!"
"Yeah, I doubt that." That didn't stop him from grabbing the book and turning away, tail flitting agitatedly. "Let you know." He retreated to his bunk and got to reading.
Smolder snorted. "At least he's stopped sulking." She folded her arms as she watched him for a moment before turning away. "Now, I want to practice. I'll be ticked at myself if I went through that effort and didn't get to the part where I do something."
Ariel grabbed Smolder and hugged her close. "That's awesome! Good luck! If you want any help, let me know." She waved her own book. "I should do that too. I want to get to the actual spells." The two ended up sitting side by side, eagerly practicing with flames and a crystal.
Gallus followed their example, going through his book, looking for anything he could make use of. He was grumbling as he read, not liking any of it. "This is all about unicorns and stuff," he moaned out, flipping to the next page. "None of this is going to help me."
Yona snuffled around him as she watched, ready to assist if need be, but looking helpless to come up with a concrete idea to offer him. "We find the magic?" She patted his head with a hoof. "Yeah. Yona and Gallus together." She couldn't help, but she wasn't about to leave him alone.
Gallus flipped forward, just to stop suddenly. "There's a poem in here. Like, one of those things somepony read you to sleep when you were a chick." He let the book flop onto his bed. "But this one's about magic." He tapped at it with a talon. "Magic magic, up above, in that space I'm still learning to love."
Silverstream looked over from her own crystal glowing, brow furrowing. "I think that's pretty."
"It keeps going." Gallus scrunched his beak. "But it doesn't mention a horn, specifically." He folded his arms. "This may sound crazy, but maybe it might help, you know, trying to follow it?"
Yona clapped as she nodded rapidly. "Yeah! Try!" She wiggled closer to him, practically laying on top of him as he tried to sit up straight.
Gallus shoved at her with a laugh. "I'm on it, but you stop being on me, sheesh."
Author's Note
Magic is being learned! Gallus doesn't like being left out though.
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Gallus stood at a high point, atop a building. The wind brushed past him, more powerful that high up. His fur and feathers rustled in the press of that motion. The wind brought scents to him. They were faint, but he could pick out traces of his fellow students below, and in the distance, the forest that surrounded them.
But his mind was turned more internally. As the poem had suggested, he tried to focus on what magic meant for him, his ephemeral source of the stuff. It was all swirling around in him, rushing about like the wind, but impossible to grasp directly. He tried to reach for it, just as he had watched Ariel and Silverstream do with their own. It was inside. He felt sure of it. Smolder controlled it with her fire, but it was her fire. The crystals his hippogriff friends held just gave a way to envision is, but it had to be inside, internal.
The wind tickled his wings, fluttering the blue feathers softly. In that moment, he had an idea. He closed his hands around that unseen idea, imagining he was taking hold of that same 'something' that his friends had been grabbing so eagerly.
Things changed around him. The wind, his friend and companion, knocked him right off his perch, and his wings, fluttering impotently, couldn't give him flight. In an instant, he crashed into the ground. Though he let out a squawk and a thick curse, he was laughing all the while. "Found ya!" He clutched at the invisible form inside himself, pouring every ounce of will he had to grab it and hold on.
But the stronger he held it, the less he could lift himself. His magic wasn't some dangling bauble. It was what let his form lift from the earth in the first place. Flight was his magic. He let it go, allowing his wings to receive their magic properly. "This is great. Awful, but also kinda cool." He raced off in search of his friends.
"Guys! Guys!" He hopped up onto Silverstream, who dropped her crystal with a yelp as she was knocked over. "I figured it out!"
Ariel inclined her head at him. "That's great! But what'd you figure out? Tell us."
Ocellus nodded in agreement. "You look really excited."
Gallus lifted his wing so all could see his smile. "My magic's flight. Flying is magic for me." He grabbed at the air, taking hold of that magic. "And when I stop it, look." He flapped his wings, but no flight happened. "See? That's my magic."
Silverstream, having recovered her crystal, stared at Gallus with amazement. "Neat, but can you control it?"
Ariel bobbed her head. "You need to be able to make it crawl, gain control over it's, uh, expression. You got on and off, that's a great start." She grabbed Gallus in a firm hug. "I'm so happy for you right now! But you have more to do. There's always more to do."
Gallus felt just as satisfied, but he had to admit there was more to learn. "Right. My, uh, wing magic doesn't glow like your crystals, or have colors like Smolder's fire. Express it." He sank to a crouch, thinking on that. "We use words for that, but I can't think of a word for this. So how do I make it do what I want?"
Yona sank down with a thump that shook the ground. "Think too hard."
Gallus scowled at her. "If you're so smart about magic, how would you do it?"
Yona considered that quietly a moment. "Magic make fly. Magic control wind. Wind pick griffon up, yes? Not see, feel." She pointed a hoof at Gallus. "Feel wind. Control wind. Nothing to see."
Silverstream hugged herself, shivering in awe. "Whoa, that's amazing! But she might be right! Yona, you are amazing!"
Yona smiled confidently. "Yona know, but like hearing." She reached out and hugged Silverstream warmly. "Little closer to that now, Yona think."
Ariel patted Gallus on the shoulder gently. "Well, if she's right, your magic will be the wind. You need to be able to call it without just picking yourself up, to make it dance, then you can start learning the alphabet like we are, but with the wind dancing instead of colors or glowing lights."
Gallus stuck his wings out at his sides. "But I can't see it."
Ariel gasped in an almost playful manner. "We just said that. You can't see it, but you sure can feel it. I can feel when I'm flying, and the wind's carrying me." She rubbed at the back of her neck. "And I know, I've been in a body where I couldn't feel anything. It wasn't fun."
Gallus thumped his wings to his sides with a sigh. "Okay, so no holding it shut. Just, um." He flapped his wings, feeling for it. The wind ruffled under his wings, eager to carry him into the air as it always had. "Right, but not flying." He tried lowering his wings, but imagining the flap anyway. Wind tickled at his sides, a faint sensation. He let his wings raise slightly, imagining the flap again, and the wind shifted more powerfully around him.
Silverstream turned about in place, as if confused. "Are you doing that? Wow! I'm not used to breezes on the inside." She laughed, hands reaching upwards towards the ceiling. "That's neat!"
Ocellus stood with her hooves on the ground, blinking as the breeze tousled her pink mane. "The wind is dancing around Gallus."
Yona smacked her lips as she tilted her head back. "There." One word, all she needed. She smiled with obvious pride. "All Yona friend have magic."
Ariel froze at that. "But not Yona."
Yona blinked. "What? Yona have lots magic." She thumped her chest. "Magic of friends. Yona is Yak, big magic! Yona is happy. Friend have magic." She looked to Gallus with a smug grin. "He still not Yona good, but getting closer."
Gallus let out a rough laugh. "I doubt I'll ever be good enough to qualify as 'yak good'. Oh, anycreature see Sandbar? I feel like we lost track of him in all this." He shook his head at the memory.
"Yeah, let's look for him." Silverstream stood and hugged Gallus warmly. "Congratulations! Now learn to magic crawl so you can join us in magic toddling!" She giggled with her usual airy joy.
Ariel leaped into the air to hover with a triumphant smile. "Yeah, that's awesome!" She swooped towards the door. "I'll look for Sandbar." She ducked out, zipping down the hallway of the school.
The school was abuzz with activity, but there was an extra pep to the place as students hurried about, many talking excitedly with one another. One of the many ponies waved up at Ariel. "Did you get one?" They held up a leaflet in their magic. "You should come!"
Ariel recognized that poster. "Oh, right, the concert." She landed before the young pony. "Are you going?"
"Hay yeah! Everycreature's going." The young mare danced in place. "It's so exciting! It'll be all kinds of fun. Come! If you're at all like Silverstream, I bet you'll have a blast."
Ariel laughed at that. "We may both be hippogriffs, but we're not twins or anything, sheesh." Still, a concert did sound fun. "I was looking for Sandbar though, you see him?"
"He was going outside a little while ago, maybe to the lake?" She trotted off with a laugh.
With a clue, Ariel rushed out of the building and took flight. A small part of her pondering Gallus' magic. She had wings that carried her, and she felt sure they weren't nearly big enough to do so. Was magic involved? It felt likely, but switching tracks to trying to do magic that way when she already had a working relationship with her crystal felt a bit like giving herself more work for no real gain.
She soon spotted Sandbar in the distance, at the edge of the lake, just as promised. He was moving oddly. As she drew closer, she could see him taking slow steps as he counted to himself. "What are you doing?" She landed nearby. "Everything alright?"
"Everything." He swung a hoof wide. "Is." He took a firm step forward. "Fine." He pivoted around entirely. "I'm practicing the dance I'll be doing at the concert."
Ariel jumped up with a little laugh. "Oh! That's amazing! Are you nervous?"
Sandbar rolled his eyes back into his head. "Yeah." He twirled with a purposeful thrust of an arm across his chest. "The steps are, wow, complicated. I need to get it right."
Ariel watched him dance and move a moment. "Can I help?"
Sandbar fumbled for a moment. "Sure. Want to dance too? The more the merrier." He offered a hoof towards her. "A partner to go through the motions with would help."
Ariel looked at Sandbar's offered hoof. "Oh, yeah, um, sure. Can you teach me?" She took his hoof and stepped in closer. "I don't know the steps."
"So we'll both learn." He led her along through the motions. They were entirely mismatched at first, but having somecreature to guide actually helped him learn the motions better, and soon enough they were at least going competently.
He chuckled as he picked up the pace. "The music will be very fast." He sent Ariel spinning away, moving where the dance required him to be. "But I want to get it right. Thanks, um, hey, I thought you'd be busy with your magic stuff?"
Ariel let herself glide into a neat landing before joining back up with Sandbar. "It's mostly trying to figure out what each of our magic is. We found Gallus', and I thought, oh no! We forgot Sandbar. Did you want help finding your magic?"
"Nah." He hugged Ariel in the dance, moving in the choreographed motions. "I'm happy the way I am. It's kinda nice in a way, having magic friends. I'm rooting for ya!"
Ariel laughed as she flapped her wings to make the spin a little more dramatic. "Wow, you've got some moves!" The two shared in their laughter as the dance seemed to get easier with practice.
Sandbar sank to his haunches, huffing for breath. "I need a break. Seriously, thanks for the help. I really think this will go great now." He got up and did a few experimental steps to see how he felt. "Yeah." He nodded to himself. "But I do need a break." He turned back towards the school. "Want to head back?"
Ariel panted for breath. "Sounds good." She looked at Sandbar a moment. "It'll be my turn to cheer you on when you do your part at the concert. I'm so excited!" She leaped into the air, taking flight.
Sandbar laughed as he followed her on hoof, loping at a relaxed pace.
Back at the school, in their dorms, Ariel offered the pamphlet she'd gotten to the others. "There's gonna be a big concert, and guess what? Sandbar's gonna be in it! It'll be fun! I was hoping you'd all come with me."
Yona frowned at the paper. "Concert?" She shrugged softly. "If Sandbar at it, Yona at it."
Silverstream hopped into the air with a laugh. "He's like family! Of course we'll be there for him."
Gallus gave a thumbs up. "Sure. I bet it'll be loud though. Ponies don't have quiet concerts."
Smolder rolled her eyes at the very idea. "What's the point of a quiet concert?"
Ariel patted Smolder on the shoulder. "Alright! Looks like it's gonna be a blast!" She smiled softly as she let her mind drift off to think about it. "Oh, should I be in it?"
Sandbar emerged into the room. "Love your enthusiasm, but it's a little late for that. There's already going to be a lot of creatures there." He winked with a chuckle. "I'm sure you'll have fun though. And I'll be counting on your cheers."
The room erupted in chatted about the concert and what would be required to enjoy the event.
Author's Note
Take flight! To a concert?
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11 - Dancing the Night Away
Ariel held Silverstream's hand as they made their way through the gathered crowds. A towering stage was at the center of all this. "Have you been to a concert like this before?"
Silverstream burst into giggles. "I was just going to ask you the same thing!" She swung Ariel's arm back and forth playfully. "I don't think so, but I don't think this will be the last."
"Well, uh, me too." Ariel thought back over a lifetime, and all the reasons that got in the way, ending with sickness. "I'm looking forward to it! What do you think it'll be like?"
Silverstream held up a finger as she giggled again. "Let's find out!" She pulled Ariel along through the crowd towards a table that seemed to be covered in various snacks. Silverstream paused, face clouding with uncertainty. "Uh, wait. Are you supposed to eat at concerts?"
Ariel bumped gently against her. "If you're hungry, yes. If not, no." She watched Silverstream fidget a moment. "Hey, if you're not sure about this, I understand." That didn't stop Ariel from grabbing a sweet little roll and snapping it down. "Oh, that's yummy." She scooped up another to offer to Silverstream. "These are good."
Silverstream tried one of the little rolls. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Mmmm! They are!" The two laughed, that moment of uncertainty dashed to bits.
Ocellus flitted nearby, lured by the scent of food. "Hey! You should try some of this! This stuff here is really good!"
The two hippogriffs smiled warmly at her as they piled their plates. Ocellus pointed out. "Wanna dance after you get your full?"
Silverstream smiled even more broadly. "I want to dance before I get my full!" She scooped up a puffy bit of bread and dipped it into a dark sauce.
Ariel laughed at that. "Not sure you're doing that, but I love the attitude." She chewed at a flaky thing that sent bits flying but tastiness dancing across her tongue. "Did Sugarcube make these?"
Ocellus bobbed her head up and down. "They did! I'm pretty sure this was their idea. The Cakes and Pinkie, working together to get us all kinds of baked snacks. They're good at it!"
Ariel hopped excitedly to the beat as she chewed through her snack. "This is amazing! Everything's so much fun!"
Ocellus grabbed the two hippogriffs by the hands and dragged them towards the crowd dancing. Time melted away as they all got into the motions, food rapidly abandoned about as quickly as it had been taken up.
Ariel spotted Yona dancing with Sandbar, the two rather close as they stepped a bit slower than some of the others, but with a purposefulness. "Aw." She turned back to Silverstream. "They look really happy!"
Silverstream smiled warmly at them both. "They are so cute together. I'm glad they have each other. Sandbar's been so worried about what comes next. It's good to see him having fun and relaxing."
Ariel inclined her head. "Next? Wow, they're that close?" She gasped in pleasant surprise. "Should we be trying to set them up for marriage?!"
Silverstream shook her head with a soft chuckle. "Not that close. Maybe later? I dunno." She guided Ariel along into the next dance. "I don't know how you even get into that level of things. It looks so dreamy, but how do you even start?!"
Ariel rolled her eyes back. "It just kinda happens, doesn't it? I don't know." She sure hadn't gotten married before. "If two, um, keep on liking each other?" She shrugged helplessly. "Let's hope it works out for them, and keep being there for them. They have to figure the rest out themselves."
"Oh, totally!" Silverstream poked Ariel on the end of her beak. "That goes without saying, silly."
The concert went well into the evening. All around them were smiles and laughter as creatures did their best to express their joy with movement. The night was warm, the company excellent. Alas, fatigue, and the end of the shows meant it had to end eventually.
Ariel yawned softly as she leaned against Silverstream. "I could stay here all night."
Silverstream hugged her with a sigh. "We should get to bed. We do have class tomorrow." She took a deep breath of the air, perfumed with fresh flowers. "This was nice though. A great night."
"Very nice." Ariel headed out with Silverstream, just to bump into Gallus.
Gallus was watching the two with a smirk. "You two have been super chums this whole evening, like a certain pony and a certain yak I know. Are you two, you know, an item, or what? The flirting is pretty cute, but no pressure. It's all good."
Ariel's feathers bristled as she sputtered in shock. "She's a friend!"
Gallus held up his hands. "We're all friends. You think Sandbar and Yona aren't friends? They're that, and a little more."
Silverstream smiled as she tucked a wing around Ariel. "Aw, but we're just good friends." She suddenly gasped with a realization. "I'm so sorry!" She grabbed Gallus' surprised hand. "I didn't give you any dances at all! I feel so bad right now! Come on! Let's go!" She pulled him along, back towards the crowd.
Ariel watched them go with a muted giggle. "Silver, you are so silly." She rolled her eyes, but continued her way back towards the dorms. It was all in good fun, after all. A little flirting never hurt anycreature.
Gallus returned to the dorms as well, with Silverstream attached at his side. She looked jubilant, as usual. He was less so, but also blushing a bit with her hand holding his firmly. "So, uh, yeah. That was fun." He smiled to himself, shyly. "Like I said, just friends."
Smolder laughed from her bunk. "Did I miss something?" She rolled over onto her belly. "You two are looking closer than usual."
Silverstream stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh, you're right!" She folded her arms over Gallus' back as she cuddled him happily. "Thanks for the dance!" She danced away from him, not taking note of the reaction.
Gallus was frozen in place, red all over his face and neck. He squawked wordlessly before slinking over to his bunk. "I need a moment."
Smolder howled with laughter. "I am so happy I wasn't asleep for that! Wow!" She hopped off her bunk to give Silverstream a hard pat on the shoulder. "Gallus was going easy on you there, but he got more than he bargained for." Silver looked clueless on what Smolder meant, which just amused her into snickers. "Where are the two real lovebirds? I don't see Yona or Sandbar."
Silverstream frowned in thought. "Hmm. Yona and Sandbar? They must be outside somewhere, right? We should go looking for them, get them back inside." She looked at Smolder expectantly.
Smolder rolled her eyes. "Fine. Guess us flyers should do out part or whatever." She kicked Gallus' bunk. "That includes you, hotshot. We're all going out, so get off your butt."
Gallus snorted in amusement. "I bet they're around the back of the school." He hopped back to his feet, wings at the ready. "Let's go find them real quick so we can get to sleep. This was fun, but yeah, I'm tired."
Silverstream rubbed her arms. "They better not be at the lake."
"Good idea." Ariel took off at a dash. "I'll check the lake! You guys go look around the school!"
She ran to the door, taking flight with the wind. The stars were brilliant overhead as she headed towards the lake. The cool wind was refreshing after an evening of almost stifling heat with a room full of dancers and moving bodies.
Her eyes quickly found a pair of shapes on the beach by the lake. They were kissing, almost hidden from sight by a crop of rocks. Ariel came in for a smooth landing on the other side of the rocks, barely hiding her giggles. She went for a peek to be sure they were who she hoped they were, and were actually okay.
They broke their kiss and nuzzled one another. Sandbar hugged Yona close. "This has been the best evening ever."
Ariel wrenched her face back behind the rock, blushing furiously. Yep! That was them. With their safety assured, she took flight back towards the school. She got back just as Gallus, Smolder, and Silverstream emerged from inside. "Found them!" She waved eagerly as she came in for a landing. "They were just enjoying a little together time after the dance. They're okay."
Smolder shook her head. "Good. That means we can all get to bed." She headed for the door, stretching her arms. "Night all."
With soft murmurs of agreement, they all headed back to the dorms and their warm waiting bunks. It was a fine time for sleep, and none of them had any arguments about it.
The next morning, Ariel awoke to being smothered under weight and thick fur. Her mind wasn't completely awake yet, and she tried to remember why there was something fuzzy on top of her. And why was it so heavy? She blinked, coming more fully awake. "Yona?"
"Morning." Yona's voice was sleepy, yawning as she stretched, sprawled out on top of Ariel.
Ariel inclined her head. "Why are you on top of me, silly yak? That can't be comfortable for you either."
"Better than sleeping alone." She smiled, hugging Ariel tight. "Also, Yona saw." She poked Ariel on the beak. "Bad. No watching Yona kiss. Yona like privacy."
Ariel blushed furiously as she shoved at Yona to try and get some space. Alas, the yak was far too heavy to force away. "I'm sorry! I was just making sure you and Sandbar were safe. We got worried when we lost track of you two. Sorry for being a creepy stalker. I just want us all to be happy and okay."
Yona huffed. Still, she rose slowly and slid free of Ariel. "Okay. If that why peeking, not so bad." She patted Ariel gently. "Good friend. Always caring about Yona."
Ariel curled up under her blankets. "You're welcome. Thanks for the morning hug, but maybe a warning first?"
"No." Yona trotted away with a sly smile. "Keep secrets from good friend is fine, if they private. Hugs are not secret. Now no more hugs, stalker Ariel."
Ariel's face grew heated. "I wasn't stalking! I was watching out for you."
"Uh huh." Yona didn't sound convinced. "Whatever you say, good friend."
Sandbar yawned, just waking up. "Hey, Yona? You're up early. And I'm wondering why I keep hearing 'stalker Ariel'." He looked at Yona with a confused head tilt.
Yona snickered gently. "Is nothing." She went over to touch her snout to Sandbar's in a little nuzzle. "Morning. Sleep good?"
Sandbar closed his eyes to accept the touch. "It was good, but you aren't distracting me from the question. Stalker Ariel?" He looked past Yona to Ariel, who was trying to hide under her blanket. "What's going on?"
Ariel sat up and launched herself out of bed. "I'm not a stalker! I just, uh, wanted to make sure you two were okay."
Sandbar blinked, but it came to him in a moment. Heat spread across his face. "Oh! Oh. You saw, um." He rubbed behind his head. "We were fine. It was, um, nice. Very nice. We were just enjoying the moment."
Yona shoved him lightly. "We have fun. Together." She grabbed him up out of bed, into a great hug. "Not your fault she snooping."
Sandbar laughed and accepted the crushing hug. "Still, we'll need to be more careful." He snuggled against his big girlfriend. "We should get ready for classes, okay? Don't want to be late."
Yona nuzzled at him before letting go. "Yeah. Yona ready."
Author's Note
No sudden scene skips for you!
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12 - Dress Makes a Hippogriff
The dining hall was bustling with activity as the students filed in after their morning classes. They all looked forward to the meals they could enjoy here. Ariel sank onto the bench with all her friends. "Hi guys!"
Yona reached over to pat Ariel. "Hello, snoop."
Silverstream blinked at the new name. "Snoop?"
Sandbar laughed nervously. "She caught Ariel spying on us. Pretty sure she was just checking on us though."
"Y-yeah!" Ariel nibbled at her lunch, sinking her beak into the soft stuff. "I wasn't trying to spy, just make sure my friends were safe."
Though Sandbar seemed understanding, Yona's prickled state seemed to persist. Ariel drank down her cup of water and pushed to her feet. "I'm headed to Starlight's. Is everycreature ready to learn more magic?"
Every hand went up, and soon she had company to make the short trip to Starlight's. Yona wasn't one of them, so that was pushed to the side for at least the moment.
Starlight had readied a new lesson. She met them all with a grin. "It feels like you have new faces every time you come by." Her eyes went to Gallus. "So, tell me how a griffon plans to use their magic, which I didn't think they had."
Gallus spread his wings, air swirling around him. Alas, Starlight couldn't really see that. "Those are very nice wings."
Gallus huffed. "Yeah, well, I have magic in them. The whole magic thing is... weird. We do it differently, and maybe that's what makes it 'griffon magic'?" He grabbed Starlight's hoof and held it close enough that she could feel the wind moving. "Up." It was going up. "Down. Left. Right." With each call, the wind blew in that direction.
Starlight drew her hoof back with a smile. "Well! I'm impressed. If that works, then I bet pegasi could get in on this if they wanted." She glanced to the other eager magic students and back. "Did the others already give you the basic magic crawling instructions?"
"Yes, yes!" Silverstream stomped a foot eagerly. "We learned all that!"
Gallus' enthusiasm had faded, just a little. "Yep. That's why I was showing you that. I can control how strong and in what direction the wind goes. I'm magic crawling. So when do we get to the next part?"
Starlight hummed softly as she stared off into the distance. "It should be safe enough to move on." She pulled out a board with her magic, covered in the unicorn runes. "Now, I think it's time for two things. For one, it's time to learn the quanta of magic!"
Ariel squinted at that. "Quanta?" That was a word she knew, kinda vaguely, from her old world. She hadn't figured on it showing up in Equestria. "What do you mean by that?"
Starlight waved at the board. "Well, I meant that the basic units of magic can be arranged into shapes that combine to make bigger things." She held up her hooves close together. "These are the smallest building blocks, the quanta. But, a trick! These are made for unicorns, which none of you are. I'll go over each letter and show them on my horn, and you have to translate them to yourself. You each have your own, wonderful, different kind of magic. With me?"
Ariel had been excited until she got to that last part. She glanced around the group. "No." Her smile came back almost instantly. "But I'm ready to look and try."
Ocellus bobbed her head. "That's how we learned magic in the first place."
Smolder lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "We won't know if we get it until you try, Teach."
Starlight nodded. "Good! I'll do that. The second thing is that I need you all to keep on crawling. You want to get better at it. The stronger you are at the basics, the easier the next steps will be. It all builds on one another." She pointed to the first rune, naming it. "And this one looks like this." Her horn put out a light. "Focus on it. Feel it. Ignore my light, which sounds funny. Each unicorn has their own color to their magic, but, oh!" The glow shifted faintly. "Here's another." The glow shifted so very slightly again. "And another. "See the differences? It's the differences you're interested in." She returned to the first letter of that magic alphabet.
Ariel stared at Starlight's horn with rapt attention, feeling a part of her coming alive that she hadn't even known was there. "Y-yeah!" She held her crystal in tingling hands, imagining that light so intently that the crystal began to glow the same exact shade.
Starlight inclined her head. "Wait. I'm impressed and also worried. You're copying me, exactly. Very nice, but you should have your own take on it."
Ariel knew what Starlight meant immediately. "Oh, right. But, um, my crystal can glow any magic I want it to."
Smolder puffed some Starlight-magic-colored fire in the air. "Yeah, gonna side with Ariel on this one. We're not unicorns. We have less of a 'default' glow. Well, I mean, I do have fire fire. She puffed out some normal orangish flames. "That?"
Ocellus let off a bright glow, starting from her face and spreading across her body. "I glow." She had less problems doing that first rune in her own shade, but she was the one of them that had learned the magic ahead of time.
Gallus tried to use his 'air' magic, which was harder for him. He produced a rather nice, soft gray light that made Ariel think of wind-blown clouds. It wasn't really a glow at all. Griffons didn't have glows?
Ariel patted his shoulder. "You're doing great!" And she meant it. Going from nothing to making a specific thing, even a confusing cloud, was amazing. "I'm impressed."
Silverstream was doing as Ariel was doing, her crystal glowing in a copy of Starlight's shade exactly.
Starlight was, once again, impressed by how quickly her students picked things up. "I'm not sure if this will work the way we want it to, but we can't know until you're a little further in." Since the seemed to be getting her first letter, she moved on to the second. Of them, Gallus seemed to be doing it least in a way that startled her. He had his own soft glow, but he was copying her magic. "You're really getting this."
"Oh, thanks." Gallus winced. "Yeah, this is weird. I feel like I'm copying you somehow?"
"That's the idea." Starlight moved on to the next, advancing as quickly as they were picking up on it. "That's how learning works sometimes, just copying the teacher to start. Don't worry, it's how you use these basic steps that make you into your own wizard."
The lesson ended with them all exhausted but giddy with newfound magic knowledge. Ariel hugged her fatigued magic buddies. "We're doing it!"
"This is too exciting." Silverstream paced in place with her own smile. "But also tiring. I'm going to take a nap, then, back to work!" She marched off, as if quite ready for a very industrious nap.
Smolder snorted at her enthusiasm. "You're excited." She patted Ariel on the shoulder before wandering off. "Got other classes to get to."
Gallus let her go before leaning over to Ariel. "Thanks."
"Welcome!" Ariel inclined her head. "What for?"
Gallus prodded her. "Don't say you're welcome if you don't know what for, doofus." He rolled his eyes with a little smirk. "For believing in me, and getting me this far. Don't know if I'll ever be a wizard or not, but, um, thanks."
Ariel watched him slink away. "That was surprisingly wholesome." She rubbed at her forehead. "I could use a nap too, but I have a class, about, now!" She was looking up at a clock with wide eyes and dashed off to make it on time.
She slid into place behind her desk just as the bell went off. She was on time, barely. Rarity, her teacher for that period, did not look impressed. "Now that we're all here, hm, perhaps we can begin?"
Ariel felt embarrassed for being late and dove into her studies with renewed energy. It was hard work, but at least the hard work gave her something to do instead of stressing out about what a fool she had made of herself.
She jumped as something touched her. It was Rarity, poking her with a flat hoof. "Dear, I was hoping to make use of you."
Ariel gulped down a breath. "Use me?" She glanced about. "Um, use me how? That's a scary way of saying it."
Rarity tittered at that. "Nothing unseemly, darling, I assure. As a hippogriff, I was hoping you could lend your perspective." She waved at the board where pony fashions were drawn out. "Could you show the class some hippogriff fashions? I'd like to go over the differences and similarities."
Ariel licked her beak nervously. "Oh! Um, sure!" She hopped to her feet and approached the board. "Okay, so, there are feathers, a lot of them." She sketched out a few dresses with wings in various states of fluffiness. She hadn't worn any fancy hippogriff dresses really, but she had seen a few, and she sketched them out the best she could.
Rarity did not interrupt until Ariel seemed to be done. "Thank you! You have a knack for sketching out fashions, dear." She considered the drawings. "Now, as you can all see, all fashion has a few things in common, no matter which creature's wearing it." She pointed up at them. "They have a message! They speak of the wearer, or of the situation they're in. Good clothing advertises to the world who you are, and even in some ways that other creatures can recognize."
Ariel admired the art on the board. "I never thought of that. I just like fashion because it makes me feel pretty." She colored with a nervous laugh. "I say that, but I really have to wear some."
Rarity flashed a wicked smile. "Since you're volunteering! I'll expect you to wear one of these lovely numbers you drew. Tell me which and I'll get it put together for you, dear. I look forward to seeing it on you."
Ariel lifted her head, inspecting the sketches. They were all nice, but there was one that just felt right to her. She pointed to it. "That one, please."
Rarity looked it over and nodded with approval. "Very well, and you'll need the appropriate accessories." She cantered in place eagerly. "Oh, I do love putting together a new outfit. Have no fear! I should have it ready in a few days. Now, thank you all for paying attention." She waved the class away for the day.
Ariel waddled out of the class, feeling a bit shy and silly, but she was excited too.
Silverstream wandered towards her, yawning. "Ariel! Did you take notes on Professor Rarity's class? I missed it taking a nap."
"Sure!" Ariel walked with Silverstream through the school halls, idly chatting about fashion as they went.
Silverstream froze abruptly. "Wait. Rarity's making which dress for you?!" Ariel described it as best she could, hands waving in the air. "Oh, wow! Um. Ariel." Silverstream glanced away and back. "That dress is for hippogriffs about to be proposed to, or about to do the proposing. Either way, it's a big love dress!" Silverstream began giggling wildly, thinking about it.
Ariel hadn't known that. Her face burned. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know that was the meaning of it." She nervously shifted from foot to foot. "Should I tell her to stop?"
Silverstream glanced around. "Well, only I know what it really means." She winked a bit overly dramatically. "So I can just not say anything and we'll have a secret joke to laugh about."
"Um." Ariel had her doubts about that plan, but the dress was already promised, and Rarity wasn't likely to listen to her begging off at this point. "Okay. We can just not mention it to everycreature." She let out a sigh, mixed with a bit of a laugh. "Now I feel really dumb."
Silverstream snickered gently. "What, are you scared somegriff will see you and swoop in for your hand?" She colored at her own words. "That'd be romantic, but who would that be?! I like you, but not that way. We're friends!" She hugged Ariel tightly. "Good friends."
Ariel curled up against Silverstream's side with a giggle. "I know what you mean, silly."
Author's Note
Smashcuts? Not here!
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Over the next several days, Yona and Ariel worked on mending fences and trying to talk to each other. Alas, every time they seemed close to doing it, one comment from one or the other put them back to square one.
The problem was always there. Neither of them were sure how to address it without causing offense, and both of them felt bad for having those thoughts at all. Ariel threw her hands wide. "I don't want to be mad at her anymore!" She paused. "I'm the one who did something wrong, if anycreature was, which I wasn't!" She flopped against a wall with a sigh.
Gallus patted her with one wing. "Yeah. You didn't." He tilted his head, leaning over closer. "Want me to try talking to her? We've been friends longer, you know?"
Ariel stood upright. "Would you?" Hope flooded her as the tension finally released. "I think she could use hearing from another friend." She nervously fidgeted her hands together. "Is it me? Maybe I'm the one being an awful friend." She smacked herself on the beak. "Maybe we're both being unreasonable. How do I even fix that?"
Gallus took a calming breath. "I'll try talking to her. Hopefully she'll calm down and we can work things out." He rubbed Ariel's shoulder. "You take it easy, and be ready to just say 'I'm sorry' without any extra bits on there."
Ariel huffed, almost offended by that suggestion. "Hey, I've been perfectly mature, thank you very much."
"Yeah yeah." Gallus rolled his eyes as he took to the air and flew down the hallway in search of an equally perfectly mature yak.
Yona was outside the school, hauling her books in her mouth. At her side was Smolder, laughing gently. Gallus zipped towards them on agile wings. "Hey, you two!"
Smolder grinned as he landed. "Heya."
Yona turned, blinking rapidly. "Uh. Hello." She smiled at Gallus, setting aside her books. "Gallus, why come flying here?"
Gallus sank onto his haunches in front of Yona, folding his arms over his chest. "Ariel's basically in tears. She hates fighting with you, Yona. What'll it take for things to work out?"
Smolder shook her head as she answered. "Not going to happen, Gal. Look, Yona isn't trying to pick a fight or anything like that."
"Yes." Yona nodded firmly. "Yaks not pick fights for nothing. She break trust. Take time, long time, to get better. Until then, no snoop." She sighed softly, her whole body shuddering with it. "Break trust. Not good friends yet."
Gallus shook his head. "Look, she wasn't trying to snoop. The rest of us said she should look for you two, and she did. She got a glimpse of the kissing, realized you were both okay, and came back to us. Isn't that reasonable?"
Yona shrugged. "Yona not mad. Just hurt."
Smolder folded her arms over her chest. "Yona has the right to feel however she wants to about Ariel right now."
Gallus threw up his hands. "Not helping! Look, you can feel however you want, but it's making you and Ariel both miserable. She really wants to make up. Make her earn your trust if you want, but at least talk to her! That's all I'm asking. She isn't some stranger, or some jerk you want to avoid forever, and you know it."
Smolder shrugged, staying silent for the moment. Gallus' words had swayed her towards finding a resolution faster, if only because the tension was bad for everyone, but she still wanted to stick at Yona's side.
Yona listened, but only silence greeted Gallus as he finished. It hung there until the tension of waiting strained her. "Ugh. Okay. Maybe, maybe try." She pressed at her face. "Want to be alone right now, yes?"
Gallus held up his hands defensively. "Sure sure. Thanks for talking." He patted Yona on the shoulder as he turned to go, letting the girls relax for the moment.
Smolder settled beside Yona, draping a wing over the yak's broad shoulders. "Wow." She rested her head against the soft fur and gentle warmth of Yona's side. "You don't have to do anything, you know that, right?"
Yona sighed as she wrapped her forelegs around Smolder. "Not know what else to do." She shook herself out and stood up. "Ariel not bad creature. She hurt feelings, but still good creature."
Smolder chuckled, walking along beside Yona as she gathered up the dropped books. "Even the good creatures can mess up and be a dink sometimes. You want me there when you talk to her?" She huffed a little smoke. "Dragons are good at setting fires under creatures when called for." She chuckled a little. "Or even when not called for, if they're in that mood."
Yona bumped against Smolder, almost bowling her over. "Thanks. Want friend here when talk, but hope no dragon anger needed."
Smolder nodded, accepting the mission as set before her. She followed after Yona and soon the two were tracking down the offending Ariel. They found the hippogriff pacing at the entrance to their shared dorm. Yona stepped up to her and cleared her throat.
Ariel froze in her tracks, glancing between Smolder and Yona. "Hi." She danced in place, tail lashing. "Good to see you." She forced her best smile. "I've, um, been thinking about Sandbar. I guess I was a little snoopy. Wasn't trying to spy! I'm sorry! Please forgive me. Friends?"
Yona offered out a hoof for Ariel to take. "Is fine." She frowned slightly, just slightly. "Will take time to forget."
Smolder raised a scaled brow. "What, just like that? I was expecting more, you know, fight about it first." She huffed a little steamy snort. "What am I missing here?"
Yona grinned faintly. "Am yak."
"And what, pray tell, does that mean?" Smolder leveled a finger at Yona accusingly.
Ariel giggled gently. "Only a yak would get it." She moved in to hug Yona tightly. "But I love you anyway, okay?" She was all smiles, all relief then.
Yona hugged Ariel gently. "Yona glad. Like to be happy friends again."
With that settled, the group returned to their classes. It was there that Ariel ran into her first creature guest teacher.
"Hello!" For a griffon, she sounded downright pleasant. "My name is Gabby, and Twilight asked me to come here today to talk about griffons."
Gallus perked up right away. "My people! Who hasn't heard of Gabby?" His eyes were on her pointedly. "Friendliest griffon you'll ever meet, and a super oddball for that very reason."
Gabby smiled at the student's eagerness. "Yes, my friend Gallus knows what I'm about!" She got a few steps closer to the class. "I want to dispel some griffon myths! Griffons do not hate you, even the grumpy ones." A little pause for laughter from the crowd. "And though we can have sharp tongues, that doesn't extend to our literal tongues." She opened her beak to display her perfectly soft tongue to them. "We are creatures, like anycreature else in this room. We'd rather have good neighbors, and to, you know, get along if we can. It's a lot easier than not."
Gallus laughed lightly. "Griffons definitely like keeping it easy whenever possible." He nudged Ariel's shoulder. "How about hippogriffs?"
Gabby made a lowering gesture. "Easy there, Gallus. It's my turn to talk. No interruptions please." She kept her gaze locked with Gallus', raising a brow. "Now, many creatures seem to assume hippogriffs and griffons have a lot more in common than we actually do." She folded her arms, looking between Silverstream and Ariel. "Though we share half a body in common, the similarities dry up around there. While I wouldn't mind a hippogriff friend, they aren't griffons. Hippogriffs live a lifestyle that griffons usually prefer to avoid. They often value community above self-reliance, where a griffon values self reliance, but appreciates a friendly neighbor."
She raised a finger. "There's also water! Hippogriffs love living next to, on, and in the water. Griffons might visit the water, but live on the land." She winked to them. "You could almost consider that griffons are just seaponies that aren't." She paused for effect. "Seaponies without the sea, get it?" A few chuckles ran across the room. "Back to the point! As difficult as it can be to get close to griffons, they don't hate you, they just also don't trust you right away. After all, friendships, real friendships, require a great deal of mutual appreciation and willingness to help one another."
Gabby hugged the air in front of her. "And that's what makes me odd. I see you all as friends already. So it's really easy to talk to me. Why wouldn't I talk to a friend?" She chuckled warmly, shaking her head with a beaky grin. "That is exactly what gets me called an 'oddball'. I may be odd, but I wouldn't trade it in for anything!" Her eyes locked on Gallus. "You're a griffon in friendship school. How do you feel?"
Gallus lowered his head shyly, suddenly the center of attention. "W-well. Um." He fidgeted with his fingers, wings twitching. "You know. All my life, I knew griffons, so it was easy to just live as a griffon." He looked to the side at Ariel and the others beyond her. "It was hard. I'm not you, Gabby. But I did make some friends, and, you know, I." His cheeks darkened. "I like them a lot, and we get along."
Yona huffed. "Awww! That very nice!"
Sandbar smiled widely. "We're a team!"
Gabby clapped her hands with a big smile. "Exactly, see? Gallus was a classic griffon. He had a hard time at first, but now that he's made friends, he wouldn't give them up for anything. Griffons want to be your friends, they're just not, um, terribly good at that first step. Cut us a little slack and you could end up with a friend for life."
Gabby fielded a few questions from students and soon enough the day was winding to a close. Once again, it was time to gather round Starlight's classroom and study magic.
Starlight smiled at her non-pony magical students. "Glad to see you all. I've brought a new device that I'd like to try. After informing Twilight of our progress, she brought it to me, insisting I try it, and I happen to agree with her." She set down a cube. It looked like an iron cube. "One at a time, each of you step up and focus your basic magic on this. Don't try to do anything specific, just push your magic at it, like a bath of your magic."
Smolder eyed it warily. "Just don't break it?"
Gallus tried it first, his cloud-shaped wind starting from his wings and rushing over the cube. It glowed a soft green, which became brighter as he focused more eddies around it. "Huh, so what's that mean?"
Silverstream tried hers. She held out the crystal and focused her best sparkly light into the cube. It glowed a bright orange. "Oh wow! That's a color." She bounced in place with giddy delight. "Did I do it right?"
Starlight nodded. "So far so good. Interesting. Let's get everycreature before I explain what's going on. But I will, promise."
Ariel focused, drawing forth her crystal and focusing it on the cube. She gasped when the box began to glow a bright purple. She dropped her focus quickly to look at the light. Alas, without her focusing, the light faded away fairly quickly.
Smolder stepped up for her turn. "My magic is fire. Aren't you afraid I'll melt it?"
Starlight smirked. "That's cute." She patted the device. "Dragon flame is powerful, but not powerful enough to damage that thing. Please, proceed."
Smolder focused her dragonfire, pouring her orange-yellow flames straight down at it. Sure enough, it heated up, but remained physically unaffected. It glowed, but not the same color as the flames, or the angry red of heated iron. It was a steady blue hue that lingered for a little bit even after the fire stopped. "Neat."
Ocellus tried next, and it glowed green, just like Gallus. "Teacher, what do the colors mean?"
Starlight drew the cube back towards herself. "It tells me what the 'color' of your magic is. Not being ponies, your color isn't displayed for the world to see. Gallus, your magic is almost invisible, being air currents. Ariel and Silverstream, your magic is whatever color you want it to be. And Smolder, your magic does have a visible and easy to see color, but I didn't want to exclude you from this."
Ocellus scratched at the back of her neck. "Are there other colors besides red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple?"
"There are quite a number! Almost anything you can see on a rainbow, really." Starlight looked to Smolder. "Oh, you have the colors of flames, sorry, but that doesn't tell me your color, which the cube did for me. Now, that only has the tiniest effect on how you actually do magic, but she was curious, and so was I. Did you even have a magic color? The answer appears to be a yes."
Ariel couldn't help giggling. "I'm a unicorn!" She danced from foot to foot, showing off her glowing crystal to everycreature. "See? See?" She pointed to Ocellus' horn. "We each have our own colorful magic." She twirled back on Starlight. "Okay, what's our first lesson of today?"
Author's Note
Yay forgiveness, and also magic!
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Rarity wove together a final touch on a dress fit for any proud hippogryph to wear. She marveled at it, turning it in the light for her personal inspection. She knew it would look fine; nodding with satisfaction as she floated it to hang gently on a hook. She knocked gently on the door of the dorm. Ariel peeked out a second later, eyes falling on the dress with a sudden widening.
Ariel threw open the door, eyes still fixated on the dress. "Wow, that somehow looks even prettier than the others I've seen you make, and you make so many!" Ariel shifted, dancing from foot to foot as Rarity let her eyes soak it up for another long moment.
Rarity floated it towards Ariel, holding it up just over Ariel as if she were already wearing it. "It's for you, dear, as I promised." Rarity knew when to keep quiet, for the moment anyway. She watched as Ariel tried it on. "You look radiant."
Ariel did a little twirl, her blushing smile refusing to go away. "I never wore a dress before." She didn't mention she had a compelling reason not to, being a guy not that horribly long ago. But she was a hippogriffon, a female. And she felt amazing in that dress. "It's gorgeous! What do I owe you?" Ariel giggled as she caressed her sides where the material touched her. It was just soft enough and firm enough. "Thank you so much. Is my hair okay with this dress?"
"Darling." Rarity fluttered her lashes. "You are positively glowing. I'm happy to say that everything about you is, at the very least, 'okay', with that dress." She sat on her haunches and waved the question off. "As for price, no no no! You can consider this a gift for a new student." She considered Ariel in that beautiful dress once more, patting her mane fondly. "Now, I had to improvise with some parts, being designed for a hippogryph. I would appreciate it if you let me know how you feel in it, or if there are any adjustments needed."
Ariel turned left and right. "N-No. I mean, It feels so great. I don't think I'll know much more without just wearing it a while."
Rarity tittered gently. "I had a feeling. You know where to find me, darling. So come running when you do notice anything. Otherwise, enjoy it, as it appears you're already doing."
Ariel embraced Rarity tightly, giving her a hearty squeeze. "Thank you!" She blushed. "Thanks so much." She touched her beak to each of Rarity's cheek. "You are just the best." With a trail of laughter, she fled back into her dorm room. She twirled around, dancing in front of the others in that lovely dress. They seemed quite happy for her.
Rarity smiled, patting a few pieces of dust away as she walked back home. She felt a strange sense of pride for helping yet another girl find something pretty to wear. In fact, she stopped smiling only long enough to sleep soundly that evening.
The others were clapping and admiring Ariel's new dress. Silverstream nuzzled up to her happily. "You look pretty! Not gonna lie." She watched as Ariel did a spin in the air, hovering with her wings and spreading the fluff of her feathers. "Rarity can make some amazing dresses."
Gallus wasn't saying anything, just staring with wide, blinking eyes. He swallowed thickly. "You really do look good." A compliment from Gallus meant a lot more, since he gave them so rarely. "Um." He fought for words, eyes locked on Ariel as she showed off her fabulous gown. "Rarity knows fashion."
"Sure does!" Ariel agreed enthusiastically. She landed on her back legs, standing upright as if to make it easier to see her. "And she worked for me. I owe her. But what do you get a rich professor who's already so amazing?" Ariel stroked her beak thoughtfully. "Maybe she'd like a book, or I can paint her a picture."
Yona nodded firmly. "Picture you paint sound good. Can you paint?"
Ariel put her hands on her hips. "Hey! I'll have you know I'm a pretty good painter." She wiggled in place, giggles escaping her. "I'm so happy right now! I love it here, even if, um, the learning part takes a while." She sat heavily on her bunk with a smile.
Gallus wandered over to her side. "Hey, Ariel? I've been wanting to talk to you in private for a bit. Could you, um, follow me for a minute or three?"
Ariel perked at that. "Hm? Sure." She hopped right back out of her bunk and followed along after him. Out they went into the hallway. Ariel expected a side room to follow, but Gallus had other plans. He led her through hallways and down stairwells until they were outside, with the starlight pouring over them and bathing them in a silvery glow.
He finally turned to her, there with no other creatures around. "Ariel." He reached for her shoulder, just to hesitate and abort the motion. "I know you and Silver sometimes get the wrong idea, or express yourself kinda funny, so I'll just ask. You care about me? More than you do the others?" His breath quickened slightly, pulse elevating at that dangerously vulnerable question.
Ariel looked confused a moment before something clicked. "Of course I care about you, my fellow beak haver." She went in, touching her beck to his with the softest tap. "You've been here for me. That means a lot. You've also done what you could for Yona, when we were having troubles."
"Y-yeah, you're welcome for that." He rubbed behind his head. "But it's more than that. Look." He glanced away and back. "Being subtle doesn't work on either of you." He laughed, at least half at himself. "Do you like me? Like like? You keep, um. I keep thinking you're trying to get my attention." He waved over her dress. "And now this?! Is it about impressing me? I mean, you look great in it, don't get me wrong, but. Come clean with me."
Ariel froze there, beak parted as if her brain hadn't yet started again. Her eyes widened fractionally. What Gallus was shooting for became crystal clear for her at last. "Gallus." She reached for him with both hands. One cupped his face gently and the other lay flat on his chest. "You think I have a crush on you?" That was when she really thought about her feelings on that griffon. She smiled tenderly, then drew closer. Her voice went quieter. "You've been such a good friend."
Gallus was stiff. "Friends are good!" he squeaked out a bit tenser than he had planned. "But is it just friends or not? Just be honest with me. I'm a grown griffon. I can handle it!" He clenched his talons into fists.
"Gallus." She grabbed his hands. "There is so much to admire about you, you know?" She trailed a hand down along his trembling arm, clasping one of his clenched fists in her hand, squeezing softly. "When you were there for me when I needed somecreature." She reached up for his face, thumb rubbing gentle circles on his cheek. "You're such a special creature. Gallus." She trailed off a moment.
Following an intense, if brief, impulse, she leaned in and touched her beak to his cheek, then the corner of his beak. It was soft. Both of their hearts picked up speed at that little touch of skin and beaks. "I never dated anyone, to be honest."
Gallus trembled at that admission. "I haven't either, you know." He glanced aside. "Doesn't matter anyway."
"Sure it does." She lifted his hand, no longer clenched, and brought it to her chest. "Because I want to try it. Gallus, will you date me?" She felt hot, excited, nervous. All these things and more coursed through her. "If you say no, I won't hold it against you."
"That's a lie." But he was smiling, many of the same emotions running through his frazzled form. "But, uh, yeah, okay. Look, we're both new at this. Let's, uh, try it. We'll make mistakes. Let's, uh, try." He took a breath, gathering himself and stepping back enough to be free of Ariel's touches. "Yes." He sat on his haunches. "I'm saying yes."
Ariel squealed with joy and dove on top of him. Her forelimbs wrapped around him as she snuggled close. "First boyfriend! Wow!"
Gallus didn't hesitate this time to embrace her back, letting their body warmth mingle. "First girlfriend?" He hugged her close. "So, um. I've watched Yona and Sandbar just do stuff. Are we like that now? Does that mean I can kiss you whenever?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, considering all those times where he really wanted to steal a peck from her lips. At the time, he had thought those were random intrusive thoughts, but they felt very different looking back.
"I'm down with that." She slipped from his grasp. "Do you need help with the dating thing too? I mean, I'm new too, but we'll work it out." She burst into fresh giggles. "This has been the best day ever!"
"It really has been." Gallus nipped playfully at her shoulder before heading back inside, and she followed after him.
Back inside the dorm room, things had gotten quite comfortable. Ocellus was busy studying by the looks of her, leaning over her desk with an assortment of books.
Silverstream flew to land beside Ariel and Gallus. "What were you two doing secret talks about?! Also, yay! Ariel! Dress!"
Gallus pressed closer to Ariel's side, slipping a wing possessively over her shoulders. He was quiet a moment, considering if he should say. Announcing won out. A griffon had to claim what belonged to them, or others might think it's unclaimed. "So, Ariel and me." He looked at her. "We're a thing now." A small pause. "Together." He nodded once. "Yeah."
Ocellus let out a low whistle from across the room. She paused her studies to gaze on the new couple. "Congratulations!" She was still distracted, mostly watching the others, and only half-reading. "Don't suppose you could teach a changeling how to date?"
Ariel blinked at that. "I'm still learning myself! Don't changelings know how to date already? I mean, aren't you all about getting along with others, learning about their desires, and stuff like that?"
Ocellus colored at that. "Well, yeah. My parents managed it. I guess it's just a me thing, thinking about it." She slumped forward a little bit, antennae drooping. "Changelings learn it. But that's all other changelings and, well."
Gallus went over to punch Ocellus in the shoulder. "Relax. Me and Ariel are new at this too. I think everycreature is until they actually do it. Nothing to be ashamed of. Oh!" An idea struck him. "And, oh, wait, you want someone right now too?"
Ocellus' wings buzzed behind her. "I didn't say that!" She shrank back, blushing furiously.
"No no no. Look at me!" Gallus gestured sharply. "Look. If I'm going to help you learn this dating junk, you've got to be able to admit stuff that feels super embarrassing."
Smolder broke into laughter from her bunk. "Wow, asking Gallus for dating tips. Ocellus, go back to your homework."
Silverstream bobbed her head rapidly. "Yeah! Totally! Great advice! Homework. Got lots of my own." She aborted the conversation about dates and returned to a desk of her own to busily read.
Ariel nudged against Gallus. "Stop scaring her. Ocellus looks ready to explode. She'll come if she has more questions." Ariel found herself snuggling close, a wing draped over his shoulder and an arm around him, just below his wing joint. Having somecreature to passively snuggle was already feeling pretty great.
Gallus enjoyed the snuggle, but was trying not to show that so openly. Griffons, after all, liked to seem aloof and independent, even when it was patently untrue. "Yeah, okay." He looked to the bunks, realizing Ariel would have to separate from him, the two bunks not at all next to one another. "Think we should ask for a double bunk?"
Smolder landed next to him, already shoving him away from Ariel. "Nuh-uh. Back off. You two are not sharing bunks." She crossed her arms. "Not happening."
Ariel held up her hands placatingly. "I wasn't planning to jump straight into bed with him." Her cheeks felt like they were on fire at the idea. "That was his idea."
"Way to throw me in front of the cart." Gallus rolled his eyes, but backed away towards his own, separate, bunk. "I liked the holding is all. No harm meant or whatever."
"Oh." Smolder relaxed slightly. "Well. Uh. Okay?" She looked puzzled, gazing between them a few times. "You two can cuddle while you're awake and standing. Sheesh, when did I become the chaperone of this room?" She rolled her eyes dramatically, trudging back towards her own bunk. She couldn't stay annoyed when Silverstream shot her a winning smile.
Author's Note
Date time! This can only end well. Gallus and Ariel, a natural match? Is this doomed, or the start of something great?
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Starlight Glimmer waved her students in. "Welcome again, class." She was smiling warmly at them as they settled into their usual places, ready for instruction. She looked them over, eyes lingering on Ariel's new dress. "You all look very excited today."
It was that moment Ariel realized she may be overdressed for the occasion. "Sorry! I just like it so much."
Starlight chuckled softly. "I wasn't criticizing. You look great in it. Rarity outdid herself again." She set down the book she carried with her to the lesson. "You've all progressed with your crawling so well, I think it's time we advanced to some real magic." She flipped the book open with her magic. "Let's start with one foals love. This one makes a sound. What sound? A very rude one, but one foals find use for."
Gallus' eyes were wide as plates. "That one! I can't believe you're teaching that! If it's what I think you're talking about, gross."
Starlight nodded. "It's a little silly. A silly sound. But making a silly noise is a kind of magic almost anycreature can learn. It takes only a little power."
She turned to the board on the side of the room and began quickly scrawling out the spell with a levitating chalk. "Here is the spell. First, you'll want to sound out each on its own, practice the magic, the crawl. When you have them all down, try them together, slowly, then faster until you can play the whole sound together properly."
Smolder was laughing. "Oh yeah! That sounds so stupid, it'll be great to annoy everycreature with." She looked over the spell and started muttering the words to herself. "Right. Practice."
The gathering of them worked to memorize the words. The spell wasn't very long, being as basic as Starlight had promised, but it still took some work to practice and commit to memory. Then it was down to business.
Starlight watched them as each of them tried their magic.
Gallus was the first to complete it. "I'm air magic, this is air. Of course I'm gonna get it! Look at me." He held out his hand. "And now, behold, my fart!" A loud farting noise erupted from the air in front of his claw.
Silverstream was rolling with laughter, eyes closed and wings flapping behind her. She could hardly stop laughing as she tried to read the spell.
Ariel snickered, but not nearly as hard as her fellow hippogriff. "Nice. I'm gonna get it."
Gallus smirked at her and repeated the sound again, and then a third time for good measure.
Smolder punched him in the side. "Don't ruin a good joke. Besides, the rest of us are still working on it. Let us have our shot, eh?"
Ocellus was the next one to complete the spell, a little quicker than she had intended. Her horn glowed as a little toot escaped just in front of that horn. "Oh gosh!" She giggled. "That was funny." She took a breath, then repeated the sound again, slower. With some practice, she was changing the sound.
It was always the same sort of noise, but with pitch and other subtle tweaks, she could change it into the call of a bird, or the chirp of a bug, all sorts of little sounds arose.
Ariel clapped at the performance. "Way to show that spell's more flexible than just a silly sound. Okay, I call next! Let me try." She focused her magic on the crystal. Her magic flowed through her, focusing as it ran up her forelimbs and to her palms, where it focused and concentrated until her crystal glowed with that power. She could feel her heart race, a tingling sensation rushing through her. "Okay, here goes." Then she farted. It took her a moment to realized, colored, that it hadn't been her fart, but her magic doing it. She was giggling even as she blushed.
Gallus gave a proud little smile, nudging her gently with one wing. "Knew you could do it. Let's be honest, this spell is super easy. But I'm ready for the next step!"
Silverstream was last to learn it, though she tried her hardest and best to keep up with everycreature else, even with a bad case of giggles that refused to quit. Eventually she managed to get her own fart noise to emerge. She laughed more at that sound than any of them did. "Did you see that?! I mean hear that! I did it!" She sounded so very proud of her silly sound magic that the others had to applaud.
Gallus held up his hands. "We're done, right?"
Starlight brought her hooves together. "For today, I think so. One spell's a fine bit of progress. You all did exceptionally well, my little wizards."
Smolder was the first to dash out the door, leaving the rest to follow at their own pace.
They returned to their normal classes, most of them trying to hide the knowing smirk that they each wore. They all knew what they were going to do with everycreature who annoyed them just enough.
Twilight pointed with a floating stick. "And that is why you should always check the coloration of a plant before you decide it's safe. Or better yet, don't eat random plants." She looked to the class with a nod, just as a soft sound was heard. Twilight's ears flicked and she froze. "Did anycreature else hear that?"
Several students were giggling, while others were specifically trying to ignore that flatulent sound.
Twilight cleared her throat. "I see. I happen to be aware of what Starlight Glimmer has taught everycreature today." She frowned, but that faded quickly. "I'm very proud of our non-unicorn spellcasters, but I must remind. Even unicorns are not permitted to cast spells while class is in attendance, unless that spell is in service of that class. Congratulations on your progress, but hold your newfound abilities for after class, thank you."
There was a little bit more giggling as class resumed. It wasn't long before they were released for their lunch break. The group gathered at their favorite table, but there was a new pony among them. They blinked at the young mare, a unicorn. Smolder leaned in towards them. "Can we help you?"
The mare cleared her throat. "Actually, I believe I can help you." She reached into her saddlebag and withdrew a deck of cards. "I know some magic, and you're all clearly learning magic. So, how would you like to learn one of the most basic tricks of all time?" She pulled the cards from her deck and set them out on the table.
Ariel rolled a talon. "Thanks, but what do you get out of this?"
The unicorn gasped. "Friendship? That is what we're here for, isn't it?" She stuck out her tongue at Ariel. "So suspicious." With a deft wave of her hoof, she shuffled her cards and fanned them out in one hoof. "Pick a card."
Silverstream grabbed one with her claw and looked it over, careful not to let any of her friends see. "Done!"
The mare's horn glowed with magic, a spell that some of them noticed. Working out the spell at first glance was a bit much, but they knew at least some spell had been used. The unicorn's horn glowed with lavender magic. "Now put it back, if you would?" She shuffled them again and spread them out in front of herself. "Now, I could tell you which card you picked, but that would be cheating. Instead, I'll show you." She tapped the back of the cards with her hoof, only for them to spread up into the air with the force of a strong gust.
She bowed as one of the cards went down with her motion, revealing Silverstream's card. "Is this your card?"
Silverstream snatched it out of the air, eyes wide, wings flapping behind her as she held it to her chest. "How'd you know?!"
"Magic, obviously." She tucked the other cards away and dug into her side with a hoof. She pulled out a small notebook. "And I have the spell right here."
Ariel was still skeptical. "Okay, why? This isn't a class. What do you get out of this?"
The mare reached across the table to flick Ariel's beak. "Stop being so doubting. I want to see if you can cast it. It's not every day we see not-unicorns using unicorn magic." She turned to Smolder. "No pressure." With that she passed the book to Silverstream, who was the most impressed. "Read it, then show me when you got it down." She watched them all with a smile as she munched on an apple.
Silverstream stared down at the book and set it on the table so they could all have a look. "Thanks so much. What was your name?"
The mare gasped softly, looking shocked. "Oh! I forgot to tell you." She giggled at herself. "Sorry about that. I'm called Lucky Charm." She waved a hoof. "Nice to meet you all, but I think I've gotta go." She dashed off to another part of the cafeteria.
Smolder grunted. "She didn't even finish her meal. Weird pony."
Ariel tilted her head to the side. "I think she was more interested in getting that spell to us." She snorted, half a laugh. "She wants to see us do, or fail, that spell. I don't know which."
Silverstream nudged Ariel with her elbow. "You're just a ray of sunshine today."
Smolder got quite the smirk. "Well, if she wanted to see us mess up, too bad. We'll get our second spell down easily." She lifted her chin proudly, eyes blazing. "Let's do this. I bet I've got it down first!"
Gallus rolled his eyes. "Dream on!" He nudged her side. "This is my spell, dragon."
Smolder shoved back. "You got the first one, give a dragon a break." She huffed, flames escaping her. "Whatever, Silver! Keep hold of that book until after school, and no peeking." She winked at Gallus.
Silverstream held it to her chest. "I won't! I want you all to get it as much as me."
After classes were done for the day, they gathered in their dorms and clustered around the book to read the spell.
Yona peered from her bunk. "Why all read same book?"
Ariel smiled warmly over at her. "Oh, we're learning some magic, like a party trick."
Yona shook her head. "Why not learn no magic?" She raised a hoof. "Yona know trick." She hopped down lightly. She lifted a hoof and waved it. "Magic!" She set it down again.
Ariel looked confused a moment. "What was the magic in that?"
Yona tapped her forehooves together. "Magic is not doing." She looked over each of them.
Smolder snickered softly. "Yona, you are something else." But her eyes were on the spell. It was more complex than the fart spell, which she had mastered, but this one had so many more steps. She tried sounding out the words silently while she read it, getting the syllables just right in her head.
Ariel rubbed the back of her head. "This is not for little foals." She gazed at Silverstream. "Right?"
Silver looked puzzled herself, holding the book with a claw and reading along. "Well, we're not exactly little." She rolled onto her side, wings flapping slowly while she read. "Okay, I think I get this part."
Smolder frowned at that, still trying to wrap her head around how it went together.
Ariel was the first to try actually casting it. She closed her eyes and took several breaths to focus herself, mind on her magic crystal. She felt the magic build up within her, rising to her call. She focused it down along her arms and into her crystal, but something about this spell felt wrong.
The cards in front of them floated up. That much was like the trick Lucky Charm had shown them earlier. Ariel's mind raced as she worked out the rest of the spell. The cards fluttered and danced around one another before falling to the floor. She gasped, shaking slightly from the magical exertion.
Gallus stared at her. "That was, uh, cool? But you just kinda made a mess. That wasn't what she did." He rubbed his arm, feeling a bit sheepish. He hadn't had any luck with the spell himself, but Ariel had managed to lift the cards, which was more than he could do.
Silverstream was next to try, but the cards scattered around the area, much like Ariel had managed. Silverstream was grinning despite herself as she looked at the cards. "Wow! I actually got them to do stuff."
Smolder rolled a hand. "Sure, but not the thing she did. That's not a very good trick." She gathered the cards back into a deck. "We must be getting it wrong. We have to get it right! I want to impress that pony, even if Ariel doesn't think she deserves it."
Author's Note
They can get this spell done properly, right?
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They practiced it before class, between classes, and any other chance that came up. While they tried several times to get their magic to do what Lucky Charm's had done, all they managed to do was toss cards about.
Gallus thumped an angry talon on the floor. "I don't get it! We're following this stupid spell, and it's not working." He ruffled his feathers, then pointedly smoothed them back down again.
Smolder lifted her head with pride. "I know I'm not making a mistake. I can do the other spell without a problem." She puffed out a little burst of flames, with a toot sound to accompany it. "But this spell, impossible."
Ariel shook her head. "The spell is fine. I'm sure I got most of the motions right, but it just won't do what we're doing." She scratched at her head with a dumbfounded look. "Maybe it's time we gave up and asked somecreature that knows more than we do."
Silverstream was the only one still trying the spell, sending cards scattering every which way. She giggled at each attempt, which Smolder found a bit annoying. "Cut that out." Smolder tackled the cheerful hippogriff, the two wrestling.
Gallus smirked at the sight, but looked to Ariel. "Yeah? Oh, Miss Starlight? Sure, she'd at least know if we actually are messing something stupid up or not. I'll go get her."
Ariel watched him scamper off before looking down to see Silverstream was sitting on Smolder. "I did not expect you to win that match."
Silverstream was clapping from her dominant position. "I didn't either." And yet, there she was. Smolder looked appropriately annoyed at being sat on. "Are you going to get off?"
"If you ask nicely," sang out Silverstream, hands clasped together.
Smolder's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Please?"
"Aww, so cute." Silverstream got up with a flap of her wings, landing on the ground beside the fuming dragon. "You know we're friends, right?"
"Friends, right." Smolder sat up, rising to her feet. "Look, stop practicing that spell until Starlight gets here at least. She'll know what's going on."
Starlight Glimmer trotted into the room a few minutes later, Gallus trailing along beside her. "Hello, my magical creatures. I heard you're practicing a new spell that you didn't get from me. I admire that 'go get 'em' spirit. Let's see this spell." She held out a hoof.
Gallus snickered, his own spell book open, a page with the fart noise displayed prominently.
Starlight shook her head. "I know that one. The new one?"
Ariel reached over and flipped to the next page where that mysterious spell the unicorn student had shared with them. "When the pony who had this used it, it did a card trick. When we do it, we just send cards flying everywhere and make a mess. What are we doing wrong?"
Starlight Glimmer reached over and lifted the book with her magic. "Oh, I know this spell." Her eyes scanned left and right over the page, lips mouthing the spell without thinking about it. "But somecreature modified it." She reached a hoof towards a lone symbol. "That shouldn't be there, it's the wrong one. This changes the spell. You want to send cards flying? Sure, this spell will do that. The caster who gave you the spell changed it to be a mess maker."
Smolder went red anew. "She played a magic trick on us by giving us a dud spell?! That sneak!"
Starlight reached over and patted Smolder with one hoof. "Yes, but now you know. On the other hoof, it also means you are casting this spell correctly. If you want to play 52 pickup quickly, it's a useful spell to have. Other than that, I'm not sure why you'd want to use this spell."
Ariel looked embarrassed. "It's the only one we had to work from." She sighed. "I'll ask that pony why she gave us a dud trick."
Gallus elbowed Ariel in the side. "I doubt it was an accident, come on. She did that on purpose. She must be annoyed some not-ponies are muscling in on unicorn turf. What are we supposed to do?"
Ariel was still blushing, but she turned her head so she could make eye contact with Gallus, and then the others as well. "Let's not get mad."
Smolder laughed at that. "Too late. I'm already pretty mad. I'd set her on fire for that bad joke, but that's against the rules."
Starlight Glimmer stamped a hoof down. "Rules? How about basic decency? That's not what magic is about. We do not set our rivals on fire, even if it might feel tempting at times." She coughed into a hoof softly. "I understand the temptation. I almost zapped headmare Twilight before I came around to a, uh, nicer way of being."
Silverstream flopped back on her bed and rolled, ending up on her side. "So, what do we do?"
Starlight closed the book on the false spell. "Well, for one, I could give you the proper spell. It might be a nice bit of revenge to start doing it properly." She smirked faintly. "You don't even have to mention I gave it to you. The look on her face when it seems you figured it out on your own may be worth the annoyance she caused you."
***
Lucky Charm was standing near the entrance to the cafeteria. "Hey, guys!" She trotted over to them and held out a hoof. "How's the new spell working out, got it mastered?"
Gallus scowled. "We found that mistake. Did you make it intentionally or accidentally?"
Ariel waved a hand negatively. "We have the spell working properly." She shuffled a deck of cards, showed one to Lucky, and slid it back into the deck. With her crystal glowing softly, she made it emerge from within the shuffled mess without delay. "Ta da!"
Lucky Charm gaped at her. "But, how? I was just joking with you guys!" She realized what she said a moment later and colored. "I mean, um. How'd you fix it?!"
Gallus smirked, laying his talons on Ariel's shoulder. "You don't always need magic to know something's wrong. So why'd you give us a defect spell?"
"I still think it's great either way." Silverstream casually made the deck of cards scatter, giggling at the spell she had decided worked fine as it was.
Lucky Charm covered her muzzle with both forehooves. "Oh wow. Um." Her ears drooped as she looked away. "Magic is unicorn's only thing. It's what makes us special. It's not fair that not-unicorns are grabbing it up. So, I wanted to play a trick on you all and show that unicorn magic is for unicorns."
Smolder puffed a small ring of smoke. "So, she did do it on purpose. Nice." She clenched a hand, holding herself back from more obvious means of revenge. "But we saw through it. How about those apples?" She let out a colorful array of flames, Silverstream's scattered cards regathering, and the one Ariel had picked floated up a moment.
Lucky Charm stared in horror. "You can't do that! That's not how it works!"
Ariel leaned in towards the stricken unicorn. "Not how the broken spell works. The fixed one works a lot better. We all know the fixed one now." She offered a hand. "We're not trying to make unicorns outdated. Unicorns are lovely creatures, but that doesn't mean they have to be the only ones to do magic."
Lucky Charm looked down at the hand, then back to Ariel. She lowered her gaze and nodded once. "Sorry. I shouldn't have played a joke on you. I know better."
Ariel took her hoof and held it between both hands gently. "We'd love to actually talk about magic, without the tricks."
Gallus nodded. "Not just spells, either. We all got our way of doing things that unicorns don't. And unicorns do magic their own way. Every creature has their own things. I fly, like most griffons, but so do pegasi and hippogriffs and dragons. What do I have that's 'just' griffons? Nothing comes to mind. Whatever."
Silverstream leaned in over Lucky Charm's head with a grin. "I like it! You don't have to be the only ones doing magic anymore. Now you get to talk with other creatures about it!"
Lucky Charm looked at the hand holding her hoof. "Okay." She lifted her head. "Let's learn something." She took a slow breath. "Who's teaching you magic, anyway? You're not just teaching yourself, I bet. Even most unicorns can't do that."
Gallus was the one to answer, his talons rubbing through his feathers. "It was Starlight Glimmer who first got us interested. She's a pretty good teacher." He smiled faintly. "Though she wasn't quite sure we could do it, at first. We had to prove we could magic crawl before she started showing us magic toddles."
Wind rustled around him with a soft fart noise. "Like that."
Lucky laughed at the noise. "Oh, that's a classic. You're getting pretty good! That's just the sort of thing to get you out of trouble or start trouble, whichever you need. A naughty simple spell for unicorns just starting. Of course she'd show you that one."
Silverstream grinned. "And then we learned the card spell!" She waved her claws. "It was hard, but so worth it!" She paused with thought. "Technically two card spells. One to make them scatter and one to do that trick."
Lucky Charm gasped. "Two?! I only showed you the scattering one." She blinked slowly. "Right, you fixed it." She laughed nervously. "Sorry, again, for tricking you." She sat on her haunches and worked her hooves together softly. "If you still want to talk magic, I wouldn't, um, be against it. Magic is such a big part of my life. It's nice talking with others who get how important it can be."
Ariel grabbed Lucky's closer shoulder and squeezed gently. "Exactly. We're all reaching for the same thing, let's support each other and get better, together." She waved at the table they were sharing there at the cafeteria. "Join us?"
Lucky Charm took a slow breath, then she nodded once. "Yeah." She took a seat at the table, gazing at the others as they chatted about what magic meant to each of them. She let out a little smile. "Maybe a few magic buddies isn't such a bad thing."
Ariel beamed and clapped her hands together. "That's the spirit!" Her eyes sparkled, a little magic glow from them. "Now that's a friendship lesson."
Gallus laughed at that. "I bet the teachers would be proud of you. That's your first real friendship lesson, right?"
Ariel paused with a thoughtful hum. "Well, technically no? But it is a good one." She reached for Lucky. "We made a friend, and I can't wait to learn more about her, and share our magic. It's actually kind of nice to have a unicorn along. It's like when Ocellus or Yona are around, they can tell us about their species."
Lucky blinked at that. "You already have a pony friend." She waved over at Sandbar. "He could tell you about ponies."
Sandbar perked up at being mentioned and waved at. "Oh, uh, yeah. Still, unicorns are different from earth ponies. We all have our own unique things to share."
Smolder chuckled and flexed her arms with a smirk. "And dragons are the best, but you already know that."
Gallus and Ariel managed a synchronized eyeroll at that, but neither fought Smolder's statements.
Yona took care of that for them. "Yaks are best. This just fact." She nodded with complete confidence.
Silverstream leaned onto the table, wings flapping slowly behind her. "I bet you can do some really cool magic stuff, can't you, Lucky?"
Lucky's smile grew. "I know some interesting tricks. Wanna see a new one?!"
Author's Note
Friend obtained! Victory music here!
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17 - For Those Who Follow
Starlight slowly sipped from her fresh hot cocoa, eyes wandering over her eager students. "I see we have a new face" She tapped her hooves together, leaning forward with her eyes on the unicorn. "You understand, this is a course on how to perform magic without a horn, right? I don't want to discourage anycreature from expanding their arcane knowledge, mind. I just want to know if you know."
Lucky Charm gave a firm, resolute nod. "I know!" She waved her hoof over everyone else. "I'm here to help, and I can help better if I see what they just learned. Besides, if we have somecreature who actually knows how unicorn magic is supposed to work, it might help them understand where they're messing up, or make it easier to adapt our spells and such to their ways."
Ariel blinked at that. "That's actually a good idea." She turned to Ocellus. "We should have asked you."
Ocellus colored. "I'm learning magic too. I never really did that much with it." She pointed at Lucky. "I like the idea of somepony that already knows magic fairly well doing that."
Starlight nodded firmly. "Well, then let's begin." She tapped the book in front of her with her hoof. "You have shown you can not only toddle, but even walk, magically speaking. You are walking confidently down the sidewalk of magic knowledge, and I can't be prouder! You've learned several spells, one away from your teacher, mastered them, and used them. Of course, I didn't expect less. The creatures here aren't ones to let a little thing like being from a race that doesn't do magic stop them from doing magic." She laughed tensely at that, fully aware of how amazing the situation was.
"As spellcasters, you could walk out that door, never talk to me again, and expand your knowledge at your own pace. If my job was to get you up on your feet, It's done, you're walking. But, I feel, there is a critical next step that could reshape Equestria as a whole, and help many other creatures who aren't in this room." Starlight nodded firmly, her horn glowing dimly.
Gallus tilted his head to the side curiously. "Wait, hold up. You're not trying to teach every creature magic, are you?"
"Not every creature, but the ones who want to know, deserve to have that chance, do they not?" Her horn got brighter as she brought over several floating books. "These are journals, for you. I want you to write down the spells you've learned, in a way that is natural for you, not unicorn notation. They will be what future curious souls look towards when they're just toddling along. You should include what you felt, thought, and did as you learned to magically crawl. Help the next creature." She placed a book before each of them, minus Lucky.
"I don't have one for you, I hope you understand. Unicorns already have entire libraries of magical books." Starlight flashed an apologetic smile. "I'm sure you've read some of our books."
Lucky laughed and shrugged that off easily. "Well, yeah, I've read plenty."
Silverstream waved at Lucky. "I hope you read ours when we finish." She drew out a quill. "When we finish. Hm, what should I start with? Oh! Duh, the start." She got to scribbling busily.
Gallus opened his book and flipped past the pages to the middle. "I want to do a few before I decide where this one goes. Let's do the toot spell." And he started penning the toot spell, as he saw and felt it. It was, so far as any of them knew, the first griffon spell put to paper.
Starlight applauded gently as her students got to work, some faster than others, but they were soon all writing. "Of course, if you have questions, you can ask. I am still your magic tutor." She stroked a hoof along her snout. "And, while we're at it, I want to try something. Some of you already had magic, and I'd like you to learn to use it."
Ariel inclined her head. "If we already have the magic, don't we already use it?"
Starlight gestured to Ariel with a hoof. "Yes, but you're not trained to use that magic in any other way than your innate ability. Take you, for example. You can transform into a sea pony, and back, easily."
Ariel flickered, becoming a sea pony flopped on the dry ground. "Yep!" She turned back into the more land-adapted form, smiling.
"But." Starlight rolled her hooves. "Twilight told me Queen Novo used that same crystal to transform her and her friends into sea ponies. Learn to use that magic like that, turn it into a spell, that you can cast. That will be the first hippogriff spell, by a hippogriff, for other hippogriffs."
"Oh." Ariel colored. "That sounds a bit harder than what we've been doing."
Starlight nodded. "If you just want to walk, I couldn't rightly blame you, most unicorns stop at walking, if they even get that far. Some look at crawling as far too much effort." She looked to Lucky. "Have you ever penned an entirely new spell?"
Lucky's wide widened. "No! Wait. I did modify that spell, does that count?"
Starlight leaned over her desk. "That wasn't a nice modification, but I am glad you all have worked that out. That does count, a little. In terms of spell-creating, that would be the crawling step. Walking would be using a spell as a way to make a similar spell. Running would be an entirely new spell."
She flopped back in her seat. "Which does mean I'm asking you to run, Ariel. I'm not asking for this quickly. I'm not even insisting you finish, just that you try your best, and I will be, continue to be rather, so proud of you."
Ariel's cheeks colored at the praise. "I want to try it." She lifted her hand and crystal. "Let me feel it." She closed her eyes, fingers curled around her crystal as she turned into a sea pony. "There's a pull, a push." She returned to her normal form. "Like the spells you taught us, but different."
Gallus chuckled at that explanation. "That covers about nothing, but keep trying." He elbowed Ariel gently. "We're with ya."
Ariel nodded once, smiling at them. "Thanks, everycreature." She looked over to Ocellus, considered something, then wrote something else down in a tepid scrawl. "Okay, actually, I think I'm doing this out of order." That got the others looking at her. "What? We should, you know, define what magic is for us, maybe make our own magic alphabet and explain what each letter means, to us, before we make a new spell that would need to be written somehow that makes any sense at all!" She threw her hand up, quill waving in the air.
Starlight hadn't believed she could smile more, but her grin spread to new volumes. "Spoken like a true wizard. Ariel, I look forward to every bit you come up with." She slid down to her own hooves. "Lucky, if you'd come with me as they work?"
Lucky Charm started at the sudden invitation, but nodded quickly. "O-of course." She followed alongside Starlight.
They left the studious line of scribbling creatures and walked down the hallway. "I know this has to be at least a little boring. We're not covering new magic today, but you came with good intentions, and I want to make it worth your time. So! I was thinking, maybe I could show you a new spell, and you can share it with them, when they're ready for it and not in the middle of writing a lot."
Lucky gasped. "I can? But I'm not one of the students!"
Starlight waved her off with her hoof, smiling warmly. "Yes you are. You attend this school, and you're at this class, so you are one of my magic students."
Lucky grinned at that. "Thank you!" She blushed at her own eagerness. "I mean, thanks, teach." She giggled with growing excitement. "What kind of spell? Oh! How about teleportation? I always wanted to do that one."
Starlight chuckled softly. "That is a very advanced spell, Lucky. I don't want you to hurt yourself, and there's plenty of room to hurt things with that spell. I want to help everycreature learn how to run. That means not letting them trip while running, right?"
Lucky huffed softly, but stayed at Starlight's side. "Alright, but then, what are you offering?"
Starlight glanced to a nearby door, a spare room, and pushed it open. "I thought we could make some use of the chalkboard." She grabbed some chalk with her magic on the way in. "You've learned the entire alphabet and how to read magic, I presume?"
"Of course! I'm not bad at magic, Miss Glimmer, honest!" Lucky went in front of the board and started to write out a spell from memory, one that had taken her a moon of work, her very first.
Starlight smiled at the simple spell, reading over the runes. "That looks like it'd find something?"
Lucky bobbed her head. "I used it whenever I lost my lucky hat, and it'd find it."
Starlight gently plucked the chalk from Lucky and wrote another spell. This one was more complex. She turned back to Lucky with a smile. "Then you'll like this one. This is the advanced version of the same idea. Cast it with a clear image in your head of an object, and your horn will become a beacon, leading you towards it. You can even feel how close you are with this!"
Lucky's eyes went wide as she stared at the new spell. "Wow," she got out breathlessly. "That's amazing!" She pulled out her own spell book and got to copying the runes on the board. "I'm going to start practicing this right away."
Launching herself at Starlight, she hugged the teacher tight. "Thank you!"
Starlight smiled softly and hugged Lucky back. "Of course. Keep being friends with them, I'm sure you all can learn something from each other along the way." She rubbed away the letters, clearing the board and setting things back where they belonged. "Let's go back and see how they're doing."
They returned to find all of her students hard at work, many of them muttering or flipping through pages as they worked on their spell books. Gallus was flapping in the air, upside down as he scrawled. "The wind is like..." he muttered as he tried to put what he felt into words somegriffon else might understand.
Silverstream was on the floor, her wings out as she rocked side to side, quill in hand. "You know, we're lucky.
Ariel perked at that. "How so?"
Silverstream lifted her crystal. "Ours is focused, like unicorn horns. We can be just as, you know, focused in writing about it."
Ocellus chuckled. "That would be nice. My magic is all over." She rubbed at her own horn slowly. "But it is how I knew what to do, and how others will." She swept down her body. "I can have a horn, but the magic isn't just from it. Changelings can do magic in any shape."
Yona was the only one who wasn't writing, just watching the others.
Starlight noticed this and trotted over to her. "Hm, it just struck me, but you're not normally part of this class, Yona. What brings you by today?"
"Want to see friends be good at stuff." Yona smiled warmly. "Magic more special for them because harder to get." She pantomimed hugging the air as if hugging any of the hard workers. "Yona proud of hard work. Not see why need magic, but proud for them."
Ariel beamed at that, but didn't stop working. "Thanks, Yona."
Gallus laughed at the yak's antics. "We get the Yona stamp of approval." He scribbled a moment. "I'll take it."
Silverstream nodded firmly, but paused as she stared at the pages. "I don't know what comes after the first bit."
Ariel slid in closer, the two working together on the hippogriff notation.
Starlight threw an arm around Yona. "That's really nice of you. You are all such good friends, and a good friend is a big help when learning something new, magical or not. Sometimes you feel like you just want to hurl your book out a window and scream into a pillow, and a friend can help you get past that."
Ocellus looked up at that. "I, um. My family was there for me." She smiled at the memory. "When I wanted to give up, they made me feel better, and I got past it." She nodded slowly. "The next day, I had figured it out."
Smolder chuckled at her. "I don't trust random dragons to do much but laugh at me if I freak out in front of them. Fortunately for me, I have some quality friends around here." She snatched Gallus from the air to deliver a one-armed hug. "Right?"
Gallus squirmed his way free. "Hey, no distracting me!" He snatched his book back and scribbled.
Smolder smirked, looking quite pleased with the reaction she provoked. "Now, about dragon magic. Dragon's aren't huge on books. For one, they tend to be flammable." She waved the still-empty journal she had. "For two, half of them don't bother to learn to read. So how do I put this down in a way a random dragon could get something out of it?"
Starlight nodded slightly at that. "A good question." She considered this a long moment. "Well, to start, surely there's some way dragon's record things they want to keep around? What do they do when something important needs to be remembers?"
Smolder made a show of thinking about it. "Well, they, uh, carve stuff into rocks?"
Starlight applauded at that. "There we go. If you can write it like the rock carvings, and later we can copy it into actual rocks? We might end up being able to help more than just a few dragons. Imagine it, a whole rock wall with your magical notes carved into them."
Smolder got a grin of her own at that. "That'd be pretty cool, actually." She started writing with a gained zeal. "Go down in history as the dragon that wouldn't stop carving in that dang wall." She laughed at the image. "But if even one dragon actually got something out of it, that'd be pretty great."
Silverstream was still writing, but she paused to look up towards Smolder and then the others. "You're all such great friends!" She giggled, resuming her scribbles. "Does this look right?" She pressed her words in front of Ariel, prompting some back and forth on what hippogriff magic should look like, there on a paper.
While the writing continued, Starlight put her eyes on Yona. "You know." Yona looked to her. "Being such a proud and powerful creature, I imagine yak magic is probably pretty amazing."
Yona huffed at that. "No magic. Yona is not proud of that." Yona drooped slightly at the comment.
Starlight leaned in over her desk, a sly smile on her face. "Learning magic is pretty hard. Maybe too hard for a yak?" The calculating look on her face was hard to miss, but Yona wasn't looking at that.
Instead, Yona's eyes were wide, and she stomped her hooves down hard on the ground. "Yaks are best! We can do anything we want!" She glared up at Starlight. "Anything."
Starlight grinned brightly at that. "Oh, that's just great! I look forward to seeing how you, a mighty yak, manage your very first steps into the magical realm." She offered a hoof. "I'd be honored to help with that."
Yona blinked. "Wait." She considered the situation, looking from Starlight and then at the other students, all busy writing their notes. "You trick Yona. Yona not sure how." She sank to her haunches with a thump. "Magic is hard. Magic not hard like push. Yona good push. Hard different way. Push not help."
Starlight sighed at that, sitting beside Yona and putting a hoof around her shoulders. "Yeah, magic is hard. It's hard in a way that's hard you can't just shove it. It's hard up here." She tapped at her own head. "But you're not dumb, Yona. I'm not fooled for one second. Just because you're still new at Ponish doesn't make you dumb. You have big ideas."
Yona grunted and glanced away. "Yona not smart like pony or griffon."
Gallus clicked his tongue and fired a finger gun at Yona before getting right back to his writing.
Yona huffed softly. "Magic all think."
Starlight nodded once. "It's about thinking, yes. But that doesn't mean someone can't help you out with it." She considered, eyes going skywards. "Besides, it's not just thinking."
"It not?" She looked over. "What else?"
Starlight rolled her hooves over one another, an ear going to the side. "It's about your body. There are forces moving around in there, and you have to be tough and decisive, in there, to get it in the right places." She gave a winning smile at that.
Yona blinked slowly. "Not just think?"
"Yak magic won't just be thinking. I feel sure of that." Starlight patted Yona's considerable side. "You have to find it, but I'm 100% certain yak magic will be physical."
Yona sat up at that, raising her hoof. "Yona can do physical!"
Starlight smirked at that. "Then don't let me hold you up. Your friends will be happy to help you start."
Being mentioned, they all looked up at that, and were quick to swarm around Yona.
Ariel rubbed at Yona's shoulders. "You know what? If I could learn, so can you."
Smolder laughed with a wicked smile. "I don't know yaks for giving up. You can do this, Yona. I can give some tips."
Gallus shrugged nonchalantly as he looked over their progress. "Yeah, I'm game. Muscle magic? That'd be pretty yak."
Silverstream gave an enthusiastic nod and wing wave. "That'd be something great! I bet your tribe would be so proud if you came back knowing magic!"
Yona grabbed those closest, Ariel and Silverstream, giving both hippogriffs a terrifically tight squeeze. "Yona lucky have good friends. Yes! Yona find yak magic, bring home."
Ocellus smiled warmly at that. "That'd be really amazing." She offered Yona a book. "I read this when I was first learning. Um, actually, my mom read it to me. Maybe it'll still help you out?"
Yona took the book in hoof. "Thank you." She looked over the words. "First, Yona need to know how Yona's body works."
Ariel backed up, catching her breath from that great hug. "Yona already knows how her body works." She shook herself out. "It works pretty well! The trick is getting some of that strength from in there." She pointed at Yona. "Out here." She pointed away.
Ocellus sat beside Yona, opening the book. "There are lots of ways magic works, some of it is inside of you, some of it is outside. Changeling magic might be closer to what you're looking for, since we had to not assume we always had a horn ready."
Yona nodded at that and sat in front of Ocellus. "Okay. How first part work?"
The two began sharing and experimenting. Changeling magic wasn't going to be yak magic, but the ideas and techniques seemed to be helpful to Yona. Things settled as the two worked diligently, and the others tried to continue their writing.
Startlight clopped her hooves together. "You're all doing great! I'd love to keep you all here and in the flow, but I do need to see other students. Come on back later. I am so proud of you all I don't even have the proper words for it. But keep practicing, all of you, and keep up the writing. You're making great progress!"
Silverstream lifted a wing. "But, I'm not even halfway done."
Starlight shook her head. "I didn't expect halfway done. You are free to continue, but I am the school counselor and I have to get back to that. Other students need my help you know." She gently shooed her magic students away.
Ariel was one of the last to move. "I'll get it done. This is important, I can see why it matters." She rushed up to hug Starlight about the neck. "Thank you so much!" Then she fled after the others with a bright smile.
Silverstream laughed happily. "I am so excited for you, Yona!"
Yona gave a confident smile at that. "Yona figure out yak magic. Wait and see." She flexed an arm hard.
Gallus pointed at the air. "I want to get that book into a form that can be copied before I start on spells again. It'd be amazing if it caught on. Imagine, griffons with magic, like that was just a normal thing?"
Ariel grinned at that. "Well, when you put it that way..." she thought about her own crystal. "Hippogriffs are walking around with this magic bauble, it'd be nice if they could all use it." She gripped the gemstone tightly, focusing on the push and pull of the magic in her. "I'm going to make a new spell."
Silverstream nudged her from the side. "We're barely learning how to cast spells we're given. You're going to skip to making your own? Can you even do that?"
Ariel looked into the heart of the crystal. "I'm going to try."
Smolder huffed a bit of flame. "Big words, but what are you actually trying to do?"
"I want to turn somecreature else into a hippogriff, or seapony." Ariel gave a firm nod at that. "This already knows how to do that." She jiggled her crystal. "The trick will be telling it to do that, and aiming it. It'll be a hippogriff spell, for hippogriffs."
Gallus nodded firmly. "I like it. You keep talking like that, I'll have to come up with a good first spell too." His eyes narrowed. "But only after I finish getting down the basics. I will not be distracted, even by my special somegriff."
Yona raised her hoof. "And Yona find yak spell after learning what book says!"
Ocellus inclined her head at Yona, but failed to find words to properly approach that. A deflection? "After you find yak magic?"
"Yes." Yona nodded as if that was all obvious. "Learn yak magic, then yak spell." Her smile faded. "Yona not sure if yak spell good for other creatures." She shook her head. "Yona learn good spell!" Apparently sure of herself, she charged ahead.
As a unit, they filtered into their room. Each was determined in a slightly different way, but all unified in the larger goal.
Smolder was the first to speak. "So, I'm going to see if I can write all my notes in rock and then make a copy."
Ariel sat up. "Oh, good idea. Just to see if it can be copied without mistakes, right?"
Smolder gave a quick nod. "Yep." She tapped her book. "But I think it's going to be different, writing the same idea in different ways."
"I bet." Silverstream leaned over the side of her bunk. "You magic is all rawr and fwoosh!" She pantomimed the best she could belching out flames. "Very different from hippogriff magic, but still amazing!"
"Yona wonder how yak magic work." Yona held a hoof up and considered it. "Not just think, body too."
Smolder rubbed her snout. "Well, yaks seem to really let loose when they smash something. It's, you know, their thing. Maybe you could find magic in that?"
Yona nodded once. "Yak smash good." She put both hooves down, eyes closing with focus. "Maybe smash special?" She huffed, trying to think of what think she could need to smash, and in what way, to unleash the power of yak magic.
Author's Note
Our brave wizards in training set off in bold new directions, but what about those who could follow after them?
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As one, the rest of the group was eager to encourage Yona on her personal quest to discover yak magic. The next week was spent in a flurry of activity, writing in books, working at rocks, and several attempts to learn something new about yak smashing. Yona crashed into things, tried lifting things and slamming them down, even experimented with stomping on different things. She hadn't found something that worked yet, but she still had her own book to read through and learn from.
"Yona have look far find this." She tapped at the book. "Yaks not write lots. This yak history."
Smolder leaned over Yona's shoulders. "Huh. Why is it, uh, a bunch of nonsense?" Despite her attempts to follow it, she couldn't understand a single character in it. "Seriously."
Yona crossed her arms, sitting up on her haunches. "Written in Yak not Pony. Not all Pony." She fell back to all fours and nosed to the next page. "Written by important yak!"
Gallus chuckled at that. "If you say so. What's it even saying?" He fanned his feathers out slightly at the question. "Something helpful, I hope?"
"Maybe helpful." Yona's eyes went down to the book. "History not same as magic." As simple as her words were in Ponish, she could understand yak fully. She read each page intently, looking for any hints at what her people's magic could look like. "We try, try, try. Take forever."
Silverstream leaned over Yona's head. "What about your magic?"
Yona shrugged, turning pages. "Find hint."
Ariel tapped at Silverstream's shoulder. "Let's let her read. I think this is a great idea, but you can't hurry up and read a book. Not if you want to get it all in properly."
Smolder laughed softly at that. "I was wondering if Silverstream had a magic trick to speed reading."
Silverstream looked bedazzled by the idea. "No, do you? That would make some assignments a lot easier!"
Smolder snorted flame. "I wish." She shook her head. "But it doesn't work that way." She waved it off. "Let's get going. I'll tell Professor Applejack why you're busy."
Yona nodded once and went back to her book. "Go, Yona read."
Smolder led the group onward to their class. They entered to find themselves a bit behind schedule, as Applejack was already in the process of setting up something new.
Applejack smiled as they entered. "What timin'! Get over here." She waved them closer. "As ah was jus' sayin', we're going a class project, in groups. And lookie there, here's a group right now."
Smolder chuckled and shrugged at that. "Close enough. What's the project?"
Applejack pointed off to the side at the blackboard at the front of the class. "Buildin' a house fit fer somecreature to actually live in. It'll be the biggest project y'all done." She nodded at the late group. "Now, there's a reason ah'm singlin' y'all. Yer a lot of different creatures. Ya gotta make a house that'll make all of y'all happy to be in. It'll take compromise and listenin' to get it done."
Gallus grinned and gave Applejack a quick nod. "I think we can manage that. So, what comes after we build it?"
Applejack blinked at that jump. "Whoa, ya gotta get it done afore ya go wonderin' what comes after that. Jus' gettin' it up'll take up plenty of time. Now, c'mon! Ah'll show where all of y'all'll be working." She trotted for the exit.
The group of friends fell in behind her. Silverstream leaned in to whisper. "What do you think she's going to say if we finish first?"
Smolder snorted with a smirk. "She'll be impressed. Look, all dragons need is a nice cozy cave. I doubt I'll complain much about whatever you dream up so long as it isn't, uh, too girly."
Gallus considered that. "Well, it'd need to be tall, with plenty of room to fly around, a place to store food, and lots of room to just spread out."
Applejack arrived at a clearing not far from the school. She waved around with a hoof. "Went and got permission to use this space right here. We do it right and yer homes may be used by new Ponyville residents that arrive in need of a place to be. That'll be when you pass, when Mayor Mare's inspector looks it over and gives a hooves up."
The clearing was large, with a vast open space, and sturdy trees to either side. A large mound rose up from one section, while a sizable pond occupied another. Silverstream pointed at that mound. "I could imagine a dragon cave right there. Rawr!"
Smolder snorted flame gently. "No problem with my claws, but can we just go wherever?" She looked to Applejack, who was already shaking her head.
"That'd get the groups fightin' first thing. Nothin' doin'." She took out some chalk and got to marking out lots for each group to work with. "Get movin' on yer own plots of land and figure somethin' out. Work it out as ah know y'all can."
Smolder threw up her hands. "Well, we didn't get the mound, oh well." She chuckled at the thought. "Just as well. The way Gallus was describing it, a mound wouldn't do well for a griffon anyway."
Gallus gave a quick laugh at that. "Well, I mean, if we could just make my kind of house, I wouldn't have any problem living in a cave."
Ariel considered the two ideas. "A cave with a tall ceiling and little subcaves around it for storing stuff and a big center room? That could be cozy, but we're not making that here." She tapped a hoof down on the fairly flat land they hand. "Smolder, what makes a good dragon home, besides the rock?"
Smolder's tail swished behind her as she considered the question. "Well, dragons like a lot of room, since we get really big."
Gallus fired a thumbs up. "We're in agreement there. One big center room, smaller rooms for storing stuff."
Silverstream bobbed her head. "Oh, oh! What about an indoor waterfall? That would be pretty and a nice water source." She clapped her hands imagining it. "We're pretty close to the pond here, we could use that!"
Ariel gasped with a sudden idea. "A lake at the center? You know, a big pool to swim around in?"
"Pass." Smolder waved the idea off. "A big pool in the center is the opposite of what I'd want. You want a pool, you go outside." She hiked a thumb at the pond. "Like right there, it isn't even far away."
Ariel sighed and nodded. "Alright, fine, but I'm not letting that idea go. We'll just use the pond instead."
With a splash, Silverstream dove into the water and came up as a seapony. "Beat you to it!" She splashed some water towards Ariel with rolling giggles.
Smolder chuckled as she circled around their flat lot. "I'm not against close water to drink from, so that little waterfall isn't an awful idea, it just needs to not be a big pool in the end."
Gallus had fingers at his beak as he nodded. "That sounds good. Some water close at hand is nice. Ocellus, you want anything?"
"I'd be fine in any of your rooms." She rubbed the side of her head. "I guess I am on the project though. Hm. Tricky part about changelings is we can fit in, um, almost anywhere." With a rush of flames, she became a griffon. "We could enjoy a place to roost." Then a dragon. "Or a cave to brood in."
"We do not brood." Smolder shoved Ocellus, laughing. "Not everything has to be high ceilings and wide spaces." She pointed at Ariel. "How big would the space have to be for you and Silverstream to feel right?"
Ariel paused in her game of splashing. "Oh, what you're describing sounds good to me. Silver?"
"I want to live here!" Silverstream giggled from the pond. "I can already tell you how great it's going to be to go to sleep and wake up here."
Gallus fired two finger guns at the hippogriffs. "Alright, not picky so long as we're near the water, which we are. Sounds like we're getting somewhere. Let's get started!"
Applejack chuckled off to the side, where she'd been watching the group discuss. "Sounds like you'll all figure this out jus' fine." She went to assist a pony group that was doing more arguing than building.
***
At the end of the class day, they returned to their dorm to find Yona still reading her book.
Smolder flopped onto her belly on a rug, giving a sigh of content. "Well, I think we all did really well. Yona, any progress?"
Yona shook her head, nose still in the book. "No. Yak not have magic."
"That's not exactly true, is it?" Ariel sank down next to Ariel. "Yaks do a lot of amazing things. I know you do."
Yona gave a huff. "Yak not magic." She flipped with her snout. "Yak hero. Save town. Stood strong. Keep snow back. Whole moon!" Her ears folded back in a frown. "Not magic."
Ocellus crawled onto Yona's back. "That sounds pretty amazing."
Gallus clicked his tongue on his beak. "What else have yak heroes done?"
Yona frowned more and flipped more pages. "Kill big monster. Tame angry spirits." She sighed.
Ariel blinked as she sat up. "Tame angry spirits? How do you do that without magic?"
"Yak smash spirits. Angry spirits go away!" Yona pounded the air for emphasis.
Smolder chuckled. "Of course it comes back to smashing. Still, Ariel has a point. If they were spirits, just hitting them wouldn't work. Smashing a spirit? Pretty magic."
Gallus leaned over her shoulder. "So, how did they do that? What was different?"
Yona stroked over her chin. "They do it. They had to. Call and do it."
Silverstream inclined her head sharply as only a bird could. "Call? Call what?!"
Ocellus nodded slowly. "It sounds like they were calling for something, but not naming it."
Yona waved that away. "Sorry. Call old yaks. Come before?"
Ariel raised a finger. "Ancestors?"
"That word!" Yona slammed the ground with a huge smile. "Sorry, forgot. Call ancestors, do what must."
Smolder's snout scrunched. "How do you call on your ancestors?"
Yona curled up in place and closed her eyes. "Yona not do before." She flipped through the book and pointed a cloven hoof at the writing. "This say. Recite and call."
Ariel clapped eagerly. "Then you found yak magic."
"Yona did?" Yona sat up, confusion clear on her face.
Silverstream threw her arms wide. "Sure! You have to call your ancestors to help with the smashing, so the way to perform yak magic is to call them."
"Oh." Yona was still, processing that a moment. "Oh! Yona get it." She inclined her head. "But they only do when need. You do magic when want."
Ocellus raised a finger. "But some of us have trouble with our own magic." She smiled. "You have to practice, just like us. Your ancestors, um, will understand, right?"
"Yona call?" She tapped the book. "Ancestor say okay?"
Ariel beamed as she hopped upright. "Exactly. Ask them." She trailed off. "I was going to say nicely, but that isn't the yak way. Tell them. You are going to be a yak magician. You need their help, and you will have it. No questions. They'll be proud and uh, help, hopefully."
Yona stood tall. "Yak not ask." She raised her hooves up. "They do because Yona tell them to!"
The room became a communal cheer, all of them applauding for Yona's breakthrough. She smiled with a faint blush a moment. "Oh, did Yona miss lots today?"
Gallus grinned. "It was pretty cool. We all got along great, even if we haven't actually done much in the way of building yet."
"Building?" Yona tapped one of her great horns. "Build what?"
Ariel hugged her friend from the side. "We'll tell you all about it, and you can join our group. Some Yak Strength will help!"
Yona gave a firm nod and slammed one hoof into the other. "Yak Strength build great!"
***
The next day, Yona stood in front of the start of the house. "Yona ask." She took a slow breath, body swelling a moment with the soft sigh. She called, just as she said, speaking in Yak that none of the others understood.
Ariel shivered gently, hands clasped together. "Wow, it's, actually, a lot like I'd expect magic to be, crazy words included." She smiled wide as she looked at her friends. "I think she's getting through."
Silverstream nodded sharply, bouncing on her toes.
Yona smashed the ground, faint wisps of energy trailing from her eyes. "Yona build. Protect others." She slammed the ground again. "Yak Strength!" With that, she rushed over towards the house and dug in deep. The building seemed to fly together under her guidance, boards joining swiftly and strongly.
Gallus's beak fell open. "I, wait." He lifted a shaking finger. "Is she just doing it for us?"
Smolder shrugged with a chuckle. "I'm not gonna stop her. Getting in front of a charging yak? No thanks."
Ocellus leaned over to Smolder. "This counts as practicing magic, right? She's going to be amazing at this."
"Going to be?" Ariel laughed, watching Yona's manic spree. "She already is. Yak magic is pretty great."
As if she jinxed it, Yona crashed to the floor, heaving for breath. The others ran over and checked on her.
"You okay?" Silverstream put an arm around her shoulders. "Slow breaths. Big ones."
Yona took Silverstream's advice, easing herself up after a few moments. "Yona, do it." She smiled through her fatigue. "Yak magic!"
Ariel clapped eagerly. "That was amazing! You didn't finish, but that's okay. We should do our part too. What you did do was just, wow."
Gallus chuckled as he gave her a wing around the shoulders. "You were doing all the work, Yona. It was pretty great, but we should be helping out too."
Ocellus grinned brightly. "That's at least a quarter of it done in no time. Let's do our part."
With a shared cheer, they got to work on their project.
Over the coming days, the house took shape. They worked out some of the kinks in design as they went, and Applejack kept them moving along swiftly, but they built higher and higher, making a two story dwelling that didn't look ready to fall over. Though it was tall, it had no actual second story, just one big one for flyers or dragons big enough to want that space to enjoy the room in.
Yona tried her magic several times more, getting a little better each time at handling her request of her ancestors. "Yona learn. Use for others, easy. Use for selfish, hard. Ancestor help because helping."
Ariel chuckled as she slid a board into place. "It's still magic, even if it isn't easy." She reconsidered that. "It's magic because it's hard. If it was easy, everycreature would just do it."
Gallus flew up with a heavy box in hand, placing it onto a shelf with a heavy thud of weight. "I'm pretty sure we're going to be the first to finish building, but there's no rush. It isn't a contest."
Smolder slammed down some boards, putting them into place before she started to bind them. "You say that, but you're doing great work to get this thing done."
Applejack whistled as she circled around their assembled home. "Lookin' mighty good! You'll want to get some plumbin' in there. Ain't a pony gonna wanna be in there without a sink and workin' outhouse, be that on the inside or not." She considered a moment. "Since yer all goin' so fast, ya could even consider if ya wanna put in 'lectricity. That'd be somethin'. Most houses in Ponyville don't have that."
Smolder chuckled and gave an eager nod. "We're already ahead. Might as well keep the momentum going!"
Ariel leaned over from the edge of the roof. "I'm not against the idea, but do you have a book with tips on that?" Her dim human memories didn't feel near enough to guide how to wire a building. "That isn't something you want to do blind."
Silverstream pumped a hand into the air. "Hey, if you get us supplies, I'll dive down and see about getting some pipes in place for us."
Smolder chuckled at the notion. "You'll dive through the wood and dirt? Nope, this one goes to you." She pointed at Ocellus. "You can get the pipes where they need to be."
Ocellus was engulfed in flames, becoming a mole. "Ready!"
Gallus gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze. "You know you're amazing, right?"
The changeling mole blushed and nodded. "Um, just doing what a changeling does."
Applejack let the electricity idea quietly die, moving on to look at the other houses.
Ariel hopped off the roof and landed with a soft thump. "So, the next thing we need are the water pipes, then?" She looked around and spotted a small pile of them. "Well, Applejack was ready for this part."
Yona trotted over and grabbed a great armful of pipes to bring next to the house with a crash of metal as they fell. "There."
Silverstream splashed through the water, getting it all over herself. "I can still help! I can start from the wet side." She waved a hand excitedly.
Gallus passed a pipe over to her. "Here you go." He landed next to Ariel. "You sounded like you knew what electricity is, so, what is it?"
Ariel's ears drooped. "It's just, something useful. Um." She worried her fingers together, talons clicking. "It can make light, or heat up a stove, or do a lot of things if you know what you're doing. I haven't seen it used much around here."
Smolder looked up from sorting pipes with Ocellus. "Huh. Sounds like yet another kind of magic. We're already learning enough magic right now, I say. Let's stick to finishing what we got."
Silverstream called up. "I have a hole here! Ocellus, aim for my voice!"
Ocellus started to dig, dirt flying out from behind her as she went down, then at an angle towards the pond. She emerged a moment later, soaking wet and sputtering. "G-got it."
Ariel laughed lightly at that, leaning down and patting Ocellus's shoulder. "Good job!" She dashed to find a towel for the wet mole. "We have a lot of different talents, and that's good."
With Ocellus dry, Silverstream returned to the surface. The seapony took a slow breath and began to focus on the gemstone. She lifted into the air, back to being a hippogriffon. "How's the pipe on the inside looking?"
Ocellus nodded sharply. "I can see it just fine! I think it goes all the way through."
They got the pipe going up a bit and put a nice handle at the end. With a twist, they could summon or banish the stream of water that fell on a grate that led right back into the pond it all came from originally. Water flowed freely, and there were cheers all around at their success. A second pipe was added for the toilet, which drained off into the ground below in a similar manner, but they didn't make that one come out the pond.
Applejack swung back around as their cheers got her attention. "Ya got a roof, an' pipes. Y'all feelin' ready with what ya got?"
Smolder put a claw to her chin. "Well, we should probably check and make sure there are no gaps in the walls or roof, but I think we're ready."
Gallus fired a big thumbs up. "Call that inspector. They'll be blown away by what we made!"
Applejack smiled broadly at that, and gave a nod. "Ah'm real proud of ya, and ah will send an inspector yer way."
The next day, that pony arrived with a stern suit on his front and a clipboard balanced on a crossed hoof. "Hm. Looks like you built a house alright. I need to see inside." His voice was clipped and proper, and he looked over the top of his glasses.
Gallus threw open the door and bowed. "Welcome."
The inspector nodded and entered. He looked over every surface, tapped at walls, moved along each inch with care. Silverstream gave a nervous shiver, but Smolder sat relaxed. He came to the handle on the wall and inclined his head left and right. "Hm?" He reached a hoof and turned it. Water spilled out just in front of him, almost catching his clipboard. "What an unusual design." He made a few quick notes.
Smolder chuckled as she stood up. "Well, we have our own way of doing things. What did you think?"
"I think it doesn't break any codes." The pony tapped at the toilet, gave it a test flush, and made a few more notes. "No draft, the construction seems solid enough. Though I'm not sure what pony would enjoy the particular details of your design, it's all in code." He drew out a big stamp and brought it down on the board. "I can approve this building."
There were cheers all around, the whole group celebrating their success. Applejack smiled at that, trotting over to them. "Congratulations. Y'all did it, got a whole house up, an' it took all of ya workin' together to do it. Mighty proud of the lot of y'all. Now, ya need ta go show the others how it's done."
Yona smiled gently. "First we need celebrate."
Applejack chuckled at that. "Well, don't let me get in the way of that, but first done means first helpin' the others. Ah 'xpect y'all to lend them a helping hand or hoof."
Ariel grinned as she bowed. "You're absolutely right about that, Professor. We're a team, and so is the rest of the school." She squeaked as Gallus grabbed her in an unexpected hug. "A warning!" But she relaxed quickly, returning the hug with a giggle. "Good job."
Smolder chuckled and hugged Yona around the neck. "I am proud of you." She lifted her head with a grin, and looked at Silverstream and Ocellus.
As if to not be left out, Silver pounced on Ocellus to hug tightly. "I wonder if a creature will move in and use it, now that we made it."
Ocellus laughed and returned the hug. "Maybe, maybe it'll stay empty. I hope somecreature enjoys it."
The team broke up, each heading to another group to help the other teams along. Though the rest were ponies, the students had enough understanding of construction to help the other groups get going. They stayed mostly together, drifting between groups to encourage them to go forward.
It took another few days, but the clearing was full of finished houses at the end. They even had a new pony wandering them with amazement. "I get to pick any one of them? They're all amazing!"
Ariel smiled up at that. "Yep! You can live in any of these."
The new mare nodded and looked over the dwellings. "I think that one looks like it's just for me." She trotted into one with a big skylight. "It's so nice and bright." She circled around to the window in the front. "It lets in the light from everywhere. I love it!" She bounced happily.
Applejack smiled warmly. "That's all mighty good work ya did there." The teacher turned as Princess Celestia approached. "Oh! Princess! Weren't 'xpectin' ya." She bowed properly, as did much of the class.
Ariel and the others did not, but she wasn't technically their princess. She didn't look upset at that. "What lovely work. I heard some young creatures made an entire new block of homes and I had to come see for myself. I'm amazed at the wonderful work here." Her smile only grew as she walked from house to house, looking each over. "The work here is incredible. I can feel that youthful energy, and the willingness to press in new d—" She trailed off as she reached the one the gang had made, two stories tall, but with just one large story in it. "Hm."
She poked her head inside and stepped in. Unlike the others, she could fit in easily, even spread her wings without immediately bumping into things. "This... Did you build this for me?" She turned to look back out the door she just came through.
Smolder chuckled and shrugged at the same time. "Well, I mean, it was supposed to be for anycreature. But we were trying to make it good for a griffon, hippogriff, or dragon."
"Or an alicorn," added Celestia with a pleased smile. "If it isn't already claimed, I would take it as a vacation home, for when I visit Ponyville. I could even bring my niece and sister, there is room enough for us to share."
Gallus clicked his claws together. "You have a niece? I never heard of that."
"I do." Celestia emerged from the spacious home. "Princess Cadance. And a nephew as well, Prince Blueblood. He doesn't get along with his cousin, but it's a matter of them being too different to be friends." She rolled her eyes, thinking of the two. "They have very different ways, but I love them both, in equally different ways."
Ariel waved at the tall home. "It's all yours. Nocreature has claimed it so far. Just be sure to tell them so they don't send anycreature out to look at it."
"Of course. I will make arrangements right away. I'm pleased with this, and you should all feel proud." Celestia turned to regard the other buildings. "Yours shines with many different ideas, and the compromises you made to fit them all in one building. Fortunately, I happen to be that mixture, and it's perfect. Applejack." Applejack perked at being called. "You are teaching an excellent class. Learning to work together with such varying ideas is a skill that will serve them well."
Applejack gave a nod of agreement. "It sure will. They can go far, do good things in the world." She took off her hat to press to her chest. "Won't take all the credit. All the teachers at the school're workin' hard to teach them how to get 'long with their fellow creatures."
Celestia nodded at that with a warm smile. "As I would expect from Twilight Sparkle, and your efforts are just as appreciated. You're all doing quite well." She nodded to the students she could see. "I expect we'll be hearing much about you all when you venture forth from this school. Now, I must go and speak to Mayor Mare."
Smolder watched Celestia depart. "It's nice to be noticed by royalty." She snickered softly. "Pony princess approved." She nodded at the house they had built. "I'll take it."
Applejack chuckled, tapping her hoof on the ground before her. "Now y'all get some time off. Won't throw another big project at y'all fer a while. Hope yer ready to do some class learnin'!"
Yona threw up her hooves. "Yona ready!" After all, what could be more challenging for Yona than doing magic? Feeling invincible, she charged back into the school.
Author's Note
4k month, 4k month! Shoot, I hit 2k, realized I was only halfway done. 4k 4k! We ended up at 4.5k :D Hope y'all like.
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"Just another evening, no big deal." Ariel rocked forwards and back. "Just hanging out with a friend, you do that all the time." Her words for herself, trying desperately to convince herself.
"He'll come and I'll go on a little date. It's what people do." Her cheeks darkened. "It's what people do." She stepped left to right. "It's not something I've done." She could feel her past pressing on her. She hadn't had the chance to try dating, and if she had, it would have been on the other end of that line. There she was, about to—
"Hey." Gallus came jogging towards her with a corsage pinned to his chest, where he wore a tuxedo top. "I didn't keep you waiting, did I?" He glanced to a clock nearby and its hands. "Nope, just on time. Ready?"
Ariel's cheeks flushed. "You know, we don't have to do this if you don't want to."
Gallus threaded one arm with one of hers. "I could say the same, but I do want to do this. If we're serious, we should do a date or two, have fun, get to know each other, ya know?" He chuckled gently, trying to not shake her. "It'll be great. If nothing else, you can have some laughs at me."
"I wouldn't." Summoned by speaking it, she could remember some times she did go ahead and laugh when Gallus did something that tickled her. "Ok, maybe. Where did you want to—" Her words stopped when he looped a flower circle over head head and it fell to her shoulders. "Oh, these look nice." Her blush grew worse, thinking of it. "Thank you."
Gallus gave her a quick peck on the cheek and she almost passed out. "You're welcome. Sorry, they didn't have any flower sets as pretty as you are, but you set the bar too high, not my fault, eh?"
"Ah-heh, hoo-hoo!" Ariel was trying to laugh and breathe at the same time, and it wasn't going very well. "Well, we don't want to just stand in the hallway like this. Let's get going." She forced herself through the tension. "Let's have some fun."
Gallus grinned and waved them down the hallway. They came out into Ponyville, where he gestured at the setting sun. "Looks like a nice evening. Figured I'd give you a choice. We could watch the sun finish what it's doing, a little picnic alone in the evening, or, I take you to the local movies and we watch something fun. You know?"
"Oh, wow, that's hard." Ariel considered her choices with a hum, but a thought struck her and she giggled softly. "Both sound like places where you get to get close and do things."
"Guilty." He glanced away and back. "If you're alright with that? I mean, uh, and talk. Quietly, little whispers just for us. It's good fun."
Ariel chuckled softly at the notion. "I think I'd like that." But she had to pick just one. "Mmm, I'd rather be private, so the picnic sounds better than a crowded movie."
Gallus gave a nod to that. "Then, we should find ourselves a nice, quiet, private place, and have ourselves a little picnic." He reached behind himself and produced a basket, already laden with treats for the evening. "Had a feeling you'd pick that one. One point for me." With a gentle chuckle, he led them out of Ponyville proper.
Ariel found a smile on her face. Sure, it was all new, but she felt good about it. She knew Gallus, and she wasn't ashamed of what she was. She would stumble, and they would, hopefully, laugh about it. It's what young people just had to do, right? Learn?
They settled down in a nice field together and had a bite to eat. As they watched the sun setting, they got closer. They talked about little things, but it grew into larger things. "Grandpa insists I have this, like, huge plan for what I do after I go to this 'fancy pony school'." He chuckled softly and put his arms over his knees. "It's just to learn how to get along with others, and you're all doing fine with that."
He rolled his eyes, facing the sun. "It's a lot, you know? Do you have any big plans?"
She took a slow breath. "Wow, plans." Before coming to that world, just waking up each morning felt like she had climbed a mountain of effort. "I, hm. Oh! I want to keep practicing this." She lifted her crystal shard into easy view. "Being a wizard can be a job, and I want to do it, paid or not. That's a plan, right?"
He patted her knee softly. "That sounds great. We can learn magic together." He put on a grin that was mostly fang. "We'll show them our crazy creature magic, put the ponies to shame."
Ariel laughed at the mental image. "Not sure if we'll manage that or not, but it sounds fun to try." She stiffened as he stole a kiss, but went to snatch one back. They flopped over, exchanging the crime back and forth, trying to best each other at being sweet.
As they lay together, his wings came around her body, and she felt warm with him. She was surrounded by his gentle scent, and it felt, hm, comfortable. She nuzzled into a wing and almost purred, though it came out a pleased chirp. "Thank you, for taking me out. This has been sweet."
He nodded slowly. "It's what we do. It's something we should do." He closed his eyes. "Not a classic griffon date, but I doubt either of us would have wanted that, really." He considered that with a smirk. "I'm kinda odd as griffons go."
"You are not." She slid in, beak to beak with him. "In some ways, you are a classic griffon, but you put your own spin on it, because you're you, and I happen to like you, silly."
He gave her a playful shove. "You can't do that!" But he returned to her embrace soon after that. "I haven't met a lot of hippogriffs to compare you against. You're not Silverstream, but I don't think anycreature but her is that . She's kinda special. You're your own thing." He nestled in close with her, the sun sinking to barely a sliver of light. "I like that about you."
They were quiet a moment, gazing into one another's eyes and sharing their warmed breath between them. The rest of the world didn't really matter in that silence. They could forget it for a time, and enjoy the little moment they made together.
Ariel broke the silence at last. "Should we, uh, do." She rolled a hand slowly. "Something? Something else?"
Gallus chuckled and nodded, untangling his wings to let them stand up. "Well, I could walk you home."
She laughed at that. "Easy thing to suggest. We have the same home." She snatched the half-emptied basket up. "I'll carry this."
Gallus put out an elbow, which Ariel snatched with a giggle. "Might as well enjoy the walk, eh?"
The two headed back to the dorms, pleased for the little trip by the expressions on their faces.
***
The Student Six looked with equal confusion. They had surely come to Starlight's office, but she wasn't alone. All the teachers were there, gathered and smiling from behind her desk as the students filed in.
Smolder waved over the line of teachers. "Did we mess something up? This looks bad."
Starlight waved that away with a hoof. "Oh, it isn't like that at all! In fact, just the opposite. I asked them to meet us here today because I have an announcement to make." She paused a beat, letting that sink in. "Your studies here are coming to an end." She clapped her hooves together. "You are no longer learning how to do magic."
Ariel threw her hands wide. "Did we make you angry? I thought we were making good progress."
Starlight made gentle downwards motions. "You did. But you've also graduated." The other teachers started clapping their hooves on that cue. "You are no longer learning how to do magic. You are spellcasters. In fact, I dare say you could all become wizards, if you liked. Creating new spells and teaching others, or making books for later generations to learn from. You've all at least tried it. If it becomes a long-term thing, only for you to decide. But you have completed your study here."
Smolder let out an excited cheer and started clapping for her friends. "Yeah!"
Gallus allowed a smirk, which grew into a smile. "Hay yeah. Griffon air magic for the win."
Yona stomped the ground. "Yak ancestor magic better." The two shared a glare that turned quickly into mutual laughter. They came in for a shared hug, the room filled with excited cheers.
Ariel hugged Silverstream. "We can both be seapony shamans!" Silver returned that hug eagerly.
"Ooo!" Silver considered the idea. "That would be something. The Queen'll be so proud of us, coming back with more magic than she sent us out with." She put a finger to her chin. "We could even teach!"
Ariel had an image of her, in some sort of wizard getup, trying to explain how to cast a spell. "I wouldn't mind that." She could imagine a line of eager hippogriff children, or chicks? Whatever they were, they were adorable in her mind. "That could be kinda nice."
Starlight smiled at them all. "I'm glad you're all excited by the news. We teachers are all proud of you." The teachers bowed in unison. "When our students learn all we put before them, it's a good mark on them, and on us, for teaching it. Thank you for showing us this magical moment."
Applejack nodded firmly. "Ya sure showed us how different creatures can do magic. Ah'll always 'member that." She paused. "Wait." She turned a hoof on herself. "If a griffon's got magic, an' even a yak, what's sayin' an earth pony can't learn their own kind?"
Pinkie Pie bounced. "Ooh! We get a new semester!" She bounded over to Applejack. "Earth pony wizards! I am so ready for this!"
Fluttershy chuckled softly at that. "Well, I suppose there is more for us all to learn. For now, let's be happy for them."
It turned into a little party with refreshments and snacks. It was a poor day for learning, but a great one for celebrating what they had achieved. The Student Six were at the center of it, basking in the light of their accomplishments.
The other teachers wandered off, having things to do, except Starlight and Twilight. Twilight cleared her throat. "If I could have your attention?" The students looked to her quickly. "Thank you. As a resident wizard of Ponyville, I welcome you, now my magical peers. Congratulations on the accomplishment."
Starlight smiled and nodded. "We can all get together and share magic, if you like?
Twilight brightened. "I would love to do exactly that. But, before we get ahead of ourselves, I wanted to say that I accept you, as my peers in magic. Your magic may not be my own, but I accept it, in its new forms. Let us work together to advance magic, for everycreature."
Silverstream raised her crystal. "I am glad to call you a peer, Princess Twilight!"
"Please, just Twilight is fine." The princess gave them all a nod of approval. "We're peers, at least when discussing magic." She cleared her throat. "I'm still your teacher in school, where we are, but for magic, equals."
The student six bowed their heads to her, recognizing the new relationship, which was quickly broken by Silverstream throwing an arm around her shoulders and giving Twilight a tight squeeze. "Equals get hugs whenever they want." Not that she had been terribly shy about when a good hug was needed. "If you don't mind, I think I'll just keep calling you Teacher until we graduate though."
Twilight smiled. "That's fine, I'll be your teacher in school until you do." She returned Silverstream's hug. "I'm glad to call you a friend, too."
Author's Note
Bird romance is best romance?
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Ariel was laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Her friends were around her, doing the same. "This is harder than I thought."
Smolder sat up. "Well, Starlight did say this was something only big wizards did. Maybe thinking of whole new magic isn't as easy as we thought." She scowled with that last part, as if admitting it wasn't pleasing her. "You got it easy, with a new spell that already works with what you do."
Gallus rolled over, flopping down on Ariel's belly. He smirked as she sputtered. "Well, griffon magic is air magic, so some 'spells' for that would make sense. Oh! I got one! What about a spell that just made air move, to make a room cooler and less stuffy?"
Silverstream gave a nod. "Ooh! You could even have different spells for different amounts of wind, or the direction."
Gallus waved a finger at that. "That'd be silly. Just one spell for air moving, and you can focus more or less and in different directions. We've controlled magic before."
Yona groaned. "Why not just open window?" She glared lightly. "Learn magic and forget answer front of you."
The group laughed as one at her joke. Ocellus joined them. "I don't think I'll ever come up with a new changeling spell." She buzzed her wings lightly. "We're already so flexible. I could probably learn all your spells, all the different kinds." She curled a hoof to her chin. "I wonder what calling to changeling ancestors would do?"
Ariel sat up with Gallus on her belly, forcing him off with an annoyed grunt. "It might not work like yak magic, where they are helping. I can't really think of anything you need that you can't already do, Ocellus. You're built-in amazing."
Ocellus colored at the praise. "I didn't earn being a changeling. I just am. I don't want to gloat about that. Um, can I help? I still want to help my friends."
Ariel smiled at her. "Of course. You're not going to be left out of this, silly." She waved Ocellus closer. "We're all in this. Now, hate to be 'that creature', but we do have to keep our grades up and pay attention in all the classes. We're students of the school before we're wizards."
Gallus groaned. "Yeah, yeah, study hard and all that. I was kinda hoping we'd just start coasting now." He made a coasting motion with a hand. "If I plan on going on to be an awesome air wizard, I have what I need, right?"
Ariel chuckled and shoved at his head gently. "No. You also have to pass all your other classes." She lowered her hands to tickle at Gallus. "Besides, I'll be there, don't you want to hang out with your lady friend?"
He blushed and looked aside. "Well, I mean, yeah. Don't go spreading that around, though."
The others snickered at that poorly-hidden secret. Silverstream saw an opening, actually there or not. "So, do you like how hippogriffs look?" She fluttered her lashes, doing a poor job of holding back her giggles.
Gallus blushed at that. "What? I mean, sure, they're fine, but—" He grabbed Ariel's shoulders. "I like her. Sure, she's a, uh, hipppogriff, but not all hippogriffs are her."
Ariel chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'm the best me." She winked to Silverstream. Her other arm drew Gallus into a little hug that seemed to calm him down a little as they settled back.
Yona snorted at the two. "Not only creature with hug friend." She grabbed Sandbar over for a too-tight hug.
Sandbar wheezed, but didn't resist. "Yeah. We're here for each other."
Smolder broke into laughter. "It was bad enough when we had one pair of huggy friends, now we're up to two. She looked to Ocellus and Silverstream with a critical eye. "No offense to either of you, but I don't think we click that way."
Silverstream inclined her head left and right. "Which way is that?"
Ocellus giggled. "I'm not going to hug you just because everyone else is, that would be silly." Despite that, she threw an arm over Silverstream in a hug. "You're all my friends, uhm, platonically. And that's alright."
Gallus chuckled. "That's fine by us. We all kinda find what works for us, eh?"
Ariel bobbed her head quickly. "Exactly. Don't rush these things, or feel like you're missing out, because you're not. Keep making friends and being someone worth being a friend to and you'll trip over that if you want and, you know, you're ready."
Smolder grinned at the thought of tripping into a hug friend. "Maybe someday. Until then, you guys can handle all the hugs we need." She put her hands together. "Now, about that air spell. Get on it. I want that working. This room could use some air flow in it."
Gallus smirked at the challenge and nodded. "I'll keep working on it." He considered something. "So, uh, maybe we should have a little library?"
Ariel perked at the idea. "For our spell books! That would be great. We all have one. We could store them there when we're not writing, for any other creature that wanted to read them to go ahead. I love the idea!"
Yona nodded eagerly. "Library is good. Many book."
Sandbar chuckled softly. "I'm sure we can find the space, somehow. We should probably ask Headmare Twilight. She loves books. She'd know where to keep them."
Smolder's eyes were closed. "Sounds like a great plan. Good idea, Gallus, Sandbar. It'd be funny if they included like part of the wall was rock so I could carve the dragon spells?"
Ariel giggled. "You already carved your own dragon spell wall over there." She pointed to where scratches were etched into the dorm wall. "But that's maybe not the best space, come to think."
Smolder snorted, smoke curling upwards. "Exactly. So, if Twilight makes a little library with some proper rock, that'd be better."
They broke down into chatter about what such a library would look like.
***
Twilight looked from student to student gathered before her. "A library? That sounds like a wonderful idea." Her voice rose slightly, filled with energy. "I've never seen a magic library with magic like yours in it." She clapped her hooves at the notion of it. "And you'd be happy to store your magic books whenever you're not using them? That's quite generous. I might have a look myself." She made soft musing sounds a moment.
The Student Six nodded eagerly at that. Ariel stepped forwards. "It's why we all learned, so that other creatures can learn as well."
Yona stomped once. "Yes. If other yak come, should learn what Yona know."
Smolder chuckled softly. "Maybe I'll get a dragon to do their own book one day."
Gallus smirked broadly at Smolder's line. "I didn't even think of that. That'd be great, if my book encouraged some other chick to start writing their own things. Hah!"
Ocellus giggled at that. "And my book might help another changeling discover the joys of magic." She did a twirl in place, ending on one hoof. "I'd love to help."
Twilight held up a hoof. "I'll do my part. All I ask from you all is that you have your books ready, and you continue being wonderful students. Why don't you all head along, except Ariel. I'd like a word with you."
Ariel perked up at that. She waved off her friends and approached. "Yes, Twilight?"
Twilight smiled at Ariel. "I spoke to Queen Novo." She waggled a floating quill in her magic. "Through letters. She told me how you came to be." She spread her hooves. "A curious tale."
"Oh, that." Ariel gave an awkward chuckle. "I suppose she had to tell somecreature, so you all didn't freak out about another species showing up."
Twilight set a hoof on Ariel's shoulder. "You're a hippogriff. You've made that clear with your actions. Treating you as something else would be rude on my part. But your unique background remains, and I think is at least partially responsible for what's happened to your friends." She moved that hoof to Ariel's beak. "You had new eyes, and looked at things in a way we hadn't thought to look before."
Ariel blushed at the touch, then pulled back. "Thank you, Headmare Twilight. Your praise means a lot."
Twilight flapped her own wings once. "Sometimes, a new set of eyes is all it takes. 'Why can't I do magic too?' you asked without thinking much of it. Your friends rallied behind you, and now I have a class full of eager wizards. It's almost overwhelming, but in a good way. I wanted to say I knew, but not in any bad way. Keep being yourself, Ariel. Your otherworldly perspective is exactly what we needed."
Ariel smiled gently. "I know I don't want to go back to that world." She laughed awkwardly. "Not sure I could. I might be dead." She rubbed behind her head, thinking on it. "I wasn't in a good place at the time. This place, this me. I like it. I..." She sank to her haunches, then slid her legs to be on her butt in a more bipedal way. "Since you know, can I talk to you a little about it?"
Twilight moved around her desk and sat on her haunches as well. "I'm all ears."
Ariel took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. "I like this life. I like the new me." She put a hand on her chest. "The old me was sick and stuck in bed all the time. The new me gets to have friends, go to class, and learn things." Ariel laughed gently. "Even if I know some of it already, it's still so much better than laying in bed. I have friends all around that really care about me, and I care about them!"
She stopped and held her hands over her heart a moment. "And now I get to learn magic! And, um." Her cheeks burned hotly. "Even have a boyfriend, which is new." She glanced away. "I was a boy before, but I'm not now. I'm this me." She waved over herself. "Who is a girl, and doing girl things and having so much fun doing it."
She took a breath, still looking aside. "And, if you're wondering about me being a girl in my head, or if I feel right when I look at myself." She leveled two fingers at her own eyes. "I see me, this me, in the mirror. They're no stranger. That's me. I'm Ariel, a happy hippogriff."
Twilight nodded once, firmly. "Ariel. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm glad to have you here." She went in and hugged Ariel when silent permission was given. "You are a wonderful student, and hippogriff. I want you to be happy here." She pulled back and looked into Ariel's eyes. "You deserve that much."
Ariel blinked, eyes stinging. She reached up to find tears spilling from her. "Dang it. I made it this far without crying." She laughed even as the tears spilled. "Thank you, Headmare Twilight. That really does mean a lot. I love this place, and everyone. I love being me." She hugged herself, rocking a little. "So, thanks, really, for not making too big a deal about what I was."
Author's Note
This one came up a little shorter, but it felt like the spot to stop the chapter. Was I wrong?
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