//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Manipulation and Creation // Story: Discord Cannot be Reformed // by Psyonicg //------------------------------// And so life returned to normal. At least as normal as it ever got in Ponyville. And as the days passed the group of friends put the worries they had to the back of their minds. Most of them at least. -From “Discord’s Second Reign” Vol.I: Chapter 3: The Calm before the Storm Chapter 3 – A Confused Harmony Twilight groaned and threw yet another book to the side, while simultaneously dragging the next dusty tome in front of her, “it just doesn’t make any sense! How can none of these books have any first-hand information on the Elements?” Sat at her study desk, Twilight was surrounded by books of all types and sizes. Everything from ancient history books to state of the art modern magical theory were strewn about, some open with a sentence or phrase highlighted, and others tossed away. The closed curtains and the bright white reading light at the tip of her horn gave the room an ominous air which was in no way eased by Twilight’s dishevelled state or the heavy silence that was only broken by the faint background hum of magic and the scratching of quill on parchment. ...seems like the true nature of the magic is much more complicated than I first assumed. After researching extensively into the Elements of Harmony’s history I have managed to conclude that the Elements are more than simple enchanted amulets. Whereas an enchanted piece of jewellery can contain a spell or magical matrix that the user can use, the Elements seem to be much more complicated. After studying the outer layers of the Element of Magic’s matrices once more I sensed the presence of a very familiar magical aura. That of Princess Celestia. In addition during my research I have come across a few references to ‘objects’ which I believe are the Elements of Harmony. It seems a strange coincidence that all of these mentions come after the supposed war against Discord. This brings me to onto the final item of note. There is no evidence that there ever was a war against Discord and I believe that it is possible this is because there wasn’t one. There is not even a single mention of Discord anywhere and despite looking through many of the oldest history books in the Canterlot archives I have yet to find anything to disprove this theory. In light of these facts, the complicity of this new magic, and it’s relation to the Elements, I will be setting up an Arcanum chamber to… It was this scene that Spike walked in on, holding a tray of daffodil sandwiches and a glass of water. “Twilight! You’ve been at this for days now, you need to get out of the library.” – Spike strode over, pulling the curtains back and filling the room with warm sunlight, a sudden change which left both pony and dragon shielding their eyes and turning away. – “All this reading can’t be doing you any good!” There was no response from the studying unicorn and, snorting in anger, Spike strode over and placed the tray of food directly on top of the book Twilight was currently reading. “Are you even listening…Twilight?” As the tray was placed in front of her, Twilight flinched back and looked up to see Spike standing before her, hand on hip with a very annoyed expression on his face. “Twilight really, when was the last time you went outside?” Waving her hoof in apathy Twilight pushed the tray to the side, looking back to her book “Relax Spike, I’ll go out after I finish this section, I’m close to getting somewhere, I can feel it!” “You said that the last time I came up, and the time before that! In fact I remember the book you were reading when I came up yesterday. It was ‘Enchanted Artefacts and Their Affect’s on Magic’ . How long ago was it since you finished that?” Twilight looked up and for a brief second her element and her eyes shimmered with neon purple light. “Oh that’s easy spike, from Enchanted Artefact’s I saw a passage about magical amulets which lead me to ‘Mystical Jewellery’ which referred to ancient necklaces of power made long ago which of course led me to ‘Symbols of Authority Throughout the Ages’ and in there I saw a chapter detailing the removal of those symbols to make way for the harmony that came about when the Wendigos were defeated which led me to- “Ok stop!” Twilight blinked with her mouth half open then snapped it shut with a sheepish grin “Sorry Spike, I just feel so… alive you know? It’s like the more I study the Elements the more questions I find and every question just makes me that much more eager to keep studying.” Rolling his eyes Spike nodded “Don’t worry, I know how you can get Twilight.” “And just what is that supposed to mean Spike?” Twilight replied with a raised eyebrow. Spike’s eyes widened and he turned away, blushing “ummm, nothing. Nothing at all.” With a slightly disgruntled look Twilight said “You’re lucky I'm tired from studying, or else I’d probably find the energy to be angry about that. Regardless, what time is it?” “Oh! Umm… Half past one.” Spike responded, happy that the topic of conversation had changed. Twilight frowned, scratching her head with one hoof “Wait, I’ve only been studying for three hours?” Spike looked at Twilight with a dumbfounded expression, “I can’t… How do you… Twilight it’s half past one on Monday! You’ve been studying for almost two days straight! I don’t even know how you’re still awake.” “Two days? It doesn’t feel like two days…” Humming thoughtfully, Twilight glanced upwards towards the Element on her head however any thoughts she was having were swept away as, with a start, her brain processed what had just been said. “Wait!” Jumping to her hooves Twilight looked around, her body shaking slightly “It can’t be Monday! I promised I’d help Rarity today with her magic.” Twilight pushed her chair away and levitated a few select books from around the room, stuffing them into her saddlebags as she rushed about. “Spike why didn’t you tell me what time it was?” “I tried bu-” Spike began but before he could finish Twilight had already teleported out of the room. For a few seconds the room was silent until… “Oh come on!” Stomping out the room, Spike took a second to check the room was clear before slamming the door. “She didn’t even eat her lunch” “Oh I do hope it’s nothing serious” Rarity moaned, pacing back and forth in her boutique. The steady tapping of her hooves against wood echoing through the Carousel. Much to the annoyance of a certain filly. “Oh come on sis! Just let me go, she’ll be her soon, please.” Rarity stopped her pacing and turned to face Sweetie “We agreed that once Twilight arrived to help me with my magic, and only once she’d arrived, you could out and play with your friends. And that’s only because Twilight didn’t think it would be good for you to be inside while we’re practising. Your still being punished for buying that ridiculous hairdryer with Applejack’s gem. “Aww, but I told you Rarity, we only did that to look after all the pets we we’re pet sitting!” Sweetie replied with a whine. “I don’t care what you were just doing, the fact of the matter is you spent Applejack’s hard earned money without asking her, now you’ll wait here until Twilight arr-“ The sounds of rapid knocking came from the door, cutting of Rarity mid speech. “Ah, that is probably her now. See Sweetie, a little patience goes a long way.” Trotting over to the door Rarity pulled it open to the sight of a very dishevelled Twilight. Her mane looked like it hadn’t been brushed at all and her fur was slightly matted around the barrel. A clear sign that she’d been spending too long in her study. “Oh my, dear you look positively awful! What happened to you?” Twilight opened her mouth then shook her head and looked to the floor, panting. Rarity grinned, leaning against the door frame while waiting for Twilight to catch her breath. “Don’t worry darling, take as long as you need.” After a minute or so Twilight managed to get her breathing under control and with one last deep breath she looked up “I’m so sorry I’m late Rarity, I was really busy and I lost track of time. Thankfully spike reminded me and I rushed here as soon as I could, I didn’t really have time to… freshen up.” As she realised the kind of state she must be in, Twilight blushed and tried to smooth her mane down, brushing herself off as discreetly as she could. “No harm done. Although perhaps we should head inside and have some tea before we start? Relax a bit.” As rarity spoke she stepped back and waved Twilight in with a hoof. Nodding in agreement Twilight entered the boutique, thanking Rarity with a nod as both mares headed to the kitchen. “Sweetie Belle! Twilight’s here, you can go now!” “Thanks sis!” The sound of filly hooves striking wooden floorboards sounded through the house for a few seconds, followed by the opening and closing of a door. “So Rarity…” – Twilight started as she sat down, watching Rarity as she bustled about the kitchen making tea – “…is there any reason exactly you want to practise magic with me?” Turning to face Twilight Rarity nodded, the different ingredients of the tea and the cups still moving around behind her. “Well darling it really is quite simple. In my line of work I tend to always be moving a lot of different fabrics and I use magic so often that it’s second nature to me. However I never attended a magical school so the most instruction I got was some lessons from my mother and I really would like to know a bit more about magic in general, especially spell casting.” As she spoke Rarity finished creating the tea and moved to sit at the table, placing Twilight’s tea in front of her. Twilight accepted the tea with a smile and took a sip “ Mmmmm , delicious as always Rarity. Although I must say you seem to have a firm grasp on magic already, if your manipulation of the teacups is any indication.” Rarity placed her cup down and looked at Twilight with an unconvinced expression on her face. “Darling I hardly even use magic except during work and even that is just simple levitation, I’d hardly say I’m an expert, or even a good spell caster!” “You say that Rarity but you just levitated over five different objects while talking to me, not to mention you were also manipulating those objects in a specific way to achieve an outcome as well.” Rarity frowned and looked over her shoulder at the items she’d used to make the tea, “I guess, but that was just for a short period.” “Don’t worry Rarity, I have no intention of refusing to help you. I just think maybe you underestimate yourself” Twilight smiled and finished her tea, levitating the cup over to the sink and raising from her chair. “Regardless, let’s get stared!” Rarity nodded and followed Twilight out into the main open area of the Carousel. At which point Twilight turned round with a huge smile on her fact “Alright, Class is in session. Now you said your lessons came from your mother so you only got taught the basics. In that case I’ll be starting from the beginning, is that ok?” Rarity nodded and smiled “of course.” “Good! First thing’s first let’s look at your telekinesis.” Twilight got out a small notebook and levitated it up “As you know a unicorn’s telekinetic ability is something that they are born with, the ability to move and manipulate objects in the world. This is usually the only thing a unicorn without a magically inclined Cutie Mark will ever learn. Although small utility spells can be learnt with relative ease.” As she spoke Twilight began to draw on the notepad, levitating both in mid-air. “As you can see it is a simple task that requires almost no thought, at least for basic manipulation. Now let’s see how advanced yours is.” Twilight reached into her saddlebag and drew out ten small orbs and levitated one over to Rarity. “As you most likely know the more familiar a unicorn is with an object the easier it is for the unicorn to manipulate the object. I’m sure you can sense the difference between your favourite sewing tools and, for instance, the branches on a tree outside.” “Of course, it’s why I usually spend a few hours practising with anything I’m going to use in my dressmaking. And it is of course vital that I know the feel of the fabric before I start using it.” Twilight grinned “Yes, I’m sure it is. So take a minute to get a feel for the orb, practice moving it about, get used to the weight. It should be very easy to pick up considering it’s designed for practice. The balls are symmetrical, have a perfect centre of mass…” – As twilight continued to talk Rarity began to toss the orb back and forth, spinning it around and generally getting a feel for it – “…as smooth a surface as possible and the orbs are inlaid with faint lines of crushed topaz to increase magical sensitivity.” After a few seconds of practising Rarity nodded contently “I’m ready darling.” “Are you sure Rarity? That was awfully fast to get in tune to an object, even one like this.” “I’m pretty sure.” Rarity said with a reassuring smile. Twilight shrugged and nodded to herself “Well I guess if you’re ready…” Raising the other nine orbs, Twilight started to explain, “now I’m going to throw these at you one at a time, all you have to do is catch each one and hold it in the air, ok?” Rarity nodded and widened her stance, her eyes taking on a focused look as Twilight raised the orbs. A brief pause was all the time she had before Twilight tossed the first one. Purple magic was replaced by blue as the ball came to a stop in mid-air, perfectly still. Twilight nodded, an impressed look on her face “Well you certainly have control over your telekinesis. That ball didn’t even wobble. Now let’s see how good you are at focusing on multiple things.” Twilight continued to throw orbs at Rarity one by one, each one being caught in a light blue glow and coming to a complete stop. After almost no time at all Rarity was left with 10 orbs hovering in her magical grip, a slightly surprised look on her face. “Is that it darling? I cannot imagine anypony having trouble with such a simple task.” Grinning like an idiot, pleased that her ‘first’ student was so skilled, Twilight stepped forward and raised an eyebrow, “is that so Rarity? Because I’ll have you know that the majority of unicorns have trouble holding more than three orbs in such a steady state and most unicorns can’t hold more than six before they drop them all.” “You have got to be joking me.” Rarity responded, her body relaxing as she stared at Twilight with a doubtful gaze. “Not at all Rarity, your telekinesis is very well developed, but before I make any final opinions let’s test your ability to manipulate the orbs.” Rarity nodded and Twilight started to run through a series of different manipulation practices. For the next ten minutes the room was full of small orbs flying left right and centre, spinning and being guided through small gaps. Despite the variety and the difficulty of some tasks, Rarity completed every task given to her even if some of them left her with eyes shut and horn shimmering brightly. Eventually there was only one task left and, when told this, Rarity gave a sigh of relief. “Ok Rarity, final task, I want you to do the ten exercises we just went through but I want you to do each exercise simultaneously with the others, putting one orbs through the motions of each exercise. Do you think you can do that?” “If I’m honest darling I didn’t think I could do half of the exercises you just set me, but considering I did those I guess I may as well try this one as well,” Rarity responded with a weak smile. “That’s the spirit Rarity!” Flipping through her notebook, Twilight gave a small nod, “from everything you’ve showed me so far it seems like you excel at basic telekinesis so I’m sure you’ll be able to do this.” “Well if you’re sure darling…” Rarity brought the orbs in front of her, her horn flickering with a faintest traces of magic, as she got herself prepared, widening her stance and taking a deep breath. After a few more seconds the orbs began to move, each one following a different path. At first the orbs wobbled as Rarity hesitantly guided them along, her eyes squeezed shut and her face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to focus on guiding the ten different orbs along ten different paths, her horn glowing brightly as she channelled her magic to keep the balls steady. As time passed however the orbs began to speed up. The easier motions becoming automatic, freeing up more attention for the complex tasks, until within minutes all orbs were travelling in perfect synchronisation, travelling around Rarity in various routes. Meanwhile the magical aura of her horn had died down to a soft glow. Watching this spectacle, Twilight let out a small gasp “Wow Rarity, that’s amazing!” “Hardly, I’ve seen you casting your spells, this is nothing compared to what you can do” Rarity responded, the Orbs still orbiting perfectly. “My talent is in magical spell casting, I’ve never had such control over my telekinesis and by the very dim glow of your horn you’re using hardly any magic to cast it! That tells me you’re not only very skilled but that you are very confident as well.” Eyes widening, Rarity looked at Twilight with a sceptical expression on her face. All around her the orbs dropped to the floor and the sound of enchanted crystal hitting solid wood resonated throughout the room. “No offense meant Darling, but that has got to be the worst lie I have ever heard.” “Ignoring the fact you just dropped all ten of the orbs, something which wasn’t your fault, you completed those tasks without a single mistake. Something I’ve never been able to do.” With her face still displaying shock, Rarity shook her head and brought a hoof up to rub her ear. “I must be mistaken, you can’t possible of just said that I am stronger than you!” “Yep!” – Eyes sparkling in joy, Twilight galloped over to Rarity and showed her the notepad – “It must be all the telekinesis you do every day when you’re working. Admittedly I use my telekinesis often and occasionally I’ll do a big sort out at the library which will involve a lot of heavy lifting but it’s nothing compared to what you do.” Rarity glanced from the notepad to Twilight. It was clear that Twilight was extremely happy to have someone to teach and from the sincere smile on her face and the excited sparkle in her eyes she was telling the truth. “I find that very hard to believe Twilight, all I do with my telekinesis is use my sewing tools.” Looking to Rarity with a knowing grin Twilight said “Yes and how long do you work for each day?” “Usually from nine to five on a normal day although I sometimes work much longer when I need to get a particularly big project finished…” Rarity responded hesitantly. “And how many objects do you control with your magic on a regular basis?” Twilight continued. “Well let’s see. I usually manage the sewing machine with my magic… When I'm working on a particularly delicate piece I’ll hold up the dress, my needles and thread of course, and any small gems or important materials up as well.” “So on average you’re manipulating either two very complicated objects for long periods of time or you’re working with dozens of different simple objects and manipulating them with fine detail.” Dawning recognition showing on her face, Rarity nodded “And because I do this so often I have developed a natural skill, as it were, for telekinesis.” – Twilight nodded, motioning for Rarity to continue. – “But because my telekinesis is so advanced I assume that my magical power is too low because my spell casting is less refined and I don’t use it as much!” Rarity gave a little jump of joy and turned to Twilight, her own excited smile now mirroring Twilight’s, who said “Exactly! I think, and this is just an observation mind you, that you’ve gotten so used to your consistent use of telekinesis that you don’t realise how skilled you really are. As you can see here I have written out a few…” The two unicorns continued to discuss the nuances of magic as they headed to the kitchen for another cup of tea. As they sipped at the tea Twilight racked her brain for a description which would explain the magical theory properly. “Listen Rarity, magic is a lot like… It’s like… Like….” Humming in thought, Twilight rested her head on her hooves and frowned. Across the table from her Rarity took a long sip of her tea and smiled “Take as long as you need dear, no rush.” After a minute or so Twilight threw her hoof up with a triumphant cheer “Got it! Magic is like Hoof ball.” Rarity tilted her head in confusion and placed her tea down “Hoof ball? Darling I’m not seeing the connection here.” “Well, Hoof ball players need to be fit, right?” Twilight said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “Of course.” Rarity responded. “They need to be able to kick the ball hard and if they get knocked down they need to be tough enough to get straight back up don’t they?” Nodding slowly, Rarity said “Yes… Still missing the point.” “Well they also need to skilled at manoeuvring with the ball, don’t they?” “Go on,” Rarity said, a hint of understanding entering her voice. “Well magic is a lot like Hoof Ball. You can be as tough and fit as you like, you can do exercise every day and make sure you’re in top condition for every game but that isn’t all you need to do.” “I see what you’re saying, there’s two different parts to magic, fitness and skill?” “Well no.” Rarity’s expression dropped and she seemed to sink in her chair. “Now now! That’s not saying that you’re wrong. It’s just the analogy I’m using isn’t… as sophisticated as I’d like. But if we ignore that aspect, what I’m saying is that you, personally, spend every day working on your magic and practising your telekinesis, even if it’s just to fulfil another task, which means that your ‘fit’ and tha-“ Grinning, Rarity tilted her head to the side, her mane falling over her face seductively “What are you saying Twilight, you find me attractive?” Twilight’s speech trailed off into spluttering, her entire train of thought derailed, and stared at Rarity. “Uhh… of course not I just… Well it’s not that you’re not attractive… I just didn’t… It wasn’t… Of course you are… I’m just not attracted… I’ll shut up now.” Rarity grinned as Twilight hung her head, covering her face with her hooves. “Darling, no need to be embarrassed, I was merely joking. Regardless I think I understand what you’re saying. Telekinesis is how much stamina and endurance you have. And because I use magic so often I have high stamina, even higher than yours. On the other hand spells require training to use because they need you to learn them and remember how to use each spell before you can cast them, correct?” Twilight looked up from behind her hooves and gave a slow nod “Yes… as I was saying, you are an extremely fit, magically speaking, unicorn whereas I am more studious. Which means I can cast spells which are more complicated than you but…” Twilight trailed off, motioning for Rarity to finish as she sipped her tea. “…but… even though the more powerful spells look like stronger magic… they’re just more complicated and don’t necessarily mean the user is stronger!” Rarity finished, her speech hesitant at first but becoming more confident as she went. Twilight smiled, nodding as she finished her tea “Exactly. Both types of magic require a different type of practice and we, specifically, have trained in different areas. Therefore despite my advantage in spell casting you are actually stronger than me, telekinetically speaking.” Twilight levitated her cup over to the sink and dropped it in, gathering up her training orbs and notepad and putting them into her saddlebags. “If you’ve finished your tea I’d like to head out to Saddle Lake so that we can practice some area affecting spells. Rarity let out a muffled hum of agreement and finished off the remains of her tea, placing the cup into the sink as she followed Twilight out. “I’d be happy to, lead the way darling.” The two unicorns travelled north out of Ponyville and into the hilly regions between the Everfree forest and Canterlot Peak, trotting through the low lying regions to avoid the strong winds created by the winds from the plains north of Canterlot. After an hour of walking they came through a particularly high set of hills into a beautiful glade. The shimmering-crystal clear Lake before them was nestled into a basin amongst the hills, protecting it from the harsh winds and allowing life to flourish in the warm sunlight. Surrounding the water were brightly coloured flowers, blooming in the summer heat and interspersed around the Lake’s edge were large fruit trees, filling the basin with the chirping of birds the smell of ripe fruit. As the two travelled down to the Lake’s edge Rarity commented “I’ve never been here before and I find myself regretting it, it truly is beautiful.” Twilight nodded, lowering herself onto the soft grass at the banks of the water “Mmhmm, I come here when I want to practice magic without the distraction of other ponies or when I just want some time to myself. Most of the time I end up falling asleep regardless of my original intentions…” – turning to look at Rarity, who was stretching out in the sunlight, Twilight grinned and gently prodded her with a hoof – “Of course we’re here to practice, so up you get.” “Oh if I must” Rarity whined, getting to her hooves with a sigh. “Now the first thing I need to know is how much you know about the uses of telekinesis and what the differences are between the various kinds” Rarity gave a quiet hum of contemplation before starting, “well the main types I can think of are: Manipulative, Creative and… ummm.” Sitting back on her haunches, Rarity frowned as she tried to remember the last one she knew. After a few seconds this thinking was broken by muffled giggles coming from opposite her. “Hey! What’s so funny?” Waving a hoof, Twilight smiled and shook her head, “nothing Rarity. Nothing at all.” “I hardly think it’s nothing considering those silly little noises you’re making!” Rarity said, stomping her hoof on the ground. “It’s just that, your face gets all scrunched up when you’re thinking!” Twilight responded. “It does not! I’ll have you know that…” Rarity started, as she walked towards the water, only to trail off as she saw her reflection. “Well… Now that you mention it, I guess it is a little bit… scrunched” Rarity finished with a soft giggle. Twilight joined in, the two mares laughing happily in the glade as they leant on each other, lapsing into peaceful silence as they simply watched the sun pass through the sky and the water on the lake shimmer. The silence was broken a few minutes later when Twilight stood up and turned to rarity with a warm smile. “All right, time to get down to business.” Rarity nodded and got to her own hooves, the two unicorns moving into a small-open field of grass near the lake. “Now Rarity, you were correct when you mentioned Creative and Manipulative. The final one you needed to mention was Destructive” As she spoke Twilight began to sketch runes into the field in a circle around the two unicorns, lowering her head and marking them into the dirt with her horn “Manipulative is the simple act of moving things, pushing them or pulling them. Levitation and all applications of telekinetic force fall under this description.” Finishing the circle of runes surrounding the two, Twilight began to make a second lap, briefly creating a small pillar of purple light over each rune. “Now Creation is the art of making things with your telekinesis, be that shields or even hard magic tools. Pure magic objects require extremely high concentrations of magic to keep up but are practically unbreakable. Similarly shields made from solid telekinetic force will be extremely hard to penetrate however this is so taxing that most unicorns will simply use ward spells to create their shields. “ As Twilight finished powering the final rune a brilliant lavender dome encased the area, shutting out the everything from the gentle breeze to the noise of the birds, leaving the inside of the shield very, very calm. “Finally Destructive telekinesis is the skill to rip apart an object at the magical level with your telekinesis. It is difficult to accomplish and whatever item you destroy will be removed completely as it will have been disassembled utterly. Because of the danger inherent in such a type of magic it is very rarely taught to a unicorn unless they have displayed extreme control and skill with their Manipulative and Creative telekinesis.” “I’d heard about Destructive telekinesis but I thought it had been forbidden because of its power.” Rarity said as she gazed at the sparkling dome. The dome itself was opaque and blocked out all view of the outside world, leaving the two unicorns suspended in their own little world. “Most assume this is the case because of its rarity, no pun intended, but there are still some masters who practice the art. Also I believe that the Zebra spell casters learn Destructive telekinesis first.” Twilight moved to stand opposite Rarity inside the dome, her hoofsteps rustling the otherwise still grass beneath her. “I simple cannot imagine anypony having to learn how to do that! It’s simply barbaric!” “I know Rarity, I know.” Twilight gave a sigh, staring off into space for a few seconds before shaking her head and smiling. “Anyway, we’ve looked at your Manipulative skills and I’d like to test your creative skills next.” Rarity nodded, her horn lighting up. “So, considering your skill with telekinesis we’re going to go straight in at the deep end. I’d like you to create a force shield and hold it up as long as you can, ok?” A sceptical look on her face, Rarity questioned “One question, what am I going to be holding it up against?” “Oh that’s simple, I’m going to be sending bolts of energy at it.” Twilight responded. Rarity gasped, her voice taking on a slightly higher tone “Isn’t that dangerous?” “Don’t worry Rarity. The bolts are designed to destabilise a shield, they won’t harm you if the shield falls.” “Promise?” “Promise” Twilight said with a smile. “Ok darling, give me a second,” Rarity responded, widening her stance and taking a deep breath. For a second everything was still then, with a flash of blue light, a shimmering field of azure magic sprung up between the two unicorns. “That’s perfect Rarity, just hold that up as long as you can.” Hearing Rarity’s confirmation, Twilight closed her eyes and searched for the runes needed for her spell, locating and bringing each one to the front of her mind as she began to construct the spell she wanted. As she did so the familiar buzz of magical energy began to flow through her, strands of luminescent energy gravitating to her horn and, after a few seconds of concentration, this energy took the form of a shimmering purple orb, hovering at her horns tip. As soon as the spell was finished the hum of charged magic began to resonate throughout the dome, the energy causing the grass around Twilight to sway in the magical breeze. “Ok rarity, I’m starting now!” Twilight called over the sound of the magic, waiting a second to let Rarity prepare herself before releasing her spell. The magic sped across the gap, leaving a glowing trail, before smashing into Rarity’s shield with a faint crackling and fading, motes of purple light flickering across the azure wall which seemed completely undamaged, much to twilight’s surprise. “Wow… Well let’s see how long that’s lasts.” Gathering up the energy for the spell, Twilight once again weaved the different runes into a ball of energy, the process passing much quicker this time due to Twilight having already found the runes required for the effect she wanted. On the other side of the shield Rarity had begun to smile. “Well that wasn’t so hard, I barely even felt tha-” Her joy was dashed however as another bolt of energy slammed into her shield, causing it to waver as purple and blue light mixed. “Ok! Ok! Not finished, come on Rarity, focus!” Digging her hooves in and concentrating, Rarity repaired the shield and steadied it just in time for the third attack which, this time, didn’t damage the shield at all. The next five minutes passed in much the same fashion, from outside everything seemed calm, the scene inside the dome hidden. However inside the dome was a completely different story. Orbs of magic consistently appearing in a circle around Twilight’s head before hurtling towards the shield Rarity had erected, sending sparks of purple energy fluttering around the dome. However in spite of the consistent barrage the shield held strong, the only sign of it weakening being the blurred edges where Rarity had begun to draw the magic away in favour of a smaller, more concentrated shield. And even with the magical energy being used neither unicorn seemed tired, the bolts of energy still as powerful as ever and the shield still holding strong as Twilight began to charge up one last spell. This time however the spell was noticeably larger than the ones before it, the energy causing a large hum to reverberate through the ground. Seeing the spell being charged through the transparent edges of her shield, Rarity drew all of her magic into one tight point, creating a shield that just covered her rather than a wall of energy that protected the entire corner of the dome. A few seconds later the spell was unleashed and, with a piercing whine, a beam of crackling energy sprung from Twilight’s horn and smashed into the shield Rarity had created. For almost ten seconds the two stayed like that, bodies locked as magical energy washed over them, the backlash of magic causing the wind inside the dome to roar. Groaning in effort, Rarity squeezed her eyes shut, her horn flaring brightly as she pumped magic into stopping Twilight’s spell. When it seemed like she couldn’t hold on another second, Twilight stopped the spell and, with a sigh of relief Rarity let the shield fade as both ponies collapsed to the floor, panting. “Sorry… about that… Rarity. Didn’t mean to be… so aggressive with that spell.” “Less talking… More resting…” True to her words Rarity proceeded to roll over and close her eyes, shortly followed by Twilight. As the two mares relaxed the dome they were in began to fade away, letting the warm summer sun and the cool breeze to flow across their bodies. Unfortunately is also allowed a certain rainbow coloured pegasus to see, what looked like to her, a very interesting situation. “Hey! Rarity, Twilight!” Landing with her typical stylish flare, Rainbow dash proceeded to trot over and sit down next to the two panting unicorns, grinning all the while. “Soooo… you two look like you’ve been having fun. Why are you all the way out here, anything I need to know?” Waving a hoof in Dash’s general direction Rarity frowned and turned to face her “It is rude… to ask… about a ladies personal… life. Especially… when it involves… the bedroom.” – Frowning Rarity put a hoof to her chin then continued – “or… in this case a dome.” Scrambling to her hooves, a panicked look on her face, Twilight was quick to correct Rarity’s words, a deep blush on her face. “N-not that we did anything like that! It was just a little… magic practice” “Are you sure? Because it seems like you’re coming up with excuses pretty fast, are you sure you weren’t practicing a different kind of magic?” Getting to her hooves slowly and patiently, a clear contrast from Twilight’s scrambling, Rarity turned to Rainbow Dash and with a very elegant motion, poked her on the muzzle. “H-hey! What was that for?” “It is none of your business what Twilight and I have been doing, if you must know though we were just practising magic and I think it is rather rude of you to think otherwise without evidence. Now I’d be ever so grateful if you’d fly away and leave us alone.” As Rarity spoke a faint-azure shield started to form around Twilight and as Rarity continued berating Dash she started to inspect it. Ruffling her feathers, Rainbow Dash gave the two of them an annoyed stare before shaking her wings out and feigning disinterest, at the same time the shield began to fade, disappearing entirely by the time Rainbow dash finished speaking. “I didn’t care what you were doing anyway. Have fun practising your magic.” Rarity and Twilight watched as Rainbow Dash flew off and for a few seconds both mares were content to enjoy the silence however it didn’t last for long. “You know darling, I think the mood has been utterly ruined. How about we head back to Ponyville?” Twilight nodded in agreement “Lets, although I must say your telekinesis is truly amazing. When we’re next free I’ll be sure to give you some tips for weaving spells into your telekinetic fields.” The two walked back to Ponyville in silence until Twilight, curious about what she’d seen turned to Rarity and said “Thanks for what you did back there Rarity, I may have gotten a little panicky.” “It’s no problem at all darling, after all it’s only in my nature to protect my friends, even if it is from the annoying curiosity of my other friends.” “Yea… What was that shield you were casting by the way? The one you created while you were talking to Dash?” “Shield? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Frowning Twilight shrugged “Never mind, must have been my imagination. Anyway, I believe this is where we split?” Rarity, seeing the two had arrived back at Ponyville, nodded and as she strode of towards the Carousel called back “Thanks for the day out, it was lovely!” “No problem, we’ll do it again sometime!” And with that the two unicorns went their separate ways however while one was basking in the glow of a day spent well the other was thinking long and hard. “I know I saw that shield. Not only was it there but it was strong, stronger than any shield I’ve seen before except maybe Shining’s shields. And there’s only one reason that could be. Because just before it faded I noticed something… Rarity’s Element was glowing!” Meanwhile in a certain Library bedroom… “There has to be something in here, something to explain what I felt. Hmm what’s this?” A claw reached down and, very carefully, plucked up a sheet of parchment. I have begun to study the origins of the Elements of Harmony and the magic that they channel. I have made the assumption that the Elements use an, as of yet undiscovered, form of magic which is why they are so different from any other magical items I have come into contact with. My first instinct was to try and explore the magical matrix in the Element of Magic as I would explore any other enchanted items. It seemed to work at first as I came across extremely complicated and powerful enchantments. However after painstakingly mapping the runes out I came to the conclusion that they were simple binding and constricting spells.1 This of course piqued my interest for how could something that is so powerful and benign require a binding spell. My initial thought was that it was the Elements own natural magic which stopped its power being released without the proper bearers. This was proven incorrect however when I managed to trace through the entire matrix and reach the second level of spells. This level is the reason that my research into the Element’s history will continue. I found, beneath the first layer of spells, a strange and confusing combination of runes put together into matrices which, by all my calculations, should do absolutely nothing. This of course incited my curiosity and I continued to explore the various runes, slowly drawing each one out onto a different set of paper.2 However as I drew out more and more of these runes I began to feel light headed and weak. I was going to stop but despite the side effects there was some urge, some desperate need that push me forward and I continued writing out the runes. Once the runes were complete my dizziness passed and a wave of power filled my body. However the energy felt wrong, uncontrolled and strange so I channelled it away. All I can say for sure is that this magic is nothing like any type of magic I’ve ever seen and, regarding the six Elements, it seems like the true nature of the magic is much more complicated than I first assumed. After researching extensively into… “My my my… The little pony has been busy. This explains the surge of power I felt. But why would Celestia store it there?” The paper was placed down and a grin crept across the face of the intruder. “The magic talked about here is certainly what I think it is and if she’s been channelling it then that means she’s not been fully restored…” “The Elements complicate matters… I will need to see if she-“ Thunk That must be her, Time to leave… Thank you Twilight, your advice has been invaluable. “ And with a whisper of shadow and the haunting echoes of a sinister laugh the bedroom was, once more, empty.